Who can benefit from the Guidance of Al Qurʾān القرآن ?

The term guidance generally refers to the process of helping individuals to discover and develop their potential. The need of guidance is something that cannot be ignored by anyone. We cannot progress in our worldly pursuits, we need guidance for our further pursuits. However, guidance only works if the guidance seeker is himself sincerely willing to listen to one's mentor and is willing to accept the guidance so provided to accrue desired benefits.

Likewise, all Religious Scriptures are source of guidance for individuals, communities and people. However with a difference. While our teachers, scholars and mentors may provide us guidance, but neither they are equipped with the "whole" knowledge nor their interpretation of a subject can be total. But in case of Divine Religions, the guidance is provided by none other than God, the Sole Creator of the universe, and all heavens and earth. Therefore the guidance so provided is total with no lapses and incompleteness. The onus lies on the God's servants to be willing to receive the guidance and be ready to implement the Divine Commandments.

However, it is generally seen that only a fraction of followers of a particular Divine Religion are capable of seeking and benefitting from the guidance and live a life truly in line with their faith. And so is true for Islam, the final Divine Religion for the entire mankind. Since Al Qurʾān القرآن, the last Divine Scripture, revealed onto last of the prophets Muhammad ﷺ is in Arabic, most non Arabic speaking followers of Islam have varying shades of its understanding. Rather majority restrict itself to reciting the Al Qurʾān القرآن  in Arabic and feel satisfied that they have performed their holy duty of being connected to the Divine Book. Even most of the Arabic speaking Muslims, though understand the meaning, are far from seeking guidance from Al Qurʾān القرآن and their life style does not correspond to the living of a true Muslim as enunciated in the Al Qurʾān القرآن  and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.l

So who can seek and benefit from guidance of Al Qurʾān and how. Allah comes to our help and tells us who are the true beneficiaries of Al Qurʾān. In the very second verse of Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow) Allah says:

ذٰ لِكَ الۡڪِتٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَ ۛۚ ۖ فِيۡهِ ۛۚ هُدًى لِّلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَۙ‏ 

(2:2) This is the Book of Allah, there is no doubt in it; it is a guidance for the pious,

(this is the Book of Allah, there is no doubt in it) Its simple meaning is: "No doubt, this is the Book of Allah", but it may also imply that this is the Book which contains nothing doubtful. It is not like the common books on metaphysics and religion which are based on mere speculation and guess-work. Therefore even their authors cannot be free from doubts concerning their own theories, in spite of their assertion that they are convinced of them. In contrast to them, this Book is based on the Truth: its Author is He Who possesses full knowledge of the Reality. Therefore, there is indeed no room for doubt about its contents.

Having told the mankind that this book, Al Qurʾān is a book from Allah and there is no ambiguity and is free from any error. Then in the second part of the above quoted verse, Allah tells that it is the Mttaqeen, the pious, who can seek guidance from it. So who are the Muttaqeen"

( it is a guidance for the pious ) That is, though there is nothing but guidance in this Book, there are a few pre-requisites for benefiting from it. The first pre-requisite is that one should be inclined to avoid vice, and should seek and practice virtue. But there is no guidance in the Qur'an for the people who do not bother to consider whether what they are doing is right or wrong, who follow the ways of the world or their own whims and lusts or move aimlessly in the ways of life. 

Muhammad Asad adds that the conventional translation of muttaqi as "God-fearing" does not adequately render the positive content of this expression - namely, the awareness of His all-presence and the desire to mould one's existence in the light of this awareness; while the interpretation adopted by some translators, "one who guards himself against evil" or "one who is careful of his duty", does not give more than one particular aspect of the concept of God-consciousness.

Yusuf Ali  explains that Taqwa and the verbs and nouns connected with the root, signify: (1) the fear of God which according to the writer of Proverbs (i.7) in the Old Testament is the beginning of Wisdom; (2) restraint, or guarding one's tongue, hand, and heart from evil; (3) hence righteousness, piety good conduct. All these ideas are implied; in the translation, only one or other of these ideas can be indicated according to the context. 

Javed Ahmed Ghamid is of the opinion that  Guidance is needed to find the right path and it is also needed to tread on the right path. Divine scriptures have been primarily revealed for the latter reason. The Qur’ān here and at some other instances has regarded itself to be guidance in this very meaning. The attributes mentioned in these verses of people who benefit from this guidance, deliberation will show, are directly opposite to the ones that were found in the Jews as a nation in those times. Further down in this sūrah, the Qur’ān has alluded to these attributes in detail. The Qur’ān points out that instead of becoming fearful of God, these Jews showed arrogance and haughtiness against Him; they contended that they would believe in God only if they were able to see Him; they abandoned the prayer and instead of spending in the way of God urged others to miserliness; they denied the messengers of God merely because of prejudice; their belief in the Hereafter was nothing more than a dogma and this belief seemed to have no effect on the way they conducted themselves in their lives. 

The following verse lays down the second prerequisite for deriving benefit from the Qurʾān:

الَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡغَيۡبِ وَ يُقِيۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰهُمۡ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَۙ‏ 

(2:3) for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond the reach of perception, who establish Prayer and spend out of what We have provided them,

The second condition for obtaining guidance from the Qur'an is that one must believe in the "unseen" -- those realities which cannot be perceived by the senses and which do not come within human experience and observation, e.g. the essence and attributes of Allah, Angels, Revelation, Heaven, Hell, etc. These things must be taken on trust from the experts (Prophets) just as we do in many cases in the physical world. Therefore, only such a person, who believes in the "unseen", can benefit from the Guidance of the Qur'an. As for the one who believes only in those things which can be seen, tasted and smelt, or can be measured and weighed, cannot get any guidance from this Book.

