Islam is the name of a religion founded by Muhammad in ancient Arabia in the 7th century. People who follow Islam are called Muslims. They believe in only one God, That God is called Allah, which is the Arabic phrase for "the (only) God". There is no plural for Allah in the Arabic language. Muslims believe that Muhammad was the last prophet(or messenger) of God. Muslims read a holy book called the Qur'an, sometimes also spelled "Koran". Muslims also look to other writings, theSunnah and Hadith, as important guides. In Islam there is only one unforgivable sin, that is worshipping another god or giving gods qualities to a person, animal or drawing. As well as having religious laws, Islam has laws on how the government should be run. These laws are called "Shariah Law". Lawyers have looked at Shariah, and interpreted it; these interpretations are called Fiqh. Unlike Christianity and Judaism, Islam was not named after its founder,Muhammad, because Muhammad was not considered "holy." The most holy book in the religion of Islam is the Qur'an. The Qur'an is assumed to be the sayings of Allah. Islam teaches that the Qur'an was revealed by Allah, or God, to Muhammad with the help of an angel called Gabriel. It also teaches that the Qur'an is in heaven and that it is a perfect book. The Qur'an has a total of 114 chapters. In each chapter there are many verses. Many Muslims try to memorize the entire Qur'an and ones that do are generally called upon as Hafiz or Hafez. Other important books are the Sunnah, or biographies of Muhammad and Hadith compilations, which are collections of sayings attributed to Muhammad. There are five things that Muslims should do. They are called "The Five Pillars of Islam". 1. Faith: The Testimony (al-Shahada in Arabic) is the Muslim belief that there is no god but Allah Himself, and that Muhammad is His messenger. 2. Prayer: Muslims pray five times at special times of the day. 3. Charity: Muslims who have money must give alms (Zakah or Zakat in Arabic) to help poor Muslims in the local community . 4. Fasting: Muslims fast during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic year. They do not eat or drink from sunrise till sunset for one lunar month. After Ramadan, there is a holiday called Eid al-Fitr (English: Festival of end-fast). Muslims usually have a party with families and friends and go to the mosque in the morning for a special service. 5. Hajj (Pilgrimage): During the Hajj season, many Muslims go to Makkah, the holiest city of Islam, which is in Saudi Arabia. Muslims must make the hajj at least once in their life if they can afford to do so. There is no need if a Muslim does not have the money to make the Hajj. At the end of Hajj season, there is a holiday called Eid al-Adha (English: Festival of Sacrifice). Muslims in general who can afford or who have made the Hajj must buy an animal, usually a goat, to sacrifice according to Islamic laws and cook as food or give away to the poor, if they have the money for it. Muslims believe that Abraham, one of Allah's earliest messengers, was told by Allah on the day of Eid al-Adha to sacrifice his son in Jerusalem. But the angel Gabriel congratulated Abraham's obedience to Allah and gave him a lamb instead. Place of Worship Muslims, the people who follow the religion of Islam, pray in a holy place called the mosque. Most mosques have at least one dome and some have one or more towers. But a mosque does not need to have a dome or tower. Muslims take their shoes off before entering the mosque to pray. Prayer is one of the most important things that a Muslim does. Like with other religions, over the time different movements have developed in Islam. These movements are based on different interpretations of the scriptures.Qur'an
The Five Pillars of Islam
Different movements and beliefs
Sunni
Shi'a
Kharijite
Sufism
3 Mar 2009
What is ISLAM ?
18 Feb 2008
What Is Islam? Its Pillars & Articles
इस्लाम के फ़रायाज़ और हुकूक .
By F. Kamal
(An excerpt from a book about the religion of Islam called "Easily Understand Islam")
Islam is a way of life. It is simple, practical, and easy to understand.
FIVE PILLARS
Islam is based on five pillars.
One
To declare ”There is no deity but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God.” Islam is based primarily on the Quran (the word of God) and secondarily on the authentic sunnah (the example of the prophet).
Note: The ulema (Islamic scholars) have historically played an important role as leaders in Muslim societies and in explaining (called tafsir) the Quran and the sunnah (life and example) of the Prophet. Of themselves, however, they do not have the authority to forgive or to define right (halal) or wrong (haram). Rather they help elucidate concepts and define principles. There is no priesthood in Islam. A Muslim does not have to have any “intermediary” between himself and God.
Two
Salat: To worship God in prayer five times a day.
Three
Sawm: To fast during the month of Ramadan. (The purpose of fasting in Islam during Ramadan is not penance for sins, but rather to develop taqwa —God-consciousness.)
Four
Zakat: To give charity to the poor.
Five
Hajj: To perform pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime if one has the financial means and health to do so.
Note: It is important to recognize that God does not “need” or “require” anything from His creation. God is not a “needy god.” That would be to misunderstand God’s Power and Majesty. Thus, worship, for example, is for the benefit of the worshiper not God. And indeed prayer disciplines, purifies, and elevates the worshipper.
Islamic articles of faith
There are six basic articles of faith.
One
To believe in God.
Two
His Angels.
Three
His Apostles (like Abraham, Noah, Jacob, Joseph, Job, Jonah, David, Solomon, Moses, and Jesus ) .
Four
His revealed books (e.g. Taurat, Zabur to David, Injeel to Jesus, & Quran). (According to Muslim belief, only the Quran –alternative spellings: Qur’an or Koran – however is available today in an original, pure form.)
