Innovations - Shab e Baraat

Islam is a religion which if understood makes one's life very easy and rewarding. But if try to turn our lives from simplicity and of s straight path to innovations and rituals of the post Islamic era, the life will not only become difficult but also take us away from the life that is intended for us as Muslims. And when one is not clear about what he should believe in, innovations start to creep in, which though seemingly appear to be in line with the teachings of Islam, are in fact make one's light difficult and take away a believer from the essence of Islamic way of life. 

One of such innovations, which is widely observed by the Muslims in areas which now constitute Pakistan and India, is Shab e Baraat. It is widely believed that on this night, the 15th of Shaban, the future or the fate of a person is decided. Thus on this night, special arrangements for prayers are made, special dishes are prepared and food is distributed among relatives and the needy. People visit the graveyards and offer special prayers for those relatives and fiends who are buried there. 

But the truth is that this is absolutely man-made festival. Neither Our'an nor Hadith and the era of companions of Prophet Muhammad indicate the existence of this festival, then. Even there is no such tradition is attributed to the very early post Islamic scholars have called such a feast non Islamic. In fact such night was never exited in those day. It is thus an innovation that has slowly crept into our way of life and almost become a ritual which is celebrated with 'religious zeal and fervor.'

It may be understood that Islam is not a religion of customs, festivities and traditions. It in fact is  a simple and straightforward religion  which strongly restrains man from the shackles of rituals or futile and time consuming festivals. It is thus highly uncharacteristic of Islam to mark one day in a year for fire-cracking and distributing foods and allow people to keep on wasting valuable time and hard-earned money every year.  Thus, there is absolutely no evidence in the authentic Sunnah whereby the Prophet ﷺ or his noble companions or family ever celebrated or commemorated the night of Shab e-Baraat, nor did Prophet ﷺ ever offered any special prayers on this night, nor ever command the believers to do anything special on this night!

It is the absolute unanimous opinion of all the good jurists and scholars in Islam that there is to be no special commemoration or celebration of the so-called Shab e-Baraat night; and if anyone offers or ordains any special prayer or rite of worship especially for the commemoration of this night, it would be against the guidance and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ; and thus a bid'ah or innovation in the perfect Deen of Islam.

At the most, Islamic literature reveals only an event : once, on the night of Shaban the 15th, Hazrat Ayesha did not find Prophet Mohammad ﷺ on his bed, so she left in his search and found him in Jannat~ul Baquee. On querying, he replied: "On this night, Allah turns His attention from the sky to this world and forgives as many sins of people as the total number of hair of all the sheep put-together of the clan, called Ka'b." But a prominent writer of Hadiths, Imam Tirmizi has declared this tradition a fragile and has claimed, through his research, that it can not be believed with certainty that Hazrat Ayesha was its source. !

Many misinterpreters of the Holy Qur'an refer the night as Lailatul Mubaraka which is mentioned in Surah al-Dukhan (44: 2-4) “The Book (Holy Quran) that makes things clear, We sent it down during a blessed night, In fact ! We want to Warn (Mankind)" Whereon every affair of wisdom is made clear ". Now it is very clear from the referred verses of the Holy Qur'an that Lailatul Mubaraka is the night when Allah sent down the Holy Qur'an and it is the same night as Lailatul Qadr mentioned in Surah Qadr [97]: " Verily, We have revealed this (Qur'ân) in the night of Al-Qadr "!

Even if their authenticity is recognized, then also, the only inference could be that praying and asking for His forgiveness for the sins, during this night, is an appreciable act. If this is done individually, then they will be rewarded. Other than this, the perusal of these narrations does nor prove that either 14th or 1 5th night of Shaban is proclaimed to be Eid or some collective prayers are pronounced for this occasion. 

The more reliable books on Hadiths acknowledge that Prophet Mohammad  ﷺ used to be in a peculiar state, in the month of Shaban, prior to the commencement of Ramadan. It is in the month of Ramadan that the stupendous honour of Prophet hood was bestowed upon him and the revelation of immortal Book, the Our'an, commenced. Due to these reasons, he not only used to keep unusually regular fasts and perform longer prayers during Ramadan, but even in advance, Prophet Mohammad  ﷺ would inch closer to Allah. Hazrat Ayesha and Umme Salma state that besides Ramadan, Shaban was the only month during which Prophet Mohammad  ﷺ fasted most, rather the entire month was spent in fasting. But this practice of his was specifically for his own sake. However, the common Muslims were instructed by him to stay away from fasting during the second fortnight of Shaban, for it may weaken them to fast during the following month of Ramadan. 

Islam has taken necessary care of the fact that its followers do not adopt rituals and rites which Allah has not asked them to. Thus none of the self-created customs, artificial ceremonies or any collective practices should take the shape of Farz (Obligation). By exceeding the limits prescribed by Him, if people establish certain customs and rituals of their own, and practice them like Faraiz (Obligations), then they will make the life unnecessarily burdened and would in fact had committed the same blunder of pioneering rituals and customs and made them essential and part of their religion.  

Qur'an has declared customs as synonymous to "shackles" and the chief objective of the life of Prophet Mohammad ﷺ  is said to be setting free the mankind from such chains and shackles. And the Prophet Mohammad ﷺ therefore proposed a lean and mean stream of faraiz and eliminated all other customs and traditions. There is no third festival in Islam other than Eid-ui-Fitr  and and Eid-ui-Azha. There is no pilgrimage other than Hajj and besides Zakah there is no charity or donation which is declared as Farz. Thereafter, a simple rule is laid forever that man is not authorized to cut down on any of the faraiz. Similarly, he is not mandated to make any additions either. 

