Dought & clear - Refutation of those who say that women should not pray Eid in the mosque

Why Women are not allowed for EID's Namaz in Masjid?
Praise be to Allaah.
Whoever says that women should not pray Eid in the mosque shouldnote
that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded
women to go out to the Eid prayers. It was narrated that Umm 'Atiyyah
said: "We were commanded to go out on the day of Eid, even to bring
out the virgins from their seclusion and the menstruating women, who
would be behind the people, joining in their takbeer and du'aa's,
sharing the blessings of this day."(Narrated by al-Bukhaari,
al-Jumu'ah, 918)
But if a woman is menstruating she shouldkeep away from the prayer
place and not enter it, but she should witness the good and the du'aa'
of the Muslims, and listen to the khutbah from outside the prayer
place.A woman should avoid wearing adornments and go out wearing old
clothes which do not form any kind of adornment in themselves, so that
she will not be a source of temptation to men. She should not go out
wearing perfume. 'Abd-Allaah ibn al-Mubaarak said, "If a woman insists
on going out, then her husband should give her permission to go out
wearing old clothes and not wearing adornments. If she insists on that
then the husband has the right toprevent her from going out." And
Allaah knows best.

Dought & clear - Will every Muslim enterParadise, even if he was a hypocrite or did not pray or committed shirk?

Will all the Muslims, including the hypocrites, those who did not pray
and those who committed shirk, enter Paradise after spending some time
in Hell?
Praise be to Allah.
We should understandproperly the general principle concerning this
matter, the matter of entering Paradise and spending eternity in Hell.
It is a simple matter that is explained in a brief hadeeth that was
narrated by Muslim in hisSaheeh(135) from Jaabir (may Allah be pleased
with him) who said: A man cameto the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah, what are the two
deeds that make entering Paradise or Hell inevitable?
He said: "Whoever dies not associating anything with Allah will enter
Paradise, and whoever dies associating anything with Allah will enter
Hell."
An-Nawawi said: Withregard to the words, "What are the two deeds that
make entering Paradise or Hell inevitable?" what is meant are the
characteristic that makes Paradise inevitable and the characteristic
that makes Hell inevitable. End quote.
This hadeeth explains that what makes it inevitable that a person will
enter Paradise is if he dies believing in Tawheed, and what makes it
inevitable that a person will spend eternity in Hell is if he dies
believing in shirk.
This is a definitive principle that is well-known and well established
in the religion of Islam. There are mutawaatir texts which confirm and
affirm it. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation ofthe
meaning):
"Verily, Allah forgives not that partners should be set up with him in
worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He
pleases, andwhoever sets up partners with Allah in worship, he has
indeed invented a tremendous sin"
[an-Nisa' 4:48].
The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) explained, in
the hadeeth about intercession, the situation of the sinners in Hell,
and he explained that no one will be brought out of Hell except those
who died believing in Tawheed and uttered the Shahaadah (testimony of
faith), and had in their hearts something of faith: "There will be
brought out of the Fireanyone who said,Laa ilaaha ill-Allah(there is
no god but Allah) and had in his heart goodness equal to the weight of
a grain of barley. Then there willbe brought out of the Fire anyone
who saidLaa ilaaha ill-Allah(there is no god but Allah) and had in his
heart goodness equal to the weight of a grain of wheat. Then there
will be brought out of the Fire anyone who saidLaa ilaaha
ill-Allah(there is no god but Allah) and hadin his heart goodness
equal to the weight of a small ant."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 6861; Muslim, 285.
Based on that, we can find out the situation of those mentioned in the question.
1.
If a person fell into major shirk, whether he was originally a mushrik
like the Jews, Christians, Buddhists and other types of disbelievers,
or he was a Muslim then he apostatised from Islam by falling into
major shirk – as mentioned in the question – then his claim to belong
to Islam or his having a Muslim name will be of no benefit to him, and
neither will any good deeds that he did and so on, if he fellinto
major shirk and died in that state without having repented. Allah, may
He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And indeed it has been revealed to you (O Muhammad SAW), as it was to
those (Allahs Messengers) before you: 'If you joinothers in worship
with Allah, (then) surely (all) your deeds will be in vain, and you
will certainly be among the losers.'
Nay! But worship Allah (Alone and none else), and be among the grateful"
[az-Zumar 39:65-66].
2.
The one who does not pray at all, either in his house or in the
mosque, and does not attend Jumu'ah or prayers in congregation, has
alsorendered his good deeds invalid and has falling into kufr by
notpraying at all. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: "The covenant that stands between us and them
– i.e., the characteristic that separates the Muslimsfrom the
disbelievers – is the prayer. Whoever does not pray has disbelieved."
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 2545; an-Nasaa'i, 459. classed as saheeh by al-Albaani.
For more information on the kufr of the one who does not pray, see the
answer to question no. 5208
3.
With regard to the hypocrites, if what is meant is the people ofmajor
hypocrisy, namely those who make a show of being believers in this
worldwhen they are concealing kufr in their hearts and hiding it from
the people, they will be in a worse position than the kuffaar and
mushrikeen. Hence their fate will be in the lowest levels of Hell, as
Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths (grade) of the
Fire; no helper will you find for them"
[an-Nisa' 4:145].
4.
But if what you meant by hypocrites is those who fall into some acts
of hypocrisy, such as lying or betraying atrust or breaking a promise;
or he fell into some kind of minor shirk, such as showing off or
swearing by something other than Allah; or who fell into some major or
minor sin – such a person does not become a kaafir just by doing that
thing. It does not put him beyond the pale of Islam and he will not
spend eternityin Hell because of it, if he dies believing in Tawheed.
Rather his case is up to Allah: if He wills He will punishhim for his
sin, then admit him toParadisebecause of his belief in Tawheed, or He
willbestow His grace upon him from the outset and admit him
intoParadise and forgive him for the sins that he committed.
Al-Bukhaari (6933) and Muslim (1659) narrated that Abu Dharr said: The
Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
"Jibreel appeared to me at the side of the harrah and said: 'Give your
ummah the glad tidings that whoever dies not associating anything with
Allah will enter Paradise.' I said: 'O Jibreel, even if he steals and
even if commits zina?' He said: 'Yes.' I said: 'Evenif he steals and
even if commits zina?' He said: 'Yes.' I said: 'Evenif he steals and
even if he commits zina?' He said: 'Yes, and even if he drinks
alcohol.'"
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - They are living in the west and do not know about any poor people –can they send their zakaat al-fitr to another country?

We are Saudis living in Europe and we do not know about any poor
people here. We have found a person who is trustworthy – in sha Allaah
– who said, "Give me the money and I will buy rice with some of it and
give it to the poor and I will give some of itto them in cash. His
argument is that there are more then 500 of us and it will be too
difficult for him to buy such a large amount as it will be too
difficult to carry it, and because thepoor may not want anything but
money because they can make more use of it than they can of rice.
Should we give him the money or should we delegate our brothers in
Saudi to give it on our behalf?.
Praise be to Allaah.The majority of scholars (including Maalik,
al-Shaafa'i and Ahmad) are of the view that it is not permissible to
give zakaat al-fitr in the form of cash, rather it must begiven in the
form of food, as was enjoined bythe Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). Al-Bukhaari (1504) and Muslim (984)
narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
enjoined zakaat al-fitr, one saa' ofdates or a saa' of barley, for
everyone, free or slave, male or female, of the Muslims.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: Manyof
the poor nowadays say that they prefer to receive zakaat al-fitr in
the form of cash instead of food, because it is more useful to them.
Is itpermissible to give zakaat al-fitr in the form of cash?
He replied:
What we think is that it is not permissible to givezakaat al-fitr in
the form of cash under any circumstances, rather it must be given in
the form of food. If the poor man wants to sell the food and make use
of itsprice, he may do so, but the one who is giving this zakaah has
to give itin the form of food. It does not matter if it is the kinds
of food that were known at the time of the Messenger of Allaah(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or is a kind offood that is known
nowadays. Rice nowadays may be more beneficial than wheat, because
with rice one does not need to go to the effort of grinding it and
making dough, and so on. The purpose is to benefit the poor. It was
narrated inSaheeh al-Bukhaarithat Abu Sa'eed (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said: At the time of the Messenger of Allaah(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) we used to give (as zakaat al-fitr) a
saa' of foodstuff, and our food at that time was dates, barley,
raisins and dried yogurt. So if a person gives it in the form of food,
he should choose afood that will most beneficial to the poor; this
will vary from one time and place to another.
With regard to giving it in the form of cash, clothing, furnishings or
tools, this is not sufficient and does not discharge the obligation,
because the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Whoever does an action that is not part of this matter of ours will
have it rejected."
End quote.Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 18/question no. 191.
Based on this, if this person is trustworthy then you can stipulate
that he has to give it all in the form of food. If hedoes not accept
that, then you should give whatever you can to the poor of the land in
which you are staying. Then there is nothing wrong with sending the
rest of the zakaah to another country. It is notessential for it to be
sentto your country of origin, rather if you sendit to wherever the
need and poverty is greatest, or to relatives, that will be better.
In the answer to question no. 43146we stated that there is nothing
wrong with sending zakaah to another country when there is a need,
such as sending it to a land where there are relatives of the donor,
orto a land where the need is greater.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen was asked: Can a person living in the west give
zakaat al-fitr on behalf of his family, knowing that they have given
it on behalf of themselves?
He replied: zakaat al-fitr – which is a saa' of food such as rice,
wheat, dates or other foodstuffs, is something which each person
should give on behalf of himself, as is the case with other obligatory
duties, because Ibn 'Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The
Messenger of Allaah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
enjoined sadaqat al-fitr upon the Muslims, free and slave, male and
female, young and old, and he enjoined that it be given before the
people go out to the prayer.
If the members of a household have given it on behalf of themselves,
there is no need for a man who is away from his family to give it on
their behalf. Rather he should give it on behalf of himself only, in
the place where he is staying, if there are Muslims there who are
entitled to this charity. Ifthere is no one there who is entitled to
it, then he should delegate his family to give it on his behalf in his
homeland. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
End quote.Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 18/question no. 771
He was also asked: What is the ruling on sending zakaat al-fitr to
distant countries on the grounds that there are many poor people
there?
He replied:
There is nothing wrong with sending zakaat al-fitr to another
countryon the grounds that there are no poor people in one's own
country. But if that is done even though there are poor people who
need it in one's own country, then it is not permissible.
End quote.Majmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen, 18/question no. 102
There follows a fatwa from the scholars of the Standing Committee
which deals wwith thesematters and more:
The amount of zakaat al-fitr is one saa' of dates, barley, raisins,
dried yogurt or other foodstuff, and it should be given on the night
before Eid, until before the Eid prayer. It is also permissible to
give it two or three days in advance. It should be given to the poor
Muslims in the land where it is given, but it is permissible to send
it to the poor in another land if the need is greater. It is
permissible for the imam of the mosque and other trustworthy people to
collect it and distribute itto the poor, so long as they make sure it
reaches them before the Eid prayer. It is not connected to inflation,
rather the amount is set in sharee'ah as one saa'. Whoever does not
have anything but food for the day of Eid for himselfand for those on
whom he is obliged to spend, does not have to give zakaat al-fitr. It
is not permissible to use it for building mosques or other charitable
projects.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 9/369, 370.
We have already quoted the fatwas of scholars which state that zakaat
al-fitr is obligatory, how much is to be given, thatit is not
permissible to give it in cash, and that it is permissible to send it
to countries where theneed is greater

