Interrogating Islam

Questions and Answers on Islam

Abha Communities Centre Abha-Saudia Arabia

Introduction
Praise be to Allah, God of the people, Lord of them all. Creator of all
creatures, the Luminous Truth, who created man of mud, the angels from
lustrous light, and the ginn from blazing fire, who sent prophets, and
made of paradise a home for the faithful, and fire the end for the
blasphemous. The prayers and the peace of God be on the last of His
prophets, who was dispatched as an envoy of mercy to all creation,
heralding the rightful religion, and pointing out the straight path. He
called on people to follow God, dilegently toiled for this aim,
established minarets and centres for knowledge, salvation, profusion
and justice. He solidified the verdicts of Islam among the best nation
ever created, and formed the most righteous society that ever appeared
on earth.

I proceed To guide people to worship the One God in the manner He

advocates and condones is one of the most sublime pursuits, the
loftiest objectives and the noblest activities. Such is the occupation
of peophets, and messengers, peace be upon them,1 for the sake of which
they were dispatched, and in the pursuit of which they faced injury,
affliction, armed conflict, hostility, comabt and false charges. Such
were natural consequences of the clash between truth and falsehood,
virtue and vice, and righeteousness and waywardness. Promulgators and
religious scholars are the prophets’ heirs. Each enjoys a share of the
burden of prophecy in proportion to his knowledge and achievement. They
suffer as much as did their predecessors—injury, accusation and
skepticism. At present we note that each one devotes himself to one or
another of the aspects of the da’wa (the call to Islam), and undertakes
to propagate it among people. Each adopts the method that suits his
mission. Some are occupied in writing and authorship; others undertake
preaching and oratory; a third party follows up instruction and
pedagogy; while some are preoccupied in matters connected with charity
and alms.

1 It is a long established and cherished tradition among Muslims to

follow the mention of a prophet’a name by the benediction “peace be
upon him.’ This practice will be folowed here as an abbreviation (pbuh).
A number of promulgators channel the da’wa to non-Muslims with a view
to guiding them to salvation and deliverance, both here and hereafter.
For this purpose they adopt whichever ways and means conducive to the
realization of these and similar objectives, and consequently make use
of appropriate procedures and measures. This category of

promulgators stood up to such an ardous task, faced what others had to

face, and what once had been the lot of the prophets, that is
falsification of the creed, acustion, neglect, repulse and indifference
to the faith they preach. Examples of such devoid ways are posing
questions implying skepticism, protest suggesting disrespect, and
queries promoting unequivocal answers, requests masking objections
aimed at rejecting, defying and denying truth. Such are qualities in
our times where diseases of skepticism, hedonism and sensual urges have
become deeprooted, and are being taught and propounded, sanctified by
centres of learning and mass media, and backed by forces buttressing
and protecting them. In this tumultuous vortex, and unfavourable
atmosphere, a group of highly revered Muslims took up the task of
inviting some newcomers to the Arab peninsula, who belonged to other
faiths and ideologies. With the grace and guidance of God, some
converted; others, however, on the brink of conversion and about to
witness the light, drew back on account of doubt and hesitation,
residua of their sombre past, and remains of doubts and misgivings.
Instead, they resisted those who sought to clear up such clouds with
satisfactory replies and sufficient data.

Like other proponents of virtue, these promulgators, too, need backing

of knowledge and sagacity to repel doubt, unmask falsehood, reveal
truth and illustrate proof. With all these and other objectives in
mind, this book has been formulated, through the efforts of a number of
revered religious leaders and distinguished men of learning and virtue,
having applied themselves to strenuous studies, research and dialogue.

Before delving into the depths of this book and tackling queries and
responses, it is pertinent to introduce a number of issues which might
raise certain ambiguities responsible for protests among whoever has
not been vouchsafed the comfort of faith in his heart. Some of these
issues are as follows:

1. CULTURAL BACKGROUND: Man is likely to be influenced by such a

background which takes years to consolidate and crystallize prejudicing
his judgements and decisions which are likely to run counter to the
judicious criteria conducive to sound vision. Consequently, such a man
may have his path refracted and aim wide of the mark or at best be
undecided as to which is true and which is false. Take for instance
someone who is living in a jungle or on a distant mountain among people
who believe in pagan fables and lead a retarded life as to patterns of
behaviours, ethical premises and the rest of the living activities.
Suppose, further, that suhc a man moved into an intellectually
developed community offering sophisticated ideas, systems and ways of
living. As soon as such set of ideas and modes of behaviours clash with
the symbols of underdevlopment prevalent in the jungle, we expect such
a man to undergo a serious reassessment of the earlier hocus-
pocus culture which once governed his earlier primitive life, and a
close scrutiny of the unprecedented patterns he never knew under the
law of animalism, anarchy and licentiousness.

Would this reassessment, this scrutiny, be valid? Would such a person

reach any set of truths or gain any benefits? Many are those who
protest to Islam on vindicative grounds, or through devious and
indirect ways. They resemble the underdeveloped man of the jungle when
assessing the values of a highly advanced academic centre against his
native cultural background. Such people project their prefigured vision
of Islam without committing themselves to an academic methodology or a
true dialectic which should distinguish right from wrong, true from
false.

A Christain for example brings in defective a priori arguments

concerning God Almighty and His prophets, then begins to pose questions
which accord with these fallacious presuppositions. He says, for
instance, that Muslims assume that they worship One God while they
actually commit themselves, in the manner the Christians do invoke the
Trinity (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost) in as much as they
say “In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate”.

Similar assumptions are also propounded, which are built on erroneous

assumptions and faulty cultural backgrounds. It is incumbent on man to
look for truth through authenticated evidences and proofs, and not be
dominated by prior cultural precepts. He has to examine such a culture
under the microscope of truth, and reality, on grounds of proof and
evidence.

Because of the domination of prior cultural backgrounds—whether old or

contemporary—we meet with wrong questions based upon equally defective
data. All talk about freedom and equality is but one more clear example
of such a category of vitiated questions. It is possible even to argue
that most questions promoted by ostensible openmindedness or masked
skepticism belong to this category. Therefore, we have found it
imperative that we should illustrate this issue and rectify the thought
of those who tackle Islam as if it was a refractory religion or a
number of erroneous theories, the product of human minds and unpropped
by a true scientific methodology.

2. FREEDOM: Here we are up against one of the most recurrent quibblings

motivated by skepticism or the wish to destabilize Islamic faith. It is
only one among many samples induced by wrong cultural backgrounds
resulting in equally erroneous judgements.

The modern world is infatuated by the so called “freedom” which is

considered the cornerstone of civilization, justice, distinction,
progress and promotion. This is so because Europe had long emerged from
despostism and injustice which prevailed before the French Revolution.
It came in the wake of an extended period of confiscation of the rights
and the freedom of the small man and the individuals who were unable to
werest their rights. The church and its advocates were
the mightiest and most tyrannical agents who solidified the foundations
of domination among the classes of the society and its individuals.
They were foremost in justifying the corrective measures adopted by the
ruling classes.

People in Europe staged more than one revolt, basically the French
Revolution which propounded the slogans of Liberty, Fraternity and
Equality. Organizations and directives, motivated by egocentric
ambitions, exploited the slogan of liberty, expanded its implications,
magnified its range, making use of people’s ignorance and regression,
and rendering them victims to the heonistic sensualism, voluptuousness
and mental degenerecy.

The conspiracy of unconditioned, unbridled, and uncontrolled liberation

proved a volcano ejecting its lava and submerging logic, ethics, as
well as people’s interests on both the individual and the collective
planes. The giants of corruption among the Jews and their stooges
exploited exploited this uncontrollable morbidity among peole. They
enkindled the fire, extended its periphery further and further. Soonl
it comprehended all creeds, ethical values and behavioural control,
through descrating all sanctities, disfiguring all religions and moral
precepts. It stamped out all religious and deterrents in individuals
and societies alike under the banner of the novel religion and the
worshipped god in flagrant challenge of the One Supreme God. They
called this new deity “Liberty and Liberalism”.

The aim behind these seditious manoeuvrings was the obliteration of the
dignity and the humanity of man and the transformation of such a being
into a terrible monster, a ranging beast. Man would corrupt, destroy
and trample down all principles, values, morals and virtues, and all
under the maligned liberty.

Men ranged as far afield as their instincts took them, infatuated by

these placards, each wading in corruption and selfdemoralization with
utmost energy and drive. The wayward in thought and creed used the
slogan of liberty to crush the sound beliefs, raise doublts in their
validity, and circulate atheism, nihilism, and deviant capricious
creeds.

So did the rebels against settled systems—social, administrative,

political, etc. They used the slogan of liberty to destabilize
societies, sidetrack institutions through fraudulent schemes,
monopolies, ususry, speculations, intriguing parties and by rigging
elections.

As the slogan of liberty widened in scope and surreptitiously dominated

the minds and hearts of the majority of people, every control
examplified in profound creed, sound religion, and every judicious
restriction of behaviour, values, conventions, or authorities, were
deemed, among the worshippers of such unbridled liberty, enemies to
man, detrimental to self-esteem, despots that impede his rights.
Thus stiffened the coils of this sinister conspiracy to such an extent
that a disinterested favour or good turn was anathema, anathema a good
turn. Analogously, the corrupter was pictured as a reformer, the
reformer a corrupter. A highly perceptive man, rationally minded, and
sagacious, one possessing moral integrity, would be thought of as a
cocooned, underdeveloped, and a reactionary, while the sensualist
imbecile is deemed shrewd, civilized and progressive. An investigation
of the sort of liberty which fascinates humanity in our times reveals
that it has become a slogan raised to justify licentiousness,
corruption and anarchy.

A close scrutiny of the true identity of “liberty” would convince us

that there can be no absolute freedom, limitless or unbound, because
man has got an innate disposition to commitment to, and control by,
specific laws which he is constrained to implement. Should man find no
outer commitment to curb his actions he would still impose upon himself
specific issues wherewith he would bind himself in response to his
inherent desire for self-commitment. His individual life can never do
away with a commitment to a definite discipline. There are times for
waking up, going to bed, partaking of food, working and rest. These
activities govern his individual life. As to social patterns, man is
not without taut relations binding him to his family and society. It is
common knowledge that the life of society is not devoid of specific
systems governing social, political and economic relations as well as
behavioural and moral patterns.

In short, it is onconceivable to visualize either an individual or a

social life devoid of regulations, control or commitment. All these are
restrictions to uncontrolled liberty. They should go to prove that
there can be no absolute liberty in the sense of being free from all
restrictions. This being so, the call for unshackled liberty becomes
none other than a call for something non-exixtent, even in the actual
life of its exponents. It is a deceptive slogan implying fraud and
confusion, for an unconditional liberty does not and cannot exist,
because it does not inhere in the nature of man whom God created with
an innate disposition to restraint. What lies behind this continuous
yelling, this clamorous call for freedom? In a word, it is a response
to a call for egotism, propounded by “…and who is more astray than one
who follows his own lusts, devoid of guidance from Allah?” (Holy
Qur’an: 28: 50). Among the so called “progressive peopl,” freedom of
thought is concomitant with atheism, denial of religion, God’s
inspiration, and the Call. Among the “liberals” it denotes skepticism
as to the religion of God and His prophets, as well as practising moral
degeneracy, sensous anarchy, injustice to the folks, plundering the
wealth of countries, self-deception, manipulating the minds of poepl,
practising monopoly, economic, legal and political maneouvering, and
all the atrocities that come under the mask of “liberty.” Such
misdemeaners are rife under the slogan of freedom of thought, while the
real objective is self-interest, caprice, sensuality, ad base desires.
The ultimate target is to realize private claims. The intellectual
aspect is none other than a screen to conceal their bondage to
wantonness and sensualism, under the ostensible claim of being
intelletually emancipated.

3. EQUALITY:
This is one more contemeraneous slogan through which infiltrated the
stench of agnosticism in the minds of a substantial number of people as
well as the problems in their lives, owing to the clashes among the
individuals and the classes of society, motivated by their void claim
to eqaulity.

This motto brought in various misconceptions and forms of deception

among people. With the expansion of its boundaries and the enlargement
of its content, this motto has grown into a colossal attraction for
mankind, specially as it has now culminated, among thinkers and
authors, into a mainspring of human principles, a basis of advancement,
modernism and supremacy.

Under the canopy of this deceptive banner the storms of injustice,

coercion and aggresison were launched, and the unemployed and the
indolent ranged ahead, claiming equality with the diligent, assiduoud,
and persistent workers. The ignorant claimed to be treated on a par
with the connoisseurs and the learned. And the trash and subversive
stretched out and claimed equality with the prestigious in all walks of
life. Analogously, the dependent failures claimed equality with the
successful and the hardworking. Thus criteria dimmed and tottered, and
the controls of life got mixed up. A number of countries witnessed
revolts which disrupted all stability. Others saw the rise of
organizations and associations that claimed unjustly grounded equality
regarding the laws of God. These laws which regulate the life of man
and are the permanent cosmic premises whereupon are based the
principles of distinction and meritorious priority.

A profound and a practical scrutiny of the issue of equality would

reveal that it runs counter to identicality. And existence presents us
with no two absolutely identical entities in all facets. It is,
therefore, unjust to equalize intrinsically competitive entities or
reasons. Distinction—a cosmic law—exists in all things, animate as well
as inanimate, in the floral as much as in the faunal, worlds, including
man.

Iron is distinct from gold, so is myrrh in relation to the palm tree.

So is a hog dissimilar to a stag. Consequently, an ignorant person is
not to be equated with the connoisseur, nor is the quick-witted with
the daft, nor, again, the useful with the harmful.

Whether we apply intellectual or practical standards of judgment and

discrimination we cannot equalize all races, species or individuals. In
actual fact, each is distinct from the other. Therefore, contemporary
theories, systems and philosophical principles have failed to establish
equality among people. Two obvious examples are socialism and
communism. This is not to exclude democracy. It, too, abounds in all
sorts of the current injustice represented in the name of equality, but
it is sugar-coated by a colossal propaganda and the media as well as by
an embellished web of democratic intrigues.
A call for absolute equality runs counter to the principles of justice.
It is a contradiction to the reality of things, an invalidation of the
issue of distinctiveness which God has ingrained in His creation. To
adopt such a call for assumed eqaulity results in verdicts being based
on prejudice and life being steered away.

No doubt humanity lived and is living through various manifestations of

despotism, injustice and tyranny, represented by individual and social
classes. Therefore, people sought that principle of equality which has
lately been propounded. They assumed that it would be a saviour from
such injustice and oppression, but such an action resembles escape from
Scylla to Charybdis.

It would have been more pertinent to adopt the principle of justice

based on the dictates of the truth, including observation of the
practically existent and deeply rooted facets of distinctness and
priorities, qualities referred to by God in His dictum: “It is He who
has made you (His) agents, inheritors of the earth: He hath raised you
in ranks, some above others: that He may try you in the gifts He has
given you: for your Lord is quick in punishment: yet He is indeed Oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Holy Qur’an: 6: 165).

This is the type of distinction wherewith God Almighty examines man to

grant him that grace and that charity destined to him. He said: “Of the
bounties of thy Lord We bestow freely on all these as well as those:
the bounties of your Lord are not closed (to anyone). See how We have
bestowed more on some than on others; but verily the Hereafter is more
in rank and gradation and more in excellence” (Holy Qur’an: 17: 20-21).

Owing to such difference in God’s bounty to people the Almighty

enjoined the faithful not to covet others’ grace: “And in no wise covet
those things in which Allah hath bestowed His gifts more freely on some
of you than on others: to men is allotted what they earn, and to women
what they earn: but ask Allah of His bounty. For Allah hath full
knowledge of all things...” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 32).

In view of this difference God granted man the right to preside over
woman. It is a distinction based on qualities of physique, creation,
ability, disposition, as well as bodily, intellectual, and emotional
qualification. He granted each sex an appropriate function that
qulifies him/her for the social role in a proper manner: “Men are the
protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one
more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from
their means...” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 34).

Therefore, equality between rivalries for precedence is both unjust and

impracticable. It is a transgression, a contradiction to the
intellectually evidenced, a violation of actual considerations. In the
revered Book there are proofs regarding
equality of different things. Indeed, the Holy Qur’an illustrates that
such equality is neither proper nor will it last, nor, again, can it be
acceptable. We read: “…Say: ‘Are those equal, those who know and those
who do not know? It is those who are endued with understanding that
receive admonition’.” (Holy Qur’an: 39: 9). “Say: ‘Not equal are things
that are bad and things that are good, even though the abundance of the
bad may dazzle you…’.” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 100). “The blind and the seeing
are not alike. Nor are the depths of darkness and the light. Nor are
the (chilly) shade and the (genial) heat of the sun. Nor are alike
those that are living and those that are dead...” (Holy Qur’an: 35: 19-
22). “Verily, for the righteous, are gardens of delight, in the
presence of their Lord. Shall We then treat the people of faith like
the people of sin? What is the matter with you? How judge you?...”
(Holy Qur’an: 68: 34-36). Seeing that distinction and priorities exist,
then justice does require inequality. However, as regards things which
are equal in reality they have rightfully to be equal in assessment.
For example people are equal in creation. They all descend from Adam, a
creature from dust. They are also equal in being servants to God, as
well being under constraint to worship the One God.

Equality also extends to immunity of individual rights from being

unrighteously infringed. Such rights pertain to body, finance,
chastity, mind and soul, etc. Men are equal in recognition of their
rights and preservation of their belongings, as well as in the right to
litigation and legal proceedings in case of prosecution or defence.

Analogously, men are equal in the right to ownership, buying and

selling, dealing in their possessions, the right to work, acquisition
and learning whatever they need to learn with a view to promoting their
living conditions here and hereafter. Such are occasions for equality,
and justice expresses itself in the pursuit of the above fields.
Similarly, where people are different, justice requires inequality; for
justice is placing a thing in its proper perspective, affords each man
his rights while inequality would be to give the undeserving what
another has a right to, or making both share the same right, in which
case it is an unjust action and a violation of rights.

4. SUBSERVIENCE TO GOD ALMIGHTY: Man cannot afford to disengage himself

from two issues: first, submission to some power that is superior and
more potent than his own beings. Secondly, following in the footsteps
of another. These are amongst basic foundations in man; they constitute
the major stimuli to man’s actions, sensations and relations. Their
presence in man is a must, like love, hate and volition.
Therefore, God directed man’s actions in such a way as to secure his
guidance, righteousness and hsppiness, pursuant to these issues. God
argued that in no way can man rescue himself except by his sound
orientation in the pursuit of these targets. He indicated such an
orientation and provided such evidences, proofs and bases as to boast
and enhance this orientation. As for the first issue, God delivered man
from subservience to whatever causes misery and chargin. He oriented
man to serve His Almighty Self alone, thus securing honour, self-
esteem, prestige and happiness. Should man refuse, he will never get
rid of slavery. Rather, he will get lost in a labyrinth of vain,
evanescent and mock idols, thereby lose prestige and fall into
ignominious humility.

This is an inevitable issue from which there can be no deliverance in

any way. It exists in reality. Its imperative nature stems from the
fact that in man inheres a need and an impoverishment for some sort of
service. He is torn between two issues, either to serve God, in which
case he is monotheistic, obedient, happy here and hereafter, or worship
something other than God, some mock idol among diverse deities, viz.
caprice, voluptuousness, money, hedonism, laws, conventions, parties,
indeed any of the excesses that are today cherished, adopted and obeyed.

Such being the reward—and it is so in reality—in no way can man reach a

state of well being except in subservience to his Creator, the All
Potent, the dominant Power over him and all things. Should he abide by
this true worship, man is promoted up the scale of human perfection.
His life acquires an exalted value other than that whereto falls the
one who worships other than God Almighty. The more righteous man’s
subservience to God, the greater are his rewards. Thus the true Muslim
is keen on cherishing the quality of serving God, an act which means
complete acquiescence and resignation to God’s commands and
admonitions, without protest or doubt because he has become confident
that no deliverance or success can be gained except by practising such
a service, following up its pathway which eventually leads him to
satisfying God Almighty, the penultimate objective of each man who has
faith in God.

One of the fundamental cornerstones of this subservience is that the

believer in the sole Diety of God proceeds under the canopy of
obedience, implementing all that God requires, whether or not he
realizes the aim or the moral behind this, because when he has
testified that there is no deity other than God he has thereby
committed himself to absolute acquiescence that harbours no perplexity,
hesitation or swerving. Such a composite and complementary action
illustrates the meaning, the importance, and the urgency of an
undivided allegiance to God.

No wonder that whoever fails to understand such glorious meanings as

they are would protest thereto and experience doubts for his mind
cannot emerge from the deep depth of ignorance and wayward servilities.
As regards the second issue, God has set an example in the person of
the revered prophets who are the best and most perfect of men. To
follow in their footsteps is the way to the good, to virtues and
delight. They are the lifeboats among the waves, the terrors
and the darkness of the human example since olden times. This being
inevitable, God made faith in His prophets concomitant with faith in
His Almighty Self.

An obvious proof is that the first pillar of Islam is the testimony

that there is no deity execpt God, and that Muhammad is His messenger.
One of the results incumbent upon God’s commandments is that the
prophet (pbuh) is the practical example of applying absolute service to
God Almighty. Consequently, he should be the model and the example that
imperatively must be followed by every Muslim. Thus become complete all
the symbols of service and imitation without one straightforward track
that guides man to the grace of God and paradise.

Whoever fails to understand such exhortations resembles an idiot, born

blind, unable to comprehend whatever beauty coulours possess.
Analogously, the one who fails to realize the composite meaning and the
plenteous consequences of service is bound to pose questions like: why
kiss the black stone in the Ka’ba? Why immolate on the immolation day
(during the pilgrimage)? Why pray four cycles at midday and three times
in the evening? Such and similar questions stem from the heart of
whomsoever fails to grasp the truth about worship, neither does he
taste its sweetness, fruits or man’s dire need for them.

We request God’s guidance and succour in what pleases and satisfies

Him. May the prayers of God and His peace be upon our prophet and his
family and companions.
Part One:

Questions and Answers on Islamic Doctrine

Translated by Munzer A. Absi with contributionm from Ahmad Sheik Bangura

-1-
Chapter 1:
Belief in Almighty God
Question 01: So long as the three principal religions have emanated
from God, why should differences appear as to the essence of God among
their adherents? Why should a Christian or a Jew be required to abandon
his religion and adopt Islam? Answer 01: There is no doubt that the
three religions acknowledge one source, God. They all agree as to the
uniquness, the absolute omniscience and omnipresence of God, to the
exclusion of any parallel power to be worshipped. All agree as to
attributing to God all perfection and excluding all defects and
blemishes. Whatever differences may appear is sporadic extraneous,
accretious developing over the ages from distortions interpolated by
members of both Judaism and Christianity. Herein came differences as to
the essence of God. The difference, therefore, is between Islam, which
God entrusted His prophet with, and other religions which have been
distorted and adulterated. The difference is not between authentic
religions, rather, it is between a true religion and others that have
been invalidated and turned away. The latter category has been
manipulated by vicious hands which misdirected them.

When we call upon a Jew or Christian to discard his/her religion and

adopt Islam, we are in reality asking him/her to revert to the true
religion which has been preached by all prophets. Should an impartial
thinker consider Islam in relation to other religions, he/she is bound
to acknowledge the radical difference between both categories. He/she
is likely to find in the former the truth and monotheism, while the
latter would reveal innovations and polytheism. Moreover, Islam

advocates justice and tolerance, while the others imply racism and
discrimination. In the one there are moral commitment and decency; in
the other, disintegration and corruption.

Question 02: What is the penultimate reason behind the creation of man?
Does God need man’s worship? Answer 02: Man has been created in order
to worship God: “And I (God) created not the jinn and mankind except
that they should worship me (alone)” (Holy Qur’an: 51: 56). The Primary
incumbency on man is to know God through His oneness, and thence to
worship Him truly.

-2-
Secondly, man is required to act his role as God’s vicegerent on earth,
so as to enjoy bliss both here and hereafter. Indeed, his/her need to
acknowledge the supremacy of God exceeds his/her need and drink: “O
mankind! It is you who stand in need of God. But God is rich, worthy of
all praise” (Holy Qur’an: 35: 15).

God is above the need for man’s worship. He does not benefit from man’s
devotion, nor would He be adversely affected by man’s blasphemy. From
beginning to end the story of man’s existence on earth, no matter how
many are its incidents, is an ordeal, a test, whether for him/her as an
individual or for all humanity. Man’s performance in this test
determines either his praise and reward or reproof and punishment.

Question 03: You Muslims claim that you worship One God, while in
actual fact you resemble the Christians who say “In the name of the
Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” for you say “In the name of God,
the Mercifu; the Compaasionate.” How would you account for this
resemblence? Answer 03: In the Christian creed, God is the Creator. The
Son is Jesus the Deliverer. And the Holy Spirit is His life or one of
His creations chosen by Him as a messenger and/or prophet imparting
God’s inspiration or cosmic order to whoever He wishes. Whatever the
mission carried out by the Holy Spirit, the Christians believe in the
above powers as three entities, three aspects, three qualities. They
say: “Oneness in Trinity and Trinity in Oneness.” They are all
phenomena of one God, etc. Therefore, the One God, they claim, consists
of three separate categories, which they call the Trinity. As a matter
of fact, God, as they take Him, is not one but three. In the Qur’an God
says: “Surely, disbelievers are those who said: ‘God is the third of
the three (in aTrinity)’.” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 73). The verse means that
God the Creator is the third in relation to the Son and the Holy Spirit.

As for the Muslim dictum “In the name of God, the Mercifu, the
Compaasionate,” it means three names of God which exceed ninety nine,
all denoting one Entity. A name is not separate from the named. The
Being named and described is not to be conceived except by His names
and qualities, unlike the case of the Christian Entities, for they are
three dimentional, but separate, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit.

-3-
Question 04: How can you claim that your God is Mercifu and
Compasionate, while He created evil in the world, expressed in
illnesses, volcanoes, toxics, earthquakes, hatred, etc.? Answer 04: The
answer to this question is threefold: 1. God almighty is a universal
God, the God of all creation. This is obvious in the following verse:
“And your God is One (God), there is none who has the right to be
worshipped but He, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful…” (Holy Qur’an:
2: 163). 2. Undoubtedly, God’s mercy is comprehensive. It encompasses
all creatures under its canopy. The evidence is clear: “…And My Mercy
embraces all things...” (Holy Qur’an: 7: 156). Such a spacious clemency
expresses itself in bestowing upon His creation so much bliss: material
sustenance, the gifts of sight and hearing. Indeed, such blesisngs are
countless. 3. Whatever adversities may befall man in this world, like
pain, illness, poison, earthquakes, volcanoes, etc., are not
exclusively evils. They are mixed blessings. For some who are harassed
by such evils they are a punishment for their disobedience or heresy,
while for some others they are a reminder, a nudge, to awaken them from
their slumber. They also indicate the absolute power of God, His
ability to deal with His creation, the sphere of His dominion, in the
ways He deems just and wise. All that God decrees emanates from His
compassion, wisdom and justice.

Question 05: Does God allow prostration to any power or creature other
than Himself? If the answer is negative how can we account for the
prostration of Jospeh’s brothers and parents before him? Answer 05:
Initialy, it is to be maintained that there are two kinds of
prostration: 1. Expressive of worship and favour-seeking, which is
permissible only to God. If it is practised to appease some other
power, this is polytheism.

2. Indicative of man’s desire to glorify an absolute power, in which

case the action of prostration is not polytheistic. Kneeling down
and/or prostration before human beings as a way of showing respect or
greeting was quite acceptable in earlier creeds. But it has been
abrogated in Islam. Joseph’s brothers did not worship him. They bent
down before him in a expression of esteem and reverence. Such a posture
was permissible in their creed, but abolished and abrogated in Islam.
Abdullah ibn Abi Awfa was reported to have said that on coming from
Sham (currently greater Syria) Mu’az ibn Jabal knelt down before the
prophet (pbuh) whereupon the prophet enquired what the man meant. In
explanation, Mu’az said that in Sham he had seen people bending down
before their bishops and

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patriarchs, so he thought it would be fit to do so in front of the
prophet. In response the prophet denied this by saying: “Muslims may
not bow down to anybody except God…”.1

It was obvious that Mu’az’s postutre before the prophet implies

reverence, a sentiment he noted in the case of the faithful, but in no
way does it denote worship, which is exclusive to God. When the prophet
knew that Mu’az’s posture did not denote worship, he still exhorted him
not to perform such an action. Consequently, abrogation was applied to
kneeling down and prostration in glorification of human grandeur.

It is true that Joseph’s father and brother prostrated before him, and
equally true that God almighty enjoined the angels to prostrate before
Adam, but in neither case did the posture imply worship, rather it
meant a gesture of honour and recognition of merit.

Cited in Abu Dawud, Hadith No. 214; Al-Turmudhi, No. 1159; Ibn Majah,
No. 1853.

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Chapter 2:
Belief in Prophets and Missions
Question 06: What is the indisputable evidence that the teachings of
Muhammad have all come from God? Answer 06: There are numerous
irrefutable evidences indicating that such teachings originated from
God almighty. Here are some: 1. All that has been enjoined, and denied,
can be found highly propitious and useful to all mankind, everywhere
and at any time. They are commensurate with the sound mind and the
chaste insight. Examples are commandments on solidifying family ties,
preserving superior moral qualities, avoiding usury and all
misdemeanors. All that the prophet (pbuh) has been told in inspiration
has been proved valid. Such material falls in two categories: A.
Pertaining to the past. These are corroborated by former books as well
as authenticated evidence confirmed by science and modern discoveries,
e.g. finindgs in geology as the era of the deluge, in archeology as the
relics from the epochs of Thamud and the Pharaos. B. Pertaining to the
future. Certain incidents were predicted by the prophet, e.g. the fire
which blasted Medina in 654 hijra, the good offices performed by Hasan
ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib in reconcilating between two major factions of
Muslims, the gathering of the Jews in Palestine today, the emergence of
nudist women who earn their living in immodest ways, and the spread of
ususry, corruption, murder, etc. C. Evidences derived from the
prophet’s own life and morals, a study of both of which can only
cofirms that such actions can never emerge except from one who is both
true and honest. Whoever considers God’s support of His prophet (pbuh),
the victory over his enemies, and the spread of his religion, must come
to the conclusion that this prophet was sustained by God and that all
he preached had come from the Almighty. D. Some contemporary scientific
discoveries support the prophet’s tenets, e.g. stages of the life of
the embryo, the way in which milk comes into being in the mammals, the
existence of the aquarian barrier between two adjecent seas, the fact
that the Dead Sea is the nethermost place on earth, etc. E. The
miracles performed by him: these were simultaneously witnessed by both
his followers and antagonists, e.g. the fissure of the moon surface,
the springing of water from his fingers, the healing of the sick, etc.
His greatest miracle remains the glorious Qur’an that has proved the
authenticity of its contents over the ages.

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Question 07: Who is the prophet?

Answer 07: He is a man chosen by almighty God, inspired by Him, and

enjoined to proclaim the call to the people he was sent to.

Question 08: How can prophet Muhammad (pbuh) be the imam (leader) of
all the prophets when he is the last messenger? Answer 08: Preference
is God’s own prerogative. It is exclusive to such and not to others, in
accordance with His emmiscience and wisdom. Preference has no relation
with precedence or antecedence in time. Moses and Jesus are are among
the latter batch of prophets, still they are the best among all those
who preceded them except Noah and Abraham (peace be uponh them).
Furthermore, prophet Muhammad’s religion, in terms of creeds and the
morals, conforms to those preached by the previous prophets. As for the
rules of these religions, the prophet (pbuh), by commandments from
almighty God, nullified some, modified others; altered some, and
augmented others. Accordingly, his call has become more comprehensive,
more perfect, hence has dominion over precedences. The one in charge of
such a call deserves being an imam to those who preceded him. Those
were made to pledge to the be faithful to him and support him, almighty
God says: “And (remember) when God took the covenant of the prophets,
saying: ‘Take whatever I gave you from the book and hikmah
(understanding of the laws of God), and afterwards there will come to
you a messenger (Muhammad) confirming what is with you; you must, then,
believe in him and help him.’ God said: ‘Do you agree (to it) and will
you take up my covenant (which I conclude with you)?’ They said: ‘We
agree.’ He said: ‘Then bear witness; and I am with you among the
witnesses (for this)’.” (Holy Qur’an: 3: 81). Such favours prove that
he is the best.

Question 09: What evidence proves that Jesus was not a God, but only a
messenger from God?

Answer 09: Jesus Christ (pbuh), following both the Gospels and the
Qur’an, was born of the virgin Mary, who was just like any other human
being. It is common knowledge that whoever is born cannot be deified.
Jesus Christ was a human being who used to eat and drink just like
anybody else. He was susceptible to hunger, grief and/or merriment. He
experienced all the

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paraphernalia pertaining to human life. His miraculous creation from no
father is no stranger than that of Adam, a being who was both
fatherless and motherless. This is an evidence of God’s omnipotence.
Jesus Christ was no more than a servant to, and messenger of God, who
revealed the scripture in order to promulgate it and carry out His
call. On the day of judgement Jesus Christ is not to be judged because
of those who deified him in exclusion of God or thought of him as
parallel. In the Qur’an we have a mentioning of this, where in the
hereafter God will ask Jesus if he had asked his followers to deify
him, whereby Jesus will answer God by saying: “If you punish them, they
are your slaves, and if you forgive them, verily, you, only you, are
the allMighty, the all-Wise” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 118). Here is one more
reply to the one who seeks an evidence as to the deification of Jesus
Christ, while he has none of the qualities of God. Whatever miracles he
performed emanated from God, just as He supported other prophets.

Question 10: In what way was Jesus Christ a Muslim, as well as all the
other prophets?

Answer 10: There is no doubt that all prophets (peace be upon them),
beginning with Adam and ending in Muhammad, preached one religion—the
worship of God alone and disregarding all other powers. This is
something advocated by Islam. God says: “Truly, the true religion with
God is Islam” (Holy Qur’an: 3: 19). About Abraham (pbuh), God says:
“Abraham was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but was a true Muslim
(hanif: monotheist—a worshipper one God alone) and he was not a mushrik
—a polytheist” (Holy Qur’an: 3: 67). On the question of the disciples
of Jesus, God says: “And when I (God) inspired al-hawariun (the
disciples of Jesus) to believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: ‘We
believe. And bear witness that we are Muslims’.” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 111).
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) confirmed this in his saying: “Prophets are
paternal brothers; their mothers are different, but their religion is
one.”2

Question 11: If people have managed to distort the message of Christ,

is not this sufficient evidence that he failed in his mission? If he
was great, how could God allow his call to peter out into failure?
Answer 11: Christ (pbuh) cannot be said to have failed in his mission.
God supported him with astounding miracle and convincing arguments.
Whatever distortion has befallen the scripture
2

Cited in Bukhalri, Hadith No. 1437.

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preached by Christ, it must have happened after his ascention to heaven.

Failure and

disintegration are the works of the followes who fell a prey to whims
and caprice. In this connection God says: [And (remember) when God will
say (on the day of reurrection): ‘O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say
unto men: ‘worship me and my mother as two gods besides God?’ He will
say: ‘Glory is to You! It is not for me to say what I had no right (to
say). Had I said such a thing, You would surely, have know it. You know
what is in my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly
You, only You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (and seen).
Never did I say to them aught except what You (God) did command me to
say: worship God my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them
while I dwelt amongst them, but when you took me up, You were the
Watcher over them; and You are a Witness to all things’.”] (Holy
Qur’an: 5: 116-117)

Question 12: Seeing that God’s message to humanity is one and the same,
why was it partitioned among more than one prophet and not revealed in
one package? Answer 12: The message entrusted to all prophets is one
and the same. It finds expression in a call for the worship of the one
God and the avoidance of false dieties, God says: “And verily, we have
sent among every ummah (community/nation) a messenger (proclaiming):
‘Worship God (alone), and avoid taghut (all false deities)’.” (Holy
Qur’an: 16: 36). God almighty also said: “And We did not send any
messenger before you (Muhammad) but We revealed to him (saying): ‘None
has the right to be worshipped but I (God), so worship Me (alone and
none else)’.” (Holy Qur’an: 21: 25). As for the multiplicity of the
prophets, it has been caused by various motives: 1. So that people in
any age may not have the pretext as to have been ignorant of God’s
commandments. God says: “Messengers as bearers of good news as well as
of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against God after
the (coming of) messengers.” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 165). 2. Specifying
individual laws for each nation which shall conform to its nature and
circumstances. God says: “…To each among you, We have prescribed a law
and a clear way…” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 48). 3. The differences among
languages and their multiplicity, required entrusting more than one
prophet/messenger, each speaks the language of a certain nation. This
is obvious in the Almighty’s words: “And We sent not a messenger except
with the language of his people in order that he make (the message)
clear for them” (Holy Qur’an: 14: 4).