Now one last argument in disfavour of Shab e Baraat: The absolutely biggest evidence of the non-importance or existence of the Shab-e-Baraat in Islam is the term itself! The very term "shab" is not an Arabic word but rather a farsi (Persian language) term which means night; and baraat in Arabic means to boycott or destiny. The fact that the term itself is half-Farsi half-Arabic signifies that this term was not used by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ or his early companions, but rather was invented and innovated long after their deaths in the Indo-Pak region where Farsi was the court or official language of the rulers for a long period of time!

Our'an and Hadiths were never scrutinized with the objective of learning the principles and guidelines, rather the ignorance resulted into finding excuses for continuing their old customs and inventing new conventions. When they managed to find a minor clue, they converted it into a mammoth and perpetual custom. People felt proud on filling the gap by inventing festivities, which were originally not there, without realizing that they have worn the same shackles which were destroyed by Allah, through His Prophet Mohammad ﷺ, and they have again fallen into the trap from which no nation has ever managed to come out. 

References: | 1 ( pp 7-12) | 2 | 3 |

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Abu Bakr As-Siddiq: Eminent Companion of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Whenever the names of eminent and most revered companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ are taken, the name of Abu Bakr As-Siddiq takes precedence over everyone else, for Abu Bakr As-Siddiq was the first adult person outside the family of the Prophet of Allah who embraced Islam. He submitted to Islam with such determination that once the Prophet ﷺ himself remarked, “I called people to Islam, everybody thought over it, at least for a while, but this was not the case with Abu Bakr, the moment I put Islam before him, he accepted it without any hesitation,”  for Abu Bakr knew the Prophet of Allah better than any other man.

Abū Bakr aṣ-Ṣiddīq ‘Abdallāh bin Abī Quḥāfah (27 October 573 CE – 23 August 634 CE), popularly known as Abu Bakr served as a trusted advisor to Muhammad. During Muhammad's lifetime, he was involved in several campaigns and treaties. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  gave the title of "atiqa (the one saved from hell fire by God)" and also called him Al-Siddiq (Testifier to the Truth) for he believed event of Isra and Mi'raj  of the Prophet ﷺ when other people hesitated.

Three years younger to the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Bakr has known the him much before the advent of Islam, probably for the reason that both were merchants and otherwise been from the same clan of Qureysh, as lineage of Abu Bakr joined that of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the eighth degree in their common ancestor Murrah ibn Ka'b.

Abu Bakr was more than a great believer, as soon as he became a Muslim, he immediately began to preach Islam to others. Among those who accepted Abu Bakr’s invitation to Islam were ‘Uth man, Az Talhah, ‘Abdur– Zubayr, Rahman ibn Awf, Sa’ad ibn Waqqas and others who later became the pillars of Islam.

Abu Bakar was always by the side of the Prophet of Allah and at many a times saved Him of misconduct by the pagans of Makkah.  Once while the Holy Prophet ﷺ was busy his prayers in the Ka’bah, a disbeliever by the name of ‘Uqbah ibn Abi Mu’it took a long piece of cloth and put it around the Prophet’s neck and twisted it hard in an attempt to strangle the Prophet to death. When Abu Bakr saw the Prophet ﷺ in distress, he ran to the help of the Prophet, he pushed ‘Uqbah aside and took off the cloth from around the Prophet’s neck. Thereupon the enemies of Islam came down upon Abu Bakr and beat him unmercifully. Abu Bakr with faith like a rock did not care for his own suffering, he was glad that he was able to save the Prophet of Allah, even at the risk of his own life. 

Though Abu Bakr was one of the wealthiest man of Makkah, he had a big heart and upon embracing Islam he opened his vaults for the help of the poor who had embraced Islam and were deprived of their daily wages by their disbeliever masters. He also bought away many slave who embraced Islam from the shackles of their non Muslims masters and saved them from the barbaric torture meted out to them. Abu Bakr could not bear the ugly scenes that one came across every day when the Muslim slaves were stripped naked and made to lie on the burning sands with heavy stones put on their chests. Bilal Al-Habashi, the slave of Umayya bin Khalaf, was among those who were set free by Abu Bakr, who later became the Mu’azzin (prayer caller) at the Prophet’s mosque. 

Most of the slaves liberated by Abu Bakr were either women or old and frail men. Once father of Abu Bakr asked him why he didn't liberate strong and young slaves who could be a source of strength for him, Abu Bakr replied that he was freeing the slaves for the sake of Allah, and not for his own sake. According to Sunni tradition the following verses of the Qur'an were revealed due to this: 

As for him who gives and is god fearing and confirms the reward most fair, We shall surely ease him to the Easing. {92:5–7}....he who gives his wealth to purify himself and confers no favour on any man for recompense, only seeking the Face of his Lord the Most High; and he shall surely be satisfied. {92:18–21}.

While preparing for the Battle of Tabuk, when the Prophet of Allah asked his companions to generate funds for an upcoming event, Abu Bakr brought every piece of his household. Seeing the enormous consignment, the Holy Prophet ﷺ asked Abu Bakr that what he had left back home for his family. Abu Bakr replied: "Allah and his Messenger are enough for them." Hearing this, the Holy Prophet  ﷺremarked: "Abu-Bakr has favored me much with his property and company. If I were to take a Khalil (an intimate friend) from mankind I would certainly have taken Abu Bakr.” (Bukhari).

