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Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aadam |
| 08/09/02 at 03:06:17 |
| [slm] Following my request for suggestions awhile back on which version of the Quran is best for a Christian, I gave my friend a copy of Yusuf Ali. He read some pages, and he just emailed me...and his questions are quite complex. I've never talked to friends about the theological aspect of Islam before, so I'm kind of stuck. I have some idea about the answers, but I'd like your help to come up with some really good ones. BTW he's a devout Christian and knows his stuff really well. Plzzz help me out! I'll copy+paste some of his questions: (1) Essentially, what is the "voice" of the Qur'an. Is it Mohammed writing things down or is it Mohammed being a scribe for the things he heard from the angel and is the angel being speaking the exact words of Allah or is does the angel put in words. (2)When the word "we" is used, to whom does it refer? (3)tell me about how Mohammed exactly "got" the message. What were the circumstances? How often, etc? (4)I noticed that the phrase "reject faith" appears to be pretty common so I would like some elaboration on that. Give me a definition of faith. (5)Does Iblis reside in heaven? What does it mean that Iblis rejects faith? I would say that for Satan, faith isn't an issue because he can see God so it seems odd that Iblis would reject faith. (6)What is the purpose of prayer? That's it...he read ONLY a few pages...Jazaak'Allah for your response. Aadam |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/09/02 at 08:06:25 |
| [slm] I got this so far, inshaAllah I will research more... (2)When the word "we" is used, to whom does it refer? The word ‘We’ refers to Allah. It is a feature of literary style in Arabic that a person may refer to himself by the pronoun nahnu (we) for respect or glorification. He may also use the word ana (I), indicating one person, or the third person huwa (he). All three styles are used in the Qur’an, where Allaah addresses the Arabs in their own tongue. These words, innaa (“Verily We”) and nahnu (“We”), and other forms of the plural, may be used by one person speaking on behalf of a group, or they may be used by one person for purposes of respect or glorification, as is done by some monarchs when they issue statements or decrees in which they say “We have decided…” etc. [This is known in English as “The Royal We” – Translator]. In such cases, only one person is speaking but the plural is used for respect. The One Who is more deserving of respect than any other is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, so when He says in the Qur’an innaa (“Verily We”) and nahnu (“We”), it is for respect and glorification, not to indicate plurality of numbers. “And your god is One God, there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful” [al-Baqarah 2:163] and “Say: He is Allaah, the One” [al-Ikhlaas 112:1] |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aadam |
| 08/09/02 at 11:59:27 |
| [slm] Thanks Truthfinder. ABout the process of revelation, did angel Gabriel appear to the Prophet [saw], or was it just some voice? I remember readingabout angel Gabriel taking the shape of humans also. As to the definition of faith, I'm thinking of the shahadah. I understand my friend's issue with those who "reject faith"...are these the polytheists only or do these include the People of the Books? Aadam |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/09/02 at 12:23:53 |
| [slm] The revelation came in different ways..Im looking it all up to try to give a good answer. Both of what you said are correct, sometimes it was a voice, sometimes it was the angel himself there, sometimes it was a ringing noise, ect.. Faith = Eman.. so I would think not just the shahada.. Like there are 5 pillars of Islam, there are 6 pillars of faith. If Im correct, it would be belief in Allah, His messangers, His angels, His books, Qadar(its good and bad), and there is one more but my brain is stuck. Rejecting faith includes people of the book because they reject some of the messengers and some of the books. Faith is not just believing, it's also acting upon that belief.. Iblees rejected faith by disobeying and being stuck up.. Iblees believes in Allah and all, BUT, he was stuck up and too proud to obey Allah, and instead of repenting for disobeying Allah, he continued to challenge and say I will mislead mankind ect.. so Allah cursed him and kicked him out of Heaven and promised him the fire. When Adam disobeyed Allah by eating from that tree, he was humble and repented..so Allah forgave him. Ill keep looking up these questions inshaAllah. salam |
| 08/09/02 at 12:25:28 |
| Fatimah |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| theOriginal |
| 08/09/02 at 12:57:36 |
