Share ↓
As we have seen, in the essence of Islam, there is intellectual freedom, freedom of faith and expression. Some people assume that democracy entered the history of humanity with the ancient Greeks. However, it is Allah Who teaches democracy to people. From the time of the Prophet Adam (pbuh), all prophets have been the genuine representatives of intellectual freedom and respect to views. The essence of all the primary concepts – freedom of justice, not putting any pressure upon anyone, treating everyone as a first class citizens, respecting and trusting people, not judging anyone due to his views- which are associated with democracy are present in the morality of religion. Throughout history, people have learned these concepts from the righteous religions revealed by Allah and witnessed its most beautiful examples during the times when people lived by the righteous religions.
When we look at the times when people were oppressed due to their opinions and their different ideologies, members of various religions were humiliated, while the arts, science and architecture died out; times when people lost their joy in living and almost turned into robots, or when book burnings, murders, massacres, genocides became widespread, we see the influence of irreligious, atheist ideologies or those who misinterpreted religious morality with a radical mindset by distancing it from its essence.
Once Allah’s righteous religion is lived in the form it is commanded by Allah, the true justice, democracy, respect and love, that people have been longing for, can be experienced. Very soon, democracy, brotherhood, love, friendship and peace will, by Allah’s leave, dominate the world and people will experience the joy, bliss and abundance of faith as much as they can. As one can clearly see from the signs of the verses, hadiths of our Prophet (saas) and words of great Islamic scholars, the time in which we live is the End Times. The difficult and troublesome days of the End Times will, in this century, come to end with the Prophet Jesus’ (pbuh) and Hazrat Mahdi’s (pbuh) being instrumental, and the world will enter a brand new, bright era. Communicating the Oneness and Unity of Allah in the most beautiful and wise manner, and introducing people to Islam as described in the Qur’an and lived in Age of Felicity lays a very important foundation for the bright days that we will attain in the near future. Our wish is that Allah will also render this article instrumental in attaining the beauties in question. We sincerely hope that the days when we see “people entering Allah’s religion in droves” come at once. Allah reveals these glad tidings as follows in the Qur’an:
When Allah’s help and victory have arrived and you have seen people entering Allah’s religion in droves, then glorify your Lord’s praise and ask His forgiveness. He is the Ever-Returning. (Surat an-Nasr, 1-3)
Freedom Is Important in Islam, and Compulsion and Pressure Are Prohibited
Every Muslim, as a requisite of the morality of the Qur’an, is responsible for showing people the true path, enjoining the good and forbidding that which is evil. But this never means to oblige others to think, live, act and dress like oneself. A Muslim shows the truth and leaves the choice to the person himself. This is the commandment Allah informs us in the Qur’an in the verse, “There is no compulsion in the religion...” (Surat al-Baqara: 256).
In line with Almighty Allah’s commandment, our Prophet (saas) made a contract with the Christians of Najran, who lived in the south of Arabia. This makes it clear that Islam is the true source of freedom of thought and belief in democracies. The contract included the following article:
“The lives of the people of Najran and its surrounding area, their religion, their land, property, cattle and those of them who are present or absent, their messengers and their places of worship are under the protection of Allah and guardianship of His Prophet.” (The Pact of Najran, Article 6, http://www.islamicreso urces.com /Pact_of_Najran.htm.)
The Compact of Medina, signed by the Muslim immigrants from Mecca, the indigenous Muslims of Medina, the Christians and the Jews of Medina is one of the finest examples of the conception of democracy in Islam. As a result of this constitution, which established justice between communities with differing beliefs and ensured the protection of their various interests, long years of enmity were brought to an end. One of the most outstanding features of the treaty is the freedom of belief it established. The relevant article reads:
“The Jews of Banu 'Awf are one nation with the Muslims; the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs…” (The Constitution of Madina, http://www.islamic- study.org/jews-prophet- p.-2.htm)
Article 16 of the treaty reads: "The Jew who follows us is surely entitled to our support and the same equal rights as any one of us. He shall not be wronged nor his enemy be assisted.” (The Constitution of Madina, http://www.islamic- study.org/jews-prophet- p.-2.htm)
The Prophet’s (saas) companions remained true to that article in the treaty, even after his death, and even practiced it with regard to Berbers, Buddhists, Brahmans and people of other beliefs.
Like all the other prophets, many events took place during the course of Rasulullah’s (saas) prophethood that manifested his conception of democracy. Peoples of various races, religions, languages and tribes lived together in the lands in which our Prophet (saas) lived. It was not easy for these communities to live together in peace and harmony and for those who wished to create strife to be neutralized. One group could be angered and attack another as the result of the slightest word or action. But our Prophet’s (saas) conception of justice, his just rule, represented a source of peace and security for these communities as much as for Muslims. During the Age of Felicity, everyone on the Arabian Peninsula, Christians, Jews, pagans and everyone, without distinction, was treated justly. In line with Almighty Allah’s commandment, “there is no compulsion in the religion...” our Prophet (saas) told everyone of true religious moral values but left the final decision up to them.
Share
Share ↓
Liberty, an important component of human life and one that greatly enhances its quality, is only possible when the idea of democracy prevails. Because democracy is a form of government under which everyone enjoys social justice, equality, rights and freedoms, it is a blessing that Almighty Allah has revealed to His servants in the Divine Books by way of the prophets. A climate of liberty, love, compassion and justice, in which everyone can live freely and speak their own minds and live together in peace, is commanded in all the Divine Books. That is why ancient Greece, regarded as the birthplace of democracy, or Europe, regarded as the center of democracy today, learned about it from the true faiths. However, the most highly developed form of democracy will come with the global dominion of Islamic moral values.
Some people who are unacquainted with Islamic moral values, or have only just begun learning about it, may harbor false opinions and prejudices about it because they have turned to incorrect sources of information. These people fall prey to an error of thinking, despite the fact that it is completelyuntrue, that Islam will restrict their living space, obstruct their freedoms, control their thoughts and put limitations on art and science. The truth is that Islam is a faith that provides for freedom of worship and expression, places rights of all kinds under protection and offers people true liberty. In the Qur’an, verse 41 of Surah Yunus, “If they deny you, say, ‘ I have my actions and you have your actions. You are not responsible for what I do and I am not responsible for what you do’ ,” is one of those verses in which Almighty Allah enjoins democracy for His servants. In this verse Allah clearly reveals the importance of everyone enjoying freedom of ideas and belief, free of any pressure or compulsion.
All the Conditions of Democracy Can Only Be Met When People Live by Islamic Moral Values
1-SOCIAL JUSTICE: Almighty Allah Commands Social Justice and Sharing
Social justice is one of the basic principles of democracy in true democracies. People learned social justice from the Prophet Noah (pbuh) and the Prophet Abraham (pbuh). According to religious sources, when the Ark came to dry land after the flood, the Prophet Noah (pbuh) boiled together the small quantities of remaining chickpeas, lentils, raisins, figs, wheat and the like to make a kind of sweet broth. Everyone on the Ark then ate it together. That is social justice, because by this example Prophet Noah (pbuh) teaches everyone equality, solidarity and generosity and the importance of distributing food to all:
As revealed in verse 69 of Surah Hud, “Our messengers brought the good news to Abraham. They said, ‘Peace!’ and he too said, ‘Peace!’ and brought in a roasted calf without delay” the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) immediately killed a calf when guests arrived and had it prepared for them to eat. Almighty Allah notes that by offering food to people whom he had never met, the Prophet Abraham (pbuh) was behaving in the best way, and wisely stresses the importance of feeding the poor and of social justice.
