Bangsa-Islam

The Role of Righteous Spouse, Friends and Companion

2011-09-17T17:23:00.001-07:00

Course: DHD 302

Student: Al Madzhar Ahmadul

HD Diploma Program

In your own words, outline the role of having righteous companions’ friends, and spouses in 600 words.

The Purpose of Creation

The importance of having a righteous companion cannot be overstated and perhaps will be understood fully when viewed from a bigger perspective of Islam on the purpose of our existence. In the age of where everything is romanticized to maximize profit in an unrestricted free market economy, love, lust and desire are promoted incessantly in subliminally driven marketing strategies. Therefore it is no wonder that one might frown or wonder that why in Islam, love is not a necessary pre requisite of marriage? Love may or may not be present at the beginning of marriage but it will be developed later on – a love that sprung from mutual respect and the winning of admiration.

In Islam, the purpose of existence is to live life in obedience to the Creator, fulfilling the responsibilities of man/woman to his/her Lord, self, parents, spouse, children, the society at large. This is accomplice by being a dutiful servant to the Lord. “I have not created the Jinn and Men except that they should worship Me” (Soorah Adh-Dhaariyat 51:56).

Marriage is half of Deen (Religion)

And so the prince marries the princess or the knights in shining armor weds the damsel in distress and they live happily ever after. Or is it?

Life is a journey of worship hence like any other journey with many pitfalls and traps, a righteous companion who constantly reminds of worship and obedience is a necessity. This does not only applies to marriage but extends towards friendship and companionship.

It is having common goals and aspirations that despite the personal difference, the relationship continues to grow because of having a common destination. It is perhaps of this and others as well, that the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam affirmed that marriage is half of our religion.

Righteous Offspring

Raising righteous children is perhaps one the biggest responsibility a person can ever have. It is a life-long commitment that consumes one’s health and wealth. Perhaps for the poor and the middle class, it is the single most expensive investment materially. Parents often forget their own selves just to provide their children good education and a better opportunity in life. As though raising children is not already a daunting task, raising them according to Islamic perspective is the real challenge and obligation of the Muslim parents. It is cultivating in them the sense of constant need of and communication with the Creator. It is nurturing in them the faith that one’s action in life will be compensated – even the smallest of them. It is fostering in them the belief that there is a Merciful God who loves to forgive and loves that His servants forgive each other, and many other things.

Just like what was already mentioned, it is having a common goal in marriage that life in this troubled world can be more harmonious. If the husband and wife have different goals and visions for their children, then, peace and harmony at home will be elusive. Islamic identities are not just accomplished by sending our children to Islamic schools but it is primarily forged at home.

Society

The graphic contrast between the Islamic ideals and the reality of the world can never be more visualized than today’s multimedia driven world. A responsible Muslim who is engrained with the teachings found in the Qur’an and specifically in Soorah Al-Asr, that states that humankind are in loss except those who believe, do righteous good deeds, enjoins one another in truth and enjoins one another in patience (Qur’an 103:1-3), will never be truly at rest when he is surrounded by polytheism, injustices and immorality. If like minded Muslims aggregate into neighborhoods or groups that have a common goal, they will have more chances of affecting the society. Therefore a strong Muslim community should be at the forefront in enjoining good and prohibiting evil, and in nation-building endeavors and social welfare projects. Change ultimately must come from within, from one self, family and the society, until it reaches a critical mass where change is not only dreamed but effectuated.

The Role of Righteous Spouse, Friends and Companion

2011-09-17T17:22:00.000-07:00

Course: DHD 302

Student: Al Madzhar Ahmadul

HD Diploma Program

In your own words, outline the role of having righteous companions’ friends, and spouses in 600 words.

The Purpose of Creation

Marriage is half of Deen (Religion)

And so the prince marries the princess or the knights in shining armor weds the damsel in distress and they live happily ever after. Or is it?

Righteous Offspring

Society

Ang Pag-aayuno at ang Pang-espirituwal na Kadalisayan

2011-07-26T11:28:00.001-07:00

Bismillah walhamdulillah wassalatu wassalamu ‘ala Rasoolillah

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ

O kayong mga sumasampalataya! Iginawad sa inyo ang pag-aayuno katulad ng pag-gawad nito sa mga nauna sa inyo, nang sa gayon kayo ay maging mga Muttaqoon.

Ang layunin ng pag-aayuno ay upang magtamo ng Taqwa o a pagiging may kamalayan sa Diyos at pagkatakot kay Allah. Ang kakayanan upang masugpo ang mga pasaway na kalikasan ng sarili, sa isang banda, at ang pag-linang ng lakas ng sarili, sa kabilang banda, ay lubos na kailangan sa kaparaanan ng paglilinis ng kaluluwa. Ito ay dahil sa panahon ng pag-ayuno sa Ramadan, maraming mga pagkakataon, biyaya at mga kaparaanang maaring makamtan at magamit nang ang kaluluwa ay malinisan.

Una, ang pagpatawad ng kasalanan ay may positibong naidudulot sa paglinis ng kaluluwa. Ang pagipon ng mga kasalanan ng nagdaang taon ay nagdudulot sa kunsensya ng endless guilt at ang pakiramdam na ang kasalanan ay napapatawad ay nagbibigay ginhawa sa napapagod na puso. Hindi ka ba nagtataka na kung papaano hindi makatulog ang mga tao sagabi sapagkat sila ay nakapinsala sa iba o di kaya’y nakipag-away sa iba? Ang mabigat na pasanin na ito sa kaluluwa ng nananampalataya ay natatanggal kapag may pagkakasunduan na muli. Kagaya nito, si Allah swt, dahil sa kanyang awa, ay nagpapatawad sa mga nag-aayuno na nagsasanhi naman ng paghupa ng masamang pakiramdam mula sa kanyang nagdaang kasalanan laban kay Allah. Sinabi ni Propeta Muhammad:

من صام رمضان ايمنا و احتصابا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه

Ang sinuman ang nag-ayuno sa buwan ng Ramadan, habang siya ay may Iman at may Ihtisab, ang kanyang nagdaang kasalanan ay papatawarin para sa kanya.

Ang hadeeth na ito ay nagbanggit ng dalawang saligan/kundisyon upang mapatawad ang mga kasalanan. Una, ang nag-aayuno ay dapat na Mu’min. Ang Al- Ihtisab naman ay may tatlong kahulugan: pagkakaroon ng matatag na panindigan, pag-asa sa gantimpala at pagiging malugod sa gawain (ng pag ayuno) na hindi tinuturing na ang gawain na ito ay isang mabigat na pasanin.

Pangalawa, dapat ay maramdaman niya na gumagawa siya ng isang bagay na lubhang mahal at natatangi kay Allah. Ang bawat Gawain ng apo ni Adan ay katumbas ng sampu hanggang pitong daan bilang, liban lang sa pag-aayuno na gagawaran ng gantimpala ni Allah, Al Kareem ang Higit na Mapagbigay.

Pangatlo, dinadalisay ang espiritu ng pag-aayuno sa paglinang ng napakahalagang katangian ng pagkamatiisin. May tatlong uri ng pagiging matiisin: Pagiging matiisin sa pagtupad ng mga obligasyon, pagiging matiisin sa pag-iwas sa mga ipinagbabawal at ang pagiging matiisin sa panahon ng kalamidad. Ang lahat ng tatlong ito ay nasasanay sa nag-aayunong tao sa pamamagitan ng pagsagawa ng mga obligasyon ng mga gawain ng pag-aayuno, pag-iwas sa mga masasama, madudumi, walang saysay, at makasalanang mga gawain at ang pagigiing matiisin sa mga paghihirapan na maaring maganap habang nag-aayuno.

Pang-apat, ang pag ayuno ay nagpapaaalala sa tunay na dahilan ng paglikha at ng diwa ng Islam. Na sa pag-samba kay Allah, di maiiwasan na sumuko sa Kanyang Kagustuhan muna; na mauuna muna si Allah bago ang sariling hangarin. Lalo na sa mga nakatira sa mga bansang di-Muslim na nakakadama ng tukso na kung saan ang lahat ay kumakain at umiinom habang ikaw ay nagpipigil sa sarili dahil gusto mong sundin ang kagustuhan ni Allah.

Panglima, ang lahat ay tila bagang bumabagal sa buwan ng Ramadan (lalo na sa mga bansang Muslim), at karaniwan na (ang mga tao) ay walang lakas ng gumawa ng mga bagay na walang kabuluhan. Samakatuwid, magkakaroon ng maluwag na panahon ng mag-isip at mag-muni muni. Ito ay nagbibigay sa isang tao ng maraming panahon ma mag-isip tungko sa kanyang buhay at marahil sa mga kasamaan na kanyang nagawa.

Pang-anim, ang pagdama at pag-gawa ng isang gawain ay tunay na nagbibigay ng kasiguraduhan kaysa sa pag-saksi lamang. Ilang ulit na tayong nakakita ng mga larawan ng mga malnourish na bata as Afrika at nakadama tayo ng awa sa kanila, subalit di pa rin natin mararamdaman kung papaano magutom at makatikim ng sakit ng gutom sa ating tiyan. Ito ay dapat na magdudulot sa atin na maging mapagsalamat sa mga biyaya ni Allah.

Pangpito, ang pag-aayuno ay nakakatulong upang makamit natin ang ating potensyal bilang tao. Mayroong iilan sa atin na nag-iisip na ang mga obligasyon at ipinagbabawal sa Islam ay napakahirap o hindi maaring ipatupad lalo na sa mga di-Muslim na lipunan kaya’t ating hinahayaan ang ating sarili na gumawa ng mga Haram na gawain dahil iniisip natin na wala na tayong magagawa hinggil dito. Subalit sa Ramadan, hindi lang ang haram ang ating iniwasan, ngunit pati na rin ang Halal. Kung may kakayanan tayong umiwas sa mga pinapahintulutan, papaano pa kaya ang mga ipinagbabawal. Ito ay higit na totoo sa mga naninigarilyo! Katunayan ang pag-ayuno ay pagsasanay sa unti-unting pag-iwas sa nakakahumaling na epekto ng paninigarilyo.

Pangwalo, ay ang pagtungo kay Allah at pag-unawa ng pangangailangan sa Kanya. Kapag babawiin ni Allah ang ating pangunahing pangangailan bilang mga tao, sino ang makakatulong sa atin? Isipin natin na tatanggalin ni Allah ang ating panlasa o pagkabusog. Dahil tayo ay ipinanganak na buo ang ating pandama at mga kamay at paa, tayo ay nakakalimot na sa katiyakan ito ay hindi naman talaga atin. Ang katotohanang ito ay maliwanag na matutunghayan sa mga taong may sakit tulad ng Stroke na paralisa ang kalahati ng katawan. Ang kanyang kalahating katawan ay nakakabit parin sa kanya, nakikita niya ito, subalit hindi ito ay kayang igalaw at minsan ito pa ay hindi niya nararamdaman na nandoon pa rin. Subhanallah!

Pangsiyam, narinig na natin ang hadeeth ng Propeta: “Ang sinuman ang makapangako sa akin ng kung ano ang nasa pagitan ng kanyang balbas (dila) at ng nasa pagitan ng kanyang hita, aking ipapangako sa kanya ang paraiso”. Di mo ba nakikita? Ang pag-aayuno ay tumutulong sa atin na maging maingat sa ating mga sinasabi at maging maingat sa pakikipag-ugnayan sa kabaro natin.

Pangsampu, pinapaalala sa atin ng pag-aayuno na hindi tayo narito upang kumain at uminom lamang; ika nga, ang ating pag-iral ay di lamang upang busugin ang ating makamundong hangarin; na nandito tayo para sa mas mataas na dahilan, at ito ay ang pagsamba kay Allah. Sa medaling salita, tayo ay kumakain di lamang upang tayo ay mabuhay subalit upang sumamba sa Manlilikha. Ito ay ang nag-bubukod sa atin mula sa mga moderno at secular na materiyalistik na tao na kumakain lamang upan mabuhay, o di kaya’y mas masahol pa, iilan sa kanila na nabubuhay lamang upang kumain.

Labing Isa, ang pag ayuno ay pagkakataon na mapatunayan natin kay Allah ang ating malinis na hangarin. Ang lahat ng uri ng pagsamba ay nakikita ng iba pati na ang pagkawang gawa na kung saan alam ng tumatanggap na may nag-bigay sa kanya ng patago. Subalit sa pag-aayuno, walang nakaalam kung totoo ngang nag-ayuno ka nga o patagong sumubo ng pagkain sa iyong bibig liban lamang si Allah. Ang kadalisayan sa gawain ay isang pangunahing pangangailangan sa pagtanggap ng mga gawain at tagumpay.

Labing Dalawa, natutulungan ng pag-aayuno ang sakit na ‘maghangad pa na marami’. Kapag mapag-isip isip lamang nga tao na siya ay nabubuhay sa isa’t kalahating kainan lamang sa isang araw, at ito lang ang kanyang tunay na pangangailangan. Ilan sa atin ang may ganitong sariling-gawa na pangangailangan, na gawa gawa lamang natin na ating pinaniniwalaan. Ilan sa atin ang nagsasabi na “Hindi ko kayang mabuhay kung walang smart phones o may V8 na sasakyan o tatlong palapag na bahay”? Ating ginagastos ang ating yaman sa mga bagay na hindi naman talaga pangangailangan.

Higit sa lahat, malaki ang papel ng Taqwa sa lahat ng ito. Itong lakas na gumawa ng mga ipinag uutos ni Allah, ang pagpipigil sa sarili na pumipigil sa atin upang maiwasan ang mga ipinagbabawal ni Allah sa atin, at itong pagmamahal kay Allah na nagdudulot sa atin na gumawa ng mga bagay higit pa sa Kanyang ipinag-uutos. Ang pag-ayuno sa Ramadan at ang Tarawih, ay nilalaman ang lahat ng ito, nililinis ang ating espiritu at ginagawa tayo na papalapit ng papalapit kay Allah. Sinabi ni Allah: “Ang sinuman ang may galit sa Aking kaibigan, ako ay nagpapahayag ng digmaan sa kanya. Napapalapit ang Aking alipin (tao) sa Akin sa pamamagitan ng pagtupad ng mga obligasyon na Aking iginawad sa kanya; at ang Aking alipin ay patuloy na papalapit sa Akin sa kanyang pag-gawa ng mga Sunnah na gawain hanggang siya ay Aking mahalin. At kapag mahal Ko na siya, Ako ay (nagiging) kanyang pandinig, ang kanyang paningin na kanyang nakikita, ang kanyang kamay na kanyang ginagamit, at ng kanyang paa na kanyang ipinanglalakad. Kapag siya ay hihingi sa Akin, tunay na pagbibigyan Ko siya, at kapag siya ay humingi ng kanlungan, Akin itong ibibigay sa kanya. (Bukhari)

Soorah Al-‘Asr – Fanar Curriculum

2011-04-06T10:30:00.001-07:00

Download PDF: http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/pfPdbi

Soorah Al-‘Asr (103)

Pambungad

Ang Soorah Al-‘Asr ay ipinahayag sa Makkah at ang mga talata nito ay tatlong talata. Ito ay dumating nang may napaka-iksing ulat, upang ipaliwanag ang mga kadahilanan ng kaligayahan ng tao, at ang kanyang tagumpay sa buhay na ito, o di kaya’y kanyang pagkalugi at pagkasawi. Ang Allah ay nanumpa sa Al-‘Asr, ang panahon na kung saan nagwawakas dito ang bagay-bagay ng sangkatauhan. Ito ay naglalaman ng iba’t-ibang uri ng kamanghaan at aral na tumutukoy sa kapangyarihan at karunungan ng Allah, na ang sangkatauhan ay nasa kalugian at kakulangan, liban lamang sa mga nagtataglay ng mga apat na katangian, na nabanggit sa Soorah. Ang mga ito ay:

Pananampalataya – Pag-gawa ng Mabuti - nagbibigay ng payo sa isa’t-isa sa Katotohanan - nagtatagubilin at nagpapayuhan sa isa’t isa sa pagtitiyaga. Ang mga katangian na ito ay itinuturing na bilang mga batayan ng kabutihan at saligan ng relihiyon. Nang dahil dito, sinabi ni Imam Ash-Shafi’ee (kaawaan nawa siya ng Allah): Kung hindi nagpanaog ang Allah ng iban Soorah liban sa Soorah na ito, sapat na ito sa sangkatauhan.

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

[وَالْعَصْرِ- إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ- إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالْحَقّ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالصَّبْرِ-]

Transliteration

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Wal-‘Asr – Innal insaana lafee khusr – illalladheena aamanu wa ‘amilus saalihati wa tawaasaw bil haq wa tawaasaw bis-sabr.

(Ako [Allah] ay nanunumpa sa Al-‘Asr [Panahon]. Katotohanan! Ang tao ay nasa kawalan [pagkapahamak]. Maliban sa mga sumasampalataya at nagsisigawa ng kabutihan at nagbibigay ng payo sa isa’t-isa sa Katotohanan at nagtatagubilin at nagpapayuhan sa isa’t isa sa pagtitiyaga.)

Kahulugan ng mga Salita

Salita	Kahulugan
Al-’Asr	Ang Panahon
Khusr	Pagkaligaw at pagkasawi
Aamanu	Pananampalataya sa Allah, sa Kanyang mga anghel, sa Kanyang mga Kapahayagan, sa Kanyang mga Sugo, sa Huling Araw, at sa Kanyang tadhana masama man o mabuti
As-Saalihaat	Mga gawang may kapakinabangan sa sangkatauhan at hindi magdudulot ng kapahamakan kahit kanino.
Tawaasaw	Pagbibigay payo ng bawat isa
Al-Haq	Lahat ng uri ng kabutihan
As-Sabr	Lakas ng sarili upang pasanin ang kahirapan sa pag-gawa ng kabutihan at pag-iwas mula sa kasamaan.

Kabuuoang Kahulugan

Sumumpa ang Allah sa panahon sa marangal na Soorah na ito, at ito ay ang paglipas ng panahon ng gabi at araw nang ganap at maayos na paraan. At ito ay ang panahon ng liwanag at kadiliman, tag-init at taglamig, at dito nagaganap ang gawa ng mga tao, maging ito man ay mabuti o masama. Ang ligaw at sawing tao ay may pagkiling patungong kasamaan. Kanyang sinusunod ang kanyang mga pagnanasa. At hindi dahil sa panahon siya ay pumasok sa kanyang pagkaligaw at pagkasawi sapagkat ang bawat sandali na lumilipas mula sa gulang ng tao ay nagsisilbing babala sa paglapit ng kanyang kamatayan.

Sinabi ng isang Manunula:

Tunay na tayo ay magalak sa mga araw na lumipas

Ang bawat araw na dumaan ay pagbabawas ng buhay

At walang makakaligtas sa pagkaligaw at pagkasawi liban lamang ang mga matapat sa Allah, at nananampalataya sa Kanyang mga Kapahayagan at mga Sugo, at nagsisipagsagawa ng Kabutihan na nagbibigay sa kanila ng pakinabang at hindi nagsasanhi ng kasamaan sa iba. Sila ay nag aanyaya sa bawat isa tungo sa pagsunod ng katotohanan, at pag-gawa ng kabutihan at sa pagsasanay sa sarili sa pag pasan ng mga kahirapan na magaganap sa pag-gawa ng kabutihan at pagpasan sa mga di kanais-nais dulot ng pag-iwas mula sa masamang pagnanasa at kasamaan.

Pagsasanay

1. Isulat ang mga sumusunod na salita sa kanilang tamang kinalalagyan mula sa mahalagang Soorah.

(Al-insaan – Khusr – Amaanu – As-saalihaat – Bis-sabr)

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

(1) Wal ’Asr. (2) Inna _____ lafee _____. (3) Illalladheen ______ wa amilu ______ wa tawaasaw bil haqqi wa tawaasaw _________.

2. Ipagdugtong ang mga salita at kanilang kahulugan

Salita	Kahulugan
Al-’Asr	Pagkaligaw at pagkasawi
Khusr	Ang Panahon
Aamanu	Lahat ng uri ng kabutihan
Al-Haq	Pananampalataya sa Allah, sa Kanyang mga anghel, sa Kanyang mga Kapahayagan, sa Kanyang mga Sugo, sa Huling Araw, at sa Kanyang tadhana masama man o mabuti

3. Sa ano sumumpa ang Allah sa umpisa ng marangal na Soorah?

4. Papaano magaganap ang kasayahan ng tao sa mundo at sa kabilang buhay?

a. _____________________________________________________

b. _____________________________________________________

c. _____________________________________________________

d_____________________________________________________

2. Magbanggit ng dalawang aral mula sa mga mararangal na talata ?

3. Mainam na isaulo ang Soorah Al-’Asr

Tafseer Soorah Al-Masad (111)

2011-03-30T09:18:00.001-07:00

Qatar’s State Mosque

Tafseer ibn Katheer sa Wikang Filipino

Download PDF: http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/tpTa6

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ (1) مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ (2) سَيَصْلَى نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ (3) وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ (4) فِي جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِنْ مَسَدٍ (5)

Tafseer ng Soorah Tabbat (Al-Masad).

Ito ay ipinahayag sa Makkah.

Sa Ngalan ni Allah, Ang Mahabagin, Ang Maawain

(1) Maglaho ang mga kamay ni Abu Lahab (ang tiyuhin g Propeta), maglaho siya! (2) Ang kanyang kayamanan at kanyang mga anak ay walang magiging kapakinabangan sa kanya! (3) Tiyak na siya ay sisilaban sa Nagalagablab na Apoy! (4) Gayundin ang kanyang asawa na nagdadala ng mga Panggatong (mga tinik ng Sadan na kanyang iniuumang sa landas ng Propeta, o ang kanyang paninirang –puri sa Propeta) (5) Sa kanyang leeg ay nakapulupot ang lubid ng Masad (mga himaymay ng palmera).

Sinabi ni Al-Bukhari na sinabi ni Ibn ’Abbas[1]: Lumabas ang Propeta Muhammad r sa Al-Bathaa’[2] at siya ay umakyat sa bundok at nagtawag ”O mga tao, halika kayo ngayon din!” Nagtipon ang Quraish[3] sa paligid niya at sinabi niya: ”Kapag sasabihin ko sa inyo na lulusubin kayo ng inyong kaaway sa umaga o sa gabi, maniniwala ba kayo sa akin?” Sinabi nila: ”Oo”. Sinabi niya: ”Ako ay isang tagapag babala sa inyo sa isang masakit na kaparusahan na darating”. Sinabi ni Abu Lahab: ”Nang dahil ba dito kaya mo kami tinipon? Kasawian sa iyo!”. Kaya’t ipinahayag ni Allah ”Maglaho ang mga kamay ni Abu Lahab, maglaho siya!”[4]

Sa isang salaysay: Kanyang pinagpag ang kanyang kamay (na may alikabok) at nagsabi. ”Kasawian sa iyo sa buong araw na ito! Nang dahil ba dito kaya mo kami tinipon?” Kaya’t ipinahayag ni Allah ”Maglaho ang mga kamay ni Abu Lahab, maglaho siya!”[5]

Ang unang bahagi ay panalangin laban sa kanya at ang pangalawa ay pagbigay ng kaalaman tungkol sa kanya[6]. Si Abu Lahab ay isa sa mga amain ng Propeta Muhammad r at ang kanyang pangalan ay Abdul-‘Uzza bin ‘Abdul Muttalib at ang kanyang Kunya[7] ay Abu ’Utaibah. Siya ay tinawag na Abu Lahab dahil sa maaliwalas niyang mukha. Marami siyang nagawang pinsala sa Propeta r at matindi ang poot niya sa kanya, pag-alipusta sa kanya, at minamaliit niya siya at ang kanyang relihiyon.

Sinabi ni Imam Ahmad: salaysay ni Ibraahim bin Abee Al-’Abbas, mula kay ’Abdur-Rahman bin Abee Az-Zinaad, mula sa kanyang ama na nagsabi: Sinabi sa akin ng isang lalaki na ang pangalan ay Rabee’ah bin ’Abbaad mula sa tribo ng Ad-Dayl, sa panahon ng Jaahiliyyah [8] ngunit yumakap din sa siya Islam. Kanyang sinabi: ”Nakita ko ang Propeta r sa panahon ng Jaahiliyyah sa Pamilihan ng Dhu Al-Majaaz na nagsasabi: ’O mga tao sabihin niyo Laa ilaha illallaah[9] nangsagayon kayo ay magtagumpay’ at nagsitipon ang mga tao sa paligid niya. Sa kanyang likod ay isang lalaki na duling at may dalawang trintas ang buhok na nagsasabi: ”Siya ay isang sinungaling na Sabaa’i[10]”. Sinusundan niya siya kahit saan man siya mapunta. Nagtanong ako tungkol sa kanya at kanilang sinabi: ”Siya ay ang kanyang tiyuhin na si Abu Lahab”.

Itinala ni (Imam Ahmad) mula kay Suraij, mula kay Ibn Abee Ziyaad, mula sa kanyang ama, na nagbanggit din ng salaysay na ito. Sinabi ni Abu Ziyaad: ”Sinabi ko kay Rabee’ ’Bata ka pa ba sa panahon na iyon?’” Sinabi niya: ”Hindi, Wallahi, sa mga araw na yaon ako ang pinaka matalino at ang pinakamalakas na mag-ihip (ng plauta). Mag-isang nagtala ni Imam Ahmad sa salaysay na ito[11]. Tungkol naman sa salita ni Allah,

[مَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ ]

(Ang kanyang kayamanan at mga anak (kasab) ay hindi niya mapapakinabangan!) Sinabi ni Ibn ‘Abbas at ng iba pa na,

[وَمَا كَسَبَ]

(At ang kanyang (kasab) ay hindi niya mapapakinabangan!)” Ang kahulugan ng ’kasab’ ay mga anak niya.” Magkatulad na salaysay ay naitala din mula kay ’Aishah, Mujaahid, ’Ata’, Al-Hasan at Ibn Sireen. Nabanggit mula ka Ibn Mas’ood na nang nagtawag ang Propeta r sa mga tao tungo sa kanyang pananampalataya, sinabi ni Abu Lahab, ”Kahit na totoo pa ang sinasabi ng aking pamangkin, tutubusin ko ang aking sarili sa pamamagitan ng aking mga anak.” Kaya’t ipinahayag ni Allah,

[مَآ أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ ]

(Ang kanyang kayamanan at mga anak ay walang magiging kapakinabangan sa kanya!) Pagkatapos sinabi ni Allah,

[سَيَصْلَى نَاراً ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ ]

Tiyak na siya ay sisilaban sa Nagalagablab na Apoy!

Ang Tadhana ni Umm Jameel, ang Asawa ni Abu Lahab

[وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ ]

(Gayundin ang kanyang asawa na nagdadala ng mga Panggatong) Ang kanyang asawa ay isa sa mga nangungunang babae sa Quraysh at siya ay kilala bilang Umm Jameel. Ang kanyang pangalan ay ‘Arwah bint Harb bin Umayyah at siya ay ang kapatid na babae ni Abu Sufyan. Tinatuguyod niya ang kanyang asawa sa di-pananampalataya, pag-tanggi at kasuwailan. Samakatuwid siya ay tutulong sa pag-lapat ng parusa niya (Abu Lahab) sa loob ng apoy ng Impyerno sa Araw ng Paghuhukom. Kaya’t sinabi ni Allah,

[وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ - فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍ ]

(na nagdadala ng mga Panggatong. Sa kanyang leeg ay nakapulupot ang lubid ng Masad) ang ibig sabihin ay, siya ay magdadala ng panggatong at ito ay ibabato niya sa kanyang asawa nang sa gayon lalong titindi ang kanyang kalagayan (kaparusahan), at siya ay handa at gayak na gagawin ito.

[فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍ ]

(Sa kanyang leeg ay nakapulupot ang lubid ng Masad). Sinabi nina Mujaahid at ’Urwa, ” mga himaymay ng palmera ng Impyerno.” Nagsalaysay si Al-’Awfi mula kay Ibn ’Abbas, ’Atiyah Al-Jadali, Ad-Dahhak at Ibn Zayd na dati niyang gawi na maglagay ng mga tinik sa danaanan ng Sugo ni Allah r. Sinabi ni Al-Jawhari, ”Ang Al-Masad ay tumutukoy sa himaymay, at ito rin ay lubid na gawa sa himaymay ng palmera. Ito rin ay gawa mula sa balat ng kamelyo o di kaya’y mula kanilang balahibo. Sinasabi sa (wikang Arabe) Masadtul-Habla at Amsadhuhu Masadan, kapag mahigpit mong tinatali ang tali.” Sinabi ni Mujaahid,

[فِى جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍ ]

(Sa kanyang leeg ay nakapulupot ang lubid ng Masad) “Ang kahulugan nito ay isang kuwelyo na bakal.” Di mo ba nakikita na tinatawag ng mga Arabo ang kable ng kalo na Masad?

Ang Salaysay ng Asawa ni Abu Lahab na sinasaktan ang Sugo ni Allah r

Sinabi ni Ibn Abi Haatim na ang kanyang ama at si Abu Zur’ah ay nagsasabi si ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zubayr Al-Humaydi na sinabi sa kanila ni Sufyan na nagsalaysay si Al-Walid bin Katheer mula kay Ibn Tadrus na siya namang nagsalaysay mula kay Asma’ bin Abi Bakr na, “Nang,

[تَبَّتْ يَدَآ أَبِى لَهَبٍ]

…maihayag ang (Maglaho ang mga kamay ni Abu Lahab!), ang may isang-mata na si Umm Jameel bin Harb ay lumabas ng pataghoy, at siya ay bato sa kanyang kamay. Kanyang sinasabi, ‘Kanyang binabatikos at ating mga ninuno, ang kanyang relihiyon ay kinamumuhian natin, at ang kanyang utos ay sumuway sa atin’ Nakaupo ang Sugo ni Allah r at si Abu Bakr sa Masjid (ng Ka’bah) ay kasama niya. Nang Makita siya ni Abu Bakr sinabi niya, ‘O Sugo ni Allah! Papalapit na siya at nangangamba ako na makikita ka niya.’ Tugon ng Sugo ni Allah,

«إِنَّهَا لَنْ تَرَانِي»

(Tunay na hindi niya ako makikita) At kanyang binasa ang ilan samga talaga ng Qur’an upang mapangalagaan ang sarili niya. Ito ay katulad ng sinabi ni Allah,

[وَإِذَا قَرَأْتَ الْقُرءَانَ جَعَلْنَا بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالاٌّخِرَةِ حِجَابًا مَّسْتُورًا ]

(At nang ikaw (O Muhammad) ay dumadalit ng Qur’an, inilagay Namin sa iyon gpagitan at ng mga hindi sumasampalataya sa Kabilang Buhay ang hindi nakiktiang lambong.) (17:45). Kaya’t siya ay lumapit hangga’t siya ay nakatayo na sa harapan ni Abu Bakr at hindi niya nakita ang Sugo ni Allah r. Kaya’t sinabi niya, ‘O Abu Bakr! Tunay na ako ay nabalitaan na ang iyong kaibigan ay gumagawa ng mapanglait na tula tungkol sa akin! Tugon ni Abu Bakr, ‘Hindi! Sumpa ko sa Panginoon ng Bahay (Ka’bah) na ito, hindi ka niya nilalait.’ Kaya’t siya ay bumaling papalayo habang sinasabi, ‘Tunay na alam ng Quraish na ako ay ang anak na babae ng kanilang pinuno.” Sinabi ni Walid o ng ibang tao sa isang salaysay ng Hadeeth na ito, “Natisod si Umm Jameel ang kanyang damit habang siya ay umiikot (tawaf) palibot ng Ka’bah at nagsabi, ‘Nawa’y masumpa ang mapanlait.’ Pagkatapos sinabi ni Umm Hakim bint ‘Abdul-Muttalib, ‘Ako ay isang mahinhin na babae kaya’t di ako magsasalita ng kalapastangan at ako ay dalisay kaya’t di ko alam. Pareho tayong mga anak ng iisang amain. At pagkatapos ng lahat, higit na alam (naman) ng Quraysh (kung ano ang katotohanan). Dito nagwawakas ang Tafseer ng Soorah na ito at lahat ng pagpupuri at biyaya ay ukol sa Allah lamang.

[1] Heto ang kompletong Isnaad: Sinabi ni Al-Bukhari na sinabi sa amin ni Muhammad ibn Salaam, na sinabi ni Abu Mu’aawiyah, na sinabi ni A’maash, na sinabi ni ’Umar bin Murrah, mula kay Sa’eed bin Jubair, mula kay Ibn ’Abbas.

[2] Isang labak (Valley) sa Makkah.

[3] Ang tribo ni Propeta Muhammad

[4] Saheeh Al-Bukhari 4972

[5] Saheeh Al-Bukhari (1394, 3525, 4801)

[6] Ang unang bahagi ng talata “Maglaho ang mga kamay ni Abu Lahab” ay isang panalangin laban kay Abu Lahab at ang pangalawang bahagi naman ng talata "maglaho siya! " ay isang impormasyon tungkol sa kanya.

[7] Isang tawagan ng mga Arabo na kung saan tinatawag ang isang tao ng “Ama ni” at dinudugtong ang pangalan ng unang anak. Ang una niyang anak ay si ‘Utaibah, kaya’t ang kanyang palayaw ay ‘Abu ‘Utaibah’. Subalit ginagamit din ang ganitong tawagan sa ibang kadahilanan bukod sa unang anak katulad ni Abu Hurairah (Ama ng kuting) etc.

[8] Isang katayuan ng kamangmangan. Ang kahulugan ng salitang Jaahiliyyah ay kamangmangan. Ginagamit din ang salitang Jaahiliyyah sa isang panahon bago pa man dumating ang Islam.

[9] Walang ibang diyos na dapat sambahin maliban si Allah. Katagang binabanggit kapag ang tao ay papasok na sa relihiyong Islam.

[10] Sabians. The Sabians (Arabic: صابئة‎, Hebrew: צבאים‎) of Middle Eastern tradition were a monotheistic^[1] religious group who worshipped in the names of stellar angels. Most of what is known of them comes from the writings of Maimonides and classical Arabic sources, notably ibn Waḥshiyya's The Nabatean Agriculture.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabians

[11] Al-Musnad 4/341

Soorah Al-Masad [Ang Himaymay ng Palmera] (111)

2011-03-28T06:22:00.001-07:00

Minhaj Quran Level 1 - Fanar Curriculum

Download PDF: http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/ecXGah

Pambungad

Ipinahayag ang Soorah Al-Masad sa Makkah. Ito ay tinatawag din na Soorah Al-Lahab at ito ay nagsasalaysay tungkol sa pagkasira ni Abu Lahab na siyang may tatlong mga anak na lalaki na sina ‘Utbah, Mut’ab at ‘Utaybah. Yumakap sa Islam ang dalawang nauna sa araw ng pagsakop ng Makkah subalit si ‘Utaybah ay hindi nag-Muslim. Si Umm Khulthum, ang anak ng Sugo ni Allah na ay asawa niya (‘Utaybah) at ang kapatid niya (na si Ruqayyah) ay asawa naman ni ‘Uthbah. Nang inihayag ang Soorah (Al-Masad) ang katotohan (o ang kaparusahan) (kay Abu Lahab), sinabi ng ama nilang dalawa (‘Utaybah at ‘Utbah): Ang aking ulo sa inyong ulo ay haraam – ibig sabihin ay – Ni hindi ko kayo titingnan o kakausapin – kung hindi ninyo hihiwalayan ang mga anak ni Muhammad! Kaya’t kanilang hiniwalayan sila. Nang gustong maglakbay ni ‘Utaybah palabas sa Ash-Sham[1] kasama ng kanyang ama, sinabi niya: Tunay na pupuntahan ko si Muhammad upang saktan ang sarili niya at ang anyang relihiyon, kaya’t siya ay pumunta sa kanya at nagsabi: “O Muhammad, tunay na ako ay hindi naniniwala sa Wan-Najmu idhaa hawaa[2],” siya ay lumapit at yumuko at siya ay dumura sa harapan niya at hiniwalayan niya ang anak (ng propeta na si Umm Khultum). Kaya’t dumalangin ang Propeta laban sa kanya at nagsabi: (O Allah gapiin mo siya sa pamamagitan ng isa sa mga aso mo) kaya’t siya ay nilamon ng isang leon. Nasawi din sin Abu Lahab pagkatapos nangyari ang (Digmaan ng) Badr[3] nang siya ay nagkasakit ng nakakahawang sakit na tinatawag ng Al-‘Adasah. Walang lumalapit sa kanya sa loob ng tatlong araw hangga’t siya ay bumaho ng husto. Nang natakot na ang kanyang mga kasama sa hiya, sila ay naghukay para sa kanya ng isang hukay at kanila siyang itinulak dito gamit ay mahaba at makapal na tabla hangga’t siya ay nailagay dito. Sila ay nagtapon mga bato dito hangga’t siya ay nailibing dito. Wala ni isa na bumuhat sa kanya dahil sa takot nilang mahawa (ng sakit) at masawi katulad nang paano ipinaalam sa kanya ng Maluwalhating Qur’an at siya ay namatay ng isang napakasamang kamatayan. At ang kanyang asawa naman (na si Umm Jameel), ‘Arwraa’ Al-ula at siya ay tinawag na Umm Qabeeh (ang ina ng kapangitan/pangit) at siya ay binanggit sa Soorah Al-Masad bilang (nagdadala ng mga Panggatong) at siya ay nagdadala ng tinik na nakabigkis at tistle at ito ay kanyang kinakalat sa gabi sa landas ng Propeta, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam upang saktan siya. Tunay siya ay mapagpahamak katulad ng kanyang asawa. Siya ay nagpapalaganap ng paninirang puri sa pagitan ng mga tao at siya ay nagsisilab ng apoy ng pagkapoot at awayan sa pagitan nila. Tanyag na siya ay may maluhong kwintas na alahas. Sinabi niya: Sumpa ko kay Al-Laat at ‘Uzza[4] ito ay aking igugugol sa pagpahamak kay Muhammad, kaya’t ito ay sinanhi sa kanya ni Allah na mapalupotan siya ng lubid sa leeg ng Masad sa impyerno.

[بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ]

تَبَّتْ يَدَا أَبِي لَهَبٍ وَتَبَّ (١) مَا أَغْنَى عَنْهُ مَالُهُ وَمَا كَسَبَ (٢) سَيَصْلَى نَارًا ذَاتَ لَهَبٍ (٣) وَامْرَأَتُهُ حَمَّالَةَ الْحَطَبِ (٤) فِي جِيدِهَا حَبْلٌ مِّن مَّسَدٍ (٥)

Kahulugan ng mga Salita

Salita	Kahulugan
Tabbat yadaa abee lahab	Panalangin laban kay Abu Lahab sa pagkasira niya at pagkalugi niya
Watabb	At siya ay nasira at nalugi nga ng tunay
Maa agh-naa ’anhu maaluhu	Hindi niya napakinabangan ang kanyang kayamanan kahit sa anumang bagay
Wa maa kasab	Kung ano ang ginawa niya laban sa propeta
Sayaslaa naaran dhaata lahab	Siya ay susunugin sa napakainit ng apoy
Hammaa latal hatab	Magsanhi ng katiwalian sa pagitan ng mga tao
Masad	Himaymay ng palmeras

Kabuoang kahulugan

Ang diin ng pinagpalang Soorah na ito ay umiikot sa pagkasira ni Abu Lahab, ang kalaban ni Allah subahanahu wataala at ng Kanyang marangal na Sugo, sallallaahu alaihi wasallam. Tunay na si Abu Lahab ay matinding kaaway ng Sugo ni Allah. Kanyang sinisiyasat ang bawat hakbang ng Propeta upang sirain ang pag-anyaya niya (sa mga tao tungo sa Islam) at hadlangan ang mga tao sa pananampalataya dito. At siya ay napangakuan ni Allah sa Soorah na ito ng naglalagablab na apoy, katulad din ng pagpangako ni Allah sa asawa ni Abu Lahab na si Umm Jameel na siya namang nagpapalaganap ng paninirang puri at kasiraan sa pagitan ng Propeta at tribo (ng Quraish) upang hindi sila maniwala sa kanya kapag siya ay mag-anyaya sa kanila sa Islam. Kaya’t sina Abu Lahab at ng kanyang asawa ay nilipol ni Allah at ginawa silang babala sa lahat ng kumakalaban sa Propeta o di kaya’y kumalaban sa kanyang Relihiyon.

Pagsasanay

1 Isulat ang mga sumusunod na salita sa kanilang tamang kinalalagyan mula sa mahalagang Soorah. (Yadaa – Lahab – Agh-naa – Sayaslaa – Hablun)

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

(1) Tabbat _____ Abee _____ Watabb. (2) Maa ___ ’anhu maaluhu wa maa kasab. (3) _____ naaran dhaata lahab. (4) wam-raatuhu hammalatal hatab. (5) Fee jeediha ____ min masad.

2 Ipagdugtong ang mga salita at kanilang kahulugan

Tabbat yadaa abee lahab	At siya ay nasira at nalugi nga ng tunay
Watabb	Panalangin laban kay Abu Lahab sa pagkasira niya at pagkalugi niya
Maa agh-naa ’anhu maaluhu	Kung ano ang ginawa niya laban sa propeta
Wa maa kasab	Hindi niya napakinabangan ang kanyang kayamanan kahit sa anumang bagay
Hammalatal hatab	Himaymay ng palmeras
Masad	Magsanhi ng katiwalian sa pagitan ng mga tao

3 Ano ang nais na ipagawa ni Abu Lahab sa kanyang dalawang anak na si ‘Utbah at ‘Utaibah pagkatapos naipahayag ang Soorah Al-Masad ?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4 Ano ang sinabi ni ‘Utaybah sa Sugo ni Allah sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam ?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 Magbanggit ng dalawang aral mula sa mga mararangal na talata ?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Araling Pambahay

Mainam na isaulo ang Soorah Al-Masad.

[1] Syria, Palestine, Jordan.

[2] Soorah An-Najm (53). Alalaong baga, hindi siya naniniwala na ang Qu’ran ay salita ni Allah.

[3] Ang unang digmaang naganap sa pagitan ng mga Muslim at mga Paganong Quraish.

[4] Dalawang diyos-diyosan na sinasamba ng mga Quraish bago dumating ang Islam.

Tafseer Soorah An-Nasr

2011-03-23T08:47:00.001-07:00

Dukhan Masjid, Dukhan Qatar

Tafseer Ibn Katheer sa Wikang Filipino

Download PDF: https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/wXc9S

Ito ay ipinahayag sa Madeenah

Ang mga kabutihan ng Soorah An-Nasr

Dati ng nabanggit na ang Soorah An-Nasr ay katumas ng ¼ ng Qur’an at ang Soorah Az-Zalzalah na ¼ din ng Qur’an. Itinala ni An-Nasaa’i mula kay ’Ubaydullah bin ’Abdullah bin ’Utbah na sinabi sa kanya ni Ibn ’Abbas, ”O ’Utbah! Alam mo ba ang huling Soorah ng Qur’an na naipahayag?” Kanyang sagot, “Oo, it ay

[إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ ]

(Kapag dumatal (sa iyo, O Muhammad) ang kalinga ni Allah at tagumpay) (110:1). Sinabi ni Ibn ’Abbas, ”Ikaw ay nagsalita ng katotohanan.”

[بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

[إِذَا جَآء نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ- وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِى دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوجاً- فَسَبّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوبَا-]

Sa Ngalan ni Allah, Ang Mahabagin, Ang Maawain

1. Kapag dumatal (sa iyo, O Muhammad) ang kalinga ni Allah at tagumpay

2. At iyong napagmasdan ang mga Tao na nagsisipasok sa Relihiyon ni Allah nang maramihan.

3. Kaya’t ipagbunyi mo ang mga Papuri sa iyong Panginoon at manalangin na igawad Niya ang Kanyang Kapatawaran. Katotohanan, Siya ang tumatanggap ng pagsisisi at nagpapatawad.

Ipinaalam ng Soorah na ito ang pag-tatapos ng buhay ng Sugo ni Allah

Naitala ni Al-Bukhari mula kay Ibn ’Abbas na sinabi niya, ”Nakagawian nang dinadala ako ni ’Umar sa mga pagtitipon ng mga matatanda (na nakalahok sa digmaan) ng Badr. Subalit tila baga na may isa sa kanila ang nakaramdan sa kanyang sarili (laban sa aking pagdalo). Kaya’t kanyang sinabi, ”Bakit mo dinadala (ang batang) ito na kasama natin samantalang may mga anak naman kami katulad niya (ng gulang). Tugon ni ’Umar, ’Tunay na siya ay mula sa mga kilala ninyon’. Isang araw nagpaunlak siya sa kanila at inimbita ako na maupo kasama nila at sa aking palagay, inimbita lamang niya ako sa araw na iyon para lamang may maipakita sa kanila. Sinabi niya, ‘Ano ang inyong masasabi sa salita ni Allah,

[إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ ]

(Kapag dumatal (sa iyo, O Muhammad) ang kalinga ni Allah at tagumpay). Sinabi ng ilan sa kanila, ’Tayo ay inatasang magpunyagi kay Allah at humingi ng Kanyang kapatawaran dahi sa Kanyang pagtulong sa atin at pagbigay sa atin ng tagumpay.’ Ang iba naman sa kanila ay tahimik at hindi nagsalita ng kahit ano pa. Pagkatapos, sinabi ni ’Umar sa akin, ’Ito rin ba ang sinasabi mo, O Ibn ‘Abbas ?’ Ang sabi ko, ‘Hindi .’ Sinabi niya, ‘Ano ang iyong masasabi’. Sinabi ko, “Ito ay ang pagtatapos ng buhay ng Sugo ni Allah na pinapaalam sa kanya ni Allah. Sinabi ni Allah,

[إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ ]

(Kapag dumatal (sa iyo, O Muhammad) ang kalinga ni Allah at tagumpay) na ang ibig sabihin ay ito ay palatandaan mula sa iyong panginoon na malapit ng magtatapos ang iyon buhay

[فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوِبَا ]

(Kaya’t ipagbunyi mo ang mga Papuri sa iyong Panginoon at manalangin na igawad Niya ang Kanyang Kapatawaran. Katotohanan, Siya ang tumatanggap ng pagsisisi at nagpapatawad.)’ Kaya’t sinabi ni ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattab, ‘Wala na akong alam tungkol dito bukod sa sinabi mo.” Mag-isang nagtala si Al-Bukhari nito. Naitala ni Imam Ahmad mula kay Ibn ‘Abbas, “Nang,

[إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ ]

(Kapag dumatal (sa iyo, O Muhammad) ang kalinga ni Allah at tagumpay) ay naipahayag, sinabi ng Sugo ni Allah

«نُعِيَتْ إِلَيَّ نَفْسِي»

(Ang aking kamatayan ay naihayag na sa akin). Tunay na siya ay namatay sa taon na iyon.” Si Ahmad ay mag-isang nagtala ng hadeeth na ito. Itinala ni Al-Bukhari na sinabi ni ‘Aishah, “Sinasabi parati ng Sugo ni Allah sa kanyang pagyukod at pagpatirapa,

«سُبْحَانَكَ اللَّهُمَّ رَبَّنَا وَبِحَمْدِكَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي»

(Luwalhatiin Ka, O Allah ang aming Panginoon, lahat ng pagpunyagi ay para sa Iyo. O Allah patawarin mo po ako.) Ito ay kanyang ginawa bilang pagganap ng kahulugan ng Qur’an.” Ito ay itinala ng Grupo[1] liban kay At-Tirmidhee. Itinala ni Imam Ahmad mula kay Masruq na sinabi ni ‘Aishah, “Parating binabanggit ng Sugo ni Allah sa mga huling araw ng kanyang buhay ang,

«سُبْحَانَ اللهِ وَبِحَمْدِهِ، أَسْتَغْفِرُ اللهَ وَأَتُوبُ إِلَيْه»

(Luwalhatiin si Allah, purihin Siya, Ako ay humihingi ng Kanyang kapatawaran at ako ay Nagsisisi at nanumbalik sa Kanya.) At sinabi niya,

«إِنَّ رَبِّي كَانَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنِّي سَأَرَى عَلَامَةً فِي أُمَّتِي، وَأَمَرَنِي إِذَا رَأَيْتُهَا أَنْ أُسَبِّحَ بِحَمْدِهِ وَأَسْتَغْفِرَهُ، إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّابًا، فَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهَا:

[إِذَا جَآءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ - وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِى دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَجاً - فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوِبَا ]»

(Tunay na sinabi sa akin ng aking Panginoon that matutunghayan ko ang isang palatandaan sa aking Ummah at inatasan Niya ako na kapag nakita ko na ito, Siya ay aking luluwalhatiin at humingi ng Kanyang kapatawaran, sapagkat Siya lamang ang tumatanggap ng pagsisisi. At tunay na ito ay nakita ko na. (Kapag dumatal (sa iyo, O Muhammad) ang kalinga ni Allah at tagumpay. At iyong napagmasdan ang mga Tao na nagsisipasok sa Relihiyon ni Allah nang maramihan. Kaya’t ipagbunyi mo ang mga Papuri sa iyong Panginoon at manalangin na igawad Niya ang Kanyang Kapatawaran. Katotohanan, Siya ang tumatanggap ng pagsisisi at nagpapatawad.) Itinala din ni Muslim ang Hadeeth na ito. Ang kahulugan ng Al-Fath ay ang pagsakop ng Makkah at isa lamang ang pananaw tungkol dito. Tunay na ang mga iba’t-ibang lugar ng Arabia are naghihintay lamang ng pagsakop ng Makkah bago sila yayakap sa Islam. Sabi nila, ”Kung siya (Muhammad) ay magwawagi laban sa kanyang nasyon, siya ay isang (tunay) na propeta.” Kaya’t nang siya ay binigyan ni Allah ng tagumpay sa Makkah, sila ay nagsipasok sa Relihiyon ni Allah ng dagsaan. Kaya’t hindi tumagal ng dalawang taon (pagkatapos ng pagsakop ng Makkah) bago’t napuno ng pananampalataya ang tangway ng Arabe. At walang natirang mga tribo ng mga Arabo kundi sila ay tumanggap ng Islam. Lahat ng puri at biyaya ay kay Allah. Itinala ni Al-Bukhari sa kanyang Sahih[2] na sinabi ni ’Amr bin Salamah, ”Nang masakop ang Makkah, lahat nang tao ay nagmadaling pumunta sa Sugo ni Allah upang tanggapin ang Islam. Maraming mga lupain na inaantala ang kanilang pagtanggap ng Islam hanggang sa pagsakop ng Makkah. Sinasabi ng mga tao, ’Pabayaan mo siya at ang kanyang mga kasamahan. Kapag siya ay magtatagumpay laban sa kanila, siya nga ay (totoong) propeta.” Nasuri na natin ang ekspedisyon ng mga digmaan sa pagsakop ng Makkah sa ating aklat As-Surah. Samakatuwid ang sinumang magnais ay kanya itong suriin doon. At lahat ng pagpuri at biyaya ay kay Allah. Itinala ni Imam Ahmad mula kay Abu ‘Ammar na may isang kapitbahay ni Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah ang nagsabi sa kanya, “Bumalik ako galing sa isang paglalakbay at ako pinuntahan at binati ni Jabir bin ‘Abdullah. Kaya’t nagsimula akong magsalita sa kanya tungkol sa pagkawatak watak na nangyayari sa mga tao at kung ano ang sinimulan nilang gawin. Kaya’t umiyak si Jabir at sinabi niya, ‘Narinig ko na nagsabi ang Sugo ni Allah,

«إِنَّ النَّاسَ دَخَلُوا فِي دِينِ اللهِ أَفْوَاجًا، وَسَيَخْرُجُونَ مِنْهُ أَفْوَاجًا»

(Tunay na ang mga tao ay nagsipagpasok sa Relihiyon ni Allah ng dagsaan, sila ay magsisilisan din ng dagsaan.) At dito nagtatapos ang Tafseer ng Soorah An-Nasr, at lahat ng papuri at biyaya ay sa Allah lamang.

[1] Grupo ng nagtatala ng Hadeeth na sina Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhee, Ibn Majah, An-Nasa’i at Ahmad. Ito ay pag-grupo na ginawa ng isang dalubhasa sa Hadeeth si Al-Haafidh Ibn Haajar Al-‘Asqalaani.

[2] Sahih Al-Jaami’ ang pangalan ng mga hadeeth na tinipon ni Imam Bukhari. Ito ay mas kilala bilang Sahih Bukhari.

Soorah An-Nasr – Fanar Curriculum

2011-03-22T11:43:00.001-07:00

Masjid in Souq Najada, Doha Qatar

Download PDF here: https://viewer.zoho.com/docs/wdzcQe

Soorah An-Nasr (110)

Ipinahayag ang Soorah An-Nasr sa Madeenah at ito ay nagsasalaysay tungkol sa pagpapalaya ng Makkah[1] na sa pamamagitan nito mga Muslim ay naging makapangyarihan at dakila. At ito ay nakatulong sa paglaganap ng Islam sa Tangway ng Arabe[2]. Ito ay naging dahilan din ng pag pungos ng kuko ng Shirk at pagkaligaw. Nang dahil sa hayag na pagkapanalo na ito, nagsipagpagsok ang mga tao sa Relihiyon ni Allah subhanahu wa taala. Umangat ang watawat ng Islam at naglaho ang pananampalataya sa mga diyos-diyosan. Ang pagpahayag ng balita ng pagpalaya sa Makkah bago pa man ito naganap ay isa sa mga malakas na patunay ng katapatan ng pagka-propeta ni Propeta Muhammad sumakanya nawa ang biyaya at kapayapaan.

Sa Ngalan ni Allah, Ang Mahabagin, Ang Maawain

Kapag dumatal (sa iyo, O Muhammad) ang kalinga ni Allah at tagumpay
At iyong napagmasdan ang mga Tao na nagsisipasok sa Relihiyon ni Allah nang maramihan.
Kaya’t ipagbunyi mo ang mga Papuri sa iyong Panginoon at manalangin na igawad Niya ang Kanyang Kapatawaran. Katotohanan, Siya ang tumatanggap ng pagsisisi at nagpapatawad.

Mga Kahulugan ng mga Salita

Mga Salita Kahulugan

Nasrullah Pagkapanalo ng Relihiyon ni Allah

Al-Fath Pagbukas ng mga puso ng tao sa pagyakap ng Islam o Pagpalaya sa Makkah

Deenillah Ang Relihiyong Islam

Afwaaja’ Pagkarami rami (Grupo-grupo)

Fasabbih bihamdi rabbika Gunitain mo ang iyong Panginoon na tumupad sa kanyang pangako sa pamamagitan ng patulong sa iyo, at magpasalamat ka sa Kanya dahil sa pag-gabay Niya sa mga tao sa Relihiyong Islam.

Wastaghfirh Humingi ka ng kapatawaran mula sa Kanya na at para sa iyong mga kasamahan na nagbagabag sa kanilang sarili dahil sa pagka antala ng kanilang pagwawagi.

Tawwaabah Ang labis na tumatanggap ng pagsisisi ng Kanyang mga alipin.

Ang Pangkalahatang Kahulugan

Sa soorah na ito, nagbigay ng mabuting balita si Allah sa Kanyang sugo tungkol sa pagsakop at pagpalaya ng Makkah. Inatasan din Niya (ang Kanyang propeta) na maging mapagpasalamat sa biyaya ng pagpasok ng mga tao sa Relihiyon ni Allah ng maramihan. Sapagkat marami sa kanila ay mula sa kanyang kapamilya at tagataguyod na dati rati ay kanyang mga kaaway. Tunay na nagsipasok ang mga Arabe sa Islam ng walang nangyaring digmaan at patayan at hindi tumagal ng dalawang taon pagkatapos ng pagsakop sa Makkah nanaig ang Al Iman (pananampalatayang Islam) sa Tangway ng Arabe. Nais lamang ni Allah mula sa Kanyang sugo na purihin Siya at dakilain Siya at pasalamatan Siya sa biyayang ito. At siya ay nagpasalamat sa Kanya sa pagwawagi sa kanyang mga kaaway at siya ay humingi sa Kanya ng kapatawaran para kanya at sa kanyang Ummah[3]. Pinapahiwatig ng Soorah An-Nasr ang malapit nang pagkamatay ng Propeta sallallahu alaihi wa sallam kaya naman tinawag itong Soorah ng Pamamaalam. Nang ito ay naihayag sinai ng Propeta sallallahu alaihi wa sallam kay Aishah (Nakikita ko na ito ay walang iba kundi ang aking katapusan). Sinabi ni Ibn ‘Umar (Ipinahayag ang Soorah na ito sa Mina[4] sa Hujjah al Widaa’[5] at pagkatapos nito ipinahayag naman ang banal na talata (Sa Araw na ito, Aking ginawang ganap ang inyong relihiyion[6]). Nabuhay pa ng walumpu’t araw ang Propeta pagkatapos nito pagkatapos siya ay pumanaw na (at sumama) sa Samahan ng mga Matataas)[7].

Pagsasanay

1. Isuat ang mga sumusunod na salita sa kanilang tamang kinalalagyan mula sa mahalagang Soorah.

(Nasr – An-Naas – Afwaajaa’ – Istaghfir – Tawwaabaa’)

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

(1) Idhaa jaa-a nasrullahi wal fath. (2) Wa raayta ______ yadkhuloona fee deenillahi _______. (3) Fasabbih bihamdi rabbika wa _______. (4) Innahu kaana __________.

2. Ipagdugtong ang mga salita at kanilang kahulugan

Nasrullah Pagbukas ng puso ng mga tao sa pag tanggap sa Islam

Al-Fath Pagwawagi ng Relihiyong Islam

Deenillah Maramihan

Afwaajaa’ Ang relihiyong Islam

Fasabbih bihamdi rabbika Gunitain mo ang iyong Panginoon na tumupad sa Kanyang pangako sa pagtulong sa iyo at magpasalamat ka sa kanyang pag-gabay sa mga tao sa relihiyong Islam

3. Ano ang ibinigay na mabuting balita ni Allah sa Kanyang marangal na Propeta?

4. Ano ang iniutos ni Allah sa Kanyang marangal na Propeta?

5. Magbanggit ng dalawang bagay na tinuturo ng Soorah na ito

Araling Pambahay

Mainam na isaulo ang Soorah An-Nasr.

[1] Nasakop na ng Propeta at ng kanyang kasamahan ang Makkah

[2] Arabian Peninsula

[3] Mga nanampalataya sa Islam

[4] Isa sa mga lugar sa Makkah na kung saan ginaganap ang Hajj

[5] Ang Hajj na pamamalaam. Ang huling Hajj ng propeta Muhammad.

[6] Soorah Al-Maa’idah (5) : 2

[7] Rafeeq Al-A’la (Company of the Highest in paradise)

Soorah Al-Ikhlas

2011-03-17T11:58:00.001-07:00

Soorah Al-Ikhlas

Download dito: http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/hcEdbdh

Kurikulum sa Qur’an Level 1

Pambungad

Ang Soorah Al-Ikhlas ay ipinahayag sa Makkah, at ang mga talata nito ay apat na talata, at ito ay nagpapahayag tungkol sa katangian ni Allah na Ang Tanging Nag-iisa, ang Kabuoan ng Ganap na Katangian, malaya mula sa mga katangiang may pagkukulang, ang Walang Pangangailangan mula sa kahit anuman. Pinasinungalingan ni Allah (subhanahu wa taala)[1] sa pamamagitan ng Soorah Al-Ikhlas ang mga Kristiyano na nagsasabi ng Trinidad, at sa mga sumasamba sa diyos-diyosan na nagturing kay Allah ng mga supling at kamag-anak.

[بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ]

[قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ - اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ - لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ ]

Mga Kahulugan ng mga Salita

Salita Kahulugan

Allah Ang Diyos na sinasamba

Ahad (Nag-iisa) Nag-iisa na wala nang ibang Panginoon liban Niya

As-Samad Ang Panginoon

Lam Yalid Wala Siyang anak na lalaki o babae

Lam Yoolad Wala Siyang ama o ina

Kufuwan Kapantay o Katulad

Ang Pangkalahatang Kahulugan

Hinihingi ni Allah mula sa kanyang marangal na Propeta na sabihin sa mga manunuyang Mushrikeen[2] na ang aking Panginoon na aking sinasamba, na kung saan ko kayo inaanyaya sa pagsamba sa Kanya, Siya ay ang Nag-iisa ang Natatangi, wala Siyang katambal at wala Siyang katulad, at walang katulad sa Kanyang Sarili at Kanyang katangian at sa Kanyang mga gawa. Sapagkat Siya ay Nag-iisa ang Natatangi, hindi katulad ng pag-uusig ng mga Kristiyano at sa kanilang paniniwala sa Trinidad (Ang Amah, anak at Espiritu Santo), at hindi rin katulad ng panananampalataya ng mga Mushrikeen na

maraming diyos. Nabanggit sa Aklat na At-Tasheel li ‘uloom at Tanzeel[3](Alamin mo na si Allah ay nagkatangian ng Al Waahid (Ang Nag-iisa) at ito ay may maraming kahulugan. Una, Siya ay Nag-iisa at walang pangalawa na kasama Niya at ito ay nagtatanggi ng (katangian) ng pangmaramihan. Pangalawa, Siya at Nag-iisa at walang Siyang kapantay. Pangatlo, Siya ay Nag-iisa at hindi nababahagi. Ang Layunin ng kabanata (na ito) ay pagtanggi ng Shirk[4] bilang sagot sa mga Mushrikeen. Si Allah ay nagtatag sa Banal na Qur’an ng maraming mga patunay tungkol sa Kanyang Kaisahan. Dahil si Allah ay walang katulad, hindi maaring maykaroon Siya ng anak sapagkat ang pagkakaroon ng anak ay hindi maari kapag wala Siyang asawa. Siya ay hindi ipinanganak mula ama at ina sapagkat lahat ng ipinanganak ay may simula at si Allah ay Nauna na hindi nilikha kaya’t hindi tama na Siya ay ipapanganak at magkakaroon Siya ng anak sapagkat Siya ay ang Nauna at wala nang mas nauna pa sa Kanyang pag-iral. Wala Siyang katambal o kapantay o katulad ni isa mula sa Kanyang nilikha, sa Kanyang Sarili, sa Kanyang katangian, at sa Kanyang gawa.

Pagsasanay

1. Isuat ang mga sumusunod na salita sa kanilang tamang lugar mula sa mahalagang Soorah.

(Ahad – As Samad – Yalid – Yoolad – Kufuwan)

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem

Qul Huwallahu ______ (1) Allahu ______ (2) Lam _____ wa lam Yoolad (3) Wa lam yakul lahu ____ ahad (4)

2. Ipagdugtong ang mga salita at kanilang kahulugan

Ahad Ang Panginoon

As-Samad Nag-iisa na wala nang ibang Panginoon liban Niya

Lam Yalid Kapantay o Katulad

Kufuwan Wala Siyang anak na lalaki o babae

3. Magbanggit ng tatlong katangian ng mga katangian ni Allah.

4. Ipaliwanag ang pananampalatayang Trinidad ng mga Kristiyano.

5. Magbanggit ng dalawang pag-gagabay mula sa mga mahalagang Soorah.

Araling Pambahay

Isaulo ang Soorah Al-Ikhlas ng mainam na pagkabisa.

[1] Luwalhatiin Siya, ang Kataastaasan

[2] Mga nagsasagawa ng Shirk: mga sumasamba sa diyos-diyosan, mga pagano.

[3] Isang Aklat

[4] Pagtambal sa Allah ng ibang diyos-diyosan

Tafseer Soorah Al-Ikhlas

2011-03-17T09:47:00.001-07:00

Masjid Fanar Doha, Qatar

Tafsir Ibn Kathir sa Wikang Filipino

I download sa PDF file: http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/ndkdg

Ito ay ipinahayag sa Makkah

Ang dahilan kung bakit naipahayag ang Soorah na ito at mga kabutihan nito

Naitala ni Imam Ahmad mula kay Ubayy bin Ka’b na sinabi ng mga Mushrikoon[1] sa Propeta na, ”O Muhammad! Sabihin mo sa amin ang lahi ng iyong Panginooon.” Kaya’t ipinahayag ni Allah

(Ipagbadya (O Muhammad): “Siya si Allah, ang Nag-iisa. Allahus-Samad! (Si Allah ang Walang Hangan, ang Sakdal at Ganap) Hindi Siya nagkaanak at hindi rin Siya ipinanganak. At walang anuman ang sa Kanya ay maihahalintulad.”) Ito ay katulad ng naitala ni At-Tirmidhi at Ibn Jarir at sa kanilang salaysay, kanilang dinagdag,

[الصَّمَدُ]

“Ang (As-Samad) ay Ang Siya na hindi nagkakaanak, ni hindi rin Siya ipinanganak, sapagkat walang ipinanganak nang hindi namamatay, at walang namamatay nang hindi nag-iiwan ng mana, at tunay na si Allah ay hindi namamatay at hindi nag-iiwan ng kahit anong mana.

[وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ ]

(At walang anuman ang sa Kanya ay maihahalintulad). Ang ibig sabihin nito ay wala Siyang kapareho, wala Siyang kapantay, at wala kagaya niya sa kahit anumang paraan.” Ito ay naitala din ni Ibn Abi Hatim at ito ay nabanggit bilang isang Mursal[2] na uri ng salaysay. Sinabi ni At-Tirmidhi, “At ito ang pinaka tama sa lahat.”

Isang Hadith tungkol sa Kabutihan nito

Nagsalaysay si Al-Bukhari mula kay ‘Amrah in ‘Abdur-Rahman, na dating nanatili sa bahay ni ’Aishah, ang asawa ng Propeta, na sinabi ni ’Aishah, ”Nagpadala ang Propeta ng isang lalaki bilang komandante sa isang digmaan at siya ang Imam ng kanyang mga kasama sa pagdarasal na may pagbigkas (ng Qur’an). Kanyang winawakasan ang kanyang pagbigkas sa pagbigkas ng ‘(Ipagbadya (O Muhammad): “Siya si Allah, ang Nag-iisa). Nang sila ay umuwi na, ito ay kanilang binanggit sa Propeta at sinabi niya,

«سَلُوهُ لِأَيِّ شَيْءٍ يَصْنَعُ ذَلِكَ؟»

(Tanungin ninyo siya kung bakit niya ginagawa yaon). Kaya’t tinanong nila siya at sinabi niya, ‘Dahil ito ay ang paglalarawan sa Ar-Rahman at mahal ko na bigkasin ito. Kaya’t sinabi ng Propeta

«أَخْبِرُوهُ أَنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى يُحِبُّه»

“(Sabihin mo sa kanya na mahal siya ni Allah ang Pinakamataas)” Ganito naitala ang Hadith na ito ni Al-Bukhari sa kanyang Aklat ng Tawhid. Naitala din ito ni Muslim at An-Nasa’i. Sa kanyang Aklat ng Salah, initala ni Al-Bukhari na sinabi ni Anas, “Isang lalaki mula sa Ansar ang dati nang namumuno sa mga tao sa pagdarasal sa Masjid ng Quba’. Sa tuwing siya ay mag uumpisa ng isang Surah na pagbibigkas ng pagdarasal na pinamumunuan niya, kanyang sinisimulan iyon sa pagbigkas ng ‘Siya si Allah, ang Nag-iisa’ hanggang matapos niya ang buong Surah. Pagkatapos siya ay nagbibigkas ng isa pang surah pagkatapos niyon. At ito ay parati niyang ginagawa sa bawat Rak’ah. Kaya’t siya ay kinausap ng kanyang mga kasamahan tungkol dito; ‘Tunay na sinisimulan mo ang Pagdarasal sa Soorah na ito. At iniisip mo na hindi pa sapat ito sa iyo hangga’t di ka makapagbigkas ng iba pag Soorah. Kaya dapat ay bigkasin mo o iwan mo at magbigkas ka na lang ng ibang Soorah.’ Sagot ng lalaki, ‘Hindi ko ito iiwan. Kung nais ninyong ipagpatuloy ko ang pamumuno sa inyo sa pagdarasal, gagawin ko ito; at kapag ayaw ninyo dito, iiwan ko kayo.’ Kanilang tinuturing na siya ang pinakamainam sa kanila sa pamumuno sa pagdarasal at ayaw nila ang iba liban sa kanya na pamunuan sila.Kaya’t nang dumating ang Propeta, kanilang itong ipinaalam sa Propeta at sinabi niya,

«يَا فُلَانُ، مَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَفْعَلَ مَا يَأْمُرُكَ بِهِ أَصْحَابُكَ، وَمَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى لُزُوم هَذِهِ السُّورَةِ فِي كُلِّ رَكْعَةٍ؟»

(O pulan! Ano ang nagpigil sa iyo na gawin kung ano ang inuutos sa iyo ng iyong mga kasamahan, at ano ang nagkusa sa iyo na manatiling bigkasin ang Soorah na ito sa bawat Rak’ah). Sinabi ng lalaki, ‘Tunay na mahal ko ito.’ Tugon ng Propeta,

«حُبُّكَ إِيَّاهَا أَدْخَلَكَ الْجَنَّة»

(Ang pagmamahal mo dit ay magdudulot sa iyo na makapasok sa paraiso). Ito ay naitala i Al-Bukhari, na may putol putol na Isnaad[3], subalit sa paraan na nagpapahiwatig ng kanyang pagsang-ayon

Isang hadeeth na nagbanggit na ang Soorah na ito ay katumbas ng 1/3 ng Qur’an

Naitala ni Al-Bukhari mula kay Abu Sa’id na may isang lalaking nakarinig nag bigkas ang isa pang lalaki ng

[قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ]

(Ipagbadya (O Muhammad): “Siya si Allah, ang Nag-iisa) at ito ay kaniyang inuulit ulit. Kaya’t nang sumapit ang umaga, ang lalaking ito ay pumunta sa Sugo ni Allah at binanggit ito sa kanya, at tila bagang ito ay kanyang minamaliit. Sinabi ng Propeta,.

«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنَّهَا لَتَعْدِلُ ثُلُثَ الْقُرْآن»

(Sumusumpa ako sa Kanya na may hawak ng aking kaluluwa, tunay na ito ay katumbas ng 1/3 ng Qur’an.) Ito ay naitala din ni Abu Dawud at An-Nasa’i. Isa pang hadeeth na naitala ni Al-Bukhari mula kay Abu Sa’id, nawa’y kalugdan siya ni Allah, na sinabi ng Sugo ni Allah sa kanyang mga kasamahan,

«أَيَعْجِزُ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَقْرَأَ ثُلُثَ الْقُرْآنِ فِي لَيْلَةٍ؟»

(May isa ba sa inyo na kayang bumasa ng 1/3 ng Qur’an sa isang gabi?) Ito ay isang bagay na mahirap sa kanila at kanilang sinabi, “Sino sa amin ang kayang gawin iyon o Sugo ni Allah” Tugon niya,

«اللهُ الْوَاحِدُ الصَّمَدُ ثُلُثُ الْقُرْآن»

(“Si Allah ay ang Iisa, ang As-Samad” ay 1/3 ng Qu’an). Mag-isang nagtala si Al-Bukhari sa Hadeeth na ito.

Isa pang Hadeeth na ang pagbasa nito ay makakapagdulot na makapasok sa Paraiso

Itinala ni Imam Malik bin Anas mula kay ‘Ubayd bin Hunayn na narinig niya si Abu Hurayrah na nagsabi, “Lumabas ako kasama ng Propeta at nakarinig siya ng isang lalaki na nagbabasa ng ‘Ipagbadya, Siya si Allah ang Iisa.’ Kaya’t sinabi ng Sugo ni Allah,

«وَجَبَت»

(Kinakailangan!) Tanong ko, ‘Anong kinakailangan’ Tugon niya,

«الْجَنَّة»

(Ang Paraiso.)'' Ito ay naitala din ni At-Tirmidhi at An-Nasa'i sa pamamagitan ni Malik at sinabi ni At-Tirmidhi, “Hasan Sahih Gharib”. Hindi namin alam ito kundi sa salaysay lamang ni Malik.” Ang hadeeth na kung saan sinabi ng Propeta,

«حُبُّكَ إِيَّاهَا أَدْخَلَكَ الْجَنَّة»

(Ang pagmamahal mo dito ay magdudulot sa iyo na pumasok sa Paraiso) ay nabanggit na.

