Not their eyes but hearts that are blinded (selected verses from Qur'an)

Accepting and bowing to the truth has always been contested since time immemorial. No one wants to deviate what one knows or what one's ancestors have passed down to the coming generations. The arrogance of being superior has always tried to overshadowed the humility which one attains when truth dawns upon them. 

And this has been so when it comes to accepting the Divine truth that has been revealed to the messengers and prophets. The history is replete with such denials of truth right from the Prophet Nuh (Noah) to all the following prophets including Ibraheem (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Eesa (Jesus) and the last of the prophets Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. That is why it is said in Qur'an: O Muhammad, "you are not the only one being denied, all Prophets were denied before you."

When it comes to believing, one can see the truth from one's naked eye, like all the Divine creations all around us, proving to us that such creations are even beyond the comprehension of a human being, for how can a creation can create something. Yet their hearts do not accept the truth and the remain oblivious and blinded of the truth that prophets and messengers of Allah have tried to bring home to them.

This is the very theme of the 46th verse of Surah 22. Al Hajj that we share today and see how eminent Muslim scholars have explained this very thought provoking verse:

اَفَلَمۡ يَسِيۡرُوۡا فِى الۡاَرۡضِ فَتَكُوۡنَ لَهُمۡ قُلُوۡبٌ يَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ بِهَاۤ اَوۡ اٰذَانٌ يَّسۡمَعُوۡنَ بِهَا​ ۚ فَاِنَّهَا لَا تَعۡمَى الۡاَبۡصَارُ وَلٰـكِنۡ تَعۡمَى الۡـقُلُوۡبُ الَّتِىۡ فِى الصُّدُوۡرِ‏ 

(22:46) So have they not traveled through the earth and have hearts by which to reason and ears by which to hear? For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.

The words “blinded are the hearts” have been used in the metaphorical and not in the literal sense. Since the heart is regarded as the center of emotions, feelings and of mental and moral qualities, these words have been used to imply that their obduracy has inhibited them from feeling and acting rationally.

The word for "heart" in Arabic speech imports both the seat of intelligent faculties and understanding as well as the seat of affections and emotions. Those who reject Allah's Message may have their physical eyes and ears, but their hearts are blind and deaf. If their faculties of understanding were active, would they not see the Signs of Allah's Providence and Allah's Wrath in nature around them and in the cities and ruins if they travel intelligently?

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ Have they not traveled through the land,) means, have they not traveled in the physical sense and also used their minds to ponder? 

That is sufficient, as Ibn Abi Ad-Dunya said in his book At-Tafakkur wal-I'tibar, "Some of the wise people said, 'Give life to your heart with lessons, illuminate it with thought, kill it with asceticism, strengthen it with certain faith, remind it of its mortality, make it aware of the calamities of this world, warn it of the disasters that life may bring, show it how things may suddenly change with the passing of days, tell it the stories of the people of the past, and remind it what happened to those who came before.'" 

Walk through their ruins, see what they did and what became of them, meaning, look at the punishments and divine wrath that struck the nations of the past who belied,

(فَتَكُونَ لَهُمْ قُلُوبٌ يَعْقِلُونَ بِهَا أَوْ آذَانٌ يَسْمَعُونَ بِهَا and have they hearts wherewith to understand and ears wherewith to hear) meaning, let them learn a lesson from that.

(فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَٰكِن تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِ Verily, it is not the eyes that grow blind, but it is the hearts which are in the breasts that grow blind.) means, the blind person is not the one whose eyes cannot see, but rather the one who has no insight. Even if the physical eyes are sound, they still cannot learn the lesson.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

Since the hearts are qualified by blindness, it shows that the eyes are qualified by words to the effect: “of the face.” It has been expressed in the translation. The Qur’ān is couched in literary Arabic; its language is not that of science. In literary Arabic, most actions of the mind are ascribed to the heart. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

Here since people who lack insight are being described, it was essential that the heart be portrayed with respect to its locus: real blindness is the blindness of the heart and the rejecters of the messenger are inflicted by this blindness. People should not think that they can see if the eyes on their face are open because the radiance of insight in the eyes comes from the heart and the eyes of their hearts are totally blind. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 5, 265)

Qur'an Wiki Explanation:

Here, Allah poses yet another rhetorical question about their effects on unbelievers: Have they never journeyed through the lands, letting their hearts gain wisdom, and their ears hear? It is not eyes that go blind; but blind indeed become the hearts that are in people’s breasts. (Verse 46) Emphasis is here placed on the location of hearts in people’s bodies, which serves to amplify the blindness of those hearts in particular. Had those hearts been able to reflect on the scenes portrayed, they would have remembered and people’s eyes would have been tearful. They would have moved towards faith, at least as a result of fearing an end like the ones that befell other communities.

