This book is a collection of short passages from the Holy Quran. The passages are especially sel... more This book is a collection of short passages from the Holy Quran. The passages are especially selected to explain our goal and purpose in this life and the ways to achieve these goals, the obstacles and distraction we may face, and the hurdles we must overcome during this endeavor. The book also describes the morals and manners to adopt, the habits to give up, and the responsibilities to fulfill.
The topics include:
* Allah (ST), Guidance, * The Life and the Hereafter, * Good and Bad Manners, * the Rights and Responsibilities, and * Supplications.
Each chapter is followed by "Key Points to Remember". This book can serve as a companion to high school students and graduates as they enter into a new phase of their life.
(The book is available on Amazon and MahmoodJawaid.com)
"In the beginning, the soul was with God. He then decided to join it with a human body. As the bo... more "In the beginning, the soul was with God. He then decided to join it with a human body. As the body grew in the womb and brain architecture developed, it started to develop an autobiographical memory and the present, the past, and the future appeared on the horizon. This was, however, at a price, he started to drift away from God. Meditation is a tool to bring the soul back in touch with God. This book is an attempt to share how this can be achieved from the Quranic perspective. The book first defines God, His attributes, then explores if He can be seen and where could He be situated. The book then explains how we can access Him, both voluntary and involuntary. It then explains what the Muslim approach of accessing Him is. The book then dwells upon the unitary experiences with God. In this respect, the book discusses the state of Wahdat-ul-Wujood (Unity of Existence) and Wahdat-ush-Shuhood (Unity of Witnessing), the highest level of unitary experiences. The book also sheds light on the unitary experiences from the Quranic and scientific perspectives."
Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Defining God Chapter 2 - Can We See God? Chapter 3 - Where is God Situated? Chapter 4 - Touching God – The Quranic Basis Chapter 5 - Touching – Involuntarily Chapter 6 - Touching – Voluntarily Chapter 7 - Touching – the Muslim Approach Chapter 8 - Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhood (The book is available on Amazon and MahmoodJawaid.com)
Scientific methodology is the bedrock of science and technology, which has propelled the humanity... more Scientific methodology is the bedrock of science and technology, which has propelled the humanity into the space age. The author has made an attempt to use the same methodology to understand the concepts, commandments, and events presented in the Quran. He first proposes how this methodology can be used for this purpose. He then applies the methodology to the topics the answer of which we already know to demonstrate the viability of this methodology. He then tackles topics of increasing complexity. This innovative methodology can help enhance our understanding of the Quran.
‘Lessons from the Qur'an’ contains a collection of twelve stories taken from the Qur'an and highl... more ‘Lessons from the Qur'an’ contains a collection of twelve stories taken from the Qur'an and highlights the lessons that we can learn from each of these. Children will love the beautifully rich illustrations that bring stories to life and the lessons at the end of each story will help to make the Qur’an relevant to them in their everyday lives and instill in them Islamic values. This book is suitable for ages 8 and over.
Stories:
The Angels Bowed but Shaytan Disobeyed
Describes the dialogue between God and the angels before and after the creation of Adam, and how Shaytan (Satan) tricked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.
The Dead Come Back to Life
Describes instances when Abraham and Ezra witnessed a bird and a donkey, respectively, coming back to life, reinforcing their belief in Life after Death.
The People of the Cave (Ashabul-Kahf)
Describes the story of few city dwellers who took refuge in a cave to avoid the persecution from hostile king and the population, how long they remained asleep, and what they found when they woke up.
The Wicked Pharaoh
Describes how Pharaoh persecuted the Israelites and how Moses rescued them from his tyranny.
The Rich Qarun
Describes the story of a rich boastful man living in Egypt during Moses time and what happened to him and his wealth.
The Boastful Gardener
Describes the dialogue between a rich and a poor gardener and what happened to the wealth of the rich gardener.
The Greedy Gardeners
Describes the story of a few greedy gardeners and what happened when they refused to share their wealth with the poor.
The Kind King
Describes the story of a kind king, his conquest, and how he treated his subjects.
The Queen of Saba
Describes the story of a Queen of a rich Yemenite Kingdom during the time of Solomon and what she did when Solomon invited her.
Allah is My Lord
Describes the experiences Abraham went through before becoming the worshipper of one God.
The Toughest Test
Describes why Abraham decided to sacrifice his son and what happened next.
Words of Wisdom
Describes the advice a great sage (Luqman) gave to his son.
This is the second book by the author of LESSONS FROM THE QUR’AN (Ta Ha Publishers) for children.... more This is the second book by the author of LESSONS FROM THE QUR’AN (Ta Ha Publishers) for children. The book provides basic information about the Holy Quran. The language is simple enough to match the vocabulary of the children. The book is divided into eight chapters, followed by Questions and Answers, to highlight the following aspects of the Holy Quran:
The purpose of the Holy Quran, who sent it, to whom it was sent, for whom it was sent, who brought it, when and how it started, and when it ended.
The names of the Holy Quran used in the Holy Quran and the quality and the purpose these names represent.
The division of the Quranic text into ayah, surah, manzil, juz, hizb, and rku and their purpose.
How are the surahs named, how does each surah begin, the names of important surahs to remember, and some special attributes of some of the surahs.
Important markers used in the Holy Quran and their purpose and significance.
Some statistical facts about the Holy Quran. Names of people, nations, and places mentioned in the Holy Quran.
Abbreviated letters (Hroof-e-Muqattat) and the surahs in which these are used
The Prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran and special qualities of some of them.
References have been cited for most of the material at the end of the book.
‘Lessons from the Qur'an Volume II’ is the second volume of the internationally acclaimed ‘Lesson... more ‘Lessons from the Qur'an Volume II’ is the second volume of the internationally acclaimed ‘Lessons from the Qur’an’. It contains fifteen more stories taken from the Qur'an and highlights the lessons that we can learn from each of these. The lessons make the Qur’an relevant to the children in their everyday life and will insha’Allah instill in them Islamic values. This book is suitable for ages eight and over. Also included in the book are advice and duas (supplication) taken from the Qur’an. The following are the contents of the book:
STORIES:
* The Jealous Qabeel, * The Dumb King, * The Fire Cooled Down,
* The Honorable Guests, * A Baby in the Bucket, * The Deadly Punch,
* Fire in the Valley, * The Snake and the Stick, * The Golden Calf,
* The Bright Yellow Cow, * Musa (AS) Meets Khidr, * The Tricky People,
* The Mighty Jaloot, * The Smart Ant, * The Garden of Saba
ADVICE:
* The Best Muslim, * The Winners, * The Nine Orders
* O My Father, * Allah (ST) is One, * Allah (ST), the Most Powerful
DUAS:
* Dua for Guidance, * Dua for Protection, * Dua for Good Things
* Dua for Forgiveness, * Dua for Parents
The Qur’an is a living document. It must be lived, not just read. We, however, cannot go back and... more The Qur’an is a living document. It must be lived, not just read. We, however, cannot go back and live in seventh century Madinah. We must live it in this era wherever we happen to be. We must project the Qur’anic verses and extrapolate the text to fulfill the intent of the verses to make it relevant to modern times. The commentator, following the methodology used in his book titled “Lessons from the Qur’an”, has carried a similar theme in “The Qur’an – What’s in it for me?” In this book, he shares his understanding of how the Qur’anic verses can be applied in the environment we live in.
SECRETS OF ANGELS, DEMONS, SATAN, AND JINNS – Decoding their Nature through Quran and Science is ... more SECRETS OF ANGELS, DEMONS, SATAN, AND JINNS – Decoding their Nature through Quran and Science is first of its kind on this subject and is targeted for people who are interested in religious mysteries. The author using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge explains the origin and the material the angels, demons, Satan, and Jinns are made from. The book predicts their physical and biological characteristics and discusses their intellectual and spiritual ability. It compares their capabilities with that of the humans and explores how and to what extent they can influence humans.
""The book not only demonstrates that the scientific explanation about the creation of Adam is co... more ""The book not only demonstrates that the scientific explanation about the creation of Adam is consistent with the Quranic description; it also proposes a Quranic solution for the elusive Missing Links in the Theory of Evolution.
The book not only explains how Adam originated, it also suggests the time and place of his appearance, where was the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve settled after their exit from the Garden, their lifestyle, and what triggered the spread of humans over the globe. Whereas scientists still struggle to define humanity, the book defines it from the Quranic perspective and suggests when it began.
""
The human civilization started with the appearance of Adam. However, the written record of human ... more The human civilization started with the appearance of Adam. However, the written record of human civilization is available only since 3,500 B.C. There is plenty of archaeological data about how people lived before 3,500 B.C., but we do not know what they thought or what they believed in. The author, by comparing the Quranic statements with the archaeological data, was able to unearth the civilizations that thrived since Adam and has predicted the time and place of appearance of Quranic/Biblical prophets. He has also predicted their lifestyle, code of conduct, and criminal justice system. He has also tracked the social and technological developments that took place in each era.
The concept of God is an abstract concept. By definition, He is incorporeal, independent of mater... more The concept of God is an abstract concept. By definition, He is incorporeal, independent of material objects and is beyond our comprehension. Since science only deals with corporeal objects made of mass or energy, His existence cannot be proven by science. The objective of this paper was to explore the reasoning the Quran puts forward for the existence of God.
The Quran has taken two approaches regarding the existence of God: inferential and experiential. Inferential approach starts with a belief. The reasoning is sequentially moved towards that belief. The Polytheists of Arabia already believed in God as the Creator. The crux of the Quranic inferential reasoning is that since He is the Creator, only he deserves our total obedience. No one should be associated with Him in His sovereignty.
Experiential reasoning, though is presented to make the same point, it is made through a situation the Polytheist of Arabia must have encountered. When faced with a life-threatening situation, all the sources of our survival vanish, only hope we feel present in that situation is the power of God. We then sincerely beseech Him and Him only to save us from that situation.
The experiential learning can be used with atheists or agnostic, who lack the faith in God. A situation can be created where they are exposed to a simulated life-threatening situation. For example, while they are flying on a plane, the pilot could announce that the plane has developed a technical fault and is about to crash. A person sitting next to them and who knows that it is a simulated situation, can inquire with them about their feelings in those moments. Asking afterwards will be of no use since, as the Quran attests, once the danger is over, they would go back to their old system of belief.
The belief in God is ingrained in our psych. However, just like the sky is hidden from us, when it is cloudy, our belief in God gets clouded by our false hopes. For the sake of survival, we rely on food, shelter, wealth, and good health. However, these are only enablers. The real protector of our life is God the Almighty. As long as we can hang on to these enablers, we tend to think that these items provide us the protection. In a life-threatening situation, these items lose meaning. Only then we clearly feel the presence of God and call upon Him. Thus, a person who does not believe in God, who may not be persuaded to believe in God by inferential reasoning, may be persuaded to believe in Him by a personal experience.
Conscience is defined as an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness o... more Conscience is defined as an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior. It is the sense of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one's own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good. The child after his birth is initially been driven by his instinct. However, as he grows, he slowly transitions into a being where he has to struggle between his desire and his conscience. This paper explain when and how this transition takes place from a scientific perspective.
The child after his birth starts his life driven by instinct, also called the innate behaviors. The mind at this level, called the primary mind, can only feel, perceive and represent the world, but it cannot think about the things or the events. It lives in the present. By the age of two years, it transitions into collating mind. The mind in this state has the capability of comparing the on-line representation (primary mind) with his past experience (off-line secondary representation) and come up with a better response. The response is, however, immediate(on-line), no holding back. In this state the mind can, not only feel, perceive and represent the world, but it can also think about the things or the events.
Once the child attains the age of four, his mind transitions into a mind called metamind. He not only has a primary (on-line) representation in front of him, he also has a multitude of secondary (off-line) representations. Instead of relying on innate behaviors (instinct), he now has the ability to entertain various ways of looking at the same thing representing what it is, looks like, was, could be, should be, and so on. It can disengaged from on-line primary representations and can think and act off-line. This is accompanied by him taking executive control over his actions. Some of these secondary representations are insinuations (waswasa) from Shaitan and some voice of his conscience [guidance (hedaya) from Allah(ST)]. Since, instead of being driven by instinct, he has executive control over his actions, he has the ability to choose any of those representations for implementation. He thus becomes accountable for his actions. His fate on the Day of Judgement will be dictated by how closely he adhered to the voice of his conscience.
Religiosity is defined as the quality or state of being religious, a religious feeling or devotio... more Religiosity is defined as the quality or state of being religious, a religious feeling or devotion. It is about religious orientations and involvement, which includes experiential, ritualistic, ideological, intellectual, consequential, creedal, communal, doctrinal, moral, and cultural dimensions. Spirituality, on the other hand, can be defined generally as an individual's search for ultimate or sacred meaning and purpose in life. Sometimes the two terms can be confused with each other. The purpose of this paper was to delineate the two concepts.
Religiosity is an external manifestation of religion. In Islam, it is expressed through five pillars: Shahadah, Salaat, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj. Most of it is tangible. Spirituality, which means to connect with Allah(ST) , however, lies in the heart and is intangible. It starts with having a firm belief (Iman) in Allah(ST) with all of His attributes. There are higher levels of spirituality, the ultimate destination of which is to seek closeness with Allah(ST). The way to increase the level is through Dhikr, prolonged Sajdah during Salah, offering Salat-ut-Tahajjud, and Meditation. During meditation, the practitioner reaches a state where he loses his self which is called 'fana fillah'
Religiosity without spirituality leads to hypocrisy. Both are needed to reach the state of 'nafs-ul-mutmainnah [(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! * "Come back thou to thy Lord,-well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! *. "Enter thou, then, among My devotees! *. "Yea, enter thou My Heaven! (The Quran 089.027-030.]
Allama Iqbal is famously known as the Poet of the East. One of the most significant aspect of his... more Allama Iqbal is famously known as the Poet of the East. One of the most significant aspect of his poetry is mysticism, the ultimate goal and object of which is to achieve the highest perfection of the soul possible for man. He in his unique way reframed this goal and objective in terms of the 'Philosophy of Self (Khudi)'. The following verse from his famous poem titled 'Khudi Ka Sirr e Nihan La Ilaha Illa Allah', which is a glimpse of his mystical thought, is analyzed in this paper:
'khird hoi hay zaman wa makan kee zannari Na hay zaman, na makan, La elaha ill-Allah'
The mind has worn the holy thread of time and space like pagans all Though time and space both illusive, "No God but He" is true withal.
Our analysis suggests that, though we spend most of our waking hours in the four dimensional world (three for space and one for time), the way to approach Allah (ST) is to shed the four dimensional illusion and enter into a dimensionless state, which is the original state of the soul. Once we reach this state, we can approach Allah (ST) who is free of any dimension. We can do so by mystical practices.
Physically, reality is all, known and unknown, that exists within a system. It ‘is the totality o... more Physically, reality is all, known and unknown, that exists within a system. It ‘is the totality of all things, structures (actual and conceptual), events (past and present) and phenomena, whether observable or not. The author has explored this subject and mysticism in general from the scientific and the Quranic perspectives. Whatever reality we observe, it is through our brain. The author has explored the realties we experience or will experience through our brain.
The study suggests that there are five dimensions to the reality we experience. The baseline reality, the reality of the external world, is the reality we deal with in the waking hours. It is the representation in the mind developed by fully integrating perceptions from tertiary association areas of our brain based on the signals received from our senses. In addition to this, dream is a reality which most of the human experience during sleep. Instead of sensory signals, it is triggered by the internal stimuli originating from the memory. Its content, however, is unique to the individuals experiencing it.
Though the baseline reality and dreams are common to all, individuals practicing meditation experience another kind of reality which is called the mystical reality. Meditation causes deafferentation in certain portions of mind resulting in the person experiencing a sense of attaining absolute reality, union with God or the Absolute, a sense of either bliss or utter tranquility.
At times of severe physical trauma such as near-drownings or major surgery people experience a reality which is called Near-death experiences (NDE). Typically the experience includes: a sense of being dead; a feeling of peace and painlessness; hearing of various non-physical sounds, an out-of-body experience; a tunnel experience; encountering "beings of light" and a God-like figure or similar entities; being given a "life review", and a reluctance to return to life. Along with many other factors, the NDE is activated by the stimulation of the lower part of temporal lobe (including amygdala and hippocampus). These regions are involved in eliciting vivid memories, complex hallucinations, dream like states, and other sensations in states of markedly decreased input into these regions. A subset of the NDE is the out of body experiences (OBE) which results in a sense of being detached from the body. It can also happen independently. It is due to illusory reduplications of one’s own body due to interference with the temporo-parietal junction in the brain.
The fifth reality is the Ultimate reality, which the whole humanity will experience on the Day of Judgement. The Quran calls it ‘Al-Haqqah’ (the Sure Reality) and Al-Waqiah (the Event or the Inevitability). It will be experienced on the day when people will be raised again and will be judged. Some will be experiencing a permanent blissfulness and some a permanent misery.
The brain is thus a multifaceted instrument. It is normally used to observe the baseline reality, but can also be used to have other experiences.
Every year on the 27th of Rajab, Muslims around the world commemorate the event called Al-Isra` a... more Every year on the 27th of Rajab, Muslims around the world commemorate the event called Al-Isra` and al-Mi'raj, the Prophet(SAW) 's night journey from Mecca to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from where he embarked on the second leg of the journey heavenwards.
There are different versions of this journey. Some say that both the events happened in a dream, while others are of the opinion that both of these took place in the waking state and the Prophet(SAW) physically went on the journey, and some say that it was merely a mystic vision shown to him.
The analysis of the author suggests that Al-Isra could have been a bodily experience. Technically, with a little lift from Jibraeel(AS) , who can travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it was possible for the Prophet(SAW) to physically travel to Jerusalem and return to Mecca in less than five minutes.
Al-Miraj, on the other hand, could not have been a bodily or mystical experience. It could not even be a dream. It fits the core elements of a superlative form of out of body experience (OBE), which is beyond imagination. The state he was in was very conducive to trigger such an OBE. While the body stayed where he was sleeping, his conscience (soul) saw things which fits the pattern of an OBE e.g. looking at what Jibraeel(AS) was doing with his body, passing through a huge space (heaven), meeting the dead (some of the Prophets), and seeing a bright light and the paradise.
Ayat-un-Noor (the Verse of Light) in Surah An-Noor (24.35) is considered as one of the mystical v... more Ayat-un-Noor (the Verse of Light) in Surah An-Noor (24.35) is considered as one of the mystical verses in the Quran. The verse is renowned for its remarkable beauty and imagery. Islamic mystics have derived much gnosis and illumination from this verse. The objective of the author in this paper was to explore if this verse can be understood in the light of his recent scientific understanding of the mystical experiences The author's analysis suggests that the Noor of Allah (ST) is an attribute of Allah (ST) in which the whole universe is engulfed. This Noor can be felt by dhikr (meditative practices). The intensity of this feeling depends upon the level of our meditative state. We can get a full sense of it when we completely block external sensory signals from reaching the dominant part of our brain. In this state we lose our sense of self and reach the state of 'fana fillah'.
The example of lamp used in the verse describes a devoted believer who when he accepts the divine guidance, his spiritual heart lights up like a wick. Just like the glass protects the light from blowing out due to external factors (moths and gusts of wind), the prayers (Salat) protects the spiritual heart from dimming down. Also just as the glass transmits the light to remove the darkness from the room, the believer through his acts of charity (Zakat) removes the darkness of misery from the world. The houses of the believers, in the words of Isa (AS) , serve as a shining city on the hill, which Allah (ST) has raised in honor. The intensity of this light depends upon the intensity of dhikr (meditational state) the devoted believer indulges in.
‘Fana Fillah’ is a sufi term meaning the dissolution of the self in Allah(ST). The mystic in this... more ‘Fana Fillah’ is a sufi term meaning the dissolution of the self in Allah(ST). The mystic in this state is annihilated from himself and his ‘limited existence’ seems overpowered by the 'absolute existence' of Allah(ST). The objective of this paper was to understand the reality behind it.
The analysis suggests that this is the state when the sensory signals from the external world are completely blocked causing the disintegration of the boundary between the self and the ‘other’. Having no sense of this partition, the practitioner finds himself annihilated in the ocean called cosmos. It is like a drop of water falling into the pool or the river merging into the ocean.
In addition to the five senses, we have a seventh sense that lets us feel the presence of Allah(ST). It remains dormant during our waking hours when the five senses are dominant. With the five senses blocked in the ‘fana fillah’ the state, the seventh sense becomes dominant allowing us to feel the presence of Allah(ST) all-round us.
At some level, our universe’s particles are instantaneously in touch with each other. Every particle in this state feels to be at one with the whole cosmos. The Quranic verses also suggest that the individual particles of the cosmos and the cosmos as a whole have a feeling of the self. ‘Fana fillah’ could be the state of our consciousness where we sense our existence as a part of the ‘giant body’ called universe, where we feel to be at one with the whole cosmos.
The word 'God' (Allah[ST] in Arabic, Yahweh and Jehovah in Hebrew) is conceived of as the supreme... more The word 'God' (Allah[ST] in Arabic, Yahweh and Jehovah in Hebrew) is conceived of as the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith. He is usually conceived as being omnipotent (all-powerful) (al-Qahir), omniscient (all-knowing) (al-Allam), omnipresent (all-present) (al-Hayye), and omnibenevolent (all-good) (al-Barr, al-Wadood) as well as having an eternal and necessary existence. Depending upon the faith of the individuals, this word may have different meaning to different people. "Yet there is, perhaps, some thread of meaning common to the diverse connotations attached to the word by all who use it.-If that were not the case, the atheist who denies God's existence, the agnostic who thinks that he cannot discover anything about God by rational inquiry, and the theist who affirm God's existence, either by faith or by reason, would not be opposed to one another and would have nothing to argue about. Even the pantheist, who identifies God with the infinite cosmos, thereby annulling the distinction between the nature and the supernatural, retains some meaning for the word 'God' that preserves what the word names as an object of reverence, if not worship." The object of this paper was to explore how we can think of such a being.
Our study suggests that the word God is a proper name associated with a unique being, who is a class in Himself, no one else belongs to that class. As such, we cannot think of Him in terms of anyone else and hence we cannot think of Him in terms of images. The only way we can think about Him is through 'dhikr' and 'fikr'. We can do 'fikr' about Him by pondering over His creations, which remind us of His Asma-ul-Husna. We can do 'dhikr' about Him by counting all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. There is, however, a higher level of 'dhikr', which creates a feeling of awe in our heart. This can be done through the process of meditation, which ultimately leads to the states of Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhud.
The Quran states that the main purpose for the creation of the heavens and the earth is to test t... more The Quran states that the main purpose for the creation of the heavens and the earth is to test the human being. For this purpose the earth was made habitable for him and all the resources needed for his survival were placed in it before his arrival. The Quran also tells us that death and life are also created for the same purpose. The statement suggests that each person enters this world (given life) to demonstrate his or her conduct on this earth. He then leave this world through death. The author in exploring these two aspects found the death and life are means for the human life to go through four stages: pre-life existence, this life, the life of Barzakh, and the life in the Hereafter. The stages the soul goes through is another chapter in evolution. Whereas the body and mind reached its peak in physical evolution with the appearance of the human being, the next chapter in evolution begins with the soul of the human being. It enters this world in pristine form without any baggage, but is prone to evil. As it passes through this worldly life, it is exposed to various situations. Depending on how it responds to those situations, it either evolves into a higher level or degenerates to a lower level. This life serves as a boot camp for the soul. Having being exposed to trying circumstance in this life, it is forced to respond and in doing so, it develops either a good personality or a bad personality, which is going to stay with it forever, even in the Hereafter.
This book is a collection of short passages from the Holy Quran. The passages are especially sel... more This book is a collection of short passages from the Holy Quran. The passages are especially selected to explain our goal and purpose in this life and the ways to achieve these goals, the obstacles and distraction we may face, and the hurdles we must overcome during this endeavor. The book also describes the morals and manners to adopt, the habits to give up, and the responsibilities to fulfill.
The topics include:
* Allah (ST), Guidance, * The Life and the Hereafter, * Good and Bad Manners, * the Rights and Responsibilities, and * Supplications.
Each chapter is followed by "Key Points to Remember". This book can serve as a companion to high school students and graduates as they enter into a new phase of their life.
(The book is available on Amazon and MahmoodJawaid.com)
"In the beginning, the soul was with God. He then decided to join it with a human body. As the bo... more "In the beginning, the soul was with God. He then decided to join it with a human body. As the body grew in the womb and brain architecture developed, it started to develop an autobiographical memory and the present, the past, and the future appeared on the horizon. This was, however, at a price, he started to drift away from God. Meditation is a tool to bring the soul back in touch with God. This book is an attempt to share how this can be achieved from the Quranic perspective. The book first defines God, His attributes, then explores if He can be seen and where could He be situated. The book then explains how we can access Him, both voluntary and involuntary. It then explains what the Muslim approach of accessing Him is. The book then dwells upon the unitary experiences with God. In this respect, the book discusses the state of Wahdat-ul-Wujood (Unity of Existence) and Wahdat-ush-Shuhood (Unity of Witnessing), the highest level of unitary experiences. The book also sheds light on the unitary experiences from the Quranic and scientific perspectives."
Table of Contents Chapter 1 - Defining God Chapter 2 - Can We See God? Chapter 3 - Where is God Situated? Chapter 4 - Touching God – The Quranic Basis Chapter 5 - Touching – Involuntarily Chapter 6 - Touching – Voluntarily Chapter 7 - Touching – the Muslim Approach Chapter 8 - Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhood (The book is available on Amazon and MahmoodJawaid.com)
Scientific methodology is the bedrock of science and technology, which has propelled the humanity... more Scientific methodology is the bedrock of science and technology, which has propelled the humanity into the space age. The author has made an attempt to use the same methodology to understand the concepts, commandments, and events presented in the Quran. He first proposes how this methodology can be used for this purpose. He then applies the methodology to the topics the answer of which we already know to demonstrate the viability of this methodology. He then tackles topics of increasing complexity. This innovative methodology can help enhance our understanding of the Quran.
‘Lessons from the Qur'an’ contains a collection of twelve stories taken from the Qur'an and highl... more ‘Lessons from the Qur'an’ contains a collection of twelve stories taken from the Qur'an and highlights the lessons that we can learn from each of these. Children will love the beautifully rich illustrations that bring stories to life and the lessons at the end of each story will help to make the Qur’an relevant to them in their everyday lives and instill in them Islamic values. This book is suitable for ages 8 and over.
Stories:
The Angels Bowed but Shaytan Disobeyed
Describes the dialogue between God and the angels before and after the creation of Adam, and how Shaytan (Satan) tricked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.
The Dead Come Back to Life
Describes instances when Abraham and Ezra witnessed a bird and a donkey, respectively, coming back to life, reinforcing their belief in Life after Death.
The People of the Cave (Ashabul-Kahf)
Describes the story of few city dwellers who took refuge in a cave to avoid the persecution from hostile king and the population, how long they remained asleep, and what they found when they woke up.
The Wicked Pharaoh
Describes how Pharaoh persecuted the Israelites and how Moses rescued them from his tyranny.
The Rich Qarun
Describes the story of a rich boastful man living in Egypt during Moses time and what happened to him and his wealth.
The Boastful Gardener
Describes the dialogue between a rich and a poor gardener and what happened to the wealth of the rich gardener.
The Greedy Gardeners
Describes the story of a few greedy gardeners and what happened when they refused to share their wealth with the poor.
The Kind King
Describes the story of a kind king, his conquest, and how he treated his subjects.
The Queen of Saba
Describes the story of a Queen of a rich Yemenite Kingdom during the time of Solomon and what she did when Solomon invited her.
