Prostrate only to Allah - and not to His creations

Prostration is an act of extreme humility and humbleness wherein a believer falls to the ground. This act cannot be performed for anyone but Allah, the sole Creator of the entire universe to thank Him for the countless bounties and blessings He has showered on us. Although, prostration is often performed by people of other faiths too, but none is like the prostration made by Muslims for the act of Muslims is only for their Creator, AND NOT FOR HIS CREATIONS.

It is also important to note that in Islam, the prostration of anyone but Allah is absolutely forbidden. Even Prophet Muhammad ﷺ strictly forbade Muslims from prostrating before him. Regardless of the circumstances, no Muslim should request or accept prostration from others, as prostration of anyone but Allah is strictly prohibited in Islam.

A complete chapter of Qur'an is named As-Sajdah ("The Prostration") and in its 15th verse, it is said:

اِنَّمَا يُؤۡمِنُ بِاٰيٰتِنَا الَّذِيۡنَ اِذَا ذُكِّرُوۡا بِهَا خَرُّوۡا سُجَّدًا وَّسَبَّحُوۡا بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّهِمۡ وَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡتَكۡبِرُوۡنَ۩‏ 

(32:15) Only those who believe in Our verses who, when they are reminded by them, fall down in prostration and exalt [Allah] with praise of their Lord, and they are not arrogant. (As Sajdah)

* ۩ Readers are to perform sajdah / prostration after reading verse 15.

While many people other than Muslims also prostrate, but they do so in front of manmade lifeless statues they have created themselves. The pagans of Arabia too had made countless statues and they revered them by prostrating in front of them. But none had the sole Creator of the universe in their minds while doing so and to them these statues replicated their gods.  

Despite many warnings and cautions in the Qur'an and by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, it is heart wrenching to see many Muslims prostrating before graves of the long dead saints for the pursuance of their wishes. Even fake imams expect their followers to prostrate before them. This is extreme form of Shirk which such Muslims may not be aware of and masses must be educated to avoid some non-Muslim practices and prostrate before none but Allah. This happens so specially in the Indian sub-continent where though Muslims have learnt to recite the Qur'an in Arabic, only a few have read it with translation. The purpose of sharing selected verses from Qur'an with translations and explanation by different scholars to press home the real understanding of Qur'an so that ordinary Muslims are no mislead by the fake scholars and imams.

It is in this context, we share the 37th verse of Surah 41 Ha Meem (also called Surah Fussliat) in which Allah strictly forbids men to bow and prostrate in front of His creations:

وَمِنۡ اٰيٰتِهِ الَّيۡلُ وَالنَّهَارُ وَالشَّمۡسُ وَالۡقَمَرُ​ؕ لَا تَسۡجُدُوۡا لِلشَّمۡسِ وَلَا لِلۡقَمَرِ وَاسۡجُدُوۡا لِلّٰهِ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَهُنَّ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ اِيَّاهُ تَعۡبُدُوۡنَ‏ 

(41:37) And of His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not prostrate yourselves before the sun, nor before the moon, but prostrate yourselves before Allah Who created them, if it is Him that you serve.

(And of His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon) That is, "They are not the objects of Divine power that you may start worshiping them, thinking that Allah is manifesting Himself in their form, but they are the Signs of Allah by pondering over which you can understand the reality of the universe and its system, and can know that the doctrine of the Oneness of God which the Prophets arc teaching is the actual Reality. The mention of the night and day before the sun and moon has been made to give the warning that the hiding of the sun and appearing of the moon at night, and the hiding of the moon and appearing of the sun in the day clearly point to the fact that neither of them is God or object of Divine power, but both are helpless and powerless objects, and are moving subject to the law of God. 

