Welcome to Islam, - The Islamic concept of history

According to the Quran, Allaah )God( has created the universe with a
certain purpose, and all its parts are strictly under His control,
carrying out His divine scheme without the slightest deviation.
Similarly, man too has been created with a certain purpose. Yet man,
is completely free to do what he wants, and act upon his own
decisions. However, in spite of this freedom, he is watched constantly
by Allaah, for He does not allow any such deviation over a long period
that would nullify the plan of His creation.
Creation plan of Allaah
The universe made by Allaah is so vast that, despite the enormous
progress made by human beings in their attempts to fathom the
universe, many of its secrets still remain unknown. The planet Earth,
made by Allaah as part of the cosmos is unique in the entire universe,
in that it has been endowed with an atmosphere and all the other
factors, which are essential to make it habitable for man.
After creating a favorable world in the form of the Earth, Allaah
created the first man Aadam )Adam(, may Allaah exalt his mention, and
his feminine counterpart, Eve. Although the precise date of this event
is unknown, it is a fact that the first pair of human beings to set
foot on earth were Aadam, may Allaah exalt his mention, and Eve.
Aadam was the first man as well as the first Prophet. The way of
Allaah is to select a man as His Messenger from amongst human beings
themselves, in order to send His revelations to humankind. Therefore,
Allaah revealed to Aadam, may Allaah exalt his mention, through an
angel the purpose of man's inhabiting the earth. According to this
plan, Allaah created a creature in the form of man, upon whom He
bestowed freedom. Where the rest of the universe had no choice but to
submit to the will of Allaah, it is desirable for man to opt for this
divine plan of his own free will.
This plan of divine will is based on two basic principles: Monotheism
and Justice. Monotheism holds man to worshipping one God alone, and
not associating anyone or anything in this worship. Justice holds man
to adhering completely to ethical principles in dealing with other
human beings, and refraining from all kinds of injustice and
oppression.
Along with this, Allaah Almighty informed man that, although he
appeared to be free, he was fully accountable to Him. Allaah has a
complete record of man's actions. In the eternal life after death
Allaah would judge everyone according to this record. The one who
exercised his freedom wrongly would be thrown into eternal hellfire.
Aadam, may Allaah exalt his mention, died at a ripe old age. For a
long period his people continued to adhere faithfully to the divine
guidance. However, later, idolatry replaced Monotheism and people
began to adopt the ways of injustice and oppression instead of justice
and rectitude. After about 1000 years, the perversion became so all
pervading that they were completely distanced from the path of the
Sharee'ah )Divine Law( as shown by Aadam, may Allaah exalt his
mention.
The age of perversion
Allaah subsequently sent Nooh )Noah(, may Allaah exalt his mention, as
His Messenger. He was granted an exceptionally long life of 950 years,
during which he continued to show people the right path, generation
after generation. However, only a few people heeded his words. The
rest persisted in their sinful ways. Then, in accordance with the ways
of Allaah, a huge flood engulfed them by way of punishment. Nooh
)Noah(, may Allaah exalt his mention, and his small band of followers
were saved in a boat, while all the rest drowned.
At that time, human population was probably concentrated only in the
region of Asia known asMesopotamia. The men and women saved in the
wake of this flood settled afterwards in other parts of the world.
Their race multiplied until it spread over the three continents of
Asia, Africa andEurope.
After the death of Nooh )Noah(, may Allaah exalt his mention, his
people continued to adhere to the divine path shown by him, for a
considerable period of time. However, again rot set in the later
generations and they deviated from the path of Monotheism and justice.
Allaah's Messengers, may Allaah exalt their mention, -- the Quran has
mentioned twenty five by name -- continued to come for several
thousand years.
A Hadeeth )saying of Prophet Muhammad,sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
)may Allaah exalt his mention( tells us that nearly 100,000 messengers
came to the world. In this way a long period elapsed between Aadam,
may Allaah exalt his mention, and 'Eesaa )Jesus(, may Allaah exalt his
mention; whereas earlier Allaah's Messengers continued to come to the
world in almost every generation. However, only a few people believed
in them while the majority rejected these prophets in every age.
