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Questions On Islam
Questions On Islam
[18:30] And say, 'It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let him who will,
believe, and let him, who will, disbelieve.
These divine laws are not limited to spiritual aspects of our lives but also
guide us in secular fields as well.
Words used in the Holy Quran for religion are
6:162
Say, As for me, my Lord has guided me unto a straight patha right
religion, the religion of Abraham who was always inclined to the right
path. And he was not of those who associate partners with God. (6:162)
12:109
37:100
And he said, I am going to my Lord, Who will guide me.
Q-2. What does the word 'Salat' mean in verses (17: 78 Al Isra)
(2:238 Al Baqrah), (11:114 Hud), (62: 9, 10 Al Jumu'ah) (4:101 104
An-Nisa). Do they indicate the prayer and timings, as most Muslims
understand it today?
Word SALAT has two roots, and
Prayer Timings:
Observe Prayer at the declining and paling of the sun on to the darkness
of the night and the recitation of the Quran in Prayer at dawn. Verily,
the recitation of the Quran at dawn is especially acceptable to God.
(Bani-Israel 17:79)
And observe Prayer at the two ends of the day, and parts of the night
close to the day. Surely virtues drive away evils. This is a reminder for
those who would remember.(Hud 11:115)
Bear patiently then what they say, and glorify thy Lord with His praise
before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and glorify Him in the
hours of the night and at sides of the day, that thou may find true
happiness. (Ta Ha 20:131)
CONGREGATIONS OF PRAYER
(4:102-104) And when you journey in the land, it shall be no sin on you
to shorten the Prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve may give you
trouble. Verily, the disbelievers are an open enemy to you.
And when thou art among them, and lead the Prayer for them, let a party
of them stand with thee and let them take their arms. And when they
have performed their prostrations, let them go to your rear, and let
another party, who have not yet prayed, come forward and pray with
thee; and let them take their means of defense and their arms. The
disbelievers wish that you be neglectful of your arms and your baggage
that they may fall upon you at once. And it shall be no sin on you, if you
are in trouble on account of rain or if you are sick, that you lay aside
your arms. But you should always take your means of defense. Surely,
Allah has prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers.
And when you have finished the Prayer, remember Allah while standing,
and sitting, and lying on your sides. And when you are secure from
danger, then observe Prayer in the prescribed form; verily Prayer is
enjoined on the believers to be performed at prescribed times.
(62:10-11) O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on
Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business.
That is better for you, if you only know. And when the prayer is finished,
then disperse in the land and seek of Allahs grace, and remember Allah
much, that you may prosper.
Q-3. In the light of the Qur'an what would be the definition of (a)
Kafir (b) Mushrik , (c) Muslim, and (d) Momin.
Root of word is which means, surrender and peace.
A is therefore a person who offers peace to others and seeks
to establish peace on earth and at the same time surrenders
before the will of Allah and to the authority of Muslim state.
2:132
3:21
If they submit, then they will surely be guided; but if they turn
back, then thy duty is only to convey the message. And Allah is
watchful of His servants. (3:21)
49:15
The Arabs of the desert say, We believe. Say, You have not
believed yet; but rather say, We have accepted Islam, for the true
belief has not yet entered into your hearts. But if you obey
Allah and His Messenger, He will not detract anything from
your deeds. Surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful. (49:15)
Who is Momin?
49:16
The believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and His
Messenger, and then doubt not, but strive with their possessions
and their persons in the cause of Allah. It is they who are
truthful. (Al-Hujrat 49:16)
Momin is a person who is in peace and as a source of peace
offers peace to others. By extending greeting of peace (
)one extends peace to others and expects peace in
reciprocation. Muslims are prohibited to deny peace to such
person and accept his declaration on its face value.
4:95
and say not to anyone who greets you with the greeting of
peace, you are not a believer.
Q-4. In verse (33:40 Al-Ahzab), what does the Seal of prophet mean?
Seal is used to attest or verify something. In old times, kings and rulers
have such seals as rings and wear them on their finger for security
purpose lest someone use them illegally. The ordinary rings were,
therefore, also called khatam in Arabic. Holy Prophet (sa) was advised
to have a seal and put it on his letters to kings and rulers.
Holy Prophet (sa) required his followers to believe in all the prophets.
Thus, he, acting as a seal, attested and authenticated the prophethood of
all prophets of Allah.
It is alleged that Ahmadies do not believe in the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (sa) to be Khataman Nabiyyeen. This is based on a gross
misrepresentation of the Ahmadiyya views and I would like to present
the following to remove this misunderstanding.