Muhammad Asad is of the opinion that (who believe in [the existence of] that which is beyond the reach of human perception) Al-ghayb (commonly, and erroneously, translated as "the Unseen") is used in the Qur'an to denote all those sectors or phases of reality which lie beyond the range of human perception and cannot, therefore, be proved or disproved by scientific observation or even adequately comprised within the accepted categories of speculative thought: as, for instance, the existence of God and of a definite purpose underlying the universe, life after death, the real nature of time, the existence of spiritual forces and their inter-action, and so forth. Only a person who is convinced that the ultimate reality comprises far more than our observable environment can attain to belief in God and, thus, to a belief that life has meaning and purpose. By pointing out that it is "a guidance for those who believe in the existence of that which is beyond human perception", the Qur'an says, in effect, that it will - of necessity - remain a closed book to all whose minds cannot accept this fundamental premise.

The third condition to benefit from the Qur'an is that one should be willing and ready to put into practice the teachings of the Qur'an. As the Salat ( Prayer) is the first and foremost obligatory duty enjoined by the Qur'an, it is the practical proof and permanent test of the sincerity of one's Faith. Therefore, after a person's profession of Islam, the moment he hears the call to the Prayer (which sounds regularly five times a day from every mosque in the Muslim world), he should join the congregation for the Salat, because this determines whether he is sincere in his profession or not. If he does not attend to the call and join the congregation, it is an indication that he is not sincere in his profession. It must also be noted that "iqama-tus-Salat¦(the establishment of Prayer is the comprehensive term. It means that Salat should be performed in congregation and that permanent arrangements should be made for it in every habitation; otherwise Salat will not be considered to have been established, even if every inhabitant of a place offers the Salat individually.

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi notes that "I have translated the expression يُقِيْمُوْنَ الصَّلٰوةَ as showing diligence in the prayer. In Arabic, this means to be watchful over the prayer and to be steadfast in offering it. The prayer was well known to the Arabs. As a practice of the religion of Abraham (sws) they were aware of its methodology and utterances. The righteous among them also diligently offered it. For this very reason, the Qur’ān has not mentioned any details regarding the prayer. Besides the prayer, spending in the way of God is also mentioned here.

These are the two foremost virtues in the eyes of the Qur’ān. The Prophet Jesus (sws) is reported to have said something similar in essence: One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with a question: ‘Teacher which is the greatest commandment of the Law’. Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind’. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. (Matthew, 22:35-40)

The fourth condition to benefit from the Qur'an is that one should be willing to part with one's money according to the instructions of the Book in order to render the rights of Allah and Man and should make monetary sacrifices for the cause of Islam which he has accepted. 

Yusuf Ali explains that all bounties proceed from God. They may be physical gifts, e.g., food, clothing, houses, gardens, wealth, etc. or intangible gifts, e.g., influence, power, birth and the opportunities flowing from it, health, talents, etc. or spiritual gifts, e.g, insight into good and evil, understanding of men, the capacity for love, etc. We are to use all in humility and moderation. But we are also to give out of every one of them something that contributes to the well-being of others. We are to be neither ascetics nor luxurious sybarites, neither selfish misers nor thoughtless prodigals.

Muhammad Asad explains that Ar-rizq ("provision of sustenance") applies to all that may be of benefit to man, whether it be concrete (like food, property, offspring, etc.) or abstract (like knowledge, piety, etc.). The "spending on others" is mentioned here in one breath with God-consciousness and prayer because it is precisely in such selfless acts that true piety comes to its full fruition. It should be borne in mind that the verb anfaqa (lit., "he spent") is always used in the Qur'an to denote spending freely on, or as a gift to, others, whatever the motive may be. 

The fifth requirement, as it appears in the next verse, is that one should believe in the Books revealed by God to His Prophets in the various ages and regions of the world, in the Book revealed to Muhammad (peace be on him) as well as in those revealed to the other Prophets who preceded him. 

وَالَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِمَۤا اُنۡزِلَ اِلَيۡكَ وَمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكَۚ وَبِالۡاٰخِرَةِ هُمۡ يُوۡقِنُوۡنَؕ‏ 

(2:4) who believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed before you, and have firm faith in the Hereafter.

The fifth condition is that one should believe in the truth of all those Books which Allah sent down by Revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be His peace and blessings) and the Prophets before him at different times in different countries. Those who do not believe in any kind of guidance from Allah, cannot at all benefit from the guidance of the Qur'an. Likewise those who profess to believe in the necessity of guidance from Allah but do not turn to Revelation and the Prophets for it, or who dub their' own theories as "divine light", cannot obtain any guidance from it. Moreover, guidance is also denied to those who believe only in that revealed Book or Books in which their forefathers believed and reject all other guidance received from the same Source. Apart from all such people, the Qur'an guides only those who believe that they stand in need of Divine Guidance as well as admit that it does not come to every man individually but reaches humanity only through the Prophets and revealed Books.

Then those who want guidance should not be slaves to any racial or national prejudices but should be seekers after truth and should submit to it wherever and in whatever form they find it. 

Muhammad Asad explains that ( and who believe in that which has been bestowed from on high upon thee, [O Prophet,] as well as in that which was bestowed before thy time:) This is a reference to one of the fundamental doctrines of the Qur'an: the doctrine of the historical continuity of divine revelation. Life - so the Qur'an teaches us - is not a series of unconnected jumps but a continuous, organic process: and this law applies also to the life of the mind, of which man's religious experience (in its cumulative sense) is a part. Thus, the religion of the Qur'an can be properly understood only against the background of the great monotheistic faiths which preceded it, and which, according to Muslim belief, culminate and achieve their final formulation in the faith of Islam.

