Islamic historians explain sura Al-Feel (The Elephant 105) with a story about a Governor or king of Yemen named Abraha who tried to destroy Kaaba, the Allah’s house in Makkah, and brought a big army with war elephants through the Arabian desert. In order to counter them, Allah sent hoards of little birds carrying small stones which were dropped on the army destroying it completely.
The story apparently has been devised to explain Sura Al-Feel. However, it does not sound plausible as to why such a difficult logistic expedition would have been under-taken by a king of moving a big army and war elephants through harsh Arabian desert for more than thousand kilometer. The logistics of food and drinks for the elephants would be very difficult when there should be no need for it. This big an army was not expecting any sizeable resistance in Makkah and did not really need war elephants to accomplish their purpose. So we will search Quran for getting further explanation about the event mentioned in the Sura. We will search with the key phrase used in this sura to see who are referred as ‘companions of the elephant’ and what is the reason for using this reference.
In Sura Al-Feel (105), Allah informs that stones with marking were showered on the companions of the elephant and they were annihilated.
Did you not see how your Lord dealt with the companions of the elephant? Did He not make their scheme go astray? and He sent on them flights of Ababeel, (waves of evil rain*), they strike them with stones with markings. Thus He made them like eaten up straw.
The companions of elephants were showered ‘stones with marking’ /’حِجَارَةٍ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ’. We will see where else Quran mentions a nation showered with marked stones. In below ayahs we find that the nation of prophet Lut a.s was showered stones with markings.
And (remember) Lut, he said to his people. “Ye do commit lewdness, such as no people in worlds (ever) committed before you.
Al-Quran tells us that the nation of prophet Lut (a.s) had exceeded all nations in acts of ‘Fahisha’/lewdness/debauchery. We need to see what that nation used to do, to be declared ‘most debauched nation ever’ and what could be their connection with ‘elephant’ reference.
Don’t come near to ‘Zina’, it is a fahisha/lewdness, opening the road (to other evils).
Illegal fornication (Zina) is a part of ‘Fahisha’/lewdness. So, those people most probably were committing it but what distinguished that nation to earn the title of ‘most debauched nation ever’, that needs to be investigated.
We can get an idea of the debauchery, the nation of Lut was involved in, from below ayat.
“Verily ye approach the men with desire instead of the women, ye are indeed a people of transgression.”
The nation of Lut approached men with sexual desires. The nation comprises both men and women so Al-Quran is telling that both men and women of that nation approached men as sexual objects. Although Allah has made women beautiful by nature to be desired (3:14). Traditionally this ayat is thought to be about homosexual relations among men of that nation. However the problem is majority of people are hetrosexual by nature and a small minority would have homosexual tendency in any nation. It is extremely difficult for a straight person to force himself to do homosexual acts, lets say assuming societal pressure, therefore for a whole nation to be involved in homosexual behavior is nearly impossible and against nature. Morever, Quran says that the wife of prophet Lut (a.s) was also partner in punishment for that nation and all the women of that society were punished as well. There is no reason why women should support the homosexual behavior of men in that society or be punished for the evil acts of the men of the society. This made people conjecture that the women of the nation were also involved in lesbian/homosexual behavior on a large scale. A question arises if those people, both men and women were homosexual then this nation could not have survived any way with a very poor population growth rate as a consequence. Moreover, Quran categorically states about men being approached sexually and not women. So, in what way the women were involved in the acts of transgression? For this question we will have to investigate the reference of ‘the elephant’.
We observe that elephants have matriarchal family structure. The family bonds are strong with the related females in a house hold unit. The males leave the family unit as soon as they attain maturity. The head of the family and the clan is always a female at the top of the social structure. So females occupy power-ful position of command in an elephant social structure. This gives us an idea that the nation of Lut was a female dominated society with women holding powerful status in the structure of the society. While it is not actually a bad thing, but the women would use their power to approach men of the society with sexual desires. The picture below would describe how women of that society could be using their power to approach men sexually in that society (for illustrative purpose only):
Allah sets forth, for an example to the Unbelievers, the wife of Nooh and the wife of Lut. they were (respectively) under two of our righteous servants, but they cheated on their (husbands), and they profited nothing before Allah on their account, but were told. “Enter ye the Fire along with (others) that enter!”
“Do ye indeed approach men, and cut off the way?- and practice wickedness in your settings?” But his people had no answer but this, that they said. “Bring us the punishment of Allah if you are from the truthfuls.”
Prophet Lut (a.s) said to his nation that you approach men and you cut off any other way i.e leave no option for people but to follow your wicked practices in order to survive in this society. Could be that the young men in the society had to offer themselves sexually to powerful-clientele if they wanted to survive and build their careers. The society made it a norm and would brainwash people not to feel any shame in these activities and did this debauchery in group settingse.g orgies.
She said. “There before you is the man about whom ye did blame me! I did seek to seduce him from his nafs, lf but he did firmly save himself ….and now, if he does not do what I order him, he shall certainly be cast into prison or otherwise be humiliated”.
Ayat 12:32 is referring to the wife of Aziz of Egypt exerting pressure on prophet Yusuf a.s to comly to her sexual desires. The above ayat could be the like of pressure, authoritative females figures would have been exerting on attractive males in the nation of Lut, leaving them almost no option but to oblige.
“Of all the world, do ye approach males, “And leave those whom Allah has created for you to be your pairs? Nay, ye are a people transgressing (all limits)!” They said. “If you don’t desist, O Lut! you will assuredly be cast out!” He said. “I do detest your doings”. “O my Lord! deliver me and my family from such things as they do!”
They would even be bringing in attractive males from foreign countries for their orgies. Women were polygamous, not limiting to their fixed partners (elephant reference). The young attractive men could help create the frenzied environment in the orgies and then the nation would indulge in polygamous acts of debauchery in groups. They made the debauchery a social norm so that when prophet Lut a.s asked them to fear Allah, they warned him not to be too pious for them, otherwise, he would be thrown out of the nation.
(أَتَأْتُونَ الذُّكْرَانَ مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ وَتَذَرُونَ مَا خَلَقَ لَكُمْ رَبُّكُم مِّنْ أَزْوَاجِكُم) This statement is directed to both males and females in that nation as ‘Azwajikum’ means spouses to both men and women. In case of women it would mean that they were polygamous and were reaching out to other attractive males leaving out their spouses. For males, if they were mostly homosexuals in that nation they should not have female wives. There could be a few bisexual men as in all societies who would have wives but still got attracted to males.
When Allah decided to punish the nation, He sent angels in the guise of young men to that nation. On hearing the news of male guests at prophet Lut (a.s) place, the inhabitants of the dwelling rushed there. They were frenzied with excitement. Prophets Lut requested not to do any un-appropriate act with his guests as he is with family and his daughters are also present. It is basic decency not to allude to un-appropriate acts in presence of a noble family. However the people were in so much frenzied state that they seemed not to care about the dignity of Prophet Lut’s household.
The inhabitants of the city came in joyously (at the news of young men at Lut’s house). Lut said. “These are my guests, thus do not disgrace me. Fear Allah, and don’t make me ashamed”. They said. “Did we not forbid/prevent you about the worlds ?” He said. “There are my daughters, if you must act.
Prophet Lut a.s, said don’t you see that my daughters are so pure for you to compare with your lewd acts and realize your depravity. Why don’t you see my daughters purity and see your debauched behavior and clearly see how a depraved nation you have become. Isn’t there a person in you who can see the difference, reason and mend your ways so that they can be like them. You are completely making me ashamed in front of my guests.
And his people came rushing towards him, and they had been long in the habit of practicing depravity. He said. “O my people! Here are my daughters, they are purer for you (pure souls) So, fear Allah, and cover me not with shame about my guests! Is there not among you a single right-minded man?”
The people of Lut were already so deep in their habits that they were unable to realize the purity of prophet Lut’s daughters and stated that your daughters bear no right on us i.e we are not under any obligation to change our intentions considering their presence.
They replied “Well you have known (well by now) your daughters have no right on us. Indeed you know quite well what we want!”
They were in a such a frenzied state not able to control themselves, that Allah swears on prophet’s life for their extreme frenzy resembling animals in heat.
And to Lut, We gave Authority/judgment and knowledge, and We saved him from the dwelling which practiced depravity, truly they were vile transgressors.
Prophet Lut a.s was bestowed knowledge and sound judgment and he was finally delivered from the nation which was engaged in heinous activities.
The below ayahs state that stones with marking were showered on the nation of prophet Lut (a.s) as their punishment.
(The Messengers) said. “O Lut! We are messengers from your Lord! By no means shall they reach thee! now travel with your family while a part of the night remains, and let not any of you look back, but your wife (will remain behind). To her will happen what happens to the people. Morning is their time appointed. Is not the morning nearby?” When Our order came, We turned (the dwelling) upside down, and rained down on them stones with marking, layer upon layer,-
The stones with marking were made of clay and marked for the transgressors. A sign is left in the dwelling of nation of Lut for those who fear grievous punishment. The angel messengers looked for any believer to take out before the punishment started, but sadly only one household in the dwelling was of the submitters.
They (the angel messengers) said, “We have been sent to a people who are criminals, to bring on, to them, (a shower of) stones of clay, marked from your Lord for those who trespass beyond bounds.” Then We evacuated from the dwelling (to be doomed) those of the believers who were there. But We found there, not any but one house only of the submitters. And We left there a Sign for those who fear the grievous penalty.
The nation of Lut were cognizant of the fact that what they were doing is evil, so they were not submitting (being muslim) to the order of Allah, while realizing its wrong what they do.
And We turned (the dwellings) upside down, and rained down on them stones with markings. Behold! in this are Signs for those who observe (scrutinize). And the (dweling is) right on a established way.Verily! in this is a sign for those who believe.
And We delivered him (Ibrahim) and Lut to the land which We have blessed for all worlds.
This ‘ayat’/sign’ of their dwelling is near the place of land which is blessed for all worlds, i.e Makkah.
Notes:
The term ‘طَيْرًا أَبَابِيلَ’ is an interesting one. ‘Ababeel’ is not a well known word. ‘Teran’ gives an indication of something flying, so the meaning were assumed to be flying birds or creatures by almost all translators.
The above link is of an article about the social structure and mating behavior of elephants. Elephants have a matriarchal social structure. The head of a family unit and clan is the most experienced female. Related females live together in the family unit and males leave the clan after reaching puberty. While the matriarchal system is good for elephants as Allah has made it their nature, this is not prescribed for human beings. Allah has made man the head of house-hold as a norm. There could be exceptions of the rule due to absence of a sensible man in the house-hold, but not the norm.
Mating behavior of Elephants:
Males can become so lovesick they stop eating. Females tend be more rational. They are often very choosy about who they pick for mate, often waiting four years before they pick a partner.
After copulation the male African elephant stays near the female, guarding her, while she emits deep, low-frequency, rumbling noises that can be heard five miles away. If a sexually-active male hears the sound he immediately begin making tracks in the direction of the female. Sometimes males arrive from quite far away.
If the new-arriving male is smaller than the male guarding the female, the new arrival will back off. If the new-arriving male is larger than the guarding male, the guarding male is driven off If the two elephants are about the same size and strength they may fight.
Ultimately a dominate male guards the female. He mates with the female every few hours until the period of estrus ends. Often many males come around and many copulations take place but the egg is usually not released and conception does not take place until the end of the female receptive period when largest male around is guarding her.
Fahisha:
The word ‘Fahisha’ has a broad scope and encompasses all acts of indecency, be it indecent talks, proactive gestures and gait, public display of nudity, pornography or illegal fornication etc.
Quran does not support any form of ‘Fahisha’ (ۗ قُلْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشَاءِ) and advises believers to stay well clear of it and adopt a life style of dignity and decency.
Those who love to see Fahisha (Indecency/depravity etc) be promoted among the believers, will have a grievous penalty in this life and in the Hereafter. Allah knows, and you do not know.
One important take relevant to us from above ayst is to take care and not to forward any indecent material with our mobile and computer.
Avoid doing any act which can potentially lead to illegal fornication in the end. As human beings are created weak (خُلِقَ الْإِنسَانُ ضَعِيفًا), therefore if some one is initiating an act which can result in ‘Zina’ in the end, thinking he/she could back off any time, there could come a point where it will not be possible to control one self and back off, therefore it is advised not to initiate any such thing i.e not to go near it.
Don’t come near to Zina, it is a ‘fahisha’/debauchery, opening the road (to other evils).
Homosexuality and religion:
Homosexuality is something which is frowned upon by all religious people. A major reason behind is their belief that homosexuality is by choice.
We observe diversity and exceptions in Allah’s creation. While most of the people are hetrosexuals, there are a few people who are not. In their body or mind they don’t have normal sexual orientation. There are complex factors involved in developing a person’s sexual orientation. Genetics play a factor from 8 to 25% and rest is during the brain development of the individual which starts before birth and continues during the childhood period. For many people who are homosexual, it is not by their choice and therefore logically cannot be blamed or punished for something which is not their doing. They could be meant to be this way by the Creator. They are subjected to a tougher exam in the world by the Creator as they are bound to face hatred and discrimination in the world as people have a tendency to fear those who are different. Many of the homosexuals upon realizing their difference with the norm early in thier life, question ‘Why me’ and try at first to be like normal heterosexuals’ to avoid the consequences but realize later that its not possible for them to go against their nature.
The people who are not homosexual by their choice but are created this way, their case is for example like a person who is incapable of acting upon an order. For example, Allah has ordered ‘salat’ and ‘zakat’ on people. However, he has also created certain people who are not physically and mentally capable of acting on these orders, so they are not to be blamed for their in-capacity to act upon the order, which is not their fault. It doesn’t make sense that Allah made a person homosexual and then punishes him for something which he did not do. Forcing a homosexual person to do hetrosexual act is same like forcing a straight person do homo-sexual acts.
Dealing with two persons doing debauchery:
Then there are others who are not born homosexuals but engage in homosexual act by their choice. They feel sexual attraction towards both sexes. One reason of this behavior is extreme segregation where finding an opposite sex mate is very difficult, could be other reasons as well.
For two persons who do Fahisha the below ayat applies:
If two among you commit the same (obsenity), persecute them both. Then If they repent and amend themselves, then leave them; for Allah is Oft-returning, Most Merciful.
The above ayat says two among you either two men or one man and a woman i.e a couple. The above ayat excludes two women from its scope (case of more than 2 women doing ‘Fahisha’ is dealt in ayat 4:15). ‘Fahisha’ is a superset which includes ‘Zina’ as well (17:32). Ayat 4:16, states those two among you (either two men or a man and woman), who do Fahisha/lewdness/debauchery, are to be persecuted (within the framework of the law of the land) with the target to have them repenting and not going back on the act of lewdness. When they repent from doing this act and do correction on themselves then they are to be left alone.
For the couple i.e man and woman this ‘Fahisha’ in above ayat is for the case when they have not progressed to the stage of being ‘Zani’. ‘Zani’ is a person who has been so hardened in the act of illegitimate fornication that that this becomes a part of their personality and they cannot hide it. They and their close circle know that they are ‘Zani’. So, when the act of ‘Fahisha’ progresses to the stage of becoming ‘Zani’ then the the prescribed punishment is hundred lashes together in public as per 24:2.
And those from your women who come with obscenity then take four witnesses amongst you on them, then if they testify so detain them in the houses until the death is complete on them or Allah sets a way for them.
The above case is for 3 or more women doing act of ‘Fahisha’ i.e doing Fahisha in a group setting. This is not the case of a couple which is dealt in Ayat 24:2. When the act of ‘Fahisha’ committed by these women is confirmed then take 4 witnesses. The witnesses in above ayat is not a witness who actually observed the act of the ‘Fahisha’ as this process starts only after the act of ‘Fahisha’ is confirmed either by self confession of women or by manifest proof. The witness is like the one who is mentioned in Sura Yusuf where in the case of prophet Yusuf a.s and the wife of Aziz of Egypt suggested to check if prophet Yousuf a.s, shirt is torn from front or back (12:26 قَالَ هِيَ رَاوَدَتْنِي عَن نَّفْسِي ۚ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَا إِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍ فَصَدَقَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِين). These are the established people who can advise what needs to be done in this particular case considering the law of the land and appropriate action for correction e.g a lawyer, a councilor, respected member of society, etc. So if they all agree on the course of action then the movement of the women outside the house to be restricted so that not to provide opportunities for them to engage in the lewd acts until Allah makes a way for them or death comes on them.
And those who, having done a ‘Fahisha’ act, or wronged their ‘nafs’, earnestly remember Allah and ask for forgiveness for their sins,- and who can forgive sins except Allah?- and they don’t persist over their (wrong) doings knowingly.
For those who realize their act of ‘Fahisha’ and wish to return to Allah, then the condition for the forgiveness by Allah is not to make self justifications for persisting on the act.
Quran mentions a word (Mithaq/ميثاق) in Al-Quran which means ‘covenant’ in English. Another similar word used is ‘Ahad/عهد’ meaning pledge or promise. Promise and pledge is a solemn assurance of performance that one party gives from their side without imposing an obligation of performance from other party. On the other hand in a covenant, both parties agree to perform with well defined performance obligations on part of both parties and generally documented as well. In this way, covenant can be considered as a two way promise or pledge.
How do we make a covenant with Allah, i.e when we solemnly utter and affirm our subservience to the below ayat and the belief therein that Allah is our Lord and we are Muslim/submitters to the revelation which He has revealed to all the prophets:
Say you all: “We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Ibraheem, Isma’il, Ishaq, Yaqoob , and the tribes, and that given to Moosa and Essa, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: we make no difference among any one and we are submitters to it. “
When we affirm this belief (and we cannot deny it as a Muslim as it is stated in a clear ayat of Al-Quran), then the Revelation from Allah, becomes the document of our covenant with Allah with clearly defined roles and responsibilities for both parties i.e we and Allah.
And remember the blessing of Allah on you, and His covenant, with which you made binding (with Him), when you said. “We heard and we obeyed”, and take guard of Allah, verily Allah knows well the secrets of your hearts.
The covenant is documented in Allah’s revelations i.e His Book. This revelation is mandatory on messengers and Muslims/submitters (85:28), that they will not ascribe to Allah any saying except for Al-Haq and they will study what is in the revelation.
After them succeeded successors, who inherited the book, but they take this low offer and they say “We will be forgiven.”, if a similar offer comes their way, they would (again) seize it. Was not the covenant of the Book taken from them, that they would not ascribe to Allah anything but the truth? And they study what is in the Book. For the righteous is the good home in the Hereafter, will you people not use your intellect.
The above ayat mentions covenant of the book of Allah with the people who have inherited the book. The ayat states, isn’t a covenant taken from them that they should not ascribe fallacies on Allah as they study the Book. So, if you have inherited the book of Allah and affirm that this is from Allah for your guidance, the book becomes your covenant with Allah with clearly defined responsibilities and rewards from Allah in return for your actions.
What is with you that you do not believe in Allah?- while the messenger calls you to believe in your Lord, and has indeed taken your covenant, if you (people) are believers.
The above ayat states that if you are believer your covenant has been made with Allah. The covenant is made through a ‘hijab’/barrier (which is Allah’s book for us), as Allah does not speak to humans except with the three ways given in below ayat.