2-EQUALITY: Almighty Allah Reveals in the Qur’an That No Race Is Superior to Any Other
As Almighty Allah reveals in one verse of the Qur’an, superiority lies in piety alone. In this verse Allah tells us:
Mankind! We created you from a male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other. The noblest among you in Allah’s Sight is the one with the most piety. Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. (Surat al-Hujurat, 13)
Our Prophet (saas) expresses this truth commanded by Allah as follows in the hadiths:
"You are sons of Adam, and Adam came from dust. Let the people cease to boast about their ancestors." (Sunan Abu Dawud, Book 41, Number 5097)
"These genealogies of yours are not a reason to revile anyone. You are all children of Adam. No one has any superiority over another except in religion and taqwa (godliness)." (Ahmad, 158/4)
During his final sermon, the Prophet (saas) called on Muslims in these terms:
"There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for white over the black nor for the black over the white except in piety. Verily the noblest among you is he who is the most pious." (The Prophet Muhammad's Last Sermon; http://www.stanford.ed u/~jamila/Sermon.html)
3-JUSTICE: Almighty Allah Commands Justice
Allah issues this commandment to believers in the Qur’an: “... You who have faith! Be upholders of justice, bearing witness for Allah alone, even against yourselves or your parents and relatives. Whether they are rich or poor, Allah is well able to look after them. Do not follow your own desires and deviate from the truth. If you twist or turn away, Allah is aware of what you do.” (Surat al-Nisa’, 135)
The commands that our Prophet (saas) issued among Muslims and his just and affectionate attitude toward people of different religions, languages, races and tribes, as well as the way he treated everyone equally, making no distinction between rich and poor as Allah revealed in the Qur’an, represents an excellent example of the conception of democracy.
In one verse, Allah tells our Prophet (saas):
They are people who listen to lies and consume ill-gotten gains. If they come to you, you can either judge between them or turn away from them. If you turn away from them, they cannot harm you in any way. But if you do judge, judge between them justly. Allah loves the just. (Surat al-Ma’ida, 42)
Our Prophet (saas) adhered to Allah’s commandment, even among difficult people, and never made any concessions on justice. As revealed, he always said, “My Lord has commanded justice...” (Surat al-A’raf, 29), thus serving as a role model for all times.
Share
Share ↓
First Example
Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, somehow got angry with the freed slave of Abu Bakr, Bilaal of Abyssinia, may Allaah be pleased with them both. Both of them were Companions of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The altercation became prolonged and Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, in his fury called Bilaal, may Allaah be pleased with him, a "son of a black skinned mother". Bilaal complained to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, who addressed Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, saying:"Did you call him a name reviling his mother? It appears that you still retain vestiges of Jaahiliyyah )the period of ignorance before Islam.("
Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, failed to understand the word Jaahiliyyah and took it to signify some sort of sexual immorality, and meekly questioned in surprise, "At this ripe age, O Prophet of Allaah?" The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said in reply: "Yes, you are his brother." Abu Tharr, may Allaah be pleased with him, became ashamed and repentant, and - out of extreme repentance and humility - requested Bilaal, may Allaah be pleased with him, to tread on his face with his feet.
Second Example
When a woman of the Bani Makhzoom tribe called Faatimah was found guilty of theft, she was brought to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam to be judged according to Sharee'ah Law. The Quraysh tribe tried to intercede not to punish the woman and after deliberation, sent Usaamah bin Zayd, may Allaah be pleased with him, for intercession since he was very much a favourite of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. When he talked to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam became very angry and said to Usaamah, may Allaah be pleased with him:"Do you )attempt to( intercede in the matters of the limits prescribed by God?" Then he gathered the people and said to them: "The people before you who met their doom, discriminated between the elite and the common-folk in the dispensation of justice for crimes like theft. The high-placed were spared while the weaker elements of society were readily punished. By Allaah! Had Faatimah the daughter of Muhammad committed this theft, then I would have amputated her hand for it also!"
Third Example
Qays bin Mutatiyah, a hypocrite, came to a gathering where Salmaan al-Faarisi )the Persian(, Suhayb Ar-Roomi )the Roman(, and Bilaal Al-Habashi )the Abyssinian( were present. He remarked tauntingly: "'Aws and Khazraj have rendered some service to this person )the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam( but I fail to understand what these people )Bilaal, Suhayb and Salmaan( have done )to deserve this honour(." Mu'aath bin Jabal was in that gathering, and he caught hold of him by his neck, dragged him to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and told him what the hypocrite had uttered. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam became angry and went to the mosque and gave a sermon, stating in it:"O people! Always remember that your Lord and Cherisher is one and your supreme ancestor is one, and your faith is also one and the same."
Fourth Example
'Adiyy bin Haatim, may Allaah be pleased with him, went to Madeenah before embracing Islam and found the Companions sitting around the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. 'Adiyy was inspired with awe when he witnessed their reverence for him. Meanwhile, a humble woman came to the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and asked to see him in private. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam got up and at some distance from the gathering talked to her, and returned when he finished. 'Adiyy was very much touched by this inconceivable concept of philanthropy and, eventually, embraced Islam.
Fifth Example
When the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam conquered Makkah, those who had driven him out and fought with him were brought before him vanquished. Even then, he called them to the same thing, to Islam. Standing at the gate of the Ka'bah he said:"O people of Quraysh! Allaah has, this day, put an end to your pride of the Jaahiliyyah )ignorance( and also the pride of your ancestry. Keep in mind! All men are from Aadam, and Aadam was fashioned out of clay." On this occasion he recited the verse which means:"O Mankind! Indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allaah is the most righteous of you..."]Quran: 49:13[
Sixth Example
'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, was a glorious caliph. He was sympathetic to the weak, firm in his stand by the truth. He used to go without food to feed others, and kept himself deprived to give to others. He used to go from door to door asking people about their conditions of living, etc.
Seventh Example
When a caravan came to Madeenah, 'Umar and 'Abdur-Rahmaan bin 'Awf, may Allaah be pleased with them, stood guard for the caravan. During that night, 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, heard a baby's cry. He approached the mother and said to her: "Fear Allaah and look after your child carefully."
Then he went back to his own position. Once again he heard the baby crying, and went over to the mother yet again and gave her the same advice. Later, during the last part of the night the child cried once more. 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, came to the mother and said: "Woe to you! You appear not to be a good mother. How is it that your child can not sleep peacefully during the night?"
The woman, little suspecting that she was speaking to the Ameer of the believers, said in reply: "May Allaah bless you, you have pestered me several times during the night. I want to wean it forcefully )before time,( but the child is intractable." 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, asked her: "Why wean it forcefully?" She said in reply: "Because 'Umar grants allowance only for such children that have been weaned."
'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with her, asked her: "How old is your child?" She told him it was only a few months old. 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, asked the woman not to be hasty in weaning her child. Then he led the dawn prayer in such a state that his weeping made his recital of the Quran inaudible and unintelligible. At the end of the prayer he said: "'Umar is ruined! He has killed the children of the believers!" Thereupon, he ordered the crier to proclaim in the town ofMadeenahthat the mothers should not wean their children only for the sake of the allowance for their children. From now on, every child, suckling or weaned, was to receive a stipend.
Eighth Example
One of the unique incidents relating to sympathy and equality in the history of mankind is that 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, came by one night. It was usual for him to go out during the nights to see with his own eyes the conditions under which the people were living. One night, he heard somebody crying in a nearby tent, at whose door was standing a man. 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, greeted him and asked him who he was.
He said in reply that he was a Bedouin who had come to Madeenah to ask the Ameer of the believers for help. Then 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, asked him about the crying and wailing inside the tent. The Bedouin tried to evade this question, saying that since it did not concern him he should not interest himself in it and go his way.
However, on the insistence of 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, he told him that his wife was in labour and had no one to help her with the delivery. 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, returned to his home and asked his wife, Umm-Kulthoom bint 'Ali, may Allaah be pleased with her, whether she was interested in the reward from Allaah which He might have brought her way. He asked her to take with her the requisites of a newborn and the delivered mother and also some provisions for food.
He took all those things from her and started, Umm-Kulthoom following him. When they came to the Bedouin's tent, 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, sent his wife inside. He himself sat with the husband and, lighting a fire, started cooking food with the provisions he had brought with him. The Bedouin was still unaware that he was sitting beside a great man of the world.
