The establishment of the first Islamic state -I

We have already mentioned in the previous article that the Messenger
of Allaah arrived inAl-Madeenah on Friday, Rabee' Al-Awwal 12, 1 AH,
i.e. September 27, 622 CE and took the lower portion of the house of
Abu Ayyoob as a temporary residence.
The first task to which the Prophet attended on his arrival in
Al-Madeenah was the construction of a Mosque,at the very site where
his camel knelt down. The land, which belonged to two orphans, was
purchased. The Prophet himself contributed tobuilding the Mosque by
carrying adobe bricks and stones.
The ground was cleared of weeds and shrubs, palm trees and rubbish;
the graves of the polytheists were dug up and then leveled, and trees
were planted. The Qiblah (the direction in which the Muslims turn
their faces in prayer) wasconstructed to face Jerusalem ; two beams
were also erected to support the ceiling. It was square in form, each
side measuring approximately 100 yards, facing towards the north and
having three gates on each of the remainingsides. Nearby, rooms
reserved for the household of the Prophet were built of stones and
adobe bricks with ceilings of palm leaves. To the north of the Mosque,
a place was reserved for the Muslims who had neither family nor home.
The Athaan (summoning the Muslims to the Mosque by the call for
prayer) was initiated at this early stage of the post-migration era.
The Mosque was not merely alocus to perform prayers, but rather a
place where the Muslims were taught the doctrines of Islam. It served
as a place of assembly and was the headquarters wherein allthe affairs
of the Muslims were administered, and consultative and executive
councils held.
The Prophet instills brotherhood between the Ansaar (Helpers) andthe
Muhaajireen (Emigrants)
The Mosque being thus constructed, the first objective of the Prophet
was to establish law and order and good mutual relations among the
people. He felt right away that the Muhaajireen had come from Makkah
and so theymust not become a source of constant mental stress for the
people of Al-Madeenah. However, he was equally conscious of the stark
reality that the Muhaajireen had migrated from Makkah sacrificing
everything fortheir faith -- their homes,motherland, relatives,
wealth, property, family and clan. They should be treated in a manner
that they were not overtaken by a deep sense of loss, dejection and
frustration.Thus, the Prophet convened a meeting of the Muhaajireen
and the Ansaar and told them about the virtues of Islamic brotherhood.
He then established bonds of brotherhood between the Muhaajireen and
the Ansaar, putting them together in an atmosphere of mutual regard.
It was indeed unique in the history of the world. A gathering of 90
men, half of whom were Emigrants and the others Helpers assembled in
the house of Anas bin Maalik where the Prophet gave the spirit of
brotherhood his official blessing. When either of the two persons who
hadbeen paired as brothers, passed away, his property was inherited by
his brother-in-faith. This practice continued till the following verse
was revealed at the time of the battle of Badr, and the regular rule
of inheritance was allowed to take its usual course (which means):
"But those of(blood) relationship are more entitled (to inheritance.)"
[Quran 8:75]
"Brotherhood-in-faith," to quote Muhammad Al-Ghazaali "was holding
subordinate every distinction of race and kindred and supporting the
Islamic precept: none is superior to the other except on the basis of
piety and being God-fearing."
The Prophet attached to that brotherhood a valid contract; it was not
just a matter of words, but a valid practice relating to blood and
wealth rather than a passing whim.
The atmosphere of brotherhood infused a deep spirit of selflessness in
the hearts of the Companions, and produced very healthy results. For
example, Sa'd bin Ar-Rabee' from theAnsaar (i.e. residents of
Al-Madeenah), said to his fellow brother 'Abdur-Rahmaan bin 'Awf : "I
am the richest man amongst the Helpers. I will be glad to share half
of my property with you. I have two wives, I am ready to divorce one
and after the expiry of her 'Iddah, (the prescribed period for a woman
divorcee to stay unmarried within her house) you may marry her."
However, 'Abdur-Rahmaan bin 'Awf wasnot prepared to accept anything,
neither property nor home. Instead, he blessed his brother and said:
"Kindly direct me to the market so that I may make my fortune with my
own hands." Soon, he prospered in his trade and got married shortly
thereafter, by his own labor.