When living in Makkah became difficult for the Muslims, the Holy Prophet ﷺ decided to migrate to Medina and chose Abu Bakr to accompany him. When pagans of Makkah came to know of Holy Prophet's flight from Makkah, they sent armed men in all directions to apprehend him. Sensing the danger at one time, the duo hid themselves in the Cave of Thaur. Ad when one of the patrol almost reached at the mouth of the cave, Abu Bakr got frightened but the Holy Prophet ﷺ calmed him and told him "do not fear, certainly Allah is with us”. Read the complete incident already posted in one of our posts: Prophet's Migration to Medina and Miracle of Allah

Once settled in Medina, Prophet ﷺ  desired to construct a mosque. A piece of land was chosen and the price of the land was paid for by Abu Bakr. Muslims constructed a mosque named Al-Masjid al-Nabawi at the site and Abu Bakr also took part in construction. Abu Bakr re-started the his cloth business in Medina and soon his business firmly established. Early in 623, Abu Bakr's daughter Aisha, who was already engaged to Muhammad, was handed over to Muhammad in a simple marriage ceremony, and this further strengthened the relation between Abu Bakr and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

Abu Bakr was by the side of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in all battles fought against the disbelievers. During the battles of Uhud and Hunain, when some members of the Muslim army showed signs of weakness, Abu Bakr’s faith never wavered and he always stood like a rock by the side of the Holy Prophet. In the  Battle of Badr, Abu Bakr's son, Abdur Rahman, was fighting on the side of the army of Makkah. After accepting Islam, Abdur Rahman said to his father, “O Father, at Badr, you were twice under my sword, but my love for you held my hand back.” To this, Abu Bakr replied, “Son, if I had you only once under my sword, you would have been no more.” 

The standing of Abu Bakr near the Messenger ﷺ of Allah can be judged from the fact that Messenger ﷺ of Allah made him lead the prayers in Masjid e Nabawi in His own nonappearance. The Prophet ﷺ has been quoted as saying: “Tell Abu Bakr from my side to offer Salat to people (Muslims). [In absence of Prophet ﷺ ]” (Bukhari and Muslim). While one day when Abu Bakr was away, Umar was appointed by the companions to lead the prayers in his absence. Realizing the change of voice, the Prophet ﷺ said: “This is not Abu Bakr’s voice, no one but he should lead prayers, he is the fittest person for this position”.

And it was Abu Bakr who on the day of demise of Prophet ﷺ controlled the emotions of the companions and calmed them down. He said: “O People! If anyone among you worshiped Muhammad ﷺ, let him know that Muhammad ﷺ is dead. But those who worshiped Allah, let them know that He lives and will never die. Let all of us recall the words of the Qur’an. It says: “Muhammad ﷺ is only a Messenger of Allah, there have been Messengers before him. What then, will you turn back from Islam if he dies or is killed?” Abu Bakr's acumen and leadership qualities thus made the Muslims of the time realize that they needed a man like Abu Bakr to fill the position of leadership amongst them.

After the death of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ , there arose a dispute as to who should be the first caliph from among the Muhajirun (refugees from Mecca) or the Ansar (the people of Madinah). At this critical juncture, Abu Bakr rose to the occasion and said: “Both Muhajirun and Ansar have done great service to Islam. But the former were the first to accept Islam, they were always very close to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . So, O Ansar, let the Caliph be from amongst them”. After a short discussion, the Ansar agreed that they should choose the Caliph from amongst the Muhajirun, being from the tribe of Quraish and being the first to accept Islam. Abu Bakr then suggested two names: Umar bin Al-Khattab and Abu Ubaida Ibn A-Jarrah. Bewildered by the decision, both honourable companions said:  “O Siddiq, how can that be? How can anyone else fill this position as long as you are among us? You are the top man amongst he Muhajirun. You were the Companion of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ in the Thawr cave. You led prayers in his place, during his last illness. Prayer is the foremost thing in Islam. With all these qualifications you are the fittest person to be the successor of the Holy Prophet ﷺ . Hold out your hand that we may pledge loyalty to you”. But Abu Bakr was hesitant to assume this great burden did not stretch out his hand. Umar saw that the delay might lead to the reopening of the disagreements so he himself took Abu Bakr’s hand out and pledged loyalty to him. Others followed by example, and Abu Bakr became the first Caliph by general consent of the Muslims.

After his election as the Caliph, Abu Bakr addressed the Muslims with these words: 

“O People! I have been chosen by you as your leader, although I am no better than any of you. If I do any wrong, set me right. Listen, truth is honesty and untruth is dishonesty. The weak among you are the powerful in my eyes, as long as I do not give them their dues. The powerful among you are weak in my eyes, as long as I do not take away from them what is due to others. Listen carefully, if people give up striving for the Cause of Almighty Allah, He will send down disgrace upon them. If people become evil-doers, Almighty Allah will send down calamities upon them. “Obey me as long as I obey Allah and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. If I disobey Allah and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, you are free to disobey me.”

Ali, cousin of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ along with some of his relatives delayed their pledge of loyalty to Abu Bakr for six months after a difference of opinion with the Caliph due to the right of inheritance of the Prophet’s land. Although both men respected each other, and Ali soon after the death of his wife Fatimah gave the pledge of loyalty to Abu Bakr.