He further says:
"The charge made against me and my Community that we do not believe the
Messenger of Allah (peace be on him and His blessings) to be the Seal of Prophets
is a big falsehood. The faith, the conviction, certitude and the utterances that
characterize our belief in the Holy Prophet as the Seal of Prophets, are markedly
absent in the belief of these people (those who level this charge at us)." (AlHakam, March 19, 1905)
Many Muslims believe that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of God be on him) is the last prophet and that no prophet can
come after him. I shall first state and examine the arguments that are
given in support of this belief, then show that this is true only in a
certain sense.
The Holy Quran says: "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men,
but he is the Apostle of Allah and Khataman Nabiyyeen--The Seal of the
Prophets." (33:41)
The real meaning of Khatam is a seal (see Tajul Aroos, Lisanul Arab,
and Qamoos), and the phrase should be interpreted in the light of this
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The verse runs as follows: "Muhammad is not the father of any of your
men, but he is the Messenger of God and Khataman Nabiyyeen." God is
obviously refuting an objection, viz., the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa)
has no male issue. We read in the Quran: "Surely it is thy enemy and not
thou who shall be childless and without posterity." (108:4)
These words are said to have been revealed when Al-Aas Ibn Wayel
called the Holy Prophet (sa) Abtar (having no children or posterity) on
the death of his son Al-Qasim (see Jalaluddin's Commentary under verse
108:4). As an answer to this taunt of the enemies, God declared in the
verse under discussion that the line of his physical male descendants is
no doubt cut off by the death of his sons but as Hadhrat Muhammad (sa)
is a Messenger of God, he possesses devoted followers who shall form a
continuous and long line of spiritual descendants to keep his memory
and name and teachings alive for ever and ever.
The followers of a prophet are often described as his spiritual children.
The meaning of the word Khataman Nabiyyeen must fit with this
context. To say that Hadhrat Muhammad (sa) is the last of the prophets
and there shall be no prophet after him does no credit to him. His
enemies could at once add an insult by saying that Hadhrat Muhammad
(sa) failed to produce a progeny in the spiritual sense of the word also
and thus proved himself (God forbid) barren and abtar in every respect.
According to the context, therefore, the Seal of the Prophets must mean
that the spiritual descendants of Hadhrat Muhammad (sa) would be of no
mean order. They would, God says, attain to great spiritual distinctions
so must so that by following in his footsteps some of them would even
become prophets.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) is called here the Lord Privy Seal or
the Lord Keeper of the great Divine Seal of Prophethood, which not only
ratifies and authenticates the office of the previous prophets but also
awards the distinctive mark of prophethood to those who make
themselves worthy of it. (Haqeeqatul Wahy by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam
Ahmad, p. 56) We read in the Bible: "The Lord will make thee the head
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and not the tail; thou shalt be above only and thou not be beneath."
(Deuteronomy 28:13)
To be the tail of a line, therefore, is no credit or distinction. Even if we
take the phrase Khataman Nabiyyeen to mean the last of the prophets;
we must interpret it as meaning that he is the last in the sense that he has
attained a degree of perfection beyond which it is impossible for anyone
to go. He has exhausted all the degrees of perfection and none can ever
excel or supersede him. He is the Head of the prophets and not the tail.
NO NEW LAW:
He is the greatest not because he appeared last of all but because he has
brought a law which is absolutely final and can never be replaced or
excelled. Ibn Khaldun also mentions this meaning in his Muqaddama
(Vol. II, p. 165, Paris). Ali Bin Muhammad Sultan Al-Qari (Mulla Ali
Qari) interprets this phrase in the same sense. He says that it means that
there will not come a prophet after Muhammad (peace and blessings of
God be on be him) who could cancel his law and who is not a follower
of his (Mauzooat Kabeer, p.69).
Sheikh Mohyud Din Ibn Arabi says that the prophethood which brings
law is finished with the advent of Muhammad, peace and blessings of
God be on be him. (Fosoosul Hikam, p. 140)
Shah Waliullah Muhaddas of Delhi writes that Muhammad (peace and
blessings of God be on be him) was the last of the prophets in the sense
that there will appear no one after him to promulgate a new law for the
people. (Tafheemate Ilahiya, 53)
Syed Abdul Kadir Jeelani says: "The prophetic law is finished and
completed with the Holy Prophet and he was called Khataman
Nabiyyeen. (Al-Insanul Kamil, Ch. 36)
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Maulana Abdul Haye of Lukhnow says: "It is not impossible that a new
prophet may appear during or after the age of Muhammad but bringing
of a new code of religion is an absolute impossibility." (Dafi-ul-Wasawis
fee asr ibn Abbas, p. 12)
THE TRADITIONS:
I shall now deal with Hadith (Traditions of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad (sa) on this subject. The Holy Prophet (sa) said to Ali Ibn
Abi Talib (ra):
"You are to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that *Laa Nabiyya
Ba'adi". (Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Mishkat)
The last words are translated as: there is no prophet after me. On the
basis of these words it is contended that if it were really possible for
anyone to become a prophet, no one could have been more deserving
than Hadhrat Ali (ra), who was not only a near relation of but succeeded
the Holy Prophet (sa) as the 4th Khalifa. The words were uttered when
the Holy Prophet (sa) was going to Tabook and appointed Hadhrat Ali
(ra) as the Ameer at Medina after him. Hadhrat Ali (ra) was desirous of
participating in the battle and did not wish to stay behind. The Holy
Prophet (sa), therefore, reminded Hadhrat Ali (ra) of the importance of
his work by referring to Hadhrat Aaron (as) who was appointed Ameer
of the Israelites when Moses (as) went to Mount Sinai. Hadhrat Aaron
(as) was the brother of Hadhrat Moses (as) and a prophet of God.
