Quran … The Word of Allaah

The Noble Quran is the eternal miracle of Prophet Muhammad. Every
Prophet was supported with a miracle(s) and upon his death it
disappeared, except Prophet Muhammadwhose miracle remained, preserved
and protected,namely the Book of Allaah, His divine revealed Word.
Allaah Says (what means):"Falsehood cannot approach it from before it
or from behind it."[Quran 41:42]
Allaah clearly stated that the Quran is His Word, Saying (what means):
"And if any one of the polytheists seeks your protection, then
granthim protection so that he may hear the words of Allaah [i.e. the
Quran]."[Quran 9:6], and in His Saying (which means):"Those who
remained behind will say when you set out toward the war booty to take
it, 'Let us follow you'. They wish to change the words of
Allaah."[Quran: 48:15] These two verses prove that the Quran is the
Word of Allaah and that He sent it down to Prophet Muhammad.
The Sunnah of the Prophet (his sayings) further proves this fact;
Jaabirnarrated: "The Prophetused to offer his message to people during
the season of Hajj and say: "Is there a man who would take me to his
tribe (i.e. to convey the message to them), because the (tribe of)
Quraysh have prevented me from conveying the Word of Allaah?" [Ahmad &
At-Tirmithi]
There are many logical and substantial evidencesproving this fact,
such as the inability of the polytheists to come up with one single
verse, let alone a whole chapter, that is similar to it. This is so,
despite their eagerness and ambition to prove the Prophetwrong in what
he was calling to, and their strong command of the Arabic language in
whichthe Quran was revealed. Undoubtedly, this is evidence that the
Quran is not made by or the words of humans.
The Quran contains news of past nations and otherunseen matters which
serve as great proof that it is the Word of Allaah. When the Persians
defeated the Romans in battle, the Quran addressed the issue and
informed that the Romans would overcome the Persians in few years to
come as Allaah Says (what means):"The Romans have been defeated (i.e.
By the Persians) in the nearest land. But they, after their defeat,
will overcome."[Quran 30: 2-3]
Furthermore, the Quran consists of scientific miracles by highlighting
certain scientific facts which were not discovered except fourteen
centuries later, such as the Quran proving that there is a barrier
between the saltywater and fresh water where they meet preventing them
from mixing, as Allaah Says (what means):"He released the two seas
(the two bodies of water: fresh and salt), meeting [side by side].
Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses."[Quran
55: 19-20] Modern science discovered this to be a fact.
The fact that tranquility and assurance can be found upon reading the
Quran which is not felt when reading any other book, is yet another
proof that it is the Word of Allaah, as Allaah Says (what
means):"Those who have believed and whose hearts are assured by the
mention of Allaah. Unquestionably by the remembrance of Allaah hearts
are assured."[Quran 13: 28]
Furthermore, being cured by virtue of reading the Quran over a sick
person can be addedto the list of evidences proving it to be the
Wordof Allaah. Allaah Says (what means):"And We send down of the Quran
that which is healing and mercy for the believers."[Quran 17: 82]
Lastly, the evidences proving the Quran to be the Word of Allaah are
too many to numerate in one article, and so we conclude with the
saying of Al-Waleed Ibn Al-Mugheerah, one of theleaders of the
polytheists who was requested to criticize and censure the Quran.
After hearing parts of it from Prophet Muhammad, salallaahu alayhi wa
sallam, he said:"What can I say? I swear by Allaah! There is no man
who knows poetry better than me, and it does not sound like anything I
ever heard. The only thing I can say isthat it has sweetness to it,
and it is so appealing. It is so fruitful (to the heart) and abundant
(in its benefits). Indeed, nothing rises above it in style, and it
surely destroys anything that challenges it." [Al-Haakim& Al-Bayhaqi]
This is the Quran, the Word of Allaah, which confounds humans'
capabilities due to its inimitable style, justice and accuracy. The
Quran still challenges people and people remain incapable of
challenging it, and it remains the clear evidence from Allaah against
its enemiesand opponents. All effortsto deny its authenticity have
failed.

