Q1).

The entire faith in Prophethood is unacceptable without faith in finality of the

Prophethood. Discuss in the light of Quran and Sunnah.
Ans. Belief in all Prophets and in the finality of Prophethood of Holy Prophet (SAW) is a
fundamental article of faith in Islam. According to this fundamental article of faith, any person
who claims to be a Prophet or declares that he receives Divine revelation or he is a co-Prophet
who has been sent to share the burden of Prophethood is a liar who is misguided and is
misguiding others. Without verbal acceptance and inner conviction of finality of Prophethood of
Holy Prophet (SAW), a person cannot enter the fold of Islam.
The Holy Quran and Ahadith of Holy Prophet (SAW) eloquently prove that Prophethood came
to an end with Holy Prophet (SAW). The Holy Quran says, “Muhammad is not the father of
any of your men but he is the messenger of Allah and the seal of Prophets. Allah has full
knowledge of everything.”
All interpreters of Holy Quran including Hafiz ibn-e-Kaseer, Abu Ala Maudoodi and Imam
Ghazali agree that this verse of the Holy Quran means that Holy Prophet (SAW) is the last of all
Prophets and no one after him shall be exalted to the position of Prophethood. The word used in
Quran for the finality of Prophethood is Khatam-ul-Nabiyyin. The word Khatam means to affix
seal, to come to an end and to carry something to its ultimate end. For example Khatam-ul-Amal
means that one has completed his job and fulfilled his responsibility. Similarly Khatam-ul-Ina is
used to convey the meaning that the mouth of a vessel is sealed or closed, implying that nothing
can go in or come out of the vessel. So in this context, Khatam-ul-Nabiyyin means that Holy
Prophet (SAW) is the last Prophet in the line of Prophets and there will be no Prophet after him.
According to Holy Quran, some people in previous communities used to change the text of their
Holy Books in exchange for money and because it contained prohibitions against some of the
things that they were accustomed to. This practice obliterated the purity and authenticity of their
Books, hence it wasn’t right for people to act upon them. The Holy Quran says, “Verily it is We
who sent down the Quran and We will be its guardian.” The Holy Quran is the only
unmodified Holy Book and since the word of Allah has remained pure so there is no need to send
another Prophet with another Book. This verse of the Holy Quran thus also testifies to the
finality of Prophethood.
One of the reasons for sending a Prophet to a community was that teachings of a previous
Prophet didn’t suffice to give full guidance, perhaps because the Prophet was killed or exiled by
his people as a result the need for an extra Prophet was felt. The Holy Quran says, “Today I have
perfected for you your Deen and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you
Islam as Deen.”
This verse states that Deen was completed through Holy Prophet (SAW). Islam is a complete
code of life that contains all the necessary guidance for man such that in no circumstances would
a man need to look for guidance anywhere else. With guidance completed, there is no need to
send another Prophet, thus implying that Prophethood has ended.
Another proof of the finality of Prophethood in the Quran is that there is no mention of a Prophet
who would come after Holy Prophet (SAW). In all the previous Holy books including Zaboor,
Taurat and Injeel, Allah mentioned other Prophets that would appear in the future so that people
may recognize them and believe in them but when it comes to Holy Quran, there is no mention
of any future Prophet thus indirectly implying that the chain of Prophethood has come to an end.
The Holy Quran says, And when Essa, the son of Maryam said, “O children of Israel, indeed I
am the messenger of Allah to you, I verify the Taurat which came before me and I give you the
glad tidings of a messenger who shall come after me, his name is Ahmad.” But when he came
to them with clear evidences, they said, “This is obvious magic.”
Holy Prophet (SAW) unequivocally declared that he was the final Prophet of Allah. There are
numerous Ahadith in support of this article of faith, whose veracity have been attested by Islamic
scholars. Some of the Ahadith pertaining to the finality of Prophethood are as following:
1) Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “My position in relation to the Prophets who came before me
can be explained by the following example: A man erected a building and adorned it
with great beauty but he left a gap in the corner of a wall for a brick. People looked
around the building and marveled at its beauty but wondered why a brick was missing
from that corner? I am like that one missing brick and I am the last in the line of
Prophets.”

2) Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Allah bestowed upon me six favours which previous
Prophets didn’t enjoy:
a) I have been endowed with the gift of perfect speech.
b) I was granted victory owing to my awe.
c) The whole earth has been made a place of worship for me and it is lawful for my
people to perform ablution with earth (Tayammum) if water is unavailable or scarce.
d) The spoils of war were made lawful for me.
e) I have been sent by Allah to carry his Divine message to the whole world.
f) I have been sent to all mankind and the line of Prophets has come to its end with me.”

3) When Holy Prophet (SAW) set out for Tabuk, he appointed Hazarat Ali as his deputy in
Madina. Hazarat Ali said, “Do you want to leave me with children and women?” In
response Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Are you not satisfied that you are to me like
Haroon was to Musa except that there shall be no Prophet after me.”

4) It is reported that Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “The tribe of Bani Israel was guided by
Prophets. When a Prophet passed away, another Prophet succeeded him but no
Prophet will come after me, only caliphs will succeed me.”
 5) It is narrated by Hazarat Soban that Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Thirty liars will appear
in my Ummah. Every one of them will claim to be a Prophet but I am the last of the
Prophets and there shall be no Prophet after me.”

6) Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “If an Apostle were to succeed me, it would have been Umar
bin Khattab.”
The sheer amount of evidence provided in Holy Quran and Ahadith are sufficient to convince
anyone believing in the divinity of Islam that Holy Prophet (SAW) was the last Prophet and
anyone who claims Prophethood should be considered an outcast from Islam.

