What is said and believed AND what is said and NOT believed

All Divine religions have the same fountainhead, that is one true God. All along since Adam, through chain of prophets including Noah, Abraham and Moses, the status of one true God remained unchanged. But then with the miraculous birth of prophet Eesa (Jesus) things changed, not by Divine decree but by human interpretations.  Now we have three Gods instead of one. This is despite the fact that what has been said is not believed and what has not been said is believed. 

When Islam, the last and final Divine religion came to us, we were categorically asked to believe in one true God, as has been decreed through all previous prophets by God, for the word of one true God never changes and has been accepted by followers of all previous prophets, except followers of Jesus. And instead of following what has been practiced by the previous prophets and the last of the prophets after Jesus, the followers of Jesus today believe in three gods. Some even go a step forward and proclaim Jesus to be the bigger god than the rest two and it is he who will salvage the people on the end day. 

The purpose of this post is not to get into any unnecessary debate or argument, but just to share a few references from Bible to show that what is said is not believed and what is not said and yet believed:

• Hear O  Jews! Our God is One (Mark 12:29), but what is believed is: God is THREE in one
• No man never heard God voice nor seen His form (John 5:37), but what is believed is Jesus if part of God, thus Jesus is God.
• My Father and your Father (John 20:17), but what is believed is that Jesus is the only son of God, while others are not.
• By myself I can do nothing (John 5:30), but the belief says Jesus is the Almighty.
• Little children are without any sins (Matt 18:3, 19:14), but the belief is all children are born carrying sins of Adam and must be baptized to be washed of the sins they carry.

Now whenever there is a debate between God of Jesus followers and God of Muslims, called Allah, the dispute comes to three gods vs one true God, as the God has been before the birth of Jesus. To the Jesus followers, One God that is Allah of Muslims is not acceptable but they never object to the same one God of Moses, Abraham and Noah. This is despite the fact that Jews out rightly reject Jesus as a prophet

The above few examples show that followers of Jesus believe what is written by men like Paul, John etc about trinity, but at the same time they do not believe that Jesus was a man, a prophet and obeyed One God of Jews. why the dichotomy in belief and faith?

We Muslims believe in the God of Moses and Abraham, the same God that we call Allah.  There is no dichotomy about the status of Allah throughout the Qur'an, which strengthens our faith in Allah, the same God that has since existed and will continue to exist forever. So what is said in Qur'an and earlier scriptures about one true God is BELIEVED and what is said by men is certainly not to be believed.

We will continue to add more to this post so that this simple question is answered for those who have doubts about Allah, the one true God.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān 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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our reference page: Faith in Allah to read more directives on the subject.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | 

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone 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.

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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Do not you know that none apart from Allah is your protector or helper?

True belief in Allah is one of the most difficult things to achieve. Although, many, including Muslims, believe that Allah is the Creator of the universe and thus it is only He who can help and protect us from any calamity or bad time, yet our faith wavers much too often. It is often seen that when a believer is in distress, while invoking the mercy of Allah, he also seeks help from worldly gods. This is something that is least liked by Allah for He had commanded His servants at many places in the Qur'an that one must seek His help when so needed for none but He is our protector and helper.

Please read the following verse, the 107th verse of Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow) which is based on the same theme as of the premise:

اَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمۡ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ لَهٗ مُلۡكُ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ​ؕ وَمَا لَـکُمۡ مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ مِنۡ وَّلِىٍّ وَّلَا نَصِيۡرٍ‏ 

(2:107) Are you not aware that the dominion of the heavens and the earth belongs to Allah, and that none apart from Allah is your protector or helper?

This verse is most often not read out by the interpreters and religious men so as to keep their hold on the people around them and fleece money in the name of Allah. In many countries of Asia, believers, with weak faith still cling to culture of non-Muslims and rely on giving alms and charity in the name of some saint which is strictly against the teachings of Islam. Anything which is to be sacrificed or given out in charity has to be done only in the name of Allah and no other worldly deity.

Many Muslims are seen observing the charities on 11th of the month, or the arranging feasts on 40th day of the death of near or dear one, or even hanging charms to ward off evil in their shops or houses. All these accts are inherited from the pagans of Araba of the pre-Islamic era or from non-Muslims, especially Hindus of Indian sub-continent. This happens when belief in Allah is weak and one depends more on worldly gods. A lot of people go to the extreme of visiting the graves of the saints and beg them to pray for them. Imagine how a dead being can be of any help when his own record in the world has been sealed. This is the extreme of SHIRK, an unforgiveable acct by Allah for asking someone other than He to fulfill their needs. 

Let us purify ourselves from all such acts that were shunned by Prophet Muhammad when he proclaimed victory over the pagans and non-Muslims of Arabia and believers were asked not to follow the culture and traditions of their previous faith. From thenceforth, they were to take Allah, and no one else, as their guardian, helper and protector. Anyone who is still indulged in activities of the pagan Arab era or the Hindu culture, his faith is seriously at risk.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān 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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

You may refer to our reference page: Faith in Allah to read more directives on the subject.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Tafsir References: | 1 | 2 | 

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references given above. If anyone 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.