Isang Hadeeth tungkol sa pag ulit ng Soorah na ito

Itinala ni ‘Abdullah bin Imam Ahmad mula kay Mu’adh bn Abdullah bin Khubayn, na nag-ulat na sinabi ng kanyang ama, “Nauhaw kami at dumilim na habang naghihintay kami sa Sugo ni Allah upang pamunuan kami sa pagdarasal. Nang siya ay lumabas, kinuha niya ang kamay ko at nagsabi,

«قُل»

(Sabihin mo). At siya ay tumahimik. Pagkatapos sinabi niya uli,

«قُل»

(Sabihin mo). Kaya’t sinabi ko, ”Ano ang aking sasabihin’. Sinabi niya

[قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ]

وَالْمُعَوِّذَتَيْنِ حِينَ تُمْسِي وَحِينَ تُصْبِحُ ثَلَاثًا، تَكْفِكَ كُلَّ يَوْمٍ مَرَّتَيْن»

(Sabihin mo: “Siya si Allah, ang Nag-iisa, » at ang dalawang Soorah ng Pagpakupkop (Al-Falaq at An-Naas) kapag darating na ang gabi at umaga ng tatlong ulit. Sila ay magiging sapat na para sa iyo dalawang ulit sa isang araw.” Ang hadeeth na ito ay naitala din ni Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi at An-Nasa’i. Sinabi ni At-Tirmidhi, ”Hasan Sahih Gharib”. Ito ay naitala din ni An-Nasa’i sa ibang Isnaad sa ganitong wording,

«يَكْفِكَ كُلَّ شَيْء»

(Sila ay sapat na sa iyo laban sa lahat)

Isa pang Hadeeth tungkol sa pagsumamo sa mga ito sa pamamagitan ng mga Pangalan ni Allah

Sa kanyang Aklat ng Tafsir, naitala i An-Nasa’ mula ka ’Abdullah bin Buraydah, na nag ulat mula sa kanyang ama na pumasok siya sa Masjid kasama ang Sugo ni Allah, at may isang lalaking nagdarasal at nagsusumamo na sinasabi, “O Allah ! Tunay po na humihingi ako sa Iyo sa pamamagitan ng aking pagsasaksi na walang diyos na dapat sambahin liban sa Iyo. Ikaw ang Nag-iisa, ang Walang Pangangailangan na Tagapagtustos ng lahat, ang hindi nagka anak at hindi Ka rin ipinanganak, at walang maihahambing sa Iyo.” Sinabi ng Propeta,

«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ سَأَلَهُ بِاسْمِهِ الْأَعْظَم، الَّذِي إِذَ

(Sumusumpa ako sa Kanya na may hawak ng aking kaluluwa, tunay na siya ay humingi sa Kanya sa pamamagitan ng Kanyang Pinakadakilang Pangalan, na kung saan kapag…)

Isang hadeeth tungkol sa paghanap ng lunas sa pamamagitan ng mga Soorah na ito

Itinala ni Al-Bukharimula kay ‘Aishah na sa tuwing nasa kama na ang Propeta sa gabi, kanyang pinagsasama ang kanyang mga palad at hinihipan niya ito. At siya ay magbabasa sa kanyang (mga palad), ‘(Ipagbadya: “Siya si Allah, ang Nag-iisa.), ‘Ipagbadya: Ako ay nagpapakupkop sa Panginoon ng Al-Falaq’, at ‘Ipagbadya: Ako ay nagpapakupkop sa Panginoon ng sangkatauhan.’ Pagkatapos kanyang pupunasan ang ano man ang kaya niyang punasan sa kanyang katawan ng kanyang mga palad. Sisimulan niya sa pagpunas ng kanyang ulo at mukha at ang unahang parte ng kanyang katawan nang tatlong ulit. Ito ay naitala din ng mga nagtatala ng Sunan.[4]

[بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ]

Sa Ngalan ni Allah, Ang Mahabagin, Ang Maawain

(Ipagbadya (O Muhammad): “Siya si Allah, ang Nag-iisa. Allahus-Samad! (Si Allah ang Walang Hangan, ang Sakdal at Ganap) Hindi Siya nagkaanak at hindi rin Siya ipinanganak. At walang anuman ang sa Kanya ay maihahalintulad.”) Nabanggit na kung ano ang dahilan na pagkapahayag ng Soorah na ito. Sinabi ni ‘Ikrimah, “Nang sabihin ng mga Hudyo, ‘Sinasamba naming si ‘Uzayr ang Anak ni Allah,’ at ang mga Kristiyano naman ay nagsasabi, ‘Sinasamba naming ang Kristo (Hesus), ang Anak ni Allah,’ at ang Zoroastrians ay nagsabi, ‘Sinasamba naming ang Araw at Buwan’, ang mga Pagano ay nagsasabi, ‘Sinasamba naming ang mga Rebulto,’ Ipinahayag ni Allah sa Kanyang Sugo,

[قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ]

(Siya si Allah ang Nag-iisa.'') Ibig sabihin Siya ay ang Nag-iisa, Ang Natatangi, walang Katambal, walang Katulong, walang katunggali, walang kapantay at walang maihahambing sa Kanya. Ang salitang ito (Al-Ahad) ay hindi maaring gamitin ninuman liban lamang ni Allah ang Makapangyarihan at Dakila, sapagkat Siya ay ganap sa lahat ng kanyang katangian at gawa. Tungkol sa Kanyang salita,

[اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ ]

(Allah As-Samad.) Nag ulat si ‘Ikrimah na sinabi ni Ibn Abbas, “Ang kahulugan nito ay Siya ang sinasandigan ng lahat ng nilikha sa kanilang pangangailangan at mga hiling.” Nag-ulat si ‘Ali bin Abi Talhah mula kay Ibn ‘Abbas, “Siya ang Panginoon na ganap sa Kanyang kapangyarihan, ang pinaka Marangal na ganap sa Kanyang karangalan, ang Pinaka Kahanga-hanga na ganap sa kanyang pagkahanga-hanga, Ang Matimpihin na ganap sa Kanyang pagka matimpihin, Ang sangat sa Kaalaman na ganap sa kanyang kaalaman, ang Pinaka Matalino na ganap sa Kanyang karunungan. Siya ay ang ganap sa lahat ng aspeto ng karangalan at kapangyarihan. Siya si Allah, luwalhatiin Siya. Ang mga katangian na ito ay hindi naangkop sa iba liban sa Kanya. Wala siyang kapantay at walang Siyang katulad. Luwalhatiin si Allah, ang Nag-iisa, ang Di-malabanan.” Nag-ulat si Al-A’mash mula kay Shaqiq, na nagsabi na sinabi ni Abu Wa’il,

[الصَّمَدُ]

(As-Samad.) ay ang Panginoon na ganap ang pamamahala.''

Si Allah ay Malaya sa pagkakaroon ng mga Anak at magka anak

Sinabi ni Allah,

[لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ - وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ ]

(Hindi Siya nagkaanak at hindi rin Siya ipinanganak. At walang anuman ang sa Kanya ay maihahalintulad.”) ang ibig sabihin, wala siyang mga anak, magulang o asawa. Sinabi ni Mujahid,

[وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ ]

(At walang anuman ang sa Kanya ay maihahalintulad.”) “Ang ibig sabihin nito ay Wala siyang asawa.’ Ito ay katulad ng pagsabi ni Allah,

[بَدِيعُ السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ أَنَّى يَكُونُ لَهُ وَلَدٌ وَلَمْ تَكُنْ لَّهُ صَـحِبَةٌ وَخَلَقَ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ]

(Siya ang Pinagmulan ng mga kalangitan at kalupaan. Paano Siya magkaakroon ng anak gayong Siya ay walang asawa? At Siya ang lumikha ng lahat ng bagay at Siya ang Ganap na Nakakaalam ng lahat ng bagay.) (6:101)

Ibig sabihin, pag-aari Niya ang lahat at nilikha Niya ang lahat. Kaya’t papaano Siya magkakaroon ng katambal mula sa Kanyang mga nilikha na kapantay Niya, o kamag anak na kahalintulad Niya, luwalhatiin si Allah na Malaya sa mga bagay na iyan. Sinabi ni Alah,

[وَقَالُواْ اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَلَداً - لَقَدْ جِئْتُمْ شَيْئاً إِدّاً - تَكَادُ السَّمَـوَتُ يَتَفَطَّرْنَ مِنْهُ وَتَنشَقُّ الاٌّرْضُ وَتَخِرُّ الْجِبَالُ هَدّاً - أَن دَعَوْا لِلرَّحْمَـنِ وَلَداً - وَمَا يَنبَغِى لِلرَّحْمَـنِ أَن يَتَّخِذَ وَلَداً - إِن كُلُّ مَن فِى السَّمَـوَتِ وَالاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ آتِى الرَّحْمَـنِ عَبْداً - لَّقَدْ أَحْصَـهُمْ وَعَدَّهُمْ عَدّاً - وَكُلُّهُمْ ءَاتِيهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَـمَةِ فَرْداً ]

(At sila ay nagsasabi: “Ang Pinakamahabagin (Allah) ay nagkaanak ng isang lalaki. Katotohanang kayo ay nagtambad (nagtaguri) ng isang kakila-kilabot na masamang bagay. Na (dahil dito) ang kalangitan ay halos mapunit, at ang kalupaan ay mabiyak mula sa ilalim, at ang kabudukan ay malansag sa pagkaguho. Nasila ay nagpaangkin ng isang anak (na lalaki) sa Pinakamahabagin. At hindi katampatan (sa Kamahalan) ng Pinakamahabagin na Siya ay magkaanak ng anak (na lalaki). Walang sinuman ang nasa kalangitan at kalupaan ang paparoon sa Pinakamahabagin na (siya’y) hindi isang alipin. Katotohanang batid Niya ang bawat isa sa kanila, at silang lahat ay nabilang Niya sa ganap na pagsusulit. At lahat sila ay paparoon sa Kanya na nag-iisa sa Araw ng Muling Pagkabuhay.) (19:88-95)

[وَقَالُواْ اتَّخَذَ الرَّحْمَـنُ وَلَداً سُبْحَانَهُ بَلْ عِبَادٌ مُّكْرَمُونَ - لاَ يَسْبِقُونَهُ بِالْقَوْلِ وَهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِ يَعْمَلُونَ ]

(At sila ay nagsisipagturing: “Ang Pinakamahabagin ay nagkaroon ng anak an lalaki.” Luwalhatiin Siya! Sila a mararangal na alipin lamang.) (21:26-27)

Sinabi din ni Allah,

[وَجَعَلُواْ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْجِنَّةِ نَسَباً وَلَقَدْ عَلِمَتِ الجِنَّةُ إِنَّهُمْ لَمُحْضَرُونَ .سُبْحَـنَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يَصِفُونَ-]

(At sila ay kumatha (ng kasinungalingan), na sa pagitan Niya at ng Jinn ay may pagkakamag-anak, datapuwa’t matagal nang batid ng Jinn na sila (na gumawa ng gayong pagbibintang) ay dadalhin (sa kaparusahan). (37:158-159)

Sa Sahih Al-Bukhari, naitala (na sinabi ng Propeta),

«لَا أَحَدَ أَصْبَرُ عَلَى أَذًى سَمِعَهُ مِنَ اللهِ، يَجْعَلُونَ لَهُ وَلَدًا، وَهُوَ يَرْزُقُهُمْ وَيُعَافِيهِم»

(Wala nang mas mapagpasensya kay Allah sa mga bagay na naririnig Niya. Sila ay nagparatang ng anak sa Kanya, samantalang Siya ang nagbibigay ng kanilang pangkabuhayan at nagpapagaling sa kanila.) Naitala din ni Al-Bukhari mula kay Abu Hurayrah na sinabi ng Propeta,

«قَالَ اللهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ: كَذَّبَنِي ابْنُ آدَمَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ، وَشَتَمَنِي وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ، فَأَمَّا تَكْذِيبُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ: لَنْ يُعِيدَنِي كَمَا بَدَأَنِي، وَلَيْسَ أَوَّلُ الْخَلْقِ بِأَهْوَنَ عَلَيَّ مِنْ إِعَادَتِهِ، وَأَمَّا شَتْمُهُ إِيَّايَ فَقَوْلُهُ: اتَّخَذَ اللهُ وَلَدًا، وَأَنَا الْأَحَدُ الصَّمَدُ، لَمْ أَلِدْ وَلَمْ أُولَدْ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لِي كُفُوًا أَحَد»

(Sinabi ni Allah, ang Makapagyarihan, ang Dakila, ”Ako ay ikinaila ng anak ni Adan at wala siyang karapatan na gawin ito, inaabuso niya Ako at wala siyang karapatan na gawin ito. Ang kanyang pagkaila sa Akin ay ang kanyang salita, “Hindi Niya ako lilikhain muli katulad ng paglikha Niya sa akin noong una.’ Subalit ang paglikha muli sa kanya ay mas madali kaysa sa unang paglikha sa kanya. Ang pag abuso niya sa Akin ay ang kaniyang salita, ‘Si Allah ay nagka-anak. Subalit ako ay Nag-iisa, ang Panginoon na Walang Pangangailangan. Hindi Ako nagka-anak at hindi din Ako ipinanganak, at walang maihalintulad sa Akin.”) Ito na ang katapusan ng Tafser ng Soorah Al-Ikhlas at ang lahat ng papuri at biyaya ay ukol kay Allah lamang.

[1] Mga taong sumasamba sa mga diyos-diyosan (Idolators)

[2] Ang Mursal ay isang uri ng salaysay na ang nagsasalaysay ay isang Sahabi o Kasamahan ni Propeta Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallam.

[3] Muallaq. Isang hadeeth na putol ang Isnaad. (Dapat ang lahat ng mananalaysay ng hadeeth ay nagkita nga upang sa gayon may patunay na narinig ng bawat isa ang hadeeth mula sa nagsabi sa kanya hangga’t umabot ito sa Propeta Muhammad s.a.w.)

[4] Mga dalubhasa sa Hadeeth na nagtala ng Sunan. Sina At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah, Abu Dawud.

Tafseer Soorah Al-‘Asr

2011-03-14T13:53:00.001-07:00

Qatar State Mosque

Tafseer ibn Katheer sa wikang Filipino. Download PDF: http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/y52nb
Ito ay ipinahayag sa Makkah

Paano nalaman ni ‘Amr bin Al-‘As ang milagro ng Qur’an dahil sa Soorah na ito
Nabanggit nila na pumunta si Musaylimah Al-Kadhdhab pagkatapos na maatasan ang Sugo ni Allah bilang propeta at bago pa man tinanggap ni ‘Amr ang Islam. Sa kanyang pagdating, sinabi sa kanya ni Musaylimah, "Ano ang ipinahayag sa iyong kaibigan (Muhammad) sa mga panahong ito?” Sinabi ni ‘Amr, "Isang maikli at maigsing Soorah ang inihayag sa kanya.” Sinabi ni Musaylimah, ”Ano yun?” Sinabi ni ’Amr;
[وَالْعَصْرِ - إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ - إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالصَّبْرِ ]
(Ako [Allah] ay nanunumpa sa Al-‘Asr [Panahon]. Katotohanan! Ang tao ay nasa kawalan [pagkapahamak]. Maliban sa mga sumasampalataya at nagsisigawa ng kabutihan at nagbibigay ng payo sa isa’t-isa sa Katotohanan at nagtatagubilin at nagpapayuhan sa isa’t isa sa pagtitiyaga.) Kaya’t nag-isip si Musaylimah nang sandali. Pagkatapos, sinabi niya, “Tunay na may kaparehas na ipinahayag din sa akin.” Tinanong siya ni ‘Amr, “Ano yun”. Tugon niya, “O Wabr (maliit at mabalahibong hayop), O Wabr! Ikaw lamang ay dalawang tainga at dibdib, at ang natira sa iyo ay paghuhukay at paglulungga.” Sinabi niya, “Ano ang iyong palagay O ‘Amr?”. Sinabi sa kanya ni ‘Amr, “Nanunumpa ako kay Allah! Tunay na alam mo na alam ko na ikaw ay nagsisinungaling.” Nakita ko na nabanggit ni Abu Bakr Al-Khara’iti ang isnaad sa isang parte ng salaysay na ito o di kaya’y malapit sa kahulugan nito, sa pangalawang volume ng kanyang bantog na aklat na Masawi’ ul –Akhlaq. Ang Wabr ay isang maliit na hayop na katulad ng pusa at ang pinaka malaki sa kanya ay ang kanyang tainga at katawan, at ang iba pang parte nito ay pangit. Nais ni Musaylimah na maglathala ng walang saysay na talata na ito upang masalungat ang Qur’an. Subalit ito ay hindi man lang kapani-paniwala sa isang sumasamba sa diyos-diyosan sa panahong iyon. Naitala ni At-Tabarani mula kay ‘Abdullah ibn Hisn Abi Madinah na sinabi niya, “Tuwing magkakatagpo ang dalawang lalaki mula sa mga kasamahan ng Sugo ni Allah, sila ay hindi maghihiwalay hangga’t ang isa sa kanila ay magbibigkas ng Soorah Al-‘Asr sa kabuoan nito sa isa, at ang isa naman ay magbibigay ng Salam sa isa.” Sinabi ni Ash-Shafi’i “Kapag ang mga tao ay mag-isip ng malalim (upang maintindihan ) ang Soorah na ito, ito ay sapat na para sa kanila.”
[بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ
Sa ngalan ni Allah, ang Mahabagin, ang Maawain
[وَالْعَصْرِ- إِنَّ الإِنسَـنَ لَفِى خُسْرٍ- إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالْحَقّ وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالصَّبْرِ-]
(Ako [Allah] ay nanunumpa sa Al-‘Asr [Panahon]. Katotohanan! Ang tao ay nasa kawalan [pagkapahamak]. Maliban sa mga sumasampalataya at nagsisigawa ng kabutihan at nagbibigay ng payo sa isa’t-isa sa Katotohanan at nagtatagubilin at nagpapayuhan sa isa’t isa sa pagtitiyaga.)
Ang Al-‘Asr ay ang panahon na kung kailan ang pag-galaw ng Inap ni Adan ay nangyayari, ito man ay mabuti o masama
Nag-ulat si Malik mula kay Zayd bin Aslam na sinabi niya, “It ay ang gabi”. Subalit ang unang pananaw ay ang tanyang na opinion. Samakatuwid, si Allah ay nanunumpa dito, na ang tao ay nasa kawalan, na ang kahulugan ay pagkatalo at pagkasira
[إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ وَعَمِلُواْ الصَّـلِحَـتِ]
(Maliban sa mga sumasampalataya at nagsisigawa ng kabutihan). Kaya’t si Allah ay gumawa ng kataliwasan, mula sa sangkatahuan na nasa kawalan, ay yaong mga nananampalataya sa kanilang puso at nagsisigawa ng kabutihan sa pamamagitan ng kanilang katawan.
[وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالْحَقِّ]
(at nagbibigay ng payo sa isa’t-isa sa Katotohanan). Ito ay ang pagsagawa ng pagsunod at pag iwas sa mga ipinagbabawal.
[وَتَوَاصَوْاْ بِالصَّبْرِ]
(at nagtatagubilin at nagpapayuhan sa isa’t isa sa pagtitiyaga.) ang ibig sabihin, (magiging matiyaga) sa mga balak, mga kasamaan at kapahamakan ng mga pumapahamak sa mga tao, dahil sa kanilang pag-utos sa pag gawa ng kabutihan at pag babawal nila sa kasamaan. Ito ang wakas ng Tafseer ng Soorah Al-‘Asr.

Tafseer Soorah al Feel

2011-03-13T10:54:00.001-07:00

Hamad Medical City Mosque

Sa wikang Filipino
(i download sa pdf: http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/hcicnc )
Ito ay ipinahayag sa Makkah

[بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ ]

Sa ngalan ni Allah, ang Mahabagin, ang Maawain,

[أَلَمْ تَرَ كَيْفَ فَعَلَ رَبُّكَ بِأَصْحَـبِ الْفِيلِ - أَلَمْ يَجْعَلْ كَيْدَهُمْ فِى تَضْلِيلٍ - وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ - تَرْمِيهِم بِحِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ - فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولِ ]

(1. Hindi mo ba nababatid kung paano pinakitunguhan ng iyon Panginoon ang may-ari ng Elepante? (Ang hukbo ng gma elepante na nanggaling sa Yemen sa pamumuno ni Abraha Al-Ashram na angnaanis na was akin ang Ka’ba sa Makkah) (2. Hindi baga Niya pinapangyaring mabigo ang kanilang (masamang) balak?) (3. At isinugo Niya laban sa kanila ang mga kawan ng ibon) (4. Na pumupukol sa kanila ng mga baton a yari sa matigas na putik (Sijjeel)) (5. At Kanyang ginawa sila na tila mga dayami na ginasak at kinain.
Ito ay isa mula sa mga biyaya ni Allah sa (tribo ng) Quraysh. Iniligtas Niya sila mula sa mga nag mamay-ari ng elepante na nagsubok na wasakin ang Ka’bah at burahin at lahat ng bakas nito. Silang lahat ay pinuksa ni Allah, ginapi sila at pinigilan ang kanilang mga balak, ginawang walang kabuluhan ang kanilang pagsisikap at sila ay napauwi ng talunan. Sila ay mga Kristiyano, samakatuwid, ang kanilang relihiyon ay mas malapit sa tunay na relihiyong Islam kaysa sa pagsamba sa mga idolo ng mga Quraish. Subalit ito ay isang paraan upang mabigyan ng tanda at paghahanda sa pagdating ng Sugo ni Allah. Sapagkat, katunayan siya ay isinilang sa parehong taon ayon sa pinaka tanyag na opinion (ng mga dalubhasa sa Kasaysayan). Kaya naman ang dila ng tadhana ay nagsabi, " Hindi Namin kayo tutulungan, o Angkan ng Quraysh, dahil sa anupamang katayuan ninyo sa mga taga Ethiopia. Kami ay tumulong lamang sa inyo upang Aming mapagtanggol ang Sinaunang Bahay (ang Ka’bah), na Aming bibigyan ng karangalan, dadakilain, at sa pamamagitan ng pagsugo ng isang Propetang hindi nakakilala ng sulat, si Muhammad, ang kahulihulihan ng mga Propeta.
Buod ng Kwento ng mga May-ari ng Elepante

Ito ay ang pinaikling kwento ng may-ari ng Elepante. Nabanggit na sa kwento ng mga Tao ng Bambang[1] na si Dhu Nuas, ang huling hari ng Himyar, isang pagano, ay ang nag utos na patayin ang mga Tao ng Bambang. Sila ay mga Kristiyano at ang kanilang bilang ay humigit-kumulang dalawapu’t libong katao. Walang nakatakas ni isa sa kanila liban lamang sa isang lalaki na nag ngangalang Daws Dhu Tha’laban. Siya ay tumakas patungong Ash-Sham[2] na kung saan siya ay humingi ng pangagalaga mula sa Sesar[3] ang emperador ng Ash-Sham na isa ring Kristiyano. Sumulat naman si Sesar kay An-Najashi, ang Hari ng Ethiopia sapagkat siya ay mas malapit sa kanila. Nagpadala ng dalawang gobernador si An-Najashi kasama niya: si Aryat at Abrahah bin As-Sabah Abu Yaksum, kasama ng maraming hukbo. Sila ay pumasok (sinakop) ng Yemen at nagsimulang maghanap mula sa mga kabahayan at nagsipagnakaw sa kakahanap sa Hari ng Himyar. Sa wakas si Dhu Nawas ay namatay sa pamamagitan ng paglunod sa dagat. Nang dahil dito, ang mga Ethiopians ay malayang namahala sa Yemen, na sina Aryat at Abrahah bilang Gobernador. Subalit, silang dalawa ay walang tigil na di nagkakasundo sa mga bagay-bagay, sila ay nagsisipagsalakayan sa bawat isa, naglalaban at nagdigmaan sa bawat isa hangga’t umabot sa panahon a sinabi ng isa sa huli, ”Di na kailangan na maglaban ang ating mga hukbo. Sa halip, tayong dalawa na lamang ang maglabanan (sa tunggalian) at ang sinuman ang makapatay sa isa sa atin ay magiging pinuno ng Yemen ”. Tinanggap ng isa ang hamon ng huli at sila ay nagtunggali. Sa likod ng bawat isa ay paagusan ng tubig (upang walang makatakas mula sa dalawa). Nanaig si Aryat at kanyang hinampas si Abrahah ng kanyang tabak, nasibak ang kanyang ilong at bibig at nahiwa ang kanyang mukha. Subalit sinalakay ni ’Atawdah ang bantay ni Abrahah si Abrahah at napatay niya ito. Samakatuwid si Abrahah ay bumalik ng sugatan sa Yemen kung saan ginamot ang kanyang mga sugat at nagpagaling. Samakatuwid si Abrahah ay naging komandante ng mga Ethiopian sa Yemen.
Sumulat ang Hari ng Abyssinia (Ethiopia) na si An-Najashi sa kanya, sinisisi siya sa nangyari (sa pagitan niya at ni Aryat) at nagbanta sa kanya, sinasabi na sumusumpa na siya tutuntong sa lupa ng Yemen at gugupitin ang kanyang buhok sa noo. Nang dahil dito, nagpadala si Abrahah ng isang sugo kasama ng mga handog at mahahalagang mga bagay kay An-Najashi upang ito ay maglubag sa kanya at upang siya ay purihin ng labis at kasama na rin ng isang sako ng lupa mula sa Yemen at isang piraso ng buhok na ginupit mula sa kanyang noo. Kanyang sinabi sa kanyang sulat sa hari, ”Mangyari na ang Hari na lumakad sa lupa na ito nang matupad ang kanyang sumpa, at ito ay buhok mula sa aking noo na ipinadala ko sa iyo.” Nang natanggap ni An-Najashi ito, siya ay nalubag kay Abrahah at kanyang ibinigay sa kanya ay kanyang pagsang-ayon. Sumulat din si Abrahah kay An-Najashi na sinasabi niya na siya ay magpapatayo ng simbahan para sa kanya sa Yemen na wala pang nakakapagpatayo ng tulad nito. Samakatuwid, siya ay nagpatayo ng malaking iglesia sa San’a, mataas at maganda ang pagkaukit at palamuti sa lahat ng paligid nito. Tinawag ito ng mga Arabo na Al-Qullays sapagkat sa kataasan nito at sapagkat kapag ang isang tao ay titingin dito, madaling mahuhulog ang kanyang sombrero dahil sa kanyang pagtingala.
Nagpasya si Abrahah Al-Ashram na pilitin ang mga Arabo na maglakbay patungo sa kahanga-hangang simbahan na ito, katulad ng paglalakbay nila papuntang Ka’bah sa Makkah. Kanyang ipinahayag ito sa kanyang kaharian (Yemen), subalit ito ay tinanggihan ng mga tribong Arabo ng ’Adnan at Qahtan. Sumiklab ang galit mga Quraysh dahil dito, kaya naman isa sa kanila ay naglakbay patungo sa simbahan na ito at pumasok dito sa isang gabi. Tumae siya sa simbahan at tumakbo (upang makatakas mula sa mga tao). Nang makita ng mga tagapag-ingat ang kanyang ginawa, sinumbong nila ito sa kanilang hari na si Abrahah; ”Isa sa mga Quraysh ang gumawa nito dahil sa galit nang hinirang mo ang simbahan na ito na pamalit sa kanilang Bahay [Ka’bah]. Nang marinig ni Abrahah ito, kanyang isinumpa na siya ay tutungo sa Bahay sa Makkah (Ka’bah) at wasakin ang bawat bato nito. Binanggit ni Muqatil bin Sulayman na may isang pangkat ng mga kabataang lalaki mula sa Quraysh an pumasok sa simbahan at nagsimula ng sunog sa loob nito sa isang araw na mahangin. Dahil dito ang simbahan ay nasunog at gumuho sa lupa. Dahil dito si hinanda ni Abrahah ang kanyang sarili at lumisan kasama ang marami at makapangyarihang hukbo upang walang makapag pigil sa kanya na matupad ang kanyang misyon. Isinama niya ang isang dambuhala at malakas na elepante na ang laki ng katawan nito ay wala pang nakakakita simula’t sapul. Tinawag ang elepante na Mahmud at ito ay ipinadala kay Abraha mula ka An-Najashi, ang Hari ng Abyssinia, particular sa ekspedisyong ito. Sinasabi din na may wala pang elepante na kasama niya; ang kanilang bilang ay iniulat din na labindalawa di pa kasama ang malaki na si Mahmud – Si Allah ang higit na nakakaalam. Ang kanilang pakay ay gamitin ang malaking elepante na ito upang gibain ang Ka’bah. Balak nilang talian ng kadena ang mga haligi ng Ka’bah at itali ito sa leeg ng elepante. Pagkatpos, gagamitin nila ang elepante upang hilain ang mga ito upang mawarak ang dingding ng Ka’bah sa isang panahon. Nang marinig ng mga Arabo ang ekspedisyon ni Abrahah, itinuring nila ito bilang isang napaka lubhang bagay. Kanilang ipinalagay na ito ay isang obligasyon nila na ipagtanggol ang Banal na Bahay at itaboy ang sinumang magtangka laban dito. Dahil dito, ang pinaka marangal na tao sa Yemen at ang pinakadakila mula sa kanilang mga pinuno ay sumalubong upang harapin si (Abrahah). Ang pangalan niya ay Dhu Nafr. Nagpa anyaya siya sa kanyang mga tao at sinuman ang sasagot sa kanyang pag anyaya mula sa mga Arabo, upang makipag digmaan laban kay Abrahah bilang pagtanggol sa Banal na Bahay. Tinawag niya ang mga tao upang pigilan ang balak ni Abrahah na gibain at wasakin ang Ka’bah. Tumugon ang mga tao sa kanyan pag anyaya at sila ay nakipagdigmaan kay Abrahah, subalit nanaig si Abrahah laban sa kanila. Ito ay ayon na rin sa kagustuhan ni Allah at sa Kanyang layunin na parangalan at bigyang karangalan ang Ka’bah.
Nahuli si Dhu Nafr at napasama sa hukbo ni Abrahah
Nagpatuloy ang hukbo sa paglalakbay hangga’t dumating ito sa lupain ng khath’am na kung saan ito ay hinarap ni Nufaul bin Habib Al-kath’ami kasama ng kanyang mga tao, ang tribong Shahran at Nahis. Nakipaglaban sila kay Abrahah subalit sila ay natalo niya at nahuli si Nufayl bin Habib. Noong una nais niyang patayin siya, subalit pinatawad niya siya at ginawa siyang isang gabay upang ipakita sa kanya ang daan patungong Al-Hijaz.
Nang papalapit na sila sa lugar ng At-Ta’if, ang kanilang mamamayan – ang mamamayan ng Thaqif – ay lumabas tungo kay Abrahah. Nais nilang lumubag ang loob niya sapagkat sila ay natatakot para sa kanilang lugar dasalan na kanilang tinatawag na Al-Lat. Naging mabait si Abrahah sa kanila at sila ay nagpadala ng isang tao na nag ngangalang Abu Righal upang gabayan siya. Nang nadatnan nila ang isang lugar na kilala bilang Al Mughammas, na malapit sa Makkah, sila ay nanatili doon. Pinadala niya ang kanyang mga tropa upang dakpin ang mga kamelyo at iba pang mga hayop ng mga taga Makkah, na kanila namang ginawa, kasama na ang dalawandaang kamelyo na pag aari ni ‘Abdul Muttalib. Ang pinuno ng partikular na expedisyon na ito ay isang tao na ang pangalan niya ay Al-Aswad bin Mafsud. Ayon sa binanggit ni Ibn Ishaq, nilalait siya ng ilan sa mga Arabo (dahil sa kanyang papel sa makasaysayang pangyayaring ito). Nagpadala ng emisaryo si Abrahah na si Hanatah Al-Himyari upang pumaloob sa Makkah, nag atas sa kanya na dalhin ang pinuno ng Quraysh sa kanya. Siya ay nautusan din na ipaalam sa kanya na ang hari ay hindi makikipaglaban sa mamamayan ng Makkah liban lamang kung pipigilan nila siya na gibain ang Ka’bah. Pumunta si Hanatah sa lungsod at siya ay itinuro kay ‘Abdul-Muttalib bin Hashim at kanyang ipinarating ang mensahe ni Abrahah. Tugon ni ‘Abdul-Muttalib, " Sa pamamagitan ni Allah! Wala kaming balak na labanan siya ni wala kami sa posisyon na gawin ito. Ito ay ang Banal na Bahay ni Allah at bahay ng Kanyang Khalil[4] na si Abraham. At kung nanaisin Niya na pigilan siya (mula sa pag giba nito), ito ay Kanyang Bahay at Banal na Lugar. At kung hahayaan Niya siya na lumapit dito, sa pamamagitan ni Allah, wala kaming kaparaanan upang ipag tanggol ito. " Kaya sinabi ni Hanatah sa kaniya, “halika’t sumama sa akin sa kanya.” Kaya naman sumama si ‘Abdul-Muttalib sa kanya. Nang makita siya ni Abrahah, siya ay namangha sa kanya sapagkat si ‘Abdul-Muttalib ay isang matipuno at magandang lalaki. Kaya naman bumaba si Abrahah mula sa kanyang upuan at umupo sa kasama niya sa latagan sa lupa. Pagkatapos, sinabi niya sa kanyang taga pagsalin, “Ano ang kailangan mo” ‘Tugon ni ‘Abdul Muttalib sa taga pagsalin, “Nais ko sanang ibalik ng hari ang aking mga kamelyo na kinuha niya mula sa akin na dalawandaan ang bilang.” Sinabi ni Abrahah sa kanyang taga pagsalin na sabihin sa kanya, " Ako ay namangha sa iyo nang una kitang nakita, subalit ngayon ay hindi na pagkatapos mong makipag usap sa akin. Hinihingi mo sa akin ang dalawandaang kamelyo na kinuha ko mula sa iyo at iyong iniwan ang bahay na siyang batayan ng relihiyon at relihiyon ng mga ninuno mo, na aking pinuntahan upang gibain at hindi mo ako kinausap tungkol dito." Tugon sa kanya ni ‘Abdul Muttalib, “Tunay na ako ang panginoon ng aking mga kamelyo. Subalit ang Bahay, ito ay may Panginoon niya na magtatanggol sa kanya." Sinabi ni Abrahah, “Ako ay hindi mapipigilan (na gibain ito)”. Sagot ni ‘Abdul Muttalib “Kung magkagayon, gawin mo ito”. Sinasabi na ilan sa mga pinuno ng mga Arabo ang sumama kay ‘Abdu-Muttalib at nag alok kay Abrahah ng 1/3 ng kayamanan ng tribo ng Tihamah kung siya ay umurong mula sa Bahay, subalit siya ay tumanggi at ibinalik niya ang mga kamelyo ni ‘Abdul Muttalib sa kanya. Bumalik si ‘Abdul-Muttalib sa kanyang mga tao at nag utos sa kanila na lumisan ng Makkah at maghanap ng kanlungan sa taas ng mga bundok, natatakot mula sa mga kalabisan na maaring magawa ng hukbo laban sa kanila. Pagkatapos kanyang hinawakan ang metal na argolya ng Ka’bah kasama ng ilan sa mga Quraysh, siya ay nagsumamo sa Allah na bigyan sila ng pagwawagi laban kay Abrahah at ng kanyang hukbo. Sinabi ni ‘Abdul-Muttalib, habang nakasabit sa argelyo ng pinto ng Ka’bah, “Wala nang mas mahalaga sa kahit sinumang tao ngayon kaysa sa pag tanggol sa kanyang mga ariarian. O aking Panginoon, ipagtanggol mo ang Iyong pag aari. Ang kanilang krus at balak ay hindi magwawagi sa iyong balak bago pa man sumapit ang umaga.” Ayon kay Ibn Ishaq, binitiwan ni ’Abdul-Muttalib ang argelyo ng pinto ng Ka’bah, at sila ay lumisan ng Makkah at umakyat pataas ng taluktok ng bundok. Binanggit ni Muqatil bin Sulayman na nag iwan sila ng isandaang haop (kamelyo) na nakatali malapit sa Ka’bah habang umaasa na kukuhanin ito ng ilan sa mga hubo nang walang karapatan dito, nangsagayon ito ay magdulot ng paghiganti ni Allah laban sa kanilang sarili.
Nang sumapit ang umaga, naghandang pumasok si Abrahah sa banal na lungsod ng Makkah. Kanyang inihanda ang elepante na si Mahmud. Kanyang pinakilos ang hukbo, ay kanilang ibinaling ang elepante patungong Ka’bah. Sa sandaling yaon, nilapitan ni Nufayl bin Habib ito at tumayo malapit dito, kanyang hinawakan ang tainga nito, at nagsabi, ”Lumuhod ka Mahmud! At pumihit ka at bumalik ka sa kung saan ka nanggaling. Tunay na ikaw ay nasa Banal na Lungsod ni Allah.” Kanyang binitiwan ang tainga ng elepante at ito ay lumuhod, pagkatapos si Nufaul bin Habib ay umalis at nagmadaling pumunta sa kabundukan. Pinalo ng mga alagad ni Abrahah ang elepante upang ito ay tumayo subalit ito ay tumanggi. Hinataw nila ito sa ulo na palakol at gumamit ng kawit na tungkod upang ito ay hilain at upang ito ay tumayo, subalit ito ay tumanggi. Dahil dito, kanilang ibinaling ito papuntang Yemen, at ito ay nagmadaling tumayo at naglakad ng mabilis. Pagkatapos kanilang ibinaling ito papuntang Ash-Sham at ganoon din ang ginawa nito. At ito ay ibinaling din nila papuntang silangan at ganoon din ang ginawa nito. Pagkatapos ibinaling nila ito patungong Makkah at ito ay lumuhod uli. Pagkatapos nagpadala si Allah laban sa kanila gn mga ibon mula sa dagat tulad ng golondrina at tagak. Bawat ibon ay may dalang tatlong bato na sinlaki ng chickpeas at lentils, isa sa bawat kuko at isa tuka. Lahat ng timaan ng mga ito ay nalipol, bagaman hindi lahat sa kanila ay tinamaan nito. Sila ay pasindak na tumakas sa daan habang nagtatanong sa kinaroroonan ni Nufayl upang maituro niya sa kanila ang pabalik sa kanilang lugar. Subalit si Nufayr ay nasa taluktok ng mga bundok kasama ng mga Quraysh at mga Arabo ng Hijaz nagmamasid sa poot na ibinababa ni Allah sa mga tao ng elepante. Nagsalita si Nufay, “Saan sila lilikas kung ang Nag Iisang Tunay na Diyos ang naghahabol sa kanila. Nagapi si Al-Ashram at di siya nagwagi. Inulat ni Ibn Ishaq na binanggit ni Nufayl ang tula na ito sa sandaling iyon,
"Didn't you live with continued support We favored you all with a revolving eye in the morning (i.e., a guide along the way). If you saw, but you did not see it at the side of the rock covered mountain that which we saw. Then you will excuse me and praise my affair, and do not grieve over what is lost between us. I praised Allah when I saw the birds, and I feared that the stones might be thrown down upon us. So all the people are asking about the whereabouts of Nufayl, as if I have some debt that I owe the Abyssinians.''
Sinabi ni ‘Ata bin Yasar at ng iba pa na hindi lahat sila ay tinamaan ng parusa sa oras ng paghiganting ito. Bagkus ilan sa kanila ay kaagad agad na namatay at ang iba naman ay unti-unting natatanggal ang katawan habang nagtatangkang tumakas. Kasama si Abrahah mula sa mga unti-unting nagtatanggalan ang katawan hanggang siya ay tuluyan ng namatay sa lupain ng khath’am. Sinabi ni Ibn Ishaq na lumisan ng Makkah habang tinatamaan at namamatay sa bawat landas at tubig bukal. Ang katawan ni Abrahah ay napinsala ng salot ng mga bato at siya ay kinarga ng kanyang mga hukbo habang nagsisitanggalan ang kanyang katawan pira-piraso hangga’t sila ay umabot ng San’a. Nang sila ay dumating doon siya ay para na lamang maliit na ibon at hindi siya namatay hangga’t hindi nahulog ang kanyang puso mula sa kanyang dibdib. Ito ay kanilang salaysay. Sinabi ni Ibn Ishaq na nang isinugo ni Allah si Muhammad ng pagka propeta, isa sa mga bagay na kanyang sinasalaysay sa mga Quraysh bilang biyaya na ibinigay ni Allah sa kanila at ang pag tanggol Niya sa kanila mula sa pananalakay ng mga Abyssinains. Dahil dito sila (ang mga Quraysh) ay hinayaang manatili (na ligtas sa Makkah) ng ilang panahon. Kaya’t si Allah ay nagsabi