Then the child was delivered and Umm-Kulthoom, may Allaah be pleased with her, called him from inside the tent, addressing him as Ameer Al-Mu'mineen, and asked him to congratulate his friend on the birth of his child. The Bedouin on hearing her words became conscious of the fact that he had been with the head of the Islamic state all this time and had been rude to him, and was awe-struck and began receding from 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him.
But 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, reassured him and asked him to keep sitting where he was, unceremoniously. He asked Umm-Kulthoom to offer the mother the food that he had cooked while he offered some to her husband saying, "Partake of it, you have been kept up the whole night and have been inconvenienced."
Here we must also mention that 'Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, is not an isolated example presented as a perfect and affectionate person by the Islamic civilisation. The lives of Abu Bakr, 'Uthmaan and 'Ali, may Allaah be pleased with them all, were also moulded in the mould of perfect humanity, brimming over with mercy and affection.
Similar were the lives of 'Umar bin 'Abdul Azeez, Salaahuddeen Ayyoobi, and many other big personages, legists and leaders who also present countless immortal examples. They are in themselves brilliant evidence in favour of this glorious civilisation from every aspect.
Share
Share ↓
Islam came to complete the previous Divine religions and faith on earth. In fact, the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( completed the missions of the previous Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention. Allaah’s Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said:“My example, and the example of the prophets, who preceded me, is like that of a person who built a beautiful house. The house was perfect, magnificent and great except for a place of a single brick )in one corner(. People, who visited )or saw( that house admired it but always wondered, why did not the owner complete that missing single brick?’ I am that )missing( brick. I am the final Prophet )for mankind on the earth(.”]Al-Bukhaari, Hadeeth No.3341 and at-Tirmithi, Hadeeth No.2862[
Islam diligently acts to provide the basic needs of man on earth, like the previous Divine religions and works hard to secure his rights.
Let us read together the following verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“Fight in the cause of Allaah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allaah loves not transgressors.”]Quran 2:190[
Allaah, the Exalted and Sublime, has made Jihaad )fighting and struggling for His cause(, a rewardable act that Muslims believe in and practice. In fact, Jihaad is looked upon as the “hump” of the camel, the highest most important point on the body of the camel, and a Muslim should regard it similarly. Struggle for the sole cause of Allaah Almighty must be cherished by the sincere believing Muslims in this life. It should be treated with reverence and taken seriously, with a mature understanding of its objectives. Jihaad is not an innovation in Islam. In fact, Jihaad is an accepted, well-established, and known practice in the previous faiths and nations as well.
Jihaad was established earlier, Allaah knows best, because of the fact that there have been conflicts and differences among people all over the earth. Moreover, good and evil have always co-existed in societies all over the world throughout history. Therefore, Jihaad was founded and defined in order to stop tyranny and remove tyrant rulers, who deviate from Allaah’s Path and the code of life that He laid down for man to follow. Jihaad is also laid down, Allaah knows best, in order to stop people from worshipping other people and false deities, and introduces them to the reality of the worship of Allaah alone, Who has no son, partners or associates.
Jihaad is also laid down for man on earth to remove all injustices committed by man and introduce the world to the mercy, justice, peace and tranquility of Islam as a way of life. Moreover, Jihaad is laid down, in principle, to protect the call to Islam and help spreading it all over the world. It is for the interest of humankind on earth and not for the interest of Arabs or Muslims, as Islam has no geographic borders.
The final word underlying Jihaad is for the people to either accept or reject Islam as a way of life. Islam has a message for the entire humanity. Islam has the most comprehensive code of morals and ethics for people in every walk of life. Islam laid down the principles of justice, fairness, equality, freedom, prosperity, success and truthfulness for man on earth. Jihaad has not been laid down to force people against their will to join Islam; rather it is a tool and mechanism to help spread the religion of monotheism, justice and equality to the entire world. After the various peoples receive the message, it is up to them to accept Islam as a way of life or choose otherwise.
In any event, the essential purpose of Jihaad is to carry the Message of Islam to people and introduce it to them. Almighty Allaah states in the Glorious Quran )what means(:“Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil and believes in Allaah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And, Allaah hears and knows all things.”]Quran 2: 256[
The directive principle cementing relationships between government and people is based on peace. Yet, Allaah Almighty laid down the foundations of Jihaad in Islam for a special reason and purpose. There is a major difference between the terms“Jihaad”and“War”.Jihaad, as interpreted and understood in Islam, is not a“Holy War”as described in the Western media; rather, it is an honorable ‘struggle’ against the enemies of Allaah Almighty who reject His Word and faith in Him and His religion of Islam.“War”on the other hand, is a drive for personal interests and ownership of lands, natural resources for political or economic reasons. Islam ordered for Jihaad in the three situations as follows:
1- Defense of life, property and national boundaries
This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“Fight in the cause of Allaah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allaah loves not transgressors.”]Quran 2: 190[
2- Removing oppression and preserving the just rights of the oppressed people. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“And why should you not fight in the cause of Allaah and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated people )and oppressed(? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: ‘Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect; and raise for us from You one who will help!’”]Quran 4:75[
3-Defence of Faith and Religion
A fighter must purify his intention to please Allaah Almighty alone and he must have a sound understanding that he is not participating in this Jihaad for any unfair reasons. The fighters must realize that they are taking part in such a Jihaad in order to spread the Word of Allaah Almighty. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“And fight them on until there is no more tumult or oppression, and there prevails justice and faith in Allaah altogether and everywhere; but if they cease, verily Allaah does see all that they do.”]Quran 8:39[
Moreover, if the enemies of Islam cease their fire and resort to stop the war, accepting to make peace with the Islamic Jihaad government, the Muslim fighters must, as well, cease their fires and stop all Jihaad activities. In fact, it becomes unlawful for Muslims to continue to fight in Jihaad against the troops of the other side, if the confronted party cease their fire and ask for peace. This concept is based on the verse of the Glorious Quran, )which means(:“Therefore if they withdraw from you but fight you not, and )instead( send you )guarantees of( peace, then Allaah has left no way for you )to war against them(.”]Quran 4:90[
Furthermore, all other types of wars that aim at land expansion, colonial interests and revenge that result in wide-scale destruction, are totally prohibited according to Islam. Although Islam permitted fighting against enemies for necessary reasons, it has laid articulate rules of conduct while waging wars against the enemies of Islam. Islam does not allow fighters to kill anybody: it is permissible to attack only combatants and supporting forces on the other side. Islam does not permit, accept or condone the killing of elderly people, children, women, sick people under medical treatment, medical staff workers and monks who have secluded themselves for worship of Allaah Almighty.
Islam prohibits killing a wounded man in a battle and forbids mutilating the bodies and organs of the deceased enemy fighters. Islam also forbids the killing of cattle or any type of animals of the enemies, destroying the houses of innocent people, polluting the potable waters, rivers, lakes, springs and wells of water of the fighting enemies. Moreover, Islam prohibits chasing people who flee the battlefield. This concept is based on a verse of the Glorious Quran )which means(:“But seek, with the )wealth( which Allaah has bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget your portion in this World: but do you good, as Allaah has been good to you, and seek not )occasions for( mischief in the land: for Allaah loves not those who do mischief.”]Quran 28:77[
Share
Share ↓
Khalid Yaseen delivered this lecture in Saudi Arabia, and later that night, 43 people accepted Islam. That should tell you how powerful the message in the lecture was.
All praise be to Allaah and may Allaah exalt the mention of His messenger, Muhammad.
The information which I wish to share with you may seem a bit extensive, but when you consider the capacity of the human brain and the capacity that it can store, I am sure that a few pages in tonight's talk will not overburden you.
I am honored to have this opportunity and I would like to begin by saying that all of you have an equal responsibility. That responsibility is to listen with an open heart and an open mind. In a world filled with prejudice and cultural conditioning, it is very hard to be able to find people to take a moment to think about life objectively and try to arrive at the truth about this world and the real purpose of our lives.
