A. Towards Understanding Islam A Brief Guide English

A Brief Guide
Towards Understanding Islam

This is a Part I
And will be continued to Part II
Compiled and Edited

By
AKM FAKHRUL ISLAM
New York, USA
A Brief Guide Towards Understanding Islam Part I 2
A Brief Guide
Towards Understanding Islam Part I
• This small book A Brief Guide Towards Understanding Islam Part I is one of
the supporting book for non-Muslims who would like to understand (a) Islam,
(b) Muslims (Moslems), and the (c) Holy Qur’an (Koran).
• Especially the youths allover the world might get the answers of their queries in
short.
• It might be the Text Book for the Students of all ages to acquire basic
knowledge about Islam.
• It is rich in information, references, bibliography, and illustrations.
• It has been reviewed and edited by many professors and well-educated people.
• It is brief and simple to read, yet contains much scientific knowledge.
It contains the whole book and follows:

A Brief Guide
Towards Understanding Islam Part I
A Brief Guide
Towards Understanding Islam
PART I
Contents
Sl. No. Contains Page No.
00.00.00: Preface
01.00.00: Some Evidence for the Truth of Islam

01.01.00: The Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an
01.01.01: The Qur’an on Human Embryonic Development
01.01.02: The Qur’an on Mountains
01.01.03: The Qur’an on the Origin of the Universe
01.01.04: The Qur’an on the Cerebrum
01.01.05: The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers
01.01.06: The Qur’an on Deep Seas and Internal Waves
01.01.07: The Qur’an on Clouds
01.01.08: Scientists’ Comments on the Scientific
Miracles in the Holy Qur’an
01.02.00: The Great Challenge to Produce One Chapter
Like the Chapters of the Holy Qur’an
01.03.00: Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of Muhammad ,
the Prophet of Islam
01.04.00: The Verses in the Qur’an That Mention Future
Events Which Later Came to Pass
01.05.00: Miracles Performed by the Prophet Muhammad
01.06.00: The Simple Life of Muhammad
01.07.00: The Phenomenal Growth of Islam
02.00.00: Some Benefits of Islam

02.01.00: The Door to Eternal Paradise
02.02.00: Salvation from Hellfire
02.03.00: Real Happiness and Inner Peace
02.04.00: Forgiveness for All Previous Sins
03.00.00: General Information on Islam

03.01.00: What Is Islam?
03.02.00: Some Basic Islamic Beliefs
03.02.01: Belief in God
Sl. No. Contains Page No.

03.02.02: Belief in the Angels
03.02.03: Belief in God’s Revealed Books
03.02.04: Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God
03.02.05: Belief in the Day of Judgment
03.02.06: Belief in Al-Qadar
03.03.01: Is there any Sacred Source other than the Qur’an?

03.03.02: Examples of the Prophet Muhammad’s Sayings
03.03.03: What does Islam say about the Day of Judgment?
03.03.04: How does someone become a Muslim?
03.03.05: What is the Qur’an About?
03.03.06: Who is the Prophet Muhammad ?
03.03.07: How did the Spread of Islam
affect the Development of Science?
03.03.08: What do Muslims Believe about Jesus?
03.03.09: What does Islam say about Terrorism?
03.03.10: Human Rights and Justice in Islam
03.03.11: What is the Status of Women in Islam?
03.03.12: The Family in Islam
03.03.13: How do Muslims Treat the Elderly?
03.04.00: What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

03.04.01: The Testimony of Faith
03.04.02: Prayer
03.04.03: Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy)
03.04.04: Fasting the Month of Ramadan
03.04.05: The Pilgrimage to Makkah
04.00.00: Islam in the United States

This book is
A Brief Guide Towards Understanding Islam Part I
It consists of the following contents:
The first chapter, Some Evidence for the Truth of Islam, answers some important
questions which some people ask:
(a) Is the Qur’an truly the literal word of God, revealed by Him?
(b) Is Muhammad truly a prophet sent by God?
(c) Is Islam truly a religion from God?
In this chapter, six kinds of evidence are mentioned:
1) The Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an:

This section discusses (with illustrations) some recently discovered scientific
facts mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago.
2) The Great Challenge to Produce One Chapter

Like the Chapters of the Holy Qur’an:
In the Qur’an, God challenged all human beings to produce a single chapter like
the chapters of the Qur’an. Ever since the Qur’an was revealed, fourteen
centuries ago, until this day, no one has been able to meet this challenge, even
though the smallest chapter in the Qur’an (Chapter 108) is only ten words.
3) Biblical Prophecies on the Advent

of Muhammad , the Prophet of Islam:
In this section, some of the Biblical prophecies on the advent of the Prophet
Muhammad are discussed.
4) The Verses in the Qur’an Those Mention

Future Events Which Later Came to Pass:
The Qur’an mentioned future events which later came to pass, for example, the
victory of the Romans over the Persians.
5) Miracles Performed by the Prophet Muhammad :

Many miracles were performed by the Prophet Muhammad . These miracles
were witnessed by many people.
6) The Simple Life of Muhammad :

This clearly indicates that Muhammad was not a false prophet who claimed
prophet hood to attain material gains, greatness, or power.
From these six kinds of evidence, we conclude that:

(a) The Qur’an must be the literal word of God, revealed by Him.
(b) Muhammad is truly a Prophet sent by God.
(c) Islam is truly a religion from God.
If we would like to know if a religion is true or false, we should not depend on our
emotions, feelings, or traditions. Rather, we should depend on our reason and
intellect. When God sent the prophets, He supported them with miracles and
evidence which proved that they were truly prophets sent by God and hence that
the religion they came with is true.
The book contains Some Benefits of Islam, mentions some of the benefits that
Islam provides for the individual, such as:
(a) The Door to Eternal Paradise
(b) Salvation from Hellfire
(c) Real Happiness and Inner Peace
(d) Forgiveness for All Previous Sins.
Then the book contains General Information on Islam, provides general

information on Islam, corrects some misconceptions about it, and answers some
commonly asked questions, such as:
(a) What does Islam say about terrorism?
(b) What is the status of women in Islam?
ِ‫بِسْمِ الِ الرّحْ ٰمنِ الرّ ِحيْم‬

In the name of Allah, the Merciful, the Compassionate
01.00.00
Some Evidence for
The Truth of Islam
God supported His last Prophet Muhammad with many miracles and much
evidence which proved that he is a true Prophet sent by God. Also, God supported
His last revealed book, the Holy Qur’an, with many miracles that prove that this
Qur’an is the literal word of God, revealed by Him, and that it was not authored by
any human being. This chapter discusses some of this evidence.
01.01.00
The Scientific Miracles
in the Holy Qur’an
The Qur’an is the literal word of God, which He revealed to His Prophet
Muhammad through the Angel Gabriel. It was memorized by Muhammad ,
who then dictated it to his Companions. They, in turn, memorized it, wrote it
down, and reviewed it with the Prophet Muhammad . Moreover, the Prophet
Muhammad reviewed the Qur’an with the Angel Gabriel once each year and
twice in the last year of his life. From the time the Qur’an was revealed, until this
day, there has always been a huge number of Muslims who have memorized all of
the Qur’an, letter by letter. Some of them have even been able to memorize all of
the Qur’an by the age of ten. Not one letter of the Qur’an has been changed over
the centuries.
The Qur’an, which was revealed fourteen centuries ago, mentioned facts only
recently discovered or proven by Scientists and Scholars. This proves without
doubt that:
(1) The Qur’an must be the literal word of God;
(2) It revealed by Him to the Prophet Muhammad ; and that
(3) The Qur’an was not authored by Muhammad or
(4) The Qur’an was not authored by any other human being.
(5) This also proves that Muhammad is truly a prophet sent by God.
It is beyond reason that anyone fourteen hundred years ago would have known
these facts discovered or proven only recently with advanced equipment and
sophisticated scientific methods.
Some examples follow:
01.01.01
The Qur’an on
Human Embryonic Development
In the Holy Qur’an, God speaks about the stages of man’s embryonic development:
(23:12) We created man from an essence of clay: (23:13) then turned him into
a sperm-drop in a safe place: (23:14) then changed the sperm drop into a clot
of blood and the clot into a piece of flesh: then turned the piece of flesh into
bones: then clothed the bones with flesh: *12 and then brought him forth as
quite a different creation (from the embryo). *13 So blessed is Allah, the best
of all creators. *14 [Surah Al-Mu’min, Towards Understanding the Qur’an:
Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
*12 Then changed the sperm drop into a

clot of blood and the clot into a piece of flesh: then
turned the piece of flesh into bones: then clothed the bones with flesh.
This same thing has been mentioned in other place of the Qur’an such as:
(22:5) O people, if you have any doubt about Life after death, you should
know that We first created you of clay, then of a sperm-drop *5 then of a clot
of blood, then of a lump of flesh, shaped or shapeless. *6 (We are telling you
this) so that We may make the reality plain to you. And We make those (sperm
drops), which We will, remain in the wombs for a fixed period, then We bring
you forth as a child; then (We nourish you) so that you may attain to your full
youth. And there may be among you one who is recalled earlier and one who is
returned to the most abject age so that he should know nothing even after
knowing all he could. *7 [Surah Al-Hajj, Towards Understanding the Qur’an:

Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
We first created you of clay, then of a sperm-drop *5 (22:5)

*5 "We first created you of clay, then of a sperm-drop": The first man Adam was
created directly from clay and after him the process of procreation started by
means of sperm-drop. This has been stated in 32:7-8 as well. It may also mean that
man is created from sperm-drop but his body is made of those elements which are
all available in the earth.
Created then of a clot of blood,

then of a lump of flesh, shaped or shapeless. *6(22:5)
*6 This refers to the different stages of development of the child in the womb of its
mother. This description is based on observation and not on scientific research, and
there was no need for it for the purpose for which reference to this has been made
here.
One who is returned to the most abject age so that

he should know nothing even after knowing all he could. *79(22:5)
*7 That is, "In old age man is again reverted to the same condition in which he was
in childhood. He loses his senses and knows little or nothing like a child".
Now let’s consider the first verses of (23:14):

*13 Then brought him forth as quite
a different creation (from the embryo): It means as follows:
*13 Now let the disbelievers consider the Message of the Holy Prophet by
observing their own creation, for this will convince them of its truth by proving its
doctrine of Tawhid. The origin of man is from a mere inanimate sperm-drop, which
undergoes several changes in the womb of the mother. But after this, when it sees
the light of the day, it is quite a different creation from the embryo in the womb.
Now it can hear, it can see, and in due course of time it can talk and think. Then,
when he reaches adulthood and maturity, he is capable of performing wonderful
deeds. It is obvious that Allah alone could create all these characteristics in an
inanimate sperm-drop.
(23:14) So blessed is Allah, the best of all creators*14:

*14 The various stages of the creation of man have been cited to prove that Allah is
All-Blessed and there is no human language which can describe the praise of
which He is worthy, as if to say, "That Allah Who is able to develop an essence of
clay into a perfect man, does not have any partner in His Godhead. Moreover, He
has the power to raise him up again after his death, and is capable of working even
greater wonders."
In other place of the Qur’an it has been mentioned:
(32:7) He Who excelled in the creation of all that He created. *13 He

originated the creation of man from clay, [Surah As-Sajdah, Towards
Understanding the Qur’an: Sayyid Abul A’ala Mawdudi]
*13 That is, "In this limitless universe He has created countless numbers of things,
but none of them is ugly and ill-shaped: everything has its own special beauty:
everything is proportionate and symmetrical in its own way. Whatever He has
made for a particular purpose, He has given it the most appropriate, form and
invested it with the most: unable qualities for it. No better and more appropriate
structure could be conceived, for example, for the eye and the ear which have been
made for seeing and hearing. The air has precisely the same qualities which it
should have for the purpose for which it has been made, and the water precisely the
same qualities for the purpose for which it has been made. No one can point out
any defect or flaw in the design of anything made by God; nor can anyone offer an
alteration or modification in it."
(32:8) Then made his progeny from the extract of a mean fluid, *14 [Towards
*14 That is, "In the beginning He created man directly by His own act of Creation,
and- then placed in man himself such a procreative ability that similar men
continue being produced by his sperm-drop. By one excellent act He gave life and
consciousness and intellect to a combination of earthly elements by His creative
Command so that a wonderful creation like man came into being; by another
excellent act He placed in man's own organism such a wonderful machinery for the
production of similar more men in the future, whose mode of functioning is highly
astonishing and amazing. This is one of those verses of the Qur'an, which points to
the direct creation of the first man. The scientists since the time of Darwin have felt
greatly critical of this concept and have rejected it with contempt as unscientific.
But the fact is that they cannot get rid of the concept of the direct creation of the
first germ, if not of the first man, or of the first species of animals. If creationism is
not accepted, then one will have to accept the utterly absurd idea that life
originated merely accidentally; whereas even the simplest form of life as found in
the single cell organism is so full of complexities and subtleties that regarding it as
the result of an accident would be a million times more unscientific an idea than
what the evolutionists think of creationism. And if once it is accepted that the first
germ came into being by an act of direct creation, it would be no longer difficult to
accept that the first member of every species of animal life was created by the
Creator's own act of creation, and then its race started through different forms of
procreation. If accepted this concept would explain away all those riddles and
complexities which have remained unsolved in their theory of evolution in spite of
all the scientific theorizing by the upholders of Darwinism. [For further
explanation, see E.N. 1 of An-Nisa', E.N. 10 and 146 of Al-A'raf, and E.N. 17 of
Al-Hijr in the Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Sayyid Abul A’ala Mawdudi]
We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him as a drop in a

place of settlement, firmly fixed. Then We made the drop into an alaqah
(leech, suspended thing, and blood clot), then We made the alaqah into a
mudghah (chewed substance)... *1 [*1 Surah Al-Mu’minun, v.23:12-14, Towards
Understanding the Qur’an - English Translation of Tafhimul Qur’an from London:
Original Author: Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
Literally, the Arabic word ‘alaqah’ has three meanings:

(1) Leech,
(2) Suspended thing, and
(3) Blood clot.
In comparing a leech to an embryo in the alaqah stage, we find similarity between

the two*2 as we can see in figure 1. [*2 The Developing Human, Moore and
Persaud, 5th ed., p. 8]
Also, the embryo at this stage obtains nourishment from the blood of the mother,
similar to the leech, which feeds on the blood of others.*3 [*3 Human
Development as Described in the Qur’an and Sunnah, Moore and others, p. 36]
Figure 1: Drawings illustrating the similarities in appearance between a

leech and a human embryo at the alaqah stage. (Leech drawing from
Human Development as Described in the Quran and Sunnah, Moore and
others, p. 37, modified from Integrated Principles of Zoology, Hickman
and others. Embryo drawing from The Developing Human, Moore and
Persaud, 5th ed., p. 73.)
The second meaning of the word alaqah is “suspended thing.” This is what we can
see in figures 2 and 3, the suspension of the embryo, during the alaqah stage, in the
womb of the mother.
Figure 2: We can see in this
diagram the suspension of an
embryo during the alaqah stage
in the womb (uterus) of the
mother. (The Developing
Human, Moore and Persaud,
5th ed., p. 66.) (Click on the
image to enlarge it.)
Figure 3: In this
photomicrograph, we can see
the suspension of an embryo
(marked B) during the alaqah
stage (about 15 days old) in the
womb of the mother. The
actual size of the embryo is
about 0.6 mm. (The
Developing Human, Moore,
3rd ed., p. 66, from Histology,
Leeson and Leeson.)
The third meaning of the word ‘alaqah’ is “blood clot.” We find that the external
appearance of the embryo and its sacs during the ‘alaqah’ stage is similar to that of
a blood clot. This is due to the presence of relatively large amounts of blood
present in the embryo during this stage.*4 (see figure 4) [*4 Human Development
as Described in the Qur’an and Sunnah, Moore and others, pp. 37-38]
Also during this stage, the blood in the embryo does not circulate until the end of
the third week.*5 Thus, the embryo at this stage is like a clot of blood. [*5 The
Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 65]
Figure 4: Diagram of the

primitive cardiovascular
system in an embryo during
the alaqah stage. The external
appearance of the embryo and
its sacs is similar to that of a
blood clot, due to the presence
of relatively large amounts of
blood present in the embryo.
(The Developing Human,
Moore, 5th ed., p. 65.) (Click
on the image to enlarge it.)
So the three meanings of the word ‘alaqah’ correspond accurately to the

descriptions of the embryo at the ‘alaqah’ stage.
The next stage mentioned in the verse is the ‘mudghah’ stage. The Arabic word
‘mudghah’ means “chewed substance.”
If one were to take a piece of gum and chew it in his or her mouth and then
compare it with an embryo at the ‘mudghah’ stage, we would conclude that the
embryo at the ‘mudghah’ stage acquires the appearance of a chewed substance.
This is because of the Semites at the back of the embryo that “somewhat resemble
teeth marks in a chewed substance.”*6 (see figures 5 and 6). [*6 The Developing
Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 8]
Figure 5: Photograph of an
embryo at the mudghah
stage (28 days old). The
embryo at this stage
acquires the appearance of a
chewed substance, because
the somites at the back of
the embryo somewhat
resemble teeth marks in a
chewed substance. The
actual size of the embryo is
4 mm. (The Developing
Human, Moore and
Persaud, 5th ed., p. 82, from
Professor Hideo Nishimura,
Kyoto University, Kyoto,
Japan.)
Figure 6: When comparing

the appearance of an
embryo at the mudghah
stage with a piece of gum
that has been chewed, we
find similarity between the
two.
A) Drawing of an embryo
at the mudghah stage. We
can see here the somites at
the back of the embryo that
look like teeth marks. (The
Developing Human, Moore
and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 79.)
B) Photograph of a piece of
gum that has been chewed.
(Click on the image to
enlarge it.)
How could Muhammad have possibly known all this 1400 years ago, when
scientists have only recently discovered this using advanced equipment and
powerful microscopes which did not exist at that time?
Hamm and Leeuwenhoek were the first scientists to observe human sperm cells
(spermatozoa) using an improved microscope in 1677 (more than 1000 years after
Muhammad ). They mistakenly thought that the sperm cell contained a
miniature preformed human being that grew when it was deposited in the female
genital tract.*7 [*7) The Developing Human, Moore and Persaud, 5th ed., p. 9]
Professor Emeritus Keith L. Moore is one of the world’s most prominent scientists
in the fields of anatomy and embryology and is the author of the book entitled The
Developing Human, which has been translated into eight languages. This book is a
scientific reference work and was chosen by a special committee in the United
States as the best book authored by one person.
Dr. Keith Moore is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the
University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. There, he was Associate Dean of Basic
Sciences at the Faculty of Medicine and for 8 years was the Chairman of the
Department of Anatomy. In 1984, he received the most distinguished award
presented in the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the
Canadian Association of Anatomists. He has directed many international
associations, such as the Canadian and American Association of Anatomists and
the Council of the Union of Biological Sciences.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia,

Professor Moore said: “It has been a great pleasure for me to help clarify
statements in the Qur’an about human development. It is clear to me that these
statements must have come to Muhammad from God, because almost all of this
knowledge was not discovered until many centuries later. This proves to me that
Muhammad must have been a messenger of God.”*9 [*9 The reference for this
saying is This is the Truth (videotape)]
Consequently, Professor Moore was asked the following question: “Does this mean
that you believe that the Qur’an is the word of God?” He replied: “I find no
difficulty in accepting this.”*10 [*10 This is the Truth (videotape)]
During one conference, Professor Moore stated: “....Because the staging of human
embryos is complex, owing to the continuous process of change during
development, it is proposed that a new system of classification could be developed
using the terms mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah (what Muhammad said,
did, or approved of). The proposed system is simple, comprehensive, and
conforms to present embryological knowledge.
The intensive studies of the Qur’an and Hadeeth (reliably transmitted reports by
the Prophet Muhammad’s companions of what he said, did, or approved of) in
the last four years have revealed a system for classifying human embryos that is
amazing since it was recorded in the seventh century A.D.
Although Aristotle, the founder of the science of embryology, realized that chick
embryos developed in stages from his studies of hen’s eggs in the fourth century
B.C., he did not give any details about these stages. As far as it is known from the
history of embryology, little was known about the staging and classification of
human embryos until the twentieth century. For this reason, the descriptions of the
human embryo in the Qur’an cannot be based on scientific knowledge in the
seventh century.
The only reasonable conclusion is: these descriptions were revealed to Muhammad
from God. He could not have known such details because he was an illiterate man
with absolutely no scientific training.” *11 (*11 This is the Truth (videotape).
01.01.02
The Qur’an on Mountains
A book entitled Earth is a basic reference textbook in many universities around the
world. One of its two authors is Professor Emeritus Frank Press. He was the
Science Advisor to former US President Jimmy Carter, and for 12 years was the
President of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. His book says
that mountains have underlying roots.*1 [*1 Earth, Press and Siever, p.435. Also
see Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens, p. 157]
These roots are deeply embedded in the ground, thus, mountains have a shape like
a peg (see figures 7, 8, and 9).
Figure 7: Mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground.
(Earth, Press and Siever, p. 413.)
Figure 8: Schematic section. The mountains, like pegs, have deep roots
embedded in the ground. (Anatomy of the Earth, Cailleux, p. 220.)
(Click on the image to enlarge it.)
Figure 9: Another illustration shows how the mountains are peg-like in

shape, due to their deep roots. (Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens, p.
158.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
The Qur’an has described mountains

God has said in the Qur’an:
(78:6) Have We not spread the earth like a bed, *4 (78:7) and fixed the
mountains like pegs, *5 [Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid
Abul A’la Mawdudi]
(78:6) Have We not spread the earth like a bed, *4

*4 Enough light has been thrown at several places in The Meaning of the Qur'an on
the supreme wisdom and power of Allah that underlies His making the earth a
carpet, i.e. an abode of perfect peace and rest. [For explanation, see E.N.'s 73, 74,
81 of An-Naml, E.N. 29 of Ya Sin, E.N.'s 90, 91 of Al-Mu'min, E.N. 7 of Az-
Zukhruf, E.N. 7 of Al-Jathiyah, E.N. 18 of Surah Qaf. Towards Understanding the
Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
God created the heavens and the earth

(27:60) Well, Who is He Who created the heavens and the earth and sent down
rainwater for you from the sky, then caused to spring up by it beautiful
gardens, whose trees you had no power to cause to grow? Is there besides
Allah another god (who is His associate in these works)? *73 (Nay,) but these
people themselves have strayed from the right path. [Surah An-Naml, Towards
Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
*73. No one from among the mushriks could answer that someone other than
Allah had done these works, or someone else was Allah's associate in doing these.
The Qur'an at other places says with respect to the pagans of Makkah and the Arab
mushrikin:
If you ask them, 'Who has created the heavens and the earth?' they will surely
say: 'The All-Mighty, the All-Knowing One has created them'. (Az-Zukhruf,
v.43:9)
And if you ask them, Who has created them? They will surely say, 'Allah'.
(Az-Zukhruf, v.43:87),
If you ask them, 'Who sent down rain water from the sky and thereby raised
the dead earth back to life?' They will surely say, 'Allah'. (Al-Ànkabut,
v.29:63).
Ask them: Who provides for you from the heavens and the earth? Who has
power over these faculties of hearing and sight? Who brings forth the living
from the dead and the dead from the living? Who controls and directs the
system of the universe?' They will surely say, 'Allah'. (Yunus, v.10:31).
Not only the polytheists of Arabia but of the whole world generally acknowledged,
and acknowledge even today, that Allah is the Creator of the universe and He alone
controls and directs its system. Therefore, none of them could answer this question
even obstinately for the sake of the argument that their deities were Allah's
associates in those works, for if he had done so, thousands of his own people
would have belied him saying that, that was not their belief. This and the other
questions that follow not only contain a refutation of the creed of shirk
(polytheism) but of atheism as well. For example, in this first very question, it has
been asked, "Who has sent down rainwater and caused to spring up by it beautiful
gardens?" Just consider whether the presence of the substances essential for the
growth of countless kinds of plant life, in the soil or near the soil, and the existence
in water of those very qualities which are in accordance with the requirements of
animal and vegetable life, and the evaporation of this water again and again from
the seas, and its condensation and raining regularly in different parts of the earth
from time to time, and the coordination between the soil and the air, the water, the
temperature; etc., conducive to proper growth of plant life and fulfillment of the
countless requirements of every sort of animal life, could be just accidental, or the
result of the wise scheming and planning the supreme power and will of an All-
Wise Designer. And is it possible that this accident should continue to recur
constantly for millions and millions of years on end? Only an obstinate person who
has been blinded by prejudice will regard it as accidental, for no truth loving,
sensible person can make such a senseless claim or accept it.
God made the earth as a place of rest

God has said in the Qur’an
(27:61) And Who is it Who made the earth as a place of rest' *74 and caused
in it rivers to flow, and set in it firm mountains and placed barriers between
the two bodies of water? *75 Is there besides Allah another god (who is His
associate in these works)? Nay, but most of these people have no knowledge.
[Surah An-Naml, Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la
Mawdudi]
Who is it Who made the earth as a place of rest' *74

*74 It is not a simple thing for the earth to be a place of rest for the countless kinds
of different creations living on it. If man looks into the wise harmony and
coordination with which this sphere of the earth has been established, he is simply
amazed and starts feeling that these harmonies and concordances and relations
could not be brought about without the grand design of an All-Wise, All-Knowing
and All-Powerful God. This sphere of the earth is floating in space and is not
resting on anything, yet there is no commotion and no vibration in its movement.
Had there been any vibration in it, such as we experience during an earthquake, life
could not exist here. This sphere comes before the sun and hides from it regularly,
which causes the alternation of the day and night. Had it turned the same face
perpetually towards the sun and kept the other side always hidden, no life could be
possible here, for on the bright side all life would have been shriveled up, and on
the dark side all life would have been frozen to death. The sphere is enveloped by a
five hundred mile thick atmosphere, which protects it against the' continual
bombardment of meteors, otherwise the twenty million meteors on the average,
which dart towards the earth daily at 30 miles per second, would have caused such
destruction as would not have allowed any man animal or tree to survive. The same
atmosphere controls the temperature, raises clouds from the oceans, carries water
to different parts of the earth and provides the required gases that sustain the
human, animal and plant life. Without it the earth could not become a fit place of
rest for any kind of animal life. Just under the earth's surface all those minerals and
chemicals which are essential to the survival of vegetable and animal life have
been provided in abundance. Wherever these natural resources do not exist, the
land there cannot sustain any kind of life. A great store of water has been arranged
on the earth in the form of oceans, rivers, lakes, springs and underground channels
and snow on the mountains which melts and flows down in the form of rivers.
Without such an arrangement there could be no life. Then the earth has been
endowed with an appropriate gravitational pull by which it keeps the water and the
air and all other things found on it attracted to it. If this pull had been a little less
strong, it could not have stopped the air and the water from escaping. It would also
have so much increased the temperature that life titer would have become difficult.
On the other hand, if the gravitational pull had been a little stronger, the
atmosphere would have been denser, its pressure would have increased,
evaporation would have become difficult and rains impossible; the cold would
have increased and less areas on earth would have been inhabitable; men and
animals would have been shorter in size but heavier in weight, which would have
made movement difficult. Besides, this sphere has been located at a suitable
distance from the sun, which is most appropriate for the population here. If the
distance had been longer, the earth would have received less of heat, the climate
would have been much colder, the seasons much longer and the earth would be
hardly inhabitable. On the other hand, if the distance had been shorter, the intensity
of the heat along with other factors would have rendered it unfit for the kind of life
man is living here. These are a few of those harmonies and concordances due to
which earth has become a place of rest for its population. A man with a little
common sense who is aware of these facts cannot imagine for a moment that these
concordances have come into existence without the design of an All-Wise Creator,
as a mere accident, nor can he ever conceive that a god or goddess, jinn or prophet,
saint or angel, could have had any hand in the creation and bringing into operation
of this grand design.
God originates the creation and then reproduces it

