Dought & clear, - {Islamic history and biography}, - * Did everyone on earth drown atthe great Floodat the time of Nooh (peace be upon him)?

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Did everyone on earth – apart from those who were with Nooh on board the ark – drown when Allah sent the flood? Can everyone who is on earth now be regarded as descendants of those who were on board the ark (ship)?
Praise be to Allah
The clear text of the Qur’an indicates that everyone who was on earth drowned in the flood, and no humans or animals were saved except those whom Nooh took with him on board the ark.
Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):
“And We saved him and those with him in the laden ship.
Then We drowned the rest (disbelievers) thereafter”
[ash-Shu‘ara’ 26:119-120].
“(So it was) till then there came Our Command and the oven gushed forth (water like fountains from the earth). We said: ‘Embark therein, of each kind two (male and female), and your family, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, and those who believe. And none believed with him, except a few.’”
[Hood 11:40].
“They denied him, but We delivered him, and those with him in the ship, and We made them generations replacing one after another, while We drowned those who belied Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.). Then see what was the end of those who were warned”
[Yoonus 10:73].
The Qur’anic text also indicates that the earth was only populated after that by the descendants of Nooh (peace be upon him). As for the believers who were saved with him in the ark, none of their descendants were left. So all the people on earth now are descended from Nooh (peace be upon him).
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“And indeed Nooh (Noah) invoked Us, and We are the Best of those who answer (the request).
And We rescued him and his family from the great distress (i.e. drowning),
And, his progeny, them We made the survivors (i.e. Shem, Ham and Japheth).
And left for him (a goodly remembrance) among generations to come in later times.
Salamun (peace) be upon Nooh (Noah) (from Us) among the Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)!"
Verily, thus We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers)
Verily, he (Nooh (Noah) ) was one of Our believing slaves.
Then We drowned the other (disbelievers and polytheists, etc.)”
[as-Saaffaat 37:75-82].
‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas: There was no one left except the progeny of Nooh (peace be upon him).
Qataadah said concerning the words “And, his progeny, them We made the survivors”: All people are among the progeny of Nooh (peace be upon him).
Tafseer al-Qur’an al-‘Azeemby Ibn Katheer, 7/22
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said:
The scholars differed concerning the number of people who were with him on board the Ark.
It was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with him): There were eighty men, accompanied by their wives. It was narrated from Ka‘b al-Ahbaar that there were seventy-two people. It was also said that there were ten people.
A number of the commentators said: The water rose until it was fifteen cubits above the top of the highest mountain on earth. This is the view of the People of the Book. It was also suggested that it was eighty cubits, and that it covered the length and breadth of the earth, plains, rugged terrain, mountains, desolate regions and sandy deserts, and there was no one left of those who had been living on earth at all, neither young nor old.
Imam Maalik said, narrating from Zayd ibn Aslam: The population at that time filled the plains and mountains…
Allah did not give any of those believers who were with him children or descendants, apart from Nooh (peace be upon him). Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “And, his progeny, them We made the survivors”[as-Saaffaat 37:77]. So everyone on the face of the earth today, of all races, are the sons of Adam who are descended from the three sons of Nooh, namely Saam, Haam and Yaafith (Shem, Ham and Japeth). End quote.
Al-Bidaayah wa’n-Nihaayah, 1/111-114
Al-‘Allaamah at-Taahir ibn ‘Ashoor (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The fact that the phrase “them We made the survivors” begins with the pronoun is to indicate exclusivity. In other words: There was no one left of mankind except those whom Allah saved with Nooh in the ark, of his offspring, then those who were descended from them. There was no one left of the sons of Adam apart from the progeny of Nooh. So all nations are among the progeny of the three sons of Nooh. The apparent meaning of this is that those who believed with Nooh apart from his sons did not have any offspring. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: When Nooh came out of the ark, the men and women who were with him died, except for his sons and his wives. Thus we may respond to the apparent contradiction between this verse and the verse in Soorat Hood (“We said: ‘Embark therein, of each kind two (male and female), and your family, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, and those who believe. And none believed with him, except a few.’” [Hood 11:40]). This is based on the idea that the flood covered the entire earth and destroyed all humans except those whom Nooh carried on board the Ark. End quote.
At-Tahreer wa’t-Tanweer, 23/47
With regard to the words of Allah, may He be exalted, (interpretation of the meaning):
“ ‘O offspring of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Nooh (Noah)! Verily, he was a grateful slave’”
[al-Isra’ 17:3]
And
“Those were they unto whom Allah bestowed His Grace from among the Prophets, of the offspring of Adam, and of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Nooh (Noah), and of the offspring of Ibrahim (Abraham) and Israel and from among those whom We guided and chose. When the Verses of the Most Beneficent (Allah) were recited unto them, they fell down prostrating and weeping”
[Maryam 19:58],
These words do not indicate that the offspring of the believers whom Nooh (peace be upon him) carried with him survived; rather what is meant is the sons of Nooh (peace be upon him) whose progeny survived, not the other believers.
Al-‘Allaamah al-Ameen ash-Shanqeeti (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The verse “‘O offspring of those whom We carried (in the ship) with Nooh (Noah)! Verily, he was a grateful slave’”[al-Isra’ 17:3]states that none of the offspring of those who were carried on the ark with Nooh survived, apart from the offspring of Nooh, as it says in the verse: “And, his progeny, them We made the survivors”[as-Saaffaat 37:77]. End quote.
Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 3/13
And Allah knows best.