This is the sixth and last condition. "Hereafter" is a comprehensive word which applies to the collection of many beliefs, which are as follows: 

• (a) Man has not been created irresponsible in the world but he is answerable to Allah for all his deeds here. 
• (b) The present world order is not everlasting, but has to come to an end at a time only known to Allah.
• (c) After the present order has been brought to an end, Allah will create a new world, when He will bring back to life all human beings, born from the beginning of creation till Resurrection, simultaneously and will call them to account for their deeds, and then will reward them justly accordingly to what they had done in the world. 
• (d) Those, who will be judged as good by Allah, will go to Paradise, and those who will be judged as bad will be cast into Hell. 
• (e) The criterion of success or failure is not the prosperity or adversity of this worldly life, but successful in actual fact will be he who comes out successful in Allah's final judgement, and failure he who is a failure there. 

Those who do not believe in the life-after-death with the above implications, cannot benefit from the Qur'an because the one who entertains' even the slightest doubt about these; not to speak of rejecting them, can never follow the way of life which the Qur'an prescribes.

Let us list down these six conditions for easy remembrance:

• Al Qur'an is a guidance for the pious,
• One must believe in the "unseen",
• One should be willing and ready to put into practice the teachings of the Qur'an, including establishment of prayer, 
• One should be willing to part with one's money according to the instructions of the Book,
• Belief in the truth of all those Books which Allah sent down by Revelation to the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be His peace and blessings) and the Prophets before him at different times in different countries, and
• Who have firm faith in the Hereafter.

Thus if a believer fulfills all above six conditions, is deemed fit and qualified to seek guidance from Qur'an and is one of the true Muttaqeen. These are summed up as in the fifth verse below:

اُولٰٓـئِكَ عَلٰى هُدًى مِّنۡ رَّبِّهِمۡ​ وَاُولٰٓـئِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُوۡنَ‏  

(2:5) Such are on true guidance from their Lord; such are the truly successful.

Now if we analyze all the three verse quoted above, we can build the character of a person who can feel and absorb the radiations oozing out of each word contained in the Qur'an, and can rhythmize his hear t and soul to the Divine Commandments and live a life as per the guidance contained in the Qur'an. In my reckoning the reverts are more closer to these six conditions as spelt out above for they being non Muslims felt the message of Qur'an imprinting on their hearts and thus they took the final decision of their lives to read the Shahadah and enter in the fold of Islam. It is time that the born Muslims too try to emulate the very personality of a Muttaqi, the pious and the God fearing, to receive true guidance from Qur'an and live a life as enunciated in the Qur'an, which was practically demonstrated by Prophet Muhammad ﷺ through his way of life and performance of daily chores.

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 life 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.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the 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 pages Understanding Al Qur'an  and Quick Reference Pages  for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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

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.

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 following sources: 

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

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

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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

Read More

How to make a supplication / Dua (دُعا)

Supplication is a powerful tool in the hands of believers to invoke countless mercies of Allah. While Allah has promised to listen to each and every supplication made by His faithful servants, yet our supplications remain far from the etiquettes  of making a supplication / Dua (دُعا) .

Generally it is seen that we while making a Dua, we take help of pre written supplications, just read these out and think that these will have any effect. Well this certainly is not the case. So how do we make a supplication?

Well making supplications should never be a sort of robotic action. We sit, say after a prayer, and recite a few well worded Dua from a book with no emotions and apathy in our sayings. Dua in fact is a heartfelt conversation with our Creator. It is sort of one to one conversation between a servant and a Most Compassionate Master. So we should not suppress our emotions, rather we should let them flow as the ooze out from our heart uncensored. 

In fact we should not be praying, rather we should be talking to our Rabb, the Master of the entire universe.  We should be talking our heart out for we a re addressing Allah, the Most Compassionate and the Most Merciful, the same way we make a pledge in each of our prayers when reciting the initial verses of Surah 1. Al Fatiha. We after invoking His countless mercies by mentioning His many attributes, we need to tell Him why we are talking to Him and why we need Him to answer our supplications.

We need to tell Him all our needs, spell out all our worries and problems in a manner that He is moved by our sincerity in speaking to Him and our total faith in Him and unflinching conviction in Him that He alone is the one who can redress our grievances and make lift away the burden from our heart and soul. We really need to beg Him and carryout to Him.

Continuously turning to Allah Almighty in Dua is a sign of one’s conviction in Him and the more one turns to Him, the more one’s faith increases. Dua is a condition of the heart and conversation with one’s Maker in the language of one’s choice. A Hadith says, Dua is a means of beseeching Allah Almighty for the fulfillment of all our needs no matter how mundane or insignificant as it may be; or significant as facing overwhelming odds in the battlefield (Tirmidhi).

Please read our series of posts on "Selected Invocations  (Dua / دُعا) from Qur'ān" which are chosen form Qur'an in which Allah Himself guides us how to seek His help and blessings.

Remember, He already knows what worries us, yet He listens to us and feel happy that despite our miseries and hard times, it is only His mercy that we are looking for  and it is He alone Who can resolve our miseries. And don't just do it once, keep pressing Him for may be He is testing our patience and steadfastness and seeing whether we really trust Him is the Single Supreme Being who can help us and no worldly deities at all.

Allah promises to listen to His servants as mentioned in the 16th verse of Surah 50 Qaf:

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ وَنَعْلَمُ مَا تُوَسْوِسُ بِهِۦ نَفْسُهُۥ ۖ وَنَحْنُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ حَبْلِ ٱلْوَرِيدِ 

And We have already created man and know what his soul whispers to him, and We are closer1 to him than [his] jugular vein.

