Free thinker
Free choice
By Ayman (e-mail: [email protected])
Many people in the past and probably each one of us have asked this question at one point or another. The question is whether human beings are predestined or possess free will. The answer to this question could have profound consequences on how we approach this life and indeed on the very meaning of life. This question has perplexed people and has been on their mind since inhabiting this earth. I believe that, with The God's help, we can use the Quran to shed light on this issue and get closer to the truth.
INTRODUCTION
Like most people, I too have been thinking about the question of free will and predestination for a long time. A step forward came when something about verses 18:23-24 made me pause:
Do not say to something, I am doing this tomorrow. Except if The God wills, and remember/mention your Lord if you forget, and say: "Perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality" [18:23-24]
The reason why those verses made me pause is that although I have read them many times in the past, I suddenly realized that, along with most of the Muslims, Sunnis, and Shia in the world, I have not been saying what verse 18:24 is instructing me to say.
What we have been saying about our future actions is "if The God Willed" (In sha'a Allah) instead of "except if The God wills (Illa an yasha'a Allah) and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality."
Now on the surface, some might see this as a subtle difference that is immaterial. However, from my experience, the language of the Quran is logically precise and there are in fact significant differences between the two sayings:
Linguistically, one is in the past tense while the other is
in the present tense.
Logically speaking, one is a conditional proposition while the other is an
exception proposition.
Based on this initial observation, I examined the Quranic verses that contain the word "sha'a" or any of its derivatives as relating to The God's will. I specifically started to look at the logical structure of the verses and noted that the word "sha'a" and its derivatives are always accompanied by specific logical propositions.
Interestingly, a distinct pattern started to emerge, but at the same time a problem cropped up when attempting to describe this pattern in English. Clearly distinct logical Arabic propositions were rendered indistinct in English, and were all generally translated by different interpreters as hypothetical IF statements. Unlike the logically precise Arabic of the Quran, English has no easy means of distinguishing a hypothetical IF-condition from a counterfactual IF-condition. Here is an example of each:
Hypothetical conditional example (IF statement in English): I don't know whether or not x occurred, but if x occurred/occurs, then y will occur.
Counterfactual conditional example: I know that x did not occur, but if x had occurred, then y would have occurred.
The most efficient way to overcome this hurdle was to deploy the Arabic logical propositions "as-is" from the Quran for propositions for which no English equivalent was available instead of trying to translate them and perhaps lose the distinct meaning in the process. The different types of logical propositions associated with the various forms of "sha'a" are described in the following section, including the past tense and future tense occurrences of those propositions.
LOGICAL ANALYSIS OF VERSES RELATING TO THE GOD'S WILL
Seven distinct types of logical propositions are associated with the various forms of The God "sha'a/yasha'a" (willed/wills) were found:
1. "IN": Hypothetical Conditional
Logic: I don't know whether or not x occurred, but if x occurred/occurs, then y will occur.
Those are equivalent to the English IF conditional. The "IN" or "IThA" propositions indicate that the sha'a decision x is uncertain, therefore the outcome y or its complement y' are also uncertain. In this case, we have no idea about which outcome, y or y' (not y) will result. Since the "IN" and "IThA" propositions are equivalent to the English IF proposition, I will use the translation directly.
PAST TENSE EXAMPLES:
The God might remove what is inflicting you, enrich you, make you secure, and make you victorious (See 6:41, 9:28, 12:99, 25:10, 48:27)
But (only) Him you call, so He removes/uncovers what you call for, IF He willed, and you forget what you share/take as partners (with The God). [6:41]
We can see that both y and y' are uncertain and we don't know which outcome will happen. In this case, y = "The God removes what you call for" and equally possible is y' = "The God doesn't remove what you call for".
The God might bring punishment to you (see 11:33)
He said: "But The God brings it to you, IF He willed and you are not disabling/frustrating." [11:33]
In this case, y = "The God brings it (punishment) to you" and equally possible is y' = "The God doesn't bring it (punishment) to you".
The God might take the inspiration/transmission away from the Prophet (see 17:86)
And IF We willed We will take away/eliminate what We inspired/transmitted to you, then you do not find for you with it against Us a guardian/protector. [17:86]
y = "The God takes the inspiration/transmission from you (the Prophet)" and equally possible is y' = "The God doesn't take the inspiration/transmission from you (the Prophet)".
The God might make me righteous or patient
This particular proposition is distinctive because relating to righteousness and patience I couldn't find it anywhere in the Quran spoken directly by The God in the past tense. In all past tense occurrences, it is people who said this proposition as we see in 18:69, 28:27, and 37:102:
He said: "That I, I want, that I marry you to one of my two daughters these, on that you hire me yourself for eight debates (years), so if you completed ten, so it is from you, and I do not want to make hardship/difficulty on you, you will find me, IF The God willed from the correct/righteous." [28:27]
He Said: "You will find me IF The God willed patient, and I will not disobey from you an order/command." [18:69]
So when he reached the struggle/endeavor with him, he said: "My son, I see/understand in the sleep/dream that I sacrifice you, so look/wonder about/consider what you see/understand." He said: "You my father, make/do what you are being ordered/commanded, so you will find me, IF The God willed from the patient." [37:102]
So here we have people who have chosen a certain path and are hoping that other people (who have no control over their choice) will find the outcome of this choice favorable (righteousness or patience).
y = "The outcome of my actions will be that I will be righteous/patient" and equally possible is y' = "The outcome of my actions will be that I will not be righteous/patient".
The God might have made us (the descendants of Israel) guided
They said: "Call for us your Lord so He clarifies to us what it is, that the cows looked alike/are unverifiable, to us and we IF The God willed are guided." [2:70]
The only occurrence in the Quran where the "IN" logical operator is used with "sha'a" as related to guidance is in verse 2:70. Moreover, "sha'a" (willed) is in the past tense. Note however, that it is not The God or any of the messengers who say this statement. It is the descendants of Israel who argued with Moses when they were commanded to slaughter a cow. Compare this to what Moses said, for example, in 26:62 and 28:22:
He (Moses) said: "No but truly with me is my Lord, He will guide me." [26:62]
And when he (Moses) aimed/turned towards Madyan, he said: "Perhaps my Lord guides me to the straightness road." [28:22]
Also look at what Abraham said in 6:79, 26:78, 37:99, 43:27:
When he saw the moon rising, he said, "Maybe this is my Lord! Unless my Lord guides me, I will surely be one of the stray people" [6:79]
When it comes to guidance, unlike the descendents of Israel, both Abraham and Moses, did not say "in sha'a Allah" (If The God willed). The God's messengers probably knew better. However, I will wait until I gather more evidence before making any conclusions, so I ask the reader to bear with me while we continue the analysis.
PRESENT TENSE EXAMPLES:
The God may do away with or wipe off people (see 4:133, 6:133, 14:19, 34:9, 35:16)
And your Lord, The Rich, The Owner of Mercy, IF He wills He wipes you off, and makes a successor/leader from after you, what He wills, as He created you from another nation's descendants. [6:133]
We can see that both y and y' are uncertain and we don't know which action The God is going to take. In this case, y = "The God wipes you off" and equally possible is y' = "The God doesn't wipe you off". The use of the present tense may indicate that the action that The God will take is not predestined.
The God may have mercy on or torture you
Your Lord is more knowledgeable of you, IF He wills He has mercy upon you, and IF He wills He tortures you, and We did not send you a guardian/protector/keeper on them. [17:54]
In this case, action y = "The God has mercy on you" and equally possible is y' = "The God tortures you". This particular verse's use of "IN" is distinct in that both y and y' are stated.
The God may drown people or make the wind stop
And if We will We drown/sink them, so (there be) no cries for help/assistances for them, and nor they be rescued/saved. [36:43]
If He wills He stops/quietens the wind/breeze, so they continue/remain still/fixed in place on its back/surface, that truly in that (are) evidences/signs to every/each patient/endurer, thankful/grateful. [42:33]
In this case, action y = "The God stops the wind/drowns them" and equally possible is y' = "The God doesn't stop the wind/doesn't drown them".
2. "LW": Counterfactual Conditional:
Logic: I know that x did not occur, but if x had occurred, then y would have occurred.
The LW proposition excludes a specific outcome from the set of all possible outcomes. In other words, the only possible outcome is y' (not y). Appropriately, this form of logic excludes the outcome without excluding the fact that The God could have made this outcome possible.
PAST TENSE EXAMPLES:
The God did not make their hearing and sight go away and the shade motionless (see 2:20, 25:45)
Do you not see to your Lord how He extended/spread the shade? And LW He willed, He would have made it still/motionless, then We made/put the sun on it as a proof/evidence. [25:45]
In this example, we see that the counterfactual y = "the shade would be made still" while the actual is y' = "The shade is not still".
We are certain that outcome y will not occur because of the use of the counterfactual conditional. The use of the past tense indicates that the exclusion of the counterfactual outcome from the set of possible outcomes has already been decided by The God in the past (i.e. it is predestined).
The God did not cause believers/those who have faith hardship/destruction (see 2:220, 4:90, 7:155):
...and LW The God willed, He would have empowered them on you, so they would have fought/killed you ...[4:90]
In this case, y = "He would have empowered them on you" while the actual is y' = "He didn't empower them on you."
People are not all guided, fight among themselves, and will not be one nation (see 2:253, 5:48, 6:35, 6:149, 10:99, 11:118, 13:31, 16:9, 16:93, 32:13, 42:8)
...and LW The God willed He would have gathered/collected them on the guidance, so do not be from the ignorant/lowly [6:35]
In this example, y = "The God would have gathered everybody on the guidance" while the actual is y' = "not everybody is on the guidance".
It is predestined that not all people will be guided. This is seen in the use of the "LW" counterfactual conditional with the past tense to exclude the outcome that everybody will be guided from the set of possible outcomes.
...and LW The God willed, He would have made you one nation, but to test you in what He gave you, so race/surpass to the good deeds, to God is your return altogether, so He informs you with what you were differing/disagreeing in [5:48]
Here y = "The God would have made us one nation" while the actual is y' = "we are not one nation."
The use of the past tense here indicates that The God excluded this outcome in the past and that even trying to unify all of humanity under one nation is in vain and goes against The God's natural system.
People will take partners with the God (see 6:107, 6:148, 16:35, 43:20)
And LW The God willed, they would not have shared/taken partners (with The God), and We did not make you a protector/observer on them, and you are not on them a guardian. [6:107]
y = "Nobody would have taken partners (with The God)" while the actual is y' = "they took partners with The God."
Interestingly, in the hereafter, the people who took partners acknowledge the fact that the outcome for them specifically already unfolded (see 6:148 and 16:35). While those who are still living in this low life are called liars for doing the same (see 43:20) since they still have a chance to take a different path that may lead to a different outcome. Again, the significance of this will be discussed in more details later after gathering all the evidence.
People who take partners with The God will fabricate and follow religious lies (see 6:112, 6:137)
And like that their partners (with The God) decorated/beautified to many of the takers of partners (with The God) killing/murdering their children, to make them be destroyed/perished, and to confuse/mix on them their religion, and LW The God willed they would not have done it, so leave them, and what they are fabricating [6:137]
y = "Nobody would fabricate religious lies" while the actual is y' = "people who take partners (with The God) will fabricate religious lies."
As we can see, it is predestined and thus inevitable that those who take partners (prophets, idols, mullahs, clerics, mystics, etc.) with The God will fabricate religious lies. So no one should be surprised by the abundance of religious lies such as Hadiths.
The Quran was recited on the Prophet (see 10:16)
Say: "LW God willed I would not (have) read/recited it on you, and He would not (have) informed you of it. I had stayed/remained amongst you a life time from before it, so do you not reason/understand?" [10:16]
y = "The Quran wouldn't have been recited on the Prophet" while the actual is y' = "the Quran was recited on the Prophet."
The God will not send to every village a warner (see 25:51)
And LW We willed, We would have sent in every village/urban city a warner/giver of notice [25:51]
y = "The God would have sent to every village a warner" while the actual is y' = "The God will not send to every village a warner."
The God will not make the people who separated from The God's verses/evidences rise (see 7:176)
And read/recite on them whom We gave/brought him Our verses/evidences, so he broke away/separated from it, so the devil followed him, so he was from the misguided. And LW We willed, We would have risen/honored him with it, but he (wanted to) perpetuate/immortalize/eternalize the earth, and he followed his fantasy, so his example is like the example of the dog, if you burden/load on it, it pants, and if you leave it, it pants, that is the example of the nation of those who lied/denied/falsified with Our verses/evidences, so narrate/relay the narration, perhaps they think. [7:175-176]
y = "The people who separated from The God's verses/evidences would be risen/honored" while the actual is y' = "The people who separated from The God's verses/evidences will not be risen/honored."
Let me stop at those verses, because I believe that they hold the explanation to what is happening to many of the so-called Muslim nations today. As in the example given in those verses, the majority of the people in those nations have indeed separated themselves from The God's verses. They allowed the so-called scholars and their Hadiths to come between them and The God's verses. Due to the fact that The God uses LW (i.e. outcome y is not available) and the past tense (i.e. y' is predestined), it is a physical impossibility for such nations to rise and they will remain debased and humiliated.
PRESENT TENSE EXAMPLES:
The God does not strike, cover their hearts, erase their eyesight, or transform them (the criminals) (see 7:100, 36:66-67)
Or did He not guide to those inheriting the earth after its people, that LW We will, We struck/marked them because of their crimes, and We stamp/cover/seal on their hearts/minds, so they do not hear/listen? [7:100]
The counterfactual y = "The God would have struck them and stamped their hearts" while the actual is y' = "The God does not struck them or stamp their hearts."
The use of the present tense may indicate that The God makes the counterfactual action y currently unavailable.
The God does not make from people angels (see 43:60)
And LW We will, We would have made from you angels in the earth who are in succession/leadership. [43:60]
The counterfactual y = "The God would have made from you angels" while the actual is y' = "The God does not make from you angels".
Contrast this to what the disbelievers/rejecters say in 23:24 and 41:14:
So said the nobles/assembly from those who disbelieved/rejected from his nation: "That is not except a human similar to you he wants to make himself more preferred/favored over you, and LW The God willed He would have descended angels, we did not hear with that in our fathers/forefathers, the primitives." [23:24]
Note that the disbelievers use the past tense instead of the present tense that The God correctly used in 43:60. It is becoming increasingly apparent that we should not use the past and the present tense haphazardly when uttering anything about The God's will.
The God does not get victory directly from those who fought the Messenger
... and LW The God wills He would have gotten victory from them, but to test some of you with others, and those who were killed in The God's way, He will never/not misguide their deeds. [47:4]
y = "The God would have gotten victory directly from them" while the actual is y' = "The God does not get victory directly from them".
The God does not show the hypocrites to the Prophet
And LW We will, We would have shown them to you, so you would have known them by their marks/identifications/expressions, and you will know them through their style of speech/word/opinion, and The God knows your deeds. [47:30]
y = "The God would have shown them to you (the Prophet)" while the actual is y' = "The God does not show the hypocrites to you (the Prophet)."
The God does not make your plants crumbs or your water salty
LW We will, We would have made it debris/crumbs, so you continued/remained regretting/wondering. [56:65]
LW We will, We made it salty and bitter, so if only you thank/be grateful. [56:70]
y = "The God would have made it debris/crumbs/salty" while the actual is y' = "The God does not make it debris/crumbs/salty"
3. "MA": Cause and "what" Effect
Logic: I know that "what" y occurred is/was a result of x.
In this case, what y is/was the effect of The God's will.
PAST TENSE EXAMPLES:
The God assembled human beings in whatever shape He willed
In any shape/picture what He willed/intended He assembled/composed you (the human) [82:8]
In this example, outcome y = "What is the human assembled shape/picture" was simply the effect of The God's will.
The God created whatever outcome He willed
And if only when you entered your treed garden, you said: 'What The God willed! No strength/power except by The God,' if you see me, I am less/fewer than you in property/possession/wealth and children [18:39]
In this example, outcome y = "What outcome resulted (the garden is fruitful or barren)" was simply the effect of The God's will.
This verse is instructing us to say "ma sha'a Allah" about the outcomes that already unfolded. Since sha'a is in the past tense, it seems that the outcomes of our actions are predetermined and even though we are free to choose which path to take, we have no control over the outcome that this path leads to.
PRESENT TENSE EXAMPLES :
The God creates, rules, be kind to, eliminates, does, hurries, increases in creation, and selects what He wills (see 3:40, 3:47, 5:1, 5:17, 6:133, 12:100, 13:39, 14:27, 17:18, 22:5, 24:45, 28:68, 30:54, 35:1, 39:4, 42:27, 42:49, 42:51).
The God affirms/strengthens those who believed/had faith with the word/opinion the affirmed/strengthened in the low life and the ending, and The God misguides the unjust/oppressive, and The God makes/does what He wills. [14:27]
In this case, the actions y = "strengthening those who believed/had faith and misguiding the unjust/oppressive (what The God does)" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
The God inspires what He wills (see 42:51)
And it was not to a human that The God converses/speaks to him, except by inspiration/transmission or from behind a divider/partition, or He sends a messenger so he (the messenger) is inspired what He wills with His permission, that He truly is high/elevated, wise/judicious. [42:51]
y = "What the messenger is inspired" is the simply the effect of The God's present will. Let me stop here because this verse clearly negates that the Quran has been eternally around since the beginning of creation as some sects claim. The verb "yasha'a" is in the present tense, implying that what the messenger is being inspired has not been predestined by The God long time ago but is being decided by The God at the time the Quran was revealed.
4. "KYF": Cause and "How" Effect
Logic: I know that "how" y occurs is a result of x.
In this case, how y occurs is the effect of The God's will.
PAST TENSE EXAMPLES:
I couldn't find any examples of "KYF" used with The God "sha'a" in the past tense.
PRESENT TENSE EXAMPLES:
The God forms and spends how ("KYF") He wills (see 3:6, 5:64, 30:48)
He is who pictures/forms you in the wombs/uteruses how He wills, no god except He, The Glorious/Mighty, The Wise/Judicious. [3:6]
In this example, y = "How our specific form in the wombs is pictured" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
Note the difference between 3:6 and 82:8 that we saw above in the past tense example of "MA". Verse 3:6 talks about how people are shaped in the womb while 82:8 talked about what shape the human was assembled in. "How" babies are shaped in the womb is a present ongoing action while "what" shape humankind was assembled in (for example we have a head, two arms, two feet, attached to a torso) is a past, predestined outcome. It is getting clearer and clearer that there is a distinct pattern for the use of the present tense and the past tense as relating to The God's will.
5. "MN": Cause and "Who" Effect
Logic: I know that "who" y occurs to is a result of x.
PAST TENSE EXAMPLES:
Although, as we will see later, there are some past tense occurrences associated with the "ILA MN" (except whom) logical expression, I couldn't find any past tense occurrence in the Quran associated with the simple "MN" (whom) logical expression and The God's will. This may imply that specifically "who" y occurs to is not predestined in the past.
PRESENT TENSE EXAMPLES:
The God gives favor, kingship, knowledge, wisdom, victory, purification, permission, and power to whomever He wills (see 2:90, 2:247, 2:251, 2:261, 2:269, 3:13, 3:26, 3:73, 3:179, 4:49, 5:54, 6:83, 7:128, 10:107, 12:76, 14:11, 24:21, 30:5, 53:26, 57:21, 57:29, 59:6, 62:4)
He gives the wisdom to whom He wills, and who is given the wisdom, so he had been given much goodness/wealth, and none mentions/remembers except those with intelligence. [2:269]
In this example, y = "Who The God gives the wisdom to" is simply the effect of The God's present will. The fact that the present tense is used indicates that the action of giving wisdom to a specific person is not predestined and is being determined in the present. At the end of the verse, The God is giving a hint on how one could possibly be from those who are given this wisdom.
The God was not to leave the believers on what you are on it until He distinguishes/separates the bad/malicious from the good, and The God was not to show/inform you on the unseen, and but The God chooses from His messengers, whom He wills, so believe/have faith in The God and His messengers, and if you believe/have faith and be forethoughtful, so for you is a great reward. [3:179]
Here y = "Who The God chooses from His messengers" is simply the effect of The God's present will at the time.
O, you who believed/had faith, do not follow the devil's foot steps, and who follows the devil's foot steps, he orders/commands with the sinful and the atrocious, and where it not for The God's grace/favor/blessing on you and His mercy, there would not be anyone from you who purified/corrected ever, but The God purifies/corrects whom He wills, and The God is hearing/listening, knowledgeable. [24:21]
y = "Who The God purifies/corrects" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
The God extends provision to whom He wills (see 2:212, 3:27, 3:37, 13:26, 17:30, 24:38, 28:82, 29:62, 30:37, 34:36, 34:39, 39:52, 42:12, 42:19)
Say: "Truly my Lord spreads/extends the provision to whom He wills, and He is capable but most of the people do not know." [34:36]
In this case, y = "Who The God extends the provision to" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
Compare the cause and effect expression "MN" that The God is asking us to use against the counterfactual conditional "LW" used instead by the disbelievers in 36:47.
And if it was said to them: "Spend from what The God provided for you." Those who disbelieved said to those who believed/had faith: "Do we feed whom LW The God wills He fed him? That truly you are in except clear/evident misguidance." [36:47]
It is clear that what we say about The God's will reveals our true convictions, even something as small as saying "LW" instead of "MN".
