While scanning through the sources of places from where people see my blog, I was surprised to see a sizable number from Ukraine. Thinking them to be Muslims, I decided to find out about Islam in Ukraine and share with my readers.
In a country dominated by the Orthodox and Uniate Christians, Islam is the fourth largest religion in Ukraine, representing almost 1% of the total population of the country. Among the Muslims, the Sunni Islam of the Hanafi schools dominates the other branches / schools of thought of Islam, and and their mufti is regarded as the highest religious figure. The majority of the Muslims are the Crimean Tartars. In 2012 an estimated 500,000 Muslims lived in Ukraine, including 300,000 Crimean Tatars. However, Said Ismagilov, the mufti of Ummah, boats one million Muslims in Ukraine. Historically, Crimea was the center of the spread of Islam in Ukraine. The presence of Islam in Ukraine is associated with the Crimean Tatars, the Turkic speaking descendants of Turkic and non-Turkic peoples who had settled in Eastern Europe as early as the 7th century. In the 15th century, a Crimean Khanate was established in southern Ukraine. However, after the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the Khanate lost its sovereignty and fell under the influence of the Ottoman Empire. The Khanate finally ended after growing Russian influence led to its annexation into the Russian Empire after the Russo-Turkish Wars in the late 18th century. At the time of annexation of the Khanate, its capital of Bakhchysarai had at least 18 mosques. However, the Russian Empire began persecuting the Muslim population, and nearly 160,000 Tatars were forced to leave Crimea. The oldest masque in Ukraine is the The Tahtali-Jami Mosque located in Bakhchisaray, Crimea. It was built in 1707 by by Khan Sultan Beck. Since the it was originally constructed with wooden planks which were later closed in by stone blocks and masonry walls. The roof of the mosque is covered with clay tiles, it is called Tahtalı Cami means "wooden mosque" in Crimean Tatar. [3] At the time of the Russian Revolution in 1917, Muslims constituted one-third of Crimea's population and nearly all major cities in Crimea had significant Muslim population. However, under the Soviet rule, Crimean Muslims were subjected to mass deportation and in 1944 Joseph Stalin accused them of collaborating with Nazi Germany and more than 200,000 Crimean Tatars were deported to Central Asia, primarily the Uzbek SSR. It is estimated that more than 100,000 deportees died of starvation or disease due to the deportation. Although a 1967 Soviet decree removed the wartime collaboration charges against Crimean Tatars, the Soviet government did nothing to facilitate their resettlement in Crimea, and the repatriation of Crimean Tatars to their homeland only began in 1989.
With the independence of Ukraine from the USSR in 1991, not only the majority Orthodox Christians took a sigh of relief from a Communist domination, the Muslims too felt relieved too, and the return of Crimean Tatars to Crimea has increased compared to the Soviet era. There has also been a proportionally small settlement of Muslim Chechen refugees in Crimea and other parts of Ukraine. However, due to the 2014 Russia`s annexation of Crimea and the hostilities in eastern Ukraine have kept some 750,000 of Muslims, including a half-million Crimean Tatars, trapped in the occupied territories and unable to maintain ties with others who share their faith in Ukraine. [1] Comparing the life of Muslims under USSR and present day free Ukraine, Said (mufti of Religious Administration of Muslims of Ukraine "Ummah") Ismagilov says:
“In Russia there is no freedom of speech and thought – every religious community, including Muslims, is controlled by the state and serves Kremlin’s policy. In Ukraine, Crimean Tatars had freedom. They were not told which books to read. They were in charge of choosing their own religious leaders. Everything was democratic.”
While breathing in a rather free air and not confronted with problems in their daily lives, and that Muslims have started from the beginning to learn about their religion, Said adds: [2]
"Muslims in smaller cities with smaller communities face more problems as they do not even have places of worship or access to halal food," and "that there are not enough cemeteries for Muslims and that Muslim women had to remove their hijab for their passport pictures." Calling on international Muslim organizations for support in building mosques and Islamic centers in the country, Ismagilov said that it would be essential "for the future of Islam in Ukraine".
Speaking as a newly reverted Muslim, Olga Fryndak, presently Deputy head of the Ukrainian Muslimahs League and chief editor in the Information Department of the Islamic Center of Ukraine, describes Ukrainians as “tolerant”, and that she had not faced “big problems” in Ukraine as a Muslim. as for her embracing Islam, she says: [2]
“Islam I knew from my elder sister. At the time she was studying at the university in Kiev and had some Muslim friends. She was the first who gave me the basic information about Islam as a religion. At the time there weren't any Islamic books in Russian.”
Commenting on life as a Muslim Olga Fryndak says::
“Ukrainian people are tolerant in general. We have mosques and Islamic cultural centers in big cities, we have halal meat and products, we can work and pray, we have Muslim organizations and volunteers.”
"there are also Islamic grammar schools in Kiev and Kharkov, adding that Islamic literature can be published in Ukrainian and Russian."
The 37 years old Ismagilov is also a supporter of the idea that Muslims should integrate in the society they live in, and he criticizes Muslims who come to Europe to live in closed communities. Such behavior limits social ambitions, and as a result some young people are easy targets for various terrorist groups, who lure them by promising money and better social prospects, Ismagilov says. They could have had that if they had been well integrated in the societies of their host countries, the mufti says.[1]
As of today, Muslims on Ukrainian territory enjoy all freedoms, as Islamic cultural centers are being opened around Ukraine. The newest one opened its doors in Dnipropetrovsk recently. Now watch a video clip of Muslims in Ukraine celebrating the Islamic festival of Eid ul Adha (and I was glad to see some Pakistanis, wearing shalwar kameez, the traditional dress of Pakistan men, in Ukraine celebrating Eid with their Ukrainian Muslims)
Are you a Ukranian Muslim reading this post? Do give your feedback on life of Muslims in Ukraine in our comment box.
