Surah al-Baqarah - The Cow: Chapter 2 of Quran - (Exegesis Overview)

Sūrah Al Baqarah "البقرة" is the longest Sūrah of the Qurān with 286 verses and forty ruku, spanned over Juz' 1-3. 

The name of the Sūrah is from the Parable of the Heifer in ii. 67-71, which illustrates the insufficiency of carping obedience. When faith is lost, people put off obedience with various excuses: even when at last they obey in the letter, they fail in the spirit, which means that they get fossilized, and their self-sufficiency prevents them from seeing that spiritually they are not alive but dead. For life is movement, activity, striving, fighting, against baser things. And this is the burden of the Sūrah.

There are many peculiarities of  Sūrah Al Baqarah:

• While the the Opening Sürah Fatiha sums up in seven beautiful verses the essence of the, Qurân, so this Sürah sums up in 286 verses the whole teaching of the Qurän.
• In it occurs the longest verse (ii. 282) of the Qurän.
• Ayat ul Kursi, the most popular and most read ayat of the Qurän falls in this  Sürah. In fact ayat ul Kursi is one of those verses which is almost remembered by heart by every Muslim.
• Although, the surah has been named as Al-Baqarah (the Cow) , it has not been used as a title to indicate the subject of the Sürah.
• It is generally believed that verse 281 is the last verse that was revealed to the Prophet of Allah at the occasion of the only pilgrimage the Prophet performed after the surrender of Makkah to the Muslims,as narrated by ibn Abbas. [However, majority of the scholars in Islam are of the opinion that the last Aayat of the Holy Quran was this verse in Chapter 5 Surah Maidah Aayat 3: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed my favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.”]
• Thus Sürah Al Baqarah is considered to be the last completed Sürah of the Qurän.
• The last two verses of Surah al-Baqarah, 285-286 are said to have great importance. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) has been reported as saying that one who recites these two verses during the night, these will be sufficient for him.
• This Sürah is said to have taken the longest t be revealed.

Owing to the length of the Sürah and varied subjects mentioned therein, the exegesis has been divided into sections and parts. Already we have posted two posts which contain the Summary of the entire Sürah and it has also been explained as to why it has been named after a cow: Chapter 2 Sūrah al-Baqarah (The Cow) - Why the Surah is so named.

From here onward, we begin the lengthy journey of exegesis of the Sürah verse by verse divided into segments as mentioned herein under:

Introduction: This section extends over the first thirty-nine verses of the surah. It begins with the mention of those among its addressees who shall accept faith and those who would reject it. Herein, Bani Ismael have been warned that this Book of Allah has revealed the truth in its ultimate form upon them. It would be extremely unfortunate for them if they are still led astray by the mischievous machinations of the Jews and thus deprive themselves of this great blessing - the Quran. The introduction ends on the tale of Satan's malicious rivalry and the khilaafat of man.

Section 1: This section ranges from verse 40 to verse 121 (Ruku 5-14) and has been further divided into two parts as under:

• Part I:  (Verses 40-63) In verses 40-46, the Bani Israel have been specifically addressed and urged to profess faith in the Prophet hood of Mohammad (pbuh) to which their own scriptures so clearly testify. In verses 47-63, it has been explained, first of all, that a person shall be rewarded in the Hereafter on account of his faith and deeds and not on the basis of his association with a particular family or clan. 
• Part II: verses 64-121 are actually a history of the breach of promises and the traitor-ship of the Jews as to how they disobeyed the commandments of Allah and how this criminal mentality had been nurtured in them since the very beginning. A mention has also been made of their superstitions and of other activities which were instrumental in debasing the Shariah and the Book of Allah in their eyes.

Section 2: This section starts at verse 122 and ends with verse 163 (ruku 15-19), the part of life of Prophet Ibraheem (Abraham, peace be upon him) which relates to the building of the Baitullah.