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Question 13: Is the Muslim entitled to blend his/her faith with other
faiths or creeds?

Answer 13: In no way should a Mulslim adopt other creeds or principles

which conflict with the fundamentals underlying the Islamic doctrine.
Monotheism runs counter to polytheism, nor does sunna (prophet’s words
and deeds) agrees with innovations. Likewise, the love of God is
incompatiable with the love of some other power, etc.

Question 14: Why were the first batch of prophets sent to certain
geographical areas and not others? How can we judge those areas which
received no prophets? Why were they left without the word of God?
Answer 14: Judging by the accounts given by the prophet’s hadiths
(sayings) God sent to various folks 124,000 prophets, while God’s
messengers numbered 314.3 Such a large number of prophets and
messengers prove that not one nation or area went without one (or
some). In this regard God almighty says: “…And there never was a nation
but a warner had passed among them” (Holy Qur’an: 35: 24). And again,
He also says: “And verily, we have sent among every ummah
(community/nation) a messenger (proclaiming): ‘Worship God (alone), and
avoid taghut (all false deities)’.” (Holy Qur’an: 16: 36).

Question 15: Why should Muhammad (pbuh) be considered the last prophet
while Jesus Christ will reappear? Answer 15: Muhammad (pbuh) is
actually the last of all prophets, according to what he siad. The
descent of Jesus Christ (pbuh) from heaven is not a new mission. It is
a return whose aim is to reinforce Islam and its shari’a (Islamic laws
and rules) our propeht called for, and the last celestial techings.
This is clear in his words: “The coming of Jesus is imminent. He will
come as a just ruler, destroy the cross, and nullify the poll tax.
There would be so much money that no one would accept charity.”4 In
another long hadith, he says: “…He (Jesus Christ) will call peope to
Islam and God would abolish all religions leaving Islam alone.”5

3 4 5

Cited in Ahmad (vol., 5 Hadith No. 178), Al-Hakim (vol., 2 Hadith No.
288) and others. Cited in Bukhari (vol., 4 Hadith No. 134) Cited in
Bukhari (vol., 4 Hadith No. 134)

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It is quite obvious from the above evidences that whatever Jesus Christ
preaches is nothing but Islam and the law of Muhammad (peace be upon
them both). He will even pray behind a Muslim. The prophet says: “How
will you be when the son of Mary (Jesus Christ) descends among you,
while you are praying behind an imam (a prayer leader) from among you?”6

Muslim scholars referred to the return of Jesus Christ (pbuh) at the

end of time. They mentioned that his return will be especially
significant to: 1. Empashize the facts of Islam as preached by prophet
Muhammad (pbuh); 2. Reply to the claims of the Jews and the Christians
as to his death, crucifixion.; 3. His return indicates the approach of
the end of his life and his his burial. 4. The prophet’s report about
Jesus Christ must be the truth, because it is something that had been
revealed to him from God.

Question 16: How can you claim that Jesus did not die while his death
is actually mentioned in Surrat Al-Imraan (Chapter 3 of the Holy
Qur’an)? Answer 16: No verse in the Qur’an relates the death of Jesus
Christ (pbuh). The term used in the chapter ‘wafaat‘ does not refer to
death as much as it refers to departure from earthly existence. His
appointed time on earth had elapsed. Accordingly, God says: “And
(remember ) when God said: ‘O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to
Myself and clear you of those who disbelieve…’.” (Holy Qur’an: 3: 55).
This can be paraphrased thus: I have teken you body and soul. The term
wafaat can also be used to indicate sleep. God says: “It is He who
takes your sould by night (when you are asleep), and has knowledge of
all that you have done by day…” (Holy Qur’an: 6: 60).

Contrary to what the Chrstians claim, the Qur’an confirms that Jesus
Christ (pbuh) was not killed. God raised him up to Himself: “…For
Surely, they killed him (Jesus) not. But God raised him up (with his
body and soul) unto Himself…” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 157-158). The truth of
the matter is that Jesus was ascended alive and will come back alive.

Cited in Bukhari (vol., 4 Hadith No. 143)

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Question 17: How can you prove that Jesus Christ was not crucified?

Answer 17: This question can be answered from different angles: 1.

There are many ambiguities surrounding the issue of Christ’s
crucifixion in the canonical Gospels. How was the Crucifixion carried
out? For how long did Jesus hung on the cross? What are the precise
dates? Who carried the cross? What was his prayer while he was on the
cross? How do you explain his cry of despair? Who were the witnesses?
What happened after the crucifixion? There is no consensus on these
questions. So much of the crucifixion story is based on mere
conjecture. 2. The issue of crucifixion is based on the belief in the
original sin and redemption by blood. This issue contradicts common
sense, and it is irreconcilable with God’s justice and mercy. How can
the innocents be held accountable for the actions of the guilty? 3.
Finally, the Qur’an has unambiguously refuted the Bible’s crucifixion
story. God says: “…They killed him not, nor crucified him, but the
resemblance of Jesus was put over another man, and those who differ
therein are full of doubts. They have no knowledge, they follow nothing
but conjecture. For surely, they killed him (Jesus) not. But God raised
him up (with his body and soul) unto Himself. And God is ever all-
powerful, all wise” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 157-158).

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Chapter 3:
Belief in the Divine Scriptures
Question 18: You always say that the Old and New Testaments contain
fabrications. Why then do you sometimes use them as references when it
is convenient for you? Answer 18: I would like to clarify that Muslims
believe that books were revealed by God to His prophets; and among
these are the Torah, the Gospels, David’s Psalms, and the Qur’an and
accounts of prophet Abraham’s life. Their belief in these reveations is
a fundamental aspect of islamic teachings. Therefore, the Muslims
believe that, generally speaking, the Torah and the Gospels are
divinely revealed. But people who follow these revelations have
introduced

fabrications in them. God has revealed this fact to us in the Qur’an.

Therefore not all of the Bible is fabricated. And not all that Jews and
Christians claim to be true of the Bible is wholly from God. As a
result Islamic scholars have articulated a sound position regarding
these books which can be summerized as follows: 1. Whatever is in
acordance with the Qur’an, we believe in and quote for the benefit of
those who follow these scriptures. 2. Whatever contradicts the Qur’an,
we reject, knowing that it is a fabrication. We do not quote it, and do
not believe in it. 3. We maintain silence over what neither agrees nor
contradicts Qur’anic teachings. This is due to our fear of refuting
what may be well true or accepting what might be false. The latter
attitude is imposed by the teachings of the prophet (pbuh), who said:
“Do not give credence to what the people of the Book (Jews and
Christians); and do not refute it outright.” Therefore, when we quote
te Bible, we are in fact quoting what finds support in the qur’an, and
not arbitrarily.

Question 19: Why do you believe that the divine reveltions were not
preserved in the same way that you claim the Qur’an was? Answer 19: God
made the preservation of earlier scriptures the responsibilities of the
followers of these books. God says: “…For to them was entrusted the
protection of God’s books, and they were witnesses thereto” (Holy
Qur’an: 5: 44). But they were negligent of this; distorted the books

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with their interpolations and the reversal of some facts. This is not a
total loss, because God intended another scripture whose teachings and
principles will serve the good of man and under all conditions.

God did not give the responsibility of protecting the Qur’an to man. He
pledged to protect it Himself, knowing that this was the last
revelation to mankind. This is the absolute necessity that it be
preserved intact. God says: “Verily, it is We Who have sent down the
dhikr (the Qur’an) and surely, we will guard it (from corruption)”
(Holy Qur’an: 15: 9). Due to this divine pledge, the Qur’an has been
preserved. It is impossible for anyone to do to the Qur’an what was
done to previous scriptures.

Question 20: To what extent, do you think, are the present Gospels
authentic?

Answer 20: The present Gospels, as attested by Christian scholars, were

written by historians. They are therefore not totally authentic. Parts
of these books are authentic, others are fabricated. The falsehood in
them supercedes the truth, espacially in those parts which deify Jesus
Christ (pbuh) and make him the son of God. The Muslim accepts what is
in accord with the Islamic teachings and rejects what contrdicts them.
He is silent over aspects that are not clearly in agreement or
disagreement with Islamic teachings.

Question 21: How can you tell a true religion from a false one?

Answer 21: All the religions that God revealed through His prophets are
true. Any discernible corruption in these religions is a result of
human interpolation. People had been entrusted with the preservation of
these religions, but failed to fully care for this trust. We can
mention here a few criteria that can help distinguish a true religion
from a false one. 1. Examine the core contents of the religion both in
terms of the foundational texts and how they have been transmitted from
generation to generaion. See if there is internal consistency in the
texts. Do the prescriptions of the religion uplift man or oppress him?
2. Examine the methods of transmission in terms of their reliability
and the claims of transmision.

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3. Look into the life of the founder of the religion (the prophet), if
applicable. 4. Look into the lives of the disciples of the prophet. 5.
Is the religion monotheistic or ploytheistic? 6. Are the religion’s
teachings in clear contradiction with known facts about the world?

Question 22: Can Muslisms read scriptures, other tha the Qur’an?
Explain with regards to the prophet’s position on this question? Answer
22: The prophet (pbuh) once showed displeasure when he saw Umar ibn al-
Khattab reading the Bible. Umar asked the prophet: “Sometimes we hear
fine words from the Jews, can we write some of these words?” The
prophet replied: “Are you confused about your religion, just as the
Jews and the Christians are about theirs? I have brought you a crystal
clear teaching. Had Moses been alive, no doubt he would have been my
follower.”7 In the beginnig of the prophet’s mission he disallowed his
disciples from meddling with Torah for fear of confusing it with the
Qur’an, which was being revealed. The Qur’an having, been completely
revealed, the prophet told his disciples to teach about the Jews. The
prophet says: “Do not believ the people of the Book or disbelieve them,
but say ‘We believ in God and that which has been sent down to us (Holy
Qur’an: 2: 136)’.”8 The study of different sacred texts can only
strengthen a Muslim’s faith. What is true in these faiths has been
confirmed by the Qur’an; and falsehood in them had likewise been made
manifest in the Qur’an.

Question 23: Where in the Bible was the prophet’s name mentioned?

Answer 23: In John 14: 16. “And I will pray the Father, and he shall
give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever” (John:
14: 16).

Parclete means “Muhammad” or “Ahmad.” The statement that the “Parclete

will remain with us forever points to the eternal validity of
Muhammad’s religion, book and way of life. God vowed to protect and
preserve them. This is what is meant by “He will remain with you
forever.”

7 8

Cited in Ahmad (vol., 3 Hadith No. 338). Cited in Bukhari, Hadith No.
1719).

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Question 24: Why did God reveal the Qur’an in Arabic, rather than in
another language? What is the wisdom behind this choice? Answer 24: It
was God’s choice to reveal Qur’an in Arabic, just as it was his choice
to reveal previous scriptures in other languages. God does as He
pleases. No one has the right to question His will; He can question the
actions of His creatures. The wisdom behind the choice of Arabic to be
the vehicle in which the Qur’an was revealed can be summed up in the
follwoing points: 1. The prophet through whom the Qur’an was revealed
was an Arab, and Arabic was his language. How could God have revealed
to him a scripture in a foreign tongue? 2. The past people to whom the
prophet was sent were Arabs. Had the book been revealed in other than
their language, that would have given them a pretext to reject it. They
would have accused him of absurd innovations and would have refused to
heed his call. 3. Arabic os best equipped to articulate the nuance of
the revelatin.

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Chapter 4:
Questions on Sects and Schools of Thoughts
Question 25: If only those who follow Muhammad will be admitted into
paradise, what about the generations who lived before his advent?
Answer 25: Those who lived before the prophet’s mission fall into two
groups: A. Those who worshipped God, the One, and kept his laws as
revealed through a succession prophets. They will be rewarded or
punishe according to their own deeds. Ultimately, they will enter
paradise. B. Those to whom a divine scripture was not revealed. They
will be tested by God on the day of reckoning. Those who, then,
manifest obedience to God will enter paradise, and those who manifest
disobedience will enter hell.

Question 26: What are the differences and similarities netween Sinnism
and Shi’ism? Are there other sects that are considered belonging to the
fold of Islam? Answer 26: Both Sunnis and Shi’as believe in God, His
angels, His scriptures, His prophets, the day of judgement, fate, and
the pillars of Islam, generally speaking.

Sunnis and Shi’as differ in some respects which include: 1. The Shi’as
believe in the inerrancy and infalliablity of the imams coming from the
prophet’s family. 2. Their belief that imams are divinely inspired, but
to a lesser degree than prophets. 3. Their practice of tactical
dissimulation in their dealings with their adversaries, whereby they
believe that they are allowed to hide their beliefs. 4. The practice of
mut’a, or temporary marriages. From a sunni perspective such marriages
constitute adultry. There are many hadiths condemn this practice.
Undoubtedly, many other sects claim to belong to the fold of Islam. The
mainstream Islamic population considers such sects in relation to their
closeness to, or distance from, the teachings of mainstream Islam.

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Judaism and Christianity are not accepted as viable religions after the
advent of Islam. Islam has superseded them God says: “And whoever seeks
a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in
the hereafter he will be one of the losers” (Holy Qur’an: 3: 85).

Question 27: Since Muslims have been allowed to build a mosque in Rome,
why should not Christians be permitted to build churches in Arabia?
Also, why are non-Muslims banned from entering Mecca and/or Medina,
while Muslims have access to the Vatican? Answer 27: Rome is just like
any other place in the world. There is no particular sacredness
attached to it. Building a mosque in Rome, therefore, should not be
considered unusual. The prophet of Islam specifically proscribed the
existence of two faiths in the Arabian penninsula. Hence, there are no
churches in the penninsula. The Arabian penninsula is the bedrock of
Islam, its nursery and the home of its sacred sites.

We can compare the Vatican and Mecca only to a certain extent. In the
Qur’an, God explicitly conferred sacredness to Mecca. The Vaticsn
enjoys no such status even from a biblical point of view. In fact only
the Cathoic denomination in Christendom attaches a special importance
to the Vatican. Moreover, every country in the world has visa and entry
regulations. Only those fulfilling such conditions are admitted. The
only condition for entry to Mecca is to verify the Oneness of God and
the belief in the prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh).

Question 28: If Islam is viable for all times and places, why is that
Muslims are the world’s most backward people today? Answer 28: It is a
fact that Islam is valid for all times and places. Islamic civilization
flourished for many centuries, especially at a time when the rest of
the world was steeped in ignorance and backwardness. The west learnt a
great deal and benefitted from the Islamic culture. The west built upon
this past at the time Muslims became materialistic and lost their
spiritual and civilizational focus. The backwardness of contemporary
Muslims is the fault of Muslims not of Islam. Their backwardness is due
to their deviation from Islamic teachings. However, Muslims still have
the potential and the ability to achieve civilizational greatness. They
have the elements of strength and progress. God gave us teachings to
follow, and granted us geographical, natural and human resources. If we
build upon these assets, we can enter into new renaissance,

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provided that we adhere to the teachings of Islam. Indeed the future
belongs to the Godconscious. Islam’s future is bright. And It is a
known fact that the achievement of a given system can only be sustained
if the right people continue to work for it.

Question 29: Muslims claim to love Jesus, honour him, and believe in
his message. Why then do they prefer Muhammad to him? Jesus is after
all not only a messenger, but also the son of God. Answer 29: There are
two parts to this question: A. We, as Muslims, truly believe that
Jesus, son of Mary, is one of the prophets belonging to the eleveated
category of ulu al’azm prophets (possessors of steadfastness). Muslims
love him, honour him and do believe in his message. However, Muslims
consider him to be a servant to God and not a son of Him. B. It is up
to God to establish hierarchy among his messengers based on His divine
wisdom. He made prophet Muhammad (pbuh) special in certain repects. He
is the seal of the prophets. His message completes and abrogates all
that came before him. He was also known as God’s intimate. Also, he was
sent to all of the creation.

Question 30: Some Christian missionaries claim that Islam is not a

rvealed religion. It is a distorted derivative version of Judaism and
Christianity. Please comment. Answer 30: What these missionaries are
claiming is simply a misleading conjecture. While the prophet was
preaching the new faith, the Jews and the Christians were, at the same
time, practising their own religions. The new faith clearly
contradicted Judaism and Christianity in very fundamental issues. Islam
contradicted such beliefs held by Christians and Jews such as:
ascribing human qualities to God (Jews witness that Uzair is the son of
God). Their claim that Jesus was an illigitimate child and that they
killed him. They also ascribed major sins to the prophets. They also
claimed themselves to be the chosen people of God, His children and His
beloved. The Christians claimed that Jesus is the son of God; that God
is one person in a trinity and their belief in Jesus’s crucifixion and
death. They also believe in the original sin an the Jesus’s atonement
from the sins of mankind. The prophet’ teachings strongly refuted such
beliefs. And in their stead he taught radical monotheism, God’s
transcendence, and that He neither had a spouse, nor an offspring.

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Islam also taught that all prophets were free from committing major
sins. Also, the blessed Virgin Mary was not an adultress, and her son,
Jesus, was God’s servant and messenger. He was neither crucified nor
killed. The doctrine of trinity is false. The atonement for sins is
also false. Jews are not a chosen people, rather all humans are God’s
creation and equal in His sight except for those who manifest faith and
God-consciousness.

Islam also brought many new rules which contradict with those of
Judaism and Christianity. How then can one hold that Islam is a
distorted copy of Judaism and/or Christinaity?

Question 31: Christians are civilized and rational. They therefore look
critically at their scriptures. Muslims, on the other hand, avoid such
practice. Do not you think that this shows regressive thinking and lack
of rational thought? Answer 31: This question calls for a multifaced
answer: 1. The claim that Christians are civilized and rationa is
counter-factual. How can a progressive man believe in superstitions,
obscurist dogmas? How can we account for the moral decay through which
their societies are passing? 2. It is not a civilized theory, nor it is
progressive to criticize God. 3. The Christian’s criticism of their
scriptures is due to the fact that these books have been distorted and
changed. They have been added to and removed from. As a result some of
these teachings clearly contradict reason, the facts and the common
sense. The critical approach towards these scriptures is therefore only
normal. Nonetheless, such criticismdid not clarify the issues as much
as it obscured them and made many people lose faith in God. 4. The
Qur’an and the prophet’s tradition are both divinely revealed. They are
authentic. They do not abuse human reason, or contradict the facts of
science. No critical approach in this case is, therefore, useful or
warranted. No matter how educated a man is, he/she is still a created
being. Human criticism of God is therefore an irrational proportion.
Man has to receive all that is authentically revealed by God with
humility and submissiveness. Man needs to practice the revelation and
live his life accordingly. Following such an attitude is not putting
contraints on the mind, rather, it frees the mind to explore reality
within what is humanly possible.

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Question 32: Where do Jews and Christians stand today? Do you, Muslims,
consider them believers or non-believers? Answer 32: This question
calls for a two-faced answer: 1. Their religious doctrines include a
degradation of God’s ststus, as well as what amounts to insulting Him.
These doctrines imply attributing partners to God, and ascribing to Him
human biological qualities such as having an offspring, procreating,
getting tired, oblivion, weeping and regretting. God’s prophets are
also degraded by imputing to them major moral defects. All the above in
addition to other contradictory and fabricated issues exist in their
books. To Muslims, whoever holds such beliefs is a disbeliever without
doubt. 2. Sincet the commandment of Muhammad’s prophetic mission, it
has become incumbent upon all human beings to believe in his message.
Anyone who has heard the call of Muhammad to embrace Islam and refute
it is a disbeliever and will dwell in hell.

Question 33: Is Islam ready to accord to Christians in Mulsim countries

the kind of freedom that Muslims enjoy in Christians countries? Can
Christians enter mosques? Can they freely express their religious
views? And can they freely proselytize? Answer 33: Islam has
historically granted to Christians living in Musim countries far more
rights in than the rights Muslims have enjoyed in Christian countries.
These rights and freedoms include: 1. The Christians’ right to retain
their faith and pay some tax (jizya) in return for their protection. 2.
They are granted security in terms of their lives, their properties and
their religious institutions. 3. Islam forbade alcohol for Muslims, but
allowed it for non-Muslims. This ruling also applies for the
consumption of pork. 4. A dimension of this tolerance is Islam’s
prescription of moderation and sound reason in their dialogue with
Christians and Jews. God says: “And argue not with the people of the
scripture (Jews and Christians) unless it be in (a way) that is better
(with good words and in good manner)” (Holy Qur’an: 29: 46). 5. We call
Jews and Christians living in Muslim dominions as ahl al-dhimmah (the
protected people). The full designation is dhimatu al-Lah was ‘ahdihi
wa ri’ayatihi (people under the protection, covenant and care of God).
Muslims are forbidden from harming them. Instead they are urged to
maintain good relationship with them. The prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
taught: “Whoever verbally insults a dhimmi (a jew or a Christian living
in a Mulsim country) will be flogged in the hereafter with whips from
hellfire.”9

Cited in Tabarani’s Lexicon, vol. 22. hadith No. 135.

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Can you say, then, that Muslims in Chritians countries enjoy the same
privillages as accorded to Christians in Muslim countries? Even today,
Muslim girls living in the west are being deprived of their right to
wear their Muslim clothes at school.

As regarding admission of Christians and Jews in mosques, see answer to

question 120.

Finally, Muslims, convinced as they are of the false nature of Jewish

and Christian teachings, how can they be expected to allow the spread
of such techings in Muslim communities?

Question 34: It was said that God created all human beings equal, in
rights and responsibilities. Why there is then disparity in the
religious rights of Muslims, on the one hand, and Jews and Chriastians
on the other? Answer 34: It is said: 1. Absolute equality between human
beings is logically and practically groundless. Human beings are not
equal. Islam simply advocates justice. God says: “Verily God enjoins
justice and the doing of good…” (Holy Qur’an: 16: 90). 2. Undoubtedly a
Mulsim cannot be equal to a non-Muslim, because God is pleased with
those who have embraced the truth of Islam, not withstanding the
prohibition of forced conversion to Islam. Muslims enjoy equal status
in the sight of God: “The believers are nothing but brothers (in
Islamic religion)…” (Holy Qur’an: 49: 10). Anyone who rejects this
teaching cannot be deemed equal to those who embrace it. God decrees
the following: “Is he who walks prone (without seeing) on his face,
more rightly guided, or he who (sees and) walks uprighly on the
straight way (Islamic monotheism)?” (Holy Qur’an: 67: 22). Based on
these divine revelations, it becomes inonceivable to equal Muslims and
non-Muslims: “Shall We then treat the Muslims like the mujrimun
(criminals, disbelievers)? What is the matter with you? How judge you?
(Holy Qur’an: 68: 35-36).

Question 35 (A): If one of the spouses embraces Islam while the other
remains Christian, is their marriage still islamically valid? Answer 35
(A): If God guides the husband to Islam, then it is his duty to invite
his family to Islam. If it is the wife who embraces Islam, while the
husband remains Christian, she should invite her husband to Islam with
wisdom and beautiful exhortations. Should he still refuse to become
Muslim, then she is obligated to sever their marital relationship. A
husband is practically

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the leader in any family, and it is unacceptable for a believer to be
subjected to the leadership of a non-Muslim. Question 35 (B): When the
man is Muslim and the woman is a Christian, can the wife take the
children to church? Answer 35 (B): As stated above, the newly converted
Muslim husband should invite his Christian spouse to the path of Islam.
Should he fail to persuade her, he must not allow their children to
practice any religion beside Islam.

Question 36: Why is it prohibited for non-Muslims to be buried in

Muslim symmetries?

Answer 36: In Islamic understanding death is simply a transition from

one life to another. Out of respect and honour, Muslims upon their
departure from this life should be assigned a special place of burial.
Being dead, man can no longer take care of himself. It is therefore
incumbent upon the living to look after his comfort and needs. It is
expected of Muslims to visit the departed in the symmetries and make
supplications on their behalf and ask God for their forgiveness. When
Muslims are buried with non-Muslims, the sanctity of the dead is
compromised. Islam proscribes the making of supplications on behalf of
those who have ascribed partners to God.

Question 37: God says “Let there be no compulsion in religion”. How can
we reconcile this teaching and the principle of killing Islam’s
apostates? Answer 37: No one should be compelled to become Muslim, as
the statement above instructs. If one after knowing about the true
religion of Islam, chooses any other path, one is accountable to God
with regards to one’s choice in life. However, once any one freely
makes a choice to become a Muslim, this choice becomes a perpetual
commitment to Islam and the community of Muslims. Betrayal of that
commitment is treasonable and calls for the death penalty. Islam is not
only a religion in the conventional sense, it is also a community. One
who seeks membership in a new community, such as a nation, is obligated
to protect the interests of that community or nation. Failure to do so,
is an act of treason.

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Whoever freely enters Islam becomes obligated to abide by the legal
statutes of Islam, one of which regards apostasy. This stern measure is
designed to discourage opportunistic adventurism that places security
of the Muslim community in peril. This measure, thus, protects the
interests of Islam and the security of the Muslim community.

Question 38: Does God reward one who believes in Him without
necessarily following any particular religion? If there is indeed such
a reward what then would be the importance of following a particular
prophet? If this is not the case, does it mean that it is mandatory to
follow one religion such as a monotheistic creed? Answer 38: It is not
possible for one to believe in God and worship Him as He would like to
be worshipped without following a prophet. Consequently, there is no
recompense for any one who does not follow the religion, which God has
chosen for His people, and revealed to them, through a prophet. Faith
in God is acceptable only if its object is God and God alone, and if it
is based on authentic teachings of a prophet. All prophets preached
Islam which is monotheism, observing of God’s laws, and assenting to
the revelation which God sent through them.

Question 39: Some person says “He is Christian, but he believes in

total submission to God”. Will this save him from God’s wrath? Answer:
39: True and total submission to God implies obeying all the
commandments of almighty God and observing all His prohibitions, and
believing the prophet and the teachings that he brought. God sent His
prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to all mankind and has shut all accesses to
Him, leaving only one open: Islam as taught by the prophet Muhammad
(pbuh). The submission of the person mentioned above is neither genuine
nor complete. If it were genuine, he would have been one of the
followers of prophet Muhammad (pbuh). And that would have sufficed for
his salvation.

Question 40: We Christians have many denominations, and so do you

Muslims. You have Shi’as, Druzes, Isma’iliyyas. Why all these sects,
and what are the differences between them? Answer 40: Sectarian
divisions occurred in Islam as they occurred in previous religious
communities. The prophet (pbuh) had predicted this phenomenon by
stating that his community

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will split up, but only one sect will be on the right path, that is the
people of the prophet’s way, the orthodox community (ahl al-sunnah wal
jama’a). They will remain true to the path of the prophet and his
companions. As for the other sects, which developed in the Islamic
world, they have, generally speaking, deviated from the truth. The
reasons for this

1. Ignorance about the religion, whims and ethnocentrism. 2. Conspiracy

against its people.

Our stance towards these sects depends on how much they have deviated
from the truth. Accordingly, we place some of these sects, such the
Druze and Isma’ilis, beyond the pale of Islam.

Question 41: Why do you believe that you are the people of truth, while
the rest are pagans and have strayed away from the truth? Answer 41:
The case is not a matter of mere claims of superiority, as much as it
is an issue of sound common sense, and conclusive proofs which confirm
the absolute truth in Islam’s claims, which call for pure monotheism.

Jews for example believe in Yahweh, to whom they attribute qualities

that are denigrate God’s majesty. They say for example that He has a
son named Uzair, [“And the Jews say: ’Uzair (Ezra) is the son of
God’.”] (Holy Qur’an: 9: 30). How can we attribute a son to Him when
non of His creation resembles Him? They also ascribed miserliness to
Him, God says: “The Jews say ‘God’s hand is tied up’ (i.e. He does not
give and spend of His bounty” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 64). They also
attributed to Him qualities that are incmopatiable with His majesty,
perfection, and power.

Then came the Christians and claimed likewise, that Jesus Christ (pbuh)
is the son of God. They also attributed divinity to Jesus and his
mother. God says in the Qur’an: [And (remember) when God will say (on
the day of reurrection): “O Jesus, son of Mary! Did you say unto men:
‘worship me and my mother as two gods besides God?’ He will say: ‘Glory
is to You! It is not for me to say what I had no right (to say). Had I
said such a thing, You would surely, have known it. You know what is in
my inner-self though I do not know what is in Yours; truly You, only
You, are the All-Knower of all that is hidden (and seen). Never did I
say to them aught except what You (God) did command me to say: worship
God my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them while I dwelt
amongst them,

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but when you took me up, You were the Watcher over them; and You are a
Witness to all things’.”] (Holy Qur’an: 5: 116-117). Then Islam came
with pure monotheism. God says: “Say ‘He is God, (the) One. God is
self-sufficnet. He begets not, nor was He begotten. And there is none
co-equal or comaprable unto Him’.” (Holy Qur’an: 112: 1-4). He also
says: “There is nothing like Him; and He is the All-Hearer, the All-
seer” (Holy Qur’an: 42: 11).

The religious wars erupted in Europe as a result of the unresolved

doctrinal controversies surrounding the person of Jesus. In Islam there
are no controversies as to who God is, His names, His essence, and His
attributes. The Qur’an’s call remains ever relevent: “Surely, in
disbelief are they who say that ‘God is the Messiah, son of Maryam
(Mary)’.” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 17).

Our refutation of Christian teachings in this regard are not based on

personal whim or malice. We are simply stating God’s judgement on the
matter. Whoever ascribes partners to God has rejected faith. God says:
“And verily, this is my straight path, so follow it, and follow not
(other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This he
has ordained for you that you may become the pious” (Holy Qur’an:6:
153).

Question 42: What is Islam’s position with regards to nationalism?

Answer 42: It is natural to love one’s country and people, as long as

it does not lead to unjust dealings with other nations and peoples. A
Muslim is also expected to show compassion and concern for people
outside his country.

Nationalism, according to the contemporary proponents implies a kind of

identity based on nationhood without reference to religious
considerations. This understanding is clearly false. Nationalism,
tribalism and regionalism had great influence on the lives of the
people. When Islam came it refined these concepts and set rules and
regulations to them, these include: no blind allegiance to nationality,
race, country, and skin colour. Loyalty is first and foremost to God,
and

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to His prophet and the community of believers wherever they may be.
Love to one’s country must now be defined by the supreme allegiance to
God’s religion.

Question 43: Is the one dies defending his country considered a martyr?

Answer 43: Intention is a vital issue here. Whoever is killed while

defending his country with the intention of upholding the truth as
revealed by God is a martyr. Whoever dies defending his country with
the intention of safeguarding his honour and wealth is a martyr.
However, if one dies while fighting to gain personal wealth and fame is
not a martyr. One has to be a Muslim and be driven by Muslim ideals to
be a candidate for martyrdom. The prophet says: “Whoever fights so that
God’s word remain supreme is indeed striving on the path of God.”

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PART TWO

Questions and Answers on Islamic Jurisprudence: Wisdom & Purposes

Translated by Ahmad H. Al-Hout

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Chapter 1:
Islamic Jurisprudence: Wisdom and Purposes
Question 44: What is the meaning of Islam? Answer 44: Islam is total
surrendering to almighty God’s command and obeying Him in all of His
legislation and rules whose basis is the well-known five pillars: The
two words, prayer, zakat, fasting and pilgrimage. The perfect form of
Islam is achieved when the Muslim’s life is completely involved in
Islam. almighty God said: “[Our sibghah (religion) is] the Sibghah
(religion) of God (Islam) and which Sibghah (religion) can be better
than God’s? And he is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower. (Holy Qur’an: 2:
138) and ‘Say (O Muhammad) Verily, my prayer, my sacrifice, my living,
and my dying are for God, the Lord of all that exists’.”) (Holy Qur’an:
6:162).

Question 45: What does faith mean?

Answer 45: Faith is the absolute belief in God, whose location is the
heart. It is associated with the saying of the tongue and the
observation of the senses. The basis of this faith is the belief in
God, His angels, books, messengers, the doom’s day, fate (both good and
evil) are all from almighty God. Therefore, the saying of the tongue
indicates this absolute belief in those fundamentals and rules. The
perfect action can best be testified by the implementation of Islam in
the private and public life.

Question 46: What is the meaning of “perfect worship”?

Answer 46: This means “to worship God as if you were seeing Him; as you
cannot see Him, He sees you”, as Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) related. It is
a high degree of emotional feeling to the Muslim when dealing with God
as if he were seeing Him before his own eyes in terms of ability,
greatness, authority and power, mercy, assistance and generosity. One
who feels these divine qualities and other ones in all his conditions,
will be whole-heartedly sincere and good in all his

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acts, behavior, manners, and will not be affected by his materialistic
and personal interests and benefits. When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was
asked by `Uqbah bin Nafi’ about the perfect manners, he said, “O
`Uqbah, visit those who refrained from visiting you, be kind to whoever
deprived you, and do not harm those who have harmed you.” This kind of
honesty makes the self of the Muslim pure, immaculate privately and
publicly, whether one is alone or with others, in times of prevention
and bounty, in loyalty, and in integrity—indeed, in all matters, small
and big, it is a self that believes in God and attached to Him while
looking at him all the time. If man’s eye may sleep sometimes, it
believes, nevertheless that God’s eye does not sleep and continues to
see him, that is perfect worship (ihsan).

Question 47: When did man known faith for the first time? Did people in
ancient times believe in almighty God, or were they unbelievers, as
anthropologists claim? Answer 47: Belief in God is deeply rooted in the
human nature. It is intrinsic in people. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“Every child is born intrinsically believing in God, but his parents
make him a Jew, a Christian or a Magi,”10 i.e. every newborn is born
with spontaneous belief in almighty God and surrendering to him. Islam
has its own concept about the beginning of creation and human
evolution. The gist is that almighty God created Adam from earth and
soul was then blown into him. Next Eve was created from Adam. Then
marriage began and people multiplied and populated the earth.

Adam was the first believer. He recognized God’s power and greatness.
Therefore, when he sinned, he soon regretted and asked God to pardon
him: he prostrated before Him implored for reconciliation and
forgiveness. Almighty God said; “They said ‘Our Lord! We have wronged
ourselves. If you forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we
shall certainly be of the losers”(Holy Qur’an: 7: 23). Almighty God has
already said to them: “And We said; ‘O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in
paradise, and eat both of you freely with pleasure and delight, of
things therein as wherever you will, but come not near this tree or you
both will be of thewrongdoers.’ Then Satan made them slip therefrom
(paradise), and got them out from that in which they were. We said: O
get you down, all, with enmity between yourselves. On earth will be a
dwelling place for you and an enjoyment for a time.” Then Adam received
from his Lord Words.

10

Cited in al-Siuti, vol. 2, hadith No. 6356.

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And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his repentance). Verily, he is the
One Who forgives, the Most Merciful.”

It is clear from the holy verses that Adam was a true believer in God.
He lived in Paradise with his spouse, then he sinned because of the
insinuations of Satan. But Adam soon repented, and God accepted his
repentance. This incident indicates that faith occurred before
disobedience, unbelieving and polytheism took place. Prophet Muhammad
confirmed this fact by saying: “God created people to be intrinsically
believing, but they were deceived by the devils.”11 This means that
devils ornamented polytheism for people and they deviated from the
right path.

Question 48: Since no one has able to see God, and since no dead person
was resurrected to tell us what happened to him after death, how could
we believe in any religion? Answer 48: This question is based on the
material world, where sense becomes the reference to determine the
facts of the universe. Fundamentally, this basis is a void one. In this
life we believe in many things without being able to see them or feel
them tangibly. We do not know for example the essence of the soul, its
secrets, and where does it inhabit our bodies? So far this field has
been immune to scientists and scientific laboratories, fine radiology
and microscopes, which biologists and doctors use. We absolutely
believe in the presence of the soul although we do not see it. We also
believe in the existence of many other things like magnetism, electric
current, air and many other things, which we do not touch physically.

