Do not accept the Bribes in the matter of wicked system of life

Bribe, as described in dictionaries, is to dishonestly persuade (someone) to act in one's favour by a gift of money or other inducement. Since bribe is something to gain personal favours, it is thus a criminal and corrupt practice where an entity offers something of value to a corporate or public official in exchange for their cooperation in influencing a decision-making process, committing or allowing fraud against the official's organization, or otherwise violating their official duties.  

Islam does not allow obtaining personal favours facilitated by bribery and strictly cautions believers to stay away from it. The earliest commandment to this effect is found at the times of Prophet Suleiman (Solomon, peace be upon him) as mentioned in the 36th verse of Surah 27. An Naml (The ants). The background of this verse is when the revered prophet refused gratification from Queen of Saba. In fact the Queen has sent an envoy with the proposal of offering gifts so as to save her kingdom as she contended that "When the kings enter a country, they cause corruption in it and abase those of its people who are held in honour. This is what they want to do." (27:34). This was also to test the honesty of Prophet Suleiman. But the prophet plainly refused the offer as described in the 37th verse quoted below:

فَلَمَّا جَآءَ سُلَيۡمٰنَ قَالَ اَتُمِدُّوۡنَنِ بِمَالٍ فَمَاۤ اٰتٰٮنِۦَ اللّٰهُ خَيۡرٌ مِّمَّاۤ اٰتٰٮكُمۡ​ۚ بَلۡ اَنۡـتُمۡ بِهَدِيَّتِكُمۡ تَفۡرَحُوۡنَ‏  

(27:36) Now, when (the envoy of the Queen) came to Solomon, he said: "Do you want to aid me with wealth? Whatever Allah has granted me is much more than what He has given you. (Keep for yourselves) your gift in which you are exulting.

This sentence is not meant to express pride and vanity. What it means to say is this: "I have no desire for your wealth; I only desire that you should believe, or at least submit to a righteous system. if you agree to neither of these alternatives, it is not possible for me to accept the bribes of wealth and leave you tree in the, matter of a polytheistic and wicked system of life. What my Lord has given me is enough for me to cherish any desire for your wealth. 

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

More than one of the scholars of Tafsir among the Salaf and others stated that she sent him a huge gift of gold, jewels, pearls and other things. It is apparent that Sulayman, peace be upon him, did not even look at what they brought at all and did not pay any attention to it, but he turned away and said, rebuking them:

("Will you help me in wealth'') meaning, `are you trying to flatter me with wealth so that I will leave you alone with your Shirk and your kingdom'

(What Allah has given me is better than what He has given you!) means, `what Allah has given to me of power, wealth and troops, is better than that which you have.'

(Nay, you rejoice in your gift!) means, `you are the ones who are influenced by gifts and presents; we will accept nothing from you except Islam or the sword.'

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

( Now when [the Queen's messenger] came unto Solomon, he said: "Do you people mean to add to my wealth? But that which God has given me) I.e., not only worldly wealth but also faith, wisdom and an insight into realities normally hidden from other men.

(  is [so much] better than all that He has given you! Nay, it is [only such as] you that would rejoice in this gift of yours!)  I.e., people who prize only material things and have no inkling of spiritual values.

Yusuf Ali  Explanation: 

Poor Bilqis! She thought she had arranged with womanly tact to conciliate Solomon, and at the same time pacify her warlike subjects! But the effect of the embassy with presents was the very opposite. Solomon took it as an insult that she should send her presents instead of her submission to the true Religion! He flung back the presents at her, as much as to say, "Let these baubles delight your own hearts! Allah has blessed me with plenty of worldly goods, and something infinitely better, viz.; His Light and Guidance! Why do you say nothing about that?"

