Prophet Muhammad Lived an Austere Life
By Adil Salahi
Anas ibn Malik served the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for the entire period he lived in Madinah, which was a little over 10 years. He was so close to the Prophet and his household that people who came to Madinah to meet the Prophet used to think that he belonged to the Prophet's family. As such, he learned and reported much of what we know about the Prophet's life at home. In one of his reports that mention something of this nature, Anas said,
I entered the Prophet's room when he was reclining on a couch whose material was weaved with a string. Under his head was a pillow made of hide and filled with bast, with no shirt to separate his body from the couch. `Umar came in and tears sprang to his eyes. The Prophet asked him what he was crying for. `Umar said, "What I am crying for is that I know for certain that you are dearer to Allah and more honored by Him than the emperors of Persia and Byzantium , and they are enjoying all the comforts of this world and you are in this state I see." The Prophet said to him, "`Umar! Would you not be satisfied to know that they have what this life offers and we have the hereafter?" `Umar said, "Yes, indeed, Messenger of Allah!" He said, "And it is so." (Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad, Ahmad, and Ibn Hibban)
This hadith tells us that life in the Prophet's home was not one of comfort and luxury. Yet he could have had all the comforts he wanted. He was loved by his Companions as no leader was ever loved. They would have given him whatever he wished to take of their money and property, but he never took anything from anyone, other than what he ate as a guest in their homes. As we learn from other reports about this particular visit by `Umar, the Prophet was ill with high temperature. This explains why he was not wearing a shirt or a robe to cover the upper part of his body. Yet he was lying on a couch made of fibers and tied with a string, while his pillow was filled with bast. That is a very rough place for someone who is ill to lie on, providing very little comfort. Hence, `Umar, who dearly loved the Prophet, was in tears.
This was a natural reaction by a man who realized that the patient he was visiting was the noblest and most honored human being that ever lived. `Umar thought of the leaders of the two superpowers of the time, the Byzantine and Persian Empires. They had all the comforts of this life. Had either of them suffered a rise in temperature, he would have been in a most comfortable bed, receiving the best available medical attention. Servants would be at hand waving their fans to cool down his body. `Umar also thought of the Prophet's standing with Allah and could not control his emotion. He expressed his thoughts to the Prophet.
The Prophet reassured `Umar, reminding him of the life to come. That is a life of permanent bliss, comfort, and happiness granted as a reward to those who believe in God and do good deeds in this present life. Those who are not in this category are deprived of such comfort and bliss. The emperors `Umar mentioned had perpetrated much injustice. Hence, their lot in the hereafter would be totally different from that of good believers who were keen to do only what Allah ordered and to refrain from what He forbade. The Prophet's answer also alludes to the fact that whatever we enjoy or suffer in this life is of momentary nature. It soon changes and what remains is only what affects our position in the hereafter.
Yet, Islam does not prescribe a life of self-denial, depriving oneself of comforts that may be available to one. On the contrary, such comforts may be enjoyed as one pleases, provided that they are earned in a legitimate way. Allah says in the Qur'an,
[Say: Who is there to forbid the beauty which God has produced for His servants and the wholesome means of sustenance? Say: They are (lawful) in the life of this world to all who believe รข€” to be theirs alone on the Day of Resurrection.] (Al-A`raf 7:32)
We have to remember that life in Madinah was mostly hard during the Prophet's lifetime. Although Madinah has its farms and dates, life was not easy, considering the frequent military expeditions that had to be sent, with unbelievers mounting attack after attack on Muslims and threatening to annihilate them. Besides, the Muslims were only that group of believers in Madinah and a handful of small groups and individuals from other tribes who could not migrate to Madinah. The Muslims had to endure that sort of life, sacrificing everything for their faith and proving that they were equal to the numerous challenges thrown at them. Hence, Allah later gave them provisions in plenty, and they were able to carry Allah's message to other communities in neighboring areas and states.
The Prophet shared in the hardship when things were hard, and he shared in the comforts when things were plentiful. It is reported that at times, no cooking was made in the Prophet's homes for a whole month. Later, when the Muslims enjoyed their share of the produce of Khaibar, the Prophet used to give his family imperishable provisions that sufficed for a year.
The Prophet's Companions endured the hardships patiently and did not deprive themselves of the comforts when it was granted to them. Thus, we have reports that they enjoyed such comforts. Musa ibn Dihqan, who belonged to the second generation of Muslims, reported, "I saw Ibn `Umar sitting on a bride's bed, wearing red garments" (Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).
`Imran ibn Muslim reported, "I saw Anas sitting on a couch, placing one leg over the
other." (Al-Bukhari in Al-Adab Al-Mufrad).
While these two reports do not speak of any luxurious lifestyle, they mention two of the Prophet's Companions who, between them, reported a very large number of hadiths availing themselves of comforts which the hadith quoted earlier suggests were not available to the Prophet. This is the proper attitude Islam recommends: Patience in adversity, and the enjoyment of comforts when they are legitimately available.
Monday, March 26, 2007
Submissiveness in Prayer (Al-Khushoo' Fis Salah)
Submissiveness in Prayer (Al-Khushoo' Fis Salah)
Islam has placed great importance upon the performance of prayer, not only the physical act but the mental and spiritual role as well. What is this importance of prayer in the life and afterlife of a Muslim? What are the consequences of prayer?
The Importance of Prayer
1. The first thing you are required to do after pronouncing Shahadah is Salah. Salah is a primary pillar of Islam. In other words, it upholds one's Islam. Abandonment of prayer will negate a person's Islam. Without Salah, one becomes a Kaffir.
"Verily between man and between polytheism and unbelief is the negligence of prayer."Muslim
2. The performance of prayer, as well as the grade of performance, affects all other deeds in life. The Prophet, (saws), said:
"The first thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day of Judgment will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been good. If it is bad, his deeds will have been bad." At-Tabarani
Salah, performed correctly with khushoo' is the key to success and true faith. Allah, (swt), tells us:
"Successful indeed are The Believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers.Qur'an 23:1-2
Muslims, in general are very deficient in their Salah. These deficiencies range from small to severe, yet everyone suffers as a consequence. Prayer benefits the individual as well as the society. If this benefit is not gained, not only will the individual Muslim suffer but the society will face the loss as well.
The situation of today's Islamic society is not very optimistic and it is worsening. This is due to progression of sin and lack of repentance. In order to combat this we must return to the performance of obligatory acts and render them as they should be performed. This, especially in the case of Salah, will do much to improve the state of Muslims. Why be astonished at our deterioration if our own Salah is cursing us/ A "return to Islam", involves true, sincere repentance and obedience of Allah's commands, If believers don't stop sinning, punishment will come from Allah, (swt).
The Definition of Khushoo'
Khushoo', which may loosely be translated as submission, incorporates:
Absence of Haughtiness: This characteristic, which is found in most, constitutes pride and self-sufficiency. It must be completely removed. This does not mean that we must belittle ourselves to a state of worthlessness. It simply means that we should realise our deficiencies and eliminate any feeling of lack of need for Allah. We are in need of Him not He of us.
Humbleness: Once the self-pride and self-sufficient feelings are removed, Allah's greatness is magnified. We cannot but feel meek, insignificant, and submissive and thereby humble ourselves and acknowledge our true need for Allah(swt).
Acceptance of Commandments and Compliance Through Actions: This refers to the total surrender to the Creator, The owner of the Worlds.
Khushoo' is a complex of different morals, feelings, and intentions, all of which are directed to Allah, the fruit of which is compliance through physical actions, This constitutes true extraction of oneself from whatever may prevent this sincerity, feeling the Might and Glory of Allah, and feeling humility and the tremendous power of Allah coupled with complete poverty to Him only, (swt). It is to stand before Him with our hearts placed sincerely in His hands. Though this submission, this khushoo', is emphasised in Salah it should be characteristic of every intention, word, and deed we perform.
"Say: Verily, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, Lord of the Worlds." Qur'an, 6:162
The place of submission, true submission, is in the heart. It bears fruit in the different parts of the body; the eyes, tongue, hands, feed. In essence, our whole life should be a submissive prayer if we wish to be of the Muflihoon, the Successful:
"Successful indeed are the Mu-mineen, those who humble themselves in their prayer."Qur'an, 23:1-2
Submission, or khushoo', is most often mentioned with Salah, as it is the act of worship that is the common denominator of all other acts of devotion, e.g. Ihraam/Hajj, Sawm, Shahadah, expenditure of oneself, supplication and remembrance of Allah, Recitation of Qur'an, and acts of devotion of the heart, which are the most important Salah is the most important pillar of Islam after the Shahadah. It is a true action of Shahadah - Declaration of Faith. When we are praying we are directing ourselves to Allah confirming our belief in Tawheed. . Compare Salah to fasting.
When we fast we abstain from the intake and output of many things other than food and drink, such as evil thoughts, words and deeds. Salah is similar act - the abstention of everything but prayer. Zakah, as well as Sadaqah, purifies us in our actions, as does Salah. Salah contains the best supplication:
"Show us the Straight Way."Qur'an 1:6
We recite this verse regularly in our prayer, at least seventeen times daily. How often do we recite it for the sake of recitation outside of prayer? We should do so more often. It is actually a complete prayer of supplication to Allah for guidance.
When you are bowing in rukoo' you praise Allah. When you are in prostration you are the closest you can come to Allah. It is here that you should supplicate and ask Him for your needs. All of your life's problems should come out in your prostration' s, remembering that it is we who are in need of Allah not Him of us.
"The closest a servant comes to his Lord is in Sujood; therefore make excessive du'a, for it is most likely to be answered."Related by Muslim
When submission is truly established in the heart, only then will a Muslim be known as a humble person. Only through true submission of the heart will the rest of the body. - which carries out words and actions - comply with discipline to the commands of Allah. This is the true meaning of Islam - actual acceptance then compliance through obedience to and performance of whatever command Allah has commanded. So submission is not confined to Salah alone. Actually, submission is Islam. To understand this, we must grasp the deeper connotations of khushoo'.
A person may feel that he has khushoo' yet this is not apparent in his actions. This is not true khushoo'. Submissiveness and humbleness cannot possible end with prayer. It affects a person's entire attitude and action, not limiting itself to Salah. Many of today's Muslims feel that their level for Islam is sufficient.
When you advise them to improve themselves and their deeds they respond by saying that fanaticism is not necessary. They don't want to be labeled a 'fundamentalist' . Any person who feels satisfied with his level of Islam should remember the following ayah:
"Has not he time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and the Truth which has been revealed (to them) and that they should not become like those to whom was given the Book aforetime? But long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors. "Qur'an 57:16
This ayah addressed the Companions of the Prophet (saws). Though they were pious, righteous and very devoted, Allah (swt) wanted them to improve themselves.
Factors of Khushoo'
True Faith
The Islamic definition of faith is: The belief in the heart, the words of the tongue, accompanied by actions of the body. All three must be found in a person to have true faith. The belief in the heart is evidenced by the actions which are performed, and the actions are accepted according to what is in the heart, so it's a combination of the two. They cannot stand alone. Faith is bound by the following precepts:
To pronounce the Shahadah as well as spread it to others.
To believe in whatever we were told by the Prophet (saws). To believe the truth of the complete knowledge and wisdom of Allah in what he has commanded us to perform or abandon.To perform good deeds and refrain from bad ones.
To comply and obey and accept.
"And they say; 'We hear and we obey; (we seek) Your forgiveness our Lord; and to You is the end of all journeys'."(Qur'an, 2: 285)
If these things are applied to Salah, along with firm belief in the importance and benefit of Salah, then it is sure, Insh Allah, to increase our khushoo' which will in turn increase our faith.
The main constituents of faith may be grouped under two important conditions:
Ikhlas - sincerityEmulation - following the Sunnah
"Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion, and He has power over all things. He Who created death and life that He may try which of you is best in deed." Qur'an, 67:1-2
"Blessed in deed" involves sincerity and emulation of the Sunnah. No better advice is given to a brother Muslim than to tell him to fulfill these two things. Without them, he will have lived his life for nothing; all his deeds will have been lost. Through them, all deeds will be saved and protected, and by Allah's mercy, accepted.
Ikhlas
Ikhlas, or sincerity, refers to the complete absence of shirk. It means not only performing Salah to fulfill the obligation, but to really feel your need, your poverty for it, and to purify ourselves, all out of total love for Allah, wanting to get nearer and nearer to Him, hoping for the highest level in paradise amongst the Muqarraboon, those close to Allah. The Messenger of Allah (saws) related the following:
"Allah the Almighty has said: Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him, and my servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him." Related by Al-Bukhari
Salah is indeed a gift. There are many who don't like Salah at all, and when they hear the Adhan they could car less. Those who find in Salah the benefits that Allah bestows upon His servants, who perform it as it should be performed, are joyful to be called to prayer. Be thankful and appreciative in your heart for the gift of being able to perform Salah.
One of the enemies of sincerity is admiration of one's self. Pride is a type of shirk, an association of oneself with Allah.
"He who has in his heart a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise."Muslim
Never admire yourself or your deeds, particularly your prayer. Look to those who are better than you. This will encourage you and humble you.
As true sincerity is built mainly on true love, desire, and fear of Allah, the following will assist you in establishing your sincerity:
Knowing Allah (swt) by His names and attributes, appreciating His Lordship.
Ihsan: "To worship Allah as though you see Him, knowing that though you cannot see Him, He sees you."Muslim
To acknowledge religion and guidance as being from Allah.
"And you have no good thing but it is from Allah."Qur'an, 16:53
If it wasn't for Allah's guidance we would not be Muslims, so at least out of thankfulness we should be humble and sincere.
"But Allah has endeared faith to you and has made it beautiful in your hearts and he has made hateful to you unbelief, wrongdoing and rebellion; such indeed are those who walk in righteousness. A grace and favor from Allah; and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom."Qur'an, 49:7-8
To look at our defective selves and actions. No matter how much we try, we will never be able to perform worship to the level that Allah deserves. This should build a competitive feeling in us, an ambition to do more, to try harder, hoping for Allah's mercy. This is what it means to feel complete poverty to Allah. As well, we should look to those who are better, who are very God-conscious and fearing. This will help to develop the desire for humility. Failure to apply reflective inspection to oneself will only serve to increase one's defects.
To appreciate the blessings bestowed upon us. Anas bin Malik related that on the Day of Judgement every servant will be presented with a record of is good deeds and a record of his bad deeds. Then he will be shown a record of all of the blessings he was given by Allah (swt) (such as sight, hearing, feeling, etc.). The Lord will say (to the blessings he granted his servant) "Take from the good deeds of my servant what you deserve." If only one of the blessings of Allah were to come forth and take what it deserves from the servants good deeds, there would be none remaining. (Al-Khushoo' fis Salah 'Abdullah Al-Jaar Allah)
"And He gave you (the faculties) of hearing and sight and understanding; little thanks do you give!"Qur'an, 32:9
Go and visit the sick, the very sick, that lie in the hospitals. You will deeply appreciate your seemingly simple blessings which will in turn increase your sincerity in worship.
Emulation of the Sunnah
Emulation is a required principle of every act of worship in Islam. The act you perform and the way you perform it cannot be a fabrication of your own which has no basis in the Sunnah. This is according to the Hadeeth of 'Ai-ishah (ra) who related the Prophet (saws) as saying:
"Whoever innovates something into this religion of ours which does not belong to it will have it rejected."Muslim
According to the words of the Prophet (saws): "Pray as you have seen me pray."
Prayer, as well as all other acts of worship, can only be considered perfect and complete if it is in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws). They must be totally free of innovation. Otherwise they will be rejected by Allah (swt).
"The Day that the wrongdoer will bite at his hands, He will say, "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger!" Qur'an 25:27
Recitation of the Qur'an and Remembrance of Allah (Dhikr)
"Don't speak a lot without remembering Allah, for verily speaking much without remembering Allah hardens the hearts. And the people who are most distant from Allah are those with hard hearts."Tirmidhi
Recitation of the Qur'an and Dhikr, accompanied by contemplation of the meaning is one of the most tremendous ways of softening one's heart.
"Allah has revealed the most beautiful Message in the form of a book, consistent with itself, repeating; the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble threat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the remembrance of Allah."Qur'an 39:23
Recitation of the Qur'an and Dhikr is a protection from shaytan and a cause of tranquillity of the heart. Sadly, the hearts of today's Muslims are no longer sensitive to the Qur'an. If our hearts are really pure, then we never stop reciting Qur'an. 'Uthmaan bin' Affaan, radi Allaahu 'anhu, would pray Fajr then remember Allah in Dhikr. Then he would recite Qur'an till Dhuhr! If our hearts were purified, we would never stop reciting Qur'an:
"Those who believe and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah; for without a doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction. " Qur'an 13:28.
"And remember Allah frequently that you may prosper." Qur'an 62:10.