All religions are based on miracles, which God performs on the hands of
the prophets. Ordinary human beings cannot perform these miracles. Only
prophets could carry out these actions in order to confirm the fact
that they are true emissaries of God. All prophets were sent to people
and performed miracles in front of them, so that they believed them.
These are well-known historical facts.

Prophet Moses (pbuh) performed miracles: his club was transformed into
a snake, the sea was split into two parts through a hit with his club,
and the bursting of the water from the rock in the form of twelve
springs good for drinking.

11

Cited in Muslim, hadith No. 2637.

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Prophet Jesus (pbuh) healed the blind and the leprous, and gave life to
the dead through God’s will.

Prophet Muhammad also had many miracles including the splitting apart
of the moon, the gushing of water from his hands and the night journey
from Mecca to Jerusalem and his ascension though the heaven. But the
most enduring and challenging miracle revealed through him is the
Qur’an.

Belief in almighty God and in the unseen is therefore an intuitive

matter, without which life cannot be right; without which the human
self does not feel fully contented. People’s lives, both today and land
in the past, testify this if only they are truthful about their
thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

Question 49: Do people inherit the religion of Islam from their parents?

Answer 49: It has already been stated above that people are born to be
intrinsically God believing, i.e. Muslims. Islam regards a child before
puberty to be subordinate to his father in terms of religion and
belief. Coming of age, he/she becomes responsible and will be held
accountable for his/her deeds. This requires him/her to embrace the
religion of Islam as a result of conviction, thinking and choice.
However, if the child dies before puberty age (15 years) he/she will be
considered as one of the escapees from Hell even though his parents are
nonbelievers. This is a prerequisite of the justice of God who says: “…
and no burdens shall bear the burden of another” (Holy Qur’an: 6: 164).

Question 50: Is Islam to be imposed on people or do people have to

embrace it willingly?

Answer 50: Islam is the religion of God, He knows human self better
than human beings themselves. He also knows what is good and what is
bad for them. It is to the best interest and righteousness to man of
mankind if they follow the right path revealed by God out of
conviction, choice, love and desire, so that they could be salvaged.
Almighty God made this clear in the holy book: “There is no compulsion
in religion. Verily, the right Path has become distinct from the

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wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut (false deities) and believes
in God, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will
never break. And God is All-Hearer, All-Knower” (Holy Qur’an: 2: 256).
It has never occurred in history that Muslims compelled anyone to
embrace Islam even when they were at the height of their power.

Question 51: Is it possible that the whole system of this universe has
occurred by coincidence?

Answer 51: This can never be the case at all. In fact, no rational
person could ever envisage that this world has come into existence
without a wise capable and knowing creator. With the least
contemplation, a rational person can recognize the invalidity of
coincidence in this case. When a person looks at a beautiful building
that is architecturally organized, wonderful and firm, foe example, he
intuitively believes that someone must have built, organized and
planned its plan and designed its foundations, lounges and balconies.
When we look at the watch on our wrists, we cannot believe that its
first maker found it by coincidence in that shape. So how could we
believe that the creation of man to have come by coincidence? And how
could this universe which runs according to an absolute accurate system
(in terms of night and day, stars, planets and galaxies) how could it
have come by pure coincidence? The idea of coincidence is something
obsolete and has become outside the rational circle in the world of
science and knowledge, and the world of reason and cause.

Question 52: If a person embraces Islam for mere secular benefits, like
marriage, can he/she be still be regarded as true Muslim? Answer 52:
Islam is the religion of almighty God. It should be embraced
exclusively for His sake. God says: “Surely the religion is for God
only” (Holy Qur’an: 39:3). Almighty God does not accept anyone who
converts for a particular interest while implying infidelity, his
Islam. Muhammad reported that deeds will be judged by God according to
people’s intentions: “Deeds are rated according to the intentions of
the people who carry them out. Each person is to be rewarded according
to his/her intention. Anyone who migrates for the sake of God and His
prophet, his migration will be to them then, and anyone who migrates
for Prophet

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worldly interests, or a woman he wants to marry, his migration will be
to what he has migrated to.”12 There are, however, some people who
embrace Islam for mere personal interests; but after a while, they
become committed and truthful in their intention of faith. God will
forgive this group of people and grant them salvation.

Muslims are required to deal with anyone who proclaims Islam publicly
according to his/her actions and/or deeds. Only God can tell about
people’s hearts and motivations. The word Muslims scholars most use in
such likely contexts is: “We have to judge the apparent and only God
judges the actual.” If this fake Muslim continues to be elusive, then
he/she is deceiving the community and God will count him/her among the
hypocrites. If the true character of this “hypocrite” is revealed to
the community, then he/she will be held responsible and the divine
rules of apostasy will apply upon him/her.

Question 53: Is person’s intention sufficient for him/her to be a

Muslim or does he/she have to say the two testimonies: that there is no
deity but God and that Muhammad is His messenger? Answer 53: Intention
is not sufficient. The two testimonies must be proclaimed, as
announcing them is what distinguishes a Muslim from a non-Muslim. It is
the proof of honesty and of being convinced of Islam, because it is
difficult to know that person is a Muslim if he/she does not claim so?
How could a Muslim perform his duties towards other Muslims if he does
not know them and they do not know him? However, there are cases when
intention becomes sufficient, especially if this person is afraid of
being killed in case he/she announces Islam in a fanatic non-Muslim
environment. In this case, he/she may practice Islam secretly and say
the two testimonies privately until he/she could move to a safer
environment and could perform their rituals in public.

Question 54: Is it possible for a convert to say the two testimonies in

a language other than Arabic if he/she does not know this language?
Answer 54: Yes, it is possible to say the two testimonies in any
language. Arabic is not required at this stage.
12

However, once the convert is able to say the two testimonies in Arabic,
it is

Cited in all canonical books of hadith.

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advisable that he/she does so, in which case other Muslims could be
more acquainted with him/her. If he cannot do that, it is not
obligatory.

Question 55: Is it obligatory for a sister wanting to embrace Islam to

be dictated the two testimonies by a Muslim female or should only a
Muslim male achieve this? Answer 55: Islam is the religion of God, it
is an open invitation for everybody to join in. Anyone who says the two
testimonies out of truthful intention has entered the gate of Islam. A
convert does not have to be dictated how to become a Muslim if he/she
knows how to. But in the likely case he/she does not know what to do,
instructions become indispensable for mere educational purposes.

A convert is never required to have witnesses testifying his/her Islam.

Embracing Islam starts with saying the two testimonies, which are
followed by manner and conduct: all rites, like prayer, and fasting
must be performed. These acts of worship when are performed well become
enough witness for someone’s faith.

When need is required that someone proves his/her Islamic faith, like
the cases and matters related to law and religious courts, then
witnesses are rendered necessary in this case.

Question 56: What is the meaning of polytheism? And why does Islam
reject it?

Answer 56: Polytheism means worshipping something else with God whether
this thing is animate like a prophet, a messenger, a leader, a wealthy
man, or a prominent person; or inanimate, like a stone, a planet and
the like. Islam rejects polytheism altogether. It is regarded as the
antithesis of faith, as there are different reasons that prove this,
the most important of which are: 1. Anyone who really knows God,
through His most beautiful Names, Qualities, Acts and Virtues, will
despise having a peer to God. 2. Polytheism does not go with the true
nature that God gave to man. A God-believing person feels contented,
safe and psychologically settled, while a polytheist experiences an
uneasy kind of life. His/her feelings are mostly distracted, and
psychology unsettled. The

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least social study will show the great differences between the Islamic
societies and other ones, the reason being the dogmas that direct each
of these societies. 3. Polytheism contradicts reason. Rightful minds do
not place the creator and created on equal grounds. The same applies to
learned and ignorant persons, and the able and disable. When
contemplating the world around us, we realize it inevitable that there
exists a great, all-knowing and able creator of this universe, and all
that it includes, according to a very accurate and meticulous system.
Normal minds absolutely believe that this creator must be single and
all alone, because if there were more than one deity, conflict and
difference would have emerged. If there had been more than one deity,
things would have gone wrong, and one of them would have dominated the
other.

Question 57: What are the qualities of spirit?

Answer 57: Spirit is God’s most ambiguous and invisible secret. Only
Him knows and realizes its everlasting truth and essence. Almighty God
relates: “And they ask you (O Muhammad, concerning the spirit; say:
‘the spirit is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with
my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given only a
little’.” (Holy Qur’an: 17: 85).

Contemporary scientists have attempted tom make some research on the

truth of this secret. They have held conferences for the same purpose.
But their conclusion was that the spirit is an unknown secret which
mankind has not known its truth yet.

One of the conferences is the one which was held in New York in 1959,
when six scientists from different parts of the world met at a round
table in an attempt to understand something about the origin and
evolution of life on the surface of this earth. The Russian scientist
Alexander Obarin, a biochemist in he Soviet Academy of Sciences, and
greatly interested in the evolution of life, was among the
participants. The end of the conference was no better than its
beginning. It did not lead to any findings, but confirmed the fact that
the secret of life is unknown, and that there is no hope that science
will reach one day.

We believe in the existence of the spirit because of its outstanding

effects in a tangible world, which is replete with life and living
creatures. The difference between the life of human beings and that of
animals is that the life of the animal is instinctive and confined to
the world of concrete material of food, drink and desire, while the
life of man is distinguished to be above that, as it belongs to a world
of values, manners, ideals, virtues and noble feelings, and the life of
science,

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thought, and search for the secrets of the universe and benefiting from
them. If human beings try to do without these values, they regresses
into the world of animals. This fact is typically portrayed in the
Qur’an, God says: “while those who disbelieve enjoy themselves and eat
as cattle eat; and the Fire will be their abode” and “And surely, We
have created many of the jinn and mankind for Hell. They have hearts
wherewith they understand not, and they have eyes wherewith they see
not, and they have ears wherewith they hear not (the truth). They are
like cattle, nay even more astray; those! They are the heedless ones.”
(Holy Qur’an: 7:179)

Question 58: What is the relationship between life, death and the
hereafter?

Answer 58: Almighty God is the one who created both life and death to
see who is better in terms of deeds. This is the core of the matter “to
see who is better in deeds” (Holy Qur’an: 67: 2). God has created this
universe and showed the wonders of His capability so that His creatures
could really know Him, give Him His due, and observe the system that He
designed for them and live according to His decree. The entire universe
is bound to show true submission due to God’s supreme power. This
worldly life is the experimental setting, God wanted to see on it the
obedient and the disobedient, the deviant and the straight, the just
and the oppressive, the lost and the guided, the believer and the
infidel. This is why God gave man wisdom and freedom, and granted him
the authority and ability to choose between good and evil, guidance and
aberration. He sent messengers and supported them with miracles in
order to warn people and inform them that they should play the role of
His vicegerent on earth, and implement His law accordingly.

God has provided man, through His prophets/messengers, with a complete

system for life that goes well with his/her mind and nature.

Almighty God has announced to all people that this worldly life is an
arena, or a wrestling ring. Reward or punishment is to be delayed to
the hereafter, to which all people will go. This worldly life is
limited and narrow, and cannot be sufficient for obtaining rights
according to God’s criteria. This life is, therefore, a place for work.
Death is only a bridge across which human beings move to the eternal
life so that each could obtain his/her rights in accordance with fair
judgment, which saves nothing, however it is small or big. God said:
“So whosoever does good equal to the

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weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it. And whosoever does
evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant) shall see it.”
(Holy Qur’an: 100: 7-8). A poet expressed his view about the meaning of
life by saying: “Death is but a journey from this perishing abode to
the eternal one.”

Question 59: Will the other non-human creatures be resurrected beside

man?

Answer 59: On the Doom’s Day almighty God will resurrect all living
creatures and then will rule justly among them all. He will obtain the
right of the oppressed from the oppressor, even the animals. Then He
dignifies his honest worshippers by allowing them into Paradise and
granting them eternal stay in it. He will punish the infidels and
polytheists by forcing them into Hell and granting them eternal stay in
it.

What indicates the resurrection of animals on the doom’s day is the

prophet’s saying: “(On the doom’s day) everybody will get his/her due,
even the hornless goat will be redressed from the one with horns.”

Question 60: Is man by nature sinful?

Answer 60: God created man and granted him an intrinsic nature of
belief in the true religion. He provided him with a potential to do
good or evil, right or wrong. He gave him talents and abilities, which
enable him to do all of that completely at his own free will. God then
sent messengers for man’s guidance, to follow the straight path, and
warn people of the grave consequences in case they strayed off. With
this perception, test and examination become fair, and man eventually
may either succeed this test or fail it; hence, gain reward or
punishment. If man had been born to be good and infallible only, how
does he/she deserve reward then? On the other hand, if people were
created to be evil only, how could they deserve punishment for
something they themselves did not choose to do?

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Question 61: If man dies as a non-Muslim, will he/she eternally stay in
paradise or hell?

Answer: 61: God’s true religion is Islam; all previous religions were
no more than preparations for this final and eternal religion, Islam.
Before the advent of Islam, religions were limited to a certain time
and place, and they were deemed to prepare people for the acceptance of
the final divine religion embodied in the message of the last and seal
of prophets, Muhammad (pbuh). God almighty says: “And whosoever seeks a
religion other than Islam it will never be accepted of him, and in the
hereafter he will be one of the losers” (Holy Qur’an: 3: 85).

Question 62: What does make man eligible to enter Paradise?

Answer 62: Paradise, in the concept of Islam, is a delightful abode

prepared for the believers to enter in the Hereafter. Every true Muslim
that dies will ultimately enter paradise. This means that if a Muslim
commits sins but who repents before his death, will be granted
forgiveness by almighty God. God said: “And He it is who accepts
repentance from His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows that you
do” (Holy Qur’an: 42: 25). If, however, a sinful Muslim dies before
repenting, it will be up to God, whether He punishes or forgives
him/her. Prophet Muhammad reported that no single Muslim would
eternally stay in hell, so long as he/she has the slightest amount of
faith in his/her heart. The un-committed Muslims in this case will have
to be tortured in Hell for a period God knows; then they come out to
enter Heaven so that it could be their everlasting abode if God wills.
Muslims believe that people would be admitted into paradise not because
of their good deeds as much as the mercy of almighty God.

It is reported that prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “None of you will

enter Paradise owing to his good deeds”. They asked: “Not even you,
Messenger of God?” He said: “Not even me, unless God has bestowed mercy
and blessing upon me.”13 However, the prophet confirmed the fact that
God does not neglect the good deeds of anyone—the ultimate goal being
to encourage Muslims to keep in touch with God, to resort to Him and
plead Him. This helps to improve the conduct of Muslims in both their
private and public lives.

13

Cited in Bukhari.

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Question 63: Is the reciting of the Holy Qur’an without understanding
its meanings considered to be a kind of worship? Answer 63: Reciting
the Qur’an is indeed some kind of worship. However, there is a big
difference between the one who recites it passively, and/or the one who
deeply contemplates its meaning while reciting it. God rewards both
types, but on varying level. The happy life in the shadows of the Noble
Qur’an is difficult to achieve, except for one who contemplates ponder
it when he reads or listens to it. The Holy Qur’an, has a great
influences on man’s life and can easily change the course of people’s
history. It did have its great influence on the prophet’s companions
when it was being revealed upon the prophet.

Question 64: What is the wisdom behind each of Islam’s five pillars?

Answer 64: The pillars of Islam are five in number, they are: 1. The
testimony that there is no deity except God and that Muhammad is His
messenger, 2. Performing prayer, 3. Paying zakat, 4. Fasting the month
of Ramadhan, and 5. Performing greater pilgrimage to Mecca for the one
who can afford it. It is on these foundations that Islam is built. The
question cited above is too wide to handle in a limited period of time.
Besides, it requires a comprehensive knowledge of this religion, its
fundamentals and branches. This, however, does not prevent us from
mentioning some part of the wisdom of these fundamentals and branches
in accordance with God’s will and help.

There is no deity except God and Muhammad is His messenger: This is the
testimony of truth and the foundation of Islamic faith, as there is no
deity except God to be worshipped, to be surrendered to and resorted to
in all times especially in crisis. This is the monotheistic creed,
which guarantees tranquility and safety that is homogeneous to human
nature. If there were two deities in heaven and earth, they would have
been corrupted, and one of would have dominated the other. Muhammad is
the messenger of God. He is the guide to God, and the conveyor of His
system and rules of life according to which God runs life. The prophet
is the one who guides people to their God and acquaints them with the
methods of virtuous and happy life.

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Through this testimony the sources of slavery to God and the revelation
from Him are unified. Beyond it, no man lives a lost or uneasy life.
Through this testimony, man becomes able to know where he is going and
to whom to surrender. With the testimony man cannot be confused as to
the path he is leading in his life. It is drawn clearly as it was shown
by the messenger who received revelation from God in the form of a
complete and integrated system, which is lenient and easy in terms of
perception and conduct, and as a method of public and private life.

Performance of prayer: It is the link between man and God. It implies

submission to God and surrendering to Him. It is man’s address to the
creator, supplication and request to Him for guidance in this world,
which is the footstep to the hereafter. It is expressive of man’s
willingness to follow God’s commands and avoid what He prohibits.
Prayer is the food for spirit, it plants in the human soul emotions,
love for purity, and order. A performance of prayer five times a day
refreshes the feelings and purifies the soul every now and then. No
sooner than man surrenders to life and its worldly affairs, which
distract his/her spirit and overwhelm his/her mind and thought, than
prayer is called for. When the prayer is called for, the Muslim
promptly stands up to prepare himself/herself for the prayer (by
cleaning up and/or making ablution). Then men (it is preferable that
women perform their prayers at home) move to the mosque to stand in one
respectable row addressing the Lord through reading supplications,
invocations, and recitation of the Qur’anic verses. The Muslim’s
attention in this context is revived and enlivened, his/her heart and
conscience are awakened; and all are to be reflected on his/her
personal qualities, manners and dealings with the society surrounding
him/her, starting with the family and ending up with the society.

There is a huge difference between the life of a committed Muslim and a

non-committed one in terms of hygiene, psychology, personality,
society, and even private and public life.

Paying Zakat: Paying zakat in Islam is the basis of social solidarity

in the Muslim community. It is the guarantor of the rights of the poor,
set to them by God in order to sustain communication and mutual mercy
among the various classes of society; and to nourish the feelings of
love and cooperation among them. It is also meant to put an end to the
incentives of grudge and vanity amongst the believers. Zakat is a
symbol of an integrated economic structure in Islam, and a clear
indication of the fact that this religion is not merely emotions inside
the human self; rather a comprehensive system of life; in addition to
being a dogma strong and alive in the human self.

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Islam is a religion that lives up to people’s demands and concerns, and
tries to solve whatever problems Muslims face. As such, it paves the
way to respectable and virtuous life; eventually makes everybody happy.
By this, zakat is deemed to achieves security and stability to the
community.

Fasting the month of Ramadhan: Fasting is abstaining from food, drink,

and sexual desire for the from dawn to sunset in accordance with
almighty God commandment. There is strength in fasting for both man
self and will so that it goes above the captivity of necessities and
desire and rises to transcendental horizons, and it implies control and
order which should be familiar to Muslims in their lives. Thus he does
not become negligent or careless.

Fasting makes Muslims accustomed to fasting at a specific time, to

abstain from food and drink and at the same time to break their fast at
a specific time. When the month of Ramadhan ends, the Muslims become
God’s guests on the occasion of the Feast and he is prohibited from
fasting that day after fasting was obligatory the day before. It is
order, obedience, and noble education of the magnanimous selves.

Fasting in Islam is deemed to remind the rich and healthy of the

concerns of the poor, the sick and the weak. When a wealthy person
feels hungry, he/she will mostly remember the needy who might always be
hungry. This will make the rich sympathize with them and takes interest
in their affairs. Thus, a fasting person may conclude from his fast
great spiritual, psychological and social lessons.

Pilgrimage to Mecca: Pilgrimage is also one of the great pillars of

worship in Islam. It encourages Muslims to sacrifice their money, and
comfort for the sake of God, in order to go above the material, and
aspire to the world of values and ideals.

Pilgrimage is a strong link in the structure of Islamic system, which

is used to bring up the Muslim society on values, like acquaintance,
cooperation and consultation. Let us look at the educational array in
this community: Islam legislated congregational prayer, which calls
Muslims on a street level to meet five times a day, where they get
acquainted with the concerns, pains and situations of each other. Islam
legislated a meeting on the village or town level in the form of the
Friday prayer, so that a preaching scholar from among them would
remind, advice and guide them to the

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best of their interest. The Friday preacher treats the problems, which
may have happened on a week’s term from a conscious Islamic educational
perspective so that people leave the mosque after having known and
taken a dose of guidance, and knowledge by which they make their way to
the future.

Still, Islam legislated a larger meeting on the level of the whole

Islamic world every year, i.e. the day of the Greater Pilgrimage to
Holy Mecca, that blessed meeting when people are required to abandon
their local customs, conventions, dress and languages, and perform
universal rituals of the state of consecration, standing in `Arafat,
circumambulating the Holy Kaabah, strolling between Safa and Marwa, and
uttering devotional calls, standing around the Kaabah in heir prayers
seeing one another, and calling altogether most of their time: “Here I
am, O my Great God, answering Your call. I am indeed here to do Your
bidding. You have no partner. Here I am to do Your bidding. Indeed,
praise, bounty, grace and sovereignty are Yours. You have no partner.”

The Islamic world meets in pilgrimage to benefit, and show the power
and greatness of Islam in the form of one aim, one power and one unity.
They exchange opinion and consultation pertaining to their urgent local
and international concerns and problems and conclude useful lessons,
wisdom and experience, which lighten their path in life and help them
to achieve their purpose and great tasks. Pilgrimage, thus becomes
sacrifice, cooperation, consultation,

acquaintance with others, order, education, a symbol of unity and

power, and many benefits from which each Muslim takes a specific part.

This is a quick reply and an expressive glimpse of wisdom and secrets

of the pillars of Islam. What is more important is the taste of
sweetness of slavery to almighty God through the scientific
implementation of those pillars, while observing Islam sincerely and
honestly, oneself and one’s strong keenness to follow the method of the
prophet and imitating the guiding prophet (pbuh) in all rules and
situations. From the altar of slavery, the lights of guidance rise and
the darkness of life vanishes. Almighty God said: “Is he who was dead
(without Faith by ignorance and disbelief) and We gave him life (by
knowledge and Faith) and set on him a light (of Belief) whereby he can
walk amongst men–like him who is in the darkness (of disbelief,
polytheism and hypocrisy) from which he can never come out?” (Holy
Qur’an: 6:122)

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Question 65: Can a Muslim consider his failure in life as a kind of
test by almighty God?

Answer 65: Failure in one’s life may have different reasons: 1. Failure
to understand the rules of life and failure to recognize the law of
causality and its effects on the results. Islam demands action and
taking one’s way in life to search for rules, earning one’s living, and
desiring God’s graces. Anyone who does not act and does not acquire
anything but surrender to despair and gloom, and wait for the goodness
and Godspeed to come to him effortlessly must be violating the command
of almighty God and the teachings of Islam. God says: “… so walk in the
path thereof and eat of His provision. And to Him will be the
Resurrection” (Holy Qur’an: 67:15) 2. The reason for one’s failure in
life might be due to a punishment by God for his evil acts and
intentions. Success in life is a blessing from God that might be denied
to certain people. For instance, one who does not cooperate with
people, help those in adversity, give a hand to the weak, relieve those
having difficulties, and does not meet the needs of the paupers, such a
person, if he/she has a problem or suffers from some difficult
circumstances and God does not save him from his/her agony and gloom,
he has to know that reward is the same as the act, and prophet Muhammad
says: “Anyone who helps one in difficulty, God will help him in this
life and in the hereafter, and almighty God said: “As for him who gives
(in charity) and keeps his duty to God and fears Him, And believes in
alHusna, We will make smooth for him the path of ease (goodness). But
who is greedy miser and thinks himself self-sufficient. And belies Al-
Husna, We will make smooth for him the path for evil.” (Holy Qur’an:
92:5-10) and said also: “But the evil plot encompasses only him who
makes it.” (Holy Qur’an: 35:43) 3. The visitation could be from God to
his slaves in order to test their patience and faith. Surely, there
might not be any lack of understanding of the divine rules which run
life, and man might not be remiss in his/her action, and he/she might
not have an evil intention towards others, yet he/she finds obstacles
in the path of his life. In this way, the visitation is from God to
probe the extent of the faith of the one inflicted, the extent of his
strong belief and his adherence to principles. Almighty God said: “…and
we shall make a trial of you with evil and with good. And to us you
will be returned” (Holy Qur’an: 21:35). When a true believer inflicted
he/she is patient, satisfied, contented, not feeling sorry for what he
misses from the joys of life because his hopes will be much
concentrated on the God’s reward in the hereafter. Prophet Muhammad
says: “The case of the believer is fascinating, all of his situations
are good for him; if he is granted provision he thanks God, which is
good for him; and if he is inflicted with adversity, he is patient, and
that is good for him too. That is not meant for anyone but the
believer.”14

14

Cited in Muslim.

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Question 66: If there is no celibacy in Islam, why do the Sufi groups
exist?

Answer 66: Truly, in Islam, there is no celibacy, that is, to abstain

from marriage and prevent oneself from legal desires and pleasures.
Islam has replaced this term with what goes along with its rules, as
Prophet Muhammad said: “Jihad (holy war) is the celibacy of Islam.”15
Some people understood the meaning of celibacy to be abstaining from
life and having a passive stance towards it. Islam considers jihad in
the path of God to spread the religion of God and defend the truth that
God has revealed as celibacy of Muslims. It is the Islamic positivety
versus negativity of others.

It is a fact that many Sufi groups exist in the Islamic world. These
groups originally emerged as a reaction against the kind of luxurious
life certain Islamic societies were enjoying. This motivated them to
adopt the call for asceticism and reduce the interest in life at the
expense of the hereafter and the necessity to keep away from all that
drives the attention from almighty God. None of these groups did really
call for celibacy; if they had done, their action would undoubtedly be
sinful. Islam renders enjoying good things legal; it prohibits
abominations and calls for marriage. It even made marriage and
reproduction desirable so that the nation would increase in number, and
goodness increases alongside it. Those are taken-for-granted matters,
which all people know and do not need a proof or evidence for. This is
how the story of Sufism began, and in the course of time and as a
result of ignorance in religion and having little or no contacts with
scholars, deviation and extremism spread among many of these groups. By
the time they became, however, at complete distance from the guidance
of Islam, its orthodox teachings and rules. In order to achieve all
goodness Muslims should commit themselves to the guidance of the Noble
Qur’an, the path of the prophetic traditions, as they contain all that
makes one do without the thought and understanding of people.

Question 67: How can you interpret the contradiction between a Muslim’s
acts (like prayer, fasting, pilgrimage) and his/her daily behavior and
manner, especially when dealing with people? Answer 67: It goes without
saying that Islam should guide the Muslim in both his/her private and
public life. The purpose of prayer is to proscribe adultery and evil,
as almighty God said: “Verily,

15

Cited in Ahmad.

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the prayer prevents from great sins of every kind, and every kind of
evil wicked deed” (Holy Qur’an: 29:45). This should be the norm, but,
often, we do not find the proper effect of prayer and the other forms
of worship on a good number of people. It seems that a great deal of
them are not sincere and in their worship and do not take their prayers
seriously. They lack the education and enlightenment that help them
perform their rituals perfectly. It is only when these people take
their religious affairs more carefully, honestly, and faithfully that
their worshipping rituals will have its true effect on their lives;
consequently, end any likely contradiction between their worships and
daily interactions with the society.

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Chapter 2:
Matterss of Physical and Moral Cleanness
Question 68: When is a person considered to be pure from the Islamic
point of view?

Answer 68: Purity in Islam has two meanings: moral and physical. Moral
purity is embodied in the belief in almighty God only and not believing
in another deity besides Him. It also involves belief in God’s
messengers/prophets, in His books, in the hereafter and the
prerequisites of faith. What is also involved here is the cleanliness
of the heart from grudge, from vanity, from hypocrisy, from pride and
jealousy; and the acquisition of all virtues so that one may aspire
above any immoral act or sinful custom.

As to the physical purity (hygiene and cleanliness), this can be of two

kinds for man: 1. Purity or purification from major hadath (for men and
women after a sexual intercourse; for women, after the menstruation
period) by bathing. And purity from a minor hadath (after sleep and in
case something comes out from the human body, whether material or
immaterial) by ablution. All of that has a great deal of details, but
they have no place here to discuss. 2. Cleanliness from impurities: one
should keep away from all forms of impurities in terms of body, and
clothes, and should remove any likely traces of such things as blood,
urine, excrescence, wine, etc. If man’s heart is clear from polytheism,
and endowed with moral virtues; and if man abstains from bad manners
and cleans his body from impurities and dirt, he/she will be completely
pure in the view of Islam.

Question 69: What is the relationship between the purity of the soul
and that of the body?

Answer 69: Islam insists on purity (which of course include cleanliness

and hygiene), as it accounts for half of the religion. Almighty God
said: “Truly, God loves those who turn unto Him in repentance and loves
those who purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning and washing
thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers)” (Holy
Qur’an 1: 222). Prophet

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Muhammad: “Cleanliness constitutes half man’s faith.”16 He also said:
“God is gracious and loves graciousness, He is Pure and loves purity
and.”17

Purity, as such is values and beauty. But cleanliness of the soul and
the heart from moral abominations is more important than the
cleanliness of the body from material dirt and impurities. Islam
insists on purity in general and the purity of the soul and the heart
in particular. Anyone whose heart is pure and clean, his/her appearance
is bound to be so, and vice-versa. This is the basis and the principle
upon which the Islamic values are based. If this principle is missing
in people’s lives, they will never know cleanliness, neither
spiritually nor physically. The

manifestations of physical cleanliness, which non-Muslims seem to

enjoy, are not more than a deceptive appearance from afar. If one
approaches any of them, he/she would mostly likely sense a disgusting
smell coming out of them. This is not to mention purity of their soul
and heart, which has no place in those who do not really believe in
God. The least contemplation of the situation of the non-Islamic
societies would give us so much evidence and proof.

Question 70: When a person embraces Islam, is it obligatory upon

him/her to have a bath or shower?

Answer 70: Bathing or taking a shower for those who embrace Islam is a
divine requirement. It is required and strongly recommended both
physically and morally. What a beautiful beginning for one who embraces
this religion, after saying the testimony, with the intention of
starting a new period in his life based on physical and moral
cleanliness. Also, it could be possible that the one who has embraced
Islam has had a sexual intercourse with his wife. This, as such,
confirms bathing and it becomes obligatory, as it is seen by the
majority of scholars. The purpose of this bathing is the emphasis of
the cleanliness.

Question 71: When a person embraces Islam, will ablution suffice for a
bath, or is a bath obligatory? Answer 71: Ablution does not exempt one
who has embraced Islam from having a bath.
16 17

Cited in Muslim, hadith No. 328. Cited in Al-Tirmidhi, hadith No. 2723.

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Question 72: If a person wants to embrace Islam and does not find
water, what can he do?

Answer 72: Absence of water does not prevent one from embracing Islam.
He embraces Islam and says the testimony: “There is no deity by God,
and Muhammad is His Messenger”, then he/she can bathe when water
becomes available.

Question 73: Is removing hair for one wanting to embrace Islam

obligatory? And is that a part of purity and/or cleanliness? Answer 73:
The question about hair here is a vague one, for it does not specify
which hair should be removed. However, if it refers to the hair of the
head, it is not required to be removed, as it is not considered part of
cleanliness to remove it. However, prophet Muhammad (pbuh) related:
“Any man who has long hair, should honor it”, i.e. keep it clean and
tidy. As to the moustaches and the beard, Islam shows their rule in the
saying of the prophet: “Trim the moustaches and leave the beards.” So
Muslims are required by this hadith to cut the hair of the moustache so
that the edge of the upper lip could be seen; and to leave without
shaving it, because it is an emblem of Islam and a sign of manhood.

As to the hair of the armpit and pubic hair (round the private parts)
it is recommended to be removed whenever it gets long, but it should
not be left for more than forty days. This as well as other things,
like trimming the fingernails, is the natural signs according to which
God created people.

Question 74: Can a convert wear garments he/she used to put on before
his/her conversion while these clothes still have some of his/her sweat
on the same clothes? Answer 74: Sweat is not considered to be an
impurity. If these clothes were known to have some impurity on them,
like urine, it would suffice to wash them before wearing them again.

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Question 75: Is not it self-contradictory in Islam when it urges its
followers to be clean and to use water before prayer for cleanliness,
and then requires them to use earth when water is not available? Answer
75: There is no contradiction whatsoever between Islam’s legislative
system and any of its rules. As mentioned above, Purity and/or
cleanliness is a fundamental requirement in Islam. Using clean earth
(or sand) in Islam does not contradict hygiene. The whole process can
be summarized as follows: a Muslim can tap the earth with one’s hands
without carrying anything, then rubbing the face with his hands. It is
a symbolic meaning of the moral cleanliness, which should precede
prayer when water is not available to be used in ablution, or when one
is unable to use water for some reason, like illness. Observing
almighty God’s commands and obeying Him in every matter is the deeper
aim of washing one’s face with earth, though it is not regarded as a
real cleaning material as much as a symbol of worship and compliance
with God’s commands in the establishment of prayer and getting ready
for it.

Question 76: In matters related to bathing, why do Muslims waste large

amounts of water for bathing, while it might be possible to wash the
private parts only, like an apple falling from a bag, it is enough to
wash it in isolation of the other apples in the bag. Answer 76: This
sound to be a naïve question and far removed from truth. It is not
rational to compare the refined human being (with all his/her
qualities, feelings, emotions, texture, cells, nerves, etc.) to a bag
of apples! I do not think that it is feasible to compare the sexual
intercourse, in which the whole human being interacts and from which
the extraction of man’s blood and genes comes, to an apple falling from
a bag. This operation may cause a

psychological change and form a new creature that has both its
development and intricate living world. Islam requires bathing, because
it is a rule of the all-knowing God, blessed by the Lord, the Best of
Creators.

Question 77: What is Islam’s position regarding women’s circumcision?

Isn’t it a savage act and a loss of dignity and abuse of their sexual
rights? Answer 77: Circumcision of women is legal if not desirable in
Islam, depending on the state of the woman and her environment. In some
countries with hot climate, woman circumcision might become a necessity
for a perfect conjugal life with her husband. What harm or bestiality
happens

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to the woman if she is circumcised? There is no difference between the
circumcision of a male and that of a female. It is an extra piece of
flesh in the body of a little child, which can carefully be removed and
for the sake f purity, beauty; which verify the aspects of manhood in
the circumcised little boy and the qualities of womanhood in the little
girl. We see no wrong with it, and there is no loss whatsoever in
dignity.

Question 78: Are Muslims allowed to eat from the food and/or
slaughtered animals of the People of the Scripture (Christians and
Jews)? Answer 78: Muslims can at any time eat from the food and/or the
slaughtered animals of the people of the book. Almighty God says: “The
food (slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the People of the
Scripture is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them” (Holy Qur’an:
5:5). This testifies the ease of Islam and its tolerance in dealing
with non-Muslims, so that they come closer to Muslim and cohabit with
them peacefully. This is the beginning of the way to understand Islam
closely through action and behavior, not through speech and pretension
only.

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Chapter 3:
Matters Relating to Prayer
Question 79: Is it all right for a Muslim to say his/hers prayer in a
languages other than Arabic? Can he/she read surah al-fatiha (the
opening chapter of the Qur’an) and any other (short) surah in a
different language than Arabic? Also, is it obligatory to supplicate
and revere God in Arabic only? Answer 79: Saying one’s prayer cannot
not be considered acceptable unless it is read in Arabic. Every non-
Arab Muslim should learn some Arabic so that he/she could at least
perform his obligatory religious rituals. Arabic is the language of the
Qur’an and Islam. However, it is possible only temporarily to read the
meaning of the surat al-fatiha in another language (other than Arabic)
until the person has learnt to read it in Arabic. It should be
emphasized at the same time that learning to read Arabic is easy,
especially the Noble Qur’an. Almighty God says: “And We have indeed
made the Qur’an easy to understand and remember; then is there an one
who will remember (or receive admonition)?” (Holy Qur’an: 54: 17).

As to supplication and glorification in languages other than Arabic it

is lawful, though it is preferable to be performed in the language of
the Qur’an itself.