The price of impunity

When the UN Human Rights Council convened a special session on Sri
Lanka last May, many were hoping for meaningful discussion about
possible war crimes committed during the final phase of the country's
civil war.
Thousands of civilians, who had been trapped between the Sri Lankan
military and increasingly desperate Tamil rebels, were dead. Reports
allege they were shelled by the military whilst sheltering in
so-called "No Fire Zones" where they had been promised safety.
Hospitals and food distribution points had also been hit, and as the
council convened in Geneva, tens of thousands of survivors huddled in
sprawling internment camps in the north of the island, unable to leave
and rebuild their shattered lives.
You would not know this, however, from the resolution thecouncil
passed. Drafted by the Sri Lankan delegation, it "commended" the
government of Sri Lanka for its treatment of civilian victims of the
war.
"It was a low point in the short history of the Human Rights Council,"
says Widney Brown, the director of the international law program at
Amnesty International, describing how Asian countries allowed the
resolution to pass unopposed.
Mind the gap
Amnesty's annual global human rights assessment, released on Thursday,
says the Sri Lankan case offers a perfect example of agrowing threat
to the applicationof international law - the so-called "justice gap"
between the powerful and the weak.
"We see governments holding themselves above the law," says Brown. "A
lot of countries are working in regional blocs to shield themselves
from criticism."
The problem is not restricted to asingle country or region. Brown says
that powerful countries are undermining justice efforts all over the
world by refusing to submit themselves to the laws that protect
civilians in conflict.
She cites US support for Israel as another manifestation of the same
problem, predicting that if the situation arises, Washington will use
its UN Security Council veto to prevent any meaningful action against
Israel for crimes committed in Gaza.
"China, Russia and US, as permanent members of the Security Council,
are holding themselves above the law," she says. "It's so
fundamentally unfair for victims that will be denied justice."
Double standards
Meanwhile less powerful countries, particularly in Africa, feel
aggrieved when they find that they are being held accountable for
human rights abuses while more powerful countries act with impunity.
It is, Brown says, an understandable resentment at a double standard
that underminesefforts to make international justice the norm rather
than the exception.
"The hypocrisy and double standards undermine calls for justice that
are legitimate."
She wants to see the levels of scrutiny applied to Africa extended to
all countries.
"It's not a bad thing that victims in Africa have a chance of justice.
We want to extend that accountability."
For many, such accountability willcome too late. The Amnesty report
paints a disturbing pictureof human rights violations that have gone
unpunished because powerful nations are unwilling tosubmit to
international human rights standards. Rather than setting an example,
campaigners say they are creating a culture of impunity.
From the failure to implement the recommendations of the Goldstone
report into war crimescommitted during the Gaza conflict, to the
refusal of some of the world's most powerful countries to sign up to
the International Criminal Court (ICC), the report catalogues example
after example of rights abuses for which there has been no justice.
"Repression and injustice are flourishing in the global justice gap,
condemning millions of people to abuse, oppression and poverty," says
Claudio Cordone, Amnesty's interim secretary general.
Disturbing trends
The report identifies trends in human rights violations, including
"mass forced evictions of people from their homes in Africa, for
example in Angola, Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria, often driving people
deeper into poverty".
It also records "increased reportsof domestic violence against women,
rape, sexual abuse, and murder and mutilations after rape," and a
"sharp rise in racism,xenophobia and intolerance in Europe and Central
Asia".
The overall message from Amnesty is clear; there is a long way to go
before powerful nations stop trading away the application of justice
for short-term political gains.
PHOTO CAPTION
A still image from the documentary Fallujah: The HiddenMassacre which
charges U.S. warplanes illegally dropped white phosphorus incendiary
bombs on civilians in Iraq