(Do not prostrate yourselves before the sun, nor before the moon, but prostrate yourselves before Allah Who created them, if it is Him that you serve) This is an answer to the philosophy that the intelligent among the polytheists generally used to propound to prove that polytheism was rational. They said that they did not bow to these objects but bowed to God through them. An answer to this has been given, so as to say: "If you really are Allah's worshipers, there is no need of these intermediaries: why don't you bow down to Him directly?' 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: From among the Signs of Allah - Here Allah reminds His Creation of His power, and that He is the One Who has no equal, and He is Able to do all things. 

Allah's saying; (And from among His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon.) means, He created the night with its darkness and the day with its light, and they alternate without ceasing. And He created the sun with its shining light, and the moon with its reflected light. and He allotted their stages and gave them separate orbits in the heavens, so that by the variations in their movements man may know the stages of night and day, of weeks, months and years, and time periods related to people's rights, acts of worship and various transactions. Moreover, because the sun and moon are the most beautiful of the heavenly bodies that can be seen in both the upper and lower realms, Allah points out that they are created entities which are in a state of enthrallment to Him, subject to His dominion and control. 

So, He says: (Do not prostrate yourselves to the sun nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves to Allah Who created them, if you (really) worship Him.) meaning, `do not associate anything in worship with Him, for your worship of Him will be of no benefit to you if you worship others alongside Him, because He does not forgive the association of others in worship with Him.' 

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

This, according to Razi, connects with the phrase "calling [one's fellow-men] unto God" in verse {33} of same Surah. God is the sole cause and source of all that exists; and whatever exists is but a wondrous sign of His creative power. Hence, it is a blasphemy - apart from being unreasonable - to ascribe real power (which is the meaning of "adoration" in this context) to anything created, whether it be a concrete phenomenon, or an abstract force of nature, or a set of circumstances, or even an idea.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

Night and Day are opposites, and yet, by the alchemy of Allah, they can both subserve the purpose of human good, because the Night can give rest while the Day can promote activity. The Sun and the Moon are similarly complementary. So, in moral and spiritual affairs, seeming opposites may by Allah's alchemy be made to subserve the purposes of Good. They are but instruments: Allah is the Cause. Adore Allah, and not the things which He has created. Use the things which He has created, but do not adore them.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

([People! The One Who is the creator of the heavens and the earth,] this night and day and sun and moon are also from among His signs. ) Ie., neither they are God nor have a share in divinity from any aspect; in fact, they are from among the signs of God’s power, wisdom, mercy and providence. The topic that was being discussed in verses 9 to 12 is taken up afresh. What was discussed in between was the nature of reminder, admonition and assurance. Hence there is no disjointedness in the discourse.

(Neither prostrate before the sun) This signifies worship because prostration is its most prominent manifestation. 

(nor the moon; in fact, prostrate before the God Who has created them) The actual word is خَلَقَهُنَّ. The pronoun in it refers to all the objects mentioned earlier.

(if you are ones who worship Him alone.)  Ie., if they claim to worship God, then this worship should be in such a manner that the signs which specifically worship him must also not be associated with God. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

… Here it needs to be kept in mind that if the idolaters of Arabia worshipped other things besides God, it was because they thought that those things were a means of procuring God’s favour. In other words, worshipping them in their view was like worshipping god. These words refute this claim. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 7, 108)

Let us take a re-appraisal of our faith and see if we are not following any deity other than Allah. If so, time is now to repent for the shirk we may innocently be committing and seek Divine forgiveness as soon as possible. 

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: Important DOs and Don'ts from Qur'an 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 | 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.

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

If you avoid the major forbidden sins, Allah promises to remit your (trivial) offences

No one likes to commit a sin, whether small or major. But satanic forces are always at play to mislead even the most pious of men to derail them from the righteous path and indulge them in the pleasures of a sinful life. Unlike the otherwise rough and strict life of truth, the life os worldly pleasures and entertainment is more attractive and man is easily enticed to it. But the consequences of such a life are hard to fathom for our Creator created us to follow His Divine wisdom as conveyed to us through His messengers and as written in the Divine Scriptures, and certainly not to follow the misleading Satanic machinations.

