Muslims deserve the best of everything. Allah prepares the believers
for heaven, the place of infinite beauties, with the blessings He
gives in this world. And Muslims make sure that the world they live
in is as close to heaven as possible, making it almost a preview of
heaven. They make a great effort to ensure that through their
cleanliness, their beautiful characters and their well-groomed
appearances.
Muslims surely will lead a good, sophisticated life, and will have a
clean, well-groomed look. This is because beauty, being
well-groomed, aesthetics, taste in art are all qualities that Allah
loves. The Qur'an does not ban Muslim women from putting on makeup
or looking well-groomed. Indeed, during the time of Prophet
Mohammed (saas) ladies were always very well-groomed. They were
putting on make up too. In fact, men too, during that time, most
notably our Prophet Mohammed (saas), would apply a type of
eyeliner. Muslim ladies were using blush, eyeliners, lipsticks and
henna on their nails and hands. They were also using special
hairdyes.
Indeed, Prophet Mohammed (saas) encouraged dyeing the hair, and
indeed he dyed his hair, too. The hadiths make it clear that the
hair color he loved the most in women was blonde:
5882- Narrated by İbn Abbas ra:
A man passed by Prophet Mohammed (saas) with his hair dyed with
henna. He said: 'It looks good'. Then another man passed that dyed
his hair with a mixture of henna and ketem (a type of black hair
dye). He said: 'This is better'. Then another man passed by who
dyed his hair blonde and he said: 'This is the best of all'.
(SOURCE: GREAT HADITH COLLECTION, am'ul- fawaid min Jami'il-usul wa
Majma'ith-zawaid, Imam Muhammed Bin Muhammed bin Sulayman
er-Rudani, Iz Publishing/2nd edition, Istanbul 2009, page
257-261-262-265-271-27 2-273)
Women should of course look very well groomed and attractive,
complemented with their noble demeanor. This can be achieved only
with sophistication, and sophistication will lead to respect by other
people. It doesn't take being rich or very beautiful to achieve
that. It is sufficient to have that pure outlook of the Qur'an, with
a desire to look clean, well-groomed and dapper in line with the
pure and clean spirit in the Qur'an. Muslims always carry holy light
on them and looking dapper and well-groomed to complement that
holy light will only add to his prestige and sophistication.
Everyone that sees a well-groomed, sophisticated, confident Muslim
lady will admire their looks, their confidence, their
sophistication and their lives in general.
Makeup is one of the allowed ways of looking well-groomed and
beautiful and it is a blessing from Allah. Allah loves all beauties.
That's why women, flowers, trees, butterflies, birds were created
so beautiful. Allah has adorned heaven with such beauties.
It is usually people with a radical view that try to make makeup
illegitimate. They have lost their sense of enjoying such beauties.
In their dark worlds, there is no place for art, love, happiness,
joy, beauty or aesthetics and therefore they would rather see a
woman ugly than beautiful. According to them, the uglier, the more
disheveled a woman looks, she who is created as the epitome of
beauty, the more suited she is for their darkened worlds.
Therefore their understanding of Islam gives the same eerie image
to the world. In the fake religion of the radicals, the women are
deprived of beauty, left without any possibility of being beautiful,
or getting an education; they were made ugly and pushed out.
According to them, women are insecure beings with no intrinsic
value. What modern, contemporary, educated person would accept a
religion that makes a woman ugly and worthless? Who would want to
represent such a religion? Who would defend such a religion?
Because of this wrong view, Western societies misunderstand Islam
completely and stay away from it: This is nothing unexpected. The
role given to women in this model of the radicals is reason enough
for Westerners to stay away. These superstitions based on such a
dark view, instead of the beautiful religion that Prophet Mohammed
(saas) preached are introduced to the world as the religion of
Islam. That's why the world is afraid of Islam.
These lovers of superstition, in this fake religion they have
conjured up using the name of Islam, have destroyed all the
beauties and gifts with their own hands and lost their ability to
enjoy the beauties that Allah created. As the signs of creation
inspire and cheer up a believer with their incredible beauties, the
radicals lack the ability to enjoy the color or scent of a flower,
the beauty of a fruit, the adorable looks of a puppy or even the
sweeping beauty of a cloudless sky.
Despite that, when they encounter something of beauty they are
immediately reminded of the darkness of their own lives and they
don't feel moved by that beauty but uncomfortable instead. This
usually comes out as jealousy. This is the basis of their reaction to
a beautiful, well-groomed lady. They want that beautiful lady to
look ugly just like the disheveled people around them. They cannot
accept the fact that she is beautiful. They cannot praise beauty
and they can't understand the beauty of praising Allah for such
stunning sights. Therefore, they always respond with hostility when
they see an object of beauty and seek to destroy them.
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Examples of the insincerity of those people who are tyring to ban music:
Although they forbid music, they keep watching music channels,
listen to music and have fun.
Those who are against music go to weddings, go on the floor and
dance and sing.
They say music is wrong but they organize competitions with music
and dance halay.
Most probably, when they are alone in their cars, these people are
listening to music.Music has a warming and comforting effect that
helps with preaching. Music puts joy in heart that is in love with
Allah.
Prophet Mohammed (saas) sang songs, attended events with music, and
went to weddings.
It is an outrageous lie to say that music is a sin in all religions.
If the lovers of superstition had their way with art;
There would be no paintings or advertisement billboards anywhere in
the world.
There would be no artwork in texts used to preach the message of Islam.
There would be no illustrations in textbooks.
There would be no paintings, or vases, glass or tableware with
artwork on them in the hotels.
There would be no artwork on banknotes.
The fabulous paintings in the palaces and wall art would not be there.
The anatomy textbooks wouldn't have illustrations that describe the
human body. There would be no pictures, illustrations or beautiful
sights in books prepared to spread the message of Islam.
There would be no art schools like the Fine Arts Academies.
Allah mentions the statues Prophet Solomon (as) had built, but if
the radicals had their way, there would be no statues as well.
No newspapers, magazines, books or internet would be allowed. Such
people would consider watching TV forbidden too.
We would not have recognized the presidents, leaders, celebrities
or artists of other countries.
Mass communication tools, such as the internet and others, are
important tools in the End Times to be used for the spread of
religion. According to the bans of the lovers of superstition, they
would be banned too, and therefore the efforts to spread the
message of Islam would be impeded and slowed down.
Allah orders us "to take lessons from history, go around and see". If
it wasn't for paintings, we wouldn't have known about some
historical remains, we wouldn't have known about the histories of
other countries, we wouldn't have watched documentaries, we would
have only technical knowledge about them but never have an idea of
what they actually looked like.
There would be no documentaries about the signs leading to faith or
history and there would be a huge shortcoming in terms of general
knowledge and ignorance would have prevailed.
It is of paramount importance to know and ponder over the signs
leading to faith so that one gets a deeper faith in Allah. However,
because of the bans of the lovers of superstition, we would have
never known what they really looked like. For example, we wouldn't
have recognized the animals we didn't see with our eyes.
listen to music and have fun.
Those who are against music go to weddings, go on the floor and
dance and sing.
They say music is wrong but they organize competitions with music
and dance halay.
Most probably, when they are alone in their cars, these people are
listening to music.Music has a warming and comforting effect that
helps with preaching. Music puts joy in heart that is in love with
Allah.
Prophet Mohammed (saas) sang songs, attended events with music, and
went to weddings.
It is an outrageous lie to say that music is a sin in all religions.
If the lovers of superstition had their way with art;
There would be no paintings or advertisement billboards anywhere in
the world.
There would be no artwork in texts used to preach the message of Islam.
There would be no illustrations in textbooks.
There would be no paintings, or vases, glass or tableware with
artwork on them in the hotels.
There would be no artwork on banknotes.
The fabulous paintings in the palaces and wall art would not be there.
The anatomy textbooks wouldn't have illustrations that describe the
human body. There would be no pictures, illustrations or beautiful
sights in books prepared to spread the message of Islam.
There would be no art schools like the Fine Arts Academies.
Allah mentions the statues Prophet Solomon (as) had built, but if
the radicals had their way, there would be no statues as well.
No newspapers, magazines, books or internet would be allowed. Such
people would consider watching TV forbidden too.
We would not have recognized the presidents, leaders, celebrities
or artists of other countries.
Mass communication tools, such as the internet and others, are
important tools in the End Times to be used for the spread of
religion. According to the bans of the lovers of superstition, they
would be banned too, and therefore the efforts to spread the
message of Islam would be impeded and slowed down.
Allah orders us "to take lessons from history, go around and see". If
it wasn't for paintings, we wouldn't have known about some
historical remains, we wouldn't have known about the histories of
other countries, we wouldn't have watched documentaries, we would
have only technical knowledge about them but never have an idea of
what they actually looked like.
There would be no documentaries about the signs leading to faith or
history and there would be a huge shortcoming in terms of general
knowledge and ignorance would have prevailed.
It is of paramount importance to know and ponder over the signs
leading to faith so that one gets a deeper faith in Allah. However,
because of the bans of the lovers of superstition, we would have
never known what they really looked like. For example, we wouldn't
have recognized the animals we didn't see with our eyes.
They spread the lie that music, paintings and dancing are forbidden in Islam
Say: 'Who has forbidden the fine clothing Allah has produced for His
slaves and the good kinds of provision?' Say: 'On the Day of Rising
such things will be exclusively for those who had belief during
their life in the world.' In this way We make the Signs clear for
people who know. (Surat Al-Ar'af, 32)
Although beauty, bountiful food, happiness, joy, love, art, dance,
music, entertainment and all such beauties are allowed by Allah,
the lovers of superstition ban them all. When they are asked, 'What
is the source of all these bans?' they either say it is the
traditions or show their fake hadiths as a basis for their actions.
They don't have a single shred of evidence they can show from the
Qur'an.
Music, dance, having fun, being happy, art, science, paintings are
all allowed for Muslims. There is not a single word in the Qur'an
that bans these beauties. They are all created by Allah as gifts,
and surely the lovers of Allah are the ones who deserve these gifts
the most.
Radicals want a soulless, tasteless and unsophisticated world
Now try to picture the world the lovers of superstition wish to live
in. How would it feel without music, art, or science? How could
anyone say that Muslims deserve a world where there is no beauty,
which is completely dark, isolated, dull, and tasteless? And who
could say that Muslims should live in such conditions when there is
nothing in the Qur'an that requires that.
Allah encourages through the Qur'an that the skies and the Earth
should be studied to see the creation artistry of Allah, leading us
to a stronger faith. So how could anyone ban science after that?
How could anyone try to prevent discovery of the evidence of
creation? What could an ignorant world without music, art, science,
bring to Muslims and Islam other than harm?
Indeed, all such wrong practices so far have always led to Islam
being misunderstood. After the superstition- loving, radical state of
mind spread, the Islamic societies which previously brought
science, art and civilization to the world collapsed, shut
themselves away from the world and a dark, isolated, ugly, ignorant,
unsophisticated understanding of religion emerged. The basic
reason why Islamic countries are mostly underdeveloped, mostly
unsophisticated and crude and why Westerners do not value Muslims,
is radicalism.
The people with a radical mindset always live a soulless, tasteless,
raw life. The houses, neighborhoods, organizations and streets of
such people always reflect that cold, soulless, crude view. Such
people are known with their fondness for starting new foundations,
but even there they cannot manage to stay together or produce
anything useful because of the lovelessness in their hearts. These
foundations are shut down after a while, having done nothing. They
always want to keep that dark world alive everywhere they go. They
don't want beauty, color, aesthetics or art in their worlds. They
don't know how to be beautiful or how to beautify things. Allah
loves what is beautiful. That's why Allah created heaven full of
beauties. How could someone that seeks to ban all these beauties in
the world and is proud of doing that, ever enjoy the beauties in
heaven?
Another mistaken idea such people have is that they think it's
acceptable for those people who are away from Allah to enjoy these
beauties but Muslims should not be allowed to have any of them.
However, it is actually the lovers of Allah that truly deserve
those beauties. Allah informs us of this in the Qur'an:
" On the Day of Rising such things will be exclusively for those
who had belief during their life in the world ." (Surat Al-Ar'af, 32)
Another highly interesting thing about most of these people is that
they don't practice what they preach. These people attempt to invent
new rules that have no basis in the Qur'an and try to show it as a
part of Islam. Then they impose it on Muslims, and when they cannot
find any basis for their allegations in the Qur'an, they come up
with more new rules and fake hadiths that are in complete
contradiction with the Qur'an. In their private lives, music,
dance, watching TV, visiting casinos are all ordinary things that
they do with no reservations. However, they try to show off by
putting on a fake appearance to cause division and show themselves
as 'religious'. Their real lives are not like what they like people
to believe.
They listen to music all the time, go to places where there is music
and dance but despite that, they never stop criticizing others.
That's the essence of their insincerity. Most of those people do not
even pray five times a day and do not observe other religious
obligations. All those superstitions they invented are simply
intended to show them as religious; it is purely for public view to
display their so-called piety.
Sometimes they misinterpret Qur'anic verses according to their own
state of mind, change their meanings and seek to justify their
wrong actions by this misinterpretation. They commit sins, but try
to justify it with their strange state of mind. They keep talking
about how much they don't feel like getting up and doing their
prayers, which is one of the greatest gifts in the world, and which
is a means to express gratitude to Allah. Insincerity is all too
common in their religion of superstitions.
More interestingly, some of them are well aware of their hypocrisy
and insincerity. Although these people have a religion of
superstitions that is in blatant contradiction with the Qur'an,
they believe that they are religious. Their eyes are closed. They
are not able to think according to the Qur'an and therefore they
cannot see the truth.