Unfortunately, when you ask most people the question: "What is the purpose of life?" )such a fundamental and important question(, they will not tell you what they have concluded through observation or analytical reasoning. Rather, in most cases, they will simply tell you what someone else said, or they will tell you what is "commonly presumed" by others, i.e., What my father said purpose of life is, what the minister of my church said the purpose of life is, what my teacher in school said, what my friend said, etc. If I ask anyone about the purpose of eating or why do we eat, everyone will say ]in one word or another[ that it is for nutritional purposes, because nutrition sustains life. If I ask anyone why they work, they will say because it's a necessity in order to support themselves and to provide for the needs of their families. If I ask anyone why they sleep, why they wash, why they dress, etc., they will answer with appropriate answers, for these are common necessities for all human beings. We can follow this line of questioning with a hundred questions and receive the same or similar answers from anyone in any language from any place in the world. Then I ask you the question: Why, when we ask the question, "What is the goal and purpose of life?" that we get many different answers? It is because people are confused; they don't really know. They are stumbling in the dark, and rather than say, "I don't know"; they just offer any answer they have been programmed to give. Think about it. Is our purpose in this world simply to eat, sleep, dress, work, acquire some material things and enjoy ourselves? Is this our purpose? Why are we born? What is the object of our existence? What is the wisdom behind the creation of man and this tremendous universe?
Think about those questions. Some people argue that there is no proof of any diving origin; no proof that there is a god and there is no proof that this universe has come about through any divine purpose. There are people who argue this way, and they say that perhaps this world came about by chance. A big bang, and this great world ]with all its orchestration[ just came together. They argue that life doesn't have any definite purpose, and that there is nothing that can prove ]either through logic or science[ that there is a god, or a purpose or any divine reason behind this world.
Here I would like to mention a few verses from the Noble Quran that address this subject. We seek the protection of Allaah from every evil thing. Allaah mentions to us in the Noble Quran )what means(:"And to Allaah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth, and Allaah is over all things competent. Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alternation of the night and the day are signs for those of understanding. Who remember Allaah while standing or sitting or ]lying[ on their sides and give thought to the creation of the heavens and the earth, ]saying[, "Our Lord, You did not create this aimlessly; exalted are You ]above such a thing[; then protect us from the punishment of the Fire.."]Quran 3: 189-191[
Now here in these verses, Allaah draws our attention to the creation of the heavens and earth, the alternation of the night and the day, the creation of the universe. He calls our attention to their creation and their precision, and mentions those who contemplate the wonders of creation and realize that this was not created for any foolish purpose, ]that Allaah is exalted above doing such a thing[ and they seek refuge with Allaah from the punishment of Hell. Truly, when you see the design of all that Allaah created, you realize it is very powerful and very precise. Something very powerful and very precise; something beyond your own calculation and imagination, cannot be foolish. It cannot be just "thrown together".
There are many examples of things that happen by chance. Let me offer one situation. If you took ten colored marbles, then numbered them one to ten and you put them inside a bag. Next, you shook that bag to mix them up. Then, closing your eyes and reaching into the bag, you tried to pull out the marbles in order-1 to 10. What is the chance of pulling out the marbles in order? Do you know what the chances are? It is twenty six million to one )26,000,000 to 1(. And this is something within our ability to do. So now I ask you, what is the chance that the heavens and the earth just came together as they are ]with the exact precision and orchestration in their existence[?
My dear respected brothers and sisters, we have to ask ourselves a further question. When you see a bridge, a building or an automobile, you automatically consider the person or company that constructed it. When you see a large ship, an airplane, a rocket, a satellite; you also think about how incredible it is. ]You know by its design who the maker is.[ When you see a super international airport, nuclear plant or an orbiting space station you have to be thoroughly impressed with the engineering dynamics that are involved. Yet, these are just things that are manufactured by human beings. So what about the human body with its massive and intricate control systems? Think about it. Think about the brain: how it thinks, functions, analyzes, retrieves and stores information, as well as distinguishes and categorizes information in a millionth of a second, all of this constantly. Think about the brain for a moment. )And don't forget the fact that you are using your brain to consider itself!( This is the brain that made the automobile, the rocket ships, the boats, and so on. Think about the brain and who made that! Think about the heart. Think about how it pumps continuously for sixty or seventy years ]taking in and discharging blood throughout the body[ maintaining steady precision throughout the life of the person. Think about the kidneys and the liver and the various functions they perform. The purifying instruments of the body that perform hundreds of chemical analyses simultaneously and also control the level of toxicity in the content of the body. All of these are done automatically. Think about your eyes, the human cameras, that adjust, focus, interpret, evaluate, and discern color automatically, naturally receiving and adjusting to light and distance. Think about it-Who created them? Who has mastered their design and function? Who plans and regulates their function? Human beings do this? No, of course not. What about this universe? Think about this. This earth is one planet in our solar system, and our solar system is one ]of possible many[ solar systems. Our galaxy, The Milky Way, is one of the galaxies. There are one hundred million galaxies in the universe. They are all in order and they are all precise. They are not colliding with each other. They are not conflicting with on another. They are swimming along in an orbit that has been set for them. Did human beings set that into motion and are human beings maintaining that precision? No, of course not. Think about the oceans, the fish, the insects, the birds, the plants, bacteria, and chemical elements that have not yet been discovered and cannot be detected even with the most sophisticated instruments. Yet each of them has a law that they follow. Did all of this synchronization, balance, harmony, variation, design, maintenance, operation and infinite numeration happen all by chance? Do these things function perfectly and perpetually also by chance? No, of course not. That would be totally illogical and foolish. In the least, it indicates that however it came to exist-it exists beyond the realm of human capability. We will all agree to that. The Being, The Almighty Power, God, The Creator who has the knowledge to design and proportion crated all of this and is responsible for maintaining it. HE is the only one that deserves praise and gratitude.
If I were to give each one of you one hundred dollars for no reason, you would at least say thank you. What about your eyes, your kidneys, your brain, your children, and your life: Who gave you all of that? Is He not worthy of praise and thanks? Is He not worthy of your worship and recognition?
My brothers and sisters, in a nutshell, this is the goal and purpose of this life. Allaah Says to us in the Noble Quran )what means(:"And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me." ]Quran 51: 56[ This is what he Almighty said. Our purpose in this life is to recognize The Creator, to be grateful to Him, to worship Him, to surrender ourselves to Him and to obey the laws that He has determined for us. It means worship is our purpose in life. Whatever we do in the course of that worship, ]i.e., the eating, the sleeping, the dressing, the working, the enjoying,[ between birth and death is consequential and subject to His orders. But the main reason for our creation is worship. I don't think anyone who is analytical or scientific will have much of an argument with that purpose. They may have some other reason with themselves-but that is something they have to deal with between themselves and Almighty God.
Share
Share ↓
*AS'SALAMU ALAIKUM (WR, WB)*
-
-
Saturday, May 10, 2014
-
- Rajab 11, 1435
-
-
- * ! * -
-
-:-
Share
Share 
We, The Ahle As Sunnah, believe that Allah has given the knowledge of the Ghayb (unseen), to the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace], and that it is also permissable to say that our Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] knows the knowledge of the Ghayb. However, it is not possible, nor permissable to say that the Prophet’s [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] knowledge of the Ghayb is equal to that of Allah - or even like the knowledge of Allah, since Allah’s knowledge is His own and the Prophet’s [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] knowledge has been given to him by Allah.
There are some people, who say to hold such beliefs will render that person a Kafir or an unbeliever. We will prove, with the help of Allah, that such a notion is not one of kufr.
Belief of the Ahle Sunnah about ‘ilm of the Ghayb
Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan(Allah have mercy on him) states:-
“Allah has informed His Prophets about certain things from the Unseen. The knowledge of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) is more than anyone else’s. Nobody can be equal to the knowledge of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) knowledge in the world. The five special things of the Unseen, Allah has informed some of these parts to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace)”.
(See book Ja-alhaq, chapter Masa’la Gaib by Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan.)
Proof from the Qur’an that the Prophet Muhammad [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] has been given the knowledge of Ghayb
Allah says in the Qur’an,
“These are the tidings of Unseen that We reveal to you in secret”.
