Salutation in Islam

Salutation is a gesture or utterance made as a greeting or acknowledgement of another's arrival or departure all over the word. The may entail a handshake followed by a verbal greeting which is normally returned with appropriate words. 

Generally all over the world, salutations like Good Morning, Good Afternoon or Good evening are used. In some East Asian countries, two meeting people clasp their hands as a gesture of greetings. In India, the greeter add word Namsate, meaning greeting to you, along with clasping their hands.

It will be seen that in all above said salutations and greeting, there is no prayer or blessing is involved. Mere wishing a good morning or simply saying greetings are good gestures without any meaningful meaning. In fact these words have no spiritual and moral significance, but just a wish that one should find one's mornings and evenings happy. 

In Islam, whenever two Muslims meet, they extend salutation with a wonderful meaning and blessing. Muslims shake hand with a salutation in Arabic: " السلام عليكم (As-Salaam-Alaikum)" meaning "Peace be unto you. The salutation is returned with "وعليكم السلام (Wa-Alaikum-Salaam)" meaning "And unto you peace too."

The word Salaam means peace. As-Salaam is therefore one of the attributes of Allah, meaning "The Source of Peace." 

In the Quran, Allah instructs believers to greet one another with words of peace:

وَاِذَا جَآءَكَ الَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِاٰيٰتِنَا فَقُلۡ سَلٰمٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡ​ كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمۡ عَلٰى نَفۡسِهِ الرَّحۡمَةَ​ ۙ اَنَّهٗ مَنۡ عَمِلَ مِنۡكُمۡ سُوۡٓءًۢا بِجَهَالَةٍ ثُمَّ تَابَ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِهٖ وَاَصۡلَحَۙ فَاَنَّهٗ غَفُوۡرٌ رَّحِيۡمٌ‏ 

And when those who believe in Our signs come to you, say to them: 'Peace be upon you. Your Lord has made mercy incumbent upon Himself so that if anyone of you does a bad deed out of ignorance and thereafter repents and makes amends, surely you will find Him All-Forgiving, All Compassionate.'  (Surah 6. Al-An'am:54) 

It is mentioned in the 37th verse Surah 39. Az-Zumar that when the fortune ones will enter the Jannah (Paradise), the guard at the gate will also greet them with same salutation:

وَسِيۡقَ الَّذِيۡنَ اتَّقَوۡا رَبَّهُمۡ اِلَى الۡجَـنَّةِ زُمَرًا​ؕ حَتّٰٓى اِذَا جَآءُوۡهَا وَفُتِحَتۡ اَبۡوَابُهَا وَقَالَ لَهُمۡ خَزَنَتُهَا سَلٰمٌ عَلَيۡكُمۡ طِبۡتُمۡ فَادۡخُلُوۡهَا خٰلِدِيۡنَ‏ 

And those who eschewed disobeying their Lord shall be driven in companies to Paradise so that when they arrive there its gates will have already been thrown open and its keepers shall say to them: “Peace be upon you; you have done well. So enter. Herein you shall abide.”

Even when in Jannah (Paradise), when two believers would meat, they would greet each other with Salam, , as sated in the 23rd verse of Surah 14. Ibrahim:

وَاُدۡخِلَ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ خٰلِدِيۡنَ فِيۡهَا بِاِذۡنِ رَبِّهِمۡ​ؕ تَحِيَّتُهُمۡ فِيۡهَا سَلٰمٌ‏ 

(14:23) As for those who had believed and did good in the world, they shall be admitted to the Gardens beneath which rivers flow. There, with the leave of Allah, they shall abide forever, and will be greeted with: "Peace".

Generally a person meeting with someone or entering someone's house or office should extend this salutation. It common courtesy that if the receiver is sitting, he should stand up and return the salutation.

Who should greet first in Islam? Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The rider should first greet the pedestrian, and the pedestrian the one who is seated and a small group should greet a larger group (with as-Salam-u-'Alaikum).