[لإِيلَـفِ قُرَيْشٍ - إِيلَـفِهِمْ رِحْلَةَ الشِّتَآءِ وَالصَّيْفِ - فَلْيَعْبُدُواْ رَبَّ هَـذَا الْبَيْتِ - الَّذِى أَطْعَمَهُم مِّن جُوعٍ وَءَامَنَهُم مِّنْ خوْفٍ ]

(For the Ilaf of the Quraysh, their Ilaf caravans, in winter and in summer. So, let them worship the Lord of this House, Who has fed them against hunger, and has made them safe from fear.) (106:1-4)
Hindi babaguhin ni Allah ang kanilang kalagayan dahil nais ni Allah ang kabutihan para sa kanila, kung sila ay sasampalataya sa Kanya. Sinabi ni Ibn Hisham, “Ang Al-Ababil ay ang mga lupon, dahil ang mga Arabo ay hindi nagsasalita ng iisang ibong lamang.” Sinabi din niya, “Ang As-Sijjeel naman, sinabi sa akin ni Yunus An-Nahwi at Abu ‘Ubayday na ayon sa mga Arabo, ito ay nangangahulugang matigas at solid.” Pagkatapos nito sinabi niya, “Ayon sa mga ibang mufassiroon[5] ito ay katunayan nga dalawang salita ng Persyano na ginawang isang salita ng mga Arabo. Ang mga dalawang salita na ito ay ang Sanj at Jil. Ang kahulugan ng Sanj ay mga bato at ang Jil ay luwad (matigas na putik).” Patuloy pa niya, ”As-’Asf ay ang mga dahon nga mga pananim na hindi kinukuha. Isa sa kanila ay tinatawag ng ‘Asfah.” Ito na ang panghuli mula sa kanyang nabanggit. Nagulat si Hammad bin Salamah mula kay ‘Asim, na nag ulat mula kay Zirr, na nagsalaysay mula kay ‘Abdullah at Abu Salamah bin ‘Abdur-Rahman na sinabi nila,

[طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ]

Mga lupon ng ibon. Parehong sinabi ni Ibn ‘Abbas at Ad-Dahhak na, “Ang kahulugan ng Ababil ay may ilan sa kanila na sumusunod sa iba.” Parehong sinabi ni Al-Hasan Al- Basri at Qatadah, “Ang ibig sabihin ng Ababil ay marami.” Sinabi ni Mujahid, ”Ang kahulugan ng Ababil ay iba’t-iba at sunod-sunod na grupo.” Sinabi ni Ibn Zayd, ”Ang ibig sabihin ng Ababil ay magkakaiba, nang-gagaling kahit saan. Sila ay dumating sa kanila mula sa lahat ng sulok. " Sinabi ni Al Kasa’i, “Narinig ko na sinabi ng mga gramaryan, ”Ang isahan ng Ababil ay Ibil.” Naitala ni Ibn Jarir mula kay Ibn Ishaq bin ’ Abdullah bin Al Harith bin Nawfal na sinabi nila tunkol sa sinabi ni Allah,

[وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ ]

(3. At isinugo Niya laban sa kanila ang mga kawan ng ibon.) “Ibig sabihin ay dibisyon katulad kung paano maglakad ang mga kamelyo na dibisyon (grupo). “Iniulat na sinabi ni Ibn ‘Abbas

[وَأَرْسَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ ]

(isinugo Niya laban sa kanila ang mga kawan ng ibon.) “Mayroon silang mga snouts parang tuka ng mga ibo at mga paws ng mga aso.” Inulat din na sinabi ni ‘Ikrimah na nagpaliwanang sa sinabi ni Allah

[طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ]

(Mga Ibon, Ababil.) “Sila ay mga berdeng ibon that lumabas galling sa dagat at may mga ulo sila parang ulo ng mga predatory.” Naiulat galling kay ‘Ubayd bin ‘Umayr na kanyang puna (sa talatang)

[طَيْراً أَبَابِيلَ]

(Mga Ibon, Ababil.) “Sila ay mga itim na ibon ng dagat na may mga bato sa kanilang tuka at kuko.” At ang isnaad[6] ng lahat ng mga salaysay na ito ay mapananaligan. Inulat mula kay ‘Ubayd ibn ‘Umayr na sinabi niya. “Nang ninais ni Allah na lipulin ang mga Tao ng Elepante, Siya ay nagpadala sa kanila ng mga ibon na galling sa golondrinang dagat. Bawat ibon ay may kargang tatlong maliliit na bato – dalawa sa kanyang paa at isa sa tuka. Sila ay dumating hangga’t sila ay nagtipon na helera sa ibabaw ng kanilang mga ulo. Pagkatapos sila ay nagsi angal at saka ibinato kung ano ang nasa kanilang kuko at tuka. Walang bato na nahulog sa ulo ng kahit kanino liban lang na ito ay lumabas sa kabilang banda. Pagkatapos si Allah ay nagpadala ng malakas na hangin na tumama sa mga bato at lalong pang nagpalakas sa mga ito. Kaya’t silang lahat ay nalipol”.

Tungkol sa sinabi ni Allah

[فَجَعَلَهُمْ كَعَصْفٍ مَّأْكُولِ ]

(Sila ay nagmistulang ‘Asr, Ma’kul.) Sinabi ni Sa’id bin Jubayr, “Ibig sabihin nito ay tangkay, na tinatawag ng mga masa na Habbur.” Sa isang ulat mula kay Sa’id, sinabi niya, “Mga dahon ng trigo.” Sinabi din niya, “Ang Al-‘Asf ay tangkay, at ang Al-Ma’kul ay tumutukoy sa mga kumpay na pinuputol para sa mga hayop.” Ganito rin ang sinabi ni Al-Hasan Al-Basri. Sinabi ni Ibn ‘Abbas, “Ang Al-‘Asf ay balat ng butil, katulad ng balat ng trigo.” Sinabi ni Ibn Zayd, ”Ang Al-’Asf ay mga dahon ng mga halaman at ani. Kapag ito ay kinain ng mga baka, ito ay kanilang inilalabas bilang mga dumi ng hayop.” Ang kahulugan nito ay nilipol sila ni Allah, inubos sila at itinaboy sila mula sa kanilang mga balak at galit. Wala silang napala na kahit anong kabutihan. Ginawa sa kanila ni Allah ang panlahatang pagkawasak at wala ni isa sa kanila na bumalik (sa kanila lupain) upang isalaysay ang nangyari liban lang na siya ay sugatan. Ito ay kagaya rin ng nangyari sa kanilang pinuno na si Abarahah. Tunay talaga na siya ay nahati’t nabuksan, nakalitaw ang kanyang puso nang siya ay umabot sa San’a. Sinabi niya sa mga tao ang nangyari sa kanila at siya ay namatay pagkatapos nit. Ang kanyang anak na si Yaksum ay naging hari sumunod sa kanya, at ang kapatid ni Yaksum na sin Masruq bin Abrahah ay sumunod din sa kanya. Tapos, sin Sauf bin Dhi Yazan Al-Himyari ay pumunta kay Kisra (ang Hari ng Persya) at humingi ng kanyang tulong laban sa mga Abyssinians. Nagpadala ng ilan sa kanyang mga hukbo kasama si Sayf Al-Himyari upang labanan ang mga Abyssinians. Nang dahil dito, ibinalik ni Allah ang kanilang kaharian sa kanila (ang mga Arabo ng Yemen) kasama na ng kapangyarihan na pag aari ng kanilang mga ninuno. Tapos, maraming mga delegasyon ng mga Arabo ang pumunta sa kanya (Sayf Al-Himyari) upang siya ay batiin sa kanilang pagkapanalo. Nabanggit na rin natin sa Tafsir ng Surah al Fath na nang ang Sugo ni Allah ay malapit sa daanan ng bundok na maghahatid sa kanya papunta sa mga Quraysh sa araw ng Al-Hudaybiyyah, ang kanyang kamelyong bababe ay lumuhod. Tinangka ng mga tao na patayuin siya subalit siya ay di sumunod. Kaya’t sinabi ng mga tao, ”Naging pasaway sin Al-Qaswa.” Sinabi ng Propeta,

«مَا خَلَأَتِ الْقَصْوَاءُ، وَمَا ذَاكَ لَهَا بِخُلُقٍ، وَلَكِنْ حَبَسَهَا حَابِسُ الْفِيل»

(Hindi naging pasaway sin Al-Qaswa’ sapagkat hindi it parte ng kanyang ugali. Subalit siya ay napigilan ng Niya na umawat sa mga Elepante. Kanyang sinabi,

«وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَا يَسْأَلُونِّي الْيَوْمَ خُطَّةً يُعَظِّمُونَ فِيهَا حُرُمَاتِ اللهِ إِلَّا أَجَبْتُهُمْ إِلَيْهَا»

(Ako ay sumusumpa sa Kanya na kung saan ang aking kaluluwa ay nasa Kanyang Kamay, sila (Quraysh) ay hindi hihingi sa akin ng kahit anu pa mang bagay (mula sa Kasunduan) na kung saan ang mga banal na bagay ni Allah ay pinararangalan, liban lamang na ako ay sasang ayon sa kanila ukol dito.) Tapos kanyang inutusan ang kamelyo na tumayo at ito ay tumayo. Ang Hadith na ito ay kay Al-bukhari na magi sang nag tala nito. Ito ay naitala din sa dalawang Sahih[7] sa Araw ng Pagkasakop ng Makkah, sinabi ng Sugo ni Allah,

«إِنَّ اللهَ حَبَسَ عَنْ مَكَّةَ الْفِيلَ، وَسَلَّطَ عَلَيْهَا رَسُولَهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنِينَ، وَإِنَّهُ قَدْ عَادَتْ حُرْمَتُهَا الْيَوْمَ كَحُرْمَتِهَا بِالْأَمْسِ، أَلَا فَلْيُبَلِّغِ الشَّاهِدُ الْغَائِب»

(Tunay na pinigilan ni Allah ang elepante mula sa Makkah, at binigyan Niya ang Kanyang Sugo at mga nananampalataya ng kapangyarihan sa ito. Tunay na ang kanyang pagkabanal ay bumalik katulad ng pagkabanal nito noon. Kaya’t ipagbigay-alam ng mga nakatunghay sa mga di nakatunghay.) Ito ang wakes ng wakes ng Tafsir ng Surah Al-Fil, at ang lahat ng papuri ay ukol lamang kay Allah.

[1] Soorah al Burooj (85)
[2] Ang lumang pangalan ng Syria, Lebanon, Jordan at Palestine.
[3] Ang tawag sa hari ng Emperador Romano
[4] Isang titulo ni Abraham na nangangahulugang napakalapit na kaibigan.
[5] Mga Dalubhasa sa pag bigay paliwanag sa Qur’an
[6] Chain of narrations. See sciences of hadeeth.
[7] Sahih Bukhari at Sahih Muslim

Tafseer Soorah Al-Qadr

2011-02-15T08:09:00.001-08:00

Masjid Al Emadi in BinMahmoud, Doha Qatar

Tafseer Ibn Kathir sa Wikang Filipino

I-download sa PDF: http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/xF0Qj

Ito ay ipinahayag sa Makkah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَـنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Sa Ngalan ni Allah ang Mahabagin ang Maawain

]إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَـهُ فِى لَيْلَةِ الْقَدْرِ - وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ - لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ - تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ - سَلَـمٌ هِىَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْر[ِ

Katotohanang Aming ipinanaog ang Qur’an sa Gabi ng Al Qadr
At paano mo mapag-aalaman kung ano ang Gabi ng Al Qadr
Ang Gabi ng Al Qadr ay higit na mainam sa isang libong buwan
Dito ay bumababa ang mga anghel at Ruh sa kapahintulutan ng kanilang Panginoon, hinggil sa Tadhana na ipinapasiya (sa lahat ng bagay)
Sa buong Gabing ito ay mayroong Kapayapaan at Kabutihan hanggang sa pagdatal ng bukang liwayway

Ang Kabutihan ng Gabi ng Al Qadr [Kapasiyahan]
Sinabi ni Allah na Kanyang ipinadala ang Qur’an sa Gabi ng Al Qadr, at ito ay gabing puno ng biyaya na kung saan sinabi ni Allah,

شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ الَّذِى أُنزِلَ فِيهِ الْقُرْآنُ

”Ang Ramadan ang buwan nang ipinahayag ang Qur’an” (2:185). Sinabi ni Ibn Abbas at ng iba pa na ”Ipinaaog ni Allah ang Qur’an sa kabuoan nito mula sa Al Lawh Al Mahfudh pababa sa Baytul ’Izzah, na nasa Kalangitan ng mundong ito. Pagkatapos nito, ito ay ibinababa ng baha-bahagi sa Sugo ni Allah ayon sa mga pangyayari na naganap sa loob ng dalawampu’t tatlong taon.” Dinakila ni Allah ang kalagayan ng Gabi ng Al Qadr na Kanyang pinili upang ipahayag ang Qur’an nang Kanyang sabihin,

]وَمَآ أَدْرَاكَ مَا لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ - لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ خَيْرٌ مِّنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ[

”At paano mo mapag-aalaman kung ano ang Gabi ng Al Qadr. Ang Gabi ng Al Qadr ay higit na mainam sa isang libong buwan ”. Naitala ni Imam Ahmad na sinabi ni Abu Hurayrah “Kapag dumating ang Ramadan, Sinabi ng Sugo ni Allah,

«قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ، شَهْرٌ مُبَارَكٌ، افْتَرَضَ اللهُ عَلَيْكُمْ صِيَامَهُ، تُفْتَحُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَنَّةِ، وَتُغْلَقُ فِيهِ أَبْوَابُ الْجَحِيمِ، وَتُغَلُّ فِيهِ الشَّيَاطِينُ، فِيهِ لَيْلَةٌ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَلْفِ شَهْرٍ، مَنْ حُرِمَ خَيْرَهَا فَقَدْ حُرِم»

“Katunayan na ang buwan ng Ramadan ay dumating na sa inyong lahat. Ang buwan na ito puno ng biyaya, na kung kalian na ginawa na obligado ni Allah sa inyo na mag ayuno. Sa panahong ito ang tarangkahan ng Paraiso ay bukas, at ang tarangkahan ng Impyerno ay sarado at ang mga demonyo ay nakagapos. Sa loob nito may isang gabi na mas mainam kaysa sa isang libong taon. Ang sinuman ang pinagkaitan ng kabutihan mulda dito ay talaga naming napagkaitan.” Itinala din ni An-Nasa’i ang hadith na ito. Bukod pa sa katotohanan na ang pagsamba sa Gabi ng Al Qadr ay katumbas sa pagsamba na isinasagawa sa loob ng isang libong taon, napatunayan din sa dalawang Sahih[1] na sinabi ng Sugo ni Allah,

«مَنْ قَامَ لَيْلَةَ الْقَدْرِ إِيمَانًا وَاحْتِسَابًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِه»

(Ang sinuman na tamayo [sa pagdarasal] sa Gabi ng Al Qadr nang may pananampalataya at umaasa sa gantimpala, patatawarin sa kanya ang kanyang nagdaang mga kasalanan.)
Ang pagbaba ng mga Anghel at ang Pagpasiya sa lahat ng kabutihan sa Gabi ng Al Qadr

[تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ ]

(Dito ay bumababa ang mga anghel at Ruh sa kapahintulutan ni Allah, hinggil sa Tadhana na ipinapasiya), ibig sabihin, nagsisipanaog ang pagkarami-raming anghel sa Gabi ng Al Qadr dahil sa masaganang biyaya nito. Ang mga anghel ay bumababa kasama ng mga bumababang biyaya at awa, tulad ng kanilang pagpanaog kapag ang Qur’an ay binabasa, kanilang pinapalibutan ang nagsasagawa ng Dhikr[2] at kanilang ibinababa ang kanilang mga pakpak dahil sa tunay na pag-galang sa mga nagsasaliksik ng kaalaman. Tungkol naman sa Ar-Ruh, sinasabi na ito ay si Anghel Gabriel. Tungkol naman sa salita ni Allah,

[مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ]

(hinggil sa Tadhana na ipinapasiya (sa lahat ng bagay). Sinabi ni Mujahid, “Kapayapaan sa lahat ng bagay”. Sinabi ni Sa’id bin Mansur, ’Sinabi sa amin ni ’Isa bin Yunus na sinalaysay sa kanila ni Al-A’mash na sinabi ni Mujahid tungkol sa salita ni Allah,

[سَلَـمٌ هِىَ]

(May kapayapaan) “Ito ay kapayapaan na kung saan si Satanas ay di makakagawa ng kahit anumang kasamaan o kapinsalaan”. Sinabi ni Qatadah at ng iba na, “Ang mga bagay-bagay ay napagpasyahan sa panahong ito, at ang mga oras ng kamatayan at mga panustos ay sinusukat.” Sinabi ni Allah,

[فِيهَا يُفْرَقُ كُلُّ أَمْرٍ حَكِيمٍ ]

(Sa panahong ito itinakda ang lahat ng bagay-bagay na tinatakda.) (44:4). Sinabi ni Allah,

[سَلَـمٌ هِىَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ ]

(Sa buong Gabing ito ay mayroong Kapayapaan at Kabutihan hanggang sa pagdatal ng bukang liwayway). Sinabi ni Sa’id bin Mansur, “Sinabi sa amin ni Hushaym mula sa kay Abu Ishaq, na nagsalaysay tungkol sa Salita ni Allah,

[تَنَزَّلُ الْمَلَـئِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ فِيهَا بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهِم مِّن كُلِّ أَمْرٍ - سَلَـمٌ هِىَ حَتَّى مَطْلَعِ الْفَجْرِ ]

(Dito ay bumababa ang mga anghel at Ruh sa kapahintulutan ng kanilang Panginoon, hinggil sa Tadhana na ipinapasiya (sa lahat ng bagay). Sa buong Gabing ito ay mayroong Kapayapaan at Kabutihan hanggang sa pagdatal ng bukang liwayway). ‘Ang mga anghel ay nagsisipagbati ng kapayapaan sa panahon ng Al Qadr sa mga tao sa Masjid hangga’t umabot ang bukang liwayway.’ Sinabi nina Qatadah at Ibn Zayd tungkol sa salita ni Allah,

[سَلَـمٌ هِىَ]

(May Kapayapaan.) “Ibig sabihin ay lahat ng ito ay kabutihan ay walang kasamaan dito hangga’t sa umabot ang bukang liwayway.

[1] Sahih Muslim at Sahih al Bukhari

[2] Pagalala kay Allah

Al Munawwara Islamic School Davao - Live Broadcast "Significance of Qurban and Hajj"

2010-11-10T17:29:00.001-08:00

Islamic Schools in Davao

2010-11-05T05:00:00.001-07:00

1. Al Munawwara Islamic School (AMIS) located in Bugac Road Maa. Kindergarten to Grade 5. DepEd Accredited. Website: www.almunawwara.com

Classrooms

Playground

Outside of Multifunction Hall

Proposed School Building and Masjid

2. Wisdom International School for Higher Education Studies (WISHES). Up to grade 2. Offers online BA degree in Islamic Studies up to Phd. level. Website: http://wisdom.edu.ph/index/

Masjid (ground floor) and lecture rooms (2nd and 3rd floors)

Hostel and Classrooms

Canteen and Playground in the background

May Allah make their endeavors successful. Ameen.

Did Fatima r.a. kiss the dust of grave of the Prophet?

2010-09-27T08:08:00.001-07:00

**وفى وفاء الوفاء للعلامة السمهودى ان ابن عساكر روى فى تحفته من طريق طاهر بن يحيى الحسينى بسنده الى على رضى الله عنه قال: لما رمس رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جاءت السيدة فاطمة الزهراء رضى الله عنها فوقفت على قبرة صلى الله عليه وسلم ، وأخذت قبضة من تراب القبر ووضعته على عينيها وبكت وانشأت تقول:
وماذ على من شم تربة أحمد ان لا يشم مدى الزمان غواليا
صبت على مصائب لوأنها صبت على الأيام عدن لياليا
ثم قبلت التراب ووضعته .

al –Allaamah as Samhoodee mentioned in Wafaa’ul Wafaa’ that Ibn ‘Asaakir narrated in his book Tuhfa from the path of Taahir ibn Yahya Al Husaini with his chain( isnaad) to Ali t that he said:

"When the Prophet e was buried, Fatima (may Allah be pleased with her) came and stood by his grave, then picked a handful of sand from her father's grave , put it on her eyes and recited a couplet which is translated as:

And what would be [the loss of a person] who smells the sand of Ahmad’s e ( a name of the Holy Prophet) grave and then does not smell any other fragrance throughout his life. She further said that she had been through so much trouble and hardships that the days would have converted to nights had such hardships been burdened on anyone else."

Then she kissed the dust and placed it (back).

As Samhoodee ascribed this narration about Fatima to what he called the Tuhfa of Ibn ‘Asaakir from the path of Taahir ibn Yahya al Husainee who said:

My father informed me from my grandfather from Ja’afar ibn Muhammad from his father from Ali t who said:

“When the Messenger of Allah e was buried, Fatima az Zahraa (may Allah be pleased with her) came and stood by the grave (of the Prophet e) and took a handful of soil from the grave and put it in her eyes and cried and (when she was) settled, she said:

And what is upon whosoever smelt the dust of Ahmad…

(see the summary of al Wafaa’ 1/153 and 203)

Firstly, this is a broken chain (in the chain of narrators), it is broken between Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Husain and his great grandfather Ali ibn Abi Taalib t , because the father of Ja’far ibn Muhammad is Muhammad ibn Ali ibn al Husain ibn Ali ibn abi Talib. So Muhammad ibn Ali is narrating from his great grandfather Ali ibn Abi Talib t.

The two haafidhs: Al Mizzi in Tahdheeb al Kamaal (26/137) and At Tirmidhee in his Sunan said:

“Abu Jaa’far Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Al Husain did not narrate from Ali ibn Abi Talib”.

This is because Ali died in 40 A.H while Muhammad was born in 57 A.H.

And this is why al Haafidh adh Dhahabi said about this narration: “ This was attributed to Fatimah but it is not authenticated (i.e. this story) from her. (Seyar a’laam an Nubalaa’ 2/134). And the Hanafi Shaikh al Mullaa Ali’ Qari said: from what was attributed to Fatima. (i.e it is not authentic that it happened) (Murqaat al Mafaateeh 17/243).

So This is a clear indication that this narration (story) that contains the two lines of poetry is not authentic.

Secondly, we find what was established with an authentic chain, to the sons of Fatima that contradicts that. It was narrated from Ali ibn al Husain ibn Ali t that he saw a man who came to a gap at the grave of the Prophet e, he entered it and supplicated, so he (Ali ibn al Husain) prohibited him and said:

“ Shall I not narrate to you a hadeeth that I heard from my father (who in turn heard it) from my grandfather (meaning Ali t) from the Messenger of Allah e who said:

“Don’t make my grave like a place for Eid (a place where one goes frequently) and don’t make your homes as graves and give your salutations to me for indeed your salutations are conveyed to me wherever you are”.

(Tareekh al Kabeer 2/3-289) (Musannaf of Abdur Razzaq (6694), (Musannaf of Ibn Abi Shaibah 2/375).

As Sakhaawi said: This is a Hasan hadeeth [in his book] (Al Qawl al Badee’ fil salaati ‘alal Habeeb ash shafee’ pg. 228).

We also find in Muslim what contradicts that from the hadeeth of Ali ibn Abi Talib that he said to Abu Al Hayaaj al Asadee:

“Should I not send you on the same mission as Allah’s Messenger e sent me? He commanded me not to leave an elevated grave without leveling it nor to (leave) an image without effacing It.” Sahih Muslim (969).

It is strange that we find those who allow seeking help in times of distress from the occupants of the grave defending its elevation and building (a structure) over it. It is from the will of Allah that he made Ali’s task t to destroy the elevated (enshrined) graves so that it will be a proof against those who build graves with their names and make them gods (as partners) to Allah.

The Scholars have forbidden wiping or kissing the walls of the graves and mentioned that it is from the practice of the Jews and the Christians based on so many sayings of the Prophete . We well mentions from them the narration of Muslim on the authority of Aisha that the Prophet e said when he was dying:

“May Allah curse the Jews and the Christians who took the graves of their prophets as places of worship. She said: Otherwise they would have elevated his grave and the prophet feared that his grave might be taken as a place of worship.

(Sahih Bukhari 1330)

Al Haafidh[1] said: “It is as though the (Prophet) e knew that he will depart with that illness, so he feared that they will enshrine his grave like those before them did. The cursing upon the Jews and the Christians points to the censorship of whoever does what they did.” (Fathul Bari 1/532)

Al Haafidh also said: “The story of the righteous people was the beginning of the people of Prophet Nooh in their worship if idols, and then those who came after them followed them in that (worshipping).

And he (ibn Hajar) mentioned that they were seeking the blessing of the supplication to Suwaa’ [2](one of the righteous man) and others amongst the righteous. When one of them died they made for him a statue according to his image and they used to wipe over it. After that Satan made them worship it gradually. (Fathul Bari 8/688).

Appendix 1. Arabic

The original research in Arabic was give Abdul Aziz Shakir

نسب السمهودي هذه الرواية عن فاطمة إلى ما أسماه بالتحفة لابن عساكر من طريق طاهر بن يحيى الحسيني قال: ” حدثني أبي عن جدي عن جعفر بن محمد عن أبيه عن علي رضي الله عنه قال: ” لما رمس رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جاءت فاطمة رضي الله عنها فوقفت على قبره وأخذت قبضة من تراب القبر ووضعته على عينيها وبكت وأنشأت تقول: ماذا على من شم تربة أحمد...“. (أنظر خلاصة الوفا1/153 و203).

بل وجدت ما ثبت بالسند الصحيح إلى أبناء فاطمة مما يناقضه.((Narrations that contradict that

فعن علي بن الحسين رضي الله عنه أنه رأى رجلا يأتي فرجة كانت عند قبر النبي صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فيدخل فيها فيدعو، فنهاه وقال: « ألا أحدثكم حديثاً سمعته من أبي عن جدي - يعني علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه عن رسول الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال: لا تتخذوا قبري عيداً ولا تجعلوا بيوتكم قبوراً وسلموا على فإن تسليمكم يبلغني أينما كنتم».

قال السخاوي« وهو حديث حسن» (القول البديع في الصلاة على الحبيب الشفيع ص228التاريخ الكبير

2/3-289 المصنف لعبد الرازق (6694) ومصنف ابن أبي شيبة2/375).

ووجدت في مسلم من فعل زوج فاطمة ما يناقض ذلك. فعن أبي الهياج الأسدي أن علياً رضي الله عنه قال له: « ألا أبعثك على ما بعثني عليه رسول الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ ؟ أمرني أن لا أدَعَ قبراً مشرفاً (أي مرتفعاً) إلا سوّيته (بالأرض) ولا تمثالاً إلا طمستُه » (مسلم969).

وقد وجدت من يجيز الاستغاثة بأصحاب القبور يدافع عن رفعها والبناء عليها.

وهذا من تقدير الله أن يجعل مهمة علي رضي الله عنه هدم القبور المرتفعة لتكون حجة على من يبني القبور باسمهم ويجعلهم آلهة مع الله.

وقد نهى العلماء عن مس وتقبيل جدار القبور وأعلنوا أنه من عادة اليهود والنصارى وبمقتضى أقوال النبي الكثيرة التي نذكر منها ما رواه مسلم عن عائشة أن النبي صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ قال في مرض موته: « لعن الله اليهود والنصارى اتخذوا قبور أنبيائهم مسجداً. قالت: ولولا ذلك لأبرزوا قبره، غير أنه خشي أن يُتخذ مسجداً » (رواه البخاري1330).

قال الحافظ: « وكأنه صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ علم أنه مرتحل من ذلك المرض، فخاف أن يعظم قبره كما فعل من مضى، فلعن اليهود والنصارى إشارة إلى ذم من يفعل فعلهم » (فتح الباري1/532).

قال الحافظ: « وقصة الصالحين كانت مبتدأ عبادة قوم نوح لهذه الأصنام، ثم تبِعهم من بعدهم على ذلك » وذكر أنهم كانوا يتبركون بدعاء سواع وغيره من الصالحين. فلما مات منهم أحدٌ مثَّلوا صورته وتمسحوا بها. فيعبدوها بتدريج الشيطان لهم [فتح الباري8/688).

ولهذا قال الحافظ الذهبي عن الرواية « هذا مما ينسب إلى فاطمة ولم يصح عنها» (سير أعلام النبلاء2/134). وقال شيخ الأحناف الملا علي قاري « ومما ينسب إلى فاطمة» (مرقاة المفاتيح17/243). كذا قال ابن سيد الناس (عيون الأثر في سيرة خير البشر2/434).

وهذه إشارة واضحة منهم إلى أن هذه الرواية المتضمنة لهذين البيتين لم تثبت.

وأما الانقطاع فإن هناك انقطاعا بين محمد بن علي بن الحسين وبين جده الأكبر علي بن أبي طالب رضي الله عنه. فإن والد جعفر بن محمد هو محمد بن علي بن الحسين بن علي بن أبي طالب، وبهذا تكون رواية محمد بن علي عن جده الأكبر علي بن أبي طالب مرسلة كما قال الحافظان: المزي في (تهذيب الكمال26/137). والترمذي في سننه : ”أبو جعفر محمد بن علي بن الحسين لم يدرك علي بن أبي طالب“. هذا لو سلمنا جدلا بوجود هذا الإسناد.

[1] Al Haafidh Ibn Hajar al Asqalaani, the famous Shaafi’i scholar.

[2] One of the names of righteous people who was worshipped and elevated to godhood as mentioned in Qur’an 71:23

Ramadan a month of Change

2010-08-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

Ramadan has indeed arrived
Rewards earned, benefits derived
For some it is a time for change
Yet for some it's a time deranged

This month's supposed to install fear
Avoid evil; good deeds endear
Each day when fast starts and cease
We ask ourselves "Does my fear increase?"

How easy 'tis to commit sins,
Just before Ramadan begins?
Is it still easier to do?
Easy as untying your shoe?

Or now is it a bit harder?
Committing sin with great ardor.
Before 'twas none but now think twice
Afraid to pay that painful price

Is it still easy to tell lie;
To someone you just made cry?
Is it still easy to hide the truth?
Well hidden like impacted tooth.

Is it still easy to miss Salah?
Lazy to stand ya Abdallah?
Or perform the one that Im afraid
Salah so late and so delayed.

Is it still easy to follow your lust?
To look at women from dawn till dusk?
Your computer screen behold appeared
A body so bioengineered!

Or at weary food that you devoured
At iftar time, that you engorged
Stomach full and full much more
that youd fall asleep and hit the floor

How 'bout then your crave to smoke?
Though Scholars warned and do revoke
Your lungs and heart unwell and damned
Its not makruh, it's clear Haram

How 'bout you, you married guy?
Are you not then afraid to die?
That woman to adulterate?
No sacred bond to amalgamate?

And yes to you Oh sister dear
The fitnah caused both far and near
You think your beauty is an asset?
Unless you cover. it is bad debt

And oh the youth that chit and chat
At TN's window like mouse and cat
Though much of good has come from it
More bad it brings I must admit

So help me my fellow TNetizens
The Tausug folks of global denizens
To answer the queries I posted above
To ask ourselves of each thereof

So do we find ourselves at ease?
To act and say like as we please
Is it not that Ramadan's for change
A better Muslim, a wise exchange.

Concerning the Hadeeth of Six (6) Rak’ats of Nawaafil Prayer after Salatul Maghrib found in At Tirmidhee

2010-08-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

ان الحمدلله نحمده و نستعينه و نستغفره. و نعوذ بالله من شرور انفسنا و من سيءات اعمالنا. من يهده الله فلا مضلل له و من يضلل فلا هادي له. أشهد ان لا اله الا الله وحده لا شريك له و أشهد ان محمدا رسول الله 

Indeed all praise belongs to Allah, we praise Him and seek his assistance and forgiveness, we seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and the evil consequences of our deeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray. Whomever Allah allowed to go astray none can guide aright. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah alone, without partners. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave-servant and Messenger.

What follows are the gradings of two hadeeths found in at Tirmidhee concerning the six rak’at voluntary prayer after Salatul Maghrib. This humble hadeeth research was entirely done using the software Al Maktabah Ash Shamilah.

Hadeeth found in At Tirmidhee

( سنن الترمذي )
435 حدثنا أبو كريب يعني محمد بن العلاء الهمداني حدثنا زيد بن الحباب حدثنا عمر بن أبي خثعم عن يحيى بن أبي كثير عن أبي سلمة عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من صلى بعد المغرب ست ركعات لم يتكلم فيما بينهن بسوء عدلن له بعبادة ثنتي عشرة سنة قال أبو عيسى وقد روي عن عائشة عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال من صلى بعد المغرب عشرين ركعة بنى الله له بيتا في الجنة قال أبو عيسى حديث أبي هريرة حديث غريب لا نعرفه إلا من حديث زيد بن الحباب عن عمر بن أبي خثعم قال و سمعت محمد بن إسمعيل يقول عمر بن عبد الله بن أبي خثعم منكر الحديث وضعفه جدا .

تحقيق الألباني :
ضعيف جدا ، ابن ماجة ( 1167 ) // ضعيف سنن ابن ماجة ( 244 ) ، الضعيفة ( 469 ) ، الروض النضير ( 719 ) ، التعليق الرغيب ( 1 / 204 ) ، ضعيف الجامع الصغير ( 5661 ) //

The Isnaad (Chain of Narration)

Abu Kuraib, or, Muhammad ibn Al ‘Ala al Hamdaani from Zaid ibn Habbaab reported from Umar ibn Abi Khat’am form Yahya ibn Abee Katheer from Abu Salamah from Abu Hurairah that he said,

The Matn (Text)

On the authority of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet s.a.w. said “Whoever prays after maghrib six Rak’at without talking evil between them have a reward equal to 12 years of worship. “

Abu ‘Eesa (At-Tirmidhee) said, this is (also) related by Aishah that the Prophet s.a.w. said “Whoever prays 20 rak’ats after maghrib, Allah will build for him 20 houses in Paradise.”

Abu ‘Eesa (At Tirmidhee) said, ‘This hadeeth of abu Huraira is Ghareeb (strange) and we don’t know this except from the hadeeth of Zaid ibn Habbab’ from ‘Umar from Abu Khat’am’.

He [At Tirmidhee] said. ‘I heard Muhammad ibn Ismaeel (Imam Bukhari?) said: the hadeeth of Abdullah ibn Umar ibn Khat’am is Munkar (rejected) and very weak.’

Al Albani’s Grading: Da’eef Jiddan. Very Weak. Ibn Majah (1167), Da’eef Sunan Ibn Majah (244) [Weak]; Rawdah an Nadeer (719), Ta’leeq ar Ragheeb (1/204), Da’eef al Jaami’ as Sagheer (5661).

Footnotes:
1. http://abulayth.multiply.com/links/item/13/13. Arabic link: http://www.shamela.ws/. August 12, 2010.

2. A list of all those who transmitted the saying of the Prophet  beginning with the last transmitter to the one who reported it in his book and ending with the companion who narrated it from the Prophet . Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. Usool al Hadeeth pg. 40.

3. The narrated saying, action, approval or physical description of the Prophet . Ibid pg. 40

4. A narration which has a single transmitter at any point in the Isnaad after the Companion – narrator. M. Azami, Studies in Hadith Methodology pg. 43.

5. A Munkar hadeeth refers to a weak hadeeth which contradicts an authentic hadeeth. This is the definition preferred by Ibn Hajr (Al Asqalani). Other scholars defined Munkar as (1) a narration containing a transmitter known for committing excessive mistakes (2) A narration containing a transmitter known for indecent conduct. Dr. Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips. Usool al Hadeeth pg. 104-5.

6. Therefore even at Tirmidhee, the collector of this hadeeth ruled it to be weak.

Study Notes on Soorah al Kahf Verse 27

2010-07-16T23:51:00.000-07:00

Verse 27. And Recite what has been revealed to you of your Lord's scripture. None can change His words, and you will not find any refuge in other than Him.

The Qur'an should be followed concerning the People of the Cave as Allah's word cannot be changed and there is nothing further to be known after Allah's explanation.