Explanation Qur'an Wiki:

We see the queen’s emissaries delivering her gift to Solomon who takes them to task for thinking that they could buy his peace with money, seeking to divert him from calling on them to believe in God. He announced his final ultimatum, in clear and powerful terms. His answer derides money, scorning its use in a situation that involves advocacy of the faith, where it can be of no use. He has given me things that are far superior to wealth; namely, knowledge, prophethood and the service of the jinn and birds. No material thing, rich as it may be, holds any attraction for me: “Yet you rejoice with your own gift.” (Verse 36) Such worldly luxuries may please the likes of you who have no bond with God and who do not receive His gifts.

What we learn from this verse is that the glitter of gifts (behind which ulterior motive of bribery are hidden) should never be a choice for a true believer to accept. For if it is done, there are many chances that one would fall into a trap of illegally gratifying the one offering the gifts and turning things into his favour. This may have very serious consequences specially when it comes to the rulers of a country dealing with other countries. Weaker states my succumb to luring gifts and thus being trapped and sacrificing their own interest and serving the bigger nations for whom a few billions are good enough bait for the dishonest rulers. 

Likewise, the dishonest rulers would buy the people to support their unjust rule. Unfortunately we see these happening to many a Islamic countries today which are on one hand falling into the debt trap and at the same time lowering their guards to allow the materialization of interests of their masters.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the  Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ‏ 

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.

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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

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

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

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, 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

Signs of weak Faith (Eeman - إيمان )

Embracing Islam by reciting the Shahadah is the very first step to enter the fold of Islam. From hereafter begins a long journey to solidify one's faith bit by bit, reaching one mile stone after the other. But this is one arduous and difficult journey and enduring its rigours is not at all easy.

It is seen, more often that not, that the Satanic machinations are always at play, distracting one's path to success and making him weak and feeble both in character and faith. However, Allah has placed such a warning mechanism in one's brain that whenever one faulter, a warning is sounded. Many ignore such repeated warnings for the path of Evil is full of worldly attractions lewdness and entertainment, which are not at all advocated to be followed in Islam as these weaken one's faith and take him away from the righteous path.

So whoever, a believer finds following signs, he must immediately repent, ask for forgiveness and get back to his abandoned true path:

• Skipping the daily obligatory and slowly and gradually abandoning these completely. This is the first sign that one has abandoned the truth and despite warning shots, he has committed himself in the worldly affairs or his job or family and making these as excuse not to offer prayers.
• And when this happens, one finds no desire or inkling to read Qur'an. and he has distanced himself from two main pillars of Islam which bound a believer to his faith. Even listening to verses of Qur'an being recited make him feel uncomfortable and he switches over to listening to his favorite music.
• When Salah and Qur'an are distanced, he also starts to neglect the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. Quite obviously if commandments of Allah do not move his heart, how could sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ?
• This neglect follows by a state when committing a sin denudes him from the feeling of guilt. This in fact is the start of journey wherein the Evil forces start to have a grip over his thoughts and thus he indulges into many ills and sines like robing others of their rights, their wealth and property or even their happiness. He also falls into the deep well of things haram in Islam. 
• Since by now he has lost sight of basic tenants of Islam, anyone doing a right thing or even asking him to do a right thing bores him and most of the time enrages him. He is then often found to be angry on petty things both at home and place of work. Such attitudes sometimes result in divorces, loss of job or use of violence which lead to persecution. 
• Such persons are finally divorced from truth and honesty and fell into deep well of depression, irritation and a state of solitude.
• When one is robbed of his Eeman or has a low level of Eeman, he feels happy to see others in crisis and does not feel the urge to help them, something which is the hallmark of all Muslims of strong belief and faith. Like letting a stone stay on the road way and then standing nearby to see if someone stumbles over it and falls so that he could rejoice at the misery of the brother in pain.
• The fading away the differentiation between the Halal and Haram, the allowable and the forbidden. Many Muslims living in non Muslim countries do not mind eating pork, drinking wine or flesh of any animal on which name of Allah has not been said. 
• A stage comes when he does not feel any response in him if he sees someone being hurt or being robbed of his essentials, for he himself is doing the same ingresses and not feeling an iota of guilt for not helping others, when he could, and indulging himself in things that are more often that not forbidden in Islam. Interest in all above fades away, he is fully engrossed in piling up wealth from all legal and illegal means and gaining power becomes his sole ambition. We have seen many politicians who robbed their countries and filled their coffers with ill gotten money. Not realizing that Qarun (Karoon) the once wealthiest man whose coffer keys were carried by dozens of camels,  fell to his knees and was buried into sand along with his wealth which could not save him from wrath  of Allah.
• By now he is a man who is Muslim by name or faith just in name. And no good can be expected of him in promoting Islam and inviting others to Islam. In fact by now his personality and character is so tainted that no one would be ready to listen to him for they would know that a man who cannot protect his own faith, how can he ask others to be good or sincere. 

