Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faatehah by Dr E. Kazim

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

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Arabic

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Contents PART I .............................................. 12 Introduction ..................................... 12 CHAPTER I: The Holy Qur’an – An Overview ......................................................... 15 Allah’s own words ...............................15 Purpose .............................................16 The original copy ................................16 Lailatul Qadr.......................................18 Scribes...............................................18 Compilation ........................................19 Advice ...............................................20 Āyāt ..................................................21 Universal............................................22 Numbers in the Qur’an ........................25 Khatm al Qur᾿an .................................25 CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of Sūratul Fātiḥah ............................................. 27 Other names ......................................27 (1) Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm ..........29 (A) Bismillah ...................................29 Allah ..............................................29 The Supreme Being.........................29 Root Words ....................................31 (B) Ar-Rahmānir Rahīm....................32 What is Ḥamd? ...............................34 Just two little words ........................34 Caution ..........................................35 The workload..................................35 Aḥmad ...........................................36 Obstacles .......................................36 Why should we thank Allāh?.............37 Bounties.........................................39 Thanksgiving Poem .........................40 Is uttering al-Ḥamdu lillāh by the tongue sufficient?.......................................41 What if we are ungrateful?...............42 Kufr ...............................................42 Are we alone in glorifying Allāh? .......43 Does Allāh listen to us praising Him?.44 Is there any Advantage in thanking and glorifying Allāh? ..............................44 Who is Allāh whom we have to thank?45 Rabbul ‘Ālamīn:...............................47 (3) Ar-Raḥmānir Raḥīm .......................49 (4) Māliki Yaumid Dīn:.........................49 Yaumud Dīn....................................50 Destination Al-Mālik.........................51 (A) The Early Human Being:.............52 (B) What is this remarkable creature called “man” who has to meet his Mālik? ....54 Free will .........................................54 Constitution of Man .........................55 Meeting Allah..................................57 Death ............................................57

The Glorious Hereafter.....................58 Some of the differences between the body and the soul are: ...................................60 What is Rūḥ? (soul) .........................60 Introduction to the nafs or self .........63 The psychology of nafs (self)............63 Islamic perspective of the self (nafs) .64 What is nafs? (the self)....................64 Developing Personality.....................66 When does Islamisation begin?.........66 Infancy ..........................................67 The ‘id’...........................................67 The ego .........................................67 Super-ego ......................................67 Personality .....................................68 (I) An-Nafsa la Ammārah – The First Part of Life .....................................................70 (II) An-Nafsil Lawwāmah - The Second Part of Life ................................................73 (III) An-Nafsul Mutma'innah – The Third and Final Part of Life..............................79 Definition of Death ..........................82 Islamic attitude to death ..................83 Facing Death ..................................84 Man’s Last Days on Earth: Deathbed .......................................85 Supplication for mercy on death .......88 What we are required to do? ............89 The Concept of Time .......................91 Did Allah promise that we will be resurrected? .....................................................92 Appointment with Al-Mālik: actually meeting Him ...............................................92 The Hereafter .................................95 Reminiscences from the Hereafter ..100 Tazkiyah or purification..................103 (5) Iyyāka na‘budu wa iyyā ka nasta‘īn106 (6) Ihdinas-ṣirātal mustaqīm ..............110 Man’s need for Guidance................111 Pre-conditions required to receive Guidance ...................................................113 CHAPTER III: The straight path or As-ṣiraṭ al mustaqīm ....................................... 117 Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm through Islām of postMuḥammad era ................................118 Outline of Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm...............119 I. The Bottom Level: Muslims.............119 Kalimatush Shahādah: the Testimony119 Ṣalāt (namāz): ritual prayers ..........121 Ibādah .........................................129 At-Tashahhud or At-Taḥiyyāt..........131 Tahajjud.......................................132 Sajdah or Prostration.....................134 The pineal gland: ..........................137 Zakāt or Zakah..............................138

Charity ......................................... 140 Infāq ........................................... 145 Ṣadaqah....................................... 145 Siyām: the Islāmic fast .................. 147 General considerations: ................. 147 Requirements: .............................. 148 Purpose ....................................... 149 The month of Ramaḍan: ................ 152 Lessons learnt: ............................. 153 Fasting and patience: .................... 154 Calculations:................................. 155 The results of the exams: .............. 155 Medical benefits ............................ 157 Fasting in adverse circumstances .... 157 Fasting with underfeeding.............. 157 Fasting and magnesium ................. 158 Fasting and our biological rhythms.. 159 Fasting and the circadian rhythm:... 159 Fasting, jet lag and shift work: ....... 159 Fasting and encephalins................. 160 Fasting and Growth Hormone:........ 161 Sleep, memory and fasting............. 161 Electroencephalogram, fasting and sleep 162 Tarāwīh: ...................................... 163 Hajj for those who can afford it ...... 165 History:........................................ 165 Signifance of ‘Id ul Aḍha ................ 171 Sacrifice ....................................... 171 Major ‘id and minor ‘id ................... 174 II. The second level of as ṣirāṭ al mustaqīm: Imān (mu’mins) ........................................ 175 Īmān or faith: ............................... 176 III. The third level of as ṣirāṭ al mustaqīm: ihsān (muhsins) ........................................ 178 IV. The fourth level of ṣirāt al mustaqīm: Īthār ....................................................... 179 V. The fifth level and upwards: Shahīd / shuhadā ....................................................... 180 (7) Ṣirāt al ladhīna an ‘amta ‘alyhim ghyril maghdubi ‘alyhim wa lad dāllīn........... 181 Ghyril maghdūbi ‘alyhim .................... 182 Wa lad dāllīn: (Nor those who have gone astray) ....................................................... 183 PART II........................................... 185 CHAPTER IV : Relationship between man and Allah ............................................... 185 History of man: ................................ 185 Shayṭān (Satan, the devil) ................. 188 The story of Satan ............................ 189 Lessons to learn from Ādam and Eve .. 190 How does Satan operate? .................. 192 Allah’s warnings about shayṭān .......... 196 Was shayṭān an angel or a jinnī? ........ 198 Taubah or repentance and its requirements 199 (A) Sin ......................................... 199

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Why is mankind so prone to commit sins? ...................................................199 Shirrk and false worship.................203 Kāfir: ...........................................206 (B) The Sinner ..............................207 (C) Asking for forgivness................210 Which categories of persons would be forgiven by Allah? ......................................212 (D) Repenting or Tauba .................213 (E) Allah’s acceptance of Tauba ......214 The purpose of repentance ................215 The benefits of repentance.............215 Retaliation:...................................215 Hypocrisy: ....................................216 Commercial Hypocrisy....................216 Media Hypocrisy............................218 Social Hypocrisy ............................218 Religious Hypocrisy .......................218 Intellectual Hypocrisy ....................221 Cultural Hypocrisy .........................222 Political Hypocrisy .........................223 The gift of speech .............................225 Bio-physics ...................................225 Sound: .........................................226 Abnormal Speech: .........................226 Waswasa or soft, alluring sound: ....227 Tongue: .......................................227 Truth: ..........................................229 Pleasant Speech:...........................229 Listening: .....................................231 Namimah: ....................................231 Unpleasant Speech:.......................232 Back-biting, gossip and slander: .....233 Gossip:.........................................234 Responding to gossip and slander...235 Anger: .........................................237 CHAPTER V: Islam in the light of science ............................... 241 The Human Brain..............................241 Electroencephalogram: ......................243 Neurotransmitters .............................244 Endorphins and encephalins:..............245 Serotonin .....................................245 Dopamine: ...................................245 Acetylcholine: ...............................246 Oxytocin: .....................................246 Vasopressin: .................................246 Catecholamines:............................246 Epinephrine: (adrenaline)...............246 Nor-epinephrine:...........................247 GABA: ..........................................247 Glutamate: ...................................247 Phenylethylamine:.........................247 Hormones: .......................................247 Neuroscience of sleep: ......................248 Dreams:...........................................251 Medical aspects of forbidden foods in Islam 253

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

I. Diseases transmitted to man from an animal which dies of itself ........................ 254 Diseases in man caused by blood.... 260 Diseases carried from swine to man 262 Islam and intoxicants ........................ 265 Alcohol......................................... 265 Absorption:................................... 266 Effect of alcohol on the body.......... 267 Action of alcohol on the brain ......... 269 Some statistics:............................. 269 Recommendations......................... 272 How Islam deals with alcohol ......... 272 A few of the common drugs ............... 274 Marijuana ..................................... 274 LSD ............................................. 275 Mescaline: .................................... 275 Psilocybin: .................................... 275 DMT ............................................ 275 PCP ............................................. 276 Amphetamines.............................. 276 Qot/Kat/Khat ................................ 276 STP ............................................. 276 MDMA.......................................... 276 Cocaine........................................ 276 Opium and Heroin ......................... 277 Inhalants...................................... 277 A comparison of different concepts of God................................ 277 Extra-terrestrial journeys: descent of the first prophet and ascent of the last prophet281 Abstract ....................................... 281 The Last Prophet........................... 284 The me‘rāj ....................................... 285 The Holy Qur’ān summarises this celestial event ................................................... 286 Saw with naked eye ...................... 287 CHAPTER VI: Islam the perfect religion............................... 295 How religion was perfected................ 295 Islām............................................... 299 Islamic da‘wah: ................................ 301 Who is a Muslim and what image should he project? ........................................... 302 Taqwā: ............................................ 303 Ummah (community) ........................ 304 The Bee: ...................................... 304 We Muslims are pathetically backward in technology: .................................. 305

Islamisation ..................................309 Tribute to Mother ..........................309 Balance – Mīzān:...............................310 And finally about our leader: ..............310 Maulid/Maulood: ...............................316 God-Spot: ........................................317 Have we betrayed the trust? ..............320 Marriage ..........................................320 Some quotes from the Holy Qur'an and Ḥadīth relating to man and woman ...........324 Advice to newly-wed couples..........328 ‘Aqīqah: ...........................................330 Medical aspects of male circumcision in Islām: .......................................................331 Circumcision prevents:...................331 Time:...............................................333 Water: .............................................339 Tadbīr versus taqdīr: .........................341 Qaḍā and Qadar (taqdīr): ..................342 Tadbīr:.............................................347 Middle Course:..............................348 Knowledge: ......................................349 Electromagnetic Waves:.................356 Angels .............................................357 Ways in which this world may end ......359 Yaum ...........................................361 Period ..........................................362 Hour ............................................363 The earth.........................................364 The Sun ...........................................366 The moon ........................................368 Volcanoes: .......................................370 Earthquakes: ....................................370 Supernova: ......................................371 Magnetic reversal of Earth’s polarity: ..372 War Weapons:..................................372 Chemical and biological warfare: ........373 Monster microbes and hybrid animals: 374 Greenhouse Gases: ...........................375 Aerosols and the ozone layer:.........376 Other pollutants:...........................378 Acid Rain:.....................................379 Reversal of the big bang:...................379 Conclusion...................................... 381 ‘Retroscope’ in Heaven: .....................381 About the author ............................ 384

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Introduction

PART I

The discourse presented in this book aims at contemplating the opening chapter (Sūrah al Fātiḥah) of the Holy Qur᾿an and applying its meaning to the broader relationship of the many aspects of Man’s existence. The subjects that come under the purview of this discussion include concepts related to the Supreme Being; angels and jinn; the nature of man; man’s relationship with God and with one another; the Hereafter; forgiveness; repentance and hypocrisy. Throughout the discourse, the reader will notice frequent references to the scientific underpinnings of the Islamic philosophy. It will be noted that many discoveries and scientific data which are regarded as recent developments find reference in the verses of the Qur᾿an. This is a strong attestation, which in itself is a testimony to the timelessness of our Holy Book. It is hoped that this commentary may lead to a better understanding of the religious beliefs of the Muslims. However, the scientific endeavour of the whole exercise is ultimately a co-operative one, as I invite all the Muslims to study carefully the following commentary and ponder further over the meaning of the Sūrah al Fātiḥah. I hope that with passage of time such an involvement will improve my presentation, and this book will be corrected and revised as and when necessary. This book has been compiled mainly with a view to engage with modern technology and research and with a hope of generating new enthusiasm among the readers. By making the best use of our skills and learning we can uncover new ideas and understand better the verses of the Holy Qur᾿an, both for our own benefit as well as the benefit of our fellow-beings, praying that all our humble efforts lead to the Ultimate Truth. I have divided this book into two parts. In the first part I give a systematic exposition of the verses of the Sūrah al Fātiḥah, starting with a brief overview of the Qur’an, with special reference to its collection and compilation, and then proceed to elucidate the meaning of each of the seven verses, ending with the explanation of the Straight Path and its levels. In the second part I concentrate on the role man plays in this world and what is his relation to Allah and the universe created by Him. Here I explore the links between Islam and science, show how Islam is the perfect religion and how following it earnestly is best both for this and the next world. I end the discourse by looking at man’s life from the vantage point of the Hereafter. Certain abbreviations or Arabic salutations will appear in the text and some explanation may be in order. It is customary for Muslims to use certain respectful phrases, whenever they invoke Allah’s name or mention the name of a prophet, his companion or a member of his family. (a) Sub-ḥānahū wa ta ‘āla (or SWT) meaning: Glory to Him for He is far above what is attributed to Him is used whenever Allah is mentioned. (b) Ṣ al Allāhu ‘Alyhi wa Sallam (or pbuh or ‫ )ﷺ‬meaning May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him is used whenever the name of the Prophet Muḥammad is uttered; (c) ‘Alyhi al Salām (A.S.= pbuh=peace be upon him) is used after the name of an angel such as Jibrāīl, or a prophet; (d) Raḍi Allāhu ‘Anhu / ‘Anhā (R.A.) meaning May Allah be pleased with him/her, is pronounced when a member of the Prophet’s household or any of his companions especially one of the Four Rightly Guided khalifahs (Khulafā-ar-Rāshidīn) is mentioned. The translations of the verses of the Qur᾿an used in this work are literal and taken mostly from the English rendering of the Qur’an by ‘Abdullah Yusuf Ali. Other extracts are paraphrased. All the aḥādīth (the sayings of the Prophet Muḥammad‫ )ﷺ‬which do not carry references have been taken from various Islamic publications. The scientific data presented has been obtained from sources such as Science Digest, Science Daily, Science News, British Medical Journal and various sites on the world-wide web. However, I would like to make clear that in case any of the views expressed in this commentary have caused offence to the followers of any other faith, the offence was totally unintended and I offer my sincere apologies if I have inadvertently hurt anybody’s feelings. In some Persian poems whenever the word yazdaan (meaning two gods) occurs, I have translated it as One Supreme God, because in the later Zoroastrian period, this word was commonly used to denote One God.

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

We, human beings, are greatly imperfect and can produce only an approximate translation of the meaning of the Qur᾿an al Karīm. I seek Allah’s forgiveness for my mistakes which are only human and would be thankful to the readers for their suggestions or corrections, so that such errors may be deleted from future editions. Finally, I would also like to state plainly that all that is true and correct in this book is from Allah, SWT, and all mistakes herein are mine. It is possible that a part of this book may be proven incorrect in view of the new knowledge that may become available to us in the future and I take full responsibility for it. If my dear readers benefit from this book which took me over sixty years to prepare and then pass on their knowledge to others, then our duties as Muslims may be considered accomplished. Sūrah al Fātiḥah constitutes the opening chapter of the Holy Qur᾿an. Therefore, as a preliminary step, it is fitting to expound briefly on its sacred background.

Introduction

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PART I

CHAPTER I: The Holy Qur’an – An Overview

All the Muslims believe that the Holy Qur᾿an is unique in that it contains the exact words of Allah, SWT, (SWT is an acronym of Subḥ ānahū wa Ta‘āla, which, as already mentioned in the introduction, is a declaration of Allah’s absolute perfection, glory and purity, and an acknowledgement of His exalted status that is far above and beyond the level of human being or any other creation). It is the only book of unadulterated divine guidance in written form available to men and Jinn. Its Words were revealed to the Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬through the agency of the angel Jibrāīl (Gabriel), pbuh, and were memorized, recited and recorded, during the life-time of the Prophet‫ﷺ‬. The process through which divine knowledge is transferred to human beings is known as “revelation”. Islamic tradition believes that revelation was communicated to humankind through the angel Jibrāīl, who served as an exclusive channel between Allah and the prophets. In case of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬, the revelation came to him sometimes as a ringing sound in the ears and sometimes the angel appeared in the form of a human being and spoke to him directly (Ḥadīth: Muwatṭ a). Although angels can appear in the shape of humans, that is, as three-dimensional objects, they are somewhat different in looks (Q.15:62). The Holy Qur᾿an was authored, compiled, protected and recommended by Allah Himself, and divine laws, scientific abstracts and religious knowledge are encoded within its Text. It is older than the first Big Bang and it is the original book handed down to the men and the jinn for their guidance.

Allah’s own words

Muslims not only consider the Qur᾿an to be the most sacred book but as something of a much greater significance as well. It is the faithful reproduction of the original writing of Allah’s Own Words as recorded in al-Lauḥ um Maḥfūẓ, or the Guarded Tablet, which is lodged in Heaven (Q.85:21-22). These very words are now preserved between the two covers of the Holy Qur᾿an and are, most fortunately, in man's possession. Thus, when we read the Qur’an, we read the very speech of Allah. Allah has sent it down as a healing for mankind (to treat injuries inflicted by man on himself) and as a mercy (raḥmah) for the faithful (Q.17:82). Therefore expressing thanks to Allah for having sent it down is mandatory (Q.18:1). The Qur᾿an is also referred to as: (a) Al-Qur᾿ān al Majīd (The Glorious Qur᾿an); (b) Al-Qur᾿ān ash Sharīf (The Noble Qur᾿an); (c) Al-Qur᾿ān al Karīm (The Magnanimous Qur᾿an); (d) Al-Furqān (Q.2:185) (The Distinguisher or the Criterion by which truth may be distinguished from falsehood and justice from injustice, as well as the Divider between the paths of right and wrong as mentioned in Q.90:10); (e) Kalāmullah (The Word of Allah); (f) Al-Kitāb (The Book);

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4 ‫ﻤﺟﻴﻌﺎ َ ﻻ‬ (g) The Rope of Allah: ‫ﻳﻔﺮﻗﻮ‬ ِ ‫ ﺑ‬ ِ َ‫ و‬And hold fast, all together, by the Rope of Allah, ِ ‫ﺤﺑﺒﻞ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻗﺘﺼﻤﻮ‬ and be not divided among yourselves (Q.3:103). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is reported to have said that the Rope of Allah mentioned here is the Qur᾿an (Ḥ adīth At-Tirmidhi). The rope has millions of tiny fibres, all of them interwoven to make the rope strong but all the fibres preserving their individual existence and strength. Allah advises the billions who make up the Muslim ummah to hold on to the rope that is the Qur᾿an. (h) Al Nūr (Q.4:174). (Nūr meaning light, which must be understood here as the divine light and not an ordinary light we see everyday).

The Qur᾿an is meant not only for us but also for those yet to be born in the centuries to come. One of the major subjects of the Qur᾿an is man and his mission of reaching his ultimate objective: God, Who calls Himself in the Holy Qur'an by His personal name, Allah. The Qur᾿an advises and admonishes the living (Q.36:70) for it is only as long as we are alive that we can take due precautions and mend our lives. Once we are dead we cannot see, read, hear or speak. The Qur᾿an tells us how to live and prepare for death which will take us into the eternal life. It gives us a zoom-lens’ view of the Hereafter and shows us in a telescopic vision the consequences of good and evil actions which shall become our due.

In fact, the Qur᾿an is meant for those who are absolutely certain of the reality of the Hereafter (Q.2:4). In the Qur᾿an, which is Allah’s Own Word and an instrument closely linked to the faculties of speech and hearing, Allah reminds us of all our duties towards Him.

Purpose

The purpose of the Qur᾿an is to teach man to understand the message of Islam, to instill in him its virtues and persuade him to perform deeds of righteousness. Whatever good or evil deeds a man performs will be entered in a ledger and kept for final reckoning. The Qur᾿an is an instruction manual prepared by the Creator (Allah) Who designed the product (human being). Its purpose is to give man, His most marvelous artefact, a lifetime of service and to guide him through the journey of his terrestrial existence. If something goes wrong during the ups and downs of this roller-coaster ride, the manual will explain how to carry out the repairs. If we were to hold a wrong roadmap in our hands, we would not know where to go and thus move far away from our destination viz. Allah. To put it briefly, the Qur᾿an assuages man’s fears, allays his doubts and hesitations, and charts out a well-ordered system of rules for driving his chariot during his sojourn on earth; it gives him an advance and proper knowledge of the consequences of his actions that will be judged in the Hereafter. It also contains divine prescriptions for society’s various ills. The Qur’an was sent to mankind and to jinn to urge them to contemplate the signs of the creation so that men of understanding may receive admonition (Q.38:29). The Book of Allah is like an ocean. As children and beginners, we collect pebbles and shells from its shores, but as we grow older, we also can, like pearl divers, go further so as to dive and delve deeper into the wisdom and philosophy embedded in the Qur᾿anic Ocean. The Qur᾿an is a book of guidance advising us to seek scientific knowledge in order to acquire wisdom (Q.10:1).

The original copy

of the Qur᾿an is an integral part of the Guarded Tablet (al-Lauḥ ul Maḥfūẓ, Q.85:21-22) lodged in Heaven and contains Allah’s eternal Plan and Will as well as all His decrees pertaining to the whole universe. The Qur᾿an we possess derives from this celestial original, being its exact copy. It is like no other book on earth. That is why the Qur’an challenges mankind to find any discrepancy in it (Q.4:82). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was unlettered just as most of the common folk of his time. He could not read and write. Allah’s words were revealed to him through the angel Jibrāīl. Not a single word of the Qur᾿an was authored by the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬himself who was only a conduit between Jibrāīl and mankind. As the Qur’an is free of any inconsistency and there is no other composition that can match it in the whole world, it validates its claim as the Word of God (Q.2:2). There is no other book on earth that has remained intact, the way the Qur’an has, with its original text unchanged for the past 15 centuries. A few gullible Muslims are being misled by certain Christian missionaries who claim that the Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬had plagiarised and copied the Qur᾿an from the Bible. They do not know that there was no Arabic translation of the Bible available in the seventh century C.E. when the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬lived. The Jews of Madinah read the Old Testament or the Torah in Hebrew. Moreover, the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬was unlettered. He did not know how to read or write. Further, the first Arabic translations of the Hebrew Bible (The Old Testament) appeared only in the second half of the ninth century CE, in the year 897, long after the Prophet's‫ ﷺ‬death (570 - 632 CE). The oldest extant copy of the Old Testament in Hebrew is the Leningrad Codex dating from the eleventh century – it was written in 1010 CE. Regarding the New Testament, its oldest extant copies are the Codex Vaticanus and the Codex Sinaiticus, both dating to the fourth century CE. The original language of the Old Testament was Aramaic which was later translated into Hebrew, then Greek, followed by Latin (around 1143 CE), and finally English and other modern languages. The Quran's first entry onto the planet Earth took place in the cave of Herā, on a mountain called Jabal an Nūr. The single student present there went by the name Muḥammad, the Teacher was Allah Himself (Q.55:1-2). Allah testifies that the Qur᾿an was revealed to the Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬so that he may warn whomever it reaches (Q.6:19). The instructions were transmitted through the angel Jibrāīl (Gabriel), during the night called Lailat ul Qadr (the Night of Power) – which fell on one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramaḍān, probably on the 27th of the month. On that night, a miracle took place. Allah’s revelations, in the form of the Holy Qur᾿an, descended to earth. This miraculous event, the revelation of the Qur᾿an (Ḥadīth: Fatḥ al-Bāri) (8:619), occurred, which in itself is significant, at night, so as to bring light and knowledge to darkness and ignorance.

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

The angel Jibrāīl appeared to the Prophet in a human form and addressed him saying: Iqra’ meaning Read! Frightened, Muḥammad replied that he could not read. For the second time the angel commanded him “to read” and Muḥammad again confessed ْ could not read. The third time the angel said: ْ َ that he

4 َ َْ َ4 َ َ​َ ْ َ َْ َ​َ َ َ ُّ َ َ َ ْ َ ِّ َ ْ َ ْ َ َْ َ4َ ْ َ ْ َ ‫ﻟﻢ‬ ْ َ ‫ﻧﺴﺎ َﻣﺎ‬ ُ َ ْ ‫ ﺑﻚ ﻷ‬ َ َ َ ?@ 4 ‫ ﺑﻚ‬ ‫ﻓﻌﻠﻢ ۝‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻢ ِﺑﺎﻟﻘﻠﻢ ۝ ﻋﻠﻢ ﻹ‬ ?@ F‫ﻋﻠﻖ ۝ ﻗﺮ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ ﻹﻧﺴﺎ‬ ‫ﺧﻠﻖ‬ ‫۝‬ ‫ﺧﻠﻖ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﺳﻢ‬ ِ ‫ﻛﺮ ۝‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ F‫;ﻗﺮ‬ ِ ٍ

Read, with the name of Allah Who created, created man out of a hanging leech-like substance. Read and Allah is most bountiful. He Who taught by the pen, taught man what he knew not, (Q.96:1-5). And suddenly, unexpectedly and miraculously, this unlettered man began to read! (In this verse, two Arabic words are important – ‘alaq and iqra. The primary meaning of ‘alaq is something which clings. The leech-like substance is its secondary, derived meaning. It refers both to the clinging of a sperm to the ovum, which starts the fertilization as well as the subsequent clinging of the resulting zygote to the uterine wall. The importance of the other word, iqra, is that both this word and the word Qur᾿an are derived from the same, common verbal root qara᾿a meaning to read, recite, study, memorise, understand and implement. All these meanings blend into each other and denote the practical, graded steps for the acquisition of knowledge.

َ ُ ُْ َ ٰ َ ْ َ ‫ﺳﻨﻘﺮﺋﻚ َﻓﻼ‬ n‫ﺗﻨ‬ We will make you read so that you shall not forget (Q.87:6). We, men, are born ِ

forgetful but reading the Qur᾿an revives our memories, strengthens the memory circuits and reminds us of our duties and of our faith. Memory paths in the brain connect the visual, auditory and other centres to the cognitive centres in the frontal cortex. Attention to the Qur᾿an involves conscious and wilful focusing of thoughts and concentration of the mind, with a simultaneous exclusion of the undesirable incoming thoughts and sounds. The memory for short-term events is known to deteriorate with old age. But it is a proven fact that the constant repetition of the verses from the Holy Qur’an and other memorised supplications addressed to Allah, improve memory in the elderly, even for short-term events, by keeping brain’s memory circuits open and the neurons communicating with each other for years to come. The repetition of the Qur’anic verses coupled with passive disregard of intrusive thoughts helps also to screen the mind from the incoming negative thoughts and relieves the cycle of daily stress as we occupy our present moments with Allah’s words and stop worrying about the past or the future. It is like slowing down and enjoying a leisurely ride while the neurons of the brain are busy negotiating speeding traffic and zigzag driving.

CHAPTER I: The Holy Qur’an – An Overview

17

Lailatul Qadr

Lailatul Qadr marks the anniversary of the Holy Qur'an’s arrival on the planet Earth from that part of the Heaven where the Guarded Tablet called al LauḼum MaḼfĹŤáş“ is lodged, with the sole aim of making the religion of Islam, in the sense of “submitting to One and Only Godâ€?, final and perfect, through His message to mankind and jinn. Lailat ul Qadr is also the anniversary of MuḼammad’s divine appointment to the prophethood. Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏did not know what a revelation and ÄŤmÄ n (the true faith) were until Allah revealed the Qurážżan to him as a light to guide people to the Straight Path (Q.42:52). On that night the Qurážżan opened the doors of scientific understanding of the Heavens and the Earth. This utmost importance of Lailat ul Qadr is aptly brought out by a poet, who speaks of every night being unique and, reminding him thus of Lailat ul Qadr and the Qurážżan:

Har Shab

ShabĂŠ Qadr ast agar qadrash bĂŠ daanee. Every night becomes Laila tul Qadr once you know its value.

Scribes

The Qur’anic revelations were delivered piece-meal (Q.17:106) over a period of twenty two years and four months (13 years in Makkah and the balance in MadÄŤnah). The precise Words of Allah communicated through the angelic voice of JibrÄ ÄŤl were written down by trusted companions on pages held in honour, exalted, kept purified (written) by the hands of scribes noble and righteous, (Q.80:1316), during the life-time of Prophet MuḼammad‍‏. Furthermore, Allah Himself took the responsibility of collecting, promulgating and making clear the meaning of the Book. Ů’

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏ Ů’ 4 ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏F‍ﺎ‏ Ů’ Ů? ‍ﺎﺗﺒ‏ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďť“ďşˆâ€Ź ‍ Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍Ů?; ďť‹ďť ďť´ďť¨ďşŽďş&#x;ďťŒ ďť—ﺎ  Ű?‏

It is for Us to collect it and promulgate it; but when We have promulgated it, follow thou its recital, (Q.75:17-18). (The verb promulgate, derived from the Latin prĹ?mulgÄ re, means to proclaim something

Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4

Ů?

4 Then Lo! Upon Us rests the explanation thereof, (Q.75:19). and make it publicly known.) ‍ Ů?; ďť‹ďť ďť´ďť¨ďşŽ ﺎ‏

There are some constants in the universe such as Allah and His Word (the Qurážżan) and these never change. No alteration whatsoever is possible in the Qurážżan for all times to come. Nor does the institution or the practice of Allah (sunnah) change (Q.17:77; 33:62; 35:43). Moreover, the involvement of an angel (JibrÄ ÄŤl) in the transmission of the revelation, precludes any possibility of a defect creeping in. Hence the Qurážżan, being the Word of Allah as received by the Prophet MuḼammad‍( ‏Q.27:6) is the Absolute Truth. In fact, had the Qurážżan come from any source other than Allah, it would have contained much discrepancy and contradiction (Q.4:82). The order of the verses of the Quran is also divine. The Prophet‍ ‏himself had overseen the arrangement of the present order of the sĹŤrahs (chapters) and the Ä yÄ t (verses) as we read them today. Each year during the month of Ramaá¸?Ä n, the angel JibrÄ ÄŤl recited the entire Qurážżan revealed until then to the Prophet‍ ‏in one particular order, and the Prophet‍ ‏would repeat the recitation in front of the angel. During the last Ramaá¸?an before his death, he recited it twice in the same order we have today. Besides, the Prophet‍ ‏had the whole text of the Divine Messages from the beginning to the end committed to writing by scribes he himself selected. These included the four rightly guided Khalifahs, as well as his other companions such as Muâ€˜Ä wiyah Ibn Abi ᚢufyÄ n, Ubey Ibni Ka‘b, Zayd Ibni ThÄ bit and others. Moreover, several other companions had learnt the Qurážżan by heart as well. In his last sermon delivered during his last pilgrimage, the Prophet‍ ‏told a large gathering of Muslims: I have left with you something, which if you will hold fast to, you will never fall into error - a plain indication pointing to the Book of Allah and the practice of His Prophet‍( ‏Ibn HishÄ m). Since the Arabic word kitÄ b also means writings, the report clearly indicates that revelations were available in written form before his death. After the demise of the Prophet MuḼammad‍‏, in the time of the third khalÄŤfah ‘UthmÄ n, R.A., a number of copies were made from this originally compiled version and were officially dispatched to various capitals of the world. Thus Islam spread not by sword or the pressure of the missionaries but due to the fact that the Qur’an was the Word of God and a gift to the world, indifferent as to whether men accept or reject it.

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Compilation

The Qur᾿an, as we have it in our possession, is known as Muṣ ḥ af (a collection of ṣuḥūf or pages). All its revelations were written down during the lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬and were preserved in the memory of Muslims in one particular order indicated personally by him under the guidance of Jibrāīl. However, nobody possessed a complete, written collection of all the verses, and the entire Qur’an was yet to be compiled in a book form. Within two years of the Prophet’s death, during the reign of the first Khalīfah, Abu Bakr, R.A., several reciters of the Qur’an were killed during the war of Yamamah. These killings prompted the Muslims to take up the exercise of preserving the Qur’an in the form of a written Book and following steps were taken to ensure it: (a) On the order of Sayyidina Abu Bakr Ṣiddīq, first, all the written revelations of the Qur᾿an were collected and checked against the oral, memorized version by a committee headed by Zayd ibn Thābit (who was a close companion of the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and one of the chief scribes of the revelation). Thereafter Zayd compiled and handed over to Abu Bakr the first authenticated, written copy of the entire Qur᾿an. After the death of the first Khalīfah, Abu Bakr, at Sayyidina ‘Umar’s request, this master copy was kept in safe custody in the house of Ḥafṣah, R.A. the daughter of Sayyidina ‘Umar, R.A. and one of the wives of the Prophet‫ﷺ‬. (b) Not long after, in the time of the third Khalīfah, ‘Uthmān Ibni ‘Affān, R.A., a number of copies of this original, verified version was made and officially dispatched to various capitals of the World. This

ُْ

َُْ

collection was called F‫ ﻤﺟﻊ ﻟﻘﺮ‬Jam‘ul Qur᾿ān which was copied and arranged into maṣāḥ if (collections of

pages) and the original ṣ uḥ ūf (pages) were returned to Ḥafṣah, R.A.. (c) These “collections (of pages)”, written in the Kufi script, were made in six or seven sets by the order of Sayyidna ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān, R.A., who appointed a committee of three men of the Quraish, headed by Zayd ibn Thābit, to copy the authentic, verified, official collection of pages kept with Ḥafṣah. These collections were henceforth known as the Muṣ ḥa

f of ‘Uthmān and its copies were sent to all major centers of Islam, viz., to Makkah and Yemen in Arabia, to Baṣ ra and Kūfa in Irāq, to Damascus in Syria and to Baḥ rain. Two of these copies going back to the third Khalīfah, are extant today, one in the Topkapi Museum in Istanbul, Turkey and the other in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. (It is believed that the copy in Tashkent was the personal copy of Khalīfah Sayyidina ‘Uthmān, R.A, and still carries a stain of his blood, which splashed on it when he was murdered while reading it). If we compare these two copies, we find that the written text in both is identical. ‘Uthmān not only sent an identical copy of the Qur᾿an to different centres of Islam but also sent a qāri (reciter) along with it to ensure the correct pronunciation of the Quraishi dialect. (d) The Muṣ ḥa f did not have dots or signs for vowels. Arabs who knew the pronunciation did not need any help with vocalization, but the possibility of making mistakes while reading it did exist especially in the case of non Arabs. Insertion of signs denoting different vowels was initiated by Khalīl ibni Aḥmad AlFarahīdī (d. 786 CE), and continued by Abu Al-Aswad Al-Du'ali who added vowels of ḍammah, fat-ḥah and kasrah, as well as dots for correct pronunciation. Allah has indeed promised to protect the Qur᾿an (Q.15:9). Allah never promised to protect the other scriptures. It is said that Imām Abu Ḥanīfah (d. 767 CE), a Persian jurist and the founder of the Hanafi school of law, initially ruled that the Qur᾿an may be recited in Persian during the obligatory prayer, but later on abrogated his own ruling. Imām Shāfe‘ī (d.819), the founder of the Shāfe،ī school, held that the Qur᾿an in Persian is not the Qur᾿an and that the Qur᾿an in any language other than Arabic is a mere human speech and nothing but a commentary or an interpretation, which is neither the Qur᾿an nor the like of it (Q.2:23). It is for this reason that Muslims are advised to learn Arabic so that they might be brought closer to the Qur᾿an. Being closer to the Qur᾿an means being closer to Allah’s teaching. Moreover, reading the Qur᾿an in Arabic means reading the very same words that were revealed by Allah through the angel Jibrāīl. The need to recite and understand the Qur᾿an in its original language definitely helped to spread the Arabic language in the past as was for example the case with Tamerlane (Timūr the Lame) as well as many others. (Tamerlane, 1336-1405, was born near Samarqand. He conquered the land of the Tartars, Persia, Georgia, Syria, and many other countries. He encouraged arts and learning, and his men took the Arabic language and the Qur᾿an back home to Central Asia, which till recently was mostly Russian territory.).

CHAPTER I: The Holy Qur’an – An Overview

19

The infallible Qur᾿an was revealed in Arabic but its linguistic style is unique and exceptional. Even the Arab Muslim literati admit that it is impossible to translate the Qur᾿an and retain its original and pristine purity. Mere reading of the Qur᾿an in Arabic has merits of its own both for the reader and the listener. However, it is also important for us to know in our own mother-tongue the meaning of the Arabic words we recite, so that we may understand them better. Every single word in the Holy Qur᾿an is significant and its meaning should be carefully studied. Ibni ‘Abbās, one of the companions of the Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is reported to have said that there is no prayer for a man except what he understands therefrom. Moreover, the words of the Qur᾿an must not be read hastily, merely to get through with so much reading (Q.75:16). There are blessings in just reciting it, especially for those who understand Arabic, while a mere reading of the Qur᾿an without understanding its meaning, though not devoid completely of merit, may be compared to placing a search-light in the hands of a blind man who cannot benefit by it. It is unfortunate that most of us read many pages of daily newspapers every single day but do not care to read a single page of the Holy Qur᾿an, Allah’s Own Book. Both the Qur᾿an and the TV guide are usually kept in our bedroom. We spend hours looking at the TV till we are tired and sleepy. Yet, when we take stock of the time spent, we realize that we have not even touched the Qur᾿an, the reading of which Allah has made farḍ (obligatory) for us (Q.28:85). By reading the Qur᾿an, we receive the right guidance from Allah, unlike reading certain books and magazines or watching certain TV programs through which Satan gives us the wrong guidance. Satan often diverts our minds to the trends and fashion of the modern times so that we become heedless of what we have read in the Holy Book. Even while reading the Qur᾿an, we should ask Allah to protect us from Satan (Q.16:98). Although we know that just by reading the Qur᾿an we also receive some blessings, Satan does not mind if we kiss the Qur᾿an lying on the shelf in our bedroom or press it to our eyes to receive the barakah (blessings), but he gets worried if we start implementing what the Book tells us. Muslims of the past took advice from the Qur᾿an to study science (Q.41:53; 51:20-21) and hence contributed to the development of the world. Present-day Muslims on the other hand consider it sufficient to recite the Qur᾿an without comprehending its meaning. Besides kissing the Book and ritually pressing it to our eyes, we are expected to transfer its contents to our minds.

Advice

We are advised to use our mind and our ears to listen to Allah’s Apostle who was sent first and foremost to communicate and teach us the Qur᾿an so we may avoid the undesirable consequences of the Hereafter (Q.67:9-10). Before we begin to study the Qur᾿an, we must realise that unlike all the other writings, it is an exceptional book, only one of its kind, authored not by a human being with his deficient and partial knowledge but by a Supreme Author, who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. We need to visualize in the mind’s eye the grandeur of the august majesty of its Speaker, the Creator of all beings. We need to let us be filled with a deep sense of reverence and awe for His Mighty Word and then gratefully accept the fact that Allah is speaking to us directly through the Qur᾿an. As the late Dr. Iqbal said, No advice from anyone benefited me as much as I benefited from the advice of my mother who told me, ‘My son, when reading the Qur᾿an, visualise in your mind that Allah is speaking to you through it!’. We might forget what we hear, we might not remember what we see, but if we get involved in the study of the Qur᾿an and its implementation, then we can say we have truly understood the divine Message. This means that we should reduce the gap between commitment and action to near zero. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬was described by Sayyida ‘Āyesha, R.A., as the walking Qur᾿an. Goethe, a great German poet, speaking about the Holy Qur᾿an declared that, “This book will go on exercising a most potent influence through all ages”. If we get a letter from one of our elders containing some instructions, we immediately go into a quiet corner to read it again and again, and try to implement the advices as well as we can; or if we are expecting an email, we check the computer again and again to see if it has arrived; but when we are shown a letter from Allah Himself, the Holy Qur᾿an, with instructions filling its every page, some of us do not even bother to pick it up. The call of the Holy Qur᾿an is loud and clear. It seems to be saying: Is there anyone who will pick me up and look into me? I have something to tell you. Please somebody! Anybody! If the call goes unheeded, Then the Messenger will say: ‘Oh Allah! Truly my people took this Qur’an for something to be discarded’, (Q.25:30).

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

This apathy and lack of effort shown by the Muslims to understand its contents has been depicted very well in an Urdu poem by Maahirul Qaadiree.

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1. I am adorned in every house; to eyes (reverently) pressed; 2. Amulets are made of me; I am washed from the plates (where my words are written in saffron) and given to drink. 3. Just as a parrot or mynah is trained (to speak) words; 4. In the same manner, I am being taught (to children). 5. When comes the time for taking oaths and vows; 6. Then my need is felt and by hands I am raised. 7. In which assembly am I not remembered; in which congregation is my fame not celebrated? 8. Still, I am very lonely; none is oppressed as much as I. The Prophet’s‍ ‏mission was to proclaim the Qurážżan to be the Word of Allah and it is left to Allah to call people to account (Q.13:40). The Prophet‍ ‏was advised only to warn people (Q.11:12) but not to force them to accept anything (Q.50:45). He was not expected to monitor their actions (Q.6:104) because the Qurážżan already gave a clear and sufficient proof of what is right and wrong to guide them. However, Allah said that He would protect the Prophet‍ ‏from being harmed by malicious people while he was proclaiming His message (Q.5:67).

Ä€yÄ t

The verses of the Qurážżan are also called Ä yÄ t meaning signs or lessons. Many of the verses of the Qurážżan, the Reminder (Q.15:9), explain Allah’s instructions in the form of allegories so they are easier to understand ŮŽ and may thus profit mankind .

Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽŮ’ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺪ‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ‍ﺏ‏ ‍ďş&#x;ﺪ‏ ‍ﺡﺊ‏ ‍ﺎďşœâ€ŹF ‍ ﺴﺎ‏ m Űš â€ŤďťŁďşœďťžâ€Ź ‍‏ ‍‏ ‍ďť&#x;ďť ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺎ‏ ‍‏ ‍ﺎﺝﺎ‏ We have explained in detail in the Qurážżan Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? for the benefit of mankind every kind of similitude but man is in most things argumentative. (Q.18:54).

ŮŽ Ů’

ŮŽ Ů’

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ

ŮŽ

4 These verses cover every facet of life and every aspect of the universe. ‍ﺡﺊ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺎ ďť“ﺎďťƒﺎ Ů?‏We have Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœďş˜ďşŽ Ů?‏ not omitted anything from the Qurážżan (Q.6:38). We should learn to observe and observe to learn the lessons in the Qurážżan carefully. We must read the lines and also between the lines, with a view to further understanding, interpreting and implementing the verses based on our present-day knowledge. After having read the Qurážżan, we must examine ourselves, read our own minds to see how much of it we have absorbed and how are we to implement it. Further, every part of the text must be studied with respect to its overall context. As it is an indispensable companion in our life’s journey, we must always remain conscious that each word we read, recite, hear, or try to understand, has been sent specifically to us and for us by Allah. Each verse we comprehend is a step forward in getting nearer to Allah and making it easier to receive guidance from Him. And if the guidance is implemented, we may expect to earn Allah’s good pleasure. The Qurážżan is a book of wisdom (Q.36:2), hence it should be studied with serious and concentrated attention rather than just read as a matter of routine. Only then we shall be able to differentiate between what we know and what we do not. Of course it would be difficult for any one person to understand fully each and every single matter mentioned in the Qurážżan as it covers a wide range of subjects such as history, astronomy, business and administration, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, embryology, ethics, dietary restrictions, marriage, inheritance laws and many others. Such a wide range of subjects and allusions to the mysteries of the future could not have been put down in a Book by a seventh century human being who never went to school! CHAPTER I: The Holy Qur’an – An Overview

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An intelligent approach enhanced by modern scientific knowledge immeasurably helps in the study and the comprehension of the Qur᾿an. There are signs embedded in the earth (as expounded by geology and other earth sciences) and in ourselves (attested to by biology and the bio-rhythms) (Q.41:53; 51:20-21), which we should look at and study. Some Muslim theologians with a university level background of science, have offered highly reasonable explanations, supported by scientific data, of many verses of the Holy Qur᾿an. Insha Allah (God willing), with the passage of time when knowledge is further advanced and updated, we may be able to come up with yet more relevant and better explanatory notes. Many people believe in religion in a very dogmatic way without making any attempt to understand its meaning and its teachings. They want us to unquestionably accept the incomprehensible. However, science is not only compatible with religion but is a profound source in its own right as far as religious studies are concerned. Religion and science can co-exist because both are concerned with seeking the Truth, albeit religion starts with a dogma and science with an experiment. In the rich field of Islam, there is cross-fertilisation of science and religion as both are inter-twined. The rejection of scientific truth and logic amounts to removing a support vital in teaching the art of critical thinking and objective analysis, the bedrock of basic research and one of the main objectives of the Qur᾿an. For a holistic development of a person there must be the integration of the spiritual soul (of which we possess very little knowledge) and the human brain (on which we have a lot of scientific data). Our religious teachers must be knowledgeable in science, more so because science appeals to the younger generation.

Universal

The Qur᾿an is meant not only for our planet Earth but is also a message for all the worlds (Q.81:27). It contains the official constitution prepared in Heaven by Allah Himself, to be followed by beings endowed with intellect and reason such as men and jinn dwelling on earth. The Qur᾿an was sent to mankind and to jinn to inculcate in them the habit of pondering the signs of creation and also to remind the men of understanding among them to be mindful (Q.38:29). The Qur᾿anic verses are in fact lessons for those who reflect, ponder and take heed in order to seek wisdom. Allah sent His Apostle as a guide and mercy to the faithful (Q.16:64) to teach them scripture and wisdom, through the Qur᾿an which is knowledge-based (Q.7:52). Only people of knowledge fear Allah (Q.35:28). The many stages of learning begin with the state of ignorance about the subject at hand. It is only much later and that only after acquiring certain amount of knowledge that we learn how to discuss and handle opposing views on any given subject in an objective manner, appreciate those views that conform to our logic (the term logic being derived from the Greek word logos meaning reasoning), and thus eventually advance to wisdom. The Qur᾿an is a complete book. With its help we can explore all that there is in the material life of this world and the spiritual world of the Hereafter. Every single page of the Qur᾿an (Q.21:10) contains a reminder for us. The reminders found throughout the Qur᾿an benefit the faithful (Q.51:55), act as a compass in the turbulent voyage of life and direct us towards Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm (the Straight Path). There can be no doubt about the Qur᾿an's infallibility and final authority because it is the Word of Allah and not of a human being. The divine truth needs no advocate to plead on its behalf. Because of its divine message, the Qur᾿an makes the reader more conscious of Allah Who authored it and continues to remind mankind of his/her original purity. It is the final revelation before the Day of Judgment. No other scripture more emphatically emphasises Allah’s Uniqueness. Prophet Moses, A.S., was given the Old Testament or the Torah. Prophet Jesus, A.S,. was given the Gospel or the Injīl (the New Testament). But Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬received from God the last and final revelation, the Qur᾿an. The Qur᾿an, apart from the last two sūrahs, has 330 verses that begin with the word qul meaning say. The presence of qul in all these verses makes it clear that Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is not saying all of this of his own accord, but he is being commanded to do so. The Words thus are divine words revealed through angelic light and not the words of a human being with a limited terrestrial knowledge. The Qur᾿an should not be taken as an amusement or a jest but with utter seriousness since it is not human speech. We should not let the tongue distort its words (Q.3:78). We should also avoid people who mock the verses of the Holy Qur᾿an (Q.6:68). Allah has advised us in Q.7:204 that whenever somebody recites the Qur᾿an we should listen to it with rapt attention and pay heed so that we may obtain His mercy. We should remain silent during the recitation so that we can absorb the content. Attentive listening and absorbing the meaning are much more beneficial than mere hearing. Recitation

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of the Qur᾿an is the core of religious devotion. After carefully reminding ourselves of what we have been listening to, we must follow the advice faithfully. Even the jinn listen to the recital of the Qur᾿an and warn their community (Q.46:29;72:1). The auditory centre of the brain (centre for hearing) develops long before the visual centre (centre for sight), as verified in the Qur᾿an (Q.17:36; 32:9; 16:78; 76:2 and dozens of other verses). This could be the reason why in most verses of the Holy Qur’an, we notice that the sense of hearing is given precedence over the sense of sight. Unlike animals, the human foetus is unique because it is the only creature that can hear the beat of his mother’s heart as well as other sounds while still in his mother’s womb although it cannot see anything while there. Hence, there is a beneficial effect in reciting Bismillah before the meals, saying Al Ḥamdu Lillah after the meals and performing regular prayers during pregnancy when the unborn can also hear them. The unborn baby still in the womb also hears the adhān (the call to prayer) during the family prayers or from a nearby mosque as well as the verses of the Qur’an. Thus Islamic education begins even before the baby is born. As already discussed earlier, the word āyāt (verses) also means revelations or signs or both. Revelation (from the Latin word revelāre - to reveal, to lift the veil) is the transmission of knowledge from the divine to the human. Such a revelation conveys the absolute truth that surpasses the power of human intellect and reasoning. Allah has warned us not to treat these āyāt as a jest (Q.2:231). In spite of there being every conceivable example in the Qur᾿an attesting to the Truth, the unbelievers dismiss each one of them as worthless and thus Allah seals up the hearts of those who do not care to understand (Q.30:58-59). In religious language, men who are unaware of divine commandments are considered deaf, dumb and blind to the spiritual realities of life. They are deaf because they do not want to hear the truth, dumb because they do not want to utter it and blind because they do not wish to see the right path (Q.2:18). If we do not take the trouble to understand the Qur᾿an, a time comes when the voice emanating from the verses grows fainter and eventually falls on deaf ears (Q.41:5). For a sensible person, a mere sign is enough but for a person who does not wish to pay heed, thousands of explanations are not sufficient. The Qur᾿an warns such people about a grievous penalty awaiting them, this warning in itself being true guidance (Q.45:7-11). The non-Muslim West gets attracted to the beauty of the cover, the recitation or the print of the Qur᾿an but never to its content. Our enemies have tried to sabotage Islam but have failed miserably because the dynamic and amazing Qur᾿an, the constant companion of the Muslims, is more than a match for them and has survived fifteen centuries of their collective assaults and bitter criticisms. Allah being the Absolute Truth and Reality (Q.22:62 and many others) sent the Qur᾿an with His Words of Absolute Truth (Q.2:176). In Q.6:114 Allah warns us never to doubt that He Himself gave the Qur᾿an to Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, who was sent to guide the men and the jinn, who are the only creatures on earth endowed with the power of free will to obey or disobey Allah. The Qur’an was never meant to be put on the shelf to collect dust or to be kissed and pressed to the eyes every morning or to be put into a ta‘wīdh (amulet) to be locked up for ever. The Qur᾿an was meant to be read (for one’s own benefit), recited (so it may be heard and its message conveyed to others) and studied (so that we ourselves may understand, reflect, practise and implement what we read with a view to becoming examples to others, Muslims as well as non-Muslims). Listening to the Holy Qur᾿an while someone else is reciting it has a greater impact, especially in case of those who know Arabic, than reading it by oneself. No wonder we learn and retain more from our teachers in the class-room than by reading books at home. The process of understanding includes the process of comprehension through reasoning. The intelligent Muslim is a rationalist and insists on the two sources of truth viz. revelation and reason. Trespasses against truth or reason are forbidden in Islam (Q.7:33). Not only do we have to read, memorise, recite, study, understand and implement the Qur’an, but we have been asked by our leader, Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, to teach it to others. Thus we become learners and teachers at the same time,

ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ْ َ ‫ﻛﻢ‬ ْ ُ ‫ﺧﺮﻴ‬ ُْ َ not only of the Qur’an but also in each and every encounter with others. ‫ﻳﻌﻠﻢ ﻟﻘﺮ َ ﻋﻠﻤﻪ‬

The best of you is one who learns the Qur’an and teaches it. (Ḥadīth Al-Bukhāri). It is interesting to note that in Arabic the root word for teaching and learning is the same viz. ‘ilm. To teach is to learn. What exercise is to the body, reading is to the mind. Reciting the Qur᾿an after the morning prayer is highly recommended (Q.17:78) so that each day begins with Allah’s blessings. Cognition is usually at its highest peak in the early morning as memory molecules get synthesised during deep sleep. Listening to things of value goes much deeper and is more beneficial than listening to trash. We must listen attentively when the Qur᾿an is being recited and absorb what we hear. The Qur᾿an should be

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recited in a melodious voice and in slow rhythmic tones (Q.73:4). Reading the Qur᾿an at a fast pace secretes adrenaline and nor-adrenaline which cause excitement rather than tranquillity. It is only when the recitation is done in slow, rhythmic tones that serotonin, encephalin and endorphins get released in the human body, which are responsible for serenity, peace, satisfaction and euphoria. Moreover, there is an added advantage in reciting or listening to the Qur᾿anic verses. It can help displace the unwanted daily music from movies and other sources which surround us at all times and which we are unable to get rid of. These unwanted and tiresome sounds reverberate in our ears with annoying and regular frequency, especially when we are about to sleep. Neuroscientists tell us that songs that get stuck in our heads create an annoyance which can be removed only by repeating the tune over and over again. However, it is better and easier to disengage and get rid of the offending tune by repeating some verses of the Qur᾿an in order to replace the uninvited, bothersome problem. We must put our own house in order before we advise others. The Qur᾿an does not only advise mankind to do things right but to do the right things. Hence, wrong actions do not belong in a Muslim’s home. The concepts of right and wrong are constantly changing in the society but not in the Qur᾿an, where they are clear and eternal. It should be borne in mind that there are certain cryptic verses in the Qur᾿an capable of carrying multiple meanings and difficult to understand by human intellect alone (these verses are called mutashābihāt), but whose ultimate meaning (ta’wīl) is known only to Allah. However, those of us who are determined to increase our knowledge and make an attempt to understand them will, Insha Allah (God willing), grasp the message (Q.3:7). Persons endowed with knowledge accept the Qur᾿an as the Absolute Truth (Q.22:54). But one cannot possibly grasp the truth contained in the Qur᾿an through mere recitation of its words. There are important and clear ‘sign-posts’ scattered on every single page of the Qur’an for the guidance of mankind. Those are meant to be properly scanned, understood and implemented. There are many h āfiẓ-al-Qur᾿an who have memorised the whole Book but do not understand the meaning of what they recite. They will not be able to implement what the verses would like them to do. On the other hand, there are also others found on the pages of history, who knew the Qur᾿anic verses better than most of us, yet laid foundations of false religious sects. Such persons, although well aware of the true meaning of the Qur’anic verses, were not guided by them, and in fact were allowed to be misled. The verses that descended in Makkah are addressed to mankind in general and speak against social disorder and injustice, while those that descended in Madīnah specifically address the faithful. The compendium of the revealed text begins with the Sūrah al Fatiḥah, the opening chapter praising Allah’s glory and beseeching His help in guiding us to the Straight Path, and ends in Sūrat un Nās by seeking refuge with Allah from the mischief of the Whisperer (who withdraws after casting doubt and temptation in the mind of mankind). The 24-hours allotted to us on a daily basis are divided in the Holy Qur᾿an into different times where certain messages are conveyed to us such as: (a) The Qur᾿an was sent down at night time Q.44:3; 97:1 (b) Pray for forgiveness at dawn Q.51:18 (c) Celebrate Allah's praises before rising of the sun and before setting and during part of the night and after prostration Q.50:39-40 (d) Recitation of the Qur᾿an in the morning is recommended Q.17:78 (e) Glorify Him morning and evening Q.33:42 (f) Celebrate Allah's praises morning and night Q.48:9 Other times should also be studied carefully, e.g (g) Noon Q.9:1; 93:1 (h) Afternoon Q.103:1 (i) Tomorrow: Let every person look to what (provision) he has sent for tomorrow Q.59:18

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Numbers in the Qur’an

Dr. El Naby mentions some of the following miraculous use of numbers in the Holy Qur'an: 1) This “world” and “the other world” are mentioned equal number of times – 115. 2) “Angels” and “devils” are each mentioned equal number of times - 68, while their derivatives are also equally mentioned 20 times each, which makes a grand total of 88. 3) Human “life” and “death” with their derivatives are mentioned equal number of times - 145 times each. 4) “Sight” and “insight” each is mentioned 148 times, which is equal to the same number of times that the “heart” is mentioned. 5) “Good deeds” and “evil deeds” with their derivatives are equally mentioned 167 times each. 6) “Hell” and “punishment” are equally mentioned 26 times each. 7) “Knowledge” and “learning” with their derivatives are equally mentioned 811 times, which is the same number that the word “faith” and its derivatives are mentioned. This fact shows to what extent Islam values knowledge and learning, which are equal to “faith”. 8) What is really amazing is that the “Merciful” is mentioned 57 times, while the “Compassionate” is mentioned 114 times which is the total number of chapters of the Holy Qur’an. 9) It is very strange that in the Holy Qur'an, “inspiration”, “Islam”, and “resurrection” with their derivatives are mentioned 70 times each. 10) “Magic” and “infatuation” are each mentioned 60 times as if God wanted to attract our attention to the similar effect of both. 11) “Fire” with its derivatives and “heathen” are each mentioned 154 times. 12) “Fasting” and “patience” are mentioned in the Holy Qur'an in equal numbers. 13) “Brain” and “light” are equally mentioned 49 times each. 14) “Love” and “obedience” with all their derivatives are mentioned 83 times each. 15) “Generosity” and “reward” are mentioned 20 times each. 16) “Temptation” and “sin” are both mentioned 22 times each. 17) “Forgiveness” and its derivatives are mentioned 234 times which is double the number of times that the word “punishment” with all its derivatives is mentioned. This shows God's bounty and compassion towards His creatures. 18) The word “month” is mentioned 12 times, while the word “day” is mentioned 365 times!!! What kind of human power or what electronic mind could have come up with such equal numbers of words both of similar and opposite meaning, and then spread them out in the different verses of the Holy Qur'an in the most perfect way?

Khatm al Qur᾿an

Khatm al Qur᾿an, i.e. the completion of the reading of the whole Qur᾿an is only the beginning of a spiritual awakening. The journey to and through the Qur᾿an is rewarding and blissful. By its nūr (the divine light) it shows us the way to eventual success and salvation and leads us from darkness to light (Q.5:15-16). It is like climbing to the top of a mountain: the higher one goes, the more one sees. Similarly, the panorama of Allah’s artistry becomes wider and wider with every complete reading of the Qur’an. After each and every khatm or completion of the Qur᾿an, an inward flame drives us to read it once more. To repeat, the original revelations which are in Arabic remain the Eternal Words of Allah and cannot be altered. The Qur᾿an in any other language, except Arabic, is a mere human speech and not the words brought by Jibrāīl. No translation of the Qur᾿an can be taken as Allah’s Own original Words and is no more than an interpretation of the Arabic text amounting at times to a betrayal of the much more comprehensive meaning of the original. It may at times obscure the message it was meant to convey. Actually, the Qur᾿an is Allah's eternal speech recorded in the Guarded Tablet called Lauḥim Maḥfūẓ (also referred to as the Mother of the Book in Q.43:4 lodged in heaven and hence it cannot contain the Prophet’s own, that is personal, words. Every single word in it is divine. Even Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ could not have changed a single word in the Qur᾿an for fear of severe punishment from Allah (Q.10:15). The sole mission of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was to deliver the Qur᾿an (42:48; 16:82), Allah’s Words (Q.5:67), not his own, and through the Qur᾿an he was expected to lead us from the depths of darkness into light (Q.65:11).

CHAPTER I: The Holy Qur’an – An Overview

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The Qur᾿an is the best hadīth (Q.39:23) and the most accurate (Q.4:87). Allah has also advised us to follow no other hadīth but His own (Q.31:6; 77:50; 45:6; 7:185). In Q.7:157 Allah instructs us to follow the Messenger because he believes in Allah and in His Words. Those who do not obey the Prophet‫ﷺ‬ actually reject not him but Allah’s lessons (Q.6:33). That is why Allah says in Q.4:80 that he who obeys the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬obeys Allah because of the scripture which He sent through him (Q.4:136). No one can tamper with the Qur᾿an as Allah Himself has taken the responsibility of preserving it. There is yet another reason why we should follow the Prophet‫ﷺ‬. The Qur᾿an does not tell us how to perform the prayers. This is known only through the actions of the Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬who said, Perform prayer the way you saw me performing it. The percentage of zakah and the details of the rituals to be performed during the Ḥajj are also not mentioned in the Qur᾿an but may be found in the sunnah of the Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. The Qur᾿an translated into any other language is regarded merely as a commentary on its meaning as understood by the translator himself. It is neither the Qur᾿an itself nor the like of it. The inimitable Qur᾿an is truly itself only when it is in Arabic, the language of Allah’s revelation. Any translation made into another language ceases to be the literal word of Allah and hence cannot be equated with the Qur᾿an in its pristine original content. If commentaries would have been the like of the Qur᾿an, many persons would have produced or brought the like of it when challenged to produce even a single sūrah (Q.2:23). With the above overview, it may now be appropriate to turn directly to the Sūrah al Fātiḥah which is the sum and substance of the Qur᾿an and is also called Fātiḥat ul kitāb and Fātiḥat al Qur’an, i.e. the sūrah that opens the Book (the Qur᾿an). With it the Qur’an opens and with it the salāt (prayer) truly

ُ ُ َ َ ْ َّ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ِ ِ‫ ﻋﻮ ﺑﺎﷲ‬ َّ ْ ‫ ﻟﺸﻴﻄﺎ‬ A‘ūdhu Billāhi Minash begins. However, we should be reminded that the verse: ‫ ﻟﺮﺟﻴﻢ‬ ِ ِ ِ

Shayṭānir Rajīm, meaning I seek refuge from Satan who should be rejected with complete ignominy (stoned to death) is not a part of the Sūrah al Fātiḥah. Yet we are advised in Q.16:98 that whenever we read the Qur᾿an, we should begin with its recital ْ

4 ْ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُْ َ َ​َ َ َ َ ْ 4 ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ِ ‫ﺑﺎﺑ‬ 4 ‫ ﻟﺮﺟﻴﻢ‬ ‫ ﻟﻘﺮ‬F‫ﻓﺈ ﻗﺮ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﺸﻴﻄﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻓﺎﺳﺘﻌﺬ‬ ِ ِ

When you read the Qur᾿an, seek Allah's protection from Satan the rejected one.

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CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of SĹŤratul FÄ tiḼah 4 4 Ů° ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ‍ ﺑ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů? Ů?ۢ Ů?

(1) BismillÄ hir RaḼmÄ nir RaḼčm; With the name of Allah, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful;

Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďşŽďť&#x;‏ ‍ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ﺪ‏

(2) Al-Ḥamdu LillÄ hi Rabbil ‘ĀlamÄŤn; All praise belongs to Allah, the Sustainer of all the worlds and all beings;

4 Ů°ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů?

(3) Ar-RaḼmÄ nir RaḼčm; The All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful;

ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍‏ ‍ ‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺎďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů?

(4) MÄ liki Yaumid dÄŤn; Master of the Day of Judgment;

ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ‍ďť?ďťŒďş’ﺪ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍;ﺎ‏ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ €ﺎ‏ â€Ťďť§ďş´ďş˜ďťŒ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů?

(5) IyyÄ ka naŘŒbudu wa iyyÄ ka nastaŘŒÄŤn; You alone do we worship and You alone we ask for help;

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍ ﺪﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺟ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴďş˜ďť˜‏ Ů? Ů?

(6) Ihdinaᚣ ᚢirÄ tal MustaqÄŤm; Guide us along the ŮŽ straight path;

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ @‏ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ďť?ďťŒﺖ‏F ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 ‍ﺎﺝ‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘â€Ź Ů? Ů?

(7) ᚢirÄ tal ladhÄŤna an‘amta ‘alyhim, The path of those whom You have rewarded (because of their endeavour) / on whom You have bestowed grace (ne ‘mah),

Ů‘Ů? 4 Ů’ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť?‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘ ŮŽ ďťť ďť&#x;ﺎďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů?

Ghyril Maghá¸?ĹŤbi ‘alyhim wa lad-á¸?Ä llÄŤn. Not the path of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray.

ŮŽ ‍ ‏ Ů?

Ä€mÄŤn. Amen.

FÄ tiḼah means opening, beginning, unlocking (Q.12:65) as well as conquering (Q.48:1).Used in verbal form it may also mean to grant (Q.35:2), to judge (Q.7:89), to unloosen (Q.21:96). This opening chapter of the Holy Qurážżan opens the heart and the mind of the reader to the truth of Islam, unlocks the divine qualities that he/she possesses and helps him/her to emerge victorious over the evil forces of this world. It opens the Book or the Qurážżan. The verbal root of the word fÄ tiḼ a

h is fataḼ

a meaning to open. Al-FattÄ á¸Ľ (Q.34:26) is one of the 99 attributes of Allah (reported by At-Tirmidhi, Ibn MÄ ja and Muslim), meaning the Opener of the gates of sustenance and mercy to His servants.

Other names

It is called Umm ul Qur’an (the Mother of the Qur’an, indicating its foundation or origin) because it contains the essence of the Qurážżan and is the summary of all its teachings. It has also many other names such as: Al-KÄ fiyah (The Sufficient One); AsÄ sul-QurážżÄ n (The Foundation of the Qur’an); AshShifÄ â€™ (The Healing); Al-Kanz (TheTreasure of Limitless Knowledge); Al-WÄ qiyah (The Protecting One); Al-Ḥ amd (The Praise); Sab‘amm minal mathÄ ni (Q.15:87) (The Seven of the Oft-repeated Verses). Sometimes it is called “the Twice Repeated Versesâ€? and this is explained differently by different commentators. Some say that it is due to the fact that it is repeated twice in every ritual prayer, while others maintain that it was revealed twice, once in Makkah and again in MadÄŤnah. Prophet

Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said:

َ ْ َ َ ََْ َْ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻟﻜﺘﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ F‫ ﻻ ﺻﻠﻮ ِﻤﻟﻦ ﻟﻢ ﻓﻘﺮ‬Whoever does not recite Al-Fātiḥah of the Book in his ِ ‫ﺑﻔﺎﺤﺗﺔ‬

prayer, his prayer becomes invalid, (Ḥadīth Al-Bukhāri and Muslim). ُ

َ ْ ُّ

Further, Sūrat al Fātiḥ ah is known as: ‫ ﻟﻜﺘﺎ‬ ِ ِ F Ummul Kitāb (The Mother of the Book) as attested in

a Ḥ adīth. However, the term Ummul Kitāb is used also for the Qur’an itself in Q.3:7 as well as for the Guarded Tablet or Al-Lauḥul Maḥfūẓ (Q.13:39). This tablet, preserved in heavens and lodged with Allah, contains the original of Allah’s Plan and the Eternal Decree. It thus establishes a celestial-terrestrial link with the Qur᾿an. The Sūrat al Fātiḥah summarises our itinerary on earth in the form of a supplication. We begin with the name of Allah, the All-Compassionate, the All-Merciful, and then thank Him, the Sustainer of all the worlds and the Master of the Day of Judgment. By addressing Allah as Raḥ mān and Raḥ īm, we unreservedly admit that we have sinned, that we are in need of His mercy and that He Alone is the AllCompassionate, the All-Merciful. To receive Allah’s mercy, we must follow the Qur᾿an and be righteous (Q.6:155). The quintessential theme of the Surah al Fātiḥ ah is to earnestly beseech Allah for guidance to the only true path called Ṣirāṭul Mustaqīm. The sequence of the verses points to the heart and core of the supplication that is a request for Allah’s guidance which every human being greatly needs. We ask for His assistance in this world to guide us along the Straight Path so that on the Day of Judgment in the Hereafter we shall not be among those on whom Allah’s wrath descends or among those who have strayed from that Path. The full impact of the importance of the Surah al Fātiḥ ah can be felt, if, while reciting it during the prayers, we imagine ourselves among a mammoth gathering of human beings standing with reverence and awe before Allah on the Day of Judgment. With this scenario in mind, we now beseech our Mālik, Who is Merciful and Compassionate, to guide us, from this day onwards, onto the Straight Path set out by Him, which would entitle us to be among the select righteous in the Hereafter. The Sūrat al Fātiḥah differs from the other sūrahs in the Qur᾿an in that (1) it is a short sūrah (seven verses including Bismillāh ir Raḥ mān ir Raḥ īm), which has been placed at the beginning of the Qur᾿an, while all the other short sūrahs are at the end; (2) it is in the form of a prayer; (3) the word āmīn (Amen) is added to it at the end which is not done in the other sūrahs. While comparing the arrangement and numbering of the verses of the Sūrat al Fātiḥ ah in two commentaries of the Qur᾿an, we can see that Allāmah ‘Abdullah Yusuf ‘Ali considers Bismillāh ir Raḥ mān ir Raḥ īm to be the first verse of the surah (a position accepted by the Shāfe،īs on the ground that Bismillah was found written on the pages when the Qur᾿anic texts were first collected), while Marmaduke Pickthall does not take the Bismillah verse to be the integral part of the Surah Fātiḥ ah (which is also the Ḥanafis’ view). Since Sūrat al Fātīḥah is known from elsewhere to have seven verses, Pickthall divides the last (seventh) verse into two parts – the sixth being - The path of those on whom You have bestowed your grace (Ṣ i rāṭal ladhīna an‘amta ‘alyhim) and the seventh - Not the path of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray (Ghyril Maghḍūbi ‘Alyhim wa laḍ ḍā llīn) so as to adjust the total number of verses to seven. Reciting the Fātiḥ ah in every rak‘ah as part of the ritual prayers is accepted by the Shāfe،īs as a divine order (farḍ : compulsory) while Imām Abu Ḥ anīfah says it is obligatory (wājib: necessary or essential). In Sūrat ul Fātiḥah, the very first chapter of the Qur’an, we ask Allah for guidance being the raison d'être of its recitation. Allah immediately responds to this request with an abundance of guidelines spread throughout the Qur᾿an, beginning with chapter.2:2, all advising us to be God-conscious. Bismillah being a part of the Qur᾿an, is considered to be the verse number one of the seven verses of Sūrat ul Fātiḥah. Hence one can see its importance. Subsequently it is used at the beginning of every sūrah of the Qur᾿an without being assigned a number. The only sūrah which does not begin with Bismillah is the Surat at Tawbah (Chapter 9; The Repentance). If we were to examine and observe ourselves carefully, we would find that some of us Muslims fall in one or even both categories of people mentioned in the last verse: Al Maghḍūbi ‘Alyhim (those with whom Allah is angry) and Ad Ḍ āllīn (those who have gone astray). There is a controversy regarding the utterance of āmīn after the Surat ul Fatiḥah. Al-Tirmidhi is of the opinion that āmīn (Amen) means, Do not disappoint our hopes, while some assert that Answer Thou me; Oh Allah is meant here, and yet others claim that āmīn is a short version of Yā Allah, āminna bi khyr meaning, Oh Allah, bring us good . The Sunni scholars say that the utterance of āmīn by both the Imām and the congregation at the end of Sūrat ul Fātiḥ ah is essential, because the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬used to say

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

āmīn, at times loudly and at times in subdued voice. This subject need not be debated and such a minor difference of opinion should not be exaggerated. Attention may now be turned to this significant first verse.

ْٰ ‫ﻤﺣﻦ‬ ‫ﺣﻴﻢ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﺮ‬ ِ ‫ِۢ ٱﷲِ ٱﻟﺮ‬

(1) Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm

This first verse may be discussed in terms of its two components: (A) Bismillāh and (B) Ar-Raḥmān ir Raḥīm.

(A) Bismillah ِ‫ ِۢ ﺑ‬is also called by its acronym basmallah or tasmiyah. The jurists of Baṣ ra,

Syria and Madīnah do not consider it to be an independent verse either at the beginning of Sūrat ul Fātiḥ a

h or any other sūrah. This is also the opinion of Imām Abu Ḥ anīfah, Imām Mālik and Aḥmad bin Hanbal, and hence the Ḥanafīs, the Mālikīs and the Hanbalīs do not pronounce these words loudly while praying. However, the jurists of Makkah and Kūfa as well as the Shāfè‘ īs and the Shī‘‘ahs consider the basmallah to be the first verse of Sūrat ul Fātiḥah and the other sūrahs (except Chapter 9 or the Sūrah At Taubah) and recite it in a loud voice because these words were written down on the leaves when the Qur’anic texts were first committed into writing. Moreover, it is a part of the Qur’an in Sūrah An Naml (chapter 27:30) and hence it is best to give it an independent number in Sūrah al Fātiḥah. For the other sūrahs of the Qur’an, it is used only as a headline and therefore not numbered. Imām Abu Ḥanīfah did not hold Bismillah to be a part of Sūrah al Fātiḥ ah, yet he permitted the recitation of Bismillah along with Sūrah al Fatiḥah during prayer, but not loudly. However, the recitation of Bismillāh before the Sūrah al Fātiḥah is considered compulsory as even some dissenters, including Imām Abu Ḥanīfah, acknowledge that the holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬always started with Bismillāh while reciting Sūrah al Fātiḥah. However, the word āmīn (Amen) was not written down although the Sunni Muslims recite it after the completion of the Fātiḥah. It is best to translate Bismillāh as with the name of Allah; Arabic particle bi is usually translated as with in English (while the English in stands for Arabic fi). However, bi is also translated as with (Q.2:63; 15:46); for (Q.17:79); by (Q.38:82); from (Q.76:6); at (Q.3:123).

Allah: He is known by many names which refer to His Attributes. Many Qur’anic verses glorify the

Divine Majesty by enumerating Allah’s Most Beautiful Names, Al-Asmā ul Ḥusna (Q.59:24). Although ninety nine such attributes have been mentioned (Ḥadīth: At-Tirmidhī, Ibn Māja and Muslim), Allah’s attributes are infinite. Allah manifests His attributes in the garb of His names and yet His Majesty is hidden in the diversity of His own creation. The quicker we approach Allah, the faster He draws nearer to us. If on any particular day we find ourselves to be further from God than we were a day earlier, there can be no doubt who it was that moved away. Nearness of a person to Allah signifies closeness to Allah’s attributes which should be taken by man as a standard for emulation, so that he may strive hard towards the ultimate perfection. Unlike man, Allah is perfect and makes no mistakes.

4 َ 4 َ َ ْ ُ

To a Muslim, Allah is the unequivocal paragon of Absolute Perfection, Purity and Glory. ‫ ﺑ ﻗﻤﺎ‬ ِ ‫ﺳﺒﺤﺎ‬

َ ُ َ ‫ﻳﺼﻔﻮ‬ ِ Subḥān allāhi ‘ammā yaṣifūn means Glory to Allah for He is far above what they attribute to Him

or He is above all imperfections (Q.6:100; 23:91).

The Supreme Being: When man ponders over the phenomena of nature, both manifest and

hidden, and concludes that after all, all beings must have come from a Supreme Being Who is the Creator and Sustainer of all, and Who is the Only Being worthy of worship, he comes to accept the fact that the Creator is transcendent and beyond human cognition. He is beyond the grasp of human experience, and beyond the limits of human knowledge, description and reason. Thoughts about God come into our minds through different avenues where they go round and round in an exercise of complete futility, all that in spite of the fact that Allah has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect and has intended us to use them. Although by reasoning, deduction and conclusion, we may be able to arrive at the truth about many things this does not apply to Allah, because reason cannot grasp or

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comprehend His nature. All our ideas and thoughts are of a transitory and perishable nature but Allah is different from any thought we can possibly have about Him. The brain is known to contain over 10,000 million cells, but even if all brain cells were to adjust the channels to fine-tune the message, the Centre of Imagination in the brain would not be able to comprehend Allah in His True perspective, or form an image of Him. Imagination is a mental process of evoking ideas or images, of objects, events or processes. We can picture any person with our eyes closed but we cannot picture God even with both our eyes open and our “third eyeâ€? (the pineal gland in the brain) functioning. This futile intellectual exercise is responsible for mankind’s perpetual and unending quest to describe Him. Millions of people belonging to different religions have come into this world, meditated and gone. For billions of man-hours they engrossed themselves in contemplation but in the end, they could not describe Allah. No matter for how long they locked themselves in the intense concentration of the mind or 'the heart' like the sufis, entered periods of ecstasy in the manner of dancing dervishes, or undertaken imaginary journeys through seven heavens to reach the Throne of God, God never made Himself accessible to their human vision. Allah Himself says in the Qur’an that we cannot see Him (Lan TarÄ ni Q.7:143). (Believers will see Him only after the Day of Judgment).The reality of God lies within the reach of words and concepts, yet reason and logic do not contribute to understanding His Nature and His Being, no matter how exhaustive our research. The existence of God cannot be proved in the same way as we prove the existence of a physical object, simply because God is not a physical object but a Transcendental Being. Any physical object can be accessed by any of our five senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch or taste. This does not apply to God, as He (SWT) exists on a level beyond our sensual perception. The proper name “Allahâ€? is applied to the unimaginable Supreme Being Who exists necessarily by Himself, comprising all the attributes of perfection: a Being Who is Supreme but remains hidden from human eyes, before Whose dignity and grandeur the human wisdom and perception come to nought, Whose sovereignty extends over the entire universe, to Whom our obedience is a must. As there is no corresponding word in English for Allah, we have used the word “Allahâ€? in this book rather than using God with a capital G, though we do use “Godâ€? sometimes to denote the One and Only True Supreme Being Who deserves to be worshipped. However, we have used the word “godâ€? with a small “gâ€? for anything else that men may also worship such as wealth, person, passion, etc. and which clearly is not God. We have further translated Rabb as Allah, although literally it means the Sustainer. However, if it is impossible to prove the existence of God on scientific basis, it is equally impossible to disprove His existence. Some say God is the creation of the human mind although we know that both the man and his mind are the creation of God. Some psychologists say that God is a mental representation of an absent object and if God did not exist, it would be necessary to invent Him. What occupies us, then, seems to be only a label attached to a mental image created for the practical uses of a God-fearing society. Some say God is nothing and that God should be described as “Nothingâ€? since He does not exist in any form we may conceive. That is why there are so many religions in this world. Some say there is no God while others say that God is dead. However, God Himself says in Q.2:255 that He is very much alive and this is being discussed with ever increasing intensity, even though Friedrich Nietzsche proclaimed in 1885, “God is deadâ€?. Today Nietzsche himself is dead and gone. He died in 1900 C.E., but in his lifetime he poised this famous question: “Is man one of God's blunders or is God one of man's blunders?â€? One could equally well ask that if instead of God, it was the nature that created us, why is then nature subservient to us?

Man’s diverse claims regarding two, three and many Gods are also causing intense confusion and traffic jam of data in the neurons of the brain. Some say there is One God, some say two, some three and yet some others that there are many, while Allah Himself clarifies in Q.16:51 that He is One, not two, and not one in three (Trinity: Q.5:73). Some persons in the universal audience want to unseat Him as the Master of Ceremonies and replace Him with an idol. Some say, “God is in meâ€? while some say, “God is meâ€?. Suffice it to say that there can be no answer to the question of as to who, how, where and when about ŮŽ God because Allah Himself says:

Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? ‍ ‏No vision can grasp Him but His grasp is over all vision (Q.6:103). The Ů? Ů’ Ů? ‍ ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺗﺪ ÂŽ ‏ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺑﺟﺎ‏ ŮŽ ‍ ﺑﺟﺎ‏ ‍ﺪ‏ Ů? Ů?

mystery of how, when and why regarding the Supreme Being can never be answered. We can seek God through different channels, but we cannot see Him in this world. We only know that He is Omnipresent i.e. present everywhere at the same time and shall make Himself visible to us in the Hereafter (Q.75:23).

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No matter how much and for how long we delve into the nature of Allah, in the end we find ourselves back where we started, rendering the whole exercise futile. Another interesting contradiction is that though we believe in those who seek Allah, yet we doubt those who claim to have found Him. This is beautifully enunciated in a sequence by Shaikh Sa‘di:

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Ay bartar az khiyaalo qiyaaso gamaano wahm; waz har chÊ gofta ando shaneedeemo khonda eem: Majlis tamaam gashto bÊ aakher raseed omr; maa hamchenon dar awwalÊ was fè tó monda eem: Oh You Who is Higher than our thinking, our deduction, our opinion and our imagination; and Loftier than whatever they have said and we have read. The assembly has dispersed and life has come to an end. We have forever remained as we were at the

ŮŒ ŮŽ

Ů’ ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ

beginning of Your description. Nothing can symbolise Allah because â€Ťďť  ﺡﺊ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ďşœâ€Ź Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺲ‏Lysa ka mithlihÄŤ shy

unn meaning: there is nothing whatsoever like unto Him (Q.42:11). Man was never formed in God’s image. We Muslims do not believe that God has a human shape or gender, although we refer to Him as He.

Root Words: The Arabic word Allah (Al LÄ h) means the God. Some say that the word Allah denotes Ů’ŮŽ (1) al ilÄ h (of Arabic origin) meaning the God (Pl. ‍ Ů?ďť&#x;ďş”â€ŹÄ lihah meaning gods) or (2) alÄ hÄ (of Aramaic

origin) meaning astonishmen or wonder, or (3) Al LÄ h (That Secret One). Others say it is derived from (4) ulĹŤhiyyah meaning worship. Again, some say that the word Allah is derived from (5) aliha meaning he became perplexed, probably because minds are confounded or perplexed by the Greatness and Majesty of the Supreme Being. And there are others who say that Allah is derived from (6) alahahu meaning He protected him, since Allah is the universal object of refuge and sanctuary. The word Allah has no plural and no gender. Because Allah is above all comprehension and hence beyond all representation, Islam is mostly free of arts featuring divine and human figures. One can say that the God of Islam is not photogenic. There is no imago Dei (image of God). Hence we should not refer to human beings as sons of God (Q.5:18) or as born in the image of God. We are not sitting at the feet of a man with a long white beard called God. To search for God’s image is to follow an illusion. The absolute principle of tauḼčd or the Oneness of Allah with its unbreachable unity separates the Creator from the created, proclaiming the impossibility of their union through incarnation (elevation of a human to a divine rank), deification (assumption of a bodily form by a divine being) or fusion. This impossibility is by Allah’s Authority, as Allah has no partners. The Oneness of God helps us to demarcate our spiritual boundaries that we have to safeguard from invasion by people who think otherwise. Obedience to Allah invalidates obedience to man. The word “akbarâ€? is formed by inflecting the word kabir meaning great to form its comparative degree – greater. AllÄ hu Akbar means Allah is greater than all else we can think of among His vast creation, which in fact means that Allah is the greatest. Even the creation of the heavens and the earth is greater (akbar) than that of mankind (Q.40:57). Any idea concerning Allah could only be conjectural and hence many religions have essentially emanated as strands from the basic concept of a Single Supreme Being. All human beings, no matter what religion they belong to, believe in One Supreme Being. However, most of us do not realise that He is the One and the same Supreme Being every one of us is referring to, albeit by a different name. He is not a member of any particular mosque, church or temple. We should not criticise any religion, since Allah has placed learned people among them all and entrusted them to fulfil certain missions known only to Himself. Many persons hold the erroneous belief that only their religion is true and makes sense and is the only short-cut to Heaven, and that all the other religions are false and lead to Hell. In the past and even now, this has led to a multitude of horrible religious wars that plagued mankind for centuries. It is commendable to commence every action, every letter and every speech with

Ů°ŮŽ Ů’ 4 4 4 ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů?ۢ BismillÄ h ir RaḼmÄ n ir RaḼčm according to the advice of the Prophet MuḼammad‍‏ Ů?

who said: Any affair which is not started with BismillÄ h ir RaḼmÄ n ir RaḼčm is maimed. Being the worthiest trustee of Allah in this world, the Prophet‍ ‏began every mission he was entrusted with, with the words BismillÄ h ir RaḼmÄ n ir RÄ á¸ĽÄŤm in conformity with the initial commandment:

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َ ِّ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ?@ 4 ‫ ﺑﻚ‬ ‫ﺧﻠﻖ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﺳﻢ‬ ِ ِ ِ F‫ ;ﻗﺮ‬Read with the name of Allah Who created (Q.96:1). Hence, if we were to follow his

example and hope to be good vicegerents of Allah on Earth, we should do the same. At the commencement of whatever we do, whatever action or project we undertake, we as Muslims should utter the word Bismillah and by saying just this, Allah shall bless that particular action or project of ours. (Notice that the first verse of Bismillah is immediately followed by the second verse of Al Ḥamdu Lillah reminding us to thank Him for blessing this project as well as others to be accomplished in the day ahead). By saying Bismillāh, we immediately make a verbal contact and call Allah, with Whose help problems may be solved easily and expeditiously, as He is the All-Wise, the All-Knowing. We are commanded to remember Allah's name again and again and devote ourselves to Him whole-heartedly.

َ َْ ْ ْ4َ​َ​َ َ َّ َ ْ ُ َُْ ‫ﺗﺒﺘﻴﻼ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺑﻚ ﺗﺒﺘﻞ‬ ِ ‫; ﻪ‬ ِ ‫ ﻛﺮ ﺳﻢ‬meaning: And remember the name of Allah and devote thyself to Him wholeheartedly. Allah also says:

ْ ُ ْ ُ ْ َ ‫ﻓﺎ ﻛﺮ ﻰﻳ‬ ُ ُ ْ َ ‫ ﺷﻜﺮ ﻲﻟ َ ﻻ‬ ُ ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻛﺮﻛﻢ‬F ُ​ُ ْ َ ‫ﺗﻜﻔﺮ‬ ِ ِ ِ

meaning: Remember Me, I will remember you; be grateful to Me and reject Me not, (Q.2:152). Therefore, one may ask: If we do not remember Allah and we do not invoke His name whenever we embark on a venture, should we still expect Him to bless that particular move or project of ours? The answer is: A project may even be completed by Allah’s will though Bismillāh was not recited at its beginning but it shall remain devoid of Allah’s blessings. By uttering Bismillāh every morning before we get out of bed, we can look forward to Allah’s blessings and guidance throughout the day. Every day is a new sunrise and a new beginning. It is customary for Muslims to say Bismillāh when putting the first morsel of food in the mouth at each meal, because Allah has also advised:

ُ​ُ َ 4 ُ ْ َ ُ 4 َ ْ ُ ‫ﺑﺂﻳﺎﺗﻪ‬ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ ْ ْ َ َ ‫ ﺑ‬ ‫ﻣﺆﻣﻨﻦﻴ‬ ِ ‫ ﻓﻠﻜﻮ ِﻣﻤﺎ‬meaning: Eat of that over which Allah’s name has been ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ِ; ﻛﻨﺘﻢ‬ ِ ِ​ِ ِ ‫ ﻛﺮ ﺳﻢ‬

mentioned, if you do have faith in His Revelations, (Q.6:118). Prophet Noah, pbuh, uttered Bismillah when asking people to enter the Ark (Q.11:41), to emphasise the merit of invoking Allah’s name at the beginning of any transaction or project. It is also advisable to begin with Bismillah when writing a letter. Prophet Sulaimān, pbuh, when

ُ4

writing a letter to Bilqīs, the Queen of Sheba, began by writing Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥim. She said ‫ِ;ﻧﻪ‬

َٰ ْ 4 َ ََْ ُ ْ 4 ُ 4 َ ‫ﺳﻠﻴﻤﺎ‬ 4 ‫ ﻟﺮﻤﺣﻦ‬ ‫ ﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬ ‫ ﺑ‬ ِۢ ‫ ﻧﻪ‬ ‫ ِﻣﻦ‬Lo! It is from Solomon. Lo! It is with the name of Allah, the Allِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

Compassionate, the All-Merciful, (Q.27:30). Moreover, it was customary in her reign to offer thanks to Allah after eating (Q.34:15). Imām Ghazzāli advises us that we should begin eating by saying Bismillāh and end with Al Ḥ

amdu Lillāh after the last morsel of food. In fact, Bismillāh should initiate any and every activity while Al Ḥamdu Lillah should conclude it. From the above, we understand that whenever (1) we write something, we must begin with Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm as in Q.27:30; (2) we read something, we begin with Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm as in Q.96:1; (3) we begin to eat, we must say Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm as in Q.6:118; (4) we embark on any project or activity, we must say Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm as in Q 11:41.

َٰ ْ

(B) Ar-Raḥmānir Raḥīm ‫ ﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬ ‫ ﻟﺮﻤﺣﻦ‬ : This is translated as The All-Compassionate, the Allِ ِ

Merciful. If mercy of Raḥmān and Raḥīm is the essence of Allah contained in both the names used most often to invoke Him, Raḥmān and Raḥīm, and if Allah specifically chooses for His mercy whomever He pleases (Q.3:74), then why does the mercy of Allah have two different names? What is the difference in the nature of mercy contained in Rạḥmān and in Raḥīm, when the root words of both Raḥmān and

ًََْ ًَ​ََْ ًَْ َ ِ َ raḥima; ‫ ﻤﺣﺔ‬ ُ َ ْ َ yarḥamu ‫ﻣﺮﻤﺣﺔ‬ Raḥīm, are one and the same? Viz. (1). ‫ ﺣﻢ‬ raḥmatann ‫ ﻤﺣﺎ‬Raḥmann; ‫ﻳﺮﺣﻢ‬ َ​َ َ

ْ marḥamah means compassion (Q.90:17). marḥamatann, all mean to have mercy. (2). ‫ﻣﺮﻤﺣﺔ‬

Allah is Ar-Rahmān of this world and Ar-Rahīm of the Hereafter. The mercy denoted by raḥman is universal and unconditional, with no strings attached. It is meant for the whole of mankind, good or bad, on whom in any case Allah bestows His unlimited mercy on an hourly basis. Allah is Raḥmān, to both believers and non-believers alike. Allah is Raḥmān even to Satan, though only on earth, giving him permission to do whatever he wants. Whether we believe in Allah or we are atheists, whether we praise

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Him or we ignore Him, whether we are saints or sinners, whether we worship Him or worship something else, Allah still grants us His bounties through His mercy because He is RAḤMÄ€N. Whether we are Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews or atheists, Allah with utmost willingness, provides air, rain and sunshine to one and all. He gives each and every one of us equal amount of time viz. 60 minutes per each of the 24 hours in a day. There are some unbelievers who blaspheme whenever Allah’s name is mentioned (Q.21:36) and doubt Allah’s very existence (Q.25:60) yet Allah is Merciful even to them. But such Mercy of RaḼmÄ n is valid for all of us only in this world. Shaikh Sa‘di has summarised this in his supplication:

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8 9 :

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Ay Kareemi kè az khazaanè yè ghayb; gabro tarsaa wazeefa khor daaree; Dooston raa kojaa konee mahroom; tĂł kè baa doshman in nazar daaree, meaning: O Benefactor Who from the Unknown Treasure sustains infidels and fire-worshippers. How can You deprive Your friends, while You have so much regard for Your enemies? Allah’s Mercy and bounties as RaḼmÄ n are not rationed in any way and are open to us as well as to our enemies, and even to those whom we consider His enemies. Many philosophers write books and articles proving the existence of God, while many others make a living by negating and criticising them. The poet clarifies:

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Wa lyken Khodaa wandĂŠ baalaa o past, bĂŠ esyon darĂŠ rezq bar kas nabast: The God of the heavens and earth (also translated as “The God of the exalted person and the lowlyâ€?) did not close the door of sustenance on any one because of disobedience. A beautiful chapter in the holy Qur’an is called the AR-RAḤMÄ€N and is addressed to mankind and jinn (Ch.55). RaḼmÄ n is the intensive form of the verb raḼmah, more intensive than raḼčm, because it includes Allah’s mercy to both the believers and non-believers in this world (Q.25:63-65; 21:36). Mercy of Allah precedes His anger, (Ḥadith: Al-BukhÄ ri and Muslim). The Holy Qur’an mentions Allah’s names relating to His mercy and love twice as often as it mentions the names related to His punishment and wrath. When Allah created the creation, He wrote in a Book that He has with Him above the Throne: My Mercy overcomes My anger. (HadÄŤth Muslim). On the Day of Judgment, Allah will not allow the Captor and the captive attitude.

Ů’ ŮŽ RaḼim. ‍ﺣ‏ Ů’ RiḼm; ŮŽ ‍ ﺣ‏ Ů? RAḤĪM, which is derived from RaḼmÄ n is said to have some reference to ‍ ﺣ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů’Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ﺣ‏RaḼm (dialect of Benu KilÄ b), all of these meaning the womb (Pl. ‍ ﺣﺎ‏ará¸ĽÄ m). Ar RaḼm (the womb) which is derived from Ar-RaḼmÄ n (ḤadÄŤth: AḼmad bin Hanbal) is a place of origin or a receptacle for the young such as the mother’s womb where the foetus gets readymade nourishment without any effort on its part. ‍ ďť&#x;  ﺣﺎ‏F

Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ

Ů’ Ulul-Ará¸ĽÄ m means possessors of relationship, i.e. blood relatives (Q.8:75). ‍ﺎﺣ‏ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ

ŮŽ MaḼram means a MarḼōm refers to an object of compassion, usually a believer who has died. ‍ﺤﺎ‏

relative male or female whom it is unlawful to marry. Included among mahram are brother/sister, father/mother, grandfather/ grandmother, son/daughter, grandson/granddaughter, uncle/aunt, nephew/niece, grand-nephew/ grand-niece, father's wife or daughter/mother's husband or son, father in-law/mother-in-law, foster mother (the one who breastfed one). According to ḤadÄŤth Qudsi, one of the first things that Allah created was the riḼm or the womb, and gave it a name similar to Allah’s own attribute of RaḼmah contained in RaḼ mÄ n and RaḼčm. RaḼ mah is that attribute of Allah by which He provides readymade, free of cost nourishment to one and all. It is important never to sever relations with parents as advised in this ḤadÄŤth Qudᚣi:

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďť—ďť„ďťŒďťšâ€Ź Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďşťďť ďťšâ€Ź Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ﺖ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďşťďť ďş˜‏ â€Ťďť—ďť„ďťŒďş˜‏ ‍ ﺎ‏Anar RaḼmÄ n wa antir RaḼem; Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ﺳ ďť“‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ ﺡďť˜ďť˜ďş–â€Ź Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺳďťš Ů?‏

shaqaqtusmiki min ismÄŤ; faman waᚣalaki waᚣaltuhu wa man qaáš­'aki qata'tuhu: meaning: I am ArRaḼmÄ n and you (the womb) are ar-raháť‹m; I have cleaved your name from My name; therefore whoever makes you close, I will make him close; and who severs you, I will sever him. Allah’s Mercy extends to form a special relationship between Him and the faithful, such mercy being reserved only for those who are the mu’mins, i.e. those Muslims who allow faith with firm conviction

Ů‹

ŮŽ

ŮŽ

Ů’ Ů?Ů’

ŮŽ ŮŽ

ŮŽ (ÄŤmÄ n) enter their heart. ‍ ﺣﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ﺆ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? m And He is Merciful to the Mu’mins (Q.33:43). However, this CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

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special mercy of Allah being of the Raḥīm type, it shall be granted in full only in the Hereafter and only to those Muslims who proved themselves to be the true mu’mins by having performed good deeds. (Although the Jews call themselves the chosen people of God, there are many verses in the Qur’an that mention the children of Abraham, Israel (Yaqūb) and indeed all the prophets beginning with Ādam as also being chosen by Allah (Q.20:122; 16:121; 19:58; 12:6; 22:78). However, in the Hereafter, only Muslims (meaning those who submitted themselves to Allah and had firm faith in the Last Day, no matter what religion they belonged to) shall be the people chosen to enter jannah (paradise), once they proved themselves to be the mu’minīn or the believers. Those who did not testify to the Oneness of Allah and the Day of Judgment in this life shall be deprived of this Mercy of RAḤĪM. Both the words, Raḥmān and Raḥīm, if preceded by the definite article Al/Ar refer only َ to Allah and nobody or nothing else.

َ ِ 4 ‫ ﺣﻢ‬F ُ َ ْ Ar Ḥamur Rāḥimīn means More merciful than those who are most merciful (Q.7:151). ‫ ﻟﺮ ﻤﺣﻦﻴ‬ ِ

Although the name Ar-Raḥīm is reserved for Allah alone, Q.9:128 refers to the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬as also being Raḥīm. Does this mean that Allah will allow the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬to intercede on our behalf and ask for mercy on the Day of Judgment? The answer is yes.

ِّ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ

‫ ﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻦﻴ‬ ِ‫ ﺤﻟﻤﺪ ِﺑ‬ ِ

(2) Al Ḥamdu Lillāhi Rabbil ‘Ālamīn

What is Ḥamd?

AL-ḤAMDU LI ALLĀH: The English word praise does not do justice to the meaning of ḥamd. Besides the meaning inherent in praise, ḥamd embraces also all the shades of meaning intrinsic to words such as thanks, gratitude, indebtedness and obligation. No amount of praise we may express can ever do justice to the extent of Allah’s power, glory and bounty, both seen and unseen. Only an extended description can aptly bring out the complete meaning of ḥamd. There are other words in the Arabic language for simple “praise” which may be used to express admiration for objects such as a beautiful scenery, a peacock dance or a lustrous pearl. Here the word madaḥ (which also means praise) may be used. But al Ḥamd meaning the praise must be reserved exclusively for Allah and Allah alone. Saying simply that all praise is for Allah does not convey the full meaning of ḥamd. It would be more appropriate to say all praises are only for Allah and Allah alone. Ḥamd is thus an expression of an intense feeling of love, respect and reverence for the artistry and glory of the Almighty. In offering thanks to Allah, three types of praise or Al-Ḥamd come into play. These are: (1) Al-Ḥamd Fil Qaul (praise of Allah with the tongue); (2) Al-Ḥamd Bil Fi‘l (praise of Allah with actions of the body); (3) Al Ḥamd Fil Ḥāl, (praise of Allah at all times with the heart and mind).

Just two little words: Al-Ḥamdu Lillāh which means All praise is due to Allah is so important that

the Holy Qur᾿an, the Divine Book of Guidance for all mankind, begins with words Al-Ḥamdu Lillāhi Rabbil ‘Ālamīn. This expression means praise is to Allah, Sustainer of all the worlds and of all beings. Its depth of meaning can be gauged from another verse of the Qur᾿an (31:27), where Allah says, And if all the trees on this earth were pens and the ocean (were ink) with seven such oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet the Words of Allah would not be exhausted (in the writing). Merely by saying Al Ḥamdu Lillah as we put our feet out of bed in the morning, we offer verbal thanksgiving for all the bounties Allah has blessed us with, including the gift of yet another day. This simple act alone is responsible for the outpouring of neuro-transmitters in our brain such as encephalin, endorphin, dopamine, serotonin and others that are responsible for serenity and tranquillity. And so, we begin a New Day with a New Beginning. Islam places great emphasis on inner peace, referred to as sakīnah (inner calm and tranquillity) in the Qur'an (48:4). Inner peace and tranquillity, happiness and fulfilment come from Allah and not from music, drugs or painkillers. The more we remember Allah through dhikr (meaning simply remembrance of Allah), the more peace permeates our inner self. During dhikr the brain secretes different kinds of neurotransmitters, which are responsible for serenity, satisfaction and inner peace. Studies have shown that over time, those who find inner calm live longer and healthier lives. We have been instructed in the Qur᾿an to offer ḥ amd to Allah for giving beginning to His creation (Q.6:1) as well as for ending it (Q.39:75). All praise belongs to Him, at the beginning as well as in the end (Q.28:70).

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

ْ ُ

َ

There are many things in this world we have to thank Allah for. He Himself says in Q.14:34: ‫َ ﺗﺎﻛﻢ‬

4َ ٌ ُ َ​َ َ َْ 4 َ ُ ُْ 4 َ​َْ ُّ ُ َ ْ َ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ ِّ ُ ْ ٌ ‫ﻛﻔ‬ ‫ﺎ‬ ‫ ﻹﻧﺴﺎ ﻟﻈﻠﻮ‬ ; ۗ ‫ﺤﺗﺼﻮﻫﺎ‬ ‫ﻻ‬ ‫ ﺑ‬ ‫ﻧﻌﻤﺔ‬ ‫ﻳﻌﺪ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ۚ ‫ ِﻣﻦ ﻞﻛ ﻣﺎ ﺳﺄﺤﻛﻤﻮ‬And He gives you all that you ask for, but if you count the favour of Allah, you will never be able to number it. Indeed, man is given up to injustice and ingratitude. We notice that both favour and bounty mentioned in this verse are in the singular and not in the plural. This is because every single favour of Allah is a composite of multiple and aggregate favours, e.g. the plate of food that we eat incorporates many things, starting with the labour that went into growing plants and rearing animals, right from planting a seed to bringing it to maturity, and ending with loving care of a mother, who ensures that the plate of food is served hot and on time. (It is unfortunate that left-over food which could feed all the hungry children of the world is dumped daily into the garbage bin. If we stop wasting food, we can save the world's energy). In fact, gratitude for Allah’s gifts is a form of worship. O ye faithful! Eat of the good things that We have provided you and be grateful to Allah if it is (indeed) He Whom you worship, (Q.2:172); again: Allah has made His bounty flow to you in exceeding measure (both) seen and unseen, (Q.3:27). Allah, who is the Sustainer of the bounties unbounded (Q.3:74) gives sustenance without measure (Q.3:27). He is so lavish in His gifts that if we were to lose some, still we would be abundantly rich. He bestows His bounties on all, although He bestows more on some than on others, all according to His Will and Plan (Q.17:20-21). Life does not consist merely of holding good cards of bounties in one’s hand but in playing each one well. Gratitude to Allah is linked to His good pleasure for He is pleased when we are grateful (Q.39:7). In Q.57:25 three bounties of colossal importance are mentioned, with a specific purpose of testing men in obedience to Allah and His messengers, viz. (1) Revelation in the form of scriptures to distinguish good from evil, (2) the Balance so that justice may prevail in the society and (3) Iron to maintain the arm of the law as well as to ensure further technological advancement of mankind. We must thank Allah for having created life and for having created us. We must thank Him both for giving us life as well as for the privilege of presenting us with yet another day to experience the joy of living, to receive admonition and to gain wisdom (Q.35:37; 40:67). Let each day of ours be a masterpiece. We must realise that we have the opportunity to write a new page for every single day that Allah grants us and we alone shall be its authors. Just as an ink-drop might smear a whole clean white page, a single intentional wrong deed can deduct much of the good we did so far. M

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konad paaymaal: How many times a good name spanning 50 years gets devastated through a single ugly act.

Caution: Needless to say that each thought, word, and deed shall determine our future. We can write

and do all the good we have written on this page. Allah has given us for each day, sixteen golden hours, made up of sixty marvellous minutes, to do our best, to complete the things which were so far left undone and to achieve our goals (Q.6:60). Nothing is worth more than each single day, which has been granted to us for a purpose, to accomplish the mission set for us by Allah, to make the world a better place to live in as well as to secure for ourselves a bright future in the Hereafter. Every extra day we receive from Him gives us a chance to acquire further insight into the purpose of life, shows us how important we are and allows us to complete the mission that we have been sent here for. Each day Allah grants us an opportunity to purify ourselves by doing a good deed or practicing charity, with a promise that we shall be given our Book of Deeds to hold in our right hand on the Day of Judgment. Yet, some of us continue to engage in certain types of on-going sin, which amounts to nothing less than hurting ourselves with our own hands. If every morning we wake up we make a resolve that at least until the next morning we will try to avoid this undesirable activity, we will surely, with His help, be able to overcome the evil addiction.

The workload: For every single day and night that Allah grants us, this Earth has to perform a great

labour. It must rotate on its axis (if measured at the equator, this rotation amounts to something like 25,000 miles that must be negotiated each 24 hours at the speed of over 1,038 miles per hour, which is much faster than the speed of a jet!) while simultaneously going around the sun at the fantastic speed of 66,672 miles per hour, all the time carrying a huge load of the combined weight of mountains, oceans and more than 6000 million human beings. The mass of the Earth is roughly 6,700 million, million,

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million tons. In spite of this, we do not feel giddy in the slightest for there are no adverse side effects of this rotation that is taking place each single day of our lives. All this and much more activity is going on continuously and uninterruptedly, while you are reading this article. We are mostly unaware of this annual trip round the sun that all of us get for free. The sun has been giving the whole world solar energy for millions of years and lit up the skies but not once did it say to the earth or to us: You owe me. (Khwajah Haafiz). The scientists have recently found out that the Earth is also wobbling and continually making a ringing sound like a bell, yet we do not even hear it! No amount of thanks would do justice to such a performance! Shaikh Sa‘di expressed it beautifully in this couplet:

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Abro baado maho khursheedo falak dar kaarand, taa tó naanee bÊkaf aaree yo bÊ ghaflat na khoree: HamÊ az bahrÊ tó sar gashtÊ o farmon bardaar; shartÊ insaaf nabaashad kÊ tó farmon nabaree. The cloud, wind, moon, sun and the skies are working together, so that you may earn your bread and not consume it carelessly; for your sake, everything is overwhelmed and subservient; it is not fair that you should be negligent of your duties (toward Him). Allah is not asking any royalty for arranging all this. He advises us only to be thankful to Him for the bounties He showers on us. We can show Him our appreciation by sharing and caring and serving mankind. Words are poor expressions of the gratitude we owe Him. Expressing only verbal thanks to Allah for the bounties we enjoy, without sharing some of them with our fellow men, amounts to mockery of Allah’s gifts that He so kindly bestows on us. No matter how much we worship Allah, we can not pay our debt of gratitude, even if we were to consider only one single gift of His, the gift of the eyes and the sight. The more wealth and talents Allah grants us, the more responsibilities we have in discharging the duties entrusted to us by Allah. Those of us who are financially sound, are subject to even greater accountability.

AḼmad: Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏spent much time in offering Ḽamd to Allah. He was also known as

AḼmad. The word AḼmad, used here as personal name and therefore written with the capital letter, is formed by inflecting the word Ḽamd to form its comparative degree, aḼmad, exactly the same way the word akbar is formed from kabir. AḼmad thus means more worthy of honour or as some authors say more praiseworthy. While announcing the coming of a prophet that will follow him, Isa used the name AḼmad to refer to Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏: ÄŞsa, ibn Maryam (Jesus, son of Mary, pbuh), said “O children of Israel, I am the Apostle of Allah (sent) to you confirming the Law (which came) before me and giving glad tidings of an Apostle to come after me whose name shall be AḼmad,â€? (Q.61:6). It is interesting to observe that the Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, which are thousands of years old, say: AḼmad acquired religious law from his Lord. This law of religion is full of wisdom, (Veda: 2,6,8). It is not possible to express appreciation and gratitude to the Almighty for all the asked and the unasked bounties He bestowed upon us. However, in whatever small or insignificant way we can, we must remember Him, glorify Him and carry out His commands. But if we glorify Him without simultaneously carrying out His commands we fail to perform any service to mankind. Since Allah listens to the prayers of every person who calls on Him, it is incumbent on us that we also listen to His call (Q.2:186). Love can never be one-sided, it must be reciprocated. For Allah to love us and forgive our sins, we must also love Allah and follow the Prophet‍( ‏Q.3:31). Loving Allah and the Prophet‍ ‏has both stimulating and sedating effects on the human body through the activity of neurotransmitters. Expressing our love for Allah lays the ground for the growth of friendship and communication with Him. Our relationship with Allah is thus strengthened and grows more intimate. Allah becomes the Best Friend we could ever have. Our relationship with Him becomes stronger in this life extending then into the Hereafter, which is unlike relationships between the humans which are temporary and meant only for this life. Hence, we are advised in Q.13:22 to patiently persevere in seeking Allah’s Countenance as it is said that no lamp will keep on burning if we do not keep on putting oil into it.

Obstacles: It is easy to say we love Allah but we have to overcome many obstacles to prove it. The trials and tribulations are all from Allah and are meant to try us in the sincerity of our love for Him. Khwajah Haafez of Shiraaz says in this couplet:

36

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

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Alaa yaa ayyuhas saaqee edar kaážżsann wa naavelhaa, kĂŠ ‘eshq aason nemood awwal walee oftaad moshkelhaa. Hurry up, O Saaqi, fill the cup and pass it around the ring; since Love at first seemed an easy thing but difficulties supervened. An Urdu poem describes it thus:

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Aziyyat, museebat, malaamat, balaaen; terè eshq men ham nÊ kya kya na dekhaa: Injury, suffering, offensive rebukes and calamities, what and which did I not see while in love with You. It does not matter if others are displeased with us as long as Allah is pleased. The poet says:

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Cho raazee shod az bandĂŠ yazdaanĂŠ paak, gar eenhaa nagardand raazee chĂŠ baak: When God is pleased with His devotee, it does not matter if the others are not pleased. A sincere Muslim seeks to earn the pleasure of Allah in everything he does. He is not concerned with seeking the approval of others, and indeed he may incur the wrath and hatred even of his friends and relatives in the course of his efforts to win divine favour, as the Prophet‍ ‏said: Whoever seeks the pleasure of Allah (SWT) at the risk of displeasing the people, Allah will take care of him and protect him from them. But whoever seeks the pleasure of the people at the risk of angering Allah, Allah will abandon him to the care of the people. We should be grateful for Allah’s gifts of wealth, health, love, profession, family, friends and personal pursuits in which we find so much pleasure. Even after having lived a full life and having enjoyed all the bounties showered on us, we still find ourselves desperately in need of something. We need Allah’s mercy and forgiveness for whatever sins, knowingly or unknowingly, we may have committed in the past. We know that we did commit sins, sometimes in ignorance and sometimes intentionally, but that is all over now. The past is past.

Why should we thank AllÄ h?

To begin with, we must thank Allah that we are able to breathe. Indeed, we have to thank Him twice for every breath we take. #Shaikh Sa’di says:

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Har nafasee kĂŠ froo meerawad momeddĂŠ hayaat ast wa har nafasee kĂŠ bar mee aayad mofarrahĂŠ zaat; pas dar har nafasee dĂł ne‘mat maujood ast, wa dar har ne‘matee shokree waajib: Every breath that is inhaled is an addition to life and when it is exhaled, it refreshes the being. Then, for each breath, two gifts are present and for each gift, an expression of thanks is essential. Every breath we inhale nourishes life (by providing oxygen, etc.) for which we have to thank Allah, because this means that we have lived an x number of years plus this half breath. And every breath we exhale (apart from expelling the poisonous carbon dioxide) nourishes the inner self, because it symbolises the remaining part of our life minus the exhaled breath. It reminds us to take note of and listen to the call: You are coming nearer to your goal in life, the goal of meeting with your Creator. Moreover, we must thank Allah, not only for having created life but also for having created us as human beings, the best of His creation - Ashrafal MakhlĹŤqÄ t, i.e. the most honourable of the creations. Mankind should not be considered to be merely a sample in the panorama of the Darwinian Theory but rather a marvel of Allah and His special handiwork. Every man or woman is an important person in his/her own right because he/she has been appointed by Allah Himself to become His vicegerent on Earth, so that he/she may manage some of Allah’s work here where all mankind live. Although we were created from a speck of dust and were miniscule to start with, Allah instilled in us the RōḼ (soul) which is the greatest of the potentials to develop ourselves to take on the job of being His KhalÄŤfahs or managers on earth. In the grand scheme of things, man was created as someone special to act as Allah’s vicegerent on earth. The raison d’être of his existence on this planet is to worship Allah alone which entitles him to this vicegerency. For this he enjoys special privileges which have not been granted to other creatures including the angels. On his shoulders rests a precious duty which the heavens and the earth refused to accept but man in his foolishness, accepted it (Q.33:72). If we pause for a moment and reflect as befits our status of Ashrafal MakhlĹŤqÄ t, we ourselves realise how much we have to thank Allah for every extra

CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

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day that He grants us. This daily gift of extra time is entirely due to His attributes of Ar-RaḼmÄ n ar RaḼčm. It is a message and its purpose is to give us some more time to do good deeds and move in great strides along the path of our spiritual and personal growth (Q.35:37; 40:67). Allah may try us in the gifts He has given us (Q.6:165), in our possessions and in our personal selves (Q.3:186), or through evil or good (Q.21:35). Every additional day of life means some more opportunity for getting closer to Him by attending to the wants of a needy person. We have to treasure each day, knowing that all we have in our hands is the present moment. There is no such thing in a person’s life as an unimportant day. In fact, we should live each day as if it were our last. As long as there is life there is hope, hope of doing things that were not done, and also finishing what has been left undone, and making our last action righteous. If we thank Allah so much for each and every extra day He gives us in this transitory and fleeting life, we can only imagine how much we should thank Him for promise of the eternal life in the Hereafter, where we will live for ever and never die. We must thank Allah for having created the centre of speech that controls the tongue and is situated

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’

Ů?ŮŽ4ŮŽ

ŮŽ ‍ ďť‹ďť ďť¤ďťŞâ€Źmeans: He (Allah) taught man intelligent language. (BayÄ n in the left cerebral hemisphere. ‍ ﺎ‏

means explaining thoughts and ideas through verbal means or utterances of intelligent explanation) (Q.55:4). Language combines different sounds to form words used to express feelings and concepts. It is through a language that we can express our knowledge of ideas, persons, objects or events. In fact, Allah has given every being the ability to communicate (Q.41:21). Human speech is an important means of communication. It is therefore expected (as a token of appreciation and gratitude for all the bounties) that this tongue of ours should express thanks and praises to its Creator by saying just two little words Al-Ḥamdu LillÄ h. Unlike animals, man has been endowed with reasoning and the ability to express his thought in many different ways and in many different languages. This wonderful ability is well illustrated when using one and the same language, different people describe one and the same incident differently, giving vent to their different speaking skills or styles and personal views. There are countless bounties and fortunate turns of events for which one must thank Allah. Whenever one receives an unusual bounty or is rescued from some catastrophe one should bow to Allah in gratitude by offering the prostration of thankfulness called sajdat ush shukr. But let us ask ourselves one simple question: When did we last thank Allah for having created us as human beings? Do we know that each one of us is so unique, with different permutations and combinations of his 25,000 genes, skills and talents that no person exactly like him was ever born nor shall be born in this world in ŮŽ future? Did we remember to say Al Ḥamdu LillÄ h after our last meal? Allah says,

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;ďş˜ďş´ďş„ďť&#x;‏ 4 Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ‍‏ 4Ů? ‍‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? â€ŤďťłďťŽďťŁďşŒﺏ‏

4 ‍ ďş ďťŒ‏ Ů? Ů? meaning: You shall be questioned on That Day about the bounties you enjoyed, (Q.102:8). Indeed, Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ 4ŮŽ we have to be forever grateful to Allah for His favours (Q.16:14) ‍ﺑďťŒďş” ďş‘ďťš ďť“ﺤﺪ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎ‏F ŮŽ meaning: And rehearse and proclaim the bounty of Allah, (Q.93:11). We have been commanded to remember Allah often and glorify Him morning and evening (Q.33:41-42). Shaikh Sa'di advises:

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Khodaa raa dar faraakheee khon o dar eysh o tan aasaanee; na choon kaarat bĂŠ kaam aamad khodaa az jaano del khaanee: Remember God in prosperity, luxury and self-comfort, and not when your job is satisfactorily completed, you remember Him whole-heartedly. The extent of our indebtedness to Allah is expressed in this line:

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Gar kasee shokr gozaaree konad in ne‘mat raa, na tawaanad kĂŠ hamĂŠ omr bar aayad zĂŠ sojood: meaning If anyone were to offer thanks for this bounty, he would not be able to get up from sajdah all his life. Frequent appreciation of the bounties we enjoy accompanied by expression of gratitude start an avalanche of secretion of neurotransmitters in the brain (such as encephalin, endorphin, serotonin, dopamine and others) which are responsible for our well-being, serenity, tranquillity, euphoria, satisfaction, contentment and optimism. Studies have shown that such a state of well-being enhances the body's immune and cardiovascular system and slows down aging. Researchers say that persons with higher levels of spirituality or religiosity have a significantly slower progression of cognitive decline and a much delayed Alzheimer’s.

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Most of us can recall instances in our lives when we would surely have died had it not been for Allah’s intervention. Probably Allah gives us a chance to do some good so as to tip the scale of our good deeds to the right by granting us an extra day so that on the Day of Judgement we might receive our Book in our right hand. Do we continue to thank Him again and again for having saved our lives so many times in the past or is it that the vows made during storms get forgotten when calm returns?

Bounties

Whenever man counts Allah’s bounties, he discovers that the greatest bounty bestowed on him is to have been born into this world. Moreover, every day, every hour, every minute, Allah’s grace flows continuously and in abundance. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬said, Two bounties of Allah a great many people cannot acknowledge - health and time. Yet, we should be thankful to Allah both in adversity and in prosperity (Q.11:9-11). Some of us endlessly grumble and bemoan the things we lack rather than be grateful for the bounties we possess and the talents with which we have been endowed. A wise man is one who does not grieve for the thing he does not have, but rejoices in what he has. Someone was crying because he had no shoes; then he met someone who had no legs. To begin with, if we are able to read this book, we must thank Allah, knowing that nearly a billion people all over the world cannot read nor write. Besides, millions are blind, deaf, mentally retarded and physically handicapped. More than half of the world’s population in more than 100 countries across the globe has no access to newspapers, radio or television. Likewise, we must thank Allah for good health, which is a bounty normally taken for granted and thus not appreciated enough. We must thank Allah for all the bounties we have already received and still enjoy. If we see a dirty, hungry or maimed beggar, instead of getting angry and walking away, the least we can do is to thank Allah that we ourselves are not in his place. Of course, this does not absolve us of our brotherly duties to help him since he deserves our assistance in whatever way we can afford. All personal achievements are gifts from God. So, too, are knowledge, intellectual competence, beauty, strength, talent, wealth and power. We need to recognise that the purpose we have been endowed with these is that we should use them not for our own selfish ends but in the service of others. In this way, we can make this planet Earth a better place to live in for ourselves and for those yet to come. Having started on the subject of thanks and praise due to Allah, we must turn now to the greatest favour and the best of His bounties َ bestowed upon us, َ viz. the religion of Islam. Allah says:

ً َ ْ َ ْ ْ ُ َْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ْ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َْْ ُ ُ َ ُ َ َ ‫ﻧﻌﻤﻲﺘ‬ ‫ ﻹﺳﻼ ِ ﻳﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺿﻴﺖ ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻳﻤﻤﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ‬F ‫ﻛﻤﻠﺖ ﻟﻜﻢ ِ ﻳﻨﻜﻢ‬F ‫ ﻮ‬This day I have perfected your religion

for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion, (Q.5:3). With perfecting religion we are to follow, Allah completed the last of His favours meant for humankind, and gave us a holistic way of life on a platter. This religion He perfected and chosen for us is the religion of Islam, the last and greatest of His favours. Mankind does not need any further revelation and religious knowledge, since Islam has been perfected and rendered complete. Allah has tied the Qur᾿an with a beautiful ribbon and handed this marvellous gift package over to us. Allah’s bounties are all round us; what one needs is an eye to recognise them. We have ample time to look around and see them, even more so in old age. An older man needs only 4 hours of sleep instead of eight. Hence, in our old age, instead of 16 hours, we receive 20 hours of prime time to do whatever good we want to do, this being one of the ways that our life is prolonged, all through the Mercy and the Wisdom of Allah. The old man surely cannot thank Him enough for getting more hours of prime time and hence more opportunities to do good. Once we have thanked Allah, whom should we thank next? The Qur’an says that we should thank our parents (Q.31:14). It is interesting to note that after Allah it is our parents who deserve our thanks the most. No wonder, spending on parents is given topmost priority as evident in Q.2:215. After that we should also thank the prophets, our relatives, teachers, elders and friends who have contributed in many ways to our growth, knowledge and progress.

CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

39

Thanksgiving Poem

Here is a thanksgiving poem by Shaikh Muᚣlihuddin Sa‘di of Shiraaz who composed it some 750 years ago: (A)

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BĂŠ naamĂŠ Khoda wandĂŠ jon aafarin; HakeemĂŠ sokhan dar zabon aafarin: I begin with the name of God Who created life. He created the centre of speech which controls the tongue. Every extra day given to us on earth provides us with certain gifts that may not necessarily be material in nature but rather take the form of cautionary messages for this life or the next. Even meeting someone who harmed us in the past may be a significant pointer telling us that there is still room for our own improvement. The extra day gives us an opportunity to review relationships, resolve enmities and perhaps say good-bye to someone with an embrace. It prolongs our learning process and opens yet another page in our life so that we might acquire wisdom (Q.35:37; 40:67) and utilise it for whatever else we want to do in this life to ensure our own salvation in the Hereafter. Allah gives us this one more day so that we have yet another chance to correct the imbalances of the past. While driving forward in our journey, we must constantly look towards the future and only once in a while glance at the rear-view mirror to view our past errors, as constant looking into the rear-view mirror may land us in a car crash. Here is an Urdu poem:

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Peechhay mor kar dekho gÊ tó aagay thokar khaau gay; maazee kee naa kaamyabee tojhko khoob sataay gee: If you keep on turning around to look back, you will run into something in front; the failures of the past will keep on adding to your troubles ahead. We should make full use of this extra time and welcome all opportunities that come our way. We should work with our intellect and our hands, diligently and around the clock, to enhance our personal spiritual curriculum vitae which may add or deduct from the total image of the Muslim ummah, both locally and globally. This extra day is ours for the taking and to do whatever we want for this life or for the Hereafter, dividing the given time between worship, work, family and friends. He who likes his provisions increased or his life extended should be kind to his relatives, (Ḥadčth). This leaves us in no doubt as to what pleases Allah and what is good for us in the long run. Parents come first and looking after them is a source of further bounties while neglecting them displeases Him. Allah can extend or shorten life, which is easy for Him (Q.35:11).

4 ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? 4 ‍ ”ﺎﺟ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍‏ ‍ﺎﺟ‏ means Allah helps him who helps Him (Q.22:40). Therefore Allah’s help is conditional.

If we are asking Allah’s assistance for any of our problems and difficulties, we must ask ourselves first as to in what way have we helped Him? Service to mankind is service to Allah as counselled by the poet:

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Ebaadat bĂŠ joz khedmatĂŠ khalq neest; bĂŠ tasbeeho sejjaada o dalq neest: Worshipping God is non-existent without service to mankind; it is not done with a rosary, prayer rug and a long gown. (B)

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KhodaawandÊ bakh shandÊ yÊ dastgeer; KareemÊ khataa bakh sho poozesh pazeer: Allah is forgiving and extends His Hands like a Hand-Hold; He is magnanimous, forgives sins and accepts all apologies. The poet says here that Allah is Dastgeer, which means that He extends His helping Hand to you anytime you ask for it. A drowning man may get hold of a support which looks trustworthy and still drown, but Allah’s Hand-Hold is strong and never gives way:

Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽŮŽ 4 Ů’ Ů’Ů?ŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů’Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ﺟﺎ‏ ŮŒ ŮŽ ‍ ﺑ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť‹ďť°ďť˜ ‏ Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ű— ‍ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ ŮŒ ŮŽ ‍ﺳ‏ Ů° ŮŽ Ů? ‹ ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ďťŒﺎ‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďť˘â€Ź ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ﺎďť?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺆ Ů?ﺑ‏ Ů? â€Ťďť“ďť˜ﺪ ďşłďş˜ﺴ‏ Ů? ‍ ďťłďťœďť”ﺎ‏

And he, who disbelieves in evil and has firm faith in Allah, has grasped a firm Hand-Hold which never breaks‌ (Q.2:256). Hence the word “impossibleâ€? should be excluded from a Muslim’s vocabulary. Allah is also Poozesh Pazeer. He accepts all apologies and excuses. If we want to meet the Prime Minister, we have to make an appointment. But Allah needs no appointment. He keeps an open house and listens to every petition of ours, no matter what time of the day or night we call on Him. We must thank Him for listening to us without an appointment. Allah says in Q.2:152:

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺎ ďť›ﺎ ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ﺡďťœﺎ ďť&#x; ŮŽ ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť›ﺎďť›‏F Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Remember Me, I will remember you; be grateful to Me and â€Ťďş—ďťœďť”ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů?

reject Me not. By remembering Him, our relationship with Allah is strengthened and becomes close and more intimate. Allah becomes the Best Friend we could ever have; our relationship with Him can be strong and life-long, extending even into the Hereafter, unlike human relationships which are short and fragile. How many of us know that there is a hotline between us and Allah which is open all the time? Allah’s telephone number is 24434 (each number denoting the compulsory prayers of morning, mid-day, afternoon, evening and night), the intercosmic code being 786. Allah has commanded us to make supplications (du‘a) to Him, and He will respond (Q.40:60). Supplication to Him is a must, as He is the only One who can change our destiny from a “No� to a “Yes�.

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Allah is ‍ ďť“ďťŒďşŽ Ů?ďť&#x;ﺎﺎﺪ‏Faâ€˜Ä lul limÄ yurÄŤd, i.e. He does what He wants. Moreover, Allah has also warned us in

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Q.9:67 Ű— ‍ﺴ‏ Ů? ‍( ﺴ ﺑ‏Nasullaha fanasiyahum) that if we forsake Him, He will forsake us. While going to

sleep in the bed, if as a habit we remember to thank God for the day He gave us and to recall whatever good we have done in that day, if any, and if not, to remember to do one good act the next day. What is the purpose of offering du‘a? Does Allah not know our needs? The purpose is to remind us to be God-conscious at all times, to be in constant touch with Him and to remind us that there is Someone Whom we can always look towards for guidance, Who knows what is best for us and how to answer each of our du‘as.

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ParastaarĂŠ amrash hamĂŠ cheezo kas; Banee aadamo morgho mooro magas: Subservient to His Command is everything and everybody, human beings, birds, ants and flies. All inanimate and animate objects sing His praises. However, we do not understand their language.

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Zè mashreq bÊ maghreb maho aaftaab; ravon kardo benhaad geetee bar aab: From the East to the West, the moon and the sun He put them into motion, and placed the planet Earth in water to revolve (thereby creating the flora and the fauna so conducive to our life and livelihood, abounding with fruits and vegetables, etc).

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Agar kheshm geerad zĂŠ kerdaarĂŠ zesht; cho baaz aamadee maajaraa dar nevesht: If He were to get angry with any misconduct of yours, as soon as you repent, He would erase that incident from your file. We thank Allah for deleting such incidents from our records.

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Karam beeno lotfĂŠ KhodaawandĂŠ gaar; Gonah banda kardasto Oo sharmsaar. Look at the magnanimity and the grandeur of Allah; man has committed the sin; instead Allah feels ashamed of the whole incident. Since man is imperfect, there is always ample room for improvement in each and every one of us. However, we should remember at all times that it is easy to ask Allah for forgiveness but difficult to keep up our promise that the sin would not be repeated. In all fairness, Allah may forgive the same sin once or twice or even three times, but not throughout our whole lives. When a sin is committed too often, ad nauseam, repentance loses its value, impact, gravity, acceptability and reward. Being a marvel of Allah’s creation and having been created as the Ashrafal MakhluqÄ t, Allah may not be too pleased if we continuously turn to Him and admit that we have succumbed to the very shortcomings we should have mastered and have failed the same test again and again. In Q.5:1, Allah advises us to fulfil our promises, not only those we made to others but also those we made to ourselves that we shall not sin again.

Is uttering al-Ḥamdu lillÄ h by the tongue sufficient?

Is it easy enough to say Al Ḥamdu LillÄ h or praise and glorify Allah, all day and night, while enjoying all His bounties and at the same time help only ourselves and no one else. Such an act is just like hoarding money. Simply repeating Al-Ḥamdu-LillÄ h like a parrot is not enough. A parrot neither understands nor means what it says and will repeat automatically without understanding a word of whatever it is taught.

CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

41

Gratitude to Allah should not be measured only in words but should be supported by deeds. If we merely say “I really feel sorry for this poor manâ€? and do nothing to alleviate his misery, we fall short of our brotherly duties towards our fellow-man and miss the God-given opportunity to gain some extra spiritual marks by having assisted him. If we want Allah to be pleased with us, we must be grateful to Him (Q.39:7). The best way of proclaiming Allah’s bounties is to share our material, academic and spiritual gifts with the less privileged. In Qurážżanic terminology giving thanks to Allah means (1) to obey Allah’s laws by performing the Do’s and refraining from the Don’ts; (2) to conform our actions to His Will; the greatest knowledge is to know the will of God but the greatest achievement is to actually do the will of God; (3) to utilise all our bounties which include intellectual and spiritual gifts as well as material ones, towards His cause, in His service and for His pleasure in a way that would please Him. Helping another human being reproduces to a small degree God’s benevolence and compassion, and every deed of service that we perform is duplicated in the spiritual world as a permanent record of eternal significance. Such actions also have health benefits since giving charity or any other assistance to the less privileged is also accompanied by the release of such neurotransmitters in the brain as are responsible for our tranquillity, satisfaction and a general state of well-being. Offering thanks to Allah, to parents and to others should not end by just saying Al Ḥamdu Lillah but should be followed by returning the favours in some form or another to parents, the under-privileged and the deserving, in exchange for the bounties we enjoy. Gratitude presents itself in accepting something small into Al Ḥamdu Lillaah, that’s enough; I’m full of gratitude. Every kind of gift deserves an expression of thanks. Some examples being: (1) a rich man should give some of his wealth to the poor; (2) an occasion of happiness should be accompanied by relieving the misery of unhappy fellow-beings; (3) the strong should lift up the weak; (4) a doctor should treat poor patients free of charge, give them free medicines, and if need be, provide the patient with some money for transport to return home.

What if we are ungrateful? ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ4 4 ŮŽ Ů?Ů? Ů’ŮŽ 4 Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ‏ â€Ťďťłďş¸ďťœﺎ‏ ‍ ďş ďşŽ ‏ @ ‍ Ů?; ﺑ‏Allah is full of grace and bounty showered on mankind, Ů? 4 ‍ﺎďşœâ€ŹF Ů? 4 ‍ ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? but most people are ungrateful, (Q.40:61). However, if we are ungrateful to Allah, it does not matter to Him because He has no need of us (Q.39:7). Moreover, we will be like the clones of Satan, because Satan is ungrateful to Allah (Q.17:27), and there will be justification in calling us kÄ fir (one who rejects the Truth) or namak harÄ m (ungrateful). The Persian poet advises:

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Toraa onkĂŠ chashmĂł dahon daadĂł goosh; agar aaqĂŠlee dar khelaafash makoosh. The One Who gave you eyes, mouth and ears; don’t try to go against Him if you are intelligent. Kufr means concealing or covering; in essence, it is hiding the truth, showing Allah our ingratitude and disbelieving in Him the way Satan did. A kÄ fir implies one who is ungrateful, one who refuses to acknowledge the favours of His Creator and Sustainer as well as one who is an unbeliever. Satan was the first kÄ fir in history. Indeed, man shall become a witness of his own ungratefulness to Allah, when the graves shall divulge their contents and his very dust shall reveal all the secrets (Q.100:6-10). Each time a man gains some knowledge, he starts to look upon himself as self-sufficient, because of the God-given gifts of strength, wealth, power, position, talents and knowledge. Let us not be counted amongst those people who are ungrateful to Allah. Shaikh Sa‘di tells in his verse how even a street dog can be superior to a person who does not show appreciation:

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Sagee raa loqma ee hargez faraamoosh, na gardad war zanee sad naubatash sang; wa gar omree navaazee sofla ee raa, bĂŠ kamtar cheezee aayad baa tĂł dar jang: A dog will never forget the morsel of food, even if you pelt him with stone a hundred times; but if you spend a whole lifetime rendering kindness to a mean, base and malicious person, he will quarrel with you over something trivial. Here the comparison has been done with due respect rather than contempt to the canine family which too are God's creatures, and which show exemplary gratitude, are friendly and act as watch-dogs. It is believed that a faithful dog accompanied the Companions of the Cave and he was called QitmÄŤr. (Q.18:9; 18:18). If man is a dog's

42

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

ideal of what God should be, man has not attained that status of a human being! Man should feel ashamed every time he remembers that he is the very same human being in front of whom God ordered all the angels to prostrate. An Urdu poet says:

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Dunya mein har ek rang kÊ insaan dÊ khÊ; achh chÊ ka ee dekhÊ, ka ee shytaan dÊ khÊ; hywaan hi hotÊ tò bar ee baat na thee; hywaan sÊ badtar bhee kochh insaan dekhÊ. We have seen in this world men of all hues; we have seen some good ones and some satanic ones. Had they been animals, this would have been no big news; however, we have seen some humans worse than animals.

Are we alone in glorifying AllÄ h? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Whatever is in the heavens and in the Earth ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ‍ﺑ ŮŽﺎ ‏4 Ů? ‍ﺴﺒﺢ‏ No. We are not alone. Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ ŮŽ ﺎ Ů?ďť“ ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů?

declare the praises of Allah, (Q.62:1). The birds and the bees, the fish, the trees and the stones, human beings, angels and jinn, as well as all the other creatures in the universe including the earth itself praise Allah. Each one knows its own mode of prayer and praise. Have you not seen that it is Allah Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on Earth do celebrate, and the birds with wings outstretched? Each one knows its own (mode of) prayer and praise. And Allah is aware of what they do, (Q.24:41). However, we as human beings do not understand the language they speak. ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ 4 Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů‹â€ŤďşŁďť ﺎ ďť&#x;ďť”‏ ‍ﺤﺑﺪ‏ Ů? Ů’ ‍‏ Ů? € Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ;ďťť ďťłďş´ďş’ﺢ‏%n Ů? ‍ﺗﺴﺒﺤ Ű— Ů?; ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ ďťť ďťłďť”ďť˜‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺗﺴﺒﺢ ÂŽ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ ďť&#x;ﺴﺒ  ‏ Ů? Űš ‍‏

The seven heavens and the Earth and all that there is therein praise Him, and there is not a thing that does not sing His praise; but you (people) do not understand their notes of prayer and praise. Lo! He is Ever-Clement, Forgiving. (Q.17:44). Do you hear the chirping of the birds every morning? Are they giving the adhÄ n (call to prayer) to usher in the dawn? What are they saying? These birds are praying to God, praising Him while we lie silently in bed, perhaps fast asleep. We are reminded of a Persian poem:

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Doosh morghee bĂŠ sobh mee naaleed; ‘aqlo sabram bĂŠ bordo taaqato hoosh: Yakee az doostaanĂŠ mokhles raa, magar aawaazĂŠ man raseed bĂŠ goosh: Goft baawar nadaashtam kĂŠ toraa, bongĂŠ morghee chenin konad madhoosh; goftam in shartĂŠ aadamiyyat neest, morgh tasbeeh goo Ăł man khaamoosh: Last night, a bird was chirping into the morning. My comprehension, my patience, my endurance and my ability to reason were exhausted. As if hearing my voice, one of my sincere friends said: “I cannot believe that the song of a bird would stupefy you so muchâ€?. I replied: “It does not become a human being that a bird should be praying and reciting tasbčḼ, and that I should remain silentâ€?. Is the cooing of the birds a sign for us that they are glorifying Allah and that we should do the same? At the approach of dawn, we hear a mysterious and melodious sound from somewhere, probably from our own trees nearby, the song of a little bird in the tranquil hours of the morning supplicating in its own little way, perhaps saying: “I am only a little bird and you are so much superior to me, being Ashraful MakhluqÄ t (i.e. the most honourable of all the creation); the time for tahajjud (after mid-night prayers) is over now; wake up. Don’t be late at least for your Fajr ᚢ alÄ t (morning prayers)â€?. Does the bird’s tune rhyme with your name as if it is calling you in particular? Listen

Ů‘ Ů? Ů’ ‍ďť&#x;ďşźďť ďťŽÂ‹ ŮŽﺧ‏ Ů? Ů‘ Ů’ ŮŽ Prayer is better than sleep. However, the sweet and to it. Or does it want to say: ‍ﺎ Ů?ŮŽ ďş ŮŽ‏

melodious chirping of the bird called morghĂŠ sahar (the bird of dawn) has a soothing effect on us, as this poet says:

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Cho aawaazÊ morghè sahar goosh kard, pareeshaani yÊ shab faraamoosh kard. As soon as he listened to the voice of the bird of the dawn, he forgot all the problems and worries of the night.

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Does AllÄ h listen to us praising Him?

Of course, He does listen to us and hears our praises, and we acknowledge this fact many times a day in

ŮŽ ŮŽ meaning: Allah has already heard him who has praised Him. In Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?‍ﺳ ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;‏ our prayers when reciting ‍ﺣﺪ‏ Ů? Ů?

fact, Allah can hear the person even before he/she begins to praise Him since the words Sami ‘AllÄ hu

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ŮŽ ‍ ďş‘ﺎ ďť&#x;‏O Allah, all praise is for You, Liman ḤamidÄ hu precede the recitation of Rabbana Lakal Ḥamd ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ﺪ‏

just after the ruku‘. In fact, Allah is the Silent Listener present in all our conversations (Q.58:7). Allah not only hears what we say but also listens to us. Hearing is a passive process while listening is an active one. We pray to Allah without an interpreter and our conversation is registered in our spiritual diary. Allah

Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ The Arabic word waḼy means to suggest, to instil in the mind, to speaks to man through inspiration. p

speak secretly. It also means revelation, outbursts of thought and intuitive ideas of instinct. In the religious sense, it means communication between God and man, perhaps through a brain-wave with a suggestion or explanation; or from behind a veil; or by sending a messenger like the angel JibrÄ ÄŤl, A.S. to the prophets (Q.42:51). Allah listens to everyone calling on Him; so we must also listen to His call and have firm faith in Him so that we may walk in the right way (Q.2:186).

Is there any Advantage in thanking and glorifying AllÄ h? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? 4ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;ďşŒâ€Ź Undoubtedly there is, because Allah Himself says: â€Ťďşˇďťœﺎ  ﺪďťœ‏ Ů? If you are grateful I will increase ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ4 ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŒ ‍ďť? ‏ Âś Âľ My favours manifold (Q.14:7). ‍ﺎ‏ â€Ťďť“ďşˆâ€Ź ‍ﺎ‏ ‍ ‏ Ű– â€Ťďş ďť”ﺴ‏ Ů? â€Ťďť“ďşˆďť?ﺎ ﺸďťœﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍  ﺡďťœﺎ‏Whoever gives thanks, Ů? Ů?

he gives thanks for the benefit of his own self, and whoever is ungrateful, Allah is Absolute in Independence and is Bountiful. (Q.27:40). By giving thanks to AllÄ h, encephalins, endorphins, serotonin, dopamine and other neuro-transmitters are secreted in the brain which is beneficial to the person, causing tranquillity, satisfaction and contentment. The faithful should never feel lonely because Allah is always with them as their Companion. There is a great difference between being alone and being lonely. We can feel lonely even in the midst of a large crowd yet we do not necessarily feel left out and abandoned when we are alone in the late hours after midnight during tahajjud prayers, in communion with Allah. He who has faith is never alone and feels the comfort of being taken care of by Allah. At all hours of day and night Allah is with you wherever you may be (Q.57:4) and if Allah is with you, you shall never feel lonely. Remember Me, I will remember you. (Q.2:152). If we do not want Allah to forsake us, we must always remember about the appointed time we shall meet Him in the Hereafter (Q.45:34). Not only we must have unshaken belief in the Hereafter; we must have solid faith. Allah hears everything. He is Ever-Near (Q.34:50). It is most unfortunate that some people go to far-away places to visit tombs of saints in search of God unaware that He is nearer to us than our jugular veins (Q.50:16). Shaikh Sa‘di cautions:

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Aab dar koozĂŠ wa maa teshnĂŠ dahon meegardeem; Doost dar khaanĂŠ wa maa gerdĂŠ jahon mee gardeem. There is water in the jug and still we are running thirsty; the Friend is inside the house and we are roaming all over the world (looking for Him). What should we do in times of panic and despair? When in panic, non-believers behave differently than the believers. Non-believers have no one to turn to ask for assistance, guidance, mercy and forgiveness, so they turn to their false gods. As they do not believe in Allah, they do not know that Allah is the God of everyone, although some people might know him by other names. God is not the sole preserve of any one religious community in particular. It happens that in times of loneliness, Satan often slips in and tempts people away from Allah by saying that something or somebody can change their sorrows into happiness in just a few minutes. When a rather friendly girl comes by, one might not know whether she is a God-sent person or someone inspired by Satan. Because the whisperings of Satan are very appealing, seemingly logical and thus irresistible, the human body gets flooded with excitatory neurotransmitters such as epinephrine and norepinephrine, which through their short-term action give the person unlimited energy to perform and complete the nefarious task. Both epinephrine and nor-epinephrine enhance emotions and attentiveness.

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

However, if such a person is firmly and confidently attached to Allah alone, Satan quietly and unceremoniously moves away.

Who is Allāh whom we have to thank?

Although the human brain contains over 10,000 million cells with more capacity than even our largest computer and it can produce ideas which the computer cannot, yet Allah remains beyond human perception and comprehension. Allah is concealed from our senses and our intellect fails to perceive what He is. He is free from every flaw and weakness, neither takes a nap, rest nor sleep (Q.2:255). That is why Friday should not be called the Muslim Sabbath since Sabbath means cessation of work on the basis that God worked for six days and took a rest on the seventh. Rather, in Q.62:9-10, Allah advises us to stop business on Fridays only to attend the congregational prayers and when the prayers are over, to disperse and return to our businesses. Allah controls this magnificent universe and no one can interfere with His work or plan. When we look at the skies and see millions of stars and planets each with its own almanac to measure time, all of them orchestrated to cooperate in perfect timing with each other in the universe, we must accept that there has to be a Supreme Clock-Maker and an Intelligent Designer to put such objects in their respective positions. Man has to accept Allah without criticism, as it is impossible to acquire wisdom into His Essence. He is beyond human wisdom and human logic. We may know Him only through His attributes mentioned in the Holy Qur᾿an, which for Muslims (and indeed for the whole world) is the standard whereby Allah’s Attributes are projected as the ideal of perfection for aَ human being to

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emulate, if he wants to be Allah’s good Khalīfah (vicegerent) on earth. ‫ َ ﺟﻌﻠﻨﺎ ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ِ ‫َ ﻟﻘﺪ ﻣﻜﻨﺎﻛﻢ ِﻲﻓ ﻷ‬

َ ُ​ُ َْ َ ً َ َ َ َ َ ‫ﺗﺸﻜﺮ‬ ‫ﻗﻠﻴﻼ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ ِﻓﻴﻬﺎ‬We have given you power on Earth, and appointed for you therein livelihood: ِ ۗ ‫ﻣﻌﺎﻳﺶ‬ ِ yet little you give as thanks. (Q.7:10). Allah Who is our Creator and Sustainer never abandons His creations (Q.9:16). He is the refuge of the handicapped, the helpless and the miserable who find in His arms not only a sanctuary but also a hope of attaining superior status some day in future. He is Just and His justice compels Him to inform people of what is right and what is wrong by transmitting divine knowledge through the prophets. He gives man knowledge of his duties in this world which would ensure his salvation in the Hereafter. Hence, He holds man accountable for his beliefs and actions. Allah’s justice means that He will punish those of us who do wrong and reward those who do right, bearing in mind that Allah’s mercy is most profound and beyond scrutiny of human beings. Allah creates, sustains, guides and judges. It is He Who created the universe and sustains it as well. He is the Intelligent Designer Who has set the mechanism in motion and regulates it whenever necessary. Allah never forgets. He is the Creator, Controller and Governor of this majestic universe and no one can interfere in His work. He was there before time began and would be there after time ends. He was neither born for someone to share in the glory nor would He die for someone else to inherit His Empire. He is Omniscient (omni means all and scient means knowledge) and Omnipotent (potent means power), and has created us for a purpose. The attributes of omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence belong exclusively to Allah, and not to an idol. Allah looks after the well-being of His creation primarily by Himself and secondarily through mankind who are hopefully His vicegerents. Allah is the Silent Listener during all conversations (Q.58:7), and the Unseen One in all companies (Q.57:4). Though Allah is the All-Seer, He Himself cannot be seen; He is the All-Knower but cannot be known. Allah did not send man to earth to be a meaningless riddle or a clown, and neither as a free-lancer, but He sent him with a moral responsibility and made him answerable to Allah for all his actions. Hence a certain type of behaviour is expected from us, the human beings. Allah did not appoint an angel to be His vicegerent on earth. Instead He appointed a human being to do the job. Hence, it is expected of us to possess at least some measure of His attributes such as forgiveness, love, compassion, and benevolence, etc. We must worship the Creator and not any of His creations. The act of creation is defined as bringing into existence and that too neither from a pre-existing material nor from an existing Self, a new thing or

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a being. Whenever Allah decrees a thing to be, He but says. ‫‘ ﻛﻦ ﻓﻴﻜﻮ‬Be ’and it is (Q.2:117). Allah

carries a deep sense of mystery about Himself. He is also known as Khuda in Persian (from the word khud meaning self, i.e. Self-Existing). A god who would allow us to prove his origin and existence would

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be an idol, not Allah. Allah is the Only Ever-lasting Supreme Existence, the One and the Only, Who is beyond sight, Whose Sovereignty reigns supreme in the universe and to Whom all His creations are subservient. Every object, event and phenomenon in the universe points to His existence. If the signs of this universe generate wonder and awe in us, how much more wonderful and awesome must be the Power that created them? A philosopher has called Him mysterium tremendum et fascinans, a mystery that at once produces both awe and fascination. God’s real name is Allah, since He calls Himself by that name in Q.20:14. Unlike us Allah cannot be questioned for His acts (Q.21:23). God does not consult any one.

Ů? ŮŽŮŽ Ů?ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ â€Ťďť“ďť”ďťŒďťžâ€Ź ‍ﺎﺎﺪ‏ Ů?‍ ďş– ďş—ﺎﺪ ŮŽ ‏ ‍ ﺎ Ů?ﺪ‏is a proverb: I plan and you plan; and Allah does what He plans. Allah’s

plans work unceasingly (Q.22:14). You will not find any change in Allah’s practice (Q.33:62; 35:43). In times of prosperity, we must realise that this prosperity is not the result of our merits that deserve the bounties of Allah, but is rather the result of Allah’s abundant beneficence. We should also remember that whatever suffering we experience in times of adversity, is ultimately due to our own folly and must serve as a lesson and an experience to deter us from committing further mistakes (Q.30:36). When Allah wants to do good to someone, He afflicts him with misfortunes and trials. (HadÄŤth: Al-BukhÄ ri). Hence, we must thank Allah both in times of prosperity as well as in adversity. Both abundance and scarcity exist in our lives as parallel and concurrent realities. Although often we desire many things we do not really need them. Both in times of good and ill fortune, there is a beneficent purpose in Allah’s Plan (Q.11:9-11). When God wishes man good, He shows him his faults and in the process, may afflict him with trials. This is a part of His Wisdom and His Plan, so that man may develop a stronger willpower and enhance his personality for the benefit of both this life and the Hereafter. Even laughter and tears come from Allah (Q.53:43). (The emotional tears of joy and sorrow have a different chemical composition than the reflex tears running when an onion is cut or the false tears popularly known as crocodile tears, or the artificial tears used by the actors in the film industry). There are blessings even in Allah’s punishment of man. Most of us fail to understand that everything comes from Allah, whether

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good fortune or evil: ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďťžďť› Ů?‏Kullumm min ‘indillah. (Q.4:78). Whatever Allah has decreed for us Ů? ‍ﺪ‏

ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ â€ŤďťłďşŽďť¤ďşŁďťœ‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺸﺄ‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ It is Allah Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďş‘ďťœ‏ will come to pass as our naᚣčb (lot) (Q.9:51). ‍ Ů?; ﺸďş„ ďť“ďťŒﺏďş‘ďťœ‏F ;Ů? Ű– â€Ťďş‘ďťœ‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť˘â€ŹF Ů? Who knows you best; If He pleases, He grants you mercy or if He pleases, punishment‌‌... Q.17:54. This verse teaches us that Allah’s wisdom is more profound than we can fathom, and much above ours. If He grants mercy to those whom we consider as wicked, or punishment to those whom we think are righteous, it is our own conclusion and judgment that are faulty; Allah’s MÄ shiyÄ t (i.e. the Will and Plan of Allah) is perfect and above all human wisdom. Allah has no gender, is One and Only, and neither begets nor is He begotten. He is never amiss, neither a miss nor a mister but a mystery. We Muslims reject the idea that Allah was ever born; hence we do not accept Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We also reject the Jewish teaching that a human being was made in the image of God, since this would make God human, and not divine, both in features and attributes. To associate any partner with Allah, called in the Qur’an shirrk, is a major sin (Q.31:13; 6:151) and is unforgivable. It deserves eternal damnation because it puts man at enmity with Allah. Some of us associate Satan with Allah (Q.14:22), although we know that Hell will be filled with Satan and his followers (Q.38:85). Such persons will be labelled as Ḥizbush Shayáš­Ä n, the Party of Satan (Q.58:19) for they even forgot to remember Allah and so the share of Allah was directed to the partners but the share of the partners was not directed to Allah (Q.6:136). (We may even speak with a forked tongue and try to hide our hypocrisy by thanking Allah for the favours received, knowing fully well that it was a cunning manoeuvre or short-giving in trade, which were responsible for our ill-gotten wealth, and that the money gained was brought about by Satan’s handiwork and not through the bounty of Allah. Satan always laughs in his sleeve at such moments. We may be pleased with Allah, but is He pleased with us?) This verse also reminds us that out of the bounties that belong to Allah to start with and of which He has given us abundantly, we must give Him His fair share and not defraud Him. As human beings, we must do much better than the jinn who, after listening to the Qurážżan, never again indulged in shirrk (Q.72:12). We should instead strive to achieve the greater bliss and the supreme felicity (Q.9:72) by choosing to become Ḥizbullah, the Party of Allah (Q.5:56; 58:22). This term refers to those faithful believers who turn to Allah for friendship and to earn His good pleasure. Here is a Persian poem:

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Khaahee ké Khodaa kaaré neekoo baa tó konad; arwaahé falak raa hamé roo baa tó konad: Yaa har ché razaa yé Oo dar aanast bokon; yaa raazee shau har onché Oo baa tó konad: If you wish that God should do good to you and make all souls in the universe look upto you; you must either do whatever His pleasure is, or be pleased with whatever He bestows on you. Even during prayers, we must think of Allah and Allah alone. We must single Him out and think of no one or nothing else, such as film stars, money transactions, etc., since all such acts are also included in shirrk, i.e. assigning partners to Allah. The worship of one God is not the َ َ invention of the Prophet

َ ُ ْ ُ ْ َُ َ ْ ُ ْ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ِ ‫ﻛﻮ‬F Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬but it is the command of Allah (Q.10:104). ‫ ﻟﻤﺆﻣﻨﻦﻴ‬ F ‫ﻣﺮ‬F And I have been ِ ِ​ِ

commanded to be of the faithful. Because of the necessity of separating the word denoting Allah from any other word, while writing it down, some of us write Bismi Allah instead of Bismillah, and Al Ḥamduli Allah instead of Al Ḥamdulillah. This One-ness (tauḥīd) of Allah is not the same as the mathematical number one, and is not a body with a form or a shape that resembles any other creation, physical or imaginary, because these can be divided into smaller constituent parts, eg. ½, ¼, etc. The concept of One Allah as found in Islam is different from the concept of Elohim/Yahweh/Jehova of the Jews; Yazdaan (two in one viz. Ahura mazda (the Wise God) and Ahriman (the evil god) of the Zoroastrians; Trinity (three in one) of the Christians; Bhagwān, Ishwar, Parmeshwar, Trimurthi, Parmātma or Parabrahma, of the Hindus. That is why the

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Qur᾿an says: ‫ﻳﺼﻔﻮ‬ ِ ‫ ﺑ ﻗﻤﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﺳﺒﺤﺎ‬Glory to Him (for He is) far above whatever they attribute to Him, (Q.6:100; 23:91). The concept of tauḥīd or the One-ness of Allah helps us to project in our mind a single object, with a quick run-up to Someone to hold on to, Who extends a strong Hand-hold that never breaks (Q.2:256) no matter what the circumstances are, such as need for companionship in loneliness (Q.58:7), guidance in solving problems (Q. 1:6), assistance in times of need (Q.1:5), and in fact at all times in our prayers, sacrifice, life and death (Q.6:162). While swimming in troubled waters, Allah's Hand-hold (Q.2:256) ensures that our head remains high above the water-level and prevents us from drowning. Putting our

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ُ َ ¹‫ﻗﻞ ; ﺻﻼ‬ entire trust and reliance in Allah instantly reduces our anxiety level to zero. ?‫ ﻧﺴﻲﻜ َ ﺤﻣﻴﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ

ِّ َ ‫ﺑ‬4 ¹‫ ﻣﻤﺎ‬ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ Say: Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are all for ‫ ﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻦﻴ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

Allah, the Sustainer of all the worlds (Q.6:162). We should also be reminded that Allah accepts the sacrifice of the righteous e.g. Abel (Hābīl, Ādam's son) (Q.5:27). The average Muslim is hardly ever confused since he can immediately switch his thoughts to this unique single source in his brain for solace and guidance, this One-ness of Allah, who has no partner. Walking away from a multitude of insoluble problems seems less logical than approaching the Hand that offers assistance. Looking forward to Allah’s strong Hand-grip and grasping it is sufficient to give us an immediate “jump-start”. This by itself could transform impossible tasks into possible missions. Sometimes when we feel helpless in some unbearable situation and would like to give up, there is hope in this Hand-hold, which stands for Allah’s intervention. Allah works in mysterious ways and helps us achieve the desired result by showing the possible in impossible situations. Allah will do for the man what the man cannot do for himself. Like a true friend who holds our hand, Allah removes all obstacles from our path and paves the way to achieve the ultimate goal.

Rabbul ‘Ālamīn:

RABBUL ‘ĀLAMĪN: This means: The Sustainer of all the worlds in the whole of the universe, both the macrocosm and the microcosm, and all beings. The worlds include the visible ‘Ālam al-Ins (the world of human beings) as well as the invisible ones such as ‘Ālam al-Jinn (the world of jinn) and ‘Ālam alMalāikah (the world of the angels).The universe is the glorious work of art in technicolor projected by the Supreme Artist. There is a lot more to the universe than meets the eye. To appreciate the vastness and the expanse of His Domain of ‘Ālamīn, we must broaden our vision and our horizon, and after having done that, we must understand Allah's Greatness of being the Master and the Sustainer of such a realm. The word Rabba is one of the attributes of Allah and is derived from Rabb, which means the continuous provision of sustenance to an object, right from its inception to its ultimate end. Sustenance may be physical, intellectual, moral or spiritual, but always best suited to the particular creature involved.

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Everyone’s sustenance is recorded in a Book, (Q.11:6). Allah is the Rabb of all the points in the East and the West (Q.70:40). Besides the world we live in there are many other worlds in the far-off galaxies with their own Easts and their own Wests. Even the original planet (jannah) where Adam and Eve were enjoying the bounties had a solar system (Q.20:119). Some of the reasons I have translated Rabb as Allah or God and not as Lord are as follows (a) we address human beings such as for example the judges of the High Court as Lords; (b) in common parlance, Jesus, Rama, and others are also called Lords; and (c) in London, England, there is a house, the House of Lords, full of man-made Lords. However, in some instances Rabb is rendered as Lord by some commentators of the Qur᾿an as in Q.12:42, when it should have rather been translated as the employer or some other word akin to it should have been used. The word ‘ālamīn is the plural of ‘ālam, which denotes the area encompassed by our ‘ilm or knowledge. ‘Ālam is a dynamic concept. The scope of its meaning increases to keep pace with the increase of information. When the Qur᾿an speaks of ‘ālamīn in plural or of the plurality of worlds, it tells us that there are many such realms each of which has one and the same Rabb who is Allah. In our ‘Ālam or cosmos, there are numerous galactic clusters containing galaxies, stars and planets. Each galaxy has trillions of stars and planets. Allah’s Throne of Majesty is called ‘arsh (Empyrean). It was estimated many years ago that there are probably 600 million habitable planets in our galaxy alone. It is almost impossible to count the number of planets in our whole universe as according to recent scientific evidence the universe is expanding, as was also predicted in Q.51:47 nearly 15 centuries ago. In 1998, it was discovered that the expansion of the universe is accelerating; the universe is expanding faster and faster. The universe has no edge and no centre. As the universe expands, the most distant objects move away from the Earth. Every minute that passes, more stars and planets are being born, and they are all moving away from each other. Astronomers are finding newly born stars on a daily basis. When we look at the stars, we are peering back into time, because the light from these objects had to travel millions and billions of years to reach us. It takes 8 minutes 17 seconds for light from the sun to strike the Earth. Scientists tell us that the expanse of the universe is so vast that it would take much more than 150 million years for light travelling at 182,267miles per second, to pass through it! Even that distance is an under-estimate. Some planets are expected to contain different types of worlds belonging to different creatures. The Holy Qur᾿an mentions the existence of different creatures, some of which are invisible e.g. the angels, the souls (rūḥ) and the jinn. All these creations are beyond the scope of our imagination and scientific investigation. In fact this colossal universe is filled to the brim with multiple examples of the amazing artistry of its Creator. The Qur᾿an also mentions that the creation of heavens and the Earth was a greater affair than the creation of mankind (Q.40:57) though man does not know it. There are many “worlds”, viz. celestial, physical, spiritual, animal, bacterial, fungal, viral, etc. Mystics have grouped them into three categories, viz: the nāsūt - the visible world - or the human world known by the senses; the malakūt - the invisible world of the angels; and the lāhūt - the divine world of reality or the spiritual world. All our worldly affairs and transactions reach Allah in a day that equals 1000 years of our reckoning (Q.32:5). Could this be our Data Bank, the place where all the records of our actions are stored? The angels and the soul (rūḥ) ascend to Him in a Day, that measures 50,000 years (Q.70:4). Could this be barzakh, the place where all our souls go to after we die? All such verses confirm the vast dimensions of the universe and the concept of relative time. Some hundred years ago, visible light (known as optical frequency/ electro-magnetic waves) was the only tool for studying the distant universe. Then the advent of radio-astronomy, followed by optical/infra-red, X-Ray and Gamma ray detection devices, made further research possible. Recently, gravitational waves which carry a different kind of energy altogether, gave new information about the universe. Laboratories planned for the next decade could very well detect signals from outer space, maybe from beings more advanced than us. Our galaxy is one among the ُ billions. Distant galaxies are receding in all directions, as measured by the Doppler Effect.

4 ُْ ُ ْ ‫ ﻓَﻼ‬So verily, I call to witness the planets that recede. (Q.81:15). The ‫ﺑﺎﺨﻟﻨﺲ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻗﺴﻢ‬F

distance to the nearest cluster of galaxies is estimated to be about 300 million light years. The universe is expanding and the galaxies are receding at َ a tremendous speed, all pointed out in the Holy Qur᾿an over 1400 years ago.

َ ُ َُ 4 َ ْ َ ََْ​َ َ َ 4 َ ‫ﻟﻤﻮﺳﻌﻮ‬ ‫ﺑﺄﻳﺪ ِ ﻧﺎ‬ With power and skill We did construct the ٍ ِ ‫ ﺑﻨﻴﻨﺎﻫﺎ‬%‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ِ

universe, and verily, We are expanding it, (Q.51:47).

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Allah says there are living َ beings in other parts of the universe as well.

4 َ َ ْ 4 َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ْ ‫ﻴﻬﻤﺎ‬ ْ َ “And among His signs is the creation of the heavens ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻣﻦ َﻳﺎﺗﻪ‬ َ َ 4 ‫ﺧﻠﻖ‬ ‫ ﺑﺔ‬ ِ ِ ‫ َ ﻣﺎ ﺑﺚ ِﻓ‬ ِ ‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ َ ﻷ‬ ِ ٍ ِ​ِ ِ

and the Earth, and the living creatures that He has scattered through them, (Q.42:29). (Water, the essential constituent of life and recently forests have been found in many planets in the universe). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was sent not only to teach the Qur᾿an and scientific knowledge leading to wisdom, but also any other “new knowledge” that was not present at the time but would come to light from time to time in the future (Q.2:151). Our scientists may find evidence of life in other planets in the next decade or so, and possibly we may communicate with them, Insha Allāh. God has not created this infinite universe with its billions of galaxies just for selfish human beings like us. Assuming that the galaxies and their inhabitants might have existed millions of years before we were even created, they may be more intelligent and advanced (human or other) beings than ourselves. Who knows, the new knowledge referred to in Q.78:33 (equal age) or in Q.17:99 (the like of us) may perhaps inform us more about cloning; or about creatures we cannot as yet scientifically comprehend, e.g. provide the morphology of the jinn and the angels? Concluding our argument, we must point out that it is not good enough for a person just to say AlḤamdu Lillāh for all the bounties of health and wealth bestowed on him alone. Millions of us who are in dire circumstances - humiliated, raped, ethnically cleansed and driven out of our homes - are in no position to praise God. Our thanks and praise addressed to Allah will carry weight only when we realise their plight and do something to alleviate their sufferings too. By helping our oppressed and downtrodden brothers and sisters in whatever way we can, and by dealing with the arrogant oppressors and bullies the best we can, we will truly be saying Al-Ḥ amdu Lillāh with our heart. So, with a firm resolve and with our hand on our heart, let us do something now. It is always better to be late than never and this may be accomplished by voicing our opinions and verbalising our thoughts in having said Al-Ḥamdu Lillāh for all of us, not for oneself alone. Then and only then, after each one of us has done his or her expected duty, we may be able to enter, by His mercy, the Garden of Bliss, a garden where those of us residing there shall glorify Allah and greet each other with the prayer:

ِّ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ

‫ ﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﺑ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﺤﻟﻤﺪ‬

Al-Ḥamdu Lillāhi Rabbil ‘Ālamīn (Q.10:10)

َٰ ْ ‫ ﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﺮﻤﺣﻦ‬ ِ

(3) Ar-Raḥmānir Raḥīm

Already discussed in the section on Bismilāhir Raḥmānir Raḥīm

َ ِّ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ ِ ْ ‫َﻣﺎﻟ ِ​ِﻚ‬ ‫ ﻳﻦ‬ ِ

(4) Māliki Yaumid Dīn:

Who is mālik and what is yaumid dīn? In Arabic, the word mālik means owner or master as for example in the Master of the Day of Judgment. (The root word is m-l-k and not l-a-k, the latter being used to form words such as malak (angel; Pl.

ُ َ ََْ ‫ ﻟﻤﻠﺌﻜﺔ‬ al-malā ikah). ِ

Dīn: The ṣ aḥ ā

bah or the companions of the Prophet once asked Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬what dīn was. He did not tell them that the five daily prayers or ṣalāt constitute dīn nor that fasting is dīn, or zakāt is

َ َ َ ُ ْ ُ َّْ dīn, or Ḥajj is dīn. He simply told them that ‫ ﻳﻦ ﻟﻤﻌﺎﻣﻠﺔ‬ ِ Dīn is how you behave in your daily dealings CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

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towards your fellow-beings. Allah is less concerned with our rituals than with our behaviour and deeds. If one is a Muslim, one must strive to practise one’s dīn in all its ramifications. Dīn, like many other Arabic words, has a wide connotation. It may mean judgment, religion, way of life, reward and punishment, law and order, sovereignty, establishment of an organisation subject to divine laws; sometimes it is also translated as doom. The āyah (verse) under scrutiny is commonly translated as Master of the Day of Judgment (from French jugier-to decide)/ Doomsday (from dōmes=judgment +daeg=day)/ Day of Requital (from re = back + quite = pay up, to clear). What have we learnt so far? We have learnt that Allah emphatically says that He is first and

َٰ ْ

َ

َْ

ِّ

4 ‫ ﻟﺮﻤﺣﻦ‬ 4 The All-Compassionate, the All Merciful, and then He is ‫ ﻳﻦ‬ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ foremost ‫ ﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬ ِ ‫ﻣﺎﻟﻚ‬ ِ ِ Master of ِ ِ ِ ِ the Day of Judgment, when His single call shall announce the Day (Q.30:25). It is obvious that on the Day of Judgment we are not going to ask Him for judgment; we are going to ask Him for mercy. In fact, we will be our own judges (Q.17:13-14) as we shall be given our own scrolls to study in our right hand/left hand, depending on our past good/evil deeds. This whole process will look somewhat like a three-dimensional audio-visual presentation of all that we said or did throughout our lives, with “time” as its 4th dimension. There will be no need for a lie-detector test on the Day of Judgment. We will be able to watch our own deeds (as in movies) and see where we went wrong and be our own judge (Q.99:6-8). In fact, the screen will be in full view and visible not only to us but also to everyone present in the mass congregation on that day. The Persian poet laments:

A P A P . . ) Õ 3

#P D 3 3 4 Õ

Maraa bé roozé qiyaamat ghamee ké hast eenast, ké rooyé mardomé donyaa dobaara baayad deed: On Judgment Day I have one worry and it is this, that I must see once again the faces of the people of this world. Again, Then as for him who is given his record in his right hand, he will say: ‘Take, read my book’ (Q.69:19). But as for him who is given his record in his left hand, he will say: ‘Oh, would that my record have not been given to me’ (Q.69:25). In fact, on Judgment Day َ excuses shall be futile (Q.40:52) since

َ ُ ْ َٰ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ ْ ُّ ُ َ َ ْ ‫ ﻏﺮﻳﻬﻢ‬ ُ ُ ْ 4 َ َ ۖ ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻨﺎ‬F ‫ﺷﻬﺪﻧﺎ ﺒﻟ‬ man shall bear witness against himself. ‫ ﺤﻟﻴﺎ ﻏﻴﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻗﺎﻟﻮ‬They will say: we testify against ourselves. And it was the life of this world that deceived them, (Q.6:130). In fact, man’s actions, opportunities and faculties shall themselves bear witnesses as to how they were used (Q.24:24). It is absolutely necessary for a true Muslim to have firm faith in the Hereafter because Allah tests a man who believes in the Hereafter through the deeds of another who is in doubt (Q.34:21). The earth is the testing ground and a staircase leading to our permanent home in the Hereafter where we shall carry on with our real life. Moreover, a Muslim is also required to have absolute faith in Allah and His Messenger. Only those are the faithful (Mu’mins) who truly and firmly had faith in Allah and in His Messenger, and have never since doubted, but have strived hard in their belongings and their persons in the Cause of Allah, (Q.49:15). Allah sends down tranquillity and reassurance into the hearts of the faithful so that their faith may go on increasing (Q.48:4). Firm faith plays an active role in shaping our lives. The Holy Qur’an always associates faith with righteous action and motivates us to arrive at the desired destination (Q.13:28-29). Being contented with this earthly life and paying no heed to Allah’s warning, especially of meeting Him one day, carries serious consequences (Q.10:7-8). No matter who or what we are, we ْ ِّ َ

ُ

ُ ْ ُ4

َُ

4

َ ِ Those who cannot but meet our Mālik on Yaumid Dīn (The Day of Judgment). ‫ ﺑﻬﻢ‬ ِ ‫ @ﻳﻦ ﻣﻨﻮ ۚ ِ;ﻏﻬﻢ ﻣﻼﻗﻮ‬ are the faithful have to meet Allah. (Q.11:29; 2:223). The story goes that when the angel of death was being sent to Prophet Ibrahīm, A.S., (also known as Khalīlullah, friend of Allah), he asked God if any 'friend' would really want his 'friend' to die? God replied: “Can there really be a friend who does not want to meet his friend?” The love of the lover for the beloved is reciprocal. While the seeker longs to find the object of his desire, the one who is being sought eagerly waits for the seeker to find him. Allah waits for us to come to Him. In the same manner the ground waits for the human body saying, “Come back, my friend! It's better for you down here where you came from.”

Yaume aDīn may be described in English as Yaume a-DEED and Yaumud DEAL, because on that Day, our past deeds shall be judged and a new type of deal shall be made between the offender and the offended. Unlike the scale we have that can measure only the weights of 3-dimensional objects the divine scale shall be able to measure every possible thing including the weight of our deeds and assign

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

plus or minus marks to them. On the Day of Judgment a person who has committed crime against another person shall have his plus marks earned earlier for some of his good deeds removed from his, the offender’s, ledger and credited to the victim's account (Q.39:31). In case the offender has no plus marks in his ledger but only minus marks because of his evil deeds, then minus marks from the victim’s account shall be removed and added to the offender’s. Let us not assume that the kirÄ man kÄ tibÄŤn (the two recording angels) that probably reside in our cerebral hemispheres, are just sitting there doing nothing. But indeed, over you (are appointed angels) to protect you, kind and honourable, writing down (your deeds); they know (and understand) all that you do. (Q.82:10-12). These two angels are in fact busy making our detailed and comprehensive encephalograms. Subsequently, the tracings of our brain waves representing our thoughts, intentions and actions in this life shall act as a permanent record for the Hereafter, to be given to us in the form of a scroll for later viewing. Behold, the two (Guardian Angels) appointed to receive (and note his doings), one sitting on the right and one on the left; not a word does he utter but there is a sentinel by him ready to note it,â€? (Q.50:17-18). In the Hereafter, each person shall be accompanied by an angel to drive him on and an angel to bear witness (Q.50:21). Everyone’s fate We have fastened on his own neck. On the Day of Judgment, We shall bring out for him on a scroll, which he will see spread open. (Q.17:13). On that Day all our actions and spoken words shall be replayed for us to see and hear. No question shall be asked of man or jinn as to his sin (Q.55:39) and man shall bear witness against himself (Q.75:14). His record shall be given to him (Q.69:19, 25; 18:49) and he shall be given a chance to plead his case (Q.7:53) but if he is a confirmed sinner, he shall be confused (Q.28:66). Yaumud DÄŤn could also be described as the period of time when the order of dÄŤn shallŮŽ be established

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ What will Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ŮŽﺎ‏F Ů‘Ů? ‍‏ ‍ ‏ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŒ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ explain to you what Yaumud DÄŤn is? (Q.82:17). The answer to this is in Q.82:19. â€Ťďş ďť”ﺲ‏ Ů? ‍ ‏ Ů? Ů? â€Ťďťłďť¤ďť ďťš ďť?ďť”ﺲ‏ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ű– â€Ťďşˇďť´ďşŒďşŽâ€Ź Ů‹ Ů’ ŮŽ The period of time in which no human being shall have power over any other human ‍ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺎ ‏ Ů? Ů? â€ŤďťŁďşŒﺏ‏

once and forever. There is a question raised in the Holy Qur’an:

being, for the Command in that period will be with Allah. (Q.82:19). During that period, all exploitation of man by man shall cease, be it political, intellectual, economic or religious. It could be thus interpreted to mean an era when Allah’s laws are established on earth and the Islamic world order replaces the present world order imposed upon us by the non-Muslims. This could probably come about when the whole world had accepted Islam. As this process could take many days, months or even years it could be hence assumed that yaum could also mean period. However, it could possibly mean the short stretch of time directly preceding the Doomsday when the end of the world is imminent. If so, yaum would mean the Day. It may refer also to Armageddon, a battlefield where the predicted final battle between good and evil shall take place. Whichever view we take, the Fellowship of Allah shall certainly triumph in the end (Q.5:56; 59:20). Reciting the words MÄ iliki Yaumid DÄŤn so many times a day during the prayers offers our mind a telescopic view of maḼshar (the place of assembly) where all human beings and the jinn of the past, the present and the future, shall gather on the Day of Judgment. The probability of there being different modes for enacting the end of this world or this universe is due to the fact that there are many planets with living beings in each one of them (Q.42:29) and, depending on the circumstances and the atmospheric conditions, the planet itself or the life on the planet shall end differently. The Holy Qur’an is for all the planets and for all the worlds. Time, being relative, is determined by the nature of the particular planet in question, e.g. a day in a planet larger than planet Earth, shall be longer than the day on our planet Earth.

Destination Al-MÄ lik

We are travelling on this planet Earth with a mission that is common for all of us and its goal is: DESTINATION AL-MÄ€LIK. Allah is in command and it is an on-going quest of ours to eventually meet Him personally. Let us now chart out the journey of man from the time he lands on this planet Earth to the time when he appears before his MÄ lik on the Day of Judgement, the yaumid dÄŤn, for his assigned station. To facilitate comprehension, what follows may be divided into segments: (A) The Early Human Being

CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

51

(B) What is this creature called Man who has to meet with his Al-Mālik? (i) An-Nafsa la Ammārah (ii) An-Nafsil Lawwāmah (iii) An-Nafsul Muṭma‘Innah (C) Death Bed (D) Appointment With Al-Mālik (E) The Hereafter

(A) The Early Human Being:

(1) There was indeed a time when man was non-existent, and his name was not even mentioned. This

ْ ُ

ََْ َ

َْ

could mean millions of years ago, when we were dust, and Allah created us out of earth: ‫ِﻣﻨﻬﺎ ﺧﻠﻘﻨﺎﻛﻢ‬

ُ ًَ َ ْ ُ ُ ُْ َْ َ ْ ُ ُ ُ َ َ ٰ َ ْ ‫ﺗﺎ‬ ‫ﺧﺮ‬F ‫ﺨﻧﺮﺟﻜﻢ‬ ِ ‫ﻧﻌﻴﺪﻛﻢ‬ ِ “Out of the earth, We created you and into it shall We return you, ِ ‫ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﻣﻨﻬﺎ‬

and from it shall We bring you out once again. (Q.20:55). Allah created man from material variously described as dust/water/clay/sounding clay like unto pottery/extraction of clay (Q. 40:67; 25:54; 32:7; 55:14; 23:12). Man was first created in Paradise out of dust with Allah just saying “Be” and he was (Q.3:59), and then out of sperm on Earth (Q.22:5). There are no personal and specific details available about Adam such as whether he had any difficulties with teething, whether he was right or left-handed, whether he had Chinese features or not. We only know that he spoke Arabic, as evidenced in Q.7:23 and that he did not have a navel becase he did not have a mother. The creation of Eve (Ḥawwā’) is also shrouded in mystery. From Q.4:1, we understand that we were created from a single being and that from this single being Allah had subsequently created its mate. Then from them both came countless men and women. Different scholars have proposed different conjectural theories about the creation of Ḥawwā. (i) Some commentators say that Adam was a hermaphrodite. This gene responsible for hermaphroditism has been passed on to the next generations, since we still do come across some hermaphrodites in the society today. In fact, biologically no person is 100% male or female. Men also possess breasts and nipples. (ii) A Jewish tradition says that God originally created Adam as a hermaphrodite (Midrash Rabbah - Genesis VIII:1), and hence his body had both male and female characteristics. God later decided that "it is not good for Adam to be alone," and created the separate beings of Adam and Eve, thus creating also the idea of two people joining together. God created Eve from Adam's rib because Adam was lonely. (The hermaphrodite theory is not supported by Muslim scholars who disregard it). (iii) Could Eve have been a conjoined twin who developed a little later? The twin near his rib which might have been a tumour in the beginning like a teratoma which has all the components of a human body, might have separated as Eve. Prophet Mohammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Women are the twin-halves of men. Allah starts the creation and then repeats it (Q.10:4). The dust/clay becomes another human creature (Q.23:12-14). The human body contains 60% water and 40% minerals in the same proportion as the soil of the planet Earth. Some scientists say that the first primitive man evolved in the Rift valley in Africa many million years ago. The human brain is three times larger than the brain of an ape of the same weight, explaining the extraordinary intellectual capacities of the Homo sapiens (the wise man). Homo sapiens or wise man is the name given to all races with a human body and a brain measuring 1,300 to 1500ml. All the parts they are made of were encoded in their DNA by Allah. For those who believe in this theory of evolution, a Muslim like any other human being on earth belongs to kingdom Animalia (animal kingdom), phylum Chordata (with a back-bone), subphylum Vertebrata (segmented spinal cord), class Mammalia (suckles its young), subclass Eutheria (aids the young through the placenta), order Primate (five digits in extremities and a pair of mammary glands), suborder Anthropoidea (eyes in front and a proportionately large brain, measuring in humans 1400 cc and weighing three pounds), super family Hominoid (complete bipedalism as in apes and humans), subfamily Hominine (emphasis on close relationships in the family), genus Homo (man), species Homo sapiens (wise man), religion Islamicus (God’s own religion). New fossil evidence suggests that Homo sapiens sapiens (modern man) first appeared more than 50,000 years ago. The Neanderthals are the ancestors of modern humans. (2) During contemplation and search for extra-terrestrial source of intelligence and life, we came across an interesting theory of how the first man (Adam) arrived on Earth. This could be accepted by the

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

reader as science fiction, or a mere conjecture, or a theory that remains to be proven, or a simple falsehood to be rejected.

Theory: Adam was made from dust by Allah. He lived on another planet called Jannah which had a solar system (Q.20:119), was trained in various sciences and was an Ace Pilot. Allah ordered him to stay within certain perimeters and planet Earth was out of bounds for him. There was a certain tree (folklore tells us it was the wheat tree) that grew both on Jannah as well as on Earth but he was not supposed to go near it. One day both Adam and his companion and co-pilot, Ḥawwā’, listened to Satan’s evil promptings, disobeyed Allah, turned their spaceship onto a different course and landed on the planet Earth. Due to reasons unknown (either engine failure or gravitational force of Earth), they could not return to their original planet (Jannah) and that was the first landing of man on planet Earth. But long before man set foot on Earth, Earth was already inhabited by jinn and different types of animals. (3) There was a time when man was non-existent and he was not even mentioned. (Q.76:1). It is difficult to imagine that as recently as 150 years ago, we did not know that a single spermatozoon, one out of 400 million, fertilised a single ovum (egg) in the womb of the mother causing us to be born, with 3, 999,999 sperms dying in the process. Now as we know about this struggle, we can very well imagine how lucky and important each of us is to have survived (one in 400 million). It is the single cell of the male (spermatozoon) containing X or Y chromosomes that determines the sex of the offspring. It becomes a female if the combination contains XX chromosomes, or a male if endowed with XY chromosomes (Q.4:1; 7:189). We َ shall now discuss this in some detail. َ

َ​َ َٰ ْ َ َ ُْ ْ َ َْ ََْ َ 4 َ ْ َ َ ْ ‫ﻏﻄﻔﺔ‬ ً َ ‫ﻓﺠﻌﻠﻨﺎ‬ ٌ ‫ﻧﺴﺎ‬ ً ُ ْ َ ً ْ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ْ 4 ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ْ ‫ﺒﻟ‬ ً َ ‫ﺳﻤﻴﻌﺎ‬ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ‫ﻧﺒﺘﻠﻴﻪ‬ َ ِ ‫ﺣﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﺑﺼﺮﻴ ۝‬ ‫ﻹﻧﺴﺎ ِﻣﻦ‬ ½F ‫ﻫﻞ‬ ٍ ٍ ِ ِ ‫ﻣﺸﺎ‬F ِ ِ ‫ﻹ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻫﺮ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻜﻦ ﺷﻴﺌﺎ ﻣﺬﻛﻮ ۝ ِ;ﻧﺎ ﺧﻠﻘﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ

Has there not been over a human being a long period of time when he was nothing, not even mentioned? Indeed, We have created a human being from a drop of sperm containing mixtures in order to try him, so We gave him (the gifts) of hearing and sight. (Q.76:1-2).

ْ ُّ َْ ْ ُ َُْ ُ َْ َ َ ْ َ ُ َُْْ َ َ ُ ‫ﻣﻢ‬ َ 4 َ ‫ ﻟﺼﻠﺐ‬ 4 ِ ‫ﻧﺴﺎ‬ ‫ ﻟﺮﺘ ﺋﺐ ۝‬ ‫ﻧﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﻹ‬ ‫ﻓ‬ ٍ ‫ﺧﻠﻖ ِﻣﻦ‬ ٍِ %‫ﻣﺎ‬ ِ ‫ﺧﻠﻖ ۝‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻓﻖ ۝ ﺨﻳﺮ ِﻣﻦ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻠﻴﻨﻈﺮ‬ ِ

Now, let a human being but think from what he/she is created. He/she is created from a drop emitted,

ْ ُّ

4

َ proceeding between the backbone ‫ﺻﻠﺐ‬ (ṣulb) and the rib cage ‫ﺗﺮ ﺋﺐ‬ ِ ِ ِ (tarāib). (Q.86:5-7). These few words bynaṣ ṣulbi wat tarāib (Q.86:6-7), explain the location of the nerve supply in the lumbar and sacral segments of the human spinal cord (L4, L5, sacral parasympathetic fibres 2, 3, 4) responsible for the successful outcome of copulation between man and woman. Fertilisation is the process of union of a male gamete (spermatozoon containing 23 chromosomes) with the female gamete (ovum also containing 23 chromosomes) to form a new cell and a new life, the zygote with 46 chromosomes (fused sperm and ovum) (Q.76:2), with characteristics of both parents preserved in 20,000 to 25,000 genes which are responsible for all the hereditary characteristics present in this zygote, the future human being. When the sperm penetrates the ovum, they pool their chromosomes together. Chromosomes and glandular secretions, by and large, decide man’s fate. The molecules of DNA in chromosomes of the fertilised egg represent the blue print of the future organism in a coded, compressed language. A DNA molecule has the shape of a ladder twisted into a double helix. Man is a puny little creature in the universe of existence. It is difficult to imagine that once, as zygotes, we were so small that we could not be seen with the naked eye. We as human beings were smaller than the period seen at the end of this sentence and had to be put under a microscope to be even spotted. After fertilisation, the zygote divides repeatedly to form a solid mass of cells called morula (morus=mulberry). It reaches the uterine cavity by the seventh day and is completely embedded by the fourteenth day. The human embryo increases in size over 3 million times from the size of a fertilised ovum (size of a needle point) to a newborn baby, some 20 inches long. From the 3rd to the 8th week is the period of organogenesis when the embryo begins to develop particular features. After the second month the embryo is called the foetus. Soon after, although still small, about one inch in length, it begins to resemble a human being. By the end of 24 weeks the human foetus can suck its thumb so hard that blisters are raised. The gender of the offspring does not depend on the mother but on the father who provides a “y” chromosome in his spermatozoa for a male offspring. (Therefore we should never blame the wife for producing a female child instead of a male one. Moreover, Q.42:49 tells us that it is Allah Who bestows male and female children according to His Will and Plan). The Persian poet describes the sequence of development thus: CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

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Ă? ÂŽ 5ÂŽ 6 7 3

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Faramooshat nakard eezad dar on haal, kè boodi notfa ee madfoono mad hoosh: Rawaanat daado tab‘o ‘aqlo edraak; jamaalo notqo ra’yo fekrato hoosh. God did not forget you in that state when you were a seed, buried and unconscious: He prepared you with (DNA) code, intelligence and perception, beauty, speech, judgment, ideas and memory.

(B) What is this remarkable creature called “manâ€? who has to meet his MÄ lik?

Man and woman who were made originally from clay, now possess sperm and ova which when fertilised, become zygotes, embryonic lumps and foetuses in the wombs of mothers before they emerge as human beings. Students of biology and embryology should study Q.22:5; 40:67; Q.23:12-14:

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ďť?ﺔ ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ Ů?ﺳ‏ Ů’ ‍ﺴﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť?ﺔ‏ â€ŤďťŁďťœ Ű? ďť‹ ďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ ďş ďť„ďť”ďş” ďť‹ďť ďť˜ďş” ďť“ďş¨ďť ďť˜ﺎ ďť&#x;ďťŒďť ďť˜ďş” ďť?ďş” Ű? ďť“ďş¨ďť ďť˜ﺎ‏ ‍ ‏ â€Ťďťƒ Ű? ďť‹ ďş&#x;ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ďť&#x;ďş” Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺪ ďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4Ů? Ů‹Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Űš ‍ﺧﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺣﺴ‏F Ů? 4 â€Ťďť“ďş˜ďş’ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ﺑ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďş§ďť ďť˜ďşŽâ€Ź ‍ ﺨďť&#x;ﺎďť&#x;ďť˜ Ű?‏ ‍ﺸﺄﺎ‏F ‍ďť&#x;ďťŒďťˆďşŽ ﺤďť&#x;ﺎ ďť‹‏ Ů? ‍Ů?ďť‹ďťˆďşŽﺎ ďť“ďťœﺴﺎ‏ Ů?Ů?

And verily, We created man from clay. Then We placed him as a drop (of sperm mixed with ovum) in a safe custody (womb). Then We made the drop into an ‘alaqah (leech-like structure/something which clings); then We changed the ‘alaqah into a mudghah (chewed-like); then We changed the mudghah into ‘iáş“Ä m (bones/skeleton); and clothed the ‘iáş“Ä m with laḼm (flesh/muscles); then We caused him to grow and come into being as another creature (human being). So blessed be Allah, the Best to create. (Q.23:12-14). Coming into this world was no choice of ours (Q.28:68). There is no way we could have known whether we are going to be born alive, still-born or if there might be a miscarriage or an abortion (Q.13:8). We never knew whether we shall be born as males or females (Q.42:49). While in the darkness of the mother’s womb, we never knew that one day we would come out of it into this world full of colour (Q.16:13). The freedom of choice was given to us only after we were born and when we were growing up. Now that we already have been born, we can say whatever we want about human rights, and the rights to abortion, but the advocates of abortion do not realise that had they been aborted by their parents, they would not have been there to talk and protest. People must understand that if they do not want to go wrong, they must always make sure first that whatever they do is in fact the right type of action, and only then they should go ahead. Some people unfortunately insist that they have a right to be wrong and then tell us that we are wrong by not thinking like them. Each soul (rōḼ) enters into a human body which has a mission of its own. The human being is born free from sin, in a pure state, in a state of fitrah, the natural pattern in which Allah has made mankind, endowed with the complete submission to Allah (monotheism) (Q.30:30). This is suggestive of the standard pattern in which every child is born including the gift of a brain containing a God-spot. Moreover, fitrah is determined by the specified chromosomes with genes installed in the DNA for the particular individual, which may also influence much of his or her destiny in many ways. At birth, the baby is innocent and is not responsible for the sin of its parents or ancestors. He starts off with a clean slate, tabula rÄ sa, and as he grows up, he uses his freedom of choice to do good or evil. This free will gives him independence to make any decisions he wants and perform any actions he wishes in a variety of situations of moral conflict as exercised by any person endowed with normal mental faculties. Man thus gains experience riding the roller coaster of life during his journey in this planet, which has been earmarked as a testing ground for mankind, where opportunities as well as hindrances are orchestrated by Allah. We should treat Earth as the preparatory school of the Hereafter. Free will or freedom of choice is a feeling of conviction that we have a perfectly free choice in the performance of many acts when choosing between alternatives, thus affirming some power to affect our own destinies. This power of choice induces us either to obey or disobey Allah and His Messenger (Q.18:29) and to blame ourselves or others for the prevailing conditions. Some people accept a dualistic system of good versus evil, a belief that there is only one force which is the source of goodness (God) and second force that is the source of evil (Satan) as emphasised by Zoroaster and akin to the Chinese yin and yang. In between these two forces are us humans, who are just like pawns on a big chessboard. Like the black and white pieces, we are fighting a duel with ourselves, a battle of two equally strong but opposing forces of good against evil, a battle in our drama of life, which is being orchestrated by

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Someone outside our control. We must distinguish between freedom of will and freedom of action, because our success in carrying out our intentions depends in part on factors wholly beyond our control e.g. although a man has the freewill, he may not have a choice. If 2 persons are the last in the restaurant counter and one uses his freewill, the other has no choice but to take what he gets. We may have the freedom of will but our freedom of action depends on many factors, especially Allah’s Will which is final. Hence, some scholars say that personal free will is limited, because it is determined by Allah through those neurotransmitters which control our thought, free will, intention and action. Between intention, decision and action, there is an interval where we have some control and can veto any wrong move. Therefore, in the interim, we should ask Allah's help for making the right decision, and for following up this decision with just action and finally, leave the outcome to Allah, Who knows best. We often harbour violence against others in our thoughts. This violence is fuelled by anger, jealousy and plain hostility, and although we have practically no control over our in-coming thoughts, we have a choice over our intentions and probably over most of our actions. However, when faced with indecision our basic emotions induce rapid and unconscious choices orchestrated by the limbic system in the brain. Hence, mistakes are an acceptable part of being human as they are often results of instinctive, reflexive and immediate responses. Allah has pardoned my Ummah for what they say to themselves, as long as they do not utter it or act upon it. (ḤadÄŤth: Muslim; Abu DÄ wĹŤd; Ibn MÄ jah). Both Allah’s true guidance as well as Satan’s evil promptings are available to us. Allah’s guidance manifests itself through spiritual means and is for longterm benefits while Satan’s misguidance brings short-term pleasure and results in long-term anguish. The choice is ours as to whom we wish to befriend. Whenever man is faced with having to choose between taking or rejecting Allah’s over Satan’s, he is put under stress, no matter how small or great. During stress, certain neuro-transmitters secreted by the brain come into play causing either serenity and tranquillity, ‘fright, fight or flight’ phenomenon, or a perturbed state and mental confusion. When the duel of the good and the evil goes on in his mind, if a man who knows which one of the two may lead him to ᚢirÄ t al MustaqÄŤm, he may act wisely and ask Allah for guidance. This would result in the outpouring of inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain which would keep a normalised state of mind.

Constitution of Man. Human being is a rōḼ (soul) cloaked in a physical body, and hence the

believer is committed to moral and spiritual values. In other words, we are spiritual immortal beings cloaked in a human mortal body. The soul is eternal but during its sojourn on Earth is trapped in a perishable frame. Our body, when resurrected in the Hereafter, shall be identical with our old one. Even long after we are dead the specks of our dust will contain all our particular attributes which will show up as our clone when resurrected on the Day of Judgment. Man must therefore strive for the development of personal aspects, both the physical and the spiritual, to be considered a conscientious individual by

Ů’ Ů’

his neighbours and by the community. Man is composed of (a) a physical body called ‍ďş&#x;ﺴ‏ Ů? jism which

Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ

Ů’

has life and human qualities (b) a personality called ‍ ďť?ďť”ﺲ‏nafs and (c) a soul called Ů? rōḼ which has

divine qualities. The first two shall be left behind when we die and it is only the soul that shall go on to eternity. We must not fear death if we firmly believe that our soul which is the essence of human being is immortal. It is not that I have a soul, but that I am a living soul. The body may be improved with cosmetic surgery and a face-lift but the rōḼ needs spiritual enlightenment. The physical body is governed by the same physical laws that govern all animals, but the human personality and the soul to a large extent are controlled by laws revealed to Allah’s messengers. The development of the physical form can take place even if man is cut off from society but the development of the human personality can best occur through social interaction and community life.

Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ Ů’ Ins means mankind and ‍ ﺲ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ anisa means to socialise and seek familiarity. Hence ‍ ﺴﺎ‏ ‍ ﺲ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? InsÄ n i.e.

man, who is a social animal, was not advised by Allah to practice monasticism (Q.57:27). Allah urges us to return to the good things of this life and to our homes, so that we are tested and called to account (Q.21:13). We would be accountable for the bounties we enjoy, including the comforts of the homestead (Q.102:8). When we die, we take with us all our thoughts and our actions, both good and evil. Our evil actions cling disease-like to our soul and are carried to the Hereafter. Here is an Urdu poem:

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# L B C9DÂ ýE F

¾ " > ?@A£

Raah mein jo laptè thè yeh donyaa kee safar mein; woh gunaahon ko liyê saath apnee qiyaamat tak: Whatever we got wrapped up with in the journey of this world, we shall take those sins with us to the Day of Judgment. When we die we enter the world beyond in the same state of being we were in on earth. By shunning all abominations, we keep our rūḥ (soul) as clean as possible. Although all of us make our journey to the Hereafter, it is a journey which each of us must make alone and with full responsibility for every decision made and for every step taken. Normally we reflect on our past mistakes on our death-bed, but since we do not know when our number will be called, we might as well watch out. Of course, we all know that with a little foresight, we could have avoided many blunders. Most of us do not realise that we are created for the Hereafter and that this life is only a preparatory period. The life of this world compared to that of the Hereafter is but a brief passing moment (Q.13:26). Death is only the birthday greeting for eternity entered via barzakh. It is only a wake-up call to a change of worlds. At death we cross from one territory to another, from the territory of death to the territory of deathlessness. Some of our friends and relatives as well as many others are already in barzakh waiting for our arrival. The human brain is such that we delude ourselves into thinking that all others but us will surely die. But Muslims believe that as soon as we are born that we are destined to die at a particular time and place. However, in spite of the certainty of death, none of us wants to die. With all its toil and frustration, this is still a beautiful world. If Allah were to announce that He is going to give us a single wish, each one of us would plead: “O Allah, do not allow me to die”. This is in spite of Allah’s promise of Paradise and a more beautiful world for us. Life is such a precious gift and so sweet that nobody wants to part with it, even under most adverse and painful conditions. Here is what someone said: I am an invalid with both legs amputated and paralysed all down one side. They help me when I want to relieve myself. They wash me. I'm practically deaf. But I would never do a thing to cut short a life in which I believe so strongly. I would accept even worse, blindness, deprivation of all my senses, loss of the power of speech and of any contact with the external world as long as I could feel within me this burning flame, which is me and me alive. And I should still give thanks to God for the life for having let me continue to burn with its flame. Just to remind ourselves, both suicide and euthanasia are considered to be major sins and are forbidden in Islam. One of the reasons why suicide is harām (unlawful) in Islam is because Allah wants us to find ways and means to solve our problems here on Earth and gain more experience, so that on the Day of Judgment when we present ourselves to take up further development meant to take us towards our eventual goal of Paradise, we would have already become wiser. Because a part of us called rūḥ (soul) has a divine origin, we can achieve nearness to Allah by imbibing His Attributes, which in turn, enhances our self-esteem and encourages us to attain nobler qualities, such as those of Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. What man can achieve, he will achieve with Allah’s assistance, both in this life and in the Hereafter. We can always extend a helping hand to another and also be assured that when we ourselves need a helping hand, a strong Hand with a firm grip will always be there for us to hold on to (Q.2:256). This strong Hand of Allah will clasp our hand like that of a sincere and true friend and will guide us in every step we take and in every decision we make. It is a law of nature that dark clouds bring with them rain, storm and turmoil in life, but after a day or two, the sun which is already there behind the clouds comes to the rescue to bring sunshine and favourable weather. Similarly, the dark clouds of frustrating problems and painful betrayals interfere with the normal enjoyment of our life and sometimes we ask: “Oh God, Where are You? Can You help me?” Such a scenario is followed by some delay after which calm descends to replace the mental storm. God is always present. The reason for the delay is that God wants us to find our own ways to solve the problems and only when we are unable to do so, we can make the choice of asking Him for help. It is then we see that His hand has been waiting there to pull us through. Allah calls us to an eternal Home

َ َ ْ َ

ًَ َ 4ُ َ َْ​َ

of Bliss where there is a higher life (Q.10:25) ‫ﻃﺒﻖ‬ ‫ ﻟﺮﺘﻛﻦﺒ ﻃﺒﻘﺎ ﻗﻦ‬Surely, you will be raised from one stage ٍ to another, (Q.84:19). It is not sufficiently recognised that Islam calls on man to rise to his highest potential of becoming a vicegerent of Allah. Although we were created as human beings, most of us do not behave as such. There are chapters in everyone’s life which no one likes to be reminded of. Our catalogue of deeds is crowded with those actions which we could have easily avoided with some fore-sight and some resolve. Every one of us wants the shortest route to success with fast results to show for his endeavour. However, even at the

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end of a full life when wisdom should have set in, we find we have yet a long way to go to reduce our imperfections to zero and to become a perfect human being. In spite of this life full of daily opportunities to improve ourselves, man is still not perfect. It is certain that in the stage of barzakh which follows earthly death and involves moving from one territory to another, we may have some other type of existence which we cannot imagine at present. We may undergo developmental changes towards perfection (Q.56:60-61) and our soul may continue to march forward, receiving sustenance from Allah all the while, as evidenced in the following: Think not that people killed in Allah’s cause are dead; they are living. They get their provisions from Allah, (Q.3:169). The Perfect Personality is that of Allah Himself. The Attributes of Allah are described in the Holy Qur’an. The most perfect human being was Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. He was the pinnacle of human achievement. Allah fashioned man long ago from clay, but man’s best exemplar was perfected only 1400 years ago in the genes of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬who was indeed an exemplar to mankind. You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah a good example for him whose hope is in Allah and the Last Day, and who engages much in the Praise of Allah, (Q.33:21). Let us consider a few differences between body and soul. The human being comprises a body with human qualities and a soul with divine attributes, exhibiting a personality called in Arabic nafs. While the body is disposable the soul is not. The body has three dimensions, viz. length, width and breadth. Hence, we can be seen. The soul has no dimensions and hence cannot be seen. The body is influenced by a fourth dimension, time. With the passage of time, the body ages and dies. In contrast, the soul has no dimensions, is not affected by time, never grows old and never dies. It is immortal. Because the human body exists in three dimensions, there is a limit to the speed with which it moves. The soul has no dimensions and therefore there is no limit on its movement. In a split second it can find itself anywhere else on any of the planets billions of light years away. The soul has no weight, otherwise, it could have been measured whenever a person dies and the soul leaves the body. Three-dimensional objects are space-occupying and time-consuming, e.g. one million persons cannot be accommodated in a room 10 X 10 sq. ft. Moreover, if a 3-D object were to travel, it would need conveyance and take “time” to cover the distance, unlike the angels and the rūḥ (soul) which have no dimensions. Shadows have two dimensions only and million shadows may be superimposed on one another without taking any extra space. Shadows that have two dimensions cannot penetrate a solid wall but X-rays and gamma rays that have only one dimension could penetrate a wall of lead 32 inches thick. The soul has no dimensions and its properties are phenomenal. There is another important difference between the body and the soul. The physical body needs this world to live in and grows by taking e.g. proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals; but the soul is refined by grace and by giving charity, our time, our leisure, our knowledge, our skill, etc. Whereas the body exists in both human beings and lower animals, the soul (rūḥ) is found in human beings only. Men can reason to a high degree and express his thoughts more intelligently. Yet, they cannot fathom the nature of God or where space begins and where it ends or when time began and when it is going to end, or what is going to happen tomorrow. When alive, a person can contact another person in this world but cannot contact any soul in barzakh. But once a person dies, his soul leaves the body like a bird leaving the cage and goes to barzakh where it may have access to other persons on the Earth and to other souls in barzakh, or even to Allah Himself when the resurrection takes place.

Meeting Allah: There are some of us who do not believe that we will meet Allah in the Hereafter, but the Holy Qur’an states: Those are they who disbelieve in the revelations of Allah and in the meeting with Him. (Q.18:105). Again, Allah has good news for the righteous people. That Day some faces will

َ​َ َ

ُ 4َ َ

ْ َ

ُ 4

َْ ‫ِ ﻧﻜﻢ‬ beam (in brightness and beauty) looking towards their Rabb. (Q.75:22-23). And ‫ﺳﺮﺘ ﺑﻜﻢ ﻋﻴﺎﻧﺎ‬

You will definitely see Allah with your own eyes. (Ḥadith).

Death: What happens at the time of death? At the time of death, the best of friends part, viz. the soul ُّ ُ ْ َ ‫ﻳﺮﺟﻊ ;ﻰﻟ‬ ُ ْ َ ‫ﻞﻛ َﺷﺊ‬ and the body. ‫ ﺻﻠﻪ‬ means: Everything returns to its origin. All the vitamins, fats, ِ ٍ carbohydrates and proteins that the body took from this earth to make up the different organs, must now be surrendered to earth which hugs the body tightly in the grave and retrieves all the elements. At the time of death, life comes to an end in this body and every cell in every organ of the body ceases to

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function. But that does not mean that we cease to exist; death is only a change of location from here to barzakh where we continue to exist on a different plane, after our rūḥ is detached from the body and

َ ُ َ َْ 4 َ 4 4 has departed: ‫ ﺟﻌﻮ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻧﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ِ;ﻧﺎ‬meaning, Indeed to Allah we belong and to Him is our eventual return. ِ ‫; ﻪ‬ ِ ‫ﺑ‬ (Q.2:156). The soul departs, laden with sin or with virtue, in peace or in pandemonium, but its route is via barzakh. The object of the soul is to eventually return to its original source, Allah. In our journey to find our roots, the body returns to earth and the rūḥ (soul) returns to Allah. At death, we surrender our body to the grave. It could be an earthly grave, 6 feet down below, or a watery grave if we have drowned and been eaten by sharks or other fish. Frozen graves also come to mind, with perhaps untold numbers of our forbearers suspended in one glacier or another, and ready to be exposed as soon as the ice melts and their bodies thaw and decay. It could also be a fiery grave if a person is cremated, while an astronaut could have a satelite grave if he is lost in space and keeps on orbiting around the Earth. There is also a Laughing Death, a disease called kuru, which exists only among a single tribe in Papua, New Guinea. The afflicted tribe describes it as the “Laughing Death”, because it leads to the loss of co-ordination accompanied by dementia. Kuru is transmitted due to ritualistic cannibalism. The tribe used to honour the dead by eating their brains. The practice has since stopped, and kuru has virtually disappeared. When we were born, Allah Who is the Creator of the universe including the planet Earth, stamped on our passport a visa for entry into this Earth which is valid for X number of days, and allows us to cross some boundaries, enter certain territories and return to Him via the specified route. Although this Urdu poem has deep philosophical yet vague meanings leading us to the unknown zone, I have summarized our journey in this itinerary via 6 stop-overs.

# # N M I ? G HL .­ JÂ H L K JÂ H> I ? H G > \ ¿ L .­ JÂ H L K JÂH ¢

Zindigee kaa safar, hey yé kaisaa safar, ko ee samjhaa naheen, ko ee jaanaa naheen; hey yé kaisaa dagar chalté hain sab magar, ko ee samjhaa naheen, ko ee jaanaa naheen. The journey of life, what kind of a journey is this? Nobody understood it and no one knows about it. What kind of a place is this where we keep walking and yet nobody understands it and no one knows about it. There are six stops in our journey from the time we are born to the time we find ourselves in Paradise with Allah. (1) First stop: The womb. Approximately nine lunar months and nine days. (2) Second stop: Planet Earth. Variable period depending on the completion of the mission the particular individual was sent for. (3) Third stop: Barzakh. May be counted as millions of Earth years but actually seems to have been an hour or so to the individual. (4) Fourth stop: the Day of Judgment. Swift. (5) Fifth stop: Hell where cleansing of every soul takes place; period varies. Some of us may pass through it and some over it. (6) Final stop: Paradise; eternity. One of the greatest transitions in the life of a human being is death. Being carried in the coffin to the grave is not the end of existence. Death is not a period or a full-stop but only a comma in the sentence of life. The distance between man and God virtually disappears with the last heart beat, when at the time of death the alarm rings to give us a final wake-up call. To live is to go on a journey, to die is to come back home. It is the continuation of this terrestrial life on another plane or planet, a brief stop to the eternal journey and the beginning of the balance of existence. Death takes us backwards from a journey in this world to our roots (to Allah) in the Hereafter. Imām Ghazzāli says thus in his immortal poem which is self- explanatory.

The Glorious Hereafter

“SAY TO MY FRIENDS WHEN THEY LOOK UPON ME AS DEAD, Weeping for me and mourning me in sorrow. Do not believe that this corpse you see is myself. In the name of Allah, I tell you, it is not I. I am a rūḥ (soul); this is naught but flesh; It was my abode and my garment for a time; I am a treasure by a talisman (ta،wīdh) kept hid, Fashioned of dust which served me as a shrine. I am a pearl, which has left its shell deserted. It was my prison, where I spent my time in grief. I am a bird, and this body was my cage,

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Whence I have now flown forth and it is left behind as a token. Praise be to Allah, Who has now set me free, And prepared for me my place in the highest of the heavens.