The God descends the soul on whom He wills (see 16:2, 40:15)
He descends the angels with the soul/spirit from His order/command on whom He wills from His servants, that warn/give notice, that there is no god except Me, so be forethoughtful of Me. [16:2]
In this example, y = "Who The God descends the soul/spirit on" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
The God guides, misguides, and makes listen whom He wills (see 2:142, 2:213, 2:272, 6:39, 6:88, 7:155, 10:25, 13:27, 14:4, 16:93, 24:35, 24:46, 28:56, 35:8, 35:22, 39:23, 42:13, 42:52, 73:31)
The ignorant/foolish from the people will say: "What turned them away from their direction, which they were on?" Say: "To The God are the sunrise/east and the sunset/west, He guides whom He wills to a straight path." [2:142]
And those who lied/denied with Our verses/signs/evidences are deaf and mute in the darknesses; whom The God wills He misguides him/her, and whom He wills, He makes him/her on a straight path [6:39]
In the above examples, y = "Who The God guides to a straight/direct path" is simply the effect of The God's present will. Notice the hints that The God gives above about those who are not guided.
As we saw earlier the use of the "LW" counterfactual conditional with the past tense excludes the outcome that everybody will be guided from the set of possible outcomes. On the other hand, the specific of "who" exactly will be guided is not predestined. This is clearly seen here through the consistent use of the present tense of "sha'a" together with the logical expression "MN" as relating to guidance to specific people.
Except for what the descendants of Israel say in verse 2:70 that we saw earlier, all the occurrences that I found of The God's will in the Quran as relating to guidance is in the present tense. As we saw above, this implies that "who" specifically The God guides is not predestined and is dependent on which path one presently chooses.
So why did the descendants of Israel say: "in sha'a Allah we are guided"? They are implying that they are predestined to be either guided or misguided and therefore are not taking responsibility for their freedom of choice. Little did they know that what they said in verse 2:70 would be demonstrated as insincere thousands of years later by this simple logical analysis of the Quran. In fact, what the descendants of Israel said resembles a lot what the people of Pharaoh said in 43:49, for example, by asking Moses to pray to The God for them and the plural form of the verb "guide".
The God forgives, singles out with mercy, tortures, and saves whom He wills (see 2:105, 2:284, 3:74, 3:129, 4:48, 4:116, 5:18, 5:40, 7:156, 9:15, 9:27, 12:56, 12:110, 21:9, 29:21, 42:8, 48:14, 48:25)
He singles out/specializes with His mercy whom He wills, and The God is owner of the great grace/favor. [3:74]
In this example, y = "Who The God singles out with His mercy" is simply the effect of The God's present will (again, implying that it is not predestined).
Indeed The God does not forgive setting up partners/sharers with Him, and He forgives what is other than that, to whom He wills, and who sets up partners/sharers with The God, he fabricated a great sin/crime. [4:48]
Here y = "Who The God forgives for other than setting up partners/sharers with Him" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
The God strikes with lightning and rain whom He wills (see 13:13, 24:43, 30:48)
The God is who sends the winds so it agitates clouds, so He spreads/extends it in the sky how He wills, and He makes it pieces, so you see the rain appears/emerges from in between it, so when He strikes with it whom He wills from His worshippers/slaves, then they are announcing good news/cheerful [30:48]
Here y = "Who The God strikes with the rain" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
The God gives boys/girls and makes infertile who He wills (see 42:49, 42:50)
To The God is the sky's/space's and the earth's ownership/kingdom, He creates what He wills, He grants/presents to whom He wills females, and He grants/presents to whom He wills the males. [42:49]
In this case, y = "Who The God grants female/male children to" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
6. "IThA": Cause and "When" Effect
Logic: I know that "when" y occurs is a result of x.
PAST TENSE EXAMPLES:
These are the only two verses in the Quran that I could find where the logical proposition "IThA" is used with The God willing something in the past tense (see 76:28, 80:22):
We created them and We strengthened/supported their bone structure/ties and joints/(strengths), and WHEN We willed, We replaced their equivalent by a replacement [76:28]
Then WHEN He willed He revived/resurrected him [80:22]
y = "When The God replace/resurrect them " is simply the effect of The God's past will.
PRESENT TENSE EXAMPLES:
Verse 42:29 is the only verse where "IThA" is used with The God wills in the present tense:
And from His verses/evidences/signs are the skies'/space's and the earth's creation, and what He scattered/distributed in them from a walker/creeper/crawler, and He is on gathering/collecting them WHEN He wills capable. [42:29]
y = "When The God gathers the walker/creeper/crawler" is simply the effect of The God's present will.
7. "ILA": Hypothetical Exception
Logic: I don't know whether or not x occurred, but if x occurred/occurs, then y will be exempted.
PAST TENSE EXAMPLES:
Default: They will be shocked/ frightened.
"ILA MN" Exception: Who The God might cause not to be shocked/frightened.
And a day/time it was blown in the horn, so frightened/panicked were those in the skies/space and those in the earth, except who The God willed, and all came to Him degraded/manipulated [27:87]
And it was blown in the horn, so shocked were those in the skies/space and the earth, except who The God willed, then it was blown in it another, so then they are getting up/standing still, looking [39:68]
In the above examples, y = "Who The God might cause not to be shocked/frightened" were exempted as a result of The God's will.
Default: They will abide immortal in hell/heaven.
"ILA MA" Exception: What The God might cause not to abide immortal in
hell/heaven.
...The fire is your residence, you are immortally in it except what The God willed, that your Lord is wise/judicious, knowledgeable. [6:128]
Immortally/eternally in it as long as the skies/space and the earth continued/lasted, except what your Lord willed, that your Lord is a maker/doer, of what He wants. And but those who were made happy/fortunate, so they are in the Paradise, immortally/eternally in it, as long as the skies/space and the earth continued/lasted, except what your Lord willed, a gift/grant not cut/broken/(interrupted). [11:107-108]
In the above examples, y = "What The God might cause not to reside immortally/eternally in heaven/hell" were exempted as a result of The God's will.
Default: I (the Prophet) do not possess outcomes of benefit
or harm to myself.
"ILA MA" Exception: What outcomes The God might cause to be benefit or harm.
Say: "I do not own/possess benefit/usefulness and nor harm to myself, except what God The willed, and had I been knowing the hidden, I would have increased from the good/wealth, and the bad/evil/harm would not have touched me, that I am except a warner/giver of notice and an announcer of good news to a nation believing." [7:188]
The above verse indicates that knowledge of the hidden would have enabled one to use information about the future to increase wealth and avoid harm.
Say: "I do not own/possess to myself harm and nor benefit/usefulness except, what The God willed, to every/each nation/generation is a term/time, if their term/time came, so they do not delay/lag behind an hour, and nor advance/precede [10:49]
In the above examples, y = "What outcomes of benefit or harm I have" were exempted as a result of The God's will.
Default: Do not forget.
"ILA MA" Exception: What The God might cause you to forget.
We will make you read, so do not forget. Except what The God willed, that He truly knows the declared/publicized and what hides. [87:6-7]
In this example, y = "What The God might cause you to forget" was exempted as a result of The God's will.
Default: They do not comprehend/envelope a thing from His
knowledge.
"ILA BiMA" Exception: With what The God let them comprehend.
... , and they do not comprehend/envelope with a thing from His knowledge, except with what He willed. ...[2:255]
In this example, y = "What thing they comprehend from His knowledge" was exempted as a result of The God's will.
PRESENT TENSE EXAMPLES:
All the present tense examples of the hypothetical exception that I found use the "ILA AN" proposition. Although the exception y is not given, the default is understood to be the complement of y (i.e. y').
Default: I do not fear partners that you made (with The God).
"ILA AN" Exception: Except if The God wills other than the default.
And his nation disputed with him, he said: "Do you argue/dispute with me in The God and He had guided me, and I do not fear what you share/make partners (with The God), except that my Lord wills a thing, ..." [6:80]
Default: They were not to believe.
"ILA AN" Exception: Except if The God wills other than the default.
And had We descended to them the angels, and the dead talked to them, and We gathered on them every thing in front, they were not to believe, except that The God wills, but most of them are being ignorant [6:111]
Default: We will not return to your false religion/system.
"ILA AN" Exception: Except if The God wills other than the default.
"We had fabricated on The God lies/falsification, if we returned in your creed/system after The God saved/rescued us from it, and it is not for us to return in it except that The God, our Lord, wills, ..." [7:89]
Default: Joseph would not have been able to take his brother
within the king's religion/system.
"ILA AN" Exception: Except if The God wills other than the default.
So he began with their bags/containers, before his brother's bag/container, then he brought it out from his brother's bag/container, like that, We plotted for Joseph, he was not to take his brother in the king's religion/system, except that The God wills, We raise whom We will stages/degrees, and above each owner of knowledge is one more knowledgeable. [12:76]
Default: They do not mention/remember.
"ILA AN" Exception: Except if The God wills other than the default.
And they do not mention/remember except that The God wills, ... [74:56]
Default: You do not will an outcome to occur.
"ILA AN" Exception: Except if The God wills other than the default.
And you do not will except that The God wills, that truly The God was knowledgeable, wise/judicious. [76:30]
And you do not will except that The God wills, Lord of the universes. [81:29]
Those two verses confirm what we have been consistently finding throughout our analysis. We cannot "will" an outcome that we desire to happen. We are only free to choose a path that might lead to a desirable outcome or not. Therefore, we have the freedom to choose which path to take but no control over the outcome that results from choosing this path.
Default: I will do something tomorrow/in the future.
"ILA AN" Exception: Except if The God wills other than the default.
Do not say to something, I am doing this tomorrow. Except if The God wills, and remember/mention your Lord if you forget, and say: "Perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality" [18:23-24]
It is now clear that the default is that The God will let us choose our actions. The exception is that The God might interfere by, for example, making the path that we chose unavailable. Here is an example to illustrate what I mean:
A man decides to drive to a place to commit a sin (path a). He goes out to his car and the minute he starts it, the engine blows up. Unable to go, he gets mad and stays home instead (path b). Path "a" is made unavailable by The God's will.
The default is that The God lets people choose which path to take but may make that path unavailable. However, The God knows the outcome of this choice and all other possible choices ahead of them, even the outcomes of the paths that they left behind and didn't choose as indicated by verse 2:255:
...He knows what is between their hands and what is behind them,... [2:255]
Thus verses 18:23-24 clearly explain what we should say about the actions that we decide to do in the future. We should say: "ila an yasha'a Allah and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality".
CONCLUSION AND DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH
The analysis ended with the same verses 18:23-24 that started this mission. However, now after examining the various logical propositions and their present and past tense occurrences, we have a much better picture of the underlying pattern. Do the majority of people belonging to the sects say what is in 18:23-24 about their future actions? The answer is no, they say "in sha'a Allah" instead. According to the Quran's consistent use of the present and past tense and the logical propositions, they are wrongly saying that the path that they decide to take is predestined and they have no freedom to decide which path to choose. It is not surprising that this sentence is heavily abused and people often use it to escape the responsibility of choosing the correct path. We can only say "in sha'a Allah" about outcomes but not about the paths that we choose (i.e. our own actions). For example, we can say "in sha'a Allah" the outcome of our action will be safety (see 12:99). We should also say "ma sha'a Allah" about outcomes that are unfolding in front of us (see 18:39).
The use of certain propositions and the past and present tense as relating to The God's will is not haphazard. The past tense is consistently used for outcomes that we have no control over. This is due to the fact that The God decided those outcomes in the past (perhaps even at the beginning of creation in some examples) and consequently they are predestined. On the other hand, the present tense is used for The God's actions that are happening in the present and may be dependant on which path one chooses.
We can also conclude that each person has the freedom to choose the path to take but have no control over what outcome this path will lead to. The God knows all the possible paths, the outcome of the path he/she chooses, and the outcomes of all the other paths that were not chosen.
All the future outcomes converge into two major possible outcomes: Heaven or Hell. Thus, when we make choices that matter in our lives, we are in fact only selecting between heaven and hell. For those who chose the path to hell, all the other things that they chose to do will not matter and are wasted (see 25:23). If we were able to see the future, then we would all choose the path that leads to the outcome of heaven. Thus, I believe that the path that we will choose is not predetermined (known in advance) due to our own ignorance of the future. Hence, as foretold in the Quran (7:53), those who take the path leading to the outcome of hell will want to go back and choose a different path (now that they know the future).
Only The God is The Creator and we don't create anything. We don't create outcomes or paths (choices). We only get to choose between some paths (choices). The God presently guides whom he wills to the straight path that leads to heaven. The God's guidance is conditional and depends on what choices we make. For example, if one chooses to forget The God, then The God will make him/her forget him/herself (see 59:19). Also, the Quran contains guidance, but only for those who are forethoughtful of The Creator and try to plan ahead for the day of their account by Him (see 2:2).
In summary, what we say reflects our convictions. Therefore, I should say: "if The God willed (in sha'a Allah)" about future outcomes and "what The God willed (ma sha'a Allah)" about past outcomes. However, when it comes to my own future actions/decisions I should say: "Except if The God wills (ila an yasha'a Allah) and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality".
To understand this conclusion, one must know the difference between decisions and outcomes. A simple example might help. Consider this, each of us is moving up on a tree. We have freedom of choice at the nodes to decide which branch to take, but we have no control over the branches. So for example, we can't go back and select a different branch if we don't like what we find on that branch. A decision is simply a node (i.e. a point) on the tree where two or more branches emanate, while an outcome is simply a branch. The God created and sees the tree, the whole forest, and us.
I believe that this is a perfectly designed test. Here is what the purpose of the test could be:
Did the people assume/suppose that they be left to say "We believed/had faith" and they are not being tested? And We had tested those who were before them, so The God will know those who were truthful, and He will know the liars/deniers/falsifiers. [29:2-3]
This leads me to the one verse that I have not been able to think of any possible explanation for until now. The verse I am talking about is the one where The God is asking Moses about what is in his hand:
"And what is that with your hand, Moses?" [20:17]
Why is The God, The Knowledgeable, asking Moses such a simple question? Moses' reply and our newly found understanding of "Free Choice" provided some insight that finally helped me solve this mystery.
He said: "It is my cane, I lean on/support myself on it, and I move/shake with it on my sheep, and I have in it other needs/purposes." [20:18]
Note that Moses did not say: "this is my cane, it is made of wood". Moses must have understood very well that The God knows what the cane is and what it is made of. Moses knows that the question is not about the cane but about what he chooses to do with it. The question reveals that Moses and people in general are free to choose which path to take. They can use the resources that The God gave them (the cane) to do good (for example, self support and moving sheep) or to do evil (for example, beating others). This is also evident from verses such as 6:165 and 27:40:
And He is who made you the earth's successors/leaders, and He raised some of you above some by degrees, to test you in what He gave you, indeed your Lord is quick in the punishment and He is forgiving, merciful. [6:165]
When I started this article, I had no idea where this study was going to lead to. This is very exciting but at the same time a little unnerving. It is a little unnerving because for a very brief moment, I asked myself: what if I found a logical inconsistency? I put my faith in The God and proceeded with the analysis knowing that The Quran gives us the following self-reference criteria:
Do they not consider the Quran with care? Had it been from anyone other than The God, it would contain many inconsistencies. [4:82]
Indeed, I did not find any inconsistencies in the Quran. The above analysis confirms that even logical expressions and present and past tense forms of "sha'a" that are dispersed throughout the Quran have been used with amazing consistency. Moreover, as we saw above their use is systematically conveying a coherent message. However, I must caution the reader that while I was conducting the analysis, I did find many inconsistencies in the English translations of the Quran such as present tense verbs being translated into the past tense and many other inconsistencies that would have made the logical analysis impossible without access to the original Arabic Quran. Therefore, translations of the Quran (including my own) do not pass the test for self-reference.
The Quran can be considered as a powerful knowledge base with its own uniform ontology. To try to understand this knowledge, we need to use a logical analysis approach. It is unfortunate that the clergy and their hadith books have separated the various sects from the Quran to such an extent that even the most straightforward logical analysis such as the one presented here has been rarely conducted. Instead, the majority has been trying to interpret the consistent God-given truth encapsulated in the Quran with inconsistent man-made lies.
The Quran explains everything we need to understand our purpose in life logically and consistently. Although, using the Quran we already came closer to the truth in the area of free will and predestination than any previous attempt, we still have a lot of ground to cover. For example:
Is freedom of choice unique to humans?
What is the trust mentioned in 33:72?
What is the forbidden tree?
Those are just some questions that I am putting out so that rational thinking people from diverse disciplines can come together and help improve our understanding of the universe in light of the Quran. I will try to answer some of those questions in the near future, except if The God wills and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:
"This is the book, no doubt, in it guidance for the prudent/forethoughtful." [2:2]
Tomorrow, I will try to improve my understanding of the Quran and the universe, except if The God wills and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality. This article reflects my personal interpretation of the Quranic verses as of November 30th, 2002. Please be humble by following the example set by the angels in 2:32, verify all information within for yourself as commanded in 17:36, and remember that simply "none" is the prudent/forethoughtful answer to 45:6.
GOD Alone
By Layth (e-mail: [email protected])
What does it mean to believe in "GOD Alone"?.
We believe that this concept needs to be cleared-up, since it represents the back-bone of the people behind this website:
All Muslims believe in the Quran.
Even the worst of them promote the Quran on their websites and in their lives.
Yet, they do not follow "GOD Alone"!.
Even Quranic based websites...Do not follow "GOD Alone".
You see, GOD does not live inside the Quran...It is merely a "medium" of communication that He uses to talk to us.
The Sunnis and Shia and Submitter and others believe they took their religion from GOD through the Quran...
The Sunnis say GOD told them to follow the "Messenger" and to "take what he gives them".
The Shia say that GOD told them to follow "Ahlul Bait" and their descendents.
The Submitters say GOD told them to follow "19" and the writings of Rashad Khalifa.
The fact of the matter is:
GOD never told these people ANYTHING!!!
They invented lies and attributed them to GOD...
They even started forcing people to accept their lies and branding those who disagree as "Apostate and Rejecter".
Following GOD Alone simply means: Following GOD Alone.
Yes, its that simple!.
No tricks, no catches, no loopholes...
The Quran is NOT GOD, nor are human beings or even the Angels...
GOD can only be represented by Himself.
We open our heart to His guidance and ask Him to show us the right from wrong.
He speaks to us through His words in the Quran, and we LISTEN rather than talk and force meanings.
When GOD tells us to fast, we ask Him to explain to us through His words where, when and how.
When GOD asks us to pay charity...We ask Him ALONE for guidance.
"You ALONE we worship, you ALONE we seek" (Quran 1:5)
If we cannot find it clearly written in the Quran, then GOD never said it!.
That is as easy as it gets...
We have found that our lives and souls have been liberated by this approach, and that we are able to serve Him the way He should be served...
Put your faith in GOD Alone and He will guide you:
"Say: 'Does any of your idols guide to the truth?' Say: 'GOD guides to the truth. Is one who guides to the truth more worthy of being followed?, or one who does not guide except after he is guided? What is wrong with your judgment?" (Quran 10:35)
This website will not guide you. Nor can it do anything for you. We can only be "instruments" if the Lord chooses to guide you...
Praise be to Him who initiated the heavens and the Earth...
GOD ALONE
God who dwells in our hearts
By brother Saim Khwaja (e-mail: [email protected])
If it had been only a poetic expression we would have appreciated it not more than a Man's Concept of God which may become redundant with the passage of time. But, as it is revealed in the Quran, which reads :
'" wa howa Ma'akum Aina Ma Kuntum - God is with you, wheresoever you may be ! [ 57:4 ],
therefore, it is not merely a wistful expression of human's imagination but this Concept of God is a concrete reality. It cannot be denied or defied with further arguments. It lays the foundation of Faith for those who believe in Quran as Divine Revelation.
One cannot profess Islam unless he hold this belief that God is : Omnipresent and Ubiquitous ! He is far above the man's concept of Time, Space and Compassing. But, unfortunately, many people despite of their firm belief in the Universality of God cannot defend themselves from the onslaught of false dogmas of their religions. They hold certain very erroneous beliefs about God's Existence. Their imagination cannot grasp a God Who is Omnipresent and Ubiquitous and express Himself through tangible Laws. They are incapable to derive satisfaction from His obedience through Laws. They dislike to worship an Abstract God. Accordingly, they create a God from their own imaginations and idolize Him in the worship. This weakness of human mind lays the foundation of different religion because the imaginations varies from person to person. Consequently, the mankind got divided and the clergies started to confuse them further. They succeeded in sending a Hindu to the Mander, a Christian to the Church, a Jew to the Synagogue and a Muslim to the Mosque in search of God who dwells in hearts.
Now, everyone of us gets satisfaction only when we worship Him in the Mosque or Mander, Church or Synagogue and when we seek His blessings our hands and heads are raised to the sky instinctively. While doing all this we don't have even the slightest sense that - He dwells in our hearts. He is with us wheresoever we are ! He is far above our comprehension. He is - A Being - Who likes to be obeyed and followed rather than worshiped. There is not a single word in the Quran which could be translated into worship. We find repeatedly such words; Ahbadullah, Atteeullah, Ittebahullah - all of these got the meaning of Obedience rather than worship.
God shows His existence through His tangible Laws. Whether these are discovered as Laws of Nature or Revealed to mankind through the agency of God's Messengers, we have to follow them. These are the only means which makes us honourabe in the sight of God Who is not far away but very near to us. How much near ? He says:
" ... We are nearer to him (man) than his jugular vein [50:16].
And when He says:
" (O Prophet) When My servants ask you concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the Call of every Caller when he calls on me: So, let them listen to Me and trust Me. This will put them on the right path. [2:186] "
, this means that man has to obey His Laws all those which are commanded both in Nature and the Quran. God never speaks to man directly except the Prophets. And, our belief is that Mohammad (pbuh) was the last prophet. There will be no more prophets. Therefore, the only way to listen to God's call is through His Book. God answers our calls through Quran. And our answer to God's Calls is to obey His Laws. God's Laws produce tangible results. And, in fact, these results are the true acceptance of our calls or prayers.
This is the true Concept of God which the Quran gives to us. All other concepts concerning God are the fabrication of human mind. If we follow this concept we need not to search God in certain places or through certain agencies. We have to look for Him in our heart and mind and approach Him through His Laws. If the whole mankind follow this course the entire face of the earth would become a Paradise. Because, in this way the human being like other living beings would become a law abiding specie. Rather, a better specie due to his power to think and create.