At many a place in Qur'an, man has been forbidden to commit sins and cautioned of the consequences. Some of the major sins include Shirk (associating others in His Divinity), murdering an innocent, robbing orphans of their inheritance, committing unlawful sex, slandering chaste, innocent women, running away from the battlefield and consuming interest (ribah). Allah thus promises His servants to avoid the major sins, and if one does so, He will forgive their trivial sins and provide them with an honourable abode in the hereafter. 

This promise has been made in the 31st verse of Surah 4. An Nisa (The Women) as shared herein under:

اِنۡ تَجۡتَنِبُوۡا كَبٰٓـئِرَ مَا تُنۡهَوۡنَ عَنۡهُ نُكَفِّرۡ عَنۡكُمۡ سَيِّاٰتِكُمۡ وَنُدۡخِلۡـكُمۡ مُّدۡخَلًا كَرِيۡمًا‏ 

(4:31) But if you avoid the major sins which you have been forbidden, We shall remit your (trivial) offences, and cause you to enter an honourable abode.

Allah tells His servants: "We are not narrow-minded and prejudiced that We should take Our servants to task for each and every trivial offense. But if you commit wicked and heinous sins, then you shall have to render an account of the trivial offenses as well. "

One of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi says: Here it will be worthwhile to understand the basic differences between the "heinous sins" and the "trivial offenses". As far as I have understood from a critical study of the Qur'an and the Sunnah (and the correct and right knowledge is only with Allah), I have come to the conclusion that the following three things make a sin heinous:

(1) The violation of the rights of Allah, or of parents, or of other human beings, or one's own rights. The wickedness of sin increases in proportion to the sanctity of the right that is violated. That is why the Qur'an calls a sin Zulm (iniquity) and declares shirk to be a gross iniquity.

(2) A sin becomes heinous, if it is committed to defy the Divine Laws. This is because the offender deliberately, boldly and shamelessly discards the Commandments and Prohibitions of Allah and intentionally does that which He prohibits, merely for the sake of disobedience, and impudently does not do that which He has commanded. The gravity of this sin increases in proportion to the impudence that is shown towards Allah in disobeying and discarding His Law. That is why the Qur'an calls sin fisq (disobedience) and ma` siyat (arrogance).

(3) The violation of those relations and the cutting off of those connections on the unification and integrity of which depends the peace of human life, makes a sin heinous whether these relations are between man and Allah or between man and man. The gravity of the sin of violation or the cutting off of a connection increase in proportion to the importance of the relation, and to the security contained in it. For instance, fornication in its different forms is in itself a heinous sin, for it corrupts human society. But in some forms, it becomes far more heinous than in others. The sin of adultery committed by a married man is far more heinous than that committed by an unmarried man. Likewise, adultery with a married woman is a far greater sin than fornication with an unmarried woman. In the same way, sexual intercourse with the womenfolk of a neighbour is far more heinous than with others and incest with mother, sister or daughter becomes the most heinous sin conceivable because of the security and sanctity the relation provides. For the same reason the sin committed in the mosque is far more wicked than elsewhere. In the above instances, the difference in the gravity of the same sin is due to the difference in the nature of the sanctity of the relations and the security contained in them. This is why sin is also called fujur (violation of relations).

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(If you avoid the great sins which you are forbidden to do, We shall remit from you your (small) sins,) meaning, if you avoid the major evil deeds that you were prohibited, We will forgive you the minor evil deeds and will admit you into Paradise. This is why Allah said, (and admit you to a Noble Entrance (i.e. Paradise).) There are several Hadiths on the subject of this honorable Ayah. 

Imam Ahmad recorded that Salman Al-Farisi said, "The Prophet said to me, `Do you know what the day of Al-Jumu`ah is' I said, `It is the day during which Allah brought together the creation of your father (Adam).' 