Q4). What is human dignity? Explain how Islam recognized it and what efforts have been
adopted to maintain the dignity of man?
Ans. Human dignity is the most important human right from which all other fundamental rights
are derived. Human dignity is the right of a person to be valued, respected and treated ethically
for who they are, not just for what they can do. Human dignity is inherent to every human being,
inalienable and independent of the state. Human dignity is the right of a person to equal
treatment under the law without discrimination based on race, colour, sex, ethnicity and mental
or physical disability. Some of the practices that violate human dignity include torture, rape,
social exclusion, labor exploitation and slavery.
Human dignity is one of the central themes in Islamic teachings and Islam has always aimed to
uplift and sustain human dignity. Islam has given a distinct position to mankind by viewing
humans as the noblest creatures of Allah and man as the vicegerent of Allah on earth. Islam
recognized human dignity in the following ways:
1) Allah created human being as His representative (Khalifa) on earth. The Holy Quran
says, “And when your Lord said to the angels: I am going to appoint a vicegerent on
earth. The angels said: Will you appoint the one who causes corruption and sheds
blood, while we praise You and celebrate Your glory? Allah said: I know that which
you don’t know.” In this verse Allah honours human being by appointing him as His
vicegerent. Of all creations, Allah choose human being as His vicegerent and gave him
the responsibility of implementing His will on earth. For this purpose Allah invested man
with authority and gave him a purpose in life. Unlike other creations of Allah on earth
who do as they please and have no purpose in life, man being the representative of Allah
is not entitled to do as he pleases but has been assigned the heavy duty of implementing
the will of Allah on earth.

2) The Holy Quran says, “O Iblees what prevented you from prostrating before the one
whom I created with My own hands?” This verse highlights the honour, rank and glory
bestowed on man by Allah. In other words, Allah didn’t create man through his angels
and neither He used His power of ‘Kun’ but created him by Himself because his creation
 was a highly noble task. Thus human beings enjoy the distinction and privilege of being
created by Allah himself with his own hands.

3) The Holy Quran says, “And when We ordered the angels to prostrate before Adam, all
of them prostrated except Iblis.” This verse signifies that Allah dignified man and gave
him superiority over angels when He asked angels to prostrate before Adam. This also
signifies that all angels whose jurisdiction embraces the earth were ordered to devote
themselves to man’s service. Since man had been invested with authority on earth by
Allah, the angels were told that whenever man wanted to make use of the powers granted
to him by Allah, they should cooperate with him and enable him to do whatever he wants,
irrespective of right or wrong.

4) The Holy Quran says, “We have certainly honoured the children of Adam and carried
them on land and sea and provided them with good things for their sustenance and
preferred them over most of what We created.” In this verse Allah reminds human
beings of the blessings bestowed upon them in this world. Allah made everything in the
universe subservient to man so that man can benefit from them. If Allah had not
bestowed His blessings upon human beings, life would have been miserable and
unpleasant but He honoured mankind and made life very easy and comfortable.
Moreover, if Allah wanted, He could have bestowed blessings only upon Muslims but the
fact that He bestowed blessings upon all human beings shows His respect and love for
mankind and the high esteem in which He holds mankind.

5) Allah endowed man with special knowledge. The Holy Quran says, “Then Allah taught
Adam the names of all things.” The nature of man’s knowledge is such that he acquires
information about different things through their names and definitions, in other words all
human knowledge boils down to terminologies and simple definitions. This means that
all the knowledge that human beings have acquired and used to revolutionize the world is
rooted in the names that were taught to Adam by Allah. Furthermore, human beings have
been endowed with the ability to think, reason, understand and distinguish between things
that are good for them and things that are harmful for them, in both worldly and religious
terms. These characteristics accentuate the dignity of man and promote man in honor and
merit above all other earthly creations.

6) The Holy Quran says, “We have certainly created man in the best of stature.” In this
verse Allah says that He has honoured mankind by creating them in the best of forms.
Human being has been given the finest and most beautiful body which no other living
being has been given. For example human beings walk upright on two feet and eat with
their hands while most animals walk on four feet and eat with their mouths.

7) Once while circumambulating (tawaf) the Kaaba, Holy Prophet (SAW) said to Kaaba,
“How pure you are and how pure is your fragrance. How great you are and how great
 is you sanctity. By Him in whose hands lies the soul of Muhammad, the sanctity of a
believer is greater with Allah than even your sanctity.”
Since human dignity is so important, Islam places special emphasis on preserving it and has set
some rules to maintain the dignity of man. They are as following:
1) Islam makes it very difficult to prove a crime so that the accused person’s dignity may
not be harmed. By doing so, even if a crime did actually take place, it is not disclosed and
the person’s dignity and status remains preserved. In addition to this, Islam prescribed
strict punishment for those who accuse other people for a crime that they didn’t commit
in order to defame them and dent their honour. The Holy Quran says, “Whoever commits
either a fault or sin and then blames it on an innocent person, has surely burdened
himself with a slander and a manifest sin.” Similarly at another place the Holy Quran
says, “Those who accuse honourable women of unchastity but don’t produce four
witnesses, flog them with eighty lashes and don’t accept their testimony ever after.”

2) All actions that harm one’s character and brings bad reputation are forbidden in Islam
such as backbiting, gossiping, spying, mockery, false allegations and sarcasm. The Holy
Quran says, “O you who believe, avoid much suspicion for much suspicion is a grave
sin. And don’t spy and neither backbite against one another. Would one of you like to
eat the flesh of his dead brother?” Similarly at another place the Holy Quran says,
“Those who like that immorality or scandal should spread among those who have
believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the hereafter.”

