The Big Questions: Who Made Us?

 

At some point in our lives, everybody asks the big questions: “Who made us,” and “Why are we here?”

So who did make us?  Most of us have been brought up more on science than religion, and to believe in the Big Bang and evolution more than God.  But which makes more sense?  And is there any reason why the theories of science and creationism cannot coexist?

The Big Bang may explain the origin of the universe, but it doesn’t explain the origin of the primordial dust cloud.  This dust cloud (which, according to the theory, drew together, compacted and then exploded) had to come from somewhere.  After all, it contained enough matter to form not just our galaxy, but the billion other galaxies in the known universe.  So where did that come form?  Who, or what, created the primordial dust cloud?

Similarly, evolution may explain the fossil record, but it falls far short of explaining the quintessential essence of human life—the soul.  We all have one.  We feel its presence, we speak of its existence and at times pray for its salvation.  But only the religious can explain where it came from.  The theory of natural selection can explain many of the material aspects of living things, but it fails to explain the human soul.

Furthermore, anyone who studies the complexities of life and the universe cannot help but witness the signature of the Creator.[1]  Whether or not people recognize these signs is another matter—as the old saying goes, denial isn’t just a river in Egypt.  (Get it? Denial, spelled “de Nile” … the river Ni … oh, never mind.) The point is that if we see a painting, we know there is a painter.  If we see a sculpture, we know there’s a sculptor; a pot, a potter.  So when we view creation, shouldn’t we know there’s a Creator?

The concept that the universe exploded and then developed in balanced perfection through random events and natural selection is little different from the proposal that, by dropping bombs into a junkyard, sooner or later one of them will blow everything together into a perfect Mercedes.

If there is one thing we know for certain, it is that without a controlling influence, all systems degenerate into chaos.  The theories of the Big Bang and evolution propose the exact opposite, however—that chaos fostered perfection.  Would it not be more reasonable to conclude that the Big Bang and evolution were controlled events? Controlled, that is, by the Creator?

The Bedouin of Arabia tell the tale of a nomad finding an exquisite palace at an oasis in the middle of an otherwise barren desert.  When he asks how it was built, the owner tells him it was formed by the forces of nature.  The wind shaped the rocks and blew them to the edge of this oasis, and then tumbled them together into the shape of the palace.

Then it blew sand and rain into the cracks to cement them together.  Next, it blew strands of sheep’s wool together into rugs and tapestries, stray wood together into furniture, doors, windowsills and trim, and positioned them in the palace at just the right locations.

Lightning strikes melted sand into sheets of glass and blasted them into the window-frames, and smelted black sand into steel and shaped it into the fence and gate with perfect alignment and symmetry.  The process took billions of years and only happened at this one place on earth—purely through coincidence.
When we finish rolling our eyes, we get the point.  Obviously, the palace was built by design, not by happenstance.  To what (or more to the point, to Whom), then, should we attribute the origin of items of infinitely greater complexity, such as our universe and ourselves?

Another argument to dismiss the concept of Creationism focuses upon what people perceive to be the imperfections of creation.These are the “How can there be a God if such-and-such happened?”  arguments.The issue under discussion could be anything from a natural disaster to birth defects, from genocide to grandma’s cancer.That’s not the point.  The point is that denying God based upon what we perceive to be injustices of life presumes that a divine being would not have designed our lives to be anything other than perfect, and would have established justice on Earth.

We can just as easily propose that God did not design life on Earth to be paradise, but rather a test, the punishment or rewards of which are to be had in the next life, which is where God establishes His ultimate justice.  In support of this concept we can well ask who suffered more injustices in their worldly lives than God’s favorites, which is to say the prophets?

And who do we expect to occupy the highest stations in paradise, if not those who maintain true faith in the face of worldly adversity? So suffering in this worldly life does not necessarily translate into God’s disfavor, and a blissful worldly life does not necessarily translate into beatitude in the hereafter.
I would hope that, by this line of reasoning, we can agree upon the answer to the first “big question.”  Who made us? Can we agree that if we are creation, God is the Creator?

If we can’t agree on this point, there probably isn’t much point in continuing.  However, for those who do agree, let’s move on to “big question” number two—why are we here? What, in other words, is the purpose of life?

The first of the two big questions in life is, “Who made us?” We addressed that question in the previous article and (hopefully) settled upon “God” as the answer.  As we are creation, God is the Creator.

Now, let us turn to the second “big question,” which is, “Why are we here?”

Well, why are we here?  To amass fame and fortune?  To make music and babies?  To be the richest man or woman in the graveyard for, as we are jokingly told, “He who dies with the most toys wins?”

No, there must be more to life than that, so let’s think about this.  To begin with, look around you.  Unless you live in a cave, you are surrounded by things we humans have made with our own hands.  Now, why did we make those things?  The answer, of course, is that we make things to perform some specific function for us.  In short, we make things to serve us.  So by extension, why did God make us, if not to serve Him?

If we acknowledge our Creator, and that He created humankind to serve Him, the next question is, “How?  How do we serve Him?”  No doubt, this question is best answered by the One who made us.  If He created us to serve Him, then He expects us to function in a particular manner, if we are to achieve our purpose.  But how can we know what that manner is? How can we know what God expects from us?

Well, consider this: God gave us light, by which we can find our way.  Even at night, we have the moon for light and the stars for navigation.  God gave other animals guidance systems best suited for their conditions and needs.  Migrating birds can navigate, even on overcast days, by how light is polarized as it passes through the clouds.

Whales migrate by “reading” the Earth’s magnetic fields.  Salmon return from the open ocean to spawn at the exact spot of their birth by smell, if that can be imagined.  Fish sense distant movements through pressure receptors that line their bodies.  Bats and blind river dolphins “see” by sonar.  Certain marine organisms (the electric eel being a high-voltage example) generate and “read” magnetic fields, allowing them to “see” in muddy waters, or in the blackness of ocean depths.  Insects communicate by pheromones.

Plants sense sunlight and grow towards it (phototrophism); their roots sense gravity and grow into the earth (geotrophism).  In short, God has gifted every element of His creation with guidance.  Can we seriously believe he would not give us guidance on the one most important aspect of our existence, namely our raison d’etre—our reason for being? That he would not give us the tools by which to achieve salvation?
And would this guidance not be .  .  .  revelation?

Think of it this way: Every product has specifications and rules.  For more complex products, whose specifications and rules are not intuitive, we rely upon owner’s manuals.  These manuals are written by the one who knows the product best, which is to say the manufacturer.  A typical owner’s manual begins with warnings about improper use and the hazardous consequences thereof, moves on to a description of how to use the product properly and the benefits to be gained thereby, and provides product specifications and a troubleshooting guide whereby we can correct product malfunctions.

Now, how is that different from revelation?

Revelation tells us what to do, what not to do and why, tells us what God expects of us, and shows us how to correct our deficiencies.  Revelation is the ultimate user’s manual, provided as guidance to the one who will use us—ourselves.

In the world we know, products that meet or exceed specifications are considered successes whereas those that don’t are … hmm … let’s think about this.  Any product that fails to meet factory specifications is either repaired or, if hopeless, recycled.  In other words, destroyed.  Ouch.  Suddenly this discussion turns scary-serious.  Because in this discussion, we are the product—the product of creation.

But let’s pause for a moment and consider how we interact with the various items that fill our lives.  As long as they do what we want, we’re happy with them.  But when they fail us, we get rid of them.  Some are returned to the store, some donated to charity, but eventually they all end up in the garbage, which gets … buried or burned.  Similarly, an underperforming employee gets … fired.  Now, stop for a minute and think about that word.  Where did that euphemism for the punishment due to an underperformer come from?  Hmm … the person who believes the lessons of this life translate into lessons about religion could have a field day with this.