Section 3: This section, which ranges from verse 164 to verse 242 mainly consists of the laws and directives of the Shariah revealed to the Muslim Ummah. It has been further sub divided into three parts as under:

• Part I: This part contains verses 164-188 and covers subjects like Tawheed, prayer/zakat, qisas/diyat, wills, fasting and Prohibition of bribery and wealth obtained through ill-means.
• Part II: Verses 189-218 relate to matters related to Haj and then jehad and infaaq on account of the relationship of the latter two with the former because at that time the Baitullah was under the control of the idolaters (189-218),
• Part III: Verses 219-242 relate to matters related to prohibition of intoxicants and gambling, permission of incorporating the affairs of the orphans with their guardians and prohibition of marriage among idolaters and other matrimonial issues like divorce, eela, khula`, radaa`at, naan-u-nafqah of the deceased among the spouses and other issues of marital life

Section 4: In this section (243-83), the Muslims have been induced to wage jihad against the unbelievers to liberate the Baitullah from their hold. The last three verses (284-86) are the concluding verses. explained that everything in this Universe is under the control of the Almighty. The surah ends with a prayer in which every word speaks of the tremendous responsibilities of this Book which the Jews and the Christians were unable to fulfill and which now have been passed on to the followers of this new religion.

Please look for the various parts of the exegesis of the surah in our coming posts.

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). 

Calligraphy by Shahid Rana | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 |

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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99 Attributes of Allāh (Reference Page)

Allāh is the mighty Creator of the entire universe with limitless bounds man may never able to reach. If we look around in everything that is around us, we find in these one or more attributes of Allāh that no man can ever imagine. While in the Holy Qur'an, the Almighty is calls Himself Allāh, there are many attributes that one finds in the Qur'an that further explain the limitless powers of Allāh. Thus in the Holy Qur'an we find at least 99 names attributed to Allāh. These attributes are known as ʾAsmāʾu llāhi l-ḥusnā (Arabic: أسماء الله الحسنى‎ which mean Beautiful Names of Allāh. 

Herein under are listed these 99 attributes of Allāh and their plain simple meaning. However, we will devote one post each to explain every attribute separately to show the mightiness and omnipotence of Allāh - the attributes that can never be ever attributed to any person or even a prophet for Allāh is above all, the sole Creator of the Universe- The One who made this universe and the one who would one day destroy everything on the Day of Resurrection to question every human that ever lived of his deeds and award punishments and rewards bounties. 

Abu Hurairah reported that God has ninety-nine Names, i.e., one hundred minus one, and whoever believes in their meanings and acts accordingly, will enter Paradise; and God is witr (one) and loves 'the witr' (i.e., odd numbers). — Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 8, Book 75, Hadith 419

There are differences in these attributes as some are found in the Qur'an while some are quoted from Hadiths. The most common list is the one which was compiled by Abu Hurairah, a revered companion of the Prophet of Allāh to whom are attributed most of the Hadiths. 

Herein under the 99 attributes of Allah (In alphabetical order for easy reference):

