Thursday, September 27, 2007

UNGS 2050: Required reading - Medical Issues : Abortion

Abortion from Islamic Prespective

by Ibrahim B. Syed, Ph. D.
President
Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc.
7102 W. Shefford Lane
Louisville, KY 40242-6462, USA
E-mail: IRFI@INAME.COM
Website: http://WWW.IRFI.ORG


In principle, the Qur'an condemns the killing of humans (except in the case of defense or as capital punishment), but it does not explicitly mention abortion. This leads Islamic theologians to take up different viewpoints: while the majority of early Islamic theologians permitted abortion up to day 40 of pregnancy or even up to day 120, many countries today interpret these precepts protecting unborn children more conservatively. Although there is no actual approval of abortion in the world of Islam, there is no strict, unanimous ban on it, either. Islam has not given any precise directions with regard to the issue of abortion. Hence it is not a matter, which has been clearly stated in the Shari'ah (Islamic Law) but rather an issue pertaining to the application of our knowledge of the Shari'ah. Such application may vary in conclusion with a difference in the basic premises of one's arguments.
The Qur'an clearly disapproves of killing other humans: “Take not life which Allah has made sacred” (6:151; see also 4:29 “If a man kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, to abide therein (for ever)” (4:93). Allah (SWT) went even further, making unlawful killing of a single individual human being equal to mass murder of the whole of mankind: "Because of that, We ordained for the children of Israel that if anyone killed a person not in retaliation for murder or for spreading mischief on earth, it would be as if he killed all mankind. And who saved a life, it would be as if he saved all mankind." (Al-Maidah, 5:32)
As to whether abortion is a form of killing a human, the Qur'an does not make any explicit statements. Only Surah 17:31 warns believers in general: “Kill not your children for fear of want. We shall provide sustenance for them as well as for you. Verily the killing of them is a great sin.”

There are those in Islam who oppose all abortions. A favored text to support this is: "Do not kill your children for fear of poverty for it is We who shall provide sustenance for you as well as for them." (Surah, Al-An' am, 6:151). This Qur'anic reference is to killing already born children--usually girls. The text was condemning this custom. The Arabic word for killing used in this text "means not only slaying with a weapon, blow or poison, but also humiliating or degrading or depriving children of proper upbringing and education." The text doesn't explicitly address the abortion and therefore doesn't close the argument on it.
The Qur'an says:

We created man from an essence of clay: then placed him, a living germ,
In a secure enclosure. The germ We made a leech; and the leech a lump of
Flesh; and this We fashioned into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh;
Then We develop it into another creation. (Surah Al-Mu'minoon, 23: 12-14)

This verse reveals how the fetus is formed and transforms into a complete human being.
The elaborate process of the development of the first human being is given in the Qur'an as follows:

He who has made everything which He has created most good. He
began the creation of man with(nothing more than) clay, and made
his progeny from a quintessence of the nature of a fluid despised.
Then He fashioned him in due proportion and breathed into him some-
thing of His Ruh(Life-Energy). And (with this) He gave you (the faculties
of ) hearing and sight and understanding. (Surah Al-Sajadah, 32:7-9).

During the development of fetus, the body received the Divine Ruh (Life-energy) and subsequently the human faculties of hearing, sight and understanding were developed.
There is no agreement among legal scholars – including those of the founders of the four schools of religious law of the early Islamic period – as to the exact point in time this happens, however.

Abortion

Islam's approach to the issue of birth control and abortion is very balanced. It allows women to prevent pregnancy but forbids them to terminate it. In case of rape the woman should use the morning after pill or RU486 immediately after the sexual assault in order to prevent the possible implantation of a fertilized ovum. Modern technology (like ultra sound scan) has made it possible to know whether or not a child has a defect long before he is born. Some people justify the abortion of a defective fetus.

The Shari'ah allows abortion only when doctors declare with reasonable certainty that the continuation of pregnancy will endanger the woman's life. This permission is based on the principle of the lesser of the two evils known in Islamic legal terminology as the principle of al-ahamm wa 'l-muhimm (the more important and the less important). The Prophet said, "When two forbidden things come [upon a person] together, then the lesser will be sacrificed for the greater." In the present case, one is faced with two forbidden things: either abort the unborn child or let a living woman die. Obviously, the latter is greater than the former; therefore, abortion is allowed to save the live person. 1

Permissibility of Abortion 2
"And do not kill your children for fear of poverty: We give them sustenance and yourselves (too): surely to kill them is a great wrong." (17:31)
The abortion of a fetus from the mother's womb is a different issue, since the sperm and egg have already met and fertilized what could become a human being. The scholars all agree that abortion is forbidden after the first four months of pregnancy, since by that time the soul has entered the embryo but it would allow the use of RU486 (the "morning-after pill"), as long as it could be reasonably assumed that the fertilized egg has not become implanted on the wall of the uterus. Most scholars say that abortion is legal under Islamic Shari'ah (law), when done for valid reasons and when completed before the soul enters the embryo. To abort a baby for such vain reasons as wanting to keep a woman’s youthful figure, are not valid.
"...And do not slay your children for (fear of) poverty -- We provide for you and for them --- and do not draw nigh to indecencies, those of them which are apparent and those which are concealed, and do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden except for the requirements of justice: this He has enjoined you with that you may understand." (6:151)

Qur’anic verses misinterpreted 3
There are, however, some Qur'anic verses which prohibit infanticide:

"And do not kill your children for fear of poverty: We give them sustenance and yourselves (too): surely to kill them is a great wrong." (17:31)

These verses in fact were revealed to forbid the pre-Islamic Arab practice of killing or burying alive a newborn child (particularly a girl) on account of the parents' poverty or to refrain from having a female child. Perhaps in those days, people did not know safe methods of contraception and early abortion.

Embryonic development was central to the Muslim arguments on abortion. According to Muslim scholars, it is lawful to have an abortion during the first 120 days, but after the stage of ensoulment (after the soul enters into the fetus), abortion is prohibited completely except where it is imperative to save the mother's life. After ensoulment, however, abortion is prohibited absolutely and is akin to murder.

The Hanafi scholars, who comprised the majority of orthodox Muslims in later centuries, permitted abortion until the end of the four months. According to them, a pregnant woman could have an abortion without her husband's permission, but she should have reasonable grounds for this act. One reason, which was mentioned frequently, was the presence of a nursing infant. A new pregnancy put an upper limit on lactation, and the jurists believed that if the mother could not be replaced by a wet-nurse, the infant would die.

Views of Four Madhhabs (Schools of Thought) 4
There is broad acceptance in the major Islamic schools of law on the permissibility of abortion in the first four months of pregnancy. Most of the schools that permit abortion insist that there must be a serious reason for it such as a threat to the mother's life or the probability of giving birth to a deformed or defective child. However, as the Egyptian booklet."(The Arab Republic of Egypt published a booklet called "Islam's Attitude Towards Family Planning.") says: "Jurists of the Shiite Zaidiva believe in the total permissibility of abortion before life is breathed into the fetus, no matter whether there is a justifiable excuse or not." That would be a pure form of what some call "abortion on demand."
The majority of orthodox Muslims (following the Hanafi school) in later centuries, allowed abortion until the end of the four months. According to them, a pregnant woman could have an abortion without her husband's permission, but she should have reasonable grounds for this act. Most of the Maliki jurists (legal scholars) described abortion as completely forbidden. In their view, when the semen settles in the womb, it is expected to develop into a living baby and it should not be disturbed by anyone. According to Ibn Jawziyyah, when the womb has retained the semen, it is not permitted for the husband and wife, or one of them or the master of the slave-wife, to induce an abortion. After ensoulment, however, abortion is prohibited absolutely and is akin to murder.
The Hanafi school (prevalent in Turkey, the Middle East and Central Asia) allows abortions to take place principally until day 120; some jurists restrict this provision to “good cause”, e.g. if the mother is still nursing an infant and fears that her milk may run out during the new pregnancy. In aborting up to day 120, the woman commits a mere moral transgression, not a crime. The Shafi school (dominant in Southeast Asia, southern Arabia, parts of East Africa) allows abortions to be performed up to day 120. For the Maliki school (prevalent in North and Black Africa) an abortion is permissible with the consent of both parents up to day 40; it is no longer allowed after that. For the Hanbali school (predominant in Saudi Arabia and United Arabic Emirates) abortions are principally prohibited from day 40 onward.

