Gibraltar is a small (just 6.7 km2 (2.6 sq mi) British Overseas Territory located at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered in the north by Spain. The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Gibraltar and Peninsular Spain in Europe from Morocco and Spain in Africa. The landscape is dominated by the Rock of Gibraltar at the foot of which is a densely populated city area, home to over 30,000 people, primarily
There is a very small population of Muslims living in Gibraltar, but am still sharing this because Gibraltar once assumed a critical importance in the Muslim rise in the Iberian Peninsula including Spain and Portugal. Gibraltar was once known as Mons Calpe, a name of Phoenician origin and one of the Pillars of Hercules, till the time a strong Muslim army under Tariq Bin Ziyad landed here in 711 And thus this small place became the jumping pad for the rise of Islam in Spain and Portugal.
And this historical event changed the name Mons Calpe to its present name. In fact name "Gibraltar" is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq (جبل طارق), meaning "mountain of Ṭāriq." In 1160, the Muslim ruler Almohad Sultan Abd al-Mu'min ordered that a permanent settlement, including a castle, be built. It received the name of Medinat al-Fath (City of the Victory). The Tower of Homage of the Moorish Castle remains standing today. From 711 ADd onward the city and the rest of Spain and parts of Portugal remained under Muslim domination. But by and by the Muslim rule came to and end and in 1462, Gibraltar was finally captured by Juan Alonso de Guzmán, 1st Duke of Medina Sidonia. Today, Gibraltar is a British Overseas Territory, though its possession is often claimed by Spain from whom the territory was given to Great Britain in perpetuity under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.
According to a 2009 Pew Research Center report, there are 1,000 Muslims in Gibraltar who constitute approximately 4% of the population.
The majority of Moroccans arrived in Gibraltar after Franco closed the frontier in 1969, taking posts in public services that managed construction, property and service operations around the naval dockyard. Some established a number of interesting retail outlets which still sell Moroccan groceries and or handicrafts. Nowadays the Muslim population form part of Gibraltar’s diverse community. [1]
The Fortifications and some other Moorish architecture are still visible in Gibraltar today. Examples include Moorish baths, a mosque, which later converted into a Christian church, the Kasbah – an area later called Villa Vieja old English town. Bab el-Granada became known as the Granada Gate, and the port area port which was built by the Moors was known by the Spanish as La Barca, but is believed to have derived from the Arabic word Sinha-Dar El. When the Spanish Castilians finally captured Gibraltar in 1462 the cities Muslim and Jewish cities population surrendered and was finally expelled and replaced by Spanish Christians. The Rock of Gibraltar had remained in Moorish control for over 751 years. [2]
The presence of Muslims is felt in the southernmost mosque in Europe, and one of the largest outside a Muslim country, the Mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques was built on Europa Point – right at the bottom of the peninsula – by King Fahd of Saudi Arabia in 1997 to serve Gibraltar’s one thousand Muslims. Europa Point apparently has views of Morocco, a few miles away across the Strait of Gibraltar, but – thanks to some haze – “not when we were there”. Also called Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, it is one of the most beautiful buildings in the territory. During Ramadan, the doors of the mosque are opened to all communities living in the city to break fast at the time of sunset. This fosters inter communities harmony and understanding of each others' faith and beliefs.
While looking for photos of Gibraltar, I came across photos of monkeys and I wondered why these monkeys are so special to the territory. But then a bit searching the net came as a surprise: These monkeys were introduced by the Moors which is one of the only wild monkey populations in the whole of Europe. There are around 300 of North African descent currently occupy the peninsula.[2]
You may like t watch a video showing the rise and fall of Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula including Spain and Portugal:
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Everyday when a non Muslim reverts to Islam, the truth contained in the last Divine religion of Islam solidifies and adds yet another fortunate and blessed Muslim into its fold. And when someone form the show business embraces Islam, it adds yet another feather to the religion of Islam as from the pomp and show of the show business, entering Islam is really a hard and big decision that one makes. There have many many such examples in the past when singers at the top of their popularity graph decided to revert to Islam. I remember when my favourite singer Cat Stevens embraced Islam many years ago. And today is yet another blessed day. When Irish singer Sinead O'Connor's song "Nothing compares 2 You" became a hit in the 1990s, she or other would have never know that the mere name of the song would one day mean to her: Nothing Compares 2 Islam. And today this hidden meaning of the song have surfaced to her surprise, though she many not draw a comparison the way I am describing, but Islam has finally become a way of life for the 51 years old singer.
While announcing her "Ultimate decision" to renounce Catholicism and embrace Islam, Sinead O'Connor says: "This is the natural conclusion of any intelligent theologian’s journey. All scripture study leads to Islam. Which makes all other scriptures redundant.” it may be added that O'Connor had changed her legal name to Magda Davitt last year. But now she has announced that henceforth she would be "Shuhada (which means ' martyrs' in Arabic) Davitt."