The Qur'an does not ban music, dance or entertainment
Just like the Qur'an does not ban music, dance or entertainment,
Prophet Mohammed (saas) did not do anything that would indicate
something like that, either. The lovers of superstition act
insincerely one more time, some openly lie, and some are unaware of
the truth. Allah allows Muslims to be happy, to feel joy, to
rejoice. Our Almighty Lord says in a verse: " Do not give up and do
not be downhearted. You shall be uppermost if you are believers ."
(Surat Ali İmran, 139) and thus bans Muslims from grieving.
Moreover,
- In the hadiths of Prophet Mohammed (saas), there are plenty of
mentions of the companions that danced and that even Porphet
Mohammed (pbuh) himself encouraged those who were dancing.
- The Torah explains that Prophet David (as) was singing songs of
praise to Allah with his beautiful voice and that he played musical
instruments and Prophet David (as) is praised for that. So, it is
clear that Allah sees it as a beautiful act and because Allah likes
it, Allah gives us the good news of such joys in heaven, too.
- Dance is about rhythm and harmony. Allah created the whole
universe with a rhythm. Birds, insects, even butterflies dance. The
birds make their beautiful music with their tongues. The sound of
the sea, the sound of the wind-blown leaves in a forest, they always
have a rhythm. Allah loves rhythm, dance, music, beautiful sounds.
- Heaven is created with that rhythm, too. In heaven, all the tress,
flowers and animals will dance with joy. One hadith explains it as
follows:
Abu Moses al-Es'ari (r.a.) narrates: He said the following during
the sermon in Basra: "Allah sent a message to the residents of
Paradise: "Did Allah keep His promise to you?" and at that moment,
the residents of paradise will look at all the jewelries, clothes,
fruits, pure spouses, rivers and then they will immediately say,
"Allah has kept His promise to us." The angel will ask three times,
"Has Allah kept His promise to you?" and they see that everything
they were promised came true, they will say, "Yes!". The angel will
answer: "There is one last thing", because Almighty Allah manifests
Himself on His servants, and lifts the curtains in front of their
eyes, and when His servants see Him, all the rivers will gush, all
the trees will sway and make nice sounds, all the mansions, all the
flames will shout out with joy, all the springs will flow even more
beautifully and faster, beautiful fragrances will fill the
courtyards and the mansions, beautiful musk and camphor will travel
around. Birds will chirp, and khuris will fascinate with their
beauties. (Death, Resurrection Day, Resurrection, İman Şarani, p.
370)
- There is folklore and dance all around Anatolia. Horon, halay,
zeybek are all different types of dances in Anatolia. People dance
everywhere in Europe and the USA. A world where music and dance are
banned is not in line with human nature. This would create a huge
distortion in human culture and an amazing gift of our Almighty Lord
would be missing. Trying to ban a beautiful gift that Almighty Allah
praises would amount to failure in understanding Allah and His
amazing art.
- The radical state of mind that bans dance bans music, too. It is
not even possible to picture such a quiet and cold world. Just
imagine; you turn on the TV or the radio, and there is no music, no
harmony. How could anyone want to destroy such a beauty? How could
there be art, aesthetics, beauty or joy in such a dull world?
Those who wish to bring such a dark world to Islam do not know what
they are doing. They do not know that they are trying to destroy the
beautiful spirit of Islam, that they are inflicting the worst
damage onto Muslim societies, that they are taking away their joy,
happiness and creativity. They want people to believe that religion
can be practiced in that blind world. They neither practice religion
as it should be practiced, nor do they serve Islam. They are solely
bringing conflict, dullness, darkness and boredom to the Islamic
world. They are spreading a radical frame of mind that has no basis
in the Qur'an and since they are driving people away from Islam,
they show Islam as a loveless, hateful religion, in effect, hurting
the entire world as a result.
If the lovers of superstition had their way with music;
There would be no compositions from Mozart, Vivaldi, or folkloric
Turkish songs, or classical Turkish songs.
There would be no national anthems, or our national anthem and
Janissary songs.
The Ottomans went into battle with Janissary songs which praised
Allah, and won great victories. The lovers of superstition also
believe that they were wrong.
There would be no musical instruments like the violin, the guitar,
etc., nor the ney which some of those people do actually consider
acceptable.
There would be no conservatories, theatres, or cinema.
As music is so beloved in Europe and the USA, there would be no
music or no music- related art and all those beauties would be
completely ended.
Social events, organizations with Americans and Europeans would be
canceled if there was any possibility of music in those events.
They consider "any person sitting in an environment where there is
music" a deviator, and a person "enjoying that music" an
unbeliever, therefore they wouldn't believe in the words of such a
person, dubbing him an unreliable person. This alone would be
sufficient to prevent building a society based on trust. How could
such a country be expected to have good relations with other
countries?
slaves and the good kinds of provision?' Say: 'On the Day of Rising
such things will be exclusively for those who had belief during
their life in the world.' In this way We make the Signs clear for
people who know. (Surat Al-Ar'af, 32)
Although beauty, bountiful food, happiness, joy, love, art, dance,
music, entertainment and all such beauties are allowed by Allah,
the lovers of superstition ban them all. When they are asked, 'What
is the source of all these bans?' they either say it is the
traditions or show their fake hadiths as a basis for their actions.
They don't have a single shred of evidence they can show from the
Qur'an.
Music, dance, having fun, being happy, art, science, paintings are
all allowed for Muslims. There is not a single word in the Qur'an
that bans these beauties. They are all created by Allah as gifts,
and surely the lovers of Allah are the ones who deserve these gifts
the most.
Radicals want a soulless, tasteless and unsophisticated world
Now try to picture the world the lovers of superstition wish to live
in. How would it feel without music, art, or science? How could
anyone say that Muslims deserve a world where there is no beauty,
which is completely dark, isolated, dull, and tasteless? And who
could say that Muslims should live in such conditions when there is
nothing in the Qur'an that requires that.
Allah encourages through the Qur'an that the skies and the Earth
should be studied to see the creation artistry of Allah, leading us
to a stronger faith. So how could anyone ban science after that?
How could anyone try to prevent discovery of the evidence of
creation? What could an ignorant world without music, art, science,
bring to Muslims and Islam other than harm?
Indeed, all such wrong practices so far have always led to Islam
being misunderstood. After the superstition- loving, radical state of
mind spread, the Islamic societies which previously brought
science, art and civilization to the world collapsed, shut
themselves away from the world and a dark, isolated, ugly, ignorant,
unsophisticated understanding of religion emerged. The basic
reason why Islamic countries are mostly underdeveloped, mostly
unsophisticated and crude and why Westerners do not value Muslims,
is radicalism.
The people with a radical mindset always live a soulless, tasteless,
raw life. The houses, neighborhoods, organizations and streets of
such people always reflect that cold, soulless, crude view. Such
people are known with their fondness for starting new foundations,
but even there they cannot manage to stay together or produce
anything useful because of the lovelessness in their hearts. These
foundations are shut down after a while, having done nothing. They
always want to keep that dark world alive everywhere they go. They
don't want beauty, color, aesthetics or art in their worlds. They
don't know how to be beautiful or how to beautify things. Allah
loves what is beautiful. That's why Allah created heaven full of
beauties. How could someone that seeks to ban all these beauties in
the world and is proud of doing that, ever enjoy the beauties in
heaven?
Another mistaken idea such people have is that they think it's
acceptable for those people who are away from Allah to enjoy these
beauties but Muslims should not be allowed to have any of them.
However, it is actually the lovers of Allah that truly deserve
those beauties. Allah informs us of this in the Qur'an:
" On the Day of Rising such things will be exclusively for those
who had belief during their life in the world ." (Surat Al-Ar'af, 32)
Another highly interesting thing about most of these people is that
they don't practice what they preach. These people attempt to invent
new rules that have no basis in the Qur'an and try to show it as a
part of Islam. Then they impose it on Muslims, and when they cannot
find any basis for their allegations in the Qur'an, they come up
with more new rules and fake hadiths that are in complete
contradiction with the Qur'an. In their private lives, music,
dance, watching TV, visiting casinos are all ordinary things that
they do with no reservations. However, they try to show off by
putting on a fake appearance to cause division and show themselves
as 'religious'. Their real lives are not like what they like people
to believe.
They listen to music all the time, go to places where there is music
and dance but despite that, they never stop criticizing others.
That's the essence of their insincerity. Most of those people do not
even pray five times a day and do not observe other religious
obligations. All those superstitions they invented are simply
intended to show them as religious; it is purely for public view to
display their so-called piety.
Sometimes they misinterpret Qur'anic verses according to their own
state of mind, change their meanings and seek to justify their
wrong actions by this misinterpretation. They commit sins, but try
to justify it with their strange state of mind. They keep talking
about how much they don't feel like getting up and doing their
prayers, which is one of the greatest gifts in the world, and which
is a means to express gratitude to Allah. Insincerity is all too
common in their religion of superstitions.
More interestingly, some of them are well aware of their hypocrisy
and insincerity. Although these people have a religion of
superstitions that is in blatant contradiction with the Qur'an,
they believe that they are religious. Their eyes are closed. They
are not able to think according to the Qur'an and therefore they
cannot see the truth.
The Qur'an does not ban music, dance or entertainment
Just like the Qur'an does not ban music, dance or entertainment,
Prophet Mohammed (saas) did not do anything that would indicate
something like that, either. The lovers of superstition act
insincerely one more time, some openly lie, and some are unaware of
the truth. Allah allows Muslims to be happy, to feel joy, to
rejoice. Our Almighty Lord says in a verse: " Do not give up and do
not be downhearted. You shall be uppermost if you are believers ."
(Surat Ali İmran, 139) and thus bans Muslims from grieving.
Moreover,
- In the hadiths of Prophet Mohammed (saas), there are plenty of
mentions of the companions that danced and that even Porphet
Mohammed (pbuh) himself encouraged those who were dancing.
- The Torah explains that Prophet David (as) was singing songs of
praise to Allah with his beautiful voice and that he played musical
instruments and Prophet David (as) is praised for that. So, it is
clear that Allah sees it as a beautiful act and because Allah likes
it, Allah gives us the good news of such joys in heaven, too.
- Dance is about rhythm and harmony. Allah created the whole
universe with a rhythm. Birds, insects, even butterflies dance. The
birds make their beautiful music with their tongues. The sound of
the sea, the sound of the wind-blown leaves in a forest, they always
have a rhythm. Allah loves rhythm, dance, music, beautiful sounds.
- Heaven is created with that rhythm, too. In heaven, all the tress,
flowers and animals will dance with joy. One hadith explains it as
follows:
Abu Moses al-Es'ari (r.a.) narrates: He said the following during
the sermon in Basra: "Allah sent a message to the residents of
Paradise: "Did Allah keep His promise to you?" and at that moment,
the residents of paradise will look at all the jewelries, clothes,
fruits, pure spouses, rivers and then they will immediately say,
"Allah has kept His promise to us." The angel will ask three times,
"Has Allah kept His promise to you?" and they see that everything
they were promised came true, they will say, "Yes!". The angel will
answer: "There is one last thing", because Almighty Allah manifests
Himself on His servants, and lifts the curtains in front of their
eyes, and when His servants see Him, all the rivers will gush, all
the trees will sway and make nice sounds, all the mansions, all the
flames will shout out with joy, all the springs will flow even more
beautifully and faster, beautiful fragrances will fill the
courtyards and the mansions, beautiful musk and camphor will travel
around. Birds will chirp, and khuris will fascinate with their
beauties. (Death, Resurrection Day, Resurrection, İman Şarani, p.
370)
- There is folklore and dance all around Anatolia. Horon, halay,
zeybek are all different types of dances in Anatolia. People dance
everywhere in Europe and the USA. A world where music and dance are
banned is not in line with human nature. This would create a huge
distortion in human culture and an amazing gift of our Almighty Lord
would be missing. Trying to ban a beautiful gift that Almighty Allah
praises would amount to failure in understanding Allah and His
amazing art.
- The radical state of mind that bans dance bans music, too. It is
not even possible to picture such a quiet and cold world. Just
imagine; you turn on the TV or the radio, and there is no music, no
harmony. How could anyone want to destroy such a beauty? How could
there be art, aesthetics, beauty or joy in such a dull world?
Those who wish to bring such a dark world to Islam do not know what
they are doing. They do not know that they are trying to destroy the
beautiful spirit of Islam, that they are inflicting the worst
damage onto Muslim societies, that they are taking away their joy,
happiness and creativity. They want people to believe that religion
can be practiced in that blind world. They neither practice religion
as it should be practiced, nor do they serve Islam. They are solely
bringing conflict, dullness, darkness and boredom to the Islamic
world. They are spreading a radical frame of mind that has no basis
in the Qur'an and since they are driving people away from Islam,
they show Islam as a loveless, hateful religion, in effect, hurting
the entire world as a result.
If the lovers of superstition had their way with music;
There would be no compositions from Mozart, Vivaldi, or folkloric
Turkish songs, or classical Turkish songs.
There would be no national anthems, or our national anthem and
Janissary songs.
The Ottomans went into battle with Janissary songs which praised
Allah, and won great victories. The lovers of superstition also
believe that they were wrong.
There would be no musical instruments like the violin, the guitar,
etc., nor the ney which some of those people do actually consider
acceptable.
There would be no conservatories, theatres, or cinema.
As music is so beloved in Europe and the USA, there would be no
music or no music- related art and all those beauties would be
completely ended.
Social events, organizations with Americans and Europeans would be
canceled if there was any possibility of music in those events.
They consider "any person sitting in an environment where there is
music" a deviator, and a person "enjoying that music" an
unbeliever, therefore they wouldn't believe in the words of such a
person, dubbing him an unreliable person. This alone would be
sufficient to prevent building a society based on trust. How could
such a country be expected to have good relations with other
countries?
