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46088: Which is better, reading Qur'aan together or individually?

Question:

What is the manner in which Jibreel review the Qur'aan with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in Ramadaan? Does that indicate that it is better to study the Qur'aan together rather than individually? Is it better to do that at night rather than during the day? We hope you can explain.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Firstly:

With regard to how he reviewed it with him, I do not know how that was done.

Secondly:

With regard to whether it is mustahabb for people to gather to read Qur'aan together or for each person to read it individually, that depends on the person himself. If gathering with his brothers to study Qur'aan together will make him more focused and help him to learn better, then gathering with others is preferable, i.e., if gathering with others will make him have proper presence of mind and be more focused on pondering the meanings of the Qur'aan, and allow the opportunity to discuss the meanings, then that is better. But if it is the opposite then reading it on his own is better.

Thirdly:

With regard to Jibreel reviewing the Qur'aan with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), that was for the purpose of making sure that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) memorized it.

With regard to the third part of your question _ which is whether it is better to do that at night rather than during the day _ the answer is yes, but a person may need to do other things which means that he cannot study Qur'aan at night, in which case he should study it more during the day.

So each person should look at what is best for him, because of the general meaning of the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Strive to do that which will benefit you." So whatever is more beneficial for you, so long as it is not forbidden according to sharee'ah, is best.

Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 8/78.

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34234: He claims that the Qur'aan is lacking in eloquence and contains grammatical errors

Question:

In Soorat al-Baqarah it says (interpretation of themeaning):

"And indeed, We gave Moosa (Moses) the Book and followed him up with a succession of Messengers. And We gave `Eesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), clear signs and supported him with Rooh-ul-Qudus [Jibreel (Gabriel)]. Is it that whenever there came to you a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not, you grew arrogant? Some you disbelieved and some you killed" [al-Baqarah 2:87]

My Christian colleague says, look at the way the word taqtuloon (translated as "you killed" _ appears in present tense form) follows the word kadhdhabtum ("you disbelieved" _ past tense). He says that the wording should be [Allaah forbid that we should alter His Holy Book] fa fareeqan kadhdhabtum wa fareeqan qataltum (Some you disbelieved and some you killed) [i.e., both verbs appearing in past tense form], because the Prophets have ceased and Muhammad was the Seal of the Prophets. It should be noted that he does not believe that the Prophet Muhammad was a Prophet, rather he believes that Prophet `Eesa (Jesus) was the last of the Messengers.
In Soorat Aal `Imraan it says (interpretation of the meaning):

"When He has decreed something, He says to it only: `Be!'__and it is [kun fa yakoon]" [Aal `Imraan 3:47]

My Christian colleague also thinks that this is ineloquent and he says that it would be more correct [Allaah forbid that we should alter His Holy Book] to say Kun fa kaana (Be and it was).

Please explain so that I can refute his comments. "So ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know" [al-Anbiya 21:7 _ interpretation of the meaning].

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

The one who is not able to engage in debate with others should fear Allaah and not get involved in debates and arguments with others; rather he should try to protect his religious commitment by refraining from arguing with the ignorant or those who promote specious arguments.

Secondly:

With regard to the specious arguments mentioned _ which are more flimsy than a spider's web _ these may be answered in two ways.

The first way is in general terms, which is to say that the Qur'aan is the Book of Allaah which was revealed to the pure Arabs, who were the most advanced nation in the field of eloquence; they paid a great deal of attention to that and had reached a high level of eloquent self-expression. They had established festivals of poetry and speech-giving, they hung their mu'allaqaat poems on the Ka'bah as a sign of the high esteem in which they held eloquence and literature; they competed in poetry and beautiful speech. Poetry flowed through their veins and they recited poems on all occasions, for joy and sorrow, birth and death, happiness and misery, victory and defeat. This was something that was unknown in any other nation.

Hence by His wisdom Allaah revealed to them this Qur'aan in this language of which they were so proud and because of which they thought themselves superior to other nations. The Qur'aan dazzled them with its beautiful words and meanings, its great purpose and structure. So they submitted to it out of respect for its language and dare not speak any word of criticism against its wording, grammar or expression.

Allaah challenged them in His Book to produce anything like the Qur'aan, but they could not match it, let alone find fault with its grammar. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Say: `If the mankind and the jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur'aan, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another'"
[al-Isra' 17:88]

Then Allaah challenged them to produced ten soorahs like it, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

"Or they say, `He (Prophet Muhammad) forged it (the Qur'aan).' Say: `Bring you then ten forged Soorah (chapters) like unto it, and call whomsoever you can, other than Allaah (to your help), if you speak the truth!'"

[Hood 11:13]

When they were unable to do that, then Allaah challenged them to produce just one soorah like it. Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning):

"And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e. the Qur'aan) to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a Soorah (chapter) of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allaah, if you are truthful" [al-Baqarah 2:23]

No one who comes afterwards, when the language has become corrupted and mixed with foreign languages, has any right to support such nonsensical ideas that do no more than point to the depth of his ignorance and the shallowness of his thinking, and his lack of knowledge of the Arabic language. As it was said,

"How often do you see someone criticizing something that is sound, and his problem is that he cannot understand it properly."

The second way is in specific, detailed terms, discussing the aspects of eloquence in the words that he criticized. This is as follows:

With regard to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

"Some you disbelieved and some you killed (fa fareeqan kadhdhabtum wa fareeqan taqtuloon)"

[al-Baqarah 2:87]

The scholar al-Taahir ibn `Ashoor said in his commentary (al-Tahreer wa'l-Tanweer, 1/598):

The word taqtuloon (translated as "you killed") appears in the present tense form to emphasize more vividly the terrible action that they did, namely killing the Prophets. This is like the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And it is Allaah Who sends [arsala _ part tense form] the winds, so that they raise up [fa tutheeru _ present tense form] the clouds, and We drive them to a dead land, and revive therewith the earth after its death"

[Faatir 35:9]

Moreover, the form taqtuloon fits with the rhyme of the soorah and makes it more vivid; this provides eloquence of meaning and beauty of form. End of quote.

Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen quoted in his Tasfeer (1/283) from some of the scholars another reason for using the present tense form taqtuloon, which is to provide a sense of continuity, i.e., the Jews kept on killing the Prophets, even the last of them, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). They killed the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with the poison that they gave him at Khaybar, and he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued to suffer the effects of that until, in his final illness, he said, "I still feel pain from the food I ate at Khaybar. This is the time when it has cut off my aorta."

Abu Dawood; also narrated by al-Bukhaari in a mu'allaq report. Al-Albaani said in Saheeh Abi Dawood (3784), it is hasan saheeh.

With regard to the verse in which Allaah says

(interpretation of the meaning):

"When He has decreed something, He says to it only: `Be!' __and it is [kun fa yakoon]"

[Aal `Imraan 3:47]

This is more indicative of the ignorance of this objector, because this verse is speaking of when Allaah wills to create something in the future, not in the past; this is to be understood from the use of the word idha (meaning when, if), which refers to something in the future. Hence the verb yaqool (says) appears in the present tense, to indicate that it is referring to something in the future, and it is followed by the verb yakoon (it is), also in the present tense, which also refers to something in the future.

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32594: Is it better to recite Qur'aan from memory or to read from the Mus-haf?

Question:

Is it better to read Qur'aan whilst looking at the Mus-haf, or to recite from memory?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

In prayer, it is better to recite from memory. See question no. 3465.

Outside of prayer, it is better for a person to do that which will increase his khushoo' (humility, focus). If his khushoo' will be increased by reciting from memory, then that is better; if his khushoo' will be increased by reading from the Mus-haf, then that is better. If it is the same in either case, then reading from the Mus-haf is better, because it combines reading and looking, and his eyes will be protected from looking at things that may distract him from reciting and pondering the meaning.

Al-Nawawi said in al-Adhkaar (p. 90-91):

Reading Qur'aan from the Mus-haf is better than reciting from memory; this is the view of our companions and it is well known from the salaf (may Allaah be pleased with them). This does not apply in all cases however; if the reader can focus and ponder the meanings more when reciting from memory than when reading from the Mus-haf, then reciting from memory is better. If it is the same in both cases, then reading from the Mus-haf is better. This is what the salaf meant.

There are weak (da'eef) ahaadeeth narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which cannot be used as proof that it is better to look at the Mus-haf. We mention them only to draw attention to the fact that they are weak. These include:

"Looking at the Mus-haf is an act of worship; for a child to look at his parents is an act of worship; looking at `Ali ibn Abi Taalib is an act of worship." This is a fabricated (mawdoo') hadeeth, as al-Albaani said in al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah, 1/531.

"Give your eyes their share of worship: looking at the Mus-haf, thinking about it and pondering its wonders." This is also fabricated (mawdoo'). Al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah, 4/88.

"Five things are acts of worship: eating little, sitting in the mosque, looking at the Ka'bah, looking at the Mus-haf and looking at the face of a scholar." This is a very weak (da'eef jiddan) hadeeth. Da'eef al-Jaami' al-Sagheer, no. 2855.

And Allaah knows best.

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33583: Are precious stones mentioned in the Qur'aan?

Question:

Please let me know about this query ? how many stones [ precious / semi precious ] are mentioned in the holy quran ? in which surah are they mentioned ? is there any spiritual significance of these stones ?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The primary purpose of the Qur'aan is to guide mankind to Allaah, so that they will affirm His Oneness and worship Him alone, and attain His Paradise and His pleasure. The Qur'aan is not a book of science, medicine or astronomy, even though its verses may contain a little of such things.

Hence the Muslim should not let himself be distracted from the greater purpose of reciting the Qur'aan and look for the number of stones or rivers or kinds of animals mentioned therein.

Some precious stones such as rubies, pearls and coral are mentioned in the Qur'aan.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"(In beauty) they are like rubies and coral"

[al-Rahmaan 55:58]

"Out of them both come out pearl and coral"

[al-Rahmaan 55:22]

"Like unto preserved pearls"

[al-Waaqi'ah 56:23]

"And round about them will (serve) boys of everlasting youth. If you see them, you would think them scattered pearls"

[al-Insaan 76:19]

These stones do not have any spiritual significance, rather they are mentioned in the Qur'aan to explain the blessings that Allaah has bestowed upon His slaves, of the seas and the things that are brought forth from them, or as a metaphor _ so al-hoor al-`iyn are likened to rubies, coral and preserved pearls, combining the purity of rubies and the whiteness of pearls and coral.

The boys are likened to scattered pearls, to indicate their beauty and good looks.

And Allaah knows best.

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96: The Qur'aan and medicine

Question:

I heard in a lecture that medical scientists or doctors claim that many medicines&treatements have been discovererd&propounded by inferring facts frm the Holy Quran.

Now my question is, Is that all regarding medicine is mentioned in the Holy Quran? Or is there more left which we've to still put into use?

I'm asking this question with regards to an earnest request frm a friend of mine, a hindu named Vignesh and he asked me whether there r matters left still in the Holy Quran to control some of these deadly diseases.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with a religion that covers all aspects of life, as Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) left us and no bird flapped its wings in the sky except that he had taught us some knowledge about it.

(Narrated by Ahmad, 20399. See Majma' al-Zawaa'id, 8/263. al-Haythami said: it was narrated by al-Tabaraani and its men are the men of saheeh apart from Muhammad ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Yazeed al-Muqri' who is thiqah (trustworthy)).

Islam came to meet the needs of people in all aspects of their lives.

Secondly:

What is narrated in the Sunnah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) complements what is in the Qur'aan. These two sources are the principal sources for Muslims. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us that Allaah has not sent down any disease but He has also sent down a cure for it.

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has not sent down any disease but He has also sent down a cure for it."

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5678.

Thirdly:

What the questioner has mentioned, that some Muslims say that many remedies were discovered through the Holy Qur'aan, we say that this is somewhat exaggerated.

The Qur'aan is not a book of medicine or geography or geology as some Muslims like to say to westerners. Rather it is a book of guidance for mankind and one of the greatest of its miracles is its eloquence and the ideas and concepts that it contains. This is the main aspect of its miraculous nature. Allaah revealed it to His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) at a time when eloquence had reached great heights, so this book came to amaze those people and challenge them in their area of expertise, to prove to them that it was from Allaah.

This is not strange, and it is nothing new in religion. The signs of Moosa (peace be upon him) _ his stick and his hand _ were of the kind that was prevalent during his time, which was magic (sihr). The signs of `Eesa (peace be upon him) _ raising the dead and healing the blind and lepers _ were of the kind that his people were skilled in and that was widespread among them, which was medicine.

Hence we say that the greatest feature of the Qur'aan is its eloquence. Scholars nowadays are still discovering new aspects of its eloquence through their study of its verses.

This does not mean that there is no other miraculous aspects to the Qur'aan. Rather in some verses Allaah mentions things about the design of the human body, the stages of its creation and development, some natural phenomena, etc.

But with regard to cures for various diseases, as the questioner mentions, the Qur'aan is a healing for the believers. This includes healing the heart (mental or spiritual disease) and physical healing. Allaah mentions honey in the Qur'aan and says that it is a healing for mankind. And He mentions the principle of preserving good health and guarding against sickness. So whoever says that the Qur'aan says a lot about medicine in this regard is right, but whoever goes beyond that is exaggerating. Rather this is a kind of exaggeration coined by some Muslims. The Qur'aan is not a book of medicine. There are some diseases that did not exist previously, so how could their cure come _ according to what the questioner says _ before they appeared?

Fourthly:

(a) The following are some of the verses which indicate that the Qur'aan is healing:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe"

[al-Isra' 17:82]

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Allaah says "And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe". The correct view is that the word min (translated here as "of") serves to explain the nature of the Qur'aan as a whole, not to refer to parts of it and not other parts.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'aan, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that which is in your hearts"

[Yoonus 10:57]

The Qur'aan is the complete healing for all mental, spiritual and physical diseases, all diseases of this world and the Hereafter. But not everyone is guided to use it for the purpose of healing. If the sick person uses the Qur'aan for healing in the proper way, and applies it to his disease with sincerity, faith, complete acceptance and firm conviction, fulfilling all its conditions, then no disease can resist it.

How can disease resist the words of the Lord of heaven and earth which, if He had revealed it to the mountains they would have crumbled and if He had revealed it to the earth it would have broken it apart? There is no sickness, spiritual or physical, but in the Qur'aan there is that which indicates its remedy, its cause and how to protect against it for those who are blessed with understanding of His Book. Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/352

(b) The Qur'aan contains the treatment for hearts and souls, and as such it is a means of expelling all sicknesses from the body. In this regard the Qur'aan is a healing and a remedy for many diseases.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

We and others have tried this on many occasions and we have seen that it works in ways that physical remedies do not. Indeed we now regard physical medicine as the doctors regard folk medicine. This is in accordance with the law of divine wisdom, not contrary to it, but the causes of healing are many and varied. When the heart is in contact with the Lord of the Worlds, the Creator of the disease and the remedy, the Controller of nature Who directs it as He wills, he has other remedies apart from the remedies that are sought by the heart that is far away from Him and that turns away from Him. It is known that when a person's spirits are high and his body is in good shape, they cooperate in warding off disease and suppressing it, so if a person is in high spirits and physical good shape, finds comfort in being close to his Creator, loving Him, enjoying remembrance of Him (dhikr), devoting all his strength and power for His sake and focusing on Him, seeking His help, putting his trust in Him, how can anyone deny that this is the greatest medicine or that this spiritual power gives him the means to ward off pain and defeat it completely? No one would deny this but the most ignorant of people, those who are furthest away from Allaah and the most hard-hearted and unaware of human nature.

Zaad al-Ma'aad 4/12

(c) In the Qur'aan there is Soorat al-Faatihah which is a ruqyah to be recited as a prayer for healing.

It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "A group of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set out on a journey and traveled until they stopped in (the land of) one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for hospitality but they refused to welcome them. The chief of that tribe was stung by a scorpion and they tried everything but nothing helped them. Some of them said, `Why don't you go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe you will find something with them.' So they went to them and said, `O people, our chief has been stung by a scorpion and we have tried everything but nothing helped him. Can any of you do anything?' One of them said, `Yes, by Allaah, I will recite ruqyah for him, but by Allaah we asked you for hospitality and you did not welcome us, so I will not recite ruqyah for you until you give us something in return.' Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep.' Then he went and spat drily and recited over him Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-`Aalameen [Soorat al-Faatihah]. (The chief) got up as if he was released from a chain and started walking, and there were no signs of sickness on him. They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e. the companions) then suggested to divide their earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the ruqyah said, `Do not divide them until we go to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and tell him what happened, then wait and see what he tells us to do.' So they went to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him what had happened. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) asked, `How did you know that it (al-Faatihah) is a ruqyah?' Then he added, `You have done the right thing. Share out (the flock of sheep) and give me a share too.' And the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) smiled."