The above said factors that show a weak faith mainly stem from the following environs and conditions:

• Living in non Muslim countries or while living in Muslim countries, keeping a company which is full of sins and haram things. Such environs are inviting and tempting and seeing everyone around not adhering to life as prescribed by Qur'an and Sunna he starts to drift away from basic Islamic tenants and slowly and gradually start to follow the un Islamic ways of life as of the surrounding or of his company and loses sight of Islam he once knew.
• Living a life which constitute worldly pleasures. The outcome of the first is connected to the second. Losing sight of the end game when Day of Resurrection will be set and rewards and punishments will be awarded. The lewdness of worldly life is so attractive that one drifts and continues to drift away from Islamic teaching and way of life.

It is for such people that Allah says in Surah Al Hijr 15:3: “Leave them to eat and enjoy, and let them be preoccupied with (false) hope. They will come to know!”

Pray that these weakness do not overpower us and our Eeman remains pure and clean from any pollution. And that we continue to hold tight the rope of Eeman and are always be on guard to beat back the onslaught of Evil forces. May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

The purpose of this post is awaken such believers from their artificial life3 and put them back to their faith. For it is our duty to gui

Read More

Seven Wonders of the Muslim World

Most of us grew up remembering and mugging up the famous seven wonders of the world and if you ask any student around the world about the seven wonder, he would instantly count back all these seven wonders. But if you ask someone what are the Seven Wonders of the Muslim World? The answer in most cases will be display of ignorance with blank eyes.

But the Muslim architecture is one of the richest trove of buildings that are spread around the world and leave one in awe when one get to see these from close quarters. In fact wherever Muslims went, they left behind a rich legacy of their architecture which attracts a large number of tourists from around the world and leave them mesmerized by the phenomenal Muslim architecture which has no parallel.

 Although Taj Mahal, the ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra, built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan build by Muslim emperor, ranks in the seven wonders of the world, it is a mere resting place of the queen Mumtaz Mahal of the Moghul emperor. 

But the Islamic architectural wonders that we are going to introduce today are places of worship of Muslims, which show the love of Muslims to their Creator One and the only God. These Islamic wonders are immensely rich in Muslim aspirations and are heavily carved with verses from Qur'an immaculately and in awe inspiring designs. Muslim architecture specifically include  minarets, muqarnas, arabesque, Islamic geometric motifs, pointed arch, multifoil arch, onion dome and pointed dome.

The seven wonders of Islamic world are:

• The Ka'abah (Makkah) and the Green Domed Masjid of the Prophet (Medinah)
• The Dome of the Rock
• The Alhambra and Great Mosque of Córdoba
• The Great Mosque of Djenne in Mali
• The Blue Mosque in Istanbul
• The Friday Mosque, Esfahan
•  The Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, Pakistan

The video below shows the wonderful architecture of places mentioned above and am sure this video would leave a lasting impression of the viewers about richness and aesthetical designs of these architectural wonders:

However, the wonders of Islamic world cannot be restricted to these seven only for each Islamic building is unique in design and abounds in novel ideas and structural designs which are spanned all over the world. You may visit the sites mentioned below to know more about Muslim architecture and their unique designs.