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Dought & clear, - {Islamic history and biography}, - * Is Ibraaheem’s building of theKa‘bah mentioned in the Bible?

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Recently one of my Uncle who is not a Muslim and he is doing research on islam at the moment and he is currently living in California USA . He studied both Bible, Torah and Quran. He asked me a question to which I dont know any satisfactory answer, since I am not Qualified.
Can you please HELP me answer his question.
Here is the Question:
It says in the Quran that Abraham was a Muslim and along with his son,they built the Kaaba. According to Torah and Bible, Abraham never went to Mecca.
So why the differences?
Praise be to Allah
We Muslims do not believe that there is any contradiction between the Holy Qur’an and the original Torah and Gospel, because we believe that they are all divinely revealed books that were sent down from Allah, may He be glorified. Thus they came from the same source, and as that is the case there cannot be any contradiction or conflict between them, as Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Do they not then consider the Quran carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradictions”
[an-Nisa’ 4:82].
Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, describes the Holy Qur’an as “confirming” the Books that came before it, and that which confirms something cannot contradict or conflict with it. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
“It is He Who has sent down the Book (the Quran) to you (Muhammad SAW) with truth, confirming what came before it. And he sent down the Taurat (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel).
Aforetime, as a guidance to mankind, And He sent down the criterion (of judgement between right and wrong (this Quran)).”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:3-4]
“And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad SAW) the Book (this Quran) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Mohayminan (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (old Scriptures)”
[al-Maa’idah 5:48].
As for what we see nowadays of contradictions in the copies of the Torah and Gospel that are extant today, the reason for that is clear and obvious. It is because these two Books have fallen prey to distortion and alteration, with things being taken away, added and changed. That is in addition to the fact that the sources and manuscripts that have come down to us today cannot be trusted. This is what explains any differences that researchers or students find between these two Books and the Holy Qur’an which has been transmitted to us in a mutawaatir fashion (i.e., narrated by so many from so many that it is inconceivable that they could all have agreed upon a lie), as is attested by both believers and nonbelievers.
For more discussion on this matter, please see fatwa no. 186196
Nevertheless we say that Ibraaheem’s arrival in the land of Makkah al-Mukarramah – and indeed his building of the Sacred House – are historical events that are attested to in the Torah and other ancient historical books. We cannot deny the fact that there are different interpretations of these texts of the Torah and so on, and that the context is open to different interpretations. Our aim here here is to confirm that such indications exist. However, the matter should be left to scholars to examine the story in the Old Testament, in order to reach a definitive conclusion.
These references include the following:
1.
In the book of Genesis 16:7 it says, after mentioning the story of Ibraaheem (Abraham) going in unto Haajar (Hagar) and her becoming pregnant, then Sarai’s [Sarah’s] complaint to Ibraaheem about her:
[Biblical quotations in English are taken from the King James Version (KJV); some place names have been changed, followed by the place name, in brackets, that is mentioned in the KJV. This is done in line with the point the author is making – see below]
And when Sarai [Sarah] dealt hardly [harshly] with her, she fled from her face.
7 And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain [spring] of water in the wilderness, by the fountain [spring] in the way to the Hijaz (Shur).
8 And he said, Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai.
…
13 And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?
14 Wherefore the well was called Be’er lahai roi (Well of the Living One Who sees me); behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.
See how the name of the Hijaz is mentioned, and Hajar’s departure to that place, after which the blessing of the “Well of the Living One Who sees me” is bestowed by Allah, may He be glorified and exalted; this is the Well of Zamzam.
2.
In Genesis 13:1-18 it says:
And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, towards the qiblah (into the south).
2 And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.
3 And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Hai;
4 Unto the place of the altar, which he had made there at the first: and there Abram called on the name of the Lord.
…
18 Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord.
In Genesis 20:1 it also says:
And Abraham journeyed from thence towards the land of the qiblah (the south country), and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