Dought & clear - What should be done ifEid coincides with Friday

If Eid al-Fitr coincides with Friday, is it permissible for me to pray
the Eid prayer and not to pray Jumu'ah or vice versa?
Praise be to Allaah.
If the day of Eid coincides with Friday, then whoever prays Eid with
the imaam does nothave to attend Jumu'ah (it is not obligatory on
him); in his case it becomes Sunnah. If he does not pray Jumu'ah, he
has to pray Zuhr. This is in the case of people other than the imaam.
Asfor the imaam, he has to be present for Jumu'ah and lead those
Muslims who attend the prayer. The Jumu'ah prayer should not be
forsaken completely on this day.

Eid Mubarak! - Eid-ul-Fitr Celebration

Eid-ul-Fitr is a great day of festival for Muslims. It is a day of
rejoicing and being happy. But for whom? Is it the day of rejoicing
for those who simply put on new clothes and wear perfume? Or is it the
day of being happy for those who were eagerly waiting for the release
ofthe greatest enemy of mankind, Satan, from his captivity so that
they all revert to committing sins? Unfortunately, many Muslims
abstain from sins during the month of Ramadan, but come Eid-ul-Fitr,
they go back to what they were before! Cassettes of prayers, which
were in their cars during the holymonth of Ramadan, are thrown back
into their cases and replaced with those, which are unlawful, by
Shari'ah. The forbidden places from which they had abstained for month
long, are infact the same places they go to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.
Just as, when a person goes to a college, or a university and at the
completion of his course, he receives his award marking his
achievement, we must understand that, the holymonth of Ramadan is a
spiritual university where we are being trained to achieve Taqwai.e.
piety. The day of Eid-ul-Fitr is when Allah (SWT) is awarding us for
our achievements.
On the day of Eid-ul-Fitr, Hazrat Ali (A.S.) delivered a sermon in
which he said: "O people! Verily this day of yours is the day when the
righteous are awarded and the wretched are losers. It is a day which
is similar to the one on which you shall be standing (before your
Lord). Therefore, when you come out of your homes to go to places of
your prayer, remind yourselves about the day when you (your souls)
shall come out of your bodies to go to yourLord. When you stand on
places of your prayer, remind yourselves of your standing in presence
of your Lord (on the day of Judgement). And when you return to your
homes(after prayer), remind yourselves about your returning to your
homes in Paradise. O Servants ofAllah! Verily the minimumreward for
those men and women who fasted (during Ramadan), is an Angel, who
calls out to them on the last day of the month of Ramadan (saying): O
SERVANTS OF ALLAH! REJOICE THE GLAD TIDING THAT ALL YOUR PREVIOUS SINS
HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. Therefore, watch out in those thingswhich serve as
your re-creation (on this day and days to follow)." ( Nahjul Balagha)

Eid Mubarak! - Eid-ul-Fitr Prayers (Eid Al-Fitr Namaz)

It is considered by tradition to be an obligatory [Wajib - prayer,
though technically it is an optional prayer with the injunction that
it is preferable to offer even if optional (Sunnat-e-Muakkadah)]. This
prayer is Sunnat during the period of occultation of the Imam-e-Zamana
(a.s.).
Ghusl (Purification Bath) on Eid day is sunnat, which should
preferably be taken under a shelter and not under the open sky.
Before offering Eid prayers it is recommended to have a breakfast of
dates. The specified time of Eid prayer is between sunrise and the
sun's initial decline (Zawal). If this prayer happens to bemissed it
cannot be offered late as 'Qaza'. Women are exempted from this prayer.
The Prayer of Eid-ul-Fitr can be performed individually if one has
missed the Jama'at.
It is 'Mustahab' (recommended) to offer Eid prayers with two Kutbas.
Takbir before Namaz-e-Eid: "Allaaho Akbar, Allaaho Akbar, Laa Ilaaha
Illallaah Wallaaho Akbar, Allaaho Akbar, Wa lillaahil Hamd.
Alhamdulillah Alaa Maa Hadaanaa Walahu Shukr Alaa Maa Aulana."
The meaning of the above is: Allah is Greatest,Allah is Greatest there
is no one worthy of prayer but Allah, and Allah is Greatest; Allah is
Greatest,and all Praise is for Allah. All Praise is for Allah, for
that which He has guides us and for Him is thanks for what He has."
This prayer consists of two Rakats. Niyyat (Intention) should be in
these words: "I resolve tooffer two Rakats Namaz-e-Eid, Sunnat
Qurbatan Ellallah". This should be followed by "Takbir"
(Allah-Ho-Akber). In the first Rakat after Sura 'Al-Hamd', recite
Sura 'Ala' or The Most High. Then five times Dua-e-Qunoot, followed
by Ruku and then Sajda. Then up again for the second Rakat. In the
second Rakat after Sura 'Al-Hamd'recite Sura 'Shams' or The Sunand
four times 'Dua-e-Qunoot'. After this the namaz should be completed
like the Morning Prayer.

Eid Mubarak! - Eid-ul-Fitr/Eid Prayers

Eid-ul-Fitr (Id al-Fitr) is linked with the Holy month of Ramadan. It
signifies the end of the month of fasting (the first day of the month
of Shawwal).
Eid-ul-Fitr is a unique festival. It has no connection with any
historical event nor is it related to the changes of seasons or cycles
of agriculture. It is not a festival related in any way to worldly
affairs.
Its significance is purely spiritual. It is the day when the Muslims
thank Allah (SWT) for having given them the will, the strength and the
endurance to observe fast and obey His commandment during the holy
month of Ramadan.
This day, in Muslim world, brings rejoicing and happiness. The
rejoicing is not, however,at the departure of the month of Ramadan; it
is the happiness which manfeels after successfully completing an
important task.
It is celebrated for three days in a holiday called Eid-ul-Fitr (the
Feast of Fast Breaking). Gifts are exchanged. Friends and family
gather to pray in congregation.
The feast of Fitr is God's reward for those who fast during the holy
month of Ramadan. In this month, man should try to add to his true
knowledge of God, do acts of charity for the needy, renew his beliefs
towards his Lord and thiswill be a real Bairam Feast (Turkish word
meaning festival) for him. The prayers of the day of Bairam a reason
of unity and solidarity of Muslims all over the world. On this day do
honor God for His endlessand all-enhancing mercy.
In view of the great significance attached to this day of Eid,
numeroustraditions consisting of prayers and worship of God on this
day, have been quoted from Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)and his Ahlul
Bayt.
Taking a solemn bath (Ghusl) on the night preceding Ramadan Eid is
highly recommended (Sunnat). This is a night of great sanctity and
profound virtues, and should be preferably spent in worship and prayer
to Allah (SWT).
Imam Zainul Abedin (A.S.)used to spend this wholenight in devotion,
and has said: "This night is as important as that of
Shab-e-Qadr/Laylatul Qadr" (that is to say, the odd night towards the
latter part of Ramadan when the Holy Qur'anwasfirst revealed to our
Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw)).
It is quoted from Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) that "one who offers six
Rakat prayers on this night reciting in each Rakat Sura 'Al-Hamd'once
and Sura 'Qul Huwallah'five times Allah(SWT) will pardon his sins".
Haris Aawar narrates that Hazrat Ali (A.S.), on this night, after
Maghrib prayers, used to offer two Rakats prayers. In the first one he
used to recite Sure 'Al-Hamd' once and Sura 'Qul Huwallah' one hundred
times, and in the other both the Suras only once.After completion of
the prayers he would bow his head in prostration and recite "Atubo
Ellallah" 100 times and then would say, "I swear by one (God)! He has
the sole command over my life". Whoever will, in this way, offer two
Rakats prayers, the Beneficent will positively fulfill any wish begged
from Him. (Aamal- e-Shabe Eid-ul-Fitr)
The conception of Eid in Islam is not confined onlyto celebration
extravagance, luxurious feasts, friendly handshakes and embraces. The
Muslims should rather devote thisday to the worship of Allah (SWT) and
should beseech Him to approve their virtuous deeds and forgive their
sins. This is because the doors of God's pardon are kept open this day
and His Blessings are bountiful.