The reasons for perversion
What were the reasons for this continued transgression? There were two
main reasons: political absolutism and ignorance about the world of
nature.
In ancient times the system of monarchy prevailed everywhere. The
kings of those days had adopted an easy strategy for the consolidation
of their empire, and that was to apply a complete curb on intellectual
freedom. As a result, Science could not make any progress in the days
of old.
The same was the case with religion. The policy adopted by these kings
was not to allow their subjects to follow any religion other than that
approved of by the king. Superstitious religion served their purpose
only too well. Therefore, not only did they themselves embrace
superstitious religion, they also compelled their subjects to adhere
to it. People were denied the right to think freely and opt for any
religion other than the official one.
This policy of the king produced the evil of religious persecution.
History shows that religious persecution has continued from time
immemorial in one form or another.
The other factor was ignorance. In ancient times, man knew too little
about the world and its phenomena. Political absolutism had placed an
almost total ban on scientific research. Therefore, all kinds of
superstitions prevailed regarding natural phenomena. It was generally
held that the Sun, Moon and the stars possessed supernatural powers.
Similarly, it was believed that the sea, mountains and other such
natural features were endowed with some extraordinary, mysterious
power that exercised decisive control over human destiny.
The problem of evil
Those who want to interpret human history in the light of
predetermined law, as is done in the physical world, are doomed to
failure. While the physical world may be explainable within the
framework of pre-determinism, the events of the human world are simply
not amenable to interpretation in terms of any such law.
Others want to interpret the events of the human world in the context
of freedom, but they are not satisfied either with their
interpretation. This is because in spite of human freedom, the
suffering experienced in this world has no valid understandable
explanation. The failure of both these interpretations is due to the
fact that they attempt to explain the whole in the light of a part --
which is simply not possible.
The truth is that the right principle by which to interpret human
history is neither that of pre-determinism nor of freedom. According
to Islam, there is only one correct principle to interpret human
history and that is the principle of test. Man has been placed in the
present world for the purpose of being tested. The eternal future of
humankind will depend on the outcome of this test.
If everything had been completely predetermined in the world, the
element of trial would have been absent. Granting freedom to people
did involve the risk of some people misusing their freedom, which gave
rise to the problem of human suffering. Suffering results from evil,
yet this suffering or evil, is a very small price to pay for a very
precious thing. Although, man has a will, the will of Almighty Allaah
encompasses all wills, so nothing happens in the universe unless
Allaah ordained for it to happen.
According to Islam that person is most precious who leads his life in
this world in such a manner that, despite facing all sorts of
temptations, he succeeds in overcoming them. Despite having the power
to misuse his freedom, he refrains from doing so. Despite the
possibility of leading an unprincipled life, he chooses his own free
will to be a man of principle. To identify such individuals, it is
essential that an atmosphere of freedom prevail in the world. This is
not possible under any other system.

Welcome to Islam, - Prophethood: the root of the west-Islam contention

An economist had once said: "Today, the only and the biggest threat to
Western civilization is the faith and commitment of the Muslims to
their Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam which is the
source of unlimited strength for them."
Let us now briefly examine how.
1. The theoretical basis of Western civilization and the so-called
modernism is that humankind has now attained intellectual maturity. It
is no more dependent on any metaphysical being for knowledge and
guidance. It is self-sufficient and independent of any divine source
and concept, which it adopted in early days for its inner contentment.
On the contrary, the basis of prophethood is absolute knowledge and
faith in the existence of the Creator )Allaah, the Most High and
Exalted(. True knowledge and even life itself are the creation of
Allaah, Who is the only Creator, the Sole Sustainer and Healer. All
authority and sovereign powers belong to Him and Him alone. He is the
One Who guides people and provides them with the code of life.