Some Shiite groups, such as the Ismailis, do not permit abortions to take place at all. In case of infringements of this law, abortions before day 40 are penalized with a monetary fee. Other Shiite groups such as the Zaydites allow abortions to be performed up to day 120, equating an abortion up to this point with contraception. Whoever injures a pregnant woman to the extent that she loses her child must pay compensation according to Islamic law. Strictly speaking, this money belongs to the dead child, who is to inherit it. The family of the woman who undergoes an abortion must also pay compensation if the child’s father had not consented to the abortion performed on her.
Several differences become clear, however, between modern legal practices and the statements made by early Islamic jurists. In principle, the protection of unborn lives is today in the forefront, i.e. modern-day legal scholars judge more conservatively than the authors of the early Islamic legal texts. Exceptions are made in some countries if the life of the mother is endangered, based on Surah Baqarah, 2:233: "A mother should not be made to suffer because of her child.” As a result, abortion is possible for health reasons up to day 90 in many countries. In Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey abortion is fully prohibited (an exception is made if the mother’s life is endangered); this does not imply, however, that abortions are not at all performed. Tunisia’s liberal abortion practice allows for abortions to be performed up to the end of the third month. There, abortions are principally permissible for single as well as married women in the first three months, provided that a registered doctor performs them. The approval of the husband or of a male guardian is not required in Tunisia.
Some contemporary voices speak out fully against abortion, arguing that Islam is granted strength through multitudes of children. Traditionally, a large family with several sons has always been the ideal situation in the Islamic world. Abortion in this context is compared with murder, with references to the endangered health of the woman. Other voices view abortion as a type of birth control and refer to the fact that the wives of prophets also practiced birth control with the approval of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Muslim women’s rights advocates demand the right to free abortion in connection with the demand for self-determination. The hesitation of many doctors, for fear of legal prosecution, to perform abortions in clinics leads to illegal operations and numerous cases of death. A number of legal assessments (fatwas) have been published on the subject of abortion; this support one viewpoint or the other but do not legally have the character of law and are therefore not binding.
Abortion in Islam 5
Some Muslims argue that abortion is permissible if the fetus is younger than four months (120 days). They quote a statement from the Prophet (s) that refers to a human being starting as a fertilized ovum in the uterus of the mother for forty days, then it grows into a clot for the same period, then into a morsel of flesh for the same period, then an angel is sent to that fetus to blow the Ruh into it and to write down its age, deeds, sustenance, and whether it is destined to be happy or sad.
Assuming the Hadith to be authentic, scholars explain that the error comes from understanding that before the Ruh is blown into the fetus at 120 days, the fetus is not a living entity, and therefore aborting it does not amount to killing it. It therefore becomes clear that aborting a fetus before 120 days is still killing a living entity, let alone abortion after that presumed period.
Some Muslims argue that the only case when aborting a fetus, before or after 120 days, is allowed in Islam, is when a medical situation threatens the life of the mother, leaving only two options, to let either the other or the fetus survive, but not both. Scholars argue that such a case can only be determined by a specialist, trusted and committed Muslim doctor. They argue that the mother can have other children, whereas the child cannot make up for losing the mother.
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi 6
Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi states in his well-known book, “The Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam”:

“While Islam permits preventing pregnancy for valid reasons, it does not allow doing violence to it once it occurs.

Muslim jurists have agreed unanimously that after the fetus is completely formed and has been given a soul, abortion is Haram. It is also a crime, the commission of which is prohibited to the Muslim because it constitutes an offense against a complete, living human being. Jurists insist that the payment of blood money (diya) becomes incumbent if the baby is aborted alive and then died, while a fine of lesser amount is to be paid if it is aborted dead.

However, there is one exceptional situation. If, say the jurists, after the baby is completely formed, it is reliably shown that the continuation of the pregnancy would necessarily result in the death of the mother, then, in accordance with the general principle of the Shari'ah, that of choosing the lesser of two evils, abortion must be performed. The reason for this is that the mother is the origin of the fetus; moreover, her life is well established with duties and responsibilities, and she is also a pillar of the family. It would not be possible to sacrifice her life for the life of a fetus which has not yet acquired a personality and which has no responsibilities or obligations to fulfill.

Allah Almighty knows best.


REFERENCES:
1. Marriage and Morals in Islam. Chapter 4: contraceptives and Abortion. Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi, Pub. By Islamic Education and Information Center, Scarborough, Ont. Canada.
2. www.understanding-Islam.com 1st March 1999
3.Family Planning and Islam: A Review by Khalid Farooq Akbar Hamdard Islamicus Vol. 17, No. 3, 1974.
4. Abortion in Islam. Christine Schirrmacher (Institute for Islamic Studies) Online at www.islaminstitut.de/english/publications/abortion.htm
5. Abortion in Islam. Elsayed Kandil, SALAM Magazine, Sydney, New South Wales http://www.famsy.com/salam/.
6. Yusuf Al-Qaradawi. "Lawful and the Prohibited in Islam" Islamic Book Service, 1982

UNGS 2030 : Required reading - Prophet hood - The need for Messengers

Mankind’s need for the Messengers

Question:
Why do people need the Prophets?

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophets are the Messengers of Allaah to His slaves; they convey His commands, and give them glad tidings of the delights that Allaah has promised them if they obey His commands, and they warn them of the abiding punishment if they go against His prohibitions. They tell them the stories of the past nations and the punishment and vengeance that befell them in this world because they disobeyed the commands of their Lord.
These divine commands and prohibitions cannot be known through independent thinking, hence Allaah has prescribed laws and enjoined commands and prohibitions, to honor mankind and protect their interests, because people may follow their desires and thus transgress the limits and abuse people and deprive them of their rights. So by His wisdom Allaah sent among them from time to time Messengers to remind them of the commands of Allaah and to warn them against failing into sin, to preach to them and to tell them the stories of those who came before them. For when people hear wondrous stories it makes their minds alert, so they understand and increase in knowledge and understand correctly. For the more people hear, the more ideas they will have; the more ideas they have, the more they will think; the more they think, the more they will know; and the more they know, the more they will do. So there is no alternative to sending Messengers in order to explain the truth. (A’laam al-Nubuwwah by ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Maawardi, p. 33).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) – Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Haleem ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam, who is well known as Ibn Taymiyah, born in 661 AH and died in 728 AH, one of the greatest scholars of Islam who wrote many valuable books – said:
Messengership is essential to guide mankind to that which is best for them in this world and in the Hereafter. Man cannot follow what is best for him with regard to the Hereafter unless he follows the Message and he cannot be guided to what is best for him in this world unless he follows the Message. Man needs the sharee’ah because he has two motives, to bring that which will benefit him and to ward off that which will harm him. This sharee’ah is the light of Allaah on this earth, and His justice among His slaves, and the refuge which whoever enters it will be safe.
Sharee’ah does not mean distinguishing between what is beneficial and what is harmful on a physical basis, because even animals are able to do this. Donkeys and camels are able to differentiate between barley and dust. Rather the distinction is between deeds which will harm a person in this world and the Hereafter, and deeds which will benefit him in this world and in the Hereafter, such as faith, Tawheed, justice, righteousness, kindness, trustworthiness, chastity, courage, knowledge, patience, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, upholding the ties of kinship, honouring one’s parents, treating neighbours well, recognizing people’s rights, sincerely doing things for the sake of Allaah, putting one's trust in Him, seeking His help, accepting His decree, submitting to His will, believing in Him and in His Messengers in all that they have told us, and other deeds which are of benefit to a person in this world and in the Hereafter. The opposite of that leads him to misery and doom in this world and in the Hereafter.
Were it not for the Messengers, our minds could not guide us to differentiate between the beneficial and the harmful in this life in a detailed manner. One of the greatest blessings that Allaah has bestowed upon His slaves is that He sent Messengers to them and revealed books to them, and showed them the Straight Path. Were it not for that, they would have been like cattle, and even worse off. So whoever accepts the Message of Allaah and adheres to it is one of the best of mankind, and whoever rejects it and ignores it is one of the worst of mankind, even worse off than dogs and pigs, and the vilest of the vile. The people of this world could not survive except by virtue of the Messengers’ teachings, traces of which are still extant amongst them. If these traces of the Messengers vanished from the earth and their teachings were wiped out, Allaah would destroy the upper and lower realms and the Hour would begin.
The need of the people of the earth for the Messengers is not like their need for the sun, moon, wind and rain, or like a man’s need for his life, or like the eye’s need for light, or like the body’s need for food and drink. Rather it is greater than that, greater than his need for anything you could think of. The Messengers (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them) are intermediaries between Allaah and His creation, conveying His commands and prohibitions. They are ambassadors from Him to His slaves. The last and greatest of them, the noblest before his Lord, was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, and upon all of them). Allaah sent him as a mercy to the worlds, guidance for those who want to draw closer to Allaah, proof which left no excuse for all people. He enjoined the people to obey him, love him, respect him, support him, and acknowledge his rights. Allaah took the covenant from all the Messengers and Prophets that they would believe in him and follow him, and He commanded them to take the same covenant from the believers who followed them. He sent him just before the Hour as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner, calling people to Allaah by His leave and as a brightly shining lamp. He concluded the line of Messengers with him. Through him He guided people and dispelled misguidance, taught them and dispelled ignorance. Through his Message He opened blind eyes, deaf ears and hard hearts. Through his message He filled the world with light after it had been in darkness, He brought people together after they had been divided, He straightened the crooked path of mankind and showed them the clear way. He opened his heart for him and removed from him his burden, and raised high his fame (cf. al-Sharh 94:1-3). He inflicted humiliation and shame on those who went against his command. He sent him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) at a time when there had been no Messengers for a long while and when the Books had vanished, when words had been distorted and laws changed, when all peoples referred to their own unfair opinions, developed their own ideas about Allaah and judged among people by their own corrupt ideas and whims and desires. Through him Allaah guided mankind and clarified the different means of drawing closer to Allaah. Through him, He brought the people forth from darkness into light. Through him, He differentiated between those who will prosper and those who are immoral. So whoever follows his guidance is truly guided, and whoever turns away from his path is misguided and has deviated. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon him and upon all the Messengers and Prophets.
(This list is from Wujoob al-I’tisaam bi’l-Risaalah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 19, p. 99-102; and from Majmoo’ al-Fataawa. See Lawaami’ al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah, vol. 2, p. 216, 236)
We may sum up man’s need for the Messengers as follows:
1- Man is created and subjugated, and he has to know his Creator and what He wants of him, and why he was created. Man cannot come to know that independently. He has no way of finding that out except through knowing the Prophets and Messengers, and the guidance and light which they brought.
2- Man is composed of body and soul, His body is nourished by his food and drink, but the nourishment of his soul is that which was explained by its Creator, namely the true religion and righteous deeds. The Prophets and Messengers brought the true religion and taught them to do righteous deeds.
3- Man is religious by nature; he has to have a religion to follow, and this religion has to be correct. There is no way to the true religion except through believing in the Prophets and Messengers and believing in the message they brought.
4- Man needs the way through which he may attain the pleasure of Allaah in this world, and reach His Paradise and bliss in the Hereafter. No one can show these ways and guide people to them apart from the Prophets and Messengers.
5- Man is weak by nature, and there are many enemies lying in wait for him, such as the Shaytaan who wants to lead him astray and bad companions who make evil things attractive to him, and his own self which is inclined towards evil. Hence he needs something to protect himself from the plots of his enemies. The Prophets and Messengers guide him towards that and show it to him clearly.
6- Man is sociable by nature. In human meetings and interactions, there have to be laws to guide people in a fair and just manner – otherwise the law of the jungle would prevail. This guiding law must protect the rights of all those who have rights, without neglecting or exaggerating in any way. No one can produce a perfect law except the Prophets and Messengers.
7- Man needs something that will give him security and peace of mind, and guide him to the means of true happiness. This is what the Prophets and Messengers guide people towards.