Those who take different courses or agencies as " Waseela " other than God's Laws to approach Him or to seek His blessings or to get nearer to him are sheerly misguided. They are doomed here and would get double punishment in the hereafter. And blessed are those who follows His laws. They enjoy the pleasure of this life and would get double reward in the hereafter.
Purpose of Islam
The purpose of Islam is to save humankind from the anguish of this world and the world to come. Therefore the Prophet's mission was to establish justice and peace on earth and to offer guidance for salvation in the Hereafter. For all of this his method was nonviolence, because he was created rahmatan lil-`alamin as a Mercy to the Worlds.
His love for humankind historically proves the truth of his
way. At the beginning of his prophethood he went to Taif to call the people
towards Allah, and people threw stones at him mercilessly and hurt him severely.
The angels came to him and sought his order to punish the people of Taif, but
the Mercy to the Worlds refused them, and prayed to Allah for the good of those
who hurt him.
Mankind is one single nation
The Prophet taught the people to love Allah and to love human
beings. He taught them to love even their oppressors. It is known from the
hadith that the Prophet used to pray for the good of his Ummah with tears, every
day after each of the five obligatory prayers. Even at the time of his death the
Prophet wept for his Ummah. And according to Islam all human beings from his
time to the last day of the world are the Ummah of Hadrat Muhammad.salli
Allahu `alayhi wa sallam The Qur'an declares (2:213): "Mankind is one
single nation." The Holy Prophet's life was a symbol of love and nonviolence. He
was the first among all to protect others' rights.
The example of the companions
The Sahabah (Companions of the Prophet) learned this divine
spirit from the life of the Prophet, and this spirit was not merely a sentiment
to them. Rather it was so active that the Sahabah, under the holy guidance of
the Prophet, established a historically unprecedented society of justice and
peace. The Sahabah followed the teachings of the Prophet in every aspect of
their lives. Therefore the lives of the Sahabah are demonstrations, in different
spheres, of real Islamic ways. For the Sahabah, nonviolence was the predominant
quality of character, as it was ordered by Allah.subhanahu wa ta`ala
To safeguard others' rights was for them a sacred duty.
The honorable Companions of the Holy Prophet have given us a classic lesson on
nonviolence in their attitudes toward the pagan Arabians. It is known to all
that the people of Arabia inflicted sufferings upon the first generation who
embraced Islam. At the beginning of Hadrat Muhammad'ssalli Allahu `alayhi
wa sallam prophethood, his life and that of his adherents was
threatened. They were mocked, assaulted, insulted, and beaten mercilessly. Some
Muslims were put into chains and cast into prison. Some were boycotted and shut
out of trade, business, and social intercourse. They could not even buy the food
they needed. They could not perform their religious duties. The persecution was
even further intensified against the believing slaves, women, and children after
the Hijrah.
Migration to Abyssinia
Instead of fighting against their persecutors, the Prophet
encouraged them to emigrate to some other place. This is an unprecedented
example of tolerance. Abyssinia at that time was ruled by a Christian king
famous for his mercy and equity. The Muslims emigrated to Abyssinia. The Quraysh
became more furious. A delegation of the Quraysh went to the Abyssinian king and
complained against the Muslims.
The king summoned the Muslims to his court. He asked them to submit whatever
defense they could to the charges brought against them. Hadrat Ja`farradiya
Allahu `anhu rose and addressed the king. In this address the basic concept of
human rights and active nonviolence is manifested. He said:
"O King, we were an ignorant people. We neither knew Allah nor His prophets. We
worshipped stones. We used to eat carrion and commit all sorts of undesirable
and disgraceful acts. We did not make good our obligations to our relatives. The
strong among us would thrive at the expense of the weak. At last, Allah raised a
prophet for our reformation. His noble descent, upright conduct, integrity of
purpose, and pure life are only too well-known among us. He called upon us to
worship Allah and exhorted us to give up idolatry and stone worship. He enjoined
upon us right conduct and forbade us from indecency. He taught us to tell the
truth, to make good our trust, to have regard for our neighbors. From him we
learned to observe regular prayer, to pay the poor-rate, to conduct ourselves
well, to shun everything foul, and to avoid bloodshed. He forbade adultery,
lewdness, telling of lies, misappropriating orphans' heritage, bringing false
accusations against others and all other indecent things of that sort. He taught
us the Qur'an, the wonderful Book of Allah. So we believed in him, followed him,
and acted up to his teachings. Thereupon those people began to persecute us and
to subject us to tortures thinking that we might abjure our faith and revert to
idolatry. When, however, their cruelties exceeded all bounds, we took shelter in
your country by the permission of our Prophet."
The king said, "Let us hear something of the Qur'an." Ja`farradiya Allahu `anhu
recited a few verses from the beginning of Surah Maryam, which touched the
hearts of the king and the priestly class so much that tears flowed down their
cheeks and soaked their beards. The king remarked, "By Allah, these words and
the words revealed to Moses `alayhi as-salam are the rays of
the same light!"
The next day the Quraysh tried to excite the king by telling him that those
heretics denounced Jesus`alayhi as-salam and did not believe
in his divinity. The Muslims were then again summoned to the court. When the
king inquired about their beliefs concerning Jesus,`alayhi as-salam
Ja`far said:
"We believe in what Allah has revealed about him to our Prophet: that he was a
servant and prophet of Allah, and His Word, which He conveyed to the virgin and
innocent Maryam."
King Negus said: "Jesus himself did not say anything beyond that." Then the king
said to the Muslims, "Go and live in peace."
In spite of all the above experiences, the Holy Prophet and his Companions did
not take revenge against the oppressors after Mecca was won without bloodshed.
Peace is the rule in Islam.
There is another historical achievement of peacemaking in the Prophet's life
that is very significant, and is worth quoting.
A permanent peace
After his arrival at Medina, the Prophet gave a charter that
granted security of life, property, and religion to both Muslims and
non-Muslims. He was the first and foremost person who brought a permanent peace
between all the conflicting religions of the world. He made no social
discrimination in extending his patronage and bore no ill-will to the former
prophets. He asked the people to put faith in all the great religious
personalities of the world. He brought unity among the various warring tribes of
Arabia.
It was he who first attempted to build up a nation by reconciling the followers
of rival creeds. It was he who thought of establishing an empire upon the
goodwill and cooperation of all sections of people, irrespective of caste and
creed. He united the heterogeneous elements in one homogeneous whole, and formed
a code of law that governed all the tribes without any distinction of class and
parentage.
The above stories point out our great tradition that obliges us towards making
serious efforts to CREATE PEACE and towards practicing our religious duties to
SUSTAIN PEACE.
Islam teaches Muslims to uphold and spread peace in this world and to proclaim
that peacemaking is a natural aspiration and the supreme object of human life.
We are also urged to extend the scope of this teaching to others to the best of
our capabilities. Such teachings (besides those described earlier) give utmost
importance to social harmony. The Prophet salli Allahu `alayhi wa sallam
said, "Anyone who is not kindly disposed toward younger people and does not
honor his elders does not belong to my community." In its wider sense for the
cause of social harmony, irrespective of religion, language, and race, the
Prophet said, "God never shows mercy to a person who does not show mercy to
others." The Qur'an says, "Help one another in righteousness and piety, but do
not help one another in sin and rancor (5.2)." The Prophet said, "The Muslim is
a person who does no harm to anyone close to him, either with his hand or with
his tongue."
AN APPRAISAL OF THE
PRESENT ISLAMIC PEACE PRACTICE
The Sahabah practiced the teachings of the Prophet
faithfully. They kept the spirit of promotion of human rights, active
nonviolence, justice, and peace. But their spirit did not last long. For a long,
long time now, our people have not been practicing the basic lessons of Islam as
they did. Today the Muslims in different parts of the world are living far from
these ideals. Neither do we know the teachings well, nor do we practice them in
our lives. The result is that we are not growing in the ways of the divine Path.
For want of proper Islamic knowledge and appropriate practice we are becoming
selfish. We don't help others, and we have become hard-hearted. Therefore, in
spite of many national and global efforts, we are unsuccessful in establishing
peace in many places. Because we are not following Islam, we cannot see the good
that we would like to see.
And truly, very truly, because of our deeds, people misunderstand Islam. May
Allah bless us: we speak of Islam; we write books on Islam; but practically, we
do not follow Islam. Thus we cannot represent the teachings of Islam that can
truly bring peace
Even as I speak thus, I wish to acknowledge that I, myself, am not living these
things fully. But indeed I pray and strive and do my best. My life is not a
perfect example and yet I dare propose that we can do many things to improve the
situation.
SOME PERSONAL REFLECTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Following is an attempt to summarize my recommendations based
on our experience in working with different groups to be able to put Islamic
principles into operation.
1. PROMOTE THE BASIC FOUNDATIONAL QUALITIES FOR PEACEMAKING, namely:
2. ENCOURAGE FAMILY MEETINGS. They will help promote
better understanding among family members. One should not think this action
insignificant. Rather it is such an indispensable step for building individuals
that it needs no further explanation. This practice will make peace at home.
Family members will surely come to understand each other better. This is the
basic peace effort.
3. ORGANIZE THE GOOD PEOPLE OF THE SOCIETY. Inspire them
to learn and practice religion, to speak against injustice, to act nonviolently,
and to see peace near at hand.
4. GO TO THE POOR. Live with them. Work at the
grassroots. Know the problems of the poor, help them to build their basic life,
encourage them, and make them realize what power is hidden within them. Teach
them to be self-reliant, not dependent on external aid. The Prophet started with
illiterate desert people, one by one, and the result is known to all.
5. ADVOCATE KINDNESS TO OTHERS AND THE APPROACH OF LOVE. Cultivate a culture
of love, for this is a very powerful seed of peace.
6. Teach people religion and they will learn humanity. HELP THEM SEE RELIGION IN
PRACTICE THROUGH YOUR DEEDS and the grassroots will speak and act for peace.
The awakening of the grassroots will move the intellectuals and the rich of a
society.
****************
The Prophet did all this. He taught people to make peace from
the family, to the society, to the vast earth.
Finally I want to say that working for peace is embodied within our twofold
duty: duty towards Allah and duty towards human beings.
There is peace to be found in our duty towards the Almighty because it gives us
inner calm and strength, and provides us with a wholesome hierarchy of values. A
good hierarchy of values leads to harmony. Knowledge of the Supreme, and
obedience to Him, is a driving force that makes people free and united with each
other. It both gives them their own identity and makes them universal.
There is peace to be found in our duty towards human beings, because human
persons are the most beloved creation of the Creator. We have to know our
neighbors, to know what is in the hearts of ordinary people, and we have to
serve them. This requires unselfishness, sacrifice. We have to approach, with
patience, people who are deprived of what belongs to their dignity. It is also
true that duty towards others is duty towards the Creator and this same duty
extends to the whole world, to all beings between the skies and the earth.
Islam encourages a conviction that creates peace. Conviction is a prerequisite
for reaching peace. This conviction is a peaceful force, an inner strength, and
an uncompromising knowledge of what is true and what is false. This conviction
is more than any human or scientific knowledge. If we could only practice Islam
with such a conviction, we could create a silent but powerful revolution of
hearts, and thus wipe out all sorts of violence from this world and truly
establish peace.
I am aware that many, many people already know what I have said about the
teachings of Islam regarding making peace. What we need now is a strong
determination to move ahead and to put into practice what we know.
Quranic intolerance
Terrorism
Seeking GOD ALONE
By. Brother Omar Elmoughrabi
Peace and Blessings to those who read these words. May these words have the blessing of the Most High and assist those that read it.
I wanted to just put in my two bits when it comes to preaching the Koran only theory and its implications if one follows it by the word, but not the spirit of what is being said in the Koran.
Firstly, I do agree with the notion that the Koran is fully detailed and it is complete for the salvation of individuals that want to find the One True God. Please place a caveat in the beleif of Koran only that needs to address also that the Koran can lead to destruction also. It is said in the Koran that this revealed book will lead into Bliss or total destruction. Although God points out both paths in clear and specific terms. It is said in the Koran that the book of Bliss and the Book of misery are both mathematically structured books. So let us all be carefull of what we choose and what we follow. The best path of course is the path least desireable for humans. The feeding of the poor, even in the times of need. Helping those that are oppressed because religious conviction. Prayer, devotion to the One True God and Charity of all kind being the two most important things that a person should do in order to attain certainty. I say they are the most important because they are mentioned disporpotionatly high occurences of the two. Remembrance of God being the top most priority, giving thanks in the times of need and in the times of plenty. Remembering that all things and all power ultimately belongs to God and nothing in His creation have any power whatsoever besides Him. All are dependent on Him and He is dependant on nothing. Knowing His qualities, of which are mentioned in the Koran. The list is of course endless.
Secondly, verify all things for yourself. Just because a translator said it is so, you must use all the resources available to you in order to better desiminate the information for yourself, using logic, common sense and of course God as the only True Guide. Don't take somebody's opinion for it at face value. Play the devil's advocate at all times and be very critical in your thinking at all times in order that you may attain this certainty. Even properly used logic can lead you astray, if you don't have God on your side.
Thirdly, you must really find it in yourself to evaluate all things that you do in your life to see if it contradicts with God's way - as you see it interpreted in the koran. Again being critical of everything you do is important here, because even the simplist things in our sight, is a gross offense in His eyes. The idea here is to have the right attitude in order to attain pleasure in the eyes of the One True God. In this there is a lot of striving to do. This is the holy struggle (jihad) that God talks about. It is an internal battle with your concience in the middle, between what is obviously good and what can be a hidden evil or bad deed. Think about this next time you look at a good looking woman/man - it will become clearer in your mind. The way we think and act are very important facets of religious and spiritual thought and cannot be ignored. The signs are of course within ourselves and also all around us to investigate and criticise.
Fourth, The idea of critical thinking is the most important facet of good healthy thought patterns. In the end of the battle of the intellect, you attain a better understanding of the subject and eventually come to a successful conclusion to the endless discussion in your head - God Willing of course. Critical thinking means that whenever we hear information, assume it is false until it is proven fact, after due dilligence is completed and exhausted. Gather all evidence and use all the power and resources at your disposal in order to attain this 'certainty' of thought. Constant prayer and true devotion is the only way to attain these qualities. The study of the religion of God is certainly a devotion to God and will surely be counted in your favor.
Five - You will certainly be tested using various facets of weaknesses in the human psyche. Whatever your weakness - God will certainly test you in order for you to see that it is the weakness you must muster and control in order to attain God's pleasure. It may be money, family, friends, possessions, human behaviour or thought. He shows us these weaknesses in order for us to be aware of them and eventually reach a stage of control - with God's help. If you think you can do it on your own - that is just ego stroking and misleads very easily.
Six - Put your trust entirely in the One True God. Place all your questions to Him alone - we don't need anything on this existence to become closer to God. All we need is Him and our constant seeking of Him and only Him. Even when we read the koran, or its translation or the opinion of others, one must allways seek God's guidance otherwise you have easily fallen into shirk (placing others beside God). Its no wonder that the majority of people will be led astray. So, when you do read the Koran - seek refuge in God, from Satan the Rejected. When you listen to others opinion - seek God's help in understanding the opinion or translation of the Koran. Even if you read 1000 translations of the koran you will never attain the certainty of having God clarifying it for you. If you truly seek Him alone, you will ask Him for help also - this would be true devotion to God.
Finally be aware of God at all times. He is in the trees, in the birds, in the child, in the poor that beg for assistance, in the crying baby, in the baby that is laughing, in the kind words that you say to one another, in the feeding of the poor and the needy, in the morning rays in the darkness of the night, in your laughter, in your tears, in the injured and in the healthy ones, in the treatment of others throughout our lives, in the times of plenty and the times of need, in sickness and in health, in all His marvelous creations, there is plenty of proof of Him and thus when you see it and witness all these events and much more, Thank Him for showing these signs for you. Thank Him with all your heart with all your soul with all your might, let your heart soften to His signs and to His Beautiful Words, and let your tears flow and bow down to Him and let Him help you through your life. At that moment you will know never to despair of His Mercy and Forgiveness. The more you Thank Me the More I Thank you. The more you remember Me the More I will remember you in the Day of the Great Meeting.
God Bless us all.
Verify all these themes I mentioned in the various Koranic search engines available to you.
Submitters (Muslims) Vs. Believers (Mumins)
Are you a Muslim (Submitter) or a Mu'min (Believer)?
The above question may seen 'irrelevant' for most people who follow the Quran, but by the end of this article (GOD Willing) you will realize just how important it is to know what is required of you by the Almighty.
The terms 'Muslim' & 'Mumin' are used interchangeably by Islamic societies and almost everyone who is a 'Muslim' is also regarded as a 'Mumin' by their standards.
The following are the 'traditional' definitions which regulate a 'Muslim' and 'Mumin':
Muslims according to 'tradition':
A 'Muslim' according to such 'tradition' is anyone who accepts the 5-pillars:
If you are doing the above items, then according to tradition you are within the fold of 'Islam' and are treated as part of the great large 'family' of over 1 billion people.
Mumins according to 'tradition':
If you note that part of the definition of 'Muslim' was to accept Mohammed as GOD's messenger…If you have done so, then you have also accepted the Quran which talks about GOD, the Angels, the prophets, and J-day being a reality!.
Thus, if you follow the 5-pillars of Islam, then you would also have to accept the 6-pillars of Iman, which makes such a person a Muslim & a Mumin at the same time.
This all seems very EASY so far…
Let us move now from 'tradition' and examine what GOD says in His Book:
According to the Book of GOD, there is a drastic difference between one who is a 'Submitter' and one who is a 'Believer':
"The Nomads said: 'We have faith (A'manna).' Say: 'You do not have faith; what you should say is, `We have Submitted (Aslamna),' until faith is established in your hearts.' If you obey GOD and His messenger, He will not put any of your works to waste. GOD is Forgiver, Most Merciful." (49:14)
Here we read that the people who professed 'Faith' have been admonished by GOD for saying what CANNOT be true!. They are trying to run before they have learnt to even stand…they could not be 'Faithful' even if they wanted to, but they could be 'Muslims' if they desired the path of GOD.
Who Are the Muslims?
Since GOD has clearly shown us in (49:14) that the Submitters & Believers are not one in the same, we must explore the next logical question: 'Who are the Muslims'?.
"Who can utter better words than one who 1) invites to GOD, 2) works righteousness, and says, 3) "I am one of the Submitters"?" (41:33)
"…My Lord, 1) direct me to appreciate the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and 2) to do the good works that please You. Let my children be righteous as well. 3) I have repented to You; 4) I am a Submitter." (46:15)
"Say: 'I have been given divine inspiration that your god is One god. Will you then Submit?" (21:108)
That seems simple enough!.
We are simply to acknowledge the One GOD, appreciate Him, and work *good to be a Submitter/Muslim…
* It must be noted that 'idolatry/shirk' nullifies any good work and ends with a person in hell (5:72)
One GOD?
If the Submitter/Muslim only needs to "accept One GOD" , then how can he/she know about these things/concepts if he/she does not accept GOD's messengers or GOD's Book?.
"Recall that your Lord summoned all the descendants of Adam, and had them bear witness for themselves: "Am I not your Lord?" They all said, "Yes. We bear witness." Thus, you cannot say on the Day of Resurrection,"We were not aware of this. Nor can you say, "It was our parents who practiced idolatry, and we simply followed in their footsteps. Will You punish us because of what others have innovated?" (7:172-173)
The issue of believing in 'GOD Alone' transgresses beyond any Books or any messengers…it is an inherent component (Nature/Fitra) of man's very own existence...a part of his 'self'.
GOD is ONE…This is a fact that all mankind has testified to since the beginning of our creation.
"Therefore, you shall devote yourself to the religion of monotheism. Such is the natural instinct placed into the people by GOD. Such creation of GOD will never change. This is the perfect religion, but most people do not know." (30:30)
To be a Submitter/Muslim is simply to hold to this 'natural' article of fact and not be swindled into following 'others' who have promoted idolatry and to associating partners with the Almighty…There is no need for a 'Book' or anything to testify to this fact (note how NO people can claim they did not know this fact on J-day - that includes those who received the Quran and those who were on a desert island).
Doing Good Works?
If the acknowledging One GOD is ingrained into the human being…What about the other element of a Submitter 'Doing Good Works?'.
When a person has chosen the stay on the path of GOD Alone, then the following elements will determine what he/she considers to be right & wrong (most people on Earth know this without the need for any scripture...i.e. it is INHERENT):
Say, "Come let me tell you what your Lord has really prohibited for you:
You shall not set up idols besides Him.
You shall honor your parents.
You shall not kill your unborn children from fear of poverty-We provide for you and for them.
You shall not commit gross sins, publicly or privately.
You shall not kill - GOD has made life sacred - except in the course of justice. These are His commandments to you, that you may understand.
You shall not touch the orphans' money except in the most righteous manner, until they reach maturity.
You shall give full weight and full measure when you trade, equitably. We do not burden any soul beyond its means.
You shall be absolutely just when you bear witness, even against your relatives.
You shall fulfill your oaths to GOD. These are His commandments to you, that you may take heed. (6:151-152)
How is it that nearly all of mankind can agree on these things being important (i.e. no one disagrees that killing is bad!), while they all do not agree on Worship or Messengers or Fasting or Pilgrimage?.
Is this not evidence that the knowledge of 'good' & 'evil' has been instilled in the very nature of mankind and that a person who has 'Submitted' will know the truth of what needs to be done simply by referring to himself/herself?
Conclusion: Submitter/Muslim:
It must be mentioned at this stage that MANY of the elements that are 'traditionally' defined as being a requirement for 'Submission/Islam' are not in-fact the case!.
The Submitter is not required to perform any obligatory Worship/Salat, nor give his annual Charity, nor fast for 1-month, nor perform any pilgrimage!.