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Friday assumes a special importance in the lives of the Muslims all over the world, for it is the day when the noon prayers is offered in the form of a congregation and this prayer has to be offered in the masjids compulsorily. In fact the word Jumuah (Friday) means congregation in Arabic.
Thus it is the day of assembly, when the Muslim community abandons trade, transactions and other diversions in favor of assembling to seek the all-encompassing truth and most beneficent and seek the "bounty of God" exclusively. [1]
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H) has been quoted as saying,
"The best day during which the sun have risen is Friday. It is the Day Adam was created. It is the day when Adam entered paradise and also when he was taken out from it. It is also the day on which the Day of Judgment takes place." [Imam Muslim, Abu-Dawood, Al-Nasai, and Al-Tirmizi]
“When the Friday comes, at every door of the Masjid there stands Angels who write down (the names of) those who come First, and then who comes next. When the Imam sits down, the records are closed and they come to listen to the reminder, i.e. the Khutba….” (Muslim)
Let us now understand the surah in segmented portions for better understanding:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
This surah is a Al-Musabbihat* surah because it begins with the glorification of Allah as can be seen in the translation of the first below:
[1] Whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth glorifies Allah-the Sovereign, the Holy, the All-Mighty and the All-Wise!
*Al-Musabbihat are those surahs of the Quran that begin with Allah's glorification 'Subhana', 'Sabbaha', and 'Yusabbihu'. According to Islamic scholar Mufti Muhammad Shafi (1897–1976) the collective name of the series Al-Musabbihat refers to the following five or seven Surahs:
Al-Hadid
Al-Hashr
As-Saff
Al-Jumua and
At-Taghabun
The surah can be divided into two distinct segments as these were sent down in two different periods. That is why their themes as well as their audiences are different. Although there is a kind of harmony between them on account of which they have been put together in one Surah, yet we should understand their themes separately before we consider the question of their harmony. [2]
The first section that comprises verses 2-8 was sent down at a time when all Jewish efforts to obstruct the message of Islam during the past six years had failed: [2]
First. in Madinah as many as three of their powerful tribes had done whatever they could to frustrate the mission of the Holy Prophet, with the result that one of the tribes was completely exterminated and the other two were exiled.
Then by intrigue and conspiracy they brought many of the Arab tribes together to advance on Madinah, but in the Battle of the Trench they were all repulsed.
After this, Khyber had become their stronghold, where a large number of the Jews expelled from Madinah also had taken refuge. At the time these verses were revealed, that too was taken without any extraordinary effort, and the Jews at their own request agreed to live there as tenants of the Muslims.
After this final defeat the Jewish power in Arabia came to an end. Then, Wad-il-Qura, Fadak, Taima', Tabuk, all surrendered one after the other, so much so that all Arabian Jews became subdued to the same Islam which they were not prepared to tolerate before. This was the occasion when Allah Almighty once again addressed them in this Surah, and probably this was the last and final address that was directed to them in the Qur'an. In this they have been reminded of three things:
[2-4] He it is Who has raised a Messenger among the gentiles from among themselves, who recites to them His Revelations, purifies them and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, whereas before this they were indeed lost in manifest error. And (the advent or the Messenger) is also for those others who have not yet joined them. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise. This is Allah's bounty; He bestows it on whomever He wills, and Allah is the Owner of supreme bounty.
Here the word ummi (gentile) has been used as a Jewish term and there is a subtlety in it. The verse means: "The All-Mighty and All-Wise Allah has raised a Messenger among the Arabs whom the Jews contemptuously consider the gentiles and much below themselves, The Messenger has not risen of his own wish and will, but has been raised by Him Who is the Sovereign of the universe, Who is All-Mighty and All-Wise, Whose power can be resisted and opposed only to one's own loss and peril.
[5] The example of those who were entrusted with the burden of the Torah, and yet they failed to bear its burden, is of a donkey laden with books. Even worse is the example of those who have treated Allah's Revelations as false. Allah does not guide such wrongdoers.
[6-8] Say to them, "O you who have become Jews. If you claim that you alone are Allah's favorites, apart from all other people, then you should long for death if you be truthful. But they will never wish for it because of the misdeeds they have committed, and Allah knows full well these wrongdoers. Say to them, "The death from which you flee will certainly overtake you. Then you will be presented before Him, Who is the Knower of the hidden and the open, and He will tell you what you had been doing."
The verses 9-10 were revealed many years after the first eight verses. In these verses Allah has bestowed Friday on the Muslims as against the Sabbath of the Jews, and Allah wanted to warn the Muslims not to treat their Friday as the Jews had treated their Sabbath. The verses thus clearly show the importance of the Friday congregation and it is made very clear that when the call for noon prayers on Friday is made, every Muslim must hasten towards the masjids to offer as part of the congregation. And during this time, one must defer all wordily needs, desires and business commitments for "This better for you only if you knew." And then after the prayers one must disperse in the land and seek Allah's blessings and bounties.
[9-10] O you who have believed, when the call is made to the Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah and leave off your trading. This is better for you only if you knew. Then, when the Prayer is over, disperse in the land and seek Allah's bounty, and remember Allah much. Perhaps you may achieve success.
Verse 11 below was revealed after an incident while it was time for the Friday congregation and the Prophet of Allah was in the masjid delivering the Friday sermon. The time was very hard due to drought and non availability of food grain and other household essentials. And it so happened that a vendor came along and started calling people for the sale of his merchandise. Hearing his call, all but twelve Muslims left the masjid and ran to buy their needs. And the Prophet of Allah was left alone with a handful of his companions.
[11] And when they saw some merchandise and sport they broke off to it and left you standing. Say to them, "That which is with Allah is far better than sport and business, and Allah is the best of all providers."