UNTIL TODAY I was dead, though alive in your midst. Now I am in birth, with the grave clothes discarded. Today I hold converse with the saints above. Now, with no veil between, I see Allah face to face; I look upon the Tablet (al-Lauḥ um Maḥfūẓ) and therein I read, Whatever was and is and all that is to be. Let my house fall in ruins; lay my cage in the ground. Cast away the talisman, it’s a token no more. Lay aside my cloak; it was but my outer garment. Place them all in the grave, let them be forgotten. I have passed on my way and you are left behind. Your place of abode was no dwelling place for me. Think not that death is death, nay it is life, A life that surpasses all we could dream of here While in this world. Here we are granted sleep. Death is but sleep, sleep that shall be prolonged. Be not frightened when death draweth nigh; It is the departure for this Blessed Home. Think of the Mercy and Love of Allah. Give thanks for His Grace and come without fear.

WHAT I AM NOW, even so shall you be, For I know that you are even as I am. The souls of all men came from Allah. The bodies of all are compounded alike. Good and evil alike it was ours; I give you now a message of good cheer. May Allah’s peace and joy forever more be yours”. (By Imām Al Ghazzāli (Abu Ḥamid Muḥammad Al-Tūsi Al-Shafi‘ī) 1058-1111 CE)

Imām Ghazzāli says: All men are asleep. When they die, they are awake. As soon as we close our eyes in this world, we immediately open them in the next world to start a new life. This new life begins with the total sum of self-development earned in this terrestrial world from the time we were born till our death, accompanied by the potential to progress further and further and rise higher and higher in the spiritual field, marching forward for ever. َ

ّ َ

ْ ُّ ْ

ْ ُ

Sometimes, we speak of this Earth as a transit lounge. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: ‫ﻛﻦ ِﻰﻓ ﻧﻴﺎ ﻛﺄﻧﻚ‬

ّ َ Live in this world as if you were a foreigner or a traveller. Whenever we travel to a َُ ‫ ﺨﺑﺮﺳﺒﻴﻞ‬F ‫ﻏﺮﻳﺐ‬ ِ ٍ

different country, we ensure that we buy a ticket and have all our travel documents (passport, health certificates, credit cards etc.) and our luggage in order. In contrast, when we die, it is a one-way journey to a land of no return. No visa is required and no baggage is allowed except what has been sent in advance in the form of deeds, whether good or evil (Q.82:5). The departure date and time have already been stamped on the ticket. We will not get another chance to come back to Earth to undo the things that we did (Q.39:58). We come into this world empty-handed and leave empty-handed. The seven yards of cloth that are used as our last garment have no pockets. The only thing that we may carry in our hands to the Hereafter is the load of what we gave out as charity. A Persian proverb says that every man goes down to his death bearing in his hands only that which he has given away. Someone said: What I spent I had. What I gave I have. What I saved I lost. A funeral procession in this world is preceded by a welcome ceremony in Barzakh, and is attended by prophets, friends and relatives who have gone there before us there and are waiting to greet us.

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Some of the differences between the body and the soul are:

BODY SOUL 1. Present in human beings and animals. 1. Present in humans only. 2. Came into existence only a few years ago as a 2. God breathed into the first man Adam from His result of fertilisation of an ovum by a sperm. Own rōḼ; rōḼ also enters the foetus soon after the 4th lunar month of conception when the foetus becomes viable. 3. It has 3 dimensions: height, width and breadth; 3. It has no dimensions and hence (a) it cannot hence: (a) it can be seen; (b) it is disposable; (c) be seen; (b) it cannot be disposed of; (c) there is there is a limit to its speed (d) it is affected by no limit to its speed; (d) it is not affected by gravity for the Earth pulls it; (e) it is affected by the gravity; the earth cannot pull it; (e) it is not 4th dimension, i.e. time; with the passage of time, affected by time in the sense that it never grows the body grows old, degenerates and dies; (f) it old; it is immortal; (f) it is purified by generosity grows by taking in vitamins, fats, proteins, and kindness, eg. giving a smile, disbursing carbohydrates and minerals. charity, sharing knowledge, time, skill, etc. 4. At the time of death, it returns to its origin, the 4. At the time of death it goes to barzakh and on earth. the Day of Resurrection shall return to its origin Allah. 5. Symptoms of diseases of the body come to an 5. When the person dies, impurities of the soul do end when the person dies. not die with the body but are carried on to the Hereafter. 6. While on Earth, the body cannot see God and 6. When the soul leaves the body, it can contact has no access to LauḼ um MaḼfĹŤáş“ (the Guarded other souls in Barzakh, also people on Earth e.g. Tablet) and to the secrets of the universe. through dreams. When resurrected the soul shall re-enter the original body and some people shall be able to see God.

What is RōḼ? (soul) Ů‹ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍ ďťłďş´ďş„ďť&#x;ďťš ŮŽďť‹‏ The Qur’an declares: â€Ťďť—ďť ďť´ďťźâ€Ź ‍‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ ‍‏ Ű– ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů? They will ask you Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺎ‏¾ ‍ﺎ‏F Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďť ďť˘ Ů?;‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş—ďť´ďş˜ Ů?‏F Ů? Ů? Ů?

concerning RōḼ; say: The RōḼ is from the Command of Allah, and you are not given any knowledge in that respect except a small (amount)’, (Q.17:85). We accept as the truth what Allah says about the soul in the Qur’an: ŮŽ ŮŽ

Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ 4 Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ 4Ů? Ů’ ‍ ďť?ďť”ﺌ ďť“‏ Ů? ‍‏ â€Ťďť—ďť ďť´ďťź ŮŽﺎ ďş—ﺸďťœ Ů?ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť‹ ﺳ‏Then He fashioned him and Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Űš Â‹â€Ťďť“ďşŒﺪ‏ Ů? ‍ ﺣ Ű– ďş&#x;ďťŒďťž ďť&#x;ďťœ ďť&#x;ﺴ ﺑﺟﺎ ‏ breathed into him from His RōḼ; and He gave you (the faculties) of hearing, sight and feeling. Little thanks you give, (Q.32:9). And:

Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů’ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ When I have fashioned him and breathed into him from My RōḼ, (Q.15:29; Ăˆ Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť“ďşˆ ﺳďş˜ ŮŽ ďť?ďť”ﺨﺖ‏ Ů?

38:72). Had Allah not breathed into the mould of clay from His own RōḼ, mankind would have remained a statue of clay without any life and without a soul (rōḼ) to animate it. In this Breath that comes from Allah and which we call rōḼ in Arabic and soul in English, are embodied all the potential good and divine qualities man possesses. These must have been present in the rōḼ which probably entered the foetus when the latter became viable soon after four lunar months of conception. Muslim scholars claim that human life begins soon after the fourth lunar month of conception. Significantly, certain associated events as recorded by Al-BukhÄ ri and Muslim on the report of ‘AbdullÄ h ibn Masâ€˜ĹŤd stated that the Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏said:

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů‹ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ 4Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů‹ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’Ů? Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ ďş‘ďťŒ ﺎ ďť?ﺔ ďť‹ ďťłďťœ ďť‹ďť ďť˜ďş” Ů?ďşœďťž Ů?ďť&#x;ďťš ďť‹ ďťłďťœ ďť?ďş” Ů?ďşœďťžâ€Ź Ů? Ů? ‍‏ Ů? ‍ ‏ Ů? ‍Ů? ﺣﺪďť› ďş ďťłďť¤ďťŠ ďş§ďť ďť˜ Ů?‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ŮŽŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’Ů? 4 Ů? ŮŒ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŒ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ‍ďť” Ů?ﺌ ďť“‏ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ ‍ ďşłďťŒﺪ‏F ‍ ďť—ďť¤ďť ďťŞ ﺡďť˜â€Ź ‍ďş&#x;ďť ďťŞâ€ŹF ‍Ů? ďť—‏ ‍ ﺎﺳďťž Ů? ” Ů? ďť&#x;ďť¤ďť ďťšâ€Ź Ů?Ů? Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? ĂŠ â€Ťďť ďť›ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺎ ďş‘ďş„ ﺑ‏

The creation of each one of you is brought in the womb of his mother for forty days as a germ cell, then for a similar period he is an embryonic lump (hanging like a leech), then for another forty days he is a mu�ghah (chewed-like substance); then an angel is sent and he (the angel) blows in him the RōḼ. Then

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he is ordered to write down four words. He is told to write down his livelihood, his life duration, his deeds and whether he is to be miserable or happy. If the foetus were to die before the fourth lunar month, there should be no Ṣalātal Janāzah/Janāza Namaaz (funeral prayers). We notice that it is the breathing-in by the angel that engenders the quality necessary for turning a foetus into a human being. Although some Muslim scholars are of the opinion that sensation and voluntary movements are the signs that the rūḥ is still attached to the body, it should be noted that the rūḥ is very much present in the body even when it is in the state of the general anaesthesia though there seems to be absence of voluntary movements and sensations. Moreover, in certain neurological conditions when the person cannot experience pain, joy or sorrow, and lives a near vegetative existence or has Alzheimer's disease, the rūḥ is still present in him/her. The rūḥ has been in existence since time immemorial, long before time was created and shall remain after time ends, because it is eternal. Of course, life (jān in Persian and Urdu, and hayāt in Arabic) begins in the embryo at the time of conception. Therefore life which is associated with a series of molecular events and biochemical reactions in the cells, must not be confused with the rūḥ. In fact, both the male sperm and the female ovum have life in them, even before fertilisation takes place, but they have no rūḥ. Before four lunar months of conception pass, the foetus in the womb has life but no rūḥ. It is not possible for the finite brain to comprehend the infinite soul (rūḥ). Rūḥ is given to every person and is endowed with infinite energy for development and for striving forward. It has the capacity and the immense potential to refine itself on the model of divine attributes and rise to ever greater heights. Some amongst us are further strengthened by rūḥ from Allah (Q.58:22). Where does this soul reside in the body? If a limb is amputated, the amputated limb obviously does not have a soul, although it still has life and the limb can be even transplanted. So, where is the soul? All the four limbs may be amputated and the soul is still intact in the remaining body. Does the soul reside in the blood? No, because the blood could be drained off completely and replaced. Does the soul live in the germinal layer of our reproductive organs e.g. the testes and the ovaries? No, because the soul is still present in the absence of our reproductive organs. Then, does the soul reside in some as yet undiscovered part of our brain in the medulla so that when they cease to function, the soul leaves the body? Allah alone knows. Although we know that the soul is present in the living body, we do not know where it is located. Moreover, it is fruitless and futile to seek out any special locus or resident place for a spiritual entity. This divine rūḥ is good and pure, and hence every baby is born innocent. The body at the time of birth starts off sinless. But Allah has also created evil (Q.113:2) which tempts the body in varying degrees depending on the particular environment to which the child is exposed as he/she grows older. As time goes by, we are repeatedly exposed to situations where Allah tests us - at home, on the street, at work, everywhere - and it is in these situations that we either commit sins or practise virtues. Sometimes Allah puts us in a simple yet difficult situation where we cannot decide which way to go, for example when we see an ant crawling into a hungry spider’s net: should we or should we not stop the ant from proceeding further? A more difficult test for us is: Should we clone human beings or not? In our dual form (body and soul) of being, we are subject to the process of change. Because of the overall picture of how we behave in all the examinations and trials we undergo during our life on earth, the body takes on peculiar and distinct characteristic specific to each particular individual (distinguishing thus one individual from another). It is this unique characteristic that shall be recognised in the Hereafter and stand up to be judged on the Day of Judgment, when we appear before Allah in person, with our deeds mirrored in our soul. It makes no sense during our life on earth to cry out and ask Allah: “O Allah, what will You get by testing me out?” Allah gets nothing from it. It is the success with which we negotiate these trials and tribulations that shall count in the final analysis. Allah leaves it to us to decide what proportion of our time, effort and energy should be devoted to Him and to His cause. By being a component of the universe, a component that is caged in the human body and exposed to a particular environment, the soul (rūḥ) with all its divine qualities undergoes a process of change in its sojourn on earth, giving the body a distinct personality (nafs). It is noteworthy that the word rūḥ does not appear in the plural (arwāḥ) in the Qur’an. Each and every person is resurrected as a single entity attached to his own rūḥ and responsible for his own deeds. For Allah to resurrect us is no big thing. Our existence, both in this life and in the life after death,

CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

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depends upon Allah’s constant sustenance and mercy. We ultimately rely on His promise of our resurrection. The word rōḼ occurs in the Holy Qur’an in association with Allah and human beings, and in some verses 'accompanies' the angels. Although we have been given meagre knowledge about what the rōḼ is (at times rōḼ may have other meanings besides soul), certain verses in the Qur’an connect rōḼ with: (a) The purpose of THE DISSEMINATION OF KNOWLEDGE of waḼy (revelation) in the form of guidance and warning: While addressing Prophet MuḼammad‍‏, Allah says:

ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‹ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‹ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺗﺪ ? ŮŽﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœďş˜â€Ź ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏ ‍ €‏ Űš ‍ﺒﺎ ﺎ‏ ‍‏ %‍ﺸﺎ‏ ‍‏ ‍ﺑ‏ ?‍ďť?ﺪ‏ ‍‏ ‍ďş&#x;ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ‏ ‍ﺎ‏ ‍‏ ‍‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎﺎ Űš ﺎ ďť›ﺖ‏F Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺣﺎ Ů?;” ﺣﺎ Ů?‏F ‍ ÂŽﺏďť&#x;‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů° Ů? ?‍ﺪ‏ â€Ťďť˜‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ‍;ďť°ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ﺤ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎﺝ ﺴďş˜â€Ź

And thus We have revealed to you a RōḼ from Our Command. You knew not what was the Book, nor what was Faith; but We have made (the Qur’an) a light, whereby we guide such of our servants as We Will. And verily, you guide (men) to the Straight Path,ŮŽ (Q.42:52).

Ů’Ů? Ů’ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ‍ ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍”ﺏ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ‍ﺒﺎ‏ Ů‘ ‍‏ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏F Ă?

Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺤ‏ â€Ťďťłďť ďť˜â€Ź ‍ ďş&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?‏%‍ﺸﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒﺎ‏

Raised high above ranks, the Possessor of the Throne: He sends the RōḼ from His Command upon any of His servants He pleases, that He may warn (men) of the Day of Mutual meeting. (Q.40:15). Allah has installed in human beings, unlike in animals, the concept of death which in itself carries a warning, reminding us about the appointment with Allah in the Hereafter. Memento mori is a Latin phrase which when translated means: ŮŽ Remember Ů° ŮŽ you ŮŽ willŮŽ die. This admonition ŮŽ refers to human beings only.

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů? Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏F â€Ťďť“ďşŽďťłďť˜‏ ‍ﺎ‏F ‍ﺏ ďť› ďťť Ů?;ÂŽ Ů?;‏F Ů? Ů‘Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďş‹ďťœďş”â€Ź ‍ﺰ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?‏%‍ﺸﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ﺎ Ů?‏ Ů? F ‍ﺒﺎ‏ Ů? Ů?

He sends down His angels with RōḼ from His Command upon such of His servants as He will, saying “Warn (mankind) that there is no God but I, so do your duty unto Me.â€? (Q.16:2). In this verse Allah tells us that some righteous men amongst ourselves (who need not be prophets) can also receive this particular form of rōḼ. For those of us who have firm faith in Allah and the Last Day, Allah has written ÄŤmÄ n (faith) in our hearts and strengthened us with ŮŽ a rōḼ from Himself (Q.58:22).

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů‘Ů? ‍ﺰ ďş‘‏ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ‍‏ ŮŽ Ů? â€Ťďş¤ďť›ďťœ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺏ ‏ â€Ťďť—ďť ďş’ďťšâ€Ź ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ ‍‏ ‍‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďşŽďť&#x;‏ ‍ﺤﺰ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ €‏ Ů?

And Lo! It is a Revelation from the Sustainer of the Worlds, which descended with the Faithful RōḼ, (Angel JibrÄ ÄŤl) into your heart and mind that you may be one of the warners. (Q.26:192-194). Here rōḼ refers to the angel JibrÄ ÄŤl. (b) THE RŪḤ AND THE ANGELS: in the following verses, the rōḼ though a separate entity, is accompanied by the angels:

Ă‘ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ

ŮŽŮ’

Ů? Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů?4ŮŽŮŽ (ii) During Lailatul Qadr: ‍ﺎ‏F Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺰ ďť&#x; Ů?ďş‹ďťœďş” ďť&#x;ﺎ Ů?ďť“ﺎ‏The angels and the RōḼ descend by Ů? â€Ťďş‘ďşˆâ€Ź Ů? ‍ ďş‘ Ů? ‏ Ů?

Ů‘Ů? ‍  ďť“ďť˜‏The Day that the angels and the RōḼ stand forth in ranks. (Q.78:38). (i) ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ ŮŽ ďť&#x; Ů?ďş‹ďťœďş” ﺝﺎ‏

Allah’s permission, with all decrees. (Q.97:4). َ

ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ â€ŤďťŁďť˜ﺪ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďşŽâ€Ź ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ? ‍ ﺑ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ â€ŤďťłďťŒﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ‍ﺎ‏ (iii) ‍ﺳﺔ‏ ‍‏ ‍ ďť&#x; Ů?ďş‹ďťœďş”â€Ź Ů? ‍;” Ů?‏ Ů? From Allah, Master of ways of Ů? ‍ďť&#x;‏F ‍ﺧﺴ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů? Ascent; the angels and the RōḼ (soul) ascend unto Him in a Day, the measure whereof is fifty thousand years. (Q.70:3-4). (c) THE HOLY RŪḤ: Allah helps Sayyidina ‘Isa (pbuh), with RōḼ il Qudus: And We gave unto ‘Isa, the son of Maryam, clear proof (of Allah’s sovereignty) and We supported him with the Holy RōḼ (Q.2:87; 2:253). It seems that there is a similar component or characteristic both in the rōḼ (soul) and in the angels, since the angel JibrÄ ÄŤl is also known as the RōḼ il Qudus or the Holy RōḼ (Q.16:102; 2:87) and also as the RōḼ ul AmÄŤn or the RōḼ of Faith (Q.26:193). (d) THE APPEARANCE: Although rōḼ (translated in here as soul) is invisible, in exceptional circumstances Allah can make it appear in the shape of a human being (Q.19:17). As rōḼ may have other meanings besides soul, in our present state of meagre knowledge we cannot accurately explain what rōḼ in all its aspects actually is (Q.17:85).

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Introduction to the nafs or self

Animals may live primarily by instinct but human beings in order to remain human must rely on and live with the norms of culture governed by conscience and/or religion. Culture (from Latin cultūra meaning cultivation of the mind and body through education and training) manifests itself in the patterns of behaviour and thinking amongst the groups of people living in a society. It encompasses religion, language, style of dress and food, etc. Acculturation refers to the cultural change taking place within one social group by virtue of its contact with another and by extension, to the whole process of imparting to children the customs and beliefs of the group they belong, by the adult educators unconsciously disseminating their own beliefs. Psychology has recently attracted the interest of various schools of thought dealing with the concept of the “self”. All schools emphasise that self, whether considered as the whole person, psychic organisation or otherwise, is invariably the self as a social self, having its origin, affirmation and transformation in society. Self is synonymous with one's personality as perceived by oneself but especially as perceived by others. God-consciousness can influence the final outcome. Hence, Islamic injunctions and compulsions drive a Muslim man to shape his behaviour on a pattern adhering to the ideal of Muslim personality formation. Whenever we are faced with a choice or have to make use of our free will, we undergo stress, be it small or great. This causes muscle tension and other symptoms attributed to the ‘fright, fight or flight’ response due to certain neurotransmitters such as adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and others. Choices become much more difficult and stressful when man finds himself in a situation where he cannot decide between the guidance of God and the promptings of Satan, especially when Satan quotes from the scriptures to support his suggestions and plays on time and expediency, promising an immediate “feelgood” situation. Satan knows Islamic theology only too well from the time he spent in Paradise ْ as the

َ ْ ُْ َ َ​َ َ َ good and obedient servant of Allah. Even while reading the Quran, Allah cautions us: ‫ ﻟﻘﺮ‬ F‫ﻓﺈ ﻗﺮ‬ ِ

ْ َْ َ 4 َ ْ 4 ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ِ ‫ﺑﺎﺑ‬ 4 ‫ ﻟﺸﻴﻄﺎ‬ ‫ ﻟﺮﺟﻴﻢ‬ When you read the Qur᾿an, seek Allah's protection from Satan the rejected ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻓﺎﺳﺘﻌﺬ‬ ِ

one. (Q.16:98). Since human nature is more prone to listen to Satan, it takes a lot of effort even from the most pious amongst us to resist Satan. During the stressful situation of “fright, fight or flight” syndrome where sympathetic activity predominates, adrenaline and nor-adrenaline cause a fast pulse rate and increase in blood pressure inducing anxiety. However, prayers, meditation or recitation of certain verses of the Holy Qur’an such as Āyat al Kursi (Q.2:255) or the last three Quls (Chapters 112, 113 and 114) can help the parasympathetic fibres to take over, slow the pulse rate and bring about tranquillity.

The psychology of nafs (self)

It is difficult to solve the enigmas of the human psyche (from Latin psyche meaning soul, mind, spirit, breath, life) due to its complex nature. In spite of various bodies of research, and interest in human experience and behaviour, psychology is far from unravelling the mysteries of the human psyche.

ُ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ ّ َ ; Let us start with examining the concept of solipsism. It is mentioned in (Q.6:29): ‫ﻲﻫ ;ِﻻ ﺣﻴﺎﻳﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫َ ﻗﺎﻟﻮ‬

َ َ ‫ ﻏﻴﺎ‬ َ ُ ْ َ ‫ﺤﻧﻦ‬ َ ْ ُّ They say ‘there is nothing except our life in this world and never shall we be raised ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﺑﻤﺒﻌﻮﻋﻦﻴ‬ ِ ِ

up again.’ Putting it in simple words, solipsism is a belief that only the self exists or can be proven to exist, that one’s self alone is the essence of all existence and no meaning or importance should be attached to the thoughts and experiences of others. This perspective is totally un-Islamic. In Western style solipsism, both the body and the self (or its experience) belong to a particular person equated with the self itself, but in Islamic theology, both belong to God.

4 ُْ ِّ َ ‫ﺑ‬4 ¹‫ ﻣﻤﺎ‬ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ?‫ ﺤﻣﻴﺎ‬ َ َ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻧﺴﻲﻜ‬ ُ ُ َ ¹‫; َﺻﻼ‬ ‫ ﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻦﻴ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫( ﻗﻞ‬Q.6:162). Say: Truly my prayer and my sacrifice, my life and ِ my death, are all for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds. Western psychology is heavily dependent on knowledge gained from experiments on animals - rats, cats and dogs - which are extrapolated to human experience. The self of the individual cannot be comprehended through animal experiments, because Islam considers the human being as the unique and the most honourable of all creations (Ashrafal Makhlūqāt). We have honoured the sons of Adam and

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conferred on them special favours above a great part of our creation. (Q.17:70). Few Western psychologists have analysed non-Western, that is Asian or African minds, or attempted to cast them in a light interpretable to the West.

Islamic perspective of the self (nafs)

Humanity needs to look afresh at the Islamic perspective of the self (nafs). This perspective is quite different from the view offered by the western psychology. Here are some references from the Holy Qur’an: (1) Humanity is a generic term meant for the whole of mankind and not confined to a particular class or community. O mankind! We created you from a single pair of male and female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other (not that you may despise each other). Indeed the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the more righteous of you (Q.49:13). (2) Man and woman are in harmony with each other and with themselves. (a) And among His signs is this that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts. (Q.30:21). (b) Never will I suffer to be lost the work of any of you, be he male or female. You are members, one of another. (Q.3:195). (c) And the faithful, men and women, are friends and protectors, one of another; they enjoin what is just and forbid what is evil; they observe regular prayers, practise regular charity and obey Allah and His Messenger. Upon them, Allah will shower His mercy. (Q.9:71). (d) They (women) are your garments and you (men) are their garments. (Q.2:187). (3) Islam nurtures the self by giving importance to family and its ties. We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents. In weakness upon weakness did his mother bear him. (Q.31:14). (4) The ethical upbringing ensures a healthy environment for the person and the self. (a) Oh sister of Aaron! Your father was not a wicked man or your mother an unchaste woman. (Q.19:28). (b) Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their private parts; that are purer for them. And say to the believing women that they lower their gaze and guard their private parts. (Q.24:30-31). (c) Impure women are for impure men and impure men are for impure women. (Q.24:26). (5) In Islam the principle of pleasure is subservient to the concept of the Hereafter. It is assumed that a human being can control his sexual behaviour if he chooses to. Most certainly the faithful have attained true success who humble themselves in prayers, who avoid vain talk, who are active in giving zakāt, who guard their modesty except with regard to their wives and those women who are legally in their possession, for in that case, they shall not be blameworthy; but those who go beyond this (in lust for sexual desires) shall be transgressors. (Q.23:1-7). (6) There is a personal determinism: (a) That man can have nothing but what he strives for, that the fruit of his striving will soon come in sight. (Q.53:39-40). (b) “…to men is allotted what they earn, and to women what they earn. (Q.4:32).

What is nafs? (the self)

The subject of nafs is very vast and provides ample room for extensive intellectual discussion. First of all, it is important to distinguish between nafs (i.e. “self”) and rūḥ (i.e. “soul”). Some authors make no distinction between the two terms and use them interchangeably. Strictly speaking rūḥ should be translated as soul while nafs should be reserved for self or person or personality. Personal identity includes the three dimensions of the psyche viz. id, ego and superego. Nafs and rūḥ are separate words denoting separate aspects of human entity and therefore not interchangeable. They are considered separately in the Holy Qur’an and therefore have different meanings. If we take rūḥ to mean the soul, then nafs should not be translated as soul. It is noteworthy that in the Qur’an nafs (self) has not been associated with angels and rūḥ, but with Allah, human beings and jinn.

4

َُْ

َ (‫ﺑ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺟﻬﻪ‬Wajh which means face or countenance can also take the meaning of the self when applied to human beings as in Q.2:112; 4:125 and others).

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The word nafs appears in the Holy Qur’an in the following contexts: (1) When referring to ALLAH as self :

ُ َ َْ ُ4 ُ َ​َْ 4 َْ ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻪ‬ (ii) ‫ ﻟﺮﻤﺣﺔ‬ ِ ِ

ِّ َ ُ

ُ ُ َ : And Allah cautions you Himself. (Q.3:28-30). (i) ‫ ﺤﻳﺬ ﻛﻢ ﺑ ﻏﻔﺴﻪ‬ 6:54).

ُْ َ َ َ ۚ ‫ﺑ‬4 ‫ﻗﻞ‬ ٰ َ َ ‫ﻛﺘﺐ‬ ‫ﺒﻟ‬ : Say: ‘To Allah, He has prescribed for Himself the rule of Mercy.’ (Q.6:12; ِ ِ

َ​َ َْ َ َْ ُ َ ْ َ ‫ ﻻ‬ ُ َ ْ َ Sayyidina ‘Isa, pbuh, says to Allah: ….Thou knowest what is in (iii) ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻚ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻢ َﻣﺎ ِﻲﻓ‬F n‫ﻏﻔ‬ ‫ﻳﻌﻠﻢ َﻣﺎ ِﻲﻓ‬ ِ ِ myself, but I don’t know what is in Thyself. (Q.5:116). (2) When referring to HUMAN BEING as self :

ْ َ َ َ َ

ْ َ ُّ ُ 4 ُ 4 ُ َُْ ًْ َ ُ َْ​َ ْ ُ (ii) ۗ ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻜﻢ‬ َÍ ِ ‫ﻧﻔﻘﻮ ﺧﺮﻴ‬F ِ ‫ﻷ‬ ِ Spend in charity for the benefit of your own selves. (Q.64:16). ٌَ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ُّ ُ (iii) ‫ ﻫﻴﻨﺔ‬ ِ ‫ﻏﻔﺲ ِﺑﻤﺎ ﻛﺴﺒﺖ‬ ٍ ‫ ﻞﻛ‬Every person will be responsible for what he did. (Q.74:38). َُْ ْ ٌ ُ َ ْ ُ َ َ ْ َ​َ ْ ُ (iv) ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻜﻢ‬F ‫ﻛﻢ ﺳﻮ ِﻣﻦ‬%‫ ﻟﻘﺪ ﺟﺎ‬There has come to you a messenger from among yourselves. (Q.9:128). ِ َ ُْ ْ ُْ َ ْ َ ْ ُْ َ ْ َ ْ ْ ُ (v) ‫ﻷﻏﻔﺴﻜﻢ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺣﺴﻨﺘﻢ‬F ‫ﺣﺴﻨﺘﻢ‬F ;ِ If you did good, you did good for yourselves. (Q.17:7). 4 َ َُ َْ ً 4 َُ ً َ ْ ْ َ َ َ​َ 4 (vi) ۗ ‫ﻛﺘﺎﺑﺎ ﻣﺆﺟﻼ‬ ‫ﺑﺈ‬ ‫;ﻻ‬ ِ ‫ﺑ‬ ِ ٍ َ ِ ‫ ﻣﺎ ﺎﻛ‬No person can die except by Allah’s permission and at a ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻳﻤﻮ‬F ‫ﺠﻔﺲ‬ ٰ َ ‫ ﻋﻢ‬Then every person will be paid in full what he has earned. (Q.2:281). (i) ‫ﻏﻔﺲ ﻣﺎ ﻛﺴﺒﺖ‬ ٍ ‫ ﻞﻛ‬Ø‫ﺗﻮ‬

term appointed. (Q.3:145). ُ

ْ َ ُّ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ ٌَ َ ُ َ َ​َ ََْ َ 4 َ ْ ٰ َ ْ ‫ ﻻ‬Every person draws the consequences of his actions (vii) ۚ ‫ﺧﺮ‬F ِ ٍ ‫ﺗﻜﺴﺐ ﻞﻛ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺗﺰ‬ ِ ‫ﻏﻔﺲ ِ;ﻻ ﻋﻠﻴﻬﺎ ۚ ﻻ‬ on none but himself: no bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another… (Q.6:164). َ َ َْ َ ُ ُ َ ْ ِّ ٌ َْ َُ َ ْ َ ُّ ُ ْ َ ْ ‫ ﺋﻘﺔ‬ (ix) ۗ ‫ ﻟﻤﻮ‬ ‫ ﻞﻛ‬Every person shall taste death. (Q.3:185; 21:35). Many commentators have ِ ‫ﻏﻔﺲ‬ ِ ٍ

َ (viii) ۚ ‫ ﻳﻤﻮ‬F ٍ ?‫ﺗﺪ ? ﻏﻔﺲ ِﺑﺄ‬ ِ ‫ ﻣﺎ‬No person knows in what land he shall die. (Q.31:34).

mistakenly translated Kullu nafsin dhā-eqatul maut as every soul shall have a taste of death. If we accept that the soul is immortal and rightly so, then nafs must be translated as self or person and not soul. (3) When referring to GODS as “selves”: َ

َ​َ ً َ َ َ​َ ًْ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ​َ ً ْ َ َ​َ Ñ َ ْ ُْ َ ُ ْ َ َ​َ َ َُ ُْ ْ ُ َ ًْ َ َ ُ​ُ َْ َ ً َ ُ َ4 ُ ْ ً ُ ُ ‫ ﻻ‬ ‫ﻧﺸﻮ‬ ‫ﻓﻤﻠﻜﻮ ﻣﻮﺗﺎ ﻻ ﺣﻴﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫َ ﺨﺗﺬ ِﻣﻦ‬ ِ ‫ﻷﻏﻔﺴﻬﻢ ﺮﺿ ﻻ ﻏﻔﻌﺎ ﻻ‬ ِ ‫ ﻧﻪ ِﻟﻬﺔ ﻻ ﺨﻳﻠﻘﻮ ﺷﻴﺌﺎ ﻫﻢ ﺨﻳﻠﻘﻮ ﻻ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻓﻤﻠﻜﻮ‬

Yet have they taken, besides Him, gods that can create nothing but are themselves created; they have no control of harm or good to themselves; nor َ can they control death nor life nor resurrection. (Q.25:3).

ْ ْ َ ِّ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ ْ َٰ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ (4) When referring to JINN as “selves”. ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻨﺎ‬F ‫ﺷﻬﺪﻧﺎ ﺒﻟ‬ ‫ ﺠﻟﻦ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻳﺎ ﻣﻌﺮﺸ‬ ِ ‫ ﻗﺎﻟﻮ‬...‫ ﻹﻧﺲ‬ and men! They will say: we bear witness against ourselves. (Q.6:130).

Oh Assembly of jinn

(5) When referring to PERSONALITY َ or PERSONAL IDENTITY: 4 َ َ َْ َ 4 َ​َ​َ ُ4 ْ ُ َ ‫ﻟﻢ‬ َ َ َ ‫ﻳﻤﺖ ﻲﻓ‬ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﻲﺘ‬ َ ُ ْ ْ Ø‫ﻓﺘﻮ‬ ۖ ‫ﻣﻨﺎﻣﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻮﺗﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﺣﻦﻴ‬ ‫ ﻷﻏﻔﺲ‬ ‫ ﺑ‬It is Allah that brings to a satisfactory completion the nafs ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

(personal identity) at death and those that die not, during their sleep. (Q.39:42). (a) Some commentators have again erroneously translated the above as “Allah takes out the soul at the time of death, and also of those that die not, during their sleep”. This is an incorrect translation. Again, Allah never mentioned rūḥ in this verse, because rūh or the soul of a person is still present in the body during sleep while nafs (personality) is not functioning during sleep as well as at the time of death. During sleep, our ego detaches itself from the outside world. (b) It is also not uncommon for a man to go to sleep with a disturbing thought in his mind but in the course of sleep Allah eliminates this undesirable component of his psyche or nafs while his rūh or soul is all the time very much present in the body while he sleeps.The person wakes up with a totally changed attitude. In this case, Allah intervenes between man and his ‘heart’ (Q.8:24). (c) Moreover, some of us are half-asleep and half-awake at times (this state is called dissociated sleep). This is especially true for mothers who are nursing their babies and who could hear the cry of the baby but not the ringing of the telephone. The rūḥ is definitely present in the half-awake and halfasleep mothers.

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(d) It is He Who brings all your affairs to completion by night and has knowledge of all that you have done by day; by day He raises you up again that an appointed term be fulfilled; in the end, unto Him will be your return… (Q.6:60). (It should be noted that rū h is not mentioned in this verse). We understand that the personality development process is suspended when we fall asleep with all our actions known to Allah, Who then raises us up once again in the morning, so that we may go on to fulfil our appointed term. Finally unto Him do we return, when He shall show us the truth of all that we did. The concept that the rūh or the soul leaves the body during sleep to return in the morning is Jewish and found in the Genesis (Rabbah 14:9). Similarly, the belief that the soul lingers near the body for three days after death hoping that it will return to life is also Jewish (Tanhuma: Miqetz 4; Pequdei 3). All the traits of personality can be seen best when a person is exposed to the stress of life. (In certain neuro-psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, the ‘self’ becomes disorganised). The first step in developing and perfecting the personality is to learn the methods of exploring the hidden powers and capabilities of one’s self during one’s sojourn on earth. Some of us who easily give in to temptations, have no inclination to develop their personalities to their full potential. To have a greater understanding of one’s self, one has to delve much deeper into oneself and spot all those avenues that have been so far ignored. These include making amends to those whom we have hurt by our speech and by our actions as well as forgiving those who did the same to us. The time is never wrong to do the right thing. As time is running out on all of us, we should begin to probe our “self” as of today, because the journey towards “self” is rather long.

Developing Personality

At birth, each one of us already possesses over 10,000 million brain cells, capable of remembering 100,000 facts at a time and storing more than a million billion fact-bites in a life time. The brain is ready to be programmed by others, especially the parents and the teachers. Seen against this background, the importance of reciting the adhān (call to prayer) in the right ear of the baby immediately after it is born and of the iqāmah (the Islamic anthem) in the left ear, becomes clear. With these words, the programming of the child’s personality begins. The first words learnt in our mothers’ arms, are usually also the last words on our tongue on death bed. These first words aptly contain the shahādah incorporated in the adhān:

َ َ َْ ُ َ َْ ُ ُ 4 َ 4َُ 4 َ ْ َ ْ َ​َ ‫ ﺳﻮ ﷲ‬ ‫ ﺷﻬﺪ ﻻ ﻪﻟ ِ ﻻ ﷲ ﺷﻬﺪ ﺤﻣﻤﺪ‬

Ash-hadu an lā ilāha illallāh; wa ash hadu anna Muḥ a

mmadar Rasuluḷḷāh: I bear witness that there is no deity to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muḥ ammad is the Messenger of Allah. Soon the baby learns that a single cry brings mother immediately to the bedside. Gradually, the baby also discovers that every thing has a name. Vocabulary of the average child at the close of the first year is three words, at eighteen months 20 words, three months later it increases to 120, and by the age of six years, it is usually over 2,500 words. The first 5 years of life mould the personality of the child after the personality of the parents and the teachers. Mother’s lap is the child’s first kindergarten class. Every home is a wonderful university if the mother is educated. It has been said that if you educate a boy, you educate one person, but if you educate a girl, you educate a family. The corner-stone of personality is laid in the first 5 years of life, and hence the importance of the home. Hitler said: “Give me your child for six years and then take him back. The child will always be mine”. The output of an adult depends on his input during childhood. Recent scientific evidence shows that the optimum time for brain development is not in utero, or at birth, but during infancy, childhood and adolescence.

When does Islamisation begin? It begins at home with the parents, who are the prime

educators of children who spent most of their time at home and in the company of their parents. Proper upbringing is the key factor in behavioural perfection. Just as we vaccinate children during childhood against polio, tetanus, whooping cough, etc., we must also indoctrinate them with the Qur’anic verses so that in due course they develop antibodies against Satan. Pavlov was a Russian physiologist. As a part of an interesting experiment, he would order the dog he was experimenting on in the laboratory to stand up, while his assistant would instruct the dog to sit down. The experiment revealed that contradictory instructions thoroughly confused the dog. This experiment teaches us that both the parents must not contradict each other in front of the child. They

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must give similar advice and orders speaking in one voice not two, so that the child is not confused or grows up with divided loyalties. Another determining factor, especially in the first few years of life, is the interaction with other people and hence, our teachers, parents and elders should set an example and provide the necessary guidelines and lessons. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said, Nobody will meet God with greater sin than with a sin of keeping his family members uneducated. Education in Islam is a sacred institution. Whether it is a mother’s lap or the class room, Islam insists that Allah is the supreme authority and Akbar everywhere. The bio-rhythm (internal biological clock) is set in the first few years of life. The 24-hour circadian rhythm decides our sleeping and waking pattern, body temperature (highest in the afternoon), memory recall (best in early morning after a night of deep sleep), intellectual performance (best before mid-day), secretion of hormones such as cortisol (highest at dawn), prolactin (highest in the night), and melatonin (absent in waking hours during the day: melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland which readjusts and regulates the body’s internal biological clock). With the internal biological clock, representing his internal environment, the child now faces the external environment or the world. He looks at the wall clock slowly ticking by, but does not know what the clock wants to tell him.

Infancy has its own moments of reward and punishment. Normally, the child accepts parental

commands and behaviour with unquestioned obedience and responds in a positive way to the moral rules prevailing in the home. The manner of instruction and advice by the mother during childhood is one of the factors that determine the personal self-confidence later on. During infancy and early childhood, the child responds with a desire to please the parent, and strives towards a pattern of cleanliness, submissiveness and punctuality in later life. Early parental influence shapes the development of child’s personality. Therefore, it is important that parents should be knowledgeable in Islamic values and Islamic ethics. Through parental guidance, the child develops a sense of differentiating and dealing with what is “right” and what is “wrong”. Later on e.g. during the maktab classes, “right” and “wrong” become indelible in the child’s brain as he advances in learning the meaning of the Holy Qur’an, where “rights” and “wrongs” are clearly differentiated and explained. It is for this reason that the Qur’an is also called the Furqān i.e. the delineation of right behaviour from wrong. Right and wrong denote conformity and non-conformity with Allah’s laws and not necessarily with the laws made by man. To convey an idea of the “self”, I would like to explain a few terms found in medical and psychological textbooks. As already mentioned earlier, the self can be divided into three parts: the id, ego and superego. The ‘id’ (not to be confused with our Eid festivals) is a collective name for the earliest part of personality, which is present from birth and is influenced by heredity and environmental factors. It consists of primitive biological impulses, natural instincts and physical appetites found both in animals and human beings. These include dependency, rage and aggression, fear, fright and flight, sexuality, and cravings to satisfy thirst and hunger. The id operates on a pleasure principle (seeking pleasure and avoiding pain) and the individual is pressed for immediate gratification of his/her desires. The ego evolves from the id, and is that component of personality which relates with our surroundings. It is the executive part of the personality. It deals with the environment through perception, thought, feeling and action. It has the capacity to reason and plan. It evaluates and solves problems. The ego is the “I” of a person, who identifies himself as a person of a particular age, sex, race, nationality, religion and family, social and professional status. Ego is mainly the “self”. During sleep, the ego severs itself from the outside world. The development of the ego or self-development of the growing child takes place first under the influence of the mother or food-giver, and later under the care-taker and those in authority commanding respect. Infancy, with its satisfying moments of rewards and punishments, lays the foundation stone of trust in others, while school age determines endeavour and ambition. Just as people work if we offer them an incentive, the student works harder if there is a prize. Super-ego or conscience: Inculcating moral values and making them part of one’s self leads to the development of a third part of the personality (the other two being id and ego). This third part is called the super-ego or conscience which is acquired during childhood from lessons learnt from others. The superego is the mental picture of the ideal self which conforms to the norms and expectations of the

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society. (superego: Ăœber-ich in the original German, roughly over-me in English - represents our conscience, the inner vocal authority offering intellectual reasoning). Good and evil are qualities attributed to thoughts, objects or actions: good being beneficial and evil harmful. People try hard to know what is good but may not accept or act on it willingly when they find it, while it is easy to find wrong and accept it forthwith. Mutual satisfaction follows an action that is right. Allah and the person who has done a good deed, both get well-pleased with each other; while remorse follows an action that is wrong, leading to a troubled conscience requiring repentance and forgiveness from Allah. In the preschool period, adventurousness leads to a rough-and-tumble freedom and curiosity, while school-age determines ambition versus a sense of inferiority. To repeat, the first five years of life mould the personality after the personality of the parents and the teachers. The Islamisation begins at home with parents, who are the prime educators of children at all time. Thus the id with its animal-like instincts and desires prompts the personality into animal-like behaviour while the super-ego with its morality, rules and regulations, tries to inhibit the id. It is mainly the ego, caught in the middle, which tries to work out a healthy balance between the demands of the id and the controls of the super-ego. Thus, if the id is strong and the super-ego (the storehouse of moral values) is weak, the executive ego will have a difficult time restraining the person within the norms of the society and the person might be expected to run into trouble (e.g. lying, stealing, being immoral) frequently as he behaves without consideration of others. On the other hand, if the super-ego (moral values) is dominant and the id is weak, the person will be overly inhibited. His conscience, generating guilt feelings, will stop him from even mildly aggressive behaviour. A healthy personality is one in which the ego is able to maintain a comfortable balance between the id, ego, super-ego and society. Man faces three dangers: from the external world, from the libido of the id, and from the severity of the super-ego. The final outcome in life is the sum total of all the important items we have heard, read or seen from infancy onwards and acted upon them.

Personality is reflected in a person’s behaviour during his daily interactions with others. Sometimes Ů?ŮŽŮ’Ů‹ Ů?Ů’ŮŽ he becomes a role model for others while at other times he gets influenced by others. ‍ﺎ ‏ %‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť“ďťŒﺎ ﺑﺄ‏

means: A man is known by the company he keeps. Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏taught us to choose good company to surround ourselves with. Hence it is important whom we choose as friends. If we live with wolves, we will learn to howl. Here is a Persian poem:

§ € # ! P U 7 3 X § ! 3 V W <”

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Gelee khosh booy dar hammaam roozee, raseed az dastè mahboobi bè dastam; bè doo goftam kè meshkee yaa abeeree, kè az booyè del aaweezè tĂł mastam; bè goftaa man gelee naa cheez boodam, wa lykin moddatee baa gol neshastam; kamaalè hamnesheen bar man asar kard, wa gar nah man hamon khaakam kè hastam. One day I received a sweet-smelling (gift of) clay in a bath-house from a friend of mine. I asked it ‘Are you musk or ambergris perfume that I am intoxicated with your attractive fragrance’? It replied: ‘I was an insignificant piece of clay but for some time I kept company with a rose; the excellence of my companion made an impression on me. Otherwise I am the same earth that I was’. Compare this to the company that Ä€dam and ḤawwÄ â€™ had of Satan during their stay in the garden. Satan’s company not only resulted in their being expelled from the garden, but Adam and Eve also imbibed quickly some of Satan’s attributes viz. lust, anger, pride, jealousy, violence, rebellion, egoism, disobedience to Allah and other sinful traits. For us to be eligible to return to the Garden, we must become pure just as Adam and Ḥawwa’ were before they met Satan. To achieve this superior quality of purity, we must cleanse ourselves of all the sinful traits that we have accumulated in our journey on this planet (Q.19:63).

Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮ’ ‍ ďť‹ﺎ ďť?ďť” َﺴ‏ Ů? is an Arabic proverb meaning Know thyself. Man knows more about the universe and other ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ďť?ďť”ﺴ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏ people than about himself. It is said: â€Ťďť“ďť˜ﺪďť‹ﺎ ďş‘‏ ‍ ‏Man ‘arafa nafsahu faqad ‘arafa Rabbahu,

He who understands his self (nafs), understands his Rabb, (Ha�rat ‘Ali, R.A.). (Due to the permutations and combinations of 20,000 to 25,000 genes in our chromosomes, every single person among the billions of persons on earth is unique with no other person exactly like him/her. He/she should know this fact).

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Every person, no matter what religion he or she belongs to, has to pass through these three stages of Nafs or personality, if he lives long enough. To explain better the idea of the “self”, I would like to describe the three grades or the three stages in the development of the self as mentioned in the Holy Qur’an, َ viz:

ٌَ 4 َ

َ ْ

4 An-Nafsa la Ammārah: Nor do I absolve my own Nafs. Nafs is certainly prone to evil, (a) ‫ ﺠﻔﺲ ﻷﻣﺎ‬

unless Allah bestows on me His mercy, (Q.12:53). At this stage the self is prone to evil due to the passionate nafs, when man accedes to Satan’s suggestions and acts accordingly. This period spans from puberty onwards.

َ 4

ْ

4 4 An-Nafsil Lawwāmah: And I call to witness the self-reproaching nafs. (Q.75:2). Here (b) ‫ ﻟﻠﻮ ﻣﺔ‬ ‫ ﺠﻔﺲ‬ ِ ِ

we have a self-accusing self when man questions Satan’s suggestions and tries to resist them. Allah swears by the Resurrection Day in Q.75:1, and Q.75:2. This occurs mostly during a period of life between the middle age and near old age.

ُ4 َ ْ ُْ

ْ

ُ 4 An-Nafsul Muṭma’innah (Q.89:27-30): (c) ‫ ﻟﻤﻄﻤﺌﻨﺔ‬ ‫ ﺠﻔﺲ‬ ِ 4َ

ُ ْ َ

َ

ُ ْ َ

ً4 َْ ًَ

َ

ِّ َ َ

ْ

ُ4 َ ْ ُْ

ُ ْ4

َُ4َ َ

ٰ ِ ‫ ﺟﻲﻌ‬ ‫ﺟﻨﻲﺘ ۝‬ ‫ﻳﺎ ﻛﻓﺘﻬﺎ ﺠﻔﺲ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻣﺮﺿﻴﺔ ۝ ﻓﺎ ﺧﻲﻠ ِﻲﻓ‬ ِ ‫;ﻰﻟ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺿﻴﺔ‬ ِ ‫ ﺑﻚ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻤﻄﻤﺌﻨﺔ ۝‬ ِ ‫ﻋﺒﺎ ? ۝ ﺧﻲﻠ‬ ِ

ِ

Oh serene and confident person! Return to Allah well-pleased and well-pleasing unto Him. Enter now among My devotees, enter My Heaven. This serene, reassured and confident person has been rejecting Satan’s suggestions out-rightly. This period spans from later phase of old age until death. In Q.6:32; 29:64 and many other verses, Allah advises us to forego the play and amusement of this life which plays a major role in An-Nafsa la Ammārah. In Q.9:38, Allah says that the comfort of this life is little compared to the Hereafter. We should advance towards our goal of the Hereafter seriously, as portrayed in An-Nafsul-Muṭ ma’innah. Life in the Hereafter is life indeed (Q.87:17). Thus we can say that most of the time during man’s youth An-Nafsa la Ammārah tries to keep the spiritual pendulum on the wrong side. Then a period follows when the pendulum swings to and fro between the right and the wrong, first under the influence of An-Nafsa la Ammārah and later on, AnNafsil Lawwāmah, when man argues with himself and finally accuses himself. Later on in life, An Nafsul Muṭma’innah steadies the pendulum on the right side. Keeping such a struggle in mind, an interesting explanation has been put forward regarding the abbreviated letters used at the beginning of the Surah Al Baqarah. Immediately after the Surat ul Fātiḥah, the second chapter of the Holy Qur’an, the Surah Al Baqarah, begins with the letters: alif, lām, mīm. In the absence of an authentic opinion, different scholars have given different explanations for these letters. Some have suggested that (a) alif may stand for Allah; (b) lām for lāk the root word for malak meaning angel (the Angel Jibrā’īl), who transmitted the message to (c) Mīm for Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. But as alif also stands for ammārah, lām for lawwāmah and mīm for muṭma’innah, is it not possible that Allah is addressing mankind through all the three stages of man’s nafs right from birth till his death? It is also interesting to observe the hidden meaning of the vowels in the typography of the exact spelling as used in the Quran, viz nafsa la ammārah, nafsil lawwāmah and nafsul mutma ‘innah. We notice that the first one begins with fat ḥah (which means to open / to begin) indicating that life begins as ammārah. It then merges into the second stage of nafsil lawwāmah which uses the vowel kasrah, which means broken pieces or failure. This failure signifies that the man is going downhill through turbulent times to end however in nafsul mutma ’innah, wherein the vowel is ḍammah meaning to join or annex indicating that in this last stage man is going forward towards perfection. We shall now deal separately with each grade or stage of nafs. The reader should bear in mind that the grades are not rigidly demarcated but are treated in general terms in spite of a considerable overlap in age and personality, so as to afford universal applicability of the concepts and situations raised. Neither is each grade expected to depict a distinct pattern of man’s behaviour. They usually merge with each other and we find certain consistent relationships between stimulii and responses at various stages in the development of man’s personality, even though individual differences may be apparent. Some details of the three stages of the nafs follow.

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(I) An-Nafsa la Ammārah – The First Part of Life

Allah created evil (Q.113:2) and made this earth alluring in order to find out which one of us shall excel in our actions and interactions (Q.18:7; 20:131) and to see how well we do in developing our personality and will power, given the society in which we live. The concept of An-Nafsi la Ammārah should be examined and understood bearing the above in mind. An Nafsa la Ammārah points to that basic part of personality, which consists of primitive biological urges comprising instincts and physical appetites, such as found in animals and human beings, viz. rage and aggression, fight, fright and flight, sexuality and craving to satisfy hunger and thirst. Such instincts and appetites develop during early childhood and grow with the onset of puberty, at about 12 years of age for girls and 14 years of age for boys. How an adolescent fights these urges depends on the foundation laid down during his or her childhood. An infant begins to talk and walk sometime before he is 18 months old. Attachment to mother or care-giver allows for development of emotional and social relationships that influence (positively or adversely) his life later on. These months and years of infancy are not however meant only for hugging, feeding and pampering but learning as well. If instead of Western lullabies the baby goes to sleep hearing La ilāha illal lāh, Muḥammad ar Rasūl Allah sung in a soothing melodious voice, it will be this tune and this message that will resound in his ears during his later years as well. The first five or six years of a child’s life are especially impressionable. Hitler said: “Give me your children for six years and then take them back. They will always be mine”. During this initial period, the child learns and acquires various patterns of behaviour at the fastest rate ever in his life. It learns by example and imitation. A son watches closely to see how his father sits down, gets up, walks, talks, and interacts with people. Just as all this is imitated by a son, a daughter acquires her mother’s traits. This learning is not limited only to home but includes school and other areas of social interaction. The whole process whereby children learn acceptable conduct such as honesty and co-operation, as opposed to unacceptable behaviour such as stealing and extreme physical violence, is called socialisation. A child, who is innocent because of the rūḥ bestowed on it by Allah, starts off with a clean slate but is gradually exposed to the forces of the outside environment. How he or she reacts to the environment depends upon what has been conveyed to him or her at home. For example, proximity to a student who is better at his studies may inspire a child to excel in his studies. On the other hand, the same proximity accompanied by lack of confidence may put him into the habit of cheating in the exams, if the moral lines drawn at his home are not sharp. When the child comes home from school and wants to watch sports on television, what does he see? He sees car rallies and football matches, where alcohol is forcefully advertised on the walls and the clothing of the participants, with big brand names and attractive logos endorsing it. He begins to associate excellent performance in sports with the use of alcohol. If there is a movie or a commercial on, consumption of alcohol is shown as the best way of solving a problem or facing up to a crisis. Many heroes on the screen drink alcohol to project a “macho” image. Even during the holy month of Ramaḍ ān, when the little boy is attempting to keep his fast, he hears on the radio beautiful Islamic songs sponsored by companies selling alcoholic beverages. The child now has no problem associating alcohol with Islamic religious songs. Adolescence is an emotionally stressful period dominated by ambition, education and sexual urges. The last ones are mostly due to the physiological changes induced by hormones circulating in the blood, which make boys and girls see the world from different angles and in beautiful colours. These changes begin at puberty and go on to adulthood when we legally attain maturity and are considered of legal age. As an adolescent grows up, he is continuously tested at home, in the street and at school, and in each of these situations, he either commits a sin or practises virtue; therefore each situation leaves him with an experience and a lesson. Thus adolescence is a vulnerable age and a trying time. At this stage in life personality is influenced by various factors encountered in day to day situations. From immaturity to maturity, the young person passes through various phases, be it physical, emotional, intellectual, sexual or spiritual, with periods of conflicts, indecisions, insecurities or unreasonable rage, and rejection of proper advice and contempt for those in authority including the religious personalities. He experiences fear, disbelief, confusion, mood swings and impulsive behaviour. He has to cope with these demands and yet abide by the rules of the society. He finds it difficult to believe in the realities of the Unseen. During this period, youths are neither adults nor children. They require a great amount of guidance and understanding. They must be

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cautioned about undesirable influences which surround them and remain alert at all times. Because man needs to interact with his physical environment as well as with other men in the course of his life, unreasonable restriction on exposure to society may result in an underdeveloped personality incapable of dealing with future social obligations and requirements. The stage when the physical appetites and demands are excessive, as commonly happens during the youth, is called An-Nafsa la Ammārah. The Qur’an says: Mankind is born weak (in flesh and in resolution) (Q.4:28) and this applies both to man and woman. Those of us who think that only men have to cope with the feelings of passion are mistaken. The following Qur’anic verse reports the words of a woman (Zulaikha): َ ُ

ِّ

َ 4

ٌ 4 َ

ْ

4

َْ ُ

َ

ُّ ‫ﻷﻣﺎ‬ َ َ 4 ; ۚ n‫ ﻏﻔ‬á‫ﺑﺮ‬F َ ِ َ ‫ ;ﻻ ﻣﺎ‬%‫ﺑﺎﻟﺴﻮ‬ ِّ َ ‫َ ﻣﺎ‬ ۚ µ َ ‫ ﺣﻢ‬ ‫ ﺠﻔﺲ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

Nor do I absolve my own self: the self is certainly prone to evil, unless God bestows on me His Mercy, (Q.12:53). Both men and women misjudge their vulnerability to Satan during the crescendo of their passions. At this stage, the young man’s patterns of behaviour, his thought processes and his emotional responses to the challenges of life are usually badly maladjusted. He may lack confidence in himself and may hesitate to initiate any responsible task. He may be a normal person to begin with or he may already be suffering from personality disorders such as anti-social behaviour, narcissistic attitude or obsessive compulsive neurosis. A personality disorder is basically a behaviour that contradicts expectations of the culture in which the individual lives. It is characterised by mal-adaptation when responding to stressful circumstances. Persons afflicted by it may be labelled as odd or eccentric. Antisocial personality disorder may be associated with anxiety, substance abuse and pathological gambling. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder show disregard for the rights of others as well as for the rules of the society, and may indulge in physical violence accompanied by total lack of remorse. Narcissistic patients exaggerate their own talents and expect others to admire them. Most of us suffer in one form or another from this normal narcissistic neurological disorder characterised by obsession with social concerns of conformity and delusions of superiority. People with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder are preoccupied with perfectionism so much so that it interferes in the efficiency of their tasks. It is not uncommon for a man to see to his basic pleasurable requirements of the present life and forget about the Hereafter. He may become hostile, unruly, irritable, and full of destructive tendencies. Although he is wicked, he is not ashamed of himself and whether successful or not, he throws a veil over his evil deeds. His conscience is like a clock, which at times strikes aloud to convey a warning, but at other times, the hand of the clock silently points at the figure. Whatever the clock does, it does not strike him. He may like dirty jokes and may indulge in alcohol, homosexuality and adultery and afterwards either forgets the whole affair or takes on an indifferent or “couldn’t-care-less” attitude. He may find that it is easier to find alcohol outside the house than love and compassion at home. He knows that there is another man within him that is angry with him, but this does not bother him. Your most ardent enemy is your evil self who resides within your body. (Ḥ

adīth Al-Bukhāri). This self may be equated with An-Nafsi la Ammārah, which is comparable to the “id” in the western psychology and is organised around primitive urges of sexuality, aggression and desire for instant gratification. Man has demonstrated that he is the master of everything except his own nature. He may not be on speaking terms with himself; hence he compromises with what should be regarded as nonsense, just for the sake of argument. He shows no consideration for others and when his demands are not met, he becomes outrageous and revengeful. If legitimate means to obtain money are not available, he resorts to illegitimate ones such as theft or robbery, or becomes a drug mule. His misdemeanours may land him in jail or he may be demoted in the eyes of society. At times he becomes so evil and sinks in sin so much that even Satan becomes ashamed of him. The poet warns:

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Konad mard raa nafsé ammarah khaar; agar hooshmandi azeezash madaar: Nafs ammarah makes a man contemptible; if you are intelligent, don’t befriend it. The rapid pace of life which brought with it instant food for meal-times has also brought instant highs for times of boredom and frustration, through easily obtained inexpensive drugs. These drugs transform boring occasions into pleasurable and memorable happenings. Thus fascinated by the prohibited, the youth may now be ready to become the new slave of the Drug Trade. Satan is always on the prowl. He waits for the unsuspecting youth, approaches him with beautiful and flowery oratory, and whispers in his ears with the voice of reason. He convinces him that he could never be wrong, by making wrong seem right to him, and making ḥarām look as if it were ḥalāl. He

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promises him heavenly bliss right here on this earth and gradually leads him to Hell in such a persuasive way that he looks forward to the trip. The youth who gets no compassion in his loveless home, finds seemingly sincere friend in Satan who introduces him to the alluring doctrine of hedonism in which pleasure is presented as the supreme good. Satan tells him that whatever happens in this world is with Allah’s permission, and if Allah did not want him to do such a thing, it would have been made impossible for him to do it. Satan advises him not to refuse what Allah is giving him, and for Heaven’s sake, to please accept it since such a golden opportunity may never return and so, in the name of Allah, Satan fools him. The youth now accepts this simple, yet intelligible explanation from Satan and falls into his clutches. Thus, the appetite for sin grows with whatever it feeds on and the sinner sinks deeper into sin and enjoys it. Satan excites enmity and hatred between him and others through alcohol, drugs and gambling, which hinder him from praying and remembering Allah (Q.5:91). During periods of frustration, instead of reading the Holy Qur’an and drawing on it for consolation and guidance, he indulges in alcohol, illicit drugs, and sex which give him temporary relief, but soon cause him to be addicted to that particular sin. He might even get inflicted with some incurable venereal disease. When angry with himself for sins he has committed, he blames God for the whole thing, as in this poem:

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Khodaayaa raast gooyam fetna az tost; Walee az tars natwaanam chagheedan; Agar reegee bĂŠ kafshĂŠ khod nadaaree, BaraayĂŠ cheest shyton aafareedan. Oh God, if one were to speak the truth, all the nuisance is because of You; but out of fear of Your wrath, I cannot complain. If there is no flaw in You, why should You have created Satan? During the phase dominated by An-Nafsa la AmmÄ rah, the youth is more interested in the pleasures of this life than those of the Hereafter. Allah allows him to get the pleasures he desires (Q.42:20) and so, his scale of evil deeds grows heavier and of good deeds lighter. The youth thinks that he may avoid police harassment in this world through bribery in spite of Allah’s warning that officials should not be bribed (Q.2:188). He chooses to ignore the fact that both the wrongdoers, the one who bribes and the one who takes the bribe, will be punished in both the worlds (Q.52:47). He knows that Allah has made a number of things ḼarÄ m, such as: (a) shameful deeds, whether open or secret; (b) major sins; (c) trespasses against reason; (d) assigning partners to Allah and saying wrong things about Him (Q.7:33). Yet he does not follow these injunctions. He prays for evil for his adversaries (Q.17:11) and curses when his desires are not fulfilled. Thus, instead of climbing the uphill path of virtue, he begins a fast slide down the slippery path. When the sinner ignores Allah’s advice, Allah still meets him at every corner in the name of his conscience and even warns him of consequences if he does not listen to Him (Q.17:22). But Satan helps him to bring counter-arguments and also warns him of poverty and misery if he does not listen to Satan (Q.2:268). He gets confused between instant cash and pleasure offered by Satan, and the distant gardens of the Hereafter promised by Allah. He prefers the former and becomes more deeply involved in fraud, conspiracy, hypocrisy and crime. As consolation, Satan reminds him of respected persons, both preachers and listeners, who do the same:

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Zaahedon kin jalwĂŠ dar mehraab o mambar meekonand; Choon bĂŠ khalwat meerawand on kaarĂŠ deegar meekonand. Those puritans! O, how they show themselves off at the prayer niche and the pulpit; when they are all alone they do something different. Satan comes once again and tells him that sin is a relative term, and what is sin for one person is no sin for another. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. He says that Beef is h arÄ m for the Hindu but h alÄ l for a Muslim. Drinking alcohol is a routine matter for the Christians who are also Ahl-è-KitÄ b but h arÄ m for Muslims. Jesus Christ, pbuh, drank wine. Were we not all born as human beings with the same anatomy and physiology? What is wrong with clean pork certified to be free from all diseases by the Ministry of Health? Moreover, the host will feel insulted if you don’t partake of the food. Look around, everyone is eating. Satan cites many more examples appropriate to the situation and the youth agrees with all his prompting whispers and succumbs to his mind-controlling techniques. Instead of using the word “sinâ€? Satan calls it a “little anti-social behaviourâ€?, “a normal abnormalityâ€?, or “it is neither here nor there; don’t worryâ€?.

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

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Later on when he is bothered by his miserable state in An-Nafsa la AmmÄ rah, man prays to God:

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TĂł daanee kĂŠ miskeeno beechaarĂŠ eem; froomondĂŠ eem nafsĂŠ ammaarah eem: maraa gar bĂŠgeeree bĂŠ insaafĂł daad; bĂŠnaalam kĂŠ lotfat na in wa‘dah daad. You know that we are poor beggars and helpless; we are weary nafsè ammaarah: if You hold me to justice and impartiality, I would complain that Your graceful kindness did not promise this. During early socialisation children learn also lessons in morality as evidenced by submission, at first in order to avoid punishment but later on by being his/her own judge. If a child is trained to believe in errors and mistakes as passĂŠ all the time, he will grow up without religious and moral values. It is the duty of parents and religious teachers to teach children which conduct is good and virtuous and which is sinful or evil. Children are like saplings. If we don't help them stand straight when they are young and green, they will not mature into strong and straight trees, and will not be able to support themselves when they are old and dry. Persons who are unable to recognise right from wrong are more likely to engage in deviant behaviour. By being good, we improve not only the lot of ourselves but also of the society.

(II) An-Nafsil LawwÄ mah - The Second Part of Life

An-Nafsil LawwÄ mah bridges the gap between An-Nafsa la AmmÄ rah and An-Nafsul-Muáš­ma’innah. It is similar to that component of personality which deals with the surrounding environment through perception, thought, feeling and action. It evaluates and solves problems, and identifies one with a particular age, sex, race, nationality, religion, family, social and professional status, being somewhat akin to the concept of what the psychologists call the ego. (“Egoâ€? means “Iâ€? in Latin; the original

Ů’4 Ů? Ů’Ů? ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ 4 German word coined by Freud was “Ichâ€?). ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŽ ﺔ‏ Ů? 4 â€Ťďş‘ďşŽďş ďť”ﺲ‏ Ů? ‍ ‏And I call to witness the self-reproaching Ů? Ů? ‍ﺴ‏F

nafs. (Q.75:2). This stage spans roughly the middle half of life and is known as An-Nafsil LawwÄ mah. The man at this stage is no longer a boy although he may yet be immature in spite of his age. When duped by Satan into committing a major crime, he sees himself as a rotten dehumanised member of the human species. As a Muslim he projects a bad image of Islam and he knows it, and feels ashamed. He is aware of all the deeds he has sent in advance and many more that are being left behind (Q.36:12). Yet he does not take heed. Looking back at the preceding decade of his life through the “retroscopeâ€?, he could count on his fingers all acts of kindness he had done in that period; they were so little and so few. He is rather confused, but is also aware of the fire in the Hereafter as the symbol of penalty of such crimes and so he prays now and then for salvation. Even a dog who considers man as his ideal, would certainly find such a man far below the standard, almost a fellow-animal. In nature a repulsive caterpillar turns into a beautiful butterfly but a human being comes into this world as a lovely butterfly and later turns into a repulsive caterpillar. Time is passing and moving in the ‘fast-forward’ mode. The man is now friendly with Allah and Satan both in equal measure. If asked by a friend to come to a bar and have a drink, he replies: “Just wait a minute till I finish my prayers, I am coming.â€? He tries to balance his deeds, but he does not know in which category he falls, as there are the righteous men who believe themselves sinners and the sinners who believe themselves righteous. Sometimes, he brushes aside all these ideas and says to himself that he did not come into this world to live for the expectations of others or to be judged by them. When confronted by his friends, he tells them what they are worried about; they will sleep in their own graves and he in his. While at this stage in life it is not difficult for man to tackle the external environmental factors, he finds it difficult to make the necessary changes in his inner self, or within his inner environment comprising envy, spite, fear, intolerance of other people, anger, hypocrisy, etc. For him, the pendulum now swings between comfort and confusion. This stage of youth is rather chaotic but over the years, with time and patience, he strives for tranquillity in his old age. When he looks at his spiritual account in the afternoon of his life (‘aᚣr) and surveys the wreckage of his past, he finds he is at a loss (Q.103:2). He feels guilty and realises that he has done wrong on many occasions by violating normal religious and moral principles. This guilt-complex causes a lowered self-esteem for which he feels the need to make

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some sort of retribution for the wrongs he has done. He knows that he was created from dust and that he should not behave like fire. An Urdu couplet says:

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Paar karnaa ba áš›aa moshkil hĂŠ yĂŠ bahrĂŠ hawas, kabhee gehraa hĂŠ bohot aur kabhee paa yaab bee hĂŠ: Meree barbaadi ka zaamin doosra ko ee naheen, mein kĂŠ apnĂŠ waahamon kaa aap zimma daar thaa. It is very difficult to cross this ocean of lust; at times it is very deep and at times so shallow one can wade through: nobody but me is the reason of my ruin for I alone was responsible for my fanciful whims. Time rolls on. Since man cannot acquire any of Allah’s Attributes until he controls his passions and restrains himself from unlawful pleasures, he takes heed and repents whenever Allah tests him (Q.9:126). Because man does not live long enough to make all the mistakes himself, he learns from the mistakes of others and applies them to his own life. It is time for him to live as he wished to live so as to be what he should be when he is about to die. He strikes a balance between hedonism (pleasureseeking) and repression of his desires. When this older “youthâ€? approaches middle age and looks at himself in the mirror, he does not see his wrinkles, his sagging cheeks and greying hair because of his presbyopia. He feels that he is still young. He lives in his cosy world of narcissism and ceases to be disappointed by his own face looking critically at him back from the mirror. Only when he wears his glasses does he notice the change in his features. This change may make him think it over. He knows that it is easy to remove the wrinkles on his face by plastic surgery, but for the wrinkles of his heart he needs Allah’s assistance in changing his life style. Rather than being a human being on a spiritual journey, he tries to become a spiritual being on a human journey. Stress is born in any situation requiring behavioural adjustment. Under stress, we evoke what's called the “fright, flight or fightâ€? response which is necessary for self-protection, and by extension, protection of the species. Different neurotransmitters along with particular brain waves associated with them are responsible for the fright syndrome versus the flight and the fight ones. Warning symptoms of stress could be headache, sweating, abdominal pains, sleeping problems, backache, rapid heart beat, compulsive eating, drinking alcohol, crying, anger, low sex drive, etc. The stress response comes about automatically. To counteract it, we need the relaxation response such as repetition of a word or a verse from the Qur’an, a familiar du‘a or even a repetitive movement such as prayer, for a period of ten to fifteen minutes. Almost all body functions and organs react to stress. Any type of stress such as lack of sleep, mental and emotional upsets as in domestic or business problems and any prolonged illness will deplete “feel goodâ€? transmitters. Undergoing a surgical operation or waiting for the outcome of an operation of a loved one can cause anxiety and palpitations. These however may be dealt with by remembering God which is a useful exercise inducing serenity and tranquillity due to outpouring of serotonin, encephalin, endorphin and others. However, long-term stress is particularly dangerous as continual stress eventually wears out the body. (Only a few Russians or Germans, who fought during the siege of Stalingrad in the World War II, lived to the age of 50. Most died soon after their 40th birthday. All of them suffered extreme stress 24x7 for more than six months. Researchers estimate that stress contributes to as many as 80% of all major illnesses that include cardiovascular disease, cancer, endocrine and metabolic disorders, psychosomatic ailments, etc). Crying and laughter are beneficial to us, both physically and emotionally, as both relieve stress. During laughter the feel-good neurotransmitters such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine increase while stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline decrease. The body responds to emotional stress such as frustration, grief and anxiety exactly as it responds to physical danger. Without our being conscious of it, our bodies continually react to stress and endanger our health. Tears help remove chemicals that build up during stress. Basically there are seven different types of tears: (a) physiological tears which keep our eyes constantly moist; (b) reflex tears produced when our eyes are irritated like when onions are sliced; (c) emotional tears of joy and sorrow; (d) crocodile tears or false tears; (e) chemical tears applied on film stars; (f) the tears of professional criers hired to cry after someone dies; (g) “tears that never dropâ€? observed in alcoholics. Each type of tears contains different amounts of chemical proteins and hormones. Emotional tears contain higher levels of manganese and the hormone prolactin. There is calm and relaxation after every crying episode. Sadness is associated with increased

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blood flow to areas in or near the limbic system which is involved in the emotion. Simultaneously, blood flow decreases in areas of the neocortex - the “reasoning� portion of the brain, probably because our emotions of crying and laughter, etc. supersede our reasoning ability. When an Arab in the desert suddenly finds a spring in his tent, he considers himself extremely fortunate. Similarly, when a person looking outside for joy and happiness finally turns inwards and discovers that the oasis in the desert is within him and that its source is Allah, he also considers himself very fortunate. This Persian poem expresses this emotion beautifully:

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OnkĂŠ maa dar talabash koono makon gardeedeem, Doost dar khaanĂŠ wa maa gerdĂŠ jahon gardeedeem.The One for Whom we looked practically everywhere, that Friend was in the house and we roamed the world! As already mentioned earlier, God has installed signs in the earth (which can be known through geology and other earth sciences) and in ourselves (explained by biology and bio-rhythm) (Q.41:53; 51:20-21). We should look at those signs and study them for surely He, through His artistry, can be found in our selves as well as in the universe. We must realise that God does not play the game of ‘Hide and Seek’ with human beings. God and His assistance are within man and his reach, and once he begins to seek God, he makes an effort to find Him. Here is an advice: Look back and thank Allah. Look forward and trust Allah. Look around and serve Allah. Look within and find Allah! Some people go to far away places to visit tombs of pious persons. It is better to do a good deed at home than to go that far merely to burn some incense. Money spent on travelling to the tombs of saints could be put to excellent uses at home for the benefit of the local Muslim Ummah. We should not forget that every man goes down in his grave bearing in his hand the weight of what he has given away in charity. It is good for man to remember these verses (Q.31:17-18), O my son! Establish regular prayer, enjoin what is just and forbid what is wrong; and bear with patient constancy whatever betides you; for this is firmness (of purpose) in the conduct of affairs. And swell not your cheek (for pride) at men, nor walk in insolence through the Earth, for Allah loves not any arrogant boaster. He should also recall what his father and his teachers might have said: My son, do the will of others rather than your own; choose to possess less rather than more; always take the lowest place and regard yourself less than others; desire always that Allah’s Will may be perfectly fulfilled in you. Memories of such advice flash from time to time at the stage of An-Nafsil LawwÄ mah. At the age of 40 a person is considered fully mature (Q.46:15). When he looks at himself reflected in the mirror, he is reminded of Michelangelo, who, when people admired his statue of Moses, said that everything was in the marble and all he had to do was to remove the portions hiding it from view. The ‘youth’ tries his best to remove unwanted and undesirable thoughts, intentions and actions from his mind, and says to himself that he would like to be alone for some time “without the ‘myself’ which I already knowâ€?. He realises that the more will-power he uses to combat his carnal desires, the more reward Allah reserves for him in the Hereafter. Further, he no longer prays that evil should come to his adversaries (Q.17:11) lest such supplications recoil on himself. Shaikh Sa‘di pleads:

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Makon bad bĂŠ farzandĂŠ mardom negaah, KĂŠ farzandĂŠ kheeshat bar aayad tabaah. Do not cast an evil eye on other people’s children, lest your own children may be doomed. He realises that man can have nothing but what he strives for (Q.53:39). He tries to fulfil his engagements and promises to the best of his ability (Q.5:1). He now avoids the major sins so that Allah may remove his evils (Q.4:31). This man who thought he was a youth just a little while ago tries now to balance sins with virtues. He takes the golden mean in everything including his business dealings Ů? (Q.55:8-9) and his expenditure (Q.25:67).

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ 4 Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź ‍ﺔ ﺳﺎ Ů?ﺤďť›ďťœ‏F ‍ ÂŽﺏďť&#x;ďťš ďş&#x;ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽďť›‏ Wa kadhÄ lika ja Ů? 4 ‍ ďş’ďť&#x;‏% ‍ﺡﺪ‏ Ů?

‘alnÄ kum ummatann wasatấnn li takĹŤnĹŤ shuhadÄ ann ‘alan nÄ s: And thus have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced that you may be witnesses over mankind. (Q.2:143). When a man adopts the golden mean approach, he can simultaneously apply his mind to two contradictory opinions and understand them both. This is a lesson to be learnt from the saying of the Prophet‍‏: Diversity within the Ummah is a divine mercy. Islam believes that an open-minded approach and study informed by logic and reason leads to fruitful and often beneficial discussions that may be held at a much higher

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intellectual level than if they were not so inspired. Differences in interpretation and disagreements are inevitable and hence dogmatism is not permitted. Experience tells us that a contrary opinion could be right and we may ourselves be wrong. However, this is not what a fanatic might think. Basically, a fanatic is a person who sticks to his point of view with bigotry and single-mindedness. He neither changes his mind nor the subject. It is useless to argue with him because he does not use his faculty of reasoning to understand the views of others. Fanatics think they know everything while wise men are full of doubts and second thoughts. However, there is a hidden blessing in the diversity of opinion and this is what the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬recommended. Therefore, it is not the fanatics but the wise men who are guided by īmān or firm faith. For those who have īmān no proof is necessary as they take the Qur’an and the Prophet as their guide, but for those who have none, no proof is sufficient. The best of affairs is the middle course. (Sayyidina ‘Ali R.A.). Because Islam follows the golden mean, the man who tries to be a good Muslim should do as many good deeds as he can, to balance the evil deeds in his ledger. Good deeds annul evil deeds. (Q.29:7). He applies reasoning and lessons from past experience to every new situation he encounters. If he makes a mistake, he knows fully well that he has done wrong and reproaches himself. He does feel guilty and his guilt may preclude further wrong doings. He knows that straight trees have crooked roots but for him to remain upright, he has to tread on the Straight Path called Ṣirāt ạl-Mustaqīm.

² ¢ . Taa maar raast nashawad natawaanad dar sooraakh bèrawad, is a Persian proverb

which means that even a snake has to straighten itself while going through the hole to arrive at its final destination. When man commits a serious mistake and tries to justify himself, he knows in his heart that he is wrong in spite of Satan’s justification of his guilt which puts the blame on the third party, society, biological impulses or physical circumstances. In the end, he may blame it on taqdīr (destiny), but as he probes his inner conscience in times of guilt, he immediately repents and makes taubah (repentance), usually soon after committing any minor or major sin. He recites the salāt at taubah (the prayer of repentance) so that the evil act may be preserved in his memory as a land-mark and a constant reminder. Besides grace from Allah, this act of repentance (taubah) gives him consolation, solace, and some freedom from guilt and shame. Thus, the transition goes on. Whoever helps and recommends a good cause becomes its partner and whoever recommends and helps an evil cause shares in its burden. (Q.4:85). If a situation is unavoidable and we cannot help it from taking place, the best we can do is to delay the act of committing the particular sin it brings with it on the assumption that we can always do it later if we wish. In the meantime, Allah through His grace and mercy may make us change our mind. The man now knows that he cannot fool Allah. Therefore in this stage of An Nafsul Lawwāmah, a person with sound family upbringing and good religious background recognises his mistakes and is aware of the fact that in the eyes of Allah his personality does not add up to anything worthy. The person tries to adjust and re-adjust himself as time goes on. Some adjustment may be needed for him to fit himself back into his old shoes, so that he should not limp but walk straight on Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm. For this, he must make a right turn, do the right things and walk straight forward from then on. Most scholars speak of ‘guilt’ and the ‘accusing self’ on the one hand, and ‘hope in Allah’s mercy’ and ‘forgiveness’ on the other. Like the wings of a bird, they must be balanced for proper and smooth flying. Lack of guilt can lead man into immorality, kufr and disbelief in Allah while too much guilt can lead him into despair and desperation. We need to be reminded that to despair of Allah’s Mercy is considered a major sin in Islam (Q.39:53). This verse gives us hope in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness, and this belief alone may be responsible for the near zero rate of suicide found among the Muslims. Assuming that a person is born at grade zero with zero to minus hundred representing satanic grades and zero to plus hundred representing divine attributes, then all the minus marks that he has earned in his younger years during the stage of An-Nafsa la Ammārah and An-Nafsil Lawwāmah should be substituted by plus marks in An-Nafsul Muṭma'innah, which he must now endeavour to achieve. During this transition, thoughts keep flashing in his mind every few minutes, some evil and negative and others good and positive. He eliminates the evil ones and chooses the good ones to act upon and bring them to fruition. He becomes aware not only of the needs of the self but also of the duties he has towards his family and the society as far as shelter, caring, sharing and communication are concerned. He does not give in to his lusts again (Q.4:135). Besides the obligatory 2.5% zakāt, he seeks out the needy in the

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community and gives extra charity as ᚣadaqah, so as to qualify for some extra marks. Good deeds offset, eradicate and replace ill deeds (Q.11:114; 29:7). He now returns greetings and other favours offered with something better and more courteous (Q.4:86). Allah possesses all the attributes that man has bar one and that is humility so whenever He finds it

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ŮŽ ‍ ŮŽ ‏Wa mann tawÄ á¸?a‘a lillÄ hi rafa‘ahulḡ Ä hu means: Allah in anyone, He elevates him. Ů?‍ﺗ ﺿ Ů?Ů? ďť“ďťŒ ‏

elevates him who humbles himself before Allah. His humility is to his credit and is crowned with this poem: #

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yakee qatra baaron zĂŠ abree chakeed; khajèl shod chĂł pahnaayĂŠ daryaa bĂŠdeed; KĂŠ jaa eekĂŠ daryaast man keestam, agar oost haqqaa kĂŠ man neestam; ChĂł khod raa bĂŠ chashmĂŠ heqaarat bedeed, sadaf dar kenaarash chĂł jon parwareed. Sepahrash bĂŠjaa ee rasaaneed kaar, kĂŠ shod naamwar lo’lo ĂŠ shaahwaar. Tawaazu’ konad hooshmand ĂŠ gazin, nahad shaakh ĂŠ por meeva sar bar zamin. A drop of rain trickled from a cloud; it felt ashamed when it saw the expanse of the ocean. If the ocean is there, truly I am nothing’; Just as it looked upon itself with contempt, a mother of pearl nourished its life by its side; its fortune accomplished its task so well, that it became the famed pearl of a reigning king; a chivalrous and intelligent man shows humility, a branch fully laden with fruits lays its head on the ground. The same sentiment is well expressed in a h adith: I swear regarding three matters: no charity shall ever decrease the wealth; whenever one forgives people, then Allah will magnify his honour; and he who is humble before Allah, then Allah will elevate his rank. (ImÄ m AḼmad). A time comes that this man reads the Qur’an again and again. But this time, instead of merely reading it, he studies it too. He tells himself: “Knowing is not enough; one must apply the knowledge. Intentions are not enough; one must performâ€?. On the Day of Judgment, we will not be asked how much we have read, but how much of it we have translated into action. Allah helps those who use all the possible means to achieve their goal, not those who only fold their hands and do nothing. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. 1% improvement daily becomes a 30% improvement over a month and 360% over a year. The man now realises that he has to take one step, then another. It might be one and the same step, but he has to take it once and then repeat it again and again. He is just a single man and it is not possible for him to do everything that must be done in this world, but he can still do something. He strongly feels that there must be something for him to do also. In life, the rewards are not shown to us at the beginning of a journey but always at the end. We do not know how many steps are needed to arrive at the goal, neither how close it lies unless we turn the corner and cross the bend. The man can win only if he has made a start. No one can reach the top of the mountain without starting at the bottom. It is not possible to start from top. Man knows that experts in any field were also beginners at first. He has to begin somewhere at some time - better late than never - and that is exactly what he does. We can always make a start now to make a new and a memorable ending. He carefully examines what provisions he has sent for himself in advance, and hence, tries to send from now on the best provision, viz. the achievement of taqwÄ â€˜ (God-consciousness), which is piety in

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ŮŽ practice (Q.59:18). He studies Q.16:96 where Allah says Ű— ‍ﺑﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ﺎ Ů?ďť‹ﺪďť› ďť“ďť”ﺪ Ű– ﺎ Ů?ďť‹ﺪ‏What is with you Ů? ‍ ﺑ‏

must vanish and what is with Allah will endure. He knows fully well it is a great misfortune not to have been of assistance to anyone in this world. One gets one’s degree only according to how one has performed (Q.6:132). It is only action, not words that determine a person’s worth. Speech is always bolder than action. When speech is to be implemented into action, it should not be minimised. He repels evil with goodness and soon finds his enemies becoming his friends (Q.41:34). He manages to negotiate a compromise between An-Nafsa la AmmÄ rah and Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah. The latter acts as his conscience and final authority, and helps him in his struggle to enforce better conduct and higher level of morality in his life. The metaphor of bite inherent in the word “remorseâ€? (English remorse from Latin remonÄ“dre: re = again, and monÄ“dre = bite) describes the feeling of deep regret aroused by a troubled conscience. He now avoids shameful deeds, injustice and rebellion (Q.16:90). He is steadfast in prayer and regular in charity, and tries to send as much good as possible for himself in advance, with

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a view to finding it with Allah (Q.2:110). He knows fully well that once he does good deeds, he will enter Paradise (Q.4:124). The existence of Truth does not depend on its acceptance by the world at large. The Truth does not cease to exist simply because it might have been ignored in the past. Rather, with the passage of time, truth stands out clear from error (Q.2:256). The man who has already passed through the earlier stages of life now identifies himself with the father and incorporates the latter’s goals and standards as the pattern of his own personality. While a man notices his father’s influence in the things he does, a girl identifies with her mother and finds solace and security in a feminine role. She hears the echoes of her mother’s words and advices in the things she says. Both realise the importance of continued supervision and guidance from the elders and the parents if alive, and during this stage of An-Nafsil LawwÄ mah consider them a further gift from Allah. Shaikh Sa‘di implores in this poem:

ÂŁ ÂŁ A›P )™ )™ š ›œ Â? žž€ Az mokaafaatĂŠ amal ghaafel mashov; Gandom az gandom

bĂŠrooyad jov zĂŠ jov. Do not be ignorant of the consequences of your actions: wheat produces wheat and barley gives barley. An Urdu idiom:

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JysĂŠ karogĂŠ wysĂŠ bharogĂŠ: Whatever you do, it will be evened in your dues. A

Ů’ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ similar one in Arabic: ‍ع ﺤďş—ﺟﺪ‏ ŮŽ ‍ ďť›ﺎ ﺗﺰ‏KamÄ tazra‘u taḼsud: Just as you sow, so shall you reap. A Chinese

proverb says that the more you sow, the more you will reap and vice versa. We have to give before we get. Keeping wisdom of the above idioms in mind, man tries to perform righteous actions during the stage of An-Nafsil LawwÄ mah so as to counteract evil deeds which have adversely affected his balance during the preceding years of An-Nafsa la AmmÄ rah. At this stage, should the man accuse himself of a wrong intention or action and at the same time find that An-Nafsil LawwÄ mah cannot balance itself out, he is bound to look inward to his conscience and ask Allah for guidance and assistance. Allah subsequently guides him through his superego or conscience which automatically inhibits those impulses of the id that produce antisocial thoughts and behaviour. If I err, it is to my own loss, and if I am rightly guided, it is because of the inspiration of Allah to me. (Q.34:50). This Persian poem reminds us to give it some serious thought:

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ChĂŠ andeeshee az khod kĂŠ fe‘lam nekoost, az on dar negah kon kĂŠ tavfeeqĂŠ oost. Gereftam kĂŠ khod khedmatee karda ee; na pywastĂŠ in'aamĂŠ Oo khorda ee? What made you think that your actions are good? Look through that door and see; it is due to His grace. I accept that you have done some service in God's way; but was it not due to His continuing bounties on you? People who say with a boast “I am a self-made manâ€? are greatly mistaken. Internalising moral values instils confidence (itmÄŤnÄ n), raises one’s self-esteem, and prepares the individual for striving towards perfection, the stage of An-Nafsul Mutma’innah. By now, the middle aged man has reformed himself considerably, has become more knowledgeable and experienced, and enters the third and final phase of his life, An-Nafsul Muáš­ma ’innah. Just as there is a speech centre in the brain, there is a centre for will power which has to be developed in stages resembling a step-ladder pattern throughout life. This centre is responsible for approval or disapproval of any action by checking its conformity with the religious doctrine. Experience is a preparation for the stage of An-Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah, where man gives preference to his spiritual pleasure over his physical one by performing only those actions which are considered as right and likely to be approved by Allah. Man has to pass through the rough rides of An-Nafsil LawwÄ mah so that he may rise to the highest of the high by correcting the errors and thus become eligible to enter the stage of An-Nafsul Muáš­ma‘innah.

Ů?4 ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ The man is reminded here of a verse he has often read in the Holy Qurâ€™Ä n (Q.5:119; 98:8) ‍ ﺑ‏â

Ů?Ů’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Raá¸?iaá¸ˇá¸ˇÄ hu ‘anhum wa raá¸?ĹŤ ‘anh: Allah well pleased with them and they with Him. Űš ‍ ﺿ ďť—‏

It is true that most of us are well pleased with Allah for the bounties we enjoy, but a man needs to ask himself: Is Allah also well pleased with me? When he pauses to examine this question and takes the inventory of his actions, the truth stares him in the face. Like most of the wealthy persons he too had not done many things that may have pleased Allah. He now tries to develop a special relationship with Allah by utilising some of His bounties for the benefit of others, in the hope of returning to the original home of mankind, viz. the garden where our ancestors, father Ä€dam and mother ḤawwÄ â€™, resided.

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And so the story goes on and on. Having had no choice in his birth or death (Q.28:68) man embarks on this life without his own volition, to spend an allotted time on Earth, with divine attributes and satanic influences simultaneously co-existing in him. After a life time when the Hereafter comes closer to him, the man finds himself loaded with sins that he himself had committed but had blamed Satan for them all the time. Now he consoles himself by reciting the following supplication (du‘a) during his prayers:

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů?Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ‍ďť?ďť”ﺎďş—ďťš ÂŽﺎ Ů? ”ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť“ďş˜ﺢ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź â€ŤďşˇďşŽďťƒďşŠâ€Ź ‍ ďş‘ﺎ‏ ‍ﺤﺑﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďşťďť ďť¨ďşŽ ;ďť°ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş‘‏ Ů? ‍ ďş‘ﺎ Ů? ﺎ ďť—ﺪ‏ Ů? ‍ ﺣďş˜ďťšâ€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑﺎ@ ﺨďť&#x;ﺎﺎ‏ Ů? â€Ťďş ﺎ Ů? ďť&#x;ďť?ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş›ďť˜ďť ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů? ‍‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ 4ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€ŤďťƒďşŽďť‹ďş˜ďťšâ€Ź â€ŤďťŁďťŒďşźďť´ďş˜ďťš ﺣďş’ďş? Ů? ”ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Oh Allah, we have been weighed down heavily with our sins and mistakes; save us from drowning in the ocean of our sins and take us safely to the shores of Thy mercy, and open for us the doors of Thy forgiveness; and make us detest being disobedient to Thee and make us love to comply with Thy commands.

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ 4Ů?Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ŮŽďşłďş’ďť´ďťžâ€ŹĂ˜ ŮŽ ‍ ŮŽďşłďş’ďť´ďť ďťšâ€ŹĂ˜ ‍ﺤ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ Ů’ ‍ﺒﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť„ďť´ďş’‏ ‍ﺑ ďş&#x;ďş’ﺎ‏ ‍ ﺎ ďť&#x;ﺎﺔ‏ ‍ﺣﺎﺗﺎ Ů?ďť°ďť“ ﺏ‏ ‍ ďť‹ﺎ Ů?ďť“ﺎ ďťłďş’ďť°ďť˜ ďş ďşŽ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘â€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ďť´ďşŽâ€Ź

Oh Allah! Help us, in whatever little time that is left in our lives that is fast coming to an end, so that we should do our duty towards Thee and in Thy way and in the service of mankind.

Ů‘ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ 4ŮŽ Ů? Ů? 4 Ů‘Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ﺳ ‏ ‍ ÂŽ Ů? ďťť ŮŽ  ﺤﺪ‏ Ů? ‍‏F ‹ â€ŤďťŁďş´ďť   ﺡﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş‘ďşŽďťłďť˜ďş’ďťž Ů?ﺎ ďş—ďş‘ďş˜ﺎ ďť—ďş’ďťž  Ů’ďş—ﺎ ďş—ďť“ﺎ‏

O Allah! Do accept from us our repentances before death overtakes us and bring our lives to a satisfactory completion as Muslims with the last words on our tongue being: There is no deity except Allah and MuḼammad‍ ‏is His Messenger.

(III) An-Nafsul Mutma'innah – The Third and Final Part of Life

As some persons grow older, they re-assess themselves and try to avoid their past errors. Their hopes and ambitions are replaced by regrets of the past, and they try to do their best in the present since they know that time is running out. They have learnt a lot by looking at life backwards but now is the time to look forwards. They used to run into difficulties before but now difficulties and ailments are running into them. Turmoil can be Allah's way of tapping us on the shoulder and saying, “Don't forget me.� They try to return to the Holy Qur’an’s spiritual and moral guidance, and strive to keep the standards as near as possible to those prescribed by Allah. They thank Allah that they were fortunate to have been born Muslims. They are satisfied with the qadar (destiny) that Allah has ordained for them. If they have moments of suffering or face serious problems, they bear them gracefully and with a smile, knowing fully well that all are in Allah’s Plan and are for their own enhancement. Their supplication includes:

ŮŽ 4Ů?Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ4 Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ 4 Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺤﺗ‏ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟﺎﺋďş?‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‹‍ ďť&#x;ﺟﺎďş’ ďť&#x;ďť˜‏ ‹ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺪ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘â€ŹAllÄ humma alhimnčᚣ ᚣabra wal quwwata ‘alÄ taḼammulil Ů? Ů?

maášŁÄ ážżibil muqaddarah: Oh Allah, give me patience and strength to bear the sufferings that I am destined for. They try to become exemplary individuals. When they interact with people, they think in terms of what they can give, not what they can get. When they speak, they speak with a conscience and back up their statements with quotes from the Holy Qur’an and the ḤadÄŤth. Just as the ingestion of milk satisfies the baby’s hunger and also brings him into intimate contact with the mother, signifying a source of pleasure, security and gratification to both mother and child, some of these persons find gratification with Allah. Attachment of the child to the care-giver is shown by a pattern of behaviour that is characterised by smiling, clinging and following, and this same pattern re-appears in An-Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah when the man follows Allah’s Commands. He realises that Allah is prolonging his life so that he may receive admonition (Q.35:37). Every day he asks himself how could he do even better, so that he may get more plus marks and receive the book of his Earthly records in his right hand on the Day of Judgment (Q.69:19). He tries hard to develop to the maximum his “God-spotâ€? or “Centre for Spiritualityâ€?, which, as some scientists say, is believed to be situated in the left temporal lobe of the brain, with connections to the frontal cortex and which is responsible for God-awareness. In this stage, the prefrontal cortex responsible for his free will and self-control is well developed and it is easy for him to manage his own desires, intentions and actions. From time to time, Allah warns mankind about the Day of Mutual Meeting by sending rōḼ to them. As the years pass by, Allah makes it easier for them to enter the stage of An-Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah with wisdom, grace and dignity, by putting them through the process of aging, with its cooling of passions, diminishing of appetites, lessening of curiosities, wrinkling of faces and greying of the hair. This is

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gradually brought about through a process of apoptosis i.e. programmed cell death in different organs of the human body. ŮŽ

Ů’Ů? ŮŽ4 ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’Ů? Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ‍ﺎ‏F

‍ ﺤ‏ ‍”ﺏ ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?‏%‍ﺸﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺒﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Yulqir RōḼa min amrihÄŤ ‘alÄ man yashÄ ážżu min ‘ibÄ dihÄŤ Ů? â€Ťďťłďť ďť˜ ďť&#x;ﺎ Ů?‏

li yundhira yaumat talÄ q: ‌.. By His Command, He sends the RōḼ (of inspiration) to any of His servants

ŮŽ

ŮŽ

He pleases that it may warn (men) of the day of Mutual Meeting. (Q.40:15). (Please note that ‍ ďťƒďťźâ€Źáš­alÄ q

ŮŽ ŮŽ

spelt with heavy t means divorce and ‍ ﺗ‏talÄ q spelt with simple T as in (Q.40:15) means meeting,

quite the opposite. Hence the need for proper pronunciation in Arabic). This rōḼ from Allah is related to His Divine Breath which is another name for the Divine mechanism through which warnings are conveyed to mankind. The man in An-Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah ponders over such personalities as Pharaoh and Hitler and others who thought that the world could not go on without them. Yet cemeteries are filled with such people. In fact, some dead bodies like that of Pharaoh have been preserved (Q.10:92) so that mankind may learn a lesson from their past. While in company man cites similar examples as to how some people had played the king in the game of life but Someone Above them had played the Ace (Q.Ch.105). He quotes Q.28:38 that Pharaoh had declared himself the only God, the Lord Most High. He recalls the history of princes and princesses, the amassing of power and wealth in the hands of a few, the slaughter of female infants, the orgies of gambling and drunkenness, the frauds of priests, and the feuds and arrogance of tribes, races and politicians. Turning over such thoughts in his mind and ruminating over intrigues that prevail even today, make him more God-conscious. He is hyper-cautious but if he errs, he takes the blame squarely on himself because he knows that if one commits a crime and blames someone else for it there is an added penalty (Q.4:112). Of any two evils, he chooses neither and rejects both of them. He knows that if he digs a pit for someone, he himself is likely to fall into it. He knows that if we make others do wrong through fraud, our penalty is doubled, one because of our own sin and the other for having set others on the wrong path. He realises that both good and evil multiply at compound interest. He tries his best to act as a vicegerent of God as long as he lives, and is now prepared to face death and go to his destination with confidence and satisfaction. In An-Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah, seeking the pleasure of Allah takes priority over matters of wealth, position, sex, etc. He recites the Surat ul ‘Aᚣr often in his prayers and ponders over its meaning. He realises that man is at a loss at this stage when the sun of his life is about to set, unless he establishes firm conviction in his faith, does good deeds, and exhorts others to truth and to endurance (Q.103:2-3). Just before his ‘Asr ᚢalÄ t, he asks himself if he has done any good this day, and if not, he hastens to do it, even if it be something small. Before going to bed he wonders whether any good he did for the day was acceptable to Allah and if he is convinced that it was so, he sleeps in much peace and tranquillity. Now, during the stage of An-Nafsul Muáš­ma‘innah, he spends more time in contemplating the Qur’an, in prayer and in meditation. The very first thing that he does when he wakes up is to pray and have communion with his Creator so that his day starts off with Allah’s blessings. He thanks Allah every day for extending his life so that he may become more knowledgeable and understanding (Q.40:67). He realises that Allah is prolonging his life so that he may receive admonition (Q.35:37). He is grateful to Allah for the extra time He is giving him because now he has a greater opportunity to be an example to someone with whom he interacts, or, conversely, learn a lesson from him. He can make a firm effort to heal a bruised relationship. This may well be his last chance to do so, since neither he nor others may be here tomorrow. Whenever he contributes anything useful and the community becomes the beneficiary of his efforts, he gets plus marks in this world that add on to his mark sheet of the Hereafter. Every day he asks himself: How can I do better? A good Muslim always thinks that he has not done enough. He tries to update his spiritual curriculum vitae by rendering unselfish service, even when he feels tired and does not have sufficient energy to do so. His real friends are Allah, MuḼ ammad‍ ‏and those faithful who pray, pay the poor-due and humble themselves in prayer (Q.5:55). Undoubtedly, at no other time is it more evident than during the stage of An Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah that it is in the remembrance of Allah that hearts find greatest satisfaction (Q.13:28). To get maximum benefit from the remainder of his days on Earth, man resolves to do good deeds and does them. He would rather be cheated than cheat, and suffer oppression than oppress anyone. He makes sure that whatever he does would not be the reason for someone else’s grave and the only grave linked to his name would be his own. If he does well, he knows he is eventually doing it for himself

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(Q.41:46). He repels evil with that which is better (Q.23:96). He tries to gain more honour in the sight of Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ Allah by becoming more righteous. Űš â€Ťďťłďť˜ďşŽďť›‏F ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? ‍ﺎďťœ Ů?ďť‹ﺪ‏F ;Ů? Inna akramakum ‘indal á¸ˇÄ hi atqÄ kum:

(Q.49:13). He faces all the problems with fortitude and perseveres in patience (Q.47:31). He knows that the Landlord would soon be informing him that his tenancy on Earth is about to expire, so he tries to find a higher level for himself, knowing there are different grades in the sight of Allah (Q.3:163) and different residences in the gardens of the Hereafter. As he has not paid any rent towards his tenancy on Earth, he compensates for it by leaving behind some good deeds and kind words instead. He looks forward to the Final Attainment of the Eternal Home (Q.13:22). Hence, he patiently perseveres seeking the presence of Allah, establishes regular prayers, gives charity secretly and openly, and compensates the errors of his past with greater goodness in the present. He also expects the members of his family to be righteous so that they may all be reunited in the Hereafter (Q.13:23; 40:8). No one is more excellent in the sight of Allah than a believer whose life is prolonged in Islam (submission to Allah) to glorify and magnify Allah and declare His Uniqueness. (ḤadÄŤth). Unfortunately, there are some of us who, even in the old age, continue to do wrong in spite of Allah warning that He is extending our lives so that we may receive admonition. It is no use crying aloud after death: O Allah! Bring us back out of the grave so that we do righteous deeds, not the deeds we used to do. (Q:35:37). As times of An-Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah pass by, he looks forward to a grand reception in JannÄ t ul Firdaus (Paradise). He keeps his file as clean as possible, knowing that the angels address those whose lives they take in the state of purity in these words:

Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽŮ’ â€ŤďťłďťŒďť¤ďť ďťŽâ€Ź â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťœ ďş§ďť ďťŽ ďş ďť&#x;ďş” Ů?ďş‘ﺎ ďť›ďş˜‏ ‍ ﺳ‏AssalÄ mu ‘Alaikum! Udkhulul jannata bimÄ kuntum ta‘malĹŤn: Peace

be upon you! Enter Jannah because of the good works you did. (Q.16:32). Those who have practiced

ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ DÄ rus salÄ m in the presence of Allah. He will be righteousness will have a Home of Peace or. ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴ‏ Ů? 4

their Friend (Q.6:127). The strong personality that man develops during An-Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah may be used as a stepping-stone to a better life in the Hereafter. The pages in the book of life turn one after another, continuously and without interruption. Each dawn brings with it a new sunrise and a new page. A time shall come when we turn the last page of our life. Then this book shall be closed and preserved. It is in this book that we write all that we think, see, hear, wish, do and make others do for us. We alone determine the contents of this book, and we alone are responsible for what is being put down in it. Do we ever consider what is being written in this book each single day of our lives? What is going to happen to us tomorrow when we hold this book in our hands and read what we ourselves have written there? Will this book be in our right hand or in the left hand in the Hereafter? Let us think! Think again! This Book leaves out nothing (Q.18:49). A Muslim does not walk backwards into his future in the Hereafter. Being an optimist, he is well aware of the eternal bliss and felicity that lie waiting for him, once he follows the Holy Qur’an and acts upon it. But just reading the Qur’an and gaining knowledge will not qualify him for that station. He plans for the long term, the Hereafter. In fact, nowhere is it written that by having knowledge alone, the person shall automatically go to heaven. He needs to do good deeds in this world to gain the other world. During the stage of An-Nafsul Muáš­ma’innah, he knows that the bird of time has but a little way to fly and the bird is on the wing. If we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail. A Muslim not only has to live on this planet Earth, but he has to live for something more, called Paradise, Insha Allah, for all of us. A Japanese proverb says: When you're dying of thirst it's too late to think about digging a well. We have to make lots and lots of effort to achieve nearness to Allah. Even after we have done so, we still have to make that little extra effort to reach Him. As we get older, we are in a privileged position to pass on our accumulated wisdom and advice to the members of our family and to the community. Having reached this stage, a faithful Muslim now performs tahajjud ᚣ alÄ t regularly, expecting that this would raise him to a higher status. He prays to enter death through the gate of truth and honour, and go into the Hereafter also through the gate of truth and honour (Q.17:79-80). He remembers Allah all the time and devotes himself to Him whole-heartedly (Q.73:8). He prays to Allah that the look of his outward and inward self be one and the same, and identifies himself as such in the community in his every day encounters. # His mental status is expressed in this Persian poem:

§ Ž z §n! N° ¯b .

# .P ” @ . )ŽU

)¹ ² ³ ´

CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

)A›P )ŽU

81

Bé dunyaa aamadam, dunyaa na deedam; basee rijso jafaa dar dunyaa kasheedam. Bé dunyaa aamadam na'laano geryon; ché baashad pas raftanam lab haa yé khandon. I came into this world but did not see it properly; I endured a lot of dirt and oppression in this world. I came into this world crying and weeping; what if my going be with smiling lips. Every missed heart-beat in old age gives a thump in the chest to warn that the time is near. An old man thinks every little illness to be the beginning of his end. When a man expects to be arrested, every knock at the door alarms him. Not so with the man in An-Nafsul Muṭma‘innah. He is waiting with a smile for the Angel of Death who may come any time, unexpectedly; he has his seven yards of shroud (kafan), washed in the water of Zam Zam, ready in his bedroom cupboard. He now utilises the last part of his stay on Earth to move towards his goal, the goal of meeting with Allah soon. He now enjoys the third or last stage in the development of his personality (nafs), a stage which is characterised by serenity, tranquillity and peace of mind, and is called An-Nafsul Muṭma‘innah. The bird which has injured his wings badly trying to break out from his cage again and again is now ready to fly away from planet Earth. َ

ُ ْ َ ً ْ َ ً َ َ ِّ َ ٰ َ َ ُ ْ َ َ ُ ‫َﻳﺎ‬ ْ ُ َ ْ ُ ْ ‫ ﺠﻔﺲ‬ َ ُ ْ ‫ﻛﻓﺘﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﺟﻨﻲﺘ‬ ‫ﻋﺒﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﺮﺿﻴﺔ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻓﺎ ﺧﻲﻠ ِﻲﻓ‬ ِ ‫ﺟﻲﻌ ِ ﻰﻟ‬$ ِ ِ ‫ ﺿﻴﺔ‬$ ِ ‫ﺑﻚ‬$ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻤﻄﻤﺌﻨﺔ‬ ِ ‫ ﺧﻲﻠ‬. ِ ِ

Yā ayyatuhan nafsul muṭma ᾿inna * irji ‘ī ilā Rabbiki rāḍiyatann marḍiyyah * Fadkhulī fī ‘ibādī * Wadkhulī jannatī. Oh securely confident and satisfied Nafs (person)! Come back to Allah well pleased and content in His good pleasure. Enter thou among My devotees, and enter My heaven. (Q.89:27-30).

Definition of Death

In the years gone by, we were made to understand that the beginning and the end of death was the last heart beat. However, recently the medico-legal opinion in most countries of the world have accepted brain death as the time of death, the time when the vital functions of breathing, heartbeat and consciousness have stopped and no activity is shown in the electroencephalogram (a recording of brain waves). Although such a person is pronounced dead and a death certificate can be issued, his body may be warm; his heart may still be beating and could be kept beating for some time. The person could be breathing, especially if assisted by a mechanical ventilator. This facilitates transplantation of various organs into another patient. Accordingly, some doctors say that the accepted time of death is when brain death is confirmed and not some time later when the heart has stopped beating. Somatic (bodily) death is marked by cessation of heart beat, breathing and brain activity. This precedes the death of individual organs. Brain cells hardly survive for 5 minutes after somatic death; cells of the heart survive for 15 minutes or so but those of the kidney survive for much longer, during which time they could be transplanted. After somatic death, certain changes occur in the body, such as (a) cooling of the body called algor mortis, (b) stiffening of the skeletal muscles called rigor mortis, (c) mottled purple-red discoloration of the dependent parts of the body due to stagnation of blood called livor mortis. Even the concept of brain stem death which is responsible for breathing and circulation has been challenged in recent years, introducing new problems in the legal definition of death. Some feel that persons in persistent vegetative states (i.e. those who have their brain stem functions of breathing and heartbeat intact but the higher brain functions of the neo-cortex e.g. thinking and social interaction lost) should be considered dead and allowed to donate organs through “living wills”. According to this view, the sign of death is the absence of activity in the higher centres of the brain, principally the neo-cortex (the new brain). Fortunately, some patients who were declared “brain-dead” have recovered and have become long-term survivors. “Brain death” is a recent invention, probably prompted by the need to obtain organs for transplantation. However, the mere thought of being pronounced dead while still alive, or even being buried with some of our organs removed is highly annoying, frightful and unacceptable. As a result, many questions are being asked such as: (a) When does life begin, at the time of conception or with the first heart beat? Who decides the time of death: physician or the person himself? (b) Does the patient have the right to stop artificial support and die in peace? (c) Can a relative act on the dying patient’s behalf? As a result of such problematic situations, a person can now make a “living will” in which the patient gives the right to a lawyer, physician or any family member to withdraw lifesustaining support to him. It is said, therefore, that death occurs when the brain (which includes the brain stem) stops functioning, resulting in the irreversible loss of the ability to remain conscious, plus the loss of the ability

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to breathe. Such a situation carries with it the certainty that the heart will also stop beating in a matter of hours or days or weeks unless assisted by a mechanical ventilator. However, a brain-dead patient could be kept alive with a mechanical ventilator to save a foetus. (While irreversible brain stem death due to structural brain damage usually follows recent head injury in some cases, spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage is found in others. Some patients are known to have recovered from temporarily depressed brain stem functions due to metabolic disturbances). However, in Islamic countries, brain death is neither medically nor legally accepted. The breathing and also the heart must stop functioning for a person to be considered dead. Muslim jurists insist that any person with a warm body whose heart is still beating and who is still breathing, even with the help of a ventilator, cannot be regarded as a cadaver. A Muslim is considered dead only when he has suffered irreversible brain damage in addition to all bodily functions having come to an end, viz. the heart has given its final beat, the lungs have exhaled the last breath, the rōḼ (soul) has left the body and the corpse is now ready for burial. Anyone who “returnedâ€? did not, by definition, die - albeit their mind, brain and body may have been in an abnormal state. A person is legally presumed dead if his absence is proved for a period of seven years without any communication, unless the person is a fugitive from justice.

Islamic attitude to death

As Muslims, we must not be afraid of death. Death is not something evil. Death is a part of us, waiting for its time to present itself. We should make way for others in this world as they did for us. When the time comes, we must face death bravely, with confidence, calmness and serenity, because the Angel of Death will definitely come at the appointed hour that is already written in our taqdÄŤr (destiny). No matter where we are, he will find us and we would have to go. Wherever you may be, death will overtake you, even if you are in lofty towers. (Q.4:78). Therefore, we must consider how sensible it is to live meaningfully, piously, kindly and lovingly so that we are always prepared to be taken away at any moment. We might in fact feel good within ourselves when death takes us on the road back to our Creator. Here the poet advises:

# ## ÂŽ¡ Âś ÂŽ ." . T \!Âľ 3

# ÂŽ ". Ă? . AB ÂŽU ÂŽ" .

TĂł paak aamadi bar hazar baasho paak; kè nangast naapaak raftan bè khaak. You came clean into this world; remain cautious and pure, since it is a disgrace to go unclean into the earth. While many aspects of life are uncertain, the inevitability of death is definite, although no one knows when a person ŮŽ ŮŽ is going to die and where. Allah says:

Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ F Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŒ Ů’ŮŽ Űš ‍‏ Ů? ?‍ﺗﺪ ? ďť?ďť”ﺲ Ů?ﺑﺄ‏ Ů? ‍ ﺎ‏No one knows in what land he shall die. (Q.31:34). It is written in our destiny when and where we are going to die. Below we quote from a poem of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Moghul King of India, who was exiled to Yangoon in Burma in 1857 when the mutiny raised in his name was crushed by the British. He died in Yangoon, in 1862 at the age of 87.

‹ š Âş Âť ‹ U

# ¸ @ Ă€@ /

‹ .P Ă€ Ă‚ Ă€ <à ‹ Ăš D Âź ½ ž G Âż

OmrĂŠ deraaz maang kĂŠ laa yĂŠ thĂŠ chaar din; dĂł aarzoo mein kat gayee dĂł intizaar mein; kitnaa hĂŠ bad naseeb zafar dafn kĂŠ liyĂŠ; dĂł gaz zameen na mil sakhee kooyĂŠ yaar mein. I asked for long life but got four days; two passed in wish making and two in waiting. How unlucky is Zafar: for his burial, he could not get even two yards in the land of his beloved. ŮŽ

4 ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‹ 4 ŮŽŮ? Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ 4 Ű— â€Ťďť›ďş˜ďşŽďş‘ďşŽ ﺆďş&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? â€Ťďş‘ďşˆâ€Ź Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ﺎ ﺎ‏Nor can a person die except by Allah’s permission, the term Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍  Ů?;‏F â€Ťďş ďť”ﺲ‏

being fixed by writing. (Q.3:145). (Since we do not know when and where we would die, it may be a good idea to keep always ready in our bedroom cupboard the seven yards kafan preferably washed in the water of Zam Zam well during our pilgrimage of ‘Umra or Ḥajj). It is better to continue to do good deeds while we are still alive in this world in order to be on friendly terms with Malakal Maut (the Angel of Death; Q.32:11) when the time arrives, so that we may embrace each other and together watch our travelogue of the Earth, an illustrated lecture-narrative of our expedition to this planet spanning time from birth to death. (Most of us do things secretly, not

CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

83

knowing that Allah has stationed invisible cameras and recorders which are recording our actions so that their images can be seen by our family and friends in the Hereafter).

ŮŽŮ’ 4 ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺪ ﺎ‏ ‍ﺑďťœ‏ ‍ﺤ‏ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďş‹ďť˜ďş”â€Ź We have decreed death to be your common lot. (Q.56:60). Allah also says: Ű— ‍ ďť&#x;‏ ‍‏ ‍ ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ďť?ďť”ﺲ‏ Ů? Ů? No matter who or what we are, Allah has decreed death to be our common lot.

Every person (not soul) must taste death. (Q.3:185; 21:35; 29:57). Jinn also die (Q.46:18). Death is not a negative It is a positive state. Just as life is a creation, death is also ŮŽ phenomenon. ŮŽ

4 Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ God’s creation. Űš ‍ﺣﺴ ďť—‏F ‍ @? ďş§ďť ďť– ďť&#x; ﺤďť&#x;ﺎ‹ Ů?Â”ďş’ďť ďťŽÂŽ ďť›ďťłďťœ‏ Ů? Who created death and life, that He may try Ů? ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ‏ He it is Who gives life and you, which one of you is better in conduct. (Q.67:2). Further, ‍ ﺎ ŮŽ ﺣﺎ‏

gives death. (Q.23:80; 3:156). Just as Allah gives us the gift of life for which we must thank Him, similarly Allah gives the gift of death, for which we must thank Him as well. Death brings us nearer to our goal of meeting with Allah, the goal for which this life was meant. Death is not the end of all existence. An Urdu poem explains:

Z­ Ă•L ­ Š­ Ăƒ Ă„9 # ž ­ Ă•L Ăž Š­ ƒ Ă…

" " Z­Ă• L . Ă‚ Â&#x;

G Z L ž¤ JĂ‚ ž¤ ÆÅ

Chup rahnĂŠ sĂŠ zabaan nahin marjaatĂŠ; saans tham jaanĂŠ sĂŠ jaan nahin marjaatĂŠ; jesm kee maut ko ee maut nahin hotee hĂŠ; jesm miáš­ jaanĂŠ sĂŠ insaan nahin marjaatĂŠ: By remaining silent, the tongue does not die; by restraining the breath, life does not cease; death of the body is no death; man does not die when the body is no more. In fact, death is the threshold of a far more glorious life. Life on this planet may end but this ending is only of a very small and insignificant portion of our entire life. The soul continues to exist into eternity. We normally consider life to be the span between birth and death, but it is not so. Life begins at birth and continues into eternity. Far beyond the horizon visible on earth there is a much larger and more beautiful horizon that encloses our final abode called Paradise, which has been promised to us if we walk the ᚢirÄ áš­al MustaqÄŤm (Straight Path). We cannot visualise Allah as long as we stay on the ground level. Our bodies will have to go underground and the souls above ground, all the way to the Hereafter to see Allah. Death is the continuation of this life on another plane, the end of the first stage of the eternal journey and the beginning of an eternal life. Just as we do not cease to exist during sleep and get up in the morning to walk, similarly we do not cease to exist at death and shall wake up on the Day of Resurrection.

Facing Death

Although death is an unacceptable and unfashionable topic, a branch of science has developed recently called thanatology (from the Greek Thà natos meaning death), which studies the inner experiences of persons nearing death. Normally, a dying person goes through the stages of denial, anger, depression and final acceptance. However, a practising Muslim meets death with a smile, by-passing the initial mental trauma. The Near Death Experience (NDE) has been described by some people who experienced it as follows: when a person dies, he sees his body from a detached perspective. Floating near the scene of death, he observes what is going on around. He is then sucked into a dark tunnel soon to emerge into light where he finds himself equipped with a 360 degree vision and an ability for an instantaneous travel, mental telepathy, timelessness, seeing the past and the future, meeting angels, etc., as if he were in Barzakh. The Near Death Experiences (NDEs) resembling out of body experiences are characterised by location of the self outside one’s body. Seeing the world from an elevated position could also occur in cases of epilepsy and migraine, probably due to some imbalance in the neurotransmitters in the brain. They can also be experimentally reproduced by intravenous injection of ketamine and other drugs which block the neurotransmitter glutamate receptors in the brain. Conditions which precipitate NDEs (hypoxia, ischemia, hypoglycaemia, temporal lobe epilepsy, etc.) have been shown to release a flood of glutamate. Neuroscientists say that NDEs are illusions created by a fading brain due to loss of normal brain function as a result of lack of oxygen or glucose or by an extraneous toxin. It has nothing to do with after-life. Since the very first experience that man went through would be the first to be remembered after death, probably due to re-activation of primitive memories, the scholars have explained movement from

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

the dark tunnel towards light as a memory of having been born through the mother’s birth canal: a “near-birth experience�. Death can come suddenly and unexpectedly such as during sleep or in a location far away from home. We may not have sufficient time to say good-bye or ask forgiveness of our dear and near ones. Here is a Persian poem:

# . Ac!PN !NÇP Æ

M š U 3 W òĂˆ" e

É Ë \ Æ

Ê Ë \ Æ

Ajal kaaree bĂŠ pyghambar na daarad; ajal kaari bĂŠ seemo zar na daarad; DĂł chashmaanee kĂŠ daarad aadamee zaad; ajal mee beenado baawar na daarad. Death has nothing to do with the Prophet; death has nothing to do with silver and gold. The two eyes that mankind has; he sees death but does not believe it. Both the phenomena, of life and of death, are surrounded in mystery as expressed in a poem by Omar Khayyam:

# # .J 3 AcĂ’Ă´ Ă”

Ă? U Ă‘ 1 j ç .Ă? Ă– Ă? 3 Ă‚ ÂŽU . 1 Ă‹ ĂŒ!Xò ĂŽ

Az JomlĂŠ ĂŠ raftegonĂŠ een raahĂŠ deraaz, baaz aamadĂŠ ĂŠ koo kĂŠ khabar porsam raaz? Hon bar sarĂŠ in dĂł raahĂŠ ĂŠ aaz Ăł niyaaz, cheezee nagzaaree kĂŠ namee aa ee baaz. From all those who departed on this long journey, which one did return to tell us the secret? Beware of this bifurcated road of greed and offerings; leave nothing behind since you will never return. Most of us do not know how to behave when a guest arrives. We do not know how to entertain him. This is because we have not been taught the necessary social graces. I am alluding here to the last guest of our life who goes by the name Malak ul Maut or the Angel of Death (ÄŞzrÄ ÄŤl). He comes merely as a messenger, on an errand to carry out a command of Allah and that is his job. A time comes when Allah signs the death warrant. Let us be reminded that euthanasia or mercy killing is forbidden in Islam. We must leave it to Allah who gave us life in the first instance, to take it whenever He wants to. A Persian poem proclaims: I am like a bird from another continent, sitting in this aviary. The day is coming when I fly off. I didn’t come here of my own accord and I can’t leave that way. Whoever brought me here would take me home. When the Angel of Death comes, our innings here are over. To use a cricket analogy, we get bowled out. There can be no appeal and we have to return to the pavilion, in our case, under the earth. Some of us might have scored boundaries and sixes (five obligatory prayers plus tahajjud) in the spiritual field while some might have been bowled out for naught. Hence, the outcome in the Hereafter differs for different players. The Angel of Death is not going to ask us who we are but he may ask us how we played the game. As a fellow-traveller, he may even ask us what luggage (in the form of good deeds) we have sent in advance (Q. 59:18). We should be reminded of what Haá¸? rat ‘Ali, R.A. has said: Life in this world is for actions, not accountability when compared to the Hereafter where there is accountability without actions.

Man’s Last Days on Earth: Deathbed

Man emerges as a baby from the fleshy cradle in the mother’s womb. He opens his eyes to celebrate the sunrise of his life in this world, and gets his first bath. Later as he exits from this world on the day when the last sunset has already come for him, he closes his eyes and has his last bath before he enters the earthly cradle six feet down below. “How and why did I come here and where am I to go?â€? This question has taxed man’s imagination since the dawn of history, with no answer whatsoever. However, we can not stop the flow of time. Even if we stand still or walk backwards so as not to face the Hereafter, we will still be moving on, towards our graves. Whether we wait for it or not, tomorrow still comes, either here or in Barzakh. The Hereafter is coming nearer with each second that passes. Life is uncertain and short for all of us and for some extremely short. Although the wish to live forever is universal, the reality is otherwise. Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏is reported to have said: Be in this world as if you are a stranger or a wayfarer. At evening, do not expect (to live till) morning and at morning, do not expect (to live till) evening. Take from your health for your illness and from your life for the death. (ḤadÄŤth Al BukhÄ ri). Death is a continuation of this life and since we have only one life to live on this Earth, we should be concerned and take this life seriously since we cannot come back to undo what we did (Q.7:53). Here is a poem in Urdu:

â Ă” <Ă— " ? Ă‚Ă˜ Ă™ Ăš Ă› ĂœÂ‡ Ăš ŠÕ Âż Ă” <Ă• Âż CG Ă– Ă Ă“ ž¤ CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

85

Maut kabhee bhee mil saktee hĂŠ, lykin zindegee kal na milĂŠ gee; marnĂŠ waalĂŠ soach samajh lĂŠ pher tujh ko yĂŠ pal na milĂŠ gaa. You can get death at any time but you cannot get life tomorrow; O ye mortal! Think carefully as you will never get this moment of life again. It is reported that JibrÄŤl once said: O MuḼammad! Live how you wish, for verily you will die; love what you wish, for verily you will part with it; and do what you wish, for verily you will meet it (your deed). (ḤadÄŤth: Musnad Aáš­-ᚏayÄ lisÄŤ). Death tells mankind: “Live as long as you can but remember I am coming.â€? We boast about how much land we own in different parts of the country, yet we do not speak of the six feet of space under the ground that we will eventually need and which makes everyone equal. The lot of human beings is that they are trampled upon by the rich when they are alive, but when the rich die, every one walks haughtily upon their humble dust. Prophet SulaimÄ n, pbuh, knew the languages of the birds, ants and other insects. Yet it was the same worm of the earth that revealed his death by gnawing at his walking stick which was responsible for his fall. This humiliating episode was witnessed even by the jinn, his subordinates (Q.34:14). Death could be both a grief and a relief: grief for the relatives left behind, and relief from problems of the world for the person who dies. God produced him from the earth in the first instance, and made him a living part of the universe in the form of a human being, before returning him to the same earth once again. When we die, we leave behind all the wealth and all the bounties that Allah had bestowed upon us (Q.6:94) and Allah finally becomes the Heir. Similarly when all else passes away, Allah becomes the Inheritor (Q.19:40; 15:23). Here’s a Persian poem:

# Â&#x; Ă– l Ăž Ă&#x;

# Â&#x;9 Ă Z Ă? ÂŽU 3

Harkè aamad emaaratee nav saakht: Rafto manzil bè deegaree pardaakht. Every one who came built a new mansion. He left and bequeathed it to someone else. There is an end to everything in this world and man is no exception. When he is at his death-bed, he is about to make “the great leap beyondâ€? and be transferred somewhere else. It is only when we die that we find we have passed another gate on the path of our further development. Death should be considered a normal stop leading us to Barzakh where we transfer en route to the Hereafter. In fact, “transferâ€? is exemplified in the Arabic word, used also in Persian and Urdu: intiqÄ l. If a person dies, we say in Urdu, “oos kaa intiqaal ho gayaaâ€? meaning “that person diedâ€?. In Persian, the mother tongue of Urdu, intiqaal means “transferâ€?, e.g. “Qonsol raa intiqaal daa dandâ€? or “Qonsol muntaqil shudâ€?, meaning “the Consul was transferredâ€?. What a beautiful way of calling death a transfer from one territory to another! In Arabic intiqÄ l has both the meanings. It means death and it also means a transfer, e.g. Sayyed FulÄ n intiqÄ la ilal Ḽ ayÄ tal Ä khirah means “Mr. X has diedâ€? (has been transferred or has departed to the life Hereafter); (b) “Safiras Suriyyah intiqÄ la minal Hind ila Miᚣrâ€?, meaning that the “Syrian Ambassador has been transferred from India to Egyptâ€?. A righteous Muslim believes in his destiny and in his final destination. He knows fully well that, Insha Allah, he will be eventually going to Jannah. In fact, the willingness to die shows his readiness for the Hereafter, with the scale of his good deeds hopefully leaning heavily in his favour. Although he might have passed through a stressful life and been victimised many times in spite of being innocent, his smiling face reflects the meaning of this poem:

§Œ ÂŽ¡ oĂĄ <! )â 3

# ÂŽ ". P ĂŁ )ÂŽ Ă

Hamee khandam az lotfè yazdaanè paak, Kè mazloom raftam, na zaalem bè khaak. Thus I am smiling with admiration at the Grace of God that I went to my grave as the oppressed and not as the oppressor. Again, another Persian poem:

M E h u i ÂŽU

E h .P ” Ž

E h Ž .P ” ŽU # E h a 3 � . ã Õ

Ay aamadeh geryon tĂł wa khandon hamĂŠ kas; waz aamadanĂŠ tĂł gashtĂŠ shaadon hamĂŠ kas: Emrooz chenon baash kĂŠ fardaa hamĂŠ kas; khandon to broon rawee wa geryon hamĂŠ kas. Oh you who arrived crying and all others smiling, and everyone became joyful due to your arrival; today be such that tomorrow when you depart, every one will weep but you alone will be smiling. A Muslim is now merely biding his time in the departure lounge, with a smile on his face, waiting for the boarding time to be announced. This smile is a result of many good deeds he sent forth in advance (Q.82:5) because of his awareness of Allah and his duty to Him (Q.59:18). The angels welcome those

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Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽŮ’ whose lives they take in a state of purity by these words: ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ďş” Ů?ďş‘ﺎ ďť›ďş˜ ďťłďťŒďť¤ďť ďťŽâ€Ź â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťœ ďş§ďť ďťŽâ€Ź ‍ ﺳ‏SalÄ mun ‘Alaikum! Enter Jannah, because of the good you did. (Q.16:32). For this reason a man who hopes to be greeted in this way is now anxiously waiting for his chance to give a courteous reply to the angel saying: “Ya Malak al Maut! Wa ‘Alykumus SalÄ m wa raḼmatullÄ hi wa barakÄ tuhuâ€? – O Angel of Death! And peace be with you, and the Mercy of Allah and His Blessings. He knows he tried to do much good, to

Ů’

Ů’

earn Allah’s good pleasure, especially in his later days, complying with his daily supplication: ‍ ﺧďş˜‏ Ů? ŮŽ

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ﺟﺎﺤďť&#x;ﺎ ďť—ďşŽďş ďşŽâ€Ź Ů?ŮŽŮ? Ů? meaning, O Allah, seal with righteousness our deeds. Every time he had done any

wrong, he would acknowledge his mistake and immediately try to wipe it away with a good act in order to be eligible for Allah’s mercy (Q.9:102). Any one who dies while doing righteous deeds will go to Paradise. (ḤadÄŤth: AḼmad bin Hanbal). He tried his best to be in the good books of Allah and gain His good pleasure, since earning Allah’s good pleasure is the greatest felicity. In fact, it is greater (akbar) than anything else (Q.9:72). He did these good deeds because he realised that with passage of time he might have accumulated many sins in his ledger and in the final analysis, the devaluation of spiritual gains was far more detrimental than of monetary ones. We are not totally alone, neither in life nor in death, which might come at any time. This very minute could be the last for some of us. Every single minute of day and night the Angel of Death pilots a plane with hundreds of passengers on board, picked out of a total of 6 billion or more from various points on Earth. There are thousands of people all over the world who passed away last week and would be willing, if given a chance, to pay anything to be with us today. Hence, today is very precious, for we can utilise it for our own spiritual growth. As long as there is life, there is hope of achieving the goal. If we want to do some good, we must set a deadline for doing it immediately, as of today and not as of tomorrow, for we may be dead any time, even the next moment. Here is an Urdu proverb:

# Ăš > G .> äU ÂŁ

# Ăš > äU G .> Ă• ÂŁ

Jo kal karna hè to aaj kar le; jo aaj karna hè to abhee kar le, meaning, Whatever you want to do tomorrow, do it today; whatever you want to do today, do it now. Even if you leave it for tomorrow, remember it is close to today. In a Qur’anic function for a deceased, I recite the following duâ€˜Ä in Arabic. It is an old du‘a not found in the text books but passed on from generations, describing in proper sequence the stages man encounters from the time of his death in this world to his meeting with Allah on the Day of Judgment.

ŮŽŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ﺨ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣﺔ‏

Ů?ŮŽŮŽ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ 4 Ů?4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů‘ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďş‘ďťœďť°â€Ź Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ÂŽﺎďşœ ďť?‏ ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ďş’ďť´ďş?‏ ‍ ďťłďşŒﺲ Ů?ﺎ ďť&#x;ďť„ďş’ďť´ďş?‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘ ﺣﺎ ; ďť‹ﺎ ďş ďť&#x;ďş’‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎďş˜â€Ź Ů? Ů‘ Ů? ‍ ﺎ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďť—ﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďťŒ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ; Ů?Ů’ Ů? Ů‘ ‍ ﺣﺒﺎ ŮŽ ﺎ ďť—ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴ‏ ‍ ďť—ďť„ďťŒﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘ ﺣﺎ‏ Ů‘ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’Ů?ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘ Ů? Ů? Ů? @ ‍ ďť›ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş° ďş‹ﺎ ďť&#x; ﺏďť›ﺎﺎ‏ Ů? ‍َ ďť—ﺎďş’ﺎ ďş‘ďť˛ďť Ů?ďş&#x;ﺴﺎ ďť?ďť„? Ů? ďť›ﺎﺎ ďť&#x; ďťłďş° ﺎ‏Ă?‍ ﺳﺎ ﺪ‏n‍‏ Ů? ; ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘ ﺣﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœďş˜ďşŽâ€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘ ﺣﺎ‏ Ů? ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ﺴﺎ ďť“ďş˜ﺢ‏ Ů? Ů? %‍ﺑﺪ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? 4 Ů’ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’Ů?ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ 4 Ů’ Ů? ‍‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘â€Ź ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ﺣﺎ‏ Ů‘Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺋﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺴ ďş‹ﺎ ŮŽ ďş—ďťœﺸ‏ â€Ťďť‹ďş’ďť°ďť â€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ ﺣ‏ ‍ ﺣ‏F ‍ﺑﺎﺣďş˜ďťš ﺎ‏ ‍ ďş—ﺎﺸ  ﺗﺆ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x; ‏ Ů? Ů‘Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ‍ ﺣ‏F ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺎ َﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ ﺣ‏ .‍ﺪŮ’Ů?ﺎ‏ ‍‏ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ ‍‏ ; ĂŠâ€Ťďş ďşŽâ€Ź â€ŤďťƒďşŽďť—ďş”â€Ź ‍‏ â€Ťďş˜ﺎ‏ ‍ﺏﺑ‏ € â€Ťďş ďşŽâ€Ź â€ŤďşŁďş ďş”â€Ź ‍‏ â€ŤďşŁďşŽďşłďş’ďş˜ﺎ‏ ; . Ů? Ů? ‍ﺡﺊ‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ÂŽ ‍ ďş’ďť&#x;‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺤﺪ‏ 4 Ů? ‍ﺪﺎ‏ 4 ‍ﺝﺤﺎﺑ‏F ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺎ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍َ ďşťďť°ďť ďˇ˛ ďş’ďť&#x; ﺳ‏ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4 Ů° ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ‍ ﺑ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů? Ů?ۢ : ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺤﺗﺔ‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺑ‏4 ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ﺪ‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďşŽďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ 4 Ů°ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍ ‏ ‍‏ Ů? ‍ﺎďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ â€ŤďťŒďş’ﺪ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ‍;ﺎ ŮŽďť?‏ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ €ﺎ‏ â€Ťďť§ďş´ďş˜ďťŒ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺟ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍ ﺪﺎ‏ َ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴďş˜ďť˜‏ Ů? Ů? CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

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ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? 4 ‍ ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎďť&#x;‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘â€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ďť?‏ ‍ďť?ďťŒﺖ‏F ‍ @‏ Ů? ‍Ů?ﺎﺝ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘â€Ź

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďťˆ‏ ‍َﺝﺪ ‏

Du‘a (supplication) for mercy on death O Allah, have mercy on us when sweat appears on the forehead; And gasping intensifies and the physician gives up all hopes; And our dear friends cry bitterly for us; O Allah, have mercy on us when we are buried; And our friends bid farewell; And the pleasures of this life have left us And we can no longer enjoy the sweet breezes; O Allah, have mercy on us when our names are no longer Mentioned, and our graves are no longer recognizable; And our bodies are decayed and our chapters are closed; And when no more visitors come to our graves And we are no longer remembered by anyone. O Allah, have mercy on us when we are asked to account for our Deeds and our book of register is opened; O Allah, have mercy on us when our past secrets are revealed And our intentions are disclosed; And when the Divine Court of Justice is spread out, And the Divine Scale of Justice is ready to operate, With all Your mercies, O Allah, the Most Merciful. O Allah, our Master, the Most Merciful. We accept Your judgment without offering any excuse, And we do not have the strength to bear the punishment That You justify on us. You are the most capable of everything. And blessings of Allah be upon our leader Prophet MuḼammad‍‏, And on his family and on his companions.

This duâ€˜Ä is followed by Al FÄ tiḼah. With The name of Allah, the All- Compassionate, the All- Merciful; Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and the Sustainer of all the worlds; Most Gracious, Most Merciful, Master of the Day of Judgment. You alone do we worship and Your aid alone do we seek. Guide us on the Straight Path. The path of those on whom You have bestowed Your grace, neither of those on whom Your wrath has fallen and nor those who are misled. When we are about to die, we can still hear our friends and relatives reciting Qur’anic verses while we already look forward to Allah’s response to our previous dua‘s:

ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4Ů?4 ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź ŮŽﺣŮ?Ů‘ﺎ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ”‏ 4 ‍ ďş‘ﺎ‏ 4 Ů’ ‍ﺎďş&#x;‏ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ . ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴ‏ 4 Ů’ ‍ ﺖ‏ ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ﺴ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďťš ďť&#x;ﺴ‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘â€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ‍ﺒﺎ Žﺖ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďş§ďť ďť¨ďşŽ ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďş‘ﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴ‏ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďťłďťŒďşŽÂ”ďş– َﺎ‏ ‍ ďťťďť›ﺎ‏ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů?

Oh Allah, indeed You are the source of peace and from You, security is assured; and to You all salutations return: greet us, O Allah with SalÄ mun ‘Alaikumâ€? (when we meet), and make us enter Your Home, the Abode of peace and tranquillity; indeed, You are Blessed and Most Exalted.

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

What we are required to do?

As soon as the umpire, the Angel of Death, declares we are out, we too must immediately declare our Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ 4ŮŽŮ? 4 ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? shahÄ dah: Ž‍ﺡﺪ ﺤﺪ ďť—ďş’ﺪ ﺳ‏F ‍‏ Ů? ‍ ﺡﺪ ďťť Ů? ÂŽ ;‏ Ash hadu al lÄ ilÄ ha ilḡ a l LÄ h, wa ash hadu anna

MuḼammadar RasĹŤl Allah, meaning: I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that MuḼ ammad is His Messenger. This should be fairly easy for all of us. Thanks be to our parents for having recited the adhÄ n (the call to prayer) in our right ear and the iqÄ mah (the Islamic Anthem) in our left, soon after we were born. The shahÄ dah were the first words we learnt in our mothers’ arms and hence remembered till the very end. After having recited the shahÄ dah we are expected to greet the angel with As SalÄ mu ‘Alykum. This too, should not be difficult because as Muslims we are accustomed to saying these words to every guest who comes to our home. We must also not panic or get frightened at the time of death, because neither the fear of death will delay the issue nor can we hide for protection in towers built high and strong (Q.4:78). The angel will find us no matter where we are. It is for this moment that we had recited the soothing du‘a after each complete reading of the Holy Qur‘an

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ 4Ů?4 Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ‏k‍ ﺣﺸ‏ ‍ﺎﺒ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘ Ů?ﺲ‏Allahumma Ä nis waḼ shatÄŤ fÄŤ qabrÄŤ meaning: O Allah, change my fear in my grave Ů? Ů? Ů?

into love. Having greeted the angel with AssalÄ mu ‘Alaikum, we must behave in a peaceful and tranquil manner, and face him with confidence. To do this we must hope that our good deeds are heavy enough to tip the scale to the right, and that we have tried our best to score more than 50% marks in all our exams on Earth (Q.101:6-7). If we are still alive, it means that we have not yet accomplished our mission in this world. In such a case the additional time becomes a gift from Allah. But if He takes it back, we have no right to complain. We should in fact thank Him for exchanging our short earthly existence for the eternal one in the Hereafter. There is a definite purpose both in life and in death. Death brings us closer to our goal, viz. Allah, while each extra day in life gives us an opportunity to do good deeds with a view of receiving our Book of records in our right hand on the Day of Judgment. ŮŽ ŮŽ

4 Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Allah created death for a purpose. Űš ‍ﺣﺴ ďť—‏F ‍ @? ďş§ďť ďť– ďť&#x; ﺤďť&#x;ﺎ‹ Ů?Â”ďş’ďť ďťŽÂŽ ďť›ďťłďťœ‏ Ů? Al ladhÄŤ khalaqal

mauta wal ḼayÄ ta liyablovakum ayyukum aḼsanu ‘amalÄ : He Who created death and life, that He may try which of you is better in deeds. (Q.67:2). (Notice in this verse that there is “lifeâ€? after “deathâ€?). Every person must taste death. (Q.3:185). Death puts a full stop to whatever we wish to do still in this

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ 4 ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ world, good or bad. Allah has written “deathâ€? in our destiny. ‍ﺑďťœ ďť&#x;‏ ‍ ﺤ ďť—ﺪ ﺎ‏NaḼnu qaddarnÄ

bynakumul maut: We have decreed death to be your common lot. (Q.56:60). However, no person can die except by Allah’s permission, the term being fixed in writing (Q.3:145). If Allah wants a person to die in any particular land, He will give him a reason to go there. (ḤadÄŤth: At-TabarÄ ni). Death being a part of us we have to live with it. In fact, no one would like to part with his life if he were given a choice. If we were told to ask Allah to grant us one single wish most probably it would be this for nearly all of us: “O Allah, I do not want to die. Let me live for everâ€?. The span of conscious life is not from birth to death, as we often think. It extends from birth to eternity. Life is not restricted to the present terrestrial existence; it shall be followed by another extraterrestrial life. Man, being the choicest of Allah’s creation, can not end in a non-being. He is expected to go through various qualitative transformations towards Allah’s Attributes. How can one mention Allah’s creative powers and wisdom, and in the same breath say that all His plans would end up in naught? Allah Who has created everything for a specific purpose would not discard the best of His creation (viz. man: Ashraful MakhlĹŤqÄ t) as a useless item or aŮŽ non-entity. ŮŽ ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů‹ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ĂŽ ‍ﺗﺎďş&#x;ďťŒ‏ ‍ﺤﺴďş’ďş˜ ďť›ďť?ﺎ ďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ ďť—ďş’ďşœďşŽ ďť›ďťœ Ů?;”ﺎ ‏ Ů? F What! Did you think that We had created you in vain and

that you should not be brought back to us? (Q.23:115). Does man think that he would be neglected and ŮŽ Ů’ 4 Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ 4ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů° â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞ ďť&#x;ﺸﺄ‹ ‏ uncontrolled? (Q.75:36). Allah has promised a second creation which is to follow. ‍ﺧﺎ‏ F ŮŽ Ů?

And that He has promised a second creation ŮŽ to follow (of raising of the dead). (Q.53:47). And Allah

Ů? Ů’Ů? ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 â€Ťďť ďť’â€Ź 4 Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť‹ﺪ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ﺑ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ‏ never breaks His Promise. ‍ ďş ďşŽ ďťť ďť“ďťŒďť ďť¤ďťŽâ€Ź Ů? 4 ‍ﺎďşœâ€ŹF Ů? ‍ ďş‘ Ű– ďťť ﺨ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť‹ﺪ‏It is the Promise of Allah.

Never does Allah fail in His Promise, but most men understand not. (Q.30:6; 3:9). Allah has promised to resurrect us (Q.22:7). On the Day of Judgment, Allah will create the like of us (Q.17: 99). The first

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creation out of nothing is far more difficult to imagine than a second creation which would be much easier because it would be out of something, viz. from the DNA remnants of the first creation present in our dust. So why should we doubt the second? At the time of death, the two best friends - the soul and the body - part. The body which consumed all the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals from this earth goes back to the earth, and the rūḥ (soul), which originated from the breath of Allah and was imprisoned in this body, flies out of the bodily cage with the speed of light, free at last, and goes to barzakh, taking with it the video recording of one’s entire actions from birth to death. (This video has very little weight and poses no problem for this bird during its flight. If a small microchip of the computer could carry millions of pages of data, we could well imagine, how much an invisible chip designed by Allah Himself, would be able to carry). It is theorised that our rūḥ (soul) would travel with the angels, probably to a planet nearly 293,730 trillion miles away from this Earth, at the speed of light at 186,287miles/second (or even faster!). From Allah, the Master of the Ways of ascent, the angels and the rūḥ (soul) ascend unto Him in a day the measure whereof is (as) 50,000 years (Q.70:3-4). Could this place be the barzakh where all our souls are destined to go? This is how the old story of the lover (grave) and the beloved (mankind) goes: the grave tells man “My friend! Ya Ḥabībī! Since you came into this world from the fleshy cradle of your mother's womb, you have not come to see me. I have prepared a nice cradle for you made out of the same material that you were made up of. Come, my love! Don't be afraid.” This concept is reflected in this Urdu poem :

# â .U Ö ­U ­U

å Ð\U ÂZ æ

Dhartee ko aakaash pukaaré, aajaa aajaa prem dwaaré; aanaa hee hogaa. The skies are calling aloud to the Earth: come, come, my love! You have no alternative but to come. Remember the du‘a to be recited after completing the reading of the Holy Qur’an: Allāhumma ānis waḥshati fi qabrī: Oh Allah, change my fear of my grave into love! The earth tells man: Take your time, my friend but don't forget. I am waiting. The same fate applies to the moth that goes round the flame making the tawaaf (circumambulation) in its own right, expressing thus its love and devotion, and merges with the beloved scorching its wings to nought while the candle itself, standing still and mute, watches the panorama all night long, with tears flowing down from its head until the very end when it burns itself out! No one goes again via the birth canal through which we exit. In Q.30:54 Allah reminds us that He created us in a state of weakness and helplessness; then we were given strength and later weakness again with a hoary head (with senility and its multiple manifestations). Ageing is characterised by an over-all decline in man’s capacity for adaptation, physical infirmity and memory loss. There is slowing down of comprehension and reactions. The elderly brain can deal with fewer items per minute than when it was younger and any attempt to hurry an old person would make him confused. An Urdu poem:

¾# î ¼ Gç A Eí

¾ ì L ç è éê ë

Kamar khameedah nahin bé sabab budhaapaa mén; Wo d hoond rahaa hé zameen dafan ké liyé. The backbone in old age is not bent without a reason; it is searching the ground for a burial spot. It is unfortunate that some of us do not believe that even after being reduced to dust and bones, we shall be resurrected (Q.23:82; 37:16; 56:47) and yet such disbelievers call themselves Muslims. Allah says that undoubtedly we shall be raised up again after death (Q.6:36; 22:7) and then we shall be

4

َ

ُْ َ

ََْ

ُ gathered for the Day of Judgment about which there is no doubt (Q.45:26). Allah says: ‫ﺑﺎﺑ‬ ‫ﻛﻴﻒ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺗﻜﻔﺮ‬

َ ُ َ ُْ َْ 4 ُ ْ ُ ُْ 4 ُ ْ ُ ُ ُ 4 ُ ْ ُ َ ْ َ​َ ً َ َْ ْ ُْ َُ ‫ﺗﺮﺟﻌﻮ‬ ‫; ﻪ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺤﻳﻴﻴﻜﻢ ﻋﻢ‬ ِ ‫ﻣﻮ ﺗﺎ ﻓﺄﺣﻴﺎﻛﻢ ۖ ﻋﻢ‬F ‫( ﻨﺘﻢ‬Q.2:28). How do you disbelieve in Allah, while you ِ ‫ﻳﻤﻴﺘﻜﻢ ﻋﻢ‬

were non-existent, then He gave you life; then He will cause you to die, then again He will bring you to life, and again to Him will you return. Many years ago we did not know for a fact that out of 400 millions there would be a single sperm of the father which would succeed in fertilising the ovum (egg) of the mother, while 3,999,999 sperms would die in the race. But it did happen and we were born, although at one time we were non-existent. After fertilisation, we lived in the mother’s womb in a cosy world, as a zygote adhering to the wall of the womb like a leech, and at that time we did not know that one day we would come out of the womb into this kaleidoscopic world. This also did happen. Similarly, now we cannot imagine that we would be going on to another world, but this will also happen, as per Allah’s promise.

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Life and death go hand in hand wherever we may be. We should accept death as part of our normal existence, as death is only the first stage in the life cycle of human beings on this planet. Death is only a comma, not a full-stop in the sentence of life. In fact, there is no full-stop for life, since life goes on to eternity in the Hereafter and never ends. Death only puts a full-stop to our actions in this life, good or bad. With earthly death, bodily life ceases but existence does not cease because we enter a new eternal life. In fact, death is the beginning of an on-going extra-terrestrial existence. When life on this planet ends, Allah offers a new life. There is only a partition called barzakh between death and the Hereafter (Q.23:100). We think that when a person looks at us when he is dying it must the last time we see each other. We are mistaken. We shall meet him again many times in barzakh and in the Hereafter. In barzakh lies the kingdom of the dead, where the dead are not dead but living in their own rights (Q.3:169). All prophets who passed away are alive there, including Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, Jesus, Moses, Abraham, Adam and others, peace be upon them all. A funeral procession on planet Earth is accompanied by a reception ceremony in barzakh. When we say a man is dead, the inmates of barzakh say a man is born. In every one’s end on Earth is his beginning in barzakh. When carried to the grave, a dead person is followed by three things, viz. his family, wealth and his deeds. Two of these things return, viz. his relatives and his wealth while his deeds accompany him to the Hereafter (Ḥadīth: Fatḥ Al-Bāri). After someone dies, all his ability to do good deeds come to an end except three: (a) a continuing charity (sadaqah jāriyah), e.g. building a hospital or an orphanage, or digging a well, or establishing a trust (waqf), (b) a source of knowledge, e.g. a school or a book, (c) a virtuous child who prays for him (Ḥadīth: Muslim). Most of us think that when we die, we shall stay cosily in our graves for billions of years until God appoints the Day of Judgment, and on this Day, we will join in a never-ending queue with our records in our hands. In fact, it is not so. Let us see what Allah says about the period of time َ between death and

ْ ُ ََْ َ ُ َ َ َ َ

َ

ًَ َ

ََُْ َْ ْ َ ْ ُ ُ َْ َ َْ

َ ِ ‫ﺤﻳﺮﺸﻫﻢ ﻛﺄ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻠﺒﺜﻮ ;ﻻ ﺳﺎﻋﺔ‬ ُ 4 ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ َ ﻳﻮ‬It will the Day of Judgement in the Holy Qur’an: (a) ۚ ‫ ﺠﻬﺎ ﻓﺘﻌﺎ ﻓﻮ ﺑﻴﻨﻬﻢ‬ ِ be as if theyَ had tarried an hour of a day (Q.10:45; 30:55); not more than an hour (Q.46:35). َ َ َ ُ ْ ً4 َ ّ ََُْ َْ َ َْ َ​َ َ َْ ْ ُ 4 َ (b) ‫ ﺿﺤﺎﻫﺎ‬F ‫ﻋﺸﻴﺔ‬ ِ ‫ ﻛﻜﻏﻬﻢ ﻳﻮ ﻳﺮ ﻏﻬﺎ ﻟﻢ ﻳﻠﺒﺜﻮ ;ﻻ‬The day they see it, it will be as if they tarried but a single evening or at most, the following morning (Q.79:46); a day or part of a day (Q.23:112-114). Just as when we wake up from a nap and we do not know how many hours we slept, similarly, we shall close our eyes in this world and open our eyes immediately in the Hereafter without any awareness as to how much time has passed in between. It would seem to us an hour or less. We will be resurrected as the identical person with whatever personalities we had acquired during our sojourn in this planet (Q.76:28). We will have eyes to see, ears to hear and all parts of the body including our taste buds (Q. 2:25). So, our life would now continue on a different plane, with just a short break called the Earthly death. This transition would seem to us who have just died on this Earth, like a short nap lasting an hour or so. The explanation lies in the very concept of Time.

The Concept of Time

The notion of time or rather, the way we experience time, is linked to our consciousness. (1) If we are in pain, the time hardly appears to pass by. This is because we are conscious of our pain and of our surroundings. (2) Perception of time alters with the use and abuse of various substances. Let us suppose we take a person, administer a general anaesthetic and induce in him a deep sleep for 10 hours or so. When he wakes up and we ask him how long he slept, his reply will probably be, “Hardly 5 minutes”. (3) Anyone who has gone into a coma for a few days or weeks and recovered will usually reply: “I never slept at all”. This is because of the depth of unconsciousness during the coma. Similarly, death which seems the ultimate form of oblivion may actually last billions of years by the reckoning of this world until the Day of Judgment comes, making us think of never-ending centuries of being dead. Yet the time may hardly seem a second to the dead person. The intervening period between death and the Day of Judgment spent in barzakh may count as billions of years on this planet, but would seem as a short nap to the person just resurrected. (4) Although time began with the first Big Bang and shall end for us with the next Big Bang, the clock of life for a person is wound only once when the child is born and continues to tick until the earthly death.

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After that, time does not exist for us throughout barzakh leading to eternity. In the Hereafter, no one would be wearing a watch.

Did Allah promise that we will be resurrected?

Some of us think that when we are dead and reduced to dust, then that is the end. There is no more life, and no Hereafter! Yet we still call ourselves Muslims. We should not. Have we not read in the Holy Qur’an, in which there is no doubt (Q.2:2) the verses where Allah says: َ

ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů° ŮŽ â€Ťďş ďťŒďťœ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ďť´ďşŽďş” َ‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? 4 ‍Ů?‏ 4 Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďťłďş? ďť“‏ 4 Ů? â€Ťďťłďť¤ďť´ďş˜ďťœ‏ 4 Ů? â€Ťďş¤ďťłďť´ďť´ďťœ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ‏ ‍ ďş ďşŽ ďťť ďť“ďťŒďť Ů?‏ Ů? 4 ‍ﺎďşœâ€ŹF Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍;ďť°ďť&#x; ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů?

Say (unto them, O MuḼammad): Allah gives life to you, then gives you death; then gathers you together for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt. But most of mankind know not. (Q.45:26). If we do not believe in this assurance, it means we do not believe that Allah has the power to give life once again. The Qur’an has mentioned such sceptics and disbelievers: They say: when we are dead and have become dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised up again? (Q.23:82; 37:16); Man says,ŮŽ ŮŽ

ŮŽ 4

Ů‹ Ů? 4Ů?

ŮŽ

ŮŽ ‘What! When I am dead, shall I be brought back alive?’ (Q.19:66). Some people say: ‍ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍;ﺎ‏FŮ? ‍; ďť›ﺎ ďş—ﺎ ﺑﺎ‏FŮ? ŮŽ

Ů’ ŮŽ

â€Ťďş§ďť ďť–â€Ź Ű— ‍ďş&#x;ﺪﺪ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů?

When we are actually dust, shall we indeed be renewed into a new creation? (Q.13:5).

Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ They say their strongest oaths by Allah that Allah will not raise ‍‏ ‍ﺎ Ű™ ďťť ďť“ďş’ďťŒďşš ďş‘ ‏F ‍ďş&#x;ﺪ‏ ‍ﺑﺎﺑ‏ ‍ﺴ‏F Ů? Ů? Ů?Ů? Ă‘ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ â€ŤďşŁďť˜ďşŽâ€Ź ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ‏ those who die‌ In the same verse Allah says: ‍ ďş ďşŽ ďťť ďť“ďťŒďť ďť¤ďťŽâ€Ź â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞâ€Ź ‍ ďş‘ďť°ďť ďť‹ﺪ‏No. It is a Ů? 4 ‍ﺎďşœâ€ŹF Ů? Ů? promise by Allah binding on Him in truth, but most of mankind know ŮŽ Ů’ 4 (Q.16:38). ŮŽ ŮŽ We know Allah has Ů? Ů’ not. ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů° promised another creation that shall follow this present one. ‍ ﺧﺎ‏ Â‹â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞ ďť&#x;ﺸﺄ‏ F And that Allah has Ů?

ŮŽ4

4

promised the last creation (of raising of the dead). (Q.53:47). And we must remember this verse: ‍Ů?; ﺑ‏

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďşŽâ€Ź Ů? ‍ ‏Lo! He never breaks His promise. (Q.3:9). Ů? â€Ťďş¨ďťłďť ďť’â€Ź

In fact, we are reminded that we shall be resurrected barefooted, uncircumcised, naked and free from all bodily defects (Hadith: Al BukhÄ ri). Why then should we doubt that we will be created once again? If we are sure about our first creation from nothing merely with Allah saying: Be! And it is. (Q.6:73), and the creation of universe also from nothing just for our sustenance, why should we doubt the second creation in the Hereafter? It is even easier for Allah to resurrect and create us from something already present such as components of our own dust which contain the same elements as the human body. Allah says: ŮŽ ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’Ů? ‍ﺗﺎďş&#x;ďťŒ‏

ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů’Ů? 4 Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů? 4 Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů?Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ‍;”‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů? â€Ťďş¤ďťłďť´ďť´ďťœ ďť‹‏ Ů? ‍ ﺗﺎ ďť“ďş„ﺣﺎ Ű– ďť‹‏F ‍ﺑﺎﺑ ÂŽďş˜‏ Ů? Ů? ‍  ďş—ďťœďť”ﺎ‏How can you disbelieve in Allah, Ů? â€Ťďťłďť¤ďť´ďş˜ďťœ ďť‹‏

seeing that you were without life, and He gave you life; then He will cause you to die, and will bring you to life, and again to Him will be your return? (Q.2:28). Allah says: Don’t they see that Allah who created the heavens and the Earth is able to create the like of them once again? (Q.17:99). Then He gives you death, then He gives you life. (Q.30:40; 26:81; 53:44; 3:27; 30:19; 10:31).

Appointment with Al-MÄ lik: actually meeting Him

Allah created many things in pairs, e.g. night and day, man and woman, positive and negative electrical charges, right and wrong, etc. Similarly, Allah has also created the ultimate pair: the desire to live and the certainty of death. Some of us unfortunately, do not believe in the actual MEETING with our MĀLIK (Q.30:8) in spite of Allah’s warning:(1) Be God-conscious and know that one Day you will meet Him. (Q.2:223). (2) Those who deny Our revelations and the meeting in the Hereafter, their works are fruitless. (Q.7:147). (3) They who disbelieve in the Revelations of Allah and in meeting with Him, have no hope of My Mercy. (Q.29:23). The first trumpet would announce the death of the entire universe including mankind (Q.27:87) and the second blast would announce universal revival. The clock of time, that began ticking with the first blast of the Big Bang and the formation of the universe shall stop ticking when the whole expanse of the

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universe, is folded up. The second blast of the Big bang shall usher the Resurrection (from Latin resurrēctiōnem meaning to rise again). When exactly would this happen is not known. Decision as to the Hour of Judgment may come at any moment. It could take place even now before our very eyes. Man would be resurrected as the same person on the Day of Judgment. This re-creation would include the revival of our past memories from the memory molecules in the DNA of our chromosomes. When resurrected, even our taste buds would be the same as we had them on Earth, whether for tasting food or other pleasures. In Heaven, which would include the entire cosmos, we would get fruits with the same taste as on earth (Q.2:25). A scientist writes: “Imagine being teleported. A special scanner records the state of every cell in the brain and body and digitally encodes the information for radio transmission. The body is destroyed in the process but reconstructed as soon as the signals are received and decoded at our destination. We arrive in precisely the same condition that we left, identical in body and brain.” It is clearly against both logic and justice that men of righteousness should have the same end as men of sin. Not equal are the inhabitants of the Fire and the inhabitants of Paradise. (Q.9:20). Should Allah prepare a red-carpet reception for those blood-thirsty tyrants who have blackened the canvas of history with their shameful deeds? Some evil deeds deserve an ever-lasting and never-ending penalty (Q.32:14). They come to grips with the harsh reality when the catalogue of sinful events is presented to them in the Hereafter, only to realise in the final analysis that all this was a self-inflicted punishment. While we were on Earth, we could not see Allah, but when in Jannah, we shall be able see Him

َ َ​َ

ْ ُ 4َ َ

ْ َ

ُ 4

َْ (Q.75:22- 23). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬has said: ‫ﺳﺮﺘ ﺑﻜﻢ ﻗﻴﺎﻧﺎ‬ ‫ ;ﻧﻜﻢ‬Definitely you will see Allah with your own eyes. (Ḥadīth: Bukhāri). Accompanying each resurrected person will be a Driver (the Angel of Death) and a Witness (his video cassette) (Q.50:21). Our final drive will be to Allah (Q.75:30). It will be actually possible to see the angels on the Day of Judgment (Q.25:22).

The Divine Scale is now ready to operate in the presence of Allah Who is the Most Just of Judges (Q.95:8). We will be judged according to what we actually did or failed to do. On Earth, when we were told, Fall not short in the measure and establish weight with justice. (Q.55:9), it was a command for us to restore the balance. It was an indication to us that we would be treated likewise in the Hereafter with respect to our actions. On the Day of Judgment, the balance shall be absolutely correct (Q.21:47). Those whose scales are heavy with good deeds shall prosper and shall attain salvation, while those whose scales are light, shall be in perdition (Q.23:102-103; 101:6-9). The prayer on the lips of all of us would be, Oh Allah! Save us from disgrace on the Day of Judgment. (Q.3:194). Allah is the Only One Who knows which one of us deserves to go to Heaven and which one to Hell. Those of us who proclaim ourselves as pure and pious may find themselves mistaken (Q.53:32). God created both evil and good and also gave to mankind guidance in the holy Qur’an to recognise them and differentiate between them. Man now knows about the consequences and is capable of doing either at will. This has made life on earth like sitting for an exam. Its result will be announced on the Day of Judgment when each examinee shall receive his/her grade, be it high or low, with consequent joy or sorrow, for promotion or demotion. On the Day of Judgment, we will not be asking Allah for Judgment. We will be asking Him for mercy, because we will be our own judge, with our ledger of deeds in the right hand (Q.90:18) or in the left hand (Q.90:19) depending on the nature of our deeds. This personal record in the form of a video is the exact duplicate of what was written concerning us in the divine computer called Al Lauḥum Maḥfūẓ (the Guarded Tablet). Allah qualifies and quantifies the consequences of our deeds. People who thought that they were doing good deeds while doing wrong ones, will find their efforts wasted (Q.18:104). We should not be deceived by the niceties of this world and take our religion for a song, mere amusement and play (Q.7:51). On that Day, Allah will not speak to those, nor look at those, nor make them advance spiritually, nor purify those, who could not have cared less and had sold out their religion for a trifle (Q.3:77; 2:174). In the Hereafter, the wicked will not be able to see the Divine Light (Q.83:15). Our accounts will be given to us and we only have to accept them (Q.75:13-15). We will find that All that we had done in this world had been recorded with absolute certainty. (Q.45:29; 50:18). On that Day no question would be asked of man or Jinn (Q.55:39). Man will bear witness against himself (Q.75:14). Our record shall be given to us (Q.69:19-25; 18:49) and we shall see for ourselves whatever right or wrong we did (Q.99:7-8). This book of our deeds would leave out nothing, good or bad

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(Q.18:49) and would be sufficient for all charges against ourselves (Q.17:14). We shall be given a chance to plead should we so desire (Q.7:53) but if the appellant had been a sinner, he will be confused (Q.28:66). However, the retribution of evil will be exactly according to the degree of evil committed but the reward of good will be far beyond their merits, on account of the Mercy of Allah (Q.28:84). On the Day of Judgment, every person would be rewarded by the measure of his own endeavour (Q.20:15) and wages will be paid in full (Q.3:185). Allah recompenses every person for his earnings (Q.14:51) and ranks in the Hereafter are given to people according to their deeds (Q.6:132). Every person would receive what he or she deserves. Judgment does not depend on what man’s parents, his friends or he may say about himself. It will depend upon the actual balance of the person’s past deeds. The courts in this world are usually more merciful if the accused is rich or influential, but in the Hereafter, Allah cannot be influenced or bribed, and money will have no value. The human element of favouritism through money and corruption will be absent in Allah’s decree. On this Earth, laws are like cobwebs. The small offenders get caught while the great ones break through.

ŮŒ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ ‍ ďťťďťłďť˜ďşŽâ€Ź ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺴﺆ‏ ‍ ďş˜ďş´ďş’ďş–â€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ďť´ďşŽďş” ﺎ ďť›ďş˜ďş´ďş’ďş–â€Ź ‍‏ ‍Ů? ‏Ă? Innaka mas ĹŤlu yaumal qiyÄ mah mÄ dhaktasabtu walÄ Ů?

yaqÄ lu manin tasabtu: On the day of Resurrection, you will be asked as to what you have earned and not what your ancestry is. One in Persian:

ĂŻ ž A›" < T P Na" TXòù ,Ă–Ă° They will ask you what are your deeds, not who is your father. That Day,

no one will bear another’s burden (Q.6:164). On that Day, the sinner will restore what he had misappropriated and every person will receive his due (Q.3:161). Judgment between the victim and the offender will be absolutely fair and will take place in front of Al-MÄ lik, Who is the Best Judge. It would be a process of “give and takeâ€? of marks, values and deeds, between the victim and the perpetrator, on the Day of Mutual Loss and Gain (Q.64:9). On Yaumid DÄŤn, ranks, grades and dignities will be awarded according to each individual’s progress report of his deeds on earth (Q.6:132). The classification will be in descending order with prophets on the top, then sincere devotees of truth, followed by martyrs, and then righteous people (Q.4:69). In this verse, devotees of truth are preceded only by the prophets and are given preference to martyrs and the pious. This Qur’anic preference increases the importance of organs like the brain and the tongue that Allah has gifted us and which assist us in guarding the truth in our speech, thoughts and action. This verse also tells that we must watch every word we utter and every act we do. People will be sorted out (Q.81:7) and divided in three groups, depending on the position of the arrow on the Divine Scale: (1) Those foremost and nearest to Allah called muqarrabĹŤn (Q.56:11). (2) The Companions of the Right Hand (Q.56:27-40), comprising the righteous people or those who persevered in this world seeking the presence of Allah, established prayers and gave in charity. Their wishes would be fulfilled as they are about to achieve the Eternal Home (Q.13:22). Their blissful future and jubilation in the Hereafter will be the result of an excellent life on earth. (3) The Companions of the Left hand (Q.56:41-56) who will be in agony. These mostly rich and wicked people (Q.56:45-46) will taste from the Tree of ZaqqĹŤm (Q.56:52). They had spent too much of their valuable time on earth in the pursuit of pleasurable events to the detriment of eternal goals. They had abused and wasted their God-given gift of time. On Judgment Day, the joy of the righteous and the Glory of Allah shall be hidden from the eyes of the sinners who shall have with them their Register of Wrong Deeds. However, the intercession belongs to Allah (Q.39:44). Some of us may get reprieve from the fire and be admitted to Paradise (Q.3:185). Allah will forgive you your sins and admit you into gardens. (Q.61:12). Yaumid DÄŤn is known by many different names. This is so because different circumstances require different treatments. How would persons such as a child that died before maturity or a person who was born mentally retarded or with abnormal chromosomes, be able to give his account on the Day of Judgment? Hence, for such cases, the Day would be called by a different name. The pen does not record the deeds of three persons: the child until the age of puberty, the sleeping person until waking up and the senile until sane. (ḤadÄŤth: Abu DÄ wĹŤd). There are many other instances on how Allah would decide on the Day of Judgment. Whatever good we send in advance for ourselves, we will find it with Allah (Q.2:110). Those of us who would enter the grave with truth and honour shall also make an exit on the Day of Resurrection

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with truth and honour (Q.17:80). The striving for righteous deeds will restore us to the Society of the Righteous (Q.4:69). If we receive our records in the Right Hand (Q.69:19) or better than that, if we are one of the foremost among those nearest to Allah (muqarrabūn Q.56:10-11), then on meeting Allah we

ْ ُ َْ َ

ٌَ َ

can expect Him to give us a personal invitation and to address and greet us with: ‫ﺳﻼ ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ‬

َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ُْ ُ َ َ 4َ ُ ُ ْ ُ ‫ﻳﻌﻤﻠﻮ‬ ‫ ﺧﻠﻮ ﺠﻟﻨﺔ َِﺑﻤﺎﻛﻨﺘﻢ‬Salāmun ‘Alaikum. Their salutation on the Day they meet Him will be “Salām”: and He has prepared for them a great reward. (Q.33:44), and

4َ َ ُ 4 َ ْ ُْ ُ ْ 4ْ َ ُ 4َ َ ُ َُْ ّ 4َ ُ َُْ ْ ُ ‫ ﻟﻤﻄﻤﺌﻨﺔ‬ َ ‫ﻓﺎ ﺧﻰﻠ ﻰﻓ‬ ّ َ ‫ ﺟﻰﻌ ﻰﻟ‬ k‫ﺟﻨ‬ ‫ ﺧﻰﻠ‬ Ê ‫ﻋﺒﺎ‬ ‫ﺔ‬ ‫ﻣﺮﺿﻴ‬ ‫ ﺿﻴﺔ‬ ‫ ﺑﻚ‬ ‫ﻳﺎ ﻛﻓﺘﻬﺎ ﺠﻔﺲ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

O you serenely confident person! Return to Allah well pleased and content in His Good Pleasure. Enter then among My devotees, enter My Heaven (Q.89:27-30).

The Hereafter

Some of us refuse to believe that we will be resurrected (Q.6:29) in spite of Allah’s promise to resurrect us (Q.16:38). In fact, Allah feels insulted when man says that Allah will not resurrect him as He created him before. (Ḥadīth: Fatḥ Al-Bāri). Life after death is not a matter of conjecture but a certainty, and firm and unshaken belief in it is one of the articles of Islamic faith. The concept of Heaven differs among different people. Some who do not have absolute certainty in the Hereafter say that heaven is a figment of our imagination and is a mental state within us and we can find it during enjoyment of the good times on earth or through prayers, meditation, nirvana, drugs, etc. The Qur’an says and we unreservedly accept that meeting Allah personally is not a falsehood but a certainty (Q.6:31). Just as our creation was as a single individual person, our resurrection will also be like a single person for individual assessment (Q.31:28).

َْ​َ 4 ْ ُ ُْ َ َ​َ ْ ُ ُْ َ َ َ ۗ ‫ ﺣﺪ‬ ‫( ﻣﺎ ﺧﻠﻘﻜﻢ ﻻ ﻧﻌﺜﻜﻢ ِ;ﻻ‬In this verse, nafs is mentioned meaning person. Allah did not ٍ ِ َ ‫ﻛﻨﻔﺲ‬ ٍ

mention rūḥ or soul in this verse). We will be held accountable alone before Allah for our actions on the Day of Judgment. Those of us, who turned to Allah in sincere repentance, hoping that He would remove َ

َ​َ ُ َ​َ ْ ْ َ4َ ْ ْ َ ‫ﻧﻮ ﻧﺎ‬ َ َ ‫ ﻏﻔﺮ‬ evil deeds from our records and admit us into Paradise, would be supplicating: ۖ ‫ﺠﺎ‬ ‫ﺗﻤﻢ ﺠﺎ‬F ِ ِ ‫ ﺑﻨﺎ‬

...O Allah, perfect our Light for us and grant us forgiveness… (Q.66:8). Ties of blood and friendship would carry no weight in the Hereafter. After the passing of Judgment, we will be transformed into shapes we do not know about (Q.56:61). We do not know what we will look like in Heaven, although we have a fair idea of what our companions would look like. Our common mission is called DESTINATION AL-MALIK. For all of us on this planet the home-coming (maṣīr) means coming back to Allah (Q.3:28; 5:18; 35:18). For the righteous, it would be a pleasant Home-Coming and an evil one for the sinners (Q.9:73). Allah is supreme in forgiveness as well as in imposing penalty (Q.41:43). The consequences meted out in the Hereafter are ruled by the law of personal responsibility for deeds carried out on planet Earth. Man has a fascination for the prohibited and is prone to evil. Hence the reward for good is better than the deed itself while the evildoer will be punished only according to the extent of his deed, as justice demands (Q.28:84). God Who created human beings will never abandon them and will always provide them with the guidance they need. God’s sense of justice requires that people be informed through prophets about what is right and what is wrong and once the warning is done He holds them accountable for their actions and beliefs. The major sinners will be eternally damned with continuous sobs and cries, while the blessed will enjoy the Garden (Q.11:106-108). Waffa means to bring to completion for full accountability, or fulfil one’s promise, or discharge one’s obligation completely with full due. At the time of death of persons who had wronged themselves by sinning without any repentance, the angels fulfil their duties to the very end by asking them to enter the gates of Hell (Q.16:28-29). In contrast, for persons dying while performing good deeds, the same angels fulfil their duties by conveying their salāms and good news of Paradise to them (Q.16:32). Since we do not know when and where death will come to us, we must be prepared for it at any time and at all places. As Allah’s Khalīfah (vicegerent) on Earth, we should die with our boots on while doing good

َ​َ ْ َ

4ْ

ْ ْ

deeds in conformity with our supplication: ‫ﺑﺎﻟﺼﺎﺤﻟﺎ ﻋﻤﺎﺠﺎ‬ ِ َِ ِ َ ِ ‫ ﺧﺘﻢ‬

Wakhtim biṣ ṣ āliḥāti

a mālinā. Make our actions end up as righteous“ or “O Allah, seal our deeds with righteousness ". Since we do not know when we are going to die, we should be doing good deeds all the time, so that we ،

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would not be caught unaware by the Angel of Death. If a person dies while doing good deeds, he will enter Paradise‌‌. (ḤadÄŤth: AḼmad bin Hanbal). It is interesting to note that just as there are seven stations of Heaven, there are also seven gates to Hell mentioned in the Qur’an. In the ḤadÄŤth Muslim, an eighth gate to Paradise called Ar-RayyÄ n, which is meant for fasting persons is also mentioned (raiyÄ n refers to one whose thirst is quenched: MishkÄ t). Sheikh Sa‘di has photographed the scene:

Ă° J Ă? Ă‹ Ă´ ò Ăł . 3 ƒ

Qiyaamat kĂŠ baazaarĂŠ meenoo nahand, manaazel bĂŠ a'maalĂŠ neekoo dahand. On Judgment Day when Paradise would be allotted, residences would be according to the scale of good deeds. Initially, all of us must pass through some degree of Hell. There is not one of you who will not go down to it (Hell) that is settled and decided by Allah. (Q.19:71). By this process the soul will be rinsed of all impurities it might have collected during its earthly sojourn due to Satanic influences and will be cleansed before being allowed to enter Paradise where it would have a full vision of Allah for eternity. Although some sort of punishment is essential in Hell, the main objective is purification which is a prerequisite for entering Heaven. A pure soul of any human being which has only divine qualities was never meant to reside in Hell. Some of us will have already entered Paradise while others are being punished in Hell. God would cleanse the human soul to the same state of purity as when it had first entered the foetus. Through divine justice everyone gets an equal chance to eventually attain the required qualifications for heaven, regardless of our intelligence, congenital or acquired defects, education or ignorance, wealth or poverty, and religion. To the men a share from what they have earned, and to the women a share of what they have earned (Q.4:32). However some Islamic scholars maintain that some of us will go to Paradise without undergoing any punishment, however small. All of us will ŮŽ not be treated ŮŽ equally because some of us had done better than others.

4Ů’

Ů? ŮŽ Ů’

Ů? ŮŽ Ů’

ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ Paradise. (Q.59:20). ‍ďş&#x;ﺤ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť”ďş ďşŽâ€Ź

ŮŽ

4 ‍ﺝﺤﺎ‏F ?‍ ďťť ďťłďş´ďş˜‏Not equal are the inhabitants of the Fire and the inhabitants of Űš ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺔ‏ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺝﺤﺎ‏F ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů?

4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽŮ’ 4 € â€Ťďť§ďťŒ‏ ‍ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?; ďş‘ﺎ‏As for the righteous, they will be in Bliss, and the Ů?

wicked, they will be in the Fire. (Q.82:13-14). We will be allotted different ranks and different places of entry into our residence. Both painful and pleasurable rewards in the Hereafter shall be commensurate with our deeds in this life. Although our Source is one, our goal is one, and our path is one, still our journey in this world leads each one of us to a different entry point at destination. Hence at our destination, we will face different gates. The type of reward in the Hereafter will depend on the quality of effort we used in making choices in our daily interactions on earth. Hence, different persons will have different ranks in the Hereafter as portrayed by Sheikh Sa‘di:

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Karam kon kĂŠ fardaa kĂŠ deevon nahand; Manaazil bĂŠ meqdaarĂŠ ehson dahand. Be magnanimous, because tomorrow (on the Resurrection Day) when they will hold the audience, residences will be allotted by the measure of the good deeds. God is concerned more about our deeds than our beliefs. Life on earth is like an examination hall where our deeds will be justly graded on the Day of Judgment. The most valuable deeds would be those of charity and kindness rendered with no strings attached. Paradise is also a place of bliss and in the Hereafter an inheritance for those of us who were righteous on earth (Q.19:63; 43:72). It is also called Heaven (derived from old English Heofon or the place where God dwells). Angels surround the throne of Allah while glorifying Him all the time (Q.39:75). On the Day of Judgment, all persons of whatever creed, will be judged for their beliefs and actions, sorted out (Q.81:7), and assigned in their resurrected bodies as individuals (Q.31:28) for consignment to eternal bliss in the gardens of Paradise or damnation in the fire of Hell. It would also be seen that persons who deserved Heaven, were not much different from others but did things differently in their daily encounters in the society. There will be a Home-Coming ceremony for the righteous. All those who had practised taqwÄ (Godconsciousness) shall be grouped together and taken to Paradise (Q.39:73) where they shall be greeted with “SalÄ mun ‘Alaikumâ€?. Paradise would be brought forward for the God-fearing persons (Q.26:90). They will be in the midst of gardens and rivers in an assembly of people enjoying the realisation of Truth, in the presence of the Sovereign, the Omnipotent (Q.54:54-55). All our vocabulary and the imaginative powers we possess defy descriptions and are incapable of portraying the picture of the Hereafter. Just as tomorrow of this world is better than today because of advanced technology, the Hereafter will be better than this Earth (Q.93:4).

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The Arabic word jannah is derived from verbal root jan, which means a hidden or an enclosed place. Traditionally it is associated with a garden, its Arabic plural being jannāt. It is a term used for the region of celestial bliss, commonly referred to as Paradise. (The English word paradise is derived from the Greek parádeisos meaning an enclosed orchard). Paradise is the heavenly realm of gardens which was the original home of Adam and Eve, before their disobedience to Allah and their expulsion to earth. A similar residence will also be the eternal abode of those of us who earn it through a virtuous life and shall inherit the garden in the Hereafter (Q.19:63). Opinions vary among some Muslim scholars as to whether the detailed description of Paradise (Jannah) and Hell (Jahannam) are literal or symbolic. The nature of the punishment of Hell has controversial answers. Some say that Hell is the remorse or loss of the happiness in Paradise while others believe in actual physical pain. We as Muslims must accept what the Qur’an says, be it literal or symbolic, bearing in mind that we do not know what we would look like in Heaven or in Hell (Q.56:61-62). Observance of six things promise us Paradise: Guarantee me six things and I will guarantee you Paradise: when any one of you speaks, he should not lie; if he is entrusted with something, he should not betray that trust; if he makes a promise, he should not break it; lower your gaze; restrain your hands; and protect your private parts. (Ḥadīth: Tarīkh Al-Khaṭīb). Admission to Paradise is one of the greatest triumphs for those of us who are truthful and who fulfil the role of being pleased with Allah and of Allah being pleased with them (Q.5:119). The greatest bliss is the good pleasure (riḍwān) of Allah (Q.9:72). Any man or woman, no matter what religion he/she belongs to, who does good deeds shall receive Allah’s reward to the best of his or her abilities (Q.16:97). On the Day of Judgment, the faithful will be directed to the gardens in the magnificent company of prophets, truthful persons, martyrs and the righteous (Q.4:69-70). Although we do not know what we shall look like in Paradise, we are given a fair idea of what our companions would look like, since there are many references in the Qur’an to the Hereafter. They will have large lustrous eyes (Q.44:54; 52:20) like pearls well-guarded (Q.56:22-23). Paradise itself is described as gardens beneath which rivers flow (perhaps floating hydroponics, Q.2:25 and many others), where there are beautiful companions and couches covered with brocades with abundant drinks and familiar fruits with the same taste as on earth (Q.2:25). Possibly there would be similar trees in the gardens of Paradise like those on Earth. There will be chaste companions called hūr, restraining their glances (Q.37:48-49), of equal age (Q.38:52; 78:33), made out of special creation (Q.56:35-36) and untouched by man or jinn (Q.55:56). (If human beings can now clone human beings in multitudes, Allah can do much better). Ḥūr means pure ones, both among male (aḥwar) and female (ḥawrā’), having intense white and black eyes similar to gazelles whose black iris are in sharp contrast with the clear white sclera around them. Ḥūr implies the idea of purity, beauty, faithfulness and intellect. In the Qur’an, (Q.55:56) hūr is meant as the plural of ḥaurā’ (feminine) who will be our companions. Serving us in Paradise would also be youths (wildān: males) (Q.56:17-18), like preserved pearls (Q.52:24). Each of us, whether male or female, will have our own companion, made out of special creation (Q.56:35), and called hūr. Grammatically the plural hūr does not denote feminine or only feminine (Q.44:54; 52:20). Ḥūr is the plural of both ḥaura (singular feminine) and also aḥwar (singular male). The companionship of hūr is for all in Paradise, both men and women. Thus hūr is a plural term, meaning, Fair ones, male and female, superior and pure among things of its kind, and of clean intellect. In Paradise, Allah will remove all hatred and bitterness from our hearts (Q.7:43). There will be no sensation of fear nor grief (Q.43:68) but peace and security (Q.15:46) and no further death (Q.44:5157). All sorrow will be removed (Q.35:34) and joy will prevail (Q.36:55). It will be our place of final return. There will be no headache, hangover or intoxication from the drink (Q.56:19). The width of Paradise is the combined width of the heavens and the earth, i.e. the whole universe, to accommodate all mankind of past, present and future generations (Q.3:133). The climate will be temperate, neither too hot from the sun nor too cold (Q.76:13). Our light would run forward before us and by our right hands (Q.57:12). There will be no frivolous talk nor mischief but only salāms (Q.19:62; 56:25-26). We will not feel tired (Q.15:48). We will hear no untruth (Q.78:35). Thirst would be quenched with a pure drink with a mixture of tasnīm (Q.83:25-27). We would face Allah with tranquillity and confidence, through a personal invitation we had from Him, to come into His heaven (Q.89:27-30). This Paradise promised to us is somewhat different to the gardens where Adam and Eve had resided where there was Satan but no Hur.

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Although we know what our companions would look like in Paradise, we do not know what we ourselves would look like and into what shape we will be transformed (Q.56:61-62). It is obvious that although in Jannah we would be referred to as persons (Q.21:102) (notice that nafs - self or person - is mentioned and not rōḼ - soul), our physical body would have a different anatomy. We shall eat and drink to our heart’s content (Q.52:19; 77:43) but we would not urinate, defecate, blow our noses, spit or reproduce (AḼmad bin Hanbal). We will not have our reproductive organs, a urinary bladder or colon. There would be no sewer system in Paradise. Dwellers in Paradise will be those that succeeded (Q.7:8) in conformity with the words of the adhÄ n (call to prayer): Hurry towards success. There will be tranquillity and peace and no quarrels or fighting in DÄ rus SalÄ m (the House of Peace and Tranquillity). We shall get all that we desire and all that we ask for (Q.25:16). We will be joined by family members who had performed deeds that made them eligible for Jannah and we will be in company of friends and relatives who have joined us (Q.40:8; 13:23-24). It is due to Allah’s mercy that heaven has eight gates and Hell seven. The Qur’an has called Jannah by different names. Some scholars take these names to denote different gates meant for entering different locations in Jannah (Paradise) (Q.39:73), viz:

Ů’ ŮŽ

4ŮŽ

(1) Űš ‍ﺪ‏ ‍ďş&#x;ﺎ‏ JannÄ ti ‘Adn: (Q.9:72): The Gardens of Eden or the Garden of everlasting Bliss for the Ů? Ů? faithful.

ŮŽ

Ů’

Ů? 4ŮŽ

Ů’ Ů’ (2) Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť”ﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş&#x;ﺎ‏JannÄ tul Firdaus: (Q.18:107): The Gardens of Paradise, to welcome and entertain the

faithful with righteous deeds.

Ů’ Ů?Ů’

Ů? ŮŽ

(3) ‍ ﺨďť&#x;ďş˜â€Ź ‍ ďş&#x;ﺔ‏Jannatul Khuld (singular): The Garden of Eternity and Immortality, for the righteous Ů? (Q.25:15). Ů’

Ů? 4 ŮŽ JannÄ tul Ma’wÄ (Q.32:19) Gardens as hospitable homes for person’s good deeds (The Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ďş&#x;ﺎ‏ (4) ‍ ďť&#x;ﺄ‏

Gardens of Retreat).

4ŮŽ

4 JannÄ tin Naâ€˜ÄŤm: (Q.5:65; 22:56) The Gardens of Bliss and Delight for the righteous. (5) ‍ ďş ďťŒ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ďş&#x;ﺎ‏

ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ DÄ r us SalÄ m: The Home of Peace in the presence of Allah. Allah shall be man’s friend, (6) ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴ‏ Ů? 4 because he practised righteousness (Q.6:127).

ŮŽŮ’

ŮŽ

Ů? DÄ r ul QarÄ r: (Q.40:39): The Home that would last (the Hereafter). ŮŽ (7) ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺎ‏ Ů?

In contrast to Paradise, there is another stage set for the sinners, the unbelievers and the hypocrites (Q.9:73), who shall have a different welcome because of what they had forwarded (Q.38:60). The believers shall be invited to Paradise, while the sinners shall be driven to Hell (Q.19:86). (The English word Hell is derived from the Old Icelandic Hel, the goddess of death of the underworld). Whosoever opposes Allah and His Messenger, for them awaits the Fire of Jahannam (Q.9:73) where they shall dwell, much disgraced. This fire will envelope the evil-doers (Q.18:29). (Jahannam or Hell is also known in Jewish as Gehenna. Near Jerusalem, there was a valley of Hinnom, where children were said to be sacrificed as burnt offerings to Baal and Moloch (Semitic deities). Some Israelites are also believed to have sacrificed their children there, giving the valley an abominable status. Later, the valley became a refuse dump where fires were maintained continuously to prevent pestilence, and became known as Gehenna. Hence, in the New Testament, Gehenna became synonymous with Hell). Allah has warned us of horrendous consequences of evil deeds in the form of boiling water (Q.22:1922), blazing fire (Q.25:11-12) and other punishments (Q.39:16 and Q.29:55) so that we should take heed and refrain from doing wrong in this life. The place where evil doers would dwell is called Jahannam (Hell). It is a place of torment meant for the damned, who will be deprived of Allah’s presence. We must accept unconditionally the consequences of our own actions because we alone are responsible for making the choice in the first instance. Although no human being can act if it is not Allah’s will, it was still His decision to give humans the power and the faculty of free choice. Therefore, Allah is just in holding mankind accountable for its sins. Sins committed wilfully or unintentionally carry different penalties. Minus marks are actually EARNED by committing sins wilfully (Q.2:85). Punishment is proportional to the guilt of the individual while Allah’s mercy is overwhelmingly in man’s favour. For man to have a free-will and a choice, Allah has endowed him with guidance, and eyes to see, ears to hear and a brain to understand the difference between good and evil. We can obey Allah’s laws or disobey

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them. In absence of guiding and determining conditions, free-will would produce randomness depending on whether we form an alliance with Allah or with Satan. The choice is ours. If we use our brains or listen to Allah’s commandments, we can avoid the fiery consequences of Hell (Q.67:10). Hell has an unlimited capacity (Q.50:30) and will be filled with evil doers among mankind and jinn (Q.11:119). Hell which has seven gates for different classes of sinners (Q.15:44) will be guarded by nineteen angels (Q.74:30-31). The fires of Jahannam will consume all the foul objects thrown into it. (This process is different to the consumption and compaction of organic matter deposited over centuries in the deeper layers of this planet Earth. Through such compounding, all dead human beings, animals and plants on Earth get transformed into fossil fuels such as coal, petroleum and gas for industrial use, and such is going to be the fate of our physical bodies too after we are buried in the earth for centuries, whether we are pious or otherwise). This Persian poem explains:

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Miyani zahdo randee aalamee daaram nameedaanam; kĂŠ charkh az khaakĂŠ man tasbeeh yaa pymaanah meesaazad: Between ascetism and libertine is a wide world of what I do not understand; whether my dust would be turned into a rosary (tasbeeh) or a flask of wine. The sinners shall be known by their marks (Q.55:41) and hold their records in their left hands (Q.69:25-29). Some hard-hearted offenders shall be made to undergo repeated torture (Q.25:13-14) when they shall neither live nor die (Q.20:74; 87:13). The process of purification shall gradually delete such traits of character as hoarding, arrogance (Q.7:48), malice, jealousy, homicidal tendencies and a host of other undesirable dispositions so that we may become eligible for the final felicity. The process of cleansing shall begin after the Day of Judgment (Q.3:77). Allamah BukhÄ ri (d.870), the author of one of the most authentic collections of hadith known as Sahih al BukhÄ ri, says that we shall enter Paradise only after we are cleansed. However, Allah’s mercy is boundless and it is possible that some of us may be allowed to enter Paradise, probably of a lower grade, in spite of our sins, which shall be forgiven. While already in Paradise, certain corrective procedures shall be instituted so that our ills may be removed (Q.48:5) in any way Allah wills. Even in the lower grades of Paradise, life would be far better than the one on Earth, because of our rōḼ being continuously refined. Every new entrant to Paradise shall be introduced step by step to the final stage of perfection. Maybe that is why there are different gates leading to Jannah. It makes some sense when persons jokingly comment that those who caught sufficient “Hellâ€? on Earth will go straight to Paradise. In Q.2:155-157, Allah says that He showers His blessings, mercy and guidance on those who patiently persevere when afflicted with calamity on Earth. Calamities provide us with an opportunity to pin-point our past mistakes and shortcomings and strengthen our resolve in improving ourselves, while asking Allah for His assistance in solving problems. There are many other benefits in pain and suffering, viz. the gift of the birth of a child after extremely painful labour which is accompanied by secretion of endogenous opioids such as encephalin and endorphin and many other neurotransmitters in the brain with tranquilising properties which allay anxiety and remove pain. Adverse times and hardships also lead to the cleansing of rōḼ for the life to come. People who encounter suffering and adversity, have better chances of going to Paradise (Q.2:214). “No worry, calamity, distress, illness or grief strikes a believer, even the prick of a thorn, except that it will expiate the sins from him because of this.â€? (ḤadÄŤth: AḼmad bin Hanbal). The rich ones living at ease in this world would be punished (Q.23:64). The poor will enter Paradise before the richâ€? (ḤadÄŤth: At-Tirmidhi) and, Majority in Paradise would be poor and pious persons. (Sunan Abu DÄ wĹŤd). A person with dishevelled hair and covered with dust may be better in the sight of Allah than most of us well-dressed persons. Shaikh Sa‘di paints the picture:

## M Ac!$P§Â€ Ă˝ F ‘ Ăž n ‘ 3 P Besyaar kasaa kĂŠ andaroonash choon ra‘d meenaalado choon barq labash meekhandad. There are many persons who tremble inside like thunder while their lips are smiling bright like lightning. The rich people of this Earth may find themselves to be paupers on the Day of Judgment, while the lowly, the despised and the persecuted may acquire great dignity and honour there. All tendencies responsible for mistakes and sins shall be removed in case of the righteous and evil shall be changed to good during the cleansing process (Q.64:9). It is only natural for a human being who has gone through his life’s journey, to have committed a certain number of serious mistakes and sins which would have contaminated his rōḼ (soul). When we look back at our own history of childhood and later days, we find areas of our stupid misdemeanours, various forms of juvenile delinquency, sexual

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misinformation and foolish escapades. These are chilling thoughts that send cold shivers through the body. The rōḼ that entered our body in the fourth lunar month of conception was pure as it had come from the Breath of Allah. In the course of life when it resided in our body, it was polluted by the sins committed by uᚣ. Hence, every single man and woman must pass through Hell (Q.19:71) so that the rĹŤh might be cleanseá¸?. Hell is the destination for the rebellious (Q.78:22- 23) and the wicked (Q.32:20) who shall abide therein for ages. It shall be filled with those jinn and mankind (Q.32:13) who neither attempted to see nor hear nor understand, and who never took heed (Q.7:179). It is meant for all those who followed Satan. Hell or Hell-Fire is the name of the fire with which God shall punish His disobedient, unrepentant and unbelieving servants in the abode called Jahannam in the Hereafter. It is a place of torment referred to as NÄ r (fire). Just as harmony and peace indicate bliss and salvation, so disputes, pandemonium, physical and mental torture, indicate Hell for those, who wilfully rebel against Allah. When warnings, one after the other, are not heeded and the probation time gets over, then justice displaces mercy and punishment is resorted to. (Islam rejects the idea of salvation as perceived by our Christian and Hindu brothers. In Christianity, “salvationâ€? means purification from the Original Sin through the death of Jesus Christ. Islam rejects such a concept of the Original Sin. Unlike Christianity, Islam emphasises personal accountability since man has been endowed with the freedom of choice. That is why the doctrine of vicarious atonement is abhorrent to Islam; and for the same reason sinners cannot be “savedâ€? while punishing the innocent. Christians argue that for the Original Sin of disobedience committed by Adam, God sentenced the whole of humanity to eternal punishment in Hell, except those who believe that God had later sent His only Son to the world, and this Son of God, Jesus Christ, ascended the cross to save the humanity through his sacrifice. In Hinduism, “salvationâ€? means escape from the cycle of multiple births and rebirths. This concept of rebirth is not acceptable to Islamic Theology). Hell (Jahannam) has seven gates and each gate is assigned for a separate class of sinners (Q.15:44). These are as follows.

ŮŽ

Ů° ŮŽ Laáş“ Ä (Q.70:15) is for people who turned back from the guidance of God, and went away, and (1) ‍ďť&#x;ďťˆďť°â€Ź

amassed and hoarded the wealth.

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’

(2) ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ďť„ﺔ‏ Ů? Ů? Al-Ḥoáš­amah (Q.104:4) is a fire held like a vault over the hearts of every scandal-monger,

backbiter and such that gathered wealth and hoarded it.

Ů‹

ŮŽ

(3) â€ŤďşłďťŒﺎ‏ Ů? Saâ€˜ÄŤr (Q.4:10) is the fire blazing for those who devoured the property of orphans unjustly; and who denied the Hour of Judgment (Q.25:11).

ŮŒŮŽ ŮŽ

(4) ‍ﺎ ﺔ‏ Ů? HÄ wiyah (Q.101:8-11) is a bottomless pit with fire blazing fiercely for those whose balance of

good deeds was found light.

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Saqar (Q.54:47-48) is a fire that darkens and changes the colour of man (Q.74:26-29). It is for (5) â€Ťďşłďť˜ﺎ‏

those sinners who have strayed and are engrossed in folly, and (Q.74:42- 43) for those who did not pray nor fed the poor and denied the Day of Judgment. (6)

Ů’ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺤ‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Al-JaḼčm, the Blazing Fire (Q.2:119) is for unbelievers (Q.5:10) and for the perverse

(Q.26:91).

ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ 4 Ad darkil asfali minan NÄ r (Q.4:145) or the place in the lower depths of the Fire is ŮŽ Ů? ‍ﺳ‏ 4 ‍‏ (7) ‍ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ‏ meant for the hypocrites.

Reminiscences from the Hereafter

Here an attempt is made to show how a person shall critically review his past from the vantage point of the eternal abode after he is resurrected. (1) There was a Home-coming (maᚣ čr) reception by Allah for each one of us. ٰ

ŮŽ ŮŽŮ? 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ‍;”‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟﺎ‏ ‍Ů?;‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ű– ‍‏ Ů?

ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ‏....There is no God but He: to Him is the final goal. (Q.40:3; 50:43). Some of us ÂŽ; Ů?

had an evil Home-coming in Jahannam (Hell). ‌.And evil is that goal. (Q.64:10), while others who were

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Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů’ Ů?Ů’ Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺎﺖ‏ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ % ‍ďş&#x;ﺰ‏ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;‏ righteous had a joyous welcome in Jannah (Heaven). ‍ ﺟﺎ‏ Űš ‍ ďť‹ﺪ ďť&#x;ďş˜ďť˜‏ ‍‌ ďş&#x;ﺔ‏The Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďş˜â€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺨďť&#x;ďş˜â€Ź eternal garden, promised to the righteous. For them, there is a reward as well as a goal. (Q.25:15). If all of us had really believed in Allah’s promise of such a glorious reception in the Hereafter, we would have developed friendship with Allah while we were on Earth, so as to achieve His good pleasure.

Ů?Ů’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? 4 â ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Allah well-pleased with them and they with Him. (Q.98:8). We might have even Űš ‍ ﺿ ďť—‏ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ?

4 i.e. those nearest to Allah (Q.56:11) or at least in the category of been one of the muqarrabĹŤn, â€ŤďťŁďť˜ﺎďş‘‏

á¸ĽÄ bul yamÄŤn Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ”‏ ‍ﺝﺤﺎ‏F. The Companions of the Right Hand (Q.56:27-40) who received their Book in the Right Ů? Ů?

Aᚣ

Hand on the Day of Judgment with the angels addressing them thus:

Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽŮ’ â€ŤďťłďťŒďť¤ďť ďťŽâ€Ź â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťœ ďş§ďť ďťŽ ďş ďť&#x;ďş” Ů?ďş‘ﺎ ďť›ďş˜‏ ‍ ﺳ‏SalÄ mun ‘Aykum! Enter the garden because of all the good that you Ů? Ů?ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ 4ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďť›ďş˜ďşŽďş‘‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ â€Ťďť´ďť˜‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ô‍ﺎ‏ %‍ ďť—ﺎ‏ ‍‏ ‍‏ did. (Q.16:32). â€Ťďť›ďş˜ďşŽ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺗ‏F Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť“ďş„ﺎ ‏Then he that will be given his record in his right hand will say ‘Ah here! Read ye my record!’ (Q.69:19).

(2) For all this to have come to pass, we should have entered as well as made our exit from our grave

Ů’Ů?

with truth and honour, confident of ourselves, in a state of An Nafsul Muᚭma’inna on our death-bed. ‍َ ‏

Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’Ů?

‍ﺝﺪ‏

‍ﺝﺪ‏ ‍ﺪﺧ‏ ‍ ďş§ďť ďť˛ďť¨â€ŹF Say: ‘Oh my God! Let my entry be by the gate of truth and Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺧﺎďş&#x; ﺨﺎ‏F Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů?4 ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?Ů’ Ů? Ů’4 ŮŽŮ?4ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ .‍ ďť&#x;ďť„ďşŒﺔ‏ Ů° Ů? ‍ ďş&#x;ďťŒâ€Ź honour and likewise my exit by the gate of truth and honour.’ (Q.17:80). ‍;ďť°ďť&#x;‏ ‍ﺎ ďť›ďť“ďş˜ﺎ ďş ďť”ﺲ‏ Ů? Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‹4 Ů’ŮŽ Ů‹ŮŽ ŮŽ 4ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ‍ďş&#x;ďş˜â€Ź ‍ ďş§ďť˛ďť â€Ź .? ‍ﺒﺎ‏ .‍ﺎﺿﺔ‏ ‍ ﺿﺔ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎ ďş§ďť˛ďť Ů?‏ Ů? Oh you serene and confident person! Return to Allah wellŮ? Ů? ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? pleased with Him and He well-pleased with you; enter then among my devotees; enter My Heaven. (Q.89:27-30). This state of affairs would have been the result of our good deeds sent by us in advance into the Hereafter, by scoring high marks in all the trials and tribulations that confronted us while at work, in the streets or at home.

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŒ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ű– ‍ďť&#x;ďť?ﺪ‏ And let every person look to what he has sent forth for the morrow. (Q.59:18) Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺤďť›ďťˆﺎ ďť?ďť”ﺲ ﺎ ďť—ﺪﺖ‏

Ů?Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ .‍ ‏ ‍ ﺿﺔ‏ ‍ ďť“ďş„ﺎ  ďť‹ďť˜ďť ďş–â€ŹThen he, whose balance (of good deeds) will be heavy, will be in a Ů? Ů? ‍ﺸﺔ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?‏ Ů?

life of good pleasure and satisfaction. (Q.101:6-7). Another concept that Allah has given to human beings and which is not present in animals is the awareness of death (Q.40:15). We could learn a lesson from Q.19:75, especially those of us who continue to go astray. Death is only a brief stop-over for an eternal life which began on this planet when

ŮŽŮ’ 4ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺪ ﺎ‏ we were born. Death is also the common destiny of everything, including human beings. ‍ﺑďťœ‏ ‍ﺤ‏ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďş‹ďť˜ďş”â€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;‏ We have decreed death to be your common lot. (Q.56:60) and Ű— ‍ ďť&#x;‏ ‍ ‏Every person Ů? ‍ďť?ďť”ﺲ‏ Ů? Ů?

shall have a taste of death. (Q.3:185). This awareness of death is an important message for us that we will actually meet Allah one day, though some might try to deny it.

4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? â€Ťďť›ďşœﺎ‏ Ů‹ ŮŽ € ‍ďť&#x;ďşŽďťœďť“ﺎ‏ ‍ ďş‘‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? 4 ‍‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? %â€Ťďş‘ďť ďť˜ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? And Yet are there truly among men who deny their meeting with

God (at the Resurrection). (Q.30:8). This warning is often repeated so that we may start doing good deeds before the sun of our life sets.

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ 4 Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ‍ﺧﺎﺴ‏ ‍ďť&#x;‏ ‍ ﺴﺎ‏ ; ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒﺎﺟ‏ By the afternoon! Verily, man is in a state of loss. (Q.103:1-2). The raison Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů?

d’être or the sole purpose of the creation of death and life is to test us through our deeds and see which one of us comes َ better َ off in these trials.

4 Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Űš ‍‏ ‍ﺣﺴ‏F ‍ @? ďş§ďť ďť– ďť&#x; ﺤďť&#x;ﺎ‹ Ů?Â”ďş’ďť ďťŽÂŽ ďť›ďťłďťœ‏ Ů? He Who created death and life, that He may try which

one of you is better in deed. (Q.67:2). It is easy to become a Muslim but difficult to become a Mu’min, since to become one we are obliged to perform good deeds. A hadčth speaks of 3 categories of the faithful: (a) The Muslim who conforms to the five pillars of Islam; (b) The Mu’min who is a staunch believer with firm faith and conviction and who adheres with all

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sincerity to the seven branches of ÄŤmÄ n and performs good deeds; (c) The MuḼ sin who adores Allah as if he sees Him (for if one does not see Him, He sees one and all) and performs much better deeds. Adhering to the five pillars of Islam in whatever we do profits us alone for we do it only for ourselves and for our own selfish reasons: (i) If we recite the ShahÄ dah, we recite it for ourselves; (ii) If we pray 5 times daily, we pray for our own salvation; (iii) If we give 2.5% of our savings as zakÄ t (poor tax) which is negligible, it is for our own purification; (iv) If we fast, we do it for our own spiritual and physical health; (v) If we go to Ḥajj, we do it for our own sake. So, by doing merely all that is required of a good Muslim, we do things that selfishly profit only ourselves. Our contribution to the Ummah remains minimal. (3) For us to perform good deeds that would profit not only us but others as well, strongly-bonded

Ů’ Ů?

Ů?Ů?

Ů? ŮŽ Ů’

Ů? Ů’ŮŽ

4ŮŽ

faith called ÄŤmÄ n must enter our hearts. Ű– â€Ťďť—ďť ďťŽďş‘ďťœ‏ ‍ ﺎ Ů?‏ ‍ ŮŽ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏For not yet faith has entered your Ů? ‍ﺪﺧ‏ Ů? Ů? hearts. (Q.49:14). If we perform good deeds in the spirit of firm conviction in the reality of the Hereafter (not mentioned as one of the requisites in the five pillars of Islam), only then we begin doing service to mankind (Q.2:177). A poet explains that it is God Who puts the concept of charity in the heart of some of us.

)>¸ b )

)j { ? 9 .

Taa saayè Ê mubaarakat oftaad bar saram: daulat ghulaamè man shodo iqbaal chaakeram. Only when Your blessed shadow fell on my head, wealth became my slave and fortune my employee. Since we pay no rent to

Ů’

Ů?ŮŽ Ů’

Allah for living on this planet, perhaps we could pay some through service to mankind. ‍ ďş ďşŽ Ů?‏ Ů? 4 ‍Ů?ﺧﺪﺔ‏

ŮŽ Ů’ ‍‏ Ů’ ‍ﺧﺪﺔ‏ Ů? Ů?

Service to mankind is service to Allah. In at least 54 verses of the holy Qur’an, ÄŤmÄ n is linked

to the performance of good deeds: Only after ÄŤmÄ n enters our hearts do we become eligible to join Allah’s party and He is pleased with us and we with Him (Q.58:22).