Abu Bakr's Caliphate lasted for 27 months, during which he crushed the rebellion of the Arab tribes throughout the Arabian Peninsula in the successful Ridda Wars. In the last months of his rule, he sent general Khalid ibn al-Walid on conquests against the Sassanid Empire in Mesopotamia and against the Byzantine Empire in Syria. This would set in motion a historical trajectory (continued later on by Umar and Uthman ibn Affan) that in just a few short decades would lead to one of the largest empires in history. 

Abu Bakr was instrumental in preserving the Qur'an in written form. Please read details in our earlier post: Brief History of Compilation of the Holy Quran

On 23 August 634, Abu Bakr fell sick and did not recover. His illness was prolonged, and when his condition worsened and realizing end was near, he felt that he should nominate his successor so that the issue should not be a cause of dissension among the Muslims after his death. He appointed Umar as his successor after discussing with some companions. Some of them favored the nomination and others disliked it, due to the tough nature of Umar. Abu Bakr thus dictated his last testament to Uthman ibn Affan as follows:

In the name of Most Merciful Allah. This is the last will and testament of Abu Bakr bin Abu Quhafa, when he is in the last hour of the world, and the first of the next; an hour in which the infidel must believe, the wicked be convinced of their evil ways, I nominate Umar bin al Khattab as my successor. Therefore, hear to him and obey him. If he acts right, confirm his actions. My intentions are good, but I cannot see the future results. However, those who do ill shall render themselves liable to severe account hereafter. Fare you well. May you be ever attended by the Divine favor of blessing.

On Monday, 23 August 634 (hijri: 7th of Jamadi-ui- Akhir of the 13th AH), Abu Bakr died. The funeral prayer was led by Umar. and was buried the same night by the side of grave of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  in Aisha's house near Al-Masjid al-Nabawi.

Background Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

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Eminent Companions of Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him)

A large number of early Muslims who embraced Islam during life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and had the privilege of seeing and interacting with him are known as the "Sahaba" (plural of Sahabi - the companion).  The Companions, being eyewitnesses, have been the most authentic sources of Ḥadīth, the record of Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ sayings and activities.

We are starting a series of posts from today on to talk about the life and achievements of some of these blessed Muslims who had the privilege of being very close to the Prophet of Allah and contributed tremendously to the cause and spread of Islam, besides rendering exclusive company to the Prophet of Allah. Attributing his great admiration to his companions, the Prophet of Allah once remarked: “My companions are like the stars. Whichever one you follow, you’ll be guided.”

Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) spoke very high of his companions and the believers who embraced Islam. "The best of my nation is my generation then those who follow them and then those who follow them."

Scroll down for list of the revered companions

Thus the companions are considered the best generation of the Islamic nation. And by knowing them more, we learn about the Prophet of Allah and the times of difficulties they braved to spread Islam with an extreme devotion to the religion of Islam. So we need to know them more and their services to Islam and love for the Prophet of Allah. The Companions of the Holy Prophet were indeed the best of all people. Ibn Masood, one of the Companions, said: "Indeed Allah, the Exalted, chose Muhammad ﷺ  as His Prophet, for he was the most pious of His slaves, and Allah sent him with the Message. Allah then chose the Companions of the Prophet to be with the Prophet as they were the best of all people after him." [2] 

Since list of these blessed Muslims is very long, we will try to present the life and achievements of some of the most eminent and revered companions. These would also include the first four caliphs, who are the ṣaḥābah held in highest esteem among Sunnite Muslims and are part of a group of 10 Companions, known as the Ashra Mubashra,  to whom prophet Muhammad ﷺ promised paradise.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) named ten of his companions which he said would be blessed with paradise in the hereafter.  The Prophet of Allah named "Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, Ali (the first four caliphs) , Talhah, Al-Zubayr,  Abdul-Rahman ibn Awf,   Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas,  Sa`id ibn Zayd and Abu `Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah ." 

We will also include some very close companions in the series under this heading which though not named in the ten blessed ones, but were still very close and dear to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

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Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: Poland

History of Muslims in Poland and their present status is very different from countries like Spain and Portugal where Muslims rose to absolute power and then saw a total collapse even after a rule of more than five to eight decades. In Poland it is the reverse: Muslims came to Poland though in small numbers, and were granted special jobs in the Polish military, where the fought alongside the Polish army in many campaigns and were a well respected asset. But in the present days, Poles while still respect the services of the Tartars, they seemingly do not have much respect for the Muslims and they are generally viewed with suspicion.

Before commenting on the present status of Muslims in Poland, let us review the earliest presence of Muslims in areas that constituted the  Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