Thus the verse 11 was revealed admonishing those who abandoned the Jumuah congregation. However, this sentence by itself shows what was the nature of the error committed by the Companions. God forbid, if it had been due to any weakness of the faith, or due to giving the world preference over the Hereafter, Allah's wrath and displeasure and reprimand would have been much severer. But since there was no such weakness, and whatever happened was only due to insufficient training, Allah first taught the people the coquette of the Friday Service, then, after pointing out the error, promised them that the reward they would get with Allah for listening to the Sermon and performing the Prayer would be much greater than worldly gains and amusements. And that Allah has better rewards and provisions for those who have firm faith in Allah and His messenger, for Allah is the best of all providers. [2] This incident clearly shows the importance of the Jumuah congregation and its attendance no matter what hurry a person may have to attend to his business or needs.
You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Surah Al Jumuah with English subtitles:
You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Part backwards for chapters in 30th Part are shorter and easier to understand)
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Sürah Al-Muddaththir " ٱلْمُدَّثِّر " is the 74th chapter / surah of the Qur'ān, part of the 29th Juz' with 56 verses (āyāt) and two rukus. " ٱلْمُدَّثِّر " means "the Cloaked One" or "the Man Wearing a Cloak".
This Sürah is related to Sürah Al 'Alaq - the 96th Chapter. The first five verses of Sürah Al 'Alaq were the first ever revelation from Allah to His Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), which were brought to the Prophet of Allah by angel Jibraeel (Gabriel) in the cave of Hira. This great event was the beginning of the revelation of the entire Holy Qur'an consisting 114 chapters for the next 23 years. However, soon after the five verses of Surah Al Alaq, the revelations stopped. This was naturally quite disturbing for the newly acquired status of prophet hood for Muhammad (peace be upon him) and made him feel distressed and made him grief stricken. He would often go out and look towards to the sky for any sign of Divine messages, but for quite sometime none came. Then one day something strange happened. Here is what happened in the very own words of the Prophet of Allah as recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim on the authority of Abu Salamah that Jabir bin `Abdullah: [1]
While I was walking I heard a voice from the sky. So I lifted my gaze towards the sky and saw the same angel who had come to me at the cave of Hira'. He was sitting on a chair between the sky and the earth. So I fled from him (in fear) until I fell down to the ground. Then, I went to my family and I said, `Wrap me up, wrap me up. So, they wrapped me up! So Allah revealed, (O you wrapped up! Arise and warn!) until (And keep away). Here, Abu Salamah added, `Ar-Rujz means idols. (After this, the revelation started coming strongly and frequently in succession.
And as per the recording of the Holy Qur'an, these were the opening verses of Sūrat al-Muddaththir from which the revelations continued to pour in and never stopped till completion of the Holy Qur'an. According to Sayyid Qutb's exegesis, the first verses of this surah as well as those of Surah Al Muzzammil (The Enshrouded One), the 73rd chapter, represent the Prophet’s earliest revelations and those which prepare him for the ordeal of revelation. [3] Let us now read explanation of the Surah segmented into portions as per the subject matter.
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
The first seven verses of this Surah the Prophet of Allah was for the first time commanded to arise and warn the people of the consequences of the way of life they were following and to proclaim the greatness of Allah in the world where others were being magnified without any right. Along with that he was given this instruction: The demand of the mission that He was to perform expected of Him to live a life pure in every respect and to carry out the duty of reforming His people sincerely irrespective of any worldly gain. Then, in the last sentence, the Prophet of Allah was exhorted to endure with patience, for the sake of his Lord, all the hardships and troubles that he might have to face while performing his mission. [2]
[1-7] O you who lies wrapped up, arise and warn and proclaim the greatness of your Lord. And keep your garments pure, and avoid filth, and do not favor (others) expecting to get more, and be patient for the sake of your Lord.
The verses 2-3 above "Arise and warn and proclaim the greatness of your Lord" point towards a similar command that had also been given the Prophet Nuh (Noah, peace be upon him) while appointing him to the office of Prophet hood: Warn the people of your nation before they are overtaken by a painful torment. (Surah Nooh, Ayat 1) The verse: O you who lays enwrapped, stand up and arouse the people thus means people who live in heedlessness around you. Warn them of the fate which would certainly overtake them if they remained involved in the same heedlessness. Warn them that they are not living in a lawless kingdom where they are free to conduct themselves as they like and where they can do wherever they please without any fear or being called to account for it. As for "Proclaiming the greatness of your Lord", this is the the primary duty of a prophet which he has to perform. His foremost duty is to refute the greatness of all those whom the ignorant people might be holding as great, and publicly proclaim that the greatness in this universe belongs to none but Allah alone.
It should be borne in mind that the task was not that easy for Makkah was the centre of polytheism and was the most sacred place of pilgrimage for the polytheistic Arabs, and the Quraish were its attendants. Arising of a person in such a place all by himself and proclaiming the Oneness of God in the face of polytheism was full of risks. Therefore, the Prophet of Allah was cautioned: "Do not at all mind the terrifying and dreadful forces that seem to be obstructing and impeding your work and proclaim publicly that your Lord is the greatest of all those who can hinder and resist you from giving your message." This is indeed the greatest encouragement for a person who embarks on a divine mission. The one who has Allah’s greatness and majesty deeply embedded in his heart will feel no hesitation at all in facing and fighting the entire world by himself for the sake of Allah. [4]
In the verses 8-10, the deniers of Truth have been warned, saying: "You will see the evil result of what you are doing today on the Resurrection Day."
[8-10] When the Trumpet is blown, it shall be a very hard Day, not easy for the disbelievers.