(4) To end up with firm faith ingrained in our hearts, to begin with we must start our life on Earth as Muslims following the five basic pillars of Islam, and then later in life whole-heartedly accept Islam just like the ᚢaá¸ĽÄ bas did. While speaking of daily prayers Allah says: Establish prayer, i.e. establish the practice of prayer (Q.2:43 and others), so that praying becomes a habit. Habit formation is the acquisition of a specific behaviour pattern to which a person clings. As children, we pray five times a day like a parrot, with understanding neither the meaning of prayer nor its significance, but the repeated performance of daily namaz enhances the process of habit formation. Later on in life when we pray as devout Muslims and understand the meaning of what we recite, this habit acquired in childhood helps us perform other good deeds that advance us to the higher stage where we may become Mu’mins (firm and true believers with solid faith). Performance of good deeds thus often becomes a habit in later life when words are transformed into action which in case of Muslims is a direct result of acquiring early in life the habit of performing the 5-time daily prayers. A habit is like a shadow that always accompanies the person and it is difficult to get away from it. If a person was greedy during his youth and concentrated only on money, he would be thinking of money and making more money during his old age too. Likewise a person, who was a narcissist while young or obsessed with the opposite sex, will remain the same later on in life. (5) Finally, after thanking Allah, we have to thank our parents (Q.13:14) for giving us birth and for providing us with a built-in alarm system in the brain which sounds five times a day, this being mainly due to the shahadah which was recited in the right ear and the iqÄ mah (the Islamic Anthem) in the left ear, soon after we were born.

As mentioned above, the purification of the soul (rōḼ) is an essential pre-requisite for going to Heaven and it shall be done by Allah in the Hereafter. Some scholars believe that a human being can purify his/her own soul by performing good deeds while living on Earth while others believe that the soul breathed into us by Allah cannot be impure per se so it might only be enveloped by impurities collected during the terrestrial sojourn and as Allah is the only authorised One to cleanse it by peeling off the contaminated layers, it shall be done by Him in the Hereafter. However, Islam puts emphasis on the

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purification of the different organs of the body in this world, since it would result in the cleaner state of the soul when it leaves planet Earth. Here are some notes on the meaning of tazkiyah or purification.

Tazkiyah or purification

Allah loves those who purify themselves (Q.9:108). He sent Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬to rehearse with us His signs, purify us and instruct us in the scripture and the wisdom and in any new knowledge that might come to light from time to time in the future (Q.2:151). Islam lays significant stress on cleanliness and purity of thought, word and deed, expressed as mental (thoughts and intentions), physical (comprising the tongue and other organs such as sexual), moral and spiritual (spiritual sustenance needed for God-consciousness, piety, righteousness and tranquillity). A person having achieved such qualities could be compared to gold when refined or diamond when polished. According to a Ḥadīth: Cleanliness is half of faith. The primary meaning of the word zakā is: it thrived by God’s blessing and produced fruit of seed, wealth and cattle. However, some translate zakāh as purity and others as a state of augmentation or increase. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, appears in Q.2:222.

The concept of tazkiyah (purification) may be classified under many headings, some of which are:

Tazkiyatul Jism: This refers to the cleanliness of the body through the performance of wuḍ u (ablution) and ghusl (bathing). Physical purity involves the cleanliness of the body, of the clothing and of the environment. Islam recommends the use of clean water to wash the body parts of impurities and hence Muslims have running water or pitchers of water available in the washroom. Fortunately, hand washing is a powerful deterrent against infectious diseases. Skin is normally colonised by micro-organisms that can reach high counts. Hand washing with running water eliminates the flora harbouring bacteria, fungi, viruses, rickettsiae, parasites and others which may be acquired by food-handlers, care-givers during direct contact with patients, and by others. We must always wash our hands after using the washroom and at other times when hands may be soiled or when they are visibly dirty. Staphylococci, the main cause in the formation of abscesses, are found on hands, forearms and anterior part of nostrils and the feet. Millions of other bacteria are found in the oral cavities, and both aerobes and anaerobes inhabit the gums and are involved in dental caries and periodontal disease, for which frequent flossing of the teeth is recommended. We can see for ourselves how beautifully the various steps of the wuḍū are directed towards eradicating germs from these sites. Tazkiyatul Māl: Purification of wealth. Whenever we disburse our annual obligatory zakāh of 2.5%, the remainder of our wealth is purified in the process. The action purifies also one’s inner self by removing greed and selfishness, and the person becomes God-conscious in his financial dealings. Similarly, giving voluntary alms as sadaqah also purifies the person as well as his possessions (Q.9:102-104; 9:103). Therefore, whenever we repent for any wrong-doing of ours, we should immediately look for avenues to annul our minus marks and get plus marks by doing some good (Q.9:102) like distributing extra charity (sadaqah).

Tazkiyatul Kalām (or Tazkiyatul Lisān): The purification of speech. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: A man slips more by his tongue than by his foot. Giving sadaqat al fitr or zakāt al fitr helps to compensate for our indecent or harmful speech such as back-biting, which is often unintentionally uttered while fasting during the month of Ramaḍān.

Tazkiyatul Akhlāq: The polishing of manners and enhancing of personal image, which includes cultivation of proper manner of dressing, appearance, facial expressions, walking, eating, etc. Allah has commanded us to obey Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬who is the role model of a perfect Muslim and to follow him in our every action.

Tazkiyatul ‘Ayn: The purification of our eyes. This instruction is responsible for the prohibition of pornography in all Muslim societies. In Q.24:30-31 both men and women are advised to lower their gaze and guard their modesty. It is also to be noted that the advice for men precedes that for women.

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Tazkiyatul Udhun: The purification of ears. We must not listen to evil such as foul language, back biting, dirty jokes and vulgar songs.

Tazkiyatud Damm: The purification of blood. Persons with kidney failure need dialysis to clean the blood of its toxic products. Severe cases need a kidney transplant.

Tazkiyatul ‘udhuwil Jinsi: The purification of the sexual organs. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Whoever guarantees me (the chastity of) what is between his loins (i.e. his or her own sexual organs) and what is between his jaws (i.e. the tongue), I guarantee him Paradise. (Ḥadīth: Sahl bin Sa‘d). We should be able to guard the sexual organs against fornication, adultery and sexually transmitted diseases. These diseases are the scourge of modern society. (Some of the major STDs are: syphilis, gonorrhoea, AIDS, herpes genitalis, chlamydia trachomatis, chancroid, trichomonas vaginalis, lymphogranuloma venerum, campylobacter, human papilloma virus, genital warts, Hepatitis A, B, C). Male circumcision followed by washing of private parts soon after intercourse prevents most of these diseases, but does not give license to a Muslim to indulge in activities that are harām.

Tazkiyatul Īmān: The purification of faith. This begins with the first pillar of Islam which is the Shahādah, supported by Surah Ikhlāṣ (Chapter 112 of the Qur’an). To maintain the purity of our faith, we must actually live the Shahādah in our lives and implement it as well as all other six branches of īmān. During fasting, exercise, meditation and prayer, the brain secretes encephalins, endorphins, serotonin and many other neurotransmitters which are responsible for the well-being, peace, contentment, satisfaction, optimism and tranquility. To achieve inner peace necessitates prior peace with the Creator. Meditation produces changes in brain waves associated with being increasingly alert. The EEG shows an increase in alpha brain waves which are associated with alertness, focused thoughts, attention and concentration, and a decrease in delta brain waves associated with drowsiness or sleep.

Tazkiyatus Siḥḥah: also called Hifāzah ‘alaṣ-Siḥḥah: The protection of health. 1. Apart from childhood immunisation against Polio, Tetanus, Diphtheria, Whooping cough, Tuberculosis and others, we must also strive to keep a clean bill of health through daily routine of half-hour exercise and the unique spiritual cum physical activity of the 5-time ritual prayers. 2. We must abstain from foods forbidden in Islam viz. alcohol and other intoxicants; flesh of swine; carrion, blood products; and blood transfusion unless absolutely necessary. (The first four cases of AIDS in Saudi Arabia were due to transfusion of blood imported from the USA). Blood must be drained off completely when slaughtering the animal (Q.2:173). Smoking cigarettes and marijuana etc. are also harām. 3. To monitor your health, it may also be prudent to have occasional laboratory examination of CBC, ESR (Complete Blood Count; Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate); FBS (Fasting Blood Sugar: 90-120 mgms %); Lipid Profile: (Total Cholesterol: ideal at 130 mgms %; High Density Lipo-proteins: ideal over 40 mgms %; LDL (low density lipo-proteins: ideal at 100 mgms %); Risk factor for heart attack or a stroke: ideal 3; PSA (Prostatic Specific Antigen), although not diagnostic: below 4, and any other test the doctor may recommend. 4. Health requirement also includes a clean environment.

Tazkiyatul Bee‘ah: Cleaning the environment. Muslims should be environment friendly and keep it clean. Environment here includes both the external or physical and our internal or spiritual environment. Allah Who created the Earth has also appointed us as His Khalifahs or managers so that we may preserve the environment. We should not litter the ground or the oceans, nor cut down the trees. There are many such areas of serious concern.

Tazkiyatun Nafs: Purity of the inner self and personality. Every human being has in varying proportions some good and some evil traits, which make up his nafs meaning self or personality. Developing the right personality is a difficult and time-consuming, long-term exercise. There is no quickfix solution such as reciting some extra prayers or supplicating a given number of times or visiting a priest, a grave of a saint or resorting to any other form of escapism. Rather, it is a long process that needs constant effort and commitment to correcting mistakes, and must be undertaken as a serious

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spiritual project accompanied by persistently seeking Allah’s assistance and pleasure. Such an effort may take months or years. During all this time, we must examine ourselves and strive to pick and discard the undesirable traits and enhance whatever good qualities we possess, while bearing God’s presence and pleasure in mind. This is the only way we may improve our personality and gain plus marks for the Hereafter in our spiritual ledger. The progress of the human self takes place through the development of divine attributes in the inner self, thus leading towards perfection. Allah created both good and evil and designated particular actions as either virtuous or evil. Then He left it to us to choose freely and do whatever we want. A good act can enhance the personality while an evil one has the power to diminish our spiritual status. It is by refusing to follow in the footsteps of Satan who so courteously escorts us to indecencies and shame (Q.24:21) that the person or the self (Nafs) is purified (Q.91:7-10). Glorification of Allah’s name combined with prayer aids the purification of the self and leads to prosperity (Q.87:14-15). Allah grants mercy, compassion and purification to those of us who are not rebellious and are kind to parents. He also showers peace all the way in this life, then through death via Barzakh, and finally into eternity of the Hereafter (Q.19:13-15). Disbursing the zakāh also purifies the self, besides purifying the balance of the wealth (Q.92:18). Wearing iḥrām after bathing during Ḥajj confers on the person a state of ritual purity. Whoever purifies himself does so for his own benefit (Q.35:18) and for his own spiritual advancement and prosperity (Q.87:14). But, however much we try to sanctify ourselves, in the final analysis, it is Allah Who purifies whom He pleases (Q.4:49).

M N!Na Q K P 3 7 Ð

Allah showers His mercy on us after adversities have touched us (Q.10:21). A Persian poem says:

# AB È

Gham neest zakhm khorda é raahé

khodaay raa; dardee ché khosh bowad ké Habeebash konad dawaa. There is no need to worry if we get injured in Allah's way; it would be a pleasurable pain knowing that Allah Himself would cure it. Various ailments which afflict us are not a calamity but a mercy from Allah. Man develops immunity as a result of being ill with infectious diseases. Antibodies to many viruses develop after suffering from diseases caused by them. When we undergo hardships and misfortunes, the nafs (the person or the self) gets purified in the process. For a believer illness acts like a detergent for the human nafs. It purifies the nafs from the burden of sins so that it eventually may qualify to reflect the Asmā al-Ḥusna (the beautiful Attributes of Almighty Allah) in whatever little way possible. Most people have a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction with themselves and with their Creator when they are actively involved in relieving the miseries of the poor and the under-privileged, be it through distribution of money or any other form of sadaqah such as proper advice, guidance and assistance in any form or field whatsoever. Righteous deeds such as giving charity and other sadaqahs meant to relieve distress of fellow-human beings confer peace and tranquillity to the donor as well as the recipients. This inner peace and purity of the donor is paralleled by a feeling of closeness with the Creator, possibly due to the neural connections in the spiritual pathways of the brain, which secrete encephalins, endorphins, serotonin and other neurotransmitters, responsible for the peace, tranquillity, well-being and satisfaction. A continuous flow of encephalins and endorphins in the body requires a continuous state of taqwā or God-consciousness during life. If such a state of inner peace and bilateral satisfaction between man and Allah continues till the time of death, then it fulfils the main objective expressed in the du‘a: Wakhtim Biṣ Ṣāliḥāti A‘mālina - Oh Allah, seal with righteousness our deeds. It is postulated that this tranquil state may accompany the person through Barzakh into the Hereafter when he appears before his Mālik on the Day of Judgment. The angels greet those whose lives they take in a state of purity with these words: Salāmun ‘Alaikum! Enter Jannah, because of the good you did. (Q.16:32). Often, when instructing believers to uphold the Truth and strive in the cause of Allah, the Qur’an uses the word jihād in different forms and contexts. The word jihād does not mean “holy war” though most often it is translated as such. Actually, it is derived either from the Arabic word jahd meaning exhaustion or the word juhd which means striving. This striving involves resisting evil temptations, speaking out against injustice and fighting against oppressors after all peaceful negotiations have failed. Muslims are also required to undertake jihad on behalf of non-Muslims who are being oppressed (Q.4:75). Fighting for the propagation of Islam is nowhere mentioned in the Qur’an. Moreover there is no injunction in the Qur’an or in the Traditions of the Prophet to spread Islam by sword.

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The concept of jihad is little understood by Muslims as well as non-Muslims. A mujÄ hid is one who strives in the Cause of Allah and does his best even to the point of exhaustion. JihÄ d is an effort to establish a world order where all human beings can live in peace and harmony, free from exploitation. Man is constantly fighting a duel in his mind, swinging like a pendulum between the dual areas of good and evil, the latter including greed, carnal and other desires. His striving to improve the self is called the inner jihÄ d (and also the greater jihÄ d), whose ideal aim is to achieve good and overcome evil. The broader meaning of jihÄ d may involve doing one’s very best in Allah’s cause. It includes several things such as sacrifice of wealth and talent, fighting for defence of religion and all current evil forces, assisting the oppressed against the oppressor, etc. A ḤadÄŤth divides jihÄ d into “the greater jihÄ dâ€? (AljihÄ d al Akbar) directed at one's own evils and shortcomings and “lesser jihÄ dâ€? (Al JihÄ d al Asghar) which is directed at removing oppression and exploitation in the society. Waging war in defence of religion is the prerogative of the ruler of a country and not of an individual. Those who die while engaged in battle in true jihad are considered martyrs. Their bodies need not be washed as they are considered to have died in the state of ritual purity. Tazkiyatur RōḼ: The Purification of RōḼ or soul (as distinguished from nafs meaning self or personality). RōḼ represents the Breath which came from Allah (Q.15:29; 38:72) and God has informed us in the holy Qur'an that He has given us very meager knowledge of it (Q.17:85). If Allah had not breathed into the mould of clay which He had fashioned, human beings would still have been a body of clay without any life or soul. RōḼ is a component of the Unseen in the terrestrial domain of Allah. The rōḼ remains pure inside a polluted human body except that it may get laced and enveloped with the person’s sins and wrong-doings. Cleansing of the rōḼ which came from Allah is by Allah only and it shall begin on the Day of Resurrection. If we discard His advice in the scriptures and take religion for a song, then Allah will not cleanse our soul on the Day of Resurrection (Q.2:174; 3:77). However, some scholars believe that a person's soul can be refined in this world by giving charity, our time, our knowledge and our skill expecting to receive the grace of God. Initially, all of us will have to pass through some degree of Hell which must be accomplished, as decreed by Allah. There is not one of you who will not go down to it (Hell) that is settled and decided by God. (Q.19:71). By this process the soul will be rinsed off the impurities it had collected during its Earthly sojourn and will be purified before being allowed to enter Paradise, where we would have a full vision of Allah for eternity.

(5) IyyÄ ka na‘budu wa iyyÄ ka nastaâ€˜ÄŤn

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?Ů?Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ﺎ‏ â€Ťďť§ďş´ďş˜ďťŒ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍Ů? ﺎ ďť?ďťŒďş’ﺪ‏

This is translated as You alone do we worship and You alone do we ask for help. When we Muslims, perform the act of “worship�, we accept as divine the one and only Allah. It is He alone (and not any other being whom we might also greatly love, admire or respect), that is worthy of our reverence and adoration expressed in prayer and devotion. We have been warned that in our submission to Allah, there is no place whatsoever for accepting anybody or anything as His partner. Allah may forgive all sins except one, viz. ascribing partners to Him.

Allah does not come in the form of a man or a woman or a statue. No one can look like Allah, and Allah looks like no one else. Islam forbids worship of saints, and those whom we call upon besides Allah are people just like ourselves. They can neither help us nor can they help themselves (Q.7:194-197). The mere idea of mediating priesthood in the sense of separating man the worshipper from God the worshipped is derogatory to Allah. As worshippers of the One True Allah, we do not worship what the unbelievers worship. ŮŽ

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?Ů?Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?Ů?Ů’ â€ŤďťłďťŒďş’ﺪ‏ ‍ﺒﺪ ﺎ‏F ‍( ‏Q.109:2). We must not seek compromise with them on religious grounds because

their spiritual loyalty is divided and different from ours.

Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďťœ‏ ‍ ‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ‏Your religion is yours and my religion is mine. (Q.109:6). We should not Ů? Ů? á Ů?

compromise our religion or our principles, although we may change our policies.

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Unlike kings and presidents, Allah keeps an Open House at all the times and needs no appointment for an interview. He urges people to bring Him requests and pleas, saying: Will any one call that I may answer him? Will anyone seek forgiveness that I may forgive Him? (Ḥ adīth). Du‘as: The word du‘a and its derivatives are mentioned in the Qur᾿an at least two hundred and six (206) times. Ḥadrat Abu Umāmah, R.A., relates that the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬was asked which du‘a is the most excellent in the eyes of Allah. He answered: A du‘a offered in the latter part of the night (Tahajjud Time), and after the compulsory ṣalāt (Farḍ). (At Tirmidhi) This Ḥadith indicates that the best time to offer du‘a is after completing any of the five prescribed daily prayers (ṣ alāṭ). Whether the du‘a is performed individually or collectively is not the issue here. Rather, it is the timing that the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬is drawing our attention to that is important. As soon as َ we ask Allah for help, He responds:

َ َ​َ ْ َْ ُ ْ ‫ ﺑﻜﻢ‬ ْ ُ َ ‫ﺳﺘﺠﺐ‬F ُ ُ ُّ َ ‫ ﻗﺎ‬ ۚ ‫ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ‫ ﻋﻮﻰﻳ‬ And God has said: Call on Me. I will return your call. (Q.40:60). Do you ِ ِ

think this is a long-distanceَ call? You would be surprised.

َْ ْ ُ َ ْ ‫ ﺤﻧﻦ‬ َ ْ ‫ﺣﺒﻞ‬ ْ َ ‫ﻗﺮ‬F ُ ْ َ َ We are nearer to him than his jugular vein. (Q.50:16). Nothing is hidden ‫ ﻟﻮ ﻳﺪ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫; ﻪ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

from Allah and He knows what goes on in every man’s innermost mind. Once we acknowledge Allah as our Murshid or Guide and become His murīd or disciple, we must listen attentively to His call and He will respond to our du‘ās (Q.2:186). Although a man may be allowed to act as a murshid (guide) for a beginner, it is better for us to accept as our only Murshid Allah’s Qur᾿an

َ ُ ُ َ

ْ Yarshudūn. Q.2:186; Q.18:17) and calling ourselves murīdullāh, become murīds or Allah Himself ( ‫ﻳﺮﺷﺪ‬

(disciples) of Allah alone. But for Allah, we have neither a protector nor a helper (Q.9:116). In the matter of response to a prayer, He is clearly the Best (Q.37:75). Often He replies so quickly to our supplication that His answer seems like an instant echo of our du’a. It is not sufficiently realised that when we raise our hands to offer a du‘a, Allah holds out His arms to embrace us. The tone of a supplication carries much more weight than the tone of a mere ordinary speech. Just like two connected buckets working in a well, when our prayers ascend, Allah’s mercy descends. Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ said: Du،‘a is a weapon of a Mu’min. It thus acts as a shield as well for it protects the supplicant, assuring him that Allah’s assistance is just around the corner, which gives him self confidence, dispels his anxiety and lifts him from his depression. During the act of supplication, the brain secretes various neurotransmitters such as encephalins, endorphins, dynorphins, serotonin, dopmaine and many others, that instil a sense of tranquillity, serenity, optimism, satisfaction and contentment. Whenever we raise our hands for a du‘a, we must look up at the sky, and ponder over the Message (risāla) that the angel Jibrāīl had brought for us.

4

ْ 4

ُ َْ

َ ‫ ﺳﺘﻌﻴﻨﻮ ﺑﺎﻟﺼﺮﺒ‬ ۚ ‫ ﻟﺼﻼ‬ In Q.2:153, Allah urges us to seek His help with patience and prayer. God does ِ ِ ِ ِ

not intervene in our lives unless He is asked to. How does Allah answer the prayers? Allah speaks to man through waḥy. In Qur᾿anic language, waḥy is not only revelation to the prophets as in Q.4:163 but denotes also various other types of inspiration coming from Allah and directed to different created beings such as: (a) satanic forces (Q.6:121; 6:112); (b) bees (Q.16:68-69); (c) the Earth (Q.99:1-5); (d) the angels relaying messages to human beings who are not chosen as prophets (Q.8:12; Q.14:13). The mechanism through which Allah communicates with human beings is mentioned in Q. 42:51 namely: (1) inspiration (through suggestion or a brain-wave which is a rhythmic wave of voltage arising from electrical activity in the brain); (2) from behind a hijāb or a veil (pointing to the hidden nature of this mechanism), examples being Q.20:9-14; Q.28:30; Q.19:23-26; Q.4:164. Although the prophets were inspired by Angel Jibrā᾿īl, who also conveyed Allah’s words that were written down in the Qur’an, the rest of us, who are not prophets, possibly could also be inspired by Allah sending His rūḥ (from His Breath) to guide us (Q.40:15; 58:22; 16:2). Such instances of inspiration could be included among the examples of Allah’s communications, through his Rūḥ (Breath) from ‘behind a veil’. The whole mechanism might involve warnings and guidance proceeding from our conscience or super-ego as well; (3) through a messenger like Angel Jibrā᾿īl, entrusted with revelations (which are meant to transfer divine knowledge to Prophets as seen in the various religious scriptures). Allah is just waiting to extend to us a Helping Hand with such a Firm Grip that it will never give way:

ْ ْ َُْْ َ َ َْْ َ​َ 4 ْ َُْ ُ 4 ُْْ َ ْ َ​َ َ َ ‫ ﻧﻔﺼﺎ‬ ٌ َ ‫ ﺑ‬ َ َ ْ ‫ ﻟﻮﻋﻰﻘ ﻻ‬ ُ 4 َ ۗ ‫ﻟﻬﺎ‬ ٌ َ ‫ﺳﻤﻴﻊ‬ ٰ َ ُ ِ ‫ﺑﺎﻟﻌﺮ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﻟﻄﺎﻏﻮ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺎﺑ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ‫ ﻳﺆﻣﻦ ﺑ‬ ِ ‫ﻓﻘﺪ ﺳﺘﻤﺴﻚ‬ ِ ‫ ﻓﻤﻦ ﻳﻜﻔﺮ‬And he who rejects evil

and has faith in Allah has grasped the Most Trustworthy Hand-Hold that never breaks. And Allah Hears

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and Knows all things. (Q.2:256). We can see in this verse that in order to grasp Allah’s Hand-Hold, it is not sufficient for us to have just a firm belief in Him but we must also reject Satan outright. Those of us, who simultaneously try to be friendly both with Allah and Satan, can not expect to grasp and maintain a firm grasp of such a Sacred Hand-Hold for long. To hold on to Allah’s firm grip, we have to follow only one particular path, which is the path of Allah, and behave in only one particular way, which is the way of Allah. When we ask for His Sacred Hand to guide us, it becomes easy for us to choose from among many confusing options, and walk along hand-in-hand and step-in-step with Allah, like true and sincere friends. Many people walk in and out of our lives but only true friends leave footprints in our hearts and there is no friendship that is better than Allah’s. WA IYYĀKA NASTA‘ĪN: And You Alone do we ask for help Divine assistance is given not as a matter of course; it has to be earned by harmonising our will and action with Allah’s Will, in the continuous quest to advance to the level of An-Nafsul Muṭma᾿inna.

4 ُ َْ​َ​َ ْ َ ُ‫ ﻨﺮﺼ ﷲ‬ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻓﻨﺮﺼ‬ is a proverb which means: Allah helps those who help themselves. Allah expects

us to use all possible means at our disposal and not sit idle with folded hands. By doing our best, we can count on Allah at all times as One Strong Help. If we have done the possible, Allah will help to complete the impossible. Allah gives us the nuts but does not crack them for us. We should remember that the problems we have ahead of us are not as great as the power of Allah behind us, and that with His guidance no mountain would ever be too high for us to climb. Allah Himself is called Musta‘ān meaning One whose help should be sought. If we strive hard and fight our way so as not to become a slave to our own passions, then we must thank Allah for His assistance in building in us such a strong-willed personality. In fact, having a sincere trust in Allah alone is a priceless treasure. When confronted with insurmountable obstacles, all those of us who had said “I can’t” should have said “I can”, relying on Allah’s assistance. Walking away from insoluble problems seems less logical than approaching the Hand that offers support. Looking forward to Allah’s strong Hand-grip is sufficient to motivate us and give us a jump-start. During dismal periods and perilous situations, Allah will never let us down. He always shows us the brightness of the sun after every dark night. Here is a Persian poem:

# # ° Ë \ AcÒÇ AB

Ay Khodaa magzaar kaarè man béman; Gar gozaaree waayy bar ahwaalé man. Oh God, do not leave all my work to myself; if You do, woe be unto me.

َ ُ َْ َ​َ ‫ﷲ‬ ِ ‫ﺖ َﺒﻟ‬ø‫ﺗﻮ‬ (tawakkaltu ‘alal ḷah) We are advised to put our full trust and confidence in Allah, and if we

do so, then we can depend on One Strong Help, Who will extend His Hand and give us a firm grip to hold on to, a Hand-Hold which is so strongly bonded that it will never give way (Q.2:256). This HandHold necessitates the surrender of the entire self to a Single source, the Divine Reality to Whom we can reach out and Who is the focus and centre of our religious faith and concern, and to Whom every prayer should be addressed. This assistance of Allah would be more than sufficient.

ُ َْ َ ْ َ ُ4 َُ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﻮ ﻴﻞ‬ ‫ ﻧﻌﻢ‬ ِ ِ ‫( ﺣﺴﺒﻨﺎ ﺑ‬Q.3:173). To have a firm grip of Allah’s Out-Stretched Hand, we must submit all our

problems, including ourselves, to Allah while doing the best we can (Q.31:22). None of us can escape having problems. The reason they are called problems is that they can be solved. One way of dealing with problems is to understand that it is not the problems that cause us mental anguish, but our own attitudes towards the problems. If we were just to look at the magnitude of problems that more unfortunate persons have, our own difficulties would look trivial. We must analyse our own way of looking at the problems. There are always reasons for everything (including the problems), and we should try to identify the cause associated with our behaviour such as jealousy, hatred, pride, money etc. Jealousy leads to self-criticism in which the person blames himself for his fallen self-esteem. This is usually accompanied with feelings of enmity against the successful rival. However, in all problematic situations it is necessary to seek the assistance of Allah Who will show us guidelines to approach and solve the problems. Man is weak, and needs Allah’s assistance at all times. Problem-solving or bridging the gap between the initial situation and the target should become easy

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with the help of Allah, Who may supply us with an inspiration, a hint or a brain-wave at the appropriate moment. At some time in our lives, each one of us is likely to be forced into a difficult decision. We may have to wrestle between the pull of our strong desires and lust on the one hand and advice from our conscience on the other. This is the time to ask Allah for assistance. If we find ourselves in such a vulnerable situation that we are about to commit a sin and cannot avoid it, we may as well use our willpower and/or self-control to postpone doing it, on the assumption that we can always do it later if we want to. In the meantime, we can ask Allah for His assistance to extricate us from the tentacles of the satanic octopus. Whenever we become compulsively obsessed with certain recurrent undesirable thoughts that seem riveted to the brain, and which we would prefer to avoid, we should seek Allah’s assistance and recite the Mu‘awwadhatyn (Ch. 113 and 114). Recitation of these verses also dispels phobias consisting of morbid fears of specific objects and situations associated with unwarranted and unreasonable anxiety. (Emotional impulses originate in the amygdala, which is located deep within the temporal lobes and which triggers the physiological reactions associated with emotions such as fear and anger. A network of neural pathways connects the amygdala to the neocortex, the thinking brain, allowing us to examine our feelings and to think before acting).

َ ُ َُ ْ َ ُ ُ ‫;ﻧﻤﺎ‬4 Allah helps him who helps Him (Q. 22:40). Therefore, Allah’s Help is ْ ُ َ ُ ْ ‫ﻳﺴﺎﻋﺪ‬ ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻬﻢ‬F ‫ ﻣﻦ‬Íُ‫ﻳﺴﺎﻋﺪ ﷲ‬ ِ ِ

conditional. If we are asking Allah’s assistance for any of our problems and difficulties, we must first ask ourselves the question: In what way did we help Him? When we look around us at Allah’s creations, we see many mysteries and situations which appear incomprehensible and irrational to us. From experience, we also know that life does not run smoothly all the time and disruptions may occur in even the closest of our relationships. It takes all sorts of men and women to make up this world. Sometimes, we have to deal with difficult persons, or face trying situations and agonizing problems. Worrying never helps us to handle a situation any better or solve any problems. We could label a reason for each problem and place full confidence in Allah to help us solve them. Betterment does not come with merely hoping. We must get up and go, and work for it. Allah gives us cotton; we have to make the cloth. Efforts are needed to convert a retreat into an advance. Allah does not offer to solve problems. We have to ask Him, and then He will help us. We use prayer to weather storms of painful events. When beset with calamities, we should realise that all events of our lives - the joys and sorrows, tears and laughter, adversities and prosperities - were given to us for our own development and further growth, and that wisdom comes during the course of time with experience. Experience in turn comes from trials and errors which provide us with lessons for the future. One such important lesson that we learn from being afflicted with adversities is humility (Q.6:42) which makes us realise our intrinsic worth. One consolation: Allah does not lay on anyone a burden that one cannot bear (Q.2:286). Allah Who knows the hardships of the race also knows the runner’s endurance. During any encounter, we cross the path of others by the Design of the One Who Knows what He is

ُ ُ

َ

ٌ 4َ

doing. ‫ﻳﺮﻳﺪ‬ ِ ‫ ﻓﻌﺎ ِﻟﻤﺎ‬He is the doer of what He wills. (Q.11:107; 85:16). Whatever our presence

contributes, it may have been necessary for the well-being of ourselves or of some other persons. However, when the situation becomes unbearable and we are confronted with painful events, sometimes we get angry with Allah and ask “Why me?” A Jewish proverb says: “If God lived on Earth, people would break His windows”. Sometimes, we muster sufficient courage to face such situations, having learnt from past experiences. At other times, we may feel helpless in solving the problems, and in such circumstances, we look forward to Allah’s assistance to help us out. Allah is the refuge of the miserable and the helpless who find in His arms not only a sanctuary but some solace in their fallen selfesteem, which Allah raises. Allah brings men into deep waters to cleanse them, not to drown them. In the end, we must accept whatever Allah wills and grants us for our prayers, because He knows best. Allah addresses the son of Adam as: َ

4 ُ ُ ُ ُ َ​َ َ َُْ ْ َ َُْ ْ َ َْ َ ْ َ ُْ ُ ُ َ َْ​َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ْ ‫ﻳﻌﺒﺘﻚ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ‬F ‫ﺗﺮ ِﺑﻤﺎ ﻳﺪ‬ ‫ ﻟﻢ‬ ِ ‫ﺗﺮﻳﺪ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻟﻨﻴﺘﻚ ﻋﻤﺎ‬F ‫ ﻳﺪ ﻓﺈ ﺿﻴﺖ ِﺑﻤﺎ ﻳﺪ‬F ‫ﻳﺎ ﻧﻦ ﻧﺎ ﻳﺪ ﻧﺖ ﺗﺮﻳﺪ ﻻ ﻳﻜﻮ ِ ﻻ ﻣﺎ‬ ُ ُ‫ﻳﻜﻮ ّ ﻻ ﻣﺎ ُ ﻳﺪ‬ َ ‫ُﺗﺮﻳﺪ َ ﻻ‬ ِ

Ya ibni Ādam, ana urīd wa anta turīd; wa lā yakūnu illā mā urīd; fa in radī tu bimā urīd, aghnytuka ‘ammā turīd; wa in lam tarḍa bimā urīd, at ‘abtuka fīmā turīd; wa lā yakūnu illā mā urīd. O son of Adam. I plan and you plan. It will never be except what I plan. If you are satisfied with what I plan for you, I will give

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you plenty in what you plan, and if you are not satisfied with what I plan for you, I will make you strive for what you plan for yourself and finally, you will never get except what I plan for you. Another reminder for us is that the words na‘budu and nastaâ€˜ÄŤn are in plural. Through such a usage, Allah urges us to seek His Help through collective efforts and mutual co-operation, for the benefit of ourselves, the community and the environment. As Allah’s vicegerents, we should not only take care of mankind but also the planet in which Allah has granted us shelter. We are privileged to live here, and pay no rent to Allah for living on this planet. Perhaps we can repay it partly through our service to mankind, including the environment.

Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů‘ Ů’ ‍ﺧﺪﺔ‏ Ů?‍ﺧﺪﺔ ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş â€Ź Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎ Ů?‏ Ů? means service to mankind is service to Allah. In at least 54 verses of the Holy Qurážżan, ÄŤmÄ n is linked to the performance of good deeds.

ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?Ů’

ŮŽ

Ů‘Ů?

ŮŽ Ů’

ŮŽ (6) Ihdinas-ᚣirÄ tal mustaqÄŤm ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴďş˜ďť˜‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺟ‏ ‍ ﺪﺎ‏ Ů? Ů?

This is translated as: Guide us along the Straight Path. Guidance involves counselling and instructing in ways to achieve specific goals, and in many ways to recognise and avoid areas of conflict and anxietyprovoking situations. Allah guides man so that he can understand his own ‘self’ and perform his duties towards Allah and His creatures better. He is directed so as to make the correct choices in this life and to achieve his personal goal of the Hereafter. Allah is the best Counsellor for religious and academic studies, as well as day to day interactions in the street, in the work-place, and at home, including crisis situations in marriage. Although both intuition (undirected thinking) and reasoning (directed thinking) could be fairly good guides, they may very well be guesses. The supreme guide is revelation from the scriptures, because they are inspired by Allah. (Inspiration is derived from Latin inspÄŤrÄ re which means to breathe in.) Prophets are inspired by Angel JibrÄ ážżÄŤl through whom Allah’s words were conveyed to guide mankind. The rest of us who are not prophets could also be inspired by Allah through His RōḼ (from His breath), which He sends to guide us (Q.40:15; 58:22; 16:2). This guidance is probably done through a brainwave involving the God-spot (centre of spirituality) probably situated in the human brain in the posterior temporal lobe with neural connections to the pre-frontal cortex, as stated by some scientists. Because of this God-spot, “God won’t go away from the mindâ€? of most of mankind and He always makes a comeback among most of us. Allah Who has created us will not abandon His creation and we will never be neglected. Although we speak about free will, others argue about many actions, which have different outcomes, that are not free. Some of us doubt whether we really have the free will although we know we could do this and not do that. Our actions are determined by physical, biological and theological awareness of the consequences of our actions. The ability to select a course of action as a means of fulfilling some desire depends on the prefrontal cortex with its neural circuitry communicating with other areas of the brain, through various hormones and neurotransmitters. Decisions to act are made in the pre-frontal cortex (neocortex) of the human brain. Both short-term and long-term consequences depend on the knowledge, as stated in the Qur'an, of moral implications of the free-will when translated into action. A Muslim should always think whether his final free-will would be compatible with Allahážżs good pleasure. One of the greatest gifts man has been endowed with is the freedom to choose from the options we encounter on a daily basis. It is of great personal importance to choose carefully because the direction taken may lead us to heaven or to disaster. Although we have a choice to become a believer or a nonbeliever, our leader Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏was commanded by Allah to have ÄŤmÄ n or firm faith (Q.10:104). We are also advised to obey Allah and His Messenger and never to betray them (Q.8:20; 8:27). However, in spite of the guidance available in the scriptures, some of us follow a right course, some the middle and some the wrong one (Q.35:32). Because we follow divergent routes, some of us are righteous and some are not.

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Man’s need for Guidance

Originally mankind was a piece of clay that came into this world with certain consistency. Inherent qualities bestowed on us through Allah's RōḼ as well as acquired ones that came from Satan have shaped us into what we are today. Man enters this world as an innocent baby without having any say in the matter. As he goes through life, he encounters day to day problems on the one hand and sees a glittering Earth on the other. A smiling and kind Satan is always waiting to greet him at every corner, with promises of instant relief from all worries and headaches, once man listens to him. Without Allah’s guidance, man is unfortunately an easier target for Satan who has an advantage of countless years of experience in different manoeuvres that add to his cumulative guile, deceit and wisdom. Satan the Jinni, with his split personality of an obedient servant of Allah first and then as a disobedient and arrogant leader of the Jinn later, knows how to deal with persons of every kind, no matter how pious they may be. In fact, Satan was an ardent monotheist in the beginning and much devoted to Allah alone and no one else, while enjoying the pleasures and comforts of the atmosphere in Jannah. It is only when Allah commanded him to prostrate to a human being that he refused to do such a task, taking advantage of his free-will as a Jinni. When Allah asked him why he was not among those who prostrated themselves, Satan replied: I am not one to prostrate myself before man, whom Thou created from sounding clay, from mud, moulded into shape. (Q.15:33). Many persons experienced in the spiritual field have, in the language of the cricket, been bowled out for naught in the very first ball served by Satan. If an old man thinks that he has acquired wisdom due to his age, Satan is much wiser since he is by far much older than human beings. After Allah granted forgiveness to Adam and accepted his repentance (Q.2:37), He gave him guidance (Q.20:122) and further advised that, Whosoever follows Allah’s guidance will not lose his way nor fall into misery. (Q.20:123). Satan usually takes a man into his confidence and gradually leads him off-course in his daily walk of life. Whenever man reaches a cross-road, it is often difficult to decide which way is acceptable to Allah, as Satan is always there to show right as wrong and vice versa. Hence, man needs someone called AlMÄ lik to guide him and bring him back onto the Straight Path that leads to his real salvation, viz. Allah. Allah prompts man through his conscience, his inner voice which has already been influenced by the lessons he has learnt from the Holy Qurážżan, and also from his past errors and experiences. If man has unshaken faith in Allah, and is not blind to Allah’s teachings or deaf to the voice of JibrÄ â€™ÄŤl in the Qurážżan, then he can always muster up sufficient courage and stamina to challenge Satan any time. The only thing that man now has to do is to use his will-power, and say an emphatic NO to Satan. If we cannot burglar-proof the brain from incoming thoughts and whispers of Satan, we could hear him but not listen to him and without obeying him, and then meet every move of his with a devastating blow using whatever knowledge we have. This is a barometer of will power a practising Muážżmin is expected to possess, especially if he had developed a strong personality after the annual exercises of month-long fasting. It is always better to confront Satan rather than blame Allah as to why He, being the Sustainer, did not prevent us from doing wrong. A man’s journey is not under control of an autopilot. Man needs Allah’s assistance. Allah Who created everything also guides His creation (Q.20:50). Even an earthworm is guided while burrowing in the ground. Because of this guidance to us and to others, we have to remember and glorify Allah. We find satisfaction and self-confidence in the remembrance of Allah (Q.13:28). As to those whom Allah wants to guide, He opens their hearts to Islam (submission to Allah's Will) at first (Q.6:125). Moreover, Allah confers a favour upon the sincere and truthful ones among us by guiding them towards firm faith or ÄŤmÄ n (Q.49:17). We must thank Allah for having grouped us among those loyal ones, who are guided to a firmly bonded and unyielding belief called faith (ÄŤmÄ n) (Q.16:93). Such faith assures us that our lives have a meaning and purpose and that a powerful force from a Higher Power is at work. As responsible persons and guardians of ourselves, we should now follow His guidance. It is not enough for us to be in the driver’s seat and think that we are in full command to go ahead. We must look into the rear-view mirror occasionally to see if Satan is following us, and, at the same time, also look forward to see whether we are really going straight ahead. We have to be reminded that it is Allah Who is the Guide of the faithful to the Straight Path called ᚢirÄ áš­ al MustaqÄŤm (Q.22:54). The return of all of us would also eventually be to Him. Here is an Urdu poem:

G Ă‚ ‹ Ăš Ă™ ¡ > ĂœÂ‡ Ă– Ă°PĂą ¨ ”

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Gar 'ilyhil maseer' ké ma‘nee par soch karo gé; pher dèkh lé har fe‘l mein maqsood kaun hé: If you ponder over the meaning of 'returning to God’, then see for yourself Who is the sole object of every action of yours. Allah guides whomsoever He wills, is repeated many times in the Qur᾿an. One of the requirements of such guidance is that the person must firmly and steadfastly have faith in Allah in order to be guided. Hence, some scholars interpret this Qur᾿anic verse as: Allah guides ‘he’ who wants to be guided. This would exclude those persons who would not listen and would not like to be guided such as the agnostics, the rebellious, the tyrants, etc. Du‘as (supplications) are so important that we are advised to make a du‘a between the two prostrations of every prayer incorporating a request from Allah to guide us.

َْْ ِّ ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻤﺣﻲﻨ‬ ْ ْ ‫ ﻗﻲﻨ‬ ‫;ﻏﻔﺮ ﻲﻟ‬ ِ

ْ َ َ kِÍ‫ ﻫ ِﺪ‬ ‫ ﺨﻓﻲﻨ‬ Rabbanaghfirlī, warḥamnī, warzuqnī, wahdinī, wa‘āfinī. Oh Allah! Forgive me, have mercy ِ ِ​ِ

on me, provide for me, guide me and keep me healthy. Sometimes we are presented with a dilemma where it is very difficult to decide due to the multiple choices present, whether it was set by Allah Who is testing us or whether it is from Satan who is luring us, or maybe even both. A situation may arise when we may want to do one thing but Allah may want us to do something else, while Satan may want us to do the opposite of what Allah wants, and yet the society may expect us to conform to the prevailing norms, not necessarily pleasing to Allah. In such a scenario, we must keep our head on and ask Allah for guidance. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬used to teach his followers how to perform istikhārah: an optional prayer in which we ask Allah to guide us as to the proper action we should adopt concerning any project that we are about to undertake, by making a du‘a following a 2-rukū‘ optional prayer. Making Du'a is like talking to the Only most trusted friend, during which process the functional MRI shows increased activity in the pre-frontal cortex of the brain. Allah does not guide the unbelievers (Q.39:3), the liars (Q.39:3) and the oppressors (Q.9:19). If Allah had willed, all of us on Earth would have been included among the faithful (Q.10:99; 16:93). Although Allah guides whom He pleases and leaves to stray whom He pleases, we are still responsible and accountable for our actions as to how we performed them. Every one of us acts according to his own disposition. Stars may guide us to a certain location on Earth (Q.16:16) but Allah’s guidance leads us directly to the Straight Path (Q.6:161) and eventually to Himself and to the gardens of bliss in the Hereafter. Some persons do not care whether they are guided or not. Like a kite, they allow the breeze to blow them in any direction. In Allah’s Will and Plan, a limited free will is granted to man. He is not forced to conform to Allah’s Will, but is only given the guidance that will bring him towards Allah. He is always free to accept or reject it. But sometimes, the human endurance is stretched beyond its limits and then it becomes necessary for man to ask Allah for guidance so that He might intervene, which He does promptly. This exercise needs only 5 minutes of our time. We just have to go to a solitary place and pray to Him, asking Him for assistance.

ِّ َ ْ

َْ ُ4

ُ

Guidance comes through Allah’s Revelations guiding us to the truth. ۗ ‫ﻓﻬﺪ? ِﻟﻠﺤﻖ‬ Say: it is ِ ‫ﻗﻞ ﺑ‬ ِ Allah Who gives guidance towards truth, (Q.10:35). Allah’s guidance does not come as a matter of

ُ

ُ ْ َ

َ

َْ

course. We have to turn to Him. ‫ﻳﻨﻴﺐ‬ ِ ْ ِ ?‫َﻓﻬﺪ‬ ِ Í …and He guides to Himself whoever turns to Him, ِ ‫; ﻪ ﻣﻦ‬

َ​َ َُ ْ َ ْ َ 4 َ ُ ; ْ َ َ ْ ‫ﻓﻘﺪ‬ ٰ َ ُ ْ َ ُ ِ 4 ‫ﻫﺪ‬ ‫ﺳﻠﻤﻮ‬F ‫ﻓﺈ‬ (Q.42:13). ۖ ‫ ﻫﺘﺪ‬ ِ ِ His guidance is ِ …and surrenders to Him, (Q.3:20); ۗ ‫ ﺑ ﻫﻮ ﻟﻬﺪ‬ real guidance. (Q.2:120). One of Allah’s most beautiful names is Hādi meaning Guide. While we turn to

ً ُ ْ َ َ ْ ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ ُ َ َ And Allah increases the guidance for ُ 4 ‫ ﻳﺰﻳﺪ‬ َ ِ 4 ‫ ﺑ‬ Him, we have to ask Him to guide us. ۗ ‫ ﻫﺘﺪ ﻫﺪ‬ ِ those who seek guidance. (Q.19:76). Allah not only guides man but increases the guidance for those who ask for it, so that they can make much better decisions now that they have the Qur’an in their hands, which is the Furqān delineating right from wrong. As for those who reject Allah as the Guide and are bent upon evil, Allah lets them go astray. Their hearts are sealed as they do not wish to say and do any good. Their ears are blocked since they do not want to hear the truth and their eyes are closed as they do not wish to see what is right (Q.2:18; 2:171). Allah’s grace is not a social or a family privilege. Each individual and by extension, each community, must earnestly strive for it and earn it. Some He has guided while others (by their own choice) deserved the loss of their way because they had preferred evil ones to Allah (Q.7:30). It is man’s own loss if he is deaf to the voice that teaches him and blind to the light which guides him. 112

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

It is for this reason that we ask Allah several times each day to guide us on the Straight Path. Just as a pilot or captain of a ship looks at his compass from time to time to ensure that the ship is on the right course, likewise every practising Muslim ensures that his spiritual compass is pointing in the right direction called Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm, at five short specified intervals a day. The practice of truth in thought and word, intention and deed, is a difficult target to achieve even for the best amongst us, and this necessitates a constant daily check on the direction we follow. However, we are also reminded to strive constantly in Allah’s cause if we are asking Him to guide us and engage us in performance of good

َ​َُ ُ ْ ُ4َ َْ​َ َ ُ َ َ ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ َ ِ 4 َ And those who strive in Our cause, We will certainly guide them to deeds. ۚ ‫ﺠﻬﺪﻓﻨﻬﻢ ﺳﺒﻠﻨﺎ‬ ‫ﺟﺎﻫﺪ ِﻓﻴﻨﺎ‬ ِ

our Paths. (Q.29:69). No matter in whichever direction we are, Allah will guide us to one of His paths which would eventually lead us to Ṣirāṭal Mustaqīm (the Straight Path). For the faithful, Allah’s guidance goes hand in hand with His mercy (Q.7:52). People on true guidance from Allah are those who pray, give zakāt regularly and have firm faith and absolute certainty in the Hereafter (Q.31:4-5; 27:2-3). For Allah to guide us to ways of peace and safety, lead us out of darkness into Divine Light (Nūr) and to a Path that is Straight, we must identify ourselves to be among those who seek His good pleasure (Q.5:16). In this verse, the word darkness (ẓ ulumāt) is used in plural because areas of darkness are many, but no matter from which one we exit, the path of Nūr or Light is only ONE, so it is mentioned as singular. It is better for us to belong to Ahl-i-Riḍ a / Ahl-è-Reza (the party that strives to seek and gain Allah’s good pleasure by acting according to His Will and Commandments) than to Ahl-è-Du‘a (the one that depends solely on supplications). This entails that we must be Godconscious at all times, since God-consciousness is linked to Allah’s good pleasure (Q.9:109). We may have to give up much of our wealth and of ourselves to gain Allah’s good pleasure (Q.2:265; 2:207). In this process of pleasing Allah, we will be displeasing Satan and some of our not-so-genuine “friends”. It is not only essential that we alone are satisfied, the pleasure must be mutual and Allah must also be pleased. Then only it will be called the mighty triumph and the great salvation (Q.5:119). When man’s will is so guided by Allah that he becomes obedient to Allah alone and seeks only Allah’s pleasure, then he becomes Allah’s righteous Khalīfah (vicegerent or representative) on Earth and does his best. Such a Khalīfah has only one mission in life and that is to bring Allah’s plan for mankind to fruition. As Allah’s representative on Earth, not only can we design our own lives because of the potential we possess but we can also influence the lives of others with whom we interact. To receive Allah’s mercy and be guided on the Straight Path leading to Him, we must not only have firm faith in Allah but must also hold on fast to Him (Q.4:175). At the end of our every effort, we must ask ourselves whether it was for the good pleasure of Allah or of Satan or of human beings or was it for the good pleasure of all three of them. Allah will increase faith in the hearts of the faithful who are certain of the Hereafter, and He will strengthen them with a Rūḥ from Himself. Such persons do righteous deeds (Q.98:7-8) and fall into the category of those who are well-pleased with Allah and He with them (Q.58:22). When a man came to the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬and said to him: Guide me to a deed that makes me close to Heaven and far from Hell, the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬said: Free a person and redeem a slave, (Fiqh us Sunnah). Slavery means conditions of exploitation, whether political, industrial, physical, mental, social, or economic. A man can also be a slave to wealth and passions, to drugs and drug lords and to many others. The Muslim Ummah must find ways and means to shake off the many shackles of slavery that have cowed it because of circumstances and ignorance. With rapid progress in bio-technology, we should ask Allah in earnest to guide us now in the ongoing experiments in artificial insemination, rental of human wombs, test tube babies, manipulation of human genes, cloning, etc.

Pre-conditions required to receive Guidance

There are certain pre-conditions required of us as believers in order to receive guidance. These are recorded in Q.2:2-5: This is the Book wherein there is NO doubt guidance for those who are Godconscious (i.e. possessors of Taqwā), who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them; and who believe in the Revelation sent to thee (O Muḥ ammad) and sent before thy time, and are absolutely certain of the Hereafter. They are on (true) guidance from Allah and it is these who will prosper. This means that to be eligible to become the recipients of Divine Light, we must necessarily have the following qualities: (1) be God-conscious at all times, and this includes love, fear and obedience of Allah;

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(2) believe in the Unseen, viz. Allah, the angels, jinn, etc.; (3) spend out of what God has provided for us; (4) believe in the Revelations sent to Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏and to those before him, and (5) have firm and unshaken belief in the Hereafter. If we want our efforts to be acceptable to Allah, we must be Mu’mins with ÄŤmÄ n (faith) firmly rooted in our hearts so that we may strive hard for the sake of the Hereafter (Q.17:19). For us to continue receiving ŮŽ the divine guidance, we must constantly beseech Allah in our du‘as:

ŮŽ 4 Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4ŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺖ‏F ŮŽ Ů’ ‍;‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů? Űš ‍ﺗﺰ ďť—ďť ďťŽďş‘ﺎ ďťŒﺪ Ů?; ﺪďş˜ﺎ ďş? ďş ďşŽ Ů? ďťš ﺣﺔ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş‘ﺎ ‏

RabbanÄ lÄ tuzigh qlĹŤbanÄ ba‘da idh hadytanÄ wa hab lanÄ min ladunka raḼmah, innaka antal wahhÄ b: O Allah! Let not our hearts deviate now after You have guided us, but grant us mercy from Your Own Presence; indeed, You are the Creator of bounties without measure, (Q.3:8).

” � � ‚ ‚ U

Del bÊ baazaarÊ man aawardeh ó befrookhta ee; DelÊ befrookhtah mafroosh bÊ baazaarÊ degar: You have brought your heart to My market-place and sold it; don’t sell the heart in someone else’s market since it is already sold. Moreover, we should not make a mockery of Allah’s lessons, by changing our belief from day to day as the occasion demands. For those who persist in disbelief, Allah will neither forgive nor guide them.

Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů‹Ů’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮ’ 4Ů? Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ 4Ů? Ů?ŮŽ 4Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4Ů? Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4 ‍ﺳﺒ‏ ‍ ﺎ ďť&#x;‏ ‍ @  ďť‹ ﺎ ďť‹  ďť‹ ﺎ ďť‹‏ Ů? ;Ů? Innal ladhÄŤna Ů? Ů? ‍”ďť?ďť”ﺎ ďť&#x; ‏ Ů? Ů? â€Ťďťłďťœ ﺑ‏ Ů? ‍”ﺪďť“‏ Ů?

Ä manu thumma kafarĹŤ thumma Ä manĹŤ thumma kafarĹŤ thummaz dÄ dĹŤ kufrann lam yakunillahu li yaghfira lahum wa lÄ liyahdiyahum sabÄŤlÄ : Those who believe, then disbelieve, then believe and disbelieve, and then increase in disbelief, Allah will not forgive them nor guide them on the way,

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’

Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?4

ŮŽ Ů? (Q.4:137); ‍ ďť&#x;ďşŽďťœďť“ﺎ‏ ‍ﺪ? ďť&#x;ďť˜‏ Ů? ‍ ŮŽ ďş‘ ‏And Allah does not guide the unbelievers, (Q.2:264). Ů?

Mere saying that we believe in Allah does not qualify us as the faithful. The true believers are those who pray regularly and give charity (Q.8:2-3). For us to be called Mu’minĹŤn and Mu’minÄ t, we must have a firm, uncompromising and unshakable faith in Him. Faith has much more significance than mere belief. While belief implies only an acceptance, faith stands for an absolute commitment. Faith is not fragile like a flower that would wither away. It shines bright in the midst of impenetrable darkness. The two words “beliefâ€? and “to believeâ€? need some clarification regarding their connotations as they are used frequently to translate the Arabic words ÄŤmÄ n and ShahÄ dah. In English, the noun “beliefâ€? denotes the “acceptanceâ€? of a particular theology or statement as true, while the verb “to believeâ€? very often implies the presence of some doubt in the mind of the speaker. For example, when we say: “I believe this planet we are looking at is Jupiterâ€?, we demonstrate our doubt in the identification of the planet. The planet is probably Jupiter but may ultimately turn out to be Venus or any other planet or star. Faith on the other hand goes far beyond belief. Not all human beings believe that the demands of faith are compatible with those of reason. Some find it easier to believe in the existence of God than in the resurrection of the dead. But as Muslims, we are enjoined to believe in both with a firm resolve, without any conditions, and to be absolutely resolute in our determination. In Islam, whenever we utter the word “beliefâ€? or “believeâ€? (whether the belief is in Allah or in His Angels or His Revealed Books or in His Messengers or in the Hereafter), we must continue to uphold this firm and unshaken conviction, solid and fixed in our hearts and mind, unflinching and immutable, uninfluenced by any arguments and unaltered under any and every circumstance with total and unconditional acceptance without clauses and loopholes. Such a belief of certainty without doubt is called “faithâ€?. In fact, ŮŽ we are reminded in the ŮŽ ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů’Ů?ŮŽŮ’Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?

4ŮŽ

Ů? Ů?ŮŽ Ů’

Ů? Ů’Ů? Ů’

Ů?

ŮŽ

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ŮŽ F ‍ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź 4 ‍ﺣﺴďş?‏F Qur’an that our belief will be tested. ‍ ďť“ďť˜ďť&#x; ﺎ ŮŽ  ďťť ďť“ďť”ďş˜‏F ‍ﺎďş˜ÂŽ‏ Ů? Do men think that they

shall be left alone saying ‘we believe’ and they will not be put to the test?(Q.29:2). When there is not much difference between truth and falsehood in the mind it can only be termed as doubt. However, when belief approaches certainty it is called i‘tiqÄ d, while yaqÄŤn means certainty or belief without doubt, i.e. bearing strong testimony with firm conviction. Therefore, instead of saying that, we believe there is no deity to be worshipped except Allah and that Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏is His Messenger, we should say, We bear strong testimony with firm conviction that there is no deity to be worshipped except Allah, and that Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏is His Messenger. In fact, ash hadu does not mean “I believe.â€? It means: “I bear strong testimony with firm, irrevocable conviction.â€?

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There is a distinction between belief and firm faith called īmān. We can not unreservedly accept the religious dictates, unless we have implicit faith which enables us to put our trust in them. When a Muslim is asked about the existence of God, he emphatically says: “I do not have to believe - I know”. Firm faith provides the ideological reason and answers for human existence. Through faith we unreservedly accept a common pattern of belief for establishing the personal, social, economic, religious and spiritual expressions of our lives. Once faith enters our heart, Allah strengthens us with Rūḥ from Himself, and we become eligible to join Allah’s Party (Ḥizbullah) (Q.58:22). We are then counted as worthy citizens of Allah’s government.

CHAPTER II: Systematic Exposition of S}ratul Fvtih ah

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CHAPTER III: The straight path or As-ᚣiraᚭ al mustaqčm

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? َ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴďş˜ďť˜‏

‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺟ‏ Ů?

WHAT IS Aᚢ-ᚢIRAᚏ AL MUSTAQÄŞM? Every time we recite SĹŤrat ul FÄ tiḼ ah in our daily prayers we repeat again and again these words: O Allah, guide us along the Straight Path. We do not say Arinas ᚢirÄ áš­al MustaqÄŤm, i.e. Show us the Straight Path, because the path has already been shown to us in the Holy Qur’an. We say Ihdinaᚣ ᚢirÄ áš­al MustaqÄŤm as we are now asking Him to guide us along the Straight Path. This request to guide is for all of us and not for the reciter alone, as we have been commanded by Allah to keep ourselves united, holding on to the Rope of Allah which is the Qur’an (Q.3:103). (ḤadÄŤth: At-Tirmidhi) This brotherhood of ours has a world-wide membership of nearly two billion. Man alone with his limited powers cannot solve all the problems of the community, since we belong to different professions. Whether we are doctors, lawyers, plumbers or even unemployed, we need each other. We are all part of the Muslim Ummah and we must unite and keep together. Just as ignorance of the law of the land is no excuse, ignorance of the spiritual laws is also no excuse. We must be knowledgeable about the Qur’an as well as the SharÄŤ ‘ah. The word SharÄŤ ‘ah refers to the sacred laws of Islam in their entirety and is closely related to the expression ᚢirÄ t ash SharÄŤ ‘ah which literally means a highway or bank of a river, something to be followed or turned to. Allah leads mankind from darkness into Divine Light (NĹŤr) (Q.33:43). He guides us to the Straight Path which is illuminated by divine lighting system, through His signs which are lessons written in simple verses in the pages of the Holy Qur’an. This Divine Light is different from ordinary light or daylight which has a limited frequency and a speed of approximately 186, 287 miles/second. The Qur’an was sent to us so we may meditate on its signs, and also so that men of understanding may receive admonition (Q.38:29). In the Qur’an, there are signs for those who reflect, who know, who hearken and who are wise (Q.30:21-24). What a beautiful sequence of installation of knowledge into man! Persons with knowledge accept the revelations which lead to the path of Allah (Q.34:6). Each day we have to thank Allah for the gift of yet another day given us to climb the uphill path of life. Like all other hikers, we are in the company of many others, and yet each one of us must tread our own path. If we slip or encounter obstacles, we can always ask Allah for assistance and guidance. And so, we climb on the Straight Path towards our goal, which is Allah Himself, Who is just waiting for us at

4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ? ‍ ﺑ‏ the top of the hill (Q.2:256). Allah is the Master of the ways of Ascent: ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďşŽâ€Ź Ů? Minaá¸ˇá¸ˇÄ hi dhil Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍‏

maâ€˜Ä rij (Q.70:3). If at any point of time we deviate from our route, we can always turn back on the Straight Path. Allah had appointed MuḼammad‍ ‏as a guide stationed on the Straight Path called in Arabic As ᚢirÄ t al MustaqÄŤm (Q.42:52-53). No matter by which road or lane we come to the Straight Path, we may find Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏waiting for us to guide us further. I would like now to discuss the meaning of the Straight Path. In Arabic, s irÄ t means simply path. The root word of mustaqÄŤm is qayyim, which means straight, clear, concise, unambiguous and without any bends or corners to confuse people. Hence, sirÄ áš­ al mustaqÄŤm is translated as an absolutely Straight Path, well-defined, well balanced and well-levelled. Guidance offered through the Qur’an allows us to follow the Straight Path which leads to our desired destination in the Hereafter. A straight line is the shortest distance between any two points, here obviously, between the point of its origin and the point of its destination, viz. between man and his Creator. It is true that non-Muslims shall also return to Allah, but we Muslims can return to Him by the shortest route once we find ourselves on the sirÄ t al mustaqÄŤm. This Straight Path is the shortest route to our MÄ lik. No one can lose his way if he keeps to the straight path.

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Dar Tareeqat har chè peeshè saalek aayad khyrè oost:. Dar S iraatal Mustaqeem ay del kasee gomraah neest: In the religious way of life, whatever comes in front of the seeker is for his own good: In the Straight Path, Oh

heart, no one loses his way. The mistakes that we make in life are meant to be our lessons for the future as to what direction we should take. The uphill journey may take us through rugged and slippery roads in case we deviate from the Straight Path. While it is normal to find obstacles in our upward journey, we should not allow them to throw us off-course and over-board completely, and change us into kāfirs (unbelievers) for the rest of our lives. If we don’t know where we are going, then that is exactly where we will reach. The straight Path shown by the Qur’an leads us to Allah as confirmed in the verses: Follow Me. This is the Straight Way, (Q.6:126 and others, e.g. Q.11:56; 6:153; 4:175; 3:101). The distance a man goes is not as important as the direction he takes. To travel the Straight Path and remain on it requires worshipping Allah and Allah alone.

َ ٰ َ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ ُّ َ َ ِّ َ َ 4 4 ٌ َ ‫ﻫﺬ‬ ٌ َ ْ ُ ‫ﺮﺻ‬ ‫ﻣﺴﺘﻘﻴﻢ‬ ۗ ‫ ﺑﻜﻢ ﻓﺎﻗﺒﺪ‬µ ‫ ِ; ﺑ‬Innallāha Rabbī wa Rabbukum fa‘budūhu hādhā Ṣirātul ِ ِ

Mustaqīm: And Lo! Allah is my Sustainer and your Sustainer. So, worship Him. This is the Straight Path, (Q.3:51; 19:36; 43:64). The request for guidance to the straight path also clarifies the role and purpose of man in this world, by making it clear from the very beginning that his prime purpose in this life is to obey Allah so as to achieve the goal of Paradise, which the good-doers have been promised in the Hereafter. Allah is also known by His attribute Qayyūm. The verbal root of both Qayyūm and mustaqīm is the same: q-w-m. We should worship Him alone to be guided on Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm. In Q.22:54, Allah says that He Guides the believers to the Straight Path. To remain on it, we must firmly believe in the Hereafter, because those who do not believe in the Hereafter are deviating from that Path (Q.23:74). We have to watch out constantly for Satan, as Satan lies in ambush for all those who are on the Straight Path (Q.7:16). The Holy Qur’an repeatedly refers to the Straight Path as Al-Dīn, or the way of life, leading to its destination. In Q.6:161, Allah calls Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm, the Straight Path and a right religion. One of the

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ْ َ ْ ِّ َ

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Prophet’s‫ ﷺ‬du‘as was: ‫ ﻳﻨﻚ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻗﻠﻲﺒ ﺒﻟ‬ ِ ‫ ﻳﺎﻣﻘﻠﺐ ﻟﻘﻠﻮ ﻋﺒﺖ‬Yā muqallabal qulūb, thabbat qalbi ‘alā dīnika: O

You Who changes the hearts! Make my heart firm on Your religion. To repeat, in Q.5:16 ways of peace (it is in the plural: subul as salām) are mentioned, whereby Allah, having sent to us His Apostle and the Holy Qur’an, leads those who seek His Good Pleasure into the Paths of Peace, bringing us out of darkness into Light. No matter what dark alley do we take, He guides us via the ways of peace towards the illuminated Straight Path. There is only one Straight Path that leads to man’s destination and Allah extends guidance at all junctions and crossroads directing us to this Straight Path that takes us to Him. Prophet‫ ﷺ‬himself was on the Straight Path (Q.43:43). He was also a guide stationed on the Straight Path, guiding people to the Path to Allah (Q.42:52-53). To be on the right path and to be able to take the right guidance we have to obey Allah and also the Apostle (Q.24:54). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬himself asked his followers to take the Straight Path to Allah (Q.23:73; 25:57). The task of a nabi (prophet) is simply to warn and that of a rasūl (prophet-messenger who was given a scripture by Allah) is to convey the guidance to mankind, but no one can force a man to follow warning or guidance against his will. Indeed, this is no less than a message to all the worlds, to whoever among you is willing to go Straight, (Q.81:27-28).

Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm through Islām of post- Muḥammad era

Islam means submission to the Will of Allah. All the earlier prophets as well as their followers who came before the advent of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬were Muslims, in the sense that they believed in One Supreme God and submitted themselves to His Will. However, more than fourteen centuries ago Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬explained this submission and the observance of duties it entailed. These are commonly known as the five fundamentals of practice or the five pillars of Islam (Ḥadīth: Al-Bukhāri and Muslim). The straight vertical line of Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm is supported by these five pillars which are: Shahādah, Ṣalāt, Zakāt, Ṣiyām, Hajj. (1) Shahādah: I bear witness that there is NO deity to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. The recitation of these words is an absolutely essential prerequisite for any person to become a member of the Muslim community. (2) Ṣalāt: The performance of the five daily prayers. (3) Zakāt: A 2.5% disbursement of the annual savings to the poor and the needy. (4) Ṣiyām: Observance of the Islamīc fast in the month of Ramaḍan.

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(5) Ḥajj: Pilgrimage to Makkah al Mukarramah, at least once in life if one can afford it. The vertical line of Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm leads onwards and upwards to Allah. After successfully negotiating the first four pillars of the straight path, we become entitled to celebrate the minor ‘Id (‘Idus ṣaghīr). Then after a further period of two months and ten days trial period, during which various types of sacrifices have to be performed by us, we also become entitled to celebrate the major ‘Id (‘Īd ul Kabīr or ‘Id-ul Aḍ-ḥa). Allah directs every one of us towards a goal (Q.2:148) which eventually leads to our meeting with Him. For this, He has created a route to Himself called Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm. Just as a student has to study the extra hour to top the class, we should also strive hard and go the extra mile up Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm, to achieve the ultimate success, which is the Eternal Bliss. It should be emphasised that whoever we are, Sunnis, Shi‘ahs or any other community of Muslims, if we believe in Only One God and in the Prophethood of Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, then all roads that lead to Allah, ultimately go to one and only Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm shown in an unambiguous and clear manner by the Qur’an. Following is a rough outline of the Straight Path, which originates in this world, passes through it, and ends in the next world. DESTINATION ALLAH is the sign leading to this Path which links one’s birth on planet Earth with the Hereafter.

Outline of Ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm

ALLĀH

ُ‫ ﷲ‬

Fifth row

Third row

Fourth row Second row

First row

Ṣirāt Al Mustaqīm

َُ َ 4 ‫ ﻟﺸﻬﺎ‬ ُ َ ‫ ﻹﻳﺜﺎ‬

ُ َ ْ ‫ ﻹﺣﺴﺎ‬ ُ َ ‫ ﻹﻳﻤﺎ‬ ْ ‫ ﻹﺳﻼ‬

Ash Shahādah - Martyrdom

Al Iḥsān

Al Īthār

(Shuhada’) (Higher Sacrifice) (Muhsin)

Al Īmān: Tauḥīd (Oneness of (Mu’min) God); Angels; Revealed Books; prophets; day of judgement: Qadar; (Destiny) Life After Death Al Islām: Shahādah, Ṣalāt, (Muslim) Zakāt, Ṣiyam, Ḥajj

Ṣirāt Al Mustaqīm begins at the first bottom level and goes up to the fifth top level. By looking separately at the requirement of each level, we can clearly see that the pagans, the atheists who do not believe in God, the agnostics who do not know whether God exists or not, and all those who associate partners with God (even though they may have Muslim names, they are engaged in un-Islamic practices) are definitely not on ṢIRĀṬ AL MUSTAQĪM, or the Straight Path. ṢIRĀṬ AL MUSTAQĪM OF POST-MUḤAMMAD ERA

I. The Bottom Level: Muslims

We will now consider each one of the five pillars in Islam briefly and ask ourselves which grade we are in and what prevents us from climbing one step higher on the Straight Path?

Kalimatush Shahādah: the Testimony

Repetition of the creed or the Shahādah: Lā ilāha illa Allah- Muḥammad ar Rasūl Allah meaning: There is no god but Allah, and Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah is an important and meaningful

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expression of belief. It is recited at many mile-stones in a Muslim’s life, at the time of birth, during the adhān, in daily prayers, at events of significance in individual and community life and at death bed. For a new convert to Islam, it also represents the initial act of total commitment to Islamic injunctions.

Shahādah denotes an act of witnessing, while the word shāhid means one who witnesses or simply a witness, especially in the legal sense (pl. shuhūd, shāhidīn, shāhidūn). The word Shahīd is also used as one of the Most Beautiful Names of Allah, as He is the Witness to all our deeds (Q.3:98) and for all things (Q.5:117). Allah Himself bears witness that there is no God but He (Q.3:18). The martyr who seals his belief with his death in defence of his religion is considered to be the ultimate witness or shahīd throughout the Ḥadīth literature and his body need not be washed before burial. Thus Shahādah also means martyrdom and the usage of shahīd often conveys both the meanings of martyr and witness as in Q.4:72 just as its plural shuhadā’ in Q.4:69. In Q.2:23 shuhadā’ means witnesses. In general parlance, shāhid is a witness declaring his shahādah, i.e. his testimony, with decisive information and conviction. In the religious sense, shahādah is the Islamic profession of faith as well as confirmation of belief. َ َ

َ ْ ُ َ ْ 4 ُ َ ْ َ 4 َ ُ F ‫ﺤﻣﻤﺪ ﺳﻮ ﷲ‬ ‫ﺷﻬﺪ‬F ‫ﷲ‬ ُ ‫ ﻻ ﻪﻟ ;ﻻ‬F ‫ﺷﻬﺪ‬F Ash hadu an lā ilāha illallāh; wa ash hadu anna

Muḥammadar Rasūlaḷḷāh means: I testify that there is NO deity except Allah, and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. Man comes into this world and soon hears the shahādah recited in his ears for the first time by someone else and leaves this world hopefully by reciting the same shahādah himself for the last time. While in this world, he constantly tries to act and live by the shahādah that helps him to expose the false gods inside and outside him. Many times a day we recite these words: Ash hadu al la ilāha illallah, wa ash hadu anna Muḥammadar Rasūlalla.: Most of us translate this as “we believe” that there is no deity except Allah, and that Muḥ ammad is the Messenger of Allah. As previously mentioned, the true meaning of the shahādah is not “I believe” but I testify with irrevocable and firm conviction that there is no deity to be worshipped except Allah and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah. In practice, shahādah is a three-fold combination of total confirmation, verbal attestation and consequent action. It is a life-long commitment until death does us part (Q.15:99). Faith (īmān) is not a mere profession of beliefs. Righteous conduct must accompany belief in Allah. Religion is something to be lived, and not an object of mere lip service. The Qur’an says: Those who have faith and act righteously, blessedness is for them, and a blissful home to return to” (Q.13:29). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: “Allah does not accept faith if it is not expressed in deeds, and does not accept deeds if they do not conform to faith.” Do we know that it is the duty of the parents to see to it that the shahādah is recited into the right ear of the newborn and the iqāmah (the Islamic Anthem) in the left? And do we know that this procedure ensures that the shahādah, being the first ever words heard and registered in the baby’s auditory centre in the brain, will be the only words to be recalled at the time of death? Do we give only lip service to the shahādah or do we declare it from the depth of our hearts? If we have declared in our shahādah that Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is Allah’s Messenger, we should readily accept him as our leader and be guided accordingly and follow him. If you love Allah, follow Muḥammad; Allah will love you and forgive you your sins, (Q.3:31). By merely hoping, wishing and professing the shahādah we cannot stop oppression, corruption and injustice to mankind. Achievement of anything in life is a result of an active and dynamic process and not a passive stance. Allah will not do for us those things which we can do ourselves. Allah gives us life but He will not live it for us. Man can have nothing except what he strives for (Q.53:39). In fact, Allah screens out for Paradise those people who have striven hard and were steadfast (Q.3:142) and who passed through a lot of suffering and adversity (Q.2:214). We must apply our shahādah to every limb and organ of ours because every limb and organ of our body will be a witness (shāhid) as to its actions. Anyone, even a non-Muslim can recite the shahādah like a parrot. The benefits only accrue when we mean it and act on it. To understand the real meaning of shahādah, let us assume that it is now maghrib (the evening) and the sun has just set. It is time for the evening prayers, but no, we are still watching television. Why

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do we do this? Simply because we love television more than we love Allah. By remaining glued to the TV set we now indulge ourselves in the sin of shirrk ul muḥabbah i.e. showing the love that is due to Allah, to other than Allah. We do not want to spare even five minutes to perform our evening prayers although we have been watching TV for two hours or more. This is because we love the programme; we love the hero/heroine more than we love Allah. Thus we can see for ourselves that we have failed miserably on our very first step on the Straight Path. Only our tongue recited the shahādah but our heart was not involved in it. This is only one example. If we examine ourselves, we will find many more areas where we often go wrong.

Ṣalāt (namāz): ritual prayers: ‫ ﻟﺼﻼ‬

We shall now comment briefly on the second pillar of Islam or the ritual prayers called salāt in Arabic and namaaz in Persian and Urdu. Prayer is that which enables the soul to realise its divinity. Through prayer human beings worship absolute truth, and seek an eternal reward. Prayer is the foundation-stone of religion; and religion is the means by which the soul is purified of all that pollutes it. Prayer is the worship of the first cause of all things, the Supreme Ruler of the entire world, the Source of all strength. Prayer is the adoration of the One whose being is necessary, says Ibn Sina also known as Avicenna (980-1037). Ṣalāt / s alah is derived from the Arabic word s elah, meaning connection, indicating a link to Allah, and denotes divine service, in particular the ritual prayers. (The English word “ritual” comes from Latin rītuālis relating to rites, while “prayer” is derived from the French preiere meaning to ask earnestly, to beg.) It is preceded by niyyat or intention which directs the mind to the act that is about to take place. Thus niyyat is the state of anticipation deemed absolutely necessary to perform any intended action, including ritual prayers with all its compulsory requisites. Ṣalāt must be performed in a clean, quiet place, and preceded by ritual purification called wuḍu. The basic unit of salāt is called a rak‘ah (bowing). Each rak‘ah consists of the following elements given here in order of performance: the standing (as a mark of respect), the bowing (ruku‘ signifying submission), the prostration (sajdah) with the forehead touching the clean ground or the floor (signifying deep humility), the sitting so as to recite at-tashahhud or attaḥiyyāt (greetings) and the ending salāms. Each of the daily obligatory five prayers consists of a different number of rak‘ahs. Thus the Fajr or the Early Morning Prayer has two rak‘ahs, the Zuhr or the Noon Prayer has four rak‘ahs, the Asr or the Afternoon Prayer has four rak‘ahs, the Maghrib or the Sunset Prayer has three rak‘ahs, and the 'Isha or the Evening Prayer has four rak‘ahs. All the prayers can be said at home except for the Friday Afternoon Prayer which should be said in the mosque (masjid) but there is greater merit in saying our daily prayers in congregation. Women are excused from saying prayers in the mosque and can pray at home. The word masjid (where Muslims gather to confirm their collective identity through prayer and attend to their common concerns) is derived from sajdah meaning prostration. Sajdah reminds us of life and death. When man touches his forehead to the ground it reminds him of his origin and the fact that he was created from the dust. It also reminds him of the resurrection after death. From it We created you, and into it We shall send you back, and from it We will raise you a second time, (Q.20:55). The Law-Giver knows that not all men can ascend the steps of Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm as quickly and consistently as it would be desired, hence they need compulsory disciplining. Religious beliefs and practices are responsible for those biological processes which reduce anxiety both at the individual and the collective level. Daily prayer is a good spiritual and physical exercise since it has cumulative benefits to the mind and the body. Similar orchestrated procedures in rituals enhance a dignified social coordination and trust among its participants. Associating ourselves with people who have similar beliefs, also reminds us of our obligation to the society. Prayers lead to Paradise. The importance of prayers has been emphasised in Q.74:40-46 wherein Allah tells us that when the inmates of Paradise would ask the inmates of Hell as to what was the reason of them being in that place and position, they would answer that they were not among those who prayed, nor gave charity nor had firm faith in the Day of Judgment. Performing prayers also raises the serotonin and endorphin levels which overcome depressive moods. The pleasure of achievement and fulfilling one’s duty counteracts any stress. It not only keeps the body physically, mentally and spiritually fit but also provides some recreation and peace of mind. It is nature’s best tranquiliser. Prayer gives a feeling of accomplishment and instils a sense of physical

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independence. Beta-endorphin appears to be the endorphin that seems to have the strongest effect on the brain and body during prayers or exercise. Endorphins are believed to enhance the immune system, relieve pain, reduce stress and postpone the aging process. The 5-time daily accumulation of endorphins and other neurotransmitters during prayers and other rituals may be responsible for the longevity of those of us who meditate or pray. During times of stress, man often exhibits his primitive animal instincts and responses. Communicating our problems to Allah prevents such behaviour. For us not to get confused, our thoughts must centre on a single unique source that we can revert to for guidance, and that centre can only be the One Allah, to Whom we can switch all our thoughts. Hence, we Muslims hardly ever get confused during adverse circumstances. Prayers offer a rapid and an easy access to Allah. Allah is He Who has all the time on His hands and is prepared to listen to us as long as we wish, for solving our problems. When we pray or make du‘a (supplicate) to Allah, the scenario becomes different. We sit not in front of another human being whom we can see, but in front of One who has created the universe and Whom we cannot see. This stance necessitates a change in our frame of mind and induces humility, respect and awe which are due to His Majesty. The prior ablution (wuḍu) (Q.5:6) to perform the prayers is not simply meant for physical purification of the body. One must ask oneself while washing hands: are my hands clean from misappropriation and fraudulent dealings? While washing our hands we should also ask Allah to give us our Book on the Day of Judgment in our right hand and not in the left. Similarly, after washing the mouth, we must remind ourselves not to soil the clean tongue again by back-biting or slandering anyone. Then only the following Ḥadith becomes self-explanatory. When the Muslim or the believing servant performs wuḍu and washes his face, every sin that he looked at with his eyes will depart from his face with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his hands, every sin that his hands committed will depart from his hands with the water or with the last drop of water. When he washes his feet, every sin in which his feet took him will depart with the water or with the last drop of water, until he becomes sinless, (Ḥadīth: Muslim; Al-Muwaṭṭa). When prayers in Arabic are translated into our mother-tongue and implemented into meaningful action, the spiritual gains offset and eradicate some of our sins of the past (Q.47:2). If the “points system” could be applied to our daily activities, then that would amount to adding some plus marks to

َ ِّ 4

َْ ُْ

َ َ ْ

4

َ ; Allah advises us: “…surely our ledgers, and cancelling some of our minus marks. ۚ ‫ ﻟﺴﻴﺌﺎ‬ ‫ﻳﺬﻫﻦﺒ‬ ‫ ﺤﻟﺴﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

good deeds cancel evil deeds. This is a reminder to the mindful, (Q.11:114) and: To make one good action succeed another is the perfection of goodness. (Haḍrat ،Ali. R.A.). The past never dies. A good deed remains alive in our record as one more virtuous act and one evil less. We do need someone close enough, viz. Allah, to whom we can communicate our thoughts and feelings, our desires and intentions, in fact our daily agenda and our plan of action. This communication could begin during the supplication time of our morning prayers which follows tahajjud prayers. After we have performed our prayers, we must continue to remember Allah, in whatever position or condition we may be (Q.4:103). People will not sit remembering God without angels surrounding them, mercy covering them, peace descending on them, (Ḥadīth: Muslim). For those of us who do not know how to spend the time when we have nothing to do, especially when we are unemployed, Islam offers a compulsory activity, spiritual, mental and physical, on a regular 5-time daily basis, during which time we feel gainfully occupied. An added advantage of the physical part of the prayer is that each and every muscle in the body, large or small, contracts and relaxes during the ṣalāt. This regular exercise, in its own little way, helps to increase strength, endurance and flexibility of the muscles, and prevents osteoporosis, ischemic heart disease, stroke, non-insulin-dependent diabetes, hypertension, loneliness, boredom and depression. Such fitness improves cognition in the aging. Using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging shows anatomical differences in grey and white matter of the brain between physically fit and less fit aging humans. Previously sedentary people over age 60, who now pray their 5-time daily prayers or more, can significantly improve mentalprocessing abilities that decline with age, and particularly tasks that rely heavily on the frontal lobes of the brain. Punctual observance (muḥāfaẓa) of the ṣalāt is repeatedly recommended (Q.23:9; 70:20-23), and neglect is censured (Q.107:5). The average total time of prayers amounts to approximately 36 minutes per day, equal to 2.5% of an average lifetime, which we must devote to Allah as ritual prayers. Ṣalāt is a

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disciplinary measure to be observed at fixed hours, as a regulated ordinance of religion: ‫ﻛﺘﺎﺑﺎ ﻣﻮﻗﻮﺗﺎ‬ ِ

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Kitābamm mauqūtā (Q.4:103). This procedure gives very little time to commit any sin in-between prayers, especially if we still have the wuḍ u (ablution) on. We are advised to pray regularly so as to remember Allah all the time (Q.20:14). Regular prayer keeps a Muslim away from committing major sins because he/she is constantly in contact with Allah. This type of person is highly unlikely to commit sins like theft, adultery or murder. Not only do we have to seek Allah’s help with patient perseverance and prayer (Q.2:153), we also have to recommend others to pray. We will have to be patient with them too (Q.20:132). If our prayers do not restrain us from evil and wrong-doing, we obtain only estrangement from Allah and unnecessary weariness by it. Daily, Allah sends us an invitation to have communion with Him. Beginning with the call to prayer (nida: Q.5:58), this invitation is repeated five times a day. Unfortunately, people without understanding do not even bother to accept the invitation. Allah ordered the qiblah (Q.2:149) or the direction in which we should face when praying. The concept of the qiblah comprises universal brotherhood, mutual cooperation, punctuality, symbolic posture and a common direction. The qiblah was changed from Jerusalem to Makkah to test those who followed the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬and differentiate them from those who were hypocrites (Q.2:143). Not only do we have to face the qiblah five times daily during our life-time but also when we die, our faces must be turned towards the qiblah. Tasbīḥ (glorification) and taḥmīd (praise) of Allah are closely connected to prayers in Q.20:130. After tashahhud and completion of the prayers, we offer salutation to our guardian angels on the right and the left, and also announce our return to the Earth from our own me‘rāj. Any man who calls on Allah in prayers will be answered. It is either granted to him in this world or stored away for him in the next world, as long as he does not pray for something sinful or the breaking of family ties, and as long as he is not impatient. People say: ‘I called on God and He did not answer my prayers for me.’ (Saḥiḥ Al-Bukhāri). We should be reminded that both in ill-fortune and good fortune, there is a beautiful purpose in Allah’s Plan (Q.11:9-11) as days (of varying fortunes of prosperity and adversity) are given by Allah, by turns, to mankind, (Q.3:140). The reason we are put on this earth is to learn our lessons through suffering and adversity. This cumulative knowledge leads us to wisdom. The true measure of man is where he stands in adversity, not in prosperity. What Allah has meant to befall us can not miss us and what is meant to miss us can not befall us. Adversity elicits talents which otherwise may remain dormant. Allah does not make mistakes, but allows us to make them. This is aided by the human brain which hides from us such information that might prevent mistakes He expects us to deal with. He allows us to repeat the mistakes for the purpose of learning much more while gaining more experience in repenting. If not, it would amount to a student being given the answers before taking a test which is not a good way to learn. Often we tend to forget our past mistakes which would have helped our decisions to be influenced by knowledge gained from them. We should not discard our God-given intelligence into the recycle bin of the mental computer but use it to solve the situations as they arise. We must accept such finite and temporary frustrations meant as part of our destiny and we must not lose hope, but deal with the situation with a smile. In every impossible situation, there lies a possibility. If we try to do the possible, only then Allah helps us to do what we thought was impossible. The pessimist sees difficulties in every opportunity but an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty. A Muslim is an optimist all his life because he knows fully well that he will be going to Jannah eventually. This optimism could also be due to the euphoria-producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, encephalins and endorphins which are released regularly by the brain during the five-time daily prayers which follow the trajectory of the sun. However, there are some questions which we need to ask ourselves again and again: Did we really ensure with the Islamic Anthem (the iqāmah) that everybody had lined up straight in the congregational prayer? Did it make a strong consolidated front, or was some space left between the shoulders of the praying men for Satan to infiltrate and cause further separation and enmity among ourselves? Did we ask ourselves whether we performed our prayers with zeal and concentration like a committed devotee with the sole purpose of acquiring His love and pleasure? Or did our minds wander during prayers, like a beginner, thinking of our business transactions such as counting money? Did we really understand what we were saying or did we only give lip service to our prayers? Did we give eye-service only as if to be seen that we were also praying so as to be counted among the pious? Is that the reason why our prayers were so lengthy just to be seen by others? Shaikh Sa‘di says:

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Kleedè darè dauzakhast on namaaz, kè dar chashmè mardom gozareee deraaz: The key to Hell is that prayer which you prolonged in peoples’ eyes. And finally, were we under the influence of alcohol or any unnecessary drugs during our prayers? Did we finish our prayers fast enough just to be able to answer the telephone call or to be in time for the news? The physical benefit of the habitual 5-times daily prayer contributes to the dynamism of the practising Muslim and makes him constantly on the go. Many of us, especially the older ones, need to be motivated to become physically active and perform some duties which are not done routinely. But for most Muslims, this is not a problem. Once a habit is formed for the five times daily prayers during childhood, it perpetuates throughout life and needs no motivation to perform the regular prayers which follow punctually and reflexively. The prayer times get encoded in the bio-rhythm. Hence the importance of introducing children to prayers at an early age (Ḥadith). Habit soon becomes a necessity, and by offering satisfaction, every kind of habit persists. This life-long habit of compulsory prayers also initiates other tasks (besides prayers) that need motivation, such as beginning the day early, and dividing and managing the time. It makes it all easier. Being a dynamic way of life Islam urges us into activity, especially through prayer times and as a reward, has set a heavenly goal of Paradise for those of us who exert a little extra effort in our journey on this Earth. (The need for physical activity is hot-wired into the body's expectations. Some scientists say that humans have inherited a genome programmed for physical activity by selective forces from the Late Palaeolithic era -10,000 years ago- when physical activity was necessary for survival. Since food-abundant society makes physical activity no longer obligatory for survival, the sedentary lifestyle has emerged, leading to fast foods, obesity and many of our chronic diseases). We owe implicit obedience to Allah. He created us with a body from earth and breathed in it a rōḼ from Himself. It is expected that we should comply with His Commands in dedicating some time from our 24 hours schedule as prescribed in the Holy Qur’an. We Muslims are members of the 2.5% club. If we give a total of just 36 minutes daily for compulsory ritual prayers, which is 2.5% of our time, then it matches our compulsory obligation of 2.5% zakÄ t. Such prayers are spread over five different periods of the day, so as to allow us to continue our occupation while still holding communion with Allah for a few minutes at a time. It also restrains us from shameful and disgraceful deeds between prayer times (Q.29:45). Prayer is a personal communication with God for the purpose of maintaining the link with the divine in our personal lives. Whether we understand the meaning of whatever we say in our ritual prayers or not (especially during our childhood), the ritual becomes a habit later on in life. It becomes a part of our nature. When we get older and mature, we then begin to understand truly what we are reciting. This understanding of the verses then reminds us to do good deeds at least five times a day, thus becoming part of our lives. Just as we take food three times in a day as a habitual practice to nourish our physical body, we also need 5-time daily prayers to nourish our spiritual soul called rōḼ. Allah wants us to turn our attention to Him at least five times a day. Prayer is a timed prescription for the faithful (Q.4:103). Just as our prayers follow the trajectory of the sun, so does the physiology of our body. The mark of a Muslim who prays regularly is a dark area in the centre of his forehead due to repeated prostrations. The Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏said: prayer is the key to Paradise. Haá¸?rat Abu Bakr, R.A., said: When it is time for prayers, get up and extinguish the Hell-fire you have kindled for yourself. An Urdu proverb strongly advises us to pray before funeral prayers are offered for us when we die.

$ # ! " Namaaz parh le aysaa na ho ke teree namaaz se pahle koee aur tumharee namaaz parh le. Say your prayers before others say your (funeral/ Janaazah) prayer for you. Allah is Honourable. Whenever any one raises his hands, Allah Himself feels embarrassed to return him empty-handed. (ḤadÄŤth). Allah is just waiting to listen to us, no matter what time of the day or night we call upon Him. We can make du‘a in any language, without an interpreter, because He understands all languages. The Arabic may have been the mother of languages for man, but to say that Allah’s language is only Arabic to the exclusion of hundreds of other languages of the world is wrong. Numerous scriptures have been revealed in other languages. It has been said that there have been 124,000 prophets and 313 messengers of Allah. However, to understand Allah’s language as revealed in the Holy Qur’an, we must have a fairly good knowledge of Arabic, or at least, its translation in our own mother-tongue, so that we understand what we are reciting in our daily prayers. Otherwise, our daily

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prayers would be reduced to a mere physical exercise without any spiritual component and blessing. We shall have more benefit from that part of the prayer that we understand and act upon. We must also ensure that we do not pray with ŮŽ a befogged mind. ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů? Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ ‍ @‏ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍ َﺎ‏Oh ye faithful! Approach not your prayers Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ k‍ﺣ‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‹‍ ďť&#x;ﺟ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ‏ ŮŽ Ů? 4 ‍ﺎ‏ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ‍ďť?ďş˜‏F Ů° 4 ŮŽ â€ŤďşłďşŽďťœâ€Ź â€ŤďťłďťŒďť ďť¤ďťŽ ŮŽﺎ ďťłďť˜ďť&#x;‏ â€Ťďťłďť˜ﺎďş‘‏

with a mind befogged, until you can understand all that you say. (Q.4:43). We must not be absentminded in our prayers, nor be distracted while praying. Absent-mindedness is a tendency to be occupied with one’s own thoughts to such a degree that inadequate attention is given to what is being recited. Hence continuous concentration on the contents of the verses is of paramount importance. During concentration and attention, the frontal area of the brain shows activity. Spiritual practices such as prayers activate the temporal lobe in the brain while there is decreased activity in the orientation area situated in the posterior superior part of the parietal lobe. It is well-known that mental concentration directed on a particular group of muscles, say the arm, forearm or the hand-grip leads to improvement in its physical strength. Similarly, mental concentration focused on a particular area of a Qur’anic verse during spiritual exercise of daily prayers enhances our spiritual growth and stamina. Performing prayers in a hurry, without focusing on their content and without understanding the meaning, is only of limited benefit to the person. The small benefit accrues because of the physical exercise involved and because verses are committed to memory through repetitions. These verses can then be recalled at a later date for reflection and understanding, but there is little benefit for the immediate spiritual enhancement. A Persian poem stresses concentration during prayer in company with God.

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Yek rooz bettefaaqĂŠ sahraa man o tĂł; az shahr broon shaweem tanhaa man o tĂł; daanee kĂŠ man Ăł tĂł ky bĂŠ ham khosh baasheem; on waqt kĂŠ kas nabaashad ellaa man o tĂł. One day with each other in the desert, You and I; away from the city, alone, You and I; only You know when we are happy together, You and I; at that time when there is no one except You and I. We should recite our prayers neither loud nor in a low tone, but in mid-tone (Q.17:110). By doing this, we can hear ourselves through the impact our own voice makes on the tympanic membranes (ear drums). In case we make a mistake in our prayers and forget an item of speech or ritual, we should perform extra prostrations called sajdat us sahw at the end of the prayers. This act would remind us to concentrate more on the next occasion when we decide to have a dialogue with Allah. Concentration helps us to refrain from frivolous thoughts while standing with due reverence before our Maker during prayers. Since Allah has given clear indications and advice in the Qur’an for different categories of persons, we should try to locate in what category we fall and in which one we would prefer to be found. Although Allah feels embarrassed to return a supplicant empty-handed, He answers our prayers in the manner that is best for us. We must never think that once Allah opens the door to admit a du‘a, He will close the door of answering it for anyone.

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Khodaa gar bĂŠ hekmat bĂŠ bandad daree: Goshaayad zĂŠ rahmat darĂŠ deegaree. If God closes one door due to His wisdom, He opens another door due to His Mercy. What a calamity it would be if Allah were to answer simultaneously everyone’s prayer. Remember, Allah's delay does not mean Allah's denial. The reasons why some of our supplications remain unfulfilled in this world are: (1) We do not know what is best for us. Allah knows best. (2) If everyone got what he/she asked for, there would be utter chaos and confusion on Earth. (3) We should be examining ourselves to ask if we should be making such a supplication. (4) Maybe something better would be granted in this life later on or the reward may be delayed for a much better one in the Hereafter. If Allah listened to all the prayers of all men, mankind would have perished quickly, for men are often praying for evil against one another. If we ask Allah for the transitory things in life, He may even grant us all, but we may end up disgraced in Hell (Q.17:18). However, sometimes, the response to our prayers is not immediate but delayed, and may also accrue in countless hidden ways. Allah will respond to the servant as long as he does not make a du‘a to commit a sin or break the family ties, and as long as he does not ask for an immediate response. (ḤadÄŤth: Muslim). Standing with all due respect in front of our Creator, we must realise Who we are addressing. Prayers performed in a purely ritualistic manner wherein words are uttered quickly and limbs moved reflexively, are not of much spiritual benefit to man. If performed hastily, the prayer primarily meant to

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be a spiritual exercise, becomes only a physical one. However, there is benefit in both. Benefits of a quick prayer include the physiological effects of exercise on the body as well as perpetuation of the memory pathways in the hippocampus of the brain of whatever verses we are reciting. Prayer should not be considered as just another daily entry into a log book. We should learn the meaning in our mother-tongue of every single word we say in the prayer (ṣalāt), understand it and make sure we mean it when we say it, so that it could be implemented. We must learn to focus our gaze only in one direction, especially on the ground where our forehead would touch during prostration, block out all in-coming thoughts to the brain and concentrate on Allah. Allah does not accept the prayer of an unmindful, inattentive heart. (At-Tirmidhi). Man gets credit from that part of the prayer of which he is conscious. (Ḥadīth). It is difficult to concentrate on prayers if one is tired, exhausted or under the influence of drugs. For concentration, the mind has to be alert. If one is sleepy, it is wise to postpone the prayer until the person is wide awake and understands what he is saying. One way to focus attention is to perform each ṣalāt, (in the words of the Prophet‫)ﷺ‬, as if it was our only one left and our last one on Earth. This procedure would free us from all worldly anxieties and worries, and inner peace would prevail. Another way is to pause at the end of each sentence to ensure that we have actually understood what we said or asked, so that we need not repeat that verse, before we proceed to the next verse. Recapitulating the meaning of the verses turns our prayer into meaningful communication. Prophet Muḥammad ‫ ﷺ‬would focus his eyes on the spot of prostration while standing during prayers. It has been found that if we do not concentrate on the road for more than two seconds, the rate of accidents doubles and that it takes some time to arrive at the original state of concentration. This may well be the reason why people should not cross the floor in front of persons when they are praying so that they would not be distracted. And yet another way is to adjust the intensity of the sound of the verses a little louder than a whisper so that the person himself could listen to the sound impacted on his ear drums which would maintain his concentration on the meaning of the verses. Reciting the different verses of the Holy Qur’an during prayers improves the recall component of memory both for short term and long term events. They improve our attention span and sharpen our memory, especially when we have to concentrate on the meanings of the verses which we are reciting. It enables us to go a step further and implement what we have learnt during prayers. Repetition of Allah’s name and meditation on His Glory helps to keep the mind away from undesirable in-coming thoughts. Each repetition gives us a deeper meaning and carries us nearer and nearer to understanding Allah. Certain areas of the brain are altered during deep meditation. The frontal cortex is involved in mental concentration which is associated simultaneously with decreased activity in the parietal lobe, the latter being responsible for helping a person to view objects in three-dimensions. Prayers rid the mind of selfish pre-occupations and provide an outlet in a relaxed, composed, yet dynamic attitude. We can keep our brain active even during old age by reciting the already memorised sūrahs of the Qur’an during our ritual prayers. Consequently, in such an environment, all the associated paths between different brain cells would continue to get stimulated at least five times daily. Repetitive reproduction of the Qur’anic verses from memory promotes continuous mental activity in the brain circuitry, through the medium of neurochemicals circulating in the memory channels of the brain. Moreover, by repetition of the Qur’anic verses, the brain acts as a pace-maker and harmonises the brain waves should they be erratic. This mental activity is also important in reducing memory problems of ageing and aiding mental alertness. Prayer has practical implications in the management of stress through its neuro-protective effect. Stress could be good or bad, short-term or long-term. Short-term stress accelerates the immune system, while chronic or long-term stress depresses it. Stress hormones produced by the suprarenal glands release adrenaline and nor-adrenaline which elicit a sudden “fright, flight or fight” response, and also secrete cortisol which prompts the immune system to ready itself to battle infections resulting from sudden traumas such as bites or wounds. Long-term stress such as the loss of a spouse or an incurable disease, a disabling injury or caring for a bed-ridden spouse, can exhaust the immune system, especially if the person is already weak from age or illness. During prayers, certain physiological changes occur in the brain where neurotransmitters and other chemicals are released which lower blood pressure, muscle tension, and heart rate. Studies have shown that religious people are less depressed, have healthier immune systems and cope better with addictions than the non-religious. One of the reasons that prayer relieves stress is that we are getting Someone above us, to assist in our problems much better than the counselling session of a psychiatrist with his feedback sessions.

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It is the fear of failure (e.g. in exams or in financial situations) which leads to a sense of insecurity. In Q.3:139, Allah advises the faithful not to lose heart nor fall into despair, for they are bound to gain mastery. (Emotional responses including those related to fear are controlled by the amygdala which is an almond-shape structure located deep within the temporal lobes of the brain, medial to the hypothalamus. A network of neural pathways connects the amygdala to the neocortex, our thinking brain, allowing us to reflect on our feelings and to think before acting. Norephinephrine and epinephrine are the two active hormones that cause some of the physiological expressions of fear and insecurity. Fear is a reaction to impending danger while anxiety is a reaction to an imaginary forthcoming undesirable expected event). In such circumstances, we have to remove ourselves from the problem and look at it from a distance, while listening to the adhÄ n, a call to prayer

ŮŽ 4 Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ 4 ŮŽ (Q.5:58), and understand its meaning: ‍ ďş’ďť&#x; ďť&#x;‏p ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟ‹ Ű?‏ ‍ ďş’ďť&#x;‏p Ḥayya ‘alaᚣ ᚣalÄ h; Ḽayya ‘alal falÄ á¸Ľ:

i.e. hasten towards prayer, hasten towards success. It is obvious from the adhÄ n that success follows prayer. No matter what profession we may belong to and what criteria we use as a measure of success in Islam, success is linked to prayers as proclaimed in the adhÄ n. It is prayers that instil confidence and remove the fear of insecurity. Insecurity is a feeling of helplessness from uncertainty about oneself. Success is measured not by the financial or educational status of a person but by the obstacles he has overcome. The greatest achievement is doing what people say you cannot do. You may discover that you have thought of something that no one did before, but what every one had seen and passed it without taking notice. Success is not a gate but a staircase which we have to climb, involving the action of certain parts of the body. Although success is best measured by how far we have come with the talents Allah has bestowed upon us, an overnight success is a rarity. It takes years to achieve success, and failure is the first step. In fact, success is always associated with problems and obstacles in its path. Such adversities and hardships can only be overcome through reliance on Allah and the self. While burning the midnight oil towards any project, we should not forget tahajjud prayers after midnight. Meeting during congregational prayers and the shaking of hands contribute their own quota of solace to this brotherhood. Congregational prayers impart a sense of humility to the rich, fair or handsome while meeting and shaking of hands after congregational prayers enhances confidence and self-esteem of the less privileged participants. There is strength in congregation, and triumph and success in strength. If the area is under occupation, it infuses a new era of Islamic awakening, uniting the entire Muslim ummah with millions of hearts in one body that can challenge the insatiable greed of the occupying forces. Congregational prayers could also be done at home with family members praying together, thus ensuring a powerful effect of Islamisation of the participants. In Q.20:132, Allah advises us to bid our family to pray and be patient in it. A family that prays together stays together. Islam itself is a religion of success, although this success may not necessarily be measured by a huge bank account or a respectable university degree in this life. This success is measured by the achievement of Paradise in the Hereafter, which is a true reward for whatever uses we made of our academic or spiritual knowledge for the advancement of mankind and which was pleasing to Allah. No matter how we look at it, the academic and the spiritual ramifications of knowledge should be consistently introduced during this life from infancy. The Holy Qur’an teaches us that a society which lives according to God’s will (implementing equality, justice and a fair distribution of wealth for a better world of tomorrow) can never fail. God-fearing people will achieve success (Q.5:100). We should bear in mind that the word of “successâ€? in the adhÄ n also precedes the iqÄ mah, the Islamic Anthem, which reminds us that if we stand up and pray together, we can stay together as a strong ummah. The verse Q.42:38 says that after our prayers are over, we should conduct our affairs by mutual consultation (shĹŤrÄ ). Hence, congregational prayers should begin with iqÄ mah (call to stand up together) and end with salÄ ms, peace and Allah's mercy. The iqÄ mah of the congregational prayers is an expression of discipline, spirit of unity, brotherhood, mutual consultation and collective understanding and action. When the iqÄ mah is called, each one of us should stand up immediately like a soldier, in a devout frame of mind (Q.2:238). We must report for duty and take instructions from Allah. If we say our Sustainer (Rabb/God) is Allah, and stand up straight and steadfast as in the iqÄ mah, angels will descend on us and console us by saying: Don’t fear; don’t grieve, but receive glad tidings of gardens which were promised. (Q.41:30). As soon as the iqÄ mah is called, we must stand together, shoulder to shoulder, so as to allow no room whatsoever between our shoulders for Satan to separate us. We must ensure that the line is a solid, strong, cemented, impregnable structure (Q.61:4). After the iqÄ mah, we commune with Allah as

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soon as we begin our ᚣalÄ t. Muslims must turn their faces towards the qiblah (Masjid-ul-ḤarÄ m in Makkah), because it was ordered by Allah (Q.2:149), so as to differentiate those who followed Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏from those who did not (Q.2:143). We read in the traditions (Ḽadith) that both Haá¸?rat ‘Ā’ishah and Umm Salamah (R.A.), the most knowledgeable among the wives of the Prophet‍‏, used to lead women in congregational prayers. We also read that the Prophet‍ ‏appointed Umm Waraqah to lead the members of her household in prayers. Therefore, our women should never lose the opportunity to pray in jamÄ â€˜ah (congregation) whenever there is an opportunity, by appointing one of them with superior knowledge to lead an allwomen congregation. It is needless to say that those women should also pay attention to home. It is advisable that after completion of every of the five-time prayers we should ask ourselves: What part of the Qur’an recited in the prayer would we implement immediately on getting up? To test the effectiveness of our ritual prayers, we should pause for a few moments after completing the prayers and giving the salÄ ms, and ask ourselves the following questions: (1) Have we understood what we were reciting? If so, (2) to what extent the attributes of Allah are reflected in our person? Have we come any closer to any of Allah’s Attributes? (3) What are we going to do right now to better ourselves and also the community? (4) What measures should we implement to rectify any of our misdemeanours, misdeeds, personal profiles, our misdealing and misleading? (5) Is there any problem in the community that needs mutual consultation? As soon as we get up from our prayers, we should make an immediate start to fulfil our promise to Allah. If we had really understood the meaning of the five-time daily prayers that we performed, we should be doing some good deeds, some ᚣadaqah or some Ḽasanah at least five-times daily. Do we really do so even once daily? If we have spent the whole life in the rituals of prayer without reforming ourselves, we have wasted our lives. Life is so precious that Allah offers it once only on this planet, and does not repeat it here. The Persian poet explains:

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Agar hamin khoro khaabast haasĂŠlĂŠ omrat; bĂŠ heech kaar nayaayad hayaatĂŠ bee haasel: ChĂŠ roozhaat bĂŠ shab raft dar hawaa wo hawas; shabee bĂŠ rooz kon aakher bĂŠ shokro zekro namaaz. If eating and sleeping is your aim in life, this life will be of no use without achievement; most of your days passed as nights in fun and carnal desires; devote one night after all into a day of gratitude, remembrance and prayer. Although the 5-time daily prayers contribute a small percentage of the total daily calories burnt, what is more important is that it sets into motion a chain of those physiological and biochemical processes which take place in the body during physical exercise and which in turn lead to multiple benefits. ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the universal energy store, is the most abundant high-energy compound in the human body. It is a nucleotide that is necessary for energy transfer in the muscles during physical exercise as a result of bonding with its precursor ADP (adenosine diphosphate). This is done through a process of phosphorylation involving addition of a phosphate molecule, and is brought about by active transport of molecules and ions set in motion by nerve impulses responsible for muscle contraction. ATP delivers energy to almost all metabolic pathways of every cell in the body such as the metabolism of foods, synthesis of proteins and DNA, muscle contraction, generating electricity in nerves, etc. (It is also involved in the lighting mechanism of fireflies). The enzyme which makes ATP is called ATP synthase, or ATPase. It supplies energy to heart muscle for blood circulation and skeletal muscle for body movement. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter which is involved in the activation of muscles. This neurotransmitter increases alertness and also enhances memory. The stomach, spleen, bladder, liver, sweat glands, blood vessels, heart and skeletal muscles are just some of the organs that this neurotransmitter controls. Acetylcholine helps control muscle tone, primitive drives, emotions. It also controls the release of pituitary hormone vasopressin, which is involved in learning and in the regulation of urine output. During Islamic prayers, nearly each and every muscle in the body is brought into action. This leads to increased muscle strength, joint flexibility, better co-ordination, control and balance, and increased bone density and mineral content. Contraction of quadriceps muscles (muscles above the knee) occurs during Ruku' within a couple of seconds but it takes a few seconds more for the contraction to become

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maximal. By repeating SubḼ Ä na Rabbi al 'Azeema wa bi Ḥamdihi 3 times during Ruku' rather than hurriedly saying it once only, we give few extra seconds for the thigh muscle fibres to achieve maximal contraction besides giving us some time to understand in our own mother-tongue the meaning of what we have recited in Arabic. The strain put on the forearm during repeated prostrations in lifting the body from the ground increases the mineral content of the bones of the forearm, so useful in an old man for daily handling of objects. It re-activates erythropoietic processes in the bone marrow; prevents deep vein thrombosis through calf muscle pump by ankle movements; and delays the ageing processes of the body and brain. Moreover, after prayers, people actually feel better because it improves mood, thought and behaviour. Certain opioids such as encephalins, endorphins, dynorphins and others secreted by the brain during prayers add their own quota of well-being and tranquillity.

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4 ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœﺎ‏ Ű— Ů? Ů? ŮŽ %Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť”ﺤﺸﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ Ů?; ďť&#x;ﺟ‹ ‏Innas ᚢalÄ ta tanhÄ â€˜anil faḼshÄ ážżi Wal Munkari, (Q.29:45). Indeed, prayer

restrains from vulgarity and forbidden acts. Unfortunately, there are many people, who pray 5-times daily, yet still commit indecencies and other forbidden acts such as backbiting, telling lies, cheating in business, spreading mischief and taking alcohol, thus harming themselves as well as tarnishing the image of Islam. The proper ablution, a prominent turban, an exterior sweet-scented body perfumed all over, a well-camouflaging long gown, praying on a colourful mat and reciting long surahs in a beautiful accent will not protect us from committing evil if we understand what we are reciting but do not strive to implement the instructions. Satan unfortunately targets the faithful faster than the unbelievers.

IbÄ dah

The Arabic word for “worshipâ€? (‘ibÄ dah) means service, both literally and figuratively. It is derived from the root word ‘abd, meaning slave or servant. The use of the word ‘abd was also common in the preMuḼ ammad‍ ‏era. Many proper names in pagan times were composed of ‘Abd as the first member and the name of deity as the second member. Even the name “ ‘Abdullahâ€?, a popular Muslim name, was preIslamic (or shall we say “Islamicâ€? but “pre-Prophet MuḼammad‍ â€?‏as it was the name of his father) and is not uncommon among present-day Arab Christians and Jews. (Abu Lahab’s real name was ‘Abd al ‘Uzza, ‘Uzza being one of the 360 idols in the Ka‘bah, while Haá¸?rat Abu Bakr’s real name was ‘Abd alKa‘bah). There are 3 kinds of worship: (1) Ritualistic worship as expressed by the 5 pillars or arkÄ n of Islam of which one is prayer called ᚣalÄ t (namÄ z in Persian and Urdu). The neurobiology of rituals especially in prayer encompasses various areas of the brain which generate emotional discharges of tranquillity and awe. (2) Individual service (‘ibÄ dah) to all living beings, including humans and animals as well as the environment of planet Earth. By and large, each one of us is responsible for what happens around us and we are accountable for the sins of commission and omission by what we do and what we fail to do. Here is an example of a sin of omission. G

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Agar beenam kĂŠ naabeenaa wo chaah ast:; agar khaamoosh bensheenam gonaah ast. If I see a blind man and a well, it would be a sin if I were to keep quiet. The universe is there for mankind either to plunder its resources selfishly or to make it more exquisitely beautiful so that our tomorrow would be better than today. We must thus begin our service to planet Earth itself where we are privileged to live. This exercise alone will make man understand his responsibility and our incredible potential for the betterment of all life. Should we fail in our duties, our own extinction would result due to the human degradation of the eco-system, through which all living creatures, including mankind, rely on one another for survival. We should protect the ecology and should not wait to act until the last tree has died, the last river poisoned and the last fish caught, to realise the value of life given to us. The entire eco-system has been entrusted to us by Allah, and we should not betray this trust under any circumstances. (3) Another type of ‘ibÄ dah is the social reform carried out by a philanthropist individually or through a social welfare organisation. Rituals of religions are primarily exercises through which we get an insight into spirituality. By entering into a revered area of the mind, we find a deeper meaning for our communication with the Creator. It changes our attitude, our ways of thinking and behaving, from casual into more solemn. Through rituals, we express our get-togetherness and mutual trust.

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However, there is a vast difference between ṣalāt expressed as ritual prayers and real ‘ibādah (service). Although rituals confer dignity and self-esteem and renew individual commitments to the moral and social order in a disorderly world, most Muslims believe that praying ritually five times daily is sufficient, and no other ‘ibādah or service is required. Shaikh Sa‘di says:

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Ibaadat bè joz khedmatè khalq neest; bè tasbeeho sejjaada o dalq neest. Worship is naught without service to mankind. It is not done with a rosary, prayer mat and a long gown. ‘Ibādah is not only ritual worship. It means subservience and obedience to Allah in all facets of life. It has been said that “Hands that help are equally good, if not better, than lips that pray”. It is not enough only to recite the Qur’anic verses, or to perform a set of rituals, but rather we should acquire the proper frame of mind to accept the sacredness of our service and carry out other religious duties which we are commanded to do. Our leader Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬sometimes would fold his hands above the navel like the Shāfe،īs, or below like the Ḥanafīs, or would simply put them right down by the side like the Mālikīs and the Shi‘ahs This was intended, so that the later Muslim generations would know that variations in rituals (one of the prime causes of sectarian differences) are not so important. It does not matter whether we fold our hands above our navel, or below or just pray with our hands by the side. What matters is what we do after the prayers are over; whether we put these same hands deep into our pockets to help the needy and uplift the down-trodden or not. The true servants of God (‘ābidūn) are known by the following: (i) They have firm conviction in their faith. (ii) They exhibit patience, steadfastness and self-restraint. (iii) They exude truth and sincerity in every word and deed. (iv) They worship devoutly. (v) They spend liberally in Allah’s way. (vi) They pray for forgiveness during tahajjud prayers and in the early tranquil hours of the morning. The very first thing they do when they wake up is to have communion with Allah. It is the first item on their priority list, which instils confidence in them, and helps them to plan for rest of the 16 hours or so of the day. The worship of Allah becomes more mysteriously appealing to us when He remains Unseen. The desire to see Him and meet Him dominates our minds throughout our lives. Thus we give ourselves an objective to work for within the sight of our Maker. For the assignment of meeting Him, we have to exert the extra effort, have patience and wait until the Hereafter. Those of us who have excelled in our studies or in sport have either burned the extra midnight oil or have practised running the extra mile. Also, we should always try to run the extra mile, because it is never crowded. The purpose of creation is to worship and serve Allah (Q.51:56) and Allah alone. Ritual prayer is easy to perform and hence easily chosen. Doing service to mankind on the other hand, which is also serving Allah is more difficult and hence generally avoided. Here are three aḥādith on this subject: (1) Do you love your Creator? Love your fellow-beings first. (2) “All God’s creatures are His family, and he is the most beloved of God who tries to do most good to God’s creatures. (3) What actions are the most excellent? To gladden the heart of a human being, to feed the hungry, to help the afflicted, to lighten the sorrow of the sorrowful and to remove the injuries of the afflicted. This is the real ‘ibādah. Allah Himself is All-loving (Q.11:90; 85:14). Divine service should be more for the love we have for Allah, and less for the hope of Paradise. The way we show our love and devotion to Allah is called worship. Worship means constantly remembering Allah and praising Him, and completely identifying our will with His, which means, for all practical purposes, obedience to His Laws and service to Him and to His creatures. The worship of Allah is not only linked up with verbal kindness but also with fulfilling the rights of parents, kindred, the needy and those far away from their homes, who may be strangers to us (Q.17:23-26).

ُ َ َ َُ َ 4 َ 4 ‫ ﻋﻤﻠﻮ‬ ‫ ﻟﺼﺎﺤﻟﺎ‬ ‫ @ﻳﻦ ﻣﻨﻮ‬ ِ Wal ladhīna āmanū wa ‘amiluṣ sāliḥāt: And those who have firm faith and ِ َِ ِ

do good deeds. Faith in Allah is annexed, not hyphenated, with the performance of good deeds, in many Qur’anic references (Q.2:82 and others).

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Any and every action conforming to Allah’s Will is ‘ibādah, including earning an honest livelihood, living a chaste life, performing ṣalāt and serving mankind. Gratitude to Allah is also considered a form of worship (Q.2:172). Once we worship Allah alone, we are baptised by Him, and we take on a new colour and absorb His good qualities in us (Q.2:138).

At-Tashahhud or At-Taḥiyyāt

It is the recitation in the sitting position during the ritual prayers, of the celestial dialogue of greetings that took place between Allah and Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬during his me‘rāj or the extra-terrestrial journey and which include the shahādah. Before we utter the shahādah: Ash hadu an lā ilāha illal lah; wa Ash hadu anna Muḥammadann ‘abduhū wa Rasūluh: we greet Allah first, Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ next and then ourselves and the righteous people. In spite of the shahādah reminding us at least 17 times daily during our prayers that we should think of Allah first, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬second and ourselves third, some of us are so ego-centric that we can not think beyond I first, me second and myself third. Prayer is the first step in the onward progress of man and for the forward march of his bonded rūḥ. It is also his me‘rāj, i.e. his highest spiritual ascent. Every step towards our prayer mat is a step towards our own me‘rāj. Taking second and third step in a continuous line with the first enhances the value and

ُ َ 4 َْ َ َ ْ ‫ ﻟﺼﻼ‬ َ ُ ْ ‫ﻣﻌﺮ‬ ‫ ﻟﻤﺆﻣﻨﻦﻴ‬ Prayer is the me‘ rāj of the Mu’minīn”. Mu’minīn are ِ ِ

strength of the first step.

those Muslims who declare and practise their faith with firm conviction, performing good deeds on a daily basis. Through deep meditation in prayers, man can soar high and penetrate the Divine Veil. With intense concentration, he may symbolically find himself high up in the spiritual heights of the celestial me‘rāj; and after the prayers end, he may descend to mix with earthly people during his normal daily business transactions and interactions. A bird can soar high up in the skies if its legs are not tied to the ground with a string or a slender gold chain. It is likewise with human beings who already possess the potential to become spiritual champions, if no material strings are attached. The only thing required in this regard is to make an intense effort to the best of our ability, highlight the meaning of the verses of the Qur’an and implement them. During the tashahhud, we repeat the celestial dialogue that took place between Allah and Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬near the Lote Tree (sidratul muntaha), when he was near Allah’s Majestic Throne (‘arsh) and when he presented greetings to Allah, the conversation being thus:-

َّ َْ

4

ُ 4

َْ

َ 4 َ ِ‫ ﺤﻛﺤﻴﺎ ِﷲ‬ Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬says: ‫ ﻟﺼﻠﻮ ُ ﻟﻄﻴﺒﺎ‬ ِ

At taḥiyyātu lillāhi waṣ ṣalawātut ṭayyibāt: Greetings to Allah and all prayers and good deeds.

ُ​ُ َ َ

َ َ ٌَ

ََُْ

َْ َ ُ َ 4 َْ

َ َ ِ‫ َ ﻤﺣﺔ ﷲ‬k‫ ﺠ‬ ُّ 4 ‫ ﻟﺴﻼ ﻋﻠﻴﻚ ﻓﻬﺎ‬ Allah, SWT, replies: ‫ﺗﻪ‬m‫ﺑﺮ‬ ِ

Assalāmu ‘alyka ayyuhan nabiyyu wa raḥmatulllāhi wa barakātuhu: Peace be upon you, O Prophet and Mercy and Blessings of Allah.

ْ

4ْ

َ

َ

ََْ َ ُ

4 َْ

ِ‫ﻋﺒﺎ ﷲ‬ Prophet‫ ﷺ‬continues: ‫ ﻟﺼﺎﺤﻟﻦﻴ‬ ِ​ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﺴﻼ ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ َ ﺒﻟ‬

Assalāmu ‘alynā wa ‘alā ‘ibādil lāhiṣ ṣāliḥīn: Peace be upon us and upon all the righteous devotees.

َُْ َ َْ

Prophet‫ ﷺ‬declares his shahādah: ُ‫ ﺷﻬﺪ ﻻ ِ ® ;ﻻ ﷲ‬

Ash hadu an lā ilāha illal lāh; I bear witness that there is no deity to be worshipped except Allah.

4َ ُ َ َْ​َ 4 َ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ ‫ﺤﻣﻤﺪ‬ ُ ُ َ َ َ ‫ﻗﺒﺪ‬ Allah continues: ®‫ ﺳﻮ‬ ‫ ﺷﻬﺪ‬Wa ash hadu anna Muḥ ammadann ‘abduhū wa rasūluh:

And I bear witness that Muḥammad is Allah’s servant and Messenger. And then all the angels and others present in the heavens echo:

ّ َ ّ َ 4 َ ُ 4 َ ‫ﺤﻣﻤﺪ َ َﺒﻟ‬ 4 َ ُ ‫ﺳﻴﺪﻧﺎ‬ 4 َ ‫ﺻﻞ َﺒﻟ‬ ‫ﺳﻴﺪﻧﺎﺤﻣﻤﺪ‬ ٍ ِ ٍ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻠﻬﻢ‬Allāhumma ṣalli ‘alā sayyidinā Muḥammadinn wa ‘alā āli Sayyidinā Muḥammad: Oh Allah, shower Thy blessings and honour on our Leader Muḥammad and on his descendants. We repeat the text of this conversation between Allah and Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, in every tashahhud, many times daily. It reminds us of the gift of the five daily prayers that the Prophet‫ﷺ‬

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brought with him from his me‘rÄ j (celestial journey), where he was taught by Allah the knowledge about the cosmos and many other scientific phenomena (Q.17:1; 53:1-8).

Tahajjud

Tahajjud (the after-midnight prayers) is derived from hajada meaning, He was wakeful in the night. It is also known as qiyÄ m al layl, an expression derived from the Qur’an. In the silent, dark and tranquil hours of the night, neither the “exteriorâ€? noise is audible, such as that of telephone, TV, or radio etc., nor the “interiorâ€? clamour of tangled emotions nor do conflicting thoughts about material objects trouble us. All these disturbances remain absent during this hour, which is the time to offer our tahajjud prayers with calm and serenity. It is a time for quiet reflection during some golden serene moments, when we seek liberation from the burdens of daily hectic life. Putting our feelings into appropriate and beseeching words in our du‘as during tahajjud prayers makes our sadness and depression, anger and resentment, pain and frustration less intense. Concentration during such du‘as involves mindful meditation during which some areas of the brain become activated while some pathways are switched off. The timing of tahajjud prayers affords an exceptionally unique spiritual atmosphere and purity of thought in preparation for the day to begin. It also enhances the brain’s ability to concentrate and helps us to place the forthcoming duties of the day into their respective compartments, by giving priorities to proper intentions and rejecting improper ones, if any. We will need the intimacy, the closeness to Allah, to express our innermost thoughts, feelings, desires and fears, indeed of our whole life, before Him. The rising by night for tahajjud prayers is most suitable for understanding and strengthening one’s bonded faith and also for framing and formulating the wordings of prayer and praise (Q.73:6). Here is an apt G Persian poem:

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Saaqee bĂŠdeh pymaana ee, zon meii kĂŠ bee kheesham konad; Ghaafel konad az beesho kam, faaregh zĂŠ tashweesham konad; bar hosnĂŠ shaur angeezĂŠ tĂł aasheq tar az beesham konad; waz man rahaa saazad maraa, beegaaneh az kheesham konad: O Saqi! Give me a cup from the drink of which I will divest myself of my ego; which will make me unaware of my excesses and needs, and relieve me of my anxiety; and which will make me love You much more than ever before while looking at your thought-provoking Countenance, during which my ego goes into oblivion. In the darkness of the night, the tahajjud prayer kindles the divine flame within us so that we may receive true illumination. It opens a window, through which light may enter the neurons of the brain where problems are lurking to be solved. Just as a person is mirrored clearly in the calm and still waters of a lake, so the mind is reflected in the supplicating words of the tahajjud prayers. The poet clarifies: RoozĂŠ feraaq rafto bar aamad shab-ĂŠ wesaal; Ay rooz munqate‘ shov, ay shab ‘alad dawaam. Day of separation departed and night of attachment emerged; Oh day, get away; Oh night, may you be permanent. Another advice by Shaikh Sa'di: ChĂŠ roozhaa bĂŠ shab aawarda ee bĂŠ raahatĂŠ nafs; chĂŠ baashad ar bĂŠ ebaadat shabee bĂŠ rooz aaree. So many days you converted into nights for your own pleasure; what if you convert one night into a day of prayer. Tahajjud prayers ignite the divine spark that lies dormant within us, and make us a shining example for those persons who are still in the dark, like a beacon to instil brightness in their lives. Such a person is well described in this Persian poem: Choon qibla nemaa khezrĂŠ raa hè ahlĂŠ jahon baash: sar gozashtĂŠ yĂŠ khod raah nemaayĂŠ degaron baash: Just as a compass pointing towards the Qibla, be a leader to the world community; let your experience be a guiding traffic indicator to others.

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Just as a candle loses nothing by lighting another candle, we may also not even be aware of our influence in the lives of others whom we meet, an interaction which has already been laid down in Allah’s Plan and Wisdom. Once in a while, we meet someone whom we will always remember. There is something about being in his presence that draws us like a magnet into his field. Even eye contact with such a person induces electrical activity in the ventral striatum of the brain. We begin to see his world and his philosophy differently. The aura that surrounds him and the expression of his sincerity towards us linger in our thoughts for days on end and help us spiritually to tune our thoughts to a different wave-length, equating with his, as if it is ESP. (ESP or Extra Sensory Perception is a paranormal response to an external event that has not been recognised by the five known senses. It includes telepathy which is the ESP of mental activities of another person). Because parts of the brain generate impulses at specific frequencies based on the net action of various neurotransmitters secreted, some brain waves are produced which when coupled with those emanating from other persons could pool mutual information and interest. However, most scientists believe that psychic information by telepaths could be mere guesses. Love for Allah, being a slow process, grows with time. At first, man is attracted to Allah a little, then he tries to communicate with Him through prayers for his needs; later he engages in a dialogue with Him and finally he begins looking forward to the hope of a hug from Him in the Hereafter. All of it is as a consequence of his deeds, which have earned the good pleasure of Allah. During the third and fourth stage of deep sleep (dreamless sleep) repair of the body takes place. This is usually just before tahajjud prayers. The memory molecules are re-synthesised in the hippocampus of the brain. Hence we can formulate the wordings of our petition and other supplications much better during this period. Every night, when the last third of it remains, Allah, the Blessed, the Superior, descends to the lowest heaven saying, ‘Is there anyone to ask Me so that I may grant him his request? Is there anyone to invoke Me so that I may respond to his invocation? Is there anyone seeking My forgiveness so that I may forgive him?’ (Ḥadīth Muslim, Abu Dawūd, Aḥmad bin Hanbal). We pray for forgiveness in the early hours before dawn (Q.3:17; 51:18). The best time for tahajjud is the last third portion of the night (Abu Hurairah: Fiqh).Tahajjud prayers will raise us to a higher station (Q.17:79). Those who wake up and pray and call on God in fear and hope, and give charity, would be rewarded (Q.32:16). From the fourth stage of deep sleep, we pass on to the fifth stage called REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep when dreaming occurs. There are four or five such periods in every night of restful sleep. The dreams of early morning, say just before tahajjud prayers, are remembered more vividly and with more accurate details than those of the earlier part of the night. This is because memory molecules are synthesised during the stages of deep sleep which precede the REM sleep when dreaming occurs. Majority of strokes occur around 2-3 A.M. when the B.P. is at its lowest. It is mostly due to the buildup of cholesterol in the blood during the night and clotting of blood in the cerebral arteries aided by platelets. It is therefore probable that the physical activity of the tahajjud prayers around 3 A.M., could initiate into action processes which prevent the formation and extension of the clot, and hence prevent a major stroke or at least minimise it if it occurred. If the tahajjud prayer is said routinely, say at 3 A.M., then the timing gets set in our bio-rhythm to wake us up every morning at that time. In addition to this, the Morning Prayer around 5 A.M. is further expected to contribute a quota of beneficial effects through extra physical and spiritual exercise. We look forward to each day with optimism and enthusiasm, and in the morning, prepare in advance the list of good deeds we plan to do during the day. These executive processes of planning and scheduling are controlled by the frontal and pre-frontal cortex of the brain. During the tahajjud prayers, formulating our supplications assist us in moulding our personality and the daily schedule that begins with early morning. When we wake up, our first port of call should be the prayer mat, followed by other priorities in our agenda. Prayer contributes to our tranquillity and peace of mind (Q.13:28). This tranquillity results out of certain endogenous substances released into the body during prayers, such as encephalins, endorphins, dynorphins, serotonin, dopamine and many others as yet undiscovered. These neurotransmitters some of which are probably also released from the ‘God-spot’ or ‘Centre for Spirituality’ said to be situated in the left side of our brain, modulate responses against the harmful effects of stress, by causing euphoria and a feeling of well-being, contentment and satisfaction, as well as by enhancing immune responses. These are also responsible for a healthy and serene state of balanced mind, an immediate and priceless reward from Allah.

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If Allah needs no praise and no petition because He is above all praise and knows our needs better than we do ourselves, and if His bounties are open to all without asking, then why should we pray at all and make du‘a? In Q. 40:60, Allah advises us to make du‘a (supplication) and He will respond. We must remember that every du‘a is a request for assistance, while the result of each and every du‘a depends upon the inscrutable Will of Allah. Supplication is for our own spiritual growth and consolation. Du‘a reminds us that we are not alone in this world, but have a divine presence Who is a constant Companion with Whom we can have dialogue, advice, guidance and assistance. Du’a becomes necessary since we cannot foretell what has been written in our destiny. It gives us hope in times of uncertainty and insecurity. Of course, we cannot interfere in God’s business and tell Him what to do. We can only supplicate mentioning our wishes, with a view to establish a communication between ourselves and our Creator and also to leave it to Him to decide whether our wish should be granted or modified. It is unfortunate that man makes good du‘as for himself and evil ones for others. It is well to bear in mind not to make du‘a with an aim of bringing evil on others. It neutralises all the positive effort and displeases Allah. Besides, one should remember that the others too might be also making the same evil du‘a for us. Location does not apply to Allah since it applies to created things. Although Allah is present everywhere, we should constantly remember Him as if He is watching us, seeing us and hearing us. If we are on the right track, Allah has been holding our hands and we are walking together (Q.2:256). Only with such utmost sincere devotion, we can actually get the pleasant feeling of being in His divine presence. When prayers are followed by meaningful actions and service to mankind, we gradually upgrade ourselves from being better Muslims to Mu‘mins and then to Muḥ sins as we ascend faster through Ṣ irāṭ al Mustaqīm towards Allah, our eventual goal.

Sajdah or Prostration

Sajdah or prostration is an ancient practice dating from the time when angels inhabited the gardens (Jannah), prior even to the creation of Adam (Q.2:34; 7:12). It was primarily meant to be an expression of subservience and humility and obedience of angels to mankind. It has been designed to help us develop special qualities such as humility, respect and mental equipoise. The position of half-length prostration (sajdah) in which the forehead touches the ground is associated with the Muslim form of sajdah, although Coptic Christians in Egypt still prostrate in this way. Prostration is also practised in Judaism and other religions. The centre of our fore-head is placed at the ground level (half-length prostration, typical of sajdah seen in Islamic prayers) while some non-Muslims may extend the whole body onto the ground (fulllength prostration). Every created being, whether angels or moving creatures (Q.16:49), trees (Q.55:6) and inanimate objects prostrate to Allah in their own ways (Q.16:48). Even in every atom of non-living objects, both the dextro (right) and laevo (left) forms of chemical substances, electrons and protons behave as they are bidden, prostrating to Allah in the humblest manner (Q.16:48). Sajdah (prostration) is a unique stance employed in the regular Islamic prayers. It is an ideal example of a position for onlookers, who wish to emulate total submission to the Creator. The muṣalli (one who is praying) rests his forehead on the ground while his hands are placed at the sides. The hands are stretched out so that the forearm as well as arm muscles may bear the weight of the spine. Prostration is part and parcel of a Muslim’s prayer involving mental, verbal and physical actions. It increases the sense of humility in human beings (Q.17:109). As mentioned in a Ḥadith, a person is nearest to Allah in this position. The Messenger‫ ﷺ‬of Allah said: The nearest a servant comes to God is when he is prostrating himself, so make supplication (in this state). (Ṣaḥiḥ Al-Bukhāri). Glorification of Allah’s name combined with prayer aids the purification of the self and leads to prosperity (Q.87:14-15). The usual supplication after every prostration is:

ْ ِّ َ ُْْ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ þ‫;ﻏﻔﺮ‬ َ َ ý‫ ﻫﺪ‬ ‫ ﺨﻓﻰﻨ‬ ‫ ﻤﺣﻰﻨ‬ ِ َ ‫ ﻗﻰﻨ‬ ِ​ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ Rabbaghfirlī, warḥamnī, warzuqnī, wahdinī, wa ‘āfinī, Oh Allah!

Forgive me, have mercy on me, provide for me, guide me and keep me healthy. Prostration symbolises total submission to Allah. The importance of sajdah may be gauged from the fact that a whole chapter in the Holy Qur’an is called Sūrat us Sajdah (Chapter 32). All the prophets prostrated before Allah. In fact, Whatever beings there are in the heavens and the Earth, do prostrate themselves to Allah. (Q.13:15). Allah commands us: Proclaim God’s Praise in the night and after the

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(prescribed) prostrations. (Q.50:40). There are those who spend the night in adoration of God, prostrating and standing. (Q.25:64). The effects of prostration become embedded in the memory and other brain circuits. There are marks in their faces, being the effects of their prostration. (Q.48:29). It should be noted that the marks are in their faces and not on their foreheads. (SimÄ hum fi wujĹŤhihim min atharis sujĹŤd: “Fiâ€? in Arabic means “inâ€?; “‘AlÄ â€? in Arabic means “on â€?). We should not be carried away by the mark on the centre of the forehead, as this poem advises:

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Taa ‘at on neest kĂŠ bar khaak nahee peeshaani; sedq peesh aar kĂŠ iblees basee kard sujood. Worship is not just putting the forehead on the ground; implement sadaqah since Satan prostrated a lot. Let us not assume that sajdah alone would instil piety in a person. It should be accompanied and followed by good deeds. Any clean place could be a suitable one for prostration, be it a road, a house or a masjid (mosque). A section of the house of the Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏in Medinah was partitioned to make it a mosque for congregational prayer. (The word masjid is derived from the word sajdah meaning prostration). Prayer is a private communication with God for the purpose of maintaining the presence of the divine in our personal lives. Since prayers are performed in a clean place, and after ritual purification called wuá¸?u, it adds a further refined dimension to the procedure. During sajdah, the head assumes a lower position than the heart and hence blood flows more easily to the brain as the heart does not have to work against gravity. This speeds up the supply of nutrients to the brain which is responsible for secretion of neurotransmitters such as gaba, serotonin, dopamine, encephalin, endorphin, acetylcholine, glutamate, anandamide, etc. These neurotransmitters are responsible for the well-being, peace, satisfaction, tranquillity and optimism of the person and encourage a balanced frame of mind. Some persons prostrate to the sun and the moon although we are commanded in the Holy Qur’an not to do so (Q.41:37). Some persons even prostrate before dead human beings in cemeteries and before the graves of dead saints, when they should be prostrating to the Creator and not the created, leave alone those who are already dead, and who can neither help themselves nor help others. The Buddhists begin their devotion with a triple prostration before the Buddha image. Sajdah is an act much despised by Satan (Q.7:11; 38:73-74; 20:116) because it brings us closer to Allah (Q.96:19). The devil weeps when we prostrate during our prayers. Pious persons prostrate to Allah as an expression of deep humility and faith, and call on Allah in fear and hope (fearing that their dedication is not sufficiently worthy to be accepted and hoping that their short-comings will be overlooked by Allah’s Mercy) (Q.32:15-16). Allah does not possess one quality that mankind has and that is humility.

Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů? ‍ ďť“ďťŒ‏ ‍  ďş— ﺿ Ů?ﺑ‏means Allah elevates him who humbles himself before Allah. Although

prostration is reserved for Allah alone, men in the pre-MuḼ ammad era and even now, often prostrate to higher authorities as a mark of greeting, respect and honour (Q.12:100). The reward of humility is reflected in this poem:

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Yakee QatrĂŠ Baaron zĂŠ abree chakeed; khajel shod cho pahnaayĂŠ daryaa bĂŠ deed: Ke jaa ee kĂŠ daryaast man keestam; agar oost, haqqaa kĂŠ man neestam; Cho khod raa bĂŠ chashmĂŠ heqaarat bĂŠ deed; sadaf dar kenaarash cho jon parvareed: Sepahrash bĂŠ jaa ee rasaa need kaar, kè shod lo’ lo’ ĂŠ naamwar shahriaar: Tawaazo‘ konad hooshmandĂŠ gazin; nahad shaakhĂŠ por meeweh sar bar zamin. A drop of rain trickled from a cloud; it felt ashamed when it saw the expanse of the ocean. ‘There, where there is ocean, what am I? If the ocean is there, truly I am nothing’. As it looked upon itself with contempt, a mother of pearl nourished its life by its side; the fortune accomplished its task so well, that it became the famed pearl of a reigning king; a chivalrous and intelligent man shows humility, a branch fully laden with fruits lays its head on the ground. Our wealth and status will not bring us nearer to Allah. However, man can come nearer to Allah’s Attributes if he constantly strives for perfection. It is not your wealth or your children that shall bring

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you nearer unto Us. (Q.34:37). Nearness to Allah does not mean nearness to a place but nearness to the Attributes of Allah. Although sajdah is primarily meant to bring a person closer to Allah through humility, meditation, communion and focusing on Allah’s attributes, let it not be forgotten that it is also a form of exercise. Gentle exercise improves fitness and emotional well-being and increases longevity. The physical movements during the daily compulsory sajdahs improve flexibility, co-ordination and relaxation response. Adrenaline and nor-adrenaline which are responsible for the consequent dynamism during the prayers combine with the tranquillity and the serenity of the sajdah, due to the secretion of encephalins, endorphins, gaba, glutamate, serotonin, dopamine and other neurotransmitters. This makes the prayers unique in the sense that dynamism is combined in the same individual with serenity, euphoria and dignity. The effects of adrenaline and nor-adrenaline are apparent, even after the prayer is over, as evidenced by the continuing physical and mental activity. In fact, even the thought or intention (niyyah) of performing prayers is sufficient to activate the sympathetic nervous system to secrete adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. Persons who perform prayers report feeling much better and healthier. In the elderly, the level of physiological activity drops. Bones become thinner and osteoporotic. The skin also becomes thinner and wrinkled. The repair processes of the body become slower and immune responses are reduced. Reserve functions of all vital organs decline and the aged are more vulnerable to falls and disease. But prayers being compulsory, the repeated regular movements of the body during the rituals improve the muscle tone and power, tendon strength, joint flexibility and the cardio–vascular reserve. This enables the body to improve the quality of life and to meet with unexpected demands such as running for a bus. Mild exercise also improves the stamina, self-esteem and self-confidence. The body movements help to prevent osteoporosis in the bones of elderly men and post-menopausal women. The activation of the calf muscle pump by ankle movements prevents deep vein thrombosis, a common cause of pulmonary embolism and also chronic ulcers of the legs in the elderly. Growth hormone secretion is further elevated by exercise during prayers. As this hormone is necessary for collagen formation, this may be an important factor in the long delay of the wrinkling of skin of those Muslims who perform regular prayers. Exercise of prayer improves mood, thought and behaviour. Although memory for short-term events deteriorates with old age, prayers improve memory in the elderly, even for short-term events, by keeping the memory circuit in the brain open, with neurons communicating with each other, especially through constant repetition of the verses from the Holy Qur’an and other memorised supplications of Allah’s glory. This procedure also helps to screen the mind from other incoming negative thoughts. The repetition of a prayer, supplications of glorification, dhikr (words glorifying Allah) and muscular activity, coupled with passive disregard of intrusive thoughts, relieve stress through a relaxation response, leading to lowering of B.P and inner calm. Repeating verses from the Qur’an breaks the cycle of stress because we find ourselves occupied in the present moment with Allah’s words and stop worrying about the past or the future. It is like slowing down and enjoying the ride when there is speeding traffic and zigzag driving in the neurons of the brain. Thus prayer puts the mind at ease. Islamic prayers are unique in that during the physical movements of prayers, tension builds up in the muscles with accompanying adrenaline and noradrenaline, while at the same time, tension is relieved in the mind due to the spiritual component, assisted by the secretion of encephalins, endorphins, dynorphins, serotonin, dopamine and so many others. Thus all those persons who perform regular prayers feel more alert and active, even after the age of retirement. They can meet unexpected challenges of life much better, such as escaping from a fire. This improves their stamina, self-esteem and self-confidence in being independent. Islamic prayer incorporates gentle exercise, and the beneficial effects of gentle exercise on the body are seen in the various organs such as the skeletal muscles, tendons and connective tissues, skeleton, joints, eryhtropoietic system and the overall psychological health. Still the best blessing accrued through Islamic prayers is the peace of mind and the mental equipoise which a person derives by the accomplishment of his duty to Allah by fulfilling an obligation. We prostrate in the direction of the qiblah, which is the spiritual magnetic centre of the Muslim world. The central region of the Earth encompasses Makkah, the centre for the Muslim ummah, and the point where for Muslims the heavenly axis touches the terrestrial plane. Makkah is also called the Mother of Cities (Umm al Qura) in the Holy Qur’an, and in popular literature, the “navel of the Earth”. The Ka‘bah is not only placed in the Centre of the Earth but, according to the navel theory, is the place from where the divine energy emanates. Like a spot from where umbilical cord was connected, this place too is believed to connect the earth with the Divine Source, forming the central point of the whole universe.

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The composition of the Black Stone (Ḥajar al Aswad) of the Ka‘bah has not yet been determined, whether it was originally a meteorite or not, and if so, whether any electro-magnetic waves are emitted from it in a radial direction. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬used to incline his head and fix his gaze towards the ground at the area of prostration. In fact, he prohibited looking at the sky and hither and thither during prayers. This may have an additional effect due to some as yet undiscovered scientific basis. It is also said that we should sleep with our head (and not our feet) towards the Ka‘bah. Since Muslims believe in logic and not in magic, some scientific explanations may be hidden in the above statements, waiting to be discovered. The pineal gland: It is important to say a few words about the pineal gland. It is a small reddish grey, highly vascular pea-sized body referred to as “the Third Eye” because of its proximity to the surface of the skin in primitive animals and also because of its structural similarities to the human eye. Western Fence Lizard has a fine and functional pineal gland with a photoreceptor element, directly on top of the head protruding through a foramen. The pineal gland of Pacific Tree frog and dog-fish shark contains cells which look like the cone cells of human retina which can differentiate colours. (However, this is not the case in human beings who are already endowed with two eyes containing cones that can differentiate colours. Because we have the neo-cortex - the new brain, which distinguishes humans from animals - our pineal gland has shifted to a central position in the brain, and is connected to many areas which control other functions of the body). The pineal gland produces the hormone melatonin synthesised from serotonin which is a necessary neurotransmitter of electrical impulses in the brain. Melatonin regulates the circadian and body rhythms, in particular our internal body clock and our sleeping and waking patterns. It may also play a role in a person's sexual development. Production of melatonin is stimulated by darkness and inhibited by light. (Light is detected by the suprachiasmatic nucleus which has direct connections to the retina and from there into the pineal gland). It plays an important part in directional sense. Damage to the pineal gland causes defective sense of direction, perhaps by altering the intrinsic intracranial electro-magnetic environment and thus affecting the magnetic response mechanism. There is a high concentration of magnetite (a magnetic oxide of iron) in man, in the bones at the base of the skull. (Even worker honey bees and some other insects have a ring of magnetite in their abdomens which can detect magnetic fields useful for their navigation and direction. In birds and other animals the pineal gland contains magnetic material and is a centre for navigation. It is possible the same mechanism applies to humans, and if so, then the pineal gland may be our navigational system responsible for leading us towards Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm, via the Ka‘bah). The billions of red blood cells which contain iron and which are circulating in the body with every heart-beat form a magnetic flux at the base of the skull. It has not been worked out as to what effects these ironcontaining red blood cells produce when they come near the base of the brain, and in turn, normalise the sense of direction through a neural or humeral or electro-magnetic pathway to the pineal gland. By putting our forehead to the ground during sajdah so many times daily, it is not impossible to imagine that some electromagnetic waves radiating from the Ḥajar al Aswad would reach the pineal gland and help to straighten our sense of direction; if so, prostration may be one of the mechanisms available to Muslims who are prostrating in the direction of the Ka‘bah with a view to seeking the Straight Path. The pineal gland is sensitive to changes in the electro-magnetic field of the Earth as well as those emanating from the Ḥajar al Aswad. During prostration, these waves might be adjusting the brain waves in our electroencephalogram which in turn might be responsible for the sense of ego to vanish and usher humility, through neural connections with the amygdala and the pre-frontal cortex. Probably these brain waves are also responsible for balancing the secretion of both the excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters responsible for inducement of humility. During prostration, the pineal gland may act as an “on and off switch” and may cut off undesirable signals arising in other parts of the brain, by producing melatonin or some such sedating hormone. Hence, the pineal gland is of interest both to scientists and theologians as it may well be a bridge between the spiritual third eye and the physical eye, asking us to see for ourselves how far we have travelled up the Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm.

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Zakāt or Zakah

There is no admission fee to become a member of the Muslim ummah, but once we are its members, we have to pay a compulsory annual subscription fee if we are in the upper financial bracket. This fee or tax is calculated only on that portion of one’s assets (held over a full lunar year), which exceeds certain stipulated basic amount called niṣāb. For this purpose niṣāb is taken to be the monetary equivalent of 85 grams of gold or 595 grams of silver at rates prevalent at the moment in the given country. During the time of Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, 19.7 ozs of silver were equivalent to 2.8 troy ozs of gold. Since the value of silver is lower than that of gold, silver is now used to calculate the minimum value of zakātable assets. For example, in Trinidad, niṣāb or the minimum zakatable wealth, was calculated, based on the price of silver in Oct. 2007, to stand at $2,955.00 Trinidad currency = $490.00 US. Zakāt amounts to 2.5 % of our total zakatable wealth and it should be disbursed to the members of the ummah who are in the lower income bracket. Zakāt is not a tax on income. It is an annual subscription of 2.5 % to be paid on all those assets not required for daily livelihood, thus exempting private dwelling houses, cars and tools of trade. Money paid to the Board of Inland revenue does not replace zakāt. Zakāt is not only meant for a few of the wealthy members of the Muslim ummah. It is meant for all of those among us, who own wealth above the prescribed minimum (niṣāb), so that the excess money flows from the rich towards the poor of the community. Even after death, zakāt should be deducted from a Muslim's inheritance for that year. Money, which is a gift from Allah, and is meant for the welfare of the society, comes from someone to us, and passes to someone else through us. Actually, a Muslim’s financial worth is known by what he gives, not by what he owns. Wealth is determined not by abundance of possessions; wealth is the richness of the self, (Ḥadīth: Muslim). Zakāt brings economic justice and improves the condition of the have-nots by providing purchasing power to the poor. We are not only responsible for our own welfare but the welfare of others. Islam is the only religion in the world with zakāt as the compulsory disbursement of 2.5 % of the net savings. Zakāt should not be labelled as charity which is referred to in the Qur’an by different names such as infāq (spending benevolently); sadaqah (disbursing any monies above the compulsory 2.5 %); and iḥsān (doing a better deed, including a kind word) (Q.17:23). Zakāt pronounced as zakāh in Arabic means: (1) purification and cleansing, (2) increase, growth and augmentation, and (3) sweetening. Zakāt is one of the means of self-purification and spiritual escalation as well as growth of wealth. Zakāh literally means purification of the money of the owner as well as cleansing of his self of both greed and selfishness, replacing it with gratitude and compassion for fellowmen. This emotional state is mutual since the needy recipients are also satisfied. They offer warm wishes for the rich instead of cursing and indulging in class hatred and malice. When zakāt is accompanied by the desire of seeking Allah’s Countenance, it increases the prosperity of the giver manifold (Q.30:38). The giving of zakāt purifies the remainder of wealth as the apportioned money does not belong to the owner, but is reserved for the poor and the needy, who are its rightful owners. Zakāt, legislation imposed by Islam over 14 centuries ago (similar to the ‘social security’ by the West), is a compulsory religious duty of disbursing 2.5 % of the net annual assets. It is calculated on any particular day in a year, preferably during the month of Ramaḍān. Anything above 2.5 % is voluntary, most noble, and is called ṣadaqah (which is derived from the word ṣidq meaning truth). Thus, the giving of alms by a Muslim is a witness to the truthfulness of his religion. Zakāt is neither charity nor a loan to Allah, because it is compulsory. But ṣadaqah which is anything over and above 2.5 % is voluntary and is considered as a loan to Allah. After all, what can man give but part of what Allah has given him? It should be noted that Q.2:177 specifically mentions the disbursement of money, for the love of Allah, to various persons listed in order of priority, while in the same verse, zakāt is mentioned separately. Although it is commonly believed that the 2.5 % zakāt should be disbursed to Muslims only, there is no authentic Ḥadīth to support it. In the Holy Qur’an, zakāt distribution is mentioned along with ṣadaqah. According to Imām Abu Ḥanīfah, zakāt can only be given to Muslims but according to Imām Shāfe-ī, it can also be given to non-Muslims, especially those who are inclined towards Islam ( Mu’allafatè Qulūbuhum Q.9:60). However, anything more than zakāt, called ṣadaqah, may be given to needy persons also, whatever their religion. When thinking of giving assistance to fellow-men, we should remember that if we give a person a fish, we feed only one person but if we teach a person to fish, he can feed hundreds. This shows the

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importance of establishing vocational and technical schools as ᚣadaqah jÄ riyah (meant for “continuous disbursement of ᚣadaqahâ€?) for one’s own sake. Just by feeding people, one can not allay their poverty. It only perpetuates an on-going dependency and the ‘gimme gimme’ tactics. Needy persons should be made self-sufficient by giving them something through which they can earn, such as a sewing machine, a rickshaw, and/or the most important gift of all, education. The scholars say that zakÄ t money cannot be given to parents, children, spouses, and descendants of the family of Prophet MuḼammed‍ ‏or to build a school or a mosque. But, the money could be given, through the mosque authorities or any charitable organisation, to needy persons, stranded travellers, new-comers into the fold of Islam and students for furthering their studies. We are advised to be active in giving zakÄ t (Q.23:4) with the sole purpose of seeking Allah’s Countenance (Q.30:39) and to purify ourselves (Q.92:18).Whoever purifies himself, it is for his own good (Q.35:18). He becomes prosperous (Q.87:14) and is entitled to enter the Garden of Eden (or Eternal Bliss), which is the recompense of the purified self (Q.20:76). Since Allah purifies whom He pleases (Q.24:21), we must not think or feel confident that we too have become pure just by giving zakÄ t (Q.53:32). ZakÄ t does purify the balance of wealth and also the individual, but if man continues to do wrong, it will only purify his wealth, and not his self. The quality of charity is a symbolic gesture of a Muslim’s full realisation of his social obligations. It could be done secretly or openly, not for vanity and fame, but to remind others, Muslims as well as non-Muslims, of their duties towards the less privileged. The left hand should not know what the right hand gives. ZakÄ t is never lost as mirrored in this Persian poem:

Ă‹ IR ( Ăˆ Âœk — É P 6Y2 ĂŠ A Z ĂˆĂ‡

Khyr panhon kon agar daaree tama‘ ĂŠ ajree bĂŠ hashr: Daaneh choon dar khaak panhon shod haasel meeshawad: Hide your charity if you wish to receive its reward on the Day of Resurrection; when a seed gets hidden in the earth, it would be recovered. We are reminded to seek out those who are in need of assistance (Q.70:25). Every charity is a stepping stone to Heaven. If you make even a small positive step today, you'll end the day one step ahead of where you started and with a brighter tomorrow. In any society, some remain poor while others become rich at the expense of the rest of the community, engaging in fiscal exchange with each other either through business or through practicing their profession. Islam teaches that the poor have a right to the wealth of the rich (Q.70:24-25) and that wealth should not be allowed to circulate among the wealthy only (Q.59:7). The rich have no experience of how poor people live. Mahatma Gandhi advised: Live simply so that others can simply live. ZakÄ t is a great promoter of economic justice in the society. It proportionately reduces the prevalent crime rate by re-distribution of wealth. It counteracts greed and economic exploitation and seeks public welfare. Do we realise that those of us who do not pay our zakÄ t are indirectly responsible for the crime prevalent in the society? Disbursement of zakÄ t is beneficial both to the giver and the recipient. Neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxy tryptamine) and other ‘pleasure’ hormones are secreted in the brains of both, the person who gives charity, love and kindness, as well as the one who receives them, producing a sense of satisfaction, contentment and elation in both. For some persons, the holy passion of friendship with money is so sweet, steady and loyal that it lasts through a lifetime. Such men think a hundred times before parting with a few pennies sufficient to buy a loaf of bread for a starving man, their excuse being that if God wanted them to have food, He would have fed them anyway. Shall we feed such a one whom if Allah willed, He would feed, (Q.36:47). In the same verse Allah says that such people are in “manifest errorâ€?. Allah does not distribute means of sustenance directly to the poor but through an economic system such as zakÄ t or ᚣadaqah. Do we know that wealth hoarded by the rich as deposit accounts in the banks, can feed every person, rich or poor, in every country for centuries to come? If we Muslims cannot use for ourselves the interest money accrued from our huge Fixed Deposit Accounts in the banks and other institutions, at least we could take it and open another Fixed Deposit Account in the stomachs of the hungry and the houses of the poor. Nobody can be a believer if his neighbours pass the night hungry, while he has his stomach full. (ḤadÄŤth). If everyone in this world can ensure that his neighbour had a meal, hunger would get eradicated from this Earth. (The definition of neighbourhood includes 40 houses around one’s house. ḤadÄŤth). The Qur’an first lays stress on the practice of benevolence as one of the chief virtues of a true believer, and hence, it is linked with prayers and devotion to Allah in many verses of the Holy Qur’an:

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ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4 ‍ ďť—‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Establish prayer and give zakÄ t. The character and fate of a person who only ‹‍ ďť&#x;ﺰﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟ‹ ŮŽ ďş—‏

prays without giving small charities is portrayed in Chapter 107 (Surat ul MÄ â€˜ĹŤn). He is portrayed as praying only to be seen and accepted by the society as a pious person. If we are such misers that we would not even disburse that little sum of zakÄ t, the money which actually belongs to the poor and which we should not touch, then Allah has no need of us (Q.47:38). Let us ask ourselves. Have we calculated, with paper and pencil, how much we have to pay and did we disburse the 2.5 % zakÄ t as yet? If not, with our unclean money still in our possession, we would remain as low-grade Muslims at the bottom line in the first level, and we would not be able to go up the next rung of the ladder to join the Mu’minÄŤn and the Mu’minÄ t who are in the second level up the ᚢirÄ t al MustaqÄŤm.

Charity

ZakÄ t is not charity. Charity is referred to in the Qur’an by different names such as infÄ q, sadaqah and ihsÄ n. Charity includes all good actions and gifts from one better endowed for one less endowed. “Givingâ€? is a divine quality while “takingâ€? is human. In Q. 92:5-6 (Surat al Aâ€˜áš­Ä ) “givingâ€? is associated with taqwÄ , sadaqah and Ḽasanah (Ḽasana means giving something in return which is better in quality and quantity.) So he who gives and is God-conscious, and testifies with all sincerity with something better in charity, (Q:92:5- 6). Today’s providers would be the beneficiaries of tomorrow, in the Hereafter. Some fragrance always clings to the hand that gives away roses. Whenever a person performs a good deed, he feels pleased with himself for having done so. And if that act is pleasing to Allah also, then he enjoys a unique situation in which he is well pleased with Allah and Allah well pleased with him (Q.98:7-8). For such persons, a joyous eternal future is assured in Paradise. Every good deed is a down-payment for a grand prize in the Hereafter. The hungry man prefers money rather than a sermon as his empty growling stomach has no ears and no respect for Allah, God or Bhagwan. Although morality and religion share a common bond between them, morality in practice has nothing to do with one's religion. Morality and religion mean nothing to those unfortunate ones who search for food and sift out their sustenance in gutters and garbage bins. The Persian poet describes this poor man's lot:

Ă‘Ă’ Ăƒ : : Ă“ & ĂŒ Ă? P ĂŽ Ă? ™Ă?

Nan weshtÊ lafzÊ eysh bÊ deevaanÊ roozgaar; man gashta am waraq waraq in ketaab raa: I have gone through my book of daily sustenance page by page and not a single word is written in my book of destiny about pleasure and luxury. For them, being good and moral doesn't pay. Accordingly, some of them may belong to the world's oldest professions viz. crime and prostitution. It is paradoxical that by accepting charity, the lower hand of the receiver shows kindness to the upper hand of the giver. When we give charity, we must not allow the recipient to feel humiliated and we must ensure that his self-respect has not been diminished. We should forego our ego and ensure that our hand is lower than that of the recipient as a symbol of humility. (It is much easier to part with time and money because they are separate entities from us, unlike our ego and emotions which are difficult to part with, because they have become part and parcel of us). If our riches were really ours, why can't we take them with us to the Hereafter when we die? The beggar who is a prisoner of his poverty dares not answer back when insulted. At times, he is treated as if he were not human. Rudeness is a rich man’s prerogative. The voiceless appeals of the poor are dumped since they can have no say in any matter. The poor man who lies on the ground can fall no lower and has nothing to lose except his chains.

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Oftaada raa dó baarÊ fekandan kamaal neest; Onraa kÊ khaak Ê raahÊ tó shod bar zamin mazan. It is no big feat to throw down a fallen person once again; don’t beat him to the ground once he has become road-dust in your path. The reason we do not think twice before knocking down a person weaker than us is because we have not been given a similar thrashing by a man stronger than ourselves. The poet says:

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140

Ă™ ÂŽ Ăš

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Bekhordam yakee moshtĂŠ zoor aawaron: nakardam degar zoor bar laagharon. When I received a good beating from a tough muscular man, I never again used force on the weak. We should give the poor generously so as to shed some of our own sins. It is better to give something small than none at all. It is not how much we give, but how much importance we apply to giving. We should always be reminded that what we spent we had; what we left we lost; what we gave we still have.

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Agar ganjĂŠ Qaaroon bĂŠ dast aawaree; namaanad magar onkĂŠ bakh shi baree. Even if you have in hand the treasure of Qaroon, nothing will remain of it to take with you except what you gave as charity. It is better to forget what we give to a person as the recipient will always remember what he had received. If he is ungrateful, it is his fault, but if we do not give, it becomes our fault. If we calculate how much Allah has given us and what we need, we can easily see how much surplus gets left with us, which is desperately needed by others. Since Allah has given us this much extra, the least we can do is to give away part of this surplus to the needy. Money in kind can also be stored in the stomachs of the hungry rather than be hidden in a purse or in a fixed deposit account in a bank. If we can't feed a hundred people, then we can feed just one. It only needs a twist of the wrist to help an outstretched arm. The charity that may be a trifle to us can be so precious to others that although we may only be someone insignificant in the world, but to the hungry man we may be his entire world. A man is only greater than another if he does better than him. For an empty stomach in an emaciated hungry person, religion does not matter. When poverty enters a home, religion exits from the window, (HadÄŤth: Abu Dhar). The satiated man and the hungry one do not see the same thing when they look upon a loaf of bread. (Maulana Jelaluddin Rumi). Here the poet describes what happens when you feed a hungry person:

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Gadaa raa chĂł haasel bowad naanĂŠ shaam; chenon khosh bekhosbad kĂŠ SultanĂŠ Shaam. As soon as the beggar receives his dinner, he will sleep as if he is the King of Syria. In fact, any day becomes a perfect and glamorous day if we manage to do something for someone, who may never be able to repay us in this life. And, even if we would not like to be reimbursed, Allah will pay us in full and plus, both in this world and in the next. Wealth imparts a sense of pride and warmth and a feeling of being above hundreds and thousands of people who could be easily influenced. Allah actually sees the details of our thoughts, intentions and actions, whether good or bad, whether we are giving some charity unselfishly to the needy or we are trying to cause mischief and division. Sometimes, we have to think over whether what we have earned is halÄ l or harÄ m. The shining example of philanthropy is often tarnished when thought is given as to how the philanthropist got his money in the first place. And yet, when we visit the rich man’s home, he displays a wall plaque in his reception room that says in bold gold letters,

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘ŮŽ ‍ ٰﺏ Ů?‏This is from the grace of my Sustainer!. A ḤadÄŤth informs us that: A time will come to Ů? Ů? ‍‏

mankind when man will not care whether what he gets comes from a lawful or an unlawful source. (AlBukhÄ ri). Before we set our hearts too much on wealth, let us examine how happy or unhappy are those who already possess it. In one important respect a man is fortunate in being poor; his responsibility to God is so much less, unlike the rich. Being burdened by their possessions, the rich are less friendly and live in constant fear of walking on the street in case a needy person sees them and asks for a donation, or a hungry person should ask them for a loaf of bread. Rich people do not know that money has no intrinsic value. It is the person who is valuable. Money has no value, if it remains in the wallet. It is only of value when we take it out and spend it for our own convenience in this world or spend it on the poor for our own Hereafter. Shaikh Sa'di advises:

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ZĂŠ donyaa tawaanee kĂŠ oqbaa kharee; bekhar jaanĂŠ man war nah hasrat baree. You can buy the next world with what you have in this world. Buy, my dear one, otherwise you will be sorry. Devotion to prayers does not only mean performing a certain number of formal rites and prostrations during prayers. It should also include acts of practical charity to those who ask and to those who are embarrassed to ask (Q.70:25). Worship (‘ibÄ dah) includes honest work, charity and every good deed,

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and the sacredness of his worship sums up the whole duty of man (Q.70:32-34). We should remember that money is not the root of all evil, but excess love of it is. What really matters is what you do with what you have.

Ů’ Ů? Ů?ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ‹‍ﺑﺎﺎﺳ‏ Ů?ŮŽ Ů? F‍ ﺣﺴﺎ ďť“ďş’ﺪ‏Al IḼsÄ nu yabdaážżu bil usrah: means: Charity begins at home.

When giving charity, we should consider: (1) What shall we give? It could either be money, property, a helping hand, a kind word, a smile or a proper advice. It is better to give something even if it is small than nothing at all, provided we are sure that our gift will not be utilised for evil ends. Withholding money from an alcoholic or a drug addict is better than giving him as charity. (2) To whom shall we give? We must seek out the needy in the community who suffer from poverty, but want to keep their dignity. We must grab the opportunity to befriend such a person. We should listen to the unspoken words and understand the unexpressed thoughts of the poor. Those needy who do not beg should be the first to receive charity (Q.2:273). (The words Ta‘rifuhum bi sÄŤmÄ hum in this verse refer to people in need who do not ask, such as teachers, refugees and those who have no money to travel to look for jobs). (3) How shall we give? The money should be given quietly, unselfishly and only for the love of Allah. It could also be given openly, if unavoidable, and without any ulterior motive, or with a view of being an example to others, reminding them at the same time about their obligation to the poor. (4) How much more than 2.5% shall we give? Whatever we think is superfluous and beyond our needs (Q.2:219). When an opportunity to help presents itself, accepting the challenge and dealing with it immediately is a reward in itself. After we have disbursed the regular zakÄ t, we can always give more, in the form of money or any other assistance, in various walks in life. This is called ᚣadaqah which includes everything which is given beyond the stipulated 2.5 %. Although a smile is charity, it cannot buy groceries and hence it should be accompanied by a food hamper or some money. A full stomach does not understand an empty one. Unfortunately a smile is what we show to someone when we don’t want to give or lend money. Have we watched the smile of the beggar? Behind it is the pleading of frustration, resentment and despair. We must listen to the unspoken words of the beggar who, battered by fate, goes from door to door, always being looked upon with suspicion and usually treated like a stray dog with stale food or with shouts and insults. Generosity lies less in giving much than in giving at the right moment to the deserving person. We do not even want to hear what the beggar wants. If we see any dirty, hungry or maimed destitute, we must immediately thank Allah that we are not in his position. Moreover, to give stale food to the poor is no charity. In fact, it may cause grievous harm if it harbours bacteria and toxins, which would cause vomiting and diarrhoea and may end up in the poor man being hospitalised or maybe dead. If we give what we would like to discard, that should not be considered as charity. If we dish out stale food or give torn clothes to the poor we should expect the same unconcern for ourselves in the Hereafter. Here is a description of a miser by a poet:

ĂŠ ĂŞ P ĂŤ bĂŹ

ĂŠ * / /

Na khod khoree, na kas dahee; Gandah konee, bè sag dahee. You don’t eat it yourself, nor will you give it to someone else. You will rather let it go bad and give it to the dog. The miser does no one any good and yet treats himself worst of all both in this world and in the next. It is better to give as charity than to lend. It may cost us the same, or may even be much less, because of the promise and augmentation by Allah, Who would replace what we expend (Q.34:39). If we give a needy person some money in the name of Allah without asking him to return it, it is referred to as qará¸?i hasanah or beautiful loan to Allah. We should not feel that our wealth would be diminished. To begin with, we will remove from the borrower the psychological stress and the anxiety of the debt and its re-payment, and here alone we would have scored a goal. Although charity is meant for the person who needs it, it is of more value to the person who gives it. In Q.28:77, Allah has advised us to seek the Last Abode (Paradise) with the bounties He has given us, not forgetting our portion in this world. In this world, we could be losers if we lose money in trade or other deals, but we could have been real winners if we had given the same part of our cash to the poor, as if we are trading with Allah. Just as a merchant denies himself the use of some part of his money and puts it to invest towards capital, we too must put some towards commercial investment in the Hereafter, because we are guaranteed the return of this Fixed Deposit Account with Allah plus many extra benefits (Q.35:29-30). We should keep

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this account with Allah as ṣadaqah, spend it in His Way and we will get the returns with much profit (Q.2:261). In this verse, Allah informs us that to qualify for receiving, we must be prepared to give. To enter into a commerce and business transaction with Allah, we ought to: (a) have firm faith in Allah and in his Messenger, and (b) strive for the Cause of Allah with our wealth and lives. He will then: (i) forgive us our sins, and (ii) bring us into the gardens (Q.61:10-12). We are reminded in Q.9:111 that Allah has purchased of the believers their selves and their wealth in exchange for Paradise. Whatever we spend in the least, Allah replaces it (Q.34:39). If we give a loan to a friend, safety of our capital is not guaranteed. We may lose both, our money and our friend. But a loan to Allah is guaranteed to be multiplied many times over (Q.2:245). Not only that, Allah also says that if we give a loan to Him, He will not only increase our credit account with Him manifold but also grant forgiveness for some of our sins (Q.64:17). We should be reminded that whatever we are sacrificing belongs to Him anyway. At the same time, we must not forget that whatever we sacrifice, we do not give it to any person or organisation only, but to ourselves also. That is not all. We must also be grateful to Allah for having given us the opportunity to sacrifice. Only few people among us are blessed with that courage and ability. A key to success lies in acknowledging the fact that we have not done enough. A Muslim’s financial worth is known by what he gives, not by what he owns. Money in the pocket is of no use. It becomes useful only when you take it out for yourself or for someone else, for this world or for the Hereafter. We should spend the surplus of our wealth in charity and expect no favours in return, our only longing should be to seek the Countenance or Pleasure of Allah (Q.92:18-20; 76:9). Unlike some of us who find that the longest road leads to our pockets, we should, as a brotherly obligation, feel for the poor in our wallets or purse. Blessed is that person who expects nothing in exchange because he will never be frustrated. If charity is unselfish and without expectations, it would be free of disappointments. Giving charity with the expectation of receiving anything in return is neither giving nor charity. Even if we do not expect anything in return, Allah will give us much more, both in this life and in the Hereafter. By giving charity, we can adjust our scales somewhat in this life, and Allah will give a better and greater adjustment on the Day of Judgment. There is a big difference between spending and giving, as observed in this proverb: What I spent I had; what I left I lost; what I gave I still have. Now that we are in the second level of the Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm and have developed the quality of taqwā, we should be reminded that we cannot attain piety until we spend of that which we love (Q.3:92). The best charity is that which you give while you are healthy, covetous, hoping for wealth and fearing poverty. (Ḥadīth: Fatḥ Al-Bāri). The degree of love is tested by separating the lover from the thing he loves, such as money. A rich man gives $1,000 out of his millions and is boastful and arrogant while a poor man having only $2.00 in his pocket gives $1.00 to another poor man with a smile on his face. Can the rich man do the same by allowing a poor man to put his hand in the rich man’s pocket and take out whatever he needs, say even half of his money? In the second level, this is the test of separating the lover from the loved one.

َ َ َُ َ ُ َ َْ َ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻚ‬ ُ‫ﻓﻴﻮﻲﻋ ﷲ‬ ‫ﺗﻮﻰﻋ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻻ‬La tu‘ī fa yu ‘īyallāhu ‘alyk: Do not withhold your wealth, lest Allah with-holds His

bounty from you, (Ḥadīth: Imām Muslim). If you keep your wallet closed, Allah can also close His purse of blessings. If we command our wealth, we shall be rich and free. If wealth commands us, we are poor indeed. Two men, one tied to an iron chain and second to a golden one, are both prisoners, one of poverty and the other of wealth. Wealth is for service, not for hoarding, nor for show. All the huge cash and fixed deposit accounts that we have in the banks will be like a twisted collar tied to our necks on the Day of Judgment (Q.3:180). With the wealth Allah has given us, we should seek the Home of the Hereafter, not forgetting our portion in this world (Q.28:77). Those who hoard up gold and silver, and spend not in the way of Allah, announce unto them tidings of a painful doom (Q.9:34), because wealth is a trust from Allah and we shall be called to account for the bounties we enjoyed (Q.102:8). Misery awaits the servant of the dinār and the dirham. (Hadith: Fatḥ Al-Bāri). Islam regards the interest of the society above the interest of the individual, and hence we should always consider the higher needs of the poor and the under-privileged who are in the majority. Money is not all that counts, as explained in this Ḥadīth: Indeed the gates to goodness are many, viz. glorifying Allah, enjoining the good and forbidding the evil, removing any source of harm from the road, listening to the aggrieved, guiding the blind, showing the seeker his need, striving as far as your two legs could carry you, giving succour to him who asks, carrying with strength of your arms the burden of the weak; all these are acts of charity which are an obligation on you.

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Do not cancel your charitable deeds by taunting or injuring after you have given (Q.2:263-264). If there is a language which the deaf can hear or the blind can see, it is the language of kindness, love and charity. The poet unfolds a rewarding incident:

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Yakee khaar paayè yateemee bè kand; bè khaab andarash deed sadrè khajang; Hamee gofto dar ravzehaa mee chameed, kaz on khaar bar man chè golhaa dameed. Someone removed a thorn from an orphan’s foot; the fortunate chieftain dreamt of him that was dancing in gatherings and saying ‘how many roses grew in me from that thorn’. Charity is not necessarily counted in terms of money. Can anyone tell how much it costs to say a sweet word? Guiding a person on the Straight Path or directing him to the correct government department is charity. Marriage counselling with an attempt to prevent a family breakdown is charity. If a man keeps patience after hearing abusive words, this is charity. (ḤadÄŤth). Alms fall into the Hands of Allah before they fall into the hands of the beggar. Alms-giving, open or hidden, atones some of our ill-deeds (Q.33:35). If we are not so well-to-do, we can learn a lesson from Surah Al MÄ â€˜ĹŤn (Q.107) and help in the little neighbourly needs. MÄ â€˜ĹŤn means literally a vessel or utensil such as a pot, and in its wider sense, it means any act of kindness or assistance by sharing with someone e.g. a neighbour who borrows any item of daily use, say salt or sugar. However, in spite of common knowledge, man finds it rather a difficult task to love a neighbour as he loves himself. Wealth includes children, gold, silver, land, money, etc. If we take a different attitude to our money, it may be easier for us to disburse it if we remind ourselves about the following, viz. (1) Nothing belongs to us and everything belongs to Allah, and hence, by giving charity, we are returning it to the Rightful Owner. Whether it is land or money, given to the poor or is hoarded, or misappropriated by the banks, or spent lavishly by children or grand-children, eventually God is the final Heir, because He is the Rightful Owner. Its manner of spending affects only our account in the Hereafter. It is We Who give life and Who give death; it is We Who remain Inheritors (after all else passes away). (Q.15:23). (2) He who gives while he lives also knows where it goes. We should spend our wealth before death approaches us (Q.63:10). It is better for a man to give one dirham as ᚣadaqah during his lifetime than to give a hundred at the time of his death. (ḤadÄŤth: Abu DÄ wĹŤd). After death, Allah alone knows what happens to our money after the first generation, let alone the second. Shaikh Sa‘di says:

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Pareeshon kon emrooz ganjeeneh chost, Kè fardaa keleedash na dar dastè tost. Distribute your treasure promptly today since its key may not be in your hands tomorrow. We should constantly bear in mind, (a) Q.16:96

ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ﺎ‏ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ‍ﺪ‏ Ű— ‍ﺑﺎ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ű– ‍ ﺎ Ů?ďť‹ﺪďť› ďť“ďť”ﺪ‏MÄ â€˜indikum yanfadu wa mÄ â€˜indal l Ä hi bÄ q which means that Whatever is Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺑ‏ with you must vanish and whatever is with Allah would remain and, (b) Q.55:26-27

Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? Ů° ‍ ďťšďť›ﺎ‏ ‍ ďťłďş’ďť°ďť˜ ďş&#x; ﺑ‏ ‍ﺎ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ďş ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍  ďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďşŽâ€Ź

Kullu man ‘alyhÄ fÄ n; wa yabqÄ wajhu rabbika dhul jalÄ li wal iqrÄ m, meaning, All that is on Earth will perish but will abide for ever the presence of God, full of Majesty, bounty and honour. (3) By giving it to Allah, you can receive it back multiplied many times. A Persian poem:

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TĂł neekee kono dar dajlah andaaz; kè Eezad dar biyaabaanat dahad baaz. Do good and throw it in the river since God will return it to you in the wilderness. (4) Whatever you give to the poor, you are giving it to yourself. (5) We came into this world empty-handed and would leave empty-handed. As we get older and older, we may have collected more and more money, yet we are oblivious of the fact that we have now less and less time left in our lives to enjoy the fat bank account. It does not make much sense for the writing on the grave to read: “Here lies the richest man in the countryâ€?. (6) The material wealth is immaterial in the final scrutiny in the Hereafter. This Persian poem likens fortune and wealth to a beggar knocking at different doors each day.

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C  “ 6U

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Har rooz ikhtiyaarè jahon peeshè deegareest. Daulat magar gadaast kè har rooz bar dareest. Each day the world favours someone else, as if wealth were a beggar knocking at different door each day. The wheel of fortune goes round and round. Some of us go up and some go down. There are three grades of charity. The lowest grade of giving is when we place the recipient at the level of a servant. We look down on him and whenever he lowers his dignity by extending his hand, we attend to his needs from our excess wealth. To force him to ask is the ultimate shortcoming in brotherly duty. In the second grade, we place our brother on an equal footing as ourselves, and let him share equally (50%) in what we have. Sharing is more demanding than giving. It is easy for us to give but difficult to share a plate of food with somebody. Hardly any one of us has reached this stage. While in the third or the highest grade, we give preference to the needs of another above our own, as exemplified by the AnášŁÄ r of MadÄŤnah, although poverty was their lot. This is the quality of ÄŤthÄ r. Here is a Persian poem by Khwajah Ḥaafez:

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-= ¥

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Kam mabaash az derakhtè saayè fekan; harkè sangash zanad samar bakh shash: Az sadaf yaad geer noktĂŠ è helm; harkè sar borradash gohar bakh shash. Don’t be less than a tree that gives shade; whoever throws a stone at it, it gives away fruits to him: Learn a distinctive point of humility from a shell; whoever splits it apart, it gives him a pearl.

InfÄ q

InfÄ q refers to spending benevolently in Allah’s service. Allah advises us to spend in His Way (Q.47:38), in prosperity or in adversity (Q.3:134), night and day, secretly and openly (Q.2:274), yet not for show (Q.4:38) but desirous of seeking Allah’s Countenance (Q.2:272) and His Pleasure (Q.2:265). Because we belong to a mid-most fraternity (ummatann wasaáš­ann), Allah has advised us neither to be prodigal and extravagant nor parsimonious and skimpy (Q.25:67). Whatever good you spend, it would benefit you at a personal level and will be rendered back to you (Q.2:272). You shall be repaid in full (Q.8:60). Categories of people on whom we should spend are parents, kindred, orphans, needy and wayfarer (Q.2:215). (Notice that parents come first). We should give in charity any surplus which is beyond our needs (Q.2:219). The man of plenty should spend out of his plenty (Q.65:7). Some people erroneously think that spending their wealth is a fine, a tax (Q.9:98), not realising that Allah replaces whatever we spend (Q.34:39). No wealth should be spent on enterprises that deviate from Allah’s Way, since it is the custom of the unbelievers (Q.8:36) who continue to spend and in the end regret it. While infÄ q refers to spending money as charity, ᚣadaqah includes all other charitable acts.

ᚢadaqah

ᚢ adaqah is a derivative of sidq meaning truthfulness, and is related to taᚣdÄŤq meaning confirmation. It signifies any voluntary intentional charitable deed as the confirmation of the truthfulness of the donor and the truth of his religion. Calculated in cash terms, sadaqah amounts to giving anything above 2.5% of one’s savings. Giving is a divine quality which some of us have while taking is human and most of us also have it.

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺝﺪﺎ‏ ᚢadaqÄ t (alms) are:

(1) For the poor and the needy of all faiths, and those Muslim teachers and ImÄ ms unable to earn their ordinary living; ᚢadaqah given to a poor man is just ᚢadaqah but when given to a relative it serves a double purpose, being both ᚢadaqah and a connecting link. (ḤadÄŤth: ImÄ m AḼmad, At-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah); (2) For those employed to administer the funds; (3) For those whose hearts have been reconciled to the truth (and have recently joined the fold of IslÄ m); (4) For those in bondage and slavery, literally and figuratively. Slavery could be political, social, industrial, intellectual or due to ignorance, illiteracy, wealth, power, passion, drugs and drug-lords.

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Man has to liberate himself first and by extension, the family and the Muslim ummah from this bondage; (5) For those in debt; (6) In the cause of Allah; (7) And for the wayfarer (stranger stranded on the way). Although sadaqah is voluntary, the sequence and priorities in giving this voluntary charity by the Command of Allah mentioned as above in Q.9:60 is considered as compulsory (farīḍatann min Allah). Ṣadaqah is both a financial and a spiritual investment. It is also an emergency measure for the needy with a message that the latter must try and improve himself. Taking out charity (sadaqah) out of the wealth also sanctifies and purifies the donors (Q.9:103) and Allah recompenses the charitable (mutaṣaddiqīn) (Q.12:88). Allah also augments donations and charitable deeds (sadaqāt) (Q.2:276). For truthful men and women who give charity (mutaṣaddiqīn and mutaṣaddiqāt) and loan to Allah a beautiful loan (ḥ asanah), it's benefit shall be increased manifold and they will have a liberal remuneration (Q.57:18). If we see a destitute and hungry person, we should give him generously since he may take off some of our load in the Hereafter and this may assist us to score many points, which will secure a permanent address for us in the best area of Paradise. He who plants a tree or gives sadaqah, plants for posterity. Verily what a believer continues to receive (in the form of reward) for his action and his virtues after his death is the knowledge which he acquired and then disseminated, the pious son that he left behind him, or a copy of the Qur’an which he left as a legacy, or the mosques that he had built, or the inn that he had built for the wayfarers, or the canal that he caused to flow, or a ṣadaqah which he gave out of his property in the state when he was healthy and alive. (These are acts of goodness the reward of which) reaches him even after his death. (Ḥadīth: Ibn Majah, At Tirmidhi). If we remit a debt by way of charity (taṣaddaqū), it will be excellent for us (Q.2:280). If anyone foregoes retaliation as a deed of charity (taṣaddaqa), this will be an act of atonement and expiation for him (Q.5:45). Honourable words and the covering of faults (by forgiveness) are better than alms-giving (sadaqah) followed by injury (Q.2:263). We should not cancel our alms-giving (ṣ adaqāt) by reminders of our generosity followed by reproach (Q.2:264). Those who slander and find fault with the faithful who volunteer charities and ridicule them, Allah will make it backfire on them (Q.9:79). Allah accepts the repentance from His devotees and takes the alms (sadaqāt) (Q.9:104). Alms giving, whether as sadaqah or kaffārah (expiation), promotes circulation of money in the society, with multiple benefits. When looking in retrospect at some incidents in our lives, we may find several areas of our own misdemeanours for which we should have apologised and asked the victims for forgiveness. Since we cannot contact them now because they have either passed away or we cannot locate them, we should give sadaqah as much as possible to balance the minus marks in our ledger due to those misdemeanours. In this level of the Straight Path, we have to search for the poor people and help the needy before they degrade themselves by raising their hands. Some of us wait until this situation arises, and only then do we put our hands in our pockets and give them a little money and shout, “Take it and get out of here”. On the other hand, we must thank Allah for having given us the opportunity to give. Moreover, we must look out for the poor people and the needy and give them food, clothes, money, medicines and whatever they need, so that we climb up further on the path of virtue. That is not all. We must thank them for accepting our money and other items. We must ensure that while giving, our hand is not the upper hand but lower than of the one receiving it, as a symbol of our humility. We must thank them for accepting our money and other items. Suppose the hungry man says: “Look, Mister, I don’t need your money. Keep it and take it with you to your grave!” What have we achieved? Let us be reminded that the poor man’s curse reaches Allah sooner than a rich man’s prayer. It is more advantageous to forget whatever good we did than to remember whatever good we received. A Persian proverb says: Any kindness we received should be written in gold while any injuries in dust. If we were to apply “points system” to our daily activities, we would be adding some plus marks

َ ِّ 4

َْ ُْ

َ َ ْ

4

َ ; “…surely good ‫ﻳﺬﻫﻦﺒ‬ ‫ ﺤﻟﺴﻨﺎ‬ to our ledgers, which will cancel some of our minus marks. ۚ ‫ ﻟﺴﻴﺌﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ

deeds cancel evil deeds. This is a reminder to the mindful, (Q.11:114). Whatever sadaqah we give should have no selfish motives or any strings attached. We want to give charity to a beautiful widow. What are our intentions? Charity can also cover a multitude of sins.

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For us to be called mu’minīn in the second level, we must help and shelter the others. Wal ladhīna āwaw wa naṣarū, ulā ika humul mu’minūna ḥaqqann: Those who give asylum and help each other, they are the real Mu’minin, (firm believers). (Q.8:74).

Siyām: the Islāmic fast

Fasting is a universal custom and is advocated by all religions of the world, with more restrictions in some than in others. Ṣiyām should not be interpreted simply as “fasting of the stomach” lest it may be misunderstood as mere starvation or as an act of self-denial and ascetism, and therefore, a renunciation of the world. For the purpose of this article, let us call it the “Islamic fast”. Readers are kindly requested to refer to Q.2:183-185, where the main fruit of fasting is to achieve taqwā that essentially means self-restraint. َ

َ ُ 4 َ ْ ُ 4 َ َ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ َ 4 َ َ َ ُ َ َ ُ َ ِّ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ ُ ُ َ َ 4 َ ُّ َ ‫ﻟﻌﻠﻜﻢ ﻳﺘﻘﻮ‬ ‫ﻗﺒﻠﻜﻢ‬ ِ ‫ﻛﺘﺐ ﺒﻟ‬ ِ ‫ﻳﺎ ﻛﻓﻬﺎ‬ ِ ‫ @ﻳﻦ ِﻣﻦ‬ ِ ‫ﻛﺘﺐ ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ ﻟﺼﻴﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ‬ ِ ‫ @ﻳﻦ ﻣﻨﻮ‬

O ye faithful! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you so that you may guard against evil. This is also translated by some as …you may learn self-restraint, or …you may develop Taqwā (God-consciousness), (Q.2:183). Thus, the Islamic fast is for those Muslims, who are preparing to become Mu’minīn (true and firm believers in faith). Faith carries much َ more weight than belief or doctrine. In this verse, Allah gives an

ُ َ َ 4 ‫ﻛﻓﻬﺎ‬ َ ُّ ‫ َﻳﺎ‬Oh ye faithful! open invitation to us as: ‫ @ﻳﻦ ﻣﻨﻮ‬ ِ

Although multiple benefits are known to accrue from fasting, the Muslims fast in general because it is Allah's command and not merely for its physical benefits.

General considerations: Fasting is the most rigorous of all spiritual disciplines imposed on every

adult Muslim man and woman. Fasting frees one from egoism and replaces it with an indescribable peace within, which makes the person accept differences of thought and behaviour in other humans. The aim of this spiritual exercise is to enable man to achieve proximity to Allah and obtain His pleasure. In Islam, fasting is obligatory in the month of Ramaḍān, a lunar month of 29 or 30 days. During this period there is complete abstinence from food, drink, smoke, marital relationship, and any evil thought, word or deed. The advantage of the lunar month, compared to solar, is that fasting takes place by cyclic rotation under different climatic conditions, during the life span of the individual residing in one and the same geographical location. Fasting gives us an opportunity to fine tune the body, to develop qualities of patience and endurance, and to control anger, sensual desires and a malicious tongue. The fasting person should avoid such actions as might arouse passion in him as well as in others, such as casting lustful eyes at a woman. He should also abstain from thinking carnal thoughts and fantasizing pleasures incompatible with the spiritual regimen. It is a well-known fact that beasts can be brought under control by keeping them occasionally hungry and then feeding them at planned intervals. Similarly, man can tame the animal within himself and become its master by fasting for one whole month. One of the objectives is to bring unruly passions under control. The man who can rule his desires and makes them work as he likes, has attained true moral excellence. Allah puts our faith to a severe test for one month, with strict non-indulgence in physical gratifications, during long hours of a day. If we emerge triumphant in this test, more strength develops in us to refrain from other sins. Our brain then also responds by sending recurrent and frequent signals to us to protect ourselves by immediately rejecting any kind of evil. In fact, this exercise trains us to receive warning signals at all times, whether Ramaḍān or not, so that we should not see evil, hear evil, utter evil or act evil. After completing the full 30 day fast, we feel as if we are just out of the Intensive Care Unit, in so far as we have been cleansed and we now have a new physical, intellectual, moral and spiritual lease on life. We are now fresh with both zeal and determination, as well as a renewed sense of commitment to our imān and our Islamic way of life. Ramaḍan is not only about skipping meals. While fasting is an integral and paramount part of it, Ramaḍan offers a comprehensive program for our spiritual overhaul and stamina. The effect of fasting on the human personality is dominant and decisive. It enables man to subdue the strongest worldly

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urges raging within him and brings a harmonious equilibrium between the temporal (the body) and the spiritual (the soul), both coming together with peaceful co-existence. Fasting is an institution for achievement in excellence in the physical, moral and spiritual dimensions of man. The purpose of the fast is to help develop self-restraint, self-purification, God–consciousness, compassion, spirit of caring and sharing, the love of Allah and humanity. The objective of fasting is to develop our personality to a high standard of God-consciousness and maintain that standard throughout life, so that on the Day of Judgment before God, we would already be well-off to a good start, to begin our life in the Hereafter. Unfortunately, for some Muslims, Ramaḍān is a burst of Islamic activity which lasts only during the month of Ramaḍān in a year-long ocean of un-Islamic behaviour. As soon as the fasting programme is over, some Muslims throw to the wind whatever good and hard-earned qualities they might have gained as a result of that exercise which lasted only during the month of Ramaḍan, and sooner or later return to their vicious habits and practices of their pre-Ramaḍān days, be they of thoughts, words or deeds. We ought to remind ourselves that we must not allow the weeds in our garden to stifle the flowers and the fruits. Islam is neither a Sunday to Sunday religion nor a Ramaḍān only religion. Ramaḍān is not meant to be a 30-day fast ending on ‘Id with a feast to beat all feasts. Some of the greatest achievements in Islam were made during Ramaḍān, e.g. the Battle of Badr. If the newly converted Muslims had gorged themselves after ifṭār parties at nights and had slept in the day, they could not have become victorious at the Battle of Badr, and even now, we might still have been pagans. From a moral point of view, during fasting, one becomes more sympathetic and tolerant towards those in needy circumstances. It brings about a better realisation of human understanding. In this world of today, which is undergoing a population explosion, and where two-thirds of the world go to sleep on an empty stomach, the quicker this realisation takes place, the sooner the problems would be appreciated and solved. It is only during such time as Ramaḍān that one can reflect and make an inventory of the importance of the basic moral values affecting oneself and the community.

Requirements: Ṣaum or siyām is a special kind of service to Allah (‘ibādah) by able-bodied and

sane persons, who observe a particular kind of abstinence (from food, drink, and marital relationship, etc.) for a specific compulsory period (from dawn to sunset), in the ninth lunar month of the Islamic calendar, called Ramaḍān. Persons exempted from fasting are - the very young, the elderly, the infirm, the insane; and those who are suffering from diseases that will be aggravated by fasting (e.g. diseases that cause episodic hypoglycaemia meaning low blood sugar due to insulinomas (insulin-secreting growth of the pancreas) or certain in-born errors of metabolism e.g. glucose-6-phoshate deficiency or fructose–1,6–diphosphate deficiency and others). Apart from these, menstruating women, pregnant and nursing mothers, and travellers are also exempted, but they must make up for the lost non-fasted days later on in the following month or as soon as they are able to keep up the fast. Muslims are asked to stay away from food, water, sex, smoking and verbal or physical misconduct during the period of fast. They are advised to engage in acts of piety such as prayer, charity, or reading the Qur’an during this month.

The arkān (pillars) of the fast, besides the ṣā’im (the one who fasts) are the niyyah (intention), and abstention from the mufṭirāt (things that vitiate the fast). One can formulate the niyyah before dawn on each day of fasting. However, the Shāfe‘īs can follow the Mālikī rite (madhhab) by making the niyyah for the whole month in advance, in the night before the first of Ramaḍān. When ushering in the month-long Ramadān, which may appear to be a marathon to the uninitiated, the body becomes energized as soon as we make the intention to fast, and this intention heralds a state of preparedness in us of Get Ready, Get Set, Go! This explicitly stated intention to fast acts in a sustained release manner throughout the fasting hours to arbitrate, mediate and alleviate the stresses of our physical desires and allows us to focus and reflect on our moral, spiritual and religious dimensions. The mufṭirāt are: (a) taking into the body something consciously, which is preventable, e.g. swallowing food, drinking beverages, chewing gum and inhaling cigarettes; (b) sexual intercourse; (c) deliberate seminal emission; (nocturnal emissions during sleep are not mufṭir); (d) menstruation and post-partum bleeding (child-birth); (e) insanity; (f) intoxication; (g) swallowing back the vomit deliberately. We should remember that Allah says that fasting has been prescribed for you. It is a divine prescription from Allah Who is the Greatest Physician. It is different from a medical doctor’s prescription

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and hence this prescription should be duly respected and carried out in full. It is also a pre scription, i.e. it was also prescribed for religious communities before the advent of Islam. If a person fasts for temporal motives only e.g. slimming according to a doctor’s prescription, he will be far from performing his religious duty or achieving nearness to Allah or obtaining His pleasure. In order to subjugate the body with the sole purpose of developing will power and a dominant personality, it is essential to bring certain undesirable qualities of the body under control and thus develop will power. Besides hunger, thirst and carnal desires, we must gain full control of the tongue, mind and the rest of the body. Hence, Muslims call Ramaḍān a blessed month of compassion and mercy, a month of self-purification and rededication, forgiveness and patience, a month of commiseration with the poor and the hungry, who are in the majority among mankind. It is a unique month of self-analysis, of taking stock of one’s moral and spiritual assets and liabilities and of examining critically one’s spiritual portrait. Why is it that we fast in the daytime and not, for our own convenience, at nights? This is because the human personality only develops when a person is exposed to maximum social conditions. Hence, Islam puts great stress on family and community life. Islam does not advocate running away from society or becoming a monk or leaving the family and retire in a desert, with all the solitude and the solitary confinement. Personality only develops during encounters with others in a society or community. To alienate from society is contrary to Islamic da‘wah (invitation to Islam). Religion does not become perfect without the world. We must work for the community and also with the community for the common welfare and the good of the ummah. Islam regards the interest of the society above the interest of the individual. Service to Allah is rendered through a clean life in the turmoil of this world while working among the multitudes of society. Perhaps it would be interesting to consider why fasting was not made compulsory every single day of one’s life. Allah gives us a month of compulsory fast and then gives us eleven lunar months to assess the result of this month-long effort. This 11-month grace period is the reason as to why we should not fast every single day of our lives. If we had done so, we would have remained under continuous compulsory restrictions of the Islamic fast throughout the year, and without the complete and unrestricted freedom to do as we like. Our will power would not have been given a chance to develop a strong personality. Personality grows much more when we are free to do any wrong we would like, but choose not to do it under unrestricted conditions, such as during the eleven months following the Ramaḍān fast. Both during Ramaḍān and after, Allah gives us the opportunity to examine our spiritual profile and see where the defect lies. Has some jealousy, hatred, malice, miserliness, tendency to give short measure, cheating and intrigue, and unforgiving thoughts and actions been removed in our acquired attributes? Fasting is an institution by which an individual and, by extension, a community, may benefit physically and morally. The Islamic fast strengthens the disposition of the individual to obedience of laws and respect for social order. After Ramaḍān, we emerge a far better Muslim within ourselves, fully laden with taqwā (Godconsciousness). We will also see a much better individual unfolding itself from within us, a person that was lying dormant for long. Now, the same person in the month of Ramaḍān becomes the captain, the master of the control room of the self, controlling and at times eliminating certain types of worldly desires. It is easy now for such a person to be “on guard” and reject evil temptations as fast as they come. In fact he can even challenge and boldly encounter more temptations without any fear of giving in to them.

Purpose

The purpose of the Islamic fast is to obey Allah’s Command with a view to becoming His vicegerent (khalīfah). It trains all those who volunteer for service to Allah before allowing them to take on the job of His vicegerency and establish Allah’s rule on Earth. There is no guarantee that the fasting person has definitely acquired the laudable achievement of taqwā or God-consciousness. Some of us, who fast, often wait anxiously for Ramaḍān to end so that we may resume our nefarious activities. Occasionally during the fasting month Satan becomes more active than usual. Allah may use such situations to test a fasting person’s taqwā if and when he makes his evil passion his god. The English translation of Q.2:183 is usually expressed as …you may develop taqwā. Note the word “may”. There is no guaranty that a fasting person would definitely develop God-consciousness and piety or enough will power that he could guard against evil. In fact, the fasting person cannot develop taqwā

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if he continues to backbite, slander, tell lies, harm others, deceive people and show malice, anger and hatred towards fellow beings. It is easy for any belittler, slanderer, tyrant or businessman who gives short measure or a miser who does not disburse zakÄ t money, to starve himself during Ramaá¸?an days. But, how can such a person develop God-consciousness and divine qualities? Such a person, besides committing sins of commission and omission, may simply be wasting his time by fasting. Shall we spend a month every year, in which we starve and become thirsty, fast and eat, while our condition does not change - our rich remain rich and our poor remain as poor? Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏had warned that poverty may lead to unbelief. This is why a person who steals food while facing starvation is not to be punished according to the sharÄŤ ‘ah.

ŮŽ

What about other factors? ᚢaum also refers to fasting of the tongue as in Q.19:26. The saying: ‍ﺏ‏

Ů? Ů’Ů? ŮŒ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ ‍ﺒ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟ‏ ‍ ďşŽďť ďť›â€ŹHÄ dha kalÄ mun yubáš­iluᚣ ᚢaum means this is speech which breaks or vitiates the fast. Ů?

During the Islamic fast (and indeed at all times), the person must refrain from indecent talk, slander, lies and backbiting. Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏is reported to have said: If one did not give up speaking falsehood and acting by it, Allah does not require of him to give up eating or drinking. Also in another ḤadÄŤth: Many are the people who fast but who gain nothing from their fast except hunger and thirst; many are those who stand up praying all night but gain nothing except sleeplessness. A major difference between the Islamic fast and mere starvation is that the Ramaá¸?Ä n fast is an exercise in self-discipline involving food intake, use of tongue, hands, eyes, ears, thoughts, and sex, etc. Many of the undesirable habits and traits of the previous months are automatically corrected during this month. Some of us, God forbid, may have been habituated to a particular type of wrong-doing e.g. gambling, smoking, drinking, backbiting, fornication, fraud, hot temper, domestic violence, etc. Fasting breaks that habit either gradually, for some, or immediately, for those of us with a stronger will power, especially if supported by constant supplications seeking Allah’s assistance. To do so requires faith and determination. The usual antidote is to immediately implement a counter injunction from the Qur’an, which would block and displace the evil trend. During the Islamic fast, every organ in the body that has been given to us as trust by Allah is put to a critical test. We must not see, hear, utter or act evil. This is a training session for us to develop taqwÄ (God-consciousness) and piety, as well as to show gratitude for the great favour of the Revelation of the Qur’an during the month of Ramaá¸?Ä n in Lailat ul Qadr (Q.2:183-185). These organs include: (a) The tongue The tongue is a God-given gift and too noble to be abused. It must be kept clean and should not be used for backbiting, slander, ridicule, obscene language and lies. In fact, all these violate the sanctity of fasting and cancel it. Allah has placed the tongue in a special compartment behind bars (our teeth) and properly sealed it (with our lips), and has left it for us to constantly watch and guard it. Shaikh Sa'di advises:

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Zabon dar dahaanĂŠ kheradmand cheest? Keleedeest dar ganjĂŠ saaheb honar. Cho dar basta baashad chĂŠ daanad kasee, kĂŠ jauhar frooshast yaa sheesha gar? What is the tongue in the mouth of a wise man? It is a key to the talented person's treasure; when the door is shut, who knows whether he is a diamond jeweller or a glassware merchant? The same tongue that is used to spread evil could also be used to spread righteousness instead. This latter is classified as charity and has an added advantage. We lose nothing and gain much. With this same tongue, we can cause mischief and bloodshed, and yet it could also be used to make peace between persons and families, and transform the lives of hundreds of homes into happy ones. Injury caused by the tongue may be worse than that caused by a knife since the latter heals in a week or so but that of the tongue may often never heal at all. Allah is the Unseen Guest in every company and is the Silent Listener in every conversation. It is just as important to know when to speak and why not to. Well-timed silence could be the most commanding expression and a suitable reply to many. ᚢadqat ul Fitáš› is a charity amounting to feeding one person per member of the family at the end of the month of Ramaá¸?Ä n and before ‘Id prayers. It is meant to compensate against vain speech and other abuses of the tongue done unintentionally during the fasting period. It is compulsory for every Muslim, rich or poor. Although Muslims try their best to be cautious at all times, mistakes can occur unknowingly and unintentionally, and this charity of ᚢadqat ul Fiáš­r expiates one’s mistakes of the tongue during

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Ramaá¸?Ä n. ᚢadqat ul Fiáš­r, also known as ZakÄ t ul Fiáš­r, was calculated at $8.00 TT (=$1.27 US) per each member of the household on ‘Id ul Fiáš­r, 13 Oct. 2007). (b) The hand: With our hand, we can take away people’s money and yet with this same hand we can give it also. To give is a divine quality; to take is human. With this same hand, we can knock down a person weaker than ourselves. But strength lies not in knocking down a weaker person. It lies in lifting someone who is already fallen on the ground. Here the poet explains:

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Agar chĂŠ ghaalĂŠbee az doshman ĂŠ za eef bĂŠ tars; kĂŠ teerĂŠ aahĂŠ sahar bar neshaanah mee aayad: Be fearful of a weak enemy even if you have overpowered him, for the arrow of the grieving sighs at dawn go straight to the target. (c) The legs Surely these legs can carry us to the discos, pubs and nightclubs. But these same legs can also carry us to the mosque or to an orphanage or to a hospital to visit the sick. (d) Other organs: Similarly, other perceptual organs of the body given to us by Allah as trust should not be abused. The eyes must not look at anything evil; the ears must not listen to gossip and vulgar jokes. The mind that controls the body should always be tuned to the frequency of clean thoughts and intentions; the sexual organs should only be used for the legitimate partner and that, too, after the fast is broken. Fasting has been prescribed by Allah as a form of worship and as a training period to develop taqwÄ , as well as to show gratitude for the great favour of the Revelation of the Pristine Qur’an during Ramaá¸? Ä n in Lailat ul Qadr. The best way to show gratitude for the favour is to fulfil His Commandments (Q.2:183-185). Spiritual strength cannot be gathered from fasting unless the fasting person is fully conscious of its purpose, and he himself motivates his thoughts, words and deeds. TaqwÄ is indeed the most valuable fruit of fasting. Fasting is a duty and an ‘ibÄ dah (worship) which is free from hypocrisy and show. Fasting, unlike prayers, zakÄ t and Ḥajj, is strictly private since no one knows about it unless the fasting person mentions it. During fasting, one subdues the animal within oneself and masters one’s instincts and desires to the point of determining as to when and how they may be satisfied. This in turn depends on the will-power one has developed. This freedom is universally possessed by all human beings, the freedom to will as they wish. Free will is the authority man has to direct his mind in any direction he chooses. It is important to choose the direction carefully, since this would indicate success or failure of will. The development of will power and personality is an arduous task and is an outcome of this conflict. However, if we abide by and follow the spiritual laws, will power develops slowly but surely. Fasting strengthens the will and hence the will power, a welcome and plausible addition to our spiritual curriculum vitae. To love, honour and obey Allah is to conscript oneself voluntarily into His service. Just as the government trains men for the army, police force and civil service before employing them to do their job, so does Islam. It first trains all those who volunteer for service to Allah before allowing them to take on the job of His vicegerency for establishing Allah’s rule on Earth. Just as an annual military exercise is compulsory in national military services of many countries, conducted by their respective governments, similarly the fasting of Ramaá¸?Ä n is a compulsory annual spiritual exercise lasting one month, conducted by Allah Himself. Ramaá¸?Ä n is the month of Allah. The mere fact that fasting has been made compulsory in Islam, goes to show that it must be having multiple and colossal benefits to the body and soul, both in this life and in the Hereafter. Allah says in Q.2:184: It is better for you to fast, if you only knew. Fasting trains the human body to deal with any additional stress that exhausts our already worn out condition during the last couple of hours of fasting. Stress has often been described as falling into two categories: stresses to perform (physical), and stress to conform (spiritual). During the holy month of Ramaá¸?an, fasting, together with constancy of prayer, especially when fatigue sets in during the afternoon period, results in a higher level of physical and spiritual training. This additional performance of compulsory prayer of ‘Aᚣr with its component of physical activity re-activates the vigour during the late hours of fasting when the body feels tired due to low blood sugar, and the fasting person prefers to rest in bed. This will-power to perform the obligatory prayers enhances both our physical and spiritual reserves in a synergistic manner and helps us increase our endurance level to cope with further stresses. Indeed, it is this enhanced fortitude that provides a major benefit to Muslims during the other (nonfasting) months of the year, when they may be faced with additional stress that may unexpectedly come their way.

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A Muslim is continuously kept tied with rules and regulations like a soldier in an army, for full one month and then released for eleven months, to test whether the training he has received for one month has been effective or not. If not, any deficiency found could be corrected and made up in the next year’s Ramaḍān programme. One or two days of fasting are not enough to achieve the noble goal of attachment to Allah. In Q.2:185, Allah advises us to fast the whole month and complete the prescribed period. Thus we have in our possession this divine prescription. Far from weakening a person, the Islamic fast enables him to draw more strength from the Unseen Power, so close to him. The Ramaḍān atmosphere enhances this driving force by which every individual races to reach his full potential. After having completed the period of fasting, we are advised to glorify Allah for having guided us and be thankful to Him (Q.2:185). Allah wants us to make the right choice and behave well when left alone and unattended. We must always be on the look-out for Satan because, although we are told he is chained during Ramaḍān, he could be actually very active. However, the Shayateen are released soon after Ramaḍan is over. They now put in extra hours of effort to entangle us with their deceptive marketing campaigns. In Islam we must not say I, we must say We, because of emphasis on community life. Even when we pray, we say: Ihdinas Ṣirātal Mustaqīm, i.e. guide us to the straight Path, not me alone. The ultimate result of our fasting together each day is the emergence of a well-organised, well-disciplined pious Muslim community, the exemplary ummah, where each person is more spiritually evolved, and better equipped with fortitude to act and live according to the divine moral codes laid down in the Holy Qur’an. To come nearer to Allah is possible only by firm faith and conviction and by actually doing good deeds (Q.34:37). The more a man develops within himself the divine attributes, the nearer he comes to Allah and to His magnificent qualities.