| [slm] Wow, subhan Allah, great opportunity for Dawah..... I just want to know, what denomination of Christianity does this man associate with? 1) The voice of the Qur'an is Allah (swt) himself. It is not the Prophet [saw] "writing" at all. As you know, he could not read or write. It's just him [saw] relating exactly what God has said. 2) (I think truthfinder did a good job on that one) 3) The revelations came to the Prophet [saw] in different ways... They started when he was 40, and continued for 23 years. Now, sometimes they were revealed through an Angel. The first time the Prophet [saw] was given the revelation through the Angel Jibreel. And the revelation did not occur in one instance...obviously. The other way the Qur'an was revealed to the Prophet [saw] was in the form of a feeling, or a thought, or something. And I cannot elaborate on that, for fear of saying something incorrect. (I'll try to find something written by a scholar for you) 4) Again, this is only understanding, but faith is "imaan" in Arabic. Imaan means acceptance of the singleness of Allah, and the acceptance that Mohammad [saw] is the Messenger of Allah. 5) ooh you got me on that one. Because obviously Iblis accepts that there is only one God, and that Mohammad [saw] is his Prophet....Then how does he reject faith? Maybe my definition was wrong :( 6) The purpose of prayer...as in Salat, right? As opposed to Du'aa? It is something that has been commanded to us, and its purpose is mere obedience. Imam Ghazali, "Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship" -- Good Book!! --(paraphrased): Prayer is the pillar of religion, the mainstay of conviction, the chief of good works, and the best act of obedience... ...Said the Prophet, on whom be peace: "there are five Prayers which God has prescribed for His servants. For those who perform them properly, without disrespectful ommissions, there is a guarantee that God will enter them into Paradise.... ....Said the Prophet, on whom be peace: "The five set prayers may be compared to a stream of fresh water, flowing in front of your house, into which you plunge yourself 5 times a day. Do you think that would leave any dirt on your body?" When they replied, "None at all!" The Prophet, on him be peace, said : Indeed the 5 Prayers remove sins, just as water removes dirt." Other sayings of the Prophet, on him be peace: "The five set prayers are an expiation, for there is something amongst them by which major sins are repelled." "Prayer is a pillar of religion, to neglect is to prepare for the downfall of the religion" "The key to Paradise is ritual Prayer"... (I like this one:) ..."Anyone who deliberately misses a Prayer has forsaken his faith."... I could go on forever, but I won't. Another really great book to read is "The Book of Assisstance" ... it holds well with non-muslims. The thing is, when you talk to non-muslims it forces you to do research for yourself...which is excellent, because you learn stuff you would never have imagined, and hopefully, emerge as a better muslim. good luck. Wasalaam... SF. |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Muneerah134 |
| 08/09/02 at 14:31:02 |
| [quote author=truthfinder link=board=library;num=1028876777;start=0#3 date=08/09/02 at 12:23:53] [slm] Faith = Eman.. so I would think not just the shahada.. Like there are 5 pillars of Islam, there are 6 pillars of faith. If Im correct, it would be belief in Allah, His messangers, His angels, His books, Qadar(its good and bad), and there is one more but my brain is stuck. Rejecting faith includes people of the book because they reject some of the messengers and some of the books. salam[/quote] [slm] Excellent answers, truthfinder, the last pillar is belief in the Day of Judgement. This is good for all of us as the Original said, it makas us increase our study and research, and provides a firm base for dawah. :-) Muneerah [] |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aadam |
| 08/09/02 at 14:50:22 |
| [slm] Here's part of my friend's email that could be helpful in answering his questions: "it's an important part of my theory that Mohammed either made it up or a demon was really playing the role of an angel" TheOriginal, I asked him about his church affiliation, and he refused to answer, saying that he's against organized religion and that the message of Christ is for all mankind, that his faith is between is between and God, etc... He's a very devout Christian...as I said earlier he hosts bible study groups, and he's even learning Greek so that he can study the primary sources of Christianity. Aadam |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/09/02 at 14:53:04 |
| [slm] Thanks sis for that last one. I was 80% sure it was the day of Judgement, but my brain got stuck and I was too lazy to go to my books :) Yeah, i love looking things up too. It increases my eman and I learn so much! salam |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| theOriginal |
| 08/09/02 at 15:23:16 |