Story, - Hiding my Heart
I'm a 19 yr. old girl.
I just want to confide something in this site, about my story.
I never had real crush. All of them are actors/singers. It was this
second semester of my 3rd year in college when I started to feel this
kind of emotion. It was because of this man, when I see him. I've seen
him often since I transferred in the university and I don't know why
just now? I can't tell anyone about this matter. I'm a dark horse and
a bit of conservative.
I want to be close to him, I want to talk to him but there's no chance
for that. The worst is he'll be graduating this semester and that
means I will never see him again. I will surely miss the time we
accidentally looked at each other. I will miss the times when we're in
the library. I just can't imagine the next semester without seeing him
again. Only a month is left for that chance.
Upon graduating, he'll soon be back on his own country. Soon he'll
have a family of his own. I have no hopes to be with him the moment he
left this country.
It's so depressing that there's only a month left to see him so I'll
cherish every moments secretly looking at him.
How I wish that the feeling is mutual.
Anyways, I'm still young and who knows, time will come there'll be a
chance for us.
I just want to confide something in this site, about my story.
I never had real crush. All of them are actors/singers. It was this
second semester of my 3rd year in college when I started to feel this
kind of emotion. It was because of this man, when I see him. I've seen
him often since I transferred in the university and I don't know why
just now? I can't tell anyone about this matter. I'm a dark horse and
a bit of conservative.
I want to be close to him, I want to talk to him but there's no chance
for that. The worst is he'll be graduating this semester and that
means I will never see him again. I will surely miss the time we
accidentally looked at each other. I will miss the times when we're in
the library. I just can't imagine the next semester without seeing him
again. Only a month is left for that chance.
Upon graduating, he'll soon be back on his own country. Soon he'll
have a family of his own. I have no hopes to be with him the moment he
left this country.
It's so depressing that there's only a month left to see him so I'll
cherish every moments secretly looking at him.
How I wish that the feeling is mutual.
Anyways, I'm still young and who knows, time will come there'll be a
chance for us.
Story, - Right love at the wrong time
this is the first time which i encountered this forbidden love.
i am 20 years old, studying caregiver and had a kid! we're living with
my partner's parents. i came from a broken family. i thought that i
was madly inlove with my partner but i realized one day that im not
when i fall inlove with his bestfriend. i dont know what happen to me
that time but i was attracted to this guy. that time, we were on beach
with our friends, but then this guy who is "right love" talks to me..
we had a conversation that time, and i enjoyed talking with him. when
the day passed by, i found myself thinking of him a lot! im always
sending him quotes which talk about love. and then one day, i was very
surprised when he sent me text. it is a song line from a song
"ipagpatawad mo".. i dont know what i must felt that time but i knew
that he made me so happy..very happy!!
one night, we were on the street having "inuman".. it was very late
that night amd i wanted to go home. he offered himself to walk for me
for home. i felt very happy but there's a part of me thinking of that
there's no hope between us,, and then one day i find out that he is
also inlove with me even im already committed with his BESTFRIEND.
there's no nights that i dont cry, its hard for me to hide this
feeling,, i love him so much,,and he loves me too..
any one could help me about this issue?
cant hold it anymore...
:( i really love this guy very much and i know that he loves me too
even we're complicated..
i am 20 years old, studying caregiver and had a kid! we're living with
my partner's parents. i came from a broken family. i thought that i
was madly inlove with my partner but i realized one day that im not
when i fall inlove with his bestfriend. i dont know what happen to me
that time but i was attracted to this guy. that time, we were on beach
with our friends, but then this guy who is "right love" talks to me..
we had a conversation that time, and i enjoyed talking with him. when
the day passed by, i found myself thinking of him a lot! im always
sending him quotes which talk about love. and then one day, i was very
surprised when he sent me text. it is a song line from a song
"ipagpatawad mo".. i dont know what i must felt that time but i knew
that he made me so happy..very happy!!
one night, we were on the street having "inuman".. it was very late
that night amd i wanted to go home. he offered himself to walk for me
for home. i felt very happy but there's a part of me thinking of that
there's no hope between us,, and then one day i find out that he is
also inlove with me even im already committed with his BESTFRIEND.
there's no nights that i dont cry, its hard for me to hide this
feeling,, i love him so much,,and he loves me too..
any one could help me about this issue?
cant hold it anymore...
:( i really love this guy very much and i know that he loves me too
even we're complicated..
Fathwa, - Mistake in Answer on Abortion?
Question:
I was directed by a link to an answer on your website entitled
''Abortion of babies with genetic diseases'' and discovered a mistake
in the medical part of the reply. I am concerned that many people will
read this and come to some mistaken conclusions about breastfeeding.
The sentence in question is:
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
Jazak Allah khayr for your comments. There is no medical mistake in the answer.
The answer refers to the permissibility of abortion in [the generally
very rare] case when
�the milk of the pregnant mother ceases and the father of the child is
not in a position financially to hire a wet-nurse, and there is fear
of the child perishing, then they (fuqaha) have stated that it will be
permitted to abort the pregnancy, provided the period of 120 days have
not elapsed...�
The child in question is not the one the mother is pregnant with, but
a previous baby. The permissibility of abortion has various
conditions:
a) the previous child is dependent on the mother�s milk;
b) the father cannot hire a wet nurse nor provide alternative
nutrition that the child will consume; and
c) there is thus fear that this previous child may perish if the
mother�s current pregnancy continues;
d) this is before 120 days. [After this, it depends on many circumstances.]
As for when alternative nutrition (even other than breast milk) is
available and affordable, then abortion would be haram.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani
I was directed by a link to an answer on your website entitled
''Abortion of babies with genetic diseases'' and discovered a mistake
in the medical part of the reply. I am concerned that many people will
read this and come to some mistaken conclusions about breastfeeding.
The sentence in question is:
Answer:
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
Jazak Allah khayr for your comments. There is no medical mistake in the answer.
The answer refers to the permissibility of abortion in [the generally
very rare] case when
�the milk of the pregnant mother ceases and the father of the child is
not in a position financially to hire a wet-nurse, and there is fear
of the child perishing, then they (fuqaha) have stated that it will be
permitted to abort the pregnancy, provided the period of 120 days have
not elapsed...�
The child in question is not the one the mother is pregnant with, but
a previous baby. The permissibility of abortion has various
conditions:
a) the previous child is dependent on the mother�s milk;
b) the father cannot hire a wet nurse nor provide alternative
nutrition that the child will consume; and
c) there is thus fear that this previous child may perish if the
mother�s current pregnancy continues;
d) this is before 120 days. [After this, it depends on many circumstances.]
As for when alternative nutrition (even other than breast milk) is
available and affordable, then abortion would be haram.
Wassalam,
Faraz Rabbani
Fathwa, - Women: Cutting and Dyeing Hair
Question:
Can a woman cut her hair if her husband wants her to? Would it be a
sin on the husband as well as on the wife? I was told that a woman
should not cut her hair even with her husband's permission. But aren't
we supposed to please our husbands? Whether a woman wears hijab or
not, can she also dye her hair with her husband's permission?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
From a previous question answered by Faraz Rabbani:
'According to leading Hanafi scholars of Syria, including Shaykh Adib
Kallas, there is no harm in a woman cutting her hair, as long as:
a) it remains feminine (and thus does not resemble men);
b) it is not cut with the express intent of imitating non-Muslim fashions; and
c) it is not cut excessively.
The texts in the Hanafi school indicating impermissibility of women
cutting their hair are understood, by these scholars, to be
conditioned by the above considerations.
In the Shafii school, it is permitted to even cut the hair very short
if the husband prefers it that way.'
Wassalam,
SunniPath Fiqh Team
Can a woman cut her hair if her husband wants her to? Would it be a
sin on the husband as well as on the wife? I was told that a woman
should not cut her hair even with her husband's permission. But aren't
we supposed to please our husbands? Whether a woman wears hijab or
not, can she also dye her hair with her husband's permission?
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
From a previous question answered by Faraz Rabbani:
'According to leading Hanafi scholars of Syria, including Shaykh Adib
Kallas, there is no harm in a woman cutting her hair, as long as:
a) it remains feminine (and thus does not resemble men);
b) it is not cut with the express intent of imitating non-Muslim fashions; and
c) it is not cut excessively.
The texts in the Hanafi school indicating impermissibility of women
cutting their hair are understood, by these scholars, to be
conditioned by the above considerations.
In the Shafii school, it is permitted to even cut the hair very short
if the husband prefers it that way.'
Wassalam,
SunniPath Fiqh Team
Fathwa, - Women and Hair Removal
Question:
Is it permissible for women to remove facial hair, and hair from the
arms and legs? I am in the beauty business and I do waxing for my
clients. Please tell me if it is permissible in Islam.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
From a previous question answered by Shaykh Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf:
Taking the hadith and the various statements of the Hanafi jurists
into consideration the following could be concluded:
1. It would be permitted for a woman to remove a beard or a moustache
that appears on her face. Even though it is facial hair, but since it
is to stop women from resembling men, it is permitted. This is the
opinion of the majority of scholars, in fact they have said it is
recommended, not just permitted. The same will be to bleach this hair
instead.
2. If the eyebrows are linked in between, it would be permissible to
remove the excess hair from in between to separate them [i.e. the hair
above the nose]. The reason for this is that linked eyebrows are
looked upon as a defect, hence it would be permissible to remove it.
3. A 'few' stray hairs around the eyebrows would be permissible to
remove by clipping them off, if it looks defective, or for married
women creates abhorrence in their husband. This does not mean it is
permitted to remove a whole line or two of fine hair from around the
eyebrows [as is the case nowadays].
4. Dense bushy eyebrows may be trimmed down to a more normal size.
However, one must exercise great caution in this regard, since one
does not want it to fall under the warning of the hadith. If one is
not sure how to determine the normal size they should not act on the
benefit of the doubt, but rather follow the more cautionary approach
and trim less. What so called 'regular' [especially non-Muslim] people
consider nowadays as the norm i.e. eyebrows that are shaped in
particular unnatural or reduced to thin lines can not be considered as
acceptable in Islamic law due to the severity of the hadith.
5. Great caution has to be exercised in this regard, since the hadith
is very strict and there are some Hanafi scholars who have taken more
strict position. For instance, Mullah Ali al-Qari (Allah be pleased
with him) comments [relating from Imam Nawawi] that plucking of the
facial hair is haram (unlawful) for a woman with the exception of
moustache or beard hairs (Mirqat al-Mafatih 8:218). The concessions
mentioned above are for the removal of a defective appearance and not
for purely beautification purpose, hence, caution in this matters is
the way.
Is it permissible for women to remove facial hair, and hair from the
arms and legs? I am in the beauty business and I do waxing for my
clients. Please tell me if it is permissible in Islam.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful & Compassionate
From a previous question answered by Shaykh Abdurrahman ibn Yusuf:
Taking the hadith and the various statements of the Hanafi jurists
into consideration the following could be concluded:
1. It would be permitted for a woman to remove a beard or a moustache
that appears on her face. Even though it is facial hair, but since it
is to stop women from resembling men, it is permitted. This is the
opinion of the majority of scholars, in fact they have said it is
recommended, not just permitted. The same will be to bleach this hair
instead.
2. If the eyebrows are linked in between, it would be permissible to
remove the excess hair from in between to separate them [i.e. the hair
above the nose]. The reason for this is that linked eyebrows are
looked upon as a defect, hence it would be permissible to remove it.
3. A 'few' stray hairs around the eyebrows would be permissible to
remove by clipping them off, if it looks defective, or for married
women creates abhorrence in their husband. This does not mean it is
permitted to remove a whole line or two of fine hair from around the
eyebrows [as is the case nowadays].
4. Dense bushy eyebrows may be trimmed down to a more normal size.
However, one must exercise great caution in this regard, since one
does not want it to fall under the warning of the hadith. If one is
not sure how to determine the normal size they should not act on the
benefit of the doubt, but rather follow the more cautionary approach
and trim less. What so called 'regular' [especially non-Muslim] people
consider nowadays as the norm i.e. eyebrows that are shaped in
particular unnatural or reduced to thin lines can not be considered as
acceptable in Islamic law due to the severity of the hadith.
5. Great caution has to be exercised in this regard, since the hadith
is very strict and there are some Hanafi scholars who have taken more
strict position. For instance, Mullah Ali al-Qari (Allah be pleased
with him) comments [relating from Imam Nawawi] that plucking of the
facial hair is haram (unlawful) for a woman with the exception of
moustache or beard hairs (Mirqat al-Mafatih 8:218). The concessions
mentioned above are for the removal of a defective appearance and not
for purely beautification purpose, hence, caution in this matters is
the way.
How to improve your relationship with the Quran
It is recommended for every believing man and woman to recite the Book
of Allaah, the Noble Quran, often, with due contemplation and
understanding. This may be done by using a copy of the Quran or from
one's memory. Allaah - the Most High – Says )what means(:"]This is[ a
blessed Book )the Quran( which We have revealed to you, ]O Muhammad,
sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam[, that they might reflect upon its verses
and that those of understanding would be reminded."]Quran 38:29[
Are you one of those people who rarely touch the Quran? Or do you read
it daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it
should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can
help you connect with the Quran.
1. Before you touch it, check your heart
The key to really benefiting from the Quran is to check your heart
first, before you even touch Allaah's book. Ask yourself, honestly,
why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let
it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammadwas
described by his noble wife, 'Aa'ishahas a "walking Quran": in other
words, he didn't just read and recite the Quran, he lived it.
2. Before you touch it, do your Wudhoo' )ablution(
Doing your Wudhoo' is good physical and mental preparation to remind
you that you are not reading just another book. You are about to
interact with Allaah, the Most Exalted, so being clean should be a
priority when communicating with Him.