Eid Article - Khutbah:The Addressof 'Eid-ul-fitr

In thisSalah,Khutbah is a Sunnah and is delivered after
theSalah,unlike theSalahofJumu'ahwhere itisFardand is delivered before
theSalah.However, listening to theKhutbah of 'Eid Salahiswajibor
necessary and must be heard in perfect peace and silence.
It is asunnahthat theImambegins the firstKhutbaby reciting
takbirs'Allahu Akbar'nine times and the secondKhutbahwith reciting it
seven times.
Note:The way of 'Eid prayer described above isaccording to the Hanafi
school of Muslim jurists. Some other jurists, like Imam Shafi'i, have
some other ways to perform it. They recite Takbir twelve times before
beginning the recitations from the Holy Qur'an in both rak'ah. This
way is also permissible. If theImam,being of the Shafi'i school,
follows this way, you can also follow him. Both ways are based on the
practice of the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam.

* How to Perform Eid Prayer

The Eid Prayer has two rak'ah to perform in the normal way, with the
only addition of six takbirs, three of them in the beginning of the
first rak'ah, and three ofthem just before ruku' inthe second rak'ah.
The detailed way of performing the 'Eid prayer is as follows:
The Imam will begin the prayer without Adhan orIqamah. He will begin
the prayer by reciting takbir of Tahrimah (Allahu Akbar). You should
raise your hands up to the ears, and reciting the takbir, you give a
little pause duringwhich you should recite Thana' (Subhanak
Allahumma.......)· After the completion of Thana'the Imam will recite
takbir (Allahu Akbar) three times, and after reciting each Takbir
(Allahu Akbar) in a low voice, you should bring your hands down and
leave them earthwards. But, after the third takbir, you should set
them at the level of your navel as you do in the normal prayer.
After these three takbirs the Imam will recite the Holy Qur'an, which
you should listen quietly. Therest of the rak'ah will be performed in
the normalway.
After rising for the second rak'ah, the Imam will begin the
recitationsfrom the Qur'an during which you should remain calm and
quiet. When the Imam finishes his recitation, he will recite three
takbirs once again, but this time it will be before bowing down for
ruku'. At each takbir you should raise your hands up to the ears, and
after saying"Allahu Akbar' bring them down and leave them earthwards.
After these three takbirs have been called and completed, the Imam
will say another takbir for bowing down into the ruku' position. At
this takbir you need not raise your hands. You just bow down for your
ruku' saying, 'Allahu Akbar'. The rest of the Salah will be performed
in its usual way.

God increases his blessings on those who are grateful

Every person is in need of God at every instant of life. From the air
one breathes to the food he eats, from the ability to use one's hands
to the faculty of speech, from being sheltered to beingin a joyful
spirit, one lives completely in need of what God creates and grants
him. Still, a vast majority of people do not perceive their weaknesses
and that they are in need of God. They suppose that thingsdevelop
spontaneously or that they acquire everything by their own efforts.
This is an important error, as well as a serious ingratitude towards
God. Ironically, people who render theirthanks to a person for even an
insignificant gift, spend all their lives ignoring the countless
blessings that God gives them all through their lives. However, so
great are the blessings granted to a person that one could never count
them. God relates this fact in a verse as follows:
If you tried to number God's blessings, you could never count them.
God is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Surat an-Nahl: 18)
Despite this fact, most people fail to give thanks for any of the
blessings they have. The reason for this is related in the Qur'an:
Satan, who pledged to misguide people from God's way, said that his
ultimate aim is to make people be ungrateful to God. Satan's defiant
statements to God emphasize the importance of giving thanks to God:
'Then I will come at them, from in front of them behind them,
fromtheir right and from their left. You will not find most of them
thankful.' He (God) said, 'Get out of it, reviled anddriven out. As
for those of them (mankind) who follow you, I, will fill up Hell with
every one of you.' (Surat al-A'raf: 17-18)
Believers, on the other hand, aware of their weaknesses and in
humility before God, render their thanks to Him for every blessing
granted. Wealth and possessions are not the only blessings for which
believers render their thanks to God. Knowing that God is the Owner
and Possessor of everything, believers express their inner
gratefulness for good health, beauty, knowledge, wisdom, love of faith
and hatred from disbelief, understanding, insight, foresight and for
power.They are thankful for being rightly guided andfor being in the
company of believers.
A beautiful landscape, easy handling of their affairs, fulfillment of
their wishes, tidings of great joy, respectful conduct or any other
blessings make believersimmediately turn to God,express their
gratefulness to Him and reflect on His mercy and compassion.
In return for good morals displayed, a reward awaits believers.This is
another of the secrets revealed in the Qur'an; God increases
Hisblessings on those who are grateful. For example, God grants even
more health and power to those who render their thanks to God for the
good health and strength they have. God bestows even more knowledge
and propertyto those who are grateful for their knowledge or wealth.
This is because they are sincere people who are contented with what
God gives and are pleased with the blessings and who take God as their
friend. God relates this secret in the Qur'an as follows:
And when your Lord announced: "If you are grateful, I will certainly
give you increase, but if you are ungrateful, My punishment is
severe."' (Surah Ibrahim: 7)
Being grateful is also a sign of one's closeness toand love of God.
People who give thanks have the insight and capability to perceive the
beauties and blessings that God creates. God's Messenger, peace be
upon him, also referred to this when he said:
When God gives you property, the bliss of God's blessing and offering
must be reflected on you.
On the other hand, a disbelieving or ungrateful person will only see
the imperfections and faults even in the most beautiful environment,
and thus will be unhappy and discontented. Indeed, as a divine purpose
in God's creation, such people, always come across with seemingly
unfavorable events and unpleasant scenes. On the other hand, God
displays more of His bounties and blessings to those who have a
sincere and insightful outlook.
That God increases His blessings to those who are grateful is one of
thesecrets of the Qur'an. However, one needs to keep in mind that
sincerity is a prerequisite for being grateful. No doubt, one'sway of
showing his gratitude without turning sincerely to God and feeling the
inner peace of God's infinite mercy and compassion, which is solely
intended to impress people, would be sheer insincerity. God knows what
hearts harbor, and will bear witness to this insincerity. Those who
have insincere inner intentions may conceal itfrom other people, but
not from God. Such people may render their thanks with affected
manners when there is no affliction, but at times of hardship, it is
possible that they may readily lapse into ungratefulness.
It should be also noted that true believers remain grateful to God
even under harshest conditions. Someone looking from outside may see
the diminishing of some blessings believers enjoy. However, believers,
whoare able to perceive the good aspect of every event and situation,
see goodness in this too. For example, God states that He will test
people with fear, hunger and loss of wealth or life. In such a
situation, believers rejoice and feel grateful,hoping that God will
reward them with the gifts of paradise in return for the steadfastness
they displayed in this test.
They know that God does not impose on anyone more than he can bear.
The steadfastness and submission of such awareness lead them to
patience and gratitude. Therefore, it is an obvious attribute of
believers to show unwavering dedication and submission and God
promises to expand His blessings on His grateful servants both in the
life of this world and in the Hereafter.

The original of the matter created in the brain: You must first read this to see the artistry of Allah!