The two words " السلام عليكم " may be called the irreducible minimum which are essential for greeting one another. Muslims are encouraged to add few words to make the prayer wholesome like: " السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته " (As-Salam-u-Alaikum wa-rahmatullahi wa-barakatuh) which means "Peace be unto you and so may the mercy of Allah and his blessings." Thus the wholsome salam " السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته " of "peace... ,mercy" and "blessings of Allah" forms the sum and substance of Islam and the Muslims are asked to shower upon one another these benedictions. so that they may be able to live in this world and the Hereafter in perfect peace and tranquility and blessings and mercy of Allah around him.

Muslims are so accustomed to using this salutation that they even extend this salutation while greeting a non Muslim. And by and by non Muslims of non Arabic origin have also started to understand this salutation and sometimes respond with "وعليكم السلام (Wa-Alaikum-Salaam)"

According to Imam Nawawi, greeting with the words of as-Salam-u-'Alaikum is a Sunnah, and responding to it is Wajib (obligatory), but this essentiality is of the nature of Kifaya, meaning thereby that if a few persons out of the whole assembly or group respond to the greeting it will absolve all of the responsibility of response but if no response comes forth from any quarter all are held responsible for it. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book : 26 KITAB AS-SALAM "THE BOOK ON SALUTIONS AND GREETINGS") [1]

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ used to greet people by saying As-salamu alaikum and encouraged his followers to do so as well. The tradition helps bond Muslims together as one family and establish strong community relationships. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ once told his followers that there are five responsibilities each Muslim has toward their brothers and sisters in Islam: greeting each other with salaam, visiting each other when someone is sick, attending funerals, accepting invitations, and asking Allah to have mercy on them when they sneeze. [2]

 Salam at the end of each prayer / Salat:

(Photo)

At the end of each prayer/salat, that is while sitting after the tashahhud, durood, and any du'a, the salat is ended by turning head to the right and saying, As-salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu. The angel who records your good deeds is to this side. Turning your head to the left for the angel sitting on the left shoulder and saying, As-salamu alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakaatuhu.

Shaking Hands: Muslim men generally shake hands or embrace each other when meeting with the salutations. They would also shake hands even if it comes to Non Muslims. But don't be surprised if a Muslim declines a handshake with a lady, for generally it is not done by Muslims. This is mainly because of religious prohibitions against a woman being touched by a man outside of her family. Likewise do not extend a hand when meeting a Muslim woman for generally she may decline it. However, meeting a Muslim woman, one may slightly bow his head in respect or placing one's right hand on his chest as a matter of courtesy.  A Muslim may do so when meeting a non Muslim woman. It may be added that even Muslim men do not shake hands with Muslim women, for Muslim men do not touch women outside of their family except their wives, daughters, mothers, etc. However, when a non Muslim woman meets a Muslim woman she may extend a hand which is seldom declined.

May Allah helps us understand Islam better by pondering over the verses of the Qur'an and acting upon the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Aameen

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

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Whom would Allah procure freshness and joy on Day of Resurrection

Qur'an is full of Divine promises for those who live a selfless life and whose every act is to please Allah and no one else. Today we select verse 9-11 of Surah 76. Ad Dahr in which Allah has mentioned believers from He will procure freshness and joy on the Day of Resurrection:

فَوَقٰٮهُمُ اللّٰهُ شَرَّ ذٰلِكَ الۡيَوۡمِ وَ لَقّٰٮهُمۡ نَضۡرَةً وَّسُرُوۡرًا​ۚ‏ 

(76:11) So Allah shall guard them against the woe of that Day, and will procure them freshness and joy, 

Let us see who are these people. At many places in Qur'an, Allah has ordained His servants to look after the orphans, feed the needy and help the captives. In this Surah too, this theme is repeated in the 8th verse and the promise of these helpers in the next verse wherein they are seen submitting to Allah that they helped the needy not for any worldly gains or to elevate their status, but only to please Allah. And this should be the sole aim of a true believer that his every act is to please Allah and none else:

وَيُطۡعِمُوۡنَ الطَّعَامَ عَلٰى حُبِّهٖ مِسۡكِيۡنًا وَّيَتِيۡمًا وَّاَسِيۡرًا‏  

(76:8) those who, for the love of Him, feed the needy, and the orphan, and the captive,

Most of the commentators hold the view that the pronoun in hubbi-hi refers to food. Accordingly, they interpret the sentence to mean: "In spite of the food's being agreeable and tasty and that they need it, they give it away to others." Ibn `Abbas and Mujahid say: "they do so because of their fondness for feeding the poor ( `ala hubb-il-it am); and Fudail bin `Iyad and Abu Suleman ad-Darani say: "They do so out of love for Allah." In our opinion the following sentence ("We are feeding you only for the sake of Allah") supports the last meaning. 