Each Helper took a Muhaajir as his brother . Abu Bakr's brother in
faith was Khaarijah bin Zubayr Al-Ansaari and 'Umar bin Al-Khattaab
entered the bond of brotherhood with 'Utbaan bin Maalik Al-Ansaari,
Abu 'Ubaydah bin Al-Jarraah with Sa'd bin Mu'aath Al-Ansaari,
'Abdur-Rahmaan bin 'Awfwith Sa'd bin Ar-Rabee', Zubayr bin Al-'Awwaam
with Salamah bin Salamah, 'Uthmaan bin 'Affaan with Thaabit bin
Al-Munthir Ansaari . Similarly, Talhah bin 'Ubaydullaah and Ka'b bin
Maalik, Mus'ab bin 'Umayr and Abu Ayyoob Al-Ansaari, 'Ammaar bin
Yaasir and Huthayfah bin Al-Yamaan mutually consolidated their bonds
of brotherhood .
The Ansaar remained faithful to this arrangement with so much caution
and sincerity, that human history is unable to give any other similar
example. The Ansaar treated their Muhaajireen brothers like their own
and entrusted to them their wealth and property in abundance. However,
theMuhaajireen disliked being a burden on their Ansaari brothers and
undertook a life of sweatand toil to shoulder their own burden .

Importance of knowing the Beautiful Names of Allaah.

What is the importance of knowing the Beautiful Names of Allaah?
Praise be to Allaah.
Knowing the Beautiful Names of Allaah is very important indeed, for
the following reasons:
Knowledge of Allaah andHis Names and Attributesis the noblest and best
ofall knowledge, because the level of honour of any kind of knowledge
has to do with the objectof knowledge, and the object of knowledge in
this case is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, through His
Names, Attributes and Deeds. Occupying oneself with seeking
thisknowledge and studyingit properly is the pursuit of the highest
objective, and acquiring this knowledge is one of the best gifts a
person may be given. Because the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) explained it very clearly and was verykeen to do
so, the Sahaabah never disputed in this matter as they did over some
of the rulings (ahkaam).
Knowing Allaah makes a person love and fear Him, and put his hope in
Him, and be sincere towards Him in his actions. This is the essence of
human happiness. There is no way to know Allaah except by knowing His
Most Beautiful Names and seeking a proper understanding of their
meanings.
Knowing Allaah by His Most Beautiful Names increases one's faith, as
Shaykh 'Abd al-Rahmaanibn Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:"Believing in and knowing the Most Beautiful Names of Allaah
includes the threetypes of Tawheed: Tawheed al-Ruboobiyyah (Unity
ofDivine Lordship), Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah (Unity of the Divine Nature)
and Tawheed al-Asma' wa'l-Sifaat (Unity of the Divine Names and
Attributes). These three types of Tawheed form the essence and joy of
faith (the word translated here as "joy" implies peace and relief from
stress), and this knowledge is the basis and purpose of faith. The
more a person learns about the Names and Attributes of Allaah, the
more his faith increases and the stronger his conviction becomes."
(Al-Tawdeeh wa'l-Bayaan li Shajarat al-Eemaan by al-Sa'di, p. 41).
Allaah created His creatures to know Him and worship Him. This is what
is expected from them and what they are required to do, because as Ibn
al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "The key to the call of
the Messengers, the essence of their Message, is knowing Allaah
through His Names and Attributesand Deeds, because this is the
foundation on which the rest of the Message, from beginning to end, is
built." (Al-Sawaa'iq al-Mursalah 'ala al-Jahamiyyah wa'l-Mu'attilah by
Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/150-151). So when a person occupies himself with
learning about Allaah, he is doing what he was created for, but if he
ignores the matter, he is neglecting what he was created for. The
meaning of faith is not merely to utter words without knowing
Allaah,because true faith in Allaah means that the slave knows the
Lord in Whom he believes, and he makes the effort to learn about
Allaah through His Names and Attributes. The more he learns about his
Lord, the more he increases in faith.