A mighty waterfall tumbling down from on high, the boundless oceans
and the glorious, stunning mountains are all matchless works of
Allah. The stars, clouds, birds and fish are all His miracles. Most
people are in no doubt that a green forest that blossoms once
again, grows and flourishes in the spring is one of the beautiful
and glorious works of Allah.
Some people, however, regard skyscrapers, airplanes, laboratories
and computers rather differently. The fact that these are made and
built by human beings deceives them. They imagine that technology,
civilization, scientific and technical progress are independent of
Allah (Allah forbid) and forget that the human beings who are
instrumental in their coming into existence are also created by
Him. They fail to think that Allah, Who has made clouds the cause
of rain and the Sun the cause of light, has also made man the cause
of technology and civilization. They make the error of thinking
that human beings have a power independent of Allah (Allah forbid)
and that human beings invented the Internet, that human beings
cause planes to fly, that human beings invented the tea spoon or
biro, that human beings build space craft and that human beings
discovered the forces responsible for keeping planes aloft. They
imagine that plasma TVs, CD players, carpets, lampshades, cars and
the products of advanced technology all appeared as the result of
human intelligence and ability.
They make a terrible error in not regarding these as the artistry of
Allah, and forget that He created them out of His mercy.
The fact is, however, that all these things, just like the seas,
trees, flowers, fruits, the Sun and the boundless mountains, are
all works of Allah. Allah in His mercy makes human beings the cause
of all these things listed above. Allah has given human beings the
intelligence and ability for this. Our Lord inspired them to
discover these things. But it is certain that Allah has the power to
have created them with no direct cause.
And everything we see is in fact CREATED "SPECIALLY FOR US" AND
"INDEPENDENT OF NATURAL CAUSES" as Allah's sublime artistry.
In order to understand this, we need to know that the matter we see
and touch is an image created in our brains, that it is specially
created for us, specially and moment by moment, and that we can
never have direct experience of the originals on the outside.

The claim that 'the first cell formed in muddy water' is fraudulent

According to Darwin's theory of evolution, there is an imaginary
"first cell" which came into being from the chance combination of
inanimate substances. And according to Darwinism, everything began
with this "first cell." It is this imaginary "first cell" that,
according to Darwinism, is the origin of all life, butterflies, birds,
lions, eagles, whales, rabbits, deer and finally human beings who
produce technologies, found civilizations, train professors, travel
into space and study the cells they possess in the laboratory.
According to Darwinism, the origin of this imaginary first cell is;
some muddy water, time and chance! According to the religionof
Darwinism , these three magical (!) and intelligent (!) forces somehow
came togetherand produced a "CELL" that not even Nobel Prize-winning
scientists can manufacture in laboratories equipped with 21st-century
technology, the details of which human beings have researched for more
than half a centuryin order to understand, and that possesses highly
complex and perfect mechanisms, organelles and an irreducible
complexity! Moreover, these three glorious (!) forces combined to give
rise to all the glorious life we currently see on Earth. The religion
of Darwinism seeks to convince people of this nonsense.
But this claim is a horrendous fraud and lie.
The fantasy of the first cell that came into beingin muddy water,
which was proposed by Darwin, matched the level of science and
technology in the day of Darwin. Bearing in mind that Darwin thought
the cell was a simple blob of liquid, this childish tale is something
that might very well be expected from the knowledge andscientific
understanding of the time. Furthermore, since people did not know what
the cell was like, it was easy for them to be deceived with this lie.
But the findings of the science of genetics have once again revealed
thatDarwinism is a gigantic lie. In the light of currentknowledge and
data, just one of the countless proteins in the cell is enough to
refute the theory of evolution. Proteins are structures with a sublime
complexity, which cannot possibly come into being by chance. They
cannot even be manufactured using 21st-century technology in a
conscious and controlledlaboratory environment.To claim that such a
structure formed by chance in muddy water is laughable and irrational
in the face of science. The American academic philosopher ofscience
Stephen C. Meyerdescribes the impossibility of a single protein
forming by chance in these words:
Consider the probabilistic hurdles that must be overcome to construct
even one short protein molecule of about 100 amino acids in length.
First, all amino acids must form achemical bond known asa peptide bond
so as to join with other amino acids in the protein chain. Yet in
nature many other types of chemical bonds are possible between amino
acids.The probability of building a chain of 100 amino acids in which
all linkages involve peptide bonds is roughly 1 chance in 1030.
Second, in nature every amino acid has a distinctmirror image of
itself, one left-handed version or L-form and one right-handed version
or D-form. These mirror-image forms are called optical isomers.
Functioning proteins tolerate only left-handed amino acids,yet the
right-handed and left-handed isomers occur in nature with roughly
equal frequency. Taking this into consideration compounds the
improbability of attaining a biologically functioning protein.The
probability of attaining at random only L-amino acids in a
hypothetical peptide chain 100 aminoacids long is (1/2)100or again
roughly 1 chance in 1030.
Third and most important of all, functioning proteins must have amino
acids that link up in a specific sequential arrangement,just like the
letters in a meaningful sentence. Because there are 20 biologically
occurring amino acids, the probability of getting a specific amino
acid at a given site is 1/20. Even if we assume that some sites along
the chain willtolerate several amino acids (using the variances
determined bybiochemist Robert Sauer of MIT),we find that the
probability of achieving a functional sequence ofamino acids in
several functioning proteins at random is still "vanishingly small,"
roughly 1 chance in 1065—an astronomically large number—for a protein
only one hundred amino acids in length. (Actually the probability is
even lowerbecause there are many nonproteinous amino acids in nature
that we have not accounted for in this calculation.)
If one also factors in the probability of attaining proper bonding and
optical isomers, the probability of constructing a rather short,
functional protein at random becomes so small as to be effectively
zero (no more than 1 chance in 10125), even given our
multi-billion-year-old universe.Consider further that equally severe
probabilistic difficulties attend the random assembly of functional
DNA. Moreover, a minimally complex cell requires not 1, but at least
100 complex proteins (and many other biomolecular components such as
DNA and RNA) all functioning in close coordination. For this reason,
quantitative assessmentsof cellular complexity have simply reinforced
an opinion that has prevailed since the mid-1960s within
origin-of-life biology:chance is not an adequate explanation for the
origin of biological complexity and specificity.1
Even if we were to assume the impossible, that all these complex
structures did form by chance, Darwinists still have to explain the
formation of a million pages-worth of information in such a glorious
molecule as DNA. On this subject, as on every other regarding the cell
and the origin of life, Darwinists have no account to offer. According
to distorted Darwinist logic, the extraordinary information in a cell
thatemerged by chance in muddy water must also have come into being
bychance through various external agents. There is no doubt that such
a formation is impossible. The information in DNA is glorious
information, created together with that DNA.
The Darwinist claim that the cell formed by chance in muddy water is
an outdated belief left over from the time of Darwin, who thought the
cell was simply some blob. However, no doubtthat 19th-century
superstition no longer applies today, when science and technology are
so much more advanced. There are countless complex structures in the
body that all require explanation, yet Darwinism is unable to account
for the formation of even a single protein. But Darwinists behave as
if they were unaware of those impossibilities. Evolutionist
publications still describe this impossible emergence from muddy
water, just like the tales in a child's book of fairy stories. Theaim
is to deceive the mass of people with this account, which is
unscientific, illogical andincapable of proof. According to the
adherents of this false religion, the more people who believe in this
fairy tale, the more people will fall under the spell of Darwinism.
But people no longer believe in these fake tales of Darwinists.
Everything in creation exhibits the Sublime Might and Power of our
Almighty Lord, the Creator of the universe and everything within it.In
the Qur'an, Almighty Allah describes the sublime creation of the cell
and man:
We created man from the purest kind of clay; then made him a drop ina
secure receptacle; thenformed the drop into a clot and formed the clot
into a lump and formed the lump into bones andclothed the bones in
flesh; and then brought him into being as another creature. Blessed be
Allah, the Bestof Creators! (Surat al-Muminun, 12-14)
No matter how facile an account of the glory of life on Earth those
seeking explanations outside the Qur'an may offer, it is clear that
what has been created isvery great and majestic. And the theory of
evolution has no means of survival in the face of this sublime
creation. Almighty Allah describes the greatness of the works He has
created in another verse:
The creation of the heavens and earth is far greater than the creation
of mankind. But most of mankind do not know it. (Surah Ghafir, 57)
1 "Word Games: DNA, Design, and Intelligence" by StephenC. Meyer,
inSigns of Intelligence: Understanding Intelligent Design,ed. William
A. Dembski, James M. Kushiner, Brazos Press, 2001, pp.
109-110[emphasis added]