Five
To believe in resurrection, the Day of Judgment, and Heaven and Hell.
Six
Divine Decree: That God is omniscient (All Knowing) and has power over all things.
Who Is A Muslim?
If you believe, sincerely in your heart, the five pillars and the articles of faith you are a Muslim. It is that simple!
Summary
For Muslims, Islam is a very simple, practical, and balanced religion. One can communicate directly with God. There is no need for intermediaries like priests. There is no sharp delineation between worldly and spiritual realms. Perhaps an illustrative example of this is that, while some religious traditions may have encouraged clerical celibacy amongst their religious hierarchy Islam in contrast encourages marriage amongst its adherents.. “Marriage is one half your deen [e.g. religion]” (Baihaqi) is well known among Muslims. Almost all Muslim leaders have been married (and usually with lots of children!). Muslims thus view their religion as practical -- and as a mercy from God.
Religion is not seen as something special to be isolated from life but as an integral part of everyday life. As one non-Muslim remarked a century ago while journeying in Muslim lands: “the average man on the street in Islam has the same intensity for his religion as we see in our priests.” Islam is not an abstract idealism but rather a complete way of life well within the grasp and understanding of the average individual. It forms the dynamic core of societal life in active Muslim communities.
Muslims would say that following Islam is like returning to a natural and intuitive path for humans that leads to peace and contentment of the soul.
2 Feb 2008
ISLAM ON MOBILE
Few months back I created an sms group using smsgupshup service by Webaroo Technology (India) Private Limited where subscribers get sms of Quranic ayat (English translations of Yusuf Ali, Md. Shakir, Pickthal, Mohsin khan) and Hadith (Sahih Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, Abu Dawud, Malik Muwatta) daily on their mobile phones free of cost.
It’s a humble attempt to create a medium to connect Muslims and invite Non-Muslims to the teachings of Islam. In today’s world of busy life we can successfully stay in touch through mobile phones. SMS is a very effective medium where user can view messages as per his convenience.
Subscribers join this group by sending sms JOIN BELIEF to 567678 or 9945599455. Once they joined it they start receiving the sms, which is sent by me. Currently this group has over six thousand subscribers based in various cities of India. This service is currently available in India only.
I intend to make this group a religious, peaceful and knowledgeable source that will connect the Muslims of India particularly tech savvy young generation. This is just the start and it needs rigorous publicity to achieve its aim.
Following is the Ad which I am propagating.
#
Get daily free sms on Al-Quran and Sahih Haidth on your Mobile Phone.
(For INDIA only)
To avail this service, just do the following.
Just sms - JOIN BELIEF to 9945599455 or 567678
(sms charge as per your network rate, just for one sms)
And daily you will get sms of authentic verses of Al- Quran
and Sahih hadith with references (short code for Quran: Q,
Sahih Bukhari:SB, Sahih Muslim: SM etc)
For this type of service in South Africa you will be charged
R1.5 (Rs.9/) per sms. Alhamdulillah here you can get daily
sms free of cost. Its a duty of every Muslim to spread
the words of Allah and Prophet Muhammad (sws).
If you are already member of this sms group then
join ur friends into this group. Its very easy.
Just sms - SHARE BELIEF 9xxxxxxxxx, 9xxxxxxxxx,
9xxxxxxxxx, 9xxxxxxxxx
( 9xxxxxxxx : Mobile number of your friend).
eg. SHARE BELIEF 9876543210 9812345678
Thus you can join 13 friends in one sms.
If you want to give feedback or complain any inconvinience,
just mail to belief_group@rediffmail.com
If you want to view the previous sms of this group just go to
25 Apr 2006
Arabic: The Language of the Qur’an
Arabic: The Language of the Qur’an
The Praise is for Allah, the one who has honored us with the Qur'aan, and chosen for us the noblest of languages, and the peace and the blessings be upon the best one of the ones who articulated themselves in Arabic, and the most-preferred from the servants of Allah, Our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him), and his family and his distinguished companions.
The Arabic language is the language of the Noble Qur'aan, and with it, the Qur'aan was revealed upon the seal of the Messengers (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam), so attention to the Arabic language is to have attention to the Book of Allah the Most High and the studying and the practicing of it helps in the understanding of the Noble Book of Allah and the narration of the master of the Prophets, Muhammad (sallallahu 'alaihi wa sallam). It is also the language of our esteemed Islamic law (As-Shari'ah), so when we defend it we are not proceeding on a path of nationalism or racism or culturalism, but in fact we are defending the language of our religion (way of life) and it is the cloak of our Islamic Civilization.
