eMuslim

Poem – The Poor by Anonymous

emuslim — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:03:09 +0000

Bismillah alhamdulillah,

A very nice poem written by someone who prefers to remain anonymous came into my mail box today. Thank you to the author:

The poor and destitute we remember not

Even though they toil through the cold and hot

We must remember every blessing we have got

and pay heed to the Day when all friends and family will be forgot.

The outstretched hand is a blessing indeed

Ne’er look away,’ tis a person who is in dire need.

Even a smile will be counted as a charitable deed

Let us remove from our heats all traces of greed.

We will need the blessings of the poor, on the Day when we will quiver

to give to the poor is a blessing to the giver.

They will pray for us, from the Almighty Forgiver

We pray that Allah Almighty, to Heaven He will deliver.

Taming the Internet – Part 1

emuslim — Fri, 27 May 2011 07:11:15 +0000

Bismillah alhamdulillah.

The internet has gone from being an esoteric experiment by the US Department of Defence to a vital fourth utility for many after water, electricity and gas within the space of around 20 years. As a result the flow of information around the world and consequent interaction has increased tremendously. The available content has grown exponentially fuelled in large part by the advent of Web 2.0 technologies. Web 2.0 for the uninitiated are the wide range of websites that have allowed every day people to add to the growing body of content that constitutes the internet. Examples include blogs (Blogger, WordPress, video blogs through YouTube etc.), micro blog sites (i.e Twitter) and wikis (the most famous being wikipedia). For parents the internet has become an awkward challenge.

The internet has increasingly become part and parcel of daily education, with children being given websites as sources of information. They are frequently set research tasks that require them to search for data using search engines such as Google. They are then required collate, sort, analyse and finally synthesise something new from this information. But along side this it has become a tool par-excellence for children to do things their parents would on the whole think are not morally sound or in the best interests of their children. So what exactly is wrong with unfettered and unlimited access to the internet?

In short there are two main grievances against this level of access: The first and most common is that such a level of access is a big waste of time. The second which tends to concern parents and educators more than children is exposure to indecent and morally corrupting material. While the internet offers the phenomenal potential of saving time with access to quality resources of information in reality for many it fails to deliver. The quality information on the internet though growing rapidly is dwindled by the more rapid growth of poor quality material. The islands of quality in an ever growing ocean of junk are becoming harder to find.

Consider the following simple example which probably happens day-in and day-out in houses with children who have an education system that relies heavily on internet access. The simple task of searching for more information about a country’s map. Perhaps a question has been set for a primary school child to draw a picture of a country. In the pre-internet age this would have been a simple task – the child would have to go to their assigned textbook or atlas, find the country in question and then trace or copy it in some fashion. In the internet enabled age the child may be given a website to search but usually finds him/herself sitting in front of Google or another search engine and typing ‘map of country x’. This usually results in millions of possible pages. The child then starts to browse a few. The maps that they come across may be overly complex or simple. The quest for the right level map itself becomes an end in itself and consumes time. A previously 5 minute task suddenly extends itself to a 30 minute task. As soon the child gathers 10 sites each with a different map s/he is left to decide which map they think will work best.

With time the browsing and searching skills of the child improve and they learn from their friends that they can search for images using the Google image search engine. This then starts to bring up many pictures sometimes in context and sometimes outside context. Alongside this, images related to the country may start to appear some suitable and others clearly immoral. If the child succeeds in not being distracted by the insidious adverts, images and indecent imagery they eventually, as the clock hands get closer and closer to midnight, realise that their homework is due and begin to concentrate on the task on hand eventually deciding on a suitable map. A simple task has been converted by the unbridled access to information into an obstacle course that is seemingly free and rich but comes at the cost of time and morality.

So how can parents respond to the challenge of the internet and minimise these two areas of harm? In the next article I will, Inshallah discuss the main strategies in controlling internet content.

Hajj Charity in Makkah

emuslim — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:09:10 +0000

Bismillah, alhamdulillah.

Situated on the 4th floor of the shopping centre in the middle of the Hilton Towers Complex this charity can distribute charity to the poor of Makkah as part of the Hajj and Umrah rites.

Below is their brochure. Money can be transferred to their bank account directly. Make sure any instructions are in Arabic. Ask someone to translate the words if you do not understand. Don’t expect any communication back. The alternative is to give money directly in their office. They have people who speak Arabic, English and probably other common languages of the Muslim world.

Brochure for Hajj Charity in Makkah

Teaching Resource – The Authority of the Sunnah – Part 3

emuslim — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 11:20:24 +0000

Learning Objectives

In verse 2:187 what do the words ‘He relented towards you and pardoned you’ refer to? What sin was being pardoned?
How many angels were sent during the battler of Badr to help Muslims? Which ayah in the Quran mentions this?
When was the ayah in answer to question 17 revealed? (after or before Badr?)
How does the above ayah show the authority of the sunnah?
In verse 8:7 what are the two parties that are being referred to?
How does the above verse prove the authority of the sunnah?
What are the vents behind verse 66:3?
How does the above verse prove the authority of the sunnah?