Allah is My Lord
Describes the experiences Abraham went through before becoming the worshipper of one God.
The Toughest Test
Describes why Abraham decided to sacrifice his son and what happened next.
Words of Wisdom
Describes the advice a great sage (Luqman) gave to his son.
This is the second book by the author of LESSONS FROM THE QUR’AN (Ta Ha Publishers) for children.... more This is the second book by the author of LESSONS FROM THE QUR’AN (Ta Ha Publishers) for children. The book provides basic information about the Holy Quran. The language is simple enough to match the vocabulary of the children. The book is divided into eight chapters, followed by Questions and Answers, to highlight the following aspects of the Holy Quran:
The purpose of the Holy Quran, who sent it, to whom it was sent, for whom it was sent, who brought it, when and how it started, and when it ended.
The names of the Holy Quran used in the Holy Quran and the quality and the purpose these names represent.
The division of the Quranic text into ayah, surah, manzil, juz, hizb, and rku and their purpose.
How are the surahs named, how does each surah begin, the names of important surahs to remember, and some special attributes of some of the surahs.
Important markers used in the Holy Quran and their purpose and significance.
Some statistical facts about the Holy Quran. Names of people, nations, and places mentioned in the Holy Quran.
Abbreviated letters (Hroof-e-Muqattat) and the surahs in which these are used
The Prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran and special qualities of some of them.
References have been cited for most of the material at the end of the book.
‘Lessons from the Qur'an Volume II’ is the second volume of the internationally acclaimed ‘Lesson... more ‘Lessons from the Qur'an Volume II’ is the second volume of the internationally acclaimed ‘Lessons from the Qur’an’. It contains fifteen more stories taken from the Qur'an and highlights the lessons that we can learn from each of these. The lessons make the Qur’an relevant to the children in their everyday life and will insha’Allah instill in them Islamic values. This book is suitable for ages eight and over. Also included in the book are advice and duas (supplication) taken from the Qur’an. The following are the contents of the book:
STORIES:
* The Jealous Qabeel, * The Dumb King, * The Fire Cooled Down,
* The Honorable Guests, * A Baby in the Bucket, * The Deadly Punch,
* Fire in the Valley, * The Snake and the Stick, * The Golden Calf,
* The Bright Yellow Cow, * Musa (AS) Meets Khidr, * The Tricky People,
* The Mighty Jaloot, * The Smart Ant, * The Garden of Saba
ADVICE:
* The Best Muslim, * The Winners, * The Nine Orders
* O My Father, * Allah (ST) is One, * Allah (ST), the Most Powerful
DUAS:
* Dua for Guidance, * Dua for Protection, * Dua for Good Things
* Dua for Forgiveness, * Dua for Parents
The Qur’an is a living document. It must be lived, not just read. We, however, cannot go back and... more The Qur’an is a living document. It must be lived, not just read. We, however, cannot go back and live in seventh century Madinah. We must live it in this era wherever we happen to be. We must project the Qur’anic verses and extrapolate the text to fulfill the intent of the verses to make it relevant to modern times. The commentator, following the methodology used in his book titled “Lessons from the Qur’an”, has carried a similar theme in “The Qur’an – What’s in it for me?” In this book, he shares his understanding of how the Qur’anic verses can be applied in the environment we live in.
SECRETS OF ANGELS, DEMONS, SATAN, AND JINNS – Decoding their Nature through Quran and Science is ... more SECRETS OF ANGELS, DEMONS, SATAN, AND JINNS – Decoding their Nature through Quran and Science is first of its kind on this subject and is targeted for people who are interested in religious mysteries. The author using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge explains the origin and the material the angels, demons, Satan, and Jinns are made from. The book predicts their physical and biological characteristics and discusses their intellectual and spiritual ability. It compares their capabilities with that of the humans and explores how and to what extent they can influence humans.
""The book not only demonstrates that the scientific explanation about the creation of Adam is co... more ""The book not only demonstrates that the scientific explanation about the creation of Adam is consistent with the Quranic description; it also proposes a Quranic solution for the elusive Missing Links in the Theory of Evolution.
The book not only explains how Adam originated, it also suggests the time and place of his appearance, where was the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve settled after their exit from the Garden, their lifestyle, and what triggered the spread of humans over the globe. Whereas scientists still struggle to define humanity, the book defines it from the Quranic perspective and suggests when it began.
""
The human civilization started with the appearance of Adam. However, the written record of human ... more The human civilization started with the appearance of Adam. However, the written record of human civilization is available only since 3,500 B.C. There is plenty of archaeological data about how people lived before 3,500 B.C., but we do not know what they thought or what they believed in. The author, by comparing the Quranic statements with the archaeological data, was able to unearth the civilizations that thrived since Adam and has predicted the time and place of appearance of Quranic/Biblical prophets. He has also predicted their lifestyle, code of conduct, and criminal justice system. He has also tracked the social and technological developments that took place in each era.
The concept of God is an abstract concept. By definition, He is incorporeal, independent of mater... more The concept of God is an abstract concept. By definition, He is incorporeal, independent of material objects and is beyond our comprehension. Since science only deals with corporeal objects made of mass or energy, His existence cannot be proven by science. The objective of this paper was to explore the reasoning the Quran puts forward for the existence of God.
The Quran has taken two approaches regarding the existence of God: inferential and experiential. Inferential approach starts with a belief. The reasoning is sequentially moved towards that belief. The Polytheists of Arabia already believed in God as the Creator. The crux of the Quranic inferential reasoning is that since He is the Creator, only he deserves our total obedience. No one should be associated with Him in His sovereignty.
Experiential reasoning, though is presented to make the same point, it is made through a situation the Polytheist of Arabia must have encountered. When faced with a life-threatening situation, all the sources of our survival vanish, only hope we feel present in that situation is the power of God. We then sincerely beseech Him and Him only to save us from that situation.
The experiential learning can be used with atheists or agnostic, who lack the faith in God. A situation can be created where they are exposed to a simulated life-threatening situation. For example, while they are flying on a plane, the pilot could announce that the plane has developed a technical fault and is about to crash. A person sitting next to them and who knows that it is a simulated situation, can inquire with them about their feelings in those moments. Asking afterwards will be of no use since, as the Quran attests, once the danger is over, they would go back to their old system of belief.
The belief in God is ingrained in our psych. However, just like the sky is hidden from us, when it is cloudy, our belief in God gets clouded by our false hopes. For the sake of survival, we rely on food, shelter, wealth, and good health. However, these are only enablers. The real protector of our life is God the Almighty. As long as we can hang on to these enablers, we tend to think that these items provide us the protection. In a life-threatening situation, these items lose meaning. Only then we clearly feel the presence of God and call upon Him. Thus, a person who does not believe in God, who may not be persuaded to believe in God by inferential reasoning, may be persuaded to believe in Him by a personal experience.
Conscience is defined as an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness o... more Conscience is defined as an inner feeling or voice viewed as acting as a guide to the rightness or wrongness of one's behavior. It is the sense of the moral goodness or blameworthiness of one's own conduct, intentions, or character together with a feeling of obligation to do right or be good. The child after his birth is initially been driven by his instinct. However, as he grows, he slowly transitions into a being where he has to struggle between his desire and his conscience. This paper explain when and how this transition takes place from a scientific perspective.
The child after his birth starts his life driven by instinct, also called the innate behaviors. The mind at this level, called the primary mind, can only feel, perceive and represent the world, but it cannot think about the things or the events. It lives in the present. By the age of two years, it transitions into collating mind. The mind in this state has the capability of comparing the on-line representation (primary mind) with his past experience (off-line secondary representation) and come up with a better response. The response is, however, immediate(on-line), no holding back. In this state the mind can, not only feel, perceive and represent the world, but it can also think about the things or the events.
Once the child attains the age of four, his mind transitions into a mind called metamind. He not only has a primary (on-line) representation in front of him, he also has a multitude of secondary (off-line) representations. Instead of relying on innate behaviors (instinct), he now has the ability to entertain various ways of looking at the same thing representing what it is, looks like, was, could be, should be, and so on. It can disengaged from on-line primary representations and can think and act off-line. This is accompanied by him taking executive control over his actions. Some of these secondary representations are insinuations (waswasa) from Shaitan and some voice of his conscience [guidance (hedaya) from Allah(ST)]. Since, instead of being driven by instinct, he has executive control over his actions, he has the ability to choose any of those representations for implementation. He thus becomes accountable for his actions. His fate on the Day of Judgement will be dictated by how closely he adhered to the voice of his conscience.
Religiosity is defined as the quality or state of being religious, a religious feeling or devotio... more Religiosity is defined as the quality or state of being religious, a religious feeling or devotion. It is about religious orientations and involvement, which includes experiential, ritualistic, ideological, intellectual, consequential, creedal, communal, doctrinal, moral, and cultural dimensions. Spirituality, on the other hand, can be defined generally as an individual's search for ultimate or sacred meaning and purpose in life. Sometimes the two terms can be confused with each other. The purpose of this paper was to delineate the two concepts.
Religiosity is an external manifestation of religion. In Islam, it is expressed through five pillars: Shahadah, Salaat, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj. Most of it is tangible. Spirituality, which means to connect with Allah(ST) , however, lies in the heart and is intangible. It starts with having a firm belief (Iman) in Allah(ST) with all of His attributes. There are higher levels of spirituality, the ultimate destination of which is to seek closeness with Allah(ST). The way to increase the level is through Dhikr, prolonged Sajdah during Salah, offering Salat-ut-Tahajjud, and Meditation. During meditation, the practitioner reaches a state where he loses his self which is called 'fana fillah'
Religiosity without spirituality leads to hypocrisy. Both are needed to reach the state of 'nafs-ul-mutmainnah [(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! * "Come back thou to thy Lord,-well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! *. "Enter thou, then, among My devotees! *. "Yea, enter thou My Heaven! (The Quran 089.027-030.]
Allama Iqbal is famously known as the Poet of the East. One of the most significant aspect of his... more Allama Iqbal is famously known as the Poet of the East. One of the most significant aspect of his poetry is mysticism, the ultimate goal and object of which is to achieve the highest perfection of the soul possible for man. He in his unique way reframed this goal and objective in terms of the 'Philosophy of Self (Khudi)'. The following verse from his famous poem titled 'Khudi Ka Sirr e Nihan La Ilaha Illa Allah', which is a glimpse of his mystical thought, is analyzed in this paper:
'khird hoi hay zaman wa makan kee zannari Na hay zaman, na makan, La elaha ill-Allah'
The mind has worn the holy thread of time and space like pagans all Though time and space both illusive, "No God but He" is true withal.
Our analysis suggests that, though we spend most of our waking hours in the four dimensional world (three for space and one for time), the way to approach Allah (ST) is to shed the four dimensional illusion and enter into a dimensionless state, which is the original state of the soul. Once we reach this state, we can approach Allah (ST) who is free of any dimension. We can do so by mystical practices.
Physically, reality is all, known and unknown, that exists within a system. It ‘is the totality o... more Physically, reality is all, known and unknown, that exists within a system. It ‘is the totality of all things, structures (actual and conceptual), events (past and present) and phenomena, whether observable or not. The author has explored this subject and mysticism in general from the scientific and the Quranic perspectives. Whatever reality we observe, it is through our brain. The author has explored the realties we experience or will experience through our brain.
The study suggests that there are five dimensions to the reality we experience. The baseline reality, the reality of the external world, is the reality we deal with in the waking hours. It is the representation in the mind developed by fully integrating perceptions from tertiary association areas of our brain based on the signals received from our senses. In addition to this, dream is a reality which most of the human experience during sleep. Instead of sensory signals, it is triggered by the internal stimuli originating from the memory. Its content, however, is unique to the individuals experiencing it.
Though the baseline reality and dreams are common to all, individuals practicing meditation experience another kind of reality which is called the mystical reality. Meditation causes deafferentation in certain portions of mind resulting in the person experiencing a sense of attaining absolute reality, union with God or the Absolute, a sense of either bliss or utter tranquility.
At times of severe physical trauma such as near-drownings or major surgery people experience a reality which is called Near-death experiences (NDE). Typically the experience includes: a sense of being dead; a feeling of peace and painlessness; hearing of various non-physical sounds, an out-of-body experience; a tunnel experience; encountering "beings of light" and a God-like figure or similar entities; being given a "life review", and a reluctance to return to life. Along with many other factors, the NDE is activated by the stimulation of the lower part of temporal lobe (including amygdala and hippocampus). These regions are involved in eliciting vivid memories, complex hallucinations, dream like states, and other sensations in states of markedly decreased input into these regions. A subset of the NDE is the out of body experiences (OBE) which results in a sense of being detached from the body. It can also happen independently. It is due to illusory reduplications of one’s own body due to interference with the temporo-parietal junction in the brain.
The fifth reality is the Ultimate reality, which the whole humanity will experience on the Day of Judgement. The Quran calls it ‘Al-Haqqah’ (the Sure Reality) and Al-Waqiah (the Event or the Inevitability). It will be experienced on the day when people will be raised again and will be judged. Some will be experiencing a permanent blissfulness and some a permanent misery.
The brain is thus a multifaceted instrument. It is normally used to observe the baseline reality, but can also be used to have other experiences.
Every year on the 27th of Rajab, Muslims around the world commemorate the event called Al-Isra` a... more Every year on the 27th of Rajab, Muslims around the world commemorate the event called Al-Isra` and al-Mi'raj, the Prophet(SAW) 's night journey from Mecca to al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem from where he embarked on the second leg of the journey heavenwards.
There are different versions of this journey. Some say that both the events happened in a dream, while others are of the opinion that both of these took place in the waking state and the Prophet(SAW) physically went on the journey, and some say that it was merely a mystic vision shown to him.
The analysis of the author suggests that Al-Isra could have been a bodily experience. Technically, with a little lift from Jibraeel(AS) , who can travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it was possible for the Prophet(SAW) to physically travel to Jerusalem and return to Mecca in less than five minutes.
Al-Miraj, on the other hand, could not have been a bodily or mystical experience. It could not even be a dream. It fits the core elements of a superlative form of out of body experience (OBE), which is beyond imagination. The state he was in was very conducive to trigger such an OBE. While the body stayed where he was sleeping, his conscience (soul) saw things which fits the pattern of an OBE e.g. looking at what Jibraeel(AS) was doing with his body, passing through a huge space (heaven), meeting the dead (some of the Prophets), and seeing a bright light and the paradise.
Ayat-un-Noor (the Verse of Light) in Surah An-Noor (24.35) is considered as one of the mystical v... more Ayat-un-Noor (the Verse of Light) in Surah An-Noor (24.35) is considered as one of the mystical verses in the Quran. The verse is renowned for its remarkable beauty and imagery. Islamic mystics have derived much gnosis and illumination from this verse. The objective of the author in this paper was to explore if this verse can be understood in the light of his recent scientific understanding of the mystical experiences The author's analysis suggests that the Noor of Allah (ST) is an attribute of Allah (ST) in which the whole universe is engulfed. This Noor can be felt by dhikr (meditative practices). The intensity of this feeling depends upon the level of our meditative state. We can get a full sense of it when we completely block external sensory signals from reaching the dominant part of our brain. In this state we lose our sense of self and reach the state of 'fana fillah'.
The example of lamp used in the verse describes a devoted believer who when he accepts the divine guidance, his spiritual heart lights up like a wick. Just like the glass protects the light from blowing out due to external factors (moths and gusts of wind), the prayers (Salat) protects the spiritual heart from dimming down. Also just as the glass transmits the light to remove the darkness from the room, the believer through his acts of charity (Zakat) removes the darkness of misery from the world. The houses of the believers, in the words of Isa (AS) , serve as a shining city on the hill, which Allah (ST) has raised in honor. The intensity of this light depends upon the intensity of dhikr (meditational state) the devoted believer indulges in.
‘Fana Fillah’ is a sufi term meaning the dissolution of the self in Allah(ST). The mystic in this... more ‘Fana Fillah’ is a sufi term meaning the dissolution of the self in Allah(ST). The mystic in this state is annihilated from himself and his ‘limited existence’ seems overpowered by the 'absolute existence' of Allah(ST). The objective of this paper was to understand the reality behind it.
The analysis suggests that this is the state when the sensory signals from the external world are completely blocked causing the disintegration of the boundary between the self and the ‘other’. Having no sense of this partition, the practitioner finds himself annihilated in the ocean called cosmos. It is like a drop of water falling into the pool or the river merging into the ocean.
In addition to the five senses, we have a seventh sense that lets us feel the presence of Allah(ST). It remains dormant during our waking hours when the five senses are dominant. With the five senses blocked in the ‘fana fillah’ the state, the seventh sense becomes dominant allowing us to feel the presence of Allah(ST) all-round us.
At some level, our universe’s particles are instantaneously in touch with each other. Every particle in this state feels to be at one with the whole cosmos. The Quranic verses also suggest that the individual particles of the cosmos and the cosmos as a whole have a feeling of the self. ‘Fana fillah’ could be the state of our consciousness where we sense our existence as a part of the ‘giant body’ called universe, where we feel to be at one with the whole cosmos.
The word 'God' (Allah[ST] in Arabic, Yahweh and Jehovah in Hebrew) is conceived of as the supreme... more The word 'God' (Allah[ST] in Arabic, Yahweh and Jehovah in Hebrew) is conceived of as the supreme being, creator deity, and principal object of faith. He is usually conceived as being omnipotent (all-powerful) (al-Qahir), omniscient (all-knowing) (al-Allam), omnipresent (all-present) (al-Hayye), and omnibenevolent (all-good) (al-Barr, al-Wadood) as well as having an eternal and necessary existence. Depending upon the faith of the individuals, this word may have different meaning to different people. "Yet there is, perhaps, some thread of meaning common to the diverse connotations attached to the word by all who use it.-If that were not the case, the atheist who denies God's existence, the agnostic who thinks that he cannot discover anything about God by rational inquiry, and the theist who affirm God's existence, either by faith or by reason, would not be opposed to one another and would have nothing to argue about. Even the pantheist, who identifies God with the infinite cosmos, thereby annulling the distinction between the nature and the supernatural, retains some meaning for the word 'God' that preserves what the word names as an object of reverence, if not worship." The object of this paper was to explore how we can think of such a being.
Our study suggests that the word God is a proper name associated with a unique being, who is a class in Himself, no one else belongs to that class. As such, we cannot think of Him in terms of anyone else and hence we cannot think of Him in terms of images. The only way we can think about Him is through 'dhikr' and 'fikr'. We can do 'fikr' about Him by pondering over His creations, which remind us of His Asma-ul-Husna. We can do 'dhikr' about Him by counting all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. There is, however, a higher level of 'dhikr', which creates a feeling of awe in our heart. This can be done through the process of meditation, which ultimately leads to the states of Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhud.
The Quran states that the main purpose for the creation of the heavens and the earth is to test t... more The Quran states that the main purpose for the creation of the heavens and the earth is to test the human being. For this purpose the earth was made habitable for him and all the resources needed for his survival were placed in it before his arrival. The Quran also tells us that death and life are also created for the same purpose. The statement suggests that each person enters this world (given life) to demonstrate his or her conduct on this earth. He then leave this world through death. The author in exploring these two aspects found the death and life are means for the human life to go through four stages: pre-life existence, this life, the life of Barzakh, and the life in the Hereafter. The stages the soul goes through is another chapter in evolution. Whereas the body and mind reached its peak in physical evolution with the appearance of the human being, the next chapter in evolution begins with the soul of the human being. It enters this world in pristine form without any baggage, but is prone to evil. As it passes through this worldly life, it is exposed to various situations. Depending on how it responds to those situations, it either evolves into a higher level or degenerates to a lower level. This life serves as a boot camp for the soul. Having being exposed to trying circumstance in this life, it is forced to respond and in doing so, it develops either a good personality or a bad personality, which is going to stay with it forever, even in the Hereafter.
The Prophet(SAW) has been reported to be saying that the best form of remembrance (dhikr) is ‘La ... more The Prophet(SAW) has been reported to be saying that the best form of remembrance (dhikr) is ‘La ilaha il Allah (There is no deity but Allah). This is also the first of the two statements required to be professed to enter into the fold of Islam. Whereas the starting point of this statement is for the verbal confession, the author has demonstrated that repeating ‘La ilaha il Allah’ in a slow rhythmic induces a state of extraordinary relaxation interrupting the constant stream of sensory information, which results in the (mystical) experiences. When mystics reach the highest state, they find themselves in a state in which there are no images, no desires, no thought, no affective feeling, no sensation, and no vision. When we reach the ultimate mystical level, we end up purging our consciousness of all the thoughts (la ilaha), the only thing that remains in our consciousness is Allah(ST) (il Allah). Though the mystical state can be reached by chanting any word or sound, since ‘La ilaha il Allah’ is the chant where our words match exactly with what happens to our consciousness, if it is chanted with understanding, it becomes the most effective and hence the best dhikr in reaching that state.
Men have always yearned to see God, the ultimate, the powerful, the omnipresent, and the omnipote... more Men have always yearned to see God, the ultimate, the powerful, the omnipresent, and the omnipotent without any success. The author explains why we cannot see Him. He has made a case that, though we cannot see Him, we can know Him through His attributes (Asma-ul-Husna) which are manifested throughout the universe.
In the Quran, Allah(ST) states that after creating the heavens and the earth, He established Hims... more In the Quran, Allah(ST) states that after creating the heavens and the earth, He established Himself on the Throne (Al-‘Arsh). In this paper we explored what are the characteristics of the Throne (al-‘Arsh), when was it created, where is it located, and how can we interpret Allah(ST) established Himself on it.
Our analysis of the Quranic verses suggests that: • It is a physical object and came into existence only after the creations of the heavens and the earth. • It is probably located in the interstellar space (the space between the outer boundaries of the sun [Heliopause] and the closest star to the sun [Alpha Centauri]). • Allah(ST) being imperceptible is independent of space and time and cannot be confined to any segment of the space. As such we cannot say that He is sitting on the Throne (al-‘Arsh). Being independent of space and time, He is everywhere, even beyond space and time. • It is the command center from where Allah(ST) regulates and governs all the affairs of the heavens and the earth. • It is well guarded by angels. As such only they have access to it. They are the ones who receive command from here and implement them.
Usually, when we think of Allah(ST), we think that He is up in the heavens on the Throne (Al-‘Ars... more Usually, when we think of Allah(ST), we think that He is up in the heavens on the Throne (Al-‘Arsh). We, however, find two types of verses In the Quran. On one hand, the Quran states that Allah(ST) is the closest to us all. On the other hand, the Quran states that AllahST established Himself on the Throne (al-Arsh).
A reconciliation of the two statements suggests that Allah(ST), being imperceptible, is everywhere. He is down here with every one of us and He is up there in the heavens. He is not only at zero distance from us, He is also at an infinite distance from us. He cannot be localized anywhere in the space. He is beyond both the space and time.
Him being imperceptible, He is beyond our imagination. We can only talk about His sphere of influence. Just as we can explain the earth’s gravitational force by its gravitational field, we can explain the influence Allah(ST) has upon all of His creations by Super Field. Just like we are immersed in the gravitational field of the earth, we are also immersed in the Super Field. However, whereas the earth’s gravitational field is limited and wanes as we move away from it, the Super Field is uniform throughout and extends far beyond the Universe. Since everything is immersed in this field, everything finds itself closest to this field.
Being imperceptible, we cannot detect the presence of the Super field by scientific means. It can, however, be felt by rising above the four dimensional state we live and enter into the dimensionless state. This is the state where we lose the sense of space and the passage of time and where we lose the sense of self and find ourselves swimming in the Super Field. In this state our mind is completely free of all the thoughts. There is a sense of serenity and stillness in the mind.
The only life we are consciously aware of is the present life. We have no idea of how we felt bef... more The only life we are consciously aware of is the present life. We have no idea of how we felt before birth or how will we feel after death. The concept of ‘the Punishment of Grave’ , however, suggest that there is a level of awareness after death. The author, in this paper, has made an attempt to understand what these levels of awareness are.
His analysis suggests that our perception of the past and the future is viable only when there is a flow of information between our consciousness and memory (awake and dream states). Once this flow of information is blocked (partitioned), either temporarily during deep sleep or permanently after death or before birth, it only lives in the present. It feels what it is made to feel without our experience of the past or the anticipation of the future to rely upon. It feels the pain or the pleasure of what it is made to feel after death. Its feeling before the birth is probably neutral, neither pain, nor pleasure, since it has not gone through the trials and tribulations of this life.
Salah is one of the basic pillars of Islam. Whereas Shahadah is only to be confessed once to ente... more Salah is one of the basic pillars of Islam. Whereas Shahadah is only to be confessed once to enter into the fold of Islam, Zakah is due upon the completion of year, Fasting is obligatory in the month of Ramadhan, and Hajj is obligatory once in a lifetime, Salah has to be performed five times a day, every day. Even during sickness, travel, or state of fear, Salah can be shortened, but can never be skipped. Although Salah consists of many postures, according to the Quran, prostration brings oneself closer to Allah(ST). The Prophet(SAW) has also stated that “the closest that a servant is to his Lord is when he is in prostration.” This paper explored how we can enhance our understanding about this closeness.
The study finds that the only way to be close to Allah(ST) is to attain a thought-free state. Salah is a means to achieve such a state. Our objective during Salah should be to have a laser focus attention on what we are reciting. This is what the mystics call the state of mindfulness. While quietly repeating ‘Subhana Rubbiy al’Aalaa’ during prostration (and Subhana Rubbiy alAzeem during bowing) mentally with minimal effort, it may be possible to enter into a thought-free state where we may find ourselves present and awake, but without any thought. This is when we are closest to Allah(ST).
The Quran states that the defining feature of Muslims as a nation is that they do 'amr bil-Ma'roo... more The Quran states that the defining feature of Muslims as a nation is that they do 'amr bil-Ma'roof and 'nahee 'anal-Munkar'. This statement makes it clear that this must be the mission of Muslims. Only by adhering to this mission they will gain the leadership of the world (khalifah-tul-'ardh). It also implies that if they fail to live up to this mission, they will lose this leadership. Considering that 'amr bil-Ma'roof and 'nahee 'anal-Munkar' is defined as the mission of the Muslims, the objective of this paper was to explore what 'amr bil-Ma'roof and 'nahee 'anal-Munkar' entails.
The analysis suggests that 'amr bil-Ma'roof and 'nahee 'anal-Munkar' entails promoting customarily acceptable good cultural practices and eschewing out bad cultural practices. In addition to cultural reform, it also includes promoting justice ('Al-'Adl'), doing good ('Al-Ehsan'), being kind to kith and kin. It is a collective effort of Muslim society as whole which they must do to fulfill their mission. This is in addition to Ibadat (Salaah, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj) which is a category in itself. The mission of Muslims as a nation is to scrutinize and reform the cultural practices of the society they live in. It entails promoting good cultural practices and pruning out bad cultural practices. It refers to the way in which a particular society does its things. It is the collection of ideas and habits which they learn, share and transmit from generation to generation. It includes the way each individual makes a living, the music he plays, festival he celebrates, modes of communication and transportation he uses, the house he live and the food he eats. It encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music and is different all over the world.
The objective of the mission is not to impose the cultural practices of Arabia on the rest, but to reform the local culture while staying within the tenants of Islam. For example, different cultures have different ways of respecting the elderly. Each can keep their practice as long as it does not violate the basic tenants of Islam.
The mission of the Muslims as a society is thus to scrutinize ideas and habits of the society they live in, promote what is good and prune out what is bad. It is the upholding of this mission that makes them the leader of the world. It is also the abandoning of this mission that makes them the worst of the nation.
