‘Maula’ (مَوْلَا) means helper/protector. Al-Kitab states Allah as Maula Al-Haq (the Maula of Truth) for the people. Allah has declared that He is the Maula Al-Haq for the people and the other maulas, the people call upon, are batil/false (31:30). Allah has declared upon the prophet (pbuh) to proclaim that he does not have authority for any benefit or harm for the people (72:21). Nor the prophet (pbuh) has the knowledge of Ghaib/unseen because of which he could hear people in his absence (7:188). Also Allah has informed people that the other people they call upon are only people like them (7:194) with no super human powers.
Say. “Nothing will happen to us except what Allah has written for us. He is our Maula/protector”, and on Allah, let the believers should put their trust.
There will every nafs/pshyche get (the fruits of) the deeds it sent before. They will be brought back to Allah their Maula Al-Haq/ Rightful Protector, and their invented falsehoods will leave them in the lurch.
Allah is the protector of those who believe that Allah is their Maula, and those who reject and may consider others as their maulas, Allah is not the Maula/protector of them.
It is not for a man whom is given the Book, and Wisdom, and the Prophet-hood; 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 have taught the Book and you have studied it.”
A messenger of Allah, never would say to people to be his servants or to make him their Maula. He would direct the focus of the people to Allah, as this is what Allah’s Books is about.
Say. “I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the ghaib/unseen, I should have multiplied all goods, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith.”
Allah asks the Messenger to declare that he does not possess power for any good or harm, nor he has the knowledge of unseen. Had he such knowledge, he would have got a lot of goodies. The role of the Messenger is to be a bringer of glad tidings and be a warner to the people.
Say, “Behold, I do not own the power to harm or enforce enlightenment upon you.”
The prophet declared that he does not have the power to harm or bring good for the people. When prophet does not have this power, is it imaginable that any other person can possess such power over other people?
If you two (wives of prophet) turn in repentance to Allah, your hearts are indeed so inclined; but if you back up each other against him (the prophet), truly Allah is his Maula/Protector, and Gabriel, and the righteous one among the believers,- and furthermore, the angels – will back (him) up.
The ayat 66:4, states that Allah is the Maula/protector of the prophet (pbuh) and after Allah are Jibraeel and righteous believers and after them, the angels are his helpers.
Bait (بَيْت) in Arabic means ‘house’. Al-Bait when mentioned in Al-Quran refers to a specific house which is Allah’s House. This House has been identified in Quran as the first House established for man-kind (3:96), and is situated in Bakka/Makka. Other identification for this House of Allah is that it is situated in a non-agricultural valley, where fruits are brought from all over (14:37). This House of Allah is for guidance of all man-kind (3:96).
House in general is associated with providing protection to its inhabitants. Similarly a spiritual house is the one which is associated with faith. Most people in the world, have a spiritual house of faith, the foundations of which are built upon the religious or philosophical beliefs they adhere to. The people who have built their houses of faith not on the basis of ayahs of Allah but on the teaching of their leaders of faiths, their houses have the similitude of the house of a spider which is inherently weak (29:41) and will not be able to sustain when confronted with the force of ayahs of Allah.
Allah advises that the House of Allah is the guidance for all mankind and whosoever enters His House will be lead to security ( وَمَن دَخَلَهُ كَانَ آمِنًا 3:97). To enter the house of Allah, first you have to set your direction correctly towards the Masjid Ul Haram, where the House of Allah is situated. From whichever faith/philosophy you were before or are now, after clarification of these ayahs, you have to make your orientation towards Masjid ul Haram ( 2:144 وَحَيْثُ مَا كُنتُمْ فَوَلُّوا وُجُوهَكُمْ شَطْرَهُ ۗ ). You should not be opposing system of Masjid ul Haram (8:34 وَمَا لَهُمْ أَلَّا يُعَذِّبَهُمُ اللَّهُ وَهُمْ يَصُدُّونَ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَا كَانُوا أَوْلِيَاءَهُ ۚ إِنْ أَوْلِيَاؤُهُ إِلَّا الْمُتَّقُونَ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ) and not taking guidance from it, if you want to be associated with the House of Allah.
The word ‘Ahl’ means ‘people’. The people associated with the House of Allah (in Al-Quran) will be ‘Ahlal Bait’ (As the people associated with Allah’s Book are Ahlal Kitab). The messengers of Allah who clarify the ayahs of Allah are obviously associated with the House of Allah as they invite towards Allah’s House and are Ahlal Bait. Likewise, the family of the Ibrahim A.S and the Prophets’ family are called Ahlal Bait in Quran.
In it are clear Ayas / signs, the standing position of Ibraheem 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 of His beings in the worlds.
Who ever enters the House of Allah will attain security. ‘Ahl’ means people, who-ever enters the House of Allah spiritually will therefore be ‘Ahlal Bait’ in Quran which means those people who take guidance from the practice of Allah established at the House. As Al-Bait in Quran is the House of Allah and ‘Ahlal Bait would be the people of the House of Allah.
The example of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider, who builds a house; and truly the flimsiest of houses is that of the spider;- if they but knew.
The people who will take an alternative house instead of Allah’s House based on teachings other than Allah’s and His ayahs, will have a weak house without solid foundations.
And when We pointed out the place of the house to Ibrahim , “associate not anything with Me; and purify My house for those who go around, and who stand and bow, prostrate.”
The House of Allah is associated with removal of all sort of associations with Allah and bowing and prostrating on the ayahs of Allah. All messengers of Allah, order this to the believers and lead them towards the House of Allah to be Ahlal-Bait.Ibrahim’s (a.s) and his family (his wife and sons) is specifically named in Quran to be Ahlal Bait/People of the House.
Do they not then see that We have made the ‘Haram’ a place of security, and (still) people are being snatched away from around it? Then, do they believe in that which is vain, and reject the Grace of Allah?
The people who immerse completely in the House of Allah and the guidance emanating from it i.e the Quranic recitation and the systems established there in with the Sunnat of Allah i.e system of Salat and Pilgrimage, are those who get into peace and security. Those who hover around it and don’t completely immerse in the guidance, there is a chance that they get snatched away.
And his wife was standing and she laughed then We gave her the good news with Ishaq and after Ishaq, Yaqoob. She said : O Alas, shall I bear a child? And I am an old woman, and my husband is an old man. Surely this would be an amazing thing. They said : are you amazed at the order of Allah, the mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O’People of the House! Surely, He is praise worthy, Glorious.
In the below ayat the family and wives of the Prophet pbuh are stated to be Ahlal Bait.
O’women of the Prophet, you are not like any one from the (other) women, if you take guard, do not be subjugated with the saying (conversation) so the one who has disease in his heart will have desire, and you should speak an acknowledged saying. And keep link with your houses and you do not decorate yourself as you decorated previously in ignorance and establish Salah/Prayers and give Zakat/justification and obey Allah and His messenger surely Allah wants to take away the filth from you O’people of the house and to purify you as purified ones.
Mohammad is not the father / ancestor of any one of you men but he is the messenger of Allah and the seal of prophets. And Allah has knowledge of everything.
As per Quran, Mohammad (pbuh) is not the father/forefather of any man. Therefore Allah does not accept claim of anyone to be in the lineage of the messenger Mohammad (pbuh); why because the ayat further says that ‘but he is a messenger of Allah and seal of prophets’. So Allah has projected the role of Mohammad (pbuh) as the messenger and seal of prophets and not as a founder of a family. Now of course, Mohammad (pbuh) as a person/bashar may have a lineage, however, this lineage is not spiritually considered by Allah associated with Mohammad the messenger.
And we ordained that he (Moosa) refused suck at first, until (His sister came up and) said. “Shall I point out to you the people of a house that will nourish and bring him up for you and be sincere to him?”
When the word used in Quran is Ahle Bait, instead of Ahlal Bait, it means a ‘household’.
Notes:
What guidance can the World take from the House of Lord? Allah has established place of Ibrahim at the House/Kaaba and ordered mankind to take their ‘mussala’ from the place of Ibrahim, who is the Imam for mankind. See earlier post about procedure of As-Salat from Quran (https://topicsfromquran.com/2017/03/21/salat-procedure/ ).
Without doubt, We see the movements of your face in the sky, so, We will revert you to a Qiblah/direction (of faith) that shall please you. So revert yourself to the intersection/portion of the Sacred Mosque: and from wherever you come, revert yourselves to its intersection/portion. Surely, those who are given the Book definitely know that this is the truth from their Lord. and Allah is not unaware of what they are doing.
But what plea they have, that Allah should not punish them when they are in opposition about the Sacred Mosque and they are not its protectors (Walis). No one can be its protectors except those who guard, but most of them do not understand.
And hold fast all together to the rope of Allah and do not be divided among yourselves, and remember the favor of Allah on you when you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love; you became brethren and you were on the brink of the pit of fire and He saved you from it. Likewise Allah make His Ayats/Signs clear to you that you may be guided.
Believers when leaving the sectarian teachings and holding to one rope of Allah, will get rid of hatred with each other in their hearts and will be saved after being very near to be fallen off from the edge of the pit of fire.
Below is a link to an interesting lecture by brother Mohammad Shaikh on ‘Direction of belief/ Qibla and Kaaba:
The word Riba / رِبَا is from root word (ر ب و). This root word conveys the meaning of increased,augmented, excess,addition, to grow and swell etc. Ar-Riba (الرِّبَا) when used in Quran, means ‘the increase’ referring to a specific increase. Lets review ayahs of Quran to see what is this specific increase:
And their taking of Ar-Riba / The Increase and without doubt they were prohibited about it. And they ate the wealth of the people with falsehood and We have prepared for the rejecters among them a painful punishment. The above ayat states that Ar-Riba/the increase is prohibited. Also we come to know that Ar-Riba/the increase is related to the wealth of the people and eating Ar-Riba is related to eating wealth of the people to which it rightfully belong. So we try to find where the wealth of the people is defined in Al-Quran.