3) Muslims have been directed not to expose shortcomings of their brethren but to conceal
them. On this account some jurists have even stated that it is better for a person who has
seen a couple committing adultery to remain silent and not testify because it would
humiliate them and people will look down upon in the society. Holy Prophet (SAW) said,
“Whoever conceals the fault of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world
and in the hereafter.”

4) No one is allowed to cast evil eye on the honour of another Muslim as Islam ordains its
followers to control their eyes and prevent them from falling on forbidden objects. Islam
especially orders women to be very protective of their private aspects so that their dignity
is not violated. The Holy Quran says, “Tell the believing women to lower their gaze and
guard their private parts and not expose their adornment except that which necessarily
appears and to wrap a portion of their headcovers over their chests…”

5) Muslims have been instructed not to enter even their own house suddenly, rather they
should inform the occupants of the house of their arrival so that they may not see their
mother, sister or daughter in a condition in which they wouldn’t like to be seen.
Moreover, Islam also teaches Muslims to ask permission before entering someone’s
house because each home has a sanctity that should be guarded. The Holy Quran says,
“Don’t enter houses other than your own houses until you have asked permission and
 greeted its inhabitants. And if you find no one therein, still don’t enter until permission
has been given to you. And if you are asked to go back then go back.” In addition to
this, peeping into the house of another person has also been strictly prohibited, so much
so that Holy Prophet (SAW) said in a hadith that if a man finds another person secretly
peeping into his house and he blinds his eyes as a punishment then he will not be liable to
prosecution. In another hadith, Holy Prophet (SAW) prohibited people from reading the
letters of others and warned that even if a man casts sidelong glances in order to read the
letter of another person, his conduct becomes reprehensible.

6) In Islam, no person has superiority over another person on account of colour, race,
ethnicity, nationality or language and the only criterion for superiority is piety. In this
way Islam opposes discrimination, establishes equality and protects dignity of man. The
Holy Quran says, “O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female and
made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Indeed the most
noble amongst you in the sight of Allah is the one who is most righteous.”

Q5). Describe the importance and philosophy of fasting (SAUM). Also explain its
individual and collective benefits.
Ans. Fasting is one of the unique moral and spiritual characteristic of Islam. SAUM is an Arabic
word whose literal translation means to ‘give up’ or ‘to leave’. From Islamic perspective, fasting
means to abstain from food, drink and intimate intercourse before the break of dawn till sunset.
Fasting is the third of the five pillars of Islam and a fundamental form of worship in Islam that
provides a great platform to gain self-control, piety, humbleness, sympathy to poor, sincerity to
Allah and success in the hereafter. In addition to this, fasting enables a person to fight evil traits
such as passion, lust, greed, arrogance and jealousy.
The Holy Quran says, “O you who believe, fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for
those who came before you so that you may become God-fearing.”
From this verse we understand that the first and foremost importance of fasting is that it creates
piety and fear of Allah. Fasting illuminates the heart and mind of a man with the remembrance of
Allah and makes him spiritually aware of the presence of Allah which ultimately instills the fear
of Allah as one realizes that he is never alone and Allah is constantly watching him. He realizes
that if he commits a sin in broad daylight or in the darkness of night, Allah is aware of it and He
even knows our thoughts and that which our heart conceals. Fear of Allah enables a person to
distinguish lawful from unlawful and motivates him to follow the path that leads to gaining
Allah’s pleasure and eschew the path that leads to gaining Allah’s displeasure. In this way fear of
Allah compels a person to give up all bad habits and bring about a comprehensive revolution in
his life.
Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Fasting is a protection from the calamities of this world and a veil
from the punishment of the next.”
Hazarat Abu-Huraira reported that Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Every good deed of the son of
Adam is multiplied by ten to seven hundred times. Allah Almighty said: Except for fasting as it
is for Me and I will reward it personally. He leaves his desires and food for My sake. The
fasting person will be relieved twice, once at the time of breaking fast and the other when he
meets his Lord. The smell emanating from a person’s mouth when he is fasting, is more
delightful to Allah than the scent of musk.”
The reason why Allah says fasting is for me because fasting is the only form of worship that is
hidden as it doesn’t manifest itself and only Allah knows that His servant is observing fast. This
characteristic makes fasting immune from hypocrisy and ostentation and is a demonstration of a
person’s sincerity towards Allah. The whole world may be under the impression that a person is
not fasting while in reality he may be fasting.
It is narrated from Hazarat Abu-Huraira that Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Fasting is a shield. So
the fasting person should avoid obscene speech and shouldn’t behave foolishly or arrogantly
and if somebody insults him and fights with him, he should tell him twice: I am fasting.”
This hadith signifies that fasting offers protection from sins and is a means of avoiding
arguments and fights.
Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Upon everything is Zakat and the Zakat of the body is fasting.”
Zakat is given to show gratitude to Allah for the blessing of wealth. Similarly fasting is observed
to show gratitude to Allah for the blessing of a healthy body.
Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Fasting on the day of Arafa expiates the sins of two years and
fasting on the day of Ashura expiates the sins of one year.”
This hadith signifies that fasting is one of the best ways to erase sins and become clean.
Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Fasting will intercede for a person on the Day of Judgement.
Fasting will say: O Lord, I prevented him from food and drink during the day so let me
intercede for him.”
This hadith signifies that fasting will intercede in the court of Allah in favor of a person who
observes fast and will admit him into Paradise.