The Palestinian issue revolves around the question of self-determination within the territory of ... more The Palestinian issue revolves around the question of self-determination within the territory of Palestine. Key aspects of this issue include the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the status of Jerusalem, Israeli settlements, borders, security, water rights, Palestinian freedom of movement, and the Palestinian right of return to their ancestral homeland. On a superficial level, the main culprit in not getting the Palestinian issue resolved seems to be Israel because of its refusal to concede the Palestinian land awarded to the Palestinians by the UN. In reality it is the military and economic support of the Western nations that is sustaining the occupation of the Palestinian territory. The issue arose as a result of Muslims losing control of Jerusalem in 1917, after almost 1300 years of control over it for the reasons already identified by the author in his paper titled “The Genesis of Palestinian Issue -The Quranic Analysis.”
Although this is a political explanation of the issue, there is an underlying Quranic reason for this issue. The real reason is the poor performance of Muslim nations in the Quranic laws ordained for governance: unity (wa-la-tafarraqu), conducting the affairs of mutual concern by mutual consultation (shoorah baybahum), adhering to the rule of law (justice), and guaranteed free exercise of rights (la ikraha fid-deen). Their poor performance in governance has put them at a great disadvantage compared to the Western nations (Christian nations) who are performing much better in these indices. Because of their far superior performance in these indices, they have been given the leadership (Khilafah) of the world and hence the control of Jerusalem.
The solution to the Palestinian issue is not in the hands of the Israelis or the Western powers, it is in the hands of Muslims themselves. The only recourse they have for solving this issue is to improve their performance in the Quranic laws of governance. They must unite behind a single leadership, develop a functioning democracy, establish the rule of law, and promote freedom and justice. Once they excel in these laws, the key of Jerusalem will be handed over to them, like it was handed over to Umar(RA). The strategy for this has already been outlined by the author in his paper titled “Strategy for Muslim Renaissance – The Quranic Prescription.”
Palestine, which has witnessed many conflicts throughout the history, came under Muslim rule in 6... more Palestine, which has witnessed many conflicts throughout the history, came under Muslim rule in 638 CE during the reign of Caliph Umar (RA). Since then, except for a brief period of eighty eight years from 1099 to 1187 CE, it had remained in the hands of Muslims under different rulers. Ottomans were the last Muslim ruler who governed Palestine for 401 years (1516 CE-1917 CE). The Muslim rule ended in 1917 when it came under the occupation of the Britain. It eventually resulted in the creation of Israel and with that started the plight of the Palestinians.
The plight of Palestinians is politically blamed on the connivance of the Britian and the Western Powers. However, the root of their plight lies in the Arab Revolt against the Caliphate, which resulted in the loss of Palestine to Britain. It was the result of Sharif Hussain and his cohorts violating three Quranic commandments: (a) Muslims should never divide among themselves, (b) never make non-Muslims their Wali (protector), and (c) resolve their dispute among themselves under the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah. Their actions were a treachery against the Muslim Ummah. By doing so they rejected the help of Allah(ST). They have nobody to blame, except themselves. Had Sharif and his cohorts stayed in alliance with the Ottomans, not only Palestine, but the Ottoman Empire, the glory of Muslims, would have remained intact. They could even have had a seat in the Security Council as a Veto casting member.
International relations are the interactions among sovereign states. It not only involves multila... more International relations are the interactions among sovereign states. It not only involves multilateral relations, but all activities among states—such as war, diplomacy, trade, and foreign policy—as well as relations with and among other international actors. The objective of this paper was to seek guidance from the Quran on how Muslims should conduct these relations in the international arena. Considering that the world will always be polarized and will be full of conflicts, international relations require that the Ummah manages the conflict to its advantage. The coin for earning respect in the world is military power. Quran advises, that the Ummah must be militarily (and financially) independent and maintain deterrence so as not to be taken advantage of. The Ummah should strive for peace, but should not hesitate to use force if it is cornered in that situation. It should also not hesitate to come to the helped of the oppressed against the oppressors. Under no circumstance should it abandon standing up for justice. The Ummah should inculcate multilateral relation by pooling resources and sharing information to resolve global issues for example pandemics, terrorism, and the environment. It should also be involved in intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), international legal bodies, and multinational corporations (MNCs) to promote good and eschewing out evil from the world arena. The Ummah should not hesitate to use military force to achieve these objectives. The Ummah’s foreign policy should be based on cooperating in good matters. Thus participating in UN, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, Red Cross/Crescent, Human Rights organizations and similar organizations should take priority in international matters. Since the world consists of good and bad , there will always be evil forces exploiting the poor and oppressed. The Ummah should use its military might to fight against the oppressors. Worst come to worst, it should give asylum to those oppressed by oppressors. The Ummah should be an active participant in promoting justice irrespective of race, color or creed.
Muslims as a nation have a great heritage. At one time they ruled the world and gave the world th... more Muslims as a nation have a great heritage. At one time they ruled the world and gave the world the golden age of Islamic/Arab civilization. At the height of its power between the eighth and fifteenth centuries, a united Muslim empire included all North Africa, Sicily, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, western Arabia, and southern Spain. They remained the superpower until 1922 when the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the Allies (the Entente) Powers. After thirteen centuries of existence as a superpower, they ceased to exist as a united political entity and their territory was split into many mini states. At present they have no influence in world affairs. Even with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), an intergovernmental organization of fifty-seven member states, they can exert no influence in the world affairs. The objective of this paper was to propose a strategy by which the Muslims could regain their long-lost edge in the world affairs.
A study of the Quran suggests that whereas Muslims as individuals will be judged on the Day of Judgement based on their personal piety, the fate of a society is dictated by Allah(ST)’s prescribed social values it practices among its citizens. It is the adherence or non-adherence to these values that makes it a superpower or the scum of the earth, respectively. The following five Quranic indices determine the potential for success or failure of a nation:
• Governance under the guidance of AllahST (wa-‘tasemoo bi hablillah);
• Unity under the leadership of Amir (wa-la-tafarraqu);
• Conducting the affairs of mutual concern by mutual consultation (shoorah baybahum);
• Adhering to the rule of law (justice);
• Guaranteed free exercise of rights.
The analysis by using democratic and economic performance indicators suggests that Muslims, as an ummah, flunk on almost all the indices. They are at a state where Europeans were during 1648–1814 CE. The most dominant indicator is the unity of action in the form of a single leader. Although China and Russia are worse off on other indicators, it is the unity of action under a single leadership, that allows them to exert influence in the world affairs. If Muslims want a seat on the table of the world affairs, they must unite under a single leadership, establish a functioning democracy and rule of law, and guarantee free exercise of rights. They must top it off with governance under the guidance of Allah(ST), if they want to be the Khalifa of the Earth (Khalifah-tul-Ardh). The analysis proposes a strategy for how this could be achieved.
Dawah is an Arabic word, which is defined as the act of inviting or calling people to embrace Isl... more Dawah is an Arabic word, which is defined as the act of inviting or calling people to embrace Islam. The normal approach Muslims have taken to do Dawah in the West is go to the churches or have an open house in the mosques and explain the beauty of Islam. Now a days there are also presentations on YouTube.
The author in this paper is suggesting that the Dawah for Islam in this era can most effectively be done by using marketing techniques: demonstrate how good our product is, at what price it is available, and where it is available. However, the most important aspect of the marketing technique is the promotion of the product. Using this technique, we must explain how good our product packaged in the Quran and Hadeeth is. Explain that the price for this product is to live according to the prescription provided in the package. For this price, one can earn Jannah in the Hereafter. We should make the package available on-line and off line and on You Tube, which we are already doing. The best way to promote Islam is to show case a model community based on this ideology. This community must be able to demonstrate how this community lives in peace and harmony with each other. How it nurtures the good and eschew out bad. How it fosters a culture of justice, freedom, and tolerance, mutual consultation, unity, discipline, education, respect for diversity, and supremacy of character. Only then will we be able to convince prospective buyers how good our product Islam is and how it can improve their life and only then will we be able to convince prospective buyers to buy this product.
Democracy has become the most popular system of governance in the world today. The practices of m... more Democracy has become the most popular system of governance in the world today. The practices of many countries show that the democratic principles have a positive effect on people’s well-being. Nobel Laurate Sen claims, ''(n)o famine has ever taken place in the history of the world in a functioning democracy.'' The intent of this paper was to explore how compatible democracy is with the Islamic political system and if so how will it be different from the western concept of democracy.
The analysis suggests that the modern concept of democracy is consistent with the Quranic injunction of ‘conduct affairs of common interest with mutual consultation (shoorah baynahum)’ and consent (bay’ah). Whereas direct representation was possible in city-state like Athens or Medina, it is impractical in nation-states, as it exists today. The only alternative is to adopt representational democracy, as is practiced in the West. The institution of consent (bay’ah), a mechanism to formalize the consent of the governed in a city-state, is now achieved by voters casting their votes, thus pledging their support for the candidate.
Whereas the author finds that the four pillars of Western democracy: Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and Freedom, are consistent with the Quranic injunctions, he proposes two more pillars, ‘Promotion of Good and Eschewing Out Evil’ and the ‘Welfare and Protection of the Destitute’, to the pillars of Islamic democracy to comply with the Quranic injunctions. The author would suggest that in order to maintain the independence of other pillars, the institution of ‘Promotion of Good and Eschewing Out Evil’ should not have any prosecutional authority. Their job should be to educate the masses about what is good and what is bad. They should educate the voters who in turn should elect good candidates.. Since self-governance requires informed voters, whose opinions rest on shared knowledge. This institutions should educate citizens in knowing their rights, knowing the law, knowing how to evaluate their representatives, and understanding government. In order to maintain independence of the other pillars, the members of this institution should not be directly involved in choosing the individuals in the executive, judicial, or legislature branch of the government. This constraint is similar to the prohibition placed for government officials in the Western democracy from indulging in political activities.
Nation-building refers to the people’s sense of national identity. The goal of nation-building is... more Nation-building refers to the people’s sense of national identity. The goal of nation-building is to unify the people within a state so that it remains politically viable and stable over the long term. The nation building requires a critical mass of free people with a territory and a common objective defined by a declaration. It also requires a constitution and laws for the people to govern themselves according to the established rules. The laws have to be revisited every so often to ensure that these remain relevant to address the issues of the time. If nations fail to do so, they become a failed state and go into oblivion. The object of this paper was to compare the path taken by Muslims in their path to nation building with the one taken by Jews.
The history of Muslims suggests that they took the same path the Jews took , but on a compressed time scale. The declaration made by the Prophet(SAW) was essentially the same as that made by Ibrahim(AS). The next step was to build a critical mass of free people and establish a state. The Prophet(SAW) was able to achieve these objectives in a period of thirteen years by establishing the state of Medina. The constitution in the form of the Quran was complete before the Prophet(SAW) passed away. The nation established by the Prophet(SAW) soon became a superpower with leadership changing hands from the Caliphate to the Umayyad Dynasty, then to Abbasid Dynasty, and then to Ottomans.
The Muslims ceased to be a nation after World War I, when it disintegrated into about fifty states. This is because nation building requires a perpetual reform to remain viable. This can only happen if the Divine Declaration (the Quran) is kept seated in the driver seat. The Muslims after the passing away of the Prophet(SAW) have placed the post Prophet(SAW) literature in the driver seat. This is what the Jews did with Torah, when they placed Talmud in the driver seat. When they failed to implement the needed reforms initiated by Isa(AS), they ceased to be a viable nation, which eventually resulted in their exile from the Promised Land. The situation with the Muslims is not much different. They are divided into about fifty states with no say in the world affair. If they want to become a viable nation again, they must place the Quran in the driver seat. Only then it will become a universal divine message fully relevant to the Muslims of the present era. In addition the Quranic legal principles must be reinterpreted in the light of our own experience and the altered conditions of the modern life.
Nation-building refers to people’s sense of national identity. The goal of nation-building is to ... more Nation-building refers to people’s sense of national identity. The goal of nation-building is to unify the people within the country so that it remains politically viable and stable over a long term. The objective of this paper was to explore what we can learn about nation-building from the Jewish history in the Quran.
The study suggests that nation building requires a critical mass of free people with a territory and a common objective defined by a declaration. It also requires a constitution and laws for the people to govern themselves according to the established rules. The laws have to be revisited every so often to ensure that these remain relevant to address the issues of the time. If nations fail to do so, they become a failed state and go into oblivion.
For the Jewish nation building, the declaration came from Ibrahim(AS) , the constitution in the form of Torah came through Musa(AS) and the state was established by Dawood(AS). However, with time Talmud, which contained a body of laws (jurisprudence) based on the commentaries of the scholars, however, took precedence over Torah, the divine revelation, when Isa(AS) appeared. A majority of the Jews failed to implement Isa(AS)’s initiative of restoring Torah. As a result, the state ceased to exist and the Jews had to suffer exile.
The culture of any society is inherently static and requires a significant effort to bring about ... more The culture of any society is inherently static and requires a significant effort to bring about a change. The Quran has shed some light on what is required to bring about a successful change in our society. The objective of this paper is explore how we can apply scientific methodology to enhance our understanding of the Quranic guidance.
The believers, according to the Quran can be divided into two groups: the foremost ones (as-sabeqoon) and the companions of the right hand (ashab-ul-maymanah). The author’s analysis suggests that the key to the success of a reform movement is the proportion of the foremost ones in the population. They are the engines of the reform movements. They are the one who are totally committed to the reform. If their proportion among the believers is about fifty percent, even if the proportion of the believers is one-tenth of the population, they will succeed in implementing the reform. If their proportion drops to about a quarter of the believers, the required proportion of the believers for the reform movement to succeed would be about one third of the population.
The morality of a society is also driven by the proportion of the foremost ones in the society. According to bell curve distribution, a minimum of two percent in the population is required just to maintain the status quo. Anything less than this proportion will cause the morality of the society to degrade. Higher their proportion, higher will be the morality of the society.
When we see turmoil in the society, we wonder why. Why corruption, both material and moral is on ... more When we see turmoil in the society, we wonder why. Why corruption, both material and moral is on the rise. Why every so often we experience wars, ethnic cleansing, and mayhem? Why a ruthless ruler takes over a country and run it to ruins. The author in this paper using Quranic statements and science has explained why is that so and what is our responsibility in these situations.
Chaos and disorder is in the nature of things. It is in their nature to move from an ordered state to a disordered state. It requires energy and time to maintain and enhance an ordered state. Allah(ST) has done so by creating islands of ordered state, which has given rise to galaxies, stars, planets, and biological species, humans included. Humans are not immune from this tendency. Creating order requires physical effort and resources and takes time. Creating disorder is easy and takes only few minutes. The Quran strongly discourages promotion of disorderly states. Our test in this life is to fight this tendency and strive to enhance order in the society. The author has demonstrated that we can earn good deeds by doing things which minimizes disorderly conduct in the society. The author has also cited examples of disorderly conduct. Any effort to promote order will require extra effort, but will be rewarded in the Hereafter.
Many of the Quranic injunctions dealing with the women issues, which were progressive in the da... more Many of the Quranic injunctions dealing with the women issues, which were progressive in the days of the Prophet(SAW), have now become regressive and inferior to those practiced by the West. The interpreters of the Quran have not kept up with the requirements of the changing times. Time has come to revisit and re-interpret these injunctions in view of the current reality and come up with a system of social justice which is at least at par with the West while still maintaining the spirit of the Quran. This paper addresses the issue of Women’s Rights and Responsibilities in this context. The author by revisiting the male-female relationship and looking at the rational behind the Quranic injunctions shows that the differentiation made in the Holy Quran between the male and the female has nothing to do with the sexual differences. The differentiation is made between those who earn the living and have physical strength versus those who could not earn a living and did not have the physical strength. With the changed economic and technological environment these relationship should be redefined. For example, (a) the burden of the financial responsibility in a family should be upon the bread winner, not the male member of the family; (b) the higher share in the distribution of inheritance should be given to the one who contributed financially to the well being of the deceased irrespective of the sex of the person; (c) leadership in the family should be the domain of the one who has financial and physical strength irrespective of the sex of the person; (d) dowry should be paid by the one who is the bread winner in the family irrespective of the sex of the person; (e) the right to divorce should belong to the one who has paid the dowry irrespective of the sex of the person; (f) the requirement of a second women during witness was to help the woman and should be left to the woman if she wants to avail that assistance or not; (g) the Quran and the Sunnah does not deny the women the right to lead the prayer; and (h) the constraint on the dress code for women should reflect the present economic condition and not the past.
Exceptionalism is the perception that a species, country, society, institution, movement, individ... more Exceptionalism is the perception that a species, country, society, institution, movement, individual, or time period is "exceptional" (i.e., unusual or extraordinary) in some way. Though Jews claim to be the exceptional (chosen) people, Muslims claim that since the advent of Prophet MuhammadSAW, they have acquired that status. Since the American Revolution, Americans believe that “God had made a covenant with their people and had chosen them to provide a model for the other nations of the Earth. This paper first reviews the concept and status of Jewish and American exceptionalism, and then compares their concept and status with that of Muslims. The analysis suggests that exceptionalism and its reward can only be claimed if nations claiming exceptionalism live by the covenant or the commitment they have made to be granted exceptionalism. The Quranic statements and Jewish history testifies to the fact that when Jews adhered to the covenant they made with AllahST, they lived in the Promised Land (Palestine) and ruled over it and when they abandoned the covenant, they lost the power and were driven out of the Promised Land (Palestine). As long as the United States adheres to the covenant they have made with AllahST, they will continue to be the superpower of the world. The case of Muslims is no different from Jews or the United States. When they were living by the covenant they had made with AllahST, they ruled the world. The current state of Muslims suggests that they have abandoned the covenant; as such, they cannot claim the exceptional status they were granted. Since they have abandoned the covenant, they find themselves on the receiving end of humiliation and degradation from all sides. Their only recourse to avert their misery and regain exceptionalism is to live by the covenant they have made with AllahST. They must outperform the United States in delivering and promoting justice.
Activism is the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social... more Activism is the policy or action of using vigorous campaigning to bring about political or social change in the society we live in. The author by analyzing the Quranic statements shows that most of the Prophets(AS) engaged in activism. They actively, but peacefully, campaigned to root out corruption in the society and promoted promote the worship of Allah(ST) alone. Those who lived among those who already believed in Allah(ST), they campaigned to eliminate corruption that had crept in the society. The author then demonstrates that when the Quran is urging Muslims to strive in the cause of Allah(ST), it is asking them to actively campaign to bring a change in the society for good, which by definition is activism. The author then explains what Muslims must do to be diehard activists. He then gives examples of some of the modern day activists.
Qadha and Qadr (fate and destiny) are one of the articles of faith in Islam. It implies that Alla... more Qadha and Qadr (fate and destiny) are one of the articles of faith in Islam. It implies that Allah(ST) has the most knowledge of our future, of what is destined to be for our future. Everything that happens to us has been decreed by Allah(ST). We also believe that Allah(ST) has given us free will, which implies that Allah(ST) allows us to make our own decisions in the situations we face over the duration of our lifetime. We have to, however, account for the life choices we make in the Hereafter. The objective of this paper was to reconcile the two concepts.
The analysis suggests that our life events are an interplay of four elements: Our free will, exhibited through our striving, the Will of Allah(ST), Qadha and Qadr. Their interplay results into four possibilities: (a) If we do not strive, even if it is part of our Qadr, it will not fall under the Will of Allah(ST), and no decree Qadha will be issued, and hence we will not be able to achieve our objective. (b) If it is not a part of our Qadr, even if we strives for it, it will not fall under the Will of Allah(ST), no decree Qadha will be issued, and hence we will not be able to achieve our objective. (c) Even if it is a part of our Qadr, and even if we strive for it, if it is not the Will of Allah(ST) at that moment, no decree (Qadha) will be issued and hence we will come out empty handed. (d) We will only achieve our objective if it is a part of our Qadr, we strives for it, and it is the Will of Allah(ST), a decree (Qadha) will then be issued and executed. We will then achieve our objective.
Another factor that comes into play is the test of Allah(ST), the whole purpose of our life. One way for Him to test us is not keeping the things we desire in our Qadr. This is the second possibility of the four scenarios described above. Another way for Him to test us is to let us achieve our objective and then take it away. This is the fourth possibility of the four scenarios described above. Another way for Him to test us to let us enjoy what we achieve. This is also stems from the fourth possibility of the above four scenarios.
The question of when human life begins centers around the issue of abortion. This has pitted the ... more The question of when human life begins centers around the issue of abortion. This has pitted the adherents of the 'pro-choice' and 'pro-life' movements against each other. Pro-choice adherents emphasize that a woman has full right over her bodily anatomy. As such it is her right to decide to continue or terminate the pregnancy. Pro-life adherents claim that life begins at conception. They argue that once conception takes place, it is a human deserving full protection as a person, separate from the will of the mother.
There is no consensus among scientists about when personhood begins. The objective of this paper was to determine when does the human life begin from the Quranic perspective.
The analysis of the Quranic verses suggest that dream sleep (REM) is a sign of the presence of soul and deep sleep (NREM) is the sign of the absence of soul in the fetus. Ultrasound imaging suggests that fetus transitions from deep sleep (NREM) to dream sleep (REM) around 23 weeks of gestation. However, some babies (about 5%) can still survive if born as early as 22 weeks of gestation, suggesting the presence of soul at this stage. Research also suggests that fetuses can enter a dreaming sleep-like states weeks before the first rapid eye movements (REM) are seen. The soul thus be joining the fetus around 22nd week of gestation.
Surrogacy is an arrangement when a woman carries in her womb a couple’s sperm and ovum to produce... more Surrogacy is an arrangement when a woman carries in her womb a couple’s sperm and ovum to produce a child for the intended parents. The objective of this paper was to determine the permissibility of surrogate from the Quranic perspective.
The analysis suggests that, traditional surrogacy, in which a woman other than the spouse gets artificially inseminated with the father's sperm, is outside the constraint imposed by the Quran and is, therefore, not permissible. The Quran requires that the biological mother (the egg donor) must be the spouse of the person donating the sperm, not the surrogate. The gestational surrogacy, in which the embryo is formed by the egg donated by the spouse of the father who is donating the sperm, is within the constraint imposed by the Quran, and should, therefore, be permissible.
The Quran does not make it incumbent upon the mother to be the sole provider of nutrients to the baby. Incubators have successfully been used to complete the gestation (prenatal nourishment) period of premature babies. There is a potential for artificial womb to extend this period further. The surrogate mother falls in the same category and should be permissible to provide prenatal nourishment during the gestational period.
Contrary to scholars assertion, implanting an embryo in the womb of a surrogate mother cannot be called ‘zina’. Many medical procedures require vaginal insertion and have never been labelled as ‘zina’. Implanting an embryo in the womb of a surrogate mother which require penetration in the vagina falls in the same category. Calling it ‘zina’ would make all medical procedures, which requires penetration of medical devices in the uterus per standard medical protocol, illegal.
Their concern about the corruption of the embryo with surrogate mother’s egg is also misplaced. Once the egg is fertilized, which is done outside the uterus, its genetic composition is locked. It cannot be corrupted by other egg or sperm.
The gestational surrogacy should have the same constraint, the constraint imposed in case of wet nursing: Once the milk relationship is established, marriage to the consanguineous kin of a milk-parent is prohibited i.e. the children of the wet-nurse cannot marry the person who was wet-nursed by their mother. The same constraint should be applicable to the surrogate mother i.e. marriage to the consanguineous kin of the surrogate mother should be prohibited, the children of the gestational mother will be ‘mahram’ to the child born out of surrogacy.
The history of slavery in the Muslim world began with institutions inherited from pre-Islamic Ara... more The history of slavery in the Muslim world began with institutions inherited from pre-Islamic Arabia. The Quranic injunctions against the abuse of slaves and reduced warfare and raiding limited the extent of enslavement in the Arabian peninsula. However, this led to a massive importation of slaves from the outside. The abolitionist movement starting in the late 18th century in Western Europe led to gradual changes concerning the institution of slavery and by early 20th centuries all large Muslim countries banned the slave trade and/or slavery.
Scholars refrain from total abolition of slavery probably due to it being a reprehensible innovation and contrary to the Quran and the practice of early Muslims because the Quranic text does not state that ‘slavery is banned’.
An intention-based reading of the Quran suggests that the permission for slavery was only to address the issue of the prisoners of war. Those prisoners of war who could not pay ransom or had no caretakers, mostly females, were distributed among those participating in the war. Since mechanisms, like the Third Geneva Convention, are now in place for the repatriation of the POWs after the cessation of hostility, there is no room left for enslaving the prisoners. The Intent-based reading of the Quranic commandments suggests that since the reason for holding slaves has ceased to exist, in this day and age, there is no room left for slavery in Islam.
Technically, Muslims are the followers of the religion of Islam. They enter into its fold by prof... more Technically, Muslims are the followers of the religion of Islam. They enter into its fold by professing that 'there is no deity except Allah (ST) and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) is His messenger. Though anyone who professes 'Shahdah' legally becomes Muslim, depending upon their adherence to the faith, the Quran has categorized them into different groups.
A review of the Quran by the author suggests that the present day Muslims can be categorized into those who believe, those who do not believe, but follow Islam as a part of culture, and those who accept it, but still have to digest the faith.
The believes can further be categorized into those who do wrong to their own souls (Zalim-le-nafsih), those who follow a middle course (Muqtasid), and those who are foremost in good deeds (Sabiqul-khairat).
The foremost in good deeds (Sabiq-ul-khairat) are probably the same people who have also been called the Foremost Ones (As-Sabeqoon) in the Quran and have been promised the Garden of Bliss (Jannat-in-Na'eem). Among the believers, the Prophets (Nabiyeen) and the sincere (lovers of Truth) (as-Siddiqeen) seems to belong to this group.
The followers of a middle course (Muqtasid) are probably the same people wo are also called the Companion of the Right Hand (Ashab-ul-Maymanah) in the Quran and have been promised the Garden of Eternity (Jannat-e-'Adn). Among the believers, the witnesses (who testify) (ash-Shohoda), the righteous (who do good) (as-Saleheen), and the believers (Mo'meneen) seems to belong to this group.
The Quran has called those who believe, but spend their whole life transgressing the limits imposed by the Quran, abandon Salat and follow their lust without repenting or trying to mend their ways as those who do wrong to their own souls. Forgiveness is promised to only those who repent and mend their ways.
Resurrection (life after death) is one of the basic belief in the religion of Islam. We should n... more Resurrection (life after death) is one of the basic belief in the religion of Islam. We should not just believe (Iman) in it, we should be certain (yaqeen) about it. How can one prove the happening of an event that will occur in a distant future? The Quran has not only asserted that it will happen, but has demonstrated many components of it. This paper will explain how these examples can help us develop certainty about resurrection.
The Quran first establishes that, from the perspective of soul, the sleep and the death are the same. In both the cases the soul departs from the body. The Quran then demonstrates that the departed soul has the potential of returning to the body, whether the person is asleep or dead, as long as the body is intact. If it is not intact, it can be reconstituted from the pieces of flesh or like a plant, it can be sprouted back from a seed (nucleus of the cell or the cell itself). The Quran has thus demonstrated all the aspects of resurrection.
The resurrection on the Day of Judgement will happen by first reconstituting the body by sprouting it back from a seed (nucleus of the cell or the cell itself). The soul will then be returned to the reconstituted body. The person will feel as if he has just woken up from a night sleep. Resurrection thus should just not be a matter of belief (iman), it should rise to the level of certainty (yaqeen).
Dating is a series of steps taken to find a marriage partner. It is a stage of romantic relations... more Dating is a series of steps taken to find a marriage partner. It is a stage of romantic relationships in which two individuals engage in an activity together, most often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future spousal relationship.