20 Bible & Quran - Evidence from the Qur'an for Jesus' Second Coming

JESUS' SECOND COMING
TO EARTH
The subject of Prophet Jesus' (pbuh) second coming is clearly
proclaimed in the Qur'an and our Prophet's (may God bless him and
grant him peace) sayings. There are certain statements pertaining to
this issue in many verses and hadiths.
Evidence from the Qur'an
"... I will place the people who follow youabove those who are
unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection..."
The first verse indicating Jesus' return is given below:
When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back and raise you up to Me,
and purify you of those who are unbelievers. And I will place the
people who follow you above those who are unbelievers until the Dayof
Resurrection. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge
betweenyou regarding the thingsabout which you differed. (Surah Al
'Imran, 3:55)
God mentions that a group of Jesus' true followers will dominate the
unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection. Jesusdid not have many
followers during his tenure on Earth and, with his ascension, the
religion that he had brought degenerated rapidly. Over the next two
centuries, those whobelieved in Jesus were oppressed because they had
no political power. Therefore, we cannot saythat the early Christians
dominated the unbelievers in the sense indicated by the verse given
above.
At present, Christianity is so far removed from its original state
that it no longer resembles the religion taught by Jesus. Christians
have adopted the mistaken belief that Jesus is God's son (surely God
is beyond all that which they falsely ascribeto Him) and
incorporatedthe Trinity (viz., the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) into
their religion centuries ago. Given this, we cannot acknowledge
today's Christians as being true followers of Jesus. In the Qur'an,
God states more than once that those who believe inthe Trinity are, in
fact, unbelievers:
Those who say that the Messiah, son of Mary, is the third of three are
unbelievers. There is no god but the One God. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:73)
In this case, "And I will place the people who follow you above those
who are unbelievers until the Day of Resurrection" carries a clear
message: There has to be a group of Jesus' followers who will exist
until the Last Day. Such a group will emerge after his second coming,
and those who follow him at that time will dominate the unbelievers
until the Last Day.
This aside, the expression,"Then you will all return to Me"at the
verse's end is striking. After relating that those who follow Prophet
Jesus (pbuh) willbe superior to the unbelievers, God states that
everyone, including Prophet Jesus (pbuh), will return to Him. Here,
the expression is understood to mean their death. This may alsobe a
sign that Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will die at a time close to Doomsday,
after his second coming.
"There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe inhim
before he dies..."
In the Qur'an, we read that:
There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him
before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a
witness against them. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:159)
The phrase "there is not one of the People of the Book who will not
believe in him before he dies" is very interesting. In Arabic, the
sentence reads as follows:Wa-in min ahli al-kitaabi illaa layu'minanna
bihi qabla mawtihi.
Some scholars believe that the "him/it" in this verse refers to the
Qur'aninstead of Jesus, and so understand it to mean that the People
of the Book will believe in the Qur'an before they die. However, it is
beyond dispute that the same word in the preceding two verses refers
to Jesus:
And [on account of] theirsaying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of
Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not
crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about
him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it,
justconjecture. But they certainly did not kill him.(Surat An-Nisa',
4:157)
God raised him [Jesus] up to Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise.
(SuratAn-Nisa', 4:158)
The word "him," which isused in the verse straightafter the above two,
refers to Jesus, and there is no evidence to suggestotherwise.
There is not one of the People of the Book who will not believe in him
before he dies; and on the Day of Resurrection he [Jesus] will be a
witness against them. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:159)
The expression "and on the Day of Resurrection he will be a witness
against them" is important. The Qur'an reveals that on that Day,
people's tongues, hands, and feet (Surat An-Nur, 24:24, Surah Ya Sin,
36:65), as well as their eyes, ears, and skin (Surah Fussilat,
41:20-23),will testify against them. No verse indicates that the
Qur'an will be the witness during this event. If the first part of the
verse is taken to mean "the Qur'an" - eventhough there is no evidence
in the syntax or the succession of verses for this - "him" or "it" in
the second part also would refer to the Qur'an. To accept this,
however, there should be an explicit verse confirming this view.
However, the commentator Ibn Juzayy does not mention the possibility
of the Qur'an being the "him" referred to, and Ibn Juzayy transmitted
the views of all the major commentators in his work.
In addition, the words"… God raised him up to Himself"in the
precedingverse once again shows that it is not the Qur'an that is
being indicated in this verse. The Qur'an hasbeen a guidance for the
faithful for the last 1400 years, and has not been raised up to God.
It is Jesus (pbuh) who has been raised up to Him. This is yet another
proof that the witnessing referred to in the verse isthat of Jesus
(pbuh) for the People of the Book, and that the pronoun"he" in the
verse does notrefer to the Qur'an. (And God knows the truth.)
When we examine the Qur'an's verses, we see that when the same
personal pronoun refers to the Qur'an, there is generally mention of
the Qur'an before or after that specific verse as in the cases of
27:77 and 26:192-96. If the Qur'an isnot mentioned before, after, or
in the verse, saying that the pronoun refers to the Qur'an couldbe
mistaken. The verse clearly speaks of the belief in Jesus and that he
will be a witness for those who believe.
Another point we need to make here has to do with the interpretation
of "before he dies." Somebelieve that this stands for the People of
the Book "having faith in Jesus before their own death." According to
this view, everyone from the People of the Book will definitely
believe in Jesusbefore he or she dies. Arabic linguistics, however,
shows that this claim is not correct.
The plural suffixhumis used in all those verses ofthe Qur'an that
refer to the People of the Book (as in Surat al-Bayyina 1 and 6, Surat
al-Hadid 29, and Surat al-Hashr 2). Yet the singular suffixhuis
employed in this verse. This means that the versereports that the
People of the Book will believe in Jesus (pbuh) before hisdeath – in
other words, before his biological death at his second coming. (And
God knows the truth.)
Furthermore, at the time of Jesus, most of the Jews(who are members of
thePeople of the Book) not only refused to believe inhim, but also
plotted his death. Then, believing him to be dead, they continued to
deny him. In general, the same circumstances are true for the Jews of
our own time, as they do not recognize Jesus as a Prophet. As a
result, millions of the People of the Book have lived and died without
ever believing in Jesus. Therefore, the verse doesnot speak of the
death ofthis group, but rather of the death of Jesus. In the end, the
reality revealed by the Qur'an is this:"Before Jesus dies, all People
of the Book will believe in him."
When the verse is regarded in the light of its true meaning, several
clear facts emerge. First, it becomes apparent thatthe verse refers to
the future, because it speaks of Jesus' death. As explained earlier,
he never died but was raised to God's presence. Jesus will return to
Earth, where he will live and die like all other people. Second, it
says that all People of the Book will believe in him. Obviously,this
has not yet happened. And so, given the context, "before he dies"
refers to Jesus. The People of the Book will see and recognize him,
and then become Muslim followers of Jesus, as will be explained
shortly. In turn, he will be their witness on the Last Day. (God knows
best.)
"He is a Sign of the Hour..."
In Surat az-Zukhruf, we are informed of Jesus' return and some other
facts, as follows:
When an example is made of the son of Mary [Jesus], your people laugh
uproariously. Theyretort: "Who is better then, our gods or him?" They
only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a
disputatious people. He is only a servant on whom We bestowed
Ourblessing and whom We made an example for thetribe of Israel. If We
willed, We could appointangels in exchange for you to succeed you on
Earth. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:57-60)
The next verse states thatJesus is a sign of the Day of Judgment:
He [Jesus] is a Sign of theHour. Have no doubt about it. But follow
me. This is a straight path. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:61)
Ibn Juzayy says that the first meaning of this verse is that Jesus is
a sign or precondition of the Last Hour. We can confidently say that
this verse indicates his returnat the End Times, becausehe lived six
centuries before the Qur'an's revelation. Therefore we cannot consider
his first life as a sign of the Day ofJudgment. The verse says that
Jesus will return toward the end of time or, in other words, during
the last period of time before the Day of Judgment. In that context,
his return is a sign of the Hour's imminent arrival. (God knows best.)
In Arabic, the expression"He is a Sign of the Hour"isInnahu la `ilmun
li as-saa`ati.
Some say that the pronoun hu (he/it) in thisexpression refers to the
Qur'an. However if this pronoun is used to denote the Qur'an, we would
expect other words to be present, whether before, after, or in the
verse, that speak of the Qur'an. The wordhucannot denote the Qur'an
when the subject is altogether different. Furthermore, the preceding
verse clearly refers to Jesus with the word hu:
He [Jesus] is only a servant on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom
We made an example for the tribe of Israel. (Surat Az-Zukhruf, 43:59)
Those who say thathurefers to the Qur'an rely on the expression "Have
no doubt about it. But follow me," which continues the verse. However,
since the preceding verses speak only of Jesus, it is far more
realistic to accept that hu refers to him, as in the preceding verses.
The great scholars of Islam interpret this pronoun as referring to
Jesus, an opinion that they base on other Qur'anic verses and hadiths.
In his commentary, Elmalili Muhammad Hamdi Yazir writes that:
No doubt he [Jesus] is a sign of the Hour, one thatdeclares that the
Hour will come, that the dead will be resurrected and stand up,
because the miracle of Jesus' second coming and his miracle of