Connor's twitter message to her fans [3]
O'Connor was ordained a priest by a fringe Catholic group in 1990s and has been a devout Christian, has finally exhibited the truth that Islam is the way to be blessed, both in this world and in the hereafter. [1] The revelation came twenty-six years after she made headlines around the world when she ripped up a photo of Pope John Paul the Second during an appearance on the Saturday Night Live show in October, 1992. [2] In a video that has gone viral on the social media, Sinead O'Connor is seen trying the "adhan" - the Muslim call to pray (done five times a day). The video was captioned with: “Here is my 1st attempt at singing the adhan. I got some pronunciation (sic) wrong because emotions took me from my page… but there’ll be hundreds of others on stage to come …,” she wrote. And her effort is simply beautiful:
However, there has been a strong reaction from some of the Christians who have expressed shock over her decision and have rather condemned Islam "for taking advantage of a person with ill health and prevailing upon her." One person remarked: "Jesus Christ what a racket. She's really lost the plot this time." While another comments: "Notice she is wearing combat cammo," as if to show that with Islam comes militancy into her. And still one remarks: "One can see the insanity in her eyes." The last one I want to share here: "Lindsay Lohan and now Sinead O'Connor... oh noes! The west is losing all it's intellectuals to Islam!!!" Embracing a new religion has never been easy and it takes real strength, conviction and guts to do it and Sinead O'Connor has done it very boldly and we really commend her. May Allah bless her.
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.
China was once considered to be very far away place by the Arabs and that is why once stressing on the need of acquiring education, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) once said: "Seek knowledge, even if you have to go to China." And Muslims did reach China to enlighten the region with Islam. And since 7th century onward, Islam has made inroads to China through maritime and the famous Silk Route. Sa'ad ibn Abi Waqqas, one of the very elevated companion of the Prophet of Allah, is said to have reached China in 616-18 AD, while Wahab Abu Kabcha reached Canton by sea in 629 CE. Sa`ad ibn Abi Waqqas returned to China from Arabia in 637 by the Yunan-Manipur-Chittagong route, then reached Arabia by sea. However, the Islam finally established in some parts of China in 650 AD upon the third sojourn of Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas, when he was sent as an official envoy to Emperor Gaozong during Caliph Uthman's reign.
Mosque in Xian, China
Islam then spread and there is a long history of its traversing its journey through various Chinese dynasties. The Japanese seem to have taken a heavy toll of Muslims in China. In 1937, during the Battle of Beiping–Tianjin the Chinese government was notified by Muslim General Ma Bufang of the Ma clique that he was prepared to bring the fight to the Japanese in a telegram message. Immediately after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, Ma Bufang arranged for a cavalry division under the Muslim General Ma Biao to be sent east to battle the Japanese. Ethnic Turkic Salar Muslims made up the majority of the first cavalry division which was sent by Ma Bufang.
During the Second Sino-Japanese war, the Japanese destroyed 220 mosques and killed countless Hui by April 1941. The Hui Muslim county of Dachang was subjected to slaughter by the Japanese.During the Rape of Nanking the Mosques in Nanjing were flowing with dead bodies after the Japanese slaughters. Japanese smeared Hui Mosques with pork fat, forcing Hui girls to serve as sex slaves and destroyed the cemeteries of the Hui. Many Hui, Turkic Salar, Dongxiang, and Bonan Muslims fought in the war against Japan.
However, the plight of Muslim after Mao's cultural revolution was no better either. During the Cultural Revolution, mosques along with other religious buildings were often defaced, destroyed or closed and copies of the Quran were destroyed along with temples, churches, Buddhist and Daoist monasteries, and cemeteries by the Red Guards. In 1975, in what would be known as the *Shadian incident, there was a uprising among Hui in what was the only large scale ethnic rebellion during the Cultural Revolution. In crushing the rebellion, the PLA massacred 1,600 Hui with MiG fighter jets used to fire rockets onto the village. Following the fall of the Gang of Four, apologies and reparations were made. During that time, the government also constantly accused Muslims and other religious groups of holding "superstitious beliefs" and promoting "anti-socialist trends". The government began to relax its policies towards Muslims in 1978. *The Shadian incident was a militarized separatist movement of religious Hui people, who sought to break away from the control of PRC's governance, that occurred in Shadian Town, Gejiu City, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China in July 1975, during the Cultural Revolution. It ended with military intervention of the People's Liberation Army.
However, thereafter, there have been concession for the Muslims to show tolerance towards Islam and a large population under the fold of Islam.
Restriction on religious freedom levied by the government can vary from region to region. In 1989, China banned a book titled "Xing Fengsu" ("Sexual Customs") which insulted Islam and placed its authors under arrest after protests in Lanzhou and Beijing by Chinese Hui Muslims, during which the Chinese police provided protection to the Hui Muslim protestors, and the Chinese government organized public burnings of the book.
In 2007, anticipating the coming "Year of the Pig" in the Chinese calendar, depictions of pigs were banned from CCTV "to avoid conflicts with muslim minorities". This is believed to refer to China's population of 20 million Muslims (to whom pigs are considered "unclean").
Hui Muslims enjoy such freedoms, practicing their religion, building Mosques at which their children attend, while Uyghurs in Xinjiang experienced strict controls. Since the 1980s Islamic private schools (Sino-Arabic schools) have been supported and permitted by the Chinese government among Muslim areas. However restrictions are placed on Muslims in Xinjiang from allowing schools because of separatist sentiment there.
Hui Muslims employed by the state are allowed to fast during Ramadan unlike Uyghurs in the same positions. The number of Hui going on Hajj is expanding, and Hui women are allowed to wear veils, while Uyghur women are discouraged from wearing them and Uyghurs find it difficult to get passports to go on Hajj.
Uyghurs in Turpan are treated leniently and favourably by China with regards to religious policies, while Kashgar is subjected to controls by the government. In Turpan and Hami, religion is viewed more positively by China than religion in Kashgar and Khotan in southern Xinjiang.
Both Uyghur and Han Communist officials in Turpan turn a blind eye to the law and allow religious Islamic education for Uyghur children.