The age we are living in, dating is essential in finding a suitable and compatible mate for the purpose of marriage. The objective of this paper was to explore how potential mates can pursue this endeavor, while still staying within the bounds of the Quran and Sunnah.
The Islamic purpose of dating should be to find a suitable mate who will be a source of comfort (tusskonu) in marital relationship. During dating we should explore if we feel love (mawaddah) and compassion (rahmah) for the person we plan to tie the nod with. It is a four-step process: feeling out each other, engagement (Khitbah), Nikah (Khutbah), and consummation of marriage. Before the consummation of marriage, all the interactions should be done in public, e.g. in a restaurant.
The post marital interaction is like driving a car. Love (mawaddah) and compassion (rahmah) serve as gas. Forgiveness (ta’foo) and overlooking (tasfahoo) and covering up (taghferoo) the faults are steering and break. Just as the car will only run as long as there is gas in the car, the marriage will only be a happy marriage as long as there is Love (mawaddah) and compassion (rahmah) in the relationship. Just as the steering and brakes keep the car on the road and avoid the potholes, forgiveness (ta’foo) and overlooking (tasfahoo) and covering up (taghferoo) the faults are steering and break that prevents the relationship from going off the track.
The couple while dealing with each other should recognize that the male and female brains are wired differently and hence they respond differently to any given situation. All the compartments of a female brain work in unison. They are better at multitasking, recalling their memory and expressing them vividly, and thinking and feeling simultaneously. They are better at expressing their feelings. Men, on the other hand, are unperturbed by distraction of their surroundings because they are better in tuning things out. As such they are very focused on doing one task at a time. They think first and feel and, therefore, act later. As such they may not come out as warm and loving. While interacting with each other, both husband and wife should keep these differences in mind and modulate their response accordingly.
The Quran states that the night the Quran was revealed is a blessed (Laylatul-Mubarikah) and powe... more The Quran states that the night the Quran was revealed is a blessed (Laylatul-Mubarikah) and power packed night (Laylatul-Qadr). The commentators have understood this to mean that the good acts performed in this night are worth a lifetime effort.
The reports regarding the dates for the Laylatul-Qadr present three possibilities: (a) the last ten days of the month of Ramadhan, (b) the odd nights of the last ten days of the month of Ramadhan, and (c) the 27th of Ramadhan. The author is of the view that these dates are not definite dates, but only probabilistic in nature.
In order to clarify the concept, the author has given a hypothetical example showing that, with the assumptions made, in a one hundred year time span, for two years each, Laylatul-Qadr would have fallen on 22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th, and 30th of Ramadhan, for seven years each it would have fallen on 21st, 23rd, 25th, and 29th of Ramadhan, and for sixty two years it would have fallen on the 27th of Ramadhan (this is just an example, not an actual prediction). Since it is all a matter of probability, we cannot expect for it to fall on the 27th each year.
The author proposes two strategies: Simplistic and Rigorous. The rest of the strategies will fall in between. The simplistic strategy is to pick the 27th of Ramadhan and stick with it for the lifetime. Since it has the highest probability, you can hit it most of the year, but not every year. The Rigorous strategy is to designate a portion of every night in the last ten days of Ramadhan. This will ensure you hitting the Laylatul-Qadr every year. The best way to do this may be to offer Salat-ut-Tahajjud every night.
In this day and age preservation of human rights has become one of the cherished goal for the hum... more In this day and age preservation of human rights has become one of the cherished goal for the humanity. According to the United Nations, Human rights are rights inherent to all human beings, regardless of race, sex, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. Human rights include the right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery and torture, freedom of opinion and expression, the right to work and education, and many more. Everyone is entitled to these rights, without discrimination.' In this respect, it has drafted a Declaration of Human Rights. The declaration is mostly focused towards the relationship between the government and the people.
From the Quranic perspective, since it is the individuals who are accountable to Allah (ST) , we have defined the Quranic human rights as the right of people on the individuals. In this respect, we have identified the following rights: the rights of Allah (ST) , parents, children, financially impoverished, and mentally challenged on us. We must respect the honor, the life, the property, the privacy, and the dignity of all. We must treat everyone fairly, manage our assets prudently, and keep the commitment we have made to others.
Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent eve... more Anxiety is defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. There are many reasons for anxiety. Some are due to medical or psychological conditions and require medical attention. Some are due to our lifestyle and our attitude.
The Quran tells us that we can overcome some of our anxieties by adjusting our attitude towards life. It is the focus on this life that makes us greedy, which is an unending desire and causes anxiety. During this endeavor, when we suffer hardship, we also get depressed and impatient. The Quran advises us that, instead of remaining focused on this life, the Hereafter should be our ultimate goal. Only by making the Hereafter our ultimate goal, we can overcome anxiety arising out of greed. Instead of accumulating more and more, we should do the opposite, practice charity. Instead of getting impatient during the hardship, we should accept that this is a part of the life. So we should do the opposite, practice patience. But the high octane solution to anxiety is to contemplate (dhikr). There are different levels of contemplation, the highest is to achieve the states of Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhud.
The people in the Hereafter, according to the Quran (Surah al-Waqiyah), will be divided into thr... more The people in the Hereafter, according to the Quran (Surah al-Waqiyah), will be divided into three groups: (1) the Foremost (as-Sabeqeen), (2) the Companion of Right Hand (Dhat-il-Yameen), and (3) the Companion of the Left Hand (Dhat-ish-Shimal).
The Quran also tells us that on that day, the Sabeqeen will be nearest to Allah(ST). Whereas both the Sabeqeen and Companions of the Right Hand will be awarded Garden ( Jannah), the Sabeqeen will be awarded the Garden of Bliss (Jannat-in-Na’eem). The Companions of Left Hand will be sent to Hell (Jaheem). The Quran also states that the proportion of the Sabeqeen in the early period will be very high, but will be little in the later period.
The Quranic analysis by the author suggests that the defining characteristics of the Sabeqeen are that they hasten in every good work and they are willing to suffer all sort of hardship for the love of Allah(ST). They are even willing to sacrifice their belonging and their life for Him.
Commentators have differed about what does the Quran mean by ‘the earlier and the later period’. The author has concluded that ‘the earlier and the latter period’ only refers to the earlier period and the latter period of every Prophet(AS)’s Ummah including the Prophet(SAW)’s Ummah.
His analysis of the events after the migration of the Prophet(SAW) suggests that it was the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah that is probably the dividing line between the earlier period (awwaleen) and the later period (akhereen). The proportion of the Mohajereen and the Ansar who participated in the campaigns up to the treaty stayed very high (about fifty percent), a condition for early period. After this, it dropped drastically (below ten percent), a condition for later period. Thus all the Mohajereen and the Ansar who participated in the campaigns that took place up to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah fall in the category of the Sabeqeen of the earlier period (as-sabeqoon al-awwaloon).
The Quran in Surah al-Fajr (089.1-5) states that:1. By the dawn (Fajr); 2. By the ten nights (Lay... more The Quran in Surah al-Fajr (089.1-5) states that:1. By the dawn (Fajr); 2. By the ten nights (Layal-in-‘Ashr); 3. By the even (ash-Shaf’) and odd (al-Watr) (contrasted); 4. And by the Night when it passeth away;- 5. Is there (not) in these an adjuration (or evidence) for those who understand?
The commonly held view about these verses is that ‘al-Fajr’ refers to the normal day break or to the day break of tenth of Dhul Hijjah, the ‘ten nights’ refers to the first ten nights (days) of Dhul Hijjah, and ‘the even’ and ‘the odd’ refers to the ninth and the tenth of Dhul Hijjah or all the creations and Allah(ST), respectively.
The author by approaching these verses from the Quranic perspective concludes that these terms are cited because these are all related to the Quran itself: it is the time of Fajr when the recitation of the Quran is witnessed, it was one of the last ten nights of Layl-atul-Qadr, which lasts till Fajr (end of the night), in which the Quran was revealed, it is ‘the even’ and ‘the odd’ rak’ahs of the Qiyam-ul-Layl, in which the Quran is recited. This conclusion is further supported by the matching pattern of Surah Al-Fajr (089.006-010) with Surah Al-Qamar (054.009-040). In both the cases the destruction of some of the past nations are cited as an example for the audience of the Quran to take heed.
Another interpretation could be that the five verses also refer to the Night of Qadr, since it has the same elements Surah Al-Qadr has about the Night of Qadr: it could be (a) one of the last ten nights of Ramadhan, (b) half of which are odd (witr) nights and the other half of which are even (shaff) nights, (c) when it arrives, Jibraeel(AS) and the angels descend on the earth with the Command of Allah(ST) and pass the whole night on the earth, and (d) they stay on the earth till the appearance of Fajr.
There was an event famously known as the event of Ghadir Khumm that is reported to have occurred,... more There was an event famously known as the event of Ghadir Khumm that is reported to have occurred, shortly before the Prophet(SAW) death, while he and his companions were returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage. During this event, the Prophet(SAW) gave a sermon in which he is reported to have proclaimed:
• “Man Kuntu Mawla fa `Ali Mawla.” (Whomsoever’s Mawla I am, this Ali is also his Mawla.)
• “Allahummu wali man walaah wa `adi man `adaah.” (O Allah, befriend whosoever befriends him and be the enemy of whosoever is hostile to him.)
Even though there is a difference of opinion between the Shias and the Sunnis about the intent of the Prophet(SAW)’s statement, there is an agreement that the Prophet(SAW) did make the two statements. We explored how the Quran has used the two terms. It will be fair to assume that the Prophet(SAW) would have used the two terms in the same sense the Quran has used these.
An analysis of the Quranic usage of the term ‘Mawla’ suggests that it is the opposite of the term ‘Abd’. In fact the two terms are intertwined. Whereas an ‘Abd’ is completely subservient to his ‘Mawla’, the ‘Mawla’ is completely independent in his dominion. He has total authority over his ‘Abd’. The ‘Abd’ is expected to serve his ‘Mawla’ and ‘Mawla’ is expected to take care of his ‘Abd’s basic needs. In modern day slave-free society, the two terms could be used to define the relationship that exists between the boss and his subordinate.
The Quran has not used the term ‘Mawla’ for the Prophet(SAW). Whereas the main task of the Prophet(SAW) was to serve as a Messenger of Allah (ST), he was also the head of the state of Medina. It seems like the Prophet(SAW) used the term of ‘Mawla’ for himself as the head of the state of Medina and for the future heads of the state. Since ‘Mawla’ was an administrative position, his position as ‘Mawla’ expired with his death.
An analysis of the Quranic usage of the term ‘Wali’ suggests that it is the opposite of the term ‘Adoo’ (enemy). The Quran defines the term as a relationship of mutual love (mahabbah and mawaddah) and an attitude of forgiveness and compassion for his fellow ‘Wali’. An analysis of the Quranic statements suggest that the Quran has also used the term to define the bond of citizenship that existed among the believers of Medina. It was probably this bond of citizenship that made the Prophet(SAW) the ‘Wali’ of the believers also. He was thus not only ‘Mawla’ (head of the state of Medina) , but also the citizen of the state.
The concept of Imamah is an integral part of the Shia Islam, the belief that Allah(ST) appoints ... more The concept of Imamah is an integral part of the Shia Islam, the belief that Allah(ST) appoints and sends certain individuals as “Imams” for mankind. The Shias assert that, among Muslims, it refers to certain individuals from the lineage of the Prophet(SAW) who are leaders and guides of the ummah. Their claim is based on Hadith ath-thaqalain (Hadith of the two weighty things, the Quran and the Itrat). The Hadeeth of twelve is also accepted by Sunnis, but the difference lies over the method used to appoint an Imam. They believe that this refers to the twelve Khalifah who appeared after the Prophet(SAW).
The objective of this paper was to understand the two terms, ‘Imamah’ and ‘Khilafah’, mentioned in the reports, from the Quranic perspective. An exploration of how the term ‘Imam’ has been used in the Quran, suggests that the term ‘Imam’ from the Quranic perspective is the one who leads. It could be a highway, a book, or a person. As far as persons are concerned, it is the person who leads his followers. However, there could be good as well as bad Imams. The bad Imams will lead their followers to hell on the Day of Judgement. The righteous Imams are appointed by Allah(ST) . It is a non-administrative, non-political, advisory position in which they are responsible for guiding the righteous people under the command of Allah(ST). The Quran tells us that the Imamah for the righteous people was bestowed upon Ibraheem(AS) and his righteous progeny. It is probably in the fulfillment of this promise that a series of Imams appeared from among the Israelites. After the appearance of Musa(AS), Haroon(AS) and his descendants were formally ordained as Imams (priests).
Considering the newly designated status of Muslims, in place of Israelites, as the preferred nation, the Imamate is now expected to continue among the progeny of Ismaeel(AS). According to the teachings of the Prophet(SAW), the believers are advised to pray that the ProphetSAW and his progeny (aal) be bestowed with the same blessings that were bestowed upon Ibraheem(AS) and his progeny (aal). Since the award of Imamate was one of the blessings bestowed upon Ibraheem(AS) and his progeny, the same should be applicable to the Prophet(SAW) and his progeny. As such the Imamate should be limited to the progeny of the Prophet(SAW). Considering the trend among the Israelites, this Imamate may not be limited to one family or one chain of descendants. The only condition seems to be the condition of being from among the descendants of the Prophet(SAW). In addition they need to exhibit the characteristics of Ibad-ur-Rahman: they must always be truthful, they must exhibit decency and humility, they must be regular in Tahajjud prayer, they must be moderate in spending, and they must respect life.. However, the position of Imamate is only an advisory position in nature. It entails guiding the righteous people under the command of Allah(ST). It is neither political, nor administrative.
The term ‘Khilafah’ from the Quranic perspective refers to the authority ( dominion or superpower) Allah(ST) grants to nations to establish and maintain justice in their domain. It is a performance based authority. When a nation fails to live up to this responsibility, it is replaced by another nation by Allah(ST).
Ramadhan is the most blessed month for Muslims. During this month, they fast from dawn to sunset.... more Ramadhan is the most blessed month for Muslims. During this month, they fast from dawn to sunset. They abstain from food, drink (even water), and conjugal relationships during the days. After breaking the fast in the evening, they rush to mosques to attend Taraweeh prayer. After attending Taraweeh, the they call it a day only to get up just before the dawn to catch a small breakfast, called Sahoor or Sehri. After offering the early morning prayer and private Quranic recitation, the normal day routine starts.
The author’s analysis of the Quranic verses suggest that the purpose of fasting in the month of Ramadhan is to not only learn piety (Taqwa), but also to celebrate the revelation of the Quran. The most common way to celebrate is to fast from dawn to sunset. An especial way is to search for the night in which the Quran was revealed. This is the night in which angels under the leadership of Jibraeel (AS) descend upon the earth. This falls on one of the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan. The best way to do so is to do Itikaf and spend the late portion of the night in Tahajjud salat reciting as much Quran as one can during Qiyam. As was the practice of the Prophet (SAW), we should also use this month to strengthen our memorization of the portion of the Quran which we have already memorized.
A survey of the Quran suggests that the Prophet(SAW) was not only the Last Prophet (khatam-un-nab... more A survey of the Quran suggests that the Prophet(SAW) was not only the Last Prophet (khatam-un-nabiyeen) and was sent to give glad tidings (basheer) to those who accepted the revelation sent to him by Allah(ST) and to warn (nadheer) those who rejected the revelation, he was also Mercy to the Mankind (rahmat-ul-lil-'alameen), was endowed with the best character (kholoq-in-'adheem), and was sent as a teacher (mo'allim) and sanctifier (yozakkehim. Scholars have counted many other attributes of the Prophet(SAW). The focus of the author in this paper is to enumerate those statements of the Prophet(SAW) which reflects his personal wisdom. Though his whole military campaign and diplomacy was a result of his wisdom, the focus in this paper is on health sciences, safety, and social sciences.
Every year we are visited by flu season which causes illness and deaths. Whereas we should all em... more Every year we are visited by flu season which causes illness and deaths. Whereas we should all employ all the physical precautions recommended by health authorities, we should also employ spiritual remedy in conjunction with the physical remedy. The Prophet(SAW) not only employed physical strategy, but also made dua when dealing with challenging situations in his life. The author’s analysis suggests that the dua taught by the Prophet(SAW) when entering the toilette: “Allahumma 'innee 'a'oodho bika minal-khubthi walkhabaa'ith,” should be applicable in all places and all situations where we are exposed to harmful germs. Since flu is a season when we are highly exposed to viruses, this dua should be well suited for this season. As such we should be reciting this dua at a higher frequency, especially when we area in public places.
Whereas the five senses are necessary for our survival in this world, the Quran tells us that we ... more Whereas the five senses are necessary for our survival in this world, the Quran tells us that we are also endowed with three faculties that are necessary for our guidance. These are foresight (basar), listening (sama'a), and having sincere feeling and intellect (qalb or afaydah). The Quran emphasizes that for serious matters, we should use our faculties to reflect and ponder. Out of the three faculties it is the heart that is in the driver seat. It integrates the information from sight and sound to help develop foresight and heedfulness and helps us learn wisdom (ya'qeloon) and develop understanding (yafqahoon). People who do not do reflect and ponder and follow their desires are like animals who are driven by impulse only. The Quran tells us that we, using these faculties, should try to understand our true purpose in life, which is to be successful in the Hereafter. If we do not use these faculties for this particular purpose, we forfeit our right to be human. We degrade ourselves to a level lower than animals. We, however, need to have a right attitude to derive benefit from these faculties.
The word ‘Tahajjud’ (تهجد) is derived from Hajada meaning to stay awake at night, keep a night v... more The word ‘Tahajjud’ (تهجد) is derived from Hajada meaning to stay awake at night, keep a night vigil, to spend the night in prayer. Tahajjud, as described in the Quran, is a voluntary prayer performed in the late hours of the night. This prayer was obligatory on the Prophet(SAW). It is also the best of all the non-obligatory prayers. In this paper the author has analyzed its origin, its timing, its elements, and the benefit that can be derived from it. Tahajjud is based on an injunction in the Quran to the Prophet(SAW). Its timing starts after one third of the night has passed. According to the Prophet(SAW), its duration could be half of the night, a third of t night, a fourth of the night, or a fraction of the night. It has all the features of the obligatory prayers, except that the Qiyam (standing) and Sajdah (prostration) are longer. It is normally eleven rakahs prayed in the sets of twos with long recitation of the Quran and concluded with a single rakah (witr) in pre-dawn (Sahr) hours in which Istaghfar (begging for forgiveness) is made. The two-rakah sets can be offered in succession or can be interrupted by short naps. The pace of the prayer should be should be such that it is concluded by the time pre-dawn (Sahr) arrives. The Prophet(SAW) has advised that, like other non-obligatory prayers, it should be offered at home. Tahajjud is good for self- introspection and for seeking closeness to Allah(ST). It could also raise a person’s spiritual level. The Quran tells us that performing Tahajjud is one of the characteristics of Ebad-ur-Rahman (the slaves of the Beneficent).
Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. It is a widely rec... more Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. It is a widely recognized concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. When a signal is sent from one location and received at another location, then as long as the signal is moving at the speed of light or slower, the mathematics of simultaneity in the theory of relativity show that the transmission-event happened before the reception-event. When the signal travels faster than light (FTL), it is received before it is sent, the signal could be said to have been received before it occurred i.e. it traveled backward in time aka time travel. Einstein showed that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light (300,000 kilometers per second or 186,000 miles per second). Only massless particles, including photons, which make up light, can travel at that speed. It's impossible to accelerate any material object up to the speed of light. Since a body of mass cannot even reach the speed of light, it is impossible for it to time travel, which requires a speed faster than the speed of light. The Quran has mentioned some dreams in which the dreamer saw some event that turned out to be true in the future. The objective of this paper was to explore if these dreams can be explained by time travel. The analysis suggests that the phenomenon of dreams is a thought process which is based on the firing of neurons. The speed of these neurons is 80-120 meter per second (180-270 miles per hour), which is 250,000 times slower than the top speed of light. The author proposes that the future events we see in dreams are most likely a simulation of future events, created by the angels with the permission of Allah ST , by rearranging the elements of the past events stored in our memory.
Civilization, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, is knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, cust... more Civilization, according to Encyclopaedia Britannica, is knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits of a society. It encompasses “language, traditions, customs, and institutions, including the motivating ideas, beliefs, and values, and their embodiment in material instruments and artifacts” of a society. There is an abundance of archaeological data shedding light on how civilizations evolved since humans first appeared on this planet. The Quran, though basically the book of guidance, also tells us about the origin of human being and sheds light on the lifestyle of the era in which many of the Prophets(AS) appeared. The objective of this paper was to match the Quranic information with the archaeological data to identify the culture and the technology prevalent in the eras of some of the earlier Prophets(AS) and determine the time periods in which those events and innovations could have taken place. Our study suggests that the era of Nooh(AS) began when the Ice Age was ending. Nooh(AS) probably appeared around 10,000 BCE in modern Turkey near the frontiers of Iraq and Syria. His appearance marked the dawning of agriculture. It started with the domestication of wild plants and animals in the Fertile Crescent of western Asia. His appearance thus marked a switch from hunter-gatherer to agricultural society, which also resulted in a transition from nomadic to sedentary life style. Villages started to appear consisting of huts made of mud and grass. Ownership of property created a social hierarchy. Although rafts were already in existence before the appearance of Nooh(AS), he was probably the one who for the first time built boat that could carry a good number of people and could survive rain as well as tidal waves. Even before his appearance, the worship of terrestrial objects had already taken roots. They worshipped idols, probably made from dried mud. Exile from the community, which started with Adam(AS), continued to be one mode of punishment. With the social hierarchy developing, stoning to death was also included in the criminal justice system in the era of Nooh(AS). Hood(AS) probably appeared around 9,000 BCE in Rub-ul-Khali in Arabian Peninsula, when it was a fertile land. His people (Aad), probably developed the technique of making pillars from dried mud. Thus houses made on pillars replaced the huts. They also built monuments on top of hills. Domestication of cattle, which started during the period of Nooh(AS), now progressed into raising on a large scale. Saleh(AS) probably appeared around 8,000 BCE in Al-Hijr between Madinah and Tabook. By the time he appeared, the humanity had entered New Stone (Neolithinc) age. These tools made with hard stones, had more power and could cut volcanic rocks. His nation (Thamood) used these tools to carve out houses in mountains. They were also the ones who started cultivation of crops, which lead to an increase in food supply and population. As a result the villages grew into towns.
Every day we spent about four to six hours in sleep, a part of which is spent in dreams. It is a... more Every day we spent about four to six hours in sleep, a part of which is spent in dreams. It is a series of thoughts, images, or emotions and consists of stories and images that our minds create while we sleep. The object of this paper was to explore what is happening to our brain when we are dreaming and what can we learn from the Quran and Sunnah about it. The analysis suggests the following: • Most of the dream occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. In this state the brain becomes highly active while the body's muscles are paralyzed, and breathing and heart rate become erratic. In this state we are unconscious of the world around us, but we do receive stimuli from our memory. • REM sleep are ‘literally ‘switched on’ by a small group of cells situated deep within the pons, which excrete a chemical called ‘acetylcholine’. This chemical activates the higher parts of the brain, which are thereby prompted to generate conscious images. REM activity is ‘switched off’ by another group of cells, also situated in the pons, which excrete two other chemicals: noradrenaline and serotonin. • Just like our observations during waking hours is a brain activity, so is dreaming. Most dreams incorporate autobiographical memory features. The left hemisphere seems to provide dream origin while the right hemisphere provides dream vividness, figurativeness and affective activation level. • Functional neuroimaging of the brain suggests that hippocampus fetches images and characters from the memory, amygdala imparts emotions to those characters, occipital cortex adds visual component to those characters and motor cortex impart movements to those characters’ bodies. However, the dreams are mainly experienced in the egocentric coordinates of the first-person due to decreased activity in temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the dreamer has no control over his dream due to decreased activity in in lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) since it is responsible for “executive functions” in the brain. • Due to absence of executive control, the brain has no control over how to manage these thoughts during dream. According to the Prophet(SAW), these thoughts can be initiated by Allah(ST), by Shaytan or could be impacted by one's thoughts and experiences during wakefulness. • The dreams initiated by Allah(ST) could be shown as true reality to the Prophets(AS) or as a transposed reality to others. Bad dreams initiated by Shaytan appear in the form of nightmares and create fear. The dreams initiated by one’s thoughts during wakefulness could be random or could also be inspirational resulting in creative and scientific discoveries.
This paper explains the origin and the material the Jinns are made from based on the Quranic stat... more This paper explains the origin and the material the Jinns are made from based on the Quranic statements and the current scientific knowledge.
Throughout the history, various kinds of beliefs have existed about spiritual beings. They have b... more Throughout the history, various kinds of beliefs have existed about spiritual beings. They have been categorized as good, bad or neutral beings with respect to how they affect the humans. They assume various forms in the religions of the world, which include celestial and atmospheric beings, devils, demons, and evil spirits; ghosts, ghouls, and goblins; and nature spirits and fairies. In Western religions the good spiritual beings are usually called angels and the bad ones are termed as demons. In Eastern, ancient, and primitive religions such beings are less categorical – for they may be good in some circumstances and bad in others. Islam classifies spiritual beings into angels (malaikah) and the Jinns. In this paper, we will explore the nature of the angels based on the Quranic description and the statements of Prophet MuhammadSAW in the light of science.
A scientific analysis of the Quranic statements and the statements of Prophet Muhammad(SAW) suggests that the basic building block of the angels is photons, which has energy, but no mass and has the speed of light. They are thus energy being. Though the human body is composed of cells, the real human being is the soul that resides in it. It is more likely that, though the body of angels is composed of photons, the real angel could be the angelic soul that resides in that collection of photons. Since the cell is 70 to 80 percent water, we constantly drink water to keep our body hydrated. It is very much possible that the angels keep on consuming photons to keep their body photonated.
The angels are invisible and imperceptible. Their pattern of movement is expected to be like that of electromagnetic wave moving at the speed of light. Since electromagnetic waves cover a spectrum, the angels can be classified based on the frequency of the wave they belong to. The Quranic categorization of two, three, and four paired wings could be translated into angels having frequencies of radio wave, and microwaves and infrared waves, and Ultraviolet A and Visible rays, respectively. Their energy, power, and penetrability will depend upon which waves frequency they belong to. Their shape could be thought of as cylindrical columns extending from the earth to the lower heaven with a diameter twice the amplitude of the wave frequency they belong to.
They were probably created within a million years after the creation of the universe. They will live until the end of the universe as such they do not need to procreate and hence are asexual. They are the workhorse for communication and all the rest that happens in the universe. Their population is expected to be over 400 trillion.
The legend of Yajooj (Gog) and Majooj (Magog) is very famous among Jews, Christians, and Muslims.... more The legend of Yajooj (Gog) and Majooj (Magog) is very famous among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Though there are different legends about them, the Quranic mention of Yajooj and Majooj comes in reference to Dhul Qarnayn in Surah Al-Kahf and in Surah Al-Anbiya. The object of this paper was to explore who Yajooj and Majooj could be in the light of the Quran and historical evidence.
The author’s analysis suggests that, contrary to the common belief that Alexander the Great was Dhul Qarnayn, the Quranic description fits better with what history tells us about Cyrus the Great. The author proposes that the wall he built was at the Dzungarian gate in the Tien Shan chain of mountains, a barrier between Central Asia and Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, and China. It was the only passage between Central Asia and these states.
The author also proposes that the nomadic tribes living in Manchuria, Mongolia, and Xinjiang were Yajooj and Majooj. They were not only terrorizing the inhabitants of Central Asia, but also China forcing them to build the Great Wall of China.