Surah-Ale-Imran, verse 44.
“Nor will He disclose to you the secrets of the Unseen. But He chooses of His Apostles (For the purpose)”
Surah-Ale-Imran, verse 179.
“The Knower of Unseen reveals not His secret to anyone. Except to His chosen Messengers”.
Surah-Al-Jinn, verse 26.
“…Allah has sent down to you the Book and Wisdom and has taught to you what you did not know, and great is the grace of Allah upon you.”
Surah Al-Nisa, Verse 113.
Imam Tabari writes under this verse:
Allah TA’ALA has told the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), you must thank Allah TA’ALA Who has informed you of what has already happened and what will happen in the future and this is a great grace of Allah upon you.
(Tafsir Tabari under verse 113 of Surah Al-Nisa).
The above Qur’anic verses prove that Allah TA’ALA has given Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) the knowledge of the Ghayb.
Proofs from the Ahadith that Prophet Muhammad [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] had the knowledge of the Ghayb
We find in a narration from the collection of Imam Bukhari :
Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) stood up in one meeting and he started to tell us about events from the beginning of this world to the end and he told us about heaven and hell and about the people who were going to hell and who were going to heaven and what will be their places in heaven and hell. Of course, some people remember what he told us and some people have forgotten.
(Bukhari, Chapter Bada-Ul-Khalq.)
Imam Muslim writes that:
The Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) led the Fajr prayer and then sat on the pulpit, and until Zuhr he told the people of the things about the Unseen. After Zuhr, he sat on the pulpit and continued until Asar, then sat on the pulpit and continued until Maghrib prayer. He even informed of the dwellers of Paradise and Hell.
(Muslim chapter on Fadial).
Hafidhh ibn Hajar Asqalani in his famous commentary to Sahih Bukhari writes that:
What Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) told in that one meeting is a miracle of the Prophet and this should not be doubted.
(Fathul Bari chap on Bada-Ul-Khalq).
Imam Bukhari writes:
The Munafiqs (hypocrites- those who were outwardly Muslims but inwardly unbelievers) made an objection to the knowledge of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace). The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) stood on the pulpit and said, “Ask me what you will”.One person stood up and asked, “What will be my place in the Hereafter?” The Prophet replied, “Hell”. Another person whose name was Abdullah bin Huzaifa, (people doubted whether he was a legitimate child), stood up and asked, “Who is my Father?” The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “Your Father is Huzaifa”. (The accusation on Abdullah bin Huzaifa was cleared.) The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) repeated, “Ask me, ask me”.
[Bukhari Kitab-ul-I’tisaam Muslim chap on Fadial].
It is evident from this Hadith that the only people who objected to the knowledge (Ilm-e-ghaib) of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) were the Munafiqs (hypocrites), and the belief that Allah informed His Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) of more knowledge than any one else is the belief of the blessed companions of the Prophet.
Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal quotes the following narration which provides more evidence on the Prophets knowledge :
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated, “I have seen my Lord, He put His hands upon my chest, after which everything appeared before me and I recognized everything.
[Musnad Ahmad Ibn Hanbal, vol 5, page 243]
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
A shepherd was with his goats. Upon which a wolf came and grabbed one goat and ran. The shepherd then chased after the wolf to get the goat back. The wolf then spoke to him and said, “Why do you take what food (rizq) which Allah has provided for me?” The shepherd was astonished that the wolf spoke. The wolf again said, “If you are so surprised that I can talk then go to Madina. You will find the last of the Prophets, and he can inform you of the Past and the Future”. The shepherd left his goats and went straight to the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) and mentioned his experience. The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) replied, “The wolf spoke the truth" Isnad (chain of narrators) for this hadith is (Jayid) Authentic.
[Taareekh: Chapter of Miracles of Prophet [May Allah bless Him and grant Him peace].
We also find the following clear cut hadith without any ambigious meanings from Sahih Muslim:
The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) stated, “Allah put the earth before me and I saw it from the East to the West”
[Muslim (Chapter of Excellence of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace]
This Hadith is a proof that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) was bestowed with the knowledge of the whole world.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir and Ibn Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab al Najdi write:
Suad bin Qarib recited a poem in front of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), “I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah. Allah has made you the trustee over all the ghaib.
[Sirat-un-Nabi and Mukhtasar Sirat ul Rasool, Storey on Swad bin Qariq by Hafidhh ibn Kathir and Ibn Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab al Najdi]
Shaykh-ul-Islam, al-Hafidhh Ibn Hajar Asqalani writes that:
One of the qualities bestowed upon a Prophet is the quality that he knows what has already happened in the past and what will happen in the future.
(Fathul Bari chap on Anbiya).
From all the above Ahadith it is proven that the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) was bestowed with more knowledge, than any other in the creation by Allah Almighty. It is also clear that he, (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), has been bestowed with the knowledge of the past and future and it is therefore permissible to say that Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) is the trustee of the knowledge of Ghayb.
It is proven from the above narrations that Allah Almighty bestowed (that is gave) our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) the knowledge of the Ghayb, so it is permissible to say that he, (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) knows the Ghayb. Hence if someone says that they hold the Prophet to know the Ghayb(unseen), he is not committing Kufr or Shirk by holding such a belief.
Sayyedina Khidr (Alay hissalaam) also knew the Ghayb?
Imam Tabari, Imam Qurtabi and Qadi Shawkani quote the following narration:
Ibn Abbas reported that Khidr was a man who did all his work with the knowledge of the Ghayb because he knew the Ghayb.
[Tafsir Tabari, Tafsir Qurtabi, Tafsir Fathul Qadir, by Imam Tabari, Qurtabi and Qadi Shawkani].
The above statement proves from a narration from a Sahabi, which is accepted by leading and reputable classical authorities, that it is permissible to say about Khidhr that he knew the Ghayb, so how can it possibly be wrong to say that Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) also knows the Ghayb.
Hafidhh ibn Kathir and Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab al Najdi wrote;
Malik Bin Aouf Nazri has written a Poem about our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) and has written
I have not seen any one like you in this world that I can compare with.
Who always fulfill all that he promises.
There is no one more generous than him,
When you ask him some thing he will inform you of what is going to happen tomorrow.
[Sirat an Nabi Ibn Kathir and Muktasar Sirat al Rasool chapter Gazwa Hawazan by Hafidh ibn Kathir and Ibn Shaykh Najdy]
We will now examine some doubts that are raised by the opponents of the above Qur’anic and Ahadith based beliefs, and then by the grace of Allah, will answer their doubts so that the truth may become clear, Insha’allah.
Q) How can you say that Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) has been given the knowledge of the Ghayb when Allah Almighty says in the Qur’an that there are five things of which no one has any knowledge about?
The relevant verse of the Qur’an is as follows:-
“Undoubtedly, Allah has the knowledge of the Hour, and He sends rain and knows what is in the wombs of the mothers and no soul knows in what land it will die. Undoubtedly, Allah is the Knower, All Aware”. (Surah Luqman Verse 34)
There are two answers to this:
The word used in this verse in Arabic is Adri, which refers to that knowledge which someone can attain by guessing. Of course the knowledge of the Unseen of the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) was not by guessing. Allah informed this to him.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir (who met and briefly studied with Ibn Taymiyya) has written in his famous commentary to the Qur’an, ‘Tafsir Ibn Kathir’, the meaning of this ayaat, namely, that no-one can find the knowledge of these things on there own endeavor. Only Allah can give this knowledge, for example Allah gives knowledge to the Angels whose duties are to control rain, and therefore on the command of Allah it rains.
Also Allah commands an Angel who goes into the mother’s womb and hangs a record around the child’s neck what he/she will do in their lifetime. This knowledge is not attained by the Angel but rather it is given by Allah Himself.
If the literal and direct meaning is taken from the above quoted ayaat, then it will mean that only Allah knows what is in the mothers womb but today, we can discover quite easily if the child is a male or female by modern scanning techniques.
If the Angels have some knowledge on the five Unseen things - given to them by Allah, why is it strange if the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) also has some of this knowledge - again bestowed by Allah.
