Scholars' Viewpoint: Is Quran the Word of God?

Islam is a continuation of all Divine religions that began with the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him) and got refined through Divine Scriptures revealed unto Prophets Daud, Musa and Eesa (David, Moses and Christ, peace be upon them all) and finally culminating in its most perfect form in the form of the Qur'an revealed on Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the 7th century A.D. And today, Islam is the second largest religion after Christianity around the world.

However, despite its universality, Qur'an has been subject to criticism by people of other faiths, specially Christians, for it challenges many a misconceptions and concoctions that have crept into the Divine scriptures and for the reason that Islam has started to get more popular despite a severe media campaign all over the world that Christianity. More and more people are reverting to Islam and some critics of Islam fear that by 2050, many presently Christian dominated countries will be dominated by Islam.

In order to belittle Islam as a Divine religion, there has been a school of thought which has started propagating that Qur'an is in fact written by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) by listening to earlier scriptures. Had it been so, well read Christians, including some theologians and mathematicians had not embraced Islam. Additionally, there so many scientific miracles explained in the Qur'an the knowledge of which was not known to science of the time, like the miracle of birth of human fetus, its development, the movement of sun and moon, the presence of mountains which are holding the earth firmly, and many more.

I could quote many aspects and truth contained in the Qur'an that proves it could not have been written by a human being but One True God Himself. But the following lecture will dispel all such misconceptions and open the polluted minds and bring them a peace.

Please watch an enlightening video on the subject by Zakir Abdul Karim Naik, an Islamic televangelist and Islamic preacher. He is the founder and president of the Islamic Research Foundation. He is also the founder of the Peace TV:

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video above are that of the concerned scholar . We have shared these view as added information in better understanding of Islam. The reader may or may not agree with the view owing to their own perception. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

For more Scholarly views and videos, please read our reference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on Important Issues Related to Islam.

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

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99 Attributes of Allah: As Salam - The Giver of Peace

As-Salām " ٱلْسَّلَامُ " The Giver of Peace, The Ever-Tranquil is He, Allāh, the Almighty, The Source of Peace, The Flawless, The Source of Wholeness and Well-Being.

Everyone wishes to be in peace and let others be in peace too. All greetings around the world begin with peace and Who else would be better giver and wisher of peace can be other than the Creator of the world? Allah, the As-Salām is the ultimate source of giving peace and tranquility to the entire mankind.


The Arabic word Salām (pronounced Salaam) comes from the root letters seen-laam-meem (S - L - M) that is salama which denotes safety, security, freedom and immunity. From the same root originates the Muslim greeting “salaam”. In Surah al-Furqan Ayah 63, it is said, “and when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,” meaning they don’t want anything to do with their conversation. 

As Salām as an attribute of Allah appears, along with many other attributes of Allah, in the 23rd verse of Surah 59. Al-Hashr:

هُوَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِىۡ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ​ۚ اَلۡمَلِكُ الۡقُدُّوۡسُ السَّلٰمُ الۡمُؤۡمِنُ الۡمُهَيۡمِنُ الۡعَزِيۡزُ الۡجَـبَّارُ الۡمُتَكَبِّرُ​ؕ سُبۡحٰنَ اللّٰهِ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُوۡنَ‏ 

(59:23) He is Allah: there is no god but He: the King, the Holy, the All-Peace, the Giver of security, the Overseer, the Most Mighty, the Overpowering, the All-Great. Exalted be He from whatever they associate with Him.

Here in this verse above, the attribute As Salām as used in the original means peace and Secure, Allah’s being called As Salām means that He is peace and safety personified. He is far exalted that some calamity or weakness or defect should befall Him, or His Perfection should suffer a decline or blemish.

Many seek peace by struggling, battling and trying to impose their will on others, yet external peace will only prevail as a reflection of inner peace. The only path to outer peace is awareness of the tranquil depths of  inner peace, and the only source of such inner peace is the One known as as-Salām.

When Muslims greet each other and say “Asalaam o Alaykum (السلام عليكم),” we mean, “You’re safe from me and you’ll not receive any sharr [evil] from me.” Therefore, it is incumbent upon the other Muslim an appropriate response to such a greeting is "and upon you be peace" (wa-ʻalaykum as-salām).

The Hebrew greeting shālôm ʻalêḵem, (שלום עליכם) is the equivalent of the Arabic expression "Asalaam o Alaykum (السلام عليكم)", the response being עליכם שלום ʻalêḵem shālôm, 'upon you be peace'.