But that doesn’t mean these analogies are invalid.  Just the opposite, we should remember that both Old and New Testaments are filled with analogies, and Jesus Christ taught using parables.

So perhaps we had better take this seriously.

No, I stand corrected.  Most definitely we should take this seriously.  Nobody ever considered the difference between heavenly delights and the tortures of hellfire a laughing matter.

In the previous two parts of this series, we answered the two “big questions.”  Who made us?  God.  Why are we here?  To serve and worship Him.  A third question naturally arose: “If our Creator made us to serve and worship Him, how do we do that?” In the previous article I suggested that the only way we can serve our Creator is through obeying His mandates, as conveyed through revelation.

But many people would question my assertion: Why does mankind need revelation?  Isn’t it enough just to be good?  Isn’t it enough for each of us to worship God in our own way?

Regarding the need for revelation, I would make the following points: In the first article of this series I pointed out that life is full of injustices, but our Creator is fair and just and He establishes justice not in this life, but in the afterlife.  However, justice cannot be established without four things—a court (i.e., the Day of Judgment); a judge (i.e., the Creator); witnesses (i.e., men and women, angels, elements of creation); and a book of laws upon which to judge (i.e., revelation).

Now, how can our Creator establish justice if He did not hold humankind to certain laws during their livetimes?  It’s not possible.  In that scenario, instead of justice, God would be dealing out injustice, for He would be punishing people for transgressions they had no way of knowing were crimes.
 
Why else do we need revelation?  To begin with, without guidance mankind cannot even agree on social and economic issues, politics, laws, etc.  So how can we ever agree on God?  Secondly, nobody writes the user manual better than the one who made the product.

God is the Creator, we are creation, and nobody knows the overall scheme of creation better than the Creator.  Are employees allowed to design their own job descriptions, duties and compensation packages as they see fit?  Are we citizens allowed to write our own laws?  No?  Well then, why should we be allowed to write our own religions?  If history has taught us anything, it is the tragedies that result when mankind follows its caprice.  How many who have claimed to banner of free thought have designed religions that committed themselves and their followers to nightmares on Earth and damnation in the hereafter?

So why isn’t it enough just to be good?  And why isn’t it enough for each of us to worship God in our own way?  To begin with, peoples’ definitions of “good” differ.  For some it is high morals and clean living, for others it is madness and mayhem.

Similarly, concepts of how to serve and worship our Creator differ as well.  More importantly and to the point, nobody can walk into a store or a restaurant and pay with a different currency than the merchant accepts.  So it is with religion.  If people want God to accept their servitude and worship, they have to pay in the currency God demands.  And that currency is obedience to His revelation.
 
Imagine raising children in a home in which you have established “house rules.” Then, one day, one of your children tells you he or she has changed the rules, and is going to do things differently.  How would you respond?  More than likely, with the words, “You can take your new rules and go to Hell!” Well, think about it.  We are God’s creation, living in His universe under His rules, and “go to Hell” is very likely what God will say to any who presume to override His laws with their own.

Sincerity becomes an issue at this point.  We should recognize that all pleasure is a gift from our Creator, and deserving of thanks.  If given a gift, who uses the gift before giving thanks?  And yet, many of us enjoy God’s gifts for a lifetime and never give thanks.  Or give it late.  The English poet, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, spoke of the irony of the distressed human appeal in The Cry of the Human:

And lips say “God be pitiful,”

Who ne’er said, “God be praised.”

Should we not show good manners and thank our Creator for His gifts now, and subsequently for the rest of our lives?  Don’t we owe Him that?

You answered “Yes.” You must have.  Nobody will have read this far without being in agreement, but here’s the problem: Many of you answered “Yes,” knowing full well that your heart and mind does not wholly agree with the religions of your exposure.  You agree we were created by a Creator.  You struggle to understand Him.

And you yearn to serve and worship Him in the manner He prescribes.  But you don’t know how, and you don’t know where to look for the answers.  And that, unfortunately, is not a subject that can be answered in an article.  Unfortunately, that has to be addressed in a book, or maybe even in a series of books.

Read More

Belief, Its Meaning and Importance

 

One narration states, "You are going to a people from the People of the Book. Let the first thing that you call them to be the worship of Allah. If they acknowledge Allah, then inform them that Allah has obligated upon them five prayers during their days and nights."

This hadith is clear. It does not require much of an explanation. The Prophet (peace be upon him) applied this principle in his practical calling to Islam. He stayed in Makkah for thirteen years to teach the people iman and to educate his Companions on this point and to correct the beliefs of the people. That is the pattern upon which the Companions were brought up.

Abdullah ibn Umar said, "We lived during an instant of time in which one of us would receive faith first before receiving the Quran and when the surahs were revealed we would learn what they permitted and what they prohibited and what they forbade and what they ordered and what should be the stance towards them. But I have seen many men from whom one is given the Quran before iman and he reads it from the opening of the Book to its closing and he does not know what it orders and what it forbids and what should be his stance towards it.

He is like someone who is just throwing out dates [i.e., he does not get any benefit from his recital]."

That is the manner in which the Prophet (peace be upon him) brought up his companions: Iman first and then the Quran. This is similar to what Imam Abu Hanifa pointed out: Understanding in the religion first (i.e. tauheed) and then understanding in the science (i.e. the shariah).

• The beliefs must be corrected first, then follows all of the other aspects of the religion.
  

...And Imam Ash-Shafi`i said, "That a servant meets Allaah with every sin except Shirk is better say than meeting Him upon any of the innovated beliefs."

... Al-Aqeeda linguistically is derived from the term aqada. In Arabic, one states, "Aqada the rope" when the rope is tied firmly. And, "Aqada the sale" or "He settled the sale" when the person ratifies and contracts a sale or agreement.

And Allah says in the Quran, "And as for those whom your right hands have made a covenant (Ar., aqadat)" [Al-Nisa 33]. And Allah also says, "But He will take you to task for the oaths which you swear in earnest (Ar., aqadtum) [Al-Maida, 89] which means asserted and adhered to, as proven in the verse, "And break not oaths after the assertion of them" [An-Nahl, 91]. If one says, "Aqadtu such and such," it means his heart is firm upon such and such.

Therefore, al-aqeeda or al-itiqad according to the scholars of Islam is: The firm creed that one's heart is fixed upon without any wavering or doubt. It excludes any supposition, doubt or suspicion.

Imam Abu Hanifa called this great subject al-Fiqh al-Akbar ("The Greater Understanding") and the understanding of the religion. He called the science of law (Ar., shariah) the understanding of the science. Many scholars of Islam use the word tauheed for all matters that a person must believe in. This is because the most important of these matters is the basic tauheed that is contained in the phrase, "There is none worthy of worship except Allah."

Tauheed, according to them, may be divided into two categories: tauheed of cognition and affirmation and tauheed of purpose and deeds.

Tauheed of cognition and affirmation is the tauheed of the Oneness of the Creator and the tauheed of His Names and Attributes [i.e. He is Unique in His being the only Creator and the only One with His names and attributes]. Tauheed of purpose and deeds is tauheed of lordship or that none should be worshipped except Allah [i.e., He is the only One worthy of worship].

The scholastic theologians (Ar., kalaamiyoon) - and what will explain to you who the scholastic theologians are - call this great subject "the root of the religion" and they call the law "the branches of the religion". This is their terminology. We also have a dispute with them in this matter but this is not the place to discuss it. All of them give it a name or adjective according to their needs.

But what is the name the Quran gives to this matter?
The Quran gives the grave matter the name iman. Allah says in the Quran, "And thus We inspired in You (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was, nor what the Faith was. But we have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of our bondmen..."

The general concepts that the heart of the believer must be firm about are the "pillars" of this faith. But one will not be called a believer just by knowing and understanding these pillars but he must come to the level where he submits and implements what is described, in the hadith of Gabriel, as Islam.

• Iman, in this manner, incorporates Islam.
  

