An approach to the translations of the meaning of the Quran into English

The miracle of the Quran lies in its inimitable language, its beauty
and eloquence of style. It was revealed to Prophet Muhammad,, in the
7th century CE for all nations, people and races. Therefore, there has
always been the need for translating its meanings into other
languages. In this paper, I will present a brief review of some
English translations of the Quran that exist upto the present day.
The first translation was carried out by Robertus Rotensis and
Hermannus Dalmata in 1143 CE, when the Quran was translated into
Latin in the interest of the convents during the time of the Crusades.
This Latin translation was then translated into other languages like
German, Italian and Hindi. In 1647 CE, it was translated into French
by the French Consul inEgypt, Andre du Ryer. The first English
translation was from the French version in 1688 CE by Alexander Ross,
which was described, "as despicably unsavory and a very bad one and no
better than its French origin bySale".
In 1689 CE another Latin translation was presented by Maracci, that
included the Arabic text as well as extracts from different
commentaries of the Quran. According to Mehana )1978( these
commentaries were chosen in such a way so as to give a bad impression
about Islam to Europeans. The translator, who was a priest and one of
the leading church members, started with an introduction which was
entitled 'Refutation of the Quran.'
It was in 1734 CE, that George Sale presented an English translation
of the Quran from Latin, which was then considered the original
English source for the translation of the Quran and was republished
several times inEurope. From then onwards, there followed many English
and other European translations of the Quran, through which the
translators expressed what they believed about Islam. This was
sometimes done within the core of the translated text or in the form
of footnotes or comments.This led some Muslims such as Abdullah Yusuf
Ali and Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall to translate the meanings of the
Quran into English, in an attempt to give the reader, as far as
possible the most adequate rendering of the Quran into English.
The first Muslim who tried to translate the Quran into English was Dr.
Muhammad Abdel Hakeem Khan in 1905 CE. However, the first published
English translation was presented in 1861 CE by Reverend J.M. Rodwell
and reprinted several times, entitledThe Koran: Translation from the
Arabic.
In 1930 CE, there appeared another translation by Mohammed Marmaduke
Pickthall entitledThe Meanings of the Glorious Quran. He was a
Christian Englishman who converted to Islam. In his view, the Quran
cannot be translated and his work was merely an attempt to present the
meanings of the Quran into English. This translation was followed in
1934 CE by that presented by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, which is most
commonly used now, entitledThe Holy Quran. Yusuf Ali was a Muslim
scholar who had a good command of both Arabic and English languages.
His translation was free from the grave misinterpretations found in
other translations like those presented by the Qaadiyaani sect. Yusuf
Ali also added some comments at the bottom of each page, helping the
reader to comprehend the text correctly.
In 1956, another translation into English appeared entitledThe Koran:
A New Translation, presented by N.J. Daawood, which was published
underThe Penguin Classicsseries In his introduction, Daawood says
that the reason he presented this work was to supply the reader with a
version of the Quran translated into modern English.
The translation presented by Arthur J.Arberry in 1955, entitledThe
Koran Interpretedwas published by Oxford University Press. Arberry was
a Christian professor in aBritishUniversitywho died recently. He was
of the opinion that the Quran being a great work should not be
translated. Hence he chose to name his work an "interpretation" rather
than a translation. Despite the fact that Arberry was a non-Arab,
non-Muslim, yet he had moderate views about Islam and the Quran.
Then there were the three translations of the Quran presented by the
deviated Qaadiyaani sect. These three translations were done by the
followers of Mirza Ghulam Ahmed El Qaadiyaani who is known to this
sect as the "Expected Christ". The members of this sect have beliefs
of their own and are so proud of them that they declare and admit to
them publicly. These translations areThe Holy Quranby Mawlana Mohammed
Ali, first published 1918 CE;The Holy Quranby Malik Ghulam Fareid,
first published in 1969 CE;The Quranby Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, first
published in 1971 CE.
The last and most recent translation is presented by M.M. Khatib
entitledThe Bounteous Koran, authorized by Al-Azhar in 1984 and first
published in 1986. Khatib is an Egyptian Muslim who has a good command
of both languages and has acquired a good deal of knowledge about
Islamic culture.
The aim of this paper is to discuss some of the pitfalls of these
translators of the Quran, namely Reverend J. Rodwell, Arthur J.
Arberryand M.M. Khatib. However, as this is just a short paper,
therefore, I will select no more than two or three examples from each
translation. The reason for choosing these translations lies in the
fact that Rodwell's was the first translation done from the Arabic
text and being a member of Church, he was affected by Christian
teachings and was against Islam. His aim was to falsify Islam as a
revealed religion. On the other hand, Arberry had moderate views about
Islam. He disagreed with Rodwell on many of his views, especially the
belief that the Quran is not the "word of God" revealed to Muhammad,.
The third translator, Khatib is a Muslim whose translation is the most
recent one and authorized by Al-Azhar.
In the preface to his book entitledThe Koran: Translation from the
Arabic, Rodwell commented on the gathering of the Quran and
arrangement of the chapters )Soorahs(, during the time of both Caliphs
Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq and 'Uthmaan bin 'Affaan. He mentioned that
theSoorahsrevealed in Al-Madeenah were placed in the middle
ofSoorahsrevealed in Makkah and vice versa. Thus, to him the Quran
appeared to be an "almost unreadable and incongruous patchwork".
Rodwell is definitely mistaken here, as it is well known and
documented that the Quran was dictated and written during the life of
the Prophet Muhammad,, under his supervision.
As Khalifa states in hisThe Sublime Quran and Orientalism)1983 pp 38(:
"Islamic history bears ample witness to the fact that Quranic
revelations were recorded in writing under the Prophet's personal
supervision. His scribes, who were often with him and to whom he
dictated the heavenly message, were well known to their fellow
Muslims".
Khalifa also adds on page 42:
"It so happens that there is ample evidence proving the Prophet,, had
set a textual order for theSoorahs, both in the form of instructions
to his companions and in his recitations of successiveSoorahs".
However, Rodwell carries on saying:
"…and convey no idea whatever of the development and growth of any
plan in the mind of the founder of Islam, or of the circumstances by
which he was surrounded and influenced".
In the above quotation, he doubts the prophethood of Muhammad,and
considers him the "founder of Islam". This main idea prevails as he
carries on saying on page 8.
"The sources whence Muhammad derived the material of his Koran are,
over and above the more poetical parts, which are his own creation,
the legends of his time and country, Jewish traditions based upon
Talmud or perverted to suit his own purposes and the floating
Christian traditions of Arabia and Syria."
Then on page 10 of his preface he contradicts himself by saying:
"We have no evidence that Muhammad had access to the Christian Scripture."
He carries on saying:
"There is but one direct quotation )Soorah21:105( in the whole Koran
from the Scriptures and though there are a few passages, as where
"alms" are said to be given to be seen of men, and as none forgives
the sins but God only, which might seen to be identical with texts of
the New Testament, yet this similarity is probably merely accidental."
From the above quotation, it is clear that Rodwell is contradicting
himself all the time. He first states that Muhammad,has said the words
of the Quran in a poetic version of his own or it could have been
taken from either the Old or New Testament. Then later, he said that
there is no evidence that he,, could have access to these texts, but
adds that it might "seem to be identical with the text of the New
Testament". The use of this expression means that he is not sure and
could not confirm the similarity.
Moreover, Rodwell could not comprehend the discourse of the Quran
which is full of great meaning. This can easily be illustrated by the
many mistakes, misinterpretations and misunderstandings which he has
fallen into in his translations of the different verses of which
examples are given below:
In Rodwell's translation of ChapterAl-Ma'oonverse 5:
ÇáÐíä åã Úä ÕáÇÊåã ÓÇåæä
Which means:"But in their prayers are careless".]Quran 107:5[
He obviously misinterpreted the meaning, for there is a great
difference between "forgetting to pray" ) ) "Úä ÕáÇÊåã " and "being
careless in prayers" ) Ýí ÕáÇÊåã (. The use of the preposition " Úä
" means that people could get oblivious or forget to pray, but it does
not refer to those people who are praying and could forget to perform
part of the prayer or recite part of what they should be saying during
prayers. He also dropped the translation of the relative pronoun.
"åã " .
Arberry was Christian and yet unlike Rodwell and Dawood, he agrees
that the Quran being a great work should not be translated. Hence the
title he chose was,The Koran Interpreted, which is to indicate that
his work was merely the interpretation of the text and not its
translation. However, Arberry as a non-native speaker of Arabic has
fallen into many misinterpretations of the words and sometimes verses
of the Quran. Thus, for example, inSoorah Al-Baqarah, Ayah61, Arberry
translated the sentence:
"ÅåÈØæÇ ãÕÑÇ "
as:"Get you down toEgypt".]Quran 2:61[
This is definitely a misinterpretation as the word "ãÕÑÇ" marked with
nunnation makes it an indefinite noun, referring to any inhabited city
and notEgypt. The second reason for his misinterpretation is the fact
that this sentence "ÇåÈØæÇ ãÕÑðÇ " refers to Moosaa )Moses(and his
people who had finally got out of Egypt safely. Therefore, how would
Mosesask them to go back?
Another example of the Arberry's misinterpretation of the Quran can be
seen inAyah184 ofSoorah " Al-Baqarah".
æÚáì ÇáÐíä íØíÞæä ÝÏíÉ ØÚÇã ãÓßíä
Which he translated as:
"..and for those who are able to fast, a redemption by feeding a poor
man..".]Quran 2: 184[
Here, he has used the word "able" for the word "íØíÞæäå" which
actually means those who can bear fasting with difficulty. The word
"able" used in his translation simply means "íÞÏÑ " which
contradicts the proper meaning of theAyah,which means that those who
are not able to fast should make a redemption by feeding the poor.
It is of great importance, however, to look at the most recent
translation of the Quran by M.M. Khatib entitledThe Bounteous Koranand
authorized by Al-Azhar in 1984. In the preface to this work, Khatib
talks about "The eternal miracle of Islam"-- the Quran -- which
includes the best of moral values, the perfect guide for the happiness
of mankind and a style which is most bountiful, concise , influential
and having an inimitable means of expressing the "majesty and
sublimity of God". Khatib carries on explaining some of the
difficulties which he had to face in accomplishing his work. He says
on page VI of the preface:
"The most tangible difficulty that I faced, and that which surely
faced those who have translated the Koran before me, was the omissions
and additions of the figurative words that are of the beauty,
eloquence sequence and rhythmic pattern of the Book."
Then, he carries on listing more difficulties, saying:
"The second difficulty was the commitment to an extreme precision in
translating letter by letter and word by word, maintaining the exact
sequence and construction of the Arabic verse."
At this point, I would like to mention that Khatib, in his title of
the Book, gives a subtitle in smaller print "A Translation of Meaning
and Commentary". Therefore, how can this work be a translation of
meaning and commentary while he did his best in "maintaining the exact
sequence and construction of the Arabic verse". The question, then
arises as to why does he want to preserve the construction of the
original Arabic text, when he is only translating the meanings of the
Quran? It must be noted that these two languages originate from
different families of languages: Semitic and Germanic, and it is
therefore impossible to "maintain the exact sequence".
In order to see how he has actually dealt with the translation of the
Quran, it would be more illustrative to give a sample of his work.
Unlike Arberry, Khatib translated Ayah 181 ofSoorah "Al-Baqarah" as:
"æÚáì ÇáÐíä íØíÞæäå ÝÏíÉ ØÚÇã ãÓßíä"
"As for those who can afford with hardship, )there is( redemption in
feeding an indigent".]Quran 2:181[
Khatib's use of the word "afford" is more suitable in rendering the
meaning of the Arabic word "íØíÞæäå" ; as according to Webster's
dictionary, the meaning of the word "afford" can be "to manage to bear
without serious detriment". Being a native speaker of Arabic Khatib
could comprehend the meanings of the Quranic words and verses better
than Arberry.
InSoorah Al-Qasas,Ayah68:
æÑÈß íÎáÞ ãÇ íÔÇÁ æíÎÊÇÑ ãÇ ßÇä áåã ÇáÎíÑÉ
he translated it as follows:
" As your Lord creates whatever He will and He chooses they have no
choice…"]Quran 28: 68[
Khatib, similar to Rodwell, explains in a footnote the meaning of the
pronoun "they" as "false Gods". This interpretation of the pronoun
"åã" is unacceptable according to Al-Muntakhab interpretation of the
Quran, which is authorized and presented by the Supreme Council for
Islamic Affairs. Al-Muntakhab interprets the pronoun to be "ÇáÎáÞ"
meaning people and this interpretation is also supported by Al-Nasafi
interpretation of the Quran. Furthermore, it could be also emphasized
by theAyahfollowing that says:
æÑÈß íÚáã ãÇ Êßäø ÕÏæÑåã æãÇ íÚáäæä
translated as:
" And your Lord Knows what their breasts conceal and what they
avow".]Quran 28: 69[
It must be noted that the use of word "ÕÏæÑåã" translated by Khatib
as "breasts", in the aboveAyah, which immediately follows the
preceding one inSoorah Al-Qasas, cannot be used for God. It is only
people who can have "breasts" and not God. Therefore we conclude that
the pronoun "åã" in the aboveAyahmust be referring to people and
not false Gods as Khatib interpreted.
It must be noted from the above discussion and illustrations that the
translation presented by Khatib has, to some extent, overcome many of
the misinterpretations and pitfalls which previous translators have
presented. The main reason lies in the fact that Khatib is an Egyptian
Muslim scholar who is a native speaker of Arabic and has a good
command of English. Moreover, he has dedicated a good deal of time to
reading classic and modern books on Islamic studies as well as
studying many classical commentaries, which have had a great effect on
his understanding of the Quran.
However, it is necessary to conclude my paper by discussing some
important issues about the art of literary translation and to suggest
qualities recommended for translators in general, and for Quran
translators in particular.
The first and most important point is that both Arabic and English
languages come from two different families of languages: Semitic and
Germanic families respectively. Therefore, they have two quite
different sentence structures and we would expect different kinds of
problems in translation arising from the gaps between these two
languages. For example, a particular word in one of these languages
might not have an equivalent in the other; as the word "ar-Rahmaan"
for which Khatib )1986: VI( encountered great difficulty in "finding
English words that precisely match the Arabic meaning."
Another major point that the translator must realize is that any
literary text is composed of a complex set of systems in relation to
other sets outside its boundaries; and thus, he must not focus on one
set at the cost of the other. The translator must also observe the
cultural differences between the original language and the translated
language and should not ignore any cultural factor. This means that
the translator must be well acquainted with the cultural and social
factors in both the languages.
Therefore, the art of literary translationnecessitates that the
translator be skillfully trained, have good linguistic knowledge
cultural and social knowledge, a good deal of imagination and common
sense. He must also work hard to reach a translation that is as close
as possible to theoriginal.
The art of translating the Quran, however, requires in addition to the
above qualities, that the translator must be a native speaker of
Arabic as well as a Muslim who acquired deep knowledge of Islamic
history, culture and tradition. These qualities being present in
Khatib made his translation more adequate than the other previous
translations mentioned above. However, as we have seen from the above
discussion, even Khatib has some misinterpretations of words or verses
of the Quran despite the fact that he is a Muslim, native speaker of
Arabic.
The question that arises is: How could we allow a non-native speaker
of Arabic to attempt a translation of the Quran? If native speakers
like Khatib could encounter great difficulty in fully comprehending
the interpretation of the Quran, what about non-native speakers and
non-Muslims? It must also be noted that translation is itself a sort
of judgment, as discussed by David Ross )1977(. It is a judgment in
the sense that the translator usually selects the word that suits the
meaning he arrives at. This leads to the question: Who could possibly
be a competent judge of the meanings of the Quran?
It is obvious that not many individuals would be qualified for such a
daunting task. Therefore, I suggest that the translation of the Quran
should not be an individual effort, but rather a team effort of
Al-Azhar scholars who have reasonable command of English as well as a
team of linguists who are native speakers of Arabic and have a good
background on Islam and Islamic teachings. These two teams sitting and
working hard together should be able to overcome most of the
difficulties, misunderstandings and misinterpretations faced and
presented by Khatib and previous translators. This type of translation
is urgently needed today, especially when Islam is facing challenges
from the West.