And know that whatever Ghanim / Profit / gain you get from anything, if you believe in Allah then surely, One Fifth is for Allah and for the Messenger and for the relatives and for the orphans and for the needy (poor) and for the sons of the way, and whatever We sent down over Our servant on the day of the division, the day when the two accumulations meet. And Allah has power over everything. In the above Ayat we see that Allah is ordering what ever we gain from anything, the fifth portion of that wealth is for certain categories e.g Allah, messenger (i.e for propagation of message of Allah), orphans, poor and for way-farers. So Allah has ordered that one fifth portion of our savings (gain=which is saved after expenses over a certain period of time) is the defined wealth for these categories for distribution among them. However, if one does not pay the defined portion of his savings as per above instruction then he is increasing his own wealth by holding back on Allah’s prescribed portion, and this is therefore the increase (Ar-Riba) which Allah has forbidden.
O’ you who believe, take guard of Allah and leave off, what remains from Ar-Riba/the increase, if you are believers. When the ayahs related to Ar-Riba become clear to believers, they are asked to leave that portion of the wealth which they have been holding back from the deserving categories. That is if they have been paying less than 1/5th portion of their savings on the deserving categories, then they are now advised to pay the prescribed amount.
And if he is in difficulties, then respite is given to him towards easiness and that you give sadaq / charity, that is better for you if you would have known. If some one is not currently able to pay the prescribed amount to the categories after doing calculations of 1/5th of savings, (the gain is the increase in your net worth from the last calculation period) then the same will remain in his account to pay, and he can pay them later on, upon ease of his financial situation. Please see previous post on Zakat (https://topicsfromquran.com/2017/11/04/zakatcharity/ )
O’ you who believe! eat not Ar-Riba, double redouble and take guard of Allah so that you may prosper. Warning to believers not to pay less than the amount of charity prescribed in Quran. If you are paying 2.5% only, instead of prescribed 20% then you are eating the ‘wealth of the categories of people’ multiple times.
Then if you do not, (leave off, what remains from Ar-Riba/the increase),so take a notice of war from Allah and His messenger. And if you turn back, so for you are the heads of your wealth. You do not oppress and you will not be oppressed. Please note that the notice of war has been given by Allah to the people who believe but eat Riba/Increase. The notice of war is given only in this ayat in the whole Quran and it is issued to the momineen/believers. And when you pay heed, for you are the heads of the wealth i.e 80% of the savings and the remaining 20% is for the categories of people (deserving of Sadqa/Zakat).
So, enjoy what you have saved, lawful and good. But fear Allah. For Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. 80% of the savings after paying the 20% portion to the categories, is lawful for us to spend. The Ayat 2:279 informs that for you is the heads of the wealth i.e after paying the prescribed portion in Zakat.
The example of those who spend their wealth in the way of Allah is like the example of grain that grows seven ears and in every ear is 100 grains. And Allah multiplies for whom He wills. And Allah is All spacious, All knowing The money spent from your wealth (after paying the due share of categories) increases in multiples in the nearness of Allah.
And what you give from Riba/increase, to increase in the wealth of people (the categories) then it does not increase in the nearness of Allah and what you give from Zakah/ justification) intending the face of Allah so they are those who will get manifolds. If you have not paid the full due share of 20% from savings then any charity you give is being given from Ar-Riba/the increase which you are holding back from the wealth of categories (by not giving from the Allah’s allotted share to them). So this charity does not grow in the nearness of Allah, as it was already their share, not your wealth.
Allah removes Ar-Riba/the increase , and increases Sadqa/charities , and Allah does not love any rejecter, sinner. There exists an inverse relationship for the Al-Riba and Al-Sadqat. As you spend from Sadqat the Ar-Riba decreases (if you have held the due share to be paid from savings)
Those who eat Ar-Riba/the increase, do not take a stand except like one, who stands to madness from the touch of Satan. That is because they say that Al-Bai/the deal is the example of Ar-Riba . And Allah has made Al-Bai/the deal lawful and has made Ar-Riba/the increase unlawful so he to whom comes the sermon from his Lord then he abstain, that is past for him. And his affair is towards Allah, and whosoever returns , then they are the companions of the fire. They will live forever in it. The common perception however in the society is that Ar-Riba is the interest i.e a periodical charge on the original amount of loan. They say that if you loan some one money and charge an amount in addition to the original amount, then this is Ar-Riba. Most people think, that the interest bank charges on loans, is Ar-Riba, while Al-Bai is ‘a deal’ i.e a normal trade transaction. Normally when banks give a loan they make a deal with the loanee and both parties agree on the loan amount and the interest to be charged on the loan. Those people who equate Ar-Riba (which is the increase in wealth by not paying the prescribed charity) with Al-Bai (that is the deal which, is made with the bank or any other loaner or trading partner), are declared as crazy people. They are two different things. Deals are lawful and Ar-Riba is not lawful. We know that there is a time value of money. If you loan some one a certain amount of money in currency and if he returns the same denomination of currency, in lets say 20 years time, the purchasing power of that amount of currency would have been reduced multiple times. In fact, it will not be fair to you, to be returned the same amount of currency, loaned several years earlier keeping in view the factor of depreciation of currency. Also we know that any thing of value when we borrow it from the owner, we have to pay rent for it. For example if we live in some one’s house, we pay rent for it. Similarly if we rent someone’s car we have to pay rent for it. Will it be fair to the person whose house we are borrowing, not to pay him any rent? Similar is the case of money, as it has a value attached to it. Will it be fair to get a loan from someone and not to pay any rent on that loan? Consider the example of a house valued at one million dollars. When you rent this house, you will pay a certain amount of rent on it. If instead of a house, you borrow, one million dollars in currency, is there no obligation on you to pay the due amount of rent to the loaner? If you borrow a thing of value and do not pay any rent for it, is definitely not fair to the lender. The justification we normally hear is that instead of making a deal of paying fixed amount interest, we should share in profit and loss of that business. However, we know that a majority of people in the society are not business oriented people. They don’t have the capability of carrying out a business profitably. At best they will be sleeping partners and then depend upon the active partners for the fair returns and the fees charged for being active partners. Many people in the society simply cannot take the risk of being involved in businesses e.g widowers and retired people, they do not have the risk taking capability nor any risk taking is suitable for them. Then why should they be forced to take un-necessary risks on which they don’t have any control. Similarly it is banks’ business to give loans to people who can do business and take risks. However, banks cannot be in partnership of profit and loss sharing with all those people who take loans from banks. It is simply not possible to handle so many businesses and risks for banks. Therefore interest is the factor which keeps the economic cycle running i.e deposits by general public to the banks or Government institutions and operation of banks, in turn by lending the money to prospective people or groups who can invest and run businesses and utilize loans for their businesses. Usury i.e very high interest rates is definitely a social evil as the poorest of people fall victims to it. Normally, the interest rate you will get depends upon your credit rating. The people with the best credit ratings will get the best rate of interest on their loans. Those people who are at the highest risks of being able to return the loan, get the highest rates of interests on their loans. These very people are the ones who deserve the charity of people (20% share for categories)or subsidies from the Government, instead of getting loans from loan sharks on high interest rate. While Quran does not prohibits interests or deals that people make with one another, it is the duty of the Government to curb un-fair deals as like other social or criminal evils.
Notes:
The Arabic Word for ‘Interest’ is (فائده ).
links to a lecture by scholar Mohammad Shaikh on Ar-Riba:
Ijl ( عِجْل) in Arabic translates to ‘calf’. The root of this word is ( ع ج ل ) which in its core means ‘to be hasty’ or ‘hastiness’. There is a hadith in Al-Kitab relating people of prophet Moosa a.s, and a ‘calf’, which they clung for worship after Prophet Moosa went away from them for a certain period of time. The nation of prophet Moosa a.s went through a great ordeal when the Pharaoh was very oppressive on them. When Allah emancipated them from the ordeal of Pharaoh and they crossed the sea, they went pass a people who were serving their beloved Idols ( أَصْنَامٍ). Bani Israeel were impressed by them and they asked Moosa a.s to assign similar idols for them. Moosa told them not to act like Jahil/Ignorant nation. After some time Moosa a.s went away from them for a certain period of time. During this time, a character which Quran calls ‘Samiri’, misguided the people to serve/worship a ‘calf’. Prophet Haroon a.s, was unable to dissuade the nation from the worship of the calf, due to overwhelming emotional attachment of the people with ‘the calf’.
We will analyze some of the terms used in this narration as below.
‘Samiri’ is from root word ( س م ر ) which in its core means idle or vain talk. Samiri is the name given to a character who leads others astray by making vain stories. Also he colored these stories from the ‘effect’ of the ‘Messenger’ as per what the ‘nafs’ of Samiri suggested to him. So, these idol talks about the messenger that Samiri invented were from the suggestions of his own ‘nafs’ instead of the facts about the messenger. Moosa a.s, on this return, confronted Samiri and told him that what he had invented will be destroyed and thrown away and he will be saying to people not to touch him. That is what the people of Samiri’s character do; they tell people that they are ‘untouchables’. With the effect of the messenger in their vain talks, they make their vain talks appear as ‘unquestionable’ and themselves as ‘untouchables’.
The root of the word ( ع ج ل ) conveys meanings of ‘hastiness’. The term Al-Ijl/the calf represents some thing which people of Moosa clung to, in his absence. Quran states that these people’s hearts were made to drink ‘the calf’. It is not possible to drink a calf. Therefore ‘the calf’ in Quran is representative of something, towards which Quran wants our attention drawn. Quran further states that ‘the calf’ was a ‘Jasad/body with sounds’. Jasad refers to a mere body, i.e a body without ‘spirit’. So Al-Ijl is a body without spirit and when this body emits sounds, these sounds are lacking ‘spirit’ also and unable to guide people to the right path. Therefore ‘Al-Ijl’ can be deemed as representing a body of a system, which is based on vain talks and lacking the spirit of Book of Allah. When this system speaks, it makes strange chants which are not able to guide the people to the right path. The people making this body of system induce effects of the Messenger in order to appeal to people emotions to make them cling to this body without spirit.The people making this body, make sure that they are considered ‘untouchable’ and their system unquestionable.
We took the Children of Israeel across the sea. They came upon a people devoted to some idols they had. They said. “O Moses! make for us a god like unto the gods they have.” He said. “Surely ye are a people without knowledge.”
There came to you Moosa with clear (Signs); yet you took the Ijl/calf after that, and you were the wrong-doers.
Allah says, why after having clear Signs, you people grabbed the Ijl/calf? Why is it they don’t consider the clear Ayas enough for them and have to seek the Ijl/calf?