If iman was simply knowing the facts in one's heart, then its companion would be equal to Satan and Pharaoh [Note: The Satan was the most knowledgeable of his Lord but he was destroyed because of his pride and envy.

And Pharaoh, even though he claimed to be the lord, knew that the lord is Allah and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him. Allah says, "He said: In truth you know that none sent down these portents save the Lord of the heavens and the earth as proofs..." [al-Isra, 102]. - Although they knew the truth, they did not put it in practice by turning their `ibadah to Allah Alone].

In the hadith of Gabriel, the Prophet (peace be upon him) explained the pillars of this faith in which every human must believe, when he was asked, "What is iman?", he said, "To believe in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers and the Last Day and predestination of good and evil."

It is a must for every person to know these pillars and to learn them with a correct understanding and to believe in them in the manner that he pious forefathers understood and believed in them, in the same manner that the Companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) believed and understood them, as well as their Followers and those who followed on their path. This includes the four imams, Sufyan Al-Thauri, Sufyan ibn Uyaina, Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak and others similar to them, as well as Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari, Muslim ibn Al-Hajjaj, Shaikh al-Islam ibn Taymiya and al-Hafedh ibn al-Qayyim. And scholars similar to them who followed the same manner of understanding and believing in these pillars.

This is the first obligation upon the responsible human being. There is no difference of opinion on this question among the scholars whose opinions are worth following.

Imam Abu-Hanifa said, "The understanding of faith is better than understanding of the science." What he meant by faith is tauheed and what he meant by science is the shariah. He put the understanding of tauheed before the understanding of the shariah.

"The first obligation upon the slave is the knowledge of Allah. This is proven by the hadith of Muadh, when the Prophet (peace be upon him) said to him, 'You will come to a people from the People of the Book. The first thing that you should call them to is the worship of Allah. If they gain the knowledge of Allah, then tell them that Allah obligates upon them five prayers during the day and night..."

From this premise did the great scholars of Islam precede. Ponder, for example, what Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al-Bukhari did in his book al-Jami al-Sahih, which is the most authentic book after the Book of Allah; one will see that from his detailed knowledge and understanding of this religion, this great Imam began his book with

"The Beginning of Revelation" and then he followed it with chapters on faith, followed by the chapters on knowledge. As if he means, may Allah have mercy on him, to point out that the first obligation upon a human being is faith or Iman and the way to attaining faith is knowledge. And the source of faith and knowledge is revelation. So he began by showing how the revelation occurred and what it was like.

Then he followed by mentioning faith and knowledge. This arrangement is no accident; by it he makes some important points.

This is the sum of what we wish to mention and what we wish to raise our voices about. The matter of aqeeda is the first priority. Faith and knowledge are the means of attainin it

Read More

The Finality of Prophethood

 

What is meant here by “the inclusiveness of Islam” is that fact that Islam is for all times and places.  Regardless of who a person may be or where he may be, Islam should be his religion and his way of life.  This is just as much true for those who lived during the lifetime of the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, or those who will live in 2525 (if God wills that there shall be such a year).

The correct understanding of this point revolves around a number of issues.  The first important issue is that of the finality of prophethood as vested in the Prophet Muhammad.  The second concerns the perfection of the religion and the manner in which it is able to guide humankind during all eras.

• The Finality of Prophethood
• God decreed that the Prophet Muhammad would be His final messenger.  God says:
• “Muhammad is not the father of any man among you, but he is the Messenger of God and the last of the Prophets.  And God is Ever All-Aware of everything.” (Quran 33:40)
• The Prophet Muhammad himself said:
• “I have been sent to all of the creation and the prophets have been sealed by me.” (Saheeh Muslim)
• Again, he said:
• “The Children of Israel were led by the prophets; whenever a prophet died, a prophet succeeded (him).  Lo!  There will be no prophet after me” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
  

Thus, there finally came the Prophet who explicitly declared that he is the final prophet.  The Prophets who came before the Prophet—as far as can be seen from what is narrated from them—did not make such a claim regarding themselves.  Thus, for example, in Deuteronomy 18:17-19, God is telling Moses that He is going to send another messenger “like unto him” in the future.  In the New Testament, in John 14:15-16, Jesus speaks of “another Comforter” being sent by God.  (Also in John 16:7-8 and John 16:12-13 Jesus speaks of someone coming in the future.)  On the other hand, the Prophet Muhammad made it very clear that no prophet would come after him.

Being sent as the final messenger for humankind, there had to be some aspects that were unique concerning this last Prophet.  These aspects include:

First, since no one could come later to correct any mistakes or distortions, the revelation received by the last prophet had to be preserved in its pristine purity.  It is obviously beyond the scope of this short article, but a study of the history of the Quran and Sunnah would demonstrate that both of them were minutely preserved.

Second, the nature of the “sign” of the last prophet would have to be different as well.  This is because this sign would have to affect not only the people who were alive during the time of the prophet, but also all those who would come later.  The “sign” of the Prophet Muhammad was the Quran, and its miraculous nature can still be appreciated today and will continue to be appreciated in the future.

Third, this final prophet could not simply be sent for one community among humankind—each then having their own final prophet and then differing with one another.  This final prophet had to be sent for all of humankind, putting an end to the succession of prophets and being suitable for the world as a whole.

The Prophet Muhammad was the only prophet to make it known that he was not sent only for a certain people, but rather for all the various peoples of the world.  The Jews, for example, consider themselves to be a chosen race and that their message is meant exclusively for themselves.

Thus, many orthodox Jews do not believe in proselytizing their faith. The New Testament also makes it clear that Jesus’ mission was to the Tribes of Israel. Matthew 10: 5-6 read:
“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

• Jesus is reported to have said when the Canaanite woman came to him for help,
• “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24).[1]
• This limited mission of Jesus’ is also affirmed in the Quran (61:6).  In the case of the Prophet Muhammad, however, God says:
• “Say (O Muhammad to the people), ‘O mankind!  Verily, I am sent to you all as the Messenger of God…’” (Quran 7:158)
• “And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind.” (Quran 34:28)
  

There are yet other verses giving the same purport.  Prophet Muhammad also stated that he was distinguished from the earlier prophets by five matters.  The last he mentioned was:

“[Before] a prophet would be sent to his own people only, while I have been sent to all of mankind.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

Fourth, the laws and teachings of this message had to be fixed in matters that need to be fixed for all of humankind until the Day of Judgment and guiding yet flexible or accommodating in those matters that need to be open to change due to the changing circumstances of humankind.  This shall be discussed in more detail below.

On all of these points, one sees that it is the message of the Prophet Muhammad that fits all of these criteria.  Furthermore, all of these aspects make it quite clear that the Prophet Muhammad is qualified and sufficient to be the messenger for all of humankind and that the religion that all humankind should accept is Islam.

Before discussing how the laws of Islam are universal, it is important to briefly discuss the issue of those who are following earlier confirmed prophets of God.  These people may argue that the Prophet Muhammad may have been truthful, but that it is sufficient for them to follow the Prophet that they have been following.

In reality, no one has the right to accept the other prophets while rejecting the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.  No one has the right to say that Muhammad was truthful but, “I chose to still follow Jesus or Moses instead.”  Logically speaking, one should not expect this to be acceptable to God.

God has sent His final messenger to be believed in and followed, superseding and canceling what is left of the teachings of earlier prophets.  In the Quran, God describes such an attitude:
“And when it is said to them, ‘Believe in what God has sent down,’ they say, ‘We believe in what was sent down to us.’  And they disbelieve in that which came after it, while it is the truth confirming what is with them…” (Quran 2:91)

God has further declared people of this nature to be disbelievers.He has said:

“Verily, those who disbelieve in God and His Messengers and wish to make distinction between God and His Messengers (by believing in God and disbelieving in His Messengers) saying, ‘We believe in some but reject others,’ and wish to adopt a way in between.