Knowledge of the Namesof Allaah is the basis for all other knowledge,
as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: "Knowledge of
the Most Beautiful Names of Allaah is the basis of all other kinds
ofknowledge, for the objects of all these otherbranches of knowledge
were either created or commanded by Him (the various branches of
knowledge either deal with objects created by Him or with the laws
andguidance revealed by Him). The reason for creation and guidance
isfound in His Most Beautiful Names (because He is the Creator, He
creates things; because He is the Guide to the Straight Path, He
reveals guidance, and so on)… Knowing the Most Beautiful Names is the
basis of all objects of knowledge, because all knowledge stems from
these Names…" (Bada'i' al-Fawaa'id by Ibn al-Qayyim, 1/163).

What are the guidelines concerning names whichmay correctly be attributed to Allaah, mayHe be exalted? .

Is it correct to call Allaah al-Mutakallim (the One Who speaks) or
al-Baatish (the One Who seizes) because it is narrated that He does
those actions?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of
Allaah (S) and his family and companions.
All the names of Allaah are tawqeefi, i.e., we should accept what is
narrated in the Qur'aan and Sunnah and not addor subtract anything.
Based on this, it is not correct to call Allaah by any name other than
those by which He has called Himself in His Book or those that His
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called Him by in
the saheeh ahaadeeth, because the human mind cannot work out the names
thatAllaah deserves, so we must stop at what is mentioned in the
texts, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not, orwitness not) that
of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight,
and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allaah)"
[al-Isra' 17:36]
Calling Allaah by a name that He has not called Himself, or denying a
name by which he has called Himself is a transgression against the
rights of Allaah. So we should observe the proper etiquette and adhere
to that which is narrated in the texts.
With regard to words which are mentioned in the Qur'aan and Sunnah
only by way of description or information, and it is notnarrated that
Allaah is called by these names, it is not correct to call Him by
them, because some of the attributes of Allaah have to do with His
actions, and the actions of Allaah have noend, just as His words have
no end.
For example, some of theattributes of Allaah that refer to His actions
describe Him as coming, bringing, taking, withholding and seizing
etc., as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And your Lord comes with the angels in rows"
[al-Fajr 89:22]
"He withholds the heaven from falling on the earth except by His Leave"
[al-Hajj 22:65]
"Verily, (O Muhammad) the Seizure (punishment) of your Lord is severe
and painful"
[al-Burooj 85:12]
So we attribute these characteristics to Allaah as they are mentioned,
but we do not call Him by them (i.e., we do not make names out of
them), so we do not say that among His names are al-Jaa'i (the Comer),
al-Aati (the Comer), al-Mumsik (the Withholder) or al-Baatish (the
Seizer), etc. Rather we say that this is what He does and attribute
those actions to Him.
And Allaah knows best.
See al-Qawaa'id al-Mathla fi Sifaat-Illaahi wa Asmaa'ihi al-Husna, 13,
21, by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).

Names and Attributes of Allah

I am debating with a Christian and he said to me that God has a
spirit. My question is: does Allaah have a spirit (a spirit like the
spirit of man, angels and all other creatures). Is the spirit
something that is created or what?.
Praise be to Allaah.
No one has the right to describe Allaah except inthe way in which He
has described Himself or His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) has describedHim, because no one knows more about Allaah
than Allaah, and no created being has more knowledge of his Creator
than the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say, Do you know better or does Allaah?"
[al-Baqarah 2:140]
"And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not, orwitness not) that
of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight,
and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allaah)"
[al-Isra' 17:36]
The spirit or soul is not one of the attributes of Allaah, rather it
is one of the things that have been created by Allaah. It is mentioned
in conjunction with Allaah in some texts by way of honouring, for
Allaah is its Creator and Sovereign, He takes it (indeath) whenever He
wills and He sends it whenever He wills.
What we say about the spirit is the same as what we say about the
"House of Allaah", the "she-camel of Allaah", the "slaves of Allaah"
and the "Messenger of Allaah". All of these created things are
mentioned in conjunction with Allaah by way of honouring.
Among the texts in which the spirit is mentioned in conjunction with
Allaah is the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him the
soul [lit. "His soul"] (created by Allaah for that person)"
[al-Sajdah 32:9]
This is speaking of Adam (peace be upon him).