3. Start with reading only five minutes everyday
Too often, we think that we should read the Noble Quran for at least
one whole hour. If you are not in the habit of reading regularly, this
is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care
of step one, Insha Allaah )Allaah willing(, you will notice that those
five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and
maybe even more!
4. Make sure that you understand what you have read
Five minutes of reading the Quran in Arabic is good, but you need to
understand what you are reading. If you are not Arabic, or you don't
understand the Arabic language, then make sure you have a good
translation of the Quran in the language you understand best. Always
try to read the translation of what you have read that day.
Regarding those who neglect the Glorious Quran by not reading or not
understanding it, Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:"And the Messenger
has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Quran as ]a
thing[ abandoned."]Quran: 25: 30[
Allaah Almighty informs us about His Prophet and Messenger,
Muhammadthat he said: "My Lord my people have abandoned - acting or
listening - to the Quran" and that is because the idol-worshippers did
not pay attention nor listen to the Quran, as Allaah Says )what
means(:"And those who disbelieve say, "Do not listen to this Quran and
speak noisily during ]the recitation of[ it that perhaps you will
overcome."]Quran 41:26[
5. Remember that the Noble Quran is far more interactive than a CD
In an age of "interactive" CD-ROMs and computer programs, a number of
people think books are passive and boring. But the Quran is not like
that. Remember that when you read the Glorious Quran, you are
interacting with Almighty Allaah. He Almighty is talking to you, so
pay attention.
6. Do not just read, you have to listen too
There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Quran, a number of
them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman
or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in
addition to your daily Quran reading, not as a replacement for it.
7. Make Du'aa' )supplication(.
Ask Allaah, the Most Exalted, to guide you when you read the Quran.
Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allaah, interact with Him by
reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Du'aa'
to
Allaah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
When you are making du'aa', you have a direct connection with Allaah
Almighty. So when you are saying your du'aa', you shouldn't be
distracted, but instead you should be fully concentrated.
TheProphetsaid:
"Make Du'aa' and be assured of it being answered, and know that
Allaah, the Exalted, does not answer a Du'aa' from a careless heart
which is not concentrating."]At-Tirmithi[
of Allaah, the Noble Quran, often, with due contemplation and
understanding. This may be done by using a copy of the Quran or from
one's memory. Allaah - the Most High – Says )what means(:"]This is[ a
blessed Book )the Quran( which We have revealed to you, ]O Muhammad,
sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam[, that they might reflect upon its verses
and that those of understanding would be reminded."]Quran 38:29[
Are you one of those people who rarely touch the Quran? Or do you read
it daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it
should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can
help you connect with the Quran.
1. Before you touch it, check your heart
The key to really benefiting from the Quran is to check your heart
first, before you even touch Allaah's book. Ask yourself, honestly,
why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let
it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammadwas
described by his noble wife, 'Aa'ishahas a "walking Quran": in other
words, he didn't just read and recite the Quran, he lived it.
2. Before you touch it, do your Wudhoo' )ablution(
Doing your Wudhoo' is good physical and mental preparation to remind
you that you are not reading just another book. You are about to
interact with Allaah, the Most Exalted, so being clean should be a
priority when communicating with Him.
3. Start with reading only five minutes everyday
Too often, we think that we should read the Noble Quran for at least
one whole hour. If you are not in the habit of reading regularly, this
is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care
of step one, Insha Allaah )Allaah willing(, you will notice that those
five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and
maybe even more!
4. Make sure that you understand what you have read
Five minutes of reading the Quran in Arabic is good, but you need to
understand what you are reading. If you are not Arabic, or you don't
understand the Arabic language, then make sure you have a good
translation of the Quran in the language you understand best. Always
try to read the translation of what you have read that day.
Regarding those who neglect the Glorious Quran by not reading or not
understanding it, Allaah Almighty Says )what means(:"And the Messenger
has said, "O my Lord, indeed my people have taken this Quran as ]a
thing[ abandoned."]Quran: 25: 30[
Allaah Almighty informs us about His Prophet and Messenger,
Muhammadthat he said: "My Lord my people have abandoned - acting or
listening - to the Quran" and that is because the idol-worshippers did
not pay attention nor listen to the Quran, as Allaah Says )what
means(:"And those who disbelieve say, "Do not listen to this Quran and
speak noisily during ]the recitation of[ it that perhaps you will
overcome."]Quran 41:26[
5. Remember that the Noble Quran is far more interactive than a CD
In an age of "interactive" CD-ROMs and computer programs, a number of
people think books are passive and boring. But the Quran is not like
that. Remember that when you read the Glorious Quran, you are
interacting with Almighty Allaah. He Almighty is talking to you, so
pay attention.
6. Do not just read, you have to listen too
There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Quran, a number of
them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman
or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in
addition to your daily Quran reading, not as a replacement for it.
7. Make Du'aa' )supplication(.
Ask Allaah, the Most Exalted, to guide you when you read the Quran.
Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allaah, interact with Him by
reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Du'aa'
to
Allaah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
When you are making du'aa', you have a direct connection with Allaah
Almighty. So when you are saying your du'aa', you shouldn't be
distracted, but instead you should be fully concentrated.
TheProphetsaid:
"Make Du'aa' and be assured of it being answered, and know that
Allaah, the Exalted, does not answer a Du'aa' from a careless heart
which is not concentrating."]At-Tirmithi[
An approach to the translations of the meaning of the Quran into English
The miracle of the Quran lies in its inimitable language, its beauty
and eloquence of style. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad,, in the
7th century CE for all nations, people and races. Therefore, there has
always been the need for translating its meanings into other
languages. In this paper, I will present a brief review of some
English translations of the Quran that exist upto the present day.
The first translation was carried out by Robertus Rotensis and
Hermannus Dalmata in 1143 CE, when the Quran was translated into
Latin in the interest of the convents during the time of the Crusades.
This Latin translation was then translated into other languages like
German, Italian and Hindi. In 1647 CE, it was translated into French
by the French Consul inEgypt, Andre du Ryer. The first English
translation was from the French version in 1688 CE by Alexander Ross,
which was described, "as despicably unsavory and a very bad one and no
better than its French origin bySale".
In 1689 CE another Latin translation was presented by Maracci, that
included the Arabic text as well as extracts from different
commentaries of the Quran. According to Mehana )1978( these
commentaries were chosen in such a way so as to give a bad impression
about Islam to Europeans. The translator, who was a priest and one of
the leading church members, started with an introduction which was
entitled 'Refutation of the Quran.'
It was in 1734 CE, that George Sale presented an English translation
of the Quran from Latin, which was then considered the original
English source for the translation of the Quran and was republished
several times inEurope. From then onwards, there followed many English
and other European translations of the Quran, through which the
translators expressed what they believed about Islam. This was
sometimes done within the core of the translated text or in the form
of footnotes or comments.This led some Muslims such as Abdullah Yusuf
Ali and Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall to translate the meanings of the
Quran into English, in an attempt to give the reader, as far as
possible the most adequate rendering of the Quran into English.
The first Muslim who tried to translate the Quran into English was Dr.
Muhammad Abdel Hakeem Khan in 1905 CE. However, the first published
English translation was presented in 1861 CE by Reverend J.M. Rodwell
and reprinted several times, entitledThe Koran: Translation from the
Arabic.
In 1930 CE, there appeared another translation by Mohammed Marmaduke
Pickthall entitledThe Meanings of the Glorious Quran. He was a
Christian Englishman who converted to Islam. In his view, the Quran
cannot be translated and his work was merely an attempt to present the
meanings of the Quran into English. This translation was followed in
1934 CE by that presented by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, which is most
commonly used now, entitledThe Holy Quran. Yusuf Ali was a Muslim
scholar who had a good command of both Arabic and English languages.
His translation was free from the grave misinterpretations found in
other translations like those presented by the Qaadiyaani sect. Yusuf
Ali also added some comments at the bottom of each page, helping the
reader to comprehend the text correctly.
In 1956, another translation into English appeared entitledThe Koran:
A New Translation, presented by N.J. Daawood, which was published
underThe Penguin Classicsseries In his introduction, Daawood says
that the reason he presented this work was to supply the reader with a
version of the Quran translated into modern English.
The translation presented by Arthur J.Arberry in 1955, entitledThe
Koran Interpretedwas published by Oxford University Press. Arberry was
a Christian professor in aBritishUniversitywho died recently. He was
of the opinion that the Quran being a great work should not be
translated. Hence he chose to name his work an "interpretation" rather
than a translation. Despite the fact that Arberry was a non-Arab,
non-Muslim, yet he had moderate views about Islam and the Quran.
Then there were the three translations of the Quran presented by the
deviated Qaadiyaani sect. These three translations were done by the
followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed El Qaadiyaani who is known to this
sect as the "Expected Christ". The members of this sect have beliefs
of their own and are so proud of them that they declare and admit to
them publicly. These translations areThe Holy Quranby Mawlana Mohammed
Ali, first published 1918 CE;The Holy Quranby Malik Ghulam Fareid,
first published in 1969 CE;The Quranby Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, first
published in 1971 CE.
The last and most recent translation is presented by M.M. Khatib
entitledThe Bounteous Koran, authorized by Al-Azhar in 1984 and first
published in 1986. Khatib is an Egyptian Muslim who has a good command
of both languages and has acquired a good deal of knowledge about
Islamic culture.
The aim of this paper is to discuss some of the pitfalls of these
translators of the Quran, namely Reverend J. Rodwell, Arthur J.
Arberryand M.M. Khatib. However, as this is just a short paper,
therefore, I will select no more than two or three examples from each
translation. The reason for choosing these translations lies in the
fact that Rodwell's was the first translation done from the Arabic
text and being a member of Church, he was affected by Christian
teachings and was against Islam. His aim was to falsify Islam as a
revealed religion. On the other hand, Arberry had moderate views about
Islam. He disagreed with Rodwell on many of his views, especially the
belief that the Quran is not the "word of God" revealed to Muhammad,.
The third translator, Khatib is a Muslim whose translation is the most
recent one and authorized by Al-Azhar.
In the preface to his book entitledThe Koran: Translation from the
Arabic, Rodwell commented on the gathering of the Quran and
arrangement of the chapters )Soorahs(, during the time of both Caliphs
Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq and 'Uthmaan bin 'Affaan. He mentioned that
theSoorahsrevealed in Al-Madeenah were placed in the middle
ofSoorahsrevealed in Makkah and vice versa. Thus, to him the Quran
appeared to be an "almost unreadable and incongruous patchwork".
Rodwell is definitely mistaken here, as it is well known and
documented that the Quran was dictated and written during the life of
the Prophet Muhammad,, under his supervision.
As Khalifa states in hisThe Sublime Quran and Orientalism)1983 pp 38(:
"Islamic history bears ample witness to the fact that Quranic
revelations were recorded in writing under the Prophet's personal
supervision. His scribes, who were often with him and to whom he
dictated the heavenly message, were well known to their fellow
Muslims".
Khalifa also adds on page 42:
"It so happens that there is ample evidence proving the Prophet,, had
set a textual order for theSoorahs, both in the form of instructions
to his companions and in his recitations of successiveSoorahs".
However, Rodwell carries on saying:
"…and convey no idea whatever of the development and growth of any
plan in the mind of the founder of Islam, or of the circumstances by
which he was surrounded and influenced".
In the above quotation, he doubts the prophethood of Muhammad,and
considers him the "founder of Islam". This main idea prevails as he
carries on saying on page 8.
"The sources whence Muhammad derived the material of his Koran are,
over and above the more poetical parts, which are his own creation,
the legends of his time and country, Jewish traditions based upon
Talmud or perverted to suit his own purposes and the floating
Christian traditions of Arabia and Syria."
Then on page 10 of his preface he contradicts himself by saying:
"We have no evidence that Muhammad had access to the Christian Scripture."
He carries on saying:
"There is but one direct quotation )Soorah21:105( in the whole Koran
from the Scriptures and though there are a few passages, as where
"alms" are said to be given to be seen of men, and as none forgives
the sins but God only, which might seen to be identical with texts of
the New Testament, yet this similarity is probably merely accidental."
From the above quotation, it is clear that Rodwell is contradicting
himself all the time. He first states that Muhammad,has said the words
of the Quran in a poetic version of his own or it could have been
taken from either the Old or New Testament. Then later, he said that
there is no evidence that he,, could have access to these texts, but
adds that it might "seem to be identical with the text of the New
Testament". The use of this expression means that he is not sure and
could not confirm the similarity.
Moreover, Rodwell could not comprehend the discourse of the Quran
which is full of great meaning. This can easily be illustrated by the
many mistakes, misinterpretations and misunderstandings which he has
fallen into in his translations of the different verses of which
examples are given below:
In Rodwell's translation of ChapterAl-Ma'oonverse 5:
ÇáÐíä åã Úä ÕáÇÊåã ÓÇåæä
Which means:"But in their prayers are careless".]Quran 107:5[
He obviously misinterpreted the meaning, for there is a great
difference between "forgetting to pray" ) ) "Úä ÕáÇÊåã " and "being
careless in prayers" ) Ýí ÕáÇÊåã (. The use of the preposition " Úä
" means that people could get oblivious or forget to pray, but it does
not refer to those people who are praying and could forget to perform
part of the prayer or recite part of what they should be saying during
prayers. He also dropped the translation of the relative pronoun.
"åã " .