Hadhrat Ali (ra) was a cousin but not a prophet. The Holy Prophet (sa)
could not be blunt but he must not be misunderstood in such matters.
Therefore, he added that he was not leaving a prophet behind him. The
word Ba'ad means behind. (see Lane's Lexicon Book I, p. 225)
The context shows that the idea was to tell Ali (ra) that he was being left
behind like Hadhrat Aaron (as) but he was not a prophet. The words
cannot refer to any remote future. They were used and meant for that
particular occasion. The word Ba'ad is often used in this sense. In verse
7:149 of the Quran this word is translated by Pickthall as `after I had left
you'. The word Ba'ad is also used in the sense of Ma'a, i.e., with. (Lane's
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Q-5. Was Jesus taken up to heaven before having been crucified? How would you explain
the verses (3: 54,55 Al-Imran), (4: 157, 158 An-Nisa)?
The following are some quotes from the Holy Quran, Hadith and the
Bible that confirm the notion that Jesus died a natural death:
PROMISE MADE
[3:56] Remember the time when Allah said, 'O Jesus, I will cause thee to
die a natural death and will raise thee to Myself, and will clear thee of the
charges of those who disbelieve, and will exalt those who follow thee above
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those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your
return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ.'
PROMISE FULFILLED
[5 118] `I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me Worship ALLAH, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as
long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die,
Thou, hast been the Watcher over them, and Thou art Witness over all
things;
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In the following verse it is stated that all of us, upon our death, return
towards Him. Does it mean that we are raised physically?
[2:157] Who, when a misfortune overtakes them, say, 'Surely, to Allah we
belong and to Him shall we return.'
In the following verse Hadhrat Ibrahim (a.s.) has been quoted as saying
that he is going towards his Lord. Does it imply that he was also raised
towards God?
[37:100] And he said, 'I am going to my Lord. He will, surely, guide
me.'
Allah is every where, as stated by the following verse. Where then Jesus
was raised?
[6:4] And He is Allah, the God, both in the heavens and in the earth.
[2:116] To Allah belongs the East and the West; so whithersoever you turn,
there will be the face of Allah. Surely, Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.
In the light of the above, if anyone believes that Jesus Christ physically
ascended to heavens, he has to believe that Jesus was not a human being.
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In the following verse of the Bible, Jesus has mentioned that ascending
to or descending from heavens is nothing but metaphorical.
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from
heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. (JOHN 3:13)
P-889)
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would have cited Jesus as an example of how the Holy Prophet (s.a.)
could have escaped death and was merely physically raised to heaven,
but they did not. Therefore, according to the understanding of the
Muslims of the time, they must have understood the meaning of the
above verse. Otherwise, the effect those words had on the gathering
could not have been possible.
IBN-E-KATHIR ACKNOWLEDGES
DEATH OF JESUS
Hafiz Ibn-e-Kathir, a famous commentator of the Holy Quran has
mentioned that there are certain Hadiths of the holy Prophet (s.a.) which
shows that Jesus Christ has died and is not a living person any more.
In some Hadiths it is mentioned that had Moses and Jesus lived today they
wouldnt have any option but to follow me. (Tafseer Ibn-e-Kathir vol-1, p449)
They claim that according to this verse of the Holy Quran, everyone
from the people of the Book, i.e., the Jews and the Christians shall
accept Jesus Christ as a true prophet of God before his (Jesus) death.
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This pronoun his is referred to Jesus and not to that Jew or Christian
who is expected to believe in Jesus. They argue that as, apparently, all
the Jews and the Christians have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as a true
prophet of God, therefore, he is still alive in the heavens.
In order to know the exact and correct meanings and interpretation of the
above mentioned verse of the Holy Quran, we need to keep in mind the
principles of interpretation, some of which mentioned below.
UNANIMOUS PRINCIPLES
OF INTERPRETATION
It is widely accepted amongst the Muslim religious scholars that the
Holy Quran interprets itself, which means that certain verses of the
Holy Quran can be used to interpret certain other verses. It is also
invariably accepted that there cannot be any contradiction in the Holy
Quran. It is also a canonized principle that Hadith cannot state anything
against the teachings of the Holy Quran. Lets check the above verse in
the light of these unanimously accepted criteria.