Allaah also says concerning Adam (interpretation of the meaning):
"So, when I have fashioned him completely and breathedinto him (Adam)
the soulwhich I created for him [lit. "My soul"], then fall (you)
down prostrating yourselves unto him"
[al-Hijr 15:29]
And Allaah says:
"She placed a screen (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to
her Our Ruh [angel Jibreel (Gabriel)], and heappeared before her in
the form of a man in all respects.
18. She said: 'Verily, I seek refuge with the Most Gracious (Allaah)
from you, if you do fear Allaah.'
19. (The angel) said: 'I am only a messenger from your Lord, (to
announce) to you the gift of a righteous son.'"
[Maryam 19:17-19]
Here the word "rooh" (spirit) refers to the slaveand Messenger of
Allaah Jibreel, whom He sent to Maryam. Allaah mentionshim here in
conjunction with Himself in the phrase roohuna (Our rooh or spirit) by
way of honouring him. Here He is mentioning a created being in
conjunction with his Creator.
In the lengthy hadeeth about intercession it says: "Then Moosa will
come and will say: 'I am not able for it; rather go to 'Eesa for he is
the spirit of (i.e., created by) Allaah and a Word from Him.'"
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 7510; Muslim, 193.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:Simply mentioning something in conjunction with Allaah does not
mean that that thing is a Divine attribute, rather specific created
things may be mentioned in conjunction with Allaah and their
attributes are not divine attributes, according to scholarly consensus
- as in the phrases, "the House of Allaah", the "she-camel of Allaah",
the "slaves of Allaah". The same also applies to the phrase "the
spirit (rooh) of Allaah" according to the earliest generations of the
Muslims and their imams and their common folk. But if something that
is one of His attributes and is not an attribute shared by anyone else
is mentioned in conjunction with Him, such as the Speech of Allaah,
the Knowledge ofAllaah, the Hand of Allaah, and so on, then this is
one of His attributes.
End quote from al-Jawaab al-Saheeh, 4/414.
This principle was mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah in
several places. The point is that things which are mentioned in
conjunction with Allaah are of two types:
1 - Entities which exist separately. These are mentioned in
conjunction with Allaah by way of honouring, such as the House of
Allaah and the she-camelof Allaah, and also the spirit (rooh) of
Allaah, which is not a divine attribute, rather it is something that
exists separately. Hence the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said, according to the lengthyhadeeth of al-Bara' ibn 'Aazib
which describes how man dies and his soul or spirit (rooh) comes out:
"It comes out flowing like a drop of water from the mouth ofa vessel...
and he (the Angel of Death) takes it, and when he takes it they (the
angels) do not leave it in his hand for an instant but they take it
and put it in that shroud with that perfume... and there comes out from
it a smelllike the finest fragrance of musk on the face of the earth,
and they ascend with it..."
See the report of this hadeeth in Ahkaam al-Janaa'iz ib by al-Albaani, p. 198
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "When
the soul (rooh) is taken, the eyes follow it." Narrated by Muslim,
920.In other words, when the soul is taken the eyesfollow it, watching
to see where it goes. All of this indicates that the soul is something
that exists separately.
2 - Attributes that do notexist separately, rather they need an entity
to belong to, such as knowledge, will and power. If it is said, "the
Knowledge of Allaah", the "Will of Allaah" and so on, this is
mentioning the attribute in conjunction with the One to Whom it
belongs.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in his book al-Rooh:
... Does the rooh exist from eternity or is it something that is created?
Then he said: This is an issue which some scholars got wrong and many
groups of the sons of Adam went astray concerning it, but Allaah has
guided the followersof His Messenger to the clear truth concerning
it.The Messengers (blessings and peace be upon them) are unanimously
agreed that the soul is created and taught and trained. This is a
basic belief in the religion of the Messengers (blessings and peace be
upon them), just as it is a basicbelief in their religion that the
universe is created, and that physical bodies will be resurrected, and
that Allaah alone is the Creator and everything besides Him is
created.