And remember Moosa said to his people. “O my people! You have indeed wronged your nafs by your taking the Ijl/calf. So turn (in repentance) towards your Maker, and slay your nafs/psyche; that will be better for you in the sight of your Maker.” Then He turned towards you (in forgiveness), for He is Oft-Returning, Most Merciful.
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!”
The Ijl represent something which they drank in their hearts with so much emotional attachment because of the vain talks with effects of the messenger, that when they were ordered to hold with power what Allah has given them, they said that they will disobey. Allah says it is bad what their faith orders them to do.
The people of Moosa grabbed a calf, after him, from their ornamentations. A body with sound. Don’t they see that it did not speak to them, nor guided them to a path? They took it and they were oppressors.
Ornamentations are things which are made to appear good in the eyes of people. In 16:63 it is stated that Satan makes the works of the people appear attractive to them(تَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ أَرْسَلْنَا إِلَىٰ أُمَمٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمُ الْيَوْمَ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ )
When Moses came back to his people, angry and grieved, he said. “Evil it is that ye have done in my place in my absence. did ye make haste to bring on the judgment of your Lord?” He put down the tablets, seized his brother by (the hair of) his head, and dragged him to him. Aaron said. “Son of my mother! the people did indeed weakened me, and they were near to kill me! Make not the enemies gloat over me, nor count me amongst the wrong doers.”
When Prophet Moosa a.s returned to his nation, he was furious by the action of his people, and he asked them did they make haste in the orders of the Lord? So the calf’ is also associated with the ‘hastiness’ in orders of the Lord. The Spirit of the orders of the Lord does not come with the wishes of people, it only comes with the Will of Allah. Anyone wishing to get understanding of the Allah’s orders quickly, cannot attain by studying books from a huge body of religious system made by people. ‘The Spirit’ only comes to a pure heart, with the Will of Allah and it does not come in haste (75:16 لَا تُحَرِّكْ بِهِ لِسَانَكَ لِتَعْجَلَ بِهِ ) .
Those who took the Ijl/calf will indeed be overwhelmed with wrath from their Lord, and with shame in this life. thus do We recompense those who invent (falsehoods).
The people who take Al-Ijl/the calf are Muftareen/makers of false hood they will experience the wrath of Allah in this world as well.
They said. “We did not go back on our promise to you with our power (intention), but we were made to carry the weight of the ornamentation of the nation, and we dropped it, and that was what the Samiri suggested.
The nation was carrying a huge weight of things which were made alluring in their eyes (16:63). They used it in the fabrication of the calf as suggested by Samiri.
Then he brought out Ijl/calf before the (people) a body with sounds. So they said, This is your god, and the god of Moosa, but (Moosa) has forgotten! Could they not see that it could not return them a word (for answer), and that it had no power either to harm them or to do them good?
Calf was a mere body (without Spirit) emitting sounds (deprived of guidance). He made the people believe that this body is the lord for the people and also the lord of Moosa, however Moosa forgot (so Samiri preserved it for the people). That’s what Samiri made people to believe.
(Moses) said. “What then is your case, O Samiri?” He replied. “I saw what they did not see. so I took a handful of from the effects of the Messenger, and threw it in, thus did my nafs/psyche suggested to me.”
Samiri told that he saw an opportunity. So, he took a only a handful from the effects/teachings of the Messenger and threw it in the mix of Ijl (The body of hasty and false teachings)
(Moses) said. “Go (from here)! For you in this life will be that, you will say, ‘touch me not’; and moreover you has a promise that will not fail. Now look at your god, of whom you had become a devout . We will certainly put it in a blazing fire and scatter it in the sea!”
Samiri the story teller, will say to the people ‘Don’t touch me’ probably in the sense that, he is ‘un-touchable’.
Man is a creature of haste. soon (enough) will I show you My Signs; thus ye should not hasten/rush!
Allah will show His signs to man at the right time. People cannot make haste in their eagerness to get the essence of Allah’s Ayas by studying man-written books. We have to pray to Allah supplicating to increase us in knowledge.
High above all is Allah, the King of the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur’an before its inspiration to thee is completed, but say, “O my Lord! advance me in knowledge.”
Part of Ayat 33:53 is copied below. This portion of ayat tells us which behavior of believers is hurtful and annoying to a prophet of God i.e showing fondness for hadith/vain talks in the nearness of the Prophet.
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.
In below ayahs Allah warns the believers that similar hurtful behaviour was imparted by his people to prophet Moosa a.s but Allah liberated Moosa from them. So, there must be people who invented huge collections of vain talks and traditions about Prophet Moosa A.S as well, which is a cause of annoyance and hurt to prophet Moosa a.s. So Allah liberated Moosa from these false traditions and told the correct hadiths/narrations about prophet Moosa a.s. in His Book.
O you who believe! Do not become like those who persecuted Moosa, but Allah cleared him (Moosa) of their sayings, and he was honourable in Allah’s sight. O’ you people who believe, fear Allah and say an accurate/truthful saying.
The believers are advised to say only truthful and accurate sayings and not to indulge in vain, inaccurate and doubtful accounts.
Allah has promised you many gains that ye shall acquire, and He has given you this (some of it) beforehand; and He has restrained the hands of people from you; that it may be a Sign for the believers, and that He may guide you to a straight path.
The gains for the believers are also the secrets which Allah opens up for them. Some of the gains they get quickly and some come with time. Allah make these gains a sign for the believers, He protects them and leads them to a straight path.
Notes:
The word ‘samiran’ is also used in 23:67 in the meaning of vain stories. All translator have translated it in similar way.
23:67 مُسْتَكْبِرِينَ بِهِ سَامِرًا تَهْجُرُونَ
Being arrogant with it like vain fables, you abandoned.
As we saw in the last post of As-Salat, Allah taught Adam ‘words’ to ask forgiveness and when Adam prayed with these words, Allah accepted his supplication (2:37). In this post we will see some duas/prayers in Quran which we can use in various situations normally encountered in life. By identifying our situation and appropriate prayer/dua in Quran for the situation, we can pray to Allah in Quranic words. We should honestly mean these words, and repeat these words/ayahs in As-Salat.
When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them). I listen to the prayer of every supplicant when he calls on Me. Let them also respond to Me, and believe in Me, so that they get the wisdom.
Supplication to Allah to increase our knowledge:
20:114 رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
“O my Lord! Advance me in knowledge.”
Prayers to make us and our offspring steadfast in As-Salat and asking forgiveness for ourselves and our parents:
“Our Lord! give us good in this world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of the fire!”
When engulfed in problems in life, the below supplication makes us realize that the problems will not exceed our capacity to handle them and we supplicate to Allah to lessen our burden and grant us His forgiveness, blessings and help.
Allah does not put to task a nafs/soul except to his capacity; what he earns is for him, and what he has earned is on him. O’ our Lord, do not catch us if we forget and we make a mistake , O’ our Lord, do not load a burden on us like you burdened on those from before us , O’ our Lord, do not burden us with that we do not have the strength to bear, pardon us, and forgive us and have mercy on us! , You are our protector, so help us over the nation of rejecters.
On realization of a committed blunder and honestly seeking forgiveness and turning back to the Lord:
Glory to Him, Who has subjected these to our (use), for we could never have accomplished this (by ourselves), “And to our Lord, surely, we are to go back!”
When taking up a challenging task or speaknig to a formidable audience:
“O my Lord! direct me that I should be grateful for your favours, which thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may work the righteousness that will please Thee. And admit me, by your Grace, to the ranks of your righteous Servants.”
“This is by the Grace of my Lord!- to test me whether I am grateful or ungrateful! And if any is grateful, truly his gratitude is (a gain) for his own self; but if any is ungrateful, truly my Lord is Free of all needs and is Gracious !”
Seeking guidance from the Lord:
37:99 إِنِّي ذَاهِبٌ إِلَىٰ رَبِّي سَيَهْدِينِ
“I am a goer towards my Lord! He will surely guide me!
Seeking help from oppressive surroundings and country:
Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and appoint from your nearness a wali/protector/guardian for us; and appoint from your nearness a helper for us!”
Our Lord can reach out to the utmost recesses of things by His knowledge. In Allah is our trust. our Lord! decide Thou between us and our people in truth, for You are the best to decide.”
After getting out of a sad and painful situation in life:
“Our Lord! We heard one caller inviting to Faith, ‘Believe in your Lord,’ thus we have believed. Our Lord! forgive our sins, blot out from us our evils, and make us die/recompense our souls with the righteous ones.
When consoling your self in order to heal psychological would inflicted by unjust actions.
And don’t think that Allah is oblivious of what the unjust people do. He only gives them respite against a Day when the eyes will fixedly stare (in horror),-
When longing for a relationship/getting married or some thing you like and would like Allah to bestow upon you.
Say. “O my Lord! Let my entry be by the entrance of Truth, and my exit be the exit of Truth; and grant me from your presence an authority for (my) help.”
‘Salat’ in Arabic is translated as ‘prayer’. Most people, irrespective of what religion they follow, use some sort of prayers to connect to God. Allah teaches in His book, how to establish communication with Allah. A great way to establish communication with Allah is As-Salat (The Prayer). In As-Salat, believers communicate with Allah, in words which are taught by Allah in a specific format which is established in the house of Allah in Makkah. This house of Allah is a guidance for all worlds and prophet Ibraheem (a.s) and prophet Ismaeel (a.s) were ordered to keep the house of the Lord clean for people who do rukoo(bowing down), sujjood (prostrating) and tawaf (Hajj & Umra ritual).
To make As-Salat/the prayer an effective communication tool, it is imperative that we understand what the words mean which we recite in As-Salat. Allah has taught many supplications in His book for various situations which a person may encounter in life. It is important that we recognize the proper supplication, know the meanings, and repeat the supplication in our prayers, in order to ensure response from Allah. As prayers are enjoined on believers several times a day, it is an excellent tool, to enhance familiarity with Quran. Quran is not unlike other books whose reading once or a few times could be sufficient for learning. Quran is a fascinating book which is meant to be read and understood over and over again. It has several layers of understanding and appeals to all levels of knowledge. Salat is a tool which gives an opportunity to resort to Quran multiple times a day. If normally you don’t find time to resort to Quran every day, you may read a page or some portion of Quran in each ‘raka’ and then ponder on it during the salat and later on. This way we can learn and grow in our understanding of ayahs, and repeat them in As-Salat. If we learn and repeat even a few new verses of Quran in prayers, our understanding of Quran Insha-Allah will grow rapidly. By learning more ayahs, understanding them and repeating them in As-Salat, our prayers will not be a burden but can become an interesting experience. Quran warns that As-Salat is a burden on Munafiqeen/hypocrites.