From al-Islam Usooluhu wa Mabaadi’uhu, by Dr. Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Saalih al-Husaym

UNGS 2030 : Required Reading - Prophet hood - Finality

Finality of Prophethood

by S. Abul A'la Maududi
"O people ! Muhammad has no sons among ye men, but verily, he is the Apostle of God and the last in the line of Prophets. And God is Aware of everything." (Surah Al Ahzab: 40)
This verse has been revealed in the fifth Ruku' (para or passage) of Surah al-Ahzab. In this Ruku' Allah has provided answers to all those objections raised by the hypocrites, which had given rise to a storm of calumnies, slander and mischief in respect of the marriage of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) with Hadrat Zainab (may Allah be pleased with her).
These hypocrites argued that Zainab was the wife of an adopted son of the Holy Prophet and by this connection she stood in the position of the Prophet's daughter in-law. Hence, after her divorce from Zaid, the Prophet had taken his own daughter-in-law as wife.
In order to refute this allegation Allah told clearly in verse 37 that this marriage had Divine sanction behind it and was made to serve as a lawful precedent for Muslim men to marry the wives of their adopted sons after they had been divorced by their husbands. Later in verses 38 and 39, Allah affirmed that no power could hinder the Prophet from discharging a Divine obligation. The Prophets are ordained to fear God, not the people. It has been an invariable practice of the Apostles to transmit the Divine message without any extraneous care and to perform the duties enjoined upon them by Allah without fear or hesitation. Afterwards a verse was revealed which extinguished the basis of all objections. In the first place, they had charged "You have taken your daughter-in-law as wife, in contravention of your own law that the wife of a son is forbidden to his father."
In refutation of this charge it was affirmed by the Almighty:
"Muhammad had no sons among ye men..."
thereby making absolutely clear that the man whose divorced wife was taken into wedlock by the Prophet being not his real son; the act, therefore did not imply violation of it.
The argument of their second charge ran thus: "Admitted that the adopted son is not the real one, and on that basis a father might lawfully marry the divorced spouse of his adopted son, but where was the compulsion for the Prophet to do so?"
Allah affirmed in answer to this charge:
"But, verily, he is the Apostle of Allah".
The implication is that it was Allah's mandate to the Holy Prophet to wipe out all prejudices and declare all taboos that pagan custom had unnecessarily imposed upon the people, as lawful. In this respect the Prophet's action was unequivocal and left no room for doubt. (see footnote 1, below.)
In order to lay particular emphasis upon this point Allah observes: (Khatim Al-Nabbiyeen)
"And he is the last in the line of Prophets,"
which means that no messenger nor even a Prophet charged with the mission of carrying out reforms in the sphere of Law or society which might have been omitted (God forbid) during the lifetime of Muhammad (PBUH) will ever succeed him. Since Allah ordained the ministry of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to be final, it was, therefore, imperative that he should accomplish the task of uprooting this pagan custom.
Later the point has been further emphasized in the revelation (Wa Kan ul-Allahi Be-kulle Shai-in 'Aleema):
"God is Aware of everything."
The true import of this revelation is that Allah deemed it best to remove this pagan custom through the agency of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and that Allah only could take cognisance of the harm that the perpetuation of this infidel custom would have entailed. Allah was well aware that the line of Prophethood ended in Muhammad (PBUH) whose precedent the whole ummah would follow, and had he not done away with this custom, there would arise no man comparable in status to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) who could accomplish the task. And suppose a reformer had arisen in later times who would break this custom, his act would not have constituted a universal or permanent precedent for Muslims of all ages and all countries to follow. No other person that follows will embody the Divine sanctity which attaches to the person of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Hence the precedent of no man but Muhammad has the potential of wiping out the idea of all pagan customs from the souls of men for all times to come.

* Note : For furter reading (this title contains 20 pages) , please refer to asbul.wordpress.com .

UNGS 2030 : Required Reading - Prophet hood - Authority of the Sunnah

The authority of the Prophet and his Sunnah
by Akram Y Safadi


In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise be to Allah, and peace be upon His slaves whom He has chosen.

Notes on the Hadith and Sunnah: The authority of the Prophet and his Sunnah
28.November.1995

1. It was among the duties of all messengers to make the message clear

The Qur'an 14:4, {And We have never sent a messenger except with the tongue
of his people that he might make clear to them.}

2. Allah Most High taught His Messenger and explained the Qur'an to him

The Qur'an 75:16-19, {Move not your tounge with it to hasten it. Surely it
is upon Us to gather it and to recite it. So, when We recite it, follow its
recitation. Then surely it is upon Us to make it clear.}

The Qur'an 4:113, {And He has sent down upon you the Book and the wisdom,
and has taught you what you did not know before.}

3. Among the duties of the Messenger of Allah is to teach the Book and the
wisdom

The Qur'an 16:44, {And We have sent down unto you the revelations (al-Dhikr
) that you might make clear to humankind that which has been sent down to
them.}

The Qur'an 62:2, {He it is who has sent among the unlettered ones a
messenger of their own; to recite unto them His ayah-s (verses), and to
purify them, and to teach them the Book and the wisdom.}

4. Allah has inspired His Messenger the wisdom

The Qur'an 4:113, {And He has sent down upon you the Book and the wisdom,
and has taught you what you did not know before.}

The Qur'an 33:34, {And mention that which is recited in your houses of the
ayah-s of Allah and the wisdom.}

The Qur'an 53:1-4, {By the star when it goes down, your companion is neither
astray nor being misled, nor does he speak of desire, it is naught except an
inspiration (wahy) that is inspired.}

5. Allah has guided and protected His Messenger from any error

The Qur'an 42:52-53, {. . . and surely you guide unto a straight path. The
path of Allah . . .}

The Qur'an 68:4, {And surely you are upon a mighty morality.}

The Qur'an 53:1-4, {By the star when it goes down, your companion is neither
astray nor being misled, nor does he speak of desire, it is naught except an
inspiration that is inspired.}

The Qur'an 4:80, {Whoever obeys the Messenger, he thereby surely has obeyed
Allah. . .}

6. Allah has commanded us to submit fully to the authority of His Messenger
and to obey him

The Qur'an 4:65, {But nay, by your Lord, they will not believe until they
make you the judge of what is in dispute between them, then they shall find
in themselves no dislike of that which you have decreed, and submit in full
submission.}

The Qur'an 33:36, {It is not for a believing man nor a believing women, when
Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter, to have the choice in their
affair; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has surely gone astray
in manifest error.}

The Qur'an 4:59, {O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and
those of you who are in authority; and if you have a dispute concerning any
matter, refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you believe in Allah and the
Last Day; that is best and more suitable to the end.}

The Qur'an 3:32, {Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away,
surely Allah does not love the disbelievers.}

The Qur'an 4:80, {Whoever obeys the Messenger, he thereby surely has obeyed
Allah, and whoever turns away--We have not send you as a watcher over them.}