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2156; Muslim, 2201

Ibn al-Qayyim said concerning Soorat al-Faatihah:

Whoever is guided by Allaah and is given good insight to understand the deep meaning of this soorah and what it contains of Tawheed, understanding of the Divine nature, the names, attributes and actions of Allaah, the Divine decree, the Resurrection, rejecting any misconception that undermines the concept of the Oneness of the Divine Lordship and Divine nature, complete trust in Allaah and referring all one's affairs to the One Who has full control of all things _ to Him be all praise, for all goodness is in His hand and to Him all things return _ and feeling in need of Him in seeking guidance that is the root of happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, will realize the connection between the contents of this soorah and bringing good and warding off evil. He will understand that ultimate goodness and blessing is connected to this soorah and is dependent upon understanding it and acting upon it. Then this soorah will make him independent of many other kinds of medicine and ruqyah, and it will open the door to a great deal of goodness and ward off a great deal of evil.

Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/347

(d) The Qur'aan mentions the principle of maintaining good health.

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

The basic principles of medicine are three: prevention, maintaining good health, and removing harmful substances from the body.

Allaah has mentioned them all together, to His Prophet and his ummah in three places in His Book.

He prevented the sick person from using water lest it harm him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find no water, perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands (Tayammum)" [al-Nisa' 4:42]

Allaah allowed the sick person to do tayammum to protect him, just as He permitted it to the one who has no water.

Allaah says concerning the maintenance of good health:

"and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must be made up] from other days"

[al-Baqarah 2:185]

The traveller is allowed to break his fast during Ramadaan, to protect his health lest the combination of fasting and the difficulties of travel weakens him and affects his health.

And Allaah said concerning the removal of harmful things by shaving the head of the person in ihraam (for Hajj or `Umrah):

"And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment in his scalp (necessitating shaving), he must pay a Fidyah (ransom) of either observing Sawm (fasts) (three days) or giving Sadaqah (charity — feeding six poor persons) or offering sacrifice (one sheep)"

[al-Baqarah 2:196]

So if a person has an ailment in his scalp when he is in ihraam, he is permitted to shave his head and remove the harmful thing or the bad substance that is causing lice to develop _ as happened to Ka'b ibn `Ajrah _ or if it is causing sickness to develop.

These three matters are the basic principles of medicine. We have mentioned an example of each one in order to point out the blessing of Allaah to His slaves in preventing sickness, protecting their health and removing harmful substances from them, as a mercy and kindness towards His slaves, for He is the Most Kind, Most Merciful.

Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/164, 165

Ibn al-Qayyim said: On one occasion I discussed this with one of the chief doctors of Egypt, and he said: By Allaah if I had to travel to the west to obtain these benefits that would not be too much _ or words to that effect.

Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/25

(e) Mention of honey in the Qur'aan, and that it is a healing for mankind.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"There comes forth from their [bees'] bellies, a drink of varying colour wherein is healing for men"

[al-Nahl 16:69]

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

With regard to the Prophet's guidance concerning drinking, it is the most perfect guidance that maintains good health. He used to drink honey mixed with cold water. This is very healthy and no one can understand how healthy it is except the most prominent doctors. For drinking honey on an empty stomach dissolves phlegm, cleanses the stomach, reduces its viscosity, washes away waste matter, warms it up a little and opens its inlet and exit. It has a similar effect on the liver, kidneys and urethra. It is more beneficial to the stomach than any other kind of sweet that enters it. However it may cause side effects in people who are suffering from jaundice because it is hot and jaundice is hot, so it may aggravate it; in order to avoid this effect vinegar may be added, then honey will become beneficial and drinking it will be more useful than many or most of the drinks that are made from sugar, especially for those who are not used to these drinks, for if they drink them they will not suit them as well as honey does, or even come close.

With regard to drinking it when it is collected and well-prepared, this is one of the most beneficial things for the body, and one of the greatest means of preserving health; it is very refreshing and energizing, and it is good for the liver and heart. If it is well-prepared it provides nutrition and makes food reach all parts of the body in the most effective manner.

Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/224, 225

And he said (may Allaah have mercy on him):

Honey contains great benefits, for it cleanses impurities from the veins and stomach etc, whether it is eaten or applied to the skin. It is good for the elderly, the phlegmatic and those whose humours are cold and wet. It is nourishing, aids digestion, energizes, makes unpleasant medicine palatable, is good for the liver and chest, is a diuretic and helps to ease coughs caused by phlegm. If it is drunk warm mixed with rosewater it is beneficial for one who has been bitten by a scorpion or who has consumed opium. If it is drunk on its own mixed with water, it is good for the one who has been bitten by a rabid dog or eaten poisonous mushrooms. If fresh meat is placed in honey, it will stay fresh for three months, as will cucumbers, pumpkins and eggplants. Many fruits can be kept in it for six months. It will also preserve a dead body, and it is known as the trustworthy preserver. If the body of one who is afflicted with lice is painted with honey, it will kill the lice and their eggs. It makes the hair long, beautiful and smooth. If used on the eyes like kohl it clears the vision. If the teeth are brushed with it, it whitens the teeth and makes them bright, and keeps the gums healthy. It opens the veins and induces menstruation. If taken on an empty stomach it takes away phlegm and cleanses the stomach, clearing away waste matter and restoring the correct temperature. It does likewise to the liver, kidneys and urethra.

As well as all this, it has no side effects and causes little harm. It may cause side effects in one who is suffering from jaundice, but that may be counteracted by vinegar and the like, in which case it becomes very beneficial for him.

It is a kind of nourishment, a kind of medicine, a kind of drink, a kind of sweet, a kind of cream. There is nothing that has been created for us for a similar purpose that is better than it, or even comes close. The ancient peoples relied on it, and in most of the books of the ancients there is no mention of sugar at all and it was unknown to them, for it is something that is very new. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to drink honey mixed with water on an empty stomach, and this is the secret of maintaining good health that no one can understand except one who is intelligent and blessed.

Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/33, 34.

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31865: Were the heavens and the earth created in six days or eight?

Question:

I read the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Indeed, your Lord is Allaah, Who created the heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He rose over (Istawa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His Majesty). He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the creation and commandment. Blessed is Allaah, the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!"
[al-A'raaf 7:54]

What I understand from this is that Allaah created the heavens and the earth in six days. This is clear.
But in another passage Allaah mentions the creation of the heavens and the earth, and He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Say (O Muhammad): Do you verily disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two Days? And you set up rivals (in worship) with Him? That is the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).

He placed therein (i.e. the earth) firm mountains from above it, and He blessed it, and measured therein its sustenance (for its dwellers) in four Days equal (i.e. all these four `days' were equal in the length of time) for all those who ask (about its creation).

Then He rose over (Istawa) towards the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: `Come both of you willingly or unwillingly.' They both said: `We come willingly.'

Then He completed and finished from their creation (as) seven heavens in two Days and He made in each heaven its affair. And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars) to be an adornment as well as to guard (from the devils by using them as missiles against the devils). Such is the Decree of Him, the AllMighty, the AllKnower" [Fussilat 41:9-12]

Here Allaah says that He created the earth in two days, then He placed therein firm mountains and measured therein its sustenance in four days, which makes six days in all. Then He created the heavens in two days, so the total comes to eight days.

How can we reconcile between the two verses?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

This is an issue which confuses some people, and some of them think that Allaah created the heavens and the earth in eight days as Allaah says in Soorah Fussilat (interpretation of the meaning):

"Say (O Muhammad): Do you verily disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two Days? And you set up rivals (in worship) with Him? That is the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).

He placed therein (i.e. the earth) firm mountains from above it, and He blessed it, and measured therein its sustenance (for its dwellers) in four Days equal (i.e. all these four `days' were equal in the length of time) for all those who ask (about its creation).

Then He rose over (Istawa) towards the heaven when it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: `Come both of you willingly or unwillingly.' They both said: `We come willingly.'

Then He completed and finished from their creation (as) seven heavens in two Days and He made in each heaven its affair. And We adorned the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars) to be an adornment as well as to guard (from the devils by using them as missiles against the devils). Such is the Decree of Him, the AllMighty, the AllKnower"

[Fussilat 41:9-12]

because this seems to contradict the other verse which says that He created them in six days.

This is a misunderstanding, and the answer to it is as follows:

There is no contradiction between the time period mentioned in these verses and the other verse which says that it was six days.

In these verses _ from Soorah Fussilat _ we see that Allaah is telling us that He "created the earth in two Days".

Then He "placed therein (i.e. the earth) firm mountains from above it, and He blessed it, and measured therein its sustenance (for its dwellers)" in four days equal_ i.e., in two days that were added to the two days in which He created the earth, so the total is four days. It does not say that the creation of the mountains and the measuring of the sustenance took four days.

Perhaps the confusion which is mentioned in the question stems from this, i.e., from thinking that the four days are added to the two days in which the earth was created, equaling six, and then adding the two days in which the heavens were created ("Then He completed and finished from their creation (as) seven heavens in two Days") _ making a total of eight days, not six days. But this confusion can be dispelled by dealing with this mistaken notion. So the earth was created in two days, and the mountains were created and the sustenance measured in two more days which makes a total of four, i.e., this took the other two days. Then the creation of the seven heavens took two days. So the total is six days of the Days of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.

The mufassireen commented on this fact which deals with the mistaken notion. Al-Qurtubi said:

"in four days" _ this is like someone saying, "I set out from Basra to Baghdad in ten days and to Kufa in fifteen days, i.e., a total time of fifteen days." (al-Jaami' li Ahkaam al-Qur'aan, vol. 15, p. 343).

Al-Baghawi said: "in four days" means the creation of what is in the earth. The measuring of the sustenance was on Tuesday and Wednesday, which along with Sunday and Monday add up to four days. This is like saying "I married a woman yesterday and today I married two" _ one of whom is the woman whom he married the day before.

Tafseer al-Baghawi, 7/165

Al-Zajjaaj said: "in four days" means two days added to the previous two days.

Al-Kashshaaf, vol. 3, p. 444

These verses _ from Soorah Fussilat _ confirm the other verse, which says that the creation of the heavens and the earth was completed in six days. So there is no contradiction concerning the period in which Allaah created the heavens and the earth. There cannot be any such contradictions in the Qur'aan..

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10022: The meaning of the hadeeth " `Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad" is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan"

Question:

Answer #4156 item#2

then there is no need to learn the entire quraan or to even read it during ramadaan,etc all you have to do is to read sura Ikhlas.I think you made a mistake.Sura Ikhlas is the substance of 1/3 of the quraan.it is amazing to believe that reading the sura Iklas 3 times will give you the blessing of reading the ENTIRE quraan,then there is no point reading the entire Quraan.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: there follow some of the ahaadeeth narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which state that Soorat al-Ikhlaas (Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad) is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan.

Al-Bukhaari (6643) narrated from Abu Sa'eed that a man heard another man reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad and repeating it. The next morning he came to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him about that. The man thought that it was too little, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose hand is my soul, it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan."

Muslim (811) narrated from Abu'l-Dardaa' that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Is any one of you unable to recite one-third of the Qur'aan in one night?" They said, "How could anyone read one-third of the Qur'aan?" He said, "Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan."

Muslim (812) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Gather together, for I will recite to you one-third of the Qur'aan." So those who could gather together gathered there, then the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and recited Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, then he went in. They said to one another, Perhaps there has been some news from heaven on account of which he has gone inside (the house). Then the Prophet of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and said, "I told you that I was going to recite to you one-third of the Qur'aan. Verily it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan."

Secondly: The bounty of Allaah is immense, and Allaah has bestowed His bounty upon this ummah and has made up for its short life span by giving it more reward for simple deeds. It is strange that with some people, instead of this motivating them to do more good, this makes them apathetic and lazy in doing acts of worship, or they feel that this bounty and reward is strange and farfetched.

With regard to the meaning of the hadeeth:

There is a difference between jaza' (reward) and ijza' (what is sufficient). What is making the brother confused is that he does not see the difference between them.

Jaza' means the reward which Allaah gives for obeying Him.

Ijza' means what is sufficient and takes the place of something else.

Reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad brings a reward equivalent to reciting one-third of the Qur'aan, but it does not take the place of reading one-third of the Qur'aan.

If a person vows _ for example _ to read one-third of the Qur'aan, it is not sufficient for him to read Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, because it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan in reward, but not in terms of being sufficient or taking the place of reading one-third of the Qur'aan.

The same may be said of reciting it three times. If a person recites it three times in his prayer, that does not mean that he does not have to recite al-Faatihah, even though he will be given the reward of reciting the whole Qur'aan.

A similar example is the reward given by the Lawgiver to one who offers a single prayer in the Sanctuary of Makkah, and that he will have the reward of one hundred thousand prayers. Does anyone take this divine bounty to means that he does not have to pray for decades because he offered a single prayer in the Haram that is equivalent to one hundred thousand prayers?

Rather this has to do with reward; as for what is sufficient, that is another matter altogether.

Moreover, none of the scholars has ever said that there is no need for us to read the Qur'aan or that Qul Huwa Allaah Ahad is sufficient and takes the place of that. The correct scholarly view is that this soorah has this great virtue because the Qur'aan deals with three topics: one-third for rulings, one-third for promises and warnings, and one-third for the Divine names and attributes.

This soorah combines names and attributes.

This is the view of Abu'l-`Abbaas ibn Surayj, and Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah stated that it was good in Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 17/103.

The Muslim cannot do without the two other issues, which are the rulings and the promises and warnings. His knowledge cannot be complete unless he looks at the Book of Allaah as a whole. The one who stops at Soorat al-Ikhlaas cannot know the other two matters.

Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah _ may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Rewards are of different types, just as wealth is of different types, such as food, drink, clothing, houses, money and so on. If a man possesses one type of wealth, to the value of one thousand dinars, that does not mean that he can do without the other types. Rather if he has wealth in the form of food, he also needs clothing and a place to live, etc. Similarly if it is a type other than money, he still needs other things. If he has nothing but money, he will need all kinds of wealth that are usually needed. In al-Faatihah there are the benefits of praise and du'aa' which people need, and Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad cannot replace it in that sense. Although its reward is very great, he cannot benefit from it unless he also recites the Opening of the Book (al-Faatihah) in his prayer. Hence if a person recites only Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad in his prayer, without al-Faatihah, his prayer is not valid. Even if he recited the whole of the Qur'aan without al-Faatihah, his prayer would not be valid, because the al-Faatihah refers to the basic needs that people cannot do without.

Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 17/131.

And he said:

The people need the commands, prohibitions and stories that are in the Qur'aan, even though Tawheed is greater than that. Man needs to know what he is enjoined to do and what he is forbidden to do; he need to know what is enjoined upon him and the stories and promises and rewards. These cannot be replaced by anything else, and Tawheed cannot be replaced by these. The stories cannot take the place of the commands and prohibitions, and the commands and prohibitions cannot take the place of the stories. Rather everything that was sent down by Allaah is beneficial and people need it.

If a person recites Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, he earns a reward equivalent to the reward of one-third of the Qur'aan, but that does not mean that the reward is of the same kind as that earned by reading the rest of the Qur'aan. Rather he may need the kind of reward that comes from reading the commands and prohibitions and stories, so Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad cannot take the place of all that.

And he said:

The knowledge that is to be gained by reading the rest of the Qur'aan cannot be gained by reciting this soorah only. So whoever reads the whole Qur'aan is better than one who simply recites this soorah three times in the sense that he earns different kinds of reward, even though the one who recites Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad earns a reward equivalent to that reward, but it is of one type and does not include all the types that a person needs. This is like a man who has three thousand dinars and another who has food, clothing, accommodation and money equivalent to three thousand dinars. The latter has that which will benefit him in all his affairs, whereas the former needs what the latter has, even though what he has is equivalent in value. Similarly, if he has the finest food, equivalent to three thousand dinars in value, he still needs clothing and accommodation, and weapons and tools that will ward off harm from him, and the like, which cannot be done with food alone.

Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 17/137-139

And Allaah knows best.