The custom in the ancient days was that the prisoners were put in fetters and shackles and taken out daily to go about the streets begging food. Later the Islamic government abolished this custom. (Imam Abu Yusuf, Kitab al-Kharaj, p, 150, Ed, 1382 H. ) In this verse, the captive implies every such person who is in bondage, whether he is an unbeliever, a Muslim, a war prisoner, or imprisoned in consequence of a crime, and whether he is provided food in that state, or made to beg for it. In any case, to feed a helpless person who cannot do anything to earn a living, is an act of great virtue.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

( وَيُطْعِمُونَ الطَّعَامَ عَلَى حُبِّهِ And they give food, in spite of their love for it,) It has been said that this means the love of Allah, the Most High. In their view the pronoun refers to Allah. However, the most apparent meaning is that the pronoun refers to the food. This would mean, they give food while they themselves love it and desire it. This was stated by Mujahid and Muqatil, and it was the preferred opinion of Ibn Jarir. 

This is similar to Allah's statement:

(And gives his wealth, in spite of love for it.) (2:177)

(By no means shall you attain Al-Birr unless you spend of that which you love.) (3:92) 

In the Sahih, there is a Hadith which states: (The best charity is that which you give while you are healthy, covetous, hoping for wealth and fearing poverty.) This means in the condition of your love for wealth, your eagerness for it and your need for it. 

Thus, Allah says:

(And they give food, in spite of their love for it, to the poor, the orphan and the captive,) Concerning the poor person and the orphan, an explanation of them and their characteristics has already preceded. In reference to the captive, Sa`id bin Jubayr, Al-Hasan and Ad-Dahhak all said, "He is the captive among the people of the Qiblah (i.e., the Muslims).'' Ibn `Abbas said, "At that time (when this Ayah was revealed) their (the Muslims') captives were idolators.'' Proof for this is that on the day of Badr the Messenger of Allah commanded his Companions to treat the captives respectfully. They (the Companions) would give them preference over themselves when eating their meals. `Ikrimah said, "They (captives) are the slaves.'' Ibn Jarir preferred this opinion since the Ayah generally refers to both the Muslim and the idolators. Sa`id bin Jubayr, `Ata', Al-Hasan and Qatadah all made similar statements. The Messenger of Allah advised treating servants well in more than one Hadith.

This held such importance with him that the last statement of advice that he gave (before dying) was his saying: (The prayer (As-Salah) and what your right hand possesses (slaves).) Mujahid said, "He (the captive) is the prisoner.'' This means that these (righteous) people give food to others even though they themselves desire it and love it, saying at the same time.

In the next verse, these believers and men of true belief have shown their humbleness and obedience to Allah rather than boasting of their charitable act:

اِنَّمَا نُطۡعِمُكُمۡ لِـوَجۡهِ اللّٰهِ لَا نُرِيۡدُ مِنۡكُمۡ جَزَآءً وَّلَا شُكُوۡرًا‏ 

(76:9) (saying): “We feed you only for Allah's sake; we do not seek of you any recompense or thanks

Although feeding a poor man is in itself a great virtue, yet fulfilling the other needs of an indigent person is no less virtuous. For example, to clothe a poor man, to arrange treatment for a sick person, or to help a debtor who is harassed by his creditor, is an act of equally great virtue. Here, a particular kind of virtue in view of its importance has been presented only as an example, but the real object is to stress giving help to the needy. 

It is not necessary that this may be said in so many words while feeding the poor man. It may be said in the heart; in the sight of Allah this is as meritorious as saying it with the tongue. But saying these words with the tongue has been particularly mentioned so as to set the person being helped at ease that no thanks or recompense is due from him, so that he eats with full satisfaction and peace of mind. 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(We feed you seeking Allah's Face only.) meaning, hoping for the reward of Allah and His pleasure.