The collection and compilation of the Quran

Part 1: During the Lifetime of the Prophet.
A study of the compilation of text must begin with the character of
the book itself as it was handed down by Muhammadto his
Companionsduring his lifetime. It was not delivered or revealed all at
once.
The Noble Quran was revealed to Prophet Muhammadpiecemeal over a
period of twenty-three years from the time when hebegan to preach the
Message of Islam in Makkah in 610 CE until his death at Madeenah in
632 CE. The Quran itself declares that Allaah addressed Prophet
Muhammadwith what means:"…And We have spaced it distinctly."]Quran
25:32[
Furthermore, no chronological record of the sequence of passages was
kept by Muhammadhimself or his Companions so that, as each of these
began to be collected into an actual Soorah )chapter(, no thought was
given as to theme, order of deliverance or chronological sequence. It
is acknowledged by all Muslim writers that most of the chapters,
especially the longer ones, are composite texts containing various
passages not necessarily linked to each other in the sequence in which
they were given. As time went on Muhammadwould say words to the effect
of: "Put this passage in the chapter in which so-and-so is mentioned",
or: "Put it in such and such a place." ]As-Suyooti, Al-Itqaan fee
'Uloom Al-Quran, p.141[ Thus, passages were added to compilations of
other passages already collected together until each of these became a
distinct chapter. The evidence that a number of these chapters already
had their recognised titles during the lifetime of Muhammad. is the
following two Prophetic narrations: "Anyone who recites the last two
verses of Soorah Al-Baqarah )The Cow, chapter 2( at night, they will
suffice him." ]Al-Bukhaari[ And:"If anyone learns by heart the first
ten verses of the Soorah Al-Kahf )the Cave, No. 18(, he will be
protected from the Dajjaal )Antichrist(."]Muslim[
At the same time, there is also reason to believe that there were
other chapters to which titles were not necessarily given by Prophet
Muhammad. An example of this is Soorah Al-Ikhlaas ]Chapter 112[, for
although the Prophetspoke at some length about it and said it was
equal to one-third of the whole Quran, he did not mention it by name.
]Muslim[
As the Quran developed, the Prophet's Companionstook portions of it
down in writing and also committed its passages to memory. It appears
that the memorisation of the text was the foremost method of recording
its contents as the very word Quran means 'recitation'. From the very
first word delivered to Muhammadby the angel Jibreel )Gabriel( on
Mount Hiraa', namely Iqra' – 'Recite!' ]Chapter 96:1[, we can see that
the verbal recitation of its passages was very highly esteemed and
consistently practiced. Nevertheless, it is to actual written records
of its text that the Quran itself bears witness in the following verse
)which means(:"]It is recorded[ in honoured sheets. Exalted and
purified. ]Carried[ by the hands of messenger-angels. Noble and
dutiful."]Quran: 80:13-16[
Furthermore, there is evidence that even during the early days of
Prophet Muhammadin Makkah, portions of the Quran as then delivered
were being written down. When 'Umarwas still a pagan, he one day
struck his sister when he heard her reading a portion of the Quran.
Upon seeing blood on her cheek, however, he relented and said:"Give me
this sheet which I heard youreading just now so that I may see what
Muhammad has brought."]Ibn Is-Haaq, Seerat Rasoolullaah, p.156[. On
reading the portion of the twentieth chapter )of the Quran( which she
had been reading, he became a Muslim.
Nonetheless, it appears that right up to the end of the life of
Muhammadthe practice of memorisation predominated over the writing
down of the Quran and was regarded as more important.
In the Hadeeth )narrations( records, we read that the angel Jibreel is
said to have checked the recitation of the Quran every Ramadan with
Prophet Muhammadand, in his )the Prophet( final year, he )Jibreel(
checked it with him twice. Faatimahsaid:"The Prophet, sallallaahu
alayhi wa sallam, told me, 'Jibreel used to recite the Quran to me and
I to him once a year, but this year he recited the whole Quran with me
twice. I think that my death is approaching.'"]Al-Bukhaari[
Some of the closest Companions of the Prophetdevoted themselves to
learning the text of the Quran by heart. These included Ubayy Ibn
Ka'b, Mu'aath Ibn Jabal, Zayd Ibn Thaabit, Abu Zayd and Abu
Ad-Dardaa'. Abdullaah Ibn Mas'oodcollected more than ninety of the one
hundred and fourteen chapters by himself, learning the remaining
chapters from other Companions.
Regarding the written materials, there are no records as to exactly
how much of the Quran was written down during the lifetime of Prophet
Muhammad. There is no evidence to suggest that anyone actually
compiled the whole text of the Quran into a single manuscript, whether
directly under the authority of Prophet Muhammador otherwise.
With the death of Prophet Muhammadin 632 CE, the revelation stopped,
as the Quran had become complete. There could be no further revelation
once its chosen recipient had passed away. While he lived, however,
there was always the possibility that new passages could be added and
it hardly seemed appropriate, therefore, to contemplate codifying the
text into one harmonious whole. Thus, it is not surprising to find
that the book was widely scattered in the memories of men and in
writing on various different materials at the time of the death of the
Prophet.
There were only a few disputes among the Companions about the text of
the Quran while the Prophetwas alive, unlike those which arose soon
after his death. All these factors explain the absence of an official
codified text at the time of his death. Imaam As-Suyootistated that
the Quran, as sent down from Allaah in separate stages, had been
completely written down and carefully preserved, but that it had not
been assembled into one single location during the lifetime of Prophet
Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, ]Ibn Is-haaq, Seerat
Rasoolullaah, p.96[
All of it was said to have been available in principle, for the
Companionshad absorbed it in their memories and it had been written
down on separate materials. The final order of the various verses and
chapters is also presumed to have been defined by the Prophetwhile he
was still alive.