Shaytan always works to distract us so we should always seek help from Allah by saying
"Audthu billahi minash shaytan nirrajeem". The same can be applied in Salat. When you become so distracted in your prayer that you can't control it say "Audthu billah himinash shaytan nirrajeem" then spit lightly over your shoulder three times. 'Uthman bin Affaan related that he came to the Prophet (saws), and said:
"Allah's Messenger, Satan intervenes between me and my prayer and my reciting of the Qur'an and he confounds me." Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (saws), said, "That is (the doing of the Shaytan) who is known Khanzab. When you perceive its effect, seek refuge with Allah from it and spit three times to your left."Muslim
Self Assessment
Make it a daily habit to examine your Salah critically. If there is any defect, repent and try to eliminate this defect, as sin without repentance blocks your way to success. Don't let Shaytan defeat you -just keep trying. Maintain a high spirit and ambition, holding firmly to your faith and seek strength only from Allah.
Consider the example of the Prophet (saws), who was protected from error, who has been guaranteed paradise. He would ask Allah's forgiveness 100 times a day. What then should be expected from us?
Assessment of oneself is not meant to instill a feeling of failure or incompetence. As long as your intention is to do good, you follow through with it, and you continue trying, the reward will be given to you.
"Verily! As for those who believe and do righteous deeds - certainly! We shall not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone who do his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner." Qur'an 18:30
Recognising your defects shouldn't pull your spirit down but should rather motivate you to improve. Remember that strength is the key to closeness with Allah.
"The strong Mu-min is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak Mu-min."Muslim
Comprehension and Contemplation
The renown scholar, Ibn Al-Qaym, has said that on two occasions the servant of Allah will be between the hands of Allah: On the Day of Judgement and in Salah. Whoever perfects his stand in this life will have an easy stand on the Day of Judgement.
A man came to the Prophet (saws)and said:
"Give me brief advice in which I don't need anything else. He said to Him: "When you pray, pray like a person who is saying farewell." Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim, and Al-Buhaqi
When you stand to pray and pronounce "Allahu Akbar", reflect upon the meaning of Allah's Greatness, hoping for His reward and fearing. His punishment. When you bow for rukoo' and say, Subhana Rabbi Al-Adheem strive to refine the inner feeling of your own impotence and insignificance before the Might and submission in prayer. Your words Subhanna Rabbi Al-A'alaa should be said with full awareness of your complete poverty to Allah. When you conclude your prayer, feel a sense of gratitude to Allah, for having enabled you to complete this act of worship. Imagine that you are saying this farewell prayer of yours and that you may not live to offer another like it.
Remembering The Last Day
Remember the hardness of the Day of Judgement when we shall all stand before Allah, fearful and ashamed of what we have to present to Him. It is for this reason we should avoid concerning ourselves so much with this life and concentrate on that which will be of benefit to us on that day, particularly acts of worship. Nothing else deserves the importance of remembrance of this day.
"And part of the night prostrate yourself to Him and glorify Him a long night through. As to these, they love the fleeting life and put away behind them a Day that will be hard."Qur'an 76:26-27
Those who ignore this Ayah love the world and are forgetting the heavy day that they will face.
Consider the seriousness of the Day of Judgement. Remember death. Remember that your life here is only temporary and can be short.
"Seek help in patience and prayer; truly it is hard except for those who are humble. Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord and that they are to return to Him." Qur'an 2:45-46
Truly those who possess Khushoo', the Khashi'een, seek help in patience and prayer. They know and realise the importance of the Day of Judgement and appreciate that they will meet with their Lord.
This is a positive anxiety which pushes them to do more. They know that as long as they are alive they have a chance to do something to improve their stand on that Day. And they take advantage of each and every chance.
"If only you could see when the guilty ones will bend low their heads before their Lord (saying): Our Lord! We have seen and we have heard; now then, send us back (to the world) we will work righteousness, for we do indeed (now) believe." Qur'an 32:12
Following the Path of the Companions
The Companions of the Prophet (saws, were always shy and afraid to present a bad prayer to Allah. They were filled with fear that their deeds would not be accepted. Consider this in relation to their exquisite piety, as seen in the following stories from their lives:
* One whose leg was in need of amputation was faced with the difficulty of surgery without anesthesia. He was offered alcohol to help decrease the pain he would undoubtedly feel but he refused saying: Cut it off while I am in prayer. The amputation was completed while he was in Sujood.
* Muslim bin Yasaar was praying in the masjid when a portion of the building collapsed. He was completely unaware of the event due to his Salah.
* 'Amir bin 'Abdullah was one of the humble in prayer. He was asked: "Does anything come into your mind in your prayer?" He replied: "Is there something that is more beloved to me than Salah that should come to my mind." They said: "Verily, things come to our minds when we pray." He said to them: "Such as Paradise and the Maidens of Paradise and thing like this?"
They said: "No. Our families and our wealth." 'Amir replied: "I would rather spears pass through my body than get that sort of thing in my prayer."
We should look to their level of concentration, love them for their deep faith and strength, and ask Allah to make us like them. They show us that the fundamental elements of prayer are not the mere rituals but rather humility and conscious awareness.
Knowing the Rewards and Punishments
One who has khushoo' benefits enormously whereas one who is lacking in khushoo' will suffer various consequences. By knowing the rewards associated with khushoo' and the punishments for the lack thereof, we may better conceive the importance of developing this very special aspect of Iman.
The Rewards
1. "Successful indeed are the Mu-mineen, those who humble themselves in their prayer."Qur'an 23:1-2
2.The right to enter Al-Jannah through Baab As-Salah - The door of Prayer.
3. Khushoo' will provide you relaxation and will become 'pleasing to the eye'. You will experience tranquillity and calmness. However, such things come only through jihad and patience.
"Truly man was created very impatient. Fretful when evil touches him. And niggardly when good reaches him. Not so those devoted to prayer. Those who remain steadfast in their prayer." Qur'an 70:19-23
4.It will become a source of strength and power and will serve as a protection from Shaytan and provide you with stability. Allah (swt), says:
"Seek help through Sabr (patience) and Salah."Qur'an 2:45
This is evident in the following Hadith:
"He (saws), when saddened by a thing, would seek refuge in prayer."Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud
Whenever you are in need or trouble - pray!
5. Help's one's conscience and purifies and perfects other deeds. Indeed all of our actions, word and deed, are affected by our Salah. And, Subhan Allah, it works in two very simple ways.
Submit more in Salah and you'll submit in other deeds...and vice versa!!!
"The first thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day of Judgment will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been good. If it is bad, his deed will have been bad." Related by Al-Tabarani
6. Perfects one's morals, manners, character and attitude. This is known as Husnul Khuluq.
"Verily Salah restrains from indecency and evil deeds" Qur'an 29:45
"There is nothing that weighs heavier upon the scale of a believer on the Day of Judgement as does Husnul Khuluq." Related by Al-Tabarani
7. Establishes for you a closeness to the Prophet (saws), on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet (saws), said:
"Verily the most beloved of you to me and the nearest to me on the Day of Judgement are those with the best manners." Al-Tabarani
Rabe'ah bin Ka'ab said:
"I was with the Messenger of Allah (saws) one night, and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like). I said: I ask your company in paradise. He (The Prophet (saws)) said: "Anything other than that?" I said: "That is all." He said: "Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration. " Muslim
8. Brings you close to Allah (swt).
"Sujood is the closest you can come to Allah." Related by Muslim
9. The falling of sins from your body. The Prophet (saws) said:
"Verily when a Muslim performs Wudu properly, and then observes Salah five times a day, his sins fall off just as these leaves have fallen off.
He then recited the following ayat:
And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night; for those things which are good removes those things which are evil. That is a reminder for the mindful." Qur'an 11:114
10. The Love of and from Allah. This is the highest of rewards.
"My servant does not draw near Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him, and my servant continues to draw near Me with voluntary works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him."
The Punishments
1. Life will be full of discomfort, agony and misery.
"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." Qur'an 20:124
Sufferings in life may be evidence of one being upon the wrong path, or relief of sufferings a sign that one is upon correct guidance. A German man suffered continually from migraine headaches. No treatment was of any relief, despite his constant search. He happened upon a Muslim who was offering prayer. He was so interested that he waited to inquire as to what this act of worship was and to what religion it belonged. His interest in the prayer, and the religion which commanded such as an act, was due to the prostration - he had found that he could only obtain relief from his pain while in such a position as that which is assumed in Sujood. He eventually accepted Islam and has not, Subhan Allah, suffered from migraines since.
2. All deeds will be bad - a complete loss. If Salah is not performed, it will definitely affect our other deeds in life.
"The first thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day of Judgement will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been good. If it is bad, his deeds will have been bad." Related by Tabarani
3. Destruction of the bond of brother/sisterhood in Islam. If we are unable to develop khushoo' with our Lord how can we expect to care and feel for our brother Muslims? Without the benefits that are attained through khushoo', Muslims will part from each other and hatred will be given freedom to develop.
4. Depletion of morality and righteousness. Without submission and humbleness, we will be faced with a society of aggressive, self-centered personalities who have no concern for Allah and Islam.
5. Rejection from Allah. We know the great benefits of Allah's love. What will become of us, if He turns away from us?
"But, after them followed a posterity who lost Salah and followed after lusts; soon then will they face destruction. " Qur'an 19:59
In the tafseer (explanation) of this Ayah it is mentioned that the phrase who lost Salah does not mean that they completely stopped praying, but that they delayed it, not praying it at the proper time.
Fulfilling our Bodies Needs
Stray thoughts may be prompted by something external. We should fulfill such bodily needs as
necessary to concentrate and gain complete benefits from our Salah. We should sleep and eat well.
We should protect ourselves from the elements of weather so that cold and heat do not cause us discomfort.
Our clothing should be comfortable, not irritating. Our attention is caught by anything which happens to engage our eyes and ears. We should distance ourselves from noise as much as possible to avoid distractions that are possible to control.
Du'a
We should seek guidance and help from Allah for proper and submissive prayer. The Prophet Ibrahim (as) used to make the following du'a:
"O Lord! Make me and my offspring of those who establish regular Salah. O our Lord, and accept my supplication. " Qur'an 14:40
To Act Upon and Spread Knowledge
We all have knowledge. Some have a little, some have a lot. We will be asked as to what we have done with it. Act upon it and use it for your benefit and the benefit of others. Offer what knowledge you have to others, even something as simple as telling someone to say Bismillah.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
"He who calls people to righteousness, there would be reward assured for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called people to error, he shall have to carry the burden of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect." Related by Bukhari
There is indeed great difference in he who learns and spreads what he learned and he who does not.
As the Prophet (saws) said:
The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which has fertile soil that absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. Another portion of it was hard and held rain water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilised it for drinking, making their animals drink from it, and for irrigation of the land for cultivation. And a portion was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation. The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah's religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge) which Allah has revealed through me and learns and then teaches others. The last example is that off a person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed through me. Bukhari
It is without doubt that khushoo' in Salah is one of the greatest assets a Muslim can possess in his faith. It comes with struggle, perseverance, and patience and is obtained only by those who work for it, who really set their sights where they should be.
It is related by Hatim bin Al-Asam that he said in answer to a question about prayer:"When the time for prayer is at hand. I make a proper ablution, go to the spot where I attend to pray and sit there until all my limbs and organs are in a collected state. Then I stand up to perform my prayer, placing the Kabah between my brows, the bridge over Hell beneath my feet, Paradise to my right and Hell to my left, and the Angel of Death behind me, thinking all the while that this is my final prayer. Then I stand between hope and fear. I carefully pronounce "Allahu Akbar!"
Then I recite the Qur'an harmoniously, bow in humility and prostrate myself submissively. I then sit back on my left haunch, spreading out the left foot, raising my right foot on the toes. I follow this with sincerity. Then I wonder whether or not my prayer has been accepted.
Excerpt from Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship - by Al Ghazali
So, as we can see by this example if we could imagine ourselves in this same position, which we are really in though we can't see it visually, we would soon make the realisation that this prayer of ours is of the utmost importance.
We as Muslims, must not only be willing to commit to Islam but we must be ever ready to sacrifice our desires for what will be best for us - in the long run. We should always reflect on the life of the Prophet (saws) and the companions, their struggles and (in this life) very few personal accomplishments - by worldly standards. Their sights were always focused on what they would hopefully achieve in the next life and for the success of the Deen . Make this your aim, not the aim of what you can achieve in this world because you and it will pass away, all that you achieve here other than for Allah (swt) is worthless to you.
So don't waste time - this truth is available to all who sincerely seek it. Now you have your priorities right - your goal is set.
Islam has placed great importance upon the performance of prayer, not only the physical act but the mental and spiritual role as well. What is this importance of prayer in the life and afterlife of a Muslim? What are the consequences of prayer?
The Importance of Prayer
1. The first thing you are required to do after pronouncing Shahadah is Salah. Salah is a primary pillar of Islam. In other words, it upholds one's Islam. Abandonment of prayer will negate a person's Islam. Without Salah, one becomes a Kaffir.
"Verily between man and between polytheism and unbelief is the negligence of prayer."Muslim
2. The performance of prayer, as well as the grade of performance, affects all other deeds in life. The Prophet, (saws), said:
"The first thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day of Judgment will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been good. If it is bad, his deeds will have been bad." At-Tabarani
Salah, performed correctly with khushoo' is the key to success and true faith. Allah, (swt), tells us:
"Successful indeed are The Believers, those who humble themselves in their prayers.Qur'an 23:1-2
Muslims, in general are very deficient in their Salah. These deficiencies range from small to severe, yet everyone suffers as a consequence. Prayer benefits the individual as well as the society. If this benefit is not gained, not only will the individual Muslim suffer but the society will face the loss as well.
The situation of today's Islamic society is not very optimistic and it is worsening. This is due to progression of sin and lack of repentance. In order to combat this we must return to the performance of obligatory acts and render them as they should be performed. This, especially in the case of Salah, will do much to improve the state of Muslims. Why be astonished at our deterioration if our own Salah is cursing us/ A "return to Islam", involves true, sincere repentance and obedience of Allah's commands, If believers don't stop sinning, punishment will come from Allah, (swt).
The Definition of Khushoo'
Khushoo', which may loosely be translated as submission, incorporates:
Absence of Haughtiness: This characteristic, which is found in most, constitutes pride and self-sufficiency. It must be completely removed. This does not mean that we must belittle ourselves to a state of worthlessness. It simply means that we should realise our deficiencies and eliminate any feeling of lack of need for Allah. We are in need of Him not He of us.
Humbleness: Once the self-pride and self-sufficient feelings are removed, Allah's greatness is magnified. We cannot but feel meek, insignificant, and submissive and thereby humble ourselves and acknowledge our true need for Allah(swt).
Acceptance of Commandments and Compliance Through Actions: This refers to the total surrender to the Creator, The owner of the Worlds.
Khushoo' is a complex of different morals, feelings, and intentions, all of which are directed to Allah, the fruit of which is compliance through physical actions, This constitutes true extraction of oneself from whatever may prevent this sincerity, feeling the Might and Glory of Allah, and feeling humility and the tremendous power of Allah coupled with complete poverty to Him only, (swt). It is to stand before Him with our hearts placed sincerely in His hands. Though this submission, this khushoo', is emphasised in Salah it should be characteristic of every intention, word, and deed we perform.
"Say: Verily, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, Lord of the Worlds." Qur'an, 6:162
The place of submission, true submission, is in the heart. It bears fruit in the different parts of the body; the eyes, tongue, hands, feed. In essence, our whole life should be a submissive prayer if we wish to be of the Muflihoon, the Successful:
"Successful indeed are the Mu-mineen, those who humble themselves in their prayer."Qur'an, 23:1-2
Submission, or khushoo', is most often mentioned with Salah, as it is the act of worship that is the common denominator of all other acts of devotion, e.g. Ihraam/Hajj, Sawm, Shahadah, expenditure of oneself, supplication and remembrance of Allah, Recitation of Qur'an, and acts of devotion of the heart, which are the most important Salah is the most important pillar of Islam after the Shahadah. It is a true action of Shahadah - Declaration of Faith. When we are praying we are directing ourselves to Allah confirming our belief in Tawheed. . Compare Salah to fasting.
When we fast we abstain from the intake and output of many things other than food and drink, such as evil thoughts, words and deeds. Salah is similar act - the abstention of everything but prayer. Zakah, as well as Sadaqah, purifies us in our actions, as does Salah. Salah contains the best supplication:
"Show us the Straight Way."Qur'an 1:6
We recite this verse regularly in our prayer, at least seventeen times daily. How often do we recite it for the sake of recitation outside of prayer? We should do so more often. It is actually a complete prayer of supplication to Allah for guidance.
When you are bowing in rukoo' you praise Allah. When you are in prostration you are the closest you can come to Allah. It is here that you should supplicate and ask Him for your needs. All of your life's problems should come out in your prostration' s, remembering that it is we who are in need of Allah not Him of us.