And it is not for any human that Allah should speak to him except by inspiration or from behind a Hijab/Veil or He sends a messenger, then he (the messenger) inspires with His permission what He wills, surely, He is most high & Wise
Adam is representative of mankind. Mankind in general is oblivious of their pledge towards God and lacks perseverance.
And indeed We got a pledge from Adam earlier, then he forgot and We did not find perseverance in him.
The majority of mankind when they make a pledge, a portion of them throw away the pledge and don’t believe in it. And also majority makes one side promise to Allah as majority do not have knowledge of the Book which is the document of covenant with Allah.
Fulfil your pledge to Allah when you have entered into it, and break not your oaths after you have confirmed them; indeed you have made Allah your guarantor over them ; for Allah knows all that you do.
Allah instructions to mankind is to spread peace in the World. Those people who engage in corruption and bloodshed in the world definitely are breaking His covenant.
Those who break Allah’s pledge after it is ratified, and who cutoff what Allah Has ordered to be joined, and do mischief/violence on earth, they are the losers.
Bani Israel are those who are the successors of the Book, the orders (of Allah) and the prophethood. By believing in the Book and all the prophets, they have entered a covenant with Allah. Allah is asking them to fulfil their part of the pledge and Allah shall fulfil His part of the pledge.
O Children of Israel! Remember the blessing that I have blessed over you and complete your pledge towards me, I will complete My pledge towards you and you should be afraid of Me only.
When people say falsehood, Allah challenges them to prove if it is part of the covenant. They need to prove any thing they say about Allah in the documented covenant i.e the Book of Allah.
And they say. “The Fire shall not touch us but for a few numbered days.” Say. “Have you taken a pledge from Allah, for He never breaks His pledges? or is it that you say of Allah what you do not know?”
The zalimeen/wrong doers don’t fulfil Allah’s pledge because they mix things with Allah’s Word. Allah’s pledge has to be fulfilled with His Word.
And when his Lord put Ibrahim to trial with words, thus he completed them. He said. “Surely I have made you the Imam for mankind”, he said “and from my offspring?” He said “My covenant shall not reach the oppressors.”
Those people who give their own orders i.e they pass on religious doctrines as part of ‘Sharia’ without backing from Allah’s Book, are ‘Zalimeen’ as per Quran. They don’t deserve to be people’s Imam. A Imam of people will not order any thing not backed by the Book of Allah.
And any who does not judge/govern with what Allah has sent down, they are Zalmeen/Wrong-doers.
Those people who sell off Allah’s pledge i.e they mislead other people by projecting false hood and attributing it towards Allah, they get a miserable price for this evil work.
As for those who sell their pledge with Allah and their faith for a small price, they shall have no portion in the Hereafter. Nor will Allah speak to them or look at them on the Day of Judgment, nor will He cleanse them (of sin). They shall have a grievous penalty.
Some important points of Allah’s pledge to believers which are documented in the Covenant i.e His Book are highlighted in below ayat i.e do not misuse the property of the orphans and do all your transactions with justice even if your nearest and dearests are involved against others.
And do not come near the orphan’s money/property, except with a noble way, until he attains the age of full strength; And complete measurement and balance with justice;- We don’t burden any nafs/one, but according to its capacity;- and when you speak, speak justly, even if a near relative is concerned; and fulfil the pledge of Allah. Thus He enjoins you, so that you may remember.
The people who remain conscious of the fact that this Book is revealed from the Lord and is the truth, they are not like those who remain oblivious to it. Those people are considered ‘Oolul albab’/(those who try to reach to the core of knowledge) who act upon the covenant of Allah which are the orders of Allah in the Book and fulfil them and they fear their Lord of accountability. They know that their patience and perseverance in the world will be paid off by their Lord, they establish as-salat, they spend openly and secretly seeking good pleasure of the Lord and they respond to evil with goodness.
Is the one who knows that what had been revealed unto you (the messenger) from your Lord is the Truth, like one who is blind? those who are endued with understanding receive remembrance. Those who fulfil the pledge towards Allah and do not break the covenant. Those who deliver what Allah has commanded to be delivered, and remain conscious of their Lord and fear a terrible reckoning. Those who patiently persevere, seeking the countenance of their Lord; establish the ‘salat’; spend (do Zakat), out of what We have bestowed for their sustenance, secretly and openly; and return evil with goodness, for such there is the final attainment of the (eternal) home,-
People should not sell off the pledge of Allah for a small price. For a small worldly gain they should not spread false hood about Allah.
Nor sell the pledge of Allah for a miserable price, for with Allah is (a prize) far better for you, if you only knew.
As per our pledge with Allah, the wealth of the orphans and weak should not be accessed except in a way which is for their best interest. Of course, beware that our pledge with Allah will be accounted for.
Do not come near the orphan’s property except in the best manner, until he attains the age of full strength; and fulfil the pledge, for the pledge will be questioned upon.
A breach of the covenant of a nation of any messenger, is that they forego patience for Allah’s revelation and instead revert to half cooked concoctions which often time include sounds of chants and be misled by likes of Samri, the story teller.
Thus Moosa returned to his people in indignation and sorrow. He said. “O my people! did not your Lord make a beautiful promise to you? Had the pledge become too long for you? Or did you desire that wrath should descend from your Lord on you, so you broke your promise to me?”
The majority pays lip service to their ‘kalima’ (statement) assuming that this is their statement of being a submitter to Allah, that ‘there is no god but Allah’, however, most of them take all their religious orders from sources other than the Book of Allah, thus practically making their illah/god the other sources of religious doctrines and sharing these injunctions with the Book of Allah.
And yet they had made pledge with Allah from before, not to turn their backs, and a pledge with Allah will be questioned (definitely)
The believers when they believe in Allah and accountability of hereafter and the Book of Allah brought by the messenger, then the Book of Allah becomes their covenant with Allah. The mountain of the ‘Toor’ is a sign for the believers (along with the other signs in the Holy valley of Makkah) with the broken pieces of stones(see post Toor e Sineen).
And remember We took covenant from you and We raised above you Al-Toor. “Hold firmly to what We have given you and remember what is therein. So that you may acquire Taqwa/ fear of Allah.”
The covenant of Allah is to hold fast what is given by Allah and listen to it. However what people did was to get involved in fabricated concoction of stories and chants referred to as ‘Al-Ijl/the calf in Quran. (please see previous post ‘Al-Ijl the calf of bani-Israel)
And remember We took your covenant and We raised above you At-Toor. “Hold firmly to what We have given you, and Listen”. They said.” We hear, and we disobey.” And they were made to drink into their hearts the Ijl/calf because of their rejection. Say. “Vile indeed are the orders of your faith if you are the believers!”
Important points of the covenant in the Book of Allah are reiterated in below ayat i.e not to hold any idol or idolize anyone and any personality other than Allah, show excellent behavior to your parents, relatives, orphans and poor and talk to people nicely. Establish as-salat and give zakat. But people turn away from the covenant of Allah except for a few of them.
When We took a covenant with the Bani-Israeel/Children of Israel that you will serve none but Allah and do goodness with your parents and with relatives and the orphan and the poor and say to mankind kind words and establish as-Salah and give az-Zakat. then except few from you, turn away avoiding it.
Another important aspect of the covenant of Allah is reiterated in below ayas i.e not to shed your blood and don’t expel people out of your circles. Example of expelling people out of the circles is that in a labeled Muslim community, some groups are expelled out of community because their beliefs don’t conform to the criteria made by the majority and they are labeled as ‘infidels’.
And when We took a covenant with you, not to shed your blood and do not expel your selves from your circles then you confirmed and you are witness to it.
The covenant of the Book is not to hide things from the Book, however (as an example) we can see that many ayahs regarding the personality of the messenger (pbuh) are not told to people by the religious leaders thus hiding the true personality of the messenger of Allah and instead projecting a different personality of the messenger from alternate sources.
And when Allah took a covenant from the those people who were given the Book, that they must explain it to the masses, and they will not hide it; but they threw it away behind their backs, and purchased with it some little gain! Thus what a vile bargain they made!
For details of At-Toor, please see previous post. The believers who enter into the covenant of Allah are asked to remain subservient to Allah’s ayahs and not to transgress in laziness (please see earlier post on As-Sabt)
And We raised over them At-Toor with their covenant ; and We said for them: “Enter the door in the state of prostration”; and We said for them: “Do not transgress in the matter of the Sabt/Rest.” and We took from them a solemn covenant.
When believers deviate from the covenant of Allah which is His Book and they attribute all kinds of false stories with the prophets of Allah while the Book clearly state not to say anything about Allah and his prophets except Al-Haq , then Allah puts seal on the hearts of deviators. This seal is the false pride and infatuation with personalities which does not let them accept Allah’s message.
With their breaking of the covenant and their rejection of the ayahs of Allah and their killing of the prophet’s of Allah without ‘haq’; and their saying that, “Our hearts have covers”;- Instead, Allah has set a seal on their hearts for their Kufr/rejection, and only little of them would believe;
How do people kill a prophet; they do it by attributing fabricated stories about the prophet thus doing his character assassination by projecting a character of the prophet which is not described by the Book of Allah.
Allah says that if you keep your part of the covenant by establishing prayers (continuous communication with Allah and the book of Allah) and giving Zakat and by honoring His messengers (not attributing out of Quran stories to them) and giving loan of righteousness to Allah, Allah will fulfil his promise of good life for you by removing your faults from you and entering you in gardens with flowing rivers.
Allah did take a covenant from the children of Israel, and we raised twelve captains among them, and Allah said. “I am with you. If you establish as-salat, give az-zakat, believe in my messengers and honor them, and loan to Allah a beautiful loan, verily I will cover from you your evils, and admit you to gardens with rivers flowing beneath; but if any of you, after this, covered/rejected faith, he has truly wandered away from the right path.”
However when you deviate from the covenant of Allah and change the context of the Word ( e.g by adding narrations and stories to take away impact and focus of the Word to some event in the past and distant people) so that the meanings and scope of the message change and forget the part which was meant to be remembered (which is the first message of all messengers in the Book, i.e serve Allah alone), and your dishonestly is common knowledge, then Allah hardens your hearts to the His message.
Thus because of their breaking of the covenant, We cursed them and We made their hearts hard. They maneuver the word from its subject (change the context) and they forgot the portion of what they were reminded with. And you will never cease to get news about their dishonesty barring a few of them, so pardon them and bear with them, Surely Allah loves the good doers.
The people who identify themselves as ‘Nasara’/Christians they also forgot part of the message which was meant to be remembered (and associated others with God and brought forth man written books while hiding the original revelation behind their backs). As a result they will suffer among them hatred and animosity forever till they meet Allah on the day of judgement.
and from those who said “We are Nasara”, We did take their covenant, but they forgot a good part of the message with which they were made to remember, thus we put enmity and hatred among them till the day of establishment and soon will Allah inform them what they used to fabricate.
Bani-Israel are the people who inherit the Book of Allah and prophethood. It is the practice of them to belie any messenger who comes to revert them back purely to the Book of Allah. They will not accept him as the personality described in the book of Allah and do character assassination of him by ascribing fabricated stories to him in religious books.
We took Covenant with Bani-Israeel and We send to them Our messengers. Whenever comes to them a messenger with what their nafs/psyche did not desire, some they belied and some they killed.
Covenant of the prophets:
In ayat 3:81, Al-Quran mentions a covenant of the prophets with Allah i.e after they are given knowledge of book/writing and wisdom, then a messenger will come to them:
And when Allah took the covenant from the prophets, “When I have given you from book and wisdom; then comes to you a messenger, confirming what is with you; then you must believe in him and render him help.” Allah said. “Do you render your consent, and take this my burden on you?” They said. “We agree.” He said. “Then bear witness, and I am with you among the witnesses.”
If any turn back after this, they are perverted transgressors.
A covenant of Allah and His prophets is mentioned in the above ayas, that when they attain from book and wisdom and then comes to them a messenger; they should then indeed believe in him and support him.
Worth noting is that prophets are mentioned as a group and a messenger is stated to come to the prophets.
Difference between Nabi (prophet) and Rasool (messenger):
The below ayat 22:75 states that messengers are chosen among angels and among people.
Allah chooses messengers from angels and from people, for Allah is He Who hears and sees (all things).
And the Rooh/Spirit from Allah is also messenger of Allah as per below ayas.
The Rooh/Spirit is the spirit of the ‘Word’ of Allah. Allah mentions sending the Spirit to Mariam (a.s) which was in the form of a human. The spirit comes after one distances oneself from the people around and their teachings.
Remember in the book, Mariam, when she withdrew from her family to an Eastern place. Then she took a hijab/veil apart from them, thus We sent to her Our Rooh/Spirit. So he was an even example of a human for her. She said. “I seek refuge from you to (Allah) Most Gracious, if you fear Allah.” He said. “Without doubt, I am a messenger from your Lord, (to announce) to you a holy son.
So the messengers can be from men, angels and Spirit (of Allah).
The prophets however are only humans. The below ayat addresses a ‘bashar’ i.e human prophet:
It is not for a human whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the Prophethood; should say to people. “You become my servants rather than Allah’s”, on the contrary (He would say) “You become the servants of the Lord, for you teach the Book and you study it.”
All ‘prophets’ are also ‘messengers’ of Allah as they convey the message of Allah to people.
Who is the messenger mentioned in 3:81?
A school of scholars have the view that the messenger mentioned in this ayat is ‘Mohammad’ (pbuh). However the problem with this view point is that the prophets were sent in different time periods and Mohammad (pbuh) as a ‘bashar’/human cannot be present in different eras of time to meet these prophets. In addition this covenant is also taken from Mohammad (pbuh) as per below ayat 33:7.
And when We took from the prophets their covenant and from you (pbuh) and from Nooh, Ibrahim, Moosa, and Essa the son of Mary and We took from them a solemn covenant.
At a few places in Quran, Allah specifically mentioned that you, meaning the prophet (pbuh), was not present in the past eras, such as with prophet Moosa (a.s) when Allah called him from the side of Toor. Therefore Mohammad (pbuh) as a human/bashar was not the one present in his era signifying he could not have met him.
You (pbuh) were not at the side of Tur when We called. Yet a mercy from your Lord, so that you give warning to a people to whom no warner had come before you so that they may remember.
Some scholars hold the view that this covenant took place in the realm of sprit world, when the prophets were not sent to the world yet. But then if it had taken place at that time, the prophet (pbuh) would have known about this covenant, but the ayat 11:49 while narrating events of previous prophets, says that you (pbuh) did not know about the the events of previous prophets.
Such are some of the news of the unseen, which We have revealed unto thee, before this, neither thou nor your people knew them. So persevere patiently, for the End is for those who are righteous.
Another school of thought is that the covenant was for prophets including their nations. So when the messenger Mohammad (pbuh) would come to the nations of previous prophets then they should believe in him and support him. However the problem with this view point is that the ayat specifically mentions the covenant of the prophets and does not mention their nations. Also, the covenant is taken with the prophets after they attained the book and wisdom which the whole nation cannot attain, So, we cannot assume the covenant of prophets to include their nations. (By the way, all the prophets are from Muslim/submitter nation. It is incorrect to assume for example, that present day Jews are prophet Moosa’s nation, just because they adhere to his name and a personality of Moosa described in Bible and not in Al-Quran).
It is a no brainer that for a human/bashar to be present in earlier prophets’ eras and taking covenant from them is not possible. Therefore this messenger mentioned in ayat 3:81 has to be either an angel or Rooh/ the Sprit. The angels and Rooh are also stated to be messengers in Al-Quran.
Allah sends the angels with the Spirit on a ‘bashar/human’ who He chooses to be a warner to people.
He sends down the angels with the Spirit for His Command, to such of His servants as He pleases, (saying). “Warn (people) that there is no god but I, so be conscious of Me.”
Before getting the Spirit (of the Word of Allah), the prophets don’t have the true understanding of the message of Allah.
And Likewise, We have inspired you (the messenger) the Rooh/Spirit from Our order, you did not have the perception, what is The Book and the Belief, but We have made it a light, We guide with it whom We will from Our servants. And surely you guide towards the straight path.
When first confronted with the truth of the Message of Allah when the Spirit of the Word becomes apparent, it is so much out of phase with the teachings of people in one’s surrounding, that it appears as if it can’t be true. The challenge to the bashar/human prophet is to confirm the truth of the Words of Allah and support in its implementation.
That (Allah) may question the truthfuls about their truth, and He has prepared for the rejecters a grievous penalty.
After the covenant ayat of 33:7 the next ayat tells about why this covenant was taken, so that the truth-fuls are tested in their truths. When the truth first becomes apparent with the Rooh/Sprit of Allah, it is so much different from the existing teachings that people come into some kind shock. Only those true to the Word of Allah are able to pass this test of truthfulness. This is also stated with the incident of Mariam (a.s), that the first time she confronted the Sprit of Allah, she was awe-stricken and said that “I seek refuge of Allah from you.”
When the Spirit becomes apparent to the prophets then they are obliged to support it. How to support the Spirit, when it comes to them is to respond to it and start spreading the message of Allah to the masses. (When the human/bashar prophet starts spreading the message of Allah, he is addressed as messenger/rasool):
O’ Messenger ! proclaim The (message) which has been sent to you from your Lord. If you did not, you would not have proclaimed His message. And Allah will defend you from masses, for Allah guides not the nation of rejecters.
Al-Quran mentions aiding prophet Essa ibne Mariam with Rooh.
We gave Moosa the Book and followed him up with a succession of messengers; We gave Essa the son of Mary Clear Signs and strengthened him with the holy Spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you a messenger with what your nafs/soul desire not, you are puffed up with pride?- Some of them you called impostors, and others you slew!
‘Ghaib’ is an Arabic word which means unseen or hidden from observation. Example of ‘ghaib’ is knowledge of future. Those things which can be observed with instruments or predicted accurately on the basis of science are not ‘al-ghaib’.
(The believers)who believe in al-ghaib/unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them.
Allah cannot be seen or observed. The believes believe in Allah on the basis of circumstantial evidence, i.e the evidence of the Creator in every created thing of the Universe and signs with-in themselves as well.
Say, none in the heavens or on earth, except Allah, knows what is the Ghaib/unseen, nor can they perceive when they shall be raised up.
Of all the people in the heavens and earth, nobody knows the knowledge Al-ghaib, except Allah and they don’t know when they will be raised up (again).
In order to expel the notion that the messengers of Allah have knowledge of the ‘Al-ghaib’, Allah asks the messenger (pbuh) to declare that he does not have this knowledge and he only follows what is revealed to him.
Say, “I do not tell you that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor do I know what is the Ghaib/hidden, nor do I tell you I am an angel. I only follow what is revealed to me.” Say. “can those who see, be equal to those who do not see ?” Will you then ponder?
Furthermore the messenger (pbuh) declares that had he known the knowledge of Al-ghaib, he would have gathered a lot of goodness and would avoid misfortunes coming his way, as a common man would do.
Say. “I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills and If I had knowledge of the ghaib/unseen, I should have collected from the good things, and no harm should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith.”
No one knows what the next day will entail for him and no one knows on which land he will die until he comes to face it.