So if Allah is so close, why find others to readdress our grievances? For He is ever closer to ever man He created and more closer to the ones with complete faith in Him. Be among the ones to whom He is more closer and rest assured our supplications will never go unheard and UNACTIONED. Also remember that no one else can make a Dua for you better than yourself for he may not be able to put his heart and soul in praying for you. Be the one yourself to pray for you and your near and dear ones in distress or your parents who are no more. Allah is moved when someone prays for others from his heart and sincerity, for it is the sincerity of heart which is the driving force in carrying forward your Dua to Allah.

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 life 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.

Please refer to our Quick Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān and how to seek 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.

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

Do the Evil Doers suppose that they will escape the Divine Grasp?

The world has ever been more of oppression than justice and peace. The notion of might is right has always been true and the oppressors always dominated. The powerful always find ways and means to punish the meek and weak with their evil machinations.  Those who are oppressed, weary of their oppressed way of life, often think why doesn't God rein in the treacherous beings and bring them to Divine justice.

The world has never changed from stone age to today's so called developed world. Today we see nations and people oppressed while the world conscious sleeps. The oppressor always thinks that he is getting away with his evil doings, for despite their oppressive designs, no lightening from sky bolts on them and wipes them out for world to live in peace. And they continue to live in palatial abodes and utter prosperity. Does that mean that Divine Justice protects the evil? Well this is what the weak and oppressed think.

But men of true faith never lose hope and remain patient for no one is beyond the Divine Grasp and sooner or later the tyrants and the demagogues are holed up and punished so severely that they would have never imagined. They have faith that God permits leases time to the wicked, so that get a chance to repent.  We have recently shared a post "Why does Allah give leverage to the tyrants and demagogues" based on the 45th verse / ayat of Surah 35. Fatir. Today we share another similar verse from Surah 29. Ankabut - The Spider (verse 4):

اَمۡ حَسِبَ الَّذِيۡنَ يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ السَّيِّاٰتِ اَنۡ يَّسۡبِقُوۡنَا​ ؕ سَآءَ مَا يَحۡكُمُوۡنَ‏ 

(29:4) Do the evil-doers suppose that they will get the better of Us? How evil is their judgement! 

This may refer to all those people who disobey Allah's Commands though this was particularly implies those wicked chiefs of the Quraish, who were in the forefront in their antagonism to Islam and persecution of the converts to Islam, e.g. Walid .bin Mughirah, Abu Jahl, `Utbah, Shaibah,`Uqbah bin Abi Mu`ait, Hanzalah bin Wail, etc. Here the context itself requires that after exhorting the Muslims to patience and fortitude against the trials and tests, those people also should be chided and scolded, who were persecuting the believers." 

It may also mean: "...that they will escape Our grasp." The words yasbiquna " يَّسۡبِقُوۡنَا " in the original may have two meanings: (1)`Whatever we will (i.e. the success of the mission of Our Messenger) should meet with failure, and whatever they wish (i.e. to frustrate the mission of Our Messenger) should be accomplished;" and (2) "We may want to seize them for their excesses and they should be able to escape and get out of Our reach.

However, the verse  has relevance even today when all over the world the weak nations are oppressed, kept under tighter control of bigger nations, the demagogues of another kind on the pretext of the safeguard of their interest. Do they think that people of Kashmir, Palestine, Afghanistan and Myanmar can be oppressed forever? In the end everything is ends as planned by  Allah and evil machinations of worldly gods fail and crumble miserably.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

If the enemies of Truth imagine that they will "be first" by destroying Truth before it takes root, they are sadly at fault, for their own persecution may help to plant Allah's Truth more firmly in men's hearts.

Explanation Javed Ahmed Ghamidi:

This is a reference to the people who were targeting the weak Muslims through oppression and persecution.

( [Alas!] how ill are ) Ie., an ill-judgement in every respect. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

… If they think that God is so weak as to not able to seize them, even then this is an entirely incorrect judgement. And if they think that God is unconcerned about their oppression and injustice, then too they have reached a very wrong conclusion. (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 6, 17)

Explanation Qur'an Wiki:

Those who subject the believers to hardship and act wickedly will not escape God’s punishment, even though they may appear strong and victorious. This is again a true promise made by God. No wicked or evil person should think that he can escape. If he does then his judgement is absolutely erroneous. God, who has made tests a general rule to distinguish true believers from false claimants, is the One who has also made punishment of the perpetrators of evil a general rule that never fails. 

Please listen to explanation of the ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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 life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

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.

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

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 following sources: 

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

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

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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

Read More

Be Always Thankful to Allah

Life has never been easygoing for everyone. One encounters ups and downs, facing hurdles and sometimes almost being in hitting against a wall like situations. But ever imagines that while everything around looked so unfavorable, suddenly there was an ease and all the misty fog cleared in no time or a help came from a corner you never expected?

I have encountered many a unfavorable situations and it looked as if that was the end of me. But then suddenly every odds against me disappeared and I saw the bright sunshine. It looked as if nothing ever happened. And this has not been once but many times. You know who saved and protected me and you in such grave situations? 

It was none but Allah who protected us.  Although, Allah could punish us for being in a situation because of our misdeeds or wrongdoings for He has the ultimate capacity and power  to punish us. Yet He lets us free, save us from situations which could have ruined us.  Ever wondered how many times it happened? I for myself know it was umpteen number of times - rather I do not know how many times I was saved.

Even other than being saved from hard situations, we are blessed with countless blessings in the form of our families, Rizq, shelter, and countless verities of food and fruits for which we seldom thank Allah. What if Allah takes these away from us - can we protest or fight back? Never. So let us keep thanking Him as much as we can for in thanking Him, our blessings will increase. 