We have quoted these texts [in the original Arabic of this article] from the Torah as translated into Arabic by Sa‘eed al-Fayyoomi, (d. 943 AH); the King James Version of the Bible has been used here]. He was the first one to translate the Old Testament into Arabic. He also wrote a commentary for most of its books. We have not found this Torah anywhere else except in the book of Idrees ‘Abayzah entitled Madhkal ila Diraasat at-Tawraat wa Naqdiha ma‘a Tarjumatihi al-‘Arabiyyah li Sa‘diyyaa Ka’oon al-Fayyoomi (Introduction to the Study and Critique of the Torah, accompanied by its Translation into Arabic by Sa‘diyyaa Ka’oon al-Fayyoomi).
In other well-known translations of the Torah [into Arabic], instead of the Hijaz it mentions “by a fountain [spring] of water in the wilderness, by the fountain [spring] in the way to Shur” (Genesis 16:7), and instead of the qiblah it mentions “the south” (Genesis 13:1).
[Translator’s note: some English translations say “Negev” instead of “the south’; in the Bible, this word is used for the direction “south”]
For more information please see (in Arabic):Nabi Ard al-Janoob(Prophet of the Southern Land) by Jamaal ad-Deen ash-Sharqaawi (p. 18-109)
3.
In Genesis 21:21 it says of Ismaa‘eel (peace be upon him):
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
This is how it appears in the Samaritan Torah (also known as the Samaritan Pentateuch), and in al-Fayyoomi’s translation of the Torah.
Although many passages in the Torah suggest that Paran is in Palestine, Imam al-Qarraafi said in his bookal-Ajwibah al-Faakhirah(p. 165): Paran is Makkah, according to the consensus of the People of the Book. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said inal-Jawaab as-Saheeh liman baddala Deen al-Maseeh(5/200):
There is no difference of opinion between the Muslims and the People of the Book concerning the fact that Paran is Makkah. But if they say that it is not Makkah, there is nothing strange in that, because they are known for their distortions and fabrications.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) also said concerning the region around Mount Hira’ in Makkah:
That place is called Faaraan (Paran) to this day. End quote.
‘Abd al-Haqq Vidyarthi (d. 1978 CE) stated in his famous bookMuhammad in World Scriptures:
In the Arabic translation of the Samaritan Pentateuch (Torah), which was published in 1851 CE, it says that Paran is located in the Hijaz, as follows:
“And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt” (Genesis 21:21).
This translation remained in circulation for a long time, but when the Muslims alerted the Christian world to this prophecy, and that it constituted testimony to the truth of this Noble Prophet, the translation was changed. End quote
4.
In the Old Testament, in Psalms 84:5-6, 10, there is mention of the valley of Baca. This passage, in the King James Version (KJV), reads as follows:
5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them.
6 Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.
…
10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand (elsewhere).
There is no valley on earth called Baca (or Bakkah) that contains a house of worship and a spring of water (Zamzam), in which one prayer is better than a thousand prayers offered anywhere else, other than Makkah al-Mukarramah.
Baca (Bakkah) is one of the names of Makkah. This name is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, where Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning)”
“Verily, the first House (of worship) appointed for mankind was that at Bakkah (Makkah), full of blessing, and a guidance for Al-Alameen (the mankind and jinns)”
[Aal ‘Imraan 3:96].
But the translators and commentators of the Old Testament distorted the word Baca to buka’ [weeping or crying; the Hebrew cognate denotes the same meaning], even though the meanings of place names should not be translated; rather the name should be transliterated, and even though the meaning of the (original) name has nothing to do with crying or weeping, as a result of their desire to eliminate all references to anything that is proven in the Holy Qur’an, such distortions occurred.
In conclusion, we say:
Even if nothing was mentioned in the Old Testament concerning Ibraaheem’s journey to the Hijaz, that does not indicate that this journey did not happen at all. The well known academic principle says that the fact that a thing is not mentioned does not mean that it did not happen. In other words, denying that something happened should take the form of a negative statement. The fact that no mention is made of its happening does not necessarily mean that it did not happen; rather the reason why it was not mentioned may be that it was omitted, forgotten, summarized in brief, and the like. If you find news of something in one newspaper, then you find that it is not mentioned at all in another newspaper, the fact that it is not mentioned in the latter does not mean that it did not happen. Whoever thinks in such terms is lacking in reason and is making no sense. This is also applicable in the case under discussion here.
Furthermore, if we were to quote the words of non-Muslims who have investigated the story of the Ka‘bah and who really built it, and have determined that Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) is the one who built it, this article would become far too long. But we will limit ourselves to quoting one of the most famous of contemporary history books,The Story of Civilization, by Will Durant. This book is composed of forty-two volumes in which the author discusses the history of most civilizations, including the history of the Arabian Peninsula, concerning which he says: “It (the Ka‘bah) was built the fourth time by Abraham and Ishmael, his son from Hagar.
SeeQissat al-Hadaarah, 13/18 (The Story of Civilization).
And Allah knows best.