My readers may ask why I  have selected this verse today? Well, it is a message for all those, specially atheists, who see the truth and creations which are simple mind blogging, yet their hearts fail to acknowledge the truth and they remain adamant to respond to the truth they see, and thus remain ignorant forever.

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 read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: The Utter Losers (in worldly life and the Hereafter) in the light of Qur'an

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 | 6 |

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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

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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All you should know about Laylatul Qadr – لیلة القدر

The hallmark of the month of the Ramadan is the Night of the Qadr - Laylatul Qadr "لیلة القدر". It is the most blessed night of all the nights of the Islamic calendar. It is the night that comes on any of the odd nights of the last ten days of the month of Ramadan. The blessings and rewards for those who found this night while being awake and in worship in the odd nights of the last tend days are unimaginable.

In Qur'an, in the opening verses of Surah 44. Ad Dukhan (Smoke), Allah mentions of a blessed night in which Qur'an was revealed:

( 2 )   By the clear Book,  ( 3 )   Indeed, We sent it down during a blessed night. Indeed, We were to warn [mankind].

Having said this, then a complete Surah / Chapter of Qur'an was revealed, namely Surah 97. Al Qadr in which Allah explains the night when we revealed the Qur'an is the blessed night which is better than the worship of 1000 months, or the worship of 84 years (83 years and 4 months exactly). 

According to a tradition related in Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Hurairah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: The one who remained standing in worship in the state of belief and for the sake of rewards from Allah during Laylatul Qadr, would have all his previous sins forgiven.

We have already posted on the subject which should be read for additional input:

Believers!! Look for the night in last ten odd nights of Ramadan which is better than 1000 months of worship

We should not while away this night if we are lucky to to have found it. In fact we should concentrate more on our forms of worship on all odd nights for we would never know for sure when it would occur. Thus we should seek the night in worship and spend the whole of the odd nights in complete submission and devotion. We should offer Tahajjud prayers and read Qur'an as much as we can. It is said that the Prophet ﷺ used to exert himself in devotion during the last ten nights to a greater extent than any other time. Thus, this night is to be used for soul searching, evaluating the dark patches of our life, repenting and seeking Divine forgiveness. In fact we should be bowing down with more humility than before in front of our Lord and seek His mercy, for one never knows whether we will be alive to catch up the next Ramadan and this blessed night.

While our odd nights should be spent in worship and recitation of Qur'an, our following days should see us more charitable, humble and loving. 

The Imam of Masjid Al-Haram, Shaykh Abdur Rahman Al, has given an excellent formula for the last ten days of Ramadan.

• Donate one dirham (one rupee) every day, if the day falls between Lailatul Qadr, you will get the reward of donating one rupee every day for 84 years or 1000 months.
• Perform two rak'at nafal prayers daily, if the day falls in the middle of Lailatul Qadr, you will get the reward of performing two rak'at nafal prayers daily for up to 84 years.
• Recite Surah Ikhlas three times daily, if the day falls in the middle of Lailatul Qadr, you will get the reward of reciting one Khatam Qur'an every day for 84 years.

He also said, spread these words among the people, those who will listen to your words and do deeds, you too will get rewards equal to their deeds, inshallah.  Because the Messenger of Allah, may God bless him and grant him peace, said, "The one who guides good deeds will receive the same amount of reward as the doer, but there will be no deficiency in the reward of the doer."  (Muslim, 2674)

Today we share an enlightening video by eminent Muslim scholar Nauman Ali Khan in which he elaborates the importance of this night and some hints as to how can one find this night, if so lucky. Please watch the video:

Nouman Ali Khan, born to a Pakistani family, is an American Muslim speaker and Arabic instructor who founded the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies, after serving as an instructor of Arabic at Nassau Community College. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.

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 to convey only 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 Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. 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. 

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

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video above are those of the scholar concerned. We have shared this 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 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 | 

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.