• The earliest Muslims that came to Poland were the Arab merchants who arrived arrived in Polish lands during the time of Mieszko I, who ruled Polish lands as early as 960 AD. But these were just visitors and merchants with no intention of settling down. Like wise the invasions of the Mongol Muslims has been reported in the 13th century, but that was presence was purely military of character and there are no traces of settlement or conversion of any parts of the Polish population. 
• The first Muslim settlers Tatar tribes arrived in the 14th century from the lands of the Golden Horde and settled in the lands of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Since they were skilled warriors their settlement was promoted by the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. The Tatars who settled in Lithuania, Ruthenia and modern-day eastern Poland were allowed to preserve their Sunni religion in exchange for military service.
• The Tatars were all granted szlachta (nobility) status, a tradition that was preserved until the end of the Commonwealth in the 18th century.
• By the beginning of the 20th century, Lipka Tatars had become so integrated into Polish society that they joined their Roman Catholic brethren in the mass migrations for the United States that gave rise to American Polonia, even founding their own mosque in Brooklyn, New York, which is still in use today.
• The Muslim Religious Association was established in 1917 to preserving the Muslim faith and religious beliefs.
• In 1929 a Tatar National Museum was created in Wilno and in 1931 a Tatar National Archive was formed. All Muslims people drafted into the army were sent to the Tatar Cavalry Squadron, which was allowed to use its own uniforms and banners. The Army Oath for Muslim soldiers was different from the one taken from soldiers of other denominations and was sworn in presence of Ali Ismail Woronowicz, the Chief Imam of the Polish Army.
• Before Poland disappeared from the maps of Europe at the end of the eighteenth century it was home to almost 30 purpose-built mosques and prayer houses.
• With the restoration of Polish independence, the Tatar community of Poland numbered around 6,000 people (1931 national census). A large community of the Lipka Tatars remained outside of Polish borders, mostly in Lithuania and Belarus (especially in Minsk, the capital of the Belarusian SSR). 
• During and after World War II, the Tatar suffered the fate of all the civilian populations of the new German-Soviet and later Polish-Soviet borderlands. The Tatar intelligentsia was in large part murdered, while much of the civilian population was targeted by post-war expulsions. After the war the majority of Tatar settlements were annexed by the Soviet Union and only three remained in Poland. 
• A considerable number of Tatars moved across to the Polish side of the border and settled in several locations in eastern Poland as well as in western and northern Poland. Nowadays no more than 400 - 4,000 Muslims of Tatar origin live in Poland and a much larger and active Tatar community lives in Belarus and also in Lithuania. In 1971 the Muslim Religious Association was reactivated and since 1991 the Society of Muslims in Poland is also active. The following year also the Association of Polish Tatars was restored.
• After the Second World War, only about 10% of the Muslim settlements stayed within the new Polish borders and the country became one of the most religiously homogeneous countries in Europe.
• According to the 2011 census, there are 1916 Tatars in Poland (including 1251 people who declared composite national-ethnic identity, e.g. identify as both Polish and Tatar).

Since Tartars have played a significant role in the history of Poland, their services have never been forgotten. In November 2010, a monument to Poland's Islamic leader Dariusz Jagiełło was unveiled in the port city of Gdańsk at a ceremony attended by President Bronislaw Komorowski, as well as Tatar representatives from across Poland and abroad. The monument is a symbol of the important role of Tatars in Polish history. The monument is the first of its kind to be erected in Europe. “Tatars shed their blood in all national independence uprisings. Their blood seeped into the foundations of the reborn Polish Republic,” President Komorowski said at the unveiling.

 The Gdańsk mosque [Photo]

The Tartars live on in Poland and are still respected by those who know their contributions in the Polish history. But thereafter, the immigrants that came to Poland in 1970s and 1980s, things have taken a new turn for the Muslims in Poland.

Since the overthrow of the Polish communist regime in 1989, other Muslim immigrants have come to Poland, mostly Turks and ethnic-Slavic Muslims from the former Yugoslavia. There are also smaller groups of immigrants from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and from other countries, as well as a refugee community coming from Chechnya.

Today, less than 1% of the population in Poland is Muslim. The majority of Muslims in Poland are Sunni. In the late 1980s the Muslim community community has became more active and better organized. They have built mosques and praying houses in many parts of Poland. However, within the Muslim communities, there is a conflict between Polish native Sunni Muslim Lipka Tatars, who have a unique approach towards Islam and have been living in Poland for 600 years, and an increasingly vocal group of mainly foreign-born, but also native-born convert, group of Sunni Muslims.  

Although, Muslims are no match to the dominating Polish population, yet over the years,  stereotypes, verbal, violent, and physical displays of anti-Islam have become widespread. Vandalism and attacks on the very few existing mosques are reported, and women (especially converts) who cover themselves are seen as "traitors" to their own culture. In July 2016, liberal politician Paweł Banasiak, submitted a document to the criminal justice bodies to ban Islam and Quran in the country because "neither is about religion, but a political ideology of hate and genocide against infidels."

From January 1, 2013, Poland's Muslims and Jews were both affected by a ban on ritual slaughter after lawmakers deemed halal and kosher. In December 2014, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled the ban unconstitutional on the grounds that it violated freedom of religion guaranteed by the Polish laws and constitution. 

Islamophobia seems to be on the rise in Poland and many Polish people are reluctant to help refugees, and Muslims are not very welcome in Poland. Recently, a Polish official who, responding to an attempt at politically correct shaming, unabashedly told a British television host, “We will not receive even one Muslim, because this is what we promised.... This is why our government was elected, this is why Poland is so safe, this is why we have not had even one terror attack.” Analysts say the country has become increasingly hostile to Muslims in the wake of the refugee crisis. In fact whenever the issue of Islam and Muslims is there, it's always [represented] in a super negative way.

Arabic script of a tombstone (Ruthenian language) in the Muslim Lipka Tatar cemetery in Bohoniki, Poland [Photo]

There are three purpose-built mosques in Poland, with another mosque currently under construction. However, many more buildings of this kind existed in Poland in the past, owing to the traditionally tolerant laws for religious minorities, including the Muslim faith. The first record of mosques in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania came from the 16 th century. 