Importance of knowing the narrators of Hadeeth

The narrators of Hadeeth are the most honourable and respectable
Muslims, as they are keepers and preservers of Sunnah. Most of them
are the companions of the Prophetwho witnessed the acts and learnt the
sayings of the Prophet. Others are the successors of the companions.
Who were blessed by Allaah and they are highly respectedby all
Muslims. They are shinning stars of Islam.
Their hearts were free from worldly desires. Reading their biographies
will increase love and devotion towards them and develop more interest
to be faithful and obedient in the heart of the Muslimwho reads their
biography.
Allaah Almighty Says (what means):"Verily, We have sent down the
Reminder, and surely, We will guard it (fromcorruption)."[Quran; 15:9]
The above promise made by Allaah is obviously fulfilled in the
undisputed purity of the Quranic text throughout the fourteen
centuries since its revelation.
However, what is often forgotten by many Muslims is that the above
divine promise also includes, by necessity, theSunnah of the Prophet
Muhammadfor it is the practical example of the implementation of the
Quranic guidance, the Wisdom taught to theProphetalong with the
Scripture, and neither the Quran nor theSunnah can be understood
correctly without recourse to the other.
Allaah preserved the Sunnah by enabling the Companionsand their
followersto memorize, write down and pass on the statements of the
Messenger of Allaahand the descriptions of his way, as well as to
continue the blessings of practicing the Sunnah. Later, as the purity
of the knowledge of the Sunnah became threatened, Allaah caused the
Muslim nationto produce outstanding individuals of incredible
memory-skills and analytical expertise, who journeyed tirelessly to
collect hundreds of thousands of narrations and distinguish the true
words of precious wisdom of their Messengerfrom those corrupted by
weak memories, from forgeriesby unscrupulous liars, and from the
statements of the enormous number of scholars, the Companions and
those who followed their way, who had taught in various centers of
learning and helped to transmit the legacy of Muhammad- all of
thisachieved through preciseattention to the words narrated and
detailed familiarity with the biographies of the thousands of
reporters ofHadeeth. Action being the best way to preserve teachings,
the scholars ofIslam also revived the practice of the blessed
authentic Sunnah.
Unfortunately, however, statements will continue to be attributed to
the Prophetalthough the person quoting them may have no idea what the
people of knowledgein the field of Hadeeth science have ruled
regarding those hadeeths, thus ironically being in danger of
contravening the Prophet'swidely-narrated stern warnings about
attributing incorrect/unsound statements to him.
The methodology of the expert scholars of Hadeeth in assessing
narrations and sorting out the genuine from themistaken, fabricated
etc., forms the subject-matter of a wealth of material left to us by
the scholars of Hadeeth (traditionists).
A Hadeeth is composed oftwo parts: the Matn (text)and the Isnaad
(chain of reporters). A text may seem to be logical and reasonable but
it needs an authentic Isnaad with reliable reporters to be acceptable.
'Abdullaah Ibn Al-Mubaarak(d. 181 AH), one of the illustrious teachers
of Imaam Al-Bukhaarisaid: "The Isnaad is part of the religion, had it
notbeen for the Isnaad, thenpeople would have claimed whatever they
wished."
Among the sciences of Hadeeth is the study of the chain of reporters
(the Isnaad). Many Muslim scholars have specialized in this field.
Itincludes identifying the name of each and every narrator (reporter),
his character (his truthfulness, piety, publicbehavior), his ability
and reputation as a memorizer and the types of narrations he is known
to report, whether authentic, weak, fabricated, etc. In addition, each
narrator should be identified by a rating given by other narrators who
knew him.So all of these and many other details must be considered to
know the degree to which a Hadeeth may be used as a basis for Islamic
belief or practice (Sharee'ah), or merely as a point of interest (not
to be attributed to the sayings, etc. of the Prophet).
After the Book of Allaah (The Quran), the books ofHadeeth collection
that were collected by Imaams Bukhaari and Muslimare considered by the
Muslimscholars to be the most authentic books of Hadeeth. However,
there are other famous scholars in the field who compiled books of
Hadeeth such as; Abu Daawood (d.275), At-Tirmithi (d. 279), An-Nasaa'i
(d. 303) and others.

Dought & clear - The Names of Allaah are not limited to ninety-nine.