During the battle of Badr, the Prophet mentioned the names of the kafirs that were to die the next and also described the manner in which the companions would achieve martyrdom.
These are clear and authentic examples of the Prophet, (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), informing his ummah about future events, hidden from all else (ie ghayb), [Taken from Sahih Bukhari chapter on the Battle of Badr and also Tafsir Ibn Kathir on Surah Luqman Ayaat 34.]
(Q) Did Prophet Muhammad (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) not stop people from saying that he [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] had the knowledge of tomorrow?
On one occasion our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) went to a wedding. There, the girls were singing about the battle of Badr. When they saw the Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) coming they stopped singing about Battle of Badr and started to sing that: "There is a Prophet amongst us that knows about tomorrow". The Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) said carry on singing what you were singing before. [Miskat chapter Nikah]
If he [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] knew about tomorrow, then why did he stop them from singing it?
The Answer to this is:
These poems were written by a Companion [Sahabi], and had it been incorrect, he [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] would have instructed them to stop immediately and not to repeat.
This means the poem was right. The reason he told them to stop singing was because a wedding celebration was taking place and he wanted them to sing the poem that they were singing before, and secondly he did not want them to praise him in the presence of himself. That was one of the beauties of our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), that he didn’t like to be praised.
Everyone knows that our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) did know about the future events up to the Day of Judgment and even after, how else could he have told us about the Mahdi, the Dajjal, the second coming of Jesus, the questions to be asked in the grave, the bridge over Hell which everyone will have to cross to get to Heaven, the Meezan (scales) where everyone’s actions will be weighed etc etc.
There are countless more proofs which show without a shadow of a doubt that the Beloved Messenger of Allah, (May Allah bless him and grant him peace), had been given the knowledge of the Ghayb (Unseen) and ALLAH is the knower of all things!
Share
Share
We, the Ahle Sunnah Wal Jammat, believe that the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] is Haadhir and Nadhir, which simply put means that he views our actions and in this way we are presented to him. He [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] is Nadhir, since he views our actions, both good and bad.
Definition of Hadhir/Nadhir
Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan and Allama Ghulam Rasool Sa’eedi write:
Haadhir Nadhir does not mean that the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] is present. Rather, it means that the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] views the actions of his Ummah whilst he is in his grave. He can go from his grave to other places where he likes spiritually. He prays for us.
[Tawzeeh-ul-Bayaan Sharh Sahih Muslim vol 1 Chapter on Mi’raj Ja al-Haqq chapter
Al Haadir-u-wannadir by Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan]
Proof of Hadhir/Nadhir
Allah Ta’ala says in the Qur’an
"O Prophet! [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] no doubt, We have sent you as a witness, bearer of glad tiding and a Warner"
[Surah Al-Ahzab, verse 45.]
The Qur’an refers to RasoolAllah [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] as ‘Shahid’(witness) and the witness is someone who sees whilst being present. [Mufradaat, Imam Raghib, under the word Shahid]
Allah sent the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] as Shahid. It is for this reason we refer to him as metaphorically being Haadhir/Nadhir and that he is not Hadhir/Nadhir in the way that are the Angels Kiraman, Katibeen. (The Angels who are constantly present on the right and left shoulder of every human being.)
Proof of Haadhir & Nadhir from Hadith
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
Imam Qurtubi writes: The angels present the actions of the Ummah to the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] every single day. This is not correct, but the truth is that the actions of the Ummah are presented not every day but every Friday. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir Surah Al-Nisa'a under verse 41]
Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim writes:
It is true that our Prophet, [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] in his grave, is presented with the actions of his Ummah. This is from un-authenticated Ahadeeth and it is not something to be surprised by, because when our parents pass away from this world, our actions are presented to them to view. However, with our Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace], he is presented with the actions of the all humans and the Jins. [Qaseedah Nounia 13 by Hafidhh Ibn Qayyim]
Hafidhh ibn Kathir writes: that;
When a parent of a muslim dies, then their children’s actions are presented to them. If the actions are good then they are happy, but if their actions are bad, then they pray to Allah TA’ALA so that He may forgive them. [Tafsir ibn Kathir under verse 105 of Surah al Taubah by Hafidhh Ibn Kathir].
Hafidhh Ibn Rajab: also says on this subject;
Deeds of the humans are presented in front of our Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace], that is why a person should be ashamed of themselves from doing bad deeds. [Lataef-ul-Mahrif Hafidhh Ibn Rajab pg 91]
Some people may have difficulty in comprehending how the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] could have so much power to the extent that he views the actions of his Ummah every day or once a week. Firstly such a thing can never be difficult for the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace], and secondly there is nothing to be surprised by when Allah grants his special servants abilities of such nature.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes:
An example of this would be of the Angel Izra’eel Alaihi salaam, who at all times has the Lawh-e-Mahfooz (guarded tablet) in his sight, and it is through this he sees the whole world. He even visits every house on land and under water five times a day. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah Sajdah, under verse 11. Also in Tareek Ibn Kathir vol.1, Chapter on Lawh-e-Mahfooz]
Apart from his servants, Allah has even given power to Shaytaan, who sits on his throne in the sea and sees you wherever you may be. [Surah Al-’Araaf, under verse 27]
So if Allah can bestow such powers to a Kafir then why is it so difficult to believe that He can bestow such powers to the most beloved of his creation - Our Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace]?
The evidence provided above, was to demonstrate that the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] is a witness over the whole of his Ummah - and this is what is meant by Hadhir/Nadhir.
The Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] stated:
"My life is better for you, you narrate Ahadith and Ahadith are narrated for you. When I pass away it will continue to benefit you because your actions will be presented before me. If I see a good deed I shall praise Allah Soobha Nahu Wata'ala, If I see a bad deed of yours I shall ask Allah Soobha Nahu Wata'ala to forgive you. [Majma-uz-Zwaa’id, vol.9, pg.24]
All this implies, that the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] is Hadhir/Nadhir over our actions.
Hafidhh Ibn Kathir writes: On the Day of Judgment, the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] will be a witness over our actions and the actions of the previous Ummahs. Even the Ummah of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] will bear witness to the fact that the previous Prophets conveyed the message of Allah Soobha Nahu Wata'la to their respective Ummahs. To this, the people from the previous Ummahs will say: ‘How can they testify when they were not present at that time?’ The Ummah of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] will reply: ‘We were informed by our Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] that the previous messengers had all conveyed the message from Allah Soobha Nahu Wata'ala.’ Then RasoolAllah [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] will himself bear witness to the fact that all the Prophets before him had conveyed their message from Allah Soobha Nahu Wata'ala to their respective Ummahs. [Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Surah Baqarah, under verse 143]
On the Day of judgment there will be an objection to the certification of the Ummahs ,but there will be no objection to the word/certification of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace]. In fact it will used as a decision, since the certification of the Ummah would be from what they heard (from Qur,an and Sunnah) but the certification of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] will be from what he had witnessed.
Imam Bukhari Rahmatullah states:
The Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] saw all the previous Prophets and their followers. This is the difference in the testimony of the Prophet [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] and that of his Ummah. [Sahih al Bukhari Chptr Al-Manaqib]
From the above, it can be understood that the witness of Prophet Muhammad [May Allah bless him and grant him peace] will not be challengable on the Day of Judgement, because his witness will be observable.
Share
Share
There is a hadeeth which says that a blind man came to the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah to give me sight. He said: “Go and do wudoo’, then pray two rak‘ahs, then say: ‘O Allah, I ask of You and I turn to you by virtue of our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), the Prophet of mercy. O Muhammad, I have turned by virtue of you to my Lord so that He might fulfil my need.’” How sound is this hadeeth, and what does it mean?