But do I thank Allah enough? Did I not momentarily thought of my misdeeds and thanked Allah and then after a awhile forgot about saying even " اَلۡحَمۡدُ لِلّٰهِ " - All praise and is due only to Allah (سبحانه و تعالى‎) - which is all about gratitude in every aspect of life.

Allah reminds the believers of His countless mercies and favours unto that even if try to count, we would certainly lose the counting:

وَاِنۡ تَعُدُّوۡا نِعۡمَةَ اللّٰهِ لَا تُحۡصُوۡهَاؕ اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَـغَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ 

For, were you to count the favours of Allah, you will not be able to count them. Surely Allah is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful. [16:18]

In the verse above, quoted from Surah 16. An Nahl (The ants), two attributes of Allah have been mentioned:  اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَـغَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ "“Forgiving and Compassionate.”

In the verse above, it is being said: Though Allah goes on showering countless blessings upon people, they behave in an ungrateful, faithless and rebellious manner towards Him. He does not punish them immediately, but gives them respite, for He is Forgiving and Compassionate. This is true of both individuals and communities. There are people, who deny even the existence of God, yet He goes on bestowing His favors on them for years. There are others who set up partners with Him in his attributes, power and rights, and show their gratitude to others than Him for His blessings, yet He does not withhold His favors from them. There are still others who profess to acknowledge Him as their Creator and Benefactor, yet rebel against Him and are disobedient to Him and consider freedom from Him to be their birth right, but in spite of all this He continues to shower His countless blessings on them as long as they live.

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 life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

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.

Photo | References: | 1 | 

Please refer to our Quick Reference Pages to know more about Islam, Qur'an and Sunnah.

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

Read More

Allah creates doors that did not exist before

In one's life there come many a occasion when one feels hit against a wall and nothing seems to be working out in his favour. Every corner from where he could expect help seems to be obscured and all the supposed help hands gradually retract, leave one all alone, depressed, dejected and demoralized. 

Under such trying times, many lose hope of any help and may even end their lives in sheer desperation. But men of faith never ever lose hope for they know that no matter what, there shall be help from Allah for He is the Creator of everything that exists and He never shirk from patronizing His creations and takes care of them, though in His own way. So He "CREATES" doors that never existed before. Taken metaphorically one may see avenues opening and pulling him into  one of them and opening other vistas for him. But spiritually, it is Allah Who injects ideas and guided tips into one's otherwise puzzled mind that open knots and help in clearing the thought process so that one can work on options he would have never thought before.

This creating and opening of doors is one of the many attributes of Allah: Al Fattah " الْفَتَّاحُ ", the Opener, the Revealer and the Informer. Thus when does not find any ray of hope to take him of his hard times, and he really believes that Allah will come to his help, Allah opens up his mind and lets him see things and ideas that were hitherto obscured from him.

The word for "Fattah" comes from the root word fataha (فتاحة). Fataha means to open, grant, explain, disclose, to make victorious or let out. The name of first surah of the Quran, Al-Fatiha, is based on this same root, and is generally translated as The Opener, or The Opening. The Arabic word miftâhî, translated as key, means that which opens or unlocks, is also based on this same root.

And when help or mercy of Allah is accorded to the people, none can withhold it. That is once a door of opportunity has been created, none other than Allah can close it. It will remain opened so long a man believes and has firm faith in Allah. The 2nd verse of Surah 35. Al Fatir explains:

مَا يَفۡتَحِ اللّٰهُ لِلنَّاسِ مِنۡ رَّحۡمَةٍ فَلَا مُمۡسِكَ لَهَا ۚ وَمَا يُمۡسِكۡ ۙ فَلَا مُرۡسِلَ لَهٗ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِه ؕ وَهُوَ الۡعَزِيۡزُ الۡحَكِيۡمُ‏ 

(35:2) Whatever Mercy Allah accords to people, none can withhold; and whatever He withholds, no other will be able to release after Him. He is Most Mighty, Most Wise.

This is also meant to remove the misunderstanding of the polytheists, who believed that from among the servants of Allah, someone gave them the provision, someone the children and someone health to their patients. All these superstitions of shirk are baseless, and the pure truth is just that whatever of mercy reaches the people, reaches to them only through Allah Almighty’s bounty and grace. No one else has the power either to bestow it or to withhold it. This theme has been expressed at many places in the Quran and the Ahadith in different ways so that man may avoid the humiliation of begging at every door and at every shrine and may realize that making or marring of his destiny is in the power of One Allah alone and of none else.

“He is the All-Mighty”: He is dominant and the owner of Sovereignty: none can stop His judgments from being enforced. Also “He is All-Wise”: every act of His is based on wisdom. When He gives somebody something He gives because it is demanded by wisdom, and when He withholds something from somebody, He withholds it because it would be against wisdom to give it.

That means one can only rely on Divine help in testing times and when in distress one should never lose sight of Divine Help which is always at hand provided one invokes Allah's mercy and having form faith in getting out of his miseries.

Allah, the Al Fattah, also unties the knots of a confused mind when one is pitched against two ways: The Right One and the one of the one of those who were wretched and despite knowing the truth chose the way to blazing fire of hell. A mind which has openness and fertility, will certainly chose the Sirat al Mustaqeem, the straight guiding path and is always blessed.  

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 life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.

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.

Photo | Resource references: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A

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

Read More

O ye children of Adam! Wear Raiment of Modesty and Righteousness

Islam is often mocked for its women clad in layers of clothes and wearing of Hijab. Many non Muslims countries have banned wearing of Hijab and Muslim women are often harassed for their attire and there are many incidents of unruly men snatching away their headdress and scarves.

For many communities, raiment is not taken as a means to cover their shame but to prevent weather hazards and as a mean of adornment and a means to add to their beauty. While generally men are modestly dressed, it is the women who wear inviting clothes, sometimes barely covering their bodies and making them a kind of show piece for every one to gaze on. 