Analyzing the direction of Cyrus the Great’s third campaign towards the Tien Shan chain of mountains, the author also proposes that his second campaign was probably in the vicinity of either Dasht-e-Lut or Dasht-e-Kavir in Iran from where he moved on for his third campaign.
If there was a wall at Dzungarian gate built in 544 BC by Cyrus the Great, it still existed when Surah Al-Kahf was revealed (622 CE), but was long gone before the establishment of Abbasid Caliphate (750 CE). Had it still been there, since this was the only passage, the Chinese could not have attacked the newly created Abbasid Caliphate 751 CE.
The author also proposes that the death and destruction in the continents of Asia and Europe caused by the Mongols of the thirteenth century, who came from among the nomadic tribes of Manchuria, Mongolia, and Xinjiang, is the best fit yet with the death and destruction prophesized in the Quran by Yajooj and Majooj.
The Quran is basically a book of guidance. Its main objective is to guide the humanity in this li... more The Quran is basically a book of guidance. Its main objective is to guide the humanity in this life. In order to seek guidance from the Quran, different approaches have been taken in the past. In this endeavor, most of the scholars have relied on the textual interpretation of the Quran. The author in his paper titled “A Scientific Approach to the Quran (Tafseer al-Quran bil Science),’ has shown how a scientific methodology can be applied to the text to come up with a holistic interpretation on the issues we face today. Applying the textual approach, however, has its limits. The author in this paper has made a case that a different approach is needed to address the issues which cannot be resolved by textual interpretation.
His analysis suggests that the Quranic verses regarding orders can be divided into two parts: The Universal Revelations and the Culture Specific revelations. The Universal Revelations tell us ‘what’ and sometimes ‘why’ and the Culture Specific verses tell us ‘how’ and ‘when’. Though the source of both is the Source Book (Umm-ul-Kitab), the Culture Specific revelations were distilled from the Source Book based on the principle of “social justice” to respond to the situations the Prophet (SAW) and his community was facing, when the Quran was being revealed. In order to make these revelations relevant in the present age, we need to identify the basic principle these verses were derived from and then apply that principle, not the revelation itself, to the era we are living in. Some examples have been given to show how this principle can be applied.
The Quran is basically a book of guidance. Its main objective is to guide the humanity in this li... more The Quran is basically a book of guidance. Its main objective is to guide the humanity in this life. The author in this paper has attempted to identify the approaches one can take to achieve this objective.
The author suggests that the engagement with the Quran should be a lifelong avocation for Muslims. He has identified five approaches namely: daily recitation, listening to a Qari, reading with understanding (contemplation) on a regular basis, taking a holistic approach in matters of belief (aqidah) and worship (ibadat), and an intent driven approach for social issues (muamlat).
Recitation could work as a sound therapy. It could generate emotional response and altered mental and physical state in the reciter and could be therapeutic. Listening to the Qira'a in a beautiful rhythmic tone is a form of focused awareness type of meditation called sound meditation. It could generate binaural beats, which could lead to states of deep relaxation or meditative trance like state. A perpetual reading with understanding can raise a person's rank in knowledge. Depending upon ones schedule and intellectual level, he can pursue one or more of these approaches.
The Quran has used the term ‘sama’ for space or heaven. It has used both the singular (sama’) and... more The Quran has used the term ‘sama’ for space or heaven. It has used both the singular (sama’) and the plural (samawaat) form of it. In one of the verse it states that there are seven heavens and each one has its own earth. The objective of this paper was to explore what these two terms mean scientifically.
The analysis of the Quranic verses suggest that the Quranic term as-sama’-ad-dunya stands for the scientific term the observable universe. It is the innermost heaven (sama), which includes all the zodiacal signs/constellations (brooj), tracks (hobook), stars (kawakib), lamp (masabeeh), meteorites (shohoba) and etc. we observe or could observe in the future. On top of this heaven (samat) are staked six more heavens (samawat). These could have been partitioned based on the horizons or dimensions.
The first horizon (sama) is called the event horizon. It is a conceptual boundary between particles that are moving slower and those that are moving faster than the speed of light. Since the light from the particles which are beyond it will never reach us, we would never be able to observe them. The particles that are within the event horizon belong to the observable universe (as-Sama-ad-Dunya). Beyond this horizon, there could be six more horizons (samawat). In each of these the speed of the moving particles is faster than the speed of light. However, the speed in each of the successive horizons (samawat) could be faster than the speed in the previous horizon (sama). The speed of the moving particles within the seventh horizon (sama) could be the fastest. These horizons were probably partitioned after the universe began to expand at a faster rate about four billion years ago.
Alternatively, the universe could have been partitioned in terms of dimensions. Just as our heaven has three dimensions, other heavens (samawat) could have four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine dimensions. Since we the humans cannot perceive dimensions higher than three, these heavens (samawat) with higher dimension will never be accessible to us.
The story of Ashab-e-Kahf (the Companion of the Cave) is one of the counter-intuitive stories in ... more The story of Ashab-e-Kahf (the Companion of the Cave) is one of the counter-intuitive stories in Surah Al-Kahf. The story relates that few young men, in order to protect their belief of Tauheed from their community, took refuge in a cave, where they stayed in a state of sleep for hundreds of years. When they woke up and went back to the city, the situation had changed. Everyone had adopted the same belief the young man had adopted.
The story was related in response to one of the questions posed by Meccans about a famous legend among the people of the Book. There was, however, difference of opinion about who these men were, how many were they, and how long they stayed (slept) in the cave. The Quranic passage suggests that there were three opinions regarding their number among the people of the Book.
Though the Muslim scholars have inferred the number to be seven, the author in this paper has analyzed the issue from a grammatical perspective. His analysis of the usage of the verb in the Quranic verses regarding Ashab-e-Kahf suggests that the only possibility for the number of companions is seven. Only the number seven can be grammatically consistent with the Quranic statements. The number three and five makes the statements grammatically inconsistent. Hence the number based on the verb usage in the Quranic statements seems to be seven.
Scientists contend that the creation of the universe started with a Big Bang. Prior to that momen... more Scientists contend that the creation of the universe started with a Big Bang. Prior to that moment there was nothing; during and after that moment there was something: our universe. The event happened around 13.7 billion years ago. It began as an ‘infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense’ material. After its initial appearance, it apparently inflated (the "Big Bang"), expanded and cooled, going from very, very small and very, and very hot material to the size and temperature of our current universe. It continues to expand and cool to this day. In this paper, the author has explored how the scientific description (Big Bang theory) aligns with the Quranic description about the creation of the universe.
The author proposes that first, the souls of everything were created before the Big Bang by the act of ‘fatara’. After this, ‘the infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense material’ came into existence before the Big Bang by the act of bada’. Then the space (sama’) and matter (al-ardh) were created as a result of Big Bang by the act of ‘khalaqa’. Finally the soul was breathed into the space (sama’) and matter (al-ardh) after the Big Bang by the act of ‘nafakha’ during fashioning (sawwa). Later as other things (stars, sun, moon, mountains, etc.) came into existence by the act of ‘khalaqa’, their souls were breathed into them during fashioning (sawwa) by the act of nafakha.
On a grand scale, the creation of the universe started with an infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense Point, which the Quran calls ‘rataq’. This was followed by expansion, which the Quran calls ‘moosa’yoon’ causing a big cool down, going from extremely small and extremely hot material to the size of a melon. Then came the split (fataq), causing the split of the strong nuclear force from the unified forces and formation of nucleons and leptons. This was followed by recombination or decoupling which resulted in the formation of atomic nuclei, then hydrogen and helium, and eventually the stars.
The Quranic text consists of 114 surahs (chapters). Out of these 29 surahs start with Huroof-e-Mu... more The Quranic text consists of 114 surahs (chapters). Out of these 29 surahs start with Huroof-e-Muqatta`āt, unique letter combinations: Alif Lam Meem, Alif Lam Ra, Alif Lam Meem Ra, Alif Lam Meem Suad, Ha Meem, Ha Meem 'Ayn Seen Qaf, Tau Ha, Tau Seen, Tau Seen Meem, Ya Seen, Qaf, Suad, Kaf ha Ya 'Ayn Suad. Volumes have been written over the centuries on the possible meanings and probable significance of these 'mystical letters', but there is no consensus on this issue.
The author proposes that the Abbreviated/Disjointed letters (Huroof-e-Muqatta’at) stand for a direct address (huroof-e-nida’) (Ya) to the Prophet (SAW) (Ya Muhammad, Ya Ayyohar-Rosul, Ya Ayyohan-Nabi, Ya ‘Ibadi, Ya Hadi, Ya Samay’-ul-Quran, Ya Qari-ul-Quran, Sull-Allaho Alayka). Most of these letters are accompanied by letters that stand for the praise of Allah (ST) (Allah-o-Lailaha ho or Al-Hamdo-lillah) or an oath (wat-Toor or wal-Kitab). This explanation blends well with the verse that follows the letters. These are, however, mere speculations, only Allah (ST) knows the true meaning. It should, however, be understood that that it is neither obligatory for us to know the meanings and details of these letters, nor it is a matter of shariah. It is just a matter of satisfaction of heart (tamaniat-e-qalb).
The Quranic text consists of 114 surahs (chapters). The objective of this paper was to explore if... more The Quranic text consists of 114 surahs (chapters). The objective of this paper was to explore if there is any inherent structure within the surahs. A survey of these surahs suggests that they follow a structure. They start with an opening statement, followed by the main text, and end with a closing statement. The survey also suggests that, based on the opening statements, the surahs can be divided into nine categories: praise of Allah (ST) , a reference or oath to the Quran, starting with an oath, addressing the Prophet (SAW) , addressing people, Referring to certain events, mostly to the Hereafter, certifying certain events, condemnation of certain kind or characteristics of the people, seeking refuge with Allah (ST) , Ma'oodhatayn.
The Quran is basically a book of guidance. Its main objective is to guide the humanity in this li... more The Quran is basically a book of guidance. Its main objective is to guide the humanity in this life. While sticking to its central theme, it brings many topics under discussion. However, the structure of the book is such that topics are not discussed in a topical manner. Most of the comments about almost any topic are made in different parts of the book. For example, the timings of the five daily prayers are mentioned in different verses, none of which mention all the five prayers in one verse. Different approaches have been taken in the past to resolve this issue, the most common being trying to determine the sequence of the revelations and determining which verse abrogates which verse. These methodologies rely on Hadeeth. Whereas there is a consensus of all the Muslims on the content of the Quran (Mushaf-e-Uthmani), the same cannot be said about Hadeeth. For example while Sunnis rely on six authentic collections of Hadeeth, Shias have their own four authentic collections, and Ibadis rely on Tartib al-Musnad. As obvious, these different sets of collections have a profound, but sometimes controversial interpretation of the Quran.
This paper proposes an approach, which uses scientific methodology that has been the bedrock of natural science. We call this Tafseer al-Quran bil Science. The examples presented in this paper as well as in the cited book demonstrate that employing scientific methodology allows us to interpret the Quran which is consistent with all the relevant verses, a defining feature of the Quran. It frees us from relying on chronological history of the verses or worrying about which verse is abrogated and which is not. Both of these approaches rely on documents which are not as authentic as the Quran.
Satanic Verses refers to words of "satanic suggestion" which the Prophet(SAW) is alleged to have ... more Satanic Verses refers to words of "satanic suggestion" which the Prophet(SAW) is alleged to have mistaken for divine revelation. When he reached the verses "Have you seen al-Lāt and al-'Uzzā and Manāt, the third, the other?' in Surah An-Najm, Satan cast upon his tongue: 'These are the high-flying cranes and their intercession is to be hoped for.' The incident is reported in the literature dating from the first two centuries of Islam. The story also appears in al-Tabari. However, objections to the incident were raised as early as the fourth Islamic century. Although an-Nahhās (d. 949), Abu Bakr ibn al-‘Arabi, (d. 1157), Fakhr ad-Din Razi (1220) as well as al-Qurtubi (1285) have refuted the incident, Ibn Taymiyya was of the view the incident did happen. The author by taking a scientific approach to the incident suggests that the Satanic verses were neither revealed by Allah(ST), nor conveyed by angel Gabriel, nor inserted by Satan, nor recited by the Prophet(SAW). The verses we have in the Quran were the real verses reveled to the Prophet(SAW) and that is what he recited to the people around him.
Believing in supernatural is a part of being human. As such there are about 4,300 religions in th... more Believing in supernatural is a part of being human. As such there are about 4,300 religions in the world. These can be broadly classified into Abrahamic religions originating in West Asia, Indian religions originating in the Indian subcontinent (South Asia), East Asian religions originating in in East Asia, and Afro-American religions originating in Central and West Africa. More than half of the world population is monotheists believing in Islam (1.8 billion), Christianity (2.4 billion), or Judaism (0.015 billion). On the other end of the pole are the pantheists who shares in the concepts of dharma, karma, and reincarnation and practice either Hinduism (1.2 billion) or Buddhism (0.52 billion).
Considering that all of these religions belong to humans and there are some common strands among them called humanity, the author explored if there is any commonality among all the religions and if there is any difference what kind of differences are there. His analysis suggests that most of the scriptures have three elements: the Universal Revelations, the Culture Specific Revelations, and materials introduced by the religious establishments. Since the Quran has been maintained in pristine form, it has only two elements: the Universal Revelations and the Culture Specific Revelations.
The Universal Revelations e.g. God, accountability, life after death, Salah, Zakah, fasting, ritual sacrifice, facing Qibla, and etc. are the same in concept in most of the scriptures, but differ in detail either because of the cultural differences or due to material introduced by the religious establishment in the scripture. The Culture Specific Revelations are all based on the principle of social justice. The source of both the Universal Revelations and the Culture Specific Revelations is the Source Book (Umm-ul-Kitab).
The author in his paper titled "The Appearance of Adam from the Quranic Perspective-Creation or E... more The author in his paper titled "The Appearance of Adam from the Quranic Perspective-Creation or Evolution? suggested that the creation of Adam (AS) took place through an evolutionary process. The objective of this paper was to present the path the evolutionary process took for his appearance.
We propose that Adam(AS) was the father of Homo erectus. He appeared about 1.6 to 1.9 million years ago and likely evolved from Homo habilis or from a late form of Australopithecus in Africa. Since most of the fossils of Homo habilis and his predecessors are found in East African Rift Valley, we suggest that he was born in East African Rift Valley, which is located in East Africa.
He was conceived in one of the human-looking females in a manner similar to the way Isa(AS) was conceived. The birth of Adam(AS) followed the same course, as it did with the birth of Isa(AS). Allah(ST) taught him to speak as He did to Isa(AS) after his birth. After he grew up, Allah(ST) created his mate (Hawwa(AS)) from him and a human looking female through a natural biological process. She (Hawwa(AS)) must have had the same human characteristics as Adam(AS) had, which their mothers did not have. After demonstrating his superiority over the angels, Adam(AS) and Hawwa(AS) were given residence in a garden, which we propose was Bahir Dar. It is about 200 miles northwest of Adis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, at an elevation of about 6,000 feet. When they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree there, they were relocated back to the East African Rift Valley. From there his progeny spread throughout the world.
The Quran mentions that Allah(ST) bestowed especial favors on certain Prophets(AS). Regarding Isa... more The Quran mentions that Allah(ST) bestowed especial favors on certain Prophets(AS). Regarding Isa (AS) , it states that not only he was born out of virgin Maryam(AS) , he conversed with people while he was still a baby, he was also strengthened by the Holy Spirit (Rooh-ul-Quds).
The study suggests that when the Quran uses the term the Holy Spirit (Rooh-ul-Quds), it refers to Jibraeel(AS). The study also suggests that when the Quran states that Isa(AS) was strengthened by the Holy Spirit (Rooh-ul-Quds), it implies that, though the real home of Jibraeel(AS) is the Throne (al-'Arsh), he was deputed to be in the presence of Isa(AS) during his stay on the earth. In an environment where Yahya(AS) lost his life, it was probably because of Jibraeel(AS)'s physical presence and support that no harm came to Isa(AS). If there is any validity to the Passion story of Isa (AS), it can be speculated that It was probably because of Jibraeel(AS)'s physical assistance that Isa (AS) was able to come out of tomb and met quite a few of his followers after his so-called ‘crucifixion’.
Both Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus [Isa(AS)] was born from virgin Mary [Maryam(AS)]. ... more Both Christians and Muslims believe that Jesus [Isa(AS)] was born from virgin Mary [Maryam(AS)]. Since this is contrary to the normal process of human reproduction, it is considered a miracle. In this paper the author explored how it could have been scientifically possible.
His analysis suggests that the conception of Isa(AS) could have taken place by parthenogenesis, which means virgin birth in Greek. It is a reproduction process where an unfertilized egg also produces an off spring. Though it has never been proven among humans, the conception of Isa(AS) could have been one and only one case of parthenogenesis among humans.
Though much rare (1 in 100,000), he could have been a SRY negative male, which does not involve Y chromosome and which comes from a male parent. Being a word of Allah(ST), it could be that the word mutated certain genes in one of the two X chromosomes to trigger masculinity in the cell (zygote).
The Quran suggest that when it comes to language, Isa(AS) was already at least three years ahead in his brain development. It is very much possible that, his language neural network was complete by the time he was born.
The three great monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) claim that all the huma... more The three great monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) claim that all the humans are the children of Adam. Both the Quran and the Bible categorically state that humans have originated from one person (Adam) and from a single pair (Adam and Eve). The Quran, on many occasions, has addressed the humans as the ‘Children of Adam’. Recent scientific study also suggests that the genetic code of all the modern humans leads to a common human ancestor in Africa. Though both the Holy Scriptures and science agree on the common ancestry of humans, the scientists and the religious scholars differ on the origin of the first human being. The religious scholars believe that Adam was directly and independently created from clay. Scientists believe that human being has evolved from single cell organisms. This paper by analyzing the Quranic verses suggests that Adam, the first human being, indeed appeared through the process of evolution as suggested by the theory of evolution.
The human development started from Adam (AS), from him came Hawwa (Eve), and from them have desce... more The human development started from Adam (AS), from him came Hawwa (Eve), and from them have descended all the human being.
Physically the creation of human being starts from ‘turab’ (dust, organic matters), which is used in making ‘maa-im-maheen’ (sperm and egg). The two unite to form ‘nutfah’ (zygote, blastocyst) which grows into ‘alaqah’ (embryo). It turns into ‘mudhghah’ (three week embryo) followed by cartlidge bones (ezaam) formation. The bones (ezaam) are then wrapped with skeleteal muscle (lahm). The embryo then turns into fetus which then becomes ‘tifl’ (baby).The baby then goes through the state of ‘gholam’ (childhood) to become ‘balagha ashudda’ (adult human being).
The human being, after staying at the age of full strength for certain period, goes through the following stages to turn back to dust: old age (shaykh or balagha al-kibar), death, and dust (turab).
It was also discovered that the term ‘sullalah’ for human development stands for all the stages ‘maa-im-maheen (the despised fluid) goes through to become an adult human being. This includes the stages of ‘nutfah, ‘alaqah’, ‘mudhghah’, ‘ezaam’ (bone formation), ‘lahm’ (muscle formation), ‘tifl’ (development of baby), and ‘gholam’ (childhood).
The position of Isa (AS) is unique among the three monotheistic religions. Whereas Jews reject hi... more The position of Isa (AS) is unique among the three monotheistic religions. Whereas Jews reject him completely, Muslims believe him as a Messenger of Allah (ST) and the Christians believe in him as the 'Son of God'. Whereas Jews consider his birth illegitimate , Christians and Muslims believe that he was born to the Virgin Marry [Maryam (AS)]. Whereas the Jews of his time believed that they killed Isa (AS) , Christians believe that he died on the cross, later resurrected, was raised to the heaven, and will return and rule the world. Muslims believe that he was neither killed, nor crucified. A majority of Muslims believe that he did not die a natural death, but still lives in the body in the heaven and will return to rule the world. A minority holds the view that he a suffered a natural death, but not on the cross. The author has explained his conception in his paper (in Academia.edu) titled " The Conception of Jesus (Isa AS) – An Explanation based on the Quran and Science ". The objective of this paper was to discern if Isa (AS) suffered a natural death or was raised to heaven in body and will return. The author's analysis of the Quranic verses using a holistic approach (also called a scientific approach) to the Quranic verses regarding the event suggests the following: (1). The verses cited most often to support the return of Isa (AS) cannot be justified for his return. (2). The Quranic term used for the ascension of Isa (AS) within the scope of its Quranic usage, is limited to ascension of the soul, not the body. It is no different from the term used for the extraction of soul from the body of a normal human being implying a natural death. The only difference being that his soul is closer to Allah (ST) than the souls of others. (3). A comparison of the departure of Isa (AS) with the statements used for the demi se of the Prophet (SAW) in the Quran and the statement Isa (AS) will make on the Day of Judgement also suggests that he has already passed away.
A process is an operation that accomplishes a specific result (e.g. a product or a service) throu... more A process is an operation that accomplishes a specific result (e.g. a product or a service) through one or more sequential or parallel stages. Human development is the process of creating a human being, a being which has a human body as well as a soul. This requires the creation of a genetic code. From the Quranic perspective the blue print of this genetic code was first created in the form of Adam (AS). This code with some variation is transferred to the individual through a series of parents. A human body is then developed based on that genetic code.
The human development has two elements: the genetic code and the material used to implement this genetic code. The Quran describes three main processes in the creation of human being: khalaqa (creation), sawwa (fashioning), and nafakha (breathing of spirit).
The process of creation (khalaqa) for an individual human being started with the creation of Adam(AS). Creation of Hawwa(AS) and each generation afterwards was a stage in the creation of the individual human being. After going through all the parents, the creation passes through the formation of the egg and the sperm using organic matters as raw material. The creation process then transfers into the womb of the mother where it goes through many stages. The process of creation ends with bone formation, which is followed by the process of Fashioning (sawwa).
Fashioning (sawwa) is a physical process and implies giving perfect order. It starts when embryo is in the sixth week of pregnancy and continues during the development of fetus and the growth of newly born baby to adulthood.
Nafakha (Breathing of Soul): The breathing of soul (nafakha) takes place during the process of fashioning, it is considered as a major process because it is the breathing of spirit that makes the fetus a human. It happens between eighth and fourteenth week of pregnancy.
CLAIMS (OCR text may contain errors) CLAIMS We Claim: 1. A method for controlling the operation o... more CLAIMS (OCR text may contain errors) CLAIMS We Claim: 1. A method for controlling the operation of a first distillation tower that is part of a coupled, two-tower system for the purification of (meth)acrylic
The religious events in Saudi Arabia are declared by the High Judiciary Council of Saudi Arabia (... more The religious events in Saudi Arabia are declared by the High Judiciary Council of Saudi Arabia (Majlis al-Qadā’ al-A‘lā). These declarations, however, are not limited to Saudi Arabia. More than half of the countries in the world follow the Saudi declaration. These declarations were reviewed in the light of astronomical possibility.
The review suggests that these reported sightings are heavily influenced by the Umm al-Qura calendar. The rules governing the Umm al-Qura calendar are not aligned with the actual sighting possibility of the crescent. More than three fourth of their dates are a day ahead of the actual sighting possibility. As long as these rules are not aligned with the sighting possibility of the crescent, the religious events in Saudi Arabia and the countries following Saudi Arabia will mostly be celebrated a day ahead of the dates according to the actual sighting of the crescent. Because of the weight Saudi declaration carries in the world, the countries or communities following actual sighting will continue to be unfairly accused of being the spoilers.
Eid-ul-Adha is one of the main issues that divide the Muslims all over the globe. There are those... more Eid-ul-Adha is one of the main issues that divide the Muslims all over the globe. There are those who celebrate it according to the local moon sighting and then there are those who celebrate it on the day the pilgrims perform the sacrifice. Last year (1435 AH) Muslims in India celebrated Eid-al-Adha on four different days, October 4, 5, 6, 7, 2014. The issue at hand is if Eid-ul-Adha is independent of Hajj or is linked with it. This paper makes a case for celebrating it with the pilgrims.
The issue of moon sighting is one of the most divisive issues among the Muslims, especially in th... more The issue of moon sighting is one of the most divisive issues among the Muslims, especially in the USA, Canada, and Europe. Most of us end up celebrating the same event on at least two and sometimes three different days. This paper proposes a solution which is consistent with the Quran and Sunnah and still allows for advance predictability of the crescent using astronomical calculation.
This is the supporting worksheet for the paper titled "Zakah Calculation in Modern Economy with E... more This is the supporting worksheet for the paper titled "Zakah Calculation in Modern Economy with Examples and Worksheet"
Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. It is obligatory on the wealth of a Muslim who meets certai... more Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. It is obligatory on the wealth of a Muslim who meets certain criteria. Zakat was originally due on gold and silver, the produce of plowed land, livestock, minerals, and buried treasure. The author in this paper has applied the applicability of this concept on the assets of modern times by extrapolating through analogy. He has also given examples and has proposed a worksheet for this purpose.
Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. It is a means to purify ones wealth. It is obligatory on we... more Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. It is a means to purify ones wealth. It is obligatory on well to do Muslims. The determination of on whom Zakat is obligatory is made by 'nisab'. It is the Islamic way of determining the poverty line. Zakat is obligatory on those who meet the 'nisab'. The 'nisab' on most of the items is well determined, except for agricultural products. In this area, the 'nisab' on wheat is based on the statement of the Prophet (SAW). However, the jurists have taken different approaches to determine the 'nisab' for other grains. The author has made a case to use the energy content (kcal) of crops to determine the 'nisab'. He, using the energy content of five wasq (653 kilograms) of wheat, proposes the following nisab for the other top six grains produced worldwide: corn (585.0 kg), rice (585.0 kg), barley (603.2 kg), Sorghum (649 kg), Oat (563.4 kg), and Rye (631.7 kg).
Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. It is a means to purify ones wealth. It is obligatory on we... more Zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. It is a means to purify ones wealth. It is obligatory on well to do Muslims who meet nisab, which was set by the ProphetSAW. Although the Prophet (SAW) quantified the nisab, there is no indication of how he came up with it. The author in this paper has made an attempt to explore the basis of nisab. His analysis suggests that the nisab of both gold and wheat reflects what a family of five would have needed to survive for one year. The analysis suggests that the nisab for gold and wheat set by the Prophet (SAW) was an Islamic way to determine the poverty line. Whereas a family above nisab (povery line) would have been able to support themselves for a year, a family below the nisab (povery line) would have needed assistance through Zakat.
The first of its kind presentation on the subject of Angels targeted for an audience who is inte... more The first of its kind presentation on the subject of Angels targeted for an audience who is interested in religious mysteries. The presenter, after explaining the origin and physical characteristics of the Angels using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge, has predicted their biological characteristics.
The first of its kind presentation on the subject of Angels targeted for an audience who is inte... more The first of its kind presentation on the subject of Angels targeted for an audience who is interested in religious mysteries. The presenter, after explaining the origin of the Angels using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge, predicts their physical characteristics. The follow up presentation will expound upon their biological characteristics.
The first of its kind presentation on the subject of Angels targeted for an audience who is inte... more The first of its kind presentation on the subject of Angels targeted for an audience who is interested in religious mysteries. The presenter, using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge, explains the origin and the material Angels are made of. The follow up presentations will expound upon their physical and biological characteristics.
The first of its kind presentation on the subject of the Jinns targeted for an audience who is i... more The first of its kind presentation on the subject of the Jinns targeted for an audience who is interested in religious mysteries. The presenter, after explaining the origin of the Jinns and their physical characteristics using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge, has predicted their biological characteristics in this presentation.