Verily the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah. It is He, who sends down rain and knows what is in the wombs. Nor does any one know what it is that he will earn tomorrow, nor does any one know, in what land he will die. Verily Allah is knowledgeable and acquainted (with all things).
Allah asks the messenger (pbuh) to proclaim to people that he does not know what will be done with him or with other people. He only follows what is inspired to him and what is inspired to the messenger is Al-Quran (12:3) and the spirit of Al-Quran (42:52) which he conveys to the people. Spirit of Al-Quran is the intention/meaning of the Word of God (Please see the post on Ar-Rooh/the Spirit).
Say (O’ Messenger) “I am no bringer of new doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a warner open and clear.”
The knowledge given to the messengers is limited, Infact the knowledge given to the whole mankind is very limited (17:85). They don’t have knowledge how people have actually responded to them. They confess to Allah, that He only knows the ‘ghaibs’.
One day when, Allah will gather the messengers together, and ask. “What was the response ye received (from men to your teaching)?” They will say. “We have no knowledge, it is You Who knows full all that is hidden.”
Allah reveals to the messenger, the information previously hidden to him and his nation in the Book of Allah. The Spirit of the Word of God is revealed to the messenger to propagate the message of Allah to the people.
These are from of the news of the Al-ghaib, which We have revealed into you. You and your nation, did not know about them before. So persevere patiently, for the hereafter is for those who take guard.
The trustworthy Sprit (Rooh ul ammeen) who comes with the will of Allah to the human prophet, reveals the true sprit/intention of the Words of Allah to the prophet. This revelation, reveals the true meaning of the Word of Allah to the prophet which were not known before to the prophet or to his nation. The prophet does not hold back the knowledge thus gained, from the people.
Surely this (Al-Quran) is the saying of an honorable messenger, endued with power, with rank before the Lord of the Throne. With authority and trustworthy, and (O people!) your companion is not one possessed, and without doubt he saw him in the clear horizon, neither does he withholds the knowledge of the ghaib/unknown.
When Allah reveals something from the ‘ghaib/unknown’ to a messenger of His choice, He makes sure that this knowledge is properly conveyed by the messenger.
He (Allah) knows the Ghaib/Unknown. He does not make any-one acquainted with His ghaib/unknown, except with a messenger, whom He accepts then He places (protective) watchers front and behind him, so that He may know that they have (truly) delivered the messages of their Lord and He surrounds all that are with them, and He has taken account of every thing.
The messenger gets part of the news of ‘al-ghaib’ from revelation of the Book, to be conveyed to the masses, he himself has not witnessed nor was present when the events had occurred.
This is part of the news of the unseen (ghaib), which We reveal unto you by inspiration (O’ Mohammad). You were not with them when they were casting their pens, as to who should be charged with the care of Mary, nor were you with them when they were disputing (the point).
There is a narration in Al-Quran about prophet Moosa (a.s) and a servant of Allah in sura Al-Kahaf the eighteenth sura. In this narration, Moosa (a.s) meets a servant of Allah who was bestowed knowledge from Allah on certain events which were to occur in future and no-one could have predicted them. This servant of Allah carried out orders of Allah not on his own accord, but according to the orders of Allah in order to help the good people within the worldly constraints. This servant of Allah was asked to carry out certain task by Allah and was provided explanation of these tasks by Allah in the form of what is going to happen in future.
So they both (Moosa and his companion) found one of Our servants, on whom We had bestowed mercy from Us and whom We had taught knowledge from Our nearness. Moosa said to him. “May I follow you, in that you teach me something of the wisdom which has been taught to you?” He said. “Verily you will not be able to bear with me” “And how can you have patience about which your understanding is not complete?” Moosa said. “You will find me, if Allah so wills, (truly) patient, and I shall not disobey you in orders.
Allah does not share His Hukm/Command with anyone. All carry out His commands.
Say. “Allah knows best how long they stayed, with Him is the unseen knowledge of of the heavens and the earth, He sees and He hears (everything)! They have no protector other than Him; nor does He share His Hukm/Command with anyone whatsoever.
This narration tells us that Moosa (a.s) a high ranking prophet of Allah did not know about the events of future, therefore confirming that the rank of prophet-hood does not mean that the prophet knows the knowledge of future.
Intercession in religious terms is understood to be that some-one with greater value in the sight of Allah, pleads on someone else’s behalf on the day of judgement, with the expectation that Allah would give consideration to the recommendation and give the one who was pleaded by the high and noble personality, bonus points and easy accountability. Otherwise without intercession, if he were to be tested on merit, he may fail and be in problem.
We need to check this concept from Al-Quran. We will see if interceding on behalf of another will actually benefit that person or not.
Whoever interceeds for goodness, there would be a portion for him in it, and whoever intercedes for a bad cause there would be a share for him in it, and Allah controls all things.
The principle of intercession is described in above ayat 4:85, that intercession is based on merit. Therefore any one who has the capability of intercession with Allah would not do so for a person not on merit basis, as he then would would become part of the un-justified intercession.
And fear a day, (when) no one will be able to compensate anyone anything, and no redemption will be accepted from him, and no intercession will benefit him, and they will not be helped.
The above ayat informs that on the day of judgement, any intercession done for a person will not be able to benefit him. This is because the criterion for the compensation is already set by Allah. Your deeds should be balanced towards goodness in order to be beneficial in the hereafter.
Thus he, whose balance is heavy, is in good pleasure and satisfaction, and he whose balance is light, thus his origin is (in) a pit.
The above ayat states the criteria. The overall balance of one’s personality and his actions should be on the good side, in order to be reaping the benefits in hereafter if not, a terrible abode awaits.
And those whom they invoke besides Allah have no power of intercession, except those who testified with Truth, and they know it.
The above ayat confirms that those people who are called upon for supposed intercession are in fact incapable for doing so, except for him who testifies with Haq/truth. Therefore any partiality and non merit intercession is ruled out in this ayat.
Isn’t the Deen (Judgment) purely for Allah? But those who take protectors (Walis) besides Him (say). “We do not serve them except that they are nearer to bring us closer to Allah.” Truly Allah will judge between them in what they differ. Verily Allah does not guide him who is a liar and rejecter.
The character of some people is mentioned in above ayat that they hold some personalities as Wali (protectors) and say that we serve them because they are near to Allah so serving and praising these lofty personalities, will bring us closer to Allah. These people who do this are stated to be liars and coverer of truth.
They are but names you have named them, you and your fore-fathers, Allah has sent down with it, no authority. These people follow nothing but conjecture and what their nafs desire; and surely the guidance has come to them from their Lord.
The list of names that people and their forefathers have invented, Allah has not sent down any confirmation for them in His Book. People use their names out of conjecture and what that their ‘nafs’ desire, even when all the ayahs of Allah are asking them not to do so.
They serve, besides Allah, those who cannot either harm them nor profit them, and they say. “These are our intercessors with Allah.” Say. “Do you indeed inform Allah of something He does not know, in the heavens and on earth?- Glory to Him! And He is far above the partners they ascribe (to Him)!”
Holding on to supposed intercessors is like giving their information to Allah as Allah has not revealed their authority of intercession in the Book and He has stated in His Book that the deviated people hold on to personalities for which Allah has revealed no authority to intercede.
The messenger (pbuh) who is supposedly the intercessor of the Muslim ‘Umma’ as touted by clergy, actually is going to complain about his nation to God in the hereafter, that they became ignorant of the teachings of Al-Quran.
And the Messenger will say, O my Lord! Surely, my people took this Al-Quran and abandoned it.
Some hadiths even state that some people who are initially destined for Hell-fire on the day of Judgment, the prophet (pbuh) will get them out of the fire as these people were sinners but belonged to him Umma. But Quran says the opposite in below ayat
Is then the one against whom the decree of punishment is justified, will you (the messenger), then save him from the fire.
The messenger even cannot guide those out of his choice. Even those he loves and wants them to get guidance to be saved in the Hereafter, he does not have the power to ensure their guidance. So, who other than the noble messenger (pbuh) would have the power to save any one of his choice.
Indeed you (the messenger pbuh) are not able to guide who you love; but Allah guides those whom He will and He knows better those who are guided.
And Allah will tell those people who proudly assumed that they would be having intercessors in the hereafter for them as they have been praising and serving these noble personalities all their lives instead of actually acting on Allah’s instructions in the Book of Allah.
“And behold! you come to us alone as We created you for the first time. You have left behind you all (the favors) which We bestowed on you. We don’t see with you your intercessors whom you proudly thought to be partners in your affairs, so now all relations between you have been cut off, and your fancies have left you!”
Al-Quran is the divine guidance sent by Allah to mankind and the messenger of Allah directs people to the Quran. When people are asked to involve the messenger of Allah in seeking forgiveness from Allah they disregard it. How can anyone dare to disregard the messenger of Allah? it is, when they consider non-Quranic instructions as inspirations from Allah and be very proud of them and assume that they will save them.
And when it is said to them, “Come, the messenger of Allah will pray for your forgiveness”, they turn aside their heads, and thou wouldst see them turning away their faces in arrogance.
One way that you Ask forgiveness with the messenger, would be to identify the problem in you and correct it with the relevant ayat of Quran, and recite the ayat in your prayer. As the ayat is ‘the saying of the messenger’ (69:40) by reciting the ayat you are repeating the Qaule Rasool/saying of the messenger.
We did not sent any messenger, but to be obeyed with the will of Allah. If they had only, when they were unjust to themselves, came to you and asked Allah’s forgiveness, and the messenger also asked forgiveness for them, they would have found Allah indeed Oft-returning, Most Merciful.
When you are sincere about correcting your past errors and are genuinely repentant then you ask forgiveness more than just by paying lip service. You involve the messenger by repeating Allah’s ayahs and sayings of the messenger (Quale Rasool 69:40), with the help of which you can hope to overcome your inclination to sin and hope to be forgiven. The indication of forgiveness by Allah, is that the urge to sin will go away.
You (the messenger) seek forgiveness for them or you do not seek forgiveness for them. If you seek forgiveness for them seventy times Allah will never forgive them that is because they rejected Allah and His messenger. And Allah will not guide to those who are immoral/dissolute.
However, again the forgiveness of sins is on merit. If our sincerity in correction is not there, then even messenger’s repeated intercession on our behalf is not going to do any good.
Like wise, prophet and messenger Nooh (a.s) when he interceded on behalf of his son, his intercession was not accepted.
And Nooh called upon his Lord, and said. “O my Lord! surely my son is of my family! and your promise is true, and You are the most just of (all) Judges!”
Allah warned prophet Nooh (a.s) of not interceding for someone who is not worthy of intercession, as per guidelines mentioned above, those interceding on behalf of wrong, will have a portion from it. Prophet Nooh (a.s) quickly realized his mistake and corrected himself and asked forgiveness.
He (Allah) said. “O Nooh! he is not of your family, for his conduct is unrighteous. So don’t ask Me, of which you have no knowledge! I advise you, lest you become of the ignorant ones!” Nooh said. “O my Lord! I do seek refuge with you, lest I ask you for that of which I have no knowledge, and unless You forgive me and have mercy on me, I should indeed be of the losers”
When prophet Ibrahim (a.s) was informed about impending destruction of the nation of Lut, he because of his compassionate nature asked Allah not to destroy them, however, was admonished by Allah for this not-on-merit, intercession.
When fear had passed away from Ibrahim and the glad tidings had reached him, he began to plead with us for Lut’s people. For Ibrahim was, without doubt, forbearing, compassionate, and seeker of Allah. O Ibrahim! Turn away from this (pleading). The decree of your Lord has gone forth, for them there comes a penalty that cannot be turned back!
The angels are interceding for the steadfast people with whom Allah is pleased. The intercession is like commending the good deeds that a person has made in his life. Somewhat similar to a person getting ‘life time achievement award’ in the world and people coming forth and giving applause for his achievements.
How many-so-ever be the angels in the heavens, their intercession will avail nothing except after Allah has given leave for whom He pleases and that he is acceptable to Him.
Intercession is only for those who are worthy of intercession, i.e those who turn in repentance and follow the straight path of the Lord.
Those who sustain the Throne (of Allah) and those around it sing glory and praise to their Lord; believe in Him; and implore forgiveness for those who believe. “Our Lord! Your reach is over all things, in mercy and knowledge. Forgive, then, those who turn in repentance, and follow your path; and preserve them from the penalty of the blazing fire!
On that day, the intercession shall not benefit except for the one for whom permission has been granted by the most Gracious and his words are acceptable to Allah.
The above ayat says that only the one who’s words are acceptable to Allah and who has gotten permission from the Allah will be able to intercede. Who has got the permission of intercession from Allah? The below ayat informs of that person and his intercession:
And when Allah said: O Essa, the son of Maryam, did you say to mankind ‘take me and my mother as gods instead of Allah?’ , he said, ‘Glory to You! Never could I say what I had no right. Had I said such a thing, You would have known it. You know what is in my ‘nafs’, though I know not what is in Your ‘Nafs’. Verily, You know all that is hidden.’ Never I said to them except what you commanded me to say, i.e serve Allah, my Lord and your Lord; and I was a witness over them while I was among them; and when You caused me to die, You were the watcher over them, and You are a witness to all things. If you punish them, they are Your servants. if you forgive them, You are the exalted in power, the wise.
However the result of intercession was again upon merit. Those who said that their Lord is God and they don’t mix others with God and His orders, and acted upon it truthfully, will be able to benefit on the day of judgement.
Allah said, This is a day on which the truthful will profit from their truth; for them are gardens, with streams flowing beneath, their eternal home. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Allah, that is the great success.
Note:
69:40 إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ
That this (Quran) is verily the saying of an honorable Messenger.
‘Sunnah’ means practice and ‘hadith’ means narration, report or incidence. Generally not much distinction is made between these two terms. Both are thought to be solely related to prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and his companions. Common perception is that the ‘hadith’ books contain the sayings of prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and his companions and the ‘sunnah’ is the actions of the prophet also described in those books.
There are seven recognized hadith books in a major sect of Islam (Sunni sect) which are considered mostly ‘sahih’/authentic grade. These books narrate incidences and events about prophet Mohammad (pbuh) and his companions. In another major sect of Islam (Shia sect), there are four popular hadith books. While some of the hadiths are agreed upon or common in both sects, majority of the sectarian hadiths are rejected by the other sect.
In this post we will see what Allah mentions in Al-Quran about His Sunnah/Practice, the sunnah of the prophets and that of the people. We will also review what is the status of man-written hadith books according to Al-Quran.
Allah intends to make clear to you and guide you to the sunnah/practice of the people before you; and to turn to you. And Allah is All-knowing, All-wise.
A key practice of the prophets of God, is stated in below ayat:
It is not for a man whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the Prophethood; should say to people. “Be you my servants rather than Allah’s”. On the contrary (He would say) “Be you the servants of the Lord. For you teach the Book and you have studied it.”
The prophet (pbuh) would never ask the people to consider him as their master and people become his servants, but would ask people to be focused on Allah and study and teach Allah’s Book.
A Book revealed to you (O’ Messenger), it should not cause any tightening in your chest,- that you warn (the people) with it, and it is remembrance for the believers.
The sunnah of the messenger (pbuh) is to remind and warn people with the Book of Allah. Any account of the messenger in which he tells some thing about Allah without a reference to the Book of Allah, therefore cannot be true.
And that I recite the Quran, and if any one accept guidance, he does it for the good of his own self, and if anyone goes astray, say “I am only a warner”.
The sunnah of the messenger (pbuh) described in Al-Quran is to recite the Quran to people and let those who want to take guidance from it, take guidance. Those who would like to take their guidance from any where else, they are to go astray and messenger clearly warned them.
Obligation vs following practice (Farz & Sunnat):
We have heard that certain items are mandatory (Farz) in Islam (often referred as pillars of Islam). Then there are others which may not be mandatory (Farz) but are practice of the messenger (Sunnah of the prophet) and therefore are near mandatory. Other than these two, there are ‘Nafal’ (additional) for getting extra benefit.
However, in Al-Quran only one thing is mentioned with the word ‘Farz’ (mandatory) which is Al-Quran itself. Meaning all instructions and orders in Al-Quran are Farz (mandatory). The prophet follows all orders of Al-Quran and following these orders become sunnah/practice of the messenger (pbuh). However, not all things touted as sunnah in the society are actual ‘sunnah’ of the prophet. The source of sunnah and where it is established is actually stated in Quran as discussed further in this post.
Surely He, Who has ordained as mandatory the Qur’an for you, will definitely restore you to a place of return(To a place you are accustomed to). Say. “My Lord knows best who it is that brings true guidance, and who is in manifest error.”
Quran is mandatory on the messenger with all his do’s and don’ts and therefore in his sunnah to all believers.
As for the ‘Nafal’ (additional), the striving and making efforts in Al-Quran during the night is stated to be the additional effort, worth doing as per below ayat:
And in some hours of the night, strive with it (Quran), This is additional for you, so it may be that your Lord will raise you to a standing position of praise.
Perception: All practices of Islam e.g Salat, Hajj, Umra, funeral prayers, Traweeh prayers, Aitekaaf etc we got from prophet Mohammad (pbuh). If we don’t take guidance from the hadith books which describe how prophet Mohammad performed rites of Islam, we will be left with nothing in Islam.
The practice of Salat, Hajj, Umra, Aitekaf etc. had been established in the Holy Mosque (Masjid ul Haram) for all times i.e even before prophet Mohammad’s time. Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) and Ismail (a.s) were tasked to cleanse the sacred House of Kaaba to establish these sunnah/practices (2:125). The cleansing required of the House of Allah is that people had been fed notions that at some point in time, this House was littered with Idols, therefore was not the guidance for mankind during those times. These notions needed to be cleansed and the fact stated in Quran to be reiterated, that the House of Allah had been the guidance for man-kind in all times. After these false notions are cleansed in people’s mind, they are able to receive guidance from the House of the Lord. The ayat of Quran is true for all times, past and present, and there could never be idols in the House of Allah.
The hadiths books in existence today are not the source of sunnah established in the House of the Lord , as prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was not the originator of these practices. When Allah orders mankind to take guidance from the House of Allah (3:96) it is evident that the sunnah/practices of Salat, Hajj, Umra, Tawaf, funeral prayers, Traveeh prayers, Aitekaf i.e activities going on in the Sacred mosque are all preserved for guidance of mankind by divine means. People in all times can refer to the sunnah established in the Holy mosque without being concerned about who is in-charge of the mosque, as Allah confirms that the people in-charge of this Mosque are ‘mutaqqin’ i.e those who take guard (8:64). All prophets and messengers in all times have performed these practices according to the divine system established there. The source of the procedural books and booklets on Salat, Hajj and Umra is the system already preserved at the Holy mosque. The evidence of this sunnah/practice established in the Holy mosque is given in ayahs of Quran, where Allah orders the prophet to follow the religion of Ibrahim (16:123), the prophet confirms that he does not bring any new doctrine in the religion (46:9), Allah informs the prophet (pbuh) that nothing is said to him that has not been said to messengers before him (41:43) and asks the prophet (pbuh) to follow the guidance of prophets passed before him (6:90). From where the prophet and all mankind is instructed to take this established guidance, is in ayat 3:91 which states that the first House of the Lord is the guidance for mankind.