(We wish for no reward, nor thanks from you.) meaning, `we do not seek any reward from you in return for it. We also are not seeking for you to thank us in front of the people.' Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr both said, "By Allah! They do not say this with their tongues, but rather, Allah knows it in their hearts and He commends them for it. Every seeker should seek after this.''

And they express their fear that if they had not helped the poor or orphans or the captives, they would be among the most distressful on the Day of Resurrection:

اِنَّا نَخَافُ مِنۡ رَّبِّنَا يَوۡمًا عَبُوۡسًا قَمۡطَرِيۡرًا‏ 

(76:10) we fear from our Lord a Day that shall be long and distressful.”

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(Verily, We fear from our Lord a Day that is `Abus and Qamtarir.) meaning, `we only do this so that perhaps Allah may have mercy on us and treat us with gentleness on the Day that is `Abus and Qamtarir.' `Ali bin Abi Talhah reported from Ibn `Abbas, "`Abus means difficult and Qamtarir means long.'' 

`Ikrimah and others said from Ibn Abbas: (a Day that is `Abus and Qamtarir (hard and distressful, that will make the faces look horrible from extreme dislike to it.)) "The disbeliever will frown on that day until sweat will flow between his eyes like tar.'' Mujahid said, "Abus `Abis means (frowning with) the two lips and Qamtarir means drawing up the face in a scowl.'' Sa`id bin Jubayr and Qatadah said, "Faces will be made to frown due to dismay. Qamtarir is the contraction of the forehead and what is between the two eyes due to dismay.'' Ibn Zayd said, " `Abus is the evil and Qamtarir is the severity.''

It is for such God fearing believers that Allah makes a pledge for them (verse 11). This verse presents the reward which will be given to these people who willingly attend to difficult duties, who fear the bleak, grim day, the generous who feed others despite themselves being in need, and who only seek God's pleasure, hoping for no reward from anyone else. As the surah presents this, we find that it is a reward of security, happiness and perfect enjoyment.:

فَوَقٰٮهُمُ اللّٰهُ شَرَّ ذٰلِكَ الۡيَوۡمِ وَ لَقّٰٮهُمۡ نَضۡرَةً وَّسُرُوۡرًا​ۚ‏  

(76:11) So Allah shall guard them against the woe of that Day, and will procure them freshness and joy,

"Freshness and joy": freshness of the face and joy of the heart. In other words, all the severities and terrors of the Day of Resurrection will be meant only for the disbelievers and the culprits. The righteous will on that Day remain immune from every hardship and will be well-pleased with their lot. The same theme has been expressed in Al-Anbiya': 103, thus: "The time of great fright will not trouble them at all; the angels will rush forth to receive them, saying: this is the Day that you were promised; and in An-Naml: 89 thus: "He who brings good deeds, will have a reward better than that, and such people shall be secure from the terror of that Day. " 

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May we be among the ones whom Allah would procure freshness and joy on the Day of Resurrection Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

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

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

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

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

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How to develop Khushoo (Humility / focused concentration) when offering Salat

Most of us offer prayer in one form of the other and talk to God, our Creator as He has ordained us so. Muslims too, like followers of all Divine Religions, offer prayer called As Salt in Arabic. They offer As Salat five times a day as against weekly prayers by Jews and Christians. Although we carry out the drill every day, but are we really praying for usually many thoughts plague our minds while we are praying and more often than not we lose concentration and aren't humble in our prayer.

Since we are talking to Allah, though we do not see Him, but we are certain sure that He is seeing us praying and listening to us. Therefore we must show the best of our humility so that we are listened to. Unless we empty our mind and concentrate solely on our prayer, we could not have been talking to Allah. In all humility, our sole focused attention and concentration should on talking to Allah. And at this time, no foul thinking should ingress our mind to take away our attention. So how do we achieve Khushoo " خشوع " ( humility  /  focused concentration ) when offering Salat?  Allah says ab

Let us understand what Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) says about Khushoo in the second verse of Surah 23. Al-Muminun:

قَدۡ اَفۡلَحَ الۡمُؤۡمِنُوۡنَۙ‏ 

(23:1) The believers have indeed attained true success

الَّذِيۡنَ هُمۡ فِىۡ صَلَاتِهِمۡ خَاشِعُوۡنَ ۙ‏ 

(23:2) those who, in their Prayers, humble themselves;

That is those believers who are humble in their prayers have attained true success for unless we show humility to our Creator in every walk of our life, specially the As Salat, how can our arrogance win us success. 