LOGICAL PROBLEM
Before discussing this verse a logical problem needs to be resolved.
When we say that each and every one among the People of the Book
shall believe in Jesus Christ before his death, we need to know that
people of what time period we are talking about, because in the verse
under consideration, an encompassing and all-inclusive phrase, and
there is none among the People of the Book, is
used? So we need to know whether we are talking about those people of
the book who were at the time of Jesus, those who were at the time of
the Holy Prophet (s.a.) when this verse was revealed, those who shall be
present at the time of the second coming of Jesus or all of them?
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The onus of reply to this question lies on those who believe in literal
interpretation of this verse. However, ignoring this point, we focus our
attention to the crux of the matter. This verse, according to non-Ahmadi
interpretations, states that all of the People of the Book shall
unanimously accept Jesus Christ as true prophet of God before his death.
Consequently, there shall be no Jew or Christian left on the face of the
earth as all of them would have been converted to Islam.
Now, lets check the following two verses of Sura Maida, chapter 5 of
the Holy Quran:
These two verses clearly state that different sects of the Jews and the
Christians shall remain on earth till the last day or the Day of Judgment
and there shall be enmity and hatred between them till that day.
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In this verse Allah promises Jesus to exalt his followers over those who
disbelieve, till the day of resurrection. Historically, those who do not
follow Jesus are the Jews, who shall be empowered by those who follow
Jesus. It also proves that the Jews shall not be completely annihilated
from the face of the earth, but exist till last day.
CONCLUSION
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Q-6. What does the word Ahmad signify in verse (61:6 As-Saff)?
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Q-7. What does 'Dua' or supplication mean? Is supplication related to the verses (2:186 AlBaqarah), (42:26 As-Shu'rah). Verse (50:16 Qaf), says God is closer than the jugular
vein. What does it mean?
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The verse: Call on Me, I shall respond to you, shows that God has
promised the acceptance of all prayers.
Thus, the only way of reconciling this contradiction between the verses
is that the acceptance of prayer should be interpreted as meaning the
acceptance of an act of worship, that is to say, that prayer should be
interpreted as a type of worship concerning which there is a Divine
promise of acceptance when it is offered in the sincerity and earnestness
of the heart.
The acceptance of prayer is, therefore, no more than that it earns merit
by being regarded as a type of worship.
If the bestowal of something has been determined and it is also prayed
for, it is bestowed not because of the prayer, but because it had been
determined upon.
The great benefit of prayer is that when at the time of prayer the heart is
fixed upon the greatness of God and His limitless power that idea
overcomes all the apprehensions which were the cause of restlessness
and the supplicant experiences patience and steadfastness.
This condition of the heart is produced by worship and this is the
acceptance of prayer.
Syed Sahib observes that those people who are unaware of the reality of
prayer and of the wisdom that is inherent in it can say that-if that which
is not determined cannot happen, then prayer is of no use.
That is to say, that that which is determined will happen in any case
whether one offers a prayer in respect of it or not and that a thousand
prayers will not help where the matter has not been determined, thus
prayer is vain and useless.
In answer to this Syed Sahib says that to supplicate for help in a time of
distress is a characteristic of human nature and a person supplicates on
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object, yet would Syed Sahib affirm that the science of medicine is
altogether without any basis and that remedies have no effect whatever?
If, despite his belief in determination, he is persuaded that remedies are
not without effect, then why does he create a distinction between this
law and a similar and parallel law?
Does he believe that God had power to invest certain medicines with
such powerful effects that their full dose should immediately move the
stomach, or that certain poisons should have such powerful effect that a
full dose of them should dispatch the consumer from this world within a
matter of minutes, yet He should leave as dead and without effect the
supplications of His elect which are full of resolve and attention and
earnestness?
Is it possible that there should be a contradiction in the Divine system
and that the Divine design which works for the welfare of His servants
through medicines should not operate in the case of prayer?
That is not so. Syed Sahib himself is unaware of the true philosophy of
prayer and has no personal experience of its high effectiveness.
His case is like that of a person who over a period uses a stale medicine
which has lost all its effectiveness and then concludes, as a general rule,
that that medicine is ineffective.
Syed Sahib has reached an advanced age, but the natural system, that
determination is closely related to means, has eluded him.
That is why he has fallen into the error that anything can happen without
the intervention of the means which nature has appointed spiritually and
physically.
As a general rule, nothing is free from determination. A person who
derives advantage from fire, or water, or air, or clay, or corn, or
vegetables, or animals, or minerals, does so under the rule of
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determination, but if a stupid one should imagine that without the help of
the means which God Almighty has appointed, and without treading the
paths that have been fixed by nature, something might be acquired
without the mediation of physical or spiritual means, such a one seeks to
falsify the wisdom of God Almighty.