7. Allah has commanded us to take His Messenger as the perfect example and
to follow him

The Qur'an 3:31-32, {Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love
you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Say: Obey
Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away, surely Allah does not love
the disbelievers.}

The Qur'an 33:21, {Verily in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example
for whoever hopes for Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.}

8. Allah has promised good reward for those who obey and follow His Messenger

The Qur'an 4:69, {Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger--they are with those
whom Allah has shown favor, of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and
the rigthous; and the best of company are they!}

9. Allah has promised punishment for those who disobey His Messenger

The Qur'an 24:63, {. . . So let those who go against his (the Prophet)
command beware, lest a trial befall them, or there befall them a painful
chastisement.}

The Qur'an 4:115, {And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has
been manifested unto him, and follows other than the believers' way, We
appoint for him that unto which he has turned, and expose him him unto
hell--a hapless journey's end!}

The Qur'an 72:23, {. . . And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger,
surely his is hell-fire, wherin such dwell forever.}

10. Allah has promised to guard His religion, Islam

The Qur'an 15:9, {Surely it is We who have sent down the revelations
(al-Dhikr), and We surely are its Guardian.}

The Qur'an 5:3, {. . . Today I have perfected your religion for you, and
have completed My favor upon you, and have approved for you Islam as
religion. . .}

The Qur'an 3:19, {Verily, the religion with Allah is Islam. . .}

The Qur'an 3:85, {And whoever seeks other than Islam as religion, it will
not be accepted from him; and in the Hereafter, he will be among the losers.}

The Qur'an 9:33, 61:9, {He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the
guidance and the Religion of the Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over
all religion, even though the disbelievers are averse.}

The Qur'an 48:28, {He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and
the Religion of the Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all
religion, and Allah suffices as a Witness.}



A k r a m Y S a f a d i
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

UNGS 2050 : Recommended reading - Family - Ideal Husband

The Ideal Muslim Husband: A Review


An informative new video by Sound Vision entitled "The Ideal Muslim Husband" was produced to discuss what Islam has to say about the characteristics of the ideal Muslim husband and his role, responsibilities, and rights in marriage.

Most Muslim men would like to be ideal husbands. And most Muslim women would, no doubt, like to be married to one. But, for some reason, the men are not ideal husbands, and the women will almost surely admit that they didn't marry one. So, why the discrepancy between our sincere aspirations and reality? Is it an inability on the part of the man, an impossible goal; or is it perhaps that we do not even know what an ideal Muslim husband is?

Wrong Concept of an Ideal Husband

A look at the matrimonial section of an Islamic magazine will quickly demonstrate that many Muslim men and women do not know what an ideal Muslim husband is. Muslim men looking for wives advertise themselves as doctors, engineers, and financially secure. Muslim women appear to be on the lookout for an established professional or more likely a handsome MD. Rarely do Muslim men and women even mention character, religious convictions, and attitudes as a priority. At most, they might be mentioned as a sidebar. It seems that many of us believe that a man is an ideal Muslim husband if he is handsome, makes a lot of money, and comes from an influential family. And the divorce rate among Muslims continues to rise.

Standard of Judging an Ideal Husband

As Muslims, we must base our judgment on what makes an ideal Muslim husband on the guidance of Allah () and the example of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), not on the standards of a TV sitcom, the culture in which we were born, or our own materialistic mentality.

Participants on this Video

Using examples from the life of Prophet Muhammad (SAWS), the words of the Holy Quran, and personal experience, a panel of Muslim men and women --- Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick, Dr. Jamal Badawi, Abdallah Idris Ali, Dr. Ingrid Mattison, Khadija Haffagee, Mariam Bhabha, and Abdul Malik Mujahid --- talk about the qualities of a Muslim husband and the Muslim family.

Main Contents of this Video

They discuss such matters as a husband taking advice from his wife, communication within the family, the husband's helping the wife in the house, consultation (Shura) within the family, being a good example for the children, overlooking bad qualities in one's wife and focusing on her good qualities, and sharing the responsibility of raising the children.

First Characteristic of an
Un-Ideal Husband: Hot Temper

A major problem in some Muslim marriages unfortunately is the husband's hot temper and harsh behavior. Some even go so far as to abuse their wives. Dr. Quick gives a word of warning to these men who often come from cultures that teach them to be tough and macho. He says that there should be no violence between husband and wife and that Muslim men should not be the kind of tyrannical fathers whose children run away and hide when their father comes home. He says that we have to separate our non-Islamic cultures from Islam. The ideal Muslim husband will base his behavior on Islam, not on his Arab, American, or Pakistani culture.

Second Characteristic of an
Un-Ideal Husband: Egoistic

Another major problem in Muslim marriages is the husband's failure to consider his wife's opinions. In fact, Abdallah Idris Ali says that the failure of the Muslim Ummah as a whole has to do with our failure in practicing the concept of Shura (consultation). People think that they are right and others are wrong, he says. We will do much better if we consider the opinions of others and let them feel that they are a part of the decision-making process. Along the same lines, Dr. Quick points out that if a woman makes a true (haqq) point, the husband should submit to it. He should in no way reject a point just because it comes from a woman. Demonstrating the huge difference between the way the Prophet (SAWS) dealt with his wives and the way Muslim men deal with their wives today, Abdallah Idris Ali tells the story of the time when Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) was sleeping under one cover with his wife Ayesha, and he asked her permission to get up to pray.

Third Characteristic of an
Un-Ideal Husband: Unhelpful

The failure to help in the house and to help with the raising of the children are well-known weaknesses of husbands. The video makes it clear that Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) helped in the house, and Abdul Malik Mujahid says that a man cannot be an ideal Muslim husband, or even close to a good husband, if he leaves the responsibility of children completely to the mother. Khadija Haffagee tells the story of a father who took a three-month-old infant to pray with him and after the prayer did the 'tasbih" on the child's hand. This, she said, was training by the father. Dr. Quick warns that when training our children, we should be careful not to raise sons with a double standard where they have no household responsibilities. If we do, they will likely grow up with the attitude that they don't need to do this kind of work --- that they are above it.

Prophet: An Ideal Father

As a beautiful example of a healthy father-child relationship, Abdul Malik Mujahid tells the story of how the Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) used to stand up for his daughter Fatima, kiss her, and give her his seat when she came to him. This was in an age when people preferred sons and looked down on having daughters. With this simple act, the Prophet (SAWS) showed us how to express love and affection for our children --- an essential quality for an ideal Muslim husband.

An Ideal Ex-Husband

Being an ideal Muslim husband, however, goes even farther than the marriage, Dr. Quick points out. Even after a divorce, a Muslim husband must strive to be the best ex-husband. A husband shouldn't be Mr. Kindness in marriage and then treat his wife badly in divorce, Dr. Quick says. He must divorce her in the best manner with good treatment.

Other Valuable Advises

This video goes beyond just talking about an ideal Muslim husband and deals with ways to improve the family. It attempts to prevent many marital problems by advising young people who want to get married. After informing them about what makes an ideal Muslim husband, it cautions them to be concerned about these qualities ---not just the material aspects --- when considering a prospective spouse.

In fact, what emerges from the video is that being an ideal Muslim husband has very little or nothing to do with the amount of money one has, physical beauty, or the prestige of one's job. Rather, it has to do with one's commitment to Allah (), one's knowledge of and willingness to follow the guidance of Allah () and the Prophet's example, and one's commitment to do righteousness even in difficult situations. The ideal Muslim husband should be humble, gentle, kind, considerate, caring, loving, open to good advice, willing to cooperate with others in the family rather than dictate rules, helpful in the house, involved in raising the children, and never abusive either physically or mentally.

No doubt, this is a very tall order. Becoming an ideal Muslim husband will certainly not be easy. It will take a jihad against 'jahiliyyah" thinking, selfishness, ego, vanity, anger, pride, and arrogance.

Bottom Line

Full of excellent advice, encouragement, and wisdom, this video should help any Muslim husband to improve. Although there are no guarantees that he will ever become an ideal Muslim husband, it will, InshaAllah, start him on the way.

By Ibrahim Bowers

UNGS 2050 : Recommended reading -Family - Tips for spouse

Tips for a Better Husband and Wife Relationship


Although many Muslims may right now be in failing marriages and on a fast track to divorce and its terrible consequences, there are many ways to put their marriage back on the right track if the husband and wife are sincere in their desire to reconcile. The following principles can be used by Muslims whose marriages are already in trouble or by Muslims who would like to avoid trouble in their marriage.

Examples of Negative
Relationship of Husband & Wife

Many Muslim husbands and wives treat each other like adversaries rather than partners. The husband feels that he is the boss, and whatever he says goes. The wife feels that she must squeeze everything she can out of her husband. Some wives never show their husband that they are satisfied with anything he does or buys for them in order to trick him into doing and buying more. They make him feel like a failure if he does not give them the lifestyle that their friends and families enjoy. Some husbands speak very harshly to their wives, humiliate them, and even physically abuse them. Their wives have no voice or opinion in the family.