“Nothing is said to You (O’ Messenger) that was not said to the messengers before you: verily your Lord has at His command (all) forgiveness as well as the most grievous penalty.”
The ayat very clearly states that the messenger (pbuh) does not get any doctrine and order which the messengers before him did not get. Nothing new or additional was said to him. The messenger states that he does not bring any new doctrine or practice different from previous messengers before him.
“Say (O’ Messenger) “I am no bringer of new doctrine among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a warner open and clear.”
Allah inspired the messenger (pbuh) to follow the religion of Ibrahim (a.s) in ayat 123 of Sura 16:
“Then We inspired thee (O’Mohammad), Follow the religion of Ibrahim, the true in faith, and he was not from the polytheists.”
The context of below ayat 6:90, is that, Allah mentioned earlier prophets by their names, and then asked messenger Mohammad (pbuh) to follow the guidance they had received.
Those were the people who received Allah’s guidance: Thus follow them in their guidance; Say: “No reward for this do I ask of you: This is no less than a message/reminder for all worlds.
An important point to note is that Allah’s order is to follow guidance of the previous prophets which they had received from Allah, and not imitating their physical forms i.e how they dressed, their hairstyle or their dressing preferences.
The first House appointed for mankind is that at Bakka/Makkah: Full of blessings and of guidance for all worlds.
Again to summarize, the sunnat/practice which is established in the House of the Lord and the sacred Mosque, is not dependent upon the hadith books in existence today. Hadith books are not source of this sunnah established in Masjid-ul-Haram. The procedure booklets describe the procedure of Salat and Hajj from the sunnah already established and not from hadith books.
Muslims have utmost respect for the messenger Mohammad (pbuh) and the term ‘hadith’ is a sensitive matter for them although majority of Muslims have little knowledge of the science of ‘hadith’. The knowledge of hadith for most of them is mostly some popularly circulating selected ‘ahadith’.
The hadiths were not written in the messenger (pbuh) era, but a couple of hundred years after his death. . The scholars of hadith are aware that even the authentic ahadith don’t capture the actual words of Mohammad (pbuh) but the essence of what he said in the words of the narrators of the hadith. General public, more or less take it for granted that prophet has actually said the words or acted as mentioned in the ‘hadith’ books. On the basis of ‘hadith’ books many religious injunctions are passed by the scholars as well.
There are also people who don’t believe in the existing ‘ahadith’ books as a reliable source of information which can be the basis of religious injunctions. Majority of these people are not refuting or disregarding the prophet Mohammad (pbuh), but the hadith books which were compiled by people couple of hundred years after prophet’s death. To them the account of prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in these books may or may not be accurately captured by people who collected this information relying on oral transmission for a period of time approx. 200 years. Especially so when the account of the messenger in these hadith books is against the personality of messenger (pbuh) described in Al-Quran. A major question for them is , can we trust the authenticity of these reports, as they were originally oral traditions and after about 200 years of prophet death, were collected by some individuals who made up their own criterion of selecting about 3% and rejecting 97% of ‘ahadith’ in circulation at that time. For the compiler of hadith books, the major criteria for authenticating hadith is from the chain of narration. The chain of narration is considered certification of hadith. Later on, an additional knowledge-base of people (ilm ul rijjal) was created with the help of which an individual person the narrator of hadith, was determined to be either truthful or otherwise. From the knowledge of the science of communication in modern times, we know that distortions in communication are bound to happen when passed on from person to person even within the same room and within a span of short period of time. Also, in today’s time, if we attempt to determine a person to be truthful or otherwise, its difficult to do so, even with the help of expensive lie detecting machines.
For majority of Muslims, the belief in the man-written ahadith books however is made an obligatory part of belief as if the authors of these books were immune from making errors and whatever is in these books is accurate. The frequently quoted perceptions in advocacy of hadith books and response to them, are given below:
Quran states in 16:44 that Allah sent the messenger (pbuh) to explain the Quran to people. So, if we don’t have account of the messenger (pbuh) in Hadith books, then how can we know what the messenger explained from Quran.
All messengers and prophets explained from Al-Kitab/the Book (2:213) and asked people to revert to Book of Allah and stop mixing orders of Allah with other things. If the intention was that the prophet (pbuh) was to explain the Quran with some additional information, then as the world was to continue without any live prophet later on, God would have commanded to record his words and prophet would have made efforts to do that too. It would not have been left on the discretion of later people who have not themselves reached the prophet to do so. If that is not so, then it means that prophet did not explain outside of Quran and there was no need for him to order recording of his lectures/actions/deeds. Instead Quran states that prophet does not write anything, making sure that no prophet of Allah should leave any of his writings behind (29:48). The Book of Allah is meant to be the only written Word for divine guidance of mankind in their religious injunctions.
Also, it is clearly understood by the scholars of ‘hadith’ that the hadith in existence don’t represent the actual words of the prophet (pbuh) but the intention. However, actual words are so important in divine matters that Allah has kept the institute of ‘Salat’ to preserve the actual words of Al-Quran.
The below ayat states that Allah has sent a detailed book to people, then why there should be a need to ask for further judgements on it.
Say. “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah? – and He is Who has sent unto you (people) the Book, explained in detail.” The people whom we gave the Book, know fully well, that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth. Thus you, never be of those who doubt.
If Al-Quran was not sufficient for people then Allah would not ask this question specifically, ‘Is the Book, not sufficient for them?’, so that they seek other means.
And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to you the Book which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is mercy and a reminder to those who believe.
2: Messenger’s function is to provide explanation of Quran (16:44), he is not merely a postman. Hadiths record the explanation provided by prophet Mohammad (pbuh). Without hadith we cannot have the explanation provided by the prophet.
(We sent them) with Bayyinat/Clear Signs and Zubur/Pieces; and We have sent down unto you the Zikr/remembrance that you explain clearly to people what is sent for them, and that they may reflect on it.
And We sent down the Book to you for the express purpose, that you should make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.
In the above ayahs, Allah informs that the purpose of the messenger (pbuh) is to provide explanation of the Quran to people. If the assumption is that the explanation, the prophet (pbuh) provided of the Quran is something outside the Quran saved in Hadith books, then please note anything which is man written is bound to have a lot of contradiction in it. Allah provides the explanation of the Quran within Quran. Below ayahs explains how the messenger provides explanation of Quran:
And this Al-Quran / The Reading is not that can be produced from other than Allah, but it is a confirmation of what is between his hands and the explanation of Al-kitab/The Book, there is no doubt in it from the Lord of the worlds.
We have explained things thoroughly in this Qur’an, so that they may receive admonition, but it only increases their hate/flight.
Al-Kitab is the perfect book. The other books in the world cannot be perfect. Is it logical to assume that the imperfect books can explain the perfect Book while the imperfect books are bound to contain lot of discrepancies? The best of explanation (tafseer) is contained within Allah’s Book.
Do they not consider/ponder The Quran (The Reading) if it had been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradiction.
The following ayat informs how the messenger explains a topic from Quran. The believers who are asked by Allah to ponder over ayahs of Quran are expected to use the same procedure to get explanations from Quran and not to seek explanation from man made books frozen in time.
When We substitute the place of one ayat with another ayat and Allah knows best what He reveals ,- they say, “You are but a forger”, but most of them do not understand.
The above ayat informs about the prophet’s method of providing explanation from the Quran for clarification of a certain topic. The topic was explained from ayahs from various chapters (sura), not necessary in their original order in the Book. For example ayahs related to a topic are scattered in various chapters of Quran, which needs to be collected and reviewed in order to get understanding of the topic. So when by this method the topic is clarified and if it were not according to the wishes of the people, they would say that the messenger (pbuh) made this up.
3: Lets say that the prophet explained something from Quran which was not known to masses before. If we don’t keep a record of that explanation, then obviously this explanation will not reach the people who come in times when prophet is no more in the world.
There a lot of things which are discovered in Quran which were not known before nor the prophet informed the people. The scientific knowledge about the Universe and human body was discovered when the World was ready to receive the information. Quran instructs not to be hasty with Quran and not to mix other things with it and to ponder on its ayahs. Then Allah clarifies His ayahs provided they are not mixed with non Quranic instructions. We cannot consider man written hadiths books and explanations/tafseer as divinely inspired, as Hadith and Tafseer literature of yore is filled with bizarre explanation of the Universal phenomenon, such as the orbit of sun and earth being held over cow’s head etc. Allah’s prophets’ major emphasis is always not mixing anything with Allah’s orders and His Word. The responsibility of providing guidance is on Allah, provided we sincerely don’t mix man made literature and explanations with Allah’s Word even when it is assumed to be prophet’s sayings. Same is the case with Bible. It is man written but its followers assume its contents are inspired by God, although lot of unscientific, lascivious and contradictory information can be found within Bible as a manifest sign that this book cannot be inspired by God.
4. The messenger should have said other things than Quran. Where are these sayings recorded?
The messenger would recite ayahs from Al-kitab to make clear to them in what they are differentiating. Even then people would say bring a reading other than this (Al-Quran). However, there is nothing else to be brought other than this Quran which is inspired on the messenger. (Cannot bring any other reading or book). Sura Al-Haqa says, if the messenger would have said things about Allah, Allah would have cut off his jugular vein.
(69:40-46) That this is verily the saying of an honourable Messenger; it is not the saying of a poet: Little is you believe! Nor is it the saying of a soothsayer: little is it that you take heed! It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds. And if he (the messenger), had said sayings concerning Us, We assuredly had taken him by the right hand and then severed his jugular vein.
What the messenger says in the capacity of messenger of Allah is Al-Quran i.e the official message from Allah to the believers. There is a personal life of the messenger as well, in which he says things and conducts life as a human. Interference in his personal life and seeking hadiths of this personal life causes pain and misery to the messenger as stated in below ayat 33:53. So it is evident that his true followers would never do it i.e seek information about his life and his home and record these as hadiths.
O you who believe! Do not enter the prophet’s houses,- until permission is granted to you,- for a meal, (and then) not to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter; and when you have taken your meal, disperse, without showing fondness for hadith/ narrations/vain talks. Such (behaviour) persecutes the Prophet. He is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth. And when you ask (his ladies) for anything of value (Prophet’s hadith), ask them from behind a screen. That makes for greater purity for your hearts and for theirs. Nor is it right for you that you should persecute Allah’s messenger, or that you should marry his spouses after him at any time. Truly such a thing is in Allah’s sight an enormity (sin).
In the past similar pain has been caused to prophet Moosa (a.s) with the collection of sayings and actions in stories from Jewish and Christian sources which are referred to Israelites/’Isra’iliyyat ‘.
O you who believe! Do not become like those who persecuted Moosa, but Allah cleared him (Moosa) of their sayings, and he was honorable in Allah’s sight.
Those people who get inspired and fascinated with the supposed golden words are even termed as enemy of the prophet.
And likewise ,We have made for every Prophet the shayateen/satans of mankind and the shayateen/satans of jinkind an enemy, some of them inspire golden words (as sayings of prophets) on some, for the purpose of delusion, and if your Lord had willed they would have not done it, so leave them and what they have invented.
5. If you don’t have ahadith then how would you pray/Salat and perform Hajj as these procedures are not in Al-Quran:
A very frequent question. There is a difference between Sunnah and Hadith. Sunnah means practice. The practice of ‘Salat’ and ‘Hajj’ have been established in the Masjid-ul-Haram by Allah for all times. All prophets before messenger Mohammad (pbuh) have established Salat and Hajj by the established sunnah at the House of Allah. This sunnat does not originate from the hadith books. The books about procedure of Salat and Hajj are written from the procedures already established at Kaaba and not from the Hadith books.
The people who ask this question assume that the procedure of salat is in hadith books. Little they know that it is not and from hadith books you would have conflicting ways to pray. Still different sects and schools of thought have variations in prayer method, although all are supposed to come from the prophet (pbuh). To circumvent this problem the sectarians say that prophet prayed with all these different methods. Then the question arises, if the prophet used to pray salat with these different methods then his sunnat practice is to pray with all different methods. Then why do people stick to the way their particular sectarian Imam has instructed them to do so. This is a manifest sign that these people pay lip service to following the prophet (pbuh) while in effect they are just following the teachings of the particular sect in which they were born. While in previous post on this site, it is explained how Quran gives the procedure of salat and all prophets before prophet (pbuh) were praying salat with this method. Quran informs in the most succinct way to take guidance from the House of Lord and take the ‘Mussala’ i.e the system of salat from there.
And when We made the house a place of reward and safety for people, and you take from the standing position of Ibraheem, the ‘Mussalah’ / prayer performed. And We covenanted with Ibrahim and Ismaeel that both of you purify My house for those who go around and those who intent upon (do Aetikaf) and those who bow and prostate.
The sunnat of salat/hajj was established before prophet (pbuh). This sunnat is established by God and mankind is to take this guidance from the first house established by God.
6. So if everything is to be deduced from Quran then why prophets and messengers were sent to people? Wasn’t the book enough for the mankind to take guidance?
The mission of the messenger of Allah is to release humanity from the heavy burdens and the shackles that are upon them (7:157). He demonstrated this by implementing the divine values decreed in the Book of Allah. But the mis-guided ones, hatched up concepts and doctrines and injected them among the people which resulted in completely changing the ‘Message’ brought by the messenger and instead replaced it with man-made ritualistic and myopic religion.
The prophets were sent repeatedly to mankind to revert them again and again towards the Book of God, as people had a tendency to add and mix things to the book of Allah per their desires. Every messenger who addresses the nation of submitters via Quran, his first message is ‘don’t add any associater with Allah’. Yet people do not to take the pure form of Allah’s order, they always mixed something with it. That is why Allah says in 12:96, majority of those people who believe in Allah, don’t do so without associating others with it. With these additional teaching other than the Book of Allah, people are divided into different groups and sects. Allah asks all the people who adhere to the Book of Allah, to come to the common Kalima/Word of Allah. The common Kalima in all the sects is the Quran.
Say O people of the Book, come to a Kalima/Word that is equal between us and you, that we serve none except Allah, that we associate nothing with him and that we do not take from among ourselves Lords other than Allah. If then they turn back say you bear witness that we are muslims / submitters.
If the people have one common Word of Allah with them, there will be no sects in Islam. Its is however the other teachings and other books with the Book of Allah, which divides people into different sects. Satan has made their bad acts alluring to them so these sectarian teachings looks very alluring to the people who keep adhering to their sects.
Surely those who differred in their Din/Judgment and become sects/groups, you (messenger) doesn’t have anything to do with them, surely their affair is towards Allah, then He will tell them with what they used to do.
The sunnat/practice of the messenger (pbuh) is as given below:
And that I recite the Quran, and if any one accept guidance, he does it for the good of his own self, and if anyone goes astray, say “I am only a warner”.
Also it is the practice of the messengers to make manifest those parts of the Al-Kitab which normally religious leaders hide from the masses.
O people of The Book! There has come to you our Messenger, revealing to you much that you used to hide in The Book, and passing over much: There has come to you from Allah a light and a perspicuous Book.
Allah asks the question, isn’t the Book enough for them:
And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to you the Book which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is mercy and a reminder to those who believe.
7: Hadiths explain the Quran. Hadith books describe the way that Prophet (pbuh) has explained Quran and conducted his life as per instructions in Quran. People can follow him from the account given in hadith books.
The above perception would have been correct if really the explanation recorded in Hadith Books would be actually what the prophet (pbuh) has explained. However, sadly the hadith collectors had not reached the prophet themselves and they recorded the sayings and actions of prophet and his companions from human commentary approx. couple of hundreds years after him. The collectors of these hadith have made some criteria for filtering authentic hadith from fabricated ones as well. In fact Quran warns of exactly these two things i.e listening from people who have not reached the messenger and making criteria for filtering them in below ayat. Actually these people who do so, become ‘jews’ in the eyes of the Lord because the explanation they provide is deviant from the actual Spirit of the Word of Allah:
O Mesenger! let not those grieve you, who race into unbelief. among those people who say “We believe” with their lips but whose hearts have no faith; and among the Jews,- people who are listeners to lies,- they listen from other party who has never reached you. They change the words from their places. they say, “If you are given this, take it, but if not, avoid!” If Allah intends to indulge any in fitna/temptation, you have no authority in the least for him against Allah. For such – it is not Allah’s will to purify their hearts. For them there is disgrace in this world, and in the Hereafter a heavy punishment.
Why Allah does not like these people who do the above mentioned acts, because it changes the intent of the message to some thing else and reduces its intended impact on people. Quranic orders are for all times but when a certain hadith explains an ayat in Quran in a certain context than the actual intention of the ayat is reduced to a very limited scope. People consider that ayat for a certain people in older times and do not feel much obligation to act on it as it was related to some people in the past.
8. We need to depend upon Hadith literature to get the correct explanation of Al-Quran
Quran is ‘Furqan’/the criteria for truth and false hood. With this criteria every other idea/philosophy/book will be examined whether to be true or false. If the criteria itself depends upon some other explanation then it can not be a criteria for the thing it depends upon. So if Furqan depends upon hadith literature for its explanation then logically it cannot be Furqan/criteria for the hadith literature. Therefore it is false to assume that Quran depends upon hadith for its explanation, as a ‘Furqan’ it simply cannot.
A counter question arises, does the collection of Ahadith has explanation of each ayat of Quran?
It does not, because in their opinion each ayat does not need explanation from prophet.
9. We don’t find explicit details of doing things in Quran i.e going to washroom, Istanja, duas and small details. Hadith provide these details.
Al-Quran mentions an incident of the cow in sura Baqara (2:67-71). In this incident prophet Moosa (a.s) communicated an order of Allah to his people, to slaughter a cow. Apparently this should be a simple thing to do, as obviously it was not the first time they were slaughtering a cow. But instead they adopted an attitude of over inquisitiveness. They started asking a lot of questions about the cow, and even stated their frustration at some point that things are getting confusing for them and they need more and more details about the order, as according to them, Allah’s order was missing in details. In the end, when they finally did what they were asked to do, they ended up doing it in such a way which was very cumbersome for them.
Can we relate this incident in our lives as well. There are a number of things we do in our lives which are fairly normal e.g taking a bath, dining, sleeping and relieving our selves. Do we really need to ask a lot of questions about how to carry out these activities from religious point of view. The religious ‘masail’ books contain a lot of detailed instructions for simple activities. Seems like people who wrote these were watching the prophet (pbuh) even in his most private time to obtain these detailed instructions, while ayat 33:53 gives a clear message to companions not to indulge unnecessary in prophet’s private life. When we relate the incident mentioned in the hadith of Cow in Quran, we can understand that the religion does not put too much obligations on people in terms of everyday ordinary matters. It is when the people become over inquisitive and over zealous, they impose un-necessary hardships on themselves.
The messenger while communicating the spirit of the Book to people relieves them from these self imposed hardships (7:157) by governing them with the ayahs of Quran while cancelling the non Quranic orders and ideas.
O ye who believe! Don’t ask questions about things which, if made clear to you, may cause you trouble. But if you ask about things when the Qur’an is being revealed, they will be made clear to you, Allah will forgive those. for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Forbearing.
Nation before you did ask them, and then they were rejecters with them.