Let us see what are the reasons for our raiment:.[1]

• Adornment: Added decoration or ornamentation.
• Protection: Clothing that provides physical safeguards to the body, preventing harm from climate and environment.
• Identification: Establishing who someone is or what they do.
• Modesty: Covering the body according to the code of decency established by society.
• Status: One's position or rank in comparison to others.

Of the above, adornment and modesty are two conflicting factors. Mostly modesty is sacrificed for sake of adornment as a means of attraction. That is why revealing dresses are generally worn which perhaps are the main cause of many ills in the society. And this trend is not new. Even in pre Islam Arabia, men and women used to circumambulate naked when taking rounds around  the Kaaba. And if today, if we want to surf for naked, there will 99% women and hardly 1% men. 

One's attire and raiment is "THE" difference between modesty and immodesty. In order to ensure modesty and ensure a dress code of  righteousness, Qur'an at many places advocates usage of one's raiment to properly cover one's shame and nakedness. The following 26th verse of Surah 7. Al A'raf cautions man to ensure a dress code of righteousness and modesty:

يٰبَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ قَدۡ اَنۡزَلۡنَا عَلَيۡكُمۡ لِبَاسًا يُّوَارِىۡ سَوۡاٰتِكُمۡ وَرِيۡشًا​ ؕ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقۡوٰى ۙ ذٰ لِكَ خَيۡرٌ​ ؕ ذٰ لِكَ مِنۡ اٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَذَّكَّرُوۡنَ‏ 

(7:26) O ye children of Adam! We have bestowed raiment upon you to cover your shame as well as to be an adornment to you but the raiment of righteousness that is the best. Such are among the signs of Allah that they may receive admonition! 

In this passage, the Qur'an has used the story of Adam and Eve for the eradication of the evil of nakedness. Satan had seduced the Arabs of the pre-Islamic period into believing that clothing was meant merely for the purpose of decorating and protecting the body from the hardships of weather. Accordingly they totally disregarded its real purpose and paid no heed to cover their shameful parts and did not hesitate to uncover them before others in the open. Above all, they would go round the Ka'abah in perfect nudity during the Haj season; and their women were even more shameless than their men. That was because they considered it a religious act and did this as if it were a virtuous deed.

The whole human race has been addressed because this evil was not confined to the Arabs alone but many people of the world had been (and even today are) guilty of this. Therefore the whole human race has been warned, as if to say, "O children of Adam! Nudity is a clear manifestation of the fact that you have been seduced by Satan. As you have discarded the Guidance of your Lord, and rejected the Message of His Prophets, you have given yourselves up to Satan who has misled you from the way of natural modesty into that shameful state, in which he intended to mislead your first parents. If you consider it seriously, you will come to the inevitable conclusion that you can neither understand rightly the demands of your nature nor fulfill them without the Guidance of the Messengers." 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir:  (Bestowing Raiment and Adornment on Mankind)

Allah reminds His servants that He has given them Libas and Rish. Libas refers to the clothes that are used to cover the private parts, while Rish refers to the outer adornments used for purposes of beautification. Therefore, the first type is essential while the second type is complimentary. Ibn Jarir said that Rish includes furniture and outer clothes. 

`Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam commented on the Ayah, (وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَى and the Libas (raiment) of Taqwa...) "When one fears Allah, Allah covers his errors. Hence the `Libas of Taqwa' (that the Ayah mentions).''

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

The body: is pure and beautiful, as long as it is not defiled by misuse: its clothing and ornaments may be good or meretricious, according to the motives in the mind and character: if good, they arc the symbols of purity and beauty: but the best clothing and ornament we could have comes from righteousness, which covers the nakedness of sin, and adorns us with virtues.

Explanation Qur'an Wiki:

The first address to the children of Adam speaks of the affliction caused to their first father, and of God’s grace when He ordered human beings to wear clothes, to cover their nakedness, and gave them fine garments pleasing to the eye.

`Abd al-Raĥmān ibn Aslam, an early scholar, says: “When a person fears God, he covers his nakedness. Thus he clothes himself with the robe of piety.” In divine law, then, there is a close relationship between garments that a person wears to cover his nakedness and to give himself a fine appearance on the one hand and fearing God and being pious on the other. Both are garments, with one covering mental or abstract nakedness and the other physical nakedness. Both give a human being a fine appearance and both go together. When a person is conscious of God and feels ashamed to appear in a way which is unpleasing to Him, he feels physical nakedness to be abhorrent and shies away from it. On the other hand, a person who feels no sense of shame in front of God and does not fear Him is one who does not hesitate to appear naked or to call people to do likewise. Being modest and covering one’s body are not matters of social tradition, as claimed by those who try to destroy the humanity of people by attacking their sense of shame and chastity in order to carry out the wicked designs of the Protocol of the Elders of Zion. To have a sense of shame is something that God has implanted in human nature and embodied in His law which He sent down to be implemented in human life. He has made them able to implement this law by giving them talents, abilities and provisions.