Muslim population in China was estimated as 20.32 million in 2012. It accounts for about 1.64% of China total population, 20% of Chinese ethnic population and 1.7% of the world's 1.2 billion Muslims. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region is where the most Chinese muslin population settled. With approximately 13.4 million Muslim population in Xinjiang region, its Muslim population accounts for 58.2% of its total population and nearly accounts for half of the muslin population in China. There are over 24000 great mosques in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [1] Muslims in China have over the centuries, developed an indigenous Chinese Islamic culture, often synthesizing elements of Chinese culture with their Islamic forms. Mosques in Western China have traditional minarets and other elements of mosque architecture seen in other parts of the world. However mosques in Eastern China, resemble pagodas, and represent traditional Chinese architecture with its emphasis on symmetry, as can be seen in the header photo above. The Uighur ethnicity resembles and overlaps with that of its Central Asian neighbours, such as Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and other countries populated with predominantly Turkic peoples. The region is still called East Turkistan by Uighur Muslims. In line with this nationalist imagining, Uighur Muslims also have their own language, Uighur, formerly known as Eastern Turki, which is only spoken by the Uighur inhabitants of Xinjiang and populations in the diaspora. [2] Many Islamic branches in China have traditionally had links to Sufism. These branches had strong links to their founders and the philosophies and ideas embraced by the founders. Sometimes regarded as saints, these founders were not only spiritual leader, but also political leaders of the followers of the official branches. Followers not only revered these founders while were alive, they were worshiped at grand tombs and shrines built after their death.[4]
Chines Muslims celebrate all major religious festivals of Islam, like fasting in month of Ramadan, and celebrating the two major Muslims fetivals of Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha. In fact the festival of Edi ul Adha is known as Corban. The word Corban is seems to be derived from the Arabic word "Qurban" which means sacrifice.
The Eid holidays are generally celebrated with horse racing, sheep snatching and wrestling.
In the "sheep snatching game" a sheep is placed in a designated area. Men on horseback ride to the area and try to grab the sheep, fighting off one another, and carry the sheep to another specified place. After its over the sheep is cooked into "Eating Happiness Mutton" and consumed. [The same game is known as Buz Kushi, played in Afghanistan and Northern Pakistan]
There is a concept of Women only mosques in some places in China. Muslim schools for women enjoy a long history in China, having first been established during the latter half of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). They developed into women-only mosques, presided over by female imams, during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). One of the famous Muslim Women only mosque is “Lulan women's mosque built in 1956 by a group of female Muslims who had relocated to Lanzhou from Henan province in central China. Celebrating at religious functions and going on Hajj to Makkah is encouraged by the Chinese government, for Uyghur members of the Communist party. In fact when this facility was opened to the Chinese Muslims, they used to come to Pakistan to catch direct flights to Saudi Arabia as there were no flighted then connecting China and Saudi Arabia. This practice continued for many years. You may now watch a short video on the life of Uighurs Muslims in China:
Recently there have been reports of suppression of Muslims in the troubled Xinjiang. A United Nations human rights panel has reported that up to one million Uighur Muslims were forced into grounds that resemble massive internment camps in Xinjiang. It has been claimed that up to two million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities were forced into "political camps for indoctrination". [2]
However, China has recently broken silence on the detention centers under mounting international criticism, and has given its most extensive defense yet of its sweeping campaign to detain and indoctrinate Muslims, with a senior official on Tuesday describing its network of camps in the far west as humane job-training centers. The chairman of Xinjiang’s government, Shohrat Zakir, himself an ethnic Uighur, called the camps a “humane” and lawful shield against terrorism in an interview published by China’s official Xinhua news agency. He said the facilities gave Uighurs and other Muslims courses in the Chinese language and taught them to be law-abiding citizens. They also receive training in job skills such as making clothes, e-commerce, hairdressing and cosmetology, Mr. Zakir said. [3] To know more about life of Muslims in other non Muslim countries, please visit our page: Islam and Life of Muslims in Non Muslim Countries. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.
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-Nabaʼ when translated into English means a surah that brings news, an announcement or a tiding. Now in Arabic, for news, two words are used: Khabar and Naba. Although both mean the same, however, there is big difference between the two when literary explained. As for the word Khabar, the closure of a particular store or mall is a Khabar, news. But "naba" is a news that induces a response or has some benefit (or otherwise) for the person receiving it. Just like when the Musa (Moses) saw a flickering fire atop the mountain, he told his family that he would go and bring some news (as if someone was there) or bring a burning coal so that they could light a fire. Now if he had come with a burning piece of wood telling his family that a tree was on fire there, it would have been taken as a mere Khabar (ordinary news). But when he came down and told his people that he had spoken to Allah, it became a naba' or a big news or an announcement, for it induced a big response from his people. Surat An Naba derives its name from the word an-Naba in the second verse. This is not only a name but also a title of its subject matter, for Naba implies the news of Resurrection and Hereafter and the whole Surah is devoted to the same theme. There are abstract ideas and actual physical events. Naba is a tangible thing. When Allah speaks of the resurrection as naba`, He is referring to its tangible nature. Some religions believe that the afterlife is just spiritual. We know that the akhirah [hereafter] is physical and real; it is not a state of mind. Jannah (Paradise) and Naar (Hellfire) are actual places; they are not figments of the imagination. [1] Surat An Naba, is the first surah of 30th Part / Juz of the Qur'an, consist of forty verses, which are divided into four-five segments, each dealing with interrelated subjects.
The first five verses are the opener in which Allah tells the disbelievers that the news of the End Day that they mock will soon befell on them and they would then know that the warning brought to them by the Prophet of Allah was true.
From verse 6-15, Allah describes His bounties which has been created to support the life and living of the people, like the earth, plants, mountains, water, rain and the peace of night shared by loving couples.