ْ The month of Ramaḍan: Ramaḍān is derived from ‫ ﻣﺾ‬ramḍ which means to burn away. In this

month, all sins are burnt away and annulled. In fact, this is the month in which Allah grants amnesty to all believers, to all fasting Muslim men and women (Q.33:35). But for us to be eligible for that mercy and forgiveness, we must also look upon our fellow-men and show them forgiveness and compassion. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Allah will not be merciful to those who are not merciful to mankind. Just like the “great sale” of the departmental stores which are advertised during certain times of the year, Allah also advertises during the month of Ramaḍān, the “Greatest Sale” of the year, when He gives away lots of blessings, mercy and forgiveness besides free hand-outs of gifts, perks, bonuses, gift coupons, lagniappe (i.e. an extra or unexpected gift or benefit) and extra points in exchange for any act of goodness, however small. The VAT (Value Added Tax) that we see registered on the counter while shopping and spending money in Allah’s Plaza would appear as Virtue Added Tag on the divine screen in the Hereafter, multiplied manifold and refundable. Allah’s stocks are so huge that He is never out of stock. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is reported to have said that the first 10 days in Ramaḍān is when Allah showers His mercy, the middle ten days when He showers His forgiveness and the last ten days are reserved for saving the fasting persons from Hell-fire. All those of us who fasted would gather and be meeting at the entrance of a special gate in Heaven called Ar-Rayyān. The holy month of Ramaḍān suffuses the whole environment with a spirit of righteousness, virtue and piety. Just as plants have their season of flowering, Ramaḍ ān is the time of the year for the growth and flourishing of goodness and righteousness. In the season of blossoming of goodness and piety, not one but millions of people jointly water the fertile garden of fruitful virtue to attain taqwa which is the fruit of fasting. The month of Ramaḍān is earmarked as a time for all Muslims to fast together and ensure similar results. This measure turns individual ‘ibādah (worship) into collective ‘ibādah by the Muslim ummah. Collective aspects of fasting manifest themselves in the fact that it takes place in the same lunar month for the faithful all over the world. Prophet‫ ﷺ‬used to be more than usually kind and generous during Ramaḍān. No beggar in this month left empty-handed from his door and as many slaves as possible were set free. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬defined the good and felicitous man as one whose career adds to the total value of the universe and who leaves the world a better place than in which he was born. The holy month of Ramaḍān inculcates a spirit of fortitude and gratitude. The seeds of virtue and personality enhancement that have remained so dormant in the summers, autumns and winters of our lives germinate and blossom in this holy month of Ramaḍān, the spring-time of the Mu’minīn. The

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atmosphere of Ramaḍān is such that positive thoughts wishing the welfare of one and all, including those who have wronged us, are automatically invoked round the clock. The Islamic fast is unique and different from other types of fasting observed in religions such as Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism. It is compulsory, for a specific period of time from dawn to sunset, and in a specific lunar month called Ramaḍān. It involves a voluntary renunciation of all appetites of the flesh for defined hours during that month, with a cheerful and willing acceptance of this beneficial Divine Mandate. A stable monotonous environment of eating three times daily tends to produce stereotyped reaction patterns. Fasting gives a variable environment with rigid strategies and sufficient degrees of freedom to cope with the changing conditions. It is a complimentary device for the regenerative processes of the body. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Every good deed of a man is granted manifold increase, ten to 700 times, but Allah says: ‘Fasting is an exception. It is exclusively for Me, and I will reward it as much as I wish’. This is because fasting is a private transaction between man and his Creator and no one else is bound to know that he is fasting. And Allah always repays the account to the full (Q.35:30; 2:272 and others). During this month each year, we celebrate the most important anniversary to mankind, viz. the Revelation of the Holy Qur’an in Lailat ul Qadr, the Night of Power and Glory, which is equal to 1000 months or more than 83 years. If Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬had laboured for over 83 years without having received the revelations of the Holy Qur’an, he could not have achieved the desired result. Allah’s blessings are showered down in this night through the angels. What should we ask Allah on this night of Lailat ul Qadr? This was the question asked by Sayyidah ‘Āyesha, R.A., and Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ replied: Say, ‘Oh Allah, You are the Most Forgiving and the most Merciful. You love to forgive. So forgive my errors and sins.’

Lessons learnt: Fiṭr derived from fatara means to break the fast, which is deliberate and at a specific time. The fasting person rejoices and celebrates every sunset in Ramaḍān, for the sunset signifies the achievement of his victory over himself during the day. Every evening, we wipe our spiritual wind-shield, so that we can see better where we are heading, and avoid possible mistakes of omission and commission. During the month of Ramaḍ ān, we become special guests of Allah, since at every ifṭār

َ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ‫ ﻗﻚ‬ َ ُ ْ ُ َ َ 4 ُ ّٰ َ we thank our divine Host by saying: ‫ ﻓﻄﺮ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻠﻬﻢ ﻟﻚ ﺻﻤﺖ َ ﺒﻟ‬Allāhumma laka ṣumtu wa ‘alā rizqika

aftartu: O Allah, for Thy sake I have fasted and for thy sake I am breaking the fast. Everything must be avoided which might affect the purpose of the fast, e.g. at ifṭār, one should not eat more than what is necessary. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬used to have a light ifṭār (a meal eaten just after the sunset to break the fast) and a light saḥūr (a meal eaten before dawn and onset of the daylong fast). In the Prophet’s times, there were no lavish ifṭār parties lasting through the night, as is prevalent in many Muslim countries today. If each of us were to eat only one morsel of food less per meal, and if we were to ensure that the morsel is given to the needy, there would not be left a single hungry mouth on the face of this Earth. We are nearly 2 billion Muslims i.e. 2,000 million Muslims, and this makes nearly 2 billion morsels of food available each time for distribution. Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ said: The food of one person is sufficient for two. This is much more than one morsel of food. It is half of a plate! In fact, if we really were to share and give half of the plate, the whole world would be adequately fed. During Ramaḍān, we have to get up before dawn for saḥūr, stop eating and drinking before the break of dawn, abstain from such and such actions during the day and deliberately take ifṭār (break the fast) in the evening at the exact time of sunset. This is precise timing. The month of Ramaḍān teaches us to be precise in our timing with the clock and punctual at all times. The accurate timing for initiating the fast at saḥūr and breaking it at ifṭār, with the right countdown to the last minute, teaches us the demarcation line between right and wrong, between halāl and harām. The act of self-denial in Ramaḍān strengthens the will and hence the will power. This extra will power helps to overcome obsessions, addictions and bad habits. Fasting also reduces the person’s ability to commit crimes and since Muslim criminals also fast during Ramaḍān, the crime rate in Muslim countries falls drastically. If the fasting person has developed sufficient self-restraint (taqwā), then he would not respond or retaliate whenever another person quarrels or curses him. He would restrain himself by saying, I am fasting. Allah's Apostle said, Fasting is a shield ……… if somebody fights with him or abuses him, he should tell him twice, 'I am fasting’. (Ḥadith: Bukhāri).

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Fasting and patience: Ramaá¸?Ä n is also called the month of patience, because fasting teaches us

this difficult lesson on a daily basis for one full month annually. Nobody can be given a blessing greater than patience. (ḤadÄŤth: Al-BukhÄ ri). Because man was created hasty (Q.21:37), he is ever hasty (Q.17:11), and having been created very impatient, he gets fretful when evil touches him (Q.70:19-20). Hence, Allah advises us to constantly persevere in patience so as to be eligible for His blessings and rewards. In Q.2:177, Allah recommends that we should be patient in suffering and adversity and throughout the periods of panic. Here is a consoling Persian poem by Shaikh Sa‘di:

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Khodaa gar bĂŠ hekmat bĂŠ bandad daree; zĂŠ rahmat goshaayad dar ĂŠ deegaree: If God were to close a door by His wisdom, He would open another door by His mercy. Various ailments which we are afflicted with are not a calamity but a mercy from Allah. Man develops immunity by suffering many infectious diseases. When we undergo hardships and misfortunes, the nafs (the self) gets purified. Illness for a believer acts as a detergent of the human nafs and purifies it from the burden of sins so it can eventually qualify to reflect in whatever little way the beautiful Attributes of Allah called AsmÄ al-ḤusnÄ . It is more often during times of adversity than of prosperity that we resort to virtue. A Chinese proverb says that adversity elicits talents which otherwise would have remained dormant. The lessons of adversity are put there for us by One who knows how and when we should be tried, so that we make use of the brain to open up our problem-solving capacity and improve ourselves. It is not for us to tell Allah how to run His world. Allah showers His mercy on us after adversities have touched us (Q.10:21). Stumbling blocks can become stepping stones if we learn how to use them, depending on Allah’s guidance. It is after having endured frustrations and sufferings that blessings appear, once we have observed patience. The grey hair of an old person should be respected, since they represent all the difficulties he has patiently passed through and many a pair of shoes worn out during rough and tortuous periods in his Earthly journey. The quality of patience is highly recommended for the believers and the faithful. We should seek help with patient perseverance and prayer, for Allah is with those who patiently persevere (Q.2:153). The key to success lies in vying in perseverance of patience and constancy, strengthening each other and being God-conscious (Q.3:200). It is through perseverance that what seemed as certain failure gets transformed into evident success. Sometimes, a man can accomplish singly what a whole community cannot, once he has patience and he perseveres. Patience gradually creates confidence which eventually leads to success. The reason that patience is the key to success is that during the period when man bears the heavy load of patience and tolerance in any difficult situation, he does not give in to hasty decisions in response to emotional impulses. Instead, he takes his time and formulates a rational move to solve the problem peacefully. Hence, he does what others would not and therefore he achieves what others could not. He now realises his own indefatigable potential in this Urdu poem:

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Yehee too hĂŠ jisko sejdah kyaa malaa-ik nĂŠ; ko-ee yĂŠ baat kahĂŠ tĂł fakhr lagĂŠ mojhĂŠ: You are the very same person whom the angels prostrated to; if anyone tells me that, I feel honoured. When faced with difficult situations, instead of grumbling and saying “whyâ€?, he says “why notâ€? by relying on Allah’s assistance.We are instructed to face calamities and adverse circumstances with patience and fortitude. When we are frustrated we must remind ourselves that whatever Allah does is good, either in itself or in its consequences. This thought initiates patience. Allah loves those of us who are patient (Q.3:146). In fact, those of us who were constantly patient, have been promised by Allah that angels will salute them from every gate to convey greetings of salÄ ms in the Hereafter, with a reward of the highest place in heaven (Q.13:22-24; 25:75). Although sometimes we fight in order to maintain peace between nations, it should not necessarily be so if we observe patience. It is easy to make an acquaintance but with patience, we can make lifelong friends. Patience teaches us to love and forgive our enemies. In many verses in the Holy Qur’an we are instructed to show patience and exercise restraint in response to provocations, to bear hardships with patience and also to recommend others to have patience (Q.103:3). Patience subdues anger and

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maintains peace in the community. Even during states of anger and minor quarrels, simply saying “a â€˜ĹŤdhu billÄ hi minash shayáš­Ä n ir rajÄŤmâ€? would defuse the existing tensions (ḤadÄŤth: Bukhari and Muslim). On occasions of calamities and bereavement, just uttering “Inna lillÄ hi wa inna ilyhi rÄ jiâ€˜ĹŤnâ€? would instil a great deal of patience and solace to the bereaved and remind the listener that Allah Who gave us life in the first instance is also the One to take it. Offering condolences to someone means sharing in his grief and encouraging him to be patient. Of course, just as when a person comes out of darkness into light, it takes some time for the eyes to adjust, so is the delay in getting the fruits of patience. And if you have patience, then You shall certainly know the truth of it all after a while, (Q.38:88). It does need a lot of mettle to have patience but during this exercise we learn humility, tolerance, contentment and gain eventual success when these same pains and sufferings appear later on in the form of blessings. Remembrance of Allah is directly proportional to the degree of pain we suffer. During such periods of patience, we can take time, sit quietly and listen to promptings of our inner selves. Although we may at times encounter a rough passage and stormy weather in our life, we would have peace and tranquillity, amid the storm which is followed by a safe landing.

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Manshin torosh az gardeshĂŠ ayyaam kĂŠ sabr talkhast wa lykin barĂŠ sheerin daarad. Don't feel dejected and sour-faced by the spinning wheel of time, since patience is bitter but its fruit is sweet. We were born because of the patience and much suffering of labour pains by the mother, sometimes bringing mother and child, both, to the brink of death. The tears that flow from us in times of affliction wash our eyes so that we can see Allah’s divine guidance much clearer. The reason we face problems from time to time is that Allah wants our attention to be turned to Him. In fact, the raison d’être of our adversities is that our Great Teacher, who is AllWise, loves us and knows the time when we are due to learn our lessons in patience. Sometimes, due to the refraction of light through our tears, we can see a rainbow in the dark clouds of adversity. That is the reason why from time to time mankind needs difficult and stressful situations so that man may remember Allah, follow His commandments more carefully and be thankful for the experience. Haá¸?rat ‘Ali, R.A. said: The One Who sends you calamities is the One Who will bring you out of it. A believer should always be smiling in times of adversity. For this he needs patience. Allah brings people into deep waters to cleanse them, not to drown them. Moreover, patience teaches us humility, the only attribute not mentioned among Allah’s 99 attributes, but which man

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possesses. Hence, Allah exalts those of us who profess humility. ‍ ŮŽ  ďş— ŮŽ ﺿ Ů?Ů? ďť“ďťŒ ‏Wa man TawÄ á¸? a‘a

lillÄ hi rafa‘ahullÄ hu, (ḤadÄŤth: ImÄ m AḼmad) meaning, Allah exalts him who is humble to Allah.

Calculations: As mentioned earlier, 2.5% of our time (approximately 36 minutes for the 5-time daily

compulsory ritual prayers) is reserved for Allah. This is for our spiritual upliftment. Moreover, 2.5 % of our net cash savings is also reserved to be compulsorily disbursed in Allah’s cause. This is for appreciation of our God-given bounties. Now in the month of Ramaá¸?Ä n, Allah tests us further by combining both figures (2.5 % of our net savings we give as zakÄ t + 2.5 % of our time we devote annually to praying, i.e. 5%), for the compulsory Islamic fast so that we could see for ourselves whether we are capable of becoming His vicegerents or not. This is an exercise to be rewarded by Allah Himself. (The geographical position of the country is a determinant of the length of the fast. Depending upon this factor, the length of the fast may vary from 12 to 19 hours a day. By taking the average of 14.16 hours a day for 30 days, the total time amounts to 5% of 354 days of the lunar year. Such a multi-disciplinary approach prepares mankind for Allah’s vicegerency). Four hundred and twenty five hours of intensive study in any subject of one’s choice in any university, qualifies a student for a diploma in that particular subject, provided certain standards are met. Similarly, 425 hours of intense devotion in Ramaá¸?Ä n is certainly expected to uplift the practising Muslim to a stage of higher spiritual achievement, and get a certificate of merit from Allah. Allah does not deny the reward of his/her good deeds, and therefore this is a month of harvesting the fruits of our actions. Ramaá¸?Ä n is also known as the month of Allah since He Himself rewards it.

The results of the exams: We should conduct an audit of ourselves when Rama� an is over, in

order to examine what we have achieved in terms of the desired benefits. These include the complete and continued cessation of smoking and of alcohol consumption, and the loss of weight with subsequent

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improvement in our diabetic and hypertensive status. More importantly, did we achieve a sense of piety to give us a jump-start and begin a new page in life? Have we put into regular action what we followed during Ramaḍan, or will we be branded as Ramaḍan Muslims, those who are pious during the Holy Month only but revert to old un-Islamic ways once Ramaḍan is over? In case we have passed the Ramadān examination, we are entitled to celebrate the Achievement Day called ‘Id ul Fiṭr, also known as ‘Id uṣ Ṣaghīr or the Minor ‘Id. The completion of the fast, followed by celebration of ‘Id ul Fitr, entitles us to climb one step up the ladder on Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm. After this, Allah gives us two months and ten days to prepare ourselves for the ‘Id of Sacrifice (‘Id ul Aḍḥa), also called the Major ‘Id or ‘Id ul Kabīr. This is part two of the examination of post-graduate studies for higher spiritual achievement, and begins on the first day of the month of Shawwāl, i.e. on ‘Id ul Fiṭr day itself. During this period, we must accomplish good deeds to the best of our abilities as Mu’mins adhering to the seven branches of īmān (i.e. seven principles of faith). This would determine how much we have learnt to sacrifice our time, money, leisure, skills, talents and bounties, and to what extend are we ready to share them with our fellow–men. Besides, it would prepare us to take on the final role of vicegerency of Allah, one of the purposes for which man was created. The celebration of ‘Id ul Aḍḥa after two months and ten days of effort marks the ending of the second part of this post-graduate course. Muslims celebrate at least four anniversaries every year viz. (a) Birthday of Prophet Muḥammed‫; ﷺ‬ (b) Anniversary of the descent of the Holy Qur’an to earth on Lailat ul Qadr; (c) ‘Id ul Fiṭr; and (d) Anniversary of the last sermon of the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬on Mount ‘Arafāt, culminating in ‘Id ul Aḍ ḥa. This ends finally with the customary embrace, which brings about peace and harmony among the family members and the society. However, before we join the second level, let us sincerely ask ourselves: Was our fast accepted by Allah? Or was it mere starvation? A hunger strike is not an Islamic fast, just as suicide is not sacrifice. Did we utter any word which could have broken our fast? Expressions like: “That person is not

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trustworthy” amount to back-biting. In other words, they are: ‫ﻓﺒﻄﻞ ﻟﺼﻮ‬ ِ ‫ ﻫﺬ ﺎﻠﻛ‬Hādhā kalāmun yuḅṭilus

ṣaum: meaning: This is speech which cancels the fast. Did all such words like “Hell”, “Damned”, “Shut up” and many others disappear from our vocabulary in that month or not? And did such words return after Ramaḍān was over? Did we indulge in any wrongful deed such as adulteration of goods, fraud, short measure, profiteering, selling defective items, etc.? Did we continue to abuse our tongue by backbiting, slander, telling lies etc.? During the eleven months when we were free to do whatever we wanted, did we discard whatever good qualities and the taqwā we had achieved during Ramaḍān or did we hold on to them and improve on them as months passed by? Did we resume abusing our tongue by back-biting, slander, telling lies, etc.? Did we continue to deceive people, use intrigue or show malice? Did we forgive all those who wronged us, knowing that Allah also grants general amnesty in the holy month of Ramaḍān? Did we take full advantage of this fasting month wherein we strengthen our physical, biological and spiritual stamina? Did we put on weight instead of losing some, in spite of knowing that decreasing meal frequency and caloric intake prolongs life? Did we really achieve constancy and permanency in our taqwā so that we would be in the company of the prophets in the Hereafter? Did we set a goal in the beginning to eradicate at least one bad habit that we were involved in (such as smoking, etc) and can we truly say that we have eliminated it because of this exercise? Did we say au revoir and al-widā to bid farewell to Ramaḍān, on a full stomach and bulging pocket, leaving behind many needy and frustrated on-lookers aghast and empty-handed? Thus, during the eleven months when we were free to do whatever we wanted, we must ask ourselves many questions and reflect on whether we discarded whatever good qualities and the taqwā we had achieved during Ramaḍān, or did we hold on to them and improve on them as months passed by. We should be having an audit of ourselves after Ramadān is over to examine what we have achieved in terms of the desired benefits such as stopping of smoking and alcohol, loss of weight and hence improvement in diabetes and hypertension, and achievement of piety which gives us a jump-start to begin a new page in life. Although the rigorous exercise of Ramadān is rather difficult, it is much more difficult to maintain the expected benefits after fasting is over. After completing the full 30-days fast, we feel as if we are just out of the Intensive Care Unit and fresh with both spiritual and physical vigour.

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Medical benefits

Science is in a state of continuous evolution, and discoveries follow on one another’s heels. There is a large quantum of digitised information, flowing like a spring from symposia, medical journals and the Internet. It expands our horizons and explains the benefits of Islamic injunctions. The original meaning of saum is to be at rest. We give rest to the gastro-intestinal tract, the sexual organs, the tongue, the eyes and ears, etc. The transit time for a bolus of food from the mouth to the end of the large intestine, called colon, is about 14 hours. This equals the period of 14 hours during which we fast and withhold any stimulus reaching the digestive system. During fasting, the secretion of the growth hormone by the pituitary gland also increases. This is an anabolic hormone for synthesis of proteins and collagen that produces a positive nitrogen balance. The collagen synthesis is thought to be responsible for keeping the skin of fasting Muslims wrinkle free, even when they get very old. Ramad ān puts a healthy mind into a healthy body (in Latin: mens sana in corpore sano = a sound mind in a sound body). Because the Islamic fast hardly exceeds 14 hours or so, the normal steady state of the body is maintained as a result of coordinated physiological mechanisms. There is no significant alteration in routine haematology. Nearly all the biochemical results in the laboratory are normal, such as blood levels of Na, K, Ca, P; lipids such as total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides; hormones such as cortisol, testosterone, prolactin, TSH, etc. The fast does not cause any adverse medical effect and on the contrary, may have some beneficial effect on weight, although the ‘lipostat’ situated in the pituitary gland in the brain helps to maintain the body mass at a steady level. Liver function tests (such as SGOT, SGPT, Alk. Phosphatase, thymol turbidity, cephalin-cholesterol flocculation test, serum albumin, globulin and total serum proteins) show normal values. This constancy of the serum globulin level during fasting ensures against the tendency to produce deficient antibody formation. Plasma cholecystokinin and gastrin levels are also normal. Thyroid function tests including Basal metabolic rate, Thyroid-stimulating hormone and Protein-bound-iodine levels also remain normal. Kidney function tests (such as the specific gravity of urine, glomerular filtration rate, blood urea nitrogen and serum creatinine) also remain normal. Blood glucose concentration is maintained normally at 80 mgms %, due to hepatic production of glucose equalling utilisation, mainly by the brain which oxidises approximately 100 Gms. glucose/ minute to CO2 and H2o. The brain alone consumes 1/4 to 1/3 of the total calories or about 500 calories / day. Even the most concentrated brain work causes no extra demands on caloric output. During the first few hours of a fast, the increased glucagon and the decreased insulin secretion result in stimulation of hepatic glycogenolysis and the gradual depletion of the hepatic glycogen store. As the level of glucose falls the rate of insulin secretion decreases and that of glucagon rises. The secretory pattern of these two islet hormones is actually pulsatile rather than continuous, the pulse intervals being approximately ten minutes in humans. Under normal circumstances, the plasma glucose falls more slowly during the transition from the fed to the fasted state and stabilises at levels well above 50 mgms %. Muscle and brain are the main glucose consumers. During fasting the secretion of ACTH and cortisol is normal. The fasting stomach is empty and contracted. The rate of bile secretion is low and the pressure in the bile duct is correspondingly small.

Fasting in adverse circumstances

However, if there are adverse circumstances surrounding the Islamic fast such as: (a) dehydration due to excessive sweating because of hot weather or exercise; or (b) too little food or water was available at sah ūr; or (c) fasting was prolonged for any reason, then following changes may be observed. If the diet is normal, the renal flow remains unchanged even after four days of complete deprivation of water. There would be no decrease in plasma volume and no haemo-concentration, because the interstitial reserves of water will be called upon. Then the urinary output will be reduced. In water deprivation, the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland secretes anti-diuretic hormone which reduces urine flow to a minimum, thus conserving water. The total water content of the body decreases due to loss of extra-cellular fluid. Urinary acidity is maintained. Only when fasting is prolonged (which is un–Islamic) does the Basal Metabolic Rate fall together with voluntary physical activity, thus conserving calories. This ensures that weight loss is not excessive. With the fall in Basal Metabolic Rate, the pulse rate and the blood pressure also fall. Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme activity (ACE) is reduced during fasting. The concentration of T3 (tri-iodothyronine) also falls. The serum triglyceride is slightly elevated.

Fasting with underfeeding

During fasting, the subject must live on his own body tissues to generate energy. In a 70 kg man, stored carbohydrate totals about 2000 calories, available from 100 Gms. of liver glycogen, 380 Gms. of muscle glycogen and 20 Gms. of glucose in extra cellular fluid. In contrast, 140 000 calories are available as stored fat in the body and the remainder in proteins. Energy is stored in adipose tissue as triglyceride, with glucose serving as the main source formed during glycolysis in the fat cells.

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In the Islamic fast of around 14 hours, the body proteins are not used up, as the glycogen stores are the first to be utilised at the beginning of the fast. It has been observed that underfed animals live longer than their heavily fed counterparts. Restriction of calories enhances the immune system and hence they also suffer fewer illnesses including auto-immune disease, which may help to explain their longevity. Inflammatory symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in man decrease during fasting. Moreover, there are certain diseases which are benefited by loss of weight through fasting and caloric restriction e.g. hypertension, diabetes, obesity, osteoarthritis, radiculopathies, etc. We should not overeat at ift ār and at sah ūr if we wish to lose some weight. There is an incident reported in the H adīth that once Prophet Muh ammed‫ ﷺ‬was asked as to why such and such a tribe lived so long. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬replied that they would not eat until and unless they were really hungry and that they would stop eating before their appetites were half-filled. Prophet‫ ﷺ‬used to have a light ift ār and a light suh ūr. If after Ramad ān is over, we find that we have put on weight instead of losing some, we better look critically at ourselves. It is obvious that we have not followed the Sunnah of Prophet Muh ammed‫ﷺ‬.

Fasting and magnesium

It has been observed that during fasting, the serum magnesium is elevated. The following points about magnesium are worthy of note: (1) Several actions of magnesium ion can contribute towards its cardio-protective effects and hence magnesium is now more frequently used in the treatment of heart attacks. Plasma magnesium levels are low for a day or two after myocardial infarction and chances of patients recovering from a heart attack are increased if magnesium is given immediately after a heart attack. Fasting halves the mortality rate in myocardial infarction, probably by reducing the risk of serious arrhythmias, especially ventricular fibrillation induced by the raised local concentrations of catecholamine. Magnesium has anti-platelet effects and hence prevents extension of the thrombus. Magnesium also acts as a vasodilator and prevents vascular stasis. Magnesium deficiency increases coronary artery tone and favours thrombosis. (2) Magnesium and calcium ions are inversely related. Ca and Mg ions compete with each other. Magnesium inhibits calcium influx into myocardial cells. When the magnesium level is lowered, calcium is raised and may get deposited in tissues. Potassium acts as a cardio-protector in cardiac ischemia in synergy with magnesium. Potassium in combination with magnesium produces more reduction in systolic and diastolic B.P. than magnesium alone. (3) Magnesium is essential for the activity of many enzymes, especially for phosphorylation and energy transfer. Phosphates bind magnesium in the bowel and prevent its absorption. A 12 oz. can of carbonated soft drink might contain 30 mgms of phosphate and take up an equivalent amount of dietary magnesium. The average daily requirement of magnesium is 300-400 mgms while an average diet provides 250-500 mgms daily. Taking too little magnesium makes it harder for the body to perform its usual tasks. (4) Magnesium is a membrane stabiliser acting on the sodium/potassium/calcium flux at the membrane level. When (a) acting on the specialised connecting system of the heart, it relieves cardiac dysrhythmia and therefore prevents sudden death due to myocardial infarction; (b) on the vascular muscle cell of the coronary artery, it dilates the coronary arteries and relieves angina; (c) on the cell membrane of the neurons, it blocks transmission of nerve impulses, thus reducing neuro-muscular irritability. Magnesium therapy has a beneficial effect on most neuropathies; (d) on synapses, it relieves cerebral dysrhythmia and hence it is useful in various types of epilepsy. Persons who fast stop having epileptic fits; (e) on neuromuscular junctions, it prevents leg cramps; (the Zam Zam water which prevents fatigue and leg cramps is high in its magnesium and calcium content); (f) on bronchiolar muscle tissue, it relieves asthma; (g) on the uterus it prevents hemorrhage and premature births. Magnesium deficiency during pregnancy can result in high B.P., low birth-weight babies and still births. (5) Magnesium and atheroma: (a) In atheroma, the arteries become hard due to deposits of cholesterol, beta-lipoproteins, aggregates of calcium, all clumped together into a substance called phosphate-lipid-calcium complex. This deposit narrows the lumen of the arteries and may occlude them, aided by thrombosis. While triglycerides, also known as neutral fats, increase due to eating carbohydrates, blood cholesterol increases by taking lipids. Atherosclerosis is associated with triglycerides and cholesterol. Exercise reduces triglycerides while weight loss reduces blood cholesterol. A diet rich in monosaturated fatty acids (as in olive oil) has been shown to be as effective in lowering blood cholesterol as was a diet low in fat but high in carbohydrates. Fasting prevents the formation of atheroma as well as dissolves atheromatous plaques. During fasting, there may be some lowering of serum cholesterol and phospholipids dependant on the foods eaten. Fasting probably takes an active part in rejuvenating processes in the body through many channels, one being the reversal of atheroma and making the arteries more supple and pliable. (6) Magnesium requirement is increased during stress, be it physical or psychological. Serum magnesium content is low in chronic alcoholics and in presence of delirium tremens. Magnesium deficiency is paralleled by deficiency of serotonin which may lead to depressive states. Magnesium is also used in the prophylaxis of migraine, tinnitus, pre-menstrual syndrome, and associated risks in type II diabetes. It is necessary for synthesis of ATP (adenosine tri phosphate) which is the muscle

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energiser. It has been used in the treatment of fibromyalgia. It controls immune responses, and also exhibits anti-mutagenesis properties; hence it may assist in prevention of carcinoma. (7) There is an inverse association between magnesium intake and risk of diabetes. Diabetics are advised to increase consumption of major food sources of magnesium, such as whole grains, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.

Fasting and our biological rhythms

Allah (all glory be to Him) tells us in the Holy Qur’an about Ramad ān that, (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period (of fasting), and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful, (Q.2:185). Many benefits result from completing this prescribed period of fasting, one being our biological rhythms.

Bio-Rhythm: A biorhythm or biological rhythm is a recurring pattern of alterations in physiology, emotions, or intellect due to the electric currents that flow in living tissues, such as nerves and muscles. From birth to death, every human is governed by internal biophysical cycles, while our body adapts itself to the rotating planet Earth. Integration of diverse endocrine rhythms with other biological functions requires a mechanism for biological time-keeping. The period of regular oscillation may be as short as a few minutes or as long as a year. Biorhythm is also built in many animals such as cats, dogs, rats, cockroaches, biting insects such as mosquitoes as well as in organisms which transmit diseases such as malaria, filaria and many others. Tendency to take an afternoon siesta is also built into our circadian rhythms. There are biological pacemakers or oscillators within the body with time-keeping capacity which synchronise with the external environmental cycles such as light. Environmental cues that synchronise biological pacemakers are called “zeitgebers” (from the German “time-givers”), and the process of re-setting the pacemaker is called re-synchronisation. All forms of life on earth, including our bodies, respond rhythmically to the regular cycles of the sun, moon and seasons caused by the Earth rotating on its axis, e.g. as night turns into day, our heart rate and blood pressure rises. Many biological rhythms reflect the period of one of four environmental cycles: cycles of the tide, of day and night, of moon phase and of seasons. The Earth's tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. The moon can affect the tides and all liquids including our circulating body fluids. The first report of the daily biological rhythm persisting in the absence of environmental cues was the leaf of a heliotrope plant opening and closing in constant darkness. Even the blind can sense night/day and sleep/wake patterns. Fasting and the circadian rhythm: Circa means about and diès means day. The period of circadian pacemaker in humans is 24 hours 11 minutes. The circadian rhythm is a name given to the “internal body clock” that regulates biological activities such as the brain waves, hormone production, cell regeneration and many others. Hormonal secretion is frequently characterised by rhythmic fluctuations which may be regular or irregular in periodicity, e.g. the hormonal concomitants of ovarian cycles recur at 4–28 day intervals, depending on animal species. Self-sustained rhythm with a period of 24 hours was first termed “circadian rhythm”. It is believed that melatonin, the hormone of darkness, plays a vital role in setting the body's biological clock. Exercise also resets the body clock. Hence, exercising early in the day helps jet-lagged bodies readjust to their new time zone. The light/dark cycle is a potent zeitgeber for circadian rhythm. The peak of the circadian rhythm in human plasma cortisol concentration occurs approximately at the time of rising in the morning. Reversal of lighting results in reversal of the cortico-steroid rhythm, but the cortico-steroid is not controlled by the sleep-wakefulness cycle. Most ACTH and cortisol secretion occurs between midnight and morning. In the absence of any time cues, human circadian rhythms begin to free-run. The supra-chiasmatic nucleus is thought to contain the circadian oscillator. (The central circadian biological clock is located in the supra-chiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus. It is a cluster of about 10,000 neurons on either side of the mid-line above the optic chiasma about 3 cms behind the eye. Re-setting proceeds at the rate of approximately one hour/day to adapt to a reversed shift pattern). Another important element in the coupling of the rhythmic activity with hormone release is in the pineal gland. The pineal gland also plays an important part in directional sense. Its proximity to the surface of the skin in primitive animals has earned its title “the third eye”. It is associated with seasonal and diurnal rhythms. Pineal activity undergoes circadian variations that are also linked with the light cycle. (Light information is relayed via a circuitous route from the suprachiasmatic nucleus, down through the spinal cord, into the superior cervical ganglion and back up into the pineal gland via the sympathetic fibres. The most important hormone of this pineal gland is melatonin, the sleep hormone which is secreted into the circulation mediating the effects of day length). Muslims, who have been fasting regularly since childhood, have been exposed to different sleep/wake and light/darkness cycles, on a daily basis in one annual lunar month. Hence, it may be easier for such persons to synchronise at a faster rate their circadian, circa-lunar and circa-annual bio-rhythms, under difficult conditions. Therefore it is expected that Muslims who fast regularly would suffer least from jet lag while travelling in a plane from West to East and that health problems in Muslim shiftworkers would be minimal. Fasting, jet lag and shift work: Jet lag is a state of the body caused by disturbance of our circadian rhythms and travel, associated with sleep deprivation. When flying across time zones, the “home time” gradually shifts to the new “travelling time”. Our body clocks get out of tune with the local time and we feel sleepy or alert, hungry or full at the wrong times. The condition becomes worse if there was any sleep loss during an overnight flight or because of alcohol and caffeine

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consumed on board. International travel across time zones produces symptoms of jet lag such as sleep disturbances, gastrointestinal disorders, decreased alertness, fatigue and lack of concentration and motivation. Difficulty is experienced more while travelling to the East. Factors contributing to symptoms of jet lag are: (1) external desynchronisation due to immediate difference between body time and local time at the end of the flight; (2) internal desynchronisation due to the fact that different circadian rhythms in the body re-synchronise at different rates, and during the re-synchronisation period, these rhythms will be out of phase with one another. General symptoms arising from desynchronisation include tiredness during the day and disturbed sleep and reaction time. NASA estimates that it takes one day for every time zone crossed to regain normal rhythm and energy levels. For every hour of time-change a person experiences it takes about a day to fully adjust. A six-hour time-difference thus needs 6 days to get back to normal. Inability to sleep the night before due to circadian desynchronisation in pilots adds to the effect of jet lag, especially while travelling eastwards. Age strongly affects sleepiness. Crew members who are over 50 experience increased number of awakenings, a high percentage of light drowsy (restless) sleep, and a lower percentage of deep slow-wave (restful) sleep, and a lower sleep efficiency. This may be responsible for cockpit human errors resulting from miscalculations, memory lapses and mis-communications and poor crew co-ordination, causing aircraft accidents. Jet lag also affects the performance of athletes, when there is a rapid displacement across Earth’s time zones, causing desynchronisation of their physiological cycles. Rapid adaptation to a new zone can be facilitated by maximizing exposure to zeitgebers for the new cycle e.g. changing to meal times and sleep times appropriate to the new time zone. Maximizing social contact and exposure to natural lighting will result in faster resynchronisation than staying in a hotel and eating and sleeping without regard to local time. Bright light has another effect besides adjusting the timing of the biological clock to the local time. It inhibits the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone. (Exposure to light facilitates a nerve pathway from the retina in the eye to an area in the brain called the hypothalamus. It houses the supra-chiasmatic nucleus (SCN) which in turn processes signals to other parts of the brain that control hormones, body temperature and other functions that determine whether we should sleep or keep awake). There are widespread individual variations in the rapidity of resynchronisation. Muslims who fast regularly and who have experienced disturbed wakefulness/sleep cycles on a daily lunar annual basis can adapt themselves much faster to different time zones during international travel and do not suffer from the ill effects of jet lag. Shift workers also experience similar symptoms as jet lag, especially gastro-intestinal, cardiovascular, sleep disorders and also reproductive dysfunctions in women. Recent studies have shown that shift workers are more prone to carcinoma of the breast and colorectal cancers. The inverted schedule of sleeping and waking also results in diminished alertness and performance during night-time work with attendant increase in the number of fatigue-related accidents during night time shift hours. Normally, a period of three weeks is required for re-synchronisation among shift workers, and as the fasting Muslim attunes himself to resynchronisation processes during the space of just over four weeks in Ramad ān, his health problems as a shift worker would be negligible, as his synchronisation processes would be more rapid, whether during Ramad ān or at any other time. Night work is a major health hazard to millions of workers the world over, and may be responsible for an increased risk of cardiovascular illness, gastro-intestinal disorders, infertility and insomnia, and also results in diminished productivity and increased fatigue-related accident rates. Despite the deprivation of night sleep, these workers experience daytime insomnia. The circadian timing system fails to adjust to an inversion of the daily routine even after a week of night work. It is also a common observation that as soon as Ramad ān is over, normal circadian rhythms are established in Muslims who have fasted, with such great rapidity as to be at par with pre-Ramad ān levels, on the first day of Shawwāl, i.e. ‘Īd-ul-Fit r. The circa-annular bio-rhythm is so well established that during Ramad ān, we normally wake up automatically a few minutes before the alarm clock rings to wake us up for sah ūr. Moreover, as soon as Ramad ān is over, normal physiology of the body is restored promptly the following day on ‘Īd ul Fit r. The ability to adjust to the different phases of the bio-rhythm also enables the fasting Muslim to balance the various neurotransmitters secreted by the brain involving motivation and tranquillity. Fasting and encephalins: During the exercise of fasting, prayers and other spiritual experiences of Ramad ān, the brain and spinal cord release into the body certain endogenous, narcotic-like substances called opioids (or endorphins/endo-morphins), that include encephalins, endorphins and many others. These are responsible for euphoria, contentment, satisfaction, tranquillity, serenity and optimism during such periods. They have a tranquilising as well as an elating effect on the mind. They may also be responsible for prevention of psychosomatic diseases. Encephalins: These are several times more potent than morphine. Encephalins are not only present in the brain but also in the tissues of the gut and in the adrenal medulla. Encephalins cause: (1) Analgesia by influencing pain perception; (2) Inhibition of gut motility similar to morphine; (3) Encephalins present in high concentrations in the posterior pituitary may also influence the secretion of vasopressin and oxytocin. (The adrenal medulla is a major source of encephalins in plasma, but is rapidly deactivated. However, even the small amounts released during stress may be found sufficient to influence opiate receptors throughout the body. The stress-induced analgesia in humans may be related to opiate peptides of adrenal origin). Endorphins: (or endo-morphins) As pain relievers, these are several times more potent than encephalins and a thousand times more potent than morphine. The neurotransmitter (beta-endorphin) increases in plasma in times of stress. (a) To alter the pain sensation, the brain and spinal cord release specialised neurotransmitters called endorphins and encephalins. These chemicals interfere with the transmission of pain impulse by occupying the nerve cell receptors. This makes the pain impulse travel less efficiently as the cell receptors are required to send the impulse across the synapse. Endorphins

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and encephalins can significantly lessen the perception of pain. In extreme circumstances, they can even make severe injuries nearly painless. Endorphins and encephalins are natural painkillers and are responsible for the “feel nice” effects experienced by people after rigorous exercise. (b) Beta-endorphin is very active, and is about 20 times as potent as morphine. In addition to its pain-killing properties, the narcotic analgesic causes a profound feeling of well-being (euphoria). It is this feeling that is in part responsible for the psychological drive of certain persons who are fasting. (c) If an athlete is injured during the height of competition or a soldier during a fight, or persons who are fasting, they may not realise they have been hurt, until after the stressful situation has ended! This is because the brain produces abnormally high levels of endorphins or encephalins, in periods of intense stress, excitement or fasting.

Fasting and Growth Hormone: During fasting there is increased secretion of growth hormone (GH also called somatotropin) by the pituitary gland. GH is necessary for normal growth of most of the soft tissues and of the skeleton, but it is not capable of promoting normal growth in the absence of thyroid hormone, glucocorticoids, gonadal steroids and insulin. The complex system that encompasses the release and action of GH includes many neurotransmitters, hormones and organs. GH is a protein anabolic hormone which produces a positive nitrogen and phosphorous balance. It stimulates erythropoiesis, and increases gastro-intestinal absorption of calcium. It also causes renal retention and body storage of Ca, P, Na and K as part of its generalised anabolic activity. GH increases gluconeogensis from fat and proteins, causes loss of body fat and increases muscle mass with increased protein synthesis in muscle. It is responsible for the elevated level of serum alkaline phosphatase in growing children. It stimulates proportionate growth of the body by causing: (1) skeletal growth, (2) growth of muscles, and (3) growth of other organs. GH is released more at night than during the day, especially during the first one and a half hour of deep sleep when delta waves in the EEG abound. Hence this period is important for repair of the body while the latter part of the night is more for consolidation of memory molecules during REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep when there is intense brain activity and dreaming. Signs of deficiency of growth hormone frequently observed in old persons are: decreased muscle mass and strength; thinning of bones and wrinkling of skin; and diminished immune responses. Administration of Growth Hormone acts as an anti-ageing agent and can reverse these effects. The plasma GH concentration rises steeply soon after onset of sleep. The addition of daytime naps to the sleep sessions results in GH secretion during nap periods. Stages three and four (slow-wave sleep) occur more frequently during early sleep period when GH secretion is maximal. More GH is released during afternoon naps than in morning naps. The half-life of circulating GH in humans is 20–30 minutes. Annual rhythms have been observed in the plasma concentration of GH which may be a beneficial factor in Muslims who fast regularly in every Ramad ān. Colostrum (the first milk from the mother’s breast after birth of a child) is rich in growth factors and hence its protective properties. Levels of GH increase in the blood: (a) during fasting and hypoglycaemia; (b) after physical exercise, probably due to secretion of encephalins which are potent inducers of Growth Hormone; the five-times Islamic prayers should be included as moderate physical exercise; (c) after a couple of hours of sleep; and (d) with stress. Stimuli that decrease secretion are REM sleep, glucose and cortisol. Physiological effects of GH are: (1) increased protein synthesis; (2) intracellular lipolysis; (3) stimulation of collagen synthesis (this latter may be responsible for the observation that the skin of Muslims who fast regularly during the month of Ramad ān do not wrinkle even when they are very old); and (4) stimulation of chondroitin-sulphate synthesis. GH accelerates chondrogenesis, and as cartilaginous epiphysial plates widen, they lay down more matrix at the end of long bones. In this way, stature is increased. In cartilage, GH stimulates proliferation and incorporation of phosphates, and the synthesis of collagen. Unlike anabolic steroids, GH causes no acceleration of maturation of the bones. Hence, children can safely fast during Ramad ān from an early age. Sleep, memory and fasting: There are 10 billion neurons (nerve cells) in the human brain linked through

various cross terminals. The neo-cortex (new brain) distinguishes the human brain from that of animals. Memory depends on biochemical changes in the nerve cells involving protein synthesis. Within the small volume of the human brain, experience of a lifetime could be recollected with the correct description of sights, sound, smell, taste and emotions. The external world is mirrored in the microscopic structure of the brain. Because of various connecting fibres of the limbic system to other parts of the cerebral cortex, a familiar voice on the telephone projects a visual memory of the person calling while at the same time hearing the sound, examining it, formulating a response and then co-ordinating our lips and mouth to speak. Experience must be imprinted and encoded in the finer structures of the brain before they can be registered, retained and recalled. This encoding is done through a series of molecular events triggered by external stimuli.

Three mechanisms interact in memory production: (a) one mediating immediate recall of events of the moment; (b) another, of events that occurred minutes to hours before, and (c) a third, of memories of the longer term past. Memory for recent events is impaired in certain neurological diseases, but remote memories are remarkably unaffected, even in presence of severe brain damage. There is frequent loss of memory for the events immediately preceding brain concussion or electro-shock therapy, but remote memory is not affected. Damage to the amygdala and the hippocampus, two major components of the brain known as the limbic system, can result in global amnesia. The cerebral cortex, especially the temporal lobes, is involved in

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memory. Stimulation of the temporal lobe evokes detailed memories of events that occurred in the remote past and were often beyond the power of voluntary recall. The memories produced by temporal stimulation are “flashed back” complete, as if they were replays of a segment of experience. It may take a few hours to encode or consolidate memory. This process probably involves the hippocampus. Some alcoholics with brain damage develop impairment of recent memory, with pathological changes in the mammillary bodies, a major site of hippocampal fibres for encoding memory molecules. Vasopressin secreted by the posterior pituitary is a neural hormone secreted directly into the circulation by nerve cells. Vasopressin is also called Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH) because it causes retention of water by the kidneys. The urine becomes concentrated and its volume decreases. Vasopressin secretion increases in pain, stress, emotion, exercise, administration of morphine and nicotine, and decreases by alcohol. Vasopressin may also be involved in influencing memory processes. When sleep is disrupted, the brain's ability to transfer short-term memory into long-term memory is impaired. Brain protein molecules for repair of the body are synthesised in the brain during deep sleep. Fasting positively and significantly increases the quality of deep sleep and hence accelerates synthesis of memory molecules.

Electroencephalogram, fasting and sleep: The sleep during Ramad ān is a much deeper one and

superior in quality. The repair processes of the body and the brain including the memory molecules in the hippocampus and other sites, take place during the stage of deep sleep i.e stage 3 and 4 of sleep. Later, during REM period of sleep or stage 5 when a person dreams, there is reorganisation of memory molecules of the data acquired during the previous day and which gets consolidated into the memory. Two hours of sleep during Ramad ān is more satisfying and refreshing than several hours of sleep otherwise. The background activity of the brain is called the electroencephalogram and can be recorded by the use of electrodes inserted in the scalp. The dominant frequency and amplitude characteristic of the EEG varies with states of arousal. A person goes through five stages while going to sleep. Stage one: It is midway between waking and sleeping; it’s dozing. Calm wakefulness is accompanied by alpha waves 8-12 Hz (cycles per second) and low voltage fast activity of mixed frequency. (Alpha waves disappear when we open our eyes. When the eyes are opened, the alpha rhythm is replaced by fast irregular low voltage activity with no dominant frequency. It is called the alpha block. Any form of sensory stimulation or mental concentration such as solving arithmetic problems could produce this break-up of the alpha rhythm. The Beta waves with frequency range 13-30 Hz. have a faster activity with higher amplitude. They show up when the person is alert with eyes open and concentrating e.g. solving arithmetic or decision making. It indicates our normal waking consciousness). Stage two: It occupies most of the night. As sleep deepens, bursts of 12-14 Hz (sleep spindles) and high amplitude slow waves appear called ‘K’ complexes. Stages three and four: This deep sleep is featured by an increasing proportion of high voltage slow activity. Breathing is regular in slow-wave sleep or non-REM sleep. People in slow-wave sleep can sleep right through 80 to 90 decibels intensity of noise. It’s harder to wake a sleeping teenager than a sleeping adult. Teenagers need one or two hours more of sleep since growth hormone is secreted during deep sleep. A relatively quiet noise of 20 to 30 decibels is enough to wake up old persons since they have less slow-wave sleep. Delta waves (very slow waves, 0.5 - 4 Hz, high amplitude) are unusual in a normal record and sometimes accompany very deep sleep i.e. stages 3 and 4. Stage 5 or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep: After about 70 minutes or so mostly spent in stages three and four, the first REM period occurs, accompanied by a reversal in the EEG pattern from stage four to stage two. These fast low-voltage irregular waves resemble those seen in alert humans and are in sharp contrast to the slow alpha waves of the relaxed or idling brain. Sleep, however, is not interrupted. This is called stage 5 or REM sleep or dreaming sleep, when the EEG activity gets desynchronised. It occupies the final 5-10 minutes of non-REM sleep. There is marked muscle atonia despite the rapid eye movements in REM sleep, and the breathing is irregular. During REM sleep, cerebral activity increases almost to wakefulness, and there is a general increase in autonomic nervous system activity. Theta waves (4-7 0scillations/sec) with a pattern of large regular waves occur in normal children and are briefly seen in stage one sleep and also in REM sleep. Non-REM (NREM) sleep passes through stages one and two, and spends 60-70 minutes in stages three and four. Sleep then lightens and a REM period follows. This cycle is repeated three or four times per night, at intervals of about 90 minutes throughout the night, depending on the length of sleep. REM sleep occupies 25% of total sleeping time. Young infants do not have the characteristic 4 stages of non-REM sleep and they go immediately in REM or dreaming sleep, spending 50% of their time in it. During the first few hours of an Islamic fast, the EEG is normal. Fasting improves the quality and intensifies the depth of sleep, a matter of particular importance to the aged, who have much less stage three and four sleep i.e. deep sleep. Hence, fasting is important to the old who have much less deep sleep. To repeat, the processes of repair of the body and of the brain, especially the memory molecules, take place during deep sleep. REM sleep and dreaming are closely associated. Dreaming may be necessary to maintain health, but prolonged REM deprivation has no adverse psychological effects. Dreaming sleep occupies 50% of the sleep cycle in infants and decreases with age. Brain protein molecules are synthesised in the brain during deep sleep. Fasting accelerates synthesis of memory molecules, increases the quality of deep sleep and leads to a fall in REM sleeping time or dreaming time.

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Tarāwīh: Throughout the year, the average Muslim performs his 5-time daily obligatory prayers, as

well as the optional ones. This amounts to gentle physical exercise, involving each and every muscle in the body. During the month of fasting, additional prayers of 8-20 rak‘ahs (physical units of prayer) are also performed at night after dinner, and these prayers are called tarāwiḥ. Approximately, 200 kcals are utilised during tarāwīḥ for the 20 rukū‘/rak‘ahs. Such additional exercise burns out some of the extra calories, ingested at ifṭār (meal taken to break the fast) approximately 1-2 hours earlier. Simultaneously, the glucose which is steadily rising in the blood since ifṭār is used up during the tarāwīḥ exercise. (Some Muslims who do not offer the 5-time compulsory daily prayers and do not fast during Ramaḍān quarrel whether we should pray 8 or 20 Rak'as of the optional Tarāweeh. Moeover, some able persons who have not fasted during Ramaḍān nor have offered the 5-time daily prayers go to Ḥajj as if it is a picnic!). Just before ifṭār, both blood glucose and insulin are at their lowest level. Very little is metabolised by muscle, and FFA (Free Fatty Acid) is the predominant fuel. However, an hour or so after ifṭār, the blood glucose begins to rise and also plasma insulin. The liver takes up much of the circulating glucose to replenish its glycogen content, and muscles may also do the same. Unless a lot of sweets are eaten very rapidly, the glucose level in the blood may not reach above the renal threshold of 180 mgms% and no sugar would spill in the urine. However, when the blood sugar begins to rise after ifṭār to reach high levels in an hour or two, the benefits of tarāwīḥ salāt, (the latter coinciding with the timing of the rising of the blood sugar) come into effect. The circulating glucose is oxidised to CO2 and H2O during tarāwīḥ salāt. Gentle exercise improves fitness and emotional well-being and increases longevity. For any improvement in the stamina and endurance, in flexibility and strength, the effort required needs to be only a little greater than the person is accustomed to. Not everyone could or should go jogging; even walking at 2 or 3 miles/hour or the 5 times daily compulsory prayers would produce the same physiological changes without unpleasant effects of rigorous exercise. Apart from health-promoting qualities of exercise, mild exercise such as prayers, trains the person to be ever prepared for any unexpected physical exertion, such as running for a bus, which may be accomplished more safely and efficiently. This is an advantage for the elderly who will be able to maintain their physical independence much longer. Persons who fast and perform tarāwīḥ salāt report feeling healthier and better. The physical movement during tarāwīḥ prayers improve flexibility and co-ordination. It also reduces stress-related responses in normal persons and relieves anxiety and depression. Adrenaline and noradrenalin are responsible for the consequent dynamism, combined with the tranquillity and the serenity due to encephalins, endorphins, serotonin and other neurotransmitters which are secreted during the physical exercise of tarāwīḥ prayers. This makes the night prayers unique in the sense that dynamism is combined in the same individual with serenity and euphoria. The effects of adrenaline and noradrenalin are apparent, even after tarāwīḥ prayers are over, as evidenced by the continuing physical and mental activity. In fact, even the thought or intention (niyyah) of performing tarāwīḥ prayers is sufficient to activate the sympathetic nervous system to secrete adrenaline and noradrenalin. In the elderly, the level of physiological activity drops. Bones become thinner and osteoporotic. The skin also becomes thinner and wrinkled. Cataracts are to be expected. The repair processes of the body become slower and immune responses are reduced. Reserve functions of all vital organs decline and the aged are more vulnerable to accidents and disease. But because prayers are compulsory and repeated, regular movements of the body during prayers will improve muscle tone and power, tendon strength, joint flexibility and the cardio–vascular reserve. This enables them to improve the quality of life and to meet with unexpected challenges which may have resulted in their falls with consequent damage to their bodies. This also improves their stamina, self-esteem and self-confidence in being independent. The body movements help to prevent osteoporosis in the bones of elderly men and post-menopausal women. The strain put on the forearm, during prostration in lifting the body from the ground, increases the bone mineral content of the forearm. The varying load during the different postures causes a lubricating effect and a protective flow of synovial fluid into the joint cavity. The reinforcement of the calf muscle pump by active ankle movements prevents deep vein thrombosis, which is a common cause of chronic ulcers of the legs in the elderly. Exercise makes us smarter. Studies have shown that old people who exercise have better memories, reasoning abilities, and problem-solving skills. Exercise prevents coronary heart disease, improves carbohydrate tolerance, enhances the immune system and ameliorates late-onset type-2 diabetes. Growth hormone secretion elevated by fasting is further elevated by exercise of long night prayers

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(tarāwīḥ). As this hormone is necessary for collagen formation, this may be an important factor in the long delay of the wrinkling of skin of fasting Muslims who perform tarāwīḥ prayers. Exercise of tarāwīḥ improves mood, thought and behaviour. Although memory for short-term events deteriorates with old age, prayers improve memory for short-term events in the elderly, by keeping the memory pathways in the brain open and communicating with each other, especially with constant repetition of the verses from the Holy Qur’an and other memorised supplications of Allah’s glory. This also helps to screen the mind from other incoming unpleasant thoughts so common in both the young and the old. The repetition of a prayer, supplications of glorification, dhikr (remembring Allah) or muscular activity, coupled with passive disregard of intrusive thoughts, causes a relaxation response. Thus tarāwīḥ puts the mind at ease. Islamic prayers are unique in that during the physical movements of prayers tension builds up in the muscles together with accompanying adrenaline and noradrenalin. Simultaneously, tension is relieved in the mind due to the spiritual component, assisted by the secretion of encephalins, endorphins, dynorphins, serotonin, dopamine and others. All those persons who perform tarāwīḥ prayers feel more alert and active, even after the age of retirement. They can meet with unexpected challenges of life much better, such as running for a train. This improves their stamina, selfesteem and self-confidence in being independent. The social contact during the tarāwīḥ prayer, which is always performed in congregation, and other social spiritual activities act as zeitgeber (‘time-giver’) which regulates any desynchronised biological rhythm. In addition, the gentle exercise during tarāwīḥ prayers resets the internal biological clock. Even trivial activity is accompanied by secretion of adrenaline. Once secretion starts, it may outlast the stimulus that gave rise to it. The effect of adrenalin and noradrenalin is apparent even after the tarāwīḥ salāt is over. The adrenaline re-distributes the blood in the body to the active muscles, mobilises liver glycogen if necessary in order to provide glucose for the active tissues, diminishes fatigue in skeletal muscles, relaxes bronchiolar muscle, and initiates cardiovascular changes. Tarāwīḥ salāt is considered to be gentle exercise, and the beneficial effects of which on the body are as follows: Skeletal muscle: An unused muscle atrophies in spite of availability of ample proteins. During prayers, every muscle in the body contracts, some isotonically and others isometrically. Exercise also improves stamina and reduces fatigue. It helps the disabled to make the most of their residual capacities. The blood flow of resting muscle is low. When a muscle contracts, it compresses blood vessels. Between contractions, the blood flow is greatly increased. During tarāwīḥ salāt, systolic B.P. may rise a little and the diastolic B.P. may remain unchanged or even fall. However, after tarāwīḥ salāt is over, both systolic and diastolic B.P. may drop to just below normal levels, a very welcome sign. Training increases the maximal oxygen consumption produced by exercise, such as the regular tarāwīḥ salāt. Just as a person who exercises regularly feels better, persons who perform the tarāwīḥ salāt regularly also feel much better. Regular physical exertion increases the probability that a person can remain active past the standard age of retirement. Similarly, all those who perform the extra tarāwīḥ salāt besides the compulsory daily prayers, are more alert and active in old age than those who do not perform the optional tarāwīḥ salāt. Tendons and connective tissues: Exercise improves physical strength and joint stability and reduces risk of injury.

Skeleton: Bone mineral content falls with age, especially after age 40 in menopausal and in elderly women. Decrease in the bone density can be prevented or even reversed by mild exercise. Exercise increases bone mineral density at sites of maximal stress. Some areas of the skeleton have to bear extra pressure during rukū‘ and sajdah. Exercise also prevents osteoporosis and maintains normalcy in bone structures. The risk of osteoporosis and consequent hip fractures is substantially less in those who take regular exercise or perform five-time daily prayers, in addition to tarāwīḥ salāt.

Joints: Exercise improves lubrication and range of movement and maintains flexibility. The varying load during the different postures of prayers causes a lubricating and therefore a protective flow of synovial fluid into the joint cavity. The reinforcement of the calf muscle pump by active ankle movements such as in Islāmic prayers, prevents deep vein thrombosis, the latter being the most common cause of leg ulcers as well as pulmonary embolism in the elderly. Eryhtropoietic system: Repeated exercise activates the erythropoietic processes in the bone marrow.

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Metabolic effects: Exercise improves body weight control and expends calories without proportionate increase in appetite. A combination of moderate dietary restriction, both at ifṭār and at saḥūr, accompanied by tarāwīḥ salāt, achieves weight reduction. With exercise, fat and body weight both get reduced, but fat-free weight (such as muscle and bones) remains constant or may even increase slightly. Hence, for persons who would like to lose some of the excess weight during Ramaḍān, it is important not to overeat at ifṭār and saḥūr, and in addition, make sure to offer tarāwīḥ salāt. Exercise prevents coronary heart disease, improves carbohydrate tolerance and ameliorates lateonset diabetes and other metabolic diseases. Beneficial changes have been recorded in the lipid profile, B.P., clotting factors, weight reduction and insulin sensitivity of muscles and other tissues in persons who exercise regularly. Growth Hormone secretion elevated by fasting is further elevated by exercise such as tarāwīḥ.

Cardiovascular effects: Exercise brings benefits by its effects on the main coronary risk factors by: (a) facilitating to stop smoking, (b) reducing obesity, and (c) decreasing cholesterol levels. Exercise increases maximum oxygen uptake, slows the heart, lowers the B.P. slightly, decreases ventricular ectopic activity, enlarges the lumen of the coronary arteries and increases cardiac output.

Psychological effects: Exercise improves mood, thought and behaviour. Exercise improves the quality of life, reduces anxiety and depression and contributes to enhanced self-esteem and confidence. It improves memory in the elderly, especially if accompanied by constant repetition of the verses from the Holy Qur’an and other verses of His Glory which would help to screen the mind from other incoming undesirable thoughts. Tarāwīḥ salāt puts the mind at ease due to the release of encephalins, endorphins and others into the circulation. Islam is the only religion where physical movements of prayers are combined with spiritual exercise. Prayers being made compulsory through a person’s life at regular intervals trains him to undertake the difficult task of meditating during physical movements of prayers, so that he benefits both from the spiritual as well as physical exercise. Islamic prayers are unique in that tension builds up in the muscles during physical movements of prayers, while at the same time tension is relieved in the mind due to the spiritual component.

َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ُّ ‫ﻣﻦ ﺳﺘﻄﺎ‬ ‫ﺣﺞ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻛﻴﺖ‬

Ḥijjul byti manistatā‘a :

Ḥajj for those who can afford it (Q:3:97) The fifth pillar of Islam is Ḥajj or pilgrimage to Makkah, but it is compulsory only for those who can afford it. (Al Ḥājj means the male pilgim; Pl. Ḥujjāj; while Al Ḥājjah means female pilgrim, Pl. Ḥawwāj). It falls in the month of Zul Ḥijjah which is the 12th month of the Islamic Callendar. The Ka‘bah in Makkah is the sign-post ensuring that direction is not lost, but also pointing that the final destination lies further ahead, both individually and collectively. While going on Ḥajj, we take with us the provisions to sustain us during the pilgrimage, but the best of all provisions is taqwā, which comprehensively means God-consciousness, accordance to Allah's commands, good conduct and behaviour, and refraining from doing wrong. (Q.2:197).

History: At this point, I would like to mention briefly a few important points in history, so that we get a proper understanding of the subject. The story goes that some 4000 years ago, there lived in Babylon a person by the name of Āzar. He and his people used to worship idols, stars and planets. This Āzar had a son. His name was Ibrāhīm and he went on to be a prophet. Prophet Ibrāhīm, A.S., just like Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬later on, did not have a human teacher. It was Allah Who showed him the kingdom of the heavens and the Earth so that he might be of those possessing certainty (Q.6:75) and trutḥ. Prophet Ibrahīm was thankful and full of gratitude to Allah for His favours and for choosing him and guiding him on the Straight Path (Ṣirāt al Mustaqīm) (Q.16:121). Prophet Ibrahim was a paragon of piety, devouted and obedient servant of Allah, true in faith and firm in righteousness, and hence was called hanīf (Q16:120). He was free from the sin of shirrk and CHAPTER III: The straight path or As-s irat al mustaqym

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never put any other gods together with Allah (Q.16:120). In every act, he willingly fulfilled Allah’s wishes fearless of persecution or opposition. He was ever-prepared to suffer any self-sacrifice in order to obey Allah’s commands so Allah made him a model for us to emulate and pattern our lives on his. Allah knew him well (Q.21:51) and he was so close to Allah that he was called His friend or KhalÄŤlullÄ h, KhalÄŤl meaning friend. Who can be better in religion than one who submits his whole self to Allah, does good and follows the way of IbrÄ hÄŤm, the true in faith? For Allah did take IbrÄ hÄŤm for a friend.(Q.4:125). Was Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm a Jew or a Christian? What does Allah have to say about him in the Holy Qur’an? IbrÄ hÄŤm was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but was true in faith, and a Muslim, submitting his will to Allah’s and he joined not other gods with Allah. (Q.3:67). Why did Allah call Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm a Muslim? This was because he surrendered his will to the Divine Command: Behold! Allah said to him: ‘Surrender (your will to Me)’; he said: ‘ I surrender (my will) to the Sustainer of the worlds.’ (Q.2:131). From this verse we understand that Islam (meaning primarily submission to Allah's Will but also including the essentials of belief, prayers, zakÄ t, fasting and Hajj) was already there with Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm, A.S. However, Islam as a religion and a way of life was completed and perfected only 2600 years later during the life time of Prophet MuḼammad‍‏. Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm was a paragon of virtue and Allah Himself showered greetings of peace and

ŮŽŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ salutations on him. ‍;ďş‘ﺎ ‏ ‍( ﺳ‏Q.37:109).Therefore, all Muslims are required to extend the Ů? Ů? Ů°

greetings of peace and salutations to Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm and his family, at least five times in their daily prayers, after performing the last sajdah:

ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4ŮŽŮ? ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺤﺪ‏ 4 ŮŽ Ů? ‍ﺳﺪﺎ‏ ŮŽ Ů? ‍ﺳﺪﺎ ŮŽ Ů’;ďş‘ﺎ‏ ‍ ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ﺤﺪ ďť›ﺎ ﺑﺎ ÂŽďş– ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑﺎ ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘â€Ź ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďş ﺪ‏ Ů? ‍ﺳﺪﺎ ;ďş‘ﺎ  Ů? ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍َ ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ﺣﺪ‏

Al LÄ hummah bÄ rik ‘alÄ MuḼammadinn wa ‘alÄ Ä li MuḼammadinn kamÄ bÄ rakta ‘alÄ IbrahÄŤm wa ‘alÄ Ä li IbrahÄŤm innaka Ḥamidunn MajÄŤd. O Allah let Your blessings be upon our leader MuḼammad and the family of MuḼammad just as You blessed our leader IbrÄ hÄŤm and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. It is important to understand that Allah's blessings are invoked on Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm and also on his family members, because all his family members worked fearlessly as a sacrificial team, viz. Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm, Sayyidah SÄ rah, Sayyidah HÄ jar and Prophet IsmÄ â€˜ÄŤl. Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm had two wives. One was called SÄ rah and the other, who was Egyptian, was called HÄ jar. But he had no descendants and he prayed to Allah to give him a righteous son (Q.37:100). When he was 86 years old, Allah answered his prayers and a son, a righteous son, was born to him (Q.37:101): So we gave the good news of an obedient boy ready to suffer and forebear. This son was named IsmÄ â€˜ÄŤl which is derived from sami‘a, i.e. to hear, to bear testimony to the fact that Allah heard the Prophet’s plea. However, IsmÄ â€˜ÄŤl was also known as ḤalÄŤm meaning “ready to sacrifice and forbearing.â€? Both the father and the son were endowed with strong and sacrificing dispositions, both physical and spiritual. Both of them were ready to face any challenge, test or trial, and were prepared to suffer any self-sacrifice in order to obey Allah’s commands. Thus they remain in history as models for mankind to emulate. Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm disagreed with his people about idol worship and tried to lead them away from it. In their absence, he even broke all the idols they worshiped, leaving only the largest one intact. When the people asked him how this had happened, he replied that it was the biggest idol that smashed the smaller ones, and if they did not believe him, they could ask the idol themselves. On hearing these provoking words, the people became angry with him and decided to kill him. They tied him up, collected wood, then put him on top of it and set fire to the whole pile. But Allah intevened and a miracle took place. Allah commanded: O Fire! Be cold and secure for IbrÄ hÄŤm, and Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm was left untouched by the fire (Q.21:69). However, as Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm disagreed with his own father about idol worship, his father, Ä€zar, ordered him to leave his house threatening to stone him otherwise (Q.19:46). Prophet IbrÄ hÄŤm did not respond with rudeness but spoke to his father in gentle words. When he left the house, he even prayed to Allah to forgive his father. His hijrah was similar to the hijrah made by Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏from Makkah to MadÄŤnah. The Arabic word hijrah is derived from hajara meaning to break off relations, to abandon one’s tribe, to emigrate. During hijrah one forsakes whatever Allah dislikes, even if it involves leaving one’s homeland or house. Therefore, the usual interpretation of the word hijrah as flight is not correct.

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Correctly interpreted, it signifies the leaving of one dwelling place or country for another in order to break away from evil, sin and shirrk. The person who undertakes hijrah thus becomes a muhājīr or one who gave up all that Allah forbids. But this is only the physical component of hijrah, i.e. physical travel. However, hijrah also includes a spiritual component, which should be practiced by every Muslim everyday of his life. It implies breaking away from what Allah has forbidden and going towards what pleases Allah, so that one can become the friend of Allah and a member of the community of Prophet Ibrāhīm. The hijrah of Prophet Ibrāhīm included migrating from Chaldea or Babylon to the land of presentday Syria and Palestine. He left his people, his land and his father’s house in search of truth only because he was ḥalīm (forbearing) (Q.11:75). The truth was dearer to him than anything in this world, including his father’s house, family ties, ancestral cutoms of his people, etc. His son, Prophet Ismā‘īl, was born away from the land of his forefathers in the fertile land of Syria and Palestine. When Ismā‘īl was a baby, Prophet Ibrāhīm, commanded by Allah, took his Egyptian wife Hājar and their only son Ismā‘īl to a barren land called Bakka, which is now called Makkah, and left them there. There was no water in the parched land, and Sayyidah Hājar began running frantically between two hillocks called Ṣafa and Marwa in search of water, when lo and behold! Under the feet of baby Ismā‘īl, miraculously a spring started to flow. It was gushing forth so much that Hājar cried out: “Zam, zam, zam! Stop, stop, stop!” (zam means stop, come to a close; the name Zamzam originates from the phrase Zomë Zomë, meaning ‘stop flowing’’.), and hence, this spring came to be known as Zam Zam. The spring of Zam Zam has not stopped flowing to this day, after 4000 years, in spite of being used by millions of ḥujjāj and ḥawwāj who regularly take away the Zam Zam water to foreign lands. Ismā‘īl grew up in Makkah, in the barren desert near the Zam Zam spring. He grew up in his inborn religion of fiṭrah, i.e. natural and pure Islam into which every child is born. He was also a Muslim as he grew up dependant solely on Allah, without any outside assistance. Many years passed before Prophet Ibrāhīm returned to visit his son Ismā‘īl. Commanded by Allah, they built the Ka‘bah, the very first house of worship dedicated to the One and Only God. (Ka‘bah means a cube.) It is known as the House of Allah or Baitullāh, and is the spiritual compass of the Muslim world. Once the Ka‘bah was built, Prophet Ibrāhīm purified it and performed the tawāf of the Ka‘bah, i.e. circumambulated it. He then stood in a spot now called maqāmi Ibrāhīm and prayed to Allah for himself, his progeny, his parents and all believers like us:

ْ 4 َ َ َ َ 4 َ 4 ِّ ُ ْ َ َ 4 َ ُ ْ َ ْ ِّ َ َ ُ ‫ ﻳﻘﺒﻞ‬ %‫ ﺨ‬ ‫ ﻳﻲﺘ ۚ ﺑﻨﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻘﻴﻢ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﺼﻼ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺟﻌﻠﻲﻨ‬ ِ ‫ ﻣﻦ‬ ِ ْ ْ ْ َ4َ ُْ ُ َ ‫ﻓﻘﻮ‬ َ ْ َ ‫ﻦﻴ‬ َ ‫ ﻟﻠﻤﺆﻣﻨ‬ ُ ُ َ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ 4 َ َ َ ‫ ﻏﻔﺮ ﻲﻟ‬ ‫ ﺤﻟﺴﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ْ ِ ‫ ﺑﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ َ ? ‫ ﻟﻮ‬

(Q.14:40-41) Rabbaj ‘alni muqīmaṣ ṣalāta wa min dhurriyyatī, Rabbanā wa taqabbal du‘a; Rabbanaghfirlī wa li wālidayyah wa lil mu᾿minīna yauma yaqūmal ḥisāb. O my God! make me of one who establishes regular prayer, and also (raise such) among my offspring. O our Sustainer! And accept Thou my prayer. O our Sustainer! Cover (us) with Your forgiveness --- me, my parents and (all) believers, on the Day when the reckoning will be established. Prophet Ibrāhīm wanted to be enlightened with divine wisdom, which should extend to all his descendants, so that all of us may attain the goal of righteousness. This goal is the Garden of Bliss in the Hereafter, where we hope to find the Divine Countenance. After Prophet Ibrāhīm performed the tawāf with his son, they also performed the sa‘y together, i.e. going between Ṣafa and Marwa. Later they proceeded to ‘Arafāt and then returned to the Ka‘bah. The Ka‘bah has thus become the symbol of tauḥīd, while Ḥajj is the symbol of unity of the ummah in the form of an annual assembly of followers, who follow the footsteps of Ibrāhīm (pbuh). Since then the Ka‘bah is a sanctuary, a place of assembly for mankind and a place of safety, inviolable for the pursuit of revenge or violence (Q.2:125). It is also a safe asylum for all mankind (Q.5:97). Blood can be shed in Mina but not in the precincts of the Ka‘bah, the House of Allah or Baitullāh, which is a secure haven and holy ground. Another important episode in their life occurred when Allah tested both Prophet Ibrāhīm and his son Ismā‘īl for their obedience. In Q. 37:102-106, we are told that while in Mina, Prophet Ibrāhīm had a dream in which he saw that he was sacrificing his son. He told his son about the dream and his son immediately agreed that if the sacrifice was to be for Allah, his father should not hesitate to sacrifice him. He asked his father to tie up his hands so that he would not move and his eyes so that he would not see what was going on. But as the 14 year-old boy lay prostrate on the ground, and was about to be sacrificed by his father, Allah substituted a lamb in place of Ismā‘īl, and praised both Prophet Ibrāhīm and Ismā‘īl for coming out successful in this trial. From that time onwards, Prophet Ismā‘īl, pbuh,

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became known as Ḍhabiḥullāh i.e. the chosen sacrifice of Allah. (Every child born in a Muslim family is introduced to the concept of sacrifice on the seventh day of birth, when two sheep are sacrificed for a boy and one for a girl, in a ceremony called ‘Aqīqah). We as Muslims commemorate this 4,000- year old sacrifice by performing our annual pilgrimage to Makkah. Allah has thus decreed Ḥajj as an institutional arrangement for the past 4,000 years, not only to link us with Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬but also with Prophet Ibrāhīm, pbuh. Here is the translation of the relevant verses of the Qur’an (Q.37:102-111). When he grew up to a sufficient age as to work alongside him, he said: ‘My son, I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you. Now see what do you think?’ He said: ‘O my Father! Do as you are commanded; you will find me, Allah willing, one practising patience and constancy’. So when they both submitted their wills (to Allah) and he put his forehead down; We have called out to him, ‘O Ibrāhīm. You have already believed your dream as true. We thus reward the righteous.’ For this was obviously a trial. And we ransomed him with a great sacrifice; And We left for him (as history) for subsequent generations; Peace and salutations to Ibrāhīm; Thus indeed do We reward the righteous, for he was one of our believing servants. Some Muslims argue that Allah, Who is full of wisdom and mercy, would never command anyone to commit murder which is considered a heinous crime and a major sin in Islam. To support their claim, they say that the verse in the Qur’an does not mention this instruction as waḥy (divine revelation), but only in the form of a dream. It is the Bible which says that God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his ONLY son Isaac by slaughtering him with a knife. (The Bible also contradicts itself when it teaches that Isaac was the ONLY son, while accepting Ismā‘īl as the older son). However, for us Muslims there is no confusion. We believe that it was Ismā‘īl (the elder brother of Isaac) who was about to be slaughtered when Allāh intervened and saved him. When performing Ḥajj, we should consider the following: (1) During Ḥajj, we have to change our garment. This change becomes the example of the greatest solidarity of the Muslim ummah. It must be remembered that it is easy to change our clothes but difficult to change the person within us. We must also change our attitude towards life and become more considerate to our brethren. Ḥajj is that device which gives us an opportunity to mingle with peoples of different views, customs, habits, colours and lifestyles from different lands. Humility through equality is one of the key factors towards such broad thinking. We should admit that we are imperfect human beings inching towards whatever perfection we could achieve. It is possible that our fellow travellers on Earth may be better than us in the eyes of Allah, although we may think that we are better than them but in reality we are not. We should never say that I am better than he, because these are exactly Satan’s words (Q.7:12; 38:76). Ḥajj is an example of a sincere global fellowship in a practical global village such as Makkah. It is an establishment for the Muslim ummah to meet the rest of the co-religionists with different views, customs, languages and ways of life, in a safe and sacred location. An important lesson that we Muslims have not learnt as yet is that although we belong to different schools of thought such as Shāfè‘ī, Ḥanafī, Māliki, Hanbali, Ja‘fari and Ismā‘ili, we still belong to one single university and that is the university of Islam. Islam is a universal religion with a single institution comprising many schools. It is better that we should learn this lesson late than never. The spirit of mingling of scholars from different schools during Ḥajj in Makkah should be put to practical use in our daily national and international interactions. Let us remind each other that neither Prophet Ibrāhīm A.S. nor Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was a Sunni or a Shi‘ah. They were Muslims first and Muslims last. (2) Prophet Ibrahīm saw his father Āzar and his people displeasing Allah, by worshipping idols, sun, stars, etc. He sacrificed his family ties and his father’s home in Babylon to migrate to Syria and Palestine. This was Prophet Ibrahīm’s hijrah in which he had to forsake what was disliked by Allah. Similarly, in our daily lives, we should be ever-prepared to perform spiritual hijrah at a moment’s notice, breaking away from evil thoughts, words and deeds. (3) We should be able to cast away Satan repeatedly, and never to listen to him again, no matter how beautiful and flowery his language might be. This is exemplified by throwing seven stones at each of the three symbolic Satans near Mina which is not too far from Muzdalifah. Satan lies in ambush for those believers who are already on the Straight Path. He says: “I will lie in wait for them on Thy straight path, (Q.7:16). Satan will approach us from right and left, and would swear that he is our sincere adviser (Q.7:21). He will whisper to us with the voice of reason and convince us that we are not wrong, by making wrong seem right to us, or by making harām look halāl to

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us. (Iblīs) said: ‘O God! Because Thou has put me in the wrong, I will make (wrong) seeming fair to them on the Earth. And I will put them all in wrong, (Q.15:39). Even while we are repenting, Satan may console us by saying it was not our fault at all because Allah had already written the incident in our taqdīr. But if we are ignorant, we would listen to Satan and disobey Allah. Allah has warned us in the Holy Qur’an not to be ignorant. Then be not those among the ignorant, (Q.6:35). However, if we use our brains, we can stone Satan to drive him out of our thoughts and lives. It is customary and advisable to recite: A ‘ūdhu billāhi minash shaitānir rajīm, as soon as any evil thought or intention enters our minds, and this alone should motivate us to stone Satan, because this verse means: “I seek refuge in Allah from Satan who should be stoned. The root word of rajeem is rajm which means stoning to death. Satan deserves it. We may have to reject the recurring evil thoughts as many as 21 times, symbolising 7 stones for each of the 3 Satans, because Satan is an enemy of Allah (Q.19:44) as well as an enemy of mankind (Q.12:5); we must fight him today, tomorrow and always. (Some scholars say that rajeem means casting of stones and not stoning to death, since Satan has been given respite by Allah to remain active till the Day of Judgment as mentioned in the Qur’an. Hence, his death is not possible during his term of office in this world until the very end, although all the Jinn do die. However, Satan could be knocked out from our thoughts simulating his temporary death). Admittedly, Satan, our main opponent in the game of religious chess, is very shrewd. He has millions of years of experience in various manoeuvres in eliminating countless Kings and Queens. But that does not mean that we must give up. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬never gave up. We must be steadfast in our resolution to dominate Satan and keep him subdued, for which we need a strong and stable will power. To take an example from Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬who is reported to have said that every human being has Iblīs (Satan) as his alter ego (the other person). The Ṣaḥāba enquired whether he too had an Iblīs. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬replied: Yes, I too, have an Iblīs but I have made my Iblīs a Muslim (i.e. surrender to Allah’s Will). (4) By sacrificing the subjugated animal at Mina, it is as if a Muslim sacrifices the animal instincts within himself. It is always better to sacrifice the animal with one’s own hands. If not, at least to see for oneself the animal that is being slaughtered, so that the scene would be a constant reminder that just as the animal has no alternative but to submit to us, similarly, we should have no alternative but to submit

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َ َ 4

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ُ َ ¹‫ ﻗﻞ ; ﺻﻼ‬Say: َ ?‫ ﻧﺴﻲﻜ َ ﺤﻣﻴﺎ‬ to Allah, in our prayers, our sacrifice, our life, our death. ‫ ﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﺑ‬ ِ ِ ِ ¹‫ ﻣﻤﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ Indeed, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Rabb (Sustainer) of all the worlds.’ (Q.6:162). (5) Allah says in the Holy Qur’an that, It is neither their meat nor their blood that reaches Allah: it is your piety that reaches Him. (Q.22:37). If the blood of the animal does not reach Allah, then what lessons do we learn from sacrificing a sheep or a cow or a camel? The most obvious lesson seems to be a directive for wider interpretation of sacrifice. We must not limit it to meat and blood only. Just as meat is shared with the poor, money, time and comforts must also be shared. Allah does not delight in the flesh or the blood, but Allah will appreciate the symbol of sharing the meat with the poor, with our fellow men, with the hungry. This is the important message. The message is that Allah will accept from us the sacrifice of self, of our time, money and comforts for the benefit of our fellowmen, especially with the poor who make up the majority of mankind. That is sacrifice. Allah requires that we should be willing to sacrifice our will and purpose before Him, and make total surrender to His Will, i.e., accept Al Islām, in all walks of life. Prophet Ibrahīm's willingness to sacrifice his only son at the time was total surrender to Allah's Will, since at such an old age he was left with little hope for another son in future. However, immediate acceptance of Allah’s command showed the profound magnitude of Prophet Ibrahīm’s absolute obedience to Allah as well as his intense faith in Him. It is true that to die as a martyr is the greatest sacrifice, and patterned on that, our love for wealth must be put to death every single day in order that our sacrifice of money should be considered supreme. Although sacrifice is regarded as a religious ritual (Latin sacrificium meaning something made holy), it is usually in the form of a non-verbal offering made to a god or to the One God (Allah) in order to perpetuate a sacred bond between humanity and the Divine. Some offer animals (blood offerings), or fruits, crops, flowers, and wine etc as bloodless offerings. (In Christianity the death of Christ on the cross is considered the perfect sacrifice offered to expiate the sins of humanity, Christ being identified as the sacrificial victim). CHAPTER III: The straight path or As-s irat al mustaqym

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Allah stopped Prophet Ibrāhīm from sacrificing his own son, showing that in Islam, human sacrifice is not allowed. Sacrifice of infants, widows and other human beings, popular in some older religions, is harām or forbidden in Islam. (6) Charity has no boundaries or limitations. No matter how much we give as charity, our resources will never be depleted. Millions of ḥ ujjāj and ḥawwāj use the Zam Zam waters during Ḥajj and also take it home to various parts of the world; still the Zam Zam water flows uninterruptedly, without depleting its source, a symbolic reminder that charity does not deplete our wealth. (Recently, it has been found that Zam Zam water contains calcium and magnesium which prevent fatigue and cramps. Moreover, it is the only water in the world which remains free of algae and many other contaminants). (7) Another lesson from the story of Prophet Ibrāhīm is that we must never lose hope in Allah’s beneficence. It is popularly believed that Prophet Ibrahīm fathered Isma‘īl when he was 86 years old. If we are childless, we must continue to pray to Allah to give us a child. (8) Another lesson is that every member of a Muslim household should identify himself/herself as one of the combined sacrificial team, as was exemplified by Prophet Ibrahīm, Sayyidah Sarah, Sayyidah Hājirah, and Isma‘īl. Sacrifice must not be left to the father or son alone. The mother should also offer sacrifice, as was exemplified by Sayyidah Hājar. When Satan told her what her husband was about to do to their only son, Sayyidah Hājar said that if she had many more sons, she would gladly give them for sacrifice for Allah’s sake. The importance of all the family members sacrificing in the way of Allah as a team, exemplified in the personalities of Prophet Ibrāhīm, Sayyidah Sārah, Sayyidah Hājar and Prophet Ismā‘īl, is for all Muslim families to emulate. Individuals who achieve success and high status in life have to undergo a lot of sacrifice. The families, wherein harmony exists among the members, also pass through times when lots of sacrifices have to be made especially by the parents. It is often easy to become a father or a mother but difficult to become a good parent. Children must do their part of the sacrifice, by being obedient to parents, no matter how great the demand or how difficult the circumstances may be, as long as it is for Allah’s sake. Prophet Ismā‘il willingly agreed to obey whatever his father wished, including the sacrifice of his own life, as it was Allah’s Command. (9) After completing the 30-day training course of the Islamic fast, all successful persons who follow the requirements of the fast, become entitled to celebrate ‘Īd ul Fiṭr or the Minor ‘Īd. But after this celebration, do we throw away to the wind all the good that we have accomplished and achieved by dint of our endeavour? Or do we continue to hold on and improve on them in the two months and ten days preparation period that Allah has given us for further studies and research? Our striving in Ramaḍān, however difficult it may be, is nothing compared to the sacrifice we should be striving for in the second post-graduate examination of Higher Spiritual Achievement. Only then will we qualify to celebrate the ‘Īd ul Aḍ ḥa or ‘Id ul Kabīr, the Major Festival. (10) We must also ask ourselves: As soon as we manage to earn some extra cash, do we make a plan to visit Disneyland, or to go to Makkat al Mukarramah and Madinat ul Munawwarah? If we do go on a pilgrimage, is it with all the serious intentions and commitments, or is it just a picnic, or an occasion to buy gold and jewellery? What is the raison d’être of going to pilgrimage? Do we return home cleansed and purified or with the same old life style? Can we say now that we are back home as an “Ibrahīm” or as an “Isma‘īl” within us? (11) Makkah is also known as Bakka. Bakka is derived from the word yubakki meaning cause to cry or from buka’ meaning crying, weeping (Ibn Kathīr). Bakka means he cried. Prophet Ibrahīm had married Hājar who begat his first son Ismā‘īl. Ibrāhīm then took Hājar and the baby Ismā‘īl to a far-off place and called it Bakka. The act of crying and weeping figures prominantly in the whole narrative: (a) When Prophet Ibrāhīm left his wife and child alone, he was sad and wept. (b) Sayyidah Hājar also cried loudly when her child became thirsty and she could not find any water to quench its thirst. Weeping, she ran frantically between two hills, Safa and Mara, searching for water. (c) Baby Ismā‘īl cried because he was thirsty. (d) Sayyidah Sara, the first wife of Ibrāhīm, cried back home in Palestine, as her husband Prophet Ibrāhīm had left home and had gone to some far off place. Hence Bakka reminds us of an everlasting memory of a series of sad incidents that caused much weeping and wailing, including the ultimate sacrifice on every one’s part. The Pilgrims of Bacca Valley are also mentioned in Pslams 84:5-6: They go through the valley of Baca; there it has a place of springs. (12) The concentric circles of solidarity as observed in the t awāf (circumambulation) round the Ka‘bah move in an anti-clockwise direction. Symbolically it takes us back in time about four thousand years, and

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reminds us about our history so that we might learn a lesson from Prophet Ibrāhīm. The willingness to sacrifice creates the ability and infuses the energy to carry it out. It is interesting to compare the moth with its beautiful colours, an exemplar of sincere love and devotion, which often also flies anti-clockwise around the flame, to embrace it and eventually merge with it with folded wings. It is interesting to note that all planets in the universe except Venus rotate anti-clockwise. Incidentally, Lucifer (English name of Iblīs: Satan, the rebel) is the name for this shining planet Venus when it appears daily as the morning star.

Signifance of ‘Id ul Aḍha

The sacrificial day of ‘Id ul Aḍḥa is also known as ‘Id ul Baqarah in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and in the Middle East, as Eid è Qurbon in Iran, Kurban Bayram in Turkey, Baqarah Eid in India, Pakistan and Trinidad and as Tabaski in Senegal, West Africa. But most of all, it is known the world over as ‘Id ul Kabīr or the Major Festival, as distinguished from the Minor Festival called ‘Id uṣ Ṣaghīr or ‘Īd ul Fitr, celebrated two months and ten days before the Major Festival. ‘Id means a recurring festival. Baqarah ‘Id / Eid is called the Feast of Sacrifice and it is the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage celebrated on the tenth day in the month of Dhil-Ḥajj. On the ninth day of Dhil-Ḥajj, the pilgrims proceed to the plains of Mount ‘Arafāt, outside Makkah and spend their time in worship. This is the core of the ritual of Ḥajj, without which no Ḥajj is said to have been performed. On that evening, the pilgrims proceed from ‘Arafāt to Muzdalifah. Early in the morning of the 10th day of Dhil-Ḥajj, the pilgrims, having offered their prayers at Muzdalifah, proceed to the 3 pillars to cast seven stones at each of the 3 symbolic Shaiṭāns (Satans). The pillars at Mina, which are stoned during the pilgrimage, symbolise the devil's tempting of Prophet Ibrāhim, A.S. to abandon the sacrifice. This ceremony called ramy ur rajam or casting of stones has been performed since the days of Prophet Ibrāhīm, A.S., indicating one should cast away the Satan repeatedly and resolve never to listen to his temptations again. (Rajm means throwing of stones or putting to death by stoning.) Once the rite of stoning is over, the pilgrims return to Mina with a clean slate of mind and heart, and perform the sacrifice of animals. This sacrifice of animals at Mina commemorates the event when Prophet Ibrāhīm, A.S., known also as the Friend of Allah or Khalīlullāh, was about to sacrifice his most beloved treasure, his only son. His son was born to him in old age, after he implored Allah for a very long time to give him a son. This beloved and righteous son named Ismā‘īl was also destined to become a prophet and was known as Dhabiḥullāh or the Chosen Sacrifice of Allāh. While the pilgrims, the hujjāj and the hawwāj, cast the stones at the symbolic Satans at Mina and perform animal sacrifices, they do not offer the ‘Id prayers, while the rest of the Muslim world offers the prayers of ‘Id ul Aḍḥa in their respective countries. To the Muslim, the Ḥajj is a re-affirmation of the faith of Prophet Ibrāhīm whom the Holy Qur’an has called the hanīf par excellence. For those who did not go to Ḥajj this year, the ‘Id al Kabīr is celebrated as a feast, beginning with the congregational prayer of ṣalāt al ‘Id, following which, sacrifices of animals are made and the meat is shared with the poor. (It is mustaḥabb - preferable - to divide the meat of the sacrificed animal between one’s families, relatives and the poor as evidence of social integration). Over scores of years, the act of sacrifice has lost its meaning and has become a mere ritualistic performance among Muslims to slaughter goats, sheep and cows annually and mechanically, without understanding the underlying significance. This is not charity. Charity is not sacrifice and shall remain as charity. Charity is a regular all-time practice of helping the needy and no particular day is fixed for it, while the exercise of sacrifice is an annual ritual to be performed on the prescribed days commencing with ‘Id ul Aḍḥa.

Sacrifice

Sacrifice is usually thought of as slaughter of an animal for an offering to Allah, but looking at it from another angle, sacrifice in its true sense means: giving away something of immense value and importance for the sake of Allah alone. This something could be measurable like wealth and time or could be immeasurable like feelings, opinions, likes and dislikes, pleasures and comforts, family ties or merely our ego.

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For an act to be called a sacrifice it must hurt us and we should feel the pain. Slaughtering an animal hurts the animal, not us. Sacrifice is the giving away of something or someone we love most dearly and cherish wholeheartedly, and hence, the parting is bound to cause severe anxiety and distress. We should accept that whatever we possess belongs to Allah, and by giving it in His way, Allah will return it manifold to us, as He Himself says in the Holy Qur’an:

ْ ُ ْ َ ُ ً َ َ ً َْ َ4 ُ ْ ُ ; ُ 4 َ ۚ ‫ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ْ ُ َ ‫ ﻳﻐﻔﺮ‬ ْ ُ َ ‫ﻳﻀﺎﻋﻔﻪ‬ ٌ ُ َ ‫ ﺑ‬ ٌ َ ‫ﺷﻜﻮ‬ ْ ْ َ َ ‫ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ‫ﺣﻠﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﻳﻘﺮﺿﻮ ﺑ ﻗﺮﺿﺎ ﺣﺴﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ If you loan to Allah a beautiful loan, He will ِ

increase it and will grant you forgiveness, for Allah is most appreciative and most forbearing. (Q.64:17). This means that whatever we sacrifice genuinely and unselfishly, we ourselves shall become the recipients of all the thawāb (accruing merit), forgiveness and the rewards. Indeed, we have to be grateful to Allah for having given us the opportunity to sacrifice. That is not all. We must thank the person who accepts from us whatever we give him. It is paradoxical that the hungry man with hardly a morsel of food would soon sacrifice and share his already meagre meal with another, and that too, with a cheerful countenance, while a rich man waits for the poor to lower his dignity by stretching out his hand. The money is usually given after second thoughts, and out of contempt or disgust. The rich man also considers it his right to rebuke the recipient of his charity and remind him of the money he had given him in times of need. Most rich men offer money to the poor, for some selfish reasons of their own, in return for favours, with hidden motives or strings attached that only they and Allah know. It needs to be realised that it is more difficult to share a plate of food than give away some money! For some, it is easier to sacrifice money and time, than the immeasurable things like pleasures, comforts, opinions, likes and dislikes, family relationship, passion and pride, and our ego. However, our motto in life should conform to the Qur’anic verse, Say: ‘indeed, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Rabb (Sustainer) of all the worlds.’ (Q.6:162). Prophet Ibrāhīm, pbuh, was the paragon of sacrifice in the way of Allah. He was tried and tested in every possible way. Allah tested him through his father, family, his people, and political powers. Only after he patiently bore all these hardships and fulfilled all of Allah’s Commands had Allah made him the leader of mankind. And remember that Ibrāhīm was tried by Allah with certain commands which he fulfilled: He said ‘I will make you an Imām to the nations’. Ibrāhīm pleaded for his offspring too. He pleaded ‘and also (Imāms) from my offspring!’ He (God) answered: ‘But My promise is not within reach of evil-doers’ (Q.2:124). The prayer of Prophet Ibrāhīm was regarding a guide among Ismā‘īl’s children so that they may not turn into evil doers. O God! Send amongst them a messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy signs to them and instruct them in scripture and wisdom and sanctify them: for Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise. (Q.2:129). It is in response to this prayer that Allah sent a superb model of sacrifice in the person of Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. Whatever hardships he faced, whether thorns were laid in his path in Makkah, or stones were thrown at him in Ṭāif, or his teeth were lost in the battle of Uhud, he always bore the problems stoically and left for us the best example of sacrifice. We must remember that only by offering the maximum sacrifice, can we be counted among the Party of Allah. Such sacrifices need heroic efforts. Sacrifice means giving up valuable or desirable objects or objectives, thus surrendering some of our possessions. Sacrifice is associated with some degree of emotional or physical pain. There are two types of sacrifice - (a) Those that are measurable like time, money, worldly possessions, and physical abilities. Time and money are easy to sacrifice, unlike the immeasurable ones, such as (b) ties of love and affection of family; likes and dislikes; preferences and prejudices; views and opinions; desires and aspirations; pleasures and comforts; status and roles; our ego, our secrets, our life. However, we Muslims take a holistic view of our journey on this planet:

َ َ 4 ُْ ِّ َ ‫ﺑ‬4 ¹‫ ﻣﻤﺎ‬ َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ?‫ ﺤﻣﻴﺎ‬ َ َ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻧﺴﻲﻜ‬ ُ ُ َ ¹‫ﺻﻼ‬ ‫ ﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻦﻴ‬ ;ِ ‫ ﻗﻞ‬Qul inna ṣ alāti wa nusukī wa maḥyāya wa mamātī lillāhi ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

Rabbil ‘Ālamīn: Say: Truly, my prayer and my sacrifice, my life and my death are (all) for Allah…. (Q.6:162). As mentioned earlier, the measurable things like time and money are easy to sacrifice, in comparison with the immeasurable ones, such as likes and dislikes for persons, objects and opinions. (1) To sacrifice our love and hatred, we should like what Allah likes and dislike what Allah dislikes, not what we like. (2) Views and opinions are always dear to us. We often think there is only one way to look at things, right or wrong, with our own views being always right. Most of us also think that there are always two sides to every issue: my side and the wrong side. It is in such conflicts that we are required to forego

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some of our views and opinions which may even go against us. In fact we should simply leave the judgment to Allah. Shaikh Sa‘di:

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ChĂŠ daanand mardom kĂŠ dar jaamĂŠ keest: nevesandĂŠ daanad kĂŠ dar naamĂŠ cheest: How can people know who is in the garment? Only the Writer knows what is in the document. It is easy for us to change our clothes but difficult to change what we actually are. (3) Ego: Sometimes our ego, our self-esteem, and the love of our own selves or narcissism lead to a show of contempt for others. (Narcissism or the love of the self is derived from the name of a Greek boy Narkissos who fell in love with his own reflection in water. Narcissus is also the name of a flower, which is called nargis in Persian and Urdu.) Therefore, our ego needs to be sacrificed. A philosopher once said: Whenever I climb, I am followed by a dog called Ego. This allegory is apt as to be humanised and our ŮŽ

Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ Ů?ﺤﺗﺎ‏ ego must be tamed like a dog. ‍ﺳﺒ‏ ‍ďť?ďť”ďş´ďťœ ﺒ‏F ‍ﺣﺎﺳﺒ‏ á¸¤Ä sibĹŤ anfusakum qabla an tuá¸ĽÄ sabĹŤ, Ů? ŮŽ

Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů? Ů?Ů’ Ů’Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ‍ďť?ďť”ďş´ďťœ ْﺒ‏F ‍ﺣﺎﺳﺒ‏ meaning: Take an account of yourselves before you judge others, but ‍ﺤﺗﺎﺳﺒ‏ Ů? Ů? á¸¤Ä sibĹŤ

anfusakum qabla an tuá¸ĽÄ sibĹŤ, meaning: Take an account of yourselves before an account is taken of you all. Whenever we point an accusing finger at someone, we are unknowingly pointing at least three of our own accusing fingers at ourselves. (4) Love and family ties: Love of the family demands obedience to parents, to the ways of the forefathers and the customs of the society. Without such order in the society, a man is expected to live in chaos, but if such love and ties contravene obedience to Allah then they should be sacrificed. (5) Similarly, at times we have to sacrifice pleasures and comforts; status and ranks; feelings and emotions. While thinking of sacrifice, we should be alert and keep an eternal watch for opportunities as they arrive to assist our sacrifice and not bypass them. Sometimes we have to look out for them. Such opportunities for assistance come in our daily lives at home, at work, in society or during travel. Here the Urdu poet explains:

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Tadbeer sĂŠ bigree huwee taqdeer banaalĂŠ; apnĂŠ par bharosa hĂŠ to yĂŠ dau lagaa lĂŠ: Kya khaak wo jeena hĂŠ jo apnĂŠ hee liyĂŠ ho; khud mit kar kisee aur ko mitnĂŠ sĂŠ bachaalĂŠ. Plan something positive in what went wrong; if you have confidence in yourself, then march forward: what use is a life which is selfish; one might undergo a lot of hardship in order to save someone else from calamity. Occasionally, a friendship is so genuine that indeed, man has no greater love than to lay down his life for a friend, or in the case of the mother for her child. If a man is indeed a real friend, he would even give up his life for the friend who has found himself in difficulty as depicted in this poem by Shaikh Sa‘di:

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Chenin khondam kè dar daryaa è a‘zam; bè girdaabi dar oftaadand baa ham; Cho mallaah aamadash taa dast geerad; mabaada kandaroon haalat bè meerad; Hamee goft az miyaani mavjo tashweer, maraa begzaaro daste yaarè man geer. Thus I read, that in the vast ocean, two persons fell together into a whirlpool; when the sailor came to hold on to man’s hand, lest he may die in that condition, he said amidst the waves and the tumult: “Leave me alone and hold the hand of my friendâ€?. This Urdu couplet also conveys a similar philosophy of sacrifice:

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Murdah hè woh jo khud ki liyè jeetaa hè, zindah hè woh jo auron ki liyè martaa hè. Dead is that person who lives only for himself; alive is that one who dies for others. Experiments involving brain scans of persons with a sacrificial and charitable personality showed increased activity in the posterior superior temporal sulcus and strongly predicted a person's likelihood for altruistic behaviour.

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Major ‘id and minor ‘id

To explain the difference between the Baqarah ‘Id called the Major ‘Id, and ‘Id ul Fiṭr called the Minor ‘Id, our thoughts go back to the month of Ramaḍ ān. In this month of Ramaḍ ān, we fast regularly and abide by all the rules including abstinence from food, drink and sex from dawn to dusk. During this period, we also abstain from evil thoughts and actions, and keep away our tongue, eyes, ears and hands and all the other organs of the body, which Allah has given us as trust, from abuses. Through such an exercise, we also prepare and fortify ourselves for further trials lying ahead of us. The month of fasting is not sacrifice. It is compulsory, and only a training period commanded by Allah. Just as National or Military service is compulsory in most countries of the world, the spiritual service of Ramaḍ ān is compulsory in Islam, for full one month once a year. The ultimate result is the emergence of a well-organised Muslim community, wherein each member becomes a more spiritually and morally elevated individual, equipped better than before to act and live according to the Divine Code laid down in the Holy Qur’an. This is part one of our Examination, and some of us who pass with high marks, or with honours, become entitled to celebrate the ‘Id ul Fiṭr. Some of us who do not fast the full 30 days, and fail in the test, can easily make up the grades, by fasting for the number of lost days in the following weeks, so as to reap the spiritual harvest of fasting. Now, fully equipped and re-enforced with a fortified and stronger personality after the Ramaḍ ān exercise, we are better qualified to take on the role as vicegerents of Allah, one of the purposes for which He has created mankind. We now enter the vast arena of sacrifice with challenges from every direction. We now have to strive much harder than what we did in the holy month of Ramaḍ ān. Our striving in Ramaḍ ān, however difficult it was, is nothing compared to the sacrifice we should be striving for in part two of the exam, which is the post-graduate Examination of Higher Spiritual Achievement. Only then we would be actually qualified to celebrate the ‘Id of Sacrifice. Just a few words about part two of the Examination or the post-graduate: Allah gives us two months and ten days to prepare for it. This exercise is not compulsory, but is voluntary. Allah wants to test us and see whether we will continue to hold on to the good qualities we have achieved because of the rigorous fasting exercise during Ramaḍ ān, or if we would throw them to the wind now that Ramaḍ ān is over. Do we still continue to excel in our everyday life, without taking a single retrograde step while climbing the ladder of spiritual heights? Allah gives us two months and ten days to learn to sacrifice, and appoints a day called Baqarah ‘Id or the Feast of Sacrifice, wherein the results of the Examination would be declared. Let us ask ourselves on this day of ‘Id ul Kabīr what and how much has each one of us sacrificed in the past two months and ten days? How much of our time, money, and comforts have we sacrificed for the sake of our fellow men? Herein lies the significance of the Feast of Sacrifice. Have we passed this examination at all, so that we could actually celebrate the Major ‘Id, or have we failed? On the day of ‘Īd ul Aḍḥa those candidates who have already passed the part one examination of ‘Id ul Fiṭr will be successful. Now, they have to improve on their performance in the period of two months and ten days following the first exam, with whatever qualities of taqwā and will power they have achieved due to the rigorous fasting exercise in the month of Ramaḍ ān. Besides this, high marks with distinction will go to those who have learnt the art of sacrificing during the period and have actually accomplished the various sacrifices. It is very easy to sacrifice a sheep or a cow, of which the flesh and blood do not reach Allah anyway. It is also not difficult to sacrifice time and money, all for the sake of Allah. It is more difficult to sacrifice pleasures and comforts, professional status, pride and ego, and family ties. Such sacrificial acts are the real qurbāni or sacrifice, (qurbāni is derived from the root word qurb meaning nearness) which brings the person near to Allah. The results of the Second Examination will be declared on ‘Īd ul Aḍḥa, and some of us may pass the exam with honours, as was the case with Prophet Ibrāhīm, Sayyidah Sarah, Sayyidah Hājar, and Prophet Ismā‘īl. Just to remind ourselves that ‘Īd of Sacrifice also marks the receipt of the last revelation to the last prophet, Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, recorded in the last and final Testament (called the Holy Qur’an, the Old Testament being the Taurāt, and the New Testament being the Injīl) during his last sermon on mount ‘Arafāt on Friday 9th of Dhil Ḥajj after the tenth year ofَ Hijrah, when Allah َ revealed His last and

ً َ َ ْ ْ ‫ﻟﻜﻢ‬ َ ْ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ‬ َ ْ َ ْ This day, I have ُ َ َ ‫ﻧﻌﻤﻲﺘ‬ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ‫ﻳﻤﻤﺖ‬F ُ ْ َ ْ َ ‫ ﻳﻨﻜﻢ‬ ْ ُ َ ‫ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ْ ُ َ ‫ﻛﻤﻠﺖ‬F ُ ْ َ ْ ‫ﻮ‬ ُ ُ َ ‫ ﺿﻴﺖ‬ final gift to mankind: ‫ ﻹﺳﻼ ِ ﻳﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

perfected your religion for you and completed My favours upon you, and have chosen for you as religion Al-Islam. (Q.5:3).

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II. The second level of as ᚣirÄ áš­ al mustaqÄŤm: ImÄ n (mu’mins)

The five solid principles of practice based on the articles of faith known as the pillars of Islam (shahÄ dah, salÄ t, zakÄ t, siyÄ m, Ḥajj) only prepare us to become better Muslims strengthened with ÄŤmÄ n (firmly-bonded faith). The seven branches of ÄŤmÄ n (also known as the seven pillars of faith) are attested to as follows:

Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ â€Ťďť§ďťŒﺪ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;‏ â€ŤďťŒďşšâ€Ź ‍ ﺧﺎ‏ ‍ ”‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďşłďť ďťŞâ€Ź Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺪ ﺧﺎ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ÂŽďş˜ďş’‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďş‹ďťœďş˜‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů?‍ﺖ Ů?ﺑﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ﺎﺡ Ů? Ů? ďťłďťŒďşŽďť°ďť&#x; ‏ Ů? Ů?

Ä€mantu billÄ hi wa malÄ ážżikatihÄŤ wa kutubihÄŤ wa rusulih, wal yaumil Ä khiri wal qadri khyrihÄŤ wa sharrihÄŤ minallÄ hi ta â€˜Ä lÄ wal ba‘thi ba‘dal maut: meaning: I have firm faith in (1) Allah; (2) His Angels; (3) His Books; (4) His Messengers; (5) The Last Day; (6) Destiny; (7) Life after Death. Some Muslims believe in six of the above while others believe in all the seven just mentioned. A single thread runs through the pearls of the five pillars of Islam continuing into the seven articles of faith (shu‘abal ÄŤmÄ n, i.e. branches of ÄŤmÄ n). We need to be reminded once again that minor differences should not pose a problem between the SunnÄŤs, the ShÄŤâ€˜ahs and other Muslim sects, because we are all believers and believers are brothers of one family. Together we are 2 billion people with 2000 million hearts in one body. These differences are being used by the West to divide us more and more. However, if we wish to be a strong force and a super-power, we should bear in mind that diversity of opinion is a blessing while disunity is a curse.

: 6ÂŽ -= W X j -= ÂĽZ Y

: Vt >D= 2 - T 6 U 2 2 U U P

Baa har kasee bĂŠ maz habĂŠ wy baayad ettefaaq, shartast yaa mowaafĂŠqatĂŠ jam‘ yaa feraaq. (Shaikh Sa‘di). With everyone, it is imperative to harmonise about his religion. This undertaking will either lead to a favourable agreement among the group or separation. All religions are good, be it Islam, Christianity or Hinduism because they all lead to the One God eventually. Though Islam is the shortest direct route to Allah, Christianity also leads to the One God through Jesus Christ, and Hinduism also leads to the One God through smaller gods. Trillions of human beings came to this world and left and not a single human being was nor is exactly like another in anatomy, physiology, hormones or neurotransmitters. Surprisingly, these complexities and diversities are due to the permutations and combinations of only 20,000 to 25,000 genes in the 46 chromosomes present in the trillions of men. Genes and environment influence the outcome of a person's character, health and abilities. These produce differences which are, according to the Qur’an, a blessing. However, there is much merit in using the differences to the best advantage. It is mentioned in the Last Will of Haá¸?rat ‘Ali, R.A., made for his sons before his death, that he heard their grandfather, Prophet MuḼammad‍‏, say: Reconciliation of your differences is more worthy than all your prayers and fasting. It is easy to be a Muslim, because it literally means submission of one’s will to Allah, but it is difficult to become a Mu’min. A ḤadÄŤth speaks of three categories of the Faithful: (i) The Muslim who conforms to the 5 pillars of practising Islam, (and who stands in the bottom level of ᚢ irÄ áš­ al MustaqÄŤm); (ii) The Mu’min, who has staunch and firm conviction in faith and who adheres with all sincerity to the seven branches of ÄŤmÄ n (shu‘abal ÄŤmÄ n) and does good deeds (whom I have grouped in the second level of ᚢ i rÄ áš­ al MustaqÄŤm); (iii) The MuḼ sin (virtuous) who worships and adorns Allah as if he sees Him, for even if one sees Him not, He sees the one. (ḤadÄŤth: FatḼ Al-BÄ ri). A ḤadÄŤth reporting the words of JibrÄ â€™ÄŤl states: IḼsÄ n is that you worship Allah as though you see Him and if you cannot know for certain, that He sees you. (I have grouped the MuḼ sin in the third level). Some of us are Muslims by birth, some by name, and some by conversion or reversion. Among these some or all may be practising Muslims. Just by being a Muslim, we are not doing a favour to Allah. We are in fact doing a favour only to ourselves (Q.49:17). Adhering to the five pillars of Islam or doing whatever else we do, we do everything to profit ourselves. (1) If we offer the shahÄ dah, we offer it for our own sake. (2) If we pray 5 times a day, we pray for our own salvation. (3) If we give the 2.5% zakÄ t, we purify our own selves as well as the balance of our otherwise unclean money. (4) If we fast, we do it to improve our own health. (5) If we go to Ḥajj, we do it for our own selves. So, by performing the 5 pillars of Islam, we do mainly everything for our selfish selves and our contribution to the Muslim ummah remains insignificant. In fact, by being a good Muslim, we enter only

CHAPTER III: The straight path or As-s irat al mustaqym

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the lower class-room which is a stepping stone to a higher second stage of ÄŤmÄ n. However, by adhering to the seven branches of ÄŤmÄ n, we become Mu’mins in the second rung of the ladder, as then we render service to our fellow-men and become the best of men raised up for mankind (Q.3:110).

ÄŞmÄ n or faith: Sincerity of faith (ÄŤmÄ n) meaning firm conviction in one’s heart of hearts in Allah, His

Messengers and their messages, comprises all these three: (a) Holding fast in the mind the seven shu‘ab (branches). Such faith is called i‘tiqÄ dunn bil qalb (belief with the heart). A half-hearted acceptance does not fall in this category. Our certainty of faith should be firmly embedded in the heart and mind, unflinching, irrefutable, uncompromising, and unshakable by any argument; (b) Testifying with the tongue (shahÄ dah bil lisÄ n); (c) Implementing the seven pillars, ‘amal bil arkÄ n also called ‘amal bish shu‘ab. When a Muslim actually leads a morally useful life and offers service to others, then he is classified as a Mu’min. By setting out a parable (Q.14:24-25) the Qur’an likens ÄŤmÄ n or faith to a fruit-bearing tree with its roots deeply embedded, its branches spreading out, and bearing fruit in all seasons. It is not something without roots, or something that may be blown away in storms. It yields fruit, shade and refuge in all seasons. But it needs support and nutrition which is provided by good deeds. True belief and bonded faith in Allah does not come with the mere verbal profession of Islam but develops gradually with the successful mastery of the trials of life, coming in stages over a period of time as a result of passing a battery of tests. It is in times of enormous difficulties and insurmountable problems that our faith is put to the test. People with weak faith may change their religion but not those of us with firm faith which is strongly bonded and ingrained in the heart.

ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽŮ’Ů? 4ŮŽ Ů? Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽŮ’Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏ â€Ťďť“ďť”ďş˜‏ ‍  ‏ ‍ ďť“ďť˜ďť&#x;‏F ‍ ďť“ﺎďş˜ÂŽ‏F ‍ﺣﺴďş? ďş ďşŽâ€ŹF Ů? AḼasiban nÄ su an yutraku an yaqĹŤlĹŤ Ä mannÄ wa hum lÄ

yuftanĹŤn: Do men imagine that they will be left alone when they say ‘we believe’ and not be tested? (Q.29:2). ÄŞmÄ n (i.e. faith, which is much more affirmative and confirmatory than simple ‘belief’) implies a threefold bond of internal conviction, verbal attestation and consequent implementation. Some who say ‘they believe’, tell them they don’t believe; they only submit to Allah because true and a firm belief called faith (ÄŤmÄ n) has not yet entered their hearts (meaning that they are Muslims but not Mu’mins as yet) (Q.49:14). They think that they are fooling Allah but they are fooling themselves (Q.2:9). Although no person could become a believer unless Allah wills, not even through coercion by Prophet MuḼammad‍( ‏Q.10:99), we must hold on to firm belief with indisputable and irrefutable conviction called ÄŤmÄ n or faith so that doubt would not creep in our minds (Q.10:100). Faith carries much more weight than belief. Faith enters the heart of anyone who believes in Allah in all sincerity and in all surety, and also with absolute certainty in the Last Day. Such persons like some of us from the Muslim ummah are strengthened by a rōḼ from Allah, and qualify to enter Allah’s party (Q.58:22) whose members will triumph (Q.5:56). They are not worried since Allah is the Protector of Mu’mins. (Q.2:257). If we go on believing and rejecting faith (ÄŤmÄ n) again and again, Allah will neither forgive us nor guide us on the Way (Q.4:137). Hence, we are advised to pray to Allah not to allow our hearts to deviate after He has guided us: ŮŽ

ŮŽ 4 Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ 4ŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺖ‏F ŮŽ Ů’ ‍;‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů? Űš ‍ﺗﺰ ďť—ďť ďťŽďş‘ﺎ ďťŒﺪ Ů?; ﺪďş˜ﺎ ďş? ďş ďşŽ Ů? ďťš ﺣﺔ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş‘ﺎ ‏

RabbanÄ lÄ tuzigh qulĹŤbanÄ ba‘da idh hadytanÄ wa hab lanÄ min ladunka raḼmah innaka antal WahhÄ b: O Allah! Let not our hearts deviate now after Thou hast guided us, but grant us mercy from Thine own presence; for Thou art the Grantor of bounties without measure. (Q.3:8). Only those committed believers are designated as the faithful Mu’mins who obey Allah and His Messenger (Q.24:62; 4:59; 8:20) and the faithful believers are indeed brothers (Q.49:10). As Mu’mins, we are advised to be Allah’s helpers (Q.61:14). If we help Allah, He will help us and make our foothold firm. (Q.47:7). Again, Whoever has strong faith in Allah has grasped the most Firm Handle. (Q.2:256). Our faith in Allah will not be wasted (Q.2:143). Allah is the Protector and Friend of the faithful (Q.47:11) and promises to save them (Q.10:103) and they will be safe and serene on the Day of Resurrection (Q.41:40). If we are true believers and classified as the faithful, we are warned not to repeat things which we think are trivial but which are serious in the sight of Allah (Q.24:15-17). The special quality of a Mu’min is righteousness and piety (taqwÄ ). In Q. 2:177 Allah links true belief called ÄŤmÄ n or faith in Him to the following requirements: (a) Belief in Allah, the Hereafter, the Angels, the Revealed Books, and the Messengers.

176

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

(b) Spending out of our wealth for the love of Allah, towards our relatives; the orphans; the needy (miskīn) who never ask. (Miskīn is a person who does not have sufficient resources but does not ask. Thus people are unaware of his needs and therefore, they don’t give him financial assistance. We should not be asking Allah to show us who and where the masākīn are but we should take the initiative and search for them, and then ask Allah to help us find them and guide us to their homes. Whenever we find one such person, we should immediately grab the opportunity and thank Allah for having guided us towards performing such a noble deed); the wayfarer who is entitled to hospitality; the beggar who asks; and for the ransom of slaves. There are different types of slavery and victims of circumstances, viz. political, social, industrial, intellectual; slavery to drugs, drug lords, wealth, passion, etc. (c) Being steadfast in prayer. (d) Disbursing zakāt regularly. (e) Fulfilling our promises. (f) Being patient in adversity and pain, and in all periods of panic. It is a note-worthy observation that Q.2:177 incorporates faith in Allah (īmān) with service to mankind. Another important observation is that zakāt is mentioned in this verse separately, and clearly should be given in addition to other areas of charity (wa ātal māla ‘alā hubbihī) to be disbursed for the love of Allah. Īmān signifies firm and indisputable conviction beyond any shadow of doubt. Mere lip service of īmān is not enough (Q.29:2-3). Īmān should emanate from every fibre in the deepest layers of our heart. It can only be verified by matching our words with actions. Īmān is tested in the real turmoil of life with frequent trials leading to experiences and lessons obtained. Much pain and sorrow may follow and selfsacrifice may be necessary. Belief or knowledge of the Qur’an alone does not entitle one to Paradise. It has to be accompanied by the performance of good deeds. Faith in Allah goes hand in hand with the actual performance of good deeds in at least 54 verses of the Holy Qur’an (Āmanū wa ‘ami lus sālihāt, Q.4:122 and others). In Q.4:149, Allah says that He will blot out our sins if we do a good deed openly or secretly, or even pardon an evil done by us. Allah listens to those who truly believe and do righteous deeds (Q.42:26). It is not enough to do things right; we must do the right things. Evil only prospers when good men do nothing. As a khalīfah (vicegerent) on Earth, appointed by Allah, we should be setting many wrong things right. Khalīfah means a vicegerent appointed by Allah to exercise certain delegated duties only on planet Earth (fil arḍi khalīfah, Q.2:30). It is easy to become a Muslim because the only thing we have to do is to believe in Allah, One and Only, and resign ourselves to His Will. But it is rather difficult to be a Mu’min, a true and firm believer, since such a higher status of belief should be accompanied by righteous deeds, which we are not accustomed to. What we are is a gift from Allah, but what we become, depends upon our efforts to please Him. Referring to all mankind (not only Muslims but also other believers and also non-believers) Allah says in Q.16:97: Whoever does a righteous deed, male or female, has true belief with firm faith, to him will We give a new life and life that is good and pure, and We will bestow on such their reward according to the best of their actions. Such persons become Allah’s khalīfas (plural: khulafā: vicegerents) on Earth (Q.24:55). Before we even think of becoming eligible to go up one rung of the ladder to join the Mu’minīn and the Mu’mināt in the second level (please see chart on page no. 119) let us pause for one moment and ask ourselves: do we qualify to be good Muslims of the pre-Muḥ ammad era or better Muslims of the post-Muḥ ammad era? Have we followed diligently the 5 pillars of Islam? We could offer hundred and one excuses to explain why we pray only twice a day or fast occasionally. But there is no need to make any excuses. If we have fallen short of any of the compulsory duties of the 5 pillars, we have simply failed our tests. We still remain as Muslims, wherever and whoever we are, but we are a long way from Allah’s attributes, and occupy a low position on Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm. However, if we have satisfactorily and successfully completed the requirements of the 5 fundamentals or pillars of Islam, we can now ascend one step higher up the ladder of Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm to become Mu’minīn, and can stand at the second level. A whole chapter of the Qur’an is called Surat AlMu’minūn. What is the cardinal feature of a Mu’min? It is service to our fellow-men for which, by this time, we have learnt to make sacrifices. To care and share, give and forgive are commendable spiritual assets of a Mu’min. It is no longer lip service to whatever we believe in. Man’s self must be expressed in good conduct and exhibited as service to mankind. We should ask ourselves whether what we are doing is for

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Allah's Pleasure or otherwise. The faithful (Mu’minčn) are not those who only say with their lips We believe. They are those who pray regularly and spend from the bounty given to them. Who establish regular prayers and spend out of that which We have bestowed on them for sustenance, (Q.8:3). For us to qualify for a double mercy from Allah, we must show firm faith in Allah and have firm conviction in His Messenger, Oh ye faithful! Be conscious of Allah and have firm faith in His Messenger; He will bestow on you two portions of His Mercy and will provide for you the Divine Light wherewith you will walk and He will forgive you, and Allah is Forgiving, Most Merciful. (Q.57:28).

ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů’

III. The third level of as ᚣirÄ áš­ al mustaqÄŤm: iḼsÄ n (muḼsins) ‍ ﺣﺴﺎ‏

To go up one more rung on the ladder of ᚢirÄ áš­ al MustaqÄŤm, we must do even better than the Mu’minÄŤn

Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ

in the second level and be grouped among the MuḼsinÄŤn. The word muḼsin is related to ‍ ﺣﺴﺎ‏hasanann;

Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů? Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ﺣﺴﺔ‏ hasanatann; ‍ ﺣﺴﺎ‏husnann: all meaning to become excellent. ‍ ;ﺣﺴﺎ‏IḼsÄ n means conferring

favours and performing an action in a perfect, excellent and beautiful manner much better both in quality and quantity than any act of goodness or kindness received. It is also a term used in the aá¸ĽÄ dith for the sincere worship of Allah. IhsÄ n has no equivalent in English and means to be excellent in generosity, tolerance, forgiveness, compassion, selflessness, etc. AḼsan is a comparative word used for emphasis, meaning much more of goodness, generosity, compassion, excellence, etc. Here’s a Persian poem:

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Shaneedam kè mardaanè raahè Khudaa, Delè dushmanon raa nakardand tang; Toraa ky muyassar shawad in maqaam; kè baa doostaanat khilaafas tĂł jang. I heard that those who walk in the path of God, have never hurt the feelings of even their enemies. How can you who oppose and fight your friends ever achieve the high status? Allah, to Whom Most Beautiful Names belong (Q.7:180) created man in a better (aḼsan) mould (Q.95:4) and then dyed him in His own hue. And who has a better dye than Allah’s? (Q.2:138). He made the Earth to glitter (Q.18:7) and also created death and life that He may try which one of us is better (aḼsan) in deed (Q.67:2; 11:7). For this purpose, He revealed the best (aḼsan) ḤadÄŤth in the form of a Book (Q.39:23), i.e. the Qur’an, in which Allah has commanded us to do iḼsÄ n, i.e. excellent deeds (Q.16:90; 11:7). He gave us certain instructions, viz: (1) Return a greeting (AssalÄ mu ‘Alaikum) offered to you with a similar one or one which is better (aḼsan) (Q. 4:86) such as wa ‘Alaikumus salÄ m wa RahmatullÄ hi wa BarakÄ tuhu. Whenever a person greets another with SalÄ mon 'Alykom, mutual confidence permeates the air and safety and security is assured from both sides. (2) Repel evil with such good which is better (aḼsan) (Q. 23:96); good deeds (hasanÄ t) will remove evil deeds (Q.11:114). Shaikh Sa‘di combines Persian with Arabic in this line:

6Y2 (2 - f w w

yœ í gh † œ A

Badee raa badee sahl baashad jazaa: Agar mardee ah san elaa maa asaa. It is easy to return evil for evil; but if you are a courageous man, to all those who wronged you. ŮŽ ŮŽ do good ŮŽ

Ů’ Ů?

Ů?Ů’

Ů’ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’

Ů’ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’

Ů’

(3) Ű– ‍ďť?ďť”ďş´ďťœ‏ Ů? Ů? â€ŤďşŁďş´ďť¨ďş˜‏F â€ŤďşŁďş´ďť¨ďş˜‏F ;Ů? If you did good (aḼsantum), you did good for yourselves (Q.17:7). We will be rewarded as to the best of our actions (Q.16:97). To those who do right, there is a better reward plus extras (Q.10:26).

ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ

ŮŽ ŮŽ

ٰ َ (4) Allah ordered to serve none but Him, and be much more and abundantly kind to parents: ‍  ﺑ‏ َ

Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů? 4 4 Ů?Ů?Ů’ŮŽ 4 Űš ‍;ﺣﺴﺎﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ﺑﺎďť&#x; ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍  ďťłďťŒďş’ﺪ Ů?;ďťť Ů?;ﺎ‏Wa qaá¸?Ä Rabbuka allÄ ta‘budu illÄ iyyÄ hu wa bil wÄ lidyni iḼsÄ nann

(Q.17:23). In this verse, doing good and being kind to parents follows immediately after worshipping Allah; these two are combined in this important lesson. A kind word to parents is considered as iḼsÄ n. (ḤadÄŤth). (5) The sequence and order of preference of doing iḼsÄ n are: After Allah, parents come next: Worship Allah and join not any partners with Him and do much good (iḼsÄ nann) to parents, relatives, orphans, needy, neighbours who are near as well as those not so near; the fellow traveller, the wayfarer and what your right hands possess. (Q.4:36). Ů’

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178

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Ů? ŮŽ %‍ ďť&#x;ďť”ﺤﺸﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœﺎ‏ Ů° ŮŽŮŽ Ů° Ů’ Űš ‍ ďť›ďť?‏ ‍‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ﺣﺴﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ďťŒﺪ‏ Ů? ‍Ů?; ďş‘ ďťłďş„ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů? ? ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺎ ‏%‍ Â€ďťłďş˜ďşŽâ€Ź Ů?

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

َ 4 َ​َ ْ ُ 4َ​َ ْ ُ ُ َ ‫ﻟﻌﻠﻜﻢ ﺗﺬﻛ ُﺮ‬ ‫ﻳﻌﻈﻜﻢ‬ ِ

Innaḷḷāha ya’muru bil ‘adli wal iḥsāni wa ītā idhil qurbā wa yanhā ‘anil faḥ shā i wal munkari wal baghy, ya ‘iẓukum la ‘allakum tadhakkarūn: Allah commands justice, the doing of more good (iḥsān) and giving to kith and kin and He forbids all shameful deeds and injustice and rebellion. (Q.16:90). (This verse is usually recited at the end of the Khuṭbah of Friday prayers). (7) A beautiful loan (h asanann) to Allah will be increased with a multiple increase for him (Q.2:245). Do much good (aḥsan) just as Allah has been much good to you (Q.28:77). (8) If anyone earns a good deed (hasanah), Allah gives him increase of goodness (ḥusna) in respect of it (Q.42:23). (9) And with Him is the best (husn) of rewards (Q.3:195). (10) If we want Allah to love us, we must be counted among the Muḥsins (Q.2:195; 3:134; 3:148; 5:93). If we did strive and became Muḥsins, then Allah will reward us with: (a) power and knowledge (Q.12:22), (b) peace and salutations (Q. 37:109-110), (c) an Eternal Home of Gardens (Q.5:85), where we can eat and drink to our heart’s content (Q.77:43-44). (11) Allah gives good news to the doers of good deeds (Muḥsinīn) (Q.46:12) and tells them that they shall have all that they wish for in the presence of Allah, such being the reward of those who do much good (Muḥsinīn) (Q.39:34). (12) A Muslim who is a Muḥsin has nothing to fear, as his reward is from Allah (Q.2:112). Is there any reward for excellence other than excellence? (Q.55:60). Whenever undesirable thoughts creep into our minds, we must re-assure ourselves that we have the free will to choose our own behaviour and attitude in that situation. Instead of indifference, we can show care; instead of hatred, we can show love; instead of anger, we can show compassion. This would show our goodwill and guarantee the desired outcome of contentment and peace, and a better Earth for all of us to live. Moreover, this will also be considered as iḥsān. On this third rung of the ladder on the Straight Path, Allah asks the question and gives us the answer in Q. 90:12-17: And what will explain to you this uphill task, this steep ascent? It is to free the bondsman (the slave) or the giving of food in a day of privation to the orphan with claims of relationship or to the indigent down in the dust; then they will be of those who have faith with firm and irrevocable conviction, and enjoin patience and enjoin deeds of kindness and compassion. There are different types of slavery: political, social, industrial. We may be a slave to our own wealth, to our own passions, to power, to drugs and drug-lords, etc. We must liberate ourselves and our men and women from all kinds of slavery, and from all kinds of exploitation. Only when we have done this will we be counted among those who have firm faith with irrevocable conviction, meaning that faith is not only on our tongues but it has entered and is firmly embedded in the deepest layers of our hearts. By liberating ourselves and our men and women from all kinds of slavery and exploitation, we would be able to transform our Muslim ummah into a most progressive one. And if we have done this, we are then ready to climb on the fourth rung of the ladder.

ٌ َْ IV. The fourth level of ṣirāt al mustaqīm: Īthār ‫ ﻓﺜﺎ‬

Derived from the word āthara meaning to prefer, īthār is the quality of giving preference to the needs of others even in times of adversity (Q. 59:9) and is thus the quality one must develop to enter the fourth stage, which is more difficult than the preceding three stages. A person aspiring to the level of īthār is on a much higher spiritual plane than most of us. He places the needs of others above his own. The quality of īthar which is identified in such persons is highly praised in the Qur’an (Q.59:9). Those possessing īthar give preference to others over themselves in spite of their own poverty, as exemplified by the Anṣār (The Helpers) of Madīnah. Such people achieve success and prosperity. The best charity is that which is given when the person himself is in need and is struggling. (Ḥadīth: Abu Dāwūd). In the same manner, if we have a good shirt and a torn shirt, we give the beggar the good shirt and keep the torn shirt for ourselves, although this is something that is hardly ever done in real life. We have heard the story of the man whose briefcase was stolen. He then drew the thief’s attention to his wallet which contained all the money! Thinking of others and wishing them well at this stage, means also wishing our enemies well. We must make a good du‘a or supplication for them. This might be rather difficult for at times some of us wish evil (Q.17:11) even for our friends and relatives who have done us much good. Therefore, wishing good to come to our enemies is even more difficult. It is easier to give in to such random thoughts such

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as “Let their house burn down; let their children be kidnapped; let them die in a car accident or be crippled for life”. We forget that they believe in the same Allah that we do and they may be far better than us in His sight (Q.49:11), and hence, their counter du‘as may be granted sooner than our evil wishes. Indeed, wishing disasters on others is expected to recoil and backfire on us instead (Q.9:98). Do unto others as you have them done unto you is a saying that comes to the acid test whenever the situation is reversed. So, we see now how difficult it is to be on the fourth rung of the ladder on the Straight Path, because we have to wish well, not only for our friends, but also for our enemies. After having done that, we are now ready to climb higher on this Straight Path leading to Allah and this involves still greater sacrifices. Whenever we find ourselves in distressful situations, we must bear in mind that there are others in worse circumstances than us to whom we should direct our relief efforts, especially in those areas where the problem is due to man’s inhumanity to man. Because of the deep concern about the welfare of others, we may even sacrifice our own quota for others, foregoing our own needs. A joy shared means a joy doubled, while a problem shared means a problem halved. Our motto should be: Allah above others and others above self. Here the word “altruism” comes to mind. It is derived from the French altruisme, meaning for others and denotes the regard for the needs and welfare of others. The French expression Vivre pour autrui means to live for the sake of others. It is the very antithesis of egoism (self-interest and selfishness). The humble bee, from which mankind has not yet learnt a lesson, is the ultimate example of altruism. This is in spite of Allah having included a chapter called The Bee (Al-Naḥl) in the Holy Qur’an. The Bee: It is the female worker bees (which do not reproduce) that collect nectar from far away places, and look after the colony comprising the queen, the worker bees and the drones. The worker bees feed them, communicate with them, look after their welfare and show the other bees the direction where the nectar is by a dancing technique. Bees also leave chemical clues in the form of scent trails outside the hive to mark the food source and the route to it. The queen bee only lays eggs, which when fertilised by a male bee called a drone, reproduces more queen bees and worker bees that are always females, which do not reproduce. The drone dies soon after mating with the queen. The queen also lays unfertilised eggs and by this process of asexual reproduction (called parthenogenesis) reproduces drones. Drones do not sting and cannot feed themselves. They are fed by the female worker bees. The only function of the drone is to mate with the queen and die soon after. It is an amazing phenomenon that the worker bees who are all females devote themselves wholly to the welfare of others during their life time, without any expectations of continuing their own progeny and having any off-springs. More amazing is the fact that our leader Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬who did not study entomology in a medical school, had the knowledge that it is the female bee that collects the nectar (Q. 16:68-69). (Grammatically, the bee is also female. We also observe in Q.16:68 that it is not only human beings who can receive waḥy (inspiration) from Allah but an insect like the bee could also be inspired by Him).

V. The fifth level and upwards: Shahīd / shuhadā

This is the level of martyrdom, comprising the shuhadā’, which includes all those who have given up all their possessions, time, money, talents, and even their life, in the way of Allah. Martyrdom is dying or suffering for a great cause; but it is the cause, not the death that makes the martyr. And so, we climb up the ladder, climbing many steps before achieving the highest spiritual qualifications. The staircase comprises many individual steps and each individual has to climb it individually one step at a time so as to accomplish the nearness to Allah, which makes us one of the muqarrabūn. Once we have climbed the higher step, we must stay there and then climb higher again and ensure that we do not revert to the step below. Giving one’s life for the sake of Allah, e.g. in defending religion, and with the expectation of the highest spiritual award of being called a shahīd (martyr), is the highest act of doing the shahādah. It is the greatest achievement. Although most of us know that our life belongs to Allah and that death will overtake us at the appointed hour (Q.3:145) and place (Q.4:78), we hardly ever dare to volunteer to become shuhadā’. In Q.2:154, Allah says that those slain in God’s Way are not dead; they are alive but we cannot perceive them. They receive their nourishment from their Sustainer (Q.3:169). The soul of the shahīd is forever marching forward as during battle. Martyrdom has been well exemplified in the

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immortal name of ImÄ m Ḥ usain, a grandson of Prophet MuḼammad‍‏. Over the ages there have also been many “minorâ€? Ḥ usains among the Muslim ummah that have attained martyrdom for the sake of Allah. A shahÄŤd who dies in battle in defence of his religion is in a state of ritual purity; the body need not be washed for burial purposes, and he is considered a high ranking person, in the company of prophets, truthful persons, martyrs and the righteous people (Q.4:69). In this verse, we notice that persons who always speak and abide by the truth have a higher status than martyrs. It has been said by the Prophet‍ ‏that, The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr. This is because the scholar spends all the available time of his life, given to him by Allah, towards clearing the different avenues that lead to Him. In this group are also included those who make the maximum sacrifice by giving all that they have. Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏did not leave anything behind except the Qur’an:

ŮŽ â€Ťďş‘ďťœďş˜ďşŽ ‏ Ů? F ōᚣč bi kitÄ billÄ h: He bequeathed Allah’s Book, i.e. the Qur’an. He would not keep any Ů? Ů? Ů? n

wealth with him in cash or kind, but gave it all to the needy before sunset every single day. No wonder, one of his names was Al-QÄ sim (The Distributor). He gave out 100% in charity of what he had. As we arrive nearer to Allah, SWT, and to His divine qualities, we become one of the muqarrabĹŤn, i.e. the people nearest to Allah. Allah is the Master of the Stairways (Q.70:3). To reach Him, we have to go up one step at a time on the ladder. It takes angels and rōḼ (soul) 50,000 years (Q.70:3-4) to reach to the top. It will take human beings much longer (with 70,000 veils between man and Allah) (ḤadÄŤth).

ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ & ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? & ‍ ‏ Ů? # ‍Ů?ﺎﺝ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎďť&#x;‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘â€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ďť?‏ ‍ " ďť?ďťŒﺖ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů?â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏

(7) ᚢirÄ t al ladhÄŤna an ‘amta ‘alyhim ghyril maghdubi ‘alyhim wa lad dÄ llÄŤn

This verse can be translated as: The path of those whom Thou hast rewarded (because of their endeavour) or on whom Thou hast bestowed Ne ‘mat (grace); not the path of those who have earned Thine angerŮŽ nor of those who have gone astray.

ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů?& ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť?ďťŒﺖ‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘â€Ź ‍ "‏# ‍Ů?ﺎﺝ‏ Ů?

ᚢIRÄ€T AL LADHÄŞNA AN ‘AMTA ‘ALYHIM:

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ An‘amta is derived from ‍ Ů’ďťŒŮŽ ŮŒďş”â€Źne‘mah which means blessing, grace, favour, bounty. The above ‍ďť?ďťŒﺖ‏F Ů?

sentence is commonly translated as The path of those whom Thou hast favoured, but it could also be translated as The Path of those whom Thou hast rewarded (because of their endeavour). This Straight Path is ours for the asking once we have fulfilled certain conditions. Allah has lavished on us His bounties, both seen and unseen, including knowledge of various arts and sciences in the heavens and in the Earth under our servitude (Q.31:20). He has bestowed more on some than on others (Q.17:20:21). All bounties proceed from Allah. They may be material gifts such as food, money, clothing and housing, or the intangible and abstract gifts, e.g. knowledge comprising the various sciences including space travel, atomic energy, etc., and spiritual insight of good and evil, quality of love and forgiveness and others, and above all, ÄŤmÄ n, i.e. sincere faith. However, the word an‘amta is closely related to inâ€˜Ä m, meaning a prize or an award of merit. If we study hard and come first in the class ŮŽ in our school, we get an inâ€˜Ä m or a prize as a reward for our

4

Ů’

ŮŽ

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺴﺎ Ů?;ďťť ŮŽﺎ‏ achievement. â€Ťďşłďť°ďťŒâ€Ź Ů? ‍ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺲ‏F Wa an lysa lil insÄ ni illÄ mÄ sa â€˜Ä : And man can have nothing except what he strives for, (Q.53:39). Every person receives the reward by the measure of his own endeavour. If we are searching for pearls, we must dive deep, under high water pressure, to look around and search for them. Moreover, whoever strives, strives for himself (Q.29:6). Believers who remain inactive in this life will not be rewarded like those who struggled and sacrificed (Q.4:95- 96).

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Har koo amal nakardo enaayat omeed daasht; daaneh na kaasht ablaho dakhl intizaar kard; .Naa burdah ranj ganj moyassar namee shawad: Mozd on greft jaanĂŠ beraadar kĂŠ kaar kard: (Shaikh Sa‘di): Anyone who did not do good and

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expected favours; the fool did not sow the seed but expected an income. Without toiling it is not possible to amass the treasure; he reaped the harvest, dear brother, who worked hard for it. The poet advises us that through steadfastness and perseverance, we should focus on what we want to achieve and keep ploughing away at our task with all our might to bring it to fruition. Without striving, sorrow and suffering, even the best of us cannot obtain our full stature. This shows that the “bestowing” of the Straight Path (Ṣirāt a

l Mustaqīm) should not be taken for granted. For us to be guided on the Straight Path, we have to strive constantly with the object of being gifted or favoured or having it bestowed upon us. We should work hard towards the achievement of the Straight Path, which will become our cherished prize. The Straight Path will be rewarded to us as a prize, only if we strive hard working to achieve it. Hence, ṣirāṭal ladhīna an‘amta ‘alyhim should be translated as The path of those whom Thou hast rewarded (because of their endeavour) or, on whom Thou hast bestowed ne‘mat (grace). Who are the people who have received such rewards as favours? Allah mentions four categories of people: ُ َ

ً َ َ َٰ ُ َ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ُّ َ َ ِّ ِّ َ َ ِّ 4 َ ْ ْ َ َ ُ 4 َ َ ْ َ 4 َ َ َ ٰ َ َ َ ُ 4 َ َ 4 4 َ % ‫ ﻟﺸﻬﺪ‬ ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻓﻴﻘﺎ‬ ‫ ﻟﺼﺪﻳﻘﻦﻴ‬ ‫ ﺠﺒﻴﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﻏﻌﻢ ﺑ‬F ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ ‫ﻳﻄﻊ ﺑ ﻟﺮﺳﻮ‬ ِ ِ​ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﺼﺎﺤﻟﻦﻴ ۚ ﺣﺴﻦ‬ ِ ‫ﻓﺄ ﺤﻚ ﻣﻊ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺤﻚ‬F ِ ِ ِ ‫َ ﻣﻦ‬ ِ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ِﻣﻦ‬ ِ

Whoso obey Allah and the Apostle, they are in the company of those whom Allah has rewarded favours, of (1) the Nabiyyīn,(2) the Ṣiddiqīn,(3) the Shuhadā,(4) the Ṣāliḥīn. What a beautiful Society of Friends! (Q.4:69). (1) Nabiyyīn (sing. nabi) are the prophets who are born to guide mankind, the final prophet being Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬. (2) Ṣiddiqīn (sing. sadiq) are those persons who speak the truth and abide sincerely by the truth, as exemplified by Sayyidina Abu Bakr (R.A.). Speaking and abiding by the truth is so important that, in this verse, it is given preference over the shuhadā and the sāliḥīn. (3) Shuhadā (sing. shahid) are (a) witnesses who testify to the truth of the shahādah, and (b) the martyrs who, by their word and action, bear testimony to the very end, and are prepared to die for their convictions, an excellent example being Imām Ḥusain (R.A.). The state of shahādah, as stated by some scholars, can also be achieved by the tongue of the preacher, the pen of the devoted scholar, the wealthy man’s contribution as well as the life of the Mu’min. (4) Ṣāliḥīn (sing. sālih) are the large group of ordinary people like most of us who are righteous in word and deed (Mu’minīn and Mu’mināt) and who practice good deeds exclusively for Allah’s Pleasure, this being the sum and substance of īmān. They will be recipients of an excellent reward of a Blissful Home in heaven (Q.29:58).

ُ َْْ ْ َ ْ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻟﻤﻐﻀﻮ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ‬ ِ ِ ِ‫ﻟﺮﻴ‬

Ghyril maghdūbi ‘alyhim

The root word of maghḍūb is ghaḍab meaning wrath or anger. The above sentence is usually translated as Not the path of those who earn Thine anger. Who are the people who incur the wrath of Allah and become maghḍūb? It involves a deliberate act of commission on the part of a person to incur Allah’s wrath. If we have read the Qur’an, and still do not follow the message or worse, act contrary to Allah’s Will and Commandments, then we deserve Allah’s wrath. If we know the difference between right and wrong and still adopt an indifferent or couldn’t-careless attitude, and oppose Allah’s advice or make a mockery of it, then we will surely incur Allah’s wrath and become maghḍūb. The following categories of people incur Allah’s ghaḍab or wrath: (A) The hypocrites and idolaters (Q.48:6). Who are the hypocrites? Hypocrisy (from Latin hypocrita meaning actor pretending on the stage) implies pretence of belief. The hypocrites have a double face and a forked tongue. They mean one thing but say something different. Allah Himself bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars (Q.63:1). Hypocrites are also seen crying with their eyes brimming with crocodile tears, and often pray only to be seen or noticed (Q.4:142). The real person deep within them is different from the outward appearance which is masked in all reverence and piety to impress others. They are pious in words but sinful in deeds. They have double standards and desire the honour of which they are not worthy. They have deceit in their thoughts, mockery on their lips and mischief in their hearts. With all due reverence, the length of the gown or the beard has not enough correlation with an individual’s piety.

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Allah has warned us in Q.61:3 about saying what we do not do, and again in Q.2:44, Do you enforce good conduct in others and forget to practice it yourself, and yet you study the scripture? The rules to be adhered to, is what a hypocrite expects of others but does not follow this dictate himself. The munāfiq (hypocrite) presents himself as a dear friend and a sincere advisor showering false compliments and assurances. The opinion he gives privately in his reception room is different from what he gives in public speech. There are four signs of a hypocrite: (a) when he speaks, he lies, (b) when he makes a promise, he does not honour it, (c) when he is trusted, he cheats and betrays his trust,(d) when he quarrels, he uses foul language. (Hadīth: Al-Bukhāri). In the lifetime of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬there were three categories of inhabitants in Madīnah: (a) the believers, (b) the disbelievers (kāfirs), (c) the hypocrites. Most of the hypocrites were from among those posing as “Muslims”. Because hypocrites pose as trusted friends, here is an appropriate proverb:

ٌ َ َ َ ْ ّ َ ْ َ ْ ْ ْ َ 4ُّ ْ ‫ﻛﻔﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﺑﻬﻢ‬ ‫ ﻓﺄﻧﺎ‬k ‫ﻋﺪ‬F ‫ﻣﺎ‬F k‫ ﺻﺪﻗﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﺣﻔﻈﻰﻨ ِﻣﻦ‬ ِ ِ​ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻠﻬﻢ‬

God, deliver me from my friends; as for my enemies, I could deal with them. (B) Those who continue rejecting the signs and the lessons of Allah (Q.2:61). We are warned against mocking Allah’s revelations in Q.2:231; 46:26. (C) Those who dispute about Allah and utter disbelief after having accepted Allah (Q.16:106; 42:16). (D) Those who intentionally tell lies and swear to falsehood knowingly (Q.58:14). Man tells lies oblivious to the consequences. The basis of the intensity of lying is related to how much damage it has caused; hence lying under oaths and testimony is more damaging, and the punishment for such a sin more severe. Islam lays emphasis on truth and does not tolerate ambiguity or double meaning giving rise to doubt or misunderstanding. (E) Those who commit homicide (4:93). (F) Those who retreat in war while defending the religion of Islam (Q.8:16). We must always be cautious not to incur Allah’s wrath, because on whomever Allah’s anger alights, the man is hurled to ruin (Q.20:81).

َ​َ َ ِّ & ‫ ﻻ‬ ‫ ﻟﻀﺎﻟﻦﻴ‬

Wa lad dāllīn: (Nor those who have gone astray)

There are many verses in the Holy Qur’an describing the types of people who have strayed from the Straight Path:

ْ َْْ َ ُ ُ َ ُ َُ َ َ​َ 4 ُْْ َ ْ َ​َ ً َ ً َ َ 4 َ ْ َ​َ ‫ﺑﻌﻴﺪ‬ ‫ ﺳﻠﻪ‬ ‫ ﺘﺒﻪ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻮ‬ ِ​ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻣﻼﺋﻜﺘﻪ‬ ِ ِ ِ َ ‫ﺑﺎﺑ‬ ِ ‫ ﻵﺧ ِﺮ ﻓﻘﺪ ﺿﻞ ﺿﻼﻻ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻣﻦ ﻳﻜﻔﺮ‬

And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Apostles and the Day of Judgment, has strayed far, far away. (Q.4:136). In the above verse, which is the very antithesis of faith with firm conviction called īmān, five categories of people are listed who have strayed from the Straight Path and are called ḍāllīn, viz.:

(A) Those who disbelieve in Allah: (i) Whosoever associates partners with Allah has strayed far (Q.4:116; 22:12). (ii) The prayer of the unbelievers goes only astray (Q.13:14; 40:74). (iii) Those who reject faith and hinder others from the Way of Allah, have strayed far, far away from the Path (Q.4:167; 47:1). (iv) Whoever changes from faith to unbelief has strayed without doubt from the plain road. (Q.2:108) (v) Those that reject faith after having accepted it, have strayed. (Q.3:90) (vi) Those who follow selfish motives and worship other than Allah, stray. (Q.6:56). (vii) Leaders who deliberately mislead. We are not only responsible for our own wrong actions, but for those of our juniors and subordinates too, who commit evil because of our examples and teachings to them. (Q.7:38). (B) Those who deny the presence of angels. (C) Those who deny Allah’s Books containing Revelations. Allah’s guidance is found in the Holy Qur’an. (i) Whoever follows Allah’s guidance will not stray. (Q.20:123; 6:77). (ii) If we follow most of those on Earth who conjecture and guess, they will lead us astray from Allah’s Path. (Q.6:116).

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(iii) If we don’t spend in Allah’s Way, we are obviously astray (Q.36:47). (iv) Allah leaves to stray those who are oppressors and evil-doers (Q.14:27), and whoever Allah leaves to stray, no guide has he (Q.13:33). Whoever goes astray, it is his own loss. (Q.10:108). (v) Those who conceal Allah’s revelations are buying error in place of guidance (Q.2:174-175). (vi) Those who follow Satan (Q.4:60; 4:119). Satan inflates the ego and incites vain desires. Satan uses suggestions and whispers to control the mind, to lead people astray. Allah never takes as His supporters those who lead others astray (Q.18:51). Such persons lead astray none except themselves. (Q.3:69) (D) Those who deny the Apostle. If anyone denies Allah and His Apostle, he has indeed clearly strayed. (Q.33:36) (E) Those who deny the Day of Judgment: (i) Those who do not believe in the Hereafter have strayed far. (Q.34:8) (ii) Astray are those who love this life more than the Hereafter, and who hinder men from Allah’s Path and seek in it something crooked (Q.14:3). (iii) Those who deny Allah’s signs and of meeting Him in the Hereafter. Their efforts are wasted in this life (or their efforts have strayed while they thought they were doing good) (Q.18:104-105). (iv) Those who have bartered guidance for error are: (a) those who say they believe in Allah but don’t mean it, or (b) those who make mischief in the name of peace (Q.2:8-16).

However, when the Qur’an mentions people on whom falls the wrath of Allah (maghḍūbi ‘alyhim) and those who stray from the straight path (ḍāllīn), it does not refer to any particular nation or religious community, but instead it means all those who have left Allah’s Path. Those of us who think that maghḍubi ‘alyhim are Jews and that ḍāllīns are only Christians are mistaken. When we examine ourselves critically on the standards laid down in the Qur’an, we find most of us Muslims coming under the title of maghḍubi alyhim and ḍāllīns. N.B. Strong and firm faith in the Hereafter not only guarantees us a blissful life in Heaven, but also makes this Earth a more safe and secure place to live in, by making the rest of us more responsible for our actions. As a further warning, Allah says that the punishment in the Hereafter for those who stray is appalling (Q.7:38). In contrast, for those of us who are in the gardens of eternal bliss, the conclusion of the prayer will be:-

ِّ َ & ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ ‫ ﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻦﻴ‬ ِ‫ ﺤﻟﻤﺪ ِﺑ‬ ِ

AL ḤAMDU LILLĀ HI RABBIL ‘ĀLAMĪN: Thanks and Praises to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of All the Worlds and all beings (Q. 10:9-10). ĀMĪN !

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PART II

CHAPTER IV : Relationship between man and Allah History of man:

Man was born into this mysterious planet Earth with no apparent set of instructions, no maps, nothing but only his instincts, intuitions, and reasoning abilities to find out for himself where he came from, why he is here, and what he is supposed to do. He had emerged from his mother’s womb where he was in a state of darkness, ignorance and devoid of free-will (Q.16:78). Since time immemorial, man has been submerged in deep thoughts trying to find the answers as to the origin and purpose of God, the universe, limits of space and time, the reason for his own existence and whereto he will be going from here. Not finding suitable answers in spite of his intelligence, he returns to where he first started his trend of thoughts. Once a person is born, he is destined to become a part of history, and indeed, he can contribute importantly to history. Man’s life on earth is especially meaningful and significant, since he is endowed with capability to make immense contributions to humanity in this world and only to himself in the Hereafter. However, every Muslim accepts what is revealed in the Holy Qur’an, viz. that Allah began the creation of man (Q.32:7) from sounding clay (Q. 55:14; 15:28), the sound of which could never be obliterated and could be retrieved for ever. Man’s body was formed from wet clay moulded into shape

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ

and then dried until it could emit sound, like pottery. ( â€Ťďşťďť ďşźďşŽâ€Ź ᚢalášŁÄ l means clay which produces a sound Ů? after it is dried, like an earthen pot). It is suggested that once emitted, all sounds can later be retrieved by sufficiently sophisticated equipment. It stands to reason therefore, that all human utterances are already recorded for evidence in the Hereafter in the remnants of this sounding clay, and we should accordingly be extremely cautious of what we say. Any stone that we see on the street was once part of a group of human beings like you and me, walking, talking and going about their business. Now it cannot talk, as this Urdu poem tells us:

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Mein guzra hua waqt hoon zamaanÊ mein; mujh ko aawaaz na dÊ ab kó ee; Zameen kaa yÊ tokr a jes mein meree zindagee hÊ; khaak kee chaadar kÊ neechè gal-Ê sÊ lagaa kar mujh-Ê kah rahaa hÊ; kÊ chaalees saal sÊ yahan dafn hoon mein; lykin es aawaaz kó mein sonn naheen saktaa. I am a past one in the history of time; no one should call me now; this piece of earth is where I live, covered with dust which tells me lovingly that I am lying here buried for last forty years; however I cannot hear what this voice is telling me. Every stone we pick up on the road has a thousand stories to tell us, of kings and queens, sinners and saints, princes and paupers, oppressors and the oppressed, all compounded into one. One Day in the Hereafter, this stone, made originally out of our dust, will speak out (Q.99:4). A mass of dust develops into a fully grown human being, only to become a mass of dust once again, to be incorporated

Ů’ Ů?

in the stone. Only life can create life. Life cannot be created from matter except by Allah saying ‍‏

Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮŽ â€Ťďť“ďť´ďťœ‏ Be and he was (Q.3:59).

Allah then fashioned man and breathed into him from His own RōḼ (soul) so as to qualify him to act as His vicegerent on Earth. He gave him knowledge of all things (Q.2:31), a knowledge which was denied even to the angels. Then He gifted him with hearing, seeing, reasoning and made him much wiser. Then He gave him the free will for the trusteeship to accomplish the Design and the Will of Allah. Man has now been given the choice and the free will of: (a) thought, (b) intention, (c) decision, and (d) action. We have the choice and the power to choose our own behaviour by obeying Allah or Satan, whomever we wish. We have the free-will to wrong others or do utmost good. And verily, We created man from an extract of clay. Then We placed him as a drop (of sperm) in a safe custody (womb). Then We made the sperm into something which clings; then of that clinging material We made a lump of flesh (an embryo); then We made out of that lump bones and clothe the bones with flesh (foetus); then We

developed out of it another creature (human being). So blessed be Allah, the Best to create. (Q.23:1214). To begin with, we were so small in the womb of the mother, smaller than the period at the end of this sentence, that we had to be put under the microscope to be seen. And here is a Ḥadīth narrated by ‘Abdullah bin Mas‘ūd and recorded by Imām Muslim: The matter of creation of one of you is put together in the womb of the mother in forty days, and then for a similar period he becomes like something which clings like a hanging stalk and then a lump of flesh for a similar period. Then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write down four things. He is ordered to write down his provisions, his life span, his deeds and whether he will be blessed or wretched. By referring to rūḥ as from Him, Allah has given man a special place of honour among His creatures. Man finds himself (Q.16:13) in this richly endowed Technicolor world, in an animal body with a built-in divine rūh that acts as a special sensor. Divine as well as satanic attributes co-exist in the same individual and he has a choice and a free will to adopt and follow any of these attributes. At present, the society of human rights believes that if man has a satanic drive and there is no harm involved, then he has a right to be wrong, but Islam emphasises that a satanic drive (e.g. homosexuality) is an evil act and it is wrong to be wrong. Each one of us comes to this world with a mission to perform. As soon as that mission is completed, we return to Him. The reason that we are still alive is that we have not as yet completed our mission. What we are now is a gift from Allah but what we become before we die is our gift to Him. No matter what we are, each one of us is unique and is destined to play a part in the “Scheme of Things” in Allah’s Plan. Allah will not do for us what we can do ourselves. Those of us who are aware and strive to make use of the excellent attributes of our divine link (called rūh or soul) can climb up the ladder towards Allah much faster than others. Possibilities are limitless. Too often we have noticed that others did the jobs we said we couldn’t do. Man, no matter to what race, colour or community he belongs to, can ascend to the presence of Allah, Who is the Commander of the different ways of Ascent (Q.70:3), However, this ascent is not easy. Being endowed with this rūḥ from Allah (Q.15:29), man has the ability to surpass the angels, but the choice to make this effort will always be his own. In this context, Shaikh Sa‘di advises:

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Gar taqwiyat konee zé Malak bogzarad bashar; war tarbiyat konee bé sorayyaa rasad saraa: Pydaa bowad ké bandé bé kooshesh kojaa rasad; baalaa yé har saree qalamee rafté az qazaa. By practising taqwā (God-consciousness), the human being can surpass an angel; and if you lead him on the right path, this earthly body will ascend to the seven clusters of stars in Taurus (Surayya); it is evident how (high) a man could reach with striving; it is written in the destiny of every person. Because man was granted the divine trust of rūḥ he is entitled to become Allah’s khalīfah (vicegerent) on earth with certain limited and delegated powers. He has some ability to subject nature’s forces to his own use, Insha Allah (God willing), for the benefit of mankind or Ma‘ādhallah (God forbid), for his own destruction. After Allah breathed into man from His Own Rūḥ, He commanded the angels who possess electromagnetic energy to perform sajdah (prostration) in obedience to man and thus become subservient to his commands (Q.2:34; 38:72). Because of his knowledge, man now has some command and mastery over nature and also over the angels. After having given man the knowledge, Allah gifted him the free will, for man to prove for himself whether he is worthy of the trust and responsibility to accomplish the designs of Allah or not. With determination, man can uncover, select, re-shuffle and synthesise already existing facts, ideas and skills. Man is now Allah’s khalīfah on earth (Q.10:14). Khalīfah means a vicegerent or agent, and he is being watched by Allah as to how he behaves in the discharge of his duties as a trustee. Neither Allah nor His Apostle would force a person to do right or wrong. The decision rests entirely in man’s own hands, because Allah has given man the free will to develop his own personality, and will power. It is for this reason that in Islam stress is laid on building the foundation of personality on piety and Allah’s good pleasure (Q.9:109). The supreme achievement is the achievement of a perfected personality which requires a lifetime of utmost effort, striving and sacrifice. Because man is a special creation, and was given freedom to exercise choice, he is at liberty to offer something special as his own contribution towards his fellowbeings, as expected of any of Allah’s khalīfahs on Earth. Allah made man a Khalīfah on the earth. He is

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watching him how he acts, (Ḥadīth). If we want to, we can perform this task poorly, or in an excellent manner, by doing small things in a great way and ordinary things extraordinarily well. Allah has placed us as His vicegerents or agents, only on this planet Earth (Q.10:14; 35:39) and has exalted some of us in rank above others to try us in the various gifts He has given us (Q.6:165). Although man has limited free will, the power of free will gives man some mastery, bringing him nearer to the God-like command of nature, albeit Allah has the final Mastery and Will. The perfect vicegerent is he whose action reflects the Will of his Principal, as exemplified by Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, a perfect example of a perfect man. Man was offered the job of khalīfah as a trust (amānah) and he foolishly accepted it (Q.33:72). This was an extremely difficult task but man was stupid and reckless for having taken up this trust when the heavens, the earth and the mountains refused to undertake it. This trust involves a covenant between Allah and man, an agreement between two unequal parties, divine and human. It governs mutual relationships and man can discharge himself equitably only with Allah’s assistance and guidance. Allah gives a trust to a person together with the power of disposal. The Giver of the Trust expects that the trustee would use it according to the Will and conditions laid down by Him. Man thus lives on this Earth as a trustee, and a trustee is someone who does not own things as a matter of right, but is merely responsible for their proper management. We must ask ourselves daily: have we committed any breach of that Trust? Man embarks on this life involuntarily to spend an allotted time in this temporary guest house called Earth. Man’s creation was Allah’s choice, and man himself had no choice in the matter (Q.28:68). We did not know whether we would be born as males or females (Q.42:49), or hermaphrodites or we would not be born at all if one or both our parents were barren (Q.42:50). Man had no choice even in choosing his parents; otherwise most of us would have chosen to be born in a royal family. Both man and jinn were created for service in this world, to serve only for the cause of Allah (Q.51:56). Man can achieve his own self-development and the attainment of his high destiny, by obeying Allah, the motive being, Seeking the presence (literally “Face” or “Countenance”) of Allah, (Q.2:272). This quest to achieve Allah’s good pleasure, nearness to Him and felicity in Heaven (Q.3:1415), is an arduous task and mankind’s high and noble destiny. Man is created in a state of helplessness and weakness (Q.30:54); in toil and struggle (Q.90:4); he is ignorant (Q.33:72), forgetful (Q.2:286), ever hasty (Q.17:11), impatient (Q.70:19), fretful (Q.70:20), argumentative (Q.18:54); unjust and ungrateful (Q.14:34; 22:66; 100:6), miserly and tight-fisted (Q.17:100), weak in flesh and in resolution (Q.4:28) and in a state of loss (Q.103:2). Man was created into the best stature ahsani taqwīm (Q.95:4) and then reduced to the lowest of the low asfala sāfilīn (Q.95:5). At his best, man is weak and in dire need of Allah’s assistance. He is created weak and helpless; then he gains strength, and later again becomes weak and hoary headed (Q.30:54). Man creeps during childhood and bounces into youth. He is macho in his manhood but weak in his old age, when he prepares himself to go once again into the earthly cradle, which was prepared for him by his destiny. Life is an on-going drama punctuated by challenges we encounter. It is not so much what the challenges are, but how we deal with those situations, that teach us how to become closer to being the persons we were intended to be, viz. Allah’s khalīfahs on Earth. A khalīfah is expected to act as Allah’s instrument for change of adverse conditions prevailing in the society. But, before we can change the society, we have to make the change in ourselves. We have a duty to make this world a better place for tomorrow, by making heroic efforts on a voluntary basis, to help the disadvantaged in the community, and to remove their chains of exploitation and slavery manifesting itself in various garbs. Service to mankind is service to Allah. It is possible for man to change himself, his society and his environment so as to conform to the divine pattern. Perfect bipedalism, not found in animals, freed the human hand, with proper arrangement of the fingers and the thumb, to perform difficult tasks with dexterity. Through the neocortex (new brain) responsible for conscious thinking and planning, man can modify the environment. Rather than man adapt to the environment, man can make the environment adapt to himself. However, caution must be used, in case we abuse our knowledge. Man is indeed capable of doing so, and hence, he has also been made responsible for all that he does. Allah has invested man with His trust with man’s own consent, in spite of a strong possibility of it being often violated. This Divine Trust is for the fulfilment of the Divine Will by man, who is endowed with the liberty to accept or reject this Trust, and

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this man is free to exercise his liberty in any way he wants. Allah has given man the freedom to behave or misbehave; he is at liberty at all times to obey or to disobey Allah and His Messenger. Man was created as a single being and he shall be resurrected as a single being, exactly as he was on Earth (Q.17:99; 6:94), when he will be asked to account for the use of whatever talents and resources Allah provided for him in this life. These talents and resources that Allah has placed at his disposal are a trust or an amÄ nah from Allah. Allah has subjected to man all that is in the heavens and on Earth (Q.45:13). Hence we are advised to study sciences such as biology, geology, astrophysics, biotechnology, etc. (Q.41:53). As trustees or managers of this trust on planet Earth (khalÄ ifa fil ará¸?), we must fulfil the needs of our own body and soul, as well as that of the community and the environment. Present environmental problems are warning us of our true roles as Allah’s khalÄŤfas (care-takers) on Earth. This planet is our temporary home as well as the home of all other living beings, and also of our future generations. To achieve all these, Allah has given man: (a) the Book of Revelations (to distinguish right from wrong), (b) the Balance (of judgment), and (c) iron (for material progress and benefit of mankind). Certainly We sent Our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of right and wrong) that men may stand forth in justice, and We sent down iron in which is great might as well as many benefits to mankind‌. (Q 57:25). This verse confirms the extra-terrestrial origin of iron in our planet. It is now left to man to see for himself where he is heading. With all his scientific knowledge, he thought that he is a successful problem-solver and can adapt himself to the environment, but instead he has made the environment adapt to mankind. This is an exercise, which could ultimately prove fatal. It is now widely believed that man has become an endangered species. Let us see now how man uses his brain.

ŮŒ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Shayáš­Ä n (Satan, the devil) -‍ﺡﺎ‏

Shayáš­Ä n (Satan) known in common language as the devil has his personal name as IblÄŤs (Lucifer). In most Islamic dictionaries Shayáš­Ä n (Satan) is described as every proud and rebellious one among jinn, men and animals. Another name for Shayáš­Ä n portrayed as evil is ášŹÄ ghĹŤt (Q.2:256). The root word of

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ shaáš­ana, which means, he was far from the truth and mercy of Allah. Shayáš­Ä n is ‍ﺡ‏

The word devil is derived from Latin diabolus, or Greek diabolos, meaning slanderous, used also in ancient Greek to identify a person as a slanderer. Shayáš­Ä n or the devil is any authority or power which deviates from or revolts against the laws of Allah. Thus persons who are the ring leaders of those opposing Allah’s system are called ShayÄ áš­ÄŤn (plural) (Q.2:14). The tribes whom Prophet SulaimÄ n, pbuh, brought under his control and put to work were also called ShayÄ áš­ÄŤn (Q.21:82; 38:37).

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The personal name of ShaytÄ n is ‍ ďş‘ďť ďť´ďş˛â€Ź Ů? Ů? IblÄŤs. Its root word is b-l-s or ‍ ďş‘ďť ďş˛â€Źablasa meaning to

despair and remain silent with grief, because IblÄŤs has nothing to expect from the mercy of Allah. He is also called ‘AduwwallÄ h (Enemy of Allah). The English name of IblÄŤs is Lucifer. Lucifer in Latin means light-bearer or light-bringer from the Latin lux (light) and ferre (to bear or bring) and is also the name of Satan (IblÄŤs) whose blinking light illuminates a sinful path for us to follow. In the Bible (Corinthians 11:14-15) we have been told that Satan keeps transforming himself into an angel of light. Venus, the brightest object in our sky except for the sun and the moon, goes both by the name of the morning star, when it appears in the East at sunrise, and also the evening star, when it is in the West at sunset. Incidentally, Lucifer is the name for this shining planet Venus when it appears as the morning star to greet us. (There is an enzyme called “luciferaseâ€?. It helps a glow-worm convert chemical energy into electrical and mechanical energy and into visible light. This is called bio-luminescence and is found in fire-flies, glow-worms and many fishes. Light is emitted when one of the reduced flavins reacts with luciferase and oxygen). When Satan poses as a pseudo-god and wins over the person, the ‘self’ of the man becomes centred on selfishness, self-gratification and self-righteousness, in spite of the knowledge of its hidden beastly nature. Satan sees us from a place where we cannot see him (Q.7:17) and he catches up with us. In fact, he is always well-prepared while we are not. Love of lusts appeals to man (Q.3:14) and he takes the shorter and the easier route to pleasure due to his hasty nature (Q.17:11; 21:37). Satan is everready, gives man a hearty welcome and guarantees satisfaction once man listens to him. Satan is an experienced hypnotist and has a well-known reputation for brain-washing most of his clients. He works through the mind and gains their confidence. Hypnosis is a trance-like state characterised by an altered

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state of consciousness, diminished will-power and an increased response to whispers and suggestions, during which Satan teaches man to follow him in wickedness, deceit, indulgence in harām activities, ingratitude to Allah, and makes people forget to remember their Creator. Because Satan is a jinni, (jannah means hidden), he is concealed from our eyes. No one has actually seen Satan in person and hence we are not informed about the particulars of his features. In the stories about Prophet Sulaimān, pbuh, a Shayṭān is nothing more than a jinnī, superior in knowledge and power to other jinn. An intimate Shayṭān (qarīn) is an awful personal companion (Q.4:38). If we do not care to remember Allah, He appoints Satan as our close escort (Q.43:36). Everyone has an individual Shayṭ ān referred to as a qarīn or companion (literally: the one indissolubly united with every man) and this qarīn encourages man’s immoral and wicked desires.

The story of Satan / Shayțān / Iblīs

Sequence of Events: The story begins long before the creation of man from dust, when only angels inhabited the universe. Allah said to the angels that He was going to create a vicegerent (khalīfah) on Earth. The angels, who were created from light and who have no will power of their own, asked Allah why should He want to place on Earth someone who will make mischief and blood-shed, while He already had the angels to glorify Allah’s Holy Name for ever and be always completely obedient to Him? Allah replied that He knew what they did not know (Q.2:30). Allah fashioned a human being from clay, breathed into him from His Own rūḥ (Q.38:72) so as to qualify him as His vicegerent on Earth and named him Adam. (Allah’s “own rūḥ” denotes something

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extraordinary that Allah Himself created for Adam). Indeed, Ādam is derived from the word ‫ ﻳﻢ‬ ِ adīm

which means soil of the surface of the earth. While animals were also created from this soil, they have no rūh. It should be noted that human beings possess some animal-like qualities, and that humans and animals share some common genes in their chromosomes. Biologically, both human beings and animals are classified under the animal kingdom. However, in spite of humans and chimps being nearly 99% identical at the level of their DNA, chimps do not possess rūḥ. Q.2:30-33 describes the conversation between Allah and His angels at the time of the creation of the first man. Allah taught Adam the names of all things, i.e. various arts and sciences (Q.2:31), a knowledge which was denied to the angels. He then commanded the angels to bow down to Adam, i.e. to serve Adam (Q.2:34; 38:72). All bowed down in obedience to Allah’s command, except Iblīs who was present in the company of angels and who was arrogant and refused to obey Allah (Q.7:11; 15:30-31; 20:116; 38:74). Iblīs (Satan/ Lucifer) refused to bow down to Adam on the ground that he was created from fire and Adam merely from clay (Q.7:12; 15:33; 38:76). Iblīs was a strict and dedicated monotheist and would prostrate before no one except Allah. He was a great ‘ābid (slave), a leader of the angels and an ‘ālim (scholar par excellence). Bowing or prostrating before some one does not mean doing ruku‘ or sajdah only. It also means obeying instructions, which Satan was not prepared to do. Allah banished Iblīs for his disobedience (Q.7:13; 38:77) and put His curse on Iblīs until the Day of Judgment (Q.38:78). Iblīs, in all humiliation, disgrace and ignominious dishonour, then asked Allah for respite till the Day of Judgment, saying that in the interim, he would lie in wait for those believers who are on the Straight Path, and attack them from all sides (Q.7:14-17; 38:79-82). This respite was granted (Q.7:15; 38:80) to mislead people until the Day of Resurrection. At the same time, Allah also warned Satan that those who follow Allah’s guidance will not go astray nor fall into misery (Q.20:123) and that Allah will fill Hell with Satan and his followers (Q.38:85). After his creation Adam began enjoying the bounties in the Garden (Jannah) together with his wife Ḥawwā᾿ (Eve) (Q.2:35; 7:19). This garden was in a planet with a solar system (Q.20:119). (Ḥawwā is not mentioned in the Qur᾿an by name). Allah, as a trial for Adam and Eve, warned them to avoid a particular tree (Q.7:19), and also told them about Satan. Iblīs sneaked in quietly, swearing to be their sincere advisor (Q.7:21). He prompted Adam and his wife to go near that particular, forbidden tree which Satan called the Tree of Eternity. Satan promised them immortality, telling them that they would be transformed into angels if they ate its fruit (Q.7:20; 20:120). Adam and his wife succumbed to seduction by Iblis, and ate from the forbidden tree (Q.20:121). Adam thus broke the promise he had previously

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made to Allah, disobeyed Allah᾿s Command and gave the excuse that he forgot about it, rather than admit that he was prompted by Satan. Satan makes us forgetful (Q.18:63; 12:42). This shows that Adam did not give priority to Allah's command on his daily agenda. Allah, too, did not find any firm resolve on Adam’s part (Q.20:115). (Although we do not know much about Satan’s anatomy and physiology, he has been said to be responsible for us when we forget our prayers and many other commandments of Allah, including our promises to Him and to ourselves. We often remember these promises, after having committed the mistakes. Probably, the mechanism involves Satan blocking the recall pathway of short-term and mid-term memory and hence we forget). As soon as Adam and his wife tasted of the fruit of that tree, Satan made them conscious of the importance of their sexual organs. Satan whispered to them that he might manifest unto them what was hidden of their private parts and said, “your God has only forbidden you from the tree lest you should become angels or become one of the immortals.” (Q.7:20). Their garb of innocence was no longer there, and they felt embarrassed and ashamed of their naked and exposed private parts, which they then concealed with leaves from the garden (Q.7:22; 20:121). Satan’s deceit had paid off. It is in this context that Allah advises children of Adam that their private parts should be well-guarded and that the best garment and covering is that of taqwā (God-consciousness) (Q.7:26). Allah instructs us not to allow Satan to strip off this garment as he did to Adam and Eve in the garden (Q.7:27). Taqwā is not like a coat that we can put on or take off whenever we want. This coating should be permanently bonded to one’s personality in order to differentiate right from wrong, i.e. listening to Allah or to Satan. Allah said to Adam and his wife: Did I not forbid you both that tree and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy to both of you? (Q.7:22). Adam and Eve both repented, as mentioned in their very first ever du‘a in the Holy Qur‘an:َ

ََْ َْ​َ َ​َ ْ ْ َ َْ ْ َ َ َ ُْ َْ َ َ َ4َ َ ْ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ 4 َ ُ َ َ ‫ ﺗﺮﻤﺣﻨﺎ‬ َ َ ِ ‫ﺠﻜﻮﻏﻦ‬ ‫ ﺨﻟﺎﺮﺳﻳﻦ‬ ‫ﻳﻐﻔﺮ ﺠﺎ‬ ِ​ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻢ‬ ِ ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻨﺎ‬F ‫ ﺑﻨﺎ ﻇﻠﻤﻨﺎ‬

Rabbbanā ẓalamnā anfusanā wa inn lam taghfir lanā wa tarḥamnā la nakūnanna minal khāsirīn: O Allah! We have wronged our own selves and if Thou forgive us not and bestow not upon us Thy Mercy, we shall certainly be lost, and they both asked Allah for forgiveness and mercy (Q.7:23).

Allah granted forgiveness (Q.2:37), chose him and relented towards him (i.e. accepted his repentance). In addition, He gave him guidance (Q.20:122) and further advised that Whosoever follows Allah’s guidance will not lose his way nor fall into misery. (Q.20:123). (That is one of the reasons why Islam does not accept the doctrine of original sin, because Allah forgave both Adam and Eve). Adam, his wife and Satan, all three of them, were ordered to leave the garden with enmity between one and another and to go to reside on Earth for a time (Q.2:36; 7:24; 20:123). Iblīs was the first kāfir ever to be recorded in history.

Lessons to learn from Ādam and Eve

(1) There is no sin in being tempted, but there is sin in giving in to temptation, as happened with Adam and Eve. One important lesson we should learn from this story is that Satan managed to deceive Adam easily because he broke his promise with God. So, we must always honour and fulfil our promises whether the promise is given to Allah or to a human being. If we break the promise, the punishment could be severe. We must not be like Satan to make false promises to man and then fail in his promise (Q.14:22). Allah had commanded Adam not to go anywhere near a particular tree. But Iblīs whispered to Adam about the association of immortality with that tree (Q.20:120). So Adam instead of obeying Allah listened to Satan, and gave the excuse to Allah that he forgot about Allah’s advice (Q.20:115). Adam was the first person to have been forgetful. It is human nature to forget. A human is only called man (insān) because of his forgetfulness (nisyān). Hence, Muslims are reminded to have good memory and resolve at all times and to keep their heads on about them so as not to forget, for which there is a du‘ā at the end of the second chapter of the Qur’an

َ َ ْ َ َْ َ َ ْ َْ َُ َ َ4َ ‫ ﺧﻄﺄﻧﺎ‬ ‫ﻧﺴﻴﻨﺎ‬ ‫ ﺑﻨﺎ ﻻ‬Rabbanā lā tu ākhidhnā inn nasīnā au akhtā‘nā: O Allah, do not take us to ِ ِ ِ ‫ﺗﺆ ﺧﺬﻧﺎ‬

task if we forget or make a mistake. Whenever we forget and make a mistake during prayer, we prostrate at the end of prayer (sajdat us sahw). It is an act, which is displeasing to Satan. Another important aspect of this “forgetfulness” is that Adam ate from the tree when Iblīs tempted him, but remembered his promise to Allah and realised his

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mistake only after he was deceived. This means that Ādam had lost the determination to obey Allah, and obeyed Satan instead, by giving in to his temptations. In other words, Adam disobeyed Allah and allowed himself to be seduced, because he “forgot” Allah’s command. Allah also says that He did not find any firm resolve in Adam. Thus our ‘forgetfulness’ means that we do not constantly bear in mind Allah’s commands and prohibitions and we do not upkeep a firm and constant resolve to obey Allah. This lesson teaches us that we should be always alert, keep in view and remember, respect and carry out Allah’s commands and prohibitions so that we would not be fooled by Satan, who is only waiting with a smile to mislead the believers. It is far better to prepare and prevent rather than repair and relent. Suffering originates from clinging to our ideas, desires and objects as per Satan’s suggestions. Freeing ourselves from such attachments to Satan by asking Allah’s help would minimise our suffering. (2) Adam and Satan do not take the same stance in apology. When Adam and Eve disobeyed Allah they said: O Allah, we have wronged ourselves, (Q.7:23). In contrast Satan says to Allah, Now, because Thou hast sent me astray, (Q.7:16). This shows that the right attitude is to ascribe any mistake or sin to oneself knowing how fallible we are, while the Satanic attitude is to put the blame squarely on others (or on Allah in this case). As responsible beings, we humans should take the right attitude. If we have committed a sin, we should not justify ourselves by saying, “Oh Allah, it was You who allowed Satan to deceive me” or “It was You Who made it possible in the first instance by having it recorded in my qadar (destiny)”. We would thus be imitating Satan who says in Q.38:82, Then by Thy power, I will make them all live an evil life. Satan is a better theologian than all of us and can quote the scripture to prove his point. Satan knows that human nature has a fascination for the prohibited and so, he may whisper his suggestion that the ‘other woman’ in our life is the result of our daily du‘a: “Oh God, give me good in this life and good in the Hereafter”. Satan would say: “She is a good girl God has sent to you; please take her”. We may thus get fooled and accept her as a ‘God-sent’ person. What we think as approved by Allah can really be a trick of the devil. We must not underestimate Satan who was a pious and an obedient Jinni once, and so he knows much more of the Qur᾿an than what we do. Similarly, there are many persons who know the Qur᾿an and the Bible only too well but still act as clones of Satan. (3) Since Adam and Eve used the leaves from the garden to cover their private parts, any cloth or covering can cover the body. This means that we have a choice as to what dress to wear when we go to work or to any function, but the best garment is that of righteousness: libās ut taqwā (Q.7:26). What better covering could there be for the rūḥ (soul) of a person which is cloaked with a body that has the qualities of taqwā (i.e. God-consciousness, piety, righteousness, love of Allah and obedience to Him)? (4) Man is on a higher pedestal than the angels, because Allah breathed into man from His own rūḥ. Therefore, we must continue to strive in the direction from where the rūḥ came. It will take us much higher than the angels. For the angels to bow down more to us, and serve us, we must try and learn more about the nature of things in the universe through the study of physics, chemistry and other sciences. Some scientists believe that angels carry out their duties through the forces of nature, such as electro-magnetism, light nuclear force, strong nuclear force and gravity. (5) We must never feel proud because of our status, position, wealth, etc. Here is a Persian poem:

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Takabbur Azaazeel raa khaar kard; bé zandaané la‘nat gereftaar kard: Arrogance humiliated ‘Azāzīl (Iblīs) and trapped him in the prison of curse. Satan is associated with the triple crime of arrogance, jealousy and rebellion (Q.7:11-13). An important lesson we learn is that we should always show humility and never utter such words as, I am better thanَ him. These َ are Satan’s َ words (Q.7:12)

َ َ َ َُْ ْ َ ُ َْ 4 َ َ​َ​َ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ‫ﻣﻦ َﻧﺎ‬ ُ ْ ‫ﺧﺮﻴ‬ َ ْ َ َ ‫ﻣﻨﻪ‬ ْ ‫ ﺧﻠﻘﺘﻪ‬ ْ ‫ﺧﻠﻘﺘﻲﻨ‬ ٌ ْ َ ‫ﻧﺎ‬Fَ ‫ﻗﺎ‬ ‫ﻃﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ۖ ‫ﻣﺮﺗﻚ‬F ;ِ ‫( ﻗﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻣﻨﻌﻚ ﻛﻻ ﺗﺴﺠﺪ‬Allah) said: “What prevented you ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍ ٍ ِ

from bowing down when I commanded you?” He said: “I am better than he. You created me from fire and him from clay”. (6) If we follow Satan’s (the Chief Deceiver’s) advice, we will be punished, but if we follow Allah’s guidance, we will not go astray. We will continue to enjoy Allah’s bounties in this life, and be eligible for the Eternal Bliss in the Hereafter. Although man was born weak (Q.30:54), Allah made his frame strong (Q.76:28). We have to take advantage of this quality of strength in us and withstand the temptations of evil. Centuries of experience have made Satan much more shrewd and wise, and hence, if we are able to deceive the Chief Deceiver at his own game, it will double the pleasure for us.

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(7) If one does not possess the courage to confront Satan with confidence, one should at least distance oneself from him. It is always easy to avoid confrontation; however it is more courageous and fruitful to confront Satan, for it is the transformation within us that strengthens our will-power and enhances our personality. (8) We must never trust Satan. He promised Adam and Eve immortality if they ate from the forbidden tree. When Adam and Eve did so, Allah exposed Satan’s lie, by sending human beings down on planet Earth as mortals, with death as the common lot of all mankind. Only the rūḥ of mankind is immortal, the same that originated from Allah’s Breath in the garden where Adam and Eve had previously resided.

How does Satan operate?

Satan (Shayṭān) is the power that opposes Allah in the hearts of men. He whispers his mischievous suggestions in their ears and makes his proposals seductive to them, and so men become Shayāṭīn. Shayṭān is attached to each person so that it is possible for everyone to speak of my Shayṭān. The union between man and his Shayṭān is as close as between man and his blood. There is an evil person within all of us that needs to be tied and whipped just as a carpet is beaten or vacuumed to get the dust and dirt out. It has been said about Shayṭān that Lies are his traditions, musical instruments his muezzin (caller to prayer); all cross-roads his places of resort; all intoxicants his drink; and hunting women, his object. Satan operates through the hormonal network of mankind which sets into motion both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the neo-cortex, also called the 'new' brain or the thinking brain situated in the pre-frontal lobes. The brain being the barometer of the will-power that the person possesses, these neurotransmitters determine the course of action that mankind pursues. Satan is aware of the frailty of human beings (Q.30:54) and knowing fully well that

ٌ َْ ُ ُ َ 4 َ ُْ ُ َ َ 4َْ ‫ﺣﻠﻮ‬ ‫ ﺨﻛﻤﺮ ﻟﻤﺤﺮﻣﺔ‬Ath-thamaratul Muḥ arramatu Ḥulwah: Forbidden fruit is always sweet, he approaches

man from all sides as a sincere friend and promises instant pleasure, a lucrative return and even immortality (Q.20:120). Satan unleashes the animal within man, who then demands immediate satisfaction of his carnal desires. Thus all solemn vows of abstinence are forgotten. In fact, Satan himself makes us forget (Q.18:63; 12:42). All those who befriend Satan become his servants and slaves, and Satan becomes the boss (Q.16:100). Satan rules the majority of mankind (Q.17:62; 15:39; 38:8283; 7:17), because Satan makes mankind forget to remember Allah (Q.58:19). One mechanism involved in this forgetfulness could be theorised: whenever we are confronted with a choice of evil or good, a short-circuit is made in the neural pathways, bypassing that particular memory compartment in the hippocampus, which is linked to a pathway connection to higher moral control in the brain where inhibitory neurotransmitters play a major role. We instead, get connected to those primitive sites in the brain which lead to a reflexive instinctual response. Moreover, we are not as free in our choices as we imagine since our response is influenced by social customs. Although Satan fears Allah (Q.59:16), Satan is a false god in his own right because the majority of mankind obeys him and carries out his commands. He blinds people’s vision so that they cannot distinguish truth from falsehood and light from darkness. Satan has diplopia, i.e. double vision, because of the squint he has. With one eye he winks and gives a smile, and with the other he shows us the wrong but enjoyable way guaranteed with full satisfaction. Satan sees concentrated testosterone circulating in man’s blood and urges him to give way to his God-given passion, which he does, and after he is through, Satan reminds him to say al hamdu lillah and thank Allah for it instead. Satan makes us believe sincerely that whatever wrong we did was the best thing to do under the circumstances, by dressing up evil as virtue and virtue as evil, neatly and professionally. Satan can present any falsehood in the guise of truth by blurring our moral vision, by reminding us there is no need to repent for a normal physiological response to that particular situation. Every man has a desire to be associated with a fraternity, an organisation or a union. But instead of a longing to belong to Allah, this desire of some alliance makes him gravitate towards joining a club of some sort or another, where time passes easily, freely and satisfactorily, albeit for a short period. Satan has no real power to force man what to do. He only has the ability to whisper evil suggestions to him. Befriending Satan in the long run may amount first, to our spiritual, and later, physical suicide. Shayṭān knows that he will be cast into Hell on the Day of Judgment. So, he wants to take as many of us as he can with him to give him company and some solace there. Those of us who positively respond to his

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suggestions succumb to his plans. In Q.3:175, Allah says: It is only the Evil One that suggests to you the fear of his followers: Be ye not afraid of them, but fear Me, if ye have Faith. Satan makes our actions alluring to us (Q.16:63) and debars us from the proper way by making our actions seem justified in spite of our intelligence and logic (Q.29:38), and so we get out-smarted. In any game, it is nearly impossible to level the playing field with Satan. Satan can ignite our passions with the greatest ease irrespective of the conditions within or outside. Taking advantage of Allah’s words that man was born impatient (Q.17:11), because he was created of haste (Q.21:37), Satan advises him of the swift passage and importance of time, reminding him that a man lives only once. He promises the man immediate satisfaction in a cosy and rosy relationship with his “I want it now, right nowâ€? syndrome. Testosterone circulating in the blood mingled with intense passion is a dangerous combination. It takes a lot from even the best amongst us to observe self-restraint, in the privacy of a room, with a young and willing girl. If the man tries to resist temptation, Satan tells him that this opportunity may never come his way again. Nothing pleases Satan more than when his victim listens and succumbs to his suggestions and whispers. Man does not realise that between intention and a wrong action lies a safety margin of some time limit. During this period, which may sometimes involve a second or two, the action can be prevented by using our neo-cortex, the thinking brain situated in the prefrontal cortex responsible for making final decisions, which is not present in animals. If during this short interval we ask ourselves whether this act would please or displease Allah, or what would be the consequences of such an act in this world and in the Hereafter, we may change our mind. We must remember that we will not be punished for the intention or thoughts involving ḼarÄ m activities, which intrude into our minds; but if we fail to block the intentions in time and eventually manage to perform those actions, Allah will take us to task. If in the very beginning we only would have remembered and given thought to the penalties due to us in this world as well as the next for every wrong action we were about to undertake, we would have abandoned all those actions which would have negatively impacted on our balance sheet on the Day of Judgment. Allah does not peer over the balcony of His heavens just to find anybody who is doing wrong, so that He could yell “Now cut it out!â€? We have the free will, and the choice is ours, to do or not do an action. In fact, although Allah does what He wants, He usually allows us to do whatever we want. It is no use crying later and supplicating, “Oh God, You created the problem and You alone should solve itâ€? in spite of knowing fully well that our mistake was due to Satan’s tricks and our ready acceptance of his promptings. Attachment to Satan implies detachment from Allah. Non-co-operation with Satan is as much a duty as is cooperation with Allah. It is best to kick our bad habits while we are on planet Earth because in the Hereafter there would be no temptations in our way; hence there would be no reward for behaving good where there would be no Satan, who would be in Hell all along. Some persons succumb to temptation and misusing the bounties of goodness that Allah has given them, channel them into evil avenues, be it money, knowledge, profession or influence. In simple language, Satan explains to us that the philosophy of hedonism (from Greek hÄ“donÄ“ meaning pleasure through worldly enjoyment) is the sole good in life and that there is nothing beyond this life. The ideal aim of man should be its pursuit, and that we will be sorry if we miss it. This is the trump card that Satan has in his hands, and through it, he takes advantage of our weak moment. There are men of talents and high status to whom great opportunities of spiritual insight come, but they let them pass by. Satan seizes this lucky chance and catches up with them. Where Allah had installed a “No Entryâ€? sign on the road, Satan tells man not to worry, no one is watching, you are quite safe, go ahead. And so the man continues to commit sins, which gradually become easy and trivial in his eyes, but major in the sight of Allah. Satan can cloud our spiritual 6/6 vision by offering advice through suggestions and in easy stages. He deceives us by showing the seductive temptations of this world (Q.35:5). Many a king and a queen, or a high priest has been vanquished in the very first round with Satan. Satan's clever manoeuvres are much stronger than the most pious among us. Satan can veto any good intention or action of ours at the very last minute. Satan only calls. Man listens and later feels ashamed and curses Satan. Here is an Urdu poem:

Hansee aatee hĂŠ mujhko hazratĂŠ insaan par, Fe‘lĂŠ bad tĂł khod karĂŠ la‘nat karĂŠ shytaan par: I feel like laughing at the honourable human being, who commits evil himself but blames Satan for it. He justifies himself by

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saying, The devil made me do it. Satan tells man to blame himself and not Satan, because man was the one who should not have listened in the first instance (Q.14:22). On the other hand, we also know that if we do not listen to Satan to indulge in obscenity, he may threaten us with poverty (Q.2:268). Hence, we commit sins now and again. Daily, Satan tells both men and women that we should take the middle course since Allah has made us a nation of ummatan wasatann (the community taking the middle course’Q.2:143. This ummah is called the best community in Q.3:110). So why not follow the pattern of the society? If we listen to him, we fall into error, and engage ourselves in wrongful doings. On the other hand, should we not comply, Satan would confront us with an array of counter-moves and counter-suggestions, promising many moments of solid pleasure and success, and a guaranteed prosperous future. Satan presents his evidence in such a misleading but convincing way that it is admitted as the truth, the only truth and nothing but the truth. Satan convinces us that what we think as ‘wrong’ may actually be right, and vice-versa. It is similar to looking at our own face in a mirror. What we see in the mirror is merely an inverse image of the same person. Our right is not right at all. A fan revolving clockwise is actually seen in the mirror moving anticlockwise. Later, once the evil deed is done, Satan consoles us by saying that we did nothing wrong. We were just a little immature or frightened. Moreover, all the doings were already written in our taqdīr/qadar (Destiny) in Al-Lauḥum Maḥfūẓ (the Guarded Tablet) by Allah Himself, long before we were born. In fact, we had to go through this exercise (e.g. drinking alcohol or committing any other sin) to ensure that Allah’s Words in our Book of Destiny were carried out. Satan will also convince us that the sin just committed was not major but minor, nothing to talk about, no big deal, just a trivial mistake in a permissive society where anything goes. He would further elaborate that even righteous people of old had committed much more grievous mistakes and Allah had forgiven them. Satan will also remind us subtly that to despair in Allah’s Mercy is by itself a major sin even if we accept what we did was a minor sin (Q.39:53). So what are we worried about? Come on, don’t waste any more time. Cheer up and have some fun. Man and woman often find themselves at a cross-road, where one sign directs them to Allah and the other to Satan. Allah’s sign says: Do not worship Satan since he is your avowed enemy, (Q.36:60) and Satan’s sign says: Disbelieve in Allah, (Q.59:16). Satan’s sign says that if we do not listen to him, we shall be threatened with poverty (Q.2:268), whereas Allah’s sign says the same thing (Q.17:22). Apparently, Allah and Satan both promise the same thing, but Satan’s promise is false (Q.14:22). Allah tells man that he is ungrateful to Him, while Satan reminds man that he should ever be grateful to Satan because if it were not for him and his arrogance, man would have been nowhere on Earth, and that it was Satan who was mainly responsible for bringing mankind here. At the sign-post, man finds the woman willing as if she were what his right hand possesses and hence lawful. If there is any doubt, Satan quietly whispers: “You know that marriage is a social contract and now that both of you have socialised and consented and Allah is the Witness, there is no need to call a qāḍi to intervene”. So, they get married temporarily, for ten minutes or so, with Satan being the qāḍi (officiating priest) and Allah the Witness. Both man and woman now agree that it was Allah’s will and that it was written in their destiny to meet and to perform this social contract of necessity and convenience. Later on, if the woman becomes pregnant, she has to suffer the consequences and remain a single parent for the rest of her shattered and pathetic life, while the man after a few minutes of pleasure gets off with no strings attached and may even refuse to shoulder the social responsibility of paternity. Satan would tell her to blame herself instead, because she was the one who should not have listened to him (Satan) in the first instance (Q.14:22). However, it should be emphasised that this act which is a common practice in Western countries and socially acceptable, is considered as fornication or adultery in Islam, and is neither condoned by Allah nor accepted by Muslims. Satan makes h arām seem halāl to us so that we may sleep with a clear conscience when the night comes. He cleverly uses following suggestions in well-designed phrases: (a) it was no sin but a minor mistake or miscalculation; (b) it was not intentional but a normal response to biological impulses at that time due to the inherited genes, thus relieving him of his responsibility for his short-comings; (c) it could not have been avoided no matter how hard he had tried, because God had already recorded it indelibly in his destiny long before he was born, and certainly he could not have opposed God; (d) it was no sin but a virtuous act because the poor widow was waiting for years for a little hug from some one and God chose him to do just that; (e) “Where have your courteous manners and manhood gone?” Satan is very shrewd, having played in both opposing teams, first as a worshipper of Allah when he was a jinnī living among the angels in the Garden and later, after having disobeyed Allah, committed to

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deceiving millions of human beings on Earth. Satan tells man to disbelieve in Allah (Q.59:16), and when man does so, Satan quits the scene, withdraws all personal responsibility due to his “It wasn’t me, partner” slogan, and leaves man in the lurch as soon as he has persuaded him to sin. The sinner might have enjoyed the process but not the proceeds, especially if he gets AIDS, herpes genitalis or any other venereal disease. He bit at the bait of pleasure not knowing there was a hook beneath it. Satan is a clever surgeon but is never present in the post-mortem room. Here is an Urdu poem:

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Ibleesé khanda zan né kahaa jaau; marmarin khaabon kee paree oan sé lipat kar so jaau: Pher yehee Iblees yu hin hansta rahaa sab gonahgaaron ké laash par, kahtaa rahaa marjaau. Laughing, Satan said, ‘Go on, sleep wrapped up with fair and beautiful women.’ Later, he laughed all the more at the corpses of sinners, saying ‘Die now’. Sometimes, taking advantage of man’s innate proclivity for hedonism and immediate gratification, Satan may tell man that Allah Himself wrote in the Qur᾿an that Life of this world is nothing but amusement and play, (Q.29:64) and hence Allah wants us to have at least an idea of what He has given us in this life. How could we know if what we are drinking is apple juice and not alcohol unless we have tasted both and known the difference? Satan advises us that the moment we have in our hand is precious and we must enjoy ourselves while we are alive, since this particular opportunity is not going to knock on our doors again. And as to what happens after death, we will see about that later. “Did not Allah Himself say that He is Raḥmān and He is Raḥīm, and that we should not despair of Allah’s Mercy? Why are you afraid? Come on now, what you are doing is no sin anyway and no big thing. The poor lady is waiting for years for a little love from someone, and Allah chose you to help her out. Allah is not going to penalise you for pleasing a poor distressed woman. Don’t you have any compassion?” Thus Satan puts us in the wrong, misrepresenting and misusing Allah’s permission and power (Q.38:82). Moreover, to some of us, evil deeds may look like virtuous ones (Q.35:8; 7:30). The same person that was friendly with Satan in the beginning now thanks Allah instead. He does not curse Satan but thanks Allah for having helped him to achieve his target, no matter if it was unlawful. Satan preys on man’s weaknesses by using his persuasive oratory. In case one is involved in fornication or adultery, he suggests that we pray to Allah by saying: “Ya Allah! Please consider this woman as what my right hand possesses (Q.70:30), so that it would not be considered a sin but a virtue instead”. Satan then becomes the qāḍi (officiating cleric) and Allah the Witness in this “mini-marriage” lasting just a few minutes of bed-sharing. Soon this concept is taken for granted with more of such social encounters. Satan has already advised him to blame his circulating hormones, neurotransmitters and biological responses for his immoral actions after engaging in them. In other situations, Satan may prompt us not to help the poor and the needy, lest we interfere in Allah’s Wisdom and Plan and retard the spiritual growth of the deprived. The crafty Satan will remind us that the soul attains perfection only through struggles and difficulties, physical and mental. Therefore, we should allow the beggar to stay and suffer where he is, and not to help him, and should not interfere with the upward progress of his rūḥ (soul) so that he achieves a more blissful life in the Hereafter. Satan will quote Q.2:214 that people who have encountered difficulties and painful times and adversities have better chances of going to Paradise. He will go even further by quoting the Ḥadīth that the majority in Paradise would be poor and pious persons (Sunan Abu Dāwūd). The development of any creation be it a human being, a flower or a butterfly, is strewn with numerous hazards before it reaches maturity and its full potential. In support of this argument, Satan quotes the following story: A man saw a butterfly struggling to get out of its cocoon preparing itself for the flight, by warming up its body to more than 80 degrees Fahrenheit before flying. In an effort to help out the situation he cut the cocoon with a pair of scissors. The butterfly emerged but could not fly because the struggle was meant to strengthen the body including its wings, and since there was no struggle involved, the wings were too weak to lift up the body in order to fly. Satan would also remind us that struggles are essential to growth whether physical or spiritual. Satan would add by saying that these beggars are lazy, don’t want to work and like to beg and we should not help them, otherwise they will never work and so become parasites and dependant on us for life. “Let them strive and find a job. Don't help them”. Satan does not tempt the unbelievers and sinners who are already on his side. In spite of all religions saying many things against Satan, Satan gives pleasure and happiness also to those who dress

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up in robes of piety and then they ill-speak of him, even though they receive good time and fortune from his company. Satan may remind us to be grateful to him because we would not have been on this Earth were it not for him and his arrogance. He may also suggest that we could not possibly have had a human race if Adam and Eve had listened to Allah, and not him, and partake of that tree. The progeny of humans started after Adam and Eve disobeyed Allah and tasted from the Tree of Eternity. The DNA in the human cells became the component for continued perpetuation of generations of human population. The ‘Tree of Eternity’ promised by Satan in Jannah is now symbolically our own family tree on Earth. Satan may also quote the names of some of his successful devotees who have become Presidents and Prime Ministers, so that we would agree with him and fear them. But Allah warns us not to fear them but to fear Him (Q.3:175). Yet, man acts as a clone of Satan by being unjust and ungrateful to Allah (Q.14:34).

Allah’s warnings about Shayṭān

Warnings by Allah should be taken seriously, since they will lead us straight to the Path of Allah (Q.73:19). We must remember to say: a‘ūdhu billāhi min ash shayṭānir rajīm during Satanic encounters. However, in spite of Allah’s warnings as quoted in the following verses of the Holy Qur᾿an, man does not pay heed. (1) O Children of Adam, do not worship Satan, for he is your avowed enemy, (Q.36:60). Do not allow the Chief Deceiver to deceive you about Allah (Q.31:33). Satan is ungrateful even to Allah (Q.17:27). He commands what is shameful and wrong (Q.24:21). Although Satan swears and behaves as if he is your sincere friend, he is your real enemy. We should be reminded of a Turkish proverb: Satan’s friendship will lead us to the prison door. So treat Satan, who is your enemy, like an enemy and not like a confidante (Q.35:6). y

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On raahé dauzakhast ké iblees meerawad; beedaar baash taa peyé on raah nasparee (Shaikh Sa‘di). The road that Satan walks leads to Hell; be careful not to put yourself in his footsteps. (2) Do not allow Satan to seduce you as he did your ancestors, whom he had banished from the garden (Q.7:27). Satan desires to cause hatred and enmity between you (Q.5:91) and then will forsake you (Q.25:29). Satan can sow enmity even in a family of prophets, leading to lies, intrigues and homicidal tendencies (Q.12:100). (3) That which is on Earth is made to glitter, to test which one of us is the better person in conduct (Q.18:7). This precept applies to man and woman both. Although with human beings, the male species is more likely to be blamed, it is not necessarily so. There is a chapter in the Qur᾿an (Chapter12: Yūsuf) about male chastity. Prophet Yūsuf (A.S.) was a perfect model of moral excellence and an example for any youth to emulate. No matter how much Satan tried, he could not succeed in tempting him. Notice also that Allah first advises men to be chaste (Q.24:30) and then women (Q.24:31). (4) Satan makes some of us deface or alter Allah’s creation, by producing experimental genetic mutations and joining the human cell to that of a monkey or a pig. Wali is a term which means friend or protector. Allah uses this term also to refer to Satan. Any one who takes Satan instead of Allah as a wali has clearly lost all (Q.4:119). Satan and his followers will go to Hell (Q.38:85). (5) If Satan should provoke you, seek refuge with Allah (Q.7:200; 23:97). As soon as we ask for refuge with Allah, He grants us refugee status, with all the privileges and security guaranteed by Him. (6) Although Allah can annul what Satan casts, He may make Satan’s suggestions as a trial for man (Q.22:53). Sometimes our thinking, behaviour and untrustworthy actions become responsible for sad moments of pain, disappointment and regret. Such actions and their results should serve as lessons for us. At other times, we often face a situation where the urge to give in to our temptations is so strong that we can hardly resist, especially when we are tired and exhausted. In such cases, our taqwā (Godconsciousness) and discipline, acquired during the mandatory 30-day annual Ramaḍān fast, helps us. This help is apart from Allah’s assistance, which we ask for in our du‘a, and is given to us for resisting Shayṭān’s temptations. All this needs a strong personality and will power, which is built up gradually, in increments, through a multi-disciplinary approach especially during Ramaḍān. If we have developed enough taqwā, then with the resultant will power we can challenge Satan and hold him by the throat. Asking Allah not to draw us into a trial is an indication that we have already fallen into a trial (Q.9:49). It is not enough for us to say that we will not be evil; we should be fighting evil and nipping it in the bud

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as soon as its ugly face shows up. Reading the Holy Qur᾿an or sounding of the adhān chases away Satan. Just saying, “Take Precautions” or by putting up a signboard stating “Beware” is not enough; this should be accompanied by actions of precautionary measures. For example, a Ḥadīth, Separate your children’s bed when they are 10 years old, is responsible for near zero rate of incest in Muslim households all over the world, compared with the high rate among non-Muslim families. A precautionary note takes on another pattern in this Persian poem:

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Rezq agar chand beegamon bérasad, sharté aqlast jostan az darhaa; war ché kas bee ajal nakhaahad mord, tó maró dar dahaané azjdarhaa. Although the daily bread can come without planning, the brain stipulates that you must seek it. And if no one dies except at the appointed hour, you must not go into the dragon's mouth. (7) We should seek Allah’s refuge and protection from Satan in the following situations: (i) From arrogant and proud persons (Q.44:19) especially if they do not believe what we say, and hence they may wish to cause us physical harm (Q.44:20). (ii) If we think that we are not speaking the truth ourselves because of our ignorance or lack of knowledge (Q.2:67; 11:47). (iii) We must seek refuge with Allah from evil eyes, witchcraft and other types of psychological terror (Q.113:4) because some people seek refuge with persons among jinn rather than with Allah (Q.72:6). Witchcraft is also called sorcery, when a witch resorts to black magic or casts an evil eye to cause illhealth, insanity or death, to better the client’s health or status, or to sow discord between someone's husband and wife. That knowledge was initially obtained from angels Hārūt and Mārūt in Babylon, who had also warned that such knowledge of witchcraft is a trial for them and they should not disbelieve in Allah’s guidance (Q.2:102). Muslims should not believe in witchcraft since nothing happens without Allah’s permission. An Urdu poem says:

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Mudda ee laakh buraa chhaahé tó kyaa hotaa hé; Wohee hotaa hé jó manzooré khodaa hotaa hé: What happens when the supplicant asks for calamity a hundred thousand times? The only thing that happens is what is approved by God. (iv) We must also seek refuge from the mischief of the envious (Q.113:5) and of the gossipers (Q.114:4). (v) We seek refuge with Allah when we are forced to commit sin against our will (Q.12:23). This includes statements made under duress by kidnapped persons. (vi) Whenever we become angry or َ we see another person in a rage and about to quarrel, we

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immediately utter the word ‫ﷲ‬ ِ ‫ﻋﻮ ِﺑﺎ‬F A‘ūdhu Billah for all to hear. This is a common utterance in such circumstances, and a very practical and effective one to stop any further arguments. It tends to defuse tension and brings about immediate reconciliation between two opposing parties. If Satan ever excites you to anger, seek refuge with Allah (Q.41:36). Although it is normal for most of us to get angry at times, the wise amongst us remain calm. (vii) The Qur᾿an mentions the disbelievers who accused the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬of being mad or bewitched (Q.15:6; 37:36; 44:14) and many aḥādīth confirm that some people believed that the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬had actually been bewitched. However, Allah categorically denies in His Own Words that the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬was either mentally ill, bedevilled or bewitched (Q.68:2; 81:22; 52:29; 7:184; 34:46). We should accept only the Holy Qur᾿an as the absolute truth. Allah Himself says that the Qur᾿an is the best Ḥadīth (Q.39:23) and the most accurate Ḥadīth (Q.4:87). In the following verses Allah advises us to follow no other Ḥadīth but His (Q.31:6; 77:50; 45:6; 7:185). As children, we may have been afraid of the dark, of thunder or lightning; but as we grew older, we realised that there were no hidden dangers in the dark. The thunder was merely a phenomenon of nature accompanied by lightning; and thus our fears receded. However, there are still some of us who harbour such fears and phobias of the dark, thunder, lightning, eclipse, crowds, etc. For such persons Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬had advised to recite the Mu‘awwadhatyn (Chapters 113 and 114 of the Qur’an) or Mu‘awwadhāt (Chapters 112,113 and 114) thrice, blow on hands, and then rub the hands on the body from head to foot. This procedure instils confidence and solidifies our trust in Allah since Qur᾿anic verses have healing powers (Q.17:82).