I cam across a good answer someone asking how the life as Muslims is in Poland. Here  is the answer: "If you want to keep living the way you did in your home country, you’ll find many obstacles, and probably decide that Poles are xenophobic and hostile to Muslims. We’re not. We’re just not Muslims. This is how it works:" [2]

• If you go to school or work in Poland, you need to accept that there won’t be any breaks for five daily prayers.
• You need to accept that the nearest mosque might be two cities away, while the nearest Catholic Church is waking you every Sunday from across the street.
• You need to accept that halal food, or anything halal, is a concept that Poles don’t have. You can eat vegetarian, if you wish, but not halal.
• You also need to accept that many people will have a negative opinion on Islam, either because of the terrorist conflict, or because they disapprove of Islamic principles.
• That doesn't necessarily mean they have a negative opinion of you. Poles tend to see newcomers as persons, not specimen of a particular group. 

The above says all how to live as Muslim in Poland. As long as Muslims mix up with the locals, exhibiting no signs of being different from the rest and keeping their religious beliefs well under control, there seems to be no problem, generally speaking. However, any terrorist attack anywhere in Europe draws a negative response from the locals which sometimes strain the relations between Muslims and Poles.

Watch a documentary about Muslims in Poland:

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.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |

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

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

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Surah Al-Insan (The Man) : Summary of 76th Chapter of the Holy Quran

Sūrat al-Insān (The Man) is the 76th surah / chapter of the Holy Qur'an with 31 verses and two rukuh. There is a dispute among the scholars as to the time of the revelation of this surah, that is whether it was revealed in Makkah or Medina. However, most agree that it is a Madni surah, revealed in Medina. A hadith narrated by Abu Huraira said that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) used to recite Al-Insan together with Al-Sajdah (chapter 32 of the Quran) for the early morning prayer (fajr) every Friday.

The surah is named after Al-Insan ("the man"), a word that appears in the first verse. Other common names for the chapter include Hal Ata, "Has There Not Come", after the first two words in the first verse; Al-Dahr, "Endless Time", a word that also appears in the first verse; and Al-Abrar, "The Pious", after the description of the pious and their rewards in verses 5–22.

The surah has three distinct parts: The opener that briefly touches upon the creation of man from a very humble beginning, the Main which is full of news of bounties for those who lived the life as was expected of them in this life and the plentiful rewards that would be bestowed upon to them in the life in the hereafter, and the Concluding part that is addressed to the Prophet of Allah and is told that Allah sent this Quran gradually according to the issues faced by mankind Allah, the all-powerful, will show mercy only to those who seek mercy, and for those who are proud and arrogant, there will be utter punishment awaiting in the hereafter.

Let us now read the English translation of the Sūrat al-Insān 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 surah commences with the first verse in an interrogative sense with the object of not only making man affirm that there has indeed passed on him such a period of time but also to make him think that the God Who developed and shaped him into a perfect man from an insignificant, humble beginning, would not be helpless to create him once again.

[1-3] Has there also passed on man a period of the endless time when he was not yet a thing worthy of mention? Indeed, We created man from a mixed sperm drop, to try him, and therefore We made him capable of hearing and seeing. We showed him the way, whether to be grateful or disbelieving.

In the second verse speaks of the endless time, the beginning and end of which are unknown to man. What is meant to be said is that in this immensely long span of time there has passed a long period when human race was altogether non-existent. Then the species called Man was created, and in the same period a time has passed on every person when a beginning was made to bring him into existence from nothingness.

The third verse, "when he was not yet a thing worthy of mention" implies that a part of him existed in the form of a microscopic gene in the sperm drop of the father and a part in the form of a microscopic ovum in the mother. For long ages man did not even know that he comes into being when the sperm gene and the ovum combine. Now both have been observed by means of powerful microscopes but even now no one can say how much of man exists in the father's germ and how much in the mother's ovum. Then, the initial cell that comes into being by the combination of the two at the time of conception is such an insignificant thing that it can be seen only through highly powerful microscopes and seeing it also no one at first sight can claim that it is a man taking shape, nor that even if a man emerges from this humble beginning, what will be his size and stature, what will be his form and figure, and what will be his capabilities and personality like. This is the meaning of the sentence that at that tithe he was not yet a thing worthy of any mention although a beginning of his being as a man had been made. [1]

In the verse 4 (below), In just one sentence, the fate of those who disbelieved has been mentioned:

[4] For the disbelievers We have prepared chains and collars and a raging Fire.

In the verses 5-22 the blessings with which those who do full justice to servitude in the world, will be favored, have been mentioned in full detail. In these verses, not only have their best rewards been mentioned but they have also been told briefly what are the acts on the basis of which they would become worthy of those rewards. Another special characteristic of the earliest Surahs revealed at Makkah is that besides introducing in them briefly the fundamental beliefs and concepts of Islam, here and there, those moral qualities and virtuous acts have been mentioned, which are praiseworthy according to Islam, and also those evils of deed and morality of which Islam strives to cleanse human life. And these two things have not been mentioned with a view to show what good or evil result is entailed by them in the transitory life of the world, but they have been mentioned only to point out what enduring results they will produce in the eternal and everlasting life of the Hereafter, irrespective of whether an evil quality may prove useful or a good quality may prove harmful in the world.

[5-14] The righteous shall drink (in Paradise) cups of wine flavored with camphor-water. It will be a running fountain with the waters of which the servants of Allah shall drink wine, and shall take out its channels from place to place at will. These will be the people who fulfill their vows (in the world), and fear the Day whose evil shall be wide-spread, and who feed, out of love for Allah, the poor and the orphan and the captive, (saying), "We are feeding you only for the sake of Allah: we neither seek any reward from you nor thanks. We dread from our Lord the torment of the Day, which will be a long, dismal Day of affliction. " So Allah shall save them from the evil of that Day and shall bestow on them freshness and joy, and shall grant them Paradise and robes of silk as a reward for their patience. There they shall be reclining upon high couches, neither troubled by the heat of the sun nor by severe cold. The shades of Paradise shall cover them all round, and its fruits shall be within their easy reach (so that they may pluck them at will).