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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

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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Has purpose of our life changed (Scholars' viewpoint)

The relationship between man and the Creator is a very special one. While an ordinary man or employee of a big conglomerate cannot dare to walk into the office of the chairman and puts forward a list of demands, it becomes so very easy when a ordinary man, no matter how sinful or deviant from the path of his Master, stands in front of his Mighty creator Allah and laments and airs out his grievances to his Creator without fear of being rejected or reprimanded of how dare he tried to converse with his Master without an appointment.

Well, this is the beauty of being a true believer when it comes to asking something from Allah and with a reassured heart that he will be listened to and his grievances addressed. This is the difference between the man who is so inaccessible to others when in state of a position of authority, and the relationship of a man with his Creator where there is no fear in standing in front of the Master of the universes.

But the question arises should all forms of our worship, whether daily prayers, charity, zakat, fasting and Hajj/Umra be only undertaken as means to asking something always? Has our relationship with Allah changed from being thankful to that being of a beggar who is always revoking the mercies of his Creator, rather than being just thankful?

The purpose of our life seems to have drifted form being part of Allah's plan to concentration on fulfillment of our desires. We think, as a 'favour' of our worship, Allah 'should' fulfill all our desires. This new trend is simple absurd and smacks of confidence in the plan of Allah.

We need to understand Islam by carefully reading Qur'an and knowing what is expected of us by Allah, and what we expect f Allah. If we follow Allah the way He want us to, believe me all our apprehensions will be gone in a minute and our orientation will change from being slave to our desires to be a part of plan of Allah.

Try it. We should always ask Allah: The purpose for which I am created, please help me in attaining it before I am called back, for no sooner we attain the purpose we were born, our time in this world will be over.

Please watch a short clip on the subject by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan and let us ponder over the message the scholar is trying to put across. 

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 to convey only 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 Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. 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. 

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

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video above are those of the scholar concerned. We have shared this 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 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 |

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.

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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

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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Islam: The fastest growing religion in Australia

In our series of posts on Islam and life of Muslims in non-Muslims countries, we published a post on Australia back in November 2018. At that time, the resource references available did not paint a very healthy picture of state of Muslims due to many factors that were prevalent at that time. Now after almost six years the perception is taking a positive turn. And this post is an update over our earlier referred post.

At the time of writing our previous post, the number of Muslims in Australia totaled about 604,200 people, or 2.6% of the total Australian population and was seen growing as compared to the figure of 2.2% of five years ago. Alhamdolillah, today Islam is the second largest religion in Australia. According to the 2021 Census in Australia, the combined number of people who self-identified as Muslims in Australia, from all forms of Islam, constituted 813,392 (including 103,120 born Pakistanis) people, or 3.2% of the total Australian population. That is a jump of almost 200,000 thousands and a percentage increase of .6% from that of 2018. 

These figures show a very healthy and positive trend of presence of Muslims in Australia and today a far more number of Muslims can be found in the government offices besides the private sector. The increasing trend is mainly due to a rather open policy of allowing immigration to the educated youth from the Muslim countries who come here for higher studies and then opt to obtain the Australian nationality. The number gets a boost as the immigrated Muslims are also allowed to call their parents and obtain their Australian nationality as well. 

The states and territories with the highest proportion of Muslims are New South Wales (3.58%) and Victoria (3.32%), whereas those with the lowest are Queensland (0.95%) and Tasmania (0.49%). 4.2% of people in Greater Melbourne are Muslim. Many Muslims living there are Bosnian and Turkish.

You may like to watch a short video on the rapidly growing Muslim population in Australia which explains the reason why:

Disclaimer: The data for this post has been collected from the references 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.

To know more about life of Muslims in other non-Muslim countries, please visit our Reference Page: Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries

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

Resource References: | Wikipedia |

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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

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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I’tikaf: Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ of retiring to Masjid for remembrance of Allah

The last ten days of the month of Ramadan are loaded with immense rewards and blessings of Muslims fasting all through this month. The ultimate comes in these last ten days when many a Muslim retire to the nearby masjid for remembrance of Allah observing I'tikaf " اعتكاف‎ " - an act of special form of worship exclusive to the month of Ramadan.

Read our exclusive post What is Itikaf and how it is Observed in Ramadan to know more about I'tikaf

The presence in the masjid while observing I'tikaf also allows the believers to be in the home of Allah and in the state of worship when Night of Qadr, A night better than the worship of a thousand months, takes place in the odd nights of the last ten days of the Ramadan.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to enter into state of I'tikaf all along his life and his wives also followed the suit and even continued to observe it even after the death of the revered Prophet of Allah. 