Are there only ninety-nine names of Allaah, or are there more than that?.
Praise be to Allaah.
Al-Bukhaari (2736) and Muslim (2677) narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may
Allaah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has ninety-nine names,
one hundred less one. Whoever learns them will enter Paradise."
Some of the scholars (such as Ibn Hazm – may Allaah have mercy on him)
understood this hadeeth as meaning thatthe names of Allaah are limited
to this number. See al-Muhalla, 1/51
But what Ibn Hazm said is not supported by the majority of scholars.
Rather some of them (such as al-Nawawi) narrated that the scholars are
agreed that the names of Allaah are not limited to this number. It
seems that they regarded the view of Ibn Hazm as odd and as something
that should not be paid any attention.
In support of the view that the beautiful namesof Allaah are not
limited to this number, they quoted the report narrated by Ahmad
(3704) from 'Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood who said: The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no-one who
is afflicted by distress and grief, and says: 'Allaahumma inni 'abduka
ibn 'abdika ibn amatija naasyati bi yadika, maada fiyya hukmuka,
'adlun fiyya qadaa'uka. As'aluka bi kulli ismin huwa laka sammayta
bihi nafsaka aw anzaltahu fi kitaabika aw 'allamtahu ahadan min
khalqika awista'tharta bihi fi 'ilm il-ghayb 'indaka an
taj'alal-Qur'aana rabee' qalbi wa noor sadri wa jalaa' huzni wa
dhihaab hammi (O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of Your slave, son of
Your maidservant; my forelock is in Your hand, Your command over me is
forever executed and Your decree over me is just. I ask You by every
name belonging to You which You have named Yourself with, or revealed
in Your Book, or You taught to any of Your creation, or You have
preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with You, that You make the
Qur'aan the life of my heart and the light of my breast, and a
departure for my sorrow and a release for my anxiety),' but Allaah
will take away his distress and grief, and replace it with joy." He
was asked: "O Messengerof Allaah, should we learn this?" He said: "Of
course; everyone who hears it should learn it."
Classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 199.
The phrase "or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen with
You" indicates that there are beautiful names of Allaah that He has
kept with Him in the knowledge of the Unseen, and which noneof His
creation has come to know. This indicates that there are more
thanninety-nine Names.
Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said concerning this hadeeth in Majmoo'
al-Fataawa (6/374):
This indicates that Allaahhas more than ninety-nine names.
And he said (22/482):
Al-Khattaabi said: This indicates that He has names that He has
preserved with Him, and that indicates that the words "Allaah has
ninety-nine names, whoever learns them will enter Paradise" mean that
there are ninety-nine of His nameswhich whoever learns them will enter
Paradise.This is like saying, "I have one thousand dirhams which I
have prepared to give in charity," even if his wealth is greater than
that. In the Qur'aan Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (all) the Most Beautiful Names belong to Allaah, so call on Him by them"
[al-A'raaf 7:180]
Allaah has commanded us to call upon Him by His names in general
terms, He did not say that He has only ninety-nine names.
Al-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated in Sharh Saheeh Muslim
that the scholars were unanimously agreed on that, and he said:
The scholars are unanimously agreed that this hadeeth does not mean
that Allaah hasonly ninety-nine names, or that He does not have any
other names apart from these ninety-nine. Rather what the hadeethmeans
is that whoever learns these ninety-nine will enter Paradise. The
point is that one may enter Paradise by learning them, not that the
number is limited to these names.
And Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen was asked about that and replied:
The names of Allaah are not limited to a certain number. The evidence
for that is the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) in the saheeh hadeeth: "O Allaah, I am Your slave, son of
Your slave… I ask You by everyname belonging to You which You have
named Yourself with, or revealed in Your Book, or You taught to any of
Your creation, or You have preserved in the knowledge of the Unseen
with You."
What Allaah has preserved in the knowledge of the unseen with Him
cannot be known and what is not known is unlimited.
With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him), "Allaah has ninety-nine names, one hundred lessone.
Whoever learns them will enter Paradise," this does not mean that He
does not have any names apart from these, rather it means that whoever
learns these ninety-nine of His names will enter Paradise. This is
like when the Arabs say: "I have one hundred horses which I have
prepared for jihad for the sake of Allaah," which does not mean that
the speaker has only these hundred horses, rather these hundred are
prepared for this purpose.
Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 1/122.