Question 80: What is the divine rule regarding a non-committed Muslim

who does not perform his/her prayer, not out of denial, but negligence?
Is he/she considered to be an infidel? Answer 80: Prayer is one of the
basic pillars of Islam, if not the most important one. It comes second
to the declaration of faith (the two testimonies). It is the pillar,
which distinguishes the Muslim from the infidel. It is usually the last
thing that Muslims maintain from Islam. Any Muslim who abandons it
becomes so close to infidelity, if not considered an infidel indeed.
Some scholars believe that when a Muslim neglects prayer because of
laziness, he/she becomes an infidel. Others regard it as sinful and
very close to infidelity, so long as this lazy Muslim recognizes it and
believes it is obligation.

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Question 81: Is the prayer performed when one is absent-minded or busy
about worldly affairs considered to be invalid? Answer 81: Prayer is
not considered invalid when one is absent-minded or busy, but the
worshipper will not obtain the reward of this prayer. Full reward
cannot be achieved except through humble and content prayer.

Question 82: Does it suffice a Muslim to perform his/her prayer only

verbally? Are the physical movements (of bowing, prostrating, etc.)
integrated in the prayer itself? Answer 82: Prayer is worshipping God,
and it is made in a particular manner which Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
taught us. Almighty God instructed the prophet to perform it this
manner through the revelation of angel Gabriel. The prophet (pbuh)
said: “Pray in the manner you saw me doing.” Following the prophet’s
tradition is an Islamic obligation, whether we realize the purpose of
some of his deeds or not. However, when we do not fully comprehend the
purpose and surrender to God’s commands, that is a kind of belief in
the unseen and a testimony to the belief in God—although we can never
see Him.

Question 83: Is it permissible for a Muslim to pray in a church if

he/she does not have time or could not find a more appropriate place?
Answer 83: Praying in a church is undesirable because it is a place for
non-Muslims. A Muslim can perform his/her prayer in any other place on
earth, so long as it is clean pure. The prophet says that whole of the
globe has been made a place for worshipping. A Muslims who does not
have enough time to pray while he is in a church for some reason could
go out and pray nearby the church, in the street, or in any other clean
place. However, prayer in a clean church for a Muslim can still be
valid though it may not be favourable.

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Question 84: What is the divine rule concerning the convert’s past
obligatory prayers, which he had missed before conversion? She he/she
perform them all? Answer 84: Islam is a religion of tolerance. “It
nullifies everything before it,” as related by Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh).18 Accordingly, a person who has embraced Islam is not required
to compensate for any Islamic obligations before embracing Islam.

Question 85: Is the prayer of someone who has converted but not yet
circumcised, acceptable?

Answer 85: The prayer of one who has embraced Islam and has not been
circumcised is acceptable if he insures that he cleans the circumcision
location properly, i.e. if he is sure that he has cleaned the inner
part of the piece to be cut in circumcision, and he has to do
circumcision as soon as possible, for it is one of the requirement of
Islam.

18

Cited in sahih al-Jame’ by Al-Allabani, hadith No. 3777.

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4: Chapter 4:
Matters Relating to Zakat
Question 86: If a Muslim struggles hard in order to achieve his own
wealth, why should he/she give a certain amount of this wealth in the
form of zakat? Is not all the money his/hers? Cannot God give the poor
money? Answer 86: Islam has its own comprehensive educational system
which takes care of both the individual and the society at the same
time. It maintains balance in rights and duties, chastens and purifies
the soul from greed and miserliness, and makes man feel that he/she is
an integral part of the society. Islam preaches that there is no
complete happiness unless all are happy; a well known Muslim poet says:
“No clouds should ever rain on me or on my land/ Unless it rains all
over the place.” Islam has established a society based on cooperation,
solidarity, reciprocal connection, mercy, love, benevolence and
altruism. A true Muslim’s conscience suffers and gets tormented if
people around him are under distress or hardship. A Muslim, who has
been endowed, by God, with health and strength to collect money, is
supposed to give thanks to his Lord for His gifts. The best way for a
Muslim to give thanks is to help brethrens in Islam who need help, to
give the deprived and poor from what God has given him. Love and
intimacy as such would be established and maintained between the poor
and the rich. In this way, society would feel better; and the spirit of
cooperation and harmony would prevail among the members of the same
community. Besides, the one who is poor and frugal might become rich
one day, and vice versa; he who gives today might be in need in the
future. Every right has one duty against it, and vice versa.

If we look at the modern advanced societies, we find them imposing

different systems of social security, collecting taxes, and trying all
the time to protect these systems by the force of law. Islam legislated
the system of zakat, which is fundamentally is a test, in order to
achieve solidarity for the sake of brotherhood, love, and goodwill.
However, the rebellion of some people against this system obliges the
Islamic state to take zakat from them by force so that the right of the
society continues to be maintained before the right of individuals, so
that happiness can prevail. Almighty God relates: “Help you one another
in al-Birr and al-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety); but do not
help one another in sin and transgression” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 2) and
prophet

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Muhammad related: “He is not a believer in me that who sleeps full at
home while his neighbor beside him is hungry and he knows about him.”

It is in this way that Islam brought people up so that society could be

a civilized one. History has not witnessed a similar example. Islam
still has the aptitude to form such society based on these values and
high ideals if it has the enlightened and conscious leadership and if
people are enjoying an atmosphere of freedom and dignity.

Question 87: Is it permissible for a convert to give zakat to non-

Muslim relatives for reconciliation so that they may embrace Islam?
Answer 87: Yes, it is possible to give zakat to relatives for
reconciliation so that they may embrace Islam. In fact they are
entitled to get such zakat. Almighty God says: “As-sadaqat (here it
means zakat) are only for the poor, and to the needy (but do no beg)
and those employed to collect (the funds), and to attract the hearts of
those who have been inclined (towards Islam)” (Holy Qur’an: 9: 60).
Though non-Muslims, these people must be given from the money of zakat
so that they may, hopefully, embrace Islam. Many people have embraced
Islam out of their desire to get money, but later they became
interested in the religion and became good Muslims.

Question 88: Out of the eight ways of spending zakat comes “and those
who are in the path of God.” Does this include sponsoring Islamic
promulgators and buying books for free distribution? Answer 88: Zakat
should go to those specified by almighty God in the Qur’an. According
to the majority of scholars, the type mentioned above, in the path God,
means jihad (holy war) against the enemies of God. As to those who have
devoted their time for Islamic call and have nothing to earn their
living from, they are entitled to the zakat money. As to buying books
and distributing them free, if the books are useful to those who are
going to receive them, especially in the field of religion, and they
were among those entitled to zakat money, there is no objection to
this. Generally speaking, distributing books to the poor and to the
needy, it is one of the most useful deeds which bring the Muslim closer
to God and it is the most important kind of the ways to spread the
Islamic call, but this should not come from the zakat money. The
charitable people should assign an amount of money as alms for this
kind of activity.

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Chapter 5:
Matters Relating to Fasting
Question 89: Can not the fasting of Ramadhan be regarded as a kind of
starving, self-torment and physical infliction when Muslims deprive
themselves from food and drink for many hours every day and for a
duration of a month? Why do not they fast as others (Jews and
Christians) do? Answer 89: Fasting in Islam–like every other ritual–
invokes admiration of this religion and of its educational method in
life. Islam is not a religion based on the satisfaction of emotions or
benumbing of feelings. Also, it is not a religion which follows the
inclinations of people or pleads them to meet around it like foam. It
is a heavenly religion which came to build up the good man who
qualifies for becoming of God’s vicegerent on earth, multiply in
number, and establish both truth and justice. Great tasks like these
require strong will and patience on the burden of life and its
oddities. Nothing like fasting could sharpen the will. When a man feels
hungry, out of his/her own will, at a time when nothing could prevent
him/her from food; when man chooses to abstain from food and drink
until a specific time, his/her will becomes subordinate to the mind and
thought. As such a Muslim becomes able to abstain from things on the
occasion of abstaining and moves forward in the location of action, and
does and leave what he/she thinks right after thinking and
contemplation, away from emotions and quick excitement, and respond to
ideas and various obsessions. Fasting is also a kind of education of
the rich and the well-to-do to taste the meaning of need and the sting
of hunger which the poor always suffer from. When those feel as the
others do, cooperation, solidarity and mercy prevail among the
individuals of all society, but when fasting is merely superficial, as
the followers of some other religions do, this does not go with the
comprehensiveness of Islam and its distinction. This religion is
characterized by its own rules and distinction of thoughts from other
creeds so that what is good is known to be different from the bad. Scum
always goes in vain, and what avails the people stays in the land.

Question 90: Islam is a religion of ease. What did God in his Almighty
enjoins such a difficult task as fasting on the Muslim, especially
those who live in hot areas? Answer 90: There is no hardship in Islam
and God does not charge man to do more than he/she could. Any
obligation in Islam that is too difficult for man and may cause him too
much difficulty

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will not continue to be an obligation. On the one hand, anyone who
cannot fast may not do so provided that he/she compensate for not
fasting by feeding a needy person for each day he/she did not fast. On
the other hand, Islam is a heavenly religion with a great heavenly
message which intends to build a nation, establish a civilization, and
take care of society by defending its rights, and achieving a great
role on the international level. Such a religion should in the first
place prepare its followers to endure difficulties and hardships so
that they could be qualified to build nations and develop
civilizations. May God bless the soul of that who said: “If the souls
are great the bodies will be tired because of their will.”

Desiring comfort and living in slackness, dullness and laziness are the
qualities of one who is impatient, the kind of people who are not
expected to be good to themselves or to others. Has ever a nation risen
in history and was important while it was sitting dull, neither
struggling nor getting tired or exhausted? Could such people know the
taste of real comfort, unless they were exhausted because of work?
Could people feel the pleasure of recovery without knowing the meaning
of disease? Could people know the taste of freedom without suffering
the agony of suppression?

By contemplating these great meanings, we realize that the obligation

of fasting is a heavenly educational one and the difficulty in it may
be intentional and deliberate, otherwise it would not achieve the
desired aim in the formation of the nation and its preparation for
grand tasks.

Question 91: How could a Muslim fast while living in a country where
the sun does not set most of the hours of the day, as in the
Scandinavian countries for instance? Answer 91: Fasting is a kind of
worship. It is a way of getting accustomed to patience and developing a
serious will; and a Muslim has to be as strong as possible in terms of
religion, will and body. The Muslims of such cold countries as the
Scandinavian, where the sun does not set most of the hours of the day,
should fast and be patient until the sun sets even though the day is
much longer than the night. If someone, due to a certain defect or
illness, feels unable to endure fasting for such a long time, he/she
can choose not to fast but must make up for that when he/she becomes
able to do so. Otherwise, if there is no possibility that the Muslim
would be able to fast, then he has to compensate in terms of feeding a
needy Muslim by providing him/her with average food, which he often
offers to his family, for lunch or dinner for everyday he did not fast.

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Chapter 6:
Matters Relating to Pilgrimage
Question 92: How does Islam command its followers to kiss a stone in
Makka with the aim of getting closer to God? Why should Muslims
circumambulate a stone building, or stand on a mount of stones and
rocks while, in the meantime, it ordains its followers to keep from
statues and idols which are made of stone. Is not that self-
contradictory? Answer 92: The acts of pilgrimage, such as
circumambulate the Holy Kabah, kissing the stone, and standing on a
mount of Arafaat are not considered in any way to be a statue worship,
which is strongly prohibited in Islam. The case of worshipping idols
implies intention and a heart attached to these solid stones with the
belief that these statues have power and can affect man’s life. Such
beliefs are regarded by Islam as a matter of mental setback, for how
could an inanimate object a living creature?

The whole rituals of pilgrimage represent complete obedience to God,

which God Himself requested from man. Whether one can realize the
secrets behind these rituals or not, a Muslim should follow the
commands of God so long as He commands us to do so. God is All-Knowing
and All-Wise, and He commands His slaves to do only what is beneficial
and good to them.

The pilgrimage rituals imply great educational intentions, which have

their effect on the life of the Islamic nation. They are the landmarks
around which Muslims from all over the world meet, stand and move in
the same direction. Circumambulating the Kaabah together in the same
direction while all are clad in white, and repeating the same call is a
real submission to God Will. All this reminds Muslims of their
emotional, intellectual and dogmatic unity and the unity of their
orientation towards great matters in life and the unity of their path
and destiny.

It also reminds them of equality in rights and duties; people are

equal, no one is unimportant or important, there is neither ruler nor
ruled, neither a prince nor a commoner, and no one is distinguished
from others in dress, circumambulating, standing or in any related
ritual. Great must be the effect of pilgrimage on the rich and the
famous when they are considered to be equal to the poor and the needy.
Their pride is bound to be lessened—something which makes them

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feel the life of simplicity, deprivation and exhaustion; consequently
they would reconsider the nature of their social relationship with the
public.

Pilgrimage also has educational effects, when languages, colors and

localities of the Islamic world meet and live together for a few days
every year with the unity of feelings, language, behavior and
intentions.

Now, could any rational person think that the pilgrimage rituals and
acts are like the rituals of humbleness before an idol made of stone
which cannot cause any harm or good to itself or to others?.

Question 93: What is the idea behind circumambulating the Kaabah? Do

Muslim worship the this building? Answer 93: Muslims worship God only
and do not worship anything else besides Him. Circumambulating the Holy
Kaabah is not a ritual of worshipping the stone building in itself.
Rather, it is a symbol of total submission to God’s commands; around
which the Muslims’ words and intentions unite, and on which their
opinions unit. Despite all the differences in their colours, languages,
countries, all Muslims meet around the Kaabah, which makes them feel
their greatness, strength and unity, as mentioned before. On the other
hand, there is a variety of worship thorough which the Muslims get
closer to almighty God, the physical reason behind which is not known
for sure; rather they are the emblem of yielding to That Great God Whom
Muslims knew as enjoying strength, greatness, mercy and perfection.
Muslims love God and believed in Him. One of the effects of that love
is the haste a Muslim shows to carry out His command without knowing
its effects. The obvious aim is their trust in God, and the desire to
obtain the reward both here and hereafter

The matter of worship whose desired effect in particular is not known

to Muslims is a kind of spiritual food them, so that their soul can be
balanced and their nature be settled, as man is made from body, mind
and spirit. The body is physical and has its material and concrete
food, and the mind is the container of science and knowledge and has
its food in Islam, as God opened before him the horizons of the
universe and life and urged him to research and probe the depths of the
universe and benefit from it. Also, God praised the mind and
appreciated it so much in order to

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give it a confidence, testimony, and a value which helps him to achieve
his tasks in life. As for the spirit, it is that transparent unknown
being whose nature and essence has not been recognized yet. As to the
spirit, God made its food from worships, and particular supplications,
which provide for this basic element in man its growth, balance and
coordination with the body and mind so that man could become complete,
good and straight.

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Chapter 7:
Family and Women Affairs
Question 94: Why did Islam limit the number of wives to four? And why
does it confine man’s sexual pleasure to marriage commitments, home and
tasks? Answer 94: Islam limited the number of wives to four as the
maximum number for a variety of reasons. On the one hand nature and
reality have proved the righteousness of this rule, especially when we
take into account the rising percentage of women compared to that of
men. On the other hand men are more exposed than women to dangers and
mortality like wars and perilous jobs. If man’s marriage is limited to
one woman only, a number of women will be deprived from the bliss of
marriage which is an instinctive demand in all human beings; which
provides shelter, intimacy and marital life for every member of the
family. When allowing man to marry more than one wife Islam does not
make the case obligatory, but rather something lawful. As a matter of
fact, Islam encourages marrying only one wife for those men who do not
have the ability to be fair amongst their wives. It proscribes its male
followers to marry more than one if they cannot fulfill marital duties
equally well among the wives. Almighty God says: “…then marry (other
women of your choice, two or three, or four; but if you fear that you
shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one...” (Holy
Qur’an: 3: 3). However, the percentage of those who marry more than one
wife is limited, as most men limit themselves to one wife. The
percentage is lesser among those who marry three or four women.

Islam prohibits intercourse between man and woman outside wedlock as

this cause harm on to both the individual and on society. It causes
many diseases, it leads to loss of lineage and it brings about the
destruction of the family, which is the nucleus of any society.

It remains to say in this context that it is difficult to find a man or

a woman in the western societies not having one or concubines. This is
something that often happens at the expense of the family and its
structure. It is strange how developed people would justify having
concubines but not wives!

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Question 95: Why does Islam allow polygamy for men but not polyandry
for women? Where is justice here?

Answer 95: Only those who regard marriage as purely sexual relationship
propagate this point of view. They ask: “Why cannot a woman have the
same right as men, of marrying more than one man? The answer can be as
follows: if a woman marries more than one man, the lineage will be
lost, as the woman is responsible for pregnancy. If land is not good
for planting more than one kind of plant at the same time, how could a
woman be good for planting more than one kind of semen at the same
time? Science has proved that out of millions of sperms, only one is
able to fertilize the egg. If the relationship of the woman is with one
man within marriage, we know for sure that this fertilization has come
from her single husband, not anybody else, even though the sperms are
millions, but if the woman is married to more than one man, how could
we know whose sperm it was that fertilized the egg of the woman;
eventually, to whom should the child belong? And which of these
husbands will be responsible for this family? Is it then justifiable
that for the sake of equality with man in polygamy the lineage of
children will be lost?

Naturally speaking, the majority of women reach the age of menopause

early. The age of menopause ranges between 40 and 50. As to men, their
potency continues until very late, on the one hand, and some women do
not desire their husbands, which causes them sexual frigidity, which is
much more common in women than in men. Women have their menstruation
and confinement periods, and some of them have long menstruation
periods. This prevents men from having sexual intercourse with them.

Question 96: Why is it not lawful for man to have sex with his wife
when she is having her menstrual period? Answer 96: What is forbidden
during the menstrual period is the vaginal sexual intercourse only. All
other forms of sexual pleasure are lawful, as almighty God said: “They
ask you concerning menstruation. Say: that is an adha (a harmful thing
for a husband to have a sexual intercourse with his wife while she is
having her menses), therefore keep away from women during menses and go
not unto them till they are purified (from menses and have taken a
bath). And when they have purified themselves, then go in unto them as
God has ordained for you (go in unto them in any manner as long as it
is in their vagina). Truly God loves those who turn unto Him in
repentance and loves those who

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purify themselves (by taking a bath and cleaning, and washing
thoroughly their private parts, bodies, for their prayers) (Holy
Qur’an: 1:222). Almighty God commands men to keep away from women
during their menstrual period, that is, not to have vaginal sexual
intercourse in the vagina. intercourse in the vagina during

menstruation has been proved medically harmful. In fact it comprises

every kind of harm, as straight natures hate mixing with impurities.
Judaism prohibited cohabiting with the woman during her menstruation,
eating with her, and having sexual intercourse with her. Islam is a
medial religion, it allows men and women to enjoy each others in any
way except sexual intercourse.

Question 97: Does Islam encourage marriages arranged by the parents

without prior consent from the son or the daughter? Answer 97: Islam
does not encourage arranged marriages without the consent of the son or
the daughter, even though the guardian is the father, which is clear in
what Prophet Muhammad said: “A widow is not married until she gives her
consent, and a virgin is not married until she gives her permission.’
They asked, “O, Messenger of God, how can she give her permission?” He
said, “By keeping silent.” And in other words “A widow has more right
than her guardian to give her consent, and a virgin is asked and her
permission is her silence.”19 Khansa’ Bint Huzam related that her
father married her off when she was a widow. She, therefore, came to
the prophet (pbuh) to complain about it. The prophet annulled her
marriage.20 It was also related that the a virgin maid came to the
messenger of God and told him that her father had married her off by
force, and the prophet gave her the choice to stay with her husband or
to leave him.”21

It was related too that a girl came to the messenger of God and told
him: “My father married me off to his nephew for reputation;” whereupon
the prophet gave her the choice to stay with her husband or to leave
him. She said: “I have accepted what my father had done, but I wanted
to tell the women that a father does not have the right to do so.”22
These traditions and many others
19 20 21 22

Cited in Al-Bukhalri and Muslim. Cited in all canonical books of

hadith. Cited in Ahmad, Ibn Majah, and others. Cited in Ibn Majah

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confirm that Islam does not allow a father or a guardian to marry his
daughter or sister off except when she gives her full consent. And in
the likely case she is forced to marry out of her consent, she can file
a case to the court or to the authorities, which have the right to
nullify the marriage.

Question 98: Why does not Islam allow a Muslim woman to marry a Jew or
a Christian at the time it allows the Muslim man to marry a Jewess or a
Christian woman? Also why does not Islam allow Muslim men to marry
other women than Jews or Christians (People of the Scripture)? Answer
98: Islam allows Muslim men to marry Jewish or Christian women. This is
a clear indication of the extent to which it tolerates and honours the
followers of these two heavenly religions. It deals with them in a
special way which does not apply to the followers of other religions,
in terms of eating from their food and marrying women from them. In all
religions, the guardianship is in the hand of the man. In this case if
a Jew or a Christian man marries a Muslim woman, he might deal
arbitrarily with her and use his right to force her (and their children
if any) to abandon Islam. But for this, Islam might have allowed equal
treatment in marriage, like equal treatment in food. Almighty God says:
“Made lawful to you this day are at-tayyibat [all kinds of halal
(lawful) food, which God had made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable
animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits). The food
(slaughtered cattle, eatable animals) of the people of the Scripture
(Jews and Christians) is lawful to you and yours is lawful to them.
(Lawful to you in marriage) are chaste women from the believers and
chaste women from those who were given the Scriptures (Jews and
Christians) before your time when you have given their due mahr
(bridal-money given by the husband to his wife at the time of
marriage), desiring chastity (i.e. taking them in legal wedlock) not
committing illegal sexual intercourse, nor taking them as girl-friends.
And whosoever disbelieves in Faith [i.e. in the Oneness of God and in
all the other Articles of Faith, i.e. His (God’s) Angles, His Holy
Books, His Messengers, the Day of Resurrection and al-Qadar (Divine
Preordainments)], then fruitless is his work; and in the hereafter he
will be among the losers” (Holy Qur’an: 3:5) Islam gives equal
treatment to the chaste Christian or Jewish woman as one as the Muslim
women in terms of wage (dowry), prohibition of unlawful sexual
intercourse, or making them concubines: it allows them to keep their
religion while they are wives to Muslim men. As to marriage of non-
Muslim men to Muslim women, it is prohibited for particular reasons: 1.
Man has the authority and guardianship on his wife, in which likely
case he might affect her behavior, conduct, thought and beliefs.

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2. In terms of equal treatment, Christianity and Judaism do not allow
the marriage of Christian or Jewish woman to marry a Muslim man. 3. In
order to prevent the authority of non-Muslims over Muslims, almighty
God said: “And never will God grant to the disbeliveers a way (to
triumph) over the believers” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 141).

Question 99: Why can a Muslim divorce his wife any time likes, while a
woman is not allowed to do so except after long and inconvenient
procedures?

Answer 99: Islam does not allow man to divorce his wife arbitrarily and
unjustly. If he does so that means he has not maintained his
responsibility efficiently. Islam legislated several measures which a
man should adhere to before he can take the decision to divorce his
wife. These include: 1. advising her, 2. desertion her in bed, 3.
beating her harmlessly, 4. arbitration, i.e. asking (any of her and/or
his relations) for intervention, 5. first divorce (revocable), 6.
second divorce (revocable), 7. third (or final) divorce (irrevocable).
Almighty God said: “As to those women on whose part you see ill-
conduct, admonish them (first), (next), refuse to share their beds,
(and last) beat them (lightly, if it is useful)” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 34).
After all of these stages, the irrevocable divorce can take place, and
there are several stages that the husband has to follow, otherwise his
divorce will be arbitrary and unfair to his wife. On the other hand,
there are several things to do, like: 1. man is usually less hasty or
excited and has more self-control of nerves and emotions than woman; 2.
man has authority and guardianship at home which commands him to spend
on the wife and family. 3. man is the one who pays the marriage
portion, whereas the woman takes it.

Question 100: Why should a woman wait if her husband has been away from
her for a very long time until a judge can give a verdict of her
divorce?

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Answer 100: It is not a matter of waiting as much as there should be
confirmation and proof of the complete absence of news about the
husband. Marriage is a real bondage and contract which implies
intimacy, mercy, stability and tranquility. Almighty God says: “And
among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among
yourselves, that you may find repose in them, and He has put between
you affection and mercy. Verily, in that are indeed signs for a people
who reflect” (Holy Qur’an: 30: 21). It is known that whenever the
contract has grand effects, it is more difficult for the legislator to
dissolve it and that depends on the contractors themselves. If the
absence of the husband allowed the dissolution of the contract
accordingly, there must be patience and confirmation, as mentioned
before, in dissolving this contract, so that neither of the contractors
would be done any harm because of haste. This happens depending on the
cause of absence and its justifications. The judge should estimate such
matters and try to avoid harm to anyone as much as possible.

Question 101: Why should there be a guardian and two righteous

witnesses at the time of the marriage contract in Islam? Is it not
possible for a woman to have her complete freedom in this respect, and
not wait for someone to humiliate her in choosing and allow her to
marry? Since men have the right to marry whenever they like, why, women
are not granted the same status? And why her guardian’s consent is a
prerequisite in this instance? Answer 101: Part of the answer has
already been given in (Answer 97). Here is the rest of the answer. At
the time of marriage, there should a guardian (usually the father) and
two righteous witnesses. Marriage is different from unlawful adultery,
and a woman is not allowed to marry without the consent of her
guardian; the guardian in turn is not allowed to marry her off without
taking her consent. The responsibility here is mutual; it cannot be
achieved except through the consent of the two sides, both the guardian
and the girl. This signifies a respect for the woman and maintenance of
her right. It takes care of her and does not cause her any harm or
humiliation. If she happens to choose a suitable man and her guardian
prevents her from marrying him, or in the likely case she has no
guardian, the judge can be in charge of marrying her off in spite of
the objection of her guardian. In Islamic jurisprudence the judge is
the guardian of anyone who does not have a guardian, i.e. he can marry
a woman off if she has no guardians.

If a woman wants to marry a man and there is another one who is better
than him, the consent of the guardian and the witnesses will be
superfluous, and her freedom will not be limited. But if the

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husband she has chosen is not an appropriate one (to the best of the
guardian’s knowledge), her guardian can interfere. Preventing her from
such a marriage is deemed to her interest. Not all kinds of freedom
necessarily bring benefit to man, and every kind of limitation is
harmful to hime/her. Almighty God says: “…and it may be that you
dislike a thing which is good for you and that you like a thing which
is bad for you. God knows but you do not know” (Holy Qur’an: 2: 216).

Question 102: Is it lawful for a woman to divorce her husband if he is

infertile, ill or having a chronic disease? And is it lawful for a man
to divorce his wife if she is barren or has a chronic disease? Answer
102: As mentioned above, divorce is in the hand of man not woman
because of reasons, most important of which is his right of
guardianship. However, Islam has made it lawful for woman to dissolve
the marriage contract (In Islamic jurisprudence–mukhaala’a), which
happens when a woman asks the judicial authorities to dissolve the
marriage contract, either because of the infertility of her husband or
because of some harm caused by the husband to her, as is the case when
the husband is chronically ill. This matter will be different if the
woman knows about her husband’s situation before her marriage to him.

Question 103: Why is not lawful for girls in some Muslim countries to
choose any man she wants to marry? Answer 103: Islam should not be
judged through the practices of some of its followers; people should be
judged according to their implementation of Islam. Islam does respect
the will of the girl, as mentioned above. However, the consent of the
girl’s guardian should be achieved when she would like to marry and the
marriage contract will not be valid without it.

A woman is free to choose any man she wants to marry; she is also free
to reject any man she does not want to marry. This is alright as long
as her choice is right. As to the choice based on socialization between
man and woman or unlawful courtship, it is undoubtedly a failing one.
In this case, the guiding guardian, who takes in his consideration the
benefit of his daughter or ward, should interfere. Prophet Muhammad
said: “Any woman married off by an angry guardian, her marriage is
invalid.”

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If the guardian is fair, he should interfere, as his consent is
beneficial not only for the girl in this case, but also it goes beyond
that to include his family and clan. Islam stresses familial and social
relations. The fact that Islam is the religion of equality is true and
right, because it holds similar things as equal, it draws distinctions
between contradictions, antitheses and differences. If it regards
different things as equal it would be unfair and unjust. Man and woman
are the same in terms of humanity, in reward and in punishment, in
rights and in responsibility, and in many duties. The same applies to
the marital home, as almighty God said: “And they (women) have rights
(over their husbands as regards living expenses) similar (to those of
their husbands) over them (as regards obedience and respect) to what is
reasonable…” (Holy Qur’an: 2: 228). As man is responsible for work and
expenditure for his family, and is exposed to more struggling in life,
he was given an extra degree: “but men have a degree (of
responsibility) over them” (Holy Qur’an: 2: 228). Almighty God also
said: “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because God has
made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support
them) from their means” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 34).

Suspicion comes from adopting corrupt criteria; difference in jobs

leads to differences in concepts. When a European woman wants to work,
earn her living, and spending money, as man does, undoubtedly she will
demand equality. Troubles emerge from asking a woman to do what is not
her duty. For this, and besides other reasons, Islam does not regard
man and woman as equal in a variety of respects, including testimonies,
inheritance, guardianship, custody, confinement after divorce, and the
areas of the private parts of the body which should be covered, and the
duty of expenditure, divorce, etc. It is a well know fact that organic
and functional build of woman is different from that of the man. The
French scientist Alex Carrel stated: The difference between man and
woman does not come from the particular shape of their genitalia, or
from the presence of womb in woman, or from the method of education, as
the difference is of a more important nature than this. The differences
come from formation of texture itself, and from the fertilization of
the body with specific chemical materials which the ovary exudes.
Ignoring those essential facts by feminists led them to believe that
both sexes should receive the same kind of education, and that both
sexes should be given the same authorities and similar
responsibilities. In fact, woman differs considerably from man, as
every cell of her body carries the nature of her sex.23

23

Alex Carrel, The Unknown World of Man, p. 114

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Question 104: Since Islam is the religion of equality, why it gives man
double what it gives to woman in matters of inheritance? Answer 104:
Islam gave man double what it gave to woman in inheritance for several
reasons: 1. Man’s need for money is more than that of woman, because he
is charged of the financial burdens of life which are double the
burdens of woman. When he becomes adult, he is required to spend on
himself (marriage expenses for example), at the time girl continues to
be spent on by her guardian until she gets married. When she accepts to
marry a man, her future husband gives her the marriage portion. When
she gets married, her husband becomes in charge of spending on her. 2.
Money is the nerve of life and proper management of finance is both an
individualistic and collective duty. Man is often better at handling
inherited money and better at managing and investing it. 3. Islam
observed the possibility that the inheritors may share the inherited
money: men mostly participate in running the business of their fathers,
whom they inherited while women do not. 4. Giving man double the amount
of the inheritance to woman man is not always the case, as both man and
woman may get the same amount in some cases, as in the case of the
brother of a mother, and the sister of a mother, and the father and
mother from their son, if the son has inheriting descendents, and so
on. 5. Inheritance is one of the forms of support, and men are much
more supportive to their dependants more than women.

Question 105: Why does not an infidel brother inherit his Muslim
brother, and vice versa?

Answer 105: Inheritance is an expression of loyalty, connection and

relation. If the inheritor is different from the testator in terms of
religion, there will not be guardianship or relation between them,
since the most important relation is that of Islam. Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) said: “Neither an infidel inherits a Muslim nor a Muslim
inherits an infidel.”24 Prevention of inheritance is a prevention of
the forms of sympathy and relation, both of which might corrupt the
Muslim’s faith. When Islam prevents inheritance between a Muslim and an
infidel, it affirms the rule “profit against loss” and vice versa,
which does not negate justice, but a kind of equal treatment.

24

Cited in all canonical books of hadith.

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Question 106: Why does Islam prohibit an heir from inheriting his
testator in case this latter was killed by his inheritor? In this case
what is the fault of the killer’s children if they did not take part in
the murder? Answer 106: Depriving the killer from inheriting his
testator is a kind of prevention of a greater evil, as there could be
more murders of testators. It is also a treatment of man according to
the opposite intention of the killer and punishing him in a similar
kind. The jurisprudential rule for this is: “Anyone who makes haste to
get something before it is the right time is punished by depriving him
from it.” Depriving the killer from inheriting does not prevent his
children from inheritance, as long as they are not prevented by other
heirs because of other reasons of prevention, than killing.

Question 107: Why cannot a woman travel on her own, while man can? Why
should she always be escorted by a mahram (unmarriageable relative man)
if she wants to travel? Also, why she can not travel without her
guardian’s consent? Answer 107: A woman may travel without a mahram but
only for short distancees–less than a day and a night. In case she
wanted to take more than this, she is required to be accompanied by a
mahram or by a trusty group. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “A woman may
not travel for more than one day and night on her own without a
mahram.”25 Islam disallows a woman from traveling on her own for a long
distance for the sake of her safety, protection, reputation and to
preventing any evil which might befall her. Of course she can always
travel for any distance with a good company or a group of people
provided that her safety is maintained and confirmed. Unless
accompanied and/ or escorted by amahram a woman may not even travel to
perform her pilgrimage, which is one of the greatest Islamic forms of
worship.

Question 108: Why would a woman wait for the consent of her husband or
the companionship of one of her unmarriageable relatives if she wants
to perform pilgrimage, although pilgrimage is an obligatory duty for
women as well as for men who are allowed to travel without the consent
of their wives? Answer 108: This question has already been answered
(answer 107). However, we can also say that God Himself out of mercy
and compassion with His people wanted to make life easier for them
people. Some scholars mentioned that one of the conditions for women to
perform
25

Cited in Muslim, Haj book, hadith No. 2388.

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pilgrimage is to be accompanied by a mahram. This is not a condition of
duty as much as a condition of performance. It is not a condition for
acceptance: if she performs pilgrimage without mahram the pilgrimage is
deemed to right and she would have fulfilled this ritual. But God did
not oblige her to do what she could not do and she is rendered sinful
if she dies without performing pilgrimage if she does not find an
accompanying mahram or a trustworthy company.

The consent of the husband for the wife to go with one of her
unmarriageable relatives to perform pilgrimage remains a controversial
matter among religious scholars.

Question 109: Could you comment on the prophetic tradition which says:
“The people who give the leadership to a woman would never be
successful.”26 Answer 109: This tradition has its own historical
context. It was stated by the prophet as a response to the political
change in the crumbling Persian Empire in the 6th century. In a failing
attempt to save their empire, the Persian crowned Khosrau’s daughter,
Buran, as their leader. When the prophet learned about this incident,
he (pbuh) said: “The people who give the leadership to a woman would
never be successful.”

Some scholars interpret this saying according to its historical context

only, that is when the prophet foretold the downfall and the breaking-
up of the Persian Empire—which is an historical fact. However, there
are scholars who take the words in a more general sense. They say that
the authority of the woman will always be lacking because she might be
exposed to difficult situations over which she might have no control
because of her nature and weaknesses.

Question 110: Why does not Islam allow women to take judicial
positions, i.e. become judges?

Answer 110: Depending on the prophetic hadith in question 109, most

scholars believe that women cannot become judges, because of the
discrepancy of their nature as dealing with legal problems requires
more reason than passion. However, Abu Hanifah, the well known leader
of an Islamic school, stated that women may become judges but only in
affairs where her testimony

26

Cited in Bukhari, in al-Maghazi (The Forays).

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is indispensable and/or crucial. Ibn Jareer at-Tabari and the Malikis
have no objection to women’s judicial positions.

Question 111: What is meant by the prophetic statement regarding women

that they have “Women have their own deficiencies in both minds and
religion”? Answer 111: It has been reported that the prophet (pbuh)
once addressed women by saying: “O womenfolk, give alms. I have seen
that the majority of the people in hell are women.” The women asked:
“O, Messenger of God, why?” He said: “You keep swearing, and deny your
husbands, I have not seen people with incomplete minds and religions
who could affect the mind of the strict men like you. Then they asked:
“What is our lack of mind and religion, O, Messenger of God?” He said:
“Is not the testimony of woman half that of a man?” They said: “Yes.”
He said: “That is the lack in her mind.” He added: “Does not she
abstain from praying and fasting when she has her period?” They said:
“yes.” He concluded: “That is their lack of religion.” It is obvious
from the answer of the prophet that the lack of woman’s mind is in the
matter of testimony, which needs control and affirmation. Man is more
affirmative and controlling in this respect than woman. Also, he could
afford to witness a crime more than a woman could do, that is because
of the nature of woman who could not endure to do as a man can. A woman
needs another woman’s testimony to confirm hers, as women are often
busy with their children, and home, which usually distracts her mind
and thinking. The first part of the tradition alludes to the cunning of
women in some respect, that they affect the strict man’s mind. This is
the most rhetorical description of women, as the self-controlled man is
sometimes led by their intrigues. As such, one who is not self-
controlled is more likely to be led by others.