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10012: Who wrote the Qur'aan and how was it put together?

Question:

Who wrote the Qur'aan and how was it put together?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Allaah has guaranteed to preserve this Qur'aan Himself. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)"

[al-Hijr 15:9]

Ibn Jareer al-Tabari said in his Tafseer, 14/8:

Allaah is saying, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (Reminder), i.e. the Qur'aan, and We will guard the Qur'aan against anything false being added to it that is not part of it, or anything that is part of it being taken away, whether that has to do with rulings, hudood punishments or matters having to do with inheritance.

Al-Sa'di said in his Tafseer (p. 696):

It is We Who have sent down the Qur'aan in which there is mention of all issues and clear evidence, and in which We remind those who want to be reminded.

"and surely, We will guard it" means, when it is being revealed and after it has been revealed. When it is revealed, We protect it from the tampering of every accursed devil, and after it has been revealed Allaah instilled it in the heart of His Messenger. Allaah protected the words from being changed and from anything being added or taken away, or from its meanings being distorted. So no one can attempt to distort its meanings but Allaah will guide someone to explain the truth of the Qur'aan. This is one of the greatest signs of Allaah and His blessing to His believing slaves. Another aspect of this protection is that Allaah protects the people of the Qur'aan against their enemies, and no enemy can overpower them and eliminate them.

The Qur'aan was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in stages over a period of twenty-three years. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And (it is) a Qur'aan which We have divided (into parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals. And We have revealed it by stages"

[al-Isra' 17:106]

al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

This means, We have revealed this Qur'aan in stages, to differentiate between guidance and misguidance, between truth and falsehood.

"in order that you might recite it to men at intervals" means, slowly, so that they may ponder and think about its meanings, and understand the different branches of knowledge contained therein.

"And We have revealed it by stages" means, gradually, over a period of twenty-three years.

Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 760.

Secondly:

Literacy was not widespread among the Arabs. Allaah described them in such terms when He said (interpretation of the meaning):

"He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves" [al-Jumu'ah 63:2]

They used to memorize the Qur'aan by heart, and a few of them used to write down some verses or soorahs on animal skins, thin white stones and the like.

Thirdly:

At first the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade the writing of anything other than the Qur'aan, and he forbade them to write down his words for a while, so that the Sahaabah would focus on memorizing the Qur'aan and writing it down, and so that the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not be confused with the words of Allaah, and so the Qur'aan was protected from anything being added or taken away.

Fourthly:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) appointed a group of his companions who were trustworthy and knowledgeable to write down the revelation. They are known in their biographies as those who wrote down the Revelation, such as the four Caliphs, `Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Aas, Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan, Zayd ibn Thaabit and others _ may Allaah be pleased with them all.

Fifthly:

The Qur'aan was revealed in seven dialects as was narrated in the saheeh hadeeth of `Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This was narrated by al-Bukhaari (2287) and Muslim (818); these were the dialects of the Arabs which were known for their eloquence.

Sixthly:

The Qur'aan continued to be preserved in the hearts of the Sahaabah who had memorized it, and on the skins and other materials until the time of the caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him). During the Riddah wars many of the Sahaabah who had memorized the Qur'aan were killed, and Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) was afraid that the Qur'aan would be lost. So he consulted the senior Sahaabah about compiling the Qur'aan in a single book so that it would remain preserved and would not be lost. He entrusted this mission to the chief of memorizers Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him). Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (4986) that Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:

Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq sent for me when the people of al-Yamaamah had been killed [i.e., a number of the Prophet's Companions who fought against the false prophet Musaylimah]. (I went to him) and found `Umar ibn al-Khattaab sitting with him. Abu Bakr then said (to me), " `Umar has come to me and said: `Casualties were heavy among the Qurra' of the Qur'aan (i.e. those who knew the Qur'aan by heart) on the day of the battle of al-Yamaamah, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra' on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur'aan may be lost. Therefore I suggest that you (Abu Bakr) order that the Qur'aan be collected." I said to `Umar, "How can you do something that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do?" `Umar said, "By Allah, this is something good." `Umar kept on urging me to accept his proposal till Allaah opened my heart to it and I began to realize the good in the idea which `Umar had realized." Then Abu Bakr said (to me). "You are a wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). So search for (the fragmentary scripts of) the Qur'aan and compile it in one book." By Allah If they had ordered me to move one of the mountains, it would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me to compile the Qur'aan. Then I said (to Abu Bakr), "How can you do something that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do?" Abu Bakr replied, "By Allaah, it is a good thing." Abu Bakr kept on urging me to accept his idea until Allaah opened my heart to that to which He had opened the hearts of Abu Bakr and `Umar. So I started looking for the Qur'aan and collecting it from (what it was written on) palm stalks, thin white stones and also from the men who knew it by heart, until I found the last Verse of Soorat al-Tawbah with Abu Khuzaymah al-Ansaari, and I did not find it with anybody other than him. The verse is (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty..." [al-Tawbah 9:128] until the end of Soorat Baraa'ah (i.e., al-Tawbah).

Then the complete manuscript (copy) of the Qur'aan remained with Abu Bakr until he died, then with `Umar until the end of his life, and then with Hafsah, the daughter of `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him).

The Sahaabi Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him) knew the Qur'aan by heart but he was methodical in his confirmation; he would not agree to write down any verse until two of the Sahaabah testified that they had heard it from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

This Mus-haf (written copy of the Qur'aan) remained in the hands of the caliphs until the time of the Rightly-Guided Caliph `Uthmaan ibn `Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with him). The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) had dispersed to different lands, and they used to recite the Qur'aan according to what they had heard of the seven recitations from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and each of their students used to recite according to what he had heard from his shaykh. If a student heard someone reciting in a manner different from what he knew, he would denounce him and accuse him of making a mistake, and this went on until the Sahaabah feared that there would be fitnah (trouble) between the Taabi'een and successive generations. So they thought that they should unite the people in following one recitation, which was in the dialect of Quraysh in which the Qur'aan had first been revealed, so as to dispel any disputes and resolve the matter. `Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) was consulted, and he agreed with this opinion.

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (4988) from Anas ibn Maalik that Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan came to `Uthmaan at the time when the people of Shaam (Syria) and the people of Iraq were waging war to conquer Armenia and Azerbaijan. Hudhayfah was alarmed by their (the people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of the Qur'aan, so he said to `Uthmaan, "O Ameer al-Mu'mineen! Save this nation before they dispute about the Book (Qur'aan) as the Jews and the Christians did before." So `Uthmaan sent a message to Hafsah saying, "Send us the manuscript of the Qur'aan so that we may make copies of the Mus-haf and we will return the manuscript to you."

Hafsah sent it to `Uthmaan. Then `Uthmaan ordered Zayd ibn Thaabit, `Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Sa'eed ibn al-`Aas and `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Haarith ibn Hishaam to copy out the manuscripts. `Uthmaan said to the three men who were from Quraysh (the tribe of which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was a member), "In case you disagree with Zayd ibn Thaabit on any point in the Qur'aan, then write it in the dialect of Quraysh, for the Qur'aan was revealed in their tongue." They did so, and when they had written many copies, `Uthmaan returned the original manuscripts to Hafsah.

`Uthmaan sent to every Muslim province one copy of what they had copied, and ordered that all the other Qur'aanic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt.

Ibn Shihaab said: Khaarijah ibn Zayd ibn Thaabit told me that he heard Zayd ibn Thaabit say: "When we made copies of the Mus-haf I missed a verse of al-Ahzaab that I used to hear the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recite. So we searched for it and we found it with Khuzaymah ibn Thaabit al-Ansaari. (The verse was) `Among the believers are men who have been true to their covenant with Allaah' [al-Ahzaab 33:23 _ interpretation of the meaning]. So we put it in its place in its soorah in the Mus-haf."

Thus an end was put to dispute and the Muslims were united. The Qur'aan has remained and will remain narrated from generation to generation and preserved in men's hearts until the Day of Resurrection. This is how Allaah has preserved His Book, in confirmation of the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)"

[al-Hijr 15:9]

And Allaah knows best.

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6577: The Qur'aan is a healing and a mercy to the believers

Question:

Tell me more about quran.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The Qur'aan is the word of Allaah that was revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and is recited as an act of worship.

This definition of the Qur'aan is comprehensive.

Our saying "the word of Allaah" excludes the words of human beings or others.

Our saying "revealed to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)" excludes anything that was revealed to anyone else, such as the Injeel (Gospel), Tawraat (Torah) and Zaboor (Psalms).

Our saying "it is recited as an act of worship" excludes the hadeeth qudsi (ahaadeeth in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) narrated words from Allaah which are not part of the Qur'aan).

It brings light and gives certainty, it is the strong rope, it is the path of the righteous. It tells us of those who came before us, Prophets and righteous people, and how those who disobeyed them tasted the punishment of Allaah and were humiliated. It contains verses which speak of the miracles of Allaah and His power in this great universe. It tells us of the origins of human beings who are created from "despised water" (semen). It contains the basic principles of faith which must be embraced by every humble heart. It contains the rules of sharee'ah which tells us what is permissible and what is forbidden; what is true and what is false. It tells us of the Resurrection and the fate of human beings, either in the Fire in which they will burn and be among those who are humiliated, or in Paradise with its gardens, springs, plants and places of security.

In it there is healing for men's hearts, light and illumination for the blind. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) nothing but loss"

[al-Isra' 17:82]

Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on this verse:

Here Allaah tells us about His Book, which He revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and which is the Qur'aan which "Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the AllWise, Worthy of all praise" [Fussilat 42:41- interpretation of the meaning], that it is "a healing and a mercy to those who believe" _ i.e., it takes away the diseases in the heart such as doubt, hypocrisy, shirk, deviation and misguidance; the Qur'aan heals all of that. And it is also a mercy which brings about faith, wisdom and the pursuit of and desire for goodness. This is only for those who believe in it and follow it; for such it will be a healing and a mercy. But as for the kaafir and those who wrong themselves thereby, their hearing the Qur'aan only makes them further away (from truth) and increases them in kufr. The problem comes from the kaafir, not from the Qur'aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur'aan) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)"

[Fussilat 41:44]

"And whenever there comes down a Soorah, some of them (hypocrites) say: `Which of you has had his Faith increased by it?' As for those who believe, it has increased their Faith, and they rejoice.

But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of doubt, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt; and they die while they are disbelievers"

[al-Tawbah 9:124-125]

Qutaadah said, concerning the phrase "And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe": when the believer hears it he benefits from it, memorizes it and understands it. "and it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) nothing but loss" means, they do not benefit from it, memorize it or understand it. Allaah has made this Qur'aan a healing and a mercy for the believers. Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/60.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'aan, enjoining all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that which is in your breasts, — a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the believers" [Yoonus 10:57]

"And if We had sent this as a Qur'aan in a foreign language (other than Arabic), they would have said: `Why are not its verses explained in detail (in our language)? What! (A Book) not in Arabic and (the Messenger) an Arab?' Say: `It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur'aan) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)'"[Fussilat 41:44]

In it is guidance for mankind, away from misguidance and to the truth. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"This is the Book (the Qur'aan), whereof there is no doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon [the pious" [al-Baqarah 2:2]

"And thus We have revealed to you (O Muhammad) a Qur'aan in Arabic that you may warn the Mother of the Towns (Makkah) and all around it, and warn (them) of the Day of Assembling of which there is no doubt, when a party will be in Paradise (those who believed in Allaah and followed what Allaah's Messenger brought them) and a party in the blazing Fire (Hell) (those who disbelieved in Allaah and followed not what Allaah's Messenger brought them)"

[al-Shoora 42:9]

"And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad) Rooh (a revelation, and a mercy) of Our Command. You knew not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made it (this Qur'aan) a light wherewith We guide whosoever of Our slaves We will. And verily, you (O Muhammad) are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path (i.e. Allaah's religion of Islamic Monotheism).

The path of Allaah to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. Verily, all matters at the end go to Allaah (for decision)"

[al-Shoora 42:52-53]

It contains innumerable benefits, so everyone who seeks happiness in this world and in the Hereafter must refer to it for judgement and follow its commands.

Imam Ibn Hazm said:

Because the proof and the miracles indicate that the Qur'aan is the covenant of Allaah with us, we must believe in it and act in accordance with it. It has come down to us through generations of Muslims narrating it to those who came after them, which leaves no room for doubt that the Qur'aan is the one which is written in the Mus-hafs which we find everywhere. We have to follow its teachings, for it is our reference-point, because we read in it the words (interpretation of the meaning):

"There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor a bird that flies with its two wings, but are communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book, then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered"

[al-An'aam 6:38]

Whatever commands and prohibitions are in the Qur'aan, we must adhere to them.

Al-Ihkaam, 1/92 . And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

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21500: Distortion of the Qur'aan by the Raafidis

Question:

I have also heard by a shia collegue that their is a surat in their book which is not in the QURAN. can u confirm this? the surat in qs is called SURAT AL-WILAYAT.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

With regard to Soorat al-Wilaayah, some of the Shi'ah scholars and imams have stated that it exists. Any of them who denies that does so by way of taqiyah (dissimulation). One of those who clearly stated that it exists is Mirza Hussein Muhammad Taqiy al-Noori al-Tubrusi (d. 1320 AH). He wrote a book in which he claimed that the Qur'aan had been distorted and that the Sahaabah has concealed some parts of it, including Soorat al-Wilaayah. The Raafidis honoured him after his death by burying him in al-Najaf. This book by al-Tubrusi was published in Iran in 1298 AH, and when it was published there was a great deal of controversy because they wanted the doubts about the validity of the Qur'aan, which were known only to their leaders, to remain scattered throughout hundreds of their major books, and they did not want that to be compiled in one book. At the beginning of his book he said:

"This is a good and noble book entitled Fasl al-khitaab fi ithbaat tahreef Kitaab Rabb il-Arbaab (Decisive comment on the distortion of the Book of the Lord of Lords)… He mentioned aayahs and soorahs which he claims that the Sahaabah concealed, including `Soorat al-Wilaayah,'" the text of which, according to them, and as quoted in this book, is:

"O you who believe, believe in the Prophet and the Wali [i.e., `Ali] whom We have sent to guide you to the straight path, a Prophet and a Wali who are part of one another, and I am the All-Knowing, All-Aware…"

And they have another soorah which they call Soorat al-Noorayn: "O you who believe, believe in the two lights (al-noorayn) which We have sent down to you to recite to you My Verses and to warn you of the punishment of a great Day. They are part of one another and I am the All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Those who fulfil the covenant with Allaah and His Messenger mentioned in the verses (of the Qur'aan), the Gardens of delight will be theirs, but those who disbelieve after they believed by breaking their covenant and disobeying the command of the Prophet, they will be thrown into Hell. They have wronged themselves and gone against the wasiyyah of the Prophet (i.e., the appointment of `Ali as khaleefah), and they will be given to drink of boiling water…" and other such nonsense.

You can see the entire soorah, along with a telegraphic picture of the Persian mus-haf at the following site:

http://arabic.islamicweb.com/shia/nurain.htm

Prof. Muhammad `Ali Sa'oodi _ who was one of the greatest experts of the Ministry of Justice in Egypt _ examined an Iranian mus-haf kept by the Orientalist Bryan and he obtained a copy of this soorah; above the lines of Arabic script there is written the translation in the Iranian language.

As it was mentioned by al-Tubrusi in his book, Fasl al-khitaab fi ithbaat tahreef Kitaab Rabb il-Arbaab, it is also mentioned in their book Dabastan Madhaahib, which is in Farsi, written by Muhsin Faani al-Kashmiri. This book has been printed numerous times in Iran, and this false soorah was quoted from it by the Orientalist Noeldeke in his book The History of Qur'anic Manuscripts, 2/120, and was published by the French Asian newspaper in 1842

(p. 431-439).

It was also mentioned by Mirza Habibullaah al-Haashimi al-Kho'i in his book Manhaaj al-Baraa'ah fi Sharh Nahj al-Balaaghah (2/217); and by Muhammad Baaqir al-Majlisi in his book Tadhkirat al-A'immah (p. 19, 20) in Farsi, (published by) Manshoorat Mawlana, Iran.

See also al-Khutoot al-`Areedah li'l-Asas allati qaama `alayha deen al-Shi'ah by Muhibb al-Deen al-Khateeb.