The first of its kind presentation on the subject of the Jinns targeted for an audience who is i... more The first of its kind presentation on the subject of the Jinns targeted for an audience who is interested in religious mysteries. The presenter, after explaining the origin of the Jinns using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge, predicts their physical characteristics. The follow up presentation will expound upon their biological characteristics.
The first of its kind presentation on the subject of the Jinns targeted for an audience who is i... more The first of its kind presentation on the subject of the Jinns targeted for an audience who is interested in religious mysteries. The presenter, using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge explains the origin and the material the Jinns are made of. The follow up presentations will expound upon their physical and biological characteristics.
The first of its kind presentation on the subject of the Jinns targeted for an audience who is i... more The first of its kind presentation on the subject of the Jinns targeted for an audience who is interested in religious mysteries. The presenter using Quranic statements and our current scientific knowledge explains the origin and the material the Jinns are made of, and their physical and biological characteristics.
Uploads
The topics include:
* Allah (ST), Guidance,
* The Life and the Hereafter,
* Good and Bad Manners,
* the Rights and Responsibilities, and
* Supplications.
Each chapter is followed by "Key Points to Remember". This book can serve as a companion to high school students and graduates as they enter into a new phase of their life.
(The book is available on Amazon and MahmoodJawaid.com)
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Defining God
Chapter 2 - Can We See God?
Chapter 3 - Where is God Situated?
Chapter 4 - Touching God – The Quranic Basis
Chapter 5 - Touching – Involuntarily
Chapter 6 - Touching – Voluntarily
Chapter 7 - Touching – the Muslim Approach
Chapter 8 - Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhood
(The book is available on Amazon and MahmoodJawaid.com)
Stories:
The Angels Bowed but Shaytan Disobeyed
Describes the dialogue between God and the angels before and after the creation of Adam, and how Shaytan (Satan) tricked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.
The Dead Come Back to Life
Describes instances when Abraham and Ezra witnessed a bird and a donkey, respectively, coming back to life, reinforcing their belief in Life after Death.
The People of the Cave (Ashabul-Kahf)
Describes the story of few city dwellers who took refuge in a cave to avoid the persecution from hostile king and the population, how long they remained asleep, and what they found when they woke up.
The Wicked Pharaoh
Describes how Pharaoh persecuted the Israelites and how Moses rescued them from his tyranny.
The Rich Qarun
Describes the story of a rich boastful man living in Egypt during Moses time and what happened to him and his wealth.
The Boastful Gardener
Describes the dialogue between a rich and a poor gardener and what happened to the wealth of the rich gardener.
The Greedy Gardeners
Describes the story of a few greedy gardeners and what happened when they refused to share their wealth with the poor.
The Kind King
Describes the story of a kind king, his conquest, and how he treated his subjects.
The Queen of Saba
Describes the story of a Queen of a rich Yemenite Kingdom during the time of Solomon and what she did when Solomon invited her.
Allah is My Lord
Describes the experiences Abraham went through before becoming the worshipper of one God.
The Toughest Test
Describes why Abraham decided to sacrifice his son and what happened next.
Words of Wisdom
Describes the advice a great sage (Luqman) gave to his son.
The purpose of the Holy Quran, who sent it, to whom it was sent, for whom it was sent, who brought it, when and how it started, and when it ended.
The names of the Holy Quran used in the Holy Quran and the quality and the purpose these names represent.
The division of the Quranic text into ayah, surah, manzil, juz, hizb, and rku and their purpose.
How are the surahs named, how does each surah begin, the names of important surahs to remember, and some special attributes of some of the surahs.
Important markers used in the Holy Quran and their purpose and significance.
Some statistical facts about the Holy Quran. Names of people, nations, and places mentioned in the Holy Quran.
Abbreviated letters (Hroof-e-Muqattat) and the surahs in which these are used
The Prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran and special qualities of some of them.
References have been cited for most of the material at the end of the book.
STORIES:
* The Jealous Qabeel, * The Dumb King, * The Fire Cooled Down,
* The Honorable Guests, * A Baby in the Bucket, * The Deadly Punch,
* Fire in the Valley, * The Snake and the Stick, * The Golden Calf,
* The Bright Yellow Cow, * Musa (AS) Meets Khidr, * The Tricky People,
* The Mighty Jaloot, * The Smart Ant, * The Garden of Saba
ADVICE:
* The Best Muslim, * The Winners, * The Nine Orders
* O My Father, * Allah (ST) is One, * Allah (ST), the Most Powerful
DUAS:
* Dua for Guidance, * Dua for Protection, * Dua for Good Things
* Dua for Forgiveness, * Dua for Parents
The book not only explains how Adam originated, it also suggests the time and place of his appearance, where was the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve settled after their exit from the Garden, their lifestyle, and what triggered the spread of humans over the globe. Whereas scientists still struggle to define humanity, the book defines it from the Quranic perspective and suggests when it began.
""
The Quran has taken two approaches regarding the existence of God: inferential and experiential. Inferential approach starts with a belief. The reasoning is sequentially moved towards that belief. The Polytheists of Arabia already believed in God as the Creator. The crux of the Quranic inferential reasoning is that since He is the Creator, only he deserves our total obedience. No one should be associated with Him in His sovereignty.
Experiential reasoning, though is presented to make the same point, it is made through a situation the Polytheist of Arabia must have encountered. When faced with a life-threatening situation, all the sources of our survival vanish, only hope we feel present in that situation is the power of God. We then sincerely beseech Him and Him only to save us from that situation.
The experiential learning can be used with atheists or agnostic, who lack the faith in God. A situation can be created where they are exposed to a simulated life-threatening situation. For example, while they are flying on a plane, the pilot could announce that the plane has developed a technical fault and is about to crash. A person sitting next to them and who knows that it is a simulated situation, can inquire with them about their feelings in those moments. Asking afterwards will be of no use since, as the Quran attests, once the danger is over, they would go back to their old system of belief.
The belief in God is ingrained in our psych. However, just like the sky is hidden from us, when it is cloudy, our belief in God gets clouded by our false hopes. For the sake of survival, we rely on food, shelter, wealth, and good health. However, these are only enablers. The real protector of our life is God the Almighty. As long as we can hang on to these enablers, we tend to think that these items provide us the protection. In a life-threatening situation, these items lose meaning. Only then we clearly feel the presence of God and call upon Him. Thus, a person who does not believe in God, who may not be persuaded to believe in God by inferential reasoning, may be persuaded to believe in Him by a personal experience.
The child after his birth starts his life driven by instinct, also called the innate behaviors. The mind at this level, called the primary mind, can only feel, perceive and represent the world, but it cannot think about the things or the events. It lives in the present. By the age of two years, it transitions into collating mind. The mind in this state has the capability of comparing the on-line representation (primary mind) with his past experience (off-line secondary representation) and come up with a better response. The response is, however, immediate(on-line), no holding back. In this state the mind can, not only feel, perceive and represent the world, but it can also think about the things or the events.
Once the child attains the age of four, his mind transitions into a mind called metamind. He not only has a primary (on-line) representation in front of him, he also has a multitude of secondary (off-line) representations. Instead of relying on innate behaviors (instinct), he now has the ability to entertain various ways of looking at the same thing representing what it is, looks like, was, could be, should be, and so on. It can disengaged from on-line primary representations and can think and act off-line. This is accompanied by him taking executive control over his actions. Some of these secondary representations are insinuations (waswasa) from Shaitan and some voice of his conscience [guidance (hedaya) from Allah(ST)]. Since, instead of being driven by instinct, he has executive control over his actions, he has the ability to choose any of those representations for implementation. He thus becomes accountable for his actions. His fate on the Day of Judgement will be dictated by how closely he adhered to the voice of his conscience.
Religiosity is an external manifestation of religion. In Islam, it is expressed through five pillars: Shahadah, Salaat, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj. Most of it is tangible. Spirituality, which means to connect with Allah(ST) , however, lies in the heart and is intangible. It starts with having a firm belief (Iman) in Allah(ST) with all of His attributes. There are higher levels of spirituality, the ultimate destination of which is to seek closeness with Allah(ST). The way to increase the level is through Dhikr, prolonged Sajdah during Salah, offering Salat-ut-Tahajjud, and Meditation. During meditation, the practitioner reaches a state where he loses his self which is called 'fana fillah'
Religiosity without spirituality leads to hypocrisy. Both are needed to reach the state of 'nafs-ul-mutmainnah [(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! * "Come back thou to thy Lord,-well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! *. "Enter thou, then, among My devotees! *. "Yea, enter thou My Heaven! (The Quran 089.027-030.]
'khird hoi hay zaman wa makan kee zannari
Na hay zaman, na makan, La elaha ill-Allah'
The mind has worn the holy thread of time and space like pagans all Though time and space both illusive, "No God but He" is true withal.
Our analysis suggests that, though we spend most of our waking hours in the four dimensional world (three for space and one for time), the way to approach Allah (ST) is to shed the four dimensional illusion and enter into a dimensionless state, which is the original state of the soul. Once we reach this state, we can approach Allah (ST) who is free of any dimension. We can do so by mystical practices.
The study suggests that there are five dimensions to the reality we experience. The baseline reality, the reality of the external world, is the reality we deal with in the waking hours. It is the representation in the mind developed by fully integrating perceptions from tertiary association areas of our brain based on the signals received from our senses. In addition to this, dream is a reality which most of the human experience during sleep. Instead of sensory signals, it is triggered by the internal stimuli originating from the memory. Its content, however, is unique to the individuals experiencing it.
Though the baseline reality and dreams are common to all, individuals practicing meditation experience another kind of reality which is called the mystical reality. Meditation causes deafferentation in certain portions of mind resulting in the person experiencing a sense of attaining absolute reality, union with God or the Absolute, a sense of either bliss or utter tranquility.
At times of severe physical trauma such as near-drownings or major surgery people experience a reality which is called Near-death experiences (NDE). Typically the experience includes: a sense of being dead; a feeling of peace and painlessness; hearing of various non-physical sounds, an out-of-body experience; a tunnel experience; encountering "beings of light" and a God-like figure or similar entities; being given a "life review", and a reluctance to return to life. Along with many other factors, the NDE is activated by the stimulation of the lower part of temporal lobe (including amygdala and hippocampus). These regions are involved in eliciting vivid memories, complex hallucinations, dream like states, and other sensations in states of markedly decreased input into these regions. A subset of the NDE is the out of body experiences (OBE) which results in a sense of being detached from the body. It can also happen independently. It is due to illusory reduplications of one’s own body due to interference with the temporo-parietal junction in the brain.
The fifth reality is the Ultimate reality, which the whole humanity will experience on the Day of Judgement. The Quran calls it ‘Al-Haqqah’ (the Sure Reality) and Al-Waqiah (the Event or the Inevitability). It will be experienced on the day when people will be raised again and will be judged. Some will be experiencing a permanent blissfulness and some a permanent misery.
The brain is thus a multifaceted instrument. It is normally used to observe the baseline reality, but can also be used to have other experiences.
There are different versions of this journey. Some say that both the events happened in a dream, while others are of the opinion that both of these took place in the waking state and the Prophet(SAW) physically went on the journey, and some say that it was merely a mystic vision shown to him.
The analysis of the author suggests that Al-Isra could have been a bodily experience. Technically, with a little lift from Jibraeel(AS) , who can travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it was possible for the Prophet(SAW) to physically travel to Jerusalem and return to Mecca in less than five minutes.
Al-Miraj, on the other hand, could not have been a bodily or mystical experience. It could not even be a dream. It fits the core elements of a superlative form of out of body experience (OBE), which is beyond imagination. The state he was in was very conducive to trigger such an OBE. While the body stayed where he was sleeping, his conscience (soul) saw things which fits the pattern of an OBE e.g. looking at what Jibraeel(AS) was doing with his body, passing through a huge space (heaven), meeting the dead (some of the Prophets), and seeing a bright light and the paradise.
The example of lamp used in the verse describes a devoted believer who when he accepts the divine guidance, his spiritual heart lights up like a wick. Just like the glass protects the light from blowing out due to external factors (moths and gusts of wind), the prayers (Salat) protects the spiritual heart from dimming down. Also just as the glass transmits the light to remove the darkness from the room, the believer through his acts of charity (Zakat) removes the darkness of misery from the world. The houses of the believers, in the words of Isa (AS) , serve as a shining city on the hill, which Allah (ST) has raised in honor. The intensity of this light depends upon the intensity of dhikr (meditational state) the devoted believer indulges in.
The analysis suggests that this is the state when the sensory signals from the external world are completely blocked causing the disintegration of the boundary between the self and the ‘other’. Having no sense of this partition, the practitioner finds himself annihilated in the ocean called cosmos. It is like a drop of water falling into the pool or the river merging into the ocean.
In addition to the five senses, we have a seventh sense that lets us feel the presence of Allah(ST). It remains dormant during our waking hours when the five senses are dominant. With the five senses blocked in the ‘fana fillah’ the state, the seventh sense becomes dominant allowing us to feel the presence of Allah(ST) all-round us.
At some level, our universe’s particles are instantaneously in touch with each other. Every particle in this state feels to be at one with the whole cosmos. The Quranic verses also suggest that the individual particles of the cosmos and the cosmos as a whole have a feeling of the self. ‘Fana fillah’ could be the state of our consciousness where we sense our existence as a part of the ‘giant body’ called universe, where we feel to be at one with the whole cosmos.
Our study suggests that the word God is a proper name associated with a unique being, who is a class in Himself, no one else belongs to that class. As such, we cannot think of Him in terms of anyone else and hence we cannot think of Him in terms of images. The only way we can think about Him is through 'dhikr' and 'fikr'. We can do 'fikr' about Him by pondering over His creations, which remind us of His Asma-ul-Husna. We can do 'dhikr' about Him by counting all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. There is, however, a higher level of 'dhikr', which creates a feeling of awe in our heart. This can be done through the process of meditation, which ultimately leads to the states of Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhud.
The author in exploring these two aspects found the death and life are means for the human life to go through four stages: pre-life existence, this life, the life of Barzakh, and the life in the Hereafter. The stages the soul goes through is another chapter in evolution. Whereas the body and mind reached its peak in physical evolution with the appearance of the human being, the next chapter in evolution begins with the soul of the human being. It enters this world in pristine form without any baggage, but is prone to evil. As it passes through this worldly life, it is exposed to various situations. Depending on how it responds to those situations, it either evolves into a higher level or degenerates to a lower level. This life serves as a boot camp for the soul. Having being exposed to trying circumstance in this life, it is forced to respond and in doing so, it develops either a good personality or a bad personality, which is going to stay with it forever, even in the Hereafter.
The topics include:
* Allah (ST), Guidance,
* The Life and the Hereafter,
* Good and Bad Manners,
* the Rights and Responsibilities, and
* Supplications.
Each chapter is followed by "Key Points to Remember". This book can serve as a companion to high school students and graduates as they enter into a new phase of their life.
(The book is available on Amazon and MahmoodJawaid.com)
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 - Defining God
Chapter 2 - Can We See God?
Chapter 3 - Where is God Situated?
Chapter 4 - Touching God – The Quranic Basis
Chapter 5 - Touching – Involuntarily
Chapter 6 - Touching – Voluntarily
Chapter 7 - Touching – the Muslim Approach
Chapter 8 - Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhood
(The book is available on Amazon and MahmoodJawaid.com)
Stories:
The Angels Bowed but Shaytan Disobeyed
Describes the dialogue between God and the angels before and after the creation of Adam, and how Shaytan (Satan) tricked Adam and Eve into eating the forbidden fruit.
The Dead Come Back to Life
Describes instances when Abraham and Ezra witnessed a bird and a donkey, respectively, coming back to life, reinforcing their belief in Life after Death.
The People of the Cave (Ashabul-Kahf)
Describes the story of few city dwellers who took refuge in a cave to avoid the persecution from hostile king and the population, how long they remained asleep, and what they found when they woke up.
The Wicked Pharaoh
Describes how Pharaoh persecuted the Israelites and how Moses rescued them from his tyranny.
The Rich Qarun
Describes the story of a rich boastful man living in Egypt during Moses time and what happened to him and his wealth.
The Boastful Gardener
Describes the dialogue between a rich and a poor gardener and what happened to the wealth of the rich gardener.
The Greedy Gardeners
Describes the story of a few greedy gardeners and what happened when they refused to share their wealth with the poor.
The Kind King
Describes the story of a kind king, his conquest, and how he treated his subjects.
The Queen of Saba
Describes the story of a Queen of a rich Yemenite Kingdom during the time of Solomon and what she did when Solomon invited her.
Allah is My Lord
Describes the experiences Abraham went through before becoming the worshipper of one God.
The Toughest Test
Describes why Abraham decided to sacrifice his son and what happened next.
Words of Wisdom
Describes the advice a great sage (Luqman) gave to his son.
The purpose of the Holy Quran, who sent it, to whom it was sent, for whom it was sent, who brought it, when and how it started, and when it ended.
The names of the Holy Quran used in the Holy Quran and the quality and the purpose these names represent.
The division of the Quranic text into ayah, surah, manzil, juz, hizb, and rku and their purpose.
How are the surahs named, how does each surah begin, the names of important surahs to remember, and some special attributes of some of the surahs.
Important markers used in the Holy Quran and their purpose and significance.
Some statistical facts about the Holy Quran. Names of people, nations, and places mentioned in the Holy Quran.
Abbreviated letters (Hroof-e-Muqattat) and the surahs in which these are used
The Prophets mentioned in the Holy Quran and special qualities of some of them.
References have been cited for most of the material at the end of the book.
STORIES:
* The Jealous Qabeel, * The Dumb King, * The Fire Cooled Down,
* The Honorable Guests, * A Baby in the Bucket, * The Deadly Punch,
* Fire in the Valley, * The Snake and the Stick, * The Golden Calf,
* The Bright Yellow Cow, * Musa (AS) Meets Khidr, * The Tricky People,
* The Mighty Jaloot, * The Smart Ant, * The Garden of Saba
ADVICE:
* The Best Muslim, * The Winners, * The Nine Orders
* O My Father, * Allah (ST) is One, * Allah (ST), the Most Powerful
DUAS:
* Dua for Guidance, * Dua for Protection, * Dua for Good Things
* Dua for Forgiveness, * Dua for Parents
The book not only explains how Adam originated, it also suggests the time and place of his appearance, where was the Garden of Eden, where Adam and Eve settled after their exit from the Garden, their lifestyle, and what triggered the spread of humans over the globe. Whereas scientists still struggle to define humanity, the book defines it from the Quranic perspective and suggests when it began.
""
The Quran has taken two approaches regarding the existence of God: inferential and experiential. Inferential approach starts with a belief. The reasoning is sequentially moved towards that belief. The Polytheists of Arabia already believed in God as the Creator. The crux of the Quranic inferential reasoning is that since He is the Creator, only he deserves our total obedience. No one should be associated with Him in His sovereignty.
Experiential reasoning, though is presented to make the same point, it is made through a situation the Polytheist of Arabia must have encountered. When faced with a life-threatening situation, all the sources of our survival vanish, only hope we feel present in that situation is the power of God. We then sincerely beseech Him and Him only to save us from that situation.
The experiential learning can be used with atheists or agnostic, who lack the faith in God. A situation can be created where they are exposed to a simulated life-threatening situation. For example, while they are flying on a plane, the pilot could announce that the plane has developed a technical fault and is about to crash. A person sitting next to them and who knows that it is a simulated situation, can inquire with them about their feelings in those moments. Asking afterwards will be of no use since, as the Quran attests, once the danger is over, they would go back to their old system of belief.
The belief in God is ingrained in our psych. However, just like the sky is hidden from us, when it is cloudy, our belief in God gets clouded by our false hopes. For the sake of survival, we rely on food, shelter, wealth, and good health. However, these are only enablers. The real protector of our life is God the Almighty. As long as we can hang on to these enablers, we tend to think that these items provide us the protection. In a life-threatening situation, these items lose meaning. Only then we clearly feel the presence of God and call upon Him. Thus, a person who does not believe in God, who may not be persuaded to believe in God by inferential reasoning, may be persuaded to believe in Him by a personal experience.
The child after his birth starts his life driven by instinct, also called the innate behaviors. The mind at this level, called the primary mind, can only feel, perceive and represent the world, but it cannot think about the things or the events. It lives in the present. By the age of two years, it transitions into collating mind. The mind in this state has the capability of comparing the on-line representation (primary mind) with his past experience (off-line secondary representation) and come up with a better response. The response is, however, immediate(on-line), no holding back. In this state the mind can, not only feel, perceive and represent the world, but it can also think about the things or the events.
Once the child attains the age of four, his mind transitions into a mind called metamind. He not only has a primary (on-line) representation in front of him, he also has a multitude of secondary (off-line) representations. Instead of relying on innate behaviors (instinct), he now has the ability to entertain various ways of looking at the same thing representing what it is, looks like, was, could be, should be, and so on. It can disengaged from on-line primary representations and can think and act off-line. This is accompanied by him taking executive control over his actions. Some of these secondary representations are insinuations (waswasa) from Shaitan and some voice of his conscience [guidance (hedaya) from Allah(ST)]. Since, instead of being driven by instinct, he has executive control over his actions, he has the ability to choose any of those representations for implementation. He thus becomes accountable for his actions. His fate on the Day of Judgement will be dictated by how closely he adhered to the voice of his conscience.
Religiosity is an external manifestation of religion. In Islam, it is expressed through five pillars: Shahadah, Salaat, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj. Most of it is tangible. Spirituality, which means to connect with Allah(ST) , however, lies in the heart and is intangible. It starts with having a firm belief (Iman) in Allah(ST) with all of His attributes. There are higher levels of spirituality, the ultimate destination of which is to seek closeness with Allah(ST). The way to increase the level is through Dhikr, prolonged Sajdah during Salah, offering Salat-ut-Tahajjud, and Meditation. During meditation, the practitioner reaches a state where he loses his self which is called 'fana fillah'
Religiosity without spirituality leads to hypocrisy. Both are needed to reach the state of 'nafs-ul-mutmainnah [(To the righteous soul will be said:) "O (thou) soul, in (complete) rest and satisfaction! * "Come back thou to thy Lord,-well pleased (thyself), and well-pleasing unto Him! *. "Enter thou, then, among My devotees! *. "Yea, enter thou My Heaven! (The Quran 089.027-030.]
'khird hoi hay zaman wa makan kee zannari
Na hay zaman, na makan, La elaha ill-Allah'
The mind has worn the holy thread of time and space like pagans all Though time and space both illusive, "No God but He" is true withal.
Our analysis suggests that, though we spend most of our waking hours in the four dimensional world (three for space and one for time), the way to approach Allah (ST) is to shed the four dimensional illusion and enter into a dimensionless state, which is the original state of the soul. Once we reach this state, we can approach Allah (ST) who is free of any dimension. We can do so by mystical practices.
The study suggests that there are five dimensions to the reality we experience. The baseline reality, the reality of the external world, is the reality we deal with in the waking hours. It is the representation in the mind developed by fully integrating perceptions from tertiary association areas of our brain based on the signals received from our senses. In addition to this, dream is a reality which most of the human experience during sleep. Instead of sensory signals, it is triggered by the internal stimuli originating from the memory. Its content, however, is unique to the individuals experiencing it.
Though the baseline reality and dreams are common to all, individuals practicing meditation experience another kind of reality which is called the mystical reality. Meditation causes deafferentation in certain portions of mind resulting in the person experiencing a sense of attaining absolute reality, union with God or the Absolute, a sense of either bliss or utter tranquility.
At times of severe physical trauma such as near-drownings or major surgery people experience a reality which is called Near-death experiences (NDE). Typically the experience includes: a sense of being dead; a feeling of peace and painlessness; hearing of various non-physical sounds, an out-of-body experience; a tunnel experience; encountering "beings of light" and a God-like figure or similar entities; being given a "life review", and a reluctance to return to life. Along with many other factors, the NDE is activated by the stimulation of the lower part of temporal lobe (including amygdala and hippocampus). These regions are involved in eliciting vivid memories, complex hallucinations, dream like states, and other sensations in states of markedly decreased input into these regions. A subset of the NDE is the out of body experiences (OBE) which results in a sense of being detached from the body. It can also happen independently. It is due to illusory reduplications of one’s own body due to interference with the temporo-parietal junction in the brain.
The fifth reality is the Ultimate reality, which the whole humanity will experience on the Day of Judgement. The Quran calls it ‘Al-Haqqah’ (the Sure Reality) and Al-Waqiah (the Event or the Inevitability). It will be experienced on the day when people will be raised again and will be judged. Some will be experiencing a permanent blissfulness and some a permanent misery.
The brain is thus a multifaceted instrument. It is normally used to observe the baseline reality, but can also be used to have other experiences.
There are different versions of this journey. Some say that both the events happened in a dream, while others are of the opinion that both of these took place in the waking state and the Prophet(SAW) physically went on the journey, and some say that it was merely a mystic vision shown to him.
The analysis of the author suggests that Al-Isra could have been a bodily experience. Technically, with a little lift from Jibraeel(AS) , who can travel at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second), it was possible for the Prophet(SAW) to physically travel to Jerusalem and return to Mecca in less than five minutes.
Al-Miraj, on the other hand, could not have been a bodily or mystical experience. It could not even be a dream. It fits the core elements of a superlative form of out of body experience (OBE), which is beyond imagination. The state he was in was very conducive to trigger such an OBE. While the body stayed where he was sleeping, his conscience (soul) saw things which fits the pattern of an OBE e.g. looking at what Jibraeel(AS) was doing with his body, passing through a huge space (heaven), meeting the dead (some of the Prophets), and seeing a bright light and the paradise.
The example of lamp used in the verse describes a devoted believer who when he accepts the divine guidance, his spiritual heart lights up like a wick. Just like the glass protects the light from blowing out due to external factors (moths and gusts of wind), the prayers (Salat) protects the spiritual heart from dimming down. Also just as the glass transmits the light to remove the darkness from the room, the believer through his acts of charity (Zakat) removes the darkness of misery from the world. The houses of the believers, in the words of Isa (AS) , serve as a shining city on the hill, which Allah (ST) has raised in honor. The intensity of this light depends upon the intensity of dhikr (meditational state) the devoted believer indulges in.
The analysis suggests that this is the state when the sensory signals from the external world are completely blocked causing the disintegration of the boundary between the self and the ‘other’. Having no sense of this partition, the practitioner finds himself annihilated in the ocean called cosmos. It is like a drop of water falling into the pool or the river merging into the ocean.
In addition to the five senses, we have a seventh sense that lets us feel the presence of Allah(ST). It remains dormant during our waking hours when the five senses are dominant. With the five senses blocked in the ‘fana fillah’ the state, the seventh sense becomes dominant allowing us to feel the presence of Allah(ST) all-round us.
At some level, our universe’s particles are instantaneously in touch with each other. Every particle in this state feels to be at one with the whole cosmos. The Quranic verses also suggest that the individual particles of the cosmos and the cosmos as a whole have a feeling of the self. ‘Fana fillah’ could be the state of our consciousness where we sense our existence as a part of the ‘giant body’ called universe, where we feel to be at one with the whole cosmos.
Our study suggests that the word God is a proper name associated with a unique being, who is a class in Himself, no one else belongs to that class. As such, we cannot think of Him in terms of anyone else and hence we cannot think of Him in terms of images. The only way we can think about Him is through 'dhikr' and 'fikr'. We can do 'fikr' about Him by pondering over His creations, which remind us of His Asma-ul-Husna. We can do 'dhikr' about Him by counting all the blessings He has bestowed upon us. There is, however, a higher level of 'dhikr', which creates a feeling of awe in our heart. This can be done through the process of meditation, which ultimately leads to the states of Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhud.
