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Plotting to Uphold Kufr, Boasting About Military Might to Utilise for Transgression, and Outrageous Declarations

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Plotting to Uphold Kufr, Boasting About Military Might to Utilise for Transgression, and Outrageous Declarations: An Inheritance of Tyrannical Nations of Old

Allah  The Most High, said:

قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ
ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ وَيَقُولُ أَيۡنَ شُرَڪَآءِىَ ٱلَّذِينَ كُنتُمۡ تُشَـٰٓقُّونَ فِيہِمۡ‌ۚ قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ إِنَّ ٱلۡخِزۡىَ ٱلۡيَوۡمَ وَٱلسُّوٓءَ عَلَى ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ

Those before them indeed plotted, but Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them, and the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive. Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them and will say: “Where are My (so called) ‘partners’ concerning whom you used to disagree and dispute (with the believers, by defying and disobeying Allah)?” Those who have been given the knowledge (about the Torment of Allah for the disbelievers) will say: “Verily! Disgrace this Day and misery are upon the disbelievers. [An-Nahl. 26-27]

قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ

Those before them indeed plotted.

The Mufassiroon say that this refers to Namrud who built a tall tower in order to climb – as he claimed – the heavens and fight its inhabitants.

فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ

But Allah struck at the foundation of their building, and then the roof fell down upon them, from above them]: The Mufassiroon say: Allaah sent a wind which flung the top of the tower to the sea and the rest was destroyed.

وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ

And the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive]: Meaning, from where they thought they were safe. [ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ – Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace]: Meaning, disgraced with punishment. [1]

قَدۡ مَڪَرَ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ

Those before them indeed plotted.

Meaning: plotted against their Messengers, used various types of tricks to reject that which the messengers brought and established gigantic safeguards (by way of arguments, views etc) on their plots.

فَأَتَى ٱللَّهُ بُنۡيَـٰنَهُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقَوَاعِدِ

But Allah struck at the foundation of their building.

Meaning, an affair came to them from its basis and foundation.

فَخَرَّ عَلَيۡہِمُ ٱلسَّقۡفُ مِن فَوۡقِهِمۡ

And then the roof fell down upon them, from above them.

Meaning, so what they built became a punishment for them.

وَأَتَٮٰهُمُ ٱلۡعَذَابُ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ

And the torment overtook them from directions they did not perceive.

Meaning: Because they thought that such a building will benefit and protect them from punishment, but their punishment occurred from that which they built and established.

This is one the best of parables regarding how Allah nullifies the plots of his enemies, for indeed they reflected on that which the Messengers brought when they belied them, made up principles and rules for it based on falsehood, referred back to them to reject that which the Messengers came with, used tricks to bring discomfort to the Messengers and inflict harm on them and those who followed them, but their plot became a source of evil against them, thus, their plan became their destruction, because their plot was evil as Allah said:

وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ

But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it. [Fatir. 43]

This is in this worldly life and the punishment in the afterlife would be more disgraceful, and due to this Allah said: [ثُمَّ يَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ يُخۡزِيهِمۡ – Then, on the Day of Resurrection, He will disgrace them. [2]

Allah said:

أَلَمْ تَرَ إِلَى الَّذِي حَاجَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ فِي رَبِّهِ أَنْ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ الْمُلْكَ إِذْ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ رَبِّيَ الَّذِي يُحْيِي وَيُمِيتُ قَالَ أَنَا أُحْيِي وَأُمِيتُ ۖ قَالَ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْتِي بِالشَّمْسِ مِنَ الْمَشْرِقِ فَأْتِ بِهَا مِنَ الْمَغْرِبِ فَبُهِتَ الَّذِي كَفَرَ ۗ وَاللَّهُ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ

Have you not seen (contemplated with your heart) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah), because Allah had given him the kingdom? When Ibrahim (Abraham) said (to him): “My Lord (Allah) is He Who gives life and causes death.” He said, “I give life and cause death.” Ibrahim (Abraham) said, “Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east; then cause it you to rise from the west.” So the disbeliever was utterly defeated. And Allah guides not the people, who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.). [Al-Baqarah. 258]

Imam Al-Baghawi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

There is a difference of opinion among (the Mufassiroon) regarding the timing of this debate. Muqatil, may Allah have mercy on him, stated that after Ibrahim, peace be upon him, broke the idols, Namrud imprisoned him and later brought him out to be burned. Namrud asked, “Who is the Lord you urge us to worship?” Ibrahim, peace be upon him, replied, “My Lord is the one who gives life and causes death.” Others say that this (occurred) after Ibrahim was thrown into the fire, during a time of drought when people sought food from Namrud. If someone approached him for food, he would inquire, “Who is your Lord?” If the person responded, “You are my Lord,” he would then offer to sell them food. [3]

أَلَمۡ تَرَ إِلَى ٱلَّذِى حَآجَّ إِبۡرَٲهِـۧمَ فِى رَبِّهِۦۤ

“Have you seen (contemplated with your heart and eyes) him who disputed with Ibrahim (Abraham) about his Lord (Allah)…”

Meaning, his insolence, ignorant attitude, obstinacy, and arguing about that which there is no doubt! Nothing led him to this behaviour except because Allah had given him the kingdom, thus, he transgressed, rebelled, and considered himself as one in control of those under his authority, which led him to argue with Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, about Allah’s Lordship and claimed that he can do the same thing as Allah does.

Prophet Ibrahim said to him, “My Lord is He Who gives life and death” – Meaning, “Allah alone is in absolute control of everything”. Then Ibrahim mentioned two specific things – life and death. This is because they the greatest things in Allah’s absolute control. Life is the beginning of the worldly life and death is the beginning of what is to occur in the afterlife.

Then the one (the king) who sought to ague against Ibrahim said, “I give life and cause death”, but he never said, “I am the One Who gives life and death, because could not claim that he is not in need of anyone to interfere in the matter; instead, he only claimed that he could do what Allah does by killing someone and sparing someone’s life. Prophet Ibrahim saw the fallacy in his argument and utterence of speech that is not even worthy of being a Shubhah (i.e. an ambiguity portrayed as wholesome truth) let alone a proof, so he said to him, “Verily! Allah causes the sun to rise from the east”.

Ibrahim mentioned something that can be clearly seen and affirmed by everyone including this disbeliever. “Then cause it you to rise from the West”. This compelled him to bring proof if he is truthful in his claim.

When Ibrahim uttered this to him, about which he neither had the ability to present an ambiguity to make Ibrahim’s proof look confusing nor could he find something to disparage it, he was utterly defeated – lost for an answer, his proof cut off and his ambiguous statement toppled. [4]

He Who brings life and death (Allah) has absolute control over the existence and creates everything in it, including absolute control of its celestial bodies and their movements. The sun rises everyday from the east, thus, if you were god, as you claim, who gives life and cause death, make the sun rise from the west. [5]

This is the situation of an obstinate falsifier who wants to confront truth and overcome it, because he will be defeated and subdued. This is why Allah said:

وَٱللَّهُ لَا يَہۡدِى ٱلۡقَوۡمَ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

And Allah guides not the people, who are Zalimun (wrong-doers, etc.)]; instead He abandons them to their disbelief and misguidance. [6]

Outrageous Declarations

Allah, said: [وَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ – Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said] – Meaning, with haughtiness and tyranny, whilst deluding his foolish people;

[ذَرُونِي أَقْتُلْ مُوسَىٰ وَلْيَدْعُ رَبَّهُ – Leave me to kill Musa (Moses), and let him call his Lord (to stop me from killing him)!]

This was his claim that had it not been for his consideration of the wishes of his people, he would have killed Musa and that (Musa’s) supplication to his Lord would not have prevented him from that. Fir’awn then mentioned what made him want to kill Musa and that he is a sincere adviser to his people, and that he wished to remove mischief from the land. Allah stated that Fir’awn said:

إِنِّي أَخَافُ أَنْ يُبَدِّلَ دِينَكُمْ أَوْ أَنْ يُظْهِرَ فِي الْأَرْضِ الْفَسَادَ

I fear that he (Musa) may change your religion, or that he may cause mischief to appear in the land!” [Ghafir 26]

This is the most amazing the affair can be! The most evil one among the creation gives advice to the people against the best among the creation. This is (nothing but) disguised falsehood and propaganda, which cannot seize except the intellects of those (people) about whom Allah stated:

فَاسْتَخَفَّ قَوْمَهُ فَأَطَاعُوهُ ۚ إِنَّهُمْ كَانُوا قَوْمًا فَاسِقِينَ

Thus he Fir’aun (Pharaoh)] befooled and misled his people, and they obeyed him. Verily, they were ever a people who were Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah).] [Az-Zukhruf. 54] [7]

 يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمۡتُ لَڪُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرِى

O chiefs! I know not that you have an ilah (a god) other than me

Just look at what Fir’awn said! He did not say. “You do not have a god besides me”, rather he said: “I know not that you have a god other than me’’.

This is because they considered him to be a virtuous scholar and that whatever he said has to be the truth, and whatever he commands has to be followed. And after he made this statement, he then tried to prove that what he has stated is true. Allah said that Fir’awn said to Haman:

فَأَوۡقِدۡ لِى يَـٰهَـٰمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجۡعَل لِّى صَرۡحً۬ا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُ ۥ مِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِينَ

So kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a Sarhan (a lofty tower, or palace, etc.) in order that I may look at (or look for) the Ilah (God) of Musa (Moses); and verily, I think that he [Musa (Moses)] is one of the liars.

Meaning: We think that Musa is lying, but we are going to ascertain the affair and prove that he is a liar.