Second Example: In the beginning, one of the rules followed by the Muslims in respect of the fasts of Ramadan was that even a short nap after iftaar (breaking of a fast) would nullify the permissibility of having marital relations with one’s wife. So, if someone would sleep for a short while after iftaar and wake up again, he would lose the opportunity of sleeping with his wife during the rest of the night, despite that the fast was over. This rule was prescribed by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) and was not contained in the Holy Qur’ân. But some Muslims broke the rule by sleeping with their wives after having a post-iftaar nap. Referring to these events, the Holy Qur’ân first admonishes those people who did not follow the rule. Then, by abrogating the same, allows the Muslims in future to sleep with their wives even when they had a nap after iftaar. In this context the Holy Qur’ân says:

It is made lawful for you, in the nights of fasts, to have marital relations with your women. They are a cover for you, and you are a cover for them. Allâh knew that you were betraying yourselves; so, He relented towards you and pardoned you. So, now you can have marital relations with them, and seek what Allâh has destined for you, and eat and drink until the white thread of the dawn becomes distinct from the black thread; then complete the fasts up to the night. (2:187)

The following points with respect to this verse are worth consideration:

(a) The verse confirms that having marital relations during the nights of Ramadaan was not lawful before.

(b) The people who had marital relations during the nights of Ramadaan before this verse was revealed are admonished by describing their act as “betraying themselves.”

(c) The words, “so He relented towards you and pardoned you,” indicate that their acts of marital relations was a sin, because “relenting” and “pardoning” occur only after a person commits a sin.

(d) The words “so now you can have marital relations with them” denote that it is only now that the marital relations during the nights of Ramadaan has been made lawful.

All these points confirm the fact that the earlier prohibition of having marital relations during the nights of Ramadaan was validly made by a competent authority, and the Muslims were bound to abide by it.

But there is no verse in the Holy Qur’ân to convey this prohibition.. It was enforced only by the Holy Prophet (). Still, the Holy Qur’ân not only confirms it, but also treats it as if it were in its own words. It is due to the fact that the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) did not enforce this prohibition by his own will, it was rather based on a revelation of Allâh Almighty which is not contained in the Holy Qur’ân.

Looked at from this angle, this verse on the one hand proves that there is a revelation which does not form part of the Holy Qur’ân, and on the other hand it reaffirms the status of the Holy Prophet () as a law-giver, and that his injunctions, both orders and prohibitions, are binding on the Muslims.

Third Example: On the occasion of the battle of Uhud, some Qur’ânic verses were revealed to make the Muslims recall the events of the battle of Badr: How Allâh helped them and how He promised to send the angels to their aid, and how He actually did so. These verses are as under:

Allâh has certainly helped you at Badr while you were weak. So, fear Allâh so that you may be grateful. When you (O Prophet) were saying to the believers, ‘Shall it not suffice you that your Lord shall aid you with three thousand angels being sent down? Why not? If you observe patience and fear Allâh and they come to you in this their heat, your Lord shall aid you with five thousand angels having distinct marks?’ And Allâh did not make it but a good news for you so that your hearts might be satisfied. And there is no help except from Allâh, the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. (3:123-126)

The emphasized sentence of these verses attributes the good news of the aid of angels to Allâh Almighty, meaning thereby that the good news of this aid was given by Allâh Himself. But this good news given at the time of Badr is nowhere available in the Holy Qur’ân. In other words, there is no verse in the Holy Book revealed during the battle of Badr which implies the good news of the aid of the angels. What is quoted above is only a reference of that news, made at the time of a later battle, and it is expressly mentioned in this verse that the good news was given by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam). Still, the news is attributed to Allâh.

Thus, it is another example where the words of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) are held to be the words of Allâh. There is no reason for this expression other than that the words of the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) were inspired by a special revelation, not contained in the Holy Qur’ân, and this is what is called the “unrecited revelation.”

Fourth example: Referring to the battle of ~~Uhud~~ Badr at another occasion, the Holy Qur’ân says:

And when Allâh promised you that one of the two groups shall be for you. (8:7)

One of the two parties referred to in this verse was the commercial caravan of Abu Sufyan, coming from Syria, and the other group was the army of the Makkan disbelievers, led by Abu Jahl. The above verse says that Allâh had promised the believers that they would triumph over one of these two groups. The Muslims, in fact, won the battle against the latter, namely, the army of Abu Jahl.

The point worth consideration here is that the promise of Allâh to give the Muslims victory against any of the two groups is not there in the Holy Qur’ân. This promise was conveyed to the Muslims by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) without any reference to any verse of the Holy Qur’ân. Still, the verse quoted above atttibutes the promise to Allâh and not to the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam).

The only conclusion derivable from this is that the promise was received by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) through an “unrecited revelation.” Hence it is attributed to Allâh. Guided by this revelation, the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) conveyed the promise to his companions.