Arberry was Christian and yet unlike Rodwell and Dawood, he agrees
that the Quran being a great work should not be translated. Hence the
title he chose was,The Koran Interpreted, which is to indicate that
his work was merely the interpretation of the text and not its
translation. However, Arberry as a non-native speaker of Arabic has
fallen into many misinterpretations of the words and sometimes verses
of the Quran. Thus, for example, inSoorah Al-Baqarah, Ayah61, Arberry
translated the sentence:
"ÅåÈØæÇ ãÕÑÇ "
as:"Get you down toEgypt".]Quran 2:61[
This is definitely a misinterpretation as the word "ãÕÑÇ" marked with
nunnation makes it an indefinite noun, referring to any inhabited city
and notEgypt. The second reason for his misinterpretation is the fact
that this sentence "ÇåÈØæÇ ãÕÑðÇ " refers to Moosaa )Moses(and his
people who had finally got out of Egypt safely. Therefore, how would
Mosesask them to go back?
Another example of the Arberry's misinterpretation of the Quran can be
seen inAyah184 ofSoorah " Al-Baqarah".
æÚáì ÇáÐíä íØíÞæä ÝÏíÉ ØÚÇã ãÓßíä
Which he translated as:
"..and for those who are able to fast, a redemption by feeding a poor
man..".]Quran 2: 184[
Here, he has used the word "able" for the word "íØíÞæäå" which
actually means those who can bear fasting with difficulty. The word
"able" used in his translation simply means "íÞÏÑ " which
contradicts the proper meaning of theAyah,which means that those who
are not able to fast should make a redemption by feeding the poor.
It is of great importance, however, to look at the most recent
translation of the Quran by M.M. Khatib entitledThe Bounteous Koranand
authorized by Al-Azhar in 1984. In the preface to this work, Khatib
talks about "The eternal miracle of Islam"-- the Quran -- which
includes the best of moral values, the perfect guide for the happiness
of mankind and a style which is most bountiful, concise , influential
and having an inimitable means of expressing the "majesty and
sublimity of God". Khatib carries on explaining some of the
difficulties which he had to face in accomplishing his work. He says
on page VI of the preface:
"The most tangible difficulty that I faced, and that which surely
faced those who have translated the Koran before me, was the omissions
and additions of the figurative words that are of the beauty,
eloquence sequence and rhythmic pattern of the Book."
Then, he carries on listing more difficulties, saying:
"The second difficulty was the commitment to an extreme precision in
translating letter by letter and word by word, maintaining the exact
sequence and construction of the Arabic verse."
At this point, I would like to mention that Khatib, in his title of
the Book, gives a subtitle in smaller print "A Translation of Meaning
and Commentary". Therefore, how can this work be a translation of
meaning and commentary while he did his best in "maintaining the exact
sequence and construction of the Arabic verse". The question, then
arises as to why does he want to preserve the construction of the
original Arabic text, when he is only translating the meanings of the
Quran? It must be noted that these two languages originate from
different families of languages: Semitic and Germanic, and it is
therefore impossible to "maintain the exact sequence".
In order to see how he has actually dealt with the translation of the
Quran, it would be more illustrative to give a sample of his work.
Unlike Arberry, Khatib translated Ayah 181 ofSoorah "Al-Baqarah" as:
"æÚáì ÇáÐíä íØíÞæäå ÝÏíÉ ØÚÇã ãÓßíä"
"As for those who can afford with hardship, )there is( redemption in
feeding an indigent".]Quran 2:181[
Khatib's use of the word "afford" is more suitable in rendering the
meaning of the Arabic word "íØíÞæäå" ; as according to Webster's
dictionary, the meaning of the word "afford" can be "to manage to bear
without serious detriment". Being a native speaker of Arabic Khatib
could comprehend the meanings of the Quranic words and verses better
than Arberry.
InSoorah Al-Qasas,Ayah68:
æÑÈß íÎáÞ ãÇ íÔÇÁ æíÎÊÇÑ ãÇ ßÇä áåã ÇáÎíÑÉ
he translated it as follows:
" As your Lord creates whatever He will and He chooses they have no
choice…"]Quran 28: 68[
Khatib, similar to Rodwell, explains in a footnote the meaning of the
pronoun "they" as "false Gods". This interpretation of the pronoun
"åã" is unacceptable according to Al-Muntakhab interpretation of the
Quran, which is authorized and presented by the Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs. Al-Muntakhab interprets the pronoun to be "ÇáÎáÞ"
meaning people and this interpretation is also supported by Al-Nasafi
interpretation of the Quran. Furthermore, it could be also emphasized
by theAyahfollowing that says:
æÑÈß íÚáã ãÇ Êßäø ÕÏæÑåã æãÇ íÚáäæä
translated as:
" And your Lord Knows what their breasts conceal and what they
avow".]Quran 28: 69[
It must be noted that the use of word "ÕÏæÑåã" translated by Khatib
as "breasts", in the aboveAyah, which immediately follows the
preceding one inSoorah Al-Qasas, cannot be used for God. It is only
people who can have "breasts" and not God. Therefore we conclude that
the pronoun "åã" in the aboveAyahmust be referring to people and
not false Gods as Khatib interpreted.
It must be noted from the above discussion and illustrations that the
translation presented by Khatib has, to some extent, overcome many of
the misinterpretations and pitfalls which previous translators have
presented. The main reason lies in the fact that Khatib is an Egyptian
Muslim scholar who is a native speaker of Arabic and has a good
command of English. Moreover, he has dedicated a good deal of time to
reading classic and modern books on Islamic studies as well as
studying many classical commentaries, which have had a great effect on
his understanding of the Quran.
However, it is necessary to conclude my paper by discussing some
important issues about the art of literary translation and to suggest
qualities recommended for translators in general, and for Quran
translators in particular.
The first and most important point is that both Arabic and English
languages come from two different families of languages: Semitic and
Germanic families respectively. Therefore, they have two quite
different sentence structures and we would expect different kinds of
problems in translation arising from the gaps between these two
languages. For example, a particular word in one of these languages
might not have an equivalent in the other; as the word "ar-Rahmaan"
for which Khatib )1986: VI( encountered great difficulty in "finding
English words that precisely match the Arabic meaning."
Another major point that the translator must realize is that any
literary text is composed of a complex set of systems in relation to
other sets outside its boundaries; and thus, he must not focus on one
set at the cost of the other. The translator must also observe the
cultural differences between the original language and the translated
language and should not ignore any cultural factor. This means that
the translator must be well acquainted with the cultural and social
factors in both the languages.
Therefore, the art of literary translationnecessitates that the
translator be skillfully trained, have good linguistic knowledge
cultural and social knowledge, a good deal of imagination and common
sense. He must also work hard to reach a translation that is as close
as possible to theoriginal.
The art of translating the Quran, however, requires in addition to the
above qualities, that the translator must be a native speaker of
Arabic as well as a Muslim who acquired deep knowledge of Islamic
history, culture and tradition. These qualities being present in
Khatib made his translation more adequate than the other previous
translations mentioned above. However, as we have seen from the above
discussion, even Khatib has some misinterpretations of words or verses
of the Quran despite the fact that he is a Muslim, native speaker of
Arabic.
The question that arises is: How could we allow a non-native speaker
of Arabic to attempt a translation of the Quran? If native speakers
like Khatib could encounter great difficulty in fully comprehending
the interpretation of the Quran, what about non-native speakers and
non-Muslims? It must also be noted that translation is itself a sort
of judgment, as discussed by David Ross )1977(. It is a judgment in
the sense that the translator usually selects the word that suits the
meaning he arrives at. This leads to the question: Who could possibly
be a competent judge of the meanings of the Quran?
It is obvious that not many individuals would be qualified for such a
daunting task. Therefore, I suggest that the translation of the Quran
should not be an individual effort, but rather a team effort of
Al-Azhar scholars who have reasonable command of English as well as a
team of linguists who are native speakers of Arabic and have a good
background on Islam and Islamic teachings. These two teams sitting and
working hard together should be able to overcome most of the
difficulties, misunderstandings and misinterpretations faced and
presented by Khatib and previous translators. This type of translation
is urgently needed today, especially when Islam is facing challenges
from the West.
and eloquence of style. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad,, in the
7th century CE for all nations, people and races. Therefore, there has
always been the need for translating its meanings into other
languages. In this paper, I will present a brief review of some
English translations of the Quran that exist upto the present day.
The first translation was carried out by Robertus Rotensis and
Hermannus Dalmata in 1143 CE, when the Quran was translated into
Latin in the interest of the convents during the time of the Crusades.
This Latin translation was then translated into other languages like
German, Italian and Hindi. In 1647 CE, it was translated into French
by the French Consul inEgypt, Andre du Ryer. The first English
translation was from the French version in 1688 CE by Alexander Ross,
which was described, "as despicably unsavory and a very bad one and no
better than its French origin bySale".
In 1689 CE another Latin translation was presented by Maracci, that
included the Arabic text as well as extracts from different
commentaries of the Quran. According to Mehana )1978( these
commentaries were chosen in such a way so as to give a bad impression
about Islam to Europeans. The translator, who was a priest and one of
the leading church members, started with an introduction which was
entitled 'Refutation of the Quran.'
It was in 1734 CE, that George Sale presented an English translation
of the Quran from Latin, which was then considered the original
English source for the translation of the Quran and was republished
several times inEurope. From then onwards, there followed many English
and other European translations of the Quran, through which the
translators expressed what they believed about Islam. This was
sometimes done within the core of the translated text or in the form
of footnotes or comments.This led some Muslims such as Abdullah Yusuf
Ali and Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall to translate the meanings of the
Quran into English, in an attempt to give the reader, as far as
possible the most adequate rendering of the Quran into English.
The first Muslim who tried to translate the Quran into English was Dr.
Muhammad Abdel Hakeem Khan in 1905 CE. However, the first published
English translation was presented in 1861 CE by Reverend J.M. Rodwell
and reprinted several times, entitledThe Koran: Translation from the
Arabic.
In 1930 CE, there appeared another translation by Mohammed Marmaduke
Pickthall entitledThe Meanings of the Glorious Quran. He was a
Christian Englishman who converted to Islam. In his view, the Quran
cannot be translated and his work was merely an attempt to present the
meanings of the Quran into English. This translation was followed in
1934 CE by that presented by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, which is most
commonly used now, entitledThe Holy Quran. Yusuf Ali was a Muslim
scholar who had a good command of both Arabic and English languages.
His translation was free from the grave misinterpretations found in
other translations like those presented by the Qaadiyaani sect. Yusuf
Ali also added some comments at the bottom of each page, helping the
reader to comprehend the text correctly.
In 1956, another translation into English appeared entitledThe Koran:
A New Translation, presented by N.J. Daawood, which was published
underThe Penguin Classicsseries In his introduction, Daawood says
that the reason he presented this work was to supply the reader with a
version of the Quran translated into modern English.
The translation presented by Arthur J.Arberry in 1955, entitledThe
Koran Interpretedwas published by Oxford University Press. Arberry was
a Christian professor in aBritishUniversitywho died recently. He was
of the opinion that the Quran being a great work should not be
translated. Hence he chose to name his work an "interpretation" rather
than a translation. Despite the fact that Arberry was a non-Arab,
non-Muslim, yet he had moderate views about Islam and the Quran.
Then there were the three translations of the Quran presented by the
deviated Qaadiyaani sect. These three translations were done by the
followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed El Qaadiyaani who is known to this
sect as the "Expected Christ". The members of this sect have beliefs
of their own and are so proud of them that they declare and admit to
them publicly. These translations areThe Holy Quranby Mawlana Mohammed
Ali, first published 1918 CE;The Holy Quranby Malik Ghulam Fareid,
first published in 1969 CE;The Quranby Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, first
published in 1971 CE.
The last and most recent translation is presented by M.M. Khatib
entitledThe Bounteous Koran, authorized by Al-Azhar in 1984 and first
published in 1986. Khatib is an Egyptian Muslim who has a good command
of both languages and has acquired a good deal of knowledge about
Islamic culture.
The aim of this paper is to discuss some of the pitfalls of these
translators of the Quran, namely Reverend J. Rodwell, Arthur J.
Arberryand M.M. Khatib. However, as this is just a short paper,
therefore, I will select no more than two or three examples from each
translation. The reason for choosing these translations lies in the
fact that Rodwell's was the first translation done from the Arabic
text and being a member of Church, he was affected by Christian
teachings and was against Islam. His aim was to falsify Islam as a
revealed religion. On the other hand, Arberry had moderate views about
Islam. He disagreed with Rodwell on many of his views, especially the
belief that the Quran is not the "word of God" revealed to Muhammad,.
The third translator, Khatib is a Muslim whose translation is the most
recent one and authorized by Al-Azhar.
In the preface to his book entitledThe Koran: Translation from the
Arabic, Rodwell commented on the gathering of the Quran and
arrangement of the chapters )Soorahs(, during the time of both Caliphs
Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq and 'Uthmaan bin 'Affaan. He mentioned that
theSoorahsrevealed in Al-Madeenah were placed in the middle
ofSoorahsrevealed in Makkah and vice versa. Thus, to him the Quran
appeared to be an "almost unreadable and incongruous patchwork".
Rodwell is definitely mistaken here, as it is well known and
documented that the Quran was dictated and written during the life of
the Prophet Muhammad,, under his supervision.
As Khalifa states in hisThe Sublime Quran and Orientalism)1983 pp 38(:
"Islamic history bears ample witness to the fact that Quranic
revelations were recorded in writing under the Prophet's personal
supervision. His scribes, who were often with him and to whom he
dictated the heavenly message, were well known to their fellow
Muslims".
Khalifa also adds on page 42:
"It so happens that there is ample evidence proving the Prophet,, had
set a textual order for theSoorahs, both in the form of instructions
to his companions and in his recitations of successiveSoorahs".
However, Rodwell carries on saying:
"…and convey no idea whatever of the development and growth of any
plan in the mind of the founder of Islam, or of the circumstances by
which he was surrounded and influenced".
In the above quotation, he doubts the prophethood of Muhammad,and
considers him the "founder of Islam". This main idea prevails as he
carries on saying on page 8.