| [slm] Okay I'm officially confused...He's Christian, yet hates organized religion? So then does this mean that he ignores a good part of the bible which mentions Satan (Lucifer)? Furthermore, is he asking about the religion for a greater understanding of it, or.....?? Ask him how he determines that making up a demon and playing the part of angel are two contradictory things... I mean he says either/or, not one/and, and not neither/nor. (The last one being the truth). But how does he justify it? He believes in God (Alhumdulillah), but he's iffy on the Prophet [saw] right? Well just ask him if he believes in ANY Prophets, ask him if he believes in the Trinity, and then ask him why or why not... The way I see it (and this is what I explained to my very very devout Mormon friend) that Allah (swt) created us, and He loves us more than we know (agreed?), so then why, pray tell, would he leave us on this Earth without any sort of help. This is the purpose of the Messengers (on whom be peace). They were sent to us as rightly guided people who could set a good example for us, because essentially, humans, despite their rebellious tendencies, are creatures that learn by example; that follow, not lead. Now ask him about his theory, ask him to define it, address it, prove it. Then get back to me, because I have a whole bunch of theories too, and this is getting interesting for me :D (I'm not kidding) SF. |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Fatimah |
| 08/09/02 at 15:39:37 |
| [slm] [quote]Okay I'm officially confused...He's Christian, yet hates organized religion?[/quote] My brother is like that..he is really religious, yet he hates religion!? He always says its a relationship between him and God.. Here's some info that may help answer his questions: http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=13804&dgn=3 Here's a link about salat: http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=13804&dgn=3 Also..have you recommended anything from Ahmed Deedat to him? |
| 08/09/02 at 15:48:18 |
| Fatimah |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aadam |
| 08/09/02 at 16:24:55 |
| [slm] Yeah, my friend does not really like organized religion. He thinks that the Church, through its power structure, did so much harm. And he's right... He does not ignore any part of the Bible. In fact he knows so many parts by heart. He believes in Lucifer. Yes, he believes on God. He can talk for half an hour to explain why. He believes in the Trinity, and considers Jesus to be the son. He could not explain the Trinity well, but he brought me a book 'Mere Christianity' by Lewis. We've discussed for hours about religion. Each time I compared his vitiated Bible to the genuine Quran, and one day he asked me for a copy "for reference". I got him a copy of Yusuf Ali's translation. We've been very direct in speech to one another, and he told me that he would like to "save me from hell" and show me Jesus' love (Yeahh right! ;D) I've been searching online for evidence that the Bible has been changed. No luck. I just found the contradictions. If anyone knows anything...u're welcome to help. Sis Truthfinder...no Ahmed Deedat yet. Right now, I just want to help him get 'started' with the Quran Aadam |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Traveler |
| 08/09/02 at 20:02:34 |
| [slm] Others have given good answers to your questions but there is one question I though I should say something about. The question regarding "rejecting faith" and how come satan when aware of Gods existence rejects faith. To answer your question we have to know what Allah means by faith. The best place to look for the answer is perhaps the Quran itself. And as we all know surah fatiha is known to be the summary of the Quran, so the answer I think lies in there. The verse which particularly talks about faith is verse 4 of surah fatiha, "You alone do we worship(serve), and to You alone we beseech for help" [Quran 1:4] So if any one of the two requirements is missing, you have rejected faith. In the case of satan he refused to serve God when commanded to. Hence this is how he rejected faith. Now to your question if he lives in heaven or not. Man and satan both were commanded out of paradise till the day of Judgement. So where is he now? Well, like every other Jinn he lives among us, outside paradise. And neither does he reside in Hell, well eventually he will but not at the moment he doesn't. Just a reminder, whatever I say here is based on my understanding of Islam. Since I'm human there is every possibility I may be wrong in my understanding. Traveler PS: If somebody told me that he wanted to save me from hell and I knew he meant it then I would probably kiss the guy, for I would know I had found a true friend. |
| 08/09/02 at 20:09:22 |
| Traveler |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Traveler |
| 08/09/02 at 20:27:19 |