As to the lack in woman’s religion, the prophet referred to that in the

sense that when she menstruates, she neither prays nor fasts, which
makes her more exposed to the devil’s insinuations. If she strengthens
herself with supplication and giving alms, she will be more protected
from the devil, God willing.

It has medically been proved that when a woman is menstruating, or in

confinement she usually goes through an uncomfortable psychological and
physical situation. This is a part of the prophetic miracle, as it
shows us that woman is exposed to such emergent lack, which is not a
permanent lack in the nature of woman.

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Question 112: Prophet Muhammad said: “Woman was created from a bending
rib.” What does this mean and is it also applicable on men? Answer 112:
This tradition has been mentioned to take care of women and not to
prejudice them, as some might think. The original saying stated by the
prophet in this respect was: “I command you to take care of women, as
they were created from a rib, and if a rib bends, it does at the top
part of it. If you try to straighten it, it breaks, and if you leave
it, it will continue to be bending. Therefore, take care of women.”27
This can be taken to mean: accept my command of women and behave
accordingly. Take care of women and be kind when dealing with them,
because of their delicate nature.

Traditions say that Eve was created from one of Adam’s ribs, i.e. she
came out of it as a palm tree comes out from a nucleus—something that
has been affirmed by other heavenly religions.

The meaning of “the most bending part of the rib is its top” could be a
reference to the most bending part of woman, which is her tongue. The
tradition connotes that the woman has a definite nature according to
which she was created; it is difficult to change natures and men should
cope with this fact. Anyone who tries to straighten a bending rib will
break it, and breaking means divorce and/or separation.

It is a fact that almighty God created Adam from earth and water (clay)
and created woman from his (Adam’s) rib, and created the jinn from fire.

Question 113: Is it lawful for woman to enter the domain of political

and parliamentary life? Is she allowed to vote to choose a certain
ruler? Answer 113: Within the framework of the Islamic law, it is quite
possible for women to involve in political and/or parliamentary lives.
She is also free to vote for the political ruler of her choice.
Abdurrahman ibn `Awf consulted with women in their rooms when he was
charged of choosing `Uthman or Ali as the third caliphate the death of
Omar.

27

Cited in Bukhari.

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Question 114: Why does Islam consider the testimony of a woman half
that of a man? Are not men and women treated equally well in Islam?
Answer 114: The number of witnesses has nothing to do with respecting
the witness or humiliating him. This is due to the kind of testimony
and its requirements. In many legal cases, especially those exclusively
related to women, men’s testimonies are invalid; only the testimonies
of women are to be accepted. This of course does not degrade men. Also
there are cases where the testimonies of both men and women are
accepted, because they have the same thing witnessed, like the proof of
seeing the moon of the month of Ramadhan. There are also cases where
the testimonies of men and women are accepted, but because of the lack
of interest of women in them, and the probability of women’s
forgetfulness, the testimonies of two women are equaled to one
testimony of man. The aim here is to maintain right. The Holy Qur’an
says: “…so that if one of them (two women) errs, the other can remind
her.” (Holy Qur’an: 1: 282). This applies to financial matters; as it
is the concern of men to work in markets, attend the contracts of
financial negotiations, contrary to women who are not usually concerned
with financial contracts.

Question 115: Isn’t it a savagery of Islam to order for the stoning of

the married adulterer and whip the unmarried one? Answer 115: There is
no savagery in stoning a married adulterer and whipping an unmarried
one, as their acts themselves are ones of bestiality and savagery.
Adultery is a transgression of God’s right and natural law. All
heavenly religions and conventions have agreed that adultery is heinous
crime. Therefore, secular laws are not fair, and Islam’s incurring of
such punishments, of the adulterer and adulteress, is to curb man from
committing such crime.

The stoning of an adulterer had existed in the creed of the Jews before
that of Islam in the books of the Old Testament (the creed of the Jews
and the Christians), but the followers of those two religions changed
that creed and the scriptures remained until the time of prophet
Muhammad (pbuh). When two Jewish adulterers were brought him, he told
them that their rule existed in their Torah, but they concealed it from
him. To this denial God revealed to His prophet the following Qur’anic
verse: “But how do they come to you for decision while they have he
Torah, in which is the (plain) Decision of God; yet even after that,
they turn away. For they are not (really) believers” (Holy Qur’an: 5:
43). The punishment of the unmarried adulterer according to the Jewish
faith

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was to soil his/her face with black color and to make him/her ride
backwardly on an animal while it is led through streets of the village,
town or city.

Inflicting a painful punishment on the adulterer and adulteress is not

a savage matter, especially after discovering its destructive effects,
which threaten societies with perdition. AIDS, syphilis, leukorrhea, to
mention only few, are well know fatal diseases which are caused by
illegal practices of sex.

Question 116: Why does Islam restrict woman with niqab (hijab)l? Is not
that a form of humiliating woman in every way in life? Is not faith in
the heart? Is not it lawful for woman to enjoy the bliss of eyesight?
Answer 116: Islam commanded woman to use the veil in order to protect
and maintain her from harm and aggression. She is like a jewel that is
to be wrapped up with the finest pieces of cloth, and placed in the
most protected location, far away from the hands of the corrupted
people. This explanation is testified by almighty God’s words: “O,
Prophet! Tell your wives and your daughters, and the women of the
believers to draw their cloaks. That will be better, that they should
be known (as free respectable women) so as not to be annoyed. And God
is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 59).

This means the following: 1. Islam in its creed surrounds the woman
with a halo of decency, which goes with her nature of instinctive
shyness—something that exists in every heavenly religion. In
Christianity, for example, a nun is made to be dressed decently, a way
which is different from other women in her religion, whereas Islam made
this rule apply to every woman, as religion is meant to be for all and
not specific to a particular section, and this is the way in all of its
rules. 2. It is true that faith lies in the heart, but man’s action and
behaviour are supposed to testify to faith or belie. Commitment to
God’s commands is a proof of the existence of faith, and violating
almighty God’s commands is a proof of the absence of faith and its
weakness. 3. Islam does not prevent woman from enjoying any bliss,
provided that the bliss is lawful. Hence, Islam does not prohibit women
from enjoying lawful eyesight. Unlawful eyesight mostly lead to
unlawful things, and what might be deemed to be a joy becomes a killing
arrow, and a sigh in the heart. Islamic philosophy is based on the
injunction of preventing evil, for everything that leads to unlawful
things is unlawful.

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Chapter 8:
Islamic Society and Human Relationships
Question 117: Why do Muslim countries apply Islamic law upon non-
Muslims when problems arise in Islamic society? Answer 117: Islam does
not enjoin the People of the Scripture to use or follow the divine
creed of Islam. The method of Islam is as follows: if they resorted to
Islamic methodology for arbitration, then the Islamic rule should be
applied in this case, almighty God says: “So if they come to you (O
Muhammad), either judge between them, or turn away from them. If your
turn away from them, they cannot hurt you in the least. And if you
judge, judge with justice between them. Verily, God loves those who act
justly” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 42) In any other likely case, they could at
any time follow their creeds, so long as these creeds have a heavenly
origin. Also, God says: “But how do they come to you for decision while
they have the Torah, in which is the (plain) Decision of God; yet even
after that, they turn away. For they are not (really) believers” (Holy
Qur’an: 5: 43). This has already been mentioned in the matters related
to creeds and familial dealings and in case they are citizens in the
Islamic countries.

As regards civil and financial cases, all people living in Muslim

countries must commit themselves to observe the Islamic rules, as these
rule serve the opinion of the majority of the citizens. This criteria,
the rule of the majority, is applied everywhere in the world,
especially in the west. In the various dealings of the common affairs
(like traffic, health, education), Muslims themselves almost always
refer to civil laws. This also includes many other matters, which have
nothing to do with dogma, liberty of belief, familial relationships
(like marriage and other things so that they cannot collide with the
religion of the Islamic society). As it is decided, contract is the law
of the contractors; and anybody coming into the Islamic country will
beforehand sign his commitment to the divine laws and manners;
consequently, accept the rules of Islam to be applied, if required.
This is one form of proving sovereignty to the state, something which
is applicable almost everywhere in the world. Constitutions of almost
all world countries decree that in the likely case any crime takes
place on the land or within the territorial boundaries of any country,
then the law

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and rules of that particular countries are the ones to be applied,
without discriminating between the nationalities of the people involved
in the crime. Question 118: Since it is claimed that Islam has
undertaken the question of liberating slaves and bondwomen, why do
Muslims make of men slaves and women bondwomen when they go to wars?
Does not that signify a contradiction in Islamic principles? Answer
118: It is a fact that Islam has called for the liberation of slaves.
There are many proofs to attest for this: 1. Liberating a slave is a
kind of atonement for some sins, like indeliberate murder, and dhihar
(divorce), oath breaking, corruption of one’s fast in Ramadhan by
sexual intercourse and so on. 2. God promised a great reward for those
who voluntary liberate any of their slaves. 3. The right of the slave
to liberate himself by buying himself from his master; 4. A Muslim is
encouraged to pay a portion of his zakat money to those slaves willing
to purchase themselves from their masters; 5. The Islamic rule of what
is called “arrangement,” which incurs the liberation of the slave upon
the death of his master, especially if the master does not have the
desire to liberate him during his lifetime. So the choice of freeing
oneself is open after the death of the master. The master may say to
his slave: “You are be free after my death,” whereupon the slave
becomes free immediately after the death of the master. 6. The Islamic
rule regarding the women slaves in case they become mother of children
to their master upon a sexual intercourse they might have with them. If
the bondwoman conceives in this case, she may neither be sold nor
rented; soon after her master’s death, she becomes free. When a war
takes place between Muslims and others, and Muslims come out
victorious, if an agreement takes place between the Muslims and their
enemies regarding the captives, the Muslims are bound to keep their
word according to what they have pledged. If there is no such agreement
or reconciliation, then Muslims are free to opt for one of the
following choices: 1. Ransoming their captives with captives from the
enemies, or money is given instead. 2. Setting the captives free
against nothing, out of kindness and charity. 3. Killing them to
relieve mankind from their evil, and killing only the fighters from
them. 4. Enslaving them as a kind of charity so that they could know
Islam closely with the hope that they might become Muslims themselves.
It is in the right of Islam to kill those who stood in the face of
Islam as fighters, but in most cases they are kept alive and enslaved.

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This is some kind of showing the power of Islam and the humiliation of
its enemies. The caliph is the only one who could command enslaving up,
it is not left to individuals.

Question 119: Why, upon the birth of a baby, Muslims slaughter one
sheep for the girl but two for the boy? Answer 119: Following the
tradition of prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Muslims slaughter one sheep for
the newly-born girl but two for the newly-born boy. The rationale
behind the difference could be to stress the fact that there are
differences between man and woman in terms of physical capability and
the right of guardianship and responsibility. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
said: “The baby-boy is ransomed by his slaughtered animal.” Since man
fights in the path of God and carries the burden of struggle and
earning living, he is more exposed to dangers and accidents than woman.
Therefore, he is more required to be ransomed with two slaughtered
animals for the protection of his body and optimism for his safety.

Question 120: Is it lawful for a non-Muslim to enter the Holy Mosque in

Mecca? If not, why?

Answer 120: It is not lawful for a non-Muslim to enter the Holy Mosque
in Mecca in accordance with what almighty God has said: “Verily, the
mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolatries, disbeliveers in the Oneness
of God, and in the Message of Muhammad) are Najasun (impure). So let
them not come near al-Masjidal-Haram (at Mecca) after this year” (Holy
Qur’an: 9: 28). As to other mosques, the reason for a non-Muslim
entering a mosque should be taken into account before admitting him/her
to do so. If it is for the sake of learning about Islam or for any
other reason which meets the needs of Muslims, then it is lawful for
non-Muslims to enter the mosque. Entering mosques for touristic or
sightseeing purposes is not lawful.

Question 121: According to the Qura’nic verse “So if you gain the
mastery over them in war, punish them severely in order to disperse
those who are behind them” (Holy Qur’an: 8: 57), we believe that Islam
spread by the sword. What is your explanation regarding this? Answer
121: Islam did not spread by sword, and had it spread by sword or by
force, people would have apostatized at the first chance they had, but
the situation is just the opposite. Once

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those people embraced Islam, they turned into proselytize Islam in
terms of tongue, money and sword. Holy fight in Islam is meant for
overcoming the barriers before the call for Islam to people. If it had
been possible to call to Islam without facing barriers or objection by
force, Muslims would not have used arms or force on the one hand. On
the other hand, many countries, especially in South East Asia and the
biggest part of Africa and those who embrace Islam in Europe today, the
spread of Islam was in those countries by peaceful call, respectable
Islamic dealing of Muslim traders, and Islamic missions in those
countries. The west used its colonial influence, societies, preaching
missions sometimes in the name of medical AIDS and, sometimes in the
name of schools and education. It used those means to spread
Christianity; hence, the intention was not completely pure or for
purely humanitarian reasons. It was for the sake of exploiting those
peoples and reverting them off their various creeds. Through its
stooges, the west executed all of its terrorist and aggressive plans.
The Christian west wanted to establish secular governments, which had
nothing to do with religions, on the basis that those governments had
nothing to do with Islam, which was considered by the west as archenemy
without justifications.

Question 122: Tobacco did not exist at the time of prophet Muhammad,
yet it is considered by many scholars today as unlawful. Why? Answer
122: Some prohibits have been rendered unlawful by Qur’anc texts,
things like wine, eating flesh of dead meat, and pig’s meat. Some other
prohibits were declared as unlawful because they were included in a
total divine rule, or a general principle rule, things like impurities,
and all that is harmful to the body or in wasting money uselessly. All
of these things have their right divine evidence. The prophet related:
“No harm should be done to oneself or to others.” 28 This saying
involves all kinds of harm one might cause to oneself, his money, or to
others. It has been proved that smoking is harmful to the body. Islamic
beliefs render everything good as lawful and everything bad as unlawful.

If we examine all prohibits, we find that they lead to harm to others

because of what they cause. The creed produced general rules according
to which things are considered throughout history and place. Analogical
deduction In Islam is one of the sources of legislation after the Noble
Qur’an, prophetic tradition, and consensus of the companions of the
prophet, which is one of the

28

Cited in Ahmad, hadith No. 2719; Ibn Majah, hadith No. 1332.

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forms of the recognized independent reasoning, and approved by Muslims
scholars, which is itself the secret of the survival of Islam, as it
meets the renewed needs of Islam and judges their new acts of conduct.
To this end, the scholars rendered smoking as unlawful on the basis
that it is harmful to the health of the smoker, and a waste for his/her
money. Smoking is closer to the group of impurities than to that of
purifies. Almighty God said: “he commands them for al-ma`rouf (i.e.
Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam has ordained); and forbids them
from al-munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that
Islam has forbidden); he allows them as lawful at-tayyibat (i.e. all
good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, person, foods), and
prohibits them as unlawful al-khab`ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as
regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), he releases them
from their heavy burdens (of God’s Covenant with the children of
Israel), and from the fetters (bonding) that were upon them” (Holy
Qur’an: 7: 157).

Question 123: Almost all banks do not observe the religious teachings
and they deal with interest. But dealing with the bank has almost
become a necessity. What harm is there if one deposit his/her money in
a bank, with and without interests? Answer 123: Putting money in
interest banks is lawful because of necessity, and necessity is
estimated according to its real situation. Accordingly, putting money
in interest banks in a country which has monetary institutions, like
Islamic banks and its subsidiaries, not dealing in interest is
unlawful. Putting one’s money in a bank is originally unlawful if one
is not worried about the safety of his money from theft or robbery. If
one feels unsafe about the money, there is no objection to putting it
in an interest bank, because of the jurisprudential rule which says:
“Necessities render prohibits as lawful.”

Anyone who puts his money in an account because he is obliged to keep

it safe, can take interest on it, which is better than leaving it to
the banks dealing with interest, but he cannot spend the money in the
way he wants, as he does with his lawful money. He can give it to the
poor and needy people, as they are the only people who could use the
money. Any kind of money whose owner is unknown has the reward of
delivering it to the poor and needy, but does not have the reward of
alms, as alms is given from his completely lawful money.

If the Muslim is obliged to put his money in an interest bank without

taking the interest it is lawful too, and once he is able to do without
dealing with that bank, he has to withdraw his money.

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Question 124: In Islam there is a saying, which goes like this: “Wisdom
is supposed to be the goal of every Muslim, he/she should seek it
wherever it is.” Can a Muslim in this case follow and/or adopt good
western principles a lifestyle? Answer 124: Muslins are always
encouraged to follow what is good and avoid what is bad. However, when
it comes to creed, worship, manners and many things, which have to do
with personal dealings, Islam recommended everything good and
prohibited everything evil. Almighty God said: “Verily, God enjoins al-
adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but God Alone–Islamic
monotheism) and al-ihsan [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties
to God, totally for God’s sake and in accordance with the sunah (legal
ways) of the Prophet (pbuh) in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to
kith and kin (i.e. all that God has ordered you to give them e.g.,
wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help, and
forbids alfahisha (i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts,
disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false
witness, to kill a life without right), and al-munkar (i.e. all that is
prohibited by Islamic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and
every kind of evil deeds), and al-baghy (i.e. all kinds of
oppressions). He admonishes you, that you may take heed.” (Holy Qur’an:
16: 90) Islam urges Muslims to learn useful sciences and advanced
system especially in the domain of technology experimental sciences,
and the like. Accordingly, there is no harm for a Muslim to benefit
from what the west has used to advance itself, if what is used does not
contradict the fixed and determined Islamic fundamentals, which are
known as being good and useful to mankind.

There is, however, one thing that should be taken into consideration,
i.e. some things might be useful temporarily and accidentally. Such
things cannot be rendered as lawful though they might be useful
temporarily from one point of view. They could be subject to the
conventions, customs and tastes of some people. All of this cannot
render something lawful, as everything of those principles; conventions
and customs should go with the Islamic fundamentals, and people should
not differ as to whether people believe it is useful or beneficial.
Almighty God said: “And no example or similitude do they bring (to
oppose or to find fault in you or in this Qur’an), but We reveal to you
the truth (against that similitude or example), and the better
explanation thereof” (Holy Qur’an: 25: 33)

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Question 125: What is the purpose of prohibiting usury when both
partners (the usurer and the one paying interest) are completely
satisfied with the transaction? Answer 125: The satisfaction of both
contractors does not render prohibited things lawful, as two adulterer
and an adulteress accept to commit adultery, and the agreement of buyer
and seller of drugs does not make such matters lawful.

Those who consider matters from a limited point of view want a quick or
private benefit, regardless of what disasters of destruction and
corruption of the Islamic nation such transactions may cause. Anyone,
whether it is a person or a country, who resort to borrow money with
interest must be in dire need for that money. What kind of humanity is
this that exploits the need and adversity of that man or nation?

When the interest loan is intended for production, and the borrower
loses, he shoulders the responsibility and is the only loser, which
could be disastrous to him. Had he been able to support himself he
would not have resorted to borrowing an interest loan. The two partners
should agree from the beginning on both profit and loss. If they make a
profit, the profit is mutual and the same applies to loss. The one
working will have lost his efforts and time and the lender will lose
his money. Almighty God announced war on the borrower and lender
dealing with interest. Almighty God says: “And if you do not do it,
then take a notice of war from God and His Messenger but if your
repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking
more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly
(by receiving less than your capital sums). And if the debtor is in a
hard time (has no money), then grant him time till is easy for him to
replay…” (Holy Qur’an: 2: 278-80)

Question126: Since the Prophet (pbuh) referred to the acceptability of

entertaining oneself, are we allowed to play chess or cards for a mere
passing of time? Answer 126: There are certain Islamic rules and
regulations that govern the use of different pleasure facilities and
entertaining oneself. These rules and regulations conclude any form of
entertainment that has been evidently forbidden may not be used for
entertaining oneself. Some scholars say they have grounds to believe
that chess was forbidden; therefore, Muslims should not play it.

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Playing any other kind of game, which is good for health and/or mind,
is permissible, provided that there is no evidence of its prohibition.
However, playing lawful games should not distract us from fulfilling
our duties or indulge us in sinful deeds.

Muslim scholars agree that playing chess is forbidden if it is played

as a form of gambling, or if it causes one to neglect a duty like
performing prayer. It is also disallowed if it implies lying or cause
swearing and/or leads to any kind of harm. Yet, scholars have different
opinions: some of them prohibit paying chess altogether, others say it
is not recommended; others still, say it is allowed provided that
players do not swear, that Muslims should not play with non-good
Muslims in the streets, and that it should not be played very often
because it may waste the time of Muslims and make them heedless of
their religious obligations such as remembering God and worshipping.
However, scholars recommend that Muslims are better off not playing
such games because the prophet (pbuh) says: “Leave doubtful things, and
do things that are certain (to be allowed).”29

29

Cited in Bukhari, and Al-Turmudhi.

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PART THREE

Questions and Answers on The Holy Qur’an and the Tradition of the
Prophet (pbuh)
Translated by Muhammad Kheir Nadman Ahmad H. Al-Hout

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Chapter 1:
Issues Concerning the Holy Qur’an
Question 127: Is the Holy Qur’an the word of God or that of Mohammad
(pbuh)?

Answer 127: The Holy Qur’an is the word of God, and it was revealed to
Prophet Mohammad through the Angel Gabriel. God made the Holy Qur’an
Prophet Mohammad’s miracle, and He challenged people to bring about
anything similar, but they couldn’t meet the challenge, and the miracle
and the challenge are still valid now, and they will be until the Day
of Judgment. Allah says: “Or do they say ‘He forged it’? Say: ‘Bring
then a sura like unto it, and call (to your aid) anyone you can,
besides Allah, if it be ye speak the truth!” (Holy Qur’an: 10: 38).
This challenge to bring just one sura, no matter how short it is,
similar to the ones that are in the Holy Qur’an is a testimony that
this holy book was not written by Man, for had Prophet Mohammad (pbuh)
fabricated it, another human would have been able to bring something
similar.

It is interesting and valuable to know, in this respect, the difference

between the style of the Holy Qur’an and that of the sayings of the
Prophet (pbuh). We have at our disposal thousands of books containing
the traditions of the Prophet (pbuh), and anyone with any knowledge of
Arabic stylistics can easily recognize the great difference between the
two styles. The style of the Holy Qur’an is far superior to that of the
sayings of the Prophet (pbuh), and beyond the ability of any human to
imitate. The Arabs at the time of the Prophet (pbuh) knew him very
well, and knew his linguistic abilities before the Qur’an was revealed
to him, for they were eloquent and articulate people, and they used to
hold public festivities for reciting poetry. Yet, given the clear
stylistic differences between the language of the Holy Qur’an and that
of the Prophet (pbuh), none of them could say with fairness that the
Qur’an was invented by Mohammad (pbuh). Moreover, for all his life
before the Revelation, he was never known to have any oratory or poetic
abilities, and he never took part in any of the cultural activities
they used to hold, because, as everybody knew, he was an illiterate
person. A close investigative look at the Holy Qur’an shows many facets
of its miraculous nature that further proves that it was revealed by
almighty God to the Prophet: 1. The language and style of the Holy
Qur’an. We have already mentioned that the prophet challenged the Arabs
to bring something similar, but they failed to meet that

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challenge. The Holy Qur’an still poses the same challenge to people all
over the world: “Say: ‘If the whole of mankind and Jinns were to gather
together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the
like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and
support’.” (Holy Qur’an: 17: 88) 2. The way it was composed. The Holy
Qur’an was not revealed all at once. Rather, it was revealed throughout
more than a twenty-year period, and every time new verse(s) was/were
revealed to the Prophet, he asked his companions to place it/them at a
certain place in the Qur’an to form a unique sequence. Nevertheless,
the Holy Qur’an was completed in its present form as a homogeneous
unit, so much so the reader would think that it was revealed all at
once. 3. The knowledge it contains. The Holy Qur’an contains a lot of
information and knowledge that guides people to the right path. The
kind of information it contains is so deep and profound that it would
have been impossible for an illiterate person like Mohammad (pbuh), or
for any other human, to fabricate it. 4. Its fulfillment of human needs
at all times. This makes the Holy Qur’an unique, because It reformed
all beliefs, worships and ethics. It also reformed society through
guiding people to be united and relinquish tribalism because they are
all descendants of Adam and Eve, and that no human is better than
another except through piety. The Qur’an teaches people that they are
all equal before God. It also preaches justice, forbids usury, allows
trade, and so on and so forth. 5. What the Holy Qur’an had revealed
after a long wait. The Holy Qur’an contains many verses that dealt with
great issues, yet they were only revealed after a long wait. This shows
that the Holy Qur’an is the word of almighty God; had it been that of
Mohammad (pbuh), there would have been no need for the long wait, as
was the case in the verses commenting on the hadith of calumny, and the
delay in answering the question of the infidels about the nature of the
spirit. 6. Some suras (chapters) of the Holy Qur’an start by the
command “say”, and more than 332 verses contain the same command which
was addressed to the prophet (pbuh). This clearly indicates that the
Holy Qur’an was not the word of Mohammad (pbuh), but that of God. 7.
The scientific evidence it contains. The Holy Qur’an contains many
scientific facts that were not known at the time of revelation. To save
time and space only few examples can be mentioned here; those who want
a more detailed account can always refer to the many many books dealing
with the Scientific Inimitability in the Holy Qur’an. The Holy Qur’an
states: “Man we did create from a quintessence (of clay); then We
placed him as (a drop of) sperm in a place of rest, firmly fixed; then
We made the sperm into a clot of congealed blood; then of that clot We
made a (fetus) lump; then We made out of that lump bones and clothed
the bones with flesh; then We developed out of it another creature. So
blessed be Allah, the Best to create!” (Holy Qur’an: 23: 12-14).

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These verses contain a detailed description of the developmental stages
of the embryo, a description that has only been verified by
contemporary scientists. So who could have told Mohammad (pbuh) about
these stages of embryological development? It has been only possible
for modern scientists to learn about these stages through the help of
modern X-ray and other technological equipments. Therefore, some
scientists converted to Islam as soon as they came across verses like
these in the Holy Qur’an, because they knew that no human could have
known these facts 1400 years ago. These verses could have only come
from the Creator.

Another example is the description of the forming of clouds and rain,

something that nobody knew anything about at the time. Allah (swt) says
in the Holy Qur’an says: “Seest thou not that Allah makes the clouds
move gently, then joins them together, then makes them into a heap?
-then wilt thou see rain issue forth from their midst. And He sends
down from the sky mountains masses (of clouds) wherein is hail: He
strikes therewith whom He pleases and He turns it away from whom He
pleases. The vivid flash of its lightening well-nigh blinds the sight”
(Holy Qur’an: 24: 43). Almighty God explains in this verse how small
clouds get together in the sky, and when they form a big cloud rain
falls. It is doubtful that anybody had known about this mechanism
before modern times.

The Holy Qur’an also talks about the breathlessness caused by ascending
to the sky. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “Those whom Allah willeth to
guide, -He openeth their breast to Islam; those whom He willeth to
leave straying, -He maketh their breast close and constricted, as if
they had to climb up to the skies: thus doth Allah lay abomination on
those who refuse to believe (Holy Qur’an: 6: 125). This verse describes
the condition of the aberrant as that of a person ascending towards the
sky where there is a lack of oxygen: the higher he gets, the more
breathless he feels. So who could have told Mohammad (pbuh) about that
other than the Great Master of the universe?

There are so many other verses that testify to the fact that the Holy
Qur’an is the Word of God through exposing scientific evidence relating
to man, the earth, the sky, the sea, the stars, and the planets.

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Question 128: How do you prove that the Qur’an Muslims read today is
the same that was revealed upon Mohammad (pbuh), and that it has not
been altered or that it does not contain fabrications? Answer128: The
Holy Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet (pbuh) through Angel Gabriel.
The prophet’s sole and initial concern was to memorize every single
piece of it. However, God Himself has promised to preserve this holy
book in the prophet’s memory and to enable him to read it. In the
Qur’an God says: “Move not thy tongue concerning the (Qur’an) to make
haste therewith. It is for Us to collect it and to recite it, follow
though its recital (as promulgated): Nay more, it is for Us to explain
it (and make it clear)” (Holy Qur’an: 75: 16-19). Every time the
prophet received revelations, he would peruse that to his companions
slowly so that they could learn it well and understand its secrets.
Night after night the Prophet would spend teaching his companions the
Qur’an. He also used to read it during prayers, and Angel Gabriel used
to read it with him once a year, and in the last year of his life the
Angel read it with him twice.

The Prophet’s companions made every single effort to make sure that
they memorized the Qur’an from the very beginning, and they used to
pride themselves on having memorized more of the Holy Qur’an. Thus,
memorizers and/or reciters of the Qur’an were so many during the
prophet’s life. Moreover, the prophet himself (pbuh) had writers of the
Divine Revelation, and every time something new was revealed to him he
used to say “place it after God’s saying so and so and before His
saying so and so.” By the time the prophet (pbuh) passed away, the Holy
Qur’an had been already written and memorized. Then it was collected in
one book, and later on it was collected again and copied during the era
of caliph Uthman (3rd caliph) and distributed these copies all over the
Islamic State. Thus, the Holy Qur’an was passed from generation to
generation through its memorization and written form, and this is a
unique honor to the Islamic nation. Muslims have spread all over the
world since, carrying with them copies of the Holy Qur’an;
nevertheless, there is no difference whatsoever in the Qur’an that
Muslims read in Africa, Asia, Europe, America or Australia, and we have
never heard that they have disagreed ever about the precision of the
Qur’an, for all of them have agreed that the Holy Qur’an that they have
today is the same Qur’an that was revealed to prophet Mohammad (pbuh)
by God. Moreover,

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God promised to preserve the Qur’an. He says: “We have, without doubt,
sent down the Message; And We will assuredly guard it (from
corruption)” (Holy Qur’an: 15: 9).

Question 129: What are the similarities and differences between the
Qur’an and the other earlier Holy Books? Answer 129: Islam is Allah’s
sole and true religion, all prophets preached Islam. Islam means full
submission to God through unqualified obedience and relinquishing
polytheism, because all religions preach monotheism. Almighty God says:
“Not a messenger did we send before thee without this inspiration sent
by Us to him: that there is no God but I; therefore worship and serve
Me” (Holy Qur’an: 21: 25).

As far as basic beliefs and worship practices are concerned all

religions are also similar. In the Qur’an God says: “The same religion
has He established for you as that which He enjoined On Noah-the which
We have sent by inspiration to thee- and that which We enjoined on
Abraham, Moses, and Jesus: Namely, that ye should Remain steadfast in
Religion, and make no divisions therein: to those who worship other
things than Allah, hard is the (way) to which thou callest them. Allah
chooses to Himself those whom He pleases, and guides to Himself those
who turn (to Him)” (Holy Qur’an: 42: 13). Thus, all prophets preached
monotheism, informed people about God and the hereafter, and advocated
the basic belief in the same messages of divine Books.

The main differences, however, lie in the legislative and commandment

laws, because the divine laws are based on looking after the interests
of those required to worship. However, what might be feasible for one
nation might not necessarily be the same for another. Therefore, the
details kept changing without touching the basics, until human
societies developed and matured. It was then that God sent His final
and eternal religion, Islam. God points to the differences in religious
legislations when He says: “To each among you have We prescribed a Law
and an Open Way.” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 48).

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Question 130: How has it been possible to preserve the Holy Qur’an
until the present time? And what is the methodology that was followed
to preserve it without change? Answer 130: The Holy Qur’an has been
preserved with great care, and no other book has ever received such
attention. During the period of revelation, the prophet (pbuh) did his
utmost best to memorize the Holy Qur’an, so much so that God promised
His prophet to preserve it: “Move not thy tongue concerning the
(Qur’an) to make haste therewith. It is for us to collect it and to
recite it: But when we have recited it, follow thou its recital (as
promulgated).” (Holy Qur’an: 75: 16-18). Every time new verse(s)
was/were revealed to him, the prophet (pbuh) used to memorize it/them
himself, teach them to his companions and request some of his
companions to write and arrange it/them in a special place before or
after specific previously revealed verses. The companions of the
prophet (pbuh), and the Arabs in general, were (and still) great
memorizers. Ibn Masoud said: “I memorized from the mouth of the prophet
seventy suras of the Holy Qur’an while Zaid ibn Thabit (another
memorizer) was still a young boy playing with the kids.”30 Ibn Masoud
also said: ”I know where and why every verse of the Holy Qur’an was
revealed, and had I known someone who knew more about the Holy Qur’an
than me I would have ridden my camel and gone to him”. The prophet’s
companions were truly hard workers, and many of them memorized the
entire Holy Qur’an such as Zaid ibn Thabet, Ibn Masoud, and Ubai ibn
Ka’b, to name but a few.

The complete Holy Qur’an was written during the time of the prophet,
but it was written on separate sheets of paper that were not unified in
one volume. After the death of the prophet, the first caliph Abu Bakr
(may God be pleased with him) decided to collect the Holy Qur’an in one
volume. Therefore, he commissioned a group of the memorizers of the
Holy Qur’an, headed by Zaid ibn Thabet, to do the Job. The chosen
committee followed a great methodology in collecting the written sheets
of the Holy Qur’an and comparing what was written with what was
memorized. One of the main stipulations of that committee was the
presence of at least two written copies of the same verses. They did
not accept the written version unless it corresponded to the memorized
one, and vice versa. Zaid and his colleagues did their utmost best to
insure the authenticity of their work. It was related that Zaid asked
to be exonerated from this task when he was first selected, but upon
the insistence of both Omar and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with
them), he agreed reluctantly. He described his great sense of
responsibility towards the great

30

Ibn Masoud and Zaid Bin Thabet are companions of the Prophet (pbuh).

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task by saying: “I swear by Allah that had they asked me to move a
mountain from one place to another I’d would have felt more at ease.”

The Holy Qur’an was first written in one volume during the era of Abu
Bakr, and it was kept in his safekeeping until he died. Then Omar took
it into his safekeeping, and when Omar died, Hafsa (his daughter and
the prophet’s widow) took over the task of taking care of the –till
then- only complete volume of the Holy Qur’an.

When Uthman became caliph after Omar, he instructed another committee

headed, again, by Zaid ibn Thabet, to write many copies of the Holy
Qur’an in order to distribute them in all parts of the Islamic Empire
that was growing bigger and bigger.

From what has been said so far, we may conclude the following: 1.
Muslims took a great care in writing and memorizing the Holy Qur’an. 2.
The Holy Qur’an was written at a very early stage during the life of
the Prophet (pbuh). Shortly after his death (within two years), the
Holy Qur’an was collected in one volume, and in the era of Uthman,
copies of it were distributed in all parts of the Islamic Empire. 3.
This great care continues until our modern time. Generations after
generations of Muslims have memorized the Holy Qur’an and kept written
records of it until now, and every effort has been directed towards
keeping the Holy Qur’an safe from any deduction or addition in all
parts of the Islamic world. Therefore, it can be said, with absolute
accuracy, that the Holy Qur’an that Muslims read in the East and West,
South and North is the same one that God revealed to His messenger
hundreds of years ago. It is worth mentioning that the style of the
Holy Qur’an is so unique that if someone makes a mistake while reciting
it, it is usually possible for the person listening to the recitation
to recognize the mistake even if the listener does not memorize the
Holy Qur’an.

Above all, God took upon Himself to keep His Book safe. He says: “We
have, without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard
it (from corruption)” (Holy Qur’an: 15: 9). One of the indications of
this divine preservation is materialistic means that God has
facilitated in order to preserve this Qur’an, such as making its
memorization easy. Hod says: “And We have indeed made the Qur’an easy
to understand and remember: then is there any that will receive
admonition?” (Holy Qur’an: 54: 32).

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Nowadays, the methods of preserving the Holy Qur’an have become more
advanced, especially after employing modern audiovisual equipments to
serve this purpose. Some excellent reciters have recorded the complete
Qur’an, adding to the Islamic audio library hundreds of different
beautiful voices reciting the Holy Qur’an, and many of these
recitations have been recorded on audiovisual tapes, compact disks, and
it has been made available for access on the Internet as well. Thus,
almighty God has inspired Muslims to write the Holy Qur’an and take
care of it since it was first revealed to the prophet (pbuh) until now,
and this will continue to be true till the Day of Judgment.