In a Hadith mentioned in Sahi Bukahri, `Aisha, revered wife of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has narrated:

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to practice I`tikaf in the last ten days of Ramadan till he died and then his wives used to practice I`tikaf after him.

From the  above quoted Hadith, it is known that I'tikaf is not only to be observed by men, but by women as well, for the have the equal right of earning reward and blessings of Allah from this form of worship. While men have to retire to a masjid for I'tikaf, women should observe it at their home in a secluded place which should be used by non-Mehram men of the family.

So let us take advantage of many blessings of the last ten days of the Ramadan and observe I'tikaf as was observed by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ regularly during his life.

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: Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Saum - Fasting in Ramadan for more Hadiths on the subject

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 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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

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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The mention of fingerprints in Qur'an led me to Islam (Revert Experiences)

Qur'an, the fourth and last Divine Scripture, is perhaps the easiest Divine religion of all. The six hundred plus pages of Qur'an, as against other books of faith with attached dozens of additional volumes, sums up the guidelines for the mankind to know what Islam is and how to enter into its fold. Putting in the most simple words it is book by our Creator, Allah, addressed to His creations, the mankind. It is this simplistic approach as against of multiple gods, that attracts non-Muslims from around the world to Islam.

I have shared the revert experience of many a non-Muslims, who Alhamdollilah, took their Shahadah previously. And each revert experience has a different start point from which the journey to reversion began. Today, I share an amazing revert experience of a born Catholic who could not come to turns with the notion of many gods and a God with associates. So this Italian sister Federica Tomassi faced with such dilemma, started her inclination towards Islam. Though she had made a mind to embrace Islam, she was still looking for something that could give her the final push into Islam, the most amazing and heartwarming religion, where while reading Qur'an one feels likes if Allah is speaking to its reader in most understandable and simple words. 

Although she read the first few pages of the Qur'an and the second Chapter, Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow), she needed something that could lead her to Islam. While she was already wearing Hijab for it made her felt graceful and holy, she need something that could make her take her ultimate decision to revert to Islam. One day, she randomly opened the Qur'an, a copy of which has been keeping for long, she came to the verses 3-4 of Surah 75. Al Qiyamah (The Doomsday):

"Does man think that We cannot assemble his bones?", "Nay, We are able to put together in perfect order the very tips of his fingers." 

The mention of fingerprints in book that was revealed more than 1400 years ago really surprised her. How could someone know of this scientific fact which has only been recently discovered. Naturally no man could say  this on his own fourteen centuries ago. This revelation could only come the Creator who created the universe and His creations.

Herein under watch the video in which sister in Islam Federica Tomassi explains so eloquently her solo journey to Islam. And amazingly, she mentions Tahajjad (the late night voluntary prayer) as something which is the best of all forms of worship.

I do not know whether she would ever come across this post, but I really commend her for literally doing the whole thing of reversion on her own. Perhaps it for such truth seekers that in Qur'an Allah says: It is a book of guidance who have the foresight to find the wisdom in it.  Looks like Allah really chosen her, guided her. Subhan Allah. May after watch this video, other non-Muslims still mulling over to revert to Islam, get encouraged and take their Shahadah, which according to our sister really made her proud and honour to accept Allah as the Only God without any associates and assistants.

May Allah (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 have unflinching faith and trust in Divine Wisdom and decisions and should never lament for we do not know that something better has been planned for us by our most caring Lord. 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.

Disclaimer: The data / video for this post has been collected from the references given below or YouTube. 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.

To read personal accounts of many who have reverted to Islam, please visit our page: Embracing Islam: Revert Experiences.

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

Photo | 

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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

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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Believers!! Look for the night in last ten odd nights of Ramadan which is better than 1000 months of worship

The month of Ramadan is full of Divine blessings of Allah for those who fast during the entire month only to please Allah. They abstain from all otherwise Halal things and acts during the period of fasting as a testimony of their true faith and belief in the commandments of Allah, for it is Allah who commands His servants to fast for Him alone, and none else, and enforce a strict discipline on self by keeping away from drinking and eating from pre-dawn to dusk.

And when a believer undergoes the rigours of fasting, specially during the peak summer season,  he is promised immense reward by Allah. Although the the first 20 days are also full of blessings and rewards, the last 10 days of the month assume an added reward for those who remain awake throughout the odd nights of the Ramadan in the hope of finding a night which is promised  to be better than 1000 months of worship. This blessed night is called Laylat al-Qadr "لیلة القدر"or the Night of Qadr - the Night of Destiny, Night of Decree, Night of Determination, or the Precious Night. In Qur'an, the 97th Chapter (click here to read the tafsir / exegesis) is exclusively earmarked to unveil the blessings  of this night. It is said:

Indeed, We sent the Qur'an down during the Night of Decree.