As such, Sheikh-ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:| "The Arabic Language is from the Religion, and the knowledge of it is an obligation. For surely the understanding of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah is an obligation, and these two are not understood except with the understanding of the Arabic Language, and whatever obligation is not fulfilled except by certain steps then those steps themselves become obligatory (to fulfill the initial obligation)"[1] |
So then the knowledge of the Arabic language is essential for every Muslim so that he can perform his religious acts of worship and he can be proficient in the recitation of the Noble Qur'aan. Allah says in His Book (which means):
| "Verily we have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'aan in order that you may understand" (Surah Yusuf: 2) |
And likewise the Most-Glorious said (which means):
| "And thus We have inspired unto you (O Muhammad) an Arabic Qur'aan that you may warn the mother of the towns (Makkah) and all around it." (Surah ash-Shura: 7) |
And The Exalted said (which means):
| "And truly this (the Qur'aan) is a revelation from the Lord of the 'Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists), which the trustworthy Ruh (Jibreel) has brought down upon your heart (O Muhammad) that you may be (one) of the warners, in the plain Arabic language" (Surah ash-Shura: 192-195) |
And He the Most High also said (which means):
| "A Book whereof the verses are explained in detail, a Qur'aan in Arabic for people who know" (Surah Fussilat: 3) |
The Most Merciful said (which means):
| "Verily! It is We who have sent down the Reminder (i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely We will guard it (from corruption)" (Surah Hijr: 9) |
Despite this, many of the Muslims are content by spending their whole lives reading a translation of the Qur'aan and so depriving themselves of the miracle of the Speech Of Allah. Also a translation implies a human factor, which goes against the very essence of the Book of Allah. Also, the person who does not know Arabic, will have added difficulty in his concentration during his prayers and also in his understanding of the Sunnah. This is because a language is just not a collection of words which can readily be translated into another language but is a whole way of thinking.
Dr. Muhammad Taqi-ud-Din Al-Hilali (Translator of the Noble Qur'aan) writes:| "It is a pity that many nations are only satisfied in the translated meaning of the Qur'aan and Prophet's Sunnah instead of studying the (true) Arabic text of the Qur'aan and Prophet's Sunnah. For this reason they are divided into various sects (due to the lack of knowledge about the religion of Islam) e.g. as regards to the ways of religious education, etc. so they are plunged in differences, which was prohibited by Allah. If the translation of the meaning of the Qur'aan is meant for the above said purpose then it is a real mischief-doing, and an evil action and is against what was brought by Allah's Messenger (Peace be upon him) and also against the opinions of the early present day religious scholars. All the religious scholars unanimously agree that the Qur'aan and the Sunnah should be taught in the language of the Qur'aan (i.e. Arabic Language). So did the early religious scholars of the Muslim nation when they conquered different countries. |
Translations are mainly meant for informing the people who have not yet embraced Islam to make clear to them the principles of Islam and the teachings of Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and to know its exact facts. When they reach this state and Allah has blessed them with Islam, they must take the Qur'aanic and the Messenger's Language (i.e. Arabic) as the only language to understand Islam. May Allah's mercy be on Sheikh 'Umar Uzbak, a great Turkish man, who strove for Islam in Uzbakistan under the Russian government, after his long fight against the enemies of Islam with fire (iron) and tongue (speech), he took refuge in Afghanistan at Kabul, where the government honoured him. I met him there in 1352 A.H. (approx. 1932 CE) i.e. nearly 40 years ago, and he had vowed to Allah that he will never speak to a relative or anybody else except in the Qur'aanic and Messenger's (Arabic) language. His wife sent a man for me to intercede for her to him that he should speak with her and her children in the Turkish language even for an hour everyday. So when I spoke to him about it, he said:
| 'Russians had compelled us to learn perfectly the Russian language (by force), so we learnt it. And unless they knew that the learning of the Russian language will make the person who learns it, follow their ways of thinking, characters, and their traditions, they would not have forced anybody to learn it.' |
He further said to me,
| 'I have vowed to Allah long ago not to speak except in the language of the Qur'aan and Sunnah (i.e. Arabic) and I do that only for Allah's sake. If my wife and children desire to enjoy speaking with me, they should learn the language of the Qur'aan and of the Prophet (Peace be upon him) (i.e. Arabic) and I am ready to teach them the Qur'aanic language whenever they desire that"[2] |
24 Apr 2006
The Meaning of The Pronoun "We" As Used in The Qur'aan
It is a feature of literary style in Arabic that a person may refer to himself by the pronoun nahnu (we) for respect or glorification. He may also use the word ana (I), indicating one person, or the third person huwa (he). All three styles are used in the Qur'an, where Allaah addresses the Arabs in their own tongue. ( Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 4/143).
"Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, sometimes refers to Himself in the singular, by name or by use of a pronoun, and sometimes by use of the plural, as in the phrase (interpretation of the meaning):'Verily, We have given you a manifest victory" [al-Fath 48:1], and other similar phrases. But Allaah never refers to Himself by use of the dual, because the plural refers to the respect that He deserves, and may refer to His names and attributes, whereas the dual refers to a specific number (and nothing else), and He is far above that."
( Al-'Aqeedah al-Tadmuriyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, p. 75).
These words, innaa ("Verily We") and nahnu ("We"), and other forms of the plural, may be used by one person speaking on behalf of a group, or they may be used by one person for purposes of respect or glorification, as is done by some monarchs when they issue statements or decrees in which they say " We have decided…" etc. [This is known in English as "The Royal We" – Translator]. In such cases, only one person is speaking but the plural is used for respect. The One Who is more deserving of respect than any other is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, so when He says in the Qur'an innaa ("Verily We") and nahnu ("We"), it is for respect and glorification, not to indicate plurality of numbers. If an aayah of this type is causing confusion, it is essential to refer to the clear, unambiguous aayaat for clarification, and if a Christian, for example, insists on taking ayaat such as
"Verily, We: it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e., the Qur'an)"
[al-Hijr 15:9 – interpretation of the meaning] as proof of divine plurality, we may refute this claim by quoting such clear and unambiguous aayaat as (interpretation of the meanings):
"And your god is One God, there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful" [al-Baqarah 2:163]
and
"Say: He is Allaah, the One" [al-Ikhlaas 112:1]
and other aayaat which can only be interpreted in one way. Thus confusion will be dispelled for the one who is seeking the truth. Every time Allaah uses the plural to refer to Himself, it is based on the respect and honour that He deserves, and on the great number of His names and attributes, and on the great number of His troops and angels.