Then he quoted al-HaafizMuhammad ibn Nasr al-Marwazi as saying: There
is no dispute among the Muslims concerning the fact that the souls
(arwaah) that are in Adam and his sonsand 'Eesa and other sonsof Adam
are all created by Allaah, who created them and fashioned them and
made them, then He mentioned themin conjunction with Himself as He
mentioned all His creation in conjunction with Himself, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is
inthe earth"
[al-Jaathiyah 45:13] End quote from al-Rooh, p. 144
Some people may be confused about what Allaah says about 'Eesa (peace
be upon him) in the verse (interpretationof the meaning):
"The Messiah 'Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a
Messenger of Allaah and His Word, ("Be!" -- and he was) which He
bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rooh) created by Him [lit.
from Him]"
[al-Nisa' 4:171]
They think, as the Christians do, that the word min (lit. from)
implies being part of Him and that the Rooh (spirit) is a part of
Allaah.In fact the word min here implies that this Spirit comes from
Allaah,its starting point and origin is with Allaah, because He is its
Creator and Controller.
Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The words in the verse and hadeeth, "a Spirit (Rooh) from Him" are
like the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is
inthe earth; it is all as a favour and kindness from Him"
[al-Jaathiyah 45:13]
"From Him" means that itis created by Him and comes from Him, not from
Him in the sense of being part of Him, as theChristians say. Rather it
isreferring to the starting point of that soul, as in the first verse
quoted. Mujaahid said that the phrase "And a Spirit from Him" means a
Messenger from Him. Others said that it meanslove from Him, but the
former is more correct, which is that he is a created being from a
created soul, and the soul is mentioned in conjunction with Allaah by
way of honouring, just as the she-camel andthe House are mentioned in
conjunction with Allaah in other verses (interpretation of the
meaning):
"This she-camel of Allaahis a sign unto you"
[al-A'raaf 7:73]
"and sanctify My House for those who circumambulate it"
[al-Hajj 22:26]
And it says in the saheeh hadeeth: "Enter upon myLord in His House";
it is mentioned in conjunction with Allaah by way of honouring. All of
this is of the same type and comes under one heading.
End quote from Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/784
Al-Aloosi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:It is narrated that a
skilled Christian doctor of al-Rasheed debated with 'Ali ibn al-Husayn
al-Waaqidi al-Marwazi one day and said to him:"In your Book there is
something which indicates that 'Eesa (peace be upon him) is part of
Allaah," and he recited this verse to him (interpretation of the
meaning):
"The Messiah 'Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), was (no more than) a
Messenger of Allaah and His Word, ("Be!" -- and he was) which He
bestowed on Maryam (Mary) and a spirit (Rooh) created by Him [lit.
from Him]"
[al-Nisa' 4:171]
Al-Waaqidi recited the verse (interpretation of the meaning):
"And has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is
inthe earth; it is all as a favour and kindness from Him"
[al-Jaathiyah 45:13]
and said: Then that means that all things must also be a part of Him,
exalted and glorified be He. The Christian ceased his arguments and
became Muslim, and al-Rasheed rejoiced greatly.
And he said (may Allaah have mercy on him): The Christians have no
proof for their claim to be honouring 'Eesa (peace be upon him) with
regard to the Spirit being mentioned in conjunction with God, because
this is also mentioned with regard to things other than him.In the
Gospel of Luke it says that Jesus said to hisdisciples:
"...how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to
those who ask him"
Luke 11:13 (NIV)
In the Gospel of Matthewit says that John the Baptist was filled with
the Holy Spirit when he was in his mother's womb.
In the Old Testament it says that God said to Moses:
"Bring me seventy of Israel's elders ... I will take of the Spirit that
is on you and put the Spiriton them."
Numbers 11:16-17 (NIV)
It also says concerning Joseph:
"So Pharaoh asked them,'Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom
isthe spirit of God?'"
Genesis 41:38 (NIV)
It also says in the Old Testament that the spirit of God descended
upon Daniel... and there are other such verses.
End quote from Rooh al-Ma'aani, 6/25.
It says in the Gospel of Luke:
"and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit"
Luke 1:41 (NIV)
"Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and
devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy
Spirit was upon him.
It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die
before he had seen the Lord's Christ [Messiah].
Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts"
Luke 2:25-27 (NIV)
This clearly shows that the Spirit is an angel who brings revelation,
and that 'Eesa (peace be upon him), the "Lord's Christ (i.e.,
Messiah)" is a servant of God. God is the One Who anointed him and
made him the Christ or Messiah.