Verses 17-30 paint the End Day scenario which had been doubted by the disbelievers of Makkah. In fact this is the naba' that has been broken to them and telling them how they would rot in Hell should they continue to mock the Divine message brought to them by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
The last section (verses 21-40) is the summing up and foretelling the disbelievers that they would on the Day of Resurrection would get what they had sent forward in the form of their denial of message of Allah. and then they would repent and say: Would that I were dust!
Let us now read the English translation of the Sūrat an-Nabaʼ and details provided where needed to understand its plain meaning / translation :
بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيْمِ
"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
The first five verses describe the disbelief of pagans of Makkah when they were told that a day would come when the world would finally come to an end, a day when all dead would be raised from their graves and then presented in the court of Allah for their final account closing. To this the disbelievers mocked the Prophet of Allah and said to each other how could they be awoken from the graves as they would have become dust by then. Some though believed what the Prophet of Allah was telling them, had a difference of opinion.
(1. What are they asking about) (2. About the great news,) (3. About which they are in disagreement.)
Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, one of the great Muslim scholar, in his book "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" explains this in detail:
"Some one has been influenced by the Christian belief and believes in the life after death but thinks that the second life would not be a physical but only a spiritual life. Another does not deny the Hereafter absolutely but doubts whether it was possible or not. The Qur'an relates the view of these very people when it says: "We do only guess: we are not certain." (Al-Jathiyah: 32). And another plainly said: "There is no other life than this present life, and we shall never be raised back to life after our death." (Al-An`am: 29). Then, there were some atheists, who said: "Life is only this worldly life of ours. Here we shall die and live and nothing but the change of time destroys us." (Al-Jathiyah: 24). There were some others who were not atheistic but they regarded the second life as impossible. According to them it was beyond the power of God to raise the dead back to life. They said, "Who will give life to these bones when they are rotten." (Ya Sin: 78). Their different views by themselves were a proof that they had no knowledge in this regard; they were only conjecturing and guessing. Had they any knowledge they would have agreed on one view.
Then in the last two verses, Allah promises the disbelievers that the big news (Naba') broken to them are not false and one day they will come of to know of it, but then it will be too late for them to acknowledge what Allah has given to them to enjoy the wordily life, which they did enjoy to fullest, but failed to realise who was the great Provider. In fact in the last two verses (4-5), the Arabic term "kalla" has been used twice which denotes strong shunning. The repetition of the entire sentence adds force to the threat implied.
(4. Nay, they will come to know!) (5. Nay, again, they will come to know!)
Before dwelling on the details of the Day of Resurrection that Makkans mocked and refused to believe, a break is taken in verses 6-16, wherein Allah counts His blessings one by one and tells the disbelievers that how their lives have been eased so that they should be grateful to Allah. Here, Allah has made us to traverse the vast universe, observing a great multitude of scenes and phenomena, which are sketched out with great economy of words. The form of questioning implying a statement is also used here deliberately. It draws attention to all the creatures which provide strong evidence of the deliberate planning and designing which go into their creation. [3]
(6. Have We not made the earth as a bed,) (7. And the mountains as pegs) (8. And We have created you in pairs.) (9. And We have made your sleep as a thing for rest.) (10. And We have made the night as a covering,) (11. And We have made the day for livelihood.) (12. And built above you seven strong [firmaments]) (13. And We have made (therein) a shining lamp.) (14. And sent down abundant water from the clouds.) (15. That We may produce therewith grains and vegetations,) (16. And gardens dense with foliage.)
Building of seven strong [firmaments], verse 12, describe the seven heavens in their vastness, loftiness, perfection, precision, and adornment with both stable and moving stars. Sun is like a shining lamp [وَهَّاجًا] giving light and heat to the entire world. It also plays an important part in forming the clouds by evaporating sea water. The use of the word ‘lamp’ to refer to the sun is very apt, for a lamp gives heat and light. It also shines as if it is ablaze. The heat and the light provided by the sun combine with the water flowing in abundance, time after time, from the clouds to help the seeds send out their shoots. This is how grains, vegetables, bushes and wide-branching trees grow. This harmony in the design of the universe could not have been achieved without Allah’s careful planning. Any man can appreciate this if his attention is drawn to it. [3]
And then verses 17-30, the details of Day of Resurrection are unfolded for the disbelievers to still believe that the End day will not be a mirage or a dream but a stark reality:
(17. Verily, the Day of Decision is a fixed time,) (18. The Day when the Trumpet will be blown, and you shall come forth in crowds.) (19. And the heaven shall be opened, and it will become as gates.) (20. And the mountains shall be moved away from their places and they will be as if they were a mirage.)
As for the moving away of the mountains and vanishing, the event is mentioned at many places in the Qur'an: “And you will see the mountains and think them solid, but they shall pass away as the passing away of the clouds,” [27: 88], And the mountains will be like carded wool,[101:5]. Thus the firmly dug-in pegs, will be made to move away. They will be hammered, scattered, turned into dust, blown by the wind. Hence, they become non-existent, like a mirage which has no reality.
(21. Truly, Hell is a place of ambush) (22. A dwelling place for the rebellious,) (23. They will abide therein for ages.)