22 Apr 2006
Which surah of Al-Quran when recited is equal to reciting 1/2 Al-Quran?.
Answer :
Praise be to Allaah.There are many ahaadeeth which speak of the virtue of certain soorahs of the Qur’aan, some of which are saheeh, but many of them are da’eef (weak) or munkar. That includes the hadeeth which speaks of the virtue of Soorat al-Zalzalah and says that it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan. A number of munkar ahaadeeth were narrated concerning that. They are as follows:
1 – It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “ ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ (i.e., Soorat al-Zalzalah) is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2894) and al-Haakim (1/754).
Its isnaad includes Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah al-‘Anzi, concerning whom al-Bukhaari and Abu Haatim said: his hadeeth is munkar. Ibn Hibbaan said: his hadeeth is very munkar; he narrates munkar hadeeth that have no basis and deserve to be ignored. See Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (4/452).
Yamaan is the only one who narrated this hadeeth, alone among the companions of ‘Ata’, and he is not acceptable as a sole narrator of a hadeeth, rather the fact that he is the sole narrator indicates that it is munkar. And Allaah knows best.
The majority of scholars are the view that the hadeeth is to be regarded as weak because of Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah, in contrast to those scholars who classed it as saheeh. It was classed as da’eef by al-Tirmidhi when he said, after quoting it: it is ghareeb and we know it only from the hadeeth of Yamaan ibn al-Mugheerah. It was also classed as such by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in al-Tamheed, where he said: It is one of the ahaadeeth of the Shaykhs, not one of the ahaadeeth of the imams. And it was classed as da’eef by Ibn Hajar in Fath al-Baari (8/687), by al-Dhahabi in Talkhees al-Mustadrak, by al-Manaawi in Fayd al-Qadeer (1/367) and by al-Shawkaani in al-Fath al-Rabbaani (12/5930). Al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (1342): it is munkar.
2 – It was narrated from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’, it will be equivalent to half of the Qur’aan for him.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (2893).
Its isnaad includes al-Hasan ibn Saalim al-‘Ajali. Al-Mazzi said: He is a Shaykh who is unknown and recited only one hadeeth. Al-‘Aqeeli said: He is unknown with regard to transmitting hadeeth. Ibn Hibbaan said: he narrates from trustworthy narrators things that do not sound right.
See Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (1/396()
The scholars are unanimously agreed that this hadeeth is also to be regarded as da’eef. It was classed as da’eef by al-Tirmidhi when he said, after quoting it: It is ghareeb. Al-‘Aqeeli said: It is not known, as stated in Tahdheeb al-Tahdheeb (1/396). It was also classed as da’eef by Ibn Hibbaan in al-Majrooheen (1/279), and al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Eemaan (2/497). Al-Dhahabi said in Mizaan al-I’tidaal (1/523): it is munkar. Al-Albaani said likewise in al-Da’eefah (1342).
3 – It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever recites ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ in one night, it will be equivalent to half of the Qur’aan for him.” Narrated by Ibn al-Sunni in ‘Aml al-Yawm wa’l-Laylah (691).
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Silsilah al-Da’eefah (1342): It was narrated by Abu Umayah al-Tarsoosi in Musnad Abi Hurayrah (2/195), but its isnaad is very weak (da’eef jiddan); it includes ‘Eesa ibn Maymoon al-Madani, who was classed as da’eef by a number of scholars. Abu Haatim and others said: His hadeeth is to be rejected. End quote.
Ibn Hajar said in Nataa’ij al-Afkaar (3/268): Its isnaad includes a narrator who is very weak. End quote.
From the above it is clear that there is no saheeh report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about Soorat al-Zalzalah being equivalent to half of the Qur’aan. But it seems that some of the imams of the salaf followed this hadeeth and, based on their own ijtihad, stated that the important meanings that are contained in this soorah are equivalent to half of the principles that the Qur’aan referred to.
It says in Musannaf ‘Abd al-Razzaaq (3/372): It was narrated that Ma’mar said: I heard a man narrating that ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.
It was narrated from Ja’far that Hishaam ibn Muslim said: I heard Bakr ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Muzani say: ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ is half of the Qur’aan.
Abu ‘Ubayd narrated a mursal report from al-Hasan al-Basri: “ ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan, and ‘By the (steeds) that run’ (Soorat al-‘Aadiyaat) is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan.”
See: al-Itqaan by al-Suyooti (2/413).
It was narrated that ‘Aasim ibn Abi’l-Nujood al-Imam al-Muqri’ said:
It was said that whoever recites ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ it is as if he has recited half of the Qur’aan.
Ibn Hajar said in Nataa’ij al-Afkaar (3/270): its men are thiqaat.
Al-Manaawi said in Fayd al-Qadeer (1/367):
Because the greatest objective of the Qur’aan is to explain the creation and the resurrection, and ‘When the earth is shaken with its (final) earthquake’ refers only to the resurrection, therefore it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan. This was referred to by al-Qaadi.
End quote.
This is the ijtihaad of some of the salaf, and it is not permissible to attribute it to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). It does not mean that it is equivalent to half of the Qur’aan in terms of reward.