Humankind is dependent on Him and exists under His domain as His
servants. The Quran, the infallible Word of Allaah, offers proofs to
the disbelievers and deniers of the existence of the Creator --
materialists and naturalists -- which rational minds have no option
but to affirm, and which no sound mind can possibly reject. In the
Quran, Allaah, The Exalted, Says )what means(:
"Or were they created by nothing, or were they the creators ]of
themselves[? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Rather,
they are not certain."]Quran 52: 35-36[
The Quran says to them: You exist, and you cannot deny this; the
heavens and the earth exist, beyond any doubt. It is simply common
sense, to the rational mind, that the things that exist must have a
cause for their existence. The camel herder in the desert knows this.
He says: ''Camel dung indicates the presence of a camel and footsteps
indicate that someone walked here. Similarly, the heavens with their
stars and the earth with its mountains and valleys must indicate the
existence of the All-Knowing, All-Aware )i.e. Allaah Almighty(." The
greatest scientists who research life and living beings also know
this.
What is referred to in this verse, is known to scientists as the law
of cause and effect. This law states that a thing cannot happen by
itself without another thing )causing it(, because it does not possess
in itself the power to exist by itself, and it cannot by itself cause
something else to exist, for it cannot give to others that which it
does not possess itself.
2. According to Western epistemology, the source of true knowledge is
only the human sense of perception, its reasoning, observation,
experience and scientific investigation. Obviously, the knowledge
based on these sources is always hypothetical. Any statement or fact,
which is proved to be true today, may be proved false tomorrow.
Moreover, if any statement is unquestionable, this method does not
consider it knowledge, but a 'belief' or 'faith'. No such knowledge in
this world can be said to be certain and ultimate, let alone taken as
a yardstick for truth on which people may rely and follow for
salvation.
On the contrary, the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, develops and creates the insight and consciousness that there
is an ultimate truth and the only source of it is the Divine
Revelation. In turn, this proves the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, as Almighty Allaah Says about His
Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, )what means(:"Nor
does he speak from ]his own[ inclination. It is not but a revelation
revealed."]Quran 53: 3-4[
The West has completely abandoned the concept of truth and falsehood.
Even the use of such terminology is considered outmoded and uncivil by
them. However, to the followers of the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, these terms are full of meaning.
3. The Western view is that truth and falsehood are relative terms.
Nothing can be right or wrong in itself. Thus, be it moral values,
social rules, regulations or laws, good or bad, useful or harmful,
Halaal )lawful( or Haraam )unlawful(, everything is determined by an
individual's own views and choice about it. Every individual is his
own arbiter. However, to the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, things and matters which have been qualified true
or false; allowed or disallowed through Divine Verdict cannot be
changed by a person's will, choice, experience, argument or logic.
4. Western civilization does not entertain metaphysical knowledge and
its source in its theory of life. Neither does it own the concepts of
Allaah, the Angels, the Revelation and the life in the Hereafter.
On the contrary, the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, believe that the significance and purpose of human existence
can only be gathered through a revealed source. To them, the facts,
which have been revealed through the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, are the truth.
5. The world and the worldly life are equally important and of deep
interest to both Westerners and the followers of Muhammad, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam. The difference lies in the objectives that are
sought by them. While the main target of a Westerner is to seek
happiness, comfort, enjoyment and a better quality of life, the
interest of a Muslim lies in the welfare of fellow humans in order to
earn salvation in the Hereafter. The latter perception brings in its
fold a humble and peaceful human society.

Welcome to Islam, - Prophethood: the perception of realities

Everyone who desires the dominance of Islam and who strives for that
cause, should realize the importance of the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, )may Allaah exalt his mention( and the
decisive role it has to play in today's conflict of civilizations.
They should address the issue by re-determining priorities and
strategies. The following factors should be kept in mind while
evaluating the situation:
1- The perception of eternal finality
We must understand the present social milieu in which we are striving
for the practice and dominance of Islam. It is definitely different
and 1400 years away from the time of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, despite the fact that the efforts being made are a
continuation of the same prophetic mission.
Muslims must understand that Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam,
was not appointed a prophet for any particular nation or era. Rather,
he was sent to humanity as a whole, irrespective of time and place.
From the 6th century to the 21st century CE and even beyond, until
the Day of Judgment, Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, will
remain the only prophet. This statement, although simple, has
far-reaching connotations. It is obligatory that the message of
Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, be continuously delivered in
the manner done in his time.