"The closest a servant comes to his Lord is in Sujood; therefore make excessive du'a, for it is most likely to be answered."Related by Muslim
When submission is truly established in the heart, only then will a Muslim be known as a humble person. Only through true submission of the heart will the rest of the body. - which carries out words and actions - comply with discipline to the commands of Allah. This is the true meaning of Islam - actual acceptance then compliance through obedience to and performance of whatever command Allah has commanded. So submission is not confined to Salah alone. Actually, submission is Islam. To understand this, we must grasp the deeper connotations of khushoo'.
A person may feel that he has khushoo' yet this is not apparent in his actions. This is not true khushoo'. Submissiveness and humbleness cannot possible end with prayer. It affects a person's entire attitude and action, not limiting itself to Salah. Many of today's Muslims feel that their level for Islam is sufficient.
When you advise them to improve themselves and their deeds they respond by saying that fanaticism is not necessary. They don't want to be labeled a 'fundamentalist' . Any person who feels satisfied with his level of Islam should remember the following ayah:
"Has not he time arrived for the Believers that their hearts in all humility should engage in the remembrance of Allah and the Truth which has been revealed (to them) and that they should not become like those to whom was given the Book aforetime? But long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard? For many among them are rebellious transgressors. "Qur'an 57:16
This ayah addressed the Companions of the Prophet (saws). Though they were pious, righteous and very devoted, Allah (swt) wanted them to improve themselves.
Factors of Khushoo'
True Faith
The Islamic definition of faith is: The belief in the heart, the words of the tongue, accompanied by actions of the body. All three must be found in a person to have true faith. The belief in the heart is evidenced by the actions which are performed, and the actions are accepted according to what is in the heart, so it's a combination of the two. They cannot stand alone. Faith is bound by the following precepts:
To pronounce the Shahadah as well as spread it to others.
To believe in whatever we were told by the Prophet (saws). To believe the truth of the complete knowledge and wisdom of Allah in what he has commanded us to perform or abandon.To perform good deeds and refrain from bad ones.
To comply and obey and accept.
"And they say; 'We hear and we obey; (we seek) Your forgiveness our Lord; and to You is the end of all journeys'."(Qur'an, 2: 285)
If these things are applied to Salah, along with firm belief in the importance and benefit of Salah, then it is sure, Insh Allah, to increase our khushoo' which will in turn increase our faith.
The main constituents of faith may be grouped under two important conditions:
Ikhlas - sincerityEmulation - following the Sunnah
"Blessed be He in Whose hands is Dominion, and He has power over all things. He Who created death and life that He may try which of you is best in deed." Qur'an, 67:1-2
"Blessed in deed" involves sincerity and emulation of the Sunnah. No better advice is given to a brother Muslim than to tell him to fulfill these two things. Without them, he will have lived his life for nothing; all his deeds will have been lost. Through them, all deeds will be saved and protected, and by Allah's mercy, accepted.
Ikhlas
Ikhlas, or sincerity, refers to the complete absence of shirk. It means not only performing Salah to fulfill the obligation, but to really feel your need, your poverty for it, and to purify ourselves, all out of total love for Allah, wanting to get nearer and nearer to Him, hoping for the highest level in paradise amongst the Muqarraboon, those close to Allah. The Messenger of Allah (saws) related the following:
"Allah the Almighty has said: Whosoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I shall be at war with him. My servant does not draw near to Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him, and my servant continues to draw near to Me with voluntary works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him." Related by Al-Bukhari
Salah is indeed a gift. There are many who don't like Salah at all, and when they hear the Adhan they could car less. Those who find in Salah the benefits that Allah bestows upon His servants, who perform it as it should be performed, are joyful to be called to prayer. Be thankful and appreciative in your heart for the gift of being able to perform Salah.
One of the enemies of sincerity is admiration of one's self. Pride is a type of shirk, an association of oneself with Allah.
"He who has in his heart a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise."Muslim
Never admire yourself or your deeds, particularly your prayer. Look to those who are better than you. This will encourage you and humble you.
As true sincerity is built mainly on true love, desire, and fear of Allah, the following will assist you in establishing your sincerity:
Knowing Allah (swt) by His names and attributes, appreciating His Lordship.
Ihsan: "To worship Allah as though you see Him, knowing that though you cannot see Him, He sees you."Muslim
To acknowledge religion and guidance as being from Allah.
"And you have no good thing but it is from Allah."Qur'an, 16:53
If it wasn't for Allah's guidance we would not be Muslims, so at least out of thankfulness we should be humble and sincere.
"But Allah has endeared faith to you and has made it beautiful in your hearts and he has made hateful to you unbelief, wrongdoing and rebellion; such indeed are those who walk in righteousness. A grace and favor from Allah; and Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom."Qur'an, 49:7-8
To look at our defective selves and actions. No matter how much we try, we will never be able to perform worship to the level that Allah deserves. This should build a competitive feeling in us, an ambition to do more, to try harder, hoping for Allah's mercy. This is what it means to feel complete poverty to Allah. As well, we should look to those who are better, who are very God-conscious and fearing. This will help to develop the desire for humility. Failure to apply reflective inspection to oneself will only serve to increase one's defects.
To appreciate the blessings bestowed upon us. Anas bin Malik related that on the Day of Judgement every servant will be presented with a record of is good deeds and a record of his bad deeds. Then he will be shown a record of all of the blessings he was given by Allah (swt) (such as sight, hearing, feeling, etc.). The Lord will say (to the blessings he granted his servant) "Take from the good deeds of my servant what you deserve." If only one of the blessings of Allah were to come forth and take what it deserves from the servants good deeds, there would be none remaining. (Al-Khushoo' fis Salah 'Abdullah Al-Jaar Allah)
"And He gave you (the faculties) of hearing and sight and understanding; little thanks do you give!"Qur'an, 32:9
Go and visit the sick, the very sick, that lie in the hospitals. You will deeply appreciate your seemingly simple blessings which will in turn increase your sincerity in worship.
Emulation of the Sunnah
Emulation is a required principle of every act of worship in Islam. The act you perform and the way you perform it cannot be a fabrication of your own which has no basis in the Sunnah. This is according to the Hadeeth of 'Ai-ishah (ra) who related the Prophet (saws) as saying:
"Whoever innovates something into this religion of ours which does not belong to it will have it rejected."Muslim
According to the words of the Prophet (saws): "Pray as you have seen me pray."
Prayer, as well as all other acts of worship, can only be considered perfect and complete if it is in accordance with the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws). They must be totally free of innovation. Otherwise they will be rejected by Allah (swt).
"The Day that the wrongdoer will bite at his hands, He will say, "Oh! Would that I had taken a path with the Messenger!" Qur'an 25:27
Recitation of the Qur'an and Remembrance of Allah (Dhikr)
"Don't speak a lot without remembering Allah, for verily speaking much without remembering Allah hardens the hearts. And the people who are most distant from Allah are those with hard hearts."Tirmidhi
Recitation of the Qur'an and Dhikr, accompanied by contemplation of the meaning is one of the most tremendous ways of softening one's heart.
"Allah has revealed the most beautiful Message in the form of a book, consistent with itself, repeating; the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble threat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the remembrance of Allah."Qur'an 39:23
Recitation of the Qur'an and Dhikr is a protection from shaytan and a cause of tranquillity of the heart. Sadly, the hearts of today's Muslims are no longer sensitive to the Qur'an. If our hearts are really pure, then we never stop reciting Qur'an. 'Uthmaan bin' Affaan, radi Allaahu 'anhu, would pray Fajr then remember Allah in Dhikr. Then he would recite Qur'an till Dhuhr! If our hearts were purified, we would never stop reciting Qur'an:
"Those who believe and whose hearts find satisfaction in the remembrance of Allah; for without a doubt in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find satisfaction. " Qur'an 13:28.
"And remember Allah frequently that you may prosper." Qur'an 62:10.
Shaytan always works to distract us so we should always seek help from Allah by saying
"Audthu billahi minash shaytan nirrajeem". The same can be applied in Salat. When you become so distracted in your prayer that you can't control it say "Audthu billah himinash shaytan nirrajeem" then spit lightly over your shoulder three times. 'Uthman bin Affaan related that he came to the Prophet (saws), and said:
"Allah's Messenger, Satan intervenes between me and my prayer and my reciting of the Qur'an and he confounds me." Thereupon, Allah's Messenger (saws), said, "That is (the doing of the Shaytan) who is known Khanzab. When you perceive its effect, seek refuge with Allah from it and spit three times to your left."Muslim
Self Assessment
Make it a daily habit to examine your Salah critically. If there is any defect, repent and try to eliminate this defect, as sin without repentance blocks your way to success. Don't let Shaytan defeat you -just keep trying. Maintain a high spirit and ambition, holding firmly to your faith and seek strength only from Allah.
Consider the example of the Prophet (saws), who was protected from error, who has been guaranteed paradise. He would ask Allah's forgiveness 100 times a day. What then should be expected from us?
Assessment of oneself is not meant to instill a feeling of failure or incompetence. As long as your intention is to do good, you follow through with it, and you continue trying, the reward will be given to you.
"Verily! As for those who believe and do righteous deeds - certainly! We shall not suffer to be lost the reward of anyone who do his (righteous) deeds in the most perfect manner." Qur'an 18:30
Recognising your defects shouldn't pull your spirit down but should rather motivate you to improve. Remember that strength is the key to closeness with Allah.
"The strong Mu-min is better and more beloved to Allah than the weak Mu-min."Muslim
Comprehension and Contemplation
The renown scholar, Ibn Al-Qaym, has said that on two occasions the servant of Allah will be between the hands of Allah: On the Day of Judgement and in Salah. Whoever perfects his stand in this life will have an easy stand on the Day of Judgement.
A man came to the Prophet (saws)and said:
"Give me brief advice in which I don't need anything else. He said to Him: "When you pray, pray like a person who is saying farewell." Ibn Majah, Al-Hakim, and Al-Buhaqi
When you stand to pray and pronounce "Allahu Akbar", reflect upon the meaning of Allah's Greatness, hoping for His reward and fearing. His punishment. When you bow for rukoo' and say, Subhana Rabbi Al-Adheem strive to refine the inner feeling of your own impotence and insignificance before the Might and submission in prayer. Your words Subhanna Rabbi Al-A'alaa should be said with full awareness of your complete poverty to Allah. When you conclude your prayer, feel a sense of gratitude to Allah, for having enabled you to complete this act of worship. Imagine that you are saying this farewell prayer of yours and that you may not live to offer another like it.
Remembering The Last Day
Remember the hardness of the Day of Judgement when we shall all stand before Allah, fearful and ashamed of what we have to present to Him. It is for this reason we should avoid concerning ourselves so much with this life and concentrate on that which will be of benefit to us on that day, particularly acts of worship. Nothing else deserves the importance of remembrance of this day.
"And part of the night prostrate yourself to Him and glorify Him a long night through. As to these, they love the fleeting life and put away behind them a Day that will be hard."Qur'an 76:26-27
Those who ignore this Ayah love the world and are forgetting the heavy day that they will face.
Consider the seriousness of the Day of Judgement. Remember death. Remember that your life here is only temporary and can be short.
"Seek help in patience and prayer; truly it is hard except for those who are humble. Who bear in mind the certainty that they are to meet their Lord and that they are to return to Him." Qur'an 2:45-46
Truly those who possess Khushoo', the Khashi'een, seek help in patience and prayer. They know and realise the importance of the Day of Judgement and appreciate that they will meet with their Lord.
This is a positive anxiety which pushes them to do more. They know that as long as they are alive they have a chance to do something to improve their stand on that Day. And they take advantage of each and every chance.
"If only you could see when the guilty ones will bend low their heads before their Lord (saying): Our Lord! We have seen and we have heard; now then, send us back (to the world) we will work righteousness, for we do indeed (now) believe." Qur'an 32:12
Following the Path of the Companions
The Companions of the Prophet (saws, were always shy and afraid to present a bad prayer to Allah. They were filled with fear that their deeds would not be accepted. Consider this in relation to their exquisite piety, as seen in the following stories from their lives:
* One whose leg was in need of amputation was faced with the difficulty of surgery without anesthesia. He was offered alcohol to help decrease the pain he would undoubtedly feel but he refused saying: Cut it off while I am in prayer. The amputation was completed while he was in Sujood.
* Muslim bin Yasaar was praying in the masjid when a portion of the building collapsed. He was completely unaware of the event due to his Salah.
* 'Amir bin 'Abdullah was one of the humble in prayer. He was asked: "Does anything come into your mind in your prayer?" He replied: "Is there something that is more beloved to me than Salah that should come to my mind." They said: "Verily, things come to our minds when we pray." He said to them: "Such as Paradise and the Maidens of Paradise and thing like this?"
They said: "No. Our families and our wealth." 'Amir replied: "I would rather spears pass through my body than get that sort of thing in my prayer."
We should look to their level of concentration, love them for their deep faith and strength, and ask Allah to make us like them. They show us that the fundamental elements of prayer are not the mere rituals but rather humility and conscious awareness.
Knowing the Rewards and Punishments
One who has khushoo' benefits enormously whereas one who is lacking in khushoo' will suffer various consequences. By knowing the rewards associated with khushoo' and the punishments for the lack thereof, we may better conceive the importance of developing this very special aspect of Iman.
The Rewards
1. "Successful indeed are the Mu-mineen, those who humble themselves in their prayer."Qur'an 23:1-2
2.The right to enter Al-Jannah through Baab As-Salah - The door of Prayer.
3. Khushoo' will provide you relaxation and will become 'pleasing to the eye'. You will experience tranquillity and calmness. However, such things come only through jihad and patience.
"Truly man was created very impatient. Fretful when evil touches him. And niggardly when good reaches him. Not so those devoted to prayer. Those who remain steadfast in their prayer." Qur'an 70:19-23
4.It will become a source of strength and power and will serve as a protection from Shaytan and provide you with stability. Allah (swt), says:
"Seek help through Sabr (patience) and Salah."Qur'an 2:45
This is evident in the following Hadith:
"He (saws), when saddened by a thing, would seek refuge in prayer."Related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud
Whenever you are in need or trouble - pray!
5. Help's one's conscience and purifies and perfects other deeds. Indeed all of our actions, word and deed, are affected by our Salah. And, Subhan Allah, it works in two very simple ways.
Submit more in Salah and you'll submit in other deeds...and vice versa!!!
"The first thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day of Judgment will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been good. If it is bad, his deed will have been bad." Related by Al-Tabarani
6. Perfects one's morals, manners, character and attitude. This is known as Husnul Khuluq.
"Verily Salah restrains from indecency and evil deeds" Qur'an 29:45
"There is nothing that weighs heavier upon the scale of a believer on the Day of Judgement as does Husnul Khuluq." Related by Al-Tabarani
7. Establishes for you a closeness to the Prophet (saws), on the Day of Judgement. The Prophet (saws), said:
"Verily the most beloved of you to me and the nearest to me on the Day of Judgement are those with the best manners." Al-Tabarani
Rabe'ah bin Ka'ab said:
"I was with the Messenger of Allah (saws) one night, and I brought him water and what he required. He said to me: Ask (anything you like). I said: I ask your company in paradise. He (The Prophet (saws)) said: "Anything other than that?" I said: "That is all." He said: "Then help me to achieve this for you by devoting yourself often to prostration. " Muslim
8. Brings you close to Allah (swt).
"Sujood is the closest you can come to Allah." Related by Muslim
9. The falling of sins from your body. The Prophet (saws) said:
"Verily when a Muslim performs Wudu properly, and then observes Salah five times a day, his sins fall off just as these leaves have fallen off.
He then recited the following ayat:
And establish regular prayers at the two ends of the day and at the approaches of the night; for those things which are good removes those things which are evil. That is a reminder for the mindful." Qur'an 11:114
10. The Love of and from Allah. This is the highest of rewards.
"My servant does not draw near Me with anything more loved by Me than the religious duties I have imposed upon him, and my servant continues to draw near Me with voluntary works so that I shall love him. When I love him I am his hearing with which he hears, his seeing with which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his foot with which he walks. Were he to ask (something) of Me, I would surely give it to him; and were he to ask Me for refuge, I would surely grant it to him."
The Punishments
1. Life will be full of discomfort, agony and misery.
"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." Qur'an 20:124
Sufferings in life may be evidence of one being upon the wrong path, or relief of sufferings a sign that one is upon correct guidance. A German man suffered continually from migraine headaches. No treatment was of any relief, despite his constant search. He happened upon a Muslim who was offering prayer. He was so interested that he waited to inquire as to what this act of worship was and to what religion it belonged. His interest in the prayer, and the religion which commanded such as an act, was due to the prostration - he had found that he could only obtain relief from his pain while in such a position as that which is assumed in Sujood. He eventually accepted Islam and has not, Subhan Allah, suffered from migraines since.
2. All deeds will be bad - a complete loss. If Salah is not performed, it will definitely affect our other deeds in life.