And what can make you know what is the Night of Decree?

The Night of Decree is better than a thousand months.

The angels and the Spirit descend therein by permission of their Lord for every matter.

Peace it is until the emergence of dawn.

This is thus the night in which the Qur'an was revealed unto Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and the revered Prophet of Allah has been quoted as saying: "Anyone who finds this night in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan is sure to have been blessed and forgiven of his sins provided he prays as hard as he could to ask forgiveness of his sins."

Please read our earlier post: A night better than thousand months to know more about The Night of Qadr and watch an enlightening video on the subject by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan.

It has been Narrated by Aisha: With the start of the last ten days of Ramadan, the Prophet (ﷺ) used to tighten his waist belt (i.e. work hard) and used to pray all the night, and used to keep his family awake for the prayers. (Sahih al-Bukhari 2024)

It is for this reason, that many a Muslims around the world undertake the special worship of Aitikaf, in which the spend the last ten days/nights in the masjid so as to be in state of worship at all times and to find this blessed night in a state of total worship. During these 10 days, the Aitikaf observing Muslims do not leave the premises of the masjid and their family members supply them daily food for suhoor (the pre-dawn mandatory food for keeping the fast) and iftar (time of breaking the fast in the evening) there in the masjid. 

Read our previous post: What is Itikaf and how it is Observed in Ramadan to know about this form of worship in last ten days of Ramadan

As for the importance of the night of Qadr, let us read a hadith by Abu Huraira who reported Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who observed the fasts of Ramadan with faith and seeking reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven, and he who observed prayer on Lailat-ul- Qadr with faith and seeking reward (from Allah), all his previous sins would be forgiven. [Sahih Muslim Book 6, Hadith 209]

So we are all geared up to find this blessed night in the  odd nights of the last ten days of the Ramadan. During these odd nights, we must fully devote ourselves to the worship of Allah to seek His forgiveness and be among the blessed ones.

We now share a special supplication which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ recommended to be recited during the last ten days of the sacred month. (This supplication is mentioned Jami` at-Tirmidhi  (Book # 48 Chapters on Supplication كتاب الدعوات عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم / Chapter # 84 Concerning "The Virtue of Asking for Al-Afiyah and Al-Mu’afah")s Hadith number # 3513):

Narrated by Aishah:

“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is your view if I know when the Night of Al-Qadr is, then what should I say in it?” He said: ‘Say: “O Allah, indeed You are Pardoning, [Generous,] You love pardon, so pardon me (Allāhumma innaka `Afuwwun [Karīmun], tuḥibbul-`afwa fa`fu `annī).’”

Arabic Text:

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ الضُّبَعِيُّ، عَنْ كَهْمَسِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ عَلِمْتُ أَىُّ لَيْلَةٍ لَيْلَةُ الْقَدْرِ مَا أَقُولُ فِيهَا قَالَ ‏ "‏ قُولِي اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّكَ عَفُوٌّ كَرِيمٌ تُحِبُّ الْعَفْوَ فَاعْفُ عَنِّي ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

It is a small yet very powerful Dua which can be easily remembered and recited. Let us my brothers and sisters of Islam stay awake during the odd nights of the last days of the Ramadan and recite the above quoted supplication as much as we can, for who know our supplication coincides with the blessed hour on the night of Al Qadr and we are rewarded profusely by our Lord.

An Imam of Haram Makkah once gave some very practical advice  Ideas for the last ten days of Ramadan   (1). Give one Riyal in charity every night of last ten days of Ramadan, so if it falls on Laila tul Qadr it's as if you gave charity everyday for 84 years.  (2). Pray two ra'kaat every night, so if it falls on Laila tul Qadr it's as if u prayed everyday for 84 years.  (3). Read Surah Ikhlaas three times a night, so if it falls on Laylat al-Qadr  it's as if u read the whole Quran everyday for 84 years.  He then says spread this as you may find it on your account of good deeds  Allah make us of the victorious. In sha Allah Ameen

So let us, our brothers and sisters in Islam, try to be awake during the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadan and worship as much as we can by offering Tahajjad prayers, reciting Qur'an so that we find the night of Qadr while in complete state of worship. Please do not while away this night by watching TV or surfing through mobile phones. Who knows next year we may not get a chance to be alive to find this night and get benefitted from its fathomless blessings!!