"The sources whence Muhammad derived the material of his Koran are,
over and above the more poetical parts, which are his own creation,
the legends of his time and country, Jewish traditions based upon
Talmud or perverted to suit his own purposes and the floating
Christian traditions of Arabia and Syria."
Then on page 10 of his preface he contradicts himself by saying:
"We have no evidence that Muhammad had access to the Christian Scripture."
He carries on saying:
"There is but one direct quotation )Soorah21:105( in the whole Koran
from the Scriptures and though there are a few passages, as where
"alms" are said to be given to be seen of men, and as none forgives
the sins but God only, which might seen to be identical with texts of
the New Testament, yet this similarity is probably merely accidental."
From the above quotation, it is clear that Rodwell is contradicting
himself all the time. He first states that Muhammad,has said the words
of the Quran in a poetic version of his own or it could have been
taken from either the Old or New Testament. Then later, he said that
there is no evidence that he,, could have access to these texts, but
adds that it might "seem to be identical with the text of the New
Testament". The use of this expression means that he is not sure and
could not confirm the similarity.
Moreover, Rodwell could not comprehend the discourse of the Quran
which is full of great meaning. This can easily be illustrated by the
many mistakes, misinterpretations and misunderstandings which he has
fallen into in his translations of the different verses of which
examples are given below:
In Rodwell's translation of ChapterAl-Ma'oonverse 5:
ÇáÐíä åã Úä ÕáÇÊåã ÓÇåæä
Which means:"But in their prayers are careless".]Quran 107:5[
He obviously misinterpreted the meaning, for there is a great
difference between "forgetting to pray" ) ) "Úä ÕáÇÊåã " and "being
careless in prayers" ) Ýí ÕáÇÊåã (. The use of the preposition " Úä
" means that people could get oblivious or forget to pray, but it does
not refer to those people who are praying and could forget to perform
part of the prayer or recite part of what they should be saying during
prayers. He also dropped the translation of the relative pronoun.
"åã " .
Arberry was Christian and yet unlike Rodwell and Dawood, he agrees
that the Quran being a great work should not be translated. Hence the
title he chose was,The Koran Interpreted, which is to indicate that
his work was merely the interpretation of the text and not its
translation. However, Arberry as a non-native speaker of Arabic has
fallen into many misinterpretations of the words and sometimes verses
of the Quran. Thus, for example, inSoorah Al-Baqarah, Ayah61, Arberry
translated the sentence:
"ÅåÈØæÇ ãÕÑÇ "
as:"Get you down toEgypt".]Quran 2:61[
This is definitely a misinterpretation as the word "ãÕÑÇ" marked with
nunnation makes it an indefinite noun, referring to any inhabited city
and notEgypt. The second reason for his misinterpretation is the fact
that this sentence "ÇåÈØæÇ ãÕÑðÇ " refers to Moosaa )Moses(and his
people who had finally got out of Egypt safely. Therefore, how would
Mosesask them to go back?
Another example of the Arberry's misinterpretation of the Quran can be
seen inAyah184 ofSoorah " Al-Baqarah".
æÚáì ÇáÐíä íØíÞæä ÝÏíÉ ØÚÇã ãÓßíä
Which he translated as:
"..and for those who are able to fast, a redemption by feeding a poor
man..".]Quran 2: 184[
Here, he has used the word "able" for the word "íØíÞæäå" which
actually means those who can bear fasting with difficulty. The word
"able" used in his translation simply means "íÞÏÑ " which
contradicts the proper meaning of theAyah,which means that those who
are not able to fast should make a redemption by feeding the poor.
It is of great importance, however, to look at the most recent
translation of the Quran by M.M. Khatib entitledThe Bounteous Koranand
authorized by Al-Azhar in 1984. In the preface to this work, Khatib
talks about "The eternal miracle of Islam"-- the Quran -- which
includes the best of moral values, the perfect guide for the happiness
of mankind and a style which is most bountiful, concise , influential
and having an inimitable means of expressing the "majesty and
sublimity of God". Khatib carries on explaining some of the
difficulties which he had to face in accomplishing his work. He says
on page VI of the preface:
"The most tangible difficulty that I faced, and that which surely
faced those who have translated the Koran before me, was the omissions
and additions of the figurative words that are of the beauty,
eloquence sequence and rhythmic pattern of the Book."
Then, he carries on listing more difficulties, saying:
"The second difficulty was the commitment to an extreme precision in
translating letter by letter and word by word, maintaining the exact
sequence and construction of the Arabic verse."
At this point, I would like to mention that Khatib, in his title of
the Book, gives a subtitle in smaller print "A Translation of Meaning
and Commentary". Therefore, how can this work be a translation of
meaning and commentary while he did his best in "maintaining the exact
sequence and construction of the Arabic verse". The question, then
arises as to why does he want to preserve the construction of the
original Arabic text, when he is only translating the meanings of the
Quran? It must be noted that these two languages originate from
different families of languages: Semitic and Germanic, and it is
therefore impossible to "maintain the exact sequence".
In order to see how he has actually dealt with the translation of the
Quran, it would be more illustrative to give a sample of his work.
Unlike Arberry, Khatib translated Ayah 181 ofSoorah "Al-Baqarah" as:
"æÚáì ÇáÐíä íØíÞæäå ÝÏíÉ ØÚÇã ãÓßíä"
"As for those who can afford with hardship, )there is( redemption in
feeding an indigent".]Quran 2:181[
Khatib's use of the word "afford" is more suitable in rendering the
meaning of the Arabic word "íØíÞæäå" ; as according to Webster's
dictionary, the meaning of the word "afford" can be "to manage to bear
without serious detriment". Being a native speaker of Arabic Khatib
could comprehend the meanings of the Quranic words and verses better
than Arberry.
InSoorah Al-Qasas,Ayah68:
æÑÈß íÎáÞ ãÇ íÔÇÁ æíÎÊÇÑ ãÇ ßÇä áåã ÇáÎíÑÉ
he translated it as follows:
" As your Lord creates whatever He will and He chooses they have no
choice…"]Quran 28: 68[
Khatib, similar to Rodwell, explains in a footnote the meaning of the
pronoun "they" as "false Gods". This interpretation of the pronoun
"åã" is unacceptable according to Al-Muntakhab interpretation of the
Quran, which is authorized and presented by the Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs. Al-Muntakhab interprets the pronoun to be "ÇáÎáÞ"
meaning people and this interpretation is also supported by Al-Nasafi
interpretation of the Quran. Furthermore, it could be also emphasized
by theAyahfollowing that says:
æÑÈß íÚáã ãÇ Êßäø ÕÏæÑåã æãÇ íÚáäæä
translated as:
" And your Lord Knows what their breasts conceal and what they
avow".]Quran 28: 69[
It must be noted that the use of word "ÕÏæÑåã" translated by Khatib
as "breasts", in the aboveAyah, which immediately follows the
preceding one inSoorah Al-Qasas, cannot be used for God. It is only
people who can have "breasts" and not God. Therefore we conclude that
the pronoun "åã" in the aboveAyahmust be referring to people and
not false Gods as Khatib interpreted.
It must be noted from the above discussion and illustrations that the
translation presented by Khatib has, to some extent, overcome many of
the misinterpretations and pitfalls which previous translators have
presented. The main reason lies in the fact that Khatib is an Egyptian
Muslim scholar who is a native speaker of Arabic and has a good
command of English. Moreover, he has dedicated a good deal of time to
reading classic and modern books on Islamic studies as well as
studying many classical commentaries, which have had a great effect on
his understanding of the Quran.
However, it is necessary to conclude my paper by discussing some
important issues about the art of literary translation and to suggest
qualities recommended for translators in general, and for Quran
translators in particular.
The first and most important point is that both Arabic and English
languages come from two different families of languages: Semitic and
Germanic families respectively. Therefore, they have two quite
different sentence structures and we would expect different kinds of
problems in translation arising from the gaps between these two
languages. For example, a particular word in one of these languages
might not have an equivalent in the other; as the word "ar-Rahmaan"
for which Khatib )1986: VI( encountered great difficulty in "finding
English words that precisely match the Arabic meaning."
Another major point that the translator must realize is that any
literary text is composed of a complex set of systems in relation to
other sets outside its boundaries; and thus, he must not focus on one
set at the cost of the other. The translator must also observe the
cultural differences between the original language and the translated
language and should not ignore any cultural factor. This means that
the translator must be well acquainted with the cultural and social
factors in both the languages.
Therefore, the art of literary translationnecessitates that the
translator be skillfully trained, have good linguistic knowledge
cultural and social knowledge, a good deal of imagination and common
sense. He must also work hard to reach a translation that is as close
as possible to theoriginal.
The art of translating the Quran, however, requires in addition to the
above qualities, that the translator must be a native speaker of
Arabic as well as a Muslim who acquired deep knowledge of Islamic
history, culture and tradition. These qualities being present in
Khatib made his translation more adequate than the other previous
translations mentioned above. However, as we have seen from the above
discussion, even Khatib has some misinterpretations of words or verses
of the Quran despite the fact that he is a Muslim, native speaker of
Arabic.
The question that arises is: How could we allow a non-native speaker
of Arabic to attempt a translation of the Quran? If native speakers
like Khatib could encounter great difficulty in fully comprehending
the interpretation of the Quran, what about non-native speakers and
non-Muslims? It must also be noted that translation is itself a sort
of judgment, as discussed by David Ross )1977(. It is a judgment in
the sense that the translator usually selects the word that suits the
meaning he arrives at. This leads to the question: Who could possibly
be a competent judge of the meanings of the Quran?
It is obvious that not many individuals would be qualified for such a
daunting task. Therefore, I suggest that the translation of the Quran
should not be an individual effort, but rather a team effort of
Al-Azhar scholars who have reasonable command of English as well as a
team of linguists who are native speakers of Arabic and have a good
background on Islam and Islamic teachings. These two teams sitting and
working hard together should be able to overcome most of the
difficulties, misunderstandings and misinterpretations faced and
presented by Khatib and previous translators. This type of translation
is urgently needed today, especially when Islam is facing challenges
from the West.
The collection and compilation of the Quran
Part 1: During the Lifetime of the Prophet.
A study of the compilation of text must begin with the character of
the book itself as it was handed down by Muhammadto his
Companionsduring his lifetime. It was not delivered or revealed all at
once.
The Noble Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammadpiecemeal over a
period of twenty-three years from the time when hebegan to preach the
Message of Islam in Makkah in 610 CE until his death at Madeenah in
632 CE. The Quran itself declares that Allaah addressed Prophet
Muhammadwith what means:"…And We have spaced it distinctly."]Quran
25:32[
Furthermore, no chronological record of the sequence of passages was
kept by Muhammadhimself or his Companions so that, as each of these
began to be collected into an actual Soorah )chapter(, no thought was
given as to theme, order of deliverance or chronological sequence. It
is acknowledged by all Muslim writers that most of the chapters,
especially the longer ones, are composite texts containing various
passages not necessarily linked to each other in the sequence in which
they were given. As time went on Muhammadwould say words to the effect
of: "Put this passage in the chapter in which so-and-so is mentioned",
or: "Put it in such and such a place." ]As-Suyooti, Al-Itqaan fee
'Uloom Al-Quran, p.141[ Thus, passages were added to compilations of
other passages already collected together until each of these became a
distinct chapter. The evidence that a number of these chapters already
had their recognised titles during the lifetime of Muhammad. is the
following two Prophetic narrations: "Anyone who recites the last two
verses of Soorah Al-Baqarah )The Cow, chapter 2( at night, they will
suffice him." ]Al-Bukhaari[ And:"If anyone learns by heart the first
ten verses of the Soorah Al-Kahf )the Cave, No. 18(, he will be
protected from the Dajjaal )Antichrist(."]Muslim[
At the same time, there is also reason to believe that there were
other chapters to which titles were not necessarily given by Prophet
Muhammad. An example of this is Soorah Al-Ikhlaas ]Chapter 112[, for
although the Prophetspoke at some length about it and said it was
equal to one-third of the whole Quran, he did not mention it by name.
]Muslim[
As the Quran developed, the Prophet's Companionstook portions of it
down in writing and also committed its passages to memory. It appears
that the memorisation of the text was the foremost method of recording
its contents as the very word Quran means 'recitation'. From the very
first word delivered to Muhammadby the angel Jibreel )Gabriel( on
Mount Hiraa', namely Iqra' – 'Recite!' ]Chapter 96:1[, we can see that
the verbal recitation of its passages was very highly esteemed and
consistently practiced. Nevertheless, it is to actual written records
of its text that the Quran itself bears witness in the following verse
)which means(:"]It is recorded[ in honoured sheets. Exalted and
purified. ]Carried[ by the hands of messenger-angels. Noble and
dutiful."]Quran: 80:13-16[
Furthermore, there is evidence that even during the early days of
Prophet Muhammadin Makkah, portions of the Quran as then delivered
were being written down. When 'Umarwas still a pagan, he one day
struck his sister when he heard her reading a portion of the Quran.
Upon seeing blood on her cheek, however, he relented and said:"Give me
this sheet which I heard youreading just now so that I may see what
Muhammad has brought."]Ibn Is-Haaq, Seerat Rasoolullaah, p.156[. On
reading the portion of the twentieth chapter )of the Quran( which she
had been reading, he became a Muslim.
Nonetheless, it appears that right up to the end of the life of
Muhammadthe practice of memorisation predominated over the writing
down of the Quran and was regarded as more important.