Question 131: Is the convert’s reward for reading a translation of the

meanings of the Holy Qur’an the same as that he/she can get for reading
the actual Arabic text of the Holy Qur’an? Answer 131: The actual
Arabic text of the Holy Qur’an is the word of almighty God that He
revealed to His prophet Mohammad (pbuh). Therefore, reading the actual
text is not the same as reading the translation. Muslims are supposed
to get one hasanah (merit) for each letter they read from the Qur’an,
and each merit is doubled ten times. The translations of the meanings
of the Holy Qur’an are the words of humans, and the reward for reading
them is similar to that which we get for reading Islamic books and
commentary interpretations of the Holy Qur’an.

Question 132: How can a non-Muslim learn about the Holy Qur’an if
he/she is not allowed to touch it? Answer 132: Non-Muslims can learn
about the Holy Qur’an through listening to it or reading it over the
Internet for example. He may also read books that talk about Islam and
explain the meanings of the Qur’an. Otherwise, he could be taught about
Islam and invited to be a Muslim, and if he/she reverts to Islam he/she
will be able to handle the Holy Qur’an and read it.

Question 133: The Holy Qur’an includes precise and similar verses, as
well as abrogating and abrogated verses. What is the wisdom behind such
divisions? Answer 133: The Holy Qur’an is precise and perfect book
because God formed it in such a meticulous way that no stylistic or
semantic corruption can ever affect it. It is also all-similar

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because the rules mentioned in it are similar and do not contribute to
ambiguity in its verses and vocabulary. The wisdom of having precise
verses is clear from its definition. As for the similar, Islamic
scholars divided it into three types: 1. A type that cannot be known
like the time of the Day of Judgment and so on. 2. Another type that
man can know like foreign expressions and some rules. 3. A third type
that has features of both types (1) and (2), and this type is only
understood by well-educated scholars like Ibn Abbas for whom the
prophet made the following du’aa, prayer: “May Allah make him well-
versed in the religion (of Islam) and teach him interpretation (of the
Holy Qur’an)”. The wisdom of having similar verses can be summarized in
the following: 1. God’s mercy upon the weak human being who cannot bear
learning everything. If the mountain collapsed and Moses fell
unconscious when God revealed Himself, what would it have been like if
He had revealed Himself to ordinary humans? It is partly for this
reason that God kept the time of the Day of Judgment as a secret. 2.
Putting man to affliction and trial: would people believe in the unseen
simply because the truthful Prophet told us about it or not? Those who
are guided to the right path say we believe! And those who have doubts
in their hearts deny it and follow the similar verses as a way of
getting around religion. 3. To give an evidence of the weakness and
ignorance of man regardless of how technologically advanced people
become, and to show the superior powers of God the AllKnowing, so that
man would obey and say what the angels said in the Holly Qur’an: “They
said: “Glory to Thee: of knowledge we have none, save What Thou hast
taught us: in truth it is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom”
(Holy Qur’an: 2: 32). 4. To accomplish the miraculous quality of the
Holy Qur’an. As for abrogation, we say that it occurred in Islamic law
in the sense that God abrogated all previous religions by Islam, and
abrogated some Islamic principles by other Islamic ones. The wisdom
behind abrogating all other religions by Islam is due to the fact that
the latter has the most perfect laws that satisfy the needs of human
beings at all times. The teachings of different religions came to
satisfy the specific needs of human beings at certain times of
historical developments. Islam, however, came only when man was
developed enough to receive this perfect religion as the last divine
set of laws that combines the benefit of humans with the flexibility of
rules, and the needs of both body and soul. It also compromised
religion with science and regulated the relationship between God and
humans on the one hand, and humans with the world around them until the
Day of Judgment.

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On the other hand, we can say that God’s wisdom behind abrogating some
Islamic rules by other Islamic rules is due to the policy of the
Islamic nation, where rules are stipulated step by step to make them
easier to follow until they reach perfection. This was possible by
guiding Muslims from easy rules to more difficult ones, until success
was achieved. The wisdom of abrogating difficult rules by easier ones
was to make things easier for Muslims and to show the bounty of God.
The wisdom of abrogating a rule with an equally difficult or easy one
was to put Muslims to the test so that hypocrites would be known and
punished, and believers would be known and rewarded. The wisdom of
abrogating easy rules by more difficult ones was to train Muslims and
get them ready for what was to come, such as the attitude of Islam
towards alcoholic drinks where Muslims were prepared step by step for
the acceptance of its final prohibition. This principle of gradual
prohibition is unique to Islam.

Question 134: How were the suras (chapters) of the Holy Qur’an
arranged? And who gave the suras their present names? Answer 134: The
majority of the Islamic scholars are of the opinion that the
arrangement of the suras in the Holy Qur’an came about through
revelation. There are some who believe that only part of the
arrangement was done through revelation and that the other part was
done through the jurisprudence of the prophet’s companions. However,
ever since caliph Uthman compiled the Holy Qur’an and arranged it in
its present form, the whole Islamic nation accepted it without any
alteration or reservation. Therefore, it is a duty upon all Muslims to
respect this arrangement and abide by it to preserve the sacredness of
the Word of God. As for naming the suras of the Holy Qur’an, there are
different opinions: some scholars, such as Al-Suyti, believe that the
names were revealed to the prophet; others believe that it was the
prophet’s companions who gave these names. However, the existence of
more than one name for some suras is evidence that these names were
given to suras by the companions. Dr. Subhi Al-Saleh argues that we do
not have strong evidence that the names of suras were revealed.31

31

Dr. Subhi Al-Saleh, Mabahith fi Ulum Al-Qur’an, p.97.

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Chapter 2:
Tradition of the Prophet (pbuh):
Question135: What are the differences among the following terms: Holy
Qur’an, the hadith (saying, action or approval of the prophet pbuh) and
the qudsi (sacred) hadith? Answer 135: The Holy Qur’an is the primary
source of Islamic law. It tells how a good Muslim should be and how he
should behave with his family and in society at large. The rules set by
the Qur’an are religiously binding and no Muslim is allowed to break
these rules. The Qur’an was revealed to prophet Mohammad (pbuh) in a
sequence and on certain occasions that necessitated certain rules. Each
sura was either revealed in full or in part according the occasion. The
prophet (pbuh) used to ask the revelation writers of his companions to
write down what was revealed, and that is how the Holy Qur’an was
preserved. The prophet used to recite verses of the Holy Qur’an in his
prayers and during his Friday sermons, and teach it to his companions.
Ibn Masoud said: “I memorized from the mouth of the Prophet seventy
suras of the Holy Qur’an.”32. The companions used to memorize the Holy
Qur’an to recite it in their prayers.

It was the divine inspiration that was used to reveal the verse and
show its location in the Holy Qur’an. This is why the arranged sequence
of the verses and suras in the Holy Qur’an is divine and cannot be
tampered with by humans. The Holy Qur’an challenged the Arabs, who were
well versed in language, to write an equivalent book to the Qur’an, ten
suras, or even one sura. But they failed to do so, and so did the one
who followed until our present day, and those who attempted came out
with some funny texts.33

The tradition or hadith of the prophet is defined as any “sayings

and/or actions of the prophet (pbuh)”. The differences between the Holy
Qur’an and the hadith can be summarized in the following points: 1. The
Holy Qur’an is the word of God, which is unique in its style, rhythm
and content. 2. The wording, meaning, style, stories, proverbs and laws
of the Holy Qur’an are miraculous.

32 33

Agreed upon. Cf. Dr. Saleh Redha, Alsunna Alnabawya: ta’reefuha wa

hejjyatuha.

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3. God has promised to preserve this miracle, the Holy Qur’an, from any
changes or alterations till the Day of Judgment. He says: “We have,
without doubt, sent down the Message; and We will assuredly guard it
(from corruption)” (Holy Qur’an: 15: 9). Therefore, it is one of the
conditions of correct reading that the style of writing should be
identical to that which was written in era of caliph Uthman, which was
in turn identical to the version that was written in the time of
prophet Mohammad (pbuh). 4. The Holy Qur’an has been transmitted from
one generation to the other in a traditionary way (tawatur), whereby
reciters of the Holy Qur’an have been groups of people who could not
have conspired to lie. Therefore, the Holy Qur’an has been the most
correct book on earth since it was revealed through Angel Gabriel to
the Prophet (pbuh). 5. Anyone denying the authenticity of the Holy
Qur’an –or part of it- is regarded as blasphemous (kafir). 6. The Holy
Qur’an consists of a limited number of chapters (suras) amounting to
114 suras, and each sura is divided into smaller parts called verses
(ayat). 7. Reciting certain verses of the Holy Qur’an in each prayer is
obligatory, and no prayer is true unless verses of the Qur’an are
recited in it. 8. Anyone with minor ritual impurity is not allowed to
touch the Holy Qur’an, and anyone with a major ritual impurity is not
allowed to recite it. 9. Muslims are rewarded one merit for reading
each letter of the Holy Qur’an. 10. The Holy Qur’an should be recited
literally and not in the form of interpretation. The above are the main
characteristics of the Holy Qur’an that distinguish it from all other
religious texts, including the traditions of the prophet hadith.

The qudsi (sacred) hadith are those that did not originate from the
prophet (pbuh), but from God. Thus, the qudsi hadith occupies an
intermediate place between the Holy Qur’an and the tradition of the
prophet (nabawi hadith). The wording, meaning and sequence of the Holy
Qur’an were revealed from God directly to the prophet (pbuh). The qudsi
hadith was revealed as meaning only to the Prophet (pbuh) from almighty
God, but the wording was from the Prophet (pbuh) himself. Therefore,
the qudsi hadiths share with the Holy Qur’an the quality of being
ascribed to almighty God, and differ with it in all other qualities.
The qudsi hadith shares the qualities of the nabawi hadith in being
subject to categorization: true, sound, or weak hadith. The qudsi
hadith can not be recited in prayers, a person with minor ritual
impurity may touch the book containing it, a person with a major ritual
impurity may recite it, and it can be related in the form of
interpretation, etc.

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The tradition of the Prophet (pbuh) differs from the qudsi hadith,
although they were both inspired by almighty God in the light of what
He says in the Holy Qur’an: “For Allah hath sent down to thee the Book
and Wisdom and taught thee what thou knewest not (before)” (Holy
Qur’an: 4: 113); and “Nor does he (the Prophet) say (aught) of (his
own) Desire. It is no less than inspiration sent down to him” (Holy
Qur’an: 53: 3-4).

The prophet (pbuh) also says “I have been given the Holy Qur’an and
another similar thing” in a reference to the fact that the qudsi hadith
was revealed by God like the Holy Qur’an. But while the Qur’an was a
direct revelation, the qudsi hadith was a mere inspiration. It must be
stressed that the tradition of the prophet was guided by God so that
the prophet (pbuh) would not do anything against the teachings of
Islamic laws. It is in this sense that the tradition of the prophet is
ascribed to divine inspiration as well.

Question 136: What is the difference between the tradition (sunnah) of

the prophet and the biography (sirah) of the prophet (pbuh)? Answer
136: The tradition (sunnah) of the prophet is, as we have already
defined it, the collections of recorded words, actions, and sanctions
of prophet Mohammad (pbuh). It is a recommended, rather compulsory
deed. It is usually organized according to the subject under
discussion, such as belief, prayer, purity, alms, fasting, pilgrimage,
etc. On the other hand; the biography (sirah) of the prophet (pbuh) is
the story of the life of the prophet. It tells the actions that
happened to him in a historical order. However, sunnah and sirah do
sometimes, because sunnah itself is one of the sources of the sirah.
And any prophetic saying relates what happened with the prophet at a
certain time is recorded as part of the sirah.

Sirah is the practical application of the Holy Qur’an and sunnah, and
thus it is more general because it incorporates sunnah as well as what
the Prophet as the leader of the Islamic nation and as a human, i.e.
actions that did not have religious implications.

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Chapter 3:
The Prophetic Biography (the Sirah)
Question 137: How can I really know that Mohammad was a true messenger
of God?

Answer 137: We have to point out that: A. The belief that Mohamed
(pbuh) is a messenger of God is a sub-issue that is based on the belief
in God. It is illogical to give a single proof that Mohammad (pbuh) is
a true messenger of God to an atheist.

B. Looking back into the history of mankind, we realize that God sent a
messenger and/ or prophet to each nation to teach them His book(s) and
wisdom, and to show them the right path they should follow to enjoy a
comfortable and peaceful life, so that they would form a virtuous
society and apply His system on earth. No society would ever enjoy
righteousness unless its members follow the commands of their Creator,
because He knows best what is good for them in this life and the
hereafter, since, originally, He ordains what is good for them. But if
ordaining is left to people, the society will not be safe. Man-made
systems have never been complete, because the human mind cannot
comprehend what is good for them in this life and the hereafter.

However, in order to answer the original question we can say: 1. I

refer the reader to the argument above in which I gave evidence that
the Holy Qur’an is the word of God. To prove that the Holy Qur’an is
the word of God is at the same time to prove that Mohammad (pbuh) is
His prophet and messenger, because it is universally agreed that the
Holy Qur’an was revealed to Mohammad (pbuh).

2. Mohammad (pbuh) claimed that he is a messenger of God fourteen

centuries ago; since then, God has not sent any other messenger to
contradict this claim. On the contrary, we have seen that God supported
Mohammad (pbuh) by giving him many miracles to corroborate his claim of
being a true messenger of God.

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3. Prophethood is claimed either by an absolutely truthful person, or
by a complete liar, and only the ignorant won’t be able to distinguish
between the two. There are many ways to distinguish between a liar and
a truthful person in matters that are even less important that the
claim of prophethood, so it should be easier to distinguish between the
two in such matters.

No liar has ever claimed prophethood without being exposed by aspects

of ignorance, lying and profligacy, and without showing signs of being
obsessed by demons. A true messenger/prophet has to tell about things,
give commands and do things that show either his lying or truthfulness.
Those who knew the messenger and his truthful nature, knew for sure
that he was not lying in his claim of prophethood. A knowledgeable
person can tell when a man is satisfied, and when he is in the state
of, love, hatred, happiness, sadness, and other states of mind that
show on the face of a person. God says “Had We so willed, we could have
shown them up to thee, and thou shouldst have known them by their
marks: but surely thou wilt know them by the tone of their speech! And
God knows all that ye do (Holy Qur’an: 37: 40).” Uthman ibn Affan (the
third caliph) said: “No one has ever intended something secretly
without getting exposed by God by showing signs of his secrets on his
face and making the person say accidentally what he is hiding”. If this
is true of normal daily matters, it is even more so when a crucial
issue like prophethood is involved.

Khadijah (the prophet’s first wife) knew his truthfulness and honesty.
Therefore, when the messenger (pbuh) told her, having received the
first revelation, that he was afraid, she said to him:” Nay. God will
never let ye down. For you keep good relations with your kith and kin,
tell the truth, look after the sick, receive your guests hospitably,
give to the poor, and help people in their daily affairs”. She praised
his high values and character, and, surely, God never lets down people
with these qualities and values. Khadija soon accompanied the messenger
to Warqa’ ibn Nawfal (one of her relatives who was well known Christian
priest and among the first to write the Bible in Arabic) and asked him:
“Hear thee, uncle, what (Mohammad) says.” Having heard Muhammad,
Waraqa’ said “This is the kind of revelation (Angel) that used to come
to Moses.”

Negus, who was Emperor of Ethiopia during the messenger’s time, said
about him: “His preaching and that of Moses come from the same source”.

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Hercules, the Roman emperor, having received a letter from Mohammad
(pbuh) inviting him to Islam, summoned all Arabs who were in Al-Sham
(greater Syria) at the time, including Abu Sufian who was there on
business. Hercules asked about the qualities and status of Mohammad
(pbuh), and he realized from Abu Sufian’s answers that he (Mohammad)
carried all the signs and qualities of all the true messengers
mentioned in the Old and New Testaments, and which Hercules knew only
too well. It was documented that Hercules would have become a Muslim
had he not feared the wrath of his people, and the loss of reign. The
following conversation took place between Hercules (H) and Abu Sufian
(AS). H: ”Has anyone claimed (prophethood) before him?” AS: ”No”. H:
“Does he have a good lineage among the Arabs?” AS: “Yes he has”. H:
“Has he ever been accused of lying before he claimed prophethood?” AS:
“Not really, we have never known him to be a liar”. H: “Was he followed
by the weak people or the rich and powerful ones?” AS: “The weak ones”.
H: “Was anyone of his ancestors a king?” AS: “No”. H: “Are his
followers on the increase or decrease?” AS: “They are on the increase”
H: “Has any of his followers apostatized?” AS: “No” H: “Does he
betray?” AS: “No” H: “Have you fought him?” AS: “Yes” H: “How is your
war with him progressing?” AS: “Sometimes we win sometimes, somettimes
he does.” H: “What does he ask you to do?” AS: “To worship one God only
and associate Him with nothing; to abandon the commands of our
ancestors, perform prayer, be truthful, chaste, and to have good
relations with our kith and kin” H: “I asked you about his ancestry,
you said he had good lineage, and messengers are usually chosen from
good ancestry. I asked you if anyone of you claimed to be a prophet
before him, you said no, and I say had someone before him claimed to be
a prophet I would have said that he was just emulating other people. I
asked if any of his ancestors was king, you said no, and I say that had
any of his ancestors been king I would have accused him of seeking his
ancestor’s reign. I asked if you ever accused of being a liar before he
claimed prophethood, and you said no. I say that he wouldn’t have left
lying to people to lying to God. I asked if his followers were the weak
or noble people, and you said that they were the weak, and those are
the followers of messengers. I asked if his followers were increasing
or decreasing, you said they were increasing, and this is the way of
faith until it is complete. I asked if any of his followers
apostatized, and you said no, and that is how faith is when it touches
the heart. I asked if he betrays, and you said no, and messengers never
betray. I asked what he orders you to do, and you said to worship God

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and associate no one with Him, and forbids you from worshipping idles,
and orders you to pray and be truthful and chaste. If all what you say
is true, he will conquer my own kingdom. I knew he was forthcoming, but
I did not expect him to be one of you (an Arab). If I knew I could
reach him, I would have made an effort to meet him, and if I were with
him I would wash his feet.” 4. The holy Qur’an that was revealed by God
to Mohammad (pbuh) foretold many future events that happened later on
in the same way the Qur’an said they would. These events include: a.
God says in the Holy Qur’an: “Truly did God fulfill the vision for His
messenger: Ye shall enter the Sacred Mosque, if God wills, with minds
secure, heads shaved, hair cut, and without fear. For He knew what ye
Knew not, and He granted, besides this, a speedy victory” (Holy Qur’an:
48: 27).. And this is what exactly happened, the prophet’s companions
entered the Holy Mosque with their heads shaved or their hair cut,
feeling secure. b. God says in the Holy Qur’an: “God has promised, to
those among you who believe and work righteous deeds, that He will, of
a surety, grant them in the land, inheritance (of power), as He granted
it to those before them; that He will establish in authority their
religion –the one which He has chosen for them; and that He will change
(their state), after the fear in which they (lived ), to one of
security and peace: ‘they will worship Me (alone) and not associate
aught with Me.’ If any do reject Faith after this, they are rebellious
and wicked” (Holy Qur’an: 24: 55). And, truly, God fulfilled His
promise in a short time, for within thirty years of the caliphate era,
Muslims reached the borders of China in the East, and the Atlantic
Ocean in the West. c. God says in the Holy Qur’an: “When comes the Help
of God, and Victory * And thou dost see the people enter God’s Religion
in crowds” (Holy Qur’an: 110: 1-2). Later on, Mecca was conquered, and
people entered the religion of God in crowds. d. God says in the Holy
Qur’an: “Say to those who reject Faith: ‘Soon will ye be vanquished’.”
(Holy Qur’an: 3: 12). And this is exactly what happened later on, and
the non-believers became vanquished. 5. The messenger (pbuh) foretold
many events before they actually happened. Some of these events
include: a. When he described the immigration to Medina to his
companions, and it happened as he described. b. He predicted that
Muslims would conquer Mecca, Jerusalem, Yemen, Al-Sham (greater Syria)
and Iraq. c. He prophesied that security would prevail in the Arabian
Peninsula so much so that a woman would be able to travel from Hira to
Mecca fearing nothing but God.

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d. Once he told his companions that Ali would conquer the town of
Kheibar the next day, and he did. e. He predicted that Muslims would
distribute the treasures of the Persian and Roman Emperors. f. He said
that Persian women would serve in the homes of Muslims, and this
happened during the life of his companions. g. He foretold that the era
of the companions would last for one hundred years, and the last
companion died in the year 110 H. h. He predicted that sedition amongst
Muslims would not appear as long as Omar, the second caliph was alive.
i. He said that Uthman, the third caliph, would be killed while reading
the Holy Qur’an. And there are plenty of other similar events.

6. In order for people to believe messengers in their claims to be true

messengers of God, and in order to strengthen their positions, God
aided them with miracles. Some miracles are physical such as the camel
of Saleh, Moses’ club, and the miracles given to Jesus such as curing
the blind and the leprous and bringing the dead back to life, etc.
Miracles could also be abstract and mind challenging such as the Holy
Qur’an. Since Mohammad (pbuh) is the last prophet and

messenger, God blessed him with many physical, abstract and mind
challenging miracles. Some of these are: splitting the moon, the flow
of water from between his fingers, increasing the quantity of food and
drink, talking to animals, foretelling future events that happened
later, being greeted and obeyed by trees and stones, curing the sick,
and many other miracles. We recommend the reader here to refer to the
book of the Prophet’s Miracles, which is written by AlHafiz Abi Al-Fida
Ishmael ibn Katheer. However, Mohammad’s greatest everlasting miracle
is the Holy Qur’an, which is miraculous in many ways: the choice of its
vocabulary, its rhetorical structure that challenged humans and Jin to
bring forward a similar one and they failed, then the Holy Qur’an
challenged them to bring forward ten suras like the ones it contains
and they failed, and they even failed to meet its challenge to bring
forward one sura. Such a challenge would only emanate from a Source
that is sure that the Holy Qur’an cannot be imitated by humans. Had it
been produced by a human being, such a challenge would not have been
posed. The Holy Qur’an is also miraculous because it is so precise in
relating the history of ancient nations and

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their stories with their prophets. It also foretold future events that
actually happened later on in the way the Holy Qur’an said they would.
These are all miracles, especially since Mohammad (pbuh) was
illiterate, and did not study history. The fact that these historical
and future events were told by an illiterate man can only serve to give
evidence that he was a true messenger of God. The just and
comprehensive laws and regulations stipulated in Holy Qur’an provide a
further proof that it is miraculous. Thus, the Holy Qur’an is
miraculous in its entirety: its choice of vocabulary, telling of
events, and its verdicts. It is a physical and mind challenging
evidence on the true prophethood and message of Mohammad (pbuh).

Question 138: Islamists are nowadays accused of being terrorists and

fundamentalists because they often resort to violence, which they call
jihad. Is this religiously justifiable? Answer 138: In order to answer
this question, we have to take some matters inot consideration: 1. We
have to keep in mind that the media steers the public to the direction
that its owners desire. Today, after the collapse of the Soviet Union,
the only remaining enemy of the West is Islam, because it is the only
religion that the West could not, and will not be able to, distort its
teachings, suppress its voice, and stop its spread throughout the
world. People of knowledge should not become victims of the media that
tries to make the general public think that Muslims are terrorists and
fundamentalists who exploit the name of jihad in their terrorism and
fundamentalism.

2. We need to ask: Who does describe Islamists as terrorists? The

enemies of Islam who live inside and outside Islamic countries, and who
are afraid of Islam, are the ones who invented this label to Muslims
with the aim of degrading Islam and Muslims, alienating people from it,
and to put Muslims in the position of the accused in the eyes of
international community that is dominated by the USA. In his book The
Arab World Today Murd Burger says: The fear of the Arabs and our
interest in the Arab nation does not stem from the existence of oil in
huge quantities in their area, but because of Islam! Islam has to be
fought to prevent the unification of the Arabs, because this
unification could strengthen them. The strength of the Arabs has always
coincided with the strength and spread of Islam”34. Dan Quail, the
former American vice president said: “The only remaining enemy of the
West is Islam”35. Quail classified Islam in the same category as
Communism and Nazism, and the

34 35

SeeTowards a Deeper Understanding of the Islamic Reality, by Dr. Abdul

Karim Bakkar. ibid

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Western media coined a new word to describe Islam “fundamentalism.” The
Times magazine once published on its cover a picture that combines a
mosque minaret with a machine gun under the headline: “Islamic Danger.”
Our natural response to such a description cannot be taken seriously
because it comes from an enemy, and enemies have never been fair.
Moreover, those who follow the biased Western media that invented these
descriptions of Muslims, and those who follow the writings and
declarations of Western thinkers and politicians realize that using
these descriptions of Muslims when Muslims defend their religion,
usurped Holy places, occupied lands, stolen rights and their dignity.
This was the case when Afghanis and their Muslim bretherns fought the
occupying forces of Communism, which violated international law by
occupying other people’s land and killing the people of this land. The
West, represented in its media and politics, did not describe then such
actions as terrorism or violence, but when the Afghani people rose to
defend themselves, their land and religion, their enemies condemned
that and described them as terrorists and fundamentalists, and the
lying Jewish media promoted these accusations that spread very quickly
throughout the international community. This is quite natural given the
fact that almost the whole world listens to the West and its media,
thinkers, and politicians. They want Muslims to surrender to their
enemy, give up their religion and abandon their rights without any
resistance; when they do so they resist they will be called terrorists,
and what was said about the Afghani people is being said now about the
Palestinians in their struggle against Israel. The struggle of the
Palestinians is being called terrorism and violence, because they are
defending themselves, their Holy places and their land.

On the other hand, what the Jews did in Qubayyah, Deir Yaseen, Sabra
and Shatilla, Qana, and other ugly massacres that were carried out
against the Palestinian people were not in the eyes of the West and its
media terrorism nor violence, but self defense.

The most obvious example in our modern day are the fabrications
surrounding the Bosnian war that was witnessed by the whole world, and
the international tribunal in The Hague prosecuted its war criminals.
We pose the question: has the West found one Muslim war criminal?
Weren’t all the criminals either from the Serbs or the Croats? So who
should be called terrorists: Muslims or the others?

The same can be said about what is happening to Muslims in Germany,

where extremists are killing Muslims and burning their houses, and in
France, where Muslim women have been

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prevented from wearing the Islamic veil. So who should be called
terrorists, those who simply want to practice their religion, or those
who massacre innocents, burn houses, and deprive others from their
basic personal freedom and religious rights? Many events like these are
taking place all over the world, where Muslims are being persecuted and
deprived from their personal human rights that should be respected by
all international laws, yet the international media promotes the idea
of Muslims being terrorists and extremists!

This is the twisted logic and reckless judgment of the international

community today, a community that turns away from the message of God,
suffers from ignorance, and does not follow the right path of God. God
says in the Holy Qur’an: “But whosoever turns away from My Message,
verily for him is a life narrowed down, and We shall raise him up blind
on the Day of Judgment” (Holy Qur’an: 20: 121). Muslims are, now more
than ever, required to be strong in order to raise the Islamic nation
above, and feared by all other nations, so that no side will ever think
of hurting Muslims or attacking their beliefs, God says: “Against them
make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds
of war, to strike terror into (the hearts of) the enemies of God, and
your enemies, and others besides, whom ye may not know” (Holy Qur’an:
8: 60). Concerning this Qur’anic verse Sayyed Qutb says gives the
following commentary: Islam has to have the sort of power that enables
it to advance throughout the world to free Man, and the first domain
where this power should be used is the domain of Da’wa (preaching
Islam): to make sure that those who chose to be Muslims are free to do
so, and are not afraid of getting persecuted for becoming Muslims.
Secondly, this power should be used to intimidate the enemies of Islam,
so that they do not contemplate attacking the Muslim nation that is
protected by this power.”36 Thus, Muslims are requested to frighten the
enemies of God and His messenger who defend His religion, because such
enemies should live in humiliation and disgrace, for this is the way of
God with His creatures, and not the laws of Darwen who says: It is
natural disposition that only those who prove to be fit should survive,
and those who perish do so because they are too weak that they deserve
to perish, and those who survive deserve to survive.37

36 37

Sayyed Qutb, In the Shadows of the Holy Qur’an, 24th edition, Part
Three. Abu Al-Alaa’ Al-Mawdudi, The Status of Muslims and How to Raise
Them.

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What “natural disposition” is he talking about? This is certainly not
the way God has meant humans to be.

However, when Muslims deal with each others they are requested to show
humbleness, sympathy and and provide each other with valuable advice.
This is how our forefathers were “…Lowly with the Believers, mighty
against the Rejecters…”(Holy Qur’an: 5: 54).

The West, which promotes the image of Muslims as terrorists, aims at

keeping Muslims busy defending themselves to exhaust their resources
while they try to clear themselves of the accusations that have been
wrongly thrown at them, and thus they do not find the time to unveil
the bad face of the Western culture which talks carries the banners of
Human Rights and other colorful slogans, while dominating other
peoples’ fortunes, and to keep silent while massacres take place here
and there to achieve their goals.

As for the second part of the question:(Do they accuse all Islamists of
being terrorists?), we can say that it is noted that enemies of Islam
target their accusations mainly on ardent and committed Muslims, who
seek the application of the Islamic Law, refuse to make alliances with
anyone but God and His messenger and call for the unity of Muslims, of
being terrorists because they do not yield to the wishes and commands
of enemies of Islam, and decline to facilitate the theft of the
fortunes of the Islamic nation by these enemies. But so-called Muslims
who ally themselves with the West and its civilization, and accept to
be lead by the West in obvious contradiction with Islamic teaching, are
called “moderates” by the West.

However, there are some individuals who commit acts of aggression

against innocent civilians in different parts of the world in the name
of jihad, and some of these acts are attributed to Islam although they
are committed by non-Islamic organizations. To this we say: jihad has
its rules and means, and killing innocent civilians is not part of it.
Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) forbid the killing of women, children and
covenanters. He says:”He who kills a covenanter will not (even) smell
paradise, (although) it can be smelled from a forty year walking
distance”38. There are many proofs and a lot of evidence in the Holy
Qur’an and the tradition of the Prophet that prohibit killing innocent
civilians and destroying towns. If someone goes against these teachings
of Islam, blame should no be put on Islam, but on the person himself.
38

Cited in Bukhari, The Book of Jizya, hadithe No. 293.

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Question 139: Why did prophet Muhammad marry several women and limited
the marriage of Muslim men to only four women? Answer 139: This
question has some confusion appearing in “limited the marriage of
Muslim men to only four women.” Every Muslim knows that Muhammad (pbuh)
is a messenger whose basic task is to convey what has been revealed to
him from God. He can not limit out of his own will and does not make
something legal to himself. God the Almighty allowed Muslims to marry
more than one woman, He says: “but if you fear that you shall not be
able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (the slaves) that
your right hands possess. That is nearer to prevent you from doing
injustice” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 3). Concerning the prophet (pbuh), God the
Almighty said: “O Prophet (Muhammad (pbuh)! Verily, We have made lawful
to you your wives, to whom you have paid their mahr (bridal-money given
by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), and those (slaves)
whom your right hand possesses – whom God has given to you, and the
daughters of your khal (maternal uncles) and the daughters of your
khalah (maternal aunts) who migrated (from Makkah) with you, and a
believing woman if she offers herself to the Prophet, and the Prophet
wishes to marry her – a privilege for you only, not for (the rest of)
the believers. Indeed We know what We have enjoined upon them about
their wives and those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, in order
that there should be no difficulty on you. And God is Ever oft-
Forgiving, Most Merciful. You (O Mhammad can postpone (the turn of)
whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive whom you will.
And whomsoever you desire of those whom you have set aside (her turn
temporarily), it is no sin on you (to receive her again); that is
better that they may be comforted and not grieved, and may all be
pleased with what you give them. God knows what is in your hearts. And
God is Ever All-Knowing, Most Forbearing. It is not lawful for you (to
marry other) women after this, nor to change them for other wives even
though their beauty attracts you, except those (slaves) whom your right
hand possesses. And God is Ever a Watcher over all things”(Holy Qur’an:
4: 3). Examine the above holy verses which show that God the Almighty
who allowed the prophet to marry the wives whom he had granted bridal-
money, and God took the responsibility to explain that in order to
silence all who talk about the messenger of God (pbuh), as if God the
Almighty said, “We made you marry those women, and that is the original
thing, i.e. God sent him to his creatures and he was being taken care
of by God the Almighty as he was in his care in all of his matters,
including marriage.

We also see that in those holy verses, God the Almighty prevented him
from marrying any more women after those whom he married by saying to
him “It is not lawful for you (to marry other)

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women after this” i.e. those are your wives only, so you cannot marry
other ones. So lawfulness and unlawfulness, permission and prevention
are God’s concern, not the messenger’s.

Polygamy was a common practice in the human and Arab environment before
Islam; it was familiar to previous prophet and their followers. The
prophet (pbuh) said that one of the prophets of the Jews, married one
hundred wives, and Solomon (pbuh) married more than that.

As to why the prophet married several women and limited Muslims to

four, that was one of the specialties, i.e. it is not lawful for any
other Muslim to imitate him in this. He has other specialties, like
continuing to fast after sunset; when his companions continued their
fast after sunset, he prohibited them by saying: “I am not like you,
God provides me with food and drink;” and like the unlawfulness of his
wives’ marriage after death, as they are the mothers of believers; and
like the unlawfulness to marry more than his nine wives or divorce one
of them.39

Pondering into his biography, we find that the prophet (pbuh) did not
marry more than one until he emigrated to Medina, and that was after
exceeding fifty three of his age, an age when, usually, no one marries
for purely sexual purposes or desires. All the ladies whom he married
in Medina were widows, except Aishahh; as was mentioned earlier, the
prophet married these ladies for legislative and reformative purposes,
including:40

1. Spread of education: It suffices to know that half the society were

women, and they needed culture and education exactly as men did and
that are, two or three could not perform their role in transmission,
education and guidance. Therefore, a group of women were indispensable
to educate the other women of the society, especially in matters
relating to women, as they feel shy to ask men about it. For example,
it is cited in Bukhari and Muslim that Aysha reported that one Ansari
woman asked the prophet about the after-menstruation-bath. The prophet
told her what to do by saying: "Purify yourself with a piece of cloth
scented with musk." The woman asked, "How shall I purify myself with
it." The prophet felt shy to clarify it any further; at which
appropriate time, I (Aysha) pulled the woman aside and told her: "Use
the cloth to rub the place soiled with blood."41

Abdullah Nasih Alwan, Polygamy in Islam. Alwan, Polygamy in Islam. 41

Cited in Bukhari and Muslim.
39 40

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The prophet’s various houses were centres for teaching women their
religious rules, and especially to enlighten men about matters relating
to women. Verses of the Holy Qur’an were revealed in support of this by
addressing the mothers of believers (the prophet’s wives): “And
remember (O you the members of the Prophets family, the Graces of Your
Lord), that which is recited in your houses of the Verses of God and
al-Hikmah (i.e. Prophet’s Sunnah – legal ways, so give your thanks to
God and glorify His Praises for this Qur’an and the sunnah). Verily,
God is Ever Most Courteous, Well-Acquainted with all things” (Holy
Qur’an: 33: 34). 2. Completing the Legislation: The prophet (pbuh)
married several women for legislative purposes, like abolishing the
adoption custom42, and contributing to the subject of relating the
prophetic traditions, which are the second source of legislation after
the Holy Qur’an. The prophet’s wives contributed to the narration and
conveyance of every tradition they heard from him and every act of the
messenger they saw. In this way, a big number of prophetic traditions
reached the Muslim community through his wives. Narrators of the
traditions mentioned that the number of hadith the prophet’s wives
related were more than three thousands.

3. Achievement of solidarity: The prophet (pbuh) married women who had

nobody to look after them, especially after they had lost husbands. He
married them out of mercy, like the

Makhzomite lady Hind Ummu Salamah, Ramlah bint Abi Sufyan and other
ladies whose biographies had been mentioned in the biographies of the
prophet (pbuh), which show us that his mercy (pbuh) upon women like
these, his care for orphans, sponsorship of widows and consoling those
inflicted with calamities.