1. Al-`Adl (العدل)  - The Absolutely Just
2. Al-'Afuw (العفو) - The Pardoner
3. Al-Ahad (الاحد)   - The One, The Only One
4. Al-Akhir (الأخر) - The Ultimate
5. Al-'Ali (العلى) - The Most High, The Sublimely Exalted
6. Al-`Alim (العليم) - The All-Knowing, The Omniscient
7. Al-Awwal (الأول)  - The First, The Pre-Existing
8. Al-Azim (العظيم)  - The Supreme Glory, The Most Grand
9. Al 'Aziz (العزيز) - The Mighty, The Eminent
10. Al-Badi' (البديع) - The Originator,
11. Al-Ba'ith (الباعث) - The Awakener, The Resurrector
12. Al-Baqi (الباقي) - The Infinite - The Eternal
13. Al Bari' (البارئ) - The Evolver
14. Al-Barr (البر) - The Gracious Benefactor
15. Al-Basir (البصير) - The All-Seeing
16. Al-Basit (الباسط) - The Extender, 
17. Al-Batin (الباطن) - The Hidden, The Inner
18. Ad-Darr (الضار) - The Corrector, The Punisher
19. Dhu-l-Jalali wal-Ikram (ذو الجلال و الإكرام) - The Lord of Majesty and Generosity
20. Al-Fattah (الفتاح) - The Opener, The Revealer
21. Al Ghaffar  (الغفار) - The Repeatedly Forgiving, 
22. Al-Ghafur (الغفور) - The Forgiving, The Pardoner
23. Al-Ghani (الغنى) - The Self-Sufficient, The Independent
24. Al-Hadi (الهادي) - The Guide to the Right Path
25. Al-Hafiz (الحفيظ) - The Preserver, The Protector
26. Al-Hakam (الحكم) - Possessor of Authority of Decisions and Judgment
27. Al-Hakeem (الحكيم) - The Wise
28. Al-Halim (الحليم) - The Oft Forbearing, 
29. Al-Hamid (الحميد) - The Praiseworthy, The Laudable
30. Al-Haqq (الحق) - The Truth, The Only Reality
31. Al-Hasib (الحسيب) - The Ever Reckoner
32. Al-Hayy (الحي) - The Ever-Living, The Alive | 1 | 2 |
33. Al Jabbar (الجبار) - The Overpowering, The Compeller
34. Al-Jalil (الجليل) - The Majestic, The Glorious
35. Al-Jami' (الجامع) - The Gatherer, The Uniter
36. Al-Kabir (الكبير) - The Greatest, The Most Great
37. Al-Karim (الكريم) - The Generous, The Bountiful
38. Al-Khabir (الخبير) - The Inner-Aware, The Reality-Knower
39. Al-Khafid (الخافض) - The Abaser, The Humbler, The One who Softens
40. Al Khaliq (الخالق) - The Creator, The Planner
41. Al-Latif (اللطيف) - The Subtle, The Gracious, The Refined
42. Al-Majeed (المجيد) - The All-Glorious, The Majestic
43. Al-Majid (الماجد)  - The Noble, The Generous
44. Malik al-Mulk (مالك الملك) - The Master of the Kingdom
45. Al Malik (الملك) - The Ruler, The King
46. Al-Mani'(المانع) - The Preventer, The Shielder
47. Al-Matin (المتين) - The Firm, The Steadfast
48. Al-Mu'akhkhir (المؤخر) - The Delayer, 
49. Al-Mubdi' (المبدئ) - The Originator, The Initiator
50. Al-Mudhill (المذل) - The Degrader, Humiliator
51. Al-Mughni (المغنى) - The Fulfiller of Needs
52. Al-Muhaimin (المهيمن) - The Protector, The Bestower of Security
53. Al-Muhsi (المحصى) - The Reckoner, The Appraiser
54. Al-Muhyi (المحيى) - The Bestower of Life, The Reviver
55. Al-Mu'id (المعيد) - The Restorer, The Re-creator
56. Al-Mu'izz (المعز) - The Bestower of Honor
57. Al-Mujib (المجيب) - The Fulfiller of Prayers, The Responsive
58. Al Mu'min (المؤمن) - The Granter of Security / Faith 
59. Al-Mumit (المميت) - The Creator of Death, The Life-Taker
60. Al-Muntaqim (المنتقم) - The Avenger, The Inflictor of Retribution
61. Al-Muqaddim (المقدم) - The Expediter, The Promoter
62. Al-Muqit (المقيت) - The Maintainer, The Sustainer
63. Al-Muqsit (المقسط) - The Equitable, The Just
64. Al-Muqtadir (المقتدر) - The All-Powerful Determiner, The Prevailing
65. Al Musawwir (المصور) - The Fashioner
66. Al-Muta'ali (المتعالي) - The Supremely Exalted
67. Al Mutakabbir (المتكبر) - The Supremely Great,
68. An-Nafi' (النافع) - The Creator of Good, The Propitious -The Benefactor
69. An-Nur (النور) - The Light, The Illuminator
70. Al-Qabid (القابض) - The Withholder
71. Al-Qadir (القادر) - The All Powerful, The Most Able, The Empowered, The Capable
72. Al-Qahhar (القهار) - The Ever-Dominant, The Prevailer
73. Al-Qawiyy (القوى) - The Inexhaustible Strength 
74. Al-Qayyum (القيوم)  - The Self-Existing, The Self-Subsisting
75. Al Quddus (القدوس) - The Holiest, The Most Pure
76. Ar-Raafi (الرافع) - The Exalter, The Uplifter
77. Ar Rahim (الرحيم) - The Most Merciful
78. Ar Rahman (الرحمن) - The Beneficent, Most Kind and Gracious
79. Ar-Raqib (الرقيب) - The Watchful, The All-Observing
80. Ar-Rashid (الرشيد) - The Guide to the Right Path of Rectitude
81. Ar-Ra'uf (الرؤوف)  - The Tenderly Merciful and Consoling
82. Ar-Razzaq (الرزاق) - The Supplier, The Provider
83. As-Sabur (الصبور) - The Most Patient
84. As Salam (السلام) - The Source of Peace 
85. As-Samad (الصمد) - The Satisfier of All Needs
86. As-Sami (السميع) - The Hearer of invocation 
87. Ash-Shahid (الشهيد) - The Witness
88. Ash-Shakur (الشكور) -The Multiplier of Rewards, The Most Appreciative
89. At-Tawwab (التواب) - The Acceptor of Repentance, 
90. Al-Wadud (الودود) - The Most Affectionate
91. Al-Wahhab (الوهاب) - The Liberal Bestower, The Giver of Gifts
92. Al-Wahid (ٱلْوَاحِدُ) - The Manifestation of Unity
93. Al-Wajid (الواجد) -  The Finder, The Perceiver
94. Al-Wakil (الوكيل) -  The Trustee, The Advocate
95. Al-Waliyy (الولى) - The Sole Governor, The Friendly Lord
96. Al-Wali (الوالي)  -  The Patron / The Protective Ruler
97. Al-Wārith (الوارث) -  The Inheritor of All, The Supreme Heir
98. Al-Wasi (الواسع) -  The All-Embracing, The All-Pervading
99. Az-Zahir (الظاهر) - The Manifest, The Evident