The Submitter is not required to accept the Quran, or any of the previous Books, or any of the messengers…He simply: a) accepts One GOD, and b) does good works.
This has been the way Abraham, the great example to mankind :
"Who is better in his religion than one who a) submits himself to GOD, b) while he does good, according to the creed of Abraham: monotheism? GOD has chosen Abraham as a beloved friend." (4:125)
As alarming as this news may come to the 'traditionalists', it is the absolute truth according to GOD's own words to mankind.
We should not be looking to the 'Sunnis' or 'Shia' or even 'Quran' followers to find the Submitters/Muslims…We should be looking to any person who has taken the path of 'Monotheism' and has devoted himself/herself to GOD Alone and to doing good works.
The Book of GOD has been sent to guide the 'righteous/Mutaqeen' , while the Quran (the book of cosmic laws and facts) has been sent as a beacon to 'mankind'.
Who Are the Faithful?
This is perhaps the issue that has been causing the most confusion…
The lack of clear 'understanding' as to what or who the faithful are has made many unable to distinguish between the two, and has created confusion by attributing traits of faithful to those of Submitters!.
1. They have faith in GOD & His Messenger:
"Mu'mens (faithful) are those who: have faith in GOD and His messenger…" (49:15)
This is much more than simply acknowledging One GOD, this is about establishing belief and faith in the heart and accepting GOD's messenger by taking on the responsibility of accepting the Book.
2. They attain the status of having no doubt:
"…and Attain the status of having no doubt whatsoever…" (49:15)
They are faithful in what has been revealed, and its words only grants them more faith.
3. They Strive with their money and lives:
"…and Strive with their money and their lives in the cause of GOD. These are the truthful ones." (49:15)
Having faith is just the '1st-step' to their journey…they are ones who put their money where their mouth is and strive towards GOD with their money and lives.
4. Their Hearts tremble when GOD is mentioned:
"The true faithful are those whose hearts tremble when GOD is mentioned…" (8:2)
5. Their faith is strengthened by hearing GOD's revelations:
"…and when His revelations are recited to them, their faith is strengthened…" (8:2)
6. They trust in their Lord:
"…and they trust in their Lord." (8:2)
7. They observe the Obligatory Worship/Salaat:
"They uphold the Worship (Salat)…" (8:3)
Due to the journey that these people have undertaken, more spiritual linking with GOD is required through the method of establishing the 'Salaat' and constantly reciting the words and commands of the Lord.
8. They give to charity:
"…and from our provisions to them, they give to charity." (8:3)
They are also givers to charity in order to attain the 'purification/Zakat' that can cleanse the soul and perfect the journey towards GOD.
Result:
"Such are TRULY THE FAITHFUL. They attain high ranks at their Lord, as well as forgiveness and a generous provision." (8:4)
As we can read, these people are of a totally different class and have incorporated many 'new' elements beyond those that we started by the Submitter/Muslim.
Why would a person want to be a 'Faithful'?
Since it is enough to simply believe in GOD and to do good works…why would a person involve himself with the messengers and the scripture which bring a myriad of laws and commands?.
"When it is recited to them, they will say, "We have faith in it. This is the truth from our Lord. Even before we heard of it, we were Submitters." (28:53)
When such people decide to take the next advanced step and uphold the traits of the 'Faithful' in the Book, they attain TWICE the reward:
"To these we grant twice the reward, because they steadfastly persevere. They counter evil works with good works, and from our provisions to them, they give." (28:54)
One reward for being a 'Submitter', and one reward for being a 'Faithful'.
It is simply a matter of 'greed'!.
As we know that heaven is separated into levels depending on how far each person went towards GOD in this life…it only makes sense that GOD would give us the knowledge to know how we can attain a higher rank, and how we may even be amongst the prophets & the martyrs!.
The Faithful = The Righteous.
Since the 'Faithful' have decided to go beyond simply believing in GOD and have now accepted His messengers (49:15)…then they become regulated by new requirements making them 'righteous'.
"This scripture is infallible; a beacon for the righteous (Mutaqeen);
who have faith in the unseen,
uphold the Worship (Salat),
and from our provisions to them, they give to charity.
And they have faith in what was revealed to you,
and in what was revealed before you,
and with regard to the Hereafter, they are absolutely certain.
These are guided by their Lord; these are the winners." (2:2-5)
These people now have accelerated beyond the basic a) One GOD, and b) doing good…They now have faith and have thus entered into a new field altogether:
"Righteousness is not turning your faces towards the east or the west. Righteous are those who
have faith in GOD,
and the Last Day,
and the angels,
and the scripture,
and the prophets;
and they give the money, cheerfully, to the relatives, the orphans, the needy, the traveling alien, the beggars,
and to free the slaves;
and they uphold the Worship (Salat)
and give the Purification (Zakat);
and they keep their word whenever they make a promise;
and they steadfastly persevere in the face of persecution, hardship, and war.
These are the truthful; these are the righteous (Mutaqeen)." (2:177)
The commands regulating the 'Righteous' go far beyond simply 'doing good', and enter into upholding all the commands of GOD (6:151-153 - These go beyond the basic commands required to simply 'do good').
The righteous also require new elements to help them achieve their journey such as:
Establishing a regular reading of the Book during Worship (Salaat)
- 4:103;
Giving from their money to purify themselves (Zakat) - 2:177;
Fasting for periods of time to establish patience (Siyam) - 2:183.
Conclusion:
The followers of the Book revealed through the messengers are no longer 'Submitter/Muslimeen', but they have advanced to become 'Faithful/Mumineen'.
What has gone wrong in our society today is that people are all promoting the actions prescribed for 'Faithful' as if they should be done by 'Submitters'!. That is like giving an F-15 to a novice who is in need of a Cessna!.
A person cannot appreciate or understand the values of Salat & Zakat if they have not taken the path of a) One GOD, and b) doing good works.
Only when such people attain 'certainty' can they move-on to the advanced level of having faith in the Messenger and then establishing the rules of 'Righteousness/Taqwaa' in their lives.
Taught by the Pen
An educated and literate Muslimah has always been an Islamic ideal.
When the Qur’anic revelation began, the very first command (Surah 96, 1-5)
concerned literacy. It was followed by about ten other verses, all revealed
during the period when the Prophet was living at Makkah, mentioning education
and reading.
It was beginning from this period that the Prophet had scribes who wrote what
was revealed to him, and these copies multiplied rapidly.
When `Umar radiya Allahu `anhu accepted Islam, in the sixth
year of revelation, it was after he had come across a copy of some part of the
Qur'an in the house of his sister, Fatimah, who was also literate.
After the Prophet migrated to Madinah and established an Islamic state, he
appointed Hadrat Sa`id ibn al-`As to teach reading and writing to the people of
Madinah.
He also started the school of Suffah, the first residential school to teach
reading, writing, Islamic law, memorizing of the Qur'an, tajwid (how to recite
the Qur'an correctly), and other Islamic sciences which were taught under the
direct supervision of the Prophet.
The school of Suffah had students who lived there and also students who came
during the day, as well as casual visitors who attended in large numbers. The
number of boarders varied from time to time and a record shows that there were
seventy living there at one time.
The Prophet had a special day when he taught the women only and replied to their
questions. He encouraged his wives to be educated and literate. He appointed a
lady, Shifa' bint `Abdullah radiya Allahu `anha, to teach
writing to Hafsahr adiya Allahu `anha, after he married her.
Hadrat Shifa' was later employed as an inspector in the market of Madinah during
the caliphate of Hadrat`Umar.
`A'ishah radiya Allahu `anha, another wife of the Prophet, was
probably the most educated woman of her age. She was learned not only in Islamic
law but also in poetry, history, medicine, and mathematics. More than one-third
of all the hadiths are related by her.
Umm Salama radiya Allahu `anha, who married the Prophet after
her husband was killed in the battle of Uhud, was also able to read. She was a
poet and has related many Traditions. She had migrated to Africa and had a
daughter from her previous marriage, Zaineb, who was born in Africa. Hadrat
Zaineb was fluent in many languages and became a celebrated jurist of Islam.
Because of the attention that the Prophet devoted to education, the art of
reading and writing became so widespread in his time that ordinary Muslims are
told in the Qur'an to record their business transactions in writing.
The Muslim community today, however, suffers from lack of interest in education
and literacy. In 1994 I made an informal survey of 300 Muslim women in
Philadelphia and discovered that about 100 of our sisters could not read at even
a ninth-grade level. Only 45 had finished high school. Two more had an Associate
(two-year college) degree. Only three had regular undergraduate degrees. Among
immigrant Muslims, many are unable to function at all in English, which is
essential for people residing in North America.
It is our responsibility to see that each and every Muslim is literate and able,
at least, to read the Qur'an and understand the basics of our faith.
The Punch! (Twelve Life-Shattering conclusions)
By Muhammad Sadiq (e-mail: [email protected])
The Beginnings of my doubt
I always was of the habit of studying the Quran everyday. I would at the least read one ayat before going to bed. I was in possession of Four different translations, by Mohammad Marmaduke Pickthall, Yusuf Ali, Hilali and N.J. Dawood. My preparatory examinations were nearing and I had to prepare hard on the days of examination. Nevertheless I used to go to the mosque for all the five daily prayers, once near the college and four times near my home.
Our mosque has the discipline to read a book after the Isha prayer. The book dealt with Islam. It quoted a large number of Hadith over a quite a good range of subjects. Due to the examination pressure, I couldn’t study the Quran for a few days. I just used to listen to the book being read for five minutes every day after the Isha prayer. In that I encountered a large number of hadith that somehow created the feeling that attaining Heaven isn’t that difficult. For example, if one uses ‘miswak’ to brush the teeth before beginning wudu, his salat will be rewarded seventy fold, etc.
Now, my regular study of the Quran had made me used to the strict and hard slaps that the book of God always managed to give me regarding some aspect or another. It somehow always made me fear God and really make me feel that heaven isn’t that easy to attain, rather it is very difficult. So when I came across this easiness in the Hadith, I felt somewhat awkward. I thought, "what is the matter, why so much of difference in their spirit? The Quran is so very powerful and full of fire whereas the Hadith are just like pygmies compared to the power of the Quran. Why this difference when the Hadith come to us from The Holy Prophet under the guidance of God Almighty?"
I had to let this doubt remain for I fell sick for a few days and I couldn’t appear the exams. I kept listening to the Hadith narrations, but I deliberately wouldn’t read the Quran. I saw clearly that the words of the Quran would keep ringing in my ears. I had read that one had to be very righteous, keep seeking Allah’s forgiveness, perform all the obligatory duties and also as many supererogatory offerings, to fear God and God Alone and much much more to be somehow considered by Allah for paradise, but here I see that if you want to reach paradise just do this, or do that. I am not saying that that was the only condition, if you relate many hadith you may get some point, but the very spirit in the narration was very very different from the Quran. I just thought, what could be the cause of this difference. When I recovered my health, I asked Allah in my Tahajjud prayer (I regularly pray the Tahajjud) to let me know the truth.
The Research Begins
I am a scholar type of person, hence I had already studied many things about
Islam. Hence by Allah’s Grace, I was familiar with most of the technical terms
used in this field. So, I went to a cybercafe to begin my research and read all
the articles available on the origin, structure and science of Hadith and came
across sites that advocate the Quran Alone. I sent one of them a feedback that
their effort was appreciable, but I wasn’t convinced of their viewpoint. How
could I just rid of the massive treasure of Hadith and the Sunna that guided my
daily life? It was then that I took a resolve to study the Hadith and the Quran
and see their interrelationship. "I will not impose my desire or habit on my
research, I will keep it 100% objective and whatever truth may come up, I will
observe it", I told myself. I prayed to Allah to guide me to the right path.
After an enormous amount of research and burning the midnight oil for the sake of the Truth, I have come up with this article that summarizes my observations and the truth as it appears to me. I don’t claim that whatever I have inferred from my research is the truth; they just so appear to me. Only God knows the truth. It is he who guides us.
The purpose with which I have put this article on the net is not to go anti-Hadith or anything like that. With my sincere research I have come to these conclusions. If you can show me a better and a different way to look at this then please contact me ([email protected])
Important points for the reader:
- In case you may think that I am putting my own translation
of the Quranic verses and bending them to suit my own needs, All translation in
this article is from Marmaduke Pickthall, one of the most widely accepted
translators. I could have included Yusuf Ali as well, but that would make the
text very confusing.
- You may also think that I am pulling the verses out of context, hence I have
chosen only those verses that have a general implication and also have stated
the context wherever applicable.
- I have quoted the entire verse in each caase so that you may not think that I
am pulling certain words out of the verse to prove my point.
- I have not given any interpretation of whhat the verses say, but have only
explained them. My explanations can be easily verified by a glance at the
translation since I have avoided interpretation of any sort to encourage
objectivity in this research work.
- The current work is an attempt at construuctive criticism rather than
prejudiced opinion. This work is not meant to hurt the religious feelings of the
reader, but simply rather to state my observations.
A Discovery Of The Quran
Since you are reading this article, you are either a Sunni, or Shia, or belong
to some ‘sect’ of Islam. Nevertheless you accept the following truth:
"The Quran is the Book of God."
By accepting this you mean:
If you agree with this then proceed with the article, if not then you may close this article and I apologize for having wasted your time.
I have a thousand and one ideas regarding everything from disease to divinity. But what have my ideas got to do with the truth or with you? My ideas can be wrong and can lead anyone astray, because I know that there is a ‘shaitan’ that inspires evil in me as the rule set by God. Hence I decided not to follow my whims and ideas, but rather the Word of God, the Quran, which is free from any mischief and has been protected by Allah himself. It is the only book that we can assume infallibly correct. So… Lets us start with this verse of Chapter 11.
11:1-2. "Alif. Lam. Ra. (This is) a Scripture the revelations whereof are perfected and then expounded. (It cometh ) from One Wise, Informed, (Saying) : Serve none but Allah. Lo! I am unto you from Him a warner and a bringer of good tidings."
This verse clearly says that the verses in the Quran are perfect in every way and only then are they conveyed to us. It comes from Allah, who is obviously the Wisest and the most informed about everything.
Therefore it clearly follows that we cannot neglect or cast away any statement of the Quran because it is a perfected word coming from the wisest.
With these initial assumptions: that the Quran is perfect and it contains what is best for us, we proceed further…
Allah says that the Quran Is Clear
#57:17 - Allah claims that he has made the Quranic revelations clear so that we may understand.
"Know that Allah quickeneth the earth after its death. We have made clear Our revelations for you, that haply ye may understand."
Context:
Verse 57:12 addresses the Holy Prophet Muhammad and continues thereon. Hence the
‘you’ in the above verse is Prophet Muhammad and the ‘revelations’ is the Quran.
#14:52 - The Quran is very clear in what it wants to convey.
"This is a clear message for mankind in order that they may be warned thereby, and that they may know that He is only One God, and that men of understanding may take heed."
Context:
Not needed.
#10:15 - The Quran is clear in its message.
"And when Our clear revelations are recited unto them they who look not for the meeting with Us say: Bring a Lecture other than this, or change it. Say (O Muhammad): It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo! If I disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an awful Day."
Context:
Not needed.
(1)…These verses show that the Quran is clear and isn’t unclear that we may need someone to explain us everything in it.
The Verses of The Quran are Plain and Explained
#41:3 - Quran claims that its verses are explained.
"A scripture whereof the verses are expounded, a Lecture in Arabic for people who have knowledge."
#22:16 - Quran is a plain and simple revelation, guidance depends only on Allah.
"Thus We reveal it as plain revelations, and verily Allah guideth whom He will."
The Context:
41:3, the mention of Arabic says that it refers to the Quran.
22:16, this verse in connected with the verses where Allah advises the disbelievers to hang themselves if they cant see the Holy Prophet victorious, hence alludes to the Quran.
* The word ‘expound’ means ‘to explain’.
(2)…The above two verses clearly say that the Quran is plain and explained.
Quran Is Detailed
#12:111 - The Quran is a Detailed Explanation
"In their history verily there is a lesson for men of understanding. It is no invented story but a confirmation of the existing (Scripture) and a detailed explanation of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for folk who believe."
#16:89 - The Quran has explanation of all things
"And (bethink you of) the day when We raise in every nation a witness against them of their own folk, and We bring thee (Muhammad) as a witness against these. And We reveal the Scripture unto thee as an exposition of all things, and a guidance and a mercy and good tidings for those who have surrendered (to Allah)."
#7:32-33 - Allah says that he has Detailed his revelations.
"Say: Who hath forbidden the adornment of Allah which He hath brought forth for His bondmen, and the good things of His providing? Say: Such, on the Day of Resurrection, will be only for those who believed during the life of the world. Thus do We detail Our revelations for people who have knowledge."
The Context:
#12:111, The verse 12:102 refers to our Beloved Prophet, and the verses flow thereon, hence, the ‘it’ in 12:111 refers to the Quran.
#7:32-33, The verses here are addressed to the ‘Children of Adam’, it immediately follows the verses which show how Adam was expelled from paradise. The admonitions that precede and follow these verses are to Children of Adam, and hence every human. When Allah says ‘Say…’, it is a clear commandment to every human. And this commandment is now coming from the Quran, hence, ‘Our revelations’, refer to all revelations of God in general and the Quran in particular due to context.
The word ‘exposition’ in 16:89 means ‘an explanation or interpretation of the meaning of an author or a work, a commentary’.
These three verses say a lot, but other conclusions will be distorting the verses, so lets stick to the very superficial implications of these verses, i.e.,
(3)…These three verses make clear the fact that the Quran not only explains everything but has DETAILED explanations of EVERYTHING.
Nothing is Neglected in the Quran
#6:38 - Nothing is Neglected in the Quran!
"There is not an animal in the earth, nor a flying creature flying on two wings, but they are peoples like unto you. We have neglected nothing in the Book (of Our decrees). Then unto their Lord they will be gathered."
The Context:
The verse 6:33 occurring before this verse addresses to the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and then continues to address him. The verse 6:38 isn’t just addressed to the Prophet, but it is a general proclamation.
(4)… We may safely conclude from the above verse that The Quran actually covers everything that we need to know.
Combining the above conclusions here we get:
When the very word of God claims to be the source of everything, why do we need to resort to Hadith, Imams, Sects and things of the sort? Why do we need things other than the Quran to guide our lives?
Here if we say, "the Quran does contain everything, but not as far as our daily lives are concerned. It is not so very detailed." By saying this we are refuting our former assumption that the Quran is perfect and also we are challenging all the above verses, where God claims that he indeed has Detailed everything!
Again, if we say, "The Quran is detailed, but we need to be able to understand what all it details, for this we need extra-Quranic material." By saying this we are refuting the very first and second conclusions that the Quran is clear, plain and explained.
What to do then? Can we follow the Quran alone? Take a look at these verses:
Allah Says Quran is enough
#29:51 - The Quran alone is enough
"Is it not enough for them that We have sent down unto thee the Scripture which is read unto them? Lo! herein verily is mercy, and a reminder for folk who believe.."
#45:6 - Allah asks us to believe ONLY in HIM and His Message, the Quran, which is a portent of Allah.
"These are the portents of Allah which We recite unto thee (Muhammad) with truth. Then in what fact, after Allah and His portents, will they believe?"
The context:
#29:51, Verse 29:48 before this verse addresses Prophet Muhammad, hence, ‘the Scripture’ obviously refers to the Quran. The ‘them’ refers to the unbelievers who don’t believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad. They wanted a ‘portent’ (means an indication or marvel) from God. Then Allah asks whether the Quran is not enough! He clearly indicates that the Quran is a portent, or indication or marvel from God. This portent is again used in #45:6.
Notice how Allah states, ‘in what fact…’, clearly ruling out any chance of any other object of belief.
(5)… The above verses clearly show that God wants us to believe in Him and His Guidance (His portent), The Quran.
Our obvious reaction will be, "How can I renounce everything that I have been brought up with, all that I have been taught?" In answer to this question, Allah gives us an example from history:
Tradition is nothing before the Quran
#2:170 - Instead of following the fathers, or the tradition, we should follow what Allah has revealed, The Quran.
"And when it is said unto them: Follow that which Allah hath revealed, they say: We follow that wherein we found our fathers. What! Even though their fathers were wholly unintelligent and had no guidance?"
#39:23 - The Quran is the 'fairest of statements', then how can you claim it is incomplete and needs something else?
"Allah hath (now) revealed the fairest of statements, a Scripture consistent, (wherein promises of reward are) paired (with threats of punishment), whereat doth creep the flesh of those who fear their Lord, so that their flesh and their hearts soften to Allah's reminder. Such is Allah's guidance, where with He guideth whom He will. And him whom Allah sendeth astray, for him there is no guide."
The Context:
#2:170, This verse is addressed to the unbelievers.
#39:23, The verse 39:19 addresses the Holy Prophet Muhammad, and the verses continue unbroken in theme, hence, ‘a Scripture consistent’ refers to the Quran.
Here the unbelievers are not ready to accept what is revealed (The Quran) because it goes against their previous practices. How different are we from them, when we too shrink from following and accepting what God has revealed (The Quran) just because it challenges all that we have? Should we doubt the Quran’s ability when God himself tells us that the Quran is the ‘fairest of Statements’?
(6)… The Quran is the ‘fairest of statements’.
Combining all the above six conclusions, we are left with no choice but to seek the Quran alone. But we may ask, "Does the Quran ask us to guide our lives and society by following it alone?" In answer, take a look at the following verses:
Judgement should be taken from the Quran
#5:44 - Any judgement taken without the aid of the Quran is severely wrong.
Lo! We did reveal the Torah, wherein is guidance and a light, by which the Prophets who surrendered (unto Allah) judged the Jews, and the rabbis and the priests (judged) by such of Allah's Scripture as they were bidden to observe, and thereunto were they witnesses. So fear not mankind, but fear Me. And barter not My revelations for a little gain. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed: such are disbelievers.