وَاللّٰهُ يَدۡعُوۡۤا اِلٰى دَارِ السَّلٰمِؕ وَيَهۡدِىۡ مَنۡ يَّشَآءُ اِلٰى صِرَاطٍ مُّسۡتَقِيۡمٍ‏ 

(Surah 10. Yunus: 25) (You are being lured by this ephemeral world) although Allah calls you to the abode of peace and guides whomsoever He wills to a straightway.

In the verse above, Jannah has been called Dar-us-Salām because it will be free of all grief, death, worries, tensions, fatigues, enmities, hatred, and will be a place of safety and tranquility. 

From the root word S-L-M, following words are derived, which all mainly mean peace:

• سلام salām 'Peace'
• السلام عليكم as-salāmu ʿalaykum 'Peace be upon you'
• إسلام Islām 'Acceptance, entrusting one's wholeness to God'
• مسلم Muslim 'One who Accepts'
• تسليم taslīm – 'delivering SLM – to give a salutation or a submission'
• إستسلام Istislām –'the act of submission'
• مستسلم mustaslim – One who submits – no longer seeking opposition/conflict, the one who has submitted
• سالم sālim – 'subject of SLM' – its SLM, 'the vase is SLM', 'the vase is whole, unbroken'
• مُسَلَّم musallam – 'undisputed'

The most precarious situations to which human beings are exposed are three: The time of birth, the time of death, and the time of resurrection. So Allah honored Prophet Yahya (peace be upon him) in all these three situations, granting him peace, safety and security against their woes. He saved him from the perils of all these three situations and granted him security against fear. 

Muslims are repeatedly enjoined by the Holy Quran to disseminate peace and to be receptive to those who offer it:

O you who believe! Enter into peace one and all... (2:208) And if they incline to peace, do incline to it too and trust in Allah. (8:61) And the servants of al-Rahman are the ones who walk on earth humbly, and when the ignorant ones address them, they say: Salam (Peace)! (25:63) And when those who believe in Our Signs come to you, say: Peace be on you! Your Lord has ordained mercy on Himself... (6:54) So turn away from them and say, Peace! For they shall soon come to know. (43:89)

The greeting of peace is an integral part of the creed of Islam. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would quite often enjoin the Muslims to disseminate the greeting of peace among them. The Prophet of Allah has been quoted as saying at many a instance: 

"Disseminate the greeting of peace among you so you may achieve peace and security. Whoever upholds three things will have combined in him the meaning of conviction: (1) fairness to his own self, (2) disseminating of the greeting of peace to everyone, and (3) spending wisely out of what he saves." Afshu al Salama baynakum: Disseminate the greeting of peace among you.

In one of his supplications, the Messenger of Allah used to say, "Lord! Make us harbingers of peace to Your friends!" The Holy Quran tells us that the name of Paradise is "Dar al Salam," the abode of peace; He, Glory and Exaltation to Him, says, 

لَهُمۡ دَارُ السَّلٰمِ عِنۡدَ رَبِّهِمۡ​ وَهُوَ وَلِيُّهُمۡ بِمَا كَانُوۡا يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏ 

(Surah 6. Al-An'am:127) Theirs shall be an abode of peace with their Lord - their Protector - in recompense for all they have done.

We must therefore always be seeking peace, security and safety from none other than Allah, the As Salām, for there is no safety in the whole universe except that which is attributed to Allah for He is the Creator Who designs and controls all things. If you are afraid, remember Him, and He will fill your heart with peace. If you get connected with Him, He purifies you from all defects and faults. He guides you to peaceful ways in your business, in your marriage and in your relationships. If you adhere to His commands and enjoinments in the Qur’an, He will guide you in everything and every issue, (work, provision, health, marriage and children) in peaceful ways. He invites you to the Home of peace that is Jannah.

You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allāh" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

You may also refer to our following reference pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran:

• Islam and Other Faiths
• 114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of all Sūrahs / chapters of the Quran
• Selected Verses from the Qur'an
• 99 Attributes of Allah" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.
• Understanding Islam - Frequently Asked Q&A for knowing more about Islam.
• Words of Wisdom: Attributed to Luqman Al Hakeem (as mentioned in the Qur'an).
• Women in Islam
• Scholars' Viewpoint on Important Issues Related to Islam
• Revert Experiences
• Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries

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Understanding Islam: Why Allah has not Guided All Intrinsically

More often than not, people of lesser or weak faith in thy Creator, ask the question: Why didn’t Allah will to guide all the people aright inherently when He had taken upon Himself to show the right way?