In verses 11-26, without naming Walid bin al-Mughirah, it has been told how Allah had blessed him and how inimical he proved to be to true Faith. In this connection, his mental conflict has been portrayed, telling that, on the one hand, he was fully convinced of the truth of Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) and the Qur'an, but, on the other, he did not want to risk his leadership and position among his people. Therefore, not only he did not believe himself but after a long-drawn-out conflict with his conscience he also came out with the proposal that in order to restrain the people from believing the Qur'an should be branded as magic. After exposing his evil nature, it has been said: "Notwithstanding such evil inclinations and misdeeds, this person desires that he should be further blessed, whereas he has now become worthy of Hell, and never of further blessings." [2]
[11-26] Leave Me and the person whom I created alone. I gave him ample wealth and sons* to be present by his side, and smoothed for him the way to his leadership (and prosperity). Yet he desires that I should give him more. No, never! He is hostile to Our Revelations. I shall soon make him ascend a hard ascent. He pondered and tried to devise a plan. May God destroy him: what he tried to devise! Yes, may God destroy him, what he tried to devise! Then he looked around, then he frowned and scowled, then he turned his back and showed arrogance. At last, he said, "This is nothing but magic, handed down from the past; nothing but the word of a mere mortal. Very soon I shall cast him into Hell.
* Walid bin al-Mughirah had ten or twelve sons of whom Khalid bin Walid was the most famous before and after embracing Islam. For these sons the word "shuhud" has been used, which can have several meanings: 1) hat they do not have to run about and go abroad in search of their livelihood: they have enough provisions at home; therefore, they can always remain at the beck and call of their father, 2) That all his sons are prominent and influential people: they sit in assemblies and conferences with him. 3) That they are the people of high rank and position and their testimony is accepted in all matters of life. [4] Verse 18: "He pondered and tried to devise a plan." In his book "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an", the great Islamic scholar Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi has narrated a detailed narration of events that followed no sooner the Prophet of Allah started spreading the words of Allah. I wanted to make a summary of it , but this would have left out many details that one must know as a background to understand the next segment of verses: When the Holy Messenger of Allah began to preach Islam and recite the Qur'anic Surahs, the people of Makkah felt alarmed, and it provoked hostile opposition to Him. This was the time when the Hajj season was about to begin and people of Makkah feared that if Muhammad (peace be upon him) started visiting the caravans of the pilgrims coming from all over Arabia and reciting the spell binding revelations of the Qur'an to them, His message would reach every part of Arabia and influence countless people. Therefore, the Quraish chiefs decided to start a propaganda campaign against the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) among the pilgrims as soon as they arrived. For this, Walid bin al-Mughirah assembled the pilgrims and said: [2]
"If you said contradictory things about Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings), we all would lose our trust among the people. Therefore, let us agree upon one opinion, which we should all say without dispute. Some people said that they would call Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) a soothsayer.
Walid said: “No, by God, be is not a soothsayer. We have seen the soothsayers: what they murmur and what they utter has no remote resemblance with the Qur'an.” So some suggested: “Then we say he is possessed.” Walid said: He is not a possessed one: we have seen mad and insane people; the way one talks disjointedly and behaves foolishly in that state is known to all: who would believe that what Muhammad (upon whom be peace) presented was the incoherent speech of a madman?” The people said: “Then we say he is a poet.” Walid said: “No, he is not a poet, for we know poetry in all its forms, and what he presents conforms to no form of it.” The people said: “Then he is a sorcerer.” Walid said: “He is no sorcerer either: we have seen sorcerers and we also know what methods they adopt for their sorcery. This also does not apply to Muhammad.” Then he said: "Whichever of these things you said about Muhammad, it would be known to be a false accusation. By God, his speech is sweet, his root is deep and his branches are fruitful.”
It may be seen that despite leveling charges against the Prophet of Allah, Walid inadvertently recognized the very high traits of Muhammad (peace be upon him), as highlighted in the above text, and could not find words readily available to scheme against the Prophet of Allah. At this Abu Jahl urging on Walid said: “Your people will never be pleased with you unless you say something about Muhammad.” So Walid came up with a new idea and he opined: “The nearest thing to the truth is that you tell the Arabs that he is a sorcerer, who has brought a message by which he separates a man from his father; and from his brother, and from his wife and children, and from his family.” They all agreed on what Walid had proposed. Thereafter men of Quraish spread among the pilgrims warned everyone of the sorcery of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and of his stirring up divisions in the families by it." But the result was that by their this plan the Quraish chiefs themselves made the name of the Holy Messenger known throughout Arabia. After warning Walid "Very soon I shall cast him into Hell", (Verse 26), the dreadfulness of Hell has been depicted in verses 27-48, and it has been explained as to people of what character and morals really deserve it.
[27-31] And what do you know what Hell is? It leaves nothing and it spares none. It scorches the skin. Nineteen keepers are appointed over it. [31] And We have not made the keepers of the Fire except angels. And We have not made their number except as a trial for those who disbelieve - that those who were given the Scripture will be convinced and those who have believed will increase in faith and those who were given the Scripture and the believers will not doubt and that those in whose hearts is hypocrisy and the disbelievers will say, "What does Allah intend by this as an example?" Thus does Allah leave astray whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And none knows the soldiers of your Lord except Him. And mention of the Fire is not but a reminder to humanity.