(27:64) And Who is it Who originates the creation and then reproduces it? *80
And Who provides you sustenance from the sky and the earth? *81 Is there
besides Allah another god (who is a partner in these works) Say, "Bring your
proof if you are truthful.” *82 [Surah An-Naml, Towards Understanding the
Who is it Who originates the creation and then reproduces it? *80
*80 The simple fact that has been expressed in this one sentence is so vast in
meaning and detail that as one considers it more and more deeply one goes on
getting new and ever new proofs of Allah's existence and His unity to the first
place, take the question of the creation itself. Man by his knowledge has not been
able to discover what is life, how and wherefrom it comes. So far the admitted
scientific fact is that the mere arrangement of inanimate matter by itself cannot
bring about life. Though the atheists assume, unscientifically, that life comes into
existence automatically when all the elements essential for its creation combine
together accidentally in the right proportion, yet if the mathematical law of chance
is applied to it, the possibility of its occurrence comes to naught. All attempts made
so far to produce animate matter out of inanimate matter experimentally in the
laboratory have met with utter failure in spite of employing every possible care. At
the most what has been created is DNA, which is the basic constituent of the living
cell. This is the essence of life but not life itself. Life in itself even now is a miracle
which cannot be explained scientifically except by saying that it is the result of a
Creator's will and command and design. Furthermore, life does not exist in a
solitary form but in a limitless variety of forms. Man has so far discovered more or
less a million species of animals and two hundred thousand species of plants on the
earth, which in their constitution and special characteristics are so clearly and
absolutely different from one another, and have been maintaining their distinctive
features since the earliest known times so consistently that no Darwin could ever
give any rational explanation of this great variety of life except the existence of the
creative design of One God. Not a link has so far been discovered between any two
species, which might have broken up the form of the characteristics and
constitution of one species and might be struggling to attain the characteristics and
constitution of another species. The whole record of the fossils is without such a
precedent, and among the existing animals also there is no such "eunuch" in its
physical form. Any member of any species that exists is found with the distinctive
features of its own species, and every story that is invented and announced from
time to tune about the discovery of some missing link is destroyed by the facts
themselves. Therefore, the inevitable fact is that it is the All-Wise Designer, the
Planner of creation, its Enforcer and its Fashioner, Who has endowed life with all
its countless different forms. This was about the beginning of the creation. Now let
us consider its reproduction. The Creator has placed in the constitution and snake-
up of every animal and vegetable species such a wonderful mechanism, which goes
on producing through its countless members an endless race exactly with its own
distinctive form and nature and characteristics, and it never has happened even by
mistake that in these millions and millions of tiny sex workshops a certain
workshop of a species may have turned out a specimen of a different species. The
observations of modern Genetics in this connection present wonderful facts. Every
plant has been so endowed with the capability of procreating its species that the
new generation should possess all the distinctive characteristics of its own species
and its every member should be distinguished in its special features from the
members of all other species. This element for the survival of the species and its
procreation is contained in a part of a cell of every plant, which can be seen with
effort only through a most powerful microscope. This tiny engineer directs the
whole development the plant precisely and definitely on the way which is the way
.of its own distinctive species. That is why all the plants that have emerged from a
grain of wheat arty where in the world have in turn produced only wheat. In no
climate and in no region has it ever happened that from the whole race of a grain of
wheat even a single grain of barley might have emerged? The same is the case with
animals and men. None of them has been created just for once, but on an
inconceivably high scale a huge factory of reproduction is functioning every
where, which is constantly bringing into existence, from the members of every
species, countless other members of the same species. If one considers the
microscopic germ of procreation which along with all the distinctive features and
hereditary characteristics of its species is found in a small portion of its tiny self
and thou looks at the extremely delicate and complex physiological system and the
subtle, intricate processes by which the procreative seed of every member of every
species produces a member of the same species, one cannot conceive for a moment
that such a tine and subtle system could come into being by itself, and then keep on
functioning by itself in millions and millions of the members of different species.
This thing stands in need of an All-Wise Designer not only for its beginning but for
its proper and perpetual functioning also it needs an Administrator Who is at once
Wise and Ever-Living and Self-Subsistent, Who is ever watching and guiding the
work of these workshops. These facts destroy the very basis of an atheist's denial
of God as also of a polytheist's creed of polytheism. A foolish person only can
think that an angel or a jinn or a prophet or a saint has any hand in this work of
God, but no unbiased person possessed of a little common sense can ever say that
this huge workshop of production and reproduction with all its underlying wisdom
and order started working just accidentally and has since been working so
automatically.
Who provides you sustenance from the sky and the earth? *81
*81 The question of the provision of sustenance also is not as simple as a person
may feel it to be from a cursory study of this brief sentence. There exist on this
earth millions of animal and vegetable species, each comprising billions of

members having different food requirements. The Creator has arranged the means
of sustenance for each species in such abundance and so within easy reach that
members of no species ever go without food. Then the agencies of the earth and
sky which combine and work together in this system are varied and countless.
Unless there is the right kind of coordination and harmony between the heat, light,
air, water and the diverse substances of the earth, not a single particle of food can
be produced. ‘Can anyone conceive that this wise system could come about just
accidentally? Or, Without the intelligent planning and design of an All-Wise
Creator? And can anybody in his senses imagine that in this system there could be
any hand of Jinn or an angel or the spirit of a pious man?
Is there besides Allah another god

(who is a partner in these works) Say,
"Bring your proof if you are truthful.” *82
*82 That is, "You should either bring a proof to show that someone else is an
associate of Allah in these works, or, if that is not possible, you should at least
explain by an argument why you should worship and serve any other god beside
Allah, when One Allah alone has done, and is doing, all these works."
God created all the things for the mankind

Will them not, then, give thanks?
(36:34) We made in it gardens of date-palms and vines, and We caused springs
to gush forth, (36:35) That they might eat of its fruits. It was not their hands
that made them. *28 Will them not, then, give thanks? *29 [Surah Yasin,
v.36:34-35, Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la

Mawdudi]
*28 Another translation of this sentence can be: "......so that they may eat fruits
thereof and what their own hands make." That is, the artificial kinds of food, which
the people prepare from the natural products, e.g. bread, curry, jam, pickles, sauces
and countless other things.
Will them not, then, give thanks? *29

*29 In these brief sentences the vegetable and plant life of the earth has been
presented as an argument. Man is eating the products of the earth day and night and
regards this as very ordinary. But if he considers it seriously, he will see drat the
growth of rich crops and lush green gardens from the dry earth and the flowing in
it of the springs and rivers is not a simple thing, which might be happening of
itself, but there is a great wisdom and power and providence which is working
behind it. Consider the reality of the earth. The substances of which it is composed
do not possess any power of their own for growth. All these substances
individually as well as after every sort of combination, remain inorganic, and thus
do not possess any sign of life. The question is: How did it become possible for
plant life to emerge from the lifeless earth? If one looks into it, one will see that
there are some important factors without whose provision before hand, life here
never have come into existence.
First: In particular regions of the earth, on its outer surface, a layer was arranged
of many such substances, which could serve as food for vegetation. This layer was
kept soft so that the roots of the vegetation could spread in it and suck food.
Secondly: A system of irrigation was arranged on the earth in different ways so

that the food elements could get dissolved in water and absorbed by the roots.
Thirdly: the atmosphere was arranged around the earth which protects it against
the calamities of the sky, becomes a means of the rainfall, and possesses gases
which are necessary for the life and growth of the vegetation.
Fourthly: A relationship was established between the sun and the earth so as to
provide proper temperature and suitable seasons for the vegetation.
With the provision of these main factors (which in themselves are combinations of
countless other factors), the coming to life of the vegetation becomes possible.
After arranging the suitable conditions the seed of each species of the vegetation
was so constituted that as soon as it received favorable soil, water, air and season,
vegetable life should begin stirring within it. Besides, inside the same seed a
system was so arranged that from the seed of every species a plant precisely of the
same species should grow with all the characteristics of its own species and
heredity. Then, in addition to this, another wonderful thing was done. Vegetation
was not created in twenty, or fifty, or a hundred kinds but in countless species, and
they were so made that they should fulfill the requirements of food, medicine and
clothing and innumerable other needs of the countless kinds of animals and man,
who were to be brought into being after the vegetation on the earth.
Anyone who ponders over this wonderful arrangement, if he is not stubborn and
prejudiced, will himself testify that all this could not have come about by itself.
There is certainly a wise plan underlying it, according to which harmonies and
relationships of the soil, water, air and season with respect to the vegetation, and
harmonics and relationships of the vegetation with respect to the needs and
requirements of animals and human beings have been determined, keeping in view
the finest detail. No sensible person can imagine that these universal, all-embracing
relationships could be a mere accident. This same subtle arrangement points to the
fact that this cannot be the work of many gods. This is, and can only be, the work
of One God, Who is the Creator and Lord of the earth, water, air, sun, vegetation,
animals and mankind. If each of these had a separate god, it cannot be imagined
that such a comprehensive and universal plan with such deep and wise relationship
and harmony could be produced, and should have continued to work with such
regularity for millions upon millions of years.
After giving these arguments for Tawhid, Allah says: "Do they not then give
thanks?" That is: "Are these people so thankless and ungrateful that they do not
render thanks to that God Who has provided all this for their survival, but thank
others for the blessings and favors done by Him? Are they so wretched that instead
of bowing before Him they bow before the false gods, who have not created even a
blade of grass for them?"
Allah made the earth a dwelling place for you

The Qur’an says:
(40:64) Allah it is Who made the earth a dwelling place for you *89 and made
the sky a canopy, *90 Who shaped you – and shaped you exceedingly well –
and gave you good things as sustenance. *91 That is Allah, your Lord; blessed
be Allah, the Lord of the Universe. [Surah Al-Mu’min, v.40:64, Towards
Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
Allah made the sky a canopy, *90

*90 That is, "You have not been exposed to outer space so that heavenly calamities
should rain on you and annihilate you completely, but We have built over the earth
a fully fortified celestial system (which appears like a dome to the eye), which does
not allow any destructive element to reach you; so much so that even the
destructive cosmic rays cannot reach you and that is how you are living peacefully
on the earth."
God Who shaped you and shaped you exceedingly

well and gave you good things as sustenance. *91
*91 That is, "We had provided for you such a safe and peaceful place of rest even
before your creation. Then We created you and gave you a fine body with most
appropriate limbs and physical and mental powers of a high caliber. You did not
create this erect stature, these hands and feet, these eyes and nose and ears, this
talking tongue and this brain, which is a treasure house of great capabilities, nor
were these created by your mother and father, nor had a prophet or a saint or a god
the power to create them. Their Maker and Creator were the All Wise, All
Merciful, All-Mighty Sovereign, Who created Man with this wonderful body to
function in the world, when He decided to bring him into being. Then as soon as
you were created, you found by His beneficence a vast table laid out with pure
provisions containing items of pure food which is not poisonous but health-giving,
which is not bitter and tasteless but tasty, which u not, rotten and stale and stinking
but good smelling, which is not lifeless dregs but rich in vitamins and useful
organic substances, so essential for the proper development and nourishment of
yew body. Who has provided in such abundance this water, and corn, vegetables,
fruits, milk, honey, meat and condiments, which not only add relish to your food
but also provide you vitality and pleasures of life? And who has made the
arrangements that these measureless granaries of food should go on coming out
from the earth endlessly and their supply should never fail? Just consider this:
What would have become of life if there had been no arrangement of food and man
had been brought into existence suddenly? Is this not a clear proof that Your
Creator is not merely a Creator but is an All-Wise Creator and All-Merciful Lord?
(For further explanation, see Hud: 6, An-Naml 60-66 and the E.N.'s thereof):
Who is it
Who listens to the oppressed one when he
invokes Him, and Who relieves him of his affliction?
(27:62) Who is it Who listens to the oppressed one when he invokes Him, and
Who relieves him of his affliction? *76 And (Who is it Who) makes you
vicegerents in the earth? *77 Is there besides Allah another god (to do this)?
How little you reflect! [Surah An-Naml, Towards Understanding the Qur’an:
Who is it Who listens to the oppressed one when

he invokes Him, and Who relieves him of his affliction? *76
*76 The Arab polytheists themselves knew and acknowledged that Allah alone
could avert a disaster. Therefore, the Qur'an reminds them again and again that
they implore Allah alone for help when they are confronted by a calamity. But
when the calamity is removed, they start invoking others besides Allah. [For
details, see E.N.'s. 29 to 41 of Al-Anàm, Yunus: 21-22, E.N. 46 of An-Nahl, and
E.N. 84 of Bani Isra'il, Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul
A’la Mawdudi].
And this is not only true of the Arab polytheists but of all polytheists; so much so
that even the Russian atheists who are regularly campaigning against God-
Worship, had to invoke God when in the Second World War they were tightly
encircled by the German forces.
And (Who is it Who) makes you vicegerents in the earth? *77

*77 This has two meanings: (1) "He raises one generation after the other and one
nation after the other"; and (2) "He gives you power and authority to rule in the
earth".
Who is it Who shows you the way

in the darkness of the land and the sea
(27:63) And Who is it Who shows you the way in the darkness of the land and
the sea, *78 and Who sends the winds as harbingers of His mercy? *79 Is
there besides Allah another god (who does this)? Far exalted is Allah above
what they associate with Him. [Surah An-Naml, Towards Understanding the
Who is it Who shows you the way in the darkness of the land and the sea, *78
*78 That is, "He has made such arrangements by means of the stars that you can
find your way even in the darkness of the night." This is also because of the wise
planning of Allah that He has created such means by which man can determine his
direction and the way to his destination in his journeys by sea and land. In the day
time he is guided by different land-marks and the direction of sunrise and sun-set,
and in the dark nights by the stars. In Surah An-Nahl this has been counted among
the bounties of Allah: "He has placed land-marks to direct people, and by the stars,
too, they are guided aright." (v. 16)
Who sends the winds as harbingers of His mercy? *79

*79 "Allah's mercy" the rain whose coming is promptly foretold by the winds.
None but Allah has the knowledge of the unseen,

in the heavens and the earth
(27:65) Tell them, "None but Allah has the knowledge of the unseen, in the
heavens and the earth, *83 and they (your deities) do not even know when
they will be raised back to life.” *84 [Surah An-Naml, Towards Understanding
the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
Tell them, "None but Allah has the knowledge

of the unseen, in the heavens and the earth, *83
*83 In the preceding verses, arguments have been given to prove that Allah is the
One and only Deity when considered from the viewpoint of creation, design and
provision of the means of sustenance. Now in this verse it is being told that from
the viewpoint of knowledge too, which is an important attribute of Godhead, Allah
is Unique and without associate. Whatever creations are therein the heavens and
the earth, whether angels or jinn’s, prophets and saints, or other men and other
creatures, they have only limited knowledge. Something is hidden from all of
them. The All-Knowing One is only Allah, from Whom nothing whatever of this
universe is hidden, and Who knows every thing of the past and the present and the
future. The word ghaib means something hidden and covered. As a term it implies
everything which is unknown, and beyond one's sphere of knowledge and
information. There are many things in the world which individually are known to
some human beings and. unknown to others. And there are many others which
taken as a whole have never been known to any of mankind, nor are known at
present; nor will be known in the future: The same is the case with the jinns and
the angels and other kinds of creation: certain things are known to some of them
and hidden from others, and many things hidden from all of them and known to
none. All kinds of hidden things are only known to One Being, the All-Knowing
Allah. For Him nothing is unknown everything is known and evident. In order to
bring out this reality the method of the question as employed above with regard to
creation, design and sustenance of the universe has not been adopted here. The
reason is that the manifestations of those attributes are clear and evident which
everyone sees, and which even the pagans and polytheists acknowledged, and do
even today, that they are the works of Allah. So, the argument adopted above was:
When all these works, as you admit, are being done by Allah, and no one else is
His partner in these, why have you then made others His associates in Divinity, and
in His worship? However, the attribute of knowledge has no perceptible
manifestation which may be referred to and pointed out. It can be comprehended
only by thought and reflection. Therefore, it has been put forward as an assertion
instead of a question. Now it is for every intelligent person to think and consider
for himself whether it is reasonable to believe that there should be any other than
Allah, who is all-knowing, i.e. who knows all those conditions and things and
realities which existed in the universe in the past; or exists now; or will exist in the
future. And if there is none other who is all-knowing, and cannot be, then is it
reasonable to believe that any of those who are not aware fully of the realities and
conditions and circumstances can become the answerer of the people's prayers,
fulfiller of their needs and remover of their hardships? There is a subtle
relationship between Divinity and the knowledge of the unseen and hidden. Since
the earliest times in whatever being has man imagined the presence of an attribute
of Godhead, he has taken it for granted that it knows everything and nothing is
hidden from it. In other words, it is self-evident for man to believe that making or
marring the destinies, answering the prayers, fulfilling the needs and helping
everyone in need of help, can be the work of the being who knows everything and
from whom nothing is hidden. That is why whomever man has regarded as
possessor of the powers and authority of Godhead he has necessarily regarded him
as the knower of all hidden things as well. For his intellect testifies rightly that
knowledge and authority are inter-dependent. Now if it is a fact that none but God
is the Creator and the Designer and the Answerer of the prayers and the
Providence, as has been proved in the foregoing verses, then it is also a self-
evident reality that none but God is the Knower of the hidden things. After all, who
in his senses could imagine that an angel or a jinn or a prophet or a saint or any
other creature would be knowing where and what kinds of animals existed in the
oceans and in the atmosphere and under the layers of the earth and upon its
surface? And what is the correct number of the planets in the heavens? And what
kinds of creatures exist in each of them? And where is each one of these creatures
living and what are its requirements? All this should necessarily be known to
Allah, because He has created them and He alone has to watch over their
conditions and control their affairs and arrange for their sustenance. But how can
some one else with his limited self have this vast and all-embracing knowledge and
what has he to do with the functions of creation and sustenance that he should
know these things? Then this quality is also not divisible in the sense that a person,
for instance, may be the knower of everything on the earth, or the knower of
everything concerning human beings only, on the earth. It is in the same way
indivisible as are God's Creativity and His Providence and His Self-Subsistence
indivisible. After all, how can it be possible for one to know all the affairs and all
the conditions and states of all human beings who have been born in the world
since the beginning of creation, and will be born till Resurrection, from the time
their mothers conceived them till the time they will breath their last? And how and
why will he know all this ? Is he the creator of these countless multitudes? Did he
create their seed in their fathers' sperm-drop? Did he mould and shape them in their
mother's womb? Did he arrange for their normal birth'? Did he make the destiny of
each one of them? Is he responsible for taking decisions with regard to their life
and death, their health and ill-health, their prosperity and adversity, and their rise
and fall in the world? And since when did he become responsible for it? Since
before his own birth or since after it? And how can these responsibilities remain
confined only to human beings? This is only a part of the universal administration
of the heavens and the earth. The Being Who is controlling the whole universe is
the Being Who alone can be responsible for the creation and death of men, for
restricting and extending their provisions and for making and marring their
destinies. That is why it is a fundamental article of Islam that none other than Allah
is the Knower of the hidden and unseen things. Allah may disclose whatever of His
information He wills to whomsoever of His servants He pleases and bless him with
the knowledge of one or more of the hidden things as a whole. Being the Knower
of all hidden and unseen things is the attribute only of Allah, Who is the Lord of all
creation
"He alone has the keys of the ùnseen' of which none has the knowledge but
He." (Al-Anàm: 59)
"Allah alone has the knowledge of the Hour: He alone sends down the rain
and He alone knows what is (taking shape) in the wombs of the mothers. No
living being knows what he will earn the next day, nor does anybody know in
what land he will die." (Luqman 34)
"He knows what is before the people and also what is hidden from them; and
they cannot comprehend anything of His knowledge save whatever He
Himself may please to reveal." (Al-Baqarah: 255).
The Qur'an does not rest content with this general and absolute negation of the
knowledge of the hidden and unseen for the different forms of creation, but about
the Prophets in particular, and the Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be
Allah's peace) himself it clearly says that they do not possess the knowledge of the
hidden and unseen, and that they were given only that much knowledge of the
hidden by Allah as was necessary to enable them to carry out the duties of
Prophethood. Surah Al-Anàm.: 50, Al-A'raf: 187, At-Taubah: 101, Hud: 31, Al-
Ahzab: 63, Al-Ahqaf: 9, At-Tahrim: 3 and Al-Jinn: 26-28 do not leave any room
for doubt in this regard. All these elucidations of the Qur'an support and explain the
verse under discussion after which there remains no doubt that looking upon
another than Allah as the knower of the hidden and unseen and believing that
someone else also possesses the knowledge of all the past and future events, is an
absolutely un-Islamic belief.
• Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa'i, Imam Ahmad, Ibn Jarir and Ibn Abu Hatim
have cited this saying of Hadrat À'ishah through authentic reporters: "Whoever
claimed that the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) knew what was going to
happen the next day, accused Allah of lying, for Allah says: O Prophet, say,
`None in the heavens and the earth has the knowledge of the hidden and unseen
but Allah'."
• Ibn al-Mundhir has reported this on the authority of 'Ikrimah, the well-known
pupil of Hadrat 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas: "A person asked the Holy Prophet: O
Muhammad, when will Resurrection be? And our territory is suffering from
famine: when will it rain? And my wife is pregnant: what will she deliver a boy
or a girl? And I know what I have earned today; but what shall I earn
tomorrow? And I know where I was born, but where shall I die?" In reply, the
Holy Prophet recited verse 34 of Surah Luqman as cited above. Then the well-
known Tradition as reported in Bukhari; and Muslim and other works of Hadith
also supports the same. According to it one of the questions asked by Angel
Gabriel from the Holy Prophet when he sat among the Companions in human
shape before him was: "When will Resurrection be?" The Holy Prophet replied:
"The one being questioned knows no better than the one questioning." Then
added, "This is one of those five things whose knowledge is possessed by none
but Allah," and then he recited the above-cited verse of Surah Luqman.
They (your deities) do not even know

when they will be raised back to life.” *84
*84 That is "Those others about whom it is thought that they possess the
knowledge of the hidden and, therefore, are regarded as partners in Divinity, are
themselves unaware of their future. They do not know when Resurrection will be
when Allah will raise them up again.
(27:66) But (on the contrary,) these people have lost the knowledge of the
Hereafter;" nay, they are in doubt about it; nay, they are blind to it. *85
[Surah An-Naml, Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la
Mawdudi]
*85 After warning the people about their basic errors with regard to Divinity, it is
being said that the reason why these people are involved in these errors is not that
they have reached this conclusion after serious thought and deliberation that there
exist other beings also who are Allah's associates in His Divinity, but the actual
reason is that they have never considered this matter seriously. As they are unaware
of the Hereafter, or are in doubt about it, or are blind to it, their heedlessness of the
Hereafter has developed in them an utterly irresponsible attitude. They are not at
all serious about the universe and the real problems of their own lives. They do not
bother to know what reality is and whether their philosophy of life accords with
that reality or not. For, according to them, in the end the polytheist and the atheist,
the monotheist and the agnostic, all will become one with the dust after death, and
nothing will bear any fruit. The' theme of the Hereafter is contained in this
sentence of the preceding verse: "They do not know when they will be raised back
to life." In that sentence it was said that those who are made deities-the angels,
jinn’s, prophets, saints, etc., do not themselves know when Resurrection will be.
Here three things have been said about the common polytheists and the atheists:
(1) They do not at all know whether there will be any hereafter or not;
(2) This lack of information on their part is not due to the reason that they were
never informed of this, but because they did not believe in the information given to
them and doubted its authenticity; and
(3) They never bothered to consider with due thought and seriousness the
arguments that were advanced about the coming of the Hereafter, but they
preferred to remain blind to it.
Allah is responsible for

providing sustenance for all the creatures
God has been said in the Qur’an:
(11:6) There is not a single moving creature on the earth but Allah is
responsible for providing its sustenance. He knows where it dwells and where
it will permanently rest. *6 All this is recorded in a clear Book. [Surah
Hu,Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
*6. God is, on the one hand, All-Knowing. He knows exactly where each of His
creatures is, be it the nest of a small bird or the hole of a tiny worm. On the other
hand, God provides sustenance to all, and provides for them wherever they might
be. He is aware at all times of where His creatures spend their lives and where they
will breathe their last. It would be sheer stupidity if someone were to think that by
resorting to methods such as covering one's face, or closing one's eyes one would
be able to escape God's punishment. Even if someone succeeds in eluding the
Prophet's observation it is to no avail. For no one can escape God's observation.
Nor should anyone entertain the illusion that God is unaware of the fact that the
Prophet (peace be on him) was doing his best to communicate the truth to the
unbelievers, and that the latter were trying their utmost to clog their ears lest the
truth reached them.
Creation of the winds
Qur’an says regarding the creation of the winds:
(45:5) ‘Wa Tathriifithiwari’ means

‘And in the change of the winds’: *7 [Surah Al-Jathiya, Towards Understanding
the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
*7 The circulation of the winds implies the circulation of the different kinds of
winds at different times, on different parts of the earth and at different heights,
which cause change of the seasons. What deserves attention is not only that above
the surface of the earth there is a thick atmosphere, which contains all those
elements needed by living beings for breathing, and this thick covering has kept
the earth's population safe from many of the heavenly calamities. Besides, another
noteworthy thing is that the air is not just filled inertly in the atmosphere, but it
blows occasionally in different ways. Sometimes a cool wind blows and sometimes
a hot wind; sometimes it stops blowing and sometimes it starts blowing; sometimes
it blows soft and sometimes strong, and sometimes it assumes the proportions of a
storm, sometimes a dry wind blows and sometimes a moist wind; sometimes it
brings the rain and sometimes it drives away the clouds. These different kinds of
the winds do not blow without a purpose, but under a law and a system, which
testifies that this arrangement is based on perfect wisdom, and it is serving great
objectives. Then it is deeply related with coolness and heat, which go on increasing
and decreasing according to the changing conditions and relationships between the
earth and the sun. Furthermore, it has a deep relation with the seasonal changes and
the distribution of the rain. All these facts proclaim that these arrangements have
not been made haphazardly by some blind nature, nor have the sun and the earth
and the air and water and vegetation and animals separate controllers, but
inevitably One God alone is the Creator of them all, and it is His Wisdom that has
established this system for a great objective, and it is His power that it is
functioning regularly according to a pre-ordained law.
God fixed the mountains like pegs

(78:7) and fixed the mountains like pegs, *5 (Surah An-Naba)
*5 For the wisdom of creating mountains on the earth, see E.N. 12 of An-Nahl,
E.N. 74 of An-Naml, E.N. 15 of Al-Mursalat, Towards Understanding the Qur’an:
Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi. They are as follows:
(16:15) He has driven mountains firmly into the earth lest it should turn away
from its usual course along with you: *12 He has caused rivers to flow and
made natural ways *13 so that you may be directed aright. [Surah An-Nahl,
Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
He has driven mountains firmly into the earth lest

it should turn away from its usual course along with you: *12
*12 This shows that the real function of mountains is to regulate the motion and
speed of the Earth. We have come to this conclusion, for the Qur'an has made this
benefit of mountains very prominent in many places. Therefore, their other benefits
should be regarded as incidental.
He has caused rivers to flow and made natural ways *13

*13 Natural ways are those routes which are formed along the banks of streams,
ravines and rivers. Though the importance of these ways is great even in the plains,
one feels their sore need, especially in the mountainous regions.
(77:27) and did We not firmly fix towering mountains on it and give you sweet
water to drink? *15 [Surah Al-Mursalat, Towards Understanding the Qur’an:
*15 This is yet another argument for the possibility and reasonableness of the
Hereafter. It is this very earth which since millions and millions of years has been
sustaining and providing for countless different kinds of creatures. Every kind of
vegetation and every kind of animal and man are living on it, to meet the
requirements of all immeasurable treasures of provisions of different kinds are
corning out of its belly. Then it is on this very earth that countless members of all
kinds of creatures die every day, but there exists a wonderful arrangement in that
the dead bodies of all creatures are deposited in the same earth, and it again
becomes ready for sustaining life and providing home to the new members of
every species. This earth has not been shaped like a smooth-surfaced ball either,
but here and there on it there have been set high mountains and mountain-ranges,
which play an important role in causing the change of seasons and rainfall, the
birth of rivers creation of fertile valleys, growth of trees which supply timber, and
provisions of a variety of minerals and stones. Then in the interior of this very
earth, sweet water has been stored and on its surface rivers of sweet water have
been arranged and from the saline waters of the sea also vapors of pure water are
raised and caused to fall as rain from the sky. Is not all this an argument to prove
that an All-Powerful Sovereign has created all this and He is not only All-Powerful
but All-Knowing and All-Wise as well'? Now, if this earth has been thus equipped
and provisioned only by His power and wisdom, why should an intelligent man
trod it difficult to understand that the same Sovereign by His power can wind up
this world and create another world on a new pattern, and the demand of His
wisdom is that he should create another world after it so that He may call man to
account for the deeds he has done in this world? [Towards Understanding the
Have We not made the earth as a bed,

and the mountains as pegs? (Al-Qur’an, v.78:6-7)
Modern earth sciences have proven that mountains have deep roots under the
surface of the ground (see figure 9) and that these roots can reach several times
their elevations above the surface of the ground.*2 [*2 The Geological Concept of
Mountains in the Qur’an, El-Naggar, p. 5]
So the most suitable word to describe mountains on the basis of this information is
the word ‘peg,’ since most of a properly set peg is hidden under the surface of the
ground. The history of science tells us that the theory of mountains having deep
roots was introduced only in the latter half of the nineteenth century.*3 [*3 The
Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an, p. 5]
Mountains also play an important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth.*4 They
hinder the shaking of the earth. [*4 The Geological Concept of Mountains in the
Qur’an, pp. 44-45]

And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with
you... (Al-Qur’an, Surah An-Nahl, v.16:15)
Likewise, the modern theory of plate tectonics holds that mountains work as
stabilizers for the earth. This knowledge about the role of mountains as stabilizers
for the earth has just begun to be understood in the framework of plate tectonics
since the late 1960’s.*5 [*5 The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an,
p. 5]
Could anyone during the time of the Prophet Muhammad have known of the
true shape of mountains? Could anyone imagine that the solid massive mountain
which he sees before him actually extends deep into the earth and has a root, as
scientists assert? A large number of books of geology, when discussing mountains,
only describe that part which is above the surface of the earth. This is because
these books were not written by specialists in geology. However, modern geology
has confirmed the truth of the Qur’anic verses.
01.01.03
The Qur’an on
the Origin of the Universe
The science of modern cosmology, observational and theoretical, clearly indicates
that, at one point in time, the whole universe was nothing but a cloud of ‘smoke’
(i.e. an opaque highly dense and hot gaseous composition). [The First Three
Minutes, a Modern View of the Origin of the Universe, Weinberg, pp. 94-105]
This is one of the undisputed principles of standard modern cosmology. Scientists

now can observe new stars forming out of the remnants of that ‘smoke’ (see figures
10 and 11).
Figure 10: A new star forming out of a cloud of gas and dust (nebula),
which is one of the remnants of the ‘smoke’ that was the origin of the
whole universe. (The Space Atlas, Heather and Henbest, p. 50.)
Figure 11: The Lagoon nebula is a cloud of gas and dust, about 60 light
years in diameter. It is excited by the ultraviolet radiation of the hot stars
that have recently formed within its bulk. (Horizons, Exploring the
Universe, Seeds, plate 9, from Association of Universities for Research in
Astronomy, Inc.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
The illuminating stars we see at night were, just as was the whole universe, in that
‘smoke’ material.

Then He turned to the heaven when it was smoke... (Qur’an, 41:11)
Because the earth and the heavens above (the sun, the moon, stars, planets,
galaxies, etc.) have been formed from this same ‘smoke,’ we conclude that the
earth and the heavens were one connected entity. Then out of this homogeneous
‘smoke,’ they formed and separated from each other.

Have not those who disbelieved known that the heavens and the earth were
one connected entity, then We separated them?... (Qur’an, 21:30)
Dr. Alfred Kroner is one of the world’s renowned geologists. He is Professor of

Geology and the Chairman of the Department of Geology at the Institute of
Geosciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany. He said:
“Thinking where Muhammad came from . . . I think it is almost impossible that he
could have known about things like the common origin of the universe, because
scientists have only found out within the last few years, with very complicated and
advanced technological methods, that this is the case.” [The reference for this
saying is: This is the Truth (videotape)]
Also he said: “Somebody who did not know something about nuclear physics
fourteen hundred years ago could not, I think, be in a position to find out from his
own mind, for instance, that the earth and the heavens had the same origin.” [This
is the Truth (videotape)]
01.01.04
The Qur’an on the Cerebrum
God has said in the Qur’an about one of the evil unbelievers who forbade the
Prophet Muhammad from praying at the Kaaba:
We will scorch his forehead.