[15-16 ] Vessels of silver and goblets of glass shall be passed round to them, goblets made of crystal-clear silver, which will have been filled (by the attendants of Paradise) in due measure.

In the verse 15 above, the mention of vessels of silver has been made. At another place,(Surah Az-Zukhruf: Ayat 71), vessels of gold shall be passed round to them, have been mentioned: "Circulated among them will be plates and vessels of gold. And therein is whatever the souls desire and [what] delights the eyes, and you will abide therein eternally." This means that vessels of gold as well as of silver shall be passed round to them as required by the occasion.

In verse 16, “In due measure” means: filled accurately according to the desire of every person, neither over-filled nor under-filled. In other words, the attendants of the dwellers of Paradise will be so judicious and discerning that they will have accurate judgment about everybody whom they serve wine as to how much of it he wishes to drink. 

[17-22] There they shall be served with cups of wine flavored with ginger. This will be a fountain of Paradise named Salsabil.

in the verses 17-18 above, reference to the ginger flavoured wine has been made to suit the taste of the Arabs who liked the wine flavored with ginger mixed water. But this flavoring will not be achieved by adding ginger mixed water to it: it will be a natural fountain which will have the flavor of ginger but without its bitterness; Therefore, it will be called Salsabil, which implies such water as flows gently and pleasantly down the throat on account of its being sweet, light and palatable. Most commentators think that the word Salsabil has been used here as an adjective of the fountain and not as a name for it.

[19-21] They will be attended by brisk-moving boys who will for ever remain boys. When you see them, you would think they were scattered pearls. In whatever direction you may look there, you would see only bliss and the splendor of a great kingdom. Upon them shall be the garments of fine green silk and rich brocade. They shall be adorned with bracelets of silver, and their Lord shall give them a pure wine to drink. 

Those reading the above verses may wonder why men have promised bracelets of silver, usually worn by the women? It may thus be clarified that in the ancient times the custom was that the kings and their nobles used to adorn their hands and necks and the crowns of their heads with different kinds of ornaments. In (Surah Az-Zukhruf: Ayat 53), it has been said that when the Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) arrived in the Pharaoh’s court in his simple dress, with only a staff in hand, and told him that he was a Messenger sent by Allah, Lord of the worlds, the Pharaoh said to his courtiers: “What kind of a messenger is he, who has appeared before me in this state? If he was sent by the King of the universe, why were not bracelets of gold sent down on him, or a company of angels as attendants?”

In the previous verses above, two kinds of the wine have been mentioned above, first that to which water will be added from the fountain of camphor; second that to which water will be added from the fountain of ginger, Now here a mention of Pure Wine has been made. This implies that Allah shall give them a pure wine to drink, gives the meaning that this will be some superior kind of wine, which they will be given to drink as a special favor from Allah.

[22] This is your reward and your endeavors have been appreciated.

In the verse above, in the Arabic text words "kana sayu kum mashkura" have been used meaning: “your endeavors have been accepted and recognized.” In Arabic "Saii" implies the entire lifework that a person accomplished in the world, the works and objectives to which he applied his energies and abilities; and its being mashkur means that Allah has appreciated it. Shukr when expressed by the servant to God implies his gratefulness to Him for His blessings, and when it is expressed by God for the servant, it means that He has appreciated his services. It is indeed the kindness of the Master that He should appreciate the endeavors of the servant when the servant has only carried out his duties according to the Master’s will.

The verse 23 below Allah clarifies the purpose and authority of revealing the Holy Qur'an, "It is in fact We, Ourself are revealing this Qur'an piecemeal to you, and this is intended to inform the disbelievers, not you, that the Qur'an is not being fabricated by Muhammad (peace be upon him), but it is We, Who are revealing it, and it is Our Own wisdom which requires that We should reveal it piece by piece and not all at once." 

[23] O Prophet, it is We Ourself Who have sent down this Qur'an piecemeal to you.

Though in the verse 23 above, the addressee here apparently is the Prophet (peace be upon him), the discourse is directed to the disbelievers who said, “Muhammad (peace be upon him) composes the Quran deliberately by himself piece by piece; had it been from Allah, it would be revealed all at once. Thus here Allah has answered it without citing it, saying emphatically: “It is We Who are sending it down, it is not the composition of Muhammad, and it is We Who are sending it gradually. That is, it is the requirement of Our wisdom that We should not send down Our message all together in a book form, but should send it piece by piece.” 

[24-31] So be patient with regard to the command of your Lord, and do not obey any wicked or disbelieving person from among them. Remember the name of your Lord morning and evening, prostrate yourself before Him in the night, and glorify Him during the long hours of night. These people only love the quickly attainable (world), and neglect a heavy Day that is coming ahead. It is We Who have created them and strengthened their joints, and whenever it be Our will We can change their forms. This is indeed an admonition. Now whoever wills, let him adopt the way to his Lord, but you cannot will it unless Allah wills. Indeed Allah is All-knowing, All-Wise. He admits to His Mercy whomsoever He pleases. As for the wrong-doers, He has prepared for them a grievous chastisement..