Verse 31 (highlighted above) is unique in its prose-like syntax and length; it is easily the longest verse of this surah and is a glaring break with the rhyme structure that precedes and follows it. This type of verse is most common in the later Medinan revelations. [3] Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi in his "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" explains the verse 31 in detail: [2] The whole passage is a parenthetical sentence, which has been inserted here to answer an objection of the disbelievers, who had started mocking it when they heard the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) say that 19 keepers had been appointed over Hell. Their objection was: "How strange that, on the one hand, we are told that all human beings, from the time of the Prophet Adam till Resurrection, who disbelieved and committed evil, will be cast into Hell. and, on the other, that there will be only 19 keepers, who will administer punishment to the countless numbers of men in such a huge Hell. " This caused a huge laughter among the chiefs of Quraish. Abu Jahl said: "Brothers, are you so powerless that even as many as ten of you at a time will not be able to overpower a single watchman of Hell?" At this a wrestler of the Bani Jumha said: ` Well I will deal with and overpower at least 17 of them by myself; as for the remaining two, you all together can tackle them. " In response these sentences have been inserted as a parenthetical clause. And here is the Divine answer: "It is foolish on your part to compare the angelic powers to human powers. They will be angels, not men, and you cannot imagine what tremendous powers Allah has granted to the angels He has created." Although apparently there was no need to mention the number of the keepers of Hell, yet We have mentioned it so that it becomes a trial for every such person who may be concealing any kind of unbelief in his heart. Such a man may be making a great display of his faith but if he conceals even a tinge of the doubt about the Godhead and supreme powers of God, or about Revelation and Prophet hood, anywhere in his heart, his disbelief would immediately be exposed as soon as he would hear that only 19 watchmen would control countless numbers of the culprits from among the jinn and men in such a huge jail and would also administer punishment to each of them individually. " Some commentators have explained it thus: "As in the scriptures of the Jews and Christians themselves also the same number of the angels has been mentioned as keepers of Hell, they would be convinced of this thing's being truly from Allah as soon as they heard it." But in our opinion this commentary is not correct for two reasons. First, we have not been able to see anywhere in the existing scriptures of the Jews and Christians in spite of search that the number of the angels appointed over Hell is 19. Second, there are many things in the Qur'an, which also have been mentioned in the scriptures of the Jews and Christians, yet they explain them away, saying that the Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) has plagiarized these from their books. For these reasons the correct meaning of this statement in our opinion is: The Holy Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be Allah's peace and blessings) knew fully well that he would be ridiculed as soon as the disbelievers heard that 19 angels had been appointed over Hell, but in spite of this, he presented without the least hesitation and fear publicly before the people what had been revealed to him from Allah, and did not at all mind the jesting and mocking by the people. The pagans of Arabia were unaware of the unique distinction of the Prophets, but the followers of the earlier scriptures were fully aware that the Prophets in every age used to convey to their people intact whatever they received from God, whether it pleased them or displeased them. On this very basis it was to be expected of the Jews and the Christians that they would be convinced of the Prophet Muhammad's truth for only a Prophet could present an apparently strange thing without any hesitation before the people in an environment charged with antagonism and hostility. This also is evident that such a thing was shown by the Holy Prophet on many other occasions. Its most prominent example is the event of the mi'raj (ascension) which he related openly before a general assembly of the disbelievers and did not at all care how his opponents would behave and react after they had heard the story of the wonderful event.
It has been explained at several places in the Qur'an that on the occasion of every trial when a believer remains steadfast to his faith, and forsaking the way of doubt and denial, disobedience or disloyalty to the faith, adopts the way of faith, obedience and loyalty to it, it increases and strengthens him all the more in faith and resignation. In the following section the mention of the moon has been made for the reason: "Just as the moon and the night and the day are the great signs of the powers of Allah, so also is Hell a great sign of His powers. If the existence of the moon and the alternation of the night and day so regularly were not impossible, why should the existence of Hell be impossible as you think it is? You see these phenomena day and night; therefore, they do not surprise you: otherwise these things in themselves also are great marvels of the powers of Allah. If you had not observed them and somebody were to tell you that there is also such a thing as the moon in the world, or, there is a sun which leaves the world dark when it hides and makes the world shine forth with light when it appears, then the people like you would have made jests of it too as you make jests of Hell."[2]
[32-48] No, never! By the moon and by the night when it withdraws, and by the morning when it dawns, this Hell too, is one of the mighty things, a warning to mankind, a warning to every one of you, who desires to go forward, or to lag behind. Every person is a pledge for his own deeds, except the people of the right hand, who shall be in Gardens. There they will ask the culprits, "what has brought you into Hell?" They will reply, "We were not of those who offered the salat, and we did not feed the poor, and we used to join with those who indulged in idle talk against the Truth, and we used to belie the Day of Recompense, till the inevitable overtook us." At that time, no intercession of the intercessors shall avail them anything.
The dwellers of the Paradise would ask the culprits: At several places in the Qur'an, it has been stated that the dwellers of Paradise and the dwellers of Hell will be able to see and commune with each other directly whenever they will so desire, although they will be living hundreds of thousands of miles away from each other. [Surah Al-A`:44-50 and Surah As-Saaffat: 50-57]
And then in the last section of the surah (verses 49-56), the root cause of the disbelievers' aversion has been pointed out, saying: "Since they are fearless of the Hereafter, and look upon this worldly life as an end in itself, they flee from the Qur'an as though they were wild asses fleeing away from the lion: therefore, they propose unreasonable conditions for believing, whereas even if each and every condition of theirs was fulfilled, they could not advance even an inch on the way of Faith with their denial of the Hereafter." [2]
[49-56] What then is the matter with these people that they are turning away from this Admonition as though they were wild asses fleeing away from a lion? Nay, each one of them desires that he should be sent open letters. No, never! The fact is that they do not fear the Hereafter. No, never! This indeed is an Admonition. So, let him who wills, take heed. But they will never take heed unless Allah so wills. He alone is worthy that he should be feared, and He alone is worthy to forgive (those who fear Him).
For general information and interest, let me share information on "Humur (Arabic: حُـمُـر, 'asses' or 'donkeys')" and "Qaswarah (Arabic: قَـسْـوَرَة, 'lion', 'beast of prey' or 'hunter')" as referred to in the verses 50 and 51 and explained in Wikipedia: [3]
The wild ass that inhabited the Arabian Peninsula was of the Syrian subspecies and the lion that inhabited this region, at least the sandy deserts north of the southern region, would have been the Arabian population of the Asiatic lion (Panthera leo). A reference to the lion in the region of Pilgrimage is in a hadith.
Nowadays, neither the Humur nor Qaswarah inhabit the wilderness of the peninsula. The donkey was last seen in Vienna Zoo, Austria-Hungary, 1915. And the Asiatic lion was seen in Zürich Zoo, Switzerland in 2012.
You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat al-Muddaththir with English subtitles:
You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Part backwards for chapters in 30th Part are shorter and easier to understand)
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An effort has been made to gather explanation of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, those wanting detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to sites the references of which are given above.