Dought & clear, - It is permissible to circumambulate the Ka‘bah (tawaaf) at any time, day or night

Is it possible for a person to do 'Umrah at any time of the day or
night? Or must the actions of 'Umrah be done at a specific time of
day?
What I mean by my question is:
All the actions of 'Umrah are obligatory, so is it possible for a
person to do tawaaf (circumambulation of the Ka 'bah) after 'Isha'
prayer, if he reaches Makkah before 'Isha' time?
Praise be to Allah.
There is no specific time for circumambulation of the Ka'bah (tawaaf);
rather whenever a person who wants to perform Hajj or 'Umrah, or the
person who wants to perform tawaaf, reaches the Ka'bah, he may perform
tawaaf at any time he wants of the night or day, even if that is
during the times when the prayer is disallowed, because the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "O Banu 'Abd Manaaf,
do not prevent anyone from circumambulating this House or praying at
any time he wants, night or day."
Narrated by at-Tirmidhi, 868; classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - How should a woman cut her hair in Hajj and ‘Umrah?

After my mother performed 'Umrah, she cut one lock of her hair, as she
didn't know the ruling. What is the ruling on that?
Praise be to Allah.
Shaving the head or cutting the hair is one of the obligatory acts of
'Umrah. Women do not have to shave their heads; rather what is
prescribed for them is cutting the hair. It is essential to shorten
all of the hair, according to the correct opinion. This is the view of
the Maalikis and Hanbalis. If she has braids, she should remove a
little from the end of each braid. Otherwise she should gather her
hair and cut something from the ends of all of it. What is recommended
(mustahabb) is to remove a fingertip's length, but less than that may
be removed, because no specific amount is mentioned in the texts.
Al-Baaji (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Muntaqa(3/29): With
regard to women, when a woman wants to enter ihram, she may braid her
hair, then when she exits ihram she may cut something from the ends of
her braids.
How much should she cut off? It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar that he
said: The length of a fingertip. Ibn Habeeb narrated from Maalik that
it should be the length of a fingertip or a little more or a little
less. Maalik said: In our view there is no specific amount, and
whatever she cuts off is acceptable, but it is essential to cut
something from all of the hair, whether it is long or short. End
quote.
Ibn Qudaamah (may Allah have mercy on him) said inal-Mughni(3/196): It
is obligatory to cut or shave all of the hair; this (with regard to
cutting the hair) also applies to women. This is our view and is also
the view of Maalik. End quote.
He also said: Any amount that is cut from it is acceptable. Ahmad
said: He should cut off a fingertip's length. This is also the view of
Ibn 'Umar, ash-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq, and Abu Thawr. This may be understood
as meaning that it is mustahabb, because of the words of Ibn 'Umar.
End quote.
He also said (3/226): A woman should cut a fingertip's length from her
hair. What is meant by the fingertip is the end of the finger, from
the highest knuckle. What is prescribed for women is to cut the hair,
not to shave the head, and there is no difference of opinion
concerning that. Ibn al-Mundhir said: The scholars are unanimously
agreed on this. It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbaas (may Allah be pleased
with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah
be upon him) said: "Women do not have to shave their heads; rather
women have to cut their hair." Narrated by Abu Dawood. It was narrated
that 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) told women not to shave
their heads. Narrated by at-Tirmidhi. Ahmad used to say: She should
cut a fingertip's length from each lock of hair. This is the view of
Ibn 'Umar, ash-Shaafa'i, Ishaaq and Abu Thawr. Abu Dawood said: I
heard Ahmad being asked whether a woman should cut something from all
of her hair. He said: Yes; she should gather her hair at the front of
her head then remove a fingertip's length from the ends of her hair.
End quote.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said inash-Sharh
al-Mumti'(7/329): "A woman should cut a fingertip's length from her
hair" refers to the top of the finger. In other words, a woman should
take hold of her braids, if she has braids, or the ends of her hair,
if she does not have braids, and trim the length of a fingertip from
it. That is approximately two centimeters. With regard to what is
common among women, which is wrapping the end of the hair around the
finger then cutting it , that is not correct. End quote.
Based on that, a woman who cut only one lock of her hair has not cut
it in the manner required. What she must do now is cut her hair in the
manner we have described, but there is no penalty on her for what she
may have done previously of things that are forbidden in ihram.
Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said concerning a
woman who had not completed her 'Umrah: With regard to what she may
have done of things that are forbidden in ihram, if we assume that her
husband had intercourse with her – and intercourse when in ihram is
the most serious of the things that are forbidden – there is no
penalty on her, because she was unaware (of the rulings), and anyone
who does any action that is forbidden when in ihram out of ignorance
or forgetfulness, or because he was compelled to do it, does not have
to pay any penalty.
End quote fromMajmoo' Fataawa Ibn 'Uthaymeen(21/351).
He (may Allah have mercy on him) was also asked: A man cut his hair on
one side after 'Umrah, then he went back to his family and he found
out that what he had done was not correct. What should he do? He
replied: If he did this thing out of ignorance, than what he must do
is take off his ordinary clothes now (and put on his ihram garments),
and shave his head completely or cut his hair. What he did is
pardoned, because he did not know. Shaving or cutting the hair does
not have to be done in Makkah; rather it may be done there or
elsewhere. But if what he did was based on a fatwa from one of the
scholars, he does not have to do anything, because Allah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "Ask the people of knowledge, if you
do not know" [al-Anbiya' 21:7]. And some of the scholars said that
cutting part of the hair is like cutting all of the hair.
End quote fromal-Liqa' ash-Shahri, no. 10
Women do not have to change their clothes before cutting the hair,
because it is not haraam for them to wear ordinary clothes when in
ihram; rather they are only forbidden to wear the niqab and gloves.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear, - He is asking about the cost of the fidyah for removing hair

What is the cost, in riyals, of the fidyah for removing hair or
clipping the nails (when in ihram)?
Praise be to Allah.
Things that are forbidden when in ihram include removing hair from the
head or body and clipping the nails. For each of these a fidyah must
be offered. The individual has the choice between sacrificing a sheep;
feeding six poor persons, giving each poor person half a saa'; or
fasting for three days. That is because Allah, may He be exalted, says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"and do not shave your heads until the Hady reaches the place of
sacrifice. And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp
(necessitating shaving), he must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of either
observing Saum (fasts) (three days) or giving Sadaqah (charity -
feeding six poor persons) or offering sacrifice (one sheep)"
[al-Baqarah 2:196].
And because of the hadeeth of Ka'b ibn 'Ajrah (may Allah be pleased
with him). When he needed to shave his head whilst in ihram, the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: "Shave
your head, and fast for three days, or feed six poor persons, or offer
a sacrifice."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4190; Muslim, 1201
It is not permissible to offer the fidyah in the form of cash, and it
is not valid to do so, because that is not mentioned in the texts.
Rather it must be given in the form of food, as enjoined by the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
If the question is about removing something from the hair or nails
after the month of Dhu'l-Hijjah has begun, in the case of one who
wants to offer a sacrifice but is not in a state of ihram for Hajj or
'Umrah, in this case even though it is haraam, no fidyah is required;
rather he has to pray for forgiveness and repent.

Sayings of Imam Musa Kazim (as):

Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "If there is a walnut in your hand and
people say that it is a pearl, their saying will not benefit you in
any way when you know that it is actually a walnut. And if there is a
pearl in your hand and people say that it is a walnut, their saying
will not harm you in any way when you know that it is actually a
pearl."
Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "Indeed cultivation and growth takes shape
in a soft, even land and not in a rocky (barren) land. Likewise,
wisdom grows and develops in a humble heart and not in a proud, vain
and arrogant heart."
Imam Musa Kazim (as) said: "Always say the right thing although it may
lead to your loss." "It is better to be defeated on principle than to
win on lies." Arthur Calwell

Imam Moosa Al-Kadhim (as) and Knowledge of unseen (Ilm-e-Ghaib):

One day Haroon Rasheed sent some robes to Ali bin Yaqtin to honour
him. Among their number was a black woolen cloak adorned with gold
like the robes of kings. Ali bin Yaqtin dispatched those robes to Imam
Moosa Al-Kadhim (as). Among their number he (also) sent that cloak
adorned with gold. Ali bin Yaqtin added some money which he had
already prepared specifically for him as the fifth of his money (Khums
- tax for the Imams) which he was going to pay him.
When that reached Imam Moosa Al-Kadhim (as), he accepted the money and
the robes but returned the cloak by the hand of the messenger to Ali
bin Yaqtin. Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as), wrote to him: "Keep it and do
not let it leave your hands. For an event will occur to you because of
it when you will have the need of it with him (Haroon Rasheed)."
Ali bin Yaqtin was suspicious about it being returned to him and did
not understand the reason for that. Some time later, Ali bin Yaqtin
changed (his attitude) towards a servant who had a special position
with him and he left his service.
The servant knew about Ali bin Yaqtin's inclination towards Imam Musa
Al-Kadhim (as). He was acquainted with the money, robes and other
things (Ali bin Yaqtin) had sent to (Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as)) on
every occasion. He (went and) informed on him to Haroon Rasheed. He
told (Haroon Rasheed) that (Ali bin Yaqtin) maintained the Imamate of
Imam Musa Al-Kadhim (as) and paid him a fifth of his money each year,
and also that he had given him the cloak with which the Commander of
the faithful (Haroon Rasheed) had honoured him at such-and-such a
time. Haroon Rasheed burned with anger and was furious. He declared:
"I will expose this situation. If the matter is as you say, his life
will be destroyed."
Abbasid Caliph, Haroon Rasheed immediately sent for Ali bin Yaqtin to
be brought. When he appeared before him, Haroon Rasheed said: "What
have you done with the cloak which I bestowed upon you?"
"Commander of the faithful," (Ali bin Yaqtin) replied, "I still have
it in a sealed chest and there I keep perfume with it. In the mornings
I open it and look at it to gain blessings from it. I kiss it and then
put it back in its place. Every night I do the same thing."
"Bring it, immediately," Haroon Rasheed ordered.
"Yes, Commander of the faithful," he answered. Ali bin Yaqtin summoned
one of his servants and told him: "Go to such-and-such a room in my
house. Take the key for it from my custodian and open it. Open
such-and-such a box and bring me the sealed chest which is in it."
It was not long before the servant returned with the chest still
sealed. Ali bin Yaqtin put it before Haroon Rasheed and told him to
break the seal and open it. When Haroon Rasheed opened it, he saw the
cloak in it folded and laid out in perfume.
Haroon Rasheed's anger became pacified and he said to Ali bin Yaqtin:
"Return it to its place and go away righteously. I will never
disbelieve you again on the word of an informer."
Haroon Rasheed ordered a magnificent gift to be sent after him and he
had the informer flogged with a thousand lashes. After he had been
flogged about a hundred lashes, informer died.