| [slm] [quote]I've been searching online for evidence that the Bible has been changed. No luck. I just found the contradictions. If anyone knows anything...u're welcome to help. [/quote] Is it really that difficult? You don't have to be a scholar to prove the inconsistencies in the Bible. Even if you've never read the Bible you can prove the Book has been tampered with. Simple, take one Bible belonging to each sect or denomination and compare the number of chapters and verses in each. You will see they differ with each other. On the other hand apply this test to the Quran from any sect or from any part of the world and they'll have the exact number of not only chapters and verses but the same number of letters. If I'm wrong please tell me. Traveler |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aabidah |
| 08/09/02 at 22:21:33 |
| [slm] MashaAllah the answers given were very good. I'll try to answer those that I can to the best of my ability, InshaAllah. [quote] Essentially, what is the "voice" of the Qur'an. Is it Mohammed writing things down or is it Mohammed being a scribe for the things he heard from the angel and is the angel being speaking the exact words of Allah or is does the angel put in words. [/quote] This is from islam-qa.com and it explains how the Qur'an is a revelation from Allah, and not something created. The Qur’aan was revealed by Allaah, may He be glorified, as a law and a reference as to what is permissible and prohibited, what is commanded and forbidden, for people to follow, so that they obey its commands and abide by its prohibitions, take what it allows as permissible and take what it prohibits as forbidden. The Qur’aan tells us about what happened before and what is yet to come, and it is a reference for judging between us. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “… We have neglected nothing in the Book…” [al-An’aam 6:38]. ----------------------------------------- What we Muslims are obliged to believe is that which has come to us from Allaah, and that which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us. Allaah has told us that He speaks, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “And who is truer in statement than Allaah?[al-Nisaa’ 4:87] “and whose words can be truer than those of Allaah? [al-Nisaa’ 4:122] These two aayahs offer proof that Allaah speaks, and that His words are true, and there is no kind of lie in them at all. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (remember) when Allaah will say (on the Day of Resurrection): ‘O ‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)!…’” [al-Maa’idah 5:116] This aayah shows that Allaah speaks, and that His speech can be heard, so His speech has sound. And His speech includes words and phrases. The evidence that the speech of Allaah is composed of letters is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “O Moosa (Moses)! Verily, I am your Lord!”[Ta-Ha 20:11] because these words are composed of letters, and they are part of the speech of Allaah. And the evidence that the speech of Allaah has sound is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning]: “And We called him from the right side of the Mount, and made him draw near to Us for a talk with him [Moosa (Moses)]. [Maryam 19:52] Calling and talking can only happen with sound. See Sharh Lam’ah al-I’tiqaad by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, p. 73 Hence the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that Allaah speaks in a real sense, when and as and with whatever He wills, with letters and sound, but this does not resemble the voices of created beings. The evidence that it does not resemble the voices of created beings is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “There is nothing like Him, and He is the All‑Hearer, the All‑Seer”[al-Shoora 42:11] So it is known from the outset that this is the belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah. Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah believe that the Qur’aan is the word of Allaah, and among the evidence for this belief is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And if anyone of the Mushrikoon (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah) seeks your protection then grant him protection so that he may hear the Word of Allaah” [al-Tawbah 9:6] what is meant here is the Qur’aan, by scholarly consensus. The fact that Allaah mentions kalaam (speech, word) in idaafah (genitive or possessive construction) with Himself indicates that the Qur’aan is His Word. The belief of Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that the Qur’aan is the word of Allaah which was revealed, not created; it began from Him and will return to Him. The evidence that it is revealed is as follows (interpretation of the meanings): “The month of Ramadan in which was revealed the Qur’aan” [al-Baqarah 2:185] “Verily, We have sent it (this Qur’aan) down in the Night of Al‑Qadr (Decree)”[al-Qadr 97:1] “And (it is) a Qur’aan which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages”[al-Israa’ 17:106] “And when We change a Verse (of the Qur’aan) in place of another — and Allaah knows best what He sends down — they (the disbelievers) say: ‘You (O Muhammad) are but a Muftari! (forger, liar).’ Nay, bqt most of them know not. Say (O Muhammad) Ruh‑ul‑Qudus [Jibreel (Gabriel)] has brought it (the Qur’aan) down from your Lord with truth, that it may make firm and strengthen (the Faith of) those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings to those who have submitted (to Allaah as Muslims). And indeed We know that they (polytheists and pagans) say: ‘It is only a human being who teaches him (Muhammad).’ The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Qur’aan) is a clear Arabic tongue[al-Nahl 16:101-103] - the One Who changes a verse in place of another is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted. The evidence that the Qur’aan is not created is the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “Surely, His is the creation and commandment”[al-A’raaf 7:54] So Allaah describes creation as one thing and commandment as another. The conjunction implies that the second thing mentioned is different, and the Qur’aan is part of the commandment because of the evidence of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad) Rooh (a revelation, and a mercy) of Our Command. You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made it (this Qur’aan) a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will” [al-Shoora 42:52] If the Qur’aan is part of the command or commandment, which is different from creation, therefore it is not created, because if it were created, this division of categories would not be correct. This is the evidence from the Qur’aan. The rational evidence is that the Qur’aan is the word of Allaah, and words cannot exist in and of themselves so that they would have a distinct and separate identity. If they did exist separately and distinct from Allaah, then we would say that they are created, but words are an attribute of the speaker. If they are an attribute of the speaker and they are spoken by Allaah, then they are not created, because the attributes of Allaah are not created. Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitah by Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, 1/418-426-441 We must believe this and be certain of it. We should not change the meanings of the verses of Allaah, for they clearly indicate that the Qur’aan is a revelation from Allaah. Hence Imaam al-Tahhaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “The Qur’aan is the word of Allaah which came from Him in the form of speech, without any need for us to know how. He sent it down to His Messenger by Revelation, the believers believe that it is true and they are certain that it is indeed the word of Allaah and that it is not created like the words of human beings. Whoever hears it and claims that it is the words of human beings is a kaafir, who is condemned and warned of Hell, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘I will cast him into Hell fire’ [al-Muddaththir 74:26]. Since Allaah threatened with Hell the one who said, ‘This is nothing but the word of a human being’ [al-Muddaththir 74:26 – interpretation of the meaning], we know and are certain that it is the word of the Creator of mankind, and it does not resemble the speech of human beings.” Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Tahhaawiyyah, 179 I'll answer the other questions in other posts inshaAllah..... [wlm] Betul |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aabidah |
| 08/09/02 at 22:24:06 |
| [slm] [quote] When the word "we" is used, to whom does it refer? [/quote] This is also from islam-qa.com, and it explains the difference between the plurality and duality of "we" in the Qur'an.... It is a feature of literary style in Arabic that a person may refer to himself by the pronoun nahnu (we) for respect or glorification. He may also use the word ana (I), indicating one person, or the third person huwa (he). All three styles are used in the Qur’an, where Allaah addresses the Arabs in their own tongue. (Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, 4/143). “Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, sometimes refers to Himself in the singular, by name or by use of a pronoun, and sometimes by use of the plural, as in the phrase (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Verily, We have given you a manifest victory” [al-Fath 48:1], and other similar phrases. But Allaah never refers to Himself by use of the dual, because the plural refers to the respect that He deserves, and may refer to His names and attributes, whereas the dual refers to a specific number (and nothing else), and He is far above that.” (Al-‘Aqeedah al-Tadmuriyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, p. 75). These words, innaa (“Verily We”) and nahnu (“We”), and other forms of the plural, may be used by one person speaking on behalf of a group, or they may be used by one person for purposes of respect or glorification, as is done by some monarchs when they issue statements or decrees in which they say “We have decided…” etc. [This is known in English as “The Royal We” – Translator]. In such cases, only one person is speaking but the plural is used for respect. The One Who is more deserving of respect than any other is Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, so when He says in the Qur’an innaa (“Verily We”) and nahnu (“We”), it is for respect and glorification, not to indicate plurality of numbers. If an aayah of this type is causing confusion, it is essential to refer to the clear, unambiguous aayaat for clarification, and if a Christian, for example, insists on taking ayaat such as “Verily, We: it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e., the Qur’an)” [al-Hijr 15:9 – interpretation of the meaning] as proof of divine plurality, we may refute this claim by quoting such clear and unambiguous aayaat as (interpretation of the meanings): “And your god is One God, there is none who has the right to be worshipped but He, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful” [al-Baqarah 2:163] and “Say: He is Allaah, the One” [al-Ikhlaas 112:1] – and other aayaat which can only be interpreted in one way. Thus confusion will be dispelled for the one who is seeking the truth. Every time Allaah uses the plural to refer to Himself, it is based on the respect and honour that He deserves, and on the great number of His names and attributes, and on the great number of His troops and angels.” (Reference: Al-‘Aqeedah al-Tadmuriyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, p. 109). And Allaah knows best. [wlm] Betul |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aabidah |
| 08/09/02 at 22:27:12 |
| [slm] [quote] tell me about how Mohammed exactly "got" the message. What were the circumstances? How often, etc? [/quote] From islam-qa.com and explains the first revelation to Rasulullah [saw]: It is reported in al-Saheehayn from ‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr that ‘Aa’ishah the wife of the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The beginning of the Revelation that came to the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was good dreams; he never saw a dream but it came true like bright daylight. Then seclusion was made dear to him, and he used to go to the cave of Hiraa’ and worship there, which means that he went and devoted himself to worship for a number of nights before coming back to his family to collect more provisions, then he would go back again. Then he would go back to Khadeejah to collect more provisions. (This went on) until the truth came to him suddenly when he was in the cave of Hiraa’. The angel came and said, ‘Read!’ The Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘I am not a reader.’ He said, Then he took hold of me and squeezed me until I could not bear it any more then he released me and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I am not a reader.’ He took hold of me and squeezed me a second time until I could not bear it any more, then he released me and said, ‘Read!’ I said, ‘I am not a reader.’ He took hold of me and squeezed me a third time until I could not bear it any more, then he released me and said, ‘Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood). Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. Who has taught (the writing) by the pen. He has taught man that which he knew not.’ [al-‘Alaq 96:1-5 – interpretation of the meaning] Then the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) went back with his heart beating wildly, until he came to Khadeejah and said, ‘Cover me! Cover me!’ They covered him till his fear went away. Then he said to Khadeejah, ‘O Khadeejah, I fear for myself,’ and he told her what had happened. Khadeejah said, ‘Nay, be of good cheer, for by Allaah, Allaah will never disgrace you. You uphold the ties of kinship, speak truthfully, help the poor and destitute, serve your guests generously and assist those who are stricken by calamity.’ Then Khadeejah took him to Waraqah ibn Nawfal, the son of her paternal uncle. He was a man who had become a Christian during the jaahiliyyah. He used to write Arabic script and he used to write from the Gospel in Arabic as much as Allaah willed he should write. He was an old man who had become blind. Khadeejah said, ‘O son of my uncle, listen to what your nephew says.’ Waraqah said: ‘O son of my brother, what have you seen?’ [The Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] told him what he had seen. Waraqah said: ‘This is the Naamoos [Jibreel] who came down to Moosa. Would that I were young and could live until the time when your people will drive you out.’ The Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, ‘Will they really drive me out?’ Waraqah said, ‘Yes. Never has there come a man with that which you have brought, but he was persecuted. If I should live to see that day, I will support you strongly.’ But a few days later, Waraqah died, and the Revelation also ceased for a while, until the Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was filled with grief. Muhammad ibn Shihaab said: Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan told me that Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Ansaari said: “The Messenger of Allaah SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, speaking of that period when the revelation ceased: ‘Whilst I was walking, I heard a voice from the sky. I looked up and saw the angel who had come to me in Hiraa’, sitting on a chair between the heavens and the earth. I felt scared of him, so I came home and said, “Cover me, cover me [with blankets]!” So they did, then Allaah revealed the words: “O you (Muhammad) enveloped in garments! Arise and warn! And magnify your Lord (Allaah)! And purify your garments! And keep away from Ar‑Rujz (the idols)!” [al-Muddathir 74:1-5].’” Abu Salamah said: al-rujz were the idols which the people of the Jaahiliyyah used to worship. Then the revelation came frequently after that. [wlm] Betul |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aabidah |
| 08/09/02 at 22:32:00 |
| [slm] [quote] I noticed that the phrase "reject faith" appears to be pretty common so I would like some elaboration on that. Give me a definition of faith. [/quote] From islam-qa.com: Faith in the sense of belief is based on six principles, which are mentioned in the hadeeth of Jibreel (peace be upon him), when he questioned the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who said: “Faith means to believe in Allaah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and the Divine Decree, both good and bad.” (Agreed upon). Faith which includes good deeds of various kinds is that which has seventy-odd branches. Hence Allaah called prayer eemaan in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): “And Allaah would never make your faith [eemaan] (prayers) to be lost (i.e. your prayers offered towards Jerusalem). Truly, Allaah is full of kindness, the Most Merciful towards mankind” [al-Baqarah 2:143] [wlm] Betul |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Ruqayyah |
| 08/09/02 at 23:05:54 |
| [slm] In reference to the question about how exactly Prophet Muhammad [saw] received the revelations, the book Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum explains a bit about that: Some details pertinent to the successive stages of Revelation Before we go into the details of the period of communicating the Message and Prophethood, we would like to get acquainted with the stages of the Revelation which constituted the main source of the Message and the subject-matter of the Call. Ibn Al-Qayyim, mentioning the stages of the Revelation, said: The First: The period of true vision. It was the starting point of the Revelation to the Messenger of Allah [pbuh]. The Second: What the angel invisibly cast in the Prophet¡¯s mind and heart. The Messenger of Allah [pbuh] said: "The Noble Spirit revealed to me ¡®No soul will perish until it exhausts its due course, so fear Allah and gently request Him. Never get so impatient to the verge of disobedience of Allah. What Allah has can never be acquired but through obedience to Him.¡¯" The Third: The angel used to visit the Messenger of Allah [pbuh] in the form of a human being and would speak to him directly. This would enable him to fully understand what the angel said. The angel was sometimes seen in this form by the Prophet¡¯s Companions. The Fourth: The angel came to him like the toll of a bell and this was the most difficult form because the angel used to seize him tightly and sweat would stream from his forehead even on the coldest day. If the Prophet [pbuh] was on his camel, the camel would not withstand the weight, so it would immediately kneel down on the ground. Once the Messenger of Allah [pbuh] had such a revelation when he was sitting and his thigh was on Zaid¡¯s, Zaid felt the pressure had almost injured his thigh. The Fifth: The Prophet [pbuh] saw the angel in his actual form. The angel would reveal to him what Allah had ordered him to reveal. This, as mentioned in (Qur¡¯?), in S?ah An-Najm (Chapter 53 - The Star), happened twice. The Sixth: What Allah Himself revealed to him in heaven i.e. when he ascended to heaven and received Allah¡¯s behest of Sal? (prayer). The Seventh: Allah¡¯s Words to His Messenger [pbuh] at first hand without the mediation of an angel. It was a privilege granted to Moses Úáíå ÇáÓáÇã and clearly attested in the Qur¡¯?, as it is attested to our Prophet [pbuh] in the S?ah Al-Isr?#146; (Chapter 17 - The Journey by Night) of the Noble Qur¡¯?. Some religious scholars added a controversial eighth stage in which they state that Allah spoke to the Prophet [pbuh] directly without a curtain in between. This issue remains however unconfirmed. [Za'd Al-Ma'ad 1/18] [url=http://www.iit.edu/~dadkabd/Raheeq-al-Maqhtum.htm#_Toc527019204]here[/url] is the website for an online copy of the book. Mashallah it's so detailed! Forgive if i've said anything incorrect. [wlm] Ruqayyah |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| mwishka |