The spirit of as-Salat is learning Al-Quran and its remembrance. Rote repetition of only a few sura’s over and over again like most people do, does not serve the purpose of as-Salat effectively. As-Salat provides the mechanism and adds a discipline to it so that believers are obliged to find time resorting to Al-Quran, several times during the day. Human beings need some discipline, therefore the institution of as-Salat is enjoined by Allah on believers. If people don’t know what is enjoined them by their Lord in His book, how can they act on it. So, Salat is an important tool in understanding what is required by God and then acting on it.
In As-Salat we have to pray in words taught by Allah. For example Allah taught Adam some words to ask forgiveness. When Adam made the supplication in these words, Allah responded to him.
They both said. “O Our Lord! We have oppressed our nafs/psyche and if You do not have forgiveness for us and mercy for us, definitely we will be of the losers.”
Format of Prayers:
There is also a specific format for As-Salat/the prayers, enjoined in Quran. In this format, ayahs/kalamat of Allah are recited while standing, then the believer bows down and prostrate, symbolizing bowing and submitting to the ayahs that he just recited. This system of prayers is established in Allah’s house in Bakka/Makka. The House of Allah is declared to be for the guidance for the entire world.
The first House appointed for mankind is that at Bakka/Makkah: full of blessings and of guidance for all worlds.
What guidance can the world take from the House of Lord? Allah has established place of Ibrahim at the House/Kaaba and ordered mankind to take their ‘mussala’ from the place of Ibrahim, who is the Imam for mankind.See earlier post about procedure of As-Salat from Quran (https://topicsfromquran.com/2017/03/21/salat-procedure/ ).
Allah has also ordered Ibrahim (a.s) and Ismaeel (a.s) to purify His house for people. The system of As-Salat is established in this House (2: 125 وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَّقَامِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مُصَلًّى ), however in many people’s mind, the House is highjacked by impure people and they have established their incorrect format of As-Salat in the House (8:34). Allah declares that the protectors of Majid Ul-Haram are ‘Muttaqeen’ and those people who adhere to a different format of As-Salat and oppose the Masjid ul Haram, their salat near Masjid is tantamount to clapping and whistling (8:35). Some people say the messenger (pbuh) established As-Salat in different formats/ways, (which are followed by different sectarian Muslims). Had it been a true statement, then the sunnat/practice of the messenger (pbuh) is to establish salat in all different formats, instead of sticking to one way according to one’s sect. The sectarian Muslims should establish salat in all sectarian formats if they are true followers of the messenger (pbuh). But they are actually followers of the imams of their sect therefore they will not do that. We see that as per Quran, there is only one format of As-Salat/the prayer which is established in Masjidul Haram.
Say; “My lord has ordered with justice; and you establish your faces/souls near every mosque and call Him, making your ‘Deen’/judgment pure for Him. As He originated you, so you will return”.
In the above ayat, Allah orders to establish yourselves in all mosques. What we practically see is that. people who go to mosques for prayers they normally prefer to go in the mosques of their sect only. When you know the format of As-Salat from Quran then you can go to mosques of all sects and pray there. In case there is a discussion and engagement about your format of As-Salat, you can provide your justification of praying according to the format of As-Salat given in Quran.
Salat is not a new phenomena brought by the messenger Mohammad (pbuh), all messengers and prophets of Allah since day one, have been performing the same As-Salat. Some examples of the mention of As-Salat with prophets and people of earlier times in Quran is given below:
“O’ our Lord, surely I have settled from my offspring within the valley without cultivation/agriculture near your sacred house, O’ Our Lord, so that they establish As-Salat/the prayer, so make the hearts of people loving towards them and provide them with fruits so that they will be thankful.”
And We made them the Imams/leaders that they guide with Our order and We inspired towards them to do good deeds and establish As-Salat/the prayer and give zakat/justification and to Us they served.
Also mention in the book, Ismail: He was true to what he promised, and he was a messenger (and) a prophet. He enjoined on his people As-Salat/the prayer and Az-Zakat, and he was most acceptable in the sight of his Lord.
When We took a covenant with the Bani-Israeel/Children of Israel that you will serve none but Allah and be good with your parents and with relatives and the orphan and the needy and say to mankind good words and establish As-Salat/the prayer and give Az-Zakat/the Justification then except few from you, turn away avoiding it.
They said, “O Shoaib, does your salat/prayer dictates upon you that we must abandon what our forefathers served, or running our businesses in any manner we choose? Surely, you are known for being clement, wise.”
With the help of ‘as-Salat’ as you grow in understanding of the spirit of Allah’s ayahs, you will be bound to abondon the ways of your ancesters if they are in conflict with Al-Quran and spend your wealth as directed by Allah.
Thus the angels called unto him while he was establishing prayer in the chamber, . “Allah gives you glad tidings of Yahya, confirming the truth of a Word from Allah, and Syed (Leader), chaste, and a prophet,- of the company of the righteous.”
And We inspired to Moosa and his brother that you appoint for your people, houses in Egypt and make your houses a Qiblah/direction. And establish As-Salat/the prayer and give good news to the believers.
“O my son! establish As-Salat/the prayer, enjoin what is just, and forbid what is wrong. and bear with patience whatever befalls on you; for this is firmness (of purpose) in (the conduct of) affairs.
Also, in 19:58-59, it is stated that those who came after the blessed people from the children of Adam, Nooh and Ibrahim and Isreael, wasted their salat. How can one waste his ‘salat’ ? i.e by not making it an effective tool to grow in understanding of Allah’s Words.
Have you not seen that whatsoever is in the skies and in the earth, praises for Allah and the birds in the rows. Everyone knows his salat/prayers and his praise. And Allah knows with what they do.
Even the birds and other creatures in the Universe know their prayers. We humans don’t know their prayers, Allah has instilled their prayers into them and He knows their prayers. We should be concerned with our prayers which Allah has taught us in His Book. We cannot make assumption of same human Salat for other creatures. The salat of other creature and beings is definitely according to their composition.
It is He (Allah) who does salat on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the darkness into the light and He is full of mercy to the believers.
As we don’t know about salat of other creatures like birds, we also don’t know about Salat of Allah, who does salat on believers as per above ayat. Most probably this is His communication to believers to bring them from darkness of ignorance into light of Allah’s awareness.
So when you complete the (shortened) As-Salat then remember Allah in standing and sitting and on your sides, so when you are in tranquility then establish As-Salat/prayer, surely As-salat is written over the believers on appointed times.
Every person has a biological clock built in him, which is tuned to a 24 hours day. According to this clock we get up in the morning, eat food, do work, take rest and finally go back to sleep. If a person for example goes to a place where the Sun last for 6 month at a stretch, he will still be following his 24 hour internal clock for sleeping, working and eating food.
So glorify Allah’s praises, when you make your evenings and when you make your mornings; and the night and when you make your noons, and for him is the praise in the heavens and the earth.
The above ayahs state that when ever you do you mornings, evenings, days and nights, glorify Allah’s praise. Even if you are at a place where the time is different than 24 hours day, you are to follow your biological clock inside you, which follows the 24 hours day system.
The 24 hours day is according to the movement of Sun. We experience different times in it, a reference of which we can find in different ayahs of Quran; some given as below:
And establish As-Salat/the prayer, the two sides of the day and in the advances of the night. Surely the goodness will take away the badness. That is the remembrance for those who remember.
We had previously seen that the ‘Mussala’ i.e the system of Salat is to be taken from ‘Masjid-ul Haram’. That system comprises 5 mandatory prayers during 24 hours cycle. There are different interpretations for the timings of Salat in the above ayat. One interpretation could be that this ayat is referring to the three out of 5 salats which are Fajr, Maghrib and Isha.
Establish As-salat by the sun’s decline till the darkening of the night and the reading (of Quran) at dawn, (Fajr) surely the reading (of the Quran) at the dawn is witnessed.
The above ayat states that the salat to be established from the decline of the Sun to the darkening of the night. During day time when the sun reaches its peak and begins to decline from the peak until beginning of night are the 2, day-prayers i.e Zuhar and Asar. From beginning of darkness is Maghrib and with further darkening of night is Isha prayer, and little before beginning of day is Fajr prayers. The above Ayat states that there is no mandatory prayer during the time after Fajr i.e from start of the day till the decline of the sun (before Zuhr) and after that from decline of the Sun to the darkness of the nights the prayers can be performed (as per system established in the Sacred Mosque)
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.
Nafal is optional. Night time is a peaceful time without expected disturbance to strive with Quran.
“O’ you who believe, you do not go near to As-Salat/the prayer with a mind befogged, until you can understand what you say; and nor in a state of stranger except you are crossing the way until you have washed yourselves, if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you come from offices of nature, or you have been in contact with women, and you find no water, then take for yourselves clean sand, and therewith rub your faces and hands, for Allah does blot out sins and forgive again and again.”
Sukara is a condition of either intoxication, or confusion, when your mind is not focused and you are not able to understand and focus on what you are saying. In this state it is not permissible to establish Salat.
Recite what is inspired to you from The Book and establish As-Salat/the prayer. Surely As-Salat/the prayer stops from obscenity and that which is disguised. and definitely remembrance of Allah is great. And Allah knows what you fabricate.
Salat is about getting the ‘Spirit’ of the ‘Word’ of Allah. The below ayat states that the people who are rewarded, when they hear what is recited in ayahs of Allah they fall in prostration, crying. You can only get the feel of the ayahs of Quran when you understand the spirit behind the ayahs. Without understanding them, is like being deaf and dumb to the ayahs. So the rewarded people don’t fall upon the ayahs of Quran, deaf and dumb.
Those were among the prophets for whom Allah has blessed from the offspring of Adam and from those whom We carried with Nooh and from the offspring of Ibrahim and Israel and from those whom We guided and We chose, when the ayats/signs of the Most Gracious were recited on them they fall down prostrating, weeping. ۩(Sajda)
And when they are reminded with the ayahs / signs of their Lord they do not fall down over them, deaf and blind.