Look at Fir’awn’s extreme sinful boldness! He belied Musa, peace be upon him, claimed that he is a God, claimed that he is not aware of a true object of worship and asked Haman to build him a tower in order that he can see the god of Musa! These claims were nothing else but propaganda; however what is really amazing is the affair of those chiefs who considered themselves as the elders of the Kingdom, for how did they allow Fir’awn to tiffle with their intellects and deceive them? Indeed, that was due to their extremely sinful behaviour, which corrupted their religion and then their intellects. We ask Allah to keep us firm upon Iman and that our hearts do not become deviated after we have been guided. [8]

Allah said:

فَأَمَّا عَادٌ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ

As for ‘Ad, they were arrogant in the land without right, and they said: “Who is mightier than us in strength?” See they not that Allah, Who created them was mightier in strength than them. And they used to deny Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, revelations, etc.)![Fussilat 15]

Allah stated that Prophet Hud, peace be upon him, said to his people:

وَإِذَا بَطَشۡتُم بَطَشۡتُمۡ جَبَّارِينَ

And when you seize, seize you as tyrants.

Meaning, when you want to attack with a whip or sword, you attack like tyrants, completely overpowering and being savagely violent – neither compassionate nor aim to discipline (within justice as commanded by Allah), nor contemplating on the consequences. [9]

Allah gave them great strength and it was obligated to them to use this strength in obedience to Allah, but they became boastful and haughty, and they said: [مَنۡ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً‌ۖ – Who is mightier than us in strength? (Fussilat. 15], and they utilised their strength in disobedience to Allah, fruitlessly and foolishly, thus, their Prophet forbade them from that. [10]

Their Prophet forbade them from that because it was done out of oppression. [11]


[1] An Excerpt from ‘Zad Al-Nasir By Imaam Ibn Al-Jawzi
[2: An Excerpt from Tafseer as-Sadi
[3] An Excerpt from Tafseer Al-Baghawi
[4] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi.
[5] Tafseer Ibn Katheer
[6] An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi
[7] An Excerpt from ‘Tafseer As-Sadi
[8] An Excerpt from ‘Tafseer As-Sadi
[9] Ruh Al-Ma’aanee 11/165
[10] Tafseer As-Sadi.
[11] Zad Al-Maseer

Endured a Food Embargo, Yet Showed Mercy in Power: A Lesson in Contrast to “Oil-for-Food” Policies

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Most High, informed us of some of the qualities of the Abrar – the pious, who fear Allah and avoid evil:

ويُطۡعِمُونَ ٱلطَّعَامَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ

مِسۡكِينً۬ا وَيَتِيمً۬ا وَأَسِيرًا

And they give food, in spite of their love for it. The Miskin (poor), the orphan, and the captive – Meaning, they are in a state wherein they love wealth and food, but they give precedence to loving Allah over what their souls love, and (they) feed the people who deserve and need it the most, saying:

إِنَّمَا نُطۡعِمُكُمۡ لِوَجۡهِ ٱللَّهِ

“We feed you seeking Allah’s Countenance only. We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you” – Meaning, to seek Allah’s Reward. Mujaahid and Ibn Jubayr, may Allah have mercy upon them, said, “As for these people, they did not make this statement, but Allah knows this is what is in their hearts, so He praised them for it as an exhortation for the one who desires to do so”.

لَا نُرِيدُ مِنكُمۡ جَزَآءً۬

“We wish for no reward”. – Meaning, through actions;

وَلَا شُكُورًا

“nor thanks”. Meaning, through statement. (2)

إِنَّا نَخَافُ مِن رَّبِّنَا يَوۡمًا عَبُوسً۬ا قَمۡطَرِيرً۬ا

“Verily, We fear from our Lord a Day, hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible (from extreme dislike to it)”.

فَوَقَٮٰهُمُ ٱللَّهُ شَرَّ ذَٲلِكَ ٱلۡيَوۡمِ وَلَقَّٮٰهُمۡ نَضۡرَةً۬ وَسُرُورً۬ا

So Allah saved them from the evil of that Day, and gave them Nadratan (a light of beauty) and joy]. [Al-Insan. 8-11]

 

The Quraish Attempted to Starve The Prophet and His Close Relatives

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: On the Day of Nahr at Mina, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “Tomorrow we shall stay at Khaif Bani Kinana where the pagans had taken the oath of disbelief.” He meant (by that place) Al-Muhassab where the Quraish tribe and Banu Kinaanah concluded a contract against Banu Haashim and Banu Abdul-Muttalib or Banu Al-Muttalib that they would not intermarry with them or deal with them in business until they handed over the Prophet to them. (3)

Usamah Bin Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I asked the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, during his Hajj,” O Allah’s Messenger! Where will you stay tomorrow?” He said, “Has Aqeel left any house for us?” He then added, “Tomorrow we will stay at Khaif Bani Kinana, i.e. Al-Muhassab, where Quraish (polytheists) took an oath of disbelief that Banu Kinana allied with Quraish against Banu Hashim on the terms that they would not deal with the members of the tribe or give them shelter.” (4)

The incident mentioned in the above narrations took place when the Makkan polytheists had a meeting at a place called the Valley of Al-Muhassab, where they established an alliance against Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib. They agreed not to have any business transactions with them, no marriage ties, no visits, and no verbal communication with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and those who aided him. So, Abu Talib – the Prophet’s uncle who stood by him at the time – decided to move to a valley in the eastern suburbs of Makkah, then Banu Hashim and Banu Al-Muttalib also moved and they were all confined to a narrow passage. They remained in that situation for three years- from the 7th year of the Prophet’s Prophethood until the 10th year. It was a very repressive embargo that brought extreme hardship, and in addition to this, the vile polytheists bought everything that reached Makkah in order that nothing reached Banu Al-Mutallib and Banu Hashim. The situation became so bad that they had to eat the leaves of trees and animal skins, and children constantly cried due to hunger.

They had nothing besides very little provision that was sometimes delivered secretly by some people in Makkah who sympathised with them. During the sacred months when fighting was not permitted, they used to go and buy provisions, but the prices of goods were inflated so that they would not be able to afford them. However, this great hardship never stopped the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, from calling to the truth, rather he used to go to the Kabah and call people to Islam. By the grace of Allah, the agreement between the polytheists ended in the 10th year of the Prophet’s Prophethood, because some of them could no longer bear to see their relatives in that situation. (5)

The Quraish implored the Prophet to refrain from interfering with their food supplies, even though they had previously engaged in the same wrongdoing when they were in a position of power

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: “The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sent a troop of fighters towards Najd and they brought a man from the tribe of Banu Haneefah who was called Thumamah bin Uthaal. He was then tied to one of the pillars of the Masjid. The Prophet went to him and said, “What have you got, O Thumama?” He replied, “I have got a good thought, O Muhammad! If you should kill me, you would kill a person who has already killed somebody, and if you should set me free, you would do a favor to one who is grateful, and if you want property, then ask me whatever wealth you want.” So, he was left till the next day when again the Prophet said to him, “What have you got, O Thumama?” He said, “What I have already told you”. The Prophet left him till the day after, and said to him again, “What have you got, O Thumama?” He said, “I have got what I told you. So the Prophet said, “Set him free”.

Then Thumamah) went to a garden of date palm trees near the Masjid, took a bath, entered the Masjid, and then said, “I testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and also testify that Muhammad is His Messenger! By Allah, O Muhammad! There was no face on the surface of the earth more disliked by me than yours, but now your face has become the most beloved face to me. By Allah, there was no religion more disliked by me than yours, but now it is the most beloved religion to me. By Allah, there was no town more disliked by me than your town, but now it is the most beloved town to me. Your troops arrested me (at the time) when I was intending to perform the Umra. And now what do you think?” The Prophet gave him good tidings of good in this world and the next, and ordered him to perform the Umra. So when he came to Makkah, someone said to him, “You have become a Sabian?” He replied, “No! By Allah, I have submitted to Islam with Muhammad, Allah’s Messenger. No, by Allah! Not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamamah unless the Prophet gives his permission.” (6)

The Prophet asked Thumamah, “What have you got O Thumamah?” He replied that he has good thoughts about the Prophet- Meaning, “You O Muhammad never oppress anyone, rather you are from those who pardon and do good”. So after he was set free, he entered Makkah to perform Umrah and then pronounced the Talbilya and he was the first to enter Makkah in that manner, so Quraish grabbed him and said, “You have the audacity to do this to us”, and they wanted to kill him; then a person amongst the Quraish said, “Leave him because you are in need of food from Yamaamah (i.e. from his land)”, so they released him. Then he said to them, “By Allah! Not a single grain of wheat will come to you from Yamamah unless the Prophet gives his permission.” Ibn Hisham said, “Then Thumamah returned to Yamamah and prevented the Quraish from bringing any food to Makkah, so the Quraish wrote to the Prophet saying, “Indeed, you command people to keep good the ties of kinship”, so the Prophet wrote to Thumamah to allow them to transport their food”.(7)

[1] Tafsir as-Sadi

[2] Zadul Maseer Fee Ilm at-Tafsir by Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi

[3] Al-Bukhari. 1590

[4] Al-Bukhari. 3058

[5] Zadul Ma’ad 3/31 and Seerah Ibn Hisham 1/350

[6] Al-Bukhari. 4372

[7] Fath Al-Bari Sharh Sahih Al-Bukhari 8/110-111 and Al-Hulalul Ibreeziyyah Min at-Taleeqaat al-Baaziyyah Alaa Sahih Al-Bukhari 3/319

The Beautiful Generosity of The Pious Predecessors During Armed Conflict

Revealing the Wholesome Truth About FGM: A Message to Heba Yosry at Al Arabiya News