He said, (I know what the day of Jumu`ah is. Anyone who takes a bath and cleans himself as much as he can and then proceeds for the Friday prayer and remains quiet until the Imam finishes the prayer, all his sins in between the present and the next Friday will be forgiven, as long as major sins were avoided.)'' Al-Bukhari recorded similar wording from Salman Al-Farisi.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

Major sins refer to ones which are the consequence of violating the ten commandments of God mentioned in Sūrah Banī Isrā’īl (17:22-39). It is a great favour of God that the reward of those who protect themselves from these sins is that God forgives their minor sins because of His unfathomable mercy. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, while pointing to another thing in the tafsīr of this verse, writes:

Here it needs to be kept in consideration that the way to protect one’s self from minor sins is that a person refrains from major sins. A person who returns thousands of rupees he borrowed will never tolerate the humility of being called a defaulter for a few borrowed rupees. On the other hand, those who commit grave and big sins but are very diligent in doing small virtuous acts are ones who strain out gnats and swallow camels. They urge others to pay zakāh even in the minutest amounts they own but themselves build houses from the wealth of the orphans and from the income of religious endowments. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 2, 288)

Concluding remarks: My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, the warnings are many, yet we still fall into the trap of evil and commit sins, while mostly trivial, but sometimes even the forbidden major sins, without caring for the gravity of offense we are committing. Please carry out a self-appraisal and repent for the sins so committed and seek forgiveness of Allah before our time is up in this world. Thereafter, no amount of repentance or forgiveness will come to our rescue. And also make a resolve not to commit anymore sins as long as we live and continue to repent for our pasts sins so that we may be forgiven.

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 | 

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

A Small prayer yet Paradise the reward (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Every word of Qur'an and Hadith / Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is full of blessings for the believers. If we start remembering small verses or prayers from Qur'an and Hadith, our blessing level will increase manifold. We share today a very small prayer attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which if made in total sincerity, Paradise will be our due, as said by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

This Hadith is mentioned in Sunan Abi Dawud (Book # 43 General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab) / كتاب الأدب / Chapter # 88 Stern warning regarding lying / باب فِي التَّشْدِيدِ فِي الْكَذِبِ ) as Hadith number # 4989, quoted herein under:

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying:

If anyone says "I am pleased with Allah as Lord, with Islam as religion and with Muhammad (ﷺ) as Apostle" Paradise will be his due.

Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ، زَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ شُرَيْحٍ الإِسْكَنْدَرَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو هَانِئٍ الْخَوْلاَنِيُّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا عَلِيٍّ الْجَنْبِيَّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيَّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ قَالَ رَضِيتُ بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً وَجَبَتْ لَهُ الْجَنَّةُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

This small yet very powerful supplication is easy to remember and should be recited at least once a day. It would be better to recite it after every prayer to accrue its fathomless benefits and blessings. This is how Islam shows the believers ways to remember Allah and His revered Messenger ﷺ to rewards them not only in this world, but in the hereafter too when everyone will be looking for even the smallest amount of good, he had done in his worldly life to be blessed and forgiven.

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.

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

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.

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.

Please refer to our reference page: Supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for more prophetic Supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. 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.

Photo | Source of Supplication

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

Supplication for protection against Evil (Attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Good and evil are the realities of life. The potential for good and evil occurs in every individual. Our biology determines the contradictory aspects of our personalities, and society modifies both tendencies. Our goodness can be intensified or corrupted, just as our selfishness can be exaggerated or reduced.

While good always prevails, evil always serves as a spoiler and a misleader for those who seek good in everything.  Evil always involves harm with deceit that seriously damages the functioning of good, and thus leads to suffering and injuries. The ed effect of evil on a person or society is moral, physical and even metaphysical. It is the presence of evil that germinates hatred, revenge, expediency, selfishness, destruction and psychological trauma.

It is for these very reasons of existence and its negative effects that Prophet Muhammad ﷺ supplicated specially for protection from evil in all its forms. While there are many Hadiths that carry cautions and warnings to safeguard oneself against evil, we share a supplication specifically for protection against all forms of evil.

