Sex in Islam, - Islamic Ruling on Anal Sex

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.
All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be
upon His Messenger.
Almighty Allah says in the Qur'an:"Your wives are a tilth for you, so
go to your tilth, when or how you will, and send (good deeds, or ask
Allah to bestow upon you pious offspring) for your ownselves
beforehand. And fear Allah, and know that you are to meet Him (in the
Hereafter), and give good tidings to the believers."(Al-Baqarah: 223)
In the foregoing verse the wordHarth(tilth) indicates that only
vaginal sex is permissible in Islam, because it is from this place
children are produced. The semen lodged in the womb from which
offsprings come is likened to the seeds that are planted in the
ground, bringing vegetation. Both of them are substances from which
something else is produced.
All Muslim jurists agree that anal sex is Haram, based on the Hadith
of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him:"Do not have anal sex
with women."(Reported by Ahmad, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasaa'i, and Ibn
Majah.)
Khuzaymah Ibn Thaabit, may Allah be pleased with him, also reports
that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him,
said:"Allah is not too shy to tell you the truth: Do not have sex with
your wives in the anus."(Reported by Ahmad, 5/213.)
Ibn `Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates: "The Messenger
of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:"Allah will not look
at a man who has anal sex with his wife."(Reported by Ibn Abi Shaybah,
3/529, and At-Tirmidhi classified it as an authentic Hadith, 1165.)
Further, it is reported that the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon
him, referred to such an act as"minor sodomy."(Reported by Ahmad and
An-Nasaa'i.)
However, it is allowed to caress the wife and stimulate her around the
anus, without having sex in this area. It is reported that `Umar Ibn
Al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him, came one day to the
Prophet and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I am ruined!""What has ruined
you?"asked the Prophet. He replied, "Last night I turned my wife
over," meaning that he had had vaginal intercourse with her from the
back. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not say
anything to him until the verse cited above was revealed. Then he told
him,"From the front or the back, but avoid the anus and intercourse
during menstruation."(Reported by Ahmad and At-Tirmidhi.)
If one does have anal sex with his wife, he has committed a grave sin,
which requires repentance. He should regret and feel contrite for
committing such a sin. Allah Almighty destroyed a whole nation who
were accustomed to this evil habit.
But the wife is not considered divorcedas many people think, because
there is no evidence to support this view. However, scholars maintain
that if a man habitually does this or insists on having anal sex with
his wife, she has the right to ask for a divorce, because he is
considered an evildoer who is causing harm by his action, and also
because the purpose of marriage cannot be achieved through this
action.
The wife has to resist this evil action and refuse to respond to her
husband's desire to have anal sex. She should remind him of Allah as
well as the punishment of those who transgresses the Bounds set by
Allah.
Allah Almighty knows best.

Sex in Islam, - Masturbation: Comments by the Sahaabah

Question:How is the act of masturbation seen in Islam. Is it a sin? If
it is, then what is the punishment for it?
Answer:There is no explicit directive of the Shari`ah which forbids
masturbation. In other words, it is silent on this issue.
Consequently, it cannot be regarded as a sin. The verses from which
its prohibition is usually derived, I am afraid, have another meaning
(than that commonly ascribed).
Theopinions of some of the companionsof the Prophet (saws) reproduced
below fromIbn Hazam's al-Muhalla (Vol:11, pp. 393-4)indicate that
(while they may have discouraged it) they did not forbid it:
Ibn 'Abbaas:
*."Marrying a slave girl is better than it, and it is better than
fornication (zinaa)."
*."It is nothing but rubbing one's private parts until a fluid comes out."
Ibn `Umar:
*."A person who does makes a fool of himself."
*."It is merely rubbing an organ."
Jaabir Ibn Zayd:
*."It is your water; you can discharge it [if you want]."
Hasan Basri:
*."There is no harm in it."
At best, masturbation can be termed as an undesirable act similar in
nature to the emotions of anger and hate. Such emotions are generally
against good conduct, and a person should try to control them as much
as possible. However, there may be situations when they may play a
somewhat positive role -- especially when they save you from a sin.

Sex in Islam, - Masturbation:

The pressing need to relieve himself of sexual tension may drive a
young man to masturbation.
The majority of scholars consider it haram. Imam Malik bases his
judgement on the verse,Those who guard their sexual organs except with
their spouses or those whom their right hands possess, for (with
regard to them) they are without blame. But those who crave something
beyond that are transgressors, (23:5-7) arguing that the masturbator
is one of those who "crave something beyond that."
On the other hand, it is reported that Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal regarded
semen as an excretion of the body like other excrete and permitted its
expulsion as blood letting is permitted. Ibn Hazm holds the same view.
However, the Hanbali jurists permit masturbation only under two
conditions: first, the fear of committing fornication or adultery, and
second, not having the means to marry.
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi comments inThe Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam:
We are inclined to accept the opinion of Imam Ahmad in a situation in
which there is sexual excitation and danger of committing the haram.
For example, a young man has gone abroad to study or work, thereby
encountering many temptations which he fears he will be unable to
resist, may resort to this method of relieving sexual tension provided
he does not do it excessively or make it into a habit.
Yet better than this is the Prophet's advice to the Muslim youth who
is unable to marry, namely, that he seek help through frequent
fasting, for fasting nurtures will-power, teaches control of desires,
and strengthens the fear of Allah. The Prophet, peace and blessings be
upon him, is reported to have said,"O youth, whoever of you is able to
marry, let him marry, for it spares one looking at what one should
not, or lapsing in adultery. And if he cannot marry, let him observe
fasting, for it is a shield against evil."(Reported by Muslim).
You should make use of the following:
1.Observe fasting, because it bolsters one's faith, preserves
chastity, and protects one from evil thoughts.
2.Observe moderation in eating and drinking in order to avoid
stimulating your desire.
3.Keep away from anything that is sexually stimulating, such as
pornographic pictures, erotic films and love songs.
4.Choose good and righteous friends.
5.Keep yourself busy in worship and spiritual acts.
6.Interact with activities of the society in such away that it keeps
you away from thinking about sex.
7.Avoid gatherings and places that bring men and women physically
close to each other.
8.Avoid sleeping on beds that are so soft that they make one think about sex.
9.Try to admire natural things such as flowers and beautiful scenery,
which do not stimulate one sexually, instead of admiring girls and
women.
10.If you find the previous things useful, then it is forbidden for
you to masturbate. However, if you find that you cannot relieve
yourself except through masturbation, and you fear you may lapse in
adultry if you do not masturbate, then the juristic rule which states
that "the lesser evil is to be suffered in order to fend off the major
one" applies to you, as masturbation is deemed to be the lesser of two
evils in this case.But, we would like to stress that this may be done
only in the case of dire necessity, when all soultions prove to be of
no avail.
May Allah guide you to the right path and help you keep away from sins.
Allah Almighty knows best.

