Allah knows even the stealthiest glance of the eyes and secrets that hearts conceal

Today in our series of posts on Selected verses from Qur'an, we have selected a very small yet very powerful verse from Qur'an. Our Lord, the Maste of the entire universe has an eye over every act of Hs servants and knows what is hidden in one's eyes and hearts. And on the Day of the Judgment, when man will not be able to speak, his eyes and hearts will speak out what they have been stealthily seeing and hiding in their hearts. On that day, no intercessor would be able to speak on his behalf, unless so permitted by the Lord. So how can escape, both in this world in the world Hereafter>

In the 19th verse of Surah 40. Al Mu'min (The Believer), also known as Surah Al Ghafir (The Forgiver), man is being cautioned to guard one's eyes and the lust and ill will hidden in them and also keep their hearts cleansed at all time to save them from wrath of Allah:

يَعۡلَمُ خَآئِنَةَ الۡاَعۡيُنِ وَمَا تُخۡفِى الصُّدُوۡرُ‏ 

(40:19) He knows even the stealthiest glance of the eyes and all the secrets that hearts conceal.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: 

(Allah knows the fraud of the eyes, and all that the breasts conceal.) Allah tells us about His complete knowledge which encompasses all things, great and small, major and minor, so that people will take note that He knows about them and they will have the proper sense of shyness before Allah. They will pay attention to the fact that He can see them, for He knows the fraud of the eyes, even if the eyes look innocent, and He knows what the hearts conceal.

Ad-Dahhak said: ( خَآئِنَةَ الاٌّعْيُنِ the fraud of the eyes,) "A wink and a man saying that he has seen something when he has not seen it, or saying that he has not seen it when he did see it.'' Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, said, "Allah knows when the eye looks at something, whether it wants to commit an act of betrayal or not.'' This was also the view of Mujahid and Qatadah. 

Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, commented on the Ayah: ( وَمَا تُخْفِى الصُّدُورُ and all that the breasts conceal.)"He knows, if you were able to, whether you would commit Zina with a woman or not.''  As-Suddi said: (and all that the breasts conceal.) meaning, of insinuating whispers.

Yusuf Ali Explanation: 

((Allah) knows of (the tricks) that deceive with the eyes) Men may be taken in by tricks that deceive with the eyes, but Allah's perfect knowledge penetrates through all mysteries. "Treachery of the eyes" may mean several things; (1) a sleight of hand (literally or figuratively) may deceive in respect of the eyes of beholders, for the things that they see do not actually happen; (2) it may be the deceiver's own eyes that play false, because, for example, they show love when hatred is meant; or (3) it may be that the eyes of the beholder play him false, in that he sees things that he should not see, and thus sins with his eyes.

(And all that hearts (of men) conceal) Here we come into the region of evil motives and thoughts which may be concealed in the hearts, breasts, or minds, but which are all perfectly known to Allah.

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

God's omniscience is shown here as the reason why there can be no intercession with Him in the commonly-accepted sense of this term (cf. surah {10}, partial explanation of verse 18), given herein under:

Surah Yunis verse 18: ". Say: "Do you [think that you could] inform God of anything in the heavens or on earth that He does not know?"

Belief in the efficacy of anyone's unqualified intercession with God, or mediation between man and Him, is here equated with a denial of God's omniscience, which takes all the circumstances of the sinner and his sinning a priori into consideration. (As regards God's symbolic grant of permission to His prophets to "intercede" for their followers on the Day of Judgment

Tafsir Qur'an Wiki:

They stand in full view; nothing can conceal their reality. Even a stealthy glance and a heart's secret is brought into the open: "God is well aware of the stealthiest glance, and of everything the heart would conceal." (Verse 19) An eye looking stealthily will try hard to conceal its stealthy gaze, but God is well aware of it. A secret may be hidden safely in one's soul, but it is not hidden from God who knows it all.

Now you may listen to the following short clipped video to explanation of the aforesaid Ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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' lives 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 | 

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 the following sources: 

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

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

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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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Why Prophet Muhammad ﷺ advised Women to give alms

Today we share a Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which is carry an advice for women only. Women are generally involved in slandering and cursing, and gossiping and backbiting, may be not as an ill will, but just as a habit of gossiping.