And Allaah knows best.
7 Apr 2006
Du'aa
Ya Rab! sa'idny 'ala an aquoul kalimat al haqu fy wajh al 'aquwiya'
Oh God, help me to say words of truth in the face of the mighty
wa an laa aquoul al battel ly aksab tassfeeq al du'afaa'
And to refrain from speaking ill in order to gain the applause of the weak
wa an ara al nahyah 'l oukhrah min alsourah
And help me see the other aspects of things
Wa la tatrukny attahim khussumy bi'annahum khawanah li'annahum ikhtalafou ma'iee fi 'l ra'yee
And do not let me accuse my adversaries of treachery because their opinions oppose mine
Ya Rab, itha a'taytunee maalan fa laa ta'khuth sa'adatee
Oh! God, should you give me wealth, do not take away my happiness,
Wa ithaa a'taytanee quouwah fa laa ta'khuth 'aqulee
And should you give me might, do not take away my wisdom
Wa ithaa a'taytanee najaahan falaa ta'khuth tawadu'ee
And should you give me success do not take away my humility
Wa ithaa a'taytanee tawadu'an falaa ta'khuth i'tizaazee bikaraamatee
And should you give me modesty do not take away my sense of dignity
Ya Rab, 'allimnee an ahibb innass kama ouhibbou nafsee
Oh God, teach me to love others as I love myself
Wa 'allimnee an ouhasib nafsee kamah ouhasib annass
And teach me to judge myself as I judge others
Wa 'allimnee inn attasaamuh huwa akbar maraatib alquouwah
And teach me that forgiveness is one of the greatest steps towards strength
Wa hubbu'l'intiquaam houwa awwal mathahiri'lddu'f
And that the love of revenge is the first sign of weakness
Ya Rab, laa tada'nee ousaab bilghourour ithaa najaht
Oh God, do not curse me with arrogance should I be successful
Wa laa bilya's ithaa fashalt
And neither with dispair and hopelessness should I fail
Bal thakkirnee daa'iman an alfashal huwa 'ttajaarub allatee tasbuq annajaah
Rather remind me always that failure is the trial that precedes success
Ya Rab, ithaa jarradtanee min almaal fatruk lee al'amal
Oh God, should you dispossess me of my wealth do let me keep my hopefulness
Wa ithaa jarradtanee min alnajaah fatruk lee quouwwat il'inaad
And should you dispossess me of success do let me keep the power of determination
Hattaa ataghallab 'ala alfashal
So that I can triumph failure
Wa ith jarradtanee min ni'mati'ssahhat fattruk lee ni'mat al'eemaan
And should you dispossess me from the blessing of good health do let me keep the blessing of faith
Ya Rab, ithaa asa't ilee'nnaas fa'tinee shajaa'at al'i'tithaar
Oh God, should I have harmed others give me the courage to apologize
Wa ithaa asa' lee 'nnaas fa'tinee shajaa'ati'l'afouu
And should others harm me do bless me with the courage to forgive
Wa ithaa nasaytak ya Rab arjouk an laa tansaanee min 'afwik wa hilmak
And should I forget you Oh God I beg that you should not exclude me from your compassion and clemency
For you are the Greatest, the Vanquisher, the All Powerful on all things
6 Apr 2006
CONCEPT OF GOD IN ISLAM
The Qur’an too propounds monotheism. So you will find similarities between Hinduism and Islam even in the concept of God.
a. SURAH IKHLAS WITH EXPLANATION
(i) Translation
As per Islam, the best and the most concise definition of God is given in Surah Ikhlas of the Glorious Qur’an:
Say He is Allah,
The One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begets not,
Nor is He begotten;
And there is none
Like unto Him.
(Al Qur’an 112:1-4)
The word ‘assamad’ is difficult to translate. It means that absolute existence can be attributed only to Allah, all other existence being temporal or conditional. It also means Allah is not dependant on any person or thing but all persons and things are dependent on Him.
It is the touch stone of Theology
Surah Ikhlas i.e. Chapter 112 of the Glorious Qur’an is the touchstone of Theology. ‘Theo’ in Greek means God and ‘logy’ means study. Thus ‘Theology’ means study of God and Surah Ikhlas is the touchstone of the study of God.
If you want to purchase or sell your gold jewellery, you would first evaluate it. Such an evaluation of gold jewellery is done by a goldsmith with the help of a touchstone. He rubs the gold jewellery on the touch stone and compares its colour with rubbing samples of gold. If it matches with 24 Karat gold he will tell that your jewellery is 24 Karat pure Gold. If it is not high quality pure Gold, he will tell you its value whether 22 Karats, 18 Karats or it may not be gold at all. It may be fake because all that glitters is not gold.
Similarly Surah Ikhlas (Chapter 112 of the Qur’an) is the touchstone of theology, which can verify whether the deity that you worship is a true God or a false God. Thus, Surah Ikhlaas is a four-line definition of Almighty God according to the Qur’an. If any one claims to be, or is believed to be Almighty God satisfies this four-line definition, we Muslims will readily accept that deity as God. This Chapter of the Glorious Qur’an, Surah Ikhlas, is the acid test. It is the ‘Furqan’ or the criterion to judge between the one True God and false claimants to divinity. Hence, whichever deity any human on earth worships, if such a deity fulfills the criteria specified in this Chapter of the Qur’an, then this deity is worthy of worship and is the One True God.
b. Is Bhagwan Rajneesh God ?