Dua Against Debt

Being in debt is a killer. It consumes us with stress, and eats away
at our happiness and sense of security. It destroys marriages, and if
the debt is between family or friends then it can ruin those
relationships. In some countries, inability to pay your debt can even
you put in prison.
I feel obligated to mention that part of the reason so many people are
carrying so much debt is our addiction to the material lifestyle. We
are bombarded with messages and advertisements telling us we need to
buy this and own that. It gets to the point where we measure our
status in life (and that of others) by what we own, or worse, by how
much we spend. If we spend a huge sum of money on a lavish wedding,
then we are "honored" in society. If not, we feel shamed. Since our
incomes do not match our desires, we go into debt.
This thinking and lifestyle is completely contrary to what Islam
teaches us, and to the example set by the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and
the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them all). Even when they
became rulers of the world, they continued to live simple and humble
lifestyles, because they understood what really matters in life.
So the first step for us is to readjust our priorities, and to realize
that what matters is our relationship with Allah. Beyond that, the
important things in life are our family relationships – loving our
spouses and children and spending time with them, worshiping with
them, supporting them. Then our friendships, and doing some good in
the world, creating something meaningful, and being an agent of
compassion in the lives of those around you.
Dua Against Debt
If you have done whatever you can to avoid debt, and still you find
yourself burdened with debts, try this dua from Fortress of the
Muslim. Repeat it many times every day:
Dua for relief from debt, in Arabic
Allaahummak-finee bihalaalika 'an haraamika wa 'aghninee bifadhlika
'amman siwaaka.
"O Allah, suffice me with what You have allowed instead of what You
have forbidden , and make me independent of all others besides You."
(Reference: At-Tirmithi 5/560. See also Al-Albani, Sahih At-Tirmithi 3/180.)
This dua against debt is really brilliant, because the dua contains
within itself the solution to the problem. "Suffice me with what you
have allowed." In other words, let the halal be enough for me. Don't
let me get myself into debt because of haram mortgage loans or
excessive material desire, or out-of-control consumer spending. Let me
be satisfied with a simple, halal life, so that I don't get into debt.
If you repeat this often enough it becomes a part of your thinking and
awareness, and you modify your own behavior, which leads to: "make me
independent of all others besides You." You become your own man or
woman, not owing money to anyone, independent, relying only on Allah.
I'm not saying the dua is just an affirmation, I'm saying it works on
both levels, as an affirmation and as a prayer to Allah to help you
achieve that affirmation. It's a subtle and amazing dua.
Three Excellent Dua's Against Debt:
(note that #2 is the same as the one above)
1) "Oh Allah, I take refuge in You…"
Narrated by Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri (ra):
One day the Messenger of Allah (saw) entered the mosque. He saw there
a man from the Ansar (a resident of Madinah) called Abu Umamah and
said to him: "What is the matter that I am seeing you sitting in the
mosque when there is no time of prayer?" Abu Umamah said: "I am
entangled in sorrow and debts." The Prophet Muhammad (ra ) replied:
"Shall I not teach you words by which, when you say them, Allah will
remove your sorrow, and settle your debts?" Abu Umamah said: "Yes,
Messenger of Allah." The Prophet Muhammad (ra ) said: "Say in the
morning and evening:Allahumma inni 'auzu bika min alhamma wal 'huzn,
wal 'ajzi wal kasali wal bukhli wal jubn, wa dhala'iddini wa
'galabatir rajaal."(See here for the arabic text).
'O Allah, I take refuge in You from anxiety and sorrow, weakness and
laziness, miserliness and cowardice, the burden of debts and from
being overpowered by men.'
Abu Umamah said: "When I did that Allah removed my distress and
settled my debt." [Abu Dawood]
2) "O Allah, grant me enough…"
Ali radi Allahu `anhu said that a slave, who had made a contract with
his master to pay for his freedom, came to him and said, "I am unable
to fulfil my contract, so help me." He said, "Shall I not teach you
some words which Allah's Messenger (ra) taught me, and which even if
you had a debt as large as a mountain Allah would pay it for you?":
Allahumma akfini bihala lika an haramika wa aghnini bi fadhlika am-man siwak.
"O Allah, grant me enough of what You make lawful that I may dispense
of with what You make unlawful, and make me independent, by Your
bounty, of other than You."[At-Tirmidhi]
3) "O Allah, Sovereign of all…"
The Prophet (saw) said to Muadh radi Allahu `anhu, "Should I not teach
you a supplication which, when used to implore Allah, Allah shall pay
your debt, even it be as huge as Mount Uhud? He then mentioned:
Allahumma Maalik al-mulki tu'til-mulka man tasha' u wa tanzi'ul mulka
mimman tasha', wa tu'izzu man tasha' u wa tudhilu man tasha', bi
yadika al-khayr, innaka 'ala kulli shay'in qadeer, Rahmaan-id-dunya
wa'l-aakhirah wa raheemahuma, tu'teeyahuma man tasha' wa tamna'
minhuma man tasha', irhamni rahmatan taghnini biha 'an rahmati man
siwaak.
"O Allah, Sovereign of all, You give dominion to whomsoever You will
and You take dominion away from whomsoever You will, You exalt
whomsoever You will and You bring low whomsoever You will. In Your
hand is all goodness and You are able to do all things. Most Merciful
and Most compassionate in this world and in the Hereafter, You give
them to whomsoever You will and withhold them from whomsoever You
will. Bestow mercy upon Me in such a manner that I have no need of the
mercy of anyone but You."[Tabarani]

10 Islamic quotations by Sarah Saghir

Thoughts on Prayer, Faith, Gratitude and the Soul
By Sarah Saghir
1. Make wudu, not war.
2. You can't love God, without Him letting you. He must have loved you first.
3. It's the dua at the Iftar table that tells us what we really want.
It's the ability to suppress the nafs and hush the stomach for a few
extra minutes, all to let the heart speak what it wishes.
***
4. The only mirror we should obsessively check is that which reflects
the soul. You cannot purchase such a mirror, but you can find it
within you. *Ponder* over the condition of your soul. Sit with
yourself and reflect. But for such reflections to surface, you need
blessed light from God and a pair of open eyes – nay, an open heart.
Because sometimes, "It is not the eyes that are blind, but the
hearts." (Qur'an 22:46)
Ya Allah put the light of the Quran in our hearts. Make it a means for
us to clearly see. Ya Wahhab
***
5. There is absolutely no need, my friend – no need for you to wipe
the rain off my face after the prayer. I know your intentions are
well, as it may seem like there are dark clouds hovering over my head,
but I am harboring rainbows on the inside, with colors of love, fear,
hope, guilt, peace, shame and calmness. And sometimes these tears mean
i'm desperately looking for the rays of sincerity that bring this
prism to life, under the rain.
***
6. I know you cannot measure the magnitude of your blessings; but
please tell me you noticed one thing: the difference between the
guided and the heedless. You — whom God addresses, while causally
sitting on a bus, reading His speech, surrounded by passengers full of
hunger & vacancy — must be so lucky. Tell me you recognize this debt;
tell me you found in its depth, gratitude.
***
7. When you finally decide to practice your faith, know that God is
100% behind you. He's the one to give you that initial push. And at
first, it will be easy breezy; you will feel 'the rush' and experience
that 'spiritual high.'
But then He will test you (only because He loves you) And now you've
got to start swinging yourself, using your core, feet, arms, your will
– against the wind, gravity, the hardships, people, your sins..
You need to keep pushing to the rhythm of faith that swings high, low,
beautiful. Keep pushing to get higher, closer to Him. Keep pushing.
***
8. O Allah whoever wishes khair (good) for me in the secrecy of the
night or in the openness of daylight, grant them double what they've
wished for me. And whoever wishes sharr (harm) to touch me, pardon
them and stretch distance and forgiveness between us. Ya Karim,
9. I want to live a life of simplicity, not an easy life.
10. If you only pray when you're in trouble, you're in trouble.

Seeing Through Eyes of Hope

We all feel weary at times. We feel like we're fighting on so many
fronts and that we have no helpers. At times our passion drains away
and we feel like we're just going through the motions. This happens to
me. I think it happens to everyone.
At those moments, Shaytan (Satan) tries to push us into despair.
Despair is one of Shaytan's greatest weapons. If we are in debt,
Shaytan tries to get us to despair of getting out of debt. If we're
ill, he tries to convince us to despair of getting well. If we have
committed sins, he whispers to us to despair of Allah's mercy and the
possibility of forgiveness. He tries to make us despair of our
futures, despair of our salvation, and fail to see the beauty in our
lives.
Believers must resist Shaytan's whispers. Believers must be people of
hope, and must see the world through eyes of hope. Believers make life
choices that are rooted in hope.
"Shaytan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality,
while Allah promises you forgiveness from Him and bounty. And Allah is
all-Encompassing and Knowing."– Quran, Al-Baqarah, 2:268
So we have two different calls echoing in our ears. Shaytan calls us
to fear, and grasping attachment to this material world.
Allah the Almighty, on the other hand, offers us forgiveness and true
blessings. Allah offers us hope. Hope is not wishing on a star, or
daydreaming. Hope is a real thing, because it's a part of trusting
Allah. After all, prayer is all about hope.
The Quran tells us that with every difficulty comes ease. Hope is an
acknowledgment of that reality, that things will get better, and a
time of ease will come.
When life becomes hard, we need to see through eyes of hope, not eyes
of despair.
Salma
Eyes of Hope
The morning spills out
yellow like a poppy field.
My street is emerald with life:
olives and spring fire,
Chinese fringe and apricot.
My six year old daughter
kneels to pet a cat
but it runs, bell jingling.
"That cat is complicated," she says.
Later she grasps my hand
and says, "Baba,
you are number one."
There's a smell of rain in the air.
When Salma was near
to being born, the doctor said
that the umbilical cord
was looped around her neck.
She could suffocate, he said.
For a week of nights my thoughts raced
as I lay in bed, listening to the frogs
in the field behind the house.
I prayed much harder
than I've ever prayed for myself.
As we walk, Salma collects
acorns and red berries,
fallen leaves and dandelions.
"I'm making a nature salad,"
she says. "I'll hand you the things,
and you put them in the bucket.
That's the process."
I want to laugh, but I only smile,
and I follow Salma down the street
humbly, and with eyes of hope.