And even some believers are carried away questions like this and start thinking that why couldn't Allah make every human a righteous one for this could have avoided wars, deceit, crimes and ill wills against others. After all it is He alone who has created this fathomless universe and He did so due to His unlimited powers. It would not have been difficult to have made this universe flawless and humans infallible,  and had thus lived a happy life.

The answer is simple: If Allah wanted all humans to be intrinsically free of ill will and sins, then what was the purpose of making humans in the first place? For He already has created angels who do nothing but worship him and not even an iota of wasteful thinking enters their mindset.

For such troubled minds, Allah gives out the answer [Surah 16 An Nahl: Verse 9]:

وَعَلَى اللّٰهِ قَصۡدُ السَّبِيۡلِ وَمِنۡهَا جَآئِرٌ​ؕ وَلَوۡ شَآءَ لَهَدٰٮكُمۡ اَجۡمَعِيۡنَ‏ 

And upon Allah is the direction of the [right] way, and among the various paths are those deviating. And if He willed, He could have guided you all.

It is true that Allah could have imbued man, like other creatures, with the inborn instinct and enabled him to choose the right way without conscious thought, experience or teaching. But this would have been against His will which was to create a being, having will and power and freedom to follow the right way or the wrong way, whichever he chose for himself. This is why he has been endowed with different means of knowledge and power of conscious thought, deliberation and will, and has been empowered with the authority to make use of all powers in him and all things around him. Moreover, He has placed in him and all around him such factors as might lead him to guidance or deviation. All these things would have become meaningless, had he been created righteous by birth, and he could never have attained the heights of progress, which can be achieved only by the right use of freedom. That is why Allah has chosen Prophethood for man’s guidance, and left him free to follow or reject a Prophet. This is a test by means of which Allah judges whether man accepts the guidance that is presented to him in a rational way.

There are many divergent ways of thought and action open for man to choose from. Obviously all these divergent ways cannot be straight ways, because there can be only one straight way; therefore, there can be only one right theory of life which is based on that way, and only one right way of life which is based on that right theory. Thus it is clear that the choice of the right way of life is man’s most important and basic need, for its wrong choice would inevitably lead to his ruin. This is because all other things fulfill his animal needs only, but this is the greatest necessity of his life as a human being and without its fulfillment his life would be an utter failure.


Now, it cannot be expected that Allah Who made so many provisions, and on such a large scale, for the fulfillment of the animal life of man, did not make any arrangement for the fulfillment of this real and greatest necessity of man. Just as He has provided for all the necessities of his life, so He has also provided for this greatest need of his through Prophethood. If Prophethood is denied then it should be pointed out in what way Allah has fulfilled this basic need of man. Experience of centuries has shown that mankind has always blundered whenever it has chosen a way of life by itself. This is because man’s wisdom and intelligence are limited, and he cannot depend on these for the choice of the right way of life. Above all, one cannot say that Allah has made no arrangement for this basic need of man, for this will be the greatest misconception of Allah that He may make most elaborate arrangements for man’s animal life but should leave him in the lurch to search out a way for himself for the fulfillment of this most important and basic need.

Humans and animals cannot be alike. Animals live a life of sustenance without reasoning and thinking. They mate and produce offspring to satisfy their biological needs but have no sustained family bondage as strong as humans. They kill to eat only to live on. But man has been created as a test case to see who he follows: The path of truth shown to him by his Creator through His prophets, or the path of evil and misleading shown by the Satan. Those who will choose the former path will be the blessed ones and will be rewarded paradise. Those who ignore Allah's wisdom and follow their own limited wisdom which can easily be tempered by the Satan, will ruin their fate forever.

Therefore we should be very careful in choosing our paths, lest we fall into the hellfire for ever.

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99 Attributes of Allah: Al-Muhaymin - The Overall Guardian

Al Muhaymin " ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ " The Overall Guardian, The Controller, the One Who has Absolute Authority Over All.

In the verse 23 of Surah 59 - Al-Hashr of the Holy Qur'an, this powerful attribute of Allah appears along with a few other attributes of Allah:

هُوَ اللَّهُ الَّذِي لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْمَلِكُ الْقُدُّوسُ السَّلَامُ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْمُهَيْمِنُ الْعَزِيزُ الْجَبَّارُ الْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ۝

"He is Allah, besides Whom there is no god; the King " الْمَلِكُ ", the Holy " الْقُدُّوسُ ", the Giver of peace " السَّلَامُ ", the Granter of security " الْمُؤْمِنُ ", Guardian over all " الْمُهَيْمِنُ " , the Mighty " الْعَزِيزُ ", the Supreme " الْجَبَّارُ ", the Possessor of every greatness " الْمُتَكَبِّرُ " Glory be to Allah from what they set up (with Him)."