The meaning of all that Syed Sahib has put forth is that he does not
regard prayer as one of the effective means, the existence of which he
admits, and that he has in this matter gone beyond the limit.
For instance, if someone mentions the effect of fire to him, he will not
deny it and will not affirm that if anyone's being burnt has been
determined he would be burnt without the intervention of fire, then I am
surprised that despite being a Muslim he denies the effectiveness of
prayer which sometimes lights up the darkness like fire and sometimes
burns the hand of an impertinent intervener.
Does he remember determination at the time of prayer and forget it when
fire or the like is mentioned?
Does not the same determination comprehend both? When, despite
determination, he adheres so strongly to effective means that he has
acquired an ill reputation in his exaggeration, then what is the reason
that the system of nature which he acknowledges is forgotten by him in
the matter of prayer, so much so that while in his view a fly has some
effect, yet prayer has none?
The truth is that he is unaware of the effect of prayer and has no personal
experience of it, nor has he had the advantage of keeping company with
those who have such experience.
Miracles Are Wrought By Prayer
The subject of the acceptance of prayer is a branch of the subject of
prayer.
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Syed Sahib says that in the Holy Quran God Almighty has promised
acceptance of all prayers while the fact is that some prayers are not
accepted.
This is a misunderstanding on his part and the verse: Call on Me, I shall
respond to you (40: 6 1), does not help his purpose.
The prayer that is prescribed in this verse as a command is not any
ordinary prayer, but is the worship that has been made obligatory.
Not all prayers are obligatory. At some places God, the Glorious, has
praised those who are steadfast and at a time of trial confine themselves
to committing themselves to God.
In this verse prayer has not only been commanded but the verse goes on
to describe it as worship and in case of disobedience warns of the
torment of hell.
It is obvious that in the case of other prayers this warning is not added.
Indeed in some cases Prophets were admonished in respect of their
prayers.
The verse: I advise thee not to act like the ignorant ones (11:47); is an
instance. This shows that if every prayer had been worship Noah would
not have been rebuked about his prayer.
In some situations Prophets and saints have considered it disrespectful to
supplicate and the righteous have followed the dictate of their hearts in
respect of such prayers; that is to say, if at a time of distress the heart
suggested prayer they turned to prayer and if the heart suggested
steadfastness, they were steadfast and turned away from prayer.
Besides, God has not promised acceptance of prayer in all cases, but has
clearly said that He would accept if He so wills and would reject if He so
wills.
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The verse: In such an event you will call on Him alone, then will He
remove that which you call on Him to remove, if He please (6:42);
clearly indicates this.
Conditions Of Acceptance Of Prayer
Even if we were to concede that the phrase 'Call on Me' means prayer,
we would have to affirm that by prayer is meant such prayer as complies
with all required conditions and that is not within the power of man
unless he is helped by God.
Humility alone is not enough for prayer, but righteousness, purity,
truthfulness, perfect certainty, perfect love and perfect attention are all
needed, and it is also necessary that the object prayed for should not be
opposed to the Divine design for the welfare in this world and in the
hereafter of the supplicant, or of the one on whose behalf supplication is
made.
Very often, despite all other conditions being fulfilled, the object for
which supplication is made is opposed to the Divine design and there is
no good in its fulfillment.
For instance, if a child should cry that his mother should hand over to
him a burning brand, or a serpent, or should feed him a poison, which
appears agreeable, the mother would not comply with his wish.
Were she to do so, and though the child might escape with his life some
limb of his should become useless, then arriving at years of discretion
the child would have a grievance against his foolish mother.
There are many other conditions in the absence of which prayer does not
deserve that name and so long as a prayer is not inspired by full
spirituality and there is not a close connection between him who
supplicates and him on whose behalf supplication is made, there is little
hope of the acceptance of prayer.
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Unless there is Divine willingness for the acceptance of prayer all these
conditions are not fulfilled and full attention remains lacking.
Syed Sahib acknowledges that the good fortune of the hereafter and its
bounties and delights and comforts which constitute salvation, are the
result of faith and sincere prayers.
That being so, Syed Sahib would be compelled to acknowledge that a
believer's prayers have effect and become the cause of the removal of
calamities and the achievement of objectives. (Barakatud Dua pp 5-14).
Q-8. What does 'Seven Heavens' mean in context of the Holy Qur'an?
Qur'an, 41:12)
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The ionized gases form a layer within the thermosphere called the
IONOSPHERE.
The outermost part of Earth's atmosphere called the EXOSPHERE
extends from about 480 km out to 960 km.