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Yesterday someone WhatsApp me a message saying that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) has been quoted as saying that in month of Safar maximum calamities and troubles come down, so for protection against these we should recite certain prayers. But I just rubbished it for I know that the Prophet of Allah never talked negative of any month for all good or bad comes from Allah and is not related to any specific month or day of the year. Therefore I decided to write this post to dispel any superstitions attributed to the month of Safar. Safar, the second month of Islamic calendar, is considered by many as a heavy month, a month in which comicalities strike, people get ill or well brokered contracts and marriages break or fail and contagious diseases spread. The list is very long, so I looked around dozens of sites to find out anything said bad of month of Safar, but I found none. In fact it is the superstitions dating back from the pre-Islamic era that newly converted Muslims inherited too as part of the cultural heritage and make this month stand out from the rest as a hard one and called for special supplications and alms to ward away the heaviness in the air.
Superstition is a pejorative term for any belief or practice that is considered irrational: for example, if it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding of science or causality, a positive belief in fate or magic, or fear of that which is unknown. "Superstition" also refers to actions arising from irrationality.[3]
The word superstition is often used to refer to a religion not practiced by the majority of a given society regardless of whether the prevailing religion contains alleged superstitions. It is also commonly applied to beliefs and practices surrounding luck, prophecy, and certain spiritual beings, particularly the belief that future events can be foretold by specific (apparently) unrelated prior events.
People are more likely to attribute an event to a superstitious cause if it is unlikely than if it is likely. In other words, the more surprising the event, the more likely it is to evoke a supernatural explanation. When no natural cause can explain a situation, attributing an event to a superstitious cause may give people some sense of control and ability to predict what will happen in their environment.
People are more likely to attribute an event to a superstitious cause if it is negative than positive. This is called negative agency bias. More commonly, people are more likely to perceive their computer to act according to its own intentions when it malfunctions than functions properly.
The Roman Catholic Church considers superstitions to be sinful in the sense that it denotes a lack of trust in God and, as such, is a violation of the Ten Commandments. Same is the case with Islam; it prohibits following such beliefs that are not in accordance with Quran and Hadiths. Islam refers such false beliefs as the way of Shaitan (Satan or Demon). Specifically talking of the month of Safar, it is regarded by many, specially in the Muslim world, as a month that is too 'heavy' specially by the women folk. Literally, Safar means empty or a house that is empty from items and goods. It also means empty handed or blowing winds, referring to the fact of desolateness when everyone is gone away. The pagan of Makkah believed in the sacredness of the holy months. They did not indulge in war or any other crime in some months like Muharram. No sooner did such holy months were over, they would indulge in sorts of evils ways of livings like robbery, theft and war. Thus after the end of Muharram and start of the month of Safar, they would start committing crimes, theft, robbery, fighting other tribes, leave their homes vacant and it is therefore this month named Safar. [4] But instead of us believing in Allah, we inherited these fears and superstitions and incorporated into our daily lives. Even today, in our real life we have translated these superstitious beliefs and attribute it to month of Safar and:
Avoid Contracting Nikâh of our children for a fear of it ending into a bad luck or divorce or full of miseries and ups and downs.
Avoid Contracting business deals for fear of money being sunk or business to collapse.
Postponed taking a journey for fear of accidents.
Taking the first thirteen of Safar is ill-fortune and evil. Many people break their earthen utensils with the belief that these are the targets of evil spirits in the first thirteen days of the Safar.
Distributing food or money on the 13th of Safar thinking it will save from its ill-fortune.
Celebrating the last Wednesday of Safar, called "akhri chahar shanmba," and regard it as a holiday.
Some even wear charms to dispel the bad omens attributed to the month of Safar.
Now let us see how the month of Safar is viewed in Islam. Safar also known as Safar ul Muzaffar or Safar ul Khayr, which means, prosperous , successful, good fortune etc. This is to eradicate the corrupt beliefs of some people who say, the month of Safar is bad-luck, evil, ill-omened, unfortunate etc., so marriages, major transactions etc. must not be conducted in this month. [2] We as a Muslim should have firm belief that whatever good or bad happens to us is from Allah and we should not label any time of the year for its so happening, specially when it comes to bad luck: and this is very clearly written in the Holy Qur'an:
Prophet Muhammad is oft quoted has been saying about the month of Safar and any ills attached to it: [1]
لا عَدْوَى وَلا طِيَرَةَ وَلا هَامَةَ وَلا صَفَرَ
“No adwaa [transmission of infectious disease without the permission of Allah], no tiyarah [superstitious belief in bird omens], no haamah [refers to a Jaahili Arab tradition described variously as: a worm that infests the grave of a murder victim until he is avenged; an owl; or the bones of a dead person turned into a bird that could fly], and no Safar [the month of Safar was regarded as “unlucky” in the days of ignorance - so No Safar here means that it is not to be regarded as inauspicious].”
There is no superstitious owl, bird, no star-promising rain, no bad omen in the month of Safar.[Sahih Bukhari, Hadith 5707]
There is no bad omen in the month of Safar and no Ghouls (evil spirits). [Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2222]
It may be added here that the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) has at many times given us the tidings of good times that happen at various times and days of the lunar year. There are days when doing good has its rewards multiplied. At the same time the Prophet has cautioned us of certain times during day when offering prayers are prohibited, such as at the time of sun rise and a time just close to the sunset. Yet, there have been no references available from the Holy Quran or the sayings of the Holy Prophet about any time or day or month of the Islamic year bad for someone. And thus we do not find any specific references with regard to anything bad or adverse happening in the month of Safar, because nothing adverse has been authentically transmitted from those sublime sources of guidance and truth. Therefore, Muslims should refrain from carrying on the traditions of days of ignorance of the pre-Islamic era and have full faith in Allah for He alone is the decider of good or otherwise for the mankind. It is up to us to strive to do good, for anything bad that we do would certainly bring Alla's displeasure.