Individual benefits of fasting:

1) Fasting inculcates the quality of patience and forbearance in a man. Fasting combines
three types of patience; patience in the obedience of Allah, patience in not disobeying
Allah and patience with Allah’s decree. During fasting a person abstains from all the
permissible things that he used to enjoy out of obedience to Allah. During fasting a
person is in constant battle against his Nafs and forces himself to disengage in acts of
disobedience. During fasting a person is afflicted with hunger and thirst but he never
complains to Allah and instead he willingly gives up food and drink for the sake of Allah.
 In this way fasting empowers a man not to submit to worry and anxiety during the times
of trial and tribulation but to be patient with Allah’s decree.

2) Fasting seeks to purify the soul, heart and mind of all impurities that tend to pollute them.
Allah created man from two elements, body and spirit. The body fulfills its nutritional
needs from food and drinks but the soul gets its spiritual diet from the teachings of Islam.
The soul is a delicate entity whose growth and development is dependent on the
renunciation of evil traits. During fasting, a man refrains from all sinful activities in order
to keep his fast intact. The more he refrains from sinful activities, the more he gets rid of
lustful desires and the more pure his soul becomes. Through repeated act of fasting, the
process of purification gets accelerated which rubs off all impurities from the soul,
leaving it clean and pure.

3) Fasting is aimed at enabling man to achieve the pinnacle of gratitude, which is a higher
station than patience. When a fasting person sees a variety of food and drinks at his
disposal at the time of Iftaar, he realizes how blessed he is, keeping in mind that there are
thousands of people who fast all day but have nothing to break their fast with. This
automatically nurtures gratitude within him as a result he becomes grateful to Allah for
all the blessings.

4) Fasting is very beneficial to one’s health. Four-fifth of all illnesses are caused by
fermentation of food in intestines that all disappear by fasting. During fasting, due to
deficit of food, the body uses remaining material in the body instead of food for energy
and in this way removes dirty and infectious materials which exist in the body. Fasting
allows the digestive system, the engine of the body, to get some rest from the normal
demand of processing and breaking down food. The size of stomach shrinks gradually
during fasting, thereby forcing a person to eat less and avoid overburdening the digestive
system. Some of the diseases that doctors have been able to cure by fasting include
neurasthenia, gastritis, tuberculosis, swelling of the lungs, trembling limbs, psychological
distress and liver diseases.

5) Fasting is a Divine prescription for learning self-control. Holy Prophet (SAW) said,
“There are so many fasting people who don’t get anything out of fasting except thirst
and hunger and there are so many worshippers who don’t get anything out of their
waking up at night except being awake.” Imam Jafar As-Sadiq once said, “A person
who merely abstains from eating and drinking will not always be counted as one who is
observing fast.” Fasting in the true sense doesn’t mean to restrict oneself to empty-
stomach and thirst but it means to control evil thinking, evil looking, evil listening and
evil talking. In addition to being empty-stomach and thirsty, a man’s organs such as eyes,
tongue, ears, hands and feet must also be observing fast and must not be used to perform
any unlawful actions that will violate his fast. Only when a man learns to control his
organs and use them for the right purposes, will his fasting be accepted by Allah. For
example a person is supposed to keep his tongue free of useless speech, lies and abuses
 during fasting. Through repeated act of fasting, a person develops a habit of keeping his
tongue clean such that when he is not fasting, he will still stick to his habit and thus learn
self-control.

6) Fasting breathes the spirit of forgiveness, tolerance and mercy in a man. In an attempt to
earn the forgiveness and mercy of Allah and become a better person in the eyes of Allah,
a person tries to treat people in the same way as he wants Allah to treat him. Hazarat
Abdullah ibn Amr reported that Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “Those are who merciful will
be shown mercy by the most merciful. Be merciful to those on earth and the One in the
heavens will have mercy upon you.” Despite the discomfort caused by hunger and thirst
which usually makes a person irritating and annoying, a fasting person sees this as an
opportunity to get closer to Allah and taking advantage of the humility infused by fasting,
he becomes more tolerant and easily forgives people for their mistakes.

7) Fasting suppresses evil and lustful desires in man. Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “He who
can afford to marry should marry because it will help him refrain from looking at
other women and he who cannot afford to marry should observe fast, as fasting will
diminish his sexual power.” Fasting humiliates and weakens the Shaytaan, it weakens
the effect of his whispers and his control over man. Shaytaan flows through a person like
blood and fasting narrows the passages through which Shaytaan flows, making it difficult
for Shaytaan to flow freely as a result his influence weakens and all unlawful desires get
suppressed.
Collective benefits of fasting:
1) During the state of fasting, one experiences the agony of hunger and thirst. This creates
feelings of selflessness and sacrifice in a person. Fasting awakens emotions and
sentiments in a person and opens a person’s eyes to the suffering of the less privileged
sections of society as a result, he develops feelings of sympathy and empathy towards
them that brings him closer to the poor section of the society. Thus fasting renews and
strengthens brotherly ties and creates sympathy for the poor.

2) Fasting has great social benefits for the Muslim community. When Muslims come
together in large numbers for Iftaar and Taraweeh prayer in masjid they learn about each
other’s lives, about each other’s struggles as a result of which they develop love and
respect for each other. Furthermore, those who come to the masjid for Iftaar and
Taraweeh prayer constantly provide emotional support to their fellow Muslims which in
turn makes them feel valued and grants them a sense of belonging in the community. In
this way fasting not only unites Muslims but also encourages them to take care of each
other.

3) Fasting brings enormous economic benefits for the Muslim community. In order to win
the pleasure of Allah, rich people spend very generously on the poor which enables the
poor section of the society to receive sufficient funds to meet their needs. Muslims spend
 more when they are fasting compared to when they are not fasting in the hope that their
charity will be rewarded many times more as promised by Allah. Thus fasting brings the
blessings of Allah in the form of wealth and food into the homes of poor people.