How can one waste his Salat/prayer? by not understanding the spirit of the ayahs he is reciting and not using ayahs to correct one’s mistakes by acting on them. Just doing as ritual to desire ‘Sawab’ from prayers will have little benefit.
Thus after them, succeeded successors who wasted As-Salat/the prayer and followed the desires, so soon they shall encounter wrong.
If As-salat becomes burdensome, it is a characteristic trait of hypocrites. If it is performed as a ritual of duty with rote repetition of few suras, and is not being used to increase awareness of Allah’s ayahs, it is likely to become burdensome.
The hypocrites (think that they) are deceiving Allah, but He deceives them. When they stand for As-salat/the prayer they stand sluggishly, to be seen by men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance.
The mention of funeral prayers is in Sura 9: Funeral prayers are not for hypocrites but for believers.
Nor do you ever pray for any of them who dies, nor stand at his grave; for they rejected Allah and His Messenger, and died in a state of perverse rebellion.
When you strike in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten your prayers, if you fear that those people who disbelieved would inflict you with fitna/temptation. Verily the unbelievers are for you, open enemies.
When you are striving on earth i.e at work in offices or sites (does not necessarily mean travelling 2:273), where management is mainly non-muslim or where establishing As-Salat may not be looked upon favorably or interfere with work/site work/meeting etc, then it is permissible to shorten the prayers. The shortened prayer will follow the practice established during Hajj in Makkah. In offices or work places there is usually a lunch break. During that break the Zuhar prayer and Asar prayers may be combined with 2 rakas each. If the work has extended time in the evening, then you may combine Maghrib and Isha prayers when you come back home from work, offering Maghrib prayers at Isha’s time with Maghrib 3 Raka and Isha as 2 rakas.
So if you are in fear, then (pray) on foot or riding. So when you are in security remember Allah as He taught you, which you knew not.
If you are travelling and you fear or are concerned that you may not be able to establish As-Salat in time, then you may do As-salat mentally while on a vehicle or walking during your travel. This is an exception for travelers. However, safety first therefore if you are driving your self then better to stop at the side for a break and do prayers in the car.
“O’ my Lord! make me one who establishes As-Salah/the prayer and also from my offspring and O my Lord! you accept my call. O’ our Lord! have forgiveness for me, for my parents and for the believers when the day of account is established!”.
Notes:
A detailed lecture explaining, Salat, timing of Salat, procedure of Salat in Quran by Scholar Mohammad Shaikh in in below link. This post is mainly an excerpt of this lecture:
الصَّلَاةَ= The Prayer (the specific format of Prayer whose format is preserved at the sacred non-agricultural valley of Makkah)
صَلُّوا عَلَيْ= Pray for ( صَلُّو when comes with عَلَيْ, means to pray for ‘some one’)
Critics of Ritualistic salat:
There are people who don’t consider ‘as-salat’ to be a ritualistic practice. They mostly interpret the establishment of ‘as-salat’ as the establishment of Allah’s system of rules. While there is no disagreement on the end result of establishment of Allah’s rules, some points need to be considered.
We know that not all people in the world have equal capabilities. For example, in a large corporation, some employees can work well within a ‘management by objectives’ system. These employees can typically accomplish their goals without much supervision. Management is not overly concerned with how they achieve results. However, this approach cannot be applied to all employees. Therefore, the company uses a system of rules to provide structure for the majority, helping them achieve their goals.
While not every member of the community may be fit or required to establish Allah’s system of rules, but everyone should be aligned with the concept. Salat is a tool for familiarization with the Quran and understanding Allah’s message. It is a means to achieve the final objective. The reward comes not from the means itself but from the end result—i.e developing one’s character in line with Quran’s instruction. The tool of ‘salat’ helps compels people to set aside time and resort to Quran several times during a day. Quran is not a book whose reading once or twice in a life time is sufficient. It has to be read again and again and does not cease to bring new insights every time.
Allah established the system of Salat to provide structure for the masses to communicate with Him and understand His rules by resorting to His book every day. Some people, akin to the loose example of MBO, would like focus on the end result without adhering to the structure. They might believe that ritualistic Muslims do not benefit from their Salat, reinforcing their perspective. However, for the nation as a whole, the system must be inclusive, aiming to bring everyone on board with a common objective.
No doubt, the objective of Salat in the minds of the masses needs reform. It should become an effective tool for reading and understanding al-Quran, and then applying al-Quran in their lives. Rote repetition of a few suras in every Salat will not achieve the objective. One very simple practical way of increasing familiarity with al-Quran can be to read e.g one page of Quran in every raka from the book, instead of repeating a few sura’s all the time by rote. After the salat, the meaning of the ayahs recited should be pondered upon.
One more point: attacking the institution of Salat as non-Islamic will not gain mainstream acceptance. It will only create divisions and rancor among Muslims. The Quran recounts an incident involving the prophet Haroon, who faced an even greater abomination of his nation committing shirk. Yet, he refrained from taking extreme action out of fear of dividing the nation.
Similarly the mosques can perform useful roles in the community one example could be reducing cost of marriages by encouraging people to have Nikah ceremony in the mosque. A nikah in the mosque will be a fraction of a cost of arranging the function anywhere else. Other useful function of community center may also be thought of and introduced in the mosques.
The congregation of salat in a mosque is provides important lesson in social equality. No where other than in a mosque people could witness people of all social classes as being equal, where a peon of a company can stand shoulder to shoulder to the CEO. No one has the privilege to stand in the first row except who comes first all humble towards God in unison.
Objection that Islamic salat copied from Zoroastrian sources:
The objection that As-Salat is derived from Zoroastrian prayer practices is a common one, based on the premise that Zoroastrianism predates Islam by centuries. Critics argue that certain Islamic rituals, stories, and concepts—such as the Prophet’s ascension to the heavens, the Kaaba’s black stone, pilgrimage, and other elements—were borrowed from earlier religions, including Zoroastrianism, pagan practices, and Biblical sources.
However, this claim overlooks a fundamental principle conveyed in the Quran: Allah has consistently emphasized that the message delivered to the Messenger (pbuh)is not new. The Quran explicitly states that its teachings and directives are the same as those given to all previous prophets. Thus, a resemblance between Islamic practices and rituals in other religions, such as Zoroastrian prayer, reflects those practices that have since been distorted over time. Quran states that nothing new is said and ordered to the last prophet and the Shariat has been the same from the first to last prophet. Therefore, those practices and concepts in other religions which have some similarity with those of al-Quran, but are different, are actually the distorted ones over period of time. Rituals of As-Salat and the Hajj have been preserved in the Holy city of Bakkah/Makkah, as a testament to their divine origin and continuity throughout history deduced by order of Quran that the first house made for mankind is in Bakkah (Makkah) and is guidance for the whole world ( in all times)
Salat as a system for establishment of Allah’s writ in the world
Then there are people who think that as-Salat is a system of God to be established and not actually the ritual that people perform. However from below ayat we see that Salat has an ending and a beginning as well that you do a wazoo washing of certain parts of body (5:6), and is ordained on appointed times, therefore Salat itself cannot be a system but a tool to gain understanding of Allah’s word and then be prepared to establish the system of Allah.
So when you complete the (shortened) As-Salat then remember Allah in standing and sitting and on your sides, so when you are in tranquility then establish As-Salat/prayer, surely As-salat is written over the believers on appointed times.
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 other 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.
Sura Munafiqun 63:1 informs that when munafiqs/hypocrites come to the messenger, they testify that he is the messenger of Allah. However, Allah testifies that indeed he is the messenger of Allah but indeed the hypocrites are liars.
It is possible that a person is not telling a lie but what he is saying is not true. This could be because of his incomplete knowledge about the subject. Similarly it is also possible that a person is telling a lie but what he is saying is actually true. Also, possible because of the person’s incomplete knowledge of the subject. For example an atheist believing there is no God, states that ‘Bible is not the book of God’. What he is saying is true that Bible is not a Book of God, however, he is lying as in his perception there is no Book sent by God as God does not exists and He cannot send a book therefore.
When the hypocrites come to you, they say, “We bear witness that you are indeed the messenger of Allah.” And, Allah knows that you are indeed His messenger, and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars.
The unbelievers say. “You are not sent (by Allah).” Say. “Enough for a witness between me and you is Allah, and the one with knowledge of the Book.”
The above ayat states that in order to give witness of the messenger, one must have knowledge of the Book.
Giving witness of the messenger without the knowledge of the Book will be tantamount to giving witness of wrong personality of messenger which is not described by Allah in his Book, but rather which is developed through historical accounts and heresy.
The messenger of Allah is mercy for all the people. Therefore he would not be attacking or killing people in Holy wars, or committing genocides of a particular community. If any books give such account they must be false.
68:4 وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلَىٰ خُلُقٍ عَظِيمٍ
And you are on an exalted standard of behavior/character.
The messenger is on an extremely high level of character. One way of assassinating the character of the messenger is to ascribe him to be fond of marrying under-aged girls. A person on a high standard of character for all times (whose character is exemplary for all times not restricted to particular time in history) will not be marrying under aged girls as any reasonable person can tell. Those who believe in these accounts attributed to the messenger (pbuh) are true should reflect, will they like to follow this practice in their families and communities?
Is it that they do not ponder on Al-Qaul (The saying) ? Or is it that something has reached them which did not come to their ancestors? Or do they not recognize their messenger, that they deny him?
The personality of the messenger is not to be recognized and witnessed from historical accounts of his words and practice. His personality should be recognized from the Book. Al-Qaul (The saying) as per 69:40 إِنَّهُ لَقَوْلُ رَسُولٍ كَرِيمٍ is Al-Quran. If people don’t ponder the personality of the messenger from Al-Qaul and try to discern his personality from other accounts, they will likely be the denier of the true personality of the messenger.
Those people who take great inspiration from the ‘Golden Words’/ Aqwal e Zarrin/ Zukhrufal Qaul, are stated to be actually 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.
Below are some of the ayahs which describe aspects of the messenger’s personality which is the true personality of the messenger as per Al-Kitab. However, the shiateen/satans who want to disguise the personality of the messenger of the Book, with another personality (historical messenger) normally would not propagate these ayahs as they want to present a different or surrogate personality of the messenger. Some of these ayahs are given below:
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,
The messenger exposes from the Book, which people usually try to hide.