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

In an article dated February 10th 2021, Heba Yosry stated that UN Women declared February 6th the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a practice criminalized in several Muslim countries, with Egypt one of them. It recently increased the period of imprisonment for anyone guilty of doing this from 5-7 years, to 5-20 years. Dar al-Ifta the highest Islamic legislative body in Egypt, proclaims that FGM is forbidden under Islamic law because of the physical and mental damage that it causes. The punitive measures in place do little to deter some parents from subjecting their young daughters to this atrocious procedure. Too often we hear about girls who die due to a botched circumcision or from excessive bleeding. Many FGM victims who survive the attack on their genitalia, then endure the physical and emotional scars that can cripple their future mental, reproductive and sexual wellbeing. The detrimental physical and psychological effects of FGM are well documented and well communicated, but the question remains: Why is FGM still practiced? The answer is the female body. FGM is a crude and abhorrent version of a chastity belt, applied with the misguided and malicious intent to keep a girl’s pureness. It guarantees the young woman will not lose her mind in moments of passion and act on her lust, and on this very basis the people who believe this are preposterous. The recent case of a grown married woman coerced by her husband to undergo a FGM procedure because he suffered from sexual dysfunction, and his unfounded suspicion of her infidelity shows his weakness; not hers. This is hardly an isolated incident. Husbands have ordered several wives to endure the humiliating and painful procedure. Iran jailed an academic partly because of his research on FGM. The female body doesn’t just scare people; it terrorizes governments too. Politicizing the female body is hardly new. Yet the underlying assumption is rarely questioned. Instead, the intention is explained away as conforming to an ancient practice.

FGM rests within the perception that women are either inferior beings who are unable to control their libido or that they are gullible creatures who need guarded against the faceless seducer who will sully her honor. Both assumptions are founded upon the primordial conception that a girl’s body is an object belonging to another, whether a father or a husband. Girls, naturally, lack the ability to make their own decisions. Eradication of lust from the female body is essential because saving a girl or a woman from her innate desires is a man’s mission. Men are doing the right thing because as soon as a girl starts to show any signs of womanhood pruning her body protects the family honor. Utter nonsense. FGM isn’t merely an ugly practice that some Muslims aim to continuously repudiate in front of the Western world. FGM is a statement articulated on the feminine body, a stigma that she must carry her whole life to attest for her inaptitude as a human being, of her inferior status, of the pain she must endure simply because she was born a girl. FGM is a painful manifestation of gender inequality. As countries take steps to end the practice of FGM, through legislative measures that punish its perpetrators, they must address the foundational preconditions that allow this practice to thrive. Imagine this: A father takes a 12-year-old girl to a makeshift clinic, and assures her on their way that she will be alright, that the procedure won’t hurt as much as she thinks, and that this pain is necessary, and compensated with the congratulatory gifts that she will receive. She will be an adult. The girl continues to walk beside her father aided with the pride that she will now be a grown up, and the faith that her father will never do anything to hurt her. She enters the clinic, lies on the cold steel examining table, the nurse pulls up her dress and ties her legs so that she doesn’t kick to protect herself. Her father holds her arms to prevent her from moving. A man emerges holding a blade. He approaches the girl, spreads her legs. She screams. Let her screams be heard, and end the abomination that is, FGM. [End of quote]

Before presenting the knowledge-based research on this subject matter by Shaikh Abu Iyaad, may Allah preserve him, we remind Heba Yosry that her above statement contains both facts and assumptions, ambiguity and clarity. It would have been better to carry out thorough research before speaking about this subject matter whose complete truth and falsehood is not not clear to many people. In this regard, we -including myself -are required to speak based on complete facts or exercise restraint until the wholesome details regarding a matter is clear to us. Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

”It is obligated to you to give detail and make a distinction, because unrestricted and general (statements) without clarification has indeed corrupted this existence (i.e. the world), misguided the intellects and views in every era”.

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, said:

”There has to be detail explanation. The one who is not proficient in giving detail should keep quiet, because benefit is not acquired from his speech. And every time error occurs, its cause is due to an absence of detail explanation regarding truth and falsehood. There has to be detail explanation and distinction and not to mix up (matters). Indeed, it may be that there is something of truth and falsehood in an opponent’s statement, so all of it is neither deemed to be false nor truth; rather there has to be a distinction between its truth and falsehood. All of it is neither rejected nor accepted; rather a distinction is made regarding the truth and what is correct and the falsehood and error in it. And if you are not proficient in giving detail, then you should not enter into this field”. [1]

We now present a detail discussion on this subject matter titled: On Female Genital Mutilation, Culture and Islam: http://www.aboutatheism.net/articles/kflqsjb-on-female-genital-mutilation-culture-and-islam-a-refutation-of-ayaan-hirsi-ali.cfm

Quotes from the artcle by Shaikh Abu Iyaad, may Allah preserve him.

Pharoanic circumcision: Similar to the phenomena of “road rage” in which a person whose path is cut off by another driver, loses his rags, becomes enraged and then behaves erratically, it appears this woman has had a similar experience in relation to the cutting and mutilation of her genitals by an ancient Egyptian practice that is referred to as “Pharoanic circumcision”. This is no doubt a barbaric, harmful practice and one can empathise with women who have been put through this horrific experience. However, you cannot go on an “FGMRage”, and blame Islām for your harmful, backward culture. Further, one should note that for same strange reason, this procedure has taken the name of one of the greatest tyrants and enemies of Islām to have walked the earth, Firʿaun. It is an ancient Egyptian practice brought to the sub-Saharan countries in Africa and predates Islām by well over 1500 years and this is the likely reason it is referred to as “Pharoanic” circumcision.
As for circumcision, there are three procedures:

Clitoral unhooding or clitoral hood reduction. This is the removal of a part of the layer of skin covering the clitoris, also known as the clitoral prepuce. It is a fold of skin that is equivalent to the male foreskin. This is a beneficial procedure for women with clear benefits that are documented in the scientific literature and there are dozens of surgeries scattered across the United States (and elsewhere) which specialise in this procedure. The size and shape of the prepuce, or the clitoral hood, varies among females, just as the foreskin does in men. As a result, some women may suffer from any of the following: sexual health problems including unsightly appearance and lack of stimulation, urinary tract and yeast infections, adhesion which is known medically as phimosis, sexual pain, and irritation. There are surgeries that specialise in this procedure of “hoodplasty”, or “clitoral hood reduction” in order to treat these conditions. This procedure is commended (and not obligatory) for women in Islāmic law and is known as “al-khitān”, circumcision for women. An excess of the prepuce can hinder stimulation and gratification. Circumcision by a competent practitioner helps resolve this problem and helps regulate sexual desire by enhancing the gratification of the woman which—as well as pleasing the man—does not leave her in want due to lack of fulfilment. Benefits of this practice—hygiene, beautification of the private part and sexual fulfilment—have been indicated by Muslim scholars such as Ibn al-Qayyim.

Excision, also known as “clitoridectomy”. This is the removal of all or part of the clitoris. Infibulation, also known as “Pharoanic circumcision”. This is where the external parts of the female genitalia, as well as the labia minora and the clitoris are removed and then the vagina is stitched together. This is a barbaric practice and a crime against women. This action predated Islām and unfortunately, remained a cultural practice in some African lands. Islām did not accept this disfigurement and destruction of the female reproductive organ, and in this respect we find that in Madīnah, the Prophet came across a woman that would perform female circumcision from prior to Islām and he advised her: “Do not cut in excess and thereby cause harm…”—and in a narration, “make only a small cut”—“… for it brings the woman greater attention [from her husband]”—and in a narration, “…for it brings radiance to the face”—“and it is more loved by the husband. “Upon this, Muslim scholars and jurists have made it clear that it is the prepuce (qulfah), the fold of skin comprising the hood that covers the clitoris, that is reduced in size according to what is appropriate. From these scholars are Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī, (d. 1449) Abū al-Ḥasan al-Mawardī (d. 1058), Ibn Taymiyyah (d. 1328) and Ibn alQayyim (d. 1350) by way of example. This procedure is to be undertaken by an experienced specialist as indicated by Muslim scholars and Ibn al-Qayyim also discusses the issue of compensation for malpractice.

On a similar and related note, The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK provides information on Labiaplasty (vulval surgery), stating: “A labiaplasty is surgery to reduce the size of the labia minora—the flaps of skin either side of the vaginal opening. Some women consider having a labiaplasty because they don’t like the look of their labia, or because the labia cause discomfort. This is a major decision you should weigh up carefully.”6 After providing details about the cost and the process, they make a careful distinction between this procedure and “female genital mutilation”. [end of quote]

Finally, it is absolutely necessary to make it known that FGM is unlawful in the UK and in Muslim nations, where knowledgeable scholars and authorities recognise the clear distinction between FGM and practices that are well-supported by credible medical standards, as demonstrated in the quotes provided above. This is the information we aimed to convey to Heba, and we hope she finds this perspective beneficial.

And Allah knows best.