Marriage In The Eyes of Allah

It is very sad that this relationship which Allah (SWT) has established for the good has been made a source of contention, deception, trickery, tyranny, humiliation, and abuse. This is not the way marriage is supposed to be.

Allah (SWT) described marriage very differently in the Holy Quran: '. . . He created for you mates from among yourselves, that ye may dwell in tranquillity with them, and He has put love and mercy between your (hearts) . . . " (Holy Quran 30:21, Yusuf Ali Translation).

Do not be a Tyrant

Regardless of whether or not Islam has made the husband the head of the household, Muslims are not supposed to be dictators and tyrants. We are taught to treat our wives well. The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) was reported to have said: 'The most perfect Muslim in the matter of faith is one who has excellent behavior; and the best among you are those who behave best towards their wives" (From Mishkat al-Masabih, No. 0278(R) Transmitted by Tirmidhi).

Be Partners in the Decision Making Process.

Follow the principle of 'Shura," and make decisions as a family. There will be much more harmony in the family when decisions are not imposed and everyone feels that they had some part in making them.

Never be Emotionally

Never be emotionally, mentally, or physically abusive to your spouse. The Prophet (SAWS) never mistreated his wives. He is reported to have said: 'How could they beat their women in daytime as slaves and then sleep with them in the night?"

Be Careful of Your Words

Be very careful what you say when you are upset. Sometimes you will say things that you would never say when you were not angry. If you are angry, wait until you calm down before continuing the conversation.

Show Affection

Show affection for your mate. Be kind, gentle, and loving.

Be Your Spouse's Friend

Show interest in your mate's life. Too often, we live in the same house but know nothing about each other's lives. It would be great if the husband and wife could work together for the same cause or on the same project. They could perhaps establish a husband/wife prison ministry, take care of orphans in their home, or lead an Islamic weekend class.

Show Appreciation

Show appreciation for what your spouse does for the family. Never make your husband feel that he is not doing good enough for the family or that you are not satisfied with his work or his efforts, unless, of course, he is truly lazy and not even trying to provide for the family. The Prophet (SAWS) was reported to have said: 'On the Day of Judgment, God will not look upon the woman who has been ungrateful to her husband." (where is this hadith found) Show your wife that you appreciate her. If she takes care of the house and the children, don't take it for granted. It is hard work, and no one likes to feel unappreciated.

Work Together in the House

The Prophet (SAWS) is known to have helped his wives in the house. And if the Prophet (SAWS) was not above doing housework, modern Muslim husbands shouldn't feel that they are.

Communication is Important

Communication, Communication, Communication! This is the big word in counseling. And it should be. Husbands and wives need to talk to each other. It is better to deal with problems early and honestly than to let them pile up until an explosion occurs.

Forget Past Problems

Don't bring up past problems once they have been solved.

Live Simply

Don't be jealous of those who seem to be living a more luxurious life than your family. The 'rizq" is from Allah (SWT). In order to develop the quality of contentment, look at those people who have less than you, not those who have more. Thank Allah (SWT) for the many blessings in your life.

Give Your Spouse Time Alone

If your mate doesn't want to be with you all the time, it doesn't mean he or she doesn't love you. People need to be alone for various reasons. Sometimes they want to read, to think about their problems, or just to relax. Don't make them feel that they are committing a sin.

Admit Your Mistakes

When you make a mistake, admit it. When your mate makes a mistake, excuse him or her easily. If possible, never go to sleep angry with each other.

Physical Relationship is Important

Be available to your mate sexually, and don't let your sexual relationship be characterized by selfishness. The Prophet (SAWS) was reported to have said: 'It is not appropriate that you fall upon your wives like a beast but you must send a message of love beforehand."

Have Meals Together

Try to eat together as a family when possible. Show the cook and the dishwasher, whether it is the husband or the wife, appreciation for his or her efforts. The Prophet (SAWS) did not complain about food that was put before him.

Be Mindful of Your discussion Topics

Never discuss with others things about your marriage that your spouse wouldn't like you to discuss, unless there is an Islamic reason to do so. Some husbands and wives, believe it or not, complain to others about their mate's physical appearance. This is a recipe for disaster. Information about your intimate relations should be kept between you and your spouse.

Many of us treat our spouses in ways that we would never treat others. With others, we try to be polite, kind, and patient. With our spouses, we often do not show these courtesies. Of course, we are usually with our spouses at our worst times --- when we are tired and frustrated after a hard day. After a bad day at the office, husbands usually come home angry and on edge. The wife has probably also had a hard day with the children and the housework. Wives and husbands should discuss this potential time bomb so that if they are short-tempered with each other during these times, they will understand the reasons rather than automatically thinking that their spouse no longer loves them.

Good marriages require patience, kindness, humility, sacrifice, empathy, love, understanding, forgiveness, and hard work. Following these principles should help any marriage to improve. The essence of them all can be summed up in one sentence: Always treat your spouse the way you would like to be treated. If you follow this rule, your marriage will have a much greater chance for success. If you discard this rule, failure is just around the corner.
By Ibrahim Bowers

UNGS 2050 : Recommended reading - Family Ethics - Marriage Process

The Marriage Process in Islam
Shaad Ahmed


Before Marrying

Selecting a Spouse
The first thing we should look for when marrying is how committed the person is to Islam. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "A woman is normally sought as a wife for her wealth, beauty, nobility, or religiousness (adherence to Islam), so choose a religious woman and you will prosper." (Muslim) "A woman is married for four things, i.e., her wealth, her family status, her beauty and her religion. So you should marry the religious woman (otherwise) you will be a loser."(Bukhari) "The whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world is the pious woman. (Muslim)
The same holds true when looking for a husband, as Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "When someone with whose religion and character you are satisfied, asks to marry your daughter, comply with his request. If you do not do so, there will be corruption and great evil on earth." (Tirmidhi)
Of course, both parties have to agree to marry one another and they can not be forced to marry one another. Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "A woman whom has been previously married has more right concerning herself than her guardian, and a virgin’s consent must be asked about herself…" (Bukhari and Muslim)
Rules of Al-Khutbah (Request to marry a woman and the acceptance of the proposal)
The man has permission to see her face before agreeing to marry as Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "Go and look at her (the woman you are considering marrying) because this will help your time together to be strengthened." (Ahmad)
After a man and woman have agreed to marry, they have to remember that the man is still not her mahram (men including her father, brothers, sons, maternal and paternal uncles, and nephews). This means they can not still deal with one another as partners in anyway (such as shaking hands, gazing at one another, being alone together, going out together, etc.), or go out with one another as we see people in the west doing. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not have a private audience with a woman without her mahram." (Ahmad)

The Wedding Ceremony (Nikkah)
Components

1 – Consent: ‘Aishah (R) asked Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) if womem must be asked for their permission of marriage. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) replied, "Yes". She said, ‘The virgin is asked for her permission but she gets shy. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "Her silence is her permission." (Bukhari and Muslim)
2 – The Wallee (Woman’s Guardian): Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "There is no nikkah except with a wallee." (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi)
3 – Two Witnesses: Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "There is no marriage except with a wallee and trustworthy witnesses." (Sahih - Bayhaqee) Also, "There is no marriage except with a wallee and two witnesses." (Sahih Al-Jaami’)
4 – The Mahr (Dowry): Allah says (what means): "And give to the women their dowry with a good heart, but if they out of their own good pleasure remit any part of it to you, take it and enjoy it without fear of any harm." (Al-Nisa 4:4) The mahr can be of any amount, Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "Look for one even if it was an iron ring." (Bukhari and Muslim)
The woman is not obliged to give the man anything at the time of the wedding, as is done in some cultures.

Acts to be avoided

We should be careful to not act as the disbelievers do regarding their mixing of men and women, wearing tuxedos and white wedding gowns, exchanging rings, kissing in public, etc. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "Whoever resembles a people is one of them." (Abu Dawood)

After the Wedding

Supporting One’s Wife
The man is responsible for providing for his wife, as Allah says (what means), "Let the wealthy man spend according to his means; and let the man whose provisions are restricted spend according to what Allah has given him. Allah does not burden a soul beyond what He has given it, and Allah will grant ease after a hardship." (Al-Talaq 65:7)
Islam even gives women the right to take secretly money from their husbands if they are not providing for them. Hind, the wife of Abu Sufyan, came to Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, Abu Sufyan is a stingy man and does not give me and my children enough provisions except when I take something from him with out his knowledge." Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "Take what is reasonably sufficient for you and your children." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Educating One’s Family
Since the man has put in the position of providing for his family, he must also provide them with the proper Islamic education to keep them from the hellfire. Allah says (what means), ‘O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones (that were worshipped), over it are appointed angels stern and severe, who disobey not the Commands they receive from Allah, but do that which they are commanded." (Al-Tahrim 66:6)
Both the husband and wife should make sure their home is a place where Allah is remembered and His Commandments are reflected and acted upon. Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "The similitude of a home in which Allah is remembered and a home in which He is not is like the living and the dead." (Muslim)

The Wife Obeying Her Husband
A woman must obey her husband as long as he does not tell her to perform any haraam (unlawful) acts. Allah says (what means), "…the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in absence what Allah would have then guard." (Al-Nisa 4:34)

Kind Treatment To One’s Wife
Just because Allah has given men a position of authority does not give them the right to abuse it. They have to treat their wives in the best manner. Allah says (what means), "Live with them honorably." (Al-Nisa 4:19) Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) said, "The believer with the most complete faith is the one with the best character, and the best of them are those whom treat their women the best. (Tirmidhi)
We can see from the seerah (biography) of Prophet Muhammad (sallallahu alayhi was sallam) that he would help his wives with housework and would engage in games with them as well.
This article did not cover all the aspects of marriage, but it is hoped it was beneficial. Anything good in this article is from Allah and anything incorrect is from myself.