resurrecting the dead, together with his revelation that the dead will
rise, prove that the Day of Judgment is real. According to the
hadiths, his arrival is a sign of the Last Day." 1
"He will teach him the Book and Wisdom, andthe Torah and the Gospel."
Other verses indicating Jesus' second coming is the following:
When the angels said:"Mary, your Lord gives you good news of a Word
from Him. His name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, of high esteem
in this world and the Hereafter,and one of those brought near [to
God]. He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully
grown, and will be one of the righteous." She asked:"My Lord! How can
I have a son when no man has ever touched me?" He said: "It will be
so. God creates whatever He wills. When He decides on something, He
just says to it: 'Be!' and it is. He will teach him the Book and
Wisdom, and the Torah and the Gospel." (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:45-48)
The last verse reveals thatGod will teach Jesus the"Book," the Torah,
and the Gospel. Obviously, this book in question is very important.
The sameexpression is also used inthe verse given below:
Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing
toyou and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit
so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were
fully grown; and when I taught you the Book andWisdom, and the Torah
and the Gospel." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:110)
When we examine how"Book" is used here, we see that it refers to the
Qur'an in both cases. The verses reveal that after the Torah, the
Psalms andthe Gospel, the Qur'an is the final divine book. Some other
verses use"Book" to denote the Qur'an, after mentioning the Torah and
the Gospel,such as the following:
God, there is no god but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He has
sent down the Book to you with truth, confirming what was there before
it. And He sent down the Torah and the Gospel previously. (Surah Al
'Imran, 3:2-4)
Other verses also call the Qur'an the "Book":
When a Book comes to them from God, confirming what is with them -
even though before that they were praying for victory over the
unbelievers - yet when what they recognize comes to them, they reject
it. God's curse is on the unbelievers. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:89)
For this We sent a Messenger to you from among you to recite Our Signs
to you, to purify you, to teach you the Book and Wisdom, and to teach
you things you did not know before. (Surat al-Baqara, 2:151)
In this case, the Qur'an is the third book that Jesus will be taught.
But this will be possible only when he returns to Earth,for he lived
600 years before the Qur'an's revelation. As we will see in great
detail in the following chapters, the hadiths reveal that Jesus will
rule with the Qur'an, not the Gospel, on his second coming. This
corresponds with the verse's meaning.
"The likeness of Jesus in God's sight is the same as Adam."
The verse above (Surah Al'Imran, 3:59) could also indicate Jesus'
return. Muslim scholars who have written Qur'anic commentaries point
out that this verse indicates the fact that both Prophets did not have
a father, for God created both of them with the command "Be!"
However,the verse could also have another meaning: Just as Adam was
sent down to Earth from God's presence, Jesus will be sent down to
Earth from God's presence during the End Times.
As we have seen, the verses regarding Jesus' return are very clear. As
the Qur'an does not use such expressions for any other Prophet, its
meaning is fairly obvious.
"... The day I was born, the day I die, and the day I am raised up
again alive..."
Surah Maryam also mentions Jesus' death in the following verse:
[Jesus said,] "Peace be upon me the day I was born, the day I die, and
the day I am raised up again alive." (Surah Maryam, 19:33)
When this verse is considered in conjunction with Surah Al `Imran 55,
an important reality emerges: While Surah Al `Imran states that Jesus
was raised up to God's presence and does not mention that he died or
was killed, Surah Maryamspeaks of the day on which he will die. This
second death can only bepossible after he returns and lives on Earth
for a period of time. (Only God knows for certain.)
"... You could speak to people in the cradle and when you were fully grown…"
Another piece of evidence for Jesus' returnis the word kahlaan, used
Surat al-Ma'ida 110 and Surah Al `Imran 46. These verses say:
Remember when God said: "Jesus, son of Mary, remember My blessing
toyou and to your mother when I reinforced you with the Purest Spirit
so that you could speak to people in the cradle and when you were
fully grown [kahlaan]…" (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:110)
He will speak to people in the cradle, and also when fully grown
[kahlaan], and will be one of the righteous. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:46)
Kahlaan, which is used only in these two verses, only in reference to
Jesus, and to express Jesus' adulthood means"someone between the age
of 30 and 50, someone who is no longer young, someone who has reached
the perfect age." Islamic scholars agree that it denotes the age of 35
or above. They base their views on a hadith reported by Ibn 'Abbas
that Jesus was raised up to God's presence in his early 30s, and that
he willlive for 40 years when hecomes again. Therefore, they suggest
that this verse is evidence for Jesus' return, since his old age will
occur following his second coming. 2(Only God knows for certain.)
Close study of the relevant verses easily shows how right Islamic
scholars are on this question. For example, this expression is used
only with regard to Jesus.Although all of the Prophets spoke with
their people, invited them to religion, and communicated their message
at a mature age,the Qur'an does not use such expressions when talking
about them. Rather, they are used only to voice a miraculous
situation, because the expressions"in the cradle" and"when fully
grown," when used one after the other, refer to two miraculous events.
In The Commentary of at-Tabari, Imam at-Tabarigives the following
explanation of these verses:
These statements [Surat al-Ma'ida 110] indicate that in order to
completehis lifespan and speak to people when fully grown, Jesus will
come down from heaven. That is because he was raised to heaven when
still young. In this verse [Surah Al 'Imran 46], there is evidence
that Jesus is living, and the Ahl al-Sunnah share that view. That is
because in this verse it is stated that he will speak to people when
fully grown. He willbe able to grow fully onlywhen he returns to Earth
from heaven. 3
The meanings ofkahlaan, as well as the other information provided by
the Qur'an, indicate Jesus' second coming in the End Times and that he
will guide people to the true religion of Islam (only God knows for
certain). No doubt, this is good news and a grace and gift of God for
those who believe. The believers are responsible for supporting and
defending him in the most appropriate way, and for living
wholeheartedly the Qur'anic morality to which he calls them.
Comparable Events Mentioned in the Qur'an
The Qur'an mentions similar events, such as a person being
resurrectedafter being dead for a long time and sleeping for hundreds
of years that are comparable to Jesus' situation. Some of these are as
follows:
The man resurrected after one hundred years
One of these examples is that of a man who had been dead for one hundred years:
Or [consider such example as] the one who passed by a town that had
fallen into ruin. He asked: "How can God restore this to life when it
has died?" So God caused him to die for a hundred years, and
thenbrought him back to life.Then He asked: "How long have you been
here?" He replied: "I have been here a day or part of a day." He
said:"Not so! You have been here a hundred years. Look at your food
and drink-it has not gone bad-and look at your donkey, so We can
makeyou a Sign for all mankind. Look at the bones-how We raise them up
and clothe them in flesh." When it had become clear to him, he said:
"Now I know that God has power over all things."
(Qur'an, 2:259)
As we mentioned earlier, the Qur'an say that Jesus' soul was "taken
back." Inthe above verse, on the other hand, true death (mawt) is
revealed. Therefore, the Qur'an reveals that God willed the
resurrection of someone who had truly died.
Awakening the"Companions of the Cave" after many years
Another example is the narrative of the"Companions of the Cave." God
relates the story of a group of youngpeople who sought refuge in the
cave from their anti-religious ruler's despotism. Their awakening is
described in the following terms:
When the young men took refuge in the cave and said: "Our Lord, give
us mercy directly from You and open the way for us to right guidance
in our situation." So We sealed their ears with sleep in the cave for
a number of years. … You would have supposed them to be awake, whereas
in fact they were asleep. We moved them to the right and to the left,
and at the entrance, their dog stretched out its paws. If you had
looked down and seen them, you would have turned from them and run and
have been filled with terror atthe sight of them. That was the
situation when we woke them up so they could question one another. One
of them asked: "How long have you been here?" They replied: "We have
been here for a day or part of a day." They said: "Your Lord knows
best how long have you been here. Send one of your number into the
city with this silver you have,so he can see which food is purest and
bring you some of it to eat. Buthe should go about withcaution, so
that no one is aware of you." (Qur'an, 18:10-11, 18-19)
The Qur'an does not reveal how long they remained in the cave.
Instead, the duration of this period is implied by the words "for a
number of years." People guessedthat they stayed there for309 years,
for:
They stayed in their cavefor three hundred years and added nine.
Say:"God knows best how long they stayed. The Unseen of the heavens
and Earth belongs to Him. How perfectly He sees, how well He hears!
They have no protector apart from Him. Nor does He share His rule with
anyone." (Qur'an, 18:25-26)
Obviously, the duration of their stay is not the point here. What this
narrative reveals is that God took some people back from this life,
eitherby making them sleep or by taking their lives, and then restored
them to life, just as people wake up from sleep. Jesus is one such
person. When the appointed time comes, he will live on Earth once
again, fulfill the honorable responsibility given to him by God, and
then dieonEarth in the normal manner, for
He said: "On it you will live and on it you will die, and from it you
will be brought forth."
(Qur'an, 7:25)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Elmalili Muhammad Hamdi Yazir, Kuran-i Kerim Tefsiri (Qur'an
Tafsir); www.kuranikerim.com/t elmalili/zuhruf.htm.
2. Muhammed Khalil Herras, Fasl al-Maqal fi raf`i `Isa hayyan wa
nuzulihi wa qatlihi ad-Dajjal,
(Cairo: Makatabat as-Sunnah, 1990), 20.
3. Imam at-Tabari, The Commentary of at-Tabari,(Istanbul:Umit
Yayincilik),2:528; 1:247.