Muhaymin comes from the root haa-meem-noon which points to three main meanings: (1) The Guardian and Protector, (2) The Observer who sees what everyone does, and (3) The Being Who has taken up the responsibility to fulfill the needs and requirements of the people.

This root appears two times in the Quran in one derived form. Examples of this form are wamuhayminan (“and a guardian”) and al-muhayminu (“the Guardian”).

In the verse above, since the word Al-Muhaimin has been used absolutely, and no object has been mentioned of this subject, therefore, it by itself gives the implied meaning that He is guarding and protecting all creatures, is watching the acts and deeds of everyone, and has taken up the responsibility of sustaining and providing for every creature in the universe with its needs and requirements. Thus, "Al-Muhaimin" means that He is the One Who oversees His servants' actions, Who provides them with sustenance, and decrees their life-spans. It also becomes manifest by saving His creatures from dangers and protecting them.

Taken in the meaning of the One Being Watchful of His Creations,it is impossible for the His creations to be concealed from Allah. For, everything is under His observation. Nothing escapes Allah's observation.

“And He is with you wheresoever ye may be. And Allah sees well all that ye do” (Surah 57 al-Hadid: 4)

In Surah 10. Yunus, verse 61 Allah tells His Prophet: 

"(O Prophet!) Whatever you may be engaged in, whether you recite any portion of the Qur'an, or whatever else all of you are doing, We are witnesses to whatever you may be occupied with. Not even an atom's weight escapes your Lord on the earth or in the heaven, nor is there anything smaller or bigger than that, except that it is on record in a Clear Book."

This clearly explains the attribute Al Muhaymin, the Overall Guardian the Watchful and the Witness, for unless a Creator has complete watch over His subjects, the affairs of the universe would go out of control, creating utter confusion and destruction. The smooth functioning and movement of countless galaxies, billions and millions of stars, all moving in  a precise timed direction is because Allah is All Watchful. Allah's watching over also means He knows what is harmful and what is beneficial for us. Allah covers us with His Mercy and Protection. Therefore, His criteria of good and bad have are to be followed.

Another meaning of al-Muhaymin is “the One Who is responsible for the care of something, the One Who has charge over it”. In Surah Ar-R`ad Ayah 33, He says, “Then is He who is a maintainer of every soul, [knowing] what it has earned, [like any other]?” 

“Seest thou not that Allah doth know (all) that is in the heavens and on earth? There is not a secret consultation between three, but He makes the fourth among― them nor between five but he is the sixth nor between fewer nor more, but He is with them, wheresoever they be.” (Surah 58 Al-Mujadila: 7)

While this attribute is exclusive for Allah, in verse 48 of Surah 5. Al-Maida, Quran is also being mentioned as "muhaymin":

وَاَنۡزَلۡنَاۤ اِلَيۡكَ الۡكِتٰبَ بِالۡحَـقِّ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيۡنَ يَدَيۡهِ مِنَ الۡكِتٰبِ وَمُهَيۡمِنًا عَلَيۡهِ​ فَاحۡكُمۡ بَيۡنَهُمۡ بِمَاۤ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ وَلَا تَتَّبِعۡ اَهۡوَآءَهُمۡ عَمَّا جَآءَكَ مِنَ الۡحَـقِّ

"Then We revealed the Book to you (O Muhammad!) with Truth, confirming whatever of the Book was revealed before,78 and protecting and guarding over it."

In Arabic, haymana, yuhayminu, hayamanah signify 'to protect, to witness, to keep trust, to back and to support'. The expression 'haymana al-rajul al-shay' means that the man protected and guarded the thing. Likewise, 'haymana al-ta'ir 'alafirdkhih' means that the bird took its young ones under the protection of its wings. Once 'Umar said to the people: 'Inni da'in fa hayminu' ('I am praying; support me by saying amen'). To say that the Qur'an is muhaymin of al-kitab means that it preserves all the true teachings of the earlier divine books; that it has secured them from loss. The Qur'an also confirms those Books in that the contents of the Qur'an testify to the truth of those parts which are indeed from God. The Qur'an is, further, a witness over those Books in the sense that, with its help, the elements which embody true revelations from God can be distinguished from the accretions which have corrupted them. Whatever in these Books accords with the Qur'an is from God, and whatever is not in conformity with it is from human beings. The Quran is muhaymin, trustworthy in highness, and a witness. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Verily, Allah elevates some people with this Quran and abases others. [Muslim] That is, those who fulfill the rights of the Quran will be raised high in this world and in the hereafter; those who leave it will be put down. Make the Quran a witness for you and not against you.