Please listen to a soul-searching video displaying these 99 attributes of Allāh along with English translation and meaning:

Now in our upcoming posts we shall explain each attribute as it appears in Qur'an for its explanation and true meaning.

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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Muslims in non Muslim Countries: Australia

I always thought that Australia is an outward looking country which absorbs people form all over the world, specially students and even allows immigration on very easy terms to professionals to add to their work force and progress of the country. But today a news caught my eyes which was really disturbing. The news heading read: Nearly half of Australians want the number of Muslim immigrants slashed following the Melbourne terrorist attack. Now this is really disturbing. If an Australian kills someone or sexually assaults a minor, no one question it for he is a Christian and Australia. Now read just another reported headline: The grubby dance school toilet cubicle where a girl, 7, was ‘sexually assaulted' by a man, 54 – as the ‘hero’ dentist who kicked the door in to rescue her breaks down while calling for a parole review. Now imagine if the assailant was a Muslim and then how differently this headline would have appeared.

I  had thought of writing about Muslims in Australia in my series of posts at a later stage for I thought Australians were more outwardly looking people than others and always embraced people of other faith with open hearts. But after reading the above headline, I thought of writing about plight of Muslims specially after the recent Melbourne terrorist attack.

After the dominating Christian region, Muslims are the second majority people. According to the 2016 Australian Census, the combined number of people who self-identified as Muslim in Australia, from all forms of Islam, constituted 604,200 people, or 2.6% of the total Australian population, an increase of over 15% of its previous population share of 2.2% reported in the previous census 5 years earlier.[1]

Muslims started vising Australia generally by Indonesian Muslims trepangers from the southwest corner of Sulawesi visited the coast of northern Australia, "from at least the eighteenth century"to collect and process trepang, a marine invertebrate prized for its culinary and medicinal values in Chinese markets.However the earlier settlers were the camel drivers of Afghan origin the mid to late 19th century. Between 1860 and the 1890s a number of Central Asians came to Australia to work as camel drivers. Camels were first imported into Australia in 1840. The camel drivers, from thence on who  came from many other countries, started to be called as 'Afghans' and they brought with them the first formal establishment of Islam in Australia.

Afghan grave Bourke [Photo]

However,  in the 1920s and 1930s Albanian Muslims, whose European heritage made them compatible with the White Australia Policy, immigrated to the country. Albanian Muslims built the first mosque in Shepparton, Victoria in 1960, first mosque in Melbourne in 1963 and a mosque in Mareeba, Far North Queensland in 1970. The Albanian community in Far North Queensland settled in the area in the early 20th century searching for work in the sugarcane and tobacco industries with many descendants still living in Mareeba, Cairns and other small towns across the Atherton Tablelands. Later Muslims from Bosnia and Turtkey aslo came in the 1970s and settled in Australia. Even as per 2011 census, 1,140 people identify as Aboriginal Muslims, almost double the number of Aboriginal Muslims have been recorded in the 2001 census.[1]

By the beginning of the 21st-century, Muslims from more than sixty countries had settled in Australia. While a very large number of them come from Bosnia, Turkey, and Lebanon, there are Muslims from Indonesia, Malaysia, Iran, Fiji, Albania, Sudan, Somalia, Egypt, the Palestinian territories, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, among others.Muslim students from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, are among the thousands of international students studying in Australian universities.