Some people say that Bhagwan Rajneesh or Osho Rajneesh is Almighty God. Please note my words, I have stated that some people say that Bhagwan Rajneesh is Almighty God. Once during a question-answer session there was a Hindu gentleman who misunderstood my statement. He said that Hindus do not worship Rajneesh as God. I am aware that Hinduism does not consider Rajneesh to be God. Rajneesh has followers, who are converts to his philosophy / ideology, but who were originally followers of various different religions.
Let us put this candidate Bhagwan Rajneesh to the test of Divinity as prescribed by Surah Ikhlaas, the touchstone of Divinity.
(i) The First Criterion is ‘Qul hu Allah hu ahad’ –‘say, He is Allah one and only’. Is Rajneesh one and only? We know several such fake god-men and claimants of divinity amongst humans. Several are found in our country, India. Rajneesh is surely not one and only. Not as a human and not even as a human claimant to godhood. However, some disciples of Rajneesh may still state that Rajneesh is unique and that he is one and only.
(ii) Let us analyse the second criterion ‘Allah hus samad’– ‘Allah the Absolute & ‘Eternal’. Is Rajneesh absolute and eternal? We know from his biography that he was suffering from diabetes, asthama, and chronic backache. He alleged that the U.S.A. government gave him slow poisoning while he was in their jail. Imagine! Almighty God being poisoned! Moreover, all are aware that Rajneesh died and was cremated / buried. So Rajneesh was neither eternal, nor absolute
(iii) The third Criteria is ‘Lam ya lid wa lam yu lad’ – ‘He begets not, nor is begotten’. However, Rajneesh was begotten. He was born in Jabalpur in India. Like all humans, he too had a mother and a father. They later on become his disciples.
Rajneesh was a very intelligent person. In May 1981 he went to U.S.A. He established a town in Oregon and named it ‘Rajneeshpuram’. It seems that he took America for a ride for the U.S. government arrested him and later deported him out of America in 1985. So Rajneesh returned to India and started a ‘Rajneesh Neosanyas commune in Pune in India which was later renamed the ‘Osho commune’.
If you visit this ‘Osho commune’ in Pune you will find it written on his tombstone, “Osho - never born, never died, only visited the planet earth between 11th Dec. 1931 to 19th Jan 1990”. They conveniently forget to mention on this tombstone that Rajneesh was not given a visa for 21 different countries of the world. Imagine Almighty God visiting the earth and requiring a visa! The Arch Bishop of Greece had said that if Rajneesh was not deported they would burn his house and those of his disciples.
(iv) The fourth test is so stringent that none besides the One True God, Allah (swt), can pass it. ‘Wa lam ya kullahu kufuwan ahad’ which means, ‘there is none like Him’. The moment you can imagine or compare the candidate or claimant to godhood to anything, this candidate is not god. Neither can you have a mental picture of God.
We know that Rajneesh was a human being. He had one head, two hands, two feet, and a white flowing beard. The moment you can think or imagine what the claimant to godhood is, he or she is not god.
Suppose someone says, “God is a thousand times as strong as Arnold Schwarzenegger”. Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the strongest men on earth. He was given the title ‘Mr. Universe’ in (the year). The moment you can compare Almighty God to anything, whether it is a 1000 times stronger or a million times stronger, whether it be Darasingh or Kingkong, the moment you can compare the claimant to godhood to anything, he is not God. ‘Wa lam ya kul lahu kufwan ahad’ ‘there is none like Him.’
c. ATTRIBUTES OF GOD
To Allah belong the most beautiful names:
(i) The Qur’an mentions in Surah Isra Chapter 17 Verse 110:
Say: “Call upon Allah, or
Call upon Rahman;
By whatever name ye call
Upon Him, (it is well):
For to Him belong
The Most Beautiful Names
(Al Qur’an 17:110)
You can call Allah by any name but that name should be beautiful and should not conjure up a mental picture. The Qur’an gives no less than 99 different attributes to Almighty God. Some of these are Ar-Rahman, Ar-Raheem, Al-Hakeem; Most Gracious, Most Merciful and All Wise. 99 different names / attributes and the crowning one, the hundredth one is Allah. The Qur’an repeats this message that to Allah belong the most beautiful names in:
(i) Surah Al Aaraf Chapter 7 Verse 180
(ii) In Surah Taha Chapter 20 Verse 8
(iii) In Surah Al Hashr Chapter 59 Verse 23 & 24
d. NAME ALLAH PREFERED TO THE WORD ‘GOD’
The Muslims prefer calling Allah (swt) with His Name Allah, instead of the English word ‘God’. The Arabic word Allah is pure and unique, unlike the English word God which can be played around with.
If you add ‘s’ to God, it becomes ‘gods’ that is plural of God. Allah is one and singular, there is no plural of Allah. If you add ‘dess’ to God, it becomes ‘goddess’ that is a female God. There is nothing like male Allah or female Allah. Allah has no gender. If you add father to God, it becomes ‘godfather’. “He is my Godfather” means that “he is my guardian”. There is nothing like Allah Abba or Allah father in Islam. If you add mother to God it becomes ‘godmother, there is nothing like Allah Ammi or Allah Mother in Islam. If you put tin before God, it becomes tin god i.e. a fake God, there is nothing like-tin Allah or fake Allah in Islam. Allah is a unique word, which does not conjure up any mental picture nor can it be played around with. Hence, the Muslims prefer the name Allah when referring to the Almighty Creator. But sometimes while speaking to non-Muslims we may have to use the inappropriate word God for Allah.