They are in truth disbelievers. And We have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating torment.  And those who believe in God and His Messengers and make no distinction between any of them, We shall give them their rewards, and God is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

• The Prophet said:
  

“[I swear] by [God], the One in whose hand is my soul, there will be none of my addressed people, be he Jew or Christian, who hears of me and dies without believing in that with which I was sent except that he will be from the inhabitants of the Hellfire.” (Saheeh Muslim)

• The Prophet even told one of his companions:
  

“If my brother Moses were alive today, he would have no option but to follow me.” (Ahmad and al-Daarimi)

Hence, the universality of Islam applies to all who were following any of the previous prophets as well.  They have no logical option except to accept and follow Prophet Muhammad.

• The Universality of Islam and Its Timelessness

As noted above, Prophet Muhammad declared that he was the final prophet sent for humankind.  At the same time, it is inconceivable knowing the mercy of the merciful that He would leave humans without any form of clear guidance.  In other words, what He gave this final messenger must be suitable to guide all of humankind after him after him until the Day of Judgment.  In fact, the Prophet himself made this very same point in essence when he said:

“I have left with you two things that if you cling to them you will never be misguided after me: The Book of God and the Sunnah of His Messenger.”

• God has also said:
  

“…This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…”

Thus, the religion is completed and perfected and there is no need for any alteration or change.  The message has come and shall suffice until the Day of Judgment.  The Prophet sent for all peoples has already come.

This implies that the Prophet’s teachings are valid and obligatory upon all of humankind.  That is, his example and teaching was not simply for the people of Arabia at his time.  Rather, it is just as valid and just as important for each and every Muslim today, whether he be in New York or Malaysia.

At this point, someone may logically ask: How is it that this Law is able to fulfill the needs for all of mankind until the Day of Judgment?  Human society is changing day to day.  How is it that one “law” can provide guidance for everyone at all times?  The answer to this question has to do with the beauty of the Law.

When one studies the law promulgated by Prophet Muhammad, one finds that it has the needed elements of flexibility that allow it to be just as practicable today as it was during time of the Prophet.  In essence, those issues that need to be fixed and permanent are made such by the Islamic Law.  Those that need to be flexible so that different peoples at different times may apply them differently are left flexible in the Islamic Law.  Hence, it is a Divinely guided way of life that is suitable and practical for 

all humans until the Day of Judgmen
Thus, first, in reality, human nature actually does not change over time.  Laws or guidance covering moral and ethical behavior shall always remain the same, because what is damaging to the soul at one time will always be damaging to the soul, again due to the fact that human nature does not change.  For example, lying and cheating are displeasing to the Lord and harmful to the soul and shall forever remain that way.  Thus, laws and guidance 

related to issues of this nature remain fixed and completely applicable until the Day of Judgment.  Ritual acts of worship, which underline the foundation of a human's character, also do not need to change.  God alone knows how He is to be worshipped, and if He has declared these acts as proper and acceptable to Him until the Day of Judgment, no one can possibly say otherwise.  In describing these kinds of laws or guidance, one can say that Islamic Law is rigid, but that is only because it should be rigid on these points.  That, in no way, affects its universality and practicality for all times and places.

Second, there are some harmful matters that humans must avoid.These have also been explicitly and permanently forbidden.Alcohol and intoxicants, for example, will always be harmful for humankind.Every now and then, humans may find something beneficial about alcohol, as God also alludes to in the Quran, but overall no society can rightly argue that alcohol consumption is something good.One need only consider the social costs of drinking in the United States alone.  Many families are torn apart due to alcohol abuse.

Driving under the influence is recognized as a danger to society, and although great steps have been taken to control it, numerous people are still killed or severely injured due to alcohol.Many alcoholics cannot hold down jobs and thus become dependent on the state, putting the burden of their care on the rest of the citizens.When it comes to issues of this nature, Islam forbids such a practice forever as there can be no serious argument given that alcohol should be permitted.(Indeed, one can argue that it is only permitted today because the cost of keeping people from this addicting “drug” is prohibitive.This, in reality, is just another sign of how dangerous and evil alcohol is.)
 
Third, beyond that, humans need only some detailed laws but many general principles that allow them to guide their lives in all times and places.  This is exactly what Islamic Law provides for them.  Thus, God provides detailed laws about what kinds of food one may eat, inheritance, who is legal as a spouse, international relations and so on.

From these detailed laws, a scholar is able to extract rulings for many new occasions.  From the general principles, a scholar can derive guidance for various issues that did not occur 
during, for example, the time of the Prophet.
 
Fourth, in the realm of social contracts and business, for example, the general principle is that everything is permissible unless there is evidence to show otherwise.  Hence, Islamic Law actually allows for a great deal of freedom within the Law.  In business dealings, for example, Islam has prohibited interest, overly risky transactions, gambling, fraud, deception, sale or purchase of illegal items and coercion.

In general, these are the harmful aspects that have been prohibited.  In other words, the guidance is such that when new forms of business dealings are developed, as in modern times, one can determine which are acceptable according to Islamic guidelines and which are not.Thus, Islamic Law has been proven to be feasible for over 1400 years and, according to Islamic beliefs, will continue to be feasible until the Day of Judgment.Two businessmen are able to come up with any form of contract they wish, as long as the basic forbidden and harmful aspects are avoided. One cannot even imagine how many types of 

transactions are therefore permissible under Islamic Law.
Finally, it must be recognized that this complete and comprehensive guidance that will remain viable until the Day of Judgment is a great blessing from God, and is another sign that humans must turn to God for guidance.

Humans on their own would never be able to find a way of life that is suitable even for just one place and time, not to speak of something that would be good for centuries or millenniums—although humans would try to latch on to what they were following in the past. 

Sayyid Qutb has eloquently noted this point when he wrote,
When a human being tries to construct a metaphysical concept or a system of life through his own efforts, this concept or system cannot be comprehensive.It can only be partially valid, good for one time and place but not for other times and other places, and appropriate for one set of circumstances but not for another.

Furthermore, even in tackling a single problem, he is incapable of looking at it from all possible sides and of taking into consideration all the consequences of the proposed solution, since very problem extends in space and time and is connected with precedents and antecedents beyond the scope of observation and comprehension of human beings.
We therefore conclude that no philosophy and no system of life produced by human thought can have the characteristic of “comprehensiveness.” At most, it can cover a segment of human life and can be valid for a temporary period.

Because of its limited scope, it is always deficient in many respects, and because of its temporariness it is bound to cause problems that require modifications and changes in the original philosophy or system of life Peoples and nations basing their social,political and economic systems on human philosophies are forever confronted with contradictions and “dialectics.

One need only look at one example which has been much debated recently to understand how applying God’s guidance at all places and times is what is best for humanity.  Circumcision is a well-known and established practice in Islam.  In the past few decades, doctors and scientists—due to humans’ very limited understanding of the reality of humans as a whole—keep going back and forth concerning circumcision.

One decade they are in favor of it while the next they say that it is useless and harmful to the child.  Now they have found—or they think they have found, as perhaps they could be wrong again—that circumcision is a great defense against HIV AIDS.  Now, they are rushing to circumcise many of the men in different parts of Africa.
Perhaps, after so many cases like this, more and more humans will realize that there is guidance, complete and perfect, that has come from God that is exactly what all humans need and require, regardless of time and place.

In sum, the guidance is complete and suitable for all times and places.  It is all that the Muslims need for happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.  It cannot be improved upon.  It is, therefore, in no need of additions, alterations or deletions.