This supplication is mentioned Jami` at-Tirmidhi  (48 -   / كتاب الدعوات عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم / Chapter # 126 The Supplication of Umm Salamah / باب دُعَاءِ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ ) as Hadith number # 3591:

Ziyad bin `Ilaqah narrated from his uncle, that he said:

“[The Prophet (ﷺ)] used to say: ‘O Allah, I seek refuge in You from evil character, evil actions, and evil desires (Allāhumma innī a`ūdhu bika min munkarātil-akhlāqi wal-a`māli wal-ahwā’).’”

Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ وَكِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ بَشِيرٍ، وَأَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنْ مِسْعَرٍ، عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ عِلاَقَةَ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ مُنْكَرَاتِ الأَخْلاَقِ وَالأَعْمَالِ وَالأَهْوَاءِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ ‏.‏ وَعَمُّ زِيَادِ بْنِ عِلاَقَةَ هُوَ قُطْبَةُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ صَاحِبُ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

It is evil desires that first trigger into the mind of a person and slowly and gradually these become so intense that these transform into physical actions that start to spread their evil effect on others. A stage then comes that the evil overtakes man's personality and man assumes an evil character overall, and become nuisance for the society. Therefore, we must never let evil desires to germinate in our minds and if these seem to be overwhelming, one must recite the above mentioned supplication to ward off evil.

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.

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

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.

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:  Supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for more supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ 

Please also refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah / Hadith of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. 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.

Photo | Source of Hadith

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

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Stern warning regarding Falsehood (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Lying or saying something which is untrue or hides the truth or actual facts is one of the greatest sins that is committed by man. We often lie to save our own skin by misleading others about what actually has taken place. This is something that often takes place in courts around the world where the witnesses, despite taking oath on their holy books, blatantly lie to mislead the court. And more often than not, due to falsehood, innocent people are penalized and punished and sinners roam free.  

A falsehood is, thus, a statement that distorts or suppresses the truth, in order to deceive: to tell a falsehood about one's ancestry in order to gain acceptance. A fib denotes a trivial falsehood, and is often used to characterize that which is not strictly true: a polite fib. Falsehood has many faces like fabrication, prevarication, falsification, canard, invention, besides untruthfulness, inveracity, mendacity.

Due to the gravity that follows a false statement, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ made a stern warning to his companions regarding lying and forbade them never to suppress the truth no matter what the outcome could be.

One of many Hadiths about falsehood and its consequences vis a vis the truth is mentioned in Sunan Abi Dawud (Book # 43 General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab) / كتاب الأدب / Chapter # 88 Stern warning regarding lying / باب فِي التَّشْدِيدِ فِي الْكَذِبِ ) as Hadith number # 4989, quoted herein under:

‘Abd Allah (b. Mas’ud) reported the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) as saying:

Avoid falsehood, for falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness to hell; and if a man continues to speak falsehood and makes falsehood his object, he will be recorded in Allah’s presence as a great liar. And adhere to truth, for truth leads to good deeds, and good deeds lead to paradise. If a man continues to speak the truth and makes truth his object, he will be recorded in Allah’s presence as eminently truthful.

Grade: Sahih (Al-Albani)

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ دَاوُدَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْكَذِبَ فَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْفُجُورِ وَإِنَّ الْفُجُورَ يَهْدِي إِلَى النَّارِ وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَكْذِبُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الْكَذِبَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ كَذَّابًا وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالصِّدْقِ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْبِرِّ وَإِنَّ الْبِرَّ يَهْدِي إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَصْدُقُ وَيَتَحَرَّى الصِّدْقَ حَتَّى يُكْتَبَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ صِدِّيقًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Punishment is the basic 'primary motivating factor' to falsehood, which generally begins at a very early age in one's life. Children start to lie to avoid punishment from parents who are rude and unreasonable. Those parents who know the child pyschology and who are worried about the grooming of their child generally do not punish their children for petty mistakes, for suppression of children's behaviour would lead them to often hide the truth which may annoy their parents. Therefore, the grooming of the children to speak the truth and stand by it would lead them to live a life away from falsehood and falling into the hands of the wicked and evil.