This claim of theirs is a denial of the words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)"

[al-Hijr 15:9]

Hence the Muslims are unanimously agreed that anyone who claims that anything in the Qur'aan has been altered or changed is a kaafir.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

The same applies to those among them who claim that some verses of the Qur'aan have been taken away or concealed, or who claim to have some esoteric interpretations that exempt him from having to do the actions prescribed in sharee'ah etc., who are called al-Qaraamitah and al-Baatiniyyah, and who include al-Tanaasukhiyyah [names of esoteric sects]. There is no dispute that they are kaafirs.

Al-Saarim al-Maslool, 3/1108-1110.

Ibn Hazm said:

The view that the Qur'aan has been altered is blatant kufr and is a rejection of what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said.

Al-Fasl fi'l-Ahwa' wa'-Milal wa'l-Nihal, 4/139.

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5105: Refutation of those who try to prove that the Qur'aan is not true

Question:

Recently I became aware of some scholarly research done by German scholars into the inerrancy of the Quran. Some of their findings are discussed in an Atlantic Monthly article entitled "What Is the Koran?" written by Toby Lester, published in the January 1999 issue of that magazine. The gist of their research is that some very old fragments of the Quran found in a mosque in Yemen show small but significant aberrations from the standard Quranic texts. In some cases, the writing on the fragments found had been washed off and different writing substituted overtop. The article tries to cast doubt on the Muslim view of the Quran as being absolutely reliable, and tries to show instead that it is a literary text that has been subject to change just like any other.
I am not a Muslim, but I know that the Quran holds a position in Islam that is similar to that of Christ in Christianity. In view of this, sir, how would you respond to these attempts to dispute the absolute inerrancy of the Quran? In your view, do these scholars have false motives that render their findings untrustworthy? Or do you have another response to these attacks on the verity of the Quran?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

1 _ The proof that the copies of the Holy Qur'aan that we have before us is not just one or two pieces of evidence, rather it is proven by a vast amount of evidence that no fair-minded person can study without becoming convinced that it is exactly as Allaah revealed it to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

2 _ There have been generations coming one after another, reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it, memorizing it and writing it down. They have not omitted a single letter, and no one can change even the vowel point of a single letter. Writing is just one means of preserving it; basically it is preserved in their hearts.

3 _ The Qur'aan has not come down to us on its own, such that the so-called alterations could be made. Rather the interpretation of its verses, the meanings of its words, the reasons for its revelation, the grammar of its words and the commentary on its rulings have all been transmitted. When such care has been given to this Book, how could sinful hands find a way to distort even one letter of it, or add a word, or take away a verse?

4 _ The Qur'aan speaks of matters of the unseen, in the future, which Allaah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to show him that they came from Allaah. If a human being wants to write a book, he can describe an event or express a point of view, but if any human being were to speak about matters of the unseen, in this field he can only base that on speculation and lies. But the Qur'aan told of the defeat of the Romans by the Persians, at the time when there was no means of communication to inform the Arabs of this event. The same verses also foretold that they (the Persians) would be defeated after a certain number of years. If what the Qur'aan said was not accurate, then the kaafirs would have had a great opportunity to criticize the Qur'aan.

5 _ If you read any verse of the Qur'aan, then you go to America or Asia or the jungles of Africa, or to the deserts of Arabia or any place where there are Muslims, you will find that all of them have the exact same verse, memorized by heart or in their books; not a single letter of it will have been altered.

So what is the importance of this unknown manuscript in Yemen which we have not seen, and in which some ignorant may have altered, in recent times, one verse or one word?

Does this argument carry any weight when properly researched and discussed? Especially when the people claim to be fair-minded and objective in their research.

What would be their response if we went to one of their most trusted books by a well-known author, a book of which there are many copies in the world, all of them exactly the same, and we claimed that there was a copy of this book in some country or other in which there was extra material and alterations, and it was different from what is in their copies? Would they pay any attention?

Their answer would be the same as ours.

6 _ The manuscript copies which are in the Muslims' possession cannot be proven to be authentic in this simplistic manner, for we have experts who know the history of calligraphy and we have principles and guidelines through which we may determine whether a manuscript is genuine, such as the names and signatures of the people who heard it and read it.

We do not think that these features are present in this so-called copy of the Qur'aan in Yemen or in others.

7 _ We are happy to conclude our answer with this true story that happened in Baghdad during the `Abbasid era, when a Jew wanted to find out how true are the books attributed by their followers to God, namely the Torah among the Jews, the Gospel among the Christians and the Qur'aan among the Muslims.

He went to the Torah and added and took away a few minor things that were not very obvious, then he gave it to a scribe from among the Jews and asked him to make copies of it. It did not take long before these copies were placed in the synagogues of the Jews and were in circulation among their major scholars.

Then he went to the Gospel and added and took away a few things as he had done with the Torah, and he gave it to their scribes and asked them to make copies of it. It was not long before it was being read in their churches and was in circulation among their scholars.

Then he went to the Qur'aan and added and took away a few things as he had done with the Torah and the Gospel. Then he gave it to a Muslim scribe to make copies of it.

When he went back to get his copy, the scribe threw it in his face and told him that this was not the Qur'aan of the Muslims!

From this experiment the man came to know that the Qur'aan is the true Book of Allaah and that all other books were the works of human beings.

If the scribes of the Muslims could tell that this copy had been tampered with, then how could it go into circulation among the Muslim scholars undetected?

If the questioner wants to repeat this ancient experiment nowadays, all she has to do is to do the same as that Jewish man did, who later became Muslim; she can add and take away things from these three books and see what happens as a result.

But we do not tell her to show her copy of the Qur'aan to a scribe, rather we tell her to show it to Muslim children, and they will tell her where the mistakes are in her copy!

Some Muslim states have printed Mus-hafs in which there were mistakes, and young children found them before the grown-ups did!

And Allaah is the Guide to the Straight Path.

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5142: The revelation of the Qur'aan in seven styles (ahruf, sing. harf)

Question:

I have read that during the third Khalief, Oethmaan, a committee under supervision of Zaid ibn Thabit has been ordered to make an official editorship of the whole Koran. But this "Oethmanian" text didn't give yet a uniform reading.

Because early arabic language didn't have vowels and also some consonants had the same or almost the same form. New signs were introduced to seperate the different letters. But this still did not stop the different ways of reading.

In the first half of the fourth/tenth century the `imaam of the Koran readers' in Baghdad, Ibn Moedjahid, gave a solution to this problem. He said that the word harf should be put equivalent to kira'a. He declared seven ways of reading correct. Because according to him the saying of the Prophet (PBUH) that the Koran was send in seven ahroef means that seven ways of reading are inspired.
Nowadays only to ways of reading are in use, Warsj of Nafi' and Hafs of `Asim.

Could you tell me more about these different ways of reading? Are there ahadieth about this?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly :

you should note, may Allaah bless you, that the Qur'aan was revealed in one style at the beginning, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) kept asking Jibreel until he taught him seven styles, all of which were complete. The evidence for that is the hadeeth of Ibn `Abbaas who narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Jibreel taught me one style and I reviewed it until he taught me more, and I kept asking him for more and he gave me more until finally there were seven styles."

(narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3047; Muslim, 819)

Secondly, what is meant by styles (ahruf, sing. harf)?

The best of the scholarly opinions concerning what is meant is that there are seven ways of reciting the Qur'aan, where the wording may differ but the meaning is the same; if there is a different meaning then it is by way of variations on a theme, not opposing and contradiction.

Thirdly:

Some of the scholars said that what was meant by ahruf was the dialects of the Arabs, but this is far-fetched, because of the hadeeth of `Umar ibn al-Khattaab who said: "I heard Hishaam ibn Hakeem reciting Soorat al-Furqaan in a manner different from that in which I used to recite it and the way in which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught me to recite it. I was about to argue with him whilst he was praying, but I waited until he finished his prayer, and then I tied his garment around his neck and seized him by it and brought him to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said, `O Messenger of Allaah, I heard this man reciting Soorat-al-Furqaan in a way different to the way you taught it to me.' The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to him, `Recite it,' and he recited it as I had heard him recite it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, `It was revealed like this.' Then he said to me, `Recite it,' so I recited it and he said, `It was revealed like this.' This Qur'aan has been revealed in seven different ways, so recite it in the way that is easiest for you.'"

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2287; Muslim, 818)

It is known that Hishaam was Asadi Qurashi (i.e., from the clan of Bani Asad in Quraysh) and `Umar was `Adawi Qurashi (i.e., from the clan of Bani `Adiyy in Quraysh). Both of them were from Quraysh and Quraysh had only one dialect. If the difference in ahruf (styles) had been a difference in dialects, why would two men of Quraysh have been different?

The scholars mentioned nearly forty different opinions concerning this matter! Perhaps the most correct is that which we have mentioned above. And Allaah knows best.

Fourthly:

It seems that the seven styles were revealed with different wordings, as indicated by the hadeeth of `Umar, because `Umar's objection was to the style, not the meaning. The differences between these styles are not the matter of contradiction and opposition, rather they are synonymous, as Ibn Mas'ood said: "It is like one of you saying halumma, aqbil or ta'aal (all different ways of saying `Come here')."

Fifthly:

With regard to the seven recitations (al-qiraa'aat al-saba'), this number is not based on the Qur'aan and Sunnah, rather it is the ijtihaad of Ibn Mujaahid (may Allaah have mercy on him). People thought that al-ahruf al-saba' (the seven styles) were al-qiraa'aat al-saba' (the seven recitations) because they happened to be the same number. But this number may have come about coincidentally, or it may have been done deliberately by Ibn Mujaahid to match what was narrated about the number of styles (ahruf) being seven. Some people thought that the styles (ahruf) were the recitations, but this is a mistake. No such comment is known among the scholars. The seven recitations are one of the seven styles, and this is the style that `Uthmaan chose for all the Muslims.

Sixthly:

When `Uthmaan made copies of the Qur'aan, he did so according to one style (harf), but he omitted the dots and vowel points so that some other styles could also be accommodated. So the Mus-haf that was copied in his time could be read according to other styles, and whatever styles were accommodated by the Mus-haf of `Uthmaan remained in use, and the styles that could not be accommodated fell into disuse. The people had started to criticize one another for reciting differently, so `Uthmaan united them by giving them one style of the Qur'aan.

Seventhly:

Your saying that Mujaahid's different recitations meant the seven styles (ahruf) is not correct, as was said by Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah. (Majmoo'ah al-Fatawa, vol. 13, p. 210)

Eighthly:

The seven readers or reciters were:

1- Naafi' al-Madani

2- Ibn Katheer al-Makki

3- `Aasim al-Kufi

4- Hamzah al-Zayaat al-Kufi

5- Al-Kisaa'i al-Kufi

6- Abu `Amr ibn al-`Ala' al-Basri

7- `Abd-Allaah ibn `Aamir al-Shaami

The ones who have the strongest isnaad in recitation are Naafi' and `Aasim.

The most eloquent are Abu `Amr and al-Kisaa'i.

Warsh and Qaaloon narrated from Naafi'.

Hafs and Shu'bah narrated from `Aasim.

And Allaah knows best.

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23487: Claims that the Qur'aan has been distorted

Question:

Dear Sir, please try to answer my question as it is very important to me. I have read in an antiislamic website run by a christian theologist from England that the scholar "Al-Sagistany" wrote in his book called "Almasahif" that the Muslim leader "Al-Hajjajj " changed letters in the Quran in about at least ten words . He claims that "Alsagistany" reported this and that he wrote it under the title: "Ma Ghayarraho Alhajjajj Fe Moshaf Othman". this christian also narrates in Arabic what he claims to be a copy of this page with the ten words which he claims had letters changed in them.

I have tried to find a copy of that book to search the matter but I failed. Please try your best efforts to make this matter clear . Also it is unimaginable to me that the whole Muslim scholars and memorizers of Quran could have just accepted someone to change in the Quran without stopping this or not knowing about it. Even if Alsagistany really reported this, it still really doesnot make sense at all; first of all because we are not like christians and jews who dont memorize their books totally and it is mainly left to religious scholars. Instead very large numbers of muslims memorize the Quran and almost all read it . So changes could not have just passed unnoticed except by Alsagistany especially that at this era there were already several total copies of the Quran in all muslim countries. Secondly, if it is very difficult to believe that these changes were not noticed by scholars or people at the time, then it is far more difficult to imagine that any muslim scholar or even lay man would know of the changes to the book of Allah and keep quiet and not fight this thing and just accept it. Sir, it just could not happen.

So please try to find this book and clarify the matter for me in great detail with definite evidence and proofs as much as Allah will help you. I appreciate your cooperation and again forgive me for my long letter but I cannot tell you how important this matter is to me. I put all my trust and hope in Allah that I will find a really clear and clearcut answer.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is not possible for a Muslim to entertain doubts concerning the immutability of the Qur'aan, because Allaah has guaranteed to preserve the Qur'aan. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)"

[al-Hijr 15:9]

The Qur'aan was preserved in the hearts of the Sahaabah who had memorized it, and on the trunks of trees and thin white stones until the time of the caliph Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him). During the Riddah wars many of the Sahaabah who had memorized the Qur'aan were killed, so Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) was afraid that the Qur'aan may be lost. He consulted the senior Sahaabah concerning the idea of compiling the entire Qur'aan in one book so that it would be preserved and would not be lost, and this task was entrusted to the great hafiz Zayd ibn Thaabit and others who had written down the Revelation. Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh that Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:

"Abu Bakr As-Siddeeq sent for me when the people of Yamamah had been killed (i.e., a number of the Prophet's Companions who fought against Musaylimah). (I went to him) and found `Umar bin al-Khattaab sitting with him. Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said (to me), ` `Umar has come to me and said: "Casualties were heavy among the Qurra' of the Qur'aan (i.e. those who knew the Qur'aan by heart) at the Battle of Yamaamah, and I am afraid that more heavy casualties may take place among the Qurra' on other battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur'an may be lost. Therefore I suggest that you [Abu Bakr] should issue orders that the Qur'aan be collected." I said to `Umar, "How can you do something that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do?" `Umar said, "By Allah, this is something good." `Umar kept on urging me (to accept his proposal) until Allah opened my heart to it and I began to realize the good in the idea which `Umar had realized.' Then Abu Bakr said (to me): `You are a wise young man and we have a great deal of confidence in you. You used to write down the Revelation for the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). So you should seek out the Qur'aan [i.e., the fragments on which it is written] and collect it (in one book).' By Allaah, if they had ordered me to move one of the mountains, it would not have been harder for me than this command to collect the Qur'aan. I said (to Abu Bakr), `How can you do something which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do?' Abu Bakr said, `By Allaah, it is a good thing.' Abu Bakr kept on urging me (to accept his proposal) until Allah opened my heart to it as He had opened the hearts of Abu Bakr and `Umar. So I started to look for the Qur'aan and collected it from (the fragments on which it was written of) palm-stalks, thin white stones and the hearts of men (i.e., from men who knew it by heart), until I found the last verse of Soorat al-Tawbah with Abu Khuzaymah al-Ansaari, and I did not find it with anybody other than him. The verse is :

`Verily, there has come unto you a Messenger from amongst yourselves. It grieves him that you should receive any injury or difficulty…'

[al-Tawbah 9:128 _ interpretation of the meaning]

… until the end of Soorat Baraa'ah (Soorat al-Tawbah).

These fragments remained with Abu Bakr until he died, then with `Umar for the rest of his life, then with Hafsah bint `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with them both)."

Secondly:

With regard to al-Hajjaaj, it was not his idea to write out the Mus-haf, rather he was commanded by an intelligent man to do that. There follows the complete story:

Al-Zarqaani said:

It is known that the Mus-haf of `Uthmaan was unpointed (i.e., it had no diacritical marks). Whatever the case the addition of diacritical marks to the Mus-haf did not happen, according to the well-established view, until the era of `Abd al-Malik ibn Marwaan, when he realized that Islam had spread widely and the Arabs were mixing with the non-Arabs, which was having an effect on the Arabic language, so that there was much confusion about the correct reading of the Mus-hafs and it was becoming very difficult for people to tell the letters apart. By his deep insight, he realized that he should do something to solve the problem. So he commanded al-Hajjaaj to take care of this important matter. In obedience to the caliph, Al-Hajjaaj appointed two men to deal with this matter, namely Nasr ibn `Aasim al-Laythi and Yahya ibn Ya'mar al-`Adwaani, both of whom were qualified and able to do the task required of them, because they were knowledgeable, righteous, pious and experts in Arabic language and the various readings of the Qur'aan. They had also both studied under Abu'l-Aswad al-Du'li. May Allaah have mercy on these two shaykhs, for they succeeded in their work and gave the Mus-haf diacritical points for the first time. They added dots to all the letters that look similar, not adding more than three dots to any one letter. That became widespread among the people and was very effective in dispelling confusion concerning reading of the Mus-haf.