UNGS 2030 : Required reading - Sunnatullah - Pondering the signs of GOD

Pondering on the Signs of God
By Harun Yahya

In the Qur’an, it is stated that the unbeliever is one who neither recognizes nor appreciates the signs of God. The distinguishing mark of a believer is his ability to see those signs and proofs. He knows that these are not created in vain, and can realize the power and great art of God everywhere and find ways to revere Him. He is one of those men of sense, who ( celebrate the praises of God, standing, sitting, and lying down on their sides, and contemplate the (wonders of) creation in the heavens and the earth, (and say): ‘Our Lord! not for naught have You created (all) this! Glory be to You! Give us salvation from the penalty of the Fire.’)(Surat Aal `Imran 3:191)**
At various points in the Qur’an, expressions like, “will you not take heed?”, “...there is a sign for thinking men,” lay stress on the importance of pondering upon the signs of God. God has created an endless list of subjects for reflection. Everything we see and sense in the heavens and on the earth and in between is indeed a manifestation of God’s creativity and, as such should be food for thought. One of the verses gives the example of these divine blessing of God:
(With it He produces for you corn, olives, date palms, grapes and every kind of fruit: verily, in this is a sign for those who give thought.) (Surat An-Nahl 16:11)
Let us think for a moment of one of the above mentioned items: the date palm. The tree, as is well known, grows up from a seed out of the earth. From this tiny seed (a seed is not even 1 cubic centimeter in size), arises an enormous wooden mass of 4-5 meters long and hundreds of kilograms in weight. The only thing that the seed can use while constituting this great mass is the earth in which it is buried.
Look around you… How many wonderful signs of God can you see?
For more on the vast diversity of God’s creation see
A Beautiful World

How can a seed know how to form a tree? How can it “reason” to decompose the necessary substances in the soil to create wood? How can it predict the required shape and structure? This last question is especially important, because it is not an ordinary wooden piece that emerges from the seed. It is a complex living organism with roots for assimilating substances from the earth, with veins and with branches that are perfectly organized. A human being has difficulty in drawing even a picture of a tree, while on the contrary a simple seed can produce such an extremely complex object by merely using the substances in the soil.
This observation concludes that a seed is extremely intelligent and wise, even more so than we are. Or to be more precise, there is an amazing intelligence in what a seed does. But what is the source of that intelligence? How can it be possible for a seed to have such intelligence and memory?
No doubt, this question has a single answer: the seed is created by being endowed with the ability to form a tree, that is, it is programmed so in advance. Every seed on earth is encompassed by God and grows within His knowledge. In one of the verses it is stated:
(With Him are the keys of the unseen, the treasures that none knows but He. He knows whatever there is on the earth and in the sea. Not a leaf falls but with His knowledge: there is not a grain in the darkness (or depths) of the earth, nor anything fresh or dry (green or withered), but is (inscribed) in a record clear.) (Surat Al-An’am 6:59)
It is God who creates the seed and causes it to spring forth as a new plant. In another verse it is said:
(It is God Who causes the seed-grain and the date-stone to split and sprout. He causes the living to issue from the dead, and He is the one to cause the dead to issue from the living. That is God: then how are you deluded away from the truth?) (Surat Al-An’am 6:95)
The seed is merely one of the numerous signs that God has created in the universe. If men begin to think not only with their minds but also with their hearts, and ask of themselves, the questions “why” and “how”, they will be able to understand that entire universe is the proof of the existence and power of God.

* Taken with permission from www.harunyahya.com
** The translation of the Qur’an used in this article is Yusuf Ali’s translation

UNGS 2030 : Required reading - Sunnatullah - Signs of GOD

SIGNS OF GOD
Design in Nature


INTRODUCTION

Let us for a moment think of an aspirin; you will immediately recall the mark in the middle. This mark is designed to help those who take a half dose. Every product that we see around us, even if not as simple as the aspirin, is of a certain design, from the vehicles we use to go to work, to TV remote controls.
Design, in brief, means a harmonious assembling of various parts in an orderly form designed for a common goal. Going by this definition, one has no difficulty in guessing that a car is a design. This is because there is a certain goal, which is to transport people and cargo. In realisation of this goal, various parts such as the engine, tires and body are planned and assembled in a factory.
However, what about living creatures? Can a bird and the mechanics of its flight be a design as well? Before giving an answer, let us repeat the evaluation we did in the example of the car. The goal, in this case, is to fly. For this purpose, hollow, light-weight bones and the strong breast muscles that move these bones are utilised together with feathers capable of suspension in the air. Wings are formed aerodynamically, and the metabolism is in tune with the bird's need for high levels of energy. It is obvious that the bird is a product of a certain design.
If we leave aside the bird and examine other forms of life, we encounter the same truth. In every creature, there are examples of extremely well-conceived design. If we continue further on this quest, we discover that we ourselves are also a part of this design. Your hands that hold these pages are functional as no robot hands could ever be. Your eyes that read these lines are making vision possible with such focus that the best camera on earth simply cannot achieve.
Hence one arrives at this important conclusion; all creatures in nature, including us, are of a design. This, in turn, shows the existence of a Creator, Who designs all creatures at will, sustains the entire creation and holds absolute power and wisdom.
However, this truth is rejected by the theory of evolution that was formed in the middle of the 19th century. The theory set forth in Charles Darwin's book On the Origin of Species asserts that all creatures evolved by chains of coincidences and mutated from one another.
According to the fundamental premise of this theory, all life forms go through minute random changes. If these random changes improve a life form, then it gains an advantage over the others, which in turn is carried onto following generations.
This scenario has been passed around for 140 years as if it is very scientific and convincing. When scrutinised under a larger microscope and when compared against the examples of the design in creatures, Darwin's theory paints a very different picture, i.e. Darwinism's explanation of life is nothing more than a self-contradictory vicious circle.
Let us first focus on the random changes. Darwin could not provide a comprehensive definition of this concept due to lack of knowledge of genetics in his time. The evolutionists who followed him suggested the concept of "mutation". Mutation is arbitrary disconnections, dislocations or shifts of genes in living things. Most importantly, there is not one single mutation in history that has been shown to improve the condition of a creature's genetic information. Nearly all the known cases of mutations disable or harm these creatures and the rest are neutral in effect. Therefore, to think that a creature can improve through mutation is the same as shooting at a crowd of people hoping that the injuries will result in healthier improved individuals. This is clearly nonsense.
As importantly, and contrary to all the scientific data, even if one assumes that a certain mutation could actually improve a being's condition, Darwinism still cannot be delivered from inevitable collapse. The reason for this is a concept called "irreducible complexity." The implication of this concept is that the majority of systems and organs in living things function as a result of various independent parts working together, the elimination or disabling of even one of which would be enough to disable the entire system or organ.
For example, an ear perceives sounds only through a sequence of smaller organs. Take out or deform one of these, e.g. one of the bones of the middle ear, and there would be no hearing whatsoever. In order for an ear to perceive, a variety of components - such as external auditory canal, tympanic membrane, bones in the middle ear, that is, the hammer, anvil and stirrup, fluid-filled cochlea, hearing receptors or hair cells, the cilia which help these cells to sense the vibrations, the net of nerves that connect to the brain and hearing centre in the brain - have to work together without exception. The system could not have developed in segments because none of the segments could possibly function alone.
Hence, the concept of irreducible complexity demolishes the theory of evolution at its foundations. Interestingly, Darwin also worried about these very prospects. He wrote in On The Origin of Species:
If it could be demonstrated that any complex organ existed, which could not possibly have been formed by numerous, successive, slight modifications, my theory would absolutely break down.1
Darwin could not, or might not have wanted to, find such an organ at the premature levels of 19th century science. However the science of the 20th century did study nature in minute details and proved that the majority of living structures embody irreducible complexity. Therefore, Darwin's theory has "absolutely" collapsed just as he feared.
In this book, we are going to explore various examples of systems in living beings that demolish Darwin's theory. These mechanisms will be found anywhere from in the wings of a bird to inside a bat's skull. As we examine these examples we will not only see the immense error Darwinism makes but also witness the greatness of the wisdom with which these systems were created.
Hence, we will see the indisputable evidence of God's flawless creation.