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.

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.

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.

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..

To know more about fasting and importance of month of Ramadan, please consult our reference page: Ramadan - A month of fasting and Blessings.  You may also refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Saum - Fasting in Ramadan for more Hadiths on the subject

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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.

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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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate 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 Holy Qur'an - Insha Allah (Allah Willing) you shall be blessed with the best of both worlds.

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How a Christian historian reverted to Islam (Revert Experiences)

Clinging to one's faith has two dimension: Following the faith as taught by the priests, pastors, monks, pandits and imams, and secondly carrying our personal research to know whether what has been taught has been The Truth or otherwise. Generally the second approach much too often forces the researcher to find that what he knew all along was something that was not the truth or was partly true. 

and it is not only Christians, Hindus and Buddhists who find themselves lost when not being adequately told about religion, but some Muslims as well. Just read the following confession of a Muslim who despite being born Muslims grew up knowing nothing about Islam:

I was born as a Muslim but I was raised in an atheist house hold. We didn’t practice religion. My mom was clueless and never let us her kids ask a questions. Later on I found out that she was illiterate and she was not only uneducated but her whole entire family were atheist. When I went to college I decided to take world religion classes. I began to study religions but I fall in love with Islam. I kept studying Prophet Muhammad’s and his family peace be up them.

As for the Christians, generally, it is the Trinity concept which when read in details with its historical perspective that Christians find it based on fragile foundation. And specially when this concept was enacted more than three hundred years of the Crucifixion of the Prophet Eesa (Jesus, may peace be upon him). Besides, there are so many dichotomies in the large number versions of Bible that are generally written ABOUT JESUS and are not Divine Revelations as has been the case of the remaining three Divine Scriptures, namely Psalms, Torah and Qur'an.

In my quest to know more why followers of other faith revert to Islam, I came across a video, as is being shared herein under, which is about a Christian historian who through his quest to know more about Christianity and other faith, found solace in the fold of Islam and reverted.

Please watch the full video of revert experience of Tomas Lloyd Evans, from Wales UK below:

May Allah (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 have unflinching faith and trust in Divine Wisdom and decisions and should never lament for we do not know that something better has been planned for us by our most caring Lord. 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.

Disclaimer: The data / video for this post has been collected from the references given below or YouTube. 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.

To read personal accounts of many who have reverted to Islam, please visit our page: Embracing Islam: Revert Experiences.  You may also refer to our Reference Pages to know more about Islam and Quran.

Photo | 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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

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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Ramadan: Difference of opinion in the timing of breaking the fast (Scholars' viewpoint)

In one of our previous posts, we shared a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in which the revered Prophet of Allah had advised to "HASTEN" the breaking of the fast at the time of the sunset. However, despite such Hadiths, the interpretation of the time of the breaking fast remains ambiguous and two main branches of Islam, that is Sunni and Shia, widely differ on the issue.

The hadith is mentioned in our post: Ramadan - Hasten to break the fast

Explaining the Hadith to hasten to break the fast, Al-Nawawi said: “This hadith urges us to hasten to break the fast as soon as it is established that the sun has set. What this means is that the ummah will continue to be in a sound state and they will be fine so long as they continue to adhere to this Sunnah.

Based on this interpretation, Sunnis break their fast at sunset, once the sun is no longer visible, but there is still light in the sky. However, for Shias they wait to break after it gets completely dark, which is usually ten minutes later than the sunset time. 

This being the opinion of two main sects, let us listen to the views of Professor Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a Pakistani Muslim theologian, Quran scholar, Islamic modernist, exegete and educationist, on the subject. The video is in Urdu, but has English subtitles for those who cannot understand Urdu:

Note: The opinion given below is that of mainstream Sunni Muslims. For view point of Shia Muslims, please click on link [2] given below:

May Allah guide us to know Islam and its various injunctions and Hadiths of the Prophet of Allah to avoid any misleading on issues related to some of the important aspects of Islam. 

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 to convey only 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 Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. 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. 

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

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video above are those of the scholar concerned. We have shared this 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 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 | References: | 1 | 2 |

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.

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. You may also refer to our Facebook  Group Islam: The Ultimate Truth for more on Islam and Da'wah.

Follow @IslamUltimate

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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