#5:47-49 - Following or deciding on the basis of anything other then the Quran is not allowed.
5:47. "Let the People of the Gospel judge by that which Allah hath revealed therein. Whoso judgeth not by that which Allah hath revealed; such are evil livers."
5:48. "And unto thee have We revealed the Scripture with the truth, confirming whatever Scripture was before it, and a watcher over it. So judge between them by that which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires away from the truth which hath come unto thee. For each We have appointed a divine law and a traced out way. Had Allah willed He could have made you one community. But that He may try you by that which He hath given you (He hath made you as ye are). So vie one with another in good works. Unto Allah ye will all return, and He will then inform you of that wherein ye differ."
5:49. "So judge between them by that which Allah hath revealed, and follow not their desires, but beware of them lest they seduce thee from some part of that which Allah hath revealed unto thee. And if they turn away, then know that Allah's will is to smite them for some sin of theirs. Lo! many of mankind are evil livers."
The Context:
#5:44, The verse begins by alluding to the Jews, but the statement ‘barter not My revelations’ generalizes the following statement to all of God’s revelations, including the Quran. The incident is that the Jews approach the Holy Prophet Muhammad to judge a dispute. Since the verses are in continuation without change of theme, they all allude to the same incident.
As we can see clearly, Allah commands the Holy Prophet that if one doesn’t judge by that which Allah has revealed, he is indeed wrong in doing so. This has been repeated in all the three verses! And both the verses, 48,49, warn the Holy Prophet from swaying away from what has been revealed to him, i.e., the Quran. It also warns that those who turn away are ‘evil livers’. We can see the strictness with which the Quran admonishes us to stick to it for every sort of guidance and judgement.
But then we may ask, "The above judgement was for a legal purpose, what about our daily lives? How can we decide what is lawful and what not?" Answering this question there is a verse, which I am going to quote soon. But before that, one more thing: we believe many things as unlawful even if it is not declared so in the Quran, with the justification that it is not detailed. Even if that justification has been ruled out right at the beginning of this article, here Allah, clearly points it out.
#42:21 - All lawful and unlawful is decided by Allah, and Quran is the Word of Allah.
"Or have they partners (of Allah) who have made lawful for them in religion that which Allah allowed not? And but for a decisive word (gone forth already), it would have been judged between them. Lo! for wrong doers is a painful doom."
Context:
This verse refers to those people who had the scriptures before it came to the lineage of Prophet Ismail, to the Prophet Muhammad.
Allah clearly states that he doesn’t like people who impose laws of their own, which He has not revealed. This may look to you a far-fetched interpretation, but wait and just take a look at the example of taking guidance regarding lawful things that Allah has put before us in the Holy Quran.
#6:145 Example of Quran as guide, this verse asks us to keep checking our lives and actions with the Quran alone.
"Say: I find not in that which is revealed unto me aught prohibited to an eater that he eat thereof, except it be carrion, or blood poured forth, or swine flesh for that verily is foul or the abomination which was immolated to the name of other than Allah. But whoso is compelled (thereto), neither craving nor transgressing, (for him) lo ! Your Lord is Forgiving, Merciful."
Context:
In the verses that precede and follow this one, Allah is giving guidance regarding many things.
Instead of just directly stating which food is lawful and which not, He as put it as if one has been questioned to eat something and refers to the book of God and tells, "I find not in that which is revealed unto me…"
Still in doubt whether the Quran can guide us in this matter? Then have a look at this:
Allah says that the Quran is the source of sharia
#10:37 - The Quran is the Only source of Divine law decreed for Mankind. Allah confirms it Doubly himself!
"And this Qur’an is not such as could ever be invented in despite of Allah; but it is a confirmation of that which was before it and an exposition of that which is decreed for mankind. Therein is no doubt from the Lord of the Worlds."
Context:
It is very clear that it alludes to the Quran.
The word ‘decree’ means ‘an edict, law or ordinance made by superior authority’.
Look at the words used, an explanation of that which is ‘decreed’ for mankind. This verse really puts a full stop to all argument that the Quran is not a decree for mankind. Further more, God says there is no doubt in this fact!
(7) The Quran is the only source of Divine Law
Combining the above conclusions here, we get:
With this huge and life shattering bunch of conclusions, what are we left with? What about the sayings and actions of the Prophet? What about the rich literature of Hadith that we have to guide us? Won’t we go astray if we drop them and follow only the Quran?
Let us consider the extra Quranic literature: Hadith
A brief history of Hadith:
"To understand the background to the development of Hadith literature one must sift through the history of Islam from about 250 years after the time of our Prophet… during the first century of the Prophet's era no hadiths were written down… Stories circulated by word of mouth but they were never written down because the view was well known that the Prophet and the companions did not want anything of the kind to be done, and so there was a very strong feeling against the writing of any sort of 'Hadith' literature. The so-called 'Science of isnad' -- touchstone of a hadith's authenticity -- has tremendous flaws in it. How, then, can we go on giving credence to something that was not written down and yet which, some 250 years after the fact, Bukhari supposedly managed to trace back to its source (i.e. the Prophet) by establishing all the links in a chain which cannot possibly have been genuinely reconstructed! How he (Bukhari) managed to do this without written records, bridging a gap of about eight generations, and simultaneously establishing not only biographical data but also a compelling analysis of the mental faculties of his subjects defies belief! One can quote several hundred hadiths that not only contradict the Qur’an but also clearly do damage to the Prophet's good name."
Excrepted From:
"A Study of the Qur’an"
Mohammed Abdul Malik. of 69 Prince of Wales Road, Sutton, Surrey, U.K. ISBN: 0
9530907 2 8 Email: [email protected]
It is a commonly known fact that the authenticity of Hadith is never one hundred percent reliable because there is neither and guardian over it, nor any proof of its own authenticity. Compare this with the Quran, where God himself promises to protect it,
#15:9. Lo! We, even We, reveal the Reminder, and lo! We verily are it's Guardian.
If you check the verse 15:1, you will easily come to know that this verse alludes to the Quran.
The only reason with which the patrons of Hadith proclaim their message is that they assume that the Hadith are right, at least the ‘Sahih’ ones.
The very science of Isnad, which has been used to verify and collect the Hadith, deals with the verification of the chain of narrators through whom the Hadith is ‘supposed’ to have passed, which if found reliable or trustworthy, the Hadith related by them are considered reliable and is classified according to the nature of the ‘chain’. By the verification of this chain, in whatever way, one can never ever be one hundred percent sure of the transmission. One can only suppose that the narrators have been truthful, one can only suppose that the saying originated from the prophet, one can only suppose that he has the truth. There has been and can be no 100% guarantee to ensure us the authenticity. The proof of this fact can be found in the very religious doctrine of Islam as proclaimed in the Quran:
#4:118-120: Satan promises only to mislead:
"Whom Allah cursed, and he said: Surely I will take of Thy bondmen an appointed portion, and surely I will lead them astray, and surely I will arouse desires in them, and surely I will command them and they will cut the cattle's ears, and surely I will command them and they will change Allah's creation. Whoso chooseth Satan for a patron instead of Allah is verily a loser and his loss is manifest. He promiseth them and stirreth up desires in them, and Satan promiseth them only to beguile."
Context:
Verse 4:117 refers directly to Satan and continues to address him. The verse had a mixture of general statements as well as particular ones. The mischief and work of Satan is general and he does so to every human.
Anybody with common sense and especially a Muslim, knows the fact that the devil instigates all humans. The people who have been in the chain of narration are also human. So, even if we verify the authenticity, we can never make it 100% sure that it is free of any falsity. I don’t say that the deviation has been deliberate or purposely done – saying that is again a conjecture. But we can safely be sure that it is not 100% reliable. Hence, we believe in the Hadith because we "suppose" them to be correct, but are not Sure that they are correct. This is a conjecture upon which we base our belief in the Hadith.
Now look at what God says regarding conjecture in the Quran:
Allah tells us that majority follow conjecture and hence are misled:
#6:116 - Beware of the crowd. Beware of those who follow an 'opinion' and 'guess'.
"If thou obeyedst most of those on earth they would mislead thee far from Allah's way. They follow naught but an opinion, and they do but guess."
#51:7-11
"By the heaven full of paths, Lo! ye, forsooth, are of various opinion (concerning the truth). He is made to turn away from it who is (himself) averse. Accursed be the conjecturers. Who are careless in an abyss!"
Context:
#6:116, The discourse containing this verse is addressed to The Holy Prophet Muhammad, and the ‘most on earth’ refers to the disbelievers.
#51:7-11, These verses are contained in a discourse that confirms that the Judgement Day will surely come.
The ‘most on earth’ refers to the disbelievers of that time. This verse has a general significance as well. When Prophet Muhammad started preaching the precepts of Islam and called people to believe in the book revealed to him, majority turned away because they carried an ‘opinion’ regarding everything. They only thought that their beliefs are true, there wasn’t any concrete evidence that backed their beliefs. Hence Allah says that they go by conjecture. The Quran is backed by evidence of its divine origin. Don’t you think that believing the Hadith to be an inseparable part of Islam is based on conjecture?
The second verse talks of the coming of the day of judgement. Allah always keeps citing examples and such in the Quran to present the proof that it is the book of God. The ‘conjecturers’ refers to those people who base their belief only on conjecture and refute anything of strong evidence that comes before them (The Quran) sticking to their conjecture. Such people sacrifice truth for mere conjecture!
If you think that I had to ‘interpret’ these verses to explain them, then have a look at this one:
The Dangers of Guessing
#10:36 – Conjecture is of no avail before Truth
"Most of them follow naught but conjecture. Assuredly conjecture can by no means take the place of truth. Lo! Allah is Aware of what they do."
Context:
Not needed.
The underlined statement is a general proclamation against conjecture. It is not dependent on the context, hence I haven’t cited the context.
I don’t think that after the above verse, I further need to argue that our basis of belief on the Hadith is false.
(8)… Conjecture (the method of belief in Hadith) is of no avail before Truth (Quran)
Nothing has a warrant to guide other than the Quran
All Hadith are invalid because no 'warrant hath been revealed' for it.
7:33. "Say: My Lord forbiddeth only indecencies, such of them as are apparent and such as are within, and sin and wrongful oppression, and that ye associate with Allah that for which no warrant hath been revealed, and that ye tell concerning Allah that which ye know not."
Context:
Verse 7:31 is addressed to Children of Adam (all men) and the discourse continues addressing all humans.
The above verse is a statement that Allah asks humans to say to people who bring forth something that goes contrary to what they have been revealed with, The Quran. So, saying "such and such Allah commands us to do"(associating with Allah), without a ‘warrant’ being revealed, is wrong. The only warrant ‘revealed’ is the Quran. If the Quran would have warranted any other source, do you think the Holy Prophet and the Honoured Khalifas would have let 200 years pass before the compilation of Hadith begins?
If you warrant anything else, you earn the curse of Allah
#2:159 - The Quran clearly accurses those Hadith writers who give out guidance that contradicts with the Quran
"Those who hide the proofs and the guidance which We revealed, after We had made it clear in the Scripture: such are accursed of Allah and accursed of those who have the power to curse."
For the above verse context is not needed because it is a clearly general warning for any group that deliberately ‘hides’ the guidance that has been revealed. The Quran is a ‘revealed’ guidance. It again says that the guidance has been made ‘clear’ in the scripture.
(9)… No warrant has been revealed to support the Hadith.
Now the question rings in our mind that whether we can leave the Hadith and yet remain in the ‘straight’ path towards God? Is it possible? Let see:
The Quran gives the Straightest path
#17:9 - The Quran guides us to the straightest path, any other will be less straight and more crooked.
"Lo! this Qur’an guideth unto that which is straightest, and giveth tidings unto the believers who do good works that theirs will be a great reward."
(10)… The Quran guides us unto the straightest path.
With these 10 conclusions in mind let us move ahead…
The Sunnah: A majority of the Muslims think that obeying the sunnah is obeying Allah, because the Sunnah, i.e., the sayings and actions of the Holy Prophet, are all divinely inspired. They think that every activity of the Holy Prophet is the only way an activity should be done.
Such a viewpoint of accepting every action of the Prophet contradicts and transgresses the limitations given by the Quran.
God asks Muhammad to proclaim that He is a Mortal Like You
41:6. "Say (unto them O Muhammad): I am only a mortal like you. It is inspired in me that your God is One God, therefore take the straight path unto Him and seek forgiveness of Him. And woe unto the idolaters"
Take a careful look at the words ‘Mortal Like You’, God didn’t use the phrase ‘mortal’ but ‘mortal like you’. It means that the Messenger is a man just like us, liable to mistakes and all that, but he, by the Mercy of Allah, is inspired with the Scripture. Take a careful look at the phrase ‘straight path’. Compare this to the verse before the 10th conclusion, i.e., The Quran guides us in the Straightest Path! Here the Holy Prophet is asking us directly to follow the Quran alone!
The Holy Prophet Frowned (Surah Abasa)
80:1-10. He frowned and turned away because the blind man came unto him. What could inform thee but that he might grow (in grace) or take heed and so the reminder might avail him? As for him who thinketh himself independent, unto him thou payest regard. Yet it is not thy concern if he grow not (in grace). But as for him who cometh unto thee with earnest purpose and hath fear, From him thou art distracted.
Context:
This is from a very famous surah. It refers to the incident, when the Holy Prophet was talking with a rich man, a blind man came seeking instruction in Islam. The Holy Prophet turned away and ignored the blind man.
69:43-47. "It is a revelation from the Lord of the Worlds. And if he had invented false sayings concerning us, we assuredly had taken him by the right hand and then severed his life artery, and not one of you could have held us off from him."
Context:
This verse addresses the unbelievers who were saying that the Quran was from a poet etc The Quran says that it is coming from a messenger, Muhammad. Verse 69:40 clearly states the Quran, and hence the ‘it’ in this verse alludes to the Quran and the ‘him’ alludes to the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
17:74-75. "And if We had not made thee wholly firm thou mightest almost have inclined unto them a little. Then had We made thee taste a double (punishment) of living and a double (punishment) of dying, then hadst thou found no helper against Us."
Context:
The unbelievers had tried to ‘beguile’ the Holy Prophet away from the Quran. In answer to his inner struggle, this verse clears his difficulty.
10:15."Say (O Muhammad): It is not for me to change it of my own accord. I only follow that which is inspired in me. Lo! If I disobey my Lord I fear the retribution of an awful Day."
Not once, not twice, here, I have cited four verses, there are many more in the Quran, each warning the Prophet from straying. Each admonishes him and threatens him. Now please tell me if every action of the Holy Prophet was divinely inspired, then why does he need to ‘fear the retribution of an awful Day’? If each action of his is divinely inspired then he is not answerable for his actions on the Judgment Day. This violates the above verses, and clearly says that he is not a man like us!
In fact God asks him to state that he knows nothing about what will happen to him!
46:9. "Say: I am no new thing among the messengers (of Allah), nor know I what will be done with me or with you. I do but follow that which is inspired in me, and I am but a plain warner."
Notice carefully ‘I only follow that which is inspired in me’ in 10:15 and again in 46:9 above. Here again the Holy Prophet is commanded to say to follow the Holy Quran, because that was the only thing inspired in him.
If we aren’t to follow every action of the Messenger, then what does the ‘Obey Allah and Obey the Messenger’ occurring in the Quran mean? To clarify this let us take a look at the following verses:
#29:18 - Purpose of Sending Messengers
29:18. "But if ye deny, then nations have denied before you. The messenger is only to convey (the Message) plainly."
Look at the duty of the Messenger: to convey the Message Plainly. Why plainly? Because it must be as Allah has revealed, without alteration, interpretation or explanation, plainly as Allah has revealed.
#16:35 - Messengers are charged ONLY to convey the message.
"And the idolaters say: Had Allah willed, we had not worshipped aught beside Him, we and our fathers, nor had we forbidden aught without (command from) Him. Even so did those before them. Are the messengers charged with aught save plain conveyance (of the message)?"
Notice again the ‘plain’ conveyance of the Message!
#36:16-17 - Messengers only convey the Message.
"They answered: Our lord knoweth that we are indeed sent unto you, and our duty is but plain conveyance (of the message)."
The above verses show the duties of all Messengers in general. What if Prophet Muhammad was sent not just to plainly convey, but also to exemplify? Take a look at these:
#16:82 - Prophet Muhammad was sent only to convey the Quran
"Then, if they turn away, thy duty (O Muhammad) is but plain conveyance (of the message)."
Notice again the ‘plain conveyance’?
#11:12 - Allah says that the Messenger is only a Warner, nothing else. Leaving Anything of the Quran is dangerous.
"A likely thing, that thou wouldst forsake aught of that which hath been revealed unto thee, and that thy breast should be straitened for it, because they say: Why hath not a treasure been sent down for him, or an angel come with him? Thou art but a warner, and Allah is in charge of all things."
--Simplified English: It is a likely thing that you would forsake anything of that which has been revealed to you, and that your breast should be narrowed for it...
Context:
Before the above verse, in 11:7, the book addresses Prophet Muhammad. The discourse doesn’t change in theme, hence, ‘thou art but a warner’, obviously addresses Prophet Muhammad.
#45:18 - Allah protects Prophet Muhammad by asking him to follow the Quran alone, which is a Clear road.
"And now have We set thee (O Muhammad) on a clear road of (Our) commandment; so follow it, and follow not the whims of those who know not."
One may say, "Okey, we accept that Prophet Muhammad came to convey the Message, but where is it stated that he came to convey only the message and nothing else?" Well, digest this!
#24:54 - Obeying the Quran (the Message) is Obeying the Messenger, here sunnah is ruled out completely.
"Say: Obey Allah and obey the messenger. But if ye turn away, then (it is) for him (to do) only that wherewith he hath been charged, and for you (to do) only that wherewith ye have been charged. If ye obey him, ye will go aright. But, the messenger hath no other charge than to convey (the message), plainly."
Context:
Since the verse begins with ‘say’ it clearly addresses to the Holy Prophet Muhammad.
Notice again the ‘plainly’, do you think this can be a coincidence?
I don’t think the above verse needs any explanation!
But some may say, "But the Prophet asked us to follow him through his Sunnah!" Well the Quran answers this as well!
#3:79 - Prophet Muhammad said to study and teach the Quran and the Quran Alone.
"It is not (possible) for any human being unto whom Allah had given the Scripture and wisdom and the Prophethood that he should afterwards have said unto mankind: Be slaves of me instead of Allah; but (what he said was): Be ye faithful servants of the Lord by virtue of your constant teaching of the Scripture and of your constant study thereof."
These verses are so eloquent, that they don’t leave any space for explanation!
According to the above verse, the only way we can be faithful servants of the Lord is by studying the Quran and teaching it. This is what the Messengers say to their followers. If you somehow prove that Prophet Muhammad said otherwise, then you are actually denying the truth of this verse!
(11)… Obeying the Message (The Quran) is obeying the Messenger, since the Messenger has no duty Except to convey the Message.
But still you may think, "Is still the Quran enough?" As a final answer to your almost fading doubt, I can quote these few verses:
#17:89 - If Quran covers everything then why do we need any other support?
"And verity We have displayed for mankind in this Qur’an all kinds or similitudes, but most of mankind refuse aught save disbelief."
*similitude means comparision, resemblence, likeness, counterpart
#18:54."And verily We have displayed for mankind in this Qur’an all manner of similitudes, but man is more than anything contentious."
39:27. "And verily We have coined for mankind in this Qur’an all kinds of similitudes, that haply they may reflect;"
Look at the word 'coined' it means invented/fabricated.
39:28. "A Lecture in Arabic, containing no crookedness, that haply they may ward off (evil)."
Here again the Quran says that it contains no crookedness. And ‘crooked’ means ‘not straight’ or ‘bent’.
(12)… Since the Quran contains all kinds of similitude and is free from any crookedness, which only a divinely revealed scripture can guarantee, we can only follow the Quran Alone.
Combining all the above conclusions here, we get:
With all these twelve life-shattering conclusions we can have only one conclusion, and that is:
"Follow the Quran Alone to stay away from Hell."
As an addendum, I would like to quote these two verses that allude to the present state of the Muslim community. I was very surprised to find such an exact description of the present situation in the Quran.
39:29. "Allah coineth a similitude: A man in relation to whom are several part owners, quarrelling, and a man belonging wholly to one man. Are the two equal in similitude? Praise be to Allah! But most of them know not."
(Note: This is an interpretation by the author and NOT directly explained by the above verse.)
The ' man in relation to whom are several part owners' is the present day Muslim, who is partly owned by The Holy Prophet against his wishes, and also by the numerous scholars, imams and schools of thought in which he believes. As you can see, they are continuously 'quarrelling' as mentioned in the verse.
The man belonging wholly to one man refers to pure monotheism, Allah is NOT referred by man here, remember it is a similitude to explain the concept of monotheism.
#31:20. This verse tells us the condition of today's Muslims who are disputing concerning Allah, because they don’t take the aid of the Scripture, the Quran.
"See ye not how Allah hath made serviceable unto you whatsoever is in the skies and whatsoever is in the earth and hath loaded you with His favours both without and within? Yet of mankind is he who disputeth concerning Allah, without knowledge or guidance or a Scripture giving light."
(Note: This is an interpretation by the author and NOT directly explained by the above verse.)
The various sects of Islam are disputing only because they aren’t using the ‘Scripture giving light’. Someone follows Imam Abu Hanifa, someone, Imam Shafi, someone calls himself ‘sunni’, someone ‘shia’. All these dispute because each sect holds on to its own set of Hadith or extra-Quranic literature. If all Muslims would hold on to the Quran Alone then they would be guided to the ‘straightest’ path.