4. Exemplification: The messenger of God (pbuh) is the good example and

high ideal of good treatment of his wives and achievement of justice
among them and respect of their opinions, helping them in their
household works, and loyalty to those who died from them. Anyone who
looks for a good example and a high idea in dealing with wives, he
needs to learn about the guidance of the prophet (pbuh) in the books of
his biography, which embodied and portrayed to us his life with his
wives, as if we were living with him (pbuh) and in his homes.

42

This will be explained below in detail.

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Question 140: There is a contradiction between the Qur’an and the
events in the prophetic traditions. God promised Muhammad and his
companions victory, but they were defeated in Uhud, for example. How do
you explain this? Answer 140: The first side of this question involves
the victory, which God promised His messenger and believers and means
the outcome of the struggle between them and their enemies. God the
Almighty crowned the jihad of His prophet, and the companions who
supported him, with decisive victory. All Arab tribes pledged their
obedience to the prophet and became subjects to the state of Islam—
something that appeared clearly in the Delegations Year (the tenth year
after hijra) as delegations came one after another to Medina from the
various Arab tribes and pledged their obedience to the messenger of God
for Islam. All these tribes ultimately became subject to Islam and
recognized the state of Islam. The messenger of God with his own eye
witnessed this victory during his lifetime. Also The prophet foretold
great victories to his companions, victories which were achieved after
his death. Only a few years passed after his death when Muslims
conquered the two greatest empires of the day, the Persian and Roman
empires; and subjected their territories and most of their peoples to
the Islamic rule. Thus, God’s promise of victory to his believing
servants was achieved.

On the way to reach final victory the prophet (pbuh) and his companions
were exposed to various kinds of pain, wounds, losses in property and
souls, but that is God’s law. God says: “Or think you that you will
enter Paradise without such (trials) as came to those who passed away
before you? They were afflicted with severe poverty and ailments and
were so shaken that even the Messenger and those who believed along
with him said, “When (will come) the Help of God?” Yes! Certainly, the
Help of God is near!”’ (Holy Qur’an: 2: 214). This is the nature of
conflict between truth and its supporters on the one hand and falsity
and its party.

The way of calling to God is a thorny one paved with obstacles,

hardships, wounds and pains, which are like lessons to the believing
league which may have its violations, or they are like examinations to
test the believers and purify the Muslim row from the greedy, the
vindictive and opportunistic. That is what happened in Uhud Battle when
Muslims learned a real and practical lesson as a punishment for
violating the order of their prophet and leader (pbuh). After the
notorious victory the Muslims had achieved in Badr Battle (the first
battle in Islam), some Muslims thought they would never lose a battle
whatsoever, so long as they were Muslims and others

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infidels. In the Battle of Uhud the Muslims were shocked by what had
befallen to them. God says: “(What is the matter with you?) When a
single disaster smites you, although you smote (your enemies) with one
twice as great, you say: “From where does this come to us?” Say (to
them), “It is from yourselves (because of your evil deeds.” (Holy
Qur’an: 3: 165). The other side of the question is that the Muslims not
only were defeated in Uhud Battle, but many were killed and injured.
Militarily speaking, the Muslims achieved victory in spite of the great
losses they had in the battle. Victory can be explained in this way:
first, the Muslims were victorious in the beginning; they chased the
polytheists out of their camp and surrounded their women and property,
and dropped their banner in the field of war, but when, after the end
of battle, the Muslim hurlers violated the prophet’s order and
abandoned their strategic positions and hurried down to take their
shares, Khalid Bin al-Waleed (a polytheist then) returned to the
battlefield again, ambushed the Muslim army, and caused them a great
deal of loss. Yet those polytheists were unable to destroy the Islamic
movement, neither physically nor morally. Later, the Muslims were able
under the leadership of the messenger of God (pbuh) to overcome this
crisis and gained the upper hand in the battle; soon the enemies ran
away. Had the polytheists been triumphant, the euphoria of victory
would have urged them to stay in the battlefield in order to conquer
the Muslim army, or at least its leading figures, about whom Abu Sufyan
asked at the end of the battle; they are the Messenger of God (pbuh)
Abu Bakr and Umar Bin al-Khattab. The polytheists would have attacked
Medina in which there were only women, old people and supporters of the
polytheists of hypocrites and Jews. It would have been an opportunity
for them, but Abu Sufyan, the leader of the polytheists, realized that
what happened in the second round of the battle was not because of the
bravery and courage of his soldiers; he knew them in the first round of
the battle when they ran away before the Muslims, and that was only
because of the mistake of the Muslims. That is how it happened as a
matter of fate destined by God for some reasons He wanted. The Muslims
under the leadership of the prophet (pbuh) the following morning chased
the polytheists to Hamrah al-Asad. When the polytheists learned about
this, they continued their way hurriedly towards Makkah for fear of the
Muslims, whose spirits were high and whose will was strong. Here I ask:
“Does a defeated army chase its enemy, and does a victorious army flee?
This cannot happen from a military point of view and cannot be accepted
by wise people. The third aspect of the truth of the victory of the
Muslims in Uhud Battle can be recognized when we know the fact that
every single nation must make some mistakes, and those mistakes are

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natural in the lives of nations, but nations have different attitudes
towards their mistakes in their lives. Some nations make mistakes, and
then more mistakes but they do not learn a lesson from them (not to
make the same mistakes later on). Such nations are ones whose insight
has been blinded, so they stumble on their way of construction and
their pursuit for reaching their aim was impossible; and some nations
make mistakes but they learn lessons from them, so their mistakes
decrease in their lives, and goodness and building excel evil and
destruction. So their conditions improved and their building developed.
Such nations have insight and achieve victory. That is what happened to
Muslims in Uhud Battle. The companions made use of this newly learned
lesson and learned a great deal from their mistakes. We know that from
what happened the following morning, when the prophet declared jihad
among his companions who were injured the day before in Uhud battle,
all of them attended in spite of their wounds and pains, although some
of them were not able to walk except between two men to lean on. The
benefit of the Muslims from their mistakes is itself considered a great
victory. If the Muslims make use of their mistakes and learn lesson, as
their ancestors did, their situation will change considerably. God the
Almighty, after this battle, addressed Muslims to show them that what
happened was a natural law, the law of God, that you will defeat or be
defeated, and that the natural result will be in your favor, but after
jihad, infliction and putting you to test. The triumph of the
polytheists over the Muslims in the second round of the battle is not
an established law, but a transitory event behind which there is a lot
of heavenly wisdom and lessons. God said: “Many similar ways (and
mishaps of life) were faced by nations (believers and disbelievers)
that have passed away before you (as you have faced in the battle of
Uhud), so travel through the earth, and see what was the end of those
who disbelieved (in the Oneness of God, and disobeyed Him and His
Messenger. This (the Qur’an) is a plain statement for mankind, a
guidance and instruction to those who are al-muttaqun (the pious). So
do not become weak (against your enemy), nor be sad, and you will be
superior(in victory) if you are indeed (true) believers. If a wound
(and killing) has touched you, be sure a similar wound (and killing)
has touched the others. Ad so are the days (good and not so good), We
give to men by turns, that God may test those who believe, and that He
may take martyrs from among you. And God likes not the Zalimun
(polytheists and wrong-doers). And that God may test (or purity) the
believers (from sins) and destroy the disbelievers. Do you think that y
will enter Paradise before God tests those of you who fought (in His
Cause) and (also) tests those who are as-sabirun (the patient)” (Holy
Qur’an: 3: 137-142).

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Question 141: Are Muslims required to follow the example of the prophet
(pbuh) according to what came in his biography? Answer 141: The
prophetic biography as a whole is a true method of life pure of any
stains and blemishes. It suffices that it is a true picture of the life
of a man chosen by God as a mercy for mankind. Therefore, every Muslim
who hopes for escape for himself and success in this life and in the
hereafter is required to study and contemplate the biography of the
prophet (pbuh) to benefit from his worship, to call to Islam, jihad and
all of his life. His life (pbuh) is all lessons and wisdom, those who
follow it succeed and escape and those abandon it lose and perish.

Dr. Rajih Abdulkareem al-Karm says: Understanding the biography of the

Messenger (pbuh) is, in fact, part and parcel of understanding Islam,
for its is a practical and lively witness showing the fruit of faith
and absolute belief in his religion embodied by the Messenger of God
(pbuh) as a practical and high ideal.43 He adds: Studying the
Messenger’s biography plays an important role in the interpretation of
the Holy Qur’an, which is the trusted record of actions and events of
the biography and the invasions, events and causes of revelation and
method of calling to God, bases of legislation and direction, which the
Messenger of God pointed out and implemented practically. So, the
prophet’s biography is an explanation of the Holy Qur’an and an
interpretation of it. Studying it is a study of the interpretation of
the Holy Qur’an. As such, understanding Islam is connected with the
understanding of the Holy Prophetic biography.44 Furthermore, studying
the prophetic biography is a legal necessity to imitate the prophet
(pbuh) about whom God said: “Indeed in the Messenger of God (Muhammad
(pbuh) you have a good example” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 21). Studying the
prophetic biography carefully and sincerely helps the sincere Muslims
to imitate the prophet (pbuh). I conclude that the major part of his
biography (pbuh) especially the one related to his life after the
mission until his death (pbuh) includes a great deal of divine rules
relating to peace, war, settlement and travel; to health, illness,
worship, dealings and other things we are required to follow and
worship God by doing so. On the other hand, the other side of his
biography (pbuh), especially those relating to that period before the
mission, does not show divine rules and Muslims do not have to follow
them. They are personal or general matters Muslims can read for the
sake of knowledge and not worship. For example,
See Dr. Rajih Abdulkareem al-Karmi’s book, A Shining Beam from the
Prophetic Biography During the Makkan Period. 44 See Ibid.
43

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his biography shows that as a baby, he was breastfed in the desert of
Bani Sa`d. In his youth he worked sometimes as a shepherd, sometimes in
trading, and so on. No Muslim is required to follow this side of his
life (pbuh), but may be some lessons could be deduced and more feedback
acquired about the true personality of the prophet. God says, “Or is it
that they did not recognize their Messenger (Muhammad) so hey deny
him?” (Holy Qur’an: 23: 69).

Question 142: Muslims say that Muhammad had performed miracles. How can
one differentiate between these miracles and magic? Answer 142: A
miracle is originally a supernatural event that goes against the
natural law. People witness it and God allows it to happen at the hands
of his prophets, while “magic” is an event whose cause is unseen and
imagined to be something different. It uses the method of camouflage
and misleading, and it is all seen as true and accurate.

The most famous kind of magic of is the one based on the use of earthly
spirits like jinn, where magicians usually get assistance. Magicians
also rely on a devil or a goblin to achieve something he wants; hence,
magic is associated with blasphemy. God said, “They followed what the
shayatin (devils) gave out (falsely of the magic) in the lifetime of
Sulaiman (Solomon). Sulaiman did not disbelieve, but the shayatin
(devils) disbelieved, teaching men magic and such things that came down
at Babylon to the two angels. Harut and Marut, but neither of these two
(angels taught anyone (such things) till they had said, ‘We are only
for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)’.” (Holy
Qur’an: 1:102). Al-Nisai mentioned that Abu Hurayrah related that the
prophet (pbuh) said: “Any one who knots a knot then blows in it, he has
performed magic and anyone who performs magic has associated another
deity with God, and anyone who hangs am amulet, he is given to it.”45
There is also the magic of deceiving and misleading the eyes, as God
said about the Pharaoh’s sorcerers: “they bewitched the eyes of the
people, and struck terror into them, and they displayed a great magic”
(Holy Qur’an: 7:116), i.e. they camouflaged what they did until people
thought that the

45

Cited in Nisai.

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ropes and sticks were moving. God said, “And their sticks, by their
magic, appeared to him as though they moved fast” (Holy Qur’an: 20: 66).

Hence we can know some differences between a miracle and magic, like a
miracle is a support from God to his prophet or messenger to prove his
prophecy and message, so what he performs is miraculous, and the Holy
Qur’an mentioned many of them, while magic is a support of the devil to
his followers. A good servant of God, a messenger or a prophet performs
a miracle, and a good servant cannot be a magician because magic is
blasphemy. God may allow a good servant to perform miraculous things, a
servant who is not a prophet or a messenger, and that is a blessing
while magic comes from someone who denied God, associated someone with
Him, and followed the Devil. Therefore, if you see something miraculous
performed by someone, we should examine his state. If he is a servant
of God, does what God orders and abstains from what God prohibits, pure
in appearance and heart away from every kind of evil action, then learn
that it is a miracle that he is performing, and if he is an evil
lecherous malignant person who commits sins and disobeys God, then he
is a sorcerer.

A miracle changes the reality of things and makes it a real fact, and
that is the secret of the embracement of Islam of Pharaoh’s sorcerers
when Moses threw his stick which tuned into a snake that swallowed the
sticks and ropes of the magicians, which we see to have been
transformed under the effect of sorcery into snakes, except the
magicians who were not charmed themselves. They saw Moses’ stick, which
was transformed into a snake eating their sticks and ropes. God said:
“And the sorcerers fell down prostrate. Saying: “We believe in the Lord
of the alamin (mankind, jinn and all that exists), the Lord of Moses
and Aaron” (Holy Qur’an: 26: 46-47). Magic does not change the reality
of things, but a sorcerer affects the senses of people so that they
feel that the things before them have taken new forms and shapes, while
the things themselves continue to be the same, without changing their
reality, as the sorcerers of Pharaoh did, they bewitched the eyes of
people when people were made to imagine that the sticks and ropes
became snakes in the arena, and in fact, they remained the same,
unchanging ropes and sticks.

A miracle is performed to achieve a noble intention like healing the

blind and the leprous, healing patients, supporting messengers, and
strengthening the believers, etc. It always achieves

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something good, whereas magic is used for evil purposes, like
separation between husband and wife, inflicting people with disease and
illness and maybe death.

Miracles and magic are, then, essentially two things different in

essence and purpose and those who perform them are dissimilar except in
some apparent effects, but it is easy for every understanding person to
differentiate between them. In addition, any act if it is magic and not
a heavenly miracle; it means that it is a human act that can be
performed by magicians on earth, whereas God makes a miracle.
Therefore, it can be achieved in the same manner by any human being.

Question 143: God says about Muhammad: “God will protect you from
mankind” (The Holy Qur’an: 5: 67). How was he bewitched, poisoned and,
more than once, wounded? Answer 143: The verse mentioned in this
question is part of the fifth verse of chapter (sura) 67 (Holy Qur’an:
5: 67) from al-Maida. God said: “O Messenger (Muhammad (pbuh)! Proclaim
(the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord, And if
you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. God will protect
you from mankind. Verily, God guides not the people who disbelieve.”
(Holy Qur’an: 5: 67). In this holy verse, there is an order from God
the Almighty to his Messenger to pursue his call to Islam and inform
others of what he has been informed regardless of the enemies, their
intrigues and conspiracies against him (pbuh). Before the revelation of
this verse, while calling to God, the prophet felt afraid about himself
that he might be killed or assassinated, and God the Almighty knew what
went on in the heart of his chosen prophet, and knew that the enemies
intended to kill His Messenger. He, therefore, revealed this verse to
him to appease him and tell him that he is in His protection, care and
maintenance, and anyone who is under God’s care and protection, what
could the weak enemies do to him? Imam Ahmad related that Aishah
related: “The Messenger of God stayed up late at night while I was
beside him. She said, she addressed the prophet saying ‘What is wrong,
Messenger of God?’ He answered: ‘I wish one righteous companion of mine
would guard me tonight.’ She said, ‘While I was listening to him, I
heard a weapon cluttering.’ He said, “Who is there?” He [the one
outside] said, ‘I am Sa`d ibn Malik.’ He said, ‘What brought you here
at this moment?’ Sa’d said, ‘I’ve come to guard you.’ She said, ‘Then I
heard the Messenger

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of God soundly asleep.”46 Ibn Abi Hatim mentioned that Aishah said:
“The prophet used to be guarded until the verse “And God will protect
you from people” was revealed. She said, “The prophet watched out of
the dome and said, “O, people! You could leave, God has protected
us.”47 What is meant by the Arabic word (‘Isma) in the prophetic
tradition is God the Almighty will protect His messenger (pbuh) from
killing. The prophet (pbuh) was exposed, especially after hijra to
Medina, to many assassination attempts by the Jews, the hypocrites, the
pagans and others. Except for the protection of God, the prophet would
have been killed from the very early days of his public call to Islam.
Anyone interested in learning about those attempts, he could refer to
the book entitled And God will Protect You from People by Ahmad aj-
Jadi` in which he described the attempts of assassination of the
prophet (pbuh) starting with that big attempt by Quraish, so God saved
him from them, and allowed him to emigrate to Medina. As to verbal and
practical harm less than killing, the Messenger of God (pbuh) was
exposed to many incidents, especially in Makkah, and this is the
situation of callers to God everywhere all the time and that is God’s
law of testing and trying, as He said: “Verily, (many) Messengers were
denied before you (O Muhammad (pbuh), but with patience they bore the
denial, and they were hurt; till Our help reached them, and none can
alter the Words (Decisions) of God. Surly there has reached you the
information (news) about the Messengers (before you)” (Holy Qur’an: 6:
34). And the prophet himself said, “The most inflicted amongst you are
the messengers, then those who are similar to them, and then those are
similar to them” and God’s protection of his Messenger from killing was
particular to him (pbuh) unlike other callers and conveyers, as he is
the one conveying the message of God. Therefore, he was protected from
killing until he conveys God’s message in the manner that God wanted.

Question 144: There is a controversy and ambiguity around the marriages

of the prophet to Zainab Bint Jahsh. Could you clarify this ambiguity
and explain the circumstances of this marriage clearly? Answer 144:
Zainab Bint Jahsh is the prophet’s cousin on his father’s side. Her
mother is Umaymah Bint Abdulmuttalib and she is the sister of Abdullah
Bin Jahsh who was martyred in Uhud Battle. The Messenger of God married
her after she was divorced by his slave Zayd ibn Haritha without a
human contract, because it was God the Almighty who married her off to
him, in
46 47

Cited in Bukhari. Muhammad Naseeb ar-Rifa`i, Abridged Interpretation of

the Interpretation of Bin Katheer.

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order to cancel the custom of adoption and the custom of prohibiting
marriage to the wife of adopted sons, which was common then amongst
Arabs. God the Almighty revealed some verses to be recited from the
Holy Qur’an to show that. He says: “And (remember) when you said to him
(Zayd bin Harithah the freed-slave of the Prophet) on whom God has
bestowed Grace (by guiding him to Islam) and you (O Muhammad (pbuh)
too) have done favor (by manumitting him): “Keep your wife to yourself,
and fear God.” But you did hide in yourself (i.e. what God has already
made known to you that he will give her to you in marriage) that which
God will make manifest, you did fear the people (i.e., their saying
that Muhammad (pbuh) married the divorced wife of his manumitted slave)
whereas God had a better right that you should fear Him. So when Zaid
had accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her
to you in marriage, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to
the believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their
adopted sons when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they
have divorced them). And God’s Command must be fulfilled” (Holy Qur’an:
33: 37). God also says, “But you did hide in yourself (i.e. what God
had already made known to you that He will give her to you in marriage)
that which God will make manifest, you did fear the people” (Holy
Qur’an: 33: 37) The minds of people started wondering as to what the
prophet concealed from them and forgot about God’s words which is
understood to mean that God the Almighty revealed in His words what the
Messenger had concealed. The verse is clear that God the Almighty
revealed in it that Zainab being a wife of Muhammad, not anything else.
The right thing to do was to contemplate the Holy Qur’an and not give a
free rein to their imagination and to say about the prophet (pbuh) what
should not be said. Let’s explain the story of this blessed marriage:

Zayd ibn Harithah is an Arab from the tribe of Bani Kalb. One tribe
attacked his and took him captive as this usually happened before Islam
and sold him. Hakeem ibn Hizam bought him to his aunt Khadeejah and
she, in turn, offered him to her husband, the prophet. His folks had
been looking for him to restore him; they learned about his
whereabouts, in Makkah. They came to the prophet (pbuh) and asked him
and begged him to give them their son back. They were the caretakers of
the Holy Mosque and deserve this good deed. The prophet, in turn, made
them another offer, i.e. to come to Zayd and make him choose between
his father and folks or staying with Muhammad. He chose Muhammad after
seeing his sublime manners, good treatment and nice dealing. His folks
said to him, “Do you prefer slavery to freedom?”

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The prophet (pbuh) announced in Quraish Club the adoption of Zaid and
that he could inherit him. Zayd was called afterwards Zayd ibn
Muhammad, then God revealed Islam and Zayd was the first slave to
embrace Islam. When he grew under the care of the prophet (pbuh), the
prophet wanted to reward him back, he married him to his cousin on his
father’s side, Zainab, to confirm his freedom and adoption of him, and
to raise his social status.

The prophet proposed to Zainabl for Zayd. She declined as she was
Quraishi from a noble family and she found Zayd below her social
status. So God the Almighty revealed: “It is not for a believer, man or
woman, when God and His messenger have decreed a matter that they
should have any option in their decision” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 36). So
Zaynab said, “O, messenger of God, I have accepted what you have
accepted for me.” Zayd married her and lived with her for around a year.

This has been related by as-Sadi. He said, “We learned that this verse
was revealed for Zainab Bint Jahsh, whose mother is Umayyma Bint
Abdulmuttalib, the aunt of the prophet (pbuh) who wanted to marry her
to Zayd Bin Haritha – his slave – so she was reluctant to do so. Then
she accepted what the prophet did and he married her to him, then God
informed His prophet (pbuh) that she is one of his wives. The prophet
was shy to inform her of her divorce, and people knew that Zainab and
Zayd were married. The prophet (pbuh) told him to keep his wife and to
fear God and was afraid that people would blame him and say that he
married his daughter-in-law as he had already adopted Zayd as his son.
What the prophet (pbuh) concealed was not love to Zaynab, as some liars
claimed, as had it been love to Zainab, God the Almighty would have
showed that in the Holy Qur’an, and the prophet would not have done
that as he was infallible, and as he was described by God in this way
“And Verily, for you (O Muhammad are on an exalted (standard of)
character” (Holy Qur’an: 68: 4). What he really feared was that people
would say and the hypocrites and Jews would say: “How could he prohibit
marrying the daughterin-law and he himself marry the wife of his
(adopted) son? The marital life did not last between Zayd and Zaynab,
so she was divorced.

Anas said, “When Zainab finished her confinement after divorce, the
Messenger of God (pbuh) said to Zayd, ‘Propose to her for me.’ He said,
‘I set out and said to her “O, Zainab, I have a good news for you. The
prophet wants to propose to you.’ She said, ‘I’m not doing anything
unless I

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am ordered by my Lord God. She went then to her prayer room and the
verse was revealed to the prophet (pbuh) and he went in to see her
without permission’.”48 Ibn Hajar said: That was the greatest event to
happen then, and that her previous husband would be an in-between in
order that nobody would think that it was done by force without his
satisfaction, and it tests whether he has feelings towards her: “Did
anything remain there?49 And God the Almighty says: “So when Zaid had
accomplished his desire from her (i.e. divorced her), We gave her to
you in marriage, so that (in future) there may be no difficulty to the
believers in respect of (the marriage of) the wives of their adopted
sons when the latter have no desire to keep them (i.e. they have
divorced them)” (Holy Qur’an: 33: 37). So, prophet (pbuh) married her
to nullify two pre-Islamic customs which were common then; the custom
of not marrying the wife of the adopted son, and the habit of
superiority and pride of belonging to a noble family, as a nobility
would not conventionally marry someone humble, and to confirm the basis
of preference, God says: “Verily, the most honorable of you with God is
that (believer) who has at-taqwa [i.e. he is one of the muttaqun (the
pious)]” (Holy Qur’an: 49: 13).

48 49

Cited Ahmad, Muslim and Nisa`i. Fath-ul-Bari.

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PART FOUR

Questions and Answers on The Inimitability of the Holy Qur’an

Translated by Ahmad H. Al-Hout

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Chapter 1:
Selections from the Inimitability of the Holy Qur’an
Question 145: What are the forms of inimitability found in the Holy
Qur’an and holy prophetic traditions? Answer 145: The miraculous forms
of the Holy Qur’an and true prophetic traditions share common
totalities, which include: 1. The Linguistic Inimitability: The Holy
Qur’an is of the highest degree of eloquence and rhetoric in the Arabic
language and has always rendered the people of eloquence and rhetoric
incapable of producing something similar. 2. The Legislative
Inimitability: The Holy Qur’an contains a perfect code of life to
secure the interests of the servants of God in this world and save them
from punishment in the Hereafter. It is valid for all times and places.
3. The Informative inimitability: A great deal of news was given in the
Holy Qur’an as to what would happen in the future; events took place
accordingly. It also gave news about past events that had happened long
time before, like telling about the peoples of Noah, Hud, Salih and
others. Without what was revealed in the Holy Qur’an, Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) , he would not have known anything himself. 4. The Scientific
Inimitability: Some verses in the Noble Qur’an indicate scientific
facts which had not been known before, and science has been discovering
them with the course of time. These verses include empirical, human,
natural as well as other kinds of science. 5. The Inimitability of
Guidance: This is embodied in various examples; anyone wanting to learn
about them, he can refer to the books written on scientific
inimitability in the Noble Qur’an, in the Prophetic traditions and in
the Inimitability magazine, which is issued by the Islamic World
Association.

Question 146: How did the modern scientific discoveries confirm the
truth of the well-known saying that “the Qur’an’s inimitability does
not know an end?” Answer 146: God the Almighty has pointed out that He
taught His prophet what he had not known before. He says: “God has sent
down to you the book (The Qur’an), and al-Hikmah (Islamic laws,
knowledge of legal and illegal things i.e. the Prophet’s Sunnah–legal
ways), and taught you

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that which you knew not. And Ever Great is the Grace of God unto you (O
Muhammad (pbuh).” (Holy Qur’an: 4: 113). These types of knowledge
conveyed through the messenger of God (pbuh) were brought in the form
of revelation from God the Almighty and from the kinds of knowledge the
prophet had. The God’s prophet (pbuh) said: “Every prophet was given
knowledge which made his people believe him and I hope I will be the
most followed prophet on the Resurrection Day.”50 Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh) showed that the miracles of his predecessor prophets (peace be
upon the all) were kinds of miracles admitted by the peoples in their
own times. They were supernatural and could not be challenged neither
in their own times nor in times to come; all confirming the prophethood
of those who showed them.

The miracles of the prophet Muhammad (pbuh) were both scientific and
intellectual. They were heavenly revelations. It will take a man’s
life-long to realize and recognize essence and truth of the heavenly
revelation (the Qur’an). Yet, the miracles of this holy book do not end
in the course of time; in every age a clear sign of this revelation is
confirmed and a bright proof is seen—all conforming to the true
revelation, the Holy Qur’an, from God upon His prophet/messenger. This
also confirms the prophethood of Muhammad (pbuh). We see in every age
natural scientists producing facts after a long reach and efforts.
These facts are taken for granted by the Muslim who reads the book of
God the Almighty and contemplates its meanings.

Embryology, for example, is considered to be one of the most modern

sciences which scientists could not explore until modern civilization
provided them with instruments that could show what was happening in
the womb of the mother without hurting the mother or the fetus. They
reached some facts which had been taken for granted by Muslims, things
like the beginning of the formation of the fetus, when the sperm enters
the ovum of the woman. Almighty God said: “And that He [God] creates
the pairs, male and female, from Nutfah (drops of semen – male and
female discharges) when it is emitted.” (Holy Qur’an: 53: 45-46). God
also said: “Was he not a nutfah (mixed male and female sexual
discharge) of semen emitted (poured forth)?” (Holy Qur’an: 75: 37).

Out of the millions sperms man ejaculates during his sexual

intercourse, only one fertilizes the ovum. Human semen forms 99% of the
ejaculated liquid, while the sperms form between 0% and

50

Cited in Bukhari and Muslim, from the narration of Abu Hurayrah.

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1% from the total amount of the semen. Only one sperm out of millions
in the semen is made to fertilizes the ovum, according to the will of
God, so that it grows and becomes a fetus, then a child, then a young
boy or girl, then a man or a woman. Abi Saeed al-Khudri related that
the messenger of God (pbuh) was once asked about ejaculation outside
the vagina during sexual intercourse (for contraceptive purposes), he
said: “The child does not come from all the liquid (sermen) and if God
intends to create anything, nothing can prevent it (from coming into
existence).51 This prophetic hadith show that a woman perceives from
some of the semen, as modern science says, and that there might be
ejaculation without conception. Also conception is not necessarily
formed after each sexual intercourse, and that there might be
ejaculation without conception. This is explained by gynaecologists who
say that the days between the menstruation periods are not the same
with respect to the possibility of pregnancy, and that sperms might not
be strong enough to fertilises the ovum. Science has proved that the
sperms in the semen must be lively, active and gushing forth, which is
one condition for fertilisation, as science has proved. Science has
also proved that the woman’s liquid, which contains the ovum, comes out
flowingly to the womb canal (Fallopian canal) and that the ovum must be
lively, active and flowing so that fertilisation could be achieved. God
the Almighty said: “So let man see from what he is created! He is
created from a water gushing forth” (Holy Qur’an: 86: 5-6).

Determination of the baby’s sex (male or female): Scientists have found

out that the number of genes in every human cell is 23 pairs, one gene
from each pair is responsible for determining the sex of the baby in
all dimensions of man, physical and psychological, and that the key to
the determination of the sex of the baby exists in this pair of genes.
It was noticed that this pair in the male is different and it is
referred to as (XY). Also, the feminine ova have only one chromosome of
one shape (XX), while the sperms of man have two shapes of genes (X)
and (Y).

The determination of the baby’s sex as such becomes obvious. The sperm
is responsible for the determination of the sex of the baby for it
contains the contrasted shapes of sexual genes. If the sperm has a (Y)
gene, and it combines with an (X) gene in the ovum, the bay will be a
baby-boy, and if an (X) gene unites with an (X) gene in the ovum, the
baby will be a baby-girl. Here are some formulas clarifying the point
further: A (Y) gene + (X) = baby-boy (YX)
51

Cited in Muslim, Nikah Book as narrated by Abi Saeed al-Khudri.

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An (X) gene + (X) = baby-girl

Four possibilities: 1) XX female 2) YX male 3) XX female 4) YX male

This is what has been mentioned in the Noble Qur’an fourteen hundred
years ago, when it attributed the responsibility of determining the sex
of the baby to the sperm of the man. God Almighty said: “And that He
[God] creates the pairs, male and female, from Nutfah (drops of semen –
male and female discharges) when it is emitted.” (Holy Qur’an: 53: 45-
46). The prophetic tradition expresses this fact accurately. If the
sperm of the man dominates, i.e. (Y) gene dominates and united with an
(X) chromosome – the baby will be a boy, and if the liquid of the woman
dominates, the baby will be a girl. Thawban related that a Jew once
approached the prophet and asked him about the (sex) of the child. The
prophet (pbuh) said: “The reproductive substance of man is white and
that of woman (i. e. ovum central portion) yellow, and when they have
sexual intercourse and the male's substance (chromosomes and genes)
prevails upon the female's substance (chromosomes and genes), it is the
male child that is created by Allah's Decree, and when the substance of
the female prevails upon the substance contributed by the male, a
female child is formed by God’s decree.”52 After fourteen hundred
years, nobody can speak more clearly than what the prophet has stated.

Question 147: Modern technology has helped contemporary scientists to

understand the scientific inimitability in the Qur’an and the prophetic
traditions. How could the Muslim ancestors understand this
inimitability without possessing the modern technology? Answer 147: The
Muslim surely believes that the Noble Qur’an is the words of God the
Almighty, and that the prophetic traditions are what He revealed to His
messenger, prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Everything mentioned in either
source is completely true, and should be taken for granted by every
faithful believer whether he/she knew know that before, or could not
know it practically. These above mentioned scientific matters like the
embryo, for example, are regarded as absolutely true by the Muslim. It
is taken for granted as absolutely true, because it is the word of God,
although the Muslim could not see what happened in the womb of the
woman. Modern technology has only made these facts clearer. The same
applies to other matters: for example, Muslims believe that mountains
are pegs to fix the land although he does not know that a third of
52

Cited in Muslim, The Book of Marriage.

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the mountain height goes above the land while two thirds are deeply
planted under the earth, like pegs. The same could be said about the
formation of mountain-like clouds in the sky. The hale stones come down
from those mountains of clouds. The Muslim believes that although he
did not ascend to sky. He knows that clouds gather together in the form
of mountains. He absolutely believes and acknowledges every scientific
discovery that had already been mentioned in the Qur’an or concorded
with it, or even came mentioned in the tradition of the prophet. The
Noble Qur’an, therefore, refers to the scientific discoveries that will
show people the miracles of God the Almighty. God says: “We will show
them Our Signs in the universe, and in their own selves, until it
becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the truth.” (Holy
Qur’an: 43: 53).

Question 148: Muslims believe that only God knows what exists in the
wombs, how could they reconcile between this and the modern technology
that could show the embryo and know its sex before birth? Answer 148:
This question refers to the saying of God the Almighty: “Verily, Allah,
with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, he sends down the rain,
and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn
tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily God is
All-Knower, All-Aware (of things) (Holy Qur’an: 31:34). Abdullah Bin
Umar related that the prophet (pbuh) said: “The keys to the unseen
world are five and nobody knows them except Allah,” then he quoted the
above verse from the Noble Qur’an. It is God alone who knows absolutely
what is in the wombs in every moment and at every stage; He knows
everything small and big. No doubt that He knows every conception when
it comes into existence, when the conception does not even show a sign
of weight or form; and He knows whether the sex of the conception is
male or female, at the time when no one could have the ability to know
anything about at the first moment of the uniting of the sperm and the
ovum, and the features, the characteristics, the condition and
readiness of the embryo. This knowledge is absolutely exclusive to God,
the All-Knowing, and the All-Aware. The term “what is in the womb” is
more general than the embryo, and mean more than its sex, whether it is
perfect or imperfect in physically, sane or insane, believing or non-
believing.

We have already mentioned in a previous answer the possible equation of

the determination of the sex of the embryo, whether male or female. The
same could be said about every

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characteristic of the embryo, as to what colour of the complexion and
body will be, the colour of the eyes, the size of every organ, etc. All
this is subject to the law of possibilities, according to medical
specialists. This is an uncontrolled law, and nobody knows how the
chromosomes will combine in the embryo, how the new features will be.
No one knows when the baby will be a boy or a girl. Man is unable to
know that before and during its happening. It is only God who knows
this. As to the period after its determination, it becomes a fact and
is not more a part of the unseen. Man may know something about the
embryo, as he knew the stages of the formation of the embryo. The verse
and the prophetic traditions speak about the stage when the baby is a
part of the unseen. If it becomes a part of the factual world that man
can know, there is no objection to knowing it.

Question 149: I would like you to explain the following Qur’anic verses
scientifically: A. “The likeliness of those who take (false deities as)
Auliya’ (protectors, helpers) other than God is the likeness of a
spider who builds (for itself) a house; but verily, the frailest
(weakest) of houses is the spider’s house – if they but knew. Verily,
God knows what things they invoke instead of Him. H e is the Al-Mighty,
the All-Wise. And these similitudes We put forward for mankind; but
none will understand them except those who have knowledge (of God, and
His Signs)” (Holy Qur’an: 29: 41-43). B. “So I swear by the setting of
the stars. And verily that is indeed a great oath, if you but know”
(Holy Qur’an: 56:75-76). C. “See they not that We gradually reduce the
land (of the disbelievers, by giving it to the believers, in war) from
its outlying borders” (Holy Qur’an: 13:41). D. “With power did We
construct the heaven. Verily, We are Able to extend the vastness of
space thereof” (Holy Qur’an: 51:47). E. “And whomsoever God will s to
guide, He opens his breast to Islam, and whomsoever He wills to send
astray, He makes his breast closed and constricted, as if he is
climbing up to the sky” (Holy Qur’an: 3:26). F. “And has made the moon
a light therein and made the sun a lamp” (Holy Qur’an: 71:16). Answer
149: The answer to this question is as follows: A. The esteemed verses
are given as sayings for those who worship deities other than God the
Almighty, they depend on, trust, and give them their pledges and
charters ignoring that resorting to those powers, whether they are in
the hands of individuals or groups, are like the resort of the spider
to its web. The spider’s web is weak, powerless and defenseless against
its molluscan

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physique: spiders are helpless against their weak houses. God, the
Almighty, and the allPowerful protect them. It is this great fact that
the Noble Qur’an is interested in establishing in the selves of the
faithful. It is with this fact that the faithful were more powerful
than all the powers that tried to block their way, and treaded on the
pride of the oppressors on this earth and destroyed their fortresses
and castles. The enemies of the call for God who seek the help of
supporters other than Him, who knows the truth about those supporters,
it is the truth described in the previous saying, a spider seeking
refuge in its web. The witty scholar is the one who understands this
saying, and realizes that everyone on earth is as powerless and weak as
the spider’s web. The inimitability in this verse is the reference to
the web rather than to its threads. Scientifically speaking, the
threads of the spider, in terms of length and diameter, are four times
stronger than cast iron. The weakness lies in the web not in the
threads. The spider’s web, despite the strength of its threads, is weak
from within, as it stands for the killing of its household. The female
spider kills its male mate after impregnation if it does not run away
from it quickly, and it eats its offspring when they hatch if they do
not flee, and the little ones each other. The spider’s web, then, is
the most rhetorical example of what man may imagine about the best
house which becomes the worst in destiny. The conclusion of the holy
verse “if they but knew” has come as a reference to the fact that there
will come a time when man will know that fact though this might come
late. It is known that these biological secrets have been
scientifically proved only recently.