10. The Qur’an specifically says in a number of verses to ‘follow the prophet’ e.g 3:32 and 4:80 and as Hadith have the account of prophet and his actions in life, therefore rejection of the Hadiths will make it impossible to follow the prophet as instructed in Quran:
And whoever obeys Allah and the messenger, thus will be in the company of those on whom is the naimat/reward of Allah,- of the prophets, the truthfuls, the witnessers/testifiers, and the righteous (who do good). Ah! what a beautiful fellowship!
The above ayahs advise to follow the messenger (pbuh) and state that those who follow Allah and the messenger are with those who have been blessed by Allah. People assume that Quran has orders of Allah and the Bukhari Sharif (representative of Hadith books) has orders of the messenger. So following the prophet as depicted in Bukhari Sharif means following the messenger of Allah.
Those who reject Allah and His messengers, and wish to differentiate between Allah and His messengers and say ‘We believe in some but reject some’, and they wish to take a course midway between that.
So what is actually happening and the ayat 4:150 exactly points out to it, people are made to believe that Quran is Allah’s word and ‘hadith’ is messenger’s sayings and practice, which makes them different books. This is how people differentiate between Allah and his messengers. They also reject sectarian hadiths, one sect of people would not accept the hadith of other sects. Also for hadith collection there are criterion made, on the basis of which hadith are accepted and rejected and the criteria varies between different sects.
When Quran says follow the prophet it means follow the prophet of Allah in Al-Quran, not the prophet’s personality described in man written and compiled book. This topic is detailed in below link to a post:
Without doubt for you, in the Rasool/Messenger of Allah is most beautiful pattern, who has hope in Allah and the last day and frequently remembers Allah.
People read the above ayat in Quran and then try to find the best practice of the messenger in man written books. The best practice of the messenger should be sought in Quran. The best practice of the messengers is stated in Al-Quran in ayat 60:4, is not to idolize anyone and get rid of idols in one’s psychology. If your parents insists that you include others beside Allah for divine guidance, then don’t obey them in this order but deal with them nicely and ask forgiveness for them.
Indeed there is for you, the most beautiful practice (Uswatun Hasana) in Ibrahim and those with him, when they said to their people: surely , We are clear of you and of whatever you serve besides Allah: We have rejected you, and there has begun, between us and you, enmity and rancor forever, unless you believe in Allah and Him alone, except saying of Ibrahimm for his father, Certainly I will ask forgiveness for you and I have no authority from Allah in anything for you, Our Lord! On you is our trust, and towards you we depute/represent, and towards you is our determination.
11: The believers are those who have been following the same mainstream Islam for 1500 years. Some one who forms a different belief, is deemed to be following a different path and Quran ayat 4:115 says that those will be doomed to fire.
If anyone opposes the messenger after guidance has been clarified for him, and follows a path other than that of believers, We shall leave him in the path he has chosen, and land him in Hell,- what an evil refuge!
Do the mainstream sectarian Muslims assume that they are the believers while those who adhere to sects and sectarian teachings are categorically described to have nothing to do with the messenger. When we testify (give ‘shahada’) of the messenger (pbuh), ‘I bear witness that Mohammad (pbuh) is a messenger of Allah’, are we witnessing the messenger of Allah as Allah described him in Al-Quran or are we giving witness of a historical figure of Mohammad (pbuh) from sources other than Al-Quran? Please note that there are no sources as reliable as Al-Quran and ayat 23:69 warns about people not recognizing their messenger? If we are holding on to a personality of the messenger which is different from what is described in Al-Quran, then we are not witnessing for the messenger of Allah but a different personality of messenger which is a historical figure. In order to believe in the correct personality of Mohammad (pbuh), we need to believe that personality of messenger which is depicted in Al-Quran. Some people are so much into the alternate personality of the messenger of history, that when ayahs of Quran are presented to them about true personality of messenger (pbuh), they just refuse to believe in those ayahs.
The messenger of Quran does not like people to be infatuated with the hadiths about his household. Those people who read this ayat and still like to peak and indulge in hadiths about the private life, household and wives of the prophet (phuh), are definitely causing him anguish and are opposing the messenger.
O you who believe! Do not enter the prophet’s houses,- until permission is granted to you,- for a meal, (and then) not to wait for its preparation. But when you are invited, enter; and when you have taken your meal, disperse, without showing fondness for hadith/ narrations/vain talks. Such (behaviour) persecutes the Prophet. He is ashamed to dismiss you, but Allah is not ashamed (to tell you) the truth.
12. Muslim Ummah will loose the explanations provided by prophet (pbuh) if it were not for the hadith books?
Was prophet supposed to arrange and write down his explanation of Quran? If it was not supposed to be ,then this is the way it should be because Allah says that Quran is explained by Him and people should ponder over it. There are hadiths which state that prophet refrained people from writing down his sayings. So there is obvious wisdom in it that hadiths should not be written down. If this was the case that hadiths should be available to explain Quran, then prophet should have laid extreme emphasis is getting his sayings written down and ensuring it is canonized and Allah would be protecting the hadith as well. It is definitely not that the prophet (pbuh) and his companions were myopic and could not see that if explanation is not written down by them and canonized for later generations, the later generations will loose them. It would not be left for some people to verify and compile hadiths after couple of hundred years from hundreds of thousands of forged hadiths.
Quran is clear in that Allah is protecting his Kalima/Word only and not man written account of the prophet for the guidance of mankind.
In traditional Islam, many ayahs which really need explanation, they are without explanation from hadith, e.g ‘kalalah’, huruf muqatiat, etc. And adadith exists which counter the text of Quran, e.g Quran says that the Universe was created in six periods of time, while hadith says Allah created universe in seven days, an obvious contradiction in Bukhari.
Those are the ayahs of Allah, which We rehearse to you in Truth; then in what Hadith/narration they will believe after Allah and His ayahs?
55:1-2 الرَّحْمَٰنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ
(Allah) Most Gracious! has taught AL-QURAN.
It is Ar-Rehman who gives knowledge of the Quran. Provided you approach the Quran with a purified heart. With the contamination of psychological idols in one’s heart, there will be no knowledge and Sprit of Al-Quran transmitted to any one. The responsibility of providing guidance is on Allah to one who seriously shuns the idols in his psychology. The first statement of Kalima- tauheed is that ‘there is no idols but Allah’. So, one should carefully search his soul not to idolize any human, in order to start receiving guidance from Allah and Al-Quran.
92:12 إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا لَلْهُدَىٰ
Surely, on Us is the guidance
13: If they say that Hadith is corrupted then how can they verify that the Quran is not corrupted while both are passed down to us from same previous generations.
Answer: Because of the challenge in Quran that its’ content cannot be changed and there is no evidence of any sura added spuriously in it. While we know that weak and false hadith had been added to the collection of ahadiths.
And we know Allah has guaranteed to protect his ‘Kalima’ only and not man-written account of the prophet for the guidance of mankind.
Below is the copy of some points from a blog post whose link is given below, which states that if Quran would have been passed on to Muslims with the same methodology as of hadiths, what would you may have expected with Quran:
“IF THE QURAN HAD BEEN TRANSMITTED AND COMPILED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE AHADITH
1. There would be an alleged ‘sanad’ (support) or an ‘isnad’ (supporting) with every Quranic verse.
2. The Quranic verses would have been arguably collected by fallible compilers representing a completely different sectarian, socio-political milieu, centuries after the death of the prophet.
3. The compilers would have allegedly travelled many miles to other individuals who had never met the prophet but claimed they possessed isolated Quranic verses based on hearsay, allegedly passed on to them through numerous generations through primarily oral tradition.
4. The majority, if not all the Quranic verses would be based on what one companion had heard and not corroborated by any other.
5. Different students of the later compilers would have captured different variants of the Quranic verses and argued over its veracity.
6. The Quranic verses would have been canonized much later into a recognized corpus arguably after the death of the initial fallible compilers.
7. There would arguably been a classification of Quranic verses such as ‘Sahih’ (sound) verses, ‘Hasan’ (good) verses, ‘Da’if’ (weak) verses and ‘Maudu’ (fabricated / forged) verses.
8. There would have arguably been disagreements of the links of isnad of the Quranic verses and terms such as ‘Musnad’ (supported), ‘Muttasil’ (continuous), ‘Munqati’ (broken), ‘Mu’allaq’ (hanging), ‘Mu’dal’ (perplexing) and ‘mursal’ (hurried) would have been applied to them.
9. There would have been vociferous exchanges and disagreements regarding the reliability and trustworthiness of the reporters of the Quranic verses.
10. There would arguably be ‘sectarian’ Quranic Books with different compilations and verses.
11. There would have been raging debates of the authenticity of the Quranic verses and the corpus throughout Muslim history.
Thank God the Quran was NEITHER transmitted NOR compiled in the same manner as Ahadith”
14. If we don’t have hadith, every body would develop his own explanation of Quran. We see that that people who adhere to Quran alone have many different explanations and beliefs so which explanation can one follow?
And we have come to them with a Book, which We explained in detail with knowledge,- a guidance and a mercy to the believing nation.
Allah has made good explanation which exists within the book and has given intelligence to mankind.
There are hadiths with absurd explanations of universe etc, which should open people eyes about blind hadith followers. Why would Allah ask believers to ponder in Quran if things are explained in Hadith books and people are not allowed to use their intelligence.
Do they not ponder The Quran/The Reading, if it had been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy/contradictions.
Allah does not ask believers to divide into groups whether be Quran-alone or sectarians. He demands not mixing any thing with Him and his orders. He does not allow idolizing any personality. He has provided a Book for guidance and invokes his Spirit/messenger in psychology/nafoos of people. A key to recognize the true explanation of ayahs of Quran is that, the explanations of any ayat should not be in contradiction with other ayat of Quran. If it does, then there is a problem in explanation and a more pondering is required in explanation of that ayat.
15. Quran asks to make the messenger a judge even for believers personal matters. How would we know that the messenger judged between matters of believers which came during his time and how we can take guidance from his judgements without consulting hadith books?
Quran says unless they get you as judge between them they cannot attain faith.
Thus no, by your Lord, they will not believe, until they make you judge in disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance when you have decided the matter, but accept it with the fullest conviction.
People have Taurat with Allah’s orders in it but they turn away from the orders of Allah. What they turn away to, is something other than Allah’s orders.
And how can they can make you (Mohammad pbuh) a judge? As they have the At-Taurat/the Law with them, in it is hukum / order of Allah. Then after that they turn away and they are not with the believers.
The sunnah of the messenger is not to seek any judge when a detailed book is sent down on them.
Say. “Shall I seek a judge other than Allah? – and He is Who has sent unto you (people) the Book, explained in detail.” The people whom we gave the Book, know fully well, that it has been sent down from your Lord in truth. Thus you, never be of those who doubt.
So, again Allah’s messenger judges with Quran and so the believers who follow his sunnah, should seek the particular injunction in Quran and act in their particular situation according to judgement given in the Quran.
And Judge/order among them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their vain desires, but beware of them lest they beguile you from any of that (teaching) which Allah has sent down to you. And if they turn away, be assured that for some of their sins it is Allah’s intention to put them into difficulty. And certainly the majority of the people are Fasiqeen/evil doers.
The messenger was a judge among the people, but his judgements and decisions were not by his own self, but he governed by the Book of Allah so people following his practice should do the same.
16. What is the harm in believing in hadith. Some hadiths can actually be true as people can write true account. Not all of it can be false.
The biggest problem that Hadith create is that they compromise the authority of Quran. Some Hadith which are considered Sahih, state that companions read Quran in different ways. E.g 43:61 وَإِنَّهُ لَعِلْمٌ لِّلسَّاعَةِ, which means that ‘indeed he (prophet Essa a.s) is the knowledge of the Hour’. But due to a certain continuous chain of Hadith, the hadithers also accept that some Sahaba recited this ayat like Wa Innahu la alamul Sa’aa, i.e ‘indeed he is a sign of the hour’.
It means that Matuater ahadith has gained the supreme power of compromising Quran. A different Quran is acceptable to them due to a hadith. Another hadith states that Quran was revealed in seven dialects. Can a different dialect mean a different word? Who they are befooling? Can they change the words of Allah on the pretext of different dialects?
And even then, now they except ten recitations of Quran even when the hadith says seven Qirat. How absurd ?
Another damage Hadith does is to divide Muslims into different sects. All sects pay lip service to the word ‘Hadith’ however, they reject other sect’s Hadiths. The Hadith prophesizing about the Muslim Umma to be divided into 72 sects and only one of these sects will be the guided one, actually gives legitimacy to sectarian Muslims to keep clinging to their sect believing that by a stroke of great luck they are fortunate enough to be born in the right sect. This Hadith gives them the legitimacy to actually cling to their sect while rejecting below ayat of Quran:
Surely those who differred in their Din/Judgment and become sects/groups, you (messenger) doesn’t have anything to do with them, surely their affair is towards Allah, then He will tell them with what they used to do.
17: Whatever is said by the prophet pbuh is a Wahi from Allah therefore the Hadiths which describe prophets sayings is also inspired from Allah.
Nor does he say of (his own) desire, It is only the Wahi/inspiration sent to him.
The above ayat refers to Al-Quran which is Wahi and inspiration from Allah on the messenger (pbuh). However, in Quran Allah has admonished the prophet (pbuh) for some of his actions, which clearly states that if everything that prophet says and does, was a Wahi then there would not have been a need for admonishing the prophet.
Allah forgave thee! Why didst thou grant them until those who told the truth were seen by thee in a clear light, and thou hadst known the liars?
If everything said by the prophet be a revelation from God, then the below ayat would not identify the objection of unbelievers as to why the messenger (pbuh) has not selected the revelation by himself, as the assumption is, whatever he speaks is considered as revelation from Allah. Allah has identified Quran which is the revelation that the messenger brings, and not everything he said as a human being:
If you don’t come to them with a revelation, they say. “Why don’t you yourself chose it be (a revelation)?” Say. “I but follow what is revealed to me from my Lord. This is (nothing but) enlightened perception from your Lord, and Guidance, and mercy, for those who have faith.”
Say what thing is greatest evidence, say Allah is witness between me and you and only this Quran is inspired to me to warn all of you with it
Point to note in above ayat is the ‘Isme Ishara’ with Quran (هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنُ) which makes the emphasis only the Quran is inspired/Wahi on me. No Wahi, other than Quran was made on the messenger.
Say. “If I go astray, I only stray over my own self. But if I receive guidance, it is because of the inspiration of my Lord to me. It is He Who hears all things, and is (ever) near.”
The above ayat confirms that messenger (pbuh) is on the right guidance because of the Wahi/inspiration on him which per ayat 6:19 is only the Quran. Any thing which comes form the the messenger nafs/self and not from Wahi is not guaranteed to be Haq.
18. In Surah Al-Hashr, it is stated: “..So take what the messenger assigns to you and deny yourselves that which he withholds from you..” (59:7), Therefore this implies that whatever the Hadiths gives us as teaching we should accept and whatever they prohibits, we should refrain from.
Whatever Allah has bestowed over His messenger from the people of the cities, it is for Allah and for the messenger and for the relatives and for the orphans and for the needy (who are reduced to poverty) and for the sons of the way, so that the wealth may not circulate only amongst the rich of your people and whatever the Messenger gives you so take it and whatever He forbids you about it, so forbid and take guard from Allah. Surely Allah is strong in punishment.
The context of the ayat is for amount of wealth distributed by messenger among the distributees and not for the teachings he is propagating.
Even if it considered for his teachings, what messenger gave the people, is the Quran. He never gave the people those other books these people get their inspirations from.
Say what thing is greatest evidence, say Allah is witness between me and you and this Quran is inspired to me to warn all of you with it and whoever propagates. Do you surely bear witness, that with Allah there are other gods, Say I do not bear witness, say surely He is one God and surely I am exempted from what you associate (with Him)
Quran ask messenger to say in above ayat that this Quran is inspired on me so that I warn you with it.
Messenger(pbuh) gave Al-Quran to people and at the same time forbade other books for the purpose of divine guidance.
And We did not sent down the Book to you except that you should make clear to them those things in which they differ, and that it should be a guide and a mercy to those who believe.
Thus it is clear from the above ayahs, that the messenger passed judgement among the people by the Book of Allah and the differences and disputes were resolved by Allah’s Book as well, and not any other book or opinion.
19. Clergy is the expert in religion. Ordinary people should not attempt to understand Quran and religion on their own. Ordinary people if they try to take guidance on their own from Quran, they will go astray because it requires a lot of knowledge of fiqh, tafseer and what not. The Ulama provide the role of guidance for the ordinary people. When you are sick you go to doctor, similarly for understanding religion you should go to clergy who are expert in religious matters.
The above is the perception propagated by the clergy and common people accept it. We need to verify it with Quran. Lets review ayahs in Quran below:
Follow, the revelation given unto you from your Lord, and follow not, as Aulia /(spritual) protectors, other than Him. Little among you pay heed to admonition.
The below ayat informs that the majority of clergy eat people’s money and they restrict them from the path of the Lord. The path to the Lord is via His Book and majority of Ulama sits in that way and hinder from it.
O’ you who believe surely the majority from Ahbar / the scholars and Rohban / the terrorists definitely eat the wealth of the people with falsehood and they oppose about the way of Allah and, those people who hoard gold and silver, and they do not spend it in the way of Allah, then give them the tidings of the grievous punishment.
On the day of Judgement the ordinary people would regret following their Saadat, their chiefs their big political and religious leaders who lead them astray.
And they would say. “Our Lord! Verily We obeyed our Syeds/chiefs and our great ones, and they misled us as from the (right) Path.
The Ulama make sharia/Fiqh of in the religion. This sharia is absolutely not authorized by Allah and he terms them as His partners that people have made:
Do they have partners, who have established for them ways in religion (Shariat) without the permission of Allah? Had it not been for the decree of Judgment, the matter would have been decided between them (at once). But verily the wrong-doers will have a grievous Penalty.
Ulamas belong to sects which are not allowed by Allah and they also issue fatwas/rulings and give the impression to general public that by acting upon the fatwa the responsibility of the their action will be on the scholar issuing the fatwa. This is not allowed by Allah as stated in below ayat and termed person doing that as Kafir/Coverer of Allah’s order.
And the people who did Kufr/covered said to the people who believed. “Follow our path, and we will certainly bear the burden of your faults.” and they shall not be bearing the burden of their faults. Certainly they are liars.
The impression that a lot of knowledge is required to understand Quran e.g grammar, fiqh, logic and what not. But in fact Quran states that not even the Arabic language is necessary. It is guidance and cure for the people who believe in it. For those who believe in all other things and mix all sort of things and depend upon scholars to spoon feed it to them, would not be able to get the Spirit of Al-Quran.
And if We have made Quran/Reading, non-Arabic, they would have said. “Why are not its ayahs explained in detail? “What! Non-Arabic or Arabic?” Say. “It is a Guidance and a Healing for those who believe; and for those who believe not, there is a deafness in their ears, and over them is blindness, and They are those who are being called from distant place.
20: There is Ijtihad of the Muslim Ummah on Hadith literature. The Majority of Ummah cannot err on this important matter of Hadith of the prophet.