Thus, it is another proof of the existence of a kind of revelation which is not contained in the Holy Qur’ân and is called the “unrecited revelation.”

Fifth Example: Once the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) told a secret to one of his wives. She disclosed the secret to some other person. When the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) came to know that the secret has been disclosed by his wife, he sought an explanation from her. She asked him as to who told him about the disclosure. The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) replied that he was informed about it by Allâh Almighty.

This event has been mentioned by the Holy Qur’ân in the following words:

And when the Prophet told one of his wives about a matter secretly; then, when she told about it, and Allâh has disclosed it to him, he made known some part of it, and turned aside from some part; then, when he told her about it, she said, “Who told you this?” He said, “I was told by the All-Knowing, the All-Aware.” (66: 3)

The emphasized sentence of this verse is quite clear in that Allâh told the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) about the disclosure of the secret. This is also not mentioned anywhere in the Holy Qur’ân. So, it is another concrete example where the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) received some revelation from Allâh other than the one contained in the Holy Qur’ân. This is exactly the “unrecited revelation.”

‘I believe that’s the infallible word of God’ – who said that?

emuslim — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 07:49:35 +0000

Bismillah, alhamdulillah:

Your first response would be a Muslim scholar or even a video excerpt by a certain Osama. Well you may be suprised that this is the type of conversation occurring in the US halls of power. Talking about the new congress elections here is a transcript from the Amy Goodman show with Ryan Grim (correspondent for the Huffington Post) quote from a Republican Senator called John Shimkus being discussed on the Democracy Now website (speech highlight is mine). Note Ryan Grim’s analysis, the site also has this on video as well:

REP. JOHN SHIMKUS: So I want to start with Genesis 8, verse 21 and 22. “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” I believe that’s the infallible word of God, and that’s the way it’s going to be for His creation.

The second verse comes from Matthew 24. “And He will send His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” The earth will end only when God declares its time to be over. Man will not destroy this earth. This earth will not be destroyed by a flood. And I appreciate having panelists here who are men of faith, and we can get into the theological discourse of that position, but I do believe God’s word is infallible, unchanging, perfect.

Today we have about 388 parts per million in the atmosphere. I think in the age of the dinosaurs, where we had most flora and fauna, we were probably at 4,000 parts per million. There is a theological debate that this is a carbon-starved planet—not too much carbon.

AMY GOODMAN: That’s the Illinois Republican Congress member John Shimkus, the new chair of the Subcommittee on Environment and Economy. Ryan Grim?

RYAN GRIM: Yeah, and what’s really remarkable about that clip that you just played is that it wasn’t something that was, you know, surreptitiously recorded at some obscure Christian conference where he thought he was speaking just to the faithful. That comes from a congressional hearing, where you have scientists that come before the panel in order to talk about the dangers of climate change. And that’s his response. And that’s one of this scariest things about the takeover of this committee, is because there isn’t a lot of time to reverse climate change. As he said, the carbon concentration is approaching 400 parts per million. It’s probably gone beyond, according to most scientists, the threshold by which there start being these feedback mechanisms that just send climate change over a cliff. So, it’s going to be extremely hard to get carbon emissions to start reversing when you have people who are just quoting the Bible as their scientific policy.

Now, Shimkus and Upton are going to be going after the EPA, which is the last chance that the U.S. has to turn around carbon emissions, at least at this point. And Shimkus almost became the committee chairman. He gave quite a run against Upton to get that chair. And that’s one of the things that drove Upton so far to the right. Now, I followed that race pretty closely, and it was always a long shot, but his goal was to raise his profile, which he did, and to put himself as the next in line behind Upton, when he moves on, because House Republicans have term limits where you can only serve three terms as chairman. So, we could see him as chairman of the committee overseeing the energy industry.

Teaching resource – Authority of the Sunnah Part 2

emuslim — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 16:04:07 +0000

The learning objective for this lesson are below:

Learning Objectives

8. Define the meaning of the word ittiba اتباع

9. Can a person believe in the teachings of a Prophet but not follow them? If not why not? Explain your reasoning with proof from the Quran.

10. Learning is a process of academic instruction and practical training – cite examples using the revelation of books with or without 11. prophets.

12. What are the two types of revelation.

13. Is the second type of revelation found in the Quran?

14. How does the change of the Qiblah incident prove the existence of a second type of revelation?

15. What is the source of the second type of revelation?

16. Are orders given by the second type of revelation binding? What is your proof?

Ittibaa’ (Following) of the Prophet

The second term used by the Holy Qur’ân in respect of the prophets is the ittibaa’, i.e. to follow:

Say, if you love Allâh, follow me and Allâh will love you and forgive you your sins. (3:31)

Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, whom they find written down with them in the Torah and the Injeel… (7:157)

Believe, then, in Allâh and His Messenger, the unlettered Prophet, who believes in Allâh and His words, and follow him so that you may be on the right path. (7:158)

Allâh has surely relented towards the Prophet and the Emigrants and the Helpers who followed him in an hour of difficulty. (9:117)