In the Hadeeth )narrations( records, we read that the angel Jibreel is
said to have checked the recitation of the Quran every Ramadan with
Prophet Muhammadand, in his )the Prophet( final year, he )Jibreel(
checked it with him twice. Faatimahsaid:"The Prophet, sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam, told me, 'Jibreel used to recite the Quran to me and
I to him once a year, but this year he recited the whole Quran with me
twice. I think that my death is approaching.'"]Al-Bukhaari[
Some of the closest Companions of the Prophetdevoted themselves to
learning the text of the Quran by heart. These included Ubayy Ibn
Ka'b, Mu'aath Ibn Jabal, Zayd Ibn Thaabit, Abu Zayd and Abu
Ad-Dardaa'. Abdullaah Ibn Mas'oodcollected more than ninety of the one
hundred and fourteen chapters by himself, learning the remaining
chapters from other Companions.
Regarding the written materials, there are no records as to exactly
how much of the Quran was written down during the lifetime of Prophet
Muhammad. There is no evidence to suggest that anyone actually
compiled the whole text of the Quran into a single manuscript, whether
directly under the authority of Prophet Muhammador otherwise.
With the death of Prophet Muhammadin 632 CE, the revelation stopped,
as the Quran had become complete. There could be no further revelation
once its chosen recipient had passed away. While he lived, however,
there was always the possibility that new passages could be added and
it hardly seemed appropriate, therefore, to contemplate codifying the
text into one harmonious whole. Thus, it is not surprising to find
that the book was widely scattered in the memories of men and in
writing on various different materials at the time of the death of the
Prophet.
There were only a few disputes among the Companions about the text of
the Quran while the Prophetwas alive, unlike those which arose soon
after his death. All these factors explain the absence of an official
codified text at the time of his death. Imaam As-Suyootistated that
the Quran, as sent down from Allaah in separate stages, had been
completely written down and carefully preserved, but that it had not
been assembled into one single location during the lifetime of Prophet
Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, ]Ibn Is-haaq, Seerat
Rasoolullaah, p.96[
All of it was said to have been available in principle, for the
Companionshad absorbed it in their memories and it had been written
down on separate materials. The final order of the various verses and
chapters is also presumed to have been defined by the Prophetwhile he
was still alive.
A study of the compilation of text must begin with the character of
the book itself as it was handed down by Muhammadto his
Companionsduring his lifetime. It was not delivered or revealed all at
once.
The Noble Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammadpiecemeal over a
period of twenty-three years from the time when hebegan to preach the
Message of Islam in Makkah in 610 CE until his death at Madeenah in
632 CE. The Quran itself declares that Allaah addressed Prophet
Muhammadwith what means:"…And We have spaced it distinctly."]Quran
25:32[
Furthermore, no chronological record of the sequence of passages was
kept by Muhammadhimself or his Companions so that, as each of these
began to be collected into an actual Soorah )chapter(, no thought was
given as to theme, order of deliverance or chronological sequence. It
is acknowledged by all Muslim writers that most of the chapters,
especially the longer ones, are composite texts containing various
passages not necessarily linked to each other in the sequence in which
they were given. As time went on Muhammadwould say words to the effect
of: "Put this passage in the chapter in which so-and-so is mentioned",
or: "Put it in such and such a place." ]As-Suyooti, Al-Itqaan fee
'Uloom Al-Quran, p.141[ Thus, passages were added to compilations of
other passages already collected together until each of these became a
distinct chapter. The evidence that a number of these chapters already
had their recognised titles during the lifetime of Muhammad. is the
following two Prophetic narrations: "Anyone who recites the last two
verses of Soorah Al-Baqarah )The Cow, chapter 2( at night, they will
suffice him." ]Al-Bukhaari[ And:"If anyone learns by heart the first
ten verses of the Soorah Al-Kahf )the Cave, No. 18(, he will be
protected from the Dajjaal )Antichrist(."]Muslim[
At the same time, there is also reason to believe that there were
other chapters to which titles were not necessarily given by Prophet
Muhammad. An example of this is Soorah Al-Ikhlaas ]Chapter 112[, for
although the Prophetspoke at some length about it and said it was
equal to one-third of the whole Quran, he did not mention it by name.
]Muslim[
As the Quran developed, the Prophet's Companionstook portions of it
down in writing and also committed its passages to memory. It appears
that the memorisation of the text was the foremost method of recording
its contents as the very word Quran means 'recitation'. From the very
first word delivered to Muhammadby the angel Jibreel )Gabriel( on
Mount Hiraa', namely Iqra' – 'Recite!' ]Chapter 96:1[, we can see that
the verbal recitation of its passages was very highly esteemed and
consistently practiced. Nevertheless, it is to actual written records
of its text that the Quran itself bears witness in the following verse
)which means(:"]It is recorded[ in honoured sheets. Exalted and
purified. ]Carried[ by the hands of messenger-angels. Noble and
dutiful."]Quran: 80:13-16[
Furthermore, there is evidence that even during the early days of
Prophet Muhammadin Makkah, portions of the Quran as then delivered
were being written down. When 'Umarwas still a pagan, he one day
struck his sister when he heard her reading a portion of the Quran.
Upon seeing blood on her cheek, however, he relented and said:"Give me
this sheet which I heard youreading just now so that I may see what
Muhammad has brought."]Ibn Is-Haaq, Seerat Rasoolullaah, p.156[. On
reading the portion of the twentieth chapter )of the Quran( which she
had been reading, he became a Muslim.
Nonetheless, it appears that right up to the end of the life of
Muhammadthe practice of memorisation predominated over the writing
down of the Quran and was regarded as more important.
In the Hadeeth )narrations( records, we read that the angel Jibreel is
said to have checked the recitation of the Quran every Ramadan with
Prophet Muhammadand, in his )the Prophet( final year, he )Jibreel(
checked it with him twice. Faatimahsaid:"The Prophet, sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam, told me, 'Jibreel used to recite the Quran to me and
I to him once a year, but this year he recited the whole Quran with me
twice. I think that my death is approaching.'"]Al-Bukhaari[
Some of the closest Companions of the Prophetdevoted themselves to
learning the text of the Quran by heart. These included Ubayy Ibn
Ka'b, Mu'aath Ibn Jabal, Zayd Ibn Thaabit, Abu Zayd and Abu
Ad-Dardaa'. Abdullaah Ibn Mas'oodcollected more than ninety of the one
hundred and fourteen chapters by himself, learning the remaining
chapters from other Companions.
Regarding the written materials, there are no records as to exactly
how much of the Quran was written down during the lifetime of Prophet
Muhammad. There is no evidence to suggest that anyone actually
compiled the whole text of the Quran into a single manuscript, whether
directly under the authority of Prophet Muhammador otherwise.
With the death of Prophet Muhammadin 632 CE, the revelation stopped,
as the Quran had become complete. There could be no further revelation
once its chosen recipient had passed away. While he lived, however,
there was always the possibility that new passages could be added and
it hardly seemed appropriate, therefore, to contemplate codifying the
text into one harmonious whole. Thus, it is not surprising to find
that the book was widely scattered in the memories of men and in
writing on various different materials at the time of the death of the
Prophet.
There were only a few disputes among the Companions about the text of
the Quran while the Prophetwas alive, unlike those which arose soon
after his death. All these factors explain the absence of an official
codified text at the time of his death. Imaam As-Suyootistated that
the Quran, as sent down from Allaah in separate stages, had been
completely written down and carefully preserved, but that it had not
been assembled into one single location during the lifetime of Prophet
Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, ]Ibn Is-haaq, Seerat
Rasoolullaah, p.96[
All of it was said to have been available in principle, for the
Companionshad absorbed it in their memories and it had been written
down on separate materials. The final order of the various verses and
chapters is also presumed to have been defined by the Prophetwhile he
was still alive.
Dought & clear, - It is permissible to circumambulate the Ka‘bah (tawaaf) at any time, day or night
Is it possible for a person to do 'Umrah at any time of the day or
night? Or must the actions of 'Umrah be done at a specific time of
day?
What I mean by my question is:
All the actions of 'Umrah are obligatory, so is it possible for a
person to do tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka 'bah) after 'Isha'
prayer, if he reaches Makkah before 'Isha' time?
Praise be to Allah.
There is no specific time for circumambulation of the Ka'bah (tawaaf);
rather whenever a person who wants to perform Hajj or 'Umrah, or the
person who wants to perform tawaaf, reaches the Ka'bah, he may perform
tawaaf at any time he wants of the night or day, even if that is
during the times when the prayer is disallowed, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "O Banu 'Abd Manaaf,
do not prevent anyone from circumambulating this House or praying at
any time he wants, night or day."
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 868; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani.
And Allah knows best.
night? Or must the actions of 'Umrah be done at a specific time of
day?
What I mean by my question is:
All the actions of 'Umrah are obligatory, so is it possible for a
person to do tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka 'bah) after 'Isha'
prayer, if he reaches Makkah before 'Isha' time?
Praise be to Allah.
There is no specific time for circumambulation of the Ka'bah (tawaaf);
rather whenever a person who wants to perform Hajj or 'Umrah, or the
person who wants to perform tawaaf, reaches the Ka'bah, he may perform
tawaaf at any time he wants of the night or day, even if that is
during the times when the prayer is disallowed, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "O Banu 'Abd Manaaf,
do not prevent anyone from circumambulating this House or praying at
any time he wants, night or day."
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 868; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani.
And Allah knows best.
Dought & clear, - How should a woman cut her hair in Hajj and ‘Umrah?
After my mother performed 'Umrah, she cut one lock of her hair, as she
didn't know the ruling. What is the ruling on that?
Praise be to Allah.
Shaving the head or cutting the hair is one of the obligatory acts of
'Umrah. Women do not have to shave their heads; rather what is
prescribed for them is cutting the hair. It is essential to shorten
all of the hair, according to the correct opinion. This is the view of
the Maalikis and Hanbalis. If she has braids, she should remove a
little from the end of each braid. Otherwise she should gather her
hair and cut something from the ends of all of it. What is recommended
(mustahabb) is to remove a fingertip's length, but less than that may
be removed, because no specific amount is mentioned in the texts.
Al-Baaji (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Muntaqa(3/29): With
regard to women, when a woman wants to enter ihram, she may braid her
hair, then when she exits ihram she may cut something from the ends of
her braids.
How much should she cut off? It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that he
said: The length of a fingertip. Ibn Habeeb narrated from Maalik that
it should be the length of a fingertip or a little more or a little
less. Maalik said: In our view there is no specific amount, and
whatever she cuts off is acceptable, but it is essential to cut
something from all of the hair, whether it is long or short. End
quote.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Mughni(3/196): It
is obligatory to cut or shave all of the hair; this (with regard to
cutting the hair) also applies to women. This is our view and is also
the view of Maalik. End quote.
He also said: Any amount that is cut from it is acceptable. Ahmad
said: He should cut off a fingertip's length. This is also the view of
Ibn 'Umar, ash-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq, and Abu Thawr. This may be understood
as meaning that it is mustahabb, because of the words of Ibn 'Umar.
End quote.
He also said (3/226): A woman should cut a fingertip's length from her
hair. What is meant by the fingertip is the end of the finger, from
the highest knuckle. What is prescribed for women is to cut the hair,
not to shave the head, and there is no difference of opinion
concerning that. Ibn al-Mundhir said: The scholars are unanimously
agreed on this. It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Women do not have to shave their heads; rather
women have to cut their hair." Narrated by Abu Dawood. It was narrated
that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told women not to shave
their heads. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi. Ahmad used to say: She should
cut a fingertip's length from each lock of hair. This is the view of
Ibn 'Umar, ash-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq and Abu Thawr. Abu Dawood said: I
heard Ahmad being asked whether a woman should cut something from all
of her hair. He said: Yes; she should gather her hair at the front of
her head then remove a fingertip's length from the ends of her hair.
End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said inash-Sharh
al-Mumti'(7/329): "A woman should cut a fingertip's length from her
hair" refers to the top of the finger. In other words, a woman should
take hold of her braids, if she has braids, or the ends of her hair,
if she does not have braids, and trim the length of a fingertip from
it. That is approximately two centimeters. With regard to what is
common among women, which is wrapping the end of the hair around the
finger then cutting it , that is not correct. End quote.
Based on that, a woman who cut only one lock of her hair has not cut
it in the manner required. What she must do now is cut her hair in the
manner we have described, but there is no penalty on her for what she
may have done previously of things that are forbidden in ihram.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning a
woman who had not completed her 'Umrah: With regard to what she may
have done of things that are forbidden in ihram, if we assume that her
husband had intercourse with her – and intercourse when in ihram is
the most serious of the things that are forbidden – there is no
penalty on her, because she was unaware (of the rulings), and anyone
who does any action that is forbidden when in ihram out of ignorance
or forgetfulness, or because he was compelled to do it, does not have
to pay any penalty.
End quote fromMajmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen(21/351).
He (may Allah have mercy on him) was also asked: A man cut his hair on
one side after 'Umrah, then he went back to his family and he found
out that what he had done was not correct. What should he do? He
replied: If he did this thing out of ignorance, than what he must do
is take off his ordinary clothes now (and put on his ihram garments),
and shave his head completely or cut his hair. What he did is
pardoned, because he did not know. Shaving or cutting the hair does
not have to be done in Makkah; rather it may be done there or
elsewhere. But if what he did was based on a fatwa from one of the
scholars, he does not have to do anything, because Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Ask the people of knowledge, if you
do not know" [al-Anbiya' 21:7]. And some of the scholars said that
cutting part of the hair is like cutting all of the hair.
End quote fromal-Liqa' ash-Shahri, no. 10
Women do not have to change their clothes before cutting the hair,
because it is not haraam for them to wear ordinary clothes when in
ihram; rather they are only forbidden to wear the niqab and gloves.
And Allah knows best.
didn't know the ruling. What is the ruling on that?
Praise be to Allah.