Those who think that they can improve upon what God has revealed are arrogant in the purest sense and going beyond what they can possible ever achieve.  For this obvious reason, the Prophet gave very strong warnings about innovations, heresies and changes to the faith.Such things are not needed at all and they will simply take away from the beauty and perfection of Islam.Thus, the Prophet said:
“The worst matters are invented ones.  And every innovation is a going astray.” (Saheeh Muslim)

Read More

Belief in Angels

 

In common folklore, angels are thought of as good forces of nature, hologram images, or illusions.  Western iconography sometimes depicts angels as fat cherubic babies or handsome young men or women with a halo surrounding their head.  In Islamic doctrine, they are real created beings who will eventually suffer death, but are generally hidden from our senses.

They are not divine or semi-divine, and they are not God’s associates running different districts of the universe.  Also, they are not objects to be worshipped or prayed to, as they do not deliver our prayers to God.  They all submit to God and carry out His commands.

In the Islamic worldview, there are no fallen angels: they are not divided into ‘good’ and ‘evil’ angels.  Human beings do not become angels after death.  Satan is not a fallen angel, but is one of the jinn, a creation of God parallel to human beings and angels.

Angels were created from light before human beings were created, and thus their graphic or symbolic representation in Islamic art is rare.  Nevertheless, they are generally beautiful beings with wings as described in Muslim scripture.

Angels form different cosmic hierarchies and orders in the sense that they are of different size, status, and merit.

The greatest of them is Gabriel.  The Prophet of Islam actually saw him in his original form.  Also, the attendants of God’s Throne are among the greatest angels.  They love the believers and beseech God to forgive them their sins.  They carry the Throne of God, about whom the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“I have been given permission to speak about one of the angels of God who carry the Throne.  The distance between his ear-lobes and his shoulders is equivalent to a seven-hundred-year journey.” (Abu Daud)

They do not eat or drink.  The angels do not get bored or tired of worshipping God:

“They celebrate His praises night and day, nor do they ever slacken.” (Quran 21:20)
The Number of Angels

How many angels there are? Only God knows.  The Much-Frequented House is a sacred heavenly sanctuary above the Kaaba, the black cube in the city of Mecca.  Every day seventy thousand angels visit it and leave, never returning to it again, followed by another group

• The Names of Angels
  

Muslims believe in specific angels mentioned in the Islamic sources like Jibreel (Gabriel), Mika'eel (Michael), Israfeel, Malik - the guard over Hell, and others.  Of these, only Gabriel and Michael are mentioned in the Bible.
Angelic Abilities

The angels possess great powers given to them by God.  They can take on different forms.  The Muslim scripture describes how at the moment of Jesus’ conception, God sent Gabriel to Mary in the form of a man:

“…Then We sent to her Our angel, and he appeared before her as a man in all respects.” (Quran 19:17)

Angels also visited Abraham in human form.  Similarly, angels came to Lot to deliver him from danger in the form of handsome, young men.  Gabriel used to visit Prophet Muhammad in different forms.  Sometimes, he would appear in the form of one of his handsome disciples, and sometimes in the form of a desert Bedouin.

Angels have the ability to take human forms in some circumstances involving common people.

Gabriel is God’s heavenly messenger to mankind.  He would convey the revelation from God to His human messengers.  God says:

“Say: whoever is an enemy to Gabriel - for he brings down the (revelation) to your heart by God’s will..

• Tasks of the Angels
  

Some angels are put in charge of executing God’s law in the physical world.  Michael is responsible for rain, directing it wherever God wishes.  He has helpers who assist him by the command of his Lord; they direct the winds and clouds, as God wills.  Another is responsible for blowing the Horn, which will be blown by Israafeel at the onset of the Day of Judgment.  Others are responsible for taking souls out of the bodies at the time of death: the Angel of Death and his assistants.  God says:

• “Say: the Angel of Death, put in charge of you, will (duly) take your souls, then shall you be brought back to your Lord.” (Quran 32:11)
• Then there are guardian angels responsible for protecting the believer throughout his life, at home or traveling, asleep or awake.
• Others are responsible for recording the deeds of man, good and bad.  These are known as the “honorable scribes.”
• Two angels, Munkar and Nakeer, are responsible for testing people in the grave.
• Among them are keepers of Paradise and the nineteen ‘guards’ of Hell whose leader is named ‘Malik.’
  

There are also angels responsible for breathing the soul into the fetus and writing down its provisions, life-span, actions, and whether it will be wretched or happy.

Some angels are roamers, traveling around the world in search of gatherings where God is remembered.  There are also angels constituting God’s heavenly army, standing in rows, they never get tired or sit down, and others who bow or prostrate, and never raise their heads, always worshipping God.

As we learn from above, the angels are a grandiose creation of God, varying in numbers, roles, and abilities. God is in no need of these creatures, but having knowledge and belief in them adds to the awe that one feels towards God, in that He is able to create as He wishes, for indeed the magnificence of His creation is a proof of the magnificence of the Creator.
Angels are another kind of creature created by God, known to mankind, commonly dwelling 

in the heavenly spheres. Although the Quran does not mention the time when angels were created, they are generally considered as the first creation of God. According to Tabari, the angels had been created on Wednesday,[6] while other creatures on the following days. Although not mentioned in the Quran,[7] angels are believed to be created from a luminous substance, repeatedly described as a form of light. What is probably the most famous hadith regarding their origin is reported in Sahih Muslim: "The Angels were created out of light and the Jann was created out of a mixture of fire and Adam was created out of what 

characterizes you."[8][9] Nur, the term used for the light from which the angels are created from, usually corresponds to the cold light of night or the light of the moon,[10] contrasted to nar, which corresponds to fire or the diurnal and solar light from which the angels of punishment are said to be created of.[11] Dividing angels into two groups created from different types of light is also attested by Tabari,[12] Abd al-Ghani al-Maqdisi,[13] Al-Jili[14] and Al-Suyuti.[15] Suyuti distinguishes in his work Al-Hay’a as-samya fi l-hay’a as-sunmya angels as created from "fire that eats, but does not drink" in opposition to devils created from "fire that drinks, but does not eat" which is also identified with the fire of the sun.[16] 

Scholars also argued that there is no distinction between nur and nar at all. Although not his conclusion,Tabari argued that both can be seen as the same substance, since both pass into each other but refer to the same thing on different degrees.[17] Asserting that both fire and light are actually the same but on different degrees can also be found by Qazwini and Ibishi.[18][19] The lack of distinction between fire and light might be explained by the fact that both are closely related morphologically and phonetically.[20] Al-Baydawi argued that light serves only as a proverb, but fire and light refers actually to the same substance.[21] Apart from light, other traditions also mention exceptions about angels created from fire, ice or water.

• Characteristics

One of the Islamic major characteristic is their lack of bodily desires; they never get tired, do not eat or drink and have no anger.[23] As with other monotheistic religions, angels are characteristics of their purity and obedience to God.[24] However, their constant loyalty, towards God, emphasized by some Quranic verses such as 16:49, does not necessarily imply impeccability,[25] and the motif of erring angels is also known to Islam.[26] Some 

scholars on the other hand, among Hasan of Basra as one of the first,[27] extend their loyalty towards God to assume general impeccability. Those who accept the possibility of erring angels, advocate that actually only the messengers among the angels are infallible,[28] since the Quran also describes angels as being tested.[29] Al-Baydawi argued, that angels only remain impeccable if they do not fall. Ibn Arabi stated that angels may err in opposing Adam as a vice-regent and fixing on their way of worshipping God to the exclusion of other creatures.