The Hell will be the worst ever place the disbelievers would have ever seen in their wordily lives. While the blazing fire will make them ever thirst, they will be given drinks that will boiling water and wash of the wounds. At another place the same drink is described as: "They will be given drink from a boiling spring. For them there will be no food except from a poisonous, thorny plant Which neither nourishes nor avails against hunger." [88:5-7]
(24. Nothing cool shall they taste therein, nor any drink.) (25. Except boiling water and wash of the wounds) (26. An exact recompense (according to their evil crimes).) (27. For verily, they used not to look for a reckoning.) (28. But they roundly denied Our Signs as false.) (29. And all things We have recorded in a Book.) (30. So taste you. No increase shall We give you, except in torment.)
In verses 31-36, the mention of the blessed one is made - the one who upheld the name of their Creator and were steadfast in following their faith and feared Allah and believed in the day of Resurrection. For them a befitting rewards awaits in the gardens of paradise:
(31. Surely the state of triumph awaits the God-fearing;) (32. Gardens and vineyards,) (33. And youthful maidens of like age,) (34. And an overflowing cup.) (35. Therein they shall hear no idle talk, nor any falsehood;) (36. Rewarded from your Lord with a sufficient gift.)
On the Day of Judgement, when everyone will be presented before Allah, the court of Allah Almighty will be so awe inspiring that no one, whether belonging to the earth or to the heavens, will dare open his mouth of his own will before Allah, nor interfere in the court's work and proceedings.
(37. The Lord of the heavens and the earth, and whatsoever is in between them, the Most Gracious, with Whom they cannot dare to speak.) (38. The Day when the Spirit and the angels are ranged row on row. None shall speak save he whom the Merciful Lord will permit; and he too will speak what is right.) (39. That is the True Day. So, whosoever wills, let him seek a place with His Lord!)
In verse 38, mention of the Spirit is made. According to most commentators, the Spirit implies the Angel Gabriel, who has been mentioned separately from the angels because of his high rank and position with Allah. To speak: to intercede, and intercession has been made conditional upon two things: (1) That the person who is granted permission by Allah to intercede for a sinner will alone be allowed to intercede and for the particular sinner only. (2) That the intercessor will say only what is right and proper, and nothing derogatory, and the one for whom he is interceding should have at least acknowledged the truth in the world. That is, he should only be a sinner, not an unbeliever.
(40. Verily, We have warned you of a near torment -- the Day when man will see that which his hands have sent forth, and the disbeliever will say: "Woe to me! Would that I were dust!'')
As for the explanation of the last verse (40), apparently, one might think that the people who were the audience of this verse died fourteen centuries ago, and even now it cannot be said how many hundreds or thousands or millions of years Resurrection will take to come. Then, in what sense has it been said: The torment of which you have been warned, has approached near at hand? And what is the meaning of saying in the beginning of the Surah: Soon they shall know? The answer is that man can have the feeling of time only until he is passing a physical life in the world within the bounds of space and time. After death when only the soul will survive, he will lose every feeling and consciousness of time, and on the Day of Resurrection when man will rise back to life, he will feel as though some one had aroused him from sleep suddenly. He will not at all be conscious that he has been resurrected after thousands of years. [2]
The second half of the last verse explains the state of the disbelievers on the Day of Resurrection which he had been denying when the 'naba' of it were broken when he lived and mocked the Prophet of Allah. On that day, this will be the cry of one who will be in great distress, who will feel ashamed for what he has been and what he has done. He will surely feel that it is better not to be, or to be something as worthless as dust, than to witness such a fearful occasion. [3]
You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat an-Nabaʼ 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.
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The story of rise and fall of Muslim rule and in Malta is similar to that of Spain and Portugal in almost the same time period. Today while Christianity is the dominating religion of Malta, as against Islam which once was in the 8th to 10th centuries, Muslims can just be counted on fingertips as compared to the majority Christian population. Muslims came to Malta, an island state in the Mediterranean Sea, after capture of Sicily from the Byzantines in 870. Thereafter Muslims ruled the island till Malta fell to a Christian European power with the Norman Conquest in 1091. Muslims were allowed to practice their religion freely until the 13th century. after this period, Muslims were either forced to convert to Christianity or leave the island as was the case in Spain and Portugal. The Muslims came back to Malta in the 15th century, but this time as slaves - in fact it was during the period of rule under the Knights Hospitaller, when thousands of Muslim slaves, captured as a result of maritime raids were brought to Malta. In the mid-18th century, there were around 9,000 Muslim slaves in Hospitaller-ruled Malta. In 1749, after a failed Conspiracy of the Slaves, laws restricting the movement of slaves were made stricter. They could not go outside the city limits. They were not allowed to gather anywhere except from their mosque, and were to sleep only in the slave prisons. There was also a deliberate and ultimately successful campaign, using disinformation and often led by the Roman Catholic clergy, to de-emphasize Malta's historic links with Africa and Islam. This distorted history "determined the course of Maltese historiography till the second half of the twentieth century", and it created the rampant Islamophobia which has been a traditional feature of Malta, like other southern European states.