According to the Qur'an, women have a very esteemed place in the society

The years of debate surrounding the role of women are the result of
the distorted view of radicals in regard to women. This nonsensical
approach to women is the reason why there are so many women in many
countries who are being subjected to the most appalling
mistreatment and violence, who are unemployed, abandoned, needy or
left alone in a nursing home. The only real solution to that problem
is people living by the morals of the Qur'an. Allah, through many
verses in the Qur'an, protects women and their rights and put an
end to the perverted view of women by those mistaken societies and
gave women the esteemed place they deserve .
Our Lord explains in the Qur'an that what makes one valuable in His
sight is not gender, but fear of Allah, faith, good moral values,
sincerity and love of Allah.
" Mankind! We created you from a male and female,and made you into
peoples and tribes so that you might come to know each other.The
noblest among you in Allah's sight is the one with the most piety.
Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware ." (Surat Al-Hujurat, 13)

The Truth about Someof the Superstitions Wrongly Ascribed To Islam

There is a significant group of people around the world claiming to
act in the name of Islam. However, most of them are completely
oblivious to the Qur'an. They are living by a pretend religion, one
devised largely of superstitions. They claim that there their
actions are ordered by the Qur'an, when it is not, and they declare
what is legal according to the Qur'an to be illegal, they come up
with new rules and try to turn Islam, the religion of peace and
love, into a religion of hatred and war. Their most pernicious
attribute is that they call this new religion 'Islam' and inflict
grave damage to Islam with the atrocities they commit using Islam's
name.
Everything is banned according to their religion. They are not
allowed to laugh, be happy, look good, or learn according to this
new religion they have created. Their religion bans all the good
things and blessings that Allah gave to us as gifts. Their religion
is composed of hatred, rage and unhappiness. Their religion is
complete darkness, because they don't follow the true Qur'an. They
have replaced the truth with falsehoods. They slander our Prophet
Mohammed (pbuh) ascribing to him some words that are in
contradiction with the Qur'an, calling them hadiths. [Prophet
Mohammed (pbuh) is beyond that]. They are trying to change the
Qur'an and replace it with a new religion. Yet remarkably, they
don't actually follow this pretend religion that they produced.
Even though the masterminds of this dark religion are only a handful
of people, they have managed to exert an influence that is
disproportionate to their actual numbers. Many people think that
this model is the real Islam. And many others think that these
superstitions are to be followed in order to practice Islam. These
lovers of superstition think that they should stay away from the
Qur'an, and they remain completely oblivious to the real Qur'an. The
only thing they do is learn these superstitions and follow them as
religion.
Allah describes in the Qur'an such people who ban what Allah has
permitted (legal):
Say: 'Who has forbidden the fine clothing Allah has produced for His
slaves and the good kinds of provision?' Say: 'On the Day of Rising
such things will be exclusively for those who had belief during
their life in the world.' In this way We make the Signs clear for
people who know . (Surat Al-Ar'af, 32)
Almighty Allah informs us of a very important fact in this verse:
"...that there are people who say that legal things are illegal."
Surely, there are people who don't pay attention to what is right
and wrong and act indifferently. However, in this verse Allah
specifically mentions some people who are making what Allah
declared as 'legal', 'illegal' and doing that 'in the name of
religion'. In other words, these people are in effect changing the
religion and imposing a different religion using the name of Allah.
This becomes clearer when we compare the true commands of our
religion with the practices introduced by those who are trying to
spread their religion of superstitions:
1-Allah created happiness as a blessing, but they ban laughing
A Muslim is the happiest person on Earth. A Muslim should be the
happiest person, because he understands Allah, he believes in Him
and he knows how to trust Allah, how to be patient and how to give
thanks. He doesn't have any fears for the future, as he knows that
no matter what happens to him, no matter how it looks, it's always
a blessing in disguise, and that he is living his destiny and that
death is not an end for him, but the time he finally gets to go to
his Lord and begin his eternal life. How could such a person ever be
upset? In addition to that, being happy is a command from our
Almighty Lord. Allah explains that grief and sadness is the quality
of the unbelievers:
Let them laugh little and weep much, in repayment for what they have
earned . (Surat At-Tawba, 82)
They will say, 'Our Lord, our miserable destiny overpowered us. We
were misguided people ." (Surat Al-Muminun, 106)
The lovers of superstition attempt to nullify Allah's above command
using fake hadiths. They think that Muslims are better off being
sad, which Allah says only the unbelievers deserve to be. They want
to destroy the joy and happiness, the biggest need of the soul and
the body. They wish to deprive Muslims of the joy of heaven,
although Muslims are the ones that will 'rejoice' in heaven.
They are unaware of the real meaning of their actions when they
approve of sadness. Getting upset when something doesn't go their
way is the same thing as saying 'I wish it hadn't happened', which
is basically the same thing as rebelling against destiny, whether
one likes to admit it or not. They are unaware of the fact that by
thinking that being sad is okay, they are defying the command of
Allah, and rebelling against the destiny created by Him.
Faith is one of the biggest gifts from Allah. A believer, even if he
has none of the blessings in the life of this world, even if he has
the greatest difficulties, even if things seem to take a turn for
the worse for him, the happiness and peace the faith gives to him is
beyond all those seemingly negative situations. Allah puts peace,
tranquility, happiness and serenity in the hearts of those who turn
to Him. However, a person who doesn't turn to Allah, who doesn't
lead a life for the purpose of gaining Allah's pleasure, cannot
possibly feel happy, no matter how much he claims he can.
Allah may give such people worldly gifts as a part of the test, and
such a person might seem to be enjoying all sorts of beauties and
wealth. However, he cannot find the happiness his soul is constantly
longing for. Allah explains in the 28 th verse Surat Ar-Rad, that
"... those who have belief and whose hearts find peace in the
remembrance of Allah. Only in the remembrance of Allah can the
heart find peace. "
This description of Allah for 'the hearts finding peace' can be
possible only with the remembrance of Allah and with a deep and
passionate love for Allah. There is no way for happiness other than
sincere faith, which is following the Qur'an unconditionally.
Allah gives glad tidings to His righteous and sincere servants with
the news of a good life both in this world and in the hereafter:
"... There is good in the world for those who do good, and the abode
of the hereafter is even better. How wonderful is the abode of those
who have fear of Allah. ( Surat An-Nahl, 30 )
Anyone who acts rightly, male or female, being a believer, We will
give them a good life and We will recompense them according to the
best of what they did . (Surat an-Nahl, 97)
There is good news for them in the life of the world and in the
hereafter. There is no changing the words of Allah. That is the
great victory! . (Surat Yunus, 64)
Their Lord gives them the good news of His mercy and good pleasure
and Gardens where they will enjoy everlasting delight . (Surat
At-Tawba, 21)
The angels descend on those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and then
go straight: 'Do not fear and do not grieve but rejoice in the Garden
you have been promised " (Surat Fussilat, 30)
2. Allah exalts and praises women while the radicals try to insult women
Insulting women is the most important attribute of the lovers of
superstition . To them, women are worthless, mere second-class
citizens. They should be compared to dogs and pigs. They should be
locked down, made ugly as much as possible, and prevented from
receiving an education. They also ban women from touching the
Qur'an; they certainly don't want women to learn religion. They
think that women are to be locked down, serve their husbands and
know their place.
Because of this mad state of mind, the radicals and the
superstitious react violently when they see a woman in the social
world, outside the borders they see proper for women. And
especially if that woman is well-groomed and well-educated and more
importantly, if she praises Allah, reads the words of Allah, they
get even angrier. They feel rage. First they say 'They should not
touch the Qur'an'. They try to prevent such ladies from reading the
verses of Allah. Then they start criticizing them for their
clothes, makeup, and other physical qualities. The truth is, they
are so full of hatred and rage, a woman fully covered will make them
as angry as a women wearing modern clothes as they always try to
find a point that they can criticize and use to insult women. They
are full of hatred and they always look for things that they can
hate. For this reason, they usually fabricate fake reasons and use it
as an excuse for their hatred.
To them, a woman cannot possibly be 'religious' no matter what she
does. According to this twisted frame of mind, a woman is not
supposed to be a part of society, laugh, talk, be educated,
well-groomed or modern.
And yet when they are asked if they have any Qur'anic basis for
their radical approach to women, they keep quiet, as the Qur'an has
no basis for their superstitions. On the contrary, the Qur'an
explains that women and men are equal in terms of responsibility.
The Qur'an addresses to believing women and believing men.
According to the Qur'an, a duty of a woman is not staying at home and
living a life unaware of her religion and the world and being a
slave to her husband: According to the Qur'an, a woman is supposed
to do her part in the intellectual struggle Allah wants to be done
for Allah's pleasure and make an effort to spread the moral values of
the Qur'an. The description of women in the Qur'an is completely
different from the view the radicals have of women.
In the Qur'an, women are rulers of their countries. Allah gives the
Queen of Sheba, Balkis, as an example of a ruler who is trusted and
consulted for her opinions. The other examples in the verses and
hadiths make it abundantly clear the importance Allah wants people
to attach to women:
- There is nothing in the Qur'an that bans sitting down together
with women. On the contrary, many accounts of the lives of the
Prophets make it clear that they always spent time with women and
talked to them.
- There are many hadiths explaining how Prophet Mohammed (pbuh)
spent time together with ladies. In addition, Prophet Mohammed
(pbuh) preached to many different women from different backgrounds
and groups during the Festival of Ukaz.
- The Qur'an speaks about righteous women who stayed away from the
shepherds but asked for the help of Prophet Moses (as), and spent
time with him.
- Prophet Soloman (as) invited the Queen of Sheba, Balkiz, to his
palace to preach to her and even made a joke as she entered the
palace. That led Balkiz to think that the floor of the palace was a
shallow pool so she pulled her skirt up, trying to pass without
getting wet although it was actually a glass floor with the
appearance of a pool. At that moment, Balkiz was in the company of
Prophet Soloman (as).
- Prophet Joseph (as), lived in the same house for years with the
wife of the Egyptian officer that he stayed in the house of. The
verse even makes it clear that they were even alone in a room
together. Also, the lady friends of the wife of the officer paid
frequent visits there as well and the Qur'an makes it clear that
Prophet Joses (as) spent time with them.
Prophet Mohammed (saas) Saw Ladies as the Ornaments of the World
and Attached Them Great Importance
Prophet Mohammed (saas), through his life and by explaining the
Qur'anic verses, taught all of humanity the measures that should be
taken so that women are protected, respected and loved as commanded by
Allah in the Qur'an. Everything Prophet Mohammed (saas) did in his
life was practicing the Qur'an and therefore he always favored women
and took measures to make sure they were protected and guarded from
harm and pain. Indeed, the way our Prophet Mohammed (saas) treated
his wives is a great example to all Muslims in how they should
approach women. For instance, Khadija (ra), one of his first wives,
as well as Sauda, Aisha, Hafsah, Umm Habiba, Umm Salama, Safia,
Moyomuna, Zainab bint Jahsh, Juwairya (ra) gave many accounts of
beautiful and exemplary treatment of women by Prophet Mohammed
(saas).
It is reported that the Prophet (saas) would play with his wives and
run races with them. His companions described the Prophet's (saas)
great interest in his wives in the words, " The Prophet (saas) used
to joke with his wives.. . ( Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-Id-Din,
Volume 2, p. 32) showing to the whole world how loving and
protective Prophet Mohammed (saas) was of his wives.
Aisha (ra) said: "I have never seen a man who was more
compassionate to his family members than Muhammad (saas)." (Sahih
Muslim, Kitab al-Fada'il,63 ). These words explain how Muslim men
are supposed to treat their wives and all ladies in general.
Prophet Mohammed (saas), described on many occasions how valuable
the believing women were. For example one time, he said: ' This
world is nothing but temporary conveniences, and the greatest joy
in this world is a righteous woman ." ( Muslim, Rada 64, (1467);
Nesai, Nikah 15, (6,69); Al-Qutub-al Sittah, Translation and
Interpretation, Prof. Dr. İbrahim Canan, vol.15, Akçağ Publishing,
Ankara, p. 514) .
The hypocrisy of those who are trying to ascribe the superstitions
they have about women to our religion
Those who are trying to insult women using the name of Islam are
actually being very hypocritical. These people who criticize women
for being on TV, for dancing or for sitting together with men are
actually the very same people who are living side by side with women
all the time. At school, at home, on buses, in malls, in the
elevators, in short everywhere in their daily lives, they are side
by side with women and it should be noted that most of those women
are not wearing headscarves, and wear makeup. They work with them,
chat with them, dine with them, take part together in social
activities and they even go on vacation together with them. That's
how it should be : It is impossible even to think about a system
where it is not like this.
This is the part where they are most hypocritical because in
reality, they want to shut away and cover up and even get rid of
women, owing to their sick state of mind. Yet they have no
reservations in looking at women on TV or in newspapers. Even on
the TV channels or newspapers which represent a similar world view,
there are constant images of ladies which are wearing revealing
clothes and full makeup. They hypocritically ignore those TV
channels, and criticize others to show themselves as the most pious
ones.