Photo | Reference: | 1 | 2 | 

For more posts, please refer to our reference page: Islam and the rest of the World. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so  that they are able to discuss issues with Non Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

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

Sabr: Patience with Perseverance - the best trait of a Muslim

Life is a complex living with generally smooth sailing, yet marred with tests and trials, up and down and many a challenges that rob one's peace of mind and makes one dejected and depressed. This could be loss of near and dar one, loss of property, wealth, position or a job. These are occasions when one is in extreme distress and does not, though momentarily, see any hope or light at the end of the tunnel. Some even lament "Why me!!"

Well, this is how life has been planned for us by Allah to test us in times of happiness and sorrow. Both these conditions are in fact a test for the man, specially for the true believers for sometimes their faith too wavers and they look towards the sky in distress, silently asking the why of bad times they are passing through. Cognizant of man's state of mind, Allah has asked the believers to be patient with perseverance for they do not the WHY and even do not know how better things in their  lives are planned, promises that those who face difficulty and yet persist on the right path, will be doubly rewarded for their faith in Allah and being patient.  

But do we really understand what Sabr really is. Jamal Badawi explains:

Typically people translate sabr as patience, which is an approximate meaning. Patience s is not a very good translation because it comes from the Latin origin which means suffering. Thus patience is understood in peoples minds as a passive type of suffering. The term sabr comes from the verb sabara which means to tie or bind. In other words it means to be tie down uncontrolled fears, weakness and human passion. There is no specific English word that expresses this meaning but some words that are close are perseverance, resolution, fortitude, self discipline and control. This quality is not passive but more active determined and dynamic. The term sabr (perseverance) in Islam has so many applications that are not limited to perseverance in cases of calamity or disaster. It does include fighting for justice or freedom, demolition of human tyranny unlike the negative passive term, patience.

Going by the above explanation we understand that the main difference between patience and perseverance is that patience is the ability to endure difficult situations without being annoyed or anxious, but perseverance is the quality of continuing with something even though it is difficult.

Thus believers are advised not only to overcome their grief but also continue enduring their grief and resultant difficulties with complete faith in Allah and never ever wavering from their true path for this is the stage when the Satanic machinations are at their prime to offset a believer and inculcate in his mind the feeling of abandonment. 

Thus under the distressful circumstance, a true believer must know that:

• Whatever is happening or happened to us, we don't understand the WHY, yet we trust Allah without questioning.
• That when in distress, we do not show our grief to people around us holding back our tears and being strong but cry when it's just Allah with us and beg Him for mercy to take us out from the grievous situation we are in.
• Instead of being feeling low,  still manage to say Alhamdulillah.
• Everything belongs to Allah which He has very graciously given to us. But if it is taken back, we need not lament for the taken back things was not ours anyway. Instead we should say:  Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (إِنَّا لِلّهِ وَإِنَّـا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعونَ) - “Surely to Allah we belong and to Him we will all return.“

It is certainly difficult for a person to look at the tragedies of the world today and not feel helpless and sad. But believers are called to put their trust in their Lord, and not to fall into despair or hopelessness. You must continue to do what Allah has called to do: put trust in Him, perform good deeds, and stand as witnesses for justice and truth. This is how Allah advises a believer to exhibit sabr and perseverance in Qur'an:

• "Seek Allah's help with patient perseverance and prayer. It is indeed hard except for those who are humble." (2:45)
• "Oh you who believe! Seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for God is with those who patiently persevere." (2:153)
• "Be sure We shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods, lives, and the fruits of your toil. But give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere. Those who say, when afflicted with calamity, 'To Allah we belong, and to Him is our return.' They are those on whom descend blessings from their Lord, and mercy. They are the ones who receive guidance." (2:155-157)

That is those who have faith in Allah in times of distress, Allah promises them good tidings and releif as is said in Surah 94 Al-Sharh:5-6:

فَاِنَّ مَعَ الۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا ۙ‏ 

(94:5) Verily with every difficulty there is relief.

اِنَّ مَعَ الۡعُسۡرِ يُسۡرًا ؕ‏ 

(94:6) Verily with every difficulty there is relief.