It was said that the first person to add diacritical marks to the Mus-haf was Abu'l-Aswad al-Du'li, and that Ibn Seereen had a Mus-haf to which diacritical marks had been added by Yahya ibn Ya'mar. These opinions may be reconciled by noting that Abu'l-Aswad was the first one who added diacritical marks to the Mus-haf, but he did that for his own individual use, then Ibn Seereen followed him in that, and that `Abd al-Malik was the first one to add diacritical marks to the Mus-haf in an official and public manner that was spread widely among the people in order to dispel any confusion with regard to reading Qur'aan." Manaahil al-`Irfaan, 1/280, 281

Thirdly:

With regard to what is mentioned in the question, quoting from al-Masaahif by Ibn Abi Dawood, there follows the report concerning that and the ruling thereon:

It was narrated from `Abbaad ibn Suhayb from `Awf ibn Abi Jameelah that al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf changed eleven letters in the Mus-haf. He said that in Soorat al-Baqarah 2:259 it said lam yatasanna wa'nzur, with no ha', and he changed it to lam yatasannah wa'nzur (they show no change, and look…)

In al-Maa'idah 5:48 it said sharee'atan wa minhaajan, and he changed it to shir'atan wa minhaajan (a law and a clear way)

In Yoonus 10:22 it said, Huwa alladhi yunshirukum and he changed it to Huwa alladhi yusayyirukum (He it is Who enables you to travel…)

In Yoosuf 12:45 it said Ana aateekum bi ta'weelihi and he changed it to Ana unabbi'ukum bi ta'weelihi (I will tell you its interpretation)

In al-Zukhruf 43:32 it said, Nahnu qasamnaa baynahum ma'aayishahum and he changed it to Nahnu qasamnaa baynahum ma'eeshatahum (It is We Who portion out between them their livelihood)

In al-Takweer 81:24 it said Wa ma huwa `ala'l-ghaybi bi zaneen and he changed it to Wa ma huwa `ala'l-ghaybi bi daneen (and he withholds not a knowledge of the unseen)

Kitaab al-Masaahif by al-Sajistaani, p. 49.

This report is da'eef jiddan (very weak) or mawdoo' (fabricated), because its isnaad includes `Abbaad ibn Suhayb, whose hadeeth is to be rejected.

`Ali ibn al-Madeeni said: his hadeeth is no good. Al-Bukhaari, al-Nasaa'i and others said: he is matrook (to be rejected). Ibn Hibbaan said: he was a Qadari who promoted his innovated ideas, and he narrated things which a beginner in this field would realize were fabricated if he heard them. Al-Dhahabi said: he is one of those who are to be rejected.

See Meezaan al-I'tidaal, by al-Dhahabi, 4/28.

The text of the report is also false, because it dos not make sense that these changes could be made in the Qur'aan and then spread throughout the world. Even some of the non-Muslims, such as the Raafidis (Shi'ah) who think that the Qur'aan is incomplete, rejected this and criticized its text.

Al-Kho'i, who is one of the Raafidis, said: "This claim is like the hallucination of one who is suffering a fever, or like the fairy tales of the insane or of children. Al-Hajjaaj was one of the governors of the Umayyads, and he is too incapable to do anything to the Qur'aan. He is even incapable of changing any of the minor issues of Islam, so how could he change the thing which is the foundation of the religion and the basis of sharee'ah? Where would he get the power to introduce this change throughout the realm of Islam and beyond at the time when the Qur'aan was well known throughout the Muslim world? How come no historian has ever mentioned this disastrous event even though it is so serious and they would have a lot of motives to mention it? How come no one among the Muslims of his time narrated it? How could the Muslims have turned a blind eye to such an action after the reign of al-Hajjaaj came to an end? Even if we assume that he could have gathered all the copies of the Qur'aan and that not one single copy escaped his grasp anywhere in the far-flung regions of the Islamic world, how could he have removed it from the hearts of the Muslims and those who had memorized it, the number of whom at that time is known only to Allaah."

(al-Bayaan fi Tafseer al-Qur'aan, p. 219)

What the questioner mentions about Imam al-Sajistaani, and that he wrote a book called Ma Ghayyarahu al-Hajjaaj fi Mus-haf `Uthmaan (What al-Hajjaaj altered in the Mus-haf of `Uthmaan) is not true, rather it is a blatant lie. All there is, is the commentary that al-Sajistaani wrote concerning the words quoted above from al-Hajjaaj, entitled Baab Ma Kataba al-Hajjaaj ibn Yoosuf fi'l-Mus-haf (Chapter on what al-Hajjaaj wrote in the Mus-haf).

On this basis, we cannot rely upon this report under any circumstances whatsoever. The fact that until now it has not been proven that anyone has succeeded in his attempt to change even one letter (of the Qur'aan) is sufficient to prove that it is a lie. If what has been narrated is true, then it would be possible to repeat it, especially at the times when the Muslims were weak and their enemies plotted against them. It is such specious arguments that prove that these claims are false, and that our enemies are incapable of refuting the evidence of the Qur'aan or its clarity, so they resorted to attacking it.

And Allaah knows best.

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695: Can one celebrate completing the Qur'aan?

Question:

A young girl has finished reading the Qur'aan for the first time, and wants to invite her friends for a celebration on this occasion. What should she write on the invitation cards?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

This is a wonderful thing for such a young person (11 years old) living in a non-Muslim country and deviant society to accomplish. The fact that she has not given her name is a sign of sincerity, in sha Allaah. I think that this should only be announced for the purposes of encouraging others to do the same. The affair should be limited to a small gathering where some relatives or friends invite a few of the girl's friends, tell them of her achievement in completing the Qur'aan in order to encourage them - not to show off or boast - and some of the mothers say a few words about the greatness of the Qur'aan, the importance of reading it and how the Muslim should treat the Qur'aan. Or this girl could invite her friends to a meal to mark the occasion and give thanks for this blessing. There is nothing wrong with such activities, as long as one is careful not to let it turn into a celebration.

It is clear from the above that celebrating a person's completion of reciting or memorizing the Qur'aan, inviting people and offering food, is an action in which there is a risk of two fitnahs (temptations):
(1) that it might be an occasion for showing off and boasting, and

(2) that it may constitute bid'ah, if people believe that such celebrations are part of the religion and must be held every time a person completes the reading of the Qur'aan. The first danger may be avoided by striving within oneself to be sincere towards Allaah, and the second by restricting the invitees to a small number of family and friends.

We should not hold such gatherings regularly, lest people think it is a part of the Sunnah I ask Allaah to increase His blessings upon you and to give you the strength to memorize Qur'aan and Sincerity in speech and deeds.

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2255: Entering the bathroom with a necklace with Qur'aanic aayaat

Question:

Can my wife enter the bathroom with a neckless that has words of the Qur'an on it?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is not permitted to enter the bathroom with anything that has aayat from the Qur'aan on it, because this could lead to disrespect of the Word of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted. Therefore, your wife should remove this necklace before entering the bathroom. Our advice is that women should not wear any jewellery with aayaat or du'aa's on it, because there are a number of reservations about this practice, of which wearing it when entering the bathroom is just one.

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3214: The order of Soorahs and Aayahs in the Qur'aan

Question:

Why are the sourates in Quran ordered are they are ? (since the first sourate is the one which begins with "Iqraa")
Baraka Allah fikoum

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The fact there is scholarly consensus, and many texts stating the order of aayahs in one soorah, that is very well known. The consensus was reported by many scholars, including Al-Zarkashi in al-Burhaan and Abu Ja'far, who said: "The order of the aayahs in their soorahs came about because this is how it was instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and there is no dispute among the Muslims with regard to this matter."

The texts regarding this matter include the following:
The report narrated by Ahmad, Abu Dawood, al-Tirmidhi, al-Nisaa'i, Ibn Hibbaan and al-Haakim from Ibn `Abbaas, who said: "I said to `Uthmaan, `What made you put al-Anfaal which is one of the Mathaani, next to Baraa'ah [al-Tawbah], which is one of the Mi'een? Why did you not put the line Bismillaah ir-Rahmaan ir-Raheem in between them when you put it at the beginning of the rest of al-Sab' al-Tiwaal [the long seven soorahs]?" `Uthmaan said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to receive revelation of soorahs with many aayahs. When they were revealed, he would call his scribes and tell them, `Put these aayahs in the soorah where such-and-such is mentioned.' Al-Anfaal was one of the first soorahs to be revealed in Madeenah, and Baraa'ah (al-Tawbah) was one of the last parts of the Qur'aan to be revealed. Its stories were similar to the stories mentioned in al-Anfaal, so it was thought that it was part of it. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was taken [i.e., died] without explaining whether it was indeed part of it, so they were put next to one another, and the line Bismillaahi ir'Rahmaan ir'Raheem was not written between them, and it [al-Tawbah] was put among the Sab' al-Tiwaal [seven long soorahs]." (Al-Haakim said: its isnaad is saheeh, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. Al-Mustadrak, 2/330)

Ahmad narrated in al-Musnad (4/218) with a hasan isnaad from `Uthmaan ibn Abi'l-`Aas that he said: "I was sitting with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) when he fixed his gaze on something, then lowered his gaze until he was almost looking at the ground, then he gazed at something. He said, `Jibreel (peace be upon him) came to me and told me to put this aayah in this place in this soorah:

"Verily, Allâh enjoins Al-`Adl (i.e. justice and worshipping none but Allâh Alone — Islâmic Monotheism) and Al-Ihsân [i.e. to be patient in performing your duties to Allâh, totally for Allâh's sake and in accordance with the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet in a perfect manner], and giving (help) to kith and kin (i.e. all that Allâh has ordered you to give them, e.g., wealth, visiting, looking after them, or any other kind of help), and forbids Al-Fahshâ' (i.e. all evil deeds, e.g. illegal sexual acts, disobedience of parents, polytheism, to tell lies, to give false witness, to kill a life without right), and Al-Munkar (i.e. all that is prohibited by Islâmic law: polytheism of every kind, disbelief and every kind of evil deeds), and Al-Baghy (i.e. all kinds of oppression). He admonishes you, that you may take heed." [al-Nahl 16:90 _ interpretation of the meaning].'"

Al-Bukhaari narrated in al-Saheeh (no. 4536) that Ibn Abi Maleekah said: "Ibn al-Zubayr said: `I said to `Uthmaan, "This aayah that is in al-Baqarah (interpretation of the meaning), `And those of you who die and leave wives behind them … And those of you who die and leave behind wives should bequeath for their wives a year's maintenance and residence without turning them out' [al-Baqarah 2:234-240] has been abrogated by the other, so why are you writing it down it down?" He said, "Leave it as it is, my nephew, I will not change anything from its place."'"

Muslim narrated (no. 1617) that `Umar said: "I did not ask the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about anything more than I asked him about al-Kalaalah [those who die leaving neither ascendants nor descendents as heirs], until he poked me in the chest with his finger and said, "Is not aayat al-sayf [?] at the end of Soorat al-Nisa' enough for you?"

There are also the ahaadeeth about the aayahs at the end of Soorat al-Baqarah.

Muslim narrated (no. 809) from Abu al-Darda' that whoever memorizes the first ten aayahs of Soorat al-Kahf will be protected from the Dajjaal; according to another version, whoever recites the last ten verses will be protected.

The Prophet's recitation of various soorahs in the presence of his companions indicates that the order of their aayahs is something that was instituted and commanded by him, and that the Sahaabah did not put the aayahs in a different order from that in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite them. The reports to that effect reach the level of Mutawaatir.

Al-Qaadi Abu Bakr said in al-Intisaar: "The order of the aayahs is something that is obligatory and binding. Jibreel used to say (to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)), `Put such and such an aayah in such and such a place.'"

He also said: "What we think is that all of the Qur'aan which Allaah revealed and commanded that it should be written down, and which was not abrogated after being revealed, is that which is contained between the covers of the Mus-haf of `Uthmaan, and that there is nothing lacking or added to it. Its order is the same as that commanded by Allaah, may He be exalted, and instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Nobody has moved any aayah backwards or forwards. The Ummah learned from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the order of the aayahs of each soorah properly, just as they learned from him the correct pronunciation and recitation."

Al-Baghawi said in Sharh al-Sunnah: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to instruct his companions and teach them what was revealed to him of the Qur'aan in the order in which it appears in our Mus-hafs now, the order which Jibreel taught him. When each aayah was revealed, Jibreel would tell him, this aayah is to be written after such and such an aayah in Soorah such and such. Thus it is clear that the efforts of the Sahaabah were limited solely to gathering the Qur'aan in one place, not to arranging its order. The Qur'aan is written on al-Lawh al-Mahfooz in this order, then Allaah sent it down in its entirety to the first heaven, whence it was revealed in stages as it was needed, and the order in which it was revealed is not the order in which it is recited."

With regard to the order of Soorahs, was this also instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or was this the ijtihaad of the Sahaabah? With regard to this question, there were differences among the scholars. The majority of scholars, including Maalik and al-Qaadi Abu Bakr, according to one of his two opinions, favoured the second opinion.

Ibn Faaris said: "There were two aspects to the compilation of the Qur'aan. One was putting the soorahs in a certain order, such as putting al-Sab' al-Tiwaal (the seven long soorahs) first, and following them with the Mi'een, which is what the Sahaabah did. The second aspect is the compilation of the aayahs within the soorahs. This was instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who recited them as he was told to by Jibreel, on the command of his Lord. On this basis the salaf differed as to the order in which the soorahs should appear. Some of them put them in order of revelation, which was the mus-haf of `Ali, which started with Iqra' (al-`Alaq), then al-Muddaththir, then Noon (al-Qalam), then al-Muzzammil, and so on. The Mus-haf of Ibn Mas'ood started with al-Baqarah, then al-Nisa', then Aal `Imraan, with other major differences. The Mus-haf of Ubayy was similar."

Al-Karmaani said in al-Burhaan: the order of the soorahs as it is now is the same as that in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz which is with Allaah. This is the order in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to review the soorahs of the Qur'aan he had received so far with Jibreel each year. In the year in which he died, he reviewed it with him twice, and the last aayahs to be revealed were (interpretation of the meaning): `And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allaah…' [al-Baqarah 2:281]. Jibreel commanded the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to put this between the aayahs dealing with riba and those dealing with loans."

Al-Zarkashi said in al-Burhaan: "The difference between the two views is one of wording. Those who support the second view say that it was taught to them so that they could learn the reasons of Revelation and the sequence of the words. Hence Maalik said that they compiled the Qur'aan according to what they had heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), as well as saying that the order of the soorahs was the product of their ijtihaad. He said that the dispute boils down to one question which is: was this a verbal instruction of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), or were they merely referring to what he used to do, which would give them room for ijtihaad."

Al-Bayhaqi said in al-Madkhil: "At the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the soorahs and aayahs of the Qur'aan were in this order, except for al-Anfaal and Baraa'ah (al-Tawbah), as we see from the hadeeth of `Uthmaan referred to above."

Ibn `Atiyah said: "The order of many of the soorahs was known during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as the seven long soorahs, those that begin with Ha'-Meem, and al-Mufassal. With regard to the others, it may be the case that it was left for the Ummah to determine their order after he died."

Abu Ja'far said: "The reports support most of what Ibn `Atiyah said, and a little is left which is open to debate, such as the hadeeth, `Recite the two shining ones, al-Baqarah and Aal `Imraan.'" (Reported by Muslim, no. 804).

Al-Bukhaari narrated (no. 4739) that `Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: "Bani Israa'eel (al-Israa'), al-Kahf, Maryam, Ta-Ha and al-Anbiya', these are among the earliest and most beautiful soorahs and they are my treasures," (meaning, these are among the earliest I recited).