Allah is mentioned by Name in Hindu Scriptures
The Word “Allah”, which refers to Almighty God in Arabic, is also mentioned in
Rigveda Book 2 hymn 1 verse 11
Rigveda Book 3 hymn 30 verse 10
Rigveda Book 9 hymn 67 verse 30
There is an Upanishad by the name ALO Upanishad.
IIA. THE CONCEPT OF GOD IN ISLAM
We had earlier stated that as per Islam the best and the most concise definition of God is as given in Surah Ikhlas of the Glorious Qur’an:
Say He is Allah,
The One and Only;
Allah, the Eternal, Absolute;
He begets not,
Nor is He begotten;
And there is none
Like unto Him.
(Al Qur’an 112:1-4)
i. Similar Verses in Hindu Scriptues
There are several passages in the Hindu Scriptures, which have the same or similar meaning as Surah Ikhlas.
1. Say: He is Allah, The One and Only.
(Al Qur’an 112:1)
It has a meaning which is very similar to:
“Ekam Evadvitiyam”
“He is only one without a second.”
(Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1)
2. Allah, the Eternal, Absolute.
He begetteth not,
Nor is He begotten;
(Al Qur’an 112:2-3)
It has similar meaning as:
“He who knows Me as the unborn, as the beginning-less, as the Supreme Lord of all the Worlds.”
(Bhagvad Gita 10:3)
and “Of (check – or For Him?) Him there is neither parents nor Lord.”
(Shwetashvatara Upanishad 6:9)
3. And there is none
Like unto Him.
(Al Qur’an 112:4)
A similar message is given in Shwetashvatara Upanishad & Yajurveda:
“Na Tasya pratima asti”
“There is no likeness of Him.”
(Shwetashvatara Upanishad 4:19 & Yajurveda 32:3)
Remember, the Brahma Sutra of Hindu Vedanta is:
‘Ekam Brahm, dvitiya naste neh na naste kinchan”
“Bhagwan ek hi hai dusara nahi hai, nahi hai, nahi hai, zara bhi nahi hai”.
“There is only one God, not the second, not at all, not at all, not in the least bit”.
Status of women in islam
For women, Islam is a special blessing; and the Prophet (pbuh) of Islam is indeed the greatest single benefactor of womenfolk. In Arabia, before the advent of Islam, the birth of a female child was regarded as a great misfortune and a shame, and cruel fathers buried them alive :
When news is brought to one of them, of (the birth) of a female (child), his face darkens, and he is filled with inward grief! With shame does he hide himself from his people, because of the bad news he has had! Shall he retain it on (sufferance and) contempt, or bury it in the dust? Ah! What an evil choice they decide on.
(Qur'an 16 : 58-59)
Islam made this primal injustice a case for the highest court when on the Day of Judgment,
The female (infant), buried alive, is questioned - for what crime she was killed
(Qur'an 81 : 8-9)
“Prior to Islam,” write the authors of Cultural Atlas of Islam, “a woman was regarded by her parents as a threat to family honor and hence worthy of burial alive at infancy. As an adult, she was a sex object that could be bought, sold and inherited. From this position of inferiority and legal incapacity, Islam raised women to a position of influence and prestige in family and society.” Islam gave this oppressed section of humanity, as it did to all other classes and groups, her legitimate place in life. In a world where women were no more than objects of sexual gratification for men, and at a time when the religious circles argued over whether or not women were human, with a soul of her own, Islam proclaimed,
“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and female.
(Qur'an 49 : 13)
O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, Who created you from a single person, created of like nature his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women - Fear Allah, through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you), for God (Allah) ever watches over you.
(Qur'an 4 : 1)
Men and women are of the same family, and as such have similar rights and duties, and their Lord promises them:
Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female: ye are members of one another.
(Qur'an 3 : 195)
Islam removed some of the false notions about women. It for instance refuted the idea that Eve tempted Adam to disobey God (Allah), and thus caused his downfall. God (Allah) tells us explicitly in the Qur'an that they both disobeyed. He negates the idea that the woman is a source of evil. God (Allah) in the Qur'an mentions some of the women with great respect, e.g., the wives of Adam, Abraham, the mothers of Moses and Jesus (pbut). Some of them (Mary and Sarah, for instance) were visited by angels who talked to them. This clearly puts women on a pedestal of personal and social respectability they never enjoyed before.
Islamic civilization rests on two cardinal principles. One, belief in God (Allah), and the knowledge that He is the Lord and Creator of all humans. All humans are equal and have similar rights and obligations as servants of God (Allah). Second, all humans, men and women, are created “from a single person,” or (“from a single pair of a male and a female”). In other words they are children of the same parents, members of one family, and have similar rights and duties. If the first principle represents God (Allah)-man bond, the second stands for blood ties or man's relationship with his fellow men and women. Emphasizing its importance the Prophet (pbuh) said : “The word Ar-rahm (womb) derives its name from Ar-Rahman (i.e., The Gracious One, one of the names of God [Allah]) and God (Allah) said: I will keep good relations with the one who keeps good relations with you, (womb, i.e., kith and kin) and sever relations with him who will severs relations with you” (Bukhari). The woman (or ar-Rahm - womb) thus occupies a pivotal position in human society.