Ibn Abbas after a battle reached the area where the people of the cave was located (During Muawiya's Caliphate). He was prevented by the verse “If you saw them, you have turned and fled” (18:18). Muawiya insisted and sent troops but when they entered, Allah sent a strong wing which blew them out of the cave. (Al Jaami li Ahkaam al Quran.Vol. 9-10 pg. 323).

The command to “recite”. Three statements addressed to the Messenger:

1.Specific to him. “Have I not opened your chest for you?” (94:1) also (93:6).

2.General address. “O Prophet! When you (all) divorce women...” (65:1)

3.To him alone or the community. This verse is in this category.

If none can change his word (scriptures) does it mean that the bible is not corrupted? No! Two kinds of Word of God:

1.Creational Words. This cannot be changed. When Allah says “Kun” (be) no one can change it.

2.Legal Words. It is not legally possible for anyone to change Allah's 'legal words'. (No one can say that alcohol is not haram anymore). But it is possible for somebody to distort Allah's word by re-writing Allah's scriptures with their own hands or interpreting them in a way different from what Allah has intended. (48:15). Then woe to those who write the Book with their own hands, and then say:"This is from Allah," to traffic with it for miserable price!- Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby. (2:79 )

The Word of God or Speech of God. Concerning Allah's Names and attributes: Four Principles.

1.Rule Number One. What is obligatory regarding the texts of the Quran an Sunnah in relationship to Allah's attributes.

It is obligatory to keep the implications of names and attributes according to their obvious meanings without any change because Allah revealed the Quran in clear Arabic language and the Prophet spoke the Arabic language. Therefore it is obligatory to keep their implications to their linguistic meanings because changing them from their obvious meanings would be speaking about Allah without knowledge. (7:33)

2.Rule Number Two (four subcategories)

All of Allah's Names are Beautiful free from any deficiency in any respect (7:180)
Allah's Beautiful Names are not limited to any specific number. “O Allah, I ask you by every name belonging to You with which You named Yourself, or You revealed in Your scripture, or You taught one of Your creatures, or You kept with Yourself exclusively in the hidden knowledge. (Musnad Ahmad)

Allah's names are not to be decided upon by reason not by revelation. It is obligatory to limits Allah's names to what has been revealed.
Every one of Allah's names refers to Allah's essence (dhat), to the attribute it contains and to the effect resulting from it if it is transitive.
3. Rule Number Three (Four subcategories).

All of Allah''s attributes are transcendent, attributes of perfection and praise without any deficiency in any respect.

Allah's attributes may be divided into two categories:

1.affirmative / positive (Allah affirmed for himself knowledge, life etc.

2.negative (Allah negates from Himself oppression).

The Affirmative attributes may be divided into two categories: Personal (Dhaatiyyah) and Consequential [related to his will] (Fi'liyyah).

Three Questions about Allah's attributes:

1.Is the attribute to be understood literally and why? Yes because the basic principle for understanding speech is according to its literal meaning. The literal meaning should not be avoided [by considering the attribute metaphorical] except if there exists authentic evidence preventing that. We cannot possibly believe that Allah is inside our body by this verse: “Indeed, I have created humankind and I know what his soul whispers. And I am closer to him than his jugular vein.” (50:16) BECAUSE of this verse: “They fear their Lord who is above them and they do what they are commanded.” (16:50).

Further, the hadeeth that Prophet Muhammad also declared a woman a true believer on the basis of her answer to his question, “Where is Allah?” that He is above the heaves. (Sahih Muslim).

2.Is it possible to describe how it is and why? No not possible, not permissible. (20:110)

3.Does it resemble human characteristics and why? No, divine attributes do not resemble the attributes of creation. (42:11)

Tamtheel (resemblance) describes how an attribute is in relationship with something while Takyeef (asking how) describes how an attribute is without limiting it to something similar.

4. Rule Number Four. What is used to refute those who deny Allah's names and attributes. (Al Mu'attilah).

They contradict the obvious meanings of the texts.

The contradict the methodology of the Salaf.

They do not have any authentic evidence to support their claims.

In the case of some attributes there may be a fourth principle or more principles for refutation.

Study Notes on Soorah al Kahf verse 25-26

2010-07-09T11:04:00.000-07:00

Verse 25-6. So they stayed in the cave for there hundred years and nine more. Say: “Allah knows best how long they stayed and with him is the knowledge of the secrets of the heavens an the earth.” How clearly He see, how finely He hears everything. They have no protector (guardian) other than Him nor does He share His decision with anyone whatsoever.

Ibn Uthaimeen: It is not possible for me to testify that Allah intended this (that 300 years is solar years and 9 is lunar years) because there is only one means of accounting with Allah, depending on the phases of the moon. (See 2:189 “They ask you concerning the new moon...”) [Previous tafseer scholars like Ibn Kathir, al Qurtubi, and Ash Shawqaani held this opinion (300 solar, 9 lunar) and attributed them to earlier scholars).

A Muslim must not be absent-minded (in remembering Allah). A Muslim must be aware that Allah sees and hears everything perfectly.

The Hukm of Allah. Two kinds:
1.Creational Decision (Hukm kawnee)
2.Legal Decision (Hukm Shar'ee)

No one shares with Allah in the creational decision. Is anyone able to cause rain to fall at will?

It is in the realm of legal decisions that different human opinions vie with those of Allah.

Ash-Ishraak fit Ta'ah (Shirk in Obedience) “...does He share His decision with anyone whatsoever.” indicates that those who follow the laws of others are idolaters, committing shirk with Allah. See (6:121) This does not mean that everyone disbelieves because all human beings disobey Allah, these are in fact pieces of disbelief, if they become many then true disbelief can take place.

Declaring Halal what Allah made Haram and vice verse: “They took their rabbis and their monks as lords besides Allah,” (9:31). (Saheeh Sunan At tirmidhee). (Hadeeth of Ibn Abi Hatim?)

See also (4:60)

DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN ADMINISTRATIVE AND LEGAL SYSTEMS

There is nothing wrong with an administrative system which aims at organizing and implementing affairs in a way which does not contradict the Sharee'ah. 'Umar ibn al Khattab implemented many administrative laws which were non-existent in the time of the Prophet (like establishing Prisons etc.)

Legal systems that contradict the Sharee'ah: polygamy is oppressive, stone to death and cutting hands are savage and inhumane, unequal inheritance system etc. “Or do they have partners with Allah who have instituted for them a Deen which Allah has not ordained?” (42:21) (10:59) (16:116).

CLASH OF CIVILIZATION: This is the foundation of the current clash of civilization. The efforts to globalize the secular democratic foundations of Western Civilization are in direct conflict with Islamic Civilization's foundation of Divine Rule (Sharee'ah).

The 3 main principles of Secular Democracy

1.Equality. All humans have one common trait: the ability to reason. This is not in opposition to Islamic teachings. The emphasis on equality in Islam lies in the belief in God and one's responsibility before God.

2.Rational Empiricism. That is, the human mind has the ability to deduce from historical and personal experience what is in fact the best for human society. It is not so! The American Constitution states that the black men (slaves at the time) were to be counted as three-fifths of a white man. (Article 1, Section 2, The Three-Fifth Compromise). This is supposed to be written by the best and most trusted mind of the eighteenth century. One can find similar legal systems in Europe, Asia or Africa.

3.The Principle of Discussion and Consent. That is, no one possesses absolute truth, all sides to an argument must be given free expression; no truth is so certain that it may not be challenged. After hearing everyone's view, decisions are made by majority vote. Consequently, truth, falsehood, good and evil all become relative. The social consequence is removal of any foundations for stable morals in society. What was pornographic in the 50's is not porn today! Psychiatrists in that period considers homosexuality as a part of mental illness and suggests shock therapy as treatment. Thus, one who is against homosexuality today is called a homophobe and are sent to psychiatric couch for treatment. (Bilal Philips) :)

Consenting Adults. Both partners must have a consent for it not to be considered rape. This became the battlecry of the sexual revolution resulting in an upsurge of wife swapping parties, group sex, sadomasochism, topless bars etc. In Sweden, incest is decriminalized due to this principle! It is legal in Sweden to have sexual relations with one's mother, sister or daughter as long as they are consenting adults.

Islamic Civilization regards the laws revealed by God as absolute and unchangeable. What was immoral 1400 years ago is also immoral today. Without a solid moral foundation human society will become corrupt. “If the truth were according to their desires, the heavens and the earth and all within them would be corrupted.” (23:71)

Blame it on the Genes!!! Homosexuality is genetic? Some scientists claim now that robbery and murder are genetically based! If scientist also prove that pedophilia and rape are genetically based, will Western society decriminalize them? Humans are not robots incapable of going beyond their programming.

Limited Role of Democracy in Islam: “Their Affairs should be by mutual consultation” (42:38). A certain city decided to built a traffic light in a busy intersection. Later they may decide again to remove it and make an interchange (underpass, flyover, roundabout and traffic light combinations).

The reality is the West is more committed to Secularism than Democracy. They support Turkey Military dictatorship at the expense of freedom of religion (to wear Hijab in the Parliament).

This does not mean that there are no common grounds and that military conflict is a necessary constant. There remain many areas of good achieved by the West that Islamic Civilization can benefit from, as West benefited from the achievement of the Muslims in the past. (Bilal Philips).

Study Notes on Soorah al Kahf Verses 23-24

2010-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Verse 23-4. And do not say, “I will do something tomorrow,” without (saying) “Insha Allah. If Allah wills!” But remember your Lord when you forget and say, “Perhaps my Lord will guide me to a way nearer to truth than this.”

Allah knows what was and what is yet to be and what is not to be, how it will be if it is to be. (Bilal Philips). :)

The story of Prophet Sulaiman intending to go to his seventy wives in a single night and thinking that they will all bear him a son to who fight fee sabeelillah and not saying Insha Allah. None of them gave birth except one who gave birth to a half-formed child. The Prophet then said “Had he said it (insha Allah), they would have fought in the way of Allah”. (Bukhari).

The Benefit of saying Insha Allah:

1.Allah will make his affair easy as long as he turns to Allah.
2.If he fails to do it, he does not break an oath.

If a person says, “I will do this” as a means of informing and not as a certainty about its occurrence, the addition of Insha Allah is not required. Example: your friend ask you. “Will you pass by my place tomorrow?” and you replied, “Yes” without saying “Insha Allah”, there is no harm. Because it is information about your intention and what is in your heart has been permitted by Allah; it has already occurred so there is no need to make it dependent on Allah's wish. However, if you intend that it would take place, it is something which has not occurred yet, so you must say “Insha Allah” as you do not know whether it will happen or not.

Study Notes on Soorah al Kahf verse 22

2010-07-08T10:46:00.000-07:00

Verse 22. Some people will say that they were three, the dog being the fourth; others wil say they were five, the dog being the sixth. These are mere irrelevant guesses; there are still others who say they were seven, their dog being the eight. Say: “My lord knows their number and only a few others besides Him know.” So do not argue about them, except with clear proof. Nor ask anyone about them.

Allah confirms that their number was seven because after saying that they were three and five He goes on to say that these are mere guesses, but after mentioning the number seven He did not say that it was false which implies that this was the actual number.

Ibn Abbas “I am among the few who know the right number and they were seven.” (Tafsir Ibn Kathir).

We should only discuss concerning the People of the Cave using what has been revealed or avoid arguing concerning the exact number which has no benefit.
Arguments should only be superficial; if the argument reaches the heart, he will become more argumentative, angry and his ego inflated and he will be affected. Scholars of Kalam's unnecessary rules and statements like “an infinite chain of incidents into the past and future” have volumes of writing affirming or negating this issue.

Concerning Taking from books of Jews and Christians for Da'wah purposes.

Hadeeth the prohibits: Umar wanting to read some sayings from the Torah...“By the One in whose Hand my soul lies! If Moses were to appear among you and you followed him and abandoned me, you would have gone astray. You are my portion of the nations and I am your portion of the prophets.” (Musnad Ahmad

Hadeeth that permits: The hadeeth concerning Jewish man and woman committing adultery and the verse of stoning in the Torah where a Rabi hid a verse by placing his hands over it. The prophet ordered them both to be stoned to death. (Bukhari).

Quranic Verses that permits: “Those who follow the Messenger, th Prophet who can neither read nor write whom they find written with them in the Torah (Deuteronomy 18:15) and the Gospel (John 14:16)” (7:156). See also (61:6).

Another Hadeeth that Permits: “Convey whatever you have learned from me, even if it is only a single verse. And you may speak about the People of Israel without any fear of sin.”(Bukhari).

RECONCILING THE APPARENT CONTRADICTION

Ibn Hajar al Asqalani: means there are no constraints in speaking about them.
Abrogation; previously discouraged then allowance was made. The prohibition occurred prior to the stabilization of Islamic laws and religious principles, for fear of confusion.

Ash Shafi'ee: It is known that the Prophet did not permit speaking lies. So, the meaning of “Speak about the People of Israel without fear of sin,” is that you may speak about them concerning what you do not know to be lies.

Commentator of Sunan at Tirmidhee: the conflict may be resolved by understanding that the intention of the prohibition here was the prohibition against taking laws from their scriptures, because all legal systems and religions were abrogated by our Prophet's legal system.

Study Notes on Soorah al Kahf Verse 21

2010-07-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

Verse 21. I this way I caused them to be found, so that they would know that Allah's promise is true and the hour of resurrection is coming, without a doubt. When they were disputing among themselves about their case, some of them said: “Construct a building over them; their Lord knows best about them.” Those who prevailed in their case said: “Indeed we will build a place of worship over them.”

To prove to them the truth about resurrection

To save the believers from disbelievers (That the promise of Allah is true).
The bodies are also resurrected not only the soul. (Belief that only the spirit is resurrected is common amongst Christians).

Who “prevailed in their case”? Was it the believers or disbelievers?

1.Building places of worship is among the characteristics of the believers.
2.Putting Mosques over graves is an act of the cursed and not of the believers.

Mentioning of the building of a mosque over their grave here does not indicate its permissibility. It is among the paths leading to Shirk.

“May Allah's curse be on the Jews and Christians for taking the graves of their prophets as places of worship”. The Prophet said this while he was dying. (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud).

Restrictions of Visiting Graves:

1.As a means of setting up a barrier against grave worship.

2.The Prophet prohited in praying purposefully praying the the direction of graves. (Muslim)

3.Recitation of the Qur'an in graveyards is not allowed. Aishah asked the Prophet what to say when visiting graveyards. He told her to give salams and supplicate (He didnt tell her to recite Quran). Also, the Prophet told us not to make our homes like graveyards. “Do not make your houses graveyards, for verily Satan flees from the house in which Soorah al Baqarahy is read” (Muslim).

4.The Prohibition of white-washing of graves, building structures over them (Muslim), writing on them (Sunan Abi Dawud) or raising them above the ground (Muslim).

5.Building Masjids over graves was specifically forbidden by the Prophet. Concerning a church in Ethiopia with pictures the Prophet said “Indeed if there is a righteous man among them and he dies, they build on his grave a mosque and make in it those pictures. They are the worst of creation in the sight of Allah on the day of Resurrection.” (Bukhari).

6.The Prophet forbade annual or seasonal gatherings even around his own grave. “Do not make your houses graveyards nor make my grave a (place of ) festivities. Instead, ask (Allah's) blessings for me wherever yo may be, for they will reach me.” (Sunan Abu Dawud).

7.Forbidden to set out on journey's to visit graves. “Do not travel except to three masjids, Masjid Haram, the Messenger's Masjid, and the Aqsa Masjid”. (Bukhari).

“Taking Graves as Places of Worship” may mean three things:

1.Praying towards graves. Forbidden.

2.Building Masjid over Grave or Putting a Grave in a Masjid.

3.Praying in a masjid containing a grave.

Masjid with Graves. Two Types:

1.Masjid built over a grave. (grave came first). Should be demolished because such place is originally a grave.

2.Masjid in which a grave has been put, some time after its construction. (masjid came first). The grave should be removed as it was originally a masjid.

THE PROPHET'S GRAVE

This cannot justify the building of masjid over grave or building grave over masjids:

1.The Prophet did not order that he buried in his masjid.

2.The companions did not put his grave into the masjid.

3.The room of Aishah was not originally a part of the masjid and the door leading to the masjid was permanently sealed off by the companions.

4.Two expansions during the time of Umar and Uthman cautiously avoided the inclusion of Aishah's house or that of any of the other wives of the Prophet.

5.With the death of ALL the Sahabah – Caliph al Waleed Abdil Malik included the house of Aishah inside the Masjid. A high circular wall was built around it so that it would not be visible at all from inside the masjid. Two additional walls in triangle built later to prevent anyone from facing the grave directly.

6.The dome over the Prophet's grave was built by Sultan Kalawoon as Salaahee in 1282 CE and painted green by Sultan Abdul Hameed in 1837,

7.These errors remains to be corrected. Walls should once again be placed to separate it from the masjid so that no one could pray in its direction nor visit it inside the masjid.

Salah in the Prophet's masjid is still desirable due to its exceptional nature just like salah is allowed for specific purpose (e.g. Janazah) even during the forbidden times (sun setting etc.)

Study Notes on Soorah al Kahf Verse 18

2010-07-08T10:32:00.000-07:00

Verse 18. “And you would have thought them awake while they were asleep and I turned them on their right sides and on their left sides and their dog lay with its front legs stretched out at the entrance of the cave. Had you seen them you would have turned and fled filled with fear of them.”

They did not exhibit the normal signs of relaxation usually associated with sleep. Instead they appeared to be awake. [Ibn Uthaimeen].

No mention of turning them on their backs and on their stomachs. Sleeping on stomachs is harmful. “Allah's Messenger saw a man lying on his stomach and said, “Indeed, this is a way of lying not pleasing to Allah.” [Sunan At Tirmidhee].

“Poor sleep posture is a sure invitation to backaches. Use a firm mattress. Lie on the side a bend to the knees. Avoid lying on the belly, a position that increase the spine's lumbar curve, causing the familiar sagging called swayback” Time Magazine July 14, 1980.

Less incidence of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) when babies are lying on their backs.

It is probably worthy to note here that in bed ridden patients it is a standard nursing protocol to turn the patients every two hours to avoid pressure sores – a condition that leads to breakdown of the skin and can go as deep as the bone. [Abu Khalid]

Dogs as guards. “Whoever keeps a dog for other than farming, sheep herding or hunting, will have two qirats decreased from his good deeds daily.” (Bukhari). To protect one's home and one's person with a dog is even more reasonable.

The Youth's prayer were answered by Allah: they were protected. Qadar and Prayer. Islam teachers that prayer can change situations. It might seem difficult to comprehend how prayer can change everything, since Islam also teaches that everything which will happen has already been written. That is, if all things are already written, then what is the point in prayer? This is a question which boggles the mind of many. However, the reality is simply that what is written is what one does. It is not that one does it because it is written. It is written, because that is what we are going to do. For many, these two concepts are one and the same. F what one does is what was written, then he is forced to do it because it is written. However, the reality is that once one accepts that Allah know all things, that He is omniscient, then that writing is only an expression of His knowledge of all things, not that He forces things to take place in one's life. There are however, some situations in which Allah intervenes directly which have nothing directly to do with a person's choice. [Bilal Philips].

“Call on Allah in prayer confident that it will be answered. But know that Allah does not answer the prayer of the unmindful, inattentive heart.” (Saheeh Sunan At Tirmidhee)

Study Notes on Soorah al Kahf Verses 19-20

2010-07-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

Verses 19-20. “And in that way, I raised them up again, so they questioned each other. One of them asked: “How long have you spent here?” The others answered: “We have spent a day or part of a day.” Then they declared: “Your Lord knows best how long you have spent. So send one of you with this silver money to the city to look for a place with the best food, so that he may bring something to eat. He should however be cautious and not let anyone become aware of you. 20 For if they succeed in overpowering you back to their belief and in that case you would never be successful ever.”

The relativity of time. Short for sleeping people (and the dead) long for those who are awake. Also, (23:112-3). Ultimately time in this world is very short and so they have to make the best of their time.

“There are two things about which many people are fooled; health and spare time”. (Al Bukhari).

The phrase “killing the time” and its derivatives should not be in Muslim's vocabulary. Spending time in worship of Allah. See (94:7-8).

Those who wait in the grave from the distant past will not be oppressed by having to wait until all humans die; unaware of the passage of time.

FIQH ISSUE: “So send one of you with this silver money to the city to look for a place with the best food”.

1.The Permissibility of engaging others as agents in purchasing and selling.

2.There is no harm in a person seeking the nicest food.

3.Weakness of some scholars' opinion that it is not permissible to sale something and saying “I'm selling you the best possible barley”. It should be judged according to local custom is the correct position.

The importance of choosing the right, halal and beneficial food. (Eating from food of people who earns haram unless you are advising them about their earning). Haram food can cause our supplication to be rejected. “Allah is pure and He only accepts what is pure”. (Muslim). The story of traveller on a long journey who supplicates to Allah but his food, drink and clothing was unlawful. So how could his prayers to be answered. See (Muslim). This man has combined many factors that normally assures that prayers are answered.

1.He was a traveler.

2.His rough appearance indicates that he was in difficulty.

3.He raised his hands to Allah who is shy to let his servant lower his hands empty.

4.He uses Allah's most powerful and comprehensive names (Ar-Rabb).

5.He repeated his prayer (more chance s of being accepted).

Yet his prayers were not answered.

EAT FROM HALAL EARNINGS ONLY.

“He should however be cautious...” If a person's life is threatened he may make false statements of disbelief or apostasy in order to preserve his life. This, according to some scholars, is unique to the Ummah of the Prophet. (16:106) Past nations cannot do this.

LESSONS ACCORDING TO SHAYKH AS-SA'DEE

1.The importance of knowledge (“in order that they may ask one another...”).

2.If one is unsure concerning an issue he must take it back to the one who has knowledge (“Your Lord knows best how long you have spent”).

3.The permissibility of eating good and tasty foods.

4.To be cautious and to stay away from situations that can cause fitna.

5.The great religious commitment showed by the youth.

6.The harm and corruption contained in evil should encourage one to detest and completely abandon it.

Study Notes on Soorah al Kahf 13-17

2010-07-02T08:17:00.000-07:00

13. I will relate their true story to you. They were youths who believed in their Lord and I increased their level of guidance.

According to the Arabic idiom, whenever a single person refers to himself using a plural form, it indicates that he is great. Nothing is greater than Allah…Therefore the intent of every plural pronoun referring to Allah is praise. It's equivalent in English language is the "royal" we or "majestic" we.

"I will relate their true story to you"…there is a disagreements around the length of stay in the cave. This story is a legend according to Christian and Western historians except the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches believe it as a miracle. Circulated as oral tradition for centuries and eventually reduced to writing by a Syriac historian in 6th century.

These youths are the true followers of Jesus from the Unitarian tradition of James the first bishop of Jerusalem and not from the Greek and Roman Trinitarian tradition.

Whoever believes in His Lord and Obeys Him, He will increase his state of guidance because obedience is a cause for the increase of guidance and faith. [Ash-Shanqeeti]. See (47:17) (9:124).

Faith (Iman) increases with obedience and decreases with disobedience.

The Murji'ites (Murjiah) those who don't believe that faith increases or decreases.
Jahmite Murji'ism: Iman is merely knowledge alone. Attributed to Jahm Ibn Safwan. Implies that Pharaoh and his people were believers since they know that Moses and Aaron were true prophets; including Iblees who knew Allah well.

The Karramites: Iman is restricted to the profession on the tongue without including the [affirmation of the] heart. Therefore the hypocrites were perfect believers though they believe that the hypocrites will suffer the punishment that Allah promised them. They contradict themselves.

Murji'ite Legists: Iman is belief in the heart and profession on the tongue but not including the deeds. They regarded works parts of Iman in a figurative way, for a work is the fruit and requirement of Iman.

Similarity between the Murji'ites beliefs some Christians of today that nothing can affect faith. It is claim that once a person has accepted Jesus Christ as his personal savior, he is guaranteed paradise no matter what sins he may commit.
The Key to paradise is Lailaha illallah. But every key has teeth (ridges) for it to open locks. Similarly saying Lailaha illallah has to be accompanied by knowledge, certainty, sincerely, and truthfully.

Faith increases by patience. Patience comes from trust in Allah. Allah said that in every difficulty comes ease. We should not act irrationally during calamities.
Once we know that Faith may decrease then we should be vigilant because Satan is very busy trying to make us fall into sins. It is important to take account of one's self. Umar Ibn Al Khattab said “Take account of yourselves before your account is taken”.

Verse 14. And I strengthened their hearts when they stood up and said, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heaven the earth. We will never call on any god besides Him; if we did, we would indeed have uttered an enormous deviance.”

Allah made their hearts steady, strengthened them and bound them because their people opposed them. [Ibn Uthaimeen].

So that they wold not panic and become fearful to openly declare the truth. [Ash-Shanqeetee].

Whoever is obedient to his Lord, He will strengthen his heart and make him steady to handle difficult times patiently. (8:11-12) (28:10)

“They stood up” means they stood up among their people and announced their Tawheed.

“And I strengthened their hearts when they stood up...” Is it possible to have additional understanding of this verse from its medical aspect being that when a person spent a long time in the supine lying position – his heart – and the whole cardiovascular system adapts to that position so that when a person suddenly stands up he would faint because his weak heart is not immediately able to pump blood to his brain? This phenomenon is called Orthostatic Hypotension. [Abu Khalid]

Affirmation of Tawheed Ruboobeeyah “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth”...and Tawheed Ulooheeyah/Ibaadah “We will never call on any god besides Him”. Worshiping God is the result of His Lordship. The right of worship only belongs to the Creator / Lord.

Whoever attributes another god as a partner to the Creator of the heavens and earth has come with something far deviated from the truth; something involving the ultimate in falsehood beyond acceptable bounds. Because the one who deserves worship is the One who brought creation into existence from non-existence, because one unable to create others besides itself is itself created and in need of a creator to create it, nourish it and run its affairs. (2;22) (16:17) (13:16) (7:191) (25:3).

TRUTH TO POWER – These young men boldly challenged the false beliefs of their people. “The greatest Jihad is speaking the truth in front of tyrant” (Sunan Abi Dawud). But if the harm is greater than the good, it should be hated in the hearts. Muslims must oppose the evil forces trying to eradicate the Sharee'ah but at the same time oppose excessive unislamic methods used by some Muslims in their resistance who claim to defend the Ummah.

Verse 15. “These people of ours have adopted other gods besides Him. Why do they not bring authority for what they have done? And who does a greater wrong than the one who invents a lie against Allah.”

A challenge from Allah. A challenge to do the impossible – the challenge to produce evidence for their idolatry. (6:148) (46:4).

Reconciled with (2;114) [“And who are more wrong...”] Ibn Uthaimeen: this verse addresses the worst wrong in the category of prevention of remembrance of Allah's name while the previous verse refers to the worst wrong in Lying.

If one lied about someone it would be wrong, and if one lied about someone of greater stature it would be greater wrong. Thus, a lie about Allah becomes the greatest possible lie. [Ibn Uthaimeen].

Early Hindu scriptures rejects idol worship; Buddha's writing does not endorsed worshiping him; Christian worship of Jesus goes against Jesus' own teachings and practice. (Jesus worshiping God on a number of occasions, clearly indicating that he was not God).

Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin is one of the biggest lie against Allah in the 19th century claiming that life in this world was not created but evolved. Removing God from human society removes the basis of morality and definition of right and wrong.

Verse 16. “And when you turn away from them and the things that they worship besides Allah, take yourselves to the cage. Your Lord will shower His mercies on you and dispose of your affairs in comfort and ease.”

Giving up something for the sake of Allah: The youth gave up everything and went into the cave. “Whoever gives up something for the sake of Allah, He will replace it with something better” (Hadeeth not referenced in the original text. No time to consult Maktabah ash-Shamilah – Abu Khalid). See also (4:100) (19:48-50).

HIJRAH – abandoning an idolatrous and oppressive society and hiding in order to practice the true religion. (4:97).

Hijrah to Madeenah was made obligatory during the Prophet's lifetime but once Makkah was liberated, migration to Madeenah was no longer obligatory. This is the context of this hadeeth: “There is no hijrah after Conquest of Makkah. Instead, there remains Jihad and intention. If you are called to arms, respond”. (Sahih Al Bukhari). Compare with hadeeth: “Hijrah will not end until repentance ends, and repentance will not end until the sun rises in the west”. (Sunan At Tirmidhee)

The essence of Hijrah is abandonment of evil in all its forms. Thus even if one lives with Muslims, the principle of Hijrah is still applicable. “The Muslim is one from who tonque and hand Muslims are sage, and the true emigrant is one who abandons what Allah has forbidden.” (Bukhari)

Instead of emigration from regions controlled by disbelievers, most Muslims have become immigrants to the lands of the disbelievers. Even more so, they choose to live scattered amongst the disbelievers instead of congregating in religious communities as other immigrants do based on ethnic consideration.
Allah concealed them in the cave just as He concealed Prophet Muhammad and his Companion Abu Bakr as Siddeeq in the Cave of Thawr. (9;40).

Verse 17. You could see the sun declining to the right of their cave when it rose and touching their left sides when it set, while they lay in the middle of the cave. That was among Allah's signs. Whoever Allah guides is rightly guided and whoever He sends astray will not find any guiding friend to lead him to the right path.

Allah has told us this because it is important to ponder upon its meanins. He did not inform us about the location of the Cave because there is no benefit in knowing that. “I have not left anything that will bring you closer to Paradise and keep you further away from Hell but I have certainly taught you about it.” (At Tabaraani – Silsilah al Ahaadeeth as Saheehah).

The obvious meaning of this verse is that it is the sun that revolves around the earth and bring about its rising and setting. However Ibn Uthaimeen said: If it becomes established for us by certain evidence that the changing of the night and day is a result of the earth's revolution, it then become obligatory on us to interpret the verse according to the meaning which agrees with reality. For others, Saudi Prince Salmaan's trip on the space shuttle and his observations were sufficient observable evidence that the sun does not rotate around the earth.

Church history is full of this quagmire and conflict between Science and Religion. The Copernican Revolution; Galileo rotting in prison and eventual triumphs of Galileo's ideas.

“Whoever Allah guides”. Allah divided the people into two groups: guided and astray. This is Allah's decree. You must be pleased with Allah's Destiny under all circumstances. It is obligatory on us, in spite of that , to strive to guide people.
Allah does not guide the rebellious disobedient people. (61:5).

“Whoever Allah allows to go astray none can guide” is a better translation.
This verse and others like it are proofs of the falsity of the Qadariyyah (Qadarite school) which claims that humans are independent in their god and evil actions. (Ash Shanqeetee).

From Tafseer Soorah al Kahf by Dr Bilal Philips

Notes on Soorah al Kahf Verses 9-12

2010-06-29T08:13:00.000-07:00

Verse 9. And do you think that the Companions of the Cave and the inscriptions were wonders among My signs?

The story of the people of the cave is not really something astonishing relative to the Power and Ability of Allah. The creation of the heavens and the earth, the alternation of night and day and the subjugation of the sun, moon and heavenly bodies are more amazing. Allah is capable of doing far more amazing than the incident of the people of the Cave. [Ibn Kathir] (40:57), (79:27).

Humankind is quite insignificant in relationship to the remainder of the creation. Abundance of wealth and technological discoveries often leads them to arrogance and pride.

The Story of Seven Sleepers of Ephesus in circulation amongst the Christians of this time. In 250 CE the Roman Emperor Decius persecutes Christians which lead seven (or eight in some versions) to be concealed in a cave near Ephesus. They were protected from pagan sacrifices and fell into a miraculous sleep. The cave was reopened during the reign of Eastern Roman Emperor Theodosius II (408 – 450). [Encyclopedia Britannica].

Verse 10. When the young men fled for refuge to the cave, they said: "Our Lord! Grant us your mercy and arrange our affairs for us in the right way!"

Concerning fleeing for the sake of one's religion and the abandonment of family, children, relatives, friends, land and wealth out of fear of trials. The Prophet made Hijrah and so did his Companions. Living in isolation and the permissibility of fleeing from tyrants in Sunnah of the Prophets and the saintly.

Depends on a person's ability: Seclusion in caves or mountains or seclusion in one's home (some companions secluded themselves in their homes after the assassination of Caliph's Uthman and did not leave except to their graves).

The power of supplication when in distress. "Our Lord! Grant us your mercy…" The Prophet s.a.w. used to hasten to prayers whenever any matter disturbed him. (Sunan Abu Dawood).

After doing the best one can for himself, he should put his trust in Allah.

YOUTH.

Those who accepted Islam from outside of the Prophet's family were relative youths – none is older than him.

Phenomena in which young people tend to be the ones most receptive to Islam. Vast majority of 3000 Americans who converted to Islam were in their early twenties during the first Gulf War.

The Importance of Faith in Youth. A youth who grows up worshipping Allah is one of those who will be shaded by Allah's shade in the Day of Resurrection. [Refer to the hadeeth of who will be shaded in the Day of Resurrection]. The connection of having a Just Ruler and religious youth is that the Just Ruler will promote Islamic education system, social system and various elements in the society so that it will be relatively easy for a young person to grow up worshipping Allah.

Raising Righteous Children:

Step One: Choose Righteous Spouse
Step Two: Make Supplications
Step Three: Observe the 'Aqeedah
Step Four: Create an Islamic Environment
Step Five: Teach the Religion Early
Step Six: Teach by Example
Step Seven: Marry them to righteous spouses

Verse 11. Then I drew a veil over their ears for a number of years.

Drawing a veil over the ears is a metaphor for deep sleep which prevents sounds from reaching the ears. [Shawkani] The Prophet also used the ear metaphor to describe the corruption of oversleeping "Satan urinated in his ear". [al Qurtubi].

The actual number of years is mentioned in verse 24. "So they stayed in the cave for three hundred years and nine more".

Verse 12. Then I roused them in order to test [to know] which of the two parties was best in calculating the length of time that they passed.

"Then I roused (resurrected) them…" awakening from sleep is referred as resurrection because sleep is a form of death. (6:60) (39:42). [Ibn Uthaimeen].

"In order to know…" the phrase has two meanings:

1.The knowledge of what will be is not the same as knowledge of what was. Allah's knowledge of something before its occurrence is knowledge that it will occur, but after its occurrence, it is knowledge that it occurred.

2.The knowledge on the basis of which there is a reward of what was intended. (47:31). Allah knows the future: who will do good deeds but He will only reward the doer once the act is perform. Neither recompense nor reward is given based on Allah's knowledge unless it occurs. [Ibn Uthaimeen]

However, there is no difference between what He knows will occur and what He knows has occurred as far as certainty is concerned. [Ibn Uthaimeen].

Notes on Soorah al-Kahf verses 6-8

2010-06-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Verse 6. Perhaps you will destroy yourself in grief following after them because they did not believe in this speech.

• The Prophet was very keen that the creation would be guided, would be very happy if they were guided and sad when the disbelievers were not because of his compassion and deep sympathy and pity for them.

• If Allah knew that there was any good in them, He would have guided them, but He knows that they are only suitable for the Hellfire.

• Thus busying oneself with grief and sorrow over them is of no benefit.

• "You cannot guide whom you love. But Allah guides whom He wills" (28:56) (88:21-22) (13:40)

• There are two types of person who becomes sad when people do not accept the truth.

o One type who is sad because he is not accepted – blameworthy because this is calling to ones self.

o Another type who is sad because the truth is not accepted – praiseworthy because this is calling to Allah.

Verse 7. Indeed I have made what is on the earth its beautification to test which of them does the best deeds.

• This world is a temporary home adorned with transient beauty, a place of trial and not a permanent settlement.

• "Indeed this life is sweet and green (i.e. plants that die) and Allah has out you in-charge of in in succeeding generations and He observes what you are doing. So fear this world and fear women because the beginning of trials of the Israelites was women." (Sahih Muslim)

• The quality of the deed not the quantity is more important as implied by the word "Best Deeds" not the 'most deeds'.

• Wealth and Children are part of adornment in this life (18:46) (63:9) (64:14). Enmity not from hatred and conflict but love and care prevent parents from religious duties [Ibn Taimiyyah].

• Everything in this world is a test; denying this is futile and absurd. Allah is above and beyond meaningless actions; His perfection invalidates His creation without purpose; without giving them directions; without commanding them to do good and forbidding them from evil. Whoever denies this has denied Allah's divinity and lordship. Whoever denies the Day of Resurrection is itself denial of the Lord's existence. [Ibn Taimiyyah].

• Allah does not test us to know who will pass instead it serves to confirm His Justice and Mercy on the Day of Judgment; that those who goes to Paradise deserve it and those who go to Hell got there by God's grace. [Shawkani].

• Purpose of Test
 Spiritual Growth. Gold is purified from ore by fire. Generosity is gained if one have a degree of sustenance that others (16:71)
 Purification. If they are patient with trials.
 Reminders. When people deviate, they seldom listen to the advice of those around them. But when calamity strikes, it jolts those who still have some faith recognizing their error. (32:21)
 "Corruption has appeard on the land and in the sea because of what man's hands have earned in order that (Allah) may make them taste a part of what they have done, and in order that they may return (to the right path). (30:41).
 To expose Hypocrites (24:63) People converting to Islam for wrong reasons, and after finding more difficulties in their lives that prior to their conversion they revert to their former beliefs.
 Punishment. (24:63) Stories of past nations who rejected divine guidance (Aad, Thamood, Fir'aun etc). Punishment afflicts everyone one, not only the sinners. (8:25).