A final word:
It has been a great experience writing this article. Allah would somehow bring to my notice verses from the Quran just from nowhere. As I would be writing the article, somehow it would arrange itself in so logically coherent a manner that is not a characteristic of my usual works. I thank the Almighty, I thank Allah, for having helped me complete this research and produce an article that may help others. I sincerely pray to Allah that he may keep me guided and keep showing the right path to me. For without his benevolence and mercy, Mankind is doomed, forget about me!
The Shahadah
The prophet Abraham who, although not a Jew or a Christian, was such an excellent example that God commanded his Messenger Muhammad to follow him. And Mohammed responded by saying:
" I have submitted my wholeself to God and so have those who follow me..."
Why then have millions of people been entrapped into following the teachings of Abu Hurairah a mysterious person from the shadows of Hadith literature? Could it be that they have rejected the teaching of Quran while believing they have not done so? God says:
" Have you noted those who only know part of the scripture, and when invited to adopt God's law, they turn away in aversion?.... That is because they are deceived in their faith by their own inventions."
(Quran: 3:23-24)
The Shahadah
To profess their faith in Islam the Sunnis make this declaration: "I bear witness that there is no god except God and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of God. " (Arabic transliteration: "Ash hadu anlaa ilaaha illallaahu wa ash hadu anna muhammadar-rasulallah"). This testimony is called the Shahadah and according to Sunni belief it must be recited by every Muslim as an attestation of their allegiance to Islam. Consequently any person who does not 'bear witness' is not accepted as a Muslim by them.
However this testimony is not sanctioned by the true teachings of the Prophet Muhammad, which are found in the Quran, the veritable word of God.
Many people may feel astounded at this statement especially as the Shahadah is considered to be the foundation of Sunni faith. This is why it is important to take a careful and critical look before reaching any impulsive conclusions.
For the Sunni, the purpose of the Shahadah is many folds. For example without reciting the Shahadah, the Sunnis consider their salat prayer to be nullified. Also before a newcomer is accepted into the Sunni religion, a public declaration by reciting the Shahadah in front of witnesses must be made. In some countries converts are given a "certificate" after reciting the Shahadah to confirm they have been "admitted" into the Islamic fold. However, it is not known if such "certificates" are also a complimentary pass into heaven!
To associate anything or anyone with God is known as 'shirk', the highest degree of blasphemy, which God does not forgive. This is made clear in chapter 4 verse 48. The Quran also stipulates that Muslims must profess faith in the One God and not call on anyone else. The Shahadah, therefore, cannot be the correct way to affirm faith as the name of the prophet Muhammad, besides God, is included in this attestation and also used in the salat prayers.
People blindly following their religion are the root of wrong beliefs. This acceptance of the Shahadah is no different. If only people read and understand the Quran then they would realize that God revealed the following verse to the Messenger which is just as applicable to us today as it was to him: "Do not accept anything that you yourself cannot verify. Surely your hearing, your eyesight and your mind will be questioned" Sura 17:36. God wants us to substantiate our beliefs and we should follow His advice.
Abu Hurairah
The Shahadah testimony that is recited by the Sunnis originates from Abu Hurairah and is recorded in the 'hadith' - the oral traditions attributed to the prophet Muhammad. The hadith given below is from "Mishkat-ul-Masabih", translation by Maulana Fazlul Karim, Volume 1, Chapter 1, no.27. (Published by the Book House, Lahore, Pakistan). As there are a many versions of this hadith, the collections of Tirmidzi should also be read.
The hadith regarding the Shahadah says: One day Abu Hurairah went to the people and told them that the Messenger had authorised him to go and tell them to recite the Shahadah "ash hadu anlaa ilaha illallhu wa ash hadu anna muhammadar-rasulullah". Another version reads " muhammadan abduhu wa rasuluhu". The first person Abu Hurairah came across to give the Shahadah was Saidina Omar (later the second caliph). When Omar heard it he promptly punched Abu Hurairah in the chest and knocked him to the ground. Then Omar put his foot on Abu Hurairah's neck and asked him how dare he utter such a blasphemy.
Abu Hurairah (who is recorded in the hadith as having received quite u few beatings from Saidina Omar during his lifetime) then cried out and named the Messenger as his authority. When again challenged by Saidina Omar, Abu Hurairah pulled out a pair of leather slippers and showed them to Omar. The slippers, he said, were given to him by the Prophet, as proof for what he was saying. Recognising the prophet's slippers, Omar simmered down. Everyone then happily started reciting the shahadah. This most incredible story is the background to the Shahadah of Abu Hurairah, which has been adopted by millions of Sunnis.
In the Quran God says, "The believers are kind to each other and firm with the disbelievers..." Sura 5:54. Hence the 'hadith' books are full of stories of how great friends the companions of the prophet (known as 'Sahaba') were and the love and kindness they showed towards each other.
Fourteen centuries down the road today the Tabligh people (sunni missionaries) always greet each other with hugs and kisses, supposedly to emulate the brotherly Sahaba. But in this particular 'hadith', we have one Sahaba knocking another down to the ground for bringing along something as important as the Shahadah!
In another account of this same episode, Omar is reported as challenging the Messenger if he did indeed send Abu Hurairah with his slippers to recite the Shahadah. When the Messenger said yes, Omar disagreed with him and said the Shahadah will make people "lazy"! Whatever the logic of this hadith can be left for the hadith advocates to explain. Yet again the narrator of this fabrication is Abu Hurairah.
About the believers and the companions of the prophet, and Omar was one of them, the Quran says; " The only thing the believers utter when invited to heed God and His messenger and uphold His law is 'we hear and we obey". These are the winners". Sura 24:51
Abu Hurairah's ridiculous fable not only contradicts the above verse but also contradicts Sura 6:51 where God tells the Messenger (and by implication the companions and whomever the Quran reaches): "You shall preach WITH THE Quran to those who reverence the gathering before their Lord..."
Instead Abu Hurairah said that the Prophet handed over his pair of slippers to him and told him to preach with the slippers in hand as proof of authenticity. By his confession Abu Hurairah was beaten by Omar, who argued with the Prophet and said that the Shahadah was unwise. Does the basis of a Muslim's faith rest on such an absurd tale? Surely this cannot be part of Islam, which is based on reason and logic?
No one seems to know the correct identity of this Abu Hurairah even today scholars cannot agree on his real name. Despite there being a hadith (also attributed to Abu Hurairah) that we should not call people by nicknames, Abu Hurairah is itself a nickname which means "the Father of Cats". So the originator of the Sunni Shahadah was an unknown man who was attacked unceremoniously by another companion of the Messenger! It is now apparent that there is significant evidence to show that the Shahadah testimony of the Sunni people has a very dubious background based on ludicrous hadith falsely attributed to the prophet Muhammad whom they claim to love!
How then does Abu Hurairah's Shahadah contradict the Prophet's true teachings? The Quran was revealed by God to the prophet Muhammad who then passed on this message, first to the companions and then to the rest of the people. Besides being God's own revelation, the Quran represents what was actually said by the prophet Muhammad. Anyone who rejects this simple fact cannot at all claim to be a Muslim.
So what did God commanded the Messenger to tell us? "The mosques belong to God, do not call on anyone else besides God" Sura 72:18.
However, in the Shahadah of Abu Hurairah, the Sunnis call on the Messenger as well as God. The Sunni scholars will argue that the mention of the Messenger's name is only out of respect. But then in the same breath, they will insist that the salat prayer to God Almighty is nullified if the prophet Muhammad's name is not mentioned in the Shahadah during the salat prayer. This is tantamount to idolatry as associating another person with God is committing 'shirk' the unforgivable offence.
God Alone
The human has a major weakness. He finds it difficult to believe in an unseen God. Even the Prophet Moses had this problem. "When Moses came to our audience, and His Lord spoke to him, he said, "My Lord let me look and see you". He said, "You cannot see Me..." Sura, 7:143.
The human looks for something tangible, hence the Christians first elevated Jesus to a Son of God and then to the status of God Himself. The Hindus worship humans like Rama and Krishna who they say are gods. The Sunnis have similarly idolized the Prophet Muhammad and have given him a divine status by adding his name to the Shahadah testament and appropriately the Sunnis can be called "Mohammedan".
To remind them of this folly will only raise their anger. Perhaps they do not know that it is the Prophet Muhammad himself who taught the following: "When God alone is advocated, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter shrink with aversion. But when OTHERS are mentioned besides Him, they rejoice" Sura 39:45.
Note how angry the Mohammedan become when you mention God alone. Their anger subsides only when you agree to add "Muhammad" as the second half of Abu Hurairah's Shahadah which reads ". And I bear witness that Muhammad is the messenger of God" (Arabic transliteration: wa ash hadu anna muhammadar rasulullah).
God revealed to the Messenger that this is actually the Shahadah of the hypocrites (Arabic: Munafiq). "Among the Arabs around you there are hypocrites, and among the city dwellers as well. They persist in hypocrisy and while you (Muhammad) may not know them, me know them. We will double the punishment for them, then they will be returned for a terrible retribution" Sura 9:101. Here God is telling the Messenger that hypocrites surround him and that he does not know who they are. Only God knows the hypocrites. But God promises "... He will most certainly expose the hypocrites" Sura 29:11. And the hypocrites are worried about this too: "The hypocrites are afraid lest a verse may expose what they hide in their hearts. Say, "Keep on scoffing. God will surely expose what you fear" Sura 9:64.
Hypocrites Exposed
God also says that the hypocrites can be recognized by way they engage in vain talk. "If we will we can expose them for you, so that you can recognize them just by looking at them. However you can recognize them from what they say. God is fully aware of all your works". Sura, 47:30.
Hence God promises to expose the hypocrites. One such method is recorded in the Quran in Sura 63:1. "When the hypocrites come to you and say: "WE BEAR WITNESS THAT YOU ARE THE MESSENGER OF GOD. God indeed knows that you are His Messenger. God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars".
The important thing to note in this verse is that the emphasized words form the second part of Abu Hurairah's Shahadah, which is now recited by all Mohammedan. This as we see from the verse 63.1 is actually the Shahadah of the hypocrites! What the hypocrites say is vain talk because God indeed knows that Muhammad is His Messenger (63:1). God does not need any one to affirm back to Him what He already knows about His own Messenger.
The Quran says; "We have sent you as a Messenger and GOD SUFFICES AS A WITNESS..." Sura 4:79 and this is exactly what the Messenger told his companions. There is no need to bear witness on him because God has already done so and that is enough.
"God bears witness concerning what He has revealed to you. He has revealed it with His knowledge. And the angels bear witness as well, BUT GOD IS ENOUGH AS A WITNESS" Sura 4:166. Again this is what the Messenger told the companions. God is enough as a witness. God also discourages attempts at witnessing other Messengers: "You were not on the slope of the western Mount when we gave Moses the commandments. YOU WERE NOT A WITNESS" Sura 28:44. So people cannot "witness" the messengership of the Messengers.
To reiterate, God says He will certainly expose the hypocrites (sura 29:11). God says the Messenger can recognize them from what they say (sura 47:30). So when the hypocrites come and insist that they want to bear witness on the Messenger, they expose themselves as hypocrites. And Abu Hurairah (if he really existed) has fooled millions of Muslims into reciting the same thing everyday of their lives.
The first part of Abu Hurairah's Shahadah is "I bear witness that there is no god except God". (Arabic transliteration: "ash hadu anlaa ilaaha illallah).
The Quran says: "God bears witness that there is no god except He, and so do the angels and those endowed with knowledge, in truth and justice. There is no god except He, the mighty, the wise" Sura 3:18.
God is enough as a Witness
Again God says that His own witness is enough: "Say, Whose testimony is the greatest'' Say, "God's (testimony is the greatest). HE IS THE WITNESS BETWEEN ME AND YOU that this Quran has been inspired to me, to preach it to you and whomever it reaches.." Sura, 6:19. Because "... God suffices as a witness..." Sura 4:79 and 4:166., the Shahadah as proclaimed by Abu Hurairah is therefore a lie – a fabrication by whoever wrote the 'hadith'. If we do not even have his true identity, how do we know if Abu Hurairah existed at all?
Despite the evidence of the Quran, which no Muslim will deny is the truest teaching of the Messenger, the hypocrites insist on bearing witness to Muhammad's Messengership. They insist on bearing witness when God says He needs no other witness apart from Himself.
Most importantly, the Shahadah of Abu Hurairah, by its purpose, goes against Sura 72:18 and Sura 39:45 in that it associates the Messenger's name with God. Without bearing witness on the Messenger, the Sunnis say that the salat prayer and faith are void. Even though by evidence from the Quran this is shown to be "shirk" of the highest order. Each time people say the Sunni Shahadah they are committing "shirk", the unpardonable blasphemy for which they may burn in hell.
The True Declaration
What then is the real attestation, which Muslims can recite to affirm their faith? Perhaps when the companions asked the Messenger this question, he would have replied: "The word of your Lord is complete, in truth and justice. Nothing shall abrogate His words. He is the hearer, the knower". Sura 6:114
Therefore the answer is definitely in the Quran and to show the correct attestation of faith, the Prophet Abraham is an excellent example. "Whose religion is better than one who SUBMITS himself to God, works righteousness and follows the faith Of Abraham the monotheist? God has chosen Abraham as a beloved friend". Sura, 4:125.
Remember that this verse was revealed to the Messenger and this is what the Messenger then imparted to his companions and all the people through the Quran. Therefore we too must follow the faith Of Abraham. "Thus who would then forsake the faith of Abraham, except those who fool themselves? We have chosen him in this life, and in the hereafter he will be with the righteous" Sura 2:130.
Only fools will forsake the faith Of Abraham. Therefore unless people want to be considered as fools, it would be better to do what Abraham did. And what did Abraham do?
The next verse tells us: "When his Lord said to him "SUBMIT" he said, "I SUBMIT TO THE LORD OF THE WORLDS" (Arabic: Aslamtu Li Rabbil Aalameen) Sura 2:131.
So here we have it. When God showed Abraham the perfect religion, He commanded Abraham to Submit ("Aslimu") and Abraham said "Aslamtu li rabbil aalameen". This is how MUSLIMS should attest their faith.
Now it is clear that Muslims cannot attest their faith by witnessing a Messenger or God, especially as they cannot be seen. Witnessing on Muhammad's messengership is just the idolization of one prophet. Giving distinction to one messenger above another is strictly forbidden in the Quran as mentioned in verses 2.285 and 4.150-152.
The story of Abraham continues in the next verse: "The same did Abraham enjoin upon his sons and also Jacob, "O My sons, God has chosen for you the true faith, therefore DIE NOT SAVE AS MEN WHO HAVE SUBMITTED". Sura 2:132
Abraham enjoined his sons to believe in the same things he did. He also successfully enjoined his people to say the same thing "Aslamtu li rabbil aalameen" which means "I submit myself to the Lord of the Worlds". This is revealed in the next verse: "Or were you present when death came to Jacob, when he said unto his sons, 'What will you worship after me?" They said, 'We shall worship thy God, the God of thy fathers Abraham, Ishmael, and Isaac, One God, and UNTO HIM WE HAVE SUBMITTED" Sura 2:133.
This is the truth about how Abraham submitted himself to God, as it was revealed to the Messenger through the Quran. And the Messenger is commanded to follow Abraham: "And they say, "Be Jews or Christians, then you will be rightly guided. "Say; "No, We follow the faith of Abraham, the upright, and he was not of the idolaters". Sura 2:135 "Say, 'We believe in God and that which is revealed unto us and that which was revealed unto Abraham..." Sura, 2:136.
And the message that was revealed to Abraham is disclosed once more to us in the Quran and preserved carefully for posterity. As for those who reject these truths, God says, "Or do you say that Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes were Jews or Christians? Say "Do you know best or does God? And who is more unjust than he who conceals a testimony he has received from God. God is not unaware of what you do" Sura 2:140.
So why do people hide this testimony? Abraham declared "Aslamtu li rabbil aalameen" (I submit myself to the Lord of the worlds) and he enjoined this upon his sons and upon Jacob.
The Prophet Muhammad and the companions have been given the same testimony. So why do they hide this testimony and replace it with a Shahadah of the hypocrites?
There is no doubt that the prophet Muhammad followed the faith of Abraham. "And we inspired you (Muhammad) to FOLLOW THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM, he who was naturally upright, he was never an idolater" Sura 16:123.
The Prophet did exactly as God commanded him. If anyone wants to become a Muslim should they then not follow the prophet Muhammad's example that affirmed his faith in the same way as Abraham?
"Those among mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and this prophet, and those who believe, and God is the protecting friend of the believers". Sura, 3:68.
Say, (Muhammad) "I am forbidden to worship those whom you call besides God, since there has come to me clear proofs from God, and I AM COMMANDED TO SUBMIT TO THE LORD OF THE WORLDS (wa umirtu un aslima li rabbil aalameen) Sura 40:66.
But what if the people like the hypocrites come and insist that they want to bear witness on the Messenger and bear witness on God? What do you tell them?
The answer, as always, is in the Quran: "And if they argue with you (Muhammad) say: "I HAVE SUBMITTED MY WHOLE SELF TO GOD (aslamtu waj hiyu lillah) and so have those who follow me..." Sura 3:20.
The Messenger and his companions simply submitted themselves to God: "Say "Shall we call those things besides God, which can neither harm us nor benefit us, and shall we turn back after God has guided us - like one possessed by the devils, who has companions (sahaba!) Who invite him, saying "Come to us?" Say, 'The guidance of God is indeed true guidance and WE ARE COMMANDED TO SUBMIT TO THE LORD OF THE WORLDS (wa umirna li nuslimn li rabbil aalameen)" Sura 6:71
The Messenger and his companions simply submitted to the Lord of the worlds. If Abu Hurairah, or any other person, comes and asks a Muslim to join him in bearing witness over God and His Messenger, the answer must be to say "No!" We are commanded To SUBMIT To the Lord of the Worlds (aslamtu li rabbil aalameen).
The Quran also gives an incident of the prophet Solomon and the Queen of Sheba as another example of submission to God. It records the moment when the Queen reverts to Islam. She was an idolater and Solomon had invited her to Islam. To prove the greatness of God, Solomom used powers given to him to move the Queen of Sheba's magnificent palace intact, from one place to another in the blink of an eye.
Seeing this, she realized God's power, immediately repented and said, "Rabbi inn salamtu nafsin, wa aslamtu ma'a Sulaimaana, lillaahi rabbiul aalameen" which means, "... Oh my Lord, indeed I have wronged my soul. I SUBMIT MYSELF ALONG WITH SOLOMON, TO GOD THE LORD OF THE WORLDS" Sura, 27:44.
Therefore it is now apparent that the mysterious Abu Hurairah has indeed made many people wrong their souls. Each time you try to bear witness on the Messenger and God, not only do you wrong your souls but also you make fools of yourselves because you forsake the faith of Abraham (Sura 2:130).
To affirm their faith Muslims should use the examples given in the Quran. What they should say is "I SUBMIT MYSELF TO THE LORD OF THE WORLDS". (Arabic: Aslamtu li rabbil aalameen). Others who have affirmed their faith in this way are the Prophets Abraham, Isaac, Ishmael, Jacob, Solomon and of course the Prophet Muhammad (Sura 40:66). Also the Queen of Sheba and the companions of the Prophet did the same. If you adopt their way, you will be in good company.
As for those who insist on following the deceitful Abu Hurairah into the hellfire, God says, 'who does more wrong than one whom invents a lie against God? They will be returned to the presence of their Lord, and the witnesses will say, "THESE ARE THE ONES WHO LIED AGAINST THEIR LORD, Behold, the curse of God is on those who do wrong. THOSE WHO HINDER MEN FROM THE PATH OF GOD AND WOULD SEEK IN IT SOMETHING CROOKED, these were they who denied the hereafter".
Sura 11:18-19.
"We have sent you as a Messenger And God suffices as a witness..." (Quran Sura 4:79.) " When his Lord said to him "Submit" he said " I submit to the Lord of the Worlds" (Quran Sura 2:131)
The 'true' pillars of Islam
"Abraham was a nation, humble to GOD, a monotheist; he was not of those who set-up partners. Thankful to what provisions he was provided; He selected him, and guided him to a Straight Path. And We have given him good in this world, and in the hereafter he is one of the upright. Then We inspired you: 'follow the creed of Abraham, monotheism; he was not from those who set-up partners." (16:120-123)
Monotheism (the path of the One GOD) is directly related to the 'Straight Path':
"Say: 'my Lord has guided me to a Straight Path, an upright religion, the creed of Abraham, monotheism; he was not from those who set-up partners'. " (6:161)
The Straight Path
Here now is the LAW which all Submitters are to uphold and honor:
"Say: 'come let me recite to you what your Lord Has forbade for you:
that you should not set-up anything with Him.
And be kind to your parents;
and do not kill your unborn children for fear of poverty, We provide for you and for them;
and do not come near evil, what is openly of it, or secretly;
and do not kill the soul which GOD Has forbidden, except in justice. That is what He enjoined you that you may comprehend'.
'And do not come near the money of the orphan, except for what is best, until he reached his maturity;
and give honestly full measure and weight equitably. We do not burden a soul except by what it can bear.
And if you speak then be just even if against a relative;
and with pledges made to GOD you shall observe. This He Has enjoined you that you may remember'.
And this is *My path, a Straight One, so you shall follow it, and do not follow the other paths lest they divert you from His path. That is what He has enjoined you to that you may be righteous." (6:151-153)
*Please note that this is the SAME Straight Path that was revealed not only to Abraham, but to Moses and his people (the exception being the Sabbath which was made as a punishment for some of the Children of Israel 16:124).
The Trust
Ayman (e-mail: [email protected])
Introduction
In the previous study (see "FREE CHOICE"), a basic and straightforward logical analysis was conducted on the Quranic verses relating to The GOD’s will. Various logical propositions and their present and past tense occurrences were examined. The conclusion derived from the analysis is that we each have the freedom to choose the path to take but have no control over what outcome this path will lead to.