O Prophet, sufficient for you is Allâh and those who followed you of the believers. (8:64)

(The believers say:) Our Lord, we have come to believe in what You revealed and followed the Messenger. So write us among those who bear witness. (3:53)

Say: This is my way. I call to Allâh with sure knowledge, I and whoever follows me. (12:108)

The closest of the people to Ibrahim are those who follow him. (3:68)

And We set in the hearts of those who followed him (Jesus) tenderness and mercy. (57:27)

And warn the people of the day when the punishment comes on them and those who did evil shall say: Our Lord, defer us to a near term and we shall respond to Your call and shall follow the messengers. (14:44)

And We did not appoint the Qiblah on which you were earlier, but that We might know the people who follow the Messenger as distinct from those who turn back on their heels. (2:143)

He said: My people, follow the messenger! (36:20)

(Hârûn said:) And your Lord is the Rahmaan (the All-Merciful), so follow me and obey my command. (20:90)

So they (the disbelievers) said: Shall we follow a single human being from among us? Then, indeed we should be in error and insanity. (54:24)

All these verses, with different styles and connotations, lay a strong emphasis on the necessity of “following the prophets” and indicate that whoever believes in a prophet is bound to “follow” him. The reason is obvious. The prophets are sent to the people to set a practical example of what they teach and preach. Their message is not confined to their oral teachings. Their acts are equally important in any effort to discover, learn and follow the right way of living. The Holy Qur’ân is quite explicit on this point when it was said in Surah al-Ahzaab:

There is surely a good example for you in the Messenger of Allâh, for the one who hopes (to meet) Allâh and the Hereafter and remembers Allâh abundantly. (33:21)

It is an established fact that mere theoretical education cannot be sufficient for reforming a people. The natural way of reformation is to set a practical example which people may follow. Mere reading of books cannot make a person perfect in a science or art, unless he is simultaneously trained by a senior scholar or a skillful artist of that field. If somebody studies the books of medical science, but does not work under the supervision of an experienced doctor, he, despite his thorough study, cannot claim to serve as a doctor, nor can such a person be allowed to play with the lives of the patients.

If somebody studies books of law, he cannot claim to be a lawyer unless he acquires a practical training from a senior lawyer and remains for a considerable time under his juniorship.

Even a plain enthusiast who wants to cook a good meal cannot do so perfectly by merely studying the books written on the subject, although all the ingredients required for cooking the food are mentioned in the book and even the minute details of the process are fully described. But a person who has never cooked that meal before cannot prepare it just right and perfect with the sole help of a cookbook unless he is practically trained by some expert. That expert sets a practical example for him and he, by following the example, gradually learns how to cook that good meal.

It clearly shows that human beings are always in need of a practical example in order to learn an important subject. The same is true in the matter of religious teaching and training.

That is why Allâh did not choose to send the divine books only. He always sent a messenger with the book. There are many prophets who came without a new divine book. But there is no divine book sent down without a prophet. The disbelievers of Makkah, too, demanded many times that the Book should be revealed to them without the mediation of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam). But the demand was rejected and the Book was sent through the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam).

The reason is obvious. Humanity did not need a divine book only. It also needed a teacher who could teach them the contents of the Book. It also needed an instructor who could train them and could set a practical example for them without which they could not benefit from the Book in their practical life. It was for this reason that the Holy Prophet () was sent with a clear direction to all human beings that they are bound to obey and follow him and to learn the details of Allâh’s pleasure through the practical example set before them by him. It was also clarified in the foregoing verse of the Holy Book that the “obedience of the Messenger” is actually the “obedience of Allâh” and that the latter cannot be carried out except through the former, because whatever the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) says or does in the capacity of a prophet is based on the revelation received by him from Allâh. Thus, his sayings and acts both, even though they are not contained in the Holy Qur’ân, are inspired or confirmed by the divine revelation.

Two Kinds of Revelation

It follows from the foregoing discussion that the revelation the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) received from Allâh is of two different kinds:

(i) the revelation of the Qur’ân, the Holy Book, named in the Islamic terminology as al-wahy al-matluww (the recited revelation, i.e. the revelation which can be recited in the prayers). This kind of revelation is confined to the verses of the Holy Qur’ân and is written verbally in its folds.

(ii) the revelation received by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) from time to time to let him know the pleasure of Allâh in day-to-day affairs and the details of the principles laid down in the Holy Qur’ân with their correct interpretation. This kind of revelation is called al-wahy ghair al-matluww (the unrecited revelation). This kind of revelation is not conveyed to the people verbally. It has been demonstrated through the sayings and acts of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam).