AN EXAMPLE OF IRREDUCIBLE COMPLEXITY: THE EYE OF THE LOBSTER

There are many different types of eye in the living world. We are accustomed to the camera-type eye found in vertebrates. This structure works on the principle of the refraction of light, which falls onto the lens and is focused on a point behind the lens inside the interior of the eye.
However, the eyes possessed by other creatures work by different methods. One example is the lobster. A lobster's eye works on a principle of reflection rather than that of refraction.
The most outstanding characteristic of the lobster eye is its surface, which is composed of numerous squares. As shown in the picture on the next page, these squares are positioned most precisely.
The eye of a lobster shows a remarkable geometry not found elsewhere in nature - it has tiny facets that are perfectly square, so it "looks like perfect graph paper."2
These well-arranged squares are in fact the ends of tiny square tubes forming a structure resembling a honeycomb. At first glance, the honeycomb appears to be made up of hexagons, although these are actually the front faces of hexagonal prisms. In the lobster's eye, there are the squares in place of hexagons.
Even more intriguing is that the sides of each one of these square tubes are like mirrors that reflect the incoming light. This reflected light is focused onto the retina flawlessly. The sides of the tubes inside the eye are lodged at such perfect angles that they all focus onto a single point.3
The extraordinary nature of the design of this system is quite indisputable. All of these perfect square tubes have a layer that works just like a mirror. Furthermore, each one of these cells is sited by means of precise geometrical alignments so that they all focus the light at a single point.
It is obvious that the design in the lobster eye presents a great difficulty for the theory of evolution. Most importantly, it exemplifies the concept of "irreducible complexity." If even one of its features - such as the facets of the eye, which are perfect squares, the mirrored sides of each unit, or the retina layer at the back - were eliminated, the eye could never function. Therefore, it is impossible to maintain that the eye evolved step-by-step. It is scientifically unjustifiable to argue that such a perfect design as this could have come about haphazardly. It is quite clear that the lobster eye was created as a miraculous system.



The lobster eye is composed of numerous squares. These well-arranged squares are in fact the ends of tiny square tubes. The sides of each one of these square tubes are like mirrors that reflect the incoming light. This reflected light is focused onto the retina flawlessly. The sides of the tubes inside the eye are lodged at such perfect angles that they all focus onto a single point.
One can find further traits in the lobster's eye that nullify the assertions of evolutionists. An interesting fact emerges when one looks at creatures with similar eye structures. The reflecting eye, of which the lobster's eye was one example, is found in only one group of crustaceans, the so-called long-bodied decapods. This family includes the lobsters, the prawns and the shrimp.
The other members of the crustacea class display the "refracting type eye structure", which works on completely different principles from those of the reflecting type. Here, the eye is made up of hundreds of cells like a honeycomb. Unlike the square cells in a lobster eye, these cells are either hexagonal or round. Furthermore, instead of reflecting light, small lenses in the cells refract the light onto the focus on the retina.
The majority of crustaceans have the refracting eye structure. On the contrary, only one group of the crustaceans, namely the long-bodied decapods, have reflecting eyes. According to evolutionist assumptions, all the creatures within the class Crustacea should have evolved from the same ancestor. Therefore, evolutionists claim that reflecting eye evolved from a refracting eye, which is far more common among the crustacea and of a fundamentally simpler design.
However, such reasoning is impossible, because both eye structures function perfectly within their own systems and have no room for any "transitional" phase. A crustacean would be left sightless and would be eliminated by natural selection if the refracting lens in its eye were to diminish and be replaced by reflecting mirrored surfaces.
It is, therefore, certain that both of these eye structures were designed and created separately. There is such superb geometric precision in these eyes that entertaining the possibility of "coincidence" is simply ludicrous. Just like the rest of the miracles of creation, the lobster's eye structure is an open testimony to the Creator's boundless power to create flawlessly. This is nothing but a manifestation of God's endless knowledge, wisdom and might. We can encounter such miracles as these regardless of what we examine in the world of creation.

UNGS 2030 : Required reading - Sunnatullah - Islam and Nature

Islam and the Nature of the Universe
By Nehal El-Hadi


[It is God who raised the skies without support, as you can see, then assumed His throne, and enthralled the sun and the moon (so that) each runs to a predetermined course. He disposes all affairs, distinctly explaining every sign that you may be certain of the meeting with your Lord] (Ar-Ra`d 13:2)



The last of the Abrahamic religions, following Judaism and Christianity, Islam considers the creation of the universe as ultimate proof of the existence of one Creator who “is that dimension which makes other dimensions possible; He gives meaning and life to everything” (Rahman) According to the teachings of Islam, Allah (God) is the one and only god, the absolute Creator of the universe, its components and its laws. Allah is the beginning and the end of all things, and this is the foundation for Islam’s teachings.

The Qur’an is the word of Allah as passed down to Muslims through the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the existence of only one version of the Qur’an (there are no dissimilarities between any two copies) attests to the reverence in which Muslims hold it. For Muslims, the Qur’an, containing the word of Allah, provides irrefutable proof of His existence. Along with the Qur’an, nature provides another source for the proof of Allah’s existence. This intimate relationship between the Qur’an and nature is shown in the phrase ayat, which refers to signs of Allah’s existence in nature and also refers to the verses in the Qur’an.


The Creation

In Islam, the world as man knows it, begins and ends with Allah. Unlike Christianity and Judaism, the creation process is not described in detail, but referred to as a starting point for Allah’s power. The creation story in Islam is described in the Qur’an as the creation of the universe by Allah’s will with a single command: “Be!” Several verses in the Qur’an highlight Allah’s power of creation:[Creator of the heavens and the earth from nothingness, He has only to say when He wills a thing: “Be,” and it is] (Al-Baqarah 2:117) and,[That is how God creates what He wills, when He decrees a thing, He says “Be,” and it is] (Aal `Imran 3:47).
In this manner, Allah created the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, and the rest of the universe. He created the plants and the animals, and placed them on Earth, and He decreed upon them the laws by which the natural order of all creation functions. The universe is an independent entity, it exists according to those laws and does not require (divine) intervention, yet it cannot “warrant for its own existence and it cannot explain itself” (Rahman). In Islam, this in itself is considered conclusive proof of Allah’s existence. The laws placed by Allah take into account all natural phenomena and provide further proof for Allah’s greatness, which the Qur’an describes in detail.[He ushers in the dawn, and made the night for rest, the sun and moon a computation. Such is the measure appointed by Him, the Omnipotent and All-Wise] (Al-An`am 6:96). Natural law, as decreed by Allah, “reflects and issues from the order that exists in the Divine Realm” (Nasr) where Allah exists.


Mankind & Nature

Man was created from clay, and is thus part of nature, not separate from it. This relationship with nature materialises in Islamic living in several ways, the most significant and obvious being death. Muslim burials require the corpse to be washed, have all items removed, and placed in the ground within three days—for an easier return to the earth whence it came.
Within Allah’s universe, man was given a special place. In Islamic teachings, in contrast to those of Christianity, man was not made in God’s image. Rather, Allah distinguished man from His other creations by breathing His own spirit into man. This preferential treatment of God’s creation gave man two privileges not made available to the rest of creation: (1) freedom of choice and (2) specialised knowledge or “creative knowledge” (Rahman).
Freedom of choice allows man the ability to make the decision whether or not to worship Allah and follow His will. The universe, as described before, is governed by the laws decreed for it by Allah, and has, therefore, been in submission to Allah since its creation. Man, however, was given the ability to think, rationalize, and argue the presence of a creator, and then decide whether to submit to Him or not.
An Open Invitation to Knowledge and Learning
Creative knowledge was first displayed—according to the teachings of Islam—when, after the angels questioned Allah as to why he had created man in the form of Adam, Allah challenged the angels and Adam to name objects. The angels were unable to bestow names upon things, whereas Adam could, giving him superiority over those that he had named and demonstrating his Creator’s power.
As part of man’s privilege, Islam, through the Qur’an, invites man to discover the laws of nature and the ways in which the universe exists. There is no threat to Allah’s supremacy in this way, because if Allah wills something to remain a mystery (such as Himself) then man has no possible way of discovering whatever Allah chooses to remain hidden. On the contrary, when man sees for himself the extent to which the universe has been meticulously planned and provided for, Allah’s infinite wisdom becomes apparent. Man is invited to question, discover, explore, and manipulate the world around him and use it for his benefit.
There are three types of learning encouraged in Islam, all of which will (or should) inevitably lead to acknowledgement and recognition of Allah’s power. These are: (1) the discovery of nature, its laws, and how it can be used for the benefit of mankind; (2) the exploration of the history and the geography of the physical world and its peoples; and (3) knowledge of oneself (Rahman).
This encouragement to learn and discover has led to a proliferation of Arab scholars in the fields of the natural sciences and mathematics. In Islamic philosophy, one must always seek knowledge, both within and without, as knowledge illuminates the path on which one must travel. Ignorance is an unfavourable state of being, as the process pf acknowledging the existence and power of Allah is one of enlightenment through knowing.
“Nature exists for man to exploit for his own ends, while the end of man himself is nothing else but to serve God, to be grateful to him, and to worship him alone” (Rahman). Islam suggests that nature was created by Allah specifically for mankind’s use and so must be recognised and respected as a gift for which man must be grateful. There are three reasons for creation: (1) “to serve as a collection of signs, or ayat, of the power and goodness of Allah”; (2) “to serve Allah and to be submissive to God’s will”; and (3) “for the use of humans” (Timm).
Natural law in Islam is based on the laws Allah created for nature, which as mentioned earlier, reflected the laws of Allah’s divine realm. Man is expected to discover Allah’s will and to follow it, because “Islam suggests that discovering the truth, learning the truth, and believing in the truth are all possible” (Ezzati).
Allah created the universe, bestowed human beings with a privileged position within it, and left the world to function under the laws He had decreed for it. Allah observes how people treat the bounty He has given them, and the universe is allowed to exist, with little intervention, for a certain length of time. At the end of this time, following portents of the end of the world as we know it, mankind is brought in front of Allah for Judgment Day. Islam’s eschatology places Allah’s role as mankind’s judge as the progression from His role as mankind’s Creator, and man will be punished or rewarded for his deeds in Allah’s universe.
Islam is a natural religion, in that its teachings advocate the utilisation of nature for man’s benefit, along with the preservation of the universe that Allah has placed in mankind’s safekeeping.
Sources:
 Ali, A. Al-Quran: A Contemporary Translation . New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 2001.
 Ezzati, A. Islam and Natural Law . London: ICAS Press, 2002.
 Nasr, S.H. Religion and the Order of Nature . Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.
 Rahman, F. Major Themes of the Qur'an . Chicago: Bibliotheca Islamica, 1980.
 Timm, R.E. “The Ecological Fallout of Islamic Creation Philosophy.” Worldviews and Ecology: Religion, Philosophy and the Environment . Eds. M.E. Tucker and J.A. Grim, New York: Orbis Books, 1994. 83-95