Please consider these ayahs, which gives true personality of the messenger from the Book. If you reject any of these personality traits given in the book and instead believe in other personality traits described in history books, you may then be believing in the messenger of ‘other’ books rather than believing in the messenger of God:
Say. “I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills. If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith.”
The messenger does not possess the power to bring good or bad fortune for himself and therefore to anyone else. He does not have the knowledge of the unseen if he had he would have gathered a lot of goodness as like any other normal person and avoid evils. He is a warner and bringer of good tidings for the believers.
Say. “I am but a human like yourselves, (but) the inspiration has come to me, that your God is one God. whoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness, and, in the service of his Lord, admit no one as partner.
The messenger is a bashar/human being like other human beings with all bashari/human implications. This fact should not be painful to the believers that he is not a super human. Believers should work for good deeds for their salvation instead of expecting intercession by messenger (pbuh).
We relate to you the most beautiful of stories, in that We inspire to you this Qur’an, before this, you were among those who are in Ghaflat (ignorance).
Before the inspiration of the Quran, the messenger was among the ghafleen/ people who are in ignorance.
And Likewise, We have inspired you the Ar-Rooh/the spirit from our order, you did not have the perception, what is the Book and the belief, but We have made it light, We guide with it whom We will from Our servants. And surely you guide towards the straight path.
Allah inspired Ar-Rooh/the Spirit (of the Words of Quran). Before this inspiration of the spirit, the messenger did not know what Al-Kitab and what Iman/belief is.
so, if you (Mohammad) are in doubt from what We have revealed to you, then ask those who are reading Al-Kitab/the Book from before you, definitely there has come to you the truth from your Lord, so do not become from the doubtful ones.
People have been reading Al-Kitab from before as this Al-Kitab was given to all prophets. It is the spirit of the Book that the Messenger transfers to the people.
Then, it may be that you (the messenger) will give up part of what is revealed to you and your breast will become straitened by it because they say: Why has not a treasure been sent down upon him or an angel come with him? You are only a warner; and Allah is custodian over all things.
Messenger feels human emotions and his heart feels constrained and somewhat inclined to leave part of the Wahi/inspiration because of the silly things unbelievers say to him.However, Allah strengthen his heart with His Kalamats/words to remain steadfast with the revelation.
They did not value Allah as He should be valued. When they said, “Allah did not reveal anything to a bashar/human.” Say, “Who then sent down the Book which Moses brought, with light and guidance for the people?” You made it to pieces of paper, you show something while concealing a lot of it. You were taught what you never knew-you and your parents. Say, “Allah (revealed it),” then leave them in their heedlessness, playing
Some people complain that certain personalities deserve more valuation than people value them. This they say according to their sectarian beliefs. However, Allah here declares that they don’t value Allah as He should be valued, when they do not consider the messenger as bashar (human). Many people consider the messenger as a super ‘bashar’, not like any other human/bashar with all human strengths and weaknesses that humans have. Some even consider the messenger as incapable of committing any mistake. So, this ayat exposes these beliefs.
93:7 وَوَجَدَكَ ضَالًّا فَهَدَىٰ
And He found thee misguided, and He gave thee guidance.
God found the messenger as wandering and then He guided him.
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.”
The messenger does not give glad tidings of Jannat to his companions. Instead he says that he does not know what will be done with me or with you. He only follows the inspiration to him.
Nor does he say of (his own) desire. It is only the wahi/inspiration sent to him.
Messenger does not add from his desire any thing to the wahi/inspiration. He only conveys the message which is inspired to him.
The messenger (pbuh) is also a bashar/human and has human interactions with his wife and family in private capacity. When he conveys the message of Allah inspired on him, he is in the capacity of the messenger. There are other times when he is in the capacity of a bashar, a father and a husband in his private life. In that capacity he is not being inspired from God. There are instances in Quran where he is admonished for his actions (e.g 80:1-10, 9:43). On those instances definitely he acted in the capacity of a bashar (human)and not was under inspiration/wahi, otherwise Allah would not have admonished him.
For example a president of a certain nation. He would deliver official statements as the president of the nation. What he says and acts privately are his private matters. Allah has advised companions not to be eager for ahadith/vain talks around messenger (pbuh) household in ayat 33:53 as these are painful to the messenger (pbuh)
This (Quran) sent down from the Lord of the Worlds. And if he (the messenger) were to invent any sayings in Our name, We should certainly seize him by his right hand, And We should certainly then cut off the jugular vein of him:
Messenger only states what is wahi/inspired on him, i.e Quran (as mentioned in 12:3), if he were to say other aqwal/sayings about Allah, Allah would catch him and cut his jugular vein.
Allah forgave you (the messenger)! Why did you allow for them until those who were truthful became clear for you and you knew the liars.
In his normal life the messenger is like a normal human being that is he is not being controlled by wahi in all matters. He may make mistakes in decision making about normal life for which Allah may admonish him as in 9:43. However, in matters of conveying wahi/Quran, Messenger does not make a mistake which are recorded in Al-Quran for all eternity and is protected by Allah.
Know, therefore, that there is no god but Allah, and ask forgiveness for your sin (O Prophet), and for the men and women who believe. for Allah knows how you move about and how you dwell.
Allah asks the prophet to ask forgiveness for his sin.
We opened/disclosed for you a clear/evident opening/victory. So, that Allah may forgive you (the messenger) of your sin of the past and that to follow; fulfil His favor to you ; and guide you to the straight way.
Messenger can do mistakes and sin, which Allah will forgives after showing him a clear/evident opening/victory and guiding him to the straight path.
When you (the messenger) see people engaged in vain discourse about Our ayahs/signs, turn away from them unless they engage in a different discourse. And If Satan makes you forget, then after remembering, do not sit in the company of Zalimeen/those who do wrong.
Satan can have effect on the messenger, that he can make him forget things.
They had almost led you (the messenger) away from what has been revealed to you, that you may invent things about Us besides those revealed, then they would have taken you as friend. And If We had not kept you steadfast you had almost leaned towards them. In that case We would have made you taste a double punishment of life and a double of death, and then you would not have been able to find a helper against Us for yourself.
People also with their constant persuasion may have caused the messenger to incline towards their preferences if Allah had not made him steadfast in what has been revealed to him.
O Prophet! Why do you make forbidden for yourself which Allah has made lawful to you? You seek to please your wives. But Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.
The Prophet in order to please his wives was not perusing a thing which was made lawful/halal for him.
(The Prophet) frowned and turned away. Because there came to him blind one (in perception). But how would you know that perchance he may purify himself. Or that he remembers/takes heed, and the remembrance might profit him? As to one who regards himself as self-sufficient (does not care much), you give him attention, though no blame on you if he would not purify himself. But as to him who came to you striving earnestly, and with fear (in his heart), to him you were unmindful. By no means (should it be so)! For it is indeed a reminder/advisory, for any one who desires to bear it in mind.
The prophet may falter in his judgment of giving attention to the right persons for delivering remembrance.
And the messenger will say, O my Lord! Surely, my people took this Al-Quran and abandoned it.
If we believe in the personality of the messenger from other books, we will believe him to be intercessing for us on the day of Judgment. However, if we believe in the personality of the messenger from Quran, than we will be aware that the messenger will be complaining to Allah, about his ummat/nation holding the Quran as if like abandoning it.
He who obeys the messenger, obeys Allah. But if any turn away, then We have not sent you as a watcher over them.
To follow the messenger (pbuh) means to follow Allah. Allah has made the Quran mandatory on messenger (28:85 إِنَّ الَّذِي فَرَضَ عَلَيْكَ الْقُرْآنَ لَرَادُّكَ إِلَىٰ مَعَادٍ ). Messenger is acting on all dos and don’ts in Quran. To follow the messenger of Allah is to follow the Quran and not to follow what other books tell about what messenger used to do.(Remember, Quran is protected by Allah by divine intervention, not history)
Say, ‘That is a great news, from which you (people) do turn away. ” I don’t have any from the knowledge of the high chiefs (Malai-l-Aala), when they were arguing. Only this has been revealed to me, that I am a clear warner.’
Some have the notions that the messenger (pbuh) is the reason for creation of the universe, and he was the first creation and that the is among the high chiefs of the heavens etc. In the above ayat Allah ask the messenger to declare that he does not have knowledge of what is discussed high up. He is but a warner to mankind from Allah.
Say. If you love Allah thus follow me (the messenger), Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most merciful.
Again Allah will love you when you follow the messenger whose actions and personality is described by Allah, i.e Allah will love you if you love the messenger of Allah, not the messenger of history books.
Notes:
As we saw earlier in 63:1, that the hypocrites give witness of the messenger but they are liars declared by Allah and we see in 13:43 that in order to give witness of the messenger the knowledge of the Book/Al-Quran is required. Those who give witness of the messenger not based on the Book but based on books of history will therefore be acting like hypocrites.
Verily, the Hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire, no helper will you find for them;-
The hypocrites will be in the lowest level of the hell fire, except those who repent and do correction by making their Deen judgment pure for Allah i.e not mixing any thing other than Allah in the Deen.
Except for those who repented and did the correction and held fast to Allah, and made their Din/judgment pure for Allah. These are the people who will be with the believers and soon will Allah grant to the believers a mighty reward.
The Haram, sacred or forbidden months are called ‘haram’ or forbidden as some lawful things are made temporarily unlawful during these months. These months are not named in Quran therefore with the help of ayahs of Quran we will identify which months are the sacred months.
The Islamic calendar is lunar, therefore these sacred months are lunar months. The lunar calendar is important with respect to the months of Ramadan and Hajj. Because of the lunar calendar, these months don’t always come in the same season but the seasons keep on changing, thus giving us the opportunity to experience the blessings of these months in all seasons.
They ask you about fighting in the sacred / holy month. Say, fighting in it is big (offence) and to oppose from the way of Allah and to reject with it, and from the sacred Mosque, and to expel its people from it, is greater (offence) in the nearness of Allah and ‘Fitna’/temptation is greater (offence) than killing. They will not cease fighting with you until they turn you back from your ‘deen’/judgment if they are able to. And amongst you whosoever turns away from his judgment and dies while being a rejecter, then they are those whose works have failed in this world and in the hereafter and they are the companions of fire, they will dwell in it.