The author in exploring these two aspects found the death and life are means for the human life to go through four stages: pre-life existence, this life, the life of Barzakh, and the life in the Hereafter. The stages the soul goes through is another chapter in evolution. Whereas the body and mind reached its peak in physical evolution with the appearance of the human being, the next chapter in evolution begins with the soul of the human being. It enters this world in pristine form without any baggage, but is prone to evil. As it passes through this worldly life, it is exposed to various situations. Depending on how it responds to those situations, it either evolves into a higher level or degenerates to a lower level. This life serves as a boot camp for the soul. Having being exposed to trying circumstance in this life, it is forced to respond and in doing so, it develops either a good personality or a bad personality, which is going to stay with it forever, even in the Hereafter.
Our analysis of the Quranic verses suggests that:
• It is a physical object and came into existence only after the creations of the heavens and the earth.
• It is probably located in the interstellar space (the space between the outer boundaries of the sun [Heliopause] and the closest star to the sun [Alpha Centauri]).
• Allah(ST) being imperceptible is independent of space and time and cannot be confined to any segment of the space. As such we cannot say that He is sitting on the Throne (al-‘Arsh). Being independent of space and time, He is everywhere, even beyond space and time.
• It is the command center from where Allah(ST) regulates and governs all the affairs of the heavens and the earth.
• It is well guarded by angels. As such only they have access to it. They are the ones who receive command from here and implement them.
A reconciliation of the two statements suggests that Allah(ST), being imperceptible, is everywhere. He is down here with every one of us and He is up there in the heavens. He is not only at zero distance from us, He is also at an infinite distance from us. He cannot be localized anywhere in the space. He is beyond both the space and time.
Him being imperceptible, He is beyond our imagination. We can only talk about His sphere of influence. Just as we can explain the earth’s gravitational force by its gravitational field, we can explain the influence Allah(ST) has upon all of His creations by Super Field. Just like we are immersed in the gravitational field of the earth, we are also immersed in the Super Field. However, whereas the earth’s gravitational field is limited and wanes as we move away from it, the Super Field is uniform throughout and extends far beyond the Universe. Since everything is immersed in this field, everything finds itself closest to this field.
Being imperceptible, we cannot detect the presence of the Super field by scientific means. It can, however, be felt by rising above the four dimensional state we live and enter into the dimensionless state. This is the state where we lose the sense of space and the passage of time and where we lose the sense of self and find ourselves swimming in the Super Field. In this state our mind is completely free of all the thoughts. There is a sense of serenity and stillness in the mind.
His analysis suggests that our perception of the past and the future is viable only when there is a flow of information between our consciousness and memory (awake and dream states). Once this flow of information is blocked (partitioned), either temporarily during deep sleep or permanently after death or before birth, it only lives in the present. It feels what it is made to feel without our experience of the past or the anticipation of the future to rely upon. It feels the pain or the pleasure of what it is made to feel after death. Its feeling before the birth is probably neutral, neither pain, nor pleasure, since it has not gone through the trials and tribulations of this life.
The study finds that the only way to be close to Allah(ST) is to attain a thought-free state. Salah is a means to achieve such a state. Our objective during Salah should be to have a laser focus attention on what we are reciting. This is what the mystics call the state of mindfulness. While quietly repeating ‘Subhana Rubbiy al’Aalaa’ during prostration (and Subhana Rubbiy alAzeem during bowing) mentally with minimal effort, it may be possible to enter into a thought-free state where we may find ourselves present and awake, but without any thought. This is when we are closest to Allah(ST).
The analysis suggests that 'amr bil-Ma'roof and 'nahee 'anal-Munkar' entails promoting customarily acceptable good cultural practices and eschewing out bad cultural practices. In addition to cultural reform, it also includes promoting justice ('Al-'Adl'), doing good ('Al-Ehsan'), being kind to kith and kin. It is a collective effort of Muslim society as whole which they must do to fulfill their mission. This is in addition to Ibadat (Salaah, Zakah, Sawm, and Hajj) which is a category in itself. The mission of Muslims as a nation is to scrutinize and reform the cultural practices of the society they live in. It entails promoting good cultural practices and pruning out bad cultural practices. It refers to the way in which a particular society does its things. It is the collection of ideas and habits which they learn, share and transmit from generation to generation. It includes the way each individual makes a living, the music he plays, festival he celebrates, modes of communication and transportation he uses, the house he live and the food he eats. It encompasses religion, food, what we wear, how we wear it, our language, marriage, music and is different all over the world.
The objective of the mission is not to impose the cultural practices of Arabia on the rest, but to reform the local culture while staying within the tenants of Islam. For example, different cultures have different ways of respecting the elderly. Each can keep their practice as long as it does not violate the basic tenants of Islam.
The mission of the Muslims as a society is thus to scrutinize ideas and habits of the society they live in, promote what is good and prune out what is bad. It is the upholding of this mission that makes them the leader of the world. It is also the abandoning of this mission that makes them the worst of the nation.
Although this is a political explanation of the issue, there is an underlying Quranic reason for this issue. The real reason is the poor performance of Muslim nations in the Quranic laws ordained for governance: unity (wa-la-tafarraqu), conducting the affairs of mutual concern by mutual consultation (shoorah baybahum), adhering to the rule of law (justice), and guaranteed free exercise of rights (la ikraha fid-deen). Their poor performance in governance has put them at a great disadvantage compared to the Western nations (Christian nations) who are performing much better in these indices. Because of their far superior performance in these indices, they have been given the leadership (Khilafah) of the world and hence the control of Jerusalem.
The solution to the Palestinian issue is not in the hands of the Israelis or the Western powers, it is in the hands of Muslims themselves. The only recourse they have for solving this issue is to improve their performance in the Quranic laws of governance. They must unite behind a single leadership, develop a functioning democracy, establish the rule of law, and promote freedom and justice. Once they excel in these laws, the key of Jerusalem will be handed over to them, like it was handed over to Umar(RA). The strategy for this has already been outlined by the author in his paper titled “Strategy for Muslim Renaissance – The Quranic Prescription.”
The plight of Palestinians is politically blamed on the connivance of the Britian and the Western Powers. However, the root of their plight lies in the Arab Revolt against the Caliphate, which resulted in the loss of Palestine to Britain. It was the result of Sharif Hussain and his cohorts violating three Quranic commandments: (a) Muslims should never divide among themselves, (b) never make non-Muslims their Wali (protector), and (c) resolve their dispute among themselves under the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah. Their actions were a treachery against the Muslim Ummah. By doing so they rejected the help of Allah(ST). They have nobody to blame, except themselves. Had Sharif and his cohorts stayed in alliance with the Ottomans, not only Palestine, but the Ottoman Empire, the glory of Muslims, would have remained intact. They could even have had a seat in the Security Council as a Veto casting member.
Considering that the world will always be polarized and will be full of conflicts, international relations require that the Ummah manages the conflict to its advantage. The coin for earning respect in the world is military power. Quran advises, that the Ummah must be militarily (and financially) independent and maintain deterrence so as not to be taken advantage of. The Ummah should strive for peace, but should not hesitate to use force if it is cornered in that situation. It should also not hesitate to come to the helped of the oppressed against the oppressors. Under no circumstance should it abandon standing up for justice.
The Ummah should inculcate multilateral relation by pooling resources and sharing information to resolve global issues for example pandemics, terrorism, and the environment. It should also be involved in intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs), international legal bodies, and multinational corporations (MNCs) to promote good and eschewing out evil from the world arena. The Ummah should not hesitate to use military force to achieve these objectives. The Ummah’s foreign policy should be based on cooperating in good matters. Thus participating in UN, UNICEF, Doctors without Borders, Red Cross/Crescent, Human Rights organizations and similar organizations should take priority in international matters. Since the world consists of good and bad , there will always be evil forces exploiting the poor and oppressed. The Ummah should use its military might to fight against the oppressors. Worst come to worst, it should give asylum to those oppressed by oppressors. The Ummah should be an active participant in promoting justice irrespective of race, color or creed.
A study of the Quran suggests that whereas Muslims as individuals will be judged on the Day of Judgement based on their personal piety, the fate of a society is dictated by Allah(ST)’s prescribed social values it practices among its citizens. It is the adherence or non-adherence to these values that makes it a superpower or the scum of the earth, respectively. The following five Quranic indices determine the potential for success or failure of a nation:
• Governance under the guidance of AllahST (wa-‘tasemoo bi hablillah);
• Unity under the leadership of Amir (wa-la-tafarraqu);
• Conducting the affairs of mutual concern by mutual consultation (shoorah baybahum);
• Adhering to the rule of law (justice);
• Guaranteed free exercise of rights.
The analysis by using democratic and economic performance indicators suggests that Muslims, as an ummah, flunk on almost all the indices. They are at a state where Europeans were during 1648–1814 CE. The most dominant indicator is the unity of action in the form of a single leader. Although China and Russia are worse off on other indicators, it is the unity of action under a single leadership, that allows them to exert influence in the world affairs. If Muslims want a seat on the table of the world affairs, they must unite under a single leadership, establish a functioning democracy and rule of law, and guarantee free exercise of rights. They must top it off with governance under the guidance of Allah(ST), if they want to be the Khalifa of the Earth (Khalifah-tul-Ardh). The analysis proposes a strategy for how this could be achieved.
The author in this paper is suggesting that the Dawah for Islam in this era can most effectively be done by using marketing techniques: demonstrate how good our product is, at what price it is available, and where it is available. However, the most important aspect of the marketing technique is the promotion of the product. Using this technique, we must explain how good our product packaged in the Quran and Hadeeth is. Explain that the price for this product is to live according to the prescription provided in the package. For this price, one can earn Jannah in the Hereafter. We should make the package available on-line and off line and on You Tube, which we are already doing. The best way to promote Islam is to show case a model community based on this ideology. This community must be able to demonstrate how this community lives in peace and harmony with each other. How it nurtures the good and eschew out bad. How it fosters a culture of justice, freedom, and tolerance, mutual consultation, unity, discipline, education, respect for diversity, and supremacy of character. Only then will we be able to convince prospective buyers how good our product Islam is and how it can improve their life and only then will we be able to convince prospective buyers to buy this product.
The analysis suggests that the modern concept of democracy is consistent with the Quranic injunction of ‘conduct affairs of common interest with mutual consultation (shoorah baynahum)’ and consent (bay’ah). Whereas direct representation was possible in city-state like Athens or Medina, it is impractical in nation-states, as it exists today. The only alternative is to adopt representational democracy, as is practiced in the West. The institution of consent (bay’ah), a mechanism to formalize the consent of the governed in a city-state, is now achieved by voters casting their votes, thus pledging their support for the candidate.
Whereas the author finds that the four pillars of Western democracy: Executive, Legislature, Judiciary and Freedom, are consistent with the Quranic injunctions, he proposes two more pillars, ‘Promotion of Good and Eschewing Out Evil’ and the ‘Welfare and Protection of the Destitute’, to the pillars of Islamic democracy to comply with the Quranic injunctions. The author would suggest that in order to maintain the independence of other pillars, the institution of ‘Promotion of Good and Eschewing Out Evil’ should not have any prosecutional authority. Their job should be to educate the masses about what is good and what is bad. They should educate the voters who in turn should elect good candidates.. Since self-governance requires informed voters, whose opinions rest on shared knowledge. This institutions should educate citizens in knowing their rights, knowing the law, knowing how to evaluate their representatives, and understanding government. In order to maintain independence of the other pillars, the members of this institution should not be directly involved in choosing the individuals in the executive, judicial, or legislature branch of the government. This constraint is similar to the prohibition placed for government officials in the Western democracy from indulging in political activities.
The history of Muslims suggests that they took the same path the Jews took , but on a compressed time scale. The declaration made by the Prophet(SAW) was essentially the same as that made by Ibrahim(AS). The next step was to build a critical mass of free people and establish a state. The Prophet(SAW) was able to achieve these objectives in a period of thirteen years by establishing the state of Medina. The constitution in the form of the Quran was complete before the Prophet(SAW) passed away. The nation established by the Prophet(SAW) soon became a superpower with leadership changing hands from the Caliphate to the Umayyad Dynasty, then to Abbasid Dynasty, and then to Ottomans.
The Muslims ceased to be a nation after World War I, when it disintegrated into about fifty states. This is because nation building requires a perpetual reform to remain viable. This can only happen if the Divine Declaration (the Quran) is kept seated in the driver seat. The Muslims after the passing away of the Prophet(SAW) have placed the post Prophet(SAW) literature in the driver seat. This is what the Jews did with Torah, when they placed Talmud in the driver seat. When they failed to implement the needed reforms initiated by Isa(AS), they ceased to be a viable nation, which eventually resulted in their exile from the Promised Land. The situation with the Muslims is not much different. They are divided into about fifty states with no say in the world affair. If they want to become a viable nation again, they must place the Quran in the driver seat. Only then it will become a universal divine message fully relevant to the Muslims of the present era. In addition the Quranic legal principles must be reinterpreted in the light of our own experience and the altered conditions of the modern life.
The study suggests that nation building requires a critical mass of free people with a territory and a common objective defined by a declaration. It also requires a constitution and laws for the people to govern themselves according to the established rules. The laws have to be revisited every so often to ensure that these remain relevant to address the issues of the time. If nations fail to do so, they become a failed state and go into oblivion.
For the Jewish nation building, the declaration came from Ibrahim(AS) , the constitution in the form of Torah came through Musa(AS) and the state was established by Dawood(AS). However, with time Talmud, which contained a body of laws (jurisprudence) based on the commentaries of the scholars, however, took precedence over Torah, the divine revelation, when Isa(AS) appeared. A majority of the Jews failed to implement Isa(AS)’s initiative of restoring Torah. As a result, the state ceased to exist and the Jews had to suffer exile.
The believers, according to the Quran can be divided into two groups: the foremost ones (as-sabeqoon) and the companions of the right hand (ashab-ul-maymanah). The author’s analysis suggests that the key to the success of a reform movement is the proportion of the foremost ones in the population. They are the engines of the reform movements. They are the one who are totally committed to the reform. If their proportion among the believers is about fifty percent, even if the proportion of the believers is one-tenth of the population, they will succeed in implementing the reform. If their proportion drops to about a quarter of the believers, the required proportion of the believers for the reform movement to succeed would be about one third of the population.
The morality of a society is also driven by the proportion of the foremost ones in the society. According to bell curve distribution, a minimum of two percent in the population is required just to maintain the status quo. Anything less than this proportion will cause the morality of the society to degrade. Higher their proportion, higher will be the morality of the society.
Chaos and disorder is in the nature of things. It is in their nature to move from an ordered state to a disordered state. It requires energy and time to maintain and enhance an ordered state. Allah(ST) has done so by creating islands of ordered state, which has given rise to galaxies, stars, planets, and biological species, humans included. Humans are not immune from this tendency. Creating order requires physical effort and resources and takes time. Creating disorder is easy and takes only few minutes. The Quran strongly discourages promotion of disorderly states. Our test in this life is to fight this tendency and strive to enhance order in the society. The author has demonstrated that we can earn good deeds by doing things which minimizes disorderly conduct in the society. The author has also cited examples of disorderly conduct. Any effort to promote order will require extra effort, but will be rewarded in the Hereafter.
The author by revisiting the male-female relationship and looking at the rational behind the Quranic injunctions shows that the differentiation made in the Holy Quran between the male and the female has nothing to do with the sexual differences. The differentiation is made between those who earn the living and have physical strength versus those who could not earn a living and did not have the physical strength. With the changed economic and technological environment these relationship should be redefined. For example, (a) the burden of the financial responsibility in a family should be upon the bread winner, not the male member of the family; (b) the higher share in the distribution of inheritance should be given to the one who contributed financially to the well being of the deceased irrespective of the sex of the person; (c) leadership in the family should be the domain of the one who has financial and physical strength irrespective of the sex of the person; (d) dowry should be paid by the one who is the bread winner in the family irrespective of the sex of the person; (e) the right to divorce should belong to the one who has paid the dowry irrespective of the sex of the person; (f) the requirement of a second women during witness was to help the woman and should be left to the woman if she wants to avail that assistance or not; (g) the Quran and the Sunnah does not deny the women the right to lead the prayer; and (h) the constraint on the dress code for women should reflect the present economic condition and not the past.
The analysis suggests that exceptionalism and its reward can only be claimed if nations claiming exceptionalism live by the covenant or the commitment they have made to be granted exceptionalism. The Quranic statements and Jewish history testifies to the fact that when Jews adhered to the covenant they made with AllahST, they lived in the Promised Land (Palestine) and ruled over it and when they abandoned the covenant, they lost the power and were driven out of the Promised Land (Palestine). As long as the United States adheres to the covenant they have made with AllahST, they will continue to be the superpower of the world. The case of Muslims is no different from Jews or the United States. When they were living by the covenant they had made with AllahST, they ruled the world. The current state of Muslims suggests that they have abandoned the covenant; as such, they cannot claim the exceptional status they were granted. Since they have abandoned the covenant, they find themselves on the receiving end of humiliation and degradation from all sides. Their only recourse to avert their misery and regain exceptionalism is to live by the covenant they have made with AllahST. They must outperform the United States in delivering and promoting justice.
The analysis suggests that our life events are an interplay of four elements: Our free will, exhibited through our striving, the Will of Allah(ST), Qadha and Qadr. Their interplay results into four possibilities: (a) If we do not strive, even if it is part of our Qadr, it will not fall under the Will of Allah(ST), and no decree Qadha will be issued, and hence we will not be able to achieve our objective. (b) If it is not a part of our Qadr, even if we strives for it, it will not fall under the Will of Allah(ST), no decree Qadha will be issued, and hence we will not be able to achieve our objective. (c) Even if it is a part of our Qadr, and even if we strive for it, if it is not the Will of Allah(ST) at that moment, no decree (Qadha) will be issued and hence we will come out empty handed. (d) We will only achieve our objective if it is a part of our Qadr, we strives for it, and it is the Will of Allah(ST), a decree (Qadha) will then be issued and executed. We will then achieve our objective.
Another factor that comes into play is the test of Allah(ST), the whole purpose of our life. One way for Him to test us is not keeping the things we desire in our Qadr. This is the second possibility of the four scenarios described above. Another way for Him to test us is to let us achieve our objective and then take it away. This is the fourth possibility of the four scenarios described above. Another way for Him to test us to let us enjoy what we achieve. This is also stems from the fourth possibility of the above four scenarios.
There is no consensus among scientists about when personhood begins. The objective of this paper was to determine when does the human life begin from the Quranic perspective.
The analysis of the Quranic verses suggest that dream sleep (REM) is a sign of the presence of soul and deep sleep (NREM) is the sign of the absence of soul in the fetus. Ultrasound imaging suggests that fetus transitions from deep sleep (NREM) to dream sleep (REM) around 23 weeks of gestation. However, some babies (about 5%) can still survive if born as early as 22 weeks of gestation, suggesting the presence of soul at this stage. Research also suggests that fetuses can enter a dreaming sleep-like states weeks before the first rapid eye movements (REM) are seen. The soul thus be joining the fetus around 22nd week of gestation.
The analysis suggests that, traditional surrogacy, in which a woman other than the spouse gets artificially inseminated with the father's sperm, is outside the constraint imposed by the Quran and is, therefore, not permissible. The Quran requires that the biological mother (the egg donor) must be the spouse of the person donating the sperm, not the surrogate. The gestational surrogacy, in which the embryo is formed by the egg donated by the spouse of the father who is donating the sperm, is within the constraint imposed by the Quran, and should, therefore, be permissible.
The Quran does not make it incumbent upon the mother to be the sole provider of nutrients to the baby. Incubators have successfully been used to complete the gestation (prenatal nourishment) period of premature babies. There is a potential for artificial womb to extend this period further. The surrogate mother falls in the same category and should be permissible to provide prenatal nourishment during the gestational period.
Contrary to scholars assertion, implanting an embryo in the womb of a surrogate mother cannot be called ‘zina’. Many medical procedures require vaginal insertion and have never been labelled as ‘zina’. Implanting an embryo in the womb of a surrogate mother which require penetration in the vagina falls in the same category. Calling it ‘zina’ would make all medical procedures, which requires penetration of medical devices in the uterus per standard medical protocol, illegal.
Their concern about the corruption of the embryo with surrogate mother’s egg is also misplaced. Once the egg is fertilized, which is done outside the uterus, its genetic composition is locked. It cannot be corrupted by other egg or sperm.
The gestational surrogacy should have the same constraint, the constraint imposed in case of wet nursing: Once the milk relationship is established, marriage to the consanguineous kin of a milk-parent is prohibited i.e. the children of the wet-nurse cannot marry the person who was wet-nursed by their mother. The same constraint should be applicable to the surrogate mother i.e. marriage to the consanguineous kin of the surrogate mother should be prohibited, the children of the gestational mother will be ‘mahram’ to the child born out of surrogacy.
Scholars refrain from total abolition of slavery probably due to it being a reprehensible innovation and contrary to the Quran and the practice of early Muslims because the Quranic text does not state that ‘slavery is banned’.
An intention-based reading of the Quran suggests that the permission for slavery was only to address the issue of the prisoners of war. Those prisoners of war who could not pay ransom or had no caretakers, mostly females, were distributed among those participating in the war. Since mechanisms, like the Third Geneva Convention, are now in place for the repatriation of the POWs after the cessation of hostility, there is no room left for enslaving the prisoners. The Intent-based reading of the Quranic commandments suggests that since the reason for holding slaves has ceased to exist, in this day and age, there is no room left for slavery in Islam.
A review of the Quran by the author suggests that the present day Muslims can be categorized into those who believe, those who do not believe, but follow Islam as a part of culture, and those who accept it, but still have to digest the faith.
The believes can further be categorized into those who do wrong to their own souls (Zalim-le-nafsih), those who follow a middle course (Muqtasid), and those who are foremost in good deeds (Sabiqul-khairat).
The foremost in good deeds (Sabiq-ul-khairat) are probably the same people who have also been called the Foremost Ones (As-Sabeqoon) in the Quran and have been promised the Garden of Bliss (Jannat-in-Na'eem). Among the believers, the Prophets (Nabiyeen) and the sincere (lovers of Truth) (as-Siddiqeen) seems to belong to this group.
The followers of a middle course (Muqtasid) are probably the same people wo are also called the Companion of the Right Hand (Ashab-ul-Maymanah) in the Quran and have been promised the Garden of Eternity (Jannat-e-'Adn). Among the believers, the witnesses (who testify) (ash-Shohoda), the righteous (who do good) (as-Saleheen), and the believers (Mo'meneen) seems to belong to this group.
The Quran has called those who believe, but spend their whole life transgressing the limits imposed by the Quran, abandon Salat and follow their lust without repenting or trying to mend their ways as those who do wrong to their own souls. Forgiveness is promised to only those who repent and mend their ways.
The Quran first establishes that, from the perspective of soul, the sleep and the death are the same. In both the cases the soul departs from the body. The Quran then demonstrates that the departed soul has the potential of returning to the body, whether the person is asleep or dead, as long as the body is intact. If it is not intact, it can be reconstituted from the pieces of flesh or like a plant, it can be sprouted back from a seed (nucleus of the cell or the cell itself). The Quran has thus demonstrated all the aspects of resurrection.
The resurrection on the Day of Judgement will happen by first reconstituting the body by sprouting it back from a seed (nucleus of the cell or the cell itself). The soul will then be returned to the reconstituted body. The person will feel as if he has just woken up from a night sleep. Resurrection thus should just not be a matter of belief (iman), it should rise to the level of certainty (yaqeen).
The age we are living in, dating is essential in finding a suitable and compatible mate for the purpose of marriage. The objective of this paper was to explore how potential mates can pursue this endeavor, while still staying within the bounds of the Quran and Sunnah.
The Islamic purpose of dating should be to find a suitable mate who will be a source of comfort (tusskonu) in marital relationship. During dating we should explore if we feel love (mawaddah) and compassion (rahmah) for the person we plan to tie the nod with. It is a four-step process: feeling out each other, engagement (Khitbah), Nikah (Khutbah), and consummation of marriage. Before the consummation of marriage, all the interactions should be done in public, e.g. in a restaurant.
The post marital interaction is like driving a car. Love (mawaddah) and compassion (rahmah) serve as gas. Forgiveness (ta’foo) and overlooking (tasfahoo) and covering up (taghferoo) the faults are steering and break. Just as the car will only run as long as there is gas in the car, the marriage will only be a happy marriage as long as there is Love (mawaddah) and compassion (rahmah) in the relationship. Just as the steering and brakes keep the car on the road and avoid the potholes, forgiveness (ta’foo) and overlooking (tasfahoo) and covering up (taghferoo) the faults are steering and break that prevents the relationship from going off the track.
The couple while dealing with each other should recognize that the male and female brains are wired differently and hence they respond differently to any given situation. All the compartments of a female brain work in unison. They are better at multitasking, recalling their memory and expressing them vividly, and thinking and feeling simultaneously. They are better at expressing their feelings. Men, on the other hand, are unperturbed by distraction of their surroundings because they are better in tuning things out. As such they are very focused on doing one task at a time. They think first and feel and, therefore, act later. As such they may not come out as warm and loving. While interacting with each other, both husband and wife should keep these differences in mind and modulate their response accordingly.
The reports regarding the dates for the Laylatul-Qadr present three possibilities: (a) the last ten days of the month of Ramadhan, (b) the odd nights of the last ten days of the month of Ramadhan, and (c) the 27th of Ramadhan. The author is of the view that these dates are not definite dates, but only probabilistic in nature.
In order to clarify the concept, the author has given a hypothetical example showing that, with the assumptions made, in a one hundred year time span, for two years each, Laylatul-Qadr would have fallen on 22nd, 24th, 26th, 28th, and 30th of Ramadhan, for seven years each it would have fallen on 21st, 23rd, 25th, and 29th of Ramadhan, and for sixty two years it would have fallen on the 27th of Ramadhan (this is just an example, not an actual prediction). Since it is all a matter of probability, we cannot expect for it to fall on the 27th each year.
The author proposes two strategies: Simplistic and Rigorous. The rest of the strategies will fall in between. The simplistic strategy is to pick the 27th of Ramadhan and stick with it for the lifetime. Since it has the highest probability, you can hit it most of the year, but not every year. The Rigorous strategy is to designate a portion of every night in the last ten days of Ramadhan. This will ensure you hitting the Laylatul-Qadr every year. The best way to do this may be to offer Salat-ut-Tahajjud every night.
From the Quranic perspective, since it is the individuals who are accountable to Allah (ST) , we have defined the Quranic human rights as the right of people on the individuals. In this respect, we have identified the following rights: the rights of Allah (ST) , parents, children, financially impoverished, and mentally challenged on us. We must respect the honor, the life, the property, the privacy, and the dignity of all. We must treat everyone fairly, manage our assets prudently, and keep the commitment we have made to others.
The Quran tells us that we can overcome some of our anxieties by adjusting our attitude towards life. It is the focus on this life that makes us greedy, which is an unending desire and causes anxiety. During this endeavor, when we suffer hardship, we also get depressed and impatient. The Quran advises us that, instead of remaining focused on this life, the Hereafter should be our ultimate goal. Only by making the Hereafter our ultimate goal, we can overcome anxiety arising out of greed. Instead of accumulating more and more, we should do the opposite, practice charity. Instead of getting impatient during the hardship, we should accept that this is a part of the life. So we should do the opposite, practice patience. But the high octane solution to anxiety is to contemplate (dhikr). There are different levels of contemplation, the highest is to achieve the states of Wahdat-ul-Wujood and Wahdat-ush-Shuhud.