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There are also many ahādīth quoting the seeking of refuge with Allah from: (viii) Knowledge that is not beneficial, or is harmful. We must not use our knowledge of nuclear energy for destructive purposes as in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nor should we use our knowledge of genetic engineering to evil use, e.g. joining a man to a beast, a pig or an ape (Q.27:82; 5:60; 7:166). (ix) Dishonesty; various ailments; evils of affluence and also of poverty; evils of the self, comprising hearing, sight, tongue, heart and lust; Allah’s displeasure; evil of all creation; ill-mindedness and looking down upon the down-trodden. We must neither give in to Satan nor give up. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬never gave in or gave up in spite of all odds. We must begin by saying: a‘ūdhu billāhi minash Shayṭānir rajīm, with a firm resolve of stoning Satan. Satan could be subdued albeit with some difficulty. An encouraging Ḥadīth of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬helps us as a reminder. Prophet‫ ﷺ‬said that every human being has an Iblīs as his alter ego. (Alter ego is a very close and trusted friend who seems almost a part of oneself). The ṣaḥābah inquired whether he, too, had an Iblīs. Prophet‫ ﷺ‬said; yes, but I have made my Iblīs a Muslim, (i.e. the Satan in me has been subdued and has submitted to Allah’s Will). As far as possible, we must not give up by saying: “Oh Allah, don’t put us in a trial”. This itself becomes a trial (Q.9:49). Let us challenge Satan instead. (x) This Persian poem by Shaikh Sa‘di also warns about Satan: y

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Doshman agar doost shawad chand baar, Saahebé aqlash na shumaarad bé doost; Maar hamaanast bé seerat ké hast, War ché bé soorat bedar aayad zé poost. If an enemy becomes a friend many a time, an intelligent person will never count him as a friend; in nature a snake remains a snake, even if it sheds its skin and dons a new face. Again: another Persian poem unmasks Satan's inherent feature: (

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Nishé ‘Aqrab na az rahé keen ast; iqtizaayé tabi ‘atash een ast: The sting of the scorpion is not because it has any particular malice against anyone; this is its inherent constitution.

Was shaytān an angel or a jinnī?

ٌ4 4 َ meaning to cover, to hide. (‫ﺟﻨﺔ‬ First, a few words about jinn. The root word of jinn is janna ‫ﺟﻦ‬ ِ jinnah ٌ4َ

means madness while ‫ ﺟﻨﺔ‬jannah means an enclosed garden with so many tree branches as to cover or

hide the ground, a common reference to Paradise). Jinn are intelligent beings created long before Adam, made out of smokeless fire (Q.55:15), from the fire of a scorching wind (Q.15:27), concealed from our eyes and other sensory organs, and capable of assuming different shapes and performing super-human tasks. A powerful jinni is called ‘Ifrīt (Q.27:39). Both jinn and mankind were created to serve Allah. They have males and females. They eat and drink and propagate their species. There are good and evil ones among them. The jinn are mukallafūn i.e. accountable for their deeds, because they have the freedom to obey or disobey Allah (just as human beings but unlike angels). Hence, jinn could be either Muslims or kāfīrs. They know fully well that they have to appear before Allah on the Day of Judgment (Q.37:158) when they would be rewarded or punished. The word jinn means to hide, and maybe that is why we do not know the hidden meaning of Jinn. Iblīs (Satan) could not have been an angel because angels are made out of light. He was a Jinnī, made out of smokeless fire (Q.55:15) from the fire of sammūm (scorching wind) (Q..15:27) Iblīs is a unique creature. He was a pious Jinnī residing among the angels of Paradise (Q.2:34; 7:11; 15:31; 18:50; 38:74) and perhaps because of such beautiful, bountiful and angelic company, he worshipped Allah for a very long time, using his choice of free will and action to do so. However, a time came when Allah said to the angels that He was going to create a vicegerent on Earth; Allah then fashioned Adam out of clay, breathed into him from His rūḥ, taught him the names of all things. “All” includes the various sciences. Then Allah commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam. The angels had no choice and prostrated. However, Iblīs who was residing among the angels was too proud and envious, stating with arrogance that he was better than Adam, having been created from fire instead of clay (Q.7:12). He was a confirmed and devoted monotheist and would prostrate to no one except Allah. Iblīs then used the same freedom of choice and action, and did not prostrate to Adam, thus disobeying Allah. Allah’s curse fell on Iblīs. He was demoted and ordered to leave Paradise (Q.7:13) together with

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Adam and his wife (Q.20:116-124), to dwell on Earth, where Satan was allowed to lead mankind astray until Doomsday. Iblīs was all in one, viz. a good and devoutly religious jinnī in the beginning and later a disobedient and an evil one as Satan. He is unique and has an amazing split personality for the following reasons: (a) He worshipped Allah for a long time, as a devoted monotheist and an obedient Jinnī in the company of angels in Paradise. (b) He disobeyed Allah as a disobedient Jinnī and was demoted also in Paradise. (c) He became devilish, at first in Paradise and then on planet Earth, to lead mankind into sin until Doomsday. These same attributes could be applied to any man who begins life as a devoted and pious monotheist but ends up as a kāfir. Here is a Persian poem:

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Doostee baa harké kardam doshmanee aaward baar; daaneh raa dar ka‘beh keshtam gasht dar botkhhané sabz: With whoever I made friendship, it bore enmity; I sowed the seed in Ka‘bah, it sprouted in a temple of idols.

Taubah or repentance and its requirements

We are going to discuss this subject under following heads: (A) sin; (B) sinner; (C) asking for forgiveness; (D) repenting or taubah;(E) Allah’s acceptance of taubah.

(A) Sin: Crime is a term used for violation of man-made laws of the land while in Islam, Christianity

and Judaism, sin is a religious offence due to violation of divine commandments. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, the concept nearest to sin is that of demotion due to the accumulation of wrong deeds associated with evil consequences, which must be purged out in the process of transmigration. Sin is a relative term as perceived in different religions, e.g. beef is ḥalāl for a Muslim but ḥarām for a Hindu while pork and alcohol are halāl for most Christians but ḥarām for a Muslim. A sin could be committed knowingly or unknowingly, with or without knowledge of the spiritual commandments and/or laws of the land. The modern day society believes that whatever does not harm is an acceptable behaviour. However, just because the society has accepted it, it does not mean it is righteous behaviour. The laws of the land may not be the same in different countries, e.g. alcohol and gay marriages, which are prohibited in Islam.

Why is mankind so prone to commit sins?

Allah understands human weaknesses and failings, because He Himself created us in weakness and helplessness (Q.30:54), weak in flesh and resolution (Q.4:28), impatient (Q.70:19) and fretful (Q.70:20). Man is hasty (Q.17:11), miserly and tight-fisted (Q.17:100), argumentative (Q.18:54), ignorant and foolish (Q.33:72) and in a state of loss (Q.103:2). (However, Hebrew Bible states in Genesis 6:6 that God repented after having created man. This statement is not accepted by Muslims. It presupposes that God has all the human qualities and weaknesses including that of making mistakes and then repenting for them). Man was not sent to this world as a perfect being since he was originally made from dirt and thus expected to have dirty animal qualities. He was instead sent with potential to develop into a perfect being, so that he could present himself to Allah on the Day of Resurrection as His best creation, with less evil qualities needed to be burned in Hell, a pre-requisite feature for entry into Heaven in the state of absolute purity. As we pass through the corridors of our allotted time on Earth, we accumulate sins, some minor, others major. However, we are not the first persons to commit sins. Adam and Eve were such persons. The Holy Qur᾿an mentions some other righteous people who too had committed sins, but Allah forgave them. Here are some self-explanatory aḥādīth: All of Adam’s descendants constantly err but the best of those who constantly err are those who constantly repent, (Ibni Majah). Another Ḥadīth: If you did not commit sins, Allah would sweep you out of existence and replace you by another people who would commit sins, ask for Allah’s forgiveness and He would forgive them, (Ḥadīth Sahih Muslim). Yet another Ḥadīth: Allah has written for Ādam’s son his share of adultery, which he inevitably commits. The adultery of the eyes is the sight; the adultery of the tongue is the talk; and of the inner self, wishes and

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desires; and the private parts testify all this or deny it. Jesus, pbuh, said: He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone at her. Not all descendants of Prophet Ibrāhīm are righteous (Q.37:113; 2:124). There are many people who pray five times daily and still drink alcohol. There are some who are hāfiẓ of the Qur᾿an and also offer the tahajjud prayers, and still commit sins. Satan is so strong that even the most righteous and pious amongst us are warned that we must beware of Satan even while reading the Qur᾿an (Q.16:98). Many persons repent many times a day during their prayers, and ask Allah regularly for forgiveness, but are reluctant to give up their mode of sinning. Every town has some wicked people who cause mischief, not knowing that eventually they are plotting against themselves (Q.6:123). Some people vie with each other in sinning (Q.5:62). In a world where there are no innocent people, how can we judge who is guilty and who is not? We have been advised not to judge any man until we have walked two moons in his moccasins. We do not possess X-Ray eyes to see through a person and hence we should not judge people by their Friday appearances, however well-bearded and turbaned they may be. We, too, could be judged by someone in the same manner. We also should not condemn the judgment of another if it differs from ours, because both of us may be wrong. People are divided into two groups: the righteous and the unrighteous; not everyone agrees to such a division. Although every vice has a ready excuse, there are chapters in the life of both the righteous and the unrighteous persons that are remembered but not read aloud. Our priorities must represent the tasks we want to accomplish and we must strive to achieve those priorities. Avoiding the same blunder a second time is also counted as a success. A good act produces a constructive effect on human personality while a bad one has a harmful effect. The act may be good or bad, manifest or concealed. It makes no difference. It requires no outside policing, since every deed is permanently recorded by the two angels called kirāman kātibīn. Sin is an offence which could be petty or grave, punishable probably in this world but more likely in the Hereafter where it will be classified as a minor or a major sin. Sins well-planned in advance are of graver consequence than those done on the spur of the moment. Sin is an oppression of ourselves by ourselves as expressed in the first ever du‘a, offered by the first husband and wife team, Adam and Eve, asking Allah for forgiveness and recorded in the Holy Qur᾿an (Q.7:23). Any sin, however small, should not be taken lightly since its consequences are unknown to us. Here the poet says:

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Gonah raa khord mashmaar gar nadaaree taabé roswaa ᾿ee, ké bahré gandom beeroon zé baaghé Khold Aadam shod: Don’t count any sin as petty if you do not possess the power to endure public disgrace, since Adam was thrown out of the Garden of Eden for the sake of a few grains of wheat. We Muslims also believe that sin is not hereditary. Mankind is born sinless, with a clean slate, tabula rasa. Catholics interpret the bible as "all humans are born in sin." That is why they baptize the newborns to wash away that sin and be saved by God's grace. Perhaps "born in sin" may also mean being born with defective genes, responsible for impatience, disobedience, anger, homicide, etc. and not necessarily the original sin that Adam and Eve had committed. Muslims believe that we are born sinless, not having actually committed any sin before birth. Whatever roles we play on planet Earth in the drama of life from the time we enter its gate till our exit, its quality will be judged when we have completed all our acts and made the final appearance on the stage of the Hereafter. We are human beings and not angels, and hence we are fallible just like all other fellow-beings (Q.72:11; 35:32). In fact, mistakes and sins are necessary requirements for us to repent and march towards perfection. The best of us may slip and the most cautious may fall; but he is an angel who never errs, and this we could never be. Nearly every one of us could be called a sinner in one way or another, yet no one is prepared to admit the guilt. We may get away with so many sins and crimes here, but not in the Hereafter. Allah commits no mistakes but allows us to make them, so that we could use our intelligence and correct the errors. We should be reminded that the problems we have are not as great as the Power behind us. When we lift our hands for a du‘a and ask Allah for forgiveness, He opens His arms to embrace us. Because sin puts people at enmity with Allah, it requires repentance and forgiveness while virtuous deeds invite Allah’s love and eligibility for a great reward. Sins cannot be undone but could be forgiven. An enemy may not have the power to forgive us but it is definitely within our control to forgive him. It is better to forgive when we are still in control of our senses. In old age, if we get afflicted by a

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disease like Alzheimer's, we will neither remember the wrong we had committed nor be able to identify the person whom we had wronged so that we could ask him for pardon. When one commits prohibited sins, they are called sins of commission. These involve conscious and wilful action, and are much more serious than sins of omission, where we fail to do what is required of us. Intentional misdeeds are more serious than unintentional ones. Minus marks are actually earned and recorded in our ledger by committing sins wilfully, the punishment for which is to dwell in the fire (Q.2:81). Allah has told us through all His messengers that He commands forgiveness as well as grievous penalty (Q.41:43), being the most Just of all Judges. We cannot do evil to others without some loss to ourselves. Hence we should avoid both the outward and the inward sins (Q.6:120). We should listen to our conscience and intelligence so as to avoid being companions of the blazing fire (Q.67:10). Allah wants us to rid ourselves of the burden of sins we have gathered during our journey in this planet, so that when we return to Him in the Hereafter, our wrong deeds would be much lighter, and it would become easier for us to proceed to perfection. When we earn a sin, it is our own stain (Q.4:111). No one bears another’s burden (Q.6:164; 17:15; 53:38). If we have committed a sin, we must immediately acknowledge the wrong-doing, repent and rectify it by doing a good act. This is in order to get some plus marks (Q.9:102), such as by giving some sadaqah, and share whatever bounties including wealth that Allah has endowed us with. This spreads goodwill and equity in the society. Sins of emotion are slander, anger, and back-biting; while those of intellect are intrigues, fraud, and indulgence in nuclear, chemical and biological warfare. The sins of limbs are violence in its various forms; and of sexual organs are adultery and fornication. Only when our brains are functioning and our eyes are open can we catalogue the sins we have committed and the oppression that we have inflicted upon ourselves during our life time. Although a Muslim knows what he should be doing, he must also watch what he should not be doing. Sins result from abuse of different parts of our anatomy e.g. brain, tongue, hands, feet and sexual organs. We must analyse where we did wrong and how and why. The same organs correctly used could prevent sins, as this Ḥadīth says: Whoever amongst you witnesses an evil, let him change it with his hand. If he is unable, then let him change it with his tongue. If he is unable, then let him change it with his heart and this is the weakest faith. (Imām Muslim). Most sins begin with pleasure, sometimes during prosperity and high office, but end in untold harm to self and to the community. After the first hesitation in committing the sin, indifference follows, and it is repeated as a ‘no problem’ item which later becomes addictive. Any sin loses its grave significance and impact on the sinner when committed repeatedly. It is soon accepted by the individual as a normal abnormality and later, by extension, is viewed by society as a normal practice attracting a light or no penalty in view of the imposed current fashions of the times, or a small price to pay for progress. In some societies, people are not considered as sinful but as immature, burdened by poverty or other problems. Hence sin is not considered so ugly again but passé (out of date and no longer fashionable). Some persons commit indecencies and say that their parents did the same and Allah has commanded them to obey their parents, not realising that Allah never advocates any sin (Q.7:28). Although life is short, it is long enough to ruin any man who wants to be ruined. Whatever you do in the dark shall come to light, probably in this world but definitely on the Day of Judgment. Sins could be minor or major. Minor sins include arrogance, suspicion, greed, jealousy, frowning,

ْ ْ َ َ​َ anger and theft. However, there are certain sins called ‫ ﻹﺛﻢ‬ kabāiral ithm meaning major sins ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻛﺒﺎﺋﺮ‬

(Q.42:37). Allah may not forgive these sins. Some of these are: (1) Polytheism or shirrk. One sin that is definitely unforgivable is assigning partner/s to Allah (Q.4:48). Islam has zero tolerance for associating any kind of a partner with Allah; such a category includes apostasy when a Muslim denounces Islam to convert to any other religion; (2) murder, including suicide and homicide (Q.4:92); permitted exceptions are killing in war while defending one’s religion; also in times of oppression by a tyrant ruler, or to protect one’s life while foreseeing danger; (3) usury; (4) usurping orphan’s property; (5) slander (Q.104:1; 68:11); (6) fornication or adultery including rape and incest (17:32); (7) falsely accusing someone of adultery or fornication; (8) insulting parents;

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(9) despairing of Allah’s mercy; (10) taking intoxicants in any form or shape; (11) infanticide (Q.17:31); (12) fleeing from battle while fighting an enemy; (13) namīmah i.e. carrying false information from one person to another in order to cause hostility between them; (14) hypocrisy (Q.48:6); (15) denying education to family members (Ḥadīth: Saḥiḥ Muslim); (16) trespasses against truth and reason (Q.7:33); (17) being ungrateful to Allah (Q.2:276); (18) acts of sinful impostors (Q.45:7); (19) swearing to falsehood. For those of us who avoid major sins and indecencies, our minor sins would be forgiven and we would be admitted to a gate of honour (4:31; Q.53:32). (Lamam or the lesser offences, include looking at those things which provoke the sexual urge within us and lead us gradually to adultery such as lustful gazing of men and women at each other; watching sexually provocative materials in TV, magazines, on the internet and in the cinemas; going to discos, casinos and even sea-fronts where nudity is prevalent; winking, kissing and embracing that may lead to major sins including zina or adultery). In Q.17:32, we are warned not to come anywhere near adultery.

Evil deeds are termed in the Qur᾿an as ‘amil us sayyiāt, with many references. Many of us actually deserve the punishment (Q.22:18). Wrong-doers and oppressors befriend each other (Q.45:19). The first fault is of those who commit them, and the second is of those who permit them. Just as a knock on the door of a criminal signals imminent arrest by the police, a thump in the chest due to a missed heartbeat in a sinful person may usher a cardiac arrest. By instilling some fear into mankind and forewarning us about the severe punishment, Allah purposefully shows His mercy in order to restrain us from committing any more sins. Allah says in Q.30:36 …if some evil befalls them for what their own hands have forwarded. (This applies to many calamities and catastrophes inflicted on human beings by themselves, such as AIDS and others).

Allah may forgive sins committed against Him, e.g. neglect of normal compulsory duties such as prayers, fasting, zakāt, etc. but He may not forgive sins committed against fellow-beings (like backbiting, robbing, physical violence, etc.) unless the victim on whom injustice was done has been asked by the aggressor for forgiveness and the victim has agreed to forgive. (We have at least two opportunities every year during the two ‘Ids to ask for forgiveness from each other for any wrong we might have inflicted knowingly or unknowingly).

The recording and registering of deeds includes the act itself and the consequences of the act that follow (Q.36:12). Some persons will bear the burden of their own sins as well as of those whom they misled (Q.16:25). When we hold on to one root of evil, we find it has grown into a thousand branches. It is just not enough for a person to feel sorry for his past sins. He should also recount the sufferings of others caused by his misbehaviour and compensate all of them to the best of his ability. In this way he will be able to adjust his scale for the Hereafter. If someone leads another to the wrong path and if the off-spring of the strayed one persists on that path, then all the evil deeds of the thousands of sins and corrupt practices of the off-spring (which in fact were the result of a single act) will be added to the original. The sinner must realise the gravity of such an offence because the consequences of a particular sin may appear many years later after the sin was committed. On the Day of Resurrection, they will bear the heavy burden of their own sins as well as the sins of those whose ignorance and foolishness they exploited in order to lead them astray (Q.16:25; 29:13). Evil consequences due to accumulation of wrong deeds must be purged out through implementation of righteous deeds because every person is

4

given plus or minus marks in his/her personal register on the quality and quantity of his actions. ِ

َ َ َ ْ Innal ḥasanāti yudh hibnas sayyi āt: means, good deeds annul evil deeds َ ْ ْ ُ ‫ ﺤﻟﺴﻨﺎ‬ 4 ْ ‫ﻳﺬﻫﻦﺒ‬ ‫ ﻟﺴﻴﺌﺂ‬ ِ ِ ِ (Q.11:114). A good deed is rewarded ten-fold, while an ill-deed the like thereof (Q.6:160).

Mankind is created to worship Allah alone, Who, as an act of mercy, sends prophets to provide us with the guidance. We need this guidance for our salvation through this world as well as the world to come after this one. Allah’s justice grants information to us through prophets, of how to act and what to

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do before He holds us accountable for our actions. Therefore, once we receive the teachings of prophets and messengers, Allah’s justice means that He will punish those who would do wrong and will reward those who do right. We Muslims believe that though Allah is Just, His most fundamental attribute is Mercy. What has been done in the past cannot be changed. What we do in the future, however, is up to us. Even those of us who are mindful should be reminded that good deeds annul evil deeds (Q.11:114). But because truth is distasteful to the guilty (Q.8:8), we may refuse to own the sin and blame it on someone else, and so we get an additional penalty (Q.4:112). We must not turn a deaf ear or a blind eye to Allah’s warnings and guidance, and we should never forget the deeds, especially the misdeeds that we have sent in advance for ourselves (Q.18:57). Allah does not look at your appearance or colours but He looks at your hearts and deeds, (ḤadÄŤth: Muslim). The feeling of guilt and remorse which is associated with sin signals that we are aware of the spiritual standards which Islam represents. Remorse is a feeling aroused by a troubled conscience in those who have a conscience (conscience from Latin cĹ?nscientia, an inner voice speaking with great authority). It begins with agony and ends in illumination. This state of mind is necessary and good for us as it helps us turn towards Allah to confess before Him what we have done and ask for pardon. The problem with many of us today is that we do not fear Allah, which means that we don’t think twice about disobeying Him. Therefore we fall into sin without giving any real thought to its consequences. Most of us do not learn from our mistakes probably because of the built-in forgetfulness in the memory pathways of the brain and hence these mistakes are repeated. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Shirrk and false worship

In some people, unbelief is so deeply rooted that they have lost the slightest inclination to believe in Allah, and so turn a deaf ear, whether we warn them or do not warn them (Q.2:6-7). Even if angels were to come to them or the dead were to speak to them miraculously, they will not believe in Allah (Q.6:111). Such unbelief is unforgivable by all standards of logic. How can we deny the One Who has brought us into existence from non-existence and endowed us with a brain to think and reason? Fortunately such persons are in a minority. It is estimated that 3% of the world’s population do not believe in God while 97% accept His presence. Higher education sometimes means less religiosity. Some scholars believe that science is their religion, technology their profession, and achievement is their god. Some believe that science is their god. They think that science will conquer even death through researches in genetics, health and longevity. This has led them towards a new type of faith or belief in a better tomorrow, based on their own efforts only, leaving God out of their schemes. An Urdu poem:

y Ăƒ Ă„ Ă‰Ăƒ Ă„ K Ç Ăˆ ˜ Ăƒ Ă„ •– Ă… Æ 5 y Ă? ĂŽĂ? T m, Ă? Ă‘ Ă’ ¤ DE Ă“ Âľ C Æ5 ĂŠ Ă‹ ĂŒ

Science kĂł maghrib mein Khodaa kahtĂŠ hein; jo kochh bhi woh kahtĂŠ hein ghalat kahtĂŠ hein; dunyaa kĂł jahannam na banaadĂŠ science; laazem hĂŠ esee baat pĂŠ ham ghowr karein: The West calls science their god; whatever they say is incorrect; For science not to turn this world into Hell, it is necessary that we should ponder over it.

Allah is the only reality and whatever else we invoke besides Him is falsehood (Q.31:30). Allah has no partner (Q.25:2). By thinking of film stars, current songs, counting money, recalling past or present events or being engrossed in any other business while praying, we unconsciously join partners with Allah on a daily basis, which amounts to shirrk False worship in the form of associating partners with Allah is the greatest wrong-doing (Q.31:13). We have been advised to obey Allah and not associate anything with Him (Q.4:36). In Q.7:3, Allah says: Follow that which has been revealed to you by Allah and follow NOT any other AuliyÄ â€™ (friends or protectors) besides Him. We must necessarily accept Allah as the only Divine Being Who deserves our utmost respect and adoration which should not be shared with anyone else whom we love, admire and respect excessively. Obedience to Allah excludes obedience to man. Joining partners to Allah is considered a major sin in Islam and is unpardonable (Q.4:116). By sharing our wealth with both Allah and other partners, Allah’s share will reach the partners but the partners’ shares will not reach Allah (Q.6:136).

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How ungrateful can man be, knowing that he was brought into existence from non-existence, and was given his daily sustenance as well as a marvellous brain? Moreover, together with intellect and reasoning, he was also given the Qur᾿an to guide him; still he befriends others now besides Allah. Men visit far away places, to marvel at the heights of mountains, the vastness of the oceans and the motions of stars, and yet they never consider that they themselves are the best of Allah's creation. Whether we obey Allah or ignore Him, we have to face Allah both in this world and in the Hereafter. However, for our own good, we must obey Allah and His Apostle (Q.33:71). An evil one (qarīn) becomes the companion of those who do not remember Allah (Q.43:36). Even when we are free and comfortable, we must labour hard and make Allah our exclusive object (Q.94:7-8).

Tauḥīd, the strong belief in one and only One Deity, establishes a link between Allah and man, and liberates man from the power of priests and intermediaries, and such acts as worship of saints. Tauḥīd liberates the mind from all superstitions and fancy, from the grip of horoscopes and fortune-tellers, and from magic and witchcraft. Saints and angels have no power to rid us of our misfortunes (Q.17:56). Other human beings and pious persons themselves desire means of access to Allah. They neither have the power to remove our troubles nor to change the course of events. It is futile to worship humans, whether heroes or heroines, prophets or angels or saints. Prophets and angels are no more than creations of Allah. They are raised high in status, and so they demand our respect but not our worship. Ilāh means an object that is worshipped, e.g. person, money or concept. Some people call on such deities that can neither hurt nor profit them (Q.22:12). All animate and inanimate objects depend on Allah for existence and subsistence, and this dependence is expressed as sajdah or prostrating in worship, by all the creatures (Q.22:18). Atheists deny the existence of God while agnostics do not know whether God exists or not. They believe that the evidence for and against the existence of God is inconclusive and all arguments for and against God are futile. They do not believe much of what we Muslims believe. Unfortunately, the proportion of unbelievers is rising with each generation. For them, disbelief is also a form of belief. Atheists form about 3% of the world population. The slogan of an atheist is: “Freedom of religion also means freedom from religion.” The hippies (John Lennon and others) believed that they could find spiritual emancipation and their own version of nirvana through secular philosophy and by such things as unlimited drugs and sex in a world “with no countries, no boundaries and no religion too”. This outlook brought them to a dismal end. Most hippies and their leaders of the 1960s either killed themselves or died from drug-induced comas in the early 1970s. Atheism has been the official stance of most communist countries, including much of the People's Republic of China and the former Soviet Union and is advocated by many modern scientists world-wide. Moreover, there are certain religions such as Buddhism and Jainism that do not require belief in any deity. Heresy is the profession of a belief or opinion contrary to the orthodox tenets of religion. In certain countries, heresy and atheism were considered as criminal offences and atheists were sentenced to death by burning as was the case in Europe in the seventeenth century. However in the USA now, heresy is not illegal since religion is not mentioned in the constitution and the person cannot be charged for heresy. Shirrk is anything that prevents exclusive devotion to Allah. On the opposite end of the spectrum is tauḥīd which is the acceptance of the only One God. Tauḥīd is the opposite of Shirrk in which man-made laws dilute and pollute the Divine laws causing allegiance to a dual sovereignty. This may be due to a current fashion or signs of the times, or an ancestral custom. If we worship self, we will be witnesses against ourselves in the Hereafter (Q.6:130; 17:14). Some of us take lust as our god (Q.45:23) and focus most of our time on it. However, our own misused faculties and organs will be witnesses against us on Judgment Day (Q.41:20-23). Instead of asking God for our needs of sustenance such as food, money, shelter, we ask others and therefore make them partners with Allah, e.g. Satan, whom some persons befriend instead of Allah and receive their requirements through devious means. The Qur᾿an mentions that if we worship angels and jinn, they will disown us (Q.34:40-41). Some of us worship money and call ourselves Muslims, yet in the same breath, we call other idol-worshippers kāfirs, as stated in this Persian idiom:

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y y ÍÞß Û Ú Ü Ô Õ Ö × Ø Ý T × bÙ [ Agar eeshon Abdus Sanamand, tó Abdud deenaaró darhamee: If they are T

idol-worshippers, you are ‘Abdud-dinār and ‘Abdud-dirham’ (slave to money). Idolatry (from Greek eidolon or image and latreia or worship) is the worship of a material object that is held to be the abode of a superhuman personality. In modern times, most of idolaters interpret their worship of a wooden object or a stone, as a visual aid to a divine being only, having no divinity in themselves. In this regard, our understanding of idolatry is different. We believe that wealth, career and talents are the modern idols, and using all of our prime time in the pursuit of these ‘idols’, damages our relationship with God. We become blind to the truth and fall into evil avenues by failing to reserve some time for practising our own religion. For most worshippers, money competes with God and frequently wins over their devotion. Money that is worshipped and hoarded will become shackles on the Day of Judgment (Q.3:180). Hoarding by some of us may amount to worship of money. Some of us count money before, during and after prayers too. Hoarding causes poverty and consequent crime in the community by preventing the circulation of money. When the bells of death ring, then man realises his mistakes. He looks at his wealth for which he has spent his whole life. This wealth is now useless for him in the grave, and much worse in the Hereafter. Priests, pseudo-priests and deified men often acquire cult status. Other men like top grade scientists with God-given gifts of intellect are also revered highly in the modern world. They can all get pushed up to the status of idols through the help of a fawning media. Some false “gods” associated with false worship are: (1) Material objects, such as: (i) human idols, e.g., heroes and heroines of history, movies, etc.; (ii) wealth; (iii) property; (iv) jewellery, stonework including precious stones; (v) cars, TV, computers and other gadgets. Being busy with all these, we do not even bother to look at the clock to see if it is prayer time or not. We often forget to worship Allah (whether in form of ritual prayers or service to our fellowmen), and continue being occupied with these “toys” without due consideration to some time reserved for Allah. This is one form of idol worship. When we speak about Shirrk and associating partners with Allah, do we really mean that people worship stones and statues? Worship is not simply prostrating on a prayer mat but signifies carrying out the commands of Allah. Ask any Christian or Hindu and he will tell you that he worships only one God, the Supreme Being. For us, there may appear as confusion between the concept of Trinity and the Oneness of God, or between the formless God of the Upanishads and the family of gods of the Puranas, but Christians and Hindus both are convinced that when they refer to God there is only One Supreme Entity residing above in the heavens. The Hindu would say that he follows the Brahma Sutra which says, There is only one God. And, O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone. (Rig Veda 8:1:1). He is One only without a second. (Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1). Whether we call Him Allah or God, Jehovah or Pranav (Aum) or any other, it makes no difference to Him and He remains the same One. By whatever name you call upon Him, whether it is Allah or the Most Merciful (Raḥmān), does not matter (Q.17:110). Some Hindu scholars say that they should be included among the “believers” since Hinduism is a monotheistic religion and not polytheistic. Chapter 8, verse 3 of the Bhagat Gita says: Brahman is the Supreme, the Eternal. The Hindus believe that the One Creator Brahman is responsible for creation of all others including devas and devis. Verses (Q.2:62; 5:69) of the Holy Qur’an remind us: Surely, those who believe, those who are the Jews, the Christians, and the Sabians; and who (1) believe in GOD, and (2) the Last Day, and (3) work righteousness will receive their reward from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve. So what is this Shirrk we keep on talking about? Shirrk is the giving our valuable prime time for those pursuits which take us away from the remembrance of Allah. A Hindu would say that he is not a kāfir because he believes in only One God (Pranav-Aum) and would argue that a murthi (statue) is simply a visual mechanism for remembrance of God just as the adhān (call to prayer) is an auditory mechanism reminding us to remember God. Even some persons who make murthis believe in one supreme God. (2) The worship of Self or Ego, because of power, wealth, status, talent, intellect, science or art is another form of Shirrk. Some of us worship other gods besides Allah with the purpose in mind of acquiring power and glory (Q.19:81).

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(3) Some persons worship their own passions, and become slaves to their impulses and desires (Q.25:43). If we worship anything else besides Allah, we may be disgraced and reduced to poverty (Q.17:22). (4) Jinn (Q.34:41). Some persons worship jinn and are “possessed by them.” Some of us while worshipping false gods, blame it on Allah’s Plan for having provided them with these ‘idols’, quoting Q.16:35, If Allah had so willed we would not have served any apart from Him. We are living in a polytheistic society where we are slowly being outnumbered by the unbelievers, most of whom are young. Science appeals to the young while religion appeals to the old. Some worship heroes and heroines, stars in the heavens and in films, saints and prophets, drugs and drug-lords, politicians, wealth and status, sex and sex symbols. The rich make their idols in gold while the poor make theirs from clay. False gods, whoever they are, whether idols or deified human beings, heroes and heroines, are all creations of Allah. If they cannot help themselves, how can they help others? (Q.19:42). Even if they are in a position to help, their priority lies in helping themselves first, and then others. The unbelievers seek protection not from Allah but from Allah’s servants who are human beings (Q.18:102). Priests are not God. The worship of priests and saints who are deified or credited with divine powers is found in many communities. We are warned not to worship the created but to serve the Creator. Allah commands us not to worship Satan but worship Him instead, Who is in line with Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm (the Straight Path) (Q.36:60-61). We should not deliberately and continuously reject Allah and be ungrateful to Him for His mercies; otherwise, we will be called kāfirs, as in Q.2:152. Who is a kāfir?

Kāfir: The word kāfir has been misinterpreted by most of us. It is derived from the Arabic root verb

kafara, which means to cover. A kāfir literally means a person who hides or covers the truth. It is an antonym to a Muslim, who openly testifies to the truth and submits peacefully to it. In the Islamic parlance, it denotes someone who deliberately rejects the true faith, i.e. Islam. However, we should be wary of calling anyone a kāfir and throw him to the wrath and the curse of God (Q.2:89), because only Allah knows who is truly a rejecter of truth and who is merely misinformed or misguided. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬is reported to have said about a Muslim: Whoever calls his brother an infidel, one of the two becomes deserving of it. We are all human beings belonging to the global family of human fraternity, albeit we may practice different religions and ways of life. Their religion is theirs and our religion is ours (Q.109:6) and Allah says that there is no compulsion in religion (Q.2:256). (The Qur᾿an does not mention death penalty for apostasy, nor prevention of entry to non-Muslims in Makkah and Madinah). In Q.2:62, Allah says that Jews, Christians, Sabians and those who do righteous deeds as well as those who believe in Allah and the last Day shall have their reward, and on them shall be neither fear nor grief. In Q.16:97, when Allah says about whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith ….., He does not specify Muslims only. In Q.4:124, Allah promises Paradise to anyone, male or female, who has faith and does deeds of righteousness while in Q.41:46, Allah says that anyone doing righteousness does it for his own benefit and vice-versa. Hence, we should not play God, be the Judge and pass sentences on people as we wish. Not every use of the root kafara means the rejection of faith and therefore the word kāfir does not necessarily mean infidel. The word kāfir is mentioned in the Qur᾿an with different meanings viz: 1. kufr al-tauḥīd: to reject the belief in the Oneness of God (Q.2:6). This action is taboo and unthinkable for a practicing Muslim. Although we refer to the majority of present-day Christians as ahlè Kitāb, Allah refers to them as kāfirs in Q.5:17 on the basis of them calling Allah, Christ. This verse is followed in Q.5:18 by warnings to Jews and Christians on a similar topic. 2. kufr al-ni‘mah: to be ungrateful to God (Q.2:152) or to people, (Q.26:18-19) for favours received. This includes many Muslims. 3. Kufr at-tabarri: to disown (Q.60:4), also applicable to Muslims. 4. Kufr al-juhud: to simply deny a statement or a view. Rather than calling them kuffār (which is the plural of kāfir), the Jews and Christians should be simply called people of the Book, or together with the Hindus, they should be called non-Muslims. (Recently, it has been suggested by some that Rama and Krishna may be considered as prophets by Muslims, and be among the 124,000 prophets sent by Allah to mankind. It is well to remind ourselves about the following: To every people (was sent) a messenger. (Q.10:47). And He also says: And (We sent) messengers We have mentioned to you before and messengers we have not mentioned to you. (Q.4:164). This means that there were prophets who were not mentioned in the Qur'an but that does

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not dismiss the reality that they were messengers from God. There are millions among the Hindus who believe in One God and submit to Him and do much humanitarian work. They also do not believe in idols (murthis). Allah says in Q.20:112, that, Anyone who does good deeds and has faith will have no fear of harm or of any curtailment (of what is due to him). Most people in today’s world do not reject the message of Islam although they are not aware of what Islam is and has to offer, mainly due to discourtesy of the biased international media and also to Muslims themselves, who fail to project the religion of Islam in its true perspective. How can we call such people rejecters of faith or of Islam? We should remind ourselves at all times that Allah is the Best Judge, not we. We should not be posing as God and calling others, be they Christians, Hindus or Jews, as non-believers. Allah says: Surely, those who believe, those who are Jewish, the Christians, and the Sabians; and who (1) believe in one God (Allah to Muslims), and (2) the Last Day, and (3) lead a righteous life, will receive their recompense from Allah. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve, (Q.2:62; 5:69). There is only one God. (Brahma Sutra). O friends, do not worship anybody but Him, the Divine One. Praise Him alone. (Rig Veda 8:1:1). He is One only without a second. (Chandogya Upanishad 6:2:1). Muslims call the Supreme Being Allah, Jews call Him Jehovah, Christians call Him God, Hindus call Him Pranav (Aum) and many others, the Africans call Him Kulunkulu. The name makes no difference. He is known by different names in different countries. In Q.17:110, we understand that if we call upon Allah or call upon Raḥmān, we can call upon Him by whatever name we wish. It is interesting to read the verse in the first of the Vedas called the Rig Veda: Ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti (Rig Veda:1.164.46): Truth is One; but the sages call Him by many names. Indeed this verse is comparable to Q.17:110.

(B) The Sinner: Good and evil qualities are attributed to actions, ideas and objects. Man is basically

good because of the divine sensor Allah has installed in him in the form of rūḥ, which was initially derived from Allah’s own breath and from which emanates whatever good qualities man possesses. Allah also created evil (Q.113:2) to test man if he is capable of being His vicegerent. He also revealed through the Holy Scriptures, especially the Qur᾿an, what is good and desirable, and what is evil and undesirable. This may sound strange, but it is really out of Allah’s great mercy that He has created evil and thereby gave us the opportunity to become the best and most beloved of His creations, by resisting Satan’s snares. If evil had not been created, there would be nothing to measure ‘good’ against. There would be no free will without the influence of evil on our lives. (In fact, evil is a part of life; when spelt backwards it is read as live). Angels have no such opportunity. It has been said that if we see a pious man, we should take a lesson from him, but if we were to come across an evil man, our lesson is to examine ourselves. If we see a man who has erred, we must examine how many times we have erred. Likewise, should we see a lustful person we should remind ourselves that we were the same once. Allah’s justice lies in His mercy in favour of man. If any man does good, the reward for him is better than his deeds while evil-doers will be punished only to the extent of what they did (Q.28:84). The fruits of evil in the Hereafter will be exactly according to the degrees of evil, but the reward of good deeds will be far beyond their merits, on account of the mercy of Allah. Allah is not lying in wait to punish those who have committed a sin. They have wronged themselves (Q.3:135) because sin is a type of oppression of ourselves by ourselves, as expressed in the very first du‘a supplicated by our father Ādam together with mother Ḥawwā᾿, asking Allah for forgiveness (Q.7:23). We must have hope in Allah’s mercy tempered with the fear of His justice. We must fear God but we should not be afraid of Him because He is the Most Merciful. Even if our life was riddled with sins, Allah may forgive all sins as mentioned in Q.39:53. َ َ

َُ ْ َ 4 َ َ َ ُْ 4 4 ََْ ْ ُ 4 ۚ ‫ﻤﺟﻴﻌﺎ‬ َ ُ ُّ ‫ﻓﻐﻔﺮ‬ ً َ ‫ @ﻧﻮ‬ َ 4 ; ْ ُ ْ ‫ﺒﻟ‬ ُ ُ َ ْ ‫ﻫﻮ‬ ُ َ ْ َ ‫ﻏﻔﺴﻬﻢ َﻻ‬F َ ُ ‫;ﻧﻪ‬ ُ ِ 4 ‫ ﻟﻐﻔﻮ‬ ُ ِ ْ َ ‫ ﺑ‬ ٰ َ َ ‫ﺮﺳﻓﻮ‬F ‫ ﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﻳﻘﻨﻄﻮ ِﻣﻦ‬ ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ ِ ? ‫ﻋﺒﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻗﻞ ﻳﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﻤﺣﺔ‬ ِ ِ ۚ ‫ ﺑ‬ ِ ِ

Say: Oh my servants who have transgressed against themselves! Despair not of the mercy of Allah; for Allah forgives all sins for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Notice that this verse has only been mentioned once in the Quran. Does this mean that Allah will forgive all sins of the same category once only but not all sins of all categories again and again? If the repentance for that particular sin was sincere enough to be accepted by Allah, the person emerges once again with all original innocence and purity with a new blank page. Good and evil are those which are determined by God and revealed to humanity. (However, modern society believes that good and evil are determined by human needs and interests only and are

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responsible for the pleasure or pain of the individual as well as welfare of the society). Both, good and evil, necessarily struggle to gain mastery over each other. When a person acknowledges the evil of his sins, he starts becoming virtuous. He confesses to Allah, asks Him for forgiveness and finally repents. Pious men have a dubious past, but a sinner has both, a past as well as present. Allah has endowed man with the freedom to choose between right and wrong and to distinguish good from evil. If we do not want anyone to know about our sin, we should not commit one. Hence religion if properly practiced as advised by Allah is the foundation of a community comprising of virtuous citizens (Q.3:104; 3:110). The function of pre-frontal cortex of the brain, given by Allah, is to differentiate right from wrong and good from evil. This ability to differentiate eventually leads to wisdom and wisdom increases with time and age. A sinner is considered as one who disobeys the will of God, the laws of nature or the rule of reason. In Islam, all three are grouped together with those acts that cause pain, harm or misery to others or to oneself. Righteous deeds are those that earn Allah’s good pleasure (Q.46:15). Often, we give in to temptations in states of fatigue or excitement, and also in times of plain frustration when we have nothing to do, e.g. when unemployed. Some other causes for our lapse could be to please someone for our own personal gain or to please ourselves as a diversion from personal or domestic problems; or when we are under the influence of drugs.

ْ َْ ُ َ َ 4َ 4 َ َ4 4 َ َ َْ َ ْ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ ََْ َ 4 ۚ ‫ﺮ‬ ‫ ﺳﻊ‬ ‫ ﻹﺛﻢ‬ ‫ﺠﻳﺘﻨﺒﻮ‬ ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ ِ Al ladhīnna yajta nibūna kabā iral ithmi wal ِ َ ‫ ﻟﻤﻐﻔ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻔﻮ ﺣﺶ ِ;ﻻ ﻟﻠﻤﻢ ۚ ِ; ﺑﻚ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻛﺒﺎﺋﺮ‬

fawāḥisha illal lamam, inna rabbaka wāsi ‘ul maghfirah: Those who avoid major sins and abominations, save the lesser offences; verily, Allah is of ample forgiveness, (Q.53:32). If Allah were to punish people for their wrong-doing, He would not leave hereon a single living creature, but He gives them respite till an appointed term, (Q.16:61). Allah is kind enough to send a sinner on probation, to see if he can repent in the interim, and report to Him that he has done so earnestly, so that on the Day of Judgment he presents himself to Allah as much spiritually cleansed as possible for his further entry into Paradise. However, some unfortunate persons pile up more sins in this probationary period and become further disgraced (Q.3:178). The pattern of treatment of sins is similar to the one we have in our correctional institutes for crimes, viz. to remove the offenders from society for some time till they have been reformed enough so as not to commit any further crimes. This is similar to taking some time off, confessing to Allah during prayers, asking for forgiveness, and then repenting with a promise that we shall definitely change our ways henceforth and that we will not repeat the sin. It makes a mockery of Allah’s mercy if we ask Him repeatedly to forgive us for the particular type of sin that we are engaged in during our life time.

َ َْ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ 4 Innamal a‘mālu bin niyyāt wal khawātīm: (Ḥadīth: Al-Bukhāri) means that ِّ ْ ‫ ﻷﻗﻤﺎ‬ ‫ ﺨﻟﻮ ﻳﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﻴﺎ‬ ‫;ﻏﻤﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺑﺎﺠ‬ ِ ِ

all actions are judged not only according to intentions but also the end-result. It is the end-result that counts since man can use his will-power to change his intentions. Shaikh Sa‘di explains further:

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Ché peesh az maa chó maa besyaar boodand, ké neek andeesh ó bad kerdaar boodand; badee kardandó neekee baa tané kheesh, tó neekoo kaar baashó bad mayandeesh: There were many persons like us before us whose thoughts were good but actions evil; they wronged others but did good to themselves. You do good and never think evil. Allah does not reward a person on promises and intentions only but on implementations and actions. The smallest action when accomplished is far better than the loftiest intention. Intention is usually an impulse which has found mental approval but its execution is postponed to a suitable occasion. The mind is focused on it, till action begins. During the interval between intention and action, a person may change his mind for the good or evil. On the Day of Judgment, we will not be punished for our thoughts or intentions, but for our actions only. Allah forgives what people think and talk to themselves as long as they do not implement them, (Ibn Kathīr). We are responsible for telling the neocortex (the thinking brain which animals do not possess) what to do and what action to take that is best for us. We should not ask: “O Allah, why do You allow us to commit such and such a sin”. Instead, we should ask: “O Allah, help us not to commit such and such a sin”. We may not have sufficient will power, but we do have enough freedom to veto any sinful intent. Responsibility exists more in the dictates of religion than in our neural circuit since intention is not so much accountable but action is. It is a well-known axiom that the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Good intentions are not an excuse to indulge in harām activities. It should be noted that: (a) if we intend good and do not do it, we are entitled to one good deed; (b) if we intend good and do it, we are entitled to 10 to 700 good

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deeds; (c) if we intend a bad deed and do not do it, we are rewarded with one full good deed; and (d) if we intend one bad deed and do it, we shall be punished for one bad deed only (Ḥadīth: Al-Bukhāri and Muslim).

ُ َ َ ْ َ َ ْ ُّ ْ َ ِ ْ ‫ﻣﺰ ﻋﺔ‬ Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: ‫ ﻵﺧﺮ‬ ‫ ﻧﻴﺎ‬Ad dunyā mazri ‘atul ākhirah: This world is a cultivating

ground for the Hereafter. We discover sooner or later that we are the sole gardeners of our lives. In such situations, we should be looking around for a place to sow a few seeds. Remember that it is better to have less in this world and more in the next, than to have more in this world and less in Heaven, (Haḍrat ‘Ali. R.A.). Allah takes into account whatever little we do, and will pay the account in full (Q.24:38-39). Allah has promised remuneration in the Hereafter for our services and fidelity on Earth. In the Hereafter, there will be differences in ranks and dignities (Q.6:132; 46:19) according to each individual’s spiritual development, not physical or financial status. On the Day of Judgment, our good deeds will be weighed against our evil ones and marks will be given to us on the basis of our past performances, by Allah, Who is the Best Judge. It is obvious that for us to have any chance to enter Heaven, our scale of good deeds must be heavier. We must in other words, have earned more than 50% marks while trying to balance our spiritual ledger (Q.101:6-9). Any man or woman who does good will be rewarded by Allah as per his/her best actions (Q.16:97). For those of us who have done righteous deeds, there is great َ ُ reward and much َ more (Q.10:26).

ٌ َ َ ُ ُّ َ ُ ُ َ َ ْ 4 َ ْ َ 4 َ َ َ َ ُ​ُ َ​َ ْ َ َُ ْ َ 4 َ َ ُ َ ‫ﻣﻮ ﻳﻨﻪ‬ ‫ﻫﺎ ﻳﺔ‬ ٍ ِ ‫ﻋﻴﺸﺔ‬ ٍ ِ ‫ﻓﻬﻮ ِﻲﻓ‬ ِ ‫ﻣﻮ ﻳﻨﻪ ﻓﺄﻣﻪ‬ ِ ‫ﻣﺎ ﻣﻦ ﺧﻔﺖ‬F ‫ﺿﻴﺔ‬ ِ ‫ﻓﺄﻣﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻋﻘﻠﺖ‬

Fa ammā man thaqulat mawāzīnuhū fa huwa fī ‘īshatinn rāḍiah; wa ammā man khaffat mawāzīnuhu fa ummuhū hāwiyah: Then, he whose Balance (of good deeds) will be found heavy, will be in a life of good pleasure and satisfaction. But he whose Balance (of good deeds) will be (found) light, will have his home in a (bottomless) pit, (Q.101:6-9). This Persian poem is self-explanatory:

y y K , DE bç K , K , ç K ,DE

é ê ABF 0 ë ì í AO

K , ñT ò óï ð î K , ) ô K õ å ?

Ay neek nakardé heech ó bad haa kardé; wongaah bé lotfé Haq tawallaa kardé: Bar ‘Afv makon takyé ké har gez na bowad; naa kardé chó kardé, kardé choon naa kardé. O you who have done no good and done all evil, and afterwards relied on God’s protection; Don’t depend on forgiveness since it can never be granted; an act not done is not like one that is already accomplished and one that is already done is not like the one that is not done. َ

َ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ ْ َ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ُ ِّ َ ْ َ 4 َ َ َ َ ‫ﻫﻮ ﻫﺎ‬ ý‫ﻳﻤﻰﻨ َﺒﻟ ﷲِ ﻷﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﻳﺒﻊ ﻏﻔﺴﻪ‬F ‫ ﻟﻌﺎﺟﺰ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ ﻟﻤﻮ‬ ‫ ﻋﻤﻞ ِﻤﻟﺎ ﻧﻌﺪ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻜﻴﺲ ﻣﻦ ﻏﻔﺴﻪ‬ ِ

Al Kayyasu man dāna nafsahū wa ‘amila limā ba‘dal maut wal ‘ājizu man atb‘a nafsahū hawāhu wa tamannā ‘alal lāhi al amāni: The smart person is the one who controls his desires and prepares himself for the Hereafter; the stupid person is the one who follows his carnal desires and puts hope in Allah, (Hadith: Tirmidhi). The faithful (Mu᾿mins) (Q.2:3) are certain of the Hereafter (Q.2:4; Q.31:4) where mankind will be rewarded or punished for their actions. Just as Allah would reward our good deeds, He would also punish severely those of us who have rejected Allah’s guidance and perpetually engaged in evil deeds. This certainty has been revealed to us in stages; the sequence being as follows: At first Allah has given us the probability of certainty of punishment through knowledge, reasoning and inference, called ‘ilm ul yaqīn (Q.102:5). Then we will see the certainty physically with our own eyes ‘ayn ul yaqīn (Q.102:7). And finally, there is the Absolute Truth, without any possibility of error of judgment or of the eye, called haqq ul yaqīn (Q.56:95; 69:51); after which we will be assured about this certainty by ourselves experiencing the punishment. If we constantly bear the following du‘a in mind:

َ 4 ْ ْ َ َ 4َ ْ ْ َ​َ ْ 4 ْ َ‫ ﺤﻟﻘﻨﺎ‬ ْ ُ َ 4 َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ‫ﺑﺼﺎﺤﻟﺎ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﻟﺼﺎﺤﻟﻦﻴ‬ ‫ ﺑﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﺧﺘﻢ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻋﻤﺎﺠﺎ ﺗﻮﻓﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻣﺴﻠﻤﻦﻴ‬

Rabbana, Wakhtim biṣ sālihāti a‘amālina, wa tawaffana Muslimīn wa alhiqnā biṣ ṣāliḥīn: O Allah, seal our deeds with righteousness and make us die as Muslims and join us with the good-doers. If we project this du‘a in full view every few minutes of the day, then nearly all sins, major and minor could be easily avoided. In this supplication we ask Allah that all our actions should end up in righteousness; that our life should end up as Muslims when we die; and finally for us to be joined with the righteous ones in the Hereafter. “Stoning to death” as punishment for adultery is not mentioned in the Qur᾿an. It is a Mosaic Law and is to be found in the Taurāt, yet not followed by Jews themselves. The Holy Qur‘an states in Q.24:2 that both the man and woman guilty of adultery or fornication should be flogged in public with a hundred

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lashes each, but the allegation has to be established beyond any doubt as false evidence in absence of four witnesses carries a penalty of eighty lashes (Q.24:4).

(C) Asking for forgivness

Before we ask Allah for forgiveness, we should ensure that we ourselves have developed some of His qualities of forgiveness. We disobey Allah so many times, but if any of our subordinates or our wife (who is our equal) disobeys us, we want to scold or punish them. It should always be borne in mind that Allah advises us to forgive even when we are angry (Q.42:37). He who does not forgive must remember that he is destroying the divine bridge that he himself has to cross some day, since he himself would need forgiveness some time. Forgiveness is better than revenge, since the former is a sign of compassion while revenge is symbolic of savage animal behaviour.

) ö µ÷ Intiqaam Aadmee kee haar hè, is an

Urdu proverb meaning: Revenge is the ultimate defeat of man, matched by a Persian proverb:

( U( ø µ÷ 0 ®Tù

í

Dar afv lazzateest kè dar enteqaam neest: meaning: There is so much pleasure in forgiveness that is not found in revenge. Although forgiveness cannot change the past, it brightens the future. Even the angels pray for forgiveness for all beings on Earth (Q.42:5). If we want Allah to love us we must spend freely both in adversity and in prosperity, and restrain our anger, and pardon fellow-beings (Q.3:134). All pious men and women who rise to the spiritual dignity of carrying the Throne of Allah implore for forgiveness for the believers (Q.40:7). Hasten not to punish but find room for pardon, (Haḍrat ‘Ali, R.A.). For Allah to forgive us, we must acknowledge our own wrong-doing and immediately mix it with an act of goodness (Q.9:102). Forgiveness deflates anger, apprehension, our ego and pride. We must forgive the enemy when he is alive and not when he is buried. Since Islam represents peace and goodwill, we should try to mend broken relationships and forgive others for the offences they have committed against us. Forgiveness is a rare quality, best exemplified when the person in spite of being in a much stronger position later, foregoes his rights and forgives the wrong-doer instead of taking the obvious course of revenge. We must also motivate and advise our brothers to forgive, so that we spread salams among ourselves by greeting each other with Salaamon ‘Alykum. This effort of ours becomes part of reconciliation and eligible for a reward from Allah. (Jesus Christ, pbuh, used to greet in Hebrew saying Shalom Alaykom, Peace be unto you; Gospel of Luke.24:36). The shame that we incurred over wrongs done to others or when others have wronged us causes much pain when we recall the incidents from time to time. Hence it is not only necessary for us to forgive in earnest, but also to forget, so that we are no longer haunted by the memory of the incident and the need of reminders to forgive the person again and again. Of course this is easier said than done, because to forgive someone with the tongue is easy but to erase the incident from the mind is rather difficult. Sometimes, it becomes really difficult to forgive and forget totally. If we forgive and don’t forget, it means that we have not forgiven. Moreover, situations may arise when we lose even this chance. For example, the other person may get a heart attack and need intensive care. In such a situation, we should adopt an attitude of compassion and forgiveness. This sympathetic outlook will gather further momentum if the doctor suggests that this day could also be his last one, and that we will never again have an opportunity to render such humanitarian service. God forbid (ma‘ādhallah), if a person dies without the resolution of dispute, for we would never get a chance to apologise, and would carry this sinful scenario to the Hereafter. Therefore we must do what we want to do, now. If Allah has sent a human being as an enemy just to try us, even then we should adopt a more forgiving attitude as implied in this poem:

( r ý µ [ µþ

y ( r K úAû ü À bç

Choon doshmané beerahm ferestaadé é Oost: Bad ahdam agar nadaaram in doshman doost: Since this merciless enemy has been sent by Him, I am untrustworthy if I do not take this enemy as my friend. To help us develop the quality of forgiveness, let us have a critical look at ourselves. How many mistakes have we committed in the past with which we have gotten away? We must clean our fingers first before pointing at the spots in others. Moreover, before pointing an accusing finger at someone, we

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should also look at our other three fingers pointing at ourselves! Someone while analysing himself once said: I hate mankind for I think myself as one of the best of them and I know how bad I am. Another, Turn yourself into an honest man and then you may be sure there is one rascal less in this world. Imam ‘Ali (R.A.) said: He who searches for people’s shortcomings, should start with himself. It is also said that an honest man is one who has never been caught. Forgiveness undoubtedly affects even the enemy’s feelings and creates speedy transformation in his thinking, conduct and outlook on life. To forgive is to set the prisoner free and then discover that he himself was the real prisoner. A great virtue that separates man from animals is that of forgiveness, toleration and overlooking the mistakes of others. Whenever we are victimised by others, we have a good opportunity to forgive and enjoy the benefits of forgiveness. We must forgive people’s mistakes and shortcomings, be it through commission of an offence or omission of brotherly duties. If we forgive someone graciously, it is more for our own sake and not so much for the sake of the other person. It is our own slate which is wiped clean. We must always be reminded that it is human to err and divine to forgive. Here the poet stresses that we must deal with people the S same way as God deals with us:

pD E KLD E ž DE DE ò ç

y Sy y p DE KÂ•Ă˜ ? ] ˜

Javon mardo khush khooyĂł bakhshandĂŠ baash; chĂł H aq baa tĂł baashad tĂł baa bandĂŠ baash; Be brave, well-mannered and forgiving; just as God deals with you, you must deal with people. If we were to come anywhere near to Allah’s attribute of forgiveness, we must also learn to forgive others. Because it takes enormous effort to forgive, by doing so we gradually acquire some of Allah’s attributes towards perfection. What grounds do we have to seek forgiveness from Allah, if we ourselves have not learnt to forgive our fellow-men? Allah has commanded us to repel evil with good (Q.41:34). Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏said: (a) Let there be no harm and no reciprocating of harm; (b) Requite injury

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?‍ﺎﺣ ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ‍‏ with kindness; (c) Mercy of God is for those who show mercy to His creatures; (d) ‍ﺎﺣ‏

ŮŽ 4 Ů’ La yarḼamaá¸ˇá¸ˇÄ hu man lÄ yarḼamun nÄ s: Allah will not be Merciful to those who are not merciful to ‍ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź

mankind, (ḤadÄŤth: Al-BukhÄ ri);

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ‍ﺎﺣ ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ Man lÄ yarḼamu lÄ yurḼam: He who is not merciful to others, will not be treated Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ‏ (e) ‍ﺎﺣ‏

mercifully, (Ḥadith: Al-BukhÄ ri). All disputes could be settled in a spirit of compromise and forgiveness. We should remind ourselves that whenever we look up to Allah for forgiveness, we must also look upon our fellow human beings with sympathy and forgive them. If there is a language which the blind can see and the deaf can hear, it is that of kindness and forgiveness. We have to ask Allah in all sincerity for forgiveness and then repent (Q.11:3; 11:52; 11:61; 11:90). Immediacy is essential in this procedure, which has to be performed quickly. There is no voice dearer to Allah than the voice of a weeping sinner

Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? 4

Ů’ Ů‘

Ů’ ŮŽ

Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ

with tears in his/her eyes asking for forgiveness. â€ŤŮŽďş‘ďťœ‏Ă? ‍ďť?ďť”ﺎ‹ Ů?‏ â€ŤďşłďşŽďş‘ďť˜ ;ďť°ďť&#x;‏ Ů?ŮŽŮ? Ů? SÄ biqĹŤ ilÄ maghfiratim min

Rabbikum: meaning: Hasten in the race with one another for forgiveness from Allah, (Q.57:21). Allah also says in Q.6:54 that God has inscribed for Himself (the rule of) Mercy. Whoever approaches Me walking, I will come to him running; and he who meets Me with sins equivalent to the whole world, I will greet him with forgiveness equal to it. (MishkÄ tul MasÄ bčḼ). Even if our life was riddled with sins, there is still some hope in Allah’s mercy, as depicted in this thought-provoking and soul-stirring poem by Shaikh Sa‘dÄŤ:

y y y ( ( ( ‡ Š° AO , bDÂœĂœ} ĂšF •ŠU

D U K , DE Ă˝ DEU S ( ç 0 Ă” Â? ; ]›DE AO ™ r

Yaa Rabb in naamĂŠ yĂŠ siyah kardĂŠ ĂŠ beefaayedĂŠ omr; hamchenon az karamat bar nagereftast omeed; Lyken az mashreqĂŠ eltaafĂŠ elaahee na ‘ajab; kĂŠ chĂł shab rooz shawad bar hamĂŠ taabad khorsheed: Oh God, this blackened manuscript of a useless life has not lost hope of Your generosity; but no wonder, for from the Eastern side of God’s grace, when night becomes day, the sun shines on each and everyone. Moreover, we must never despair of Allah’s Mercy for Allah forgives all sins.

Ů‘Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4 4 ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? @ Ů‹ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ LÄ taqnatĹŤ min RaḼmatillahi; innaá¸ˇá¸ˇÄ ha yaghfirudh dhunĹŤba Űš ‍ďş&#x;ďť´ďťŒďşŽâ€Ź ‍ďť?ďť”ﺎ‏ â€Ťďťłďť˜ďť„ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş‘ Űš Ů?; ﺑ‏ Ů? ‍ ﺣﺔ‏ jamÄŤŘŒann: means, Despair not of Allah’s Mercy, for Allah forgives all sins, (Q.39:53). Notice that Allah does not mention the number of times He would forgive all sins. There does not seem to be any limit to His mercy. Although the sinner would get tired of repenting, Allah never gets tired of forgiving.

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However, in the following verse (Q.39:54), Allah urges us to repent and behave ourselves before He imposes the penalty. We need to remind ourselves that nowhere in the Holy Qur᾿an has Allah said that we can continue committing sins all of our lives and He will continue to forgive us on each and every occasion. When a person takes delight in constantly pursuing harām activities, he may find a glimmer of hope in Allah’s recurring forgiveness. But with time, he realises that such nefarious activities cannot go on and on. These have to be stopped as Allah has also set a ceiling for his repentance in the form of death. Therefore, we should repent at the earliest opportunity for the sins that we have committed because we do not know when we would die. Allah also asks us to overlook other people’s faults with a gracious forgiveness which shall definitely change our own outlook on life, not only because we are short-lived but also because the end of the heavens and the Earth including ourselves is near (Q.15:85). (i) Although any time is a good time to ask Allah for forgiveness, the third part of the night when we offer tahajjud prayers is most appropriate. In the tranquillity of the night, we can have a better communion with Allah and confess to Him all the wrong that we did. Allah responds, grants all requests and forgives (Ḥadīth: Al-Bukhāri; Fiqhus Sunnah). There are also other stages in prayers where we usually ask for forgiveness, viz. (ii) while sitting down after the first prostration; (iii) during the final supplication after the 5-times compulsory prayers are completed; When asked what was the best supplication that would be heard, the Prophet replied "the one after Tahajjud and after every farḍ Ṣ alāh" Hadith: At-Tirmidhi. (iv) during Lailat ul Qadr. ‘Āyesha R.A. narrated: I asked the Prophet‫ﷺ‬: ‘Messenger of Allah,‘tell me, in case I should realise which night is Lailat ul Qadr, how should I supplicate in it?’ He answered; ‘Supplicate: O Allah, Thou art Most Forgiving and dost love forgiveness, then do forgive me.’ (AtTirmidhi).

Which categories of persons would be forgiven by Allah?

Men and women who will be forgiven by Allah will include: (1) Muslims; (2) the staunch believers; (3) the devout; (4) the truthful; (5) the patient and the constant; (6) the humble; (7) the charitable; (8) those who practice the Islamic fast; (9) those who guard their chastity; and (10) those who adore and glorify Allah (Q.33:35). In addition, Allah forgives whom He wills. Allah is the Only One Who accepts

َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ٌ 4 َ َ ِّ َ 4 ُ ‫ﺎﺤﻟﺎ‬ ً ِ ‫ ﻋﻤﻞ َﺻ‬ ٰ َ َ ْ ‫ﻋﻢ‬ repentance and forgives sins (Q.42:25). ‫ ﻫﺘﺪ‬ ‫ ﻟﻐﻔﺎ ِﻟﻤﻦ ﺗﺎ ﻣﻦ‬k ِ ِ I am He that forgives

again and again to those who repent, declare their faith with firm conviction, do righteous deeds; then they are the ones who are ready to be rightly guided, (Q.20:82). In this verse, four conditions for forgiveness are incorporated by Allah, viz., (1) We should repent; (2) We should declare our faith in Him with irrevocable strongly-bonded faith and without any reservation; (3) We must do good deeds; and (4) We must afterwards walk straight and be guided accordingly. Hence, it is imperative that we should reform ourselves. If we ask Allah to love us, then it is important that we should also control our anger and learn to forgive others. We must make ourselves worthy of His Love. And love should not be one-sided. If we want Him to love us, then we must love Him first by carrying out His Commands. We cannot expect the Almighty to love us while we continue to soil our love with deeds displeasing to Him. We learn from Q.2:165 that some people worship and love others just as they love Allah, but those faithful believers with firm conviction of belief are overflowing in their love for Him alone. The qualities of such people “whom He will love and who love Him” are further described in Q.5:54. Allah loves those who constantly turn to Him in repentance and those who keep themselves pure, (Q.2:222). Maulana Jalaaluddin Rumi says that Allah loves the tears of the repentant sinner more than the prayer of the Saints. Forgiving is not an easy task, because it is associated with some degree of shame and anger, for which we would like to get even with the offender. Such a thought may stay in our minds for many months and years to come. In the meantime, we ourselves will suffer from inner resentment which is detrimental to our physical and emotional health. We should be reminded that all human beings have come from the same source and if we hate another human being, we only hate a part of ourselves. If we look at our family tree far enough, we find that we, human beings, belong to one couple: father Adam and mother Eve. Hence, we are all blood relatives albeit we belong to different religions, race, colour or country. Hence, by communicating our forgiveness to the offender, we achieve a double

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reward. We get released from the ill-effects of resentment that dwell within us, and we also release the offender from the burden of the crime which had led to some shearing of human relationship, resulting in disrupted harmony, loss of trust and friendship. We should hate the sin, not the sinner. Although the common denominator for every human being is to sin but it is uncommon to repent again and again.

(D) Repenting or Tawba

Repentance accompanies a feeling of sorrow and regret for having done something wrong. The sinner: (a) must acknowledge the wrong; and (b) not repeat the sin. Repentance alone is not sufficient. It has to be accompanied by a firm resolve not to commit the same sin again. Repentance for any particular sin without immediate and further abstinence does not carry much weight and cannot reduce the distance between man and Allah, which is the purpose of repentance. Man must immediately respond positively to his inner messages when confronted with a similar situation. He must resolve not to do it again. The sin of disobedience after repentance is worse than the sin committed for which repentance was due. But since man is born weak in flesh, he may have to repent again and again. No wonder Allah has imprinted Mercy for Himself (Q.6:12; 6:54) and calls Himself TawwÄ b, i.e. One Who relents, meaning, One who accepts repentance again and again. The Qurážżan mentions Allahážżs names of mercy and love twice as often as it mentions His wrath and punishment. Allah is TawwÄ b and RaḼčm. These two attributes of repentance seasoned with mercy have been emphasised in Q.2:160 and in many other verses of the Qur‘an. We are only responsible for the sins we commit intentionally. If any person performs any sinful or Haram activities in a dream, it will not be recorded as a sin in his spiritual ledger for punishment. Allah the Most Merciful accepts our repentance if we are serious about it and forgives our sins, since He knows the human nature that He himself has created. For a sin that has been committed and could be forgiven by Allah, the sinner must take part in the extremely solemn procedure of repentance called taubah. This taubah must first be acceptable to Allah.

ŮŽ Ů? Ů? 4 Ů? Ů’ Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ WastaghfirĹŤ Rabbakum: thumma tĹŤbĹŤ ilyh, meaning: Ask forgiveness from Űš ‍;”‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ‍ ďşłďş˜ďť?ďť”ﺎ ďş‘ďťœ ďť‹ ďş—ďş‘‏ Ů?

ŮŽ

Allah; then repent to Him, (Q.11:90; 11:3). Taubah means also to turn to or to return, and TawwÄ b is One Who turns, meaning man turning towards Allah for forgiveness and Allah turning towards man for acceptance of such, like in a mirror. How many of us know that Allah Himself is desirous to turn towards us (Q.4:27)? This face to face turn

ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4ŮŽ

about initiates a turning point in the life of one who repents. This is supported by a supplication: ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş‘ﺎ‏

Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺑﺎﺎ ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? RabbanÄ alqina bimaghfiratika kamÄ laqynÄ ka bi iqrÄ rina: meaning, O God! Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑďť?ďť”ﺎďş—ďťš ďť›ﺎ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺎ‏ Meet us with Thy forgiveness, just as we have met Thee with our confession. (The Islamic confession involving repentance does not require any special place or time, or a third party like a saint or a priest. It is a direct man-Allah link and the right time is the earliest possible time). He has to change his ways to Allah’s way from now onwards. Allah’s way is the Straight Path called ᚢirÄ t al MustaqÄŤm (Q.11:56). Taubah refers especially to the act of abandoning what Allah has prohibited and returning to what Allah has commanded. Repentance is related to the Greek word metanoia (meta denoting transformation and nous meaning the innermost consciousness). Taubah involves confessing a sin with a determined effort to have no excuse whatsoever to repeat the sin. Taubah is not so much an acknowledgement and renunciation of sin as a new orientation of the entire personality, so that the penitent is wholly turned towards Allah, and tries to achieve the original purity of his rĹŤh (soul) and body as at the time when he was born. From now onwards, he must constantly bear in mind his own importance and greatness, and remember that he is a descendant of the same father in whom Allah had breathed his own rōḼ, as expressed in this Urdu poem:

y % Âľ ?AÂť Â&#x;

y ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů‘Ů? DEU DE, ‍ ﺣ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ďť?ďť”ﺌ‏

Nafakhtu fÄŤhÄŤ min Ruh ihiiâ€? kĂł hamĂŠsha rakhnaa yaad, jab talak zindagi mein aakheree dam hĂł. Always keep in mind that “He breathed into him from His own RōḼâ€? until the last breath in life. This procedure of repentance helps us to return to our original innocence and purity, and springs from our deep-rooted remorse in our hearts, accompanied by feelings of shame and hatred of ourselves. The effect of taubah or repentance on a person is likened to a flower garden which weathers a storm, becomes withered, and then blossoms again. However, we must remember that this act of taubah necessitates an irrevocable promise by ourselves to Allah, for having no excuse whatsoever for repeating

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the sin. In fact, if Satan fools us once, it is shame on him; but if he fools us twice, it is shame on us. Satan is always lying in ambush for us with an inviting smile. As a landmark and as a constant reminder of our vulnerability to Satan and our constant need for contrition, one could perform two optional rukĹŤâ€˜

ŮŽ

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů° Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ of ᚣalÄ t at-taubah (prayer of repentance). ‍ďť?ďť”ﺎ‹ Ů? ďş‘ďťœ‏ â€ŤďşłďşŽďş‘ďť˜ Ů?;ďť°ďť&#x;‏ SÄ biqĹŤ ilÄ maghfiratinn min Ů?ŮŽŮ? Ů? Rabbbikum: means, Hasten in the race with one another for forgiveness from Allah, (Q.57:21).Moreover, we must never despair of Allah’s mercy, for Allah forgives all sins (Q.39:53). Allah has inscribed for Himself (the rule of) mercy. Of course, this does not mean that Allah invites us to commit evil and wrong-doings continuously and then to ask for pardon on our death-bed as happened with Pharaoh. At such a time, Allah will not forgive us (Q.10:90). Allah will accept the repentance of His servant as long as the death-rattle is not sounding in his throat, (ḤadÄŤth; Ibn Majah). In Q.4:17 Allah says that He shall accept repentance and turn only towards those who do evil in ignorance. Moreover, repentance on death-bed is not accepted by Allah (Q.4:18). Just before death, nearly all of us adopt an Islamic attitude, i.e. resignation to God’s Will. We should be reminded that a few short minutes of repentance cannot remove the penalty of a lifetime of sins. It is no use promising God that we will improve our conduct henceforth and quit our immoral behaviour, when we are about to die. Allah, out of His Mercy, relents towards those who repent but also has warned us that when we do wrong, we must not repeat the wrong knowingly (Q.24:17). We can ask Allah for forgiveness again and again and in the meantime, learn a lesson not to repeat similar errors. Allah is so merciful to some of us that He shows us the lesson a little at a time, so that we could repent often over a period of a few years. It leads to understanding of our gradual transformation, which in turn contributes to our wisdom. Wisdom comes with time and age and hence we should not fail in the same examination all the time. When we were young, immature, inexperienced and ignorant, we committed many mistakes but with wisdom and age, it would now be a bigger folly to repeat the same mistakes in the remaining period of our only journey through this planet. The repentance of a hypocrite may in itself be hypocrisy. After having decided the right course to follow, viz. taubah, we must do the best we can and leave the rest to Allah. With divine assistance, all should be well. Allah loves those who repent, turning to Him constantly in contrition (Q.2:222). Allahážżs doors for forgiveness and repentance are always open. The quality of Allahážżs mercy is beautifully presented in the following two lines of a poem by Shaikh Sa‘di:

( ‰ r , KL

y •– ¾,

( S ( S r AÂť # ?” D Eç r , ![

Agar kheshm geerad zĂŠ kerdaarĂŠ zesht, ChĂł baaz aamadee maajaraa dar nevesht; Karam beenĂł lotfĂŠ khodaavandegaar, Gonah bandah kardasto oo sharmsaar. If Allah were to get angry with any misconduct of yours, as soon as you repent, He will erase that incident from your file. Look at the Magnanimity and the Grandeur of God! Man has committed the sin, but instead, God is the One Who feels embarrassed. Allah must be saying: “My servant! What made you do it? Don’t do it again. That’s a promise! Go and perform two rukĹŤâ€˜ of salÄ t at taubah as a reminder for this sin and never repeat itâ€?.

(E) Allah’s acceptance of Tauba

Allah’s acceptance of taubah requires that we make an irrevocable promise to ourselves, with Allah as Witness, to have no excuse whatsoever for repeating the same sin. Allah admonishes you that you should not return to the like of it ever again, if you are true believers, (Q.24:17). If the sin is considered grave enough, we should perform, as a constant reminder, two optional ruku‘ of salÄ t at taubah (prayer of repentance) so that the incident would remain as an eternal haunting spectre of the sin committed. Such a procedure should be accompanied by an intention (niyyat) in the form of a promise to oneself, and a vow to Allah, that if the vow is broken, one will give the kaffÄ rah, i.e. feed ten indigent persons with the same food that we eat, or clothe them, or free a slave, or fast for three days (Q.5:89) to expiate the sins. These gestures should be indicative of the sincerity of the promise about not repeating such a ( sinS in the future. He should ( S not behave like this poetic character in this poem:

�Š $ c Ë ?"# n

�Š $ "5 Ë %& AOU

y c ' ( ) DEU AĂť

c * D E + ,

Az baskĂŠ shekasto baaz bastam taubĂŠ: faryaad hamee konad zĂŠ dastam taubĂŠ; deerooz bĂŠ taubĂŠ ee shekastam saaghar; wemrooz bĂŠ saagharam shekastam taubĂŠ. So many times I broke my promise of repentance and took it again:

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Repentance has been shouting through my hands for justice: Only yesterday I broke my wine-glass because of repentance; today with the wine-glass in my hand I broke my repentance.

The purpose of repentance

One of the purposes of repentance is to build up a strong will power, which is achieved in slow and gradual increments. Whatever personality we develop in this life through our will power, becomes the stepping stone to enter a suitable classroom for further development in the Hereafter. In this class room too, we have to ascend in stages to higher grades. Hence, repentance brings us closer to Allah. For this purpose, Allah puts us to the test once or twice a year, and gets us involved in the exercise of solemn repentance (Q.9:126), so that we get used to repenting, within a moment of committing the crime and not leave it for the last minute. In fact, the moment we have in hand is all that is guaranteed, and feeling confident about tomorrow is only venturing on presumptions and uncertainties. The raison d’être for the exercise of repentance is for us to develop our will power to such an extent that we will not commit the same mistake again, now that we have already committed it once. We have no control over the past as past cannot be changed but these mistakes have taught us lessons of wisdom, and some control over the future is possible once we keep those lessons constantly in mind. Quite often, Allah invites us to forgive us and puts us on probation for an appointed time (Q.14:10; 71:4). Hence, the earlier in life we could build up our personality foundation, the more time we will have in our hands, to strengthen it during the balance of our lives. We should be prompt in repenting, and hasten in the race with one another for forgiveness from Allah (Q.57:21). If we continue to commit sins in the latter part of life and say “I know I am not going to die soon but I would like to keep my chastity but not as yet.”, it means that we have failed the examination, and that we have not yet developed any will power or personality to present ourselves on the Day of Judgment. Moreover, death-bed repentance is not accepted by Allah (Q.4:18) since even by then, we are departing from this world with a weak, disgraceful and underdeveloped personality, full of remorse and regrets, and burdened with unforgivable sins. Sometimes, we get a taste of humiliation and disgrace in this life as a sign of the greater punishment to come in the Hereafter (Q.39:26). In fact, Allah punishes some of us in this life before the supreme penalty of the Day of Judgment, so that we repent and return to Him (Q.32:21). The reason for the delay in punishment in this world is that we were given a sufficient number of days to repent and amend. Self-conviction followed by repentance leads to self-correction. This is also one of the purposes of the probation mentioned above in Q.14:10; 71:4. No sinner would ever think of reforming himself if the promise of salvation through repentance was not offered by the All-Forgiving and the All-Relenting.

The benefits of repentance

Whenever we look at our mistakes through our tears, and ask Allah in all sincerity to forgive us, the crying episode alone relieves our tension. Moreover, there is a lot of healing benefits to oneself through forgiveness, when certain sedating neurotransmitters are released in the brain. The tears resulting from an emotional state have a different chemical composition than of those from allergy. Eyes becoming lachrymose with crocodile tears is no taubah. Repentance must be realistic and has to be accompanied by a determined effort not to commit the same mistake again. A different behaviour pattern results from a sincere repentance. A new leaf in life should then begin with a clean sheet. It is this determined effort that acts as one step after another, resulting in a higher grade of class in the Hereafter. If we repent, have firm faith and work righteousness, we have hopes of salvation (Q.28:67). If a man repents sincerely, has firm faith in Allah and does righteous deeds, Allah will change the evil of such a man into good, and calamities could be changed into bounties (Q.25:70). These steps are simple and benefits are many. Moreover Allah will admit them into gardens beneath which rivers flow and Allah’s Nūr (Divine Light) will run forward in front of them and by their right hands while they say: O Allah! Perfect the Divine Light for us and grant us forgiveness, (Q.66:8). For those of us who continue facing difficulties of acquiring such will power in spite of trying our best under difficult conditions, we should also acknowledge the existence of a Higher Power in Whom we trust, to relieve us of the tough problems, One Who would extend a strong Hand-Hold for us to grasp the Divine Assistance (Q.2:256).

Retaliation: Spite is a uniquely human emotion. Retaliation is prescribed in Islam for homicide (Q.2:178) and physical injuries (Q.42:40). This may otherwise be stated as eye for eye, nose for nose,

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ear for ear, tooth for tooth and wounds equal for equal (Q.5:45). In the law of such equality for murder, it is not fully realised that there is saving of many lives (Q.2:179). Retaliation should not be greater than injury received (Q.22:60). However, a monetary compensation could be accepted by a relative as in Q.2:178 or by the injured person himself, while forgiveness is considered by Allah as an act of charity (Q.5:45; 42:40).

If we were wronged or driven out of our homes, we must fight back (Q.22:39-40) since oppression is worse than slaughter (Q.2:217). However, a rare incident has been recorded in the Qur᾿an when Hābīl (Abel) told his elder brother Qābil (Cain): Even if you try to kill me, I will not try to kill you. You will draw on yourself my sin as well as your own. (Q.5:28-29). Through these verses, Allah wants us to know that homicide carries a double sin, one of the act itself, and the other of putting an end to someone else’s life, who could have done much good for himself and for others if he were alive. Hence, whatever sins Abel might have committed would be deducted from him and added to sins of Cain on the Day of Judgment. However if everyone retaliated, then man would have been an endangered species, and probably extinct, since one retaliation would have engendered another ad infinitum. People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel. Revenge leading to retaliation causing personal harm to the victim gives great short-term satisfaction to man. However, it does not match the long-term pleasure of forgiveness which breaks the cycle of violence and counter-attacks.

Hypocrisy: Hypocrisy (from Greek hypókrisis meaning acting on the stage, pretence) is the pretence

or simulation of virtue, moral or religious beliefs, the value of which has nothing to do with one’s actions or what one expresses. His opinions, statements or actions contradict his beliefs. Although classified as a major sin, hypocrisy is widely spread among mankind. A twisted language, solemn attire and a proper occasion is used to effectively accomplish hypocrisy. A hypocrite does not trust another hypocrite. Some hypocrites continue their practice in their old age, because they cannot change themselves. It is very difficult to teach an old man a new concept. He continues to wrap his speech in chocolate-coated packages to make it acceptable. Many priests and clerics of all denominations have been guilty of sexual misconduct, money laundering, commercial fraud, embezzlement, misuse of public funds, to name a few. Chapter 107 of the Qur’an, The Heights (Al A’rāf), describes the state of those hypocrites who apparently are Muslims but do not believe in the Hereafter. It holds out a threat of ruin to those who offer the prayers but are unmindful of them since they want only to be seen offering the prayers. The hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the fire (Q.4:145).

Commercial Hypocrisy ٌْ َْ ‫ﻳﻄﻔﻴﻒ‬ Tatfīf means fraudulent dealings by giving too little and asking for too much. Various deceitful ِ

means could be used, including advertisements to lure customers and giving an inferior substitute imitating the original, similar to counterfeit money. Moreover, there are many persons who do not think that they have had a good bargain unless they have cheated a merchant and vice versa. Of course, whoever cheats, will bring the deceit with him on Judgment Day (Q.3:161). Besides Allah giving us the knowledge of weight measure, He tells us that He has balanced the whole universe with its content of the stars and the planets (Q.55:7-9) and He also sent the scripture together with balance (of right and wrong) (Q.57:25). This should remind us of the scale of justice on the Day of Judgment. It should always be borne in mind that all our deeds are stored in a data bank, which will remain untampered till the Day of Judgment, the Day of Dīn, the Day when people will demand from each other their legitimate rights in front of Allah. Could this Data Bank where our affairs are stored be presently situated on a planet which is one thousand light years away from us (Q.32:5), i.e. nearly 5,874 billion miles away from Earth? Is it possible that on the Day of Judgment this Data Bank would be incorporated in the place of mammoth gathering of mankind? In the market place, the defrauder not only demands more when he wants to buy but gives less, or inferior quality goods when he sells. He does this with a smile on the face when one eye beams with a

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show of honesty, and there is a gleam of calculation in the other. If anyone sells a defective article without drawing attention to it, he will remain under Allah’s anger and the angels will continue to curse him. (ḤadÄŤth: Ibn MÄ jah). The truthful and trustful merchant is associated with the prophets, the upright and the martyrs. (ḤadÄŤth: At Tirmidhi). Buying and selling inside the mosque is frowned upon. Fraud is a course of deception deliberately practised to gain unlawful advantage of the victim such as his age, ignorance, subnormal mental condition or the intoxicated state. While fraud is to the detriment of the victim in this world, Islamic theology says that it is to the detriment of the defrauder himself in the Hereafter. ŮŽ

ŮŒŮ’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů? Ů’Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů?ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ‍ ‏ ‍ﺨﺎﺴ Ű?‏ Ů? 4 ‍ @ Ů?; ďť›ďş˜ďşŽďť&#x; ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ďť&#x;ďť ďť¤ďť„ďť”ďť” Ű?‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ‏F ‍ € ﺎďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş ďşŽ ďťłďş´ďş˜ďť“ Ű?‏

Wylunn lil muáš­affifÄŤn * AlladhÄŤna idhak tÄ lĹŤ ‘alan nÄ si yastavfĹŤn * Wa idhÄ kÄ lĹŤhum aw wazanĹŤhum yukhsirĹŤn: Woe to the defrauders! Those who when they receive by measure from mankind demand in full, but if they measure unto them or weigh for them, they give less than due and cause them loss. (Q.83:1-3). Here is a Persian poem:

y y ø 1/ 0 ? AO DEU AÝ 0 DE

(

- .#ç b/ 4# ?-

BĂŠbaree maalĂŠ Mosalmon wa chĂł maalat bĂŠ barand, bongĂł faryaad bar aaree kĂŠ musalmaanee neest. You take away money belonging to a Muslim and when they take away yours, you shout and cry loud that it is unIslÄ mic. Some pharmaceutical companies have “inventedâ€? diseases such as Attention Deficit Syndrome, Social Phobia and others in order to sell their products which contain amphetamine.

Another example is the National Lottery. The real winners are the government and the shareholders who are extracting money from the poor and giving it to the rich. In most modern societies, man is out to get, not to give. Capitalist economic structures depend on creation of winners, losers and owners through plundering other people’s resources, be it individual, national or trans-national. Businessmen become pre-occupied with beating their opponents across the street or in the stock market. (Lately, businessmen have resorted to contacting hit-gangs to rid their business of competitors).

Islam vehemently condemns commercial hypocrisy; the seller must not take undue advantage of the ignorance or intoxicated condition of the buyer. An Englishman sold a Middle Eastern Sheikh one thousand fighter planes; yet there was not a single pilot to test them out!

The cumulative ignorance of the Muslim ummah is responsible for our poor knowledge of statistics. We do not even know what minerals and rich resources the Muslim lands have, although the foreigners know it only too well and exploit them for their own benefit.

In insurance frauds, accidents are pre-arranged to receive cash benefits. Some corporations have engaged in illegal price-fixing to capture the market. Astrology has become a commercial tool in the hands of a few. Because we do not know what tomorrow holds for us, fortune-tellers, astrologers, tea-leaf readers, crystal ball gazers and exorcists who “cure� patients by removing devils or jinn “possessing� them, have made a lucrative trade out of the ignorance of gullible persons or their relatives. These same ‘holy’ men will never go to one of their own when they fall ill and would rather be treated by a well-known foreign educated physician. It is unfortunate that some politicians and businessmen take advice and ask for predictions from such people. Astrologers make us believe that the position of heavenly bodies at the moment of a person’s birth influences the person’s destiny. They produce charts called horoscopes, which map the position of astronomical bodies at the time of birth. (It is divided into twelve sections, called the signs of the Zodiac, which include Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces, every planet carrying its own particular sign and representing a set of human attributes. A person said to be a Leo refers to the person’s sun sign— that is, the sign that the sun occupied at the time of the person’s birth). Fortunetellers and astrologers know only too well that they are telling lies. They say that they can predict important events in the life of a person through the planetary arrangements in the constellation of stars and the influence of the planets in their various houses. They make vague statements for a middle-class man, e.g. “there will be disappointments in some part of his family life�; “a dangerous accident would be in store for him, but he will be saved�; “he will come across a great fortune which he must look out for�, etc. However, for the rich man, the predictions would be: “He will continually prosper in his business�; “ Besides his main business, he will be successful in another business in which he will indulge �; “He will

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be well-liked in the community”; “His enemies would not be able to harm him”, etc. There are daily horoscopes in newspaper columns with such vague statements that it would fit anyone. Statistically, the daily horoscopes with the twelve planets should be able to apply to a twelfth of the world population, amounting to millions of people, on a daily basis with identical fortune but they don’t. If the astrologers could in fact forecast the future, they could have won for themselves the million dollar lotteries or in horse racing and they could have retired. Not a single astrologer has ever been so fortunate. People who go to astrologers for a fee in reality need a friend and there is no better friend than Allah. Moreover, Allah does not demand any fees for advice. A detective said: “I have gone into thousands of fortune tellers’ parlours and have been told thousands of things, but nobody ever told me I was a policewoman getting ready to arrest her”.

Media Hypocrisy: We are fed with well-drafted and well-crafted news from the Western world on a

daily basis. The hidden agenda includes propaganda, misinformation, distortion and distraction. It is true that man was born ignorant but we were not born stupid. Man becomes stupid when he is educated with nonsense. To divert our attention from religion, we are invaded in the privacy of the bedroom with trash and other porno materials in our TVs and computers.

The news-broadcasting teams that control world media manipulate their messages behind closed doors to suit their own purpose, benefiting their allies and sponsors, and frustrating others. The West has painted a dim and grim picture of Muslims who were called freedom-fighters once and branded them later as terrorists, thus creating an international Islāmophobia. They target certain communities for harassment. Even Muslims who would like to give zakāt money to charitable organisations could be accused of being collaborators of terrorism and have their assets frozen. Money is acquired by some through devious means. Our society is motivated by violence and money, ignoring all moral standards. Violence on the TV is paralleled by what we read in the daily papers, be it through drugs or alcohol. Toughness, ruthlessness and “having the bottle” are portrayed as the right stuff as seen in movies and TV commercials. Domestic violence is a consequence of that vicious culture which is exhibited in schools since children imitate parents. While the population of Muslims in Trinidad was less than 6%, cases of domestic abuse by Muslim men in the magistrate’s courts were over 20%. It is a bad example for our children growing up, because criminality is learnt at home.

Social Hypocrisy

The medical doctor lectures to students and to his patients about the dangers of alcohol and smoking, and then attends symposia in which he himself smokes and drinks, the expenses being borne willingly by the pharmaceutical company. Some medical doctors have forgotten their Hippocratic Oath and the poor patients are either neglected or given superficial attention. Some of us keep alcohol at home to entertain visitors, or bring it duty-free for a friend, and yet swear that alcohol is harām, even to buy or to accept or give as a gift. The same applies also to gay marriages which are becoming frequent. Just because the society has accepted something, it does not mean it is right. According to some, there are no wrongs and rights, and what does not harm is righteous. When fortune strikes, many ‘friends’ claim to be our relatives, but if they find out that we are in debt, we just cannot find one to stand by us. A Persian proverb:

( ( ¾D E AO AO 23 ¾D E AO [

Agar toraa zar

baashad, aalami toraa baraadar baashad: means, If you have gold, the whole world is your brother. Some of us who are in responsible positions as trustees have been found guilty of shameful criminal offences, whether we were trusted with money, high office, orphans or someone’s daughter looking at us with trusting, innocent eyes. We are not true to ourselves, but teach our children to be honest and have good morals. Such is the case of our double standards. Some of us who have contributed little to society demand more respect at functions, yet we are unwilling to acknowledge the good that others do.

Religious Hypocrisy: Religion is an amazing concept present in human beings only. Animals do not belong to any religion. Religion can play contradictory roles to suit the preacher and the preached. It can be used to make war or peace, encourage enslavement or emancipation, induce poverty or wealth and ensure stupefaction or knowledge. Religion thrives in times of political turmoil and economic deprivation. It is becoming commercial with the rise in televangelism.

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Although all religions teach us love and service to mankind, they have unfortunately become a source of hatred and division among human beings responsible for man’s inhumanity to man through wars, communal killings and ethnic cleansing. All religions are dogmatic, with adherents who are intolerant and would not tolerate other beliefs. Millennia of human history have shown that religion is not the cause of minor differences but of profound disagreements, disgust and enmity between people.

During the Messenger’s period in MadÄŤnah, a new type of Muslim called munÄ fiqÄŤn (hypocrites) had emerged from among the populace who were invited to join the fold of Islam. They had entered the fold of Islam merely to harm it from within. Outnumbered by Muslims, there were others who had become “Muslimsâ€? simply to safeguard their material interests. They, therefore, continued to have relations with the enemies so that if the latter became successful, their interests would remain secure. The hypocrites pray only to be seen and noticed. In fact, hypocrites of all times: (1) do not wish to understand what they are reciting in their prayers. They only want to “show–offâ€? their dress and their head-gear; (2) do not pray when they are alone but make it a point to pray in congregation so that they could be seen, considered, publicised and accepted as righteous ones in the society; (3) do not internalise their utterances. Their minds and even their gazes often wander during prayers, with rapid flights of ideas and thoughts of current and past events. Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏said: There are four signs of a hypocrite: (a) when he speaks, he lies, (b) when he makes a promise, he does not honour it, (c) when he is trusted, he cheats and betrays his trust,(d) when he quarrels, he uses foul language. (ḤadÄŤth: Al-BukhÄ ri). The Bible mentions that Jesus Christ, pbuh, said: Beware of those scribes who desire to walk in long robes and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats, the synagogues and the Chief room at feasts; which devour widows’ houses and for a show make long prayers; the same receive greater damnation, (Luke 20:46). Long gowns do not hide the sins of the wearer. Many priests of all religions consume the goods of the people in vanity (Q.9:34). Those priests who experience sexual temptations often betray their own professional beliefs. If someone says that his conscience is clear and he is so pious that he has never sinned, he is either telling lies or suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Camouflage of piety rendered with a turban and a beard qualifies the person for enhanced social acceptance in religious functions and counteracts adverse comments made by others. Many priests of different faiths have died of AIDS. Here is a couplet in Arabic:

ŮŽ ŮŽ 4ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺛďş‘‏ ‍‏ ‍ ﺨďť&#x;ďť„ ﺎﺎ ďťť ďş—ďť” ďť“ Ů?ﺎ ďť&#x;ﺴďş˜ Ů?ﺎ ‏F ‍ﺧ Ů? Ů?ďş‘ﺎ‏ Ů?

Khaffafaḡḡ

Ä hu binÄ annal khatď€ŠÄ ya lÄ tafōḼ, Fa idhal mastĹŤru minnÄ baina thavbyhi faá¸?ōḼ. Allah made it easy upon us that sins do not give a bad odour; verily the most well-attired among us is full of shame under his clothes. And this Persian proverb:

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Mullaa shodan chĂŠ aason, aadam shodan chĂŠ mushkil means, How easy it is to become a Mullah and how difficult it is to become a human being! Here is an Urdu one:

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Wo insaan kahaan hĂŠ kĂŠ muddaton sĂŠ, insaaniyyat kĂŠ talaash mein hĂŠ har insaan: Where is that human being who, since ages, has been searching for humanness in man. Some of us hide behind a beard and a pious garb with a tasbčḼ (rosary) in hand, and change our accent to Arabic intonation to suit the occasion and impress the gullible. Such people know that it is difficult to practise what they preach, and impossible to preach what they practise. They can say what they want but in reality they prefer the truth about themselves be not told. In the end it does not matter whether we dress in a long kurta or an ‘aba with a turban to match, or wear a suit and tie. Allah says in the Holy Qurážżan in Q.7:26 that the best garment is that of taqwÄ ážż (righteousness), a quality which the hypocrites lack. A ḤadÄŤth says: Many of the hypocrites in my Ummah will be from among the readers of the Qurážżan, while the Qurážżan says that the hypocrites will not be forgiven by Allah even if Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏prays for them (Q.63:6). There is a great difference between Islam of the ruler and the ruled. Those in authority do not favour any one except those who serve their own interests. Any person with a fairer complexion and a British or American accent, who calls the ruler akhi (brother), gets a red carpet treatment while an average Muslim cannot even get an appointment, let alone the visa of the particular country. Some

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people take unbelievers rather than believers for friends, for the sake of prestige and honour (Q.4:139). They do not realise that unbelievers are friends and protectors of one another (Q.8:73; 3:28; 5:51). We are advised to refrain from becoming friends with unbelievers, because their main desire is to corrupt and ruin us. When their speech is carefully analysed, it shows hatred towards us, and what their hearts conceal is much worse (Q.3:119). Those of us who love them should know that they love us not (Q.3:119). A true friend means well even if he hurts you, but when an enemy puts his arms round your shoulder or calls you akhi, beware! Hypocrites say that seeing films is harām while they themselves watch exotic movies on the TV at home. They say that taking photographs is harām while they themselves have their photos on their passports and ID cards. They say music is harām, yet they often sing better than us and listen to CDs in their cars. Some Ṣufis believe that music is a way of communicating with Allah, e.g. through qawwālis and other Ṣufi poems. Music depends upon its intent and content. Although there is a debate among scholars as to the nature of permissible music, some say that music is a sunnah of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬as was the case when he entered Madinah with his followers and was greeted with drum and this song.

َ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ُّ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ّ َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ​َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ‫ﻃﻠﻊ‬ ٍ ِ‫ِ ﷲ‬Í‫ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻋ ﺎ‬ ‫ﺛﻨﻴ ﺎ ﻟ ﻮ ﺟﺐ ﻟﺸﻜﺮ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻛﺪ ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ‬ ْ ْ ْ َ َ َ​َ َْ َ ْ 4 َ َ ُ ُ َ ْ ُّ َ َ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ‬ َ ْ َ َ ً ‫ﻣﺮﺣﺒﺎ‬ ِ ُ ِ ِ ‫ﺟﺌﺖ‬ ‫ﻳﺎﺧﺮﻴ‬ ‫ﺑﺎﻷﻣﺮ ﻟﻤﻄﺎ‬ ِ ‫ِﺟﺌﺖ ﺮﺷﻓﺖ‬ ِ ‫ﻓﻴﻨ ﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﻳﻬﺎ ﻟﻤﺒﻌﻮ‬

T ala‘al Badru ‘Alyna, min thaniyyātil wadā‘ ; Wajabash shukru ‘alynā mā da‘ā lillāhi dā‘; ayyuhal mab‘ūthu fīnā ji᾿ta bil ᾿amril mutā‘; je᾿ta sharraftal Madīnah marhabann yā khyra dā‘: The full moon has risen upon us from Thaniyyātil wadaa‘ ; it became incumbent upon us to give thanks to Allah whenever we supplicate; Oh the one who is sent to us, you came with the message that deserves obedience; You came and honoured Madinah, welcome, Oh best caller (to the Path of Allah). Imām Ghazzāli used three criteria about music: (a) the place of listening, (b) the time of listening, and (c) the companions of listening. No importance should be paid to hearing music which is unavoidable at times, as long as we do not listen to it or concentrate upon it. (The Qur᾿an does not mention that music is harām and no punishment has been laid down for playing it). Music has always exerted powerful physical and psychological effects on humans. Only recently scientists have found the link between different types of music and the production of neurotransmitters in the brain, such as endorphins and serotonin, which cause euphoria and tranquillity. Muslim physicians of old used musicotherapy in certain types of illnesses. (All music could not be harmful. The effect of music depends upon its intent and content, its beat and rhythm, which could be soothing or agitating depending on which neurotransmitters are secreted by the brain and what effects they produce by sending our hormone levels of testosterone, progesterone and others in measurably different directions. Listening to music can produce different emotional feelings through the net action of some of the following: acetylcholine, adrenaline and nor-adrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, encephalins and endorphins, gamma-amino-butyric acid and glutamate, anandamide and others. When a particular piece of music is played, individualised to match a person’s brain waves during a meditation exercise, it can allay that person’s anxiety and help him to relax and sleep, by pushing other noises like traffic out of the mind. New research shows that the study of music definitely promotes intellectual development). Some say singing is harām, although as one of the pillars of the Islamic faith, they should believe in all the previous scriptures, including Zabūr of Prophet David, pbuh. This is a book of songs praising Allah, and one of the miracles awarded by Allah to Prophet David pbuh who had a melodious voice. In the Songs of Solomon (Chapter 5:1 6 of the Old Testament), the following is recorded: Hikko Mamittakim we Kullo Muḥammadim, Zehdoodeeh wa Behrayee baina Jerusalem, meaning: His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem! (Although the name of Muḥammad is mentioned, they have translated the Hebrew into altogether lovely). Children’s lullaby, military songs and wedding songs should not be labelled as harām. What was unthinkable a generation ago and forbidden by our ‘Ulamā (e.g. the use of the public address system in mosques for announcement of ‘Id prayers, etc.) is now being promoted by the same individuals, who now look out for sponsors asking for participation. Allah's Apostle‫ ﷺ‬said: He who introduces some good practice in Islam, which is followed after him (by people), will be assured of a reward like those who followed it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect, (Imām Muslim).

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Some hypocrites could change platforms to suit their interest and depending upon what they are offered. Religion could be used to stupefy the deprived and also to encourage them to accept their lot. Hence, religion becomes a tool in the hands of rulers and politicians who wish to enslave nations through religious pronouncements of the muftīs. He who pays the piper can call the tune. They condemn corruption in the society but do not mind taking bribes. They want to change the world but cannot change themselves. People, who encourage fornication and sexual deviations, are often the ones who teach sexual education in the society. There are some persons in India and Pakistan posing as pious and religious people who take on the sins of the deceased upon themselves for a fee, the sum to be arranged between the parties concerned. The more money is given, the more sins are accepted for transfer. When loyalty is divided, economic gratification wins over religious beliefs. Pope Leo X (1475-1521) once publicly denied the existence of God. He raised money to fund his lavish lifestyle of entertainment by selling written certificates that cleared the purchaser of all previous sins, thereby guaranteeing him place in heaven. Some children are baptised in the church by the same priests who later abuse them. Recently, many cults have sprouted in the name of religion and God with mass suicidal results. Any one could form his own image of Jesus Christ, pbuh, or any other figure in the clouds. People have gone so far as to have seen the writings of the shahādah in the clouds, on the fish, chicken, etc. Looking at religion from another angle, Karl Marx called it the opium of the masses which merely dulls the pain but does not cure the disease. It consoles the oppressed masses by promising justice and bliss in the Hereafter and encouraging them to accept their unfortunate lot, thus defusing their anger and preventing them from taking appropriate action in this world against the exploiting oppressors. However, we should assist our brother, whether he is an oppressor or not. If he is an oppressor, we must prevent him. If he is oppressed, we should help him. It has been said that religion prevents the poor from harming the rich who take undue advantage of them and ensure that the poor remain poor and always in want.

Intellectual Hypocrisy: One human brain can at times outwit another by easy simple steps.

There are hundreds of examples, but I shall give only a couple. In many schools and universities where standards are declining, students are offered private tuitions for extra fees and favours in granting diplomas. Mind control (or brain-washing also called menticide) is clearing the mind of established ideas by persistent counter suggestions. The objective is to break down the person’s own standards of values, which consequently induces a different behaviour in him. A lie which is repeated often usually gets accepted as the truth. The perpetrator injects his thoughts and words into the minds of the victims. In extreme cases, it may be a type of mental slavery and exploitation. Here’s an example of how a poet brain-washed the public and altered the portrayal of a pious Sufi in the English translation of the Persian Rubā‘iyyāt of ‘Omar Khayyām. ‘Omar Khayyām was a Persian poet (1050-1132) and a genius. He became famous as a mathematician extraordinaire by making considerable contribution to algebra, philosophy and physics. He was also a philosopher with a Ṣufi bent of mind, composing poems in the form of quatrains called rubā‘iyyāt, on the subject of intoxicating love of God where the Cup and the Wine were used as allegory for love of human for the divine, in conformity with the Ṣufi idiom. Unfortunately, the translator of the Rubā‘iyyāt, an Englishman, portrayed ‘Omar Khayyām as a hedonist and sensualist, whose main purpose in life was “wine, women and songs”, and who continually raises his hands to the skies at ‘the sorry scheme of things’. Because of the European moral culture the Islamic values have no meaning for the Europeans. Such a translator simply exposed his own ignorance of the philosophy of Islamic culture and Sufism, and became responsible for all the sins committed by subsequent persons, who misinterpreted ‘Omar Khayyām’s poems, following his lead. The deliberate intent of misinterpretation becomes visible from the way he had cleverly deleted and suppressed the meaning of the opening verses of the Rubā‘iyyāt, where Khayyām’s philosophy and piety can be seen from the very first quatrain in his book, quoted here:

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Saaqi qadahee ké hast aalam zolomaat, joz rooyé to neest dar jahon aabé hayaat. Dar jaanó jahaanó har ché dar aalam hast,

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Maqsood tó ee ó bar Muhammad salawaat. Oh Cup-Bearer! Give me a cup; this universe is in deep darkness. Without Your Countenance, there is no Elixir of life in this world; whatever there is in life, on Earth and in the universe, the Object of Desire is You, and blessings on Muḥammad. Another English poet has done the same with the poetry of Khwajah Shams al-Din Haafez of Shiraaz. Haafez was a mystic Sufi poet and is considered the king of the Persian ghazal. His deeply philosophical poems have been translated by an English poet, with an obvious sensual slant, and the translation is further supported through several illustrations of man, woman, and wine. How different the Western thinking is from the Eastern, can be seen through a single line of his poem:

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Na deedam khoshtar az she‘ré tò Haafiz: bè Qor aanee ké dar seené daaree meaning: I have not seen, O Hāfiz, any poem more pleasant than yours; it is all because of the Qur᾿an that you have in your heart. I can cite another example of western hypocrisy and discrimination from my own experience. Medical students usually spent hundreds and hundreds of hours attending lectures in the universities of the West, yet not a single word is uttered regarding the Islamic origin and 400-years-long development in the realm of Islam of the Materia Medica before it came to be used in Europe (which I know for a fact from my under-graduate and post-graduate medical studies there).

Cultural Hypocrisy: Some non-Muslims have injected the concept of ‘nationhood’ in the mind of

Muslims, to counter the directive that the believers are but a single brotherhood, (Q.49:10). There has been a cultural invasion in many countries where Islam is the religion of majority. Alcohol and pork, foreign films and documentaries, distorted news and views through selected TV channels, all have invaded the privacy of the bedroom. It has adversely dominated the trend of Islamic thought, and has unfavourably influenced the behaviour of the adolescent. The Muslim ummah is not immune to the evil influences of the West. Only time will show the consequences of this cultural pollution. It is no longer necessary for foreign powers to colonise us. They can colonise our minds with impunity which we unfortunately are allowing them to do. Moreover, due to lack of personal communication with children at home, as most of our prime time is spent on watching TV, the disintegration of family values seems inevitable. Men with resources are more concerned about the welfare of their dogs and horses than of their children. In England a dog which does not get lunch makes BBC news and receives millions in donations from sympathisers and even from Muslim “brothers” in Arab countries, while millions of human beings in Asia and Africa die of hunger, without a hope of receiving any assistance. In case they get any, it is always with lots of strings attached. In India, during the English colonial rule, many prestigious schools, colleges and chapels were built from the money accrued in the banks as interest in the account of those Muslims who were respectfully reminded by the British to refuse it because interest (riba) is forbidden in Islam. The British did not inform the Muslims about the difference between interest and usury. Interest (from French interesse: to be in the middle) is payment with a fluctuating rate depending on supply and demand, made with the use of another person's money. It is a borrowing charge or payment for money to be used in better investment fields well known to the commercial banks, or as payment made by a bank or other financial institution for the use of money deposited in an account. Regarding usury, a clear definition is not available. There were three things that Haḍrat ‘Umar, R.A., wished the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬had defined in his lifetime and they were: (a) kalālat (Q.4:12), (b) the share of the grandfather, and (c) riba (usury Q.2:275). Some scholars understand usury as a payment of interest at a fixed rate, by a borrower to a lender for the use of money, in excess of the amount fixed by statute or much above the standard going rate. This lending of money at an exorbitant rate of interest is called usury. Some private money lenders accept only the monthly interest and not the capital, and thus become responsible for an ongoing financial and mental torture of the borrower. (In Prophet’s time, two types of loan were popular. In one, the lender participated in the profit and loss of the borrower’s business, while in the second, lender was not concerned with the profit or loss. A fixed amount of money and time was decided between the lender and the borrower, which the borrower had to comply with irrespective of his personal condition. This was known as riba. The problem that many Muslims have with bank deposit with fixed interest is that ‘loss’ during the period is not accounted in this agreement. The bank interest may vary from year to year, but not during the period of loan. On the other hand, this problem does not exist if we involve our money with firms who deal in permitted businesses).

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The Arabic dictionary translates interest as Munāfi‘a (profit) while usury is translated as Riba which involves charging of exorbitant and extortionate rates of interest, sometimes without taking back the capital. However, in case of doubt, it should be considered as sadaqah if we accept the money accrued as interest in our Fixed Deposit Accounts in the bank but not to use it for our own selves but open another separate Fixed Deposit Account in the stomachs of the hungry and in the homes of the needy! Sometimes it is just plain exploitation of the difference in cultures. Two young Americans in Singapore guaranteed that their clients would definitely have male children. If not, their money would be refunded. Many Chinese couples bought the pills. Those who did not bear male children did receive their monies back, yet the two boys made millions with their expected 50% success rate.

Political Hypocrisy: A politician is said to be one who can cut down a tree, stand on its stump and

lecture on conservation. Many persons get into the government for the greed of money. Moreover, there is foreign influence in elections in nearly all countries of the world. American taxpayer's dollars are often given to the campaign coffers of political parties that are in opposition to the current governments. In Islamic countries, petty thieves may have their hands cut off, but well connected ones often get appointed to high offices. Poor countries not only lack knowledge to obtain the technologies they need, but also to resist the ones they do not have but do not need either. Third world countries have become poorer because of exploitation by the West. If they stand up for their rights or express their political beliefs, they become prisoners of conscience, i.e. imprisoned because of their race, ethnicity, sex, economic status, religion or national origin. Against such persecution, the only appeal they can make is to human rights organisations of the West, such as Amnesty International, to plead on their behalf. Tolstoy once said: I sit on a man’s back choking him and making him carry me and yet reassure myself and others that I am very sorry for him and wish to ease his lot by all means except by getting off his back. It is not the beauty of the cover, print or recitation of the Qur᾿an, by which we should judge the Qur’an, but rather we should judge it by its contents. Although Islam should not be judged by the behaviour of present day Muslims, the non-Muslims in the East and the West judge Islam by whatever they read in the media about the misconduct of some of the Muslims, not by what is written in the Holy Qur᾿an. Moreover, there are thousands of non-Muslims and some persons with Muslim names, who disseminate mischief and intrigues through their hidden agendas. Our biggest irony is that in spite of Islam and Qur᾿an encouraging the study of science and knowledge for last 1400 years and in spite of having the oldest university in the world (Al-Azhar), Muslims are technologically backward. If we only assemble parts or buy ready made cars and fighter planes, how can we ever begin to manufacture our own? There has been a cultural invasion in many countries which profess Islam as the religion of their majority. Yet, alcohol and pork are available. Foreign documentaries and films, distorted news and views through selected TV channels have invaded the privacy of the bedroom. Most Third World countries are regularly supplied with fresh capital for selfish purposes with lots of strings attached. It also includes an on-going interest which when compounded cannot be repaid even by future generations, leave alone the capital. The rich thus get richer and the poor poorer. The computer has replaced human labour and is responsible for global impoverishment and joblessness. The super-powers create artificial divisions by targeting selected individuals to their liking and servitude. Some of us pin hopes on someone else’s non-existent goodwill and handout. We have been warned in Q.3:118 not to take outsiders as our intimate friends, because they will surely corrupt us. Their only desire is to ruin us, and what their hearts conceal is worse than what they speak. While Muslims were busy in the construction of extravagant mosques and dancing around in Ṣufi dervish circles, the Ottoman Empire was overtaken by masons and eventually controlled by them. The Sufis get an audience in the White House every year. They are applauded for their performance and encouraged to go on dancing their dervish dances so that their best time in life is spent on unproductive pursuits, which result in nothing more than a feeling of giddiness and loss of balance. The bullying tactics of the West are not a sign of strength but of nervousness and Islamophobia, projected by events in Turkey, Algeria, Iran and many others. Being in total control of the economies through various channels such as the IMF and others, it is easy for the super-powers to create an artificial crisis first and then enter and control the economies of the affected countries on the pretext of solving the crisis. The CIA and the IMF are responsible for global euthanasia. Instead of food as aid, they give guns to both warring factions, thus keeping up the jobs in

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their own ammunition factories. The CIA use drugs and other finances for counter-revolutionary operations. In Nicaragua during the 1970s, the contras were encouraged to smuggle marijuana in order to purchase weapons made in USA to fight the Sandinista regime. The Afghans were encouraged to plant opium and manufacture heroin in the laboratories installed by the CIA at the Afghan-Pakistan border for this very purpose, thus converting the whole country of lush orchards into opium plantations. Globalisation has forced us to consume not only the products of the West but also its ideas, practices and fashions. It exploits natural and strategic resources and is being driven by the idea of finding new markets for consumer goods, without offering the know-how of manufacture. It is a oneway process directed by the North and the West, the greedy half of the world, at the South and the East, to enslave this other half. For every dollar a developing country receives, the developed world takes out four dollars plus interest. At other times, they dump intentionally radio-active waste in lands other than their own indifferent to the long-term dangerous consequences. No doubt, the outstanding achievements, intellectual glory and technological advances of the West are phenomenal. Through their sophisticated spy satellites and pilotless reconnaissance high-altitude aircraft and highly sensitive microphones on the sea-beds, they know what is going on in every street or home in every place on Earth. They have high-powered microwaves and other radio-frequency weapons that invade the brains of the victims causing mental instability. They also have advanced laser systems that can blind or paralyse human beings. It is unfortunate that guided missiles are in the hands of misguided people. Although the Holy Qur᾿an says that Allah has made subservient to you the sun, moon and stars (Q.16:12; 13:2; 14:33) and it is read and recited by millions of Muslims all over the world, it is the non-Muslim West that has gone to the moon in the last century. We Muslims only gather to look for the appearance of the crescent, blind to the fact that decades ago, the USA planted its flag of stars and stripes and would soon be colonising the moon. Since the moon has no oxygen for us to breathe, scientists would create oxygen and hydrogen from the water on the moon (oxygen to breathe and hydrogen to propel the rockets further). And moon is just going to be a stepping stone for the West, as from there, rockets will be further propelled to Mars and other planets. The Muslims of the past went on to become great scientists when they realised that Allah has instructed in the Qur᾿an to reflect on the signs in nature and also in ourselves, to take lessons and prosper (Q.41:53). Hence they used their intellect for such studies and became leaders in all the fields, unlike most of us today who do not even understand the meanings of the Arabic verses in our own mother-tongue. Bio-technology is another science, which is being used to produce weapons much cheaper than the nuclear ones. It has helped some super-powers manufacture genetic weapons targeted at particular groups of nations. Sometime ago, US had used Agent Orange in the chemical warfare with Vietnam, to destroy crops, soil, animals, human beings and their progeny. And decades before that, the same destruction was achieved through nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Q.2:205). A mad scientist may hold the end of planet Earth in his hands, if he has access to a nuclear weapon or other WMDs (weapons of mass destruction) in his possession. These same scientists who have made WMDs should also make safeguards to prevent them from being used. However, it is consoling to read in Q.2:251 that to prevent mischief, Allah checks one power through another. Islam by itself could eventually become a super-power one day, Insha Allah, but looking at the condition of its followers, it seems a long way now for any Muslim country to be designated as one. The cream in the milk always rises to the top and if we are the best of the people evolved for mankind (Q.3:110), our victorious future is certain. Days of varying fortunes (of prosperity and adversity) are given by Allah, in turns, to mankind, (Q.3:140). Islam will prevail in the end (Q.61:9). Soon after the Second World War, France imported one million men from Algeria to replenish the population of France, which was decimated by the Nazis. It is but natural that some of the progeny of such people would be wearing the hijāb, which France has now banned. This is the repayment of gratitude by the West. Moreover, when France had occupied Algeria, it had also made the latter (a Muslim majority country) a major producer of wine. The Pol Pot regime had destroyed over 3,000 Buddhist temples in Cambodia. The Cambodians who are themselves Buddhists sawed off heads from the statues of Buddhas and removed also numerous statues from the temples to sell them to collectors in the West. Not a single voice of reprimand was raised in the international media. However, when the Afghans damaged just two statues, the whole world cried shame on them. But, credit must be given to England, which has decades of experience in intrigues and is highly accomplished in political mischief. Their policy of “divide and rule” has planted

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seeds of hatred among peoples and communities belonging to various religions and nations. Another trick of the British was to encourage cultivation and consumption of opium. England demoralised a huge country like China through opium. It also deprived many individuals of their states and rights. The Nizām of Hyderabad, in India, is one such example. He was first encouraged by the British to become an opium addict and in the process became their puppet. When a nation desires what another possesses, it finds many ways to seize it. There is a whole array of manoeuvres being used by the British and Americans who are welcomed with a friendly embrace as akhīs (brothers), to fleece the unsuspecting rulers as well as citizens of the rich Muslim countries,. The Americans solved the “Native Indian” problem in the USA by making natives drunkards. The Australians followed suit and also solved the “aboriginal” problem by making their natives alcoholics. The white farmers in South Africa paid their coloured labourers with the “tot”. We cannot blame the USA for having become the sole super-power. No matter what the whole world says, the USA has the option of exercising veto on many important issues and imposing sanctions at will. USA has many think-tanks while the Muslims have none. Our Muslim rulers do not need to think ever again for they have left it to the West to think for them.

The gift of speech Bio-physics

One of the greatest gifts of Allah to man is speech (Q.55:4). Not only did Allah give man the precious gift of speech, He also gave the gift of communication to every single thing, animate and inanimate (Q.41:21). A man may not understand what the birds and the ants are saying (Q.17:44), but the Qur᾿an speaks of the bird hoopoe (Q.27:22) and the ants (Q.27:18) communicating their thoughts coherently. The human ear is capable of hearing sounds between 20 Hz and 21,000 Hz, i.e. 21 KHz, yet it is most sensitive to sounds closer to 500 Hz. We cannot hear ultrasound and infrasound through which some animals and insects communicate with each other. The limits of hearing are higher for some animals who can hear ultrasound, like dogs, cats, rats and especially bats. The range of hearing of some animals could be compared: dogs 65 Hz - 47,000 Hz; cats 45 Hz - 64,000 Hz; mice 1000 Hz - 90,000 Hz; rats 200 Hz - 75,000 Hz; bats 2000 Hz - 110,000 Hz; whales 1000 Hz - 123,000 Hz; elephants 1 Hz - 20,000 Hz; goldfish 5-2000 Hz. Elephants and goldfish can also hear infrasound; and pigeons can detect sounds as low as 0.1 Hz. The squeal of the male rat sounds at 22,000 Hz, which is beyond the range of human hearing. Hence we do not hear it even when rats are in the house. During mating seasons, female mice, whales, some insects and songbirds sing ultrasonic songs for their male counterparts to call them, which are not heard by the human ear. Dogs can hear high-pitched sounds up to 45,000 Hz, which is well above the level of human hearing. Some postmen carry a pocket-sized instrument called ultrasound dog repellent, to prevent dogs from biting them. It emits ultrasound, which the postmen themselves do not hear but which frightens the dogs without harming them. Bats and whales use echolocation that can reach frequencies above 100 KHz. They can emit and hear ultrasound waves which they use for locating prey and for navigating and avoiding obstacles. Insects have a wide range of hearing. Some can hear ultrasound while other insects respond to sounds so low as to be inaudible to the human ear. However, Prophet Sulaimān A.S. could understand the language of the birds, ants, jinn and others (Q.27:16-28). Such a gift required two abilities. One was to hear the frequencies of sounds beyond the human range, and second was to comprehend what was being said. Allah may have endowed him with a special gift of an inner ear (cochlea), which enabled him to perceive sounds beyond the normal range of 20 Hz-21,000 Hz. It is interesting to note that his father, Prophet Dāwūd, A.S., also had a firm command of speech (Q.38:20) as well as an understanding of the speech of birds (Q.27:16). Speech is a system of communication acquired by the coordinated use of voice, organs of articulation and skills of language. Only humans can produce true and intelligent speech with reproduction of thought into words, which could be understood and explained. Some birds like parrots and mynas can mimic the human voice through vibrations of their vocal cords, but it is not intelligent speech. The greater the frequency of vibrations, the higher the pitch; in general, women have a higher pitch as compared to men. Speech is also synonymous with language through which people communicate their feelings and thoughts to each other by symbols or by body movements. Even a beast may be able to speak (Q.27:82), now that genetic engineering is taking place, and there is a likelihood of the cell of man being joined to that of a beast (Q.5:60).

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Early development of the human brain is important. Many new neural connections are formed in the first 12 years, when instinctive responses could be modified by learned behaviour. Vocabulary of the average child at the close of the first year is three to five words, at eighteen months 20 words and three months later 120, in two years it reaches 250 and by the age of six years it is 10,000 words. High school graduates know at least 60,000 words. However, sometimes the speech centre is developed very early in life, as happened in the unique case of Jesus, A.S. He spoke from the cradle as an infant (Q.19:2930).

Sound: Sound travels at 1129 ft/sec (343 metres/sec), nearly a fifth of a mile, i.e. 768 miles/hour. This explains why sound waves coming from an approaching car moving at 50 miles/hour can alert a bird to fly away before it is hit, since these same sound waves are converted into electromagnetic waves, which travel at the speed of light at 186,287miles/second. That is why we see lightning before we hear the thunder. (We hear the radio thousands of miles away much sooner than the sound coming from an adjoining studio a few yards away because radio or electromagnetic waves travel at 186,287miles per second, and sound waves at only 768 miles per hour). Water is a good medium for aquatic animals since sound travels five times faster in water than in air Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB). Softest audible sound to the human ear is 0 dB while beyond 130 dB is painful. A whisper like rustling of leaves is 10-20 dB, mosquito buzzing 40 dB, while conversational speech at three ft. is 60-70 dB. Listening to sounds louder than 90 dB for an extended period of time can cause hearing damage. A power lawn mower at 3 ft. is 90 dB while a pneumatic chipper at 5 ft is 115 dB. The noise produced by a jet airplane (like a loud rock concert) is 130 dB at 3 metres. Above this level, the inner ear (cochlea) gets damaged and leads to hearing loss. A rocket engine at 30 metres is 180 dB. Under recent laws dealing with noise pollution, exposure to more than 115 dB is not permitted, unless it is for a maximum of 15 minutes in an 8-hour shift. Besides deafness, loud noise causes interference with work, high blood pressure, insomnia, nervous and cardiac disorders. Exposure to chronic noise is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks. (Aircraft noise often frightens animals, while increasing noise levels in the oceans interfere in the communication and navigation of whales. Human noise pollution in ocean can lead fish away from good habitats and off to their death). It is useful to consider that since sound waves may cease to be audible to the human ear but are permanent in space, it may be possible to capture centuries-old voices by the invention of highly advanced sensors. Interestingly, these waves can be retrieved from materials such as ancient pottery, thus reminding us that man himself was created from sounding clay (Q.55:14). To send sound over a large distance, it is converted into electro-magnetic waves first and then transmitted. Hence music produced in one location could be picked up in another, thousands of miles away. It is easy to fall in awe of Allah’s Greatness when we think that on the Day of Judgment all that we have said will be reproduced to bear witness to our utterances. Communications from the source of message to the recipient can take place through speech, body movements, eye contact, odour and touch, and maybe ESP (extra sensory perception) through brain waves. However, divine messages are communicated in the form of waḥy (revelation) to prophets through the Angel Jibrāīl (Q.4:163; 6:50), and also without the intervention of Jibrāīl to other humans (Q.14:13; 21:73), bees (Q.16:68) and others. The word waḥy literally means quick suggestion and therefore the Qur᾿an has also used this term to describe those used by evil human beings and jinn to inspire each other (Q.6:112; 121). Abnormal Speech: Speech could be normal or abnormal. When we encounter abnormal or

unintelligible speech, we must find out the reason for such. (1) Speech could be slurred in stroke, multiple sclerosis, Huntington’s chorea, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and also in alcoholism and use of sedative drugs. (In right-handed persons with a thrombosis of an artery in the left side of the brain which houses the speech centre, the right side of the body becomes paralysed. It is called hemiplegia, and is usually accompanied by dysphasia leading to disturbance in comprehension or expression of language. If Wernicke’s area in the left temporal lobe of the brain is damaged, the patient cannot understand spoken language, while damage to Broca’s area in the frontal lobe causes difficulty in speaking and writing. In this type of expressive dysphasia, there is full understanding of spoken or written words, but the patient is only able to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’, or he may go on repeating the same words again and again. MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) beams high frequency radio waves into the brain placed in a strong magnetised field that causes the protons forming the hydrogen atoms in the brain to re-emit these radio waves which are then analysed by a computer to produce cross-sectional images of the brain. Through observing activities in particular areas of

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the brain, researchers have shown that in right-handed persons, the left side of the brain processes speech, language and arithmetic while the right side interprets emotions, music and projection of 3-dimensional objects in space). (2) Speech is irregular and jerky in cerebellar disease. (3) The person may be dumb or a deaf-mute since birth. (4) The person may not be dumb but might have taken a vow of silence as in monasteries, where it is usual not to disclose the reason. The Holy Qur᾿an mentions that when Prophet Zakariyya A.S. prayed to have a son (Q.3:41; 19:10) he was commanded to observe strict silence for three nights, and to communicate through signals. Mary, A.H. vowed to abstain from any conversation with anyone for a day as a vow to Allah, while she was delivering Jesus, A.H., (Q.19:26). (5) Mutism can also occur in some cases of catatonic schizophrenia and hysteria. (6) Stammering or stuttering occurs in about 1% of the population. Most common utterance is hesitative but in severe cases, it is associated with grimacing. Stammering is normal from the ages of two to four during the stage of speech development. When it occurs beyond the age of six, because the muscles of articulation cannot keep pace with the rapid thoughts in the brain, it tends to become permanent. Prophet Moses, pbuh, used to stutter (Q.20:27-28). (7) Cleft palate, cerebral palsy and deafness can also cause speech defects. (8) Then there is the cued speech in which eight hand movements indicate the syllables, a method used for the deaf. (9) Argot or cant, the secret vocabulary of the underworld criminal gangs, also makes speech comprehension difficult to assess. (10) Even a computer can speak by storing and retrieving the data, but unlike the human brain, it has no emotions or feelings of joy and sorrow, love and hate.

Waswasa or soft, alluring sound: It denotes a soft sound of the ornaments, or of the hunter

and dogs, or rustling of leaves in the wind resembling a whisper. Satan’s evil promptings and suggestions are so subtle that it leaves us in doubt whether the suggestion has come from outside or it is from our own mind. That is why, the danger from those mankind and jinn whispering evil into us is of particular importance (Q.114:4-6). A whisper usually carries more weight than shouting from the roof top. Some people will believe anything if you whisper it to them. It was Satan who whispered to Adam and Eve, who though already naked, had no knowledge of shame associated with their private organs until after they had tasted a few grains of the forbidden tree (Q.7:20; 20:120-121). Then they covered their private parts. However, some whispers have a different effect. If we whisper a pleasantry into the ear of infants 8 weeks to 2 years old whatever their mood, we usually elicit a smile.

Tongue: The tongue (Q.90:8-9) is a fantastic organ given to us by Allah as a trust, which Satan

always uses to his advantage. To show us its importance, Allah enclosed it in a cage (mouth), put it behind bars (teeth) and sealed it with two lips. On the Day of Judgment this same tongue will re-play whatever we have said. Along with hands and feet, it will be a witness against us as to our actions (Q.24:24). The centre of speech which controls the tongue is situated in the left side of the brain in right-handed individuals. Just as we have human rights, similarly our tongue also has a right of its own not to be abused. The language we may utter during arguments may betray the social class we belong to.

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(Shaikh Sa‘dī). Aybé mardom faash kardan bad tareené ayb haast; aybgoo awwal konad bee pardah aybé kheesh raa: Exposing the faults of others is the worst of all faults; the one who speaks evil discloses his own fault to begin with. We should constantly bear in mind that whenever we interact with anyone, we must treat him as a potential friend and leave him impressed, not angry. A motto during conversation should be "Listen without defending, answer without offending." The tongue translates man’s thoughts and feelings into words. Hence, if the back-biting is due to envy, enmity or an inferiority complex, it is in fact an expression of anger with oneself. Good actions follow good thoughts, hence the importance of having positive thoughts all the time and invoking the welfare of one and all without exception. If we want to have control of our thoughts, we must learn to forgive others. At least for ‘give-ness’ sake, we should forgive. We lose nothing by forgiving and gain

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much. Of course, it is easier to forgive than to forget. If we want to achieve a certain noble aim in life, we must not retaliate when we find our opponent is behaving unmannerly, or has attempted to antagonise. Even then, we must forgive. Shaikh Sa‘di advises:

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Mokaafaaté badee kardan halaal ast, cho bee jorm az kasee aazordah baashee; badee baa oo rawaa baashad wa lykin nekooyee kon ké baa khod karda baashee. It is permissible for you to retaliate with evil when you are hurt without any fault of yours; but if you do good instead, you will be doing good to yourself. Freedom of speech is the freedom of expression, whether oral or written, which need not be classified as libel, slander or incitement to riot. However, the freedom of speech that prevails today with complete unrestricted expression has led to infringement of our rights as well as the rights of some other communities. It has also antagonised some of our religious beliefs and institutions, e.g. Islam does not permit gay marriages but gay associations are operating with impunity in many countries flooding the world with their propaganda. Freedom of speech now allows us to mismanage our own affairs as well as those of the society. The freedom of speech is more destructive than the freedom of thought. If someone is mistaken while exercising the freedom of thought, only the individual himself is at risk. But if he exercises the freedom of speech wrongly, he puts welfare of the society at stake, which is unbecoming of a good Muslim because Muslim is one from whose hands and tongue other Muslims are safe, (Ḥadīth: Al-Bukhāri, Muslim). Some people who can restrain their mind can also manipulate, modify and change their thoughts to more acceptable ones. In case an undesirable thought recurs often and becomes annoying, an easy way out is to recall and recite some verses of the Holy Qur᾿an. It diverts the mind to more secure and pleasant avenues. We should always remember that freedom of speech could either be a wrong one where a man is free to say and do what he likes; or the correct one, where he is free to say, but do only what he needs and ought to do. Freedom is the right to be wrong, not the right to do wrong. In the name of human rights, we should not behave inhumanly towards others. Injury caused by the tongue is worse than that of a knife since the latter heals in a few days but that of the word may never heal. Just as a spark can destroy a whole forest, the tongue may do the same for many families. An Urdu proverb says:

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Pahlé sochó, pherr toló, pher boló. First think, then weigh it and then speak.

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God has given us two ears and one tongue so that we should hear twice and speak once.

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Kam gooyo joz az maslé haté kheesh magoo; waz har ché na porsadat kasee peesh magoo; goosh tó dó daadandó zabané tó yakee; ya‘nee ké dó beshnovo yakee beesh magoo. Talk less and do not say anything except to give some proper advice; and do not speak before someone asks you to: You were given two ears and one tongue, which means hear twice and speak once. And when we speak, we should always speak the truth, because by doing so we do not have to worry about being caught with a falsehood. When we tell a lie, we have to bear it in mind for all times so that the recall of fabricated events is identical. Such a situation becomes progressively difficult as we often have to tell a hundred lies just to make one lie appear true. A minute deviation from truth to start with grows thousand-fold with time, as we fumble when one or two pieces of the jigsaw are missing from the memory vault. And here lies the importance of speaking the truth as it is the easiest thing to remember. Concerning the tongue, we all have seen the three little monkeys using the palm of their hands to cover their eyes, ears and mouth, representing See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. This adage is matched by the quote of the Zoroastrians:

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Goftaaré neek, kerdaaré neek, andeesha é neek: Good speech, good actions and good thoughts. A Persian proverb says: A first step taken with a good thought, the second with a good word and the third with a good deed would make you enter Paradise. Here is a Persian poem: y S

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Qazaa shakhseest panj angosht daarad, Cho khaahad az kasee kaamee bar aarad; dó bar deedé nahad dó neez bar goosh, yakee bar lab nahad gooyad ké khaamoosh. Destiny is a person that has five fingers. Whenever it wants to get some work done through someone, he puts two on the eyes, two on the ears and one on the tongue

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saying ‘Keep quiet!‘. But the best quote is that of Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬: Whoever guarantees me (the chastity of) what is between his loins (i.e. his or her sexual organs) and what is between his jaws (i.e. the tongue), I guarantee him Paradise. (Hadīth: Sahl bin Sa‘d). While speaking, we also have to watch who is listening, because a secret between three is no secret. A Chinese proverb says that a rumour goes in one ear and comes out of many mouths. Experience tells us that rumour and lies travel fast (especially through the electronic media) while truth walks on crutches. It was said that women talk much more than men, an average of 7000 words/day compared to men’s 2000 but this claim was later retracted by the author.

Truth: None of us knew the truth when we were born, although the truth was already there. As we

grew up, we learnt what truth was, because the truth was there for all to seek, e.g. for centuries we thought that the world was flat, while in reality the Earth was round, but we had to wait for scientific evidence to know the truth. However, different people have different religions and different versions of the truth. Truth thus becomes relative because each person has his own truth and each religion has its own truth. In the court of law, both the plaintiff and the defendant swear by their holy scriptures that they are speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. It is obvious that both cannot be right. Truth can be difficult to uphold and a lie easy to utter or lies can be sandwiched between truths. Truth may also be subject to doubt and therefore, correction. We should always keep in mind that there are three sides to every statement: yours, mine and the truth. Speech could be true or false, pleasant or obnoxious. We must constantly bear in mind that every time we speak, it gives us an opportunity to give a hint or a lesson to teach someone about remembrance of God, and for him to think about God during the brief pause in the conversation. In Q.23:3, Allah advises us to avoid absurd and foolish talk, and if we hear any such, we should leave the company with dignity (Q.25:72). Prayer followed by a prayer with no idle talk between the two is recorded in Illiyyūn. (Ḥadīth: Sunan Abu Dāwūd). Because Allah Himself is the Absolute Truth (Q.20:114), He attaches utmost importance for us to speak the truth. He commands us in 330 verses of the Holy Qur᾿an on what we should say (qul). If we are speaking the truth, we should be able to bring forth evidence to prove it (Q.2:111). Those of us who speak and abide by the truth are considered high in status, just after the prophets (Q.4:69) and precede even the martyrs and the pious persons, which all together comprise an excellent friendly company. A good-natured word is like a good-nurtured tree whose root is firmly fixed and its branches ascend up to the heavens (Q.14:24). Hold on to truth, for being truthful leads to righteousness and righteousness leads to Paradise. (Ḥadīth: Aḥmad bin Hanbal). If he has spoken the truth, he will certainly enter Paradise. (Ḥadīth: Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dāwūd, At-Tirmidhi). The test of a righteous family is in the truthful children they produce. None of us is born knowing the truth. We must be told about it and endeavour to confirm it. Unfortunately, there are two billion people in this world who cannot read or write; hence, they accept whatever they hear from others as if that is the absolute truth, none of which they can verify.

Pleasant Speech: Should jealousy or anger exude from us during a social encounter, a smile with

loving words transforms the situation into a pleasant one. Smiles generate friends while frowns give us wrinkles. Less facial muscles are used in a smile than in a frown. A smile will gain you ten more years of life (a Chinese proverb). A simple smile from a king or a president can start a chain reaction in a country or the world, thereby altering history. People around us are like a mirror. If we show them our best face, we will be pleased with their best face looking at us. We could bring joy to someone by the sheer power of a smile, a touch, a kind word, an honest compliment or a listening ear. Even kind words and covering of faults of persons are better than charity followed by injury (Q.2:263). We must examine the word before the tongue pronounces it. Is the word necessary? Will it hurt? By pronouncing it, will Allah be pleased, or Satan? Part of the excellence of one's Islam is avoiding involvement in what does not concern one. (Ḥadith) Once words come out of the mouth, they can never be returned. While the word remains unspoken, you reign over it, but once you speak the word, it reigns over you. (Arabian proverb). The British Prime Minister Winston Churchil once said: If your foot slips, you can always regain your balance. But if your tongue slips, you can never recall the words. Just as thought is internal speech, speech is mirrored as

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external thought. At all times we should heed Allah’s advice (Q.49:11) and not call others by nicknames or titles, e.g. ugly, fatso, shorty, idiot, etc. We should always bear in mind that every word we speak gives someone else a chance to find out how much or little we know about the subject, besides giving him some insight into our personality. It is better to conceal one’s knowledge than to reveal one’s ignorance, (a Spanish proverb). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is reported to have said: A man slips more by his tongue than by his foot. If someone confides in us his/her secret, we should keep it confidential. Exposing it will be a definite breach of trust. A single leak may sink the whole ship. Here is a poem:

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Agar joz to daanad ké azmé tó cheest; bar on ra’yo daanesh bé baayad greest: If any one else except you knows your intention, you should cry over that opinion and knowledge. Here is another: If your lips would save you from slips, observe five things with care; of whom you speak, to whom you speak, and how and when and where. What a joy it is to find the right words for the right occasion! The same speech accompanied with a smile beautifies the complexion, enhances the personality and adds weight and importance to the meaning. If a person could not give us a smile, can’t we give him one? We cannot shake hands with a clenched fist. It is easy to bypass enemies by becoming their friends. Here is an exemplary advice in Persian:

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Bé sheereen zabaaniyyo lotfo khoshee Tawaanee ké peeli bé moo ee kashee With a sweet tongue, gentleness and pleasantness, you can pull an elephant with a hair. Speech dresses up our thoughts; hence it should be used to beautify the person. This same tongue that is used to spread evil can also be used to spread good, the latter becoming

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‫ ﻟﻠﻜﻤﺔ‬ charity. ‫ ﻟﻄﻴﺒﺔ ﺻﺪﻗﺔ‬ ِ Alkalimatut tayyibatuṣ ṣadaqah: means A friendly word is charity. (Ḥadīth: Al ِ

Bukhāri). We came into this world empty-handed and would leave empty-handed; the least we can do is to leave behind some kind and sweet words. (Of course, kind and sweet words by themselves are not enough and will not solve the problem of poverty. They should be accompanied by a food hamper or some such hand-outs). It takes the same tongue the same time to bring joy and happiness to the listener. Instead of cursing the darkness, it is easier and more effective to light a candle. So why use hurtful language when we know that we can win more friends with our ears than with our mouth? Because man is hasty, he gets angry quickly, curses others, making evil du‘as (Q.17:11). Man is created prone to haste (Q. 21:37), and allows himself no time to think before he speaks. Then should we blame Allah for having created us such that we would not give ourselves some time to think before speaking? We need to be reminded that, as a test, Allah also gifted us with the neo-cortex (the new brain or the thinking brain situated in the pre-frontal cortex) which distinguishes us from animals who cannot think. Because of this, we can think, plan strategies, compose poetry, write scientific data, go to Moon and Mars, etc. Hence we must think before speaking. Because we can think, we are masters of those who cannot think. We can put lions, tigers and elephants in a cage. We should not speak out our random thoughts but speak only when we are spoken to. Even an ignorant man is looked upon as wise when he keeps silent.

َ َ 4 ْ ُ َ​َ ْ َ​َ َ ُ ْ 4 َ ‫ﻓﻀﺔ‬ ‫ ﻫﺐ‬ ‫ﻓﺎﻟﺼﻤﺖ ِﻣﻦ‬ ٍ ِ ‫ ; ﺎﻛ ﻟﺎﻠﻜ ِﻣﻦ‬Idhā kānal kalāmu min fiḍḍatinn faṣsamtu min dhahab: is an idiom ٍ

meaning: If speech is silver, then silence is gold. Needless to mention that one who talks too much commits the most mistakes, especially if he knows very little of the subject. We must never miss an opportunity to restrain our tongue. Either we talk what is good, pleasant, constructive and intelligent or keep quiet. A person who keeps quiet will never feel sorry:

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(Shaikh Sa‘di): Pasheemon zé goftan deedam basee; pasheemon nagasht az khamooshee kasee. I have seen many who felt sorry after they talked; no one felt sorry by keeping silent. A wise man knows when to speak his mind and when to mind his speech. Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools, because they have to say something. (Plato, a Greek philosopher, 400 BC). If we have little knowledge about a subject being discussed, it would be better for us to remain silent and appear stupid than to speak and remove all doubts. The mouth should be kept shut when we find ourselves in deep waters. We all know what happened to the fish that opened its mouth.

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Small minds discuss people and their weaknesses and short-comings, while great minds discuss thought-provoking ideas. We must be careful of people who begin their talk by “they say“, or “do you know what I heard� because they may be lying. We may have to doubt what they say but we should know what they mean.

Listening: We must continue to listen without the urge to interrupt. Listening is one way of

entertaining the speaker and of getting him interested in us. The wisdom of silence can only be learnt by observing persons who do not talk much. Their silence is wonderful to listen to. Silence speaks for itself and opens a shroud of words we have concealed. Wisdom is the reward we get for years of listening when we would have preferred to talk. Sometimes, we can even understand the unspoken words of a silent man. When a suitable turn comes for us to speak, we should collect in the interval all the facts before doing so, ensuring that whatever we say would be pleasant and not be hurtful. We should not speak evil of someone even if we want to. We should ask ourselves: why am I saying it? We should also not insist on speaking if we have nothing intelligible to add to the conversation. The value of silence can be learnt as a tranquilising agent in the interlude after the end of a loud and disturbing musical session. It is also ill mannerly to interrupt another while he is still speaking to us. It is a virtue that a man listens to his brother when the latter speaks to him. (Ḥadčth). We should not speak to another person in whispers or in a different language in the company of a third.

Namimah: NamÄŤmah means to carry false information from one person to another so as to create

hostility, while qattÄ t is a person who carries news with the intention of causing harm and enmity between the parties concerned. Here Shaikh Sa‘di superbly expresses his foresight:

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MiyaanÊ do tan aatash afrookhtan: Na aqlasto khod dar miyon sookhtan. It is stupidity to set a fire between two persons and get burnt oneself between them. Sometimes, we delight in harping on what we consider to be faults in others, or have an incessant urge to criticise without putting in at least one good word. We also find that blaming individuals is emotionally more satisfying than finding out the reason. Some of us are experts at finding faults in others but not in mending our own in spite of knowing that it is easier to change our own behaviour than someone else’s. We know fully well that it is human to err and that we ourselves have made many such mistakes in the past and no one yet knows anything about it. While back-biting, we belittle the absentee and try our utmost to lower his self-esteem, not knowing that this is a sign of our jealousy because of the absentee's success. We do not even verify rumours in spite of being commanded by Allah to do so, though afterwards we may regret it (Q.49:6). Lack of respect and love for fellow-beings are usually the root cause of jealousy and hate. We should not throw mud at others lest our own hands get dirty. Sometimes, we smear his/her character easily if the story has some truth in it. For such an action if the allegation is not supported by four witnesses, the penalty in the Qurឿan is that we ourselves should be given eighty lashes (Q.24:4). If a person sins and blames another, he earns an added sin (Q.4:112). Sometimes, we ridicule others, forgetting that Allah says that he or she may be better than us (Q.49:11). None of us knows our permanent destination to be allotted to us on the Day of Judgment. Khwajah Haafez says:

y 4 v5 ĂŹ Âľ DE ( S ( y y r Â

DE cy z 1 Â

y ( S r w ƒ AO ?[ KDÂź 0

( S r@ KxD}E ? ĂŹ b I

( S 4 0 { ] ĂŹ ĂŤ| AO r 0 }] 0 K l ~ 0 1 Â

AybĂŠ randon makon ay zaahedĂŠ paakeezĂŠ seresht, kĂŠ gonaahĂŠ degaree bar tĂł nakhaahand nevesht; Naa omeedam makon az saabeqĂŠ yĂŠ rooz ĂŠ azal, TĂł chĂŠ daanee kĂŠ pasĂŠ pardeh kĂŠ khoobasto kĂŠ zesht. Bar ‘amal takya makon khwajeh kĂŠ dar roozĂŠ azal, tĂł chĂŠ daanee qalamĂŠ San‘ bĂŠ naamat chè nevesht. Don’t find fault with the whores, O pious ascetic, for another’s sin will not be recorded as yours; Do not make me lose all hopes before the Day of Reckoning; how do you know who behind the curtain is beautiful and who is ugly? Don’t count on your actions alone, Sir, on the Day of Reckoning, how do you know what the Pen of the Creator wrote next to your name? Here is an Urdu poem:

y ( rl •– Ăˆ Ăƒ Ç b ƒ

‚y €  $ •Š

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Rind on kó bohot na chher ho waa ez,: oon mein bhee hein kuchh Khodaa parast: Don’t make fun of the whores, O preacher; among them there are also some godly and pious ones. It is easy to criticise anyone, because no one is perfect. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Every one of us has some good and some bad within us. Even the beautiful peacock has some ugly features, as in this Persian poem: y

( S Ă ] r ?}DE Š ‹ ÂŒ

S † ÂŁ 0 ? ‡ žˆ² ‰ : „ Â…

Taa oos raa bÊ naqshó negaaree kÊ hast khalq; tahseen konandó oo khajÊl az paayÊ kheesh. We admire the peacock, so breath-taking and multi-coloured, yet it is ashamed of its ugly feet. Some of us pick on the few bad points of others and feel no pain in criticising them and instead, feel elated in doing so. Such criticism gives us a false sense of superiority, which hides our own inferiority complex. A knowledgeable person may like to silence the critic but a wise man never does so. He would encourage the critic and engage him in a circular argument with a view to improve his own knowledge on the particular subject and to impart lessons to the critic. Have we ever put ourselves in the victim’s position while listening to gossip? If not, let us do it whenever the next occasion presents itself. This will teach us how to curb our tongue and/or change the topic. Suppose we call someone a rogue or a thief. Let us then put ourselves in his position and imagine how we would have felt if someone had called us a rogue or a thief. We would feel disgusted, ashamed and angry and may resort to physical violence. We must thank God that it is in every man’s power to control the tongue, and hence, the consequences of our speech. We should wish for everyone what we wish for ourselves, and this we can easily find out by putting ourselves in the position of the absentee. Although the tongue of idle persons is never idle, it always takes two or more persons to gossip, from which we can excuse ourselves. He who comes with a story to you, takes two away from you. (Irish proverb). Everything unlawful to utter is also unlawful to listen to. People will refrain from

Ů? ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? 4 Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? â€Ťďťłďť¨ďş˜ﺎﺸ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ﺧﺒﺎ ďť&#x;ďş´ďť´ďşŒďş”â€Ź speaking evil only when we refrain from listening to them. ‍ﺑﺎﺴﺔ‏ Al AkhbÄ rus sayyi atu Ů? Ů?

tantashiru bi sur‘ah: Bad news travel fast. Sometimes, a grave look or gesture or changing the topic carries with it the message of corrective action. To remain silent during back-biting is unlawful, since we become accessories to the sin. Do you enjoin right conduct on the people and forget to practice it yourselves. And yet you study the scripture? Will you not understand? (Q.2:44). This Qurážżanic verse applies to the speaker and to the listener both. It has been said that calamities present themselves in diverse ways for different people. A misfortune to us may be good news to others. This difference in fortunes often produces uncomfortable frame of mind in some of us. It displeases even the best of friends. A true and sincere friend however should not be threatened by his fellowman’s successes. It is better to speak well of a friend, and say nothing about an enemy. If we all said to each other’s faces what we say behind their backs, society would be in chaos, and man would become an endangered species and probably become extinct. A sincere friend is not a true friend until he has taken care of his brother in three situations: in his absence, in times of misfortune and at the time of his death. (Imam Ali, R.A.)

Unpleasant Speech: If we knock at someone’s door and the person does not open it, his action

demonstrates our fallen status in his eyes. Similarly, if a person does not answer when we are talking, it also shows the small value he attaches to our opinion. Even down-sizing a person may hurt as noted in this poem by Khwajah Shamsuddin Haafez of Shiraaz:

y “ bç q Âż DE Ă˝ 0 N ] DE ( y S ‡™šð Â? Š›Ă? – — ˜3 Ă´

Â? ÂŽ ] Âżn ÂľÂ•Ă˜Â‘Ă? Â’ y Â? DEÂ? yy Ă? ( ” Ă‹U j r 0 •ŠU •• Â?

Sobh dam morghĂŠ chaman baa gol ĂŠ nov khaastĂŠ goft; naaz kam kon kĂŠ dar in baagh basee choon tĂł shogoft; Gol bĂŠ khandeed kĂŠ az raast naranjeem walee, heech aasheq sokhan ĂŠ sakht bĂŠ ma‘shooq na goft: One early morning the bird of the garden said to the newly-budding flower, ‘Show less coquetry since in this garden many like you have blossomed’; the flower laughed saying, ‘I don’t feel hurt by the truth (that I am born to fade) but no lover ever said such a harsh word to the beloved’. It depends upon us entirely to speak out whatever we want. However we must remember that sometimes speech becomes unpleasant and even sinful:

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(1) Shouting: (a) Evil should not be voiced in public unless injustice was done (Q.4:148). (b) Shouting at the wife leads her to take her complaints to Allah (Q.58:1). (c) A husband is known by the tears of his wife. (2) Cursing: (a) We should not curse other people’s deities lest they curse Allah out of spite (Q.6:108). (b) Among the worst of the major sins is for a man to curse his own parents, which could be done by cursing someone else’s parents (Ḥadīth: Muslim; At-Tirmidhi). Cursing words return to the owner like a boomerang, just as devising evil encompasses those who do it (Q.35:43). (3) Words of the same language should not be distorted to express an unpleasant meaning to the listener (Q.4:46) e.g. (a) When an enemy greets you, one of them would say, As Sāmu ‘Alykum (death be unto you). Therefore say, Wa ‘Alyka (and the same to you), (Ḥadīth). (b) Most of us are familiar with some words that mean something else in one language but carry a foul meaning in another. (4) Falsehood: (a) Telling lies against Allah and His signs (Q.11:18; 16:116; 29:68; 64:10); Allah’s curse falls on them (Q.3:61) and falsehood perishes (Q.21:18). (b) Chapter 12 shows lies and intrigues in a prophet’s household (Q.12:17-18). (However, some lies are excusable, especially those for Allah’s sake and those made with good intentions and in good faith meant to bring about reconciliation between families or communities. Even prophets told such lies. Ibrāhīm, pbuh, did not lie except in three cases. Two were for the sake of Allah: (i) when he said, ‘Verily I am sick’, (ii) when he said, ‘Nay, this one, the biggest of the idols did it’, (iii) when he said, concerning his wife Sarah, ‘She is my sister’. (Ḥadīth: Muslim; Abu Dāwūd). Allah’s Messenger‫ ﷺ‬said, Lying is allowed only in three cases: falsehood spoken by a man to his wife to please her, falsehood in war, and falsehood to put things right between people. (Ḥadīth: Aḥmad and At-Tirmidhi). Reconciliation between people is of a better grade than fasting, prayer and sadaqah. (Ḥadīth: Aḥmad, Abu Dāwūd and At-Tirmidhi). Here is a Persian proverb:

( ( r r c \ ¿

Drooghé maslehat aameez beh az raasté fetna angeez ast: A lie for reconciliation is better than a truth, which causes confusion and revolt. Lying is also a simple form of self-defence. The truth is often so unpleasant that if spoken, it may need an apology later. In such cases, we need not tell all the truth but whatever we say should be the truth. However, we must bear in mind not to destroy a person’s self-esteem and his reputation in the interest of truth. (5) Revealing other people’s secrets is also disapproved as it becomes a breach of trust, as happened in Prophet’s household, when one of his wives divulged a secret (Q.66:3). (6) When we have nothing to say, we should not speak and get people bored. The poet says:

¡ ¢K 0 N ¡ è b

AO î à

Beyandeesh wongah bar aawar nafas; waz on peesh bas kon ké gooyand bas. Think and then wait awhile; stop talking before they tell you to stop. (7) On backbiting, gossip and slander, here are some notes:

Back-biting, gossip and slander: The divine words in Chapter 49 of the Holy Qur᾿an, outline

the code of conduct to be practised by the Muslim ummah, and should be studied in detail. “Back-biting” is mentioning something or suggesting evil of someone in his or her absence which he or she dislikes, be it true or false. It is considered a greater sin than adultery. If the statement uttered is false, it is termed “slander”. The term “libel” represents a published written statement which is untrue and defamatory. Slander is oral defamation spoken to injure another’s reputation as distinguished from libel or written defamation. Back-biting is usually due to concealed jealousy or envy, which when revealed, may turn to rage, insult or slander. By lowering the self-esteem of others, we erroneously believe we have elevated our own. Slander is a false oral defamation uttered maliciously with a view to personal injury or to damage another’s reputation, e.g. calling a qualified medical doctor a quack. A slanderous mouth bites hardest when it is open, not closed. Slander could be due to (a) envy, (b) anger, or (c) suspicion. Islam not only categorises slander as a grave and punishable sin (Q.24:23) but makes it the duty of all Muslims to defend the honour of one who is being slandered (Q.24:11-26). We have also been cautioned never to be a third party and circulate such falsehoods (Q.24:19). Although Mary, mother of Jesus, A.S., was a chaste woman (Q.19:28), some people accused her of being unchaste (Q.4:156). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is reported to have said:

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ْ ُّ ْ َ ْ ُ ‫ﺳﺮﺘ‬ ْ َ َ Wa man satara Muslimann satarahuḷḷāhu fid duniyā wal ākhirah: َ َ َ ‫ ﻣﻦ‬ ُ َ َ ً ‫ﻣﺴﻠﻤﺎ‬ َ ِ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻧﻴﺎ‬ ‫ ﻵﺧﺮ‬ ‫ﷲ ﻰﻓ‬ ُ ‫ﺳﺮﺘ‬ ِ

Whoever shields (conceals the faults of) a Muslim, Allah will shield him (conceal his faults) in this world and in the Hereafter. (Ḥadīth: Muslim), and, Whoever seeks out the faults of his Muslim brother, Allah will expose his faults and degrade him. (Ḥadīth: Aḥmad bin Hanbal). O you who believe! Avoid suspicion as much (as possible), for suspicion in some cases is a sin. And spy not on each other, neither backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would abhor that. And keep your duty (to Allah). Lo! Allah is Relenting, Merciful. (Q.49:12). In this verse, Allah strongly forbids backbiting, and He compares the backbiter to one who eats the flesh of his dead brother. If he would hate eating the flesh of his brother, he should also hate to eat his flesh while he is alive by backbiting and slandering him. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬said: Backbiting is a sin worse than adultery. It is further explained in another Ḥadith: Allah may forgive a person if he repents after committing adultery. However, Allah will not forgive the one who backbites, till his victim forgives him.

Gossip: It is virulent in many groups including religious ones. It is like a basket of feathers. The

breeze blows the feathers to far away places in people’s homes until it becomes impossible to retrieve them. Gossip, like feathers, travels fast and wide through the help of telephone wires. It’s a pity that those who advance it add something to it, while those who hear it also enlarge it.

Gossip turns the love between two persons into hostility. A pleasant conversationalist is one who talks about you mostly and a gossiper is one who talks about others to you, while a bore is one who talks only about himself. It is no good talking about ourselves. It will be done when we leave. For gossip to survive there is a minimum requirement of two persons, the whisperer and a listener. Often we forget that Allah is the Unseen Companion (Q.57:4) and also the other Silent Listener in all conversations (Q.58:7), which are duly written down by the two recording angels known as kirāman kātibīn (Q.82:10-12) for evidence in the Hereafter. If we refrain from gossiping and leave the company or simply change the topic, or put our hand on our mouth signalling her/him to desist from such talk, we perform a triple act that should also bring us three-fold spiritual blessings, viz. (a) we have protected the honour of the absentee, (b) we have taught the back-biter an important lesson to discontinue such a degrading practice, and (c) we have saved ourselves as being a third party in the gossip. We should keep far from gossipers and back-biters. If they could back-bite someone to us, they are undoubtedly capable of back-biting about us to others too. Back-biting is done in the absence of the victim who obviously cannot defend himself. A gossiper does not have the courage and honesty to confront the victim. The English proverb, “Walls have ears”, is reflected in this Persian poem:

( pK k ~ ¾£ DE

p% K ABF k è

Peeshé deewaar harché gooee hoosh daar, taa nabaashad dar pasé deewaar goosh: Take care what you say in front of a wall, in case someone is listening to it behind the wall. (A recent technology uses radio tomographic images to see, locate and track people behind walls, without the need to wear radio-transmitting tags).

Gossip is a dangerous weapon that is used to destroy friendships, disrupt families and destabilise organisations. Most of us have some experience of it either as a promoter or as a listener. The intention is always to make the victim feel small and insignificant, no matter how many excellent qualities he or she may have. The purpose, therefore, is self-aggrandisement. We should remember that an ordinary man makes every man feel small and insignificant, but a truly great man is one who makes every one feel great. Scandal-mongering is talking evil of men or women by word or innuendo, behaviour or mimicry, sarcasm or insult. It is malicious gossip usually emanating from a general feeling of indignation, jealousy or inferiority. The scandal-monger and the slanderer will have a fiery future in the Hereafter (Chapter 104). Slander harms three persons: the speaker, the spoken to and the spoken of. The worst of God’s creatures are those who spread slander separating dear ones, an act much applauded by Satan. (Hadīth). A Persian poem cautions us thus:

( [ bú ©U ¥ c r 0

S ( y ( ?D ¤ 4 rAOU _ B A F r

Bé doost har ché azeezast raazé del magshoy, ké doost neez bégooyad bé doostaané degar: Don't give away your secret to a friend no matter how dear he may be, since your friend would also say it to his other dear

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friends. Rumour usually spreads from a person who confides in a trusted friend who in turns tells this secret to another trusted and confidential friend. Should we back-bite about someone else, knowing fully well that we ourselves have committed in our lives similar or more serious mistakes? In matters of dispute we must always put ourselves in a comparable uncomfortable position as the opposite party (Q.4:9). We should not say anything about someone in his absence which we would not like him to say about us during our absence. We should not do to others what we do not want others do to us. There are persons who habitually insult others and never speak well of people who have 95% good qualities and only 5% unworthy ones. They never speak about their overwhelmingly good qualities but pick out, dwell on and exaggerate the 5% bad ones. None of us is perfect. There is often much good in the worst of us and so much bad in the best of us that at no time any of us should speak ill about another. During backbiting we speak evil of a man when he can’t find us, and when we think we have found some bad points about him that would interest the listener. Such back-biters are a menace to society as they influence others by creating differences among persons. In some societies, gossip takes the form of a national pastime and phones are kept busy for indulgence in this evil. Yet, a proverb well reminds us: Oh God, send me a friend who will tell me of my faults, rather than of others. Here is a Persian poem:

© U K m e = @ ¦

y S bD E ABF DE § D 0

( ( U ª 0 ¦ r ©U K AO ¨ © r Y

Doost aanast ké ma ‘aayebé doost, hamcho aa ‘eenéh roo bé roo gooyad; na ké choon shaaneh baa hazaar zabon, poshté sar rafté moo bé moo gooyad. A friend is he who tells the faults of a friend face to face as in a mirror: Not like a comb with a thousand tongues, which goes behind the back and tells every hair. A real friend speaks well of you even behind your back. Hence, it is rare to find a friend who would talk good about you to others, yet point out quietly to you your mistakes, when no one else is listening. A ‘once-in-a lifetime’ friend is found once only in a life time.

U ( r , « Ñ KA¬­} l yy ¯ K b± ©U K 0 ¯ K ] O ° ® AO c

( r ® DEU ® I ý 0

Pareechehré raa hamneshin kardo doost, ké in aybé man goft yaaré man oost. Bé nazdé man onkas nekoo khaahé tost, ké gooyad folon khhaar dar raahé tost. He made the fairy-faced one his companion and friend; because this person told him about his faults, he is a sincere friend; in my opinion, the man who is your well-wisher is the one, who tells you that there is a thorn in your path. Back-biting is considered a major sin in Islam when we inflict severe punishment on ourselves also at the same time. If a person back-bites or insults us, we should immediately realise the ill intentions of that person, who is envious, frustrated and trying to take revenge; or he may simply be ignorant and a rumour-monger. Successful persons are envied most and hence the best form of revenge for them is to ignore the ill-behaved and achieve more success. What else should we do in such a case? (1) We should never feel hurt by such acts of ignorance. Let not their speech grieve us (Q.36:76) nor should we slander a slanderer. Although it is easier to condemn, it would be better to pity the ignorant. We should not respond to insults with insults. Instead, we should use our God-given brains to say something pleasing and win them over. People who fight fire with fire usually end up in ashes. Although, delivering a slap is an accepted form of settling disputes in some societies, it need not be resorted to, as it may lead to more violence and bad blood. By thinking carefully, we can accomplish by kindness what we can not accomplish by force. It is difficult to change others but easier to change ourselves. If we suspect jealousy, we must profess humility. If we want people to speak well of us, we should speak humbly of ourselves and keep a low profile. We must maintain our dignity and have full trust in Allah, since nothing happens without His permission. If we hear nonsense, we could offer our salaams and withdraw from the company (Q.28:55), and turn away from the ignorant (Q.7:199). Silence is often a

Responding to gossip and slander:

timely moment to be observed both by the wise, and also the foolish. Here is a Persian proverb:

Mr ¾D E b² Jawaabé ablahon baashad khamooshee: meaning: The reply to stupid persons should be silence.

We should rather ignore such a person than make him continually an object of our thought. We may even go further and do the jealous person a good turn rather than treat him badly, so that we could set some better examples, as our shari‘ah requires. People usually get jealous if we have done something

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good; so let us do something better, e.g. we may even send him a basket of flowers or any other gift with a “thank you” card as a Jazakallah note. Backbiting is considered such a grave sin that on the Day of Judgment, the victim will be better off than the slanderer, due to the transfer of the latter’s plus marks from his ledger to the account of the victim. Since we become the beneficiary of some of his plus marks in the Hereafter, we should actually thank him for his backbiting, and explain the above markssystem of Judgment Day. The back biter will then understand the reason for this ‘gratitude’ in spite of the wrong received, and may in future keep away from backbiting. Forgiveness is a valuable trait when one has the power of revenge. It can mitigate enmity. We can reprimand one who does us wrong by performing a good deed and divert his evil by granting him a favour instead. Sometimes an enemy is like a human volcano, ready to erupt with vocal force. By forgiving him, we can transform a turbulent ocean of hatred and revenge into one of calm, sincerity and friendship. To be good is a noble virtue but to teach others to be good is nobler. (2) It is well to remember a Hadith: "Part of the excellence of one's Islam is avoiding involvement in what does not concern one". It is possible to bring the backbiter’s attention to his mistakes by a glance or a gesture. It is unnecessary to accuse him by saying “you are wrong”, because the person will never agree with us, as we insult his reasoning and intelligence, and belittle him. Eyes of men can speak words which the tongue cannot pronounce. An eye-contact may throw insults or radiate beams of kindness. However, the opposite party is affected more by the language of the eye rather than that of the tongue. A man’s facial expression mirrors his intentions. A great weakness of man is the ignorance of his own faults. He remains oblivious of the damage he inflicts on others as well as on himself by backbiting. We need to re-examine ourselves before we peep through the keyholes to watch the sins of others. By concealing the short-comings of loved ones and of friends, relationships become more stable. During any session of backbiting, a man should initially observe, and then change the conversation with pleasant and favourable talk. We should also defend a brother in his absence whenever he is being slandered and his honour smeared explicitly or by innuendo. Can we pray and ask Allah for forgiveness, if we did in fact backbite? We could, but Allah will not forgive us unless we go first to the victim, confess to him our sin of backbiting about him, and ask his forgiveness. Later we must make a vow never to repeat such a sin again; only then, can we ask Allah for forgiveness. After a sincere taubah (repentance) Allah will surely forgive us. So we know now how sinful it is to back-bite a person, especially those who are dead since a dead person cannot speak and forgive us. The exercise of religious duties will not atone for the fault of an abusive tongue. (Hadīth). There are some people who ill-speak about Haḍrat ‘Umar (R.A.), Sayyidah ‘Āyesha (R.A.) and others. (3) The best possible move to confront an enemy is to remain silent, but at times, we have to return an unpleasant “greeting” e.g. “Assāmu ،Alykum” meaning death to you instead of “Assalāmu ،Alykum”, in a similar way by saying “wa ،alyka” meaning, and upon you also, ( Ḥadīth). (4) All of us know how to find faults and how to shout or complain, but hardly anyone comes forward to offer a solution. To admonish a brother in private is to advise and improve him, but to admonish him in public is to disgrace and humiliate him, and the probability is that he will rebel in some way at some time. Allah loves not that evil should be broadcast in public, unless injustice was done. (Q.4:148). However, on rare occasions, it becomes necessary to correct the faults of certain persons, and for this, Islam offers a procedure called iḥtisāb. To achieve iḥtisāb, the aim should be to help one another improve by strictly private and mutual constructive criticism, and not by public humiliation, argument and back-biting. Iḥtisāb is a decent way of correcting someone and also ourselves. If we notice a problem with someone in his worship, speech or action, it is our duty to correct him, but the problem should be discussed in private communication and not in public. The conversation should be calm and dignified, free of malice and selfish motives. Satan likes anger, hence this should be avoided. Besides iḥtisāb, we should also practice taqrīb which is the bringing of all parties together, especially different Muslim sects, viz. Sunnis, Shi‘ahs and others. Sunnīs, Shī،ahs and the other sects should talk to each other rather than about each other. A Sunni should be able to adjust if he is in the company of Shī،ahs and vice-versa. This compromise is beautifully demonstrated during Ḥajj in Makkah, both in the street and in the mosque. This rule should also apply to other Islamic sects. As an extension of taqrīb, we should promote social contacts between the Sunnīs, Shī،ahs and other Muslims sects, so that our ummah would be the gathering of real torch bearers of Islam, more broad-minded and truly ummatan wasatan (a community taking the middle course Q.2:143). This ummah is called the best community in Q.3:110). The average Muslim should be mature enough to shun prejudices and humbly

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accept that Sunnīs and Shī،ahs have more things in common, with very few and that too unimportant issues left between them for solution and reconciliation. Did not Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬say in his final and farewell sermon that no Arab is superior to a non-Arab and vice-versa? Sunnis and Shī،ahs are to be found in all Arab and non-Arab countries. Moreover, it is sinful for a Sunni to say that he is better than a Shī،ah or for a Shī،ah to say that he is better than a Sunni. Make no mistake: these are Satan’s words (Q.7:12). The slogan for the new generation of Muslims should be: Sunni-Shī،ah Bhai-Bhai, i.e. the Sunnīs and the Shī،ahs are brothers, in conformity with Allah’s Commandments: The believers (men and women) are but a single Brotherhood; so make peace between them both, (Q.49:10). The super-powers are doing their utmost to cause friction between the Sunnis and Shī،ahs so that we, Muslims, would remain weak all the time and easy to be dominated. Those persons causing trouble between the Sunnis and Shī‘ahs, sometimes even in such sacred places as mosques, are neither Sunnīs nor Shī‘ahs but are the agents of the super-powers doing the job for their material gains. Not until all the Muslim sects join together as one strong ummah would we be able to present ourselves as a formidable force to reckon with. Here is a short note on anger which precedes an abusive tongue.

Anger: Anger is a normal and flexible response to undesirable human interactions and also when thinking of an unpleasant past incident. Certain physiological changes occur in the body during anger. Our physical strength increases due to secretion of adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and others such as acetylcholine, while our spiritual strength decreases. Anger floods the brain with catecholamines (adrenaline and nor-adrenaline) - hormones that alert the body for “fright, fight, or flight” reaction. Some organs of our body such as the tongue, hands and sometimes feet that are otherwise under our control get out of control. Apart from being violent, we may also make a wrong decision about our job or personal relationship with others. During states of anger, we lose our reasoning ability and become more prone to provocation and violence. Even our facial expressions may change due to hormonal orchestration in the amygdala of the brain which responds to fear or anger. Nor-epinephrine and acetylcholine are involved in the brain circuitry of emotions such as anxiety and anger while gammaamino-butyric acid and other neurotransmitters in the frontal cortex are inhibitory and keep such emotions in check. Women can control their anger better than men. What we learn in physics that ‘every action has equal and opposite reaction’ also applies to adverse human behaviour like anger. Simultaneous anger in both opposing parties spells disaster. It urges the person to take retaliatory action in some form of revenge. Hence, keeping calm in an emotional scenario, signals the opposite party to do the same. There is no need to shout because experience teaches us that at times we could have been wrong and the opposite party right. Moreover, it is safer to keep quiet than shout in order to silence others. It is better to remain silent during states of anger, because one of the crucial tests of breeding is how a man or a woman behaves in a quarrel. No person is well-bred if he cannot tolerate ill-breeding in others. We should not even pass judgments nor divorce each other when we are angry (Hadīth: Al-Bukhāri). In fact, Allah advises us to forgive even when we are angry (Q.42:37). We have to restrain our anger before we can forgive (Q.3:134). Let us not underestimate the amount of effort required to curb our aggressive behaviour. It is this extra effort that becomes the building block for the development of our will power and personality. Such struggles and strivings make a person successful (Q.4:95). Some people unfortunately rejoice at other’s misfortunes (Q.3:120). Instead of offering good du‘ā (supplication) they supplicate for evil (Q.17:11). Such people should look at the verse Q.9:98, where Allah says that disaster will fall upon them instead. Moreover, if we slander believers who give charity, and ridicule them, Allah will throw back ridicule at us (Q.9:79). We need to realise that if we suffer hardships, our enemies also suffer similar hardships (Q.4:104). In fact all sides suffer, including some of our friends. Though the moth embraces the flame and burns with it, no one thinks of the candle that melts away in tears all night long! This goes to show that no one is alone in receiving joy or sorrow. The others also get their turns, just like us (Q.3:140). However, some people who are laughed at by others may fare better in the eyes of Allah than the latter (Q.49:11). They may turn out to be Allah’s best friends. Whenever an urge arises to supplicate evil for some one, a good antidote would be to transform such negative thoughts into positive ones and change those evil du‘as and wishes into good, even for our enemies. Although it seems difficult, this is only a preliminary step whether we can do it, or not. Allah tests us all the time. The trouble with human beings is that they are outwardly human with an animal within, ready to provoke and indulge in violence. Satan also remains ever-ready to unleash the animal within man with raging fury at the switch of a button. Most often, a simple misunderstanding CHAPTER IV : Relationship between man and Allah

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between the two leads to angry reactions and disputes, and unloading of our anger on others. When we ourselves are in the wrong but would not admit it, it often expresses itself in anger, which begins with frustration or violence and ends in remorse and repentance. We must learn to agree to disagree on an amicable basis and we must respect each other’s opinion, whether of a different madhhab (like the Hanafi, Maliki, etc.) or a different religion altogether. Disagreements need not cause conflicts when the parties are sincere and honest, and do not wish to take advantage of one another. We could disagree without becoming disagreeable. We have more things in common that unite us as Muslims. Various schools of thought in Islam agree on basics while differing on minor details. Diversity within the community is a Divine mercy. (Ḥadīth). In fact Allah tells us in Q.11:118 that even if He had made the whole world into one single ummah, they would still have differed. Toleration of opposing views is mandatory with the possibility that another’s contrary opinion could be right. Dogmatism should not be permitted. The holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬said: Beware of extremism in the dīn, and: Khair-ul-umūm ausatụha: The best of affairs are those that lie in the middle. Discussion is an exchange of knowledge while argument is an exchange of ignorance. Even the khulafā had disagreements and misunderstandings among themselves, because, after all, they were human beings. Moreover, differences of opinion are a blessing for the ummah because they point to the need of more knowledge and research on that particular subject. Opinions should be tolerated within the accepted range of differences. We should always be reminded that those who hold different opinions are just as important human beings as we are and demand the same respect as we do. Sometimes, we become so blind during disputes that we cannot see through anger, but when we look at it closely after our wrath has subsided, we find we could have spoken much better and more sensibly. At other times, we find that we were misunderstood and interpreted differently, incidentally or by design, that led to a dangerous situation because we were misquoted. A wise man never becomes angry. We should only speak after our wrath has subsided. Delay is a great remedy for anger. Satan was created from fire, so a fiery temper makes us look like a clone of Satan. But when both parties are angry at the same time, how can we expect the other to cool down when we ourselves have no control over our anger and cannot subdue ourselves. In times of desperation or quarrel, we could admonish by saying in an audible voice: a‘ūdhu billāhi minash shytānir rajīm, meaning I seek refuge with Allah from Satan, the accursed. This gives an immediate signal to the wise to cool off rapidly (Al-Bukhāri). By reading the Qur'an and contemplating on the meaning of the verses also subdues the erratic bursts of brain activity characteristic of anger. Moreover, both parties should also bear in mind that a Muslim should not remain angry with another for more than three days (Ḥadīth). Anger does not solve any problem. It only aggravates the situation and is harmful to the individual himself. It could cause hypertension, heart attacks, peptic ulcer, anxiety neurosis and other physiological and pathological changes in the body and may lead to mental imbalance and homicidal tendencies. People who show frequent hostility and anger, physical or verbal, are more likely to develop heart disease due to higher levels of cholesterol and homocysteine. Here is a Chinese proverb: If you forego your anger for one moment, you save yourself a hundred days of trouble. There is nothing wrong in becoming angry but harm may result from how we express that anger. Quarrels will not last long if the fault is accepted at least on one side. We must not accuse another of being quarrelsome since it takes two to quarrel. A prolonged dispute usually means that both parties are wrong. Strong person is not the one who overcomes people with his strength but the one who controls himself while in anger. (Ḥadīth: Al-Bukhāri). Here is a Persian poem:

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Mardee na bé quwwat asto shamsheer zanee; aanast ké zolmee ké tawaanee na konee: Manliness is not the muscle strength and the sword-fighting; neither it is oppressing someone when you can. An angry man gets angry later with himself when he resorts to reason. After our anger has subsided, we should ask ourselves how it is that we are always right and others are always wrong, and why do we expect much better moral values from others than what we follow ourselves? We impose strict principles on others which we profess outwardly to possess but inwardly we lack. Holy Qur’an tells us (Chapter 80) that in situations where we get angry, we should not even frown. We do not sufficiently realise that engaging in any spiritual activity or reciting verses from the Holy Qur‘an dissipates anger through detachment of the mind from disturbing negative thoughts; switching to and concentrating with due reverence on Allah’s words and occupying our time with Allah instead which also helps in this process.

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We usually get angry when someone ill-speaks about us either in our presence or in our absence, or if we see any wrong being committed against our fellow-beings. Sometimes, we even become violent. In Q.49:6, we are advised to ascertain the truth and verify rumours when any person brings us suspicious news. Although in most cases, jealousy or envy of some sort is responsible, we are reminded of what Allah has said in Q.4:32, Do not covet that whereby Allah in bounty has preferred one of you. Sometimes, we get angry if the wife does not produce a male child, although it is the husband who should take the blame and not the wife as it is his sperm that is responsible for the supply of “Y” chromosome to have a male offspring. Sometimes it becomes necessary to criticise a subordinate with a view to correct him/her. In such cases, it is better to begin by mentioning two or three of his/her good qualities before we go on to tell about the mistake committed. There is no need to shout as sometimes the subordinate is right and we are in the wrong. Our angry outburst will then become a cause of regret and remorse. Does Allah become angry? Yes, He does, with (a) people who commit homicide (Q.4:93), (b) polytheists and hypocrites (Q.48:6), (c) those who intentionally swear to falsehood (Q.58:14), (d) those who reject Allah’s signs (Q.2:61), (e) those who utter unbelief after having accepted faith (Q.16:106), (f) those who befriend unbelievers and send in advance for themselves evil deeds and incur Allah’s wrath (Q.5:80), and (g) those who sever their ties of kith and kin, on them is Allah’s curse (Q.47:22-23), as well as on oppressors (Q.7:44).

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CHAPTER V: Islam in the light of science The Human Brain

Brain is the most complex organ in man. Allah has given us this gift in a jewel box to make us Ashraf al Makhlūqāt, the best of all His creations, to differentiate us from animals and other creatures, due to the additional neo-cortex (new brain; thinking brain) that only mankind possesses. However, some animals can do things which man cannot, e.g. re-grow limbs, hold a breath for long periods of time, use natural night vision, resist radiation and avoid sleep, etc. and sufficient research has not been done as yet to explain these abilities. Yet because man can think, he has become the master of those beings that do not think. The human brain is approximately 3 lbs. in weight with a volume of 1400 ml, containing 10 billion neurons (nerve cells) which can store a hundred thousand facts at a time and a million billion facts in a lifetime. It has trillions of connecting fibres called synapses through which each neuron can make contact with thousands of others. Every second of our lives the brain forms a million new connections. The pattern of the connections is constantly changing and no two brains are alike. (It is interesting to note that the brain of the great physicist Albert Einstein weighed only 1,230 grams, far below the average brain weight of 1,400 grams. This goes to show that the size and weight of the brain do not matter in accounting for intellectual ability).These neurons possess cognitive powers far exceeding any of the silicon machines with innumerable bytes. During foetal development, millions of neurons form appropriate connections and patterns which lay the foundation of the mind in conformity with the basic wiring plan encoded in the genes. This establishment determines the physical and mental performance of the individual. Although genes are responsible for the basic wiring plan, interaction with others is responsible for fine-tuning those connections, helping each child adapt to the particular environment (family, cultural, school, friends) to which he belongs. A neuron is a specialised nerve cell that receives, processes, and transmits information to other cells in the body. The brain uses about 20 per cent of the body's oxygen supply even though it is just 2 per cent of the body's weight. About one neuron dies every second (or thousands die everyday), but since we start out with 100 billion, we only lose about 2% during our lifetime. There is a 5 % loss in brain weight by age seventy and 20 % loss in brain weight by age ninety. Thousands of chemical reactions accompanied by electrical brain-waves of various frequencies go on in the brain every second! The human brain is active both by day and by night, sleeping or awake. The human brain is about 2 or 3 times larger than the brain of an ape. The cerebral cortex, which is involved in a variety of higher cognitive, emotional, sensory and motor functions, is more developed in humans than any other animal. It is involved in programming speech, language, hearing, vision, emotions, thinking, deciding and remembering. It comprises many lobes, viz.: (i) The frontal lobe, situated just behind the forehead in front, carries on such functions as consciousness, free-will, judgment, attention, thinking and reasoning, decision-making, memory for habits, voluntary motor activities, word associations and language expression. Higher centres of motivation in the cerebral cortex can exert some control over undesirable actions, e.g. a person on a hunger strike can resist eating even to the point of death; (ii) The parietal lobe near the back and top of the head is for touch and sight perception. The posterior superior parietal lobe is the “orientation association area” and determines the 3dimenions of objects in space. During meditation and prayers there is increased activity in the attention association area in the pre-frontal cortex, and decreased activity in the orientation association area in the parietal lobe; (iii) The occipital lobe at the back of the head is responsible for various aspects of vision including perception of colour. Light from outside enters the retina (screen of the eye) in the form of electromagnetic waves and the retina converts these waves into biochemical signals that are interpreted as visual images. (iv)The temporal lobe located on the side of the head above the ears is responsible for different components of memory and hearing. Deep within the temporal lobes lies the hippocampus where we can reconstruct the face of the person who talks to us on the phone, as well as recall many other memories associated with him as to what, where and when we had interacted with him. The hippocampus — the area of the brain believed to play a role in learning and memory — can predict what will happen next by recalling a sequence of events in response to a single cue. It has been said that we retain 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we hear and see, 70% of what we say, 90% of what we say and do, and 100% of what others say and do; (v) The cerebellum or “small brain” at the back of the head is responsible for posture, balance and movement; (vi)The brain stem is a general term for the area of the brain between the thalamus and spinal cord which includes the medulla, pons, tectum, reticular formation and tegmentum. Some of these areas are responsible for the most basic functions of life such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.

Humans, unlike animals, can formulate, express and further explain their thoughts through more

َ َ ْ

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َ ‫‘ ﻋﻠﻤﻪ‬allamahul bayān: He has taught him speech with intelligent explanation. intricate language. ‫ ﻛﻴﺎ‬

(Q.55:4). The brain receives information from the internal and external environment, and responds to conflicting outputs by responding to those with higher priorities. The distinguishing quality of the human brain is its enormous capacity to register, store, integrate and recall past experiences as well as plan ahead, which in turn is responsible for the expressions of his behaviour. Spikes in blood sugar can take a toll on memory by affecting the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain within the hippocampus that helps form memories. This may explain normal age-related cognitive decline, since glucose regulation worsens with age. Glucose regulation is improved with physical activity such as the 5-time daily prayer. Although the brain has evolved with a certain degree of forgetfulness, it keeps a detailed record of our individual passage through life, allowing us to carry the past inside the brain which could be retrieved on the Day of Judgment. Neurons in the hippocampus of the brain involved in memory processes communicate with each other during repetition of the Qur᾿anic verses by releasing the required chemicals through the already established memory pathways; hence such repetition keeps the memory alive. Immediate memory is the ability to repeat short series of words or numbers immediately after hearing them. It is thought to be located in the auditory associative cortex and lasts less than a minute as the mental image is quickly lost. Short-term memory, located in the hippocampus, lasts a few hours to a week when sensory information is screened, some of which are retained in the hippocampus while other more important impressions are transferred to the permanent storage sites in the neo-cortex (pre-frontal cortex) for long-term memory. Sleep deprivation results in impaired activity in the brain's hippocampus as seen on functional magnetic resonance imaging. Longterm memory probably involves exchanges between the medial temporal lobe containing the hippocampus, the frontal lobes, various cortical regions, and the midbrain. However, although our memory may deteriorate with age, and some of us may suffer from Alzheimer’s disease and forget all the sins we have committed so far, every memory molecule for short-term and long-term events would be re-synthesised in the Hereafter and we would even remember the taste of any food or fruits we had experienced on planet Earth (Q.2:25). It may be hard to remember our childhood accurately especially when we were in diapers, but few of us forget our adolescence. Recording of past events involves electrochemical processes in the brain, which are different from those used to record recent events. The permanent recording of events called long-term memory involves permanent structural changes in the nerve cells. Destruction of this alteration by head injury or cerebro-vascular accident leads to loss of long-term memory of past events. A single brief memory is processed differently in different parts of the brain. The hippocampus is involved in processing memory for context, while the anterior cingulate cortex situated in the cerebral cortex retains memories of unpleasant stimuli. A third area, the amygdala, located in the temporal lobe consolidates and stores both types of these memories. Memory molecules are re-synthesised in the brain during deep sleep; hence during the tahajjud prayers after midnight, we can formulate our wordings more explicitly and our du‘as become more beseeching (Q.73:6). This also could well be the reason why it is said that studying our text books or revising for exams is best at 5 a.m. when synthesis of memory molecules is more or less complete. During deep sleep, the brain is shuffling priority information from the data points, and solidifies them in our memory vault in the hippocampus. The human brain has a fantastic capacity for registering, analysing and synthesising information in the association cortex or the neo-cortex (new brain). It is thus responsible for language, communication, memory (with its three components of ‘registration’, ‘retention’, ‘recall’), ability to solve problems, expressions of thought, an enquiring mind, and also decision-making, whether to take action or inhibit such action. The mind selects from the vast barrage of incoming information for registration, from both the internal and external environments. Because of verbal communications and other associated phenomena, man, unlike animals, can report on most of what he perceives. This is because man possesses the neo-cortex (also called the new brain or the thinking brain). It is highly developed in man, and distinguishes him from animals. There seems to have occurred a quantum leap between man and animals in the evolution of the neo-cortex or the new brain. The human brain also has an inborn quality of curiosity which impels man to explore himself and his surroundings. When such exploration is done with the assistance of the elders in the family or in society,

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the person learns to adapt without much difficulty to changing environments and times. Adaptation involves conforming to the environment. Although, reproductive hormones influence the development of the nervous system especially at puberty, there is practically no difference between the brain of man and woman, except in the shape of the hypothalamus, which is spherical in man but elongated in woman, the reason for which is not wellunderstood. However, two areas in the hypothalamus have recently been identified which differ in men and women, (i) the pre-optic area of the hypothalamus which is involved in mating, is 2.5 times larger in men than women. Its function is not well understood; (ii) the supra-chiasmatic nucleus which controls circadian rhythm and reproduction cycles has the same number of cells, but is shaped like a sphere in men and elongated in women. A woman’s brain is 10% smaller but that is proportional to her body weight. It carries the same number of brain cells in the cerebral cortex as in man but more compact. There is no difference in the intelligence of man and woman dependant on gender. However, it has been found that men are better at certain tasks while women at others. Men are better in maths while women are better in language skills and recalling memory for landmarks to locate a final destination. Men mostly use the left side of the brain while women use both the right and the left, thus having a memory advantage. There are 186 million more neurons on left side than the right side. It has also been shown that the left side of the brain processes language and the right side processes music.

Electroencephalogram: The brain generates electrical currents while awake and also while asleep which could

be seen by means of electrodes inserted in the scalp in a tracing called electroencephalogram. Alpha waves: When a person is relaxed and alert, the electrical waves generated by the brain that dominate the tracing, are called Alpha waves, best detected with eyes closed. These waves have a frequency range of 8-13 Hz. In this stage we can move quickly to perform any task at hand. Beta waves: with frequency range 13-30 Hz. have a faster activity above 12 Hz with low amplitude. They show up when the person is alert with eyes open and concentrating, e.g. solving arithmetic, and decision making. It indicates our normal waking consciousness. Theta waves: are slow high amplitude waves with frequency range 3.5-7.5 Hz. It is normal during light sleep and in children up to around 13 years old, but abnormal in adults who are awake. They may be involved in focusing attention, creativity, memories, emotions and fantasising. Theta waves also appear in meditation, prayer, lucid dreaming and light sleep. Delta waves: Lowest frequencies: 0.1-4 Hz. Slowest waves but highest amplitude; found in stage 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep (deep non-dreaming sleep) when the body is completely relaxed and unaware of the outside world. Also found in the very young and certain encephalopathies. Number of complete cycles in one second (cps) is shown below.

Type

Frequency (Hz)

Wave Pattern

Alpha 8 – 12 Hz

Beta

12 – 30 Hz

Theta 4 – 7 Hz

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Delta up to 4

Gamma 30 – 100 +

Gamma waves: 40 Hz (30-90) represent fastest activity and present in all parts of the brain. Gamma rhythms are involved in higher mental activity such as problem-solving and perception. They may also be involved in binding data from different parts of the brain into a single object, e.g. the colour, shape, movement and location of an object which are processed in different parts of the neural circuit. Gamma waves assist in reuniting all these into a single object, the process being called ‘binding’.

Neurotransmitters

A neurotransmitter is a chemical produced within a nerve cell that relays messages between nerve cells. It travels at speeds around 50 metres/sec. (112 miles per hour). When released, it regulates our mental and bodily functions through biological effects on certain targeted cells called receptors. There are many types of chemicals such as acetylcholine, dopamine, epinephrine and nor-epinephrine (i.e. adrenaline and nor-adrenaline), serotonin, histamine, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA), glutamate, glycine, aspartate, encephalin, dynorphin, oxytocin, anandamide, nociceptin and many others. Some have been discovered already and many are yet to be identified. However, both neuro-transmitters as well as hormones act on the central nervous system. There are more than 300 known neurotransmitters. Acetylcholine, for example, sends messages to the skeletal muscles, sweat glands, and heart; the wakefulness that follows caffeine consumption is the result of its blocking the effects of adenosine, a neurotransmitter that inhibits brain activity. Dopamine, nor-epinephrine and epinephrine are a group of neurotransmitters called “catecholamines”. All the major neurotransmitters are made from amino acids except acetylcholine. A partition known as the blood-brain barrier surrounds the brain. Only some fat-soluble substances and some others such as glucose can enter the brain from the bloodstream across this barrier. Although the neurotransmitters are fat-soluble they do not cross the blood-brain barrier and hence when given to a patient orally or intravenously they do not increase the concentration of neurotransmitters at the selected site in the brain. There are two main types of neurotransmitters: excitatory and inhibitory. Serotonin and some others can be both. Excitatory neurotransmitters and their receptors increase the neuron’s electrical activity and excitability. (Epinephrine, nor-epinephrine, dopamine, glutamate and phenylethylamine are excitatory). In contrast, inhibitory neurotransmitters and their receptors reduce neuronal excitability and terminate an incoming signal. For normal functioning, the brain must balance the excitatory and inhibitory pathways. Excessive excitation can lead to insomnia, anxiety, and many other conditions, whereas excessive neuronal inhibition can result in non-coordination and sedation. (Serotonin, GABA and glycine are inhibitory). Alcoholism and drug dependence are associated with differences in neurotransmitter levels. Attributed to transmitters are feelings of happiness, motivation, enhanced ability to focus, emotional control, mental and physical alertness, kind feelings towards others, elevated self-esteem and confidence in times of difficulties. Levels of euphoria-inducing transmitters increase during exercise while in pain inhibitory transmitters are secreted to restrict pain transmission. Neuroscientists tell us that brain-wave states experimentally induced through electrodes or drugs can initiate higher learning, increase creativity and motivation, induce sleep, control pain, modify behaviour, assist in focusing of attention, relieve stress, augment memory, and also produce dramatic improvements in mental and emotional health. Slow brain wave patterns called theta, are associated with euphoria, tranquillity, sense of well-being, flashes of creative ability, intensely focused attention, enhanced learning acumen, improved memory, greater tolerance and love of oneself and others. Neuro-chemicals involved include beta-endorphins, acetylcholine, vasopressin, dopamine and serotonin. Certain frequencies in the brain dramatically speed up production of a variety of neurotransmitters since different frequencies trigger different brain chemicals. A romantic movie or an action-packed adventure film can send our hormone and neurotransmitter levels in different directions. Acetylcholine, nor-epinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin are amine transmitters. Glycine, glutamic and aspartic acids, and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA) are derived from aminoacids. Neuroscientists say that the “feeling good” condition of a person is due to: (a) endorphins: acting as opioids: (natural pain-killers; also cause euphoria and enhanced self-esteem); (b) serotonin: (improves sleep, self esteem; relieves depression, worries); (c) dopamine: (feeling of joy and pleasure, euphoria, controlled motor movements, enhanced focusing, addiction and appetite control); (d) acetylcholine: (alertness, enhanced

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memory, sexual performance, appetite control, release of growth hormone); (e) epinephrine/nor-epinephrine: (alertness, happiness, motivation, physical and mental activity, appetite control, anti-depressant, sexual arousal); (f) phenylethylamine (PEA): (feelings of bliss; high levels found in chocolate). Certain inhibitory neurotransmitters can produce nearly similar effects: (a) encephalins: (reduce pain transmission, depression and craving for food); (b) GABA (gamma amino butyric Acid): (reduce stress, anxiety and panic, lessen pain, induce tranquillity). Certain hormones also play their part: (a) melatonin: (induces sleep; also called anti-aging hormone; regulates body clock; most circadian rhythms which control body functions are controlled by the body’s inner “biological clock”. This inner ‘biological clock’ lies in the suprachiasmatic nucleus contained in a pair of small brain structures with about 20,000 neurons resting in the hypothalamus, just above the point where the optic nerves cross. Although this clock runs on a 24-hour 11-minute cycle, sleep occurs every 24 hours, because the cycle is reset daily by light and other stimuli to match the 24-hour cycle. Light that reaches the retina creates signals that travel along the optic nerve to this nucleus and then to many other parts of the brain including the pineal gland where it prevents the production of the sleep hormone ‘melatonin’. As darkness falls, the pineal gland begins producing melatonin once again and we start feeling drowsy. Research shows that our biological clock shifts throughout life, resulting in different sleep patterns at different ages); (b) oxytocin: (a hormone involved in child birth and breast feeding, promotes emotional attachment and desire to embrace, also helps people recognise familiar faces).

Endorphins and encephalins: Endorphin (“endogenous morphine”) which induces a morphine-like effect is

mainly found in the pituitary and hypothalamus. Endorphins, encephalins and opioid-like substances act as natural pain-killers in the body as well as allay anxiety and cause euphoria and are secreted in times of excitement and stress, exercise and prayer. In an injury, receptors in skin make electrical signals that go up the spinal cord to the brain. The brain then evaluates pain by releasing pain killers called endorphins which bind at opiate receptor sites of neurons to mediate pain. This group of chemicals alleviate stress and give pleasure. They reduce the transmission of pain, decrease craving and depression, elevate the mood and induce euphoria. Beta-endorphin is most active, and is about 20 times as potent as morphine. Endorphins, the brain’s own morphine-like molecules, attach to the same sites where morphine molecules adhere in opium addicts. These are opioids that, like the drugs heroin and morphine, modulate pain, reduce stress and promote a sensation of floaty, oceanic calm. Morphine, the analgesic (pain reliever) drug from the opium poppy, is named after Morpheus, the Greek god of dreams. Morpheus was the son of the Greek god named Somnus (Latin for sleep). Encephalins have been implicated in the regulation of mood, anxiety, reward, euphoria and pain. Endorphins and encephalins are involved in pain relief and feelings of euphoria, satisfaction, pleasure and contentedness, and a loving feeling towards others. Endorphins may be responsible for the “feel good” effects experienced by many people after rigorous exercise, and relief of stress such as after delivery of a foetus. If an athlete is injured during the height of competition, or a soldier injured during combat, he may not realise that he has been injured until after the stressful situation has ended. This happens because the brain produces abnormally high levels of endorphins or encephalins during periods of intense stress or excitement. Women suffering with post-menopausal syndrome (PMS) have low endorphin levels, the brain’s natural “feel good” chemicals which cause euphoria. This might explain why PMS has also been linked to clinical depression. Endorphins are released by laughter as well as stress, also exercise and sexual activity. Endorphins increase dopamine levels.

Serotonin - a chemical, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), is a monoamine transmitter present in blood platelets, the

gastrointestinal tract, and certain regions of the brain. The original meaning of the word “serotonin” is serum giving rise to tone, suggesting its contraction of smooth muscle. Serotonin could act as an excitatory transmitter although largely its effects are inhibitory. Low serotonin levels are associated with symptoms of depression which include tiredness, insomnia, loss of appetite or a ravenous one, headaches, backaches, colon disorders, and feelings of worthlessness, severe aggression, pyromania and a tendency to commit suicide. (Sometimes, for reasons unknown, ingestion of wheat triggers depression). Serotonin controls mood, sex drive, and pain threshold. It promotes sleep, improves self esteem, suppresses pain, relieves depression, diminishes appetite, and induces euphoria, well-being, and feeling of contentment, satisfaction, serenity and optimism. Low serotonin levels lead to disturbed sleep, craving for sweets, depression and inability to control anger. Serotonin is important for adequate coping with stress. Serotonin is a precursor to the hormone melatonin, the sleep hormone. Aggressive behaviour may be due to reduced levels of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin also plays a role in regulating mood, memory, pain perception and sexual activity. There is increased secretion of serotonin during prayers (of any religion), meditation, fasting and exercise. Exercise is known to help relieve stress, boost physical and mental faculties, and fight symptoms of depression. Two hours of morning sun is very effective in lifting depression. The evening light has comparatively little results. LSD works by attaching itself to serotonin receptor sites. It prevents depression and worrying and has a calming and relaxing effect.

Dopamine: Dopamine, nor-epinephrine (nor-adrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline) are a group of neurotransmitters called catecholamines. Dopamine is a precursor to epinephrine and nor-epinephrine which act on the sympathetic nervous

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system, producing effects such as increased heart rate and blood pressure. In the frontal lobes, dopamine plays a role in neurocognitive functions such as memory, attention, problem solving, addiction, providing feelings of enjoyment and motivation to do certain activities and assists in decision-making by prioritising the agenda. Dopamine regulates mood (inducing euphoria), motor movement and appetite control. It plays an important role in how people learn to make choices that lead to right outcomes, while avoiding wrong ones. Dopamine is also associated with the “pleasure circuit” of the brain situated in the limbic system which includes the cingulate gyrus and the hippocampus. Hence it is known as the ‘pleasure hormone’. The hypothalamus, the cingulate gyrus and the amygdala have all been implicated as centres of emotion. Dopamine is also involved in the movement of muscles. It is also classified as a hormone released by the hypothalamus, which controls the release of another hormone, prolactin, from the anterior lobe of the pituitary. Prolactin triggers milk production in nursing mothers and is also thought to produce feelings of bliss, hence it is known as the ‘pleasure chemical’, similar to serotonin. Depression has also been linked to low levels of dopamine (as well as serotonin). There are approximately 400,000 cells in the middle of the brain in an area called substantia nigra (black matter) which produces dopamine. When these cells degenerate, we suffer from symptoms of Parkinsonism such as tremors on one or both sides of the body, slowness of movement and rigidity. Some neuroscientists say that dopamine gives us our sense of pleasure and motivation probably by regulating the release of endorphins which improves mood, sex drive and reduces pain. People with low levels of dopamine often try to compensate by taking exercise, caffeine, sugary foods, cigarettes, alcohol, gambling and other drugs such as cocaine, which also induce the release of endorphins. Cocaine, amphetamine, opium, alcohol, and nicotine cause release of dopamine but can also cause psychosis when used in excess.

Acetylcholine: Acetylcholine is a widely distributed excitatory neurotransmitter that triggers muscle contraction and also controls many organs in the body. Acetylcholine helps control muscle tone (including muscles of gastrointestinal tract), increases alertness, improves learning, enhances memory and plays a role in primitive drives and emotions, as well as in scheduling REM sleep. It also controls the release of pituitary hormone vasopressin, which is involved in learning and in the regulation of urine output. Low levels of acetylcholine can contribute to lack of concentration and forgetfulness such as in Alzheimer's disease. The well-known poison botulin (contained in botox used to remove wrinkles temporarily for a few months) works by blocking acetylcholine, causing muscle paralysis.

Oxytocin: The posterior lobe of pituitary gland produces two hormones - oxytocin and vasopressin. Oxytocin causes contraction of the uterine muscles necessary for cervical dilatation prior to birth, as well as the ducts of the mammary glands and thus helps to express the milk. Sucking by the infant at the nipple stimulates release of oxytocin. It also contracts blood vessels in the heart and lungs. It is said to promote feelings of emotional attachment and desire to cuddle. Increased levels of oxytocin give mothers the impulse to hug their newborns. Oxytocin as a hormone is used to help start or continue labour and to control bleeding after delivery. (The researchers say that three brain neuro-circuits, all interrelated, control lust, attraction and attachment. Lust is fuelled by androgens and estrogens. Oxytocin plays some role in orgasms - for both males and females. In males, oxytocin is said to facilitate sperm transport in ejaculation. Attachment is controlled by oxytocin and vasopressin. High levels of oxytocin are found amongst people who are in love. Attraction is driven by high levels of dopamine and norepinephrine). People are more likely to trust their money to another person if they sniff oxytocin, nicknamed the “love hormone”. The naturally occurring compound, triggered by a number of stimuli that include sex and breastfeeding, is involved in forming social and romantic ties. Oxytocin boosts social interactions by making people more agreeable rather than merely making people more willing to take precautions. A sniff of the hormone oxytocin cause people to be more trusting e.g. giving money to strangers. (Liking and wanting are separate urges, since two different brain circuits are involved. When both are combined, it becomes irresistible since the attachment becomes stronger). Studies suggest that the love-drug “ecstasy” causes a brain surge of oxytocin in the hypothalamus - the hormone that helps bond couples, as well as mothers to their babies. Other brain chemicals, such as dopamine may also be involved in triggering this sociable behaviour. Vasopressin: A hormone secreted by the posterior pituitary gland and also by the hypothalamus; affects blood pressure by stimulating capillary muscles. This neuro-chemical stimulates the release of endorphins and is probably associated with memory, learning and reaction time. Vasopressin is also called anti-diuretic hormone which increases the amount of fluid absorbed by the kidneys so that less urine is excreted. Catecholamines: The principal catecholamines are epinephrine (adrenaline), nor-epinephrine (nor-adrenaline) and dopamine.

Epinephrine: (adrenaline) is a sympathomimetic hormone secreted by the adrenal medulla. It causes systemic

vasoconstriction and gastrointestinal relaxation, stimulates the heart, and dilates bronchi, pupils and cerebral vessels. It is used

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in injections for asthma, anaphylaxis and to delay absorption of local anaesthetics. Adrenaline circulates in the blood stream and hence it takes a bit longer to stop its effects. This is why, when we get upset, it sometimes takes a while before we can calm down again! The amount of adrenaline secreted is increased considerably by excitement, fear, or anger; hence the adrenals are sometimes referred to as the glands of “fright-flight-or–fight”. Adrenaline secretion is triggered by stress and exercise, pain, fear, rage, nicotine, strong emotion and hypoglycaemia. However, continued stress tends to deplete the adrenaline store. Although adrenaline is destroyed in the blood stream immediately, its effect may remain for some time as observed during the tarāwīh prayers when the effect lasts well into the night.

Nor-epinephrine: is a hormone released from the adrenal medulla in addition to the release from sympathetic nerves that acts like a neurotransmitter affecting parts of the brain involved in attention, memory and alertness. This hormone also takes part in the fright-flight-or-fight response and also increases heart rate, muscle readiness and energy release from fat. Most nor-epinephrine pathways in the brain originate in the arousal centre called locus ceruleus with connections to the cerebral cortex, limbic system, and spinal cord. When humans are stressed, the adrenal glands release large quantities of the hormones cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones increase blood pressure and heart rate, dilate the pupils and bronchi of the lungs, and augment the blood sugar and energy available to the brain and muscles in response to fright-flight-or-fight situations. Both adrenaline and nor-adrenaline are reported to enhance our memory, make us more alert and give us a sense of immediate power in acute stress. However chronic stress can suppress immune system functions (probably acting on the T-cell: T for Thymus gland), in addition to causing hypertension and other undesirable ailments. Adrenaline and nor-adrenaline are the two active hormones that cause some of the expressions of fear and anxiety; adrenaline gives immediate boost while nor-adrenaline is more responsible for anxiety. Levels of nor-epinephrine have also been associated with antisocial behaviour. Cocaine blocks the re-uptake of norepinephrine and serotonin by nerve terminals while high levels of nor-adrenaline can cause aggression. Amphetamines (“speed”) work by causing release of nor-adrenaline.