The above ayat states that sacred/forbidden months are associated with a prohibition of fighting and temptation. We will further investigate for identification of sacred months in Quran.
Surely in the sight of Allah, the number of the months are twelve months, in the book of Allah the day He created the skies and the earth. Out of them four are sacred / forbidden. That is the established judgment. So you do not oppress your souls in them (by fighting) and you fight (in other than sacred months) the associaters all out like how they fight you all out. And know Allah is with those who guard themselves.
The names of the twelve Islamic lunar months are given below.
Ramadan is the month in which Al-Quran/The Reading was sent down, a guide for mankind, and clarification from the guidance and the criterion (between right and wrong), so whosoever is a witness amongst you of that month, then he should fast in it, but if any one is ill, or travelling, then the count (should be made up) in later days. Allah intends ease for you; He does not intend to put you to hardship. So that you to complete the prescribed period (of fasting), and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and you be grateful to Him.
From the above ayat, we come to know about the month ‘Ramadan’ which is holy as Quran was revealed in this month and we are prescribed to do fasting in this month.
It is lawful for you to be intimate with your women in the night of fast, they are a covering for you and you are covering for them. Allah knows that you used to be dishonest with your nafs/psyche, so He returns over you and pardoned you about it. So now be in contact with them and seek what Allah has written for you, and eat and drink until from dawn the white thread clarifies for you from the black thread, then complete the fast towards the night and you do not be in contact with them (your women) when you are devoted/Aakif in the mosques. These are the boundaries of Allah so you do not go near them. Likewise Allah clarifies His ayahs / signs for people so that they may take guard.
During fasting, eating and drinking becomes temporarily unlawful from dawn to dusk. This is for training purpose of our ‘nafs’. We restrain our ‘nafs’ during this month from certain things. Therefore now we can identify ‘Ramadan’ as one of the sacred/forbidden months.
Also, during Ramadan most men are reluctant to go to their women in the night as they are more into remembrance of Allah and sanctity of the month and thereby are declining their nafs/psychology by refraining from their wives out of respect of the Holy month. Allah addresses this point in above ayat as well.
The Sacred / Holy month is with the sacred / holy month and the sanctities are related (months and others) So whosoever transgresses against you so you transgress against him with the example of what he transgresses against you. And take guard of Allah and know that surely Allah is with those who guard themselves (against doing evil).
The important point to note for identification of sacred months in the above ayat, is that a sacred month is with a sacred month. It means that all four sacred months are adjacent to one another. (The B/بِِ in above Ayat (بِالشَّهْرِ), means ‘with‘ in Arabic). Also note that the Arabic word (أَشْهُرٌ) for months is a plural which means that months of Hajj are at least 3 (Arabic plural is at-least 3), therefore the 3 Hajj months cannot be separated i.e the Hajj months cannot occur with another non-Hajj month among them. (The traditionalist have different months designated as forbidden months, which are separated therefore they cannot be the 4 months intended by Allah)
The months of Hajj/Pilgrimage are known so whosoever imposes Hajj / Pilgrimage (on himself) in them so 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).
One of the formality of Hajj is ‘Ahram’, which puts temporarily, certain restrictions on pilgrims. Some normally lawful things become unlawful during Hajj and ‘Ahram’. Therefore the months associated with ‘Hajj’ are sacred and forbidden. The ayat also informs that the months of Hajj is common knowledge, because the system of Salat and Hajj is preserved in the Holy City of Makkah (please see previous post (https://topicsfromquran.com/2017/03/21/salat-procedure/). We know that ‘Hajj’ is performed in the monht of ‘Dhul Hijja’. After we had identified Ramadan as a sacred month and ayat 2:194 stated that sacred months are together, and then we know that Hajj is performed in Dhul Hijja. These facts lead us to identify the four sacred months as Ramadan, Shawwal, Dhul Qadah and Dhul Hijja. So we can highlight the sacred months from the list of names of 12 months as below:
(A declaration of) disassociation from Allah and His messenger, towards those of the associaters with whom you made covenant. Thus roam around in the land for four months (sacred months) and know that you cannot frustrate (the will of) Allah and Allah will disgrace the rejecters.
Allah gives the associaters a leave of 4 months to roam around the land, after that the believers will engage with them. After the 4 months pass the believers will not leave the associaters alone. This means that the sacred months have to be in a consecutive period of four months. The sacred monhts cannot be non-consecutive months as then according to ayahs 9:1-2, believers will have to give associaters a leave of more than 4 months.
So when the sacred / holy months are ended then fight the mushrikeen/associaters wherever you find them and catch them and confine them and sit for them at every place of ambush. So if they repent and establish salah/prayer and give zakah / justification, then leave the way for them. Surely Allah is all forgiving, merciful.
After having identified the sacred months above, what is for us to do in these sacred/forbidden months? The sacred months are for preparation i.e ‘Jihad Akbar’ with Quran and deep pondering in order to be prepared for engagement with associaters for the rest of the year. In the four sacred months the associaters are not to be engaged in ideological fight. After the forbidden months are over, then associaters are to be engaged in ideological fight with Quran, wherever they are encountered. It is ideological fighting only because physical fighting and bloodshed is not allowed.
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.
Surely the postponing of the (sacred / holy month) is an increase in the rejection, those who reject are led astray with it. They make it (sacred month) un-lawful in a year and make it sacred in another year. So that they adjust the numbers (of the sacred months) to what Allah has made forbidden. So they make it lawful what Allah has made forbidden. Their bad works are made adornment for them. And Allah does not guide the people who are rejecters.
Exchanging sacred months with other months is not allowed. The prescribed sacred months are to be respected. The discipline of deep pondering and preparation from Quran for 4 consecutive months is decreed by Allah which should prepare them for ideologoical fighting with associaters for the rest of the year.
Notes:
Ayat 2:197 states that the months of Hajj are common knowledge, meaning that people have always been aware of them. Prophet Ibrahim (A.S) announced Hajj for all of mankind, as mentioned in Ayat 22:27.
Therefore, if someone conducts research and claims that the months in which Muslims currently perform Hajj do not align with the Quran, and that Hajj should be observed in a different month, their conclusion cannot be accepted. This is because the established months of Hajj have always been known to people, whereas their research is not based on common knowledge.
Additionally, the historical claim that Hajj only became mandatory from a certain date after Hijra is incorrect. Hajj has always been performed, and its designated months were well known even before Islam.
A lecture by Scholar Mohammad Shaikh about Sacred/forbidden months:
We have made the night and the day as two signs. So, We obscured the sign of the night, and made the sign of the day manifest ; so that you may seek bounty from your Lord, and that you may know the count of the years and calculations and We explained everything in detail.
The above ayah refers to the alternation of day and night as signs by which people may keep count of years and make calculations. Since days and nights result from the earth’s rotation in relation to the sun, some argue that Ayah 17:12 indicates a directive to establish a solar-based calendar. Meanwhile, Ayah 10:5 is understood as a directive to base the calendar on the lunar cycle. On the basis of these two ayahs together, they conclude that the Qur’an supports the idea of a lunisolar Islamic calendar.
It is He, who made the sun a radiance and the moon a light, and determined stages for it (moon); that you may know the count of years and the calculation. Allah did not create this but in truth. He explains His Ayahs/Signs in detail, for those who understand.
However, if we reflect further on Ayah 10:5, it mentions both the sun and the moon, but it specifically assigns the calculation of years to the phases of the moon. Had the Qur’an intended a lunisolar calendar, then when Allah mentions both the sun and the moon together, we would expect the verse to instruct that the calculation of years be based on both—yet it explicitly singles out the moon.
This suggests that the Qur’an intends two different calendars, each serving a distinct purpose. According to Ayah 10:5 and Ayah 2:189, the Qur’an clearly establishes a lunar calendar for observing Islamic duties—such as Hajj, Ramadan, and the four sacred months—which require careful reflection, preparation, and study of the Qur’an.
The second calendar may be used for practical, worldly matters. Ayah 17:12 indicates the use of day and night cycles for “seeking the grace of Allah,” which can be understood as pursuing livelihood, business, and agricultural needs. Since the Qur’an does not name any months for a solar calendar, this implies that people are free to adopt the commonly used solar-month names already established in the world for such purposes.
The word ‘Jihad’ means to strive i.e to make efforts. Allah wants the believers to make efforts in line with the Spirit of the His Book to understand and act upon Allah’s Ayas and spread His message in mankind. Commonly in the West, the word ‘Jihad’ is considered to be mainly referring to physical strive or war. In this post, we will review the Ayas related to ‘Jihad’ in Al-Quran to see its real meaning:
And those who jahadoo / strive inUs, definitely We will guide them of Our ways and surely Allah is with those who are Mohsineen/who do good.
To strive / make Jihad in Allah’s way is to act upon Allah’s Ayas, i.e follow the do’s and don’t in Quran, that is Jihad. Those who make efforts in Allah’s way, are the Mohsineen, i.e the doers of good.
So you do not obey the rejecters and jahidhum / Strive against them with this (i.e. Al-Quran) that is the great jihad / Strive.
The big Jihad/strive is to strive with Quran. The people who reject the Sprit of Quran (or try to replace with a deviant spirit), with those people we have to stive/make efforts with Quran.
And those who reject (i.e. Islam/Peace) are protectors of one another, unless you do this (i.e. protect each other) there would be temptation and great corruption/violence on Earth.
The people who hold the opposite view i.e they think that Jihad is physical ware-fare, and they incite the people on war mongering activities, against these rejecters, the believers are asked to help each other in spreading the peaceful message of Islam. Otherwise, there will be great Fasad/corruption/war fare on Earth.
Likewise for many associators, their partners (in Allah, who give orders other than Allah) have made alluring the killing of their children, to destroy them and to clothe this order with Din/judgement. If Allah had willed they would have not done so; so leave them alone and their inventions.
The mushrikeen are those who follow Allah’s orders and also the orders of others (6:137). The partners/Shuraka are those who make shariat for them (42:21). These Shurakas have ordered them to wage war and do violence on earth and they have termed these orders as Din/Judgment and make it appear as Holy war and they make dying for this cause as alluring to people.
Or do you assume that you will enter garden and whereas Allah knows those who strive amongst you and knows who are the patient ones.