"The first thing that the servant will be called to account for on the Day of Judgement will be Salah. If it is good, his deeds will have been good. If it is bad, his deeds will have been bad." Related by Tabarani
3. Destruction of the bond of brother/sisterhood in Islam. If we are unable to develop khushoo' with our Lord how can we expect to care and feel for our brother Muslims? Without the benefits that are attained through khushoo', Muslims will part from each other and hatred will be given freedom to develop.
4. Depletion of morality and righteousness. Without submission and humbleness, we will be faced with a society of aggressive, self-centered personalities who have no concern for Allah and Islam.
5. Rejection from Allah. We know the great benefits of Allah's love. What will become of us, if He turns away from us?
"But, after them followed a posterity who lost Salah and followed after lusts; soon then will they face destruction. " Qur'an 19:59
In the tafseer (explanation) of this Ayah it is mentioned that the phrase who lost Salah does not mean that they completely stopped praying, but that they delayed it, not praying it at the proper time.
Fulfilling our Bodies Needs
Stray thoughts may be prompted by something external. We should fulfill such bodily needs as
necessary to concentrate and gain complete benefits from our Salah. We should sleep and eat well.
We should protect ourselves from the elements of weather so that cold and heat do not cause us discomfort.
Our clothing should be comfortable, not irritating. Our attention is caught by anything which happens to engage our eyes and ears. We should distance ourselves from noise as much as possible to avoid distractions that are possible to control.
Du'a
We should seek guidance and help from Allah for proper and submissive prayer. The Prophet Ibrahim (as) used to make the following du'a:
"O Lord! Make me and my offspring of those who establish regular Salah. O our Lord, and accept my supplication. " Qur'an 14:40
To Act Upon and Spread Knowledge
We all have knowledge. Some have a little, some have a lot. We will be asked as to what we have done with it. Act upon it and use it for your benefit and the benefit of others. Offer what knowledge you have to others, even something as simple as telling someone to say Bismillah.
The Messenger of Allah (saws) said:
"He who calls people to righteousness, there would be reward assured for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called people to error, he shall have to carry the burden of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect." Related by Bukhari
There is indeed great difference in he who learns and spreads what he learned and he who does not.
As the Prophet (saws) said:
The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which has fertile soil that absorbed rain water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. Another portion of it was hard and held rain water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilised it for drinking, making their animals drink from it, and for irrigation of the land for cultivation. And a portion was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation. The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah's religion and gets benefit (from the knowledge) which Allah has revealed through me and learns and then teaches others. The last example is that off a person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's guidance revealed through me. Bukhari
It is without doubt that khushoo' in Salah is one of the greatest assets a Muslim can possess in his faith. It comes with struggle, perseverance, and patience and is obtained only by those who work for it, who really set their sights where they should be.
It is related by Hatim bin Al-Asam that he said in answer to a question about prayer:"When the time for prayer is at hand. I make a proper ablution, go to the spot where I attend to pray and sit there until all my limbs and organs are in a collected state. Then I stand up to perform my prayer, placing the Kabah between my brows, the bridge over Hell beneath my feet, Paradise to my right and Hell to my left, and the Angel of Death behind me, thinking all the while that this is my final prayer. Then I stand between hope and fear. I carefully pronounce "Allahu Akbar!"
Then I recite the Qur'an harmoniously, bow in humility and prostrate myself submissively. I then sit back on my left haunch, spreading out the left foot, raising my right foot on the toes. I follow this with sincerity. Then I wonder whether or not my prayer has been accepted.
Excerpt from Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship - by Al Ghazali
So, as we can see by this example if we could imagine ourselves in this same position, which we are really in though we can't see it visually, we would soon make the realisation that this prayer of ours is of the utmost importance.
We as Muslims, must not only be willing to commit to Islam but we must be ever ready to sacrifice our desires for what will be best for us - in the long run. We should always reflect on the life of the Prophet (saws) and the companions, their struggles and (in this life) very few personal accomplishments - by worldly standards. Their sights were always focused on what they would hopefully achieve in the next life and for the success of the Deen . Make this your aim, not the aim of what you can achieve in this world because you and it will pass away, all that you achieve here other than for Allah (swt) is worthless to you.
So don't waste time - this truth is available to all who sincerely seek it. Now you have your priorities right - your goal is set.
The Bad Consequences Of The Tongue
THE BAD CONSEQUENCES OF THE TONGUE
The Heart:
The most important part of the body is the heart as has been mentioned by our noble Prophet Muhammed - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - in his saying, “Indeed there is a piece of flesh in your body that, if it be sound, then the whole body will be sound and if it be corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt. Indeed it is the heart.
Sahih al-Bukhari [1/49] & Sahih al-Muslim [1599]
The heart is thus the port where all actions stem, whether good or evil. If the heart is good then the actions will be good and if the heart is corrupt then the actions will be bad. The heart is the place where Allaah scans, as the Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - says, Allaah does not look at your bodies nor your faces but he scans your heart and actions.
Sahih al-Muslim [4/6221]
As for the heart, Allaah has commanded us to love Him and His Messenger, to love the righteous people, to love that which Allaah loves and to hate all which Allaah hates. The tongue acts accordingly, because.... the tongue expresses what is in the heart.
The Tongue Expresses what is in the Heart:
If a person is good, it reflects in their saying. Allaah has made it very easy for the tongue to move, and it is not difficult to realize that a person's tongue moves much more as if compared to the limbs. So if a person is not careful about what he says, even a single saying of his can invalidate his actions. It is for this reason that the whole body warns the tongue saying, “Fear Allaah concerning us, for we are (dependant) upon you. If you are upright then we will be upright and if you are corrupt then we will be corrupt.
Sunan at-Tirmidhi (1912), Mishkaat (4838) and Riyaadh as-Saleheen (2/1521)
And at the same time, the tongue is a great blessing from Allaah. If we look at the animals, who are unable to speak, we realize the importance of this great tool of communication.
The gratitude that we should show for this great blessing should include, using it for the obedience to Allaah, for reading the Qur'aan, for seeking Knowledge, to enjoin good and forbidding evil. The prohibitions of the tongue are that you do not lie, abuse, use foul language, backbite and slander. Allaah says in the begining of Soorah al-Mumineen, “Indeed successful are the Believers, those who in their prayer have Khushoo' (fear of Allaah) and those who refrain from vain talk.” Here Allaah mentions that refraining from vain talk is a sign of the successful believers. Allaah also mentions refraining from vain talk after he mentions al-Khushoo'. This is because too much talk makes the heart hard. It is not possible to reach the level of Khushoo' (fear of Allaah) unless one refrains from vain talk.
Soorah Mumineen : 1-3
Imaam an-Nawawee - rahimahullah - mentions Know it is incumbent upon all to guard their tongues from most speech, except a word that has some benefit in it....
Kitaabul-Adhkaar
And for those who take heed there is a constant reminder in the verse, Not a word is said except that there is a watcher by him ready to record it.
Soorah Qaf (50):18
The Messenger of Allaah, Muhammed - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day should speak good or keep silent.
Imaam ash-Shafiee - rahimahullah - said. If you wish to speak then it is upon you to think before you speak. If you think there is good in it then speak and if not then do not speak.
The earlier mentioned Qur'aanic verses, Hadeeth (sayings) of our noble Prophet and advices by the scholars of Islaam are a guide for those searching for salvation against vain talk. So before we talk, should we not ask ourselves... .
Will this saying of mine please Allaah? Will this saying of mine bring me closer to Allaah? Does this saying earn with it obedience to Allaah?If yes, then speak, otherwise one should keep quiet.
Guarding your tongue from all Haaram
The Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Guard your tongue, stay in your homes and weep over your sins.
Related by Ibn Mubarak in az-Zuhd (no.134), Musnad Ahmed bin Hambal (5/259), Sunan at-Tirmidhi (2531) and authenticated by al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no.890)
Also the Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Most of the sins of the children of Aadam are from the tongue.
At-Tabaraanee (3/87/1-2). Authenticated by al-Haafidh al-Mundhiri in al-Targheeb (4/8)
Narrated by Mughira bin Shu'ba - radiallaahu' anhu - : The Prophet - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Allaah has forbidden for you:(1) to be undutiful to your mothers, (2) to bury your daughters alive, (3) not to pay the rights of the poor and others (i.e. charity) and (4) to beg of men. And Allaah has hated for you: (1) Qil and Qal (sinful and useless talk, like backbiting or that one talks too much about others), (2) to ask too many questions (in disputed religious matters, etc.), (3) to waste your wealth (by extravagance with lack of wisdom and thinking).
Sahih al-Bukhari [3:591]
Abu Moosa al-Asharee - radiallaahu' anhu - said, O Messenger of Allaah, which of the Muslims are better? The Messenger of Allaah said, Those who do not harm the Muslims with their tongues and hands.
Saheeh al-Bukhari (1/10) and Saheeh al-Muslim (1/64)
Sahl ibn Sa'ad - radiallaahu' anhu - reported that the Messenger of Allaah said, Whoever guards what is between his jaws and legs. I shall guarantee him paradise. Saheeh al-Bukhari (8/481). A similar narration can be found in Muwatta of Imam Malik (56/11) and Sunan at-Tirmidhi.
When the Companion of the Prophet, Muadh ibn Jabal - radiallaahu' anhu - asked the Prophet - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - about that which would entitle him to enter Paradise and save him from the hell-fire, he - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - mentioned the pillers of Islaam and informed Mu'adh of the importance of the night prayers and of Jihaad. He - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - then said, Should I not inform you of the sheet anchor of all this?, and then took hold of his tongue and said, “Exercise restraint on it.. Muadh - radiallaahu' anhu - enquired, “O Messenger of Allaah, will we be held responsible for what we say with it?” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allaah said, Muadh, will anything else besides (irresponsible) talk cause the people to be thrown in the Hell-Fire upon their faces?
Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Riyaadh as-Saaliheen (2/1522)
Most of the people who will enter the fire, will do so due to their tongues.
So a Muslim must beware and learn to imprison the tongue from vain talk, for the Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Every saying of the children of Aadam is cursed, expept for the enjoining good and forbidding the evil or for the rememberance of Allaah.
Sunan at-Tirmidhi
And The world and all that it contains is cursed, except for the rememberance of Allaah and what supports it,and a scholar and a student.
Sunan Ibn Majah (no.4112) and and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in Saheehul-Jaami' (no.3414)
Abu Hurairah - radiallaahu' anhu - reports on the authority of the Prophet - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - that, From the good Islaam of a man, is that he leaves that which does not benefit him.
Musnad Ahmed bin Hambal (4/132), Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah, al-Baihaqi in Shu'ab al-Imaan Imaam Ahmad - rahimahullaah - mentioned in his Musnad on the authority of Anas radiallaahu anhu who relates that the Prophet - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said The eemaan of Allaah's servant will not be upright until his heart is upright and his heart will not be upright until his tongue is upright.
Also mentioned in al-Mundhiri (3/234) and al-Iraqee in al-Ihya (8/1539)
The Heart:
The most important part of the body is the heart as has been mentioned by our noble Prophet Muhammed - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - in his saying, “Indeed there is a piece of flesh in your body that, if it be sound, then the whole body will be sound and if it be corrupt then the whole body will be corrupt. Indeed it is the heart.
Sahih al-Bukhari [1/49] & Sahih al-Muslim [1599]
The heart is thus the port where all actions stem, whether good or evil. If the heart is good then the actions will be good and if the heart is corrupt then the actions will be bad. The heart is the place where Allaah scans, as the Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - says, Allaah does not look at your bodies nor your faces but he scans your heart and actions.
Sahih al-Muslim [4/6221]
As for the heart, Allaah has commanded us to love Him and His Messenger, to love the righteous people, to love that which Allaah loves and to hate all which Allaah hates. The tongue acts accordingly, because.... the tongue expresses what is in the heart.
The Tongue Expresses what is in the Heart:
If a person is good, it reflects in their saying. Allaah has made it very easy for the tongue to move, and it is not difficult to realize that a person's tongue moves much more as if compared to the limbs. So if a person is not careful about what he says, even a single saying of his can invalidate his actions. It is for this reason that the whole body warns the tongue saying, “Fear Allaah concerning us, for we are (dependant) upon you. If you are upright then we will be upright and if you are corrupt then we will be corrupt.
Sunan at-Tirmidhi (1912), Mishkaat (4838) and Riyaadh as-Saleheen (2/1521)
And at the same time, the tongue is a great blessing from Allaah. If we look at the animals, who are unable to speak, we realize the importance of this great tool of communication.
The gratitude that we should show for this great blessing should include, using it for the obedience to Allaah, for reading the Qur'aan, for seeking Knowledge, to enjoin good and forbidding evil. The prohibitions of the tongue are that you do not lie, abuse, use foul language, backbite and slander. Allaah says in the begining of Soorah al-Mumineen, “Indeed successful are the Believers, those who in their prayer have Khushoo' (fear of Allaah) and those who refrain from vain talk.” Here Allaah mentions that refraining from vain talk is a sign of the successful believers. Allaah also mentions refraining from vain talk after he mentions al-Khushoo'. This is because too much talk makes the heart hard. It is not possible to reach the level of Khushoo' (fear of Allaah) unless one refrains from vain talk.
Soorah Mumineen : 1-3
Imaam an-Nawawee - rahimahullah - mentions Know it is incumbent upon all to guard their tongues from most speech, except a word that has some benefit in it....
Kitaabul-Adhkaar
And for those who take heed there is a constant reminder in the verse, Not a word is said except that there is a watcher by him ready to record it.
Soorah Qaf (50):18
The Messenger of Allaah, Muhammed - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day should speak good or keep silent.
Imaam ash-Shafiee - rahimahullah - said. If you wish to speak then it is upon you to think before you speak. If you think there is good in it then speak and if not then do not speak.
The earlier mentioned Qur'aanic verses, Hadeeth (sayings) of our noble Prophet and advices by the scholars of Islaam are a guide for those searching for salvation against vain talk. So before we talk, should we not ask ourselves... .
Will this saying of mine please Allaah? Will this saying of mine bring me closer to Allaah? Does this saying earn with it obedience to Allaah?If yes, then speak, otherwise one should keep quiet.
Guarding your tongue from all Haaram
The Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Guard your tongue, stay in your homes and weep over your sins.
Related by Ibn Mubarak in az-Zuhd (no.134), Musnad Ahmed bin Hambal (5/259), Sunan at-Tirmidhi (2531) and authenticated by al-Albaanee in as-Saheehah (no.890)
Also the Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Most of the sins of the children of Aadam are from the tongue.
At-Tabaraanee (3/87/1-2). Authenticated by al-Haafidh al-Mundhiri in al-Targheeb (4/8)
Narrated by Mughira bin Shu'ba - radiallaahu' anhu - : The Prophet - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Allaah has forbidden for you:(1) to be undutiful to your mothers, (2) to bury your daughters alive, (3) not to pay the rights of the poor and others (i.e. charity) and (4) to beg of men. And Allaah has hated for you: (1) Qil and Qal (sinful and useless talk, like backbiting or that one talks too much about others), (2) to ask too many questions (in disputed religious matters, etc.), (3) to waste your wealth (by extravagance with lack of wisdom and thinking).
Sahih al-Bukhari [3:591]
Abu Moosa al-Asharee - radiallaahu' anhu - said, O Messenger of Allaah, which of the Muslims are better? The Messenger of Allaah said, Those who do not harm the Muslims with their tongues and hands.
Saheeh al-Bukhari (1/10) and Saheeh al-Muslim (1/64)
Sahl ibn Sa'ad - radiallaahu' anhu - reported that the Messenger of Allaah said, Whoever guards what is between his jaws and legs. I shall guarantee him paradise. Saheeh al-Bukhari (8/481). A similar narration can be found in Muwatta of Imam Malik (56/11) and Sunan at-Tirmidhi.
When the Companion of the Prophet, Muadh ibn Jabal - radiallaahu' anhu - asked the Prophet - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - about that which would entitle him to enter Paradise and save him from the hell-fire, he - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - mentioned the pillers of Islaam and informed Mu'adh of the importance of the night prayers and of Jihaad. He - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - then said, Should I not inform you of the sheet anchor of all this?, and then took hold of his tongue and said, “Exercise restraint on it.. Muadh - radiallaahu' anhu - enquired, “O Messenger of Allaah, will we be held responsible for what we say with it?” Thereupon, the Messenger of Allaah said, Muadh, will anything else besides (irresponsible) talk cause the people to be thrown in the Hell-Fire upon their faces?
Sunan at-Tirmidhi and Riyaadh as-Saaliheen (2/1522)
Most of the people who will enter the fire, will do so due to their tongues.
So a Muslim must beware and learn to imprison the tongue from vain talk, for the Messenger of Allaah - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said, Every saying of the children of Aadam is cursed, expept for the enjoining good and forbidding the evil or for the rememberance of Allaah.
Sunan at-Tirmidhi
And The world and all that it contains is cursed, except for the rememberance of Allaah and what supports it,and a scholar and a student.