The Second Kind of Revelation Proved by the Holy Qur’ân

This second kind of revelation is not contained in the Holy Qur’ân, but the Holy Qur’ân itself not only refers to it frequently but attributes its contents to Allâh Almighty. Some verses of the Holy Book are reproduced below which clearly prove that the “revelation” is not confined to the Holy Qur’ân, but there is another kind of “wahy” which does not form part of the “Holy Book,” yet it is the revelation from Allâh Almighty:

First Example: The Holy Qur’ân says:

And We did not appoint the Qiblah on which you were earlier, but that We might know the people who follow the Messenger as distinct from those who turn back on their heels. (2:143)

In order to understand the verse, it is necessary to know the background in which it was revealed:

In the early days of Madani life, after the Holy Prophet’s (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) migration to Madinah, the Muslims were ordered to direct their faces in prayers towards Baytul-Maqdas (Jerusalem) which had been appointed as Qiblah of the Muslims. Up to seventeen months, the Muslims had been observing the Baytul-Maqdas as their Qiblah. It was after seventeen months that the Holy Qur’ân abrogated the earlier order and the Muslims were required to observe the Holy Mosque of Makkah as their Qiblah and turn their faces towards it while praying. The following verse was revealed to appoint the new Qiblah:

…So turn your face towards al-Masjid al-Haraam. (2:144)

This new order was criticized by some disbelievers and they objected on it as to why the Baytul-Maqdas was appointed as Qiblah earlier. The above quoted verse (2:143) was revealed to answer this objection. The answer was that the appointment of the former Qiblah was in order to test the people whether or not they follow the Messenger. To quote the meaning of the verse again:

And We did not appoint the Qiblah on which you were earlier, but that We might know the people who follow the Messenger… (2:143)

Here the appointment of the previous Qiblah has been attributed to Allâh Almighty, which is a clear indication to the fact that the appointment of Baytul-Maqdas as Qiblah was done by the order of Allâh Almighty Himself. But this order is nowhere in the Holy Qur’ân, and there is no verse in the Holy Book which directs the turning of faces towards Baytul-Maqdas. This order was given to Muslims by the Holy Prophet () with no reference to any verse of the Holy Qur’ân. Still, this order was mentioned by the Holy Qur’ân in the above quoted verse as the order of Allâh: The words,

“We did not appoint the Qiblah,” instead of the words,

“The Holy Prophet did not…” are too clear on this point to need more explanation.

This statement of the Holy Qur’ân, thus, evidently proves that the previous order given by the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) was based on a revelation which did not form part of the Book. And this is exactly the “unrecited revelation.” The verse of the Holy Qur’ân (2:143) quoted above proves the following facts:

(a) The Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) used to receive some revelations which are not contained in the Holy Qur’ân.

(b) These revelations were from Allâh Almighty, so much so that the orders based on such revelations were attributed to Allâh Almighty.

(c) The orders based on such revelation were as binding on the believers as the orders of the first kind of revelations, i.e. the verse of the Holy Qur’ân.

(d) These orders were sometimes given so as to test whether or not the Muslims follow the Messenger (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) irrespective of the question that his orders are contained in the Holy Qur’ân or not.

Teaching resource (under 10s) – Riyadh Saliheen 306 – 310

emuslim — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:13:47 +0000

Bismillah, alhamdulillah.

Get the children to match the hadeeth to a picture. Stick it on the fridge, tell them to teach others.

Riyadh Saliheen - Hadeeth Worksheet

Teaching resource – Authority of the Sunnah Part 1

emuslim — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 14:43:19 +0000

Bismillah alhamdulillah.

This is a book written by Muhammad Taqi Usmani on the The Authority of the Sunnah. I have added LOBs (Learning Obectives) so that the text can be used as a source for teaching 14+ year olds. The first 7 learning objectives are as follows:

Learning Objectives

Understand the sources of Islamic law.
The three types of actions which are considered as part of the Sunnah
Role of the Messenger of Allah as shown by the Quran (3:164; 62:2)
The logical consequence of obedience based on the roles in 3.
Obedience of the Messenger is explicitly stated.
Significance of mentioning the obedience of God with the obedience of the Messenger.
Rewards of obedience of both (stating evidence).

The part of the text reproduced below covers the above 7 objectives.

The Authority of Sunnah

By Muhammad Taqi Usmani

Chapter 1

Sunnah: The Second Source of Islamic Law

The Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has been accepted as an important source of Islamic law, next in importance only to the Holy Qur’ân. This status of the sunnah has remained unchallenged and undisputed throughout the centuries. There have been many differences among Muslims in their juristic opinions, but the authority of the Holy Qur’ân and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet () was never denied by any jurist. Leaving aside some scattered individuals who separated themselves from the main stream of the Muslim population, nobody has ever refused to accept the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) as a sacred source of the Islamic law.

The position is still the same, but some non-Muslim orientalists and some of their followers have tried, during the last century to cast some doubts in the authority or the veracity of Hadîth and to develop a suspicious attitude towards the Sunnah. That is why some Muslims who are unable to study Islam through its original sources, when they read such books, often become a bit skeptical in the subject.

The present article intends, therefore, to provide an objective and simple account of the SUNNAH based on the original sources of Islamic learning. The purpose is not to indulge in a hot atmosphere of argumentation which has no bounds or limits, but to narrate the truth as it stands.