To strive/make efforts in way of Allah, and patience goes hand in hand, as you are bound to hear a lot of painful incriminations from associators and those who were reading the Book before you but without understanding the true Spirit of the Book.
Certainly you shall be tested in your wealth and in your nafs/selves (psyche); 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 annyoying things. And if you persevere patiently, and take guard against evil,-then surely that is of the strengthened resolve.
Those who believe, and migrated (in belief) and strive , in Allah’s cause, with their wealth and their self/psyche, have the highest rank in the sight of Allah. they are the people who will achieve (salvation).
Those who show patience and strive/make efforts in the Way of Allah by spending their money and controlling their nafs/pshyche, they are held in a high rank with Allah.
And you strive in Allah as the right of striving in Him. He has chosen you and He has made no difficulty over you in the Din/Judgment……
Above is is a portion of Ayat 22:78 and it asks the submitters to strive/make efforts in Allah (i.e Allah’s ways) as is rightful to make these efforts and Allah has put no (physical) hardship in the judgment.
We have enjoined on Insan/human, kindness to parents, but if they strive/make efforts with thee to join with Me, anything of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not. Ye have (all) to return to me, and I will tell you (the truth) of all that ye did.
If the parents or loved ones, strive with you to change your Deen/judgment about Allah for which Allah has not revealed any authority, then in this matter, they are not to be followed.However, other than this matter, our conduct with parents must be the best possible one.
Say if your forefathers and your sons and your brothers and your pairs and your associates and the wealth to which you are committed and the business in which you fear a slump and the residences in which you are pleased. You have more love towards them than Allah and His messenger and jihad / to strive in His way then you wait until Allah comes with His order. And Allah does not guide the people who are dissolute / immoral.
If you have got the Spirit of Allah’s Ayas and His Book, and if striving in Allah’s way and spreading his Word in light of this Spirit, will put you in confrontation with your relatives/community or may harm you in your businesses then wait till Allah comes with His orders. Those who take liberty with Allah’s orders, they are not guided by Allah.
Surely those who believe and who migrate (in belief) and jahadoo / they strive with their wealth and with their self/psyche in the way of Allah and those who give shelter and help (them) they are protectors of one another. And those who believe and do not migrate it is not (a duty) for you to protect them from anything until they migrate (in belief). And if they seek your help in the judgment (i.e. Islam/peace) then (duty) over you is that you help them except over the people there is a covenant between you and them. And Allah has insight with what you do.
Hijrat/Migration is basically Hijrat in belief/Iman, when you make a hijrat/migration from your beliefs which you inherited from your environment and community to the beliefs according to Ayas of Allah. Please see previous post on migration in belief (https://topicsfromquran.wordpress.com/2018/08/04/migration-in-belief/ ). The believers strive in ways of Allah and those people who had migrated earlier help them in this cause. The people who have migrated in belief, have an obligation to protect the newly migrated believers as their community may be at odds with them over their change in beliefs. In some countries, however the law may not permit you to preach religious beliefs, in these countries you should not go against law of the land.
It may not be (possible) that all Believers go forth together (in faith). if a contingent from every group devote themselves to studies in religion, and admonish the people when they return to them,- thus they (may learn) to guard themselves (against evil).
The above Ayas towards the end of Sura Tuaba (Sura 9), indicate that striving and going out in the way of Allah, is about devoting to studies in matters of Din/Judgment.
Notes:
Link to a lecture by Scholar Mohammad Shaikh on Jihad:
In this post we will see the characteristic traits mentioned in Al-Kitab of ‘shuraka’; those who are made partners in the Lordship of Allah. Assigning partners with Allah, is an unforgiveable sin, so it is important to recognize this sin and keep well clear of it. Many people take this issue lightly, believing that they can never fall into the trap of associating any one with Allah. However, the below ayat states the opposite:
And the majority of them, do not believe in Allah without associating (other as partners) with Him!
The above ayat states that majority of the people who believe in Allah, associate others with Him. While most believers are under the assumption that they can never associate with Allah. So, is there a gap in our understanding of association of others with Allah and Allah’s expectation of us? Lets review below ayahs:
Verily those whom you call upon besides Allah are servants like you. Call upon them, and let them respond to you, if you are (indeed) truthful!
Allah forbids calling in divine matters anyone except Allah and He declares that those people you call upon are only people like you. In your eyes they may possess superhuman qualities, but in fact they are only humans with all humans constraints. Do they respond to you when you call them?
Is not Allah enough for his servant? But they try to frighten you with others besides Him! for he who Allah leaves to stray, there can be no guide.
Allah is asking a question: isn’t Allah sufficient for His slaves, why then they have to make others, their masters in religious matters? These people try to frighten you from their self appointed human deities for whom you will not find any confirmation in the Book of Allah.
If indeed you ask them who created the heavens and the earth, they would be sure to say, “Allah”. Say. ” Do you see then? Those you call besides Allah,- can they remove His harm on me, If Allah intends a harm on me?- Or if He wills some Grace for me, can they keep back his Grace?” Say. “Sufficient is Allah for me! In Him, trust those who put their trust.”
The people who assume that there are some personalities who can remove their harms or bring them nearer to Allah’s grace, they do believe in Allah. The Messenger tells them to have their trust in Allah alone, as He is sufficient to take care of them.
Isn’t the Din (Judgment) purely for Allah alone? 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, kafir (rejecter/coverer).
Allah provides identification of shuraka/partners. They are those, who people think are the chosen ones of Allah and by serving them, they will bring them nearer to Allah.
Do the Unbelievers think that they can take My servants as protectors besides Me? Verily We have prepared Hell for the Unbelievers for (their) hospitality.
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.
Further identification of these shuraka/partners. They are making ‘sharia’ of religion. Those people who make sharia/ways in Din and cannot justify it from the Book, are identified as partners in orders of Allah. Why are they termed as partners, because people take orders from Allah and also take orders from these people.
Say. “Of your ‘partners’ is there any one who can give any guidance towards truth?” Say. “It is Allah who gives guidance towards truth, is then He who gives guidance to truth more worthy to be followed, or he who finds not guidance (himself) unless he is guided? what then is the matter with you? How do you judge?”
A logical question, why not follow the source of guidance.
“And the mosques are for Allah. So do not call any one along with Allah;
The above ayat prohibits calling any one with Allah as well, i.e calling ‘others’ with or without Allah, both are prohibited. As people would assume that labelled non-muslims, call deities which are other than Allah, while labelled Muslims are justified in calling and praising in divine/religious matters their favorites who have favors with Allah therefore are with Allah.
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.
A direct question posed by messenger and should be followed in his sunnah by others; Why should I seek orders from others while Allah has sent down the Book explained in detail?
The partners/Shuraka in Allah are those whose orders are also followed in addition to Allah’s. So, if any one orders something and cannot not produce basis of the ayat which is the source of his order, that would mean his order is not from Allah and should not be followed.
No sharia or order other than Allah’s to be accepted, as he has sent a Book containing all necessary details. When Allah has sent down a detailed book then why should people seek other’s orders? Allah is asking; do these people take their orders from some one other than Allah, while he has revealed the Book with details.
When Allah, alone is remembered, the hearts of those who do not believe in the Hereafter are filled with aversion; but when others than Him, are remembered, behold, they are filled with joy!
Further identification of unwanted behavior of people holding on to others as partners of Allah: When Allah alone is mentioned in a group, these people don’t feel comfortable, however when the names of their favorites are mentioned, they become happy.
Yet there are people who take others besides Allah, as equals. They love them as they should love Allah. But the believers have great love for Allah. If only the oppressors could see the penalty, that to Allah belongs all power, and Allah is severe in punishment.
Identification of true believers; They love Allah more than any one else.
You do serve beside Him certain names invented by you and your forefathers, Allah has not revealed any authority for them. The Command (hukum) is for none but Allah and He has commanded that you shall not serve except Him. This is the established Din/Judgement, but most people do not know.
This Ayat needs soul searching as many believers may be revering some list of names against which Allah has not revealed any authority in His Book.
They said, “Did you come to make us serve Allah alone, and abandon what our forefathers used to serve? We challenge you to bring (the doom), you threaten us with, if you are truthful.”
The above is the reply all messenger get when they convey the message of Allah to their nations. ‘How can we forsake, what our forefathers were serving all their lives and what they instilled in us?’
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 or on earth?- Glory to Him! and He is far above the partners they ascribe (to Him)!”
Those who people hold on to, and boast as their intercessors with Allah, for which Allah has not revealed any authority, He asks them that do they inform Allah of their decision, while He knows everything. Were they really to be intercessors with Allah, He would have revealed authority for them in His Book.
And they (even) 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.
Those people are mentioned who assign portion of their Rizq/sustenance for those they don’t even know such as Nazr/Niaz for others. They will certainly be called to account for this invention.
Those were the people who has passed away. They shall reap the fruit of what they did, and you of what you do! and you will not be questioned of what they used to do.
Pay heed to this Allah’s advise. You will not be questioned about what previous people used to do, as you cannot be witness over them except what Allah tells in his Book.
Behold! to Allah belong all what is in the heavens and in the earth. What do they follow who call upon “partners” other than Allah? They follow nothing but conjecture, and they do nothing but guesswork.
Holding on to partners with Allah, is a system of conjecture and guesswork by people.
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.
Is it not enough for them the Book is revealed by Allah, which is recited to them. What else are they waiting for?
It is not for the mushriks / associaters to spend time in mosques of Allah, while they are witness over their nafs/psyche to rejection. They are those whose works are wasted and in the fire they will live forever.
The associaters time spent in mosques and their worships will all be in vain. They themselves will tell and will be witness to what they say and associate with Allah while they are in the mosques.
One day shall We gather them all together. We shall say to those who ascribed partners (to Us). “Where are the partners whom you assumed with so much pride? “There will then be no temptation for them but to say. “By Allah our Lord, we were not those who took partners (with Allah).”
The people who associate do not realize that they are the associating with Allah. Even on the day of Judgment before Allah, they will be repeating the same and will swear that they are not the mushrikeen/associaters.
Verily Allah does not forgive that partners should be set up with Him; but He may forgive anything other than that, according to His wishes; Whoever set partner with Allah indeed invented a most grievous sin.
However, the sin of associating partners with Allah is not going to be forgiven by Allah.
Topics from The Book (Al-Kitab) 