Resisting a Grave Sin by Asif Iftikhar

Question: By God's grace, till this time I have resisted all the
temptations, but I am scared that I may succumb to them if they get
too great. What should I do to avoid temptation? My room-mate brings
drunk girls every weekend to the room. What should I do? I don't want
to tell him not to do that because it is his room too. The other day
he brought a drunk girl and they went to sleep.
I woke up for the Fajr prayer and saw her half hanging from my
room-mate's bunk bed. I pulled her down and carried her to my bed
which is on the ground and not bunked. She (being drunk and thinking
me to be my room-mate tried to do things with me). I left her on my
bed and went to sleep on the couch of the kitchen in the hall. Was I
in any way at fault?
Answer: The Prophet (sws) of Allah is reported to have said that on
the scorching Day of Judgment seven people shall be under a shade. One
of these will be a young man who had been tempted by a woman of beauty
and position and had said to her: I fear Allah. (Muslim: Kitab
al-Zakat)
I congratulate you from the depth of my heart on having achieved this
position. The question now is how to maintain it. Contrary to the
conception of Christians about morality, Islam wants us not only to
'rejoice in being persecuted for righteousness sake' when the occasion
so demands but also to try not to be persecuted. Your immense trial at
the moment is not only to refrain from succumbing to temptation but
also to avoid situations in which one may be tempted. This is a great
trial indeed. My heart goes out to you and my prayers are with you.
Trees and plants also serve our Lord. But He wants us to serve Him not
only with sincerity but also with wisdom. Careful planning is needed
to tackle your problem. The possible solutions can be divided into two
categories: short-term and long-term.
Short-term:
i. Try to avoid being in the room when something inappropriate is
going on. Try to get yourself busy in your work or in socializing.
ii. Try to find good company and have regular meetings with your good
and pious friends. Also, you might like to get in touch with your
local Islamic Centre and with the American Muslim Council. You can
write to them and explain your need for good friends. I am sure
they'll empathize.
iii. Also, you can promise yourself that when the temptation becomes
intense you will always get in touch with your close friends before
doing any thing to make your individual problem your collective
problem. If you have good and pious friends, I am sure they'll be able
to put their heads together to work out some solution.
iv. Keep praying to God and offering your salah. Also keep reading the
Qur'an regularly, especially the verses which remind us that
fornication is a great sin. Also, you might want to fast two or three
times a month on weekends or whenever you have the time. During
fasting, remind yourself that you are abstaining from food for His
sake, and after this manner pray to Him: 'Lord for you I have
abstained from this desire (for food). I could not have abstained
without the strength you gave me. My Lord I am your humble and frail
servant. Give me the strength to abstain from that desire as well, for
I fear your wrath and seek your mercy.'
v. One way of sublimating the urge to have sex with a woman is
masturbation. Although undesirable for many health reasons (both
physical and psychological), there is no Divine directive which
categorizes it as a sin.
vi. I know in that society people sometimes take offence on refusal.
At times, they can become quite vindictive. First of all, try not to
be alone with a girl, and try avoiding eye contact as much as
possible. If someone makes fun of this behaviour, explain gently and
solemnly that lowering your eyes is your way of showing respect to a
lady as recommended by your religion. If you find yourself alone with
a girl who invites you to sin, don't try to offend her by saying
anything bad. Instead, gently and firmly explain your reason and walk
away to a safer environment where there are other people.
Long-term:
i. First of all, without making a great fuss, you should try to have
your room changed. Ideally, a room with a like-minded fellow or,
perhaps, an independent room. Furthermore, you should try to get in
touch with your local Muslim organisation – you'll probably have one
in your college – and try to spend as much time as possible in the
company of pious and like-minded people.
Also, when darkness prevails, `the heart that has light sings of the
morn'. With wisdom and sagacity, and with courtesy and consideration,
keep calling others to your faith. In the fervour of that call, you'll
gain strength, for that fervour will not let the light in your own
heart fade away and shall make it brighter.
I know you realise that fornication is a grave sin. (See the Qur'an
3:24 and 17:32). Therefore, you must do everything possible to avoid
it. If nothing else works, then, in the longer-run, the most effective
thing in this regard would be marriage. Now, I know we are talking
about something very serious. But so is the Hereafter – a very, very
serious matter.
The most appropriate way, obviously, would be that you talk to your
parents frankly. You might even tell them that you have taken such and
such measures, but that you would not be able to hold on for very
long. You can tell them that you are grateful for whatever they have
done for you in life and for the excellent education they are giving
you, but you need their help most in securing your success in the life
Hereafter. You can tell them that your success in this regard will be
their success and your failure (God forbid) will be their failure, and
that there is nothing more important in life than that success.
If all this fails, that is if your parents do not listen, then I would
very frankly suggest you to defy them. In that case, you should get in
touch with one of these Muslim organisations in the U.S. (you'll
definitely have some organisation in your college as well) and marry a
girl with similar ideas and conviction.
Perhaps the organisation will help you in meeting a family that is
appreciative of your commitment to your religion and willing to
support you in your efforts and in your married life.
I know either step would be a big one for you. But, please remember
that life is a trial, and in the course of our life there comes a time
when it tests our commitment to our claim: 'I bear witness that there
is no god but God, and that Muhammad is His servant and His
Messenger'.
God has ordained that we be of service to our parents to the best of
our ability and treat them well. But when this service leads to
disobedience to God in matters as grave as fornication, we should
disobey them instead*. We should remain sincere to them, keep on
serving them and should continue to treat them well, but should remain
– first and foremost – servants of our Lord Allah. God be with you.
*. Although in this verse the sin under discussion is shirk
(associating someone with God) – the gravest of all sins –, yet by
analogy we can say that our attitude should be the same in other sins
of serious nature as fornication, adultery, murder, etc.

Self Evaluation

As far as the five basic tenets of Islam and the injunctions about
Haram food are concerned, there can be no compromise in any situation
except as and when allowed by Islam itself; for example reduced prayer
in travel and Haram food in unbearable hunger. Similarly, big sins as
fornication, theft and murder are to be avoided in all situations. In
other matters, try to avoid evil as much as possible without putting
so much burden on yourself that you be ultimately bound to commit a
greater sin. In these areas, Islam gives a lot of allowance in case of
an evil that has pervaded the society. Moving gradually towards the
ideal is more natural here.
In ethics and social responsibility, ask yourself: What would the
Prophet (sws) have done in this matter? It is he who is our ideal in
morality and ethics. Although we can never reach his level, we can use
the example of his life to chart out the course of our own. Blessings
of Allah be upon him.
I know, in a far off land, practising your religion poses immense
difficulties and you are bound to feel lonely. Learn to talk to God.
His hotline is Tahajjud – when the world sleeps, wake whenever
conveniently possible to open your heart to Him. Learn how to speak to
Him through the prayers of the Prophet (sws)1.Train you ear to listen
to Him as He speaks through the Qur'an. Then, you'll hear Him talking
to you2.
Seek His refuge in your prayer and in your perseverance, in occasional
fasting3, and in the study and the propagation of religion4. Let your
prayer and perseverance be your strength, your fasting your shield and
the knowledge and propagation of your religion your sword. With these,
you shall prevail. Insha'Allah.
1. Many booklets of the Prophet's prayers are available. You can say
these prayers before turning your head for salam in each prayer.
2. I strongly recommend recitation of Surah al-Duha and Surah Alam Nashrah~.
3. Three times a month is quite enough.
4.As much as is conveniently possible in your circumstances.