[1] An Excerpt from at-Taliqat Al-Mukhtasar Alaa Al-Qasidah an-Nuniyyah. 1/216

The Humble Beginnings of The Prophet’s Masjid

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Anas Bin Malik, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated:

“We used to pray with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in scorching heat, and if one of us could not put his face on the earth (because of the heat), he would spread his clothes and prostrate over them”. [1]

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymeen, may Allah have mercy upon him] mentioned that according to some scholars, this happened before the order to delay prayer in extreme heat. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, observed that it was difficult for people to perform Sujud on the hot ground, so he instructed them to delay the prayer until the weather was cooler. Some scholars explained that “in scorching heat” refers to a day that is very hot and the stone or the thing with which (the floor) of the Masjid is covered becomes too hot to prostrate on, even if the weather itself is not intensely hot. This is an explanation from another angle. [2]

Abu Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: I asked Abu Sa’eed, may Allah be pleased with him, and he was a friend of mine, (about the Night of Qadr) and he said: “We practiced I’tikaf in the middle third of the month of Ramadan with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. In the morning of the 20th of Ramadan, the Prophet came and addressed us and said, “I was informed of (the date of the Night of Qadr) but I was caused to forget it; so search for it in the odd nights of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. (In the dream) I saw myself prostrating in mud and water (as a sign). So, whoever was in I’tikaf with me should return to it with me (for another 10 days)”, and we returned. At that time there was no sign of clouds in the sky but suddenly a cloud came and it rained till rainwater started leaking through the roof of the Masjid which was made of date palm leaf stalks. Then the prayer was established and I saw Allah’s Messenger prostrating in mud and water and I saw the traces of mud on his forehead.” [3]


[1] al-Bukhari. 1208

[2] Paraphrased: https://www.alathar.net/home/esound/index.php?op=codevi&coid=43481

[3] al-Bukhari 2016

 

The Certainty and Steadfastness in the Heart of the Greatest Martyr Amid the Severest Trials at the End of Time

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Abu Sa’id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, reported Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

The Dajjal would come forth and a person from amongst the believers would go towards him and the armed men of the Dajjal would meet him and they would say to him: “Where do you intend to go?” He would say: “I intend to go to this one who is coming forth”. They would say to him: “Don’t you believe in our Lord?” He would say: “There is nothing hidden (with regards to knowing) who our Lord (is)”. They would say: “Kill him”. Then some amongst them would say: “Has your master (Dajjal) not forbidden you to kill anyone without (his consent)?” So, they would take him to the Dajjal and when the believer would see him, he would say:

“O people, he is the Dajjal about whom Allah’s Messenger has informed (us)”.

The Dajjal would then order that his head be broken, saying: “Get hold of him and break his head”. He would be struck even on his back and on his stomach. Then the Dajjal would ask him: “Don’t you believe in me?” He would say:

“You are a false Masih”.

He would then order for him to be torn (into pieces) with a saw from the parting of his hair up to his legs. After that the Dajjal would walk between the two pieces. He would then say to him: “Stand”, and he would stand up straight. He would then say to him: “Don’t you believe in me?” The person would say:

“It has only added to my insight concerning you (that you are really the Dajjal)”.

He would then say: “O people, he would not behave with anyone amongst people (in such a manner) after me”. The Dajjal would try to get hold of him so that he should kill him (again). The space between his neck and collar bone would be turned into copper and he would find no means to kill him. So he would get hold of him by his hand and feet and throw him (into the air) and the people would think as if he had been thrown in the Hell-Fire whereas he would be thrown in Paradise. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger said:

“He would be the greatest amongst the people in regard to martyrdom in the sight of the Lord of the universe”.

Sahih Muslim 2938

 

Reflections from some statements of Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali – [111]

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

What the people of desires say about Ahlus Sunnah (is that) their preoccupation with refutations is incorrect; no, they are busy with beneficial knowledge, then they would refute the people of bidah when there is a need.

This is nobility because (refutation against ahlul bidah) is (an act of) sincerity to Allah and to His Book; (sincere advice) to the Muslim rulers and their common folk – a path they follow based on the path of the (pious) predecessors to protect the religion.

Source: An Excerpt from Juhud Al-Allamah Rabee Al-Mad’khali Fee Naqd Shubuhaat Al-Hizbiyyeen page 79

 

Shunning Sincere Advisers and Upright Reformers to Serve Corrupt Elites: An Evil Legacy of Ancient Nations

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Most High, said:

قَالَ نُوحٌ رَّبِّ إِنَّهُمْ عَصَوْنِى وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَن لَّمْ يَزِدْهُ مَالُهُۥ وَوَلَدُهُۥٓ إِلَّا خَسَارًا

Noah said: “My Lord, indeed, they have disobeyed me and (continued to) follow one whose (enticement and diversion by) wealth and children (from the truth) will not increase him (in the hereafter) except in loss.” [Nuh. 21] [NobleQuranShaikh Abu Iyaad]

وَٱتَّبَعُوا۟ مَن لَّمْ يَزِدْهُ مَالُهُۥ وَوَلَدُهُۥٓ إِلَّا خَسَارًا

And (continued to) follow one whose (enticement and diversion by) wealth and children (from the truth) will not increase him (in the hereafter) except in loss”. 

Meaning: They disobeyed the Messenger who was  a sincere adviser – a guide to goodness, and (instead) followed the elite and the upper-class, whose wealth and children only increased them in loss- moral ruined and deprived of (righteous) gains, so how about the one who submits to them and obeys them?!” [1]

The Bad Behaviour of The Corrupt Elite

Allah said:

لَقَدۡ أَرۡسَلۡنَا نُوحًا إِلَىٰ قَوۡمِهِۦ فَقَالَ يَـٰقَوۡمِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُ ۥۤ إِنِّىٓ أَخَافُ عَلَيۡكُمۡ عَذَابَ يَوۡمٍ عَظِيمٍ۬
قَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِهِۦۤ إِنَّا لَنَرَٮٰكَ فِى ضَلَـٰلٍ۬ مُّبِينٍ۬

Indeed, We sent Nuh (Noah) to his people and he said: “O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. (La ilaha ill-Allah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). Certainly, I fear for you the torment of a Great Day!” The Mala [the notables, leaders and chiefs] amongst his people said, “Verily, we see you in plain error”. [Al-A’raf.  59-60]

Allah said:

وَإِلَىٰ عَادٍ أَخَاهُمۡ هُودً۬ا‌ۗ قَالَ يَـٰقَوۡمِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُ ۥۤ‌ۚ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
قَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ مِن قَوۡمِهِۦۤ إِنَّا لَنَرَٮٰكَ فِى سَفَاهَةٍ۬ وَإِنَّا لَنَظُنُّكَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِينَ

And to ‘Ad (people, We sent) their brother Hud. He said: “O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. (La ilaha ill-Allah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). Will you not fear (Allah)?” The Mala [notables, leaders and chiefs] who disbelieved among his people said: “Verily, we see you in foolishness, and verily, we think you are one of the liars.” [Al-A’raaf. 65-66]

Allah said:

وَإِلَىٰ ثَمُودَ أَخَاهُمۡ صَـٰلِحً۬ا‌ۗ قَالَ يَـٰقَوۡمِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَڪُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُ ۥ‌ۖ قَدۡ جَآءَتۡڪُم بَيِّنَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ‌ۖ هَـٰذِهِۦ نَاقَةُ ٱللَّهِ لَڪُمۡ ءَايَةً۬‌ۖ فَذَرُوهَا تَأۡڪُلۡ فِىٓ أَرۡضِ ٱللَّهِ‌ۖ وَلَا تَمَسُّوهَا بِسُوٓءٍ۬ فَيَأۡخُذَكُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ۬
وَٱذۡڪُرُوٓاْ إِذۡ جَعَلَكُمۡ خُلَفَآءَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ عَادٍ۬ وَبَوَّأَڪُمۡ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ تَتَّخِذُونَ مِن سُهُولِهَا قُصُورً۬ا وَتَنۡحِتُونَ ٱلۡجِبَالَ بُيُوتً۬ا‌ۖ فَٱذۡڪُرُوٓاْ ءَالَآءَ ٱللَّهِ وَلَا تَعۡثَوۡاْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ مُفۡسِدِينَ
قَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَڪۡبَرُواْ مِن قَوۡمِهِۦ لِلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتُضۡعِفُواْ لِمَنۡ ءَامَنَ مِنۡہُمۡ أَتَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّ صَـٰلِحً۬ا مُّرۡسَلٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّهِۦ‌ۚ قَالُوٓاْ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلَ بِهِۦ مُؤۡمِنُونَ
قَالَ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَڪۡبَرُوٓاْ إِنَّا بِٱلَّذِىٓ ءَامَنتُم بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ

And to Thamud (people, We sent) their brother Salih (Saleh). He said: “O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. (La ilaha ill-Allah: none has the right to be worshipped but Allah). Indeed there has come to you a clear sign (the miracle of the coming out of a huge she-camel from the midst of a rock) from your Lord. This she-camel of Allah is a sign unto you; so you leave her to graze in Allah’s earth, and touch her not with harm, lest a painful torment should seize you. “And remember when He made you successors after ‘Ad (people) and gave you habitations in the land, you build for yourselves palaces in plains, and carve out homes in the mountains. So remember the graces (bestowed upon you) from Allah, and do not go about making mischief on the earth.” The Mala [leaders, notables and chiefs] of those who were arrogant among his people said to those who were counted weak – to such of them as believed: “Know you that Salih (Saleh) is one sent from his Lord.” They said: “We indeed believe in that with which he has been sent.” Those who were arrogant said: “Verily, we disbelieve in that which you believe in.” [Al-A’raf. 73-78]

Allah said:

وَإِلَىٰ مَدۡيَنَ أَخَاهُمۡ شُعَيۡبً۬ا‌ۗ قَالَ يَـٰقَوۡمِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَڪُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُ ۥ‌ۖ قَدۡ جَآءَتۡڪُم بَيِّنَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّڪُمۡ‌ۖ فَأَوۡفُواْ ٱلۡڪَيۡلَ وَٱلۡمِيزَانَ وَلَا تَبۡخَسُواْ ٱلنَّاسَ أَشۡيَآءَهُمۡ وَلَا تُفۡسِدُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بَعۡدَ إِصۡلَـٰحِهَا‌ۚ ذَٲلِڪُمۡ خَيۡرٌ۬ لَّكُمۡ إِن ڪُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ
وَلَا تَقۡعُدُواْ بِڪُلِّ صِرَٲطٍ۬ تُوعِدُونَ وَتَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ مَنۡ ءَامَنَ بِهِۦ وَتَبۡغُونَهَا عِوَجً۬ا‌ۚ وَٱذۡڪُرُوٓاْ إِذۡ ڪُنتُمۡ قَلِيلاً۬ فَكَثَّرَڪُمۡ‌ۖ وَٱنظُرُواْ كَيۡفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلۡمُفۡسِدِينَ
وَإِن كَانَ طَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ مِّنڪُمۡ ءَامَنُواْ بِٱلَّذِىٓ أُرۡسِلۡتُ بِهِۦ وَطَآٮِٕفَةٌ۬ لَّمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ فَٱصۡبِرُواْ حَتَّىٰ يَحۡكُمَ ٱللَّهُ بَيۡنَنَا‌ۚ وَهُوَ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡحَـٰكِمِينَ
قَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ ٱسۡتَكۡبَرُواْ مِن قَوۡمِهِۦ لَنُخۡرِجَنَّكَ يَـٰشُعَيۡبُ وَٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مَعَكَ مِن قَرۡيَتِنَآ أَوۡ لَتَعُودُنَّ فِى مِلَّتِنَا‌ۚ قَالَ أَوَلَوۡ كُنَّا كَـٰرِهِينَ

And to (the people of) Madyan (Midian), (We sent) their brother Shu’aib. He said: “O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. [La ilaha ill-Allah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)].” Verily, a clear proof (sign) from your Lord has come unto you; so give full measure and full weight and wrong not men in their things, and do not mischief on the earth after it has been set in order, that will be better for you, if you are believers. “And sit not on every road, threatening, and hindering from the Path of Allah those who believe in Him. and seeking to make it crooked. And remember when you were but few, and He multiplied you. And see what was the end of the Mufsidun (mischief-makers, corrupts, liars). “And if there is a party of you who believes in that with which I have been sent and a party who do not believe, so be patient until Allah judges between us, and He is the Best of judges.” The Mala [leaders, notables and chiefs] of those who were arrogant among his people said: “We shall certainly drive you out, O Shu’aib, and those who have believed with you from our town, or else you (all) shall return to our religion.” He said: “Even though we hate it! [Surah Al-A’raaf. Verses 86-88]

Allah said:

قَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَسَـٰحِرٌ عَلِيمٌ۬ –
يُرِيدُ أَن يُخۡرِجَكُم مِّنۡ أَرۡضِكُمۡ‌ۖ فَمَاذَا تَأۡمُرُونَ

The Mala [leaders, notables and chiefs] of the people of Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “This (i.e. Prophet Musa) is indeed a well-versed sorcerer; he wants to get you out of your land, so what do you advise?” [Al-A’raf.  109]

Allah said:

وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِ فِرۡعَوۡنَ أَتَذَرُ مُوسَىٰ وَقَوۡمَهُ ۥ لِيُفۡسِدُواْ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَيَذَرَكَ وَءَالِهَتَكَ‌ۚ قَالَ سَنُقَتِّلُ أَبۡنَآءَهُمۡ وَنَسۡتَحۡىِۦ نِسَآءَهُمۡ وَإِنَّا فَوۡقَهُمۡ قَـٰهِرُونَ

The Mala (leaders, notables and chiefs) of Fir’aun’s (Pharaoh) people said: “Will you leave Musa (Moses) and his people to spread mischief in the land, and to abandon you and your gods?” He said: “We will kill their sons, and let live their women, and we have indeed irresistible power over them.”Al-A’raf. 127]

Allah said:

ثُمَّ أَنشَأۡنَا مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِمۡ قَرۡنًا ءَاخَرِينَ
فَأَرۡسَلۡنَا فِيہِمۡ رَسُولاً۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ أَنِ ٱعۡبُدُواْ ٱللَّهَ مَا لَكُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرُهُ ۥۤ‌ۖ أَفَلَا تَتَّقُونَ
وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِلِقَآءِ ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ وَأَتۡرَفۡنَـٰهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا مَا هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا بَشَرٌ۬ مِّثۡلُكُمۡ يَأۡكُلُ مِمَّا تَأۡكُلُونَ مِنۡهُ وَيَشۡرَبُ مِمَّا تَشۡرَبُونَ
وَلَٮِٕنۡ أَطَعۡتُم بَشَرً۬ا مِّثۡلَكُمۡ إِنَّكُمۡ إِذً۬ا لَّخَـٰسِرُونَ
أَيَعِدُكُمۡ أَنَّكُمۡ إِذَا مِتُّمۡ وَكُنتُمۡ تُرَابً۬ا وَعِظَـٰمًا أَنَّكُم مُّخۡرَجُونَ
هَيۡہَاتَ هَيۡہَاتَ لِمَا تُوعَدُونَ
إِنۡ هِىَ إِلَّا حَيَاتُنَا ٱلدُّنۡيَا نَمُوتُ وَنَحۡيَا وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمَبۡعُوثِينَ
إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا رَجُلٌ ٱفۡتَرَىٰ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ڪَذِبً۬ا وَمَا نَحۡنُ لَهُ ۥ بِمُؤۡمِنِينَ
قَالَ رَبِّ ٱنصُرۡنِى بِمَا كَذَّبُونِ
قَالَ عَمَّا قَلِيلٍ۬ لَّيُصۡبِحُنَّ نَـٰدِمِينَ
فَأَخَذَتۡہُمُ ٱلصَّيۡحَةُ بِٱلۡحَقِّ فَجَعَلۡنَـٰهُمۡ غُثَآءً۬‌ۚ فَبُعۡدً۬ا لِّلۡقَوۡمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ

Then, after them (i.e. the people of Prophet Nooh), We created another generation. 32. And We sent to them a Messenger from among themselves (saying): “Worship Allah! You have no other Ilah (God) but Him. Will you not then be afraid (of Him i.e. of His Punishment because of worshipping others besides Him)?”

وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِن قَوۡمِهِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ وَكَذَّبُواْ بِلِقَآءِ ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ

And the Mala [leaders, notables and chiefs] of his people, who disbelieved and denied the Meeting in the Hereafter, and to whom We had given the luxuries and comforts of this life, said: “He is no more than a human being like you, he eats of that which you eat, and drinks of what you drink. “If you were to obey a human being like yourselves, then verily! You indeed would be losers. “Does he promise you that when you have died and have become dust and bones, you shall come out alive (resurrected)? “Far, very far is that which you are promised. “There is nothing but our life of this world! We die and we live! And we are not going to be resurrected! “He is only a man who has invented a lie against Allah, but we are not going to believe in him.” He said: “O my Lord! Help me because they deny me.” (Allah) said: “In a little while, they are sure to be regretful.” So As-Saihah (torment – awful cry, etc.) overtook them with justice, and We made them as rubbish of dead plants. So away with the people who are Zalimun (polytheists, wrong-doers, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah, disobedient to His Messengers, etc.). [Al-Muminoon. 31-41]

Allah said:

وَقَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَأُ مَا عَلِمۡتُ لَڪُم مِّنۡ إِلَـٰهٍ غَيۡرِى فَأَوۡقِدۡ لِى يَـٰهَـٰمَـٰنُ عَلَى ٱلطِّينِ فَٱجۡعَل لِّى صَرۡحً۬ا لَّعَلِّىٓ أَطَّلِعُ إِلَىٰٓ إِلَـٰهِ مُوسَىٰ وَإِنِّى لَأَظُنُّهُ ۥ مِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِينَ
وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ هُوَ وَجُنُودُهُ ۥ فِى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَظَنُّوٓاْ أَنَّهُمۡ إِلَيۡنَا لَا يُرۡجَعُونَ
فَأَخَذۡنَـٰهُ وَجُنُودَهُ ۥ فَنَبَذۡنَـٰهُمۡ فِى ٱلۡيَمِّ‌ۖ فَٱنظُرۡ كَيۡفَ ڪَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ
وَجَعَلۡنَـٰهُمۡ أَٮِٕمَّةً۬ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى ٱلنَّارِ‌ۖ وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ لَا يُنصَرُونَ
وَأَتۡبَعۡنَـٰهُمۡ فِى هَـٰذِهِ ٱلدُّنۡيَا لَعۡنَةً۬‌ۖ وَيَوۡمَ ٱلۡقِيَـٰمَةِ هُم مِّنَ ٱلۡمَقۡبُوحِينَ

Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “O Mala (leaders, chiefs and notables)! I know not that you have an ilah (a god) other than me, so kindle for me (a fire), O Haman, to bake (bricks out of) clay, and set up for me a Sarhan (a lofty tower, or palace, etc.) in order that I may look at (or look for) the Ilah (God) of Musa (Moses); and verily, I think that he [Musa (Moses)] is one of the liars.” And he and his hosts were arrogant in the land, without right, and they thought that they would never return to Us. So We seized him and his hosts, and We threw them all into the sea (and drowned them). So behold (O Muhammad ) what was the end of the Zalimun [wrong-doers, polytheists and those who disbelieved in the Oneness of their Lord (Allah), or rejected the advice of His Messenger Musa (Moses)]. And We made them leaders inviting to the Fire, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will not be helped. And We made a curse to follow them in this world, and on the Day of Resurrection, they will be among Al-Maqbuhun (those who are prevented to receive Allah’s Mercy or any good, despised or destroyed, etc.). [Al-Qasas. 38-42]

Allah said:

وَعَجِبُوٓاْ أَن جَآءَهُم مُّنذِرٌ۬ مِّنۡہُمۡ‌ۖ وَقَالَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ هَـٰذَا سَـٰحِرٌ۬ كَذَّابٌ
أَجَعَلَ ٱلۡأَلِهَةَ إِلَـٰهً۬ا وَٲحِدًا‌ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىۡءٌ عُجَابٌ۬
وَٱنطَلَقَ ٱلۡمَلَأُ مِنۡہُمۡ أَنِ ٱمۡشُواْ وَٱصۡبِرُواْ عَلَىٰٓ ءَالِهَتِكُمۡ‌ۖ إِنَّ هَـٰذَا لَشَىۡءٌ۬ يُرَادُ
مَا سَمِعۡنَا بِہَـٰذَا فِى ٱلۡمِلَّةِ ٱلۡأَخِرَةِ إِنۡ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا ٱخۡتِلَـٰقٌ

And they (Arab pagans) wonder that a warner (Prophet Muhammad ) has come to them from among themselves! And the disbelievers say: “This (Prophet Muhammad ) is a sorcerer, a liar. “Has he (Muhammad) made the aliha (gods) (all) into One Ilah (God – Allah). Verily, this is a curious thing!” And the Mala (leaders, notable and chiefs) among them went about (saying): “Go on, and remain constant to your aliha (gods)! Verily, This is a thing designed (against you)! We have not heard (the like) of this among the people of these later days. This is nothing but an invention!] [Saad. 4-7]

Allah said:

وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا فِى قَرۡيَةٍ۬ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتۡرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرۡسِلۡتُم بِهِۦ كَـٰفِرُونَ
وَقَالُواْ نَحۡنُ أَڪۡثَرُ أَمۡوَٲلاً۬ وَأَوۡلَـٰدً۬ا وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ

And We did not send a warner to a township, but those who were given the worldly wealth and luxuries among them said: “We believe not in the (Message) with which you have been sent.” And they say: “We are more in wealth and in children, and we are not going to be punished. [Sabah 34-35]


[1]An Excerpt from Tafseer As-Sadi

Some Scholarly Clarifications on Certain Rotten Apples Who Preceded the Blazing Bid’ee Daniel Haqiqatjou

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Shaikh Shamsuddeen Al-Afghaaniy, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Allah guided mankind through Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the manifest proofs given to him – guidance that surpassed the knowledge of those with great perception and could not be described by those who were well-versed in the art of description. Allah opened the hearts of the heedless, the ears of the deaf, and the eyes of the blind through this guidance. They were in a state of disharmony, harboured animosity toward one another, and adhered to perverse creeds before Allah united them under a single religion. Allah united their hearts, and as a result of this great blessing, they became true brothers in Islam. Following that, everything worshipped besides Allah, such as graves, trees, stones, and idols, ceased to exist, and all worship was established for Allah alone. [Footnote a]

People followed the true religion of Islamic monotheism and worshiped Allah alone, except for those whom Allah decreed would remain as polytheists, hypocrites, and adherents of the altered and distorted previous scriptures. The darkness of polytheism was dispelled, and the banner of Tawhid was raised in Arab and non-Arab lands. Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] died while Islam was established and in authority, superseding all other ways of life and creeds. The Messenger’s rightly guided khulafaa [Footnote b] continued to follow the Messenger’s path until the two powerful and great nations at the time, Rome and Persia, ended up in humiliation, degradation, and fear after they had been in security, and thus Caesar was restricted and besieged, and Chosroes was subdued and destroyed.

When the enemies of Islam realised they couldn’t destroy the religion, they planted agents within it – those who pretended to be Muslims -to sow confusion, trials, and tribulations, and spread polytheism by exaggerating the status of the pious and exalting their graves. As a result, the Ummah was exposed to temptations by Abdullah Bin Saba’s plots, who claimed that Ali Ibn Abi Talib deserved to be worshipped. The Saba’iyyah were Abdullah Bin Sabah’s followers, who were later known as the Rawafid, Ismaliyyah, Nusayriyah, and others among the Batiniyyah. They worshiped the graves and their inhabitants and erected places of worship and shrines over them. As a result of these practices, they revived the (corrupt) practices of the Jews, Christians, and idol worshippers (i.e. those among them who abandoned the correct path of their Prophets). This is how grave worshippers’ practices manifested in this Ummah, through practices initiated by the Rawafid. [Footnote c]

Furthermore, Greek philosophical texts that promoted the concepts of grave worship and idolatry were translated into the Arabic language and gained significant attention among individuals identifying with Islam, such as Al-Farabi, Ibn Sina Al-Hanafi, and Naseer At-Toosee, who advocated disbelief and polytheism, and those who sought to manipulate the teachings of Islam, akin to Paul’s manipulation of Christianity. The Greek Philosophers influenced and led them to advocate for grave worship through Greek Philosophy. The practices of these individuals were prevalent among the followers of rhetoric among the Hanafi Maturidiyyah and the Ash’ariyyah Kullabiyyah, as they immersed themselves in the works of the Philosophers. Consequently, they became proponents of grave worship and adhering to the Jahmiyyah creed. Among these individuals were Taftaazaanee Al-Hanafi, who was renowned as a philosopher of the Maturidiyyah and a follower of grave worship, and Jurjaanee Al-Hanafi, a proponent of superstitious beliefs. [Footnote d]

Another group of people arose within the Muslim community who posed an even greater threat and were more misguided than the aforementioned groups. These individuals adopted an outward appearance of piety, donning the attire of righteousness with tearful eyes, lengthy beards, towering turbans, and clutching large prayer beads. They deceitfully claimed to advocate for the teachings of the Prophet, while clandestinely engaging in despicable practices inherited from false religions. They attempted to mix blatant lies with the Qur’an and the authentic narrations to corrupt the clear proofs found in the Qur’an and the Sunnah. These deviant heretics are known as the Hululiyyah, Ittihadiyyah Grave Worshipers, such as the likes of Al-Hallaj (309AH), Ibn Al-Farid (632AH) Ibn Arabi (638AH), Ibn Sab’in (669AH), etc [Footnote e] [1]

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Mad’khali, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated that the ultimate outcome for those who engage in theological rhetoric is a state of uncertainty and perplexity, while the ultimate outcome for the followers of the Sufi paths is characterised by erratic and irrational behavior along with false claims. The innovators in religious matters among the proponents of theological rhetoric have something of a resemblance to the Jews and those who innovate acts of worship in religious matters have something of a resemblance to the Christians [i.e. those Jews and Christians who deviated after the departure of their Prophets]. That is because these ones [proponents of theological rhetoric] deny the truth and are led to doubt, and those ones [those who innovate acts of worship] believe in falsehood and are led to irrational behavior. These ones are like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed by a great wave topped by another great wave, topped by dark clouds, darkness, one above another; and those ones are like a mirage in a desert, the thirsty one thinking it’s water until he comes up to it and discovers it’s nothing. [2]

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated that the people in their pursuit of knowledge and religion have two innovated paths and a path legislated in the Shari’ah. The path of Islamic legislation involves examining the teachings of the Messenger, utilising them as evidence, and implementing the necessary actions. Therefore, it is imperative to possess knowledge based on the teachings of the Messenger and to act upon them, and merely possessing one of these two is insufficient. As for the two innovated paths, one of them is the path of people who engage in innovated theological discourse and this path is fraught with falsehood. Many of its adherents neglect the obligations prescribed by Allah and His Messenger, leading them to remain in a state of corruption in knowledge and action. Consequently, these individuals deviate towards false Judaism. The second path is taken by people who adopt methods to enhance their spiritual well-being, namely the followers of the Sufi paths, who introduce new forms of worship. These individuals tend to deviate towards false Christianity as they claim that by purifying one’s soul according to their prescribed methods, one will effortlessly acquire extensive knowledge of religious sciences without learning. The worship practices of many of these people are innovated, rather, they contradict the teachings of the Messenger. As a result, they continue to engage in corrupt actions and corruption due to their lack of understanding of the Messenger’s teachings because they do not know what the Messenger conveyed. Neither Allah’s Messenger nor his companions followed the path of those who introduced innovations in religion, such as the proponents of theological rhetoric, nor the path of the proponents of innovated worship and Sufiyyah. Instead, he adhered to what Allah had sent him with, which is based on the Qur’an and Sunnah. [3]

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Hadi Al-Madkhali, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated: Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, Abu Al-Wafaa Ibn Aqeel Al-Faqee, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, our Shaikh Ab Al-Fadl Al-Hamdani, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, ”The individuals who innovate in Islam and the fabricators of Hadeeth are worse than the heretics, as the latter seeks to corrupt Islam externally, while the former aims to corrupt it internally. They (the former) are similar to the people of a country who attempt to corrupt it from within, while the heretics are similar to those who lay siege from outside, so, the ones from within open the fortress. Thus, they are more harmful to Islam than those who do not openly associate themselves with it”. [4]

Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “There is none more harmful to the people of Islam than the Jahmiyyah. They do not desire other than to nullify the Qur’an and the (authentic) narrations of the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]”. [5]

Al-Hafidh Abdul Ghaniyy Al-Maqdisi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, “(You) should know – may Allah have mercy upon you – that Islam and its people are undermined by three groups and the group that rejects the (authentic) narrations regarding the Attributes of Allah and belie its (reliable) narrators are more harmful to Islam and its people than the disbelievers”. [6]

Ibn Aqeel [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “There is none more harmful to the Shariah than the innovators among the proponents of theological rhetoric and the ignorant Sufis”. [7]

Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: “Exhortations are mostly employed when addressing the general public, particularly the common people, thus, the ignorant storytellers managed to find a way to achieve their objectives. Their innovations in the religion continued to escalate until it resulted in significant harm and they initiated evil through their deeds, statements, and goals”. [8]