Meaning, ìndeed We will make it extremely black on the Day of Judgment.'
Then He says, A lying, sinful forehead!
Meaning, the forehead of Abu Jahl is lying in its statements and sinful in its
actions. [Qur’an, 96:15-16, Tafthir Ibn Kathir]
(96:15) By no means! *12 If he does not desist, We shall drag him by his
forelock,
*12 That is, the person who threatens that he would trample the neck of
Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) down when he performed
the Prayer, would never be able to do so.
(96:16) the forelock that is lying and utterly sinful. *13

*13 "The forelock" here implies the person with the forelock. [Surah Al-A’laq,
v.96:15-16, Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
Now, Let’s see the

Occasion of Revelation of Surah Al-A’laq, vv. 96:6-19:
This second part (v.96:6-19) of thee Surah was revealed when the Holy Messenger
of Allah began to perform the Prayer in the Islamic way in the Ka'bah and Abu Jahl
threatened and tried to prevent him from this. It so happened that after his
appointment to Prophet hood even before he could start preaching Islam openly, he
began to perform the Prayer in the precincts of the Ka'bah in the way Allah taught
him; and from this the Quraish felt for the first time that he had adopted a new
religion. The other people were watching it with curiosity, but Abu Jahl in his
arrogance and pride threatened the Holy Prophet and forbade him to worship in
that way in the Ka'bah. In this connection, quite a number of the Ahadith have been
related from Hadarat Abdullah Ibn Abbas and Hadrat Abu Hurairah, which
mention the foolish behavior of Abu Jahl.
• Hadrat Abu Hurairah says that Abu Jahl asked the people of Quraish: "Does
Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) set his face on the
ground before you? "When they replied in the affirmative, he said: "By Lat and
Uzza, if I ever catch him in that act of worship, I would set my foot on his neck
and rub his face in the dust.” Then it so happened that he saw the Holy
Messenger in that posture and came forward to set his foot on his neck, but
suddenly turned back as if in a fright and being asked what was the matter, he
said there was a ditch of fire and a terrible apparition between himself and
Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and some wings. On
hearing this Holy Prophet remarked: "Had he come near me, the angels would
have smitten and torn him to pieces." [Ahmad, Muslim, Nasai, Ibn Jarir, Ibn
AbI Hatim, Ibn al-Mundhir, lbn Marduyah, Abu Nu'aim Isfahani, Baihaqi]
• According to lbn Abbas, Abu Jahl said: "If I caught Muhammad (upon whom be
Allah's peace and blessings) performing his Prayer by the Ka'bah, I would
trample his neck down." When the Holy Prophet heard of it, he said: "If he
acted so, the angels would seize him there and then?" [Bukhari, Tirmidhi,
Nasai, Ibn Jarir, Abdur Razzaq, Abd bin Humaid, Ibn al- Mundhir, Ibn
Marduyah]
• According to another tradition from Ibn Abbas, the Holy Prophet was
performing his Prayer at the Maqam Ibrahim. Abu Jahl passed that way and
said: "O Muhammad, did I not forbid you this, and then he started to threaten
him." In reply the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) rebuked him
severely. There upon he said: "O Muhammad, on what strength do you rebuke
me? By God, my followers in this valley far exceed yours in number." [Ahmad,
Tirmidhi, Nasai, Ibn Jarir, lbn Abi Shaibah, Ibn al-Mundhir, Tabarani, Ibn
Marduyah]
Because of these very incidents the portion of this Surah beginning with ‘Kalla inn
al-insana la-yat-gha’ was sent down. Naturally the place of this part should be the
same as assigned to it in this Surah of the Qur’an, for after the coming down of the
first Revelation the Holy Prophet had given expression to Islam first of all by the
act of Prayer, and his conflict with the pagans. [Introduction, Surah Al-A’laq,
Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
Now, let’s see what others say here:

The Qur’an says:
No! If he does not stop, We will take him by the naseyah (front of the head), a
lying, sinful naseyah (front of the head)! (Qur’an, 96:15-16)
Why did the Qur’an describe the front of the head as being lying and sinful? Why
didn’t the Qur’an say that the person was lying and sinful? What is the
relationship between the front of the head and lying and sinfulness?
If we look into the skull at the front of the head, we will find the prefrontal area of
the cerebrum (see figure 12). What does physiology tell us about the function of
this area? A book entitled ‘Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology’ says about this
area, “The motivation and the foresight to plan and initiate movements occur in the
anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the prefrontal area. This is a region of
association cortex...” [Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology, Seeley and others, p.
211. Also see The Human Nervous System, Noback and others, pp. 410-411]
Also the book says, “In relation to its involvement in motivation, the prefrontal
area is also thought to be the functional center for aggression....” [Essentials of
Anatomy & Physiology, Seeley and others, p. 211]
Figure 12: Functional regions of the left hemisphere of the cerebral cortex.
The prefrontal area is located at the front of the cerebral cortex. (Essentials
of Anatomy & Physiology, Seeley and others, p. 210.) (Click on the image
to enlarge it.)
So, this area of the cerebrum is responsible for planning, motivating, and initiating
good and sinful behavior and is responsible for the telling of lies and the speaking
of truth. Thus, it is proper to describe the front of the head as lying and sinful
when someone lies or commits a sin, as the Qur’an has said, “...A lying, sinful
naseyah (front of the head)!”
Scientists have only discovered these functions of the prefrontal area in the last
sixty years, according to Professor Keith L. Moore. [Al-E’jaz al-Elmy fee al-
Naseyah (The Scientific Miracles in the Front of the Head), Moore and others,
p. 41]
01.01.05
The Qur’an on Seas and Rivers
Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet,
there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea
has its own temperature, salinity, and density. [Principles of Oceanography, Davis,
pp. 92-93].
For example, Mediterranean Sea water is warm, saline, and less dense, compared
to Atlantic Ocean water. When Mediterranean Sea water enters the Atlantic over
the Gibraltar sill, it moves several hundred kilometers into the Atlantic at a depth
of about 1000 meters with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics.
The Mediterranean water stabilizes at this depth. [Principles of Oceanography,
Davis, p. 93] (see figure 13).
Figure 13: The Mediterranean sea water as it enters the Atlantic over the
Gibraltar sill with its own warm, saline, and less dense characteristics,
because of the barrier that distinguishes between them. Temperatures are in
degrees Celsius (C°). (Marine Geology, Kuenen, p. 43, with a slight
enhancement.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
Although there are large waves, strong currents, and tides in these seas, they do not
mix or transgress this barrier.
Barrier between two seas:

The Holy Qur’an mentioned that there is a barrier between two seas that meet and
that they do not transgress. God has said:
He has set free the two seas meeting together. There is a barrier between
them. They do not transgress. (Qur’an, 55:19-20)
Divider between fresh and salt water:

But when the Qur’an speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it
mentions the existence of “a forbidding partition” with the barrier. God has said in
the Qur’an:
He is the one who has set free the two kinds of water, one sweet and palatable,
and the other salty and bitter. And He has made between them a barrier and
a forbidding partition. (Qur’an, 25:53)
This phenomenon has been perceived in many places in the sea and on the land
that sweet water and bitter water has existed side by side. Turkish Admiral Syedi
Ali Ra'is, in his book Mir 'at-al-Mamalik, written in the 16th century, has
mentioned a place in the Persian Gulf, where springs of sweet waver exist under
the bitter waters of the sea, where he could get drinking water for his fleet. The
American Oil Company at first obtained water from the same springs in the Persian
Gulf, before they dug up wells near Dhahran for supply of drinking water. Near
Bahrain also there exist springs of sweet water at the sea bed from which people
have been taking water until quite recently. Besides this apparent meaning which
gives a rational proof of Allah's being the One and the only Lord of the universe,
the verse contains a subtle suggestion as well: When Allah wills, He can raise up a
righteous community from among a large wicked society just as He can cause
springs of palatable and sweet water to gush out from under the salty waters of the
sea. [Surah Al-Furqan, v.25:53; E.N. 68, Towards Understanding the Qur’an:
One may ask, why did the Qur’an mention the partition when speaking about the
divider between fresh and salt water, but did not mention it when speaking about
the divider between the two seas?
Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt water
meet, the situation is somewhat different from what is found in places where two
seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt
water in estuaries is a “syncline zone with a marked density discontinuity
separating the two layers.” [Oceanography, Gross; p. 242. Also see Introductory
Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.]
This partition (zone of separation) has a different salinity from the fresh water and
from the salt water. [Oceanography, Gross, p. 244, and Introductory Oceanography,
Thurman, pp. 300-301] (see figure 14).
Figure 14: Longitudinal section showing salinity (parts per thousand ‰)

in an estuary. We can see here the partition (zone of separation) between
the fresh and the salt water. (Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, p.
301, with a slight enhancement.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
This information has been discovered only recently, using advanced equipment to
measure temperature, salinity, density, oxygen dissolubility, etc. The human eye
cannot see the difference between the two seas that meet; rather the two seas
appear to us as one homogeneous sea. Likewise, the human eye cannot see the
division of water in estuaries into the three kinds: fresh water, salt water, and the
partition (zone of separation).
01.01.06
The Qur’an on Deep Seas and Internal Waves
(24:40) Or (their efforts may be likened to those of a man trying to swim in) a
deep dark ocean, covered with billows, one over the other, and above it a
cloud: darkness upon darkness: so much so that if he stretches out his hand,
he cannot see *72 it. There is no light for the one whom Allah does not give
light. *73
*72 This parable describes the condition of all the disbelievers and the hypocrites
including those who perform good deeds for ostentation. It is being stated that such
people are passing their life in a state of absolute and complete ignorance, whether
otherwise they are the most learned people in the world and leaders in their
respective fields of learning. They are like the mart that is lost in complete
darkness where no ray of light can reach him. They think that knowledge merely
consists in producing atom bombs, hydrogen bombs, supersonic planes and moon
rockets, or in attaining excellence in economics and finance and law and

philosophy. But they little understand that real knowledge is something entirely
different and they have no idea of it. Thus considered they are just ignorant, and an
illiterate peasant who has gained some acquaintance of the Divine Truth is wiser
than they.
There is no light for the one whom Allah does not give light. *73
*73 Here are stated the real object of the discourse which began with: "Allah is the
Light of the heavens and the earth." When in fact there is no light in the universe
except the Light of Allah and all manifestation of reality is due to that Light, where
from can the one whom Allah does not give light have light? There exists no other
source of light from where he can receive a ray. [Surah An-Nur, v.24:40, E.N’s 72-
73; Towards Understanding the Qur’an:Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
Or (the unbelievers’ state) is like the darkness in a deep sea. It is covered by

waves, above which are waves, above which are clouds. Darkness’s one above
another. If a man stretches out his hand, he cannot see it.... (Qur’an, 24:40)
This verse mentions the darkness found in deep seas and oceans, where if a man
stretches out his hand, he cannot see it. The darkness in deep seas and oceans is
found around a depth of 200 meters and below. At this depth, there is almost no
light (see figure 15). Below a depth of 1000 meters there is no light at all.
[Oceans, Elder and Pernetta, p. 27]
Human beings are not able to dive more than forty meters without the aid of
submarines or special equipment. Human beings cannot survive unaided in the
deep dark part of the oceans, such as at a depth of 200 meters.
Figure 15: Between 3 and 30 percent of the sunlight is reflected at the sea surface.
Then almost all of the seven colors of the light spectrum are absorbed one after
another in the first 200 meters, except the blue light. (Oceans, Elder and Pernetta,
p. 27.)
Scientists have recently discovered this darkness by means of special equipment

and submarines that have enabled them to dive into the depths of the oceans.
We can also understand from the following sentences in the previous verse, “...in a
deep sea. It is covered by waves, above which are waves, above which are
clouds....”, that the deep waters of seas and oceans are covered by waves, and
above these waves are other waves. It is clear that the second set of waves is the
surface waves that we see, because the verse mentions that above the second waves
there are clouds. But what about the first waves? Scientists have recently
discovered that there are internal waves which “occur on density interfaces
between layers of different densities.” [Oceanography, Gross, p. 205] (See figure
16).
Figure 16: Internal waves at interface between two layers of water of different
densities. One is dense (the lower one), the other one is less dense (the upper
one). (Oceanography, Gross, p. 204.)
The internal waves cover the deep waters of seas and oceans because the deep
waters have a higher density than the waters above them. Internal waves act like
surface waves. They can also break, just like surface waves. Internal waves
cannot be seen by the human eye, but they can be detected by studying temperature
or salinity changes at a given location. [Oceanography, Gross, p. 205]
01.01.07
The Qur’an on Clouds
Scientists have studied cloud types and have realized that rain clouds are formed
and shaped according to definite systems and certain steps connected with certain
types of wind and clouds.
One kind of rain cloud is the cumulonimbus cloud. Meteorologists have studied
how cumulonimbus clouds are formed and how they produce rain, hail, and
lightning.
They have found that cumulonimbus clouds go through the following steps to
produce rain:
(1) The clouds are pushed by the wind:
Cumulonimbus clouds begin to form when wind pushes some small pieces of
clouds (cumulus clouds) to an area where these clouds converge (see figures 17
and 18).
Figure 17: Satellite photo showing the clouds moving towards the
convergence areas B, C, and D. The arrows indicate the directions of
the wind. (The Use of Satellite Pictures in Weather Analysis and
Forecasting, Anderson and others, p. 188.) (Click on the image to
enlarge it.)
Figure 18: Small pieces of clouds (cumulus clouds) moving

towards a convergence zone near the horizon, where we can see
a large cumulonimbus cloud. (Clouds and Storms, Ludlam,
plate 7.4.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
(2) Joining: Then the small clouds join together forming a larger cloud. [See The
Atmosphere, Anthes and others, pp. 268-269, and Elements of Meteorology,
Miller and Thompson, p. 141] (see figures 18 and 19).
Figure 19: (A) Isolated small pieces of clouds (cumulus clouds). (B) When
the small clouds join together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase, so
the cloud is stacked up. Water drops are indicated by ·. (The Atmosphere,
Anthes and others, p. 269.) (Click on the image to enlarge it.)
(3) Stacking:
When the small clouds join together, updrafts within the larger cloud increase.
The updrafts near the center of the cloud are stronger than those near the
edges. [The updrafts near the center are stronger, because they are protected
from the cooling effects by the outer portion of the cloud.]
These updrafts cause the cloud body to grow vertically, so the cloud is stacked
up (see figures 19 (B), 20, and 21). This vertical growth causes the cloud body
to stretch into cooler regions of the atmosphere, where drops of water and hail
formulate and begin to grow larger and larger. When these drops of water and
hail become too heavy for the updrafts to support them, they begin to fall from
the cloud as rain; hail, etc. [See the Atmosphere, Anthes and others, p. 269, and
Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, pp. 141-142]
Figure 20: A cumulonimbus

cloud. After the cloud is
stacked up, rain comes out of
it. (Weather and Climate,
Bodin, p.123.)
Figure 21: A cumulonimbus cloud. (A Color Guide to Clouds,

Scorer and Wexler, p. 23.)
(24:43) Do you not observe that Allah makes the cloud move gently then joins
its pieces together: then gathers it into a mass of thick cloud: then you see that
rain-drops fall down from its midst: and He sends down hail out of the high
up mountains in the heaven: *75 then He smites with it whom He wills and
turns it away from whom He pleases: then a flash of lightning from it dazzles
the eyes.
*75 This may mean frozen clouds which have been called `mountains in the
heavens' metaphorically. It may also mean the mountains of the earth which stand
high in the heavens and whose snow-capped peaks cause condensation in the
clouds which results in hailstorms. [Surah An-Nur, v.24:43 and E.N. 75; Towards
Understanding the Qur’an:Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
Let’s see what others say about this verse:
Have you not seen how God makes the clouds move gently, then joins them
together, and then makes them into a stack, and then you see the rain come
out of it....? (Qur’an, 24:43)
Meteorologists have only recently come to know these details of cloud formation,
structure, and function by using advanced equipment like planes, satellites,
computers, balloons, and other equipment, to study wind and its direction, to
measure humidity and its variations, and to determine the levels and variations of
atmospheric pressure. [See Ee’jaz al-Qur’an al-Kareem fee Wasf Anwa’ al-Riyah,
al-Sohob, al-Matar, Makky and others, p. 55]
The preceding verse, after mentioning clouds and rain, speaks about hail and
lightning:
....And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky, and He strikes
with it whomever He wills, and turns it from whomever He wills. The vivid
flash of its lightning nearly blinds the sight. (Qur’an, 24:43)
Meteorologists have found that these cumulonimbus clouds, that shower hail, reach
a height of 25,000 to 30,000 ft (4.7 to 5.7 miles), like mountains, as the Qur’an
said, “...And He sends down hail from mountains (clouds) in the sky...” (See
figure 21 above). [Elements of Meteorology, Miller and Thompson, p. 141]
This verse may raise a question:

Why does the verse say “its lightning” in a reference to the hail?
Does this mean that hail is the major factor in producing lightning?
Let us see what the book entitled Meteorology Today says about this. It says that a
cloud becomes electrified as hail falls through a region in the cloud of super cooled
droplets and ice crystals. As liquid droplets collide with a hailstone, they freeze on
contact and release latent heat. This keeps the surface of the hailstone warmer than
that of the surrounding ice crystals. When the hailstone comes in contact with an
ice crystal, an important phenomenon occurs: electrons flow from the colder object
toward the warmer object. Hence, the hailstone becomes negatively charged. The
same effect occurs when super cooled droplets come in contact with a hailstone
and tiny splinters of positively charged ice break off. These lighter positively
charged particles are then carried to the upper part of the cloud by updrafts. The
hail, left with a negative charge, falls towards the bottom of the cloud, thus the
lower part of the cloud becomes negatively charged. These negative charges are
then discharged as lightning. We conclude from this that hail is the major factor in
producing lightning. [Meteorology Today, Ahrens, p. 437]
This information on lightning was discovered recently. Until 1600 AD, Aristotle’s
ideas on meteorology were dominant. For example, he said that the atmosphere
contains two kinds of exhalation, moist and dry. He also said that thunder is the
sound of the collision of the dry exhalation with the neighboring clouds, and
lightning is the inflaming and burning of the dry exhalation with a thin and faint
fire.* These are some of the ideas on meteorology that were dominant at the time
of the Qur’ans’ revelation, fourteen centuries ago. [*The Works of Aristotle
Translated into English: Meteorological, vol. 3, Ross and others, pp. 369a-369b]
01.01.08
Scientists’ Comments on the
Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an
The following are some comments of scientists* on the scientific miracles in the
Holy Qur’an. All of these comments have been taken from the videotape entitled.
This is the Truth. In this videotape, you can see and hear the scientists while they
are giving the following comments. (To view the Real Player video of a comment,
click on the link at the end of that comment. For a copy of this videotape, please
visit) [www.islam-guide.com/truth.html] (*The occupations of all the scientists
mentioned in this web site were last updated in 1997.)
(1) Dr. T. V. N. Persaud is Professor of Anatomy, Professor of Pediatrics and Child

Health, and Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the
University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. There, he was the
Chairman of the Department of Anatomy for 16 years. He is well-known in his
field. He is the author or editor of 22 textbooks and has published over 181
scientific papers. In 1991, he received the most distinguished award presented in
the field of anatomy in Canada, the J.C.B. Grant Award from the Canadian
Association of Anatomists. When he was asked about the scientific miracles in the
Qur’an which he has researched, he stated the following:
“The way it was explained to me is that Muhammad was a very ordinary man. He
could not read, didn’t know [how] to write. In fact, he was an illiterate. And we’re
talking about twelve [actually about fourteen] hundred years ago. You have
someone illiterate making profound pronouncements and statements and that are
amazingly accurate about scientific nature. And I personally can’t see how this
could be a mere chance. There is too much accuracy and, like Dr. Moore, I have
no difficulty in my mind that this is a divine inspiration or revelation which led
him to these statements.” [http://www.islam-guide.com/video/persaud-1.ram]
Professor Persaud has included some Quranic verses and sayings of the Prophet
Muhammad in some of his books. He has also presented these verses and
sayings of the Prophet Muhammad at several conferences.
(2) Dr. Joe Leigh Simpson is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Professor of Molecular
and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
Formerly, he was Professor of Ob-Gyn and the Chairman of the Department of Ob-
Gyn at the University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, USA. He was also the
President of the American Fertility Society. He has received many awards,
including the Association of Professors of Obstetrics and Gynecology Public
Recognition Award in 1992. Professor Simpson studied the following two sayings
of the Prophet Muhammad :
• {In every one of you, all components of your creation are collected together
in your mother’s womb by forty days...} [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2643,
and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3208]
[What is between these special brackets {...} in this guide is a translation of what
the Prophet Muhammad said. Also note that this symbol # used, indicates the
number of the hadeeth. A hadeeth is a reliably transmitted report by the Prophet

Muhammad’s companions of what he said, did, or approved of.]
• If forty-two nights have passed over the embryo, God sends an angel to it,
who shapes it and creates its hearing, vision, skin, flesh, and bones....
[Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2645]
He studied these two sayings of the Prophet Muhammad extensively, noting

that the first forty days constitute a clearly distinguishable stage of embryo-
genesis. He was particularly impressed by the absolute precision and accuracy of
those sayings of the Prophet Muhammad . Then, during one conference, he
gave the following opinion:
“So that the two hadeeths (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad ) that have
been noted provide us with a specific time table for the main embryological
development before forty days. Again, the point has been made, I think, repeatedly
by other speakers this morning: these hadeeths could not have been obtained on the
basis of the scientific knowledge that was available [at] the time of their writing . .
. . It follows, I think, that not only there is no conflict between genetics and
religion but, in fact, religion can guide science by adding revelation to some of the
traditional scientific approaches, that there exist statements in the Qur’an shown
centuries later to be valid, which support knowledge in the Qur’an having been
derived from God.” [http://islam-guide.com/video/simpson-1.ram]
(3) Dr. E. Marshall Johnson is Professor Emeritus of Anatomy and Developmental

Biology at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. There,
for 22 years he was Professor of Anatomy, the Chairman of the Department of
Anatomy, and the Director of the Daniel Baugh Institute. He was also the
President of the Teratology Society. He has authored more than 200 publications.
In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia,
Professor Johnson said in the presentation of his research paper:
“Summary:
The Qur’an describes not only the development of external form, but emphasizes
also the internal stages, the stages inside the embryo, of its creation and
development, emphasizing major events recognized by contemporary
science.” [http://www.islam-guide.com/video/Johnson-1.ram]
Also he said: “As a scientist, I can only deal with things which I can specifically
see. I can understand embryology and developmental biology. I can understand
the words that are translated to me from the Qur’an. As I gave the example before,
if I were to transpose myself into that era, knowing what I knew today and
describing things, I could not describe the things which were described. I see no
evidence for the fact to refute the concept that this individual, Muhammad, had to
be developing this information from some place. So I see nothing here in conflict
with the concept that divine intervention was involved in what he was able to
write.” (The Prophet Muhammad was illiterate. He could not read nor write,
but he dictated the Qur’an to his Companions and commanded some of them to
write it down.) [http://www.islam-guide.com/video/Johnson-2.ram]
(4) Dr. William W. Hay is a well-known marine scientist. He is Professor of

Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado, USA. He
was formerly the Dean of the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric
Science at the University of Miami, Miami, Florida, USA. After a discussion with
Professor Hay about the Quran’s mention of recently discovered facts on seas, he
said:
“I find it very interesting that this sort of information is in the ancient scriptures of
the Holy Qur’an, and I have no way of knowing where they would come from, but
I think it is extremely interesting that they are there and that this work is going on
to discover it, the meaning of some of the passages.” And when he was asked
about the source of the Qur’an, he replied: “Well, I would think it must be the
divine being.” [http://www.islam-guide.com/video/hay-1.ram]
(5) Dr. Gerald C. Goeringer is Course Director and Associate Professor of Medical
Embryology at the Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Georgetown
University, Washington DC, USA. During the Eighth Saudi Medical Conference
in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Goeringer stated the following in the
presentation of his research paper:
“In a relatively few aayahs (Qur’anic verses) is contained a rather comprehensive

description of human development from the time of commingling of the gametes
through organogenesis. No such distinct and complete record of human
development, such as classification, terminology, and description, existed
previously. In most, if not all, instances, this description antedates by many
centuries the recording of the various stages of human embryonic and fetal
development recorded in the traditional scientific literature.” [http://www.islam-
guide.com/video/goeringer-1.ram]
(6) Dr. Yoshihide Kozai is Professor Emeritus at Tokyo University, Hongo, Tokyo,
Japan, and was the Director of the National Astronomical Observatory, Mitaka,
Tokyo, Japan. He said:
“I am very much impressed by finding true astronomical facts in [the] Qur’an, and
for us the modern astronomers have been studying very small pieces of the
universe. We’ve concentrated our efforts for understanding of [a] very small part.
Because by using telescopes, we can see only very few parts [of] the sky without
thinking [about the] whole universe. So, by reading [the] Qur’an and by answering
to the questions, I think I can find my future way for investigation of the
universe.” [http://www.islam-guide.com/video/kozai-1.ram]
(7) Professor Tejatat Tejasen is the Chairman of the Department of Anatomy at

Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand. Previously, he was the Dean of the
Faculty of Medicine at the same university. During the Eighth Saudi Medical
Conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Professor Tejasen stood up and said:
“During the last three years, I became interested in the Qur’an . . . . From my study
and what I have learned from this conference, I believe that everything that has
been recorded in the Qur’an fourteen hundred years ago must be the truth that can
be proved by the scientific means. Since the Prophet Muhammad could neither
read nor write, Muhammad must be a messenger who relayed this truth, which was
revealed to him as an enlightenment by the one who is eligible [as the] creator.
This creator must be God. Therefore, I think this is the time to say ‘La ilaha illa
Allah’, there is no god to worship except Allah (God), ‘Muhammadur rasoolu
Allah’; Muhammad is Messenger (Prophet) of Allah (God). Lastly, I must
congratulate for the excellent and highly successful arrangement for this
conference . . . . I have gained not only from the scientific point of view and
religious point of view but also the great chance of meeting many well-known
scientists and making many new friends among the participants. The most
precious thing of all that I have gained by coming to this place is ‘La ilaha illa
Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu Allah’, and to have become a
Muslim.” [http://www.islam-guide.com/video/tejasen-1.ram]
After all these examples we have seen about the scientific miracles in the Holy
Qur’an and all these scientists’ comments on this, let us ask ourselves these
questions:
(a) Could it be a coincidence that all this recently discovered scientific information
from different fields was mentioned in the Qur’an, which was revealed fourteen
centuries ago?
(b) Could this Qur’an have been authored by Muhammad or by any other
human being?
The only possible answer is that this Qur’an must be the literal word of God,
revealed by Him.
01.02.00
The Great Challenge to Produce One Chapter
Like the Chapters of the Holy Qur’an
And if you are in doubt about what We have revealed (the Qur’an) to Our
worshiper (Muhammad ), then produce a chapter like it, and call your
witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides God if you are truthful. And if you
do not do it, and you can never do it, then fear the Fire (Hell) whose fuel is
men and stones. It has been prepared for disbelievers. And give good news (O
Muhammad) to those who believe and do good deeds that for them are
gardens (Paradise) in which rivers flow.... (Qur’an, 2:23-25)
Ever since the Qur’an was revealed, fourteen centuries ago, no one has been able
to produce a single chapter like the chapters of the Qur’an in their beauty,
eloquence, splendor, wise legislation, true information, true prophecy, and other
perfect attributes. Also, note that the smallest chapter in the Qur’an (Chapter 108)
is only ten words, yet no one has ever been able to meet this challenge, then or
today. [See Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Quran, Al-Zarkashy, vol. 2, p. 224]
Some of the disbelieving Arabs who were enemies of the Prophet Muhammad
tried to meet this challenge to prove that Muhammad was not a true prophet,
but they failed to do so. [See Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Quran, Al-Zarkashy, vol. 2,
p. 226]
This failure was despite the fact that the Qur’an was revealed in their own
language and dialect and that the Arabs at the time of Muhammad were a very
eloquent people who used to compose beautiful and excellent poetry, still read and
appreciated today.
The smallest chapter in the Holy Qur’an (Chapter 108) is only ten words,
yet no one has ever been able to meet the challenge to produce one
chapter like the chapters of the Holy Qur’an.
01.02.01
Allah challenged to the Disbelievers
to forge something like the Qur’an
What the Qur’an is All About: Chapter 16.00.00
Sayyid Abul A’ala Mawdudi
Compiled and Edited by: Akm Fakhrul Islam
The first challenge to the disbelievers:
Allah challenged to the disbelievers has been expressed in the surah At-Tuur,
v.52:33-34:
• (33) Do they say, “This man himself has forged this Qur’an” The fact is that
they do not want to believe. (34) Let them then produce a discourse like it, if
they are true in what they say.
Allah said, do they say, “This man himself has forged this Qur’an”. The fact is that
they do not want to believe. It means that, the Quraish who think that Muhammad
(pbuh) himself is the author of the Qur’an know it in their innermost hearts that it
cannot be his word, and those others also whose mother tongue is Arabic not only
clearly feel that it is far more sublime and superior to human speech but any one of
them who knows Muhammad (pbuh) personally cannot ever suspect that this is
actually his own word and speech. Therefore, the thing plainly is that those who
ascribe the authorship of the Qur’an to the Holy Prophet do not in fact wish to
affirm faith. That is why they are inventing false excuses one of which is this
excuse. (For further explanation, see EN 21 of Yunus, EN 12 of Al-Furqan, EN 64
of Al-Qasas, EN 88-89 of Al-Ankabut, EN 1 to 4 of As-Sajdah, EN 54 of Ha-Mim
As sajdah, EN 8 to 10 of Al-Ahqaf in the Tafhimat).
Allah challenged to the Disbelievers that:

‘Let them then produce a discourse like it, if they are true in what they say.’ It has
been mentioned that, ‘Not only is the Qur’an not the word of Muhammad (pbuh)
but also the truth is that it is not the word of human being at all. It is beyond the
power of man to compose and produce it. If you think it is human, you are
challenged to produce the like of it, which should also be human.’ This challenged
had been given not only to the Quraish but also to all the disbelievers of the world
first of all in this verse. Then it was repeated thrice in Makkah and then finally in
Madinah (please see Yunus 38, Hud 13, Bani Israil 88, Al-Baqara 23). But no one
could dare meet this challenge of the Qur’an at that time, nor has anyone else had
so far the ability to compose and produce a man made work like the Qur’an.
Since people because of lack of understanding the real nature of the challenge, say
that not to speak of the Qur’an, no one has the power to write prose or
consequence poetry to the style of another person. Homer, Rumi, Shakesphere,
Goethe, Ghalib, Tagore, Iqbal, all is unique in their styles: it lies in no one’s power
to produce poetry like theirs by imitation. Those who give this answer to the
challenge of the Qur’an are in fact, involve in the misunderstanding that the
meaning of ‘let them then produce a discourse like it’, is a challenge to man to
compose and write a book like the Qur’an, in the style of the Qur’an, whereas it
does not imply any resemblance in literary style but it implies this. Bring a book of
the same sublimity and quality and rank, not only in Arabic but on any language of
the world that may be regarded as a match for the Qur’an in respect of the
characteristics for which the Qur’an is a miracle. The following are in brief some
of the main characteristics because of which the Qur’an has been a miracle
(mu’jija) before as it is a miracle today:
(1) The Qur’an is the highest and most perfect model of the literature of the
language in which it was revealed. No word and no sentence in the entire Book
is sub-standard. Whatever theme has been presented in it has been presented in
the most appropriate words and in the most suitable style. One and the same
theme has been presented over and over again but every time in a new style
avoiding the defect or repetition everywhere. The entire Book, from the
beginning to the end, is set in the choicest words, like chiseled and polished
gems, that cannot be replaced. The discourses are so impressive that no one
who knows the language, even if he is a disbeliever, can help being moved
ecstasies on hearing them. Even after 1400 years this Book is still the model of
Arabic literature and no other Arabic book can approach it in literary excellence
not to speak of equaling it. Not only this: this Book (Qur’an) has so controlled
the Arabic language that even after the passage of 14 centuries the standard of
this language’s beauty and eloquence is the same that had been set by it;
whereas in such long periods languages change out of recognition. No other
language of the world has remained in the same state in so far as its spelling and
diction, idiom, rules of language and usages are concerned. But it is only the
power of the Qur’an that has held the Arabic language in place; each idiom of it
is still use in Arabic literature; its literature is still the standard of Arabic; and in
writing and speech still the same language is regarded as good Arabic that had
been in the Qur’an 1400 years ago. Is there any man made book in any
language of the world that bears the same characteristics?
(2) This is the one single book in the world, which has no extensively and so
universally influenced mankind’s thoughts, morals, civilization and way of life,
as has no precedent in history. In the first instance, its impact changed one
nation, then that nation rose and changed a major part of the world. No other
Book has proved to be so revolutionary. This book has not remained confined to
writing on paper but in the practical world its each word has formed and
molded ideas and thoughts and built up a lasting civilization. Its influence has
continued being operative for 1400 years and its circle of influence and impact
is still expanding every day.
(3) The theme that this Book discusses is the most expensive theme, which
comprehends the whole Universe, from eternity to eternity. It deals with the
reality of the Universe, its beginning and end, its system and law. It tells us to
who is the Creator and Controller and Disposer of this Universe, what His
attributes are, what His powers are and what is that essence and basis on which
He has established this entire system of the world. It specifies man’s position
and his place which he cannot change. It tells what is the write and correct way
of thought and action for man in view of this place and position, which
corresponds to the reality, and what are the wrong ways, which clash with the
reality. Then to prove why the right way is right and the wrong ways wrong, it
presents countless arguments from various phenomena of the earth and heavens,
from different aspects of the system of the Universe, from man’s own self and
existence and from man’s own history. Besides, it also tells how and for what
reasons man adopts the wrong ways, by what means he can find out the right
Way, which has always been one and shall remain one, and how he has been
guided to it in every age. It does not merely point to the Right Way but presents
a plan of the complete system of life for following that way, which contains a
derailed and systematic code concerning beliefs, morals, purification of self,
worship, social life, civilization, economy, politics, justice, law and every other
aspect of human life. Furthermore, it also tells in full detail what are the results
of following this Right Way and of adopting the wrong ways in this world and
what consequences of this will appear in the Next World after the present
system of the world has come to an end. It depicts fully the coming to an end of
the present world and of the establishment of the New World. It gives every
detail of the process of change; it portrays the Next World and describes fully
how man will find a totally new life there, how his deeds from worldly life will
be subjected to accountability, what things he will be questioned about, how his
complete record, which he will not be able to deny or dispute, will be placed
before him, what strong evidence will be produced in proof thereof, why the
culprits will be punished and the righteous rewarded, what rewards will be
bestowed on the righteous and in what forms will the culprits suffer the evil
consequences of their misdeeds. The way this vast theme has been dealt with in
this Book is not of the nature of some conclusions that its Author might have
reached from some syllogistic premises but its nature is that its Author has the
direct knowledge of the Reality.
He (Allah, the Author of this Holy Qur’an) sees everything happening from
eternity to eternity. All the realities are manifest for Him and the entire Universe
is like an open book before Him. He sees the entire life of mankind, from its
origin to its end, even beyond the present life into the second life
simultaneously, and He is guiding man not on the basis of conjecture and
speculation but on the basis of knowledge. Not a single truth that He presents as
knowledge has been proved to be wrong so far. The concept of the Universe and
Man that He presents fully explains all the phenomena and events and can
become the basis of research in every branch of knowledge. His word contains
the answer to all the ultimate problems of philosophy and natural and social
sciences, and they are so coherent and consistent logically that a perfect,
consistent and comprehensive system of thought can be built on their basis.
Then from the practical aspect the guidance that He has given to man about
various spheres of life is not only highly rational and pure but countless men
have been living according to it in actual fact in different parts of the earth for
1400 years and have found it by experience to be the only valid way. Is there
any man made book of the unique quality present in the world, or has ever been,
which may be produced to match this Book?
(4) This Book was not composed and written all at once and presented before the
world, but reformatory movement was started with some basic and initial
instructions and then for 23 years as the movement passed through different
stages of its development, its parts were presented by the tongue of the leader,
sometimes as lengthy discourses and sometimes as brief sentences, as the
conditions and requirements of the occasion demanded. Then, when the
Mission was brought to completion, these parts that had been issued at different
times were compiled in the form of a complete Book, which has been known by
the name of the ‘Qur’an’. The leader of the movement states that this discourses
and sentences are not his original work but were sent down to him by the Lord
of all creation. If a person asserts that they are the original work of the leader
himself, he should produce a precedent from history to prove his contention. He
should show whether it is possible that the speeches made and the instructions
given by a man at different times while leading a powerful collective movement
for years continuously by himself in different capacities, sometimes as a
preacher and teacher of morals, sometimes as a leader of an oppressed class,
sometimes as the ruler of a state, sometimes as the commander of a fighting
army, sometimes as a victor, sometimes as a law giver and legislator, could
form a complete and consistent and comprehensive system of thought and
action, which should be free from every contradiction and inconsistency, which
should appear to be dominated by the same central idea and pattern of thought,
which should show that the leader has been building up a universal system of
belief and action on the basis of the same foundation of his message with which
he has started his work, and which should be a system each element and part of
which is in perfect harmony and consistency with the other parts. Then the one
who reads this collection of the discourses with a discerning eye cannot help
realizing that the founder of the movement at the outset had a full plan of the
movement in view till the last stage, and it never happened that a new idea
might have struck him at some later stage, which was unknown to him before,
or which he had to change later. If ever there has been a man of this caliber, his
name should be made known to the world.
(5) The leader who had been made to give these discourses and speak these
sentences did not suddenly emerge from a hidden place to present these before
the people nor would disappear after he had done so. He had lived his life in full
view of the society before he started his movement as well as continued to live
in the same society after that till his last breath. The people were well aware of
the language and style of his conversation and speech. Hadith still presents a
major part of it and by going through it the people who know Arabic can easily
find out even today what was the leader’s own style of speech and conversation.
His contemporaries who spoke his language felt then and those who know
Arabic feel today that the language and the style of this Book is very different
from the language and style of that leader. So much so that whenever in the
midst of a sermon delivered by the leader there occurs a sentence or two of this
Book, the distinction between the two becomes all too obvious. The question is:
Has a man in the world ever had the power, or can he have capability, that he
should go on conversing in two absolutely different styles consistently for years
at a stretch and it should never become known that the two separate styles are,
in fact, of one and the same person? It is possible that one may succeed in such
affectation temporarily but it is not at all possible that one for twenty-three
years continuously a person should have different diction and style when he
recites the Revelations from Allah and a wholly different diction and style when
he speaks in his personal capacity.
(6) The leader while leading and guiding the movement met with different sorts of
conditions. Sometimes he became the target of ridicule, humiliation and severe
persecution of his fellow countrymen and the people of his own tribe and clan;
sometimes his companions were so harshly treated that they were compelled to
emigrate from the country; sometimes the enemies plotted against his life;
sometimes he had to pass through extreme poverty and starvation; sometimes
he had to fight wars successfully in which he suffered defeats as well as won
victories; sometimes he overcome the enemies and the same enemies who had
persecuted him, came before him humbled; sometimes he achieved such power
which few people in the world have been able to achieve. Under all such
conditions a person’s feelings obviously cannot remain the same. When on
these different occasions the leader spoke in his personal capacity, his words
and speeches carried the clear impression of his personal feelings, which
naturally arise in the heart of a man on such occasions. But the discourses that
were heard from him as Allah’s Revelations in these different conditions are
wholly devoid of human feelings. At no place can even an acute observer and
critic point out the play of human feelings in them.
(7) The vast and comprehensive knowledge that is contained in this Book is not
possessed even by any of the distinguished learned people of this 20th century,
not to speak of the people of Arabia and Rome and Greece and Iran of those
days. The condition of today is that after a man has spent his whole life-time
studying a branch of philosophy or a natural or social science, he comes to
know what ultimate problems of his field of study are, but when he studies the
Qur’an seriously he comes to know that this Book contains a clear answer to
those problems. This thing is not confined to any one branch of knowledge but
holds good in respect of all those sciences which have anything to do with the
Universe and Man. How can one believe that 1400 years ago an un-lettered man
in the Arabian Desert posed such deep insight into every branch of knowledge,
and he had thought over every basic problem and thought out an absolute and
final answer to it?
Although there are several other aspects also of the Qur’an’s being a miracle, if a
man ponders over these few aspects only he will realize that the Qur’an’s being a
miracle is far more evident today than it was at the time when it was revealed and
if Allah so wills, it will go on becoming more and more evident and manifest as
time passes till the Day of Resurrection.
Second challenge in Makkah:
(13) Do they say, ‘He (Muhammad) has invented the Book himself?’ say to them
(O Mohammad!), ‘Very well, if it is so, bring ten fabricated Surahs like this; and
you may call to your assistance whomsoever (of your deities) you can except
Allah, if you be right (in considering them your deities). (14) Now if they (your
deities) do not come to your help you should know that this Book has been
revealed with Allah’s knowledge and that there is no true deity other than Allah.
Do you then surrender to this (which is the very Truth)?’ (Surah Hud, v.11:13-14)
Here one and the same argument has been advanced to prove two things:
Firstly : It is absolutely and undoubtedly True that Allah has revealed the
Qur’an.
Secondly : It proves the truth of the doctrine of Tauhid (Oneness of God).
The argument is this:
Prophet Mohammad said to the disbelievers:
(1) ‘You say that the Qur’an has not been revealed by Allah but has been devised
and invented by myself and ascribed to Him. If your claim had been genuine
you would have been able to invent a book like this in answer to the challenge I
have given you over and over again. As you have failed to do so even with your
combined resources and forces, my claim that is has been revealed with Allah’s
knowledge has been proved absolutely, fully and completely.’
(2) ‘Then there was a two-fold challenge from the Qur’an to your deities but they
utterly failed to meet it. They were challenged to come to your aid and help
produce a book like the Qur’an. As they have not helped you, it is a clear proof
that they are absolutely powerless and have no share at all in Godhead. You
have seen that they have not only failed in this decisive test, but have also
proved to be impotent to defend themselves against the open attacks made on
them in this Book, which asks the people not to worship them, for they have no
share in the powers of Godhead. These things have proved that there is nothing
Divine in them and you have made them your deities without rhythm or
reason.’
Incidentally, this verse shows that chronologically this Surah was revealed earlier
than Surah Yunus. For at first they were challenged in this Surah to bring ten
Surahs like the Surahs of the Qur’an, but they failed to do so. Then in Surah Yunus
they were challenged (verse 10:38) to bring even one Surah like this Qur’an.
(Surah Yunus, v.10:38)
Third challenge in Makkah:

Allah said:
(38) Do they say that the prophet has composed it (Qur’an) himself? Tell them (O
Mohammad!): if what you say be true, then produce one Surah like this, and you
may call to your assistance anyone you can other than Allah. (39) The fact is that
they have denied (on mere conjecture) what was not within the reach of their
knowledge nor had they, as yet, tasted its consequences. Likewise, the people who
went before them declared as false Revelations, but behold, what was the end of
those unjust people! (40) Some of these people will believe in it and others will
not, and your lord knows these mischief-makers. (Surah Yunus, v.10:38-40)
Tell them (O Mohammad!): ‘If what you say be true, then produce one Surah like
this, and you may call to your assistance anyone you can other than Allah.’ In this
verse there is a general misunderstanding that the challenge of the Qur’an to
produce (a book, nay) a Surah like this, is in regard to its eloquent, pure and unique
literary excellence. This has been the natural result of the way in which discussions
have been carried on to prove the miracle of the Qur’an. But the Qur’an is far
above this that it should claim to be a unique and matchless book because of its
excellent diction. There is no doubt at all that it is unique and matchless in this
respect also, but the real basis of its claim and challenge, that no human brain is
capable of producing a book like this, is its subject-matter and teachings. The
Qur’an itself has stated at different places those aspects, which are a sure proof of
its revelation from Allah and the refutation of the false aspersions that it was a
human invention. This has already been explained at appropriate places and will be
explained in the succeeding pages.
Then it has been expressed that: ‘The fact is that they have denied (on mere
conjecture) what was not within the reach of their knowledge nor had they, as yet,
tasted its consequences.’ They could declare the Qur’an as forged on two grounds
only but neither of these existed:
(1) If they had a proof that the Book had not been revealed by Allah, but had been
forged by someone;
(2) That the Truths enunciated in it and the information given in it was false.
But that is why:

(1) No one could say on the basis of true knowledge that the Book had been really
forged and then ascribed to God;
(2) Nor could anyone say that he had peeped behind the curtains of the ‘unseen’
and discovered that there was not One God (as taught in this Book) but many
gods in the heavens;
(3) Nor could anyone assert on the basis of true knowledge that there were no
angels, no Revelations and no God, but these were mere fictions that had been
invented by some fertile imagination;
(4) Nor had anyone witnessed by actually visiting the ‘Hereafter’ that the
information about rewards and punishments was utterly wrong.
But in spite of the lack of any proof to the contrary: they were challenging the
genuineness of the Qur’an with the boldness and impudence of one who had made
thorough research into the matter and proved it to the hilt.
Then it has been expressed regarding those who do not believe in the Qur’an have
been called ‘mischief makers’ because their rejection is to based on any sound
reason but on prejudice and selfishness and because it prevents others from
believing in it. And (O Prophet!), ‘your Lord knows them very well’ because there
is nothing that is hidden from Him.
(1) They can deceive the people that they are rejecting the Qur’an because they are
convinced that it is not the Book of God;
(2) But they cannot deceive Allah that they are doing this with good intentions for
he knows that it is because of their mischief.
(3) They are obdurate and obstinate and are suppressing the voice of their
consciences and hearts.
(4) They deliberately shut their ears and minds against the Truth;
(5) They prefer their worldly interests, their fancies, their lusts and desires to it.
That is why they cannot be regarded as ‘innocent’ sinners, but they are, in fact, the
‘mischief makers’.
Fourth Challenge: In Makkah

Allah said:
(86) O Mohammad! We may, if We so will, take back from you all of what We
have revealed to you: then you will find none to help you in getting it back from
Us. (87) All that you have received is by the favor of your Lord. Indeed His favor
to you is very great. (88) Declare this: Even if human beings and jinn’s should
cooperate with one another to bring forth a book like The Holy Qur’an, they will
never be able to bring anything like it, even though all of them help one another.
(Surah Bani Isra’il, v.17:86-88)
‘All that you have received is by the favor of your Lord. Indeed His favor to you is
very great.’ Though the Holy Prophet apparently addresses these words, they are in
fact meant for the disbelievers who considered the Holy Qur’an to be either the
invention of the Holy prophet himself or of some other man, who secretly taught
him the Qur’an. They are being told that this is the Word of Allah, as if to say, ‘Our
Prophet has not fabricated the Qur’an but We have bestowed this on him, and if We
take it back from him, the prophet has no power to invent such a thing nor has any
other man the power to help the Prophet to present such a miraculous Book.’
‘Even if human beings and jinn’s should cooperate with one another to bring forth
a book like The Holy Qur’an, they will never be able to bring anything like it, even
though all of them help one another.’ This is the fourth challenge to the
disbelievers. This challenge occurs at several other places in the Qur’an:
Fifth challenge : Surah Al-Baqarah, v.2:23-24;
Third challenge : Surah Yunus, v.10:38-39;
Second challenge : Surah Hud, v.11:13-14;
First challenge : Surah At-Tur, v.52:33-34; and
Fourth challenge : Surah Bani Isra’il, v.17:86-88
At all these places, this has been cited as an answer to the charge of the
disbelievers that Mohamad (Allah’s peace be upon him) has himself invented the
Qur’an but is presenting it as Allah’s Word. Besides this, the same has also been
refuted in Surah Yunus, v.10:16
• (O Mohammad!) Say also to them, ‘Had not Allah willed that I should recite the
Qur’an to you, I could not have recited it to you, nor could I have been able to
give you any information about it; already have I lived a lifetime among you
before its revelation. Do you not use your common sense?
Now let us turn the three arguments contained in these verses as a proof that the
Qur’an is the Word of Allah:
(1) The Qur’an is such a miracle in regard to its language, style, arguments,
themes, topics, teachings and prophecies that it is beyond any human power to
produce the like of it, as if to say, ‘You say that a man has invented this Qur’an
but We challenge that even the whole of mankind combined cannot produce a
Book like this Qur’an: nay, even if the Jinns, whom the mushriks (those who
make partners with almighty Allah) worship as deities and whom this Book
openly attacks, should come to the help of the disbelievers, they cannot produce
a Book like this to refute this challenge.’
(2) As regards the charge that Mohammad (Allah’s peace be upon him) has himself
invented this Book (Qur’an), the Qur’an refutes their claim, as if to say,
‘Mohammad is one of you and not a foreigner. He has lived among you for
forty years before the revelation of the Qur’an. Did you ever hear words like
those of the Qur’an from him even a day before his claim of Prophet Hood, or
did you ever hear him discussing themes and problems contained in the
Qur’an? If you consider the matter from this point of view, it will become
obvious to you that the sudden change which has come about in the language,
ideas, information, style and the way of thinking of Mohammad, could not take
place without Divine Guidance.’
(3) ‘Can you not see that after the recital of the Qur’an he does not disappear but
lives among you? You hear other things than the Qur’an from him. Do you not
notice that the distinction between the two different styles of expression is so
obvious that no man can successfully adopt the two styles at one and the same
time?’ The distinction can also be noticed, even today, between the language of
the Qur’an and that of the Traditions of the Holy Prophet. Anyone well versed
in the Arabic language and literature notices the difference, which is so marked
that one, can categorically say that these modes of expression cannot belong to
one and the same person.
Fifth Challenge: in Madinah

The challenge to the disbelievers had been given several times in the Qur’an at
Makkah. It was meant to convince the opponents that the Qur’an is Divine Word
and could not e produced by human mind. Now it was reiterated at Madinah
(23) And if you be in doubt whether the Book We have sent down to Our servant is
from Us or not, then produce, at least, one Surah like this. You may call all your
associates to assist you and avail yourselves of the help of anyone other than Allah.
If you are genuine in your doubt, do this. (24) But if you do not do this, and you
can never do this, and then scare the Fire, which has been prepared for, the
disbelievers and which shall have men and stones for fuel. (Surah Al-Baqarah,
v.2:23-24)
01.03.00
Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of
Muhammad , the Prophet of Islam
The Biblical prophecies on the advent of the Prophet Muhammad are evidence
of the truth of Islam for people who believe in the Bible.
In Deuteronomy 18,
Moses stated that God told him:
“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will
put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him.
If anyone does not listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I
myself will call him to account.” (Deuteronomy 18:18-19). [All of the verses on
this page have been taken from The NIV Study Bible, New International Version,
except where noted as being KJV which means King James Version]
From these verses we conclude that the prophet in this prophecy must have the
following three characteristics:
(1) That he will be like Moses.
(2) That he will come from the brothers of the Israelites, i.e. the Ishmaelite.
(3) That God will put His words in to the mouth of this prophet and that he will
declare what God commands him.
Let us examine these three characteristics in more depth:
(1) A prophet like Moses:

There were hardly any two prophets who were so much alike as Moses and
Muhammad . Both were given a comprehensive law and code of life. Both
encountered their enemies and were victorious in miraculous ways. Both were
accepted as prophets and statesmen. Both migrated following conspiracies to
assassinate them. Analogies between Moses and Jesus overlook not only the above
similarities but other crucial ones as well. These include the natural birth, the
family life, and death of Moses and Muhammad but not of Jesus. Moreover
Jesus was regarded by his followers as the Son of God and not exclusively as a
prophet of God, as Moses and Muhammad were and as Muslims believe Jesus
was. So, this prophecy refers to the Prophet Muhammad and not to Jesus,
because Muhammad is more like Moses than Jesus.
Also, one notices from the Gospel of John that the Jews were waiting for the
fulfillment of three distinct prophecies. The first was the coming of Christ. The
second was the coming of Elijah. The third was the coming of the Prophet. This is
obvious from the three questions that were posed to John the Baptist:
“Now this was John’s testimony, when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and
Levites to ask him who he was. He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely,
“I am not the Christ.” They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you
Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.”
(John 1:19-21).
If we look in a Bible with cross-references, we will find in the marginal notes

where the words “the Prophet” occur in John 1:21 that these words refer to the
prophecy of Deuteronomy 18:15 and 18:18.* We conclude from this that Jesus
Christ is not the prophet mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:18. [*See the marginal
notes in The NIV Study Bible, New International Version on verse 1:21, p. 1594]
(2) From the brothers of the Israelites:

Abraham had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac (Genesis 21). Ishmael became the
grandfather of the Arab nation, and Isaac became the grandfather of the Jewish
nation. The prophet spoken of was not to come from among the Jews themselves,
but from among their brothers, i.e. the Ishmaelite. Muhammad , a descendant of
Ishmael, is indeed this prophet.
Also, Isaiah 42:1-13 speaks of the servant of God, His “chosen one” and
“messenger” who will bring down a law. “He will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.”
(Isaiah 42:4). Verse 11 connects that awaited one with the descendants of Kedar.
Who is Kedar? According to Genesis 25:13, Kedar was the second son of
Ishmael, the ancestor of the Prophet Muhammad .
(3) God will put His words

in the mouth of this prophet:
The words of God (the Holy Qur’an) were truly put into Muhammad’s mouth.
God sent the Angel Gabriel to teach Muhammad the exact words of God (the
Holy Qur’an) and asked him to dictate them to the people as he heard them. The
words are therefore not his own. They did not come from his own thoughts, but
were put into his mouth by the Angel Gabriel. During the life time of
Muhammad , and under his supervision, these words were then memorized and
written by his companions.
Also, this prophecy in Deuteronomy mentioned that this prophet will speak the
words of God in the name of God. If we looked to the Holy Qur’an, we will find
that all its chapters, except Chapter 9, are preceded or begin with the phrase, “In
the Name of God, the Most Gracious, and the Most Merciful.”
Another indication (other than the prophecy in Deuteronomy) is that Isaiah ties
the messenger connected with Kedar with a new song (a scripture in a new
language) to be sung to the Lord (Isaiah 42:10-11).
This is mentioned more clearly in the prophecy of Isaiah: “and another tongue,
will he speak to this people” (Isaiah 28:11 KJV).
Another related point, is that the Qur’an was revealed in sections over a span of
twenty-three years. It is interesting to compare this with Isaiah 28 which speaks of
the same thing, “For it is: Do and do, do and do, rule on rule, rule on rule; a
little here, a little there.” (Isaiah 28:10).
Note that God has said in the prophecy of Deuteronomy 18, “If anyone does not
listen to my words that the prophet speaks in my name, I myself will call him
to account.” (Deuteronomy, 18:19).
This means that whoever believes in the Bible must believe in what this prophet
says, and this prophet is the Prophet Muhammad.
01.04.00
The Verses in the Qur’an That Mention Future
Events Which Later Came to Pass
One example of the events foretold in the Qur’an is the victory of the Romans over
the Persians within three to nine years after the Romans were defeated by the
Persians. God has said in the Qur’an:
The Romans have been defeated in the nearest land (to the Arabian
Peninsula), and they, after their defeat, will be victorious within bed’ (three to
nine) years.... (Qur’an, 30:2-4)
Let’s see what other commentators say:
(30:2) The Romans have been defeated, (30:3) in the neighboring land; *1 but
after their defeat they shall gain victory in a few years.
*1 from what lbn Àbbas and the other Companions and their followers have said,
it appears that the Muslims' sympathies in this war between Byzantium and Iran
were with Byzantium and of the disbelievers of Makkah with Iran. This had several
reasons:
First: The Iranians had given it the color of a crusade between Magianism and
Christianity, and, apart from the object of political conquest, they were making it a
means of spreading Magianism. In the letter that Khusrau Parvez wrote to the
Emperor Heraclius after the conquest of Jerusalem, he had clearly mentioned his
victory as a proof of the truth of Magianism. In principle, the Magian creed
resembled the polytheistic creed of the people of Makkah, because the Magis too,
were disbelievers of Tawhid they believed in two gods and worshipped the fire.
That is why the mushriks of Makkah were in sympathy with them. Contrary to
them, the Christians, however corrupted their monotheism might be, still regarded
belief in One God as the basis of religion, believed in the Hereafter and admitted
Revelation and Prophet hood as the source of guidance. Thus, their religion in
principle resembled Islam, and therefore, the Muslims were naturally in sympathy
with them, and could not like that a polytheistic people should dominate them.
Secondly: The people who believe in a previous Prophet before the advent of a
new Prophet are naturally regarded and counted as Muslims until the message of
the new Prophet reaches them and they clearly discard it. (For more explanation
Please see E.N. 73 of Surah Al-Qasas, Towards Understanding the Qur’an : Sayyid
Abul A’ala Mawdudi).
At that time only five to six years had passed since the Holy Prophet's advent as a
Prophet and his message had not yet reached outside Arabia. Therefore, the
Muslims did not look upon the Christians as disbelievers, but they certainly
regarded the Jews as disbelievers because they had rejected the Prophet Jesus (May
peace be upon him) to be a Prophet.
Thirdly: The Christians from the very beginning had been treating the Muslims
with sympathy as already mentioned above in Al-Qasas: 52-55, and in Al-Ma'idah:
82-85, and many of them were even accepting the message of the Truth with an
open heart. Then, the way the Christian king of Habash had given refuge to the
Muslims on their migration there and turned down the demand of the disbelievers
of Makkah to return them, also required that the Muslims should wish the
Christians well as against the Magians. [Surah Ar-Rum, 30:2-3, E.N.1, Towards
Understanding the Qur’an : Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
Let us see what history tells us about these wars.