Praise be to Allah
The scholars differed concerning the soundness of this hadeeth. Some of them said that it is da‘eef and others said that it is hasan, but it is to be interpreted in a manner other than what may first come to the reader’s mind. The meaning of this hadeeth is that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) instructed this blind man to do wudoo’ and pray two rak ‘ahs so that he would be sincere in seeking the intercession of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for him, and so that his wudoo’ and prayer would be indicative of his desire to draw closer to Allah by virtue of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and to turn to Allah (to meet his need), may He be glorified and exalted, by virtue of him. Hence if his intention was sincere and sound, and his resolve was strong, then the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would intercede for him with Allah, may He be glorified and exalted; in other words, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) would offer supplication for him, because du‘aa’ (supplication) is a kind of intercession. This is proven in the saheeh hadeeth in which the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “There is no Muslim man who dies, and forty men who do not associate anything with Allah offer the funeral prayer for him but Allah will accept their intercession for him.”
So what this hadeeth means is that this blind man asked the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray to Allah for him, because this du‘aa’ would be a kind of intercession. But now, after the death of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), such a thing is not possible; it is not possible for the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray for anyone after his death. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “When a person dies, all his good deeds come to an end except three: ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah), beneficial knowledge or a righteous son who will pray for him.” Du‘aa’ (supplication) is undoubtedly one of the deeds that come to an end when a person dies. Indeed, du‘aa’ is an act of worship, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, (i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)) (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation).”
[Ghaafir 40:60].
Hence at times of hardship and need, the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased with them) did not resort to asking the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray to Allah for them; rather, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab said, when there was a drought and no rain fell: O Allah, we used to seek to have our needs met by You, by virtue of our Prophet, and You would grant us rain; now we seek to to have our needs met by You, by virtue of the paternal uncle of our Prophet, so grant us rain. And they were granted rain. And he asked al-‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him) to call upon Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, to grant them rain; he did so and they were granted rain. This indicates that it is not possible to ask the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), after his death, to pray for anyone, as that is not possible because his deeds came to an end with his death. Because it is not possible for anyone to ask the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) to pray for him after the death of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), it is more apt to say that it is not possible for anyone to call upon the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) himself to ask him to meet his needs. This comes under the heading of major shirk which Allah does not forgive, and He has forbidden Paradise to anyone who does such a thing. Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And invoke not besides Allah, any that will neither profit you, nor hurt you, but if (in case) you did so, you shall certainly be one of the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrong-doers)”
[Yoonus 10:106]
“So invoke not with Allah another ilah (god) lest you be among those who receive punishment”
[ash-Shu‘ara’ 26:213]
“And whoever invokes (or worships), besides Allah, any other ilah (god), of whom he has no proof, then his reckoning is only with his Lord. Surely! Al-Kafiroon (the disbelievers in Allah and in the Oneness of Allah, polytheists, pagans, idolaters, etc.) will not be successful”
[al-Mu’minoon 23:117]
“Surely, they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is the Messiah (Iesa (Jesus)), son of Maryam (Mary)." But the Messiah (Iesa (Jesus)) said: "O Children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." Verily, whosoever sets up partners in worship with Allah, then Allah has forbidden Paradise for him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers”
[al-Maa’idah 5:72].
The point is that whoever calls upon the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) after his death, or anyone else among the dead, asking him to ward off harm or bring some benefit is a mushrik in the sense of major shirk (associating someone else with Allah) that puts one beyond the pale of Islam; he must repent to Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, and direct his du‘aa’ only to the Most High, the Almighty, Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil. (cf. an-Naml 27:62).
I am astounded by people who go to the grave of so and so and call upon him to relieve their distress and bring them good things, when they know that when this man was alive he could not do that, so how can he do it after his death, and after he has become a corpse and maybe even dust, having being consumed by the earth. They go and call upon him and they fail to call upon Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, Who is the only One who wards off harm and brings benefits and good, even though Allah, may He be exalted, has commanded them and urged them to do that, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And your Lord said: "Invoke Me, (i.e. believe in My Oneness (Islamic Monotheism)) (and ask Me for anything) I will respond to your (invocation).”
[Ghaafir 40:60]
“And when My slaves ask you (O Muhammad SAW) concerning Me, then (answer them), I am indeed near (to them by My Knowledge). I respond to the invocations of the supplicant when he calls on Me (without any mediator or intercessor). So let them obey Me and believe in Me, so that they may be led aright”
[al-Baqarah 2:186].
And Allah, may He be exalted, says, denouncing those who call upon anyone other than Him (interpretation of the meaning):
“Is not He (better than your gods) Who responds to the distressed one, when he calls Him, and Who removes the evil, and makes you inheritors of the earth, generations after generations. Is there any ilah (god) with Allah?”
[an-Naml 27:62].
I ask Allah, may He be exalted, to guide us all to His straight path.
End quote fromMajmoo‘ Fataawa wa Rasdaa’il ash-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 2/274
The hadeeth does not indicate that it is permissible to seek to have one’s needs met by virtue of the status of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as some people suggest; rather the hadeeth indicates that this man sought to have his needs met by virtue of the supplication of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) when he said: “O Allah, I ask of You and I turn to you by virtue of our Prophet Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him),” that is, by virtue of the supplication of our Prophet Muhammad, and when he said “O Muhammad, I have turned by virtue of you to my Lord”, i.e., by virtue of your supplication.
This is indicated by the following:
-1-
this man came to the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and asked him to offer supplication for him; if what he wanted was to have his need met by virtue of the status of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), he would have stayed at home and said: O Allah, I ask to have my need met and I ask of You by virtue of the status of Muhammad.
-2-
Among the supplication that the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught him was to say: “O Allah, accept his intercession for me and accept my intercession for him,” i.e., accept the intercession of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for me, and intercession is a kind of supplication. Thus it implies that the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) offered supplication for him.
The words “And accept my intercession for him” mean: accept my supplication asking You to accept his supplication.
Al-Albaani (may Allah have mercy on him) said inKitaab at-Tawassul(73, 74):
One of the things that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) taught the blind man was: to say “and accept my intercession for him” i.e., accept my supplication asking You to accept his (the Prophet’s) intercession, i.e., his supplication to restore my sight. Nothing other than this can be understood from this sentence.
Hence you see those who ignore this part of the hadeeth ignoring it and not paying any attention to it whatsoever, because it would pull the rug out from under their feet and destroy all their arguments. If they hear it, you will see them looking at you like one who is extreme distress. That is because the intercession of the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) for the blind man is something understandable, but as for the intercession of the blind man for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), how can that be? They have no answer for that at all. Another thing which highlights their feeling that this sentence invalidates their misinterpretations is that you never see one of them using it and saying in his supplication: O Allah, accept the intercession of Your Prophet for me and accept my intercession for him.
End quote.
For a detailed discussion on this hadeeth, please seeat-Tawassul, p. 68-92
And Allah knows best.
Share
Share I am a revert women married 8 years back with born muslim. after few years of marriage every thing changed. i have no children. he stopped talking to me and even taking care. my health and especially mental health losses as i have no one besides Allah to handle all this. i prayed patiently for years that he become good to me. But things worse he hardly sees me for days and days but we r living in same house. Our understanding about islam and how to live life differs gradually. but i accept this and continue on my way bec i have get truth after great struggle and pain. Then he forced me to go away from him but i resist as i have no where to go. slowly i understand after so many years of anxiety,pain, loneliness that it is not going to work. i realize he has no pain ,care and love for me. Then when he assist to leave him i then tell him to divorce me otherwise i will not go. he then makes my life terrible. and i have total breakdown of health and mental health. Then i leave leave him in order to save myself. And in that health i live alone for months and then i decided to give one more chance with him. so i go to him live for 6 months but he doent utter a single word to me and i was alone there no body to talk. so i decided to come back to my non muslim parent house(they didnt interfere in follow my religion). I dnt know much muslim in community but few i know i tried to approach them by phone so that my husband divorce me. But they hardly understand and at last nothing happen. even i try to console my husband to leave me with dignity but of no use. So I leave all to Allah and patiently bearing all this thinking may Allah has something good in it. I am married but with no husband.Is it sin on me to live like this. I am so deeply hurt by all this that i lose trust in any people. My health deteriorates , difficult to live in such society and very bad memories.I thank Allah that HE take me out of the previous hell conditions. But now he is saying to come back bec of society pressure or what Allah knows. I dnt want to go back to him and even dnt want to live like this. I am not in such power to take kullah from him.Nor i cant trust anyone further. I ask u what should i do.Is it sin on me to live like this.My english is not so good. I pray to Allah that u understand what i tries to convey u.