Waging a Struggle Consistent with the Qur'an's Ethics

All Muslims should live according to the ethics Allah revealed in
the Qur'an. However fair and just Muslims are in their everyday
life, their business affairs, or in their personal relationships,
they must demonstrate the same values during times of war, while
defending themselves, or even while being driven from their lands.
They must still put themselves in Allah's hands, obey Allah's laws,
and adhere strictly to His instructions.
The word "Islam" has the same meaning as the word "peace" in Arabic.
The Qur'an calls people to the ethics of Islam, through which the
world can be made a haven for peace and love. Allah commands us to
rule justly and without discriminating among people, to preserve
people's rights, oppose cruelty, and help those in need. This
justice requires each Muslim to protect the rights of both parties,
evaluate events objectively, and think without bias. It requires
justice, honesty, love, mercy, and compassion.
As Allah reveals in the Qur'an: "O you who believe! Show integrity
for the sake of Allah, bearing witness with justice. Do not let
hatred for a people incite you into not being just. Be just, for
that is closer to heedfulness. Fear Allah. Allah is aware of what
you do." (Surat al-Ma'ida, 8), true Muslims must not let their
decisions or practices be tainted by such feelings as resentment,
hatred, and rage. Muslims must always conduct themselves according
to the Qur'an, behave with patience and restraint, and avoid
exaggerated responses. As Allah reminds: " We will test you with a
certain amount of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and life and
fruits. But give good news to the steadfast ." (Surat al-Baqara,
155). Thus, given that this life on Earth is merely a trial, we must
never forget that Allah tests His believers with war, attack,
oppression, and all manner of difficulties. The most important thing
is for Muslims to respond to such trials in a manner that pleases
Allah and always to behave in accord with Islamic teachings and
principles.
Thus the Palestinians must remember, as they respond to Israel, that
every difficulty they endure is really a test of their faith. In
addition, they must strictly adhere to Allah's ethics, justice, and
commands not to overstep their bounds. They must follow only those
opposition methods revealed in the Qur'an. The result of such an
intellectual struggle is most certainly salvation, for "Allah only
did this for it to be good news for you and so that your hearts might
be set at rest by it. And victory is not except from Allah, the
Exalted in Might, the Wise." (Surah Al 'Imran, 126)
Attacks against Defenseless Jews Are Incompatible with the Qur'an
The verse: "Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who
have not fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes,
or from being just toward them. Allah loves those who are just."
(Surat al-Mumtahana, 8) describes how the Palestinians must behave
toward civilians as they oppose the Israeli government. In the
Qur'an, Allah forbids killing innocent people, unarmed women,
children, and the elderly. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant
him peace) gave specific orders to his commanders going to war,
and warned them not to harm civilians.
In the last few years, however, some Palestinians have carried out
bombings against civilian settlements occupied by unarmed
civilians, children, women, and the elderly. These attacks have made
targets of a cafeteria, a school bus, and places where teenagers
hang out, and have resulted in dozens of civilian deaths. According
to Israeli reports from various news agencies, suicide bombings
since September 2000 have killed 30 Israeli children and injured
272 more. Out of 177 Israelis killed, 128 were civilians; out of
1,743 Israelis injured, 1,216 were civilians. ("Palestinian
Terrorism - The Israel Side," Bridges for Peace Website,
http://www.bridgesforp eace.com/public ations /dispatch/signsoftimes
/Article- 2.html .) These attacks provoked a strong reaction
throughout the world and did more harm than good to the Palestinian
cause. Even those in the West who had opposed Israel's pro-violence
policy were forced to condemn the Palestinians and withdraw their
support.
Obviously, such attacks cannot be excused. As explained above, such
a method is absolutely inconsistent with Islam. When we examine the
Qur'an and the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
actions, we find that Islam does not support attacks against
civilians. Whether during the conquest of Mecca or during other
wars, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
carefully protected the rights of innocent and unarmed people and
prevented them from being harmed. He reminded Muslims of this on
various occasions by telling them: "Set out for war in the name of
Allah and for the sake of Allah. Do not lay hands on the old verging
on death, on women, children and babies. Do good, for Allah loves
the virtuous and the pious." ( Sahih Muslim Hadiths ) Another
reminder is:
"Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman." ( Abu Dawud Hadiths )
"Do not kill the monks in monasteries" ( Musnad of Ibn Hanbal
Hadiths) or "Do not kill the people who are sitting in places of
worship." ( Musnad of Ibn Hanbal Hadiths)
As shown in the hadiths, Muslims must struggle in conformity with
the Qur'an. In other words, their struggle must be just,
compassionate, and free of extremism. Muslims should oppose both
tyranny and barbarism, and all forms of injustice. Another verse
reports that they must always be on the side of peace and
compromise:
If they incline to peace, you too incline to it and put your trust
in Allah. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing. (Surat al-Anfal,
61)
Muslim's stand on the subject of Israel and the Jews must also be in
line with these basic principles. Muslims who live in accordance
with the Qur'an must have an unbiased view of the Jews.
Jews believe in Allah's Oneness and follow a religion Allah revealed
through His messengers. Moreover, the Qur'an refers to them as
People of the Book. They embrace many values, based on Allah's
revelation, as well as the concepts of sin, haram (prohibited) and
halal (allowed). In the Qur'an, one can see that there was a
friendly relationship between Muslims and the People of the Book.
For this reason, if one of the People of the Book cooks some food,
Muslims can eat it and vice-versa, and Muslim men can marry their
women. These commands show that warm neighborly and even family
ties can be established among Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and
that they can accept each other's invitations. Another verse calls
for the two groups to unite, based upon a common word for belief
(Surah Al 'Imran, 64).
For these reasons, Muslim communities historically have behaved
moderately and compassionately toward the People of the Book. This
situation is especially evident in the Ottoman Empire, which
accepted the Jews exiled by Catholic Spain at the end of the
fifteenth century and allowed them to live peacefully in the
empire.
Allah does not forbid you from being good to those who have not
fought you in the religion or driven you from your homes, or from
being just toward them. Allah loves those who are just. Allah
merely forbids you from taking as friends those who have fought you
in the religion and driven you from your homes and who supported
your expulsion. Any who take them as friends are wrongdoers. (Surat
al-Mumtahana, 8-9)
Justice and moderation also should be shown toward followers of
non-monotheistic faiths and toward those with no faith at all, both
of which are far more distant to Muslims. According to the Qur'an,
Muslims have an obligation to protect all, even idolaters, and to
ensure they reach their destination safely when they so request.
If any of the idolaters ask you for protection, give them protection
until they have heard the words of Allah. Then convey them to a
place where they are safe. … (Surat at-Tawba, 6)
Muslims with a responsibility to ensure the safety of all, even
idolaters, must obviously be affectionate and understanding toward
the People of the Book, who believe in the One Allah, are loyal to
the prophets and have the concept of lawful and forbidden. Simply
put, Muslims who are sincere in their religion, obey Allah, and
respect the Qur'an can neither nurture animosity toward Jews just
because of their religion and beliefs, nor treat them with hostility
just because they are Jews.
Islam Forbids Suicide
When discussing attacks on Israeli citizens, the Islamic view of
suicide also must be examined. Some people are gravely misinformed
about Islam, believing that this religion of peace permits suicide
bombings; nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, Islam
forbids a Muslim from taking his or her life, just as it forbids
taking somebody else's life. Allah explicitly condemns suicide: " do
not kill yourselves " (Surat an-Nisa', 29), regardless of the
reason. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also
told his Companions that suicide leads one to eternal damnation:
Whoever purposely throws himself from a mountain and kills himself
will be in the (Hell) Fire falling down into it and abiding therein
perpetually forever. Whoever drinks poison and kills himself with
it, he will be carrying his poison in his hand and drinking it in
the (Hell) Fire, wherein he will abide eternally forever. Whoever
kills himself with an iron weapon will be carrying that weapon in
his hand and stabbing his abdomen with it in the (Hell) Fire,
wherein he will abide eternally forever. ( Sahih Bukhari Hadiths)
As explained in the hadith, committing suicide and engaging in
suicide bombings – not to mention killing innocent people thereby –
violates the Qur'an's ethics. Every Muslim should condemn these
incidents, which cast a pall upon the Palestinians' rights.
It must not be forgotten that those who compel Palestinian youths to
engage in such unjust and irrational behavior are also pulling
Israeli and Palestinian youths into an endless cycle of bloodshed
and retribution. These ongoing suicide bombings destroy these
young people's futures and that of the land itself. The young people
who strap on explosives and detonate them among civilians are
being destroyed on a road that will never lead to success. And it is
essential for this method, which is incompatible with the Qur'an,
to be condemned by all Muslims.
The Solution Is the Implementation of Qur'anic Ethics
Any mode of struggle outside of the Qur'anic value system – for
example, the guerilla tactics envisaged by communist ideology – is
not correct and cannot succeed. For this reason, the current
situation must be evaluated sensibly and realistically, and a method
consistent with Qur'anic values must be devised.
The Palestinians can only attain the rights and peaceful lives they
demand through a campaign waged on the level of ideas and supported
by a very powerful educational project. For this, the Palestinians
need a strong team of educated and cultured individuals who are
aware of legal, diplomatic, and international policies, and who
conduct themselves according to the ethics of the Qur'an.
Of course there are a great many highly cultured, open-minded
intellectuals among the Palestinian people. The important thing is
the work these intellectuals will engage in to raise the
consciousness of the young, turn them in the right direction and
defend the Palestinian cause before the people of the world. This
work could play an important role in raising the Palestinians'
awareness of true Islamic ethics, raising the level of education,
and helping them to explain their rights to the world.
At present a very different picture of the Palestinian people is
being presented to the world, a picture totally at variance with the
truth. The Palestinian cause is suffering serious damage on account
of the irrational attacks, incompatible with Islamic values, being
carried out by a few fanatics or subversive groups who oppose peace
with violence. In the same way that this harm is expressed by many
intellectuals, it is also described by commentators in various
countries, including Turkey. The daily Zaman writer Kerim Balci, who
lives in Palestine, drew attention to this in one of his articles:
Not only are the suicide attacks a violation of fundamental Islamic
values, they also damage the Palestinian cause. Not just me, but
rational thinking Palestinians say the same thing … The Palestinian
cause is a problem of the whole Islamic world. Those at the head of
this movement cannot act in the light of their own personal
interests, out of a desire for revenge and a concern over honor and
pride. The militants who kill innocent Jewish children in Palestine
may well believe they are serving Islam. Yet all of their actions do
is to make things much more difficult for those people who are
trying to repair the damage done to the Muslim image all over the
world … It is blatantly evident that attacks of this kind benefit
Israel much more than Palestine. ( Zaman Turkish Daily, 15 September
2002.)
There are even those Palestinians who, ignorant of the true
Qur'anic morality, may participate in these provocations without
realizing the nature of what they are doing.
Given this, a great education force must be mobilized and spread
among all Palestinians, particularly the young ones, to stamp out
this ignorance and fanaticism and to teach them the true values of
the Qur'an. Schools, universities, and mass education campaigns can
help to raise their awareness and will be the greatest possible
contribution. We say this because when these people recognize the
true Islam revealed in the Qur'an, when they learn that Islam is a
religion of peace and reconciliation, when they comprehend world
politics with the consciousness brought by the Qur'an, they will
understand that suicide bombings and killing innocent people in
cafeterias or on buses are not only wrong, but are not a solution.
It is far easier to reach a solution through compassion and
reconciliation, rational policies, a worldwide diplomatic
initiative, and an intellectual struggle that is consistent with
the Qur'an's moral values.
The many wars of the twentieth century, as well as the numerous
incidents that have inaugurated the twenty- first century, clearly
show that violence cannot undo violence, and that brutality cannot
undo brutality. The only way to stop violence is for the virtues of
the Qur'an's ethics – humility, compassion, reconciliation, and
rationality – to prevail upon people's thoughts and actions, and on
the entire world.