The Hadith is mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī  (Book 6 Menstrual Periods كتاب الحيض/ Chapter 6: A menstruating women should leave observing Saum (fasting) باب تَرْكِ الْحَائِضِ الصَّوْمَ) as Hadith 304 and also found in Jami` at-Tirmidhi  (Book # 40 The Book on Faith كتاب الإيمان عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم/ Chapter # 6 Regarding the Completion of Faith, Its Increasing And Decreasing باب مَا جَاءَ فِي اسْتِكْمَالِ الإِيمَانِ وَزِيَادَتِهِ وَنُقْصَانِهِ ‏) as Hadith number # 2613:

Narrated by Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي زَيْدٌ ـ هُوَ ابْنُ أَسْلَمَ ـ عَنْ عِيَاضِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي أَضْحًى ـ أَوْ فِطْرٍ ـ إِلَى الْمُصَلَّى، فَمَرَّ عَلَى النِّسَاءِ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ يَا مَعْشَرَ النِّسَاءِ تَصَدَّقْنَ، فَإِنِّي أُرِيتُكُنَّ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِ النَّارِ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقُلْنَ وَبِمَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ تُكْثِرْنَ اللَّعْنَ، وَتَكْفُرْنَ الْعَشِيرَ، مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ نَاقِصَاتِ عَقْلٍ وَدِينٍ أَذْهَبَ لِلُبِّ الرَّجُلِ الْحَازِمِ مِنْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ وَمَا نُقْصَانُ دِينِنَا وَعَقْلِنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَلَيْسَ شَهَادَةُ الْمَرْأَةِ مِثْلَ نِصْفِ شَهَادَةِ الرَّجُلِ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ عَقْلِهَا، أَلَيْسَ إِذَا حَاضَتْ لَمْ تُصَلِّ وَلَمْ تَصُمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْنَ بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَذَلِكَ مِنْ نُقْصَانِ دِينِهَا ‏"‏‏.

Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) went out to the Musalla (to offer the prayer) of `Id-al-Adha or Al-Fitr prayer. Then he passed by the women and said, "O women! Give alms, as I have seen that the majority of the dwellers of Hell-fire were you (women)." They asked, "Why is it so, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He replied, "You curse frequently and are ungrateful to your husbands. I have not seen anyone more deficient in intelligence and religion than you. A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."

A caution which Muslim women must listen to and save them from the hellfire by just abstaining from cursing others and being ungrateful to their husbands for generally no good reason, but as a matter of habit.

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' lives 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.

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.

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.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. 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.

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

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Prayer of the Angels for Two types of people (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

Many of us have been provisioned well by our Lord, yet there are many who feel hesitant of sharing their blessings with others and tend to tighten their grips when it comes to helping someone from what they have. On the other hand, there are many who despite not having much, still have a big heart and do their utmost to help others so that they can sustain their lives with dignity. 

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ has always encouraged his companions to help the needy and raised eye brows for those who showed reluctance to help others. 

Today's selected Hadith is in the same context as mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī  (Book 24 Obligatory Charity Tax (Zakat) كتاب الرقاق / Chapter 27: The Statement of Allah Ta'ala: "As for the one who is charitable, mindful of Allah, and firmly believes in the finest reward, we will facilitate for them the Way of Ease. And as for the one who is stingy, indifferent to Allah, and staunchly denies the finest reward, we will facilitate for them the path of hardship.' (92:5-10) بَابُ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَى فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَى وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى وَكَذَّبَ بِالْحُسْنَى فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى}) as Hadith 1442, given herein under:

Narrated by Abu Huraira:

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَخِي، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنِ أَبِي مُزَرِّدٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْحُبَابِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ مَا مِنْ يَوْمٍ يُصْبِحُ الْعِبَادُ فِيهِ إِلاَّ مَلَكَانِ يَنْزِلاَنِ فَيَقُولُ أَحَدُهُمَا اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُنْفِقًا خَلَفًا، وَيَقُولُ الآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ أَعْطِ مُمْسِكًا تَلَفًا ‏"‏‏.‏

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allah! Destroy every miser.' "

Much has already been said and written on these two types of people and we have already shared verses from Qur'an and Hadiths of similar theme and we share these for correlation and elaboration:

• Believers! Do not be parsimonious (Surah 12 Al Israa, verse 29)
• Give Charity from honestly earned money (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī Hadith 1410)
• Do not withhold your money by counting it (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī Hadith 1433)
• Lust of man for money is endless (Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī: Hadith 6436)

So let us be among the ones for whom Angels pray for compensation and not among the ones who may draw the Divine wrath for not helping our brethren. 