 Sometimes even adults lie to avoid embarrassment. So let us live a life that is straight forward and not indulge in any activity like misuse of authority or money. If we make a solemn pledge not to lie, we would be living a very contented and peaceful life and a knock at the door at night will not scare pf a police raid. And as mentioned in the above quoted Hadith, let us all adhere to truth, for truth leads to good deeds, and good deeds lead to paradise. If a man continues to speak the truth and makes truth his object, he will be recorded in Allah’s presence as eminently truthful.

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.

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

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.

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 exclusive page: Collection of Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to read posts written on general matters.

Please also refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah / Hadith of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. 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.

Photo | Source of Hadith

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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Which supplication made upon waking up at night is responded to by Allah

No supplication made by a believer is ever rejected or responded to by Allah, although the Divine response may not come immediately, or may bless the supplicator with something better than what has been prayed. However, there are times when a supplication is responded to earlier than before. And of the times when a supplication is responded to by Allah is when someone suddenly wakes up at night and makes a supplication.

In a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, a supplication has been mentioned which if made upon suddenly waking up at night is made and are responded to by Allah.  And if one then performs ablution and offer the Tahajjud prayer, the supplication is accepted. 

This Hadith is mentioned in Sahi al-Bukhārī  (Book 19 -   Prayer at Night (Tahajjud) /  كتاب  التهجد / Chapter 21: The superiority of one who wakes up at night and offers the Salat with a loud voice / باب فَضْلِ مَنْ تَعَارَّ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَصَلَّى) as Hadith 1154, given herein under:

Narrated by 'Ubada bin As-Samit:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Whoever gets up at night and says: -- 'La ilaha il-lallah Wahdahu la Sharika lahu Lahu-lmulk, waLahu-l-hamd wahuwa 'ala kullishai'in Qadir. Al hamdu lil-lahi wa subhanal-lahi wa la-ilaha il-lal-lah wa-l-lahu akbar wa la hawla Wala Quwata il-la-bil-lah.' (None has the right to be worshipped but Allah. He is the Only One and has no partners. For Him is the Kingdom and all the praises are due for Him. He is Omnipotent. All the praises are for Allah. All the glories are for Allah. And no one has the right to be worshipped but Allah, And Allah is Great And there is neither Might nor Power Except with Allah). And then says: -- Allahumma, Ighfir li (O Allah! Forgive me). Or invokes (Allah), he will be responded to and if he performs ablution (and prays), his prayer will be accepted."

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُمَيْرُ بْنُ هَانِئٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي جُنَادَةُ بْنُ أَبِي أُمَيَّةَ، حَدَّثَنِي عُبَادَةُ بْنُ الصَّامِتِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَنْ تَعَارَّ مِنَ اللَّيْلِ فَقَالَ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لاَ شَرِيكَ لَهُ، لَهُ الْمُلْكُ، وَلَهُ الْحَمْدُ، وَهُوَ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ قَدِيرٌ‏.‏ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ، وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ، وَلاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلاَ حَوْلَ وَلاَ قُوَّةَ إِلاَّ بِاللَّهِ‏.‏ ثُمَّ قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي‏.‏ أَوْ دَعَا اسْتُجِيبَ، فَإِنْ تَوَضَّأَ وَصَلَّى قُبِلَتْ صَلاَتُهُ ‏"‏‏.

Not a lengthy supplication which cannot be remembered by heart. One must make an endeavour to remember it by heart and must make it if one wakes up at night. And to add more spice to its acceptance, one must perform ablution and offer Tahajjad prayer. This will ensure acceptance of the prayer. 

Here it should be noted that this is the premise for whenever making a supplication, one must first invoke the mercy of Allah by mentioning as many attributes of Allah as one remembers. And then make one's earnest wish to be forgiven or any wish desired to be made. The premise will be responded to and when one offers the Tahajjad prayer, his prayer will be accepted.