Abu Ja'far al-Nahhaas al-Mukhtaar said that the soorahs were compiled in this order from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) because of the hadeeth of Waathilah, "In place of the Tawraat I was given the seven long soorahs." He said: "This hadeeth indicates that the order of the Qur'aan was taken from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

Ibn Hajar said, "the fact that the soorahs , or most of them, are in a given order does not contradict the idea that this was instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). What proves that this was instituted by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the report narrated by Ahmad and Abu Dawood from Aws ibn Hudhayfah, who said: `We asked the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the morning, "How did you write down the Qur'aan in chapters?" They said, "We wrote it down in chapters of six soorahs, five soorahs, seven soorahs, nine soorahs, eleven soorahs and thirteen soorahs, and the chapter of al-Mufassal, from Qaaf until the end. This indicates that the order of the soorahs _ as it appears in the Mus-haf now _ existed at the time of the Messenger of Allaah, or it is possible that what was known in order at that time was Hizb al-Mufassal specifically, which is not the case with the rest."
See al-Itqaan fi `Uloom al-Qur'aan by al-Suyooti, 1/62-65).

And Allaah knows best.

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8177: If a person looks at the Mus-haf without moving his lips, will he be rewarded for that?

Question:

Some people pick up the Mus-haf and look at it without moving their lips. Can this be called reading Qur'aan? Or is it essential to pronounce the words audibly in order to earn the reward for reading Qur'aan? Will a person be rewarded for looking at the Mus-haf? Please advise us, may Allaah reward you with good.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah. There is nothing to prevent a person looking at the Qur'aan without reciting it, in order to ponder its meanings and understand it. But he is not considered to be "reading" Qur'aan when he does that, and he does not earn the reward for reading it unless he pronounces (the words of) the Qur'aan, even if those around him do not hear him. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

"Read the Qur'aan, for it will come on the Day of Resurrection to intercede for its companions." (Narrated by Muslim).

What he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) meant by its companions is those who act upon it, as stated in other ahaadeeth. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever reads one letter of the Qur'aan will have one hasanah, and the hasanah will be rewarded tenfold." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Daarimi with a saheeh isnaad). And one cannot be counted as reading Qur'aan unless once actually pronounces it.

And Allaah is the source of strength.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 363 (www.islam-qa.com)

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10984: The times when it is permissible to recite Qur'aan

Question:

Can Suratul-Fatihah be recited at any time? I heard that it can only be recited at certain times only, like salaat or as prescribed by the Prophet (May Allaah's peace and blessings be upon him) for specific needs. If it is the latter, could you list the proper times to recite it?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

It is permissible for you to recite Qur'aan, or any soorah from it, at any time and in any situation, except when you are in a state of janaabah (impurity following sexual activity), in which case it is haraam to recite Qur'aan, because of the hadeeth of `Ali who said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to recite Qur'aan to us in all situations so long as he was not in a state of janaabah." (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, al-Tahaarah, 136. al-Tirmidhi said: this hadeeth of `Ali is hasan saheeh). This was also the view of the scholars among the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Taabi'een. They said a man may recite Qur'aan without wudoo' but he should not read from the Mus-haf unless he is taahir (pure, i.e., has wudoo'). This was the view of Sufyaan al-Thawri, al-Shaafa'i, Ahmad and Ishaaq.

See Da'eef Sunan al-Tirmidhi by al-Albaani, hadeeth no. 22

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: The imams are agreed that it is haraam to recite Qur'aan when in a state of janaabah.

It is not proper etiquette to recite Qur'aan when one is in a state of janaabah because it is the words of Allaah which must be respected and venerated, and kept away from all unclean places and places where haraam things take place, which could dishonour it and show disrespect towards its sanctity. Moreover the person who is in a state of janaabah can remove the impurity whenever he wants, so he is not allowed to recite Qur'aan. But if you are impure in the sense of minor impurity then it is permissible for you to recite only, without touching the Mus-haf. See question no. 10672. With regard to women when they are menstruating or bleeding following childbirth, see question no. 2564. And Allaah knows best.

See Tawdeeh Ahkaam al-Nisa', 1/309.

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21182: A soorah in which the name of Allaah is mentioned in every aayah.

Question:

Is there a soorah in which the name of Allaah is mentioned in every aayah?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

This soorah is Soorat al-Mujaadilah (no. 58).

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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20100: It is permissible to accept payment for teaching Qur'aan

Question:

Is it right to take/accept money for teaching Quran?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The Standing Committee was asked about whether it is permissible to accept payment for teaching Qur'aan. They replied:

Yes, it is permissible to accept payment for teaching Qur'aan according to the more correct of the two scholarly views, because of the general meaning of the hadeeth:

"The thing for which you most deserve to take payment is the Book of Allaah," (narrated by al-Bukhaari), and because there is a real need for that. And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, vol. 4, p. 91 (www.islam-qa.com)

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8029: Ruling on reading Qur'aan in a house where there is a dog

Question:

What is the ruling on reading Qur'aan in a house where there is a dog?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

There is nothing wrong with that, but you have to get the dog out of the house and not keep it inside, unless it is for one of three reasons, namely hunting, farming or herding livestock. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever keeps a dog, unless it is a dog for hunting, herding or farming, his reward will decrease by two qiraats (i.e., a large amount) every day." (Agreed upon).

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li Samaahat al-Shaykh al-`Allaamah `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 8, p. 362 (www.islam-qa.com)

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4607: Is it true that there is no evidence of a Qur'aan being written in the 7^th century?

Question:

I was womndering if it is true that there is no evidence that there is no trace of a Qu'ran being written in the 7 th century

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

This is a false and incorrect statement made by those who try to find faults with Islam so as to put people off this religion. It is sufficient to know that Allaah has guaranteed to preserve the Qur'aan, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)." [al-Hijr 15:9]

Moreover, the fact that the transmission of the Qur'aan by memory and in writing was mutawaatir _ narrated by groups to groups [to such an extent that so many people could not conceivably have agreed upon a lie] _ is well known to anyone who has the slightest acquaintance with Islamic knowledge, especially knowledge of recitations and reciters.

There are still many people nowadays who have learned the Qur'aan orally, with isnaads directly going back to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

One of the miracles of Allaah's protection of the Qur'aan is the fact that those who try to tamper with it are always found out.

The point is, everything that was revealed to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was written down in front of him straight away, and some of the Sahaabah had masaahif (written copies of the Qur'aan). After the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), the first khaleefah, Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him) gathered the Qur'aan in written and kept it. Then the third khaleefah, `Uthmaan ibn `Affaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) compiled it in mus-hafs that were based on the mus-haf compiled by Abu Bakr, in addition to what had been memorized.

When we realize that the Qur'aan was written down and compiled by the Sahaabah, and `Uthmaan sent copies of the Mus-haf during his reign to all the main centres of Islam, so that it would be a reference for them, and there were no disputes concerning them, then how can we say that there is no written trace of the Qur'aan in the seventh century? Moreover, there are several ancient manuscripts of the Qur'aan in libraries and museums which bear visible testimony to the fact that nothing has been changed in the Book of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And verily, it is an honourable wellfortified respected Book (because it is Allaah's Speech, and He has protected it from corruption). Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it, (it is) sent down by the AllWise, Worthy of all praise (Allaah)."

[Fussilat 41:41-42]

And Allaah knows best.

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7198: Reciting Surahs and Aayahs in a different order

Question:

My question is regarding the order in which the quran should be recited in a prayer, either outloud or quietely.

Should the wroshipper recite the surahs or ayahs in the order that they are presented in the quran. For example, is it permissible to recite surah Al-Nas in the first rakah followed by surah Al-Kawthar in the second rakah, or ayah 50-60 in surah al Baqara (for example), followed by ayah 10-20 in the second rakah.
please clarify this and explain why so.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Reading later parts of the Qur'aan before earlier parts is called Tankees (inversion). There are different types of Tankees:

Tankees al-Huroof (inversion of letters)

Tankees al-Kalimaat (inversion of words)

Tankees al-Aayat (inversion of verses)

Tankees al-Suwar (inversion of Soorahs)

Tankees al-Huroof (inversion of letters) means putting a later letter before a previous letter in one word, for example, instead of "Rabb" one reads "Barr"

Undoubtedly this is haraam, and invalidates a person's prayer, because it changes the Qur'aan from the way in which it was spoken by Allaah, and usually alters the meaning in a drastic manner.

(Al-Sharh al-Mumti' by Ibn `Uthaymeen, 3/110)

Tankees al-Kalimaat (inversion of words) means putting a later word before a previous word, for example, instead of "Qul huwa Allaahu ahad", one reads "Ahad Allaah huwa qul"!

This also is undoubtedly haraam, because it changes the Qur'aan from the way in which it was spoken by Allaah.

(Al-Sharh al-Mumti', 3/110)

Tankees al-Aayat (inversion of verses) means reciting a later aayah before a previous aayah, for example, reciting "min sharr il-waswaas il-khannaas" before "ilaah il-naas"!

Concerning this, al-Qaadi `Ayyaad (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

There is no dispute concerning the order of the aayahs in each soorah. This is something which is Tawqeefi, i.e., based on revelation [and is not open to ijtihaad], and the order is that which now appears in the Mus-haf, and this is how the ummah transmitted it from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

(Sharh al-Nawawi, 6/62. This was also the view of Ibn al-`Arabi, as stated in al-Fath, 2/257).

Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:

Tankees al-aayaat (inverting verses) is also haraam according to the most correct view, because the order of the aayahs is tawqeefi (something which is based on revelation [and not open to ijtihaad]). The meaning of "tawqeefi" is that it was dictated by the order of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

(al-Sharh al-Mumti', 3/110).

Tankees al-Suwar (inversion of Soorahs) means, reciting later soorahs before earlier ones, for example, reciting Aal `Imraan before al-Baqarah.

The ruling on this:

Those scholars who say that the order of soorahs is not tawqeefi do not see anything wrong with this.

Those who think that it is tawqeefi or that the consensus of the Sahaabah on the order of soorahs is evidence, do not think that it is permissible.

The correct view:

Is that the order of soorahs is not tawqeefi; it is the result of ijtihaad on the part of some of the Sahaabah.

There was no ijmaa' (consensus) among the Sahaabah on the order of soorahs; the order in the Mus-haf of `Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood _ for example _ is different from that in the Mushafs of others.

In the Sunnah there is evidence that supports the view that it is permissible:

(A) Hudhayfah said: I prayed with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) one night, and he started to recite al-Baqarah. I thought, he will do rukoo' when he reaches one hundred aayaat, but he kept going. I thought, he will complete it in one rak'ah, but he kept going. I thought, he will do rukoo' now, but he started to recite al-Nisaa', and he recited all of it, then he started to recite Aal `Imraan and recited all of it… (Narrated by Muslim, 772).

The evidence in this hadeeth is that he recited al-Nisaa' then Aal `Imraan.

Al-Nawawi said:

Al-Qaadi `Ayyaad said: this contains evidence for those who say that the order of soorahs is the result of ijtihaad on the part of the Muslims when they wrote down the Mus-haf. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not dictate the order of soorahs; he entrusted this task to his ummah after his death. This is the view of Maalik and the majority of the scholars, and was the view favoured by al-Qaadi Abu Bakr al-Baaqillaani. Ibn al-Baaqillaani said: it is the more correct of the two views, although both are possible.

He said: what we say is that the order of soorahs is not binding when writing, praying, studying, teaching or learning. There is no report from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning that which would make it forbidden to differ from it. Hence the order of soorahs in the various Mus-hafs differed, before the Mus-haf of `Uthmaan.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the ummah after him in all ages regarded it as permissible to differ from the order of soorahs in prayer, and when studying and teaching.

He said: with regard to the view of those scholars who say that (the order of soorahs) was set by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and that he put them in the same order as appears in the Mus-haf of `Uthmaan _ and that the different orders came about before they heard of his ruling and his final review of the Qur'aan with Jibreel _ they interpret the fact that he (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited al-Nisaa' first and then Aal `Imraan as meaning that this happened before the final ruling was dictated, and these two soorahs appear in this order in the Mus-haf of Ubayy.

He said: there is no dispute concerning the fact that a person who is praying may recite in the second rak'ah a soorah which comes before the soorah which he recited in the first rak'ah; but it is makrooh to do this in one rak'ah, or when reciting Qur'aan outside of salaah.

He said: but some of them permitted this.

The prohibition of the Salaf against reading the Qur'aan backwards is interpreted as referring to those who read from the end of a soorah to the beginning.

He said: there is no dispute concerning the fact that the order of aayaat in each soorah is based on revelation from Allaah and is as it now appears in the Mus-haf and as it was transmitted by the ummah from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

(End of the comments of al-Qaadi `Ayyaad). And Allaah knows best.

(Sharh Muslim, 6/61, 62).

Al-Sindi said:

The phrase [in the hadeeth of Hudhayfah] "then he started to recite Aal `Imraan" means that it is not obligatory to follow the order of soorahs when reciting.

(Sharh al-Nisaa'i, 3/226).

(B) It was reported from Anas ibn Maalik (may Allaah be pleased with him) that a man from among the Ansaar used to lead them in prayer in the mosque of Qubaa'. Every time he led them in prayer, he would start his recitation with "Qul huwa Allaahu ahad", then when he finished it, he would recite another soorah. He did that in every rak'ah. His companions spoke with him and said, "You always start with this soorah, then you do not think it is enough and you recite another. Either you should recite this soorah alone, or you should leave it and recite another." He said, "I am not going to stop reciting it. If you like, I will lead you in prayer as I have been doing, and if you do not like it, I will leave you." They felt that he was one of the best of them, and they did not want anyone else to lead them in prayer. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to them, they told him about this. He said, "O So and so, what is stopping you from doing what your companions tell you? What makes you keep on reciting this soorah in every rak'ah?" He said, "I love it." He said, "Your love for it will grant you admittance to Paradise." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari mu'allaqan, and by al-Tirmidhi with an isnaad similar to that of al-Bukhaari, 2901).

The evidence in this report is the fact that the man recited Soorat al-Ikhlaas in his prayer before any other soorah that comes before it (in the Mus-haf), and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) approved of that.

(C) This is the action of `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him).

Al-Imaam al-Bukhaari said:

Al-Ahnaf recited al-Kahf in the first rak'ah and Yoosuf or Yoonus in the second, and he said that he had prayed Fajr with `Umar and he had done the same.

(Baab al-Jam' bayna Sooratayn fi'l-Rak'ah, in Kitaab al-Adhaan).

With regard to the latter part of your question, we say:

It is permissible to recite aayahs 50-60 of al-Baqarah in the first rak'ah, then to recite aayahs 1-20 of al-Baqarah in the second rak'ah, because then the meaning of the passage will be complete.

But reciting aayahs 10-20 means that one is cutting off the meaning, so it is better not to do this. Perhaps you mentioned the numbers only by way of example and you did not mean these particular aayaat. And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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1505: They get together and each person reads one juz'; will this be considered as a khutmah (complete reading of the Qur'aan) for all of them?

Question:

There are people who sit together to read the Qur'aan quietly. Each individual reads one juz' (part) of the Qur'aan, claiming that the entire Qur'aan will have been read in this gathering. Is this permissible or is it counted as being bid'ah (innovation)?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

In my opinion the action mentioned is not permissible, and I do not recall anything of this kind being reported from the Salaf. A person will only be rewarded for what he himself reads or listens to in order to benefit from it. But if another person reads and he does not listen, the reward for that will go to the person who read it. These people are not considered to have completed the whole Qur'aan; but if each person has read a juz' he will be rewarded for that. But they should not do this; either one person should read and the others listen, or each person should read by himself without making a connection between his reading and that of the others.

Al-Lu'lu' al-Makeen min Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn Jibreen, p. 50

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254: Ruling on hanging verses of the Qur'aan on walls

Question:

When visiting muslims, I noticed that many of them put verses of the Qur'an on the walls or pictures with the names Allah and Mohammed. I know a lot of muslims think that it is good to do so because it will protect them and their house. Personally, I consider it a form of shirk or superstition. Is there any ruling on that subject?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Hanging plaques and cloths containing aayaat of the Qur'aan in homes, schools, social clubs and places of business, involves a number of reservations and prohibitions according to Islam, such as the following:

(1) In most cases, hanging such things on the wall is done for purposes of decoration and adornment, as the aayaat etc. are written in calligraphy and colourful brocade. This is an inappropriate use of the Qur'aan, as it was revealed to guide people and to be read regularly. The Qur'aan was not revealed to decorate walls, but to guide mankind.

(2) Some people hang up such things for "blessing" - which is a form of bid`ah. The blessing as described in Islam comes from reading or reciting the Qur'aan, not from hanging it up or placing it on shelves or turning it into artwork and three-dimensional images.