Muslims have thus formed a size bale Muslim community in Australia and have been contributing positively yo the growth and development of the country. But in recent times, eye brows have started to be raised among the Christian majority community, even on production of Halal meat. The Halal meat products are exported to the Middle East and Southeast Asia and are a big source of earning for Australia. However, Halal certification has been criticized by anti-Halal campaigners, who argue that the practice funds the growth of Islam.

However recently the trend of intolerance towards Muslims is increasing and currently a great deal of interest in, and misunderstanding about, Australia's Muslim communities. Although Muslim Australians are not a homogeneous group as some media reports might lead us to believe, but make up a small, culturally diverse section of Australian society. But despite that, incidents like Melbourne recently are blown out of proportion, which even compelled the prime minister to come on TV and talk of terror Islam. and captions like Radical Islam are on the increase. I wonder how many of the total Muslim populations are of jihadi nature or are involved in terrorist activities. 

In fact such incidents should not mean that all Muslims are all suspect. And this worries the majority peace loving Muslims in Australia and even all non Muslim countries. Sensing a threat to their faith and way of living, the Muslims from various countries and sects are striving to change the negative perception. In a new SBS documentary, 10 Muslim Australians with vastly different views on their faith live under one roof for eight days to explore what it means to be a Muslim in modern, multicultural Australia. Marshall Heald of SBS is of the opinion: “Muslims Like Us showcases the diverse range of interpretations of Islam that are practiced in Australia, with the broader aim of giving Australian audiences a chance to learn more about what it means to be a Muslim today.” 

Watch this documentary:

What worries the Australis today is the ever increasing Muslim population. The number of Muslims living in the country has almost doubled from 341,000 in the the 2006 census. as per 2016 Census showed the Muslim population in Australia has soared to more than 604,000 people, overtaking Buddhism as the most popular non-Christian religion.  The Muslims are predominantly concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne, with the majority of the population being working class.

While most Muslim men can go unnoticed, it is the female Muslims wearing Hijab that are more often than not singled out . The Department of Immigration and Citizenship found 88 per cent of Muslims in Australia felt harshly judged for their religion. SBS columnist Ruby Hamad wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald that the media had been obsessing over Muslim women and their choice of Islamic garments for far too long. “The dynamic conversation about the veil’s place in western society has become an obsession to some people and it needs to be had both on the role and manifestation of modesty within Islam itself, and on the responsibility for children to follow the beliefs of their parents,” Ms Hamad said.

However, despite concerns and fear of Islamophobia, the life of Muslims is generally peaceful. And they do celebrate their religious events with much fanfare and large participation. The Islamic Eid Festival is widely celebrated throughout Australia by Muslim communities, with the biggest celebration being The Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair (MEFF) in Sydney. in 2014, the Islamic Museum of Australia was opened in Thornbury, 10 kilometres outside Melbourne’s city centre. It’s the first Islamic Museum in Australia and aims to dispel stereotypes and promote understanding of Islam’s unique heritage and its contributions to Australia. A rich collection of contemporary art by Australian Muslim artists as well as crafts and artifacts can be found here in five permanent galleries as well as one designated for visiting exhibitions. The museum also holds lectures, workshops, events, screenings and more.

Muslim-friendly restaurants in Australia are plenty and prominently display the halal sign – although be mindful that they are self-certified; currently there is no official restaurant certification body in Australia. By the way have you ever watched the show MasterChef Australia? Then you might be familiar with George Calombaris. Well, his Greek restaurant in Melbourne serves halal food so Muslim patrons can happily dig into the chicken wings in smoked black Aleppo mayo, grilled squid and calamari.

Author's Note: The data above has been collected from the references as given below. If any one differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors.  If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.