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' lives 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.

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.

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.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. 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 | 

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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Death of some relieves them and death of some relieves the world (Hadith Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

The caption of our post today may be confusing to some but when we will share the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which we have selected for this post today, many will shiver with fear or some may find a hope into the wisdom of the revered Prophet of Allah which cautions man on how one wishes to meet death when it finally comes to him.

This Hadith in the same context is mentioned in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī  (Book 81 To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq) كتاب الرقاق / Chapter 42: The stupors of death باب سَكَرَاتِ الْمَوْتِ) as Hadith 6512, given herein under:

Narrated by Abu Qatada bin Rib'i Al-Ansari:

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَلْحَلَةَ، عَنْ مَعْبَدِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ بْنِ رِبْعِيٍّ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، أَنَّهُ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُرَّ عَلَيْهِ بِجِنَازَةٍ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مُسْتَرِيحٌ، وَمُسْتَرَاحٌ مِنْهُ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا الْمُسْتَرِيحُ وَالْمُسْتَرَاحُ مِنْهُ قَالَ ‏"‏ الْعَبْدُ الْمُؤْمِنُ يَسْتَرِيحُ مِنْ نَصَبِ الدُّنْيَا وَأَذَاهَا إِلَى رَحْمَةِ اللَّهِ، وَالْعَبْدُ الْفَاجِرُ يَسْتَرِيحُ مِنْهُ الْعِبَادُ وَالْبِلاَدُ وَالشَّجَرُ وَالدَّوَابُّ ‏"‏‏.‏

A funeral procession passed by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who said, "Relieved or relieving?" The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What is relieved and relieving?" He said, "A believer is relieved (by death) from the troubles and hardships of the world and leaves for the Mercy of Allah, while (the death of) a wicked person relieves the people, the land, the trees, (and) the animals from him."

Now our caption will make sense. Imagine the death of a demagogue, say like the Pharoah, whose life was a bane for others all along. And many may have prayed for his death and how Joyous they would have been when angel of death clutched away life from his body. And then there are those whose lives have been a comfort and source of inspiration and happiness. Such are the blessed people, who when leave this world, are thankful to Allah that they have been relieved of the troubles and tests and trials of the earthly world and from then forth they would be at the mercy of Allah. 

How fortunate are those who are relieved of the troubles of the world and going back to their Lord with a hope of being shown mercy. And how unfortunate are those whose death relieves people from his tyranny and injustices. Choice is ours as of now: Be among the one who are relieved, and not among the one who relieve.

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' lives 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.

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.

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.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. 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 | 

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Intercession in a good cause shall return a good result (and vice versa)

Different people behave differently and with different results. Some urge others to exert themselves for the cause of Allah and to exalt His Word and they get its reward. There are others who spread misunderstandings among the people about Allah's cause, discourage the Muslims and try to dissuade them from exalting the Word of Allah and thus incur punishment.

This is the very theme of 85th verse of Surah 4. An Nisa (The Women) as appended below and its simplest explanation [1]:

مَنۡ يَّشۡفَعۡ شَفَاعَةً حَسَنَةً يَّكُنۡ لَّهٗ نَصِيۡبٌ مِّنۡهَا​ ۚ وَمَنۡ يَّشۡفَعۡ شَفَاعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَّكُنۡ لَّهٗ كِفۡلٌ مِّنۡهَا​ ؕ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ عَلٰى كُلِّ شَىۡءٍ مُّقِيۡتًا‏ 

(4:85) He who intercedes in a good cause shall share in its good result, and he who intercedes in an evil cause shall share in its burden. Allah watches over everything.