(3) This is contrary to the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and the Rightly-Guided Khaleefahs (al-Khulafaa' al-Raashidoon), may Allaah be pleased with them, who never did such a thing. The best way is to follow them, not to introduce bid`ah. History tells us that in places such as Andalusia, Turkey, etc., the adornment of houses and mosques with ornate carvings of aayaat only happened at times when the Muslims were weak and humiliated.

(4) Hanging up such pictures or plaques could lead to shirk, because some people think that these things are amulets that will protect the house and its people from evil and disease. This is shirk and is haraam, because the One Who really offers protection is Allaah, may He be glorified, and one of the means of gaining His protection is sincere recitation of the Qur'an and du`aa's taught in the Qur'aan and Sunnah.

(5) There is the risk that the Qur'aan may be used, in such cases, as a means of promoting one's business or increasing one's earnings. The Qur'aan should be protected from being used for such purposes. It is well-known that the production and sale of these pictures and plaques involves a great deal of extravagance and wasting money.

(6) Many of these plaques are painted with real gold, which makes using them and hanging them up even more haraam.

(7) Many of these plaques involve a kind of carelessness, because the letters are twisted into complex designs that are of no benefit to anyone because they are barely legible. Sometimes words are fashioned into the shape of a bird or a man prostrating, and similarly forbidden pictures of animate beings.

(8) Ayaat and soorahs of the Qur'aan are exposed to misuse and abuse by this practice. For example, when moving house, they are piled up with the rest of the furniture and belongings, and other objects may be placed on top of them. This also happens when they are taken down so that the wall may be painted or cleaned.

(9) Some Muslims whose observance of Islam is lacking put these plaques and pictures up so that they can feel that they are doing something religious, in order to reduce their feelings of guilt _ in spite of the fact that this practice does not help them in any way.

All in all, we must close the doors of evil and follow the leaders of guidance of the early centuries of Islam, whose people the Prophet (peace be upon him) testified were the best of the Muslims in faith and practice. If someone were to say, "We are not going to abuse it or make it a decoration or exaggerate about it, we only want to remind people (about their religion) in our gatherings", our response would be: if we look at real life, will we find that this is what actually happens? Do people really remember Allah? Do they even read these aayaat when they raise their heads?

What really happens is the opposite: people go against the words hanging over their heads, they still tell lies, engage in gossip, make fun of others and do and say evil things. Even if we assume that there are some who do benefit from these plaques etc., the fact is that they are very few, and this does not change the hukm (Islamic ruling) on the matter.

The Muslims must turn to the Book of Allaah, read it and recite it, and act in accordance with it. We ask Allaah to make the Qur'aan a light of guidance for us, and a means of removing our grief and anxiety. May Allaah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

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3465: Which is better, to recite Qur'aan from the Mushaf or from memory?

Question:

Is it better to recite from the Mushaf than from memory? Please explain.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

If one is reciting Qur'aan in situations other than in prayer, then reading from the Mushaf is better, because it is more accurate and helps one to remember better. But if reciting from memory is easier and helps one to concentrate more and have better presence of mind (khushoo'), then one should recite from memory.

In prayer, however, it is better to recite from memory, because if a person recites from the Mushaf, he will be doing repeated actions such as holding the Mushaf, putting it down, turning its pages and looking at the letters. By doing so he will miss out on putting his right hand over his left hand on his chest when standing during the prayer, or spreading out his arms during rukoo' and sujood, if he puts the Mushaf under his arm. Hence we think that it is preferable for a person who is praying to recite from memory rather than from the Mushaf.

We see some people when they pray behind the imaam, carrying the Mushaf and following the imaam's recitation. This is something which should not be done, for the reasons we have referred to above, and because they do not need to do anything except follow the imaam.

However, if the imaam does not have such a good memory, and he says to one of the members of the congregation, "Pray behind me, and follow me (my recitation) in the Mushaf, and if I make a mistake, correct me," then there is nothing wrong with this.

From the fataawa of Shaykh ibn `Uthaymeen, al-Fataawa al-Islamiyyah, 8/4). (www.islam-qa.com)

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5368: Rulings of al-Madd in Qur'aan recitation

Question:

Would please tell me what the symbol "~" has effect on the meaning of word or phrase of the holy Quran
If some one does not Prolong the sound of the letter under "~" would that change the meanings ?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

This symbol "~" is used to indicate places where a Madd (elongation) that is longer than the regular elongation is required. It is used in places where the Madd is compulsory (Madd laazim), as in the word "At-Taammah", where the elongation is six harakaat or counts. One harakah is equal to the time taken to curl or stretch one finger. This symbol is also used for al-Madd al-Muttasal (where a long vowel is followed by a hamzah in one word), such as "sawaa'un `alaynaa ", where the Madd is between four and six harakaat. And it is used for al-Madd al-Munfassal, (where one word ends with a long vowel and is immediately followed by a word that starts with a hamzah), as in the phrase "fee aadhaaninaa waqar", where the Madd is four or five harakaat.
This symbol does not have any effect on the meanings of the words; it is only used to indicate some kinds of Madds or elongations, as explained above. The Madd which is longer than the regular elongation (two harakaat) does not change the meaning when you do it. But we have to follow the Sunnah of recitation, and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to elongate some vowels in his recitation. And Allaah knows best.

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5126: Verses in the Qur'aan where we should perform Sujood al-Tilaawah

Question:

I would like to know the specific ayats in the Qu'Ran where we should prostrate.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

There are fifteen places in the Qur'aan where we should perform sajdat al-tilaawah (prostration of recitation) when reciting them. It was reported from `Amr ibn al-`Aas that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited to him fifteen verses in the Qur'aan where one should prostrate, three of which are in al-Mufassal and two in Soorat al-Hajj. It was reported by Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, al-Haakim and al-Daaraqutni, and classed as hasan by al-Mundhiri and al-Nawawi. The fifteen aayat are (interpretation of the meanings):

1 - "Surely those who are with your Lord (angels) are never too proud to perform acts of worship to Him, but they glorify His Praise and prostrate before Him." [al-A'raaf 7:206]

2 - "And unto Allaah (Alone) falls in prostration whoever is in the heavens and the earth, willingly or unwillingly, and so do their shadows in the mornings and in the afternoons." [al-Ra'd 13:15]

3 _ "And to Allaah prostrate all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth, of the live moving creatures and the angels, and they are not proud [i.e., they worship their Lord (Allaah) with humility]." [al-Nahl 16:49]

4 _ "Say (O Muhammad): `Believe in it (the Qur'aan) or do not believe (in it). Verily! Those who were given knowledge before it, when it is recited to them, fall down on their faces in humble prostration." [al-Isra' 17:107]

5 _ "… When the Verses of the Most Beneficent (Allaah) were recited unto them, they fell down prostrating and weeping." [Maryam 19:58]

6 _ "See you not that to Allaah prostrates whoever is in the heavens and whoever is one the earth, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the mountains, and the trees, and al-dawaab (moving living creatures, beasts, etc.), and many of mankind? But there are many (men) on whom the punishment is justified. And whomsoever Allaah disgraces, none can honour him. Verily! Allaah does what He wills." [al-Hajj 22:18]

7 _ "O you who believe! Bow down, and prostrate yourselves, and worship your Lord and do good that you may be successful."

[al-Hajj 22:77]

8 _ "And when it is said to them: `Prostrate to the Most Beneficent (Allaah)!' They say, `And what is the Most Beneficent? Shall we fall down in prostration to that which you (O Muhammad) command us?' And it increases in them only aversion."

[al-Furqaan 25:60]

9 _ "[As Shaytaan has barred them from Allaah's Way] so that they do not worship (prostrate before) Allaah, Who brings to light what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and knows what you conceal and what you reveal."

[al-Naml 27:25]

10 _ "Only those believe in Our aayaat (verses, signs, etc.) who, when they are reminded of them fall down prostrate, and glorify the Praises of their Lord, and they are not proud."

[al-Sajdah 32:15]

11 _ "… And Dawood guessed that We had tried him and he sought forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allaah) in repentance."

[Saad 38:24]

12 _ "And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate not to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate to Him Who created them, if you (really) worship Him."

[Fussilat 41:37]

13 _ "So fall down in prostration to Allaah, and worship Him (Alone)."

[al-Najm 53:62]

14 _ "And when the Qur'aan is recited to them, they fall not prostrate."

[al-Inshiqaaq 84:21]

15 _ "… Fall prostrate and draw near to Allaah!"

[al-`Alaq 96:19]

Al-Albaani said, in Tamaam al-Minnah (296):

"On the contrary, the hadeeth is not hasan, because it includes two majhool [unknown] narrators. Al-Haafiz said in al-Talkhees, after quoting the opinion of al-Mundhiri and al-Nawawi that it is hasan: `'Abd al-Haqq and Ibn Qattaan classed it as da'eef [weak]. It includes `Abd-Allaah ibn Munayn, who is majhool, and the one who narrated from him is al-Haarith ibn Sa'eed al-`Atqi, who is also unknown.' Ibn Maakoolaa said: ` He did not narrate any hadeeth apart from this one."

Hence al-Tahhaawi was of the opinion that there is no second sajdah in Soorat al-Hajj, towards the end of the soorah. This is also the opinion of Ibn Hazm who said in al-Muhalla:

"Because it is not narrated in any saheeh report that this was the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and there is no scholarly consensus to this effect. But it was reported with a saheeh isnaad that `Umar ibn al-Khattaab, the daughter of `Abd-Allaah and Abu Darda' performed sajdah in (the second verse quoted from Soorat al-Hajj)."

Then Ibn Hazm discussed whether the sajdahs for the other aayaat quoted are prescribed in Islam. He mentioned that the scholars are agreed upon the first ten, that performing sujood when reciting these aayaat is prescribed. Al-Tahhaawi also reported this consensus in Sharh al-Ma'aani (1/211), but he said that the sajdah in Soorat Fussilat was prescribed, instead of the sajdah in Soorat Saad. Both scholars narrated ahaadeeth with saheeh isnaads from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the sajdahs in Saad, al-Najm, al-Inshiqaaq and al-`Alaq. These last three are from the Mufassal, which is referred to in the hadeeth of `Amr mentioned above.

In conclusion, even though the isnaad of the hadeeth is weak, it is supported by the consensus of the ummah which supports most of it, and by saheeh ahaadeeth which support the rest of it, except for the second sajdah in Soorat al-Hajj, for which there is no evidence in the Sunnah or in the consensus of the scholars. But some of the Sahaabah used to prostrate when reciting it, which could be taken as evidence, especially since no one is known to have disputed with them in this regard.

To sum up, the prostration of recitation should be performed when reciting the fifteen verses quoted above. And Allaah knows best.

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Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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2915: What is the ruling on hanging up aayaat for protection?

Question:

IS it proper to hang Quranic verses from the wall to

1. protect one from evil things

2. beautify the room with divine words

3. with the intention that it will gain me rewards
May allah rewad u.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The ruling on placing the Mus-haf (copy of the Qur'aan) in cars to ward off the evil eye and for protection from danger is a bid'ah. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) never carried the Mus-haf to ward off danger or the evil eye. If it is bid'ah, then we should remember that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Every bid'ah is a going-astray and every going-astray will lead to Hell." (Telephone conversation with Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen) (al-Bida' wa'l-Muhdathaat wa maa laa aslun lahu, p. 259).

Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) was also asked the following question: "Some people hang up aayaat of the Qur'aan and ahaadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in the rooms of their homes or in restaurants or offices. In some hospitals and doctors' offices they hang the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me" [al-Shu'ara' 26:80], and so on. Is this considered to be the use of amulets which is forbidden in sharee'ah, knowing that the intention behind it is to seek blessings and ward off the shayaateen, or to remind the forgetful and warn the negligent? Is it like using amulets to put the Mus-haf in one's car in order to seek blessings?"

His Eminence replied as follows:

"If the intention is as described, to remind people and teach them something beneficial, then there is no harm in that. But if they believe that it is a protection against the shayaateen or jinn, then I know of no basis for this. By the same token, there is no basis for putting the Mus-haf in one's car to protect it, and doing so is not allowed, but if a person puts it in his car so that he can read it sometimes or so that some of his passengers can read it, then this is good and there is nothing wrong with it. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

(Fatawa Islamiyyah, 4/29). (Shaykh Ibn Baaz may Allah have mercy on him) .

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4039: Ruling on reciting the Qur'aan collectively

Question:

What is the ruling on reciting the Qur'aan collectively in the mosque?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The question is somewhat vague. If what is meant is that they recite it all together, in unison, pausing and stopping at the same time, then this is not prescribed in Islam and at the very least it is makrooh (disliked), because it is not reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or his Companions (may Allaah be pleased with them) did any such thing. But if this is done for the purpose of teaching, we hope that there is nothing wrong with it. If what is meant is that the people gather to recite Qur'aan in order to memorize and learn it, and each one recites whilst the others listen, or each one reads to himself _ not in unison with the others _ then this is permissible because it was reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "No group of people gathers in one of the houses of Allaah to recite the Book of Allaah and study it together, but tranquillity descends upon them, the angels surround them, mercy comes down upon them, and Allaah mentions them to those who are with Him." (Reported by Muslim).

Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah (from the Fatwas of the Standing Committee).

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4040: Will a person be rewarded for reading Qur'aan even if he does not know the meaning of what he reads?

Question:

I always read Qur'aan but I do not understand the meanings… will I be rewarded by Allaah for that?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The Holy Qur'aan is blessed, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"(This is) a Book (the Qur'aan) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember."[Saad 38:29]

A man will be rewarded for reading it whether he understands its meanings or not… But the believer should not read the Qur'aan without understanding at the time when he is responsible for his actions. If a person wants to learn medicine, for example, and studies medical books, he cannot learn anything from them unless he understands what they mean and it is explained to him. Indeed, he would very keen to understand what they say so that he can put it into practice. So how about the Book of Allaah which is healing for what is in people's hearts and exhortation for all people? What about a person who reads it and does not understand or ponder its meanings? The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) would not go beyond ten aayaat until they had learnt them and understood the knowledge therein and how to act upon it. A person will be rewarded for reading Qur'aan whether or not he understands it, but he should try his best to find out what it means and to seek this knowledge from scholars who can be trusted. If he cannot easily find a scholar from whom he can learn, he should refer to reliable books of Tafseer such as Tafseer Ibn Jareer, Tafseer Ibn Katheer, and others. And Allaah knows best.

From the Fataawaa of Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen. (www.islam-qa.com)

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2297: Listening to Qur'aan on car stereo speakers that are by the feet of the passengers

Question:

In some cars the speakers of the car's tape deck are at the level of passengers' feet, and they can put their feet and shoes on the speakers. If a person plays a tape of Qur'aan recitation in such a case, would it be considered as disrespect towards the Book of Allaah?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

If the speakers are as you describe, under the feet and shoes of passengers, then tapes of Qur'aan should not be played, because the fact that Qur'aan is being heard from beneath people's feet or shoes is undoubtedly a kind of disrespect towards the Qur'aan. If a person really must listen to Qur'aan, let him lift the speakers up so that they are not at the same level as people's feet.

Liqa' al-Baab al-Maftooh by Ibn `Uthaymeen, 165. (www.islam-qa.com)

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2273: The Ten Commandments

Question:

i'm trying to determine if there is anything in the Quran similar to the Ten Commandents in the Old Testament, particularly the line "thou shalt not kill." i have been using search functions on several Quran translation sites to no avail. thank you very much

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Thank you for your question, which shows an interest in the Qu'ran. We are happy to answer your question here.

There are in the Qur'an certain aayaat (verses) which some scholars call the verses of the Ten Commandments, because they include ten important commandments given by Allaah to mankind. These aayaat are to be found in two passages of the Qur'an.

The first is in Soorat al-An'aam, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"Say: `Come, I will recite what your Lord has prohibited you from: Join not anything in worship with him; be good and dutiful to your parents; kill not your children because of poverty _ We provide sustenance for you and for them; come not near to al-fawaahish (shameful sins, illegal sexual intercourse, etc.), whether committed openly or secretly; and kill not anyone whom Allaah has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islamic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.

And come not near to the orphan's property, except to improve it, until he (or she) attains the age of full strength; and give full measure and full weight with justice. We burden not any person, but that which he can bear. And whenever you give your word (i.e., judge between men or give evidence, etc.), say the truth even if a near relative is concerned, and fulfil the Covenant of Allaah. This He commands you, that you may remember.