Angels are usually described in anthropomorphic forms combined with supernatural images, such as wings, being of great size, wearing heavenly clothes and great beauty.[32] Some angels are identified with specific colors, often with white, but some special angels have a distinct color, such as Gabriel being associated with the color green.[33]

The Quran says that the angels were considered to be daughters of God and worshipped in Pre-Islamic Arabia,[34] while newborn girls were often killed, which is condemned in Islam.[35] This is also mentioned concerning Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manāt.[36] The notion that God created the angels as females and fathered daughters is rejected in the Quran.[37]

Scholars debated whether human or angels rank higher. The prostration of angels before Adam is often seen as evidence for humans' supremacy over angels. Nevertheless, other hold angels to be superior, as being free from material deficits, such as anger and lust, Angels are free from such inferior urges and therefore superior, a position especially found among Mu'tazilites and some Asharites.[25] A similar opinion was asserted by Hasan of Basri, who argued that angels are superior to humans due to their infallibility, originally 

opposed by both Sunnis and Shias.[38] This view is based on the assumption of superiority of pure spirit against body and flesh. Contrarily argued, humans rank above angels, since for a human it is harder to be obedient and to worship God, hassling with bodily temptations, in contrast to angels, whose life is much easier and therefore their obedience is rather insignificant. Islam acknowledges a famous story about competing angels and humans in the tale of Harut and Marut, who were tested to determine, whether or not, angels would do better than humans under the same circumstances,[39] a tradition opposed by later 

scholars, such as ibn Taimiyya, but still accepted by earlier scholars, such as ibn Hanbal.[40] Some Sufi traditions argue that a human generally ranks below angels, but developed to Al-Insān al-Kāmil, he ranks above angels.[41] Comparable to another major opinion, that prophets and messengers among humans rank above angels, but the ordinary human below an angel, while the messengers among angels rank higher than prophets.[25] Maturidism generally holds that angels' and prophets' superiority and obedience derive from their virtues and insights to God's action, but not as their original purity.[42]

• Purit

Angels believed to be engaged in human affairs are closely related to Islamic purity and modesty rituals. Many hadiths, including Muwatta Imam Malik from one of the Kutub al-Sittah, talk about angels being repelled by humans' state of impurity.[43] Such angels keep a distance from humans, who polluted themselves by certain actions (such as sexual intercourse). However, angels might return to an individual as soon as the person (ritually) purified himself or herself. The absence of angels may cause several problems for the 

person. If driven away by ritual impurity, the Kiraman Katibin, who record people's actions,[44] and the Guardian angel,[45] will not perform their tasks assigned to the individual. Another hadith specifies, during the state of impurity, bad actions are still written down, but good actions are not. When a person tells a lie, angels nearly are separated from the person from the stench it emanates.[46] Angels also depart from humans when they are naked or are having a bath out of decency, but also curse people who are nude in public.

• Abstract angels

In Islamic philosophy, angels appear frequently as incorporeal creatures. Al-Kindi and Ibn Sina both define angels as simple substances, which means, they belong to the Celestial spheres comparable to Ptolemaic astronomy, endowed with life, reason, and immortality, in contrast to sublunary entities such as humans and animals, who are endowed with life, and the former also with reason, but are mortal.[47][48] Similarly Qazwini assigns the angels to 

heavenly spheres, distinguishing them from among the animals, although both are said to possess the attribute of life. Significantly, Al-Damiri includes in his zoological works, animals, humans, jinn and even demons, but not angels.[49] Such cosmological thought, maintained by scholars such as Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina, has strong resemblance with the Neo-Platonistic emanation cosmology, identifying the different angels in Islam with intellects, 

dividing the cosmos into different spheres. However, Islamic scholars repeatedly insist that all heavenly spheres as a whole form a single body and are moved by God, in contrast to Aristotelian cosmology in which God only moves the outer sphere.[47] According to ibn Sina, but differing from Al-Farabi, God is not part of the scheme of emanation. God emanated things in accordance with his will. In his Theologia Aristotelis he shows that through the manifestation of God, the intellects are aware of God and their role in the universe. Further Ibn Sina seems to distinguishes between two types of angels: One completely unrelated to matter, and another one, which exists in form of a superior kind of 

matter. The latter ones can carry messages between the heavenly spheres and the sublunary world, appearing in visions. Therefore, the higher angels dwell in higher spheres, while their subordinate angels appear in an intermediary realm. Ibn Sina's explanation might imply an attempt to consider revelation as part of the natural world.[23][50] Also Qazwini lists a lower type of angels; earthly angels as indwelling forces of nature, who keep the world in order and never deviate from their duty. Qazwini believed that the existence of these angels could be proved by reason and effects of these angels on their assigned object.

Islamic philosophy stressed that humans own angelic and demonic qualities and that the human soul is seen as a potential angel or potential demon.[52] Depending on whether the sensual soul or the rational soul develop, the human soul becomes an angel or a demon. Angels may also give inspirations opposite to the evil suggestions, called waswās, from Satan.

• In Ibn Abbas Mi'raj narrative
  

Muhammad requests Maalik to show him Hell during his heavenly journey. Miniature from The David Collection.

Muhammad encounters the Angel composed of fire and ice during his Night journey. Miniature from a copy of al-Sarai’s Nahj al-Faradis from The David Collection
Muhammad's encounter with several significant angels on his journey through the celestial spheres plays a major role in Ibn Abbas's version.[55][56] Many scholars such as Al-Tha`labi drew their exegesis upon this narrative, but it never led to an established angelology as known in Christianity. The principal angels of the heavens are called Malkuk, instead of Malak.

first heaven second heaven third heaven fourth heaven fifth heaven sixth heaven    seventh heaven

• Habib Angel of Death Maalik Salsa'il Kalqa'il Mikha'il (Archangel) Israfil
• Rooster angel Angels of death Angel with seventy heads Angels of the sun    -    Cherubim Bearers of the Throne
• Ismail (or Riḍwan) Mika'il Arina'il -   - Shamka'il fra'il

• Individual angels

Islam has no standard hierarchical organization that parallels the division into different "choirs" or spheres hypothesized and drafted by early medieval Christian theologians, but does distinguish between archangels and angels. Angels are not equal in status and consequently, they are delegated different tasks to perform.

• Archangel

Jibrā'īl/Jibrīl/Jabrīl (English: Gabriel),[58] the angel of revelation. Jibra'il is the archangel responsible for revealing the Quran to Muhammad, verse by verse. Jibra'il is the angel who communicates with all of the prophets and also descends with the blessings of God during the night of Laylat al-Qadr ("The Night of Divine Destiny (Fate)"). Jibra'il is also acknowledged as a magnificent warrior in Islamic tradition, who led an army of angels into the Battle of Badr and fought against Iblis as he tempted Jesus (Isa).[
 
Mīkāl/Mīkāʾīl/Mīkhā'īl (English: Michael),[60] the archangel of mercy, is often depicted as providing nourishment for bodies and souls while also being responsible for bringing rain and thunder to Earth.[61] Some scholars pointed out that Mikail is in charge of angels who carry the laws of nature.[62] According to legend, he was so shocked at the sight of hell when it was created that he never laughed again.
 
Isrāfīl (frequently associated with the Jewish and Christian angel Raphael), is the archangel who blows into the trumpet in the end time, therefore also associated with music in some traditions.Israfil is responsible for signaling the coming of Qiyamah (Judgment Day) by blowing a horn. On his association with Raphael, the historian Ali Olomi writes, "In esoteric circles, Israfil is the angel of the West, the Sun, and sometimes Thursday. Other times the angel of Jupiter Sarfayail is assigned to Thursday. The astrological overlap may hint at a parallel with the Jewish angel Seraphiel or Raphael."

'Azrā'īl/'Azrayl/Azrael, is the archangel of death. He and his subordinative angels are responsible for parting the soul from the body of the dead and will carry the believers to heaven (Illiyin) and the unbelievers to hell (Sijjin).[65][66]

Read More

Mount Paran

 

"God (his guidance) came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise."

The wilderness of Paran is where Abraham's wife Hagar and his eldest son Ishmael, the father of the Arabs, settled (Genesis 21:21) in the Arabian desert. Specifically, Makkah (Please see Map 1, page 440). Makkah is, of course, the capital of Islam in Arabia and the birthplace of Muhammad (pbuh). Indeed, it was Hagar and Ishmael themselves who transformed a barren patch of desert into what is now the capital of Islam, "Makkah." Mount Paran is the chain of mountains in that same region which the Arabs call the "Sarawat mountains."