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.

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

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.

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.

Please refer to our exclusive reference page: Supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ for more supplications attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. 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.

Photo | Source of Hadith

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

Believers! Cleanse your faith if you believe in God and yet associate others with Him

Faith is confidence or trust in a person, thing, or concept. In the context of religion, faith is "belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion". And talking of religions, almost all religions, whether worldly or Divine inadvertently hinge around the concept of an unchallengeable Heavenly Deity Who created the entire universe and all living beings. It is He, alone, Who controls the motion of stars, galaxies, and celestial bodies. It is He alone who controls the weather, rainfall and growth of crops and trees from the earth. It is He alone Who ensures a balance in everything that is in the entire universe.

That is from the heart of the heart, everyone believes there is One Deity, yet because of a weak and wavering faith they have doubts and find worldly deities at par with the One True God. And the most in alarming thing is that many a Muslims too fall into this category and take their worldly deities, both dead and alive as their deliverer. This indeed is the worst form of Shirk, associating others with One True God - something most detested by One True God, or Allah as we say in Arabic. 

We share today the 106th verse of Surah 12 Yusuf (Prophet Joseph, may peace be upon him) whic cautions believers of associating others with Him:

وَمَا يُؤۡمِنُ اَكۡثَرُهُمۡ بِاللّٰهِ اِلَّا وَهُمۡ مُّشۡرِكُوۡنَ‏ 

(12:106) And most of them believe not in Allah without associating (others as partners) with Him! 

That is, they associate other deities with Allah because they do not pay heed to His Signs, which serve as pointers to the Right Way. So, they go astray from it and get lost in thorny bushes. Nevertheless, many of them do not lose sight of Reality entirely, and do not disbelieve in Allah as their Creator and Sustainer, but they get involved in shirk. That is, they do not deny the existence of God, but they believe that there are other deities who are also partners in His Being, His Attributes, His Powers, and His Rights. They should never have been involved in shirk, had they considered these Signs in the heavens and the earth from this point of view, for in that case they would have discovered everywhere, in each and every one of them, the proofs of the Oneness of Allah.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him.) Ibn `Abbas commented, "They have a part of faith, for when they are asked, `Who created the heavens Who created the earth Who created the mountains' They say, `Allah did.' Yet, they associate others with Him in worship.' 

In the Sahih, it is recorded that during the Hajj season, the idolators used to say in their Talbiyah: "Here we rush to Your service. You have no partners with You, except a partner with You whom You own but he owns not!' 

Allah said in another Ayah: (إِنَّ الشِّرْكَ لَظُلْمٌ عَظِيمٌ Verily, joining others in worship with Allah is a great Zulm (wrong) indeed.) [31:13] 

This indeed is the greatest type of Shirk, associating others with Allah in worship. It is recorded in the Two Sahihs that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "I said, `O Allah's Messenger! What is the greatest sin' He said, (أَنْ تَجْعَلَ للهِ نِدًّا وَهُوَ خَلَقَك That you call a rival to Allah while He alone created you.)'' 

Al-Hasan Al-Basri commented on Allah's statement, (And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him.) "This is the hypocrite; if he performs good deeds, he does so to show off with the people, and he is an idolator while doing this.'' 

Al-Hasan was referring to Allah's statement, (Verily, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allah, but it is He Who deceives them. And when they stand up for As-Salah, they stand with laziness and to be seen of men, and they do not remember Allah but little.) [4:142] 

There is another type of hidden Shirk that most people are unaware of. Hammad bin Salamah narrated that `Asim bin Abi An-Najud said that `Urwah said, "Hudhayfah visited an ill man and saw a rope tied around his arm, so he ripped it off while reciting, (And most of them believe not in Allah except that they attribute partners unto Him.) 

In a Hadith, from Ibn `Umar collected by At-Tirmidhi who said it was Hasan, the Prophet said, (He who swears by other than Allah, commits Shirk.) 

Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawud and other scholars of Hadith narrated that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said that the Messenger of Allah said, (إِنَّ الرُّقَى وَالتَّمَائِمَ وَالتِّوَلَةَ شِرْك Verily, Ar-Ruqa, At-Tama'im and At-Tiwalah are all acts of Shirk.) 

In another narration collected by Ahmad and Abu Dawud, the Prophet said, (Verily, At-Tiyarah ﴿omen﴾ is Shirk; everyone might feel a glimpse of it, but Allah dissipates it with Tawakkul.)''

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

Even if people profess a nominal faith in Allah, they corrupt it by believing in other things as if they were Allah's partners, or had some share in the shaping of the world's destinies! In some circles, it is idolatry, the worship of stocks and stones. In others, it is Christolatry and Mariolatry, or the deification of heroes and men of renown. In others it is the powers of Nature or of Life, or of the human intellect personified in Science or Art or invention, and this is the more common form of modern idolatry. Others again worship mystery, or imaginary powers of good or even evil: greed and fear are mixed up with these forms of worship. Islam calls us to worship Allah, the One True God, and Him only.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

Yet even the believers among them allow an element of disbelief, in one form or another, to creep into their hearts. True faith requires being constantly alert so that any fleeting thought that Satan tries to sneak into our beliefs, and every worldly value in any action or attitude we take are removed straightaway. To do so is to ensure that we address all our actions to God alone. Pure faith needs a firm decision in the question of who has the supreme influence on people’s hearts and actions. This ensures that all submission is to God alone.  No one else has any position that requires even partial submission.

 

“And most of them do not even believe in God without also associating partners with Him.” (Verse 106) They associate some earthly value in the way they consider events, matters and people, or give to something other than God’s will or power a role in what brings them harm or benefit. Or they may acknowledge an element of submission to a ruler or master who does not confine himself to God’s law alone; or they look up to someone other than God for the fulfilment of their hopes; or address their sacrifice in a way that seeks to win people’s admiration; or strive to ensure some benefit or dispel harm but their striving is not done purely for God’s sake; or they may allow something to creep into their worship which makes it not purely dedicated to God alone. Hence, the Prophet says: “Shirk, i.e. associating partners with God, may be more subtle than the creeping of an ant.” [Related by Abū Ya’lā on the authority of Ma’qil ibn Yasār.]

Verse 106 is followed by the Divine answer (verse 107):

Then, [by trusting the partners they associate with God,] have they become content that a torment visits them from God or the Day of Judgement suddenly descend on them and they are absolutely unaware of it?

Let us conclude that there are two categories of men: 

One which does not believe in any religion, yet silently acknowledges that there is a Supreme Deity that manages and administers the world. Despte the realization, they have made idols that REPRESENT various attributes of the Supreme Deity. This is more applicable to Hindus and Buddhists.

The second category is of those believers who follow a Divine Religion, like Jews, Christians and Muslims, who acknowledge that there is One True God. But one of these also believe that God is Three in One - that is adding associates with the One True God. Some even go to the extent of all calling the three gods at par with each other.

Yet again a part of the second category, that is of Muslims, who while having faith in One True God, called Allah in Arabic, also worship worldly deities, mostly dead and some alive. They visit their graves and ASK the dead saints to invoke Allah on their behalf for the fulfillment of their wishes. They even distribute food and charity money in the name of the dead saints and not in the name of Allah. Some even elevate their status so high that one starts to question the reality of their faith.

All above categories are extreme type of Shirk and those who do not want to be subjected to the punishment of committing shirk, must cleanse their faith and follow One True God without any conditions or additions attached to Him. Many non-Muslims are realizing the flaw in their faith and entering the fold of Islam everyday around the world. But what about the Muslims who have tainted their faith and yet are not concerned of the gravity of the offense they are committing. May Allah help them to cleanse their faith before angel of death takes their souls away.

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 | 3 | 4 |

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.

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