“Whatever misfortune befalls you, it is due to the things your hands have wrought, and He forgives many a sin.” (Surah Shura 42:30).
And when talking of not marrying one's children or taking upon any important task, be wise to know that:
The Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) married Ayesha, who once commenting on ill fortunes related to month of Safar proudly said what better thing could happen in one's life marring the Prophet of Allah.
The Beloved daughter of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) Fatima (R.A) married Ali (R.A) in this month.
Battle of Khyber took place in the same month - a major victory over the Jews that subdued them
Battle of al-Abwa’ also took place in month of Safar - This was the first campaign that the Prophet of Allah led himself. It took place twelve months after His migration to Madinah.
Prophet Muhammad fell sick in the end of this month and died in the same sickness in the next month in 12th of Rabiul-Awwal.
As for those wearing charms, beads and amulets to dispel the bad omens and so called ills of the month of Safar, the Holy Prophet said: "May Allâh not fulfill the hopes of the one who wears a charm; may Allâh not protect the one who hangs seashells (used as a charm in those days)." (Ahmed) A few words about the last Wednesday ritual which is widely "celebrated" by many specially in the Indian-Pakistan Subcontinent: It has been quoted by Shaykh Muhammad ‘Abd as-Salaam ash-Shuqayri in Fataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa’imah (2/354) that: [5]
The ignorant have the custom of writing the verses of salaam, such as “Salamun (peace) be upon Nooh (Noah) (from Us) among the Alameen (mankind, jinns and all that exists)” [as-Saaffaat 37:79] and so on, and on the last Wednesday of the month of Safar, then they put them in vessels and drink (water that has been poured on them), and seek blessing thereby, and exchange them as gifts, because they believe that this will remove evil.
This is a corrupt belief and is blameworthy superstition and an abhorrent innovation; everyone who sees it must denounce the one who does it.
Thus my belief solidifies in the light of above commandments of Allah and says of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) that time is not related to one's bad luck, nor any place or people are to be called bad or to bring bad luck to us. It is Allah who brings us good will and testing times to test our faith and belief so that we do not fall prey to imposers, soothsayers or magicians and remain steadfast.
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.
Sūrat an-Nāziʻāt's theme centers on the truth the End Day / Resurrection and the life hereafter. Since it being one of the chapter revealed in Makkah, it also warns of the consequences of belying the Messenger of Allah, a clear message to the pagans and nonbelievers of Makkah who mocked the Prophet of Allah whenever He called upon them to listen to the truth and words of salvation that if heeded to, may save them from the fire of hell awaiting when the final whistle is blown to mark the end of the world.
Its name derived from the word wan-nazi‘at with which it opens. The root (n-z-‘) roughly means “to yank out with great force.” [3]
Let us now see explanation of segmented portions of Sūrat an-Nāziʻāt for easy understanding:
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
In the opening nine verses of the surah, Allah has taken a solemn pledge of His angels that on the End Day when the final whistle is blown, they would tear open the graves and draw out from the depth the dead, some gently who had had exhibited good deeds and listened to the Divine commandments, and others with rather harshly for they negated the messengers and prophets who tried to convey to them the divine commandments.
[1-9] By those (angels) who tear out from the depths, and draw out gently, and by those (angels) who glide about swiftly (through space), then hasten out (to carry out Commands), then conduct the affairs (in accordance with Divine Commands). The Day when the quake shall cause. a violent jolt, which is followed by another jolt, some hearts on that Day shall be trembling with fear, their looks struck with awe.
These verses have been specifically to tell the audience that the Resurrection is a Divine reality and that it will certainly come to pass and the second life after death will certainly take place. For the angels who are employed to pluck out the soul today can also be employed to restore the soul tomorrow, and the angels who promptly execute Allah's Commands and conduct the affairs of the universe today can also upset the order of the universe tomorrow by orders of the same God and can also bring about a new order. And when the End Day comes, those who sinned and wronged, they shall be trembling with fear, their looks struck with awe. But while the pleasures of life go on and the wealth makes life easy going, one cannot fathom the Divine commandments unless one hears sincerely to the prophets.
[10-14] They say, "Shall we really be restored to our former state? What, when we shall have become hollow, rotten bones?" They said, "It would then be a return with sheer loss!" Whereas it will only need a single shout and they will forthwith appear in an open plain.
And when they, the unbelieving, are told that a day will come when all dead will be raised from their graves, they mock the prophets and pull their legs for telling them that dead could raised again. It is for those to know that it will be no hard task of Allah who first created the world from nothing and would reassemble what is contained in the bosom of the earth to question them of their deeds while they were alive. And then the reality would be revealed that what prophets and messengers told them was the truth they refused to accept. In the verses 15-26, the nonbelievers are taken back to the times of Prophet Musa (Moises, peace be upon him) when he too was mocked by Pharaoh, the all powerful self proclaimed lord of the world, to caution them that even the strongest and mightiest could not escape the wrath of Allah when they mocked the messenger of Allah.
[15-26] Has the story of Moses reached you? Recall when his Lord called out to him in the sacred valley of Tuwa, (saying), "Go to Pharaoh: he has become rebellious, and say to him: Will you mind to adopt purity that I may guide you to your Lord, so that you may have fear (of Him)?" Then Moses (went to Pharaoh and) showed him the great Sign, but he belied it and disobeyed. Then, he turned back to devise plots, and gathering the people together, proclaimed, "I am your Lord, the highest." Consequently, Allah seized him for punishment both in the Hereafter and in the world. Indeed, there is a lesson in this for him who fears.
According to general opinion among the commentators "the sacred . valley of 'Tuwa" means "the sacred valley which was named Tuwa". But, besides this, two other meanings of it also have been given: [1]
"The valley that was blessed and made sacred twice" . for it was first made sacred when Allah spoke to Moses in it for the first time, and it was blessed and made sacred for the second time when the Prophet Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt and brought them into it;
and "called out to him in the sacred valley in the night," and this is according to the meaning of Tuwa in the Arabic idiom.