Verse 8. Indeed I will make all that is on it like dry bare soil.

• Don’t look only at the exterior of this world and be fooled by its adornments and its beauty.

• Take this world as a place of crossing not a place of delight, a place for travel not a place for residence. Spend your utmost effort to know your Lord, to obey His commands, and perfect your deeds. [As-Sa'aadi].

Notes on Soorah al-Kahf verses 4-5

2010-06-28T00:00:00.000-07:00

Verse 4. And warn those who say that, Allah has given birth to a son.

• This acted as an explanation from what was left unspecified in the previous verse – Ibn Uthaimeen.

• See (9:30) “The Jews call ‘Uzayr a son of Allah, and the Christian call Christ the son of Allah…”

• Encyclopedia Judaica Jerusalem states that Uszayr called the Father of Judaism by the Jews was considered ‘son of God’ by the Jews of Yemen.

Verse 5. They have no knowledge about it, nor do their fathers. The word coming out of their mouths is very grave. What they are saying is nothing but lie.

• The belief that Jesus is a son of God only became the dominant teaching of Christianity in the 4th century when it was adopted at the council of Nicea in 325 AD along with the other belief that Christ has same nature as God. Arius (250-336) the bishop of Alexandria of Egypt opposed to sign this creed. Before that there are numerous Christians who had diverse views on Christ, each with their own scripture to anchor their views.

• Other prophets were called the Son of God

o Israel (Jacob) in Exodus 4:22-24

o Solomon in 2nd Samuel 8:13-14

o David in Psalm 89:26-27. As the only begotten son in Psalms 2:7.

o Angels are sons of God in the Book of Job 1:6

• In New Testament

o Adam the son of God in Luke 3:38

o Nowhere in the Gospels Jesus actually called himself “Son of God”. Jesus rebuke those who called him the Son of God in Luke 4:41.

• The Hebrew Perspective

o The Hebrews were strict Monotheists and in their expression Son of God (usage in the Old Testament) metaphorically means “Servant of God” one who is a close and faithful servant of God as a son to his father.

o Example: Blessed are the peace-makers; they will be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

• The Roman Perspective

o Romans and Greeks believe in a literal meaning of Son of God as a god incarnate or someone born of a physical union between male and female gods.

o Example: In Acts 14:11-13 Barnabas called the Roman god Zeus and Paul was called the Roman god Hermes.

• Allah has refute all these claims in the last scripture sent to mankind (72:3) (19:92-3) (39:4)

• The word coming out of their mouths is very grave.

o The heavens are almost torn apart, the earth split in two and the mountain crumble, that they claim the Most Gracious had a son. (19:90-1)

o Allah having a son means that He is deficient and others share in His Lordship, His Dominion and His Divinity. It is also lying about Him. (6:21).

Notes on Soorah al Kahf verses 2-3

2010-06-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Verse 2. [He made it] straight to warn of a terrible punishment coming from Him, and to give glad tidings of a good reward to the believers who do righteous deeds.

 "[HE made it} straight". Shawkani: 1) refers to its straightforwardness 2) custodian and guardian for the previous divine revealed scriptures.

 Belief alone is not sufficient; righteous actions should accompany it.

 Two conditions for an act to be righteous:

o Sincerity to Allah: intending to have the pleasure of Allah and the Hereafter.

o Obedience to Allah: The deed must not be outside Allah's Shareah.

 "A good reward" the pleasure of Allah and entrance to paradise containing what no eye has ever seen, nor ear ever heard, not has it crossed the mind of any human being.

Verse 3. They will remain there forever.

• Both paradise and hell already exists now and they are both eternal. (4:168-9) (33:64-5) (43:74-5)

• The Heaven is already created."…prepared for the God fearing". (3:133). Numerous hadeeth supports this. "Indeed I saw paradise and I had a bunch of fruit from it. If I had brought it, you would have eaten [from it] as long as the world existed…." (Al Bukhari)

• Location of Paradise: It is in the highest level of 'Illiyoon (83:18)

• Hell is in the lowest of the lows (83:7).

• Harun Yahya's deviant teachings:

o "…it will be understood with what kind of order Allah created the entire universe from out of nothing, so much so that, with this secret, the question of "when" and "where?" become meaningless because there are no time and space left. When spacelessness is grasped, it will be understood that hell, heaven and earth are all actually the same place." (Allah is known through reason (pp. 202-3).

• Those who say that Hell is not eternal

o Jahmites
o Imam of the pantheists, Ibn 'Arabee at Taa'ee
o Aboo Haazil al 'Allaaf (a leading Mu'tazilah scholar)
o Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al Qayyim

• Evidence of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al Qayyim

o Narrated Abdullah ibn 'Amar al Aas that he said: "There will come a time when a wind will blow through the gates of Hell, and there will be nobody in it. This is a marfoo' narration."

o "And those who are blessed, they will be in Paradise abiding there for as long as the heavens and earth endure, except as your Lord wills, a gift without end." (11:108)

o It is not permissible to malign or condemn these two scholars because of this error of ijtihaad.

o Another narration from Ibn Taimiyyah in Majmoo' Fatawa

 "The Salaf and Imaams of this Ummah and Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaah agreed that there exist created entities that will never come to an end at all, like Paradise, Hell etc."

o This indicates that Ibn Taimiyyah has two opinions. Unless one can establish his final verdict it is incorrect to assert that he held that Hell would end without qualifying it.

Notes on Soorah al-Kahf Verse 1

2010-06-26T00:22:00.000-07:00

Notes on Soorah al-Kahf

Introduction

• Kahf means ‘cave’ in verse 9 (Ashaabul Kahf)
• Earlier times titled “Soorah ashaab al kahf”

Place of Revelation

• Subject-matter and style is in Makkah. Some scholars consider verses 1-8, 28 and 107-110 in Madeenah.
• Inauthentic narration from Ibn kathir quoting Tabari about three Quraish men asking the Jews about Prophet Muhammad. The three questions were 1) the youth who disappeared in earlier times 2) traveler to from East toWest 3) Concerning the Soul. Ibn Is’haaq’s teacher was unknown.

The Merits of the Soorah

• Descent of Tranquility – Hadeeth of Al Baraa about a man reciting Soorah al kahf when an animal in his house became agitated and there was cloud hovering over him. The prophet instructed him to continue his recitation. Sahih Muslim.
• Protection from Dajjaal – First ten verses (Sahih Muslim) or lat ten verses (Sahih Muslim) from Soorah al Kahf.
• A Source of light – illumination by its light from one Friday to the next (Mustadrak – Saheeh al Jaami’) and as a light on the Day of Resurrection (Mustadrak – Saheeh at Targheeb).
• Forgiveness – “ …he would be forgiven for his sins between the two Fridays” a mawqoof narration from Ibn Umar according to Ibn Kathir. [The meaning is correct according to hadeeth].

Soorah al-Kahf (The Cave) 18

Verse 1. Praise be to Allah, Who revealed to His Servant the Scripture in which He did not allow any deviation.

• Do not praise yourselves (53:32). Allah is the source of all goodness and blessings. Self praise by Allah is not a vice but a virtue and right.

• Alhamd means “Describing the one praised with perfection as an expression of love and glorification”. Hamd is more general praising for one’s character and thanks for what he has done. Shukr is only thanking for what one has hone and not for characteristics. (Ibn Kathir).

• Allah can be called God because al-Ilaah is one of His attributes.

• Virtues of Alhamdulillah

o Best Supplication – Hadeeth of Jabir ibn Abdillah “The best way to remember Allah is Laa ilaha illallah and the best supplication is alhamdulillah. (Saheeh Sunan Ibn Maajah).

o Giving thanks for Blessings - giving thanks for blessing is itself a cause for increased blessings. [14:7]

• The Occasions for alHamdulillah
o On Awakening from Sleep [Alhamdulillah alladhee ahyana ba’da ma amaatana wa ilayhin-nushorr] [All praise is due to Allah who brought us to life after causing us to die and to him belongs the resurrection.] (Sahih Al Bukhari)
o On Completion of Meals
o On Seeing Suffering

• “Who revealed to His Servant”
o Prophet Muhammad is described as ‘His Servant’ in three context” 1) When describing the revelation of the Qur’an 2) When speaking in his defence 3) On the occasion of his ascension. Thoug all creatures are His servants, because he was the greatest servant of Allah amongst human beings. In the most honorable positions of the Prophet, Allah described him as a servant. Thus, the most blessed description of a human being is that of a “Servant of Allah”.

• “The Scripture”
o Primarily here the Qur’an. It is the greatest blessing which He has granted the people of the earth – takes them out for darkness into light.

• “He did not allow any deviation”
o Two characteristics of perfection from all sides

 Negating from it any deviation (its information is free from lies, and its commands or prohibitions free from oppression or frivolity).
 Affirming uprightness (it only informs about and commands the most important issues that which fills the hearts with understanding, faith and reason.
o See 4:82
o Compared to the Old Testament where the prophets of God are described in the most corrupt terms. Prophet Abraham as drunkard; Prophet Lot committing incest with his daughters; Prophet David committing adultery’ and Prophet Solomon worshipping idols in his old age.

o Hindu Scriptures – god incarnate [avatar] Krishna hiding clothes of women swimming naked in lakes (Govindpuran).

From Tafseer Soorah al Kahf by Dr. Bilal Philips

Time travel and the Prophets

2010-05-01T11:02:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this piece is to tickle the curiosity of people in the modern times regarding the relationship between science and religion. In particular, those who believe that religion and science are antithesis to one another. Religions essentially came from Prophets as the mouthpiece of God's revelation. Prophets were recorded to have performed feats that are deemed contrary to the laws of science. In the time of the Prophet Muhammad, he spoke of many events in the past and future that the people of his time could only believe in.

Prophet Muhammad were shown the denizens of hellfire. When he was taken up to heaven, on each level he saw the prophets. In other occasions he was shown the people being punished in the hellfire. It is established that the punishment in hell does not yet occur, because this will happen after the day of judgment. This is also true with regards to entering heaven. Eternal dwelling in Heaven and punishment in hell do not happen except after the day of Judgment.

In modern times, people are amazed about the idea of time travel. But this idea is old and ancient. thousands of years before H.G. Wells wrote his famous novel "the Time Machine", Muslims already believe that the Prophet Muhammad were shown the future, traveled faster than the speed of light and ascended to the heavens, shown the fruits in paradise ( essentially to another dimension).

The Qur'an contains stories that points to the relativity of time. The people of the cave woke up after three hundred years or so. The Prophet Uzair (Ezra) died a hundred years and came back to life while his food are still left unspoiled.

More on these later insha Allah

Would you accept your daughter to be a second wife?

2010-04-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Alhamdulillah wassalamtu wassalamu 'ala rasoolillah.

Islam is a pragmatic religion - practical in all aspects. If one were to delve into the minutae of the methodology of Islamic Law (Usool al Fiqh), one would find that it has taken into account the not so subtle realities of life - that this life is not a bed of roses. That life after all is not just looking for Prince Charming or Cinderalla and live happily ever after. That one goes to a series of vascillating ups and downs and twists and turns. These, perhaps, serve to remind us that hey - this is not Jannah bro/sis! This is the fleeting Dunya, don't fall inlove with it.

Although one can say that these things did not happen to me or to my family, but how many neighbors or your dentist's neighbors you heard having illegal extra marital affairs? How many broken families were direct result from these affairs? Isnt it better to absorb and build families rather than breaking it apart? Statistics my friend. Statistics will tell us all. There are hundreds of thousand more women than men in New York [1.5% of 19 million people] (http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36000.html). Tell me how are these hundreds of thousand women fulfill their socioeconomic, emotional and physical needs? How many mistresses, girlfriends and prostitutes amongst these? The FACT that there are women who allow themselves to become mistresses and prostitutes points to the reality that these women may also allow themselves to become a wife of an already married man. ISnt it more honorable and sustainable to become a wife with all the rights of the first than to be a mistress?

Before I proceed, it is perhaps beneficial to classify whatever in this Dunya into four things:

1. Absolutely Beneficial with no harms
2. Overwhelmingly beneficial - with benefits outweighing the harms
3. Overwhelmingly harmful - with harms outweighing the benefits
4. Absolute harm

Tawheed is the highest ever beneficial thing a person can have while Shirk is its baseful counterpart - the most harmful thing a person can have.

And the rest of the world either falls into category two or three.

Polygyny - a man having mutiple partners or in case of Islam, limited polygyny likely falls - fundamentally - into the second category. That with all the conditions met - polygyny could be beneficial to the person and to the society. Meaning, the devastated widow could become the second wife or the supprotless orphan could be third or the marginalized and hated prostitute could be the fourth.

In anycase marriage, whether the first, second, third or fourth can only fall into these five basic rulings in Islam:

1. It is Obligatory to those who can afford and fear of commiting fornication/adultery
2. It recommended to those who can afford but not fear of commiting fornication/adultery
3. It is Mubah/Allowed according to the opinion of some scholars (some scholars say that Marriage is Obligatory)
4. It is Detestable if Harms outweighs benefits but not leading into greater sins. If for example a man wants to get married and have another family at the expense of DESTROYING his first family that he had laborly taken care of most of his life is unreasonable.
5. It is Haram if it leads to greater Sin (like marrying one's sister and many things)

When a man and a woman decide to get married, these things should be taken into consideration.

So Yes. A woman is better off a second wife than to be a lonely, needy spinster or an abused prostitute.

Personally, If the groom meets my condition (Mujtahid and Mujahid) I can give my daughter in marriage with him even if she is the second wife - with her loving permission of course. THere is nothing undignified or less honorable in being a second wife. Aisha, the mother of the Believers was the third wife of the Prophet. But history doesnt remember her as the THIRD wife. History remembers her as the first Woman Islamic Scholar.

Fasting and Purification of the Soul

2009-09-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

Bismillah walhamdulillah wassalatu wassalamu ‘ala Rasoolillah

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O you who believe! Observing saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the pious. (Soorah al Baqarah 2:183)

The goal of fasting is to attain Taqwa or God-consciousness and fear of Allah. The ability to tame the unruly tendencies of one’s inner self on one hand, and the cultivation of one’s will power, on the other, are very important in the process of purification of the soul. This is because during fasting in Ramadan, there are many opportunities, blessings and means that one can avail and utilize so that one’s soul is purified.

Firstly, forgiveness of sins has a very positive result in purifying the soul. The accumulation of sins for the whole year produces in the conscience a sense of endless guilt and the feeling of one’s sins are being forgiven is a relief in one’s weary heart. Have you ever wondered how people cannot sleep at night because they have wronged someone or quarreled with someone? This heavy burden upon a believer’s soul is relieved once reconciliation takes place. Similarly, Allah subhanahu wa taala, in His mercy forgives the fasting people whereby relieving him of the guilt of his past sins against Allah. The Prophet Muhammad said:

من صام رمضان ايمنا و احتصابا غفر له ما تقدم من ذنبه
Who ever fast in Ramadan having Iman and Ihtisab, his past sins will be forgiven for him.

This hadeeth stipulates two conditions in order for the sins to be forgiven. The fasting person must of course be a Mu’min. Al Ihtisab carries with it three meanings: having firm resolve, hoping for the reward, and being pleased with the act not considering it a heavy burden.

Secondly, one should feel that he is doing a deed that is very dear and special to Allah. Every deed of son of Adam has an equivalent reward of ten to seven hundred times, except fasting which will be rewarded by Allah Al Kareem, the Most Generous.

Third, fasting purifies the soul by cultivating the much needed virtue of patience. There are three categories or facets of patience: Being patient in performing the obligations, being patient in avoiding the prohibitions and being patient in times of calamity. All of these three are trained in the fasting person by performing the obligatory act of fasting, avoiding vile, filthy, senseless, sinful actions and being patient in difficulties that might happen while fasting.

Fourth, fasting reminds him the true purpose of his creation and the meaning of Islam. That to worship Allah, one must inevitably submit to His will first; that Allah comes first before one’s own desires. Especially for those who are living in non Muslim countries experience the temptation where everyone is eating and drinking while you are holding yourself because you want to follow what Allah wants.

Fifth, everything seems to slow down during Ramadan (especially in Muslim countries), and one doesn’t have the usual energy to do the fruitless things. Hence one is left with more free time to think and ponder. This leaves a person with more time to ponder over his life and possibly the wrong things he have done.

Sixth, feeling and doing the act yields more certainty that witnessing it. How many times we have seen pictures of malnourished children in Africa and felt pity for them, yet one still cannot feel how is it to starved and taste the pangs of hunger in one’s stomach. This in turn should turn on the switch of gratefulness in us for the blessings of Allah.

Seventh, fasting makes us realize our potential as human beings. Some of us think that the obligations and prohibitions of Islam are overwhelming or inapplicable especially in non Muslim societies so we involve ourselves in haram activities thinking that we cannot do anything about it. But in Ramadan, we only haven’t abstained from the haram but from the halal as well. If we have the strength to abstain from the halal then how about the haram? This is especially true for the smokers! In fact fasting is a sort of training for the gradual weaning from the addictive effects of smoking.

Eighth, turning to Allah and realizing one’s need for Him. If Allah takes away our most fundamental needs as human beings then who is there to help us. Imagine if Allah takes away our sense of taste or sense of satiety. Having been born with all the complete senses and limbs makes us forget that ultimately these are not really ours. This reality is vividly demonstrated in people with illness such as stroke patients with hemiplegia or paralysis of one’s side of the body. His left hand is there still connected to his body, he can see it, yet he cannot move it on his own and sometimes might not even feel that it is there. Subhanallah!

Ninth, we have heard the hadeeth of the Prophet: Whoever guarantees me what is between his jaws/beard [the tongue] and what is between his legs [sexual organs] I guarantee him paradise . Don’t you see? Being fasting makes us more conscious of what we say and more careful in our interactions with the opposite sex.

Tenth, fasting again makes us remember that we are not here just to eat and drink; that our existence is not just mere fulfillment and gratification of our basic desires; that we are here for a more sublime purpose, which is to worship Allah. In other words we eat not just to live but to worship the Creator. This is what separates us from the modern, secular materialistic people where they eat to live or even worst, some of them actually live to eat .

Eleventh, fasting is a chance to demonstrate sincerity to Allah. All types of worship are visible to others even giving charity secretly whereby the receiver knew that somebody gave him secretly. However in fasting nobody knows if you really fasted or secretly ingested food to your mouth except Allah. Sincerity in actions is a fundamental prerequisite in the acceptance of deeds and consequently success.

Twelfth, fasting helps to cure the disease of the ‘desire for more’. When one thinks that he is able to survive with only one and half meal a day and this is his real needs. Some of us has this self-made needs, a make believe that we ourselves concocted. How many of us say things like “I can’t live without smart phone or a V8 engine powered vehicle or a three storey villa”? We misallocate our resources at the expense of other more important things.

Ultimately, Taqwa have a big role in all of this. This will power to do the things that Allah has ordered us to do, this self-restraint that bridles us to avoid what Allah has prohibited for us, and this love for Allah, doing what is beyond the obligatory. Fasting in Ramadan and its Tarawih incorporates all of these aspects, purifying our souls and making us closer and closer to Allah. “Allah the Almightly has said :For whoever has mutual animosity wit a fried (wali) of Mine, I declare war upon him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more beloved more to Me than the religious duties that I have imposed upon him; and My servant continues to draw near to Me with supererogatory works such that I love him. And when I love him, I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which strikes, and his leg with which he walks. Were he to ask of me, I would surely give him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant him it. (Bukhari).

The contents of this article are largely taken from Jamaluddin Zaraboso's bbook "Purification of the Soul".

The Goals of Fasting

2009-08-31T12:02:00.000-07:00

Alhamdulillah wassalatu wassalamu 'ala Rasoolillah

The goal of fasting is to achieve Taqwa - fear and love for Allah.

Allah said:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ كُتِبَ عَلَيْكُمُ الصِّيَامُ كَمَا كُتِبَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ
O you who believe! Observing saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become the Muttaqoon (pious). Al Baqarah 2:183

The Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wa sallama said:

"Perhaps the fasting person gets nothing from his fast except hunger. And perhaps the praying person [at night during Ramadan] gets nothing from his standing [in prayer] except sleeplessness"

Recorded by Ibn Maajah. Declared Sahih by al Albani in Saheeh al Jaami vol. 1 pg. 656.

The fast is meant to be a period of training and development of Taqwa (God-consciousness). IF a person does not abstain from forbidden acts during that time of fasting, then he is actually not receiving or enacting the proper type of training. Hence, the act itself becomes nothing more than a burden and hardship on the person without any beneficial outcome in this life or, possibly, in the Hereafter.

"The goal of fasting is not thirst, and hunger. The goal of fasting is the overcoming of one's desires and defeating the base desires of the soul."

Al Baidhaawi, quoted by IBn Hajr in Fath al Baari vol. 4 p. 117

"The purpose of fasting is that the spirit of man was released from the clutches of desires and moderation prevailed in his carnal self, and, through it, he realizsed the goal of purification and everlasting felicity. It is aimed at curtailing the intensity of desire and lust by means of hunger and thirst, at inducing man to realize how many were there in the world like him who had to go even without a small quantity of food, at making it difficult for the Devil to deceive him, and at restraining his organs from turning towards things in which there was the loss of both worlds. Fasting, thus, is the bridle of the God-fearing, the shiled of the crusaders and the discipline of the virtuous."

Ibn al Qayyim, quoted in Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi, the four Pillars, p. 173.

"While you are fasting, let your hearing, sight and tongue also abstain from lying and the forbidden. Avoid harming your neighbor. You should have calmness and tranquility on the day of your fast. Do not let the day of your fast and the day you break your fast be the same"

Jaabir quoted by Ibn Rajb in Lataaif p. 292

Don't let Ramadan become a festival where one eats and party all night and sleep all day. You can see people who do this dont change from year to year. One of the acceptance of good deeds is that the person is guided to follow up those good deeds with additional good deeds. Everyone should make an effort to change during the month of Ramadan.

Note:

These study notes were taken from Jamaluddin Zaraboso' Purification of the Soul.

Choosing the Easier Alternative: The relevance of Jihad in the Tausug Context

2008-12-11T10:10:00.001-08:00

Alhamdulillah. Wassalatu Wassalamu 'ala Rasoolillah.

About the issue of using peaceful means in attaining peace or freedom or whatever goal it is out there, let me share to you a piece of my mind.

It is true that in Islam fighting is not the only means of attaining an objective. While many Muslims might agree with this, some may be reluctant to accept the idea that Islamic objectives can be achieved by ways other than Jihad. This is especially true when people starts to quote to you Quranic Verses, Hadeeth or Stories from the Seerah that specifies the conditions of or the merits of fighting for the sake of Allah. Unfortunately, if one has a contrary opinion, one is seen as having less faith, cowardice or worst - a government spy.

You might recall the hadeeth of Aishah when she narrated that the Prophet of Allah always chooses an easier alternative should there be two choices or ways of doing things confronting him - if both are permissible.

Is Jihad permissible in our times? Is Da'wah permissible in our times? Im asking this question in the context of Tausug scheme of things. The situation in Cotabato and Lanao might be different. Im separating the Tausug because I believe not all Bangsamoro are in the same socio-political condition.

I am yet to find a Muslim who would say Da'wah is NOT permissible. Concerning Jihad, I'm not sure about this as I haven't heard 'mainstream' Ulama condoning nor condemning it in our present context (Its maybe because Im not in contact with them at all). When I say Jihad, I do not mean kidnapping, bombing public places or things that have become associated with terrorism. I categorically condemn these as with those Major Ulama of our time like Bin Baz, al Albani and Ibn Uthaimeen. I mean legitimate fighting in the battlefield between combatants.

In any case the issue of Jihad can only fall into the five main categories of Islamic Jurisprudence. Wajib, Sunnah, Mubah, Makrooh or Haram. I assume that our Ulama's opinions fall into one of these categories.

Relevant Shariah Texts point to the permissibility or even the obligation of Jihad in our area, BUT, let me give a big but here...

Before that, you might already have realized that there are three levels of knowledge.

1. Knowledge of a thing (or a specific and relevant Shariah evidence) including its textual authenticity. Example is the hadeeth where the sacrifice/effort offered related to a particular act is equivalent to its rewards. (Making wudoo' using cold water in a very cold day). Having knowledge of it makes one perform wudoo' to pray Salatul Fajr.

2. Understanding - One must understand the real meaning of the Shariah evidence and its context. Same hadeeth. In winter time, if warm water is available (from heaters for example), it is not from the true understanding of the hadeeth to make wudoo' using a very cold water. The hadeeth only motivates a person to perform wudoo' in a situation where there is no water heater available (like fourteen centuries ago). One brother in his enthusiasm to follow the Sunnah actually collected pebbles and put it in a basket inside his toilet. After defecating, he uses it instead of papers! The Prophet of course used pebbles and water. But the true understanding is to use any suitable material that is easier to find and dispose like paper. (My relatives still use dried banana leaves - they call it Daag).

3. Wisdom - this is the hard part as you already know. Wisdom has been defined as putting things into its proper place (time and context). This includes knowing the evidence, understanding their true and intended meaning and applying or implementing it in the right time and context of the situation. This entails knowledge and understanding of both the Shariah texts and the real time situation. This also includes a good deal of certainty of the result(s) should the text be implemented or not implemented in a given situation.

So now we are faced with many variables here.

1. No doubt about Da'wah and other peaceful means of attaining our goals. (We have to define the goals first though.)

2. As far as the Major Ulama of our time, terrorism is not a legitimate Islamic solution at all.

3. Jihad might be Islamically legitimate but is it the only solution available?

In the third quarter of the last century, Tausugs (and other Bangsamoro) renewed their quest for independence by waging a war with the government. It has been thirty years since, hundreds of thousands died, millions are displaced, countless miseries. What we can surely say is that the Tausug are in no better condition than what they were in thirty years ago. The recent Jihad of Malik is a testimony that such endeavor is not sustainable where bullets run out after a three day skirmish. How can a small group fight an army with a full economy behind them?

What would the Prophet do in such a situation?

Remember when the Prophet and his companions were still in Makkah? Remember what he did in Hudaibiyyah when he opted for a ten year truce of no fighting that resulted in a surge of converts of tribes from all over Arabia that after three years after the truce (after the Quraish violated it) he came back to Makkah with ten thousand warriors?

Remember the hadeeth concerning Prophet Eesa and the Gog and Magog?

Then a people whom God had protected would come to Jesus, son of Mary, and he would wipe their faces and would inform them of their ranks in Paradise and it would be under such conditions that God would reveal to Jesus these words, ‘I have brought forth from amongst My servants such people against whom none would be able to fight; you take these people safely to the Mount of Toor, and then God would send Gog and Magog and they would swarm down from every slope. The first of them would pass the lake of Tiberius and drink out of it. And when the last of them would pass, he would say, ‘There was once water there.’ Jesus and his companions would then be besieged here (at Toor, and they would be so hard pressed) that the head of the ox would be dearer to them than one hundred dinars (old currency.

I still have to find the reference of the hadeeth but the story is quite famous. Imagine one of the greatest Prophet of Allah hiding from his enemies! Yet can one even dare say that he is coward and have no honor?

What I can conclude from this - whatever you call this - is that we as a people do not have the luxury of participating in this endeavor as it has been proven to be less than what we expected it to be, carrying with it more harms than benefits. As far as I can tell, this strategy has failed in the Tausug experience.

Im not saying that we should not defend our selves when evil people comes to our home and kill our family and steal our belongings. What I am saying is that collectively as a people, there must be a better way out there that has been prescribed in the Quran and Sunnah. It might be Islamic to fight. But it is also Islamic not to fight and engage in more sustainable and fruitful endeavors. Especially more so if the goal is the same.

Allahu alam.

Subhanaka Allahumma wa bihamdik. Wa ash hadu an la ilaha anta wa atubo ilaik.

Islam in Essence

2008-10-11T03:19:00.000-07:00

MEANING
Islam is an Arabic word that literally means submission, surrender and obedience. It is an active, conscious, ongoing and continuous process of willfully submitting ones own will, surrendering ones own wishes and desires which results in dutiful obedience throughout ones life.

WHO

The object of this submission, surrendering and obedience is the Creator of the Universe. At this point of our discussion, whatever name you call or language you use pertaining to this creator is immaterial. What is important is that you believe that you were created and you just didn’t come from nothing or evolved from some molecule or single cell organisms. The Being you believe that created you – that is the object of this submission and obedience. Muslims believe that that Creator has a name that He Himself revealed – His name is Allah.

Further, this Creator is unique in His qualities one of which is that He is transcendent. He is above and beyond His creation. He is neither enclosed by the creation nor is any part of the creation above Him in any way. He is not a part of the created world nor is it a part of Him. His Being is totally distinct and separate from His creation. He is the Creator and the universe and its contents are all a part of His creation. Therefore whatever is found in the universe is not God. Since man’s cognition is limited by his experience in the universe, whatever he can think of and imagine in any shape or form could not possibly be God. However, God doesn’t have to be in the creation in order to affect them. He hears and sees and has power over everything without the need of being in the creation.

In essence this belief about the Creator is mentioned in the Qur’an,

“…There is nothing like Him, and He is the hearer and seer of all.” (Qur’an 42:11)

WHAT

The next logical question is what’s that submission entails and what is required from our obedience. In Islam, it is believed that only the Creator alone should be worshipped and that nothing from His creation is worshipped. In other words the Will of this Creator, the action that He requires from His creation is to offer their worship to Him alone. In Islam, this worship is the very purpose of creation.

“I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship me” (Qur’an 51:56)

There should be no intermediaries between the Creator and the creation in terms of worship. The Arabic word for the one that is worshipped is called Ilah or translated as god.

Worship in Islam is not confined to prayers, supplications, fasting or pilgrimage but every deed that is done to please God is essentially worship. It can be expressed as calling to Him in times of needs. It also includes emotions like love, trust and fear, all of which have degrees which should only be directed to the Creator. Therefore supplicating to Prophets, dead saints, ancestors and asking their help is considered worship of them. Consequently, if the very purpose of creation is to worship the Creator, then the greatest sin is to worship the creation in lieu of the Creator.

HALF OF FAITH

If you can believe that the One who created you alone deserves your worship and veneration, then, technically you are a half believer. If you can accept that no one in the creation deserves this worship and veneration then you are a partial believer. This is because if one wants to embrace Islam, one has to declare the testimony of faith, the first half of which is “I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except God”.

Some people may be surprised about this fundamental and simple Islamic belief. That in reality Islam calls to the pure and unadulterated worship of the Creator, untainted by the worship of the creation.

HOW

At this point, we ask the question, if we can agree on the point that we should only worship the Creator alone and not worship anything else, how are we supposed to worship Him? Since the Creator gave us brains can we then decide individually for ourselves the manners and ways of worship? The answer is no because there will be confusion as to what manner of worship should be followed and mankind would be lost and cannot possibly fulfill the very essence of their existence.

The ‘how’ of worship was made shown to us by God by sending His prophets and messengers. There are about 125000 prophets sent by God to mankind, twenty five of them were mentioned in the Qur’an. Prophets like Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus and lastly Muhammad were all sent by God and revealed to them scriptures in order to tell and remind mankind above all else that the purpose of their existence – that is they should only worship the Creator alone.

“And We certainly sent into every nation a messenger, [saying], ‘Worship Allah and avoid taghut [false objects of worship].’” (Qur’an 16:36)

The fundamental message of all the Prophets are the same. That is to worship the Creator alone. However, they manner of worshipping Him might slightly vary from one another and their Laws also varies from one another.

This concept is preserved in the following biblical passage,

I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20: 2-3

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy (13:1-3)

However, if Muslims are required to believe in all the Prophets like Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, does it mean that they should also be Jews, Christians and Muslims at the same time? Did God the Creator sent these prophets with different messages? Is God the author of confusion? Of course the answer is no. Then why are there different religions?

WHY

Islam maintains that the pure teachings of the prophets before Muhammad were lost and corrupted. This is due to the fact that none of the scriptures of these previous prophets remained intact in their pure form.

Since Jesus was the prophet preceding Muhammad, for the sake of brevity, we will only consider Christianity in our discussion. Most Christians believe that the New Testament is the Gospel of Jesus. Many would even say that each and every letter of the Bible is the word of God. In the first few hundreds of years after Christ there were many written accounts about Jesus and those accounts vary because they were written by people who had different views who really Christ was. If one would compare and contrast the epistles of James and Paul for example, one could say that these very early Christians had different view of Christ and consequently his message. Early Christian writings such as the Gospel of Thomas had different views of Christ which represents the view of the Agnostics and the Ebionites.

Furthermore these written accounts were copied and re-copied by hand. In due course of time, errors in copying crept in, and these errors were copied by later scribes and became part of the scriptures believed to be the Gospel of Christ.

Consequently, this variation led to different beliefs concerning the nature of Jesus. These books represented the scriptures of different forms of Christianities that exists side by side even in the same city. This difference ultimately led to discord and violence between their adherents. To preserve the unity and harmony of his empire, Emperor Constantine convene the Nicene Council in the fourth century over which the official scriptures about Christ is to be decided and the official ‘view’ of Christ should be adopted by the empire. These collections of books became the canonized gospels and this one form of Christianity recognized by the Roman Empire became the Roman Catholic Church. This is after thousands have been massacred and numerous ‘gospels’ were burnt.

To date, there is nothing that we can call the very gospel of Christ that he dictated to his disciples. Even the so called synoptic gospels were only written account of Jesus attributed to his disciples. Meaning, the gospel according to Matthew was not written by the disciple Matthew, the gospel of Mark was not written by the apostle Mark, and so on. The earliest of which was probably written at least 30 years after Christ. Those that remained fairly intact were the epistles of Paul (of course after his gospels were chosen at the Nicene Council) who didn’t see and meet Christ and had a different view of Christ’s message against the real disciples of Christ like James. It is important to note that these early accounts Jesus were written in Greek, a language that Jesus didn’t speak.

Moreover, many Christians didn’t know that these gospel-manuscripts were hand copied by scribes who were deeply influenced by cultural, theological and political disputes of their day, for almost fifteen hundred years before the invention of the printing press. Hence copying mistakes and intentional changes abound in what is now called the New Testament.

Concerning the difference of the surviving manuscripts, Dr. Bart Ehrman, one of the leading contemporary scholars of New Testament wrote in his New York Times best selling book, Misquoting Jesus – the Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why, wrote in page 10,

“…These copies differs from one another in so many places that we don’t even know how many differences there are. Possibly it is easiest to put it in comparative terms: there are more differences among our manuscripts than there are words in the New Testament”

With such magnitude of changes and discrepancies, how sure can we get concerning the true nature of Jesus and his message? In the end, after the corruption of the message of Jesus, the worship of the Creator was changed to the worship of the creation – like Jesus, Mary, and several pious people and saints.

The purpose of explaining this is not certainly to degrade Christian’s Holy Scriptures but to explain why God has to send Prophet Muhammad and why does He has to reveal the Qur’an.

This answers the question why God sent His last Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah upon him in order to communicate to them once again the purpose of their creation and re-establish the correct belief about God and the proper way of worshipping Him. This last communication of God to mankind is called Qur’an.

“He has sent down upon you [O Muhammad], the Book in truth, confirming what was before it. And He revealed the Torah and the Gospel.” (Qur’an 3:3)

The Qur’an doesn’t only confirm the truth that is contained in the older scriptures such as the Bible but it is a criterion over it. It is the final word from God in terms of who the Creator is and what does He wants us to do in this life.

“And We have revealed to you [O Muhammad], the Book [i.e. the Qur’an] in truth, confirming that which preceded it of the Scripture and as a criterion over it.” (Qur’an 5:47)

Fourteen hundred years before Dr. Bart Ehrman wrote his best selling piece, the Qur’an declared that the Bible was written and changed by people and condemns them,

“So woe to those who write the ‘scripture’ with their own hands, then say, ‘This is from Allah,’ in order to exchange it for a small price. Woe to them for what their hands have written and woe to them for what they earn.” (Qur’an 2:79).

THE FINAL WORD

Thus Allah had to send His final prophet, Muhammad so that His final word is revealed to mankind. Prophet Muhammad restored the original belief of mankind since Adam - that the Creator should only be worshipped. The way of worshipping the Creator is according to the prophet of their time. Hence, Jesus was the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to God in his time except through him. And so does Moses, David, Solomon, they were the truth and the way in their own time.

In our present time since the dawn of Islam, our way of worshipping our Creator is the way Prophet Muhammad taught us how to worship Him.

PRESERVATION OF QUR’AN

Moreover, since no prophet will come after Prophet Muhammad and no revelation would descend from God, then this final message has to be preserved. God promised in the Qur’an that it will be preserved and He Himself will do it.

“Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Reminder (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).” (Qur’an 15:9)

Indeed the Qur’an has been preserved from the beginning of Islam until now. It has been preserved both in written as well as in recited form (memory). Both types of preservation complement each other especially in the early days of Islam when the Qur’an was first compiled in its totality in the era of first Caliph Abu Bakr (d. 634 CE ), and reproduced and canonized in the time of Caliph Uthman (d. 656 CE). Copies of these original manuscripts still exist today in museums in Turkey and Tashkent Uzbekistan.