Please take guidance from Quran. Quran never says that majority of the Muslims would be on the correct path. On the contrary it says that majority of the people who believe will be associating others with Allah.
If you were to follow majority of people on earth, they will lead you away from the way of Allah. They follow nothing but conjecture. they do nothing but fabricate.
The people who follow the prophets have been less in number in all times except for prophet Yunus as informed by Quran.
Ijtihad of Ummah has no standing against what is decreed in Quran.
And the Messenger will say, O my Lord! Surely, my people took this Al-Quran and abandoned it.
And the messenger (pbuh) is surely going to complain to Allah that his nation took the Quran, and left it while paying lip service to believing in it.
Examples of Hadith:
Does Hadith literature really explain the Quran or add to confusions, lets see some examples to see if we are better off without this kind of explanation:
Explanation of Universal phenomenon:
The ayat 36:38 informs about the sun movement around its orbit.
(36:38) And the Sun runs its decreed course. That is the decree of (Allah) the Exalted in Might, the All-Knowing.
Bukhari (Ref: 4.421), narrated Abu Dhar:
The Prophet asked me at sunset, “Do you know where the sun goes (at the time of sunset)?” I replied, “Allah and His Apostle know better.”
He said, “It goes (i.e. travels) till it prostrates itself underneath the Throne, and takes the permission to rise again, and it is permitted and then (a time will come when) it will be about to prostrate itself but its prostration will not be accepted, and it will ask permission to go on its course, but it will not be permitted, but it will be ordered to return whence it has come and so it will rise in the west. And that is the interpretation of the statement of Allah.”
Character assassination of the prophet:
2. Bukhari (Ref: 9.130) Narrated Anas bin Malik:
Allah’s Messenger used to visit Um Haram bint Milhan and she was the wife of Ubada bin As-Samit. One day the Prophet visited her and she provided him with food and started looking for lice in his head. Then Allah’s Messenger slept and afterwards woke up smiling[…]
To approach women during their menses, for sexual purposes, is forbidden in the Qur’an. It is impossible to imagine that the Prophet was unaware of this injunction in the Qur’an and yet Mr. Bukhari, it appears, has been able to unearth the most intimate private affairs of the Prophet. He claims the authority of Hazrat Aisha in order to make it look authentic.
Bukhari (Ref: 1.298); narrated Aisha:
4. The Prophet and I used to take a bath from a single pot while we were junub [the unclean state after sexual intercourse]. During the menses, he used to order me to put on an izar (dress worn below the waist) and used to fondle me. While in itikaf (see note below) he used to bring his head near me and I would wash it while I used to be in periods (menses).
Note: Aitikaf is seclusion in a mosque for the purpose of worshipping Allah and Quran has a prohibition for intercourse with women during Aitikaf.
Bukhari (Ref: 1.299) Narrated Abdur Rahman bin Al-Aswad:
5. Aisha said: “Whenever Allah’s Messenger wanted to fondle anyone during her periods (menses), he used to order her to put on an izar and start fondling her.” Aisha added “None of you could control his sexual desires as the Prophet.”
Contrast this with specific Qur’anic injunction:
(2:222) They question thee (O Muhammad) concerning menstruation. Say: It is a vulnerable condition, so let women alone at such times and go not unto them till they are cleansed. And when they have purified themselves, then go unto them as Allah hath enjoined upon you.
Say (O’ Mohammad) “I am no bringer of new doctrine among the Messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I follow but that which is revealed to me by inspiration; I am but a Warner open and clear.”
When the messenger (pbuh) clearly says that he doesnot know what will happen to him and to you people, then how come there are so many hadiths when the messenger is telling people about happenings in future and happening in the hereafter.
7. Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “Every Prophet was given miracles because of which people believed, but what I have been given, is Divine Inspiration which Allah has revealed to me. So I hope that my followers will outnumber the followers of the other Prophets on the Day of Resurrection.”
Comment: Quran clearly says that all prophets were given Al-Kitab. The above Hadith is implying previous prophets were given miracles and only Mohammad (pbuh) was given a revelation of Book, which is incorrect per Quran.
8: Bukhari Vol.4, Book 055, Hadith # 635. Narated By Abu Huraira : The Prophet said, “Solomon (the son of) David said, ‘Tonight I will sleep with SEVENTY ladies each of whom will conceive a child who will be a knight fighting for “Allah’s Cause.’ His companion said, ‘If Allah will.’ But Solomon did not say so; therefore none of those women got pregnant except one who gave birth to a half child.” The Prophet further said, “If the Prophet Solomon had said it (i.e. ‘If Allah will’) he would have begotten children who would have fought in Allah’s Cause.” Shuaib and Ibn Abi Az-Zinad said, “Ninety (women) is more correct (than seventy).”
Character assassination of prophets of Allah. Implying multitude of wives and concubines for prophet. Sleeping with 70 women in one night, some one with really lascivious mind would have thought of forging this hadith.
Projecting Un-hygienic, uncouth false personality of the prophet :
9. Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 537: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease.
10. Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 65, Number 366: Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet said, When you eat, do not wipe your hands till you have licked it, or had it licked by somebody else.
Absurdities
10. Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 87, Number 124: Narrated Abu Qatada: The Prophet said, A good dream is from Allah, and a bad dream is from Satan. So whoever has seen (in a dream) something he dislike, then he should spit without saliva, thrice on his left and seek refuge with Allah from Satan, for it will not harm him, and Satan cannot appear in my shape.
11. Sahih Bukhari Volume 2, Book 21, Number 245: Narrated Abdullah : A person was mentioned before the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) and he was told that he had kept on sleeping till morning and had not got up for the prayer. The Prophet said, Satan urinated in his ears.
Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 54, Number 516:
12. The climate of Medina did not suit some people, so the Prophet ordered them to follow his shepherd, i.e. his camels, and drink their milk and urine (as a medicine). So they followed the shepherd that is the camels and drank their milk and urine till their bodies became healthy. Sahih Bukhari 7:71:590
13. Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, ?If anyone of you rouses from sleep and performs the ablution, he should wash his nose by putting water in it and then blowing it out thrice, because Satan has stayed in the upper part of his nose all the night.?
14.
Sahih Bukhari Volume 1, Book 5, Number 277:
Narrated Abu Huraira:
The Prophet said, The (people of) Bani Israel used to take bath naked (all together) looking at each other. The Prophet Moses used to take a bath alone. They said, ?By Allah! Nothing prevents Moses from taking a bath with us except that he has a scrotal hernia.? So once Moses went out to take a bath and put his clothes over a stone and then that stone ran away with his clothes. Moses followed that stone saying, ?My clothes, O stone! My clothes, O stone! till the people of Bani Israel saw him and said, ?By Allah, Moses has got no defect in his body. Moses took his clothes and began to beat the stone.? Abu Huraira added, ?By Allah! There are still six or seven marks present on the stone from that excessive beating.?
15.
Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 33:
Narrated Usama bin Zaid:
The Prophet said, ?After me I have not left any affliction more harmful to men than women.?
16.
Breast Feeding an adult male in Islam:
Sayyida A�isha (Allah be pleased with her) reports that Sahla bint Suhayl came to the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) and said: �O Messenger of Allah! I see on the face of Abu Hudhayfa (signs of dislike) on the entering of Salim, who is an ally, (into our house). The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said: �Suckle him.� She said: �How can I suckle him as he is a grown-up man? The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) smiled and said: �I already know that he is a young man. � (Sahih Muslim, no: 1453)
Very popular notion about the sectarian Sunni Muslims is a hadith that Allah’s messenger’s said he is leaving behind two weighty things, Alla’hs Book and his ‘Sunnah’. However the authentic version of this hadith in ‘Sahih Muslim’, mentions ‘Ahle-Bait’ instead of ‘Sunnah’. However, majority of the Sunni sect because of deep rooted bias with Shia sect, will not propagate the authentic version of this hadith but rather stick to the alternate version.
17. Hadith Saqlain: (Prophet saying he is leaving two weighty things behind him)
The text of the report transmitted by Ahl-e Sunnah in Sahih Muslim, Sahih Timidhi and Musnad of Ahmad bin Hanbal is as such: “The Book of Allah and my progeny (‘itrah)” This is the famous version of the tradition found in their books.
Muslim says:) Zuhayr ibn Harb and Shuja’ ibn Makhlad narrated to me from ‘Ulayyah that he said: Zuhayr said: narrated to us Isma’il ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Hayyan, from Yazid ibn Hayyan, who said: “I, Husayn ibn Sabrah and ‘Umar ibn Muslim went to see Zayd ibn Arqam. When we sat down with him, Husayn said to him, ‘O Zayd, you have been greatly fortunate. You have seen the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be Allah’s peace and benedictions, heard his speech, fought with him in battles and have prayed behind him. Indeed, O Zayd, you have been enormously fortunate. Narrate to us what you have heard from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and benedictions be upon him.’
“Zayd said: ‘O brother, by God, I have become aged and old and I have forgotten some of what I used to remember from the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be Allah’s peace and benedictions. So accept what I narrate to you and as to what I don’t, trouble me not regarding it.’ Then he said: ‘One day the Messenger of Allah, upon whom be Allah’s peace and benedictions, addressed us near a pond called Khumm between Makkah and Madinah. He praised God and extolled Him and preached and reminded (us). Then he said, “Lo, O people, I am only a human being and I am about to respond to the messenger of my Lord [i.e. the call of death]. I am leaving behind two precious things (thaqalayn) among you. The first of the two is the Book of Allah. In it is guidance and light. So get hold of the Book of Allah and adhere to it.” Then he urged and motivated (us) regarding the Book of Allah. Then he said, “And my Ahlul Bayt (family). I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahlul Bayt. I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahlul Bayt. I urge you to remember God regarding my Ahlul Bayt”‘” ….
شاهده حديث سلمة بن كهيل عن أبي الطفيل أيضا صحيح على شرطهما (حدثنا) أبو بكر بن اسحاق أبو بكر بن إسحاق و دعلج بن أحمد السجزي قالا : أنبأ محمد بن أيوب ثنا الأزرق بن علي ثنا حسان بن إبراهيم الكرماني ثنا محمد بن سلمة بن كهيل عن أبيه عن أبي الطفيل عن ابن واثلة أنه سمع زيد بن أرقم رضي الله عنه يقول: نزل رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم بين مكة و المدينة عند شجرات خمس دوحات عظام فكنس الناس ما تحت الشجرات ثم راح رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم عشية فصلى ثم قام خطيبا فحمد الله و أثنى عليه و ذكر و وعظ فقال ما شاء الله أن يقول ثم قال : يا أيها الناس إني تارك فيكم أمرين لن تضلوا إن اتبعتموهما وهما كتاب الله و أهل بيتي عترتي ثم قال : أتعلمون إني أولى بالمؤمنين من أنفسهم ثلاث مرات قالوا : نعم فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم : من كنت مولاه فعلي مولاه.
Al-Hakim says:) Narrated to us Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Tamim al-Hanzali in Baghdad, from Abu Qallabah ‘Abd al-Malik ibn Muhammad al-Raqqashi, from Yahya ibn Hammad; also narrated to me Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Balawayh and Abu Bakr Ahmad ibn Ja’far al-Bazzaz, both of them from ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, from his father, from Yahya ibn Hammad; and also narrated to us Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Suhayl, the faqih of Bukhara, from Salih ibn Muhammad, the hafiz of Baghdad, from Khalaf ibn Salim al-Makhrami, from Yahya ibn Hammad; and Yahya ibn Hammad narrated from Abu ‘Uwwanah from Sulayman al-A’mash, from Habib ibn Abi Thabit, from Abu al-Tufayl, from Zayd ibn Arqam, may God be pleased with him, who said: “The Messenger of Allah , may God’s peace and benedictions be upon him and his progeny, while returning from his last hajj (hijjat al-wada’) came down at Ghadir Khumm and ordered (us) towards the big trees, and (the ground) underneath them was swept.
“Then he said, ‘I am about to answer the call (of death). Verily, I have left behind two precious things amongst you, one of which is greater than the other. The Book of Allah, the Exalted, and my ‘itrah (kindred). So watch out how you treat these two after me, for verily they will not separate from each other until they come back to me by the side of the Pond.’ Then he said ‘Verily, Allah, the Almighty and the Glorious, is my master (mawla) and I am the master of every believer (mu’min).’ Then he took ‘Ali, may God be pleased with him, by the hand and said, ‘This (‘Ali) is the master of whomever I am his master. O God, love whoever loves him and be the enemy of his enemy.'”
(Al-Hakim adds:) “This hadith is sahih in accordance with the conditions of sihhah laid down by the Shaykhayn (al-Bukhari and Muslim), although they have not recorded it in its full length.”
Shia hadith
Just a few examples given below to give a taste of what can be expected in these books:
[1] Chapter: The Imams know when they will die, and they only die by their choice. ( AlKafi vol.1 p.258 )
[2] Chapter: The Imams have knowledge of the past and future; and nothing is hidden from them. ( AlKafi vol.1 p.260 ) [3] Alkileeni reported that Jabir asked AbuJa`far p.b.u.h : “Why `Ali ibn Aby Talib was named Amir-ul-Mumineen?” AbuJa`far replied : “Allah named him so, and He revealed in His Book ” And (remember) when your Lord brought forth from the Children of Adam, from their loins, their seed and made them testify as to themselves (saying): Am I not your Lord, Muhammad my messenger and `Ali Amir-ul-Mumineen ?…” ( AlKafi vol.1 p.412 )
[4] “Abu Baseer reported that he said to Imam Ja’far, “O Abu Abdullah(Imam Ja’far as-Sadiq) What is Mus-haf Fatimah?” He replied “It is a Qur’an containing three times what is found in your copy of the Qur’an; yet by Allah, it does not contain even a single letter from your Qur’an. ( AlKafi vol.1 p.457 )
[5] hadith in Al-Kafi, volume 5, book of marriages:
1. Ali Bin Ibrahim, from Ismail Bin Muhammad Al Makky, from Ali Bin Al Husayn, from Amro Bin Usman, from Al Husayn Bin Khalid, from the one who mentioned it, from Abu Al Rabie Al Shamy who said,
‘Abu Abdullah (asws) said to me: ‘Do not buy anyone from the Sudanese, and if it was inevitable, so (buy) from the Nubians, for they are from those for whom Allah (azwj) Mighty and Majestic Says [5:14] And with those who say, We are Christians, We made a Covenant, but they forgot a portion of what they were reminded with. But, they would be remembering that Covenant and they would be coming out with Al-Qaim from us, a brigade from them; and do not marry anyone from the Kurds, for they are a species from the Jinn, the cover having been Removed from them’. (Al Kafi – V 5 – The Book of Marriage Ch 27 H 2)
[6]. A number of our companions, from Sahl Bin Ziyad, from Musa Bin Ja’far, from Amro Bin Saeed, from Muhammad Bin Abdullah Al Hashimy, from Ahmad Bin Yusuf, from Ali Bin Dawood Al Haddad, (It has been narrated) from Abu Abdullah (asws) having said:
‘Do not marry (the people of) Al-Zanj (a coastal region of Africa) and Al-Khazar, because for them are wombs which evidence upon other than loyalty’. He (asws) said: ‘And the (people) of Al-Hind (India), and the (people) of Al-Sind (Pakistan), and (people of) Al-Qand (Afghanistan), there are no noble ones among them, meaning Qandahar’
[7](Al Kafi – V 5 – The Book of Marriage Ch 27 H 3)
Muhammad reported from Ahmad, from ibn Mahbub, from Jamil ibn Salih, from Aban ibn Taghlib, from Abu Abdullah i.e. Al-Sadiq (upon whom be peace), who said, I asked him about the earth, ‘Upon which does it stand forth? To which he replied: “It stands forth upon a whale.” I asked: “Upon which does the whale stand forth? To which he replied: “Upon water.” I asked: “Upon which does water stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon a rock.” I asked: “Upon which does the rock stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon a bull’s smooth horn.” I asked: “Upon which does the bull stand forth?” To which he replied: “Upon the ground.” I asked: “Upon which does the ground stand forth?” To which he replied: “What an idea? Therewith is lost the knowledge of the men of knowledge.” [Al-Kafi by Al-Kulayni, vol. 9, p. 89, hadith declared as sahih/authentic by Al-Majlisi in his ‘Mir’at Al-‘Uqul]
When ‘Abdullah bin Salam heard the arrival of the Prophet at Medina, he came to him and said, “I am going to ask you about three things which nobody knows except a prophet: What is the first portent of the Hour? What will be the first meal taken by the people of Paradise? Why does a child resemble its father, and why does it resemble its maternal uncle” Allah’s Apostle said, “Gabriel has just now told me of their answers.” ‘Abdullah said, “He (i.e. Gabriel), from amongst all the angels, is the enemy of the Jews.” Allah’s Apostle said, “The first portent of the Hour will be a fire that will bring together the people from the east to the west; the first meal of the people of Paradise will be Extra-lobe (caudate lobe) of fish-liver. As for the resemblance of the child to its parents: If a man has sexual intercourse with his wife and gets discharge first, the child will resemble the father, and if the woman gets discharge first, the child will resemble her.” On that ‘Abdullah bin Salam said, “I testify that you are the Apostle of Allah.” ‘Abdullah bin Salam further said, “O Allah’s Apostle! The Jews are liars, and if they should come to know about my conversion to Islam before you ask them (about me), they would tell a lie about me.” The Jews came to Allah’s Apostle and ‘Abdullah went inside the house. Allah’s Apostle asked (the Jews), “What kind of man is ‘Abdullah bin Salam amongst you?” They replied, “He is the most learned person amongst us, and the best amongst us, and the son of the best amongst us.” Allah’s Apostle said, “What do you think if he embraces Islam (will you do as he does)?” The Jews said, “May Allah save him from it.” Then ‘Abdullah bin Salam came out in front of them saying, “I testify that None has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is the Apostle of Allah.” Thereupon they said, “He is the evilest among us, and the son of the evilest amongst us,” and continued talking badly of him.
Allah ‘s Apostle said, “Treat women nicely, for a women is created from a rib, and the most curved portion of the rib is its upper portion, so, if you should try to straighten it, it will break, but if you leave it as it is, it will remain crooked. So treat women nicely.”
Volume 4, Book 55, Number 555:Narrated Abu Said: Allah’s Apostle said, “Noah and his nation will come (on the Day of Resurrection and Allah will ask (Noah), “Did you convey (the Message)?’ He will reply, ‘Yes, O my Lord!’ Then Allah will ask Noah’s nation, ‘Did Noah convey My Message to you?’ They will reply, ‘No, no prophet came to us.’ Then Allah will ask Noah, ‘Who will stand a witness for you?’ He will reply, ‘Muhammad and his followers (will stand witness for me).’ So, I and my followers will stand as witnesses for him (that he conveyed Allah’s Message).” That is, (the interpretation) of the Statement of Allah: “Thus we have made you a just and the best nation that you might be witnesses Over mankind ..” (2.143)
Volume 4, Book 55, Number 579:Narrated Um Sharik: Allah’s Apostle ordered that the salamander should be killed and said, “It (i.e. the salamander) blew (the fire) on Abraham.”