Photo: Chullora Greenacre Mosque  | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |

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: Hungary

I have covered many non Muslim countries so far where Islam has flourished in varying degree. But the case of Hungary has been quite different. It started feeling the presence of Muslims in the 11th century but were forcibly checked through very demeaning legislations to an extent that the small Muslim population either vanished or forced to convert to Christianity.

It were Turks who came and stood to their ground during the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century and made their presence felt and maintained it. The Turks entered Hungary after the Battle of Mohács in 1526. From 1541 they started to control the central part directly and organized five vilayets: Buda, Kanije, Eğri, Várad (Oradea) and Temesvár. In the 19th century, after the collapse of the revolution of 1848-9, more than 6,000 emigrated Poles and Hungarians followed General Josef Bem into Turkish exile.

However, till very late, Islam has never been recognized as a official religion in Hungary. Before throwing light on the modern laws, let me take youback to 11th century draconian laws to suppress Islam. In the 11th century, St. Ladislaus and later Coloman passed laws against the non-Christians (Synod of Szabolcs). These laws subdued Islam by coercing Muslims to eat pork, go to Church and intermarry and to forbid them from celebrating Friday. Some of Coloman's laws include:

• § 46 If someone catches Ismaelites in fasting or eating or on keeping away from pork or in ritual washing or in other false practices these Ismaelites have to be sent to the king and whoever sued them shall receive a share from their properties.
• § 47 We command all Ismaelite villages to build a church and finance it. After the church is built the half village should move and settle elsewhere in order to become similar to us in living together and also in Christ and in Church (i.e. become similar in faith).
• § 48 Ismaelites should not marry their daughters to their nation but only to our nation
• § 49 If an Ismaelite has guest, or he invites someone to his house to eat, he and his guests should all eat only pork.
• § 9 on the merchants called Ismaelites, if becomes evident from them then after their baptism they return their old laws based on circumcision they should leave their homes but if they prove innocent they should stay.

The laws against Muslims continued and Hungary's new "Law on the Right to Freedom of Conscience and Religion, and on Churches, Religions and Religious Communities" enacted 12 July 2011 which recognized only 14 religious groups - and Islam was not included in this list and Muslims have to apply to get official recognition under the new law. However, it was only on 27 February 2012, Hungary's parliament amended the country's controversial law on religious organizations and officially recognized the Hungarian Islamic Council. In 2013 Hungarian Islamic Council requested for the Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina Husein Kavazović to also become Grand Mufti of Hungary.

According to the 2011 Hungarian census, there were 5,579 Muslims in Hungary, making up only about 0.057% of the total population. Of these, 4,097 (73.4%) declared themselves as Hungarian, while 2,369 (42.5%) as Arab by ethnicity. However, there is also a growing number of ethnic Hungarian converts to Islam. Since the influx of about 200,000 asylum seekers from 2014 onward, largely from the Muslim countries Afghanistan and Syria. the number of Muslims residing in Hungary rose to about 2% of the whole population.

However, as of today, the life of Muslims in Hungary is not very safe and they fear fallout from anti-Islam rhetoric now prevalent in the country. As per a report published in March 2018, Muslims attending prayers at Hungary’s largest mosque were physically abused, had their cars set alight and been the targets of anti-migration protests. The concerns are no more keenly felt than in this Budapest suburb where some 500 people gather for Friday prayers at the anonymous former offices of an executive toy maker that were converted into a mosque in 2011.

“The political rhetoric was focused against Muslims and that’s when the incidents increased and the beatings happened,” Mr Sultan Sulok, the president of the Organization of Muslims in Hungary, told The National in his office at the Mosque of Muslims in Hungary. 

A recent report says: It is a cultural crusade that has made Hungary the least refugee-friendly country in Europe." A government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told Leonid Bershidsky, a reporter of Bloomberg,  in an interview: "We've been living next to Islam and with Islam for 500 years and we know it's not going to integrate. We treat it as a civilizational problem." According to a 2016 Pew Research study, 72 percent of Hungarians have a negative view of Muslims in their country, compared with the EU average of 43 percent. In 2017, a senior Hungarian officials said at a conference about anti-Semitism in Europe:  "The absence of violence against Jews in their country owed to its refusal to admit Muslim immigrants."