According to J. Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible, Teman is an Oasis just North of Madinah. Muhammad (pbuh) did indeed come from Paran. About 622 AD, he and his followers were forced to migrate from Makkah (Paran) to Madinah (Teman) where he spent the rest of his prophetic life teaching it's people the guidance of God (the Qur'an).

These two cities, Makkah and Madinah, are such critical importance to a Muslims faith that every single chapter of the Qur'an is classified as either "Makkia" (revealed in Makkah) or "Madaniyyah" (revealed in Madinah).

When someone describes someone as having "come from" a certain town, this is usually interpreted as meaning that that person was born in that town. In other words, that town is this man's "home town." However, when one reads the words "God came from…," the meaning is quite different.

It is quite obvious that the verse is not implying that a given location is God's "home town." Jews, Christians, and Muslims all affirm that God Almighty is Omnipresent* and Eternal. So, if this is the case, then we can not say that God Himself "came" or "went" to a given place since that would imply that there are times and places where God's knowledge and supervision is NOT present, and thus, it is possible to hide from God since I could go to a place where God has not "come" and is not present in His knowledge.

So if God is Omnipresent (present in knowledge everywhere at the same time), then we begin to realize that it is not God "Himself" that is "coming" from a given place, rather it is God's guidance and mankind's recognition of God that is being established in a given location.

In other words, in a place where the true worship of God and the true knowledge of His message were absent, God blesses them with knowledge of Himself and His message. In this way, they become "acquainted" with God, and "meet" or "learn of" Him. In this fashion, although God Almighty was ever present in His knowledge, with them and all of His creation, they are only now beginning to comprehend His presence.

Once we understand that the people of Mount Paran and Teman are described as becoming aware of the message of God and His guidance, and we realize that Paran and Teman are to Islam what Jerusalem is to Judaism or Christianity, then we begin to see the emergence of a prophesy of the coming of the final message of God.

This is because Muhammad (pbuh) first received the prophethood of Islam in the cave of "Hira'a" located in the highest part of the mountains of Paran (see section 6.2). Jesus (pbuh) never in his life traveled to Paran nor Teman. Muhammad, however, was born in Paran, he became the prophet of Islam there, and it was the capital of the Islamic religion in that day and this. No man from Paran, throughout history, has had his praise sung in so many nations as has Muhammad (pbuh). The name "Muhammad" itself literally means in Arabic "The praised one."

Through the teachings of Muhammad, God is now being praised by over one billion Muslims around the world.

However, if we were to look more closely at this verse we would find even greater detail of this coming message. The word which has been translated here as "Holy One" is the Hebrew word "qadowsh" {kaw-doshe'} which has the multiple meaning of "sacred, holy, Holy One, saint, set apart." In this specific verse the translators judgment drove them to translate it as "Holy One" (notice the capitals), thus, they understood this verse to simply mean "God came from Teman and God came from mount Paran."

However, if this was the intended reading then why did God choose to use the word "God" in one place and "Holy One" in the other? There must be a reason for this specific wording. Actually, there is.

If we were to read Exodus 19:6 we would find that the same translators of the Bible have translated this same Hebrew word as "holy nation." In Exodus 29:31 it is translated as "holy place," and in Zec. 14:5 they translated it as "saints." Thus, we see that according to the witness of these same translators of the Bible, this verse of Habakkuk 3:3 could (or more correctly, should) be translated as "and the saint from mount Paran," or "and the holy one from mount Paran" (no capitals). This is important, why?

If we were to accept everything these Biblical translators are teaching us and to accept that the word "qadowsh" can be translated as "Holy One," or as "holy one," or as "saint," or as "holy," etc. based upon the meaning most appropriate for the chosen verse, then we realize that although it would be completely appropriate to interpret the coming of Islam from the mountains of Makkah as "the Holy One" coming from "mount Paran," still, it would be more precise to say that "the holy one" (or "the saint") came from "mount Paran." This is because Muhammad (pbuh) was born on Paran (Makkah) and first received the message of Islam in the mountains of Makkah.

So why does the first part of this verse say "God came from Teman" and not "The Holy One came from Teman"? Well, the reason for this is that Islam was indeed first revealed to Muhammad (pbuh) in Makkah, however, he and his followers remained persecuted and in constant fear of death from the pagans of Arabia while they resided in Makkah (see chapter 10). This continued for a period of thirteen years.

During this period, the Muslims were beaten, starved, tortured, and killed. This situation was hardly conducive of the Muslims openly preaching the message of God to all of mankind. For this reason, the knowledge of the persecution that one must endure upon acceptance of Islam prevented many from openly accepting it or preaching it to others.

However, this all changed in the beginning of the fourteenth year. That is when God Almighty commanded Muhammad (pbuh) to emigrate with his companions to Teman (Madinah). Although the pagans escalated their persecution of the Muslims into all-out warfare at this point, still, within the boundaries of the city of Madinah they had begun to enjoy a measure of freedom and autonomy.

This freedom manifested itself in their ability to not only preach the message of God within the city itself, but they also began to send delegations to the surrounding cities inviting them to Islam. In other words, the message of Islam did not truly begin it's "global" phase until it reached "Teman" or Madinah.

This is why the verse says "God came from Teman, and the holy one from mount Paran" In fact, just as the Christian calendar starts with the presumed date of the birth of Jesus (pbuh), so does the Islamic "Hijra" calendar start with the year in which the Muslims emigrated to Madinah.

Read More

Ramadan 'Eed Al-Fitr

 

• he Muslim’s Tasks on ‘Eed Al-Fitr - II

1- Manifesting happiness and joy on the occasion of ‘Eed: It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  her said, “Abu Bakr came to my house while two small Ansaari girls were singing beside me the stories of the Ansaar concerning the Day of Bu‘aath. They were not singers. Abu Bakr said, ‘Musical instruments.. More

• The Muslim’s Tasks on ‘Eed Al-Fitr - I
  

There are many tasks for Muslims to do on ‘Eed Al-Fitr. They are as follows: 1- Paying Zakat Al-Fitr before the ‘Eed prayer 2- Saying Takbeer on the night of the ‘Eed Allah The Almighty Says (what means):{To complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.} [Quran.. More

• Prophetic Traditions of 'Eed
  

The Muslim is obliged to pray certain prayers in congregation: the five daily prayers, the Friday prayer (Salat al-Jumu’ah), the prayers of the two ‘Eeds and during the Hajj. The purpose behind these congregational prayers it is to provide opportunities to a greater number of Muslims to attend larger congregations in an atmosphere of religious.. More

• Issues Related to the 'Eed Khutbah and Prayer
  

- Listening to the Khutbah is optional: ‘Abdullah ibn As-Saa’ib, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that he attended the ‘Eed prayer with the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and when he finished the prayer, he said: ‘Whoever wishes to leave, can leave, and whoever wishes to sit and listen to the Khutbah, can.. More

• Lantern of the Sunnah in the ‘Eeds of the Ummah - II
  

1- Eating before going out to pray on ‘Eed Al-Fitr and after the prayer on ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha: It is an act of Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) for one to eat some dates before going out to pray on ‘Eed Al-Fitr, as Anas ibn Maalik, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not go.. More

• Lantern of the Sunnah in the ‘Eeds of the Ummah - I
  

‘Eed (festival) is a happy occasion, during which one is transported to gardens of joy and delight. It is a festival of joy and happiness, as it is an opportunity for people to entertain themselves and take rest. Every nation has its own festivals, and, in Islam, we have no festivals other than the weekly festival of Friday and the annual festivals.. More