When scientists study the universe, the more they understand of it, the more questions arise. I found the same to be true for the Quran. I will try here to answer some of the questions that arose out of the previous study, namely:
As always, only The GOD knows the absolute true answer to those questions as well as all other questions. We will remember the 100% true interpretation only on judgment day (see 7:53). Thus, I am simply hoping that The GOD guides me to get closer to the straight path.
Is Freedom of Choice Unique to Humans?
After developing a clearer understanding of human freedom of choice from the Quran, this is one of the first questions that came to my mind: "is this freedom of choice unique to humans?" What can we understand from the Quran in that regards?
Verses such as 2:34 indicate that angels have freedom of choice. In this case, to prostrate or not to prostrate:
And when We said to the angels: "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated except Iblis, he refused and became arrogant, and he was from the rejecters. [2:34]
The jinn also have freedom of choice as indicated by verse 72:11:
"And that we from us (the jinn) are the correct/righteous, and from us are other/lesser than that, we were on fragmented ways." [72:11]
So the jinn too can choose their way, either the correct/righteous way or the wrong way. In fact, perhaps everything in the skies and the earth has freedom of choice as implied by the following verse:
We displayed/presented the trust on the skies/space and the earth, and the mountains, so they refused that they bear it, and they were cautious/afraid from it, and the human bore it, that he truly was unjust/oppressive, ignorant [33:72]
It seems that everything in the skies and the earth, including mountains, could have chosen to accept or refuse the "trust" so they already had freedom of choice.
What is the Trust? (Part 1)
Some people have speculated that the trust ("Amana") mentioned in verse 33:72 is free will. As we saw earlier, humans have freedom to choose which path to take, but it seems that other creatures, including the humans, had freedom of choice from before the "trust" was presented. So clearly this cannot be the "trust" that the humans accepted. So let’s clear our minds from any preconceived ideas about what the trust is and listen to what is said in the Quran.
We displayed/presented the trust on the skies/space and the earth, and the mountains, so they refused that they bear it, and they were cautious/afraid from it, and the human bore it, that he truly was unjust/oppressive, ignorant [33:72]
This verse raises an interesting issue and resolving it could give us an important first clue about the trust. How can the skies/space, the earth, and even the mountains have freedom of choice to refuse or accept the trust? It seems that what we normally perceive as a lifeless thing, such as the mountains, has a "hidden" side that we are unaware of. The hidden side of those creatures had access to information that made them cautious/afraid from accepting the trust.
Another clue is that trust ("amana") is closely related to a concept called "a’hd" or covenant/contract. This is clear from verses such as 23:8 and 70:32.
And those whom to their trusts and their covenant they are protecting/observing [23:8]
I believe that a covenant is the contract/promise that results, for example, from accepting a trust. What is the covenant that the descendants of Adam have with The GOD? The answer is clearly given in the following verses:
Did I not make a covenant to you, Adam's descendants, that you do not serve the devil, he truly is for you a clear/evident enemy, and that you serve Me, that is a straight path? [36:60-61]
The contract/covenant that we committed to when we accepted the trust is to not serve the devil and serve The GOD alone. But when did we make this covenant and why do we, in this life, not remember that we committed to this beforehand? Perhaps, we too have a "hidden" side that we are unaware of, just like we are unaware of the mountains’ hidden side.
Another concept that "a’hd" and thus "amana" are closely related to is "mythaq" or pledge. For example, see 2:27, 13:20, and 13:25:
Those who fulfill/complete the covenant to The GOD, and do not break/undo the pledge/binding. [13:20]
While the "a’hd" or covenant applies to all people, the "mythaq" or pledge seems to be a subset that applies to certain people. Also, while we may not remember the covenant, we certainly know about the pledge since we implicitly gave it in this life. For example, here is the "mythaq" of people who are given the book:
And as The GOD took/received the pledge ("mythaq") of those who were given The Book, to clarify/show/explain it to the people, and do not hide/conceal it, so they discarded/rejected it behind their backs and bought/exchanged with it a small price, so how bad is what they buy/exchange? [3:187]
Once the Quran was given to a certain group, they too became "those who were given the book" and by accepting the Quran, they accepted the pledge in verse 3:187. In order not to break this pledge, they should try to clarify/show/explain it to the people (such as what I am trying to do right now). Did the people who were given the Quran fulfill their pledge? Or did many of them practically discarded the book of The GOD and exchanged it for something less worthy such as the book of Bukhari? If so, then the majority is breaching the pledge ("mythaq"), thereby breaking the covenant ("a’hd") and violating the trust ("amana"). Indeed, what bad exchange!
Another question that arises out of 33:72 and 36:60-61 is that the covenant resulting from the trust, "not serving an enemy and serving The GOD", sounds straightforward and logical, so why did everybody refuse to bear the trust except the human? Does the fact that we are now unaware of the "hidden" side of things, including our own hidden side, have something to do with it? Was this constraint part of the trust? It seems that the trust is not merely a privilege but may have significant constraints associated with it.
The story of Adam can help shed some light on this because Adam too made a covenant with The GOD and he too forgot about it:
And We had entrusted/made a covenant to Adam from before so he forgot, and We did not find decisiveness/determination in him. [20:115]
The story of Adam is recited in several places in the Quran such as: 2:30-39, 7:10-25, 15:26-40, 17:61-65, 18:50, 20:115-124, and 38:69-85. The following is the story as told in Chapter 20:
And as We said to the angels: "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated except Iblis refused/hated. [20:116]
So We said: "Adam, that is an enemy for you and your spouse, so let him not bring you both out from the Paradise, so you will be miserable/unhappy." [20:117]
"In it for you, that you do not be hungry, nor exposed" [20:118]
"And that you do not be thirsty in it, nor heat stricken " [20:119]
So the devil inspired and talked to him, he said: "O Adam, do I guide you to the immortality's/eternity's tree, and possession/kingdom that does not wear out?" [20:120]
Perhaps another clue about the trust can be found in the forbidden tree that Iblis fabricated a nice sounding lie about to lure them into eating from.
What is the Forbidden Tree?
A better understanding of the effect of the tree would help in understanding its meaning.
Traditionally, it is thought that Adam and spouse became naked or their private parts showed when they ate from the tree and that is why they expressed shame. This interpretation doesn’t make logical sense because The Creator knows "the creation". In other words, The GOD created them and their private parts and knows what they look like naked. Let us continue with the subsequent verse in Chapter 20:
So they ate from it, so their physical bodies ("saw’a-tahoma") appeared to them, and they started to stick on them from the Paradise's leaves, and Adam disobeyed his Lord, so he was misguided/failed. [20:121]
Some people have interpreted ("saw’a-tahoma") as "evil intentions". Obviously, it doesn’t make sense that they would try to cover their "evil intentions" with the paradise’s leaves. This is again confirmed in Chapter 7:
"And you Adam, reside you and your mate/spouse the Paradise, so you eat from it where/when you willed, and do not approach/near this tree, so you will become from the unjust/oppressive." [7:19]
So the devil suggested to them to show to them what was hidden/concealed from them of their physical body ("saw’a-tahoma"), and he said: "Your Lord did not prevent you from this tree except that you become two angels or you become from the eternals" [7:20]
And he made oath to them: "I am to you from the advisors/counselors." [7:21]
So he lured/attracted and lowered them, with deceit/temptation/arrogance so when they tasted/experienced the tree, their physical body ("saw’a-tahoma") appeared to them, and they started to stick on them from the Paradise's leaves, and their Lord called them: "Did I not forbid/prevent you from that tree, and I said to you that the devil is for you an evident enemy?" [7:22]
The Sunni clergy were and continue to be heavily influenced by Paulian (the rogue Nazarene sect that hijacked the name of Christ) and Talmudic traditions and thus they interpreted the Arabic word ("saw’a") as "private parts". However, that interpretation is not consistent with the following verse:
So The GOD sent a crow digging in the earth, to show him how to cover his brother's physical body ("saw’a"), he said: "Oh my calamity, have I been unable to be like that crow, so I cover/bury my brother's physical body ("saw’a")?" So he became from the remorseful. [5:31]
Clearly the crow showed the son of Adam how to cover/bury his murdered brother’s physical body, not how to cover/bury his private parts or his evil intentions. Therefore, I believe that it is not shame of nakedness but the surprise of seeing their "physical" selves that prompted them to try to cover themselves.
This may confirm that we have a dual nature, "sensed/physical" and "hidden". In this world, the "physical" side is apparent while the other side is hidden from us. Perhaps in heaven, it was the other way around, until eating from the tree made the "physical" side apparent to Adam and spouse.
In the same way that when Iblis disobeyed the Lord’s command he became a jinn and lost touch with the "angel" side, when Adam and spouse ate from the tree they lost touch with the "hidden" side.
Also, according to verses such as 69:17 and 89:22, the angels will come with our Lord on judgment day. Perhaps that is why the devil tempted Adam and mate using the lie of the tree having the power to turn them into two angels. Maybe Adam and spouse thought that this way they would escape being judged on judgment day.
Why Don’t We Remember Accepting the Trust?
There are many verses in the Quran indicating that there is a hidden side to the universe that we are part of (see 32:17, 7:27, 69:38-39, 50:22, 21:97, 30:7).
They know (what is) apparent/visible from the low life, and they, about the ending, are unaware/oblivious [30:7]
In fact, the "hidden" side of the universe provides access to information that may enable other creatures to make choices that are in line with The GOD’s natural system. It seems from verse 8:48 that even the devil, who unlike us, has access to this hidden side doesn’t dare to do actions that violate The GOD’s natural system, he merely suggests/tells others to do so.
And when the devil decorated/beautified for them their works/deeds, and he said: "No defeater/conqueror from the people for you today and that I am a savior/rescuer for you." So when the two groups saw each other, he returned/withdrew on his two heels, and he said: "That I am innocent/renouncing/separating from you, I see/understand what you do not see/understand, I fear The GOD, and The GOD (is) strong (severe) in the punishment." [8:48]
As we saw earlier, the fact that we can’t detect or see the hidden side of the universe may explain why we don’t remember accepting the trust. Could this be why we are constantly asked to remember in the Quran and the Quran itself is described as a reminder?
It seems that the people who will go to heaven will remember that the provisions provided for them were also provided in their previous existence as indicated in 2:25:
And announce good news to those who have faith and did/made the correct/righteous deeds, that to them are treed gardens the rivers flow from beneath it. Whenever they were provided from it a fruit of provision, they said: "This is what we were provided from before." And they were given with it similar, and for them in it are purified mates/pairs and they are in it immortally/eternally. [2:25]
Also it seems that on the day where people see the greatest disaster they will remember, as indicated by verses such as 7:53, 79:34-35, and 89:23.
So if/when the greatest/biggest calamity/disaster came. That day/time the human/mankind remembers what he strived/endeavored. [79:34-35]
And on that day hell was brought. On that day the human/mankind remembers, and from where is for him the remembrance/reminder? [89:23]
Why would the bringing of hell remind people? Have we all seen hell before? If so, since hell is not here yet, how could we have seen a future outcome? The following verse may provide an indication:
And when your Lord said to the angels: "That I am making/creating/putting in the earth a successor/appointee/leader/replacement ("khalifa")." They said: "Do you make/put in it, who corrupts in it and sheds the bloods, and/(while) we praise/glorify with Your praise and we (continue to admit Your) holiness/sanctity to You." He said: "I know what you do not know." [2:30]
It seems from the Quran that perhaps some creatures such as the angels are able to see some of the future outcomes. Verses such as 37:8 confirm that those in the highest group/elite ("al-mala’a al-a’ala") may have at least some ability to see future outcomes. In verse 2:30, they were able to see that a successor/appointee in the earth would corrupt in it and kill senselessly. In fact, the angels seem to be so confident about the future outcomes of that action that they question The GOD’s decision.
Who is the Khalifa?
The word "khalifa" comes from the root "KhaLaF", which has some of the following connotations that are relevant to verse 2:30:
Successor (7:169, 19:59, ...)
Appointee/leader (43:60, 24:55, ...)
Different (30:22, 16:13, ...)
Replacement (7:150, 6:133, 11:57, ...)
The clear answer to who the "khalifa" really is can be found in verses such as 6:165 and 35:39:
And He is who made you the earth’s successors/appointees/leaders/replacement ("khalaif"), and He raised some of you above some by degrees, to test you in what He gave you, indeed your Lord is quick in the punishment and He is forgiving, merciful. [6:165]
Also verse 7:10, which like 2:30 also comes right before the story of Adam confirms that humankind is the empowered successor/appointee/leader/replacement in the earth:
And We had empowered you in the earth, and We made for you in it livelihood/sustenance, little (is) what you thank/be grateful. [7:10]
Thus it is humankind (us) who is the earth’s "khalifa". This is a unique feature of humankind that makes us different and may help us in getting closer to what the trust is.
What is the Trust? (Part 2)
Before we continue, it is worth noting that the angels are not part of the skies and the earth as indicated by 16:49:
And to The GOD prostrates what is in the skies/space and what is in the earth from a walker/creeper/crawler, and the angels, and they are not being arrogant. [16:49]
Consequently, we can deduce that the angels were not among the creatures that were offered the trust in 33:72. On the other hand, The GOD told the angels alone about putting a successor/appointee/leader/replacement ("khalifa") on earth. So, was being a test for the angels part of the trust? As we saw, one of the connotations of "khalifa" is "replacement", so perhaps humankind was to replace the angels as leaders of the earth. This may explain the following reaction from the angels:
...They said: "Do you make/put in it, who corrupts in it and sheds the bloods, and/(while) we praise/glorify with Your praise and we (continue to admit Your) holiness/sanctity to You."... [2:30]
So now, back to our original question. Perhaps one of the ways to approach the 'trust' is to think about what makes us different from other creatures since we are the only ones who accepted the trust. From the Quran, we can find several features that are unique to humankind:
As we saw above, humankind is the earth’s successor/appointee/leader/replacement ("khalifa").
Our Lord taught Adam all the names (see 2:31).
As we saw earlier, we are currently unaware/ignorant of the
"hidden" side of the universe.
Also, humankind may be part of a test for the angels.
Also another feature that maybe unique to the human is that The GOD’s spirit was
blown into the human (see 32:9, 15:29, 38:72). However, so far I couldn’t find
more evidence to confirm whether this is a unique feature of humankind or not.
Hence the trust may entail all of those features that are unique to humankind. Another important clue about the trust can be found at the end of 33:72:
We displayed/presented the trust on the skies/space and the earth, and the mountains, so they refused that they bear it, and they were cautious/afraid from it, and the human bore it, that he truly was unjust/oppressive, ignorant [33:72]
Why is the human called unjust/oppressive and ignorant for accepting the trust? Accepting the first two privileges (the "khalifa" and "knowledge of all the names") does not seem like a bad decision. However, accepting those privileges along with the constraint of not having access to the "hidden" side that as we saw earlier provides crucial information helping other creatures make choices that are in line with The GOD’s natural system does seem risky. This is especially an unjust/oppressive and ignorant decision, given that it was known in advance that any "khalifa" would corrupt in the earth. Also, it is a known fact that The GOD’s punishment is severe (see verses such as 8:48) and that The GOD will punish the hypocrites and takers of partners as indicated in 33:73 immediately following the verse about the trust.
I believe that this is maybe why everybody in the skies and the earth did not want to bear the trust and why the human is called unjust/oppressive and ignorant for accepting it.
Now add an angel who became a vengeful jinn that is bent on diverting us from the only path that leads to heaven among a very large number of paths that all lead to hell and the outlook for humankind does seem gloomy indeed. Also, while still in the highest group/elite and perhaps was able to see some future outcomes, this vengeful jinn confidently said that the majority of the humans will follow him (see 7:17).
In summary, the trust entails being a successor/appointee/leader/replacement in the earth while knowing the names but being unaware of the "hidden" side of the universe.
How Can We Fulfill the Trust?
Verses 2:27 and 13:25 talk about the people who break the covenant and thereby corrupt in the earth as the angels in verse 2:30 knew the "khalifa" would:
Those who break The GOD's covenant ("a’hd") from after its binding/pledging, and they cut/sever what The GOD ordered connected, and they corrupt in the earth, those are the losers. [2:27]
Since we now know that being a "khalifa" maybe the major component of the trust, it seems that to fulfill the Trust, we must not corrupt in the earth. In turn, in order not to corrupt in the earth, we must fulfill The GOD’s covenant and not cut what The GOD ordered connected as indicated by 2:27.
As we saw earlier, this is The GOD’s covenant that we must not break:
Did I not entrust/make a covenant ("a’hd") to you, Adam's descendants, that you do not serve the devil, he truly is for you a clear/evident enemy, and that you serve Me, that is a straight path? [36:60-61]
Our purpose in life is to fulfill this covenant with The GOD:
And I did not create the Jinns and the humankind except to serve Me. [51:56]
To fulfill the covenant and thus accomplish our purpose in life to serve The GOD alone, everything we do in life should be for The GOD (see 6:162-163):
Say: "That my "Salat" and my methods, and my life, and my death, (is) to the Lord of the universes. No partner to Him, and with that I was ordered/commanded, and I am first (of) the Muslims." [6:162-163]
See also 20:14:
"I am The GOD; there is no other god but Me. So you shall serve Me, and establish the "Salat" for My Remembrance." [20:14]
So it seems that "Salat" is closely related to fulfilling our covenant and our purpose in life. So the next question is how does Salat relate to our covenant?
How Do Salat and Zakat Relate to Our Covenant?
Verses 9:1-13 confirm that both "Salat and Zakat" concepts are related to the "covenant" concept. Those who broke their covenant with the faithful are to bring forth Salat and Zakat to be forgiven. Verses 9:11 and 9:12 indicate two opposite paths (courses of action) that the people who fought to kill the faithful after making a covenant with them can take:
Path 1:
"If they repent, and they uphold the "Salat", and they bring forth the "Zakat", then they are your brothers in the system, and We explain the revelations for a people who know. " [9:11]
Path 2:
"And if they break their oaths after their covenant, and they distort your system, then you may kill the chiefs of rejection. Their oaths are nothing to them, perhaps they will cease." [9:12]
Thus, the opposite of "breaking their oaths after their covenant, and distorting your system" is "upholding the Salat, and bringing forth the Zakat". This means that "Salat" is equivalent to "committing to their oaths and covenant" and "Zakat" is equivalent to "purifying the system from their deliberate distortions".
In our case, here are our covenant and pledge with The GOD, which as we saw earlier are connected:
Did I not entrust/make a covenant ("a’hd") to you, Adam's descendants, that you do not serve the devil, he truly is for you a clear/evident enemy, and that you serve Me, that is a straight path? [36:60-61]
And as The GOD took/received the pledge ("mythaq") of those who were given The Book, to clarify/show/explain it to the people, and do not hide/conceal it, so they discarded/rejected it behind their backs and bought/exchanged with it a small price, so how bad is what they buy/exchange? [3:187]
From other verses in the Quran, we can see that Salat’s purpose is:
Remembering The GOD (20:14) by remembering His favor and the pledge ("mythaq") that we made with Him (5:7) and "hearing and obeying" Him (i.e. prostration/"sujood").
Fulfilling our pledge by reciting the book (29:45, 17:78) and explaining it (3:187), including explaining its application to our system of laws and community.
Verses 4:101-103 describe the shortening of Salat in case of fear by performing only process number 1 above and ending the Salat with the "sujood".
Now it is clear that Salat helps us in serving The GOD by connecting our covenant and pledge with their actual fulfillment in our system while Zakat helps us in not serving the devil by purifying our system from his distortions.
The "Salat" puts those who have faith in contrast to the rejecters. The rejecters betray/break their covenant, cut what The GOD ordered connected (see 2:27, 13:25), and disconnect their words from their deeds (see 26:226-227). On the other hand, those who have faith connect their covenant and pledge (words) with the fulfillment of their covenant and pledge (deeds) by upholding the Allegiance/Connection Assembly = "Salat" (see 13:19-22).
Purifying our system from the devil’s distortions ("Zakat") is done by convincing people to reject the devil’s lies as clear from Chapter 80:
How do you know? He may "yazaka". [80:3]
Thus, everyone who wants to give Purification ("Zakat") is required to make an effort to purify others by exposing the devil’s lies, such as the Hadiths, that distort our system.
Those who if We empowered them in the earth they upheld the Allegiance/Connection Assembly ("Salat") and brought purification ("Zakat") and they ordered/commanded with the kindness, and they forbade disguised-obscenity, and to The GOD (are) the matters' end (results). [22:41]
Conclusion And Directions For Future Research
That it truly is an honorable messenger's utterance [69:40]
That it truly is an honorable messenger's utterance [81:19]
And We had connected for them the utterance, perhaps they remember [28:51]
Interestingly, we are finding that the concepts we covered so far from the Quran such as Free Choice, Trust, Covenant, Pledge, Forbidden Tree, Khalifa, Salat, Zakat, our purpose in life, and serving The GOD are all interconnected as was indicated in 28:51.
Here is the verse immediately following verse 33:72 that talks about the trust:
For The GOD to punish the (male and female) hypocrites, and the (male and female) sharers/takers of partners (with The GOD), and for The GOD to forgive the (male and female) who have faith, and The GOD was forgiving, merciful. [33:73]
Remember the test that we are going through in this low life:
Did the people assume/suppose that they be left to say "we had faith" and they are not being tested? And We had tested those who were before them, so The GOD will know those who were truthful, and He will know the liars/deniers/falsifiers. [29:2-3]
And The GOD will know those who have faith, and He will know the hypocrites. [29:11]
Perhaps the test of this low life is an assessment of whether we will betray or observe the trust. Also, continue to read the story of Adam in chapter 20:
Then His Lord chose/purified him, so He forgave him, and guided. [20:122]
He said: "You descend/drop from it all together, some of you to some an enemy, so when guidance from Me comes to you, so who followed My guidance, so he does not become misguided nor become miserable/unhappy. [20:123]
"And who objected/turned away from My remembrance/reminder, so then for him is a narrow/tight/weak life/livelihood, and We gather him on the Resurrection Day blind/confused" [20:124]
What is that "guidance" 20:123 that we are to follow?