19 Bible & Quran - The Qur'anic Account of Jesus' Ascent to God's Presence

GOD'S PROMISE:
PROPHET JESUS (Pbuh)
WILL RETURN
The lives of God's chosen Messengers contain manymessages and lessons
for all people, especially when we study their encounters, their
troubles, and their great struggles. The Qur'an cites Jesus as an
example for people to follow, because of how he conducted his life and
hisstruggle, and because of his great virtue.
Jesus' birth, life, and ascension to God's presence are all miracles
that the Qur'an reveals in some detail. Although God reveals the
narratives of many Prophets, Jesus, whom God supported with superior
wisdom, is set apart from the others in several aspects, among them
that he spoke even in the cradle, and that hewas the vehicle for
countless miracles while he was in this world. That his status is
different also can be deduced from the fact that he was raised to
God's presence and that the Qur'an indicates strongly his second
coming.
The Qur'an reveals that the unbelievers devised aplot to take Jesus'
life. According to some sources, a group of bigoted Jewish scribes and
priests bribed Judas Iscariot, one of the disciples, to betray him,
after which they would arrest Jesus and hand him over to the Romans.
According to the same sources, the priests did not have the power to
sentence someone to death and so had to make another plan to agitate
the Roman regime. Thus, they portrayed Jesus as being hostile to the
Roman leadership, for the Romans were highly sensitive and ruthless
when confronted with dissidents. But these priests failed, for the
Qur'an relates:
They [unbelievers] planned and God planned. But God is the best of
planners. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:54)
As the verses reveal, they plotted and moved to killJesus. However,
their plotfailed and they ended upkilling a look-alike. During this
event, God raised Jesus up to His presence:
And [on account of] theirsaying: "We killed the Messiah, Jesus son of
Mary, Messenger of God." They did not kill him and they did not
crucify him, but it was made to seem so to them. Those who argue about
him are in doubt about it. They have no real knowledge of it,
justconjecture. But they certainly did not kill him.God raised him to
Himself. God is Almighty, All-Wise. (Surat An-Nisa', 4:157-158)
Many people believe in the widespread assumption that the Romans
crucified Jesus. The Roman soldiers and Jewish priests who arrested
Jesus are said to have killed him on the cross. Although some
historical Christian sects such as Docetism have denied this, today,
the world of Christianity completely believes it, as well as that he
was resurrected three days later and, after several brief meetings
with his disciples and others, ascended into the heavens.
The Qur'an, however, says otherwise. The reality revealed in the
verses is clear. The Romans, abetted by someJews' agitation, attempted
to kill Jesus but did not succeed. The expression "but it was made to
seem so to them" reveals this fact. God showed them a look-alike and
raised Jesus up to His presence. Our Lord also reveals thatthose who
made that claim had no knowledge of the truth.
In the early years of Christianity, several viewson Jesus' fate
emerged. In the subsequent centuries and until the articles of faith
were fullyformulated at the Councilof Nicea (325), these ideological
differences continued to persist, and movements that claimed that
Jesus had not been crucified were accused ofheresy and its members
were persecuted.
The Qur'anic Account of Jesus' Ascent to God's Presence
Examining the words used in the narratives relating how the Prophets
died and the verses dealing with Jesus'ascent to God's presence
reveals an important fact:Jesus did not die like the other prophets
did, nor was he murdered by the unbelievers. Rather, our Lord took him
up to His presence. In this chapter, we will examine the Arabic words
used to express how the Prophets died and how Jesus was raised up to
God's presence, and investigate how the Qur'an uses them.
As we will see in greater detail later on, the Qur'anusesqataloohu(to
kill),maata(to die),halaka(to perish),salaboohu(they crucified him),
or some other special expressions to describe the death or murder of
the Prophets. In the case of Jesus, the Qur'an clearly states that he
was not killed in any of those ways, for:"They did not kill him[wa ma
qataloohu]and did not crucify him [wa ma salaboohu]."God reveals that
people were shown a look-alike and that Jesus was raised up to
Hispresence, as follows:
When God said: "Jesus, I will take you back [mutawaffeeka]and raiseyou
up [wa raafi`uka] to Me and purify you of those who are unbelievers.
And I will place the people who follow you above those who are
unbelievers until the Day of Rising..." (Surah Al 'Imran, 3: 55)
The following are the ways in which the words referring to death in
the Qur'an and the word waffaa in Surah Al `Imranare used:
(1)
Waffaa: To Cause To Die, To Take in One's Sleep, or To Take Back
The word used in Surah Al `Imran 3 and translated as "taking back"
here and "causing to die" in some Qur'an translations, has various
connotations. Examining the Arabic verses clearly reveals that these
connotations of the wordshould be considered while applying it to
Jesus' situation. The Qur'an describes his being taken back to God in
the words that Jesus will say on the Day of Judgment:
[Jesus said], "I said to them nothing but what You ordered me to say:
'Worship God, my Lord and your Lord.' I was a witness against them as
long as I remained among them, but when You took me back to
You[tawaffaytanee], You were the One watching over them. You are the
Witness of all things." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:117)
In Arabic the word that istranslated in some translations of this
verse as "You have caused me to die" comes from the rootwaffaa– to
fulfil. It does not actually mean"death" but the act of"taking the
self back." In fact, in Arabic commentaries it is not used in the
sense of death. The commentary of Imam al-Qurtubi is oneexample of
this; he used the expression "the taking away of the selves" for the
word in question. From the Qur'an again, we understand that "taking
the self back" does not necessarily mean death. For instance, it can
mean"taking back the self while one is asleep," as indicated in the
following verse:
It is He Who takes you back to Himself[yatawaffaakum] at night, while
knowing the things you perpetrate by day, and then wakes you up again,
so that a specifiedterm may be fulfilled. (Surat al-An'am, 6:60)
The word used for "take back" in this verse is the same as the one
used in Surah Al 'Imran 55. In other words, in the verse above, the
wordwaffaais used and it is obvious that one does not die in one's
sleep. Therefore, what is meant here is, again, "taking the self
back." In the following verse, the same word is used like this:
God takes back people's selves[yatawaffaa]whentheir death [mawtihaa]
arrives and those who have not yet died, while they are asleep[lam
tamut]. He keeps hold ofthose whose death [mawt] has been decreedand
sends the others back for a specified term. (Surat Az-Zumar, 39:42)
As this verse clarifies, Godtakes back the self of the one who is
asleep, yet Hesends back the selves of those whose deaths haveyet not
been decreed. In this context, in one's sleep one does not die, inthe
sense in which we perceive death. Only for atemporary period, the self
leaves the body and remains in another dimension. When we wake up, the
self returns to the body. 1
Another instance in which sleep is regarded as a kind of death, but
which does not refer to biological death, is the following du'a, which
the Prophet Muhammad (may God bless him and grant him peace) often
used to recite when he woke up: "All praise is forGod, Who has made us
alive after He made us die [sleep].(Al-hamdu li Allah illadhi ahyana
ba'da maa amatana; wa ilayhi al-nushoo)" (Narrated by Abu Hudhayfa;
Sahih Bukhari). 2No doubt, he used these wise words not to refer to
biological death when one is asleep, but rather to a sleeping person's
soul being "taken." Ibn Kathir,the famous Islamic scholar and
commentator, used this hadith, along with many other proofs in his
commentary on Surah Al 'Imran, to explain thatwaffaarefers to sleep.
In addition, he indicated the word's meaning in other verses where it
appears. He then gave hisopinion using a hadith handed down by Ibn Abi
Hatim:Ibn Abi Hatim says that:"My father told us … from Hassan that
the meaning of the verse 'I will take you back...' is this: Here
itmeans that 'I shall kill you with the death of sleep; in other
words, I shall cause you to sleep.' So God raised Jesus (pbuh) to the
heavens while he was asleep … As an incontrovertible truth,God caused
Jesus (pbuh) to die the death of sleep and then raised him to the sky,
rescuing him from the Jews, who wereinflicting suffering upon him at
the time." 3
(2)
Qatala: To Kill
The Qur'an uses qatala to mean "to kill," as in the following verse:
Pharaoh said: "Let me kill [aqtulu] Moses and let him call upon his
Lord! I am afraid that he may change your religion and bring
aboutcorruption in the land." (Surah Ghafir, 40:26)
In Arabic, "let me kill Moses" isaqtulu Musa, a phrase that is derived
from the verbqatala.In another verse, the same word is used in the
following way:
... [That was because they] killed [yaqtuloona]the Prophets without
any right to do so. (Suratal-Baqara, 2:61)
The expressionyaqtuloona(they killed) is also derived from qatala. The
translation is clearly "to kill."
The verses below speak of the deaths of the Prophets, and the usage of
the verbqatalais marked. All words in brackets are derivatives of this
verb.
We will write down what they said and their killing [wa qatlahum]
ofthe Prophets without any right to do so. (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:181)
Say: "Why, then, if you are believers, did you previously
kill[taqtuloona]the Prophets of God?" (Suratal-Baqara, 2:91)
As for those who reject God's Signs, and kill[yaqtuloona]the Prophets
without any right to do so, and kill[yaqtuloona]those who command
justice... (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:21)
"Kill [uqtuloo] Joseph orexpel him to some land."(Surah Yusuf, 12:9)
..."Moses, the Council is conspiring to kill you[li yaqtulooka]."
(Surat al-Qasas, 28:20)
The only answer of his [Abraham's] people was to say: "Kill[uqtuloohu]
him or burn him!" (Suratal-'Ankabut, 29:24)
(3)
Halaka: To Perish
Another word used to denote the act of killing is halaka. It also is
used to mean "to perish, to be destroyed, or to die," as in the verse
given below:
... when he [Joseph] died[halaka], you said: "God will never send
another Messenger after him."(Surah Ghafir, 40:34)
The phraseidha halakais translated as "when he died." meaning "to die."
(4)
Mawt: Death
Another word used to relate a Prophet's death ismawt,a noun derived
from the verbmaata(to die), as follows:
Then when We decreed that he [Prophet Solomon] should die [mawt],
nothing divulged his death [mawtihi] to them except the worm that ate
his staff. (Surah Saba', 34:14)
In the following verse, another form of the verb is used:
Peace be upon him [Prophet John] the day he was born, the day he dies
[yamootu], and the day he is raised up againalive. (Surah Maryam,
19:15)
The wordyamootuis translated here as "they day he dies," and the same
word is used (in theform of a noun) to relate Jacob's death:
Or were you present when death [mawt] came to Jacob? (Surat al-Baqara, 2:133)
In another verse, the verbsqatala(in the passive form qutila)
andmaataare used together:
Mohammed is only a Messenger, and he has been preceded by other
Messengers. If he were to die [maata] or be killed [qutila], would you
turn on your heels? (Surah Al 'Imran, 3:144)
Other forms of the verb are used in other verses to denote the death
of Prophets:
She exclaimed: "Oh if only I had died [mittu] before this time and
wassomething discarded and forgotten!" (Surah Maryam, 19:23)
We did not give any human being before youimmortality [khuld]. Andif
you die [mitta], will they then be immortal? (Surat al-Anbiya', 21:
34)
"He Who will cause my death [yumeetunee], then give me life."
(Suratash-Shu'ara', 26: 81)
(5)
Khalid: Immortal
The word khalid means immortality, permanence, and continued
existence, as in the following verse:
We did not give them bodies that did not eat food, nor were they
immortal[khalideena].(Surat al-Anbiya', 21:8)
(6)
Salaba: To Crucify
Another word used in theQur'an to relate death issalaba(to crucify).
This verb has various meanings (e.g., to hang, to crucify, to execute)
and is used in the following ways:
They did not kill him andthey did not crucify him [maa salaboohu].
(Surat An-Nisa', 4:157)
[Joseph said:] "One of you will serve his lord with wine, the other of
you will be crucified [yuslabu]." (Surah Yusuf, 12:41)
They should be killed or crucified [yusallaboo]. (Surat al-Ma'ida, 5:33)
[Pharaoh said:] "I will cut off your alternate hands and feet, and
thenI will crucify [la usallibannakum]every one of you." (Surat
al-A'raf, 7:124)
As the verses show, the words used to express Jesus' situation are
altogether different to those used to describe the deaths of the other
Prophets. God states that Jesus was neither killed nor crucified, that
a look-alike was killed in his place, and that he was taken back (in
other words that his soul was taken) and raised up to His presence.
When talking of Jesus', the Qur'an useswaffaa(to take the soul)
whereas when talking of the other Prophets, it uses qataloohu or maata
(and its derivatives) to mean"death" in the conventional sense. This
information shows us yetagain that Jesus' situation was extraordinary.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Yuce Kuran'in Cagdas Tefsiri (The Contemporary Tafsir of the Holy
Qur'an) by Professor Suleyman Ates, Head of Department of Basic
Islamic Sciences at Istanbul University's Faculty of Divinity, Vol. 2,
49-50.
2. Narrated by Abu Hudhayfa; Sahih Bukhari;;Being the Tradition of
Saying and Doings of the Prophet Muhammad as Narrated by His
Companions, New Delhi, Islamic Book Service, 2002, hadith no. 6324,
239; Tafsir Ibn Kathir, abridged by Sheikh Muhammad Nasibar-Rafa'i,
London, Al-Firdous Ltd., 1999, 176
3.Ibn Kathir,Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim, 1:573-576, Cairo, 1996