Islam elevated the position of women in society and treated them on equal footing with men, and in some cases, especially mothers were given an even higher status. Thus, when a man asked the Prophet (pbuh) “Who is most entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?” The Prophet (pbuh) told him “Your mother.” The man asked, “Who is next?” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Your mother.” Again the man asked, “Who is next?” The Prophet (pbuh) said, “Your mother.” The man asked for a fourth time, “Who is next?” The Prophet (pbuh) said “Your father.” (Bukhari). On another occasion when a man came to the Prophet (pbuh) and expressed the desire to join a military expedition, the Prophet (pbuh) asked him if he had a mother. When he replied that he had, the Prophet (pbuh) told him, “Stay with her, for Paradise is at her feet.” (Ahmad, Nasa'i, and al-Baihaqi).
In the transformed society, to have a daughter was no longer a stigma or a matter of shame but a source of perpetual blessing and a means of winning God's (Allah's) pleasure. The Prophet (pbuh) said : “If anyone cares for three daughters, disciplines them, marries them and is kind to them, he will go to Paradise.” (Abu Dawud).
Islam gave women an independent identity and declared that their moral and spiritual gains depended solely on their own performance. Like man, a woman's failure or success rests on her own beliefs, attitude, behavior and conduct. She is a responsible being in her own right and carries the burden of her moral and spiritual obligations. The Prophet (pbuh) said : “Everyone of you is a guardian and responsible for what is in his or her custody. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a wife is a guardian of her husband's household and is responsible for it.” (Bukhari).
In the Qur'an, women are presented as the role model for believers as well as non-believers. In Sura Al-Tahrim we read :
God (Allah) sets forth, for an example to the unbelievers, the wife of Noah and the wife of Lut : They were both (respectively) under two of our righteous servants, but they were false to their (husbands) and they profited nothing before God (Allah) on their account, but were told : “Enter ye the Fire along with (others) that enter.” And God (Allah) sets forth, as an example to those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh. Behold she said : “O my Lord! Build for me, in nearness to You, a mansion in Paradise, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those who do wrong.” And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity. We breathed into her body of Our Spirit and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and of His revelations and was one of the devout.
(66 : 10-12)
To enable both men and women to achieve their full potential Islam provides a social framework and seeks to establish a healthy moral atmosphere. In Islam, a woman regardless of her marital status is fully capable of owning, buying, selling and inheritance.
From what is left by parents and those nearest related there is a share for men and a share for women, whether the property be small or large - a determinate share.
(Qur'an 4 : 7)
As a legal entity, her marriage is not possible without her consent, and where a genuine case is present she can even divorce her husband. Imam Malik has recorded in his book “Al-Muwatta” that a certain widow named Khansa was given by her father in marriage. She disapproved of that and went to the Messenger of God (Allah) (pbuh) and he revoked the marriage. On another occasion a virgin came to the Prophet (pbuh) and mentioned that her father had married her against her will, so the Prophet (pbuh) allowed her to exercise her choice, (Abu Dawud). The wife of Thabit bin Qais came to God's (Allah's) Messenger (pbuh) and said, “O God's (Allah's) Messenger (pbuh)! I do not blame Thabit for any defects in his character or his religion, but I cannot endure to live with him.” On that God's (Allah's) Messenger (pbuh) asked her, “Will you return his garden (he had given to her as a marriage gift) to him?” She said, “Yes.” And he separated them. (Bukhari).
The Muslim women were equal partners with men in all spheres of life. The most important function of the Muslim community as described in the Qur'an is “enjoining good and prohibiting evil” in which women stand side by side with men :
The believers, men and women, are protectors, one of another: they enjoin what is just, and forbid what is evil: they observe regular prayers, practice regular charity, and obey God (Allah) and His Messenger (pbuh). On them will God (Allah) pour His mercy: for God (Allah) is exalted in power, wise. God (Allah) hath promised to believers - men and women - Gardens under which rivers flow, to dwell therein, and beautiful mansions in Gardens of everlasting bliss.
(Qur'an 9 : 71-72)
At the conclusion of the treaty of Hudaibiyah the Prophet (pbuh) asked his companions to abandon their state of ihram, shave their heads and sacrifice their animals. They were so distraught by the seemingly humiliating terms of the treaty that none of them moved. In anger the Prophet (pbuh) went to his tent and told his wife Umm Salamah of what happened. She advised him to go out and shave his head and sacrifice his animal, for if he did so, his companions will surely follow him. And this is what happened.
A Muslim woman, Umm Hani, gave protection to one of the idolaters. The Prophet (pbuh) approved of it and said, “We give protection to whom you (Umm Hani) have given protection.”
Knowledge, which is the basis of all progress and advancement, is compulsory on all Muslim men and women. So when a lady asked the Prophet (pbuh), “Messenger of God (Allah) (pbuh), men have monopoly of all of what you say. Appoint for us a day on which you may teach us of what God (Allah) has taught you,” he appointed a time and place for them separately and he would go and teach them.
Aishah occupies a unique position in the history of Islam not because she was a wife of the Prophet (pbuh), but because she is one of the greatest teachers that Islam ever produced. In the new Islamic community women were so active and well informed that an old woman corrected Caliph Omar when he wanted to limit the amount of dowry. Omar was pleased and said, “The lady is right and Omar is wrong.
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