The life of Muslims has also been affected by Anti-Islamic feelings in Europe after the Paris attacks last November. Even those Muslim communities that are so small as to be barely perceived face discrimination. The case of Hungary's capital Budapest shows how such sentiment can be incited by the government as well as local populations – and how it affects those individuals concerned. A heading just caught my eye: "Unseen yet unaccepted: Budapest's Muslim Community."

However, the Muslims are not giving in and try their best to show it to the common Hungarian that Islam is far different and peaceful as against the general opinion. A walking tour to learn about Budapest’s Muslim community and its mosques has become popular with Hungarians as a way of overcoming fears and reservations amid a strident anti-immigrant campaign by the government. A tour operator has been quoted as saying: “Most people have never met a Muslim in their life and this ... together with what they hear every day in the media causes a lot of tension and stress in daily life. I think this is the main reason why people are coming now.”

General public has started to attend these walking tours and the feedback is positive. “I am very interested in everything multi-cultural and in cultures and religions that live among us,” said Nauszika, a psychologist who did not want to give her full name. “It is the best way to lose your fears if you start to ask the one who you (are) afraid of,” added tour leader Marianna Karman, an Africa expert who converted to Islam herself.

Jakovali Hassan Mosque in Pécs [Photo: © Martijn.Munneke / Flickr

The majority of Muslims in Hungary live in the capital. 60 % of them are of Arabic origin, 30% are from different backgrounds like Turkish, Persian or African Muslims and only around 10% are native Hungarian. The Hungarian Islamic church maintains four mosques across Hungary: two can be found in Budapest, one in Pécs and one in Szeged. More unofficial masjids can be found in residential buildings and offices, unrecognizable unless you’re looking for them. Those which do have their own building to function as a place of worship often don’t take on the traditional appearance of a mosque due to a number of factors, often related both to cost and to building legislation. The Jakovali Hassan Mosque in Pécs is the only one in Hungary used for prayer to have retained its original form and to feature a minaret.

Budapest Mosque [Photo]

Budapest Mosque, huge building opened in Ramadan 2011 with 3 floors is the central place for the Muslims of Budapest to converge and offer prayers. The maintainer of the Budapest Mosque is the Organization of Muslims in Hungary. About 500 people pray in the Budapest Mosque on every Friday. Beside religious events and prayers, Hungarian language is also taught for better merging into the Budapest crowd.

Watch a video of walking tour in Budapest of Muslims' places, mosques, centers and Halal shops:

When in Budapest looking for Halal meat and food, do visit Mughal Shahi Pakistani Restaurant for steaming biryani, nihari and other Pakistan food. In a review, Sara from UK writes: "I have never had such delicious Nihari, shami kebabs and naan outside my mothers kitchen! It has a wonderfully homely atmosphere, I think it is someones front room actually! I loved it but if this is not your thing then go somewhere fancier but I can guarantee you won't get the same standard of food."


Other eateries for Halal food are Turkish Titiz Turkish Restaurant, Baalbek Lebanese Restaurent, Al Amir, Darband Restaurant, Istanbul Turkish Restaurent, Antalya Kebab, and Pizza ITT All la to name a few.

About Minaret of Eger (head photo): The Eger minaret is an Ottoman era minaret tower located in Eger city, northern Hungary. It is the most northern minaret left from Ottoman rule in Europe. The minaret is 40 metres high and built from red sandstone. It was built in the early 17th century as part of the Djami of Kethuda mosque. Though the mosque no longer exist, the minaret survives as a preserved monument of Hungary and a major tourist attraction of Eger. There are 97 steps on the spiral staircase inside, which leads to a balcony at 26 meters from the ground offering unique views of the surrounding city.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |

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Understanding Quran can Change Our Lives

I am a born Muslim, Alhamdolillah, and have been following my faith as best I can. But let me confide very candidly with my readers that beside reading the Holy Quran and its translation, I never ventured myself deep into the message and the commandments contained therein to under the philosophy and the context in which the divine revelations have been made to last of the prophets Muhammad (peace be upon him). Thus I think my faith remained incomplete till one day.. 

Yes one day in April earlier this year, I just pondered over how born Muslims differ from the reverted ones. So I started reading about the personal experiences on non Muslims opting to become Muslims despite a very negative image of Islam being presented in the world media. And one thing that clearly stood out was that they all really READ the Qur'an in the language they understood, interacted with practicing Muslims and after a thorough understanding of the religion, they embraced Islam.