And, verily, this (i.e., Allaah's commandments mentioned in the above two verses) is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become al-muttaqoon (the pious)." [al-An'aam 6:151-153]

The second passage occurs in Soorat al-Israa', and may be considered as a commentary on the passage quoted above. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

"And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him. And that you be dutiful to your parents. If one or them or both of them attain old age in your life, say not to them a word of disrespect, nor shout at them, but address them in terms of honour.

And lower unto them the wing of submission and humility through mercy, and say: `My Lord! Bestow on them Your Mercy as they did bring me up when I was small.'

Your Lord knows best what is in your inner-selves. If you are righteous, then, verily, He is ever Most-Forgiving to those who turn unto Him again and again in obedience, and in repentance.

And give to the kindred his due and to the poor and to the wayfarer. But spend not wastefully (your wealth) in the manner of a spendthrift.

Verily, spendthrifts are brothers of the shayaateen (devils), and the Shaytaan (Satan) is ever ungrateful to his Lord.

And if you turn away from them (kindred, poor, wayfarers, etc. whom We have ordered you to give their rights, but if you have no money at the time they ask you for it) and you are awaiting a mercy from your Lord for which you hope, then, speak unto them a soft kind word (i.e., Allaah will give to me and I will give to you).

And let not your hand be tied (like a miser) to your neck, not stretch it forth to its utmost reach (like a spendthrift), so that you become blameworthy and in severe poverty.

Truly, your Lord enlarges the provision for whom He wills and straitens (for whom He wills). Verily, He is Ever All-Knower, All-Seer of His slaves.

And kill not your children for fear of poverty. We provide for them and for you. Surely the killing of them is a great sin.

And come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse. Verily, it is a faahishah [i.e., anything that transgresses its limits (a great sin)], and an evil way (that leads one to Hell unless Allaah forgives him).

And do not kill anyone which Allaah has forbidden, except for a just cause. And whoever is killed (intentionally with hostility and aggression and not by mistake), We have given his heir the authority [to demand qisaas _ Law of Equality in punishment _ or to forgive, or to take Diya (blood money)]. But let him not exceed limits in the matter of taking life (i.e., he should not kill except the killer only). Verily, he is helped (by the Islamic law).

And come not near to the orphan's property except to improve it, until he attains the age of full strength. And fulfil (every) covenant. Verily! The covenant will be questioned about.

And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a balance that is straight. That is good (advantageous) and better in the end.

And follow not (O man, i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge. Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned by Allaah.

And walk not on the earth with conceit and arrogance. Verily, you can neither rend nor penetrate the earth, nor can you attain a stature like that of the mountains in height.

All the bad aspects of these (the above mentioned things) are hateful to your Lord.

This is part of al-hikmah (wisdom, good manners and high character, etc.) which your Lord has inspired to you (O Muhammad). And set not up with Allaah any other ilaah (god) lest you should be thrown into Hell, blameworthy and rejected (from Allaah's mercy)." [al-Israa' 17:23-39]

Perhaps after enjoying reading these verses, you will have a better idea of the Qur'aan than before, and this will be the beginning of a fundamental change in your life, the start of your way to Islam. May Allaah guide and help you always. Peace be upon those who follow true guidance.. Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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2428: Warning about Internet sites that distort the Qur'aan

Question:

Salam o Aleikum,

A friend of mine brought to my attention this Web site where the guy changed the verses of the Qoran and says it is the Qoran.

This is the site: XXXXXXX

What can we do to stop this?

I have a question if anybody can answer. I have a christain friend who wants me to go to her wedding where I know they will say "the three" and "son of god" during the ceremony. What does a muslim do in that situation, does he go to the ceremony or just the party afterwards. Also what if somebody converts to Islam and her sister is getting married (who is still christain) does that person attend the ceremony?

Thank you very much and please cite your sources.

Answer:

Praise be to Allah.

Before answering this question, we should advise you of the importance of wisdom in denouncing evil, and of being careful not to inadvertantly promote anti-Islamic websites so that everyone will go and read them, because this will indirectly contribute to the promotion of these worthless people who claim to imitate the Qur'aan.

Producing anything like the Qur'aan is impossible, because Allaah challenged anyone to do this. This challenge was issued to the most brilliant and eloquent Arab poets at the time when the Qur'aan was revealed, which was also the time when Arabic eloquence was at its peak. Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): "Let them then produce a recital like unto it (the Qur'aan) if they are truthful." [al-Tur 52:34]

When they could not do this, Allaah challenged them to produce ten soorahs like its soorahs: "Or they say: `He (Muhammad) forged it (the Qur'aan).' Say: `Bring you then ten forged soorahs (chapters) like unto it, and call whomsoever you can, other than Allah (to your help), if you speak the truth!'" [Hud 11:13 _ interpretation of the meaning].

When they could not do this, Allah challenged them to produce just one soorah that contained the same eloquence and wisdom as the Qur'aan. He said (interpretation of the meaning): "Or do they say: `He (Muhammad) has forged it'? Say: `Bring then a soorah (chapter) like unto it, and call upon whomsoever you like, besides Allah, if you are truthful!" [Yoonus 10:38]

Allah called on them to seek help from whoever they wanted, and to accept the challenge. He said (interpretation of the meaning): "And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, Christians) are in doubt concerning that which We have sent down to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce a soorah of the like thereof and call your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allah, if you are truthful." [al-Baqarah 2:23]

When they were unable to do this, Allah informed them that they would never be able to do it, no matter who they called upon to help them. He said (interpretation of the meaning): "Say: `If mankind and jinn were together to produce the like of this Qur'aan, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another.'" [al-Isra' 17:88]

There is no one except Allah who can produce the like of the Qur'aan, because the Qur'aan, as He says, is "a Book, the Verses whereof are perfected and then explained in detail from One Who is All-Wise and Well-Acquainted (with all things)." [Hud 11:1 _ interpretation of the meaning].

When some liars did try to imitate the Qur'aan they came up with ridicualous nonsense that would make children laugh, let alone mature and intelligent adults. For example, the liar Musaylimah said: "O frog, daughter of two frogs, croak as much as you want, your upper part is in the water and your lower part is in the mud." This is an example of the kind of thing said by him and other pretenders to Prophethood. (See Sayd al-Khaatir by Ibn al-Jawzi, p. 404).

Some forms of falsehood may deceive some of the people because of their ignorance and lack of understanding of the rules of grammar and accepted styles of eloquence in Arabic. But anyone who has intelligence and common sense should at least be able to see the difference and realize that these made-up words cannot possibly be Qur'aan. If we look at the Website referred to in the question, we see that kufr is quite clearly mentioned in these fabricated soorahs, such as the statement that the Messiah is the son of God or is God, and the promotion of the evil madhhab of Raafidah (a kind of Shi'ah), and other such nonsense. There are also some weird contradictions, for example, these liars say in the so-called sixth aayah of the so-called "soorah al-tajassud": "Exalted be He above taking any of His creation as a son," but then we find in the so-called ninth aayah of the so-called "soorah al-eemaan" the words: "You are he, the son of God, truly; in you we believe." But verily Allah has spoken the truth when He said (interpretation of the meaning): "Do they not then consider the Qur'aan carefully? Had it been from other than Allah, they would surely have found therein much contradictions." [al-Nisaa' 4:82]

You also find other silly comments in these made-up soorahs, such as the claim that Allah permitted His Prophet to change whatever he wanted in the Qur'aan, as in the so-called sixth aayah of the so-called "soorah al-wasaaya": "Abrogate whatever you want to abrogate of the commands that We have given you, for We permit you to make changes to Our decisions"!

Every Muslim will realize the extent of the lies contained in these words that come from this mind that is driven by ulterior motives. Have you ever seen anything more foolish than these words? Allah has told us to adhere to His Book and put it into practice, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): "And this is a blessed Book which We have sent down, so follow it and fear Allah, that you may receive mercy." [al-An'aam 6:155]

He commanded His Messenger to adhere to the Qur'aan, saying (interpretation of the meaning): "So hold you (Muhammad) to that which is inspired in you. Verily, you are on a Straight Path." [al-Zukhruf 43:43].

Allah warned His Messenger not to fail in conveying the message complete and unaltered, as He said (interpretation of the meaning): "Verily, they were about to tempt you away from that which We have revealed unto you (O Muhammad), to fabricate something other than it against Us, and then they would certainly have taken you for a friend! And had We not made you stand firm, you would nearly have inclined to them a little. In that case, We would have made you taste a double portion (of punishment) in this life and a double portion (of punishment) after death. And then you would have found none to help you against Us" [al-Isra' 17:73-75] and "… if he (Muhammad) had forged a false saying concerning Us (Allah), We surely should have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might), and then certainly should have cut off his life artery (aorta)" [al-Haaqqah 69:44-46]. Having said all this, how can there be any so-called soorah that says the messenger has the right to abrogate whatever he wants in the Qur'aan and that he has the authority to change or omit whatever rules he wants??

The only One Who can abrogate whatever He wants of the Qur'aan is the One Who revealed it, may He be glorified, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): "Allah blots out what He wills and confirms (what He wills). And with Him is the Mother of the Book" [al-Ra'd 13:39];

"Whatever a Verse (revelation) We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, We bring a better one or similar to it. Know you not that Allah is able to do all things?" [al-Baqarah 2:106].

We, like our Messenger, are obliged to understand and implement the Qur'aan without distorting, omitting or changing anything. Allah said (interpretation of the meaning): "(This is) a Book which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember." [Saad 38:29].

We have seen in the false soorahs quoted on that Internet website a real example of what is referred to in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning): "And verily, among them is a party who distort the Book with their tongues (as they read), so that you may think it is from the Book, but it is not from the Book, and they say: `This is from Allah,' but it is not from Allah; and they speak a lie against Allah while they know it." [Aal `Imraan 3:78].

We ask Allah to make His Religion and His Book prevail and to make His friends victorious, as We ask Him to defeat and humiliate His enemies and cause them to fail. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad.

Islam Q&A. Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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839: Abrogation of the verse ordering the confinement of an adulteress in a house

Question:

I would like to know more about the meaning of this part of Surah al-Nisa':

"If any of your women are guilty of lewdness . . . confine them to houses until death do claim them, or Allah ordain for them some (other) way." [al-Nisaa' 4:15]

Does this mean to punish a woman who has committed adultery by death, or does it mean to imprison her for the remainder of her life? Also what does "or Allah make some way for them" mean?

Thank you for you time, I look forward to your response so that I may better understand Islam through the explanation of Muslims as opposed to those of non-Muslims.

Answer:

Praise be to Allah.

Allah says: "If any of your women are guilty of lewdness, take the evidence of four (reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them, or Allah ordain for them some (other) way." [al-Nisa' 4:15]

Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his Tafseer (explanation) of this aayah:

"At the beginning of Islam, the ruling concerning a woman who was proven guilty of adultery was that she was to be detained in a house and not allowed to come out until she died. So the phrase `If any of your women are guilty of lewdness' refers to adultery. `Take the evidence of four (reliable) witnesses from amongst you against them; and if they testify, confine them to houses until death do claim them, or Allah ordain for them some (other) way' - the `other way' that Allah made for them was the abrogation of this. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said: `This was the ruling until Allah revealed Surat al-Nur, then this punishment was abrogated and replaced with whipping or stoning.' Something similar was reported from `Ikrimah, Sa`id ibn Jubayr, al-Hasan, `Ataa' al-Khurasani, Abu Saalih, Qutaadah, Zayd ibn Aslam and al-Dahhak, stating that this is abrogated, and this is agreed upon. Imam Ahmad said: `Muhammad ibn Ja`far told us that Sa`id told us from Qutaadah from al-Hasan from Hattaan ibn `Abdullah al-Raqaashi from `Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit who said: Whenever the wahy (revelation) descended upon the Messenger of Allah (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him), it affected him, the stress showed on him and his face would change. Allah sent a revelation to him one day, and when it was over, he said: " Listen to me, Allah has made another way for them. (When) a married man (commits adultery) with a married woman, and an unmarried man with an unmarried woman, then in the case of married (persons) there is (a punishment) of one hundred lashes and then stoning (to death), and in the case of unmarried persons, (the punishment) is one hundred lashes and exile for one year."' It was reported by Muslim and other narrators of Sunan via Qutaadah from al-Hasan from al-Hattan from `Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit from the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) with the wording: `Receive (teaching) from me, receive (teaching) from me. Allah has made another way for those (women). When an unmarried man commits adultery with an unmarried woman, (they should receive) one hundred lashes, and banishment for one year. In the case of a married male committing adultery with a married female, they should receive one hundred lashes and be stoned to death.' Al-Tirmidhi said: This is a saheeh hasan hadeeth."

Al-Qurtubi, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his tafseer of this aayah:

"This [confinement] was the first punishment for adultery, at the beginning of Islam. Ibn `Abbas and al-Hasan said: Ibn Zayd added: They would not be allowed to marry, until they died, as a punishment for them when they asked to marry someone else. This ruling applied for a while, then the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allaah be upon Him) said, according to the hadeeth narrated by `Ubaadah ibn al-Saamit: "Receive (teaching) from me, receive (teaching) from me. Allah has made another way for those (women). When an unmarried man commits adultery with an unmarried woman, (they should receive) one hundred lashes, and banishment for one year. In the case of a married male committing adultery with a married female, they should receive one hundred lashes and be stoned to death." Some of the scholars said: the idea of punishment and shame was still there with the lashing, because there is no contradiction, and they are applied to one person. As for confinement, this is abrogated, by the consensus of the scholars. And Allah knows best.

To complete the benefit of what has been said, it is appropriate to learn the tafseer of the next aayah in Surat al-Nisaa':

"If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and amend, leave them alone; for Allah is Oft Returning, Most Merciful." [al-Nisaa' 4:16]

Ibn Katheer, may Allah have mercy on him, said in his Tafseer of this aayah:

"`If two men among you are guilty of lewdness' means two who commit an immoral act, so they should be punished. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, Sa`eed ibn Jubayr and others said: i.e., by putting them to public shame and hitting them with shoes. This was the ruling until Allah abrogated it and replaced it with lashing and stoning. `Ikrimah, `Ataa', al-Hasan and `Abdullah ibn Katheer said: `This was revealed concerning a man and a woman who commit adultery. The phrase `if they repent and amend' means if they give up what they were doing and mend their ways. `Leave them alone' means not to keep rebuking them with ugly words after that, because the one who has repented from his sin is like one who never sinned at all. `Allah is Oft Returning, Most Merciful' - it was proven in the two Saheehs: `If the slave woman of one of you commits adultery, apply the punishment of lashing, and do not blame her (after that)' - i.e., do not blame her for what she did after the punishment has been given, because the punishment is an expiation for her deed.'"

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

(www.islam-qa.com)

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768: Arguing against the Qur'aan using archaeology

Question:

would you please answer the following question, asked by my none-Muslim coworker.

On top of this, the Egyptians had a fairly standardized code of punishment, which was generally followed. The punishment for treachery was to have the tongue cut off, blasphemy was one hundred beatings. If a crime was committed, it was formally charged and punished, it was not a heat of the moment thing.

To me this is a problem of logical inconsistency in the Qur'an. Could someone please rationally explain this for me.

David "

I really need the answer to his question ASAP please,

Answer:

al-hamdu lillaah.

The problem lies in that your friend is a kafir (non-believer) who believes in what the archeologists say more than in what Allaah the Most Exalted says. The only solution is that this friend of yours realizes and believes that the One who created Moses, the magicians, the Pharaohs, and the Persians, knows them better, and knows every minute detail in their lives and all the events that occurred to them, than anyone else. And tell this friend of yours, who claims that he has read the story of Moses and the Pharaoh: Doesn't Allah the Most Exalted say in the Qur'aan, with regards to the dialogue that took place between Moses and the Pharaoh (interpretation of the meaning): Fir'aun (Pharaoh) said: " What about the generations of old (previous generations)? Musa (Moses) said : " The knowledge thereof is with my Lord, in a Record. My Lord is neither unaware nor does He forget" Verses # 51-52, surat Ta-ha.

We ask Allah to guide your friend to the truth and to reward you for trying to call him to Islam.

Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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Islam: Questions And Answers - The Qur'aan and Its Sciences by Muhammad Saed Abdul-Rahman PAGES: 276 (6 in x 9 in) ISBN: 1861791569

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