The Quran also tells us that on that day, the Sabeqeen will be nearest to Allah(ST). Whereas both the Sabeqeen and Companions of the Right Hand will be awarded Garden ( Jannah), the Sabeqeen will be awarded the Garden of Bliss (Jannat-in-Na’eem). The Companions of Left Hand will be sent to Hell (Jaheem). The Quran also states that the proportion of the Sabeqeen in the early period will be very high, but will be little in the later period.
The Quranic analysis by the author suggests that the defining characteristics of the Sabeqeen are that they hasten in every good work and they are willing to suffer all sort of hardship for the love of Allah(ST). They are even willing to sacrifice their belonging and their life for Him.
Commentators have differed about what does the Quran mean by ‘the earlier and the later period’. The author has concluded that ‘the earlier and the latter period’ only refers to the earlier period and the latter period of every Prophet(AS)’s Ummah including the Prophet(SAW)’s Ummah.
His analysis of the events after the migration of the Prophet(SAW) suggests that it was the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah that is probably the dividing line between the earlier period (awwaleen) and the later period (akhereen). The proportion of the Mohajereen and the Ansar who participated in the campaigns up to the treaty stayed very high (about fifty percent), a condition for early period. After this, it dropped drastically (below ten percent), a condition for later period. Thus all the Mohajereen and the Ansar who participated in the campaigns that took place up to the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah fall in the category of the Sabeqeen of the earlier period (as-sabeqoon al-awwaloon).
The commonly held view about these verses is that ‘al-Fajr’ refers to the normal day break or to the day break of tenth of Dhul Hijjah, the ‘ten nights’ refers to the first ten nights (days) of Dhul Hijjah, and ‘the even’ and ‘the odd’ refers to the ninth and the tenth of Dhul Hijjah or all the creations and Allah(ST), respectively.
The author by approaching these verses from the Quranic perspective concludes that these terms are cited because these are all related to the Quran itself: it is the time of Fajr when the recitation of the Quran is witnessed, it was one of the last ten nights of Layl-atul-Qadr, which lasts till Fajr (end of the night), in which the Quran was revealed, it is ‘the even’ and ‘the odd’ rak’ahs of the Qiyam-ul-Layl, in which the Quran is recited. This conclusion is further supported by the matching pattern of Surah Al-Fajr (089.006-010) with Surah Al-Qamar (054.009-040). In both the cases the destruction of some of the past nations are cited as an example for the audience of the Quran to take heed.
Another interpretation could be that the five verses also refer to the Night of Qadr, since it has the same elements Surah Al-Qadr has about the Night of Qadr: it could be (a) one of the last ten nights of Ramadhan, (b) half of which are odd (witr) nights and the other half of which are even (shaff) nights, (c) when it arrives, Jibraeel(AS) and the angels descend on the earth with the Command of Allah(ST) and pass the whole night on the earth, and (d) they stay on the earth till the appearance of Fajr.
• “Man Kuntu Mawla fa `Ali Mawla.” (Whomsoever’s Mawla I am, this Ali is also his Mawla.)
• “Allahummu wali man walaah wa `adi man `adaah.” (O Allah, befriend whosoever befriends him and be the enemy of whosoever is hostile to him.)
Even though there is a difference of opinion between the Shias and the Sunnis about the intent of the Prophet(SAW)’s statement, there is an agreement that the Prophet(SAW) did make the two statements. We explored how the Quran has used the two terms. It will be fair to assume that the Prophet(SAW) would have used the two terms in the same sense the Quran has used these.
An analysis of the Quranic usage of the term ‘Mawla’ suggests that it is the opposite of the term ‘Abd’. In fact the two terms are intertwined. Whereas an ‘Abd’ is completely subservient to his ‘Mawla’, the ‘Mawla’ is completely independent in his dominion. He has total authority over his ‘Abd’. The ‘Abd’ is expected to serve his ‘Mawla’ and ‘Mawla’ is expected to take care of his ‘Abd’s basic needs. In modern day slave-free society, the two terms could be used to define the relationship that exists between the boss and his subordinate.
The Quran has not used the term ‘Mawla’ for the Prophet(SAW). Whereas the main task of the Prophet(SAW) was to serve as a Messenger of Allah (ST), he was also the head of the state of Medina. It seems like the Prophet(SAW) used the term of ‘Mawla’ for himself as the head of the state of Medina and for the future heads of the state. Since ‘Mawla’ was an administrative position, his position as ‘Mawla’ expired with his death.
An analysis of the Quranic usage of the term ‘Wali’ suggests that it is the opposite of the term ‘Adoo’ (enemy). The Quran defines the term as a relationship of mutual love (mahabbah and mawaddah) and an attitude of forgiveness and compassion for his fellow ‘Wali’. An analysis of the Quranic statements suggest that the Quran has also used the term to define the bond of citizenship that existed among the believers of Medina. It was probably this bond of citizenship that made the Prophet(SAW) the ‘Wali’ of the believers also. He was thus not only ‘Mawla’ (head of the state of Medina) , but also the citizen of the state.
The objective of this paper was to understand the two terms, ‘Imamah’ and ‘Khilafah’, mentioned in the reports, from the Quranic perspective. An exploration of how the term ‘Imam’ has been used in the Quran, suggests that the term ‘Imam’ from the Quranic perspective is the one who leads. It could be a highway, a book, or a person. As far as persons are concerned, it is the person who leads his followers. However, there could be good as well as bad Imams. The bad Imams will lead their followers to hell on the Day of Judgement. The righteous Imams are appointed by Allah(ST) . It is a non-administrative, non-political, advisory position in which they are responsible for guiding the righteous people under the command of Allah(ST). The Quran tells us that the Imamah for the righteous people was bestowed upon Ibraheem(AS) and his righteous progeny. It is probably in the fulfillment of this promise that a series of Imams appeared from among the Israelites. After the appearance of Musa(AS), Haroon(AS) and his descendants were formally ordained as Imams (priests).
Considering the newly designated status of Muslims, in place of Israelites, as the preferred nation, the Imamate is now expected to continue among the progeny of Ismaeel(AS). According to the teachings of the Prophet(SAW), the believers are advised to pray that the ProphetSAW and his progeny (aal) be bestowed with the same blessings that were bestowed upon Ibraheem(AS) and his progeny (aal). Since the award of Imamate was one of the blessings bestowed upon Ibraheem(AS) and his progeny, the same should be applicable to the Prophet(SAW) and his progeny. As such the Imamate should be limited to the progeny of the Prophet(SAW). Considering the trend among the Israelites, this Imamate may not be limited to one family or one chain of descendants. The only condition seems to be the condition of being from among the descendants of the Prophet(SAW). In addition they need to exhibit the characteristics of Ibad-ur-Rahman: they must always be truthful, they must exhibit decency and humility, they must be regular in Tahajjud prayer, they must be moderate in spending, and they must respect life.. However, the position of Imamate is only an advisory position in nature. It entails guiding the righteous people under the command of Allah(ST). It is neither political, nor administrative.
The term ‘Khilafah’ from the Quranic perspective refers to the authority ( dominion or superpower) Allah(ST) grants to nations to establish and maintain justice in their domain. It is a performance based authority. When a nation fails to live up to this responsibility, it is replaced by another nation by Allah(ST).
The author’s analysis of the Quranic verses suggest that the purpose of fasting in the month of Ramadhan is to not only learn piety (Taqwa), but also to celebrate the revelation of the Quran. The most common way to celebrate is to fast from dawn to sunset. An especial way is to search for the night in which the Quran was revealed. This is the night in which angels under the leadership of Jibraeel (AS) descend upon the earth. This falls on one of the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan. The best way to do so is to do Itikaf and spend the late portion of the night in Tahajjud salat reciting as much Quran as one can during Qiyam. As was the practice of the Prophet (SAW), we should also use this month to strengthen our memorization of the portion of the Quran which we have already memorized.
Tahajjud is based on an injunction in the Quran to the Prophet(SAW). Its timing starts after one third of the night has passed. According to the Prophet(SAW), its duration could be half of the night, a third of t night, a fourth of the night, or a fraction of the night. It has all the features of the obligatory prayers, except that the Qiyam (standing) and Sajdah (prostration) are longer. It is normally eleven rakahs prayed in the sets of twos with long recitation of the Quran and concluded with a single rakah (witr) in pre-dawn (Sahr) hours in which Istaghfar (begging for forgiveness) is made. The two-rakah sets can be offered in succession or can be interrupted by short naps. The pace of the prayer should be should be such that it is concluded by the time pre-dawn (Sahr) arrives. The Prophet(SAW) has advised that, like other non-obligatory prayers, it should be offered at home. Tahajjud is good for self- introspection and for seeking closeness to Allah(ST). It could also raise a person’s spiritual level. The Quran tells us that performing Tahajjud is one of the characteristics of Ebad-ur-Rahman (the slaves of the Beneficent).
The Quran, though basically the book of guidance, also tells us about the origin of human being and sheds light on the lifestyle of the era in which many of the Prophets(AS) appeared. The objective of this paper was to match the Quranic information with the archaeological data to identify the culture and the technology prevalent in the eras of some of the earlier Prophets(AS) and determine the time periods in which those events and innovations could have taken place.
Our study suggests that the era of Nooh(AS) began when the Ice Age was ending. Nooh(AS) probably appeared around 10,000 BCE in modern Turkey near the frontiers of Iraq and Syria. His appearance marked the dawning of agriculture. It started with the domestication of wild plants and animals in the Fertile Crescent of western Asia. His appearance thus marked a switch from hunter-gatherer to agricultural society, which also resulted in a transition from nomadic to sedentary life style. Villages started to appear consisting of huts made of mud and grass. Ownership of property created a social hierarchy. Although rafts were already in existence before the appearance of Nooh(AS), he was probably the one who for the first time built boat that could carry a good number of people and could survive rain as well as tidal waves. Even before his appearance, the worship of terrestrial objects had already taken roots. They worshipped idols, probably made from dried mud. Exile from the community, which started with Adam(AS), continued to be one mode of punishment. With the social hierarchy developing, stoning to death was also included in the criminal justice system in the era of Nooh(AS).
Hood(AS) probably appeared around 9,000 BCE in Rub-ul-Khali in Arabian Peninsula, when it was a fertile land. His people (Aad), probably developed the technique of making pillars from dried mud. Thus houses made on pillars replaced the huts. They also built monuments on top of hills. Domestication of cattle, which started during the period of Nooh(AS), now progressed into raising on a large scale.
Saleh(AS) probably appeared around 8,000 BCE in Al-Hijr between Madinah and Tabook. By the time he appeared, the humanity had entered New Stone (Neolithinc) age. These tools made with hard stones, had more power and could cut volcanic rocks. His nation (Thamood) used these tools to carve out houses in mountains. They were also the ones who started cultivation of crops, which lead to an increase in food supply and population. As a result the villages grew into towns.
• Most of the dream occur during Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. In this state the brain becomes highly active while the body's muscles are paralyzed, and breathing and heart rate become erratic. In this state we are unconscious of the world around us, but we do receive stimuli from our memory.
• REM sleep are ‘literally ‘switched on’ by a small group of cells situated deep within the pons, which excrete a chemical called ‘acetylcholine’. This chemical activates the higher parts of the brain, which are thereby prompted to generate conscious images. REM activity is ‘switched off’ by another group of cells, also situated in the pons, which excrete two other chemicals: noradrenaline and serotonin.
• Just like our observations during waking hours is a brain activity, so is dreaming. Most dreams incorporate autobiographical memory features. The left hemisphere seems to provide dream origin while the right hemisphere provides dream vividness, figurativeness and affective activation level.
• Functional neuroimaging of the brain suggests that hippocampus fetches images and characters from the memory, amygdala imparts emotions to those characters, occipital cortex adds visual component to those characters and motor cortex impart movements to those characters’ bodies. However, the dreams are mainly experienced in the egocentric coordinates of the first-person due to decreased activity in temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the dreamer has no control over his dream due to decreased activity in in lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) since it is responsible for “executive functions” in the brain.
• Due to absence of executive control, the brain has no control over how to manage these thoughts during dream. According to the Prophet(SAW), these thoughts can be initiated by Allah(ST), by Shaytan or could be impacted by one's thoughts and experiences during wakefulness.
• The dreams initiated by Allah(ST) could be shown as true reality to the Prophets(AS) or as a transposed reality to others. Bad dreams initiated by Shaytan appear in the form of nightmares and create fear. The dreams initiated by one’s thoughts during wakefulness could be random or could also be inspirational resulting in creative and scientific discoveries.
A scientific analysis of the Quranic statements and the statements of Prophet Muhammad(SAW) suggests that the basic building block of the angels is photons, which has energy, but no mass and has the speed of light. They are thus energy being. Though the human body is composed of cells, the real human being is the soul that resides in it. It is more likely that, though the body of angels is composed of photons, the real angel could be the angelic soul that resides in that collection of photons. Since the cell is 70 to 80 percent water, we constantly drink water to keep our body hydrated. It is very much possible that the angels keep on consuming photons to keep their body photonated.
The angels are invisible and imperceptible. Their pattern of movement is expected to be like that of electromagnetic wave moving at the speed of light. Since electromagnetic waves cover a spectrum, the angels can be classified based on the frequency of the wave they belong to. The Quranic categorization of two, three, and four paired wings could be translated into angels having frequencies of radio wave, and microwaves and infrared waves, and Ultraviolet A and Visible rays, respectively. Their energy, power, and penetrability will depend upon which waves frequency they belong to. Their shape could be thought of as cylindrical columns extending from the earth to the lower heaven with a diameter twice the amplitude of the wave frequency they belong to.
They were probably created within a million years after the creation of the universe. They will live until the end of the universe as such they do not need to procreate and hence are asexual. They are the workhorse for communication and all the rest that happens in the universe. Their population is expected to be over 400 trillion.
The author’s analysis suggests that, contrary to the common belief that Alexander the Great was Dhul Qarnayn, the Quranic description fits better with what history tells us about Cyrus the Great. The author proposes that the wall he built was at the Dzungarian gate in the Tien Shan chain of mountains, a barrier between Central Asia and Manchuria, Mongolia, Xinjiang, and China. It was the only passage between Central Asia and these states.
The author also proposes that the nomadic tribes living in Manchuria, Mongolia, and Xinjiang were Yajooj and Majooj. They were not only terrorizing the inhabitants of Central Asia, but also China forcing them to build the Great Wall of China.
Analyzing the direction of Cyrus the Great’s third campaign towards the Tien Shan chain of mountains, the author also proposes that his second campaign was probably in the vicinity of either Dasht-e-Lut or Dasht-e-Kavir in Iran from where he moved on for his third campaign.
If there was a wall at Dzungarian gate built in 544 BC by Cyrus the Great, it still existed when Surah Al-Kahf was revealed (622 CE), but was long gone before the establishment of Abbasid Caliphate (750 CE). Had it still been there, since this was the only passage, the Chinese could not have attacked the newly created Abbasid Caliphate 751 CE.
The author also proposes that the death and destruction in the continents of Asia and Europe caused by the Mongols of the thirteenth century, who came from among the nomadic tribes of Manchuria, Mongolia, and Xinjiang, is the best fit yet with the death and destruction prophesized in the Quran by Yajooj and Majooj.
His analysis suggests that the Quranic verses regarding orders can be divided into two parts: The Universal Revelations and the Culture Specific revelations. The Universal Revelations tell us ‘what’ and sometimes ‘why’ and the Culture Specific verses tell us ‘how’ and ‘when’. Though the source of both is the Source Book (Umm-ul-Kitab), the Culture Specific revelations were distilled from the Source Book based on the principle of “social justice” to respond to the situations the Prophet (SAW) and his community was facing, when the Quran was being revealed. In order to make these revelations relevant in the present age, we need to identify the basic principle these verses were derived from and then apply that principle, not the revelation itself, to the era we are living in. Some examples have been given to show how this principle can be applied.
The author suggests that the engagement with the Quran should be a lifelong avocation for Muslims. He has identified five approaches namely: daily recitation, listening to a Qari, reading with understanding (contemplation) on a regular basis, taking a holistic approach in matters of belief (aqidah) and worship (ibadat), and an intent driven approach for social issues (muamlat).
Recitation could work as a sound therapy. It could generate emotional response and altered mental and physical state in the reciter and could be therapeutic. Listening to the Qira'a in a beautiful rhythmic tone is a form of focused awareness type of meditation called sound meditation. It could generate binaural beats, which could lead to states of deep relaxation or meditative trance like state. A perpetual reading with understanding can raise a person's rank in knowledge. Depending upon ones schedule and intellectual level, he can pursue one or more of these approaches.
The analysis of the Quranic verses suggest that the Quranic term as-sama’-ad-dunya stands for the scientific term the observable universe. It is the innermost heaven (sama), which includes all the zodiacal signs/constellations (brooj), tracks (hobook), stars (kawakib), lamp (masabeeh), meteorites (shohoba) and etc. we observe or could observe in the future. On top of this heaven (samat) are staked six more heavens (samawat). These could have been partitioned based on the horizons or dimensions.
The first horizon (sama) is called the event horizon. It is a conceptual boundary between particles that are moving slower and those that are moving faster than the speed of light. Since the light from the particles which are beyond it will never reach us, we would never be able to observe them. The particles that are within the event horizon belong to the observable universe (as-Sama-ad-Dunya). Beyond this horizon, there could be six more horizons (samawat). In each of these the speed of the moving particles is faster than the speed of light. However, the speed in each of the successive horizons (samawat) could be faster than the speed in the previous horizon (sama). The speed of the moving particles within the seventh horizon (sama) could be the fastest. These horizons were probably partitioned after the universe began to expand at a faster rate about four billion years ago.
Alternatively, the universe could have been partitioned in terms of dimensions. Just as our heaven has three dimensions, other heavens (samawat) could have four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine dimensions. Since we the humans cannot perceive dimensions higher than three, these heavens (samawat) with higher dimension will never be accessible to us.
The story was related in response to one of the questions posed by Meccans about a famous legend among the people of the Book. There was, however, difference of opinion about who these men were, how many were they, and how long they stayed (slept) in the cave. The Quranic passage suggests that there were three opinions regarding their number among the people of the Book.
Though the Muslim scholars have inferred the number to be seven, the author in this paper has analyzed the issue from a grammatical perspective. His analysis of the usage of the verb in the Quranic verses regarding Ashab-e-Kahf suggests that the only possibility for the number of companions is seven. Only the number seven can be grammatically consistent with the Quranic statements. The number three and five makes the statements grammatically inconsistent. Hence the number based on the verb usage in the Quranic statements seems to be seven.
The author proposes that first, the souls of everything were created before the Big Bang by the act of ‘fatara’. After this, ‘the infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense material’ came into existence before the Big Bang by the act of bada’. Then the space (sama’) and matter (al-ardh) were created as a result of Big Bang by the act of ‘khalaqa’. Finally the soul was breathed into the space (sama’) and matter (al-ardh) after the Big Bang by the act of ‘nafakha’ during fashioning (sawwa). Later as other things (stars, sun, moon, mountains, etc.) came into existence by the act of ‘khalaqa’, their souls were breathed into them during fashioning (sawwa) by the act of nafakha.
On a grand scale, the creation of the universe started with an infinitesimally small, infinitely hot, infinitely dense Point, which the Quran calls ‘rataq’. This was followed by expansion, which the Quran calls ‘moosa’yoon’ causing a big cool down, going from extremely small and extremely hot material to the size of a melon. Then came the split (fataq), causing the split of the strong nuclear force from the unified forces and formation of nucleons and leptons. This was followed by recombination or decoupling which resulted in the formation of atomic nuclei, then hydrogen and helium, and eventually the stars.
The author proposes that the Abbreviated/Disjointed letters (Huroof-e-Muqatta’at) stand for a direct address (huroof-e-nida’) (Ya) to the Prophet (SAW) (Ya Muhammad, Ya Ayyohar-Rosul, Ya Ayyohan-Nabi, Ya ‘Ibadi, Ya Hadi, Ya Samay’-ul-Quran, Ya Qari-ul-Quran, Sull-Allaho Alayka). Most of these letters are accompanied by letters that stand for the praise of Allah (ST) (Allah-o-Lailaha ho or Al-Hamdo-lillah) or an oath (wat-Toor or wal-Kitab). This explanation blends well with the verse that follows the letters. These are, however, mere speculations, only Allah (ST) knows the true meaning. It should, however, be understood that that it is neither obligatory for us to know the meanings and details of these letters, nor it is a matter of shariah. It is just a matter of satisfaction of heart (tamaniat-e-qalb).
Different approaches have been taken in the past to resolve this issue, the most common being trying to determine the sequence of the revelations and determining which verse abrogates which verse. These methodologies rely on Hadeeth. Whereas there is a consensus of all the Muslims on the content of the Quran (Mushaf-e-Uthmani), the same cannot be said about Hadeeth. For example while Sunnis rely on six authentic collections of Hadeeth, Shias have their own four authentic collections, and Ibadis rely on Tartib al-Musnad. As obvious, these different sets of collections have a profound, but sometimes controversial interpretation of the Quran.
This paper proposes an approach, which uses scientific methodology that has been the bedrock of natural science. We call this Tafseer al-Quran bil Science. The examples presented in this paper as well as in the cited book demonstrate that employing scientific methodology allows us to interpret the Quran which is consistent with all the relevant verses, a defining feature of the Quran. It frees us from relying on chronological history of the verses or worrying about which verse is abrogated and which is not. Both of these approaches rely on documents which are not as authentic as the Quran.
Considering that all of these religions belong to humans and there are some common strands among them called humanity, the author explored if there is any commonality among all the religions and if there is any difference what kind of differences are there. His analysis suggests that most of the scriptures have three elements: the Universal Revelations, the Culture Specific Revelations, and materials introduced by the religious establishments. Since the Quran has been maintained in pristine form, it has only two elements: the Universal Revelations and the Culture Specific Revelations.
The Universal Revelations e.g. God, accountability, life after death, Salah, Zakah, fasting, ritual sacrifice, facing Qibla, and etc. are the same in concept in most of the scriptures, but differ in detail either because of the cultural differences or due to material introduced by the religious establishment in the scripture. The Culture Specific Revelations are all based on the principle of social justice. The source of both the Universal Revelations and the Culture Specific Revelations is the Source Book (Umm-ul-Kitab).
We propose that Adam(AS) was the father of Homo erectus. He appeared about 1.6 to 1.9 million years ago and likely evolved from Homo habilis or from a late form of Australopithecus in Africa. Since most of the fossils of Homo habilis and his predecessors are found in East African Rift Valley, we suggest that he was born in East African Rift Valley, which is located in East Africa.
He was conceived in one of the human-looking females in a manner similar to the way Isa(AS) was conceived. The birth of Adam(AS) followed the same course, as it did with the birth of Isa(AS). Allah(ST) taught him to speak as He did to Isa(AS) after his birth. After he grew up, Allah(ST) created his mate (Hawwa(AS)) from him and a human looking female through a natural biological process. She (Hawwa(AS)) must have had the same human characteristics as Adam(AS) had, which their mothers did not have. After demonstrating his superiority over the angels, Adam(AS) and Hawwa(AS) were given residence in a garden, which we propose was Bahir Dar. It is about 200 miles northwest of Adis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, at an elevation of about 6,000 feet. When they ate the fruit of the forbidden tree there, they were relocated back to the East African Rift Valley. From there his progeny spread throughout the world.
The study suggests that when the Quran uses the term the Holy Spirit (Rooh-ul-Quds), it refers to Jibraeel(AS). The study also suggests that when the Quran states that Isa(AS) was strengthened by the Holy Spirit (Rooh-ul-Quds), it implies that, though the real home of Jibraeel(AS) is the Throne (al-'Arsh), he was deputed to be in the presence of Isa(AS) during his stay on the earth. In an environment where Yahya(AS) lost his life, it was probably because of Jibraeel(AS)'s physical presence and support that no harm came to Isa(AS). If there is any validity to the Passion story of Isa (AS), it can be speculated that It was probably because of Jibraeel(AS)'s physical assistance that Isa (AS) was able to come out of tomb and met quite a few of his followers after his so-called ‘crucifixion’.
His analysis suggests that the conception of Isa(AS) could have taken place by parthenogenesis, which means virgin birth in Greek. It is a reproduction process where an unfertilized egg also produces an off spring. Though it has never been proven among humans, the conception of Isa(AS) could have been one and only one case of parthenogenesis among humans.
Though much rare (1 in 100,000), he could have been a SRY negative male, which does not involve Y chromosome and which comes from a male parent. Being a word of Allah(ST), it could be that the word mutated certain genes in one of the two X chromosomes to trigger masculinity in the cell (zygote).
The Quran suggest that when it comes to language, Isa(AS) was already at least three years ahead in his brain development. It is very much possible that, his language neural network was complete by the time he was born.
Physically the creation of human being starts from ‘turab’ (dust, organic matters), which is used in making ‘maa-im-maheen’ (sperm and egg). The two unite to form ‘nutfah’ (zygote, blastocyst) which grows into ‘alaqah’ (embryo). It turns into ‘mudhghah’ (three week embryo) followed by cartlidge bones (ezaam) formation. The bones (ezaam) are then wrapped with skeleteal muscle (lahm). The embryo then turns into fetus which then becomes ‘tifl’ (baby).The baby then goes through the state of ‘gholam’ (childhood) to become ‘balagha ashudda’ (adult human being).
The human being, after staying at the age of full strength for certain period, goes through the following stages to turn back to dust: old age (shaykh or balagha al-kibar), death, and dust (turab).
It was also discovered that the term ‘sullalah’ for human development stands for all the stages ‘maa-im-maheen (the despised fluid) goes through to become an adult human being. This includes the stages of ‘nutfah, ‘alaqah’, ‘mudhghah’, ‘ezaam’ (bone formation), ‘lahm’ (muscle formation), ‘tifl’ (development of baby), and ‘gholam’ (childhood).
The human development has two elements: the genetic code and the material used to implement this genetic code. The Quran describes three main processes in the creation of human being: khalaqa (creation), sawwa (fashioning), and nafakha (breathing of spirit).
The process of creation (khalaqa) for an individual human being started with the creation of Adam(AS). Creation of Hawwa(AS) and each generation afterwards was a stage in the creation of the individual human being. After going through all the parents, the creation passes through the formation of the egg and the sperm using organic matters as raw material. The creation process then transfers into the womb of the mother where it goes through many stages. The process of creation ends with bone formation, which is followed by the process of Fashioning (sawwa).
Fashioning (sawwa) is a physical process and implies giving perfect order. It starts when embryo is in the sixth week of pregnancy and continues during the development of fetus and the growth of newly born baby to adulthood.
Nafakha (Breathing of Soul): The breathing of soul (nafakha) takes place during the process of fashioning, it is considered as a major process because it is the breathing of spirit that makes the fetus a human. It happens between eighth and fourteenth week of pregnancy.
The review suggests that these reported sightings are heavily influenced by the Umm al-Qura calendar. The rules governing the Umm al-Qura calendar are not aligned with the actual sighting possibility of the crescent. More than three fourth of their dates are a day ahead of the actual sighting possibility. As long as these rules are not aligned with the sighting possibility of the crescent, the religious events in Saudi Arabia and the countries following Saudi Arabia will mostly be celebrated a day ahead of the dates according to the actual sighting of the crescent. Because of the weight Saudi declaration carries in the world, the countries or communities following actual sighting will continue to be unfairly accused of being the spoilers.
SWITCH TO SLIDE SHOW TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.
SWITCH TO SLIDE SHOW TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.
SWITCH TO SLIDE SHOW TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.
SWITCH TO SLIDE SHOW TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.
SWITCH TO SLIDE SHOW TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.
SWITCH TO SLIDE SHOW TO LISTEN TO THE AUDIO.