Definition of Sunnah

The Sunnah has been defined by the scholars of the science of Hadîth as follows:

“A word spoken, or an act done, or a confirmation given by the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam).”

“Confirmation” in this definition is termed in Arabic as Taqreer. What is meant by this term is like somebody said something, or acted in a particular manner, and his saying or act came to the knowledge of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) and he either confirmed it in express words or remained silent without given any indication of disapproval. Such silence, being an implied approval of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) is also included in the term Sunnah.

As the Sunnah, with all its three kinds (saying, act and confirmation) relates to the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam), its true status in Islamic law cannot be ascertained without ascertaining the status of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) himself.

The Status of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam)

So, the first pertinent question in the subject is: What status does a prophet occupy when he is sent to the people? Has he no higher a status than that or a message-carrier or a postman who, after delivering the letter, has no concern with it whatsoever? The answer is certainly in the negative. The prophets are not sent merely to deliver the word of Allâh. They are also required to explain the divine Book, to interpret it, to expound it, to demonstrate the ways of its application and to present a practical example of its contents. Their duty is not restricted to reciting the words of the Book, rather they are supposed to teach it and to train people to run their lives in accordance with its requirements. The Holy Qur’ân leaves no doubt concerning this point by saying:

Allâh has surely blessed the believers with His favor when He raised in their midst a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His verses and makes them pure and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, while they were, earlier in open error. (3:164)

He (Allâh) is the One who raised up, among the unlettered, a Messenger from among themselves who recites the verses of Allâh, and makes them pure, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom. (62:2)

The same functions were attributed to the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) in the prayer of Sayyidna Ibrahim (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) when, according to the Holy Qur’ân, he prayed:

Our Lord, raise in their midst a messenger from among themselves who recites to them Your verses and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom and purifies them… (2:129)

These are the terms of reference given to the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) which include four distinct functions and the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) has been entrusted with all of them:

(1) Recitation of the Verses of Allâh.

(2) Teaching the Book of Allâh.

(3) Teaching the Wisdom.

(4) Making the people pure.

Thus, the Holy Qur’ân leaves no ambiguities in the fact that the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) is not supposed to merely recite the verses and then leave it to the people to interpret and apply them in whatever manner they like. Instead, he is sent to “teach” the Book. Then, since teaching the Book is not enough, he is also required to teach “Wisdom” which is something additional to the “Book.” Still, this is not enough, therefore the Holy Prophet () has also to “make the people pure,” meaning thereby that the theoretical teaching of the Book and the “Wisdom” must be followed by a practical training to enable the people to apply the Book and the Wisdom in the way Allâh requires them to apply.

These verses of the Holy Qur’ân describe the following functions of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam):

(a) He is the authority in the way the Holy Book [the Qur’ân] has to be recited.

(b) He has the final word in the interpretation of the Book.

(d) He is entrusted with the practical training of the people to bring his teachings into practice.

These functions of the Holy Prophet () can never be carried out unless his teachings, both oral and practical, are held to be authoritative for his followers, and the Muslims who are given under his training are made bound to obey and follow him. The functions (b) and (c), namely, the teaching of the Book and Wisdom require that his sayings should be binding on the followers, while the function (d), the practical training, requires that his acts should be an example for the Ummah, and the Ummah should be bound to follow it.

It is not merely a logical inference from the verses of the Holy Qur’ân quoted above, but it is also mentioned in express terms by the Holy Qur’ân in a large number of verses which give the Muslims a mandatory command to obey and follow him. While doing so, the Holy Qur’ân has used two different terms, namely the “itaa’ah” (to obey) and “ittibaa’” (to follow). The first term refers to the orders and sayings of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) while the second relates to his acts and practice. By ordering the Muslims both to “obey” and to “follow” the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam), the Holy Qur’ân has given an authority to both his sayings and acts.

The Obedience (Itaa’ah) of the Messenger

It is in this background that the Holy Qur’ân insists repeatedly on “the obedience of the Prophet” so much so that is is mentioned side by side with the obedience of Allâh:

Say: Obey Allâh and the Messenger, but if they turn their backs, Allâh loves not the disbelievers. (3:32)

And obey Allâh and the Messenger so that you may be blessed. (3:132)

O those who believe, obey Allâh and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. (4:59)

And obey Allâh and obey the Messenger and beware. (5:92)

So fear Allâh and set things right between you, and obey Allâh and His Messenger if you are believers. (8:1)

O those who believe, obey Allâh and His Messenger and do not turn away from him, while you are listening. (8:20)

And obey Allâh and His Messenger and do not quarrel with each other, and so lose heart. (8:46)

Say: Obey Allâh and obey the Messenger; then, if you turn away, upon him rests what is laid on him, and upon you rests what is laid on you. If you obey him, you will be guided. (24:54)

O those who believe, obey Allâh and obey the Messenger and do not make your deeds vain. (47:33)

So establish salaah and pay zakaah and obey Allâh and His Messenger. (58:13)

And obey Allâh and obey the Messenger but if you turn your backs, Our Messenger has only to deliver the manifest message. (64:12)

In these verses, “the obedience of the Messenger” has been ordered as an obligatory command. There are other verses in which the results of the “obedience of the Messenger” have been described. Here again the “obedience of the Messenger” has been combined with “the obedience of Allâh:”

And whoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger, Allâh shall admit him in the Gardens underneath which rivers flow. (4:13)

The same words have been repeated in (48:17) also.