GABA: The amino acid GABA (gamma-amino butyric acid) and glutamate are the brain's most widespread

neurotransmitters. They are involved in most brain functions, ranging from thinking, reasoning, memory and sleep. Glutamic acid and gamma amino butyric acid are responsible for thought processes and sensations. GABA is the brain’s major inhibitory transmitter whereas glutamate is the major excitatory transmitter which is vital for linking learning and memory. GABA relieves stress, anxiety, insecurity and pain; enhances focus and induces relaxation. GABA acts by preventing the excitatory neurotransmitters from causing anxiety. The anxiolytic drugs of the benzodiazepine family (valium and others) exert their soothing effects by potentiating the effect of GABA. Epilepsy is said to be due to too little GABA.

Glutamate: an excitatory amino acid which plays a vital role in the hippocampus, temporal and frontal lobes as well as in

all cognitive processes involving the cerebral cortex. Cognition refers to thinking, observing, understanding, remembering and expressing it in language through recall.

Phenylethylamine: Chocolate contains theobromine, caffeine, phenylethylamine and anandamide, chemicals that

affect the brain. Theobromine and caffeine are known to be stimulants. Their effectiveness as a stimulant depends on the amount consumed. The amount of caffeine in a chocolate bar is much less than the amount in a cup of coffee. Phenylethylamine may combine with dopamine in the brain to produce an antidepressant effect and feelings of bliss. One of the most recent finds is of a brain chemical aptly named anandamide after “ananda”, the Sanskrit word for bliss. Anandamide has a similar effect to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active chemical in cannabis. Another one, nociceptin dispels anxiety and fear.

Hormones:

Hormones are the chemical messengers of the body produced by the endocrine glands which circulate through the blood stream for use elsewhere in the body. Hormonal equilibrium or homeostasis is maintained by an organ in the brain called the hypothalamus, which regulates a number of biological clocks (circadian rhythms), reproduction, menstruation, attention span, hunger and thirst, body temperature and the autonomic nervous system which controls involuntary functions. The hypothalamus is a small gland often referred to as the “band master” as it orchestrates our entire hormonal system. The hypothalamus is the source of many of the most primitive emotions such as hunger and thirst as well as pleasure and pain. The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland produces ACTH, LH, TSH and FSH while the posterior lobe secretes vasopressin, oxytocin, endorphins and encephalins. The pineal gland secretes melatonin necessary for sleep, while the thyroid gland produces thyroxin and calcitonin, and the parathyroids parathormone. The adrenal cortex produces androgens, glucocorticoids and mineralocorticoids while the adrenal medulla produces adrenaline and nor-adrenaline. The pancreas produces insulin and glucagon, while the ovaries produce estrogens and progesterone, and the testes testosterone. The thymus gland is mainly concerned with immunity.

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Neuroscience of sleep: Sleep is essential for physical, mental and emotional health, and proper

functioning of the immune system. The body starts repairing itself actively as soon as we sleep and the immune system gets boosted. Without sleep, attention falters, memory suffers and we may get confused and hallucinate as well as feel weak and short-tempered, with headache the next day. The brain processes the day’s activities and thoughts during sleep and puts them in the memory vault in order of priorities. Sleep is meant to be taken at nights for rest and the day reserved for normal working hours (Q.78:9-11; 25:47) in order to maintain the bio-rhythm of sleep/wake and light/dark mechanism essential for well-being. It restores both the body and the mind to function at peak levels the next day. Sleeping one hour longer per night boosts up the person’s alertness by 25%. Rats will die after 2 or 3 weeks of total sleep deprivation. Sleep soothes the nervous system and the body assumes a relaxed posture with reduced muscle tone (Q.78:9) and decreased awareness of surroundings. Loss of sleep can affect the heart through changes in blood pressure, blood clotting, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood vessels. Anxiety from changes in routine may also be a factor, in addition to loss of sleep. Doctors have long known that Monday in general is the worst day for heart attacks, and they usually blame the stress of a new work week and increased activity. Longer sleep is also directly associated with lessened calcification of coronary arteries. A sleeping man is easily disturbed by external stimulation such as a loud noise. This distinguishes ordinary sleep from other sleep-like states, e.g. hibernation or coma. Humans sleep for 17-18 hours a day at birth, 10-12 hours at age 4 and 7-9 hours by age 20. Old persons can do with less than six. People who have not had sufficient sleep would be irritable and may have muscle pains. Their blood pressure would be higher and they would have difficulty in concentration and performing tasks involving memory, reasoning and learning. They may be liable to make serious mistakes and even fatal accidents due to excessive daytime sleepiness and delayed reaction time. If a person does not sleep for 24 hours, his motor performance the next morning may be comparable to one who is legally intoxicated. However, sleeping hours are not cumulative in the sense that if one loses 8 hours of sleep one would not need 16 hours the following night. World record of time without sleep was 264 hours (11 days) by Randy Gardner in 1965, while The Guinness Book of World Records [1990] has the record belonging to Robert McDonald who spent 453 hours, 40 min in a rocking chair. An adult needs 8 hours of sleep and therefore, he receives the daily gift of prime time of 16 hours to manage his chores. It is not sufficiently realised that old people need only about 4 hours of sleep and they thus have 20 hours of prime time daily for their other activities. No amount of thanks is sufficient to Allah Who in His mercy increases man’s effective life span through other means so that he might exercise his accumulated wisdom. Mammals and birds sleep, but we do not know about reptiles, fish and insects if they sleep or not. In general, larger mammals tend to sleep less than small ones. The giraffe and elephant sleep only 1-2 hours a day, while bats and armadillos sleep 18 hours or more, and kolas for 22. Chimpanzees sleep for 9 hrs, humans 8 hrs and cows 3 hrs. A horse sleeps while standing. Some animals, such as dolphins, can sleep while they are moving. Ants don’t sleep at all. Both ego and personality, denoted by the Arabic word nafs, are absent during sleep. The verse Q.39:42 of the Holy Qur᾿an has been mistakenly translated by some commentators as, “It is Allah that takes the souls at death and those that die not, during their sleep”. Notice that Allah did not mention soul (rūḥ) in this verse since soul or rūḥ is definitely present in the body during sleep. Allah instead mentions nafs i.e. personality or personal identity, which is non-functioning during sleep and in death. Hence this verse should be translated as, It is Allah that brings the nafs (personal identity) to completion at death and those that die not, during sleep. When we are sleeping, our brain does not sleep but is wide awake. Before we go to bed, we should leave all our problems to Him, because He is up day and night anyway. Should our mind keep racing around a single set of worries when we are about to sleep, we could relax through a repetitive focus which blocks incoming thoughts. This relaxation technique of repeating certain words from the scriptures applies to persons of all religions. We Muslims could recite the Qur᾿anic sūrahs until we fall asleep. It takes seven minutes for a normal person to fall asleep. Some children need a lullaby. Some of the reasons for disturbed sleep in adults are: (a) stress, family or marriage problems, death in the family; (b) uncomfortable bed, noise or light in the bedroom, too hot or too cold, snoring partner; (c) pain due to arthritis, fever, hot flashes of menopause, etc; (d) taking caffeine, nicotine or alcohol in the evening. (N.B. Alcohol should never be used, not even as a night-cap); (e) side effects of certain drugs for

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asthma, decongestants and other stimulant drugs; (f) disturbed bio-rhythm as in shift workers or jet lag by travelling across different time zones. Shift workers fall asleep on the job 3 to 4 times as often as those on regular daytime hours; (g) reading exciting novels and looking at TV shows late at nights; (h) some blame allergy to certain types of food which do not ‘agree’ with them, probably due to their stimulant or other properties interfering with the melatonin circuit; (i) others explain sleeplessness differently by saying that this Earth is a magnet with its own North and South Pole and the red blood cells containing iron form a magnetic flux at the base of the brain affecting the brain-circuitry. Hence if a person who used to sleep, say, in a North-South position as a child but now complains of disturbed sleep in East-West, should turn his bed to North-South. This procedure helps some insomniacs. Charles Dickens, an insomniac, believed that his best sleep position was in the centre of the bed directly facing north. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬used to sleep on his right side (Ḥadith). Sleeping on the left side can trigger premature ventricular beats and atrial fibrillation when the heart beats irregularly irregular especially in older people. However, sleeping on the left side may relieve symptoms of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease. Recently, the neuroscientists have focused their research on quality of sleep rather than quantity. If the quality is poor, persons experience daytime anxiety, fatigue, depression and headache. It is a common observation that the quality of sleep is much improved during the Islamic fast of Ramaḍān, when 2 hours of sleep are much more refreshing than more hours otherwise. Although dreaming may be necessary to remain healthy, prolonged REM deprivation has no adverse psychological effects. However, the record holder for the maximum period without sleep in a rocking chair marathon who kept awake for nearly 20 days reported mental changes of hallucinations and memory lapses. Excessive day-time drowsiness could be due to (1) insufficient sleep at nights; (2) obstructive sleep apnoea with frequent snoring at nights; (3) shift work and jet lag; (4) depression; (5) hypnotics and tranquilisers; (6) narcolepsy. There could be other conditions associated with sleep such as (a) sleep paralysis with inability to move for a minute or two, which occurs at the beginning or end of sleep; (b) sleepwalking; although during sleepwalking people do not injure themselves, they are not guilty for any crimes committed during sleep; (c) hearing of a loud noise of ringing of a bell or any other, waking up the person. White noise also called white sound is a combination of all sound frequencies in equal amounts. It sounds like that of falling rain, or the gentle waves of the sea, or the wind blowing through the trees. It has a very beneficial noise-cancelling or masking effect on other interfering unwanted sounds. White sound could be produced by a fan, air-conditioning machine, other instruments generating white sound or through a CD. Because it incorporates all sound frequencies from high sounds to very low ones, it has a very beneficial noise-cancelling or masking effect. Night shift workers who need to sleep during the day and college students disturbed by neighbourhood noise use white noise to mask sounds that may interfere with their concentration. White noise is also used as a sound-masking treatment for those suffering from tinnitus (ringing in the ears), hyperacusis and other inner ear disorders. Still others use white noise to mask the sounds that interrupt their sleep such as traffic, barking dogs or the spouse's snore. If a person sleeps 8 hours a day and if he lives, Insha Allah, for 75 years, then he has spent 25 years of his life in sleep, without opening his eyes one wink! While one half of the world sleeps, Allah does not sleep nor takes a nap (Q.2:255). Because Allah never sleeps, we can sleep in peace. Bad people enjoy the waking hours much more but good ones sleep better on a clear conscience. Moreover, he sleeps securely who has nothing to lose. When most persons say that their conscience is clear and sleep well may be an indication that they are suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Yet the human brain never sleeps. It is active all the time by day and night, during sleep and wakefulness. Just as we have ECG (electrocardiogram), we also have EEG (electroencephalogram) with a reading of brain-waves in cycles/second (Hz). The machine usually records up to 26 Hz. If the EEG shows no waves at all in a person in coma, he is considered brain-dead and for legal purposes he is dead. A death certificate can be issued, although the heart may still be beating and the person breathing, assisted by a ventilator. (In Muslim countries, this is not acceptable. For a Muslim to be buried, the heart should have stopped beating, the last breath must have been exhaled, the body must have become cold, and the rūḥ must have left the body. The ruḥ is still present in the body during anaesthesia and coma).

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Melatonin, serotonin and other amines are involved in the biochemistry of sleep. Sleep processes are regulated in the brainstem and thalamus with connections to the frontal cortex through neurotransmitters such as nor-adrenaline, histamine, serotonin, acetylcholine, and hypocretin 1 and 2. Hypocretin level is reduced in persons with excessive day-time drowsiness and narcolepsy. Most adults start producing melatonin (the ‘sleep hormone’) at 10 p.m. The neurons responsible for the onset of sleep are thought to be located in the pre-optic area of the brain. These neurons probably contain gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) and are inhibited by nor-adrenaline and acetylcholine, both of which prevent sleep. Other hormones secreted during sleep include growth hormone and those that enhance the immune system. Teenagers should sleep an hour or two more since spurts of growth hormone produced by the brain occur during sleep. There are 5 stages of sleep. Stage 1- 4 are known as non-REM (NREM) sleep while stage 5 is REM (Rapid Eye movements) sleep. Stage one is dozing sleep and the person could be easily aroused. From the waking state of 8-15 Hz, the person goes into first stage of 6-8 Hz deepening into stage two with bursts of 12-16 Hz. About half of our sleep time is spent in stage 2 sleep when people could still be aroused. The deep sleep of stage 3 and 4 is featured by slow delta waves of 1 to 3 Hz when sleep is dreamless and breathing regular. This is also called non-REM sleep, when breathing, heart rate and blood pressure slow down. Moreover, all muscle and eye movements cease. During non-REM sleep, little physical activity is recorded. It is during deep sleep of stage 3 and 4 that body repair take place, memory molecules are synthesised and lessons which were learnt by experience are put in proper order of priorities. During deep sleep of stage 3 and 4, the brain is not sleeping but thinking. Seniors over 70 years do not enjoy a full stage 4 sleep. The left hemisphere is involved in deep sleep and the right in REM dreaming sleep. When non-REM sleep enters stage 5, it is called REM sleep during which dreaming occurs, breathing becomes irregular, there are rapid eye movements and yet the body is completely paralysed and cannot move. After 90 minutes or so in stages 3 and 4, the first REM period occurs. Usually there are five such REM periods in one night. An adult normally sleeps 20% of his sleep time, totalling nearly 1.5 hours to two hours a night dreaming during REM sleep. The best sleep is the right mix of REM and non-REM sleep. The dreams in REM sleep are vivid and full of actions, especially in the last couple of such cycles. In adults between 18 and 60 years, REM sleep occurs every 90 minutes. REM periods in the beginning of the night last for about 10 minutes or so, but later on, it may last half an hour. The brain waves vary in the different stages of sleep. (a) Alpha waves, 8-15 Hz, are found when the eyes are closed in calm, mentally and physically relaxed adults beyond 14 years of age. These waves are seen when we learn new data including languages and analyse complex situations. During stage 1 of sleep called “drowsy sleep”, there is about 50% reduction of these alpha waves. (b) Beta activity is a fast activity with a frequency ranging from 14-60 Hz, when the person is normally alert and thinking, with eyes open e.g. while calculating figures. During stage 2 sleep, there are “spindles” (12-16 Hz) and “K-complexes”. (c) Delta waves are the slowest, highest in amplitude, normal in infants and usual in stage 3 and 4 of sleep. In about 25% of the duration of stage 3, the EEG shows delta waves (1-2 Hz) which lasts 50% of the time in stage 4. They are also seen in states of deep sleep and unconsciousness, emitting between 0.1 and 4 cycles per second. (d) Theta waves are slow, 4 to 7 Hz. It is abnormal in adults when awake but normal during sleep and in children. Majority of sleep time is S-sleep or synchronised sleep, also called non-REM sleep, which passes through four stages of various brain-wave frequencies. (Snoring occurs in non-REM sleep). S-sleep probably restores the “wear and tear” of the body and the brain by synthesizing large molecules such as proteins and DNA. The EEG pattern in REM sleep is similar to one when we are awake. Dream reports of the early morning hours, say after the tahajjud prayers, are remembered with more detail, with vivid recollections of central figures compared with the first half of the night. This is because memory molecules have already been synthesised during deep sleep of stage 4 which precedes REM sleep when dreaming occurs and hence dreams during this period would be remembered clearly with more details. However, it is believed that memory is consolidated and solidified by discarding unimportant events during REM or dreaming period. After a period of slow-wave sleep, the brain’s electrical activity re-ascends towards a pattern similar to that of wakefulness, accompanied by rapid eye movements (REM) and profound relaxation of muscles, when the person is most likely to dream. Unlike non-REM sleep, EEG patterns in REM sleep (stage 5) closely resemble that of wakefulness. Common occurrences in this phase include vivid dreams, fluctuations in heart rate and breathing, body temperature fluctuation and erection of penis or enlargement of clitoris (regardless of dream content). Depending on the waves in the electroencephalogram, sleep could be distinguished as “D” sleep (or de-synchronised sleep) or dreaming sleep (also called REM sleep) wherein dreaming occurs. This episode is accompanied by muscle paralysis and conjugate eye movements with changes in the EEG. Dreaming occurs 4 or 5 times in the night at intervals of 90 minutes or so, whether they are remembered or not. Dreaming periods last 5 to 20 minutes per episode, totalling to about 90 minutes or so, which is about a fifth of the total sleeping time. The first D-sleep or REM sleep occurs about 90 minutes after the onset of sleep. The young have more sleep time and dream time than adults. During REM sleep, the EEG becomes de-synchronised and the muscle tone decreases markedly despite rapid eye movements. The brain stem is involved in REM sleep while the frontal cortex in NREM sleep. Newborns sleep 18 hours a day, half of it in REM sleep. By age 5, children sleep 10 hours a day with 20% of the time in REM sleep. Old people hardly spend 4 to 6 hours in sleep, and only 10 to 15% of it in REM sleep. REM sleep may have an active role in preventing apoptosis (programmed cell death) in the developing brain. REM sleep is essential for learning and memory.

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During the time we spend each night in dreamless sleep, it seems our brain is busy transferring data and getting ready to learn. This shallow stage of dreamless slumber can account for half our sleeping hours, and happens most frequently during the second half of the night, or in the latter part of a period in which we sleep. Researchers at the Univ. of California, Berkeley, have found compelling evidence that during dreamless, or non-REM, sleep bursts of brain waves known as “sleep spindles” may be networking between key regions of the brain to clear a path to learning. Findings are reported in the journal Current Biology. “On average, adults spend one-third of their lives sleeping. Yet, no scientific consensus has been reached on why humans need sleep, Walker says. Previous research led by Walker has shown that a good night’s rest helps us regulate our moods and cope with emotional challenges, while sleep deprivation can make otherwise reasonable people emotionally shaky, indicating a strong correlation between sleep loss and psychiatric disorders. Sleep spindles. These electrical impulses help to shift fact-based memories from the brain’s hippocampus—which has limited storage space—to the prefrontal cortex’s “hard drive,” thus freeing up the hippocampus to take in fresh data. Spindles are fast pulses of electricity generated during non-REM sleep, and they can occur up to 1,000 times a night. “All these pieces of the puzzle tell a consistent and compelling story – that sleep spindles predict learning refreshment,” The study found that this spindle-driven networking was most likely to happen during Stage 2 of non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep, which occurs before we reach the deepest NREM sleep and the dream state known as Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. Electroencephalogram tests, which measured electrical activity in the brains of the nappers, showed that the more sleep spindles the nappers produced, the more refreshed they were for learning. Furthermore, researchers were able to link sleep spindles to brain activity looping between the lobes of the brain that house the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex—two critical areas for memory. “Our findings demonstrate that sleep may selectively seek out and operate on our memory systems to restore their critical functions,” Walker says. “This discovery indicates that we not only need sleep after learning to consolidate what we’ve memorized, but that we also need it before learning, so that we can recharge and soak up new information the next day

Dreams

Dreams fulfil a vital purpose in the brain physiology and are useful in many ways. They may release some pent up thoughts, or we can apply our own understanding and interpretations. Most dreams occur in the form of interrupted stories with frequent shifting of the scenes. Visual experiences occur in nearly all dreams, hearing in about half, while touch, taste, smell and pain occur in a minority. Visual images tend to replace words which acquire different meanings and convey significant ideas. Seeing objects in dreams are experienced by those of us who have sight. Those born blind or blind before the age of 5 years do not see in their dreams but can perceive experiences of taste, smell and touch. Some companions of Allah's Apostle used to see dreams during his lifetime and narrate those dreams to him. Allah’s Apostle would interpret them as Allah wished. (Ḥadīth: Al Bukhāri). Dreams may influence the behavioural patterns of some of us. There are three types of dreams: (i) The reflection of one's thoughts and experiences one has during wakefulness; (ii) what is suggested by Satan to frighten the dreamer; (iii) or glad tidings from Allah. So, if someone has a dream which he dislikes, he should not tell it to others, but get up and offer a prayer. (Ḥadīth: Al Bukhāri). However, some persons tell lies about their dreams which they have not dreamt at all or would distort the dream just to achieve a desired result. The worst lie is that a person claims to have seen a dream which he has not seen. (Ḥadīth: Al Bukhāri). Imām Muslim says that we learn from the Qur᾿an and Ḥadīth that dreams are of four types: (i) dreams or visions of prophets, which are always true and concern revelations from God to man. True dreams may bring news of certain future events; (ii) dreams of pious persons, although not free from error, represent mostly the truth, called 45th, 46th or even 47th part of prophesy; (iii) dreams related to carnal desires termed in Ḥadīth as hulm or a vision emanating from Satan. Such dreams are expressions of unpleasant experiences lurking in the unconscious mind; (iv) dreams that can foreshadow coming events. They may come in the form of warnings to solve some existing or future problems or, at times, to fulfil a suppressed desire. The dreams of the prophets communicate also true messages. When reading Surah 48 (Al Fatḥ) we should keep in mind the following historical background. In A.H. 6, the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬had a dream that he went to Makkah with his Companions and performed ‘Umrah. Obviously, the Prophet’s dream could not be a mere ordinary dream. It was a kind of divine inspiration as Allah Himself has confirmed in Q.48:27, where He said that He Himself had shown that dream to His Rasūl. It was an unusual dream and the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬had to obey and follow it. Therefore, the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬informed his Companions of his dream and began to prepare for the journey. He had a public announcement made among the tribes living in the suburbs that he was proceeding for ‘Umrah and the people could join him.

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Dreams may also come in the form of a trial to test the sincerity and faith of the person/s involved as happened with Prophet Ibrāhīm, A.S. (Q.37:102). He was shown through a dream as taking part in an incident requiring utmost sacrifice, viz. that of his only son (Ismāīl, A.S.). Such dreams and their compliance served as a lesson to the succeeding generations about the importance of willingness to sacrifice by obeying Allah’s command (Q.37:102). To instil confidence and courage, sometimes Allah makes a person dream of a scene in an altered way, as happened to Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬before the Battle of Badr. The enemy numbers were shown in the dream as only few, although in reality they were twice their number (Q.8:43). (Battle of Badr was fought on the Day of Furqān, Friday 17th Ramaḍan, in the second year of the Hijrah, in which the small Muslim army was victorious. Badr is an area close to Madīnah and is known by the well which bears the name of the person who dug it, viz. Badr bin An-Narayn). Some other historical events also have been recorded as associated with dreams. The adhān and the iqāmah were recited in a dream and then transmitted to Bilāl. I went to the Messenger of Allah to tell him what I had seen. He said, ‘Your dream is true, Allah willing. Go to Bilāl, tell him what you have seen, and tell him to make the call to prayer, for he has the best voice among you.’ I went to Bilāl and told him what to do, and he made the call to prayer. (Ḥadīth: Aḥmad, Abu Dāwūd, Ibn Majah and atTirmidhi). Dreams may also represent wishes fulfilled or the opposite. Any single dream can be interpreted by opposing views and meanings by different analysts. Some dreams of pious persons may forecast a wish which later on comes true, especially dreams seen after the tahajjud prayers. Day-dreaming is when a person is fantasising something during the day. It is also called random thinking or building castles in the air, when a person hopes for the impossible. If we have built castles in the air, the only thing we must do is to put one or two bricks as a foundation under them and make a beginning. Psychologists say that desires or worries of such persons are expressed in meaningful dreams. Dreams could also be induced through hypnosis; the interpretation of such dreams plays an important part in the technique of hypno-analysis. In ancient Greece, dreams were used in temples for healing and guidance. Some people believe that dreams have no inherent meaning whatsoever, others think otherwise. However, we all dream every night although most of us do not remember our dreams and if we do, it is after having witnessed the dreams and the facts noted. Within 5 minutes of waking, half of our dream is forgotten and within 10 minutes or so 90%. Do we dream in black and white or in colour? The answers differ. There are certain cells called cones in the retina, about 7 millions of them concentrated in the fovea situated in the centre of each eye. They are active mostly in daylight and are responsible for differentiating colours for which they need bright light. There are 3 types of cones: red, green and blue. However, there are also 120 million rods situated in the periphery of the retina which are responsible for seeing in black, white, and shades of grey and tell us the shape that an object has. Rods can’t tell us the difference between colours, but allow us to see when it’s dark. Rods and cones working together process the light to give us the total picture. Only when we are fast asleep do we dream. We cannot see through the eyes during sleep, although our brain is fully active. The analysts believe that dreams in colour happen later in the sleep cycle while black and white dreams occur earlier. Some believe that we never dream in colour and it is biologically impossible. They would only become coloured, or not, depending on how we construct them after waking. We cannot make dreams come about as we want. Ego disappears in dreams and the laws of physics and morality no longer apply. Hence, flying is common in dreams. Even persons 80 years old do not appear elderly but are projected much younger and energetic. One of the characteristics of dreams is that nothing in them surprises us. We appear as geniuses and supermen. Some dreams of childhood recur again and again in adult years, posing difficulty in interpretation. Lucid dreaming means that we are dreaming while we are aware of the fact that we are dreaming. While I was sleeping, I saw myself (in a dream) performing Ṭawāf around the Ka‘bah. (Ḥadīth: Al Bukhāri). For a correct interpretation of different dreams, the reader should refer to Chapter 12 (Sūrah Yūsuf), which should be read from the beginning to end. Sometimes, we see different objects in dreams, such as frogs, snakes, boat, water, etc. At times we feel stuck to the ground and cannot move. Some dream of being unprepared for an examination while others dream of falling off a precipice or being pursued and attacked. People have compiled a dictionary of dreams attributing meanings to different symbols. They have a 50-50% chance of being right or wrong.

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Although deja vu phenomena (sense of familiarity) could be labelled as epilepsy during waking hours, they are frequent and normal occurrences in dreams. Deja vu (“already seen”) phenomenon is a feeling of familiarity on perceiving some place or person/s one has never seen before. The dreamer gets the distinct feeling that he had been in similar situations previously, such as in a town with a particular street, a house with its familiar compartments or met a person with particular features, although, when he wakes up, he cannot recall ever having seen such a face or place while being awake in his daily life. Those who believe in reincarnation say that these unfamiliar faces and places are reminiscences of the previous life they lived. The main stream Muslim thought does not accept the re-incarnation theory, but some Sufis do, as seen in the writings of a Sufi poet, Maulana Jalāluddin Rumi (1207-1273). (1) I died a mineral, and became a plant. I died a plant and rose as an animal. I died an animal and I was man. Why should I fear? When was I less by dying? (2) Since in this world, I have, like my own imagination, died and been born again many times. Why think separately of this life and the next when one is born from the last? You are that blessed soul who belongs to the garden of paradise. Sometimes, one or both of our dead parents appear in our dreams either with a smile or a frown, as if giving advice. Other dreams (Q.12:43) need a person gifted in the knowledge of their interpretations (Q.12:46-49) while some dismiss the same as a hotchpotch of nightmares (Q.12:44). Nightmares could also be due to some ingredient in the dinner that a person may have been allergic to which might have affected the normal neuro-chemistry of sleep. At other times Allah gives us warnings either in the form of dreams which in some way make us think of our own death or in the form of incidents during waking hours in which Allah saves us from near death. These and other thoughts may click in our brain to encourage us to do some good deeds for our Hereafter. Animals do not get such premonitions.

Medical aspects of forbidden foods in Islam

One characteristic of Islamic teachings is their inclusiveness. The study of the Holy Qur᾿an reveals the broad spectrum of subjects with which it deals. Among these subjects are man’s duties towards his Creator, towards his fellow men, towards his family and towards himself. The Qur᾿an, being the basis for a complete way of life, deals also with questions related to cleanliness and hygiene. The Qur᾿an tells you what is right and what is wrong, what to do and what not to do, what to eat and what not to eat. Like other Islamic teachings, dietary restrictions in Islam relate to significant physical and spiritual well-being. Zoonoses is a term applied to diseases transmitted in nature from animals to man. The American Public Health Association lists more than 170 diseases of public health importance. Daily, many other zoonoses are emerging; some because of mutations in bacteria and viruses, and certain other zoonoses are being discovered by improved scientific techniques. Animals are reservoirs of several emerging infectious diseases such as Sin Nombre (a hantavirus), and hemorrhagic fevers such as Marburg, Ebola and Lassa; West Nile virus that kills wild birds and also attacks humans; Nipah virus, which emerged in Malaysia killing pigs and humans; and in Australia, Hendra virus, which can kill horses and humans; the SARS virus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is a corona virus which first emerged in China. There are many others. "Most cases of pet bird-associated illness are asymptomatic or self-limited. Transmission to humans occurs predominantly via inhalation or ingestion of infected or contaminated material. Prevention of human infection largely depends on proper hygiene and sanitation. Bird-associated diseases that present with influenza like or pulmonary symptoms include psittacosis, influenza, histoplasmosis, Newcastle disease, Q fever, West Nile virus fever or encephalitis, and allergic alveolitis. Diseases presenting with gastrointestinal symptoms include salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis, and giardiasis. Diseases presenting with cutaneous symptoms include pasteurellosis, erysipeloid, cryptococcosis, avian mite dermatitis, and nontuberculous mycobacteriosis. " In the Holy Qur᾿an we read:

َ​َ َ َ​َ َ َْ َ 4 ُ ْ 4 ُ َ ْ ْ َ َْ َ َ 4 َ َ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ َ َ 4 َ َ 4 4 4 َْ ْ َ َ ‫;ﻋﻢ‬ َ 4 ; َ​َ ٌ ُ َ ‫ ﺑ‬ ٌ َ ‫ﻟﻔﻮ‬ َ ْ ‫ﻓﻼ‬ ٍ ‫ﻓﻤﻦ ﺿﻄﺮ ﻟﺮﻴ‬ ‫ ﺣﻴﻢ‬ ‫ﺨ‬ ٍ ‫ﺑﺎ ﻻ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ِﻫﻞ‬F ‫ ﺨﻟﺰﻨﻳﺮ َ ﻣﺎ‬ ِ ‫ﻟﻐﺮﻴ‬ ِ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻪ ۝‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﺑﻪ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ِ;ﻏﻤﺎ ﺣﺮ ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ ﻟﻤﻴﺘﺔ ﺤﻟﻢ‬ ِ ‫ ﺑ ۝‬

Allah has forbidden you what dies of itself, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that over which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked. But whoever is driven by necessity, without wilful disobedience, not transgressing due limits, then he is guiltless. Surely, Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

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(Q.2:173; 5:4; 6:145; 16:115). In the above verses, three categories of prohibited foods are included. Analysis of each of these categories follows:

I. Diseases transmitted to man from an animal which dies of itself

Diseases may be transmitted from a carcass through (a) contact i.e. touching the skin or flesh, or through abrasions while handling the carcass or by inhaling the germs in and around the body of the dead animal; (b) eating the flesh and other organs of the dead animal; (c) the bite of the vectors (insects and arachnids such as mites and ticks) which leave the body of the dead animal after it has become cold, only to attack a warm-blooded animal such as man. This is a very important route of transmission of many diseases such as plague. A list of all such agents follows: THROUGH SKIN, MUCOUS MEMBRANE OR BY INHALATION

BACTERIAL MODE OF TRANSMISSION THROUGH INGESTION THROUGH CONTACT WITH OR BY BITE OF ARTHROPOD

Aeromonasiasis Anthrax

Aeromonasiasis Anthrax

Bacillus cereus food poisoning Brucellosis Campylobacteriosis (or vibriosis)

Bacillus Cereus. Enterotoxin Brucellosis Campylobacteriosis

Chlamydiosis Chromobacteriosis Clostridiosis Corynebacteriosis

Chlamydiosis Cholera Chromobacteriosis Clostridiosis(Botulism and C. perfringens food poisoning) Corynebacteriosis Glanders Hemorrhagic Colitis (Escherichia coli.). Leptospirosis Listeriosis Melioidosis Pasteurellosis

Erysepaloid Glanders Leptospirosis Melioidosis Pasteurellosis Plesiomonasiosis Rickettsiosis,viz Asian Ixodo;MurineTyphus; Q.Fever; Scrub Typhus. Staphylococcosis Streptococcosis Tuberculosis: (Bovine; Human) Tularemia Yersiniosis (pseudo tuberculosis); Others.

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Anthrax

Borreliosis Plague Rickettsiosis, viz: Boutonneuse Fever; Erlichiosis; Murine Typhus; North Asian Tick Typhus; Q.Fever; Queensland Tick Typhus; Rickettsialpox; Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; Scrub Typhus. Tularemia Others

Plesiomonasiosis Rickettsiosis. Viz Q.Fever Salmonellosis; About 2000 serotypes Tuberculosis; (bovine, human, avian). Tularemia Yersiniosis

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

THROUGH SKIN, MUCOUS MEMBRANE OR BY INHALATION Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever Bolivian Hemorrhagic Fever Cowpox Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever EB (Epstein- Barr) Virus Foot and Mouth Disease Korean Hemorrhagic Fever Herpes Virus Simiae Hepatitis A Influenza (Swine, Equine and Fowl Plague) Lassa Fever Louping ill Lymphocytic Chorio- meningitis Marburg Disease Monkeypox Newcastle Disease Orf Paravaccinia, (pseudo-cowpox) Pseudorabies Rabies Rift Valley Fever Swine Vesicular Disease Tumour producing viruses Vesicular Stomatitis Yabapox Others.

VIRAL MODE OF TRANSMISSION THROUGH INGESTION THROUGH CONTACT WITH OR BY BITE OF ARTHROPOD Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever Bolivian Hemorrhagic Fever Bovine Rotavirus Foot and Mouth Disease Korean Hemorrhagic Fever Herpesvirus Simiae Hepatitis A Lassa Fever Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis Central European Di-phasic Meningitis Monkeypox Pseudorabies, (herpes virus suis) Russian Springtime Encephalitis Swine Rotavirus Swine Vesicular Disease Bovine spongiform Encephalitis (Mad Cow Disease). Others

Banzi Fever Bunyamwera Fever California Encephalititis Chikungunia Fever Colorado Tick Fever Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Dengue Fever Dugbe Viral Fever Epidemic Polyarthritis Equine Encephalitis Group C Bunyaviral Fever Japanese B Encephalitis Kemerova Virus Fever Kyasanur Forest Disease Louping ill Lymphocytic Chorio-Meningitis Mengo Fever, (Encephalomyocarditis Viral Infection) Central European Diphasic Meningitis Mayaro Virus Fever Mucambo Fever; Murray Valley Encephalitis Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever; Oropouche Fever; Orbiviruses (110 serotypes); Piry Fever; Powassan Fever; Rift Valley Fever; Rocio Viral Encephalitis; Russian Springtime Encephalitis; St. Louis Encephalitis; Tahyna Virus Infection; Tanapox; Vesicular Stomatitis; Wesselborn Disease; West Nile Fever; Yellow Fever; Zika Fever; Other Arbo & Roboviruses; Others.

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FUNGAL MODE OF TRANSMISSION THROUGH SKIN, MUCOUS THROUGH INGESTION MEMBRANE OR BY INHALATION Actinomycosis, (bacterial but grouped as Histoplasmosis fungal) Aspergillosis Blastomycosis Coccidioidomycosis Cryptococcosis Dermatophytosis Nocardiosis (bacterial but grouped as fungal) Pneumocystis Carinii Infection Sporotrichosis THROUGH SKIN, MUCOUS MEMBRANE OR BY INHALATION Leishmaniasis

THROUGH CONTACT WITH OR BY BITE OF ARTHROPOD

PROTOZOAL MODE OF TRANSMISSION THROUGH INGESTION THROUGH CONTACT WITH OR BY BITE OF ARTHROPOD Amoebiasis Babesiosis Balantidiasis Leishmaniasis Coccidiosis Malaria, (Quartan & Simian) Cryptosporidiosis Trypanosomiasis Dientamoeba Fragilis Giardiasis Sarcosporidiosis Toxoplasmosis

HELMINTHS: C=Cestode, N=Nematode, T=Trematode MODE OF TRANSMISSION THROUGH SKIN, MUCOUS THROUGH INGESTION THROUGH CONTACT WITH OR MEMBRANE OR BY INHALATION BY BITE OF ARTHROPOD Hookworms, (Ankylostoma Angiostrongyliasis (N) duodenalis & Necator Americanus (N)

Brugiasis (N)

Larva Migrans, Cutaneous, Anisakiasis (N) (Ankylostoma braziliensi) (N)

Dicroceliosis (T)

Schistosomiasis, (bovis, mathei, Ascariasis (N) japonicum) (T)

Dipylidium caninum (C)

Sparaganosis (C) Strongyloidiasis (N)

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Capillariasis (N) Clonorchiasis (N) Coenurosis (C) Cysticercosis (C) Dioctophymosis (N) Diphyllobothriasis (C) Echinococcosis Granulosus (C) Echinococcus Multi-locularis (C) Echinostomiasis (T) Esophagostomiasis (N) Fascioliasis (T) “Halzoum” Fasciolopsiasis (T)

Dirofilariasis (N) Hymenolepis dimunata (C) Hymenolepis nana (C) Loiasis (N) Onchocerciasis (N) Thelasiasis (N)

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Gastrodiscoidiasis (T) Gnathostomiasis (N) Heterophyiasis (T) Hookworms,(ankylostoma duod; Necator Americanus) (N) Larva Migrans, visceral (Toxocariasis) (N) Metagonimiasis (T) Opisthorchiasis (T) Paragonimiasis (T) Sparagonosis (C) Teniasis (Saginata & Solium) (C) Trichinosis (N) Trichostrongyliasis (N) THROUGH SKIN, MUCOUS MEMBRANE OR BY INHALATION Tunga penetrans Fowl mite Scabies

ARTHROPOD MODE OF TRANSMISSION THROUGH INGESTION THROUGH CONTACT WITH OR BY BITE OF ARTHROPOD Dicroceliosis (T) Dipylidium canium (C) Hymenolepis dimunuta (C) Hymenolepis nana (C)

Brugiasis (N) Dicroceliosis (T) Dipylidium caninum (C) Dirofilariasis (N) Hymenolepis diminuta (C); Hymenolepis nana (C); Loiasis (N); Onchocerciasis (N); Thelasiasis (N)

CHEMICALS MODE OF TRANSMISSION THROUGH SKIN, MUCOUS THROUGH INGESTION THROUGH CONTACT WITH MEMBRANE OR BY OR BY BITE OF ARTHROPOD INHALATION Insecticides Radioactive isotopes Just a few points worthy of note: 1. Anthrax or Wool-sorter’s disease is due to a bacterium, bacillus anthracis. Anthrax bacilli are released from infected carcasses of domestic, zoo and wild animals, and form resistant spores on exposure to the air. These spores can survive for many years in the soil, in bone meal and in dried blood. Farm workers, wool-sorters and veterinarians get infected by inoculation from direct contact with such carcasses, animal products or contaminated soil. Inoculation or ingestion of spores may also occur. Bacillus anthracis could be a major agent in biological warfare. 2. Brucellosis causes undulant fever in man and abortion in animals, the causative agents being Br. Abortus in cattle, Br. Melitensis in goats, Br. Canis in dogs, Br. Ovis in sheep and Br. Suis in pigs and horses. Transmission from animals occurs in veterinarians via contact with infected aborted products of conception. Human infection follows ingestion of infected dairy products, or by direct contact with infected materials like blood, urine, uterine discharges, or by handling infected carcasses. Inhalation of infected material is also a possibility. Brucellae are very resistant and survive for 42 days in water, 72 days in damp soil, 28 days in dry road dust and 80 days on dry cloth. Visible brucellae are found in viscera, meat, placenta and lymph nodes from infected carcasses more than one month after the death of the animal. Commercial pickling is not sufficient to destroy the bacteria. 3. Campylobacteriosis (also called vibriosis) is a common enteric bacterial infection. C. jejuni is as common as salmonella and shigella as a cause of diarrhoea. It is usually transmitted from under-cooked food (C. fetus is found in cattle and sheep; C. coli in pigs; C. jejuni and C. laridis in animals and birds). Infection results from raw contaminated milk, undercooked chicken or pork; also by direct faecal-oral spread while fondling puppies. Vibrio parahemolytica causes gastro-enteritis following ingestion of contaminated seafood such as raw fish or shellfish. Vibrio vulnificus from sea water causes skin lesions in persons handling shellfish or other marine animals. Vibrio mimicus causes diarrhoea after ingestion of raw oysters. Vibrio cholerae survive in crabs that have been boiled for as long as eight minutes.

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4. Clostridiosis: A group of diseases caused by toxins produced by anaerobic spore-forming clostridial bacteria, e.g. Cl. Tetani causes tetanus, and Cl. Perfringens causes gas gangrene and also enterotoxaemia, while the exotoxin of Cl. Botulinum causes botulism. Cl. Tetani is found in the soil and in the faeces of horses and other animals. CI. Tetani contaminates wound and spores germinate in the anaerobic environment of damaged tissues to cause tetanus. Tetanus killed nearly 50,000 soldiers in World War II, because they were not immunised against tetanus. Spores of CI. Perfringens in soil or faeces contaminate wounds such as a compound fracture or a post-partum uterus, to cause gas gangrene. In presence of necrotic tissue in anaerobic environment, spores germinate and produce toxins. Gas formed from carbohydrates favour spread of gangrene by interfering with blood supply. Some strains of CI. Perfringens when growing in warmed up meat dishes produce enterotoxin when they sporulate in the gut. This is a common cause of food poisoning. CI. Botulinum survives and multiplies in soil, animals and fish intestine. CI. Botulinum may grow in foods in anaerobic environment, e.g. canned or vacuum packed. Home canned vegetables and fruits, sausages, and preserved meats and fish, are the main vehicles of transmission. Spores are highly resistant to heat, withstanding 100o C for three to five hours. Spices, smoked, vacuum packed or canned alkaline foods eaten without cooking can cause botulism. Honey is a common vehicle for spread of spores in infants. It produces eight varieties of toxin A to H. It is a very powerful toxin, the lethal dose for man being about 1-2 micrograms. This neurotoxin is absorbed from the gut and taken to motor neurons. The toxin is destroyed by heating at 100o C for 20 minutes. It is also used in cosmetic surgery to smooth out wrinkles and to relieve muscle spasm. 5. Swine Erysipelas or Erysipaloid is due to a bacterial infection of pig handlers and fish and poultry workers, due to bacterium erysipelothrix rhusopathiae. It should not be confused with erysipelas of humans which is due to Group A beta hemolytic streptococci. 6. Leptospirosis (Weil’s Disease). There are over 170 strains of leptospirae. Leptospira icterohemorhagiae and L. hebdomadis in rats, L. canicola in dogs, L. Pomona and mitis in pigs, L. bovis in cattle and L. grippotyphosa in rodents. Human infection results from ingestion of water or food contaminated with the urine of dogs, pigs, rats or cattle. Leptospirae are found in stagnant water especially in rice fields and in cane fields contaminated with the animal’s urine. Man is infected by contact with such polluted water, when leptospirae enter the body through abrasions or mucous membrane. L. Pomona can live in soil saturated with water for 183 days. 7. Pasteurellosis (Hemorrhagic Septicoemia) is due to a bacterium called P. multocida. It causes chicken cholera in fowls, hemorrhagic septicemia in pigs and sinusitis in man. Human infection occurs from animal bites like cats and dogs, or from scratches while handling a carcass. Animal infection may also occur by ingestion or inhalation. 8. Rickettsiae are small bacteria that are intracellular parasites, and except for Q. Fever are transmitted to man by arthropods. Rickettsiae are quickly destroyed by heat and drying except Q. Fever rickettsiae (coxiella burneti), which can survive for months in milk or in dried faeces and can also survive pasteurisation at 60 degrees C for 30 minutes. This may be due to formation of endospore-like structures by coxiella burneti. The following rickettsial diseases with animal reservoirs are recognised: (a) Murine Typhus due to R. typhi; flea-borne from rodents. (b) Scrub Typhus due to R. tsutsugamushi; mite-borne from rodents. (c) Rocky Mountain spotted fever, due to R. rickettsiae; tick-borne from rodents and dogs. (d) Boutonneuse Fever due to R. conori; tick-borne from rodents and dogs. (e) Queensland Tick Typhus due to R. australis, tick-borne from rodents and marsupials. (f) North Asian Tick Typhus due to R. siberica, tick-borne from rodents. (g) Rickettsialpox due to R. akari; mite-borne from mice. (h) Erlichiosis, due to Erlichia canis; tick-borne from dogs, sheep, and other animals. (i) Q Fever due to coxiella burneti, from dust inhalation from cattle, sheep and goats; from handling infected carcasses, or by consumption of contaminated milk or possibly by tick bites. C. burneti is found in ticks in workers in slaughter houses and in plants that process wool and cattle hides. There may be chronic infection of the udder of the cow, and rickettsiae are excreted in the milk. 9. Staphylococcosis has at least 20 species. They are relatively resistant to drying but are readily inhibited by certain chemicals such as three percent hexachlorophene. Staphylococci cause abscesses, bacteraemia, toxic shock syndrome, and also food poisoning due to pre-formed heat stable enterotoxin, which grows in meat dishes, dairy products and other foods. It is the most common form of food poisoning. 10. Streptococci have many species. Pigs are the reservoir of Streptococcus suis and man is infected by handling infected pork. Streptococcus zooepidermicus occurs in persons in direct contact with domestic animals and from drinking raw milk. 11. Salmonellosis: There are more than 1800 serotypes of salmonellae, the main reservoirs being poultry, pigs, cattle, sheep and rodents. Infection is by faecal-oral spread. Transmission occurs when salmonellae are introduced in the kitchen in poultry carcasses, meat or unpasteurised milk. These bacteria multiply in the food owing to inadequate cooking or cross-contamination of cooked foods. Outbreaks of salmonellosis have been traced to water, milk, and other dairy products such as ice-cream, cheese and custard; shellfish; dried frozen eggs that were faecally contaminated during hatching; meats and meat products; “recreational” drugs e.g. marijuana and others; household pets such as cats, dogs, turtles, others. 12. Yersiniosis (pseudo-tuberculosis): The genus yersinia includes yersinia pestis (cause of plague); y. pseudo and y. enterocolitica (cause of diarrhoea). Y. enterocolitica has over 50 serotypes and is found in cattle, swine and dogs. Infection

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occurs through unpasteurised milk, cheese, raw pork and water. Y. pseudo-tuberculosis occurs in domestic and farm animals and birds which excrete the organisms in their faeces. 13. Actinomycosis and Nocardiosis are due to filamentous branching bacteria but they are usually classified as fungus because of their tendency to produce mycetomas. 14. Viruses Recently, viruses have been re-classified and hundreds of new viruses have been discovered, among them “Mad Cow Disease” due to BSE virus, “AIDS” due to Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 and the deadly bird flu virus (avian influenza: H5NI strain). However, with genetic engineering, new and dangerous viruses can be created in the laboratory which could produce super viruses and new diseases, and which could be propagated in plants, insects and humans. (a) Many herpes viruses infect animals and man, e.g. herpes B virus (herpesvirus simiae); herpesvirus suis causing pseudorabies; herpesvirus 4 or EB (Epstein-Barr) virus causes infectious mononucleosis (Kissing Disease) and human herpesvirus 5 cause Cytomegalic Inclusion Disease which causes severe congenital abnormalities in thousands of infants annually in the USA alone. Herpes viruses have also been linked with malignant disease in humans and lower animals; EB virus with Burkitt’s lymphoma of African children with nasopharyngeal carcinoma; HSV2 (herpes simplex virus 2) with cervical and vulvar carcinoma. (b) Swine Vesicular Disease is due to picorna virus. The virus remains infective in the environment for months. (c) Foot and Mouth Disease is due to picorna virus. This virus persists indefinitely in frozen pork. (d) Hepatitis A virus is rather resistant to disinfectants. Transmission is commonly by faecal-oral route, from faecal contamination of drinking water, milk or food such as raw oysters. In chimpanzee handlers the virus could also be transmitted by the aerosol route. (e) Virus Hepatitis B There are more than 200 million carriers of this virus in the world. Routes of infection are predominately parental, among drug abusers, blood transfusion, newborn infants of mothers with Hepatitis B, also parental administration of human serum and plasma, and through unsterilised syringes. Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection, more infectious than AIDS because it is very easily transmitted by blood and other body fluids like seminal discharge, vaginal secretions, breast milk, tears, and saliva. Dentists and medical personnel are particularly vulnerable. Others at risk are those living in the same house with an infected person, prisoners, intravenous drug users who share needles, people who get tattoos and get their ears and other body parts pierced. Volunteers who ingested infected plasma developed Hepatitis B. However, approximately 90 percent of cases of transfusion hepatitis are due to non- A non-B Hepatitis. (f) Orbiviruses, arboviruses and rhinoviruses have more than 100 serotypes each. (g) Coxackie viruses are a large sub-group of the enteroviruses, divided into 2 groups A and B. Group A causes herpangina; Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease; and acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, while Gr. B cause pleurodynia, myocarditis, pericarditis and meningo-encephalitis. (h) Influenza viruses belong to the group orthomyxoviruses. Influenza A strains are also found in pigs, horses and birds. The 1957 pandemic of influenza took a very heavy toll of human lives when it spread throughout the globe. There is some evidence that it all started from a pig in China and that it affected human beings in epidemic proportions. (Hemophilus influenza suis is a bacterium and is an essential component in pathogenesis of swine influenza caused by influenza A virus; the virus is required in addition to H. influenza bacterium to produce clinical symptoms). (i) Epidemic hemorrhagic fever is an acute febrile disease in which shock and haemorrhage are most obvious, besides muscle aches and dizziness. Secondary human transmission is extremely high for VHFs (Viral Hemorrhagic Fever), which may be caused by any of the four distinct groups: arenaviruses, filoviruses, bunyaviruses, and flaviviruses. The Arenaviridae are associated with rodent-transmitted disease in humans. Once a rodent is infected, it begins to pass the virus in its urine and droppings. Hantavirus is a virus infection normally infecting rodents such as mice but in humans cause haemorrhagic fever involving kidneys and lungs with high mortality. (j) Avian influenza is a disease affecting birds and poultry that is caused by several types of Influenza viruses and has been responsible for recent human outbreaks and deaths in Asian countries. It is unlikely that avian influenza can be transmitted to humans from eating chicken, poultry or eggs that have been thoroughly cooked. (k) Hendra virus is a recently discovered bat virus affecting both horses and humans in Australia. (l) In Malaysia some people developed febrile encephalitis and many died from a new paramyxovirus called Nipah virus; 93% of human patients had direct contact with pigs. (m) Most cases among U.S. travellers to Mexico and Guatemala are due to Norovirus, a common cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis outbreaks. 15. Microsporidiosis is an illness caused by recently discovered protozoan parasites called Microsporidia. The most common of the parasites is Enterocytozoon bieneusi, which infects the small intestine. Microsporidiosis is associated with heavy watery diarrhoea and weight loss. 16. Prions are proteins that are now thought to cause disease, all of them fatal. Five prion diseases affect humans: CJD, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease, kuru, nvCJD, and fatal insomnia. Prion Diseases are transmitted by inoculation,

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cannibalism and genetic inheritance. They include BSE - mad cow disease - and new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (nvCJD) - thought to be the human equivalent. (i) Spongiform encephalopathies are more common among animals - scrapie affects sheep and there is a mad cat disease. (ii) Kuru exists only among a single tribe in Papua, New Guinea. The afflicted tribe describes it as the “laughing death�, because it leads to loss of co-ordination accompanied by dementia. Kuru is transmitted due to ritualistic cannibalism. The tribe used to honour the dead by eating their brains. The practice has since stopped, and kuru has virtually disappeared. (iii) Familial fatal insomnia was first described in 1986.

Diseases in man caused by blood DIRECT BACTERIAL CONTACT Anthrax Brucellosis campylobacteri osis Chlamydiosis Corynebacterio sis Erysipaloid Glanders Leptospirosis

Melioidosis

Pasteurellosis Q Fever Staphylo coccosis Strepto coccosis Tularemia Yersiniosis Others

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MODE OF TRANSMISSION BLOOD TRANSINGESTION FUSION

THROUGH BITE OF ANIMALS INCLUING ARTHROPODS

Borreliosis Brucellosis Leptospirosis

Anthrax Brucellosis Campylobacteriosis

Anthrax Brucellosis Chlamydiosis

Listeriosis Proteus vulgaris

Glanders Leptospirosis

Corynebacteria DF 2 Bacteria (Dog Bite)

Pseudomonas aeroginosa Syphilis Uncommon Gram neg. bacteria, e.g. Acinetobacter, Alcaligenes, Capnocyto phaga, Cardio bacterium, Chrombacteria, DF-2 Bacteria, Eikenella, Flavobacterium, Kingella, Moraxella Others

Pasteurellosis

Eikenella corrodens (Human Bite)

Salmonellosis Strepto bacillus Monili formis

Pasteurellosis Plague

Tularemia

Rickettsiosis, Viz; Boutonneuse Fever Erlichiosis; Murine Typhus; Q Fever; Queensland Tick Typhus; Rickettsialpox; Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever; Scrub Typhus Spirillum minus Streptobacillus moniliformis Tularemia

Others

Others

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

DIRECT VIRAL CONTACT All diseases listed in “Diseases carried from an Animal which dies of itself to Man”, in the column “Contact through skin, m.m. or by inhalation”. DIRECT PROTOZOAL CONTACT Leishmaniasis

BLOOD TRANSFUSION

INGESTION

All diseases listed in “Diseases carried from an Animal which dies of itself to man”, in the column “Contact through skin, mm. or by inhalation” Also: AIDS, Hepatitis B; Hepatitis nonA non-B; Cytomegalo-virus (herpes virus 5)

All diseases listed in “Diseases carried from an Animal which dies of itself to man”, in the column “Ingestion”

BLOOD TRANSFUSION

INGESTION

Babesiosis Leishmaniasis Malaria Trypanosomiasis

THROUGH BITE OF ANIMALS, AND ARTHRO-PODS All diseases listed in “Diseases carried from an Animal which dies of itself to man”, in the column “Through contact with or by bite of, or ingestion of Arthropod”. Also Hepatitis B; Herpes-virus suis and Similae; Rabies.

THROUGH BITE OF ANIMALS INCLUDING ARTHROPODS Babesiosis Leishmaniasis Simian & Quartan Malaria Trypanosomiasis

ANTIBODY FORMATION: 1. Group ABO. Rhesus and numerous subgroups. 2. Antibodies to cells, plasma proteins, etc. Ingestion of blood is forbidden in Islam. Blood is a good bacterial culture medium. It is used in everyday laboratory work as a nutrient medium for bacterial growth multiplication. The first column deals with the diseases caused with the blood. The second column deals with the diseases and other hazards caused by the blood transfusion. Blood transfusion depresses bone marrow activity. Because of blood transfusions, antibodies may form to blood types such as A, B, O and Rhesus systems, as well as to many others, e.g. Kell, Duffy, Lutheran, Lewis and others. Antibodies may also form to white blood cells, platelets, plasma proteins, etc. Besides, many diseases can be transmitted both by fresh blood and by stored blood. It cannot be too strongly stressed that blood should be transfused only when there is a clear-cut indication, and when no other therapeutic procedure will more safely produce the same clinical end-result. However, blood transfusion is not prohibited in Islam, as seen in the modification offered in the second part of the Qur᾿anic verse which says: But whoever is driven by necessity, without disobedience, not transgressing due limits, then he is guiltless. Intramuscular injections of animal blood, e.g. injection of anti-tetanus serum, which is made from the blood of a horse, causes 30 percent morbidity and mortality in man, from anaphylactic shock, delayed serum sickness or polyarteritis nodosa. Many bacterial, viral and protozoal diseases can also be transmitted by blood transfusion. It is incumbent in Islam to see to it that the blood is completely drained from the animal during slaughtering. This meat is then called halāl, which means lawful and has a double significance: (a) food has to be earned lawfully, i.e. one should not eat stolen food, and (b) the food should conform to the laws laid down by Islam relative to the mode of slaughtering. The name of Allah must be mentioned when an animal is being slaughtered. Slaughtering consists of cutting the jugular veins in the neck, so that ALL the blood is drained out. The instruction is not to cut the spinal cord. Why not? The most obvious medical explanation seems to be the protection of the nerve fibres to the heart from getting damaged during the process, as it would cause cardiac arrest and hence stagnation of the blood in the blood vessels of the animal. Blood being a good culture medium, bacteria would multiply and flourish in the blood vessels of the killed animal, so that what we would be eating could in fact be a plate of bacterial culture!

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Diseases carried from swine to man DISEASES Anthrax Bacillus Cereus Food Poisoning Brucellosis Campyllobacteriosis Chromobacteriosis Clostridiosis Corynebacteriosis Eryseploid Hemorrhagic Colitis Leptospirosis Listeriosis Lyme Disease Melioidosis Pasteurellosis (Hemorrhagic Septicemia) Rickettsiosis Salmonellosis Staphylococcosis Streptococcosis Tuberculosis (avian), (bovine), (human) Tularemia Yersiniosis (Psuedo- tuberculosis)

BACTERIAL

ETIOLOGICAL AGENT Bacillus Anthracis Bacillus Cereus Br. Suis; melitensis, abortus; canis C.jejuni, coli, laridis, fetus Chromobacterium Violaceum Cl tetanus, perfringens, septicum, n novyi, chauvoei, botulinum C.ulcerans,pyogenes,others Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae Escherichia coli L.pomona, mitis, others. Over 170 serotypes. Listeria monocytogenes Borrellia burgdorferi B whitmori (Ps.psuedomallei) Pasteurella multocida, pneumotropica

R.rickettsi About 2000 serotypes Staphylococci Strep suis, zooepidermicus Mycobacterium avium Myco. bovis, Myco. tuberculosis Pasteurella tularensis Yersinia pseudo-tuberculosis, Y enterocolitica.

USUAL MODE OF INFECTION OR TRANSMISSION OF ABOVE DISEASES Anthrax: Entry of spores through skin from carcasses, animal products and contaminated soil; inhalation of spores from dust, wool, hair, or hide; ingestion of spores; also biting insects. Bacillus cereus: Ingestion of endotoxin in pork dishes. Brucellosis: Direct contact with infected aborted animal products of conception; ingestion of contaminated dairy products or direct contact with infected materials like blood, urine and uterine discharges or handling of carcasses; ingestion of infected pork; inhalation of infected material. Campylobacteriosis: Ingestion of undercooked pork or other food contaminated in the kitchen such as water and milk. Direct contact with piglets is also a source. Chromobacteriosis: Found in soil and water; may infect humans and animals via breaks in skin and also via the gut. Clostridiosis: Contamination of wounds from tetanus spores in soil and animal faeces; ingestion of spores of Cl. Perfringens causes gas gangrene in damaged muscles and also food poisoning. Toxins produced by Cl. botulinum found in home-canned sausages and other foods cause botulism. Honey is a common vehicle for the spread of Cl. botulinum spores in infants. Corynebacteriosis: Contamination of raw milk; contamination of wounds by direct contact with pigs; animals. Erysepaloid: Through skin abrasions. Hemorrhagic Colitis: Undercooked pork; person to person faecal-oral spread. Leptospirposis: Contact with water containing pig’s urine or ingestion of food and water accidentally infected with urine of pigs. Listeriosis: Ingestion of raw vegetables contaminated with animal faeces in soil; contaminated milk and cheese. Lyme Disease: Tick bites. Melioidosis: Contamination of wounds; inhalation of dust; ingestion. Pasteurellosis: Animal bites and scratches; ingestion; inhalation. Rickettsiosis: Contact; bite of ticks. Salmonellosis: Ingestion of infected pork or other contaminated food. Staphylococcosis: Contact. Streptococcosis: Contact; handling infected pork; ingestion of milk or other food contaminated with streptococci. Tuberculosis: Avian: Ingestion; inhalation; (human infection rare). Bovine: Ingestion of contaminated pork; contact. Human: Ingestion of contaminated pork; contact.

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Tularemia: Handling; ingestion; inhalation of aerosols; insect bite. Yersiniasis: Ingestion of raw pork; contaminated food & drink. DISEASES

ETIOLOGICAL AGENT

USUAL MODE OF TRANSMISSION

VIRUSES Many diseases mentioned in the page on “diseases carried from an animal which dies of itself to man�, especially the following: Foot and Mouth Disease Picornavirus inhalation; ingestion Group C Bunyaviral Fever Bunyavirus mosquito Hemorrhagic Fevers Encephalitis Arboviruses mosquito, tick & mite bite Japanese B Encephalitis Togavirus mosquito Kemorova virus Infection Reovirus tick bite Korean Hemorrhagic Fever Bunyavirus contact Kyanasur Forest Disease Togavirus tick bite Louping Ill Flavivirus tick bite Mayaro & Sindbis Fever Togavirus mosquito Mengo Fever Picornavirus mosquito (Encephalomyocarditis) Mucambo Fever Togavirus mosquito Orf Poxvirus contact Oropouche Fever Bunyavirus mosquito Piry Fever Rhabdovirus mosquito Pseudorabies Herpes virus suis direct contact; bite of animals; ingestion; inhalation Rabies Rhabdovirus contact; animal bites, abrasions Rift Valley Fever Bunyavirus contact; mosquito bites Russian Springtime Encephaliits Togavirus tick bite Swine Influenza Orthomyxo virus contact Swine rotavirus gastroenteritis Rotavirus ingestion Swine Vesicular Disease Picornavirus (Enterovirus) contact; ingestion Tahyna Virus Infection Bunyavirus mosquito Vesicular Stomatitis Rhabdovirus contact; probable insect vector Wesselbron Disease Togavirus mosquito West Nile Fever Togavirus mosquito Malayan Encephalitis Nipah virus contact Gastroenteritis Norwalk-like viruses ingestion FUNGI Actinomycosis Actinomycosis bovis (bacterial method unknown but usually classified as fungal) Aspergillosis Aspergillosis fumigatus inhalation of spores Blastomycosis Blastomycosis dermatidis inhalation of candida from Blastomycosis in soil Coccidiomycosis Coccidiodis immitis inhalation; through wounds Cryptococcosis Cryptococcus neoformans Inhalation; opportunistic Dermatophytosis Trichophyton mentagrophytes contact Histoplasmosis Histoplasma capsulatum inhalation of dust; ingestion Nocardiosis Nocardia asteroids (bacterial, through abrasion; inhalation but usually classified as fungal Sporotrichosis PROTOZOA Amoebiasis Balantidiasis

Sporothrix schenckii

contact; ingestion

Entamoeba polecki

contaminated food & water, flies

Balantidium coli

food & drinking water; contaminated with animal faeces

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Coccidiosis

Isospora belli

Cryptosporidiosis

ingestion of viable cysts

Giardiasis Leishmaniasis

Cryptosporidium species

faecal-oral spread

Giardia lamblia faecal–oral spread Leishamania mexicana, bite of phlebotomus; contact; brasiliensis, tropica, donovani, congenital; blood transfusion infantum, chagasi

Sarcosporidiosis

Sarcocystis lindermanni

ingestion of raw pork

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii

eating of tissue cysts in raw pork or oocysts in unwashed salad vegetables, or by a child fondling a cat; contact through inhalation or skin abrasions; congenital gambiense; Tse-Tse fly bite, bite of Triatoma Trypanosoma Magista

Trypanosomiasis, African, south Trypanosoma American (Chaga’s Disease) rhodesiense; cruzi NEMATODES Angiostrongyliasis Angiostrongylus cantonensis Ascariasis Esophagostomiasis Gnathostomiasis Strongyloidiasis Thelaziasis Trichinosis Trichostrongyliasis CESTODES Coenurosis Cysticercosis Echinococcosis Taeniasis Sparganosis

ARTHROPODS Chigoe Dermatitis CHEMICALS

264

Ascaris lumbricoides suum Oesophagostomum stephanostomum;bifurcum; oculaetum Gnathostoma hispidium Strongyloides stercolaris Thelazia callipaeda, califoriensis, rhodesi Trichinella spiralis Trichostrongyliasis species

Eating raw shrimps, snails, pork, raw vegetables Contaminated food and water Ingestion of larvae Uncooked fish /frog Through skin Flies feeding on conjuctival secretions Eating uncooked pork Ingestion of Food contaminated with faeces

Coenurus cerebralis, serialis, Ingestion of contaminated brauni vegetables Cysticercus cellulosae Ingestion of eggs, regurgitation of gravid proglottids from lower G.I. tract Echinococcus Granulosus Eating of contaminated vegetables Taenia solium Eating under cooked measly pork Spraganum mansoni Drinking water containing procercoid in Cyclops; consumption of pork containing plerocercoid larvae; ingestion of raw frogs as poultice Tunga penetrans

Contact with soil contaminated with infected animal

Insecticides; radioactive Ingesting meat, milk or plants isotopes, radioactive animals & plants

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

The pig is a scavenger. It is an omnivorous animal; it eats everything. There are many diseases carried from swine to man, as seen in the accompanying self-explanatory table. It should be noted finally that according to the Hadīth (the sayings of Prophet Muḥammad‫ )ﷺ‬certain other animals are also considered as “disapproved (makruh) food” in Islam. These include beasts of prey with canine teeth. This means that we cannot eat the canidae (human beings, dog, wolf, fox and jackal), and we cannot eat the felidae (cat, lion, tiger, etc). These animals carry many diseases, most of which overlap with the diseases transmitted from swine to man. Last, but not the least, and most important of all, the verse previously quoted has the provision which stipulates: But whoever is driven by necessity, not desiring nor exceeding the limit, no sin shall be upon him. By this, one concludes that in times of dire necessity one can take forbidden food, in spite of all diseases that I have mentioned. One cannot simply refuse to take medicine because it contains a trace of alcohol (if no substitute is possible), or refuse to undergo a general anaesthetic before an operation because the general anaesthetic is an intoxicant. In times of famine, one is allowed to eat any of the prohibited foods in Islam, if it becomes absolutely necessary to sustain life. This shows the mercy of Allah and the tolerance and flexibility of Islam. Truly, Prophet Muḥ ammad‫ﷺ‬, who by proclaiming the word of Allah, prohibited alcohol, other intoxicants and certain foods, and thereby saved countless families from infirmity, disaster and annihilation, should be called the Father of Preventive Medicine.

Islam and intoxicants

We shall first discuss alcohol and some other mind-altering drugs, and then we will see what Allah, SWT, said about them in the Holy Qur᾿an or what Prophet Muḥ ammad‫ ﷺ‬said about them in the Ḥ adith. It must be noted that khamr refers not only to alcohol or wine but also to any intoxicant that clouds, obscures or “veils” consciousness, like marijuana, LSD, cocaine. An intoxicant is a substance eaten, drunk, injected or smoked with the sole intention of becoming intoxicated, such as alcohol and narcotic drugs. The word “alcohol” is derived from the Arabic al-kuhul which comprises a group of chemical compounds, in particular ethanol or ethyl alcohol, also commonly called alcohol. The Arabic word kuhl refers to a fine powder of antimony used for eye makeup, but later the word “alcohol” was applied to any substance obtained by distillation. Alcohol is obtained from raw materials such as fruits, honey, potatoes, corn or other cereals. When fermented, the simple sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the yeast enzyme. Because of its low freezing point, it has also been used as antifreeze in automobile radiators. Minute amounts of alcohol produced during the manufacturing process can be found in some halāl foods, such as vinegar and bread. These should not be considered as harām since alcohol was not deliberately added to produce intoxication. Even some medicines and mouthwashes contain alcohol.

Alcohol: We begin with the mother of all vices, (Ḥadith: Tabrani) the No.1 killer, alcohol, mentioned

by the name of khamr in the Holy Qur᾿an. Alcohol is the most dangerous drug on earth, a legal drug that can, unfortunately, be taken in most countries of the world without fear of police harassment. Alcohol users feel secure because they believe they are using a safe legal drug. However alcohol is the cause of more deaths than all other drugs combined, viz. cocaine, heroin and others. It is the greatest cause of broken bones and broken homes, posing a serious threat to the most vital institution of the human society, the family. By reducing inhibitions and feelings of guilt, alcohol takes the spotlight in many get-togethers. Alcoholism causes deterioration and degeneration of personality and disintegration of character. To begin with, it seemingly offers an escape route from problems and worries but finally ends up in multiplying them, and subdues rather than relieves the sufferer. The alcoholic seeks to drown his sorrows in liquor in the hope of enjoying a madeup paradise where his burdens roll away in the brief span of his drunken stupor. Alcohol is a well-known thief. It takes away cash from families, happiness from abused children, chastity from young women, reasoning from the educated, productivity from the working class and years of life from the alcoholic. A Noble Prize Winner said: Alcohol soon overcomes the strongest man and turns him into a raging beast that with empurpled face and blood-shot eyes, bellows forth oaths and threats against his surroundings, and insults imaginary enemies. Never in any animal species, not among pigs nor jackals nor donkeys, is

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such ignominy to be found. The ugliest thing in creation is a drunkard, a repulsive being, the sight of whom makes one ashamed to belong to the same living species. It may be dangerous to restrain or argue with such a person or even to pacify him, since he will not understand or remember what you are saying, neither could he recall the incident. Absorption: When a person drinks alcohol, about 20 percent of the alcohol is absorbed in the stomach and about 80 percent is absorbed in the small intestine. It enters the blood stream and leaves the body either through the kidney (5%), lungs (5%, which gets detected through the breath analyser) or the liver (90%). Alcohol is eliminated from the body at half ounce (15 ml)/hour. It takes an hour to eliminate the alcohol taken from a 12 oz can of beer. When alcohol is taken, over 90% of it is processed by the liver where the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme converts ethanol into acetaldehyde which is toxic. Acetaldehyde is then destroyed almost immediately by the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase enzyme, which converts it to acetate ions. The acetate produced as a result of acetaldehyde oxidation, rapidly and safely metabolises to carbon dioxide, energy and water, which leaves the body in 6-8 hours. Alcohol is known to give 7 calories/gram while one teaspoonful of sugar gives 4.2 calories. The alcohol thus supplies more energy, yet it is a poor source of nutrition. A fifth of bottle of whisky will give more than 2,200 calories, which is more than our daily total energy requirement when the body is at rest. (Half a litre of whisky contains 1650 cal. The daily energy requirement for a moderately active man is 3000 cal and for a woman 2200 cal. Hence, even if we do not eat our food containing proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals, we can get all our energy requirements from alcohol alone, at the expense of severe deficiencies of proteins, vitamins and minerals). Just a short note as to where and how alcohol intake begins and perpetuates its harmful effects throughout life: 1. If the mother drinks alcohol, her initial communication with and an ignoble contribution to her unborn child in the womb, gives him/her the first taste of it. Thus alcoholism begins in the womb itself through no fault of the foetus. The baby often is born suffering from the dangerous withdrawal effects of alcohol (foetal alcohol syndrome) or with mental retardation and other congenital abnormalities such as a small head and poor muscle tone. Characteristic features in a child with fetal alcohol syndrome include a thin upper lip, flat nasal bridge, upturned nose, small head, epicanthal folds and a smooth philtrum. Foetal alcohol syndrome, caused by alcohol consumption by pregnant women, is the leading cause of mental retardation in the United States. A single drinking binge by a pregnant woman can be enough to permanently damage the brain of her unborn child. Foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) is the most common cause of preventable mental retardation. 2. Soon after birth, although alcohol gets into the milk in small quantities, it affects the milk’s odour in such a way that babies don’t like to suck; hence they consume substantially less milk when it contains alcohol. In spite of nature’s aversion, the infant is forced by the mother into alcoholism. 3. The child grows up. Upon the first attack of fever or influenza, the parents give the child a shot of brandy. 4. The child comes home from school and watches television. What does he see? (i) He sees alcoholic beverages out-numbering other beverages. (ii) He sees young characters eager to start drinking. He sees older persons resembling his parents and teachers who grab the bottle before it is served. (iii) He watches sport programmes like car rallies, football and so on and finds alcohol is heavily advertised on the walls, on bill boards, on clothing with brand names and attractive logos and all these images become engraved in his memory. He begins to associate excellent performance in sport with the use of alcohol. The message to the public on T.V. portrays that drinking alcohol makes them glamorous, sexually desirable, socially acceptable and with a prominent status in society. This may lead to poor performance in school and the youngster might begin to tell lies. He thinks that in order to have fun, he must drink. (iv) He finds that every film or commercial shows alcohol as a way to face a crisis and that every hero on the screen drinks alcohol to project his macho image. And so, he drinks alcohol in school, and gets in trouble with the law. (v) At home, when parents drink alcohol as well as serve alcoholic drinks to guests, the child is once again exposed to this influence and he grows up with double standards. Some medical doctors drink again and again when attending one update after another, and then they lecture to the patients and to the public about the dangers of alcohol!

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(vi) Even during the holy month of Ramaḍan, when the little boy is attempting to keep up his fast, he hears beautiful Islamic songs on the radio, sponsored by alcoholic beverage companies, through Muslim radio announcers. The child now associates alcohol with Islamic religious songs too. (vii) Even when the youth goes to sports clubs, he finds alcohol is abundantly available. When thirsty, advertisement on the walls encourages him to drink a glass of cold beer, which is offered free for promotional purposes. As an adult, the businessman drinks alcohol himself to close a business deal, and gives it to the potential customer. He also drinks before any expected confrontations or after any argument. (viii) He goes to a wedding reception; imagine a Muslim wedding. The (qāḍi) Imām comes and performs the marriage ceremony according to strict Islamic rites. As soon as the priest is hustled out of the function, the parents and the guests begin to drink alcohol, and insist on drinking and serving more and more alcohol again and again. (ix) Many young people experiment with drugs or alcohol to get accepted into a group or to be seen as more social. The company of friends who drink alcohol in such social functions where alcohol is served is given priority. This kind of socialising where a person attaches more importance to alcohol than to personal relationships and work-reputation becomes in itself a strong influential factor for one to become an alcoholic. The daily worker squanders his wages at the corner parlour on his way home after the day’s work, where the day’s pay packet may be frittered away on alcohol in the same evening. (x) Later such a person who is now already a father or a grandfather, takes alcohol habitually as a mere nightcap, or goes in search of his old friend in the bottle, on any pretence of escaping from some little anxiety and frustration. Subservience to alcoholic drinks becomes the hall-mark of the individual. He would gulp drinks before going to a party to be sure of getting enough. He would drink round the clock to avoid withdrawal symptoms since alcohol interferes in formation of new memories. Finally, a time comes when he loses his house and his job and maybe his wife also. Then he either takes to the streets as one of the homeless alcoholics or joins the Alcoholics Anonymous to return to a path of normal living.

Effect of alcohol on the body

Alcohol is primarily a depressant of the central nervous system, and hence, should be classified as a mind-altering drug. It slows the brain-wave in the electro-encephalogram. Some may argue that alcohol is a stimulant and not a depressant, since a person starts to move, and walk faster immediately upon taking an alcoholic drink. But it is not so. I will now explain that it is because of its depressing effect and not due to its stimulating effect. It is well known that alcohol depresses the inhibitory centres in the brain. All of our finer qualities such as judgment, social limitations and self-control are the first to be depressed. These are the qualities that distinguish a human being from lower animals. And hence, the person who drinks alcohol reverts to more primitive behaviour and becomes garrulous and talkative; his judgment is also impaired, thereby causing car and other accidents, unjustifiable behaviour and wrong decisions. Allah alone knows how many wrong decisions have been made through the ages by kings and presidents while under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol does not stimulate sexual desire, but because of suppression of inhibition and decision-making, it encourages some females to become agreeable to immoral actions with disastrous consequences. Alcohol at first depresses the higher brain centres called the neo-cortex (new brain) found in human beings, which control judgment and other learned inhibitions. Hence the person becomes garrulous and aggressive. Later, as drowsiness supervenes, he stops drinking. Some also vomit. The after-effects (“hangover”) of alcohol include insomnia, frequent urination, tiredness, nausea, and headache. The symptoms of “hangover” manifesting themselves as headache, heartburn and nausea are due to the accumulation of acetaldehyde, a toxic end-product of the breakdown of alcohol by the liver, while the pounding headache and dizziness are due to dehydration because of frequent urination effect of alcohol which acts as a diuretic by suppressing ADH, the anti-diuretic hormone, of the pituitary. ADH makes the body conserve water by re-absorption through the kidney. Any weakness or cramps could be due to excessive loss of potassium in the urine. Because of dehydration, water is diverted even from the brain which shrinks. This may result in blackouts also. One can of beer (12 oz; 4-5% alcohol) is equal to one glass of wine (4 oz, 12% alcohol) or one shot of most liquors (1 oz: 40-50% alcohol). One or two drinks (blood alcohol level 0.05%) give a feeling of well being with diminished inhibitions and judgment. The loss of inhibitions can be seen in some women

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with blood alcohol levels as low as 0.01% ; alcohol acts on the prefrontal cortex, which is located at the anterior end of the frontal lobes and which is responsible for judgment, decision-making and normal control of impulses. The euphoria is natural but the smile is a pseudo one. Three to six drinks affect coordination causing slurred speech and diminished reflexes (such persons should not drive for eight to ten hours); seven to ten drinks cause wobbly gait and double vision while fifteen to twenty drinks would raise the blood alcohol level to 0.4% -0.5% and affect the vital centres in the medulla resulting in coma and death. When the blood alcohol level reaches 0.15% as a result of about five or six drinks, causing slurred speech, blurred vision and impaired physical control, the person is considered legally intoxicated and unfit to drive a vehicle. For each one-hour time lapse, blood alcohol concentration falls by 0.015% or about one drink. Due to gender differences in metabolism as well as in brain chemistry women have higher concentrations of alcohol in the blood and become more vulnerable than men after drinking equivalent amounts of alcohol. (For unknown reasons, the alcohol dehydrogenase in women is 70-80% less effective than the same enzyme in men). They are also more susceptible than men to brain and liver damage and to traffic accidents. FMRI studies in young adult female alcoholics have shown during memory sessions that women who drink had less oxygenated blood in the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain. Women who drink heavily develop liver disorders sooner than men, with higher rate of cirrhosis and die of cirrhosis at a younger age. The death rate for alcoholic women is nearly 7 times greater than that of women in the general population. As drinking continues, the deeper and more primitive areas of the brain like the cerebellum are depressed leading to loss of motor co-ordination of the musculo-skeletal system, speech and vision. When more alcohol is consumed, the respiratory and cardiac centres in the medulla are depressed and the person becomes comatose. Concentrations above 400 mg/100 ml are commonly fatal as a result of ventricular fibrillation, respiratory failure, or inhalation of vomit (especially when other drugs have been taken in addition to alcohol).The lethal dose of alcohol is a blood level of 0.5%. With prolonged use, alcohol produces diseases in virtually each and every organ in the body: liver (fatty enlarged liver; hepatitis; jaundice), heart (cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation, latter due to deficiency of magnesium), brain (loss of grey and white matter), pancreas (diabetes), kidney, gastrointestinal system, sex glands (lowered testosterone levels in men and increase in women), immune system, carcinomas (of breast, stomach and others), metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, raised triglycerides, low levels of high density lipoprotein, impaired fasting glucose, and excess abdominal fat), hypertension, etc. The drink that initially relieves anxiety also removes the sense of guilt and justifies failures. He, who thought he would escape from his problems by drinking, does not know that it has now added more problems to the already existing ones. He becomes indifferent to the needs of others. His deranged attitudes, his confused pattern of thought and behaviour, his stubborn rejection of advice from the elders, his contempt for traditional and religious values, all lead to the following major categories of problems for the alcoholic: (a) Social problems: The most obvious being a disrupted family. One alcoholic in the family affects every member. Because of violence, arguments and fights, mainly children are affected and criminality is learnt at home. (b) Physical injuries: an alcoholic often falls injuring himself, and causes fires, drowning and traffic accidents. These accidents either cripple him for life or cause someone else to become crippled. (c) Drunkenness: causes violent behaviour, e.g. robbery, assault, rape, homicide and family violence. (d) Financial problems: loss of productivity for self and for the nation. (e) Mental problems: frequent headaches, insomnia, nightmares, alcohol overdoses, withdrawal symptoms (alcoholics may not come to work on Mondays due to the alcoholic binge on week-ends and the resultant hangovers, called Monday-morning hangovers; alcohol robs brain cells of water and glucose, the brain’s food, contributing to a hangover the next day), blackouts, hallucinations, extreme tremors of delirium tremens and seizures as a consequence of alcohol withdrawal which can prove fatal in spite of prompt treatment. (The brain adapts to regular high alcohol concentrations of blood alcohol by changing the concentrations of neurotransmitters such as gaba and glutamate. An imbalance occurs when alcohol is not drunk causing withdrawal symptoms. For the brain to function normally, the person now craves for more alcohol, eventually making him alcohol-dependant and a chronic alcoholic). One in four women will have a severe or major depression in her lifetime. For men it is one in eight. People who have depression shouldn’t drink alcohol. Alcohol has been found to lower nor-epinephrine

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levels. When alcohol wears off, the person will be more depressed than before. In men alcohol use precedes depression, whereas in women depression precedes alcohol use. (f) Chronic illness: Alcohol affects the heart, brain, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and sex glands. (50-80 percent of alcoholics experience impotence. Chronic alcoholics have low testosterone concentrations. While some studies have shown that testosterone levels decrease with the use of alcohol and marijuana in men, surprisingly other studies have shown that there is an increase in women). After many years, alcoholics often suffer from alcoholic myopathy, a muscle-wasting condition. (g) Carcinoma of oesophagus, stomach, oropharynx and pancreas.

Action of alcohol on the brain Alcohol gets into the bloodstream and crosses the blood brain

barrier easily, acting on many sites. Alcohol affects first the higher and more developed centres of the cerebral cortex, then the limbic system, then cerebellum to be followed by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland and finally the brain stem (medulla). Many neurotransmitters are involved. Even alcoholics who do not show visible neurological or hepatic symptoms show signs of brain damage as seen by neuro-imaging technology, magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy and positron emission tomography. Numbers of brain cells decrease in some regions of the cortex such as superior frontal association cortex, hypothalamus and cerebellum. Scientists have reported a burst in new brain cell development during abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption. Alcoholics have reduced brain weight and the degree of brain atrophy is directly proportional to the rate and amount of alcohol consumed over a lifetime. The prefrontal white matter is severely affected in alcoholics with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. The reduction in brain weight and volume is mainly due to shrinking of white matter. Memory is selectively related to hippocampal volume, as measured by MRI. Alcohol produces a sense of wellbeing, relaxation, euphoria and diminished inhibition by releasing dopamine and serotonin. Alcohol reduces the activity of the enzyme that breaks down dopamine. The stimulant effects of alcohol are due to dopamine, adrenaline and nor-adrenaline while the sedative effect is due to the inhibitory action of GABA (gamma amino butyric acid) which helps to reduce anxiety and which is further accentuated because alcohol also reduces glutamate’s excitatory effect. In low doses, alcohol relieves tension, lowers inhibitions, slows reflexes and diminishes concentration. Many neurotransmitters, in particular dopamine and gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), are influenced by alcohol. (a) Alcohol increases the amount of dopamine which causes an excitatory response in the frontal lobes and enhances the normal feeling of pleasure associated with the dopamine circuit. Because dopamine is not broken down rapidly by monoamine oxidase when ethanol is present, the feeling of pleasure lasts longer and the person will want to drink more to maintain that sensation. Individuals want to continue to experience the good feelings caused by dopamine, so they continue to consume more alcohol. (b) Alcohol also enhances the effects of the neurotransmitter GABA in the prefrontal cortex by releasing other transmitters which impair decision-making and behaviour. Alcohol enhances neurotransmission of GABA in the amygdala, the “pleasure centre” of the brain. A few words about dopamine (3-hydroxytyramine). It is a neurotransmitter present in the brain, playing important yet different roles. A neurotransmitter is a chemical that instructs brain cells (neurons) to start, stop or regulate certain brain and body functions. It plays a leading role in the abuse of drugs ranging from depressants like alcohol and morphine to stimulants like amphetamines and cocaine. Chemically, it is similar to other catecholamines like adrenaline and nor-adrenaline, although their areas of distribution are different. Dopamine is mostly responsible for euphoria, satisfaction, self-confidence, attention, feelings of bliss (pleasure), drug addiction, controlling muscular movements, and release of hormones from the pituitary gland, while nor-adrenaline is involved mostly with alertness. Dopamine is associated with pleasurable sensations. Chronic alcohol use causes shrinkage of the frontal lobes, the basal ganglia and damages the cerebellum. It also causes a deficiency of Vitamins B1 and B6, resulting in Wernicke’s encephalopathy (loss of memory and lack of co-ordination) and later to Karsakoff’s psychosis (gross amnesia and disorientation). In chronic alcoholism, there are structural abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex as evidenced on FMRI (functional magnetic resonance) imaging scans. Chronic alcoholic patients often have a low intake of folate, and hence a sustained hyperhomocysteinemia can frequently be observed.

Some statistics: How does alcohol affect the humans can easily be seen through the statistics collected globally for alcohol-related problems.

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In general, about 24% of alcoholics world-wide die in accidents and suicides. In government hospitals, one out of every two patients occupies a bed because of alcohol–related problems, while on the street, one out of every five persons has problems because either he drinks or because someone else drinks. Accidents at work, in the home and during sporting events are more frequently related to alcohol consumption than is widely recognised. The death rate for non-alcoholics is 250 % less than expected for alcoholics. Alcohol can knock off more than 15 years of a person’s life span. “Alcohol is involved in three out of four cases of homicides, one out of three cases of successful suicides, one of two cases of rapes including incest, three out of four cases of robbery with violence, one in two cases of family quarrels and brawls; also in many cases of child abuse, divorce and head injuries.” (Strictly speaking, the word ‘alcohol abuse’ should be replaced by ‘alcohol use/misuse’ since alcohol is not permitted at all in Islam and very often ‘abuse’ means we can take it but not much). Alcohol and gasoline are a deadly mixture. A car in the hands of a drunken driver is as deadly as a revolver in the hands of a killer. Death due to traffic accidents is the single largest health hazard to the youth. Approximately, 50 percent of the car drivers had been drinking before the accident. Vehicular accidents are due to the delay in reaction time, slower reflexes and loss of judgment. Safety of others may depend on one or two persons in control, and hence, the following jobs demand extra care and sobriety, e.g. bus and taxi drivers, airline pilots, surgeons on call, in fact all doctors at all times whether on duty or not, fire-fighters, police, baby-sitters and many others. Commercial airlines forbid alcohol use by pilots within eight hours of flight time. Ironically all these statistics of death and destruction do not inhibit people from consuming alcohol. The world commercial production of alcohol has already increased by 50 percent, and if we study the per capita consumption of alcohol in different countries, it becomes a good indicator of the level of alcohol-related problems in the world. Certain Western and Southern European countries have the highest consumption of alcohol beverages, more than 15 litres per adult while in North America, the remainder of Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the average consumption is between ten to fifteen litres of pure alcohol per adult each year. In a Third World country like Trinidad & Tobago, more than 20 million litres of beer, 3.4 million litres of stout (malt beer) and 10.3 million litres of rum are produced for local consumption alone, for a population of about 1.2 million. The United Nations for Population Estimates give the following figures for total per capita consumption of pure alcohol in litres in the following countries: Yugoslavia 10.7; German Democratic Republic 7.8; Poland 7.4; Sweden 7.3; Netherlands 7.3; Trinidad & Tobago 7; Finland 5.8; Cuba 2.9; Turkey 0.7. But now Finland has the greatest consumption of alcohol per head in the world. Five million Finns consume over 250 million litres of alcohol in a year! This is because of the 1968 Alcohol Act which permitted the establishment of State alcohol shops and licensed restaurants in rural areas. Americans drink the equivalent of 600 million gallons of pure alcohol each year. Nearly 15 million adults in the U.S.A. are alcoholics. Alcohol dependence has reached critical proportions in Russia, where 40 percent of men and 17 percent of women are alcoholics. The following data is also worthy of note: 1. In Cape Town, South Africa, the “tot” system was common. By this system, the farmers paid their coloured labourers with a tot of brandy and NOT money. 2. South Africa’s coloured population alone spends over a billion rand a year on alcohol, when this same money could be used to feed the thousands of their children who die every year of kwashiorkor, hunger and other diseases. South Africans consume over 6 billion litres of alcohol per year, which makes them one of the highest alcohol consuming nations in the world. South Africa is estimated to have 240,000 shebeens (unlicensed bars). 60% of hospital trauma cases are linked to alcoholic consumption. One in four women in the Western Cape consumes enough alcohol to put their babies at risk for foetal alcohol syndrome. 3. Heavy drinking is blamed for up to 33,000 deaths a year in the UK. In Britain, nearly one in ten men and one in 20 women drinkers has an alcohol problem. Alcohol is estimated to be a factor in 20-30% of accidents worldwide. 4. The residents of Harlem in New York City complain of an unusually high number of liquor stores in the area, being a symbolic communication of the importance of drinking alcohol to the African community. 5. Ninety percent of young people in the Republic of Ireland drink alcohol. 6. Over the ages, alcohol has been used to deceive individuals as well as nations into giving up themselves and/or their possessions. The Americans solved their “Native American Indian” problem by

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making them drunk. The Australians followed suit and solved their “aboriginal” problem by making them alcoholics. 7. An important feature of the global market in alcoholic beverages during the past 20 years has been the increase in the extent to which commercial production and international trade have become concentrated among a relatively small number of commercial firms. It is also clear that the firms that dominate such trade are frequently trans-national corporations based in developed countries but controlling assets in developing countries. 8. The manufacturers of liquor do not care even if the whole nation drowns, as long as they make their profits. They have no guilt feelings in recruiting younger and younger persons into the alcoholic circle, if they can keep their factories running and in good financial status in the stock market. 9. The only excuse that the alcoholic manufacturing industry has to offer is that it gives employment to a proportion of the population as well as revenue to the government. For those who think that closure of the liquor manufacturing companies would mean retrenchment, may I quote the economists who do not accept the view that the jobs alienated from one industry due to industry-specific causes are lost to the national economy. Employment in the alcohol beverage industry would ultimately result in employment increase elsewhere in the economy. The handful of persons who would in fact lose their jobs on the closure of the alcohol industry would be the directors and the senior employees. These are the ones who collect substantial amounts of money and divert them to foreign lands. We can count such directors on our fingertips; they are so few. 10. In Trinidad & Tobago, over 50 % of drivers treated for accidents presented alcohol levels of 0.08 % or greater. Nearly 50% of the males admitted to the hospitals had medical problems related to alcohol. Had there been no alcohol available in the country, there would be NO alcohol-related crimes and diseases, and most of the hospital beds would be empty and could be used to accommodate hundreds of surgical cases waiting for years for a bed! 11. For some of us, it is disgusting to see alcohol advertising associated with sporting events or with sex-related symbols or with someone playing the sitar or with the Islamic symbol of star and crescent, thus ensuring new crops of alcoholics in the society to maintain the alcoholic beverage industry. However the increasing dissemination of advertising across national boundaries by means of satellite broadcasting is beyond the control of individual national legislation. But it provides an opportunity for its health aspects to be viewed from an international perspective. This will provide the means for responsible governments to enact such legislation to control the supply of alcoholic beverages and reduce the rate of alcohol-related diseases, crimes and accidents. 12. If a jumbo jet full of passengers were to crash every day in USA, people would stop flying. Ironically, the same number of people die every day from alcohol-related ailments, accidents and crimes, and yet no one connects these deaths with the real murderer. 13. The roots of violence are in ourselves who comprise the society. To reduce this violence, we must ask ourselves: what is the common factor in all incidences of violence? The answer is simple. The cause of violence in most cases is alcohol. 14. The four Ace cards that we have in our hands are: (a) Ban alcohol advertisement altogether as some countries have done. (b) If it cannot be banned, then end the tax reduction of the advertisement of alcohol and also add at least a 10 % levy on all advertisements. (c) Tax heavily every single gulp of alcohol so that the government gets more revenue and copes better with other crimes, accidents and diseases not necessarily related to alcohol. (d) Let people who still wish to drink alcohol go to a nearby island or country a few miles away and return sober. 15. But look at what our elected government does. Instead of playing the Ace cards that government has in the hand, it now creates a department of statistics and employs statisticians to place a dollar value on the various health hazards of alcohol. The government should be told in simple words that human beings are more than just statistical data and that customary medical or epidemiological research would have produced recommendations destined only to collect dust on the shelves where they are stored. 16. It cannot be more strongly emphasised that NO government has the right to sell addictions, no matter what excuses it has to offer, even if those silly excuses are presented in intelligible terms in the name of “human rights”.

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Recommendations: The steadfast counteraction of alcohol should be resolutely pursued. A few of

preventative measures to curb alcoholism include: 1. The government agencies, the private sector and the voluntary organisations must all put forth combined efforts in campaigning against alcohol. Muslim organisations should not take up a defeatist attitude but take the lead. 2. Encourage development of coffee and teashops, the soft drink industry, sporting programmes and other venues that can provide alternatives to drinking alcohol such as establishment of community centres in various districts. Experimentation in drug consumption begins with tobacco and alcohol; the age for starting to use tobacco is 11 years and for alcohol 12 years. Tobacco should be prohibited in schools, because tobacco is a gateway drug to alcohol, marijuana and other drugs. 3. Make it difficult for an average person to indulge in alcohol by: (a) increasing the price of alcohol beverages to levels unaffordable to the average man, as the most important determinant of alcohol consumption is affordability. The number of traffic accidents decreases proportionately with the increase in the price of alcoholic beverages; (b) banning advertising of alcohol in the press, radio, sporting events and T.V. Some countries like Egypt and Cuba have banned all public advertising of alcohol; (c) putting statutory warning labels, in bold letters, on the bottle that alcohol is extremely dangerous. 4. Leaders in every community should set an example to the juniors by themselves refraining from alcohol. Muslims can help greatly in this exercise. Doctors, pharmacists and teachers especially can play a leading role. 5. Teach and enforce Islamic injunctions in Muslim homes by quoting verses from the Qurážżan and the Ḥadith pertaining to the prohibition of alcohol and adopting the following measures: (a) A committee of respected elders of the Muslim community should be formed with a view to give advice and counsel to Muslims, who drink alcohol, sell, store, buy, transport, or give it as gifts, or rent their premises for sale of liquor, etc. This same committee could recruit Muslims who are financially capable to sponsor Islamic programmes on T.V. and radio, so that there would not be any need of alcoholic beverage companies sponsoring these programmes. (b) Muslim qazis/imÄ ms also need to be strict. They should refuse to perform marriage ceremonies in those Muslim weddings where alcohol is likely to be served. Similarly, conduction of all religious functions like maulĹŤd and ‘aqÄŤqah, etc., should be avoided by imams where the hosts normally consume alcohol. (c) Apart from the other available treatments of alcoholism, the non-Muslim alcoholics and drug addicts should also be invited to revert to Islam on a voluntary basis. This reversion would wash out their old behaviours and values, and introduce them to the strict new behaviour pattern of Islam. By abiding henceforth to the codes of Islam, they can thus remain free from falling back into the curse of alcoholism again. If we accept the statistical data quoted above as true, confirming that alcohol has been responsible for so much of crime and misery, then it is obvious that the policy makers of the government as well as the directors of alcohol manufacturing companies are guilty of murder. They should be arrested and charged for aiding and abetting such criminal offences. Needless to say, the trial judge for this case should be a teetotaller.

How Islam deals with alcohol: Before the advent of Islam and even during the time of Prophet

MuḼammad‍‏, the Arabs were drunkards and alcohol addicts, as was reflected in their language and poetry. The treatment of an addict is difficult and frustrating and hence, importance lies in prevention. Prohibition of intoxicants in Islam did not come all at once in one single day but was a gradual process, beginning with preparing the people psychologically for it, not by man-made legislation but through divine revelations and commandments. At first Allah made it clear that the harm of drinking was greater than its benefit, a fact which holds true even after 15 centuries. ŮŽ ŮŽ

Ů’Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ 4 Ů? ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŒŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍‏ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;ďť ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź Ů’ ‍ﺎﺒ‏F ‍ďť?ďť”ďťŒﺎ Ű?‏ ‍ﺒﺎ‏ ‍ ﺨďť&#x;ﺎ‏ ‍‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ €ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎ Ů?;ďť‹‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺴ Ű? ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺴﺄďť&#x;‏

They ask you concerning wine and gambling. Say: ‘In them is great sin and some profit for mankind, but the sin is greater than their profit’. (Q.2:219). Later, Allah said that people should not come to ᚣalÄ t (prayer) when intoxicated.

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َ ُ َُ َ َ 4 ُ َ ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ َ ُّ َ ‫َﻳﺎ‬ ُ َ ْ َ k‫ﺣ‬ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻟﺼﻼ‬ ُ َ ْ َ ‫ﻣﻨﻮ َﻻ‬ َ ِ 4 ‫ﻛﻓﻬﺎ‬ ٰ َ َ ُ ‫ﻏﺘﻢ‬F ٰ 4 َ ‫ﺳﺎﻜ‬ ‫ﻳﻌﻠﻤﻮ َﻣﺎ ﻳﻘﻮﻟﻮ‬ ‫ﻳﻘﺮﺑﻮ‬

O ye faithful! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged until you can understand all that you say… (Q.4:43). This verse was revealed at a time when it happened that one of the companions of Prophet Muḥammad ‫ ﷺ‬once led the prayers when drunk. This verse had a sobering effect on the people, aided by the five compulsory prayers distributed throughout the day at such quick intervals as to prevent them from drinking. And finally, Allah revealed the following verseَ prohibiting alcohol altogether: َ َ

َ ُ ُْ ْ ُ 4َ​َ ُ ُ َْ َ َْ 4 ُ ُ ‫;ﻏﻤﺎ‬ ُ َ ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ َ ُّ ‫َﻳﺎ‬ ُ َ ْ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﻤﻴﺮﺴ‬ َ 4 ‫ﻳﻔﻠﺤﻮ ۝‬ َ َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ 4 ‫ﻣﻨﻮ‬ ْ ‫ ﺟﺲ‬ ُ َ ْ ْ َ ‫ ﻷﻧﺼﺎ‬ ٌ ْ ‫ ﻷ ﻻ‬ َ ِ 4 ‫ﻛﻓﻬﺎ‬ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ‫ ﺨﻟﻤﺮ‬ ُ ْ َ ْ ‫;ﻏﻤﺎ‬ ‫ﻳﺮﻳﺪ‬ ‫ ﻟﺸﻴﻄﺎ‬ ‫ﻗﻤﻞ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻓﺎﺟﺘﻨﺒﻮ ﻟﻌﻠﻜﻢ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َ 4 َ َُْ ُ ْ َُْ ْ َ َ 4 ْ ْ َ ْ ُ 4 ُ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َْ َ​َ َ َْ ُ ُ ََْ َ ُ ْ َ ُ َْ 4 َ َ ‫ ﺑ‬ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﻌﺪ‬ ‫ﻣﻨﺘﻬﻮ‬ ‫ﻏﺘﻢ‬F ‫ ﻟﺼﻼ ۝ ﻓﻬﻞ‬ ‫ ﻋﻦ‬ ‫ ﻛﺮ‬ ‫ﻗﻦ‬ ‫ ﻳﺼﺪﻛﻢ‬ ‫ ﻟﻤﻴﺮﺴ‬ ‫ ﺨﻟﻤﺮ‬ ‫ﻲﻓ‬ %‫ ﻛﻐﻀﺎ‬ ‫ﻳﻮﻗﻊ ﺑﻴﻨﻜﻢ‬ ِ ِ ِ F ‫ ﻟﺸﻴﻄﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

O ye faithful! Truly, intoxicants and gambling and divination by arrows are an abomination, of Satan’s handiwork. Avoid it in order that you may be successful. Assuredly, Satan desires to sow enmity and hatred among you with intoxicants and gambling and to hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you not then abstain? (Q.5:90-91). When Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬recited this verse, the listeners answered: We have abstained! By Allah, we have abstained!, and every household in Madīnah poured out all the wine they had into the streets which were eventually flooded with liquor. We could imagine the huge stocks of wine stored in Madīnah for being responsible for flooding of the streets. The above verses were revealed gradually and having originated from Allah Himself had strong emotional and personal appeal to the masses, now bound by religious commitment. Allah also reminded َ

َ ُْ

َ

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ْ

ُُْ

َ

4 ‫ﺑﺄﻳﺪﻳﻜﻢ ;ﻰﻟ‬ Muslims ‫ ﺤﻛﻬﻠﻜﺔ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ َ ﻻ ﺗﻠﻘﻮ‬And do not be cast into ruins by your own hands. (Q.2:195). Prophet ِ

Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Do not harm yourself or others. Finally, all avenues to alcohol were blocked when Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Truly, Allah has cursed intoxicants (khamr) and has cursed one who brews it and one for whom it is brewed; one who drinks it and one who serves it; one who transports it and one who has it transported to him; one who sells it and one who purchases it; one who presents it as a gift and one who brings the proceeds for use there from. The penalty set for drinking in Muslim countries is whipping, which causes painful physical and psychological injury to the drunkard himself. As the penalty is prompt, frightening and humiliating, and the drunkard is immediately released after he has been whipped, it makes him think twice before touching alcohol again. The drunkard does not become a state burden because he is soon released after being whipped and allowed to go home. He is not imprisoned and so the state does not pay for his food and clothing. Rather than being a burden on the state and on society, the drunkard reforms himself and becomes an asset to his family, to society and to the state by joining the nation’s work force. Before I end the subject of alcohol, I would like to ask some questions and answer them by giving relevant quotes from the traditions of Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬: 1. Can we take a small quantity of alcohol not large enough to intoxicate us? No, because Prophet

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ْ َّْ ٌَ َ ُ ُ

َ​َ

َ

َ َْ

َ َ

ُ​ُ َ Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: ( ‫ ﻟﺮﺘ ِﻣﺬ‬ ‫ﻛﺜﺮﻴ‬ ِ ) ‫ﻓﻘﻠﻴﻠﻪ ﺣﺮ‬ ِ ‫ﻗﺎ ﻣﺎ ﺳﻜﺮ‬ ِ

That of which a large quantity intoxicates is unlawful in its little quantity. (Ḥadith: Ahmad Abu Dawood, and At-Tirmidhi). 2. Can we drink wine because the weather is cold? No. 3. Can we as teetotallers keep alcohol at home for entertaining guests? No.

ُ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ُّ ُ َ َ َ ِّ ُ ْ َ َ َُ ْ ُ َ ْ ُ ‫ﻞﻛ‬ 5. ( ô ‫ ﻣﻔﺮﺘ ) ﺑﻮ‬ ‫ﻣﺴﻜﺮ‬ ‫ ﻗﻦ‬Every intoxicant (e.g. alcohol) and stimulant (e.g. cocaine) is prohibited. ٍِ ٍ ِ ٌَ َ

َ ‫ ﺳﻜﺮ‬ َ 4. ‫ﻓﻬﻮ ﺣﺮ‬ ‫ﺮﺷ‬ ‫ ﻓﻘﺎ ﻞﻛ‬Every drink that intoxicates is unlawful. ٍ

We shall now talk about some other mind-altering drugs. Some people erroneously assume that even a young person may learn to use drugs in a reasonable, moderate and responsible fashion. However, this assumption overestimates the ability of the human neo-cortex (new brain) to override the neuro-chemical stimulation induced by dependence-producing drugs in the pleasure and reward centres located in the limbic system of the old primitive brain. According to this assumption, modern man has become sovereign over his own body and mind with inherent rights. The only human rights which count to them is the freedom to do what others may think to be wrong, including the right of free association, speech, action, gay sex, drug abuse, etc. They attribute this to genuine freedom in a free society. It was also assumed that children should be taught how to develop “good relationships with drugs” or “how to get intoxicated without getting into trouble”. These obviously were wrong assumptions

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advising us how to use drugs for pleasure in a responsible fashion without misusing them. It sounds unbelievable that two professors of psychiatry wrote in 1983 that cocaine was no more addictive than peanuts. As a result of such statements, children gained confidence in themselves only to find out later that they are on the path of confirmed addiction and ruin. The return of an addict to a drug-free life is a long and difficult process with often disappointing results, the success rate remaining below 50 percent. An intoxicated brain cannot process the millions of signals that keep an individual alert and functioning properly in his environment. Only through training and drilling, the new brain (neo-cortex) which covers the old brain (the limbic system), of a child or adolescent will become willing to forego immediate satisfaction in order to obtain long-lasting rewards. The consequences to the person extend beyond the damaging health of substance misuse. They include the accompanying damage to family and society, changes in farming practices (to the detriment of basic food production), and the crime and violence generated by economic interest in illegal drug traffic. However, the rapid pace of life has brought man into an era of “instant foods” for meal times and “instant highs” for times of boredom, with such drugs that can transform within minutes such boring occasions into pleasurable and memorable ones. If drug use is a barometer of social ills, we must eradicate such social ills from the society rather than live harmoniously with new mind-altering drugs being produced daily in some obscure laboratories by amateur pharmacists. This new type of slavery to the drugs and to the drug lords has introduced some of us, especially our children, to a new religion of transcendence. They claim that in the state induced by drugs, ego, time and space are transcended giving rise to peace and tranquillity, expanded consciousness and feelings, and increased knowledge of self. Some other drugs promise them cosmic consciousness, a state of oneness with nature, universe, other creatures and also with the Supreme Being. However, each one of these drugs ultimately ends up in disastrous consequences for the user.

A few of the common drugs

Marijuana: The word “marijuana” is said to have been derived from the Portugese “mariguango” meaning intoxicant.

Cannabis (Indian hemp or cannabis indica, also known as grass, weed, herb and pot) has been in general use in the East and Middle East for centuries. Marijuana comes from a plant called Cannabis sativa. The chemical in this plant that produces the altered states of consciousness is called delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol or THC. Recently, it has been used for recreational purposes, being the most widely used illicit drug in U.S.A. and the first illegal drug teens use. Marijuana was first federally prohibited in USA in 1937. Despite the widespread illicit use of cannabis there are very few if any instances of people dying from an overdose. Hence, the UK government downgraded the classification of cannabis effective Jan. 29, 2004 from B to C, so that the police should spend more time on Class A drugs such as crack cocaine and heroin. Lately, there has been a move to legalise marijuana. Some researchers argue that there have not been any reports of fatal cannabis overdose. Moreover, since the discovery of cannabinoid receptor sites in the brain, THC has been found to have therapeutic potential as pain killer. THC starts acting in 5-10 minutes and lasts 3-4 hours. Short term effects include altered perception of time which the user cannot keep track of, so that the subject appreciates musical rhythm, which may well be the reason for the use of cannabis among jazz players and their audience. Marijuana is responsible for reduced short-term memory, drowsiness, problems with learning, thinking and problem-solving, and reduced ability to perform tasks requiring coordination and concentration (such as driving a car). It is accompanied by increased heart rate, dry mouth and feelings of hunger, decreased social inhibitions, and bloodshot eyes (the latter being a sure sign that the person has just taken marijuana. It is due to dilatation of blood vessels in the conjunctiva. There is no dilatation of pupils since epinephrine level is reduced). It is inadvisable for such people to drive a car or operate any dangerous equipment. Long term effects include damage to many organs viz. the brain (the pre-frontal syndrome), respiratory system (chronic bronchitis and cancer) and reproductive system (low testosterone level in men as well as low sperm counts but increased level of testosterone in women). However, THC also reduces intraocular pressure (beneficial in glaucoma) and is an anti-emetic and anti-convulsant. The active ingredient in marijuana is THC which is known to be deposited in the fat stores in the body and can be detected in them for weeks or months after the last use of the drug. Bhang is of low potency (0.1 percent THC), ganja of medium potency (0.5 percent THC), charas also known as hashish is of high potency (5-20 percent THC) and hashish oil has the highest potency (20-70 percent THC). Marijuana is considered a sedative hypnotic. It pacifies the user and counteracts aggressive tendencies. But strictly speaking, cannabis should no longer be called a “soft drug” because it harms the lungs, the brain, the reproductive and the immune system. Since marijuana produces similar effects on the body like alcohol, drivers can cause serious accidents due to errors in judgment and performance, and lengthened braking time. Because THC localises in body fat, particularly in the liver, lungs and testes and disappears rather slowly, these tissues are more susceptible to damage. This prolonged storage of THC in the body fat leads to altered performance which persists long after the last time the drug was used. Unlike sedatives and opiates, however, tolerance to THC does not occur. The drug is excreted so slowly from the body that,

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with repeated use, an expected response is achieved by a lower dose. With the passage of time, marijuana users lose their ambition and drive. Marijuana contains over 400 chemicals, 61 of which are unique to the cannabis plant and are termed cannabinoids, the most psychoactive component being delta-9-tetrahydrocanabinol (THC). Cannabinoids bind to receptors located in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, limbic system, cerebellum and basal ganglia. In the brain, THC connects to specific sites called cannabinoid receptors on neurons and influences the activity of those cells. Some brain areas have many cannabinoid receptors; others have few or none. THC attaches to many cannabinoid receptors in the brain that influence concentration (the frontal cortex), memory (the hippocampus), sensory pleasure (amygdala and hypothalamus), time perception and coordination (cerebellum, globus pallidus, substantia nigra). THC affects many neurotransmitters such as GABA, epinephrine, serotonin and dopamine. High doses produce hallucinations and delusions.

LSD: It is obtained from the fungus, Claviceps purpurea, which parasites rye and wheat kernels, and also from some types of morning glory plants. It alters perception causing hallucinations (hallucination: from the Greek word alucinare meaning, to wander in the mind”). It gives a false sense of distance, direction and time. The user may see himself distorted as if being seen in a curved mirror. He may see fantastic kaleidoscopic colours in various geometric sizes and see and hear fire–crackers exploding in the sky. LSD (lysergic acid, or simply “acid”) is taken in sugar cubes or as pills or by injection. Although it is considered a safe drug as the lethal dose is several thousand times that of the ordinary dose, serious concern has been expressed about its long-term use. The initial sign of “trip” is when the person becomes extremely emotional and a minor remark may trigger an intensive laughing or crying episode. Thinking loses its logic. Trippers report seeing divine religious figures, and changing shapes and colours of objects in the room. Because of the inability to separate fantasy from reality during the trip, many LSD users believe in magic. Apart from their own religion, a different sense of religious experience during the LSD trip is thought by them to have the answers to the four basic questions concerning spiritual contact and self-exploration: (a) What is life? (b) What is my role in life? (c) What is the power that moves the universe? (d) Where is man destined to? The effect of LSD wears off gradually in 12 to 16 hours when the user returns from an unfamiliar and confused world to a life of reality and gratitude. Yet, their four basic questions forever remain unanswered. Mescaline: It is related to LSD and is obtained from the peyote cactus. The mescaline content depends on the individual

cactus, of which there are many varieties. Peyote is the only drug acting as a hallucinogen that is legal in the U.S.A., but only for members of a native Indian religious group. For others, it is illegal to possess peyote. It is part of the ritual ceremony performed by the Indians of the Native American Church of North America who preach brotherly love, high morality and abstention from alcohol. Peyote intoxication first brings on a feeling of tranquillity and contentment followed by visual hallucinations with flashes of bright colours, first geometric figures, then familiar scenes and faces of animals, humans, plants, cities and the like, followed by unfamiliar scenes and objects. The natives think that in this way they can communicate with their spirits and the spirits of their ancestors. Cactus is considered a sacred plant in shamanistic societies whose adherents have cultivated a direct relationship with nature including plants, animals and earth itself. The peyote ceremonies take place at nights around a blazing fire, which the members stare into, while peyote songs are being sung. They believe that this is a spiritual as well as a physical healing process because at first they get an experience of being destroyed and later reconstituted with a healthier body. They believe that during such experience, they have access to hidden knowledge and to other non-physical worlds. It is interesting to note that a cursed tree is mentioned in the Holy Qur᾿an in Q. 17:60.

َ​َ ُْ َْ َ​َ َ 4 َ َ​َ َ َ 4 ْ ُ ْ ‫ ﻟﻤﻠﻌﻮﻧﺔ ﻲﻓ‬ ِ ‫ ﻟﻘﺮ‬ ‫ ﻟﺸﺠﺮ‬It is mentioned in Q.44:43-44 that the tree of zaqqūm would be the food of the sinful. ‫ﺷﺠﺮ‬ ;ِ ِ َْ ُ َ َ ُّ ‫ ﻷﻋﻴﻢ‬ ‫ ﻟﺰﻗﻮ ﻃﻌﺎ‬ ِ 4 The specie of cactus tree containing mescaline or a related compound may have the quality resembling the ِ ِ tree of zaqqūm in the Holy Qur᾿an.

Psilocybin: Then there is the small mushroom containing psilocybin that grows in marshy places. The Mexican Indians sit in a dark room with only a small candle and the healer continues singing uninterruptedly throughout the night while the participants use the mushroom as a sacrament and to produce visual hallucinations. Such shamanistic practices are polytheistic believing in the duality of nature such as yin/yang; light/dark; positive/negative; male/female; Father Sky/Mother Earth. Lately, this has fallen into street use as a hallucinogen.

DMT (Dimethyltryptamine): It is similar in structure to psilocybin and is a hallucinogen labelled “the businessman’s trip”,

because it produces hallucinations within 5 minutes and the condition subsides within an hour. DMT was originally obtained from the seeds of some legumes found in the Caribbean islands and in South America. It is a major component of hallucinogenic snuffs and also an intoxicating beverage ayahausca. The effects are similar to LSD with imaginary instant transportation to another universe for a timeless sojourn. During this half-hour trip, there is euphoria with visual hallucinations, eyes open and accompanied by laughter.

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PCP: Phencyclidine hydrochloride or PCP is a popular drug in the USA, known as angel dust. It is used largely as an animal immobilizing agent and a veterinary anaesthetic. In spite of the unpleasant stimulant, depressant and hallucinogenic properties, it has survived the street market. Many deaths have been attributed to its use. Amphetamines: The amphetamine type drugs include synthetic psycho-stimulant substances such as

dexamphetamine (dexamyl, Dexedrine), methylphenidate (Ritalin) and phenmetrazine (preludin). Even qot (khat) is classified as an amphetamine. The thalamus is the telephone switch-board of the brain because all “outgoing” and “incoming” calls pass through this area. The hypothalamus produces its own analgesics such as endorphins and encephalins. Just as there are areas for sensations of pleasure and pain in the hypothalamus, there are also areas for hunger and satiety. Amphetamine diet pills act on the hypothalamus satiety centre plus the pleasure areas in the hypothalamus. Amphetamine causes a rise in B.P., bronchial dilatation, relaxation of the intestinal muscle and stimulation of the adrenal glands. It is used for treatment of minor depression, to postpone fatigue, to stay awake for a few hours, treatment of narcolepsy, to control behavioural problems in children, and to suppress appetite for short term use only. It also increases sexuality, especially in women. The abuse of amphetamine revolves around weight control and increased physical and mental performance. Under the influence of amphetamines, although a person has not performed well, he still feels that he has performed better. Methamphetamine is called “speed”. Amphetamines commonly found in pep pills and diet pills have a stimulating effect on the central nervous system. Dexedrine has fewer side effects with a slower metabolism. When ingested, a large proportion of it is excreted unchanged in the urine for several subsequent days. Amphetamine interferes in the synthesis and re-uptake of dopamine and nor-adrenaline. It produces a feeling of enhanced physical and increased mental well-being. Methamphetamine releases high levels of dopamine, which enhances mood and body movement. But if used for long periods, it damages neurons that contain dopamine and serotonin. It may also reduce levels of dopamine, resulting in symptoms simulating Parkinson's disease. Lately, a smoke-able form of methamphetamine, called “ice” or “crystal” or “glass” has appeared on the streets. It is popular at all-night dancing parties, and sometimes used with additional drugs like alcohol, marijuana, cocaine and heroin. It is twice as toxic as amphetamine and has similar effects to cocaine. Individuals become “high” within half an hour with increased alertness, enhanced self-esteem and reportedly increased sexuality. They may get auditory hallucinations which last days, although the effect of the smoked drug wears off within 15 hours.

Qot/Kat/Khat: Qot is classified as an amphetamine drug. Qot chewing is prevalent in Yemen, United Arab Emirates,

East African countries and the Middle East. Because it is the fresh leaves and the flower buds that are chewed, its use is localised to the immediate areas of production. Qot is chewed, like tobacco, at social gatherings in homes and business discussions, usually after lunch. The stimulant effects wear off by bedtime. Some transport drivers chew it to keep awake during long working hours. The flower buds of Catha edulis (which is a large shrub that can grow to tree size, ten to 20 feet tall) contain ephedrine-like substances and cathine and cathinone which are chemically similar to d-amphetamine, being a mild stimulant which dispels feelings of hunger and sleep but also suppresses sexual desire. The plant is known as “Arabian tea”. Eighty percent of Yemeni adults use qot. It gives a feeling of self-exaltation and clarity of thought and extra energy for a few hours. Illegal laboratories have manufactured a synthetic form of qot containing its most active ingredient cathinone, known on the street as “cat”.

STP / (DOM dimethoxymethyl amphetamine) is a psycho-mimetic amphetamine. It stands for scientifically treated petroleum, also serenity, tranquillity and peace. It has a combination of hallucinogenic as well as amphetamine-like properties.

MDMA: Methylene dioxy amphetamine also called “ecstasy” has both psycho-mimetic and stimulant properties. People think that it makes them closer to their feelings and hence they form a special relationship with themselves. They think that this will help them solve such questions as one’s reasons for existence and a search for the Creator, thus by-passing timeconsuming meditations that can offer no guarantee. However, it is a neurotoxin because it damages the nerve-endings concerned with serotoninergic transmission. A significant number of students on university campuses have indulged in it and a few deaths have been reported.

Cocaine: Another powerful central nervous stimulant is cocaine which is in common use and causing great concern in many quarters. It is derived from the shrub Erythroxylon Coca, a native of Peru and Bolivia. It thrives in the warm valleys around 5000 ft. above sea level. Coca’s oldest use was in religious ceremonies as an inducer of meditative trance. Freud was an enthusiastic user of cocaine and called it the magical drug. The original Coca Cola included flavouring from coca leaves. Cocaine was the rich man’s drug because it was scarce and hence expensive but cocaine is now manufactured around the world by student pharmacists in basements and garages turned into clandestine laboratories. Cocaine and other designer drugs have brought back a new type of slavery the like of which has not been seen since a couple of centuries. Because cocaine is 276

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short-acting, it is used repeatedly many times a day. The person feels he has limitless power and energy, which, soon after the effect of cocaine is over, leaves the user feeling depressed and craving for more. Coca leaves are chewed by the indigenous population of North Western and South America for their anti-fatigue and antihunger effects. A tea made from leaves is used for the treatment of mountain sickness. Coca contains 0.5 to 1.5 percent cocaine. Coca paste is prepared by adding macerated coca leaves to sulphuric acid, kerosene or gasoline. It forms into a smelly paste called “basucos” in Colombia and “pallidas” in Bolivia. The dried paste contains 40 to 90 percent cocaine sulphate. The paste-like substance turns into a light grey powder when dry. The caustic reactions associated with local application of coca paste prevent its use by oral, nasal or I.V. injection. It can only be smoked when combined with an inflammable substance such as tobacco or cannabis. It produces instant and intense euphoria. It is smoked by youths with disastrous results, as it is even more addictive than pure cocaine. Cocaine (coke, snow) is a white powder that can be inhaled through the nasal passages or injected intravenously. It contains 98 percent cocaine hydrochloride and is obtained by treating coca paste with hydrochloric acid and refining the product. On the street market, it is diluted with sugars, amphetamine or caffeine. Cocaine can be sniffed, smoked or injected and produces considerable euphoria. Sniffing can damage the nasal septum. “Crack” is a highly potent smoke-able form of cocaine and is highly addictive just like cocaine. “Free base” (cocaine base): cocaine hydrochloride is converted to an alkaloid by treatment with an alkali and then extracted with a solvent. It is not readily soluble in the nasal mucous membrane or in the blood. It is always smoked in a water pipe usually made of glass. In Trinidad & Tobago, cocaine abuse accounts for the sharp increase (600 %) of addiction and increase in crime rate. Cocaine interferes with catecholamine neurotransmission. Being a dopamine agonist, it blocks the re-uptake of dopamine and also activates the median fore-bundle of the hypothalamus believed to be the “pleasure centre”. It gives the user a sense of euphoria, increased muscle power and mental energy, with glimpses of self-transcendence and moments of egolessness. A strong psychic dependency develops in due course. In cocaine psychosis, the user loses interest in friends, family, food and sex. Hallucinations and “coke bugs” (a sensation of insects crawling in the skin) are common features. Some users spend all they have to support the habit and steal when their money is exhausted. If no money is forthcoming, they may even kill their own parents to get the money. They may take to drug selling and prostitution. Cocaine and crack have been responsible for a number of drowning, car crashes, suicides and violent crimes, besides getting hepatitis and AIDS from infected needles.

Opium and Heroin: Opium is the raw exudate from the unripe seeds of the poppy plant. It is mainly used as a narcotic sedative for the terminal pain of cancer. Individuals (e.g. the Nizam of Hyderabad) and nations (e.g. China) became addicted to opium through its introduction by the super-powers.

Inhalants: Inhalants are substances which could be sniffed to give the user an immediate “high”. They are found in such

consumer products like aerosols and cleaning solvents. They can cause headache, dizziness, tingling in the hands and feet and palpitations. Sudden death can occur from cardiac arrest or suffocation.

A comparison of different concepts of God

The word ‘religion’ is derived from the French verb religaire meaning to re-unite, viz. to link man with God, according to some commentators, or to link the soul with its Creator, according to others. Some say it is derived from Latin religio which denotes a reverent observance of rituals. Any definition of religion would be vague, although it comprises a unified system of beliefs and practices related to things accepted as sacred. However, the general purpose of a religion is to provide a body of belief with the objective of linking the manifold strands from which earthly existence is woven, into a single rope hung from heaven. The various religious rites and ceremonies foster social solidarity and co-operation within the particular community and reduce anxiety at the personal as well as collective level. However, to some irreligious persons, the talk of a God, Heaven or Hell, sin and repentance, resurrection and Hereafter means nothing. We need to remind them that if it is impossible to prove the existence of God, it is also impossible to disprove it. Logic and reasoning demand that it is better to believe in God which promises great rewards with nothing to lose, versus disbelief, which promises naught and much to lose. Disbelief is also a type of belief which is uninformed and disastrous. Although religion is the most cohesive factor in some societies, it is also the most divisive factor between different religious communities and nations at large. Unfortunately, religious beliefs create more social problems than they solve. Looking at religion from another angle, Karl Marx describes it as the opium of the masses which dulls the pain but does not cure the disease. It consoles the oppressed masses by promising bliss and justice in the Hereafter, thus defusing their frustration, allowing them to

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accept their unfortunate lot and preventing them from taking appropriate action in this world against the exploiting oppressors. Hence, religion prevents the poor from harming the rich. Some observers claim that religion thrives in times of economic and political turmoil. Religion is an amazing concept present in human beings only. Animals do not belong to any religion. Religion can play contradictory roles to suit the preacher and the preached. It can be used to create war or peace, poverty or wealth, enslavement or emancipation, stupefaction or knowledge. The concept of the sacred has been used by priests to mystify the object of religious worship and keep it from being properly explained. Religion can play different roles in the life of human beings. It can revitalise or destroy, congregate or segregate, enslave or emancipate, teach docility or revolt. In short, the history of mankind is the struggle of religion against religion and not religion against atheism. Although all religions of the world teach us to love, show compassion and give service to mankind, they have unfortunately been exploited by the super-powers and some religious leaders to become a source of hatred and division among human beings. This has been responsible for man’s inhumanity to man through wars, communal killings and ethnic cleansing. Some anthropologists suggest that religion originated as animism (belief in spirits and that natural features of the world have divine powers), then as polytheism (belief in many gods) and ultimately emerged as monotheism (belief in one Supreme Deity). Monotheism means belief in One Supreme God revealed to man while pantheism is a doctrine that god is everything and everything is god, a term usually applied to heathen worship of all gods. In pantheism, God is both transcendent (beyond human experience, description and reason) and also immanent (existing and taking part in all parts of the universe). However, Muslims reject the idea that religion originated in animism because Islam began with the first man Ādam, who was a monotheist. Ādam knew fully well that Allah had created him from dust and water, sustained him and guided him, and after having disobeyed Allah, he and his wife Ḥawwā᾿ both admitted their guilt and pleaded together in their du‘a: O God, we have wronged ourselves and if You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your mercy, we shall certainly be lost. (Q.7:23). Adam was the first homo religiosus Islāmicus (Latin for first Muslim) to have made a du‘a. Every religion, besides its prescribed prayers, has its own ceremonial rituals for its mile-stones in life such as births, circumcisions, initiations, marriages and deaths. Other rituals involve meditation, yoga, invocational dances and states of trance from peyote and similar drugs. However, modernity has introduced several problems due to scientific thought of some of the educated who label religion as a superstitious old-fashioned domain. They argue that science explains accurately the laws existing in the world today while religion is vague and abstract. As our scientific knowledge increases, more mysteries would be solved and better explanations would be forthcoming, e.g. encephalins, endorphins and others which allay anxiety are secreted by the brain during prayers, meditation and fasting. Although science may not be able to lead to absolute truth, it can support truth. For the holistic development of a person, there must be integration of both the scientific body with the spiritual soul; this necessitates that our religious teachers must possess a sound knowledge of science subjects because science appeals to the young while religion appeals to the old. We Muslims should Islamise modernity rather than modernise Islam, because we know that science is compatible with Islam. There is a plethora of religions, sects and sub-sects in Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Taoism, Zoroastrianism, Baha᾿ism, Shintoism, Peyotism and Shamanism, just to name a few. In ancient Egyptian mythology, Ra, the sun, came out from an egg that appeared on the surface of water and had four children, two of whom became the atmosphere, the third the earth and fourth the sky. The Egyptian gods had the head of a human or an animal, e.g. Ra, the sun-god had the head of a hawk; Hathor, the goddess of love, had the head of a cow; Anubis, the door-keeper of the dead, the head of a jackal; Mut of vulture, Thoth (god of wisdom and magic) of ibis (the bird of the Nile valley) and Apis that of a bull (representing the renewal of life) who was also given a human head at times and called Ptah. Isis was the goddess of moon and fertility. Idols by name of Wadd (shape of man), Suwa (woman), Yaghut (lion or bull), Yaug (horse) and Nasr (falcon) were also worshipped since Noah’s time. (However, Amen-hotep, one of the Pharaohs of Egypt, who lived about 1350 B.C. even then worshipped the One Supreme God). Greek mythology is also replete with gods and goddesses. Zeus was the god of gods and Kronos (or Time) was the father of Zeus himself. (In a Hadīth Qudsi, it is reported that Allah is “Dahr”, possibly meaning time; this does not mean that Allah is Time. It means that Allah created time). In the Greek culture, man stands face to face with God as a rival. (Could this theory have influenced the Biblical statement when Jacob wrestled with God and became victorious?). Zardusht (Zoroaster/Zarthustra, about 600 B.C.) was the author of the Book “Zand Avesta”. Zoroaster’s religion appears in his own version (as distinct from the late Zoroastrianism) as a dualism between the Super powers of Good and Evil, who are engaged in perpetual fight. The good power is

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represented by God (Ormuzd/Ahura Mazda) and the evil power by the evil spirit (Ahriman). The anti-god himself is not mentioned, his name being taboo. The Zoroastrians are referred to as MajĹŤs in the Qurážżan (Q.22:17) and they were “the wise men of the Eastâ€? mentioned in the gospels. Zoroastrianism is based on the same principle akin to the Chinese Yin and Yang, Yang being light and goodness, sunny and warm, and Yin being shady and cool, dark and evil. The ancient Persians believed in two powers in the universe, one good and the other evil. The pagan Arabs also had pairs of deities e.g. Jibt (sorcery) and ášŹÄ ghĹŤt (evil) referred to in Q.4:51, or in the idols on ᚢafÄ and Marwah (Q.2:158) (their proper names being Isaf and Naila). However, later Zoroastrianism preached the Unity of God, and that the name of God is Ormuzd Who created Satan and named him Ahriman. Some Arabs worshipped serpents, a practice which is still seen in some parts of India, where it is called naag-puja. The majority of Christians believe in the Holy Trinity (Father, Son and the Holy Ghost) although the word “Trinityâ€? does not appear in the Holy Bible, while Hindus also believe in their own Holy Trinity or Trimurti which is different from that of the Christians, viz. (a) Brahma (Creator), (b) Vishnu (Preserver and Sustainer), (c) Shiva, Shankar or Mahesh (Protector of good and Destroyer of evil; Liberator). Some Unitarian Christians themselves doubt many of the Church’s doctrine, e.g. the Trinity, the deity of Jesus, the original sin, the atonement, etc. The Unitarians are closest to Muslims in their beliefs, and up to the third century A.D., the Unitarians had been in the majority in the Christian community. Historically, the false claim of Trinity was fabricated and sponsored for the first time by the Church in the Nicaea Council of 325 C.E. Consequently, the Unitarian Christians throughout the Roman Empire were persecuted. Jesus never claimed to be God, son of God or part of a Trinity, an idea borrowed from earlier beliefs of Hinduism as well as Greek and ancient Egyptian mythology. Muslims do not believe that man could be a son of Allah, of the One God, as Christians believe. Allah has created man and did not beget him (Q.23:91; 2:116). Hence, the statement “we are the children of Godâ€? does not appear in Islamic literature. For a Muslim, epiphany (presence of god or goddess in human form) is taboo. In fact, Jesusážżs disciples were Muslims by bearing witness to the Oneness of Allah (Q.3:52). Such a statement as “God made man in His Own Imageâ€? is also not accepted by Muslims. There is only one religion which is the Truth, but there are a hundred claims to it. An atheist denies the existence of God, while an agnostic does not know whether God exists or not. All religions are concerned with the quest for Truth and Absolute Reality. However, every religion claims exclusive possession of this Truth and feels threatened by others claiming access to this Truth. These religious differences have led to hatred and hostility. The human brain contains knowledge but not the truth, although the truth exists. It is important that we should be knowledgeable in science subjects because science can do things which wishful thinking, prayer and magic cannot. Yet, in the absence of wisdom, man uses his knowledge for evil purposes such as nuclear warfare. I fear God and next to God, I fear him who does not fear Him. (Shaikh Sa‘di).

Ze mostakbaraanĂŠ delaawar bĂŠtars; az onkoo natarsad zĂŠ daawar bĂŠtars. Be careful of the proud strong men; fear God and fear him who does not fear Him. Muslims call the Supreme Being Allah, Jews call Him Jehovah, Christians call Him God, Hindus call Him Pranav (Aum), Sikhs call Him Ek Onkar and the Africans call Him Kulunkulu. The name makes no difference. He is known by different names in different countries. In Q.17:110, we are given to understand that if we call upon Allah or call upon RaḼmÄ n, it makes Him no difference and we can call upon Him by whatever name we wish. It is interesting to read the verse in the first of the Vedas called the Rig Veda: Ekam sat viprah bahudha vadanti (Rig Veda:1.164.46) Truth is One; but the sages call Him by many names. Indeed this verse is comparable to Q.17:110. In fact, some non-Muslims say He has no name. Because no one has seen God, many religions have sprouted, each claiming to be the true one. It is obvious that all cannot be right, because their beliefs differ. Hence, the best among them should logically be God’s own religion which is called Islam meaning

4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ‍ ﺑ‏ total submission to Allah: ‍ ﺳ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?;  Ů?ďť‹ﺪ‏Innnad dÄŤna ‘IndallÄ hil IslÄ m (Q.3:19). This way we can Ů’ŮŽ

Ů’ Ů‘ŮŽ

Ů?Ů’

ŮŽ Ů‘ŮŽŮ? ŮŽ

Ů? never go wrong. ‍ ‏ ‍ﺛﺒﺖ‏ â€ŤďťŁďť˜ďť ďş?‏ ‍ ﺎ‏YÄ Muqallibal QulĹŤb, thabbit qalbi ‘alÄ dÄŤnika is a du‘a Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş’ďť&#x;‏kâ€Ťďť—ďť â€Ź Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ďť ďťŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů? which means O You Who changes the hearts, make my heart firm on Your religion. (ḤadÄŤth: AḼmad bin Hanbal). However, we, as Muslims, should be careful not to pass unworthy remarks at other people’s deities, lest they curse Allah (Q.6:108). CHAPTER V: Islam in the light of science

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Islam is the DÄŤn-ul-Fitrah in the sense that a child is born in a fixed pattern of submission to One God. It is labelled as the natural religion, since monotheism is present in every child at birth (Q.30:30). This is because Allah has installed a “God-centreâ€? or a “Centre for spiritualityâ€? in the temporal lobe of the brain of the foetus as soon as it is developed in the womb during the third month of organogenesis in pregnancy. Every child is born upon the fiáš­ rah (instinctive belief in One God); it is only his parents who turn him into a Jew, Christian or Zoroastrian. (ḤadÄŤth: Muslim). The child is born sinless with tabula rasa (clean slate, pure mind). Every child is born a Muslim in the sense of being resigned to Allah’s will for sustenance. Later on, depending on the family he was brought up in, he takes on that particular religion. In Q.12:39, a question is asked whether many gods at variance are better, or Allah, the One and Supreme. If there were in the heavens and the earth other gods than Allah, there would have been confusion in both (Q.21:22). The multiplicity of gods is intellectually unacceptable. During a conflict, each god will take Ů° away his portion of creation, and some may assume superiority over others

ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů°ŮŽ (Q.23:91). ‍ ﺣﺪ‏ ÂŽ;Ů? ‍ Ů?;ďť&#x;ďťœ‏IlÄ hukum ilÄ hunn WÄ á¸Ľid: Your deity is One deity. (Q.16:22). He is One, no Ů? more, nor less. He has no partner; He is Singular without anything like Him; Separate having no equal; Ancient having no first; Eternal having no beginning; Remaining For Ever, having no end; He was before time was created and will remain after time ends. He is free from all defects. Not a leaf falls without His knowledge. (Q.6:59). Allah has no plural and no gender. (To form plural of god ilÄ h, we must use Ä lihah meaning gods). Allah can transport man in a moment of time from East to West or to the Seventh Heaven, as during Me‘rÄ j, the celestial journey of Prophet MuḼ a

mmad‍‏. He can raise the dead and resurrect him. He can annihilate the universe many times over and re-create it; if all the believers became non-believers, He would suffer no loss, and if all the infidels became believers, He would gain nothing. The down-trodden and the helpless not only find sanctuary in Him but also a kind of superiority in some respects. By being a Muslim, we are not doing any favour to Allah; we are doing a favour to ourselves (Q.49:17). Allah is also known by other names, e.g. (1) Al-Haqq, the only Truth/Reality (Q.6:62); (2) As-SalÄ m, which is usually translated as Peace, but also means immunity from defect being derived from salÄ mah; (3) Al-GhÄ fir: The Forgiving; Al-GhafĹŤr: The Much Forgiving; and Al-GhaffÄ r: The All Forgiving; (4) AshShakĹŤr: The Acknowledger of Thanks; (5) Allah is NĹŤr upon NĹŤr (Light upon Light), and He guides to His NĹŤr whom He wills (Q.24:35). (Although NĹŤr is translated as visible light, it is much more than ordinary light which has a speed limit viz. 186,287 miles/sec. Both day (light) and night (darkness) are creations of Allah, Allah being the ultimate Creator. The Qurážżan is also described as NĹŤr (Q.4:174). Hence, NĹŤr should be translated as divine light and not as ordinary visible light). Allah breathed into man from His Own rōḼ and called it rōḼ (soul). Hence, man has some power to rule his own self (microcosm) just as Allah rules the universe (macrocosm). Allah does not change, but man, time and environ are subject to change. Allah is a Being Who is Supreme but remains hidden from human eyes; a Being before Whose dignity and grandeur the human perception and wisdom become dazed, and Whose sovereignty extends over the entire Universe. He is beyond human perception (Q.6:103) and no vision can grasp Him but He can grasp all vision. Nothing is like Him (Q.42:11). The worship of Allah becomes mysteriously more appealing to man when He remains Unseen. Hence we remain constantly in pursuit of this mystery. The desire to see Him dominates the human mind throughout entire life, and thus, man gives himself an object to work for in the sight of his Creator, which can only be accomplished in the Hereafter. Our Creator is most seen in this life in His works and best adorned in our admiration of Him, and then, as we become more knowledgeable, our wonder deepens. Allah knows the unseen and does not allow anyone to get acquainted with His mysteries (Q.72:26). Hence Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏did not know when the world would end (Q.7:187) and/or, what would happen to him the following morning (Q.46:9). Here is a Persian poem:

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ElmÊ ghybee kas namee daanad bÊjoz parwardegaar, Gar kasee gooyad kÊ man daanam azoo baawar madaar; Mustafaa hargez na goftee taa na goftee Jebra eel, Jebra eelash ham nagoftee taa nagoftee kerdÊgaar: No one except God has the knowledge of the unseen; if anyone says he knows it, do not believe him; MuḼammad never said

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anything unless Jibrā’īl said so; and Jibrā’īl also did not tell him unless God told Jibrā’īl. Hence, Muslims are advised never to say that they would do something, without saying “Inshā Allah” meaning Allah willing. (Q.18:23-24). A new branch of science is developing now. It is called neuro-theology and it tries to map out those areas of the brain which are responsible for religiosity and specify their functions. The neuroscientists have theorised that God lives somewhere in the temporal lobes of the brain (they are just above the ears and are responsible for memory, decoding sounds and other experiences) and parietal lobes (at the top back of the brain containing the sensory neurons and language functions), calling it the “God-spot” or the “God-centre”. This Centre for Spirituality has connections to the pre-frontal cortex linking the auditory, speech and optical centres through neuronal circuits. This explains why some people are more religious than others. Perhaps Allah has put that centre there to see who amongst us could develop it the most, so that we would not be included among those called summunn, bukmunn, ،ummyunn (deaf, dumb and blind) (2:18; 2:171). Those who reject Allah’s signs are deaf and dumb and in the midst of darkness (Q.6:39). Scientists say that during meditations and prayer, there is increased brain-wave activity in the temporal and parietal lobes.

Extra-terrestrial journeys: descent of the first prophet and ascent of the last prophet Abstract

It is postulated that the first prophet, Adam (pbuh), was exposed to dangerous cosmic rays during his descent from Jannah (The Gardens) onto this planet Earth. This cosmic radiation might have been responsible for chromosomal changes both in himself and in his wife Ḥawwā᾿ (Eve), leading to various hereditary disorders in their offspring, which are found to this present day. (Cosmic rays are subatomic particles of undetermined source that move through space at the speed of light; mystery surrounds their origin. Cosmic rays consist of about 85% protons, 14% alpha particles (helium nuclei), about 1% electrons and others. Cosmic rays in space are known as primary cosmic rays. When they collide with atoms and molecules in the upper atmosphere, they generate showers of secondary cosmic rays producing pions, which quickly decay into muons, some of which decay further into electrons, positrons, and neutrinos). However, the last prophet, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was not affected by the cosmic rays during his ascent of Me‘rāj, as he could have been protected by the electromagnetic shield of the Zamzam water held in a golden basin, in addition to any other mechanism that the Angel Jibrā’īl, A.S., might have used in the space ship. The arrow of time started to tick with the onset of the Big Bang when some 15,000 million years ago, the primordial matter exploded into protons, electrons, neutrons, photons and others, to form the various elements of stars and planets. The stars and planets have three dimensions: height, width and breadth, with time as their fourth dimension. For every seven galaxies, there may be only one habitable planet (Q.17:44). The story begins long before the creation of man, when only angels inhabited the universe. Allah decided to put a vicegerent on Earth (Q.2:30). He began the creation of man (Q.32:7) from sounding clay (Q.55:14; 15:28), the sound of which could never be obliterated and forever could be retrieved from the clay. Allah then fashioned man and breathed into him from His own Rūḥ (Q.38:72) so as to qualify him for his vicegerency and make him knowledgeable in various arts and sciences, which the angels did not know (Q.2:31). It has been said that the very first words that Allah addressed to Adam were:

ُ ُ َ َ ُ ّ َ َ َُْ ْ َ ُ ْ ُ ُ ُ َ َْ​َ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ َ ‫ﻗﻤﺎ ﺗﺮﻳﺪ‬ ‫ ﻳﺪ ﻟﻨﻴﺘﻚ‬ ِ ‫ ﺑﻦ ﻧﺎ ﻳﺪ ﻧﺖ ﺗﺮﻳﺪ ﻻ ﻳﻜﻮ ﻹ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺪ ﻓﺎ ﺿﻴﺖ ِﺑﻤﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻳﺎ‬ ُ َ ُْ َ َْ َ َْ َ ْ َ ُ ُ َ َ ُ ُ ْ ُ ‫ﻳﻜﻮ ّ ﻻ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ ﻳﺪ‬ ‫ﺗﺮﻳﺪ ﻻ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻢ ﺗﺮ ِﺑﻤﺎ ﻳﺪ ﻳﻌﺒﺘﻚ ﻓﻴﻤﺎ‬

Ya ibni Ādam, ana urīd wa anta turīd, wa lā yakūnu illā mā urīd; fa in rad ītu bimā urid, aghnytuka 'ammā turīd; wa in lam tard ā bimā urīd, at 'abtuka fīmā turīd, wa lā yakūnu illā mā urīd: O son of Adam! I plan and you plan. It will never be except what I plan. If you are satisfied with what I plan for you, I will give you plenty of what you plan; and if you are not satisfied with what I plan for you, I will make you strive with what you plan; and in the end, you will never get except what I plan for you.

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Allah informed the angels that He was going to create a vicegerent (khalīfah) on Earth. The angels, who are created from light (electromagnetic energy) and who always glorify Allah’s Holy Name and shall do so till the end of time, objected, asking Allah why He should place on Earth someone who would make mischief and bloodshed. Allah replied that He knew what they did not know (Q.2:30). Allah created man from dust (Q.3:59; 40:67) and water (Q.25:54) resembling an extraction of clay (23:12), fashioned him in the shape of a human being complete with brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, etc., and breathed into him from His own Rūḥ so as to qualify him for His vicegerency. He called him Adam. This creation was by Allah saying Be, which was enough for the act to come about (Q.3:59). Adam’s heart started to beat non-stop and brain began to function. The name “Adam” is derived from the word adīm meaning soil of the surface of the earth. All the billions of human beings of past, present and future came from one person, not two (Q.4:1). Allah did not teach the names of all things including scientific data to angels but instead, taught Adam the same (Q.2:31). Both Adam and Ḥawwā᾿, now as husband and wife, were enjoying all of Allah’s bounties in The Gardens (Jannah) (Q.2:35; 7:19). Their planet had a solar system, just like ours (Q.20:119). Allah told the angels to bow down to Adam (that is, to serve Adam and do whatever man tells them to do). All bowed down in obedience to Allah’s command except Iblīs, who was a jinni present in the audience in the company of angels (Q.7:11; 15:30, 31; 20:116). Iblīs, being a jinni and unlike angels, had the choice, like human beings, to obey or to disobey Allah and he chose the latter. He refused to bow down to Adam on the grounds that he had been created from fire whereas Adam was created from clay (Q.7:12; 38:76). Thus Iblīs became the first kāfir in history (Q.38:74). All this happened so long ago that we do not have any definite knowledge of what Adam was like. We do not know whether Adam had teething difficulties or not, whether he had Chinese or any other features, although we know that he spoke in Quraishi Arabic (Q.7:23). We also know that he did not have a navel (umbilicus), because he did not have a mother. He also had no clothes on, because his private parts were covered with leaves from the garden. However, the creation of Ḥawwā᾿ (Eve) is shrouded in mystery. From Q.4:1, we understand that we were created from a single being, and Allah had created from it its mate, and from both of them scattered countless men and women. Some scholars say that Adam was a hermaphrodite, the other part of him might have been a twin which separated as Ḥ awwā᾿ from his left rib. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Women are the twin halves of men. This gene of hermaphroditism has been passed on for generations since we still do come across some hermaphrodites in society. Looking at it from another angle, no man or woman in this world is 100% male or 100% female in his/her hormonal content. Allah now gave a simple test to Adam and Ḥawwā᾿: not to go near a particular tree (Q.7:19). It has been said in old folklore that it was the wheat-tree. Iblīs, swearing as their sincere advisor (Q.7:21) then prompted Adam and his wife to approach that tree, which Satan called the Tree of Eternity, by promising them immortality plus angelic status, i.e. they would become angels (Q.7:20; 20:120). Adam and his wife succumbed to Iblīs’s seduction and ate from the forbidden tree (Q.20:121) thus breaking the promise that they had previously made to Allah. In fact, both husband and wife were responsible for aiding and abetting each other during this encounter. Adam and Ḥawwā᾿ went astray after having been tempted with some grains of wheat. As soon as Adam and his wife tasted from that tree, their garb of innocence was no longer there. They became conscious of their nakedness and the purpose of their private organs and maybe that is why they covered their private parts with leaves from the garden (Q.7:22; 20:121). Now they could distinguish right from wrong. Allah said to Adam and his wife: Did I not forbid both of you that tree and tell you that Satan was an avowed enemy to both of you? (Q.7:22). Adam and his wife both realised their mistake. They repented (Q.7:23) and asked for forgiveness, which was granted. But both of them, together with Satan, their enemy, were ordered to leave the garden and to go to reside on planet Earth for a time (Q.2:36; 7:24; 20:123). It is in this context that Allah advises children of Adam that their private parts should be well guarded, and that the best garment and covering of their private organs is that of taqwā (Godconsciousness) (Q.7:26). Allah also advises us not to allow Satan to strip off the garment as he did to Adam and Ḥawwā᾿ in the Garden (Q.7:27). Taqwā is not like a coat that we can put on or take off when we want. This coating of taqwā should be permanently bonded to one’s personality.

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The scene now shifts to planet Earth where the trio meet once again. Adam and Ḥawwā᾿ are conscious of their reproductive organs and they bear children. We also have been told that Qābil (Cain), the eldest son of Adam, killed his younger brother Hābīl (Abel). If neither Adam nor Hawwā᾿ had been created with homicidal gene in their chromosomes, it is possible that during their celestial transfer from the Gardens (Jannah) to planet Earth (this author not claiming any expertise in this theory of their space journey), they were exposed in their spaceship to cosmic radiation which might have caused mutations in their chromosomes, responsible for a gene with homicidal tendencies. That gene is still present in some of us today. Another theory of the appearance of this homicidal gene in the chromosomes of man is that man had to live on Earth in the midst of ferocious animals and was exposed to hunting and rivalry as well as forced to defend his flock. Such an unfavourable environment and animal-like attitude could have been responsible for behavioural changes leading to murder, primarily in defence of his own self (Q.5:30). Such a scenario is reflected in Q.5:31, with the fight between two ravens (same species) ending in murder. It has recently been shown experimentally that crows are intelligent enough to make tools by bending wire or a twig to dig out food from the ground. Assuming a man’s seminal discharge contains 400 million spermatozoa in 4 millilitres of ejaculate, 399,999,999 spermatozoa die and only a single one succeeds in fertilizing the single ovum (egg) of the woman. Both X and Y chromosome-bearing sperms swim in the ejaculate. From among the 400 million of them, when an X-bearing sperm fertilises the ovum, the offspring is a female but when a Y-bearing sperm does it, the result is a male child. Both male and female have 46 chromosomes each containing 20,000-25,000 genes altogether, each gene being responsible for a particular characteristic. No one is 100 percent male or female in the hormonal content, although maleness exhibits itself in the XY chromosomes and femaleness in the XX. Because of various permutations and combinations of these 20,000 - 25,000 genes, we cannot find any two persons with identical thoughts, beliefs and feelings. Hence every person is unique with no other person exactly like him/her. Moreover, because we grew up in different homes and attended different schools and belong to different religions, we have developed different ideas, ideologies and ideals. Therefore we perceive things differently which is largely responsible for our disagreements. However, differences of opinion should be expected and respected, and are a blessing in disguise for both parties. Both man and woman have been endowed with individual freedom of thoughts, feelings, decisions and actions. Allah is One and only, yet He looks after the various needs of billions and billions of different peoples with different ideas, ideologies and religions. It is possible that, because of his vast knowledge, Adam might have been an accomplished space pilot, with his wife as co-pilot. During their space journey, their spaceship was bombarded with cosmic rays which might have caused mutational changes in their genes. They were the first husband and wife team to arrive on planet Earth. Perhaps because of engine failure or the gravitational pull of the Earth or for some other reason, they could not return to their original Jannah. Once Adam and Eve found themselves on Earth, they had children. Many chromosomal abnormalities responsible for defects in various human organs are present to this day in their offspring, such as Down’s syndrome, Huntington’s chorea, Kleinfelter’s syndrome, muscular dystrophies, Fallot’s tetrology and thousands of others, with related genetic changes. Even one of their sons, Qābil (Cain) had a gene with homicidal tendencies, a not-uncommon trait in present day society. He was also mentally subnormal. (Any alteration in the human gene causes a mutation. Approximately 20,000--25000 genes in the 46 chromosomes of a human being control our intelligence, talents and other traits as well as vulnerability to various diseases). Just like Ḥ awwā᾿, Hābīl (Abel) and Qābil (Cain) are not mentioned by name in the Holy Qur᾿an, but their names are to be found in Jewish scriptures. The story of the murder of Hābīl by his elder brother Qābil goes thus: Adam had ordered his 22-year old son Qābil to marry the twin sister of Hābīl, Labudah, who was 2 years younger but not as beautiful as Qābil’s twin sister Aqlīmah, whom Qābil preferred to marry. Adam ordered them to make their offerings to Allah, thus referring their dispute to Allah instead. Qābil offered some useless fruits and vegetables of little value while Hābīl offered the flesh of his best fat sheep. Qābil᾿s offer was refused but Hābīl᾿s offer was accepted by Allah because he was a Godfearing person (Q.5:27). Hence, Qābil became jealous and killed his younger brother Hābīl. When Qābil was killing Hābīl, Hābīl did not retaliate but said to Qābil: Even if you try to kill me, I will not try to kill you. You will draw on yourself my sin as well as your own. (Q.5:28-29). This shows that Hābīl knew about the Hereafter and the consequences of sin. Thus he knew that homicide carries a double penalty, one of the act itself and the other of putting an end to someone else’s life, one who could have done much good for himself and for others if he were alive. Hence whatever sins Hābīl might have committed

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would be deducted from him and added to the sins of Qābil on the Day of Judgement. Qābil was also mentally subnormal, possibly due to the harmful effects of the cosmic radiation on the chromosomes of his parents during their space journey to Earth. (When Adam had just entered the Earth, he could not have had homicidal traits since Allah had made him in ahsani taqwīm, the best of moulds (Q.95:4). However, possibly due to the effect of cosmic radiation on Adam and Hawwā᾿ during transit, chromosomal mutations took place in them and became responsible for their children having abnormal genes and traits, expressed as asfala sāfilīn, the lowest of the low, (Q.95:5). After having murdered his brother, Qābil did not even know how to dispose of the corpse until he saw a raven scratching the earth and raising it over another dead raven, to show him how to bury the dead body (Q.5:31). Thus the first grave in history was dug and the first homicide recorded.)

The Last Prophet: We do not know how many centuries passed since then. But we know that

nearly 14 centuries ago, due to the various permutations and combinations of 20,000 to maybe 30,000 genes carried on chromosomes, a perfect genome with extraordinary and most desirable qualities appeared in a baby boy who was born to Āminah and ‘Abdullah in Makkah. He had a navel and had teething difficulties. He spoke Quraishi Arabic while growing up and was later chosen by Allah to be the last prophet for mankind. Like Adam, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬did not have an earthly teacher (Q.4:113; 53:5; 2:239). He was tutored by Allah Himself. Allah does not make anyone privy to His mysteries except an Apostle of His choosing (Q.72:26-27). There are many verses in the Holy Qur᾿an in which Allah says that the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬was sent to teach the Qur᾿an and scientific knowledge leading to wisdom (Al-Hikmah) (Q.62:2 and others), that is, knowledge of life, understanding of the universe and also any other new knowledge that would come to light from time to time in the future (Q.2:151). Ḥikmah is translated by some commentators as putting things correctly in their proper perspectives, this being a consequence of acquired wisdom. Not having been trained in medicine, where else could the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬have received knowledge about embryology, anatomy and physiology of human reproduction except during the Me‘rāj (physical ascension into outer space)? He might have peered into an electron microscope or a more advanced one and observed the three layers of human embryo: (a) ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm. He makes you in stages, in the womb of your mothers, in three stages of darkness. (Q.39:6). The three “stages” could also refer to (b) the abdominal wall, the uterus and the amniotic sac, or to (c) the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy. Whereas this unorthodox postulate may seem absurd to some, let it not be forgotten that a new theory is first attacked by a few as being ridiculous with many to prove its absurdity; then it is admitted as true but insignificant with some champions to defend it. Finally it is seen to be so important that its adversaries claim that they themselves discovered it. It is widely believed that the Me‘rāj took place on 27 Rajab. It is narrated: When the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬was 52 years old, the Angel Jibrāīl came to him one night, opened his chest, washed his heart with Zamzam water in a golden basin and then the heart was restored back to his chest. Could this special metallic combination of gold with Zamzam water and any other equipment the Angel had, have provided an electromagnetic shield for the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬against the harmful effects of cosmic radiation in his space journey? This first ever open-heart surgery paved the way for his night journey (isra) followed by the Me‘rāj (ascension to the heavens). Einstein’s theory of relativity may well give the answer as to how a few hours on Earth translates into years in space. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said that he had spent the equivalent of 27 years in his Me‘rāj, yet his bed was warm on his return. Allah arranged for him transportation for his space journey in a flying object called Burāq, which had the shape of a steed which shot into space with the speed of light at 186,287 miles/second or even faster (Burāq is derived from the Arabic word barq meaning lightning), to one of the planets inhabited by beings more advanced than ourselves in technology and other sciences, so that the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬could unmistakably see for himself with his naked eyes phenomena, advanced research and ultra-modern devices not yet present on planet Earth. If not during the Me‘rāj, then when and where else could the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬have seen the panorama of the cosmos, the greatest signs of Allah, with his naked eyes in full consciousness of body and mind? (Q.17:1; 53:1-18). He must have received full knowledge of the scientific data presented in the Holy Qur᾿an which bears stunning testimony to his physical ascension.

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Some verses in the Holy Qur᾿an support the actuality of the physical ascension of Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, which is not beyond the acceptance of any one who is in touch with recent scientific developments in space travel. Moreover, Allah Himself says in Q.38:88 that the truth of all that is in the Qur᾿an will manifest itself after a while. In that case, another theory emerges. (This is only a theory now but may become a fact in this millenium). The moon has water but no oxygen to sustain human life. The American scientists, who have already planted their flag on the moon some decades ago, could dissociate water into oxygen (to sustain human life on the moon as there is no oxygen now), and hydrogen (to supply fuel for propelling further to Mars and other planets). If the world population doubles every 40 years, then there will only be standing room for mankind who will be standing shoulder to shoulder by the year 2600, and water would be scarce or non-existent on Earth. By then, the Americans hope to live on the moon. Just as the Americans with their English language may colonise the moon in times to come, with their own progeny and language, it is likely that there was a time when this planet Earth was inhabited by an advanced tribe of Quraishi-speaking Arabs, who ventured to travel into space and resided in a planet to which Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was invited. If this be so, then, Insha Allah, we shall hear the Quraishi dialogue of the inhabitants of that planet whenever we shall be communicating with them, maybe some centuries, again. The theory that is also not impossible is that some time in the distant future, when space technology is far more advanced and interplanetary communication easy, we may be able to come into contact with the same planet that our leader Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬had visited. Of course, this theory would remain forever debatable, and totally unacceptable to non-Muslims. However, to give an accurate description of the Me᾿rāj needs a better and more brilliant brain than mine. Moreover, divine and supernatural events need not be proven by human scientific theories of today. Yet, absence of such evidence does not mean evidence of absence. We should be reminded that a fiction of yesterday has become a reality of today, and that a fiction of today may be a reality of tomorrow. Here is some more information on the Me‘rāj.

The me‘rāj: PHYSICAL ASCENSION OF PROPHET MUḤAMMAD‫ ﷺ‬TO THE HEAVENS IN THE

LIGHT OF SCIENCE AND THE QUR'AN Assuming that they have existed millions of years before us, it is probable that there are more advanced (human or other) beings than ourselves somewhere in the universe. Although some Muslims still believe that the Me‘rāj was a spiritual ascent with Allah unveiling the Guarded Tablet called Lauḥam Maḥfūẓ and transferring its contents to Prophet Muḥammad’s‫ ﷺ‬brain, I have theorised the practicality of the physical ascension of the Me‘rāj, a theory that does not deserve to be ignored, and is not beyond the scope of Allah’s Power. Just as the Professor of Physics or Chemistry, after the lecture, takes us to the laboratory to demonstrate and prove the findings, similarly, Allah, after having tutored Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬took him to His Laboratory (the Cosmos) to give him a practical demonstration. Science is not only compatible with spirituality but is its profound source. It was the lessons in religion that initially inspired the scientists to engage in research. Rejection of scientific truths and logic would lead to eroding support for the teachings of critical thinking which forms the basis of scientific studies. It is not impossible that a day might come when we are able to contact the very planet that our leader, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬had visited. Evidence may come at a future date, Inshā Allah, as we advance in the domain of scientific research and space technology.

The Me‘rāj – the physical ascent: Some salient features of the Me‘rāj or the Ascent of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬leave no doubt in our minds that it was a physical ascent by both the body and soul, in a state of wakefulness, alertness and full consciousness. At the age of fifty two, probably on the 27th Rajab, before the year of the Hijrah (migration) from which the Muslim calendar began, the ascension of the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬took place; the 27th of Rajab is an important milestone in the life of the Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬and also a highly significant reminder to us of the special gift from Allah of the minimum five-time daily prayers. (a) On that date, Allah, SWT, honoured Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬by transporting him to the heavens and showing him a panorama of the cosmos, where Allah also tutored him in various sciences. (b) On that date, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was told that Muslims should pray the minimum of fivetime daily ṣalāt, which is a number much reduced from the original 50 times. If Allah rewards every

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good deed ten times, then the five-times daily prayers will be rewarded the original 50 times, because prayer is also a good deed. (c) On that date, an important conversation took place between Allah, SWT, and Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬which is repeated many times a day by millions of Muslims all over the world. Soon after they sit down after the second prostration (sajdah) they recite the tashahhud (the Declaration of Faith), also called at taḥiyyāt (the greetings), because Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬brought greetings to Allah, SWT, on behalf of himself and also on behalf of his followers. (The text of the conversation is cited below). It has been reported that the Prophet’s‫ ﷺ‬chest was opened, the heart removed, washed and reinserted. (Was this the first-ever “open-heart surgery”)? Could this have been real or merely metaphorical? The whole event began with a night journey to Masjid al Aqsa. From there, the Prophet‫ﷺ‬, accompanied by the angel Jibra’īl (‘alyhis salām), passed through seven heavens and met all the great prophets who welcomed him. In the seventh heaven, he was carried by the Angel Jibra᾿īl up to the furthest lote-tree (sidrat ul muntaha). There the Angel Jibra᾿īl and himself parted because the Angel Jibra’īl could not go any further, lest his wings were burnt. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬went on further until he was two bow-lengths (qābi qawsain Q.53:9), approximately 100-150 yards, from Allah’s Majestic Throne (‘arsh). He then presented greetings to Allah, the conversation running thus:

ُ َ ِّ 4

ُ

4

ُ 4َ

4 Greetings, prayers and all praises to Allah. Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬: ‫ﷲ ﻟﺼﻠﻮ ﻟﻄﻴﺒﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﺤﻛﺤﻴﺎ‬ ُ​ُ َ َ

ََُْ

َ ُّ

َ َْ َ ُ َ 4

َ َ ِ‫ ﺠﻲﺒ َ ﻤﺣﺔ ﷲ‬ ُّ 4 ‫ ﻟﺴﻼ ﻋﻠﻴﻚ ﻛﻓﻬﺎ‬Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Mercy and Allah, SWT, replied: ‫ﺗﻪ‬m‫ ﺑﺮ‬ ِ

Blessings of Allah.

4

َ ْ

َُ ْ

ْ

4

َ

َ

ََْ َ ُ َ 4

ٰ َ ‫ ﻟﺴﻼ ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ‬Peace be upon us and To which the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬replied: ُ‫ ﻻ ﻪﻟَ ;ﻻ ﷲ‬F ‫ﺷﻬﺪ‬F : ‫ ﻟﺼﺎﺤﻟﻦﻴ‬ ِ‫ﻋﺒﺎ ﷲ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺒﻟ‬ ِ ِ​ِ upon all the righteous servants. I bear witness that there is no deity to be worshipped except Allah. 4َ ُ َ َْ​َ ً 4 َ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ ‫ﺤﻣﻤﺪ‬ ُ َ ُ َ َ ‫ﻗﺒﺪ‬ Allah, SWT, continued: ®‫ ﺳﻮ‬ ‫ ﺷﻬﺪ‬I bear witness that Muḥammad is His servant and

Messenger. And then, all the angels and others present in the heavens echoed:

4 َ ُ ‫ﺳﻴﺪﻧﺎ‬ ِّ َ 4 َ ُ ‫ﺳﻴﺪﻧﺎ‬ ِّ َ َ ّ َ ‫ ﻟﻠﻬﻢ‬ 4ُ4 َ ٰ َ َ َ ‫ﺤﻣﻤﺪ‬ ‫ﺤﻣﻤﺪ‬ ٍ ِ ِ ‫ ﺒﻟ‬ ٍ ِ ‫ﺻﻞ ﺒﻟ‬ ِ

O Allah, shower Thy blessings on Muḥammad and on his descendants. We repeat this conversation between Allah and Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬in every tashahhud, many times a day, constantly reminding ourselves about the Me‘rāj or the celestial journey. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Prayer is the Me‘raj of the Mu᾿minīn. Mu᾿minīn are those Muslims who declare and practice their faith with firm conviction.

The Holy Qur’ān summarises this celestial event ْ ُ 4 َُ ُ4 َ َ َْ ًَْ َْ ٰ َ ْ َ 4 َ َ ْ ُ َ َْْ َ َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ُ َ ُ ُ َ ْ َ ‫ﺑﺎ ﻨﺎ‬ َ ْ َ َ ?@ 4 ‫ ﻷﻗ‬ ْ َ ْ ‫;ﻰﻟ‬ ْ َ ْ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ْ ‫ﻟﺮﻨﻳﻪ‬ َ ِ ‫ ﻼ‬ ُ ‫ ﻛ‬ ‫ﺼﺮﻴ‬ ‫ﻳﺎﺗﻨﺎ ۝ ِ;ﻧﻪ ﻫﻮ‬ ‫ ﻟﻤﺴﺠﺪ‬ ‫ ﻟﻤﺴﺠﺪ‬ ‫ﺑﻌﺒﺪ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ®‫ﺣﻮ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺳﺒﺤﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﺮﺳ‬F ?@ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ َ ‫ ﻟﺴﻤﻴﻊ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺤﻟﺮ‬

Glory to (Allah) who did carry His Servant for a journey by night from the sacred mosque to the farthest mosque, whose precincts We did bless, in order that We might show him some of Our signs: Lo! Only He is the Hearer, the Seer, (Q.17:1). Having read the above verse, now read the following verses of the Holy Qur᾿an (Q.53:1-18) for the facts. Allah Himself swears by the star, to assure us that it was a celestial event. By the star that goes down. Your companion is neither stray nor being misled: Nor does he speak of (his own) accord; It is no less than an inspiration sent down to him; He was taught by One mighty in power; Endowed with wisdom; for he appeared clear to view; When he was on the highest part of the horizon; Then he approached and came closer; And was at a distance of two bows lengths or (even) nearer; So did He reveal to His servant what He (meant) to reveal; The (Prophet’s mind and) heart no way falsified what he saw; Will you then dispute with him what he saw?

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For indeed he saw him at another descent; Near the lote-tree beyond which none may pass; Near it is the Garden of Abode; Lo, the lote-tree was shrouded (in mystery unspeakable); His sight never swerved, nor did it go wrong! Truly he saw one of the greatest signs of his Rabb.

Saw with naked eye

Allah wanted to SHOW the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬His signs (Q.17:1) and the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬truly did SEE one of the Greatest Signs of Allah (Q.53:18). To SEE with the naked eye was the main purpose of the journey. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬SAW everything that Allah wished him to see for himself with his own eyes. (The Qur᾿an uses the word shāhid for Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬in Q.48:8, a word derived from shahidah meaning to witness the visible. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is the only Prophet who is mentioned in the Qur᾿an as having witnessed the visible). His eyes were steady and he did not look hither and thither:

َ َ َ َ َ ‫ ﻛﺮﺼ‬ ُ َ َ ْ ٰ َ َ ‫ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ﻃﻰﻐ‬ ‫ ﻣﺎ‬His eyes never swerved nor did it go wrong! (Q.53:17).

DREAM is a vague and a common experience. People see extraordinary and fantastic dreams and they do not believe them to be true. We do not say Subḥānallah or Glory to Allah whenever we see such dreams. Only if something is real does it strike us to utter the word Subḥ ānallah or Glory to Allah. Notice

4

َ َ ْ ُ

that in Q.17:1, the verse begins with ?@ ِ ‫ ﺳﺒﺤﺎ‬Glory to Him. This signifies that Allah was going to reveal to him something unusual and extremely important. Allah wanted to SHOW him some of the Signs (Q.17:1), and Allah made sure that the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬SAW convincingly the Greatest Signs for himself (Q.53:18). The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬SAW everything in detail, very clearly and in full consciousness. His eyes did not waver. EXACTLY what was َ shown to him by Allah was EXACTLY what he saw.

َ

َ ُ َ ُْ

َ َ َ

َ

ٰ ‫ ﻣﺎ ﻛﺬ ﻟﻔﺆ ﻣﺎ‬His mind and heart in no way falsified what he saw. WHY NOT A DREAM? F

(Q.53:11). EVERY single line in the Qur᾿an is a waḥy or a Revelation. Revelation is neither a conjecture nor a dream nor a mystical experience. Revelation is a reality, the message from Allah to Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬being brought by an Angel (Jibrā’īl). The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬used to have many dreams, and in the morning he would narrate them to his companions. But he never referred to isra and me‘rāj as a dream. The Night Journey and the Ascension were a waḥ y (Q.53:4-10). It is an indisputable fact that verses Q. 53:1-18 are incidents recorded as waḥy (revelations), NOT as dreams (Q.53:4; 53:10). A. It should be noted that the Arabic words naum or manām, which mean sleep as well as dream and other Arabic words like sinatunn meaning slumber, nu‘ās meaning sleepiness, hajū‘ meaning sleep, ḥulm meaning dream and reqād also meaning sleep have not been mentioned in the Qur’an in relation to the Me‘rāj. In fact, when Allah wants us to know about any incident which was a vision or a dream, He uses the word followed by manām meaning dream as in Q.37:102; Q.8:43 َ َ arā meaning see, َ

َ ُ َ ْ ِّ َ ْ ْ ِّ Innī arā fil manāmi anni adhbaḥuka meaning I see in a dream that I shall ٰ َ ý; ‫ ﺤﺑﻚ‬F k‫ ﻟﻤﻨﺎ ﻛ‬ ِ َ ‫ ِﻲﻓ‬F

sacrifice you. (i) Q.17:1 and Q.53:10 mention ‘abdihī meaning His Servant. A servant comprises a physical body together with spiritual soul. Allah did not mention rūh, i.e. soul in this verse. (Body and soul part from each other at the time of death). Therefore, the phrase asrā bi ‘abdihī signifies that our Prophet‫ ﷺ‬was carried alive bodily and not in a dream. (ii) Umme Hānī (R.A.) reported that she did not see the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬in his bed that night when she woke up. A search was made for him and still he could not be found. Had it been a vision, a dream or a spiritual journey, he should have still been lying in bed! (iii) When Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬returned from his Night Journey, some people asked him: Oh Rasulallāh, how did the earth look from up there? He replied:

َ​َ َ َ ٌ َ A dinār (coin) in a sea of sand. Who did know that the Earth was a globe floating in ‫ ﺳﻌﺔ‬ ‫ﻰﻓ‬ ٍ ِ ‫ﻓﻼ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻳﻨﺎ‬ ِ

this galaxy? The view of the Earth that the astronauts saw from space a few decades ago was what Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬saw 15 centuries earlier! The Earth looked like a coin!

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(iv) The translation of Q.17:1 should be carefully studied, wherein Allah says: Glory to (Allah) Who did CARRY His servant‌ . If it was a dream or a vision or if “the Prophet‍ ‏was carried away spirituallyâ€?, then the service of BurÄ q would NOT have been required, since animals and other carriages are used to transport BODIES and not spirits, nor the rĹŤh which has no weight and no dimension. (v) To deny the Me‘rÄ j being a ŮŽ real physical journey and a reality is to deny the Qurážżan and the

Ů?ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ?ŮŽ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺒďť&#x; ŮŽﺎ‏ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďť“ďş˜ﺎ ‏F What! Do you then dispute as to what he saw? (Q. 53:12) Prophet‍ ‏himself. ‍ﺎ‏ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ

(B) ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďťˆ‏ Ů?‍ ﺝﺪ ‏SadaqallÄ hul ‘azčm means: Allah speaks the Truth. Besides, Prophet MuḼammad‍‏ Ů? Ů?

was known as Al-AmÄŤn, because he too always spoke the truth. To repeat: All Muslims know that Prophet MuḼammed‍ ‏used to receive his knowledge through waḼy (revelation). But could he have also been given some scientific basis of such knowledge during the Me‘rÄ j? In the special case of the Final Messenger, it is likely that Allah demonstrated to him during his space journey, some or all of the Revelations sent by Him through Angel JibrÄ â€™ÄŤl A.S. so that the Prophet‍ ‏could SEE the proofs for himself. Could it be possible for Allah to arrange transportation for him during his space journey in a chariot called “BurÄ qâ€?, which had the shape of a steed which shot into space with the speed of light at 186,287 miles/second or even faster (BurÄ q being derived from the Arabic word barq meaning lightning) to one or more of the planets inhabited by beings more advanced than ourselves in technology and in other sciences, so that the Prophet‍ ‏could SEE for himself unmistakably with his naked eyes a vividly clear view in full consciousness and vigilance, those phenomena, advanced research and ultra-modern devices not yet present on earth? In support of this conclusion, the following bear stunning testimony:

(1) Was there a demonstration for Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏of a computerised, highly sophisticated machine comprising electro-encephalograph, electro-cardiograph, electromyograph and other instruments, or was there also a CD with a 4-dimensional viewing of all our thoughts, intentions and actions? (This present television set that we possess in this century gives us a picture in two dimensions only, viz. length and breath. Depth is the third dimension and Time the fourth. This present T.V. set can record our actions, Ů’ not our thoughts). Read the following verses:

Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽŮ? ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťœ‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ â€Ťďť›ďş˜ďşŽﺎ‏ (ii) Űš ‍ﺑﺎﺤďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ ﺏ‏This Our record speaks about you with Truth. Lo! We have caused to put Ů? Ů? Ů’ŮŽ

ŮŽ

ŮŽ ; On the Day of Judgement, YOU will read your own record. (Q.17:13-14). Ů° ‍ Ů?ďť›ďş˜ďşŽďş‘ďťšâ€ŹF‍ﺎ‏ (i) ‍ﺑﺴ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍‏

on record ALL that you did. (Q. 45:29). ŮŽ Ů’Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů?Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ (iii) ‍ ďş&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘ Ů?ďş‘ﺎ ﺎ ďť“ďťŒďť¤ďť ďťŽâ€ŹF ‍ﺪ Ů?‏F ‍ďť&#x;ﺴďş˜‏F ‍  ďş—ﺸﺪ‏On that day, when their tongues, their hands and Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘â€Ź Ů? their feet will bear witnessŮŽ against them ŮŽ as to what they ŮŽ used to do. (Q.24:24).

ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ (iv) â€Ťďťłďťœďş´ďş’‏ ‍ ďş&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘ Ů?ďş‘ﺎ ﺎ‏F ‍ﺪ ďş—ﺸﺪ‏F â€Ťďş¨ďť§ďş˜ ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍  ďş—ďťœďť ďť¤ďť¨ďşŽâ€ŹF Ů? Ů? ‍ ”‏On that day We shall set a seal on their Ů?Ů?

mouths, but their hands speak out and their feet bear witness to all what they did. (Q.36: 65).

Ů?

ŮŽ

Ů?

ŮŽ

ŮŽ

ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů?Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů° 4 ŮŽ At length, when they reach the (fire), (v) ‍ﺑﺟﺎ  ŮŽ ďş&#x;ďť ďťŽ  Ů?ďş‘ﺎ ﺎ ďť“ďťŒďť¤ďť ďťŽâ€ŹF â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘ ﺳďťŒ‏ ‍ﺡﺪ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺎ‏%‍ Ů?; ﺎ ďş&#x;ﺎ‏k‍ﺣ‏

their hearing, their sight and their skins will bear witness against them as to what they used to do. (Q. 41:20). Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? â€Ťďşˇďş˜ďşŽďş—ďşŽâ€ŹF 4ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺎﺡ‏ Ă‘ ŮŽ ‹ Ů‹ Ů’ ŮŽ ‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺧﺎ‏ â€ŤďťłďťŽďťŁďşŒﺏ ﺟﺪ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź On that Day (vi) ‍ﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ﺎ Ů? Ű? ŮŽ  ďť“ďťŒďťž Ů?ďşœďť˜ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? ‍ﺎďť&#x; Ű? ďť“ ďť“ďťŒďťž Ů?ďşœďť˜ďşŽâ€ŹF ‍ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů?Ů?

will men proceed in scattered groups to be SHOWN the deeds that they (did). Then anyone who has done an atom’s weight of good shall SEE it! And anyone who has done an atom’s weight of evil shall SEE it! (Q.99:6-8). (2) Did Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏see any living creatures on any other planet during the Me‘rÄ j? Did he see chaste women with beautiful, large and lustrous eyes like pearls and restraining glances, and of equal age, passing round of a cup with delicious drink which does not give the withdrawal effects or hangover? Read the following ŮŽ verses:

4 ŮŽ Ů’

ŮŽ

4 ŮŽ ŮŽ

Ů’ Ů’

ŮŽ 4

Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ

ŮŽ

Ů’

ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏ (i) Űš ‍ ﺑﺔ‏ ‍ﺎ Ů?‏ ‍ﺎﺗ ďş§ďť ďť–â€Ź Ů? ŮŽ And among His Signs is the creation of the heavens Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ‍  ﺎ ﺑﺚ‏ and the Earth, and the Living creatures He has scattered through them‌ (Q.42:29).

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

ŮŒ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŒ Ů’ŮŽ 4 Ů?4ŮŽŮŽ ŮŒ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ‍ﺎﺎﺝ‏ (ii) â€Ťďť›ďťœďť? ﺞ ďťœ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť„ﺎ Ů?ďť—‏ Ů? Ů? And beside them will be chaste women, restraining their Ů? ‍ ďť‹ﺪ‏ glances, with their big eyes, as if they were eggs, closely guarded. (Q.37:48-49).

Ů?

Ů’ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ

4 ŮŽ (iii) ‍‏ So and We shall join them to companions with beautiful, big and lustrous Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺤﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺏďť&#x;ďťš ďş&#x;ﺎ‏ eyes. (Q.44:54; Q.52:20). ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’Ů? ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ ŮŒ ‍ ﺣ‏ Ů’ ‍ Žﺄ‏ ŮŒ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺰďť“ Ű?‏ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺑﺎ ‏F ŮŽ ‍ﺑﺄ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďş†â€Ź ‍ﺄďşœďşŽâ€Ź ‍Ű?‏ ‍‏ ‍ ‏ ‍ﺎ‏ ‍ﺟﺪ‏ ‍‏ ‍Ű?‏ â€ŤďťŁďťŒ‏ (v) ‍ďť&#x;ﺆ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů’ 4 Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů‹%‍;ﺸﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ﺸﺄﺎ‏F ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ Ű? Ů?;ﺎ‏ Ů?

ŮŽ ‍ ÂŽ ďť‹ďş?‏ (iv) ‍ﺗﺎ ﺑﺎ‏F Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Companions of equal age. (Q.78:33).

With goblets, beakers and cups (filled) out of clear flowing fountains. No after-ache will they receive therefore nor will they suffer intoxication. And (there will be) companions with beautiful, big lustrous eyes, like pearls, well-guarded. We have created (their companions) of Special Creation. (Q.56:18-19, 22-23, 35).

Âś ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŒŮ’ 4 Ů?Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů’ 4 ‍ﺎﺎﺝ‏ 4 (vi) ‍ ďť&#x;ďť„ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍( ďť&#x;‏Q.55:56). In them will be (maidens) chaste, Ů? Ů? (Q.38:52) ‍ďşœ Ů?;ﺲ ďť—ďş’ďť ďťŹďť˘ ďťť ďş&#x;ﺎ‏ restraining their glances, (companions) of equal age. (Q.38:52). .. which no man or jinn before them has touched. (Q.55:56). (3) Did the Prophet‍ ‏see people looking EXACTLY alike? Ů‹ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ‍ﺒﺪ‏ Ů? â€ŤďťŁďşœďşŽďť&#x;‏F ‍ € Ů?ﺡďşŒﺎ ďş‘ďşŞďş ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? Ű– ‍ﺎﺳ‏F ‍ ﺤ ďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ ﺡﺪ ﺎ‏It is We Who created them and We have made their

joints strong. But when We will, We can substitute the LIKE of them by a complete change. (Q.76:28; 78:33). (Cloning is a form of asexual reproduction which can make an EXACT duplicate). (4) Did the Prophet‍ ‏see hydroponics, with floating gardens ON water?

Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů’

4 ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ

Ů’ŮŽ

Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ

4

Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ @‏ ŮŽ Ů? 4 ‍ ďş‘ﺎﺸ‏ Ů?

Ű– â€Ťďş¤ďş—ďş˜ﺎ ďť?ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;‏F ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟﺎﺤďť&#x;ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť‹ďť¤ďť ďťŽâ€Ź Ů? â€Ťďş ďş—ﺎ? Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮ? Ů? ‍‏ Ů? ‍ďş&#x;ﺎ‏

But give glad tidings to those who believe AND work righteousness that their portion is gardens, BENEATH which rivers flow. (Q.2:25 and 38 other verses). Besides photosynthesis, what part does the green colour play in other sciences?

ŮŒ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŒ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? ‍ﺎ‏ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺨ”‏ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ They will be adorned with bracelets of gold/silver, and they will wear (i) Ű– ‍ Â€ďşłďş˜ﺎﺒ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺳﺪ ﺧﺎ‏ GREEN garments of fine silk. (Q.18:31; 76:21).

ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ

ŮŽ

Ů’ Ů?

Ů’ŮŽ

ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ

4Ů?

ŮŽ ‍ ďť“ﺎ ﺧﺎ‏ Ů° â€ŤďťŁďş˜ďťœďşŒ‏ (ii) ‍ﺣﺴﺎ‏ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Reclining on GREEN cushions and lovely carpets. (Q.55:76). Green Ů? Ů? ?‍ ďť—ďş’ďť˜ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? light inhibits melatonin production, a hormone produced by the pineal gland, which is responsible for sleep. It is likely that in Paradise we would not need sleep. (5) How did the Prophet‍ ‏know that EVERY animal was created from water? Were the three layers of human embryo (ectoderm, mesoderm and endoderm) shown to the Prophet‍ ‏under electron microscope? How did the Prophet‍ ‏know that the human embryo hangs like a stalk (‘alaq)?

ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‹Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ 4Ů? ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? â€Ťďş§ďť ďť– ‏ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ He makes you in the womb of your mothers, in Ů? Ů? â€Ťďş¨ďťłďť ďť˜ďťœ ‏ (ii) Űš ‍ﺛ‏ â€Ťďť‡ďť ďť¤ďşŽâ€Ź â€Ťďť§ďťŒﺪ‏ ‍‏ Ů? â€ŤďťŁďťŹďşŽďş—ďťœ ďş§ďť ďť˜ďşŽ Ů?‏F Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? (i)

ŮŽ

ŮŽ 4Ů?

4 Ů’ ‍ ﺑﺔ‏ ŮŽ Ů? Ű– %‍ﺎ‏ Ů? ‍‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ŮŽ ďş‘ ďş§ďť ďť– ‏And Allah has created EVERY animal from water. (Q.24:45).

stages, one after another, in three stages of darkness. (Q.39:6).

Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍‏ 4 Ů? Then We made the ‘sperm drop’ into a hanging stalk. (Q.23:14; 40:67; 22:5; â€Ťďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ‏ (iii) ‍ ďş ďť„ďť”ďş” ďť‹ďť ďť˜ďş”â€Ź 75:37-38). (6) Was the Prophet‍ ‏shown finger-printing and others like DNA printing?

ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ?‍ﺴ‏ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? F ‍ﺎ‏ ‍ﺎ  ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Nay, on the Day of Resurrection, We are able to put together in perfect order Ů? Ů? â€Ťďş‘ďť°ďť â€Ź the very tips of your fingers. (Q.75:4). (7) Not having gone to a medical school, how did the Prophet‍ ‏know that one could be pregnant and still could be menstruating for the first ŮŽ three months after conception?

Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ

4

Ů? Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ

Ů? Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ŮŽŮ’

Ů?

Ů’

Ů’

4

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ k‍َ ďť&#x;‏ Ů’ k‍ﺡﺎ ŮŽ ďť&#x;‏F â€Ťďť“ďťŒﺪ ﺛﺛﺔ‏ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ŮŽ Ů? ‍ďť&#x;‏ Űš ‍ﺤ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺤﺞ Ů?‏ Ů? ‍; ďş—ďş’ďş˜‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? â€ŤďťłďşŒﺴ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť§ďş´ďşŽďş‹ďťœ‏ Ů?

And for such of your women who have the age of monthly courses, if ye doubt, their period of (waiting) shall be three months, along with those who have it not. (Q.65:4).

CHAPTER V: Islam in the light of science

289

(8) Did Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏know about “suspended animationâ€? when a person can sleep for over 300 years? Read Q. 18:25. (9) Was he shown “genetic engineeringâ€? wherein an animal could speak when its cell is joined to a human’s? (Such experiments are going on presently). Read Q.27:82. (10) A. The Earth rotates on its axis at a speed of 1,037 miles/hour at the equator (nearly the same as in Trinidad). (We are constantly moving at twice the speed of a jet plane and we don’t even feel it)! It takes 24 hours to rotate once on its axis. A year is the time it takes the Earth to travel in an elliptical orbit around the sun once, at a speed of 66,672 miles per hour. The Earth rotates on itself at 1,037 MPH and around the sun at 66,672 MPH, thus combining alternating movement at different speeds, which, when viewed from outer space, gives the impression that the Earth and other planets seem to “swimâ€? or “floatâ€? in space. Not having studied astronomy, how did the Prophet‍ ‏know that all the celestial bodies SWIM along or FLOAT, each in its ROUNDED course? And the sun and moon follow courses computed? Did he actually see during his ascension journey millions of shooting stars like missiles in space? Read the following:

ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ

ŮŽŮŽ

ÂśŮ?

ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’

ŮŽ Ů’ 4

ŮŽ ŮŽ

ŮŽŮ’4

ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ

4

Ů?

ŮŽ ŮŽ It is He Who created the night and the day, the ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďťŹďşŽ ŮŽ ďť&#x;ﺸﺲ‏ 4 ŮŽ ‍ @? ďş§ďť ďť– ďť&#x;ďť ďť´ďťžâ€Ź (i) â€Ťďť“ďť ďťš ďťłďş´ďş’ﺤ‏ Ů? ‍ ‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺎ Ű– ďťžďť› Ů?‏ sun and the moon, all (the celestial bodies) swim along, each in its ROUNDED course. (Q.21:33). ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?

ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’

Ů’ 4

Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺸﺲ ŮŽ ďť&#x;ďť˜â€Ź (ii) ‍ﺤﺑﺴﺒﺎ‏ The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed. (Q.55:5). Ů? ‍ﺎ‏ Ů?

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B. When viewed from outer space, the clouds seem to move together with the Earth. Did the

Ů‹ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ 4 ‍ﺎ‏ 4 ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏ Ů‘Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ‏ ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ‹‍ďş&#x;ﺎﺪ‏ Prophet‍ ‏actually see this? Űš ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺤﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ ﺤďş—ďş´ďş’ﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş—ﺎ‏You see the mountains and think Ů? them fixed, but they pass by as the clouds pass by. (Q: 27:88). The clouds and the mountains are part of the Earth and hence they move together. (10) C. Did the Prophet‍ ‏actually see millions of “shooting starsâ€? like missiles in space, during his ascension journey? (These areŮŽ also usually seen from Earth on clear nights). ŮŽŮ’ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;‏ Ů‹ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş&#x;ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽﺎ‏ ŮŽ 4 ‍ ďş&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ â€Ťďť—ďş˜ﺪﺎ‏F 4 ‍ﺏ‏ (i) ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťŒﺎ‏ Ű– ‍ďť&#x;ďť ďş¸ďť´ďşŽďťƒ‏ ‍ﺑﺟﺎﺢ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť?ﺎ‏%‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺪ ﺎ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏And We have, (from of Ů? old) adorned the lowest heaven with lamps, and We have such (lamps as) missiles to drive away the Evil ones, and have prepared for them the penalty of the Blazing Fire. (Q.67:5). ŮŽ

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ 4 Ů‹ Ů? Ů? Ů‹ ŮŽ ‍ﺣﺎﺳﺎ‏ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€ŤďťŁďť ďşŒďş–â€Ź (ii) ‍ﺡﺪﺪ ŮŽ ﺡﺒﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť“ďş&#x;ﺪﺎﺎ‏%‍ ŮŽ ďť›ﺎ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏And we pried into the secrets of the universe, but

we found it filled with stern guards and flaming fires. (Q.72:8). (11) Was there a demonstration for the Prophet‍ ‏as to how Earth and the other stars were gases once, and after consolidation, each separated by itself?

ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů?

ŮŽ 4

ŮŽ

ŮŽŮ’

Ů?

4 Heaven and Earth were smoke once. (Q.41:11). ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ %‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏ Ů° ŮŽ (i) ‍  ﺧﺎ‏ ‍ ďşłďş˜ Ů?;ďť°ďť&#x;‏ ‍‏ Ů? ŮŽ

ŮŽ

ŮŽ

4Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ 4 F ŮŽ ‍ ŮŽﺡﺊ‏ (ii) Ăˆ %‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ  ﺎďť?ďş˜ďşŽ ďťłďť˜ďşŽ ďť“ďť”ďş˜ďť˜ﺎﺎ Ű– ďş&#x;ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽ Ů?‏ ‍ @ ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x; ﺎ‏F ‍Ű?‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů?

ŮŽ Ů? Ů’Ů? ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ‍ﺆ‏ Ů? ‍‏F ‌Heaven and Earth were one piece before We parted them. We made from water every

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living thing. Will they not then believe? (Q.21:30).

in the BurÄ q, was the Prophet shown soil erosion by the oceans? ŮŽ While Ů?Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ŮŽ 4ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Űš â€Ťďťƒﺎ ďť“ﺎ‏F ‍  ďť?ďť˜ﺟﺎ Ů?‏š‍ﺄ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x; ﺎ ďť›ﺎ‏F See they not that We gradually reduce the land from its outlying ‍‏

borders? (Q.13:41; 21:44). (13) Did the Prophet‍ ‏see any people eating the stalk of the cactus plant (zaqqĹŤm) mixed with boiling water? (Mescal contains mescaline, a powerful hallucinogenic drug like LSD. It is extracted from the cactus plant byŮŽ the North American ŮŽ Indians). ŮŽ ŮŽ

Ů’ Ů‘Ů? 4 Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‹ Ů? Ů? ŮŒ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŒŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ4 4 Ů‹ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? 4 ŮŽ â€Ťďťƒďť ďťŒﺎ‏ Ů’ ‍ﺨﺗﺎ ‏ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺤ Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť›ďťœ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Â‹â€Ťďşˇďş ﺎ‏ ŮŽ 4 % ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺸďşŽďťƒ Ű?‏ ‍;ďť?ﺎ‏ ‍Ű?‏ ‍ďť&#x;ďť ďťˆďşŽďť&#x;‏ â€Ťďť“ďş˜ﺔ‏ ‍ďş&#x;ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽﺎ‏ ‍;ﺎ‏ ‍Ű?‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş°ďť—‏ ‹‍ ďşˇďş ďşŽâ€ŹF ‍ ďť&#x;ďťš ﺧﺎ ﺰ‏F Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺝ‏F Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 4 Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‹Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ 4 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? 4 ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺤ Ű?‏ Ů? â€Ťďťľďť ďť› Ů?ﺎ‏ Ů? â€Ťďť“ďşˆďť?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎﺤ Ů?ﺎ  Ű? ďť‹ Ů?; ďť&#x; ďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďşŽ ďť&#x;ﺸﺑﺎ Ů?‏ Ů? ‍ﺣ Ű? ďť‹ Ů?; ﺎ Ů?ďş&#x;ďťŒ‏ Ů?

Is that better entertainment or the tree of zaqqĹŤm? For We have truly made it (as) a trial for the wrongdoers. For it is a tree that springs out of the bottom of Hell fire. The shoots of its fruit-stalk are like the heads of devils. Truly, they will eat thereof and fill their bellies therewith. Then on top of that they will be given a mixture of boiling water. Then shall their return be on the (blazing) fire. (Q.37: 6268; 56:52-54; 44:43-45).

290

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

(14) How did the Prophet‍ ‏know that deep down in the ocean it is so dark that if you stretch out your

ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽŮ? Ů? hand, it cannot be seen? Ű— ‍ﺎ ﺎ‏ ‍ﺧﺎ ﺪ ďť&#x; ďťłďťœﺪ‏F ;Ů? â€Ťďť§ďťŒďşžâ€Ź

‍‌ ďť‡ďť ďť¤ďşŽ ďťŒďť€ﺎ ďť“‏Depths of darkness in the Ů? oceans. If a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it. (Q.24:40). (15) Not having studied biology, how did he know that food digested and absorbed from the intestines goes through the blood to be secreted as milk? Read Q.16:66. (16)

ŮŽ

Ů‹ŮŽ

ŮŽ

ŮŽ

ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ

Ů? ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍ďť&#x;ďş´ďť ďť´ďť¤ďşŽâ€Ź Was the Prophet‍ ‏shown how man can start, direct and tame hurricanes? ‍ﺨﺝﺔ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺢ‏ Ů? Ů?

ŮŽŮ’

4

Ů’ŮŽŮ’

ŮŽ

Ů’ŮŽ

Ů’ŮŽ

ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍  ďť&#x;ďş˜â€Ź Űš ‍ﺑﺎ ÂŽﺎ Ů?ďť“ﺎ‏ ‍ﺑﺄﺎ Ů?;ďť°ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ?â€Ťďş ďş—ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? It is Our power that made the violent (unruly) wind flow (tamely) for Solomon to his order, to the land which We had blessed‌. (Q.21:81). (17) Did the Prophet‍ ‏know about the dextro and the laevo forms of chemical substances and that electrons and protons revolve in opposite directions? Ů? ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ 4 Ů‹ 4 Ů? 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ŮŽﺡﺊ‏ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ‍ ”‏ Ů’ ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? 4 â€Ťďş§ďť ďť–â€Ź ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍;ďť°ďť&#x; ŮŽﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů? â€Ťďť“ďş˜ďť”ďť´ďş„â€Ź ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ž‍‏ Ů° Ů? ‍ﺎ‏ ‍ ﺧﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;‏F Do they not look at Allah’s Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑ ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺸﺎﺋ ďşłďş ďşŞâ€Ź Ů? Ů? ‍‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů?

creation, (even) among (inanimate) things, how their very shadows turn round them from right AND left, prostrating to Allah, and that in the humblest manner? (Q.16:48). (18) Was the Prophet‍ ‏given a demonstration on nuclear physics? Read Q.77:8

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďťƒﺴﺖ‏ Ů? â€Ťďť“ďşˆ ďş ďş ďťŽâ€Ź Ů? And when the stars become dim. (Light is still travelling from the stars that must have

died millions of years ago. We see the light in our skies which emanated from the stars but not the stars themselves that vanished long ago and have become extinguished. The modern theories of cosmology tell us that the stars continue to radiate energy until they consume all their resources, when all the hydrogen, which constitutes the vast majority of the mass of stars, has been converted in a process of continuous nuclear reaction into helium and other heavier elements. After that stage, the stars start to collapse and end up as cold dead bodies. We would thus not be able to see the stars but would continue to see the light that is still travelling). (19) If angels and the soul (rōḼ) were to travel at the speed of light to a chosen place of Allah 50,000 light years away, there must be a planet nearly 293,730 trillion miles away from our planet Earth. Could this place be called Barzakh? ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů?Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ? ‍ ﺑ‏ ‍ﺳﺔ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş‹ďťœďş”â€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďşŽ Ű? ďťłďťŒﺎ‏ Ů? ‍;” Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ďť&#x;‏F ‍ﺧﺴ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺎ Ů?ďť˜ﺪ‏

From Allah, Master of the Ways of Ascent: the Angels and the RōḼ (soul) ascend unto Him in a Day, the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years. (Q.70: 3-4). (Einstein’s theory of relativity may well give the answer as to how a few hours on Earth translate into years in space). (20) Out of the billions of galaxies, could there be a planet where all our affairs go to, for permanent recording and storage (like a data centre)? If this is a thousand years of our reckoning, and assuming our affairs are transported at the speed of light, then this planet with the data centre of all recordings on planet Earth must be nearly 5, 874 trillion miles away from Earth.

ŮŽ Ů? Ů?Ů’ŮŽ 4Ů? Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ ‍ﺑﺎ ﺎ‏ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ‍Ů?ﺪ‏ ŮŽŮ? Ă?â€ŤďťłďťŒﺪ‏ ‍ﺳﺔ ﺎ‏ ‍  ďť‹‏ ‍ Ů? ďť°ďť&#x;‏%‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺂ‏ Ů? ‍‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺎ Ů?ďť˜ﺪ ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů? â€Ťďť“ďťŒﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ”‏

He rules (all) affairs from the heavens to the Earth; in the end will (all affairs) go up to Him in a day, the space whereof will be (as) a thousand years of your reckoning. (Q.32:5). The names of some of the stars with distance in light years from Earth are as follows: (a) Mebsuta: 940; (b) Mirfac: 1,110; (c) Rigel: 1,400; (d) Bellatrix: 1,400; (e) Mintaka: 1,400; (f) Alnilam: 1,400; (g) Alnitak: 1,400; (h) Saiph: 1,400; (i) Betelguese: 1,400; (j) Nair al Saif: 1,400; (k) Suhail al Muhlif: 1,500; (l) Nace: 2,000; (m) Meissa: 2,200; (n) Wezen: 2,600; (o) Al Anz: 2,800; (p) Shaula: 3,500. (Majority of the names of the stars are in Arabic!). (21) Cosmic Strings: Have we ever wondered why stars and galaxies are clumped together rather than spread out evenly in space? Research has indicated that only a second after the BIG BANG (some 15 billion years ago when the universe began as a hot, dense fireball of electrons, protons, photons and others), the phenomena known as “Cosmic Strings� came into existence. These strings are described as energy threads created by the newborn universe. They are incredibly dense (one inch of string would weigh 10 million billion tons); they travel at the speed of light (5 trillion miles in a year) and are capable of bending space and light around them. They possess tremendous electro-magnetic qualities, are super-conductors and oscillate continuously. The repeated oscillations of these generate fantastic gravitational energy, and this may account for the galaxies to be grouped

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together in clusters. With the technological advances in astronomical instrumentation, astronomers and scientists may still be able to confirm their existence. Confirmation of their existence would shed more light on the elementary nature of matter as well as on the birth process of the universe. The Prophet‍ ‏did not study astrophysics, the most interesting topic of our 21st century, so were the cosmic strings shown to Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏during his Me‘rÄ j?

Ů?Ů’

ŮŽ

ŮŽ 4

ŮŽ By the Universe (cosmos) with its many strings‌ (Q.51:7). Allah says: ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ﺒ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? %‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏

It has been suggested that protons, electrons and all other particles are not real objects as such but are vibrating strings. (22) Was the Prophet‍ ‏trained in anatomy, physiology and embryology?

ŮŽŮŽ Ů°ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ 4 ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ďť?ﺔ‏ Ů‹ ŮŽ â€Ťďť“ďş ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ﺎ‏ Ů‹ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ â€Ťďťłďťœ ŮŽﺡŮ’ Ů‹ďşŒďşŽâ€Ź ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ Ů‹ ŮŽ â€Ťďşłďť¤ďť´ďťŒďşŽâ€Ź Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďť§ďş’ďş˜ďť ďť´ďťŞâ€Ź ‍ﺑﺟﺎ Ű?‏ ‍ ﺴﺎ Ů?‏ â€Ťďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ‏ ‍;ﺎ‏ ‍Ű?‏ ‍ﺏ‏ ‍‏ ‍ﺣ‏ ‍ ﺴﺎ‏ ½F ‍‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺸﺎ‏F Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů?

Has there not been over a human being a long period of time when he was nothing, not even mentioned? (Q.76:1). Indeed, We have created a human being from a drop of sperm containing

4

Ů? ŮŽŮ’ Ů’

Ů?Ů’ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ

mixtures in order to try him, so We gave him (the gifts) of hearing and sight. (Q.76:2). ‍ ﺴﺎ Ů?‏ Ů? â€Ťďť“ďť ďť´ďť¨ďťˆﺎ‏ Ů?

Ů’ Ů‘Ů? Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů?Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Now let a human being but think from what he/she is ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďşźďť ďş?‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎďş˜ ďş‹ďş?‏ ‍‏ Ů? â€Ťďş§ďť ďť– Ů?‏ Ů? â€Ťďş§ďť ďť– Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť“ďť– Ű? ﺨﺎ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? %‍ﺎ‏ Ů’ Ů? created! He/She is created from a drop emitted, proceeding between the backbone ‍( ďşťďť ďş?‏ᚣ ulb) and the ŮŽ rib cage ‍ﺗﺎ ďş‹ďş?‏ Ů? ŮŽ (tarÄ -ib) (Q.86:5-7). These few words bynas ᚣulbi wat tarÄ ib (Q.86:6-7) explain the location of the nerve supply in the lumbar and sacral segments of the spinal cord (L4, L5, sacral parasympathetic fibres 2, 3, 4) which are responsible for the successful outcome of copulation between man and woman. Fertilisation is the process of union of a male gamete (spermatozoon containing 23 chromosomes) with the female gamete (ovum also containing 23 chromosomes) to form a new cell and a new life, the zygote with 46 chromosomes (fused sperm and ovum: Q.76:2), with characteristics of both parents in about 25,000 genes altogether, responsible for all the hereditary characteristics present in this zygote, the future human being. When the sperm penetrates the ovum, they pool their chromosomes together. Chromosomes and glandular secretions decide a man’s fate on 46 strings, like a puppet, in the nucleic acid chain which determines his heredity. The molecules of DNA in chromosomes of the fertilised egg represent the blue print of the future organism in a coded compressed language. A DNA molecule has the shape of a ladder twisted into a double helix). After fertilisation, the zygote divides repeatedly to form a solid mass of cells called morula (morus = mulberry). The human embryo increases in size over 3 million times from size of a fertilised ovum (size of a needle point) to a newborn baby, some 20 inches long. From the third to the eighth week is the period of organogenesis and the embryo begins to develop particular features. Between the fifth to the eighth week is the period of embryo completion. After the second month, the embryo is called a foetus. Soon after, although small, two to three cm. in length, it resembles a human being. Man and woman who were made originally from clay, now possess sperms and ova which when fertilised, become zygotes, embryonic lumps and foetuses in the wombs of mothers before they emerge as human beings. Students of biology and embryology should study the following verses of the Qur’an: Q.22:5; Q.40:67; Q.23:12-14.