B. Those addressed in this verse, “So I swear by the setting of the

stars. And verily that is indeed a great oath, if you but know” (Holy
Qur’an: 56:75-76) knew only little about the setting of the stars which
they saw with their naked eyes, yet they felt the greatness of their
setting in their hearts. Despite our limited knowledge of the settings
of the stars; yet, we do recognize the greatness of this oath (which is
related to God who swear by His own creation). We know for example that
the star galaxy our solar system belongs to comprises billions of
starts, some of these stars could see with the naked eye, others can
only be seen with microscopes/ and or telescopes, still others cannot
be seen. All these stars swim in the mysterious space, and there is no
possibility that one magnetic orbit can come near another, or that one
star would run into another orbit. The location of each star, which
must be far from its fellow stars, has been situated carefully and
wisely: it is well-coordinated in terms of effects and mutual effects
with all the other stars and planets so that all of them could be
balanced in this vast space. The positions of stars in their orbits are
the secrets of their balance; neither a star goes near another, nor a
planet goes near another, nor a sun goes near another. Each has its own
position in which it revolves and

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does not go beyond or exceed. If a star deviates from its position and
moves in another track, it will be gravitated into another space and
will collide with another star, which adds to the size of the new star
formed from the collision of the two stars. Eventually, its gravitation
increases and attracts a third star, and so on and so forth until the
end of the universe as a whole. This is what is referred to, according
to scholars, by God’s words “the perforating star”, which is described
by space scientists as “the black hole.” Therefore, God’s oath by the
setting of stars, which He created for us, is an allusion to
contemplate and know that this universe is run under the management of
the Lord of the heavens and earth. One of the examples of the setting
of stars is the sun, as mentioned in the French magazine Science and
Life (issue: June, 1986) which includes the following facts: if the
position of the earth with respect to the sun where the ray of its
orbit around the sun is 4% less than it is now, i.e. 144 km instead of
150 million km, the temperature of the earth will increase gradually to
450 centigrade, will cause the water to evaporate and life will
disappear, as it is on Venus. Likewise, if location of the earth is 1%
more, i.e. 151.5 million km, the temperature of the earth will be go
down gradually to –4 centigrade, and water will freeze and life will be
impossible on its surface, as the case is on mars. It is said that the
galaxies and stars may seem static, but they are mobile and their
distances increase continuously, as it is the case in the theory in the
expansion of the universe. Eventually, the star acquires new positions
continuously and with those new positions of billions of galaxies and
stars, the balance of the powers of the universe remain as gravitation
forces. All of this makes the oath in the verse so great.

C. “See they not that We gradually reduce the land (of the
disbelievers, by giving it to the believers, in war) from its outlying
borders.” (Holy Qur’an: 13:41). This verse means that the land is
gradually reduced from its outlying borders and that people can see
that? How does this happen? First, the reduction of the land from its
northern and southern sides should include its two poles. It is known
that the land is not completely globular, it is elliptical, i.e. the
equator is longer than the line going through the two poles. Scientists
have found out that the equator is 21 km longer and that this length
increases gradually in the course of time and the globe becomes more
elliptical, and the line going through the two poles is getting shorter
and shorter. Second, the crust of the earth is exposed to sunshine,
rain, wind and the various elements of corrosion and erosion—something
that reduces the crust of the earth gradually. Scientists expect that
the continuous corrosion is the cause of the earthquakes and giving
away of the earth. This also indicates that the earth is reduced from
its outlying borders,

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which is one of the things that man can see in all parts of the earth.
It is a clear scientific miracle throughout all ages. D. This verse
shows that God the Almighty created the vast sky including the stars,
planets and suns and moons; it continues to expand throughout time, and
this verse, which proves the expansion of the universe. The well-known
theory of the expansion of the universe has come into existence in the
scientific field. In 1912, this theory was affirmed by the scientist
Silipher who said that certain galaxies are moving away, increasingly,
from our galaxy. In 1916, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity has come to
confirm the theory of the universe expansion. He tried to calculate the
speed of that expansion associating it with the speed of the light,
300,000 km/s. In 1929, the two scientists Hobble and Humoson confirmed
the theory of the expansion of the universe. Hobble has set a law
carrying his name, which estimates the increasing distance of the
galaxies from each other and from ours. By virtue of this law, it was
possible to use the reverse way to calculate the approximate age of the
universe. With the progress of modern physics and the introduction of
the study of specter, it was possible to study the light of stars and
galaxies, and the turning of the specter into red, and eventually
calculated the speed of the departing of the galaxies away from each
other according to the theory. The further the galaxies and stars
depart from our galaxy, the redder their specter turns. For instance,
the distance of the galaxy Amos de Lavierge from ours, the milky way,
increases at 1200 km/s, and the distance of Amos de Lavierge increases
at 60 km/s. It is two billion light year speed. Contemporary
astrologists confirm that theory. Hubert Reeves said: “We can say that
the expansion of the universe is almost certain.” Maurice Bukaille
said: “The expansion of the universe is the greatest phenomenon modern
science has discovered and completely confirmed today. The discussion
deal only with the pattern through which the expansion is happening.”
One of the phenomena that support this theory is what is called the
“night darkness.” In spite of the big number of galaxies in the sky,
and although they consist of billions of stars, there are not enough
stars to fill the sky with light. Moreover, the expansion of the
universe disperses the light of the stars. Therefore, the light seems
insufficient although it is very strong and the night appears dark. The
point of inimitability in this Qur’anic verse is that suppose there was
a man in the present age who knew nothing about astronomy and
scientific laws, did not have any modern technology, especially optical
one, furthermore if he had lived in a remote unknown jungle, a desert
or a mountain, stated such laws, and reached those conclusions which
scientists reached only after spending a great deal of efforts, long
research and coordinated efforts of cooperation, people would consider
that a sort of fiction and an impossibility. Eventually they would
attribute such information to an external

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supernatural power. What could be said then about this man, the
prophet, who lived fourteen hundreds ago? He was illiterate, living in
a desert far from the centers of any science and civilization then, and
in age whose people knew nothing about the universe, its beginning,
life and its evolution. This man states his theory firmly and in a
certain manner, while connecting it firmly with other phenomena and
theories. What could be said then? It is undoubtedly, the information
coming from revelation from God the Almighty.

E. “And whomsoever God will s to guide, He opens his breast to Islam,

and whomsoever He wills to send astray, He makes his breast closed and
constricted, as if he is climbing up to the sky” (Holy Qur’an: 3:26).
This verse gives a picture of two personalities: First, the Islamic
personality which believes in God and the prophethood of Muhammad;
whose breast opened, expanded and felt the spaciousness of the world
crated by God the Almighty; and recognized the universal and Qur’anic
miracles Second, the non-believing personality which is fed up with
Islam and does not get guided to the right path. It feels breathless
because disbelief is a kind of contrition and stagnation. It is
discomfort, deviation from the easy human common sense; it is hardship,
deprivation and worry. God the Almighty gave an example of this kind of
personality and described it as feeling breathless like the one who
climbs to the sky. But why does one’s breast feel closed when climbing
to the sky? One may wonder, who told Muhammad (pbuh) in the 6th century
A.D. that the layers of air get looser the more we rise up in the sky?
Oxygen decreases and breathing becomes difficult. It is well know that
scientists have discovered this fact only recently. There is no doubt
that these words in this verse were the revelation of God upon His
prophet. Man feels more difficult to breathe the more he goes up into
the sky, which is well-known, scientifically speaking, as the upper air
layers are looser and their pressure is lower. Now, who taught Muhammad
(pbuh) this scientific truth, which was unknown to the people of his
age and even to the people of the later ages after him until the
present age with its amazing advanced technology to prove the
scientific truth? It is the Lord of mankind and the jinn, the Lord who
created everything, then proportioned it, and who has measured
preordainments, then guided, and Who taught us what we had not known.

F. “And has made the moon a light therein and made the sun a lamp”
(Holy Qur’an: 71:16). In this verse, we find that God the Almighty
differentiates in His description between His two creations the sun and
the moon. He describes the sun as a “lamp.” In another verse of the
Holy Qur’an God says: “and We have made (therein) a shining lamp (the
sun) (Holy Qur’an: 78:13).

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The sun is described a glowing lamp. It is the heat-generating machine,
on whose power so many things in life depend. It affects the formation
of the clouds, through the evaporation of water from the vast ocean one
earth and raising it to the upper layers of air. In the lamp, there is
burning, heat and light; all are available in the sun. The choice of
the word “lamp” is so accurate and has been chosen carefully to suit
reality. As for the moon, God describes it as illuminating only,
something which does not mean that it is a source of heat: it only
conveys light. The scientific discoveries have come to prove that the
sun is a source of heat. The temperature degree of it mounts to 15
million centigrade. The sun only reflects the sunlight, not more. It is
not a source of light; it only reflects as a mirror does. Therefore,
the Qur’anic expression about the moon is also an accurate one.
Astronomers have established this fact only recently. The sun light
consists of seven shining waves known as “white light” which
constitutes the spectrum colors (from ultra to infra violet). It also
contains gamma rays, radio short waves, and some unknown kinds of rays.
The accuracy of the Qur’anic description is crystal clear in God’s
words: “It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a
light.” So the light that comes from the moon is not more a reflection
of the sunshine, which falls on its surface. As to the sunlight, it
consists of seen shining (light and heat), and unseen ray (which
scientists use in the lighting, xray films, astronomy and biology).

Question 150: Why does the Holy Qur’an focus on man’s forelock and not
other parts of the body in God’s words “if he ceases not, We will catch
him by the forelock”— The frontal lobe is mentioned in another verse:
“I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving
(living) creature but He has the grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord
ion the Straight Path (the truth)” (Holy Qur’an: 11: 56). Answer 150:
At to the top of the forehead, there is one bone in the skull called
frontal bone. It protects the frontal lobe which contains many neural
centers: the main and secondary centers of motion, the frontal eye
field, the centers of articulation movements, and the most important
part, the pre-frontal cortex which represents the biggest part of the
frontal lobe of the brain. The function of the frontal cortex is
associated with the formation of the individual’s personality; it
performs an organized role in the depth of the individual’s senses and
feelings. It influences the taking of initiative and judgment. It
directs some of man’s acts which express his personality, like honesty,
lying, right and wrong.

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The destruction of this cortex because of a certain disease, tumor, or
an accident, leads to the loss of initiative taking and recognition.
Some emotional changes may take place also; which leads to cheering up
and trance. One loses his interest in his social appearance. Instead of
being wise, observing others’ affairs around him, he becomes
indifferent, irresponsible for himself and for others around him. The
intoxicating drinks affect the tissues of the frontal areas of the
brain.

The frontal folds of the brain are important for the mind, for they are
connected with the supreme mental acts. We do those plans inside these
folds. Thus, they affect the acts and functions of the other parts of
the brain, like our thoughts, feelings and emotions.

The frontal lobe, then, is the location that controls the behavior of
animals; eventually those ayas which were mentioned in the Noble Qur’an
in the seventh century (A.D.) include knowledge understanding the whole
functions of the frontal folds of the brain.53

53

See Scientific Inimitability in Frontal Lobe, Qur’anic and Prophetic

Tradition Inimitability, Islamic World Association.

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Chapter 2:
Selections from the Inimitability of the Prophet’s Tradition (Sunnah)
Question 151: What is the attitude of modern science towards the
prophetic hadith: “When a dog licks a utensil belonging to any one of
you, (the thing contained in it) should be thrown away and then (the
utensil) should be washed seven times, the first one with earth.”54
Answer 151: This hadith was reported by Abu Hurayrah, who was one of
the prophet’s close companions. Jurisprudents and scholars were
surprised by that fact that earth could be used as a purifier: they
thought that it soils, rather than cleans. However, it was (and still)
believed to be a matter of worship which must be taken for granted. So,
Muslims have to wash pots which dogs have licked (or eaten in) seven
times including one with earth. Muslims just follow the apparent
meaning of the words of the hadith because it came to us from the
prophet.

The Noble Qur’an has come with its studies, researches and advanced
means that facilitate research and prove things that were difficult for
people to conduct in the previous ages simply because of lack of
advanced technology.

One of the researches was conducted on the relationship between earth

and rabies. Rabies is a disease whose bacteria lie in the saliva of the
dog and they are transmittable to man. The dog may have this kind of
bacteria even though the symptoms of rabies do not appear on the dog.
It may have the disease, just like any animal or living being having or
carrying the disease without being infected by it. Research on this
matter was conducted in Spain long time ago; recently by a Pakistani
doctor. It was found that rabies and its germs no matter how much are
washed with water; the germs will not be removed completely unless
rubbed at least once with earth. Earth kills germs completely. The same
applies to other diseases, which confirms the prophetic tradition.

54

Cited in Muslim, The Purification Book.

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Question 152: What is the form of inimitability in each of the
following matters: A. Women’s menstruation/period. B. Circumcision of
sexes, males and females. C. Eating the meat of dead animals. D.
Prohibition of eating the pig’s meat. E. Fasting during the “white
days”. F. AIDS spread as a result of adultery. Answer 152: The answer
to this question comprises the following: A. In the Holy Qur’an God the
Almighty say: “They ask you concerning menstruation. Say: “That is the
an adha (a harmful thing for a husband to have a sexual intercourse
with his wife while she is having her menses), therefore keep away from
women during menses and go not unto them till they are purified (from
menses and have taken a bath. And when they have purified themselves,
then go in unto them as God has ordained for your (go in unto them in
any manner as long as it is in their vagina). Truly, God loves those
who turn unto Him in repentance and loves those who purify themselves
by taking a bath and cleaning and washing thoroughly their private
parts, bodes, for their prayers) (Holy Qur’an: 1: 222). Clearly, this
was God’s revelation to this enquiry which was once raised by one of
the companions of the prophet about menstruation (the monthly
menstruation of the woman). God calls it adha (a harmful thing).
Therefore, men should refrain from an sexual intercourse with their
wives during their period, as it might cause harm for either the man or
woman, or both. In this context, the prophet (pbuh) said: “Do
everything except sexual intercourse.”55 In the same context it was
reported that Hakeem Bin Huzam once asked the prophet (pbuh): “What can
I do with my wife while she is having her period?”56 The prophet’s
answer was: “Everything above the waist wrapper is yours.”57 Concerning
menstruation, research has proved the following facts: -Harmful
bacteria exist plentifully in the vagina during the period, while
dederline organisms disappear. Dederline organisms exist naturally in
the vagina, they are considered as a natural guard against harmful
germs. These organisms live on the sugar preserved in the vagina walls.
Their number decreases until they disappear completely a few hours
before menstruation and during it. Doderlins reach their highest number
of growth and activity half way during the absence of menstruation
period. Their normal rate is 5x1 mm, but it decreases sharply before
menstruation. -During menstruation, the degree of acid ionization of
the vagina changes from acid to alkaline. This makes the organisms die
while blood takes them out of the vagina on its way.

55 56 57

Cited in Ahmad, Muslim and Abu Dawud. Cited in Abu Dawud.

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-During the period, the vagina becomes the most appropriate place for
the production, development, and activity of the harmful germs. -In the
absence of these organisms, with the change of acid ionization into an
alkaline one, and in the presence of blood, the vagina becomes
extremely liable all kinds of the harmful germs, that find a fertile
soil for growing and reproduction. The activity is not limited to those
organisms, but also to its accompanying anus and urine pass way germs
while the guard, the doderline organisms, are absent. There is no
harmful germs than those which might penetrate into the womb’s broken
walls at this particular time, as they might go into the abdomen;
consequently, into the body. They can quite easily find their way to
the loose tissues which become so soft in that critical time; nothing
would prevent them except the blood stream coming in the opposite
direction from top to bottom. It is not wise or logical then at all to
defy nature by breaking into the first defense line and other lines of
menstruation. Studies have found out that the parasite trichomonas
vaginalis becomes guardable during menstruation. This parasite exists
the tope of the vagina during menstruation awaiting its chance and
watching its catch. It is known that it causes infection in the urinal
and reproductive system of man. It is conveyed to man only through
sexual intercourse. Both the Qur’anic text and prophetic hadith in this
context lay the condition for the intercourse after the menstruation
that cleanliness is a must. In order to achieve cleanliness, blood
should stop first; then it traces must be removed with clean water. It
was reported by Aishah (the prophet’s wife) that a woman once asked the
prophet about bathing after menstruation. He told her how to bathe by
saying: “Take a clean and perfumed piece of cotton and bathe three
times.” She asked: “How can I purify?” The Prophet (pbuh) was shy to
answer her. So, Aishah says, “I took her by the hand and told her what
the Prophet (pbuh) meant, i.e. “follow the path of the blood.” In that
way of purifying, the harmful germs disappear at the time when there is
no running current of blood to wash them naturally and prepare the
atmosphere for the existence of doderline once more, especially that
the prophetic tradition commands the use of musk (perfume), which
germicides, not to mention its fragrance.58 B. Circumcision of sexes,
males and females: Abu Hurayrah related that the prophet (pbuh) said:
“There are five things that ever man should naturally do: circumcision,
shaving the public hair, taking out the armpit hair, nail trimming,
moustache cutting.”59

Circumcision is cutting off the piece of skin which covers the glans.
It is recommended that the whole piece should be removed. Shaddad Bin
Aws related the following hadith from the prophet

58 59

See Inimitability Magazine, Issue No. 3. Cited in Bukhari, hadith No.

5889, 5891, 6297, and Muslim No. 257. It is also cited in the canonical
books of hadiths.

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(pbuh): “Circumcision is obligatory for men, and a dignitary act for
women.”60 Circumcision is a regulation for Muslims and a discriminatory
mark and an emblem. The Jews share Muslims this tradition, because the
first prophet to command it was Ibrahim (Abraham, pbuh).

In 1987 The Medical British Magazine published an article stating:

“Penis cancer is rare among the Jews, and in the Muslim countries,
where circumcision is done during infancy...” The American magazine
Pediatrics stated: “The Jewish and Muslim religious obligation plays an
essential role in urging them to practice this natural deed,
circumcision. In other words, the foreskin surrounding the glans is
like a moor, where most disease circumstances develop, and urine
irrigates it; white material is formed on the walls of this pocket
resulting from the remaining germs and fungi, the excretions of the fat
and sweat glands with the phosphate of the mucous tissue, and the
remains of urine and its elements.

It is easy for us now to imagine the interference of disease factors,

like urine meatus with the uncircumcised. This substance goes into the
urethra, then into the bladder, then the kidney. It may continue its
way to prostate, the testicle and epididymis; it may cause infertility
to men as a result of testitis and epididymitis. Circumcision prevents
the top-of-the-penis cancer, as this kind of circumcision rare with the
uncircumcised men. Any likely infection in the penis may quite easily
be transmitted to the woman, which causes her aidoiitis/vulvitis, and
elytritis bartholinitis, it may cause the womb neck to be infected or
to ulcerate. This infection could develop further ominously and affect
the womb, or its accessories, which may lead to infertility. I do not
say the circumcision prevents, or reduces those infections
significantly only, but there are certain diseases, which can be
prevented only by circumcision, such diseases as the narrowing of the
back foreskin, or front and back foreskin infection, the sticking of
the foreskin with the glans, and some forms of frequent urinary
continence caused by the foreskin. The husband’s circumcision plays an
important role in preventing the wife of most of the women’s
gynecological infections.

As for women’s circumcision, which is known in Islamic sharia as

khafdh, it is optional. Women are urged to circumcise, especially when
the outer genitals, like the clitoris, or labia minora, are overgrown—
cases which might cause repellence or disgust. Also, this overgrowth
and dangling outside may cause in the future continuous sexual
excitement because of constant friction, which

60

Documented by Ahmad, Sunan Ahmad, with a weak support (02,67) and

Tabarani, Bayhaqi, Abi al-Shaykh, Tabarani and Bayhaqi.

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may lead to lack of shyness at her, and she may deviate to perversion
and disobedience, and that is whey the God prophet called it a “noble”
deed.

When those genitals overgrow to the extreme, they may prevent sexual
intercourse: it prevents the penis from penetrating the vagina. If the
girl has no overgrown genitals to be cut off, or if her genitals are
moderate in length, there is no justification for circumcision.

It is generally noticed that women’s outer genitals are longer the

colder they get to the Equator, and the shorter they the further we
move north. This becomes rare in the northern people.

C. Eating the meat of a dead animal: Dr. Jon Hanover, a Profess at the
Department of bacteriology, Guess Hospital, the governmental and
biggest hospital in Copenhagen stated: “the meat of dead animals is a
reservoir of germs, and – reservoir of killing diseases. Therefore,
laws were legislated in Europe to prohibit eating it.” He mentioned
that animals that die because of suffocation, the germs in which are
transmitted to their meat eaters, as the wall of the large entrails,
where the excrement is, works as a barrier that prevents the
transmission of germs from the large entrails to the body of the animal
and to its blood as long as the animal is alive.

It is known that the large entrails are a big reservoir of germs, which
are harmful to man. The internal wall of these entrails prevents the
movement of those germs to the body of the animal. Also, in the blood
of the animals there is another wall that prevents to movement of the
germs to the animal’s blood. If an animal is suffocated, it dies
slowly, and the danger lies in this kind of death, as the resistance of
the wall coating the large entrails loses its strength gradually which
eventually allows the harmful germs to penetrate the wall of the
entrails and go into the blood and neighbouring flesh, then they move
through the blood cycle to the rest of the body, for the animal is not
dead yet. The germs go out from the wall of the veins to the flesh due
to the lack of resistance in the walls of the veins, which consequently
makes the animal a big reservoir of these harmful germs, which attack
the health of the animal until it dies. The death of the animal in this
way means there is a big danger in the body of the creature which has
been strangled to death. Dr. Hanover added that all this might happen
any animal that dies in any other way except slaughtering. Muslims
slaughter the animal in order to purify it animal from such likely
germs. In this light we can understand God’s words better:

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“Forbidden to you (for food) are: al-maitah (the dead animals – cattle
– beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that one which
Allah’s name has not been mentioned while slaughtering, (that which has
been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allah, or has been
slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or
by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns –
and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal – unless you
are able to slaughter it (before its death)” (Holy Qur’an: 5: 3). D.
Prohibition of eating the pig’s meat (and its derivatives: pork, ham,
etc.): Dr. John Hanover Larsen stated that he discovered a new germ
called “parsina.” This germ exists only in pigs, and lives only at low
temperature degrees, 4 centigrade. Many Europeans contract it and many
diseases that infect the backbone and joints are attributed to this
germ (See Inimitability Magazine, No. 3). Besides, he discovered
tapeworms and their coated eggs in their meat, blood and bowls in spite
of the many attempts of the veterinarians to burn quantities of pig’s
meat to get rid of that tapeworms, as they re-appear constantly.
Psychoanalysts have found that a man eating the meat of a certain
animal might become infected by certain qualities of this animal. The
pigsty is one of the filthiest places and this animal is least jealous
among animals about its females. The lack of jealousy about one’s own
mother, sister(s), spouse, and

daughter(s) in the west might be attributed to their devouring of vast

quantities of pork.

E. Fasting 6 days of the 10th Hijri month, Shawwal (the month that
comes after the fasting month of Ramadhan): These are known as the
“white days.” Many prophetic traditions urged Muslims to fast three
days of every month, the three days whose nights are white because of
the moonlight when it is a full moon. They are 13, 14 and 15 of every
lunar month. Abu Dhar reported that the prophet (pbuh) “commanded us to
fast the three white days: the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth.”61

Researchers have found out that during these three days, the moon
becomes a full at night and the sea ebbing reaches its highest level—
something that causes a big excitement. They also noticed that this
excitement during those days, particularly in sexual activities,
affects man. They also found out that during these three days of every
month crimes increase. Other researchers connected between what happens
on earth with that in the human body, as the percentage of water on the
globe is 75% and that in the body of the human being is approximately
the same. Fasting had been the only medicine, which reduces man’s
tension and/or his sexual excitement.
61

Cited in Nisai, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and others.

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It is a fact that the strongest motives in man are the natural ones,
then the motive for food, then sexual motives. Fasting reduces the
strength of man’s motive for food, drink and sex. Thus, we realize that
God the Almighty gave man a natural and useful medicine to appease him
in the time of agitation and excitement. The prophet’s tradition echoes
this.

F. AIDS spread as a result of the spread of adultery: Sodomy

(homosexuality) is one of the most wicked and ugliest crimes. It
indicates the deviation of inborn nature, corruption in the mind and
perversion. It denotes sexual intercourse between two males, or between
a male and a female where male has sex with a female in the anus. God
the Almighty said: “You - Go you in unto the males of the alamin
(mankind),” and leave those whom God has created for your to be your
wives? Nay, you are a trespassing people!” (Holy Qur’an: 26:164-5). In
Arabic it was is known as Liwaat, adjective of Lut’s people, who were
the first people to have practiced this act, “which none has preceded
you in committing” in the alamin (mankind and jinn,” as God said. God
the Almighty punished the people of Lut most severely by making the
earth sink under them; they were rained with stones as a punishment for
their dirty act. Qur’anic verses were revealed condemning their act,
which is still being recited throughout the world and will continue to
be recited for generations to come. God said: “So when Our Commandment
came, We turned (the towns of Sodom in Palestine) upside down, and
rained on them stones of backed clay, in a well-arranged manner one
after another, marked from your Lord; and they are not ever far from
the zalimun (polytheists, evil-doers)” (Holy Qur’an: 11:34). This has
been proved in the history of mankind. God punished them by killing
them all, so that not a single criminal would remain alive would remain
to transmit any social and/or physical diseases to ancestor generation.
God wants man’s life to be clean of the dirt of vice and perversion;
hence, the prophet’s guidance cam to show us the great atrocity of this
crime in the prophetic traditions which made the path of truth clear to
be taken. Jabir ibn Abdullah related that prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said:
“The most thing I fear about my nation is the act of the people of Lut
(homosexuality).”62 Ibn Abbas reported another hadith from the prophet,
who said: “God does not look at a man who went in unto a man, or woman
in her anus.”63 Abu Hurayrah also reported that the prophet said: “May
he be cursed, he who does the deed of the Lutians (homosexuality).”64
“Curse” means here the dismissal from the mercy of God the Almighty.
This
Cited in Tirmidhi, Ibn Majih, and al-Hakim. Cited in Tirmidhi, Ibn Abi
Shaybah and Ibn Habban. 64 Cited in Ahmad in Musnad, and Tirmidhi.
62 63

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is deserved only because of the one of the heinous acts of sin and
disgust of it, the repetition of that in the crime of sodomy is a clear
proof of the heinousness of this sin, and the one who does it deserves
every kind of punishment. There are many prophetic traditions in this
respect.

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) warned us against the committing of sins as a

whole and particularly committing sin public. Abdullah ibn Amr related
that the prophet said: “O, folk of immigrants, there are five sins I
take resort in God from that you do not see: ‘No people amongst whom
adultery appears publicly will escape being plagued with pestilence,
diseases which did not appear among their ancestors, and if they do not
weight properly what they sell, they will be inflicted with famine,
adversity and the oppression of the ruler. If they do not pay zakat
from their money, they will not have rain from the sky. Had it not been
for the animals, they would not be rained. If they disobey God and His
messenger, God will allow an enemy from others to take some of what
they have. If their rulers do not implement Allah’s book and choose
from what God has revealed, God will make their strength among
themselves’.”65

Those crimes which the prophet (pbuh) mentioned are inflicted upon
anyone who avoids Islam partly or completely. Every criminal act has
its own consequence: sodomy and its spread in the human society brings
about new diseases which did not exist before among the ancestors,
which is what we live in this century. In the 20th century God decreed
to send to those who commit sodomy a wild dragon in order to awaken the
sleepy and cause horror in the hearts of those whose insight has been
blinded by false civilization. How could they be prevented without
having any deterrent system or

considerable values? The 20th century civilization has paddled in the

liberty of sex, and did not leave any virtue without fooling with it,
or honour or chastity without destroying its pillars, nor left women’s
dignity without desecrating it.

AIDS hs been a cry that turned the life of the west upside down. it has
been a stigma on those who avoided marriage and practiced sodomy as a
way of living.

Dr. George Dunia wrote: “The demonstrations of the sexual perverts in

the streets had disappeared. The public water closets have closed their
doors and the call for purity, chastity and
65

Cited in Ibn Majih in Fitan Book, hadith No. 9004.

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marriage to one woman has returned, and he fear of AIDS has many
restored the moral and social values of the 50s to reappear and the
sanctifying of the virgin woman may come back again.”

“Purity,” “chastity” and “virgin women” are words that are being
repeated by millions. They had been absent for long years in vice and
immorality. Statistics classified AIDS patients into four kinds: 1.
Sexual perverts, whose percentage in Britain is 84% out of the total
number. 2. Drug addicts who take drugs by syringes. 3. Adulterers who
commit adultery with more than one woman. 4. Patients who have
contracted AIDS through blood transfusion. AIDS also appeared among
women, especially whores and drug addicts. The several perverts or drug
addicts are to be blamed for the spread of AIDS. They are responsible
for the spread of AIDS in the society. The only way to avoid AIDS is
the confinement of men to an honest marital relationship. If man had
done so, and the wife to her relationship with her husband only, the
possibility of contracting this disease will be almost impossible;
hence, the accuracy of the Islamic rules explained by the prophetic
traditions.

The punishment of this act, killing the doers, the positive and the
negative, came to wipe out the effect of the crime both physically and
morally. The inimitability of the prophetic traditions in this subject
t when it stated that the spread of vice in society is a cause for the
appearance of illnesses which have not been known before, and this is
what has our present century has witnessed.

Question 153: What is the form of scientific inimitability in prophetic

medicine? Can you give some examples? Answer 153: The form of
inimitability in prophetic traditions appear in all fields of anatomy,
physiological, pathological medicines. Because of time and space, I am
going to give only a few examples. Annuman ibn Basheer related that the
prophet said: “the believers in mutual intimacy and mercy are like one
body; if one organ suffers, the whole body will suffer.”66

66

Cited in Muslim, hadith No 2586.

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The portrayal of the tradition is an accurate scientific description of
what happens in the body. The body temperature rises and the body is
affected with fever that prevents it from sleeping and is worried at
night, and torments him during the day. This connection is not only
related to the organs of the body, but it goes beyond that to the
psychological aspect as well. Also, the prophet said: “There is in the
body one morsel, if it is good, the whole body will be good, and if it
is corrupted, the whole body will be corrupted too, it is the heart.”67
So it is void of diseases, free of illnesses, the whole body will be
sound as a whole. Abdullah ibn Abbas related that the prophet said:
“Use antimony as kohl, it makes the hair grow and sharpens the
eyesight.”68 Ali ibn Abi Talib related that the prophet of God said:
“Use antimony, it makes the hair grow, dismisses the motes and sharpens
the eyesight.”69 Antimony is used as an ingredient of the medicine used
for the treatment of trachoma. If studies continue, other results may
be discovered. Al-Miqdad ibn Ma`d Yathrib related that he heard the
prophet say: “Man not filled more harmful pot than his stomach. It
suffices man to have a few morsels to give him strength. If it is
impossible to do this, he can give a third of his stomach to food, a
third to drink and a third to breath.”70 This hadith gives us an
accurate organization of man’s food, so that it does not go beyond the
need and does not become less than what I necessary. In this manner,
man lives comfortably away from obesity which tires the body and the
heart which is the 20th century plague. Abullah ibn Abbas related that
the messenger of God said: “Nothing replace food and drink except
milk.” In another version: “I do not know any drink that can replace
food except milk.”71 Here the prophet refers to the useful substances
which are necessary for the human body whether it is small or big. He
referred to the value of nutritional value of milk in a time when
people did not know the ingredients of milk and the elements it
contains, and the important ingredients of vital food which cannot be
found together in another drink. Aishah related that the prophet said:
“A home in which there are no dates is a home whose householders are
hungry” and in another version: “A home without dates is like a
foodless home.” This shows that dates are a sufficient food of man and
it satiates him so he does not need other kinds of food. It has been
proved that dates contain so many minerals that they are called a mine
of minerals. Dates form a complete and excellent meal containing
vitamin A and B. It is easy to digest their sugar, unlike the starchy
substances. The prophet (pbuh) said: “Every intoxicating substance is
wine, and every kind of wine is prohibited.”72
Cited in Bukhari, hadith No 2493 and in Muslim, hadith No 1599. Cited
in Bukhari, hadith No 2493, and in Muslim, hadith No 1599. 69 Cited in
Tirmidhi, Nisai, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majih and others. 70 Cited in Tabarani,
and Ibn Abi Asim. 71 Cited in Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majih, Ahmad and
others. 72 Cited in Muslim in the Book of Drinks, hadith No. 4735.
67 68

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All the modern studies confirm the harm of wine on man’s health; it
causes many physical and psychological diseases. The prophet (pbuh) set
a rule: Every mind-killing and intoxicating drink is wine, and the rule
of wine applies to it, prohibition. Abdullah ibn Abbas related that the
messenger of God said: “Two blessing many people are many people wish
to have, good health and free time.”73

Abu Hurayrah related that the prophet said: “There is no supplication

of the servant better than “O, God, I ask you for good health in this
life and in the hereafter.”74 In these two hadiths, and in many many
more, the prophet (pbuh) stresses the importance of health and fitness;
and this is what is being done by the health authorities in all
countries all over the world for the sake of preserving the health and
fitness of individuals. Osama ibn Zayd related that the prophet said:
“If you hear of a plague in a land, do not go into it, and if it
inflicts a land you are in, do not leave it.”75 This hadith sets the
essential rule of health quarantine performed by countries to protect
the people from the coming diseases and there are many examples of
prophetic inimitability.

Cited in Bukhari. Cited in Ibn Majih in the Book of Supplication,

hadith No. 3871. 75 Cited in Bukhari in the Book if Medicine, hadith
No. 5287.
73 74

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Conclusion
Praise be to God Who has facilitated the completion of this humble
work, and we ask Him to accept it purely for His sake, and benefit us
and all Muslims by it. We ask Him to reward everyone who contributed to
the realization of this book, and make that in their good deeds balance
in the Day of Judgment.

We have to remind readers that this book included answers to some

questions that were asked by different people who were considering
converting (or reverting) to Islam, by some new Muslims, and by some
people living in close proximity to Muslims because of their work,
common interests, or general life. The answers in this book have been
directed to these groups of people in general, and all the questions
that have been included here real enquiries, rather than anticipated or
selected questions.

This book could be considered a beginning and an incentive for more in-
depth studies that interest those who are active in the field of
preaching and spreading Islam amongst non-Muslim minorities living in
Muslim communities. Those who are working actively for Islam may
dedicate part of their precious time to investigate the needs of
inviting different non-Muslims to Islam and the ideas these people
could have about Islam, and provide some writings that clarify
misconceptions about Islam, and support these writings with solid proof.

Contemporary preachers of Islam are supposed to reflect modern life and

realize the challenges and dangers of backward thinking. They should
also prepare themselves to shoulder their great responsibilities in
such a way that reflects their deep belief in God and His messenger,
prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

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