And whoever obeys Allâh and the Messenger, they are in the company of those who Allâh has blessed. (4:69)

All that the believers say, when they are called to Allâh and His Messenger that he may judge between them, is that they say, “We hear and we obey”: it is these who are successful. Whoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger and fears Allâh and has awe of Him: it is these who are the winners. (24:52)

And whoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger, he has won a great success. (33:71)

And the believers, men and women, are friends of each other; they bid the fair and forbid the unfair; they establish Salâh and pay zakaah and they obey Allâh and His Messenger. These are those upon whom Allâh shall have mercy; Allâh is All-Mighty, All-Wise. (9:71)

If you obey Allâh and His Messenger, He will not diminish you anything of your deeds. (49:14)

The Holy Qur’ân has also made it clear that “the obedience of the prophet” is not a new principle, nor is it limited to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam). The same principle applied to all the former prophets who came before him:

And we sent no messenger, but that he should be obeyed by the leave of Allâh. (4:64)

It is also clarified by the Holy Qur’ân that the prophets are the spokesmen of Allâh’s pleasure. Hence, the obedience of the prophet is actually obedience of Allâh Himself.

And whoever obeys the Messenger, thereby obeys Allâh. (4:80)

As the obedience of the Holy Prophet () has been stressed by the Holy Qur’ân and has been combined with the “obedience of Allâh,” in the same way “disobedience” of him has been warned against and is combined with the “disobedience of Allâh:”

And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, He shall admit him to Fire where he shall remain forever. (4:14)

And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger has gone astray into manifest error. (33:36)

And whoever disobeys Allâh and His Messenger, for him there is the fire of Jahannam. There they shall remain forever. (72:23)

And whoever makes a breach with Allâh and His Messenger, then Allâh is severe in punishment. (8:13)

Did they not come to know that whoever opposes Allâh and His Messenger, for him there is the fire of Jahannam? (9:63)

Thus, both positive and negative aspects of the obedience have been dealt with in the Holy Qur’ân and the “obedience of the Holy Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam)” in each one of these verses has been mentioned separately, alongwith the obedience of Allâh.

It is noteworthy that whenever the “obedience of Allâh” is mentioned in the Holy Qur’ân, it is always followed by the “obedience of the Prophet” which has never been missed even in a single verse. There is no verse in the entire Book where the “obedience of Allâh” has been mentioned alone with no reference to the “obedience of the Messenger.”

On the contrary, there are some verses where only the “obedience of the Messenger” has been mentioned, and there is no reference to the obedience of Allâh:

And establish salaah and pay zakaah and obey the Prophet so that you may be blessed. (24:56)

And if you obey him (the Prophet), you shall find the right path. (24:54)

On that day those who disbelieved and disobeyed the Messenger will wish that the earth might be levelled with them. (4:42)

And whoever makes a breach with the Messenger after the right path has become clear to him, and follows a way other than that of the believers, We shall let him own what he chose and shall admit him in the Jahannam, and it is evil as a returning place. (4:115)

The reason for so much stress upon the “obedience of the Prophet” is that the obedience of Allâh cannot be carried out except through the obedience of the Prophet. Allâh does not address each and every individual to tell him what He requires from him, as the Holy Qur’ân puts it:

And it is not possible for a human being that Allâh should speak to him, except by revelation, or from behind a curtain or that He should send a messenger and reveal by His leave what He wills. (42:51)

Therefore Allâh conveys His injunctions only through His prophets and His obedience cannot be carried out except by the obedience of the messengers. So, when a prophet bids something or forbids something, he does not do it in his private capacity, rather he does so in the capacity of a messenger of Allâh. When Allâh Himself has given an express command to “obey the Messenger,” the obedience of the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) is actually the “obedience of Allâh,” though in an indirect manner. This point has been clearly established by the Holy Qur’ân in the following words:

And whoever obeys the Messenger, thereby obeys Allâh. (4:80)

So, whenever only the “obedience of the Messenger” has been mentioned in the Holy Qur’ân, it includes, without saying, the “obedience of Allâh” because the Messenger does not say anything in the capacity of a Messenger unless he is guided by a revelation from Allâh:

And he (the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) does not speak out of his own desire. It is not but a revelation revealed (to him). (53:3-4)

Looked at from this angle, the obedience of the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) represents the obedience of Allâh and the reference to the former always includes the latter. That is why the Holy Qur’ân in some verses deemed it sufficient to refer to the obedience of the Messenger only, for the practical way to obey Allâh is only to obey the prophet.