Khashiun " " خَاشِعُوۡنَ " " in the text is from khushu " خشوع " (to bow down, to express humility) which is a condition of the heart as well as of the body. Khushu of the heart is to fear and stand in awe of a powerful person and khushu of the body is to bow his head and lower his gaze and voice in his presence. In Salat one is required to show khushu both of the heart and of the body, and this is the essence of the Prayer. It has been reported that when the Prophet (peace be upon him) once saw a person offering his Prayer as well as playing with his beard, he remarked: If he had khushu in his heart, his body would have manifested it.

 

Explaining the second verse, Ibn e Kathir notes that "(Khashi`un " خَاشِعُوۡنَ ") means those with fear and with tranquility.'' It was reported from `Ali bin Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, that Khushu` means the Khushu` of the heart. Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "Their Khushu` was in their hearts.'' So they lowered their gaze and were humble towards others. Khushu` in prayer is only attained by the one who has emptied his heart totally, who does not pay attention to anything else besides it, and who prefers it above all else.

Yusuf Ali  puts it this way: Humility in prayer as regards (1) their estimate of their own worth in Allah's presence, (2) as regards their estimate of their own powers or strength unless they are helped by Allah, and (3) as regards the petitions they offer to Allah.

Qur'an Wiki explanation: “Who humble themselves in their prayer.” They feel the reverence associated with prayer, as they stand up to address God, and their hearts are thus filled with awe, which is, in turn, reflected in their features and movements. Their spirits feel God’s majesty as they realize that they stand in His presence. Thus, all their preoccupations and distractions disappear. Their thoughts and feelings are all concentrated on their discourse with Him. In His sublime presence, they are heedless of all their surroundings. They see and feel nothing but His majesty. Their minds and hearts are purged of even the slightest alien thought or feeling. In such a situation, a stray atom is reunited with its source, a wandering spirit finds its way, and a heart that has been long in isolation finds its company. Thus, all values, concerns and considerations diminish, except for the ones that are related to God in some way.

Please listen to an enlightening lecture by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan on how to develop Khushoo when offering salat:

About the scholar: Nouman Ali Khan, born to a Pakistani family, is an American Muslim speaker and Arabic instructor who founded the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies, after serving as an instructor of Arabic at Nassau Community College. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us develop Khushoo and induce in us humility so that we offer our salat with complete focused concentration and be listened to. Ameen 

You may refer to our reference page: As Salat / Prayers for any Q&A you may have with regard to prayers.

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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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Everyone acts in his peculiar manner - but your Lord is fully aware who has chosen the best path

There is only path that leads to ultimate truth - a path only to be found by men of true faith and belief in one true God. Now it is up to man to seek and find that straight path and continue to follow it for it leads to salvation. There are many distractions en route and the evil forces do their utmost to waver the man from following it and get him distracted. But men of faith do not hear the evil calls and are sure that if the wicked go their own ways, there is nothing to discourage him. It is their nature. We must seek and hold fast to true guidance.

This is the theme of the 84th verse of Surah 17. Al Israa (The Ascend, also called Surah Bani Israel). We have shared the explanation of the verse by various Muslim scholars that amply highlight the meaning of this verse. But please scroll down to the end and listen to an enlightening commentary on this verse by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan.

In fact in this verse, there is an implicit warning as to the results of approaches and deeds. Hence, everyone needs to heed the warnings and strive to follow the path of divine guidance which is available to all:

قُلۡ كُلٌّ يَّعۡمَلُ عَلٰى شَاكِلَتِهٖؕ فَرَبُّكُمۡ اَعۡلَمُ بِمَنۡ هُوَ اَهۡدٰى سَبِيۡلًا

(17:84) Say, (O Prophet): "Everyone acts in a manner peculiar to himself - and your Lord is fully aware as to who has chosen the best path."