Tafsir Ibn-Kathir: (Interceding for a Good or an Evil Cause)

Allah said, ( مَّن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـعَةً حَسَنَةً يَكُنْ لَّهُ نَصِيبٌ مِّنْهَا Whosoever intercedes for a good cause, will have the reward thereof;) meaning, whoever intercedes in a matter that produces good results, will acquire a share in that good.

(وَمَن يَشْفَعْ شَفَـعَةً سَيِّئَةً يَكُنْ لَّهُ كِفْلٌ مَّنْهَا And whosoever intercedes for an evil cause, will have a share in its burden.) meaning, he will carry a burden due to what resulted from his intercession and intention. 

For instance, it is recorded in the Sahih that the Prophet said, (Intercede and you will gain a reward of it. Yet, Allah shall decide whatever He wills by the words of His Prophet.) Mujahid bin Jabr said, "This Ayah was revealed about the intercession of people on behalf of each other.'' 

Allah then said, (وَكَانَ اللَّهُ عَلَى كُلِّ شَىْءٍ مُّقِيتاً And Allah is Ever Muqit over everything.) 

Ibn `Abbas, `Ata', `Atiyah, Qatadah and Matar Al-Warraq said that, (مُّقِيتاً Muqit) means, "Watcher.'' Mujahid said that Muqit means, `Witness', and in another narration, `Able to do.'

Muhammad Asad Explanation:

Lit., "shall have a share (nasib) therefrom". Since the term nasib has here a positive meaning, it can be suitably rendered as "a share in its blessings".

The noun kifl is derived from the root-verb  kafala "he made himself responsible [for a thing]". Tabari explains it in this context as denoting "a share in the responsibility and the sin". The expression minha ("out of it") indicates the part played by the transgressor in the evil enterprise, to which the pronoun ha ("it") refers.

Yusuf Ali Explanation:  

In this fleeting world's chances Allah's providence and justice may not always appear plain to our eyes. But we are asked to believe that if we help and support a good cause, we share in all its credit and in its eventual victory. And conversely, we cannot support a bad cause without sharing in all its evil consequences. If appearances seem against this faith, let us not be deceived by appearances. For Allah has power over all things.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi Explanation:

The actual words are: يَّشْفَعْ شَفَاعَةً سَيِّئَةً. The wordشَفَعَ means to join a thing to another. From this basic meaning, this word came to be used to support and second something and to speak in favour of it – whether that thing is good or evil. Thus, the Qur’ān has used the same word for both. It has called the first شَفَاعَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ and the second شَفَاعَةٌ سَيِّئَةٌ.

Now you may listen to the following short clipped video to explanation of the aforesaid Ayat by eminent Muslim scholar Nouman Ali Khan:

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' lives 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 the following sources: 

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

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.

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Islam in North Macedonia

North Macedonia, earlier Macedonia prior to 2019, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Eastern Orthodox Christianity is the majority faith of North Macedonia, making up 65% of the population, while Muslims constitute 33.3% of the population. This makes North Macedonia with the fifth-highest proportion of Muslims in Europe. The Macedonian Muslims are largely the descendants of Orthodox Christian Slavs from the region of Macedonia who were converted to Islam during the centuries when the Ottoman Empire ruled the Balkans.

According to the census of 2002, making Islam the second most widely professed religion in the country. Muslims in North Macedonia follow Sunni Islam of the Hanafi madhhab. Some northwestern and western regions of the country have Muslim majorities. A large majority of all the Muslims in the country are ethnic Albanians, with the rest being primarily Turks, Romani, Bosniaks or Torbeš. As of 2011, there were 1,842 churches and 580 mosques in the country. [2]

Šarena Džamija [Photo: Wikimedia Common - Author: Photo Balkan]

One of the oldest mosques of Macedonia is the Šarena Džamija, meaning Decorated Mosque in English but also variably translated as Painted Mosque. Located near the Pena River in Tetovo, North Macedonia, the mosque was originally built in 1438 and later rebuilt in 1833 by Abdurrahman Pasha. Unlike other mosques of the Classical Ottoman period, the Šarena Mosque is more characteristic of traditional mosques in Anatolia, as it was constructed before the conquest of Constantinople, when Byzantine-influenced Mosque domes became the standard design.