A book entitled History of the Byzantine State says that the Roman army was
badly defeated at Antioch in 613, and as a result, the Persians swiftly pushed
forward on all fronts. [History of the Byzantine State, Ostrogorsky, p. 95]
At that time, it was hard to imagine that the Romans would defeat the Persians, but
the Qur’an foretold that the Romans would be victorious within three to nine
years. In 622, nine years after the Romans’ defeat, the two forces (Romans and
Persians) met on Armenian soil, and the result was the decisive victory of the
Romans over the Persians, for the first time after the Romans’ defeat in
613. [History of the Byzantine State, Ostrogorsky, pp. 100-101, and History of
Persia, Sykes, vol. 1, pp. 483-484. Also see The New Encyclopedia Britannica,
Micropaedia vol. 4, p.1036]
The prophecy was fulfilled just as God has said in the Qur’an.
There are also many other verses in the Qur’an and sayings of the Prophet
Muhammad that mention future events which later came to pass.
01.05.00:
Miracles Performed
by the Prophet Muhammad
Many miracles were performed by the Prophet Muhammad by God’s
permission. These miracles were witnessed by many people. For example:
• When the unbelievers in Makkah asked the Prophet Muhammad to show

them a miracle, he showed them the splitting of the moon. [Narrated in Saheeh
Al-Bukhari, #3637, and Saheeh Muslim, #2802]
• Another miracle was the flowing of water through Muhammad’s fingers

when his companions got thirsty and had no water except a little in a vessel.
They came to him and told him that they had no water to make ablution or to
drink except for what was in the vessel. So, Muhammad put his hand in the
vessel, and the water started gushing out between his fingers. So, they drank
and made ablution. They were one thousand five hundred companions.
[Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3576, and Saheeh Muslim, #1856]
There were also many other miracles that were performed by him or which
happened to him.
01.06.00
The Simple Life of Muhammad
If we compare the life of Muhammad before his mission as a prophet and his
life after he began his mission as a prophet, we will conclude that it is beyond
reason to think that Muhammad was a false prophet, who claimed prophet hood
to attain material gains, greatness, glory, or power.
Before his mission as a prophet, Muhammad had no financial worries. As a

successful and reputed merchant, Muhammad drew a satisfactory and
comfortable income. After his mission as a prophet and because of it, he became
worse off materially. To clarify this more, let us browse the following sayings on
his life:
• Aa’isha, Muhammad’s wife, said, “O my nephew, we would sight three new

moons in two months without lighting a fire (to cook a meal) in the
Prophet’s houses.” Her nephew asked, “O Aunt, what sustained you?” She
said, “The two black things, dates and water, but the Prophet had some
Ansar neighbors who had milk-giving she-camels and they used to send the
Prophet some of its milk.” [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2972, and Saheeh
Al-Bukhari, #2567]
• Sahl Ibn Sa’ad, one of Muhammad’s companions, said, “The Prophet of

God did not see bread made from fine flour from the time God sent him (as
a prophet) until he died.” [Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5413, and Al-
Tirmizi, #2364]
• Aa’isha, Muhammad’s wife, said, “The mattress of the Prophet , on

which he slept, was made of leather stuffed with the fiber of the date-palm
tree.” [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2082, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6456]
• Amr Ibn Al-Hareth, one of Muhammad’s companions, said that when the
Prophet died, he left neither money nor anything else except his white riding
mule, his arms, and a piece of land which he left to charity. [Narrated in Saheeh
Al-Bukhari, #2739, and Mosnad Ahmad, #17990]
Muhammad lived this hard life till he died although the Muslim treasury was at
his disposal, the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula was Muslim before he died,
and the Muslims were victorious after eighteen years of his mission.
Is it possible that Muhammad might have claimed prophethood in order to
attain status, greatness, and power? The desire to enjoy status and power is usually
associated with good food, fancy clothing, monumental palaces, colorful guards,
and indisputable authority. Do any of these indicators apply to Muhammad ? A
few glimpses of his life that may help answer this question follow.
Despite his responsibilities as a prophet, a teacher, a statesman, and a judge,

Muhammad used:
(a) To milk his goat, [Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, #25662]
(b) Mend his clothes,
(c) Repair his shoes, [Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, and Mosnad Ahmad,
#25517]
(d) Help with the household work, [Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #676, and
Mosnad Ahmad, #23706]
(e) And visit poor people when they got sick. [Narrated in Mowatta’ Malek, #531]
(f) He also helped his companions in digging a trench by moving sand with them.
[Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3034, and Saheeh Muslim, #1803, and
His life was an amazing model of simplicity and humbleness.
Muhammad’s followers loved him, respected him, and trusted him to an

amazing extent. Yet he continued to emphasize that deification should be directed
to God and not to him personally. Anas, one of Muhammad’s companions, said
that there was no person whom they loved more than the Prophet Muhammad ,
yet when he came to them, they did not stand up for him because he hated their
standing up for him,* as other people do with their great people. [*Narrated in
Mosnad Ahmad, #12117, and Al-Tirmizi, #2754]
Long before there was any prospect of success for Islam and at the outset of a long
and painful era of torture, suffering, and persecution of Muhammad and his
followers, he received an interesting offer. An envoy of the pagan leaders, Otba,
came to him saying, “...If you want money, we will collect enough money for you
so that you will be the richest one of us. If you want leadership, we will take you
as our leader and never decide on any matter without your approval. If you want a
kingdom, we will crown you king over us...” Only one concession was required
from Muhammad in return for that, to give up calling people to Islam and
worshipping God alone without any partner. Wouldn’t this offer be tempting to
one pursuing worldly benefit? Was Muhammad hesitant when the offer was
made? Did he turn it down as a bargaining strategy leaving the door open for a
better offer? The following was his answer: {In the Name of God, the Most
Gracious, the Most Merciful} And he recited to Otba the verses of the Qur’an
41:1-38. [Al-Serah Al-Nabaweyyah, Ibn Hesham, vol. 1, pp. 293-294]
The Following are some of these verses:

A revelation from (God), the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful; a Book
whereof the verses are explained in detail; a Qur’an in Arabic, for people who
know, giving good news and warning, yet most of them turn away, so they do
not listen. (Qur’an, 41:2-4)
On another occasion and in response to his uncle’s plea to stop calling people to
Islam, Muhammad’s answer was as decisive and sincere:
I swear by the name of God, O Uncle!, that if they place the sun in my right-
hand and the moon in my left-hand in return for giving up this matter (calling
people to Islam), I will never desist until either God makes it triumph or I
perish defending it. [Al-Serah Al-Nabaweyyah, Ibn Hesham, vol. 1, pp. 265-266]
Muhammad and his few followers did not only suffer from persecution for
thirteen years but the unbelievers even tried to kill Muhammad several times.
On one occasion they attempted to kill him by dropping a large boulder, which
could barely be lifted, on his head. [Al-Serah Al-Nabaweyyah, Ibn Hesham, vol. 1,
pp. 298-299]
Another time they tried to kill him by poisoning his food. [Narrated in Al-
Daremey, #68, and Abu-Dawood, #4510]
What could justify such a life of suffering and sacrifice even after he was fully
triumphant over his adversaries? What could explain the humbleness and nobility
which he demonstrated in his most glorious moments when he insisted that success
is due only to God’s help and not to his own genius? Are these the characteristics
of a power-hungry or a self-centered man?
01.07.00
The Phenomenal Growth of Islam
At the end of this chapter, it may be appropriate to point out an important
indication of the truth of Islam. It is well known that in the USA and the whole
world, Islam is the fastest-growing religion. The following are some observations
on this phenomenon:
• “Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of stability

for many of our people...” (Hillary Rodham Clinton, Los Angeles Times). [Larry
B. Stammer, Times Religion Writer, “First Lady Breaks Ground With
Muslims,” Los Angeles Times, Home Edition, Metro Section, Part B, May 31,
1996, p. 3]
• “Moslems are the world’s fastest-growing group...” (The Population Reference
Bureau, USA Today). [Timothy Kenny, “Elsewhere in the World,” USA Today,
Final Edition, News Section, February 17, 1989, p. 4A]
• “....Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the country.” (Geraldine Baum;
Newsday Religion Writer, Newsday). [Geraldine Baum, “For Love of Allah,”
Newsday, Nassau and Suffolk Edition, Part II, March 7, 1989, p. 4]
• “Islam, the fastest-growing religion in the United States...” (Ari L. Goldman,
New York Times). [Ari L. Goldman, “Mainstream Islam Rapidly Embraced By
Black Americans,” New York Times, Late City Final Edition, February 21,
1989, p.1]
This phenomenon indicates that Islam is truly a religion from God. It is

unreasonable to think that so many Americans and people from different countries
have converted to Islam without careful consideration and deep contemplation
before concluding that Islam is true. These converts have come from different
countries, classes, races, and walks of life. They include scientists, professors,
philosophers, journalists, politicians, actors, and athletes. (To read the stories of
people who have converted to Islam, please visit the links at Stories of New
Muslims.)
The points mentioned in this chapter constitute only some of the evidence
supporting the belief that the Qur’an is the literal word of God that Muhammad
is truly a prophet sent by God, and that Islam is truly a religion from God.
02.00.00
Some Benefits of Islam
Islam provides many benefits for the individual and the society. This chapter
mentions some of the benefits gained through Islam for the individual.
02.01.00
The Door to Eternal Paradise
(2:25) And give good news (O Muhammad), to those who believe in this Book
and do good deeds (in accordance with its teachings). For them there will be
gardens underneath which canals flow. Their fruits will so resemble the fruits on
the Earth that every time they will be provided with fruits, they will say, "Such
fruits were provided to us before on the Earth *26." And there will be pure
spouses *27 for them and therein they will live forever. [Surah Al-Baqarah;
Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Sayyid Abul A’ala Mawdudi]
*26. The fruits of Paradise will not be as exotic in appearance as to be unfamiliar to
people. They will resemble the fruits to which human beings are accustomed in this
world, though infinitely excelling them in delicacy of taste. In appearance they may
resemble, say mangoes, pomegranates and oranges, and the people of Paradise will be
able to identify them as such. In taste, however, there will be no comparison between
the terrestrial and heavenly fruits.
*27. The Qur'anic text has the Arabic word azwaj which means 'spouses' or 'couples',
and embraces both husband and wife. The husband is the zawj of his wife, and vice
versa. In the Next World, however, this relationship of spouses will be qualified by
purity. If a man has been virtuous in this world while his wife has not, their relationship
in the Next World will be sundered and the man will receive another spouse who will be
pure and virtuous. On the other hand, if a virtuous woman has had an evil husband she
will be tied in companionship with a virtuous man. Where husband and wife have both
been virtuous their relationship will become everlasting.
God has also said:

(57:21) So vie with one another *37 in seeking to attain your Lord’s
forgiveness and a Garden whose width is as the width of the heaven and the
earth, *38 one which has been prepared for those who believe in Allah and His
Messengers. That is Allah’s bounty which He bestows upon those whom He
pleases. Allah is the Lord of abounding bounty. [Surah Al-Hadid; Towards
*37 Musabagat (from which sabiqu of the original is derived) means to compete and vie
with each other in order to excel. The meaning is: "Give up your rivalries with one
another for amassing wealth, and pleasures and benefits, of the world and instead make
the forgiveness of your Lord and Paradise the object of your struggle and rivalries.'
*38 Some commentators have taken the word ard in 'arduha ka- 'ard-is- sama '-I wal-ard
in the sense of breadth, but actually this word has been used here in the meaning of
spaciousness and extensiveness. In Arabic the word ard is not only used for breadth, as a
counterpart of length, but also for spaciousness, as it has been used in Ha Mim As-
Sajdah: 51: fa-dhu du'a in 'arid: "Then he is full of wordy supplications." Besides, one
should also understand that the object here is not to foretell the area or extent of Paradise,
but to give an idea of its vastness and extensiveness. Here its vastness has been described
as the vastness of the heaven and earth, and in Surah Al-'Imran it has been said: "Hasten
to follow the path that leads to your Lord's forgiveness and to Paradise whose vastness is
that of the universe, which has been prepared for the righteous "' (v.3:133) When both
these verses are read together, one gets the idea that the; gardens and palaces man will
receive in Paradise will only serve as his dwelling-place t but the entire universe will be
his home He will not be restricted to one place as be is in this world, where just for
reaching the Moon, his nearest neighbor in space, he has had to struggle hard for years
and expend excessive resources only to overcome the difficulties of a short journey.
There the whole universe will be accessible to him: he will be able to see whatever he
would desire from his station and be able to visit whichever place he would like easily.
The Prophet Muhammad told us that the lowest in rank among the dwellers of
Paradise will have ten times the like of this world, [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim,
#186, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6571]
And he or she will have whatever he or she desires and ten times like it. [Narrated
in Saheeh Muslim, #188, and Mosnad Ahmad, #10832]
Also, the Prophet Muhammad said:

A space in Paradise equivalent to the size of a foot would be better than the world
and what is in it. [Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6568, and Mosnad Ahmad,
#13368]
He also said: In Paradise there are things which no eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no human mind has thought of. [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2825, and
He also said: The most miserable man in the world of those meant for Paradise will
be dipped once in Paradise. Then he will be asked, “Son of Adam, did you ever
face any misery? Did you ever experience any hardship?” So he will say, “No, by
God, O Lord! I never faced any misery, and I never experienced any hardship.”
[Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2807, and Mosnad Ahmad, #12699]
If you enter Paradise, you will live a very happy life without sickness, pain,
sadness, or death; God will be pleased with you; and you will live there forever.
But those who believe and do good deeds, We will admit them to gardens
(Paradise) in which rivers flow, lasting in them forever. There they shall have
spouses purified and there We shall cause them to enter a shelter with
plenteous shade. (Surah An-Nisa, v.4:57)
02.02.00
Salvation from Hellfire
Those who have disbelieved and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would
not be accepted from any of them if one offered it as a ransom. They will have
a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers. (Qur’an, 3:91)
So, this life is our only chance to win Paradise and to escape from Hellfire, because
if someone dies in disbelief, he will not have another chance to come back to this
world to believe. As God has said in the Quran about what is going to happen for
the unbelievers on the Day of Judgment:
If you could but see when they are set before the Fire (Hell) and say, “Would
that we might return (to the world)! Then we would not reject the verses of
our Lord, but we would be of the believers!” (Qur’an, 6:27)
But no one will have this second opportunity.
The Prophet Muhammad said:

The happiest man in the world of those doomed to the Fire (Hell) on the Day of
Judgment will be dipped in the Fire once. Then he will be asked, “Son of Adam,
did you ever see any good? Did you ever experience any blessing?” So he will
say, “No, by God, O Lord!” [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2807, and Mosnad
Ahmad, #12699]
02.03.00
Real Happiness
and Inner Peace
Real happiness and peace can be found in submitting to the commands of the
Creator and the Sustainer of this world.
13:28 Those who believed and whose hearts find rest in the remembrance of
Allah. Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest. [Surah Ar-
Ra’ad, Tafsir Ibn Kathir]
On the other hand, the one who turns away from the Qur’an will have a life of
hardship in this world. God has said:
But whoever turns away from the Qur’an,* he will have a hard life, and We
will raise him up blind on the Day of Judgment. (Qur’an, 20:124) [*i.e. neither
believes in the Qur’an nor acts on its orders]
This may explain why some people commit suicide while they enjoy the material
comfort money can buy. For example, look at Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam),
formerly a famous pop singer who used to earn sometimes more than $150,000 a
night. After he converted to Islam, he found true happiness and peace, which he
had not found in material success. [The present mailing address of Cat Stevens
(Yusuf Islam), in case you would like to ask him about his feelings after he
converted to Islam, is: 2 Digs well Street, London N7 8JX, United Kingdom.]
02.04.00
Forgiveness for All Previous Sins
When someone converts to Islam, God forgives all of his previous sins and evil
deeds.
A man called Amr came to the Prophet Muhammad and said, “Give me your
right hand so that I may give you my pledge of loyalty.” The Prophet stretched
out his right hand. Amr withdrew his hand. The Prophet said: What has
happened to you, O Amr? He replied, “I intend to lay down a condition.” The

Prophet asked: What condition do you intend to put forward? Amr said, “That
God forgive my sins.” The Prophet said: Didn’t you know that converting to
Islam erases all previous sins? [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #121, and Mosnad
Ahmad, #17357]
After converting to Islam, the person will be rewarded for his or her good and bad
deeds according to the following saying of the Prophet Muhammad :
Your Lord, Who is blessed and exalted, is most merciful. If someone intends to do
a good deed but does not do it, a good deed will be recorded for him. And if he
does do it, (a reward of) ten to seven hundred or many more times (the reward of
the good deed), will be recorded for him. And if someone intends to do a bad deed
but does not do it, a good deed will be recorded for him. And if he does do it, a
bad deed will be recorded against him or God will wipe it out. [Narrated in
Mosnad Ahmad, #2515, and Saheeh Muslim, #131]
03.00.00
General Information on Islam
03.01.00
What Is Islam?
The religion of Islam is the acceptance of and obedience to the teachings of God
which He revealed to His last prophet, Muhammad .
Islam is not a new religion, but the same truth that God revealed through all His
prophets to every people. For a fifth of the world's population, Islam is both a
religion and a complete way of life. Muslims follow a religion of peace, mercy, and
forgiveness, and the majority has nothing to do with the extremely grave events,
which have come to be associated with their faith. [Source: www.alim.org ]
03.01.01
What does Islam mean?
In Arabic, when a warrior lays down his arms and surrenders because he knows he
is defeated, we use the verb "aslama", which means "he submits." The word
"Islam" comes from this verb and means "submission."
So, in the widest sense, Islam means the religion of submission to God. A Muslim
catechism says, "Islam is submission to God with all our being, with all our senses,
with all our organs: the hands, the feet, the ears, the tongue, the stomach and the
sexual organs. It is the submission of the inner life of each of us". (Cf. Qur'an: 2
Baqara 106/112).
But in particular, we use the word Islam to indicate all the belief and practices of
the religion, of which Muhammad is the Prophet and the Qur'an the sacred
scripture.
The Arabic word Islam simply means 'submission', and derives from a word
meaning 'peace'. In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of
God. 'Mohammedanism' is thus a misnomer because it suggests that Muslims
worship Muhammad (peace be upon him) rather than God. 'Allah' is the Arabic
name for God, which is used by Arab Muslims and Christians alike.
[Source: www.alim.org ]
Islam means submission, obedience, surrender and compliance with the command
and prohibition of the commander without objections. Allah has named the true
religion, ‘Islam’ for it is an obedience to him, submission to His Commands
without any resistance, purifying acts of worship for Him, believing in His words
and having faith in Him. Islam then became a proper name for the religion brought
by Muhammad {P.B.U.H}. [Yasser Gabr & Houda Karkour, Saudi Arabia]
‘Islam’ is an Arabic word and connotes submission, surrender, and obedience as a

religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to Allah and that is
why it is called ‘ISLAM’.
Everyone can see that the universe we live in is an orderly universe. There is law
and order among all the units that comprise this universe. Everything is assigned a
place in a grand scheme, which is working in a magnificent and superb way. The
sun, the moon, the stars and in fact all the heavenly bodies are knit together in a
splendid system. They follow an unalterable law and do not make even the
slightest deviation from their ordained course. The earth rotates on its own axis and
in its revolution round the sun scrupulously follows the path laid down for it.
Similarly, everything in the world, from the little whirling electron to the mighty
nebulae, invariably follows its own laws. Matter energy, and life-all obey their
laws and grow and change and live and die in accordance with those laws. EVEN
in the human world the laws of nature are quite manifest. Man's birth, growth, and
life are all regulated by a set of biological laws. He derives sustenance from nature
in.
Accordance with an unalterable law All the organs of his body from the small
tissues to the heart and the brain are governed by the laws prescribed for them. In
Short, ours is a law-governed universe and everything in it is following the course
that has been ordained for it. This powerful, all-pervasive law, which governs all
that comprises the universe, from the tiniest specks of dust to the magnificent
galaxies in high heavens, is the law of God, the creator and ruler of the universe.
As the entire creation obeys the law of God, the whole universe, therefore, literally
follows the religion of Islam-for Islam signifies nothing but obedience and
submission to Allah, the Lord of the universe. The sun, the moon, the earth, and all
other heavenly bodies are thus ‘Muslim’. So is the case with air, water, and heat,
stones, trees, and animals. Everything in the universe is ‘Muslim’ for it obeys God
by submission to his laws. Even a man who refuses to believe in God, or offers his
worship to someone other than Allah has perforce to be a ‘Muslim’ as far as his
bodily existence is concerned. For his entire life, from the embryonic stage to the
body’s dissolution info dust after death and every tissue of his muscles and every
limb of his body follow the course prescribed for each by God’s law. His very
tongue which on account of his ignorance, advocates the denial of God or
professes multiple deities, is in its very nature a ‘Muslim’. His head which he
wantonly bows to other besides Allah is a born Muslim. His heart, wherein,
through his lack of true knowledge, he cherishes love and reverence for others, is
‘Muslim’ by intuition. These are all obedient to the divine Law, and their functions
and movements are governed by the injunctions of that law alone. This, in short, is
the real position of man and the universe. Let us now examine the problem in a
different light.
Man is so constituted that there are two aspects of his life: two distinct spheres of
his activity. One is the sphere in which he finds himself totally regulated by the
Divine Law. He cannot budge an inch or move a step away from it. Nor can he
evade it in any way or from. In fact, like other creatures, he is completely caught in
the grip of the law of nature and is bound to follow it. But there is another sphere
of his activity as well. He has been endowed with reason and intellect. He has the
power to think and form judgments, to choose and reject, and to adopt and spurn.
He is free to adopt whatever course of life chooses. He can embrace any faith,
adopt any way of life and formulate his living according to whatever ideologies he
likes. He may prepare his own code of conduct or accept one formulated by others.
He has been bestowed with free will and can chalk out his own course of behavior.
In this latter aspect, he, unlike the other creatures, has been given freedom of
thought, choice, and action. [Towards Understanding Islam:Sayyid Abul A’ala
Mawdudi]
03.01.02
How do we know Islam is the truth?
We know ‘Islam is the truth’ in the following ways:
(1) It is the only religion that holds Allah as One, Unique, and Perfect.
(2) It is the only religion that believes in the sole worship of Allah, not Jesus, not
an idol, and not an angel, only Allah.
(3) The Qur’an does not contain contradictions.
(4) The Qur’an contains scientific facts, which are 1300 years ahead of their time.
The Qur’an, while revealed 1400 years ago contains scientific facts, which are
only now being discovered. It is not in contradiction to science.
(5) Allah has challenged the world to produce the like of the Qur’an. And He says
they won't be able to.
(6) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the most influential man in
history. In the book "The 100 most influential men in History", written by non-
Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was #1. Prophet Jesus
(peace be upon him) was #3. It should be noted that even the Prophet Jesus
(peace be upon him) was a prophet sent by Allah. Would Allah allow a false
prophet to be so successful? No. Even the Bible refers to this in Deuteronomy
18:19. A false prophet would die!!! Yet Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him) did not die till he completely conveyed, and taught Allah's religion.
(7) He had many prophecies, and all of his prophecies have come true, or are still
coming true. [Source: www.sultan.org ]
03.01.03
Why does Islam often seem strange?
Islam may seem exotic or even extreme in the modern world. Perhaps this is
because religion does not dominate everyday life in the West today, whereas
Muslims have religion always uppermost in their minds, and make no division
between secular and sacred. They believe that the Divine Law, the Shari'a, should
be taken very seriously, which is why issues related to religion are still so
important. [Source: www.alim.org ]
03.01
Faith and Obedience
ISLAM means obedience to God. And it is a matter of common sense that this
obedience cannot ensure in full measure unless man knows certain basic facts of
live and reposes firm faith in them. What are those facts? And what are the primary
essentials, which a man must know to fashion his life, in accordance with the
Divine Way? This we propose to discuss here.
First of all, one should have unshakable belief in the existence of God, for unless a
man has a firm and unalloyed faith in God’s existence, how can he render
obedience to Him?
Then one must know the attributes of God. It is the knowledge of the attributes of
God, which enables man to cultivate in him the nobles of human qualities and to
fashion his life in virtue and godliness. If a man dose not know that there is one
and only one God Who is the Creator, the ruler, and the Sustainer of the universe
and there is none else to share with Him even a shred of the Divine power and
authority, he may fall a prey to false god’s and offer his homage to them solicit
their favor. But if he knows the divine attribute of tawhid (oneness of God), there is
not the least possibility of his falling a prey to this illusion. Similarly, if a man
knows that God is omnipresent and omniscient and He sees, hears, and knows
everything that we do in public or in private-nay, even our unexpressed thoughts!-
then how can he afford to be indulgent and disobedient to God? He will feel that he
is under eternal vigil and will, therefore, behave in the most appropriate way. But
he who is not aware of these attributes of God may be misled, because of his
ignorance, into God’s disobedience. So is the case with all other attributes of God.
the fact is that the qualities and attributes which a man must possess, if he wants to
pursue the way of Islam, can be cultivated and developed only out of profound
knowledge of the attributes of God. It is the knowledge of God’s attributes, which
purifies a man’s mind and soul, his beliefs, morals, and actions. And a mere
cursory acquaintance with or just an academic knowledge of these attributes is not
sufficient for the task ahead-there must be an unflinching conviction firmly rooted
in the mind and heart of man so that he may remain immune from insidious doubts
and perversions.
Moreover, one must know in detail the way of living by following which one can
seek the pleasure of God. Unless a man knows the likes and dislikes of God, how
can he choose and adopt the one and reject the other? If a man has no knowledge
of the Divine Law, how can he follow it? Thus the knowledge of the Divine Law
and the Revealed code of Life are also extremely essential in this respect.
But here, again, mere knowledge will not suffice. Man must have full confidence
and conviction that it is the Divine Law and that his salvation lies in following this
code alone. For knowledge without this conviction will fail to spur man to the
Right Path and he may be lost in the blind alley of disobedience.
Finally, one must also know the consequence of be-life and obedience and those of
disbelief and disobedience. He must know what blessings would be showered upon
him if he chooses God’s way and leads a life of purity, virtue, and obedience. And
he must also know what evil and harrowing consequences would follow if he
adopts the way of disobedience and revolt. Thus the knowledge of life after death
is absolutely essential for this purpose. Man must have an unwavering belief in the
fact that death does not mean the end of life; that there will be resurrection and he
will be brought to the highest court of justice, to be presided over by God Himself;
that on the Day of Judgment complete justice will prevail; and that good deeds will
be rewarded and misdeeds punished. Everybody will get his due and there is no
escape. This is bound to happen. This sense of responsibility and accountability is
quite essential for the full-fledged obedience of the Law of God.
A man who has no knowledge of the world to come may consider obedience and
disobedience quite immaterial. He may think that the obedient and the disobedient
will both meet a similar end: for, after death both will be reduced to mere dust.
With this attitude of mind, how can he be expected to submit to all the
inconveniences and troubles that are inextricably associated with the life of active
obedience, and shun those sins the commission of which does not apparently bring
to him any moral or material loss in this world? With this mental attitude a man
cannot acknowledge and submit to God’s Law.
Nor can a man, who lacks firm belief in the life hereafter and in the Divine Court
of Judgment, remain firm and steadfast in the turbulent waters of life with its
attraction or sin, crime and evil; for doubt and hesitancy rob a man of his will to
action. You can remain firm in your behavior only if you are firm in your beliefs if
you carry a wavering mind you cannot remain firm and steadfast. You can whole-
heartedly follow a course only if you are sure of the benefits that will accrue to you
by following it and of the losses and grievances that will engulf you if you disobey
it. Thus, a profound know-ledge of the consequences of belief and disbelief and of
the life after death is extremely necessary for canalizing life into God’s obedience.
These are the essential facts which one must know if one wants to live the life of
obedience, i.e. Islam. [Towards Understanding Islam : Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
03.01.05
Faith : What does it mean?
Faith is what we have described in the foregoing discussion as ‘Knowledge and
belief’. The Arabic word Imaan, which we have rendered in English as faith,
literally means ‘to know’, ‘to believe’, and ‘to be convinced beyond the least
shadow of doubt’. Faith, thus, is firm belief arising out of knowledge and
conviction. And the man who knows and reposes unshakable belief in the unity of
God, in His Attributes, in His Law and the Revealed Guidance, and in the Divine
code of Reward and punishment is called Mu’min (faithful). This faith invariably
leads man to a life of obedience and submission to the will of God. And one who
lives this life of submission is known as Muslim.
This should clearly bring home the fact that without faith (Imaan) no man can be a
true Muslim. It is the indispensable essential; rather, the very starting point,
without which any beginning can be made. The relation of Islam to Imaan is the
same as of a tree to its seed. As a tree cannot sprout forth without its seed, in the
same way it is not possible for a man, who has no belief to start with, to become a
‘Muslim’. On the other hand, just as it can happen that, in spite of sowing the seed,
the tree may not grow for a multiple of reasons, or if it sprouts, its growth may be
impaired or retarded, in the same way, a man may have faith, but due to a number
of weaknesses, he may not become a true and staunch Muslim. Thus we find that
faith is the starting point and leads man to the life of submission to God, and that a
man cannot become a Muslim without faith. On the contrary, it is possible that a
man may have faith but, because of the weakness of his will power, poor training,
or bad company, he may not be living the life of a true Muslim. As such, from the
viewpoint of Islam and Imaan, all men may be classified into four categories:
(a) Those who have firm faith-a faith that makes them absolutely and whole-
heartedly submit to God. They follow the way of God and devote themselves
heart and soul to seek His pleasure by doing all that He likes and by avoiding
all that He dislikes. In their devotion they are even more fervent that is the
common man in pursuit of wealth and glory. Such men are true Muslim.
(b) Those who do have faith, who believe in God, His Law and the Day of
Judgment, but whose faith is not deep and strong enough to make them totally
submit to God. They are far below the rank of true Muslims deserve
punishment for their defaulted and misdeeds, but still they are Muslim. They
are defaulters and wrongdoers but not rebels. They acknowledge the Sovereign
and His Law and, although they are violating the Law, they have not revolted
against the Sovereign. They admit its supremacy and their own guilt. Thus they
are guilty and deserve punishment, but Muslims they remain.
(c) Those that do not possess faith at all, these people refuse to acknowledge the
sovereignty of God and are rebels. Even if their conduct is not bad and even if
they are not spreading corruption and violence, they remain rebels and their
apparent good deeds are of little value. Such men are like the outlaws. And as,
even if any action of an outlaws is in consonance with the law of the land, he
does not become a loyal and obedient citizen, in the same way the apparent
good of those who revolt against God cannot compensate for the gravity of the
real wrong, revolt, and disobedience.
(d) Those who neither possess faith nor do good deeds. They spread disorder in the
world and perpetrate all kinds of violence and oppression. They are the worst of
the people; for they are rebels as well as the wrongdoers and criminals.
The above classification of mankind clearly shows that the real success and
salvation of man depends on Imaan (faith). The life of obedience (Islam) takes its
birth from the seed of Imaan. This Islam of a person may be flawless or defective.
But without Imaan there can be no Islam. Where there is no Imaan there is no
Islam.
Where there is no Islam there is Kufr. Its form and nature may be different, but in
any way it would be Kufr and nothing but Kufr.
This brings home the importance of Imaan vis-à-vis life of true and total
submission to God? [Towards Understanding Islam : Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
03.01.06
How to acquire the knowledge of God?
Now the question arises: How to acquire the knowledge and belief in God, His
attributes, His Law, and the Day of Judgment?
We have already referred to countless manifestations of God around us and in our

own selves, which bear witness to the fact that there is one and only one creator
and Governor of this universe and it is He Who controls and directs it. These
witnesses reflect the divine attributes of the creator: His great wisdom, His all-
embracing knowledge, His omnipotence, His mercy, His all-sustaining power, His
force major-in short, His attributes can be traced everywhere in His work. But
man’s intellect and his capacity to attain knowledge have erred in observing and
understanding them. These are all manifest and clear and our eyes are open to read
what is writ large on the creation. But here men have erred some have declared that
there are two gods others began to profess belief in trinity, and still others
succumbed to polytheism. Some began nature-worship and others divided into
multifarious deities: gods of rain, air, fair, death, etc. As such, although the
manifestations of God were quite clear, human reason has faltered on various
counts and failed to see the reality in its true perspective. It met deception after
deception and resulted in nothing but confusion of thought. We hardly need dilate
here on these errors of human judgment.
Similarly, with regard to life after death men have put forward many erroneous
notions; for instance, that man is reduced to dust after death and will not rise to life
again; or that man is subject to a process of continuous regeneration in this very
world and is punished or rewarded in the oncoming cycles of life.
Even greater difficulty arises when we come to the question of the code of life. To
formulate a complete and balanced code of life that should conform to God’s
pleasure merely with the help of human reason, is an extremely difficult task. If a
man is equipped with the highest faculties of reason and intellect and he possesses
matchless wisdom and experience of many years of deliberation, even then the
chances of his formulating right views on life and existence are not very
promising. And even if, after a lifelong deliberation, he succeeds in that he will still
lack in the confidence that he has really discovered the truth and adopted the right
path.
Although the fullest and fairest test of man’s wisdom, reason, and knowledge
might have been to leave him to his own resources without any external guidance
so that he those who, through their own sagacious siftings and strivings, might
have reached truth and righteousness would have won success and salvation, while
those not reaching them would have failed. God, however, spared His human
creatures such a hard test? Through His grace and benevolence He raised for
mankind men from among themselves to whom He imparted the true knowledge of
His attributes, revealed to them His Law and the Right Code of Living, gave them
the knowledge of the meaning and purpose of life and of the life after death and
thus showed them the way by pursuing which man can achieve success and eternal
bliss. These chosen men are the Messengers of God-His prophets. God has
communicated knowledge and wisdom to them by means of way (revelation), and
the book containing the Divine communications is called the Book of God, or the
word of God. Now the test of man’s Wisdom and intellect lies in this: does he
recognize God's Messenger after thoroughly observing his pure and pious life and
carefully studying his noble and flawless teachings? The man who possesses right
wisdom and sound common sense would verify truth and accept the instructions
given by the Messenger of truth. If he denies the Messenger of God and his
teachings, his denial would signify that he was devoid of the capacity to find out
truth and righteousness. On account of this denial he would fail in his test. Such a
man will never be able to discover the truth about God and His Law and the life
after death. [Towards Understanding Islam : Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
03.02.00
Some Basic Islamic faiths or Beliefs
• Muslims believe in Islam, or submission to God (Allah).
• Islam teaches that God is One without any partners or associates.
• He begets not nor was He begotten.