BIBLE PROPHECIES ABOUT THE ADVENT OF MUHAMMAD

BIBLE PROPHECIES ABOUT THE ADVENT OF MUHAMMAD
Abraham is widely regarded as the Patriarch of monotheism and the
common father of the Jews, Christians and Muslims. Through His second
son, Isaac, came all Israelite prophets including such towering
figures as Jacob, Joseph, Moses, David, Solomon and Jesus. May peace
and blessings be upon them all. The advent of these great prophets was
in partial fulfillment of God's promises to bless the nations of earth
through the descendents of Abraham (Genesis12:2-3).Such fulfillment is
wholeheartedly accepted by Muslims whose faith considers the belief in
and respect of all prophets an article of faith.
BLESSINGS OF ISHMAEL AND ISAAC
Was the first born son of Abraham (Ishmael) and his descendants
included in God's covenant and promise? A few verses from the Bible
may help shed some light on this question;
1) Genesis 12:2-3 speaks of God's promise to Abraham and his
descendants before any child was born to him.
2) Genesis 17:4 reiterates God's promise after the birth of Ishmael
and before the birth of Isaac.
3) In Genesis, ch. 21. Isaac is specifically blessed but Ishmael was
also specifically blessed and promised by God to become "a great
nation" especially in Genesis 21:13, 18.
4) According to Deuteronomy 21:15-17 the traditional rights and
privileges of the first born son are not to be affected by the social
status of his mother (being a "free" woman such as Sarah, Isaac's
mother, or a "Bondwoman" such as Hagar, Ishmael's mother). This is
only consistent with the moral and humanitarian principles of all
revealed faiths.
5) The full legitimacy of Ishmael as Abraham's son and "seed" and the
full legitimacy of his mother, Hagar, as Abraham's wife are clearly
stated in Genesis 21:13 and 16:3. After Jesus, the last Israelite
messenger and prophet, it was time that God's promise to bless Ishmael
and his descendants be fulfilled. Less than 600years after Jesus, came
the last messenger of God, Muhammad, from the progeny of Abraham
through Ishmael. God's blessing of both of the main branches of
Abraham's family tree was now fullfilled. But are there additional
corroborating evidence that the Bible did in fact foretell the advent
of prophet Muhammad?
MUHAMMAD:
The Prophet Like Unto Moses
Long time after Abraham, God's promise to send the long-awaited
Messenger was repeated this time in Moses' words.
In Deuteronomy 18:18, Moses spoke of the prophet to be sent by God who is:
1) From among the Israelite's "brethren", a reference to their
Ishmaelite cousins as Ishmael was the other son of Abraham who was
explicitly promised to become a "great nation".
2) A prophet like unto Moses. There were hardly any two prophets ,who
were so much alike as Moses and Muhammad. Both were given
comprehensive law code of life, both encountered their enemies and
were victors in miraculous ways, both were accepted as
prophets/statesmen and both migrated following conspiracies to
assassinate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlooks not only
the above similarities but other crucial ones as well (e.g. the
natural birth, family life and death of Moses and Muhammad but not of
Jesus, who was regarded by His followers as the Son of God and not
exclusively a messenger of God, as Moses and Muhammad were and as
Muslim belief Jesus was).
THE AWAITED PROPHET WAS TO COME FROM ARABIA
Deuteronomy 33:1-2 combines references to Moses, Jesus and Muhammad.
It speaks of God (i.e. God's revelation) coming from Sinai, rising
from Seir (probably the village of Sa'ir near Jerusalem) and shining
forth from Paran. According to Genesis 21:21, the wilderness of Paran
was the place where Ishmael settled (i.e. Arabia, specifically Mecca).
Indeed the King James version of the Bible mentions the pilgrims
passing through the valley of Ba'ca (another name of Mecca) in Psalms
84:4-6.
Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the beloved of God. His elect and messenger
who will bring down a law to be awaited in the isles and who "shall
not fail nor be discouraged till he have set judgement on earth."
Verse 11, connects that awaited one with the descendants of Ke'dar.
Who is Ke'dar? According to Genesis 25:13, Ke'dar was the second son
of Ishmael, the ancestor of prophet Muhammad.
MUHAMMAD'S MIGRATION FROM MECCA TO MEDINA:
PROPHECIED IN THE BIBLE?
Habakkuk 3:3 speaks of God (God's help) coming from Te'man (an Oasis
North of Medina according to J. Hasting's Dictionary of the Bible),
and the holy one (coming) from Paran. That holy one who under
persecution migrated from Paran (Mecca) to be received
enthusiastically in Medina was none but prophet Muhammad.
Indeed the incident of the migration of the prophet and his persecuted
followers is vividly described in Isaiah 21:13-17. That section
foretold as well about the battle of Badr in which the few ill-armed
faithful miraculously defeated the "mighty" men of Ke'dar, who sought
to destroy Islam and intimidate their own folks who turned -to Islam.
THE QUR'AN (KORAN) FORETOLD IN THE BIBLE?
For twenty-three years, God's words (the Qur'an) were truely put into
Muhammad's mouth. He was not the "author" of the Qur'an. The Qur'an
was dictated to him by Angel Gabriel who asked Muhammad to simply
repeat the words of the Qur'an as he heard them. These words were then
committed to memory and to writing by those who hear them during
Muhammad's life time and under his supervision.
Was it a coincidence that the prophet "like unto Moses" from the
"brethren" of the Israelites (i.e. from the lshmaelites) was also
described as one in whose mouth God will put his words and that he
will speak in the name of God, (Deuteronomy 18:18-20). Was it also a
coincidence the "Paraclete" that Jesus foretold to come after Him was
described as one who "shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he
shall hear, that shall he speak (John 16:13)
Was it another coincidence that Isaiah ties between the messenger
connected with Ke'dar and a new song (a scripture in a new language)
to be sang unto the Lord (Isaiah 42:10-11). More explicitly,
prophesies Isaiah "For with stammering lips, and another tongue, will
he speak to this people" (Isaiah 28:11). This latter verse correctly
describes the "stammering lips" of Prophet Muhammad reflecting the
state of tension and concentration he went through at the time of
revelation. Another related point is that the Qur'an was revealed in
piece-meals over a span of twenty three years. It is interesting to
compare this with Isaiah 28:10 whichspeaks of the same thing.
THAT PROPHET- PARACLETE- MUHAMMAD
Up to the time of Jesus (peace be upon him), the Israelites were still
awaiting for that prophet like unto Moses prophecied in Deuteronomy
18:18. When John the Baptist came, they asked him if he was Christ and
he said "no". They asked him if he was Elias and he said "no". Then,
in apparent reference to Deuteronomy 18:18, they asked him "Art thou
that Prophet" and he answered, "no". (John 1: 1 9-2 1).
In the Gospel according to John (Chapters 14, 15, 16) Jesus spoke of
the "Paraclete" or comforter who will come after him, who will be sent
by Father as another Paraclete, who will teach new things which the
contemporaries of Jesus could not bear. While the Paraclete is
described as the spirit of truth, (whose meaning resemble Muhammad's
famous title Al-Amin, the trustworthy), he is identified in one verse
as the Holy Ghost (John 14:26). Such a designation is however
inconsistent with the profile of that Paraclete. In the words of the
Dictionary of the Bible, (Ed. J. Mackenzie) "These items, it must be
admitted do not give an entirely coherent picture."
Indeed history tells us that many early Christians understood the
Paraclete to be a man and not a spirit. This might explain the
followings who responded to some who claimed, without meeting the
criteria stipulated by Jesus, to be the awaited "Paraciete".
It was Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was the Paraclete,
Comforter, helper, admonisher sent by God after Jesus. He testified of
Jesus, taught new things which could not be borne at Jesus' time, he
spoke what he heard (revelation), he dwells with the believers
(through his well-preserved teachings). Such teachings will remain
forever because he was the last messenger of God, the only Universal
Messenger to unite the whole of humanity under God and on the path of
PRESERVED truth. He told of many things to come which "came to pass"
in the minutest detail meeting, the criterion given by Moses to
distinguish between the true prophet and the false prophets
(Deuteronomy 18:22). He did reprove the world of sin, of righteousness
and of judgement (John 16:8-11)
WAS THE SHIFT OF RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP PROPHECIED?
Following the rejection of the last Israelite prophet, Jesus, it was
about time that God's promise to make Ishmael a great nation be
fulfilled (Genesis 21:13, 18)
In Matthew 21:19-21, Jesus spoke of the fruitless fig tree (A Biblical
symbol of prophetic heritage) to be cleared after being given a last
chance of three years (the duration of Jesus' ministry) to give fruit.
In a later verse in the same chapter, Jesus said: "Therefore, say I
unto you, The Kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given
to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof" (Matthew 21:43). That
nation of Ishmael's descendants (the rejected stone in Matthew 21:42)
which was victorious against all super-powers of its time as
prophecied by Jesus: "And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be
broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder"
(Matthew 21:44).
OUT OF CONTEXT COINCIDENCE?
Is it possible that the numerous prophecies cited here are all
individually and combined out of context misinterpretations? Is the
opposite true, that such infrequently studied verses fit together
consistently and clearly point to the advent of the man who changed
the course of human history, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Is
it reasonable to conclude that all these prophecies, appearing in
different books of the Bible and spoken by various prophets at
different times were all coincidence? If this is so here is another
strange "coincidence"!
One of the signs of the prophet to come from Paran (Mecca) is that he
will come with "ten thousands of saints" (Deuteronomy 33:2 KJV). That
was the number of faithful who accompanied Prophet Muhammad to Paran
(Mecca) in his victorious, bloodless return to his birthplace to
destroy the remaining symbols of idolatry in the Ka'bah.
Says God as quoted by Moses:
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my
words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.
(Deuteronomy 18:19)

Women site, - The Inherent Differences Between Man and Woman - I

The physical, moral and Sharee'ah-related differences between man and
woman are proven by Divine Decree, the Sharee'ah, and sound ration.
That is, Allaah The Almighty has created man and woman as twin-halves
of the human species: male and female, as confirmed by His Statement
)which means(:}And that He creates the two mates - the male and
female.{]Quran 53:45[ Both participate in maintaining the universe,
each in his/her field. They share in maintaining it by worshipping
Allaah The Almighty, in which there is no difference between men and
women in the universalities of religion: Tawheed )Islamic monotheism(,
creed, articles of faith, submission to Allaah The Almighty, reward
and punishment, encouragement and admonition in general, in addition
to virtue and chastity. There is also no difference between them in
the universality of religious law, as regards to all rights and
duties; Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:
•}And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.{]Quran 51:56[
•}Whoever does righteousness, whether male or female, while he is a
believer - We will surely cause him to live a good life.{]Quran 16:97[
•}And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while
being a believer - those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged,
]even as much as[ the speck on a date seed.{]Quran 4:124[
But, Allaah The Almighty decreed that man is different from woman in
physique, constitution and appearance. Man is more perfect in nature,
disposition and physical power than woman, due to what she suffers of
menses, pregnancy, the pains of childbirth, suckling, looking after
the affairs of the baby, and raising the future generation of the
Ummah )Muslim nation(. That is why the woman was created from the rib
of Aadam )Adam(, may Allaah exalt his mention. She is a complementary
part of him, and man is entrusted to take care of her affairs, guard
and protect her, and maintain her as well as their offspring.
This difference in disposition led to differences between them in
physical, mental, intellectual, emotional capabilities, and
will-power, and that was reflected in the difference in work,
performance, and competence. Additionally, modern day scientists have
concluded that there are amazing signs of physiological disparity
between the two sexes.
The types of difference between the sexes has accounted for a large
set of corresponding Sharee'ah-stipulated rulings. Allaah, The Exalted
in Honor, the Wise, with His Perfect Wisdom, has enjoined difference,
disparity and authority between man and woman in some
Sharee'ah-stipulated rulings in tasks and functions that befit each
according to his/her physique, constitution, capabilities and
performance, and the aptitude of each of them in his/her respective
field of human life, in order for life to be integrated and for each
party to undertake his/her task in it.
Allaah The Almighty assigned to men rulings that befit their physique,
constitution, structure, competence, qualification for performance,
patience, endurance and solemnity, and the bulk of their role is
outside the home as they endeavor to provide for their household. He
did the same with women, to whom He assigned rulings that befit their
physique, constitution, structure, competence, qualification for
performance and fragile endurance, and the bulk of their job is thus
inside the home, looking after the affairs of their household and
raising those in it who constitute the next generation of the Ummah.
Allaah The Almighty related from a woman her statement )which
means(:}"And the male is not like the female."{]Quran 3:36[ Exalted be
He, to whom belongs the creation and command, ruling and
legislation:}Unquestionably, His is the creation and the command;
blessed is Allaah, Lord of the worlds.{]Quran 7:54[
This is the universal norm of Allaah The Almighty in His creation
)meaning that whatever Allaah The Almighty wills and decrees for his
slaves will inevitably occur(, constitution and foundations, and His
Legislative norm concerning commands, rulings and laws. Both norms
meet to serve the benefits of people, the maintenance of the universe,
and the organization of the life of the individual, the home, the
community and human society.