Like everywhere where Muslims have ruled, one can find imprints of Arabic and scattered architecture and impact on daily lives of the Maltese. Like Portugal, the strongest legacy of Islam in Malta is the Maltese language. Most of the places have their names in Arabic (other than the names Malta and Gozo) while most surnames, e.g. Borg, Cassar, Chetcuti, Farrugia, Fenech, Micallef, Mifsud and Zammit have Arabic tinge. The word God, in Maltese, is ‘Alla’, clearly taken from the Arabic ‘Allāh‘. In fact, a rudimentary search using Google translate will enable you to discover for yourself just how many words are taken from Arabic such as numbers, e.g. ‘One’ being ‘Wieħed’ taken from the Arabic of ‘Wahid’; ‘Fasting’ being ‘Sawm’; ‘Heart’ being ‘Qalb’; ‘Book’ being ‘Ktieb’ taken from the Arabic of ‘Kitab’; ‘Heaven’ being ‘Genna’ taken from the Arabic of ‘Jannah’; ‘Fire’ being ‘Nar’ taken from the Arabic of ‘Naar’; colours such as ‘White’ and ‘Black’ being ‘Abjad’ and ‘Aswad’; ‘Great’ being ‘Kbira’ taken from the Arabic of ‘Kabir’; ‘Soul’ being ‘Ruh’, the same in Arabic; ‘Holy’ being ‘Qaddis’ taken from the Arabic of ‘Quddus’; ‘Bread’ being ‘Hobz’ taken from the Arabic of ‘Khubz.’ [4] The Muslims also introduced innovative and skillful irrigation techniques such as the water-wheel known as the Noria or Sienja (as was done in Portugal) all of which made Malta more fertile. They also introduced sweet pastries and spices and new crops, including citrus, figs, almond, as well as the cultivation of the cotton plant, which would become the mainstay of the Maltese economy for several centuries. The distinctive landscape of terraced fields is also the result of introduced ancient Arab methods. As of today, a very modest Muslim populations is found in Malta. By 2010, there were approximately 6,000 Muslims in Malta—most of whom are Sunni and foreigners. Mario Farrugia Borg was the first Maltese public officer to take an oath on the Koran when co-opted into the Qormi local council in 1998. There is one Muslim mosque, known as Mariam Al-Batool Mosque, with an attached Muslim primary school in Malta. The Mariam Al-Batool Mosque is also known as "The Virgin Mary Mosque", Paola Mosque or Corradino Mosque) located in Paola. The mosque was funded by the Libyan government and its first stone was laid by the then Libyan president Muammar Qaddafi in 1978 and opened to the public in 1982, and officiated in 1984. The initial scope of the building was to serve the Muslims in Malta, at the time mainly economic migrants from Libya, and to promote conversions to Sunni Islam among the Maltese society. [3] I also read at one site that In addition, the Maltese Catholic Churches have over the centuries, assimilated many Muslim practices. Instead of the Muadhin (calling the faithful to prayer) five times a day from minarets, the island’s churches call their faithful to prayer five times a day by the sound of melodious church bells. [4] However, despite the tolerance, Muslims in Malta are still waiting for prayer venues to be regularised under Maltese law, giving them not only peace of mind about fulfilling their religious duties but also helping to keep any possible radicals at bay, as reported in Times of Malta. Muslims who wish to travel to Malta as tourists and looking for Halal food will be able to locate a variety of restaurants, most of which are located in Valletta, capital city of Malta. Cuisines ranging from Moroccan, Turkish, North African, Indian and Italian, to traditional Maltese, can be found at the several Halal restaurants found here. Malta is a peaceful county and Muslims traveling to Malta would feel the love and warmth of Maltese hospitality. [1] Now watch an informative video on Maltese language:
Header Photo: Bader Zina conducting a prayer meeting at the Ospizio in Floriana, which a group Muslims in Malta have been using for two years. [Photo courtesy: Jonathan Borg / Times of Malta | References: | Islam in Malta (Wikipedia) | 1 | 3 | 4 |
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The Holy Quran is the last of the holy scriptures that was revealed by the Allah Almighty to complete His commandments to the mankind. The Holy Quran, however, was not revealed in one go. It took 23 years to complete the Divine commandments on to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) through Angel Jibraeel (Gabriel). Generally speaking, one to two verses used to be revealed so that the Prophet of Allah could understand the Divine message correctly and then remember it. Also the Divine verses were revealed owing to the requirement of time and did not follow a set pattern. That is why after the first verses of Surah Al Alaq, the next verses that followed were that of Surah Al Muddaththir. Sometimes it so happened that a part of a particular chapter / surah was revealed in Makkah and the other in Medina after Prophet's migration to Medina. During the time of Prophet of Allah, the Divine verses were either written down on goat or camel skin or memorized by heart by the selected companions of the Prophet to whom the Prophet of Allah would recite the verses no sooner were those revealed so that the divine message was saved in the hearts of the companions of the Prophet of Allah. The responsibility of the safety of this Holy Book is taken by Almighty Allah by Himself, as mentioned in the Holy Quran: However, after the death of the Prophet of Allah and in the times of the first caliph of Islam Abu Bakar (R A), a large number of companions of Allah, who had memorized the verses of the Holy Qur'an in a sequence as told to them by the Prophet of Allah, were martyred in the Battle of Yamama. This gave a rise to fear among the Muslims of the time that if such waste continued, a day may come that no one would be there to know the complete Qur'an. So there arose a need to compile the Holy Qur'an in the form of book. Therefore Hazrat Umar (R.A) suggested to the Caliph that the Quran should be collected and compiled into a single book in order to ensure its preservation. Hazrat Abu Bakar (R.A) liked the idea but showed his hesitancy to do so as the Prophet of Allah (SAW) himself had never taken this step and He (R.A) feared that this action might be considered a discrepancy. However, upon persuasion by the others, he had a change of heart and assigned the task of compiling the verses memorized by the remaining selected companions to Hazrat Zain bin Saabit (R.A) in the form of a book. Hazrat Zain and his team called all those who had earlier memorized the various verses of the Divine messages and commandments. The team also collected all the written portions on goat or camel skins and started compiling the Divine verse. The team would listen to each memorizer while all other memorizers listened and through cross questioning, a book was formed. Once the whole text was collected and compiled, the the team under Hazrat Zain carefully proofread it and certified that it was correct and present in its entirety. It was then presented to Hazrat Abu Bakar (R.A). However, during the time of the third caliph Usman (R A), a problem arose that of the recitation of the Holy Quran. although the there was no dispute on text, but its reading by different tribes who had a dialect of their own, it was feared that the meaning of the Quranic verses may change. The problem further compounded when every tribe or people of one dialect supported their dialect to be the superior to other and wanted their form of reading be approved. Had this been allowed to continued, there would have been a different Quran for each tribe and place which would have resulted into disparity in meaning. Thus caliph Usman ( R A) decided to approve one form of reading for its universal application so as not to created disparities. He thus requested Hazrat Hafsah (R.A), who was the daughter of the second caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab and who had the originally compiled book of the Holy Quran given to her by her father who had inherited from the first caliph Abu Bakar, to provide the earlier compilation of Quran. He then formed a committee consisting of Hazrat Zain bin Haris (R.A) and a few other companions to make sure that they agree on the pronunciation of the original copy and produce more versions of that copy in the very same way. The commission prepared the text accordingly and then several copies were made and sent to different parts of the Islamic state with the instructions that only this should be considered the official and authentic text of Quran. Since that day the Holy Quran has remained in its original intact form and will remain as such in the future by the Grace and Blessings of Allah Almighty.