2- The perception of an immortal message
We should concede that the example of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, is still present amongst us. This is because the Divine Book
that he, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, brought is still intact, and
the minutest details of his life are preserved in the Sunnah
)Prophetic traditions(, and his Deen )Divine way of life( has spread
all over the world through his followers.
Consequently, it is incumbent on Muslims to continue with the mission
launched by him, considering it a responsibility bestowed by Allaah.
3- The true perception of prophethood
Muslims must recognize that to combat the Jaahiliyyah )pre-Islamic
period of ignorance( during the era of the Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, it was important to demand commitment towards his
prophethood. Although faith in Allaah comes first and is the essence
of the Islamic way of life, yet faith in the Prophet, sallallaahu
'alayhi wa sallam, is equally important and decisive. Belief in God
is the basic premise of all Prophets, may Allaah exalt their mention,
and cradles the purpose of prophethood; yet, it is only by believing
in a prophet that one can yield to the concept of Allaah. Thus, only
that belief and concept of Allaah is acceptable which is based on the
declaration and description provided by the Prophet Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Just as the Quran is believed to be the revealed Word of Allaah
without any reservations, similarly, the prophethood of Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is also beyond any doubt. These two
facts have to be taken as granted, otherwise, there cannot be a
rational and sound interpretation of the concepts of Halaal and Haraam
)lawful and unlawful(, Waajibaat and Manhiyyaat )obligations and
prohibitions(, Athaab and Thawaab )penalty and reward(. Practically
then, faith and obedience to the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, is equivalent to the obedience of Allaah and is the only way
to seek the pleasure and proximity of Allaah.
4- Importance of the belief in prophethood
Belief in the prophethood should be given due importance and priority
in all our efforts of Da'wah and Jihaad )striving for the supremacy of
Allaah's injunctions(. Otherwise, mere belief in Allaah would become
meaningless, because the Jews and Christians too claimed to be
believers of one God, and the Quran itself has praised the excellence
of Ibaadah )worship( and Akhlaaq )moral dignity( of some of them, yet
they incurred Allaah's wrath simply because they denied belief in the
prophethood.
5- Belief in prophethood is a source of Allaah's help
Belief in prophethood is decisive because the promise of Allaah's
help, salvation and victory is with the Prophets, may Allaah exalt
their mention, and with those who truly believe in the prophethood,
sincerely follow prophetic teachings, become helpers in their mission
and struggle to establish Allaah's Deen )code of life(. The Quran says
)what means(:"And verily, Our Word has gone forth of old for our
slaves, -- the Messengers, that they verily would be made triumphant.
And that Our hosts would be victors."]Quran 35: 171-173[
6- The message of love and peace
The eternal struggle of the prophetic mission against the mischief of
unbelievers, which has now taken the shape of a conflict between Islam
and the West, is, in fact, a struggle for winning over the hearts and
minds of people. Winning over the hearts of people would result in the
supremacy and dominance of Islam -- the true religion of Allaah. Force
can conquer land, acquire money and goods, seize political power but
it cannot win people's minds and hearts. Similarly, argument can earn
support but it can never secure commitment, devotion and readiness to
face sacrifices in life. There is only one way to win over hearts: a
firm belief in the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, full devotion to his mission, love and reverence for him and
complete obedience and commitment to follow him in all aspects of
life. This is how people's hearts have been won in the past and will
be won in the future.
We should strive to prove that Islam is the true religion which
presents a complete code of life; warn people about the curse of
interest or usury and the dangers of un-Islamic economic systems, and
highlight the beauty of the Islamic social, political, economic and
family system. However, we should never forget that the purpose of all
these pursuits is to create favorable conditions and a conducive
environment for upholding the cause of Truth.
If people admit all Islamic values but refuse to believe in the
prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, the way to
achieve success in the war of civilizations will remain obstructed.
There are many people who praise Islam, eulogize Islamic arts and
architecture, applaud Islamic spiritualism and mysticism but, still,
are not ready to follow the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa
sallam, as they do not believe in his prophethood! Such people,
therefore, can never be regarded as aides and supporters of the
prophetic mission.