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(Say: "Each one does according to Shakilatihi...'') Ibn `Abbas said, "According to his inclinations.'' Mujahid said, "According to his inclinations and his nature.'' Qatadah said, "According to his intentions.'' Ibn Zayd said, "According to his religion.'' All these suggestions are close in meaning. This Ayah - and Allah knows best - is a threat and a warning to the idolators, like the Ayah:

﴿وَقُل لِّلَّذِينَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ اعْمَلُواْ عَلَى مَكَانَتِكُمْ﴾

(And say to those who do not believe: "Act according to your ability and way'') (11:121) 

So Allah says: (قُلْ كُلٌّ يَعْمَلُ عَلَى شَاكِلَتِهِ فَرَبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِمَنْ هُوَ أَهْدَى سَبِيلاً  Say: "Each one does according to Shakilatihi, and your Lord knows best of him whose path is right.'') meaning either us or you. Everyone will be rewarded in accordance with his deeds, for nothing whatsoever is hidden from Allah.

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

About the scholar: Nouman Ali Khan, born to a Pakistani family, is an American Muslim speaker and Arabic instructor who founded the Bayyinah Institute for Arabic and Qur’anic Studies, after serving as an instructor of Arabic at Nassau Community College. He has been named one of the 500 most influential Muslims in the world by the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre of Jordan.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | References: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

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

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

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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

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Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, and help us against those who deny the Truth

A true Muslim is always cognizant of his shortfalls, misdeeds and weaknesses for which he is always repenting and asking for forgiveness. Yet despite all his efforts to seek forgiveness, whenever he is confronted with any difficulty or faces a dead wall, he does not straightaway call out to Allah to save him from his miseries, but first of all he seeks Allah's forgiveness from his sins and excesses, and then seeks help against those who deny Muslims the truth or hamper in his way forward.

This action of a Muslim is exactly in line with the 147th verse of Surah 3. Al-i'Imran, " سورة آل عمران " which we have chosen today for our series of posts on Selected Invocations  (Dua / دُعا) from Qur'ān:

وَمَا كَانَ قَوۡلَهُمۡ اِلَّاۤ اَنۡ قَالُوۡا رَبَّنَا اغۡفِرۡ لَنَا ذُنُوۡبَنَا وَاِسۡرَافَنَا فِىۡۤ اَمۡرِنَا وَ ثَبِّتۡ اَقۡدَامَنَا وَانۡصُرۡنَا عَلَى الۡقَوۡمِ الۡكٰفِرِيۡنَ‏ 

(3:147) And all they said was this: 'Our Lord! Forgive us our sins, and our excesses, and set our feet firm, and help us against those who deny the Truth.'

Qur'an Wiki:

The testing times, the difficulties and the dangers do not make the believers oblivious of their need to turn to God. As they do, their first request is not victory, as would have been expected, but forgiveness for their errors and excesses. Prayer for increased strength and victory over the enemy comes second: “All that they said was this: ‘Our Lord! Forgive us our sins and our excesses in our affairs. Make firm our steps, and give us victory over the unbelievers.’” They do not pray for any great bounty or reward. They have not implored God to give them the reward of either this life or the life to come. Their humility when they turn to God and address Him is too great to allow them to do this, and despite the fact that they are fighting for His cause. They pray only that He will grant them forgiveness of their sins, make firm their steps, and grant them victory over the unbelievers. It is very important to realise here that they do not pray for victory for themselves, but rather for the defeat their opponents and the frustration of the unbelievers. This is the sort of good manners which befit believers when they address God, the Almighty.

May Allah help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Invocations / Dua " دُعا " from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

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

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

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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

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Who shall be raised BLIND on the Day of Resurrection

Followers of all Divine religions believe that this worldly universe would come to an end one day and all men who have ever lived will be raised from their graves and paraded in the court of God to be made answerable for their deeds and rewarded for their good deeds and entered in to Paradise while those who sinned and usurped others rights will be ushered towards the blazing fire of Hell. That will be the Divine Justice. 

However, while many will be raised seeing the day, a large number will be raised blind. For them God has forewarned them in the verse 125th of Surah 20. Ta Ha:

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

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

Here "Wretched /strained life in this world" does not mean a life of poverty. It means that such a one shall be deprived of the peace of mind, even though he may be a millionaire or the ruler of a vast empire, for the one, who will turn away from the "Admonition", will win all the worldly successes by unlawful means and, therefore, will always be suffering from pangs of a guilty conscience and deprived of the peace of mind and real happiness. 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(But whosoever turns away from My Reminder,) This means, "Whoever opposes my command and what I have revealed to My Messenger, then he has turned away from it, neglected it and taken his guidance from other than it.''