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ďť?ﺔ‏ ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏ Ů’ ‍ﺳďť&#x;ﺔ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ďť?ﺔ ‏ â€Ťďť“ďş¨ďť ďť˜ﺎ‏ â€ŤďťŁďťœ Ű? ďť‹ ďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ ďş ďť„ďť”ďş” ďť‹ďť ďť˜ďş” ďť“ďş¨ďť ďť˜ﺎ ďť&#x;ďťŒďť ďť˜ďş”â€Ź ‍ďş&#x;ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź ‍‏ ‍Ű?‏ â€Ťďťƒ‏ ‍‏ ‍ ﺴﺎ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺪ ďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů‹Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺧﺎ Ű?‏ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺣﺴ‏F ŮŽ ‍ ﺨďť&#x;ﺎďť&#x;‏ Ů? 4 â€Ťďť“ďş˜ďş’ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ﺑ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďş§ďť ďť˜ďşŽâ€Ź â€Ťďť˜‏ ‍ﺸﺄﺎ‏F ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďťˆďşŽ ﺤďť&#x;ﺎ ďť‹‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť?ďş” Ů?ďť‹ďťˆďşŽﺎ ďť“ďťœﺴﺎ‏

Verily, We created man from clay. Then We placed him as a drop (of sperm) in a safe custody (womb). Then We made the sperm into something which clings; then of that clinging material We made a lump (an embryo); then We made out of that lump bones and clothe the bones with flesh (foetus); then We developed out of it another creature (human being). So blessed be Allah, the Best to create. (Q.23:1214). Also of particular significance are certain associated events recorded by Al BukhÄ ri and Muslim on a report from Abdullah ibn Masâ€˜ĹŤd which stated that Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏said:

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’Ů? 4 Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť¤ďť ďťšâ€Ź ‍ ”‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťš ďť‹‏ ‍‏F Ů? ‍ ďş‘ďťŒ‏F Ů? ‍ ďť?ﺔ ďťłďťœ ďť‹ďť ďť˜ďş” Ů?ďşœďťžâ€Ź Ů? Ů? â€Ťďťłďťœ ďť?ďş” Ů?ďşœďťž Ů?ďť&#x;ďťš ďť‹ ﺎﺳ‏ Ů? ‍‏ Ů? Ů? ‍Ů? ﺣﺪďť› ďş ďťłďť¤ďťŠ ďş§ďť ďť˜ ‏ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Âś ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? â€ŤďşłďťŒﺪ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ ďťłďş„ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ďť”ﺌ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑﺄ ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ďş&#x;ďť ďťŞ ďť—ďť¤ďť ďťŞ ﺡďť˜â€ŹF â€Ťďť ďť›ﺎ ďťłďťœďş˜ďş? Ů? ďť—‏

292

Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

The creation of each one of you is brought in the womb of his mother for forty days as a germ cell, then for a similar period he is an embryonic lump (hanging like a leech), then for another forty days he is a morsel of flesh; then Allah sends an angel who is ordered to write down four words. He is told to write down his career, his livelihood, his life duration and whether he is to be miserable or happy, and then the angel breathes the Rūḥ (soul) into him. (23) How did the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬know that the sun radiates light and the moon only reflects the sunlight back into space? Read Q: 25:61; 71:16. (24) Was it predicted in the Qur᾿ān 15 centuries ago that man would land on the moon, or the sun's

َْ َ َ َ َْ َ َ ْ 4 ُ ُ َ َ 4 َ َ energy could be harnessed for solar power? ‫ ﺋﺒﻦﻴ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺳﺨﺮ ﻟﻜﻢ ﻟﺸﻤﺲ ﻟﻘﻤﺮ‬And He has made the sun and

the moon, both diligently pursuing their courses, subservient to YOU. (Q.14:33). (25) Lauḥam Maḥfūẓ: Did Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬have access to Lauḥam Maḥfūẓ, the Guarded Tablet or the Divine Computer, in which everything from the beginning to the end of time is recorded? How did he know the different ways in which this world and the universe will end? Please see the Qur’anic chapters on how the world would end (See page 518, Ways in which the world would end). (26) Were the two Easts and the two Wests appearing in any single planet shown to the Prophet‫?ﷺ‬ Read Q.55:17; 70:40. Here is a probable one of many explanations. Mars, one of the planets in our solar system which is named after the Roman god of war because of its fiery red colour, is about half the size of our Earth. Mars rotates on itself more slowly than Earth so that a Martian day is about half an hour longer than an Earth day. It revolves around the sun even more slowly than the Earth to produce a Martian year which is about two Earth years long. Mars has two moons, Phobos and Deimos, named after the dogs of the Roman god Mars. Phobos goes around Mars in less than one Martian day and hence it appears to rise both in the East and in the West twice each day. However, Deimos rises in the East and sets in the West once daily. So, taking Phobos as a reference point, it gives Mars two Easts and two Wests in any single day (Q.55:17) while together with Deimos, it gives more than two (Q.70:40). Only Allah knows how many millions of planets that exhibit such phenomena are there in the universe. (27) Paradise must have been shown to Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. Accurate descriptions of our companions in Paradise are to be found in many chapters of the Holy Qur᾿an. Read: Q.37:48,49; 44:54; 52:20; 78:33; 56:18,19,22,23,35; 55:56; 38:52; 18:31; 76:21; 55:76. We shall be in gardens of hydroponics, and rivers would be flowing beneath us (Q.2:25 and 38 other verses). We have also been informed that climate of Paradise is temperate. There will be immortal male youths serving us (Q.56:1719; 52:24). (28) Although grammatically the bee is also female, how did the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬know that it is the female bee that collects the nectar (Q.16:68, 69)? More amazing is the fact that our leader Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬had not studied entomology in a medical school, nor had any knowledge imparted to him in Mecca. (29) How did the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬know that the body of Pharoah was mummified and has been preserved as a lesson for mankind, when the graves of the pharaohs were not dug up as yet and we were told about this some thousands of years later? While pursuing Moses’ army, Pharaoh was drowned (Q.2:50; 8:54), then his body floated, was cast on land, and preserved as a permanent lesson to mankind (Q.10:92). I have provided the above data to support the actuality of the physical ascension of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬which is not beyond the acceptance of anyone who has implicit faith in the power of Allah, and is also in touch with recent scientific developments in space travel. Moreover, Allah Himself says in Q.38:88 that the truth of all that is in the Qur᾿an will manifest itself after a while. However, as Muslims, we should have implicit faith in the Unseen, otherwise my theory and postulates given above could be discarded.

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CHAPTER VI: Islam the perfect religion How religion was perfected

The word religion is derived from the Latin noun religio, which denotes sincere and earnest observance of ritual obligations with due reverence. All religions teach mankind the avoidance of sin which may present itself in various garbs, and also to improve their morals so as to lead them toward a state of spiritual purity by reminding them constantly of God-consciousness. The Western historians write that religion evolved from atheism (from the Greek word a meaning without and theos meaning deity) signifying that the people did not believe in the existence of God or gods. This preceded agnosticism (derived from Greek agnostikos meaning, not knowing), a stage, when the people were not certain whether God existed or not. Later, some believed in duo-theism, the god of evil and the god of virtue, and then monotheism, belief in one God. There are also many who believe in three gods, the example being the Trinity of Christians and Hindus, while some believe in many gods. The ancient Egyptians believed in the Trinitarian group of Osiris, Isis and Horus while the Hindus had Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and the later Christians described God as God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Scientists tell us also that all of us have descended from one person, who was born in Africa. Initially, the knowledge was passed on orally from one man to another and much later when writing was developed it was transmitted through written records. During the course of time, mythologies developed in different parts of the world with stories of humans interacting with gods. There are myths going back to 5000 B.C. in the Ancient Near East (of 4000 B.C. Sumer; 2000 B.C. Canaan, Egypt, and others; 1800 B.C. Babylon), Scandinavia, and India. They speak of gods and goddesses of fertility, ocean, knowledge, fire, earth, etc., with names peculiar to different dialects. In 3000 B.C. the Egyptian thought created new ideas about god-head, each town having its own particular god in the shape of an animal and later these were given human bodies with human attributes. Magical power was contained in the hieroglyph of a spectre or a rod. The Egyptians had their own Trinity of gods based on the family of Osiris (the fertility god), Isis (goddess of healing) and Hirus (who got control of the eye of Ra). Later, Egypt moved towards a single creator of a monotheistic religion, symbolised by the Sun-god Ra. In ancient Egypt, the Crocodile, the Dog, the Bull and the Ibis were worshipped. Later on, as man’s knowledge grew, the Egyptians worshipped heavenly bodies besides worshipping idols, as in times of Abraham (Q.29:25). The Queen of Sheba (Sabā᾿) worshipped the sun, stars, and the planets, just like the people of Abraham. Then, they had deified men and women, and called them gods and goddesses who quarrelled, hated and lived like human beings. Mixtures of nature worship, astral worship, hero worship and worship of abstract qualities resulted in superstitions. The pagan deities in and around the Ka‘bah included Lāt, ‘Uzza and Manāt. The 360 idols established by the pagans round the Ka‘bah probably represented the 360 days of an inaccurate solar year. There was tree worship, nature worship, serpent worship, animal worship, phallic worship and the worshipping of mother goddess. There were many gods in Rome and the Romans also worshipped Ceasar. Zeus (father of Hercules) was the god of gods in Greece, and Kronos (or time) was the father of Zeus. It is said that men from Central Asia came to India in 2000 B.C. They wanted to stay separate from the locals and hence they introduced the caste system, viz. Brahmins (Varuna was the patron god of the Brahmins); Kshatriyas (second level of the caste system of professionals and warriors); Vaisya (class of merchants and farmers occupying the third position); and Sudras (the lowest of the caste system, the labourers). The Trinity of the Vedic gods comprised of Agni (god of fire); Surya (Sun god) and Indra (god of the Kshatriyas). The later Brahmanic gods were also the Holy Trinity or Trimurthi of Brahma, the creator; Vishnu, the preserver of life (his consort being Lakshmi, the goddess of beauty and good fortune); Shiva, the god of fertility, destruction and death (his consorts being Durga, Kali, Ganga, Parvati and Uma). The Persians called themselves Aryans. About 600 B.C. Zoroaster (Zarthust) postulated two deities, Ahura Mazda the benevolent and Angra Mainyu the malevolent, who were constantly at war with each other. They eventually merged into one god Ormuzd. Angra Mainyu became Ahriman. Zoroaster wrote the Zend Avesta and hypothesised that when a man dies, the spirit waits for three days on Earth. On each of the

three nights, it reflects on what it had said, thought and did, after which it has to cross a bridge which will decide the outcome. Because some kinds of ethics and morals are similar in all human beings, and they are also mentioned in the pagan, Hindu, Egyptian, Hebrew, Christian and Islamic scriptures, it is alleged that they have been copied from earlier ones. Every religion has a way of life, leads to a particular way of living and to a particular outlook on life, which is appreciated only by its adherents but frowned upon by people of another religion. Although some religions teach beliefs that contradict those of other faiths, people believe their own religion as the absolute truth, hold on to it and defend it with fierce determination. In fact, some men never do evil or good so perfectly as when they do it from religious conviction.

However, we Muslims believe that Adam, the first man who set foot on planet Earth, was a Muslim, thus signifying his true submission to the One deity. Throughout the ages, since the time of the Prophet Adam, revelations came to succeeding prophets to correct the wrongs prevailing in the people at the time. All these prophets are accepted as Muslims for the same reason of their submission to Allah’s will. Names of the prophets mentioned in the Qur᾿an are: Ādam (Adam); Nūḥ (Noah); Idrīs (Enoch); Hūd; Ṣ āliḥ; Ibrāhīm (Abraham); Lūṭ (Lot); Ismāīl (Ishmael); Isḥāq (Isaac); Ya‘qūb (Jacob); Yūsuf (Joseph); Shu‘aib (Jethro); Ayyūb (Job); Mūsa (Moses); Hārūn (Aaron); Dhūl-kifl (Ezekiel); Dawūd (David); Sulaimān (Solomon); Ilyās (Elias); Al-yasā’ (Elisha); Yūnus (Jonah); Zakariyyā (Zachariah); Yaḥya (John); ‘Īsā (Jesus); Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, peace be upon them all.

The problems varied from people to people. Some communities lacked desirable qualities while antisocial customs prevailed in others. Allah sent different prophets to these communities, who emphasised and preached against a particular type of sinful custom that was present in their era, thus concentrating on a narrow spectrum of wrong-doings, some of which were:

(1) Hābīl and Qābil. (Abel and Cain are not mentioned in the Qur᾿an by name but their names can be found in the Jewish scriptures). The story of the murder of Abel (Hābīl) by his elder brother Cain (Qābil) is narrated thus: Adam had ordered his 22-year old son Qābil (Cain) to marry the twin sister of Hābīl (Abel), Labūda by name, who was 2 years younger but not as beautiful as his own twin sister Aqlīma, whom Cain preferred to marry. Adam ordered them to make their offerings to God, thus referring the dispute to Him. Cain offered some useless fruits and vegetables of little value, while Abel offered the flesh of his best fat sheep. Cain’s offer was refused but Abel’s offer was accepted by God because Abel was a righteous man. Hence, Cain got jealous and killed his 20 year old pious younger brother Abel. When Cain was about to kill Abel, Abel did not retaliate but said to Cain: If you raise your hand to kill me, I will not raise my hand to kill you, since I fear Allah. I will allow you to draw your sins as well as mine on yourself, and you will be among the companions of fire. (Q.5:28-29). After murdering his brother, Cain did not know how to dispose of the corpse until he saw a raven scratching the earth and raising it over another dead raven, showing him how to dispose of the dead body (Q.5:31). Thus the first grave in history was dug and the first homicide was recorded.

(2) Noah was a prophet who advised his people to worship Allah and develop taqwā (Q.71:3). By this time, humanity had turned towards evil in large numbers, with the result that a massive warning was delivered by Allah in the form of flood that destroyed most of them. Noah survived the flood because of his absolute faith in the One and Only God in this world of unbelief and took his flock to safety in the Ark which landed on Mt. Judi. He lived 950 years (Q.29:14). We are advised to retain it in our memory and recall the lessons of the past (Q.69:12).

(3) Jonah (Yūnus, also known as Zun-nūn: “man of the fish”). Jonah’s mission was addressed to the city of Niniveh, which was steeped in wickedness. Like all the messengers before him, he was rejected by the people when he tried to tell them about their evil ways. Yūnus lost patience and asked for Allah’s wrath to descend on them. Rather than patiently continuing with his preaching in Niniveh, he hastily boarded a ship (Q.21:87). But the people of Niniveh repented and were granted Allah’s forgiveness, while a storm engulfed the ship in which Yunus was travelling. Frightened of stormy weather, the sailors who thought Yūnus to be a bad omen threw him overboard where he was swallowed by a whale. Inside the whale, Yūnus turned to Allah and repented for his blameworthy act (Q.37:142-143). The mistake that Yūnus had committed might have been the anger during prophetic office, possibly because of frustration. But once he praised God while in the darkness in the belly of the fish, he was hurled onto the shore by Allah’s mercy and returned to his people to carry on with his mission.

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(4) Prophet Ibrahīm A.S. known as Khalīlullāh (the friend of Allah) was a Muslim and a hanīf (a believing monotheist), but his people including his father Āzar, used to worship idols and the celestial bodies. One day, when there was nobody in the village, Prophet Ibrahīm took up an axe, smashed all the idols except the largest one and then put the axe in the hand of the chief idol. When the people returned, they asked Ibrahīm, if he knew who was the person who had smashed the idols? He replied it was the chief idol who did it. Since they knew that the idol could neither see nor hear or speak, they refused to believe Ibrahīm. However, though the absurdity of worshipping such useless idols instead of the One Creator became apparent and Ibrahīm pointed this out to them, the people refused to listen to him. They were angry with him for tampering with their beliefs and their rituals, and put him in a bonfire to burn him alive but the fire became cold by Allah’s command and did not harm him at all (Q.21:69). All the subsequent prophets mentioned by name in the Qur᾿an were born from Ibrahīm’s lineage. The main reason for Ibrahīm and Isma‘īl settling in Makkah was that Ibrahīm’s off-springs should not worship idols (Q.14:35) and that they should be steadfast in prayer (Q.14:37). They should not worship what they have carved out with their own hands (Q.37:95-96). (5) Isma‘īl (the eldest son of Ibrāhīm); Idrīs (Enoch) and Zulkifl preached constancy and patience (Q. 21:85). The sufferings of Ismā‘īl began in infancy but his steady submission to Allah’s Will was reflected in the title he earned as Dhabīḥullah (the Sacrifice to Allah).

(6) Lūṭ was Ibrahīm’s nephew; he was a righteous and pious man (Q.21:74). He was sent as a trustworthy prophet to the city of Sodom to warn the perverse and homosexual inhabitants. They did not listen to Prophet Lūṭ so the angels told him to leave the city before morning, as the city would be destroyed. When calamity struck and the homosexual inhabitants of Sodom perished with the city (Q.27:55-58: 11:77-83), Lūṭ was saved with his family, except for his wife.

(7) The Thamūds would not surrender the religion of their fore-fathers (Q.11:62) and scorned the idea of the Day of Judgment (Q.69:4). They would not allow animals to graze on common lands which in reality belonged to Allah. Prophet Ṣāleh asked them to allow a she-camel to graze in the open grasslands but they killed her. Ṣāleh preached against dishonouring the symbol of Allah’s bounty and denying others the gift of Allah’s spacious earth, e.g. grazing rights on common lands. (8) The people of Madyān were mischievous and would give short measure and wrong advice. Prophet Shu‘aib (Jethro, father-in-law of Moses, and a grandson of Madyān who was a son of Ibrahīm) preached against such fraudulent dealings. He advised them not to be miserly in their gifts to men, not to do evil on the streets, and not to sit down in every avenue thereby turning them away from the Path of God and making the Path look crooked for those who believe in Him (Q.7:85-86).

(9) The people of ‘Ād lived immediately after Noah. They were handsome and arrogant because of their prosperity. They also used brute force, believed in superstitions, ancestor worship and false gods. Prophet Hūd preached against such practices. (10) Ayyūb (Job) was an example of patience while suffering the loss of his son, lack of self-confidence, and his affliction with disease.

(11) (Fir‘awn): Pharaoh. In the Qur᾿an, Fir‘awn was the king with whom Moses and his elder brother Hārūn (Aaron) had to deal. Pharaoh declared himself as the God Most High (Q.28:38) and treated the Israelites as slaves using them as forced labour. When his astrologers told him that one day an Israelite would be born who would defeat him, he commanded that every Israelite boy be killed. (When a want of servants was noticed, he legislated that boys should be killed on alternate years, which explains how Hārūn, being elder than Mūsa, was saved). Fir‘awn threatened the magicians of the court with dreadful punishment when they prostrated to Allah (Q.7:120-121; 26:46-47), but just before his death, he himself repented and accepted Islam, though his repentance was not accepted. Death-bed repentance is not accepted in Islam (Q.4:18). While pursuing Moses’ army, he was drowned (Q.2:50; 8:54), then his body floated in the water only to be cast on land, and was preserved as a permanent lesson to mankind (Q.10:92). (Could it be possible that Moses who was a knowledgeable prophet having been trained in the Royal Court of Pharaoh, knew about high tide and low tide, and crossed with his men when the tide was low while Pharaoh and his army got caught in the high tide of the Red Sea when they followed Moses, and was drowned?) There is another theoretical possibility. The average depth of an ocean is 2.5 miles and by comparison, Mt. Everest is 5.5 miles high. Undersea earthquakes cause tsunamis or huge

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waves, sometimes 200 feet high. Many volcanoes appear on sea-beds and even islands form due to earthquakes. (Three classes of earthquakes are now recognised: tectonic which are most destructive; volcanic; and those artificially produced by underground nuclear blasts). In Q.26:63, it is mentioned that Prophet Moses A.S struck the sea with his rod which divided the sea and both sides became like huge mountains. Pharaoh’s army might have been caught in between these newly-erupted mountains and got drowned. (Another logical explanation is provided by the destruction of the island of Thera, which may have produced tsunamis reaching to this area. Scientists have calculated a difference of 20 minutes between the two waves. When one wave passes, the water level recedes much below the actual level. So, Moses and his men might have passed during the twenty minutes interval while the Egyptians got drowned when the second wave came). However, no matter what explanation we give, in the final analysis, we have to accept the truth of this event as a Qur᾿anic verity and a miracle ordained by Allah. (12) David and Solomon preached against injustice and failure to proclaim Allah’s Glory. They made full use of their God-given faculties of speech and power of wisdom and judgment.

These and many other lessons learnt during relevant periods in the history of mankind beginning with Ādam, finally evolved into a complete religion through prophets Moses, pbuh, and Jesus, pbuh, to the last prophet, our leader Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬- a holistic code of life encompassing a broad spectrum of human values, viz. spiritual, physical, intellectual, financial, moral and social, a new and refined concept in thought, feeling and action and in fact, a new world order. Finally Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was ordered to proclaim Allah’s Word so as to fulfil his mission (Q.5:67). Just as Allah is the God of all the worlds, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is a messenger for the whole of mankind. As the religion of Islam was completed during the office tenure of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬it would be interesting to trace back the history of pre-Muḥammad Islam.

With the prophethood of Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, man was forbidden to worship any created being and commanded to worship the Creator, Allah, Who is the One and Only, and Who created a product of His Will, viz. the universe with its inhabitants. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬put a stop to worship of man by man and helped to liberate people from exploitation. To create a healthy social order, Islam stressed protecting the honour of every individual. It forbade people from accepting scandalous news as facts (Q.49:6). In case a man was in possession of facts, he was obliged to give evidence to help others (Q.2:283) but false evidence before a court of law was made a crime (Q.24:4). Thus Islam guaranteed justice to every individual. In order to ensure its implementation, man’s action was divided into duty toward God (huqūq allāh) and duty toward His creation (huqūq al ‘ibād). The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬made clear in his Ḥ adith that masters should treat their slaves as their brothers and female captives as their sisters, if not in faith, at least in humanity. He said: Your servants are your brethren. Allah has put them under your control. He could, if He willed, make you under their control. Thus, whoever has his brother under his control, let him feed him of his same food and dress him of his same dress. Never saddle them with work that goes beyond their capability. If the work happens to be somehow difficult, lend them a helping hand.

All the previous prophets were sent to warn a particular community but Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was sent once and for all, for all mankind. Hence he is known as the “seal” of the Prophets. The Prophet‫ﷺ‬ was sent to proclaim: O mankind! I am a Messenger of Allah unto all of you. (Q.7:158). He infused all aspects of religion into man. A homo religious Islamicus (a religious Muslim) is one in whom food, work, money, knowledge, joy, sorrow, time, space, earth, sky and the human body itself carry a religious meaning. This includes such sacred rites and ceremonies in life as births, ‘aqīqahs, circumcisions, weddings and funerals. We Muslims believe in all prophets (Q.3:84). All the prophets were told that another prophet would come after them confirming what they preached, and they all said, We agree, (Q.3:81). His name shall be Aḥmad (Q.61:6), which is one of the names of Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. Another of his names is ‘Āqib (the last and final one). Just praying and telling people that they must espouse goodness and forbid wrong-doing is not sufficient. We must be exemplars ourselves in our actions, so that others would emulate us. By our own example, we have a unique opportunity to transform the lives of hundreds of homes into happy ones. We should always bear in mind that all religions teach that the life of a believer is equal in value to that

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of a non-believer; that we are all fellow human beings, that freedom of religion is a fundamental human right, and that neighbours include believers as well as non-believers.

We are commanded by Allah to render (i) justice, (ii) iḥsān, i.e. something better in return, (iii) help to relatives liberally; and also to forbid (i) all shameful deeds and lewdness, (ii) injustice, (iii) wickedness and rebellion (Q.16:90). We are advised not to partake of pork, alcohol and other intoxicants; not to be proud and boastful (Q.57:23); not to envy anyone whom Allah has granted more bounties than ourselves (Q.4:32); speak kindly to people (Q.2:83); men also must preserve their chastity through their wives (Q.70:29). In fact, the Holy Qur᾿an first advises men to be chaste (Q.24:30) and then women (Q.24:31).

Even the finer points about religion were stressed in Islam, e.g. verify rumours (Q.49:6); don’t laugh at others, they may be better than you, and don’t be sarcastic (Q.49:11). Never say “I am better than he” because these are Satan’s words (Q.7:12). Avoid suspicion and don’t backbite (Q.49:12), and deliver trusts back to their owners (Q.4:58). The Qur᾿an contains hundreds of such advices and guidelines. Allah himself had decreed that He and His Apostle would prevail (Q.58:21). Some of the Apostle’s sayings:

(1) Indeed the gates to goodness are many, viz. glorifying God, enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong, removing any source of harm from the road, listening to the aggrieved, guiding the blind, showing the seeker his need, striving as far as your two legs could carry you; giving succour to him who asks; carrying with the strength of your arm the burden of the weak. All these are acts of charity which are an obligation on you. (2) A Muslim is he from whose hands and tongue others are safe.

(3) One from whose persecution and mischief the neighbours are not safe is not a Mu᾿min.

(4) If a person sleeps after having his fill but his neighbour remains hungry, the former has no faith in Allah.

Muslims should not condemn another's religion. In fact, we should remember that there is no compulsion in religion (Q.2:256). Your religion is yours, and my religion is mine, (Q.109:6). We are specifically warned in Q. 6:108 not to pass unworthy remarks at other people’s deities lest they spitefully blaspheme Allah. However, we Muslims neither believe in the Holy Trinity of the Christians nor the Holy Trinity of the Hindus, but we firmly believe in the Absolute Unity or the Oneness of Allah (Q.16:22). We are commanded to believe in One God, not two (Q.16:51), neither three (Q.4:171) nor many (Q.12:39; 21:22; 23:91). On the Day of Judgment, each one will be judged by one’s own scripture, including polytheists (Q.22:17; 45:28). We are reminded in Q.5:48 that each community has been given a Law (i.e. rules of practical conduct) and an Open Way. Allah could have guided all of us to the right path (Q.16:9) and make all mankind conform to a single religion but Allah’s Plan is to test us in what He has given us, whether in money, looks, profession, skill or religion. So we have to striveَ hard to acquire َ

ْ ُ ُ َ ْ ْ ُ َ َ ُ َ ْ ‫ﺠﺎ‬ َ​َ good virtues. Islam lays particular emphasis on actions. In Q.2:139, Allah says: ‫ﻗﻤﺎﻟﻜﻢ‬F ‫ﻗﻤﺎﺠﺎ َ ﻟﻜﻢ‬F

Lanā a‘māluna wa lakum a‘mālukum meaning: We are responsible for our own deeds and you for yours. A Persian proverb says that we will go into our own graves and nobody else’s.

َ ْ ‫ ﻳﻦ‬ ُ ِّ 4‫ ٳ‬Innad Dina ‘Indal The way of life and the religion approved by Allah is Islam. ‫ﻋﻨﺪ ﷲ ﻹﺳﻼ‬ ِ َِ Lāhil Islām (Q.3:19) and that no other religion will be accepted from mankind except Islam (Q.3:85). Moreover, as Allah reminds us to call on Him making our religion sincerely His (Q.7:29), we shall now say a few words about God’s approved religion - the great, dynamic and balanced religion called Islam, which is universal. Islam provides for all the seasons of life from birth to marriage, childhood to old age, death, bereavement and the Hereafter.

Islām

The word, Islām, is derived from the root word salām or salm meaning peace or from silm meaning submission of our will to Allah. Islam is devoted to the preservation of peace, peace with the Creator, peace with oneself, peace with the environment and with the community at large. It is a comprehensive way of life, thought and feeling. Salām means Source of Peace and Perfection in Q. 59:23 and is one of Allah’s Most Beautiful Names. There are many persons by the name of ‘Abdus Salām. If we would like to

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enter the religion of Islam, we must necessarily surrender to SalÄ m, i.e. to Allah. DÄ r us SalÄ m is the Abode of Allah in Paradise where we hope to meet Him. An acronym of I Shall Love All Mankind also represent the true Spirit of I s l a m. If we want to live

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in peace with ourselves, we say: ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟﺎﺤďť&#x;‏ ‍‏ Ů? ‍ﺒﺎ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź ďť‹ďť ďť´ďť¨ďşŽ ŮŽ ďş’ďť&#x;‏AssalÄ mu ‘AlynÄ wa ‘AlÄ â€˜IbÄ dil lÄ his

áš˘Ä lihÄŤn (peace be upon us and upon the righteous servants) in our prayers in tashahhud. If we want to live in peace with our fellow-Muslims as well as non-Muslims, we must say “AssalÄ mu ‘Alykumâ€? to friends and also to strangers on meeting them. Moreover, after termination of our prayers, we must recite the same to the recording angels who may be residing in our right and left cerebral hemispheres. In Q.24:61, we are advised to greet one another with a greeting from Allah. If we are righteous, when we die and meet Allah, He is going to greet us by saying ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź ďť‹ďť ďť´ďťœ‏

(Q.33:44). This frequently repeated du‘a at the termination of prayer means:

ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4Ů?4 ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ‏ Ů? ŮŽ 4 ‍ﺎďş&#x; Ů?‏ Ů? 4 Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź Ű?‏ Ů? 4 Ů’ ‍ ﺖ‏ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ﺴ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź Ű? ﺣﺎ‏ Ů? 4 Ů? ‍ ďş‘ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘â€Ź Ů? ‍ ďťš ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź Ű? €”‏ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ ‍ ďťťďť›ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź Ű? ﺒﺎ ÂŽďş– ďş‘ﺎ ďťłďťŒďşŽÂ”ďş– ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş§ďť ďť¨ďşŽ Ů?‏F

Aá¸ˇá¸ˇÄ humma innaka antas SalÄ m, wa minkas SalÄ m, wa ilyka yarji ‘us SalÄ m; ḼayyinÄ RabbanÄ bis SalÄ m; wad khilnÄ fÄŤ dÄ raka dÄ ras salÄ m; tabÄ rakta Rabbana wa ta â€˜Ä lyta yÄ dhil jalÄ li wal ikrÄ m. O Allah, indeed You are the source of peace; and from You, security is assured; and to You, all salutations return; greet us, O Allah, with SalÄ mun ‘Alykum (when we meet) and make us enter Your House, the Abode of peace and tranquillity. Indeed you are Blessed and Most Exalted.

ŮŒŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺳﺔ‏ SalÄ mat is derived from salÄ m. It means well-being. The World Health Organisation defines health

or well-being as not merely absence of disease and infirmity, but as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. Islam works towards such a goal because of (a) the physical exercise during prayers, amounting to more than 30 minutes a day; (b) a sound mental condition as a result of peace with the Creator, with oneself and with the surroundings. During prayers, serotonin, encephalins, endorphins and other neurotransmitters are released by the brain which are responsible for the tranquil state; (c) peace and security which is assured for the future, in the House of Allah (DÄ r us SalÄ m). Islam is Din-al-Fiáš­rah, the natural religion of monotheism at birth, found in every new born. Allah’s handiwork is established according to the original pattern on which He made mankind, and this will never change (Q.30:30). We learn from ḤadÄŤth Al-BukhÄ ri and ImÄ m Muslim that: Every child that is born is born upon the Fiáš­rah, (towards the religion of monotheism) but his parents make him a Jew, Christian or a Zoroastrian. In this ḤadÄŤth, the Prophet‍ ‏did not mention that his parents make him a Muslim, because it is understood that every child is born in the standard religion of Islam, which is monotheism coterminous with total resignation to Allah’s Will. Islam is as old as our first father Adam, and as young as the latest infant just born. Since every child is born in a state of submission to God, we should liveŮŽ as Muslims and also die as Muslims:

ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů? Ů’Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ 4 4 Ů? Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ â€ŤďťŁďş´ďť ‏ ‍ďť?ďş˜‏F ‍ ďť“ďťź  Ů?;‏Fa lÄ tamĹŤtunna illÄ wa antum MuslimĹŤn means Then die not except as Muslims, Ů?

i.e. in submission (Q.2:132), because the religion approved by Allah is Islam (Submission to His Will) (Q.3:19) which should continue in this life through death into the Hereafter. This concept of total submission of oneself to the One Deity, i.e. Allah, is in itself responsible for the satisfaction, serenity and tranquillity of man. Once we accept willingly that whatever Allah does for us is the best for us, it would lead to secretion of many neurotransmitters by the brain such as encephalins, endorphins, dopamine, serotonin and others. It is postulated that this peaceful and desirable state at death marking the termination of this life continues via Barzakh to the Hereafter. Fastidious compliance with the verses of the Qurážżan means that we must read them, heed them and implement them, to become evolved as the best of mankind.Ů’ Ů? Ů?

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ŮŽ ‍ﺗﺄﺎ‏ Ů? ‍  ďť‹‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ďťŒﺎ‏ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? ‍ďť&#x;ďť ďť¨ďşŽâ€Ź ŮŽ ‍ďş˜‏ Ű— ‍ﺑﺎﺑ‏ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺧﺎďş&#x;ﺖ‏F Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺧﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺗﺆ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺔ‏F Ů?

Kuntum khyra ummatinn ukhrijat linnÄ si ta’murĹŤna bil ma‘rĹŤfi wa tanhavna ‘anil munkari wa tu’minĹŤna billÄ hi: You are the best of peoples evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong and believing firmly in Allah (Q.3:110). The test of every religious system is the man that it makes and how he treats those persons who cannot do him any good as well as those who cannot fight back. The Muslim starts off with truth and progresses from truth to truth, and knows fully well where he is going when he dies - to the Absolute truth, i.e. to Allah.

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Islam is the religion of baptism, baptised not by a human being but by Allah Himself. We take on a symbolic colour from the Beautiful Attributes of Allah. َ

ًَْ َ ُ َ َُ ُ َْ َ 4 َ ُ َ ْ ْ َ​َ 4 َ​َْ ‫ﺨﺑﺪ‬ ِ ‫ ِﺻﺒﻐﺔ‬Ṣibghatulḷ āhi waman aḥsana minaḷḷāhi ṣibghatunn ِ ‫ﺣﺴﻦ ِﻣﻦ‬F ‫ ﺑ ۝ ﻣﻦ‬ ِ ® ‫ ﺑ ِﺻﺒﻐﺔ ۝ ﺤﻧﻦ‬ wanaḥnu lahū ‘ābidūn: meaning: (Our religion is) Allah’s own dye: and who has a better dye than Allah? And it is He Whom we worship. (Q.2:138). Muslims have a personal relationship with Allah, a relationship free from priest craft or official clergy. The Muslim has no difficulty in knowing what the noblest act is. He does whatever pleases his Creator, i.e. his actions conform to Allah’s Will and pleasure. To him all that pleases Allah is desirable and all that displeases Him is evil. In so doing, he becomes a treasure of spiritual enlightenment offering free advice and assistance to needy persons. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬will never return to this Earth, and therefore, it is we who have been designated to shoulder certain responsibilities to propagate his duty, which was solely to fulfil Allah’s mission (Q.5:67). If the Messenger is dead, it does not mean that his message is dead. For us to be called by Allah the best of people, we must do our utmost and prove our worth so as to be included in Q.3:110. We cannot judge Islam by the present-day Muslims who have very far to go to reach the required standards. These days we stand with folded hands and an apologetic attitude. The teachings of Islam have remained the same throughout the ages, but Muslims are not today what Muslims were before. Islam need not be reformed but many Muslims should be.

Invitation to Islam is called Islamic Da‘wah. Through a Muslim, others including non-Muslims, can benefit from the supreme vision and from the good that has come to the Muslim. Da‘wah is for Muslims as well as for non-Muslims. The Muslim has to achieve felicity through unceasing effort. Muslims carry the heavy burden of social responsibility and the mission of fighting evil. For our Da‘wah not to have negative effects, we must live a life as Muslims should, by living up to certain Islamic principles of adab (etiquette) and akhlāq (manners). If we confront a Hindu or a Christian that his god is no God, that his religion is no good, his customs and food are unhygienic etc., the chances are that he will either walk away or curse Allah and reply that we Muslims are stupid because we cannot understand their way of thinking, that we are terrorists, and womanisers etc. Allah warns us that we should not curse other people’s deities lest they curse Allah out of spite (Q.6:108). However if we give a hungry person a meal or some clothes, or a needy person some money and then invite him for the Friday prayers, he may get attracted towards Islam, and will be interested to know more about it. With time he may ultimately embrace Islam whole-heartedly if God helps him. This second approach is the true Islamic da‘wah. Da‘wah is not dogmatic but intellectual, with presentation of rational truth, open to questions and answers. In Q.16:125, Allah advises us to invite people to Allah’s Path with intelligible preaching, wisdom and grace. It should always keep itself open to new evidence and scientific discoveries. There is no chapter in the Holy Qur᾿an in which Allah has not made an earnest appeal to reason and intellect. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is reported to have said: Faith is not complete if it is accepted unquestionably. Moreover, Allah trains us in giving ready-made answers whenever questions are asked, some examples being Q. 2:186; 2:215; 2:217; 2:219; 2:220; 2:222; 5:4; 7:187; 8:1; 17:85; 33:63 and others. There is no coercion in religion (Q.2:256). It must be with the free consent of the called. We must debate and discuss intelligently, and for this, we must have a fair idea of comparative religion, and a much better knowledge of our own. At the same time, we should not belittle the honesty of scientific thought in others in order to justify our own ignorance in any particular subject. We should not argue with people of the scripture unless with something better (Q.29:64). If we are ignorant, then it is better not to do Islamic da‘wah to a more educated person of another religion, lest he influences us to change our religion to his. Simple dismissals of another person’s beliefs are a sure way to get him to dismiss our own beliefs. History has shown us that there is no benefit in arguing about religion and in fact, such procedures have done mankind much harm. Why should we worry when we already know that Islam shall prevail over all religions (Q.61:9). George Bernard Shaw says, If any religion has a chance of ruling over England, say, Europe, within the next 100 years, it is Islam.

Islamic da‘wah:

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Who is a Muslim and what image should he project?

Islām means surrender to Allah of our whole being, not of just some of our possessions, e.g. money. Islamic life is a path of continuous struggle and sacrifice par excellence, to make us both inwardly and outwardly Muslims. Allah advises us that we must put the love of Allah, His Messenger, and striving in His cause, before our family members, wealth and business (Q.9:24). The declaration of the shahādah which identifies one as a Muslim is not only verbal, but requires constant acting on it for him to become a better Muslim, viz. a Mu᾿min. A Muslim has to fight on all fronts with false gods outside and inside him, and strive with his belongings and his self (Q.49:15) to become a Mu᾿min, who is a step higher on Ṣirāṭal Mustaqīm. Each one of us can make a contribution to the society, especially if we become innovators and set the trend, rather than becoming imitators or duplicators. After all, what is a society but an individual multiplied? We should not drift on the ocean of life being tossed here and there by every new wave and fashion. For us to be in Dīn ul Qayyimah (the Right Religion), Allah has commanded us to follow three requisites in Q.98:5, viz. (1) have firm faith in Him and worship Him with all sincerity by obeying His Commands, (2) establish regular prayers and (3) practise regular giving of zakāt. By doing this, we become the best of communities evolved for mankind, enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong (Q.3:110; 16:90). Each one of us has something valuable to offer to the person we meet or to the society. They come into our lives for a particular purpose and we enter theirs for a special reason. Today may present us with opportunities to reach out to someone who needs either physical, spiritual or financial assistance, or advice or direction. Islam teaches equality, care and sharing. None of you can be a true Muslim unless he wishes for others what he wishes for himself, and unless he loves his fellow-men for only Allah’s sake and not out of any selfish motive. (Ḥadīth; Masnad Aḥmad). Muslims consider themselves on a special mission on this Earth with responsibilities and trusts to fulfil. They are expected to leave this planet Earth qualitatively better than what they inherited. We must fulfil all obligations, social, spiritual, matrimonial and environmental (Q.5:1). Fulfilling all obligations is a cardinal feature of Islamic ethics. If we fail to keep up our promise, then we simulate Satan (Q.14:22). The penalty for violating any of the commandments is to feed ten poor people with the same food we eat or free someone from being exploited from a status of slavery (Q.5:88). The task of a Muslim in a minority scenario is firstly to be recognised, then respected, then accepted, without losing the unique features of the Islamic identity. We should be an effective and radiant part of the society. And even if we are small in numbers in any country we should be strong in faith. Sometimes, what a man or woman can do single-handedly, a whole community cannot. We must never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed Muslims can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that might. How often, by Allah’s will, a small force has vanquished a big one? (Q.2:249). Sometimes, in every work of another genius, we find our own abandoned thoughts. The image that a Muslim projects, as a minority, may have global implications. He could preserve his Muslim identity by behaving in a gentlemanly Islamic way, and yet be sociable. Isolation is a form of inaccessibility and a loss to the society which is struggling to move forward. Muslim minorities should be aware that they do not set the rules. They must influence the social values and hence the decision making. The aim is not mass conversion of others to Islam but rather to convince people of the reality and truth which Islam offers. The best approach is a non-apologetic approach which will not compromise Islam and its value system. For us to project the right image as a minority group in any country entails strict adherence to all the Islamic principles of morality, business ethics, trustworthiness, good thoughts, words and deeds, charity, etc. As a minority, we must stick together, help and protect each other to find Islamic solutions for all of us. The objective should be to unite and grow into a solid ummah, while facing all mischievous intrigues of the modern world confronting us and eroding our progress. Being imperfect, we are bound to have flaws, some hereditary, some acquired. But unless we try, we will never know what we can do and what we cannot. To achieve perfection, we must try to change ourselves. Each one of us should try to improve those we encounter. When we plant trees, we may not be able to sit under their shade or reap the fruits during our life time, but some time later, others will. This can be done by our own example of unselfish service and by encouragement, not by exploiting their weaknesses. The more we help others, the better they will become. This also leads to the improvement of the person within us and by extension, the community. We mature through helping others. Prophet

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MuḼammad‍ ‏said None of you truly believes until he wishes for his brother what he wishes for himself . The ideal Muslim is sure of himself both in this world and in the Hereafter. He is always striving towards falÄ h i.e. success, prosperity, unfolding of oneself and freedom from anxiety. Every contact by a good Muslim with any other person may impart a quota of spiritual dimension. A Muslim is not a problem to the society. He is a provider of solution to the problems. Muslims carry the heavy burden of social responsibility for fighting evil in the community. To be a good Muslim, one has to exert his maximum effort (jahd) and perform his jihÄ d of critical thinking, evaluation and performance. (Unfortunately, jahd has been incorrectly translated by the West as a call to fight nonMuslims in defence of Islam. The root word of jahd is jahada meaning to strive for a better way of life. JihÄ d or ijtihÄ d means to exert maximum effort in the struggle within oneself, be it for self-purification, suppressing primitive animal instincts or achievement of some noble goal. This also includes fighting to defend one’s life, religion and land. It does not mean exclusively a ‘holy war’ as propagated by the West. The holy war was a term coined by Europeans themselves for Crusades, which meant war against Muslims. TaqlÄŤd (literally imitation or copying) accepts blind following of any particular decree, limits legal decisions and repeats previously established orthodox Islamic rulings. TaqlÄŤd discourages independent creative interpretation of jihÄ d. (In Q.22:78, we are asked to strive in Allah’s cause as we ought to and as is His due). In the ideal Muslim home, meals are eaten together, beginning with Bismillah with the first morsel of food and ending with al hamdu lillah after the last one. The Muslim home is a place where the Qurážżan is recited, ᚣalÄ t (prayer) is performed and everyone has a sense of time and place, time of the ᚣalÄ t and the place determined by the direction of the qiblah. The Islamic protocol demands that seniority is respected and that younger ones listen to the elders. A good practising Muslim has the qualities of taqwa, sadaqah, infÄ q and others. There is no word in English that would carry the comprehensive meaning of taqwÄ , which comprises fear of God, God-consciousness, piety; protection against evil; righteousness; duty to Allah; abstinence; self-restraint or guarding one’s tongue, hands and heart from evil leading to good conduct; observance of the Divine Ordinance in every walk of life; love of Allah; preserving or guarding oneself from sins of omission and commission. Some of these meanings are interchangeable in English (e.g. Q. 2:21; 2:197; 47:17). We need to practise taqwÄ (Q.2:189) if we wish Allah to be with us (Q.16:128). He will then acquit us of our evil deeds (Q.65:5), make us prosperous (Q.3:130) and bring Paradise forward for us (Q.26:90). There are some persons who do not fear God. Shaikh Sa‘di says: I fear God and next to God I mostly fear them that fear Him not. TaqwÄ is derived from waqa meaning to protect oneself from God’s punishment by doing only that which pleases Him. It is piety in practice. TaqwÄ is the culmination of a process of spiritual cleansing which instils a concept of God-consciousness in the individual with a view to acquiring divine attributes. When a person acquires taqwÄ , he does nothing that would displease Allah. How to attain the love of Allah? We have to seek His help in loving Him five-times daily in our prayers; and be mindful of living and doing whatever we do between the prayer times as if He is watching us (Q. 57:4; 52:48). We should also recognise that all our actions are for His pleasure only. A muttaqÄŤ has to be constantly on the alert not to displease Allah. This can be done by mentally stepping aside during the time from whatever he is doing and pausing for one moment to remind himself that Allah is continuously watching his actions. Those who have practised taqwÄ will pass through the gates of Paradise and be showered with salÄ ms (Q.39:73). Becoming a constant companion of God induces eternal joy as in this poem:

TaqwÄ :

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On shab kè tĂł dar kenaarè maa ee rooz ast; wonrooz kè baa tĂł meerawad navrooz ast:; Yaaree daareem kè meslo maanandash neest;; dar donyaa wo aakherat baa oo baayad zeest. The night that You are close to us is like daylight; The day that passes in Your company is like a recurring festival of Eid: We have a Friend the like and resemblance of Whom is none whatsoever; Both in this world and in the Hereafter we should be living with Him. TaqwÄ is a result of sincere devotion to Allah and unselfish service to mankind. It is established through conscious fear of Allah and after many hardships and stumbles. The Muážżmin is one who has

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already acquired taqwÄ and is God-conscious. He exhibits good morals and good conduct and is an asset to the Muslim ummah. Through a Muážżmin, the seed of Allah’s Attributes can germinate in other people’s minds and take a firm root. The Muážżmin needs to do a lot of sacrifices willingly, which should not be difficult for him, since he has been used to cultivating that sacrificial personality all along, during the annual month of Ramaá¸?Ä n and the subsequent two months and ten days of study and research period, following the fasting month. TaqwÄ is the fruit of ᚣiyÄ m -ŮŽ the Islamic fast (Q. 2:183-185). ŮŽ

Ů’ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺄﺎ‏ Ů° ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺝﺪ‏ Ů° ŮŽ Ů’ F ‍‏ Ů° ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ‍‏ ‍ﺑﺎﺤďť&#x;ﺴ‏ ‍ ďťłďť°ďť˜ Ű?‏ Fa ammÄ man aâ€˜áš­Ä wat taqÄ * Wa ᚣ addaqa bil Ḽ usnÄ : In Q.92:5-6, giving has been associated with: (1) taqwa (God-consciousness) (2) ᚣaddaqa (giving charity as in Q. 75:31), and (3) Ḽusna (Ḽasanah, a better form of charity). And let us now consider the Muslim ummah.

Ummah (community): Ummah (pl. Umam) means (a) a community or nation, (b) religion, (c) a

period of time; a while as in Q. 11:8; 12:45), (d) a certain way of life or conduct (Q.43:22). Every community has its own rites and ceremonies (Q.22:34; 22:67) and every nation will be called to account by its prescribed Book (Q.45:28). This is because God has sent to each ummah a messenger (Q.6:42; 10:47; 13:30; 16:63; 23:44) and an admonisher (Q.35:24,42) and therefore all communities will be brought to Judgment (Q.6:108; 7:34; 10:49; 15:5; 23:43; 27:83; 45:28). Ummah refers to men and jinn in Q.7:38; 41:25; 46:18, and all living creatures including animals and birds in Q.6:38. The Holy Qurážżan is a Book of HidÄ yah (guidance) to all of mankind. On practically every page the whole of mankind is mentioned, not just one person. Instead of saying “Iâ€?, we should be saying “Weâ€? in conformity with the procedure adopted by our leader Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏during his Me‘raj, when he

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exchanged greetings with Allah, SWT, on behalf of all of us: ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟﺎﺤďť&#x;‏ Ů?‍ﺒﺎ ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź ďť‹ďť ďť´ďť¨ďşŽ ŮŽ ďş’ďť&#x;‏AssalÄ mu

‘alynÄ wa ‘alÄ â€˜ibÄ dillÄ hiᚣ ášŁÄ liḼčn: May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon us all and upon the righteous servants. We must work for the community and also with the community for the common good of the ummah. All men are God’s people, and the one loved most by Him is the one who serves His people best (ḤadÄŤth). The poet equates Allah’s worship with service to mankind:

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Ebaadat bèjoz khidmatè khalq neest, bè tasbeeho sejjada Ăł dalq neest. Worship of Allah is naught without service to mankind; it is not with tasbÄŤh (rosary), prayer rug and a long gown. And in another poem: In search of God, I climbed the topmost steeple; when I got there, God exclaimed: ‘Get down, I dwell among the people’. The famous ḤadÄŤth of ImÄ m ‘Ali, R.A., sums up the procedure about achieving nearness to Allah:

Ů’ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? 4 Ů?‍ﺨďť&#x;ďť ďť– ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺔ  ďť&#x;ﺸďť”ďť˜ďş”â€ŹAt taa ‘ato Lillah Wash Shafaqqato li Khalqillah - Obedience to Allah, SWT, and

kindness to His Creatures. The hallmark of a pious Muslim incorporates the spirit of love, compassion, tolerance, sharing and caring, and service to mankind.

The Bee: The humble bee is a member of an ideal community, with each bee in the orchestra

responding to the notes of other bees. This community spirit and team work produces the sweetest thing in the world: honey. The busy bee has no time for gossip but spends all its available time, indeed all its life, in community service. The bee is a versatile insect and does any kind of job. In different periods of its life, it works as a house maid, a sweeper, a food-giver, a guard, and as traffic police by its “waggle dance� on the vertical sheets of honeycomb, directing others to the location of a rich source of food. Worker honey bees have a ring of iron oxide (“magnetite�) in their abdomens that may be used to detect magnetic fields and use it for navigation. There is all honesty and sincerity and no greed or jealousy in the little humble bee. The bee is the ultimate example of altruism. An average worker bee, a member of approximately 50,000 bees present in the hive, makes only about half a teaspoon of honey during its lifetime. Honey is the primary food source for the bee itself. The reason honeybees are so busy collecting nectar from distant flowers is to make sufficient food stores for their own colony to last throughout the winter months. The nectar is converted to honey by the honeybee and stored in the honeycomb.

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We Muslims still have to learn a lesson from this insect. There is a chapter (Chapter 16) in the Holy Qur᾿an entitled Al-Nahl: The Bee. Allah sent revelations (waḥ y) also to the bee to enable it to build its cells in hills and trees as well as in man’s habitations in order to absorb whatever is good in such far away places and bring them home to produce the sweetest thing in the world (honey), which is known to have healing properties. When would we take an example from this humble bee and produce a formula that would heal all rifts in the Muslim ummah? Does waḥy (inspiration) to the bee (Q.16:68) refer to brain waves? If so, can we Muslims get together and use our brains? Islam has become a target of attack for our common enemy which fuels old disputes and manipulates and exaggerates our little and insignificant differences. It is time that we, the Muslim intellectuals, form an alliance and an Islamic think-tank. We must identify ourselves as members of the local as well as the global ummah. Mutual trust, partnership and co-operation are essential, if we are to use our potential to match and/or even conquer our common enemy. There is strength in unity. God is on the side of the strongest battalions. Just like a labour union, we too should be united both spiritually and physically, through our works, with the global Muslim ummah. Such a unity will not imply that various Muslim sects should ignore their own beliefs and adopt those of others. What is required is to leave hostility behind, respect each other’s opinion and plan a common strategy. Respecting each other’s opinion is advantageous because it provides a wider spectrum of knowledge for debate and discussion by both parties concerned, which would eventually lead to the common benefit of both, and by extension, to the whole Muslim ummah. Intellect is one of the greatest gifts of Allah to mankind. Intellectual growth could be stimulated through differing viewpoints.

We Muslims are pathetically backward in technology: The reason for our

backwardness lies in the fact that although we have Muslim names we are not truly Muslims at heart for we have not followed the teachings of Islam where both Allah and the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬urge us to seek more and more knowledge. We have wasted and are continuing to waste millions of valuable Muslim man hours in arguing about trivia such as: how long or short the beard should be; should we fold hands during prayers above the navel or below or not at all; is elbow included in wuḍū; what about a cap during prayers; is singing, music and seeing pictures harām or halāl; should we calculate the time of appearance of the new moon or look for the crescent from ground level? Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬told us to avoid futile and unnecessary arguments. It is not difficult to imagine what heights we would have achieved if we had utilised this same time amounting to millions of Muslim thinking hours every day for exchange of scientific knowledge and technology. We go in groups to see the moon and say subḥānallah (Glory to Allah) unaware of the fact that the West has already reached the moon decades ago and has now gone far beyond, while we are still quarrelling whether we should allow the time of its appearance to be calculated or not. We Muslims will have no future if we continue to live in the past and merely rejoice at the glory of our ancestors. We cannot rise above other nations until we become part and parcel of present-day technological advancements. A survey of some Arab countries showed that the average government employee spends only 27 minutes of his time working and uses the balance in drinking coffee, reading newspapers, etc. How come the Zionists have transformed their desert into a green oasis while we who have deserts far larger than theirs have not done a thing about it? If we ask any Jewish student in a school to tell us about protons, electrons, neutrons, etc., he could give us a lecture on the subject. People can change their conditions through education, the same concept that Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ preached for many years. It would be better to teach our children science and technology than stress on unimportant subjects. If we do not wake up and make a start now, the enemy will do what they want while we keep our eyes closed. Oh ye faithful! Take not for intimates others than your own folk. They would spare no pains to corrupt you. They love to ruin you. Hatred is revealed by the utterance of their mouth but that which their chests hide is greater. We have made plain to you the lessons, if you will understand. (Q.3:118). We Muslims definitely want peace because ‘Islam’ stands for peace but that does not mean that we are afraid. We accept slavery to Allah and reject slavery to man.

4 ُ4ُ ‫ ﺑ‬ ‫ ﺳﻨﺔ‬Sunnatullah is the only sunnah mentioned in the Holy Qur᾿an. It means the fixed immutable ِ

divine course in treating mankind, including the practice of programming and implementing its specified laws. These laws never change (Q.33:38; 33:62; 35:43; 48:23). Researchers have shown recently that there is an almost perfect parallel between the mathematics describing celestial mechanics and the mathematics governing some aspects of atomic physics on Earth.

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If Allah had willed, we all could have been one nation, and He could have forced all of us to the True Way (Q.16:9). However, in His Wisdom and Plan is the training of man’s will. Hence, each of us in the community has to be tested separately (Q.5:48: 7:168). An opportunity is given to us individually to develop our personality under non-restricted conditions, during the period intervening between the Ramaá¸? an months and this would be the stage or the platform that would decide our rank in the Hereafter. Allah could have compelled all of us to do good deeds and to be good and righteous if He wanted to, but such forced goodness bears no fruit. Only goodness that we acquire by our own effort through His guidance is valuable. Allah has made us as individual members of a single specie called humankind, but has also divided us into different communities, to test us in what He has given us (Q.5:48) such as money, looks, talents, etc. Days of varying fortune (of prosperity and adversity) are given by Allah, by turns, to human-beings. (Q.3:140). We Muslims should strive hard to become eligible to receive this fortune. We should have high ambitions to begin with and aim much higher, as our achievements may possibly fall below the desired level. Among the ummah, some are righteous and some evil (Q.16:36). In fact, no one is flawless and the best of us are weak in flesh and fallible. We tend to enjoin righteousness on others and forget to practise it ourselves, in spite of reading the Qurážżan (Q.2:44). A community in which sins are committed and which could be corrected but are not done by the community, is most likely to be encompassed by God’s punishment, (ḤadÄŤth) examples being Sodom and Gomorrah. When selfishness creeps into the ummah, we differ among ourselves (Q.2:213). Such disunity causes sectarianism. The affluence may be one of its causes, as it is responsible for confused ignorance (Q.23:52-55). Allah always warns the affluent (Q.34:34). Whenever Allah destroys a population, it usually begins with the affluent transgressors in the society (Q.17:16). The only constant factor in life and the environment is change to which we must adapt. For alterations to occur at the top of society, it should begin with the infrastructure. Intellectual revolution in the thought processes of the Muslim ummah is an essential pre-requisite, before the socio-political order in the society can be changed. We all know that Allah will help those who help themselves. Moreover, the Qurážżan says that Allah will certainly assist those who help in His cause (Q.22:40; 47:7). As mentioned earlier, our qualifications in the second level of ᚢ irÄ áš­ al MustqÄŤm are good conduct and service to mankind. Allah will not assist in what could be done by us. There is a Persian proverb:

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Az maa harakat, az Khudaa barakat: meaning that if we make the move, then and only then

will Allah shower His blessings, often beyond expectations. By sitting down tearful and brooding, we get depressed. Just by sitting in the middle of the road and doing nothing, we may be run over. We must get up and get moving and navigate our itinerary with Allah’s assistance. We could never win if we don’t begin. And no one begins at the top. To climb a ladder, we begin at the bottom. If we translate our knowledge into action, we will reap the benefits. Although on paper, it is easy to transpose letters from ‘ilm meaning knowledge into ‘amal meaning action, we must put it into practice, no matter what difficulties we may encounter. Starting is the key, which begins with the first step. Any expert was once a beginner. No one can be a winner if he has not made a start. We should remind ourselves that we fell down many times as a child while trying to walk or learning to ride a bicycle, but later on we succeeded. Moreover, we all cannot come first in the exam but we should make an attempt. If we fail in the exam, we as mature persons must seek the reasons for failure in ourselves.

Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ‍‏ Ů? ‍ﺧﺪﺔ‏ Ů? 4 ‍ Ů?ﺧﺪﺔ‏Khidmatinn nÄ s min khidmatillÄ h: means Service to mankind is service to Allah. Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş ďşŽ Ů?‏

We are expected to serve mankind if we are to be called collectively the Muslim ummah. Without this service, Islam would be reduced to mere speeches from the pulpit, with Muslims spending their time and money selfishly and lavishly in the pursuit of the comforts of this life only. We must share our time, our skill and knowledge with our fellow-beings. By sitting in a corner of the house or the mosque and praying all the time for the balance of our lives, we would have done no service to our fellow-beings. Our contribution to the ummah would be near zero. In fact, the super-powers would be glad if we do nothing else but keep on praying or dancing like dervishes 24 hours a day and feeling giddy, without acquiring scientific knowledge and sharing it with the Muslim ummah, so that we would remain subservient and be their slaves for all times to come. They may even pay us to continue praying night and dayŮŽ and not to come out of the mosque. But Allah says:

ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ 4 ; Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ‍ďť?ﺎ ŮŽﺎ‏ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? k‍ﺣ‏ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ďş‘ َ‏ Ů° 4 ŮŽ â€Ťďş‘ďť˜‏ Ű— ‍ﺑﺄďť?ďť”ﺴ‏ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ‍ďť?ﺎ ŮŽﺎ‏ Ů? Innaḡḡ Ä ha lÄ yughayyiru mÄ biqawminn ḼattÄ yughayyirĹŤ mÄ bi Ů? Ů? Ů?

anfusihim: Surely, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they bestir the prevailing

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conditions themselves, (Q.13:11). We need to remind ourselves that the process of change occurs daily in our lives; in our body, cells get replaced daily; we grow old; our personality (nafs) transforms itself through the stages of an-Nafsa la ammÄ rah, an-Nafsil LawwÄ mah and an-Nafsul Muáš­maážżinnah; and our environment and the universe changes. People can change their condition through knowledge. It is the same concept that Prophet MoḼammad‍ ‏had preached for many years, without compromising the Islamic stance. We must face realities of the rapid technological advances of modern times. Daily changes occur in ourselves and in our surroundings and we must learn to adapt and manage such dynamic changes as best as we can, in keeping with Islamic principles. We should strive to the best of our ability and leave the rest to Allah. We should accept the things we cannot change, and call it taqdÄŤr or destiny, since nothing is accidental. However, we must also ask Allah to give us the courage to change those wrongs that have no rights to exist in the society. Divine assistance is given not as a matter of course; it has to be earned by harmonising our own will and actions with Allah’s Will, and then seeking His assistance. The ummah should be indicative of the model behaviour expected of individuals and represent an example to other communities. The Muslim ummah, a highly religious group which follows a middle path, maintains a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of life and hence is the ideal one to be followed. Through a true Muslim, both Muslims and non-Muslims can benefit, materially as well as spiritually. The Qurážżanic version of a Muslim is one from whom hasanÄ t (benedictions) flow in all directions. Islamisation is a process towards a particular goal, like an institution, that must be lived throughout one’s life span. Although Islam should not be judged by the behaviour of present-day Muslims, non-Muslims judge Islam by our Muslim image. Hence we have to project a true picture of Islam both in private and public life. Morality deems it necessary to observe and respect all verbal agreements between parties, even if they lack legal guarantees, this being one of the tests of a believer’s integrity. ༂ञण ŕ¤œञŕ¤? पर ाचन नञ ŕ¤œञŕ¤? Praan jaayè par wachan na jaayè is a Hindi proverb meaning: Life is expendable but a promise that has been given is not.

Ů‹ ŮŽ

Ů‹4Ů?

The Muslim ummah is justly balanced and thus called ‍Ů? ŮŽ ﺳﺎ‏Ă?‍ﺔ‏F ummatann wasaáš­ann: the mid-most

one (Q.2:143) witnessing over all nations. We must be good role models for the rest of the community of Muslims as well as non-Muslims so that they may emulate us. Rather than allowing un-Islamic ideas to influence our culture, we, as Muslims, should influence the West, in whatever measure, little or great, that we are able to. We Muslims must champion morality and through our example re-structure the society in which we live, even if we are in a minority. We should not modernise Islam but Islamise modernity. For this, we need a committee of Islamic scholars who will give a written opinion called fatwa, interpreted in order of preference through (a) the Qurážżan (divine injunctions), (b) sunnah (the practice of the Prophet), (c) ijma‘ (consensus or collective unanimous consent of the scholars), and (d) qiyÄ s or legal analogy drawn from similar cases for which no explanations are found in (a) (b) and (c). However, many of the educated among us apply the concept of ijtihÄ d (individual diligent reasoning by analogy from divine commandments or prophetic practice as would have been applied to new situations, this last one being championed by ImÄ m ShÄ fe’č). Every individual must regard himself as personally responsible for all happenings around him. A believing and righteous man should not live in isolation but should be part of an upright society. This involves discharging the duties of man toward Allah Ů? ‍ Ů? Ů‹ Ů’ Ů‚Ů? ا‏huqĹŤq allah) as well as toward oneself and toward the community (‍ Ů? Ů‹ Ů’ Ů‚Ů? ا Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů?د‏huqĹŤq al ‘ibÄ d), ( including the environment. Environmental impurities and hazards associated with chemicals we use, the air we breathe, the water we drink and the behavioural pattern of certain gangs as well as the spiritual deficiencies of the ignorant and the snares of hypocrites and various cults, all add up to this planet being a dangerous place for the average citizen to live in. Hence, we all need advice, co-operation and guidance, and none could be better than Allah’s. Muslims are a disciplined group. The word discipline is derived from disciple which means to follow. We follow the commandments of Allah. As individuals, we can work towards Muslim solidarity in many ways: (a) by acquiring and propagating knowledge of Islam and all its ramifications; (b) by reforming ourselves in order to achieve right belief, a sound body, and proper use of our time and resources; (c) sharing and concern for others, by avoiding all forms of expressions of dislike and discrimination against Muslims and non-Muslims because of race, religion, language or physical features. We must not ridicule others; perchance they may be better than us (Q.49:10-12) and maybe more friendly with Allah than we are.

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The human personality develops further when a person is exposed to maximum positive social conditions and change. Hence, Islam puts great stress on the family and on the community, called the Muslim ummah. Islam expects every single man and woman to do his/her duty and regards the interest of the society above the interest of the individual. Hence, as Muslims, we should not be saying “I”, we should say “We’’, thus expressing team-work. A Muslim should project the beauty of his religion as a beacon to both Muslims and non-Muslims, not only by words, but by his beneficial favours to the community. If we are to be called Muslims, we should also follow the sunnah or traditions of our leader Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬and walk in his footsteps. We must be reminded that besides walking at a fast pace in his everyday life, these same foot-steps carried the message of Allah far and wide; these feet of his performed the Islamic da‘wah briskly and actively. Being the Messenger of Allah, he carried Allah’s message in all directions with profound zeal and sincerity. He was responsible for transforming a jāhiliyyah society into an enlightened and intellectual one in the shortest possible time. The present-day Muslim is a product of over 1400 years of knowledge and experience and no longer compared to Jesus’s

% @ % 1 ? / > donkey. A #$ B !C 7 8#5 9: ; < = #$ Kharè Eesa garash be Makkah barand; choon beyaayad hanooz khar

baashad; If Jesus’s donkey were to be taken to Makkah, he will be the same donkey when he returns. We must endeavour to improve ourselves and not stay as we are. Ten years after the Hijrah, as a result of conquest and tribal conversions to Islam, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬became the ruler of a territory extending some 3 million sq. kilometres, representing an average conquest of more than 800 sq. km. /day i.e. 500 sq. miles/day. It is a credit to the Muslims that although they ruled vast empires they never used force to convert people to Islam and remained in a minority in several countries like India. If our original leader, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬were alive today, most of us in his ummah would have been scientists and he himself would have been the Head of the Department of Advanced Scientific Technology and Religious Affairs. We should always bear in mind that Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬will never return to this Earth, and hence it is we who have been designated to carry out the task that he has asked us to do. Unfortunately, in spite of our early achievements, we could and should have done a lot better in the later period. Our Muslim scientists of some centuries ago studied the Qur᾿an and transferred its contents to their brains, while nowadays we are made to believe that to remain as good Muslims, five-times daily prayers are enough. To regain our rightful place and stature in the society, and by extension, in the world, we must study science and technology. Islam does not support the status quo. We must progress, improve and change for the better. We Muslims must form a think-tank with a common strategy so that we may rise up once again and become a super-power. Competition is the dynamo of change. With effort, perseverance and guidance from the Qur’an, we can make that quantum leap in any field, be it spiritual or technological. We should begin immediately and act with determination to take the plunge right now. The Muslim ummah is an entity by itself (Q.21:92; 23:52) and could become a super-power and a formidable force to reckon with, once we get together and plan a common strategy. Islam will prevail in the end (Q.61:9). Stress is laid on the ummah and on the exemplary ethical qualities of its members (Q.3:104, 110). Both men and women believers are protectors of one another. They give asylum and help to one another (Q.8:74). Besides their regular prayers and charity, the members of Muslim ummah advocate good and righteousness, and forbid evil and indecency (Q.9:71). No wonder Allah calls us the best community raised up for mankind (Q.3:110). We should persuade people towards goodness and forbid evil (Q.3:104) and in due course, such a community could be the best and a model one (Q.3:110). We are also advised to make peace and reconciliation between believers, who are indeed brothers (Q.49:10). The principle of shūra (mutual consultation) should be applied in all resolutions. This principle is apparent from the decision made by Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬before the Battle of Uhud, to accept people’s views, though they went against his own. Man in society must actively be a concerned individual among the rest in the community, the quality of which depends on the quality of its individual members, in particular its women-folk.

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Islamisation begins in the home with the mothers, who are the first educators of children, the latter

comprising the ummah of today and also of tomorrow. We should respect the womb that bore us (Q.4:1). The Qurážżan has honoured woman so much that there is a whole chapter in it entitled “The Womenâ€? (Ch. 4: Al-Nisa). Woman, just as man, isŮ? also accountable to Allah because she is also Ů? Ů?

4 Ů’

Ů?4

Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ

addressed as a believer (Q.9:72). The saying: ‍ ﺔ‏ ‍ﺔ‏F ‍ ‏Al umm ummatul ummah means, The mother Ů?

is the source (origin) of the Nation. The mother carries us with difficulty throughout her pregnancy and gives birth to us during the most painful condition of uterine contractions known to humankind, sometimes nearing death. In fact, some mothers die. Statistics show that world-wide, one woman dies every minute during child-birth. No matter how much we sacrifice for our mother is not sufficient as expressed by this Persian poet:

, I L M D N Q L M O P2R ST

, I E J K D E F G 7 H

Mehrabon Maadar! Cho shaakhĂŠ gol maraa dar saraayĂŠ aabo gel parwardah ast; meefeshaanam khoonĂŠ del dar paayĂŠ oo, koo maraa baa khoonĂŠ del parwardah ast! Dear Mother! Just as she has nurtured me like a flowering bough in water and clay; I will sacrifice myself at her feet since she brought me up with her blood, sweat and tears. The mother does not care if she is hungry as long as we eat; thirsty as long as we drink; she does not mind being in the sun as long as we are in the shade; she keeps awake while we are sleeping; she keeps us close to her heart while nursing us and spends most of her prime time caring for her children, yet neglecting herself. A mother understands what a child does not say. A father may get angry and disown his child; brothers and sisters may fight each other like enemies; husbands and wives may desert each other. But a mother's love for her child endures through all times even in the face of the world's condemnation. A mother’s love never falters, and a mother still hopes that her child may turn from his evil ways, and repent; still she remembers the smiles of the infant that once brought her happiness, the laughs of his bouncing childhood and the joy of his growing up. She is ever-prepared to take his blame on her own shoulders and he always remains a worthy son in her eyes. Here are some aḼ Ä dÄŤth for children: (1) Serving your parents is better than jihÄ d. (2) After the Prophet, your mother is your best friend and then your father.

ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? Ů’

ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů?4Ů’ ŮŽ

ŮŽ Al JannÄ tu TaḼ tal AqdÄ mal UmmahÄ t: Paradise lies at the feet of your mothers. (3) ‍ﺪ ﺎ‏F ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ďş” ﺤﺗﺖ‏ Ů?

(4) The person who severs the bond of kinship will not enter Paradise. (5) Duty to parents is preferred to nafl (voluntary) prayers. (6) Be good and kind to parents and your children will be good and kind to you. This attribute will be passed on for generations. (7) Refrain from insulting your own parents which comes from insulting the parents of others, for they in turn might denounce your parents. (8) Disobeying parents is considered one of the major sins in Islam, akin to shirrk. (9) Look after the needs of your parents when they become old. (10) Continue to pray for them even after they have died.

Tribute to Mother

Here is a Persian Tribute to Mother by Iraj Mirza, with its English translation: %

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Gooyand maraa chó zaad maadar, Peston bè dahan gereftan aamookht; Shab haa barè gaahwaarè è man Beedaar neshesto khoftan aamookht; Lab khand nahaad bar labè man, Bar ghonchè è gol shegoftan aamookht; Dastam begerefto paa bè paa bord, Taa sheeva è raah raftan aamookht; Yak harfo do harf bar zabaanam, Alfaaz nahaado goftan aamoookht; Pas hastee yè man zè hastee yè oost, Taa hastamo hast daaramash doost.. They say that when my mother gave birth to me, she taught me how to suck her breast with my mouth (thus keeping me close to her heart); night upon night by my cradle, she would keep awake and taught me how to go to sleep; she placed a smile on my

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lips and taught me how to express my pleasure with my blossoming lip-buds; she held my hand and made me walk step by step and taught me the style of walking; one letter and two letters at a time she put into words on my tongue and taught me how to speak; then my coming into being is because of her existence; until I am alive and she is alive, I will adore her most dearly . No wonder Allah cautions in this Ḥadith Qudsi never to sever relations with ŮŽ parentsŮŽ

Ů’ 4Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ â€Ťďşˇďť˜ďť˜ďş–â€Ź Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏ Ů’ 4 Ů’ ‍ Ů’Ů?ﺖ‏Ă?F Ů’ŮŽ ‍ﺎ ďť&#x;ﺎﺣ‏F â€Ťďť—ďť„ďťŒďş˜‏ â€Ťďť—ďť„ďťŒďťšâ€Ź ‍ ďşťďť ďťš ďşťďť ďş˜ ‏ ‍ ﺳ ďť“‏ ‍‏ ‍ ﺳ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů?

Anar Rah mÄ n wa antir Rah em; shaqaqtusmiki min ismÄŤ; faman was

alaki was

altuhu wa man qat 'aki qata'tuhu; meaning: I am Ar-RahmÄ n and you (the womb) are ar-rahim; I have cleaved your name from My name; therefore whoever makes you close, I will make him close; and who severs you, I will sever him . It has been said that the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Since a mother is the building block of a family unit together with the father, we may consider the following Qurážżanic verses referring to parents: (1) Allah commands us first to be thankful to Him and to our parents next (Q.31:14). (2) Serve Allah first and do good to parents next (Q.4:36). (3) Spend first on parents, then on kindred, orphans, needy and wayfarer (Q.2:215). (4) Love Allah and the Apostle first and then your parents (Q.9:24). (5) We must treat with kindness first our parents, then kith and kin, orphans and those in need (Q.2:83). (6) Lower the wing of humility to your parents. The metaphor is that of a high flying bird which lowers her wings out of tenderness to her offspring (Q.17:24). Allah has given mankind a balanced way (mÄŤzÄ n) of moderation, avoiding extremes in thought and practice. Thus we have appointed you an Ummah justly balanced that you will be witnesses over other nations‌ (Q.2:143). This is the Straight Way, the right way and the divine way. We can be exemplars for other communities if we follow this moderate path. We have to restrain the pendulum in order to observe the golden mean, i.e. the middle road in thought, speech and action. This balance called mÄŤzÄ n should be adhered to in all spheres of life such as (i) diet (a balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fibre in correct proportions); (ii) economics (Islam strikes a golden mean between capitalism where money could be made through sufferings of others, and communism where there is no individual ownership. This attempt at relief of suffering is achieved in Islam through the institution of zakÄ t and ᚣadaqah); (iii) the human body needs to be balanced for one to walk straight (this balance is maintained through the 8th cranial nerve called vestibulo-cochlear nerve, with connections to the cerebellum); (iv) our internal environment (comprising hormones and neurotransmitters, etc. also needs to be balanced for the body and the brain to function properly); (v) our attitude should also take the safe middle course between the spiritual and worldly aims, and be well-balanced between being too conservative or too radical; Keep to the middle course, for those who exceed it return to it and those who fall short of it (eventually advance

Balance – MÄŤzÄ n:

to) rejoin it. (Imam ‘Ali R.A.). Here is a poem by Khwajah Haafiz of Shiraaz:

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‰ „ …‡/ ˆ3 † Aasaayeshè do geetee tafseerè in dĂł harfast; baa dooston talattuf, baa doshmanon modaara. The

comfort in both the worlds could be explained in two words: ‘Show compassion and magnanimity to friends and moderation to enemies’; (vi) we should always take the middle course; Neither recite the prayer loudly, nor in a low tone but seek a middle course (Q.17:110). The same applies to this life and the Hereafter: While seeking the Hereafter, they should not forget their share of this life, (Q.28:77). There are other extremes like yang and yin, being introvert and extrovert, miserliness and extravagance; Those who, when they spend and are not extravagant and not miserly, but hold a just (balance) between these (extremes), (Q.25:67); (vii) We need to be reminded that Allah has told us through all His messengers that He commands forgiveness as well as grievous penalty (Q.41:43); (viii) Even the wheels of the car have to be balanced for smooth travel.

And finally about our leader: We do not know when did Allah fashion a human being out of

clay and called him Adam. It was so long ago that we do not know anything with certainty regarding Ādam, pbuh. We do not know whether he had teething difficulties or Chinese features. We only know that he was the first person who did not have a navel, and he had no clothes on because he used to

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cover himself with leaves. We also know that he spoke in Quraishi Arabic (Q.7:23), and that he was a Muslim, in the sense that he had resigned himself to God's will although the religion of post-Muḥammad Islam was not perfected at the time. However, it was only 1,400 years ago that a baby was born to Sayyidah Āminah, who was named Muḥ ammad. He was a descendant of Ismāīl through his second son Kedar. This baby was like any one of our own. Through infancy into adulthood and the rest of his life, he passed through difficult and traumatic experiences and adverse circumstances. He lost his father Abdullah even before he was born. He was brought up in the desert by his foster mother Ḥalīmah. At the age of six he lost his mother Āminah; and then at the age of eight, lost his guardian paternal grandfather ‘Abd-al-Muṭṭalib. Throughout life, he strived hard, and qualified himself at the age of 40 as the most perfect human being ever to have inhabited this planet, and therefore, he was chosen by Allah to become the last and final Prophet, with the title of Muḥ ammad Muṣ ṭapha, (Muṣ ṭapha meaning Chosen). Here is a man who started with nothing as a baby, but became someone very special, someone the like of whom never walked on this Earth before and will never walk on this Earth again. The importance of this greatest man on Earth could be verified by the fact that his name is pronounced soon after Allah’s name during the adhān (call to prayer) or whenever we recite the shahādah (the first article of Faith): I bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Muḥammad is His Messenger. He became such a perfect human being that Allah Himself is proud of this person that He created (Q.33:56).

َ4 ‫ ﺑ‬

4 ;ِ

َ​َ َ َ َ ُّ َ ُ ُ َ َ ْ َ َ ُّ َ ُ َ ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ َ ُّ َ ‫ ﺠﻲﺒ ۝ َﻳﺎ‬ ً ْ َ ‫ ﺳﻠﻤﻮ‬ ُ ِّ َ َ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬ َ ِ 4 ‫ﻛﻓﻬﺎ‬ ِّ 4 ‫ﺒﻟ‬ ‫ﺗﺴﻠﻴﻤﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻨﻮ ۝ ﺻﻠﻮ‬ ‫ ﻣﻼﺋﻜﺘﻪ ﻳﺼﻠﻮ‬ ِ ِ َ Innallāha wa Malā ikatahū yuṣ allūna ِ ِ

‘alan Nabi, yā Ayyuhal ladhīna āmanu, Ṣ allū ‘Alyhi wa Sallimū taslīma. Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet; Oh you who have faith! Invoke Allah's blessings on him, and salute him with utmost respect. We have to fully support him and accept him as the final Messenger. While ranking the first hundred most influential persons in history, Michael Hart writes: My choice of Muḥammad to lead the list of the world's most influential persons may surprise some readers and may be questioned by others, but he was the only man in history who was supremely successful on both the religious and secular level. (Michael Hart, New York: Hart Publishing Co., Inc.) Here is another: If greatness of purpose, smallness of means, and astounding results are the three criteria of human genius, who could dare compare any great man in modern history with Muḥammad? (Lamartine, Histoire De La Turquie.) Muḥ ammad has been quoted by name in Song of Solomon 5:16 Cheeko manè tahkim, vechulo Mohammadim: His language is most sweet, and he is Muḥammad. The following Hindu scriptures are worthy of note: (a) Verse 5 of Bhavishya Puran: Prati Sarg Parv 3,3,5 : His name will be Mahamad….Mahadev Arab….. O Ye! The pride of mankind, the dweller in Arabia. (b) Sama Veda: 2,6,8. Ahmad acquired religious law from his Lord. This law of religion is full of wisdom. Gospel of Barnabas says: Muḥammad is his blessed name. (Ch.96-97). Bernard Shaw, a British philosopher, writes in “Young India” …the Saviour of humanity…if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems. Mahatma Gandhi says in “Young India” …it was not the sword that won a place for Islam. It was the rigid simplicity…his absolute trust in God and in his own mission. The status of this man recognised as the greatest even by non-Muslims today, has been summarised by Shaikh Sa'dī of Shirāz, some 750 years ago, in a single line both Arabic / Persian:

% % ْ َ َْ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ِّ َ ‫ ﺠﻟﻤﺎ َ ﻳﺎ‬ 9 / ~ #5 ( ‫ﺳﻴﺪ ﻟﺒﺮﺸ‬ ‫ﺻﺎﺣﺐ‬ ‫ﻳﺎ‬ ِ

Yā ṣāh ibal jamāl wa yā siyyadal bashar; ba‘d az khudā buzurg tó ee, in qissah mukhtasar. Oh possessor of luminous beauty and Oh leader of mankind; after God is you, this being the summary. God is God and man is man. God is the most perfect being, while Muḥ ammad‫ ﷺ‬was a perfect human being. Like the rest of us, he did not know the future (Q.46:9; 7:188; 6:50). As it is only 1,400 years since Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬lived, we know nearly everything about his life. He was just a man like any other man, having passed through teething difficulties and possessing a navel. He worked for a living and subsisted on dates, occasionally on bread and meat also. This uncorruptible man of solid character was not an angel but just another human being (Q.18:110), with the same freedom of choice, intention, freedom of will and action. Allah says in Q.17:95,

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ً ُ َ ً َ َ َ 4 َ ْ ْ َ َ َ ْ 4 َ َ َ ِّ َ ْ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ٌ َ َ َ َ َ َْ ُْ ْ َ ْ ‫ﺎﻛ ﻲﻓ‬ ‫ ﺳﻮﻻ‬ ‫ ﻣﻠﺎﻜ‬%‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻬﻢ ِﻣﻦ‬ ‫ﻟﺰﻨﺠﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻄﻤﺌﻨﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﻓﻤﺸﻮ‬ ‫ﻣﻼﺋﻜﺔ‬ ‫ ﻷ‬ ‫ ﻗﻞ ﻟﻮ‬that He sends human beings to be ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

guides and exemplars for human beings, and that He would have sent angels if only angels were inhabiting the Earth. The greatest man on Earth stands unique among all the other great men the world has ever produced. This saviour of humanity transformed the barbaric pagan Arabs, the instigators of tribal feuds and bloodshed, into a most disciplined nation engaged in peaceful co-existence with humanity. He transformed the pagan, ignorant human being, a homo Jāhiliyyah who had forsaken the religion of Ibrāhīm, pbuh, into an intellectual homo Islamicus. He built one collective community called the Muslim ummah, with one system of behaviour and one set of laws for everyone, engineered by one book, the Qur᾿an. The central theme of the Qur᾿an is man, and by extension, mankind. Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ was an extraordinary man with sterling qualities whose enormous service to humanity has been unparalleled in human history. Here was a man who divided his time and fulfilled his duties towards Allah, his family and for others in such a way that he is considered the ultimate model of emulation for humanity. He would walk much faster than what we call a normal pace. His steps were rather in quick succession. No wonder he carried Allah’s message so far and wide, at such a brisk pace and in such a short and limited time. He left treasures of instructions by his word and deed on every aspect of human life: spiritual, moral, educational, economic and political. He showed fairness in dealing as a businessman; love, affection, and kindness as a husband and as a father; taught charity by distributing to the poor everything that he received, and left nothing for his family except the Qur᾿an and the sunnah. The Holy Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was not only a model, but also a guide, a teacher and an instructor for Muslims, and an exemplar for all humanity. However, he was a human being just like any one of us (Q.18:110). His character and conduct were fully put to the test by Allah in many situations, and he came out successful in each. Thus, he became a perfect example of a human being, who had passed through various stages of life, and in every instance, set the best example for us to follow, so much so that Allah has advised us to follow his example. ُ

ٌَ َ َ ٌَ ْ َ َ ْ َ​َ 4 ُ َ ‫ﻟﻜﻢ ﻲﻓ‬ ْ ُ َ ‫ﺎﻛ‬ ‫ﺣﺴﻨﺔ‬ ‫ﺳﻮ‬F ‫ ﺑ‬ ‫( ﻟﻘﺪ‬Q.33:21). Because of the excellent qualities that he acquired so ِ ‫ ﺳﻮ‬ ِ ِ

arduously and with so much patience and perseverance over the years, Allah appointed him as an exemplar to mankind. Although we are told not to make any distinctions between the Messengers (Q.2:285; 3:84) since they were all commanded to preach the same message, viz. the Oneness of God, Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ is referred to as Ashraf al Anbiya, the Most Noble of the Prophets, and Sayyid al Mursalīn, the Leader of the Messengers. One of the reasons was that all the previous prophets were sent to a particular nation or a tribe, but Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was sent to all of mankind (Q.7:158). The Qur'an also mentions that some messengers of Allah were endowed with gifts above others (Q.2:253) since human beings are different in their strategies and accomplishments. However, religion was perfected during Muḥammad’s‫ ﷺ‬term of office so much so that mankind does not need any new guidance except what is already there in the Final Testament: the Holy Qur᾿an. Some of the differences between Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬and other prophets are: (1) Prophet Muḥammad‫’ﷺ‬s daily interactions with people demonstrated that one cannot help the poor and the destitute if one leads a lonely life in the jungle; (2) he also showed that to advise on marital relationships one has to be married and should have faced marital problems oneself; (3) to set an example of how to behave with enemies, he showed that a person has to fight, defeat and capture the enemies first and then forgive them as he did with all his enemies in Mecca and other places. But, the greatest miracle of all times is the Holy Qur᾿an itself, containing Divine revelations that Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬has left for the guidance of all mankind. I would now like to mention a few milestones in his life. (1) Because of his honesty, good reputation and courtesy, he had gained the title of Al Amīn, i.e. the Trustworthy. The gentle widow Khadījah, 40 years old, by whom he was employed, proposed marriage to him when he was just 25 years old. The marriage was solemnised. This marriage lasted 25 years until Khadījah died. During Khadījah’s time, the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬never married any other woman. (2) At the age of 40, when Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was meditating in the cave of Herā᾿, a practice which he was accustomed to, he received a divine inspiration to preach Islam. During the month of Ramaḍān

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on the night called Lailatul Qadr, the angel Jibrāīl appeared to him in the form of a human being and addressed him saying: 4 ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ ُّ َ َ ْ َ ْ 4 َ ِّ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ َْ َ4 َ َ​َ ْ َ َْ ْ َ​َ َ َْْ َ َْ َ َ َْ ْ َ4َ َ​َ َ

‫ ﻹﻧﺴﺎ ﻣﺎ ﻟﻢ ﻓﻌﻠﻢ‬ ِ ‫ ﺑﻚ ﻷﻛﺮ ۝‬F‫ﻋﻠﻖ ۝ ;ﻗﺮ‬ ِ ‫ﺑﺎﺳﻢ ﺑﻚ‬ ِ ِ ‫ @? ﻋﻠﻢ‬ ِ ِ FَÍ‫;ﻗﺮ‬ ِ ‫ﺑﺎﻟﻘﻠﻢ ۝ ﻋﻠﻢ‬ ِ ‫ @? ﺧﻠﻖ ۝ ﺧﻠﻖ‬ ٍ ‫ ﻹﻧﺴﺎ ِﻣﻦ‬

Read, and Prophet replied that he could not read. For the second time the Angel said: Read, and the Prophet again simply confessed that he could not read. For the third time, the Angel said: (Q.96:1-5). Read, with the name of Allah Who created, created man out of a leech-like substance. Read and Allah is most bountiful. He who taught by the pen, taught man what he knew not. Then, miraculously and unexpectedly, Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬started reciting, which marks the hour of his appointment as the Prophet. His wife, Khadījah, was the first person to whom he related his experience with the Angel Jibrāīl. She immediately accepted him as the divine prophet of Allah and took him to her cousin Waraqa who was a biblical scholar. After hearing what happened, Waraqa said that this was a divine message revealed to Muḥ ammad and that Muḥ ammad was chosen by Allah to become a Prophet. From then on, revelations called waḥy, kept coming from Allah through Jibrāīl to Muḥ ammad who was now enjoined to go and preach that there is no god but Allah, and that Muḥ ammad is His Messenger, and that, after we die Allah will bring us back to life, and we shall have to account for our actions on Earth on the Day of Judgment. In the beginning only four persons accepted Islam: a woman (Khadījah), a child (‘Ali), a servant (Zaid ibn Harītha), and a philanthropist (Abu Bakr). In the first three years, only 40 persons had accepted Islam. During this term of prophethood and the preaching of the message of Islam, Allah put Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬in various difficult situations of trials and tribulations. He survived many assassinations but he was fearless since Allah had promised to protect him from all men while he was delivering His

َْ ْ

َ message (Q.5:67). It was during the Prophet’s lifetime that the religion of Islam was perfected. ‫ ﻮ‬

َ ْ ْ ُ ُ َ ُ َ َ َ ْ ْ ُ َْ َ ُ ْ َ َْ​َ ْ ُ َ ْ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ً َ ‫ ﻹﺳﻼ‬ ‫ ﻳﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻧﻌﻤﻲﺘ‬ ِ ‫ ﺿﻴﺖ ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻳﻤﻤﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ‬F ‫ﻛﻤﻠﺖ ﻟﻜﻢ ِ ﻳﻨﻜﻢ‬F ‫( ۝‬Q.5:3). It is because of this completion َ ِّ 4 ‫ﺧﺎﻳﻢ‬ َ​َ َ that the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬is called Khātam an Nabiyyīn ‫ ﺠﺒﻴﻦﻴ‬ (Q.33:40) meaning the Last of the ِ

Prophets or the Seal of the Prophets. His main mission on this Earth was only to deliver Allah’s Message, i.e. the Holy Qur᾿an. The word Qur᾿an is derived from the word qara᾿, while its derivative, iqra᾿ means read, recite and understand. Read for yourself; recite so that you would carry the message of Allah to others so that others may listen to you; and understand so that you may practice what you preach, implement it and be an exemplar yourself. Every word in the Holy Qur᾿an is Allah’s Word and not a single word is of Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. Because Iqra᾿ or Read! was the first ever command of Allah to the Prophet‫ﷺ‬, the acquisition of knowledge became a prime directive in Islam. Through every page of the Qur᾿an, Allah has commanded us to gain more knowledge, which does not come by itself. It has to be actively sought. Up to the age of forty, Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was not known as a teacher or a preacher discussing religion as well as biology, embryology, astrophysics, sociology, ethics, law and inheritance, etc. The transformation occurred only after the verses Q.96:1-5 were revealed to him in the cave of Herā᾿. From this moment onwards, he started preaching the Word of Allah without asking anything whatsoever in return (Q.12:104; 10:72; 38:86). At the age of 52, during his Me‘rāj (ascension journey), Allah demonstrated to him what He had taught him in the Qur᾿an. (3) During the first 13 years of his prophethood, Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was severely persecuted by the Makkans. Those supporting him suffered immeasurably. They had to live outside Makkah and most days do without food. However, during this time, some Makkans became converts and his devoted disciples. Some people from Madinah also embraced Islam, and propagated the new Faith in Madīnah. They secretly invited the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬and his companions to come to Madīnah. When conditions in Makkah became intolerable because of persecutions, constant opposition and threats to life, the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬and his companions decided to migrate to Madinah. First the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬sent some of his companions, and later on he and Abu Bakr, (R.A.), also left Makkah for Madīnah. The Prophet‫ﷺ‬ confided this move only to Haḍrat Ali, R.A., who slept in the Prophet’s‫ ﷺ‬bed that night. From the Qur᾿an we know that Allah protected him all along. In the cave where they hid during the journey to Madīnah there were three persons, Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, Abu Bakr, R.A., and Allah (Q.9:40). Allah is always the Unseen Companion (Q.57:4) and the Silent Listener in all conversations (Q.58:7). The fourth one was a humble creature of Allah – a spider - which too was involved in the rescue and quickly built a web at the entrance of the cave, thus discouraging the pursuers from entering it. And so, the Prophet‫ﷺ‬,

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accompanied by Abu Bakr, arrived safely in Madīnah after three days. This journey from Makkah to Madinah is called hijrah, which means migration. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬had a jubilant welcome in Madinah where the people greeted him with drums and this song:

َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ُّ ْ َ َ َ ْ ْ َْ ّ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ‫َﻃﻠَ َﻊ‬ ٍ ِÍَ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ ﻣﺎ ﺨ ِﷲ‬ ‫ ﻟﻮ ﺟﺐ ﻟﺸﻜ ﺮ‬ ‫ﺛﻨﻴﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻛﺪ ﻋﻠﻴﻨ ﺎ ِﻣﻦ‬ ْ َ َ​َ َْ َ ْ 4 َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ُّ َ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﻤﺪﻳﻨﺔ‬ َ َ ْ َ َ ‫ﻣﺮﺣﺒﺎ َﻳ‬ ٍ ‫ﺎﺧﺮﻴ‬ ِ َُ ِْ ‫ﺟﺌﺖ‬ ِ ‫ﺑﺎﻷﻣﺮ ﻟﻤﻄﺎ ِﺟﺌﺖ ﺮﺷﻓﺖ‬ ِ ‫ﻛﻓﻬﺎ ﻟﻤﺒﻌﻮ ِﻓﻴﻨﺎ‬ ِ

T ala‘ al badru ‘alynā min thāniyyātil wadā‘, Wājabash shukru ‘alynā mā da‘ā lillāhi dā‘;Ayyuhal Ma‘boothu fīnā, ji᾿ta bil ᾿amril mut ā‘ ; Ji᾿ta sharraftal Madīnah, Marh abā yā khaira dā‘. The full moon has risen upon us from Thāniyyat -alWadā‘; it became incumbent upon us to give thanks to Allah whenever we supplicate; O the one who is sent to us, you came with the message that deserves obedience; you came out and honoured Madīnah. Welcome, O best caller (to the path of Allah). Though hijrah commonly denotes the physical migration of the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬from Makkah to Madīnah, it has a far deeper significance for us. The hijrah implies breaking oneself from sins and oppression and other undesirable practices, to enter an abode of peace and tranquillity. The event of hijrah took place on 12 Rabi‘-ul-Awwal, corresponding to 24th September 622 A.D., although some historians state that it was 20th September 622 A.D. which was a Monday. (The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬is reported to have said about Monday: On this day I was born, on this day I received my Prophetic mission and on this day I migrated.). Hijrah had far reaching effects. On the Prophet’s‫ ﷺ‬arrival in Madīnah, the foundation for the bonding of the Muslim Ummah was laid. The great institution of brotherhood of Islam thus began. During the following ten years in Madīnah, the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬continued to receive Divine Revelations, which he preached and propagated, and it was through his perseverance, constancy and absolute faith in Allah, that all the people of Arabia finally accepted Islam. He established social relations and principles of ethics among the ummah, some of these being as follows: Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬established a well co-ordinated and united focus in belief, a fully integrated philosophy, a comprehensive code of worship and issued guidelines for the ummah in interactions of day to day life-style in order to achieve a reward for the righteous in the final goal of Paradise. The members of the ummah were required to share their wealth with the needy (Q.51:19); to deal justly with each other and not to be unjust even with those who bear enmity towards them (Q.5:8); to help each other in doing good but refuse to co-operate in matters of sin and transgression (Q.5:2); to avoid insulting, backbiting, accusing and having unnecessary suspicions (Q.49:11-12) about others; to use their wealth or even give up their lives for the cause and sake of Allah (Q.49:15) without hesitation; to remain true to their word, covenants and commitments (Q.5:1); to shun vain conversation (Q.23:3); and to condemn those who preached to others what they did not practice themselves (Q.61:2). They were also told not to be jealous or to ridicule others. They were to show the virtues of modesty, chastity, forgiveness, patience, bravery, cleanliness, truthfulness, straight talk when needed, kindness, compassion for the orphan, widow and weak; respect for parents; and courteous behaviour, etc. They were to remember Allah in all their actions and before implementing them, to verify whether such actions would be pleasing to Allah or not. The mission of Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was not confined only to Arabia for he sent emissaries to neighbouring countries inviting them to join the religion of Allah: Islam. Thus Islam spread far and wide. With the prophethood of Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, man was forbidden to worship any created being other than the Creator, viz. Allah. He put a stop to worship of man by man and helped to liberate the people from exploitation. The Qur᾿an also forbade people from accepting scandalous news (Q.49:6). In case he was in possession of the facts, a man was obliged to give evidence (Q.2:283) but false evidence before a court of law was made a crime (Q.24:4). Righteousness and piety were encouraged and in order to ensure its implementation, man’s action was divided into duty towards Allah (huquq allah) and duty towards His creatures (huquq al ‘ibād). For us to be called by Allah “the best of people ever created”, we must do our best as much as we can, so as to be included in Q.3:110. A Muslim is not a problem to the society. He is expected to be a solution to the problems. If Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬were alive today, the rest of the world would have been convinced of this and there would have been no ethnic cleansing of a community or persecuting a person because of his ethnic or religious affiliation. Some of the Prophet Muḥammad’s‫ ﷺ‬sayings are:

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(a) Indeed the gates to goodness are many, like glorifying Allah, enjoining the good and forbidding the wrong; removing any source of harm from the road; listening to the aggrieved, guiding the blind, showing the seeker his need; striving as far as your two legs can carry you; giving succour to him who asks; carrying with the strength of your arm the burden of the weak. All these are acts of charity which are an obligation on you. (b) A Muslim is he from whose hands and tongue others are safe. (c) Difference of opinion among the Ummah is a blessing. (d) If a person sleeps after having his fill but his neighbour remains hungry then he has no faith in Allah. (e) There are hundreds of others. (4) And now a few gems about his last sermon: In the year 10 A.H. (A.H. means “After Hijrah”), when he was 63 years old, and the whole of Arabia had accepted Islam as a religion, the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬set out from Madīnah on his last pilgrimage to Makkah, followed by thousands of his followers. The ultimate triumph of truth had taken place. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬had realised that his mission on this Earth had been fulfilled. At this juncture, the last divine revelation came to himَ (Q.5:4): َ

ً ْ َ َ ْ ْ ُ ُ َ ُ َ َ َ ْ ْ ُ َْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ْ ْ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ََْ ‫ ﻻﺳﻼ ِ ﻳﻨﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﺿﻴﺖ ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ِ k‫ﻧﻌﻤ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻳﻤﻤﺖ ﻋﻠﻴﻜﻢ‬F ‫ﻛﻤﻠﺖ ﻟﻜﻢ ِ ﻓﻨﻜﻢ‬F ‫ ﻮ‬Alyauma akmaltu lakum dīnakum wa

atmamtu ‘alykum ne‘matī wa raḍītu lakumul Islāma dīna; This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion. This verse was revealed to him on a Friday during his last Khutbah. On hearing this sermon, tears came to the audience. The Prophet’s‫ ﷺ‬last words, as he cried at the top of his voice, were: Oh Allah, have I conveyed Your message? And the valley resounded with the reply: By Allah, surely, you have. So, here is a person, a prophet and a messenger of Allah, a founder of a nation and of an empire, whose examples and teachings have changed the lives of millions of people for the better. He was a religious leader, a social reformer, a moral guide, a political thinker, a military genius, an administrative colossus, a trusted friend, a wonderful husband, a loving father, all in one. He was a ruler without a standing army, a palace or a body-guard. Ten years after the Hijrah, as a result of tribal conversions to Islam, Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was a ruler of a territory extending some 3 million sq. kilometres, representing an average growth of more than 800 sq. km. per day. It is a credit to the Muslims who remained in a minority although they initially ruled vast empires. There is no compulsion in religion (Q.2:256) but if there is going to be a single religion of mankind in this world in future, Islam would undoubtedly fulfil all the basic requirements. Islam need never be updated since it has never dated. It is the original religion of Ādam, and will remain the religion of the last man on earth. Because Islam is holistic, Islam need not be modernised but modernity has to be Islamised. An important office of Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬is that Allah has appointed him as a guide stationed on the Straight Path (Ṣirāṭ al Mustaqīm). And, indeed, you guide (mankind) to the Straight Path. (Q.42:52). No matter by which cross-roads or by which avenues we come to this Straight Path, we will find Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬waiting for us to guide us. I would now like to briefly explain the meaning of some of the Arabic words commonly used to describe our leader:

ْ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ِّ َ ٌ 4 َ ُ ‫ ﻟﻜﻮﻏﻦﻴ‬ ‫ ﺤﻣﻤﺪ ﺳﻴﺪ‬Muḥammad: Sayyid al Kaunaynِ

Leader of both the worlds, this life and the Hereafter.

َْ َ​َْ ‫ﻘﻠﻦﻴ‬ ِ ‫ ﺨﻛ‬Wath thaqalayn- Leader of man and of Jinn. َْ َْ َ َ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻣﻦ‬ ْ َ ‫ﻋﺮ‬ ‫ﻋﺠﻢ‬ Wal farīqayn, min ‘Arabinw wa min ‘Ajamī- Leader of both parties, of Arabs ِ ٍ َ ‫ ﻟﻔﺮﻳﻘﻦﻴ ِﻣﻦ‬ ٍ ِ ِ

and Non-Arabs.

ْ َ َ َ ْ ُّ َ ‫ ﺤﻟﺮﻣﻦﻴ‬ k‫ ِﻧ‬Nabiyyul Ḥaramayn - Messenger of both Harams, ِ ْ َ َْ ْ ُ َ ‫ ﻟﻘﺒﻠﺘﻦﻴ‬ ِ ‫ ِ ﻣﺎ‬Imām al Qiblatayn- Imām of both Qiblas, Jerusalem and Makkah. ِ ْ ْ َ َ Ṣāhibat tāji wal Me’rāj wal Burāq - Master of space voyage of Me‘rāj, on ُ َ ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﻤﻌﺮ‬ 4 ْ ‫ﺻﺎﺣﺐ‬

‫ ﻟﺮﺒ‬ ‫ ﺤﻛﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ

Burāq.

ْ ََْ َ َ ُ َ Ṣāhibi Qābi Qawsayn- Master of two cubit lengths. ‫ﻗﻮﺳﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﺻﺎﺣﺐ ﻗﺎ‬ ِ ِ

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ŮŽŮ’ ŮŒŮ? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŒ Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŒ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŽâ€Ź ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ďť ďť˘â€Ź Ů? Ů’ ‍‏ â€ŤďťŁďť¨ďť˜‏ ‍ Ů? ﺳ ďťœďş˜ ﺎďť“‏IsmahĹŤ maktĹŤbun marfĹŤ ‘un manqĹŤshun fÄŤ lauhim maḼfooz Ů?

His name is written in praiseworthy terms on the Guarded Tablet called LauḼim MaḼfĹŤáş“.

Ů? Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů?‍ ّ‏ ‍‏ Ů? k‍‏ Ů? Nabiyyal UmmiyyÄŤn - Prophet of the unlettered ones. Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;ďť ďťŒďşŽďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺣﺔ‏RaḼmatal Lil Ä€lamÄŤn. He was a mercy to mankind (Q.21:107).

Although ummi in common Arabic language means unlettered, it may also mean common folk in Q.3:20; 3:75; 62:2. Some scholars believe that the Prophet‍ ‏was a knowledgeable person who could read and write; they base their argument on the fact that (1) The Prophet‍ ‏was a successful businessman and knew how to do his accounts; (2) although at age 40 he knew how to draw up contracts, Allah further commanded him to “readâ€? (Q.96:1:5) and also revealed the verse of the “Penâ€?. Because of Allah's command, he must have become literate during the 23 years that followed this revelation; (3) the Prophet‍ ‏also dictated letters to his scribes which were sent to kings inviting them to Islam; (4) Allah says in Q.25:6 that the Qurážżan is Allah’s Word. The Prophet‍ ‏was only a medium or agent for His revelations. I would like to quote only three of the many sayings of Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏about education.

ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ â€ŤďťŁďş´ďť ﺔ‏ â€ŤďťŁďş´ďť ‏ ‍‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďťƒďť ďş?‏ᚏalabul ‘ilm farÄŤdatun ‘alÄ kulli muslim wa muslimah: Acquisition of Ů? ‍ﺎﺔ ďş’ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďť ďť˘â€Ź

knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim and Muslimah.

Ů? Ů’Ů? Ů’Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ 4Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ‍ ďťƒďť ďş?‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďş¤ďşŞâ€Ź ‍ﺪ Ů?;ďť°ďť&#x;‏ Uáš­lubul ‘ilm minal mahdi ilal laḼd: Seek knowledge from the cradle to the Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďť ďť˘ Ů? ďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů?

grave.

Ů‘ Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďť ďť˘â€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? Uáš­lubul ‘ilm wa lau biᚣ ᚣeen: Seek knowledge, be it in China. ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ‍ ďťƒďť ďş?‏ ‍ﺑﺎďť&#x;ﺟ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů?

If Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏were alive today, nearly every Muslim would have been a scientist and he himself would have been the Head of the Department of Advanced Scientific Technology and Religious Affairs and the Muslim Ummah would have been a super-power and a formidable force to reckon with.

Maulid/Maulood: Although one of the reasons that some Muslims do not observe the birthday of

Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏is that he was born and he also died on the same day of the same month, 12 Rabi‘-ul-Awwal, I personally think that we should observe it though not merely as a celebration, but as an occasion to emulate his life-style and his way of interacting with others. We Muslims are in need of a unifying agent and also educating ourselves through lectures and seminars reminding us of the life and the exemplary character of the Prophet‍ ‏who was sent as a mercy to all the worlds (Q.21:107), and whom we should emulate. Invoking ᚣalawaat on the Prophet‍ ‏is already enjoined in the Qur'an (Q.33:56) and praising him is also an established tradition we have inherited from the time of the Prophet‍ ‏himself; so no one can consider it a bid'ah or an innovation in religion. Celebration of the Prophet’s‍ ‏birthday (Maulid/MaulĹŤd functions) is thus an excellent opportunity, wherein we can socialise and listen to the narratives of his beautiful qualities and try to emulate them within our own selves. It is also one way of getting the Muslim ummah together under one roof. If Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏had not been born, all of us would still have been pagans. Now that Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏is not with us any more, our love for Allah and His Messenger‍ ‏should exceed the love for our relatives and our commercial business (Q.9:24), i.e. we should love the message that he was sent to convey by loving and obeying the Commandments in the Holy Qurážżan. We have also precedents for praising him in the form of nasheeds and qaseedahs since many poems were written throughout Islamic history to express love and praise of the Prophet‍‏. So we have enough evidence to show that we are allowed to express our love and commemorate the event of the Prophet's‍ ‏birth. Of course, we must never exceed the limits by equating the Prophet‍ ‏with Allah. This would have been the case if we were to attribute divine powers to him or take him as an intermediary in worship. If people were to forgo the belief that the Prophet‍ ‏is physically present in these gatherings, and avoid practices associated with such belief, there would be nothing wrong in what they do. He may not be present physically and in person at the gatherings, yet the invocation of his attributes during the lectures would be good reminders of his personality.

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In Arabic, bid‘ah denotes a newly invented practice for which there is no earlier precedent. In Islamic terminology, it refers to innovations in worship for which there is no precedent in the sunnah of the Prophet‍‏. Commemorating the Prophet’s life cannot fall in this category since we worship Allah and not the Prophet‍‏. It is bid‘ah only if we innovate a form of worship that was not initially prescribed in religion. People usually stand up on all occasions as a mark of respect for any dignitary. One of the reasons that some people give as to why they do not stand up for ta‘zeem (honour) of the Prophet‍ ‏is that he himself had asked the people not to stand up whenever he would enter a congregation and he would signal them to sit down. This was an example of his humility. However, if we think that standing up is a better form of expressing respect for anyone, we should do so, especially for the “greatest man on Earthâ€? to whom we should salute with utmost respect (Q.33:56), as per Allah's command. However, the controversy surrounding the issue of ta‘zeem should not be a cause of division among Muslims. Even observance of the birthday of any one of us should not be termed a bid‘ah. Birthday of a child reminds us to be thankful to Allah that He gave us a child, knowing that Allah made millions of persons barren in this world. An old man’s birthday will give us a chance to reflect as to what we have achieved so far and what are we going to send in advance for our own selves for the Hereafter (Q.82:5). By living his life according to the Qurážżan, the Prophet‍ ‏became the best exemplar to mankind (Q.29:18; 64:12; 33:21). Not only has he sparkled like a diamond from any angle looked at, but he also illuminated the true path for the masses. In praising the Holy Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏during MaulĹŤd functions, we usually recite a verse in Arabic, which summarises all the qualities of the Holy Prophet‍‏. The verse given below was composed by Shaikh Sa‘dÄŤ and runs thus:

Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ? ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺣﺴﺖ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍ﺸ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďť°ďť â€Ź ÂŽŮ? Ů? ‍ﺧﺟﺎŽ ŮŽďşťďť ďťŽ ŮŽďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞâ€Ź Ž‍ﺎ‏ ÂŽâ€Ťďş‘ďťœﺎ‏ â€Ťďş‘ďť ďťŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ďş&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť°ďş&#x; Ů?ďş ďş‘â€Ź Ů?Ů? Ů?

Balaghul ‘Ula bi KamÄ lihÄŤ: Kashafad duja bi JamÄ lihÄŤ: H asunat JamÄŤ ‘u Khis Ä lihÄŤ: SallĹŤ ‘Alyhi wa Ä€lihÄŤ, meaning: He attained the pinnacle of greatness with his perfection; he dispelled darkness with his beauty; excellent were all his qualities; invoke Allah's blessings on him and on his family. Recently a new science called neuro-theology is being developed to study the neurobiology of religion by using the latest tools available in brain-imaging, to identify the brain’s spirituality circuit, and to explain how it is that religious rituals have the power to move believers and non-believers alike. Whenever most men set foot in a holy place such as a mosque, a church, a mandir or a gurdwara, a feeling of reverence generates within them. This may well be the reason why religion refuses to die in the modern world. Some scientists say there is a “God-spotâ€? or a “Centre for spiritualityâ€? in the temporal lobe of the human brain. This lobe has connections to the frontal cortex which also houses the attention centre. However, a recent study has concluded that there is no single God spot in the brain. In other words, mystical experiences are mediated by several brain regions. They say that God travels at the speed of thought. Al Ḥamdu LillÄ h, some persons who do not believe in God at least possess a brain with the capacity to believe in God. Even if they deny God, He is still there. The brain circuitry may encircle an antenna to make us tune in to the divine. However, an unusual experience which may appear to a psychologist as a wish fulfilment, and which a scientist attributes to an imbalance of neurotransmitters released by the brain, a priest calls it simply a word from God. Yet, many people have a profound acceptance that religion has changed their lives, perhaps because spiritual practices activate the temporal lobe. That is why they have this feeling of

God-Spot:

“God Won’t Go Away from us�. Here is a Persian poem:

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AawaazĂŠ 'Lan Taraani' har dam begooshĂŠ del, zon del hameeshĂŠ jaanĂŠbĂŠ del daar meerawad: The sound of “you cannot see Me â€? which is constantly in the hearing distance of the heart, always goes in the direction of the Beloved. Muslims are offended by the notion that God is a creation of the human brain. They instead accept that it is the other way around. Some scientists say there is a “God-spotâ€? or a “Centre for spiritualityâ€? in the temporal lobe (situated just above the ear) of every human brain. This lobe is wired through many connections to the frontal cortex which also houses the attention centre as well as the cognition centre responsible for logical thinking. For want of name, we may label such a higher centre as “God Spotâ€? or “Centre for Spiritualityâ€?, but for us Muslims this may be the locus for taqwÄ â€™ or God-consciousness,

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acting as a God-module. Because it is His sovereign choice to remain in relationship with humankind, Allah might have put a “God-spot” in the brain in order that we develop it further if we want to understand more about Him. In many verses of the Qur᾿an such as in Q.65:10 Allah appeals to men of understanding to be God-conscious. This spot may be responsible for the sakīnah (tranquility) that Allah says He has sent down in the hearts of the believers (Q.48:4). This higher centre may have evolved to have control over the present day neo-cortex (our ‘new’ brain or ‘thinking’ brain which distinguishes us from animals), and thereby our mind, leading to deeper thinking and a prolonged state of taqwā᾿ (Godconsciousness). We observe that angels and men of knowledge are linked together as witnesses to the One-ness of God (Q.3:18). This ‘God-spot’ would be well developed in those of us who are religious as well as pious in our actions, but underdeveloped in those who do not respond to the Great Caller and who have been labelled in the Qur᾿an as deaf, dumb and blind or ṣummun bukmunn ‘ummyunn (Q.2:18). If the temporal and prefrontal lobes were surgically removed from such persons, they would probably become agnostics and would not know about God. Scientists say that during meditations and prayer, there is increased brain-wave activity in the temporal and parietal lobes. However, both in affluence and in poverty, the person has no time for such meditation and the God-spot remains out of the picture when the rich man throws God out of his conscience trying to make more and more money while the poor man also throws God out of his mind only trying to survive. Although it is said that the temporal lobe houses the ‘God-spot’ and is the seat of a God-given human faculty for experiencing the divine, its action is to act only as an antenna. It is not the locus of a person’s soul (rūḥ

) although Allah breathed His rūḥ into the first man (Adam). The rūḥ has an existence apart from the brain and rest of the body. There are real differences between brain, body and soul. If the temporal and prefrontal lobes were surgically removed from a person, he would still be alive with a soul (ruḥ) within his body. Whenever we feel carried away and transported to another scenario by intense prayer and an uplifting ritual, it gets reflected in activity in the temporal lobe with a change of frequency and amplitude of the brain waves as seen in the electro-encephalogram. Moreover, brain imaging techniques such as FMRI (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and PET (Positive Emission Tomography) which are presently being used to locate and map out the different areas of the brain during prayers and meditation show activity in some areas while other areas in the brain are blanked off. The prefrontal cortex of the brain which is the seat of attention lights up, while the superior parietal lobe, (acting as the “orientation association area” which processes information about where our 3-dimensional body stands in space and time, and which is situated towards the top and back of the brain) is switched-off, and so is the amygdala which registers fear and anger, by monitoring the environment for threats. Experimentally, bursts of electrical activity could be triggered in the temporal lobes through minielectrodes, which produce sensations described by the patient as supernatural or a sense of the divine. Such brain storms can also appear in times of personal crisis and hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) suggesting a reason that some people “find God” in such moments. However, losing one’s self in prayer and feeling good or uplifted have nothing to do with how well we communicate with God. In fact, many people pray best and endlessly when harm afflicts them (Q.41:51) and when they feel guilty, ashamed or sad. The sheer habit to pray may also be more affirmative than the occasional feeling that God is close by and listening to us. Some other scientists are not sure whether the brainwaves create God or God creates the brainwaves. They admit that both prayers and meditation give rise to a relaxed mind with intense feeling of love and joy when both excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain come into play to exert their biological and emotional effects. To the average man, it is a matter of faith. To a Muslim,

ْ

ْ

¶ُ

every thing is from Allah ‫ﷲ‬ ِ ‫ﻋﻨﺪ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻞﻛ ِﻣﻦ‬Kullu min ‘Indal Lah.

Although some people say there is no benefit at all from third-party prayer, we as Muslims believe that Allah advises us to pray on behalf of others also (Ṣalli ‘Alyhim) Q.9:103, since it induces security and tranquillity in those who pray. However, the benefits of prayer and meditation to the individual himself are more beneficial and cumulative, leaving their footprints in the neural pathways. The importance of introducing children to prayers at an early age (hadīth) is explained by establishment of inter-connecting circuits in the brain.

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No matter how we take it, we must thank G.O.D. (the Great Omniscient Designer), also known as the Great Intelligent Designer, Who gifted us with a brain, equipped with different centres and neurotransmitters so that we could think of the divine and be confident, calm and comfortable. The first to mature is that part of the brain, which controls movement and senses. It is followed by language. The centre for attention, reasoning and problem-solving, which leads to wisdom, is the last to mature. Executive activities which are prioritised in the prefrontal cortex don't fully develop until young adulthood. The hyper-religiosity of some individuals has been attributed by some researchers to various grades of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Approximately a quarter of TLE patients have intense religious experiences during seizures, saying they had seen an aura preceding the attacks that relate to God such as hearing of a divine voice or a divine vision. Although some non-Muslim scientists have labelled some prophets and mystics as suffering from temporal-lobe epilepsy, recent studies have cast doubt on the connection between religiosity and temporal-lobe epilepsy (the latter disease presenting itself in a fascinating array of symptoms sometimes referred to as supernatural). Laws of the land make human beings behave differently than they would have otherwise. However, faith in God results in a different holistic behaviour. There is no harm in such knowledge of neuroscience co-existing with a person’s imān, i.e. faith. Muslims accept that even scientific inspiration comes to us from higher sources - Allah. However, there are some scientists who are atheists and who say that instead of replying God alone knows, we should be saying, We do not know the answer as yet. When prayers and meditation are repetitive, the various neurotransmitters may stimulate growth of some dormant neurons in the brain to develop a higher centre on the evolutionary ladder of the present day cerebral cortex with a capacity to think and to rationalise much better. At least in some families, this gene of religiosity is inherited. Since we do not know what the mystics and Sufis experience, should we brand them as psychotics or schizophrenics? American Psychiatric Association had officially classified strong religious belief as a mental disorder till 1994, but now, they believe that religion is linked to a stage of far better mental health. Mystics describe their experiences as ecstatic and serene, and they show utmost humility during and after such experiences. Psychotics, schizophrenics and epileptics on the other hand, get frightened by the hallucinations of hearing the same voice and message again and again during their bouts of illness. Such persons may see themselves as prophets or even God with special divine powers but they remain confused unlike the mystics. However, mystical experiences can come to anyone spontaneously without desiring them. The reader may refer to Q.40:15; 16:2. Having religious faith can speed recovery from depression in older patients. Religiously active older people tend to have lower blood pressure than those who are less active, and live longer. This is due to the secretion by the brain of encephalins, endorphins serotonin, dopamine, gaba, anadamide and others, in religious people. Differences found between believers in God and the non-believers show that believing in God can help block anxiety and minimize stress. The religious participants showed significantly less activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a portion of the brain that helps modify behaviour by signalling when attention and control are needed, usually as a result of some anxiety producing event, like making a mistake. The stronger their religious zeal and the more they believed in God, the less their ACC fired in response to their own errors. Magnetic resonance imaging has shown that regular practice of meditation is associated with increased thickness in the grey matter of the brain. Religion is not only meditation and prayers. It is much more than that, such as fasting, charity, visiting widows and orphans, and looking after their welfare. Some scientists offer a biological explanation of the concept of God as a neurological accident in the human brain making it receptive to belief in a supernatural deity. However, this “God-Centre” distinguishes us from animals. The following are a few differences between human beings and animals. Allah breathed from His Own Rūḥ in Adam after He fashioned him from dust and water. Then He gave him a brain with a God-Centre. Perhaps Allah wanted our attention to be directed towards Him and that is why He put a God-centre in our brains for further development. This makes human beings ponder over life and death, time and space, etc. Only human beings, not animals, think of death which gives them an advance warning to do good deeds because their time is drawing near. Only human beings have a soul (rūḥ) and hence are responsible for their actions because of the choice of free-will to make their own decisions. The choice between right and wrong is delineated in the scriptures. Man is not a sophisticated modern ape with more knowledge, because an ape possesses

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neither a soul nor the neo-cortex. Man has the choice to obey or disobey God while an animal has no choice but to follow its instincts with which it is endowed. Man knows the difference between right and wrong and feels joy or remorse for what he does. Heaven and Hell have been created for humans, not animals. Man can sin but animals cannot; they do not know the difference between right and wrong. Animals cannot read the scriptures while we can. An animal placed in the best library in the world will not know what to do. Because animals have no soul, they operate by instinct. Instinct is not a reasoning mechanism but a reflexive response to a suitable stimulus and is influenced by genetic information alone. However, human behaviour and actions are controlled by knowledge, experience and wisdom which, in turn, are responsible for the free will that humans possess in making a proper choice. Man can teach himself enough to control his instincts. Moreover, he not only possesses the knowledge to control his behaviour, but he also has the knowledge of the consequences of misbehaving in this world when he appears before Allah in the Hereafter, thanks to the neo-cortex (thinking brain) that he possesses. Man can be educated while animals can only be trained. . For all their cognitive prowess, chimpanzees can only imitate new technology that they might stumble upon but cannot innovate them. Dogs' Intelligence is on par with a two-year-old human. Human beings unlike animals wear clothes. Although animals can communicate with each other through sounds and noises, they do not have a language of their own which is the prerogative of us humans. ‘Allamahul Bayān (Q.55:3-4) means He (Allah) taught him how to formulate speech and grammar and explain his thoughts intelligently and accurately. Only humans can read and write and compose prose and poetry with a capacity to communicate an infinite number of propositions and with a memory to recall historical events of persons, times and places. We can summarise a whole article into an abstract and vice versa while animals cannot. We can write laws and constitutions. Animals, unlike man, do not get married, although they have a relentless drive to reproduce. Only humans can make use of accumulated knowledge for future generations by writing books and scientific discoveries. Only humans can exploit electromagnetic waves propagated through space. Electromagnetic waves travel through vacuum at the rate of 186,287 miles/second (speed of light). These radio waves are manipulated by man for his use in telephone, television, radio, radar and space communication. If angels represent electromagnetic waves as some Muslim scientists think, then subservience of angels to man can be explained. Throughout life, contrary to what we were taught years ago, our brains continue to produce new brain cells, even during mild physical activity such as prayer. Contrary to long-held popular belief, our brains may not only produce new brain cells or neurons throughout life, but the newly generated neurons quickly become involved in the formation of new memories, a fact that may have positive implications for the recuperative powers of our brains when damaged by stroke, trauma or any disease.

Have we betrayed the trust?

We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth and the mountains; but they refused to undertake it, being afraid thereof; but man undertook it. He was indeed unjust and foolish. (Q.33:72). A trustee is someone who is expected to behave responsibly and honourably, in an arrangement to manage money or property belonging to someone else. By believing in his/her good qualities, especially fairness, truth, honour or ability, the owner shows his confidence in the trustee. Now we must ask ourselves: Have we fulfilled the Trust of God in us or betrayed it? The goal of Islāmic ‘ibādat (worship) is to create a society which would establish justice and freedom, uphold the rights of the deprived and oppressed masses, and bring all types of exploitation to a complete halt. We must ask ourselves what has been our contribution to this cause? The divine punishment for breaching a trust is proportional to the significance of the trust and how the trustee acted. Punishment to a child is not the same as that to an adult. Yet, in spite of a clear warning - Betray not the trust committed to you of Allah and the Messenger, (Q.8:27), man has not fulfilled the duties that Allah has commanded him to do (Q.80:23). Therefore, we must ask ourselves daily, in what way have we served the ummah? Did the community benefit from this service at all? Only then we will be able to fulfil the Trust which God has placed on us.

Marriage: Marriage (nikaḥ) is a social and matrimonial bonding contract dependant on the mutual consent between a man and a woman, for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family, which

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forms the nucleus of the ummah. Marriages involve some sort of religious sanction. It is a religious duty and a moral safeguard as well as a social necessity, being the sunnah of Prophet MuḼammad‍( ‏Ibn Majah). Man and woman could be described as man and wa man, (wa in Arabic meaning and, signifying a partnership). Celibacy and monasticism are disapproved in Islam (Q.57:27). On the contrary, Islam advises marriage as a means of sexual gratification, reducing tension, legalisation of children, and approach to inter-family alliances. All these should be considered as acts of piety and this concept of considering marriage as a religious commitment is the focal point of marriage in Islam. It is an institution meant only for human beings, since animals do not get married although both have a relentless drive to reproduce. Through marriage, man and woman can satisfy their carnal desires legitimately and have children with legally valid inheritance rights to all the members of the family. Marriage provides companionship seasoned with compassion, solace and trust in each other. It is that relationship between husband and wife in which dependence is mutual and obligation reciprocal. The love that should exist between husband and wife could be similar to that of a butterfly and the candle, as in this poem: %

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Shabee yaad daaram kè chashmam nakhoft; shaneedam kĂŠ parwaaneh baa sham‘goft; kĂŠ man aasheqam gar besoozam rawaast; toraa garyeh wo soozbaari cheraast; tĂł begreezee az peeshĂŠ yak sholeh khaam; man eestaadĂŠ am taa besoozam tamaam; toraa aateshĂŠ eshq agar par besookht; maraa bin kĂŠ az paayy taa sar besookht. I remember one night when I could not sleep; I heard a butterfly telling the candle: ‘I am a lover. If I get burnt, it is lawful; why do you weep and why does your heart ache?’; (It replied): ‘You run away unsuccessfully from the flame while I keep standing until I am entirely burnt out. If the flame of love caused your wings to burn; look at me, I got burnt out from head to foot’. The Prophet‍ ‏considered marriage for a Muslim as half of his religion because it shields him from fornication, adultery and homosexuality which may in turn lead to slander, homicide, disintegration of the family, venereal diseases, and paternity suits etc. When the servant of Allah marries, he has fulfilled half the (responsibilities laid on him by) religion. So let him be God-conscious with respect to the other half. (MishkÄ t). O you young men! Whoever is able to marry should marry for that will help him to lower his gaze and guard his modesty. (ḤadÄŤth: Al-BukhÄ ri). A recent study suggests that married adults are healthier than divorced, widowed or never married adults.

Ů‹

ŮŽ Ů‹

The sacredness of marriage is reflected in the words ‍ďť?ďť ďť´ďťˆďşŽâ€Ź Ů? ‍ Ů?ďşœďşŽďť—ďşŽâ€ŹmÄŤthÄ qann ghalÄŤzann used in Q.4:21,

meaning a strong pledge, which are similar to words used in Q.33:7 for the solemn covenants between Allah and His Prophets. Allah advises that the agreement should be put in writing to register the mutual consent (Q.2:282). Both the bride and groom can lay down certain terms and conditions in the contract, e.g. relating to dowry (Q.4:4), maintenance, and the division of inheritance, if the husband already has a wife, etc. The mahr or dowry given to the wife by the husband is a divine injunction (Q.4:4) for financial independence of bride. She comes into a new home with this dowry, with the understanding that it is the husband’s duty to support her and their family with his own earnings. Moreover, she remains entitled to a share of inheritance from her father, and whatever she earns is also her own. (It is customary for Muslimahs to retain their maiden first names and surnames after marriage, which adds to their elevated status). It is unwise to put conditions in the marriage contract such as: (a) she would not have sexual intercourse with him unless he divorces his first wife; (b) she would not prepare meals for him; or (c) the husband should not visit his mother, etc. Both the bride and the groom should realise that this is against Qurážżan’s clear directive against neglecting one’s own parents. Besides, the consenting persons knew their parents long before they met each other and the bond of love between mother and child is much stronger than between husband and wife. If there is any conflict of interest between mother and daughter-in-law, the latter should be reminded that her husband knew and loved his mother long before he proposed to his bride. Allah has more than 99 attributes, one being the Supreme Match-maker. It has been said that marriages are made in heaven to be consummated on Earth. This means that from time immemorial or from the beginning of time as known to mankind, it was written by KÄ tib-è-TaqdÄŤr, the Writer of Destiny in the Guarded Tablet called LauḼ um MaḼfĹŤáş“, which is lodged somewhere in the heavens, that a boy/girl would be born in a certain family, that he/she would grow up and get married to a certain person on a particular date by the will of the Supreme Match-Maker. This is a mile-stone, not only in the life of one

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person, but of two, for whom a blank page of a new chapter opens in the book of their married lives. On this first day of marriage, they are advised to recite and begin together with Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm followed by Al Ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil ‘Ālamīn. For a marriage to be successful and fruitful, three loves must be involved, love of the husband, love of the wife and the love of Allah. Love does not mean that they must constantly gaze at each other. It means that they must look forward together in the same direction, towards the Ka‘bah. It is said that a family that prays together stays together. Moreover, Allah advises in Q.5:1 to fulfil all promises and َ

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، oaths including marriage contracts. ‫ﺑﺎﻟﻌﻘﻮ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻓﻮ‬F Aufū bil uqūd means, Bring to a satisfactory completion

all binding contracts. The Qur᾿an tells us that Allah began the creation of man from dust/ water/ clay/sounding clay like unto pottery/extraction of clay (Q.40:67; 25:54; 32:7; 55:14; 23:12). However, the creation of Eve is shrouded in mystery. From Q.4:1, we understand that we were created from a single being, and from him his mate was created. Later, countless men and women scattered from them both. Some scholars have said that Adam was a hermaphrodite, the other part of his might have been a twin which separated as Eve. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬said: Women are the twin-halves of men, thereby establishing their equality with men in rights, obligations, and worldly as well as spiritual excellence. Eve’s creation from Adam’s rib (Ḥadīth: Fatḥ Al-Bāri) has an allegorical significance too. Since she was not created from his foot, she could not be under him; neither was she from his head, so she could not be over him, but being created from his rib and close to his heart, she is entitled to be protected and loved by him. Both man and woman are considered as marvels of creation, Ashraf al Makhlūqāt, the most honourable of all things created and not as third-class citizens, no matter what race or colour they belong to. Both are held equal in the sight of Allah and would be punished or rewarded equally. In Islam, both man and woman are considered an inseparable part of the Muslim ummah. Adam and Eve were the first husband and wife team. Adam never said that he was superior to Eve nor did Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬ever say that he was superior to Sayyidah Khadījah or Sayyidah ‘Āyesha (R.A.). Although Allah has given man and woman equal status, most of us men hold and propagate opposite views because of Q.4:34 which says: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one a higher degree over another and because they support them from their means. Some justify this “higher degree” by explaining that (i) all the prophets were men and not women, (ii) the Khulafā Ar-Rāshidīn were all men. However, we need to be reminded that because women were not appointed prophets, it does not mean that man is superior. In fact, women are mothers of all the prophets, Khulafā ar Rāshidīn and the rest of mankind. However, the ‘superiority’ or the ‘higher degree’ as advocated by some may refer to the higher ‘means of support’. The Qur᾿an clearly sets the leading role of men to be conditional on their capability to carry the responsibility of maintenance. The Qur᾿an says: Men are the protectors and maintainers of women because Allah has given the one more (means of support) than the other…. (Translation by Shaikh ،Abdullah Yūsuf ،Ali) Q.4:34. More than the other does not in any way refer to ‘superiority’ of man over woman. It may mean more muscular strength or rather more means of support. Yet others argue that (iii) a male witness is equal to two female witnesses in marriage consent and other circumstances, and (iv) adhān, khutbah and congregational prayers also are led by men. (However, it has been reported that a woman, Umm Waraqah, was appointed by Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬as Imām to lead the prayers for women). Because of the various permutations and combinations of hundreds of genes in our chromosomes, we cannot find any two persons with identical thoughts, beliefs and feelings. Moreover, because we grew up in different homes and attended different schools and belong to different religions and sects, we have developed different ideas, ideals and ideologies. Therefore, we perceive things differently and this is responsible for our disagreements. Differences of opinion between husband and wife should be expected and respected and is a blessing in disguise for both parties. All these are a gift from God, encouraging mutual understanding and tolerance. We need each other and therefore should consult each other. Both man and woman have been endowed by Allah with freedom of thought, decision and action. It is not unusual for a couple to quarrel over differences in opinions but such a disagreement should not lead to physical violence. In fact, if a couple does not quarrel, then something may be wrong somewhere; they should better watch out! Because of the differences in anatomy, physiology and sex hormones, men and women are not the same emotionally, physically, or similar in the way they think. They have been created for different, but complementary functions and roles. The motherly instinct and their compassionate nature qualify them for their vital roles as caring mothers, loving wives, daughters,

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and sisters. A happy family is mostly due to the sacrifices of the wife/mother. In Q.3:36, Allah says that the male is not like the female. If men and women have different anatomy, physiology and sex hormones, there is no inferiority or superiority in those differences. They are both equal in the sight of Allah with respect to rewards and punishments and are addressed as believers who protect each other (Q.9:71-72). They both have 1,000 million neurons in the brain and can store 100,000 facts at a time and a million billion facts during a lifetime. Although the female brain is smaller than a man’s, it has the same number of one thousand million neurons but more densely packed. A marital journey through this earthly life is like the flight of a bird. Woman being the other wing, no bird can ever fly with only one of its wings. It takes both sun and rain to form a rainbow. We have been created for some special tasks peculiar to our gender in the reproductive cycle and should complement each other. Allah makes no difference between the actions and rewards of man and woman (Q.16:97; 4:124; 4:1). Mates have been created for each other for our tranquillity. We must forever remember that the wife is our best friend, both in this world and in the next, because she will also accompany us into the Hereafter. And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves that you may find comfort and solace in them and He has put love and compassion between you both; undoubtedly in these are signs for those who reflect. (Q.30:21). Therefore it is the duty of husband and wife to ensure that this love and compassion continue between them as a sacred bond for all times to come and not demolish whatَ Allah has placed into them.

ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů’Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ 4 Ů? 4 Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏ Ű— ‍ďť&#x;‏ Ů? ‍ďť?ďş˜‏F ‍  Ů?ﺎ ďť&#x;ďťœ‏Hunna libÄ sun lakum wa antum libÄ sunn lahunna: (Q.2:187). In this lesson

we are also advised to be garments for each other for mutual support and comfort and to cover up each other’s shortcomings. Temper, nagging, ridiculing each other or reverting to past mistakes are all forbidden in Islam. A reasonable approach is to remind ourselves of the proverb: To err is human, but to forgive is divine. By thinking of this alone, we can improve our relations with Allah, because He, too, will forgive some of our own mistakes and sins. Although we should never remember if we do a good turn, we should not forget if we receive one, especially from the wife. Men and women have rights over each other, though they have been allotted different duties. The gender distinction does not count in spiritual matters. The wife may be far better in the sight of Allah if she is more God-conscious or endowed with taqwÄ (Q.49:13). A man may get married to a woman because of her wealth, family status, beauty or religion but marry one who is religious, (otherwise) you will be losers. (ḤadÄŤth: Al BukhÄ ri and Musllim). Countenance may wrinkle, wealth may diminish, prestige may vanish but true piety is an ever-lasting asset which will accompany us to Paradise in the life of Hereafter (Q.4:57; 44:54; 3:15), where all the pious family members will be together once again (Q.40:8; 13:23, 24; 52:21). A husband may be a tyrant while the wife may be pious. ‘Āsiya, one of the four perfect women, was the wife of the wicked and godless Pharaoh whose death-bed repentance was not accepted by Allah. After he was drowned, his body floated, was washed ashore, mummified and preserved so as to become a permanent lesson to mankind (Q.10:92). ‘Āsiya had prayed to Allah to save her from Pharaoh and his wrong-doings (Q.66:11). (Other pious women are Mariam, the mother of Jesus; KhadÄŤjah, the wife of Prophet MuḼammad‍ ;‏and FÄ áš­imah, their daughter who was the wife of Haá¸?rat ‘Ali, R.A.). If men, as maintainers and providers for women (Q.4:34), have some excellence over them in one respect, then women have excellence over men in other aspects, e.g. in managing the family and the home. Women are the home-makers. Men should be reminded that as far as individual rights are concerned, Allah mentions women’s rights before those of men in Q.2:228. Bearing in mind that no one is 100% male or 100% female in his/her hormonal content, there is some expected overlap in his/her behaviour and attitude. Here are some of the anatomical and physiological differences between man and woman. We think that women are meant only for raising children, and thus their place is in their homes. Nothing in the Qur’an or Sunnah clearly supports such a view.

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MAN Possesses primary and secondary male sexual characteristics. Can produce on an average 400 million spermatozoa daily. Matures late: 18-20 yrs. 10% taller, 20% heavier and 30% stronger in upper body than woman. Aggressive; most often plays a dominant role. Reacts when angry. Gets tired easily. Cannot bear much pain. Lives about 5 years less than woman. Firm, couldn’t care less, reveals secrets. Good with a single project at a time. Good at mathematics. If man and wife die together in a car, plane crash or at sea, the man is legally considered to have died first.

WOMAN Possesses primary and secondary female sexual characteristics. Produces on average one egg per month during her fertile period. Matures earlier, say 14-16 yrs. 10% shorter, 20% lighter and 30% weaker in upper body than man. Timid; most often plays a submissive role. Can control her anger. Resistant to fatigue. Can bear most excruciating pain. Lives about 5 years more than man. Soft; caring, sharing, hides her secrets. Can do several activities simultaneously Good at language and verbal skills. If man and wife die together in a car, plane crash or at sea, the wife is legally considered to have died later.

It is better to get married at a younger age, because older women have an increased risk of having babies with Down’s syndrome. Older women also have a tendency for spontaneous abortion and still births due to a less efficient uterus, and an increased risk of ectopic pregnancies. However, it is comforting to know that a child born to older parents may have the advantage of doing better at school than those of very young parents. The optimum age for a woman to get married is in her late teens, twenties or early thirties. Yet, we must not despair if we are childless since even in old age and when the wife is barren, we can still have a child (Q.3:40; 19:8). Modern medical techniques have made it easier for both man and woman to reproduce and with Allah’s help we must not lose hope.

Some quotes from the Holy Qur'an and Ḥadīth relating to man and woman

1. Allah has honoured woman so much that a whole chapter (Ch.4) in the Qur᾿an is entitled “The Woman”. O people! Fear Allah Who created you from a single being and created its mate of the same kind and spread from these two many men and women. And fear Allah through Whom you demand one of another (your rights), and ties of relationship; surely Allah ever watches over you. (Q.4:1). 2. And those who do good deeds, be they male or female, and have strong faith, they will enter Paradise, and not the least injustice will be done to them. (Q.4:124). 3. What is the purpose of marriage? As mentioned earlier, Allah has created mates for us so that we should dwell in tranquillity with them and He has put love and mercy between our hearts (Q.30:21; 16:72). Allah wants young men and women to form new family units, through a loving marital relationship, with each partner being fully devoted to each other. We should not treat our marital life lightly and exchange partners as if we are junking old cars and trucks for new models. Wives and children are meant to be the comfort of our eyes (Q.25:74; 18:46). Allah tests both husband and wife through the splendour and conveniences of this world that they can enjoy (Q.20:131). Hence a wife or a husband should be considered as a gift and an amānah (trust) from Allah, and the same applies to children. 4. Allah makes no distinction between man and woman concerning their actions (Q.9:71- 72; 16:97). They both were created from His same divine breath. Woman was meant to supplement the husband. She rejoices in his success and weeps with him in sorrow. Her husband’s success is her success. They must not allow Satan to cause a rift between them because Allah warns us that Satan is an enemy to both husband and wife (Q.20:117). If we are not vigilant, there may lurk an enemy right in our own camps, from among our wives and children (Q.64:14) especially in these days of drug abuse. Some children have killed their parents under the influence of cocaine. As long as we consider ourselves human, male or female, we should realise that if one does not find love at home, he/she would find it

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somehow (maybe in a bottle of alcohol), somewhere else or in someone else, especially with Satan’s assistance. This may lead to suspicion (not allowed in Islam Q.49:12) and questions of paternity. 5. Is it only for girls to be chaste and not for boys? Can boys have a good time with girls until they are married? The Qur᾿an (Q.5:5) advises us that girl-friends are not allowed. It also tells us in (Q.24:33) that those who cannot afford marriage should keep themselves chaste until Allah gives them means out of His grace. Fornication and adultery are forbidden in Islam (Q.25:68; 60:12; 17:32). It is unfortunate that in most Western societies, marriage is on the way out, being replaced with a trial period of cohabitation. More than 50% of couples in USA live in this way as a trial run for marriage; no wonder divorce is so common later on. Islam considers marriage a very serious commitment. Private consent to sexual intimacy and “common law” or “trial” marriages are considered harām and do not institute a family in the Islamic sense. If boys and girls indulge in illicit sexual intercourse, as is the accepted norm in western societies, they should be reminded that impure women are for impure men and vice versa (Q.24:26). Allah advises us in Q.4:25 that lawful amongst us in marriage are chaste women from the believers desiring chastity, not committing illegal sexual intercourse or taking them as boy-friends. Moreover, an adulterer should marry an adulteress and vice-versa (Q.24:3). Allah has ordered similar and equal punishment for man and woman for fornication or adultery viz. a hundred lashes for each (Q.24:2). However, false allegation is prohibited (Q.49:12), and we must verify rumours. 6. Is homosexuality allowed in Islam? No. See Q.26:165-166; 7:81; 27:55; 4:16. Children are products of two opposite sexes and need both parents and not parents of the same sex. Gay marriages are not allowed in Islam. We also sent Lut: He said to his people: “Do ye commit lewdness such as no people in creation (ever) committed before you? For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people transgressing beyond bounds.” (Q.7:80-81). What! Of all creatures do ye come unto the males, and leave the wives Allah created for you? Nay, but ye are a transgressing people. (Q.26:165166). Both references relate to gay sexual activities just as in Q.27:55 and Q.4:16. There is also a stern warning for gay men in this Ḥadīth: If you find anyone doing as Lot's people did, kill the one who does it, and the one to whom it is done. (Abu Dawūd). Lesbian practices are not mentioned in the Qur᾿an but there is at least one mention of lesbian behaviour in the Ḥadith: Sihāq (lesbian sexual activity) of women is zina (illegitimate sexual intercourse) among them. Islam discourages perversion in sex. Do not have anal sex with women. (Ḥadīth: Aḥmad). Allah does not look upon a man who had anal sex with a man or woman. (Ḥadīth: An Nasā ī). Deviant sexual behaviour is considered by Muslim scholars as sinful, hence all gay acts are considered unlawful. It begins near puberty due to environmental factors but people can control themselves and steer away from such acts, with proper guidance and advice on morality from parents and teachers as well as to the danger of AIDS, gonorrhoea, syphilis, herpes and other diseases. By nature, man is polygamous and heterosexual. However, the penalty differs among the different schools of thought. The Ḥanafi school says that no punishment should be instituted while the Hanbalis (most of Arabia) and the Ithna ‘Asharis of Irān institute vigorous punishment such as execution. The Shāfe‘īs want four male witnesses to the act before a person is found guilty. 7. Is wife swapping allowed? No. See Q.33:52. 8. Who can we not marry? See Q.4:23. (Although first-cousin marriage is common in Islamic countries, in many it is considered as incest). We cannot get married to an atheist (who does not believe in God) or an agnostic (who does not know whether God exists or not). We men can get married to Christians or Jewesses who are ahlè-kitāb (people of the revealed books), but preference should be given to Muslimahs since in a small community their chances of getting married to Muslims, which is a must, would be slim. We should get married to single women, i.e. unmarried or divorced (Q.24:32). We can get married to believing women after we are sure of their religion by asking them questions as to their beliefs and faiths (Q.60:10). 9. Can men get married to more than one wife? Monogamy is the norm. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬at age 25 got married to Sayyidah Khadījah who was 40 years old and during her life-time did not take a second wife. Allah says in Q.33:4 that He has not made for any man two hearts in one body. Should we get married to more than one, Allah says that we will never be able to do justice between them even if we want to (Q.4:129), especially where love and preferences are concerned. However, a man can marry more than one wife to a maximum of four, under certain circumstances such as (a) when a man has excess male sex hormone (testosterone) circulating in his blood and also has the means to support another wife and treat both of them equally. (It may be more acceptable to the society for man to be polygamous than a woman so that the father of the child be known), (b) if his wife is barren, insane or

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chronically ill from carcinoma or other incurable diseases, (c) when women outnumber men such as after wars, examples being Irāq, Irān, Afghānistān, Bosnia and other countries where millions of Muslimahs have lost their husbands. Men are allowed to marry more than one, preferably an orphan. The majority of Westerners believe that polygamy refers to a harem of beautiful girls and not as a solution to the problems the West itself is facing. After the World War II, France had to import nearly a million Algerian men to get married to French women, since thousands of French soldiers had died during the war. If we look closely at Q.4:3 in its entire content of the verse, it refers to orphans and orphans only, whom Allah wants to protect. We can take female orphans of our choice as a second, third or fourth wife, provided we can do justice to them. However, some commentators have indicated that such men could marry other women instead of orphans if they cannot do justice to orphans concerning mahr, i.e. dowry, etc. There is some merit in arranged (not forced) marriages, since the parents may be aware of certain congenital abnormalities, criminal tendencies, insanity, and many other hereditary disease,s e.g. Huntington’s chorea, motor neuron disease, etc. in the family of those proposing marriage. 10. Can we see the bride before we get married? Yes (Ḥadīth: Imām Muslim). It is advisable that the future husband and wife should see or talk to each other in the presence of close relatives such as parents, to have a fair idea of what lies ahead of them, in case one of them is blind, deaf or mute. On the pretext of getting married, they should not meet in shopping plazas and other places unless accompanied by a maḥram. (Any woman, with whom a man has a blood or foster relationship that precludes marriage, is considered a maḥram to him. Maḥram women include his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, grandaunt, niece, grandniece, his father's wife, his wife's daughter, his mother-in-law, his foster mother (the one who breastfed him)). No man has the right to be in the privacy with a woman who is not lawful for him. Satan is their third party unless there is a maḥram. (Ḥadith: Aḥmad). Moreover, Whenever a man is alone with a woman, the Shaytān makes a third, (Al-Tirmidhi). The woman must be clad in the Islamic dress which, apart from being a symbol of purity, would express her identity and prevent herself from being molested (Q.33:59). 11. What if the wife is undesirable or incompatible or differences cannot be resolved? In the early stages of romantic love and immaturity, we may not recognise any defect in our partners, since the glow of attraction can blind us to many things. But after the initial attraction subsides, the defects appear prominent in our thoughts. In such a case, we should look into the instruction manual authored by the Manufacturer Who designed the product and by following which we can get years of reliable service. If something goes wrong, the manual tells us how to fix it. A copy of this instruction book is probably lying on our shelf and is called the Holy Qur᾿an. If we look at Q.4:19, we can see that Allah says: ….Nor should you treat them harshly….. on the contrary, live with them with kindness… If you hate them, it may be that you dislike a thing while Allah has placed abundant good in it. Also: The best among you are those who are best to their wives. (Ḥadīth: At-Tirmidhi) and: Let not a believing man hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one quality in her then he will be pleased with another. (Saḥiḥ Muslim from Abu Huraira). We must not be vocally or physically abusive to our wife. The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬never mistreated his wives. He said: How could they beat their women in daytime as slaves and then sleep with them in the night? Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬never raised his hand against any woman (Ḥadīth). It makes no sense to love our neighbour when our own family members are dying for some love. (A wife is much more than a neighbour. She is inside the house). We speak politely and courteously so often to others but hardly ever to the wife. There is a whole chapter (Ch.58) in the Holy Qur᾿an entitled “Al-Mujādilah” (The Woman Who Pleads). It begins thus: Allah has indeed heard (and accepted) the statement of the woman who pleads with you concerning her husband and carries her complaint to Allah: And Allah hears the arguments between both sides among you, for Allah hears and sees (all things). (Q.58:1). (In most cases when the wife is physically abused, she does not complain to the police but carries her complaints to Allah Who takes appropriate and justified measures). Although putting a morsel of food in wife’s mouth is husband's obligation, she may also be hungry for some love, attention, protection and company. Let us ask ourselves. Are we ourselves responsible for the disquiet existing in the home or is it a third person who gave us false information and we accepted it as factual without verification? Angels Hārūt and Mārūt at Babylon had imparted the knowledge of how to sow discord between husband and wife but they had also warned that they were only a trial; so do not disbelieve in Allah’s guidance (Q.2:102).

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Some evil persons among us reject this warning and learn sorcery, magic, witchcraft and harmful actions for which we should keep our eyes open and be alert. If a marriage is devoid of love and mutual support, at least one partner may seek solace in another relationship. In USA, there is approximately one divorce for every two marriages. Moreover, many children are being born outside of marriage, which amounted to 1,257,444 children in 1997. If differences still exist between husband and wife, Islam encourages attempts at reconciliation. The Qur᾿an (Q.4:35) advises us that we should appoint two arbiters, one from his family and the other from hers and let Allah intervene if they want to reconcile rather than separate. We should be reminded that a homing pigeon always returns home even if it is severely injured during flight. Physical contact and not just sex alone between married couples helps the brain to produce serotonin and endorphins, the human body’s best tranquilisers. Together they are like natural opiates and help stabilise a relationship between loving couples by inducing a “drug-like dependency”. Divorce would give rise to withdrawal syndrome with its undesirable side-effects. Satan, the great arsonist, ignites fire in one person, and the rest of the family suffers the intensity of the blaze. The most hateful permissible thing (al-halāl) in the sight of Allah is divorce. (Hādīth: Abu Dawūd; Ibn Majah). Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬never divorced any of his wives. It is in very poor taste and unbecoming of a good Muslim. Ask anyone of those who have divorced their wives as to how and why it happened and each one of them will tell you that “It was in a moment of anger.” We should bear in mind that divorce uttered in a state of anger is not valid (Hadīth). If divorce was pre-meditated on three separate occasions together with its formalities including the three-month waiting period for each adhered to and has thus become irrevocable, then the same husband cannot get remarried to the woman he divorced unless she had married another person and she is willing to return after being divorced by the second husband, a nearly-impossible situation. Any good Muslim should not use his domineering attitude and his degree of advantage over the wife if divorce is imminent. Making the wife live in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty pending divorce amounts to gross and inhuman oppression and is classified as a major sin. The husband having an ‘edge’ over the wife in Q.2:228 refers to the husband’s responsibility and duty of maintenance. So he must remember this verse during a pathetic scene when he threatens to divorce the pregnant wife who is carrying his own child, a being considered as ashraf al makhlūqāt, a gift from Allah and a seed for progeny of intellectual Muslims of the future. Sometimes a cry or an innocent smile of a baby brings about reconciliation and bridges the gap between the quarrelling husband and wife. In this same verse, Allah also advises reconciliation between husband and wife in the three-month waiting period in case the wife is pregnant. (During the entire period of pregnancy it will be considered one call. Some women can menstruate in the first three months called the first trimester and still be pregnant. Hence the wisdom inherent in this precautionary period of three-month waiting period for divorce, called ‘iddat. The three calls for divorce in each successive month not only provide the time for reconciliation and arbitration but also confirm the presence of pregnancy. In case the woman is pregnant, the issue of paternity is clearly settled, and the call for divorce is considered invalid till the baby is born). In cases of divorce, the father has to bear for full two years the cost of feeding and clothing a nursing mother who should be suckling the child (Q.2:233). The quality of love and attachment to the mother, which spans from birth to death, grows in the first two years of life, during the nursing period. Moreover, if the husband were to die, he should bequeath one year’s maintenance and accommodation for the wife (Q.2:240). Ironically, millions of divorces by the non-Arabic-speaking Muslim world are not valid linguistically although intended, whether given in anger or otherwise, because t alāq uttered with proper intonation

ْ َ َ

of Ṭ ‫ ﻃﻼ‬means divorce. The same word uttered a little differently as non-Arabic-speaking Muslims

ْ َ​َ

usually pronounce it as ‫ ﺗﻼ‬means meeting (as Yaumat Talāq, the Day of Meeting with Allah /

Judgment). The thymus, a gland involved in immunity processes, is twice as large in breast-fed infants than in bottle-fed. Human milk is uniquely specie-specific, and all substitute feeding preparations differ markedly from it, thus making human milk far superior for infant feeding. Babies who were nursed by the mother for two years, as advised by Allah in Q.2:233, have: (a) better brain development and higher IQ; (b) greater immunity and resistance to infectious diseases including bacterial meningitis, diarrhoea, respiratory tract infection, otitis media and urinary tract infection, leading to lower infant mortality rates; (c) lower incidence of asthma, obesity, both type 1 & 2 diabetes mellitus and hypercholesterolemia in

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adulthood; also, (d) there is lower incidence of cancers of breast and ovaries in the nursing mothers. The benefits to the mother also include decreased postpartum bleeding and increased child-spacing (natural birth-control) attributable to lactational amenorrhea. There is also a lower risk of the mother developing type 2 diabetes. It is not sufficiently emphasised that after the divorce, it is the couple’s own children who suffer most, the negative aspects being the children’s divided loyalties to the family when a different person in the name of step-father or step-mother moves in to live with them. Before deciding on divorce, one should recapitulate the last sermon of the Prophet‫ﷺ‬: O people, it is true that you have certain rights with regard to your women but they also have rights over you. And it is your right that they do not make friends with any one of whom you do not approve, as well as never to commit adultery. But if they do, then Allah has permitted you to isolate them without cruelty. But if they abide by your right, then to them belong the right to be fed and clothed in kindness. Do treat your women well and be kind to them for they are your partners and committed helpers. Remember that you have taken them as your wives and enjoyed them only under Allah’s trust and with His permission. 12. Are men really superior to women? No. In the sight of Allah, we are held as equal and rewarded or punished equally. We also have equal rights although different duties to perform. Everyone of you is a guardian and is responsible for his duties. The Imām (leader) is a guardian responsible for his subjects. Man is the guardian of his family and a woman is the guardian of her husband’s home and of his children. (Hadīth: Al Bukhāri). It is ironic that whereas Allah, SWT, and the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬have raised woman to a pedestal of dignity and honour, we men have relegated her to a position of servitude and denied her the legitimate rights which have been conferred on her by Allah and the Prophet‫ﷺ‬. Most men do have an edge on their wives because they are the bread-winners and the wives are dependant on them for food, shelter, etc. To most men have been assigned the responsibility of management of protection, support and maintenance of the family (Q.4:34). However, the ratio of working men to women is now decreasing in many countries. In Q.46:15, Allah lays emphasis on mother’s agony and distress which is not shared by the father. As mothers, women are superior to men by a 3:1 ratio (Ḥadīth: Al-Bukhāri). Let us remind ourselves: The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. Abraham Lincoln said: All that I am or even hope to be, I owe it to my mother. For some time, Sayyidah Khadījah, R.A., (who later got married to the Prophet‫ )ﷺ‬was his boss. That does not mean that she was superior to him. There have been many women in history who ruled over territories, an example being the Queen of Saba or Sheba (Q.27:23). A woman can also be a military leader as well as Mufti. (Sayyidah ‘Āyesha, R.A. led the Muslim army in the Battle of the Camel in 36 A.H. She also gave fatwas during the Caliphate of Ḥaḍrat Abu Bakr and ‘Umar, R.A.).

Advice to newly-wed couples

1. Allah says in Q. 2:228 that wives have rights similar to husbands…. So, in our journey through this life, we should treat each other as equal partners. There must be teamwork and the notion of ME, and MINE should be replaced by US, and OURS. There is no shame for the husband to help out in the kitchen in household chores as the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬used to do. 2. A barely furnished house becomes a beautiful home once harmony exists between husband and wife. If there is no harmony, even the most extensively furnished and marbled house cannot be called a happy home. There will always be people richer than you and also poorer than you. So, don’t compare yourselves with them. 3. It takes the efforts of two persons to make up a marriage but a single person can put an end to it. Tragically, a third person usually kindles the fire. Do not quarrel over a disagreement but discuss the subject intelligently. A husband and wife must not go to bed angry with each other. He must not call the wife ‘stupid’. This would expose his ignorance about Allah’s creation since Allah made woman to match the man, both being Ashraf al Makhluqāt (the best of creation). They both need each other to solve their mutual problems and to raise a family. “I am right and you are wrong” attitude is un-Islamic. In fact, couples don't realise what they have in each other. It is like a gold-mine they are not mining, especially if both are educated.

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With modern medical technology it is not difficult to become a father or a mother, but rather difficult to become a good parent. If we as fathers do not perform our fatherly duties, our children may disown us and we will be projected as worthless fathers in the children’s mental image, as in this Persian poem:

% ! Q ± , ³ \

% ° ± 8 ²

Hamè daarand naa khalaf pesaree; manè beechaareh naa khalaf pedaree.

Everyone has a worthless son, poor me has a worthless father. We have to remind ourselves that our wealth and our progeny are trials for us (Q.8:28). If the father is a prophet, it does not mean that all the children would be pious. We learn from Ch.12 of the Holy Qur᾿an that most of Jacob’s children from his first wife were wicked. Good parenting is demanding, difficult and needs a lot of sacrifices on the part of both husband and wife. It is most praiseworthy and the very best of all careers. Brick and mortar only make a house but good parenting makes a pleasant home. Motherhood itself is a full-time job. The husband and wife team must consult each other and decide whether it is beneficial or harmful to the family for the wife to work outside the home; perhaps they may settle for a part-time job. When both parents are working outside the home and the baby is left in the care of the baby-sitter, the child acquires the undesirable qualities of the care-taker and also adopts some characteristics seen on the TV. Recent findings show that children 3-5 year olds left in day-care centres have become on reaching adulthood, kind to their teachers but verbally and physically abusive to their parents. When children grow up to be wicked and destructive, the father may admonish them by saying:

¶ D ´ µ /

Az khyré tó ommeedee neest, sharr marason: There is no hope of you doing any good;

don't inflict any harm. We should always bear in mind that Islamisation begins at home with the mothers, who are children’s first educators. Children spend greater part of their early, most impressionable months and years with their mothers who in this prime time can provide prime education to the little ones. It has been found that the brain of a 5-year old is twice as active as that of an adult. Being blank and most receptive, he/she could absorb whatever data the parents or others want to feed. Such a survey shows the benefits of Islamic kindergarten and maktab classes. 4. Some people will speak well about you. Thank them with a smile. Some may ill-speak about you. Ignore them. Don’t get angry since the breeding of a man or woman is readily exposed, especially when they behave crudely in an argument. 5. Don’t blame the wife if she does not produce a male child. It is the husband who is responsible for the gender of the child, as supplying the “y” chromosome in his sperm to fertilise the ovum is required in order to produce a male child carrying the “y” chromosome. The man’s seminal fluid determines the baby’s gender. So, if anyone has to take the blame it should be the husband and not the wife. However, we must also remember that it is left to Allah to give us a male or female off-spring as He wishes (Q.42:49). 6. Both husband and wife should never be angry at the same time. Try and effect reconciliation at the earliest opportunity. Never shout loudly to each other unless the house is on fire or a bandit is around. A stable marriage requires understanding each other, kindness, love and forgiveness; sharing and caring for each other. If we say that a smile is charity, then we should also be reminded that charity begins at home. We must treat our spouse the way we would like to be treated ourselves. We must respect each other’s parents and be part of each other’s family. Allah’s curse is on those who break the ties of kith and kin (Q.47:22-23). 7. Although it is usual for a son to take after the father, at times he takes after the mother. If she is unrighteous, the son becomes unrighteous too, as happened in the family of the Prophet Noah, A.S. (Q.11:45-47; 66:10). Both mother and son were left behind in the flood for they refused to acknowledge the Truth, refused to board the Ark and were drowned. This teaches us a lesson that not only the father should be pious, but also the mother, if we would like to produce righteous children. A prophetic lineage makes no difference. 8. It is important to see to it that if Allah grants us a child, he should be made to follow one pattern, so as to develop a sound mind and a stable personality. Just as there is only One God with one world order to rule the universe in harmony, similarly one person should rule a home. If there are two, e.g. father and mother, they must speak with one voice and not in conflicting ones. If the mother tells the child to wear a green shirt, the father must not insist on a blue or white one, because the child’s loyalty would be divided and the child would be confused. (Pavlov, the Russian physiologist, would tell the laboratory

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dog to stand up while his assistant would tell the dog to sit down. The dog would get confused, not knowing which one is right and whom to obey). Here is a du‘a for recitation at wedding functions:

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ 4ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ 4 Ů? 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒﺎ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ‹‍ﺎďş&#x;ŮŽﺎ‏ ‍ ďş‘ﺎ ‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞâ€Ź ‍ďť&#x;ďťŒﺎﺲ ďť›ﺎ ďť&#x;ﺖ ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť â€Ź Ů? 4 â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞâ€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďť’  ďť—ďť ďťŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺳﺪﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź ﺳﺎ ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş‘‏% ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź ﺣ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ 4ŮŽŮ? ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďşťďť”‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş‘‏ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴ‏ ‹‍ﺳﺪ‏ Ů?‍ﺤﺪ ďşťďť°ďť ďˇ˛â€Ź ‍ﺳﺪﺎ‏ ‍ﺳ‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞâ€Ź n‍ ďş‘ ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺳﺪ‹ ďş§ďşŞďş ďťłďş”â€Ź Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞ ďşłďť ďť˘â€Ź Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş‘‏%â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞ ďť&#x;ďş´ďťź ”ﺨﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?‍ ‏n ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ % ‍ ďť&#x;ﺰﺎ‏ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺨﺸﺔ‏ ‍ﺎ‏ Ů? 4 ‍ ďť“ďşŽďťƒﺔ‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ â€ŤďťƒďşŽďť&#x;ďş?‏ Ů? ‍ ďş‘ ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů? ďť—ﺎ ďş‘ ďş’ďť&#x;‏n

Al l Ä humma allif byna qulĹŤbal ‘aroos wal ‘arees kamÄ allafta byna Ä€dam wa H awwa’ A.S. wa byna IbrÄ hÄŤm wa Sara wa HÄ jira A.S.; wa byna MĹŤsa wa SafĹŤra A.S.; wa Yusuf wa Zulaikha A.S.; wa byna Sayyidina Muh ammad‍ ‏wa Sayyidah KhadÄŤjah wa Sayyidah ‘Āyeshah A.S.; wa byna ‘Ali ibni Abi T

Ä lib wa Sayyidah Fatimah A.S. O Allah, secure the bond of love between the bride and the bridegroom just as You secured the bond of love between Adam and Eve, may Allah be pleased with them both; and between Abraham and Sara and HÄ jira, may Allah be pleased with them, and between MĹŤsa and SafĹŤra, may Allah be pleased with them; and between YĹŤsuf and ZulaikhÄ , may Allah be pleased with them; and between our leader Prophet MuḼammad, pbuh, and Sayyidah KhadÄŤjah and Sayyidah ‘Āyeshah, may Allah be pleased with them; and between Haá¸?rat ‘Ali ibni Abi ášŹÄ lib and Sayyidah Faáš­imah, may Allah be pleased with them.

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘ Ů? Ů’ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‘Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘â€Ź Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ŮŽ ŮŽ ďť&#x;‏4 %‍ﺑ‏ 4 Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ‍ ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺳﺪ‏ ‍ ÂŽﺪ‏ ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ﺎﺳﺪ‏ ‍ﺏ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺎﺡ‏ Ů? ‍ﺣﺎ ďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť¤ďşŽ Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďş´ďť”ﺎ ďť? Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ?Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ďşŽďť“ďť˜‏ ‍ ďşŽďťœďş‹ﺪ‏ Ů?Ů? ŮŽ Ů?Ů?

Allahumma H Ä fiz ‘alyhumÄ fÄŤ hÄ dhihis safarid dunyavi min kulli balÄ inn wa alam, wa min shrĹŤri hď€ŠÄ sidÄŤn, wa kydal fÄ sidÄŤn, wa makÄ idil munÄ fiqÄŤn: O Allah! protect them through their journey in this world from all calamities and catastrophes, and from the harms of jealous persons and from the trickery of the mischievous and from the traps laid by the hypocrites.

ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů‘ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů’ Ů‹ ‍ďş&#x;ﺪ‏ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů‹ ‍;ﺳﺎ‏ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ â€ŤďťŁďşœďťźâ€Ź ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ﺳďş” ďť“ ďş—ﺎﺪ‏ ‍ ﺒﺎďť?‏ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ﺎﺑ‏ Â‹â€Ťďťłďť˜ ďť&#x;ﺟ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť ďťŹďť˘ ;ďş&#x;ďťŒďťž ďť&#x;ďťŒﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ďť&#x;ﺔ‏ Ů? â€Ťďş¨ďş‹ďť ďş˜ﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒﺎﺲ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş‘ďť˜ďť´ďş”â€Ź Ů? Ů?

AllÄ humaj‘al al ‘arĹŤs wal ‘arÄŤs wa baqiyyata ‘Ā-ilatahuma yaqÄŤmĹŤnas s alÄ ta wa yad ribĹŤna mathalann IslÄ miyyann jayyidann lil ummatil IslÄ miyyah fi Trinidad wa Tobago: O Allah, make the bride and the bridegroom and the rest of their families steadfast in prayer and make them such good Muslims that we, the Muslims of Trinidad & Tobago would follow and emulate them.

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďşŽďťœâ€Ź ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďş&#x;‏ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťœﺎ‏ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?‍ ﺑﺎ ŮŽ‏ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;‏ ‍‏ ‍ﺑďťœﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑﺎ  ďş’ďť&#x; ﺏ‏ Ů? ‍ ﺤďť&#x;ﺎﺎﺿ Ů?‏ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ﺨďť&#x;ﺎ Ű? ŮŽ ﺑﺎ Ů? Ů?ďť“ďť´ďťœ ďť›ﺎ‏ Ů? ŮŽ ‍ﺏ‏ Ů? Ů?

BÄ rakallÄ hu ‘alÄ hÄ dhan nikhaḼ, wa bÄ rakallÄ hu ‘alykuma wa jam‘a bynakuma fil khair, wa bÄ rakallÄ hu fikum ayyuhal á¸ĽÄ á¸?irĹŤn fÄŤ hÄ dhihil jam‘ah: May Allah shower His blessings on this marriage and may Allah bless both of you and join you both in everything that is good, and may Allah bless all of you present in this gathering.

ŮŽŮŽ ŮŒ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ 4 Ů’ŮŽ Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů‘ ŮŽ Ů?‍ ﺤďť&#x;ﺪ ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺒďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť¤ďşŽďşłďť ďťŚďť´ Ű?‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďşŽďť&#x;‏ ‍ﺟ Ű? ﺳ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďş°Â‹ ďť—ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? ‍ﺳﺒﺤﺎ‏

Subá¸ĽÄ na Rabbika Rabbil ‘izzati ‘ammÄ yasáť‹fĹŤn, wa salÄ munn ‘alal MursalÄŤn wal Ḥamdu LillÄ hi Rabbil‘ĀlamÄŤn: Glory be to Allah Who is far above what they attribute to Him, and salÄ ms to all the messengers, and thanks and praises to Allah, the Rabb of all worlds and all beings.

‘AqÄŤqah:

One of the milestones in a Muslim’s or Muslimah’s life is the ceremony of ‘AqÄŤqah, which is mentioned in the H adÄŤth but not in the Qurážżan. A Muslim is introduced to the concept of sacrifice soon after he or she is born. Prophet Muh ammad‍ ‏urged Muslims to perform ‘AqÄŤqah for their children on the seventh day after their birth. If not possible, then it could be done at a later date. It is a Thanksgiving occasion to Allah, SWT, for having bestowed a child. A boy is ransomed by his ‘AqÄŤqah. Sacrifice should be made for him on the seventh day, he should be given a name and his head should be shaved. (At-Tirmidhi, 1522; An-NasÄ 'i, 4220 and Abu DawĹŤd). A ransom is an act of saving somebody from an oppressive or perilous situation, or setting him free, on some kind of payment. The ransom of ‘AqÄŤqah signifies that the baby has been saved from many perils and has officially entered the religion of Islam, after having navigated through many possible dangers prior and during his birth such as abortion, miscarriage and still birth. On the gift of a new baby, a person should slaughter one sheep on the seventh day of the birth for a new-born girl and two sheep for a boy. The head of the new-born should be shaved and, after weighing the hair, its weight should be measured in silver and given out as charity. After all, what else the new-born baby possesses for sacrifice except the hair to give out as charity? A meaningful and an appropriate name is then given to the baby. An important benefit of the ŘŒAqÄŤqah is the socialisation due to gathering of relatives and friends for the feast.

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Medical aspects of male circumcision in Islām:

The procedure of circumcision refers to the removal of the prepuce, which covers the glans of the penis. The lining of the urethra in the male is continuous over the glans and this extends under the surface of the foreskin to become the thicker layer on its outer surface. The recesses of the preputial sac are covered with a non-keratinised layer of cells, similar to the vaginal and buccal epithelium and this merges with the outer surface of the prepuce that is covered with non-nucleated keratinised squamous cells. The preputial sac serves as a reservoir for sexually transmitted disease (STD) pathogens acquired during intercourse. Hence, clinical manifestations of urethritis, warts, or genital ulcers might go undetected much longer in uncircumcised men. The under surface of the foreskin contains sebaceous glands that secrete a waxy substance, and this when mixed with the desquamated epithelium (cells that are normally shed every day from the skin) is called the smegma. Smegma is the white cheesy substance with a peculiar odour seen in patches over the glans and the groove where the glans joins the foreskin of uncircumcised men. Smegma is believed to be carcinogenic. However, recently, the human papilloma virus in the smegma has been found to be the etiological carcinogenic agent. Although Prophet Ibrāhīm, pbuh, is believed to be the first person to have been circumcised, some cave paintings show circumcision to be at least 5,000 years old. The Egyptians were probably the first to be circumcised, and this custom was adopted as a ritual by many countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas, and elsewhere. Even now, in some parts of Africa, circumcision is practiced as a manhood initiation rite, being regarded as a prerequisite to mating and marriage, and only then is the male accorded the prerogatives of manhood. In South Italy, an obligatory holiday is observed on January 1st, the Feast of Circumcision, a festival of the church in honour of circumcision of Jesus Christ, pbuh. Among the Christian churches, the Abyssinian Church now stands alone among Christian bodies recognizing circumcision as a religious rite. Circumcision is performed either for initiation or for medical reasons. Among the Jews, circumcision is performed as an initiation rite on the seventh day after birth, while in Islam the procedure is usually done any time before puberty. In Islam, the image of circumcision is regarded as a metaphor for purity and hygiene, apart from adhering to the fact that circumcision is considered the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad‫ ﷺ‬although we Muslims believe that he was born circumcised. (Those who are born in such a way are called Rasooli in India.). Jesus Christ, pbuh, was circumcised and although St. Paul opposed circumcision, most of the Christian world has accepted circumcision on medical and hygienic grounds. Sexual favours in exchange for drugs such as crack in USA have been correlated with gonorrhoea, syphilis, and chancroid. Condoms offer protection against C. trachomatis and N. gonorrhoea but only partial protection against herpes simplex virus and human papilloma virus, which can invade stratified squamous epithelium. The “new” sexually transmitted diseases cause enteritis or proctitis in gay males (the “gay syndrome”). The enteric bacterial pathogens are (a) shigella (dysentery type 1, flexneri, boydii, sonnei), (b) salmonella (cholera suis, typhi, enteritidis which contains almost 2000 serotypes including typhimurium, paraptyphi A, B, C). Like Shigellosis, spread of salmonella between the male sexual partners is promoted by the practice of anilingus and of fellatio after anal intercourse, (c) Campylobacter fetus, jejuni, coli, and laridis. Campylobacter cinnaedi are the most common isolates from patients with gay bowel syndrome. Because circumcision is mainly done for prophylactic reasons, lack of circumcision has been correlated with chancroid, syphilis, genital herpes, gonorrhoea, penile warts and penile cancer, candidal and non-specific balanitis, HIV infection, and urinary tract infections in male infants. The incidence of penile cancer in USA is nearly zero among the circumcised and 2.2 per 100,000 among the uncircumcised. During the past 20 years, only 3 cases of penile cancer have been reported in the men in USA who have been circumcised as newborns.

Circumcision prevents: (A) Preputial colonisation with uropathic bacteria in infancy and childhood;

pyelonephritogenic Escherichia coli which bind to the inner lining of the prepuce within the first few days of life; others such as proteus mirabilis, pseudomonas, klebsiella and seratia; group B streptococci causing balanitis. It was found in 1982 that 95 percent of the boys with urinary tract infections were uncircumcised. (B) Posthitis (inflammation of the foreskin). (C) Both balanitis and balano-posthitis have a common underlying factor: a long foreskin, which cannot periodically be retracted completely and cleansed. The retention in the preputial sac of secretions of sebaceous glands, of urine in diabetes mellitus, of ammoniacal urine due to stagnation, and of discharges from chancroidal, syphilitic and other sores, and at times combined with other organisms like staphylococci, diphtheroids, coliforms and spirochaetes, causes much irritation with some discharge of pus of nasty odour. Due to repeated attacks of balano-posthitis, in the elderly, there may develop white patches on the inner surface of the prepuce and on the glans, resembling leukoplakia. (D) Paraphimosis, i.e. retraction of a narrow or inflamed foreskin that cannot be replaced. It is a painful condition which obviously cannot occur in the uncircumcised. (E) Lichen sclerosis et atrophicus affects adults on the glans, prepuce or both. In older men, it is the commonest cause of balantis xerotica obliterans, a possible pre-malignant condition. As lichen sclerosis et atrophicus may cause phimosis in boys, circumcision is the treatment of choice.

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(F) Many sexually transmitted diseases. The glans of the penis in the circumcised person could be washed off easily and more efficiently and hence, circumcision prevents the following pathogens from lodging on the glans, especially if the penis is washed soon after intercourse: Some of the organisms involved are mentioned below: 1. Neisseria gonorrhea. 2. Chlamydia trachomatis: It is an important cause of blindness as STD of humans. It is responsible for lymphogranuloma venerum (also known as lymphogranuloma inguinale), inclusive conjunctivitis (adults and new born), non-gonococcal urethritis, cervicitis, salpingitis, proctitis, epididymitis, pneumonia of newborn, and Reiter’s syndrome. The most common site of occurrence in man of lymphogranuloma venerum is the coronal sulcus, followed by the frenum, prepuce, penis, urethra, glans, and scrotum. 3. Haemophylus ducreyi, a gram-negative anerobic bacillus causing chancroid. The presence of a foreskin makes males more susceptible to H. ducreyi infection. Prior to the advent of sulphonamides, circumcision was the standard therapy. 4. Calymmatobacteria granulomatis, a gram-negative organism causing donovanosis also known as granuloma venerum or granuloma inguinale. In some developing countries, it is the most prevalent form of STD. Anal intercourse is closely associated with rectal lesions. 5. Mycoplasma hominis, mycoplasma genitalis and ureaplasma urealyticum. Mycoplasma genitalis and ureaplasma have been responsible for cases of non-gonococcal urethritis (NGU). In men, the genital mycoplasma colonise the urethral mucosa and can be found under the foreskin of uncircumcised men. 6. Trichomonas vaginalis, one of the causes of NGU (Non-gonococcal urethritis). 7. Yeasts like Candida albicans and torulopsi glabrata. Candida albicans are most commonly found in the vicinity of the coronal sulcus in uncircumcised males. 8. Treponema pallidum causing syphilis. 9. Sexually transmissible causes of intestinal (or anal) infections in homosexual men, such as: (a) Bacterial pathogens: N. gonorrhoea; N. meningitides; Chlamydia trachomatis; H. ducreyi; calymmatobacterium granulomatis; treponema pallidum. (b) Enteric bacterial pathogens: shigella (dysenteri type 1, Flexneri, boydii, soneii); salmonella (cholera suis, typhi, enteridis with nearly 2000 serotypes including enteridis, typhimurium, paratyphi A,B,C); Campylobacter (fetus, jejuni, coli, laridis, cinnaedi and fennelaiae); enterotoxic Escherichia coli. (c) Fungus (candida albicans). (d) Protozoa: giardia lamblia; ent. histolytica; dientamoeba fragilis; iodamoeba butchlii; cryptosporidium sp; isospora belli and microsporidia (the last 3 especially in patients with HIV infection). (e) Helminths: enterobius vermicularis; strongyloides stercolaris. (f) Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare sometimes found in homosexual patients with AIDS. (g) Other organisms causing bacterial vaginosis e.g. Escherichia coli, proteus mirabilis, pseudomonas, klebsiella and seratia, gardenerella vaginlis, bacteroides species (espy. Melaninogenicus and bivius, as well as clostridium and actinomyces species) are also found. (h) Viruses: HSV; CMG; HPV; Hepatitis A&B; HTLV. 10. Viruses (a) Genital herpes virus (HSV-1 & HSV-2). HSV-2 has been isolated from the smegma from male STD clinics. ; (b) Cytomegalovirus: a group of viruses within the herpes family. Prevalence is 40 percent in Europe and nearly 100 percent in Africa and the Far East. It is the commonest cause of congenital infection of the foetus and of mental retardation. ; (c) HTLV-1 (human T-lymphocyte virus type 1) and HTLV-2 are retroviruses capable of blood-borne or sexual transmission. (d) Human papilloma virus: more than 50 HPV types. Some human papilloma viruses are associated with naturally occurring cancers. HPV-16 and HPV-18 may cause cervical and vulval cancers, some five to 30 years after infection. HPV can cause condylomas and papillomas including oral cavity papillomas. A wart is an epidermal tumour caused by papilloma virus. Genital warts are the commonest viral STD. Eight percent of men with penile warts and 20 percent of women with vulvar warts have anal warts. Genital warts of which condylomata acuminata (“pointed warts�) are the most frequent, are soft and fleshy, and first appear on the frenum, coronal sulcus, glans penis and the lining of the prepuce and areas liable to trauma during sexual intercourse. Peri-anal warts are usually condylomata acuminata. Maternal genital warts during vaginal delivery have been blamed for the infant laryngeal papillomatosis. Malignant lesions have developed in some individuals with condylomata. (e) Hepatitis A, B and delta virus co-infection, and non-A and non-B hepatitis. (f) AIDS: Uncircumcised men were more likely to become infected with HIV virus after heterosexual exposure. Circumcision may protect men from HIV infection. (g) Molluscum contagiosum virus (MCV): a benign condition of the skin and mucous membrane, often sexually transmitted in adults, is caused by the molluscum contagiosum virus, a member of the pox virus family. (h) EB viruses: belong to the herpes virus group. Infectious mononucleosis, the best known syndrome associated with EB Virus, is also associated with a variety of cutaneous and mucosal manifestations including genital lesions.

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(11) Certain malignancies: nuns have a low incidence of cervical carcinoma, while the wives of husbands whose previous wives had carcinoma cervix have increased risk of cervical neoplasia. History of venereal infection is associated with carcinoma of cervix, penis and anus. Although carcinoma penis, vagina, vulva and anus are detected much less often than carcinoma cervix, they may be sharing a common sexually transmitted aetiology. However, among all other suspected carcinogens, only HPV has been consistently and repeatedly associated with cervical dysplasia and invasive cervical cancer. (12) Pubic lice. (13) Staphylococci and streptococci: staphylococci saprophyticus is a common cause of urinary tract infection in males as well as in females. Premature ejaculation: Finally, after circumcision, the glans becomes less sensitive, resulting in more delayed orgasm, and by lessening premature ejaculation, gives a more prolonged satisfaction to both partners. Opponents of circumcision either have a religious bias or present unsubstantiated claims not supported by medical studies. They cite simple complications (when circumcision is performed by an inexperienced operator or by a barber). Such complications are also found in any other surgical procedure. The common complications are : (a) excessive bleeding (which could easily be stopped by pressure or cautery, unless the patient suffers from haemophilia); (b) local infections (which are easily controlled by antibiotics);(c) skin tags; meatal stenosis; (d) loss of sensitivity after many years due to keratinisation of the skin over the glans. (On the contrary, both partners get more pleasure out of sexual intercourse, because a thin 10-layer of cells, less than the thickness of a cellophane food wrap) covers the glans which (i) creates a barrier against viruses and bacteria, (ii) delays premature ejaculation, giving a longer time for orgasm to set in for the enjoyment of both partners); (e) The surgeon should look for congenital abnormalities such as hypospadias before circumcising, and ask the patient if he is a haemophiliac (bleeder).

Time: Time is one of the most difficult properties of our universe to understand. We talk about the past and the future and of demarcations such as seconds and minutes on the clock, but we cannot define with mathematical accuracy exactly what time is. Although time could be described as the period or duration during which an event occurs, the physicists have added it as the fourth dimension to the three dimensions of length, breadth and width, and call it space-time. Einstein’s theory of relativity says that the passage of time is different for objects that are moving at different velocities relative to each other. For objects travelling at high velocities time passes more slowly than for those object that are travelling at lesser velocities. This means that if a person from Earth were to travel in outer space at a speed close to the speed of light (about 300,000 km per sec or about 186,287.49 miles per sec), that person could return to Earth thousands of years into Earth’s future without getting much older himself. Can the relativity in time be applied to Prophet Muḥammad‫’ﷺ‬s ascension during the Me‘rāj? During the Me‘raj the relative time passed on earth was virtually zero for him. Also, if Jesus returns to earth (which many do not believe) thousands of years later not much aged, then the theory of relativity will be able to explain the passage of relatively short time in his case. Regarding the measurement of time, Muslims have a long association with it. The crude shadow clocks and sundials were known to Egyptians and Greeks, but their design and proper construction on scientific lines began with Muslim scientists from the tenth century onwards. Prior to the Muslim involvement, Indians used to divide the day into 60 ghatika, one ghatika into 60 pal and one pal into 60 bapal. Thus one ghatika or ghari was equal to 24 minutes, one pal was equal to 24 seconds, and one bapal was less than a second. A Muslim scientist, Ali Ahmad Nasawi (d.1030 CE), studied this system and revolutionised it by dividing the day into 24 sā‘at, one sā‘at into 60 daqeeqah and each daqeeqah into 60 thānia. It was this division of time that was taken by rest of the world as standard. In Arabic daqeeqah means a small or minute quantity and thānia means second or the other unit. Thus the terms ‘minutes and seconds’ are exact translations of the original words used by Nasawi. The science historians also agree that the pendulum clocks too are the gifts of Muslims to humanity. The one at Maragha observatory had an error of less than one minute a day. Quartz clocks based on the piezoelectric property of quartz crystals improved time-keeping performance which was only surpassed by atomic clocks relying on the atomic beam devices based on Cesium, the standard of which keeps time to about one millionth of a second per year. Some of the devices to measure time are: (a) Solar time, based on the rotation of Earth on its axis and the Sun’s apparent motion across the sky to measure the duration of a day. Mean solar time bridges the difference in the length of the 24-hour day during different seasons of the year amounting to as much as 16 minutes. (b) Sidereal time, also based on Earth’s rotation, but using the apparent motion of the “fixed” stars across the sky as Earth rotates. (c) Universal time (GMT) is simply the mean solar time CHAPTER VI: Islam the perfect religion

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measured at the Greenwich meridian, the meridian passing through the Royal Greenwich Observatory in Greenwich, England. (d) Standard time or the clock time we use in everyday life, based on the division of Earth’s sphere into 24 equal time zones. The distance east or west of Greenwich determines the standard time zone and, thus, the standard time of a particular location. (e) Dynamical time—formerly called ephemeris time—is the timescale of astronomers, using the annual revolution of the earth, moon and other planets around the sun, blaming the variations in the rate of Earth’s rotation which amounts to 1 or 2 seconds per year. Neither solar time nor sidereal time is accurate for them. (f) Geologists use the geologic time scale to measure spans of time in the 15-billion-year history of Earth. (g) Atomic time is based on the frequency of electromagnetic waves that are emitted by certain atoms, the most precise method for measuring time. The Cesium atom clocks lose less than a second in 3,000 years, while now the United States has a Cesium clock that is accurate to a single second over 3 million years. (h) Elapsed time is shown in a timer or stopwatch during games without providing time of day. (i) Access time is the time required for information to be gathered from some remote source, such as data from a computer's memory or from a hard disk. (j) Dream Time is not the time spent in dreaming. In Australian Aboriginal mythology it refers to the period of creation in which the earth and all life had its source. Time is difficult to comprehend since we cannot imagine when time began and when it is going to end. Similarly, we do not know how it relates to God. The only thing we know is that God created time and allotted a specific amount of it to mankind to do what he/she can do in this world for the Hereafter. Since we cannot condense time to fit in our duties and responsibilities for completion, we are required to compress our workload and priorities instead. Whether we are Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Jews or atheists, Allah in all His Wisdom and Justice, willingly gives air, rain and sunshine to one and all. He gives each and everyone of us equal time viz. 60 minutes per 24 hours a day. With all the money in this world, we cannot buy an extra hour. The supply of time is one of Allah’s daily miracles, a purse magnificently filled with 24 hours of probabilities and possibilities. Time can never be recycled nor can it be retrieved. The value of time is only realised when only a little time is left. So what should we do with such a precious gift? We should always bear in mind that this moment will pass quickly, and it depends upon us whether we make use of it or not. The 24-hours allotted to us on a daily basis is divided in the Holy Qur'an into a number of discrete units, each specifically chosen by Allah for a particular activity, such as: (a) The Qur'an was sent down at night (Q.44:3; 97:1); (b) Praying for forgiveness is recommended at dawn (Q.51:18); (c) Mankind is to celebrate Allah's praises before rising of the sun and before its setting, and during part of the night and after prostration (Q.50:39-40); (d) Recitation of the Qur'an in the morning is recommended (Q.17:78); (e) It is commanded to glorify Him morning and evening (Q.33:42); (f) and to celebrate Allah's praises morning and night (Q.48:9); Other times should also be studied carefully e.g. (g) Noon (Q.91:1; 93:1); (h) Afternoon (Q.103:1); (i) Tomorrow: Let every person look to what (provision) He has sent for the morrow (Q.59:18); Scientists talk of timelessness in space, which stretches through to eternity. Such an idea was referred to in Arabic as “Dahr” and deified. The ancient Greeks worshipped Chronos (Time) who was the father of Zeus (the god of gods). “Dahr” is itself a mysterious word which may mean the eternity of time. “Dahr” becomes more mysterious in this Ḥadīth Qudsi (which is not reported in the Holy Qur᾿an and yet conveys Allah’s words): The offspring of Ādam hurts me for he abuses Dahr (possibly meaning time or infinity) and I am ‘Dahr’. In my Hands are all things and I cause the revolution of Day and Night. (Ḥadīth:Bukhāri). Allah created Time and controls it. Just as Time, Allah has no beginning and no end. The title of Ch. 76 in the Holy Qur᾿an carries two names and is shared by two different subjects linked together in many ways, viz. (a) Al-Dahr (Long Period of Time) and also (b) Al-Insān (Mankind). It begins thus: Has there not been over mankind a long period of time, when he was nothing, not even mentioned? Time is relative and varies depending on perceptions. Allah created different times, e.g. one day on our planet is different from the day in one of the stars billions of times larger than the Earth. One day of Venus equals 117 Earth days. (Planet Venus is named after the Roman Goddess of Love and is nearly

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the same size as planet Earth). When the Sun shines into our eyes, we see the light that left it eight minutes ago. On a clear night, if we look at the bright star Rigel, we are receiving that light which left this star 800 years ago. In Q. 22:47 one day = 1,000 years while in Q. 70: 4 it is 50,000 years. A period of 50 thousand years for us is only a day or less for the Angel JibrÄ ÄŤl. Variations in the rotation of the Earth amount to one or two seconds per year. Moreover, the Earth is gradually slowing down at the rate of 1/1000 of a second every 100 years. Hence time is not a physical constant. Motion and gravity expand time as propounded by Albert Einstein in his special theory of relativity. Hence neither time nor space could be real. Some say that time does not exist because we cannot hold on to time. Although physicists constantly work with time, they say that every moment is a real one only for that brief period when time stands still, an impossible phenomenon. We can gain time or lose it while travelling West or East, so a plane may arrive ahead of time. Man must serve his time whether he worships God or not. There was a time to be born, and a time to die. Time is the subtle thief of youth. Most of us old people do realise how our childhood and youth frisked away so fast. A time table shows us the time, and when someone’s time draws near, it means death and time to pack up and go (or rather be packed up). Nothing destroys us but time (Q. 45:24). Even time has wings: The bird of time has but a little way to flutter and the bird is on the wing. (Omar Khayyaam). When someone's time is up, he goes down‌‌.six feet under. Time does not stand still, because each time we ask someone what time it is, we get a different answer. Times may change and with it, the world may change too. My grandfather was told that the Earth was flat. My father told me that the Earth was round. However, when I was born, I found the world to be crooked. If we consider ourselves as exemplars to mankind, the least we can do is to show them that the world is not so crooked after all and that there is a community called Muslims who follow the Straight Path called ᚢ irÄ áš­ al MustaqÄŤm. To become exemplars for other communities, we ourselves must forever remain on the Straight Path for them to witness, appreciate and accept Islam. Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏is reported to have said: A good example is the best sermon, which should begin with Muslims. Time gathers importance when we say that Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏stood the test of time, and that he left his foot prints on the sands of time. Time has an existence when we say for the time “being’’. Allah is Omnipresent, i.e. present everywhere at the same time. The phrase “in no timeâ€? means, in the twinkling of an eye, (Q.54:50). No matter how strong we are, we cannot hold on to time even when we say we have time on our hands, because it is continually slipping by, right under our feet. Therefore, this time, like any time, is a very good and timely one, only if we know what to do with it. It is important to bear in mind that the moment we have in hand will never be repeated once it has passed by, and that it could be utilised by our own endeavour into one of eternal bliss, or abused by ourselves towards our eternal damnation. The

Ů‘Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ‏LÄ tasubbud dahr, Do not abuse time. (ḤadÄŤth: ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ‍ﺗﺴﺒ‏ choice is ours. Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏said: ‍ ﺎ‏

Al-BukhÄ ri and Muslim). An Urdu phrase:

¡ ¸] � º  Ÿ ½

¡ ¸] � G ¡ ¸] š Subh hotee hÊ; shaam hotee hÊ; yu heen omr tamaam hotee

hĂŠ, which means: Morning comes, evening comes; just like this, life comes to an end. Man displeases Allah when he abuses time. Since time is a gift from God during life, we must not kill time. Although money is also a gift from God, it could be earned again when all is spent but time cannot be retrieved. The importance of time on planet Earth could be gauged from the fact that we are given a very small fraction of it in this world with many evil forces working against us. In this short time whatever personality we develop before departing from this planet will help us to begin another life of infinity in the Hereafter. Here is a Persian poem:

% 1%@ k3 s Ă„ Ă… ;

Æ , < Ă‚ } f ž ĂƒD 7 Ă p }s D – ž Âż Ă€ % % 1ĂŒ Ă? 1> }s Âœ ; ÂŻ Ă‹ } s Ă‡Âœ Ăˆ #É ĂŠ

Khabar daaree ay ostokhaanĂŠ qafas; kè jaanè to morgheest naamash nafas; cho morgh az qafas rafto begsast qyd; degar rah na gardad be sa‘ye to syd; negah daar forsat ke aalam dameest; damee peeshè daanaa beh az aalameest. Do you know, Oh imprisoned skeleton, that your life is a bird named breath: Just as the bird escapes and breaks the bond, the prey does not return in spite of all your efforts: keep in safe custody this opportunity since this world is just a fleeting moment; a moment to the intelligent is better than the whole universe.

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When the watch ticks a second, its second-hand moves only a little, yet in the same second, light travels 186,287 miles. (It takes less than 1.5 seconds for light to reach the moon which is 250,000 miles away from the earth). Certain stars that are visible to us today in fact may have disappeared many centuries ago, but their light is still travelling from them. Time’s testimony has been recorded as Al ‘Asr in Ch. 103, which could be translated as, By the Flight of Time, or as By the Afternoon, or By the Declining Day. It could also be translated as By the Afternoon of our Life (when life’s sun is going to set and our eyes are about to close); Surely man is at a loss. Let us suppose that man’s life spanned just a single day on this Earth, and we are looking at our own ledger of profit or loss account at ‘Aᚣr ᚣalÄ t. (Notice that there is a full stop for further prayers after the four obligatory ‘Aᚣr ones are completed. There are no more Sunnah or Nafl prayers. The only thing we can do in that short time is good deeds: wa ‘amiluᚣ ášŁÄ liá¸ĽÄ t, as mentioned in the verse). If we have done no good so far, surely we are at a loss. We must quickly realise the value of life that is left and all that we have in hand is very little time. We should learn a lesson from our past experiences and not allow ourselves to be dominated by destructive inclinations of passion, hatred, jealousy etc., beginning with ‘Aᚣr ᚣalÄ t and ending in nightfall. The time between ‘Asr and the nightfall of life is the only time left to do whatever good we can to tip the balance in our favour for the Day of Judgment, knowing that each day has already passed was either a loss or a gain during our journey to our final destination. Man’s growth, both physical and spiritual, takes place in time. Allah allows us to become old so that we can become intelligent and wise (Q.40:67; 35:37). The extra time that He grants us on a daily basis is for a purpose - for us to become a good example to someone; be a source of solace for others; heal a bruised relationship, or use our talents to make our contributions to this Earth to make it a better place for others to live in, both born and yet to be born, but more so, in preparation for our own Hereafter. In a manner of speaking, nothing really belongs to us but time, which is bestowed even on one who has nothing else. Hence, time becomes the most precious commodity because we are losing a part of it every minute. In just two days, tomorrow will be yesterday. Yesterday was once tomorrow. If we wait for tomorrow, tomorrow comes. If we don’t wait for tomorrow, it still comes but we cannot even count on it since some of us may not be there to welcome it. However, if we are fortunate enough, we will see tomorrow as a fresh day opening for us a new page with many possibilities; but today is the best day of our lives because we have not yet seen what we could do and would do in what is left of it. We have to forget about yesterday which was a cancelled cheque. We should not count on tomorrow which is only a promissory note. Today is a day of opportunity with ready cash in hand, both in spiritual content and in dealing with our priorities. Today is the best day of our lives because we can start immediately to work on it with a view to a new beginning for a clean sheet of tomorrow. Let us not waste the precious moments. The clock is ticking and moving on. The moments will quickly pass, whether you make use of them or not. Here is what Shaikh Sadi says:

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Sa‘diyaa dee rafto fardaa hamchenon maujood neest; dar miyaanĂŠ eeno on forsat shomaar emrooz raa. Oh Sa‘di! Yesterday passed and tomorrow is likewise non-existent; between this and that, count the opportunity in the interval today. Young people do not know what old age is but old people know what youth was. Let us remind ourselves that time is a versatile performer. Time flies; time marches on; time heals all wounds; time runs out; time will tell; time becomes boring; time and tide wait for no man. If you run a race against time, time will win; time is what a man is trying to kill but it ends in killing him. A person committed to his responsibilities is always busy because he makes time to fulfil them. A lazy person says that he has no time. We do not find time to visit the sick but we make time to attend funerals. “Nothing is longer than time since it is the measure of eternity and nothing is shorter since it is insufficient for the accomplishment of our projects. In greatness time extends to infinity; in smallness it is infinitely divisible. All men neglect it; all regret the loss of it; nothing can be done without it.â€? When man looks at his clock, he realises it has a sick-looking face, because its hours are numbered! However, if we look at the profit and loss account over the years and see where we have gone wrong or where or whom we have wronged (and be reminded that every defect is considered by the Japanese industry as a treasure), we now know the value of time that is left for us. It is so precious.

“When I was a child laughing or weeping, time was just creeping. When my youth’s page began to unfold, time just strolled. In my forties as a full-grown man, time ran. When older I grew, time flew. Soon I have to pass on, when my time is gone�. The golden rule of happiness was enunciated by

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Prophet MuḼammad‍‏: Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your senility; your health before your sickness; your wealth before your poverty; your leisure before your work; and your life before your death. (Sunan Al ḤakÄŤm). Time moves in any direction it likes. It goes forward at one small step at a time because the human brain processes only one incident at a time. However, even if we exist in the present, we live in the past, because by the time we realise what has happened, the moment is gone. If man does not know how precious time is, he would waste his life. We must not allow this valuable time to be lost in frivolities, like the child who was deceived and parted with his gold ring when he was offered a date. Shaikh Sa‘di reveals the story:

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Zè ahdè pedar yaad daaram hamee; kè baaraanè rahmat bar oo har damee; Kè dar khordiyam lauho daftar khareed, zè bahram yakee khaatamè zar khareed; Bè dar kard naagah yakee mushtaree; bè khorma ee az dastam angoshtaree; ChĂł nashnaasad angoshtaree teflè khord, bè sheereeni az wy tawaanand bord; TĂł ham qeematè omr nashnaakhtee, kè dar ayshè sheereen bar andaakhtee. I remember since my father’s time, may Allah’s mercy be constantly on him; during my childhood he brought me a slate, a book and a golden ring. While I was offered a date, someone removed my golden ring. When a little child does not know what a ring is worth, it becomes easy to take it away with something sweet; you also did not know the value of life, and you dumped it in exchange for a sweet treat. At age fifty, Shaikh Sa‘di laments:

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Ï M f ,í Î Ay kè panjaah rafto dar khaabee, Magar een chand roozeh dar yaabee. Oh, fifty

has passed and you are still sleeping; try to benefit from the remaining few days. Twenty more years passed by and the same poet wakes up:

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f ù ; "º Î C Biyaa aykè omrat bè haftaad raft, magar khofteh boodee kè barbaad raft?

Come, now that you have become seventy; were you sleeping that the years were thrown to the winds? Some years later, he faces stark reality and laments and yearns for his past life.

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f ô f þÜ º Omr bè afsoos raft onchè raft, deegarash az dast madèh bar mahaal.

Regretfully, life passed what had to pass; do not allow the balance to pass away in futility. The father holds the hands of the young child with the hope that the child would hold the father's hand in his old age, is summarised in this Persian poem:

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Ú ° ú N !Q Pedar dar koochekee dastÊ pesar geerad, bÊ ommeedee kÊ dar

peeree pesar dastĂŠ pedar geeradl. Everything has its price, and if we sacrifice time, we sacrifice part of our lives; hence the importance for every moment of our lives to be put to some good use, thought, word or deed, so that at the end of this life, we leave this world with a smile and look forward to the accumulated heaps of good, which we have been constantly sending in advance in hope of blissful times ahead in the Hereafter (Q.82:5). Although we differ in our skills, talents, acquired knowledge and achievements, we are equal as to the number of seconds we are granted per day by the Most Just Allah; we all receive an equal amount of time between sunrise and sunset. The hours in front of us are just a little time left in the journey to our final destination, hence we must grasp today’s opportunity for our RōḼ to progress and grow. Each day that passes is either a loss or a gain in our spiritual ledger in our journey back to our permanent home. A day well-planned and lived today makes yesterday a day of joy and tomorrow a day of hope. We must therefore realise the value of whatever time there is left. We have found time to go to the Moon and to Mars but we hardly ever make time to take the inward journey into our own selves. We have to examine ourselves and re-examine the findings. Time is labelled as sacred when God intervenes in our lives in difficult times. Why are we wasting time crying over some money or some property that we lost? We neither brought them with us when we came nor we would take them with us when we leave. Instead of worrying about time wasted in this world, it might be better to worry over the loss of

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immortal values in the Hereafter. We have to ask Allah to forgive us our sins and wasted efforts (Q.3:147). The past no longer exists and cannot be retrieved except maybe in our memories. At this point in time we cannot go backwards to correct the sins we have committed. However, now is the time to compensate and make up for our past misdeeds. Erasers on pencils just remind us that every one makes mistakes but we should not repeat them. Procrastination is the thief of time. It is the grave in which opportunity is buried. Hence when we wake up every morning, we must set up a time for our priorities. Today was the tomorrow of yesterday. Time cannot be re-used. We say “maĂąÄ naâ€? in Spanish (meaning tomorrow instead of saying “ojalĂĄâ€? meaning God-willing) without saying “Insha Allahâ€? and leaving things for tomorrow (Q.18:23, 24). For some of us, tomorrow may not come. Time itself may remain indefinitely, but we may not be there to make use of it. We say that time is passing when in fact time stays but we go. A Persian poem:

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saahebdelee; baashad ke natvon yaaftan deegar chenin ayyaam raa. Don’t be heedless if you are wise; find out if you are honest; it is possible that you may not find such days again. Here is an Urdu proverb:

% % ĂŚ J ¡ ĂŚ ĂŽ ĂŚ ¡ ĂŚ ĂŽ Jo kal karnaa hè to aaj karlè; jo aaj karnaa hè to ab kar le. What you have to do tomorrow, do it today; what you% have to do today, do it now. This is matched by a Persian poet: % ÂŚ #5 \#$ Ăź < I < }s Konoon waqtè tokhmast agar parwaree: gar ummeed daaree kè kharman

baree. Now is the time to nurture the seeds, if you have hopes of harvesting the crop. Yesterday was a cancelled cheque; tomorrow is only a promissory note. Today is all the cash you have in hand. Did it ever occur to us that just as 2.5% of our money should be given as compulsory charity (zakÄ t) to the needy (and that is the least we must give), we must also dedicate 2.5% of our daily allotted time of 24 hours, i.e. 36 minutes, to Allah? This is the approximate total time taken by our five daily fará¸? or compulsory prayers (ᚣalÄ t). If we sleep 8 hours out of the 24 hours a day, and if we are going to live, Insha Allah, for 75 years, then 25 years of our lives are expected to be passed in sleep. From the balance of (hopefully) 50 years, if we deduct the number of years we have already passed and the years that will be spent in the necessities of life as destined by Allah such as eating, dressing, studying, travelling, working and in illness, very little time would be left for us to contemplate further about Allah with a view to selfperfection and spiritual elevation. So much of our time is spent in routine preparation that the amount of each person's prime time is confined to hardly a few hours a day. We have to guard well our spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds; if we discard them, their value will never be known. But if we polish and make the best use of them, they will become the brightest gems in a useful life. It will be a rewarding exercise if we take pen and paper and calculate how much spare time is left in our own lives to do the needful. Here is an interesting presentation of Allah’s bounties. The old man needs only 4 or 5 hours of sleep instead of eight. Hence, in our old age, instead of 16 hours, we receive 19-20 hours of prime time to do whatever good we want to do, this being one way of our life being prolonged, all through Allah’s Mercy and Wisdom. The old man surely cannot thank Him enough. Every day added to our life becomes yet another new page of our history. It is estimated that millions of Muslim man hours are being wasted each day in worthless talk, instead of utilising the time productively in discussing valuable topics, and exchanging scientific data so direly needed by the Muslim World. The importance of Time lies in the reminder that we pass through this world but once. If therefore, there be any kindness we can show or any good that we can do, let us do it now; let us not defer it, for we shall not pass this way again. Time flies past and fast, in a one-way street, never to return. The physicists combine the time dimension with the three dimensions of space and call it space-time, which incorporates the effect of gravity through distribution of matter and energy. Albert Einstein’s famous equation is E=mc2 (E for energy, m for mass and c for the speed of light) shows that a tiny amount of mass equals an enormous amount of energy. If time had a beginning in what we call the Big Bang, then it must have also an end in a Big Crunch, when the entire universe including all the stars and planets will collapse to form a small heavy solid mass. The fact that time is passing means that it exists and if time were suddenly to cease, then nothing would exist, except Allah Who will remain after time

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ends (Q.55:26-27). The arrow of time is going swiftly forward in one direction all the time, beginning with the first Big Bang. Therefore time can never remain still. It has to change and with the times, we must also change. We can only change the world if we can change ourselves and that will occur with time. The limitations of time and space do not apply to Allah. All our past, present and future situations have already taken place and are recorded in His Book of Destiny called Al Lauḥim Maḥfūẓ which is lodged somewhere in the heavens and which is concealed from us while we are living on Earth, but will be viewed by all of us in the Hereafter. God knows events that have not yet happened; past and future events have already occurred in God's sight. He does not need to wait to see the result of an action. The beginning and the end of any event are both experienced in His sight in a single moment and already had been recorded in Al Lauḥim Maḥfūẓ. For the first 20 years, mother asks the son: “Where are you going”? For the next 40 years, the wife asks the husband: “Where are you going”? But later when the person dies, no one knows where he has finally gone. Similarly, we do not know what happens to time when it passes. Before the Big Bang, there was no space or time. The space and the universe emerged in the Big Bang over 13 billion years ago. In the beginning, all matter was packed into a tiny dot which contained all the matter that later became the sun, the earth, the moon and all the heavenly bodies that tell us about the passing of time. We will not be wearing a watch in Heaven since there would be no such thing as Earthly time, yet we would be able to scan through the beginning of time and its end taking place on planet Earth. The past, present and future would flash simultaneously from Al Lauḥum Maḥfūẓ, the Guarded Tablet. Thus we can see the importance of the gift of time to us. Another precious gift given to mankind by the Creator is water. Here are some notes on water.