• Allah is the Creator and He alone caused all things to exist when there was
nothing.
• He is the sole Lord of the universe and its inhabitants without any challenge to
His sovereignty.
• He sustains and maintains creation without any need from it or for it.
• Nothing happens in creation except what He allows to happen.
• Allah is not given the (imperfect) attributes of His creation.
• Man is not given the attributes of Allah.
• All forms of worship must be directed only to Allah because He alone deserves
worship, and it is He alone who can grant benefit to man as a result of His
worship.
• There is no need for any form of intercessor or intermediary between man and
God.
This theology is the belief and message of all of Allah’s Messengers; Noah,
Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mohammed, may peace be upon them all.
“Do not worship besides Allah that which can not help or harm you.” (2:66)
“Those on whom you call besides Allah are only slaves like yourselves.”(7:194)
“Put your trust in Allah if you are truly believers.” (5:23)
There are six main articles of faith that Muslims believe in:
Faith in the Unity of God
Faith in Allah’s angels
Faith in Allah’s prophets
Faith in Allah’s revealed books
Faith in life after death
Faith in pre-destination or divine decree [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]
03.02.01
Belief in God
The most fundamental and the most important teaching of Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings be upon him) is faith in the prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings be upon him) is faith in the unity of God. This is expressed in the primary
kalima of Islam as La ilaha illallah "There is no deity but Allah". This beautiful
phrase in the bedrock of Islam has its foundation and its essence. It is the
expression of this belief which differentiates a true Muslim from a kafir
(unbeliever), a Mushrik (one who associates others with God in His divinity), or a
Dahriya (atheist). The acceptance or denial of this phrase produces a world of
difference between one man to another. The believers in it become one single
community and those who do not believe in it form the opposite group. For the
believers there is unhampered progress and resounding success in this world and in
the hereafter, while failure and ignominy are the ultimate lot of those who refuse to
believe in it.
But the difference which occurs between the believers and the unbelievers is not
the result of mere chanting of a few words. Evidently the mere utterance is of mere
chanting of a few words. Evidently the mere utterance of a phrase or two cannot
bring about such a mighty difference. The real force lies in the conscious
acceptance of this doctrine and its stipulations and complete adherence to it in
practical life. Unless you know the real meaning of the phrase "there is no deity but
Allah" and the bearing of its acceptance on human life, you cannot realize the real
importance of this doctrine. It would never become effective unless these essentials
are achieved. Mere repeating of the word ‘food’ cannot dull the edge of hunger;
mere chanting of a medical prescription cannot heal the disease. In the same way if
the Kalima is re0peated without any understanding of its meanings and dictates, it
cannot work the revolution which its meanings and dictates, it cannot work the
revolution which it is meant to bring about. The revolution in thought and life can
occur only if a person grasps the full meaning of the doctrine, realizes its
significance, reposes true belief in it, and accepts and follows it in letter and spirit.
Unless this grasp of the Kalima is developed it cannot become fully effective. We
avoid fire because we have a realization that it burns; we keep away from poison
because we believe that its use kills a man. Similarly, if the real meanings of
Tawheed are fully grasped, it should necessarily make us avoid, in belief as well as
in action, every form and shade of disbelief, atheism, and polytheism. This is the
natural dictate of belief in the Unity of God. [Towards Understanding Islam:
Muslims believe in the absolute unity of God (Allah). The essence of Islam is
expressed in the phrase "La ilaha illa Allah," meaning "There is no deity but
Allah." "And your God is One God; there is no god but He, Most Gracious,
Most Merciful" (Qur'an 2:163). This statement of faith distinguishes a Muslim
from an unbeliever, a polytheist, or an atheist. A Muslim is one who grasps the full
meaning of this phrase, realizes its significance, and accepts and follows it in letter
and spirit. Belief in the Unity of God means that there is no being worthy of
worship except Him, that it is only to Him that heads should bow in submission
and adoration, that He alone possesses all powers, that all are in need of His favor,
and that all must seek His help and mercy. This belief is the bedrock of Islam; all
other beliefs, commands, and laws of Islam stand firm on this foundation. [Dr.
Ibrahim Dremali]
Belief in one God (Allah), Supreme and Eternal, Infinite and Mighty, Merciful and
Forgiving, the Creator and the Provider, He begets not, nor was He begotten, and
there is none equal or comparable unto Him.
Muslims believe in one, unique, incomparable God, Who has neither son nor
partner, and that none has the right to be worshipped but Him alone. He is the true
God, and every other deity is false. He has the most magnificent names and
sublime perfect attributes. No one shares His divinity, or His attributes. In the
Qur’an, God describes Himself:
Say, “He is God, the One. God, to Whom the creatures turn for their needs.
He begets not, nor was He begotten, and there is none like Him.” (Qur’an,
112:1-4)
Chapter 112 of the Qur’an written in Arabic calligraphy.

No one has the right to be invoked, supplicated, prayed to, or shown any act of
worship, but God alone.
God alone is the Almighty, the Creator, the Sovereign, and the Sustainer of
everything in the whole universe. He manages all affairs. He stands in need of
none of His creatures, and all His creatures depend on Him for all that they need.
He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing, and the All-Knowing. In a perfect manner,
His knowledge encompasses all things, the open and the secret, and the public and
the private. He knows what has happened, what will happen, and how it will
happen. No affair occurs in the whole world except by His will. Whatever He
wills is, and whatever He does not will is not and will never be. His will is above
the will of all the creatures. He has power over all things, and He is able to do
everything. He is the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful, and the Most Beneficent.
In one of the:
Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad , we are told that God is more merciful to
His creatures than a mother to her child. [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2754, and
Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5999]
God is far removed from injustice and tyranny. He is All-Wise in all of His actions
and decrees. If someone wants something from God, he or she can ask God
directly without asking anyone else to intercede with God for him or her.
God is not Jesus, and Jesus is not God. [It was reported by the Associated Press,
London, on June 25, 1984, that a majority of the Anglican bishops surveyed by a
television program said, “Christians are not obliged to believe that Jesus Christ was
God.” The poll was of 31 of England’s 39 bishops. The report further stated that
19 of the 31 bishops said it was sufficient to regard Jesus as “God’s supreme
agent.” The poll was conducted by London Weekend Television’s weekly religious
program, “Credo.”]
Even Jesus himself rejected this. God has said in the Qur’an:
Indeed, they have disbelieved who have said, “God is the Messiah (Jesus), son
of Mary.” The Messiah said, “Children of Israel, worship God, my Lord and
your Lord. Whoever associates partners in worship with God, then God has
forbidden Paradise for him, and his home is the Fire (Hell). For the
wrongdoers,* there will be no helpers.” (Qur’an, 5:72) [*The wrongdoers
include the polytheists]
God is not a trinity. God has said in the Qur’an:

Indeed, they disbelieve who say, “God is the third of three (in a trinity),” when
there is no god but one God. If they desist not from what they say, truly, a
painful punishment will befall the disbelievers among them. Would they not
rather repent to God and ask His forgiveness? For God is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful. The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a
messenger... (Qur’an, 5:73-75)
Islam rejects that God rested on the seventh day of the creation that He wrestled
with one of His angels, that He is an envious plotter against mankind, or that He is
incarnate in any human being. Islam also rejects the attribution of any human form
to God. All of these are considered blasphemous. God is the Exalted. He is far
removed from every imperfection. He never becomes weary. He does not become
drowsy nor does he sleep.
The Arabic word Allah means God (the one and only true God who created the
whole universe). This word Allah is a name for God, which is used by Arabic
speakers, both Arab Muslims and Arab Christians. This word cannot be used to
designate anything other than the one true God. The Arabic word Allah occurs in
the Qur’an about 2700 times. In Aramaic, a language related closely to Arabic and
the language that Jesus habitually spoke,* God is also referred to as Allah. [*NIV
Compact Dictionary of the Bible, Douglas, p. 42]
03.02.01.01
The Meaning of the ‘Kalima’
In the Arabic language the word ilah means ‘one who is worshipped’, i.e. a being
which on account of its greatness and power be considered worthy to be
worshipped, to be bowed to in humility and submission. Anything or any being
possess power too great to be comprehended by man is also called ilah. The
conception of ilah also includes the possession of infinite powers: that may
astonish others. It also conveys the sense that others are dependent upon ilah and
that he is not dependent upon anyone else. The word ilah also carries a sense of
concealment and mystery, that is, ilah would be a being unseen and imperceptible.
The word khuda in Persian, deva in Hindi, and god in English bear, more or less,
similar signification. Other languages of the world also contain words with a like
sense.
The word Allah, on the other hand, is the essential personal name of God. La ilaha
illallah would literally mean "There is no ilah other than the One Great being
known by the name "Allah". It means that in the whole of the universe, there is
absolutely no being worthy to be worshipped other than Allah, that it is only to
Him that heads should bow in submission and adoration, that He is the only Being
possessing all powers, that all powers, that all are in need of His favor, and that all
are obliged to solicit His help. He is concealed from our senses, and our intellect
fails to perceive what He is.
Having known the meanings of these worlds, let us now find out their real
significance.
From the most ancient known history of man as well as from the oldest relics of
antiquity that we have been able to obtain, it appears that in every age man had
recognized some deity or deities and had worshipped them. Even in the present age
every nation on the face of the earth, from the most primitive to the most civilized,
dose believe in and worship some deity. It shows that the idea of having a deity and
of worshipping him is ingrained in human nature. There is doing so.
But the question is: What that thing is and why man feels impelled to do so? The
answer to this question can be discovered if we try to look into the position of man
in this huge universe. A perusal of man and his nature from this view-point shows
that he is not omnipotent. Neither he is self-sufficient and self-existing nor are his
powers without limitations. In fact, he is weak, frail, needy, and destitute. He is
dependent upon a multitude of forces and without their assistance he cannot make
headway. There are countless things necessary to maintain his existence, but all of
them are not essentially and totally within his powers. Sometimes they come to his
possession in a simple and natural way, and at times he finds himself deprived of
them. There are many important and valuable things which he endeavors to get, but
sometimes he succeeds in getting them, while sometimes he does not, for it is not
completely in his own power to obtain them. There are many things injurious to
him; chances bring his hops to a sudden end; disease, worries, and calamities,
always threaten him and mar his way to happiness. He attempts to get rid of them,
and success and failure both visit him in this quest. There are many things whose
greatness and grandeur overawe him mountains and rivers, gigantic animals and
ferocious beasts. He experiences earthquakes, storms, and other natural calamities.
He observes clouds over his head and sees them becoming thick and dark, with
peals of thunder, flashes of lightning and continuous fall of heavy rain. He sees the
sun, the moon, and the stars in their constant motion. He reflects how great,
powerful, and grand these bodies are, and, in contrast to them, how frail and
insignificant he himself is! The vast phenomena, on the one hand, and the
consciousness of his own frailty, on the other, impress him with a deep sense of his
own weakness, humbleness, and helplessness. And it is quite natural that the
preliminary idea of divinity coincides with this sense. He thinks of those hands
which are wielding these great forces. The sense of their powerfulness makes him
seek their help. He tries to please them so that they may be beneficent to him, and
he dreads them and tries to escape their wrath so that he may not be destroyed by
them.
In the most primitive stage of ignorance, man thinks that the great objects of nature
whose grandeur and glory are visible, and which appears to be injurious or
beneficent to him, hold in them the real power and authority, and therefore, they
are diving. Thus he worships trees, and numerous other objects. This is the worst
form of ignorance.
When his ignorance dissipates to some extent and some glimmers of light and
knowledge appear on his intellectual horizon, he comes to know that these great
and powerful objects are in themselves quite helpless and dependent and are in no
way better placed than man rather they are still more dependent and helpless. The
biggest and the strongest animal dies like a tiny germ, and loses all his power;
great rivers rise and fall and become dry; the high mountains are blasted and
shattered by man himself; the productiveness of the earth is not under earth’s own
control-water makes it prosperous and lack of water makes it barren. Even water is
not independent. It depends on air which brings the clouds. Air too is powerless
and its usefulness depends on other causes. The moon, the sun, and the stares also
are bound up by a powerful law outside whose dictates they cannot make the
slightest movement. After these considerations his mind turns to the possibility of
some great mysterious power of divine nature which controls the objects he sees
and which may be the repositories of all authority. These reflection give rise to
belief in mysterious powers behind the natural phenomena, numberless gods are
supposed to be governing various parts and aspects of nature such as air, light,
water, etc, and some suggestive material forms or symbols are constructed to
represent them. And he begins to worship those forms and symbols. This too is a
form of ignorance, and reality remains hidden from the human eye even at this
stage of intellectual and cultural pilgrimage.
As man progresses still further in knowledge and learning, and as he reflects more
and more deeply on the fundamental problems of life and existence, he finds an all-
powerful law and an all-encompassing control in the universe. What a complete
regularity control in the universe. What a complete regularity is observed in sunrise
and sunset, in winds and rains, in the motions of stars and the changes of seasons!
How in a wonderfully harmonious way countless different forces are working
jointly, and what a highly potent and supremely wise Law it is, according to which
all the various causes in the universe are made to work together at an appointed
time to produce an appointed event! Observing this uniformity, regularity, and
complete obedience to a firm law in all fields of believe that there must be a deity
greater than all others, exercising supreme authority. For, if there were separate,
independent deities, the whole machinery of the universe would be upset. He calls
this greatest deity by different names, such as ‘Allah’ ‘Permeshwar,’ ‘God,’ Khuda-
I-Khudaigan,’ etc. but as the darkness of ignorance still persists, he continues
worshipping minor deities along with the Supreme One. He imagines that the
Divine Kingdom of God may not be different from earthly kingdoms. Just as a
ruler has many ministers, trusted associates, governors, and other responsible
officers, so the minor are like so many responsible officers, under the Great God
who could not be approached without pleasing and propitiating the officers under
Him. So they must also be worshipped and appealed to for help, and should in no
case be offended can be made to the Great God.
The more man increases in knowledge, the greater become his dissatisfaction with
the multiplicity of deities. So the number of minor deities begins to decrease. More
enlightened men bring each one of them under the searchlight of scrutiny and
ultimately find that none of these man-made deities has any divine character; they
themselves are creatures like man, rather more helpless. They are thus dropped out
by one until only one God remains. But the concept of one God still contains some
remnants of the elements of ignorance. Some people imaging that has a body as
man have, and is settled in a particular place. Some believe that God came down to
the earth in human form; others think that God after settling the affairs of the
universe has retired and is now taking rest. Some believe that it is necessary to
approach God through the media of saints and spirits, and nothing can be achieved
without their intercession. Some imagine God to have a certain form or image and
they regard it necessary to keep that before them for the purposes of worship. Such
distorted notions of godhead have persisted and lingered, and many of them are
prevalent among different people even in the present age.
Tawheed is the highest conception of godhead, the knowledge of which God has
sent to mankind in all ages through His prophets. It was this knowledge with
which, in the beginning, Adam had been revealed to Noah, Abraham, Moses and
Jesus (God’s blessings be upon them all). It was this very knowledge which
Muhammad (God’s blessings be upon him) brought to mankind. It is The
Knowledge, pure and absolute, without the least shade of ignorance. Man because
he guilty of shirk, idol-worship and kufr, only because he turned away from the
teachings of the prophets and depended upon his own faulty reasoning, false
perceptions or biased interpretations.
Tawheed dispels all the clouds of ignorance and illumines the horizon with the
light of reality. Let us see what significant realities this concept of Tawheed-this
little phrase: ‘la ilaha illallah’-points out: what truth it conveys and what beliefs it
fosters. This we can grasp if we ponder over the following points.
First of all we are faced with the question of divinity. We are face to face with a
grand, limitless universe. Man’s mind fails to discern its beginning and visualize its
end. It is moving on in its chartered course from time immemorial and is
continuing its journey in the vast vista of the future. Creatures beyond number
have appeared in it-and go on appearing every day. The phenomena are so
bewildering that a thinking mind finds itself aghast and wonderstruck. Man is
unable to understand and grasp the reality by his unaided vision. He cannot believe
that all this has appeared just by chance or accident. The universe is not a
fortuitous mass of matter. It is not a jumble of uncoordinated objects. It is not a
conglomeration of thing chaotic and meaningless. All this cannot be without a
Creator, a Designer, a Controller, a Governor. But who con create and control this
majestic universe? Only He can do so master of all; who is infinite and eternal;
who is all-powerful, all wise, omnipotent, and omniscient; who is all-knowing and
all-seeing. He must have supreme authority over all that exists in the universe. He
must possess limitless powers, must be the lord of the universe and all that it
contains, must be free from every flaw and weakness and none may have the
power to interfere with His work. Only such a being can be the Creator, the
Controller and the Governor of the universe.
Secondly, it is essential that all these divine attributes and powers must vest in one
being-it is virtually impossible for two or more personalities having all the powers
and attributes equally to co-exist. They are bound to collide. Therefore there must
be one and only one Supreme Being having control over all others. You cannot
think of two governors for the same province or two supreme commanders of the
same army! Similarly, the distribution of these powers among different deities, for
instance, that one of them is all knowledge, the other all providence and still
another life-giver-and each having independent domain in his own field-is
unthinkable. The universe is an indivisible whole and each one of such deities will
be dependent upon others in bound to occur. And if this happens, the world is
destined to go to pieces. These attributes are also non-transferable. It is not
possible that a certain attribute might be present in a certain deity at one time and
at another time it is found in another deity. A divine being who is incapable of
remaining alive himself cannot give life to others. The one who cannot protect his
own divine power is definitely unsuited to govern the vast limitless universe. Thus
the greater you reflect upon the problem, the firmer would be your conviction that
all these divine powers and attributes must exist in one end the same being alone.
Thus polytheism is a form of ignorance and cannot stand rational scrutiny. It is a
practical impossibility. The facts of life and nature do not fit into that explanation.
They automatically bring man to Reality, i.e. Tawheed (the Unity of God).
Now keeping in view this correct and perfect conception of God, cast a searching
glance at this vast universe. Exert yourself to the utmost and say if you find among
all the objects that your see, among all the things that you perceive, among all that
you can think, feel, or imagine-all that your knowledge can comprehend-anyone
possessing these attributes. The sum, the moon, the stars, animals, birds or fishes,
matter, any man or a group of men-does any of them possess these attributes?
Certainly none! For everything in the universe is created, is controlled and
regulated, is dependent on others, is mortal and transitory, is not elf-acting and
self-propelling-its slightest movements are controlled by an inexorable law and it
cannot deviate from that law. Their helpless condition proves that the attire of
divinity cannot fit their body. They do not possess the slightest trace of divinity and
have absolutely nothing to do with it. They are simply without the godly powers
and it is a travesty of truth and a folly of the highest magnitude to attribute to them
the divine status. This is the meaning of ‘La ilaha,’ i.e. there is no god; no human
and material object possesses the divine power and authority deserving worship
and obedience.
But this is not the end of our quest. We have found that divinity does not vest in
any material or human element of the universe and that none of them possess even
the slightest trace of it. This very inquiry leads us to the conclusion that there is a
Supreme Being, over and above all that our unwary eyes see in the universe, who
possesses the Divine attributes who is the Will behind all phenomena, the Creator
of this grand universe, the Controller of its superb Law, the Governor of its serene
rhythm, the Administrator of all its working: He is Allah, the Lord of Universe and
has none as associate in His Divinity. This is what "illallah" (but Allah) means.
This knowledge is superior to all other kinds of knowledge and the greater you
exert; the deeper will be your conviction that this is the starting-point of all
knowledge. In every field of inquiry-may it be that of physics, chemistry,
astronomy, geology, biology, zoology, economics, politics, sociology, or
humanities, you will find that the deeper you prove, the clearer become the
indications of the truth of La ilaha illallah, in every field of knowledge and inquiry.
It is this concept which opens up the doors of knowledge with the light of reality.
And if you deny or disregard this reality, you will find that at every step you meet
disillusionment, for the denial of this primary truth robs everything in the universe
of its real meaning and true significance. The universe becomes meaningless and
the vistas of progress get blurred and confused. [Towards Understanding
Islam:Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
03.02.01.02
The Effects of Tawheed on Human Life
Now let us study effects which the belief in La ilaha illallah brings forth upon the
life of a man and see why he should always be a success in life, here and in the
hereafter.
(a) A believer in this Kalima can never be narrow-minded or shriveled in outlook.

He believes in a God who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth, the
Master of the East and the West and Sustainer of the entire universe. After this
belief he does not regard anything in the world as a stranger to himself. He
looks upon everything in the universe as belonging to the same Lord whom he
himself belongs to. He is not making partition in his thinking and behavior. His
sympathy, love, and service do not remain confined to any particular sphere or
group. His vision is enlarged, his intellectual horizon widens, and his outlook
become liberal and as boundless as is the Kingdom of God. How can this width
of vision and breadth of mind be achieved by an atheist, a polytheist, or one
who believes in a deity supposed to possess limited and defective powers like a
man?
(b) This belief produces in man the highest degree of self-respect and self-esteem.
The believer knows that Allah alone is the possessor of all power, and that none
besides Him can benefit or harm a person, or provide for his need, or give and
take away life, or wield authority or influence. This conviction makes him
indifferent to, and independent and fearless of, all powers other than those of
God. He never bows his head in homage to any of God’s creatures, nor does he
stretch his hand before anyone else. He is not overawed by anybody’s greatness.
This quality or attitude of mind cannot be produced by any other belief. For it is
necessary that those who associate other beings with God, or who deny God,
should bow in homage to some creatures, regard them able to benefit or harm
them, and repose all their hopes in them.
(c) Along with self-respect this belief also generates in man a sense of modesty and
humbleness. It makes him unostentatious and unpretending and unpretending. A
believer never becomes proud, haughty or arrogant. The boisterous pride of
power, wealth and worth can have no room in his heart, because he knows that
whatever he possesses has been given to him by God, and can take away just as
He can give. In contrast to this, an unbeliever, when he achieves some worldly
merit, becomes proud and conceited because he believes that his merit is due to
his own worth. In the same way pride and self-concept are a necessary outcome
and concomitant of shirk (association of others with God in His divinity),
because a mushrik believes that he has a particular relation with the deities
which does exist between them and other people.
(d) This belief makes man virtuous and upright. He has the conviction that theirs is
no other means of success and salvation for him except purity of soul and
righteousness of behavior. He has perfect faith in God who is above all need, is
related to none, is absolutely just, and none has any hand or influence in the
exercise of His divine powers. This belief creates in him the consciousness that,
unless he lives rightly and acts justly, he cannot succeed. No influence or
underhand activity can save him from ruin. As against this, the kefirs and the
mushriks always live on false hopes. Some of them believe that God’s son has
atoned for their sins; some think that they are God’s favorites, and will not be
punished, others believe that their saints will intercede with God on their
believe that their deities and believe that by so bribing the deities they have
acquired a license for all frivolities and ill-deeds s and depending upon their
deities, they do not live pure and good lives. As to the atheists, they do not
believe that there is any Being having power over them, to whom they would be
responsible for their good or bad action; therefore they consider themselves
altogether independent to act in whatever way them like in this world. Their
own fancies become their gods and they live like slaves of their wishes and
desires.
(e) The believer does not become despondent and broken-hearted under any
circumstances. He has firm faith in God who is the Master of all the treasures of
the earth and the heavens, whose grace and bounty have no limit and whose
powers are infinite. This faith imparts to his heart extraordinary consolation,
fills it with satisfaction and keeps it filled with hope. In this world he might
meet with rejection from all doors, nothing herein might serve his ends, All
means aright, one after another, desert him; but faith in and dependence on God
never leave him; and upon their strength he goes on struggling. Such a profound
confidence can result from no other belief than belief in one God. Mushirks,
kafirs, and atheists have small hearts; they depend upon limited powers;
therefore in hours of trouble they are soon overwhelmed by despair and,
frequently, they commit suicide.
(f) This belief produces in man a very strong degree of determination, patient
perseverance, and trust in God. When he makes up his mind and devotes his
resources to fulfill the Divine Commands in order to secure God’s pleasure, he
is sure he has the support and backing of the Lord of the universe, this certainty
makes him firm and strong like a mountain, and no amount of difficulties,
impediments, and hostile opposition can make him give up his resolution.
Shirk, Kufr, and atheism have no such effect.
(g) On account of man's interference and interpolation, many things have been
inserted in those books, which are against reality, revolting to reason, and
affronting to every instinct of justice. There are thing which are cruel and unjust
and vitiate man's beliefs and action. Furthermore, unfortunately, things have
been inserted that are obscene, indecent, and potently immoral. The Qur'an is
free from all such rubbish. It contains nothing against reason, and nothing that
can be proved wrong. None of its injunctions is unjust; nothing in it is
misleading. Of indecency and immorality not a trace can be found in it. From
the beginning to the end the whole Book is full of wisdom and truth. It contains
the best of philosophy ad the choicest of law for human civilization. It points
out the right path and guides man to success and salvation. It is on account of
these special features of the Qur'an that all the peoples of the world have been
direct to have faith in it, to give up all other Books, and to follow it alone,
because it contains all that is essential for living in accordance with God's
pleasure, and after it there remains absolutely no need for any other divine
Book.
The study of the differenced between the Qur'an and other divine Books makes one
easily understand that the nature of faith in the Qur'an and that of belief in the
former Books is not similar.
Faith in the former divine Books should be limited to the confirmation that they
were all from God, were true, and had been sent down to fulfill, in their time, the
same purpose for which the Qur'an has been sent. On the other hand, belief in the
Qur'an should be of the nature that it is purely and absolutely God's own words,
that it is perfectly true, that every word of it is preserved, that everything
mentioned therein is right, that it is the bounden duty of man to carry out in his life
each and every command of it; and that whatever be against it must be rejected.
[Towards Understanding Islam:Sayyid Abul A’la Mawdudi]
03.02.02
Belief in the Angels
Angels are also Allah's creatures, spiritual beings created from light that are under
His command. They administer Allah's kingdom, carrying out His orders
obediently. They have no free-will or ability to disobey; it is their very nature to be
Allah's faithful servants. These angels surround us, each having specific duties,
such as their duties include recording man's deeds in this life, which will be
presented on the Day of Judgment. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]
Belief in the Angels (malaa-ikah) of Allah, recognizing them as spiritually pure

and splendid beings whose nature requires no food, drink or sleep. They are
honored servants who are assigned certain functions, and spend their days and
nights in the worship of Allah. They do not speak before Allah does, and they act
only by His command.
Muslims believe in the existence of the angels and that they are honored creatures.
The angels worship God alone, obey Him, and act only by His command. Among
the angels is Gabriel, who brought down the Qur’an to Muhammad .
03.02.03
Belief in God’s Revealed Books
Muslims believe in books that Allah has sent down to mankind through His
prophets. These books include the Books of Abraham, the Torah of Moses, the
Psalms of David, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These books all had the same
source (Allah), the same message, and all were revealed in truth. This does not
mean that they have been preserved in truth. Muslims (and many other Jewish and
Christian scholars and historians) find that the books in existence today are not the
original scriptures, which in fact have been lost, changed, and/or translated over
and over again, losing the original message.
"They change the words from their right places and forget a good part of the
Message that was sent them..." (Qur'an 5:13).
Reading these books today, we have no way of knowing what portion was revealed
by Allah, and what was recorded and changed by man.
Muslims believe that Allah sent a final revelation, the Qur'an, through the final
Prophet of Allah, Mohammed (peace be upon him and all of Allah's messengers).
"None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We

substitute something better or similar..." (Qur'an 2:106).
The sending of this divine Book is not a new and strange event; but only to
confirm, restate, and complete those divine instructions which people had
mutilated or lost in antiquity.
"And We have sent down to you (O Mohammed) the book (this Qur’an) in
truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it, and guarding it in
safety..." (Qur'an 5:48).
The Qur'an is addressed to all of humanity. It seeks to guide mankind in all walks
of life; spiritual, temporal, individual and collective. It contains directions for the
conduct of life, relates stories and parables, describes the attributes of Allah, and
speaks of the best rules to govern social life. It has directions for everybody, every
place, and for all time. The Qur'an was revealed and preserved in the Arabic
language. While translations into other languages may differ in word choice, the
original Arabic script has been uncorrupted and unchanged since its revelation in
the 7th century. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]
Belief in all original scriptures and revelations of Allah (Al-Kutub), accepting

them as the guiding light that the messengers received to show their respective
people the right path to Him. In the Qur'aan, special reference is made to the
books of Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus (peace be upon him), but long
before the revelation of the Qur'aan to Muhammad (peace be upon him) some of
these books and revelations had been lost or corrupted. The only authentic and
complete book of Allah in existence today is the Qur'aan, which has been
preserved as it was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in its
pristine, pure form.
Muslims believe that God revealed books to His messengers as proof for mankind
and as guidance for them. Among these books is the Qur’an, which God revealed
to the Prophet Muhammad . God has guaranteed the Qur’an’s protection from
any corruption or distortion. God has said:
Indeed, We have sent down the Qur’an, and surely We will guard it (from
corruption). (Qur’an, 15:9)
03.02.04
Belief in the Prophets and Messengers of God