Story, - Painful story

A guy had cancer and had only 30 days left. He liked a girl working in
a CD shop. BUT never told her about his love. Everyday he use to buy a
CD Just to spend sometime with her. After a month he died. When the
girl went in search his mom told he died out of cancer and took her to
his room, were she saw all the CD'S unopened and the girl started
crying. U knw y... She had love letters for him inside the CD'S BOTH
loved but never expressed... So express ur love if u have... !!!

Story, - My Bff Aka My Bf

Hi guys , well this story is about this guy that i realy like , he's
my boyfriend at the momment . But i just felt like writing my story
... okay , well im 15 years old . Im in 9th grade . He's 15 also going
on 16 , but he's a 10th grader . but we go to different schools. well
i was 13 years old , in 7th grade. when we met . I met him at the mall
.. one of my guy friends , Jason, intruduced me to him . He told me
that he thought i was cute and stuff .. but i didnt like him like that
. He was waaay shorter than me and chubby (x he would message me on fb
, and i would ignore him . sometimes i would reply cus i felt bad
though . time past and we never talked again , i never seen em at the
mall anymore ... he didnt try talkin to me on fb . nothing .
About 6 months later . i was at the mall and i seen my cousin Jose i
went up to him . He was with a guy .. the guy smiled . "Im taller than
u now" he said. I asked myself who he was .. I went to ma friend laura
and asked her . "isnt dat Angel martinez ????" "Yeah it is !" she told
me .. he changed ALOT . he got taller , skinnier , he was wearing
hollister , skinnies, and a snapback .. [swag fag LOL cx] He looked
WAAAY different . i never noticed his eyes .. he had blueish greenish
eyes . i never even noticed . i felt dumb for not even noticing him .
for ignoring him .. later he started going out with my friend joselyn
.. and i started going out with his friend Diego . We would all talk
on fb i would get on diego's and joselyn would get on angel's and we
would talk and stuff we were all just good friends . me and joselyn
would be like "u guys cute" "u guys cuterr" and stuff . then time
passed and me and diego broke up because he was bogus a'f to me .
Angel told me that i didnt diserve dat . and dat he was bogus . So we
broke up .. after he made a status for no reason saying "i wish i was
single ;" but i realy didntt care cus he would flirt wit other girls .
and he wouldnt even delete his msgs . he would let me see it . and i
would tell em to stop calling girls "babe" "Beautiful" "sexy" ect ..
but he wouldnt listen.
we only lated for like 2 weeks, so then angel and joselyn broke up too
becus joselyn broke up wit him for no reason . right after he gave her
a beanie for christmas ._. i thought that was bogus af doe . they
almost made it to a month .. Me and Angel became like bestfriends doe
.. (: like 3 months later we started flirting and stuff then he told
me he had a crush on me and i told him i did too . He said he had a
crush on me for a while and i told em i liked em before dat .. nobody
knew we were "talking" . except for my friend laura .. and his friends
Jason and Armando... We were scared to tell my cousin Jose since they
were good friends and he was realy protective over me.. but we finally
told em . he got mad and stopped talking to me for like 2 weeks.
in those 2 weeks me and Angel started going out . he asked me out in
person c: we had our first kiss a week before we started going out doe
. but then my cousin jose started talkin to me again and he wasnt mad
nomore . When everyone already found out me and angel were dating they
were all like "aww Angel and Angela , thats cute!" Angel and my ex ,
diego never talked again ;o and neither did me and joselyn but we koo
doe . we just werent dat close anymore .. On valentines day Angel gave
me flowers and a BIG teddy bear ^.^ i got him a hollister shirt and a
teddy bear too with a long letter telling him how much he ment to me
c: we also got matching bracelets .. cx my mom knows about him already
and so does my dad and my 2 older brothers ;o sometimes he comes over
cx and we cuddle ^.^ sometimes we argue but we can never stay mad at
eachother .. we broke up at one point for like 5 mins . he was realy
mad at me but we worked it out . he gets jelous alot but is all good
lol . Well we've been going out for like .. 6 months .. and theres
more years to go , i realy like him alot . i love being with him . but
i hate that i only get to see him every weekend ; but we work it out
C: my parents love him lol . well yeah dats my story guys cx thanx for
reading (: -Angela