On the contrary, the Holy Qur’ân did not deem it sufficient to refer to the “obedience of Allâh” without referring to the “obedience of the Messenger,” to remove even the remotest excuse for ignoring the “obedience of the Prophet” and to leave no doubt whatsoever in the fact that the obedience of Allâh is not complete unless the obedience of the Prophet (Sallallaho Alaihe Wassallam) is fully observed with all its implications.

Tony Blair – testament to the truth of Prophet Muhammad (S)

emuslim — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 08:08:54 +0000

Bismillah, alhamdulillah.

Imagine the scenario. A directive has come to spread a message to the whole world. Not from the well funded Pentagon or the halls of power in Europe or cash rich China but in a desert in war torn and impoversihed corner of the world. The material resources that will be given for the project amount a to a budget of virtually zero and you have two decades to achieve your objective. Your mission will be judged a success if your message outlives you and continues until the end of time!

Well that sounds quite daunting even though you may be able to scrape the money together to get a viral advert on You Tube perhaps. But you decide to start locally first and you have been working hard for around 10 years when you have managed to get the attention of the local businessmen and politicians in your city. They have come round for dinner. If you can convince them this will be a major boost to your efforts and you look at the calender and you realise you have eaten almost half of your allocated time. Dinner starts and concludes and now your are about to give your after dinner speech, the crunch moment.

Just as you start to get into your flow one of the few very poor supporters of your mission gate crashes the party and turns up at the table and pulls you by the hand and asks if you have anythng new to teach! Eveyone’s attention is diverted to the poor man and you can see the signs of concern on the businessman wearing their expensive suits as to whether the poor man might give them scabies or some disease! The politicians are wondering why you have allowed that man in their presence.

You might feel dissapointed, perhaps angry you might even say something to keep your poor supporter quiet as this is not the best moment to be interrupted. However you decide to carry on and ignore him by turning away with a look of displeasure on your face and turn your attention back to your guests. Just then your mobile phone rings, it’s not the normal number you give out but the special number that only the source who gave you the mission knows.

You can’t refuse to answer, you pick up the phone and listen. In very severe terms you are told to tell everyone what you did was wrong. Your mission has to pay attention first to the people supporting you rather than the rich businessmen and politicians who are just not interested or think they are far too important. You are ordered to tell everyone this message and the phone goes dead. You tell everyone this new message and the businessmen and politicians stare back at you as if you have gone mad and leave in disgust as they don’t think they have been treated as royalty and have been made equal to the poor!

Your mission lies in ruins how will you proceed now?

Well the scenario is imaginary but it is here to paint a picture of the situation that confronted the Prophet Muhammad (S) when he was addressing the nobles and notables of his tribe in Makkah. His thirteen years in Makkah of labouring hard and trying to convince people that Islam was correct was not bearing much fruit. But now he had a golden opportunity to convince tribal leaders who in turn could convince all their tribesmen to join Islam! But just as the Prophet Muhammad (S) is engaged in trying to convince them Ibn Umm Maktoum a blind convert and companion of his comes and interrupts him. The Prophet (S) frowns and turns away from his companion. This is not the best moment to be interrupted! The frown and turn is hardly noticed by anyone but the All Seeing God sends down immedite guidance and a lesson. The All Wise God and master planner of the spread of Islam rebukes his Messenger by reveling the 80th surah of the Quran, surah Abasa.

Pause for a moment and think about this event. For any reflective studier of history this event is a miracle for the effect clearly should have scuppered the mission of Islam that Muhammad (S) was trying to bring about. Such critcism of his behaviour in such a public manner at such a critical juncture would be virtually suicidal in terms of the mission. If Muhammad (S) was a false prophet, a man chasing the reigns of power alone, then he would never have rebuked himself in such a manner at such a critical time. Look at the slow ‘sorry’ through gritted teeth that the former Prime Minister Tony Blair gave well after the events have passed that led to the multitude of deaths in Iraq. It is not in the nature of a politician or ruler to rebuke themselves so openly at crticial junctures in their reigns of power. Politicians believe that power slips through your hands, so throwing it away with such acts of humility is not political acumen but political suicide. Yet in the events that are captured by this Surah Prophet Muhammad (S) has effectively taken what little influence he had and thrown with an emphatic throw to the ground. A politician or a prophet? For a truly unbiased person a study of the life history of Prophet Muhammad (S) will only lead to the conclusion that this man was a true Prophet of God and not a politician interested in power and self-adulation.

The outcome of the Prophetic mission within close to a decade of this event was an unprecedented success completely at odds with what one should have predicted. The unbiased reader will never ceased to be astounded by the phenomenal success of the mission of Prophet Muhammad’s (S). The combination of the lack of resources and ability to turn the negative into the positive defies any human explanation. What explanation can a fair reader of history give except that he is forced to the conclusion that this mission is not under human direction but under the watchful gaze and guidance of God.

Quran PowerPoints

emuslim — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 16:43:10 +0000

Bismillah, alhamdulillah.

Here are some baseline presentations that can be used as material to present or produce your own presentations for the commentary of the smaller surahs in the Quran. Download from here.