The world's oldest dot-less Qur'an - Uzbek capital, Tashkent [Photo]
However, there still remained one problem: The text was in the form of Arabic text that could only be read by those whose native language was Arabic. This form of writing was known as "Rasm" which was often used in the early centuries of Arabic literature (7th century - early 11th century AD). Essentially it is the same as today's Arabic script except for the big difference that dots and dashes (the i‘jām pointing) are omitted. In Rasm, the five distinct letters ـبـ ـتـ ـثـ ـنـ ـيـ are indistinguishable because all the dots are omitted. It is also known as Arabic skeleton script. [1]
The Kufic Samarkand Qurʾan that was from 1869 to 1917 in St. Petersburg shows almost only Rasm: Surah 7 (Al-Aʿaraf), verses 86 & 87 [Photo: Wikipedia]
But as Islam spread and the written Qur'an reached people on non Arabic dialects, it became difficult for them to read with the dots and the diacritical marks. Thus a need was felt that dots and diacritical marks (fathah, kasrah, and dammah) should be included so that people could recite the text easily. Thus the dots and diacritical marks were added to the written text. The following details have been inserted as these have been given in "The Preservation of the Quran" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani as published in IlmGate. However, any variations which are found would be based on difference of opinion by various schools of thoughts, for which one may consult own school for clarification and details. This scribe will in no case be held responsible for the information shared herein under.
Diacritical marks
It is however not clear as to who was the first to place dots on the Quranic manuscript. Some claim they were first utilized by Abu ’l-Aswad al-Du’ali. Others give credit to Hajjaj ibn Yusuf who they say had appointed the task to Yahya bin Ya‘mur and Nasr bin ‘Asim al-Laythi (Tafsir al-Qurtubi 1:63). Keeping in view all the reports in this connection, it appears that: [2]
Diacritical marks were first invented by Abu ’l-Aswad al-Du’ali but these diacritical marks were different from how they exist today. Instead of the short vowel “a” (fathah), he would place a dot over the letter. For the short vowel “i” (kasrah) he would place a dot under the letter, and for the short vowel “u” (dammah) he would place a dot in front of the letter. To represent nunnation (tanwin) he would use two dots (Subh al-A‘sha 3:160). Later on, Khalil ibn Ahmad founded signs for the glottal stop (hamzah) and doubling (tashdid) (al-Itqan 2:171, Subh al-A‘sha 3:161).
Afterwards, Hajjaj bin Yusuf requested Yahya bin Ya‘mur, Nasr bin ‘Asim al-Laythi, and Hasan al-Basri to place both the dots and diacritical marks on the Quranic letters. On this occasion the present forms of diacritical marks were chosen rather than the use of dots so that they would not be confused with the intrinsic dots of the letters. And Allah knows best.