Shaving the head or cutting the hair is one of the obligatory acts of
'Umrah. Women do not have to shave their heads; rather what is
prescribed for them is cutting the hair. It is essential to shorten
all of the hair, according to the correct opinion. This is the view of
the Maalikis and Hanbalis. If she has braids, she should remove a
little from the end of each braid. Otherwise she should gather her
hair and cut something from the ends of all of it. What is recommended
(mustahabb) is to remove a fingertip's length, but less than that may
be removed, because no specific amount is mentioned in the texts.
Al-Baaji (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Muntaqa(3/29): With
regard to women, when a woman wants to enter ihram, she may braid her
hair, then when she exits ihram she may cut something from the ends of
her braids.
How much should she cut off? It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that he
said: The length of a fingertip. Ibn Habeeb narrated from Maalik that
it should be the length of a fingertip or a little more or a little
less. Maalik said: In our view there is no specific amount, and
whatever she cuts off is acceptable, but it is essential to cut
something from all of the hair, whether it is long or short. End
quote.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Mughni(3/196): It
is obligatory to cut or shave all of the hair; this (with regard to
cutting the hair) also applies to women. This is our view and is also
the view of Maalik. End quote.
He also said: Any amount that is cut from it is acceptable. Ahmad
said: He should cut off a fingertip's length. This is also the view of
Ibn 'Umar, ash-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq, and Abu Thawr. This may be understood
as meaning that it is mustahabb, because of the words of Ibn 'Umar.
End quote.
He also said (3/226): A woman should cut a fingertip's length from her
hair. What is meant by the fingertip is the end of the finger, from
the highest knuckle. What is prescribed for women is to cut the hair,
not to shave the head, and there is no difference of opinion
concerning that. Ibn al-Mundhir said: The scholars are unanimously
agreed on this. It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Women do not have to shave their heads; rather
women have to cut their hair." Narrated by Abu Dawood. It was narrated
that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told women not to shave
their heads. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi. Ahmad used to say: She should
cut a fingertip's length from each lock of hair. This is the view of
Ibn 'Umar, ash-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq and Abu Thawr. Abu Dawood said: I
heard Ahmad being asked whether a woman should cut something from all
of her hair. He said: Yes; she should gather her hair at the front of
her head then remove a fingertip's length from the ends of her hair.
End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said inash-Sharh
al-Mumti'(7/329): "A woman should cut a fingertip's length from her
hair" refers to the top of the finger. In other words, a woman should
take hold of her braids, if she has braids, or the ends of her hair,
if she does not have braids, and trim the length of a fingertip from
it. That is approximately two centimeters. With regard to what is
common among women, which is wrapping the end of the hair around the
finger then cutting it , that is not correct. End quote.
Based on that, a woman who cut only one lock of her hair has not cut
it in the manner required. What she must do now is cut her hair in the
manner we have described, but there is no penalty on her for what she
may have done previously of things that are forbidden in ihram.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning a
woman who had not completed her 'Umrah: With regard to what she may
have done of things that are forbidden in ihram, if we assume that her
husband had intercourse with her – and intercourse when in ihram is
the most serious of the things that are forbidden – there is no
penalty on her, because she was unaware (of the rulings), and anyone
who does any action that is forbidden when in ihram out of ignorance
or forgetfulness, or because he was compelled to do it, does not have
to pay any penalty.
End quote fromMajmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen(21/351).
He (may Allah have mercy on him) was also asked: A man cut his hair on
one side after 'Umrah, then he went back to his family and he found
out that what he had done was not correct. What should he do? He
replied: If he did this thing out of ignorance, than what he must do
is take off his ordinary clothes now (and put on his ihram garments),
and shave his head completely or cut his hair. What he did is
pardoned, because he did not know. Shaving or cutting the hair does
not have to be done in Makkah; rather it may be done there or
elsewhere. But if what he did was based on a fatwa from one of the
scholars, he does not have to do anything, because Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Ask the people of knowledge, if you
do not know" [al-Anbiya' 21:7]. And some of the scholars said that
cutting part of the hair is like cutting all of the hair.
End quote fromal-Liqa' ash-Shahri, no. 10
Women do not have to change their clothes before cutting the hair,
because it is not haraam for them to wear ordinary clothes when in
ihram; rather they are only forbidden to wear the niqab and gloves.
And Allah knows best.
Dought & clear, - He is asking about the cost of the fidyah for removing hair
What is the cost, in riyals, of the fidyah for removing hair or
clipping the nails (when in ihram)?
Praise be to Allah.
Things that are forbidden when in ihram include removing hair from the
head or body and clipping the nails. For each of these a fidyah must
be offered. The individual has the choice between sacrificing a sheep;
feeding six poor persons, giving each poor person half a saa'; or
fasting for three days. That is because Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"and do not shave your heads until the Hady reaches the place of
sacrifice. And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp
(necessitating shaving), he must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of either
observing Saum (fasts) (three days) or giving Sadaqah (charity -
feeding six poor persons) or offering sacrifice (one sheep)"
[al-Baqarah 2:196].
And because of the hadeeth of Ka'b ibn 'Ajrah (may Allah be pleased
with him). When he needed to shave his head whilst in ihram, the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: "Shave
your head, and fast for three days, or feed six poor persons, or offer
a sacrifice."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4190; Muslim, 1201
It is not permissible to offer the fidyah in the form of cash, and it
is not valid to do so, because that is not mentioned in the texts.
Rather it must be given in the form of food, as enjoined by the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
If the question is about removing something from the hair or nails
after the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah has begun, in the case of one who
wants to offer a sacrifice but is not in a state of ihram for Hajj or
'Umrah, in this case even though it is haraam, no fidyah is required;
rather he has to pray for forgiveness and repent.
clipping the nails (when in ihram)?
Praise be to Allah.
Things that are forbidden when in ihram include removing hair from the
head or body and clipping the nails. For each of these a fidyah must
be offered. The individual has the choice between sacrificing a sheep;
feeding six poor persons, giving each poor person half a saa'; or
fasting for three days. That is because Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"and do not shave your heads until the Hady reaches the place of
sacrifice. And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp
(necessitating shaving), he must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of either
observing Saum (fasts) (three days) or giving Sadaqah (charity -
feeding six poor persons) or offering sacrifice (one sheep)"
[al-Baqarah 2:196].
And because of the hadeeth of Ka'b ibn 'Ajrah (may Allah be pleased
with him). When he needed to shave his head whilst in ihram, the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: "Shave
your head, and fast for three days, or feed six poor persons, or offer
a sacrifice."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4190; Muslim, 1201
It is not permissible to offer the fidyah in the form of cash, and it
is not valid to do so, because that is not mentioned in the texts.
Rather it must be given in the form of food, as enjoined by the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
If the question is about removing something from the hair or nails
after the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah has begun, in the case of one who
wants to offer a sacrifice but is not in a state of ihram for Hajj or
'Umrah, in this case even though it is haraam, no fidyah is required;
rather he has to pray for forgiveness and repent.
Sayings of Imam Musa Kazim (as):
Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "If there is a walnut in your hand and
people say that it is a pearl, their saying will not benefit you in
any way when you know that it is actually a walnut. And if there is a
pearl in your hand and people say that it is a walnut, their saying
will not harm you in any way when you know that it is actually a
pearl."
Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "Indeed cultivation and growth takes shape
in a soft, even land and not in a rocky (barren) land. Likewise,
wisdom grows and develops in a humble heart and not in a proud, vain
and arrogant heart."
Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "Always say the right thing although it may
lead to your loss." "It is better to be defeated on principle than to
win on lies." Arthur Calwell
people say that it is a pearl, their saying will not benefit you in
any way when you know that it is actually a walnut. And if there is a
pearl in your hand and people say that it is a walnut, their saying
will not harm you in any way when you know that it is actually a
pearl."
Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "Indeed cultivation and growth takes shape
in a soft, even land and not in a rocky (barren) land. Likewise,
wisdom grows and develops in a humble heart and not in a proud, vain
and arrogant heart."
Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "Always say the right thing although it may
lead to your loss." "It is better to be defeated on principle than to
win on lies." Arthur Calwell
Imam Moosa Al-Kadhim (as) and Knowledge of unseen (Ilm-e-Ghaib):
One day Haroon Rasheed sent some robes to Ali bin Yaqtin to honour
him. Among their number was a black woolen cloak adorned with gold
like the robes of kings. Ali bin Yaqtin dispatched those robes to Imam
Moosa Al-Kadhim (as). Among their number he (also) sent that cloak
adorned with gold. Ali bin Yaqtin added some money which he had
already prepared specifically for him as the fifth of his money (Khums
- tax for the Imams) which he was going to pay him.
When that reached Imam Moosa Al-Kadhim (as), he accepted the money and
the robes but returned the cloak by the hand of the messenger to Ali
bin Yaqtin. Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as), wrote to him: "Keep it and do
not let it leave your hands. For an event will occur to you because of
it when you will have the need of it with him (Haroon Rasheed)."
Ali bin Yaqtin was suspicious about it being returned to him and did
not understand the reason for that. Some time later, Ali bin Yaqtin
changed (his attitude) towards a servant who had a special position
with him and he left his service.
The servant knew about Ali bin Yaqtin's inclination towards Imam Musa
Al-Kadhim (as). He was acquainted with the money, robes and other
things (Ali bin Yaqtin) had sent to (Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as)) on
every occasion. He (went and) informed on him to Haroon Rasheed. He
told (Haroon Rasheed) that (Ali bin Yaqtin) maintained the Imamate of
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) and paid him a fifth of his money each year,
and also that he had given him the cloak with which the Commander of
the faithful (Haroon Rasheed) had honoured him at such-and-such a
time. Haroon Rasheed burned with anger and was furious. He declared:
"I will expose this situation. If the matter is as you say, his life
will be destroyed."
Abbasid Caliph, Haroon Rasheed immediately sent for Ali bin Yaqtin to
be brought. When he appeared before him, Haroon Rasheed said: "What
have you done with the cloak which I bestowed upon you?"
"Commander of the faithful," (Ali bin Yaqtin) replied, "I still have
it in a sealed chest and there I keep perfume with it. In the mornings
I open it and look at it to gain blessings from it. I kiss it and then
put it back in its place. Every night I do the same thing."
"Bring it, immediately," Haroon Rasheed ordered.
"Yes, Commander of the faithful," he answered. Ali bin Yaqtin summoned
one of his servants and told him: "Go to such-and-such a room in my
house. Take the key for it from my custodian and open it. Open
such-and-such a box and bring me the sealed chest which is in it."
It was not long before the servant returned with the chest still
sealed. Ali bin Yaqtin put it before Haroon Rasheed and told him to
break the seal and open it. When Haroon Rasheed opened it, he saw the
cloak in it folded and laid out in perfume.
Haroon Rasheed's anger became pacified and he said to Ali bin Yaqtin:
"Return it to its place and go away righteously. I will never
disbelieve you again on the word of an informer."
Haroon Rasheed ordered a magnificent gift to be sent after him and he
had the informer flogged with a thousand lashes. After he had been
flogged about a hundred lashes, informer died.
him. Among their number was a black woolen cloak adorned with gold
like the robes of kings. Ali bin Yaqtin dispatched those robes to Imam
Moosa Al-Kadhim (as). Among their number he (also) sent that cloak
adorned with gold. Ali bin Yaqtin added some money which he had
already prepared specifically for him as the fifth of his money (Khums
- tax for the Imams) which he was going to pay him.
When that reached Imam Moosa Al-Kadhim (as), he accepted the money and
the robes but returned the cloak by the hand of the messenger to Ali
bin Yaqtin. Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as), wrote to him: "Keep it and do
not let it leave your hands. For an event will occur to you because of
it when you will have the need of it with him (Haroon Rasheed)."
Ali bin Yaqtin was suspicious about it being returned to him and did
not understand the reason for that. Some time later, Ali bin Yaqtin
changed (his attitude) towards a servant who had a special position
with him and he left his service.
The servant knew about Ali bin Yaqtin's inclination towards Imam Musa
Al-Kadhim (as). He was acquainted with the money, robes and other
things (Ali bin Yaqtin) had sent to (Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as)) on
every occasion. He (went and) informed on him to Haroon Rasheed. He
told (Haroon Rasheed) that (Ali bin Yaqtin) maintained the Imamate of
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) and paid him a fifth of his money each year,
and also that he had given him the cloak with which the Commander of
the faithful (Haroon Rasheed) had honoured him at such-and-such a
time. Haroon Rasheed burned with anger and was furious. He declared:
"I will expose this situation. If the matter is as you say, his life
will be destroyed."
Abbasid Caliph, Haroon Rasheed immediately sent for Ali bin Yaqtin to
be brought. When he appeared before him, Haroon Rasheed said: "What
have you done with the cloak which I bestowed upon you?"
"Commander of the faithful," (Ali bin Yaqtin) replied, "I still have
it in a sealed chest and there I keep perfume with it. In the mornings
I open it and look at it to gain blessings from it. I kiss it and then
put it back in its place. Every night I do the same thing."
"Bring it, immediately," Haroon Rasheed ordered.
"Yes, Commander of the faithful," he answered. Ali bin Yaqtin summoned
one of his servants and told him: "Go to such-and-such a room in my
house. Take the key for it from my custodian and open it. Open
such-and-such a box and bring me the sealed chest which is in it."
It was not long before the servant returned with the chest still
sealed. Ali bin Yaqtin put it before Haroon Rasheed and told him to
break the seal and open it. When Haroon Rasheed opened it, he saw the
cloak in it folded and laid out in perfume.
Haroon Rasheed's anger became pacified and he said to Ali bin Yaqtin:
"Return it to its place and go away righteously. I will never
disbelieve you again on the word of an informer."
Haroon Rasheed ordered a magnificent gift to be sent after him and he
had the informer flogged with a thousand lashes. After he had been
flogged about a hundred lashes, informer died.