(Carolyn Sheets, Robert Gardner, Samuel F. Howe; General Science,
Allyn and Bacon Inc. Newton, Massachusetts, 1985, s. 319-322)
Q-9. Would you consider Sura Al- Fatihah the foundation and essence of the Qur'an. The
sura is considered as a Dua and the rest of the Qur'an as Allah's answer to it.
This chapter has been referred to in the Quranic verse, We have indeed
given thee the seven oft-repeated verses and the great Quran (15:86).
The chapter has been called by quite a number of names, out of which
the following ten are more authentic. These are:
Al-Fatiha, Al-Salat, Al-Hamd, Umm-ul-Quran, Al-Quran ul Azim, AlSab ul Mathani, Umm-ul-Kitab, Al-Shifa, Al-Ruqya and Al-Kanz.
This chapter contains the essence of the entire Quranic teaching. It
comprises, in outline, all the subjects dealt at length in the body of the
Quran. The chapter starts with a description of the fundamental
attributes of God, the pivot round which all the other divine attributes
revolve the basis of the working of the universe and of the relations
between God and man. Rabb (the Creator, Sustainer and Developer),
Rahman (the Gracious), Rahim (the Merciful) and Maliki Yaum-ud-Din
(Master of the Day of Judgment)these attributes signify that after
creating man God endowed him with the best capacities and capabilities,
and provided the means and material needed for his physical, social,
moral and spiritual development. Further, He made a provision that all
labours and endeavours of man should have an ample reward.
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The chapter goes on to say that man has been created for ibadat, i.e.,
the worship of God and the attainment of His nearness, and that he
constantly needs His help for the fulfillment of this supreme object of
his creation.
Then we have a comprehensive prayer in which all the urges of the
human soul find full expression. The prayer teaches us that we should
always seek and invoke the assistance of God that He may provide us
with the means required for our success in this life and the life to come.
And as man is apt to derive strength and encouragement from the good
example of those noble and great souls who led successful lives in the
past, he is taught to pray that just as by Gods help and assistance those
righteous and God-fearing men achieved the object of their life, and
their labours were crowned with success, God should open up for him
also avenues of moral and spiritual progress.
Finally, the prayer contains a warning that after having been led to the
right path, man sometimes strays away from it, loses sight of his goal
and becomes estranged from his Creator. We are taught to remain always
on our guard and constantly seek Gods protection against any possible
estrangement from Him.
This is the subject which is put in a nutshell in Al-Fatiha, and this is the
subject with which the Quran deals fully and comprehensively, citing
numerous examples for the guidance of the reader.
The chapter is introductory to the Quran. It is an epitome of the whole
Book. Thus at the very beginning of his study, the reader knows in broad
outline the subject he should expect to find in the Quran.
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The meaning of Taqdeer, from the Arabic Lexicon of Lane I measured the thing, computed, or determined its quantity, measure,
size, bulk, proportion.
In the literal sense of the word, taqdeer or Qadarah means, he mediated,
considered, exercised thought in arranging or preparing a thing or an
affair.
Either making use of his reason or building thereon. The doing of which
is praiseworthy. Or according to his desire or appetite. The doing of
which is qadarah.
And then it further elaborated, by means of marks, where to cut it. He
intended a thing or an affair, he determined upon it, he decreed,
appointed, ordained, he destined or pre-destined a thing.
All these are connotations of the word Taqdeer or Qadarah.
Now, let us examine in detail, what is meant by belief in Allah. There
are four fundamental points that must be understood:
Allah is the creator of everything. The key word here is Everything.
When we say everything it means that Allah is the Creator of everything
in its entirety, whether we can perceive it or not; everything is included.
There is nothing in the Universe that is outside the bounds of Allahs
creation. Allah has created everything. I wish to emphasize this
fundamental point as because in some religions, the essence of God is
not viewed as being a fundamental and absolute creator. For example,
Hindu belief dictates that Allah is not the creator of Souls. In their view
souls have co-existed with Allah from the beginning of time. Allah can
take a soul and place it in a body but He cannot create them. The Holy
Quran very strongly rejects this concept, and says that Allah is the
creator of everything, 6:102 and 103. This statement is without any
exception.
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The second important point I would like to mention is that when Allah
creates an entity, whether it has physical dimension or not, he creates a
blueprint outlining this creation. This is a complete and faultless
document, listing every detail of the creation and particulars of how the
entity will function after its creation.
This entity can be a bacterium, a germ whose life span is only a few
seconds or it could be a planet - even a solar system or a galaxy is not
outside Allahs creation. Whatever Allah has created, it is reflective of
His thoughtful planning and deep understanding. No entity has been
created randomly and none can be created without the Will and Consent
of Allah.
I will illustrate the completeness and thoroughness of Rab-ul-Alameens
creation and planning by an example.