Sunan Ibn Majah (no.4112) and and authenticated by Sheikh al-Albani in Saheehul-Jaami' (no.3414)
Abu Hurairah - radiallaahu' anhu - reports on the authority of the Prophet - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - that, From the good Islaam of a man, is that he leaves that which does not benefit him.
Musnad Ahmed bin Hambal (4/132), Sunan at-Tirmidhi, Sunan Ibn Majah, al-Baihaqi in Shu'ab al-Imaan Imaam Ahmad - rahimahullaah - mentioned in his Musnad on the authority of Anas radiallaahu anhu who relates that the Prophet - Sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam - said The eemaan of Allaah's servant will not be upright until his heart is upright and his heart will not be upright until his tongue is upright.
Also mentioned in al-Mundhiri (3/234) and al-Iraqee in al-Ihya (8/1539)
Hadiths#30 Transgressing the limits
It was narrated on the authority of Abi Tha'labah Al-Khushani Jurthum bin Nashir, radiyallahu 'anhu, that the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam , said:
"Verily Allah the Almighty has prescribed the obligatory deeds, so do not neglect them; He has set certain limits, so do not go beyond them; He has forbidden certain things, so do not indulge in them; and He has said nothing about certain things, as an act of mercy to you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not go enquiring into these."
[Related by Al-Daraqutni and others - Al-Nawawi said this is a hasan (fine) hadith]
Background
This hadith has been recorded by a number of scholars. They all recorded this hadith through the chain of Dawood Ibn Abi Hind on the authority of Makhool from Abi Tha'labah Al-Khushani. This hadith is regarded as a weak hadith by many scholars such as Al-Bukhari, Ahmad and Hatem. They point out that there are three defects in this hadith:
Makhool did not hear the hadith from Abi Tha'labah.
Even if it is assumed that he did hear from Abi Tha'labah, Makhool was classified among the third category of those who commit tadlis (tadlis is when a person narrates a hadith upon one of his teachers but he did not hear the particular hadith he is narrating directly from his teacher but from an intermediate source). For this hadith, there should be a direct term that reflects sama', that is this person heard the hadith directly from his teacher or sheikh. Otherwise, if he uses on the authority of, this cannot be accepted.
It is debatable whether this is actually a hadith or a saying of one of the Companions (sahabi). (Is it marfou' or mawqouf?)
Despite these three defects, the hadith has been accepted. Moreover, what has been mentioned in this hadith has been used by all jurists or fuqaha' as a way of categorizing rulings of shari'ah. It is from this hadith that the rules of the five well-known categorizations are derived: The obligatory (wajib), preferable (mandoub) , forbidden (muharam), hateful (makrouh), and the permissible (mubah). Not only is the meaning acceptable, this hadith is also used for categorizing rulings of shari'ah (ahkam).
Lessons
The meaning of the statement which says: "He (Allah the Almighty) has set certain limits, so do not go beyond them." has been emphasised in the Qur'an. Allah says:
These are the bounds, the limits set by Allah. Do not then transgress them for who transgress them are evil doers. [Surah Al-Baqarah (2): Ayah 229],
and in Surah Al-Talq, Ayah 1, Allah says:
And those are the set limits of Allah and whosoever transgresses the set limits of Allah then he indeed has wronged himself.
By looking closer into the content of these verses, we find that the two verses are talking about the limits (hudud) that Allah set regarding family relationships, especially the relationship between husband and wife. The limits that govern the relationship between husband and wife are stated in two verses in two surahs. Moreover, in Surah Al-Nisa', Ayah 13 and 14, Allah talks about the regulations of inheritance (furud almirath). Favouring one person over another and giving a person more than he deserves is considered transgression in Islam. And if we lessen or decrease the right of another person, this is also considered transgression. We have to stick to what Allah has set for us regarding what a person should receive.
Usually in family relationships, if there is no adherence to the Islamic bounds and guidelines, the consequences will inevitably be negative as we see in real life and in the Muslim world today. If we go to the courts we will see many cases where transgression has taken place. If the family life is not carried out in accordance with shari'ah, we will end up with many people transgressing the set limits. For example, the way divorce takes place violates the concept of family relationship where the spouses are not aware of what they say. They are not in control of their tempers.
They end up saying things they do not mean ( e.g. performing talaq out of anger) - things which might get them in a situation where they would need to go and consult the court or scholars regarding what to do. They start to look for a way to resolve the problem only when they are stuck and the situation deteriorates. Had they controlled their tempers and their tongues in the first place, they would not have reached this situation. It is only because they have violated the prescribed limits. (In the example of a husband having used words or terms which later on even he himself is not sure whether he has declared divorce or not, some scholars will refer it to the intention when the action took place.)
Another area in this regard is the area of the procedure of divorce itself that has been set by Allah. There are certain rulings that have to be observed by both parties, especially the husband. There are ways of minimizing the case of divorce. It has to occur in a totally controlled situation and in a way where there is an opportunity of getting back when it is carried out in the right way. There are adab (manners) that have to be followed if divorce has to take place. Most of the time divorce takes place when everybody lose control of their tempers, feelings or emotions. In Islam, if Muslims have to divorce, they are required to be fully aware of the situation and consequences, and that they have thought deeply about it and not simply divorce as a result of anger or a hasty decision.
Islam creates the procedure that if a person is actually considering divorce, he must be fully aware of what he is doing and his actions are based on sound reasons. This also means that both sides have given the act of divorce deep thought and they could not find any other solution to their dispute. The act of divorce should not lead to transgression - the wife and children should not be victims. To make sure of this, we should stick to the limits set by Allah. People have to be aware of this. They have to respect the family relationship. There should be strong commitment where both sides stick to what this commitment implies. This is so because Islam encourages the continuity of relationships. So here we have two considerations: (1) the respect of commitment, and (2) the continuity of that commitment.
Islam, as a practical religion, wants things to happen even if we dislike them. This is actually mentioned about the relationship between husband and wife. The hadith explains what the verse in the Qur'an says, that the believer should not hate another believer (wife). If he dislikes an aspect of her character or personality, he should appreciate other aspects of her character as well and vice versa. This is because there is no perfect person except Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam. Consequently, Islam encourages us to appreciate other people's characters.
Islam also asks us to be moderate in our life when it comes to dealing with people. So spouses should deal with each other in a moderate way. A hadith says: "When you like someone, you should like him moderately because he might become someone whom you dislike one day, and when you dislike someone dislike him moderately because he might become someone you like one day."
This hadith implies that we should be moderate in our actions and sayings and not to exceed the limits. Unfortunately today, this idea has been violated by the media through movies, songs, etc. where love is taken as the central issue in our daily lives. We rarely or never see any exception where love is moderate and in accordance with the Islamic guidelines. This explains why we have 'hopeless' people. Because they have lost their lovers (and most importantly because they have exceeded the limits set by Allah) their lives become miserable and meaningless. This is because of the effect of the culture and the environment which they are exposed to. So by exceeding the limits set by Allah, more problems and disasters occur.
Another area where people usually go beyond the limits is the area of fara'ed (inheritance) . The limits and guidelines that have been set by Allah have been violated. Allah, in the Qur'an, and the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, via revelation, have prescribed and made clear for us the limits. For example, in the case of death, it is made clear to us who should inherit and what is the allowance of each son or daughter. As a result we will have those who have priority and those who have less but still have their share. And we also have those who are even set aside because there is someone closer to inherit. They are considered mahjoub.
Nowadays we see people violate these limits all over the Muslim world. Most of the cases happen because of the transgression and domination of the relatives. Muslims all over the world have to observe the limits. Otherwise they will transgress and violate the guidelines set by Allah. They have to make sure that this is not halal and will not please Allah. They may enjoy it for months or years, but at the end they may suffer the severe punishment of Allah in the Hereafter. We hear different stories of people who transgress and victimize their relatives. A verse in the Qur'an says: Those people are considered transgressors and being unjust where Allah has forbidden injustice (zulm). These people will be totally responsible for what they have done. This is one statement that is mentioned in this hadith and has been emphasized by the Qur'an.
Conclusion
All the meanings that are mentioned in this hadith are sound and acceptable even if the hadith itself - due to chain defect in the way it is narrated - is considered weak. A Maliki jurist Ibn Al'arabi said: "This hadith is one of the most important rulings in Islam and should be known to every Muslim."
Social Relationships in Islam
Social Relationships in Islam
By Dr. Jamal Badawi
Chairman, Islamic Information Foundation - Canada
Friendship is a significant part of the social system, not only from the Islamic perspective, but from the sociological perspective too.
Friendship has an important role in molding an individual's mind, thinking, and attitude. In addition to these, friendship can also shape the extent of an individual's spirituality and moral well-being; it follows therefore that the well-being of society as a whole depends on the wisdom with which each individual selects his friends.
From the Islamic point of view, if friendship is based on love of God and commitment to the faith, then it will be blessed; however, if it is based on trivial factors, then it is not likely to last. In addition to this, both the Qur'an and the Prophetic tradition contain warnings against friendship with people who may take the believer away from the straight path of truth rather than help him to become a better believer.
Prophet Muhammad said, "Individuals follow the same way of life and thinking as their close friends, therefore let each of you be careful about who he is taking as his close friend" (At-Tirmidhi) .
The Qur'an warns that many of the disbelievers will be in anguish on the Day of Judgment because they will realize that they had allowed themselves to be led away from the right path by friends.
[The Day that the wrong-doer will bite at his hands, he will say, "Oh! would that I had taken a (straight) path with the Messenger! Ah! woe is me! Would that I had never taken such a one for a friend! He did lead me astray from the Message (of Allah) after it had come to me!" Ah! the Evil One is but a traitor to man!] (Al-Furqan 25:27-29)
Islam is not a faith for individualists, even though it does specify in detail the relationship that should exist between an individual and Allah. Islam teaches that Muslims should not be totally detached from what is going on in the world.
Prophet Muhammad condemned monasticism, because although at first sight it appears to be spiritually uplifting to live in a monastery and to sacrifice one's life to worship God, this is not the ideal because it is an attempt to achieve individual salvation without changing society.
In contrast to this, Islam encourages people to interact and to mix together, it also encourages collective actions and co-operation between believers who should get to know one another.
Many of the pure acts of worship in Islam are designed to inculcate a community spirit like Friday and `Eid Prayers that must be performed in congregation. It is recommended that the normal daily Prayers should also be performed in congregation, even if the "congregation" consisted of just two people!
It is clear from both the Qur'an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad that any friendship that stems from the love of Allah is on a sound basis. In contrast to this, friendship that is based on a particular benefit to be gained, on clubs, on social class, or on ethnic group cannot be regarded as a sound basis for a friendship.
Prophet Muhammad said, "Allah said 'My Love is due to those who love one another for my sake (not only to benefit from one another), who sit with one another for my sake, who visit one another for my sake, and who spend on one another for my sake'" (Muwatta' Malik).
Nourishing Friendship
There are specific measures that nourish friendship according to the Qur'an and the tradition of Prophet Muhammad:
Avoiding corruption, hypocrisy, and egotism because they can change hearts and destroy friendships.
Practicing social courtesies, such as asking fellow Muslim their name and from where they came from.
Expressing one's feelings of love for the sake of Allah for their brethren in faith.
Visiting one's close friends. The glad tidings of Paradise are given to a person who visits a friend for no other motive than concern and friendship.
Exchanging gifts.
Reciprocating kindness with kindness.
Accepting invitations for a meal.
Avoiding unselfishness: Prophet Muhammad said, "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" ( Al-Bukhari), particularly if that brother is in need.
Being thoughtful in the presence of your friends: If three or more people are together, it is wrong for two of them to have private conversations together, particularly in a language that the other(s) do not know.
Protecting Friendship:
Don't belittle or mock your friends.
Refrain from taunting your friends and hurting their feelings.
Refrain from using nicknames or titles that your friends hate.
Avoid backbiting and spying on your friends.
Be humble and avoid snobbishness.
Avoid attributing evil motives to the actions of your friends.
Be the first to try to make peace if disputes do arise.
By Dr. Jamal Badawi
Chairman, Islamic Information Foundation - Canada
Friendship is a significant part of the social system, not only from the Islamic perspective, but from the sociological perspective too.
Friendship has an important role in molding an individual's mind, thinking, and attitude. In addition to these, friendship can also shape the extent of an individual's spirituality and moral well-being; it follows therefore that the well-being of society as a whole depends on the wisdom with which each individual selects his friends.
From the Islamic point of view, if friendship is based on love of God and commitment to the faith, then it will be blessed; however, if it is based on trivial factors, then it is not likely to last. In addition to this, both the Qur'an and the Prophetic tradition contain warnings against friendship with people who may take the believer away from the straight path of truth rather than help him to become a better believer.
Prophet Muhammad said, "Individuals follow the same way of life and thinking as their close friends, therefore let each of you be careful about who he is taking as his close friend" (At-Tirmidhi) .
The Qur'an warns that many of the disbelievers will be in anguish on the Day of Judgment because they will realize that they had allowed themselves to be led away from the right path by friends.
[The Day that the wrong-doer will bite at his hands, he will say, "Oh! would that I had taken a (straight) path with the Messenger! Ah! woe is me! Would that I had never taken such a one for a friend! He did lead me astray from the Message (of Allah) after it had come to me!" Ah! the Evil One is but a traitor to man!] (Al-Furqan 25:27-29)
Islam is not a faith for individualists, even though it does specify in detail the relationship that should exist between an individual and Allah. Islam teaches that Muslims should not be totally detached from what is going on in the world.
Prophet Muhammad condemned monasticism, because although at first sight it appears to be spiritually uplifting to live in a monastery and to sacrifice one's life to worship God, this is not the ideal because it is an attempt to achieve individual salvation without changing society.
In contrast to this, Islam encourages people to interact and to mix together, it also encourages collective actions and co-operation between believers who should get to know one another.
Many of the pure acts of worship in Islam are designed to inculcate a community spirit like Friday and `Eid Prayers that must be performed in congregation. It is recommended that the normal daily Prayers should also be performed in congregation, even if the "congregation" consisted of just two people!
It is clear from both the Qur'an and the sayings of Prophet Muhammad that any friendship that stems from the love of Allah is on a sound basis. In contrast to this, friendship that is based on a particular benefit to be gained, on clubs, on social class, or on ethnic group cannot be regarded as a sound basis for a friendship.
Prophet Muhammad said, "Allah said 'My Love is due to those who love one another for my sake (not only to benefit from one another), who sit with one another for my sake, who visit one another for my sake, and who spend on one another for my sake'" (Muwatta' Malik).
Nourishing Friendship
There are specific measures that nourish friendship according to the Qur'an and the tradition of Prophet Muhammad:
Avoiding corruption, hypocrisy, and egotism because they can change hearts and destroy friendships.
Practicing social courtesies, such as asking fellow Muslim their name and from where they came from.
Expressing one's feelings of love for the sake of Allah for their brethren in faith.
Visiting one's close friends. The glad tidings of Paradise are given to a person who visits a friend for no other motive than concern and friendship.
Exchanging gifts.
Reciprocating kindness with kindness.
Accepting invitations for a meal.
Avoiding unselfishness: Prophet Muhammad said, "None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself" ( Al-Bukhari), particularly if that brother is in need.
Being thoughtful in the presence of your friends: If three or more people are together, it is wrong for two of them to have private conversations together, particularly in a language that the other(s) do not know.
Protecting Friendship:
Don't belittle or mock your friends.
Refrain from taunting your friends and hurting their feelings.
Refrain from using nicknames or titles that your friends hate.
Avoid backbiting and spying on your friends.
Be humble and avoid snobbishness.
Avoid attributing evil motives to the actions of your friends.
Be the first to try to make peace if disputes do arise.
Kindness to a Non-Muslim Neighbor
Kindness to a Non-Muslim Neighbor
Tips for Interaction
By El-Sayed M. Amin
The neighbor holds a special status in Islam. Islam encourages Muslims to treat their neighbors in a gentle way that reflects the true and genuine spirit of Islam as exemplified in its tolerant aspect especially with people of other faiths. It makes no difference whether the neighbors are Muslim or non-Muslim. ‘A’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that she once asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah! I have two neighbors. To whom shall I send my gifts?” He said, “To the one whose gate is nearer to you.” It is clear from the above Prophetic Hadith that Muslims are encouraged to not only treat our neighbors kindly, but also to exchange gifts with them. The wording of the Hadith does not indicate whether the one with whom we exchange gifts is a Muslim or not. It was even reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a neighbor who used to harm him and insult him at every encounter. Some days elapsed without the Prophet getting his share of this man’s abuse. Thinking that there must be some reason behind the man’s absence, he (peace and blessings be upon him) paid him a visit and found him sick. The man wondered how the Prophet could meet his bad treatment with such great behavior. To him, such noble character as taught by Islam was completely new. If your neighbors are Muslim and relatives, then they have three rights on you: the right of the neighbor, the right of kin, and the right of the co-religionist. If they are non-Muslim and relatives, then two rights are due to them: that of neighbor and kin. And if they are non-Muslims outside of the family, you owe them the right of the neighbor only. Referring to this, Allah Almighty says what means, (And serve Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and into the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the neighbor who is not of kin and the fellow traveler…) (An-Nisaa’4:34)
Care for your neighbors continually, especially at times of need and distress Enough to say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stated in one of his Hadiths that Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) kept exhorting him to treat neighbors kindly to the extent that the Prophet imagined that a neighbor could inherit from his neighbor. Below are some tips on how to approach your non-Muslim neighbors in a kind way that exemplifies Islamic manners:
1- Being good to neighbors is not only restricted to those who share the same building with you. Your roommate at the dorm is your neighbor; the person sitting behind you or next to you in a bus or at a bus stop is your neighbor; the one sharing your office at work is your neighbor; the person enjoying fresh air next to you in a public garden is also a neighbor. You ought to treat all of those people kindly and socialize with them within the permitted scope of Shari‘ah.