Women site, - The Inherent Differences Between Man and Woman - II

Here is a set of features with which men and women have been characterized:
From among the rulings assigned to men, a mention may be made of the following:
• Men are in charge of the household in general and of preserving,
caring and safeguarding virtue, holding back vice and protecting those
under their guardianship from evil. They are also in charge of the
household in terms of earning a living and spending upon it. In
confirmation of this, Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Men are
in charge of women by ]right of[ what Allaah has given one over the
other and what they spend ]for maintenance[ from their wealth. So
righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in ]the husband's[
absence what Allaah would have them guard.{]Quran 4:34[
Consider the effect of that responsibility in the word "under" in the
Grand Quran as stated by Allaah The Almighty in Soorat
At-Tahreem:}Allaah presents an example of those who disbelieved: the
wife of Noah and the wife of Lot. They were under two of Our righteous
servants.{]Quran 66:10[
"Under" in this context tells us that they had no authority over their
husbands; rather, it was their husbands who had authority over them.
The woman is, therefore, not to be regarded as equal to or above the
man in this regard.
• Prophethood and the delivering of Allaah's message are the domain of
men and not women. In confirmation of this, Allaah The Almighty Says
)what means(:}And We sent not before you ]as messengers[ except men to
whom We revealed from among the people of cities.{]Quran 12:109[
According to scholars of Tafseer )Quranic exegesis(, Allaah The
Almighty has never sent as a prophet a woman, an angel, a jinn, or a
Bedouin.
• As for public guardianship and the jobs done under it like the
judiciary, public administration, and so on, and all other forms of
guardianship like that in marriage, are also the domain of men.
• Men are specifically assigned, to the exclusion of women, many acts
of worship such as the obligatory duty of Jihaad, Jumu'ah )Friday
prayer in the mosque( prayer, congregational prayers )in the mosque(,
pronouncement of the Athaan and Iqaamah )calls to prayer(, and so on.
Divorce also is made in the hand of the man and not the woman, and the
custody of the children are given to the man and not the woman.
• The man's share of inheritance, blood-money and his witness is twice
that of the woman.
These and other rulings assigned exclusively to men explain the
meaning of what is mentioned by Allaah The Almighty at the end of the
Noble Verse of Divorce in which He Says )what means(:}But the men have
a degree over them ]in responsibility and authority[. And Allaah is
Exalted in Might and Wise.{]Quran 2:228[
On the other hand, there are many rulings that Allaah The Almighty
assigned to women in acts of worship, social interaction, marriage and
its ramifications, judgments, and so on. They are well-known in the
Quran and Sunnah as well as in the writings of jurists. Many books, in
the past as well as the present, have been dedicated to this purpose
in particular.
Some of these pertain to her Hijaab and guarding her virtue.
That Allaah The Almighty has assigned to each sex a set of rulings has
three implications:
First, to have faith in and acknowledge the physical, mental and
Sharee'ah-determined distinction between men and women. Each should be
satisfied with what has been decreed by Allaah The Almighty for
him/her. Perfect justice lies in these distinctions, and through
observing them, order is achieved in the life of human society.
Second, it is impermissible for a male or a female Muslim to hope for
what was assigned by Allaah The Almighty to the other. To do so would
be to be displeased with the decree of Allaah The Almighty and
dissatisfied with His command and ordinance. Rather, let each slave
ask Allaah The Almighty out of His bounty for that is from
Sharee'ah-recommended politeness and which removes envy, disciplines
the believing soul and habituates it to be pleased with what is
decreed by Allaah The Almighty.
Allaah The Almighty forbade wishing for what is assigned to others in
His statement )which means(:}And do not wish for that by which Allaah
has made some of you exceed others. For men is a share of what they
have earned, and for women is a share of what they have earned. And
ask Allaah of His bounty. Indeed Allaah is ever, of all things,
Knowing.{]Quran 4:32[
The occasion on which this verse was revealed is what is narrated on
the authority of Mujaahid, may Allaah have mercy upon him, that Umm
Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, "O Messenger of Allaah,
will men take part in Jihaad and we ]women[ not do so? Why should we
have only half their inheritance?" On that Allaah The Almighty
revealed )what means(:}And do not wish for that by which Allaah has
made some of you exceed others.{]Quran 4:32[ ]At-Tabari, Ahmad,
Al-Haakim and others[
According to At-Tabari, may Allaah have mercy upon him, "Allaah The
Almighty means here, 'Desire not that with which Allaah has favored
some of you over others'. It is mentioned that it was revealed in
connection with some women who wished to be in the same position of
men and have what they have, but Allaah The Almighty forbade His
slaves to have such false wishes and commanded them to ask Him for His
Bounty, as such wishes always draw envy and transgression with no just
cause."
Third, if mere wishing is forbidden as stated by the Quran, then what
about those who actually deny the Sharee'ah-determined distinctions,
call for their cancellation, and claim equality, to which they invite
in the name of equality between man and woman?
Undoubtedly, this is an atheistic theory for it contradicts the
universal norm of Allaah The Almighty that decreed these physical and
moral distinctions between men and women and seeks to disregard Islam
with its Sharee'ah-related texts which determine, in many rulings, the
differences between the male and the female.

Women site, - The Inherent Differences Between Man and Woman - III

Should there be equality in all rulings, given the differences in
physique and competence, it would be a reversal of Fitrah )natural
disposition(, and injustice against both the authoritative sex )men(
and the other one )women( if not the entire life of human society, for
in this case, it would result in deprivation of the fruits obtained
from the capacity of being authoritative and, at the same time, the
members of the other sex would be obliged to do what is beyond their
capacity. Allaah The Almighty forbids that such injustice, even as
much as the weight of a mustard seed, should happen in the Sharee'ah
of Allaah, who is the Wisest of judges. This is why these fine rulings
ensure that the woman is provided for while she practices motherhood,
maintains her house, and raises the future generations of the Ummah
)Muslim nation(.
May Allaah have mercy upon the prominent scholar, Mahmood Muhammad
Shaakir, who commented on the previously-mentioned statement of
At-Tabari, may Allaah have mercy upon him, saying,
This is merely a type of false wishing and longing which the people of
this age are contentiously involved in and misunderstand, and the only
way to be saved from it is to have a sincere intention, a correct
understanding of the nature of humankind, as well as to separate
baseless false wishes from necessity, and to release oneself from the
bond of blind imitation of the prevailing nations and from the
captivity of the corrupt society which has dragged the nations of
today into great turmoil.
However, some of the people of our religion, may Allaah guide them and
mend their affairs, have been led astray, while assuming the mode of
reform, and have confused what might reform their corruption by means
of endeavor, thought and wisdom, with what would corrupt them. People
have become radically excessive, and the resentful advocates of
falsehood among them who are in charge of the press today have
increased. Thus, tongues have spoken confused words, minds have fallen
into chaos, and many people have slipped along with those advocates,
to the extent that we have come to see some seemingly learned people
who are of those of religious knowledge, say about this issue words
from which every religious person should disassociate himself.
There is a huge difference between the state in which the life of the
Ummah, with its men and women, is correct and pure from evil,
disfigurement and ignorance, and the state in which the Ummah
eliminates all the barriers between men and women and thus reduces
itself to no more than false wishes that bring about envy and
transgression with no just cause. Let me repeat the words of Abu
Ja'far, may Allaah have mercy upon him, "O Allaah, guide us to the
straight path at a time in which the tongue has betrayed the mind. Let
those who oppose the command of Allaah, and reject His fate in them
beware lest a calamity would befall them and obliterate their
remaining traces on earth as it obliterated the traces of those who
were before them."
Thus, this principle confirms the physical, moral and
Sharee'ah-recognized distinctions between man and woman.
The forthcoming principles will be established on this first one,
since they would discuss the distinctions between them concerning
adornment and Hijaab.