 

God reminds the children of Adam of His grace as He requires them to cover their nakedness with dress in order to protect their humanity against sinking to the level of animals. Everything He has facilitated for them is also an aspect of His grace. He reminds them of it “so that they may reflect.” (Verse 26) 

Tafsir Javed Ahmed Ghamidi:

The implication is that just as God has created things from which a person’s external attire is made, in the same way He has inspired those facts in his soul with which his inner attire is made. This is the attire of piety which a human is adorned with and then sent in this world. For this purpose, God has ingrained in him his fear, sense of worship and the feeling of modesty and chastity. This inner attire is composed from these elements and is far above the outer one. In fact, it is when the outer attire is made from motives that spring from the inner attire that it makes human beings truly human and humane. Imām Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī writes:

... It is the person whom God out of His grace adorns with this garment who looks truly graceful and majestic. Such a person is an angel in human form. Whoever sees him, instantly cries out: مَا هٰذَا بَشَرًاﵧ اِنْ هٰذَا٘ اِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيْمٌ. (31:12) (this is not a human being; this is but a noble angel.) (Amīn Aḥsan Iṣlāḥī, Tadabbur-i Qur’ān, vol. 3, 245)

(It is a sign from among the signs of God so that people may be reminded)  Ie., they be reminded that a person’s outer attire too should be in accordance with the inner one. The signs of God are found in the world outside a hu,an being and that within him as well. It is his responsibility to seek guidance from them. The revelations of the Qur’ān at many places direct his attention to these signs.

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 life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. May our outer and inner self be modest and that of righteousness. Aneen

Please listen to explanation of the ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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.

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 following sources: 

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

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

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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

Read More

Which category of people are you?

Man can conveniently be divided into two main categories: The obedient who are true believers and disobedient with weak faith or even non believers. And then again we have obedient living a happy and contended life and others living in misery or poverty. Likewise there are disobedient who have gone astray or non believers who are living a life one can only envy or those in distress and misery. If these are the main categories and sub categories, have you ever pondered where do you fall in and why?

Let us dwell on this a little in the light of relevant verses of Al Qur'an:

The Obedient and True Believers living a happy and contended life

This is but obvious that those who are men of true faith and obey every commandment of Allah are the most blessed for obvious reasons. The 97th verse of Surah 16. An-Nahl explains the life of these people:

مَنۡ عَمِلَ صَالِحًـا مِّنۡ ذَكَرٍ اَوۡ اُنۡثٰى وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ فَلَـنُحۡيِيَنَّهٗ حَيٰوةً طَيِّبَةً​ ۚ وَلَـنَجۡزِيَـنَّهُمۡ اَجۡرَهُمۡ بِاَحۡسَنِ مَا كَانُوۡا يَعۡمَلُوۡنَ‏ 

(16:97) Whosoever acts righteously - whether a man or a woman - and embraces belief, We will surely grant him a good life; and will surely grant such persons their reward according to the best of their deeds.

The Obedient - True Believers yet living a hard life

The second category of believers are of those who despite having complete faith in Allah, but are in misery and their life is full of tests and hurdle. Yet they cling to their faith and take their life as it comes from Allah. 

These people can be sub divided into two sub categories;

• Believers who are patient and remain steadfast in all trying conditions as mentioned in 155th verse of Surah Al Baqarah (The Cow):

 وَلَـنَبۡلُوَنَّكُمۡ بِشَىۡءٍ مِّنَ الۡخَـوۡفِ وَالۡجُـوۡعِ وَنَقۡصٍ مِّنَ الۡاَمۡوَالِ وَالۡاَنۡفُسِ وَالثَّمَرٰتِؕ وَبَشِّرِ الصّٰبِرِيۡنَۙ‏ 

(2:155) We shall certainly test you by afflicting you with fear, hunger, loss of properties and lives and fruits. Give glad tidings, then, to those who remain patient;

• The second sub category of these people are of those who have faultered somewhere and are ignorant of their faults and thus fail to repent and ask forgiveness from Allah. That is why Allah puts them to test to awaken them so that they return to their faith.  (سورة السجدة 21 )

وَلَنـُذِيۡقَنَّهُمۡ مِّنَ الۡعَذَابِ الۡاَدۡنٰى دُوۡنَ الۡعَذَابِ الۡاَكۡبَرِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُوۡنَ‏ 

(32:21) We shall certainly have them taste some chastisement in this world in addition to the greater chastisement (of the Hereafter); perhaps they will retract (from their transgression).

The life of those who disobey Allah or are negators of Allah's commandments. These are divided into two sub categories:

• Those living a miserable life: For obvious reasons who shun Allah's guidance and are bent upon caring less about the punishment in the life of the hereafter are certainly given the taste of their disbelief. These people are mentioned in 124th verse of Surah Ta Ha:

وَمَنۡ اَعۡرَضَ عَنۡ ذِكۡرِىۡ فَاِنَّ لَـهٗ مَعِيۡشَةً ضَنۡكًا وَّنَحۡشُرُهٗ يَوۡمَ الۡقِيٰمَةِ اَعۡمٰى‏ 

(20:124) But whosoever turns away from this Admonition from Me shall have a straitened life; We shall raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection,"

• The second category of these disobedient people are those who live a life of comfort and care less for any Divine guidance. For such disobediently people Allah cautions them that though they are being given a leverage, the day cannot be far when all of sudden they will incur heavy losses and will never be able to recover. These are the most miserly people who having lived a life everyone else envied, suddenly fall from grace with nothing in their hands. If such people do not realize their artificial pride and return to Allah, they will be the worst of man ever. Fate of such people is mentioned in the 44th verse of Surah 6. Al-An'am:

فَلَمَّا نَسُوۡا مَا ذُكِّرُوۡا بِهٖ فَتَحۡنَا عَلَيۡهِمۡ اَبۡوَابَ كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ ؕ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا فَرِحُوۡا بِمَاۤ اُوۡتُوۡۤا اَخَذۡنٰهُمۡ بَغۡتَةً فَاِذَا هُمۡ مُّبۡلِسُوۡنَ‏ 

(6:44) So, when they forgot what they had been reminded of, We opened the gates of all things so that while they rejoiced in what they had been granted We seized them suddenly and they were plunged into utter despair.