Related names:

• Raqīb refers to the One who has the attribute of watchfulness.
• Wakīl refers to the One who is the trusted administrator.
• Hafīz refers to the One who protects and preserves.
• Māni' - the One who protects and defends against harmful situations.
• Muhaymin refers to the One who is the ever-watchful guardian and protector.
• Mu'min - The One who grants security and freedom from fear.

So whenever in distress or in want of something, do not forget Allah, the Guardian - the Al Muhaymin: Call upon al-Muhaymin and seek His help and protection from harm or innate desires.

Also the mere fact that He is watching us, should keep us from committing sins, harming others or usurping others' rights. This would lead men to live a clean, honest and helpful life 

We should also seek guidance from Qur'an and live our life exactly as enunciated in the Divine Commandments as spelt out in the Quran and never ever deviate form the True Path that Quran shows us. May Allah help us to be true believers. Aameen.

You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allah" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

For Q&A about understanding Islam click here

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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99 Attributes of Allah; Al-Mutakabbir - The Possessor of Greatness

Al-Mutakabbir " ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ "   The Possessor of Greatness, the supremely Great. This attribute of Allah grandeur in everything. The One who is clear from the attributes of the creatures and from resembling them.

The following verse from [Surah 59. Al-Hashr: 23] is one unique verse in which many attributes of Allah, eight to be exact, have been spelt out together, of which Al-Mutakabbir " ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ " is the one:

هُوَ اللّٰهُ الَّذِىۡ لَاۤ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ​ۚ اَلۡمَلِكُ الۡقُدُّوۡسُ السَّلٰمُ الۡمُؤۡمِنُ الۡمُهَيۡمِنُ الۡعَزِيۡزُ الۡجَـبَّارُ الۡمُتَكَبِّرُ​ؕ سُبۡحٰنَ اللّٰهِ عَمَّا يُشۡرِكُوۡنَ‏ 

"He is Allah: there is no god but He: the King, the Holy, the All-Peace, the Giver of security, the Overseer,40 the Most Mighty, the Overpowering, the All-Great [Al-Mutakabbir " ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ "]. Exalted be He from whatever they associate with Him."

The word Al-Mutakabbir has two meanings: (1) The one who is not actually great but poses as great. (2) The one who is actually great and sets himself up as such.

Whether it is man or Satan, or some other creature, since greatness does not, in fact, belong to it, its posing itself as great and claiming superiority over others is, a false claim and a vice. Contrary to this, Allah Almighty is truly Great and greatness actually belongs to Him, and everything in the universe is low and insignificant as against Him. Therefore, His being Great and setting Himself up as Great is no false claim but reality; it is a virtue and excellence, which no one else has but Allah.

This the attribute Al-Mutakabbir describes that Allah is the One Who is greater than all of creation,  the One Who manifests greatness in everything  and in all ways, the One Who is the Most Privileged in attributes which others have not, for no doubt He is the supremely great.


You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allah" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
For more Q&A about Understanding Islam click here

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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99 Attributes of Allah: At Tawwab - The Acceptor of Repentance

At another forum, someone asked me "Which is the verse after reading of that you start to fear Allah?" - And I did not take a second to reply that instead of fearing Allah, the entire Qur'an tells me of the Creator Who is oft forgiving and merciful no matter how much sinful a man may be, provided he sincerely repents, for Allah is The Only Acceptor of Repentance.

 At Tawwāb "ٱلْتَّوَّابُ" is that attribute of Allah that reassures the sinner that there is Only He Who accepts our return to Him in absolute sincerity. 

يٰۤـاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اجۡتَنِبُوۡا كَثِيۡرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ اِنَّ بَعۡضَ الظَّنِّ اِثۡمٌ​ وَّلَا تَجَسَّسُوۡا وَلَا يَغۡتَبْ بَّعۡضُكُمۡ بَعۡضًا​ ؕ اَ يُحِبُّ اَحَدُكُمۡ اَنۡ يَّاۡكُلَ لَحۡمَ اَخِيۡهِ مَيۡتًا فَكَرِهۡتُمُوۡهُ​ ؕ وَاتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ​ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ 

"Believers, avoid being excessively suspicious, for some suspicion is a sin. Do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would surely detest it. Have fear of Allah. Surely Allah is much prone to accept repentance, is Most Compassionate." [Al Quran Surah Al-Hujurat 49:12 ] 

At Tawwāb is from the root t-w-b which has the following classical Arabic connotations:

• to return
• to return to goodness, to repent
• to be repeatedly summoned or called

Te attribute At Tawwāb gives reassurance to the believers that the doors of repentance are never closed and in fact Allah looks forward to someone asking for repentance so that He in His extreme compassion for His subjects should accept a sincere repentance and forgive him.

Imam Al Ghazali in his book, "Al-Maqsad Al-Asna fi Sharah Asma' Allahu al-Husna" (also known as "The Best Means in Explaining Allah's Beautiful Names"), translates At Tawwāb as:

"He who constantly turns man to repentance". At Tawwāb is "the One Who keeps on facilitating the causes of repentance for His servants time and time again by showing them some of His signs, by conveying to them some of His Warnings and by revealing to them some of His deterrents and cautions with the Intent that they, having been apprised of the dangers of their sins, might be filled with fear by His frightening them and subsequently turn to repentance. Through (His) accepting (the evidence of their penitence), the Favour of Allah Most High (once again) reverts to them."

Thus At Tawwāb is Only He Who beckons for our return and forgives those who repent, firstly by helping them to repent and causing their hearts to turn towards Him. After they repent, He turns to them and accepts their repentance, pardoning their sins. Once Allah accepts the repentance of an individual through His infinite mercy, He can erase the sin altogether, and it is then as though there was no sin at all. 

The last verse of Surah An Nasr, The Victory' which by many is considered the last verse of the Qur'an which was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) on the eve of final victory over the pagans of Makkah, the Prophet of Allah has been commanded to:

فَسَبِّحۡ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسۡتَغۡفِرۡهُ​ ؕ اِنَّهٗ كَانَ تَوَّابًا‏ 

"Then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance." [Al Quran Surah An Nasr 110:3]

Allah in this command has taught Muslims an eternal lesson: Do not regard any of your worship, devotion or religious service as something superb; even if you have spent your entire life in the cause of Allah, you should always think that you could not do all that was required of you by your Lord. Likewise, when you attain some victory, you should not regard it as a result of some excellence in yourselves but as a result of only Allah’s bounty and favor. Then bowing humbly before your Lord, you should praise and glorify Him, and should repent and beg for His forgiveness instead of boasting and bragging of your success and victory.

Therefore, as sincere servants of Allah we must always be reassured that Allah is not in haste to punish an individual for his sins. He even at times overlooks sins and is constantly seeking our return to Him so that we may be forgiven. Therefore, while seeking Allah's forgiveness, we must also be oft forgiving for Allah forgives those who forgive others.

You may refer to our post "99 Attributes of Allah" for complete list of 99 attributes of Allah Almighty with meaning and explanation.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
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Understanding Islam: Who is Allah? Is He the same God as that of Jews and Christians?

From today on, we at Islam:My Ultimate Decision begin a new series of post so that people understand Islam better than what has been told or what non Muslims have been made to believe. As already spelt out in the overview of this series, this will be in the form of most frequently asked questions by Non Muslims and provide them as authentic a reply as possible based on the similar questions asked to some of the prominent Muslim scholars of present times.

And the first most frequently asked questions is: Who is Allah? Is He the same God as that of Jews and Christians?   

Misconception exist among non Muslims, specially the Christians that Allah of Muslims is something different from God of Christians and Jews and all other faiths. The simple logic behind this misconception is that the God, the Creator of the entire universe and the heavens above is called "Allah" in Arabic. since the Holy Qur'an was raveled in Arabic, it used word Allah for the God. Had Qur'an been revealed in any other language, God would been called whatever was equivalent in that language for the only One God Who is the master of the universe.

Like in Portuguese, God is called Deus, Dios in Spanish, Brahman in Hinduism, in the Arabic translations of Bible, God is translated as Allah. It must therefore be understood that Allah” is a word in the Arabic language equivalent to the English word “God” with a capital “G”.  Thus the word “Allah” cannot be made plural, a fact which goes hand-in-hand with the Islamic concept of God.