Yunus Ibn Abdil A’laa, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: I heard Ash-Shafi’ee, may Allah have mercy upon him, saying, “It would be better for a man to be tempted by everything Allah has forbidden, except for the sin of associating partners with Allah in worship, rather than involving himself in theological rhetoric. This is because I have encountered certain matters from the proponents of theological rhetoric that I never expected to encounter”. [9]

Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated, “May Allah curse Amr Ibn Ubaid because indeed he initiated this innovation from theological rhetoric. If theological rhetoric was knowledge, the companions of the Messenger and the Taabi’een would have spoken about it just as they spoke about rulings and laws of the religion, however, it is falsehood and leads to falsehood”. [10.a]

An Example of a Misguided One Called Al-Jahiz Who Was Known to Read a Lot and Wrote Many Books, But Well-known For Jesting and Twiddling With The Religion

Ibn Qutaybah, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated about Al-Jaahiz: “You find him arguing at times for the Uthmaniyyah over the Rafidah, and sometimes for the Zaydiyyah over the Uthmaniyyah and Ahlus Sunnah, and sometimes he gave precedence to Ali,  may Allah be pleased with him, and sometimes he placed him behind others. He wrote a book in which he mentioned the arguments of the Christians against the Muslims, and when he embarked upon refuting them, he relinquished some of the proof as if he wanted to alert them to what they did not know and to cast doubt on the weak (people) among the Muslims, and you find him intending in his books to mock and twiddle. He mocked at hadith in a way that was not hidden from the scholars, while he was one of the Ummah’s greatest liars, fabricators of hadith, and the most supportive of falsehood”. [10.b]

Imam Adh-Dhahabi, may Allah have mercy upon him, said about Al-Jaahiz: “He was an insolent person, one who was very negligent in his practice of the religion and held strange views”. [10.c] “It was apparent from his traits that he used to fabricate”. [10.d] “He was from the figureheads of Bidah”. [10.e] Al-Baghdaadee, may Allah have mercy upon him, said, “Al-Jaahiz used to transmit a lot of innovated beliefs in his books”. [10.f] “Neither reliable nor trustworthy, rather, he was one of the figureheads of Bidah”. [10.g]

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan,  may Allah preserve him, stated:

It is not permissible to transmit false and fabricated narrations and then attribute them to the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him]. That is because many amongst the people of misguidance and (vain) desires fabricate narrations, utilise them as proof, and declare them authentic when (such narrations) agree with their desires. But when the authentic narrations oppose their desires, either they belie or distort and explain them (in a manner other than what is intended by) their correct meanings. This is the state of affairs of the people of misguidance. They search for fabricated and false narrations, present them to the people, and utilise them as proof if it agrees with their desires. Also one of the characteristics of a hypocrite is that he lies when he speaks, therefore, do not speak to the people unless you are truthful (in what you say), and do not speak too much regarding the narrations in that which is no benefit out of fear of falling into lies. The Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “It is enough (to be considered as) lying that a man speaks about everything that he hears”. [Saheeh Sunan Abee Dawud. Number 4992] [11]

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, stated:

Ahlul Ahwaa, such as the Mutazilah, the khawarij, the Rawafid, and others, are the ones responsible for causing the wars and discord. Fitnah (turmoil) only arises from them and is a result of them. Who was responsible for the assassination of Uthman? Who was behind the murder of Ali? Who were the ones that ignited turmoil among the Muslims thereafter? It was none other than these individuals driven by their desires. Who misled Al-Mamoon and those rulers who came after him to persecute Ahlus Sunnah, and ultimately led to the beating and imprisonment of their Imam – Ahmad Bin Hanbal? It was none else other than Ahlul Ahwaa! Who initiated the imprisonment of Shaikh Al-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah until he died in prison? It was none else other than Ahlul Ahwaa! It is our responsibility to exercise caution towards these people, as their fitnah ultimately results in the fragmentation of Muslim unity, rebellion against Muslim leaders, and splitting within the Muslim community, leading to the emergence of divergent groups and parties. This stands in stark contrast to the concept of a united Ummah. [12]

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Haadee Al-Madkhali, may Allah have mercy upon him said:

After speaking about those who make Takfeer based on falsehood [f] amongst the different factions of the Jahmiyah [g], the Khawarij [h], the Rawafid and the Qadariyyah [i], and the reason behind such Takfeer, Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated:

“On the opposite side of these people who make Takfeer based on falsehood, there are people who do not know the creed of Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jama’ah as it should be, or they know some and are ignorant of some. And perhaps what they know of it, they do not clarify for the people, rather they conceal it. Neither do they forbid Bidah nor censure ahlul bidah and punish them; rather, perhaps they would censure speech related to the Sunnah and the fundamental principles of the religion – completely – and would not differentiate – in that – between what Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah say [i.e. adherents to the sound Prophetic Sunnah and sound unity] and what ahlul bidah wal furqah say [i.e. the proponents of innovation in religious affairs who split (disunite due to their opposition to the correct path)], or they would affirm all their differing Madhabs [creeds, paths] in a manner similar to how the scholars would affirm the different opinions related to affairs of Ijtihaad about which difference of opinion is justified. [j] This path has overwhelmed many of the Murji’ah, some of the jurists, those pursuing the path of asceticism and the philosophers, just as it has overwhelmed – first and foremost – many amongst the people of (vain) desires and rhetoric. Both these paths are perverted, outside the Book [i.e. The Qur’an] and the Sunnah”. [End of Quote]

After quoting the above statement of Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, Al-Allamah Rabee said, “I say, may Allah have mercy on Ibn Tamiyyah. Indeed, he clarified the situation of the people of his era and those before them, then what if he saw the situation of many amongst the Al-Jamaa’aat Al-Hizbiyyah Wal-Bid’iyyah [The Groups of Illegal Partisanship and Bidah] [k] who ascribe themselves to Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaa’ah and take cover behind them – in particular – to promote their falsehoods! What if he saw them whilst they have definitely gathered between the Madhabs [creeds, paths] of the two groups- the khawaarij and those who follow their way in pronouncing Takfeer in the subject matter of Al-Haakimiyyah [l] and the way of the Mur’jiah [m] in the manner they approach the affair of people who are upon the big and numerous innovations in religious affairs, and equating innovation in religion to those affairs of the religion in which Ijtihaad is justified, whose people are rewarded alongside a refutation against their mistakes! In the view of these people, the leaders of Misguidance and Bidah are like the Imams of Guidance and Sunnah. [n] [13]

Finally, Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, “Rather what is obligatory is to clarify that which Allah sent His Messengers with and (revealed) in His Books, propagate that which the Messengers brought from Allah and fulfil the covenant which Allah took from the scholars. Therefore, it is obligatory to know that which the Messengers brought, believe in it, propagate it, call to it, striving with it, weigh up all that which the people embark upon – [statements, actions, religious fundamentals and subsidiary issues pertaining to the apparent actions of the Limbs and affairs related to actions of the heart]- under the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, neither following desires [through] customs, a school of law, a religious order, a leader or a predecessor, nor following conjecture through a weak hadeeth or corrupt analogy, regardless whether it is an analogy that offers some degree of certainty or not, or blindly following someone who it is not obligated to follow his statement and action because Allah -in His Book – has censured those who follow conjecture and that which their souls desire, whilst they abandon following that which came to them from their Lord of Guidance”. [14]

Allah, The Most High, said:

ٱلَّذِينَ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ يَتْلُونَهُۥ حَقَّ تِلَاوَتِهِۦٓ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِهِۦ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِهِۦ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْخَٰسِرُونَ

Those to whom We have given the Book (the Torah and the Qurʾān), recite it as it truly should be recited (through sincere, honest implementation of its teachings, without distorting them). They are the ones who (truly) believe in it. And whoever disbelieves in it, then they are the losers.

Imām al-Ṭabarī brings the following reports: Ibn ʿAbbās and ʿIkrimah: “They follow it as it truly should be followed.” Ibn ʿAbbās: “They accept as lawful what it makes lawful, accept as unlawful what it makes unlawful, and do not distort its words from their proper places.” Mujāhid: “They act upon it as it truly should be acted upon.” Ibn Masʿūd and Qatādah: “They treat as lawful what it makes lawful and treat as unlawful what it makes unlawful. They recite it as it was revealed by Allāh. They do not distort its words from their proper places and they do not explain anything of it with other than its (true) explanation.” Al-Ḥasan: “They act upon its decisive verses (muḥkam), believe in its ambiguous verses (mutashābih), and entrust the knowledge of what is difficult for them to its knower”. [15]

 


 

Footnote a: Allah [The Exalted] says:

وَٱعْتَصِمُوا۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ وَٱذْكُرُوا۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءً فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ

And hold fast, all of you together, to the Rope of Allah, and be not divided among yourselves, and remember Allah’s Favour on you, for you were enemies one to another but He joined your hearts together, so that, by His Grace, you became brethren (in Islamic Faith), and you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.,) clear to you, that you may be guided. [Surah Al-Imran. Ayah 103]

Footnote b:

https://www.aqidah.com/creed/articles/kyvik-the-khilaafah-lasted-for-30-years-then-there-was-kingship.cfm#:~:text=The%20Prophetic%20khilaafah%20will%20last,Abu%20Dawud%20and%20al%2DHaakim

Footnote c:

http://www.shia.bs/index.cfm

The Devil’s Deception Of The Rafidah Shi’ah — Know Their Beliefs From Their Own Source References