Q6). Define Tauheed (Unity of Allah) in a scholarly manner describing its significance and
effects on human life. [20]
Ans. Tauheed is the indivisible oneness concept of monotheism in Islam. Tauheed is Islam’s
central and most important concept, upon which a Muslim’s entire faith rests. In Islam, Tauheed
means attributing oneness to Allah and describing Him as being one and unique, with no partners
or peers in His essence and attributes. The first part of Islamic declaration of faith, known as
shahada, is the declaration of belief in the oneness of Allah. The opposite of Tauheed is shirk
which is to attribute divinity to anything or anyone else. The word Allah is itself grammatically
unique in the sense that it has no plural and no feminine. So the word Allah also throws light on
the fact that Allah is one and unique. He has neither any partner nor any equal.
Islamic scholars have divided Tauheed into three categories based on the evidences available in
the Holy Quran and Ahadith of Holy Prophet (SAW). They are as following:
1) Tauheed Ar-Rububiyah: Oneness of lordship
It is the belief that Allah is one and unique in His lordship. Allah is the one who creates, sustains
and owns the entire creation. He alone is the master, the controller and the nourisher of
everything.
Allah is capable of bringing anything into existence without anything to begin with. The Holy
Quran says, “When He decrees a matter, He only says to it: Be and it becomes.” Allah created
the Heavens, Galaxies, Milky Way, Solar System, all planets, the Sun, the Moon and the stars.
Allah created the mountains when there was no sign of rock on earth, He created oceans when
there was no water on earth and He created forests when there was no leaf on earth.
He created Adam (AS) from clay, without a father and mother and then He put a fraction of His
soul inside of him and brought him to life as a human being. Allah created Eve from the rib of
Adam (AS) as a complete fully grown human being. Allah created Isaa (AS) without a father.
Similarly He blessed Prophet Ibrahim (AS) with a son, Prophet Ishaq (AS), in very old age and
also blessed Prophet Zakariya (AS) with a son, Prophet Yahya (AS), in very old age.
Allah has complete control over life and death. The Holy Quran says, “Does man think that We
will not assemble his bones? Yes indeed, We have the power to remould even his fingertips.”
Allah mentions the story of Ashabe-Kahf (people of the cave) in the Holy Quran. Allah caused
them and their dog to sleep for over 300 years. Allah preserved their bodies and they were
unaffected physically or mentally by time or weather. They hadn’t aged a day and neither did
they eat or drink anything in between those long years. Allah mentions the story of Prophet
Ibrahim (AS) in the Holy Quran who asked Allah how He brings the dead back to life. Allah told
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) to get four birds, slaughter them, remove their feathers, cut their meat into
pieces and mix the pieces together. After this Allah told him to put parts of these mixed pieces of
meat on different hills and keep the heads of the birds in his hand. Next, Allah commanded him
to call the birds to come to him and when he did that, every bird came to life and came to collect
its head from Prophet Ibrahim (AS).
Allah provided fruits of different seasons to Maryam (AS). Allah gave her the fruits of winter in
summer and the fruits of summer in winter without any effort inside her room. Whenever
Prophet Zakariya (AS) would see this, he would ask her, “O Maryam, from where did you get
these fruits?” Maryam (AS) would say, “These are from Allah. Verily Allah provides
sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.” Allah provided Bani Israel with divine food for
forty years. Allah on daily basis provided them Mann and Salwa on the condition that they will
not store or preserve it for the next day. The Bani Israel didn’t have to hunt or farm and all they
had to do was worship Allah.
Allah protects and destroys whom He wills. Allah protected Prophet Ibrahim (AS) from the
blazing fire prepared by Namrud who wished to burn the prophet alive for disrespecting their
idols. Prophet Ibrahim (AS) remained unharmed in the fire and was provided food by Allah.
Allah saved Prophet Ismael (AS) from being slaughtered at the hands of his father Prophet
Ibrahim (AS). As Prophet Ibrahim (AS) started to move the knife, Angel Jibreel (AS) brought a
ram from paradise that was sacrificed in place of Prophet Ismael (AS). Allah saved Prophet Isaa
(AS) from being assassinated by the Jews. Allah raised him up to the heavens where he is alive.
Allah in the Holy Quran refutes the claim of Jews regarding the crucifixion of Prophet Isaa (AS)
and says that the Jews have no knowledge of what happened and they follow nothing but
conjecture. Allah protected Prophet Yunus (AS) in the belly of a whale where he was engulfed
by the darkness of the whale’s stomach, the darkness of the ocean and the darkness of despair.
Then on the order of Allah, the whale swam up to the surface and ejected Prophet Yunus (AS)
onto the shore. Allah saved Prophet Mosa (AS) and Bani Israel from the attack of Firon by
creating seven paths in the sea. Prophet Mosa (AS) and Bani Israel safely crossed the sea but as
Firon and his army were crossing the sea, the water on both sides returned to their position and
instantly drowned all of them.