Allah is transcendent and beyond all physical limitations of man, so through the
medium of an angel, Allah causes His command to be revealed to His human
messengers and thus to mankind. The purpose of our life on this earth is to
worship Allah and obey His commands. Through His Grace and Benevolence,
Allah sent prophets and messengers to every nation, in order to communicate with
and guide mankind to the right path.
The prophets who were sent to mankind include (among others) Noah, Abraham,
Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, David, John the Baptist, Jesus, and finally, Mohammed
(peace be upon all of Allah's prophets). These (and many other) chosen men all
came with the same message: Islam. That is, they taught faith in One Almighty
God, faith in the Day of Judgment, faith in the Prophets and the Books, and asked
people consequently to live a life of obedience and submission to their Lord. This
is the definition of a Muslim.
Abraham was not a Jew nor yet a Christian; but he was upright, and bowed
his will to Allah's (which is Islam). And he joined not gods with Allah" (Qur'an
3:67).
Some of these prophets brought revealed books. They were all men guided by
Allah to teach mankind and guide them to the straight path. Muslims believe in
them all and make no distinction between them.
Say: 'We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and what was
revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and in the Books
given to Moses, Jesus, and the Prophets, from their Lord; we make no
distinction between one and another among them, and to Allah do we bow our
will in Islam (Qur'an 3:84).
Muslims believe that the final prophet, Mohammed, came to invite people back to
the true teachings of the previous prophets, and to bring to mankind a final and all-
encompassing guidance: the Qur'an. The Qur'an remains in its complete and
unadulterated form; there is therefore no need for any more prophets to come.
Allah's message is complete. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]
Belief in all Messengers of Allah (Ar-Rusul) without any discrimination among

them, as every known nation had a Warner or Messenger from Allah. They were
chosen by Allah to teach humanity and deliver His Divine message. The Qur'aan
mentions the names of some of them, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) stands
as the Last Messenger and the crowning glory of the foundation of prophet hood.
Muslims believe in the prophets and messengers of God, starting with Adam,
including Noah, Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Jesus (peace be upon
them). But God’s final message to man, a reconfirmation of the eternal message,
was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad . Muslims believe that Muhammad
is the last prophet sent by God, as God has said:
Muhammad is not the father of any one of your men, but he is the Messenger
of God and the last of the prophets... (Qur’an, 33:40)
Muslims believe that all the prophets and messengers were created human beings
who had none of the divine qualities of God.
03.02.05
Belief in the Day of Judgment
Muslims believe that this world will come to an end on a day Allah has appointed.
Every soul shall have a taste of death; and only on the Day of Judgment shall
you be paid your full recompense... (Qur'an 3:185).
Everything will be annihilated, and all of the human beings who had lived in this
world will then be restored to life and will be presented before Allah.
The entire record of every man and woman - of all their deeds and misdeeds - will
be presented before Allah for final judgment. God has said:
"We shall set up scales of justice for the Day of Judgment, so that not a soul
will be dealt with unjustly in the least..." (Qur'an 21:47).
One who excels in goodness will, by the Mercy of Allah, receive a goodly reward;
one whose wrongs overweigh his good deeds will be punished.
It is neither fair nor just to treat everyone equally. "Is he who is a believer like
unto him who is a disbeliever and disobedient (to Allah)? They are not alike."
(Qur'an 32:18).
Allah on that day will judge with Justice, and every soul will receive what it has
earned. While unsure of their fate in the Hereafter, Muslims are confident of the
Mercy and Justice of Allah. "Say: 'Oh My servants who have transgressed
against their own souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah, for Allah forgives
all sins, for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'" (Qur'an 39:53).
Those who emerge successfully from Judgment will go to eternal Paradise; those
who are condemned and deserve punishment will be sent to Hell. Allah is the
perfect and fair Judge. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]
Belief in the Last Day (Yaum Al-Qiyaamah) and the Hereafter (Al-Aakhirah),
acknowledging that this world will end someday, and that the dead will rise to
stand for their final and fair trial. People with good records will be generously
rewarded and warmly welcomed to the Heaven of Allah, and those with bad
records will be punished and cast into Hell and none will be treated with injustice.
Muslims believe in the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) when all people
will be resurrected for God’s judgment according to their beliefs and deeds.
03.02.06
Belief in Al-Qadar
Belief in Divine Decree
Muslims believe that Allah has full power and knowledge of all things, and that
nothing happens except by His will and with His full knowledge. What is known
as divine decree, fate, or "destiny" is known in Arabic as al-Qadr. Everything in

the world has a predetermined, set course. The destiny of every creature is already
known to Allah.
This belief does not contradict with the idea of man's free will to choose his course
of action. Allah does not force us to do anything; we can choose whether to obey
or disobey Him. Our choice is known to Allah before we even do it. We do not
know what our destiny is; but Allah knows the fate of all things.
Therefore, we should have firm faith that whatever befalls us, it is according to
Allah's will and with His full knowledge. There may be things that happen in this
world that we do not understand, but we should trust that Allah has wisdom in all
things. [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]
Belief in Fate (Qadr), whether good or bad, which Allah, measured and ordained
for all creation according to His previous knowledge, and as deemed suitable by
His wisdom. And in the timeless knowledge of Allah, and in His power to plan and
execute His plans, nothing could happen in His Kingdom against His will. His
knowledge and power which are always in action command over His creation. He
is Wise and Merciful and whatever he does must have a meaningful purpose. If
this is established in our minds and hearts, we should accept with good faith that
entire He does, although we may fail to understand it fully, or think it is bad.
Muslims believe in Al-Qadar, which is Divine Predestination, but this belief in

Divine Predestination does not mean that human beings do not have freewill.
Rather, Muslims believe that God has given human beings freewill. This means
that they can choose right or wrong and that they are responsible for their choices.
The belief in Divine Predestination includes belief in four things:

(1) God knows everything. He knows what has happened and what will happen.
(2) God has recorded all that has happened and all that will happen.
(3) Whatever God wills to happen happens, and whatever He wills not to happen
does not happen.
(4) God is the Creator of everything.
03.03.01
Is There any Sacred Source
Other than the Qur’an?

Yes. The sunnah (what the Prophet Muhammad said, did, or approved of) is
the second source in Islam. The sunnah is comprised of hadeeths, which are
reliably transmitted reports by the Prophet Muhammad’s companions of what
he said, did, or approved of. Belief in the sunnah is a basic Islamic belief.
03.03.02
Examples of the
Prophet Muhammad’s Saying
The Prophet Said:
• The believers, in their love, mercy, and kindness to one another are like a
body: if any part of it is ill, the whole body shares its sleeplessness and
fever. [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2586, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6011]
• The most perfect of the believers in faith are the best of them in morals.
And the best among them are those who are best to their wives. [Narrated in
Mosnad Ahmad, #7354, and Al-Tirmizi, #1162]
• None of you believes (completely) until he loves for his brother what he
loves for himself. [Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #13, and Saheeh Muslim,
#45]
• The merciful are shown mercy by the All-Merciful. Show mercy to those
on earth, and God will show mercy to you. [Narrated in Al-Tirmizi, #1924,
and Abu-Dawood, #4941]
• Smiling at your brother is charity...[Narrated in Al-Tirmizi, #1956]
• A good word is charity. [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1009, and Saheeh Al-
Bukhari, #2989]
• Whoever believes in God and the Last Day (the Day of Judgment) should
do good to his neighbor. [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #48, and Saheeh Al-
Bukhari, #6019]
• God does not judge you according to your appearance and your wealth,
but He look at your hearts and looks into your deeds. [Narrated in Saheeh
Muslim, #2564]
• Pay the worker his wage before his sweat dries. [Narrated in Ibn Majah,
#2443]
• A man walking along a path felt very thirsty. Reaching a well, he
descended into it, drank his fill, and came up. Then he saw a dog with its
tongue hanging out, trying to lick up mud to quench its thirst. The man
said, “This dog is feeling the same thirst that I felt.” So he went down into
the well again, filled his shoe with water, and gave the dog a drink. So, God
thanked him and forgave his sins.} The Prophet was asked, “Messenger
of God, are we rewarded for kindness towards animals?” He said: {There
is a reward for kindness to every living animal or human. [Narrated in
Saheeh Muslim, #2244, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2466]
03.03.03
What does Islam say about the Day of Judgment?
Like Christians, Muslims believe that the present life is only a trial preparation for
the next realm of existence. This life is a test for each individual for the life after
death. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and the dead
will be resurrected for judgment by God. This day will be the beginning of a life
that will never end. This day is the Day of Judgment. On that day, all people will
be rewarded by God according to their beliefs and deeds. Those who die while
believing that “There is no true god but God, and Muhammad is the
Messenger (Prophet) of God” and are Muslim will be rewarded on that day and
will be admitted to Paradise forever, as God has said:
And those who believe and do good deeds, they are dwellers of Paradise, they
dwell therein forever. (Qur’an, 2:82)
But those who die while not believing that “There is no true god but God, and
Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God” or are not Muslim will lose
Paradise forever and will be sent to Hellfire, as God has said:
And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from
him and he will be one of the losers in the Hereafter. (Qur’an, 3:85)
And as He has said:

Those who have disbelieved and died in disbelief, the earth full of gold would
not be accepted from any of them if it were offered as a ransom. They will
have a painful punishment, and they will have no helpers. (Qur’an, 3:91)
One may ask, ‘I think Islam is a good religion, but if I were to convert to Islam, my
family, friends, and other people would persecute me and make fun of me. So if I
do not convert to Islam, will I enter Paradise and be saved from Hellfire?’
The answer is what God has said in the preceding verse, “And whoever seeks a
religion other than Islam, it will not be accepted from him and he will be one
of the losers in the Hereafter.”
After having sent the Prophet Muhammad to call people to Islam, God does not
accept adherence to any religion other than Islam. God is our Creator and
Sustainer. He created for us whatever is in the earth. All the blessings and good
things we have are from Him. So after all this, when someone rejects belief in
God, His Prophet Muhammad , or His religion of Islam, it is just that he or she
be punished in the Hereafter. Actually, the main purpose of our creation is to
worship God alone and to obey Him, as God has said in the Holy Qur’an (51:56).
This life we live today is a very short life. The unbelievers on the Day of
Judgment will think that the life they lived on earth was only a day or part of a day,
as God has said:
He (God) will say, “How many years did you stay on the earth?” They will
say: “We stayed a day or part of a day....” (Qur’an, 23:112-113)
And He has said:
Did you then think that We had created you in jest (without any purpose), and
that you would not be returned to Us (in the Hereafter)? So, God is exalted,
the True King. None has the right to be worshipped but Him... (Qur’an,
23:115-116)
The life in the Hereafter is a very real life. It is not only spiritual, but physical as
well. We will live there with our souls and bodies.
In comparing this world with the Hereafter, the Prophet Muhammad said:
• The value of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is like what your
finger brings from the sea when you put it in and then take it out. [Narrated
in Saheeh Muslim, #2858, and Mosnad Ahmad, #17560]
The meaning is that, the value of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is
like a few drops of water compared to the sea.
03.03.04
How Does Someone Become a Muslim?
A person becomes Muslim when he believes that there is no god except Allah and
Mohammed is the messenger of Allah, and verbally testifies this belief by saying:
“Ashadu an la illaha illAllah, wa Ashadu anna Mohammed ar Rasool ullah.”

“I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship but Allah, and I bear
witness that Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah.” [Dr. Ibrahim Dremali]
Simply by saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadur rasoolu
Allah,” one converts to Islam and becomes a Muslim. This saying means “There
is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),* and Muhammad is the Messenger
(Prophet) of God.” The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that
none has the right to be worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither
partner nor son. [*As was mentioned previously, the Arabic word Allah means
God (the one and only true God who created the whole universe). This word Allah
is a name for God, which is used by Arabic speakers, both Arab Muslims and Arab
Christians.]
To be a Muslim, one should also:
• Believe that the Holy Qur’an is the literal word of God, revealed by Him.
• Believe that the Day of Judgment (the Day of Resurrection) is true and will
come, as God promised in the Qur’an.
• Accept Islam as his or her religion.
• Not worship anything nor anyone except God.
The Prophet Muhammad said: God is more joyful at the repentance of

someone when he turns to Him in repentance than one of you would be if he
were riding his camel in the wilderness, and it runs away from him, carrying
his food and drink, so that he loses all hope of getting it back. He comes to a
tree and lies down in its shade (awaiting death), for he has lost all hope of
finding his camel. Then, while he is in that state (of desperation), suddenly it
is there before him! So he seizes its halter and cries out from the depth of his
joy, “O God, You are my servant and I am Your Lord!” His mistake comes
from the intensity of his joy. [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2747, and Saheeh Al-
Bukhari, #6309]
An important note:
If you are interested in converting to Islam or have a question regarding
that, then it is highly recommended that you visit “Live Help” thorough
chat that is found near the top of www. Islam-guide.com so an advisor
over there may help you in pronouncing the testimony right and to
provide you with important resources for new Muslims.
The saying, “There is no true god but God, and Muhammad is the
Messenger (Prophet) of God,” inscribed over an entrance.
03.03.05
What is the Qur’an About?
The Quran, the last revealed word of God, is the primary source of every Muslim’s
faith and practice. It deals with all the subjects who concern human beings:
wisdom, doctrine, worship, transactions, law, etc., but its basic theme is the
relationship between God and His creatures. At the same time, it provides
guidelines and detailed teachings for a just society, proper human conduct, and an
equitable economic system.
Note that the Quran was revealed to Muhammad in Arabic only. So, any
Quranic translation, either in English or any other language, is neither a Quran, nor
a version of the Quran, but rather it is only a translation of the meaning of the
Quran. The Quran exists only in the Arabic in which it was revealed.
03.03.06:
Who is the Prophet Muhammad ?
Muhammad was born in Makkah in the year 570. Since his father died before
his birth and his mother died shortly thereafter, he was raised by his uncle who was
from the respected tribe of Quraysh. He was raised illiterate, unable to read or
write, and remained so till his death. His people, before his mission as a prophet,
were ignorant of science and most of them were illiterate. As he grew up, he
became known to be truthful, honest, trustworthy, generous, and sincere. He was
so trustworthy that they called him the Trustworthy.1 Muhammad was very
religious, and he had long detested the decadence and idolatry of his society.
[Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, #15078]
The Prophet Muhammad’s Mosque in Madinah.
At the age of forty, Muhammad received his first revelation from God through
the Angel Gabriel. The revelations continued for twenty-three years, and they are
collectively known as the Quran.
As soon as he began to recite the Qur’an and to preach the truth which God had
revealed to him, he and his small group of followers suffered persecution from
unbelievers. The persecution grew so fierce that in the year 622 God gave them
the command to emigrate. This emigration from Makkah to the city of Madinah,
some 260 miles to the north, marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar.
After several years, Muhammad and his followers were able to return to
Makkah, where they forgave their enemies. Before Muhammad died, at the age
of sixty-three, the greater part of the Arabian Peninsula had become Muslim, and
within a century of his death, Islam had spread to Spain in the West and as far East
as China. Among the reasons for the rapid and peaceful spread of Islam was the
truth and clarity of its doctrine. Islam calls for faith in only one God, Who is the
only one worthy of worship.
The Prophet Muhammad was a perfect example of an honest, just, merciful,

compassionate, truthful, and brave human being. Though he was a man, he was far
removed from all evil characteristics and strove solely for the sake of God and His
reward in the Hereafter. Moreover, in all his actions and dealings, he was ever
mindful and fearful of God.
(For more information on the Prophet Muhammad , please refer to the links at
More on the Prophet Muhammad .)
03.03.07
How Did the Spread of Islam

Affect the Development of Science?
Islam instructs man to use his powers of intelligence and observation. Within a
few years of the spread of Islam, great civilizations and universities were
flourishing. The synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas, and of new thought with
old, brought about great advances in medicine, mathematics, physics, astronomy,
geography, architecture, art, literature, and history. Many crucial systems, such as
algebra, the Arabic numerals, and the concept of zero (vital to the advancement of
mathematics), were transmitted to medieval Europe from the Muslim world.
Sophisticated instruments which were to make possible the European voyages of
discovery, such as the astrolabe, the quadrant, and good navigational maps, were
also developed by Muslims.
The Astrolabe: One of the most

important scientific instruments
developed by Muslims which
was also used widely in the West
until modern times.
Muslim physicians paid much attention to surgery and developed many

surgical instruments as seen in this old manuscript.
03.03.08:
What do Muslims Believe about Jesus?
Muslims respect and revere Jesus (peace be upon him). They consider him one of
the greatest of God’s messengers to mankind. The Qur’an confirms his virgin
birth, and a chapter of the Quran is entitled ‘Maryam’ (Mary). The Qur’an
describes the birth of Jesus as follows:
(Remember) when the angels said, “O Mary, God gives you good news of a
word from Him (God), whose name is the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, revered
in this world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (to God). He
will speak to the people from his cradle and as a man, and he is of the
righteous.” She said, “My Lord, how can I have a child when no mortal has
touched me?” He said, “So (it will be). God creates what He wills. If He
decrees a thing, He says to it only, ‘Be!’ and it is.” (Qur’an, 3:45-47)
Jesus was born miraculously by the command of God, the same command that had
brought Adam into being with neither a father nor a mother. God has said:
The case of Jesus with God is like the case of Adam. He created him from
dust, and then He said to him, “Be!” and he came into being. (Qur’an, 3:59)
During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles. God tells us that
Jesus said:
I have come to you with a sign from your Lord. I make for you the shape of a
bird out of clay, I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s permission.
I heal the blind from birth and the leper. And I bring the dead to life by
God’s permission. And I tell you what you eat and what you store in your
houses....” (Qur’an, 3:49)
Muslims believe that Jesus was not crucified. It was the plan of Jesus’ enemies to
crucify him, but God saved him and raised him up to Him. And the likeness of
Jesus was put over another man. Jesus’ enemies took this man and crucified him,
thinking that he was Jesus. God has said:
...They said, “We killed the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of
God.” They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but the likeness of him
was put on another man (and they killed that man)... (Qur’an, 4:157)
Neither Muhammad nor Jesus came to change the basic doctrine of the belief in
one God, brought by earlier prophets, but rather to confirm and renew it.*
The Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
* Muslims also believe that God revealed a holy book to Jesus called the Injeel,
some parts of which may be still available in the teachings of God to Jesus in the
New Testament. But this does not mean that Muslims believe in the Bible we have
today because it is not the original scriptures that were revealed by God. They
underwent alterations, additions, and omissions. This was also said by the
Committee charged with revising The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version). This
Committee consisted of thirty-two scholars who served as members of the
Committee. They secured the review and counsel of an Advisory Board of fifty
representatives of the co-operating denominations. The Committee said in the
Preface to The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version), p. iv, “Sometimes it is
evident that the text has suffered in transmission, but none of the versions provides
a satisfactory restoration. Here we can only follow the best judgment of competent
scholars as to the most probable reconstruction of the original text.” The
Committee also said in the Preface, p. vii, “Notes are added which indicate
significant variations, additions, or omissions in the ancient authorities (Mt 9.34;
Mk 3.16; 7.4; Lk 24.32, 51, etc.).”
For more in-depth articles regarding this subject, please visit the following external
web pages: Confessions of the New American Bible and Bible Contradictions.]
03.03.09
What does Islam Say about Terrorism?
Islam, a religion of mercy, does not permit terrorism. In the Quran, God has said:
God does not forbid you from showing kindness and dealing justly with those
who have not fought you about religion and have not driven you out of your
homes. God loves just dealers. (Qur’an, 60:8)
The Prophet Muhammad used to prohibit soldiers from killing women and
children, [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1744, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3015]
And he would advise them:

...Do not betray, do not be excessive, and do not kill a newborn child. [Narrated
in Saheeh Muslim, #1731, and Al-Tirmizi, #1408
And he also said:

Whoever has killed a person having a treaty with the Muslims shall not smell
the fragrance of Paradise, though its fragrance is found for a span of forty
years. [Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #3166, and Ibn Majah, #2686]
Also, the Prophet Muhammad has forbidden punishment with fire. [Narrated in
Abu-Dawood, #2675]
He once listed murder as the second of the major sins. [Narrated in Saheeh Al-
Bukhari, #6871, and Saheeh Muslim, #88]
And he even warned that on the Day of Judgment: The first cases to be
adjudicated between people on the Day of Judgment will be those of
bloodshed. (This means killing and injuring) [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1678,
and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #6533]
Muslims are even encouraged to be kind to animals and are forbidden to hurt them.
Once the Prophet Muhammad said A woman was punished because she
imprisoned a cat until it died. On account of this, she was doomed to Hell.
While she imprisoned it, she did not give the cat food or drink, nor did she
free it to eat the insects of the earth. [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2422, and
Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2365]
He also said that a man gave a very thirsty dog a drink, so God forgave his sins for
this action. The Prophet was asked, “Messenger of God, are we rewarded for
kindness towards animals?” He said: There is a reward for kindness to every
living animal or human. [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2244, and Saheeh Al-
Bukhari, #2466]
Additionally, while taking the life of an animal for food, Muslims are commanded
to do so in a manner that causes the least amount of fright and suffering possible.
The Prophet Muhammad said: When you slaughter an animal, do so in the
best way. One should sharpen his knife to reduce the suffering of the animal.
[Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #1955, and Al-Tirmizi, #1409]
In light of these and other Islamic texts, the act of inciting terror in the hearts of
defenseless civilians, the wholesale destruction of buildings and properties, the
bombing and maiming of innocent men, women, and children are all forbidden and
detestable acts according to Islam and the Muslims. Muslims follow a religion of
peace, mercy, and forgiveness, and the vast majority have nothing to do with the
violent events some have associated with Muslims. If an individual Muslim were
to commit an act of terrorism, this person would be guilty of violating the laws of
Islam.
(For more articles on Islam on terrorism, please refer to the links at More on Islam
on Terrorism.)
03.03.10
Homan Rights and Justice in
Islam
Islam provides many human rights for the
individual. The following are some of these human
rights that Islam protects.
The life and property of all citizens in an Islamic

state are considered sacred, whether a person is
Muslim or not. Islam also protects honor. So, in Islam, insulting others or making
fun of them is not allowed. The Prophet Muhammad said: Truly your blood,
your property, and your honor are inviolable. [Narrated in Saheeh Al-Bukhari,
#1739, and Mosnad Ahmad, #2037]
Racism is not allowed in Islam, for the Qur’an speaks of human equality in the
following terms:
(49:13) Human beings, We created you all from a male and a female, and
made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Verily
the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most God-fearing of you. *28
Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware. *29 (Surah Al-Hujurat)
*28 In this verse the whole of mankind has been addressed to reform it of the great
evil that has always been causing universal disruption in the world, that is, the
prejudices due to race, color, language, country, and nationality. On account of
these prejudices man in every age has generally been discarding humanity and
drawing around himself some small circles and regarding those born within those
circles as his own people and those outside them as others. These circles have been
drawn on the basis of accidental birth and not on rational and moral grounds. In
some cases their basis is the accident of being born in a particular family, tribe, or
race, and in some particular geographical region, or in a nation having a particular
color or speaking a particular language. Then the discrimination between one's
own people and others is not only confide to this that those who are looked upon as
one's own people are shown greater love and cooperation than others, but this
discrimination has assumed the worst forms of hatred, enmity, contempt and
tyranny. New philosophies have been propounded for it, new religions invented,
new codes of law made and new moral principles framed; so much so that nations
and empires have made this distinction a permanent way of life with them and
practiced it for centuries. The Jews on this very basis regarded the children of
Israel as the chosen people of God and even in the practice of their religious rites
looked upon the non-Jews as inferior to the Jews in rights and rank. This very
discrimination gave birth to class distinctions (varnashrama) among the Hindus
according to which superiority of the Brahmins was established, all other human
beings came to be regarded as inferior and unclean and the shudras cast into the
depths of disgrace and degradation. Every person can see for himself even in this
20th century what atrocities have been committed against the colored people in
Africa and America on account of the distinction between the white and the black.
The treatment that the Europeans meted out to the Red Indian race in America and
to the weak nations of Asia and Africa had the same concept underlying it. They
thought that the lift and property and honor of all those who had been born outside
the frontiers of their own land and nation were lawful for them and they had the
right to plunder and take them as their slaves and exterminate them if need be. The
worst examples of how the nationalism of the western nations has turned one
nation against the others and made it their bloodthirsty enemy have been seen in
the wars of the recent past and are being seen even in the present time. In
particular, if what was manifested by the racism of the Nazi Germany and the
concept of the superiority of the Nordic race m the last World War is kept in view.
One can easily judge how stupendous and devastating is the error for whose reform
this verse of the Qur'an was revealed.
In this brief verse, Allah has drawn the attention of all mankind to three cardinal
truths:
(1) "The origin of all of you is one and the same: your whole species has sprung up
from one man and one woman: all your races that are found in the world today are,
in fact, the branches of one initial race that started with one mother and one father.
In this process of creation there is no basis whatever for the divisions and
distinctions in which you have involved yourselves because of your false notions.
One God alone is your Creator. Different men have not been created by different
Gods. You have been made from one and the same substance; it is not so that some
men have been made from some pure and superior substance and some other men
from some impure and inferior substance. You have been created in one and the
same way; it is not also so that different men have been created in different ways.
And you are the offspring of the same parents; it is not so that in the beginning
there were many human couples which gave birth to different populations in the
different regions of the world.'
(2) "In spite of being one in origin it was natural that you should be divided into
nations and tribes. Obviously, all the men on the earth could not belong to one and
the same family. With the spread of the race it was inevitable that countless
families should arise, and then tribes and nations should emerge from the families.
Similarly, it was inevitable that after settling in different regions of the earth, there
should be differences of colors, features, languages and ways of living among the
people, and it was also natural that those living in the same region should be closer
in affinity and those living in remote regions not so close; but this natural
difference never demanded that distinctions of inequality, of high and low, of noble
and mean, should be established on its basis, that one race should claim superiority
over the other, the people of one color should look down upon the people of other
colors, and that one nation should take preference over the ocher without any
reason. The Creator had divided the human communities into nations and tribes for
that was a natural way of cooperation and distinction between them. In this way
alone could fatuity, a brotherhood, a tribe and a nation combine to give birth to a
common way of life and to cooperate with each other in the affairs of the world.
But it was all due to satanic ignorance that the differences among mankind created
by Allah to be a means of recognition, were trade a means of mutual boasting and
hatred, which led mankind to every kind of injustice and tyranny.
(3) The only basis of superiority and excellence that there is, or can be, between
man and man is that of moral excellence. As regards birth, all men arc equal, for
their Creator is One, their substance of creation is one, and their way of creation is
one, and they are descended from the same parents. Moreover, a person’s is born in
a particular country, nation, or clan is just accidental. Therefore, there is no rational
ground on account of which one person may be regarded as superior to the other.
The real thing that makes one person superior to others is that one should be more
God-conscious, a greater avoider of evils, and a follower of the way of piety and
righteousness. Such a man whether he belongs to any race, any nation and any
country, is valuable and worthy on account of his personal merit. And the one who
is reverse of him in character is in any case an inferior person whether he is black
or white, born in the east or the west.
These same truths that have been stated in this beef verse of the Qur'an have been
explained in greater detail by the Holy Prophet in his addresses and traditions. In
the speech that he made on the conquest of Makkah, after going round the Ka'bah,
he said: 'Thank God Who has removed from you the blemish of ignorance and its
arrogance. O people, men are divided into classes: the pious and righteous, which
are honorable in the sight of Allah, and the sinful and vicious, which are
contemptible in the sight of Allah, whereas all men are the children of Adam and
Adam had been created by Allah from clay." (Baihaqi, Tirmidhi).
On the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, in the midst of the Tashriq days, he
addressed the people, and said: 'O people, be aware: your God is One. No Arab has
any superiority over a non-Arab, and no non-Arab any superiority over an Arab,
and no white one has any superiority over a black one, and no black one any
superiority over a white one, except on the basis of taqwa (piety). The most
honorable among you in the sight, of Allah is he who is the most pious and
righteous of you. Say if I have conveyed the Message to you?" And the great
congregation of the people responded, saying: Yes, you have, O Messenger of
Allah." Thereupon the Holy Prophet said: "Then let the one who is present convey
it to those who are absent," (Baihaqi).
In a Hadith he has said: "You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created
from the dust. Let the people give’ up boasting of their ancestors, otherwise they
will stand more degraded than a mean insect in the sight of Allah." ( Bazzar)
In another Hadith the Holy Prophet said: "Allah will not enquire about your
lineage on the Day of Resurrection. The most honorable in the sight of Allah is he
who is most pious. "(Ibn Jarir)
In still another Hadith he said: "Allah does not see your outward appearances and
your possessions, but He sees your hearts and your deeds." (Muslim, lbn Majah).
These teachings have not remained confined to words only but Islam has
practically established a universal brotherhood of the believers on the basis, which
does not allow any distinction on account of color, race, language, country and
nationality which is free from every concept of high and low, clean and unclean,
mean and respectable, which admits all human beings with equal rights, whether
they belong to any race and nation, any land or region. Even the opponents of
Islam have not had to admit that no precedent is found in any religion and any
system of the success with which the principle of human equality and unity has
been given practical shape in the Muslim society, nor has it ever been found. Islam
is the only religion which has welded and combined innumerable races and
communities scattered in all corners of the earth into one universal Ummah.
In this connection, a misunderstanding also needs to be removed. In the case of

marriage, the importance that Islamic law gives to kufu(likeness of status) has been
taken by some people in the sense that some brotherhoods are noble and some
mean, and matrimonial relations between them are objectionable. But this, in fact,
is a wrong idea. According to the Islamic law, every Muslim man can marry every
Muslim woman, but the success of the matrimonial life depends on maximum
harmony and conformity between the spouses as regards habits, characteristics and
ways of life, family traditions and economic and social status, so that they may get
on well with each other. This is the real object of being equal and alike. Where
there is unusual difference and disparity between the man and the woman in this
regard, lifelong companionship will be difficult. That is why the Islamic law
disapproves of such intermarriages, and not for the reason that one of the spouses
is noble and the other mean, but for the reason that in case there is a clear and
apparent difference and distention in status, there would be a greater possibility of
the failure of the matrimonial life if the marriage relationship was established.
*29 That is, "This is only known to Allah as to who is really a man of high rank
and who is inferior in respect of qualities and characteristics. The standards of high
and low that the people have set up of their own accord are not acceptable to and
approved by Allah. Maybe that the one that has been regarded as a man of high
rank in the world is declared as the lowest of the low in the final judgment of
Allah, and maybe that the one who has been looked upon as a very low person
here, attains to a very high rank there. The real importance is not of the honor and
dishonor of the world but of the honor and dishonor that one will receive from
Allah. Therefore, what man should be most concerned about is that he should
create in himself those real qualities and characteristics which make him worthy of
honor in the sight of Allah. [Towards Understanding the Qur’an : Sayyid Abul A’la
Mawdudi]
Islam rejects certain individuals or nations being favored because of their wealth,
power, or race. God created human beings as equals who are to be distinguished
from each other only on the basis of their faith and piety. The Prophet
Muhammad said: {O people! Your God is one and your forefather (Adam)
is one. An Arab is not better than a non-Arab and a non-Arab is not better
than an Arab, and a red (i.e. white tinged with red) person is not better than a
black person and a black person is not better than a red person,* except in
piety.} [Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad, #22978]
*The colors mentioned in this Prophetic saying are examples. The meaning is that
in Islam no one is better than another because of his color, whether it is white,
black, red, or any other color.
One of the major problems facing mankind today is racism. The developed world
can send a man to the moon but cannot stop man from hating and fighting his
fellow man. Ever since the days of the Prophet Muhammad , Islam has
provided a vivid example of how racism can be ended. The annual pilgrimage
(Hajj) to Makkah shows the real Islamic brotherhood of all races and nations,
when about two million Muslims from all over the world come to Makkah to
perform the pilgrimage.
Islam is a religion of justice. God has said:

Truly God commands you to give back trusts to those to whom they are due,
and when you judge between people, to judge with justice.... (Quran, 4:58)
And He has said:
...And act justly. Truly, God loves those who are just. (Quran, 49:9)
We should even be just with those who we hate, as God has said:
...And let not the hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is
nearer to piety.... (Quran, 5:8)
The Prophet Muhammad said: {People, beware of injustice,*5 for injustice
shall be darkness on the Day of Judgment.}*6 [Narrated in Mosnad Ahmad,
#5798, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #2447]
[*5oppressing others, acting unjustly, or doing wrong to others.]
And those who have not gotten their rights (i.e. what they have a just claim to) in
this life will receive them on the Day of Judgment, as the Prophet said: {On the
Day of Judgment, rights will be given to those to whom they are due (and
wrongs will be redressed)...}7 [Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2582, and Mosnad
Ahmad, #7163]
03.03.11
What is the Status of Women in Islam?
Islam sees a woman, whether single or married, as an individual in her own right,
with the right to own and dispose of her property and earnings without any
guardianship over her (whether that be her father, husband, or anyone else). She
has the right to buy and sell, give gifts and charity, and may spend her money as
she pleases. A marriage dowry is given by the groom to the bride for her own
personal use, and she keeps her own family name rather than taking her husband’s.
Islam encourages the husband to treat his wife well, as the Prophet Muhammad
said:
• {The best among you are those who are best to their wives.} [Narrated in
Ibn Majah, #1978, and Al-Tirmizi, #3895]
Mothers in Islam are highly honored. Islam recommends treating them in the best
way.
• A man came to the Prophet Muhammad and said, “O Messenger of

God! Who among the people is the most worthy of my good
companionship?” The Prophet said: {Your mother.} The man said,

“Then who?” The Prophet said: {Then your mother.} The man further
asked, “Then who?” The Prophet said: {Then your mother.} The man
asked again, “Then who?” The Prophet said: {Then your father.}
[Narrated in Saheeh Muslim, #2548, and Saheeh Al-Bukhari, #5971]
(For in-depth articles on women in Islam, please refer to the links at In-Depth
Articles on Women in Islam.)
03.03.12
The Family in Islam
The family, which is the basic unit of civilization, is now disintegrating. Islam’s
family system brings the rights of the husband, wife, children, and relatives into a
fine equilibrium. It nourishes unselfish behavior, generosity, and love in the
framework of a well-organized family system. The peace and security offered by a
stable family unit is greatly valued, and it is seen as essential for the spiritual
growth of its members. A harmonious social order is created by the existence of
extended families and by treasuring children.
03.03.13
How Do Muslims Treat the Elderly?
In the Islamic world, one rarely finds “old people’s homes.” The strain of caring
for one’s parents in this most difficult time of their lives is considered an honor and
a blessing and an opportunity for great spiritual growth. In Islam, it is not enough
that we only pray for our parents, but we should act with limitless compassion,
remembering that when we were helpless children, they preferred us to
themselves. Mothers are particularly honored. When Muslim parents reach old
age, they are treated mercifully, with kindness and selflessness.
In Islam, serving one’s parents is a duty second to prayer, and it is their right to
expect it. It is considered despicable to express any irritation when, through no
fault of their own, the old become difficult.
God has said:
Your Lord has commanded that you worship none but Him, and that you be
kind to your parents. If one of them or both of them reach old age with you,
do not say to them a word of disrespect, or scold them, but say a generous
word to them. And act humbly to them in mercy, and say, “My Lord, have
mercy on them, since they cared for me when I was small.” (Qur’an, 17:23-24)
03.04.00
What Are The Five Pillars of Islam?
The Five Pillars of Islam are the framework of the Muslim life. They are the
testimony of faith, prayer, giving Zakat (support of the needy), fasting during the
month of Ramadan, and the pilgrimage to Makkah once in a lifetime for those who
are able.
03.04.01
The Testimony of Faith
The testimony of faith is saying with conviction, “La ilaha illa Allah,
Muhammadur rasoolu Allah.”
This saying means “There is no true god (deity) but God (Allah),* and
Muhammad is the Messenger (Prophet) of God.”
The first part, “There is no true god but God,” means that none has the right to be
worshipped but God alone, and that God has neither partner nor son. This
testimony of faith is called the Shahada, a simple formula which should be said
with conviction in order to convert to Islam [as explained previously on
http://www.islam-guide.com/ch3-6.htm]. The testimony of faith is the most
important pillar of Islam. [For more details on the word Allah, [*http://www.islam-
guide.com/ch3-2.htm#About_Allah]
03.04.02
Prayer
Muslims perform five prayers a day. Each prayer does not take more than a few
minutes to perform. Prayer in Islam is a direct link between the worshipper and
God. There are no intermediaries between God and the worshipper.
In prayer, a person feels inner happiness, peace, and comfort, and that God is
pleased with him or her. The Prophet Muhammad said:
• {Bilal, call (the people) to prayer, let us be comforted by it.}*
Bilal was one of Muhammad’s companions who were charged to call the people
to prayers. [*Narrated in Abu-Dawood, #4985, and Mosnad Ahmad, #22578]
Prayers are performed at dawn, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset, and night. A Muslim
may pray almost anywhere, such as in fields, offices, factories, or universities.
(For detailed information on how to perform prayer, please refer to the links at
[http://www.islam-guide.com/more/#Prayer (How to Perform Prayer)] or refer to
the book entitled A Guide to Salat (Prayer) by M. A. K. Saqib)
03.04.03
Giving Zakat (Support of the Needy)
All things belong to God, and wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.
The original meaning of the word zakat is both ‘purification’ and ‘growth.’
Giving zakat means ‘giving a specified percentage on certain properties to certain
classes of needy people.’ The percentage which is due on gold, silver, and cash
funds that have reached the amount of about 85 grams of gold and held in
possession for one lunar year is two and a half percent. Our possessions are
purified by setting aside a small portion for those in need, and, like the pruning of
plants, this cutting back balances and encourages new growth.
A person may also give as much as he or she pleases as voluntary alms or charity.
03.04.04
Fasting the Month of Ramadan

Every year in the month of Ramadan,* all Muslims fast from dawn until sundown,
abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations. [*The month of Ramadan is the
ninth month of the Islamic calendar (which is lunar, not solar).]
Although the fast is beneficial to health, it is regarded principally as a method of

spiritual self-purification. By cutting oneself off from worldly comforts, even for a
short time, a fasting person gains true sympathy with those who go hungry, as well
as growth in his or her spiritual life.
03.04.05
The Pilgrimage to Makkah
The annual pilgrimage (Hajj) to Makkah is an obligation once in a lifetime for

those who are physically and financially able to perform it. About two million
people go to Makkah each year from every corner of the globe. Although Makkah
is always filled with visitors, the annual Hajj is performed in the twelfth month of
the Islamic calendar. Male pilgrims wear special simple clothes which strip away
distinctions of class and culture so that all stand equal before God.
Pilgrims praying at the Haram mosque in Makkah. In this mosque is the

Kaaba (the black building in the picture) which Muslims turn toward when
praying. The Kaaba is the place of worship which God commanded the
Prophets Abraham and his son, Ishmael, to build.
The rites of the Hajj include circling the Ka’aba seven times and going seven times
between the hillocks of Safa and Marwa, as Hagar did during her search for water.
Then the pilgrims stand together in Arafa* and ask God for what they wish and for
His forgiveness, in what is often thought of as a preview of the Day of Judgment.
[*An area about 15 miles from Makkah.]
The end of the Hajj is marked by a festival, Eid Al-Adha, which is celebrated with
prayers. This, and Eid al-Fitr, a feast-day commemorating the end of Ramadan, are
the two annual festivals of the Muslim calendar.
04.00.00
Islam in the United States
It is difficult to generalize about American Muslims. They are converts,
immigrants, factory workers, and doctors. This varied community is unified by a
common faith, underpinned by a nationwide network of a large number of
mosques.
Muslims arrived early in North America. By the eighteenth century, there were
many Muslims in North America.
Great numbers of Americans have entered the fold of Islam. They are from
different classes: the rich, the poor, the educated, and the illiterate. Today, there are
about five and a half million Muslims in the United States. [The World Almanac
and Book of Facts 1996, Famighetti, p. 644]
For More Information on Islam

Suggested Links on Islam:
If you have finished reading the basic (previous) articles in this web site, which are
the articles of the book, then it is highly recommended that you visit our partner
web site for more information on Islam:
www.IslamReligion.com
It’s an important and attractive web site for people of various faiths who seek to
understand Islam and Muslims. It contains a lot of brief, yet informative articles
about different aspects of Islam. New articles are added every week. It also
features Live Help by chat.
Also below are some suggested web pages and web sites for more info. These web
pages are not included in the book. All of these links open a new window, so to
come back here, close the new window. These links are categorized into the
following subjects:
Stories of New Muslims

More on the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Quran
More on Muhammad in the Bible
More on the Basic Islamic Beliefs
More on the Life After Death, the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hellfire
More on Real Happiness in Islam
General Information on Islam in Brief
General Information on Islam in Depth
In-Depth Articles on Jesus
More on the Prophet Muhammad
Comparative Religion Regarding the Bible and Jesus
Translation of the Meanings of the Holy Quran
Translation of Some Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad
More on Islam on Terrorism
In-Depth Articles on Women in Islam
How to Perform Prayer
To Ask a Live Person About Islam by Phone
Questions and Answers on Islam
Online Islamic Bookstores
Islamic Organizations
Stories of New Muslims (how they converted, their thoughts, and

feelings):
Stories of Converts
Stories of Priests Who Converted to Islam
How Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) Converted to Islam (formerly a famous pop singer)
Stories of New Muslims
My Journey to Islam (from IslamiCity web site)
My Journey to Islam (from IslamOnline web site)
New Muslims’ Stories (from IslamWeb web site)
The Sword of Islam
Discusses how Islam was spread by the sword of Islam (i.e. the truth and rightness
of Islam) and not by the sword of steel (i.e. force).
More on the Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an:

It is the Truth
The Bible, the Quran, and Science (by Dr. Maurice Bucaille) [Notes: 1. Copied
from Witness Pioneer web site with permission.
2. Does not include the entire book.]

Science in the Quran (from BeConvinced web site)
Short Articles on the Quran and Science
The Amazing Quran (by Dr. Gary Miller)
The Quran and Modern Science (by Dr. Maurice Bucaille)
Islam and Science (from IslamiCity web site)
More on Muhammad in the Bible:

More Biblical Prophecies on the Advent of Muhammad (from this web site)
The Bible’s Last Prophet
Muhammad in the Bible
Muhammad is mentioned by his exact name in the Gospel of Barnabas
More on the Basic Islamic Beliefs:

The Muslim’s Belief
Pillars of Faith
More on the Life After Death, the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hellfire:
The Lowest Rank of Those in Paradise
Paradise According to the Quran and the Prophet’s Sayings

Everlasting Life in Paradise
Some of the Bounties which God has prepared for the Believers in Jannah
(Paradise)
Paradise, Its Description, Its Bounties, and Its Intimates
About Paradise, the Hereafter, and What Make the Heart Tender
Descriptions of Paradise from the Quran
Description of Paradise
RealPlayer Audio Lecture from islaam.com: time 27m:30s.
The Least Torture for Those in Hell
What Happens in the Grave
Remembering the Hereafter
Life After Death
More on Real Happiness in Islam:

The Way To Achieve Happiness
The Way To Happiness (from al-sunnah.com)
General Information on Islam in Brief:

Discover Islam (with illustrations)
What is Islam
Introducing Islam
The True Religion
What is the Purpose of Life?
Discover Islam (from IslamOnline web site)
I Want to Embrace Islam But... (wrong excuses for not becoming a Muslim)
The Purpose of Life
RealPlayer Audio Lecture, time 1h:23m. To save, right click then save Part1 &
Part2, size about 5.2 MB each.
(Back to List of Subjects)
General Information on Islam in Depth:

About Islam and Muslims
Be Convinced
Several Valuable Online Booklets on Islam
Several Valuable Online Brochures on Islam
Towards Understanding Islam (an online book)
About Islam (from the MSA at USC)

Articles on Islam in different languages
Islam: Empire of Faith (a PBS film on the history, culture, innovation, and leaders
of the Islamic empires)
Online Video Shows on Islam (by Shabir Ally)
Discover Islam Online TV
To Order “A Journey to Explore Islam” CD (a very informative CD with more than
450 subjects on Islam)
In-Depth Articles on Jesus (most of these articles are from Islam Answers
Back web site):
The Bible Denies the Divinity of Jesus
Jesus is Not Son of God According to the Bible and the Quran
Jesus in the Holy Quran
Was Jesus God and Man at the Same Time?
The Truth About Jesus
More on the Prophet Muhammad :

About the Prophet Muhammad
Twelve Proofs that Muhammad is A True Prophet
From “The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History”
Biography of the Prophet Muhammad
Comparative Religion Regarding the Bible and Jesus:

Islam Answers Back
The Bible, the Quran, and Science (by Dr. Maurice Bucaille) [Notes: 1. Copied
from Witness Pioneer web site with permission.
2. Does not include the entire book.]

Confessions of the New American Bible (from Islam Answers Back web site)
Bible Contradictions (from Islam Answers Back web site)
Short Articles on Comparative Religion
The Plain Truth
Translation of the Meanings of the Holy Quran:

The Noble Quran
In the Shade of the Quran - Part 30 (commentary on the last 37 chapters of the
Qur’an)
Lord’s Words (the Holy Qur’an categorized into topics)
To Order The Holy Qur’an, a translation by Saheeh International (one of the best
translations)
Translation of Some Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad :

Riyad-us-Saliheen
Saheeh Al-Bukhari
Saheeh Muslim
A Collection from Different Books
More on Islam on Terrorism:

Islam, Muslims, and Violence (a special report and coverage by Islam Online web
site)
Islam, Jihad (Holy War), and Terrorism
Is Islam A Religion of Terror?
Attack on the USA - A Muslim Response
Islam and Terrorism (by Dr. Bilal Philips)
Tolerance in Islam
Jihad (Holy War) Explained
A Condemning Statement on 9/11 Tragedy by the President of the Committee of
Senior Scholars of Saudi Arabia
A Condemning Statement on 9/11 Tragedy by the Chief Justice of the Supreme
Judiciary Council of Saudi Arabia
A Condemning Statement on 9/11 Tragedy by Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, an
Islamic Scholar
The Islamic Verdict on Hijacking and Kidnapping
The Islamic Verdict on Suicide Bombings
In-Depth Articles on Women in Islam:

More on Women in Islam (from this web site)
Women in Islam (from About Islam and Muslims web site)
Women in Islam (from Be Convinced web site)
Women in Christianity and Islam in Brief
Women in Christianity and Islam in Depth
How to Perform Prayer:

The Right Way to Pray
How to Perform Ablution
(which is necessary for Prayer)
The Muslim Prayer
Prayer Time Calculator
To Ask a Live Person About Islam by Phone:

Toll free Tel. # within the USA and Canada: 1-877-WHY-ISLAM
or 1-877-949-4752
(from 9 am to 9 pm Eastern Standard Time)
Questions and Answers on Islam (and to submit a question about it):

Ask About Islam (from IslamOnline web site)
Islam Questions and Answers
FAQ on Islam (by Dr. Zakir Naik)
FAQ on Islam (from Lord’s Words web site)
Ask the Scholar (from IslamToday web site)
Questions and Answers About Islam (from Islam Web site)
Online Islamic Bookstores:

Darussalam Publications
Al-Basheer Publications
Islamic Organizations:
Also, If you would like more information on Islam, or if you have any questions or
comments, you may contact one of the following organizations (Note: To search
for addresses of Islamic centers near you, please visit Islamic Finder):
(1) The United States:

Islamic Assembly of North America
3588 Plymouth Road, Suite # 270,
Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA
Tel.: (734) 528-0006 - Fax: (734) 528-0066
E-mail: IANA@IANAnet.org
Islamic Foundation of America

PO Box: 3415, Merrifield, VA 22116, USA
Tel.: (703) 914-4982 - Fax: (703) 914-4984
E-mail: info@ifa.ws
Al-haramain Islamic Foundation

1257 Siskiyou Blvd., no. 212,
Ashland, OR 97520, USA
Tel.: (541) 482-1116 - Fax: (541) 482-1117
E-mail: haramain@alharamain.org
Understanding Islam Foundation

11153 Washington Pl., Culver City,
CA 90232, USA
Tel. and Fax: (301) 558-9865
E-mail: info@understandingislam.us
World Assembly of Muslim Youth

PO Box: 8096, Falls Church,
VA 22041-8096, USA
Tel.: (703) 820-6656 - Fax: (703) 783-8409
E-mail: support@wamyusa.org
Islamic Information Institute

of Dar-us-Salam
5301 Edgewood Rd., College Park,
MD 20740-4623, USA
Tel.: (301) 982-9463 - Fax: (301) 982-9849
E-mail: iiid@islamworld.net
Al Jumuah Magazine
PO Box: 5387, Madison,
WI 53705-5387, USA
Tel.: (608) 277-1855 - Fax: (608) 277-0323
E-mail: info@aljumuah.com
(2) Canada:
Islamic Information & Da’wah Center International
1168 Bloor Street West, Toronto,
Ontario M6H 1N1, Canada
Tel.: (416) 536-8433 - Fax: (416) 536-0417
E-mail: comments@islaminfo.com
(3) The United Kingdom:

Al-Muntada Al-Islami Centre
7 Bridges Place, Parsons Green,
London SW6 4HW, UK
Tel.: 44 (0207) 736 9060
Fax: 44 (0207) 736 4255
E-mail: muntada@almuntada-alislami.org
Jam’iat Ihyaa’ Minhaaj Al-Sunnah

PO Box: 24, Ipswich, Suffolk IP3 8ED, UK
Tel. and Fax: 44 (01473) 251578
E-mail: mail@jimas.org
(4) Saudi Arabia:

Alharamain Islamic Foundation
PO Box: 69606, Riyadh 11557, Saudi Arabia
Tel.: (966-1) 465-2210 - Fax: (966-1) 462-3306
E-mail: haramain@alharamain.org
World Assembly of Muslim Youth

PO Box: 10845, Riyadh 11443, Saudi Arabia
Tel.: (966-1) 464-1669 - Fax: (966-1) 464-1710
E-mail: info@wamy.org
For Further Reading on Islam:

• The True Religion, by Bilal Philips.
• The Qur’an and Modern Science, by Dr. Maurice Bucaille, edited by Dr. A.A.
B. Philips.
• Towards Understanding Islam, by Sayyid Abul A’ala Mawdudi.
• Life After Death (pamphlet), by World Assembly of Muslim Youth.
• Interpretation of the Meanings of The Noble Quran in the English Language, by
Dr. Muhammad Al-Hilali and Dr. Muhammad Khan.
• The Muslim’s Belief, by Muhammad al-Uthaimin, translated by Dr. Maneh al-
Johani.
Note: This list of books is useful for people who do not have access to the Internet.
But for people who have access to the Internet, it is much better to use the
suggested links at [http://www.islam-guide.com/more/] For More Information on
Islam. There, you may find links to most of these books.
References For Enrichment of the Book:

(01) Ahrens, C. Donald. 1988. Meteorology Today. 3rd Ed. St. Paul: West
Publishing Company.
(02) Anderson, Ralph K.; and others. 1978. The Use of Satellite Pictures in
Weather Analysis and Forecasting. Geneva: Secretarial of the World
Meteorological Organization.
(03) Anthes, Richard A.; John J. Cahir; Alistair B. Fraser; and Hans A. Panofsky.
1981. The Atmosphere. 3rd ed. Columbus: Charles E. Merrill Publishing
Company.
(04) Barker, Kenneth; and others. 1985. The NIV Study Bible, New International
Version. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.
(05) Bodin, Svante. 1978. Weather and Climate. Poole, Dorest: Blandford Press
Ltd.
(06) Cailleux, Andre’. 1968. Anatomy of the Earth, London: World University
Library.
(07) Couper, Heather; and Nigel Henbest, 1995. The Space Atlas. London:
Dorling Kindersley Limited.
(08) Davis, Richard A., Jr. 1972, Principles of Oceanography. Don Mills, Ontario:
Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.
(09) Douglas, J. D.; and Merrill C. Tenney, 1989. NIV Compact Dictionary of the
Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House.
(10) Elder, Danny; and John Pernetta. 1991. Oceans. London: Mitchell Beazley
Publishers.
(11) Famighetti, Robert. 1996. The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1996.
Mahwah, New Jersey: World Almanac Books.
(12) Gross, M. Grant. 1993. Oceanography, a View of Earth. 6th ed. Englewood
Cliffs: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
(13) Hickman, Cleveland P.; and others. 1979. Integrated Principles of Zoology.
6th Ed. St. Louis: The C. V. Mosby Company.
(14) Al-Hilali, Muhammad T.; and Muhammad M. Khan. 1994. Interpretation of
the Meanings of The Noble Qur’an in the English Language. 4th revised ed.
Riyadh: Maktaba Dar-us-Salam.
(15) The Holy Bible, Containing the Old and New Testaments (Revised Standard
Version). 1971. New York: William Collins Sons & Co., Ltd.
(16) Ibn Hesham, Abdul-Malek. Al-Serah Al-Nabaweyyah. Beirut: Dar El-
Marefah.
(17) The Islamic Affairs Department, The Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington,
D.C. 1989.
(18) Understanding Islam and the Muslims. Washington, D.C.; The Islamic
Affairs Department, The Embassy of Saudi Arabia.
(19) Kuenen, H. 1960 Marine Geology. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
(20) Leeson, C. R.; and T. S. Leeson, 1981, Histology. 4th ed. Philadelphia: W.B.
Saunders Company.
(21) Ludlam, F. H. 1980, Clouds and Storms, London: The Pennsylvania State
University Press.
(22) Makky, Ahmad A.; and others. 1993. Ee’jaz al-Qur’an al-Kareem fee Wasf
Anwa’ al-Riyah, al-Sohob, al-Matar. Makkah: Commission on Scientific
Signs of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
(23) Miller, Albert; and Jack C. Thompson. 1975. Elements of Meteorology. 2nd
ed. Columbus: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company.
(24) Moore, Keith L.; E. Marshall Johnson; T.V.N. Persaud; Gerald C. Goeringer;
Abdul-Majeed A. Zindani; and Mustafa A. Ahmed. 1992. Human
Development as Described in the Qur’an and Sunnah. Makkah: Commission
on Scientific Signs of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
(25) Moore, Keith L.; A.A. Zindani; and others. 1987. Al-E’jaz al-Elmy fee al-
Naseyah (The scientific Miracles in the Front of the Head). Makkah:
Commission on Scientific Signs of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
(26) Moore, Keith L. 1983, The Developing Human, Clinically Oriented
Embryology, With Islamic Additions. 3rd Ed. Jeddah: Dar Al-Qiblah.
(27) Moore, Keith L.; and T.V.N. Persaud. 1993. The Developing Human,
Clinically Oriented Embryology. 5th Ed. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders
Company.
(28) El-Naggar, Z.R. 1991, The Geological Concept of Mountains in the Qur’an.
1st ed. Herndon: International Institute of Islamic Thought.
(29) Neufeldt, V. 1994. Webster’s New World Dictionary, Third College Edition.
New York: Prentice Hall.
(30) The New Encyclopedia Britannica. 1981. 15th Ed. Chicago: Encyclopedia
Britannica, Inc.
(31) Noback, Charles R.; N.L. Strominger; and R.J. Demarest. 1991. The Human
Nervous System, Introduction and Review. 4th Ed. Philadelphia: Lea &
Febiger.
(32) Ostrogorsky, George. 1969. History of the Byzantine State, Translated from
the German by Joan Hussey, Revised Ed. New Brunswick: Rutgers
University Press.
(33) Press, Frank; and Raymond Siever. 1982, Earth. 3rd Ed. San Francisco:
W. H. Freeman and Company.
(34) Ross, W.D.; and others. 1963. The Works of Aristotle Translated into
English: Meteorological. vol. III, London: Oxford University Press.
(35) Scorer, Richard; and Harry Wexler. 1963. A Color Guide to Clouds. Robert
Maxwell.
(36) Seeds, Michael A. 1981, Horizons, Exploring the Universe. Belmont:
Wadsworth Publishing Company.
(37) Seeley, Rod R.; Trent D. Stephens; and Philip Tate. 1996. Essentials of
Anatomy & Physiology. 2nd ed. St. Louis: Mosby-Year Book, Inc.
(38) Sykes, Percy. 1963, History of Persia 3rd Ed. London: Macmillan & Co Ltd.
(39) Tarbuck, Edward J.; and Frederick K. Lutgens, 1982. Earth Science. 3rd Ed.
Columbus: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company.
(40) Thurman, Harold V. 1988, Introductory Oceanography. 5th Ed. Columbus:
Merrill Publishing Company.
(41) Weinberg, Steven. 1984. The First Three Minutes, a Modern View of the
Origin of the Universe, 5th Ed. New York: Bantam Books.
(42) Al-Zarkashy, Badr Al-Deen. 1990. Al-Borhan fee Oloom Al-Quran. 1st Ed.
Beirut: Dar El-Marefah.
(43) Zindani, A.A. This is the Truth (video tape), Makkah: Commission on
Scientific Signs of the Qur’an and Sunnah.
(44) An Introduction to the understanding of the Qur'an: Syyid Abul A'ala
Mawdudi; Translated by Dr. Zafar Ishaq Ansari, London
(45) Tafthir Ibn Kathir
The Numbering of Hadeeths for the Enrichment of this Book:

The numbering of Hadeeths in this book is based on the following:
(01) Saheeh Muslim: According to the numbering of Muhammad F. Abdul-Baqy.
(02) Saheeh Al-Bukhari: According to the numbering of Fath Al-Bari.
(03) Al-Tirmizi: According to the numbering of Ahmad Shaker.
(04) Mosnad Ahmad: According to the numbering of Dar Ehya’ Al-Torath Al-
Araby, Beirut.
(05) Mowatta’ Malek: According to the numbering of Mowatta’ Malek.
(06) Abu-Dawood: According to the numbering of Muhammad Muhyi Al-Deen
Abdul-Hameed.
(07) Ibn Majah: According to the numbering of Muhammad F. Abdul-Baqy.
(08) Al-Daremey: According to the numbering of Khalid Al-Saba Al-Alamy and
Fawwaz Ahmad Zamarly.
Compiled and Edited by:

AKM FAKHRUL ISLAM, New York, USA
B.Sc. (Hons), M.Sc. in Geology, Dhaka University, Bangladesh; Manager
Geology(Prev), Petrobangla, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tel/Fax: 718-855-8114, 646-610-
3804(cell), email:islamakm@yahoo.com, web: www.travelsandhajj.com
Copyright © Akm Fakhrul Islam

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(1) Absolutely no change, addition, or omission is introduced
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A Brief Guide

Towards Understanding Islam

Compiled and Edited

It contains the whole book and follows:

01.00.00: Some Evidence for the Truth of Islam

02.00.00: Some Benefits of Islam

03.00.00: General Information on Islam

Sl. No. Contains Page No.

03.03.01: Is there any Sacred Source other than the Qur’an?

03.04.00: What are the Five Pillars of Islam?

04.00.00: Islam in the United States

In this chapter, six kinds of evidence are mentioned:

1) The Scientific Miracles in the Holy Qur’an:

2) The Great Challenge to Produce One Chapter

3) Biblical Prophecies on the Advent

4) The Verses in the Qur’an Those Mention

5) Miracles Performed by the Prophet Muhammad :

6) The Simple Life of Muhammad :

From these six kinds of evidence, we conclude that:

Then the book contains General Information on Islam, provides general

ِ‫بِسْمِ الِ الرّحْ ٰمنِ الرّ ِحيْم‬

*12 Then changed the sperm drop into a

knowing all he could. *7 [Surah Al-Hajj, Towards Understanding the Qur’an:

We first created you of clay, then of a sperm-drop *5 (22:5)

Created then of a clot of blood,

One who is returned to the most abject age so that

Now let’s consider the first verses of (23:14):

(23:14) So blessed is Allah, the best of all creators*14:

In other place of the Qur’an it has been mentioned:

(32:7) He Who excelled in the creation of all that He created. *13 He

We created man from an extract of clay. Then We made him as a drop in a

Literally, the Arabic word ‘alaqah’ has three meanings:

In comparing a leech to an embryo in the alaqah stage, we find similarity between

Figure 1: Drawings illustrating the similarities in appearance between a

Figure 4: Diagram of the

So the three meanings of the word ‘alaqah’ correspond accurately to the

Figure 6: When comparing

In 1981, during the Seventh Medical Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia,

Figure 9: Another illustration shows how the mountains are peg-like in

The Qur’an has described mountains

(78:6) Have We not spread the earth like a bed, *4

God created the heavens and the earth

God made the earth as a place of rest

Who is it Who made the earth as a place of rest' *74

God originates the creation and then reproduces it

earth millions of animal and vegetable species, each comprising billions of

Is there besides Allah another god

God created all the things for the mankind

v.36:34-35, Towards Understanding the Qur’an: Moulana Sayyid Abul A’la

Will them not, then, give thanks? *29

Secondly: A system of irrigation was arranged on the earth in different ways so

Allah made the earth a dwelling place for you

Allah made the sky a canopy, *90

God Who shaped you and shaped you exceedingly

Who is it Who listens to the oppressed one when

And (Who is it Who) makes you vicegerents in the earth? *77

Who is it Who shows you the way

Who sends the winds as harbingers of His mercy? *79

None but Allah has the knowledge of the unseen,

Tell them, "None but Allah has the knowledge

They (your deities) do not even know

Allah is responsible for