Dought & clear,- Recommendation to fast Taasoo’a’ with ‘Ashoora’

I want to fast 'Ashoora' this year, but some people told me that the
Sunnah is to fast the day before as well (Taasoo'a'). Is there any
report that this was the teaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him)?.
Praise be to Allah
'Abd-Allaah ibn 'Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: When
the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
fasted on the day of 'Ashoora and told the people to fast, they said,
"O Messenger of Allaah, this is a day that is venerated by the Jews
and Christians." The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said, "Next year, if Allaah wills, we will fast on the
ninth day." But by the time the following year came, the Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) had passed away.
Narrated by Muslim, 1916.
Al-Shaafa'i and his companions, Ahmad, Ishaaq and others said: It is
mustahabb [recommended] to fast both the ninth and the tenth, because
the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) fasted the
tenth and intended to fast the ninth.
Based on this, there are different ways of fasting 'Ashoora', the
least of which is to fast the tenth only, but it is better to fast the
ninth as well. The more one fasts in Muharram, the better.
If one were to ask, what is the wisdom behind fasting the ninth as
well as the tenth? The answer is:
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The scholars among our
companions and others said that there are several reasons for
recommending fasting on the ninth day (Tasoo'a'):
1 – The intention behind it is to be different from the Jews who limit
their fasting to the tenth day. This was narrated from Ibn 'Abbaas.
2 – The intention was to join the fast of 'Ashoora' to another day,
just as it is not allowed to fast on a Friday on its own [but it is
allowed if one fasts the day before or the day after as well].
3 – The idea is to be on the safe side and make sure one is fasting on
the tenth, in case the moon sighting was not accurate and what people
think is the ninth is actually the tenth.
The strongest of these reasons is in order to be different from the
People of the Book. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: The
Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade resembling
the People of the Book in many ahaadeeth. For example, he said
concerning 'Ashoora': "If I live until next year I will certainly fast
the ninth."Al-Fataawa al-Kubra, part 6.
Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, commenting on the
hadeeth "If I live until next year I will certainly fast the ninth":
His concern to fast the ninth may be understood as meaning that he
would not limit himself to that, rather that he would add it to the
tenth, either to be on the safe side, or to be different from the Jews
and Christians, which is more likely to be correct; this is what may
be understood from some of the reports narrated by Muslim."
FromFath al-Baari, 4/245.

Dought & clear,- What is the fault of children born in a kaafir environment?.

People born and raised in different environments and religions
naturally develop different temperaments and identities. A person born
in a Hindu family becomes a Hindu upon growing up. For him the Hindu
religion is perfect. For such a person it is ingrained into his nature
from his childhood that he is a Hindu first and last. Supposingly he
receives the message of Islam. What are the chances that he will give
up his religion, his identity and accept a new one. Isn't it tough for
this person to become Muslim as compared to someone born a Muslim. It
scares me to think that if I were born into some other faith than
Islam where would I be today. So why is it not the law that everyone
does have an equal opportunity to experience and accept Islam from the
cradle. It this a matter of Allah's will, Sprituality (Hidayah) or
Human Psychology. Please respond with references from Quran and
hadith.
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So set you (O Muhammad) your face towards the religion (of pure
Islamic Monotheism) Haneef (worship none but Allaah Alone). Allaah's
Fitrah (i.e. Allaah's Islamic Monotheism) with which He has created
mankind. No change let there be in Khalq-illaah (i.e. the religion of
AllaahIslamic Monotheism), that is the straight religion, but most of
men know not"[al-Room 30:30]
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
that the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Every child is born in a state of fitrah (the natural
state of man, i.e., Islam), then his parents make him into a Jew or a
Christian or a Magian." (Agreed upon).
The correct view is that what is meant by fitrah is the religion of
Islam, as stated in the hadeeth narrated by Muslim from the Messenger
of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said:
"Allaah said: 'I created My slaves as haneefs (believers in pure
monotheism), then the Shaytaan misled them from their religion; he
forbade them what I had permitted to them and commanded them to
associate others with Me for which I had not sent down any
authority.'" What it means when it is said that a child is born as a
Muslim is that he is born inherently ready, when he reaches the age of
discretion, if he is given the choice between Islam and its opposite,
to prefer Islam over its opposite and to choose Islam as his religion,
so long as there is nothing to prevent him from doing so, such as his
whims and desires or tribalism. Following his desires makes him prefer
falsehood so that he may attain some share of leadership or wealth,
and tribalism or racial pride makes him follow his forefathers or
elders, even if they are not following true guidance. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Nay! They say: 'We found our fathers following a certain way and
religion, and we guide ourselves by their footsteps'"[al-Zukhruf
43:23]
And Allaah tells us what the followers among the people of Hell will
say (interpretation of the meaning):
"And they will say: 'Our Lord! Verily, we obeyed our chiefs and our
great ones, and they misled us from the (Right) Way'"[al-Ahzaab 33:67]
If every child is born in a state of fitrah, then obviously there will
be some who will be influenced in ways that are in accordance with
that fitrah and will strengthen it, such as those who are born to
Muslim parents and grow up in a Muslim society. And there will be some
whose fitrah is changed, such as those who are born to kaafir parents
and group up among the kuffaar, be they Jews, Christians, Magians or
mushrikeen. Undoubtedly the one who is born in Islam has means of
guidance and happiness which are not available to others who are born
and grow up in kaafir societies. Being given easy access to the means
of faith and guidance is a blessing from Allaah which He gives to
whomsoever He wills. It should also be noted that the person whose
fitrah has been changed from Islam will not be punished for the sins
of another; rather he will be punished if the call of the
Messenger(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) reaches him and
he does not accept it out of stubbornness, arrogance or tribalistic
pride in the religion of his forefathers and countrymen, because proof
is established against him when the call of the Messenger reaches him,
and in such a case, if he persists in his kufr then he deserves to be
punished. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We never punish until We have sent a Messenger (to give
warning)"[al-Israa' 17:15]
What you say in your question, "It scares me to think...", is correct
and is wise, for it is the blessing of Allaah upon you that you were
born in Islam. If you had been born into another religion, there would
have been the fear that you might remain in that false religion, but
when Allaah wills good for His slave, He makes it easy for him to have
the means of guidance which will bring him from the religion of kufr
to the religion of Islam. The entire matter is up to Allaah.
But when you say in your question, "So why is it not the law that...?"
this is a false question caused by unawareness of the wisdom of Allaah
and His ways of dealing with His creation. Of course it is impossible
for the same opportunities to be available to all, because there are
so many different human religions, and guidance to Islam happens when
a person chooses to be guided, because Allaah has given man the
ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, between what is
beneficial and what is harmful, by means of the reason that He has
instilled in him, and the explanations with which He has sent His
Messengers. At the same time, the will of the person is subject to the
will of Allaah, for He is the One Who sends astray whomsoever He wills
by His justice and wisdom, and He guides whomsoever He will by His
grace and wisdom.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, this (the Qur'aan) is no less than a Reminder to (all) the
'Aalameen (mankind and jinn)
To whomsoever among you who wills to walk straight.
And you cannot will unless (it be) that Allaah wills the Lord of the
'Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)"[al-Takweer 81:27-29]

Dought & clear,- Meaning of the hadeeth; “Then the divine decree overtakes him and he does the deeds of the people of Hell”.