Fathwa, - Concerning the standard explanation of the verse of hijab

Question:
Assalamu alaikum,
I wanted to get clarification on the explanation Sh. Nuh gave on the
evidence for hijab. This has been a topic of debate since the hijab
ban discussion in France and I'm unclear now on where the requirement
comes from.
Sh. Nuh writes:
'There is no other lexical sense in which the word khimar may be
construed. The wording of the command, however, and let them drape
their headcoverings over their bosoms, sometimes confuses
nonspecialists in the sciences of the Qur'an, and in truth,
interpreting the Qur'an does sometimes require in-depth knowledge of
the historical circumstances in which the various verses were
revealed. In this instance, the elliptical form of the divine command
is because women at the time of the revelation wore their headcovers
tied back behind their necks, as some village women still do in Muslim
countries, leaving the front of the neck bare, as well as the opening
(Ar. singular jayb, plural juyub, translated as "bosoms" in the above
verse) at the top of the dress. The Islamic revelation confirmed the
practice of covering the head, understood from the use of the word
khimar in the verse, but also explained that the custom of the time
was not sufficient and that women were henceforth to tie the headcover
in front and let it drape down to conceal the throat and the dress's
opening at the top.'
I'm a bit confused about how the wording used in these particular
verses are considered to be a command. My earlier understanding of the
evidence for hijab was that the specificity of the command came from
the hadith in Abu Dawood about the Prophet (AS) pointing out to Asma
that only the face and hands should be revealed. Can you please
clarify what it is about the wording/grammar in the verses reference
above that makes them the evidence for the fard status for hijab? I'm
not clear how the word "khimar" in and of itself is used as evidence
to say that hijab is required.
Answer:
In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
Praise be to Allah. May Allah's peace and blessings shower upon our
beloved Messenger.
Dear Sister,
The obligation of hijab is evident when we examine the grammatical
structure of this verse.
The verse reads:
وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ
وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ
وَلاَ يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلاَّ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا
وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى جُيُوبِهِنَّ
The translation:
"And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and
ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they
should draw their veils over their bosoms..." [Abdullah Yusuf Ali]
The style of the language employed in the verse is very important.
Allah Most High begins with the imperative form of the verb "qalla,"
which means to say or tell. Thus, Allah Most High is commanding the
Prophet, peace be upon him, to tell the believing women to take a
series of steps:
1. To guard their gaze, which is an important factor in modest interaction;
2. To guard their chastity or sexuality;
3. To conceal their adornment and natural beauty, which scholars have
interpreted to mean the whole body except for the face, hands, and
(for Hanafis) the feet.
4. And, finally, to emphasize the above point, Allah Ta'ala uses the
phrase, "wa-lyadhribna bikhumurihinna ala juyubihinna." The verb
"yadhribna" which means "to draw or pull over" appears as a feminine
plural, thus going back to the original subject of the verse, the
believing women. Most importantly, it starts off with the letter
"lam," which is called "lam al-amr." Lam al-amr, when prefixed to a
present tense verb, such as "yadhribna," makes the verb an imperative,
that is, a command. It is not understood as a recommendation, but a
specific command directly from Allah Most High to His slaves among the
believing women.
Lam al-amr is used in other imperative contexts in the Qur'an. For
example, Allah Ta'ala says, "Let the man of means spend according to
his means: and the man whose resources are restricted, let him spend
according to what God has given him..." [Al-Talaq, 65:7]
The Arabic reads:
لِيُنفِقْ ذُو سَعَةٍ مِّن سَعَتِهِ
وَمَن قُدِرَ عَلَيْهِ رِزْقُهُ فَلْيُنفِقْ مِمَّآ ءَاتَاهُ اللَّهُ لاَ
يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْساً إِلاَّ مَآ ءَاتَاهَا
Here, Allah Most High is commanding men to spend according to their
means in the context of child support for divorced wives.
This is understood to be a command, not a recommendation, since men
are required to support their children. The lam of command, or lam
al-amr, once again appears prefixed to the present verb, "yunfiq,"
meaning "to spend." [Qatr al-Nada, Dar al-Asmaa, 96]
To return to the verse in question, the phrase "wa-lyadhribna
bikhumurihinna ala juyubihinna," is a command for women to draw their
veils over their bosoms. Allah Most High did not say, "And tell the
believing women to put on their veils," because implicit in the verse
is the understanding that women were already expected to veil.
However, unlike the practice at the time of leaving the scarf hanging
down the back with the neck and cleavage exposed, Muslim women were to
take it one step further and draw the "khimar" or veil over the neck
and cleavage area. Those who argue that the Qur'an says nothing about
veiling are completely misreading this verse. Not only does the
Qur'anic text make it clear that women are expected to veil, it also
dictates the extent of the veiling, i.e., covering the neck and
cleavage.
This point is elucidated by reports from Aisha, may Allah be pleased
with her, and other women of the Sahaba, who immediately implemented
this verse by tearing up pieces of cloth and covering their hair and
bodies. Al-Bukhari recorded that Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her,
said: "May Allah have mercy on the women of the early emigrants. When
Allah revealed the verse:[وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَى
جُيُوبِهِنَّ]
(and to draw their veils over their bosoms), they tore their aprons
and veiled themselves [made khimars] with them.'' [Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
The actions of the Sahaba, may Allah be pleased with them all, did not
indicate that hijab was optional. I find it interesting that hijab was
not legislated in stages, as opposed to the ban on intoxicants. When
the verses in Surat al-Nur were revealed, the female Sahaba
immediately covered themselves. Would that we had a fraction of their
iman!
And Allah knows best.

Fathwa, - Can I pray with makeup on

Question:
Can women wear makeup after wudu and then pray?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
You can pray with make-up on if you are sure that it is pure. Since
some make-up products contain impurities, you need to make sure that
the one you put on does not contain any impure ingredients.
And Allah Most High knows best.

Fathwa, - Is it permissible to use the nail whitener pencil?

Question:
Is it permissible to use a nail whitener pencil on the inside bit of
the nail to make the tips of the nails look whiter?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful
It seems as if most pencil whiteners leave a barrier such that one''s
ablution is not valid if made after using it.
Note that it is reprehensible to let the nails grow long (Al-Durr
al-Mukhtar 5:260) even if it is done for one''s husband.
And Allah Most High knows best.

Living the Quran

Allaah The Exalted Says )what means(:}It was the month of Ramadan in
which the Quran was ]first[ sent down as guidance for all people,
having ]in it[ clear proofs of ]Divine[ guidance and the
criterion.{]Quran 2:185[
Since that first Ramadan revelation, believers the world over and
across history have drawn nearer to Allaah Almighty, rejuvenated their
faith, found their purpose in life, saved their souls from hellfire,
and found the key to eternal happiness in Paradise with their Beloved
Lord through the Quran.
Almost exactly 1,433 years ago, the Beloved Messenger of
Allaahcommenced his journey form Makkah to Madeenah and laid the
foundations of the greatest community of believers ever to have lived.
Among the foundations of that Community of men and women was a radiant
and vibrant faith in Allaah Almighty, unflinching love for His
Prophetand brotherhood and sacrifice for each other. These virtues
were implanted in their souls by the Prophetthrough the guidance of
the Quran. The foundation of that Community was the Quran. The Word of
God was what that blessed Community stood for.
Allaah's speeches, delivered and explained to them by His impeccable
Messengerhad created and nurtured that community in Makkah for the
previous 13 years. In the second year of Hijrah or shortly afterward,
the verses about fasting were revealed that eventually made the
fasting of the month of Ramadan an obligation. Just like all other
foundational markers and rituals of that blessed Community, the month
of fasting was connected to the Quran.
The pillar of Islam prior to fasting, that of Prayer, was also built
around the Quran. The Prophetand his followers prayed from the very
beginning of his blessed call, and read Quran in it. The five regular
prayers had been revealed toward the end of Makkan life )in the year
10 or 12 of prophethood( at the occasion of the Prophet's Ascension
)Mi`raaj( to Heaven. The Quran had already alluded to the number of
obligatory prayers, their times, and content, and the Prophethad given
them their final form by way of instruction from the Archangel
Gabriel.
The month of fasting was designed, in the wisdom of Allaah, to
celebrate the Quran in a different way, but one which complemented the
prayer. While the regular prayers set the tone and the rhythm of the
daily life of the believers, Ramadan would challenge them and all
their spiritual descendants to soar even higher in their worship and
remembrance of their Creator, and specifically to rejuvenate that
daily routine of prayer.
Allaah, Most High, is, of course, all aware of His servants, whose
habitual practices inevitably become monotonous. Thus the heart rusts.
Feelings mellow. Intellectual acuity in the form of spiritual
understanding clouds over. Hence, perspectives blur. The journey of
faith begins to seem long and uneventful from day to day. Impulsive
and short-sighted—"Man has been created from haste"]Quran 21:37[—the
human being is nonetheless capable of rising to great heights,
provided he is prompted with proper reminders that hold his attention
to his task and path. For no matter how great the reward, how high the
stakes, when the human heart loses sight of its purpose and road, it
gives up the struggle. It needs peaks from where to see the end
clearly, oases wherefrom to fill up on hope in order to gain the
stamina required to cross the many difficult vales along the way.
The Month of Ramadan provides that climax, that summit, that
viewpoint. It comes with intense physical training. But its soul is
the Quran. It is only as good as the closeness to the Quran—both
spiritual and intellectual—that one attains in it.
Without exemplifying the meanings of the Quran, without pondering its
signs, and rethinking the whole life in a coherent way through it,
Ramadan becomes empty. That is why the Prophethas tied fasting and the
Quran together as the two intercessors on the Day of Judgment: The
Prophetsaid:"Fasting and the Quran will intercede on behalf of the
servant on the Day of Resurrection. Fasting will say: `O Lord! I
prevented him from food and satisfying his desires during the day.
Therefore, do Thou make mean intercessor for him.' The Quran will say:
`I prohibited him from sleeping at night, therefore, do Thou make me
an intercessor for him.' Thus shall they intercede'"]Ahmad[
An intervening plea, then: Let us both strive, then, you and I, to
make this Ramadan truly the month of the Quran, a month in which we
transcend the monotony of life and reach a new level of faith and
bliss. For we know not how many Ramadan peaks we have left before our
way ends.

The Chronological Analysis of the Quran

The Quran was revealed in Arabic to the Prophet Mohammadin 610 CE over
22 years. In the first twelve years of the revelation, the Prophetwas
living in Makkah )Mecca(. Persecution, at the hands of the tribe of
Quraysh then forced him, allallaahu alayhi wa sallam, and his
companionsto leave to Al-Madeenah, in what is known as the Hijrah
)immigration(, where he lived the last ten years.
The 114 chapters of the Holy Quran are not listed in the chronological
order of their revelation. This special order, however, was inspired
to the Prophetby Allaah, the Most Exalted, so it is a genuine quality
of the Quran. Each chapter is described as either Makkan or Madeenan,
depending on whether the majority of its verses were revealed before
or after the Hijrah.
Knowing the chronological order in which the different Soorahs
)Quranic chapters( or verses were revealed can be of importance in
some cases. And even though this may not be possible for all of the
6234 verses, because the sequence was recorded at anytime, through
sound Ijtihaad )research( and analysis, scholars were capable of
putting together the cases where authentic reports confirmed such
order and the cases where that order was made clear.
These efforts resulted in the development of a method in which the
revelation of the Quran was looked at in chronological terms as well
as dividing revelation into Makki )Makkan( and Madani )Madeenah( types
or periods.
We will first look at some of the benefits of this chronological
analysis, then proceed to discuss the Makki and Madani criteria and
their use in the Tafseer )interpretation of the Quran( and the
deduction of Fiqh )Islamic jurisprudence( rulings.
In the following we will present a very brief look at three main
benefits of the chronological analysis of the Quran, other benefits
and many more examples can be found in Al-Itgaan, by Imaam As-Suyooti:
Assessment of Rulings' Abrogation
Abrogation is a term that refers to the cases in which a ruling gets
abrogated by another. Simply put, abrogation means the replacement of
one verse by another thus reversing or repealing the ruling that was
revealed in it. Therefore, if we have a case in which we have two
verses that carry in them two rulings which oppose one another and we
could reconcile them in a way that is acceptable under the Principles
of Fiqh )Jurisprudence(, then we look at the chronological order of
their revelation to assess which verse carries the abrogated ruling.
Obviously, the verse revealed first carries the abrogated ruling, and
we should uphold the ruling carried in the late-revealed one.
Examples of that: If we knew that:
1. The verses making Salaah )prayer( obligatory were revealed in
Makkah before the Hijrah ]migration of Prophet Muhammadand his
companionsfrom Makkah to Madeenah[.
2. The verses making Zakaah )the Poor Due( and Sawm )fasting(
obligatory were revealed during the second year of Hijrah, and
3. The verses that established the obligation of Hajj )pilgrimage to
Makkah( were revealed in the sixth year of Hijrah,
We would know the sequence in which these pillars of Islam were established.
Appreciation of the Gradual Process in Legislation
This is an important part of the general message of Islam, especially
the aspect related to making prohibitions and having people go through
major changes of lifestyle. Knowledge of the chronology of how these
aspects were made in the early period of Islam leads one to appreciate
the wisdom behind the gradual process of legislation. A good example
of this is the prohibition of inebriants. First, people were told they
are bad but may have some benefit, as in the verse )which means(:"They
ask you )O Muhammad( about wine and gambling. Say, 'In them is great
sin and ]yet, some[ benefit for people.'"]Quran 2:219[
Then they were told not to drink before Salaah, through the verse
)which means(:"O you who have believed, do not approach prayer while
you are intoxicated ..."]Quran 4:43[
And later inebriants were prohibited altogether, through the verse
)which means(:"O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling,
]sacrificing on[ stone alters ]to other than Allaah[, and divining
arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid it that you
may be successful. "]Quran 5:90[
In this example we notice the way the legislation considered the fact
that drinking was a major solid part of the Arabs' social life. But
the gradual approach used in indicating its harms and making it
prohibited on them made it easy for them to accept, a realistic
approach which we can all learn from.