Similarly, even if we supply ample proof that Islam ensures human
rights more than any other ideology; that it not only upholds women's
rights but has given them a status which was inconceivable earlier,
even in the West; and that the penal code of Islam is not cruel, but
sympathetic and compassionate to the people and society, it would
still not enhance the prospects of winning over people's hearts.
Arguments of logic and intellect cannot serve the purpose either. What
is needed is a firm and unshakable belief in the prophethood of
Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and a pure flow of love for
him more than anything else.
Thus, the biggest objective before us should be to give top priority
to the Da'wah towards the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam. It does not mean that we start telling people that they are
infidels or transgressors if they do not believe that Muhammad,
sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, is the true prophet of Allaah.
By this we mean:
Employing all the possible means -- especially modern means of
communication -- to tell the world about the unparalleled beauty of
the Prophet's character, pleasing features of his personality, his
mercy, compassion, love and
All Muslims -- especially those who are striving for the supremacy of
the Prophetic mission all over the world -- should adopt and follow
his model of character. Books, speeches and videos are not enough to
present the Prophet's life, our
We should adopt such a manner of presenting the life and message of
the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, that without getting
involved in lengthy debates we should be able to successfully rebut
and diffuse the allegations
The real task before us is to struggle for the supremacy of Islam and
translate into action the teachings and the message brought by the
Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. Imaam Muslim, may Allaah have
mercy upon him, has
Today a vast majority of infidels have not even heard the name of
Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and those who have, have
heard it only cursorily. In fact, the people who have been properly
conveyed the message of
The Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, had sent
emissaries to different countries during his lifetime to proclaim the
message of Islam. Today, there are emissaries in every nook and corner
of the globe -- over one billion Muslims -- who have his message with
them. Muslims who realize their responsibility should stand up with
sincerity and devotion, to work towards bringing people close to the
Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his mission. An equal
amount of time and resources must be spent in disseminating the
teachings of Islam, and highlighting the personality, life, character
and moral excellence of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Those who get closer to the source of illumination will automatically
find their minds and hearts opening in the warmth and light. The more
the people believe in the prophethood of Muhammad, sallallaahu 'alayhi
wa sallam, the stronger will be their devotion to his life and
mission, and the greater will be the chances of the Prophetic message
emerging victorious in the conflict of civilizations.
As Muslims, this is a debt that we owe to the world, and each one of
us should come forward to repay his share of the debt.

Dought&clear, - What is thedifference between compensation (diyah) and theft (sariqah) when it comes to the hand?

What is the reason why the hand may be cut off for stealing
one-quarter of a dinar but the diyah (compensation) for the hand [in
cases of injury etc.] may be 500 dinars?
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
The fact that the hand may be cut off for stealing one-quarter of a
dinar but the diyah (compensation) for the hand [in cases of injury
etc.] may be 500 dinars serves a great interest, and there is a great
deal of wisdom behind this. It serves to take precautions concerning
two things, people's wealth and people's limbs. Cutting off the hand
in the case of theft of a quarter of a dinar is to protect people's
wealth. Making the diyah for injury to the hand 500 dinars is to
protect and preserve people's limbs. One of the heretics raised this
question and mentioned it in two verses of poetry, saying:
"A hand receives five hundred dinars' compensation, so why can it be
chopped off for one-quarter of a dinar?
This is a contradiction we can only keep quiet about, and we seek the
protection of our Lord from disgrace."
One of the fuqahaa' answered him by saying that the hand is precious
so long as it is honest, but when it becomes dishonest it becomes
worthless. And the poet mentioned it by saying:
"A hand receives five hundred dinars' compensation, so why can it be
chopped off for one-quarter of a dinar?
Protection against physical aggression makes the hand precious, but
the hand becomes worthless when it becomes dishonest."
And it was narrated that al-Shaafa'i responded by saying in verse:
"There is aggression against the hand, therefore it is precious, but
here the hand is the wrongdoer, so it becomes insignificant in the
sight of the Creator."