(verily, for him is a life of hardship,) meaning, his life will be hard in this world. He will have no tranquility and no expanding of his breast (ease). Rather, his chest will be constrained and in difficulty due to his misguidance. Even if he appears to be in comfort outwardly and he wears whatever he likes, eats whatever he likes and lives wherever he wants, he will not be happy. For verily, his heart will not have pure certainty and guidance. He will be in agitation, bewilderment and doubt. He will always be in confusion and a state of uncertainty. This is from the hardship of life.

Concerning His statement, (and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.) Mujahid, Abu Salih and As-Suddi said, "This means he will have no proof.'' `Ikrimah said, "He will be made blind to everything except Hell.'' 

This is as Allah says, (And We shall gather them together on the Day of Resurrection on their faces, blind, dumb and deaf; their abode will be Hell.) [17:97] 

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

The consequences of the rejection of Allah's guidance are here expressed more individually: a life narrowed down, and a blindness that will persist beyond this life. "A life narrowed down" has many implications: (1) it is a life from which all the beneficent influences of Allah's wide world are excluded; (2) in looking exclusively to the "good things" of this life, it misses the true Reality.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

This blindness will be with regard to the consequences: although they will be able to see but will be deprived of the light which believers will have on that day in the radiance of which they will be able to determine their path and destination at every moment. In verse 13 of Sūrah al-Ḥadīd, this has been explained.

Qur'an Wiki:

They swing from one extreme to the other. Misery will always be the result of such worry and confusion, even though a person enjoys all the riches life can give. But the ultimate misery is that suffered in the hereafter. However, those who follow God’s guidance are protected from error and misery in this earthly life. This compensates them for their lost Paradise until they return to it on the appointed day. “But he who turns away from My message shall have a straitened life and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (Verse 124) When human life severs its links with God, depriving itself of His abundant grace, it becomes straitened, even though it may be materially affluent. It is a type of stress attendant on being isolated from God and the reassurance of His mercy. It is a stress that demonstrates itself in worry, doubt and confusion; holding tight to what one owns and fearing unexpected loss; coveting all manner of comfort and pleasure; nurturing aspirations and ambitions, etc. People do not feel true reassurance except when they place their trust in God, holding tight to their bond with Him. The reassurance generated by faith in God adds much to life’s dimensions in length, breadth, depth and expanse. Without such reassurance, life is nothing but a continuous misery and is far harder than what man suffers through poverty and deprivation. “We shall raise him up blind on the Day of Resurrection.” (Verse 124) This is the same type of going astray as that which man went through in the life of this world. It comes by way of recompense for his turning away from God’s message in this first life.

Such people will lament and will ask:

قَالَ رَبِّ لِمَ حَشَرۡتَنِىۡۤ اَعۡمٰى وَقَدۡ كُنۡتُ بَصِيۡرًا‏ 

(20:125) where-upon he will say: "Lord! Why have You raised me blind when I had sight in the world?"

And the God will answer:

قَالَ كَذٰلِكَ اَتَـتۡكَ اٰيٰتُنَا فَنَسِيۡتَهَا​ۚ وَكَذٰلِكَ الۡيَوۡمَ تُنۡسٰى‏  

(20:126) He will say: "Even so it is. Our Signs came to you and you ignored them. So shall you be ignored this Day."

The Quran has described the different conditions and experiences through which the criminals will pass from the Day of Resurrection to the time of their entry into Hell: You were neglectful of this, now We have removed the curtain from before you and your sight has become very sharp. (Surah Qaaf, Ayat 22). He is only deferring them to the Day when all eyes shall stare with consternation. They will be running in terror with heads uplifted and eyes fixed upwards and hearts void. (Surah Ibrahim, Ayats 42-43). We have fastened the augury of every man to his own neck and on the Day of Resurrection We will bring forth a writing which he will find like an open book. (It will be said to him:) Here is your record: read it. Today you can yourself reckon your account. (Surah Al-Isra, Ayats 13-14). In the light of the above and this (verse 126), it appears that in the Hereafter, the criminals shall be enabled to see the horrible sights and to realize the consequences of their evil deeds, but in other respects they will be like the blind man who cannot see his way and is deprived of even a staff to feel his way, nor is there anyone to guide him. So he stumbles and is knocked about and does not know where to go and how to satisfy his needs. This very state has been expressed thus: You forgot Our Revelations when they came to you, so you are being forgotten today, as if, you were blind and had no one to look after you.