"This is the book, no doubt, in it guidance for the prudent/forethoughtful." [2:2]
The Quran helps us with the our purpose in life by, for example, talking about the outcomes that we are going to face in the afterlife and providing knowledge that help us connect all the information we have together to determine our purpose in life. It is simply a reminder to help us choose the right path that will lead to a desirable outcome in the afterlife and warn us about the other paths and the miserable outcome that they will certainly lead to.
As I mentioned in the introduction, when scientists study the universe, the more they understand of it, the more questions arise and I found the same to be true for the Quran. One word that was repeated many times in this article is "why". Children have this natural instinct to keep asking "why". Unfortunately, many education systems, especially in Sunni and Shia nations, have been an agent for suppressing this inquisitive nature so that by the time the child grows into an adult, they are a tamed blind follower. A more natural education system that attempts to harness this inquisitive nature to promote the revival of scientific discovery and civilization is desperately needed. Meanwhile, please coach your children to continue to ask "why".
Remember our purpose in life:
And I did not create the Jinns and the humankind except to serve Me. [51:56]
Also,
And had your Lord willed He would have made the people one nation, and they still/continue differing/disagreeing. [11:118]
Except who your Lord had mercy upon and for that He created them, and your Lord's word/expression (is) completed: "I will fill Hell from the Jinns and the people all together." [11:119]
By putting 51:56 and 11:118-119 together, we can see that despite all people differences/disagreements, what unites those who our Lord has mercy on is the serving of The GOD alone. So even though we may occasionally disagree on some Quranic interpretations, what is really important is that we agree to serve The GOD alone and not the devil and his lies.
Many new questions arose while writing this article, for example:
Now that we understand from the Quran that the universe has a
sensed/physical side and a "hidden" side, what more can we find out about that
"hidden" side from the Quran?
How do our findings relate to new scientific theories that try to explain the
universe such as string theory, m-theory, and f-theory? All those theories
suggest that there are indeed "hidden" dimensions in the universe.
Also, what else can we find out about the straight path?
Did I not entrust/make a covenant to you, Adam's descendants, that you do not serve the devil, he truly is for you a clear/evident enemy, and that you serve Me, that is a straight path? [36:60-61]
Those are just some more questions that I am putting out for people to think about and I will try to answer some of them in the near future, except if The GOD wills and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality.
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER:
"This is the book, no doubt, in it guidance for the prudent/forethoughtful." [2:2]
Tomorrow, I will try to improve my understanding of the Quran and the universe, except if The GOD wills and perhaps my Lord guides me to what is nearer in rationality. This article reflects my personal interpretation of the Quranic verses as of December 31st, 2002. Please be humble by following the example set by the angels in 2:32, verify all information within for yourself as commanded in 17:36, and remember that simply "none" is the prudent/forethoughtful answer to 45:6.
Walking the Way of Peace
Peacebuilding in a Violent World
We confront violence every day — from the cultural violence of video games and movies, to the structural violence of institutional racism and growing economic inequality, to the direct violence of school and workplace harassment, domestic abuse, sexual assault, genocide and war.
What is required of us to walk the path of peace?
From the personal to the global, lecturers, panelists and workshop leaders will help us to explore and develop what it takes for us to be peacebuilders in our homes and communities as global citizens.
Warning to Your Loved Ones!
Peace to all those who follow the guidance.
Our brothers and sisters in GOD,
A duty has come to warn all those to whom this message reaches of a great
injustice we have all committed in the eyes of GOD, that is, setting-up partners
to our Lord without knowing we have done so.
The enemy of mankind (Satan) has said:
"He (Satan) said: 'Since You have willed that I go astray, I will stand against them on Your straight path. "I will come to them from before them, and from behind them, and from their right, and from their left, and You will find that most of them are unappreciative." (Quran 7:16-17)
The Devil has made a solemn pledge before our Lord that he will make most of us unappreciative of GOD and that he will entice most of us to set-up partners to Him…
Satan has managed from the very beginning to entice our fore parents and have them evicted from the Garden. He managed to subdue the people of Noah, Saleh, Hud, Abraham, Moses and Jesus making them reject GOD as their ONLY Lord and Master.
And what about us, The Muslims?.
Were we able to escape from the clutches of Satan?. Or, have we fallen without knowing?.
"Say: Shall I tell you who the worst losers are?. They are the ones whose works in this life are totally astray, but they think that they are doing good." (Quran 18:103-104)
It is destined that the people who have set-up partners with GOD Almighty are NOT AWARE of what they have done:
"On the day when we summon them all, we will ask the idol worshipers, 'Where are the idols you set up?'. Their disastrous response will be, 'By GOD our Lord, we never were idol worshipers.' Note how they lied to themselves, and how the idols they had invented have abandoned them." (Quran 6:22-24)
They will SWEAR by God Almighty that they were not idol worshippers!!!
Are we all ready now to also swear?. Are we RIGHT?
The Book of GOD (The Quran) is the light and the guidance that we, as Muslims, are all clinging to for salvation in this life and the hereafter…
WHAT does GOD Almighty have to say about His Book?.
"Shall I seek other than GOD as a judge, when He has revealed to you THIS BOOK FULLY DETAILED? Those who received the scripture recognize that it has been revealed from your Lord, truthfully. You shall not harbor any doubt." (Quran 6:114)
"...We have revealed to you THIS BOOK TO PROVIDE EXPLANATIONS FOR EVERYTHING, and guidance, and mercy, and good news for the Submitters." (Quran 16:89)
"The WORD OF YOUR LORD IS COMPLETE, in truth and justice. NOTHING SHALL ABROGATE HIS WORDS. He is the Hearer, the Omniscient." (Quran 6:115)
"In their history, there is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not a fabricated saying; THIS (Quran) authenticates all previous scriptures, PROVIDES THE DETAILS OF EVERYTHING, and is a beacon and mercy for those who believe." (Quran 12:111)
"Say: If the ocean were used for the words of my Lord, THE OCEAN WOULD RUN OUT, BEFORE THE WORDS OF MY LORD RUN OUT, even if we double its supply." (Quran 18:109)
Did you get the message?
The Quran is COMPLETE, DETAILED, HAS NOTHING LEFT OUT, and GOD DOES NOT RUN OUT OF WORDS.
Some of us may have now understood the trick that has been played on the Muslim masses by Satan and his counterparts…We DO NOT need any other source besides GOD's Book such as Imams, Hadeeth, Sunnah, Traditions, Ulema and Madhabs to complete GOD's religion. GOD does not accept that partners be associated with Him and that His words are not heeded.
"These are GOD's verses that we recite to you truthfully. IN WHICH SAYING other than GOD and His verses do they believe?. Woe to every fabricator, guilty. The one who hears GOD's verses recited to him, then insists arrogantly on his way, as if he never heard them. Promise him a painful retribution." (Quran 45:6-8)
Do not be arrogant when hearing the words of the Lord and do not insist on your own way after the guidance has been shown to you…For it is the Devil who wishes that you deny God's words and follow him and his allies…For such is the trap:
"Who are more evil than those who are reminded of their Lord's revelations, then disregard them, without realizing what they are doing. Consequently, we place shields on their hearts to prevent them from understanding it (the Quran), and deafness in their ears. Thus, no matter what you do to guide them, they can never ever be guided." (Quran 18:57)
Whosoever has said that The Quran is not complete when it comes down to our guidance and that we need other sources has committed a crime that GOD WILL NOT FORGIVE:
"GOD does not forgive that partners be established with Him, but He forgives other than that to whom He wishes" (Quran 4:48)
Are we not surprised that the only compliant by our beloved Prophet on judgment day will be:
"The messenger said: My Lord, MY PEOPLE HAVE DESERTED THIS QURAN!." (Quran 25:30)
We have deserted The Quran by not believing in what it said, we have deserted The Quran by not trusting GOD's eternal words and taking other sources for our guidance…We have given ourselves and our minds over to others to read for us, explain for us, think for us and to be GOD for us.
Satan has entered the Muslims through their love for the Prophet Mohammed and their desire to follow his example…Is it not a fact that obeying the Prophet is obeying GOD?. Little thought will lead us to understand that The Quran did not come directly from GOD, but rather through the lips of the Prophet Mohammed. Indeed, he who has obeyed the Messenger, has obeyed God.
The prophet himself (from his own lips) bears witness that he preached nothing but the Quran!:
"Say, "Which is the greatest testimony?" Say, "GOD is the witness between me and you; and He inspired me THIS QURAN, TO PREACH IT TO YOU AND WHOMEVER IT REACHES. Indeed, you bear witness that there are other gods beside The GOD." Say, "I do not testify as you do; there is only one god, and I am innocent of the partners you set-up." (Quran 6:19)
Ask yourself the following question:
"When GOD ALONE is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe in the hereafter shrink with aversion. But when OTHERS are mentioned besides Him, they rejoice" (Quran 39:45)
Can you stand to mention GOD ALONE?
GOD does not forgive that partners be established with Him, but He forgives other than this…Reflect on what has been said and reflect on your very lives for it is your soul at stake. And read the Book of GOD as if you never saw it before, read it with your eyes, ears and mind and REFLECT on every word that is being said to you...Take NOTHING for granted and do not allow anyone to make your decisions…For on the day of days, you will be standing alone and you will have to answer for your own deeds and your own choices.
May the Lord our GOD bless and keep us all to His guidance.
GOD ALONE
SAY NO TO ANYTHING ELSE
What is Religion?
This word that most people are willing to die for, that wars have been fought over, that people have been persecuted and isolated for…Is something most people don’t really know much about!.
As amazing as that sounds, it is absolutely true. Different people have different understanding of the word ‘religion’. Some think it is a ‘club’ which only the ‘chosen ones belong’;
Yet, none of the above views gave us a definition as to ‘what’ religion really is!.
Is religion a bunch of laws and rituals which must be followed?.
Or is it much more than that?.
Let us turn to the Quran for a definition:
"The only religion approved by GOD is "Submission." Ironically, those who have received the scripture are the ones who dispute this fact, despite the knowledge they have received, due to jealousy. For such rejecters of GOD's revelations, GOD is most strict in reckoning." (Quran 3:19)
This sound pretty severe!.
Does this mean that GOD is ordering us to follow some ‘religion’ which goes by the name of ’Submission’?.
Are we to simply hunt down this ‘submission’ and take its laws and rituals and that is it!.
When we find this ‘submission’, do we then force everyone else to follow and accept it?:
"Are they seeking other than GOD's religion, when everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him, willingly and unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?" (Quran 3:83)
If everything in the heavens has submitted to His ‘religion’, then who are we to argue?.
"He is the One who sent His messenger with the guidance and the religion of truth, to make it EXPOSE all other religions, in spite of the idol worshipers." (Quran 9:33)
How can a ‘religion’ expose other ‘religions’!!!
Does this mean that in this ‘submission’ when we pray with our hands to our sides, it will expose those other ‘religions’ who pray with their hands folded?.
Or, does it mean when we give our charity, it will expose the other ‘religions’ who also give charity?.
Obviously none of this is making any sense!.
"The count of months, as far as GOD is concerned, is twelve. This has been GOD's law, since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred. This is the PERFECT religion..." (Quran 9:36)
How are 12 months considered a ‘perfect religion’?.
What about using 19 months or 10 or 13?. That is still a ‘religion’!.
But by saying you have 12 months is a more ‘perfect’ religion?.
What is ‘Religion"?
I think we are now close to the heart of the matter.
Obviously, religion is not merely a collection of laws and rituals which people are simply walking around with saying ‘religion, religion’!.
Let us look at the story of Joseph which gives away the true meaning of ‘religion’.
When we read the story of Joseph (Sura # 12), we follow that Joseph went to Egypt and after a few incidents became one of Pharaoh’s high counselors responsible for the distribution of food and commerce.
Joseph is approached by his brothers (who tried to kill him in the beginning). He want’s to gain his younger brother by setting a scheme whereby the King’s golden measuring rod is placed in his younger brother’s belongings.
The scheme of Joseph is to let his brothers reveal the law of theft according to their own ‘religion’. This law is the one used by Abraham and Jacob and is the on revealed by GOD:
"They (Egyptians) said, "What is the punishment for the thief, if you are liars?" They (Joseph’s brothers) said, "The punishment, if it is found in his bag, is that the thief belongs to you. We thus punish the guilty." (Quran 12:74-75)
After snaring them in his trap, and letting them expose their own law which they follow (rather than using Pharaoh’s), Joseph was thus able to keep his younger brother with him:
"He then started by inspecting their containers, before getting to his brother's container, and he extracted it out of his brother's container. We thus perfected the scheme for Joseph; he could not have kept his brother if he applied the king's RELIGION. But that was the will of GOD. We exalt whomever we choose to higher ranks. Above every knowledgeable one, there is one who is even more knowledgeable." (Quran 12:76)
The King of Egypt did not have a ‘religious sect’ that he was implementing on the crime of theft, but he did have a SYSTEM.
It was thus Joseph bypassed this ‘system’ and replaced it with the one used by his brothers!.
Religion = System
Thus GOD clarifies the revelations, that we may understand…
It is not a ‘religion’ that GOD has given us which is made up of strange components and rituals…But rather it is the PERFECT SYSTEM which He has been decreeing through all his prophets:
"He decreed for you the same SYSTEM decreed for Noah, and what we inspired to you, and what we decreed for Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: "You shall uphold this one SYSTEM, and do not divide it." (Quran 42:13)
You see: GOD is our Maker. He did not construct our minds, bodies, life, souls, the universe, gave us access to the spirit, etc. Just so we could stumble and be lost in this world.
We are on Earth with ‘free-choice’. We are free to choose whatever paths we desire…
We are free to come-up with as many systems as we like…
However, He is giving us a great mercy by telling us that His system is the PERFECT system:
"The count of months, as far as GOD is concerned, is twelve. This has been GOD's law, since the day He created the heavens and the earth. Four of them are sacred. This is the PERFECT religion..." (Quran 9:36)
You see, there is nothing to stop us from using 11, 10 or even 13 months (that is what some of us do). However, although these systems may work, GOD is telling us that His is PERFECT…We will not stumble when we properly use a 12 month count which will keep us in-line with the seasons and the movement of our planet.
What have our systems done for us?:
The Roman system of the senate and the emperor made Rome turn on itself…
The Monarchy system of France caused all power and wealth to be concentrated while the populace went hungry (French revolution was the result);
The military system of the Mongols left them with no identity after all their conquest;
The Dynasty system of China also crumbles when many parties wanted the power that was in the hands of the emperor.
What about our existing systems:
Communism (crumbled in late 1980’s due to its inability to recognize individual uniqueness and talent);
Capitalism (created much wealth for the individuals, caused money to be the only goal in life, made families dysfunctional, created misery to the masses);
The monarch systems of the Middle East cause massive in-balances of power and wealth which has led to the wealth being sucked dry, while the populace gets poorer and poorer;
The Dictatorships established around the world lead to massive corruption and usually civil wars or strife.
Yet, the funny thing is, with all these obvious problems, people still TURN-AWAY from the PERFECT religion…
They cannot believe that GOD can provide them with better than what they can come-up with!.
They cannot understand that He who creates, is NOT like one who is created!.
All we need to do is just reach out our hands and grab hold of the rope that has been thrown down from heaven to us…
"Are they seeking other than GOD's system, when everything in the heavens and the earth has submitted to Him, willingly and unwillingly, and to Him they will be returned?" (Quran 3:83)
Do we see the Sun having a problem with its orbit?. Or do we see the Moon smashing into the Earth?
Each of these objects has taken the SYSTEM that was designed by GOD and followed it…Had they designed their own system, they would have been destroyed or knocked out of orbit eons ago.
Yet, we still falter!.
We still think we know best!.
What we do not realize is that our bodies and minds are only the HARDWARE.
We had no problem accepting our hardware from GOD and taking them when we came to Earth…
Yet, it is the ‘Operating System’ that we have a problem accepting!.
We keep running different programs and systems, when in the end, it is only ONE SYSTEM that is compatible with us:
"He is the One who sent His messenger with the guidance and the system of truth, to make it EXPOSE all other systems, in spite of the idol worshipers." (Quran 9:33)
It is only now that we understand what this ‘religion’ is, that we can understand how it will EXPOSE all other ‘religions’.
The perfect system of GOD, when put into use, will show the weaknesses and fallacies of all other systems invented by man…
The system of GOD is the only one that not only caters to the ‘physical’ needs of the human being, but it also recognizes his ‘spiritual’ part and addresses those needs as well.
The human that follows the system of GOD by ‘submitting’ to it, is not only a self-sufficient person, but is also a happy person with strong family ties, intellectual endeavors, philosophical views, community awareness, and, above all, a realist.
What else can we say?.
"Today, I have completed your religion, perfected My blessing upon you, and I have decreed Submission/Islam as the SYSTEM for you…" (Quran 5:3)
You have probably already tried many systems for yourself…Give ‘submission’ a go…It is the only one from the ‘manufacturer’!.
Zakat in the Quran
By Brother Kyle (e-mail: [email protected])
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The definition of zakaat becomes evident after proper studying of the word.
[Maryam 19:19] He said, "I am the messenger of your Lord, to grant you a (GHULAMAN ZAKIYYA) pure son."
[al-Kahf 18:74] So they went. When they met a (NAFSUN ZAKIYYA- pure, well built) young boy, he killed him. He said, "Why did you kill such an innocent person, who did not kill another person? You have committed something horrendous."
[al-Kahf 18:19] When we resurrected them, they asked each other, "How long have you been here?" "We have been here one day or part of the day,"they answered. "Your Lord knows best how long we stayed here, so let us send one of us with this money to the city. Let him fetch the (AZKA-pure, most nutritious) food, and buy some for us. Let him keep a low profile, and attract no attention.
So Zakaat means to purify, to grow, to nourish, to flower, to increase or develop.
But the question now is when we are told to establish salaat and zakaat, what is it we are purifying?
[ash-Shams 91:7] By the Soul, and the proportion and order given to it;
[ash-Shams 91:8] And its enlightenment as to its wrong and its right;-
[ash-Shams 91:9] Truly he succeeds that (ZAKKAHA) purifies it,
[ash-Shams 91:10] And he fails that corrupts it!
From this detailed clarification, we see that it is our souls that we purify from the enlightenment we get from our regular salaat.
Let us look at another ayat.
[al-Baqarah 2:83] We made a covenant with the Children of Israel: "You shall not worship except The GOD. You shall honor your parents and regard the relatives, the orphans, and the poor. You shall treat the people amicably. You shall observe (Salat- reaching out through reading at prescribed times) and (Zakat- purifying yourself using your enlightenment from salaat)." But you turned away, except a few of you, and you became averse. (you threw the Scripture behind your backs and increased in wrong doing instead of purification)
SADAQAT, THE BEST METHOD OF ZAKAAT-
Now that we see that Zakaat is not charity according to The Reading (Qur'an), we have to determine how charity is expressed in The Reading. Traditionally , zakaat had been explained as charity, (2.5%) of your yearly income. This idea has no base in The God's revelation. The word in The Reading (Qur'an) for charity is Sadaqat. (2.5%) is no where to be found, instead we see the question of how much to give answered for us.
[al-Baqarah 2:219] They ask you about intoxicants and gambling: say, "In them there is a gross sin, and some benefits for the people. But their sinfulness far outweighs their benefit." They also ask you what to give to (sadaqa) charity : say, "The excess." The GOD thus clarifies the revelations for you, that you may reflect,
This answer of "the excess" is very clear, whatever you have that you do not need. Sadaqat (charity) is one of the prescribed methods of Zakaat (purification)
[at-Taubah 9:103] Take from their money a (sadaqa)charity to purify them and sanctify them. And salaat for them, for your salaat reassures them. The GOD is Hearer, Omniscient.
WHO IS SADAQAT FOR?
There are two ayats that clarify for us who charity should go to.
[at-Taubah 9:60] (Sadaqa) Charities shall go to the poor, the needy, the workers who collect them, the new converts, to free the slaves, to those burdened by sudden expenses, in the cause of The GOD, and to the traveling alien. Such is The GOD's commandment. The GOD is Omniscient, Most Wise.
[al-Baqarah 2:215] They ask thee what they should spend (Nafaqa). Say: Whatever ye spend that is good, is for parents and kindred and orphans and those in want and for wayfarers. And whatever ye do that is good, -The God knoweth it well.
We learn from above that Charity (Sadaqa) is the result of Spending (Nafaqa), which is further clarified below.
[al-Baqarah 2:262] Those who spend their substance in the cause of The God, and follow not up their gifts with reminders of their generosity or with injury,-for them their reward is with their Lord: on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.
[al-Baqarah 2:263] Kind words and the covering of faults are better than charity followed by injury. God is free of all wants, and He is Most-Forbearing.
Also we are told that our money to our wives is also sadaqa
[an-Nisa' 4:4] And give the women their (sadaqa) charity as a free gift; but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, Take it and enjoy it with right good cheer.
The God willing, after due reflection, you should now understand the meanings of Zakaat & Sadaqa.
[at-Taubah 9:71] The believing men and women are allies of one another. They advocate righteousness and forbid evil, they observe (Salat-Reaching out by reading Qur'an at prescribed times) and (Zakat- purification from following the commands and enlightenment in Qur'an such as spending in charity), and they obey The GOD and His messenger (Allah and His Message). These will be showered by The GOD's mercy. The GOD is Almighty, Most Wise.
[al-Bayyinah 98:5] All that was asked of them was to worship GOD, devoting the religion absolutely to Him alone, observe Salaat, and Zakaat. Such is the perfect religion.
6:105 "Thus do we make plain Our Revelation, that they may say: 'You have studied deep', and that this may become clear to men of understanding.
To The God alone belongs all praise