This post is a succession of the series of posts about ‘Non-physical fighting’ which reviews verses in Al-Quran normally thought to be regarding physical war-fare. We have previously seen that believers are expected to be constantly engaged in ideological fight with those who are bent on violence and blood-shed on earth.
Some people ask, why did the older generations before us glorify holy wars and did not abstain from warfare and physical killing in the name of religion. Is this something new being propagated to stay away from physical fighting. Allah asks the same question in below ayat so that the present generation (in all eras) can learn from the past generation’s mistakes and take heed.
Why were there not, among the generations before you, persons possessed of balanced good sense, prohibiting from fasad/mischief in the earth – except a few among them whom We saved (from harm)? But the wrong-doers pursued the enjoyments which were given to them, and they were criminals/sinful.
In this post we will be primarily looking at those ayahs which are thought to be related to traditional wars in Islamic history at the time of prophet (pbuh) i.e Badr, Ohad and Hunain.
Allah does not shy away from citing the example of a mosquito, or anything above it. As for those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord. As for the rejecters, they Say: What does Allah intend with this example? He lets many stray by it, and He guides many, but He does not let let any stray with it except the fasiqeen/evil-doers.Those who break Allah’s Covenant after it is ratified, and who cutoff what Allah Has ordered to be joined, and do violence on earth, they are the losers.
Many times we hear people quoting a part of above ayahs that Allah guides lot of people with Al-Quran and at the same time many people are mis-guided with Quran. But misguided are only those who are Fasiqeen (wrong doers) as per above ayahs. Those fasiq’s who break the covenant of Allah. The covenant of Allah is stated in below ayat 2:84, which categorically asks Bani-Israeel not to shed their blood with physical fighting. The examples of fight in Quran are cited for believer’s ideological fight with violence mongers on earth. However these people who are bent upon physical fighting as Holy wars, cannot accept that the fighting examples cited by Allah are for ideological fight in which you are prohibited to shed blood and kill the nafs/psyche only of rejecters. When they break the covenant of not shedding blood and become fasiq who get misguided by Al-Quran into raging violence and blood shed on earth in the name of Jihad and Holy wars.
And when We took a covenant with you, not to shed your blood and do not expel your souls/selves from your circles then you confirmed and you are witness to it.
It is expected that Allah will test the believers with their wealth and their nafs (psyche). They will constantly be hearing painful statements and insults from people who have the Book and people who join others with Allah.
Certainly you shall be tested in your wealth and in your nafs; and you shall certainly hear from those who were given the Book before you and from those who joined partners (with Allah) a lot of annoying things. And if you persevere patiently, and take guard,- then surely that is of the strengthened resolve.
Earlier on this site, we have discussed that Allah created and established His laws in the Universe. He sent the code of conduct for humanity to follow in the world and sent his messengers and prophets to explain His ‘Word’ to mankind. People after getting knowledge about Allah’s message, differed among themselves and formed themselves into many differing religions and schools of thoughts. Allah’s message to mankind is that they are to do good and lead peaceful life in the world and not to engage in violence and temptations in the world and they will be judged in the hereafter for their deeds. However, deviant schools of thoughts developed who made it appear a virtuous act of forcing one’s belief system on others by use of force. Allah’s messengers were sent repeatedly to direct people to revert to Allah’s Word and leave alternative teachings. Allah’s book tells us that majority of the people in the world are not on the right path as majority don’t take their guidance from the Book of Allah. A person who is born in a particular religion and school of thought, initially accepts the ideas and beliefs of the environment in which he is born. Then at some point in life, he is presented with the ayahs/signs of Allah. If he accepts the divine message, then this journey on Allah’s straight path starts. The people in his environment wants him back in their system of belief. They try their best however when they don’t succeed they say what Allah has described in ayahs 2-142-143.
After a believer takes the major decision of ‘migration in belief‘ from his previous belief system to the belief system as prescribed in Quran ( see previous post ‘migration in belief’ ) and continuing his spiritual journey towards Allah, a believer will grow in his belief and understanding of the spirit of ayahs. This will show in his behavior with disbelievers when engaged in ideological fight with them.
Muhammad is the messenger of Allah; and those who are with him are strong against unbelievers, (but) compassionate amongst each other. You will see them bow and prostrate themselves (in prayer), seeking grace from Allah and (His) good pleasure. On their faces are their marks, the traces of their prostration. This is their similitude in the Taurat; and their similitude in the Injeel, like a seed which sends forth its blade, then makes it strong; it then becomes thick, and it stands on its own stem, (filling) the sowers with wonder and delight. As a result, it fills the unbelievers with rage at them. Allah has promised those among them who believe and do righteous deeds forgiveness, and a great reward.
In the initial stage of spiritual journey towards Allah, a believers feels left alone in the world as he does not relate to the religious beliefs of his close community any more. He also listens a lot of annoying things from the associaters around him. The believer in initial stages may not have answers to many questions to respond to them. This situation may bring him into a depressive state. At this time the messenger (invoked in one’s psyche/nafs) consoles the believer and Allah sends unseen forces to help the believer in upholding the Word of Allah against the word of unbelievers.
If you people won’t help him, Allah did indeed help him, when the unbelievers drove him out. He was the second of the two when; they two were in the cave (deep in despair), and he said to his companion, “Have no fear, for Allah is with us”. Then Allah sent down His peace upon him, and strengthened him with forces which you people did not see, and made the sayings of the rejecters lowly and the Word of Allah is exalted one for Allah is Exalted in Might, Wise.
Early in their spiritual journey when the believers are supposedly not that strong to take on, stalwarts of unbelief in ideological fight, Allah helps them. Badr means ‘early or spontaneously’. The below ayat is referring to an early stage of believers when they were helped by Allah and got victory over the rejecters.
And Allah had helped you with Badr/forthwith, when you were weak; thus take guard of Allah; so that you be thankful.
For those people who are stuck with false beliefs and dogmas and unable to submit to the message of God, Al-Quran cites the examples of them as having yokes stuck in their necks. ‘Banan’, means finger tips, fixed things and also grips. So the angels are asked to strike at the necks where they have fixated yokes and also to strike their fingers/grips on false- hood on which the rejecters are holding tight. The angels help the believers in their ideological fight by making them stead fast in their beliefs and striking the very foundations of belief systems of the unbelievers.
Remember your Lord inspired the angels, “I am with you, so you make the believers persevere. I will instill awe in the hearts of the rejecters, thus you strike above the necks and strike among them all the fixed ones/grips.”
Thus with an early and forthwith help from Allah, believers are encouraged and as per ayat 48:29 keep on gaining spiritual strength by the will of Allah. However, getting understanding of the spirit of ayahs is not an instantaneous process. It comes with the will of Allah only, and for some it may take a lot of time to make them impatient.
High above all is Allah, the King of the Truth! be not in haste with the Qur’an before it’s inspiration to you is completed, but say, “O my Lord! advance me in knowledge.”
The above ayat 20:114 should be a reminder to believers that even the messenger (pbuh) cannot be hasty with Quran before the spirit of it, is inspired on him. Therefore there is no way that believers can force their way in getting spirit of Quran until the time decreed by Allah.
The below ayahs informs about another stage when believers have achieved some intellectual maturity and knowledge. It seems at this stage some of them become over-confident and assume that they can take on any unbeliever in ideological fight. Some of them even get tempted to do it as a show off of their knowledge to gain admiration of people. They get some initial successes which makes them keep going at it, however, forcing your way in understanding of ayahs without spirit of Allah is tantamount to making your voice louder than the prophet (pbuh) and in this way, those who do it, would end up conflicting with each other and are then faced with one distress after another.
Allah did indeed made true His promise to you when you, with His permission overwhelmed them,-until you lost courage and disputed in the order, and disobeyed after He brought you in sight of what you covet. Among you are some who are after the World and some who desire the Here-after. Then He diverted you from them in order to test you, and indeed He forgave you, for Allah is full of grace to those who believe. When you were climbing up, without turning back to anyone, and the messenger was calling you from behind, there did Allah gave you one distress after another so that you do not grieve for what had escaped you and for (the ill) that had befallen you, for Allah is well aware of all that you do.
Believers cannot force the spirit of the Word and when they would forge ahead and engage in ideological fight with rejecters before the proper time, then they are bound to be defeated. After defeat they will be facing grief and in their grief a party of them may start thinking that all this spiritual journey so far may have been wasteful and even false.
After the distress, He sent down calm on you which encompassed slumber on a party of you, while another party was stirred to anxiety, moved by wrong suspicions on Allah due to ignorance. They said. “Do we have any thing (any say) in the order?” You (the Messenger) tell them. “Indeed, the order is fully for Allah.” They hide in their nafs/psyche what they do not reveal to you. They say “If we had anything to do with this Order, We would not have been killed here.” Say. “Even if you were in your homes, those for whom fight is written, would be brought to their places “; but (all this was) that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purge what is in your hearts, for Allah knows well the secrets of the hearts.
After the distress and defeat in ideological fight, causes some of them to go to their pre-belief assumptions and some of them may start doubting the messenger. They think they should have some leeway in understanding of Allah’s Orders. Some start doubting why we had to fight in that manner. At that stage to some of them, Satan was able to dissuade for the time being, however, they were forgiven by Allah.
Those of you who turned back on the day the two accumulations met,-it was Satan who caused them to falter, with some (evil) they had earned and certainly Allah forgave them for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Forbearing.
Hunain
There may come yet another stage and situation, when believers would have gained a lot of spiritual strength, knowledge and maturity and they would be in good number as well. That would make them over confident and they would take the opposition lightly, at that time they would face unexpected defeat from their opposition.
Indeed, Allah had helped you in many places and on the day of ‘Hunain’ your great number elated you, but they availed you nothing and the land despite its vastness became constrained for you and you had to retreat on your backs.
Then after their defeat due to their over confidence, Allah would help them and punished the rejecters.
Then Allah poured His calm on the messenger and the believers and sent those forces which ye did not see and punished the rejecters thus is the reward of the rejecters.
The topic of lawful and unlawful food is an interesting topic. Normally vegan food which is not harmful for human consumptions is not controversial in this regard. The differences occurs mostly in the opinions about, which animals are lawful to eat and which are not. In addition, if a certain method of killing the animal is not followed then even the lawful animal would become unlawful to eat. We will review in this post the injunctions about lawful and unlawful food in Al-Quran.
O you people who believe! make not Haram/forbidden, the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, and you commit no excesses, for Allah loves not those who transgress.
The above ayat states a principle that the good things are not to be declared unlawful by people, which means that all good food is lawful unless there is a clear injunction by Allah against eating it.
In absence of clear injunction of Allah, if any body persuades or creates doubts about a certain food, his advise is not to be considered.
Say, “bring forward your witnesses who witness that Allah did forbid it, then If they give (such) witness, you (the messenger) do not witness with them, nor follow the desires of those who treat our ayahs/signs as falsehoods, and those who don’t believe in the hereafter, for they hold others as equal with their Lord.
It seems that the fascination of declaring food, haram and halal was prevalent in the times of the messenger as well. Therefore Allah asks the messenger (pbuh) to challenge those people who do that, to bring their witnesses. Allah orders the messenger that when these people give such witness, you don’t witness with them as these people equate Allah’s orders with others’ orders.
So eat of the sustenance which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good; and be grateful for the favors of Allah, if it is He whom you serve.
The below ayat warns that majority of people will mislead in matters of lawful and unlawful food. Therefore you should make efforts to find out what Allah has clarified about lawful and unlawful food from Allah’s ayahs.
Why should you not eat of, on which Allah’s name has been pronounced, when He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you – except to which you are compelled to, But many mislead without knowledge due to their desires, Verily your Lord knows best, the transgressors.
The messenger proclaims that he does not find any thing unlawful for eating except that it be a carrion or flowing blood or swine flesh or other than Allah’s name is proclaimed on it.
Say. “I do not find in what is inspired to me, any thing forbidden to be eaten by one who wishes to eat it, unless it be dead meat, or blood flowing forth, or the flesh of swine,- for it is unclean or, transgression. (Food) which has been celebrated, for some one other than Allah”. But (even so), if a person is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits,- your Lord is Oft-forgiving, most Merciful.
In below ayat, it is written down on people, which methods of killing makes an animal forbidden for eating. These methods are:
1- An animal which is already dead before it is killed for eating is carrion and is not allowed. Flowing/spurting blood (دَمًا مَّسْفُوحًا ) is not allowed to be consumed. The blood which remains in the muscles of an animal after it is killed for eating, is not flowing blood and therefore is not a problem. About the pigs, the forbidden part of it is the meat ( لَحْمَ خِنزِيرٍ). Some times long lists of apparently harmless food items are circulated touted as ‘haram’/forbidden, because they may contain certain chemicals/enzymes from pig products. Only pig meat is declared haram, therefore we should not worry ourselves to death by comparing these lists for non meat items. Also, there is no indication in Quran that pig is to be hated as a creature. They deserve mercy like all other animals and not hate.
Forbidden to you (for food) are; dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which has been invoked a name, other than Allah’s; and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by being gored to death; and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal; unless you are able to purify it; that which is slaughtered on fixed altars; (forbidden) also is the division by raffling with arrows (prospective). That is impiety. This day those who reject have given up hope from your Deen/judgment so fear them not but fear me. This day I have perfected your Deen/judgment for you and completed My favor upon you and have chosen for you Islam/Peace as your Deen. But if any is forced by hunger, with no inclination to transgression, Allah is indeed Oft-forgiving, most Merciful.
The above ayat informs about the methods of killing that would make even a lawful animal, unlawful to eat. These methods are given below:
If the animal is killed by strangulation
If the animal is killed by a violent blow for example by bolt stunning gun.
If the animal is killed by falling down e.g from a height
If the animal is gored to death or fallen prey to predatory animals except if you are able to purify and salvage it before it dies.
If the animal is slaughtered on fixed places of altar, for example where personalities are celebrated for divine qualities e.g mausoleums/(mazars) of celebrated saints.
Distribution of the meat of an animal on flying arrows means, If the animal is killed and its meat distributed for a superstitious future benefit or avoidance of loss. E.g a black goat or chicken killed and its meat distributed for avoidance of bad omen, evil eye, presumed future hurts/injuries etc (animals slaughtered as sadaqa).
They ask you (the messenger) what is lawful to them (as food). Say. lawful to you are (all) good things and what you have taught your trained hunting animals (to catch) in the manner taught by Allah to you, thus eat what they hold (catch) for you and remember the name of Allah over it. And take guard of Allah; for Allah is swift in taking account.
When the trained hunting animals catch lawful prey for you, you are to proclaim the name of Allah on it before eating.
The four legged cattle which graze are lawful animals for eating except those who are killed by methods mentioned in ayat 5:3.
O you people who believe! fulfill your obligations. For you are made lawful the cattle except for those which are read unto you. But when you are in Ahram, hunting/game is not lawful . Verily Allah gives orders of what He intends.
The ‘Anaam’/animals, mentioned here are those cattle who graze vegetation that comes out from earth i.e they are not carnivorous predatory animals (please see ayat 32:27). However, not allowed to hunt during the state of ‘Ahram’/pilgrimage garb.
And do they not see that We do drive water to parched soil (bare of herbage), and produce therewith crops, providing food for their cattle/animals and themselves? Have they not the vision?
The good/tayyab food on which Allah’s name is remembered, you should not refrain eating from it.
Why should you not eat of, on which Allah’s name has been pronounced, when He has explained to you in detail what is forbidden to you – except to which you are compelled to, but many mislead without knowledge due to their desires, Verily your Lord knows best the transgressors.
Note that nobody even the messenger and prophets have the right to declare any food item as lawful or unlawful. Only Allah can pronounce the regulation. Messengers and prophets explain the injunctions to people from the Book. Therefore any order related to the lawfulness or unlawfulness of food, attributed to messengers, prophets or imams, if not backed up by Al-Kitab, is not credible. The satans are those people who are described in ayat 6:112 as those who are greatly inspired by golden words of personalities.
Say. “Do you see what things Allah hath sent down to you for sustenance? Yet you hold forbidden some things thereof and (some things) lawful.” Say. “Has Allah indeed permitted you, or do you invent (things) to attribute to Allah?”
But say not – for any false thing that your tongues may put forth,- “This is lawful, and this is forbidden,” so as to ascribe false things to Allah. For those who ascribe false things to Allah, will never prosper.
Lawful to you is the hunting of water-game and its eating,- This is the benefit for yourselves and for the travelers; and forbidden is the pursuit of land-game when you are in Ahram/pilgrim garb. And take guard from Allah, to whom you shall be gathered.
The sea food i.e meat obtained from sea or rivers (water) is lawful to be eaten as long it is fresh.
It is He who has made the sea subservient, so that you may eat fresh meat from it, and that you may extract therefrom ornaments to wear; and you sees the ships therein that plough the waves, that you may seek (thus) of the bounty of Allah and that you may be grateful.
The sacrificial animals, we have made for you as among the symbols from Allah. In them is (much) good for you. Then pronounce the name of Allah over them lined up. When they are down on their sides (after slaughter), eat you thereof, and feed the needy contended and the ones who asks . Thus have We made animals subject to you, that you may be grateful.
If you are killing the animal yourself for eating or sacrifice such as during Hajj, then while killing them you have to proclaim Allahs’ name on them. If you did not kill the animal yourself nor witnessed its killing then you have to proclaim Allah’s name on the animals when eating.
The food on which Allah’s name is not remembered, is not allowed to be eaten.
Eat not of which Allah’s name has not been pronounced. That would be impiety. But satans inspire their protectors to argue with you. If you were to obey them, you would indeed be mushrikeen/associaters.
To every people did We appoint rites, that they may remember the name of Allah over the sustenance He gave them from animals/cattle. Your God is One God. submit to Him (in Islam). and give the good news to those who humble themselves,-
All food was lawful to the Children of Israel, except what Israel made unlawful for itself, before the Taurat/Law was revealed. Say. “Bring the Taurat/Law and recite it, if you are truthful.”
All good food was lawful to children of Israeel, except that there were certain foods that Israel on their own, had made unlawful for himself before the Taurat/law was made clear. Israel is the one who as per ayat 17:03 was in the ark of prophet Nooh (a.s) i.e among the first generation of people with the prophet. They considered certain good food unlawful for them following traditions which was otherwise good and lawful and no prohibition of it was in Allah’s book (Taurat). So after Taurat (the ayahs of the Book containing explicit orders 3:7, 5:43) was clarified for them by the prophet, they should have let self imposed restrictions to go away.
The people who set up partners (with Allah) shall say, “Had Allah willed, we would not have established partners with Allah, nor would our forefathers, nor would we prohibit anything.” Thus did those before them lied, until they incurred our retribution. Say, “Do you have any knowledge that you can show us? You follow nothing but conjecture; and you only make guesses.”
The people who share others’ orders with Allah’s orders, bring forth strange logics in matter of declaration of lawful and unlawful things, which they do on their own accord without authority from Allah. Their logic is that what they are doing is as per will of Allah. In other words, Allah would have prevented them to do what they are doing, if it were not consented by Allah.