Ahzab and Manazil It was customary amongst the Companions and Successors to complete the recital of the entire Quran in one week. For this purpose they had fixed portions for their daily recitation. Each such portion is known as hizb or manzil (stages). In this way, the Quran was divided into seven stages, or manzils, of recitation. Sayyiduna Aws ibn Hudhayfah states that he once asked the Companions as to how the manzils of recital had been divided. They replied that the first hizb consisted of three surahs, the second of five, the third of seven, the fourth of nine, the fifth of eleven, the sixth of thirteen, and the final hizb from Surah Qaf to the end of the Quran. (al-Burhan 1:250)
Ajza’ or Parts Today, the Quran is divided into thirty parts, or ajza’ (plural of juz’). This division in parts has no relationship with the meaning of the Quran. Rather, the division into thirty equal parts was meant to serve as a teaching aid for children. We may notice, therefore, that there are places where a juz’ ends with an unfinished statement. It is difficult to say with certainty as to who first introduced this division. Some people believe that during the second transcription of the Quran, ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him) had it written into thirty folios and, therefore, the division dates back to his time. I have not been able to find any proof for this theory in the works of earlier scholars, however. Still, ‘Allamah Badr al-Din al-Zarkashi notes that the thirty parts of the Quran have been in popular use for a long time and that they have customarily appeared in Quranic manuscripts used in schools. It would appear that the division was introduced after the era of the Companions in order to facilitate teaching. (al-Burhan 1:250, Manahil al-‘Irfan 1:402) Akhmas and A‘shar (Sets of Fives and Tens) Another sign used in Quranic transcriptions during the early centuries was the placing of the sign خ or خمس after every five verses and the sign ع or عشر after every ten versesin the margins of the manuscript. The former category of signs were called akhmas and the latter a‘shar. Holding divergent views, some of the early scholars considered these signs permissible while others held them to be reprehensible. It is difficult to say with any degree of certainty as to who introduced these signs. According to one view, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf was its inventor. Another report claims that the ‘Abbasi Khalifah Ma‘mun first ordered that they be marked (al-Burhan 1:251). Neither of these views seem to be sound, however, since the idea of a‘shar appears to have been present in the days of the Companions as well. Ibn Abi Shaybah narrates in his Musannaf that Masruq said that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud considered the placing of a‘shar signs in the Quranic script to be detestable. (Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah 2:497) Ruku‘ or Section Another sign that came into use later on and is still prevalent today is the sign of the ruku‘. It is identified by the sign ع which is placed in the margin at the conclusion of a verse. Despite all my efforts, I have not been able to locate anything authentic to help identify the originator of the ruku‘ nor what period it was invented in. Some people believe that the ruku‘s were fixed during the era of Sayyiduna ‘Uthman (may Allah be pleased with him), yet no authentic proof to this claim can be found in the traditions. It can be said for certain, however, that the purpose of the ruku‘ is to determine the average number of verses which should be recited in one unit (rak‘ah) of salat. This is why it is termed a ruku‘ (lit. to bow), since it indicates the time that one should bow from the standing position during salat. In al-Fatawa al-Hindiyyah (1:94) it is mentioned: The scholars have divided the Quran into 540 ruku‘ (sections) and placed its signs on manuscripts so that the Quran can be completed on the 27th night of Ramadan in the tarawih prayer. Rumuz al-Awqaf or Stop Signs Another useful step taken to facilitate recitation and phonetically correct pronunciation (tilawah and tajwid) was to provide verses with signs to indicate pauses. These signs are known as the rumuz (signs) or ‘alamat (symbols) of awqaf (stops). Their purpose is to help a person who does not know Arabic to stop at the correct spot during recitation and thus avoid incorrectly changing the meaning of the verse. Most of these signs were first invented by ‘Allamah Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad ibn Tayfur al-Sajawandi (al-Nashr fi ’l-Qira’at al-‘Ashr 1:225). The details of these signs are as follows: ط: An abbreviation of the word waqf mutlaq (universal stop). It implies that the statement stands completed at this point. Therefore, it is better to stop here. ج : An abbreviation of the word waqf ja’iz (permissible stop) and it implies that it is permissible to stop here. ز : An abbreviation of waqf mujawwaz (permitted stop), which implies that stopping here is permissible but that it is better not to. ص : An abbreviation of waqf murakhkhas (dispensation stop), which implies that the statement has not yet been completed but that, because the sentence has become long, this is the place to breathe and stop rather than elsewhere. (al-Minh al-Fikriyyah 63) م: An abbreviation of waqf lazim (mandatory stop), which means that if a stop is not made an outrageous distortion in the meaning of the verse is possible. Some phoneticians of the Quran have also called this type of stop a waqf wajib (obligatory stop). Note that wajib here is not a legal term and therefore does not entail sin if it is abandoned. The purpose of the term is to stress that stopping here is the most preferable of all stops. (al-Nashr 1:231) لا: An abbreviation of la taqif (lit. do not stop). It indicates that one should not stop at this sign but does not imply that stopping is completely impermissible, since there are certain places bearing this sign where stopping entails no harm and resuming from the following word is also permissible. Therefore, the correct meaning of this sign is: “If a stop is made here, it is better to go back and read over again. Initiation from the next word is not preferred. (al-Nashr 1:233) As far as the origin of these signs is concerned, it stands proven beyond doubt that they were invented by ‘Allamah Sajawandi. In addition to these, however, there are also other signs that appear in Quranic manuscripts. For instance: مع: An abbreviation of the word mu‘anaqah. This symbol is inserted at a place where a single verse has two possible explanations. According to one explanation, the stop will be made at one given place while according to another explanation the stop will be made at another place. Therefore, a stop can be made at either one of the two places, but once a stop has been made at one place it is not correct to stop at the other. However, if a stop is not made at both places it will be correct. This is also known as muqabalah. It was first pointed out by Imam Abu ’l-Fadl al-Razi. (al-Nashr, 1:237, al-Itqan 1:88) سكتة : This is a symbol for saktah (pause), which means that one should stop here by breaking the sound but not the breath. This is generally inserted at a place where assimilated reading is likely to cause an erroneous projection of meaning. وقفة : At this sign, called a waqfah, one must stop a little longer than at a saktah (pause) but ones breath should not break here as well. ق : An abbreviation of qīla ‘alayhi ’l-waqf. It means that some phoneticians of the Quran identify a stop here while others do not. قف: This symbol is the word qif which means “stop” (the imperative word-form) and is inserted where the reader may possibly think that a stop was not correct. صلى : This is an abbreviation of al-waslu awla, which means that “it is better to recite here in assimilated continuity”. صل : This is an abbreviation of qad yusalu which means that “some stop here” while others like to recite on in assimilated continuity.
وقف النبي : This is marked at places where a hadith proves that the Holy Prophet (upon him blessings and peace) stopped here while reciting.
An effort has been made to compile the history of compilation of the Holy Qur'an from as many references as possible. However, there may be more details available, but the basics have been covered in as short as possible for easy reading. Details may be read from the references given below or can be searched o Internet. May Allah forgive me for quoting any wrong information. Aameen
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