When Allah decided to create life on earth, he formulated a plan and put
it in place for billions of years or even more. This plan will remain in
action as long as Allah wills. The creation of life; Human or any specie,
has gone through a perfect process of evolution and has arrived at the
stage that we witness today. This is not by randomness or by chance. It
is perfect planning. Allah says in the Holy Quran, chapter 25, verse 3:
He to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And He has taken
on to Himself no son, and has no partner in the kingdom, and has created
everything, and has ordained for it its proper measure.
This is the gist of the concept of taqdeer. Allah has ordained everything.
Every infinitesimal detail on how a creation occurs or that how that
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creature of God will function. To accentuate this point, Allah says in the
Holy Quran. chapter 36, verse 39 41:
And the sun is moving on the course prescribed for it. That is the decree of the
Almighty, the All-Knowing God. And for the moon We have appointed stages, till it
becomes again like an old dry branch of a palm-tree. It is not for the sun to
overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day.
In brief then, you can see the entirety of Allahs plans. He has detailed,
in great clarity, functioning of every creation including heavenly bodies.
In that master plan Allah has also decreed how these creations will move
towards their final destiny; the point at which every creation, every
entity will become extinct.
At this stage, the third fundamental point that I would like to highlight is
that everything, except Allah, has a final destiny or an end. Indeed
everything, without any exception, has a final destiny.
As I mentioned earlier, everything has been created by Allah on the basis
of a blueprint and a final destiny.
Humans, for example, have longed for eternal life. Even if the
advancement in medicine makes it possible for humans to live longer,
there will eventually be an end to their physical existence. One cannot
escape the ultimate fate that Allah has planned for any specie, be it
human or a virus. As history is a witness, millions of species have died
and this process of continuation of evolution will continue. Species will
evolve and will reach their final destiny.
The notion that Allahs creations are now evolving independently, that
is, without will of Allah is erroneous and flawed. Allah is not only the
originator of everything, He is also the eradicator, as He clearly states in
the Holy Quran, chapter 55, verses 27 to 28:
All that is on it (earth) will pass away. And there will remain only the Person of
thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honor.
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Further analysis into the subject of existence reveals that there was a
time when nothing existed, except Allah; then He created this Universe,
and should He choose, He may bring an end this universe. The
following two quotes from the Holy Quran clarify this point. Firstly,
from chapter 57, verse 4:
He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He knows all
things full well.
Now to the fourth fundamental point in this regard. The laws of nature
are part of Allahs decree. So whatever Allah has created, Allah has
made corresponding laws that govern its existence. Many laws are now
known to us, and many more are yet unknown. It is Allah, who has
created these boundaries of knowledge and abilities. For example, a
person may intend to become a weight lifter. To this end he improves his
abilities and becomes the best weight lifter in the world. However, there
is an upper limit that he cannot exceed.
Similarly, a person who is a sprinter can become the fastest man on
earth; ever improving by perhaps a fraction of a second, but even in that
case there will be an upper limit.
There are natural laws, for example, that fire will burn or the water will
extinguish the fire. There are millions of these laws of Nature which
form boundaries around us. They are part of the laws that Allah has
already decreed. Sometimes, however, we notice a deviation in the law.
This divergence does not, in any sense, mean that Allah is breaking the
law. They merely represent execution of laws that are not known to us.
These hitherto laws are triggered by factors which are not known to us.
Allah says in Chapter 2, verse 118 says:
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He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a thing, He
does only say to it, Be! and it is.
From this verse one should not understand that everything is created
suddenly. Kun Fayakoon means that he says BE and it starts happening
and it starts taking its shape, in accordance with the blueprint designed
by Allah. We can take the example f the long process of evolution
which has taken place on this earth, started when Allah said Kun. The
process is still continuing and will keep evolving for as long as Allah
wills, and remains subservient to the complete and absolute desire of
Allah. In summary, Kun Fayakoon does not mean that Allah says and
things happen suddenly. This is a misconception.
Therefore, summarizing the fundamental points regarding the decree of
Allah or Taqdeer, one can say that we do not have freewill in these
matters.
Firstly, Allah is the creator and he controls every creation. Secondly, we
cannot change the blueprint that Allah has created to govern his
creations. Thirdly, we cannot control creations and we do not have
knowledge of how the things will eventually end.
For example, we do not know our life span, we do not know how the life
on earth will end, we do not know when this solar system will end, we
do not know when the stars will die, we do not know whether this whole
universe will end or not.
However, everything is known to Allah and everything is controlled by
Allah. Hence, in this Taqdeer, we cannot assume absolute freewill or
contemplate having control, whether partial or full, over His creations,
over the governance of His creations and over the final destiny of these
creations.
The laws of nature, as I discussed earlier form a boundary. Think of a
horse that is tied to a pole with a long rope. That horse is free within the
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5:49
As history is witness, Allah does not enforce His will. Should He have
willed He would have forced all humans to accept the Holy Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). However, He did not
compel humans. In accordance with His rules, He gave humans a
choice, whether to believe or disbelieve.