2- Introduce yourself and your family to your neighbors when you move into a new place or when new neighbors move in. This will also help to relieve any fears or tensions they may have about Muslims. Also, don’t forget to say good-bye when you or they move away.
3- Care for them continually, especially at times of need and distress, as “the neighbor in need is a neighbor indeed.” If a neighbor is elderly or chronically ill, offer to run errands or shop for him or her.
4- In dealing with neighbors, it is safer to deal with those of the same sex as yourself. This does not mean that you should stop socializing at work or school with your non-Muslim workmates or classmates of the opposite sex, but be aware of Satanic snares. After-hours socializing should be with your same sex.
5- While socializing with non-Muslims, be cautious of becoming too lenient at the expense of your creed and principles. For example, don’t go out drinking with them. They will respect you more for sticking to your principles than for breaking the rules.
Common grounds should be enhanced, and areas of dissension should never be raised.
6- In addition to sharing ideas, you can share meals with them by inviting them to dinner on the weekend or accepting their invitation to the same, provided that you let them know about your dietary restrictions as a Muslim.
7- Conduct mutual visits so that the families can interact in a constructive way. If the discussion does turn to religion, focus on areas of common ground. For example, if your neighbors are Christian, then you should not enter into a futile argument with them about whether Jesus is God incarnate or not. Rather, tell them to what extent Islam honors all God’s Prophets and Messengers as a whole, and that Jesus is granted a special status among God’s Prophets and Messengers.
8- While socializing with neighbors, present your deen (Islam) in the best way. If you are faced with a difficult question or a distortion about Islam, do not be ashamed to stop for a while and tell them that you will try to contact a more knowledgeable person to seek the guidance regarding the issue raised. Thus, common grounds should be enhanced, and areas of dissension should never be raised.
9- If your neighbors show an interest in Islam, invite them to attend Islamic events, and even to accompany you to the mosque to see what it is like. It may be that their hearts become softened to Islam, and if they remain non-Muslim, at least you have succeeded in breaking the barrier. You can also visit the church where your neighbors pray if they invite you to do that, but here you should be cautious not to perform any act that your religion prohibits. In brief, be only a watchful monitor.
10- Always keep in mind the mighty reward that is in store for you in the Hereafter when you show kindness to a neighbor.
Tips for Interaction
By El-Sayed M. Amin
The neighbor holds a special status in Islam. Islam encourages Muslims to treat their neighbors in a gentle way that reflects the true and genuine spirit of Islam as exemplified in its tolerant aspect especially with people of other faiths. It makes no difference whether the neighbors are Muslim or non-Muslim. ‘A’ishah, the Mother of the Believers, (may Allah be pleased with her) stated that she once asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah! I have two neighbors. To whom shall I send my gifts?” He said, “To the one whose gate is nearer to you.” It is clear from the above Prophetic Hadith that Muslims are encouraged to not only treat our neighbors kindly, but also to exchange gifts with them. The wording of the Hadith does not indicate whether the one with whom we exchange gifts is a Muslim or not. It was even reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had a neighbor who used to harm him and insult him at every encounter. Some days elapsed without the Prophet getting his share of this man’s abuse. Thinking that there must be some reason behind the man’s absence, he (peace and blessings be upon him) paid him a visit and found him sick. The man wondered how the Prophet could meet his bad treatment with such great behavior. To him, such noble character as taught by Islam was completely new. If your neighbors are Muslim and relatives, then they have three rights on you: the right of the neighbor, the right of kin, and the right of the co-religionist. If they are non-Muslim and relatives, then two rights are due to them: that of neighbor and kin. And if they are non-Muslims outside of the family, you owe them the right of the neighbor only. Referring to this, Allah Almighty says what means, (And serve Allah. Ascribe no thing as partner unto Him. (Show) kindness unto parents, and unto near kindred, and orphans, and the needy, and into the neighbor who is of kin (unto you) and the neighbor who is not of kin and the fellow traveler…) (An-Nisaa’4:34)
Care for your neighbors continually, especially at times of need and distress Enough to say that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stated in one of his Hadiths that Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) kept exhorting him to treat neighbors kindly to the extent that the Prophet imagined that a neighbor could inherit from his neighbor. Below are some tips on how to approach your non-Muslim neighbors in a kind way that exemplifies Islamic manners:
1- Being good to neighbors is not only restricted to those who share the same building with you. Your roommate at the dorm is your neighbor; the person sitting behind you or next to you in a bus or at a bus stop is your neighbor; the one sharing your office at work is your neighbor; the person enjoying fresh air next to you in a public garden is also a neighbor. You ought to treat all of those people kindly and socialize with them within the permitted scope of Shari‘ah.
2- Introduce yourself and your family to your neighbors when you move into a new place or when new neighbors move in. This will also help to relieve any fears or tensions they may have about Muslims. Also, don’t forget to say good-bye when you or they move away.
3- Care for them continually, especially at times of need and distress, as “the neighbor in need is a neighbor indeed.” If a neighbor is elderly or chronically ill, offer to run errands or shop for him or her.
4- In dealing with neighbors, it is safer to deal with those of the same sex as yourself. This does not mean that you should stop socializing at work or school with your non-Muslim workmates or classmates of the opposite sex, but be aware of Satanic snares. After-hours socializing should be with your same sex.
5- While socializing with non-Muslims, be cautious of becoming too lenient at the expense of your creed and principles. For example, don’t go out drinking with them. They will respect you more for sticking to your principles than for breaking the rules.
Common grounds should be enhanced, and areas of dissension should never be raised.
6- In addition to sharing ideas, you can share meals with them by inviting them to dinner on the weekend or accepting their invitation to the same, provided that you let them know about your dietary restrictions as a Muslim.
7- Conduct mutual visits so that the families can interact in a constructive way. If the discussion does turn to religion, focus on areas of common ground. For example, if your neighbors are Christian, then you should not enter into a futile argument with them about whether Jesus is God incarnate or not. Rather, tell them to what extent Islam honors all God’s Prophets and Messengers as a whole, and that Jesus is granted a special status among God’s Prophets and Messengers.
8- While socializing with neighbors, present your deen (Islam) in the best way. If you are faced with a difficult question or a distortion about Islam, do not be ashamed to stop for a while and tell them that you will try to contact a more knowledgeable person to seek the guidance regarding the issue raised. Thus, common grounds should be enhanced, and areas of dissension should never be raised.
9- If your neighbors show an interest in Islam, invite them to attend Islamic events, and even to accompany you to the mosque to see what it is like. It may be that their hearts become softened to Islam, and if they remain non-Muslim, at least you have succeeded in breaking the barrier. You can also visit the church where your neighbors pray if they invite you to do that, but here you should be cautious not to perform any act that your religion prohibits. In brief, be only a watchful monitor.
10- Always keep in mind the mighty reward that is in store for you in the Hereafter when you show kindness to a neighbor.
Spreading kindness in the home
60 Questions for the Christian
By Hussein Khalid Al-Hussein
According to most Christians, Jesus was God-incarnate, full man and full God. Can the finite and the infinite be one? "To be full" God means freedom from finite forms and from helplessness, and to be "full man" means the absence of divinity.
1.To be son is to be less than divine and to be divine is to be no one’s son. How could Jesus have the attributes of sonship and divinity altogether?
2.Christians assert that Jesus claimed to be God when they quote him in John 14:9: "He that has seen me has seen the Father". Didn’t Jesus clearly say that people have never seen God, as it says in John 5:37: "And the father himself which Has sent me, has borne witness of me. You have NEITHER HEARD HIS VOICE AT ANY TIME NOR SEEN HIS SHAPE"?
3.Christians say that Jesus was God because he was called Son of God, Son of Man, Messiah, and "savior". Ezekiel was addressed in the Bible as Son of Man. Jesus spoke of "the peace makers" as Sons of God. Any person who followed the Will and Plan of God was called SON OF GOD in the Jewish tradition and in their language (Genesis 6:2,4; Exodus 4:22; Psalm 2:7; Romans 8:14). "Messiah" which in Hebrew means "God’s anointed" and not "Christ", and "Cyrus" the person is called "Messiah" or "the anointed". As for "savior", in II KINGS 13:5, other individuals were given that title too without being gods. So where is the proof in these terms that Jesus was God when the word son is not exclusively used for him alone?
4.Christians claim that Jesus acknowledged that he and God were one in the sense of nature when he says in John 10:30 "I and my father are one". Later on in John 17:21-23, Jesus refers to his followers and himself and God as one in five places. So why did they give the previous "one" a different meaning from the other five "ones?
5.Is God three-in-one and one in three simultaneously or one at a time?
6.If God is one and three simultaneously, then none of the three could be the complete God. Granting that such was the case, then when Jesus was on earth, he wasn’t a complete God, nor was the "father in Heaven" a whole God. Doesn’t that contradict what Jesus always said about His God and our God in heaven, his Lord and our Lord ? Does that also mean that there was no complete god then, between the claimed crucifixion and the claimed resurrection?
7.If God is one and three at a time, then who was the God in heaven when Jesus was on earth? Wouldn’t this contradict his many references to a God in Heaven that sent him?
8.If God is three and one at the same time, who was the God in Heaven within three days between the claimed crucifixion and the claimed resurrect ion?
9.Christians say that: "The Father(F) is God, the Son(S) is God, and the Holy Ghost(H) is God, but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost is not the Father". In simple arithmetic and terms therefore, if F = G, S = G, and H = G, then it follows that F = S = H, while the second part of the statement suggests that F ¹ S ¹ H (meaning, "not equal"). Isn’t that a contradiction to the Christian dogma of Trinity in itself ?
10.If Jesus was God, why did he tell the man who called him "good master" not to call him "good" because accordingly, there is none good but his God in Heaven alone?
11.Why do Christians say that God is three-in-one and one in three when Jesus says in Mark 12:29: "The Lord our God is one Lord" in as many places as yet in the Bible?
12.If belief in the Trinity was such a necessary condition for being a Christian, why didn’t Jesus teach and emphasize it to the Christians during his time? How were those followers of Jesus considered Christians without ever hearing the term Trinity? Had the Trinity been the spinal cord of Christianity, Jesus would have emphasized it on many occasions and would have taught and explained it in detail to the people.
13.Christians claim that Jesus was God as they quote in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". This is John speaking and not Jesus. Also, the Greek word for the first occurrence of God is HOTHEOS which means "the God" or "God" with a capital "G", while the Greek word for its second occurrence is "TONTHEOS", which means "a god " or "god" with a small "g". Isn’t this dishonesty and inconsistency on the part of those translating the Greek Bible? ? Isn’t such quotation in John 1:1 recognized by every Christian scholar of the Bible to have been written by a Jew named Philo Alexandria way before Jesus and John?
14.Wasn’t the word "god" or "TONTHEOS" also used to refer to others as well as in II Corinthians 4:4 "(and the Devil is) the god of this world" and in Exodus 7:1 "See , I have made thee (Moses ) a god to Pharaoh"?
SALVATION: Christians say that "GOD LOST His only son to save us". To whom did God lose Jesus if he owns the whole universe?
15. If it was agreeable with God’s Majesty to have sons, He could have created a million sons the like of Jesus. So what is the big clear deal about this only son?
16.Why does the Bible say that Jesus wanted to die on the cross, when the one on the cross was shouting "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" according to Matthew 27:45 and Mark 15:33?
17. If God had wanted to save us, couldn’t He have done that without sacrificing Jesus?
18. God is Just, and justice requires that nobody should be punished for the sins of others, nor should some people be saved by punishing other people. Doesn’t the claim that God sacrificed Jesus to save us because He was Just, contradict the definition of justice?
19. People sacrifice things they have to get something they don’t have when they can’t have both. Christians say that "God SACRIFICED His only son to save us". We know that God is Almighty; to whom did He sacrifice Jesus?
20. A real sacrifice is when you can’t get back what you have offered , so what would be the big deal about such a sacrifice if God could recover the same offering? (according to the Christians’ terminology) ?
21. If all the Christians are saved through Jesus and are going to Heaven no matter what they do, then the teachings of Jesus are irrelevant and the definition of good and bad are also rendered irrelevant. If this is not so, then do Christians who believe in Jesus yet do not follow his teachings nor repent go to Hell?
22. How can Christians take deeds as irrelevant after becoming one when Jesus says in Matthew 12:36; "But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by the words thou shalt be justified, and by the words thou shalt be condemned"?
23. Christians say that people go to Heaven ONLY THROUGH JESUS, yet Paul says in 1 CORINTHIANS 7:8-16 that the unbelieving husband is acceptable to God because he is united with his wife and vice versa, and their pagan children are also acceptable to God. So people can go to heaven without believing in Jesus according to this.
24. How come the Bible says that ALL Israel is saved although they don’t believe in Jesus? Doesn’t that contradict the claim in the Bible that the only way to heaven is through Jesus?
25. According to Christians, those who have not been baptized will go to Hell. So even the infants and babies go to Hell if not baptized, since they are born with an inherited original sin. Doesn’t this contradict the definition of justice? Why would God punish people for sins they never committed?
HOLY SPIRIT: The only place in the Bible where the Paraclete was called the Holy Spirit is in John 14:26 "But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you". What has the Holy Spirit brought or taught for the last 2000 years?
26.Christians say that the Paraclete means the Holy Spirit (John 14;26). Jesus said in John 16:7-8 "If I do not go away the Paraclete will not come to you". This could not mean the Holy spirit, since the Holy spirit was said to have been there before Jesus was even born as in Luke 1:41 "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit". Here, the Holy spirit was also present during Jesus life time. So how could this fit with the condition that Jesus must go away so that the Holy spirit will come?
27.In John 16:7-8, it says: "But if go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of sins and of righteousness and of Judgment". What do "he" and "him" refer here? Don’t they refer to a man?
28.Does the Holy Spirit talk to good Christians and bad Christians as well? Is the Holy spirit with them all the time or just at certain times? When does it start visiting a person who wants to become a Christian?
29.How can you as a Christian tell if the Holy Spirit is inside another Christian? How come many Christians fooled people by claiming that the Holy spirit was inside them only to be converted to another religion later on ?
30.Does the Holy Spirit dictate what Christians should do without choice or freedom at all or does it only guide them and they have the freedom to follow or not ?
31.If the Holy Spirit dictates what Christian should do, why do Christians commit sins and make mistakes ? How can you explain the conversion to other religions and atheism of many Christians? Are they told to do that by the Holy Spirit?
32.If the Holy Spirit guides Christians only, and they are free to do what they want, then how do we know that the writers of the Gospels didn’t make mistakes in writing them?
33.If Christians believe that the Holy Spirit comes and talks to them everyday, why don’t they ask the Holy Spirit about which version of the Bible to follow since there are too many versions floating around?
MISSION OF JESUS: Without borrowing from other religions and systems, can Christianity provide people with a complete way of life? Since Christianity is limited to spiritual life and does not provide law, how can a society decide which laws are right or wrong?
34.Why do the Christians say that Jesus came with a universal mission when he said that he was sent to the Jews only? He said to the Canaanite woman who asked him to heal her daughter from demon-possession: "I was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of Israel" and also said: "It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs", Matthew 15:21-28.
RESSURECTION: If you read Matthew (28:1-10), Mark (16:1-20), Luke (24:1-12), and John (20: 1-18), you will find contradicting stories. They all agreed that the tomb was guarded for three days. However, they reported the discovery of the empty tomb differently.
· Matthew (28) and John (20) reported that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were the first to discover the tomb.
· Mark (16) reports that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome were the first to discover the empty tomb.
· Mark (28) reports that there was an earthquake that removed the rock from over the tomb. He says that an angel caused it. The other gospels do not mention of an earthquake.
· Matthew and Mark say that only ONE man in white clothes was sitting on the tomb when the woman arrived, and that he was an angel.
· Luke says that TWO men in white clothes, who were angels, were sitting. Johns says that the two women did not meet anybody the first time they came to the tomb, but when they returned, they saw TWO people, ONE was an ANGEL, and the other was JESUS.