2) Tauheed Al-Uluhiya/Ebadah: Oneness of worship

It is the belief that Allah is one and unique in His right to be worshipped. It means devoting all
acts of worship, both inward and outward, in word and deed, to Allah alone and not worshipping
anyone or anything other than Allah. Tauheed Al-Uluhiya basically teaches a person that instead
of worshipping the creation of Allah such as the Sun, Moon, Stars, trees, animals and idols one
should worship the creator Himself. The Holy Quran says, “I didn’t create the jinn and
mankind except to worship Me.”
Tauheed Al-Uluhiya demands sincerity and intention of only pleasing Allah. Therefore all acts of
worship such as Prayer, Fast, Zakat, Hajj, sacrificing animals, Jihad, recitation of Holy Quran
should be done only to please Allah. If an act of worship is done to create a good image of
oneself among the people then such an act is invalid and not accepted by Allah. Furthermore, a
believer under no circumstances should perform an act of worship such as sacrificing an animal
or giving Zakat in the name of anyone other than Allah, nor mention any other name along with
Allah. Since Allah is the sole creator and owner of everything, therefore all acts of worship
should be offered in His name alone as a mark of gratitude to Him. The Holy Quran says, “Say:
My prayer, all my acts of worship, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds.”
Throughout history, people have engaged in prayer, supplication, invocation and animal or
human sacrifice for the purpose of pleasing false deities. Even Muslims, due to lack of religious
knowledge indulge in such practices that involves asking anyone other than Allah for help. For
example, many Muslims frequently visit the shrines of pious men and ask them for help.
Similarly, many Muslims fall prey to superstitious men who appear very religious as a result,
people go to them in the hope of finding solutions to their problems. It is the same mistake which
the disbelievers of Makkah used to make. The Holy Quran says, “And those who take protectors
besides Allah say: We only worship them so that they bring us near to Allah in position.”
Islam teaches that there is no need for intercessors or intermediaries and consider all such beliefs
to be shirk.
3) Tauheed Al-Asma wal Sifat: Oneness of divine names and attributes
It is the belief that Allah is one and unique in His names and attributes. It implies that no other
being possesses one or more of the divine attributes in perfection. For example, no one can claim
that he is the mightiest of all, that he doesn’t forget anything or make mistakes and that he will
forever because these are divine characteristics and only possessed by Allah. Similarly, the
qualities and characteristics of the creation of Allah cannot be attributed to Allah. For example,
the quality of repenting cannot be attributed to Allah because Allah doesn’t make any mistakes
and therefore doesn’t need to repent unlike human beings who make bad choices all the time. In
the same way, the qualities of drowsiness, sleep or fatigue also cannot be attributed to Allah. The
Holy Quran in Ayatul Kursi (verse of the throne) says, “Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor
sleep…And He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving the heavens and the earth.”
Tauheed Al-Asma wal Sifat is to believe and describe Allah with only those names and attributes
that are found in the Holy Quran and Ahadith of Holy Prophet (SAW). The names and attributes
of Allah should be accepted without any alteration, both in words and meaning. They should be
understood in the absolute sense and free from human deficiencies because the similarity
between the attributes of Allah and mankind is only of name and not in degree. For example, the
Holy Quran frequently says that Allah is angry with disbelievers and hypocrites. It is wrong to
believe that Allah’s anger is similar to those of humans. It is also wrong to change the meaning
of the word angry by saying that His anger must mean His punishment, because anger is a sign
of weakness and weakness cannot be attributed to Allah. Moreover, the names and attributes of
Allah should be accepted without inquiring about their exact nature. Holy Prophet (SAW) said,
“Reflect upon the creation of Allah and don’t reflect upon Allah.” Furthermore, it is
impermissible to give one of Allah’s names to people except by adding the prefix ‘Abd’ meaning
slave. For example it is impermissible to name someone Raoof or Rehman but it is permissible to
name someone Abdur-Raoof or Abdur-Rehman.
The concept of Tauheed has the following tremendous effects on human life:
1) Creates sense of accountability:
Tauheed imbues a person with a sense of accountability. He believes that one day he will stand
before Allah and he will be held accountable for all his actions. The Holy Quran says,
“Whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom shall see it and whosoever does evil
equal to the weight of an atom shall see it.” The sense of accountability is like a barrier against
sins because the person knows that if he sins, he will have to answer Allah and there is no way
he can justify his wrong doings to Allah who knows everything. This keeps him on guard and
makes him vigilant and cautious against all kinds of evils.
2) Enlarged vision:
A believer in Tauheed can never be narrow-minded. He believes in a Lord who is the creator of
the heavens and the earth, the master of the East and the West and the sustainer of the entire
universe. After this belief he doesn’t regard anything in the world as a stranger to himself. He
sees everything in the universe as belonging to the same Lord whom he himself belongs to. His
vision is enlarged, his intellectual horizon widens and his sympathy and love are no longer
confined to a particular group or place.
3) High self-esteem:
Tauheed creates in man the highest degree of self-respect and self-esteem. A believer knows that
Allah alone is the possessor of all power and no one besides Him can benefit or harm a person
and fulfill his needs in every capacity. This conviction makes him independent and fearless of all
powers other than Allah. It allows him to live a dignified life and enables him to refuse to bow
before tyrants and vicious forces or stretch out his hands before anyone else.
4) Modesty and humbleness:
Tauheed creates a sense of modesty and humbleness in man. A believer never becomes proud,
haughty or arrogant and the boisterous pride of power, wealth and status have no room in his
heart because he knows that whatever he possesses has been given to him by Allah and Allah can
take away just as He can give. Whenever a believer achieves something, instead of attributing his
achievement to his own hard work and intelligence, he attributes it to Allah.
5) Power to face hardships:
Tauheed provides power for facing adversities and harsh realities of life. It enables a man to face
hardships with courage and saves him from the ill effects of failure, disappointment and
hopelessness. A true believer in Tauheed doesn’t find himself in utter desperation even in the
worst moments of his life such as divorce, loss of job or loss of a family member because he
knows that it is a test of his faith in Allah. The Holy Quran says, “Do the people think that they
will be left to say: We believe and they will not be tried?” Together with faith in the fact that
every problem can be resolved with His help, he can overcome every disappointment and
tragedy. The Holy Quran says, “And Allah will provide for him from where he doesn’t expect.
Then whoever relies upon Allah, He is sufficient for him.”
 6) Courage and fearlessness:
The belief in Tauheed makes a person courageous and fearless such that he fears no one but
Allah. Firstly, a believer knows that his life, property and possessions truly belong to Allah and
their proper utilization can get him closer to Allah. This makes a person brave because when the
challenge presents itself, he will not hesitate from making any sacrifice that will earn him the
pleasure of Allah. Secondly, a believer knows that no one except Allah has the power of taking
away his life and all the forces of the world cannot take away his life a moment before the
appointed time.
7) Piety and fear of Allah:
Tauheed creates piety and fear of Allah in man. Tauheed illuminates the heart and mind of a man
with the remembrance of Allah and makes him spiritually aware of the presence of Allah which
ultimately instills the fear of Allah as one realizes that he is never alone and Allah is constantly
watching him. He realizes that if he commits a sin in broad daylight or in the darkness of night,
Allah is aware of it and He even knows our thoughts and that which our heart conceals. Fear of
Allah enables a person to distinguish lawful from unlawful and motivates him to follow the path
that leads to gaining Allah’s pleasure and eschew the path that leads to gaining Allah’s
displeasure. In this way fear of Allah compels a person to give up all bad habits and bring about
a comprehensive revolution in his life.
8) Equality:
Tauheed eradicated distinction along tribal, racial, linguistic and religious lines. It creates
equality in the society and brings the rich and the poor, the strong and the weak, the white and
the black all on one platform. All are equal in the eyes of Allah and no one has superiority over
another person and the only criterion for superiority is piety. The Holy Quran says, “O mankind,
We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes so that
you may know one another. Indeed the most noble amongst you in the sight of Allah is the one
who is most righteous.”