So my believer brothers and sisters, time is still at our hand to repent of our bad deeds sincerely so that we do not have to be among the category of the blind and that we are blessed on that fateful day and be guided to Paradise by Noor of  Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎). 

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. Aameen.

For more Selected Verses, please refer to our reference page: Selected Verses from the Qur'an. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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

Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully.

An effort has been made to gather explanation / exegesis of the surahs of the Qur'ān from authentic sources and then present a least possible condensed explanation of the surah. In that the exegesis of the chapters of the Quran is mainly based on the "Tafhim al-Qur'an - The Meaning of the Qur'an" by one of the most enlightened scholars of the Muslim World Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi.  

In order to augment and add more explanation as already provided, additional input has been interjected from following sources: 

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

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

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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

Read More

Revert Experiences: I tried Every Faith and Ended up Converting to Islam

Many years ago when I started writing this blog, my sole aim was to know and share why non Muslims revert to Islam. What have been their thrust of search and queries that were answered by reading Qur'an and listening to some of the eminent scholars of Islam of the time. But after sharing many such experiences, I broadened the scope of the blog to explanation/tafsir/exegesis of Qur'an to many other subjects that new reverts would still like to know. However, side by side I kept sharing revert experiences for may be someone who is still indecisive of embracing Islam may find such experiences of some substance in making one's Ultimate Decision to embrace Islam.

Here I would like to recount an account of my great-great grandfather who despite being born to a Muslim family wanted some of his queries answered and left his home and stayed with Hindus, Christians, Jews and Buddhists for a long time. But then it finally dawned on him that the answers he was looking were right there in the Qur'an and he came back fully satisfied of his search and became a staunch practicing Muslim. You may read my account of him here: Journey through other faiths to know the truth

Generally, my observation is that the Concept of Trinity in Christianity is the basic cause of dissatisfaction for in Bible such concept does not occur. Rather in Bible at many places, it has been categorically said that "Your God is one God and there is none other than Him." That is why many Christians turn to Catholicism, Protestantism, New Age, Buddhism, Agnosticism or even Atheism to find their unanswered queries. Yet are not satisfied and ultimately turn to Islam to find satisfactory answers. They are even amazed to find that Muslims are more Christians than Christians themselves as far faith in Prophet Eesa (Jesus, may peace be upon him). Many Christians who finally believe that God is One, but they still cling to the clause that God is the Father of Jesus, a mis norm for a God cannot have wives and children. If Jesus was born in a miraculous circumstance, this does not make God  father of Jesus.  This aspect has been very clearly stated in Surah 112 Al Ikhlas (please click on the highlighted portion to read the 112th Chapter of Qur'an which clarifies Oneness of Allah and the fact that He begets not, nor was He begotten;).

Continuing with my effort to share the revert experiences, I am sharing a one of the unique revert experiences that I have so far listened to and thought it will be very helpful to those in their quest to find the ultimate truth and finding their way to Islam. Someone has rightly commented on the video and I agree with it in totality:

It shows that everyone that searches honestly for the truth will find Islam at the end, not only because it is the only religion that makes sense but also that Allah guides you to the right path.

Please watch the video below and listen to each word and query that one may be confronted with and how and where to find the true Truth and the final answers:

Disclaimer: The data / video for this post has been collected from the references as given below or YouTube. If anyone 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.

To read personal accounts those who have reverted to Islam, please visit our page: Embracing Islam: Revert Experiences. You may also visit our reference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on Important Issues related to Islam to kn0w more Islam as eminent scholars answer some of the most asked question about Islam

You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Quran.

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

Please share this page to your friends and family members through Facebook, Twitter, 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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