The above quoted last verses of the Surah Al-Sharh were revealed when Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was passing through some of the hard times of his life3 and these two repeated verses were revealed to tell him that with every hard ship comes the ease provided one faces the hardships with patience and perseverance. 

Yusuf Ali explains: This verse is repeated for extra emphasis. Whatever difficulties or troubles are encountered by men, Allah always provides a solution, a way out, a relief, a way to lead to ease and happiness, if we only follow His Path and show our Faith by patience and well-doing. The solution or relief does not merely come after the Difficulty: it is provided with it. I understand the definite article in al-'usr in a generic sense, and translate: "every difficulty". In xcii. 7, I have translated Yusr as Bliss, and in xcii. 10 'Usr as Misery.

The essence of all above is in fact a strong message for the believers to exhibit extreme sense of  Sabr (patience with perseverance) whenever in in testing and trying times for Allah is on the side of those who bow their heads to Allah in every state of happiness and despair and know that both happiness and distress are from Allah and his duty is to remain subservient to whatever comes from Allah. Such are the true believers and Muslims.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so  that they are able to discuss issues with Non Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Photo | references: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

You may read more posts on similar theme in our series of posts related to: Selected verses from Al-Qurʾān about Sabr   "صبر "   / Patience

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

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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

Read More

Do we get reward "Sawab" for reading Qur'an translation in native language?

Qur'an, the last of the Holy Scriptures revealed on to the last of the prophets Muhammad ﷺ, is in the Arabic language as all other scriptures are in languages of the people upon whom those were revealed.  Although Qur'an has been translated into almost all major spoken languages of the world, a doubt often exists in the minds of Muslims whose mother tongue is not Arabic that whether they will get reward "Sawab" in reading the translation in their native language or not.

This question has been very frequently asked from many a scholars and exegetes of Qur'an and all of them have been giving out their view point. Generally, it is believed by majority of the scholars that if a person who reads the Qur'an correctly, he has the reward of reading the Qur'an even if he reads it from a non-Arabic transcription.

But is reading Qur'an only for obtaining reward? Aren't we neglecting the badic purpose fot which Qur'an was revealed? Please listen to the view point of one of the eminent Muslim scholars of the present times, Javed Ahmed Ghamidi who answers the question in explicit words to clear many a doubt that exist in the minds of the non-Arabic speaking Muslims. We could give out the gist of the video, but it will be much better to listen to the scholar himself. The video is in Urdu, but has English subtitles for those who cannot understand Urdu:

Note: Please turn on the captions by clicking the wheel shaped icon if automatically English translation is not activated

Professor Javed Ahmad Ghamidi, a Pakistani Muslim theologian, Quran scholar, Islamic modernist, exegete and educationist, on the subject. 

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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so  that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and help us to act upon the commandments of Allah contained therein. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the video above are those of the scholar concerned. We have shared this view as added information in better understanding of Islam. The reader may or may not agree with the view owing to their own perception. 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.

Photo | 

For more Scholarly views and videos, please read our reference page: Scholars' Viewpoint on Important Issues Related to 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.

Read More

Say! Our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message

Every Muslim and believer is entrusted with the scared task of conveying to others what he knows about Islam and calling them to join their faith. The same has been the mission of very messenger that Allah sent to the mankind in different timeframe and different localities. All invited the people of the time who were polytheists and idol worshippers to listen to what they have been told by their Creator and the Only One God and to convey to everyone in the listening range so that the message of God could reach them.

Unfortunately, many a people refused to listen to the messengers of God and ridiculed he messengers or they just looked like them and in most cases from noble yet poor families. Thus the rich and powerful just shrugged off and refused to listen to them. The same happened to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ when he tried to put across message of God to them. And as is always, the poor and the down trodden listened to their call and embraced the true faith and followed messengers of God.

But the rich and powerful as always refused to listen to the messengers and would sometimes put fingers in their ear lest some Divine words penetrate in their ears and make them accept the faith so professed. This was in addition to making the lives of prophets and messengers, who despite all odds continue to spread the Godly words. And when they refused to listen to them, the prophets a nd messengers were asked to tell them that  our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah ha entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible to make you accept it forcibly, And if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, You will yourselves be answerable for your crimes.