A basic analysis of the Holy Quran reveals the rules established by
Allah regarding free will. In chapter 18 verses 30 Allah says,
Let him who will believe and let him who will disbelieve.
In the matters of religious laws Allah has given the choice. That choice,
however, is based on the wisdom that if you make the right choice you
will be rewarded and you will have a peaceful eternal life. It will be a
serene life that will be much superior then this worldly life. Conversely,
if you decide to choose to disbelieve in the revelation of Allah, you
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should fully understand the rules that govern that decision. By choosing
to disobey Allah, you would have to accept the penalty.
The exercise of free will in this case should not be viewed as a
punishment. It is not that Allah is angry and that He will punish you
because of your choice. It should be noted that Shariah is very clear
about this matter. When Allah gives you free choice, He clearly explains
the benefits and disadvantages of each option. The choice, in the end, is
yours.
Now, let us analyze another common misconception about Taqdeer.
People say that if Allah knows what I will do tomorrow, how can I have
free will? Or if Allah knows about all the sins I am going to commit in
my life how do I have free will?
One should try to understand the above two questions in light of the
teachings of Shariah and Hadith. Allahs knowledge of the past, present
and future is complete and there is no limit to His knowledge. He knows
what happened from time immemorial and knows what will happen in
the future, be it tomorrow or a billion years from now. However, Allah
chooses not to disclose his knowledge on daily basis, because of the free
will that he has decreed.
Ill illustrate this by means of an example. Assume you are standing on
top of a multistory building and you observe a child running towards the
road. You also observe a car coming towards the child and you can see
that various obstructions on the road do not allow the driver to see that a
child is in the path of collision. Your knowledge tells you that the
accident is imminent and that is exactly what happens. Are you, then,
responsible for the accident? No. Your knowledge, as an observer is
complete, however, it is the choice of the child to run towards the road.
It is in the power of the driver to stop, but that does not happen.
Likewise, Allahs knowledge is complete, and one cannot say that
Allahs knowledge is responsible for the sins of humankind.
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People also demand that if Allah knows that a certain type of crime is
going to be committed then He should stop it. If Allah knows that there
is murderer who is going to kill an innocent person; who will leave a
widow or an orphan child, He should stop the murderer, because he has
the power. Nevertheless, this is exactly what Allah says that I do not do
on daily basis because He has given you free will and He does not do
this normally until and unless there is a special Taqdeer which comes
into play and which is triggered on special occasions.
Make no mistake, Allah can stop all the crimes and Allah can make this
world a beautiful world without any crimes or without any sins, but He
says that He has chosen not to do that because He want to see who are
the people who follow His commandments and who are the ones who
dont.
So perhaps we can say that we live in a boundary stipulated by Allah.
Consequently, a person cannot say that he will live for a thousand years
or that he will defy the laws of nature. Every one of us is encircled in
that boundary. This outer line of this boundary is pre destination. It
implies that everything has been fixed, he has to die on a certain day and
he has to go through all those activities which Allah has pre-destined.
But then Allah has given him free will so that he can make the right
choice or he can opt for another course of action on a daily basis. We
witness this phenomenon on a daily basis.
Q-11. Is the Qur'anic message outdated, does it need updating or is for all times?
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forth its fruit at all times by the command of its Lord. And Allah sets forth
similitudes for men that they may reflect. (Ibraheem-14:25, 26)
Say, If the ocean became ink for the words of my Lord, surely, the ocean
would be exhausted before the words of my Lord came to an end, even though We
brought the likes thereof as further help. (Al-Kahaf 18:110)
And if all the trees that are in the earth were pens, and the ocean were ink, with
seven oceans swelling it thereafter, the words of Allah would not be exhausted.
Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise.
These are not mere claims but supported with strong evidences
of scientific information like
Embryology; Origin of life from water; Age of maturity etc.
contained in the Holy Quran discovered by modern science and
the prophecies fulfilled in recent times like
nuclear holocaust; finger prints; environmental pollution
establishment of Israel; genetic engineering; roads in mountains;
modern transport systems; establishment of zoo; linking of
oceans; modern communication systems; rights of women;
publication and spread of books; extra-terrestrial life; and air
traffic system.
Q-12. What is your view on Halala marriage in light of the Qur'an?
The verse 2:231 refers to the third and final pronouncement of divorce
after which the husband loses all right of reunion with his wife unless
the divorced woman marries another man and establishes conjugal
relations with him, and is then formally divorced by him or he dies,
leaving her free to marry another man. By the inclusion of this provision
in the law of divorce, Islam has, on the one hand, enhanced the sanctity
of the marriage tie which must not be trifled with and has declared
unlawful the evil practice of halala; and on the other, it has afforded
yet another opportunity to the couple who once had lived as husband and
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