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For children, - Why so much emphasis on the rights of Parents?(Status of Parents in Islam, Rights of Parents)

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Here is a point to ponder over: We do not find in Noble Qur'an and Hadith so much emphasis on looking after the children as is the case with the rights of the parents. Why?
The Sharia (Islamic law) has put a new challenge to those who think. Find out how logical this attitude is. The fact is that the parent's heart is the fountain-head of the love for the child; this affection becomes the life-blood of the parents. Noble Qur'an has alluded to this instinctive parental love in several places.
On the other hand, children especially when they are no longer in need of parental care, do not feel so much love for the parents. We are not speaking about respect. Here the talk is about instinctive love; and experience is a reliable witness to confirm this observation.
It is a known fact that sign-posts are not needed on straight highways; but at a cross-road where several routes branch out, one cannot expect to get onto the right path without a guide or a sign-post.
It is for this reason that Islam does not emphasize in so many words those aspects of life which are taken care of by human nature itself. It is where the hold of natural instinct is loosened that Islam extends its helping hand and leads man on the right path by telling him what he is expected to do.
It was for this reason that Islam did not explain the rights of children so forcefully; but full emphasis was given to the rights of the parents.
Disrespect towards Father
Hazrat Yusuf / Prophet Joseph (as) after suffering much calamities and difficulties became the governor of Egypt. His father Hazrat Yaqub / Prophet Jacob (as) who lamented for him for many years of separation became frail and weak.
After he got the news that Hazrat Yusuf (as) is alive and has become the governor of Egypt, he became overjoyed and started his journey to meet him. Hazrat Yusuf (as) also with much fanfare went ahead on the outskirts of the city on his horse to welcome his father.
When Hazrat Yusuf (as) saw the sorrowful eyes of his father he wanted to get down from his horse in respect, but, his status as a governor of Egypt, did not allow him to alight. It was a disrespectful action towards his father. After the meeting between the father and the son, Gabriel/ Hazrat Jibril (as) ascended by the order of Allah (SWT), came towards Hazrat Yusuf (as) and asked him: "Why did you not get down from your horse while welcoming your father?"
"Open your palm," demanded Gabriel/ Hazrat Jibril (as).
When Hazrat Yusuf (as) did so, a light came out from his palm and went towards heaven. Hazrat Yusuf (as) asked Gabriel/ Hazrat Jibril (as): "What was this light which has come out of my hand?"
Gabriel/ Hazrat Jibril (as) replied: "This light was of prophethood which was taken away from your progeny for showing disrespect by you towards your father. Now there won't be any prophet from your offspring." (Biharul Anwaar, Vol.4)

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How is Eid al-Fitr Celebrated?

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During the month of Ramadan, Muslims observe a strict fast and participate in pious activities such as charitable giving and peace-making. It is a time of intense spiritual renewal for those who observe it. At the end of Ramadan, Muslims throughout the world observe a joyous three-day celebration calledEid al-Fitr(the Festival of Fast-Breaking).
Answer:Eid al-Fitr falls on the first day of Shawwal, the month which follows Ramadan in the Islamic calendar. It is a time to give in charity to those in need, and celebrate with family and friends the completion of a month of blessings and joy.
Before the day of Eid, during the last few days of Ramadan, each Muslim family gives a determined amount as a donation to the poor. This donation is of actual food -- rice, barley, dates, rice, etc. -- to ensure that the needy can have a holiday meal and participate in the celebration.
This donation is known as sadaqah al-fitr(charity of fast-breaking).
On the day of Eid, Muslims gather early in the morning in outdoor locations or mosques to perform the Eid prayer. This consists of a sermon followed by a short congregational prayer.
After the Eid prayer, Muslims usually scatter to visit various family and friends, give gifts (especially to children), and make phone calls to distant relatives to give well-wishes for the holiday. These activities traditionally continue for three days. In most Muslim countries, the entire 3-day period is an official government/school holiday.

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