Q8). Economic system of Islam.

Ans. Islam is a complete code of life. It is not only concerned with the spiritual upliftment of
human beings but is also concerned about their material and physical well-being. Islam guides its
followers in financial and economic matters and provides an outline for Muslims on how to gain
wealth, invest, spend and distribute it. The goal of economic system in Islam is to prevent
injustice in the acquisition and disposal of material resources so that everyone benefits and not a
single person remains destitute.
The major characteristics of economic system in Islam are as following:
1) Economic freedom:
In Islam, every individual is at liberty to adopt any profession, business or establish any
enterprise. He has full freedom to earn as much wealth as he can and spend his wealth in
whatever manner he likes as long as it falls within the domain of lawful (halal). Islam makes
distinction between lawful (halal) and unlawful (haram) in every economic activity embracing
vast fields of production, consumption and exchange. Islam not only gives economic freedom to
all sections of society but also guarantees equality of opportunity by prohibiting monopoly,
manipulation of prices and restricting entry to the marketplace. Islam disallows establishment of
monopolies as it kills free competition, causes inflation in prices, results in unemployment and
leads to exploitation of labour and consumer.
2) Triple nature of ownership:
Islam recognizes three kinds of ownership namely private ownership, collective ownership and
state ownership. They are explained as following:
a) Private ownership:
Islam recognizes the right of an individual to earn and acquire property through lawful means
and also permits him to dispose it by any means like sale, exchange or gift. Wealth shouldn’t be
spent on prohibited things such as gambling and drinking. The owner of property should satisfy
his genuine needs in a moderate and prudent way and after that whatever wealth remains, he
shouldn’t hoard it but spend it in the path of Allah for the welfare of poor and less fortunate
people. Islam lays great emphasis on the sanctity of property rights and prescribed severe
punishments for those who deprive others of their property. The Holy Quran says, “As for the
thief, male or female, cut off their hands. This is a recompense for what they have done.”
b) Collective ownership:
Holy Prophet (SAW) said, “People are to share three things; fire, water and pastures.” It
refers to the ownership of land or other property by the community so that each member has a
right to use the property or a portion of it. Another aspect of collective ownership is national
wealth which belongs to all citizens of an Islamic state, irrespective of their financial status. The
bulk of the wealth is utilized in building schools, hospitals and industries etc. Similarly, all
natural resources also come under collective ownership as it is used by all the citizens of a state.
c) State ownership:
There is no bar on state ownership of enterprise in Islam. Unclaimed, unoccupied, heir-less
property, uncultivated land and land acquired through conquest or peaceful means is state
property. The basic economic institutions may be brought under state control, if this is required
to establish social justice or protect interests of the community. The state is responsible for
protecting public welfare and as such, it is permissible for the state to intervene in economic
affairs of certain individuals and corporations to protect society and its interests.
3) Prohibition of interest:
An Islamic economy is free of interest. There is complete unanimity among all Islamic schools
of thought regarding the prohibition of interest. Islam prohibits all transactions involving interest
and considers it neither profit nor trade but a means of exploitation and concentration of wealth.
The institution of interest is the life-blood of modern capitalism. It is completely opposite to
Zakat. Zakat channels wealth from the rich to the poor while interest takes away wealth from the
poor and hands it over to the rich. The Holy Quran says, “Those who consume interest shall not
stand on the Day of Resurrection except like the one whom Satan has driven mad by his
touch. That is because they say: Trade is just like interest but Allah has permitted trade and
forbidden interest.” At another place, the Holy Quran says, “Allah deprives interest of all
blessing and He blesses charity with growth.” Apparently wealth multiplies through interest
and shrinks as a result of charity but the law of nature is such that interest serves as a strain on
moral and spiritual well-being, social and economic growth and causes regression and decline.
Charity, however leads to the growth of man’s moral and spiritual qualities and to the growth of
human society. Interest is the outcome of greediness, selfishness and miserliness while charity is
the outcome of generosity, compassion and large-heartedness.
4) Zakat:
Zakat is the third pillar of Islam. It is a unique system of social security. Zakat is a financial form
of worship that involves taking a portion of the wealth of the rich and distributing it among the
poor. The function, nature and structure of zakat lightens the beauty of Islam and reveals its
compassion and dedication towards establishing social welfare and economic sustainability for
mankind. In terms of social impact, the institution of zakat is aimed at creating a collective social
security scheme for the needy among the Muslim community. In terms of economic impact, the
institution of zakat is aimed at alleviating poverty, ending unemployment and creating jobs.
Zakat is levied annually on the wealth itself and not on the individual’s income, at a general rate