• Correct Answers to Questions about Takbeer of ‘Eed Prayer - II
  

1- One should not raise his hands with the Takbeers This is the opinion of the Maaliki scholars as stated in ‘Aqd Al-Jawaahir. They argued that there is no authentic tradition stating that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to raise his hands with the Takbeers. Maalik, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said, “One should.. More

• Correct Answers to Questions about Takbeer of ‘Eed Prayer - I

This is a series of brief answers to some questions about the extra Takbeers [the words'Allahu-Akbar '(Allah is The Most Great)] of the ‘Eed prayer: Question 1: When are Takbeers [Allahuakbar (Allah is The Most Great)] of the ‘Eed prayer said? The answer: There are two opinions regarding the timing of the Takbeers: 1- After the Istiftaaah.. More

• Rulings and Etiquette of ‘Eed - II

1- Going to the ‘Eed Prayer using one route and returning via another one, as Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullaah, may Allaah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to do so. Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, used to go to the ‘Eed.. More

• Rulings and Etiquette of ‘Eed - I
  

‘Eed is the season of happiness and joy, during which the Muslims rejoice only at the bounty of their Lord, having won the blessing of completing their acts of worship and receiving the reward, given their complete confidence in His promises to forgive and reward them. Allah The Exalted Says (what means): {Say, "In the Bounty of Allah and.. More

• ‘Eed: An Occasion for Worship and Showing Gratitude - II

We would like also to draw your attention to some violations that unfortunately take place on the day and night of ‘Eed. It is astonishing to see some Muslims concluding their worship with sins, while others replace the Istighfaar (asking for forgiveness) that should be made following any good deed with frivolity. These violations include the.. More

• ‘Eed: An Occasion for Worship and Showing Gratitude - I
  

Days pass by and hours lapse quickly. It seems as if it was just yesterday that we received a dear guest, but today we will bid it farewell. Just a few days ago, the crescent of the month of Ramadan appeared and today it is about to fade away. Other nations take pride in their days of celebration and festivals, giving them false attributes, exaggerated.. More
The True Meanings of 'Eed: Unity and Mercy

'Eed is a very special day which brings new meaning to our life. It is completely different from other days. Although it lasts for a short time, one may do many things in it that cannot be achieved over long years. This is out of the blessings of Allah The Almighty on people when He made the Days of 'Eed for them and made it a point of agreement among.. More

• Rulings of 'Eed Al-Fitr
  

1- Prepare yourself for the 'Eed prayer by taking a bath and wearing your best clothes. Imaam Maalik, may Allaah have mercy upon him, narrated in his Muwatta’ on the authority of Naafi', may Allaah have mercy upon him, that, “Ibn ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, used to bathe on the day of 'Eed Al-Fitr before heading to the prayer.&rdq.. More

• May You Be Among the Winners!
  

When the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, went to Madeenah, he found the people celebrating two festivals, so he said: “Allah The Almighty has given you instead of them two better days: ‘Eed Al-Fitr and ‘Eed Al-Adh-ha.” [Abu Daawood and An-Nasaa’i] These two great Islamic rites come after two seasons filled.. More

Read More

Women

 

The Fast of the Pregnant Woman During the Summer - Rules and Precautions

Pregnancy is a difficult and arduous journey that begins with good news and ends with the arrival of the new-born child that would fill the life of his parents with delight and happiness. However, this journey is very difficult during the summer season, and enduring this while fasting is even more difficult. Doctors agree that a pregnant woman who.. More
The Menstruating Woman Breaking the Fast and Making Up for It

In a Hadeeth on the authority of Mu‘aathah bint ‘Abdullah al-‘Adawiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon her, she said, “I asked ‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, ‘Why does the menstruating woman make up for the missed days of fasting but not for the missed prayers?’ She said, ‘Are you a Harooriyyah.. More

• Getting The Most Out Of Ramadan
  

Ramadan is a month of blessing, mercy and forgiveness that only comes once a year. Every good deed we do is multiplied many times giving us abundant rewards for the good things we do. We would be foolish not to take advantage of this great opportunity, but many of us live such a busy life that leaves us almost no time for ourselves, let alone our Creator... Mo

• Women’s Worship During Ramadan – I

A Muslim woman should utilize the seasons which Allah has endowed with great benefit and made a source for accumulating rewards. A woman can increase her reward in Ramadan by strengthening various aspects of worship and obedience to Allah, by being keen in performing virtuous deeds and refraining from anything that could affect the rewards of her fasting.. More

• Women’s worship during Ramadan – II
  

Feeding others during Ramadan: ‘Abdullah bin Salaam, may Allaah be pleased with him, reported: “I heard the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, saying: “O people, exchange greetings of Salaam (i.e., say: As-Salaamu `Alaykum to one another), feed people, strengthen the ties of kinship, and be in prayer when others are.. More
Your Time During Ramadan

Time is the essence of life, and man’s life is but the seconds and minutes he/she lives. Every hour we live through in this life takes us that much closer to our destiny in the Hereafter. Even though time is the most precious item in our lives (or at least it should be) and we should be guarding it with all the power we possess, it seems to be.. More
Fasting Women

We are being approached by a month of mercy, forgiveness and salvation from Hell. It is the month of fasting, praying Qiyaam (the optional night prayer) and recitation of the Quran. It is a month during which rewards are multiplied and sins are expiated. It is a month that approaches us with all the immense mercy and abundant rewards that it includes... More
Ramadan…with Baby

(Tips on making a mother’s fast last) Allah The Most High Says (what means): {To Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He wills. He gives to whom He wills female [children], and He gives to whom He wills males…} [Quran 42:49] A mother lode of Ramadan blessings Children are God’s gifts to whomever.. More

• A Day in Ramadan

This is a suggested program for your days during the month of Ramadan in order to help you better utilize your time in this blessed great month in a way that would get you closer to Allah Almighty. Respected sister! Your program starts before Fajr (dawn) during the last hours of the night. You should wake up, perform ablution and pray as much as Allah.. More

• Advice to Women in Ramadan

O Muslim women, O protected pearls of the Ummah (Muslim nation)! I advise you to make a sincere intention to make the most of Ramadan, and to have good expectations of Allah The Almighty regarding your efforts at being dutiful to your parents and husband, raising children, doing the housework and worshipping your Lord. Do not let your kitchen and your.. More

Women and Taraaweeh Prayer: Ramadan is distinguished over other months by the Taraaweeh prayer. Praise be to Allah The Almighty, many women and girls are keen to perform Taraaweeh prayer in the mosques. However, dear sister, if you want to have your full reward, you should observe the following points and advise your daughters and sisters

Dear Muslim sisters everywhere, I wish all goodness for every Muslim woman on earth, and I ask Allah The Almighty to make you and us all to witness the month of Ramadan, accept our acts of obedience in it, and assist us during it. I am writing this especially for you, my sister, and wish to highlight some thoughts and ideas within it that could be.. More

• I’tikaaf for Women
  

‘Aa’ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, mentioned that he would observe I’tikaaf (seclusion in mosque for worship) in the last ten days of Ramadan. So, she sought his consent to perform it as well and he permitted her; then, Hafsah, may Allaah be pleased.. More
Different Types of Women in Ramadan‎‎: Which One Are You? – II

Some women go to the mosque just to spend some time out of their homes or to see some of their friends and acquaintances, not for the sake of praying. Such women might turn the prayer area into a place for private conversations and their voices may be loud enough for the men to hear them.‎ ‎Some women do not know the rulings of the congregational.. More
Different Types of Women in Ramadan‎‎: Which One Are You? – I

‎‎Some women spend most of their time in Ramadan in the kitchen ‎and do not dedicate time to remembering Allah The Almighty or reciting the Quran. A woman in this category misses out on the reward of such good deeds and behaves as if the month of Ramadan is just a month for indulging in eating and drinking, not a month for fasting, praying.. More

Read More