This opened my eyes and I decided to start understanding Qur'an by reading exegeses by revered Muslim scholars and reading about meaning of Qur'an and what is expected of us by reading, understanding and practicing its substance. And as I read, I came to know how much I have missed by not really reading and understanding Qur'an.

So while I read, I thought of sharing my experiences in the form of this blog. And today Alhamdolillah, I have posted summaries of 51 chapters of Qur'an as I read these with tafsir / exegeses. And believe me, the more I read more secrets started to unveil and I started to understand the Qur'an better than before. For example I never really knew the difference between the last two surahs of the Qur'an: Surah Al Falak and Surah An Nas. After reading the details and the context in which these were revealed, I came to knew that in both surahs proprioception is sought against the Evil. But while Surah Al Falak relates to the outer evil forces, like the magic by witches, Surah An Nas talks of inner evil. And thus by reading details and reference to the context of each surah, one is clear as to the why of their revelation. 

If you want to read and understand Qur'an and are not an Arabic speaking, all you need is to get a translated version of Qur'an which should also have short explanations on the sidelines to get a rough idea as to the why of the need of the revelation of a particular surah.

It is preferable to read the Qur'an from the end, that from the last of the surah and then going backwards.It is for two reasons:

• The size of the surahs in the beginning is very larges with diverse substance, and as one progress the size starts to shorten. That is the last surahs are the shortest and easier to understand.
• The second thing is that the most of the later surahs were the first to reveal in Makkah and are mostly relate to the stubbornness of the pagans of Makkah who refused to listen to the Prophet of Allah and mocked him for being a self proclaimed prophet. Due to this resistance, the concept of reward and punishment abounds in these surahs, specially of the Day of Resurrection, which was taken very lightly by the disbelievers and were thus cautioned to be ready for the day when they would be made answerable for their deeds.

Then there are sites in which one can find short stories about Prophets and people who refused to listen to the prophets and teased them, in many cases they were killed, like John the Baptist, called Prophet Yahya in the Qur'an. From these stories  one can learn many lessons and draw relevant conclusions for self improvement.

Once reading the Qur'an, one must look for the Dos and Don'ts. These may save from many wrong decisions in ones life as a true Muslim by knowing what if good or otherwise for a faithful.

While most of the later verses generally caution the non believers and give them tidings of the blazing fires of hell waiting for them in their lives in the hereafter, there are good tidings for the believers who remain steadfast amidst all difficulties for Allah never leaves His servants alone, for Quran will act as an intercessor on the Day of Judgment for them.

And one very important aspect of understanding Qur'an is know the context in which a certain verse or surah was revealed. And this is very important as reading anything out of context can entirely change the meaning and understanding of a particular verse / surah. So be watchful for the reference to the context. One of the oft misquoted verse of Qur'an is "kill them wherever you find them." In many sites of non Muslims, this verse has been quoted to show the 'barbaric face of Islam.' But when this is read in the correct perspective, its meanings change altogether.

• Since proclamation fo Islam in Makkah, the pagans of Makkah made the lives of Muslims miserable and were tortured whenever the nonbelievers found them weak and alone.
• This sometimes infuriated companions of the Prophet of Allah and even the Prophet himself, but Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) always advised for restraint.
• And ten bitter years went by. And when Muslims could no longer tolerate atrocities of people of Makkah, the immigrated to nearby countries and finally to Medina. The disbelievers followed them drew them to war. It was then these two verses (190-191) of Surah Baqarah (surah number 2) were revealed allowing Muslims to retaliate. But please read the complete verses and then know for yourself that Muslims were still asked not to transgress: "Fight in the way of God those who fight you but do not transgress. Indeed. God does not like transgressors. And kill them [pagan Arabs] wherever you find them and expel them from wherever they have expelled you, and persecution is worse than killing."
• I hope this reference makes the ambiguity clear which is wrongly quoted by non Muslims these days.

And if Qur'an is read like this, one would see wonders happening to one's life for after understanding the Qur'an one would know what Allah has really wanted from the man. And if we go by the Divine commandments, and follow the life of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), for his entire life was exactly spent as ordained by Allah, we shall prosper both mentally and spiritually.

Photo | 114 Chapter of the Holy Quran
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