Regarding haram and halal, people say absurd things and make a long list of haram items, so Allah says sarcastically how do you make such absurd statements ?Allah forbids in declaring halal and haram food without an authority from Him i.e from The Book. The following ayahs show the tone of anger and sarcasm by Allah to those who do the same in issuing strange fatwas in matters of declaring food lawful or otherwise:
Eight pairs: from the sheep two, and from the goats two; say, “Is it the two males that He forbade or the two females, or what the womb of the two females bore? Inform me if you are truthful!” Of camels a pair, and oxen a pair; say, has He forbidden the two males, or the two females, or (the young) which the wombs of the two females enclose? – Were you present when Allah ordered you such a thing? But who does more wrong than one who invents a lie against Allah, to lead astray men without knowledge? For Allah does not guide the nation of wrongdoers.
In a sarcastic way, emphasizing the absurdity of the people who issues fatwas of haram and halal foods, Allah directs more detailed questions to the proponents of those prohibitions. These verses in a linguistic way expose those who follow man-made fabrications based on an assumption that, “Allah’s Word is not detailed.” and details are provided in books other than Allah’s book. Allah informs us that His word is sufficiently detailed, and there is no limit for details if one wishes to ask more by asking further un-necessary questions.
Losers are those who slayed their children with foolishness, without knowledge, and forbade food which Allah has provided for them, inventing (lies) against Allah. They have indeed gone astray and indeed they are not guided.
The partners of Allah are those who glorify the ware fare and encourage people to willfully send their off-springs to be killed in false holy wars. They are the same people who issues fatwas of the legality of food for which they cannot present evidence from Allah’s book.
This day are (all) things good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them.
The day on which you realize that you have to take directions from Allah’s book and leave the restrictions on food which are not based on Allah’s book, all good tayyab foods becomes lawful to you. Also, the food of the people of the book is lawful to you and your food is lawful to them, so this point should not become a constraint in socializing with them. Please note that people of the book are those who adhere to the Book of Allah, not other books which are not given by Allah e.g Bible.
Out of what Allah has produced of tilth and cattle, they assigned Him a share. They say, according to their fancies. “This is for Allah, and this” – for our “partners”! but the share of their” partners “does not reach Allah, while the share of Allah reaches their “partners” ! evil (and unjust) is what they order.
Some food and animals are reserved for some saints and during the ritual of ‘nazar’ portions of these foods are segregated and names of Allah and the partners (supposed saints) are proclaimed on these portions of foods.
And they say that such and such cattle and crops are taboo, and none should eat of them except those whom – so they say – We wish; further, there are cattle forbidden to ride, and cattle on which, the name of Allah is not pronounced; – inventions against Allah’s name. Soon will He requite them for their inventions.
There are some animals which are Halal, however they don’t slaughter them because they consider them to be Haram. Some animals used for riding are reserved for processions and they are not used for riding. They give ‘Nazar’ on some food items and only caste members can eat from ‘Nazar’ its not open for all public to eat. These people are exposed in above ayat.
And they assign, to those they do not know, a portion of their sustenance! bestowed by Allah. , you shall certainly be called to account for your false inventions.
In ayat 2:219 , Quran informs us that khmar/intoxicants have big sin in them and in ayat 7:33, it states that big sins are forbidden.
They ask you concerning intoxicants and gambling. Say. “In them is great sin, and some profit, for people; but the sin is greater than the profit. They ask you concerning what they should spend? Say “pardon/overlook”, likewise Allah clarifies His ayahs/signs to you so that you may ponder.
Say. my Lord has indeed forbidden shameful acts, whether open or secret; sins and unjust trespassing; and that you associate partners with Allah, for whom He has sent down no authority; and that you say things about Allah that you do not know.
Indeed we offered ‘the trust’ to the heavens and the earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid there-of, but ‘the man’ undertook it;- He was indeed unjust and ignorant.
What was this trust that God entrusted to man which is mentioned in above ayat?
The ayat immediately following 33:72 explains that because of this ‘trust’/’amana’ which was accepted by man, Allah is to take accountability of man i.e rewards of good deeds and penalty for wrong doings. The accountability comes with the ability and responsibility i.e intelligence to judge and free will to act. Therefore this ‘trust’ which is mentioned in ayat 33:72 should be the ‘free will’ which is granted to humans by Allah.
So that Allah punishes the hypocrites, men and women and the associaters, men and women, and Allah turns in mercy to the believing men and women, for Allah is forgiving, merciful.
Till now we don’t know for sure of life forms existing on any place other than the planet earth in the universe. However, the sheer size of the universe, does not preclude the possibility of finding planets similar to earth where life can possibly exist.
And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the living creatures that He has scattered through both of them and He has power to gather them together when He wills.
The above ayat from al-Quran informs us that there are creatures scattered in both the skies and the earth. So, it means that in addition to earth there are life forms existing else-where in the universe.
The trumpet will be blown, when all that are in the heavens and on earth will swoon, except whom Allah wills (to exempt). Then a second one will be blown, when, behold, they will be standing and looking on!
The above ayat informs of the time when soor/trumpet shall be blown. At that time everyone in the skies and on the earth will transform to a different state.
The blowing of trumpet is a metaphor used in Quran when some-thing transforms to another form. For example, Quran tell us of blowing of ‘Spirit’ into Adam’s body form, which transformed him to a new being. Similarly, when the Soor/trumpet will be blown, the forms of everyone on the earth and skies will be transformed to a different state.
Have you not seen that whosoever is in the skies and in the earth, praise for Allah and the birds (pray) in the rows. Everyone knows his salat/prayers and his praise, and Allah knows with what they do.
Those who are in the skies and those on earth praise for Allah by acting on the nature instilled by Allah in them. For the humans and Jinns who are endowed by intellect and free will, they praise Allah by appreciating his Grandeur and the bounties he has provided for them.
The heavens to be almost rent asunder from above them and the angels celebrate the praises of their Lord, and pray for forgiveness for (all) beings on earth. Behold! Verily Allah is He, the Forgiving, Merciful.
The angels seek forgiveness for those on earth. Implies the creatures in other parts of the universe don’t carry the free will and responsibility that humans and Jinns have.Asking forgiveness makes sense for those who are responsible for their deeds.
1:2 الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ
The praise is for Allah, the Lord/Sustainer of all the worlds.
Allah is the lord and sustainer of all worlds. Worlds is used as plural, implying that in addition to the world that we live in, there should be other worlds inhabited by other creations of God.
Quran says that all living things are created from water. Scientists as well, know that if they are able to find water in any other planet in the universe, chances of finding life there would be very high. So the search is ongoing for finding planets inhabiting water.
Do not the rejecters see that the skies and the earth were joined together before We split them asunder. We started from water every living thing. Will they not then believe?
In previous posts we had learned that the first ‘House’ established for man-kind by Allah, is in ‘Bakka’ (Makkah). This House is guidance for all believers. The systems of ‘Salat’ and ‘Tawaf/Hajj’ have been established in this House for all times. The guidance which mankind is to take from this House of God, is to follow the sunnat/practice of the system of ‘Salat’ and ‘Hajj’ established at this House of the Lord. These systems are already established at the House for those who want to take guidance.
Without doubt, the first House appointed for mankind is that at Bakka (Makkah); blessed and of guidance for all worlds. In it are clear ayahs / signs, the standing position of Ibrahim; whoever enters it attains security. And for Allah is pilgrimage of the House on people, those who can afford the journey, but if anyone denies, surely Allah is not in need of any in the worlds.
It is upon mankind to do pilgrimage of the House of Allah, whoever has the capacity to perform Hajj.
Purpose and benefits:
Allah has created us and He knows better what is good for us collectively. Man lives in social setting. While purifying and improving one self with training of ‘nafs’, is important, interaction with fellow human beings in a big group settings has several benefits for the community as a whole.
In Hajj, people learn to exercise restraint and control their anger and impulses, while being out of their comfort zones and showing empathy towards their brethren who are in similar difficult situations.
A pilgrimage to a central place where people from diverse backgrounds from all over the world gather can have several benefits, especially in promoting tolerance, and exchange of ideas, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation for diversity.
People from various backgrounds and experiences come together, engage in meaningful conversations, and learn about each other’s beliefs and experiences promoting knowledge sharing, tolerance and harmony.
Also people from very different social and economic backgrounds come and stay together. This can help break down social barriers and promote a sense of unity and compassion among people who might not otherwise interact in their daily lives.
Exposure to different perspectives and ways of life during a pilgrimage can contribute to increased tolerance and acceptance. When individuals meet others who are different from themselves, it can challenge stereotypes and prejudices, fostering a more inclusive and open-minded society.
Pilgrimage often involves a personal journey and reflection, leading to individual growth and self-discovery. Participants may gain new perspectives on life, develop empathy, and become more open to different ways of thinking.
There are economical benefits of trade as well and a boost to local economies as influx of people stimulates the hospitality, tourism, and service industries, contributing to economic growth in the region.
Pilgrimages can provide unique educational opportunities, allowing participants to learn about history, culture, and traditions in a hands-on way. Some people travel from far off places, and get the opportunity to see different people and ways of life on the way to pilgrimage. This can contribute to a more informed and educated global community.
Procedure:
The system of Hajj is established in Makkah for all times. The months of Hajj are known to believers. They were known to believers in the past as well. So, anyone who makes an intention of performing Hajj, should align himself to the task with no bickering, fighting and unnecessary argumentation in these months. The goal is to get closer to Allah.
The months of Hajj/Pilgrimage are known, so whosoever imposes Hajj / Pilgrimage (on himself) in them, he should not commit obscenity nor commit immoralities and no bickering in the Hajj / Pilgrimage. And what you do from goodness, Allah knows it. And take provision, so surely the best of the provisions is to take guard and take guard from Me O’ you who posses the core (of Knowledge/Spirit of the Book)
Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) is the Imam/leader for the mankind. He has been ordered to purify the House for the ‘salat’ and ‘tawaf’ around this House (2:125). People who intend for the Hajj would seek many means of transportation to plan their arrival to the sacred place.
“And proclaim the Pilgrimage to mankind. They will come to thee on foot and riding from all remote places.”
When pilgrims actually reach the starting place of Hajj known as ‘Miqat’ they attain the state of ‘ahram/hurum’. Hurum state forbids them killing any animal or even insects within the ‘Haram area’ i.e the places of Hajj. As a large number of pilgrims visit the place every year, this stipulation is necessary in order to preserve the place and its flora and fauna.
O you people who believe! Do not kill the game/hunt when you are in Ahram/pilgrim state. If any one does so intentionally, the compensation is an offering similar to the animal killed, brought to the Ka’ba, as adjudged by two just honest men among you; or the atonement is the feeding of the indigents; or its equivalent in fasts. That he may taste of the penalty of his deed. Allah forgave what was past. For the one who repeats, Allah will avenge from him and Allah is exalted, Lord of retribution.
For the pilgrims intending Hajj, keeping sanctity of this sacred place and all its symbols such as ‘Safaa’, ‘Marwa’, ‘tawaf’, etc, is important. The people of various groups and sects will come there with a common cause of getting good pleasure of Allah. At Hajj, the pilgrims are not to show acrimony with any group even if they have problems and hatred with that group before Hajj. In all matters of piety and righteousness, pilgrims are ordered to co-operate with one another and not to co-operate in any matter of rancor, hatred and sin.
O you people who believe! Do not violate the sanctity of the symbols of Allah, nor of the sacred month, nor of the gift (animals for sacrifice) nor the garlands (crowd formation of garland shape around Kaaba in Tawaf), nor the people resorting to the sacred house, seeking the bounty and good pleasure of their Lord. But when you are clear (of the sacred precincts and of pilgrim garb), you may hunt and let not the hatred of some people in preventing of the Sacred Mosque, lead you to transgression. Co-operate in righteousness and piety, but do-not co-operate in sin and rancor. Fear Allah, for Allah is strict in punishment.
Allah has bound everyone’s hands in the valley of Makkah from fighting in the sacred valley. So whoever succeeds in reaching the valley, then he should not fight and argue with those present there.
And it is He Who has restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the belly of Makkah, after that He made you successful over them, and Allah sees well all that you do.
After attainting the condition of ‘Hurum’ i.e abiding by the ‘Ahram’ they need to do ‘tawaf’ of the House. This is the first step of the ‘Hajj’ process.
And We have bestowed upon thee the Seven repeated ones and the Grand Al-Qur’an.
During Hajj and Umra, the 7 circles around the Kaaba are repeated by pilgrims. Pilgrim should recite ‘prayers/duas’ advised by Allah in Quran as practice of messengers and people.
Surely! Safa and Marwah are among the symbols of Allah, so if any who goes for Hajj or Umra of the House, It is no sin on him, that he goes round them and whoever voluntarily does good, so surely Allah is He, who is thankful and knowing
After ‘tawaf’ of ‘Kaaba’, the pilgrims perform ‘tawaf’ of ‘Safa’ and ‘Marwa’ the two raised symbols near Kaaba.
After completing Tawaf, pilgrims move to their camps and from there they present them selves in the plains of ‘Arafat’ on the day of Hajj. This is the second and most important step of ‘Hajj’ called ‘Hajj e Akbar’. During that long day of ‘Hajje Akbar’ pilgrims are advised to get rid of any idols/associates in their psychology by identifying them and symbolically stoning them in coming days of Hajj.
There is no blame on you if you seek of the bounty of your Lord (during pilgrimage). Then when you spread from ‘Arafat’, you all remember Allah at the ‘Mash’aril Haram’, and remember Him as He has directed you, even though, before this, you were the strayers.
Then you shall disperse from where the people dispersed, and seek God’s forgiveness; God is surely Forgiving, Merciful.
From ‘Arafat’ people will move in large numbers towards a place called ‘Muzdalfa’. ‘Muzdalfa’ and ‘Mina’ are two small temporary dwellings close together. In Quran they are referenced as ‘Mash-aril Haram’, i.e sacred place for getting consciousness of Allah by remembering Him. In ‘Muzdalfa’, people spend the night under the open sky remembering Allah and also collect pebbles in preparation of ‘Jamrat/ceremonial stoning of so called ‘Satan’. The staying in Muzdalfa is the 3rd step of Hajj.
It is advisable to do self introspection within oneself for any psychological idols in one’s self and then imagine these idols being broken while stoning them in coming days at ‘Jamrat’. The ‘idols’ residing deep in one’s psyche are mainly emotional attachments named in Quran as ‘Desires’, ‘Longings’, ‘Pride’, ‘Love’ etc. It is only Allah who can kill the idols in your psychology by His will. The idols mentioned in Quran are detailed in previous post ( https://topicsfromquran.com/2017/08/07/ilahs-false-gods-mentioned-in-al-kitab/)
It is not you who killed them; but it was Allah who killed them. And you did not throw pebbles when you threw them but Allah did threw the pebbles in order that He might test the believers by a gracious trial. Verily Allah hears and knows (all things).
After spending night in Muzdalfa the pilgrims move to Mina and stone the Jamrat from the pebbles they collected the night before to perform 4th step of Hajj. The symbolic stoning of the three ‘Jamrat’ (commonly known as Satan) is the psychological killing of idols in one’s psyche. The ‘illahs’ and false gods reside in one’s psychology. During Hajj, when one is away from his business activities, there is an opportunity to do self retrospection and identity the idols within oneself. Only by the leave of Allah, the false gods in one’s psyche can be killed. The false gods lives in our psyche and Satan instigates them by playing with our emotions. Pilgrims throw pebbles at Satan as a symbol of casting him away and the false gods he wants us to associate with.
They are the ones who rejected and prevented you from the Sacred Mosque and the gifts/sacrificial animals, detained from reaching their place. Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know that you were trampling down and on whose account a crime would have accrued to you without (your) knowledge, that He may admit to His Mercy whom He will. If they had been apart, We should certainly have punished the Unbelievers among them with a grievous Punishment.
The group who dissuades from Hajj as being a ritualistic practice of going to Makkah; they also cut off the connection of the gift of sacrificial animals with the practice of Hajj. Allah would have punished this group, if it were not that some believing men and women are mixed up with this group. Ayas 2:196 and 22:33 establish the connection of gift of sacrificial animals with the practice of Hajj.
And complete the Hajj and Umra for Allah and if you are prevented, then give it what is easy from the hadiya / gift, and do not shave your heads until the offering reaches its place. And if any of you is ill, or has an ailment in his head, (He should) in compensation either fast, or give sadaqa, or correcting act; and when you are in peaceful conditions (again), if any one wishes to continue the ‘umra on to the hajj, He must make an offering, such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, He should fast three days during the hajj and seven days on his return, Making ten days in all. This is for those whose household is not in (the precincts of) the Sacred Mosque. And fear Allah, and know that Allah Is strict in punishment.
After presenting the gift of sacrificial animal, the pilgrims shave their heads. After that the pilgrims go to Makkah and circulate the Kaaba seven times and perform Saa’y between hills of Safa and Marwa which is the fifth step of Hajj. They then drink from Zam-zam well and return to Mina.
Those who can not afford to offer a gift of sacrificial animal, they would compensate by fasting 3 days in Hajj and 7 more when they return home. Those who are unable to shave their heads due to some ailment they have to compensate with Sadaqa or with fasting as described above i.e three plus seven fasts.
Allah has indeed fulfil the vision of His messenger with truth, If Allah wills, definitely you shall enter the Sacred/Forbidden Mosque in security without fear, your heads shaved and (Salah/Prayer) curtailed/shortened. For He knows what you know not, and He made besides that, an opening nearby.
Pilgrims then carry on from Makkah to stay in Mina for two to three days and they again stone the ‘Jamrat’ to each of the three pillars on 11th and 12th of Dhul-Hijjah, which is the sixth step of Hajj.
And remember Allah in the appointed days. Thus if any one hastens in two days, there is no blame on him, and if any one delays, there is no blame on him, if he does it for Taqwa. And take guard of Allah, and know that you will surely be gathered towards Him.
After completing this ritual, pilgrims return to Makkah and perform the final Tawaaf of Kaaba as a ‘Farewell Tawaaf’ in Masjid al-Haram. This marks the end of Hajj.
So when you have completed your rites, remember Allah, as you remember your ancestors,- even more than their remembrance. There are people who say. “Our Lord! Give us (your bounties) in this world!” but they will have no portion in the Hereafter.
After completing the Hajj rites pilgrim should engage in remembrance of Allah. Allah’s remembrance should not be some repetitive chants, but more like intelligent discourse as some one who takes pride in talking about good deeds of his ancestor.
It is the usual practice of pilgrims to visit the mosque known as prophet’s (pbuh) mosque in Madinah which is about 400 km from Makkah and people witness the same blessings and atmosphere there as well. The atmosphere and blessings surrounding these two mosques are unique in the world. No other mosque in the world can boast of similar blessings which is divinely bestowed on these two mosques.
Glory to He who took His servant for a Journey by night from the Sacred Mosque to the ‘far-off Mosque’, whose surroundings We blessed,- to show him some of Our Ayats/Signs. for He is the One Who hears and sees (all things).
Notes:
There are three slight variations of Hajj depending upon if you do Umra and Hajj with one ‘ahram’ or separate and if one is resident of ‘Haram’ area. More information in Hajj booklets. An example booklet link is given below: https://www.iipccanada.com/english_pdf/hajj_pilgrimage.pdf
Topics from The Book (Al-Kitab) 