· Matthew reports that when the guards reported this to the chief priest, the chief priest paid them a large sum of money, telling them: "You have to say that his disciples came at night and stole his body." He claims that the soldiers took money and spread the story around and since then, the story had been circulating among the Jews until today (according to Matthew). The other gospels do not report of any such thing.
35. Which narration now is more authentic?
36.Why is the appearance of Jesus after the crucifixion taken as a proof of his resurrection when there is an explanation that he was not dead because someone else was crucified in his place when God saved Him?
37.How did Matthew know of the claimed agreement between the soldiers and the chief priest? Can’t someone say that someone paid the women a large sum of money and told them to spread the word around that Jesus rose from the dead, with the same authenticity as that of the story of Matthew?
38.Why did they believe that man in the white clothes? Why did they believe he was an angel? John’s narration is too strange, since he says that Mary did not recognize Jesus (one of the two) while talking to him, and she only recognized him when he called her by her name.
39.How does an empty tomb prove that Jesus was crucified ? Isn’t it that God is capable of removing another man from the tomb, and of resurrecting him too?
40.The Gospels are believed to be the verbatim words of God, they are supposed to be dictated by the Holy Spirit to the Disciples who wrote them. If the source were the same, why shouldn’t they correspond with each other in reporting such an important event?
41.How could Matthew, Mark, Luke and John be considered eyewitnesses of resurrection when the Bible implies that nobody at all saw Jesus coming out of the tomb?
BIBLE: If the Christians consider the Old Testament as God’s Word, why did they cancel the parts of the Old Testament that dealt with punishment (example: the punishment for adultery)?
42.Why doesn’t Mark 16:9-20 exist in as many versions of the Bible while it exists as a footnote or between brackets in some other versions? Is a footnote in the Bible still considered as God’s word, especially when it addresses an important feature like the Ascension?
43.Why does the Catholic Bible contain 73 books while the Protestant Bible has only 66? With both claiming to have the complete Word of God, which one should be believed and why?
44.Where do those new translations of the Bible keep coming from when the original Bible is not even available ? The Greek manuscripts which are translations themselves are not even similar with each other.
45.How can you take two gospels from writers who never met Jesus, like Mark and Luke?
46.Why is half of the New Testament written by a man who never even met Jesus in his lifetime? PAUL claimed with no proof that he had met Jesus while on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus. PAUL was the main enemy of Christianity. Isn’t that reason enough to question the authenticity of what he wrote? Why do the Christians call those books of the Old Testament "God’s Word" when the revisors of the RSV Bible say that some of the authors are UNKNOWN? They say that the author of SAMUEL is "UNKNOWN" and that of CHRONICLES is "UNKOWN, PROBABLY COLLECTED AND EDITED BY EZRA"!
CONTRADICTIONS:
47.Concerning the controversial issues in the Bible, how can Christians decide by two-thirds majority what is God’s Word and what is not, as the prefaces of some Bibles say like that one of the RSV ?
48.Why does Luke in his gospel report the Ascension on Easter Day, and in the Acts, in which he is recognized as the author, FORTY days later?
49.The genealogy of Jesus is mentioned in Matthew and Luke only. Matthew listed 26 forefathers from Joseph to David while Luke enumerated 41 forefathers. Only Joseph matches with Joseph in those two lists. Not a single other name matches! If these were inspired by God word by word, how could they be different? Some claim that one is for Mary and one is for Joseph, but where does it says Mary in those two Gospels?
50.If Moses wrote the first books of the Old Testament, how could Moses write his own obituary? Moses died in the fifth book at age 120 as mentioned in Deut. 34:5-10.
51.In the King James Version, why does it report SEVEN years of famine in II SAMUEL 24:13 while it reports THREE years of famine in I CHRONICLES 21:12? Why did they change both to THREE years in the New International Version and other versions?
52.Still In the same King James Version, why does it say that Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign in II CHRONICLES 21:12, while it says EIGHTEEN years in II KINGS 24:8? Why did thessey change in both to EIGHTEEN in the new Versions?
53.In all versions, why does it say that David slew the men of SEVEN HUNDRED chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand HORSEMEN as evidenced in II Samuel 10:18 while its says SEVEN THOUSAND men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand FOOTMEN, in I CHRONICLES 19:18?
54.In all versions, why does it report TWO thousand baths in I KINGS 7:26 while II CHRONICLES 4:5 reports THREE THOUSAND?
55.In the King James version, why does it report that Solomon had FOUR THOUSAND stalls for horses in II CHRONICLES 9:25 while it accounts that Solomon had FORTY THOUSAND stalls of horses in 1 KINGS 4:26? Why did they change both to FOUR THOUSAND in the new versions?
56.In GENESIS 1, God’s creation progresses from grass to trees to fowls, whales, cattle and creeping things and finally to man and woman. GENESIS 2, however, puts the creation of man before cattle and fowl and woman subsequent to beast. How can this be explained?
QUR’AN AND CHRISTIANS
This section does not inquire or interrogate, but rather provides the reader with some of the Qur’anic verses that address the Christians in particular, and the people of the scripture in general. A great portion of the Qur’an pertains to or involves the Christians and the Jews and I decided to just choose verses that are related to the topic of this manuscript.
· "Lo! The likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then said unto him: Be, and he was." Al-Qur’an 3:59.
"Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to an agreement between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for Lords besides Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto him).
"O People of the Scripture! Why will you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were revealed till after him? Have you then no sense?
Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters.
Lo! Those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and his Prophet and those who believe (with him); and Allah is the Protector of the believers.
A party of the People of the Scripture longs to make you go astray; and they make none to go astray except themselves, but they perceive not.
O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve you in the revelations of Allah, when you (yourselves) bear witness to their truth?
O People of the Scriptures! Why confound you truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the Truth? (Al-Qur’an 3: 64-71)
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 (Al-Qur’an 3:85).
And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, and Allah’s messenger. They slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them, and Lo! Those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain:
But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise. (Al-Qur’an 4:157-158).
O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter ought concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him, so believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three"! Cease! (it is ) better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as defender.
The Messiah will never scorn to be a slave unto Allah, nor will the favored angels. Whosoever scorns His service and is proud, all such will assemble unto Him.
Then, as for those who believed and did good works, unto them will He give them their wages in full, adding unto them of His bounty; and as for those who were scornful and proud, then He will punish with a painful doom." (Al-Qur’an 4:171-173).
"And with those who say Lo! We are Christians, We made a covenant, but they forgot a part of that whereof they were admonished. Therefore We have stirred up enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will inform them of their handiwork.
O People of the Scripture! Now has our messenger come unto you, expounding unto you much of that which you used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. Now has come unto light from Allah and plain scripture:
Whereby Allah guides him who seeks His good pleasure unto paths of peace, He brings them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guides them unto a Straight Path.
They indeed have disbelieved who say: Lo! Allah is the messiah, son of Mary. Say: Who then can do aught against Allah if he had willed to destroy the Messiah son of Mary, and his mother and everyone on earth? Allah’s is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. He creates what he wills. And Allah is able to do all things. (Al-Qur’an 5:14:17).
"They surely disbelieve who say; Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah (himself) said: O children if Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and you Lord. Lo! Whosoever ascribes partners unto Allah, for him Allah has forbidden Paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evildoers ,there will be no helpers.
They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of the three; when there is no God save the One God. If they desist not from so saying, a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve.
Will they not rather turn unto Allah and seek forgiveness of Him? For Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful.
Say: Serve you in place of Allah that which possesses for you neither hurt nor use? Allah is the Hearer, the Knower.
Say: O People of the Scripture! Stress not in your religion other than the Truth, and follow not the vain desire of folks who erred of old and led many astray, and erred from a plain road." (Al-Qur’an 5:72-77)
"And when Allah says: O Jesus, son of Mary: Did you say unto mankind: take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?, he says: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then You Knew it, You know what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Your mind. Lo! You, only You, are the knower of things hidden.
I spoke unto them only that which You commanded me (saying); worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. I witness of them while I dwelt among them, and when You took me, You were the Watcher over them. You are witness over all things.
If You punish them, Lo! They are Your slaves, and if you forgive them (Lo! They are Your slaves). Lo! You, only you are the Mighty, the Wise.
Allah says: This is a day in which their truthfulness profits the truthful, for theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they are secure forever, Allah taking pleasure in them and they in Him. That is the great triumph. (Al-Qur’an 5:116-119)
"And the Jews say: ‘Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allah’, and the Christians say: ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah’. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah fights against them. How perverse they are!
They have taken as Lord besides Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One God. There is no God save Him. Be He glorified from all that they ascribe as partners (unto him)!
Faint would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah disdains (aught) save that He shall perfect His light, however much the disbelievers are averse.
He it is Who has sent His messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth, to cause it to prevail over all religions, however much the idolaters may be averse.
O you who believe! Lo! many of the (Jewish) rabbis and the (Christian) monks devour the wealth of mankind wantonly and debar (people) from the way of Allah. They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah, unto them give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom.
On the Day when it will (all) be heated in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads and their flanks and their backs will be branded therewith (and it will be said unto them): Here is that which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard." (Al-Qur’an 9:30-35).
MUHAMMAD OR JESUS?
Christians claim that the prophecy in Deut. 18:18 refers to Jesus and not Muhammad. The verse says: "I will raise them up a prophet from among THEIR BRETHREN, LIKE UNTO THEE, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." The only reason they resort to such interpretation is that both Moses and Jesus were prophets. Even this one contradicts their claim that Jesus was God and not a Prophet. Many prophets of the Jews had the similarity with Moses. However, if we compare Muhammad to Moses, we will find that:
Muhammad was an Arab, and the Arabs are from Ishmael, son of Abraham, while Moses was a Jew, and the Jews are from Isaac, son of Abraham. Hence, the term THEIR BRETHREN refers to the children of the first son being brethren of the children of the other. This couldn’t apply to Jesus, since he was a Jew.
According to the Christians, Jesus went to Hell for three days while Moses did not. Therefore, Jesus is not like Moses. (In Islam, none of the three Prophets went to Hell)
Moses and Muhammad were born to fathers and mothers while Jesus was born to a mother alone.
Moses and Muhammad got married and had children, while Jesus did not marry at all.
Moses and Muhammad got problems and difficulties from their people initially, but were accepted by them at the end., whereas Jesus was rejected by his people at the start and is still rejected by the Jews until today. "He (Jesus) came unto his own, but his own received him not".( John 1:11)
Moses and Muhammad had power, besides being prophets. They both performed some capital punishments, for example, while Jesus had no power over his people. "My kingdom is not of this world", Jesus said in John 18:36 .
Moses and Muhammad brought new laws while Jesus did not.
Moses was forced to emigrate in adulthood to Median while Muhammad was forced to emigrate at that stage in his life too, towards Madina . Whereas Jesus did not have such forced emigration in his adulthood .
Moses and Muhammad both died of natural deaths after which they were buried ,while the same could not be said of Jesus. He was neither killed nor crucified at all, according to the Qur’an and did not die a ‘natural’ death as could be affirmed by Christians who believe in Crucifixion.
FINAL QUESTIONS:
57.Why won’t you, Christian reader, come to hear and learn of the true religion of Jesus?
58.Have you, as a Christian , learned of Islam and if so, was it from the true Muslims?
59.As a Christian, do you agree that out of fairness and honesty you must investigate what Islam says about God, Jesus, including this life and the hereafter?
60.Being a Christian, do you also believe that we must all stand accountable to our Creator and that the Creator is Perfect and Just? As a sincere believer in God, don’t you owe it upon yourself to find out the entire unadulterated truth regardless of the consequences?
By Hussein Khalid Al-Hussein
According to most Christians, Jesus was God-incarnate, full man and full God. Can the finite and the infinite be one? "To be full" God means freedom from finite forms and from helplessness, and to be "full man" means the absence of divinity.
1.To be son is to be less than divine and to be divine is to be no one’s son. How could Jesus have the attributes of sonship and divinity altogether?
2.Christians assert that Jesus claimed to be God when they quote him in John 14:9: "He that has seen me has seen the Father". Didn’t Jesus clearly say that people have never seen God, as it says in John 5:37: "And the father himself which Has sent me, has borne witness of me. You have NEITHER HEARD HIS VOICE AT ANY TIME NOR SEEN HIS SHAPE"?
3.Christians say that Jesus was God because he was called Son of God, Son of Man, Messiah, and "savior". Ezekiel was addressed in the Bible as Son of Man. Jesus spoke of "the peace makers" as Sons of God. Any person who followed the Will and Plan of God was called SON OF GOD in the Jewish tradition and in their language (Genesis 6:2,4; Exodus 4:22; Psalm 2:7; Romans 8:14). "Messiah" which in Hebrew means "God’s anointed" and not "Christ", and "Cyrus" the person is called "Messiah" or "the anointed". As for "savior", in II KINGS 13:5, other individuals were given that title too without being gods. So where is the proof in these terms that Jesus was God when the word son is not exclusively used for him alone?
4.Christians claim that Jesus acknowledged that he and God were one in the sense of nature when he says in John 10:30 "I and my father are one". Later on in John 17:21-23, Jesus refers to his followers and himself and God as one in five places. So why did they give the previous "one" a different meaning from the other five "ones?
5.Is God three-in-one and one in three simultaneously or one at a time?
6.If God is one and three simultaneously, then none of the three could be the complete God. Granting that such was the case, then when Jesus was on earth, he wasn’t a complete God, nor was the "father in Heaven" a whole God. Doesn’t that contradict what Jesus always said about His God and our God in heaven, his Lord and our Lord ? Does that also mean that there was no complete god then, between the claimed crucifixion and the claimed resurrection?
7.If God is one and three at a time, then who was the God in heaven when Jesus was on earth? Wouldn’t this contradict his many references to a God in Heaven that sent him?
8.If God is three and one at the same time, who was the God in Heaven within three days between the claimed crucifixion and the claimed resurrect ion?
9.Christians say that: "The Father(F) is God, the Son(S) is God, and the Holy Ghost(H) is God, but the Father is not the Son, the Son is not the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost is not the Father". In simple arithmetic and terms therefore, if F = G, S = G, and H = G, then it follows that F = S = H, while the second part of the statement suggests that F ¹ S ¹ H (meaning, "not equal"). Isn’t that a contradiction to the Christian dogma of Trinity in itself ?
10.If Jesus was God, why did he tell the man who called him "good master" not to call him "good" because accordingly, there is none good but his God in Heaven alone?
11.Why do Christians say that God is three-in-one and one in three when Jesus says in Mark 12:29: "The Lord our God is one Lord" in as many places as yet in the Bible?
12.If belief in the Trinity was such a necessary condition for being a Christian, why didn’t Jesus teach and emphasize it to the Christians during his time? How were those followers of Jesus considered Christians without ever hearing the term Trinity? Had the Trinity been the spinal cord of Christianity, Jesus would have emphasized it on many occasions and would have taught and explained it in detail to the people.
13.Christians claim that Jesus was God as they quote in John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God". This is John speaking and not Jesus. Also, the Greek word for the first occurrence of God is HOTHEOS which means "the God" or "God" with a capital "G", while the Greek word for its second occurrence is "TONTHEOS", which means "a god " or "god" with a small "g". Isn’t this dishonesty and inconsistency on the part of those translating the Greek Bible? ? Isn’t such quotation in John 1:1 recognized by every Christian scholar of the Bible to have been written by a Jew named Philo Alexandria way before Jesus and John?
14.Wasn’t the word "god" or "TONTHEOS" also used to refer to others as well as in II Corinthians 4:4 "(and the Devil is) the god of this world" and in Exodus 7:1 "See , I have made thee (Moses ) a god to Pharaoh"?
SALVATION: Christians say that "GOD LOST His only son to save us". To whom did God lose Jesus if he owns the whole universe?
15. If it was agreeable with God’s Majesty to have sons, He could have created a million sons the like of Jesus. So what is the big clear deal about this only son?
16.Why does the Bible say that Jesus wanted to die on the cross, when the one on the cross was shouting "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" according to Matthew 27:45 and Mark 15:33?
17. If God had wanted to save us, couldn’t He have done that without sacrificing Jesus?
18. God is Just, and justice requires that nobody should be punished for the sins of others, nor should some people be saved by punishing other people. Doesn’t the claim that God sacrificed Jesus to save us because He was Just, contradict the definition of justice?
19. People sacrifice things they have to get something they don’t have when they can’t have both. Christians say that "God SACRIFICED His only son to save us". We know that God is Almighty; to whom did He sacrifice Jesus?
20. A real sacrifice is when you can’t get back what you have offered , so what would be the big deal about such a sacrifice if God could recover the same offering? (according to the Christians’ terminology) ?
21. If all the Christians are saved through Jesus and are going to Heaven no matter what they do, then the teachings of Jesus are irrelevant and the definition of good and bad are also rendered irrelevant. If this is not so, then do Christians who believe in Jesus yet do not follow his teachings nor repent go to Hell?