Water:

Water is a unique gift from Allah to mankind and to all other living organisms. Allah granted a specific amount of water to us billions of years ago, and planet Earth has retained the same amount, courtesy the water cycle (Q.15:22; 35:9). The water that Adam and Eve drank when they first arrived on Earth is the same that we are drinking now. Water is essential to life. It also plays an important role in the lives of Muslims through ablution (wud u) which is an obligatory component of the 5-time daily Islamic prayer ritual. Allah created the heavens and the earth in six days, then He established Himself on the Throne (Q.57:4), that Throne being over the water (Q.11:7). (In Judeo-Christian literature, God is called “the fountain of living waters”, Jeremiah. 2:13). Allah has created every animal from water (Q.24:45). In fact, every single living being was made from water (Q.21:30). He had also created the first man from dust (Q.40:67) and water (Q.25:54). Allah then created mankind on Earth from a drop of water emitted from between the spine and the rib cage (Q.86:6-7) and continued the progeny from a mixture of petty water (Q.32:8). The composition of elements in a speck of dust or a piece of stone is the same as those in human beings. It is this very speck of dust which when resurrected will carry our attributes on the Day of Judgment. (In Egyptian mythology, only the sea existed at first. Then Ra, the sun, came out of an egg that appeared on the surface of water. In Roman mythology, Neptune is the god of the sea, another god being Triton. In Greek mythology, Nereus was the god of the sea, son of sea-god Pontus and Gaea (Mother Earth), while another sea-god was Poseidon and yet another Phorcys, whose wife was the sea-goddess Amphitrite. In Sumerian mythology, Nammu was the goddess of the sea and in Incan, Mamacocha was the sea-goddess. We Muslims do not believe in all these gods and goddesses, but accept water as one of the creations of Allah). Water is the ONLY substance that at normal temperatures exists in all three states: liquid, solid (ice) and gas (vapour). A water molecule forms when one atom of oxygen which carries a negative electrical charge combines with two atoms of hydrogen with a positive electrical charge on the opposite side at 105o position. There are also two pairs of electrons on the bottom of the molecule forming a similar angle perpendicularly. Many unusual properties of water such as expansion on freezing are attributed to this asymmetrical arrangement. By convention one cubic centimetre of water at 4o C weighs one gram. At sea level, with an atmospheric pressure of 14.7 lbs/sq. inch or 760 mm mercury, water boils at 212o F or 100o C, and freezes at 32o F or 0o C. Sea water which contains 3.5 % salt, freezes at 28o F (-2o C). Deep in the oceans, it is so dark that if we stretch our hands, it can hardly be seen (Q.24:40). The pressure a mile down in the oceans is a massive 2,300 lbs/sq. inch. Water is the ONLY fluid which contracts on cooling until 4o C but on further cooling to 0o C, it expands, the molecules taking on a 3dimensional structure to form ice that contains lots of empty spaces between the molecules. This accounts for the lower density of ice and the expanding nature of the solid. Instead of shrinking, water expands by nearly one-tenth of its volume and forms ice which floats on water. This ice is responsible for survival of life in the water below the layer of ice. It's a good thing that ice is less dense than liquid water. (Fish and other aquatic animals can survive in the water below the ice, since water at the bottom of the lakes and oceans does not freeze, no matter how cold the temperature is. When scientists drilled through the ice of Antarctica’s Lake Vanda, they discovered that the water at the bottom of the lake was an amazingly warm 77 degrees

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Fahrenheit. Ice crystals actually heat the water by focusing on the bottom of the lake). Water molecules stick together because of the quality of cohesion. This could be observed in a dew drop on a leaf. The high surface tension of water is responsible for its capillary action, thus allowing water to move up from the roots of plants hundreds of feet to the top. When ordinary or white light enters water or glass like a prism, light gets bent because of refraction and exits as a spectrum of colours, violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red, in that order, red being on the outside. This phenomenon could be seen opposite the sun at the end of a rain shower and also in the spray of a waterfall, as a perfect multi-coloured arch of the rainbow. Sometimes, there is a secondary rainbow above this perfect arch in which the colours are in reverse order. In Greek mythology, this phenomenon is said to be under the control of the goddess of the rainbow, Iris. In Islamic theology, it is Allah’s artistry involving the laws of physics, teaching us that white light is composed of varying colours of different wave-lengths. Refraction is different from reflection as in the story of the handsome youth of Greek mythology Narkissos, son of the river god Cephissus, who fell hopelessly in love with his own beautiful face reflected in water in a pond and was changed into the plant narcissus (Nargis). More than one billion people around the world have no access to clean water. The quantity of surface water (rivers, lakes, ponds, etc.) is variable, depending on rainfall, and is of poor quality, whereas groundwater (found more than 100 metres underground) is usually of high quality but variable in quantity. Fresh water is a finite source, making up less than 1% of the Earth's total water; 95% of this is groundwater. Over 70% of the Earth is covered with water, out of which 97% is salty, more than 2% is locked in the ice caps of Antarctica and only 0.5% is drinkable. This small percentage of potable water could support several times the current world population, provided it is not polluted by chemical and nuclear wastes. Each person uses approximately 10 gallons of water daily. The human body as a whole has 60% water, brain 70%, lungs 90% and blood 80% water. The proverb “blood is thicker than water” finds support in its physical composition also. We can live without food for a month or so, but without water, we will die within a week. (Spiders may live for weeks without food and camels can live for 17 days without water in extreme heat). The water cycle which simulates a giant distillery, involves water evaporating into the atmosphere mainly from oceans, lakes, and forest trees. This air, which contains water vapour, hits the mountains, which forces it upwards. The height condenses the vapour into rain clouds, and makes it fall as rain, which in turn replenishes oceans and lakes and other ground water. The rain is also absorbed through roots of trees to be released back into the atmosphere through transpiration and to continue the water cycle. The same amount of water that evaporates from the oceans and plants falls back around the globe as rain on a daily basis. A rain drop falling down is not spherical but flat like a coin, because of surface tension, force of gravity and atmospheric resistance. Water exits through milk from within the bodies of animals (Q.23:21; 16:66) and as honey from within female bees (Q.16:69). Sea water has a different specific gravity to that of rivers (Q.25:53; 35:12) due to the content of common salt in the former, and yet from both we can get fish to eat and ornaments to wear. Springs find their own places for water to settle (Q.2:60) to be used by different groups or nations (Q.7:160). The human population which started in Jannah with just one person, not two (Q.4:1), tends to locate near pure water resources on Earth. The first lessons that man learnt were through a fair distribution of water over which both men and animals have a right to share. Hosing with water can extinguish a real fire just as drinking cool water can suppress a fiery temper. Water can give life but can also destroy it by drowning. The Latin proverb, Gutta cavat lapidem, means dropping water hollows a stone while continuous dripping of water could collect to become a lake. A barrel of water in some places may cost more than a barrel of oil, while in a desert any water will do (an Arabian proverb). Whenever we drink the water, we should remember the spring - its source and importance. If not, a time may come when water will have to be kept under lock and key. There are many kinds of water such as mineral, distilled, tap, filtered, aerated, holy, soda, rose, dill, to name a few. Hard water is due to excess calcium and magnesium and a little of other metals. Zamzam water contains calcium and magnesium besides other elements and hence we do not suffer from cramps while doing our rituals of tawāf in the Ka‘bah and running between S afa and Marwa. Heavy water is deuterium oxide (D2O), deuterium being the hydrogen isotope with an atomic weight of two, as compared to ordinary water H2O having hydrogen with an atomic weight of one. Super-cooled water can exist in a liquid state below the freezing point of 0o C. Dry ice is not ice containing water. It is solid carbon dioxide which is used as a refrigerant. The same tap water that is used for baptism of infants (baptism from Greek baptein: to dip) by Christian churches for remission of sins in the name of Trinity or Christ, and for adults by most Protestants and Baptists on the ground that only adults could be guilty of sinful actions, is labelled as sacred or holy. Muslims also use water as a symbol of exterior purification for ablution called wud u, before offering prayers (Q.5:6) Cleanliness is next to Godliness appears in Q.2:222. If no water is available, we can still perform wud u using dust as a replacement, both dust and water equally reminding us of their original combination in our own formation when we were first created. Allah puts us in deep waters once or twice a year (Q.9:126) to test us, but with His assistance we can keep our heads above water; if not, we will be like fish out of water. In pleasant situations the mouth waters while eyes water during unpleasant ones. Sometimes, because of the refraction of light, we can see a beautiful eye-catching rainbow through our tears, informing us that Allah is Most Merciful and we should not despair because He can forgive all sins (Q.39:53). When we say that it is raining ‘cats and dogs’, it means that the rain caused so much flood that dead cats and dogs which got drowned were floating in the streets, giving the appearance that it rained ‘cats and dogs’.

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Although we cannot step twice in the same river because the waters are not the same since they are flowing and changing every minute, we dare not gauge the depth of the river with both feet lest we go under water. However, spiders can walk on water. Water-borne diseases come from polluted waters, some of the causes of pollution being sewage, animal wastes, agricultural chemicals and other poisons, oil spills, bacteria, acid rain containing sulphuric acid and nitric acid and others from power plants using fossil fuels. Fossil fuels mean coal, oil and gas that we use for industrial purposes and running motor vehicles, etc. and which are derived from the decay of our own human and animal bodies buried for aeons in our graves. Acid rain causes environmental damage resulting in killing of life in lakes and soil as well as plant decay. This effect can be mitigated by using less fossil fuel in power plants, factories and cars. However, rain from radio-active nuclear fall-out is more damaging. People will not know the value of life until the last tree has been cut, the last fish eaten and the last river poisoned. The thirst centre situated in the hypothalamus in the brain informs us as to when we are thirsty and that we should drink water. Drinking too much water fast enough causes water-intoxication similar to alcohol. Our bodies hold water usually due to heart or kidney diseases. When a person feels dizzy due to sudden fall in blood pressure on standing up (which is known as postural hypotension) drinking one or two glasses of water helps. Drinking ordinary water prevents you from fainting after giving blood, increases the activity of the sympathetic fight or flight status which raises alertness, blood pressure and energy expenditure. The first six pounds we lose after a slimming exercise or diet is water. Water could be a friend as well as a foe. Many people die from flood gushing water. (Was the flood in Noah’s time due to (a) an unusually catastrophic El NiĂąo-like phenomenon [the label El NiĂąo is derived from Spanish for the child, which refers to Jesus Christ, pbuh, because the current usually begins during the Christmas season], or (b) due to a seismic volcano blowing its top under the sea, and boiling over, for Qurážżan mentions the reason of Noah’s flood as when the oven boiled over. Such an occurrence can explain several points related to this massive catastrophe. (c) A third explanation is related to a passing star which might have sent the moon temporarily off-course. Its near approach to Earth is expected to cause a massive tidal wave hundreds of feet high. The moon may have appeared to some as if it were split (Q.54:1). The waters rose to a decreed extent (Q.54:10-12), then subsided and at last the Ark landed at Mount Al-Judi (Mt. ArarÄ t) (Q.11:44). (d) Whatever explanation we want to give, we must admit that it was a lesson from Allah for mankind that went down in the annals of history of gushing water). If we did good deeds, we shall be drinking cool and refreshing water mixed with zanjabÄŤl in Jannah from the fountain of salsabÄŤl (Q.76:17-18) and if we had done better and become, Insha Allah, one of the muqarrabĹŤn (those nearest to Allah), we shall be drinking from the fountain of tasnÄŤm (Q.83:27); but if we had disobeyed the red flashing lights that are visible through the verses of the Qurážżan warning us of the “No Entryâ€? zones for committing major sins, then we shall be drinking boiling water (Q.47:15). God puts us in deep waters not to drown us but to cleanse us. If you did any good and even have forgotten about it,

it would be retrieved on the Day of Resurrection.

< , , Qatra Qatra jam‘ gardad wongahee daryaa shawad means: Drop by drop would collect: Lo! It becomes an ocean. You will witness your ocean of good deeds on the Day of Judgment! It is widely believed that Prophet Muh ammad's‍ ‏Me‘rÄ j (physical ascension to the heavens) took place on 27th of Rajab. When the Prophet‍ ‏was 52 years old, the Angel JibrÄ ÄŤl came to him one night, opened his chest, washed his heart with the water of Zamzam held in a golden basin and then restored the heart back to his chest. Could this special combination of metallic gold with Zamzam water and any other equipment the Angel had, have provided an electromagnetic shield for the Prophet‍ ‏against the harmful effects of cosmic radiation in his space journey? This first ever open-heart surgery paved the way for his night journey (Isra) followed by the Me‘rÄ j. Whereas this unorthodox postulate may seem absurd to some, let it not be forgotten that a new theory is first attacked by a few as being ridiculous with many trying to prove its absurdity; then it is admitted as true but insignificant with some champions joining it to defend it. Finally it is seen to be so important that its adversaries claim that they themselves had discovered it. An eternal topic of debate in all institutions of learning from time immemorial has been tadbÄŤr (planning) versus taqdÄŤr (destiny).

TadbÄŤr versus taqdÄŤr:

Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Al ‘abdu yudabbir, waá¸ˇá¸ˇÄ hu yuqaddir is the Arabic idiom similar to: man proposes, God Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů?‍ﺪﺑﺎ ‏ Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťŒďş’ﺪ‏ â€Ťďť“ďť˜ﺪ‏ disposes. Qadar or destiny is accepted by most Muslims as one of the seven articles of ÄŤmÄ n or faith (Shu‘ab al ÄŞmÄ n). Qaá¸?Ä â€™, which will be dealt with later, is sometimes used synonymously with qadar or destiny, whether applied to past, present or future. Sometimes, man finds that the equation in life does not always balance and he cannot explain the afflictions of the righteous or the prosperity of the wicked. He cannot understand why some babies are born in the gutter and others in the Royal Palace. He finds there is one law for the poor and another for the rich. Some parents find one of their children problematic and then realise that children are only lent to them; they do not own them. Children have been given to us as a trust from Allah, and they bring with themselves their own destiny.

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During the course of his journey through life, man finds that he has certain powers over certain actions, but often, some actions do not get accomplished as originally intended. This makes him believe in destiny, supported by this Persian proverb:

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% A t M ( #‘t Har chè khodaa khaast hamon shod; har chè delam khaast, na on shod. G ¡ ¸Ì

Whatever God wanted happened. What I wanted did not happen. And here is an Urdu one:

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Kartee hè hamè ‘aql isharaa kuch aur; lekin hè tabee ‘at ka taqaaza kuch aur. Majboor hè kis darjè zamaanè mein bashar; kartaa hè woh kuch aur eraadè kuch aur. The mind directs you to do something but human nature urges to do something else; man is being compelled since ages by doing something while intending something else. A Persian % poem: % % % % %

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Goftam kĂŠ degar chashm bĂŠ dilbar nakonam; Soofee shawam Ăł goosh bĂŠ monkar nakonam; Deedam kĂŠ khelaafĂŠ tab‘ mauzoonĂŠ manast; taubah kardam kĂŠ taubĂŠ deegar nakonam. I said that I will never look at my sweet-heart again. I will become a Sufi and will not listen to Satan; I saw that it is instinctual in me to go against my moral fibre. I repented promising myself that I should not be repenting again. Another one:

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Geeram kĂŠ bĂŠ fatwaayĂŠ khodaawandee yo raay, az daa ĂŠra ĂŠ aql broon nanhanam paay; baa meyl kĂŠ tab‘ meekonad chĂŠ tawon kard? Eybeest kĂŠ dar man aafareedast khodaai. I accept that with Allah's decree and judgment, I shall not step outside the perimeter of my intellect; what can be done with an instinct that is so compelling? It is a universal defect that God created in me.

Qaá¸?Ä and Qadar (taqdÄŤr): Qadar means quantum or proportion, as if it is measured according

to certain specifications so as to be adaptable to any particular person or environment (Q.15:21). It also encompasses the meaning of destiny or pre-destination because everything is created in proportion and measure (Q.54:49), signifying a particular decree of God (Q.54:12; 77:23), as a certain man will die in a particular place and time (Q.56:60). While qadr often means power and glory (Q.97:1), it is also used to denote destiny, as given in the belief in one of the seven branches of ÄŤmÄ n. Qaá¸?Ä on the other hand means a general decree of God which necessarily must come to pass, as every living shall die. Qadar or taqdÄŤr or destiny is the divine pre-destination while qaá¸?Ä or decree is the order to carry it out and get it fulfilled. Once a decree has been accomplished and has come to pass, it is called qaá¸?Ä , and is used sometimes simultaneously with qadar or destingy, whether applied to past, present or future. Qaá¸?Ä â€™ (the accomplished decree) and qadar (destiny) do not mean that Allah forces some people to do good and others evil. It simply means that Allah knows each individual's response before He created him whether he would do good or evil, depending on his internal as well as his external environment. Allah helps those who prefer to do good while Satan is ever ready to lead those who prefer to do evil. A man asked Prophet MuḼammad‍‏: Should we then not depend upon what has been written in Qadar since blessed people will do good deeds? The Prophet‍ ‏replied: Good deeds are made easy for the blessed and bad deeds easy for the wretched. Man finds that he has no power over certain things like the passing of time, yet he observes marvellous and breath-taking achievements made by man through advances in technology. He concludes that he is neither completely the master of his own fate nor is he bound by the blind law of predestination, since man does what he can but God does what He wills. He cannot do anything except what God wills (Q.85:16). Man has been given limited autonomy and because of this he is held responsible for his deeds or misdeeds. The first step is initiated by man, as if he is pressing a switch to light up a room, but finalised by God. Sometimes, man finds his plans reversed. Here is a Persian couplet:

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

Doostee baa har kè kardam, doshmanee aaward baar; daaneh raa dar kaŘŒbeh keshtam gasht dar botkhaanè sabz: With whomever I made friendship turned out to be an enemy; I sowed the seed in KaŘŒâ€˜bah and it matured in the temple of idols. Free will, divine fore-knowledge and pre-destination are separate subjects wherein logic fails to answer the questions posed by man, and hence “destinyâ€? forever remains a subject for debate. Man’s free will is subject to God’s Will. A man’s life span too is quite small compared to the eternity of the Hereafter. Therefore, people cannot understand how such an insignificant thing like the free will, in a single short life span of man, can cause him to deserve eternal Paradise or condemn him to Hell? They argue that if God has full knowledge of what we do and also controls our destiny, why should we be held responsible at all? If it is God Who guides us to be good or bad, how are we accountable for our actions? And if actions have already been chosen for us, how then can we choose our own actions? They cannot explain why a man receives something without working for it, while another has to work for it, and even then may not receive it. One who has crawled on his knees all his life may not reach his destination, but why a man, who has toiled for his destination, finds the door closed on him when he is within reach of it? And yet another who hardly made a stride would find himself inside. The Persian poet says:

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They say, ‘Strive till you succeed; I am striving but luck is not in my favour’. Some men labour as if everything depends on them and others pray continuously as if everything depends on God. However, nearly all of us have experienced at one time or another some unexpected incidents and last-minute fulfilled desires in life, convincing us that there is some Hand above, that writes our destiny and makes the impossible possible. There are so many such incidents in one’s life that they should not be termed co-incidences but intended by Allah. Some believe that man’s destiny has been pre-determined at birth because it had been pre-recorded in his Book of Destiny, the Guarded Tablet, called Al LauḼum MaḼfĹŤáş“ which is lodged somewhere in the heavens. Destiny does not write itself. The Maker writes it. They quote Q. 9:51: Nothing will happen to

us except what Allah has decreed for us . An Urdu proverb says:

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rahè gaa: Whatever is written in destiny must come to pass. Here is an Urdu poem:

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Moqaddar ka likhkhaa mit taa nahin aansoo bahaanÊ sÊ; yÊ wó honee hÊ jó hó kar rahÊ gee har bahaanÊ sÊ. Whatever is written in destiny cannot be wiped out with tears: this is what must surely come to pass under all circumstances. Here’s a Persian poem by Omar Khayyaam:

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Yazdon chĂł gelè wojoodè maa mee aaraast; daanest zè fe‘lè maa chè bar khaahad khaast: Bee hekmash neest har gonaahee kè maraast; pas sookhtanè qiyaamat az bahrè chèraast. When God was adorning our existence in clay, He knew what would be the outcome of our actions; every sin of mine is not without His wisdom; then what for is the burning of Doomsday? Scholars divide qadar/taqdÄŤr into two kinds: (1) Qadar-al-ShakhsÄŤ (personal destiny), also called Qadar-al-Mu‘allaq (‘suspended’ destiny) which is largely in man’s own hands and over which man has some control. Allah puts man in a certain situation for him to use his free will to decide what he could do. His actions are recorded verbatim by two angels as he goes along. He will be punished or rewarded accordingly for whatever transpires.

(2) Qadar-al-ḤaqÄŤqi, also called Qadar-al-Mubram, which has already been decided and over which man has absolutely no control, e.g. passing of time, birth, death, the Big Bang, etc. This was destiny recorded long before man was born. Man will not be punished for what was already written by Allah in this type of taqdÄŤr where he and others are being tested. Both these types of qadar have already been recorded in Al LauḼum MaḼfĹŤáş“, the Guarded Tablet, known as the Book of Destiny of which only Allah has the foreknowledge and which has details of the destiny, not only of man but also of each minute component of the universe. Allah manifests qadar (destiny) in two ways: (a) by granting qudrah, i.e. power to man to accomplish what he wishes to do. This grant is conditional and is manifested and utilised in his personal

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Qadar al Shakhsi; and (b) by making it in a particular measure and manner for the human body to respond physically and physiologically to suit the prevailing conditions, this being Allah’s prerogative of Qadar al ḤaqÄŤqi. Allah is not managing the world at random but supervising everything to a destined end, this being His final say in Qadar al ḤaqÄŤqi which is absolute. The conditional decisions of Qadar al Shakhsi or Mu‘allaq may change with the prevailing conditions of the individual but the absolute or Qadar al Mubram or ḤaqÄŤqi does not change. Allah sent down the Holy Qurážżan during the Night of Power (Lailat ul Qadr, Q.97:1). We observe that Allah uses the word qadr meaning power and not qadar which usually refers to destiny. Some people believe that Allah decides the destinies of human beings during Lailat ul Qadr. While the destiny of Qadar al ḤaqÄŤqi has already been determined in advance, during that night we need to meditate and reflect on our past year as to what was our personal (shakhsi) contribution to our destiny and how can we influence our personal or shakhsi destiny from now on. Other commentators say that the Night of Power (Q.97:1) refers to the Qurážżan which was sent down on a blessed night (Q.44:3). Angels accompanied by RōḼ came down with it with Allah’s permission (Q.97:4). That night is better than a thousand months (Q.97:3) because, as some scholars say, it is better than a thousand months of ‘ibÄ dat (worship). A thousand months equals a period of over 83 yeas, which spans a life that a healthy man expects to live on Earth. Our Sunni brothers believe that Lailat ul Qadr falls on one of the odd nights of the last 10 days of Ramaá¸?Ä n, and they vouch for the 27th, while our Shi‘ah brothers say that the Nights of Power (Shab-haayè Qadr) should be observed on 19th, 21st, and 23rd nights of the holy month of Ramzaan, in which the fate of everyone is decided. We are also reminded that Amirul Moážżmineen, ImÄ m ‘Ali (R.A.), attained martyrdom on the 21st of Ramazaan 40 A.H. after an assassin mortally wounded the Holy Imam (A.S.) with a poisoned sword during morning prayers in the mosque at Kufah in IrÄ q, on 19th Ramaá¸?an 40 A.H. Destiny is a fascinating subject with many of us holding conflicting views. Man enters this world without any choice of his own. He could be born in a Royal Palace or in a slum, as handsome or ugly, as a boy or girl, with high IQ or a lower one, with no congenital deformity or with many. He concludes that there are a few aspects of his life about which he has no say. He cannot choose when and where he is to be born, to which parents, or when he is going to die. But when he grows up and his free will is fully developed, he finds that he could choose how to act under different circumstances, what moral code to adopt, under which environment and what social responsibilities to fulfil or ignore. Just because Allah knows what we will do, and allows some plans to be fulfilled while preventing others, that does not change the fact that the choice was ours to begin with. That is why we will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment for what we have done, because primarily the choice was ours. In spite of all this, Allah may change what He has written or destined in response to our sincere du‘a (supplication), by asking Allah for guidance in this life and mercy on the Day of Judgment. Man is the khalÄŤfah (vicegerent) of God on earth. Everything here has been created for him. This means that Allah has given man certain powers, abilities and knowledge to act as His ambassador. These gifts of man would have been useless, unless he had the freedom to choose what he wants and do as he would like; so God endowed him with this freedom also. Yet, it is within limits, as human abilities are limited. It is clearly stated in the Qur‘an that life on Earth is a testing ground for mankind. For any test to be meaningful, it requires that the tested should have the freedom to act on his own initiative. God has chosen the planet Earth to be mankind’s examination hall, for him to write his own examination papers. Khwajah Haafez asks himself about taqdÄŤr and tadbÄŤr and then answers:

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Goftam kè Khataa kardee wa tadbeer na in bood; Goftaa chè tawon kard taqdeer chenin bood; goftam kè ay omr cheraa zood beraftee; goftaa kè folanee chè konam omr hamin bood; goftam kè basee khat tè khataa bar tĂł kasheedand; goftaa hamè on bood kè bar lavhè jabin bood; goftam kè na waqtè safarat bood chenin zood; goftaa kè magar maslè hatè waqt chenin bood. I said, ‘You have sinned and this was not the intention’; It replied, ‘What to do, this was destined’. I said, ‘O life, why did you go away so soon’; It answered, ‘What can I do, such was life fleeting’. I said, ‘Many lines of sin were drawn on you’; It said, ‘All of it was already written on Lauhum Mahfooz’. I said, ‘This was not the time for your journey so quick’; It said, ‘This was the standard policy of Time’.

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Our nervous system has two components, (a) the central nervous system which can exert voluntary control through nerves attached to the joints and muscles of the hands, feet, tongue, etc., and (b) autonomic nervous system over which we have very little control, e.g. heart rate, blood pressure, digestive and urogenital systems, etc. These are orchestrated by the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves producing a net action of different hormones and neurotransmitters interacting in the body under normal conditions at that particular time. Our central nervous system evaluates a particular situation and decides whether we obey Allah or disobey Him through our voluntary actions. The autonomic nervous system does not play a part in this. However, in psychiatric disorders, neurons do not function in an orderly fashion, and short-circuiting takes place during neurotransmission. It is for this reason that persons with psychiatric disorders are not considered accountable for their actions. Allah has created both believers and disbelievers (Q.64:2). If He had wished, He could have brought all of us into guidance (Q.6:35; 16:9) but He wanted to test us in what He has given us. Also, Allah created you and whatever you do, (Q.37:96); No misfortune can happen on earth or in yourselves but is recorded in a decree before We bring it into existence, (Q.57:22). Allah alone guides and misguides (Q.7:186) (which is contrary to the qadriyyah [not qaadiriyyah] opinion who deny absolute predestination and believe in the power (qadr) of man’s free-will to create his own destiny). The son of Ādam has his share of zinā (adultery) decreed for him and he will commit that which has been decreed. The zinā of the eyes is looking; the zinā of the tongue is speaking; the zinā of the ears is listening; the zinā of the hands is striking and the zinā of the feet is walking. The person wishes and desires and the private parts confirm that. (Ḥadīth: Fatḥ Al-Bāri). Recent scientific evidence suggests that every person’s characteristics are determined in the womb, through the DNA of his genes. Everything is pre-determined, even laziness and intelligence. (Ḥadīth: Imām Aḥmad). Que sera sera means whatever will be will be. Everyone will find it easy to do such deeds that will lead him to do what he was created for. (Ḥadīth: Aḥmad bin Hanbal). Here is a Persian quatrain by Omar Khayyām:

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Ay dil cho haqeeqatè jahon hast majaaz; Chandin chè baree khaaree az een ranjè deraaz: Tan raa bè qazaa sepaar ó baa dard besaaz; kin raftè qalam zé bahrè to naayad baaz: The Moving Finger writes and having writ moves on; nor all thy piety nor wit shall lure it back to cancel half a line, nor all thy tears wash out a word of it. (Literal translation: Oh heart! Since the reality of this world is allegorical; however much dislike you carry from this prolonged suffering: Entrust your self to destiny and bear the pain, since the written document will not change for your sake). They say there is no such thing like an “accident”. The creation of the universe is not accidental but something predetermined, preconceived and shaped according to plan sketched by the Great Omniscient Designer. Some people believe in karma, a pre-destined life inherited owing to the karmas (actions, good or bad) of their previous births. They say that they do not come in contact with strangers in this life but only through the souls (atman) of those with whom they had had some contact in their past lives. However, Muslims do not believe in previous births but believe that a child is born with tabula rasa, a clean slate, in the Islamic fitrah (primordial or original religion) owned by all creatures, this religion being the religion of Islam, meaning total submission to the Creator. We had emerged from the mother’s womb where we were in a state of darkness, ignorance and devoid of free will, but gifted with hearing, sight, intelligence and affection (Q.16:78). The pattern by which Allah has made mankind is immutable and so cannot change, this being the standard religion (Q.30:30).

QADAR AL MU‘ALLAQ OR TAQDĪR AL SHAKHSĪ: This is influenced by the freedom of action vested in man. The English proverb, Every man is the architect of his own fortune, repeats the truth of Q.53:39. How far man will go depends on destiny of Ḥaqīqi, but how far man can go depends on himself, using his own free will and his destiny of Shakhsī. He could obey or disobey Allah. He could improve himself, the family and the community or harm them. He could spend his superfluous money in gambling and night clubs or give it as sadaqah to the poor. Allah can get him the resources, but once he has them, he is on his own to do whatever he wants with them. The freedom of action of one mad scientist is sufficient to envelop the whole world into nuclear fall-out, earthquakes and floods with dangerous and fatal diseases. In Qadar al Shakhsī, Allah gives man limited powers over himself and nature such as tree grafting, organ transplanting, and genetic engineering in plants and animals including cloning of human beings. Cloning a human being by man does not mean creation, because creation is the sole province and

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mystery of Allah Who brings into existence something from nothing. Cloning on the other hand involves only copying the genes by humans. The original person came into being through Qadar al ḤaqiqÄŤ but the clone is because of Qadar al Shakhsi. Anything that man can change is not TaqdÄŤr al ḤaqÄŤqi. In Qadar al ShakhsÄŤ, Allah has foreknowledge of things and events. However, what a man does, whether good or bad, is at his own discretion and risk, with probable consequences in this world, but definite in the Hereafter. Prior notice and advance warning of such consequences have been outlined in the Holy Qurážżan. It is the freedom of choice for the passions that leads us to do what should not be done, or not to do what we should do. This freedom is universally possessed by all human beings. The freedom to will as one wishes depends on acculturation, which is the manifestation of acquired behavioural activities of an individual. Allah will judge us, having taken into consideration the prevailing hormonal and other conditions in which we were placed while using our choice of free will, choosing one course of action as opposed to another. We hesitate, compare, judge, choose and decide before acting on it in the face of appeals of good and evil coming from within us. Allah only guides man towards the good he wishes to do, using his free will, while Satan helps his evil intentions convert into actions all along the way. Since it is easier to sin than to do good, Satan usually has the upper hand, having been voted in power by the majority. Man can only determine his actions in this world (Q.20:72). What we are is God’s gift to us but what we become is our gift to ourselves to be judged in front of God in the Hereafter. Whatever conditions we can change for the good in our lives, would be so much better for us. God will assist in man’s Qadar al ShakhsÄŤ provided that man himself takes the initiative and asks Him for guidance and assistance. QADAR AL MUBRAM OR TAQDÄŞR AL HAQÄŞQI: Allah’s creation is not haphazard. The word “accidentâ€? is a misnomer. The universe is much too organised, orchestrated and in harmony for it to be called an accident. In fact, there is no such thing like an accident in Islamic theology. The Big Bang itself was not an accident (Q.44:38-39). Everything is created in due proportion and measure (Q.54:49) and recorded in Al LauḼum MaḼfĹŤáş“, the Book of Destiny, as Qadar al Mubram, this being Allah’s prerogative. Allah created everything and pre-determined them with a destiny (Q.25:2). The Command of Allah is a decree determined (Q.33:38) and there is nothing without its destiny (Q.15:21). Inanimate objects like the sun and the moon are also destined to follow a determined path (Q.10:5); even night and day are determined (Q.73:20). Afflictions of the earth and ourselves have been recorded long before we came into existence (Q.57:22). Allah created us originally from clay and decreed a stated term (Q.6:2). We ourselves did not know whether we would be aborted, born alive or still born; male, female or hermaphrodite; in the Royal Family, in the slums or in our present homes. No one knows the future except Allah. The human brain circuitry is not wired to have knowledge of the future and hence events in the universe and in our selves cannot be accurately predicted. How can we predict today something that will happen tomorrow? Even Prophet MuḼammad‍ ‏did not know when the world would end or what would happen to him tomorrow (Q.6:50; 46:9;7:187-188). Here is a Persian poem:

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Elmè ghybee kas namee daanad bèjoz parwardegaar; Gar kasee gooyad kè man daanam azoo baawar madaar; Mustafaa har gez na goftee taa nagoftee Jibra eel, Jibra eelash ham na goftee taa nagoftee kerdegaar. No one knows the hidden knowledge except God. If any one says that he knows it, do not believe him. MuᚣtaphÄ (Prophet MuḼammad‍ )‏never said anything except what JibrÄ ÄŤl told him; and JibrÄ ÄŤl too never told him anything except what God told JibrÄ ÄŤl. Being killed in a plane crash as a passenger is not Qadar al ShakhsÄŤ because the person himself did not pilot the plane. This was Qadar al ḤaqÄŤqi and planned by Allah Himself long ago and was recorded in Al LauḼum MaḼfĹŤáş“. It was not accidental. The same applies to a situation when we miss a plane because of traffic delays or any other reason and find out later that the plane had crashed. Sometimes we meet our destiny in the road that we took to avoid it. If a pilot intentionally crashes his plane, then it is Qadar al Shakhsi. Through Divine preordainment, Allah grants sustenance to whom He wills (Q.13:26). Even the flood carrying the ark of Noah had a decreed extent and duration (Q.54:12).

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The sperm that has fertilised the ovum is lodged for a destined period in the womb (Q.77:22) for approximately nine lunar months and nine days for a full-term new-born (same as in a cow). Allah created mankind from a sperm and then granted him his destiny (Q.80:19). And finally, death is our common destiny (Q.56:60). We need also to consider apoptosis, i.e. programmed cell death. On a daily basis, another busy area in cell biology concerns programmed cell death, or apoptosis, which was already pre-recorded in Al LauḼ u

m MaḼ fĹŤáş“. Millions of cells die in different organs of the human body on a daily basis as an essential part of the normal cycle of cellular replacement. We should be ever reminded of the words that Allah is reported ŮŽ to have told mankind (the sonŮŽ of Adam):

Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů‘ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ â€Ťďťłďťœ ;ďťť ﺎ Ů? ﺪ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ŮŽďť&#x;‏ â€ŤďťłďťŒďş’ďş˜ďťš ďť“ﺎ ďş—ﺎﺪ‏F ‍ﺗﺎ Ů?ďş‘ﺎ ﺪ‏ ‍ ďş– ďş—ﺎﺪ ‏ ‍ ﺎ ﺪ‏ ‍ﺎ ‏ Ů? ‍ďť&#x;ďş˜ďťš ďť—ﺎ ďş—ﺎﺪ‏F â€Ťďť“ďşˆ ďşżďť´ďş– Ů?ďş‘ﺎ ﺪ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů‘ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍َ ďťť ŮŽďťłďťœ ďťť ﺎ‏ ‍ ﺪ‏ Ů?

Ya ibni Ä€dam, ana urÄŤd wa anta turÄŤd, wa lÄ yakĹŤnu illÄ mÄ urÄŤd; fa inn rad ÄŤtu bimÄ urÄŤd, aghnaituka ‘ammÄ turÄŤd; wa in lam tard Ä bimÄ urÄŤd, at ‘abtuka fÄŤmÄ turÄŤd; wa lÄ yakĹŤnu illÄ mÄ urÄŤd. Oh son of Ä€dam! I plan and you plan. It will never be except what I plan. If you are satisfied with what I plan for you, I will give you plenty in what you plan; and if you are not satisfied with what I plan for you, I will make you strive for what you plan for yourself; and in the end, you will never get except what I plan for you. It is better to accept our lot than grumble since acceptance of destiny acts as a solace in many stressful situations due to secretion of various neuro-transmitters in the brain. This Persian poem explains:

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Khodaawand az on bandĂŠ khorsand neest, kĂŠ raazee bĂŠ qesmĂŠ

khodaawand neest. God is not pleased with the person who is not pleased with his lot. Moreover, grumbling is an expression of ingratitude to Allah. It is better to replace our grouses by du‘as and ask Him for favours and assistance to solve our problems. The Only One Who can change whatever has been written in Al LauḼum MaḼfĹŤáş“ is Allah Himself. He can change Qadar al ShakhsÄŤ or Mu‘allaq to Qadar al ḤaqÄŤqi or Mubram and vice versa. In support of this, here are some verses from the Holy Qurážżan. (1) In consequence of repentance of sinners, Allah will change His determination to punish (Q.7:153); (2) Allah can blot out or confirm what He pleases (Q.13:39); (3) Allah may forgive your sins, and invite you to ask for probation which He grants for a limited time (Q.14:10) so that in the interim period you may do good deeds to tip your scale to the right, and receive your book in your right hand; (4) The people of YĹŤnus, A.S., were doomed to destruction, but they were spared because they became believers (Q.10:98); (5) Allah spared Ismaâ€˜ÄŤl, A.S., when he should have already been sacrificed by his father IbrahÄŤm, A.S. (Q.37:102-107); (6) There are also many aá¸ĽÄ dÄŤth that Allah may lengthen the span of life of those who do acts of virtue, e.g. honouring parents. Misfortunes pre-determined to individuals may be averted by acts pleasing to Allah and He could abrogate His Own decree. Only du‘a changes Al-Qadar and only Birr can increase life span. (ḤadÄŤth; Ibn KathÄŤr) Nothing can change Qadar except du‘a. (ḤadÄŤth: ImÄ m AḼmad bin Hanbal, Ibn Majah). This shows that although Allah did write everyone’s destiny, He also gave man some power to change it with a du‘a. Whoever wants ample provisions and a long life, he must uphold ties of kinship. (ḤadÄŤth: Al-BukhÄ ri, Muslim and Abu DÄ wĹŤd).

TadbÄŤr: There are others who argue that man has to plan in advance (tadbÄŤr) and become the architect of his own destiny through his own efforts without divine intervention, and that fortune favours the well prepared. They say that destiny is a matter of choice, not chance. Those who fail, needlessly blame their destiny, and by doing this receive some consolation. They believe that all the problems of man are man-made and hence they can only be solved by man himself. They question the logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God Who creates faulty human beings and then blames them for His own mistakes. They say that free will is the ability to choose a certain course of action without divine intervention while being subject to influences such as instincts, dominance of any particular hormone in the body and physical, environmental and neuro-biological influences present at that moment. In support, they point towards these verses: And man can have nothing except what he strives for, (Q.53:39); and, Allah does not change the condition of a people until they bestir themselves, (Q.13:11). CHAPTER VI: Islam the perfect religion

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They also quote that good and bad deeds are not recorded as yet but will be recorded as and when they are accomplished (Q.21:94), since God mentions that angels are writing them down (Q.82:11). This would mean that a person, who is ignorant of morals and ethics or is misinformed, is not responsible for his actions, and yet a knowledgeable person can choose or reject Allah’s commands and would be responsible for his actions. Some persons confuse bad management with destiny. Anything that man can control or influence is not destiny of Ḥaqīqi. Passing examinations and earning academic qualifications is in one’s own hands. Hence, a person who fails in his school examination and does not receive a degree should not blame it on fate. Although we accept Allah's will as final, we should be blaming ourselves for our mistakes and failures. Similarly, in the trials and tribulations of life, failures and successes largely depend on man himself. Our destiny does not depend on stars, eclipses, birds and omens, but inter alia on our deeds, good or evil and on genetics, socialisation and acculturation. When a man writes with a pen on a piece of paper, Allah creates in his mind the will to write, and as part of his sustenance, provides him with the ink, and the movement of the hand and arm muscles to write on the paper. Thus we see that free will is simply the presence of choice in the mind of man granted in stages by Allah but determined by man himself. However, although man has the free will, Allah knows in advance what choice the person who eventually has to accept Allah's choice which is final and best suited for him, would have. (Self control begins with thought control. What we establish in our minds, we execute in our bodies. Advice comes to us from both external and internal sources. We can accept or discard whichever we like. For our actions to be acceptable to God, we must know the difference between good and evil. Just to remind ourselves, the Qur᾿an is called the Furqān, the distinguisher of right from wrong. The same applies to holding a glass with doubtful content which has a time lag between the hand and the mouth. When the matter is already accomplished, Satan backs out of the scene, telling man to blame himself instead, and that wrong doers must face the grievous penalty (Q.14:22). Premeditated acts of violence which involved planning and tadbīr, such as cold-blooded murder, carries a stiffer sentence both in this world and the next than those caused by spontaneous outbursts of violence. The former could have been more easily controlled, compared with the latter).

Middle Course: The rest of us take a middle course, the golden mean of ummatan wasaṭann and accept that although man has the free will, divine intervention plays an important part in the outcome by bestowing opportunities and guidance to individuals to will themselves into a state of grace. Predetermination does not mean to abandon oneself to an unknown fate but means co-operation with Allah and resigning to His will. Despondency and despair will be replaced with solace and comfort. Man can choose between alternatives to do whatever he wishes in directing his own life, but the final outcome is absolutely Allah’s will. If a man tries to be good, Allah helps him to be good and his task becomes easy (Q.29:69). If he adopts a wrong course, Satan helps him to attain an evil destiny. If we fulfil our part, Allah will fulfil His (Q.2:40). In the first three verses of Sura Al–A‘la (Ch.87), Allah says that He created everything, proportioned it, gave it its destiny and guided it to perform the function it was created for. In Sura Ash-Shams (Q. 91:7-8) He also mentions that man has been fashioned and proportioned with its enlightenment of right and wrong through Allah’s Handiwork (and Qadar al Ḥaqīqi). This is followed by subsequent verses (Q.91:9-10) which say that the purification or corruption has been left to the individual as part of his own quota of effort (within the scope of his Qadar al Shakhsi). Allah leads many into the right path and many to stray, but none to stray except those who forsake the path (Q.2:26). From Q.19:75 we learn that for those persons who continue to go astray, Allah warns them through approaching punishment or death, so that they would actualise their status. God granted man freedom of choice, intention, decision and action and gave him the authority to exploit whatever he can and however he can, whether it is tapping of solar energy or mastering space technology or using genetic engineering for good or evil ends (such as isolation and removal of defective genes or altering Allah’s creation for worse (Q.4:119). On free will, Islamic doctrine has a middle course. Man has certain powers over his actions, which though strictly given final approval by Allah, make them his own. Man can choose between good and evil; he can also change his intention from evil to good and choose to accomplish the good if he wants to. To smile or to frown or to add a friend or a foe, is by and large, in our own hands. Hence, man is responsible for his actions. It is already recorded in Al Lauḥum Maḥfūẓ whether man uses his free will to do good or evil, leading to separate rewards or punishment for each. If no difference exists between what is written in the Book of Destiny and what man does in the 348

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end, it is not because Allah writes first and forces the man later to follow the written, it is rather because man unknowingly wills to do just what has already been written, and using his free will, he accomplishes his destiny. The Divine will does not exclude man from having free will of his own and using it. If we aid Allah’s cause, He will help us and make our foothold strong (Q.47:7). Allah is the only One who creates the deeds. Although Allah created the deeds, He does not force us to do them. The responsibility is ours because we chose the deeds we do. Allah created evil deeds (Q.113:2) to test us, but if we preferred to do them, then we alone are responsible. Most harm of evil deeds arises from our inappropriate response to jealousy (Ch. 113:5) and to backbiting (Ch. 114:4-6). Whatever evil befalls man is from himself (Q.4:79). The deed was accomplished through Allah’s Will but not necessarily through His Pleasure. Allah knows beforehand how man will behave in what circumstances and under the net result of which biological or hormonal interactions of the body at that particular moment (which is already recorded in Al Lauḥum Maḥ fūẓ and copied by the angels in his genome when he was born. This genome reveals secrets about our health, ancestry, personality, sexuality, attitudes, perceptions and intelligence). Yet, He does not force man to do anything against his will (Q.81:27-29) except, of course, if Allah wills otherwise. This is because man’s will is included in Allah’s will. Allah’s preknowledge does not contradict a person exercising his own free will. Allah says in Q. 20:15 that the Hour is kept hidden by Allah’s design for every person to receive his/her reward by the measure of his/her own endeavour. Mankind does not know what is written in his Book of Destiny and since no one knows which one of us would be selected by Allah for Paradise, it is obvious that we should live God-fearing lives at all times. The path to happiness is explained in two commands: accept and do not expect. Accept whatever Allah gives you and expect no more. Khwajah Haafez of Shiraaz says in his poem: As our destiny has been made in our absence, if it is just a little bit not according to our wishes, don’t worry. Destiny grants us our wishes in its own way, to receive eventually something more than what we had wished for. The poet further elaborates on our inability to change our destiny:

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% % 8 8 y Ë z N Dar kooyè neeknaamee maa raa gozar na daa dand; Gar to namee

pasandee, tagh yeer kon qazaa raa: In the street of good reputation we were not allowed to pass; If you don’t like it, then change your destiny. Like an ID card, information about every person relating to his anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and all the other characteristics encoded in the DNA in the genes of his chromosomes, has been detailed in his Book of Destiny. The two angels called Kirāman Kātibīn, register his data as well as the actions of every man as fast as they are accomplished and fasten it on his neck. This information, which is invisible to man as long as he is living on this planet, will be spread out on the Day of Judgment (Q.17:13). Such a Book will carry all the record of his actions as and when he performed them. However, every action, small or great, performed as yet or not, is already on record (Q.54:53). This is because Allah has the knowledge beforehand what choices man would make in which situations. Time and space do not apply to Allah, and all past, present and future situations have already been foreseen and recorded in His Book of Destiny. Allah has full knowledge of our intentions and actions. Although marriages are made in heaven as decreed by Qadar al Ḥaqiqī, a husband and wife frequently influence each other’s destiny of Shakhsi, just as parents and children do, through their companionship, interactions, planning and advice. However, planning or tadbīr by human beings cannot alter Qadar al Ḥaqīqi, which is entirely Allah’s domain. To know is to have the ability to recognise, identify, and acquire information through the senses of sight, sound, smell, touch and taste. A person can also have knowledge of a particular type of emotion such as fear, pain, etc., and the knowledge of languages, arts and sciences. Through knowledge we can clearly see, comprehend and solve problems. Knowledge is not only a matter of acquiring data but is also a process of transformation towards wisdom. A speciality of Islam is that reason and religion march hand in hand in the Holy Qur᾿an. The Qur᾿an places the seeking of knowledge

Knowledge:

ٌ ّ ُ ُ َ ْ ََْ ‫ ﻟﻤﻌﺮﻓﺔ‬ Al ma‘rifatu quwwah can be translated as: as the highest religious duty. The Arabic proverb ‫ﻗﻮ‬ ِ Knowledge is power. To begin with, all of us knowledgeable in any particular subject were once totally ignorant. Man, who was given first hand knowledge by Allah through Adam, was made to conquer the universe and inhabit every nook and cranny of his new domain. Man may colonise the moon with a new breed of CHAPTER VI: Islam the perfect religion

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scientists who may use water in the polar caps by splitting it into oxygen needed for man to exist there, and hydrogen for rocket fuel for further advancement to other planets. Exciting discoveries and new technologies are being unfolded every day in various scientific fields. Muslims must study science to take their rightful place in the modern world. Needless to say that if all the Muslim brains of the world were to be heaped up together, they would weigh several thousand tons. Although our oldest university in the world, Al Azhar in Cairo, is 1300 years old our situation is pathetic. The importance of knowledge is rooted in its being one of the outstanding attributes of Allah Himself (Q.6:80; 20:98). Because of our eyes, we can have the knowledge of what we can see, but Allah has knowledge of the unseen (Q.9:94; 9:105; 39:46). Not a leaf falls without His knowledge. (Q.6:59). We can neither fathom Allah’s Knowledge nor His wisdom with the knowledge that we possess. Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, just like any one of us, had no knowledge of the unseen. He did not know what would happen to him or to anyone else (Q.46:9). He did not know when the Big Crunch would begin. The one who is being asked about the Hour does not know any more than the one who is asking. (Ḥadīth: Imām Muslim). If we did know the future, we would have never learned from mistakes we have committed and we could not have acquired the wisdom. Facing the unknown each day adds to our daily experiences in dealing with future problems. If mankind were given the choice of living their life once again on Earth, they would not commit the same stupid mistakes they made, since experience has now taught them all the possible incidents in which they could have been involved. When Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬conquered Makkah with Allah’s help, he forgave the Makkans who had persecuted him ruthlessly for 21 years, saying: No reproach this day shall be on you. Allah will forgive you. He is the Most Merciful of the Merciful. Go! You are freed. (I. Isḥāq: Al-Ṣirāt al-Nabawiyyah). He also used to free other war captives rather than punish them, on the condition that they would teach the Muslims and make them literate. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was sent to teach us the Qur᾿an and Ḥikmah (scientific knowledge leading to wisdom which also implies putting things in their proper perspectives) as shown in Q.62:2; 3:164 and twenty one other places in the Qur᾿an. Although illiterate at first, he received knowledge of the Qur᾿an from divine revelations through the medium of the Angel Jibrā᾿īl, A.S. Later on, he acquired scientific knowledge during the Me‘rāj (space journey) in one of the planets where he was tutored by Allah Himself (see earlier article on Me‘rāj), through ‘aynal yaqīn, certainty of seeing all the scientific data and phenomena of the cosmos, with his physical eyes and a clear ocular view. We learn from Ch.12 of the Holy Qur᾿an that the Prophet’s knowledge was not based on mere hearsay but was through revelation. Through these revelations we are informed that Allah (1) Created man. (2) Breathed into him of His Own Rūḥ so as to qualify him for His vicegerency on Earth. He was then equipped with knowledge of various sciences (Q.2:31). (3) Established him on Earth and equipped him with hearing, seeing and reasoning, and gave him a brain with over 10,000 million cells, which can hold an infinite number of facts during a lifetime. Because man was given so much potential knowledge, he was entrusted and assigned with a special mission on Earth, that of Allah’s vicegerency. By applying “what” and “why” and “when”, and “how” and “where” and “by whom”, the Muslim scientists learnt whatever they knew. Those Muslims had not only read the Qur᾿an as most of us do but had studied the Qur᾿an and transferred its contents to their brains and hence became renowned scientists. The scientific climate of Islam some centuries ago was akin to the present situation in USA where scientists from all over the world and all those interested in increasing their knowledge are active in the advancement of science, a field which belongs to everyone. (4) Sent the Qur᾿an with revelations to acquaint man with the Final Reality, and called it the Furqān (Q.2:185), which distinguishes right from wrong. Allah has forbidden trespasses against truth and reason (Q.7:33). (5) Allah also endowed man with the free will for the trusteeship and responsibility to accomplish His designs, making man responsible for the proper use of his talents. Animals have no free will and have to follow their instincts. Knowledge is gained through education, but wisdom comes with time and through experience and the ability to apply such knowledge in practical situations. The moral imperative of both knowledge and wisdom is to help or at least, not to harm. Knowledge is termed ‘ilm in Arabic, while ḥikmah encompasses scientific knowledge as well as wisdom. Man has now the choice and the free will of thought, intentions, decisions, and actions. We have the will power and choice even regarding thoughts. When undesirable and dirty thoughts come to our mind, we can either continue harping on them and

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“enjoying” them, or we could discard these thoughts, and bring nobler ones to our mind, thinking about Allah and any good deeds we should be doing for the day. Just as a particular radio broadcast cannot be heard if we have no receiver (and even if we do have a radio we must tune in to a particular station and frequency), the same applies to our brain waves. We should learn to tune in to any divine message at a moment's notice, e.g. verses from the Holy Qur᾿an and contemplate on their meanings. We have the choice of discarding any thought and choosing a proper one at any time. (6) Gave mankind power in the Earth (Q.7:10) so that men could exploit the natural resources to make the world a better place to live in for those of us already born and also those yet to be born. The accumulation of knowledge through the pen and what it has recorded through centuries of history, is channelled through our brain cells (neurons) which are the repositories of such knowledge that we possess. (7) Also advised us to study the sciences, such as astrophysics and space technology, through which we can know about the outer universe, and also physiology, bio-physics, bio-chemistry and biotechnology,etc., to know about ourselves, all with a view to performing more efficiently the Earthly office of His vicegerency (Q.41:53; 45:3-4). Through the knowledge of the “self” and of the Earth, man can rise to any height of spiritual and material excellence (Q.51:20-21). We can do better than angels because of the superiority of man over angels, for Adam was given a wealth of knowledge and was ordered by Allah to tell the angels the names of all that the angels knew not (Q.2:31-33). If angels that control the forces of nature are subservient to man (maybe through electro-magnetic waves which man can master), then man can learn a lot by a scientific study of natural phenomena. This knowledge can also be utilised for the conquest of other planets in the universe. In Islam, man holds a position divinely allotted to him as His Khalīfah (agent or vicegerent) on Earth. He is a special being, enjoying special privileges, appointed by Allah, to carry out some of His duties for the benefit of mankind. Hence, his sublime and supreme faculties can flourish solely owing to his link with Allah on the one hand and the use of his talents for advancement of science on the other. To be a good vicegerent of Allah, we should be able to do ordinary things extraordinarily well, in the academic and the spiritual fields both. Allah emphasises acquisition of knowledge in the following lessons: (a) Allah made an unlettered person into a teacher for the whole of mankind by a simple note beginning in the class room in Mount Herā᾿ with the first revelation: Read…….and Allah is Most Generous, Who taught by the pen, taught man what he knew not. (Q.96:1 to 5). Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. (b) Allah emphasised the value of the ink and the pen by what they write (Q.68:1).

َ ُْ ُ َْ َ​َ َ​َ َ ‫ﻳﺴﻄﺮ‬ ‫ ﻟﻘﻠﻢ ﻣﺎ‬ ‫ ۝‬Nūn* Wal qalami wa mā yasturūn*: Nūn! And by the pen and by the (record) which ِ

(men) write. A whole chapter is entitled Al-Qalam (The Pen). By emphasizing the value of the ink and pen and what it writes and permanently records, Allah explains the value of thinking, pondering, rationalizing and consequent arriving at an ijtihād (personal conclusion). Because of the pen and the records of all scientists like Abu ‘Ali Sina, Einstein and hundreds of others, human beings recorded their findings and the results of their experiments through the centuries of scientific investigation. (c) Allah sent the Book (Qur᾿an), which is based on knowledge (Q.7:52) and advised that only the knowledgeable and learned will be able to reason it out. A clear distinction has been made between the well-informed and the ignorant in this verse: Are those who have knowledge equal to those who have none? Only the men of understanding are mindful. It is the scholars who will pay heed. (Q.39:9). There is no upper limit of gaining knowledge both in the scientific and the spiritual fields. Allah has strongly advised us not to be stupid and ignorant (Q.6:35). Hence we must know the Divine Commandments as well as the laws of the land. If we are devoid of knowledge, we will follow our own lust and passions, and commit many wrongs (Q.30:29). It is the darkness of ignorance that leads to vice and wickedness. In Q.7:179, Allah advises us to use our hearts, eyes and ears wisely. We should constantly ask God to increase us in knowledge

ْ ِّ َ ً ْ k ‫ﻋﻠﻤﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ Rabb zidnī ‘ilmann (Q.20:114). Those of us who have been granted scientific knowledge and

wisdom have abundant and overflowing benefits (Q.2:269). While some persons do not understand a word (Q.18:93) and others receive wisdom during childhood (Q.19:12), it is to be borne in mind that Allah grants different types of knowledge to different people (Q.19:43; 18:66-68). Any knowledgeable person could explain an item in his religious scripture in an appealing and logical manner, while another

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person belonging to a different religion can, from a different perspective and with a different set of assumptions, give the same item a different meaning altogether and make fun of it. (d) Allah emphasises the value of thinking, pondering and rationalising (Q.96:3-5). When a student of

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َْ

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science wants to learn something, he begins with the basic facts for his study. ‫ﻟﻘﻮ ﻓﻌﻠﻤﻮ‬ ‫ﻗﺪ ﻓﺼﻠﻨﺎ‬ ٍ ِ ‫ ﻵﻳﺎ‬ ِ (Q.6:97). Then, with clarity of thought which may involve experimentation, he tries to understand the principles involved

َ ََُْ َْ َْ 4 َ ْ َ َ ْ ‫ﻓﺼﻠﻨﺎ‬ ‫ﻓﻔﻘﻬﻮ‬ ‫ﻟﻘﻮ‬ ‫( ﻗﺪ‬Q.6:98). Then he puts all the data and the conclusion in one column, as his ٍ ِ ‫ﻵﻳﺎ‬ ِ 4 َ ُ ُْ ْ َ َ َ ‫ ﻟﻜﻢ‬ ْ ُ ٰ َ ‫; ﻲﻓ‬ proven beliefs, his own dogma ‫ﻳﺆﻣﻨﻮ‬ ٍ ِ ‫ﻵﻳﺎ‬ ِ ‫ﻟﻘﻮ‬ ِ ِ ِ (Q.6:99). It is an amazing observation to find ٍ

that in the Holy Qur‘an, the sequence of acquiring scientific knowledge of knowing, understanding and believing appears in (Q.6:97-99). This sequence is repeated in Q.16:11-14: think, understand, take heed and be grateful. Scientific knowledge in the first two (think, understand) blends with the spiritual knowledge of the next two (take heed and be grateful). Indeed, man himself is a blend of physical dust (turāb) and spiritual soul (rūḥ). It is only observation of nature plus understanding its physics and chemistry that would lead us to our greater spiritual upliftment, provided we also remember Allah and are grateful to Him.

َ​َ​َ ْ َ​َ ُ َ َْ َ​َ​َ ْ َ 4 َ ‫ﺮ‬ ‫ ﺑﻪ‬ ‫ ﻣﻦ ﻋﺮ ﻏﻔﺴﻪ ﻓﻘﺪ ﻋ‬Whoever knows himself knows Allah. Again, Allah has asked us to study nature

with a view to reflect, understand, take heed and become intellectuals (Q.30:21-24). (e) Allah exalts knowledgeable persons to high ranks (Q.58:11). We acquire knowledge through: (i) revelations; in particular the Divine Revelations found in the Holy Qur᾿an. (Revelation is the transmission of knowledge from the divine to the human); and (ii) reason, when knowledge is gained through the use of intellect. Moreover, knowledge is also gained through (iii) experimentation; and (iv) observation. We must learn to observe and observe to learn. A person who possesses all is called an ‘ālim, which is also a general term used for a physicist, philosopher and a legal scholar. An ‘ālim ignores mythology and fabricated statements. In Greek language, myth or mythos was always positioned opposite to reason or logos which signified a rational way of arriving at a true account of reality. The history of science is the only history which displays a cumulative progress of knowledge, being a yard-stick for the progress of mankind. This is done by the pen and what is recorded (Q.68:1) through centuries of scientific investigations, a task which animals could not do. Our brains are repositories of this knowledge obtained through generations from the pen of our ancestors, some of whom were scientists. (f) We observe that the angels and the men of knowledge are linked together as witnesses to the Oneness of God (Q.3:18). The human brain was sufficiently developed over 1400 years ago to understand and comprehend, be it spiritual guidance or academic or technological education and hence there was no need for another prophet to come. In fact, the human brain is so developed as to reject any man who now comes forward and says he is a prophet. Knowledge is not the monopoly of a priestly class or of any scientist. The search for knowledge is a life long process, notwithstanding life’s short span, and does not end with receiving a certificate. Knowledge is sought. It does not seek people. It takes a lot of burning of the midnight oil to study and absorb scientific data and a lot of tahajjud prayers to achieve spiritual excellence. If we seek only spiritual knowledge and ignore the knowledge of the sciences, we have failed in our duty as vicegerents of Allah on Earth, one of the offices which we were meant for and sent for, and we will forever remain technologically inferior. Mere spiritual values cannot maintain any prosperous culture and civilisation for ever. Neither knowledge nor wisdom lies necessarily below the turban. It is said that knowledge is proud because it knows so much while wisdom is humble because it wants to know more. A wise man unlike a knowledgeable man would rather act humble and be willing to say sorry and that he did not know. Age looks with dismay and a smile on the knowledge of youth, while youth looks with anger but respect on the wisdom of age. It is folly to put knowledge before wisdom, and smartness before common sense. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬stands between the ancient and the modern worlds, ancient because of the source of the revelations and modern because of the nature of the revelations urging us to be involved in a continuous and unceasing effort to become more knowledgeable. Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬was specifically sent to teach us the Qur᾿an and scientific knowledge leading to wisdom, and also any other

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new knowledge that would come to light from time to time in the future (Q.2:151) e.g. when our scientists find evidence of life in other planets also (Q.42:29). The most powerful weapon that can set man free is education which could teach him the technology to break the chains and defend himself. Islam associates knowledge with worship. In the Qur᾿an, acquiring knowledge is considered worship. ْ

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َ ِ ُ ُ The practice of knowledge promotes virtue and combats vice. ‫ ﻟﻤﻨﻜﺮ‬ ‫ﻋﻦ‬ ِ ‫ ﻳﺄﻣﺮ‬Ya᾿murūna ِ ِ ‫ﺑﺎﻟﻤﻌﺮ ﻳﻨﻬﻮ‬

bil ma‘rūfi wa yanhawna ‘anil munkar: They instruct what is right and forbid what is wrong (Q.9:71). The greatest knowledge is to know the will of God but the greatest achievement is to actually do the will of God. It should also be noted that acquiring knowledge may sometimes lead to pride and arrogance that needs to be balanced with humility. Looking back far enough, we realise that in the beginning we ourselves were completely ignorant of the subject and that was the pre-condition for the study itself to be undertaken in the first instance. After people became knowledgeable, they also became divided among themselves because of jealousy (Q.42:14; 45:17). We must use our brains for increasing our personal knowledge. If we do not plant knowledge when we are young, it will give us no shade when we are old. We all wish, when we were much younger, that we knew what we know now. It is important to gain knowledge early in life so that we acquire wisdom much earlier. If we become content with agriculture only, Allah will send on you disgrace. (Ḥadīth: Abu Dāwūd). If we have a short-term plan for a year or so, we can sow rice; for medium-term planning, we can plant trees, but for a life-time planning, we must educate people, which is the same concept that Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬urged and promulgated. Among the billions of brains in this world, one can hardly find any two persons with identical beliefs, thoughts and feelings. Therefore, differences of opinion within the ummah are essential and beneficial:

ْ ّ ُ َْ َ َ ْ ّ ْ ‫ ﺧﺘﻼ‬ َ ‫ﻰﻓ‬ َ ِÍ‫ ﻷﺋﻤ ْﺔ‬ ِÍ‫ﺻﺎﻟﺢ ﻻﻣﺔ‬ ِ ِ​ِ ِ ِ Ikhtilāfal a᾿immah fī sālihil ummah, meaning: Differences of opinion among the

Ummah are of benefit to the Ummah. This is, of course, if we do not contradict the Qur᾿an which is the Absolute Truth. Religious and other differences should be taken as an asset and not a nuisance, since they give us an opportunity for intellectual discussion and an insight and some knowledge into another person’s religion and culture. Differences of opinion are due to the diversity of neuronal pathways in the brain circuit which lead to the prefrontal cortex and later transferred to the speech centre for expression. This neural diversity is a gift from God. We could hold strong personal opinions about a particular subject while being open-minded to alternative viewpoints of others. This points to the encouragement of more informative debate and leads to further academic research by the parties involved. Even if all of mankind belonged to one nation or one religion, still they would differ among themselves (Q.11:118). Even the Khulafā ar Rāshidīn had their differences. During attempts to resolve differences, a new understanding and a wider vision always develops. The intellectual development of a community depends on its power of critical thought and reasoning. Unity will take place among the different Muslim sects only when the differences of opinion in our midst will be expected and respected. Only then the foreign powers intent on causing mischief and division amongst us will realise the futility of their exercise. We have One God (Allah), one ancestor (Adam, pbuh), one Book (the Holy Qur᾿an), one leader (Prophet Muḥammad‫)ﷺ‬, one qiblah (in Makkah) and one ummah (Muslim). It is unfortunate that we Muslims minimise the major differences between Christians, Jews and us, and maximise the minor differences between our different sects, viz. Sunnīs, Shī‘as, Ismāilis, Dāwūdi Bohras, etc. Various schools of law in Islam agree on basics while differing on minor details. We must not be dogmatic (dogma being a statement of religious dictum not for discussion but to be accepted as true) since trespasses against truth and reason are forbidden in Islam (Q.7:33). Instead we must learn to tolerate opposing views conscious of the possibility of us being wrong and another’s contrary opinion being right. We could disagree without becoming disagreeable. We could argue intelligently and peacefully but not ridicule each other or become violent. We could have differences of opinion (ikhtilāf) but we should not quarrel.

َ​َ ُ َ َ َ ‫ ﻻ‬ ‫ﻳﻨﺎ ﻋﻮ‬ wa lā tanāza‘ū. (Q.8:46). We must build bridges between each other in order to communicate

more freely and in attempting clarification, meet each other more often and learn from each other to increase our own knowledge. Distance is no problem in these days of electronic media. We must be reminded that all believers (Sunnis, Shī‘ahs and others) are brothers and for us to receive Allah’s mercy, we should make peace between them (Q.49:10). There is strength in unity.

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It should also be noted that the root word of ‘learning’ and ‘teaching’ is the same in Arabic, viz. ‘ilm. Teaching benefits the believers (Q.51:55). We also learn while we teach. Education in Islam is a sacred pursuit. Imām Shāfeī divided the night into three parts: for study, for sleep and for prayer. Knowledge is increasing daily by leaps and bounds and it should not be abused. Much knowledge has been gained since the last century, and spaceships for travelling to the moon and Mars have replaced donkey carts. Such knowledge must not be used for destruction of mankind; neither chemical nor biological warfare should be resorted to. Since wars begin in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed. (Constitution of UNESCO). Scientific progress can deliver us from many evils but it cannot deliver us from man’s evil inclination to use knowledge obtained from scientific studies for evil ends. Any nuclear war on a large scale could destroy the entire planet, while the same power can also fulfil the energy needs of billions and may one day be used to deflect or blast an asteroid hurtling through space before it incinerates the Earth in its path. When viewed from space, one can see that the Earth vibrates and pulsates, as though it were a living, breathing entity and not just a huge rock. She is constantly ringing like a bell as if she wants to alert us about our danger. In fact, Mother Earth is weeping and gasping for breath, and if she had a tongue, she would be calling out to her children to please stop this killing and destruction, as she is now soaked in human blood. To be knowledgeable both in the spiritual and the academic fields is gratifying. Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance. The more we know, the more we realise that we don’t know. Our ignorance and doubts increase proportionately with the increase in our knowledge. As the island of knowledge grows, so does the shore of our ignorance. It is often said that common sense is not very common. We can only attain knowledge with the help of one who possesses it. If you can read this book, you must thank Allah and your teacher. A Chinese proverb informs us that Learning is a treasure which will follow its owner everywhere. Man is born ignorant but not stupid. He is made stupid by misinformation. Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. So, let us be thankful for the fools. Without them, the rest of us could not have succeeded. Persons with knowledge they see for themselves the beauty of revelations that lead to the Path of Allah (Q.34:6) and make this world a better place in which to live. In fact, persons firmly rooted and grounded in knowledge accept all the revelations from Allah (Q.3:7; 4:162). Even Prophet

ًْ

ْ

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Muḥ a

mmad‫ ﷺ‬himself prayed: ‫ﻋﻠﻤﺎ‬ ِ k ِ ِ Oh God, increase me in knowledge. (Q.20:114). Prophet

Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬used to release the captives of war if they could teach the Muslim ummah how to read and write. This was a shining example demonstrating the importance of acquisition of knowledge. There is a difference between knowledge (‘ilm) and wisdom (hikmah).Our knowledge has increased much faster than our wisdom. Knowledge becomes wisdom only after it has been put into practical use with experience and age. Knowledge teaches us about what is right and what is wrong but wisdom enables us to clearly distinguish between them. True wisdom is to know which kind of knowledge is worth knowing and remembering. Knowledge, unlike wisdom, can be transferred from one person to another since we can acquire knowledge from other people’s knowledge but we cannot acquire wisdom from another's wisdom. Knowledge is a process of piling up facts and data, while wisdom lies in arranging them in order of priorities. When Luqmān (Æsop), the wise, was asked where he had learnt his wisdom, he replied it was from the blind people who never set their foot in a place where they could not see! Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance while true wisdom is to know what is worth knowing, and to do what is worth doing. Acquiring knowledge means learning something every day while wisdom means letting go of something every day. As wisdom grows, we learn to unlearn. The wise would remember whatever is not worth knowing. When we were young and knowledgeable, we thought that we could shape our destiny, but with age and wisdom, we realised we could never become such masters of our fate. We soar high with the knowledge when we are young but we achieve wisdom when we stoop due to osteoporotic bones. Knowledge leads to pride and arrogance while wisdom leads to humility. If we correct a knowledgeable person, he will try to prove us wrong but if we correct a wise one, he will thank us with a smile. A stupid man is cocksure of what he says, while a knowledgeable one behaves as if he knows everything. A wise man on the other hand always has his doubts. There are many questions which fools can ask that wise men cannot answer. The wise man knows fully well that he does not know everything. To know others is intelligence but to know oneself is true wisdom. We can command others with our knowledge but we can command ourselves and our ego with wisdom only.

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Our scientists need to have more than knowledge: they need to have wisdom as well. Wisdom is knowledge plus the awareness of its limitations. A person of knowledge speaks while one of wisdom listens. A knowledgeable person loses friends through his tongue while a wise man gains friends through his ears. The title of Luqmān, the wise, (Q.Ch.31), (known to the Greek as Æsop) was Mu‘ammar meaning Long-lived. On the subject of knowledge, let us now see where Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, our leader, leads us to:-

ِّ

َ

ْ ْ ُ ُ ُْ

َ َ ِ ‫ﻃﻠﺐ‬F Uṭlubul ‘ilm wa lau biṣ ṣīn: Seek knowledge, be it in China . (1) ‫ﺑﺎﻟﺼﻦﻴ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻌﻠﻢ ﻟﻮ‬

(2) He who leaves in search of knowledge is in the path of God until he returns. (3) Angels lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge. (4) He who treads the path on search of knowledge, Allah will make the path easy leading to Paradise for him. (Hadith: Muslim).

ْ َْ َ َْ ْ ُ ُ ُْ ْ 4َ َ (5) ‫ ﻟﻠﺤﺪ‬ ‫ ﻟﻤﻬﺪ ِ ﻰﻟ‬ ‫ ﻟﻌﻠﻢ ِﻣﻦ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻃﻠﺐ‬Uṭlubul ‘ilm minal mahdi ilal laḥd: Seek knowledge from the cradle to the

grave. (6) Acquisition of knowledge is compulsory for every Muslim. (7) Acquiring knowledge in company for an hour in the night is better than spending the whole night in prayer. (Ḥadīth: Tirmidhi). (8) An hour’s study of nature is better than a year’s adoration. (9) A word of wisdom that you hear and remember, and then carry it to teach your brother, is equal to worship for one year. (10) The ink of the scholar is more sacred than the blood of the martyr. (11) To listen to the words of the learned and to instil into others the lessons of science is better than religious exercises. (12) Acquire knowledge; it enables its possessor to distinguish right from wrong; it lights the way to heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when friendless; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us during misery; it is an ornament among friends and an armour against enemies. (13) Indeed, the men of knowledge are the inheritors of the prophets. (14) The superiority of a learned man over a religious man is like my superiority over my companions. (15) The learned are those who practise what they know. (16) It is better to teach one hour of the night than to pray the whole night. (17) To seek knowledge is better than optional prayers. (18) To rise up at dawn and acquire knowledge is better than a hundred ruku ‘. (19) Learn much, but Allah will not reward you unless you translate it into action. (20) Nobody will meet God with greater sin than with a sin of keeping his family members uneducated. (21) Professions involving the use of propagation of deceitful or harmful knowledge are not allowed. (e.g. astrology, witchcraft). (22) When a person dies, all his actions stop except three viz. (a) a permanent endowment for charity; (b) useful knowledge (e.g. building a school, or writing a book); (c) righteous child who offers supplications on his (her) behalf. (23) On the Day of Judgment, one will not be able to move away (before Allah) until he has accounted for his life: How was it spent? For his knowledge: To what use it was put? For his wealth: How was it acquired and spent? For his body: How was it utilised?” (24) Prophet‫ ﷺ‬said: ‘Knowledge is a treasure house and its key is enquiry. So, enquire and there are rewards therefore for persons—the enquirer, the learned man, the audience and their lover.’ He said: ‘The ignorant should not remain silent over their ignorance, nor the learned over their knowledge.’ (Imām Abu-Hamid Al-Ghazzali (1058-1111 AD), Ihya Ulum-Id-Din). Finally, just glance at this inscription to be found above the entrance to universities in Spain during the Muslim era: THE WORLD IS HELD BY 4 PILLARS: THE WISDOM OF THE LEARNED; THE JUSTICE OF THE GREAT; THE PRAYERS OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE VALOR OF THE BRAVE.

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One may wish to note that the wisdom of the learned heads the list. The life of our leader Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬not only sparkled like a perfect diamond when seen from any angle but also illuminated the viewer and others around.

Electromagnetic Waves: The electromagnetic spectrum includes all those from longest to

shortest wavelength such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, optical, ultraviolet, X-rays and gammarays. They are present all around us although we do not see them. We are blind to many wavelengths of light because we can only see a portion of it which lies in the optical range, those colours seen in a rainbow lying between 4000 and 7000 Ángström wavelengths. Cones in our eyes receive the coloured visible light waves. Objects in space, such as planets, stars and galaxies, emit energy with different wavelengths. Antennae on the television set pick up signals with shorter wave lengths, while some of the emitted energy has large wavelengths - almost a mile long! These long waves are in the radio region of the electromagnetic spectrum and are picked up by the radio. Unlike the waves on sea surface, we cannot visually see the electromagnetic waves, but we experience them daily. Waves in the electromagnetic spectrum could be very short gamma-rays smaller than an atom. Visible light waves are the only electromagnetic waves we can see such as the colours of the rainbow. Each colour has a different wavelength. Red has the longest wavelength and violet the shortest. When all the waves are seen together, they make white light. Sound needs a medium, anything made of molecules e.g. water, to travel through. It is for this reason that sound can not travel in space. If one shouts on the moon, others would not be able to hear him. Electromagnetic waves on the other hand do not need molecules to travel. Hence they can travel through air and solid materials as well as through empty space or vacuum. This is why astronauts on spacewalks use radios to communicate, since radio waves are a type of electromagnetic waves. Radio waves have the longest wavelengths in the electromagnetic spectrum, from a foot to a mile long. Radio telescopes and radio astronomy have the advantage that sunlight, clouds, and rain do not affect observations. Microwaves have wavelengths that can be measured in inches. The longer microwaves, those closer to a foot in length, are the waves which heat our food in a microwave oven. Shorter microwaves are used for radar like the Doppler radar used in weather forecasts. Radar is an acronym for radio detection and ranging. Because microwaves can penetrate rain and snow, clouds and smoke, these waves are good for viewing the Earth from space. Laser is an acronym which stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. The energy generated by the laser is in or near the optical portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Laser light ranges from the ultra-violet (100- 400nm) and visible (400-700nm), to infrared (700nm-1mm). The most common unit used in expressing a laser's wavelength is a nanometre (nm). There are one billion nanometres in one meter. Medical lasers can be used as a scalpel; also to re-attach retinas or to stitch up incisions after surgery, by fusing together skin. Lasers also allow better cuts on metal. Infrared light This light lies between the visible and microwave portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The longer, far infrared wavelengths are about the size of a pin head and the shorter, near infrared ones are microscopic. Far infrared waves are thermal. The heat that we feel from sunlight or a fire is infrared. Many things besides people and animals emit infrared light - the Earth, the Sun, the stars and the galaxies. These shorter wavelengths are the ones used by our TV's remote control. Humans may not be able to see infrared light, but rattlesnakes, have sensory “pits”, which are used to image infrared light. This allows the snake to detect warm blooded animals, even in dark burrows. Ultraviolet (UV) light This light has shorter wavelengths than visible light. Though these waves are invisible to the human eye, some insects, like bumblebees, can see them. Scientists have divided the ultraviolet part of the spectrum into three regions: the near ultraviolet, the far ultraviolet, and the extreme ultraviolet. The near ultraviolet (NUV) is the light closest to optical or visible light. The extreme ultraviolet (EUV) is the ultraviolet light closest to X-rays, and is the most energetic of the three types. The far ultraviolet (FUV) lies between the near and the extreme ultraviolet regions. Our Sun emits light at all the different wavelengths in electromagnetic spectrum, but it is the ultraviolet waves that are responsible for causing sunburns. Though some ultraviolet waves from the Sun penetrate Earth's atmosphere, most of them are blocked from entering by various gases like Ozone. X-rays As the wavelengths of light decrease, their energy increases. X-rays have very small wavelengths; hence they are regarded more like particles than waves. The Earth's atmosphere is so

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thick that virtually no X-rays are able to penetrate from outer space, all the way to the Earth's surface. Many things in space emit X-rays, such as the Sun, the stars and the black holes. Gamma-ray: have the smallest wavelengths and the most energy. These waves are generated in nuclear explosions. Things like neutron stars and pulsars, and black holes are all sources of celestial gamma-rays. Gamma-rays can kill living cells, hence its use in killing cancer cells. Gamma-ray bursts can release more energy in 10 seconds than the Sun in its entire 10 billion-year lifetime.

Angels

At this juncture, some comments about angels may be in order. The word malak (angel) is derived from ulūk meaning messengership, the root word being alak, meaning to send a message. (Latin word being angelicus and Greek angelicόs, meaning messenger). Angels are messengers with wings two, threes and fours (Q.35:1). The word rusul (singular rasūl, meaning messenger, e.g. a Prophet) is also used for angels as in Q.35:1, 10:21; 22:75. Angels are commonly understood in the West as fair beautiful females with human features having two white wings and a background halo around their heads. In Islam firm belief in angels is one of the articles of faith and it teaches us that angels are gifted with certain forces in nature having miscellaneous duties and actions. Different angels are responsible for diverse phenomena and perform specific functions (Q.15:7-8); as a warning to men (Q.16:2); storms and cyclones as in Q.77:1-3; the angel of Death, ‘Izrāīl, is responsible for our demise as in Q.32:11; others such as Kirāman Kātibīn record our deeds as in Q.50:17-18; 82:10-12; Angel Jibrāīl conveys divine knowledge from Allah to the prophets as in Q.16:2; Mikā’īl is responsible for the environment including climate, rain distribution, sustenance, etc. and has the same angelic rank that Jibrā’īl holds (Q.2:98). Isrāfīl, the angel who shall blow the trumpet on the Day of Resurrection, is not mentioned by name in the Qur᾿an. (Jabrā and Mīka and Sarāf mean a slave and īl means Allah. Thus Jibrā’īl, Mikā’īl and Isrāfīl each means slave of Allah: Ḥadīth Al-Bukhāri). Although Malak al Maut (the Angel of Death) is mentioned, his personal name (‘Izra’īl) is not mentioned in the Qur᾿an (Q.32:11) while Jibrā’īl (the Angel of Revelation) is named three times (Q.2:9798; 66:4). Angel Jibrā᾿īl (Gabriel) appeared in visible form to Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬on at least two occasions, viz. when he brought the first revelation in the cave of Hirā at Jabal an Nūr (Mountain of Divine Light), beginning with Iqra᾿, and (b) during Me‘rāj, i.e. the celestial journey, near the Lote tree (Q.53:13-14). In the Qur᾿an the word malakain (two angels) occurs twice, viz. Hārūt and Mārūt (Q.2:102) and in Q. 7:20 where Adam and his wife are tempted by Satan into believing that they would become angels. Angels Hārūt and Mārūt taught mankind both profitable and harmful actions such as causing discord between man and wife but men are specifically instructed not to blaspheme (Q.2:102). However, the evil men in times of Prophet Sulaimān, pbuh, learnt magic and other harmful arts and sciences instead of beneficial ones, from these two angels. Do such angels work through witchcraft via electro-magnetic brain waves being projected on others like ESP? The plural malāika (angels) occurs often in the Qur᾿an, but the singular only 12 times, with reference to people demanding revelations from an angel rather than from a human being (Q.6:8-9; 17:95; 15:7). Some women thought that Prophet Yūsuf (Joseph) was an angel rather than a human being because of his beauty (Q.12:31). The intercession of angels is not accepted unless with Allah’s permission (Q.53:26). The verse Q.43:77 mentions angel Mālik as the keeper of Hell, whose number is nineteen. There are others that guard Paradise. Kirāmann Kātibīn are the two angels who are guardians over mankind and write down their deeds (Q.82:10-12; 50:17-18). Probably they reside in the two cerebral hemispheres of the brain, one on the right and the other on the left and are responsible for those brain-waves recording actions of the individual. They communicate with each other through the corpus callosum in the brain (yalqā = meet) (Q.50:17). In the Qur᾿an, there is no mention of the two angels Munkar and Nakīr who visit the dead in the grave. Angels are free of defects, of evil like lust and anger, and from obscurities of form and matter, and are capable of doing extraordinary things. Unlike man, angels have no gender. They are neither male nor female, and possess neither instinct nor biological urges, nor emotions nor feelings. They do not eat, drink or sleep. They are not married and they do not have any children. Although we do not see the

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angels, we have to believe in their existence, this being a shu‘ab or branch of the Islamic Faith. The prophets receive divine knowledge from Allah through the angels (Q.26:193). Allah chooses messengers from angels and mankind (Q.22:75). They are completely obedient to Allah, commit no sins and they will not be punished on the Day of Judgment. It is interesting to note that angels and electromagnetic waves have many properties in common. The angels have masculine names although they have no gender. The kuffār or the rejecters of Truth and the disbelievers ironically gave them feminine names (Q.53:27). The angels perform their duties with absolute submission and obedience to Allah, having no choice and free will of their own, and serve Him and celebrate His praises night and day (Q.21:19-20). It is interesting to note that prophets, angels and Satan carry masculine names. Although Allah is grammatically masculine, His Divine Essence (Al-Dhāt) is feminine. Here are some Qur᾿anic verses pertaining to angels: (1) Angels and prophets should not be taken as Lords/Sustainers (arbāb: plural of rabb Q.3:80). Angels are classified as servants of Allah in Q.43:19. (2) We said to angels: Bow down to Adam. (Q.18:50). (3) Allah chooses messengers from among the angels and from mankind (Q.22:75). If only angels but not human beings had inhabited the Earth, Allah would have sent an angel as His Messenger (Q.17:95).

(4) On the Day of Judgment, the sinners would be able to see the angels (Q.25:22). The righteous ones shall also see the angels encircling the Throne (Q.39:75) and eight angels will carry Allah’s Throne on the Day of Judgment (Q.69:17). (5) On the Night of Power the angels and the Rūḥ descend to the Earth (Q.97:4). The angels will descend from outer space on the Day of Judgment (Q.25:25). (6) The angels ascend to Him in a day the measure whereof is 50,000 years (Q.70:4). (If angels and Rūḥ were to keep pace together and travel at the speed of light at around 186,287miles/second to a chosen place of Allah 50,000 light years away, there must be an important planet 293,730 trillion miles away from our planet Earth. Could this be a place called Barzakh where the Rūḥ of every one of us is lodged after we die?). (7) Angels and men of knowledge are linked together in Q.3:18. (8) Angels protect believers both in this life and in the Hereafter (Q.41:30-31). Malā’ika means angels and the root letters of malāika are L-A-K (related to ulūk) meaning to send a message. Some commentators say that the abbreviated letters alif, lām, mīm at the beginning of some chapters of the Qur’an like Baqarah may stand for Allah lī Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬, i.e. Allah to Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. It could also mean:- alif for Allah, lām for lāk (to carry a message through angel Jibrāīl), and mīm for Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. Some scientists say that the malāika (angels) represent cosmic forces responsible for distribution of tasks in nature. Atoms and molecules of matter contain electric charges, the vibrations of which send out electro-magnetic radiation covering a wide range of frequencies called electro-magnetic waves which travel at the speed of light (around 186,287miles/second). Angels are messengers of Allah that carry out certain tasks entrusted to them. If we theorise that angels are made of light, then these angels should obey the laws of physics pertaining to light. We can only see with our naked eyes that part of the electro-magnetic waves that lies between 4000 and 7000 Ángström wavelengths. The rest is invisible. There is a similarity between both angels and light in that they have no gender, passion, instincts or biological urges. In the Qur᾿an, nafs (self) is not associated with angels and rūḥ but it is associated with human beings and jinn (Q.6:130). The Qur᾿an mentions that angels came in the form of human beings to Prophets Ibrahīm, A.S., (Q.11:69-71; 15:51-55; 51:24-28), Lūṭ, A.S., (Q.11:77) and Maryam, A.S., (Q.19:17), and the Ḥadīth mentions about the Angel Jibrāīl talking in the shape of a human being to Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬. (Using white or visible light scientists can create through laser, holographic images resembling 3-dimensional human beings that can talk and could be seen and heard by us. Holography is a method of obtaining three-dimensional photographic images which are obtained without use of a lens. The hologram is illuminated by a beam of light which is diffracted by the interference pattern on the film. This reproduces the original surface pattern of any object, such as human beings, in threedimensions. True colour holograms could also be made while ultrasonic holograms are made using sound waves). Although angels may look like human beings, there is yet something unusual and unfamiliar about them (Q.51:25; 15:62). Radio waves, which are also electro-magnetic waves, are an important source of communication too. Again, laser light and white light are both electro-magnetic

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waves. Electro-magnetic waves, like angels, ‘bow down’ to man and serve him when he attains high technological status by acquiring knowledge and power and learns the names and nature of all things about the various sciences, as in the case of Adam. Allah sent 3000 angels to assist Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬at the Battle of Uḥud (Q.3:123-124). Angels could also be a source of hope and confidence (Q.8:9-10) by producing certain physiological changes in the body (Q.8:11) as evidenced by the mention of thousand angels at the Battle of Badr. (The Battle of Badr is called the Furqān because it decided between the powers of good and evil. It was fought on Friday, the 17th of Ramadan in the second year of the Hijrah). Angels can cause confusion in the enemy and terror in the hearts of the unbelievers (Q.8:12). All these various effects on the human body may result from electro-magnetic waves of different frequencies that angels possess and which influence our brain waves to alter their normal course and instead to travel by other circuits to different neurons in the brain. Angels cannot progress beyond a certain point, but man can, because of free will, sight and intellect. Hence, man is blamed for not seeing or understanding. Man, who has in him the possibility of sin because of lust and anger, is nevertheless superior to the angels, as based on the following evidence: (a) Angels prostrated to Adam when Allah taught him the names of things (Q.2:31). (b) Allah selected Adam, Noah and the family of Ibrahīm and of ‘Imrān over all created beings (Q.3:33). (c) Man achieves excellence and perfection of knowledge and action, in spite of the hindrance of lust and anger. (d) During the Me‘rāj (or the physical ascension of Prophet Muḥammad‫)ﷺ‬, all the angels and others present in the heavens echoed: Oh Allah, shower Your blessings on our leader Muḥammad and on his descendants. (e) During the Me‘rāj, Angel Jibra’īl could not go beyond the Lote-Tree (Sidrat ul-Muntaha) while Prophet Muḥammad‫ ﷺ‬proceeded beyond it towards the ‘Arsh (Allah’s Majestic Throne). It seems that there is a similar component present both in Rūḥ (soul) and in the angels, since Angel Jibrā’īl is also known as Holy Rūḥ: Rūḥ ul Qudus in Q.2:87; 2:253; 5:110; 16:102); in Q.26:193 as Rūḥ ul Amīn (Rūḥ of truth and faith) and in Q.53:5 as Shadīd ul Quwā (one mighty in power). Whatever the reality of angels, the question regarding Iblis remains. Was Iblīs (Satan) a jinnī or an angel? Iblīs was definitely a Jinnī (Q.18:50) but residing among the angels in the Garden for quite some time (Q.2:34; 7:11; 15:31; 18:50; 38:74). To recapitulate, Iblīs pleaded that man was created from clay, while he was created from fire (Q.55:15); from the fire of sammūm (Q.15:27). Iblīs (Satan) could not have been a fallen angel, because angels have no free will. Iblīs was a jinnī; hence had a choice to obey or to disobey Allah. Finally, we are advised to save ourselves and our families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones, over which there are angels who do what they are commanded (Q.66:6).

Ways in which this world may end

Eschatology is a branch of theology that is concerned with such final things as death and Judgment; Heaven and Hell; and the end of the world. It deals with the teaching of what will happen to the world or to our lives in the end. To date, various persons belonging to different cults and sects have made hundreds of predictions about the end of the world, but none of the predictions has come to pass. The only thing common to them was that they all were proved to be wrong in the end! It is interesting to observe that the Second Advent of Jesus Christ or the coming of Mahdi has not been mentioned in the Holy Qur᾿an. Although no one knows the date and the hour of the Doomsday (not even Prophet Muḥammad‫ﷺ‬ knew about it (Q.46:9), we can still discuss some of the ways in which the world or the life in it may come to an end. Of course, we do not know when that would happen, as only Allah knows about it (Q.31:34). For many centuries, several hypotheses have been postulated regarding the possible ways our universe could be destroyed. Being interested in the subject, I did some research in astronomy and in the Earth sciences. However, during my research it occurred to me that one of the most reliable and authoritative references would be the Holy Qur᾿an. I would like to share with the reader the very interesting and revealing results of my research. If we correlate astronomical facts and phenomena with verses of the Holy Qur᾿an, we discover some startling similarities. The profusion of facts as revealed in the Holy Qur᾿an rule out coincidences. Science is unable to provide all the answers at present. However, new discoveries are being made and mysteries being solved as we advance daily in the domain of

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science. Any new scientific data that would contradict the Holy Qur᾿an would eventually be proved wrong. Let us consider global epidemics. The Black Plague killed more than a quarter of Europe’s population during the 14th century (some researchers believe it was not the plague but a viral hemorrhagic fever); influenza took at least 20 million lives in 1918; we are now in the midst of the AIDS epidemic. Many germs have developed resistance to antibiotics. Zoonoses are becoming rampant. International travel means diseases can spread faster. Although genetically modified crops and engineered microbes may ease some problems, we do not know as yet what dangers are lurking in store for us through them. Genetic engineering might create “ethnic” biological weapons that are tailored to attack a selected racial group. Rapid progress in miniaturising circuits on silicon chips is making computers smaller and smaller. The developments in nanotechnology especially have a lot of potentiality. If this nanotechnology is combined with artificial intelligence, it may have horrendous results. The end product will be able to see, navigate, listen and think for itself and may turn against humans. Any mad scientist with bipolar disease or one in manic-depressive state may trigger a nuclear device for the Earth to end up in mass destruction. Although alien invasion is science fiction today, who knows what will happen to us if it were to be factual, especially when their energy is running out and they may use our Earth as fuel for their personal reasons. Let us examine in detail the possible ways as to how life, civilisation, the Earth, the planets and the universeَ could be destroyed. َ َ

ْ ُ4

َُْ

ْ ََُْ

َْ ْ

ْ َ

َ َْ

ْ َ ‫ﻟﻢ‬F... Does it not teach them a lesson, how many generations َ ِ ‫ﻫﻠﻜﻨﺎ ﻗﺒﻠﻬﻢ‬F ‫ﻳﺮ ﻛﻢ‬ ُ (a) ‫ ﻟﻘﺮ ﻛﻏﻬﻢ‬ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ِ before them We destroyed? (Q.32:26). َ

َ ُ ْ ْ ُ َ 4 َ َ َ َ ً َ َ َ َ 4ُ ٌ َ َ​َ ُ َ ْ ِ ‫ﻣﺴﻰﻤ‬ Ñ َ ُ ‫ﺟﻞ‬F ٰ (c) ۖ ‫ﻋﻨﺪ‬ ۖ ‫ﺟﻼ‬F ‫ﻗ‬ ‫ ﻋﻢ‬Allah decreed a stated term (on earth) and another (in the Hereafter). َ ُّ َ

َ َ 4

َ ِ ِ Earth and universe also will end. (11:107). َ ‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ َ ﻷ ;ﻻ ﻣﺎ‬ َ ‫ ﻣﺖ‬ ‫ﺧﺎ ﻳﻦ ِﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻣﺎ‬ (b) ۚ ‫ ﺑﻚ‬%‫ﺷﺎ‬ ِ ِ

(Q.6:2). Ecological disasters of the Earth could include a rising world population, loss of ozone, a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide, deforestation and devastating effects of various means of mass destruction such as nuclear, thermo-nuclear, chemical or biological weapons. Moreover, cities and communities could be destroyed َ by natural َ or unnatural phenomena. َ َ

ُ َ ْ 4 ُْ َ َ ْ َ ْ ُْ َ ً َ َْ َ َْ َ ْ ْ َ ْ ُْ َ َ ْ ْ َ ْ َ ْ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ْ ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﺼﻴﺤﺔ‬ ْ َ ‫ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ‬ ْ ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻷ‬ ...‫ﻏﺮﻗﻨﺎ‬F ‫ﺑﻪ‬ ‫ﺧﺬﺗﻪ‬F ‫ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ‬ ‫ ﺳﻠﻨﺎ‬F ‫ﻓﻤﻨﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﺣﺎﺻﺒﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻣﻨﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺧﺴﻔﻨﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻋﻠﻴﻪ‬ ِ

….Of them against some, We sent a violent tornado, some were caught by a (mighty) blast, some We caused the Earth to swallow up, and some We drowned… (Q.29:40).

The Holy Qur’an being Allah’s literal words is intended for the entire universe and not only for the Earth or for ourselves alone. It is possible that life on other planets as well as the planets themselves may end in ways different to ours, probably because of different phenomenon surrounding them. Signs following one another like the pieces of a necklace, falling one after the other when its string is cut, (Tirmidhi) is a Ḥadith that may well portend the end of the times through the various destructive phenomena taking place in our world these days. About 99 percent of all species that ever lived since beginning of life on the Earth have become extinct, including every one of our ancestors. Harun Yahya and others have quoted many aḥadith concerning the times leading to the end of the world, some of which are: (1) ‘The harj (will increase).’ They asked, ‘What is the harj?’ He replied, ‘(It is) killing (murdering), (it is) murdering (killing).’ (Bukhari); (2) The Hour will come when violence, bloodshed, and anarchy become common. (Al-Muttaqi Al-Hindi). (3) Great cities will be ruined and it will be as if they had not existed the day before. (Al-Muttaqi alHindi) (4) The Hour (Last Day) will not be established until ... earthquakes will be very frequent. (Bukhari) (5) The poor will grow in number.(Amal Al-Din Al-Qazwini) (6) Gains will be shared out only among the rich, with no benefit to the poor. (Tirmidhi). (7) There will be prevalence of open illegal sexual intercourse. (Bukhari)

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(8) The Last Hour will not be established until they (wicked people) commit adultery on the roads (public ways). (Ibn Hibban and Bazzar) (9) Men will imitate women; and women will imitate men. (Allama Jalaluddin Suyuti, Durre-Mansoor). (10) People will indulge in homosexuality and lesbianism. (Al-Muttaqi Al-Hindi, Muntakhab Kanzul Ummaal) (11) A time will come when a man will not care about how he gets things, whether lawful or unlawful. (12) At that time ... life spans will grow longer. (Ibn Hajar Haythami, Al Qawl al-Mukhtasar fi 'alamat alMahdi al-Muntazar). (13) Great distances will be traversed in short spans of time.(Ahmad, Musnad). (14) Give in charity because there will come a time on the people when a person will go out with his alms from place to place but will not find anybody to accept it.(Bukhari). (15) The slave-woman will give birth to her master or mistress. (16) Wild animals will be able to talk to humans. (Imam Ahmad). (17) Terrible trials of the Dajjal (Anti-Christ). (18) The emergence of Yajuj and Majuj (Gog and Magog). (19) Return of Jesus Christ, pbuh, to the Earth. (20) Return of the Mahdi. (According to Twelver Shi'as, Imam Hujjat al-Mahdī is the twelfth Imam and the Mahdi, the ultimate savior of humankind. They believe that Mahdi who was born in 868 has been hidden by God only to emerge later with Jesus to fulfill their common mission of bringing Justice and Peace to the world). In Q.70:6-7 we are told that people think the Event is far but Allah sees it as near.

Since no one knows about the Day, the Period and the Hour when the world would come to an end, here are some references from the Holy Qur᾿an.

ٌَْ Yaum ‫ﻳﻮ‬ : Yaum means a period of time and when used in the Qur’an, denotes the following: (a) a day

or part of a day (Q.2:259); (b) the period of revolution of the great firmament (Q.7:54); (c) 1000 years (Q.22:47).

َُ 4

ٌَْ

Here are some notes on ‫ ﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ‬As-Sā‘ah (the Hour) and ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaum (the Day/

Period) mentioned in the Qur᾿an. No one knows the appointed time of the Hour (Q.7:187), the

َ َ ْ

َُْ

knowledge of which is with Allah alone. ‫ ﻟﻘﻴﺎﻣﺔ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaum ul Qiyāmah (the Day of Resurrection or of

َ 4

standing up) (Q.75:1 and 70 other places) and ‫ ﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ‬ As-Sā ‘ah are included under the general term ma ِ ‘ād, i.e. place of return; the Hereafter. The panorama of the final Hour in the Assembly on that Day is reflected in the following:

ِّ ُ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ Al Yaum ul Ākhir: The Last Day (Q.2: 8). Firm belief in the Last Day is one of the ُ ِ ْ ‫ ﻮ‬ 2. ‫ ﻵﺧﺮ‬

1. ‫ ﻳﻮ ﻳﻦ‬Yaum ud dīn: The Day of Doom/Judgment (Q.1:4; 83:11). requirements of faith in Islam.

َ

َْ

3. ‫ﻋﻈﻴﻢ‬ ٍ Yaumin ‘Āzīm: The Dreadful Day (Q.6:15). ٍ ِ ‫ﻳﻮ‬

َ

َْ

4. ‫ﻛﺒﺮﻴ‬ ٍ Yaumin Kabīr: The Mighty Day (Q.11:3). ٍ ِ ‫ﻳﻮ‬

ُّ

ُ َُْ

5. ۚ ‫ ﻟﺼﻮ‬ ‫ ﻓﻨﻔﺦ ِﻲﻓ‬Yauma yunfakhu fis sūr: The day the trumpet is sounded (Q.6:73). ِ

ْ

ََْ

َ 6. ‫ﺮﺸ‬ ِ ‫ ﻳﻮ ﺤﻟ‬Yaumul Ḥashr: The Day of Gathering (Q.6:128). َ ُْ

ََْ

ْ 7. ‫ ﻟﻔﺮﻗﺎ‬ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumul Furqān: The Day of Testing/the criterion when the forces of good were victorious ِ over forces of evil in the Battle of Badr (Q.8:41).

َ

ََْ

4 ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumut Talāq: The Day of Meeting/Mutual Encounter (Q.40:15). 8. ‫ ﺤﻛﻼ‬ ِ َ َْ

9. ‫ ﻢ‬F ٍ Yaumin Alīm: Painful or Grievous Day (Q.11:26) ٍ ِ ‫ﻳﻮ‬

ٌ ُ ْ َ ٌَْ

10. ‫ ﻳﻮ ﻣﺸﻬﻮ‬Yaumun Mashhūd: A Day of Testimony (Q.11:103) witnessed by all.

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ُ َْْ ُ4َُ ََْ ُ َ َ 4 َ ْ َ ْ ‫ﻟﺮﻴ‬ َ ْ َ ‫ ﻷ‬ 11. ۖ ‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ‫ ﻷ‬ ‫ ﻳﻮ ﻳﺒﺪ‬Yauma tubaddalul arḍu ghyral arḍi wa samawātu: ِ day the Earth will be changed to a different Earth and so will the Heavens; (Q.14:48).

ْ َْ ُ َْ َ ْ ِ ْ َ Yaumul Ḥisāb: Day of Reckoning/Accounting (Q.38:16). 13. ‫ ﺤﻟﺴﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ َ ْ ََْ 14. ‫ ﻵ ﻓﺔ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumul ᾿azifah: Day of the Imminent (Q.40:18). ُ َْ 15. ‫ﺤﻣﻴﻂ‬ ٍ Yaumin Muḥīt: Encompassing Day (Q.11:84). ٍ ِ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ ٌ ْ َ Yaumun ‘ạsīr: Day of Distress (Q.74:9). ٌ َ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ 16. ‫ﻋﺴﺮﻴ‬ ِ َ ََْ 17. ‫ ﺤﻛﻨﺎ‬ ِ 4 ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumat Tanād: Day of Mutual Calling (Q.40:32). ْ ْ ََْ 18. ‫ ﺠﻟﻤﻊ‬ ِ َ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumul Jam‘: Day of Assembly (Q.42:7; 64:9). َْ ُ َْ 19. ‫ ﻟﻮﻗﻴﺪ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumul Wa‘īd: Day of Threat/Warning (Q.50:20). ُ ُْ ُ ْ َ 20. ‫ ﺨﻟﻠﻮ‬ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumul Khulūd: Day of Eternal Life (Q.50:34). ِ ُ ْ َ Yaumut Taghābun: Day of Mutual Loss or Gain (Q.64:9). ُ َ 4 ‫ﻳﻮ‬ 21. ‫ ﺤﻛﻐﺎﺑﻦ‬ ِ ُْ ُ ْ َ 22. ‫ ﺨﻟﺮ‬ ِ ُ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumul Khurūj: Day of Exodus (Q.50:42). ُْ َ َْ 23. ‫ﻳﻮ ﻣﻌﻠﻮ‬ ٍ Yaumin Ma‘lūm: The Known Day (Known to Allah) (Q.56:60). ْ ْ 24. ‫ ﻛﻌﺚ‬ ِ ْ َ Yaumal Ba‘th: Day of Arousing/Awakening/Resurrection (Q.30:56). ِ َ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ ْ ْ ََْ 25. ‫ ﺤﻟﺮﺴ‬ ِ َ َ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumal Ḥasrah: Day of Anguish (Q.19:39). 4 ُّ ْ َ 26. ‫ ﻟﻈﻠﺔ‬ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ ِ Yaumiz Ẓullah : Day of Overshadowing Gloom (Q.26:189). ِ ً َُ ًَْ 27. ‫ ﻳﻮﻣﺎ ﻗﺒﻮﺳﺎ‬Yauman ‘Abūsa: Frowning Day/Day of Distressful Wrath (Q.76:10). ِّ َ ْ ‫ْﻳﻮ‬ َ ْ َ Í Yaumul Ḥaqq: The Day of Sure Reality (Q.78:39). 28. ‫ ﺤﻟﻖ‬ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ ‫ ﻮ‬ 29. ‫ ﻟﻤﻮﻋﻮ‬ ِ ْ َ Yaumil Mau‘ūd: The Promised Day (Q.85:2). ِ

The

12. ‫ ﻟﻔﺼﻞ‬ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬Yaumul Faṣl: Day of Sorting Out/Decision/Dividing (Q.37:21; 44:40; 77:13; 78:17). ِ

Period

2:259 I have tarried a day or part of a day. 3:24 Fire will not touch us but for a few number of days, for their forgeries deceive them as to their own religion. 7:54 Your Sustainer is Allāh, Who created the Heavens and the Earth in six days. 9:36 The Day He created the Heavens and the Earth. 10:45 The Day He shall gather them as if they had tarried but an hour of a day. 18:19 We have tarried a Day or part of a Day. 22:47 A Day with Allah is as a thousand years of your reckoning. 32:5 The affairs go up to Him on a Day the span being a thousand years of your reckoning. 70:3-4 From Allah, Master of the Ways of Ascent: the Angels and the Rūḥ (soul) ascend unto Him in a Day, the measure whereof is (as) fifty thousand years. 41:9 Do you believe in Him Who created the Earth in two days? 41:10 He ordained its diverse sustenance in four days. 41:12 He determined them in seven heavens in two days. 79:46 The Day they see it as if they had tarried but a single evening or till the following morning. 82:19 The Day when no person shall have power over another, for the Command that Day will be with Allāh.

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Hour

Different phenomena occurring during the Final Hour are quoted under: -

َُ

َ

1. ‫ ﻟﻘﺎ ﻋﺔ‬ Al-Qāri‘ah: The Great Calamity (Q.101:1-4) (Men like scattered moths). ِ

َُ

َ

Al-Ghāshiyah: The Coverer/Overwhelming Event/A Covering Veil of the Wrath of Allāh 2. ‫ ﻟﻐﺎﺷﻴﺔ‬ ِ (Q.12:107). When some faces on that Day will be humiliated, other faces will be joyful.

ُ 4 4

3. ‫ ﻟﺼﺎﺧﺔ‬As Sākhkhah: The Deafening Noise (Q.80:33).

َُ

4. ‫ ﻟﻮ ﻗﻌﺔ‬ ِ َ Al-Wāqi‘ah: The Inevitable Event (Q.69:15).

ُ4

َ Al-Ḥāqqah: The Certainty/Reality (Q.69:1). 5. ‫ ﺤﻟﺎﻗﺔ‬

6. 7. 8. 9.

On the Day, We shall remove the mountains (Q.18:47). On the Day, We shall roll up Heaven as a scroll (Q.21:104). On the Day of Standing Up (qiyām i.e. resurrection), you will be raised up (Q.23:16). The Day Heaven shall be split asunder with clouds, and angels shall be sent down descending (Q.25:25). 10. Be on the watch for a Day when the Heavens shall bring forth a manifest smoke (Q.44:10). 11. The Day when the Earth will be rent asunder from men hurrying out (Q.50:44). 12. On that Day will it declare its tidings (Q.99:4); men will proceed in companies sorted out to be shown their deeds (Q.99:6-7). 13. The Day the Earth will be changed to a different Earth and so will be the Heavens (Q.14:48).

Day SOME VERSES OF THE HOLY QUR’ĀN REFERRING TO THE DAY OF RESURRECTION (QIYĀMAH) Observe the sequence… 17:58 No city or population is there but we shall destroy it before the Day of Resurrection. 52:9 On the Day when Heaven spins in dreadful commotion. 73:14 One Day when the Earth and mountains shall quake. 79:6 One Day when everything that can be in commotion will be in violent commotion. 70:8 The Day when the sky will be like molten copper. 69:16 Heaven shall be split, for on that Day it would be very frail. 14:48 The Day the Earth shall be changed to a different Earth and so will be the Heavens. 21:103-104 This is your Day that you were promised, the Day we roll up the Heavens like a scroll rolled up for books. 78:38 The Day when the angels and Rūḥ stand in ranks. 70:43 The Day they shall come forth from their tombs hastily. 20:108 On that Day, they will follow the Caller. 3:25 Thou shall gather mankind for a Day wherein there is no doubt. 2:281 The Day when you shall be brought back to Allāh. 82:19 The Day when no person shall have power over another, for the command on that Day will be with Allāh. 34:42 So on That Day none of you shall have power over each other for profit or harm. 99:6 The Day when men will proceed in scatterings to see their works. 102:8 Then you will be questioned that Day about the bounties you enjoyed. 69:17 Upon that Day, eight shall carry among them the Throne of Allah. 21:47 We shall set up the scales of justice for the Resurrection Day. 7:8 The weighing that Day is true and absolutely correct. 17:13 We shall bring forth for him on the Day of Resurrection a Book which he will see spread open. 3:30 The Day when every person will find all the good he has done and all the evil he has done.

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16:111 33:44 3:185 24:25 80:38-40 3:106 24:24

26:88 2:254 2:48 30:4 5:119 14:49 7:51 16:27 86:9 29:13 3:161 14:42 30:57 33:66

On that Day when every person shall come struggling for himself. Their salutation on the Day when they shall meet Him would be “peace”. You shall be surely paid in full your wages on the Day of Resurrection. That Day, Allah will pay them their just due. On that Day, some faces will shine and some faces will be dusty. The Day when some faces will be lit up and some faces gloomy. On the Day when their tongues, hands and their feet shall testify against them. The Day when neither wealth nor sons shall profit them. A Day when there shall be no bargaining nor friendship nor intercession. A Day when no person shall satisfy another. On that Day, the believers will rejoice. The Day the truthful shall be profited. The sinners on that Day will be found in fetters. The Day we shall forsake them as they forsook the Day of Meeting of this On the Day of Resurrection, He shall degrade them. The Day when secrets are revealed. On the Day of Judgment, they will be called to account for their falsehood. Whoever defrauds will bring the consequences of his fraud on the Day of The Day when the eyes will fixedly stare in horror. That Day, their excuses will not profit the evildoers. The Day when their faces are turned upside down in fire.

Day of ours. Resurrection.

I have attempted to list a few possible and/or probable ways that our Earth and other stars and planets could be destroyed.

The earth

Earth is one of the planets in our solar system, which is among trillions of such solar systems of our galaxy, the Milky Way. The Universe contains millions of clusters and each cluster contains over 100 billion such galaxies. At present we have been told that our Earth is the only planet that seems to support intelligent life, and we have yet to discover life elsewhere. However, the Holy Qur᾿an (Q.42:29) mentions the existence of living beings outside of this planet Earth, and we as Muslims believe that in some future date, we will, Insha Allah, discover them in other planets. (Eight amino acids have been found so far in interstellar clouds and in meteorites. All eight amino acids are identical to those found in living organisms on Earth, thus pointing to a cosmic origin of these basic biological building blocks as well as its possible existence elsewhere in the solar system and beyond). The Earth is not a perfect sphere but is egg-shaped with its equatorial diameter being 7,927 miles and the polar 7,900 miles. The word ḍaḥāha َ‫ دَ َ ه‬in the second verse means in Arabic: shaped like an egg, which is the true shape of the earth (Q.79:30). The period of Earth’s rotation about its axis is 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. The circumference of the Earth at the equator is 24, 902 miles. The Earth and its satellite, the moon, move in elliptical orbits around the sun. The Earth travels around the sun in anti-clockwise direction at over 1,000 miles/hour, twice the speed of a jet plane. The mean distance of the earth from the sun is 149,503,000 km (92,897,000 miles). The Earth is nearly 4.65 billion years old and is believed to have been formed from a mass of dust rotating around the infant sun. The Earth probably grew to its present size by accretion of small clusters of matter. At its birth, it was probably a homogenous and relatively cool body. Because of radioactivity, Earth began heating up, and within about a billion years, the temperatures probably reached the melting point of iron. Drops of molten iron sank to the Earth’s centre and light matter floated up to form the outer layers that became continents. Earth’s interior consists of the core and the mantle, both making up the largest part of Earth’s mass and all together they span some 4000 miles (mantle 1,800 miles, outer core 1,400 and the inner 760 miles). The mantle is solid iron-magnesium silicate rock mixed with other radioactive substances. The outer core is liquid containing mostly iron, with some nickel and sulphur. The inner core is solid and also has iron, nickel, and sulphur in solid form. There are some radioactive substances in the core as well as the mantle, acting as sources of heat in Earth’s interior through the

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mechanism of radioactive decays. The temperature in the inner core where the pressure is some 330 Pascal, is nearly 70000 C, hotter than the surface of the sun. The entire Earth behaves like a huge magnet. However, the magnetic poles of the Earth do not correspond with the geographical poles. The position of the magnetic pole is forever changing with the shifting of the poles every few hundred years. The magnetic field of the Earth has reversed its polarity at least 170 times in the past 100 million years. The magnetic waves emanate from the liquid iron core which covers the solid centre. Earth's core rotates faster than its surface and hence the inner core plays an important role in generating Earth's magnetic field. The earth's inner core, a 500-mile ball of iron, is moving faster than the earth's surface. This spinning ball-within-a-ball may be a major force generating the earth's magnetic field through a dynamo effect. The Earth may be destroyed in any of the following incidents: (1) The Earth could be struck by a star, a planet, a comet, an asteroid or meteorite. Meteorites are pieces of asteroids that have survived entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. It is estimated that about 75 million meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere every day, but of those, only one or two manage to reach the Earth without burning up. (Millions of meteoroids enter our atmosphere daily, their speeds ranging from 10 to 45 miles per sec. Because of friction they get so hot that they burn out by the time they reach 50 to 75 miles from the earth's surface. They could be seen as “shooting stars,� or “falling stars� during any night. Nearly all disintegrate completely before they reach the earth but a few large ones called meteorites strike the ground). In 1908, a 200-foot-wide comet fragment slammed into the Earth over Siberia in Russia with a force 1,000 times stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Every quarter-million years or so, such catastrophes would spark off firestorms followed by global cooling from dust kicked up by the impact. (However, those asteroids or comets headed for the earth could be intercepted or deflected or pulverised by us when our technology is more advanced, so that they cannot hit the earth). (2) Two stars may collide with each other with terrific force and their fragments which are blasted into

ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽŮ’ Ů? ŮŽ 4 space, may pour on us as hot rain, causing the sea to boil and all life to perish. € Ů? ‍ ďť?ﺎ Ű?‏%‍Ů?; ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽŮŽŮŽŮ’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ â€Ťďť“ďş ďşŽâ€Ź ‍ ďť›ﺤﺎ‏ When the sky is cleft asunder, when the stars are scattered, when the Ů? Ů? € Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ ďť›ďş? ďş˜ﺎďşœ Ű?‏ oceans are suffered to burst forth. (Q.82:1-3).

Ů’ 4 Ů?

Ů? Ů’ŮŽŮ’

ŮŽ

ŮŽ (3) Our Earth may be sandwiched between two colliding stars (and become flattened). ‍ €  ﺪ Ű?‏ Ů?

Ů’ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺎ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ And when the Earth is flattened out and casts forth what is within it and becomes ŮŽ ‍ďť&#x;ďť˜ďş– ŮŽﺎ‏F ‍ ﺨďş—ďť ďş–â€Ź Ů?

empty. (Q.84:3-4). (4) A massive star may knock a planet out of its orbit and this planet may hit our Earth or a star itself Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ may hit the Earth. ‍‏ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ‏ ‍  ďş—ﺎďş&#x;ďť’ ‏One day, the Earth and the mountains will Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ﺖ‏m Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť›ďşœďť´ďş’ďşŽâ€Ź

be in violent commotion, and the mountains will be as a heap of sand poured down and flowing out. (Q.73:14; 20:105-106; Q.56:5-6; Q.78:20). ŮŽ

Ů? ŮŽŮ’ Ă‘ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ă‘ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů’ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ă‘ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ‏ 4Ů? (a) ‍ ďş’ďşœďşŽâ€Ź%‍ﺒﺎ‏ ‍ﺑﺴﺎ Ű? ďť“ďşŽďťœﺖ‏ ;Ů? When the Earth shall be shaken to its depth and Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďş&#x;ďş–  ďş&#x;ﺎ Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺑﺴﺖ‏ the mountains shall be crumbled to atoms, becoming dust scattered abroad. (Q.56:4-6).

Ů? ŮŽŮ’ Ů? ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ On the Day when the firmament will be in dreadful commotion Ů‹ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ 4 ‍‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ‍‏ Ů‹ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ‏ (b) ‍ﺳﺎ‏ Ů? ‍  Ű?‏%‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏ Ů? ‍ ďş—ﺴﺎ‏ and the mountains shall fly hither and thither. (Q.52:9-10).

Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? %‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ďş ďş ďťŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů‘Ů? â€Ťďť“ďşˆâ€Ź Ů? ŮŽ 4 € (c) ‍ﺴﺖ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? € Ů? When the stars become dim, when the heaven is Ů? ‍ﺎďş&#x;ďş– Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? â€Ťďťƒﺴďş– Ű?‏ cleft asunder, ŮŽ ŮŽ when the ŮŽ mountains are scattered as dust. (Q.77:8-10). ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽŮ’

Ů? Ů’ Ů’

ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?Ů’ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮŽ (e) ‍ ďť&#x;ďť”‏ ‍ﺎďť&#x;ďťŒ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş—ďťœ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ‏

(d) â€Ťďť‹ďť˜ďşŽďť&#x;ﺎ‏F ‍ﺧﺎďş&#x;ďş– ‏F Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ When the Earth throws up its burdens (from within). (Q.99:2).

ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş’ďşœ‏ ‍ﺎďť&#x;ďť”ﺎ‏ ‍ ďťłďťœ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź Ů? ŮŽ Ů?

Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ďşŽ ﺔ‏ ‍ ﺎ‏F ‍ ﺎ‏And what will explain to Ů?

you what the (Day) of Noise and Clamour is? (It is) a Day whereon men would be like moths scattered about, and the mountains will be like carded wool. (Q.101:3-5). ŮŽ

4 ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹4 ŮŽ ŮŽ4 Ů?ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŒŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ﺣﺪ‹ Ű?‏ Ů‘Ů? ‍ﺌ ‏ ŮŽŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ 4 ‍ ﺸďť˜ďş–â€Ź ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ %‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏ (f) ‍‏ ‍ ďť&#x; ďť—ďťŒďş” Ű?‏ Ů? ‍ﺖ‏ Ů?Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ ďť“ﺪďť›ďş˜ďşŽ ﺔ‏ Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ﺟ ďť?ďť”ﺨﺔ‏ Ů? ‍ďşŒﺏ ŮŽ ďť—ďťŒâ€Ź Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺣﺪ‹ Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť“ďşˆâ€Ź Ů? ‍ ďť¤ďşŁďť ďş– ‏ Ů? Ů?

ŮŒŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Then, when one Blast is sounded on the Trumpet, and the Earth is moved, and its mountains, ‍ ﺔ‏ Ů? â€ŤďťłďťŽďťŁďşŒﺏ‏ Ů?Ů? CHAPTER VI: Islam the perfect religion

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and they are crushed to powder at one stroke, on that Day shall the (Great) Event come to pass, and the sky will be rent asunder, for it will that Day be flimsy. (Q.69:13-16). (5) The Earth may be sucked into a black hole. A black hole is the corpse of a once massive star. When a star cools down, it initially expands, and then later collapses with further cooling. It can either become a White Dwarf, a Neutron star, or if the star has a certain minimum critical mass, it can ultimately turn into a black hole. (The reason for such a name is that a planetary body’s escape velocity depends upon its mass. The escape velocity of earth is 7 miles per second which was attained by the spacecraft to escape from the earth’s gravitation and to travel a distance of about 240,000 miles to reach the moon. When the mass of a body is so high that its escape velocity becomes higher than the velocity of light, nothing is able to escape from such a dead star, not even the light, and that is why it is called black hole. The gravitational field of such an object is extremely powerful and they appear as black areas in the heavens. If a black hole approaches the Earth, it can easily suck it in with its tremendous gravitational pull and pulverise it. Our galaxy is full of black holes which look like collapsed stellar corpses. These objects orbit just like other stars. The black hole need not touch the Earth to destroy it; just passing through the solar system would distort Earth’s orbit). (6) A comet strikes the earth every 100,000 years or so. It is believed that a comet fell in Siberia in 1908. (a) A mountain-sized comet or a meteorite, striking the Earth would send up so much dust that it would blot out sunlight for months, thus preventing photosynthesis, which is necessary for the vital functions of living cells. This would lead to death of all living creatures within a short period of time. (b) Massive wildfires would be ignited by the impact. (c) Shock-heating of the atmosphere would produce nitrous oxides, which in turn would form a strong solution of nitric acid and acid rain. (d) The impact would trigger off prolonged volcanic activity. (e) If the comet has massive amounts of water or ice, there may be gigantic tsunamis on the Earth. (7) Underground nuclear blasts, experimental or designed to cause earthquakes in any selected enemy country, may also result in triggering massive earthquakes. The Earth may break up into one or two pieces, molten material will pour out from within, oceans will boil and the Earth will stop rotating, signalling َ َ its end. َ َ

َ ُْ َ ُ ْ ْ ُ ْ ْ َ َ َ ْ ‫ ﻷ‬ َ ْ َ​َ َْ ‫ﻋﻘﺎﻟﻬﺎ‬F ‫ﺧﺮﺟﺖ‬F ِ َ َ ‫ ﻟﺰﻟﺖ ﻷ ِ ﻟﺰ ﻟﻬﺎ ۝‬ ِ ِ ;ِ When the Earth is shaken to her most violent convulsions and the earth throws up her burdens (from within). (Q.99:1-2).

The Sun

The sun is the closest star to Earth, composed of hot glowing gases and emitting electromagnetic radiation (which includes visible light) as a result of nuclear reactions in the sun. The radiation of Sun’s electromagnetic energy supports life on Earth. Around a million, billion neutrinos from the Sun will pass through our body while we are reading this sentence. (Stars form when a cloud of gas, out in space, collapses under the influence of gravity but planets, such as the Earth, form when dust around a preexisting star condenses around rock or ice cores. Moreover, stars burn hydrogen in their cores but planets don’t. For an object to be called a “planet” the object must be in orbit around a star, while not being itself a star. Moreover, the object must be massive enough for its own gravity to pull it into a nearly spherical shape). A star begins its life as a mass of gas, the contraction of which increases its temperature within till it reaches more than a million oC. At that point, the star ignites and a nuclear reaction takes place in which two hydrogen nuclei combine to form one helium nucleus, thereby releasing in the process large amounts of energy in the form of gamma radiation. This energy release prevents further contraction of the star. When all the available hydrogen is consumed, the star swells and becomes a giant before all sources of energy get exhausted, after which it becomes a white dwarf. The Earth completes one rotation about its axis every 24 hours, and one revolution around the Sun every 365 days. Their orbits are different. It is not permitted to the Sun to catch the Moon nor can the Night outstrip the Day. Each swims along in its own orbit. (Q.36:40). Just as the Moon orbits the Earth because of the pull of Earth's gravity, the Earth orbits the Sun because of the pull of the Sun's gravity. The Sun with its family of nine planets formed when a primeval cloud of gas and dust condensed nearly 4.75 billion years ago. It is about 100 times larger than the Earth, its diameter being approximately 864940 miles/1,390,000 kilometres. The central temperature is 28 milliono F while the surface temperature is 10,400o F. Distance from Earth is 149,600,000 km (92,960,000 miles). Light from

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the Sun takes about eight minutes to reach Earth. The Sun is just one of the trillions of stars in more than 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe.

4 َُ 4 َ ٰ َ ُ 4 َ َ َ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ِّ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ُ َ 4 َ َ ً ُ َ َ َ ْ َ ً َ ُ ِّ َ ُ ِّ َ ْ َ ْ ‫ﻓﻔﺼﻞ‬ َ ْ 4 َ​َ َ ‫ ﻵﻳﺎ‬ ۚ ‫ ﻟﻚ ِ;ﻻ ِﺑﺎﺤﻟﻖ‬ ِ ‫ ﻟﺴﻨﻦﻴ‬ ِ ‫ﻫﻮ‬ ِ ‫ ﺤﻟﺴﺎ ۚ ﻣﺎ ﺧﻠﻖ ﺑ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻣﻨﺎ ِﺤﻛﻌﻠﻤﻮ ﻋﺪ‬ ِ ‫ ﻟﻘﻤﺮ ﻧﻮ ﻗﺪ‬%‫ @? ﺟﻌﻞ ﻟﺸﻤﺲ ِﺿﻴﺎ‬ َ ََُْ َْ ‫ﻓﻌﻠﻤﻮ‬ ‫ﻟﻘﻮ‬ ٍ ِ

It is He Who made the sun a shining glory and the moon a light and for her ordained mansions, so that you might know the number of years and the reckoning (of the time). God created this in truth. He explains the signs in detail for people who know. (Q.10:5). Allah has made everything subservient to us, including the Sun, from which we can harness solar energy, besides numerous other benefits. Giant magnetic storms on its surface are seen as sunspots which have an eleven-year cycle of high and low. It is not known why the number of sunspots seen on the Sun increases from nearly zero to over 100 during about 11 years and then decreases to near zero again as the next cycle starts. Sunspots are places in the Sun’s photosphere that contain magnetic fields thousands of times stronger than Earth’s magnetic field. The concentrated magnesium in sunspots keeps them colder. The solar system is encased in a ball of turbulent gases called the solar wind which spews from the sun at a million miles per hour. These may emit the solar cosmic rays, ultraviolet and X-ray radiation, all of which have dangerous effects on living cells. Giant solar flares are huge magnetic outbursts on the sun that bombard Earth with high-speed subatomic particles, but Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field protect us from their lethal effects. The equation 400 X 1/400 = 1 sums up the interesting observation about the moon being 400 times smaller than the sun but at the same time 400 times closer to the Earth, so that both the sun and the moon appear exactly the same size in the sky. This makes total solar eclipse possible. The rhythmic motions of the photosphere which surrounds the Sun emit a pulsating sound. This sound cannot be heard with the human ear because it has to travel through vacuum to reach us. Astronomers have found that the atmosphere of the Sun plays a kind of heavenly magnetic music. The magnetic field in the outer regions (the corona) of the sun, our nearest star, forms loops that carry sound waves and behave rather like a musical instrument. These loops can be up to 100 million kilometers long. The Sun's luminosity and radius have been increasing since it started life and will continue to gradually increase in this manner for another 4.5 billion years. The intensity of light might be so great as

َ ْ

َ َ َ َ

ُ َ ‫ ﻓﺈ ﺑﺮ‬At length, when the sight is dazed… (Q.75:7). This will prevent us even to dazzle the sight: ‫ ﻛﺮﺼ‬ ِ ِ ْ َ

ُ ُ

َ َ

ُ ُّ from seeing the stars. ‫ﻃﻤﺴﺖ‬ ِ ‫ﻓﺈ ﺠﺠﻮ‬ ِ Then when the stars become dim… (Q.77:8). And when the stars lose their lustre. (Q.81:2). Even the moon may not be visible due to excessively bright sun.

َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ ْ ‫ ﺧﺴﻒ‬ ‫ ﻟﻘﻤﺮ‬ And the moon will be buried in darkness (as if eclipsed). (Q.75:8). The enormous increase of َ َُ the sun’s volume will in fact result in its coming closer to the moon, and hence closer to the Earth. ‫ ﻤﺟﻊ‬ ِ ْ ُ ْ 4 And the sun and moon are joined together. (Q.75:9). ُ َ َ َ ‫ ﻟﺸﻤﺲ‬ ‫ ﻟﻘﻤﺮ‬

During its first 5 billion years, the sun contracted to nearly its present size. There is enough hydrogen left in the sun’s core to last another 4.5 billion years. When that fuel is exhausted, the sun will change and become a very hot and red giant star, 10,000 times brighter. It will remain a red giant with helium-burning nuclear reactions in the core for 500 million years or so, after which it will shrink to become a white dwarf star about the size of planet Earth and will gradually cool. The sun before dying out passes through different stages: a Red Giant, a White Dwarf, a Neutron star, then in the final stage it becomes a Black Hole in the dark sky.

َ ْ

َ

ُ َ It would take about 3 billion years for the Sun to be hot enough for our oceans to boil. ‫ ﻛﺤﺎ‬ ِ ِ

ْ َ ِّ ُ ‫ﺳﺠﺮ‬ When the oceans boil over with a swell… (Q.81:6). It would only need to be 100o F or so all the

time for humans to be wiped out, and 212o F for seas to boil. Due to water expansion, there would be huge tsunamis.

ْ 4 َ ُ ْ ْ َْ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ‫ ﻛﺤﺮ‬ ِ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﺴﻘﻒ‬ ‫ ﻟﻤﺴﺠﻮ ۝‬ ‫ ﻟﻤﺮﻓﻮ ۝‬ (I Swear)… By the Canopy Raised High, And by the swollen sea. ِ ِ ِ ْ َ ُ ْ َ ِّ ُ َ َ (Q.52:5-6). ‫ﻓﺠﺮ‬ ‫ ﻛﺤﺎ‬ ِ ِ And when the seas burst forth. (Q.82:3). CHAPTER VI: Islam the perfect religion

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All water in the oceans will evaporate, and there will be no water left on Earth. So, no life which depends on water will be able to survive. A few billion years again, the Sun will have used up all its hydrogen and will balloon into a giant star that would engulf the planet Earth. At this point in its life, the Sun will become much larger as a red giant star. When the sun would come closer to the Earth, it would engulf the Earth and the Moon. When the end of the world gets closer, the surface of the sun and the Earth’s orbit will get closer. (Ḥadith). The Sun will be a few thousand times brighter than what it is now and very hot. When the Sun becomes a giant star, it may become so large as to engulf Earth, in which

4 َْ َ َ ُ َ 4 ‫ ﻧﺸﻘﺖ‬ case planet Earth will be destroyed. This red giant star would make the sky look red. %‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ‫ﻓﺈ‬ ِ ِ

َ ِّ َ ً َ ْ َ ْ َ َ َ ‫ﺎﻛ ﻫﺎ‬ ‫ ﻓﺎﻜﻧﺖ‬When the sky is rent asunder and looks red like red hide. (Q.55:37). It would look like ِ

molten scarlet-coloured metal.

ْ ُْ َ ُ َ 4 ُ ُ َ َ َْ ‫ﺎﻛﻟﻤﻬﻞ‬ %‫ ﻳﻮ ﺗﻜﻮ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬The Day when the sky will be like molten metal. (Q.70:8). ِ

The Sun will remain a Red Giant for a few million years. By then the Earth will be uninhabitable. After a few billion years, it will become a white dwarf. Perhaps because of the aging process during the coming billions of years, the sun may expand, appear red in colour, and its surface may come closer to the Earth, destroying all life. Even a rise of a few degrees in temperature may cause enough water to evaporate and form a thick envelope of cloud

ْ َ َ َ ْ

ُ ُ

َ

ُّ َ And when around the Earth. Because of this, the stars would not be so easily visible. ‫ ﺠﺠﻮ ﻧﻜﺪ‬ ِ

the stars lose their lustre. (Q.81:2). If the Sun further approaches the Earth, the strong gravitational force would break up the moon into smaller fragments. If a rock from the moon were to disintegrate and hit the Earth like an asteroid, the impact alone may jolt the Earth into another orbit, or the whole Earth would ْ be covered by thick dust

َ ُ ُ َ 4 َ ََْ ْ َْ َ ُ which would prevent Sun’s rays from entering the Earth. ‫ﻣﺒﻦﻴ‬ Then watch you ِ ِ ‫ﻓﺎ ﺗﻘﺐ ﻳﻮ‬ ٍ ٍ ِ ‫ﺑﺪﺧﺎ‬ ِ %‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬¹‫ﺗﺄ‬

for the Day when the sky will bring forth a kind of smoke plainly visible. (Q.44:10).

ُ َْ ُ َ​َ َ ْ َ On the Day when the firmament would be in dreadful commotion; ً ْ َ ُ َ 4 ‫ﻳﻤﻮ‬ ُ ُ َ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ ً ْ َ ‫ ﺠﻟﺒﺎ‬ ‫ﺳﺮﻴ‬ ِ ‫ ﻣﻮ ۝‬%‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﺗﺴﺮﻴ‬ and the mountains will fly hither and thither… (Q.52:9-10). 4 ُ َ 4َ Ñ َ Ñ َ ُ َْْ ‫ ﻛﺖ ﻷ ﺎﻛ ﺎﻛ‬ ;ِ ‫ ﺎﻠﻛ‬Nay! When the Earth is pounded to powder. (Q.89:21). ِ

If a star were to hit the moon and propel it away from the Sun, the moon would no longer reflect

َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ ْ ‫ﺮ‬ ُ َ َ ْ ‫ ﺧﺴﻒ‬ sunlight and would be dark. ‫ ﻟﻘﻤﺮ‬ ‫ ﻛﺮﺼ ۝‬ ِ At length, when the sight is dazed and the moon ِ ‫ﻓﺈ ﺑ‬

is buried in darkness. (Q.75:7-8). The Sun, just like any other star, performs a continual balancing act between its own immense gravity (which tries to pull its matter towards its centre) and the intense thermo-nuclear energy radiating from its centre (which pushes the matter outwards). For most of the star’s lifetime, these forces are in equilibrium. When the nuclear fluid is exhausted, the star (i.e. the Sun) begins to collapse

ْ َ ِّ ُ

ُ ْ 4

َ

and fold till it becomes a white hot dwarf. ‫ ِ; ﻟﺸﻤﺲ ﻛﻮ‬When the sun is folded up (shrouded in

darkness). (Q.81:1). The Prophet‫ ﷺ‬said, The sun and the moon will be folded up (deprived of their light) on the Day of Resurrection. (Abu Huraira). A huge star may strike the Sun or the Moon or the Earth, or all the three, and catapult these bodies into another orbit.

The moon

The Moon which is 50 times smaller than the Earth has a diameter of 2,159 miles, nearly a quarter that of the Earth. The circumference of the Moon is 6,790 miles. The mean distance of the Moon from the centre of Earth is 238,906 miles. The Moon rotates on its own axis anti-clockwise as well as it revolves around the Earth at an average distance of 238,857 miles with an average speed of 2,300 miles per hour. (For some unknown reason, all planets revolve in an anti-clock-wise direction except Venus which is the only planet that spins clockwise. Venus, the bright shining morning star is also called Lucifer which is also the name of Satan. The tawāf, i.e. circumambulation around the Ka‘bah, is also anti-clock-wise).

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A lunar month is 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and 2.8 seconds. Although the Moon appears bright to the eye, it only reflects seven percent of the light falling on it from the sun. Temperatures on the surface of the Moon range from 2610 F. at noon to -2790 F. at lunar dawn. The highest mountains on the Moon are as tall as the Himalayas, about 20,000 feet or higher. The Moon’s magnetic field is much weaker than the Earth’s. There are many theories about the origin of the Moon but none is satisfactory. It is of the same age as the Earth and the rest of the solar system, about 4.5 billion years old. The Moon has a small core supporting the theory that the bulk of the Moon was ripped off from the early Earth when a large celestial body collided with the Earth during its formative stage some 4.5 billion years ago. This rock went into orbit around the Earth and aggregated itself into the Moon. The Moon's soil is impregnated with nitrogen that came from Earth's atmosphere. (Many scientists do not agree that the Moon was formed elsewhere in the solar system and was captured by the Earth by the stronger gravitational force of the latter). The Moon has been bruised and battered due to bombardment by meteorites which have formed thousands of craters of different sizes on it. This constant bombardment poses a problem for scientists who would like to install permanent research stations on the moon to study this phenomenon. There is also a possibility of a fairly large meteorite hitting the moon and splitting it, when our planet Earth may also be destroyed at the same time, signalling the end of the world. The Hour is near, and the moon is split. (Q.54:1). Another possibility exists if the moon gets fragmented as a result of its expansion due to the intense heat from the sun. A fragment of the moon may fall on Earth with tremendous force like a meteorite. The Moon’s surface is covered with about 2 inches of dust, which had accumulated from outer space over billions of years. The astronauts left their footprints on them. The Moon has practically no atmosphere and any substance on the lunar surface is exposed directly to vacuum. If one shouts on the moon, others would not be able to hear him. The moon is a quiet deserted place with no air, water, trees, wind, rain, snow, sound, etc. The moon has shrunk in the past billion years, and may still be shrinking today, triggering moonquakes and making the moon a more active body than previously thought. The shrinkage has wrinkled parts of the moon's surface like a raisin, creating pinched formations called lobate scarps. However, there is some water in the form of ice at the very cold South Pole in a dark cratered area where the sun never shines. This ice could have been derived from comets that may have crashed into the Moon. These comets normally contain ice mostly mixed with some rocks and dirt. This water/ice could be utilised by our scientists, e.g. the lunar water could be a source of oxygen (not present on the Moon) and hydrogen which could be used as rocket fuel. There are many other possibilities, because the Moon, like any other celestial object, is subservient and hence of service to us.

َْ َ َ َ َْ َ َ ْ 4 ُ ُ َ َ 4 َ َ ۖ ‫ ﺋﺒﻦﻴ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﺳﺨﺮ ﻟﻜﻢ ﻟﺸﻤﺲ ﻟﻘﻤﺮ‬And He has made the sun, the moon, both diligently pursuing their

courses, subservient to you. (Q.14:33). The Moon is a key to planetary science and exploration and could be a source of raw material while our Earth could be a reservoir of human talent and technology, predicted in the Qur᾿an 15 centuries before man landed on the Moon. The Earth could be getting all of the electricity it needs by using solar cells on the moon. Astronauts left on the Moon many objects including an American flag, their boots and a golf ball. Some persons do not believe in the Biblical Flood because many of their simple questions remain unanswered. However, as Muslims, we have to accept its occurrence because it has been recorded in the Holy Qur᾿an (Q.11:37-38, 41-44). Many theories have been put forward as to where the flood waters originally came from, one being sinking of the ocean floor causing huge tsunamis, another that flood waters came from a comet which splintered and fell on the Earth, yet another by proximity of the moon to the Earth causing huge tidal waves. It is possible that during Noah’s time, the Moon was on a collision course towards the Earth. Some giant magnetic force of a star might have sent the moon off-course. Whenever the Moon approached the Earth, it would cause a massive tidal wave hundreds of feet high. When the Moon, which is some 50 times smaller than the Earth, touched the Earth, the Moon might have appeared as if it was split.

َُ 4 4 َ ْ َ ‫ ﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ‬ َ َ َ ْ The Hour is near, and the moon is split. (Q.54:1). ُ َ َ ْ ‫ ﻧﺸﻖ‬ ‫ ﻟﻘﻤﺮ‬ ‫ ﻗﺮﺘﺑﺖ‬ ِ ِّ َ ُ 4 َ َ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ َٰ َ ُ َْ َ َْ َ ً ُ ُ َ ْ َ ْ َ ْ 4 َ َ َ ْ َ َ َ ‫ﻓﺎﻏﺘﺮﺼ ۝‬ ٌ ُ ْ َ k‫ﻛ‬ َ ْ ُ %‫ﺑﻤﺎ‬ َ َ ْ َ ‫ﻓﻔﺘﺤﻨﺎ‬ َ %‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ َ 4 ‫ﺑﻮ‬F ْ َ ْ َ ‫ﻣﻐﻠﻮ‬ َ ُ ‫ﻗﺪ‬ ‫ﻗﺪ‬ ‫ﻣﺮ‬F ‫ﺒﻟ‬ %‫ ﻟﻤﺎ‬ ‫ﻓﺎﺤﻛﻰﻘ‬ ‫ﻗﻴﻮﻧﺎ‬ ‫ ﻷ‬ ‫ ﻓﺠﺮﻧﺎ‬ ‫۝‬ ‫ﻣﻨﻬﻤﺮ‬ ‫ ﻓﺪﺨ ﺑﻪ‬Then ٍ ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍ ٍ ِ (Noah) called on God: ‘I am overcome. Do Thou then help (me)’. So, We opened the gates of heaven,

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with water pouring forth. And We caused the Earth to gush forth with springs, so the waters met (and rose) to the extent decreed. (Q.54:10-12). Once the water subsided, the Ark landed at Mount Al-Judi (Mt. Ararāt) (Q.11:44). Volcanoes: A volcano is an eruption where hot liquefied magma (which is the molten rock from deep in the Earth's crust within the upper part of the mantle) rises toward the surface and issues steam containing gaseous mixtures of water vapour, CO2, SO2, chlorine and fluorine, rock fragments and other molten material. Volcanoes provide us with mineral deposits containing copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, fertile soils and thermal energy. Hot fast-flowing erupted materials like falling ash, highly destructive lava flows and volcanic debris pose great dangers to humans, crops, livestock and properties. Indirect hazards are earthquakes, tsunamis (large sea waves generated by sudden movement of the seafloor), disease and famine. Volcanoes release these gases into the troposphere (extending up to ten kilometres of the atmosphere) and into the stratosphere (extending from ten to 15 kilometres). The sulphate aerosols alter chlorine and nitrogen chemicals in the stratosphere which, combined with chlorofluorocarbon, generate chlorine monoxide which destroys ozone. Moreover, gas emissions of CO2, SO2 and others from volcanoes contribute to acid rain. On 21 August 1986, about 1,700 people were killed in a massive release of gas from Lake Nyos, a volcanic crater lake situated in Cameroon, W. Africa. Everyone has heard of the canary in the coal mine, which sways or drops dead in the presence of poisonous gas, alerting miners to get out. There are numerous volcanoes in the moons and on other planets of the solar system, e.g. Mars, Mercury and Venus. Eruptions from underwater volcanoes form islands on the surface of oceans. Vast volumes of fine dust, mingled with steam and other vapours mistakenly appear to us as smoke. What is seen as flames resembling fire is the glare from the erupting materials being reflected off the clouds of dust and steam. The red glare of molten lava accompanied by lightning would light up the sky. Lightning is due to static electricity in the clouds of erupting ash.

َ​َ َٰ ُْ َ​َ ُ َْ ْ َْ َ َ َ َ َ َ 4 ‫ ﻟﻠﻬﺐ ۝‬ َ 4 ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ُ ‫ﺛﻼ‬ ْ َ ‫;ﻏﻬﺎ‬ َ ِ ‫ﻓﻐﻲﻨ‬ ‫ﺎﻛﻟﻘﺮﺼ‬ ‫ﺑﺮﺸ‬ ‫ﺗﺮﻲﻣ‬ ‫ ﻻ‬ ‫ﻇﻠﻴﻞ‬ ‫ﻻ‬ ‫۝‬ ‫ﺷﻌﺐ‬ ? ‫ﻇﻞ‬ Depart ye to a shadow (of ِ ِ ‫ ﻏﻄﻠﻘﻮ ِ;ﻰﻟ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ٍ ِ ِ ٍ ِ ٍ

smoke ascending) in three columns (which yields) no shade of coolness and is of no use against the fierce blaze. Indeed, it throws out sparks (huge) as forts. (Q.77:30-32). (The most destructive components in volcanic eruptions are ash falls, steam columns and directed blasts. Ash fall is a slow process whereby ash continues to fall on roofs and trees, until such time that roofs and trees collapse. Steam columns from a volcano have an upward thrust for thousands of feet into the air, and may reach a temperature as hot as 6000 C. Because of gravity, these hot columns which are composed partly of solid matter, would fall to the ground, and then would creep down the mountain-side, pushing away and burning everything in their path. This is called the “Death Cloud”, and it is this, not the lava, that is devastating and destructive). A huge volcano can cause a deep fissure in the earth with rivers of fire which could be compared to one area of Hell as a bottomless pit of smoke and fire (Q.101:1-11). Seismology (from the Greek seismos meaning to shake) is a study of earthquakes and the waves they create. Earthquakes can crack the ground, make buildings collapse, and create tsunamis (large sea waves). An earthquake originates at a faulty point deep in the Earth called the focus or the epicentre. Rocks moving along the fault line cause vibrations which are carried as waves through the earth. On the other hand, Earth tides could also be produced by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the Earth, causing the ocean's waters to splash, which in turn raise or lower stress on faults roughly twice a day, triggering earthquakes. The Richter scale is not an instrument. It is only a measure of the amplitude of seismic waves, estimated from the recordings of an earthquake on a seismograph. The earthquake that rocked Alaska in 1964 was of magnitude 9.2 while earthquake in Chile in 1960 was 9.5. Earthquakes and volcanoes are among the most terrifying natural disasters because they are unpredictable, sudden, and devastating. Most earthquakes occur along fractures in the Earth's crust called faults. Earthquakes occur when vast plates, or rocks, within the Earth suddenly break or shift under stress, sending shock waves. There are half a million earthquakes around the world every year; some of them are too weak to be felt but most of them are under oceans. It seems that animals can sense the coming of earthquakes before they occur and they run together to safer grounds.

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Scientific Commentary of Suratul Faateh ah (A Pharos Media Publication)

ْ َ ُ ُ ُ ُْ َ َ ‫ﺣﺮﺸ‬ ِ ‫ ﻟﻮﺣﻮ‬ ِ And when the wild beasts are herded together… (Q.81:5). The most memorable case

of an earthquake prediction based on abnormal animal behaviour was by the Chinese when they evacuated the city of Haicheng on February 4, 1975. Following the evacuation, an earthquake of magnitude 7.3 levelled the city. However, a year later on July 27, 1976, an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 destroyed Tangshan, also in northeast China without any warning, killing 655,237 people. (The greatest toll was taken in Shensi, China in 1556 when nearly 1,000,000 people were killed). Following almost any sizeable earthquake, there are lesser earthquakes called after-shocks. As soon as we feel an earthquake, a safer place would be to go immediately under the frame of a door or under a desk, in case the ceiling falls. The theory of plate tectonics states that the earth's surface is broken into more than a dozen large solid slabs or plates some 30 to 90 miles thick which lie over hot and flowing mantle. These rocky tectonic plates which are floating on top of a weaker rocky layer collide with each other causing earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. Earthquakes can be produced experimentally by triggering underground nuclear blasts and also by injecting fluid into deep wells for waste disposal. Seismometers in Canada and the United States picked up the waves in May 1992 when China detonated an underground nuclear test, and the waves travelled through the Earth thousands of miles. An earthquake can kill millions, cause buildings to collapse, fires to be ignited and produce megatsunami waves which can cause many deaths and much damage. A strong and greatly devastating one occurred on Dec. 26, 2004 off the western coast of Indonesia. Besides Indonesia, it also affected the Andaman Islands, the eastern coast of India as well as Sri Lanka. Some deep-sea earthquakes called fore-shocks send out early-warning signals and an effort has been made to put in place an early warning system for possible earthquakes to facilitate evacuation and management of post-disaster effects. An aftermath of earthquakes is food shortage, polluted water and consequent diseases. The theory of plate tectonics explains the concepts of continental drift, wandering of Earth’s poles and magnetic field reversals into a single causation. The shapes of the South American and African coastlines match, suggesting the possibility that these continents were once joined together. The plate tectonic theory also explains how the magnetic polarity of the earth has changed several times throughout the earth's history. The earth’s magnetic field has periodically reversed direction. The last such reversal was some 780,000 years ago. In Q.33:11, Allah tests the believers through earthquakes while Q.22:1-2 predict the end of the world. Q.99:1-3 pictures the Earth cracking in few places to expel its boiling molten contents, either through a huge impact from an extra-terrestrial object or by an underground nuclear blast. It is obvious that a nuclear site should not be built in an earthquake prone area. A nova (Latin: novus) means new and denotes a new star. Actually such a star would be actually already present but not visible to the naked eye, but when it exploded thousands of light years ago and became thousands of times brighter it became visible to the naked eye as seen from the Earth, even during the day. A dozen or so novas occur in the Milky Way (Earth’s Galaxy) each year. The star explosively emits some of its mass as gas responsible for its brightness and radiates dangerous electromagnetic waves. It then gradually cools down to become a white dwarf. A supernova is a giant explosion involving a star that is a dozen or more times as massive as the sun. It is much more destructive than a nova and a much rarer event. The Chinese recorded a supernova over 2,000 years ago when it was visible during daylight for a period of 23 days. A supernova could irradiate the Earth with deadly cosmic radiation. It may even fry us with little notice. These stellar explosions generate energy particles known as cosmic rays that can cause mutations in terrestrial organisms. They may cause leukaemia in children and make their hair grey and fall off, like the hair in old people. But a supernova has to be within a distance of 30 light years of the Earth for it to destroy life on Earth by its radiation. Fortunately, there is no other star except the sun within that range, and the sun does not have the minimum critical mass to become a supernova in future.

Supernova:

ً ُ َْ ُ​ُ ْ َ َ َ َ َْ ْ ُ َ ْ َ ً ْ َ ْ ُ ْ َ َ ْ َ ُ 4 َ َ ْ َ َ ً ٌ َ ْ ُ %‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ُ َ 4 ‫ﺷﻴﺒﺎ‬ ‫ﻣﻔﻌﻮﻻ‬ ‫ﺑﻪ ۚ ﺎﻛ ﻋﺪ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻣﻨﻔﻄﺮ‬ ِ ‫ ﻟﻮ‬ ِ ِ ‫ ﻓﻜﻴﻒ ﻳﺘﻘﻮ ِ; ﻛﻔﺮﻳﻢ ﻳﻮﻣﺎ ﺠﻳﻌﻞ‬Then how shall you, if you

disbelieve (Allah), guard yourself against a Day that will make children hoary-headed? Whereon the sky will be cleft asunder? His Promise needs must be accomplished. (Q.73:17-18). Supernovas could light up the night skies. An example of this is the Crab Nebula of July 4, 1050 which appeared in the sky very close to the crescent moon.

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Although some scientists believe that dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago by the impact on the Earth of a large comet or asteroid, radiation with cosmic rays from a nearby supernova could have been the culprit. Everything might have been destroyed by blasts of X-rays, ultra–violet rays and cosmic rays. The Earth is a magnet, complete with North and South Poles. The Earth’s magnetism is generated some 3,000 kilometres under our feet by the stirring of our planet’s liquid iron core. Its magnetic field acts as a protective shield for living cells, by deflecting cosmic rays and other high-energy particles from outer space which can destroy life and/or cause mutations. About 50 percent of all rocks studied are magnetised opposite to the Earth’s present magnetic field, which implies that the field has flipped frequently over time. The earth's inner core, a 500-mile ball of iron, is moving faster than the earth's surface. This spinning ball inside a ball may be a major force generating the earth's magnetic field. (Some animals, such as pigeons, other birds, turtles and fish including whales, may use the Earth's magnetic field for direction finding. The Aurora Borealis is caused by the Earth’s magnetic field and its interaction with ionised particles). The flow of liquid iron in the outer core sets up electrical currents that produce Earth’s magnetic field by a dynamo effect. Many times in the past 4 million years or so, the Earth’s magnetic field has completely reversed. Within a space of 10,000 years or so, the North and South Poles exchange places, the north becoming south and vice-versa. The possibility exists that if the Earth is moving in an anticlockwise direction, it would stop and then move in a clockwise direction. At the midpoint of each reversal cycle, there is no magnetic field of the Earth and hence all life may be destroyed. (Some scientists say that there is no danger to human life in the absence of a magnetic field since the atmosphere would still stop most of the cosmic and solar radiation). Should all life not be destroyed, the cosmic rays and the high energy particle radiation from outer space would act on our reproductive organs, causing global sterility and with the passage of time the last person on this earth would die out, due to natural or man-made causes. When the Earth which was moving in an anti-clockwise direction now begins to move clockwise, the sun will rise in the West instead. (A strong argument against this theory is that the Earth would continue to spin anti-clockwise about its axis exactly as before and not change its direction of rotation, but only the earth’s magnetic field would be slowly reversed over a period of 10,000 years or so, and then, a magnetic compass will point South instead of North; the Sun would continue to rise in the East as before, with the Earth also rotating on its original axis. However if a much stronger extra-terrestrial electromagnetic force or any other such mechanism were to reverse the earth’s actual rotation, then the sun would appear to rise from the West).

Magnetic reversal of Earth’s polarity:

َُ 4 ُ َُ َ ْ َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ َ ْ َ k‫ﺣ‬ 4 َ ‫ ﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ‬ ْ ‫ ﻟﺸﻤﺲ‬ ُ ْ 4 ‫ﻳﻄﻠﻊ‬ ‫ﻣﻐﺮﺑﻬﺎ‬ ‫ ﻻ ﻳﻘﻮ‬The Hour will not be established till the sun rises from the West. ِ ِ​ِ

(Hadīth Bukhāri).

Chemical weapons destroy men, women and children but leave buildings and equipment intact. The injuries they cause are more serious than bullet wounds. Local irritants like mustard gases act mainly on the skin and mucous membranes. Chlorine and phosgene cause bronchopneumonia. Hydrogen cyanide and the organophosphorous compounds are deployed as dispersible droplets, which even in small amounts cause paralysis and death by acting on the nervous system. There are three main types of weapons: beam weapons, kinetic weapons, and missiles. Beam weapons are lasers and particle beams. Kinetic weapons are coil guns, rail guns, and shrapnel weapons. Missiles are projectile devices. Most powerful weapon is the nuclear bomb. Hydrogen bombs, neutron bombs and cobalt bombs are classified as thermonuclear weapons. The radioactive particles produced by an atom bomb are so light and invisible that they would drift around the Earth endlessly without settling or may fall down with rain. The radioactive cloud could drift due to the direction of the wind, to other parts of the world. A nuclear cloud may envelope the Earth, act on our reproductive organs over a period of years causing mass sterility of men and women, and the last person on this Earth would die out. Moreover, long-lived isotopes in the nuclear fall-out, especially strontium-90 with a half-life of 28 years, and Cesium-137 can cause leukaemia, bone and other cancers. Smokes from fires ignited by nuclear blasts will ultimately block sunlight and chill the Earth, causing crops to fail, and threaten the survivors of war with starvation. In a nuclear war, more people would die

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of starvation in neutral countries than would die in the nations at war from the direct effects of nuclear explosions. Smoke plumes may rise six miles and higher. Disastrous consequences to humans from a nuclear war are not the blast wave, not the thermal wave, not direct radiation, not even fall-out; rather it is mass starvation. Continued development of new nuclear weapons like the nuclear pumped X-ray laser which is a component of the Star Wars programme, may have as yet unidentified deleterious effects on the environment. A powerful underground nuclearŮŽ explosion could disintegrate the entire Earth.

Ů? ŮŽŮ’ Ă‘ŮŽŮ’ Ů? Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ă‘ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů’ 4 Ů? ŮŽ Ă‘ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďť&#x;ﺒﺎ‏ 4Ů? â€ŤďťŁďť¨ďş’ďşœďşŽâ€Ź %‍ﺑﺴﺎ Ű? ďť“ďşŽďťœďş– ﺒﺎ‏ ;Ů? When the Earth shall be shaken to its depths, and the Ů? ŮŽ ‍ ďş&#x;ďş–  ďş&#x;ﺎ Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ﺑﺴﺖ‏

mountains shall be crumbled to atoms, becoming dust scattered abroad‌ (Q.56:4-6). Is it possible that earthquakes can be created in any targeted country by blasting a powerful nuclear underground bomb whose explosive force is directed towards the selected country by a contra coup mechanism? In these days of underground nuclear explosions, experimental and weaker at present, but maybe more powerful in the future, intended to cause earthquakes in an enemy country, there is a strong possibility of the Earth cracking up in two or more places, with out-pouring of the molten metal mass near the Earth’s centre into the surface of the sea and land, thus causing boiling water to flood and envelope the Earth. All life would perish in this boiling َ َ mass, َ apart from the َ fact that the Earth would

ŮŽŮŽ ŮŽŮ’

Ů? Ů’ Ů’

ŮŽ Ů’

ŮŽŮŽ Ů’

Ů? Ů’ Ů’

ŮŽ Ů’Ů? ŮŽ

ŮŽ stop rotating, with disastrous consequences. â€Ťďť‹ďť˜ďşŽďť&#x;ﺎ‏F ‍ﺧﺎďş&#x;ďş– ‏F Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ďş°ďť&#x;ďş–  Ů? ďť&#x;ďş° ďť&#x;ﺎ Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? ;Ů?

ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ

When the Earth is convulsed like an earthquake and the Earth expels what is within it. (Q.99:1-2). ‍‏

Ů?ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů?ŮŽ 4 Ů? Ů? Ů’ŮŽ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ ﺔ‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎ ďş&#x;ﺔ Ű? ďş—ďş˜ďş’ďťŒﺎ‏ One day everything that can be in commotion will be in violent commotion, ‍ﺗﺎďş&#x;‏ Ů? Ů?

followed by oft-repeated (commotions),â€? (Q.79:6-7). It is likely that when the Earth cracks up due to an underground nuclear explosion, people will feel giddy (vertigo) and pregnantŮŽ women will suffer spontaneous abortions and miscarriages. ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮŽ Ů’ 4 ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů‘Ů? Ů? Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů?4 Ů? ŮŽŮŽŮ’ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ

Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ â€Ťďť‹ďťˆ Ű?‏ Ů’ 4 ‍ ďť&#x;ďş°ďť&#x;ﺔ‏ ŮŽ ‍ ďş ďşŽ ďťłďť˜‏ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍‏ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŽ ; Űš ‍ ďş‘ďťœ‏ ŮŒ Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎﺔ‏ 4 ‍َﺎ ﺎ‏ ‍ﺣ ďť¤ďşŁďť ďťŹďşŽâ€Ź Ů? Ů? Ů’ ‍ﺗﺎ ďť?ﺎ ďş—ﺏďťž ‏ Ů? Ů? %n Ů? ‍ ďşżďťŒďş– ﺗ ‏F â€ŤďťŁďşŽďşżďťŒďş” ďť—ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? ŮŒ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů° ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ 4 ŮŽŮŽŮŽ ‍ﺡﺪﺪ‏ ‍ ďş—ﺎ ďş ďşŽ ďşłďşŽďťœ ﺎ  Ů?ďş‘ďş´ďşŽďťœâ€Ź Ů? ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďť&#x;ďťœ ďť‹ﺏ‏

O mankind! Fear Allah! For the convulsion of the Hour will be a thing terrible! The day shall see it, every mother giving suck shall forget her suckling-babe, and every pregnant female will drop her load. You shall see mankind as in a drunken riot, yet not drunk; but dreadful will be the wrath of Allah. (Q.22:1-2). Chemical and biological weapons are called the poor man’s atom bomb, because the technology required to produce them is much cheaper, costing only a few thousand dollars and a couple of biochemists. They are considered as weapons of mass destruction just like nuclear bombs. It costs only $1.00 in terms of biological and chemical weapons to target one square kilometre, as compared to $2,000.00 for conventional weapons. The deployment of chemical and biological weapons can exceed the killing power of nuclear weapons, by killing the enemy’s total military force, a country’s population, destroying food supplies, livestock, crops in the fields, and the trees, yet leaving buildings and other structures intact. It consists of a toxic agent and a delivery device. Simple ones like chlorine, hydrogen cyanide, mustard gas have given way to fluorocarbons and organophosphates (nerve gas). (Organophosphates are commonly used as insecticides). More powerful nerve agents are tabun, sarin, soman, GF, GE, VE, VG, VM and VX. These are all cholinesterase inhibitors preventing destruction of acetylcholine. A lethal dose of VX could fit on a pin’s head. Death occurs within 15 minutes. Vesicants like Lewisite, Mustard-Lewisite, Nitrogen mustards, and Sulphur mustards blister the skin and lungs. Cyanogen chloride and Hydrogen cyanide cause seizures and cardiac arrest while Chlorine, Chloropicrin, Diphosgene and Phosgene damage the lungs causing pulmonary oedema. More dangerous than chemicals are biological agents which include viruses, bacilli, rickettsia causing diseases some of which are anthrax, bubonic plague, smallpox, typhus and others. A seed culture of anthrax bacillus could be grown into massive quantities in just a few days. Genetic engineering can further enhance virulence of any germ and could target some selected ethnic groups to be wiped out. Another class of toxins includes the deadly botulin and ricin. One gram (about a quarter teaspoon) of botulism toxin can kill 10 million people. For comparison, an atomic bomb equivalent to 12.5 Kilotons of

Chemical and biological warfare:

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TNT can kill 100,000 persons and a hydrogen bomb of one megaton would kill 2 million while a single aircraft can dispense 200 Kgms. of bacteria (anthrax spores) which can kill 3 million. We must remember that the root cause of war cannot be eradicated by banning nuclear weapons, poison gases and germ warfare, because the threat will always exist. The problem can only be solved by leaving aside racial disharmony and religious differences, and accepting humankind as one family. ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ

Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‹ Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů° ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 Ů? 4 ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ 4 Ů’ Ů? ŮŽŮ’ 4 ŮŽŮ’ Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ 4 ŮŽ 4 ; ŮŒ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďť˘ ŮŽﺧ‏ ŮŒ ŮŽ ‍ ﺑ‏ ‍ﺒﺎ‏ ‍ ďş&#x;ďťŒďť ďť¨ďşŽďť› ﺡďťŒﺑﺎ‏k‍ďť?‏F ‍ ďť›ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎďťœ Ů?ďť‹ﺪ‏F ;Ů? Űš ‍ ﺒﺎﺋ Ů?ﺤďť›ďťŒďşŽ ďť“‏ Ů? Űš â€Ťďťłďť˜ďşŽďť›‏F ‍ ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺎ ﺎ ďş ďşŽ Ů?;ﺎ ďş§ďť ďť˜ﺎ Ů?‏

O mankind! We have created you from a single male and single female and have made you into nations and tribes so that you may know each other (not despise each other). Lo! The more honoured among you in the sight of Allah is the more righteous. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (Q.49:13). If we look at our family tree far enough, we find that we, human beings, belong to one couple: father Adam and mother Eve. Hence, we are all blood relatives.

Much research and attention is being paid to chemical and biological warfare (C&BW.). Biological weapons have existed for centuries. The Greeks and the Romans over 2,000 years ago used decaying corpses to poison drinking water. During the World War II, the Japanese used prisoners of war to experiment with small-pox, anthrax, plague and other diseases. Scientists are now thinking seriously how to protect a nation from viruses causing yellow fever, hemorrhagic fevers and others, and from bacteria causing anthrax, plague and botulism, as well as venoms, toxins and parasites. Before the Apollo Moon Mission in 1965, scientists thought of the possibility that the crew might bring back to our planet Earth some unknown and deadly organisms which would wipe out mankind in one fierce epidemic. The astronauts were even quarantined for three weeks upon their return. However, there is a new threat now from genetic engineering, wherein we extract DNA of one organism and mix it with DNA of another, making hybrid organisms that never existed before. With genetic engineering, we can change the inherited characteristics in a predetermined way by altering its genetic material. Such scientific experiments in gene manipulation may have benefits in stem cell research but they may also have potential and alarming dangers. When human stem cells are added to developing animal foetuses, the products are called chimeras, after the mythical Greek creature with a lion's head, a goat's body and a serpent's tail. A chimera is a mixture of two or more individuals in a single body. (Most twins carry at least a few cells from the other sibling when they were together in the womb. Recipients of organ transplants are also chimeras, and also those whose heart valves have been replaced with those from pigs or cows. Experimentally, human genes are added to bacteria or to farm animals with a view to manufacture human proteins such as insulin for use as medicines). Scientists have created half-human and half-animal creatures at Shanghai Second Medical university by fusing human cells with rabbit eggs while in Minnesota they have created pigs with human blood running through their bodies, and at Stanford University in California they have created mice with human brain. In Nevada, there are sheep whose livers and hearts are largely human. Many years ago, in Oxford University, they joined the cell of a mouse to the cell of a man and the culture had half characteristics of mouse andŮŽ half of man. ŮŽ ŮŽ

Monster microbes and hybrid animals:

Ů‹4 ŮŽ Ů’ Ů?ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů?Ů’ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 4 Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů‘Ů? ŮŽ Ů? Ů’ Ů’ ‍‏ ŮŽ Ů? ‍ ﺑﺔ‏ ‍‏ F ‍  ďş—ďťœďť ďť¤ďťŹďť˘â€Ź ‍ﺧﺎďş&#x;ﺎ ďť&#x;‏F â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘â€Ź ‍ €  ďť&#x;ďť˜‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑﺂﺎﺗﺎ ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ ďş ďşŽ ﺎ‏ Ů? Ů? And when the Word is

fulfilled against them, We shall produce from the Earth a Beast to (face) them. He will speak to them for that mankind did not believe with assurance in our signs. (Q.27:82).

ŮŽ Ů? 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽŮ’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? 4 Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ Ů’ Ů‹ ŮŽ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎďť?‏ ‍ ﺨďť&#x;ﺎ ﺎ ďť—ďş’ﺪ‏ ‹ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť˜ﺎ‏ ‍ ďť?ďş?‏ ‍ ďş‘ Űš  ďť&#x;ďťŒ ﺑ‏ Ů? Ů? â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŞ ďş&#x;ďťŒďťž Ů?‏ Ů? Ů? ‍‌ Ů? Ů?ďť&#x;ďťš ďşœďş‘ďş” Ů?ďť‹ﺪ‏those who incurred the Ů?

curse of Allah and His Wrath, those of whom some He transformed into apes and swine, those who worshipped evil‌ (Q.5:60). In spite of objections by the public, experiments in genetic engineering, some for good of mankind but others for their detriment, are presently in progress.

ŮŽ Ů‹ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? Ů’ Ů? ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů? Ů’ ŮŽ Ů? Ů? ŮŽŮ‘ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ 4 ŮŽ ŮŽ ŮŽ â€Ťďş§ďşŽďşłďşŒ‏ ‹ ‍ ďť“ďť ďť¤ďşŽ ďť—ďş˜ ďť— ﺎ ďť? ďť— ďť—ďť ďť¨ďşŽ ďť&#x; ďť› Ů?ďť—ﺎ‏When in their insolence they transgressed (all) prohibition, Ů? Ů?

We said to them: ‘Be ye apes, despised and rejected.’ (Q.7:166). There shall come to pass, sinking of the Earth and transformation into monsters and ugly beings among my followers and that will be among those who will not believe in Qadr (Taqdir). (Hadith).

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There is also a Ḥadith which says that one of the signs of the Hour would be when the slave girl would give birth to her mistress. Although surrogate motherhood has been in existence for many years by borrowing someone else’s womb, with genetic engineering the mother would be able to choose the features she wants, e.g. blue eyes, fair skin, brain with highest IQ, and other desirable traits. Greenhouse gases comprise water, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. They act like glass in a glass-house trapping the re-radiated infrared energy. The two most plentiful greenhouse gases are water vapour (H2O) and CO2. Other less plentiful ones include methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Elevated surface temperatures due to other greenhouse gases enhance water evaporation and contribute to a water cycle that stimulates further surface temperature increases. A greenhouse gas filters the sun’s rays, allowing the shorter wavelengths (such as visible light, and also the ultraviolet light which we cannot see) to pass through but absorbs the longer wavelengths like infrared (which gives us warmth) by reflecting it back towards space as hot infrared radiation. Greenhouse gases absorb the heat and trap it in the atmosphere. Without these, the Earth would be a frozen planet. However, of late, the temperature on the Earth seems to be gradually increasing making global warming a matter of concern. While burning of forests can also damage the ecosystem, the human-triggered disasters that result in global warming could drown cities and ruin harvests. Scientists have conducted several studies about how global warming will affect weather, sea levels, coastlines, agriculture, wildlife, tsunamis and human health. Global warming would boost outbreaks of infectious diseases and worsen shortages of water and food in some countries thus creating a new group of climate refugees fleeing uninhabitable regions. We only need the temperature to increase by 2o C above the maximum endurable level (expected in the middle of this century) that we may experience the harsh and devastating effects. Ocean levels are rising twice as fast today as a century ago, and human-induced warming seems to be the culprit. The rate is almost two millimetres per year today compared to one millimetre 150 years ago. During the past 20 years, about three-quarters of man-made carbon dioxide emissions were from burning fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal). The Earth’s positive imbalance between emissions and absorption of carbon dioxide results in the continuing accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide, the most abundant greenhouse gas, is a product of many natural processes, e.g. the burning or decay of organic matter such as plants; the respiration of animals, which breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide; volcanic eruptions; etc. Carbon dioxide is eliminated when it is absorbed by plants through photosynthesis which breaks the carbon dioxide releasing oxygen into the atmosphere and binding the carbon into new plant tissue and wood. Carbon dioxide also leaves the atmosphere when it is absorbed by ocean water. Levels of carbon dioxide rise in the atmosphere when we burn fossil fuels (by driving cars), garbage, and wood. Carbon dioxide and methane are not only emitted from biological sources, e.g. termites, cockroaches and other insects, but also from underwater venting from oilfields, and also by the action on sunlight on asphalt. Deforestation of trees increases the carbon dioxide level by reducing photosynthesis. Therefore, the simplest way to reduce CO2 levels is to preserve trees and to plant more. Trees, especially young and fast-growing ones take in a great deal of carbon dioxide, break it down in photosynthesis, and store the carbon in new wood. Carbon dioxide can also be injected and stored underground in oil wells which give an additional advantage of yielding more oil. Methane traps over 20 times more heat than carbon dioxide. Methane comes from landfills and rotting organic wastes, agriculture, coal mines, oil and gas operations, and as a by-product of digestion in cows and other animals. It represents 9 % of total emissions. Nitrous oxide, also called ‘laughing gas’ (5 % of total emissions) comes from burning fossil fuels and through the use of certain fertilisers and industrial processes. Nitrous oxide traps over 270 times more heat than does the same amount of carbon dioxide. Chlorofluorocarbons, best known for their tendency to destroy Earth’s high-altitude ozone layer, also act as atmospheric heat retainers. They come from aluminium smelting plants, from refrigerators where they are used as coolants and also from manufacture of foams used for insulation. Although nuclear energy does not release carbon dioxide, the cost of nuclear waste disposal is high. Solar energy, wind power, and hydrogen fuel cells do not emit greenhouse gases. Green house gases keep the heat above the Earth by blocking the escape of infrared rays. The concentration of CO2 in the

Greenhouse Gases:

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atmosphere has been steadily increasing due to man-made activities which in turn are responsible for the temperature rise. This leads to melting of our polar ice caps such as what occurred recently when a huge sheet of Antarctic ice melted. Clouds cool the earth by reflecting sunlight while oceans act as a storehouse of heat. Although it is difficult to prove that increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases are responsible for the recent global warming, scientists are pointing their finger at it. Most scientists believe that human activity is responsible for global warming, not cosmic radiation. The main cause of global warming is the burning of fossil fuels, which increases the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere. The average temperature of the Earth has increased by about 1o F in the last 50 years or so, and our scientists predict it would increase by 3.5 in the next 100 years. Doubling of the carbon dioxide concentration may increase sea level by 50 inches and when that happens, many low lying countries could be under water. It seems that we are now entering a phase of progressive warming of the Earth. Carbon dioxide contributes approx. 50 % to the greenhouse effect while methane accounts for 20%, CFC 15% and N2O 5%. During the last 10 years, 6 billion tons of CO2 were released annually by burning coal, oil and gas for generating heat, electricity and for transport, and nearly 2 billion tons from deforestation, whether the downed trees were burned or not. Plants behave like living thermostats maintaining the Earth’s temperature at a comfortable level. This has caused 30% increase in the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere and is increasing at about 1% per year. It has been found that more energy is absorbed from the sun by the Earth than reflected back into space, causing an imbalance. This is as a consequence of increasing atmospheric pollution by carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, soot and others which block radiant heat from escaping into space while increasing absorption of sunlight, thus driving the Earth towards a warmer climate. Plants and animals determine the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide and methane, which comprise the “greenhouse” gases that raise the Earth’s temperature. Carbon dioxide and methane trap the heat radiated by the Earth, thereby warming our planet. Global temperatures are already rising. This may cause oceans to expand and glaciers of the Arctic and the Antarctic to melt. Sea levels will rise and climate zones will shift causing national calamities. Climate change and raised sea level would erode our sea shores. For every one centimetre rise in sea level, one metre of sandy beach on the outer coast would erode under the continuous of the waves. ْ َ pounding َ َ َ

َ ْ ْ َ 4 ْ َ​َ َْ​َ َ َ ْ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ َ ُ ُ ْ َ ‫ ﻷ‬ ْ ‫ﻏﻨﻘﺼﻬﺎ‬ ‫ﻃﺮ ﻓﻬﺎ‬F ¹‫ﻧﺄ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﻢ ﻳﺮ ﻛﻧﺎ‬F See they not that We gradually reduce the land from its outlying

borders? (Q.13:41; 21:44). The level of CO2 will double by the middle of the 21st century, because of the burning of fossil fuels and destruction of tropical rain forests. We are already too late to stop the temperature increase, estimated at between 1.5o and 4.5o C, due to take place in the next 20 or 30 years. Even if the global warming stops in the year 2030, sea levels will continue to rise for another 100 years. (Sea-level changes will complicate life in many coastal regions. Doubling of the carbon dioxide concentration may increase sea level by 50 inches. A one metre rise could submerge some areas of Bangladesh, Holland, China and many islands. Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, has lost much of its snow and the Himalayan glaciers are shrinking forecasting flooding in India, China, Nepal and Bangladesh).

Aerosols and the ozone layer: Ozone is being formed in the stratosphere since millions of years by the action of sunlight (ultraviolet light) on O2. Such concentrations at ground level are dangerous to breathe and can harm the lungs. The steady concentration of ozone in the stratosphere depends on the balancing processes of formation and destruction of ozone. When ultraviolet (UV) light strikes a molecule of oxygen, ozone is formed. It is a highly poisonous gas with a strong odour. Ozone (O3) readily absorbs UV light and dissociates into O2 and O. In the lower atmosphere, ozone is formed when oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbons emitted from motor vehicles, power plants and other sources come together in presence of sunlight and water vapour. The stratosphere is one of the middle layers of the atmosphere that starts some ten miles above the Earth’s surface and extends to a height of about 30 miles. While ozone in the stratosphere is beneficial as it protects us, animals and also plants from the sun’s UV rays, ozone in the lower atmosphere or troposphere is a pollutant and the chief component of smog which damages trees, plants and animals. Ozone will react with anything in sight including lung and eye tissues. Pollution of the lower

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atmosphere by ozone and carbon monoxide is a continuing cause for concern. Increase in ground-level ozone is significantly associated with an increase in mortality rates. Stratospheric ozone is just as harmful to breathe, but nobody is up there to breathe it. In this region, ozone molecules created by solar radiation, form a protective blanket around the Earth and absorb most of the UV light from the sun, preventing it from reaching the Earth. Humans are thinning this blanket by releasing ozone-destroying chlorine and bromine atoms into the atmosphere. Small amounts of chlorine readily destroy very large quantities of ozone. Ozone has been found to be more depleted in the Antarctic than in the Arctic, referred to as the “ozone hole”. Harmful ultraviolet rays passing through this hole can break up DNA molecules in humans, animals and plants, and increase the incidence of malignant melanomas, skin cancers and cataracts, and may also harm marine life and crops. Sensitive crops like soya beans are easily destroyed by the increase in UV radiation caused by depletion of the ozone layer in the upper stratosphere. Chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) at ground level rise unchanged into the stratosphere. CFCs, used as propellants in aerosol spray cans, as foam blowing, as refrigerants in freezers and air-conditioning machines, as solvents in the electronic industry, and in inhalers being used daily by millions of asthmatic patients, release free chlorine in the presence of sunlight. This free chlorine depletes the ozone in the ozone layer present some 15 miles above the Earth. CFCs in aerosols contribute some 25 % while medical aerosol inhalers only 0.5 %. If fluorocarbons are allowed to increase every year, the ozone might be depleted by a substantial amount in a few decades again. This might be enough to destroy all life including mankind. Millions of tons of CFC have already been released into the environment. Although in 1978, the USA banned the use of CFC in aerosol products like deodorants, hair sprays, etc., what is already present in the stratosphere will still be reacting with the ozone molecules for nearly 100 years to come, because CFC has a half life of nearly 100 years. This has been a source of serious concern to the environmentalists. This damage responsible for the ‘ozone hole’ has been blamed on chlorine derived not only from hydrocarbons but also from other chemicals such as carbon tetracholoride, methylchloroform and bromine-containing halons from fire extinguishers. Oxides of nitrogen emitted from engines of supersonic planes operating in the stratosphere, also react with the ozone. Bromine (used in the manufacturing of plastic and fungicides for crops), nitrates (used as fertilisers) and chlorine (used for treating water and sewage) may also threaten the ozone layer. Bromine is so effective in depleting the ozone layer that if injected into the stratosphere over enemy territory, bromine could cause mass destruction of crops. Also, natural phenomena including volcanic eruptions and the 11-year sunspots of the solar cycle may reduce the ozone content of the stratosphere. In the stratosphere there are two forms of oxygen: normal oxygen O2 consisting of two oxygen atoms and ozone O3 consisting of three oxygen atoms. The UV-light coming from the sun can transform one into another. In sunlight, the nitrogen dioxide reacts with O2 to form O3 and nitrous oxide. In the dark, the reaction reverses and destroys ozone to make NO2 and O2. Ozone protects us from the UV-C and UV-B radiation of the sun which damages molecules in human, plant and marine cells. Nitrogen oxide produced by combustion engines (power plants, boilers, heaters, incinerators, trucks, and automobiles), is a mixture of about 90 % nitrous oxide (NO2) and 10 % nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Gamma-ray bursts which originate in distant galaxies are billions of times more powerful than those of the sun. Although we are protected by Earth's atmosphere from most of such deadly X rays and gamma rays, the radiation could create nitrogen oxides that would destroy the ozone layer. In the absence of ozone layer, ultraviolet rays from the sun would cause skin cancers and kill the photosynthetic plankton in the ocean that release oxygen in the atmosphere. The gamma-ray bursts observed so far have been extremely distant, which implies the events are rare. Most of the ozone is in the stratosphere, with about 8% in the lower troposphere. In the electromagnetic radiation spectrum, the region beyond the violet (wavelength ~ 400 nanometre nm) invisible to eye detection is called UV rays. (Its wavelength is shorter than 400 nm. UV is divided into three regions: wavelength of UV-A = 400–320 nm; UV-B = 320-280 nm; UV-C, =<280 nm. Photons of UV-C have most energy. UV-A radiation is needed by humans for the synthesis of vitamin-D but too much UV-A causes aging of the skin, suppression of the immune system and cataract formation. Ozone strongly absorbs UV-B and C. Very little UV-C from the sun reaches the Earth’s surface due to ozone absorption). The nontoxic and nonflammable chlorofluorohydrocarbons known as CFCs or Freon are used as refrigerants for fridge and air conditioners; also in aerosol spray, and dry cleaning liquid, foam blowing

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agents and cleansers for electronic components. CFCs are difficult to be destroyed. A recent concern is the depletion of ozone due to the presence of chlorine in the troposphere, and eventually their migration to the stratosphere. A major source of chlorine is Freon. The U.S. and Canadian governments have banned the use of Freon in aerosol sprays, but their use in air conditioner and cooling machines continue.

Other pollutants: DDT and related chemicals such as malathion and chlordane block

photosynthesis in plants which may lead to human beings choking to death for lack of oxygen. Chemicals used in pesticides including phenoxyherbicides, dioxides, arsenicals, and organochlorines such as dicophane (DDT) have been implicated as carcinogens. Boys with urogenital birth defects are 33% more common in villages sprayed with DDT. Agent Orange (containing dioxin) used in Vietnam was responsible for thousands of miscarriages and birth defects. Industrial pollutants such as diesel particles, dioxins and others can disrupt foetal development and impair reproductive function. The average worker may be exposed to formaldehyde from adhesives, benzene from cleansing agents, toluene from solvents, ozone from copying machines, asbestos fibres from insulators, various bacteria and fungi circulated through ventilation systems, other insecticides, tobacco smoke, and other toxic substances from dumping of industrial radioactive wastes. Effluents from fibres fuelled by synthetic polymers are more toxic than those from fibres of natural polymers such as wood. When ignited, PVC and other pesticides very quickly emit copious quantities of hydrogen chloride, a highly toxic irritant which may cause the death of well-protected fire fighters. Muriatic acid fumes contain hydrogen chloride. However, a great benzene risk for most people comes from smoke auto-exhausts, household solvents and latex paints. All of our indoor air comes from outdoors, and yet most of volatile organic compounds in indoor air are from unregulated indoor sources. Hence indoor air levels of many pollutants which include household cleaning products are many times higher than outdoor levels. We spend 80 percent of our time indoors, and most of these in our own homes. Besides the sick building syndrome of airconditioned offices, carbon monoxide production by a faulty heater and nitrous dioxide in indoor air from gas cookers can also cause respiratory illnesses. POPs (persistent organic pollutants which include PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyls), wastes such as dangerous dioxins as well as agricultural pesticides such as DDT exist in our food, water, air and soil. POPs are by-products derived from pesticide applications, chemical manufacturing and incineration. POPs can travel thousands of miles from their sources. Food supplies such as fish, meat and dairy products such as milk and cheese are contaminated by POPs. More than a dozen POPs are culprits, viz. DDT, PCBs, dioxins, furans, toxaphene, chlordane, heptachlor, aldrin and dieldrin, endrin, mirex and hexachlorobenzene. POPs are insoluble in water but are readily absorbed in fatty tissue. Once they enter the body, they are absorbed by the fat and never leave the body. During post-mortem examinations of man, every little fatty tissue contained DDT and others. When larger fishes, birds and mammals eat smaller creatures, POPs get more concentrated in their bodies due to bioaccumulation. Insecticides such as DDT, diazinon and others used in homes, lawns and gardens, are one of the most frequently found pesticides in air, rain and fog. Most of us have such pollutants in our bodies. A breakdown product of the insecticide used to exterminate roaches, termites and fleas is found in our urine. Although DDT has been banned in the U.S. for more than 20 years, it is still found in the blood of Arctic polar bears and Mediterranean dolphins. Cancers and blood dyscrasias have been attributed to pollutants. Millions of children world-wide are exposed to organophosphate pesticides such as Malathion in their food. Most of us have dioxin, a known carcinogen and hormone disruptor, in our bodies. The rate of cancer among young children has been rising at a rate of nearly 1 percent per year during the past 20 years. Toxic wastes from steel mills, paper mills and other industries which are used in fertilisers contain highly toxic heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and arsenic, as well as dioxins. Radon is a colourless and odourless gas, present in almost all rocks and soils, particularly in granite. Radon emits high energy alpha particles during its decay to a stable isotope of lead and these can damage the bronchial epithelium. Radon gets into homes from building materials and ground water, but the main source is soil gas. Exposure to radon causes lung cancer in uranium miners. Ionising radiation has been with us since millions of years, mostly being emitted from the Earth’s core, and also through solar radiation. Some ten percent of radiation comes from medical diagnostic techniques, while only one percent could be attributed to nuclear fall out, occupational exposure and discharges from nuclear installations. Ionizing radiations like X-rays, gamma rays, and alpha and beta

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particles, have sufficient energy to ionise atoms by removing electrons from them, while other forms of radiation such as heat, light, radio waves and microwaves lack sufficient energy, and hence are called non-ionising radiation. X-rays and gamma rays are types of electromagnetic radiation which can penetrate further than alpha and beta particles. Alpha radiation is emitted from plutonium used in nuclear power plants, and also from radon. Alpha particles are slow moving and heavy, and though less penetrating than X-rays, they transfer greater amounts of ionizing energy to the affected cells. Although most such affected cells may die, some survivors exhibit chromosomal abnormalities and long term consequences such as cancer. Moreover, electromagnetic radiation, whether natural, or man made, including ultraviolet or infra-red, have harmful effects on humans. Salmon and other fish that travel long distances each year carry harmful toxins in their bodies known as PCBs which are toxic to other fish, seabirds and humans who eat them. Besides PCBs, most fish contain the poisonous mercury. Plastics industry damages the ozone layer by depleting millions of tons of ozone world-wide. Toothbrushes alone represent more than 100 million pounds of plastic waste each year. Contraceptive pills, PCBs, antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals in sewage may be responsible for sex change in fish, eels, oysters, and many animals.

Acid Rain: Pollutants from power plants, car exhausts and smoke from burning coal and garbage

contain sulphur and nitrogen compounds including nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide. They are key components of smog which can form acids that make up acid rain. Acid rain can kill forests, lakes and wild life. Vegetation and fish populations may dwindle. When coal and other fossil fuels like petroleum burn, they emit carbon particles and sulphur dioxide. Burning of vegetation, a common practice in the tropics, releases soot and several gases like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide. Tons of microscopic soot come from power plants, diesel-burning trucks, cars, and factories. These are responsible for smog, with acid deposition on trees and lakes. Smog also depletes the stratosphere’s ozone layer which absorbs damaging ultraviolet radiation. Warming of the Earth also takes place from the build up of greenhouse gases (especially CO2 and methane) that trap infrared radiation. Nitrous oxide in the atmosphere reacts with sunlight to make ground-level ozone contained in smog, which causes respiratory problems in man and damages crops. Acid rain is mostly due to sulphur dioxide. Both nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide are key components of soot which is responsible for the hazy view seen in many cities and which also causes respiratory symptoms. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides cause smog and acid rain which harms humans, corrodes paint and metal, damages soil and vegetation, acidifies surface waters, and kills fish and other animals that feed on aquatic organisms. Our water resources are being contaminated with chemicals like nitrates, phosphates, lead, arsenic, fluoride; pesticides; microbes causing gastroenteritis and other diseases. On encountering water in the atmosphere, they form sulphuric acid and nitric acid droplets. The carbon particles are responsible for decreased visibility. They may reach such levelsْ as to cause human beings to die from lack of oxygen. َ

ŮŽ Ů°ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŒ ŮŽ ŮŽ ‍ﺏ‏ Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ Then watch for the Day that the sky bring forth ŮŽ 4 n‍ďť?‏ Ů? ŮŽ Ů? %‍ ďť&#x;ﺴﺎ‏ ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ‍ﺎ ďş—ďť˜ďş?‏ ŮŒ Ů? F ‍ﺏ‏ Ů? ŮŽ 4 šâ€ŤďťłďťŽ َﺗﺄ‏ ‍”‏ Ű– ‍ ďş ďşŽâ€Ź ‍ﺒ Ű?‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‍ﺑﺪﺧﺎ‏ Ů?

a kind of smoke plainly visible, enveloping people; this will be a grievous penalty. (Q44:10-11). Mercury occurs naturally in coal and is relatively harmless until the coal is burned. Mercury is released through the chimneys into the atmosphere and gets transported with the wind. Mercury produces Minamata disease causing paralysis (Minamata Bay is a lake from which mercury-laden fish were eaten by the Japanese causing problems in the nervous system). Our cars and trucks are to be blamed for: (a) more than 50% smog; (b) cancer; (c) acid rain; (d) greenhouse gases; (e) poisonous carbon monoxide emissions; (f) millions of tons of solid waste annually stored for disposal or recycling (e.g., lead acid batteries, tyres, and used engine oil).

Reversal of the big bang: The universe is believed to have begun some 13.7 billion years ago in a grand explosion called the Big Bang. We learn about the Big Bang from COBE (cosmic background explorer satellite). The universe is still expanding from the force of that explosion at an ever-increasing rate. Distant galaxies are moving away from the Earth at very high speeds. However, the universe is much too orchestrated and organised with too great harmony for it to be labelled as a result of an accident. In fact, Allah says in Q.44:38-39 that the creation of universe was not an accident but there

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َ

َ ُ َُ 4 َ ْ َ ََْ​َ َ َ 4 َ was a definite purpose behind it. ‫ﻟﻤﻮﺳﻌﻮ‬ ‫ ﻧﺎ‬ With power and skill did We construct the ٍ ِ ‫ ﺑﻨﻴﻨﺎﻫﺎ‬%‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﺑﺄﻳﺪ‬ Firmament. For it is We who create the vastness of space. (Q.51:47). The universe including the Earth َ َ َ was smoke once.

َ ٰ َ​َْ 4ُ ًَْ ْ ًْ َ َ ْ ْ ْ َ َ َ َ َ ٌ َ ُ َ َ %‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ َ َ 4 ‫;ﻰﻟ‬ َ َ ْ َ َ َ َ ‫ﻛﺮﻫﺎ‬ ‫ﻃﺎﺋﻌﻦﻴ‬ F ‫ ﺋﺘﻴﺎ ﻃﻮﺨ‬ ِ ِ َ ‫ ﻲﻫ ﺧﺎ ﻓﻘﺎ ﻟﻬﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﺗﻴﻨﺎ‬F ‫ﻗﺎﺤﻛﺎ‬ ِ ‫ ﻟﻸ‬ ِ ‫ ﻋﻢ ﺳﺘﻮ‬Moreover, He comprehended in

His design the sky, and it had been smoke: He said to it and to the Earth: ‘Come ye together willingly or unwillingly’. They said: ‘We do come (together) in willing obedience.’ (Q.41:11). As the universe expanded, gravity caused the more dense regions of matter to coalesce into stars and galaxies. َ َ َ

ًَْ َ​َ َ َ ْ ْ َ 4 َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ‫ ﻳﻘﺎ‬ ْ َ َ Do not the unbelievers see that the heavens َ ِ 4 ‫ﻳﺮ‬ َ َ 4 F َ َ ‫ ﻟﻢ‬F ُ َ َ ‫ @ﻳﻦ‬ ۖ ‫ﻓﻔﺘﻘﻨﺎﻫﻤﺎ‬ ‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ ﻷ ﺎﻛﻏﺘﺎ‬ ‫ﻛﻔﺮ‬ ِ

and the Earth were joined together (as one unit of creation) before We clove them asunder? (Q.21:30). The faint microwave radiation that pervades the universe is the after-glow, and the red shift seen emanating from the distant objects testifies to the continuing expansion of the universe. A red shift indicates motion away from observer. The expansion of the universe is uniform. The red shift as measured by the Doppler Effect indicates not its present velocity but its velocity millions of years ago when light left the galaxy and started travelling at the speed of light. As the universe expands, the most distant objects move away from the Earth at the speed of light (a motion that stretches out and therefore reddens their light, shifting most of it into the infra-red range). The cosmic background radiation, the faint after-glow of the Big bang, was released some 10 millions years ago after its creation and reached the Earth as microwaves. Distant galaxies are receding in all directions. The universe is expanding and the galaxies are being swept apart. There will come a time when the balance between the pull of gravity and the expansion taking place ever since the Big Bang would be disrupted. Will the expansion of the universe continue or will the force of gravity stop the expansion eventually and may even reverse it, causing the universe to collapse into its primordial density and thus reverse the Big Bang? This knowledge is only with Allah.

ْ َ َ َْ ُ َ 4 َ ‫ ﻏﻔﻄﺮ‬ %‫ ِ; ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬When the sky is rent asunder! (Q.84:1; 82:1). َ ْ َ On the day when the firmament will be in dreadful commotion. (Q.52:9). ً ْ َ %‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ُ ُ َ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ ُ َ 4 ‫ﻳﻤﻮ‬ ‫ﻣﻮ‬ َ َ ْ َ ُ %‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ َ 4 ‫ﻛﺸﻄﺖ‬ ِ ُ ِ When the heavens shall be stripped off. (Q.81:11). ْ َ ُْ ُ َ 4 ُ ُ َ ََْ ‫ﺎﻛﻟﻤﻬﻞ‬ %‫ ﻳﻮ ﺗﻜﻮ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬The day when heaven shall be like molten copper. (Q.70:8). ِ َ ُّ َ َ َ َ 4 ُ ْ َ ْ َ ُ َ َ 4 َ َ َ ‫ﻓﻴﻬﺎ َﻣﺎ‬ َ ‫ﺧﺎ ﻳﻦ‬ ۚ ‫ ﺑﻚ‬ %‫ ﻣﺖ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ ﻷ ِ;ﻻ ﻣﺎ ﺷﺎ‬ ِ َ ِ ِ The Earth and universe will also end… (Q.11:107-108). ِ َ ُ ِّ َ ْ ُ َ ْ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ ً َ َ ً َ ْ َ 4 َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ ‫ﺨﻳﺼﻤﻮ‬ ِ ‫ ﺣﺪ ﺗﺄﺧﺬﻫﻢ ﻫﻢ‬ ِ ‫ ﻣﺎ ﻓﻨﻈﺮ ِ;ﻻ ﺻﻴﺤﺔ‬A single blast will seize them while they are still disputing with each other. (Q.36:49). َ

َ َ​َ ُ َُْ َ َْ​َ ُّ ‫ﻓﻨﻔﺦ ﻲﻓ‬ ْ ْ ‫ ﻣﻦ ﻲﻓ‬ َ 4 ‫ﻣﻦ ﻲﻓ‬ ُ 4 %‫ﺷﺎ‬ ْ َ ‫;ﻻ‬4 ‫ ﻷ‬ ْ َ َ ‫ ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ْ َ ‫ﻓﻔﺰ‬ َ َ ‫ﻣﻦ‬ ۚ ‫ ﺑ‬ ‫ ﻳﻮ‬And the Day when the Trumpet will be ِ َ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﻟﺼﻮ‬

sounded, then will be smitten with terror those who are in the heavens and those who are in Earth… (Q.27:87). َ ْ

ِّ ِّ ِّ َ َ َ َ 4 َ 4ُ 4 ََْ َ ً ْ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ َ4 َ َ​َ َ َ ُ ُ ْ ‫ ﻟﺴﺠﻞ‬ ْ َ ‫ﻳﻮ‬ َ َ ْ َ The Day when We shall ‫ﻓﺎﻋﻠﻦﻴ‬ ‫ ﻛﻄﻲ‬%‫ﻏﻄ ِﻮ? ﻟﺴﻤﺎ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ ‫ﻧﻌﻴﺪ ۚ َ ﻋﺪ ﻋﻠﻴﻨﺎ ۚ ِ;ﻧﺎ ﻛﻨﺎ‬ ِ ‫ﺧﻠﻖ‬ ِ ٍ F ‫ﻧﺎ‬F‫ﻟﻠﻜﺘﺐ ۚ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺑﺪ‬

roll up the heavens as a recorder rolls up a written scroll. As We began the first creation, We shall repeat it, (it is a promise binding) upon Us. Lo! We are to fulfil it. (Q.21:104). From the above verse it seems that there will be many Big Bangs and many reversals, because Allah begins the process of creation and repeats it. ُ

َ ُ َ ْ ُ ْ َ 4 ُ ُ ُ ُ 4 ُ َ ْ َْ َ ْ َ ُ 4 ‫ﺗﺮﺟﻌﻮ‬ ‫; ﻪ‬ ِ ِ ‫ﻳﻌﻴﺪ ﻋﻢ‬ ِ ‫ ﺨﻟﻠﻖ ﻋﻢ‬F‫ ﺑ ﻓﺒﺪ‬Allah produces creation, then He reproduces it, then unto Him you will return (Q:30:11). Some of the statements in the foregoing pages find references in the Ḥadith (Saḥih Muslim. Vol. 4): The Last Hour will not come until you see ten signs: (1) the Smoke, (2) the Dajjāl, (3) the Beast, (4) the rising of the sun from the West, (5) the descent of Jesus, pbuh, son of Mary, (6) Gog and Magog, (7) Earth sinking in the East, (8) Earth sinking in the West, (9) Earth sinking in Arabia, (10) this will be followed by fire which would burn forth from Yemen and drive people to the place of their assembly.

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Conclusion ‘Retroscope’ in Heaven:

We have now completed our life on Earth and are now in Paradise, scanning our earthly sojourn. We begin to realise how we were merely visitors on the Earth, and Heaven is our real home. For want of a name, I shall call the instrument we might use to scan our earthly past the ‘Retroscope’. This retroscope is an imaginary instrument like a telescope and through which we can see whatever we thought, intended and did in our life on planet Earth. It is as if we are watching our personal video that we received in our right hand on the Day of Judgment. There was a fantastic Home-coming ceremony for the righteous in Paradise (Q.25:15) and fortunately we were among them. However, each of us, no matter how pious we were, had to pass through some degree of Hell or over it (Q.19:71) before entering Paradise, so that the RōḼ (soul) might be cleansed of all the impurities that it had gathered on planet Earth. When we were resurrected in the Hereafter, our memory molecules for short and long-term memory were re-synthesised to their original composition, because of the long delay and the deep sleep after our earthly demise. We could remember not only the details of what we had done on Earth, but also the taste of the fruits (Q.2:25) and whatever other pleasures we had enjoyed. This welcome reception in Paradise for us was because we were either one of the muqarrabĹŤn (Q.56:11), i.e. those nearest to Allah, or at least as as-á¸ĽÄ bul yamÄŤn, the companions of the right hand (Q.56:27-40). Hence, we were greeted with: SalÄ mun ‘Alykum! Enter the garden because of all the good that you did. (Q.16:32). This was a happy ending because on the Day of Resurrection, we had made our exit with truth and honour after having entered our graves in planet Earth with truth and honour (Q.17:80). Allah was well pleased with us and we with Him (Q.98:8). We were in a state of An-Nafsul Mutmaážżinnah and hence Allah gave us His personal invitation to enter His own Heaven. Oh you serene and confident person! Return to Allah well-pleased with Him and He well-pleased with you; enter then among My devotees, enter My heaven. (Q.89:27-30). All this was because we had gained more than 50% marks in all the examinations and trials that we had to undergo on planet Earth (Q.101:6-7). We now continue looking through the ‘Retroscope’ and re-visit SĹŤrat ul FÄ teḼah and see the film reeling backwards from the last verse to the first. ŮŽ

ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? 4

Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ

Ů? Ů’ ŮŽŮ’

Ů’ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽŮ’

4

ŮŽ

ŮŽ Ů? ‍ﺎﺝ‏ ŮŽ ᚢirÄ tal ladhÄŤna an‘amta ‘alyhim, ghyral magdĹŤbi (7) â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘ ŮŽ ďťť ďť&#x;ﺎďť&#x;‏ ‍ ďť&#x;ďť?‏ ‍ďť&#x;ﺎ‏ â€Ťďť‹ďť ďť´ďťŹďť˘â€Ź ‍ďť?ďťŒﺖ‏F ‍ @‏ Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? Ů? ‘alyhim wa lad á¸?Ä llÄŤn: The path of those whom You have rewarded (because of their endeavour)/ on whom You have bestowed ne‘‘mah (grace); not (the path) of those who have earned Your anger, nor of those who have gone astray. We find that we were not among those who had gone astray or had earned Allah’s anger. This was because the Straight Path was granted to us as a reward (inâ€˜Ä m) due to our striving and endeavour towards God-consciousness. ŮŽ Ů’ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů‘Ů? ‍ ﺪﺎ‏ ŮŽ ŮŽ Ů’ Ů? Ů’ ‍ ďť&#x;ﺎﺟ‏ (6) ‍ ďť&#x;ﺴďş˜ďť˜‏ Ů? Ihdinas ᚣ irÄ tal mustaqÄŤm: Guide us along the straight Path. Ů?

We have to thank Allah for having shown us the importance of Siratal Mustaqeem. Having been given the honour of being on ᚢ irÄ t al MustaqÄŤm was mostly because we had frequently asked Allah to guide us on the Straight Path leading to Paradise. Those among us who have reverted to Islam should thank Allah for providing the spiritual insight to choose the correct path. Although sometimes we might have thought that we were pursuing the Straight Path in any project we had undertaken, but on second look inside ourselves and in the project and around, we found something was amiss and it might not have been the one as desired by Allah. So it was advisable to ask Allah to guide us once again and change the course to Siratal Mustaqeem.

Ů? ŮŽ Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4

Ů?Ů?Ů’ŮŽ ŮŽ 4

ŮŽ ‍ €ﺎ‏ (5) â€Ťďť§ďş´ďş˜ďťŒ‏ Ů? Ů? ‍ Ů?;ﺎ ďť?ďťŒďş’ﺪ‏IyyÄ ka na‘budu wa iyyÄ ka nastaâ€˜ÄŤn: You alone do we worship and You alone we

ask for help. We had singled out Allah and Allah only asking for His assistance. We worshipped Him alone, discarded all else and obeyed all His commandments. If at any time because of the fashion of the times and the prevailing wind, we were blown off-course, we immediately returned to the Straight Path.

Ů‘Ů?

Ů’ŮŽ

ŮŽ

(4) ‍ ‏ ‍‏ Ů? ‍ﺎďť&#x;‏ Ů? Ů? MÄ liki yaumid dÄŤn: Master of the Day of Judgment. Ů?

We also have to thank Allah,swt, for having reminded us about accountibilty in the Hereafter since He is Maliki Yaum ad Din. Millions of years had passed when time itself was clocked spanning the period from our death to our resurrection. However, this seemed to us as just a short nap, for an hour or so (Q.10:45; 79:46). We now see the panorama where all mankind from the time of the Big Bang to this last and final Day of Judgment have gathered together. Luckily for us, we found that He Whom we worshipped and asked for assistance was also the Master of the Day of Judgment. We had a special relationship with Him because we were included in the category of the faithful and hence we benefited from His extra quality of mercy as He was Raḥīm to us (Q.33:43).

ْٰ

4 Ar Raḥmān ir Raḥīm: The all-Compassionate, the all-Merciful. (3) ‫ ﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬ ِ 4 ‫ ﻟﺮﻤﺣﻦ‬

This Master Who was Raḥīm in the Hereafter was also Raḥmān on planet Earth to all mankind, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. We know that we did many wrongs during our lifetime and we are coming to You with a heavy load of sins. We accept that whatever punishment You give is justified, yet we are appealing to You for mercy and forgiveness, You being Rahman and Rahim.

َ َ َْ

ِّ َ

ُ ْ ْ

4

َ Al Ḥamdu lillāhi Rabbil ‘Ālamīn: All praise belongs to Allah, the Sustainer of all the (2) ‫ ﻟﻌﺎﻟﻤﻦﻴ‬ ‫ﺑ‬ ِ ِ ِ ‫ ﺤﻟﻤﺪ‬

worlds and all beings. We thank, from the bottom of our heart, the Sustainer of both the worlds (‘Ālamīn) Who sustained us on planet Earth from birth to death and then brought us through Barzakh into the Hereafter and finally into eternity in Paradise where we are residing now.

ْٰ

4

4 ‫ ﻟﺮﻤﺣﻦ‬ 4 ‫ ِۢ ﺑ‬Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Rahīm: With the name of Allah, the All-Compassionate, the (1) ‫ ﻟﺮﺣﻴﻢ‬ ِ ِ ِ ِ All-Merciful. We now see that we had initiated all projects we had undertaken on planet Earth by saying: Bismillāh ir Raḥmān ir Raḥīm. For us to have performed good deeds, strongly-bonded faith called īmān had entered our hearts. We knew that service to mankind is service to Allah, which needed a firm conviction in the reality and the certainty of the Hereafter and performance of good deeds (Q.2:177). In at least 54 verses of the Holy Qur’an, we had found īmān linked to the performance of good deeds: Āmanū wa ‘Amilus Sāliḥāt. We knew that only when īmān entered the heart would we be eligible to join Allah’s party and only then would He be pleased with us and we with Him (Q.58:22). For firm faith to have been ingrained in our heart, each one of us had started his life on Earth as a Muslim, with the five pillars of Islam. An important pillar was Allah’s command to establish prayer, i.e. establish the practice of prayer (Q.2:43 and others), so that it became a habit. Praying five times daily during our childhood without understanding what we were reciting like a parrot, succeeded in forming a habit of daily prayers in us. Habit formation is the acquisition of a specific behaviour pattern to which a person always clings. Therefore, later on in life too, the five daily prayers continued as per our habit but now we understood the meaning of what we were reciting, and what God’s other instructions were. Thus, the same acquired habit became responsible for making us perform some other good deeds too, some ṣadaqah, and some ḥasanah, again on a 5-time daily basis, and as a matter of habit. This in turn helped us advance to a higher stage of becoming a Mu᾿min (a firm and true believer) with the actual and factual concept and meaning of īmān firmly entrenched in us. Performance of good deeds often becomes a habit in later life when words are transformed into action as a consequence of the early institution in life of the 5-time daily prayers. We thank Allah Who helped us make the right choices and decisions. We knew that whenever we choose or decide, there would always be a consequence associated with that choice or that decision - it may be beneficial, it may be detrimental or more likely, it may be a combination of both. But it was up to us to choose. Whatever we did was our choice, our will and our decision. The two angels called Kirāman Kātibīn residing somewhere in our cerebral hemispheres were recording our actions as they were being performed for future reference and evidence in the Hereafter. Thus in retrospect, when we look at our life on planet Earth, and the gifts of Allah that have helped us to succeed in the Hereafter, we thank Allah first for letting us to be born in Muslim families that made this path smooth for us. We also thank our parents who were responsible for our birth and who showed us the ways of sacrifice through our ‘Aqīqah, and for implanting the Shahādah in our ears soon after we were born. This acted as a built-in alarm system sounding 5 times daily; it remained with us throughout our lives, echoed in our ears and was reproduced on our tongue on the death-bed before we departed to our eternal home in Paradise. 382

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Conclusion

383

About the author Ebrahim Kazim was born in Bombay, India, where his parents had settled after having migrated from Dubai. He was one of eighteen children and was brought up in a typical Muslim home. He acquired his primary education in a Persian school and his secondary education in St. Xavier’s College, Bombay. In 1948 he obtained his M.B.B.S. degree from Grant Medical College and in the same year married his colleague, Dr. Joan Homaida Mohammed, of Trinidad and Tobago. In 1949, he came to Trinidad where he was employed by the Ministry of Health in the General Hospital, San Fernando. In 1952, he proceeded to the United Kingdom for further studies and obtained D.T.M. & H. from the School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool. In 1962, he became the Member of the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh (M.R.C.P.). Thereafter, he returned to Trinidad and was appointed Specialist Medical Officer in the General Hospital, Port-of-Spain. Dr. Kazim has performed his Hajj (pilgrimage to Makkah-al-Mukarramah) as well as many ‘umrahs. He has three children. He has always been interested in the religion of his birth, Islam, especially its scientific aspects, and has published numerous articles on this topic in various Islamic journals. In 1985, he and his wife established an Islamic Academy in Trinidad, for the use of the Muslim community and to carry on Islamic and social activities.

Dr. Kazim is also an author of two books on Islam. In 1956 he published CONTEMPLATING SURATUL FATEHAH for free distribution. His second book, ESSAYS ON ISLAMIC TOPICS, originally published on 1st Ramaḍan 1413 (23rd Feb. 1993) was subsequently revised and the second edition appeared on the 27th Ramaḍan 1420: Lailat ul Qadr: (3rd Jan. 2000). It has been translated into Albanian and Urdu. Thereafter, Dr. Kazim collected more scientific data to insert in the articles published in the two books mentioned above, and has now published the current book SCIENTIFIC COMMENTARY OF SURATUL FAATEHAH, hoping that the articles presented in this book would be of interest to the readers.

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