John Burton a renowned orientalist had this to say about the Qur’an:

The method of transmitting the Qur’an from one generation to the next by having the young memorise the oral tradition of their elders had mitigated somewhat from the beginning worst perils of relying solely on written records.…the text which has come down to us in the form which it was organized and approved by the Prophet…What we have today in our hands is the mus-haf (written form of Qur’an) of Muhammad. [The Collection of the Qur’aan p. 239-40. Usool at Tafseer p. 160]

Perhaps there is no other book in the world that is memorized from cover to cover except the Qur’an. Preschool kids, housewives, laborers, lawyers, doctors and indeed every Muslim in the earth right now have to have some verses or chapters of the Qur’an memorized. It is said in Muslim prayers at least five times daily and in it is recited completely during the night time prayers in the month of Ramadan. In fact one would find during the daily prayers that the Imam (leader in the congregational prayer) is corrected by people praying behind him once he makes a small mistake.

Moreover, the Qur’an is probably the only book in the world with a fully developed science of how to read and articulate it’s every letter. This science is taught religiously in many mosques in the world. If this is the case, one would wonder that if the reading and pronunciation of the Qur’an has been fully preserved then how much more of its text.

CHALLENGES

“Then do they not reflect upon the Qur’an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.” (Qur’an 4:82)

Consequently, the criterion of the authenticity of any scripture is the absence of contradictions both internally and externally. Internal consistencies mean that there should be no contradictions between the verses of the scripture that cannot be reconciled. External consistency means that there should be no contradictions between the copies of the manuscripts of the scripture.

CONCLUSION

Therefore, dear reader, if you can accept the belief that you should only worship the One who created you, gave you life, provide for you the air you breathe and food you eat, the earth you stand upon; if you can accept the belief that none of His creation deserves to be worship including the Prophets, pious men, saints, stones or trees; If you can accept that He sent prophets continually throughout human history in order to bring back mankind to the very purpose of their existence; If you can accept that the last of these prophets was Muhammad and with him the Qur’an, the very last revelation sent to mankind; then you are actually now knocking at the door of Islam. All you have to do is declare the testimony of faith.

“Ash hadu an La ilaha Illallah wa ash hadu Muhammadan Rasoolullah”,

I bear witness that nothing deserves to be worshipped but God and Muhammad is His messenger.

Abu Khalid

Is the Islamic Law Outdated?

2008-09-17T09:57:00.000-07:00

ISLAMIC STUDIES ACADEMY
Midterms Assignment
Summar 2008

Course Code:
FQH 402
Course Title:
Evolution of Fiqh
Due Date:

Instructor:
Dr Bilal Philips

STUDENT: AL MADZHAR AHMADUL

Explain why the statement “Islamic law is outdated” is false using points 2 and 3 of the Introduction on the distinction between Fiqh and Shariah as your basis, along with 2 practical examples.

Alhamdulillah wassalatu wassalamu ‘ala Rasoolillah

The statement “Islamic law is outdated” is false because of the fact that Allah, the Law Giver, the Wise could not possibly give mankind a certain set of Law and declare that such law are binding for them until the end of time, and would become non essential due to the passive of time.

One of the reasons of this misunderstanding comes from the way we identify with the phrase “Islamic Law” which does not distinguish between Shari’ah and Fiqh. Therefore what follows is an elucidation between the two terminologies and their corresponding illustrations.

I. Distinctions between Shari’ah and Fiqh: Shari’ah is fixed and unchangeable, whereas Fiqh changes according to the circumstances under which it is applied.

Example: the ruling on smoking.

When tobacco was introduced to the Muslim world some few hundred years ago, it was ruled to be detestable (Makrooh) by the Islamic Scholars. The only known bad effect of smoking at that time was bad odor. Since smoking, just like garlic and onions, causes bad odor, the ruling on them was applied to smoking. This is due to the fact that the Prophet did not use to eat foods containing onions and garlic.

In Sahih Muslim, Jabir reported:

The Messenger of Allah (Peace and salutations of Allah be upon him) said: He who eats garlic or onion should remain away from us or from our mosque and stay in his house. A kettle was brought to him which had (cooked) vegetables in it, He smelt (offensive) odour in it. On asking he was informed of the vegetables (cooked in it). He said: Take it to such and such Companion. When he saw it, he also disliked eating it. (Upon this). he (the Holy Prophet) said: You may eat it, for I converse with one with whom you do not converse.

This hadeeth tells us that onions and garlic are detestable due to their inherently noxious aromatic characteristics but it also tells us that despite of that we can still eat them.

The “Shari’ah” part of this ruling is the hadeeth of Jabir (and others) found in Sahih Muslim. The “Fiqh” part comes from analogical deduction (Qiyaas) of the rulings on smoking based on the rulings on onions and garlic.

However as science and medicine have advanced significantly in the last century, many health related effects of smoking have been well documented to the point that we can fairly say that there is already an Ijmaa’ or concensus between researchers and physicians concerning the evil effects of smoking on human health. In fact, it has been estimated that in the 20th century about 100 million have died of tobacco-related illness worldwide.[1]. This figure is more than the death resulted from any plagues or the individual world wars. Globally, smoking-related mortality is set to rise from 3 million annually (1995 estimate) to 10 million annually by 2030, with 70% of these deaths occurring in developing countries[2]. Moreover, the socio-economic impact of smoking is also no less harmful than its health effects.

Because of these descriptions, it cannot be from the good things that were allowed for the sons of Adam, rather it is from the filthy and foul things that were forbidden for them. Allah said:

Those who follow the Messenger (Muhammad), the unlettered Prophet whom they find written in the Torah and the Gospel with them, he enjoins upon them that which is virtuous and forbids them that which is evil; he allows them all that is good and forbids for them all that is foul. Al-A’raf (7):157

That is why modern Islamic scholars who are aware of danger and harm of smoking ruled that it is haram.

The “Shariah” part of this modern ruling for smoking is the verse of Al A’raf verse 157 (and others) and the “Fiqh” part is the application of the comprehensive word (Khabaaith: foul, filthy) from the verse to smoking.

Finally in relation to the first distinction between Shari’ah as fixed and Fiqh as changeable, onions and garlics continues to be Makrooh because of its basis from a direct Shariah evidence (the hadeeth) while the ruling of smoking has been changed from Makrook to Haram due to different results of Qiyaas.

II. Distinctions between Shari’ah and Fiqh: The Laws of Shari’ah are, for the most part, general: they lay down basic principles. In contrast, the laws of Fiqh tend to be specific: they demonstrate how the basic principles of Shari’ah should be applied in given circumstance.

Example: Women are prohibited to drive in Saudi.

It is widely believed that in Saudi women are prohibited to drive. This is because; it is said, Saudi Arabia applies a strict form and interpretation of Islam – the ‘Wahabi’ Islam. However, looking at the issue closely would reveal that that is not so.

Recently a senior of Scholar of Saudi states that “in principle women driving is permitted in Islam. Sheikh Abdul Mohsen Al-Obaikan, a member of the Kingdom’s Council of Senior Islamic Scholars.
The ban, he said, has to do with the social complications rather than the act itself. As an example, the sheikh referred to a fatwa from former Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdulaziz Bin-Baz that said it is permitted for women in rural areas to drive cars, but that they should be forbidden from driving in the cities where, as Al-Obaikan said, “youths (even) harass women accompanied by parents and drivers.
He said if certain issues are resolved, such as the problem of men’s behavior and traffic safety, then he sees no religiously motivated conflict with women driving.” [3]
It is clear from these statements that the basis of women being prohibited to drive in cities is from a basic Islamic principle of “The Means takes on the same rulings as their aims do” and from this; a secondary principle Sad ad-dara’i or preventing the means that can lead to haram is taken. There are several Qur’anic verses from where this principle can be deduced.

Dr. Saleh as Saleh in a discussion of Shaykh Abdur Rahman As Saadi’s fiqh maxims wrote:

Every allowable matter taken to abandon an obligation or to perform a forbidden act is itself haraam (forbidden). This is because in this foundation, the means take on the same ruling as there aims. That is why it is forbidden to trade or buy after the second call for jumu’ah; Allaah states[4].

O you who believe (Muslims)! When the call is proclaimed for the Salaat (prayer) on the day of Friday (Jumu'ah prayer), come to the remembrance of Allaah [Jumu'ah religious talk (Khutbah) and Salaat (prayer)] and leave off business (and every other thing), that is better for you if you did but know!_ Surah al-Jumu’ah (62:9)

Although trade is halal, but since doing it in the time of Jumu’ah prayer would cause one to miss it, it is forbidden. Similarly, driving is fundamentally allowed – men or women – but in Saudi, the Scholars and the government felt that there is a greater evil in allowing it due to a specific condition of their society.

This situation is specific to the Saudi society and must not be blindly applied to all Islamic countries. In connection to our topic, here, the Shariah law gives general rulings or principles which in this case is preventing the means that leads to haram and the Fiqh issue here is the specific situation of the Saudi society.

Summary

The statement “Islamic law is outdated” is not accurate because it doesn’t distinguish between the term Shari’ah and Fiqh. The Shari’ah of Allah cannot be outdated while its application, the Fiqh (understanding) of it can be, as demonstrated by the changing ruling of smoking. In the absence of specific ordinance from the Shari’ah, it nevertheless, lays down general principle that can serve as a basis for determining what is beneficial and what is harmful. The application of these principles can vary from place to place or time to time.

Wallahu ‘Alam.

[1] White WB. Smoking-related morbidity and mortality in the cardiovascular setting. Prev Cardiol. 2007 Spring;10(2 Suppl 1):1-4.
[2] Fagerström K. The epidemiology of smoking: health consequences and benefits of cessation. Drugs. 2002;62 Suppl 2:1-9.
[3] fatwa-online@yahoogroups.com
[4] Al-Qawaa'id wal-Usool al-Jaami'ah wal-Furooq wat-Taqaaseem al-Badee'ah an-Naafi'ah. The Basic Rulings and Principles of Fiqh –The Beneficial, Eloquent Classifications and Differentiations
Foundation -2 By Sh. 'Abdur Rahmaan ibn Naasir As-Sa'di, pg. 5.

Usool al Fiqh Questions Summer 2008

2008-07-19T04:30:00.000-07:00

ISLAMIC STUDIES ACADEMY
Mid-Term Assignment Spring 2008

Course Code:
FQH 302
Course Title:
USOOL AL-FIQH - II
Instructor:
Ismaila Rasheed
Due Date:
Mid term exams

AL MADZHAR J. AHMADUL

Assignment 1:

Allah says in the Qur’an 8: 60 …. “Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power …by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah”……
a) How do we apply the meaning of the word ‘power’ in our times?

Answer: Power here means steeds of war. Just like in the time of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم when he referred to shooting arrows as power. In our times, whatever means of war that is highly effective can be taken to mean power. In this aspect we have to distinguish between the means and the goal. At the time of the Prophet, the means of war are arrows, swords, spears, and animals such as horses and camels, that are part of medieval warfare. The goal of which is to defend oneself and defeat the enemy. The means in our times have changed as technology has changed. But the goal has remained the same. Islam has to be defended because there will always be falsehood and its people who is opposed to truth and its adherents. Thus, the word ‘power’ in the Qur’an can be taken to mean any modern weapon of deterrent, defense and offense.

b) Is the statement “By which you may terrify the enemy of Allah”… a justification for those who classify Islam as a terrorizing religion?

Answer: No definitely not. Rather we have to put this verse into context. In modern vernacular this ‘terrifying the enemy of Allah’ is none other than ‘deterrence’. Meaning, no one would dare to attack a country, for example, with a weapon that can inflict immeasurable damage such as nuclear weapons because of the disastrous consequences if the attack is reciprocated. When USA dropped the A bomb to Japanese Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, this led to their unconditional surrender. No one would dare to attack a country as such. In fact, this ‘deterrence’ policy is the way how nuclear countries justلify their activities. The ‘enemies’ here are the aggressive ones who knew no rules and laws and who are thinking of attacking the nascent Muslim community. Please note that Nuclear weapon that indiscriminately kills none combatants and innocent people is fundamentally not allowed in Islam.

Further if one reads on to the next few verses,

But if they incline to peace, you also incline to it, and trust in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower.) ( And if they intend to deceive you, then verily, Allah is All-Sufficient for you. He it is Who has supported you with His help and with the believers.) 8:61-62

…one would see that this exhortation to amass means of protection is not one of aggressive in nature due to the fact that once the enemy inclines to peace, and the believers are convinced of their peaceful intentions then they are enjoined to put their trust in God.

Assignment 2:

The majority of scholars agreed that Ijmaa’ (Consensus) is a proof and it is compulsory to work with it. The question now is, has there been anything like Ijmaa’ in the history of Islamic legislation?

Taking into account that just after the Prophet’s departure (saw) the boarder of the Islamic Nation expanded and scholars also traveled from one place to another.

Yes there are lots of example that an Ijmaa’ occurred. In fact a scholar named Ibn Al Mundhir wrote a book that compiled the consensus that arguably occurred between the Muslims. Example such Ijmaa’ is the caliphate of Abu Bakr, the burial place of the Prophet, the collection of the Qur’an, the Taraaweh Prayer etc. The Muwatta of Imam Malik also mentioned several consensus such as the inheritance of paternal half-siblings, the inheritance of maternal half-siblings, the judgement of the sale with the precondition of being free of all defects, and the sale of meat for meat can entail a form of usury (riba al-fadl).

Wallahu ‘alam

Concerning Islamic Laws of Inheritance

2008-04-06T01:33:00.000-07:00

ISLAMIC STUDIES ACADEMY
Mid-Term Assignment Spring 2008

Course Code:
FQH 202
Course Title:
FIQH OF MU’AAMALAAT - IV
Instructor:
Abdus Salam Ghouse

MA, College of Hadeeth

Islamic University of Madeenah

Assignment 1:

Is women's inheritance in Islam really unfair? Discuss this issue and rectify the doubts.

Answer:

The rights of woman in the western world compared with rights of Muslim women 1400 years ago. In the west, one can legally write a will to a dog while leaving the wife nothing. In Islam, the right of the wife and other relatives are protected. No one can cancel them. Men are responsible for the maintenance of women. Hence, the son of the deceased is responsible for his mother and his sister since the father died. Men do not always have greater inheritance than women. Siblings (a brother and a sister) of the deceased gets an equal share of 1/6th each. (Qur’an 4:11)

“…it is inaccurate to say that the female invariably receives less than the male counterpart. Nor does the standard explanation of the sexually differentiated shares seem satisfactory. The female uterine sister inherits equally with her uterine brother, and so does the mother with the father of the deceased. It is the daughter and the germane or consanguine sister who receive only half as much as their male counterparts when they inherit jointly.”

“The case of the wife is particularly interesting. Her share is on half of what the husband would inherit from her, were he the survivor. The full implication of this provision must be seen in the light of the fact that the husband and the wife hold their properties and possessions independently of each other; between them there is no mandatory community of property. It is an interestingly verifiable proposition that the Muslim husband usually owns more than his wife and is therefore likely to leave more behind than she would, if he were to survive her. If he survives her, which is less likely from a demographic standpoint, his arithmetically larger share of inheritance – the one half of her independently held and owned property – may in fact be equal to or even less than her arithmetically smaller share, the one-fourth of his independently held and owned property. This is assuming that there are no children involved; otherwise, is one-half becomes one-fourth and her one fourth an eight. At any rate, the two shares are arithmetically different; one share is the double of the other. Yet the value of a larger share (the husband’s ) of a small estate (the wife’s) may be equal to or perhaps even less than the value of a small share (the wife’s ) of a large estate (the husband’s). The end result here would seem that, while the two shares are arithmetically different, they are not necessarily unequal in the final analysis. And even if they appear mathematically unequal, Muslims would most likely contend that they are morally equitable in view of the husband’s varied financial duties, the demographic facts and the non community of property.”

“…In the Islamic scheme of society, women are free from the usual economic responsibility. They are not legally required to provide for any person, not even for themselves. IF they have no independent resources, they are to be fully maintained by their able male relatives. The female is always assured by law of adequate care. Even the wealthy wife is to be maintained by the husband, the needy sister by the brother, the mother by the son, the daughter by the father, etc. Every living person needs subsistence, and every able male is held responsible for his own and possibly for that of other dependents. But not every deceased person leaves property for inheritance. This may suggest that the male is more likely to be ‘liable’ than ‘beneficiary’. His obligations to relatives, male and female alike, may well exceed what he could possibly inherit from any of them. When he sometimes receives a larger share of inheritance, it is probably in recognition of his manifold obligation and in partial compensation therefore. The whole scheme seems so designed as to ensure equity. When a larger share of the property is allocated to the exclusively liable male, who may be responsible for an entire household or perhaps beyond, and a smaller share is allocated to the ‘carefree’ and economically ‘non responsible’ female, the allocation cannot be easily called discrimatory against women. It would be discrimatory indeed if men and women were given the same of equal financial responsibilities. Since they are not, the sociological concept of differentiation or the Islamic term of equity characterizes the Islamic system more accurately than discrimination.”

“However, the Muslim woman, by receiving a smaller share of the property than the man’s , is not in fact being denied the fruits of any effort on her part or the produce of any of her labor. It is not that she earned something which is being withheld or taken away form her. Whatever she takes of the property of the deceased relatives is in return for nothing material she has done, or contributed. She inherits our of compassion or kindness, so to speak, and not because she has discharged or will discharge any financial duty to any relative.” [1]

Assignment 2:

Mention the merits of laws of inheritance in Islam and prove that they are just and rational for humanity.

It ensures that relatives are given their due share and right while in the world today, non Islamic systems do not protect this right. Hence one can find deranged people leaving wealth to their dogs, house, or a tree, or strange lovers, to the exclusion of their family members.

It distributes inheritance from the perspective of equitability, not necessarily from the perspective of equality. Meaning, one who has the most responsibility receives the most allocation of resources. This equitable concept is acceptable in todays economic minds. This is because, Islamic law has assigned different roles to different members of the family.

This assignment of roles to different members of family is according to the very nature that Allah created men and women. Biological, hormonal, musculoskeletal, neurological, psychological differences between male and female have just been recently discovered and accepted by people of science whereas this delicate difference has been clearly demarcated by Islam by assigning different yet complimentary roles for them fourteen hundred years ago. The best selling book Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus” is a contemporary testament to this fundamental difference.

[1] The Family Structure in Islam. Hammudah Abd al Ati. Pp. 267-270. American Trust Publications.

Tale of a People

2008-02-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

Tausug Islam Yahoo Group Logo

TALE OF A PEOPLE[1]

I

Never was I a conquered, vanished race.
Freely flowing my blood had been in stream.
Wantonly had grown my bones: formed my face,
Ramified had my twigs remain untrimmed.
Manisfest'd are my clothes, my ways, my plead;
A free tongue I speak and articulate.
To God I submit had remained my creed,
Still to Makka I circumambulate.
Never was a Spanish monarch my name,
For their cross and sword to a crescent failed.
Nor the American had brought me shame,
For my wielding Kris never been derailed.’
So to you the pseudo-democracists,
Never will I to your imperialists!

II

So why'd we succumbed I refrain to ask,
To their honeyed tongue and their mystic charm?
Untold we then the face behind the mask,
The surface beauty, underneath but harm.
Stagnant we had and unnerved to move,
When strong is our thigh and firm is our breast.
When sharp is our blade and brisk is our hooves,
Why can't we just scourge and flog them to rest?
Nay, what is a deed with wrong intention?
What's left an act devoid of purpose?
When the mind is shadowed by illusion'
Framed mind and abled Will can't juxtapose
Even by now and unknown to us then,
Our thoughts had been shaped and contoured by them

III

Though enlightened we are from our slumber,
The nightmare to reality persists.
Questions formed as the lightning and thunder,
From where's that sound after the flash exist'd?
What must we do amidst this awareness?
What must have done, rather should I have asked?
Knowing where Paris had hit Achilles,
Knowing the face underneath the mask.
Scourging and flogging will not clear the mind.
Though necessary are them for the fight.
Free mind and abled will is the true rhyme'
Insha-Allah freedom will be in sight.
We must pass through the ways of the Prophets,
Or we end in the theater like puppets!

IV

Once upon a time and so long ago,
There's a story to tell and to relate.
There existed an archipelago,
Now it is called the Sulu sultanate.
And from Arabia Shiekh Makhdum had come.
Armed only with Tawheed sealed in his heart,
With the ways of the Prophet in his arm,
The submission to the will of God start'd.
Without the armor and the point of sword,
The kingdom grew to the neighboring side.
Abode to the commandment of the Lord,
To spread the message, compulsion aside.
Truth a guidance is without compulsion.
For action is naught but an intention.

V

Time had passed as we lift another page,
When the maritime exploiters arrived
For gold, god, glory they carried with rage,
Imposing terror to our native tribe.
But no! my people defended the land.
"Protect not only" but as commanded,
By Allah, his Prophet and for Islam,
So the hegemony was prevented.
And indeed only the edge of our shores,
Had they set their feet and ominous plans.
With such courage so they coined us the Moors,
With such valor like Muslim Africans.
To the right path we must stick my brethrens,
So for us the earth and of the heavens.

VI

Now let us journey to our nearest past,
When the white men but with black cloaks appears.
Bringing promises and freedom at last,
Thus end of Thirty and three-hundred years.
At first sight we fell in love like lovers.
Yielding and trusting in their neat façade.
When the bees kissed these orchid flowers,
Seeing an oasis yet a mirage!
Mimicking in the midst of mockery,
They fooled us with their wit and craftiness.
With shrewd plans that had left certainly,
Wandering in the waves of wantonness.
Beloveds, now we are learned already,
Shall we remain fixed, always unready?

[1] This is the tale of a group of people called Bangsamoro. The author tried to imitate the Shakespearean sonnet, 14 lines iambic pentameter. However, he failed to make the poem iambic, although it is in 14 lines and with 10 syllables each. This was written in Zamboanga City almost 13 years ago.

On Christianity

2008-01-08T03:27:00.000-08:00

Masjid Tulay in Lupah Sug

Discuss and explain why 3-5 people, places and/or events were critical to developing Christianity into what it is today.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds and all that exists. Peace and salutations of Allah be upon His Messenger Muhammad صل الله عليه وسلم .

I. JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is the central of focus of Christianity. He serves many functions in the religion such as the saviour (foundation of salvation), the revealer of God, and the model of a pious life. He is one of the persons in Trinity which is the central theology of christianity. The core Christian belief is that, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, sinful humans can be reconciled to God and thereby are offered salvation and the promise of eternal life. This is the what the average Christian know and this understanding is what the canonized gospels seem to support. However, when all the sources and documents at the time of Jesus are taken together including the writings of the Jews, one might not agree with the Christian interpretation of who Jesus was, and consequently what his message was all about. Vital to this theses is the concept of Messiah. While the Christian concept of Messiah is the coming of the son of God and his death in order to provide salvation to all mankind, archeological findings such as the Qumran documents which includes the gospel of Thomas does not offer support such claims. It is does not matter what is written in it (gospel of Thomas), but what matters is what is not written in it. Meaning there is no mention of messianic elements that culminates in the supposedly death of Christ on the cross. The Gospel of Thomas was written much earlier than the canonized gospels. Apparently, the earlier the gospel is written, the more it conforms with a monotheistic worldview, much the same to the teachings of Moses. Conversely, the later the gospels are written, the more it goes far away from the monotheistism as it adds the basic elements of Christianity as advocated by Paul such as the gospel of John. However contemporary scholars on Christianity now acknowledge that Jesus peace be upon him was born a Jew, raised a Jew and lived all his life as a Jew. He was a teacher and even a Jewish Rabbi[1]. He didn’t teach Christian concepts such as the Divine atonement or vicarious sacrifice, much of which was promoted by Paul, our second person who was critical to the development of present day christianity.

II. ST. PAUL

Paul is rather a controversial character because admittedly, he was a persecutor of the followers of Christ. What is more controversial is the varying and even apparently contradicting narratives of his meeting with ‘risen’ Jesus thrice mentioned in Acts of Apostle in chapters 9, 22 and 26. But Christian exegetes easily dismiss the contradiction as having slight differences, easy to harmonize, and does not affect the basis of the narrative which is perfectly identical in substance[2].

Several theories were purported to explain the visions of Paul when he was on his way to Damascus. To discredit these theories, Christian scholars says that these explanations ‘suppose that it was Paul's faith in Christ which engendered the vision, whereas according to the concordant testimony of the Acts and the Epistles it was the actual vision of Christ which engendered faith’[3]. Another controversy concerning Paul he ‘had but a vague knowledge of the life and teaching of the historical Christ and even disdained such knowledge as inferior and useless’ [4] This is due to Paul’s statement in 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 16:

“Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.”[5]

However, it is argued that this understanding is improbable because Paul loved Jesus passionately and whose spirit he prided of having. But this is really an after the fact argument on the side of Christian apologist because the core issue here is the authority of Paul to transmit Jesus’ teachings and his closeness to him. A question could then be asked ‘did Paul really love the real Jesus’? Since today’s Christianity hinges on Paul’s claims to his meeting with Jesus it is no wonder that church’s doctors and apologists would defend the veracity of this incident.
Perhaps what is most astounding from an outsider point of view is the stark contrast of Jesus’ teachings and Paul’s teachings even in the canonized gospels themselves. Mark chapter 12 verse 29 says:

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[6]

In another gospel, Matthew chapter 5 verse 17 Jesus reportedly said:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.”[7]

Of course Jesus being a practicing Jew refers the law here to the Laws of Moses. But Paul seemingly audaciously contradicted Jesus’ commandments and teachings when he declared in Galatians chapter 2 verse 16:

“Know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.”[8]

One interesting to note at this point is that where are the rest of the disciples? Do they all believe just as what Paul believed?

III. THE COUNCIL OF JERUSALEM

The followers of Jesus continued to preach his gospels to the Jews and the non Jews. When the gentiles embrace Christianity in its early years, the question of whether they should be like the Jews or is their any some leeway for them not to follow the laws arose. What can be said concerning this is they like its theology but they don’t like its laws. Thus it became a necessity that the disciples should come together and meet in Jerusalem. Representing the community of Antioch were Paul and Barnabas while James is that of Jerusalem. The key issues were about circumcision, sacrificing things to idols, eating of blood of strangulated animals and fornication. The catholic encyclopedia claims that this “injunction was laid upon them, not in virtue of the Mosaic Law, but in the name of the Holy Ghost. This meant the complete triumph of Paul's ideas”.

This last sentence mentioning Paul’s ideas as being triumphant reveals the fact that in these early days of Christianity, the very first believers themselves were involved in controversy regarding a fundamental aspect of the religion. These questions are probably asked: “Shall we follow the Laws of Moses (just like what Jesus did in all his life when he was with us) or shall we abandon it? Is faith enough or are we required to follow the Law?

This ‘debate’ between James and Paul were recorded for posterity in the Epistle of James and the Epistle of Paul to the Galatians. In the first verse of the first chapter of Galatians, Paul declared that he is an apostle not from men nor through men but through Jesus Christ, probably referring to the fact that unlike the disciples who met Jesus as human, he met and received revelation from the risen Christ. He goes on to say in verse six that he marvels that the people of the Church of Galatia are turning away to a different gospel. Again in chapter two, he alluded to a person ‘who seemed to be something’[9] and his disdain for him. Then he enumerated that James, Ciphers and John as those ‘seemed to be pillars’[10] in the ninth verse. Paul then went on to proceed to cite the story of Abraham that just as he believed in God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

James on the other hand in the beginning of his epistles mentioned about being patient from temptations (which breaks the law). It is perhaps worthwhile to quote James words:

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.[11]

Concerning Abraham, he reportedly to have said:

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone".[12]

James, the brother of Jesus, the first bishop of Jerusalem had variant views of Jesus’ teachings in contrast to Paul’s Christianity. Robert Eisenman in his book James the Brother of Jesus: The Key to Unlocking the Secrets of early Christianity and the Dead Sea Scrolls portrays this kind of relationship between Paul and James.[13]

But somehow Paul’s ideas were triumphant and it is known as Pauline Christianity – a paradigm shift from the fundamental teachings of monotheism and adherence to the law in Judaism to Trinity and vicarious atonement. Consequently Michael Hart, a contemporary historian would have to put Paul as second to Jesus as the most influential person in Christianity.[14]

IV. CONSTANTINE I

Early Christians were persecuted, seized, tormented, put into flames, starved, and coerced into gladiatorial contests to amuse spectators. In 313 Emperor Constantine I, whose mother St. Helena was a Christian, announced the Edict of Milan which removes penalties for professing Christianity and returns the confiscated Church properties. His ascension to the throne is generally considered the beginning of Christendom (medieval and renaissance notion of the Christian world as a sort of social and political polity). Not only did he legalize Christianity but he also supported the Church from his own wealth and became its patron. However, it turns out that there are a number of different varieties of Christianities with different views on Jesus, such as the Gnostics Christianity vies a vis Pauline Christianity. It was extremely diverse during the second and third century that there are different brands of Christianity living often side by side, even in the same city.[15]

To uphold the unity of his empire, a unified doctrine has to be established. Therefore Constantine convenes the bishops to meet in Nicea.

V. THE COUNCIL OF NICEA 325 CE

Of two thousand and forty eight (2048) bishops who were invited, Constantine disqualified 1730 from having voice in deciding questions. Although the emperor did not decide the creed, he in fact influenced it indirectly by deciding who is to decide on the creed. This step dampened the spirit of the remaining bishops whom the emperor chose not to disqualify[16]. The result is the Nicene Creed which is an anathema to Unitarian belief championed by Arius.

Conclusion

The history of Christianity is a cognitive dissonance that is filled with controversy in its formative stage. Its teachings evolved in time from a sect of Judaism to a distinct religion of Trinity, Divine Atonement, and later the Original Sin (as expounded by St. Augustine). Although Christians will argue that it is only those who are imbued with holy spirit who should interpret the bible, however, looking at the gospels as historical documents and contemporary writings at the time revealed that Jesus could not have been what the gospels described him to be nor what the Christians perceived him to be. The differences between James and Paul over a fundamental issue is an important clue concerning who really was Jesus’ true disciple who followed him closely. Finally, if the core beliefs such as the Trinity and Divine atonement were so important to Christian understanding of themselves, then why is it that nowhere Jesus Christ explicitly taught this and leave his followers to figure it out and consequently differ about it.

[1] From Jesus to Christ. PBS. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/jesus/rabbi.html
[2] St. Paul, Catholic Encyclopedia. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11567b.htm. Jan. 7, 2008.
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] King James Version. www.biblegateway.com
[6] New International Version. www.biblegateway.com
[7] Ibid
[8] New International Version
[9] Galatians 2:6
[10] Galatians 2:9
[11] James 1:23
[12] James 2:20-24
[13]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Brother_of_Jesus:_The_Key_to_Unlocking_the_Secrets_of_Early_Christianity_and_the_Dead_Sea_Scrolls
[14] http://www.adherents.com/adh_influ.html
[15] From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/first/diversity.html

[16] A Comparative Study of the Religions of Today. Muhammad Ali Muhiyaddin pg 43.

To Be Literal or Not, That is the Question

2007-12-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

Masjid Tulay in Frame, Jolo Sulu Southern Philippines

Alhamdulillahi Wahdah, Wassalatu Wassalamu 'ala Man Laa Nabiyya Ba'dah

All Praise is due to Allah alone, Salutations and Peace (of Allah) be upon whom no Prophet would come after.

What follows is an assignment in Aqeedah 102 concerning the issue of whether we will be resurrected naked or with clothes in Yaumil Qiyaamah. There are two apparently contradicting hadeeth cited in this issue.

First Hadeeth is the hadeeth of Aisha in Bukhari: "People will be assembled in the Day of Resurrection barefooted, naked and uncircumcised.”

Second Hadeeth is from Abu Sa'eed al Khudri in Abu Dawood: "Indeed the dead will be resurrected in the clothes in which they die"

Please note that both hadeeth are Saheeh (Authentic) but the hadeeth in Bukhari is stronger than in Abu Dawood. In hadeeth terminology, if two saheeh hadeeth seems to contradict each other, the weaker one is called Shaadh or Odd. This is normally rejected. However in this case, there is no need to reject this hadeeth (the second one) because its meaning can be supported figuratively. The 'clothes' here figuratively means 'the state of Emaan when one dies' or our state of Taqwa.

Read on pls.

1. Why do we interpret clothes as deed in the hadeeth about resurrection while we interpret the Balance (Al Meezan) literally not as a symbol of justice?

This is because it is obligatory to keep the implications of the obvious meanings of the texts without any changes.

In the hadeeth of ‘clothes’, there are sufficient evidence for us to interpret it in other than its literal and obvious meaning.

The hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed al Khudree mentions the saying of the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم ‘Indeed the dead will be resurrected in the clothes in which they die’, the understanding of this hadeeth has to be understood in its metaphorical sense because:

First: There are ahaadeeth that mention people being resurrected naked like the hadeeth of Aisha in which she reported hearing from the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم “People will be assembled in the Day of Resurrection barefooted, naked and uncircumcised.” Also the hadeeth of Ibn Abbas that mentions “the first person who will be clothed on the Day of Resurrection will be Abraham”. These ahadeeth are apparently contradicting the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed above. Technically these two ahaadeeth are stronger being reported by Bukhari and Muslim while that of Abu Sa’eed is from Abu Dawood. But as long as the meaning of the hadeeth can be harmonized then there is no need to reject the latter.

Second are the ahaadeeth that people will be resurrected according to their state of faith or actions. Example of which is the hadeeth of Jaabir who related from the Messenger of Allaah صل الله عليه وسلم “Every slave will be resurrected doing whatever deed he died doing” and hadeeth of Ibn Abbaas concerning a man who died during hajj upon whom the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم remarked “…he will be resurrected on the Day of Resurrection reciting the Talbiyyah” Other hadeeths concerning the Shaheeds being resurrected according to how they die as martyrs are also included.

Third Metaphorically the word clothing has been associated in the Qur’an to Taqwa “…And the clothing of piety is better” (7:26). Thus the word “clothing” in the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed can be taken to mean “taqwa” a state of faith or deed.

Therefore in the light of the above narrations it is clear that we cannot understand the hadeeth of Abu Sa’eed in its literal sense since its obvious meaning would then contradict stronger narrations. Yet we cannot reject it entirely since its other meaning is in harmony with other authentic narrations such as it being understood as a state of faith (i.e. taqwa).

On the other hand, the narrations concerning the Balance has no other narrations that could qualify it in anyway. Thus we should understand it according to its literal and obvious meaning.

Wallahu Alam

UNDERSTANDING BID'AH

2007-12-25T14:30:00.000-08:00

Indeed, all praise is for Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'ala. We praise Him, we seek His help, we seek His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allaah from the evils of our souls and our evil actions. Whosoever Allaah guides then none can misguide and whosoever Allaah misguides then none can guide aright. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah alone, having no partners, and I bear witness that Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam is His servant and Messenger.

All praise is due to Allah, alone, who created us with a sublime purpose and not just for sport[1]. He created the Jinn and us so that we worship Him[2]. And so Messengers were sent throughout the ages. Iblis, the enemy of mankind made a promise that he will misguide them, approach them from every direction[3], so that mankind would not worship Allah, or set partners in worshipping Allah, or if he (shaytaan) can not do that,then he will do his best so that mankind would not be able to worship Allah properly, the way He wants us to worship Him.

In this regard, we seek Allah's help so that we will be able to distinguish the true worship of Allah from the innovated ones that the shayateen, from amongst the Jinn and mankind, whispered into the hearts of men.

First and foremost, I only write about issues where I feel I need to understand indepth. Therefore, the primary intention of my writing about anything is for my own benefit. Should anyone find mistakes in it, then I would be more that grateful to acknowledge it as gaining knowledge is my principal aim. Also, we would like to emphasize that this short article is only compiled by a student of knowledge and it is recommended to go deep into the books of Scholars and benefit from their immense knowledge, for the difference between the two can not be over-emphasized.

I ask Allah to benefit me from this small compilation. I ask Him that He guide me to do this for His sake alone. I ask Him from His immeasuable bounty that He count this as parts of my good deeds in a Day when nothing matters except one’s deeds. I ask His forgiveness if it is because of this effort that people turn away from His verses and sayings of His Messenger. I submit only to Him my weakness and my insignificance before the eyes of the people should they reject this message.

The Meaning of Bida'a

Linguistically, "Bid'ah, in Arabic, is token from Al-Bada', that is to create something without precedence.

Allah said, what translated means: 'Badei' (The Originator) of the heavens and the earth' 2:117.

This means that Allah created (originated) the heavens and the earth without precedence.

Bid’ah is "a newly invented way (in beliefs and actions) in the religion, in imitation of the Sharee'ah, by which nearness to Allaah is sought, not being supported by any authentic proof, neither in it's foundations nor in the manner in which it is performed."[4]

It is understood from the definition of the scholars that Bid'ah can be from belief and from actions. Bid'ah in belief and in tongue, is deviation from the aqecdah or belief of the Ahlus-sunnah wal-Jama'a. They differed from Ahlus-Sunnah regarding belief in Allah, His Sifaat, in Qadar etc. Form amongst them are the Khawaarij, Mu'tazilah, Jahmiyyah, etc.

Bid'ah in action are as follows[5]:

1. Introducing a new kind of worship, a new prayer, or fast, (or a new) feast, like the Prophet's, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, birthday.

2. Addition to a known type of worship (like adding rak'aas to the prayers)

3. Performing a known type of worship in a new manner.

4. To perform worship at certain times that were not stated by the sharee'ah.

The details of their examples will follow Insha-Allah. Before that however, we need to build on important points so that we understand why the Ulama’ may or may not forbid a type of worship.

Islam is completed and perfected.

"This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islaam as your religion" (5:4)

"And We have revealed to you a Book explaining everything" (16:89),

"We have neglected nothing in the Book" (6:37).