22. How can Christians take deeds as irrelevant after becoming one when Jesus says in Matthew 12:36; "But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by the words thou shalt be justified, and by the words thou shalt be condemned"?
23. Christians say that people go to Heaven ONLY THROUGH JESUS, yet Paul says in 1 CORINTHIANS 7:8-16 that the unbelieving husband is acceptable to God because he is united with his wife and vice versa, and their pagan children are also acceptable to God. So people can go to heaven without believing in Jesus according to this.
24. How come the Bible says that ALL Israel is saved although they don’t believe in Jesus? Doesn’t that contradict the claim in the Bible that the only way to heaven is through Jesus?
25. According to Christians, those who have not been baptized will go to Hell. So even the infants and babies go to Hell if not baptized, since they are born with an inherited original sin. Doesn’t this contradict the definition of justice? Why would God punish people for sins they never committed?
HOLY SPIRIT: The only place in the Bible where the Paraclete was called the Holy Spirit is in John 14:26 "But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you". What has the Holy Spirit brought or taught for the last 2000 years?
26.Christians say that the Paraclete means the Holy Spirit (John 14;26). Jesus said in John 16:7-8 "If I do not go away the Paraclete will not come to you". This could not mean the Holy spirit, since the Holy spirit was said to have been there before Jesus was even born as in Luke 1:41 "Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit". Here, the Holy spirit was also present during Jesus life time. So how could this fit with the condition that Jesus must go away so that the Holy spirit will come?
27.In John 16:7-8, it says: "But if go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world of sins and of righteousness and of Judgment". What do "he" and "him" refer here? Don’t they refer to a man?
28.Does the Holy Spirit talk to good Christians and bad Christians as well? Is the Holy spirit with them all the time or just at certain times? When does it start visiting a person who wants to become a Christian?
29.How can you as a Christian tell if the Holy Spirit is inside another Christian? How come many Christians fooled people by claiming that the Holy spirit was inside them only to be converted to another religion later on ?
30.Does the Holy Spirit dictate what Christians should do without choice or freedom at all or does it only guide them and they have the freedom to follow or not ?
31.If the Holy Spirit dictates what Christian should do, why do Christians commit sins and make mistakes ? How can you explain the conversion to other religions and atheism of many Christians? Are they told to do that by the Holy Spirit?
32.If the Holy Spirit guides Christians only, and they are free to do what they want, then how do we know that the writers of the Gospels didn’t make mistakes in writing them?
33.If Christians believe that the Holy Spirit comes and talks to them everyday, why don’t they ask the Holy Spirit about which version of the Bible to follow since there are too many versions floating around?
MISSION OF JESUS: Without borrowing from other religions and systems, can Christianity provide people with a complete way of life? Since Christianity is limited to spiritual life and does not provide law, how can a society decide which laws are right or wrong?
34.Why do the Christians say that Jesus came with a universal mission when he said that he was sent to the Jews only? He said to the Canaanite woman who asked him to heal her daughter from demon-possession: "I was sent ONLY to the lost sheep of Israel" and also said: "It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs", Matthew 15:21-28.
RESSURECTION: If you read Matthew (28:1-10), Mark (16:1-20), Luke (24:1-12), and John (20: 1-18), you will find contradicting stories. They all agreed that the tomb was guarded for three days. However, they reported the discovery of the empty tomb differently.
· Matthew (28) and John (20) reported that Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were the first to discover the tomb.
· Mark (16) reports that Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome were the first to discover the empty tomb.
· Mark (28) reports that there was an earthquake that removed the rock from over the tomb. He says that an angel caused it. The other gospels do not mention of an earthquake.
· Matthew and Mark say that only ONE man in white clothes was sitting on the tomb when the woman arrived, and that he was an angel.
· Luke says that TWO men in white clothes, who were angels, were sitting. Johns says that the two women did not meet anybody the first time they came to the tomb, but when they returned, they saw TWO people, ONE was an ANGEL, and the other was JESUS.
· Matthew reports that when the guards reported this to the chief priest, the chief priest paid them a large sum of money, telling them: "You have to say that his disciples came at night and stole his body." He claims that the soldiers took money and spread the story around and since then, the story had been circulating among the Jews until today (according to Matthew). The other gospels do not report of any such thing.
35. Which narration now is more authentic?
36.Why is the appearance of Jesus after the crucifixion taken as a proof of his resurrection when there is an explanation that he was not dead because someone else was crucified in his place when God saved Him?
37.How did Matthew know of the claimed agreement between the soldiers and the chief priest? Can’t someone say that someone paid the women a large sum of money and told them to spread the word around that Jesus rose from the dead, with the same authenticity as that of the story of Matthew?
38.Why did they believe that man in the white clothes? Why did they believe he was an angel? John’s narration is too strange, since he says that Mary did not recognize Jesus (one of the two) while talking to him, and she only recognized him when he called her by her name.
39.How does an empty tomb prove that Jesus was crucified ? Isn’t it that God is capable of removing another man from the tomb, and of resurrecting him too?
40.The Gospels are believed to be the verbatim words of God, they are supposed to be dictated by the Holy Spirit to the Disciples who wrote them. If the source were the same, why shouldn’t they correspond with each other in reporting such an important event?
41.How could Matthew, Mark, Luke and John be considered eyewitnesses of resurrection when the Bible implies that nobody at all saw Jesus coming out of the tomb?
BIBLE: If the Christians consider the Old Testament as God’s Word, why did they cancel the parts of the Old Testament that dealt with punishment (example: the punishment for adultery)?
42.Why doesn’t Mark 16:9-20 exist in as many versions of the Bible while it exists as a footnote or between brackets in some other versions? Is a footnote in the Bible still considered as God’s word, especially when it addresses an important feature like the Ascension?
43.Why does the Catholic Bible contain 73 books while the Protestant Bible has only 66? With both claiming to have the complete Word of God, which one should be believed and why?
44.Where do those new translations of the Bible keep coming from when the original Bible is not even available ? The Greek manuscripts which are translations themselves are not even similar with each other.
45.How can you take two gospels from writers who never met Jesus, like Mark and Luke?
46.Why is half of the New Testament written by a man who never even met Jesus in his lifetime? PAUL claimed with no proof that he had met Jesus while on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus. PAUL was the main enemy of Christianity. Isn’t that reason enough to question the authenticity of what he wrote? Why do the Christians call those books of the Old Testament "God’s Word" when the revisors of the RSV Bible say that some of the authors are UNKNOWN? They say that the author of SAMUEL is "UNKNOWN" and that of CHRONICLES is "UNKOWN, PROBABLY COLLECTED AND EDITED BY EZRA"!
CONTRADICTIONS:
47.Concerning the controversial issues in the Bible, how can Christians decide by two-thirds majority what is God’s Word and what is not, as the prefaces of some Bibles say like that one of the RSV ?
48.Why does Luke in his gospel report the Ascension on Easter Day, and in the Acts, in which he is recognized as the author, FORTY days later?
49.The genealogy of Jesus is mentioned in Matthew and Luke only. Matthew listed 26 forefathers from Joseph to David while Luke enumerated 41 forefathers. Only Joseph matches with Joseph in those two lists. Not a single other name matches! If these were inspired by God word by word, how could they be different? Some claim that one is for Mary and one is for Joseph, but where does it says Mary in those two Gospels?
50.If Moses wrote the first books of the Old Testament, how could Moses write his own obituary? Moses died in the fifth book at age 120 as mentioned in Deut. 34:5-10.
51.In the King James Version, why does it report SEVEN years of famine in II SAMUEL 24:13 while it reports THREE years of famine in I CHRONICLES 21:12? Why did they change both to THREE years in the New International Version and other versions?
52.Still In the same King James Version, why does it say that Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign in II CHRONICLES 21:12, while it says EIGHTEEN years in II KINGS 24:8? Why did thessey change in both to EIGHTEEN in the new Versions?
53.In all versions, why does it say that David slew the men of SEVEN HUNDRED chariots of the Syrians, and forty thousand HORSEMEN as evidenced in II Samuel 10:18 while its says SEVEN THOUSAND men which fought in chariots, and forty thousand FOOTMEN, in I CHRONICLES 19:18?
54.In all versions, why does it report TWO thousand baths in I KINGS 7:26 while II CHRONICLES 4:5 reports THREE THOUSAND?
55.In the King James version, why does it report that Solomon had FOUR THOUSAND stalls for horses in II CHRONICLES 9:25 while it accounts that Solomon had FORTY THOUSAND stalls of horses in 1 KINGS 4:26? Why did they change both to FOUR THOUSAND in the new versions?
56.In GENESIS 1, God’s creation progresses from grass to trees to fowls, whales, cattle and creeping things and finally to man and woman. GENESIS 2, however, puts the creation of man before cattle and fowl and woman subsequent to beast. How can this be explained?
QUR’AN AND CHRISTIANS
This section does not inquire or interrogate, but rather provides the reader with some of the Qur’anic verses that address the Christians in particular, and the people of the scripture in general. A great portion of the Qur’an pertains to or involves the Christians and the Jews and I decided to just choose verses that are related to the topic of this manuscript.
· "Lo! The likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then said unto him: Be, and he was." Al-Qur’an 3:59.
"Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to an agreement between us and you: that we shall worship none but Allah, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for Lords besides Allah. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto him).
"O People of the Scripture! Why will you argue about Abraham, when the Torah and the Gospel were revealed till after him? Have you then no sense?
Abraham was not a Jew, nor yet a Christian; but he was an upright man who had surrendered (to Allah), and he was not of the idolaters.
Lo! Those of mankind who have the best claim to Abraham are those who followed him, and his Prophet and those who believe (with him); and Allah is the Protector of the believers.
A party of the People of the Scripture longs to make you go astray; and they make none to go astray except themselves, but they perceive not.
O People of the Scripture! Why disbelieve you in the revelations of Allah, when you (yourselves) bear witness to their truth?
O People of the Scriptures! Why confound you truth with falsehood and knowingly conceal the Truth? (Al-Qur’an 3: 64-71)
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 (Al-Qur’an 3:85).
And because of their saying: We slew the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, and Allah’s messenger. They slew him not nor crucified him, but it appeared so unto them, and Lo! Those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain:
But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise. (Al-Qur’an 4:157-158).
O People of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter ought concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him, so believe in Allah and His messengers, and say not "Three"! Cease! (it is ) better for you! Allah is only One God. Far is it removed from His transcendent majesty that He should have a son. His is all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. And Allah is sufficient as defender.
The Messiah will never scorn to be a slave unto Allah, nor will the favored angels. Whosoever scorns His service and is proud, all such will assemble unto Him.
Then, as for those who believed and did good works, unto them will He give them their wages in full, adding unto them of His bounty; and as for those who were scornful and proud, then He will punish with a painful doom." (Al-Qur’an 4:171-173).
"And with those who say Lo! We are Christians, We made a covenant, but they forgot a part of that whereof they were admonished. Therefore We have stirred up enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection, when Allah will inform them of their handiwork.
O People of the Scripture! Now has our messenger come unto you, expounding unto you much of that which you used to hide in the Scripture, and forgiving much. Now has come unto light from Allah and plain scripture:
Whereby Allah guides him who seeks His good pleasure unto paths of peace, He brings them out of darkness unto light by His decree, and guides them unto a Straight Path.
They indeed have disbelieved who say: Lo! Allah is the messiah, son of Mary. Say: Who then can do aught against Allah if he had willed to destroy the Messiah son of Mary, and his mother and everyone on earth? Allah’s is the sovereignty of the heavens and the earth and all that is between them. He creates what he wills. And Allah is able to do all things. (Al-Qur’an 5:14:17).
"They surely disbelieve who say; Lo! Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah (himself) said: O children if Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and you Lord. Lo! Whosoever ascribes partners unto Allah, for him Allah has forbidden Paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evildoers ,there will be no helpers.
They surely disbelieve who say: Lo! Allah is the third of the three; when there is no God save the One God. If they desist not from so saying, a painful doom will fall on those of them who disbelieve.
Will they not rather turn unto Allah and seek forgiveness of Him? For Allah is oft-forgiving, most merciful.
Say: Serve you in place of Allah that which possesses for you neither hurt nor use? Allah is the Hearer, the Knower.
Say: O People of the Scripture! Stress not in your religion other than the Truth, and follow not the vain desire of folks who erred of old and led many astray, and erred from a plain road." (Al-Qur’an 5:72-77)
"And when Allah says: O Jesus, son of Mary: Did you say unto mankind: take me and my mother for two gods beside Allah?, he says: Be glorified! It was not mine to utter that to which I had no right. If I used to say it, then You Knew it, You know what is in my mind, and I know not what is in Your mind. Lo! You, only You, are the knower of things hidden.
I spoke unto them only that which You commanded me (saying); worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. I witness of them while I dwelt among them, and when You took me, You were the Watcher over them. You are witness over all things.
If You punish them, Lo! They are Your slaves, and if you forgive them (Lo! They are Your slaves). Lo! You, only you are the Mighty, the Wise.
Allah says: This is a day in which their truthfulness profits the truthful, for theirs are Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they are secure forever, Allah taking pleasure in them and they in Him. That is the great triumph. (Al-Qur’an 5:116-119)
"And the Jews say: ‘Uzair (Ezra) is the son of Allah’, and the Christians say: ‘The Messiah is the son of Allah’. That is their saying with their mouths. They imitate the saying of those who disbelieved of old. Allah fights against them. How perverse they are!
They have taken as Lord besides Allah their rabbis and their monks and the Messiah son of Mary, when they were bidden to worship only One God. There is no God save Him. Be He glorified from all that they ascribe as partners (unto him)!
Faint would they put out the light of Allah with their mouths, but Allah disdains (aught) save that He shall perfect His light, however much the disbelievers are averse.
He it is Who has sent His messenger with guidance and the Religion of Truth, to cause it to prevail over all religions, however much the idolaters may be averse.
O you who believe! Lo! many of the (Jewish) rabbis and the (Christian) monks devour the wealth of mankind wantonly and debar (people) from the way of Allah. They who hoard up gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah, unto them give tidings (O Muhammad) of a painful doom.
On the Day when it will (all) be heated in the fire of Hell, and their foreheads and their flanks and their backs will be branded therewith (and it will be said unto them): Here is that which you hoarded for yourselves. Now taste of what you used to hoard." (Al-Qur’an 9:30-35).
MUHAMMAD OR JESUS?
Christians claim that the prophecy in Deut. 18:18 refers to Jesus and not Muhammad. The verse says: "I will raise them up a prophet from among THEIR BRETHREN, LIKE UNTO THEE, and I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him." The only reason they resort to such interpretation is that both Moses and Jesus were prophets. Even this one contradicts their claim that Jesus was God and not a Prophet. Many prophets of the Jews had the similarity with Moses. However, if we compare Muhammad to Moses, we will find that:
Muhammad was an Arab, and the Arabs are from Ishmael, son of Abraham, while Moses was a Jew, and the Jews are from Isaac, son of Abraham. Hence, the term THEIR BRETHREN refers to the children of the first son being brethren of the children of the other. This couldn’t apply to Jesus, since he was a Jew.
According to the Christians, Jesus went to Hell for three days while Moses did not. Therefore, Jesus is not like Moses. (In Islam, none of the three Prophets went to Hell)
Moses and Muhammad were born to fathers and mothers while Jesus was born to a mother alone.
Moses and Muhammad got married and had children, while Jesus did not marry at all.
Moses and Muhammad got problems and difficulties from their people initially, but were accepted by them at the end., whereas Jesus was rejected by his people at the start and is still rejected by the Jews until today. "He (Jesus) came unto his own, but his own received him not".( John 1:11)
Moses and Muhammad had power, besides being prophets. They both performed some capital punishments, for example, while Jesus had no power over his people. "My kingdom is not of this world", Jesus said in John 18:36 .
Moses and Muhammad brought new laws while Jesus did not.
Moses was forced to emigrate in adulthood to Median while Muhammad was forced to emigrate at that stage in his life too, towards Madina . Whereas Jesus did not have such forced emigration in his adulthood .
Moses and Muhammad both died of natural deaths after which they were buried ,while the same could not be said of Jesus. He was neither killed nor crucified at all, according to the Qur’an and did not die a ‘natural’ death as could be affirmed by Christians who believe in Crucifixion.
FINAL QUESTIONS:
57.Why won’t you, Christian reader, come to hear and learn of the true religion of Jesus?
58.Have you, as a Christian , learned of Islam and if so, was it from the true Muslims?
59.As a Christian, do you agree that out of fairness and honesty you must investigate what Islam says about God, Jesus, including this life and the hereafter?
60.Being a Christian, do you also believe that we must all stand accountable to our Creator and that the Creator is Perfect and Just? As a sincere believer in God, don’t you owe it upon yourself to find out the entire unadulterated truth regardless of the consequences?
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