Footnote d: Al-Faraabee: Al-Faraabee said that Philosophy is more perfect than Prophethood. Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allah have mercy upon him] said about him: ‘’Misguided; a disbeliever’’ Ibn Sinaa adopted his books and ideas of disbelief. [For further details concerning Al- Faraabee, See Majmoo Al-Fataawaa 2/67—86] [Dar At-Ta’aarud 1/10] [Ighaathatul Luhfaan 2/372-373] Ibn Sinaa: Imaam Ibnu Salaah (rahimahullaah) said about him: ‘’He was a devil amongst the human devils.’’ [See Fataawaa Ibn Salaah 1/209] [Also see: ‘Ar-Radd Alal Mantaqiyyeen’ of Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah 278-279] [‘Ighaathatul Luhfaan’ of Imaam Ibnul Qayyim 2/373-380] [Bidaayah Wan-Nihaayah’ of Imaam Ibn Katheer 12/43] Naasir At-Toosee: He was a magician and a minister of the Tartars. He rejected the ‘resurrection’. For further details, see: As-Sawaa-iq Al-Mursalah of Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) 2/790; 3/1077-1078] Followers of the Jahmi Abu Mansoor Al- Maatooreedi Al-Hanafi [For further details, see the Book of Shaikh Shamsud-deen al-Afghaanee titled: ‘Al-Maatooreediyyah’ 1/205—376]

Footnote e: Hulooliyyah and Ittihaadiyyah (i.e.Wahdatul Wujood); see link for further details:
http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Fo rum=8&Topic=3528
http://www.salafitalk.net/st/viewmessages.cfm?Fo rum=8&Topic=3528

Footnote f:What is Takfeer? Read here by Shaikh Abu Khadeejah: https://abukhadeejah.com/no-muslim-leaves-islam-unless-he-does-something-that-nullifies-it/

Footnote g:Who are the Jahmiyah? https://www.aqidah.com/creed/articles/xiyvh-the-first-deniers-of-allaahs-speech-a-chain-of-evil-narrators.cfm

Footnote h:https://abukhadeejah.com/isis-in-iraq-syria-ibn-kathir-died-774-ah-if-the-khawaarij-ever-gained-strength-in-iraq-and-syria-there-would-be-mass-killing/

Footnote i: Who are the Rawafid and Qadariyyah? https://abukhadeejah.com/the-devils-deception-of-the-raafidah-shiah/ http://www.aqidah.com/creed/articles/hxnhe-the-splitting-of-the-muslim-ummah-part-3.cfm

Footnote j: What is Ijtihaad: https://www.abukhadeejah.com/tolerated-differing-and-impermissible-differing-in-islaam/ ]

Amr bin Al-Aas [may Allah be pleased with him] narrated that he heard Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] saying, ‘’If a Mujtahid gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct, he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, even then he will get a reward.’’ [Bukhari Number 7352]

Few Issues From This Hadeeth

[a] A Mujtahid (a scholar who strives to reach a judgement) is not deprived of reward. [b] The judgement of a non-Mujtahid is different from that of a Mujtahid. Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said that the one who speaks about the religion without knowledge and out of ignorance [is guilty of] lying and sinning. The one who intentionally speaks to oppose the truth is threatened with entry into the fire of hell, as opposed to the affair of the one who speaks based on permissible Ijtihad, for indeed he strives, fears Allah as much as he is able, desires to seek knowledge as much as he was able, speaks for the sake of Allah, knows the stronger proof and speaks based on that. This person is given two rewards if he is correct; but if he is mistaken, he receives one reward. [c] A Mujtahid can be correct or mistaken. [Arba’oona Hadeethaa Fee Usoolil Fiqh. pages 32-33]

Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadee said, “We do not say that there are people of ijtihaad amongst ahlul bidah because they are followers of desires, and Allaah and His Messenger have testified to this. The misguided innovator stirs up discord and errs, and then says to you, ‘This is ijtihaad’. When Hikmatiyaar and the misguided parties [in Afghanistan] murdered Shaikh Jameel Ur-Rahmaan, they said: ‘This is ijtihaad.’ They do not fall into an affair of misguidance or a calamity except that they say, “This is ijtihaad.” This is [tantamount] to diluting Islaam, falsehood, misguidance, bidah and confounding truth with falsehood, when the mistakes of the [true and qualified scholars of ijtihaad]- for which they are rewarded- are placed at the same level with innovation, about which the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] declared to be a path that will lead to the hell fire”. [Ajwibatul Allaamatush Shaikh Rabee Bin Haadee Al Madkhalee Alaa As-ilah Abee Rawaaha Al-Manhajiyyah. page 20]

Footnote k:What is Hizbiyyah – illegal partisanship:

https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2015/03/a-precise-definition-of-hizbiyyah-by-shaikh-rabee-may-allaah-preserve-him/ ]

https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2019/01/what-is-the-meaning-of-hizbiyyah-and-what-is-the-ruling-upon-it-shaykh-ubaid-al-jaabiree/

Footnote l: What is Al-Haakimiyyah?
http://www.salafipublications.com/sps/sp.cfm?secID=MNJ&subsecID=MNJ07&loadpage=displaysubsection.cfm

Footnote m: Who are the Murji’ah?
http://www.sahihalbukhari.com/sps/sp.cfm?secID=GSC&subsecID=GSC05&loadpage=displaysubsection.cfm

Footnote n: Read this article by Shaikh Abu Iyaadh: http://www.themadkhalis.com/md/series/the-false-comparison-between-hadith-giants-ibn-hajar-an-nawawi-and-20th-century-ignoramuses.cfm

 


[1] An Excerpt from “Juhoodu Ulamaa Al-Hanafiyyah Fee Ibtaal Aqaa-id Al-Qubooriyyeen” 1/19-25. slightly paraphrased

[2] An Excerpt from “Al-Mukhtaaraat Al-Bahiyyah Min Kutub Shaikhil Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah”. Page 281. slightly paraphrased

[3] Al-Mukhtaaraat Al-Bahiyyah Min Kutub Shaikhil Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah. 290-291. Slightly paraphrased

[4] An Excerpt from “Al-Mahajjah Al-Baydaa Fee Himaayati As-Sunnati Al-Gharraa’i Min Zallaati Alhlil Akh’taa Wa Zayghi Ahlil Ahwaa”. page 47

[5] Tabaqaat Al-Hanaabilah 1/47

[6] Al-Iqtisaad Fil I’tiqaad page 223

[7] As-Sawaa-iq Al-Mursalah Alal Jahmiyyah Wal Mu’attilah 4/1346

[8]كتاب القصاص والمذكرين- page 290

[9] Aqeedah Ash-Shaafi’ee. Page 86

[10.a] Dhammul Kalaam – by Al-Harwee 5/73

[10.b] An Excerpt from “Ta’weel Mukhtalif Al-Hadeeith”. pages 71-73

[10.c] Siyar A’laam An-Nubulaa 11/527]

[10.d] Siyar A’laam An-Nubulaa 11/528]

[10.e] Al-Meezaan Al-I’tidaal 3/247]

[10.f] Al-Farqu Baynal Firaq page 175-178]

[10.g] Al-Meezaan al-itidaal 3/247

[11] An Excerpt from ‘It’haaf At-Tullaab Bi-Sharhi Mandhoomah Al-Aadaab’ page 103

[12] https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2016/02/02/reminder-ahlul-ahwaa-i-e-the-people-of-bidah-are-the-ones-who-start-the-wars/

[13] An Excerpt from “Al-Mahajjatul Baydaa Fee Himaayatis Sunnatil Gharraa Min Zallaati Ahlil Akhtaa’i Wa Zayghi Ahlil Ahwaa” 117-118]

[14] Majmoo Al-Fataawaa 12/467-468

[15 https://www.thenoblequran.com/q/#/search/2_121 Shaikh Abu Iyaad, may Allah preserve him.

Goodness Endures Through Every Turmoil

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Shaikh Abdur Razzaq Al-Badr, may Allah preserve him, said:

It has been reported in Shu’ab Al-Iman by Bayhaqi, may Allah have mercy upon him, from Abee Mas’ud Al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him, who stated: “A time will not come upon you except that the subsequent time will be worse than it.” The people said: “Indeed, there has been times when we had harvests (or earnings) in abundance and a time in which we did not have”. He said: “By Allah! I do not mean your times of abundance or scarcity, rather I mean the disappearance of knowledge or the scholars. Indeed, before you, there was Umar, may Allah be pleased with him;, then show me a time comparable to his?!”

Perhaps, it can be said concerning our current era, “Ibn Baaz was present, show us someone like him?” Nevertheless, good still exists. Although these statements (i.e. Abu Mas’ud’s statement) are transmitted, it is also important to mention the texts that convey reassurance, the people of virtue, and that good will remain, such as the saying of the Prophet:

“There will always be a group from my Ummah who will adhere to the truth; they will not be harmed by those who oppose them nor by those who betray them until the hour is established”.

This demonstrates that good will remain, and the likes of these narrations [i.e., the narration by Abee Mas’ud] are not intended to make a person despair and become hopeless; instead, it is intended for encouraging a person to turn to Allah and to be among the virtuous, even if they are few.

An Excerpt from “Sharh Risalah Al-Mughniyah Fis Sukut Wa Luzoom Al-Buyut. Audio Lessons 2

Verse 24 Surah As-Sajdah

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ أَئِمَّةً يَهْدُونَ بِأَمْرِنَا لَمَّا صَبَرُوا ۖ وَكَانُوا بِآيَاتِنَا يُوقِنُونَ

And We made from among them (Children of Israel), leaders, giving guidance under Our Command, when they were patient and used to believe with certainty in Our Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.).” [Sajdah 24]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Allah informed us that upright leadership in the religion is attained through patience and certainty. Patience repels lowly desires and corrupt wishes, and certainty repels doubts and Shubuhat.

An Excerpt from Bada’i at-Tafseer Al-Jaami Limaa Fassarahu Al-Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim Al-Jawziyyah. 2/323