The Prophet of Allah is reminded again that: "No matter how long it may take for the decree of your Lord to be enforced, and no matter what afflictions may befall you in the meantime, in any case, you should continue to perform your mission of prophet hood patiently, and not yield to the pressure tactics of any of these wicked and unbelieving people."

In conclusion, it has been said: This is an Admonition: whoever wills may accept it and take a path to his Lord. But man's own will and desire is not everything in the world. No one's will and desire can be fulfilled unless Allah (also) so wills. And Allah's willing is not haphazard: whatever He wills, He wills it on the basis of His knowledge and wisdom. He admits into His mercy whomever He regards as worthy of His mercy on the basis of His knowledge and wisdom, and He has prepared a painful torment for those whom He finds unjust and wicked.

You may now like to listen to Arabic recitation of Sūrat al-Inshiqāq 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). 

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

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

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

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Muslims in Non Muslim Countries: Belgium

In the series of our posts on Muslims living in the Non Muslim countries, today we will talk about life and aspirations of Muslims living in Belgium. The reason for choosing Belgium is the same: Some of my readers are from Belgium and I thought I must talk on their behalf through this post today. 

Although Islam in Belgium is a minority religion, yet it is the second largest religion after Christianity in the country. No official records are available about the exact number of Muslims in Belgium, but as per estimates from various sources, Muslims are estimated to be 4.0% to 6.5% of the country's population. The first registered presence of Islam in Belgium was in 1829, but it was the immigrant labourers from Morocco and Turks in the 1960s that account for the present day Muslim population. 

A report by the Turkish consul in Antwerp estimated roughly 6,000 Muslims in Belgium at the time. During WWII, French Muslim soldiers from French West Africa were stationed in the southeast. In 1964, bilateral labour immigration agreement were signed between Belgium, Turkey, and countries. Over 10,000 workers from these countries moved to Belgium and mostly worked in low-skilled jobs. This stopped in 1974 when all foreign manual labour was banned from entry into the country and, in the same year, Islam was officially recognized as a religion in Belgium.

The number of Muslims in Belgium is estimated to be between 320,000 to 450,000. The majority of Muslims in Belgium are Sunni. Muslim population in Belgium is very young. Almost 35 percent of the Turks and Moroccans, the largest Muslim groups in the country, are below 18 years old, compared with 18 percent of the native Belgians. As a result of the age and spatial distribution, very high proportions of the youth in certain areas are Muslim. The Muslim population is most concentrated in Brussels (20% of the total population) 6) with most other Muslims living in the industrial areas of the French-speaking south.

Other than the Turks and Moroccans, Muslims from Iraq, Lebanon, Bosnia Herzegovina, Pakistan, Somalia, Iran and Afghanistan also make up the Muslim population.

How is the life of Muslims living in Belgium? Well this a hard question to answer, for I went through dozens of sites and blogs to know how Muslims lived there but was disappointed to note that most sites attributed terrorism to Muslims and undermined the Muslim population of the country. Some even suggested that soon Muslims would rule Belgium. I found this assertion interesting as sine 1960s till date, that is more than five decades of time bracket, Muslims account for only 4-5% of the Belgium's population. Going by these figures I wonder who suggested this idea of Muslims taking over the country as Muslims becoming a majority may takes centuries. Is this a reality or mere disinformation to keep Muslims under check?

Perhaps it is this scare that Belgian authorities instituted a ban on face-covering attire in public in 2011, which meant the wearing of the Niqāb and burqa were considered incompatible with Belgian society.The ban was challenged by two Muslim women in first the Constitutional Court and then the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), but was upheld

And consequent to this, an Open Society found that 74% of Muslims were subject to “large to relatively large amounts of prejudice. Belgian Muslim women are more subject to discrimination in areas of employment and education than men. Thus young Belgian Muslim women founded Brussels-based group, Bruxelloise et Voilée in March 2015,  with a view to promoting a multicultural society by fighting against discrimination and stereotypes, in particular against Muslim veiled women."

As for the religious freedom, the state machinery keeps a strict check on how mosques in Belgium are being run. recently the Flemish interior minister withdrew certification from one mosque and rejected 20 federally backed requests for certification. The minister accused Turkey’s religious and political authorities of meddling inappropriately in the affairs of the Turkish community in Belgium.  In order to keep a check on what is taught in the mosques, the Belgian government employs over 800 Imams and teachers who teach Islam and Arabic in schools and lead prayers in mosques recognized by the government. 

One of the oldest mosque, the Great Mosque of Brussels, (photo above).The building of the mosque was initially built in Arabic architecture to house the Oriental Pavilion of the National Exhibition in Brussels in 1880. Later, in 1967, King Baudouin lent the building to King Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz of Saudi Arabia with a 99-year rent-free lease and since been the most prestigious place of Islamic worship and instruction. However recently, the government of Belgium has its lease canceled and taken over its control on the pretext that the Imam was preaching hate stuff and Arabic-language teaching materials had been discovered at the premises which could encourage anti-Semitism, homophobia and violent extremism. 

The life within the Muslim community is distinctive and segregative. There is rivalry between the two main elements, Moroccans and Turks. It is not uncommon, for example, for Belgo-Moroccans to marry Belgians of Christian background, but very rare for Moroccans to marry Turks. 

Halal slaughter is not subject to extensive legislative restriction, but it is only allowed in recognized slaughter house.

You may like to watch a video based on interviews of Muslims living in Belgium:

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

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

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

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