The 17th verse of Surah 36. Ya Sin points towards in this direction:

وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡ

(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”

Javed Ahmed Ghamidi notes that the implication of this verse is that after this the messengers will have done their duty. It is now their responsibility to accept or reject and they too shall have to bear the consequences.

Yusuf Ali explains the verse and says that the dusty and task of the messengers and prophets is not to force them but to convince them. It is to proclaim openly and clearly Allah's Law, which they were breaking,-to denounce their sins and to show them the better path. If they were obstinate, it was their own loss. If they were rebellious against Allah, the punishment rested with Allah.

Explanation Qur'an Wiki: 

Certain that they said nothing but the truth, and knowing the remit of the mission assigned to them, the messengers replied: “Our Lord knows that we have indeed been sent to you. Our only duty is to clearly deliver the message [entrusted to us].” (Verses 16- 17)

It is sufficient that God knows. The task assigned to God’s messengers is to deliver their message, and they did just that. People are then free to choose what they wish for themselves, and what burden their choices represent. Once the messengers have delivered their message, the matter is left to God to determine.

To my reckoning, the above said verse has summarized the entire six versed Surah. 109. Al Kafirun (The Disbelievers) in which the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ after having been dejected and disheartened from the negative attitude of the elite of the Makkan tribes, was finally asked to tell them that: 

لَـكُمۡ دِيۡنُكُمۡ وَلِىَ دِيۡنِ

(109:6) To you is your religion, and to me, my religion

The above quoted verses are of special significance to those Muslims who have taken upon the the task of Da'wah (inviting non Muslims to Islam) to only confine themselves to conveying the message of God and convince them with logic and reasoning as provided in the Qur'an and Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  and no more. No one is to be coerced or forced into Islam. Instead, when all reasonings and logic fail to strike at their heart, they must leave by saying our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message or To you is your religion, and to me, my religion.

May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى‎) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others life miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door. 

May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.

Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.

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. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so  that they are able to discuss issues with Non Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.

Photo | references: | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |

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

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

Follow @IslamUltimate

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

Read More

Islam in Uruguay

Uruguay is a country in South America and Montevideo is the largest city of the country and also its capital. As per 2019 estimate, it has a population of 3,518,552,mainly Christian dominant. Of this Muslims are a very tiny fraction, 0.02% or merely 1,000.  A significant Muslim population lives in Chuy, near the Brazilian border, as well as Rivera, Artigas and Montevideo.

There are three Islamic centers in Montevideo:

• 1) Musallah Al Haazimi
• 2) Egyptian Cultural Islamic Center
• 3) Islamic Center Uruguay

Photo

Not very much information is available about life of Muslims living in Uruguay, may be because of its small number. I will appreciate if Muslims living in Uruguay add more information by entering their input in the comment column given at the end of the post.

Uruguay has no official religion; church and state are officially separated, and religious freedom is guaranteed. Due to secular nature of the Uruguay's constitution, Muslims are free to proselytize and build places of worship in the country. The Egyptian embassy in Monteviedeo provides a room for Friday prayers.

A news appeared some seven years ago that dAdel bin Muhammad El Ouerghi, a 50-year-old Tunisian, married Roma Blanco, a 24-year-old Uruguayan (photo above). The news was siginificant becasue the Tnisian was a former Guantanamo Bay detainee. He was married to Roma Blanco, a 24-year-old Uruguayan who converted to Islam. The union was the first of two weddings being organized by men resettled in the South American country. She said she converted to Islam four months ago and planned to take the name Samira. She and El Ouerghi met a month ago at a mosque. Blanco wore a light purple scarf and a violet jacket with gold-colored lacing. She also had henna designs on her hands, customary for Muslim women for the marriage ceremony.

Please watch a documentary on Islam in Uruguay:

Disclaimer: The data for this post 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.

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 | 6 | 7 | 8 |

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.

Read More