It must also be noted that that the Aramaic word “El”, which is the word for God in the language that Jesus spoke, is certainly more similar in sound to the word “Allah” than the English word “God.”  This also holds true for the various Hebrew words for God, which are “El” and “Elah”, and the plural or glorified form “Elohim.”  The reason for these similarities is that Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic are all Semitic languages with common origins.  It should also be noted that in translating the Bible into English, the Hebrew word “El” is translated variously as “God”, “god” and “angel”!  This imprecise language allows different translators, based on their preconceived notions, to translate the word to fit their own views.  The Arabic word “Allah” presents no such difficulty or ambiguity, since it is only used for Almighty God alone.  Additionally, in English, the only difference between “god”, meaning a false god, and “God”, meaning the One True God, is the capital “G”.  Due to the above mentioned facts, a more accurate translation of the word “Allah” into English might be “The One -and-Only God” or “The One True God.”

Now coming over the concept of the Supreme Being, the Only Creator and Master of the Universe has been no one except but God or Allah. Therefore like all other Divine religions, Muslims worship the God of Noah, Abraham, Moses, David and Jesus ( peace be upon them all). 

Herein under is the testimony of there being Only One Lord as has been referred to in Deuteronomy 5:1-9 New International Version (NIV), The Ten Commandments:

5   Moses  summoned  all Israel and said: "Hear, Israel, the decrees and laws:  I. declare in your hearing today. Learn them and be sure to follow them. 2 The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. 3 It was not with our ancestors[a] that the Lord made this covenant, but with us, with all of us who are alive here today. 4 The Lord spoke to you face to face out of the fire on the mountain. 5 (At that time I stood between the Lord and you to declare to you the word of the Lord, because you were afraid of the fire and did not go up the mountain.)"

And he said:

6 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.7 “You shall have no other gods before[b] me. 8 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 9 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,

In the Holy Qur'an, Chapter 112 Surah Al Ikhlas, the same concept is repeated when Allah addresses His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and tells him to pronounce and tell others who Allah is:

قُلۡ هُوَ اللّٰهُ اَحَدٌ​ ۚ‏ Say: “He is Allah, the One and Unique;اَللّٰهُ الصَّمَدُ​ ۚ‏ Allah, Who is in need of none and of Whom all are in need;لَمۡ يَلِدۡ   ۙ وَلَمۡ يُوۡلَدۡ ۙ‏ He neither begot any nor was He begotten,وَلَمۡ يَكُنۡ لَّهٗ كُفُوًا اَحَدٌand none is comparable to Him.”‏ 

The opening verse clearly ratifies the verses 6-7 of the New Testament as quoted above. And it is very clear there exists a concept of One true Lord, the God, in both the Bible and the Qur'an. But when it comes to practice, differences and misconceptions arise.

However, when Muslims say Allah, they mean One True God as has been the belief of all before Christianity. Muslims - like Jews - reject the Christian beliefs of the Trinity and the Divine Incarnation.  This, however, does not mean that each of these three religions worships a different God, because there is only One True God.  Judaism, Christianity and Islam all claim to be “Abrahamic Faiths”, and all of them are also classified as “monotheistic.”  However, Islam teaches that other religions have, in one way or another, distorted and nullified a pure and proper belief in Almighty God by neglecting His true teachings and mixing them with man-made ideas.

The Christianity has added the Son and the Holy Ghost at the same par as God, they call father, the Trinity concept. So when Muslims say Allah, they do not mean God in Three. Allah is the same Creator who had Jesus been born from virgin Mariam (Mary) as one of His countless miracles. It is apathy that instead of celebrating a miracle, Christians have started calling Allah as Father.

Herein under are references that bring in the concept of Trinity, which negates the earlier reference given above from the New Testament:

Jesus was the only person to be born of a mortal mother, Mary, and an immortal father, God the Father. That is why Jesus is called the Only Begotten Son of God.[Reference]

Do you remember what Jesus’ Father did one day when Jesus was with three of his followers?— Yes, God spoke all the way from heaven to tell them: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved.”—Matthew 17:5.

We Muslims firmly believe that Prophet Eesa (Jesus, may peace be upon him) was one of the true messengers of Allah who was endowed with the holy scripture of Injeel (The Bible). But we also strongly believe in the third verse of the Surah Al Ikhlas quoted above that He (Allah) neither begot any nor was He begotten, which clearly means that neither He (Allah) has an offspring nor is He the offspring of another. Therefore Muslims do not subscribe to the concept of Trinity nor take Prophet Eesa as son of God, for Jesus is like all other messengers and prophets of Allah, though born in miraculous circumstances.