of 2.5% per annum. According to the Quran, there are eight categories of people who are eligible
to receive zakat. They include the poor, the needy, zakat collectors, new converts to Islam,
freeing captives, debtors, travelers and in the path of Allah.
5) Distribution of inheritance:
The Holy Quran says, “For men there is a share from what their parents and close relatives
leave, and for women there is a share from what their parents and close relatives leave, be it
little or considerable, a definite share.” When a person dies, his property is not subject to
inheritance until the following rights in order of preference are observed:
a) Settle his mortgages.
b) Pay his funeral expenses.
c) Find out if he has debts to pay and pay it without delay.
d) Execute his will but make sure that it doesn’t exceed one-third of the property.
After all the above have been done, only then the share of heirs would be determined and given
to them accordingly. Those relatives of the deceased whose share in inheritance is obligatory are
called primary inheritors. Primary inheritors include spouse, both parents, sons and daughters. In
case where a deceased man leaves behind a pregnant woman, the unborn child’s share is also
reserved. If a woman is given revocable divorce and the husband dies during the time of waiting
(Iddat), the woman inherits from his property. Those relatives of the deceased who inherit only
in the absence of primary inheritors are called secondary inheritors. Secondary inheritors include
grandsons, granddaughters, grandfather, grandmother, full brothers, full sisters, half-brothers and
half-sisters. There are five people who have no share in inheritance of the deceased namely
illegitimate children, adopted children, slave, non-Muslim relative and murderer of the deceased.
In Islam, men inherit twice as much as women and the reason why men inherit a large portion of
the deceased’s property than woman is because a man has more responsibilities than a woman.
Man is charged with the responsibility of fulfilling the needs of his wife and children. All
financial responsibilities are placed on the shoulders of a man as a result all financial burdens are
borne by man alone.
6) All wealth belongs to Allah:
According to Islam, sovereignty over the entire universe belongs to Allah and Allah alone. Allah
has made everything in the universe subservient to man and made him His representative
(Khalifah) on earth. Every human being is a trustee on earth and all resources and capabilities
including one’s very own life are given to man as a trust by Allah. It means that all his
possessions, including health, wealth, livelihood, power and status belong to Allah and man is
not the absolute owner of any of them. This implies that all wealth possessed by a person is
granted to him as trust and he is not supposed to consider himself as its owner and misuse it.
7) Prohibition against hoarding:
Hoarding of essential items like wheat, barley, rice and oil etc during periods of shortages with
the intention of selling them at higher rates to people is unlawful (haram) and a great sin. Holy
Prophet (SAW) said, “No one hoards but the one who is in error.” Holy Prophet also said that
if a person buys food items and hoards them for forty days so that their prices rise in the market,
he has committed such a serious sin that if he were to later sell all the hoarded material and
donate all the income as charity, it will still not expiate his sin. Hoarding is allowed under three
conditions. A person can hoard essential commodities when people are not in need of them.
Hoarding is not prohibited if it is sold at moderate price when people are in need of it with the
intention of not making maximum benefit out of it. A person can hoard essential commodities if
he desires to fulfill the future needs of his family and doesn’t intend to sell them.
8) Obligation of lawful earning:

In Islam, it is compulsory on every Muslim to seek lawful earnings. Islam considers earning
legitimate and lawful income as a religious obligation and strictly condemns all means of
unlawful earning such as theft, corruption and cheating. Islam urges Muslims to engage in lawful
professions and businesses and channel their knowledge, skills and talent in the right way. The
Holy Quran says, “Eat of what is lawful and pure on earth and don’t follow the footsteps of
Satan.” In Islam, even lawful things become unlawful when they are obtained by unlawful or
foul means. For example, eating fish is lawful in Islam but if a person earns money in an
unlawful manner and he buys fish with that money, then according to Islam, eating that fish is
unlawful. In addition to this, a person who earns money in an unlawful manner, gets no reward
from Allah for performing righteous deeds such as prayer and charity. Major sources of unlawful
income in Islam include Riba (interest), bribery, manufacturing intoxicants and drugs, dealing in
pornography, gambling, magic and fortune telling.
9) The golden mean:
Islamic economic system adopts the golden mean between the two extremes of capitalism and
communism. It possesses the good characteristics of both capitalism and communism and is free
from their evils. Islam rejects the capitalistic approach of unrestricted freedom and right of
ownership of private property which results in the concentration of wealth in just a few hands
and the exploitation of workers. Islam also rejects the communistic approach of a classless
society wherein no matter what field a business specializes in, the same amount of funds are
allocated to each and each worker receives the same amount of money. This destroys
entrepreneurial spirit in businessmen and creates unrest among workers who wish to be specially
recognized for their talent and skills.