The cultural and historical features of the Macedonian Muslims have contributed to their position within the relatively harmonized Macedonian society. Although Macedonia is renowned for being secular, with separation between state and religion, its constitution implicitly recognizes Islam as equal to other religions. The establishment of the Association of Macedonian Muslims, also known as Dar al-Ifta, was an important factor in helping to preserve the position of Islam and its legal manifestation and practices. This Islamic institution manages the affairs of the Macedonian Muslims, and defends their rights as citizens of Macedonia. [3]

The rule of Ottomans has left many architecture and shopping areas, Bazars, which still exCommoist and remind of the days of their glorious rule. Following is a photo of Old Bazar, located in Skopje, North Macedonia.:

{Photo: Wikimedia Common / Author: Stotosenik ]

The Old Bazaar is one of the oldest and largest marketplaces in the Balkans, it has been Skopje's centre for trade and commerce since at least the 12th century. During Ottoman rule of Skopje, the Old Bazaar developed rapidly to become the city's main centre of commerce. The Ottoman history of the bazaar is evidenced by roughly thirty mosques, numerous caravanserais and hans, among other buildings and monuments. Besides its importance as a marketplace, the Old Bazaar is known for its cultural and historical values.

Ishak Bey Mosque located in Old Bazar 

[Photo: Wikimedia Commons/author: de:Benutzer:Dominik.Tefert]

Ishak Bey Mosque, also known as the Decorated (Aladža) Mosque is famous for its floral decorations, inscriptions and coloured tiles found on its walls, the Ishak Bey Mosque was constructed in 1438 in the northern part of the Old Bazaar. The mosque's minaret rises 30 meters (98.4 feet). There is a türbe located behind the mosque. Within this mosque was one of the first Islamic libraries in Europe. [5]

Many Macedonian Muslims are involved in agriculture, and also work abroad. Macedonian Muslims are well known as fresco-painters, wood carvers and mosaic-makers. In the past few decades large numbers of Macedonian Muslims have emigrated to Western Europe and North America. [4]

According to a 2017 Pew Research Center survey, 64% of Macedonian Muslims responded that religion is "very important" in their lives. The same survey found that 43% of Macedonian Muslims pray all five salah,[14] 51% attend mosque at least once a week, and 46% read Quran at least once a week. That makes Macedonian Muslims the most religious Muslim community between the Balkan countries with the Muslim communities in Montenegro and Serbia. [6]

As per one of the reports published by Al Jazeera in 2013, there are a number of cultural and educational organisations, publishing houses and relief organisations, that focus on care for Muslims and on raising awareness. They also aim to celebrate Islamic culture, defend the legitimate constitutional rights of Muslims and uphold the rights according to the Islamic educational and spiritual upbringing. There are a number of political parties that consist primarily of Muslims, and they have about 30 representatives of a 123 in parliament. Additionally, a number of Islamic youth forums work extensively on bridging the gap between religions, and on spreading the virtue of tolerance among the youth both within and outside of Macedonia. [3]

Now despite a sizeable portion of total population being Muslims, all is not well between the non-Muslims and the Muslims. Following is some of the reports published by Al Jazeera:

Despite the established and sound cooperation between Muslim and non-Muslim political circles, especially within the Macedonian parliament and other political circles, tension still prevail on the religious level with the lack of trust in Muslims. Lack of confidence in the Muslim population and the future uncertainties have become entrenched despite a lack of logical or historical justification.[3]

Presence of Muslims is a thorn in the eye of the anti-Islamists who exert unremitting efforts to defame Islam, stigmatize Muslims and fight their presence through political, cultural and media-oriented pressure groups. There are reportedly a number of new right-winged extremist and fascist politicians have launched several campaigns in a number of Western European countries in order to incite fear of Islam among the general populations. [3]

However, despite indifferent attitude of non-Muslims, Muslims are also to be blamed for not making their presence felt with higher strides in education and other service fields. With regards to education, Muslims fall at the bottom in the overall context of the country, and they are the poorest of the Macedonian social sects. Moreover, their political participation in the public sector is scarce compared to their representation in society. According to a survey, Muslims of Albanian origin are in a much better position than those of Turkish origin, while the position of the Bosniak, Toribash/Gorani and Roma Muslims are at the bottom.