Islam is a guide for mankind in this world and it deals primarily with two points. First is, it deals with the relationship between God and man. Second, it deals with the relationship between man and the rest of the creation.

Man's relationship with his Lord is his worship of Him. Messengers were sent primarily for this purpose,

"And verily. We have sent among every llmmah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): 'worship Allah (alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities, i.e. Do not worship Taghut besides Allah)'. 16:36

And the Messengers of Allah indeed proclaimed the Message. The last of them was Muhammad, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, who broke idols and all forms of idolatry, and established the manner of worship, in the clearest possible way, that Allah wants man to worship Him. He is the last prophet and no prophet will come after him, it is therefore necessary to safeguard the religion from all forms of idolatry and all means of deviance from the right path. In this regard, the Shariah he brought is safeguarded from all forms of corruption and is built on some principles.

Regarding worship, "The principle regarding acts of worship is one of prohibition, except if the Sharee'ah (Divinely Prescribed law) relates a prescription for it. And the principle regarding customary behavior is permissibility, except when the Sharee'ah relates a prohibition for it." [6]

Meaning no one can claim that he is doing worship and gaining nearness to Allah unless he presents Proof from the Sharee'ah (i.e. Qur'an and Sunnah). For example: why do we pray two raka'a in fajr? Because it is legislated in the Shariah with clear proofs that the Prophet, sallallaahu alaihi wasallam, prayed Fajr in two raka'a.

In matters pertaining to our 'worldly' lives, the principle in the sharee'ah is that everything is permitted except if there is a proof in the Qur'an and Sunnah that states that it is forbidden. Example is, as far as food is concern, we can cat every kind of food as long as there is no prohibition from the Sharee'ah that it is forbidden. For us to eat satti, for example, we don't have to present proof from the Qur'an or Sunnah. Consequently, using modern means of communications such as the radio, TV or the internet is permissible since they are just utilize as means of communication not that they are worship by themselves. One can wear pants, tajjung, and even underwears if you like although they are not present during the time of the Prophet.

Furthermore, travelling to seek knowledge is also not Bid’ah. Although the whole act is an act of worship if done for the sake of Allah, travelling by itself is not worship. People travel from different reasons such as the Prophet travelling to Shaam for trade. Although the Prophet did not travel to gain knowledge because he is receiving revelations, people travelled to him from different parts of Arabia to obtain knowledge and he did not prohibit this. Besides in the Qur’an it is stated,

Many similar ways (and mishaps of life) were faced by nations (believers and disbelievers) that have passed away before you (as you have faced in the battle of Uhud), so travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those who disbelieved (in the Oneness of Allâh, and disobeyed Him and His Messengers). (Aali Imran 3:137)

Here were encouraged to travel through the earth in order to learn the outcome of those who belied the Messengers sent by Allah.

On the other hand, the manner of urinating is not a form of worship. Although the Prophet sallaallahu alaihi wa sallam most of the time urinated sitting, he passed urine standing during one of his campaigns. Narrated by Hudhaifah:

The Prophet and I walked till we reached the dumps of some people. He stood, as any one of you stands, behind a wall and urinated. I went away, but he beckoned me to come. So I approached him and stood near his back till he finished. (Bukhari)

These two principles have to be understood and internalize really well for us to go on with the rest of the topic.

Now there are other forms of worship that were not done by the Prophet himself but Muslims today are doing this. Example is the hadeeth of Bilal ibn Rabah, the Muadhdhin of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam.

Narrated By Abu Huraira: At the time of the Fajr prayer the Prophet asked Bilal, "Tell me of the best deed you did after embracing Islam, for I heard your footsteps in front of me in Paradise." Bilal replied, "I did not do anything worth mentioning except that whenever I performed ablution during the day or night, I prayed after that ablution as much as was written for me." Bukhari

The Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wasallam did not instruct Bilal to perform ablution and pray as much as he can. But the point here is that this incident was done during the time of the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam with his consent. There are other examples of these such as the wordings of the Adhan that came from dreams of some of the Sahaabah. The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam approved them.

There are instances where some people came to the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam and suggesting some forms of worship and yet the he rejected them. Example of which is the hadeeth of Anas bin Malik found in Bukhari:

A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet asking how the Prophet worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, "Where are we from the Prophet as his past and future sins have been forgiven." Then one of them said, "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever." The other said, "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The third said, "I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever." Allah's Apostle came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers)."

In summary, matters of daily lives (muammalaat) is of permisibility (Al aslu fil muaamlat al Ibaahah) and in matters of Worship it is of prohibition unless there is text from the Sharee’ah that supports it (Al Aslu fil Ibaadah Tawqifiyyah). The Ulama did not just formulate this principle because of their inclinations or desires. but they are firmly anchored on the text of Sharee'ah - the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Only Allah has the right to legislate laws.

It was God Himself who teaches man how to worship Him. He further tells that He alone has the right to legislate laws whether in matters of worship or the 'worldly laws'.

"or do they have partners that legislate some religion which Allaah has not given permission for?" (42:21)

Bida'a, which is worship without a valid proof, is in fact a legislation and is made part of the Sharee'ah.

The Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, is the Example

"Indeed you have in the Messenger of Allaah an excellent example for the one who hopes in Allaah and looks to the Last Day." (33:21),

"So if you obey him (i.e. Muhammad), then you will be guided" (25:54)

" I have left behind me two things, if you cling to them you will never go astray. They are the Book of Allaah and my Sunnah" (al-Haakim)

Every Muslim believes that the life of the Prophet, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, generally, and how did he perform worship, specifically is the basis of how worship of Allah should be done.

The Sahabah’s understanding are our Guide

There are, however, some points in the Sharee'ah that are not as clear to us due to the passage of time. Many things have appeared in which the validity of such have confused us. Some Muslims practice them while some advices against them. This confusion is confounded by the fact that the people whom we consider having knowledge have brought us evidence in support of them or otherwise. How do we go out of this dilemma? Isn’t Islam the complete way of life? Wasn’t Islam completed during the time of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam?

In this situation referring to what the Sahabah are upon is a must. To emphasize how important they are and their role in Islam, we present some proofs from the Qur'an and Sunnah:

"You are the best nation that has come out to the people, you enjoin that which is good and forbid that which is evil and you believe in Allaah." (3:110)

"and whosoever contends with the Messenger after guidance has been made clear to him, and follows a way other than the way of the believers. We shall leave in the path he has chosen, and land him in Hell, what an evil destination!" (4:115)

"The best of people is my generation and then to come after them and them to come after them then lies will he widespread." Saheeh: Related by al-Bukhaaree (no. 2652) and Muslim (no. 2533).

Aboo Moosaa al-Ash'aree said that the Messenger of Allaah (s.a.w.):

"The stars are a guidance on the sky so if the stars go then what will befall it will happen. And I am a guide to my companions so IfJ go then what will befall my companions will happen and the companions are a guide for my Ummah and if they go then what will befall it will happen." Related by Muslim (no. 2531).

"The Jews split into split into seventy-one sects and the Christians split into seventy-two sects and my Nation (Urnmah) will split into seventy-three sects, all of it in the fire except one."

They said 'Who are they, 0 Messenger of Allaah? ' He said:

"That which I am upon today and my Companions." (Hasan: Related by at-Tirmidthee (no. 2641) and bv al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak. (1/128-129)).

"Whoever lives amongst you will see many differences so stick closely to my Sunnah am/ the Sunnah of the Rightly- dm ded Caliphs after me, hite onto it with your molar teeth. Beware of the newly invented mailers for every newly invented matter i.s an innovation and every innovation is a misguidance and every misguidance is in the Fire" (Hasan Saheeh: Related by Ahoo Haawood (5/13) and at-Tirmidthee (5/44) and he said: "It is Hasan Saheeh" It was also reported by Ahmad (4/146-147) and Ibn Maajah (6/42-43) and by ad-Daarimee (1/34).)

The lives of the Sahabah serves not only as a motivating factor for us to emulate but it also serves as the guide to the understanding of our Deen as the foregoing evidences unequivocally proves. This point is a very important matter that can not be over-exaggerated because nowadays Islam seems to be understood from different ways. Retuming to the beliefs and ways of the Sahabah is a means of not deviating from the right path.

It is important to note here that some people today claim that their act of worship is in accordance with the Sahabah's. We say produce your proof. If you have proof, then we say: Is it authentic? If it is authentic, we say, can your actions be really be derived from the proofs?

The prohibition to legislate new laws whether in matters of worship or the worldly laws.

"I warn you of the newly invented mailers fin the religion), and every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Hellfire" (an-Nasaa'ee)

And he (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) used to say at the beginning of his lectures, "... .and the best speech is the Speech of Allah, and the best guidance is the guidance of Muhammad , and the worst of all affairs are the newly invented matters (in the religion)" (Muslim)

And he (sallallaaahu alaihi wa sallam) commanded us, "whosoever does an action which we have not commanded then it must he rejected." (Muslim)

And again, "whomever introduces into this religion of ours that which is not part of it then it must he rejects" (Ahmad)

And in this hadeeth is a clear evidence that every action which is not legislated in the sharee'ah must be rejected.

Bid'ah with its facets

Any addition (or deletion, or any alteration) to the worship prescribed by Allah and His Messenger, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, without a valid proof from the Sharee'ah can be Bid'ah.

Amr ibn Yahya narrated that his father (Yahya) told him that his father said:

"We used to sit at Abdillah ibn Mas'ood's door before Fajr prayer, if he exited (out of the house) we would follow him to the Masjid. Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari then came and asked us: 'Did Abu Abdil Rahmaan (ibn Mas'ood) come out (of his house) yet?' We said: 'No'. So he sat with us till he (ibn Mas'ood) emerged (from his house).

We all stood up when he exited (to go the Masjid). He (Abu Moosa) said: '0 Abu Abdil Rahman, I just saw something I did not recognize, and I did not see, all thanks to Allah, but good.' He (ibn Mas'ood) said: 'What is it?' He (Abu Moosa) said: 'If you live you will see it. I saw in the Masjid, people silting in circles, waiting for the prayer. In each circle, there is a leader, and they have stones in their hands. He (the leader) would say: Say Takbir (Allahu Akbar) a hundred times. So they say Takbir a hundred times. He, then would say: Say Tahlil (La ilaha lllallah) a hundred times. So they say Tahlil a hundred times. He, then would, say: Say Tasbih a hundred times. So they say Tasbih a hundred times.

Ibn Mas'ood said: Did you not order them to count their evil deeds, and. guarantee them that none of their good deeds will be lost?'

Then he and us left till we reached one of those circles. Then he stood next to the circle and said: 'What are you all doing?' They said: " O Abu Abdil Rahman, (these are stones) that we count our Takbir, Tahlil, Tasbih, and Tahmid (Al-Hamdulillah) with.

Ibn Mas'ood said: 'Count your evil deeds, for I guarantee that none of your good deeds will be lost. What is the matter with you, O nation of Muhammad, how soon you come to your destruction! The companions (of Muhammad) are still many, these are his clothes not worn out and his cookware did not break yet. By whom my soul is in His hands, you are either following a religion better than Muhammad's or followers of a way of evil!

They said: 'By Allah, O Abu Abdil Rahi-nan, we sought only what is good. Ibn Mas'ood said: 'Many people seek good, but they not reach it. The Messenger told us that some people will who read the Qur'an, will not have the Our'an leave their throats (to their hearts). By Allah, I do not know If most of you areform them.'

Then he left them. Amr ibn Salamah said: We saw most of those people righting against us, in the battle of Nahrawan, with the Khawarij."' At-Tirmidhi.

Here in this story, Abdullah ibn Mas'ood, the one very knowledgeable amongst the Sahabah in the Shariah are telling us Shariah principles:

1. That in matters pertaining to Ibadat (worship), all matters are Haram (unlawful), not allowed, EXCEPT if there is a proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah.

2. Another point that can be derived from this story is that the mere fact that the Wise LawGiver has not directly forbidden some actions in worship is not sufficient to make permissible to use them. Remember the Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam didn’t say ‘don’t make Dhikr in groups’. Yet here you are, Ibn Mas’ood, a scholar amongst the Sahabah prohibiting it, and non of the Sahabah contradicted his judgment making it an Ijmaa' or concensus.

3. The people are doing dhikr in this situation, an action which was done during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, but the manner of performing that dhikr is the point that the Sahabi Abdullah ibn Mas'ood protested. Therefore even the Manner of lbaadah must be the same with the manner of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam.

4. This also tells us that the understanding of the Sahabah of the Deen of Islam serves as our guide for the understanding of our Deen.

5. That the people’s intention was doing good, and yet their actions were rejected. This is because for the action to be righteous (worship) it must conform to the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, aside from having sincere intention.

Another example

A man came to Imam Malik ibn Anas and asked him: "Where I should make Ihram (a ritual of Hajj) from?" He said: "Make Ihram from Al-Miqat (a certain area) that the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) described and made Ihram from." The man said: "What if I make Ihram from before that?" Malik said: "I do not agree with that." The man said: "What do you fear (for me) for doing that?" Malik said: "I fear fitnah (evil calamity or trial)." The man said: "And where is the Fitnah in doing more good?" Malik said:

Allah said:

"And let those who oppose the Messenger's way (commandments) beware, lest some Fitnah befall them or a painful torment he inflicted on them. 24:63.

"What a Fitnah it is in that you were preferred with a righteous act that the Messenger, (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam), was not preferred with (or did not know about)." (Abu Shamah).

It is clear from the above examples that any manner of worship, prayers, fasting, hajj, the methodology Da'wah, etc. all of them must be in conformity with the Sunnah.

Abclullaah ibn Mas'ud said, "follow the Sunnah of Muhammad and do not innovate, for what you have been commanded is enough for you."[7]

The Sayings of the Second and Third generation scholars:

Abu Aaliyah said, "learn Islaam. Then when you have learned Islaam, do not turn away from it to the right or to the left. But be upon the Straight Path and be upon the Sunnah of your Prophet and that which his companions were upon... And beware of these innovations because they cause enmity and. hatred amongst you, but stick to the original slate of affairs that was there before they divided."[8]

Sufyaan ath-Thawree, "innovations are more beloved to Satan than sin. Since a sin may be repented from but an innovation is not repented from"[9]

The sayings of the Later Imaams:

Imaam Abu Haneefah said, "stick to the narrations and the way of the salaf, and beware of the newly invented matters for all of it is innovation"[10]

Imaam Maalik said, "he who innovates an innovation in Islaam regarding it as something good, has claimed that Muhammad (.wllallaahu alaihi wa sallam) has betrayed his trust to deliver the message as Allaah says, 'this day have I perfected for you your religion'. And whatsoever was not part of the religion then, is not part of the religion today."[11]

Imaam Ahmad said, "the fundamental principles of the Sunnah with us are... avoiding innovations and every innovation is misguidance"[12]

Imaam Bukhaaree said, "I have met more than a thousand scholars....(then he mentioned the names of the more prominent in each of the lands that he travelled in)... and I found that they all agreed on the following points:... they all used to prohibit bid'ah - that which the Prophet and his Companions were not upon, because of the saying of Allaah, 'and hold fast to the rope of Allaah and do not separate'"[13]

Why Differ?

The question now is why 'people of knowledge' differ in their rulings if such clear statements can be found in the Qur'an, Hadeeth and the Sayings of the Sahaabah and their followers? This is a topic in and of itself. Suffice it to say that all of us are not ma'soom (protected from error) except the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam. In addition, the Ijmaa' of the Sahaabah serves also as a binding proof because the the Prophet declared that the Ummah will not unite upon falsehood. The reverse understanding (Mafhoom Mukhaalafah) of this fact would be the Ummah will unite only on truth. Differing doesnt necessarily mean to revile, to disparage, or underestimate each other. The ultimate aim is to expose truth wherever it may come from.

Therefore it should be of no surprise if we found people of knowledge made mistakes - even though they are our relatives and loved ones.

It must be emphasized that we are not judging people here. When Allah makes a threat to punish people, He may or may not punish them according to His wisdom and mercy. It may be that Allah had already pardoned them due to their numerous good deeds. We ask Allah to pardon the fault of the Muslims and the Scholars. Ameen.

[1] We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for a (mere) play . (Al-Anbiya 21:16)
[2] And I (Allâh) created not the jinns and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). (Adh-Dhariyat 51:56)
[3] (Iblîs) said: "Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path. Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)." (Al-A'raf 7:16-17)
[4] al-l'tisaam 1/231 of ash-Shatibee.
[5] Innovation, and Its Evil Effects by Sheikh Saalih Al-Fowzaan

[6] Minhaajiil-Qaasideen Mukhlasar fee Usoolil-Fiqh (p. 31) ofShaykh 'Abdur-Rahmaan as-Sa'dee.

[7] ad-Daarimee
[8] jal-Hilya of Abu Nu'aim 2/218J
[9] Sharh Usul I'tiqaad of al-Laalikaa'ee (d.414) no.2381
[10] jSawnul Muntaq of as-Suyutcc pg.32
[11] al-I'tisaam
[12] Usul as-Sunnah of Imaam Ahmad pg. 11
[13] Imaam Bukhaaree article on belief as quoted in Sharh Usul I'liqaad 1/170. From amongst the scholars he met were: Ahmad bin Hanbal, Abu Ubaid al-Qaasim, ibn Ma'een, ibn Aasim, ibn Abec Shaybah....)

Difference Amongst the Ummah

2007-12-12T11:06:00.000-08:00

A Masjid in Bicol Philippines after the eruption of Mayon Volcano in 2006

Explain the differences between variational differences and contradictory differences using in your explanation at least 3 examples.

Answer

…The contradictory differences are totally opposite rulings which can not logically be simultaneously correct…(while) the variational differences are conflicting ruling which are logically acceptable variations which can coexist…[1]

Variational differences (Ikhtilaaf at-tanawwu):

Example 1: Various Qira’a of Companions during the lifetime of Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم. Abdullah Ibn Mas’ood said: “I heard a person reciting a particular verse different to the way that I had heard the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم recite it. So I took him by the hand and brought him to the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم and I mentioned this to him. I recognised signs of displeasure upon his face and he said: ‘Both are correct, so do not differ. Indeed, those who came before you differed, and so were destroyed.”[2] [3]

Example 2: Different ways of Adhan. (3 ways)

Four Takbeer at the beginning and say the rest of the phrases twice without repetition, except fot the last statement of la ilaha illallah. So, the adhan would be made up of fifteen phrases…[4]

Four Takbeer and then repeat ash hadu an la ilaha illallah twice and ash hadu anna Muhammad ar Rasoollallah twice, in a low voice then repeat them again in a louder voice. Abu Mahdhura reported that the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم taught him an adhan consisting of nineteen phrases. This hadith is related by “the Five”. At Tirmidhi called it hasan sahih.

Two takbir and repeat the “statement of witness,” making the number of phrases seventeen. Muslim records that Abu Mahdhurah related that the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم taught him the following adhan: Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah, ashhadu alla ilaha illallah. Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar Rasool-lal-lah, ashhadu anna Muhammad ar –Rasoool-lal-lah. Then repeat ashhadu alla ilaha illallah (twice), ashhadu anna Muhammad ar Rasool-lal-lah (twice), hayya ‘alas-salah (twice), hayya ‘alal falah (twice). Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah.[5]

Example 3: Three ways to perform Iqamah

Saying the first takbir four times and everything else twice, with the exception of the last statement of la ilaha illallah. Abu Mahdhura said that the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم taught him the iqamah consisting of seventeen phrases: Allahu Akbar (4 times), ashhadu alla ilaha illallah (twice), ashhadu anna Muhammad ar –Rasoool-lal-lah (twice), hayya ‘alas-salah (twice), hayya ‘alal falah (twice), qad qaamatis-salah (twice). Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, La ilaha illallah. This is related by “the five”. At Tirmidhi grades it sahih.

To say the beginning and ending takbir, and the phrase qad qaamatis-salah (twice). Everything else is to be said once, making eleven phrases. This is based on the preceding hadith of ‘Abdullah ibn Zaid: “When you stand for prayer, say “Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. Ashhadu alla ilaha illal-lah, . Ashhadu anna Muhammad ar Rasool-lal-lah. Hayya ‘alas-salah, ), hayya ‘alal falah. Qad qaamatis-salah qad qaamatis-salah. Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar. La ilaha illallah."

The same as in the preceeding, but Qad qaamatus salah is said only once, making a total of ten phrases. Imam Malik chose this way, becaouse he found the people of Madinah performing it this. But says Ibn al Qayyim, “It is not proven that the Messenger of Allaah صل الله عليه وسلم ever said ‘Qad qaamatus salah’ only once. “Ibn ‘Abdul Barr is of the view, “In every case, it is said twice.”[6]

Contradictory differences (Ikhtilaaf Tadaad):

Difference by contradiction arises when two contradictory statements are made on an issue, whether concerning principles or details. According to the majority opinion, in such cases only one view can be correct, and since different views contradict each other, the issue becomes serious. Example is in which one Madh-hab defines something as halal and another defines it as haram.[7]

Example 1: Touching a woman after wudu’

“Touching a woman with sexual desire”: The opinion preferred here by the author is just one of the three opinions that exist on this issue. The second view holds that touching a woman nullifies one’s wudoo absolutely without exception. The third view states that touching a woman does not break one’s wudoo in the absolute sense, regardless of whether it is done with sexual desire or not, so long as nothing is emitted (i.e. ejaculation) with desire. This (last) opinion is the most correct of all the opinions because of the lack of there being any authentic texts that indicate that this nullifies the wudoo.[8]

Example 2: Performing wudu’ after eating camel’s meat

…two people attend a waleemah (wedding feast) in which camel meat is served. After eating, both stand for prayer, but one of them performs wudoo’while the other does not…the one who makes wudoo’ believes that it is something waajib after eating camel meat, while the other who does not is of the opinion that it is not. There is a serious difference of opinion here, because the one who is of the opinion that wudoo’ is waajib after eating camel meat believes that if he prayed without wudoo’ his prayer would be invalid. So indeed this matter is dangerous…it means that in actuality his prayer is not valid.[9]

Example 3: Pronouning 3 divorces in one sitting.

A man pronounces divorce upon his wife three times in one sitting. He say, “You are divorced, you are divorced, you are divorced.” The majority of Ulamaa’ hold the opinion that this is counted as the final divorce, and she can not be his lawful wife unless she remarries another person. So if the first husband who divorced her were to marry her again without her marrying another first, then their nikah would be invalid. Other scholars hold the opinion that this is divorce is counted as one divorce, and the husband can take her back without a new marriage contract as long as she is in her ‘iddah, or by recontracting the marriage if her ‘iddah has come to an end. So if a man were to follow this opinion, his having intercourse with her acording to the first opinion would be regarded as zinaa, because he had intercourse with someone not permissible for him. But according to the opinion which he follows, the ruling is different. She would be his lawful wife, without any sin upon him.[10]

[1] Evolution of Fiqh. Dr Bilal Philips. Pg. 182
[2] Understanding The Etiquettes of Differing. Saalim ibn Saalih al-Marfadee. Pg. 32.
[3] Bukhari 2410.
[4] Fiqhus Sunnah pg. 97
[5] Fiqhus Sunnah pg. 98
[6] Fiqhus Sunnah pg. 99.
[7] The evolution of Fiqh. Dr Bilal Philips pg. 182
[8] The Things that Nullify Wudoo. Shaikh 'Abdul-Muhsin Al-'Abbaad. His explanation of Shuroot as-Salaat of Imaam Ibn 'Abdil-Wahhaab. Al-Ibaanah.com
[9] Until When Will We Differ. Shaykh Muhammad Ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaimeen pg. 23-24.
[10] Ibid. pg. 24-25.

On The Origin of Religion

2007-11-23T05:11:00.000-08:00

QICC

A Mosque and a Da'wah Center in Doha Qatar

Assalamu alaikum

"Back in the old days, religion was nothing more than a function of culture. Lacking a scientific theory of nature, once-upon-time man’s multiple Gods reflected the mysteries and wonders of the worlds around him. Much has been said about polytheism/animism but it did serve its purpose. You are right, it marked the beginning of man’s search for divine beings."

Our behaviors as human beings are defined by two basic important enlightenments, culture first, religion later (Remember? The cavemen behaved culturally, and did quite well, too, before they even got to know the concept of the Diving Being).

This is essentially an expression of the evolutionary theory of religion. Accordingly, man's primitive understanding of the forces of nature around him led him to believe that these forces are controlled by beings more powerful than him. Man didn’t have answers why the thunderstorm produces lightning streak, why the sun or the moon eclipse, why volcanoes erupt or why the ground shake during earthquake? Thus lightning bolts gradually became Jupiter’s throwing weapon – a nasty deterrents to those who earn his ire. To appease the raging god or goddess of the volcanoes, screaming virgins are thrown down as sacrifices.

Each tribe had their own deity which they worshipped. They appeased them just like they appeased their tribal leaders by giving them foods. In due course of time, according to the theory, during tribal conflict and warfare, the gods of the dominating tribe were also worshipped by the defeated tribes. Thus it paved the way for the evolution of these primitive religions/animisms from many tribal gods to fewer tribal gods, eventually leading to the belief of two gods – the god of evil and the god of good.

Eventually when tribes became larger and larger and became nations, monotheism came as with Judaism. Arguably, the Marfan Egyptian Pharaoh Akhnaten, also introduced it as what was said by our brothers and sisters here.

This theory led to the belief that since man nowadays understand the forces of nature, then there is no need for a religion to explain the supernatural. Science necessitates therefore the demise of religion.

But Islam’s view is rather the opposite - one of degeneration.

Monotheism is the original state of religion after which it degenerated into polytheism until prophets were sent again to re-affirm monotheism. Hence the history of religion is of a degeneration-regeneration model. This has to be the case for several reasons.

Firstly, Allah, the Mighty, the Majestic, the Wise, the Beneficent, the Merciful, made Adam the first man and the first Prophet and He taught him the name of all things. He gave him knowledge and this includes the knowledge of religion. It is not befitting for Allah to create something and just leave it on its own to find enlightenment.

Imagine a factory owner advertising in the newspaper about his new factory. Afterwards people came in applying for jobs. Now the first day of work started but the employees were never told what they should do specifically. They might have knowledge that they are in the factory and they are supposed to do something in the factory, but what is it, they were never told. What would you think of the factory owner who invited them, hired them and promised to pay them wages? You would think that he must be nuts! In fact every single machine you buy nowadays has some kind of operation manual or something so that buyers can use them properly.

If we deemed it improbable that such factory owner exist, then how can we repeat what the evolutionists (by implication) are saying about Allah, the Self Subsisting, al Qayyum. By saying that Allah created the creation and left them alone to find out things for themselves is as though Allah is neither the Wise nor the Merciful.

Secondly, the texts of Quran and Hadeeth are equivocally clear concerning this issue. The second pillar of Imaan (Faith) is concerning prophethood. That we believe all prophets sent by Allah to mankind. Now of course one might ask if one should believe in Moses, Jesus or Muhammad at the same time then we also must be a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim at the same time. Again we beg the question – could Allah sent these prophets so that people would be confused? Is Allah the author of confusion?

Any Muslim of course studying basic Islam would refuse to acknowledge this because all these prophets were sent with the same fundamental message – which is the worship of Allah alone or in Arabic Tawheed.

And verily, We have sent among every nation a messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut (all false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Taghut besides Allah)." Then of them were some whom Allah guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied (the truth). (16:36)

Say (O Muslims), "We believe in Allâh and that which has been sent down to us and that which has been sent down to Ibrâhim (Abraham), Ismâ'il (Ishmael), Ishâque (Isaac), Ya'qûb (Jacob), and to Al-Asbât [the twelve sons of Ya'qûb (Jacob)], and that which has been given to Mûsa (Moses) and 'Iesa (Jesus), and that which has been given to the Prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and to Him we have submitted (in Islâm)." (Al-Baqarah 2:136)

Indeed the original state of things is worship of Allah alone. Even biblical passages confirm this:

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. Exodus 20:2-3

If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy (13:1-3)

During the time of Adam and his progenies, they were one community and they worshipped Allah alone.

Mankind were but one community (i.e. on one religion - Islamic Monotheism), then they differed (later), and had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord, it would have been settled between them regarding what they differed.

Mankind were one community and Allâh sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. And only those to whom (the Scripture) was given differed concerning it after clear proofs had come unto them through hatred, one to another. Then Allâh by His Leave guided those who believed to the truth of that wherein they differed. And Allâh guides whom He wills to a Straight Path. (Al-Baqarah 2:213)

When the people started worshipping idols the first Messenger, Noah, was sent to mankind.

Verily, We have inspired you as We inspired Noah and the Prophets after him. (4:163)

The prominent companion, Abdullah Ibn Abbas, the one to whom the Prophet made supplication to Allah “Teach him the interpretation of the Qur’an” said:

There were a period of 10 centuries between Adam and Noah during which people were Muslims.”

In his commentary of this verse:

"And they have said: 'You shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave Wadd, nor Suwaa', nor Yaghooth, nor Ya’ooq, nor Nasr (names of the idols); (71:23)

...Ibn Abbas said:

“These were idols of Prophet Noah’s nation which in time ended up amongst the Arabs. Wadd became the tribal god of Kalb tribe in the region of Dawmatul Jandal, Suwa was adopted by the Hudhayl tribe, Yaghooth by the tribe of Gutayf at Jurf near Saba. Ya’ooq, by the Hamdan tribe and Nasr became the god of the Dhul Kala clan of the Himyar tribe. These idols were named after some righteous men among Noah’s people. When these righteous men died, Satan inspired the people to make statues of them bearing their names. These statues were placed in their favourite meeting places as reminders of righteousness and no one of that generation worshipped them. However, when that generation died off, and the purpose of the statues were forgotten, Satan came to their descendants and told them that their predecessors used to worship the statues, because it was die to them that it reined. The descendants were fooled and began to worship them as idols. The following generations continued to worship them. Bukhari, vol. 6, Pp 414-5, hadith no. 442.

Thirdly, several facts points to the veracity of degeneration model. After the teachings of the prophets were changed or lost, many gods were worshipped but still the belief in a Supreme Being remains. “No matter what their stage of religious development may have been according to the evolutionary theory, most believe in a Supreme God over all other gods or spirits. From Itzmna, the creator-god of the Central American Mayans to Ngewo, the creator of the universe and spirits of Sierra Leone Mende, and from Hinduism’s Brahma, the Impersonal Absolute, to Mârût the ancient city deity of Babylon and Supreme God of the pantheon, the Supreme Being can be clearly seen.” (Fundamentals of Tawheed Dr Bilal Philips pg. 204)

Jesus Christ’s first followers were monotheist and they were headed by James, whom the bible termed the brother of Jesus. These followers were massacred during the destruction of Solomon’s temple by the Romans in 60 or 70 AD (Im not sure of the date). Later on, Christianity degenerated into Tritheism with the adoption of the Trinity during the Nicene Council in 320 AD. Afterwards even Mary and several saints were worshipped, turning Christianity into an essentially polytheistic religion.

Islam shared the same fate because several Muslims worship the graves and its occupants, asking help to saints or Awliya, erecting monuments over them, sanctifying them and performing acts of worship in them. The only difference between Islam and Christianity in this respect is that Islam has still the original teachings by the virtue of the preservation of its fundamental sources – the Qur’an and hadeeth while Christianity has not. Biblical scholars and doctors of divinity themselves openly claim that the bible is not the original scriptures that contains the teachings of Christ.

I am glad that our intelligent and articulate brothers and sisters joined us in our group Tausug Islam. We welcome you all with the greeting Assalamu alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa barakatuh.

Abu Khalid

Contradicting Verses in the Qur'an?

2007-08-12T11:57:00.000-07:00

A Masjid in New Mexico

ASSIGNMENT 1:

Clarify the presumed contradicted statement that the Qur'an was revealed at once on the “night of power” in the month of Ramadan and in another context that the Qur'an was revealed in sections to the Prophet Mohammad (saw)?

*Substantiate your opinion with relevant proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Answer:

Two distinct revelations of the Qur’an can be found in Allah’s book: It is revealed in its totality in Ramadaan or on Laylatul Qadr and continuous segmental revelation up until just before the death of the Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم. To clear up apparent contradictions it is important to understand this issue.

The First Revelation

Hâ-Mîm. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur'ân and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. By the manifest Book (this Qur'ân) that makes things clear. We sent it down on a blessed night. (Ad-Dukhan 44:1-3)

Similar meanings also can be found in 2:185 and 97:1. Theses verses refer to the initial revelation of the Qur’an due to the fact that the Qur’an was not revealed to Prophet Muhammad صل الله عليه وسلم on a single night in Ramadan.

Two da’eef[1] narrations but with shawaahid (supporting narrations)[2] reported from Ibn Abbas that says that the Qur’an was first separated from its station in the upper heavens and placed in Bayt al-‘Izzah in the lowest heaven, with the second version stating that it was in the Night of Decree in Ramadan. In contrast earlier revelations were sent down all at once as argued by as Suyootee to be practically an Ijmaa’.

The Second Revelation

“And (it is ) a Qur’an which I have divided into parts in order that you (Muhammad) may recite it to the people gradually, and I have revealed it by successive revelation.” (17:106)

For a period of twenty three years, Jibreel takes down sections of the Qur’an from the lowest heaven that began with Soorah al Alaq. The last chapter revealed according to Ibn Abbas is Soorah an Nasr although other Companions disagree. Further also according to Ibn Abbas the last verse revealed is the last of verses in Soorah al Baqarah dealing with riba’. [3]

In conclusion, there is no contradiction between the two as the first one is talking about the revelation of the Qur’an from the highest heaven to the lowest heaven while the latter is concerning the revelation of the Qur’an to Prophet صل الله عليه وسلم gradually for a period of twenty three years.

ASSIGNMENT 2:

What is your understanding on the verse ….” To each among you We have prescribed a law and a clear way”…. S.5:48 in contrast to the fact that all of the prophets were sent with only one clear unified message that is in S.Al- Anbiya :25 …”and we did not send any messenget before you (Muhammad saw) but We revealed to him (saying): La ilaha illah ana [none has the right to be worshipped by I (Allah) ], so worship Me (Alone and non else).

*Substantiate your opinion with relevant proof from the Qur'an and Sunnah.

Answer:

Divine revelations were revealed for the purpose of correcting man’s belief about God (Aqeedah/Tawheed), his methods of worshipping God (Ibaadah) and his social life and social conduct (Mu’aamalah).[4]

Concerning Aqeedah the prophets were sent with one fundamental message which is Tawheed.

“And Verily I have not sent any prophet before you wihtout revealing to him that there is no God besides me, so worship Me.” 21:25)

And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allâh (Alone), and avoid (or keep away from) Tâghût[] (all false deities, etc. i.e. do not worship Tâghût besides Allâh)." Then of them were some whom Allâh guided and of them were some upon whom the straying was justified. So travel through the land and see what was the end of those who denied (the truth). (An-Nahl 16:36)

The only correct belief about God is Tawheed, whereby Allaah is considered as One, without partner in His essence, His attributes, His actions, and right of worhsip. Since this reality is not changeable hence it is only obvious that all the Prophets would be sent to deliver and confirm same message as they all came from the same source.

In 5:48, what is being referred here is not the fundamental message (Tawheed/Aqeedah) but the Law with which to govern the people concerning their worship and their social life and social conduct. The methods of worship and social dealing may vary because the needs of pepole of each nation were different and this needs may vary from time to time even in the same nation.

In his explanation of 5: 48 Ibn katheer mentions:

[لِكُلٍّ جَعَلْنَا مِنكُمْ شِرْعَةً]

(To each among you, We have prescribed a law) Shir`at meaning, a clear path, as Ibn Abi Hatim recorded from Ibn `Abbas.

[وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَحِدَةً]

(If Allah willed, He would have made you one nation.) This is a general proclamation to all nations informing them of Allah's mighty ability. If Allah wills, He would make all mankind follow one religion and one Law, that would never be abrogated. Allah decided that every Prophet would have his own distinct law that is later abrogated partially or totally with the law of a latter Prophet. Later on, all previous laws were abrogated by the Law that Allah sent with Muhammad , His servant and Messenger, whom Allah sent to the people of earth as the Final Prophet. Allah said,

[وَلَوْ شَآءَ اللَّهُ لَجَعَلَكُمْ أُمَّةً وَحِدَةً وَلَـكِن لِّيَبْلُوَكُمْ فِى مَآ ءَاتَـكُم]

(If Allah willed, He would have made you one nation, but that (He) may test you in what He has given you.) This Ayah means, Allah has instituted different laws to test His servants' obedience to what He legislates for them, thus, He rewards or punishes them according to their actions and what they intend.[5]

Therefore there is no contradiction between the two verses as the first (5:48) one is concerning the Laws of worship and social dealing which changes from every nation while the second (21:25) concerns with the belief about Allaah, who is Unique with attributes of perfection and thus doesn’t change.

Abu Khalid

[1] A subnarrator, al ‘Amash, is reliable yet a Mudallis used ‘an ‘anah in these narrations.
[2] Two reports from al Mustadrak and an Nasaa’ee. Supporting Sahih narrations collected by An Nasaa’ee. Usool at Tafseer pg. 132-133.
[3] The former is collected by Muslim and the latter by Bukhari.
[4] Usool at Tafseer: The Methodology of Qur’aanic Explanation pg. 219.
[5] Tafsir Ibn Khatir (Abridged) Vol. 3, pg. 198-99.