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More

Place your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him)

In our series of posts on Selected Verses from Qur'an, we share the 159th verse from Surah 3. Al-i'Imran. This verse on one hand describes the very quality of mercy and kindness of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and then goes on to say that when one is resolved to adopt a course of action, one must place trust in Allah. We will explain the verses spread over two posts. Hereinunder we will take on the second part: Trust in Allah.

فَبِمَا رَحۡمَةٍ مِّنَ اللّٰهِ لِنۡتَ لَهُمۡ​ۚ وَلَوۡ كُنۡتَ فَظًّا غَلِيۡظَ الۡقَلۡبِ لَانْفَضُّوۡا مِنۡ حَوۡلِكَ​ فَاعۡفُ عَنۡهُمۡ وَاسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لَهُمۡ وَشَاوِرۡهُمۡ فِى الۡاَمۡرِ​ۚ 

فَاِذَا عَزَمۡتَ فَتَوَكَّلۡ عَلَى اللّٰهِ​ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ يُحِبُّ الۡمُتَوَكِّلِيۡنَ‏ 

(3:159) It was thanks to Allah's mercy that you were gentle to them. Had you been rough, hard-hearted, they would surely have scattered away from you. So, pardon them, and pray for their forgiveness, and take counsel from them in matters of importance. And when you are resolved on a course of action place your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(فَإِذَا عَزَمْتَ فَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى اللَّهِ Then when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah,) means, if you conduct the required consultation and you then make a decision, trust in Allah over your decision, (إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَوَكِّلِينَ certainly, Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him)).

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

This injunction, implying government by consent and council, must be regarded as one of the fundamental clauses of all Qur'anic legislation relating to statecraft. The pronoun "them" relates to the believers, that is, to the whole community; while the word al-amr occurring in this context - as well as in the much earlier-revealed phrase amruhum shura baynahum in 42:38 - denotes all affairs of public concern, including state administration. All authorities agree in that the above ordinance, although addressed in the first instance to the Prophet, is binding on all Muslims and for all times. (For its wider implications see State and Government in Islam, pp. 44 ff.) Some Muslim scholars conclude from the wording of this ordinance that the leader of the community, although obliged to take counsel, is nevertheless free to accept or to reject it; but the arbitrariness of this conclusion becomes obvious as soon as we recall that even the Prophet considered himself bound by the decisions of his council (see note [90] above). Moreover, when he was asked - according to a Tradition on the authority of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib - to explain the implications of the word 'azm ("deciding upon a course of action") which occurs in the above verse, the Prophet replied, "[It means] taking counsel with knowledgeable people (ahl ar-ra'y) and thereupon following them [therein]" (see Ibn Kathir's commentary on this verse).

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

Ie., once Muhammad ﷺ reaches a decision after consulting the Hypocrites, he should not care who among them supports him and who not. Whether he accepts their suggestions or not, in both cases, they can desert him in the most precarious of situations. He should not worry about them; God and the true believers are enough for him.

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

consultation is never allowed to lead to hesitation and delay. Nor does it replace the need to rely ultimately on God: “When you have resolved upon a course of action, put your trust in God. God loves those who put their trust in Him.”  The role of consultation is to examine all views and select a particular course of action. When the process reaches this stage, consultation must give way to implementation with resolve and decisiveness, placing trust in God. Thus, God’s will determine the outcome as He pleases.

 

The Prophet not only gave the Muslim community the lesson of consultation, he also gave it a second lesson as he willingly and seriously implemented the decision made and placed his trust in God. He gave his order to the Muslims to get ready to march and prepared himself to do so by putting on his body armour, even though he was aware of what awaited them all in terms of suffering and sacrifice. As will be recalled, there were those who feared that in all this they might have imposed on the Prophet a course of action of which he did not approve. Therefore, they put the matter back to him and assured him of their obedience whatever he decided. Nevertheless, even with this second opportunity, the Prophet did not reverse his decision. He wanted to teach them the whole lesson of consultation and resolve, combined with complete reliance on God and submission to His will. He wanted them to realise that there was a specific time for consultation, but once a decision was taken there could be no room for hesitation and starting the process anew. That could only perpetuate the state of indecision.

 

“God loves those who put their trust in Him.” This is a distinctive quality of the believers. Reliance on God, putting our trust in Him and submitting to His will constitute the final line which maintains the proper balance in Islamic philosophy and Islamic life. Ultimate authority belongs to God and He does what He chooses. This was one of the great lessons which the Battle of Uĥud taught the Muslim community. It remains a lesson to be learnt by every new generation of Muslims.

The purpsoe of sharing this part of the verse is to enlighten our views of the importance of steadfastness after one has resolved to do something, and then placing his unflinching trust in Allah and be rest assured that Allah loves those who repsoe their trust in Him. And surely they will be helped, if their intentions are noble and clear.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

Reading the Qur'ān 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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages  and Understanding Al Qur'an for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from the following sources: 

• Tafsir Ibn Khatir
• Muhammad Asad Translation
• Yusuf Ali Translation
• Translation Javed Ahmad Ghamidi / Al Mawrid
• Qur'an Wiki
• Verse by Verse Qur'an Study Circle
• Towards Understanding the Quran

In addition, references of other sources which have been explored have also been given above. Those desirous of detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to these sites.

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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 Qur'ān - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

Read More