I would like you to explain the meaning of this Hadeeth:
Narrated Abi Abdurrahman Abdullah bin Mas'ud, May Allah is pleased with him:
Allah's Apostle, the true and truly inspired said, "(The matter of the
Creation of) a human being is put together in the womb of the mother
in forty days, and then he becomes a clot of thick blood for a similar
period, and then a piece of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah
sends an angel who breathes the soul into him, and is ordered to write
four things. He is ordered to write down his (i.e. the new creature's)
deeds, his livelihood, his (date of) death, and whether he will be
blessed or wretched (in religion). So, by Allah the One, a man amongst
you may do good deeds till there is only a cubit between him and
Paradise and then what has been written for him decides his behavior
and he starts doing (evil) deeds characteristic of the people of the
(Hell) Fire. And similarly, a man amongst you may do (evil) deeds till
there is only a cubit between him and the (Hell) Fire, and then what
has been written for him decides his behavior, and he starts doing
deeds characteristic of the people of Paradise." Narrated by
Al-Bukhari.
To be honest with you I feel bad sometimes that I may do good deeds
while it is written that I am from the people of hell. I wish you
answer me, thanks a lot for your efforts, may Allah greaten your
reward.
Praise be to Allaah.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Those who are ignorant of Allaah and His names and attributes
misinterpret their true meanings and turn people against Allaah and
put obstacles between the people and loving Allaah and drawing close
to Him without realizing.
We will mention some examples of that, such as that they try to make
people with shallow knowledge (or weak faith) think that no acts of
obedience towards Allaah will do any good, even if that is done for a
long time and a person has tried his utmost to do it properly both
outwardly and inwardly; and that a person cannot be safe from the plot
of Allaah, rather it is Allaah's way to take the obedient one who
fears Allaah out of the mosque and into the brothels, and from Tawheed
and tasbeeh to shirk and flutes, and turn his heart from pure faith to
kufr. They narrated sound reports concerning this that they do not
understand properly, and false reports that the Prophet never said,
and they claim that this is the essence of Tawheed. End
quote.Al-Fawaa'id(159).
Then he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: ... So this poor person no
longer sees actions as being good or bad, so he does not feel
comfortable when doing good, or feel distressed when doing bad. Is
there any more effective way of putting people off Allaah and making
them hate Him than this?! If all the heretics strive hard to make
people hate religion and put them off Allaah, they could never have
come up with anything worse than this.
The one who has this belief thinks that he is reinforcing the ideas of
Tawheed and the divine will and decree, and refuting the innovators
and supporting Islam, but by Allaah, a wise enemy is less harmful than
an ignorant friend. All the revealed Books and all the Messengers bear
witness to the opposite of that, especially the Qur'aan. If those who
seek to call others to Allaah follow the method that is established by
Allaah and His Messenger in calling people to Islam, the whole world
would be reformed in such a way that there would be no corruption
after that.
Allaah tells us - and He is the One Who is truthful and fulfils
promises - that He only judges people on the basis of their actions,
and recompenses them for their deeds, and the one who does good should
not fear any injustice or unfairness; He will never cause the deeds of
any doer of good to be lost, no matter how small, or wrong any soul in
the slightest."But if there is any good (done), He doubles it, and
gives from Him a great reward" [al-Nisa' 4:40]. Even if it is the size
of a grain of mustard seed, He gives reward for it and does not cause
it to be lost. He recompenses bad deeds with the like thereof, and
cancels them out if a person repents, regrets it and seeks forgiveness
and does good deeds, or if calamities befall him. But He rewards a
good deed anything from ten fold to seven hundred fold or more.
He is the One Who reforms the misguided and turns back to Him the
hearts of those who turn away; He accepts the repentance of sinners,
guides the misled, saves the doomed, teaches the ignorant, guides the
confused, reminds the heedless, gives refuge to the lost. When He
sends a punishment, it is only after severe rebellion and stubborn
turning away, and after calling the people to turn back to Him. End
quote.
Al-Fawaa'id(161).
There follows a great hadeeth which was narrated by al-Bukhaari (3208)
and Muslim (2643) from Ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him).
Some people were confused about the words of the Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) "one of you may do the deeds of the
people of Paradise until there is nothing between him and it but a
cubit, then the decree overtakes him and he does a deed of the people
of Hell and enters it. And one of you may do the deeds of the people
of Hell until there is nothing between him and it but a cubit, then
the decree overtakes him and he does a deed of the people of Paradise,
and enters it."
This is an example of what Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on
him) tried to point out of saheeh reports which are not understood
properly.
The answer to this is that it applies to the one who does not do deeds
with sincerity and faith, rather he does deeds of the people of
Paradise as it appears to people only, as is explained in another
version of the hadeeth that was narrated by al-Bukhaari (4207) and
Muslim (112) from Sahl who said: The Prophet(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and the mushrikeen met in battle and fought. When
the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
went back to his camp and the others went back to their camp, there
was among the companions of the Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)a man who killed anyone (of the enemy)
who got in his way. They said: No one has done better today than So
and so. The Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said, "Rather he is one of the people of Hell." A man said: I am
going to follow him. So he went out with him; every time that man
stopped, he stopped with him, and when he hastened, he hastened with
him. He said: The man was badly wounded, so he sought to hasten his
death. He put the handle of his sword on the ground and its tip in the
middle of his chest, then he leaned [on his sword] and killed himself.
The man went to the Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and said: I bear witness that you are the Messenger of
Allaah (S). He said: "Why is that?" He said: The man who you said was
one of the people of Hell and the people were astounded by that. I
said, I will find out about him for you. So I followed him until he
was badly wounded, then he sought to hasten his death. He put the
handle of his sword on the ground and its tip in the middle of his
chest, then he leaned on it and killed himself. The Messenger of
Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "A man may do
the deeds of [the people of] Paradise, or so it seems to the people,
although he is one of the people of Hell, and a man may do the deeds
of [the people of] Hell, or so it seems to the people, although he is
one of the people of Paradise."
As for the one who does the deeds of the people of Paradise in a real
sense, sincerely and on the basis of faith, Allaah is too just,
merciful and generous to let him down at the end of his life.
Rather these are the ones who are guided, directed and helped to
persist, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Allaah will keep firm those who believe, with the word that stands
firm in this world (i.e. they will keep on worshipping Allaah Alone
and none else), and in the Hereafter. And Allaah will cause to go
astray those who are Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers), and
Allaah does what He wills"
[Ibraaheem 14:27]
"As for those who strive hard in Us (Our Cause), We will surely guide
them to Our paths (i.e. Allaah's religion -- Islamic Monotheism). And
verily, Allaah is with the Muhsinoon (good-doers)."
[al-'Ankaboot 29:69]
"Verily, he who fears Allaah with obedience to Him (by abstaining from
sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is
patient, then surely, Allaah makes not the reward of the Muhsinoon
(good-doers) to be lost"
[Yoosuf 12:90]
"They rejoice in a grace and a bounty from Allaah, and that Allaah
will not waste the reward of the believers"
[Aal 'Imraan 3:171]
Ibn al-Qayyim said inal-Fawaa'id(p. 163): With regard to the fact that
a man may do the deeds of the people of Paradise until there is
nothing between him and it but a cubit, then the decree overtakes him,
this refers to the actions of the people of Paradise as they appear to
other people. If it was a righteous deed that is acceptable to Allaah,
then Allaah would love it, accept it and not cancel it out. Someone
may say that this phrase, "until there is nothing between him and it
but a cubit", does not support what we have suggested; the answer to
that is that if deeds are to be judged by the way they end, this man
did not have enough patience to complete his deeds properly; rather
there was a hidden problem and something wrong with his deeds, by
means of which he was let down towards the end of his life, so that
hidden, serious, fatal problem caused his downfall at the time of
need. If there was no problem and no insincerity, Allaah would not
have turned his faith into disbelief. And Allaah knows better than all
people what they do not know of each other. End quote.
Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The words "as it appears to people" indicate that what is hidden may
be different from what is apparent to people, and that a bad end is
because of a hidden problem in a person that people are not aware of,
whether it is a bad deed and the like, so that hidden quality may lead
to a bad end at death.
Similarly, a man may do a deed of the people of Hell, but inwardly he
has some good quality, and that prevails at the end of his life, and
leads to a good end for him.
'Abd al-'Azeez ibn Abi Rawaad said: A man was dying and he was being
prompted to sayLaa ilaaha ill-Allaah, but the last words he said were,
"He does not believe in what you are saying" (referring to himself),
and he died like that!
He said: I asked about him, and found that he was addicted to alcohol!
'Abd al-'Azeez used to say: Beware of sins for it is sins that led him
to this bad end.
In general, how people end up is the consequences of what went before,
and all of that has been previously written in a Book, hence the salaf
greatly feared a bad end, and some of them would feel anxious when
remembering previous sins.
It was said that the hearts of the righteous are concerned about how
their life will end, and they always wonder: how will our end be?
The hearts of those who are close to Allaah are concerned about
previous sins, and say: How will our sins affect our ends? Sahl
al-Tastari said: The one who has started his journey towards Allaah
fears that he may fall into sin and the one who is close to Allaah
fears that he may end fall into kufr (disbelief).
Hence the Sahaabah and the righteous salaf who came after them feared
that they might become hypocrites, and their fear and anxiety were
intense. So the believer fears lesser hypocrisy for himself, and
worries that it might prevail at the end of his life, and take him
into a state of major hypocrisy, as it was mentioned above that hidden
problems may lead to a bad end. End quote.
Jaami' al-'Uloom wa'l-Hukam(1/57-58).
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The hadeeth
of Ibn Mas'ood, "until there is nothing between him and it but a
cubit" means, Paradise. It does not mean that his deeds bring him to
this position until there remains nothing but a cubit, because if he
were doing the deeds of the people of Paradise in a true sense, Allaah
would not let him down because Allaah is more generous than His
slaves. Imagine a person devoted to Allaah, and there is nothing but a
cubit between him and Paradise: would Allaah turn him away?! This is
impossible. Rather the meaning is that he does the deeds of the people
of Paradise as it appears to others, until when there is nothing left
of his lifespan but a little, his heart drifts away - Allaah forbid;
we ask Allaah to keep us safe and sound. This is the meaning of the
hadeeth of Ibn Mas'ood: when there is nothing left between him and
Paradise but a cubit with regard to his lifespan, otherwise he was not
doing the deeds of the people of Paradise in the first place.
We ask Allaah not to misguide our hearts. (So the person referred to)
is striving but in his heart there is some hidden evil that leads to
his doom when there is only one cubit left when he dies. End quote
fromal-Liqa' al-Shahri(13/14).
Some scholars suggested that the person mentioned in the hadeeth may
be striving in a true sense, until when his lifespan nears its end, he
meets a bad end, and dies in a state of kufr or sin, but this is rare.
This also goes back to something hidden or some serious evil quality
that the person persisted in, such as corrupt belief or a major sin
that dooms one to Hell, which led to his bad end. We ask Allaah to
keep us safe and sound. So the hadeeth is to be understood as a
warning that no one should rely too much on his deeds and we should
ask Allaah for steadfastness until death, for hearts are between two
fingers of the Most Merciful and He turns them as He wills.
Al-Nawawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh Muslim: What is
meant by a cubit is an indication of how close he is to death, and
whether he will enter Paradise or Hell after that, and that there is
nothing between him and his reaching that abode except a cubit, like
that which remains between him and his reaching any spot on earth.
What this hadeeth means is that this may happen in rare cases to some
people, not that it is the norm. Moreover it is a sign of Allaah's
kindness and mercy that people may revert from evil to good in many
cases. As for their reverting from good to evil, this is very rare and
hardly ever happens. This is like the words of Allaah [in the hadeeth
qudsi]: "My mercy precedes My wrath and prevails over My wrath." That
includes those who turn to the deeds of Hell by disbelieving or
sinning, but they (the scholars) differ with regard to whether they
will abide therein forever or not. The kaafir will abide in Hell
forever, but the sinner who dies believing in Tawheed will not abide
therein forever, as stated above. In this hadeeth there is a clear
confirmation of the divine decree, and that repentance erases all sins
that came before it, and that whatever state a person dies in, he will
be judged accordingly, whether it is good or bad, but those who commit
sins other than kufr are subject to the will of Allaah. End quote.
What should be noted in this context is that the same hadeeth which
confused you also contains the answer to this confusion. That is
because it does not only confirm the concept of the divine decree and
Allaah's prior knowledge of His creation and His prior writing of
their deeds, but in this and similar texts, in addition to all that,
there is also affirmation of His commands and prohibitions, and that
Allaah does not punish them or bless them on the basis of His
knowledge concerning them only, but rather on the basis of what they
did and earned themselves.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This hadeeth and similar reports point to two concepts:
1 - The prior decree, which means that Allaah already knows who are
the people of Paradise and who are the people of Hell before they do
any deeds. This is true and must be believed in. Indeed the imams,
such as Maalik, al-Shaafa'i and Ahmad, have stated that the one who
denies this is a kaafir. Rather we must believe that Allaah knows
everything that is going to happen before it happens, and we must
believe in what He has told us that He has decreed will happen and has
told us of it before it happens.
2 - That Allaah knows all things the way they are, and He has made for
things means that may lead to these things. So He knows that these
things could result from these means, as He knows that this man may
have a child by means of having intercourse with a woman that makes
her pregnant. If this man says: Allaah knows that I am going to have a
child so there is no need for me to have intercourse, then he is a
fool, because Allaah knows that it will come about by means of what He
has decreed of intercourse. Similarly a man knows that crops will grow
as the result of his watering the seeds that he has planted, but if he
says: He knows that it will happen so there is no need to plant seeds,
then he is ignorant and misguided because Allaah knows what will come
about by those means.
Similarly, if He knows that this one will be blessed in the Hereafter
and that one will be doomed, we say: it is because that one does the
deeds of the doomed, so Allaah knows that he will be doomed because of
his deeds. If it is said that he is doomed even if he does not do
anything, this is false, because Allaah does not admit anyone to Hell
except for his sin, as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):"That I will fill Hell with you [Iblees (Satan)] and those of
them (mankind) that follow you, together" [Saad 38:85]. So He swore to
fill it with Iblees and his followers, and those who follow Iblees
have disobeyed Allaah, may He be exalted, but Allaah does not punish
anyone for what He knows he will do until he does it.
Similarly Allaah has decreed Paradise for the people who believe in
Him and obey Him, so the one who is decreed to be one of them is
guided by Allaah to believe and obey. The one who says, I will enter
Paradise whether I am a believer or a disbeliever, if He knows that I
am one of its people, is fabricating a lie against Allaah. Allaah
knows that he will be admitted to it by faith, so if he does not have
faith he will not be the one who Allaah knew would enter Paradise,
rather he will be not a believer but a kaafir, and Allaah knows that
he will be one of the people of Hell, not one of the people of
Paradise.
Hence Allaah commanded people to pray, seek forgiveness from Allaah
and other means. The one who says, I will not pray or ask, and I will
rely on the divine decree, is also mistaken, because Allaah has made
praying and asking means of attaining His forgiveness, mercy,
guidance, support and provision. If He has decreed some good for a
person to be attained by means of du'aa' that will not be attained it
without du'aa'. What Allaah has decreed and knows about people's
situations and how their lives will end, it is only decreed through
the means that lead to that specific outcome. Nothing in this world or
in the Hereafter happens except through means, and Allaah is the
Creator of the means and the ends.
With regard to this matter, two types of people go astray. There are
those who believe in the divine decree and think that it is sufficient
to attain one's aims, so they turn away from the prescribed means and
righteous deeds. They will end up disbelieving in the Books of Allaah,
His Messengers and His religion.
(The other group) ask for reward from Allaah as a hired man asks for
his wages from his employer, relying on their own power, strength and
deeds. These people are ignorant and misguided, because Allaah has not
enjoined His commands upon people out of need, and He has not imposed
His prohibitions out of stinginess, rather He has enjoined what is in
their best interests and He has forbidden that which is bad for them.
As He says: "You will never be in a position where you are able to
harm Me and you will never be in a position to benefit Me."
The one who turns away from the commands and prohibitions, promises
and warnings, and focuses only on the divine decree has gone astray,
and the one who strives to follow the commands and prohibitions and
ignores the divine decree has gone astray. Rather the believer is as
Allaah says:"You (Alone) we worship, and You (Alone) we ask for help
(for each and everything)" [al-Faatihah 1:5], so we worship Him by
following the command, and we seek His help on the basis our belief in
the divine decree. End quote.
Muqtatafaat min Majmoo' al-Fataawa(8/66 ff).
And Allaah knows best.