Story - Second time around...

wanted to share with you guys my story, about me rose and my fiance cj....
accidentally meet him (cj)on a online chat room, since then we dated
on and off.. for 6 years. (yeah six years)..
so since then i got bored with him (cj) on our 2nd anniversary and
when onseeing someone new, infact that the was the time that he
cheated on me too.. (both of us cheated).
so me and him decided to end our relationship for 3 years, after that
i was hopelessly seeing someone who could care more for me.. but i was
wrong. i meet another guy he was working on abar as a bartender (ian
who is separated with 1 kid). then just in a snap of a finger we
clicked (became lovers in no time). it was on and off relationship too
but it was the worst relationship i'd been with. he was a abusive guy
emotionally,physically and mentally :( .
he was high on drugs, flirting with some woman and even not respecting
my mother which in fact two of us living with my mom and niece.
i thought to myself that there's no perfect in relationship...since i
was in my relationship my ex ( cj who is my fiance now) we been
hanging out alot...
he was my shoulder to cry on every time my bf was on his high of his
time.. i was crying, then i found out that he was having affair with
his co-worker. on a bar.
that pisses me off. even his own family knows about it but they don't care.
so since then i was thinking what to do withmy life, it was Christmas
2012 i seek god's help i even do some novena forme to enlightened my
feelings. after i finish my novena after that night, i dreamed..., i
was dreaming that my bf was truly having an affair with his co-worker.
i guess god did give me signs.
i ended my relationship with him (ian). even it hurts me alot i need
to stopped knowing that it will be good for me.
i seek help of my ex (cj), knowing that he will help me cope my broken
heart.. we decided to be together again.
so since then it's 4 months now.. oh wait... its been 3 years and 7
months now.. if its estimate our relationship:)
i am more bless to meet him again, knowing that god really gave me a
reason to meet someone new and have my lesson. and now im back to my
first love (cj).
i'd learn my lesson alot, itshould be equal to both of you to love one
another. and more of it don't cheat be faithful to one another.. cause
god really saw whats on your heart. im thankful that i found my center
on this life.. which is balance with my heart and mind..
now we were planning our wedding next year. and hopefully it will be a
dream wedding for two of us, cause we promise to our self that god
will be center in our relationship.
hopefully this story i share with u will bring u rainbow after the rain :)

Story - Unless

I am not a good and good-looking boy, From when I can understand the
world I can feel that I never be loved by other , I am a physically
handicapped that's why from the very young age I am ignore by other.
But I enjoy my life every place I love to make smileto other's face
it's my hobby .
So about love : now I am 25years old .my first love is high school she
is very cute as like a toy, I alwayssee her from a corner of class,
other always ignoreme that's why I was always unhappy but when I saw
her I get a area to smile :) , I see her upto 3years after that I feel
that I have to say herthat I love her but I was afraid also about that
if she reject me that's why Iwas take a step to make her friend and I
make herfriend very close friend , slowly slowly I try to know her
care her but still afraid to say that I love her .after a year I make
my self to say her :). I never date a girl that's why I search in net
how to take dress for a date , base on a blog writer I take some dress
and go to her in a park .
I was very uncomfortableI had a cycle by which I went that park she
also came and we together set on a branch , I gave her a flower and
said my feelings...
But may be I forgot that I am a handicap she reply me that "I know you
love me but don't mind like others I have also a dream that my life
partner should be a goodand good-looking and I don't want a handicap
person as my life partner" and she left me and left the park , I don't
said her anything even not a sound . after that she loved a boy who is
the best boy in our school . slowly slowly I cut from her and back to
my old life and give mind to the study .
After 2years.
The high school is over I still wait for her and still see her but
never go to in front of her . I take my life about computer engineer
when I left my hometown I meat to her Isaid " if you ever feel about
me something please call me I will wait for you" after that I left my
hometown.
after a year my friend callme and said me that he get married with a
rich and good man , I just smile and get to my life where I have no
one to share my feelings . Some time I got that much alone that I
sleep and askmy self why I am like that?. When every body of myhostel
went out with there I stay in hostel or go out with no one , after a
while it become a habit that I say alone in everywhere. I accept it
that no one never love me that's why I get back to study with full
force, I got degree get a good job but still alone.
Like this I played my life . but my life is change in 2012 June , In
2012 June Iget a call from a girl Name Anan she said me that she know
me we become friends a good friends and in really I washappy most that
someone come in my life my big smile come back I was very happy .
After one month she said me that she love me I was just like blast but
I don't accept because I had a doubt that no one love me than why she
love me? , I investigate about her somewhat than I get that she is my
best friend's ex girlfriend thenI directly say this meter toher and my
best friend they both reply that he has no objection and she said me
all truth , after that I accept her and I become happy that I get her
:).
But that is not end after amonth again a call came in my no I received
in other side was Anan and my best friend she said " Sorry yer I
played with you because he left me that's why I choose you to play
this game , and according to my plan he jealous and for that he again
come to me , please don't get angry and Sorry" I don't say anything
and just switch off the mobile and change the no and never go to them
.
Now I get news that they live happily and they loveeach other .
If love is not on conditionthen why this happen ? whenever my birthday
come I have no one to with me is midnight and say I am here for you .
I know I have nothing to love but I have a heart who can love most .
and please handicap person also have a heart they can also love , if
you give a smile they feel happy , so please be with them :),
Thank you :) Be happy and Be good :)