Another problem facing the Muslims is the unity. The Islamic Religious Union of the Republic of Macedonia is an organization that is recognized by the state, but cannot sufficiently represent the Muslims of the country. Within the Islamic Religious Union, Albanians make up the majority. The needs of the Turkish and Slavic Muslims are not sufficiently met by the union. There is a dire need that the Islamic Religious Union of the Republic of Macedonia adopt policies that include all the Muslim communities in the country and become an organization through which they can make their voices heard in social and political spheres. [7]

The Islamic Relief organization is helping the poor Macedonian Muslims and alleviate some of the difficulties faced by low-income families in Macedonia. They provide seasonal assistance in the area. Their Qurbani and Ramadan programmes provide much-needed food for struggling families at the most important times of the Islamic year.[8]

You may like to watch a short video clip on history and culture of Macedonian Muslims - Ottoman traditions kept alive in Macedonia:

Disclaimer: The data for this post has been collected from the references given below. 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 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: Macedonian Flag | 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.

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Three people whose judgement will be pronounced First on the Day of Resurrection (Hadith Qudsi Prophet Muhammad ﷺ)

There is a much referred to Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which is about the reward of actions based on intention "(The value of) an action depends on the intention behind it", already shared by us. In the same context, we share a Hadith Qudsi, in which case of three people has been presented, who otherwise did noble things in their lives, yet because of their selfish intentions will be dragged into the hell. 

On the authority of Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: " إِنَّ أَوَّلَ النَّاسِ يُقْضَى يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ عَلَيْهِ رَجُلٌ اسْتُشْهِدَ، فَأُتِيَ بِهِ فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا، قَالَ: فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا؟ قَالَ قَاتَلْتُ فِيكَ حَتَّى اسْتُشْهِدْتُ، قَالَ: كَذَبْتَ، وَلَكِنَّكَ قَاتَلْتَ لِأَنْ يُقَالَ: جَرِيءٌ، فَقَدْ قِيلَ، ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ فَسُحِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ حَتَّى أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ. وَرَجُلٌ تَعَلَّمَ الْعِلْمَ وَعَلَّمَهُ وَقَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ، فَأُتِيَ بِهِ، فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا، قَالَ: فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا؟ قَالَ: تَعَلَّمْتُ الْعِلْمَ وَعَلَّمْتُهُ، وَقَرَأْتُ فِيكَ الْقُرْآنَ، قَالَ: كَذَبْتَ، وَلَكِنَّكَ تَعَلَّمْتَ الْعِلْمَ لِيُقَالَ: عَالِمٌ، وَقَرَأْتَ الْقُرْآنَ لِيُقَالَ: هُوَ قَارِئٌ، فَقَدْ قِيلَ، ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ، فَسُحِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ حَتَّى أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ. وَرَجُلٌ وَسَّعَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَأَعْطَاهُ مِنْ أَصْنَافِ الْمَالِ كُلِّهِ، فَأُتِيَ بِهِ، فَعَرَّفَهُ نِعَمَهُ فَعَرَفَهَا، قَالَ: فَمَا عَمِلْتَ فِيهَا؟ قَالَ: مَا تَرَكْتُ مِنْ سَبِيلٍ تُحِبُّ أَنْ يُنْفَقَ فِيهَا إِلَّا أَنْفَقْتُ فِيهَا لَكَ، قَالَ: كَذَبْتَ، وَلَكِنَّكَ فَعَلْتَ لِيُقَالَ: هُوَ جَوَادٌ، فَقَدْ قِيلَ، ثُمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ فَسُحِبَ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ، ثُمَّ أُلْقِيَ فِي النَّارِ".

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: 

• The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so, it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. 
• [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so, it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. 
• [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so, it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. 

It was related by Muslim (also by at-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa'i).

Let us carry out a self-appraisal and see whether our actions are in harmony with our intensions or otherwise. If these aren't, we need to correct ourselves now before it is too late and God forbids, we are not included in the list of people as mentioned in the aforesaid Hadith.

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' lives 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.

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.

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.

Please refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.

Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given below. 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 | References: | 1 | 2 (Shared as Hadith # 32) |

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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