For children, - 10 brief points Christians should know about Jesus and MuslimsProphet Jesus (peace be upon him)

1. Muslims love Prophet Jesus. We also love Prophet Abraham, Prophet
Moses, and Prophet Noah, to name just a few other Prophets Muslims
revere. May God's peace be upon all of these great messengers of God.
2. Muslims also love the mother of Prophet Jesus, the Virgin Mary. We
believe she was a pious and noble woman chosen over all of the women
of the world.
3. Muslims believe that Prophet Jesus was born miraculously of a
virgin mother and no father. His birth is miraculous like the birth of
Prophet Adam, the first human being, who was created with neither
mother nor father.
4. Muslims do not believe that Prophet Jesus was the son of God. God
is so powerful and self-sufficient that He does not need a son or any
kind of partner.
5. In Arabic Bible the name for God is Allah. Therefore all Arab
Christian call God Allah as Muslim do as well.
6. Prophet Jesus did not die on the cross. Rather, God saved him as
his enemies were confused about him. Prophet Jesus was taken up by God
to Heaven.
7. Prophet Jesus is called Isa (pronounced Eesa) in Arabic and the
spirit of God (Roohullah) is his title.
8. Prophet Jesus performed miracles by the Will of God, like healing
the blind and those with leprosy.
9. Prophet Jesus prayed to the same God as all Prophets and we Muslims pray to.
10. Prophet Jesus will return before the end of the world during the
time of Imam al-Mahdi, the embodiment of the Messiah or the saviour.

For children, - Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) in Islam, Maryam (Mary, mother of Jesus) and Muslims

Muslim beliefs and traditions still remain a mystery to many
non-Muslims. Between ignorance and outright malicious lies, Muslims
need to find a common ground with others. Non-Muslims, especially
Christians, are often surprised to discover that Muslims also believe
in Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him). This web page aims to not only
provide the Islamic perspective on this great Prophet Jesus (peace be
upon him) and Maryam (Mary), the mother of Prophet Jesus (peace be
upon him), but also to bring forward the common ground between Muslims
and Christians.
Muslims are required by Allah (SWT) to believe in all of the Prophets.
These include Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) and Prophet Yahya (John the
Baptist) peace be upon them. The Noble Qur'an, the Islamic holy book,
also instructs Muslims to believe in the books revealed to every
Prophet as well. The book given to Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him)
is called Injeel in the Noble Qur'an.
According to the Noble Qur'an, Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) was
one of Allah's (SWT) most beloved messengers, a precursor to Prophet
Muhammad (61:6)and was sent to guide the Children of Israel. In the
Noble Qur'an, stories about the life and teachings of Prophet Isa
(Jesus, peace upon him) are abundant. The Noble Qur'an recalls his
miraculous birth, his teachings, the miracles he performed by Allah's
(SWT) permission, and his life as a great prophet of Allah (SWT). The
Noble Qur'an speaks of Maryam (Mary) not only as the mother of Prophet
Isa (Jesus, peace upon him), but as a righteous woman in her own
right.
Muslims believe that Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) was the son
of Maryam (Mary), and was immaculately conceived without the
intervention of a human father. The Noble Qur'an describes that an
angel appeared to Maryam (Mary), to announce to her the "gift of a
holy son" (19:19). Maryam (Mary) was astonished at the news, and
asked: "How shall I have a son, seeing that no man has touched me, and
I am not unchaste?" (19:20). When the angel explained to her that she
had been chosen for the service of Allah (SWT), and that Allah (SWT)
had ordained the matter, she devoutly submitted herself to His will.
The Noble Qur'an further describes that Maryam (Mary, mother of Jesus)
retreated from her people (outside the city), and gave birth to
Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) underneath a remote date palm
tree. The date palm tree miraculously provided nourishment for Maryam
(Mary) during labor and birth. (See Chapter 19 of the Noble Qur'an for
the entire story. The chapter has aptly been named "The Chapter of
Maryam (Mary, mother of Jesus)")
However, the Noble Qur'an repeatedly reminds us that Prophet Adam, the
first human being, was born with neither a human mother nor a human
father. Therefore Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) miraculous birth
affords him no higher standing or presumed partnership with God. When
God ordains a matter, He merely says, "Be" and it is so. "The
similitude of Jesus before God is as that of Adam. He created him from
dust, then said to him: "Be!" And he was" (3:59). In Islam, Prophet
Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) is regarded as a human prophet and
messenger of God, not part of God Himself. The Noble Qur'an also
denies that Prophet Isa (Jesus, peace upon him) was crucified.