Praise be to Allah.
Allah has commanded husbands to treat their wives kindly, as He, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And live with them honourably” [an-Nisa’ 4:19].
Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: i.e., speak nicely to them, treat them kindly and make yourself look good for them, to the best of your ability. As you would like her to treat you, do the same for her. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses, etc.) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect, etc.) according to what is reasonable” [al-Baqarah 2:228]. And the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The best of you are the best of you towards his wife, and I am the best of you towards my wives.” Part of the Prophet’s character was that he treated people kindly and was always cheerful; he used to joke with his wives, spent generously on them and treated his wives kindly, to such an extent that he raced with ‘Aa’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, out of kindness. He would meet with his wives every night in the house of the one with whom the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was staying, and he would eat supper with them sometimes, then each of them would go back to her own home.
End quote fromTafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/242
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And they (women) have rights (over their husbands as regards living expenses, etc.) similar (to those of their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect, etc.) according to what is reasonable” [al-Baqarah 2:228],i.e., they have rights over men just as men have rights over them, so let each one of them fulfil the rights of the other, according to what is reasonable.
End quote fromTafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/609
Undoubtedly forsaking the wife and not talking to her for no good reason does not come under the heading of kind and honourable treatment; rather it causes her a great deal of harm, as was stated by the scholars.
It says inat-Taaj wa’l-Ikleel li Mukhtasar Khaleel(5/265): If the man stops speaking to his wife, or he turns his face away from her in bed, that comes under the heading of causing her harm. End quote.
InMawaahib al-Jaleel fi Sharh Mukhtasar Khaleel(4/17) it says: Part of causing harm is to stop speaking to her, turning his face away from her in bed, preferring another wife over her, and striking her in a manner that causes pain. End quote.
Although we acknowledge all the suffering that you have gone through, it is our opinion and our advice to you that you should give your husband another chance, especially after he calls you to go back to his house. The complicated situation you are in lead us to advise you to be more patient and think about the matter logically and from all angles. If he mends his ways and treats you better, then this is what you want, and praise be to Allah. But if he continues as he is, shunning you and mistreating you, then in that case you have the right to ask him for divorce (talaaq), and you are not to blame.
If he insists on not giving you a talaaq, then in that case you have no option but to refer to the Islamic court, if there is one; if not, then you should get divorced from him by means of khula‘, and his reckoning will be with his Lord. The Lord of the worlds, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“the Day when they will be brought back to Him, then He will inform them of what they did. And Allah is All-Knower of everything”
[an-Noor 24:64].
During this suffering, there is nothing more beneficial for you than constantly remembering Allah, may He be exalted, and reading His Book, whilst being keen to do that which Allah has enjoined upon you of prayers and all acts of obedience. Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):
“O you who believe! Seek help in patience and As-Salat (the prayer). Truly! Allah is with As-Sabirin (the patient ones)”
[al-Baqarah 2:153].
And Allah knows best.
Share
Share
i am a muslim man .i was married first in 2005 and divorced after 6 months. and again in 2008.i had sexual relations with both. my first wife had a boy friend who was her classmate which i did not know did not like my telling her not to talk to an indecent man and also my trying to be more islamic and she left me and asked for a divorce after a fight and i was forced to pronounce talaq 3 times at once with the demand being made by her to do so. subsequently i married for the second time and my father was seriously ill and i had to quit my job so as to look after him.he died 1.5 yrs later.my mother was in iddath and my second wife took all her jewellery and was not traceable for 10 days.after 10 days her father calls up and abuses me and my mother and says that if i wanted her i should leave my old mother and live with my wife separately. or else i should divorce her and that she was not willing to stay together. she and her father threatened to jail me and my mother and beat us up if we went to her house. i had no choice but to give talaq again.what troubles me is that i was forced on both occasions to give three talaaq at one go by both women.was i right? now i am single and hate the thought of marriage ever.
Praise be to Allah.
We ask Allah, may He be glorified, to help you cope with what has been decreed for you, and to help you to think straight and mend your ways, and to relieve you of your distress and sorrow, and to bestow upon you a great reward for having honoured your parents, for He, may He be glorified, is Most Generous. We advise you to not to be hasty with regard to the matter of divorce, as it should be the last resort, not the first option, because divorce is something that is disliked in and of itself, and nothing changes that fact except in cases where it is justified to resort to it.
You should understand that it is essential for the Muslim, from the outset, to choose a wife who meets the requirements that prescribed in Islam, and not hasten to get married without thorough checking and consideration. Rather he should think long and hard, research the matter and ask questions, so that he can find one who is religiously committed and of good character. Failing to look for one who is religiously committed and of good character, in pursuit of transient worldly standards that will fade and diminish, such as lineage, wealth and beauty, is what usually leads to separation and dissent first of all, then ultimately to divorce.
The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) encouraged us to look for a righteous wife. Al-Bukhaari (5090), Muslim (1466) and others narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Women may be married for four things: their wealth, their lineage, their beauty and their religious commitment. Choose the one who is religiously-committed, may your hands be rubbed with dust (i.e., may you prosper).”
It was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in hisMusannaf(17149) and Abu Ya‘la al-Mawsili in hisMusnad(1012) that Abu Sa‘eed said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “A woman may be married for one of three characteristics: a woman may be married for her wealth, or for her beauty, or she may be married for her religious commitment. You should look for the one who is religiously committed and of good character, may your right hand be rubbed with dust (i.e., may you prosper).”
Classed as hasan by al-Albaani inSaheeh at-Targheeb wa’t-Tarheeb, no. 1919
With regard to divorcing your wife who used to talk to her male friend, you had the right to divorce her, especially after it became clear that she was persisting in doing that and she refused to accept advice, and she asked for divorce.
With regard to your wife who left the house because she objected to your honouring your parents and looking after them, although she was wrong to do that, you could have been patient with her and with her father’s offensive attitude, and you could have advised her and informed her of parents’ rights, and exhorted her in general with regard to this and other matters of religion, especially since you had neglected her rights. You should have examined the matter further, and tried to give each person his or her due rights.
But whatever the case, this is something that has passed, and perhaps it will be a lesson to you for the future. Whatever Allah wills happens and whatever He does not will does not happen. What matters is that you learn from this experience for the future.
Finally, we advise you not to let this previous experience influence your attitude towards marriage and make you prefer to remain single, because that is a mistake. Marriage is part of the way of the Prophets and Messengers. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And indeed We sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad SAW), and made for them wives and offspring” [ar-Ra‘d 13:38].
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen said, discussing what we learn from the verse (interpretation of the meaning):“And We said: ‘O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in Paradise” [al-Baqarah 2:35]:
… Marriage is an ancient practice, since the time Allah created Adam, and it continued among his descendants, the Messengers and Prophets, and others, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):“And indeed We sent Messengers before you (O Muhammad SAW), and made for them wives and offspring” [ar-Ra‘d 13:38].
End quote fromTafseer Soorat al-Baqarah, 1/130
Because of that, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to a group of the Sahaabah who wanted to go to extremes in worship and strive hard in it:
“By Allah, I am the most pious among you and I fear Allah the most, but I fast and do not fast, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me.”
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5063) and Muslim (1401).
However we should point out that the divorces did count as such at all times, if you agreed to it and meant it. If what you mean when you say that you were forced to do it is that you were compelled to do that in order to rid yourself of these wives and their defiant attitudes, then this is correct. But if what you mean by being forced to do it is that you were compelled in the shar‘i sense, i.e., that you are forced to do it in such a way that the divorce does not count as such, then this is not correct. Rather the divorce counts such because you decided and chose to do it, therefore it counts as such.
And Allah knows best.
Share