And this above referred surah is not the only one in which Allah strictly says of Himself being the Only One with no partners, associates or helpers, what to talk of a son, to run the affairs of the universe and heavens:

• Allah is only One Deity: He is far too exalted that He should have a son: whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth belongs to Him. (Surah An-Nisa, Ayat 171).
• Note it well: they, in fact, invent a falsehood when they say, Allah has children. They are utter liars. (Surah As-Saaffat, Ayats 151-152).
• They have invented a blood-relationship between Allah and the angels, whereas the angels know well that these people will be brought up (as culprits). (Surah As-Saaffat, Ayat 158).
• These people have made some of His servants to be part of Him. The fact is that man is manifestly ungrateful. (Surah Az-Zukhruf, Ayat l5).

There can be numerous arguments which can be quoted from the Holy Quran, but to cut the discussion short, it should be noted that the Arabic word “Allah” contains a deep religious message due to its root meaning and origin.  This is because it stems from the Arabic verb ta’allaha (or alaha), which means “to be worshiped.”  Thus in Arabic, the word “Allah” means “The One who deserves all worship.”  This, in a nutshell, is the Pure Monotheistic message of Islam. And as per chapter 112 quoted above, The One True God or Allah is the One who has all these four unique attributes.

More and more Christians are reverting to Islam, many of whom had started reading the Quran only to prove it false. But truth always prevails. Many revers, whose experiences I have already shared in my blog, have confided that after reading and understanding Quran they now now understand that Prophet Jesus (peace be upn him) was not son of God, but a revered and blessed messenger and prophet of Allah, like all before him and Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who followed him as the last of the prophets sent by Allah.

Now listen to one of the most prominent Muslim scholars of present times, Dr Zakir A Naik defining Allah and bringing out the truth from the all the Divine and man written scriptures about Allah which is One and Only One, the Creator of the Heavens and the Universe. Listen to him carefully, no matter which religion you belong to and then ponder over the misconceptions that  harbour in the minds of many non Muslims around the world about Allah:

My readers may read a post: 90 Verses That Say: Jesus is Not God Nor the Literal Son of God, for further clarification on the concept of Prophet Eesa being son of God.

May Allah show us the right path so that we do not go astray due to what man has interpreted verses of religious scriptures to suit their own religions and faith. Aameen.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

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Understanding Islam: Why Man is in Loss? Allah Cautions in Surah Al Asr [Chapter 103]

Sūrah Al-‘Aṣr, the 103rd chapter of the Holy Qur'an, has only three verses - but many of us just read it out as if it does not carry any significance to our lives. But those few who take a time out and ponder over the three verses of the surah come to know that Allah has summed up four attributes of a true believer in this surah which if really understood can change our lives, otherwise man is truly in loss, both in this world and the Hereafter. 

Let us now for once, read this surah giving due attention to each word of it, to start with:

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ 

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"

1.وَالْعَصْرِ‌

By Time.

2. إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ‌

Indeed man is in loss,

3. إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ‌‌

except those:

• who have faith, 
• and do righteous deeds, 
• and enjoin one another to [follow] the truth, and 
• enjoin one another to patience.

As is evident, here Allah, while taking a vow of the time, has cautioned that 'man' not men is in loss and surely we as individuals are at loss unless we fulfill four preconditions that have been spelt out in the verse 3.

For the most powerful message summed in the surah, this surah is considered the summary of whole Quran by almost all notable classical and modern Islamic scholars including Imam Shafi, Ibn Kathir, and even lately Dr. Israr Ahmed.

These four conditions or pre-requisites are so eloquently explained by Nouman Ali Khan, an emerging Muslim scholar, a Pakistani living in the USA, who has mastered the Arabic language and explained the Holy Qur'an in very easy to understand language, giving examples from our daily lives and stressing home the real message contained in the Holy Qur'an. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.

Please listen to Nouman Ali Khan explaining the Surah Al Asr and the four preconditions that guarantee a man to not be in loss and be blessed:

You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary / exegesis of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Juzʼ / Part backwards for chapters in 30th Juzʼ / Part are shorter and easier to understand). 

Photo | References: | 1 |  2 |
Reading the Holy Quran should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

If you like Islam: My Ultimate Decision, and to keep yourself updated on all our latest posts to know more about Islam, follow us on Facebook

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Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, WhatsApp or any means on Social Media so that they can also be benefited by it and better understand Islam and the Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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