Preservation of the QuranAgainst Distortion

The Noble Quran is unlike the other divinely revealed Books for Allaah
The Almighty has undertaken to preserve it against distortion and
change. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, it is We who
sent down the Quran and indeed, We will be its guardian.{]Quran 15: 9[
Scholars said that Allaah The Almighty has protected it from the least
additions or deletion of words. Had not Allaah The Almighty promised
to preserve it with Himself, it would have met the same fate of the
other divinly revealed books in the way they were distorted and
altered. That is because Allaah The Almighty entrusted the
preservation of these Books to those to whom such books were revealed.
Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}Indeed, We sent down the Torah,
in which was guidance and light. The prophets who submitted ]to
Allaah[ judged by it for the Jews, as did the rabbis and scholars by
that with which they were entrusted of the Scripture of Allaah, and
they were witnesses thereto.{]Quran 5: 44[
The wisdom behind preferring the Quran to the other divinely revealed
Books with this great privilege is that it is the last of them.
Allaah The Almighty has prepared for it the favorable factors of its
preservation unlike the other divinely revealed Books. Amongst such
factors is what the rightly guided Caliph Abu Bakrdid concerning
collecting the Quran in a single Mus-haf. This happened when many of
the Companions who had memorized the Quran were killed in the Battle
of Al-Yamaamah. Abu Bakrwas afraid that the Quran would be lost by the
demise of its memorizers, as authentically proved in Saheeh
Al-Bukhaari.
Then the rightly guided Caliph 'Uthmaan ibn 'Affaanafter obtaining the
agreement of all the Companions of the Prophetcompiled it in one
unified version in which he combined the authentic recitations of the
Quran. He then distributed it to the various regions so as to put an
end to the emerging discrepancies, and burnt any copy other than that
one.
Furthermore, one of the greatest factors that Allaah The Almighty made
for the preservation of the Noble Quran is that Allaah The Almighty
has made it easy to remember and be memorized so that all people;
young, old, illiterate, literate, Arab, and non-Arab may learn it by
heart. Allaah The Almighty Says )what means(:}And We have certainly
made the Quran easy for remembrance, so is there any who will
remember?{]Quran 54: 32[
Moreover, there is an amazing story which acts as clear-cut evidence
proving that Allaah The Almighty has protected and preserved the Quran
from the distortions of the hands of humans: "Once a Jewish man
entered upon Caliph Al-Ma'moon while he had people gathered in his
court and he spoke with much eloquence. When the gathering disbanded,
Al-Ma'moon called him and asked if he was Jewish. The man answered
that he was. Al-Ma'moon invited him to Islam and encouraged him with
gifts. The Jewish man said: It is my religion and the religion of my
forefathers then he left. A year later, the same man came again and
spoke about Islamic Fiqh with much eloquence. So Al-Ma'moon said: Are
you that man who came to us last year? He answered in the affirmative.
Al-Ma'moon said: What made you embrace Islam? He said: When I left you
a year ago, I decided to examine those religions, and you know that I
am clever in calligraphy. I started with the Tawraah )Torah(. I wrote
three copies of it. I introduced additions and deletions in it. Then I
presented them to the synagogue and they were bought from me. Then I
did the same with the Injeel )Gospel( and introduced three copies to
the church and they were bought from me. Then I did the same with the
Quran. I wrote three copies and introduced some additions and
deletions to it and presented them to the booksellers. When they read
them, they found additions and deletions in them. They immediately
threw them away and did not buy them from me. Thus I became sure that
the Quran is a preserved book. This was the reason I embraced Islam.
Consequently, the issue of the preservation of the Noble Quran is
decisively settled in the minds of Muslims and taken for granted by
every believer. Scholars stated that whoever claims that there is the
least addition or deletion in the Noble Quran, would be denying what
Allaah The Almighty Stated, and whoever does so would put himself
beyond the pale of Islam.

**Dought & clear, - Why do we pray five times each day?.

**I read in the Qur'aan that a man should pray three times: before
sunrise, after sunset and in the middle of the day. So why do we pray
five times? I hope that you will not give me the story that 50,000
prayers were enjoined then it was reduced to five. I want a convincing
answer.
Praise be to Allaah.
1 - What is mentioned in the question about the number of prayers is
mistaken. It was 50 then it was altered to 5 prayers, a favour from
the Lord of the Worlds to the Muslims.
2 - The rules of sharee'ah may be divided into two categories: those
which may be understood on a rational basis; and those which are
purely worship, the wisdom behind which is concealed from us and is
not mentioned in either the Qur'aan or the Sunnah.
Examples of the first include: the prohibition on alcohol and
gambling. Allaah has told us the reason why they are forbidden, which
is:
"Shaytaan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you
with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from
the remembrance of Allaah and from As-Salaah (the prayer). So, will
you not then abstain?"
[al-Maa'idah 5:91]
And there are other similar rulings.
Examples of the second kind include offering Zuhr prayer when the sun
has passed its zenith, circumambulating the Ka'bah with it on one's
left (i.e., anticlockwise), the nisaab of gold being a quarter of ten
percent; Maghrib prayer being three rak'ahs, and many other such
rulings.
What is mentioned in the question falls into this second category,
which is things for which we do not know the reason from the Qur'aan
or Sunnah, so we have to submit to the command of Allaah. This applies
to all such rulings.
The Muslim has to accept the things for which Allaah has not explained
the reason, and say as the believers say: "We hear and we obey." He
should not be like the Children of Israel who said: "We hear but we
disobey."
Accepting what Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):"He
[Allaah] cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be
questioned" [al-Anbiya' 21:23]is better for the believer in his
religious and worldly affairs, for he is a slave who has a Lord, and
the slave has no right to ask his Lord why He enjoined something.
Rather he has to submit to His command. If he tells us why, we should
do it, and if He does not tell us why, we should still do it.
3 - Inal-Mawsoo'ah al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kuwaitiyyah(1/49-51) there is a
useful discussion which we will quote here:
With regard to understanding the reasons why things have been
prescribed, we may divide the issues of fiqh into two categories:
1 - Rulings whose wisdom may be understood on a rational basis, either
because the reason is stated in the texts, or because it is easy to
work out.
Such rulings are the majority of those that Allaah has prescribed,
such as enjoining prayer, zakaah, fasting and Hajj in general, and
such as enjoining the mahr (dowry) in marriage, 'iddah (waiting
period) following divorce or widowhood, spending on one's wife,
children and relatives, divorce when married life becomes unbearable,
and many other such issues of fiqh.
2 - Ruling which are enjoined on us as a kind of pure worship. These
are rulings in which the connection between the ruling and the action
is not clear, such as the number of prayers, the number of rak'ahs and
most of the actions of Hajj. By the mercy of Allaah, such rulings are
few in relation to the rulings the wisdom behind which may be
rationally understood. These rulings are prescribed as a test to
demonstrate whether a person is a true believer. It should also be
noted that sharee'ah - both general principles and minor details -
does not prescribe anything that contradict common sense, but it may
prescribe something the reason for which cannot be understood. There
is a big difference between the two. If a person is rationally
convinced that Allaah exists and that He is wise, and that He alone
deserves to be acknowledged as Lord, and he is rationally convinced
that the Prophet(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is a true
Prophet, then he affirms that Allaah is the Sovereign and the Lord,
and that he is His slave. Then if he is commanded to do something or
is forbidden to do something, and he then says, "I will not follow
this ruling until I know the reason behind this command or
prohibition," then he has proven himself to be false in his claim to
be a believer in Allaah and His Messenger. The human mind has a limit
beyond which it cannot go.
The one who rebels against the rulings of Allaah that have to do with
rituals is like a sick person who goes to a trustworthy doctor who
prescribes various kinds of medicine for him, some to be taken before
eating, some to be taken during the meal and some to be taken
afterwards, in various amounts, and he says to the doctor: I will not
take your medicine until you explain to me the reason why this one
should be taken before eating and this one afterwards, and this one
during the meal, and why are they are varying amounts, some small and
some big? Does this patient really trust his doctor? The same may be
said of a person who claims to believe in Allaah and His Messenger,
then he rebels against the rulings the wisdom behind which he does not
understand. The true believer, if he is commanded to something or
forbidden to do something, says, "I hear and I obey," especially when
we have explained that there are no rulings that can be rejected on
the basis of reason. Not knowing something does not indicate that it
is not true. How many rulings are there, the reason for which has been
concealed from us in the past, then we discovered that there is great
wisdom behind them? The reason why pork is forbidden was unknown to
many people, then we found out that it carries germs and disease and
other bad things, and Allaah wanted to protect the Muslim society
against them. The same may be said concerning the command to wash
vessels that have been licked by a dog seven times, one of which
should be with earth... and other rulings the wisdom behind which may be
discovered one day even though it is hidden from us now.
And Allaah knows best.