These are the four categories of people, one of which we are, and the rest three we see in our every day's life. Try to be the ones who are the blessed ones, men of true faith and observance of all Divine Laws as contained in the Qur'an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Let us pray that we are not tested for tests of Allah are very tough and we will never be as strong faith as required to undergo these tests. And if we are misguided or have been derailed from the Sirat al Mustaqeem, the Straight Path, then let us get back to it as early as possible, repenting and asking forgiveness of Allah. And be rest assured that Allah, our Creator, is extremely merciful and is ever ready and compassionate to welcomes anyone who repents and falls back to him forgivingly.

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 life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

Photo |  For more Q&A about Understanding Islam, please refer to our reference page: Understanding Islam - Frequently asked Q&A. You may also refer to our Quick Reference Pages to know more about Islam, Qur'an and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

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.

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

Read More

Can one True God Have associated Gods

There has always been a concept of One Supreme Being in all religions of the world. Hinduism which is said to be the oldest religion also has a concept of one God. Hindus recognize one God, Brahman, the eternal origin who is the cause and foundation of all existence. as for the Divine Religions, all prophets from Adam through Noah, Abraham, Moses and even Christ profess to worship One True God. And this goes on to Islam, the last of the Divine Religions as well.

But perhaps man could not comprehend with the idea of One God managing the entire universe. So Hindus came up with sub gods to address matters related to every walk of life, like health, fires, rains, and so on. So from here on the division commences of having Associated Gods to one True God.

After revelation of the Psalms and Torah, revealed on Prophets Dawood (David) and Musa (Moses, may peace be upon them) came the Bible which is attributed to the Prophet Eesa (Jesus Christ, peace be upon him). Jesus proclaimed that there was one God, the God he worshipped and asked his followers to worship his God alone:

The Bible clearly tells us there is only one God. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

A similar verse appears in the 72nd verse of Surah 5. Al-Maida which shuns any idea of any worldly or even heavenly being to be at par with Allah and He alone wields His power over all His creations: 

لَقَدۡ كَفَرَ الَّذِيۡنَ قَالُوۡۤا اِنَّ اللّٰهَ هُوَ الۡمَسِيۡحُ ابۡنُ مَرۡيَمَ​ ؕ وَقَالَ الۡمَسِيۡحُ يٰبَنِىۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِيۡلَ اعۡبُدُوا اللّٰهَ رَبِّىۡ وَرَبَّكُمۡ​ ؕ اِنَّهٗ مَنۡ يُّشۡرِكۡ بِاللّٰهِ فَقَدۡ حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ عَلَيۡهِ الۡجَـنَّةَ وَمَاۡوٰٮهُ النَّارُ​ ؕ وَمَا لِلظّٰلِمِيۡنَ مِنۡ اَنۡصَارٍ‏ 

(5:72) And surely they disbelieved when they said: 'Christ, the son of Mary, is indeed God'; whereas Christ had said: 'Children of Israel! Serve Allah, Who is your Lord and my Lord.' Allah has forbidden Paradise to those who associate anything with Him in His divinity and their refuge shall be the Fire. No one will be able to help such wrong-doers.

Now coming back to associates of God (may God forbid):

The Hindus while believing in one God, found it strange that one God would manage the countless affairs of the universe and mankind. So they made mini Gods responsible for affairs like health, rain, children, wealth, wind, fire, water etcetera. [1]

Likewise, Christians too taking the advantage of extra ordinary birth of the Christ, call God as Father. The Bible clearly tells us there is only one God. “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4). At the same time, we encounter multiple passages in the Bible that show that the one God consists of more persons. While they believe that The term Trinity is not used in the Bible. Yet they drive implied meaning of verses to stress that one God in three persons is very true. [2]

So while Hindus have specified charter of duties of their associated deities, Christians take all three, that is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, at par with each other.  This thus is tantamount to "Shirk" as far teachings of Islam or even that of Torah and Psalms are concerned where there is associate(s) of God, for the God is alone, omnipotent and wield His powers all by Himself. He does not need no one else to run the affairs of the world but He. And if at all Concept of Trinity was true, then why didn't Christ spelt it so in clear and unambiguous words or why the concept of Trinity does not form part of Bible?

Verse 255 (also called "Ayat-al-Kursi") of Surah 2. Al Baqarah (The Cow) explains the many attributes of Allah:

( 255 )   Allah - there is no deity except Him, the Ever-Living, the Sustainer of [all] existence. Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. Who is it that can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows what is [presently] before them and what will be after them, and they encompass not a thing of His knowledge except for what He wills. His Kursi extends over the heavens and the earth, and their preservation tires Him not. And He is the Most High, the Most Great.

In the above quoted verse from Qur'an, God clearly tells mankind that there is no deity except Him and  Neither drowsiness overtakes Him nor sleep. That He is awake to watch over whatever happens in His domain, which is the entire Universe, and yet He does not need anyone to administer His domain or "Help Him in doing so."

It may be added here that one of the major causes of Christians reverting to Islam is their doubts over the concept of Trinity for they feel that no one else can be at par or be an associate of One True God.  So now we have to decide what logic says and how we decide to accept One True God as all by Himself.

This is a big point to ponder upon without being prejudiced.

Disclaimer: The post is based on the concept of One True God as it appears in Qur'an and all other Divine Scriptures without inclusions of additions which even many people believe that those are based on implied meanings, whereas the Divine Commandments are very concise, clear and direct and these do not leave any ambiguity as to their meaning. The purpose is not to undermine any religion or ideas or concepts but to put across view point based on Divine Commandments as contained in Qur'an and interpretation of Godly concepts of other religions.

For more posts, please refer to our reference page: Islam and the rest of the World. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Supported References: | 1 | 2 |

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 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 life 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.

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