| 08/09/02 at 23:06:21 |
| ok, i think bro aadam and me could use a little specific help from some people with particular knowledge.... (bro aadam, i decided maybe the correct spices could be found if we offer them the basic ingredients and ask them to fix them up for us.... :-/) you see, i sent bro aadam some answers, with this warning: [i]bro aadam, here are some answers for you, but i can't post them because i'll get in really big trouble for that...... ;) these are MY answers. take them as such. and get better answers from other people.[/i] and this was aadam's reply to me: [i]Thank you sis mwishka. Your answers are really good. I'll include some of them when I email my friend. However, I feel they are like American food...half cooked...no spices... Aadam[/i] :D ;) since there is content in MY answers that has not been included here, i thought the most helpful thing for bro aadam and his friend was to find out who's the best or most creative cook here.... hee heee and see what you can do with these..... mwishka <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> these are MY answers. take them as such. and get better answers from other people. I'll copy+paste some of his questions: (1) Essentially, what is the "voice" of the Qur'an. Is it Mohammed writing things down or is it Mohammed being a scribe for the things he heard from the angel and is the angel being speaking the exact words of Allah or is does the angel put in words. the prophet wrote nothing down. he could not write, or read. gabriel told him the words of the quran in short segments, he recited these words to the companions (i believe it was) who wrote them down. (2)When the word "we" is used, to whom does it refer? i've read an explanation of this somewhere, but don't remember it, but my own interpretation is that almost all languages have the third person plural which one can use to refer to oneself or others in a formal sense. (3)tell me about how Mohammed exactly "got" the message. What were the circumstances? How often, etc? he went into the cave, went into a state of other consciousness (sort of), including sweating, seeming to be elsewhere. gabriel told him the words as words, he remembered them. as many surahs as there are, at least. but this is easy to check on. (4)I noticed that the phrase "reject faith" appears to be pretty common so I would like some elaboration on that. Give me a definition of faith. (5)Does Iblis reside in heaven? What does it mean that Iblis rejects faith? I would say that for Satan, faith isn't an issue because he can see God so it seems odd that Iblis would reject faith. 4 and 5 together. question 5 kind of answers an aspect of 4: what he rejects is not the question of the existence of god - which is only one aspect of faith in god or a religion. what he rejects is faith in the omnipotence, oneness, and perfection of god, which he demonstrates when he questions god's choices about the humans. faith does not mean a belief IN god - it means being able to jump beyond something that you may or may not be able to understand or comprehend to an acceptance of it, without the need to have the understanding. faith means a belief from the heart, not from reason. (6)What is the purpose of prayer? to worship god, first of all. the purpose of the regular practice of prayer is to "train" oneself to 1)remain close to god in the course of one's daily life, 2)to remain aware of god IN the course of one's daily life, 3)to train oneself to constantly worship god, 4)to offer a lot of worship to god, which is what he asks of us, every day all day long, and 5)to do what god told us to do. That's it...he read ONLY a few pages...Jazaak'Allah for your response. |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Aadam |
| 08/10/02 at 00:26:34 |
| [slm] all Thanks alot for your feedback...I'll select portions from your answers and email my friend in the morning. BTW mwishka...I never doubted your culinary abilities...for a mouse i.e. ;D Aadam |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| Traveler |
| 08/10/02 at 02:34:26 |
[slm] mwishka, sorry but what exactly are we suppose to do with your answers? spice it up? ??? Traveler(very confused) |
| Re: Quran HELP!!! |
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| sofia |
| 08/11/02 at 22:19:41 |
| As-salaamu 'alaikum wa rahmatullah, Some books that come to mind that may answer most, if not all, of these questions: Islam in Focus - Hammudah The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam - Yahya Emerick What everyone should know about Islam - Suzanne Haneef A Brief Illustrated Guide to Understanding Islam Islam and the Destiny of Man - Gai Eaton And websites to also consider with links on tawheed, taqwa, iman, etc for non-Muslims: www.jannah.org www.islamworld.net and more I can't recall off the top of my head. |
| NS |
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