The instruction given to Prophet Musa (peace be upon him) was: "Go, you and your brother Aaron, to Pharaoh for he has transgressed all bounds. Talk to him gently; maybe that he is convinced by admonition or is imbued with fear." (Ta Ha: 44). One model of the gentle speech has been given in these verses, which shows what right method a preacher should adopt when preaching to a perverted man. Other models are given in Surah Ta Ha: 49-52, Surah Ash-Shua`ra': 23-28, and Surah Al-Qasas: 37. These verses are of those in which Allah has taught the correct methods of preaching Islam in the Qur'an. [1] And when the defiant Pharaoh refused to listen to the messenger of Allah and tried to show his might by asking his subjects to tell Prophet Musa as to who could be more powerful than he, Allah punished him for his pride. And he was drowned with his entire army when chasing the followers of Prophet Musa. And that was not all, as if that was not all, Allah promised to save his body as sign of caution for those who refused to obey Allah and His messengers and prophets. The purpose of mentioning Prophet Musa and his discussion with the Pharaoh is to warn the people to the effect : “You know full well what fate the Pharaoh met in consequence of belying the Messenger and rejecting the guidance brought by him and endeavoring to defeat his mission by trickery and deceit. If you do not learn any lesson from it and do not change your ways and attitude accordingly, you also will have to meet the same fate." [3] It may be added here the Prophet Musa had not been sent to Pharaoh only for the deliverance of the children of Israel as some people seem to think but the primary object of his appointment was to show Pharaoh and his people the right way, and the second object was that if he did not accept the right way, the children of Israel (who in fact were a Muslim people) should be taken out of his slavery and from Egypt. [1] Verses 27-33 show what Allah can do and would do. If He had made this universe, and adorned it pastures and crops so that people could eat and have their cattle fed, it would be no wonder that He destroys everything He created and then recreate it to take stock of everyone's deeds:
[27-33] Are you (O men,) harder to create, or is the heaven? Allah built it: He raised its vault high and gave it balance, and covered its night and brought forth its day. After that He spread out the earth from within it. He brought out its water and its pasture, and set the mountains in it, as a mesas of sustenance for you and your cattle.
This same argument for life after death has been given at several places in the Qur'an. For example, in Surah Ya Sin it has been said: "Is not He Who created the heavens and the earth able to create the like of them (again)? Why not, when He is the skillful Creator." (v. 81) And in Surah Al-Mu'min it was said: "Surely the creation of the heavens and the earth is a greater task than the creation of man, but most people do not know. (v. 57) [1] In the verses 34-41, the End Day has been painted. In the first the for 'great disaster' the words at-Taammat alkubra have been used. Taammah by itself is a grievous calamity which afflicts everybody. Then it has been further qualified by the word kubra (great), which shows that the mere word taammah is not enough to describe fully its intensity and severity.
[34-41] Then, when the great Disaster befalls the Day when man shall remember whatever he had striven for and Hell shall be laid open for everyone to see, then the one who had rebelled and preferred the life of the world, Hell shall be his home. As for him who had feared to stand before his Lord and restrained himself from evil desires, Paradise shall be his home.
On that day, every man will come to remember what good or bad has he done while lived his wordily life. That is, "When man will see that the same Day of accountability of which he was being foretold in the world, has come, he will start remembering each one of his misdeeds done in the world even before his records are handed over to him. Some people experience this even in the world. if at some time they come across a dangerous situation suddenly when death seems to be staring them in the face, their whole life-film flashes across their mind's eye all at once. [1] In fact in these verses, in a few words, it has been told briefly what shall be the criterion of the final judgment in the Hereafter. One kind of the conduct of life in the world is that transgressing all bounds of service man should rebel against his God and should make up his mind that he would seek only the benefits and pleasures of this world in whatever way they could be sought and achieved. The other kind of conduct is that while man passes life in the world he should constantly keep in view the truth that ultimately one day he has to stand before his Lord, and should refrain from fulfilling the evil desires of the self only for the fear that if he earned an unlawful benefit in obedience to his self, or enjoyed an evil pleasure, what answer he would give to his Lord. The criterion of the judgment in the Hereafter will be which of the two kinds of conduct he adopted in the world. If he had adopted the first kind of conduct, his permanent abode would be Hell, and if he had adopted the second kind of conduct, his permanent home would be Paradise. And the last verses of the Sūrat an-Nāziʻāt prove that no one but Allah knows when the End Day would come. The pagans of Makkah would ask endless questions from the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) to an extent to leave him answer-less:
[42-46] They ask you, "When will the Hour come to stay?" (But) it is not for you to tell its time. Its knowledge rests only with your Lord. You are only a warner to him who fears it. The day these people see it, they will feel as though they had stayed (in the world or in the state of death) only for the afternoon of a day or its forenoon.
Thus in order to save the Prophet from any uneasiness for not being in knowledge of, Allah has told his messenger that His task is only to convey the audience what He has been told to covey. And that "Your warning will benefit only him who fears the coming of that Day." For those who have faith and have clean hearts have nothing to fear as to when the final bugle will be blown for they are all ready to meet their Creator to be rewarded and sent to the Paradise. It is only those who have sinned and know that they would be one day taken to task are fearful of day they are ready to believe. Besides asking questions from the Prophet of Allah questions He did not have answers was in fact to mock Him for not in knowledge of things He was making them afraid of. You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat an-Nāziʻāt with English subtitles:
You may refer to our post "114 Chapters (Sūrahs) of the Holy Qur'an" for translation, meaning and summary of other chapters (Though not complete but building up from 30th Part backwards for chapters in 30th Part are shorter and easier to understand)
An effort has been made to gather explanation of the surahs of the Holy Qur'an from authentic souses and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. However, those wanting detailed explanations and tafsir (exegesis), may refer to sites the references of which are given above.
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.