UNGS 2030 : Required reading - Prophet hood - Need for Rasul

Mankind’s need for the Messengers

Question:
Why do people need the Prophets?

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Prophets are the Messengers of Allaah to His slaves; they convey His commands, and give them glad tidings of the delights that Allaah has promised them if they obey His commands, and they warn them of the abiding punishment if they go against His prohibitions. They tell them the stories of the past nations and the punishment and vengeance that befell them in this world because they disobeyed the commands of their Lord.
These divine commands and prohibitions cannot be known through independent thinking, hence Allaah has prescribed laws and enjoined commands and prohibitions, to honor mankind and protect their interests, because people may follow their desires and thus transgress the limits and abuse people and deprive them of their rights. So by His wisdom Allaah sent among them from time to time Messengers to remind them of the commands of Allaah and to warn them against failing into sin, to preach to them and to tell them the stories of those who came before them. For when people hear wondrous stories it makes their minds alert, so they understand and increase in knowledge and understand correctly. For the more people hear, the more ideas they will have; the more ideas they have, the more they will think; the more they think, the more they will know; and the more they know, the more they will do. So there is no alternative to sending Messengers in order to explain the truth. (A’laam al-Nubuwwah by ‘Ali ibn Muhammad al-Maawardi, p. 33).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) – Ahmad ibn ‘Abd al-Haleem ibn ‘Abd al-Salaam, who is well known as Ibn Taymiyah, born in 661 AH and died in 728 AH, one of the greatest scholars of Islam who wrote many valuable books – said:
Messengership is essential to guide mankind to that which is best for them in this world and in the Hereafter. Man cannot follow what is best for him with regard to the Hereafter unless he follows the Message and he cannot be guided to what is best for him in this world unless he follows the Message. Man needs the sharee’ah because he has two motives, to bring that which will benefit him and to ward off that which will harm him. This sharee’ah is the light of Allaah on this earth, and His justice among His slaves, and the refuge which whoever enters it will be safe.
Sharee’ah does not mean distinguishing between what is beneficial and what is harmful on a physical basis, because even animals are able to do this. Donkeys and camels are able to differentiate between barley and dust. Rather the distinction is between deeds which will harm a person in this world and the Hereafter, and deeds which will benefit him in this world and in the Hereafter, such as faith, Tawheed, justice, righteousness, kindness, trustworthiness, chastity, courage, knowledge, patience, enjoining what is good and forbidding what is evil, upholding the ties of kinship, honouring one’s parents, treating neighbours well, recognizing people’s rights, sincerely doing things for the sake of Allaah, putting one's trust in Him, seeking His help, accepting His decree, submitting to His will, believing in Him and in His Messengers in all that they have told us, and other deeds which are of benefit to a person in this world and in the Hereafter. The opposite of that leads him to misery and doom in this world and in the Hereafter.
Were it not for the Messengers, our minds could not guide us to differentiate between the beneficial and the harmful in this life in a detailed manner. One of the greatest blessings that Allaah has bestowed upon His slaves is that He sent Messengers to them and revealed books to them, and showed them the Straight Path. Were it not for that, they would have been like cattle, and even worse off. So whoever accepts the Message of Allaah and adheres to it is one of the best of mankind, and whoever rejects it and ignores it is one of the worst of mankind, even worse off than dogs and pigs, and the vilest of the vile. The people of this world could not survive except by virtue of the Messengers’ teachings, traces of which are still extant amongst them. If these traces of the Messengers vanished from the earth and their teachings were wiped out, Allaah would destroy the upper and lower realms and the Hour would begin.
The need of the people of the earth for the Messengers is not like their need for the sun, moon, wind and rain, or like a man’s need for his life, or like the eye’s need for light, or like the body’s need for food and drink. Rather it is greater than that, greater than his need for anything you could think of. The Messengers (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them) are intermediaries between Allaah and His creation, conveying His commands and prohibitions. They are ambassadors from Him to His slaves. The last and greatest of them, the noblest before his Lord, was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him, and upon all of them). Allaah sent him as a mercy to the worlds, guidance for those who want to draw closer to Allaah, proof which left no excuse for all people. He enjoined the people to obey him, love him, respect him, support him, and acknowledge his rights. Allaah took the covenant from all the Messengers and Prophets that they would believe in him and follow him, and He commanded them to take the same covenant from the believers who followed them. He sent him just before the Hour as a bringer of glad tidings and a warner, calling people to Allaah by His leave and as a brightly shining lamp. He concluded the line of Messengers with him. Through him He guided people and dispelled misguidance, taught them and dispelled ignorance. Through his Message He opened blind eyes, deaf ears and hard hearts. Through his message He filled the world with light after it had been in darkness, He brought people together after they had been divided, He straightened the crooked path of mankind and showed them the clear way. He opened his heart for him and removed from him his burden, and raised high his fame (cf. al-Sharh 94:1-3). He inflicted humiliation and shame on those who went against his command. He sent him (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) at a time when there had been no Messengers for a long while and when the Books had vanished, when words had been distorted and laws changed, when all peoples referred to their own unfair opinions, developed their own ideas about Allaah and judged among people by their own corrupt ideas and whims and desires. Through him Allaah guided mankind and clarified the different means of drawing closer to Allaah. Through him, He brought the people forth from darkness into light. Through him, He differentiated between those who will prosper and those who are immoral. So whoever follows his guidance is truly guided, and whoever turns away from his path is misguided and has deviated. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon him and upon all the Messengers and Prophets.
(This list is from Wujoob al-I’tisaam bi’l-Risaalah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him), vol. 19, p. 99-102; and from Majmoo’ al-Fataawa. See Lawaami’ al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah, vol. 2, p. 216, 236)
We may sum up man’s need for the Messengers as follows:
1- Man is created and subjugated, and he has to know his Creator and what He wants of him, and why he was created. Man cannot come to know that independently. He has no way of finding that out except through knowing the Prophets and Messengers, and the guidance and light which they brought.
2- Man is composed of body and soul, His body is nourished by his food and drink, but the nourishment of his soul is that which was explained by its Creator, namely the true religion and righteous deeds. The Prophets and Messengers brought the true religion and taught them to do righteous deeds.
3- Man is religious by nature; he has to have a religion to follow, and this religion has to be correct. There is no way to the true religion except through believing in the Prophets and Messengers and believing in the message they brought.
4- Man needs the way through which he may attain the pleasure of Allaah in this world, and reach His Paradise and bliss in the Hereafter. No one can show these ways and guide people to them apart from the Prophets and Messengers.
5- Man is weak by nature, and there are many enemies lying in wait for him, such as the Shaytaan who wants to lead him astray and bad companions who make evil things attractive to him, and his own self which is inclined towards evil. Hence he needs something to protect himself from the plots of his enemies. The Prophets and Messengers guide him towards that and show it to him clearly.
6- Man is sociable by nature. In human meetings and interactions, there have to be laws to guide people in a fair and just manner – otherwise the law of the jungle would prevail. This guiding law must protect the rights of all those who have rights, without neglecting or exaggerating in any way. No one can produce a perfect law except the Prophets and Messengers.
7- Man needs something that will give him security and peace of mind, and guide him to the means of true happiness. This is what the Prophets and Messengers guide people towards.


From al-Islam Usooluhu wa Mabaadi’uhu, by Dr. Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Saalih al-Husaym

UNGS 2030 : Required reading - Prophet hood - Authority of Sunnah

The authority of the Prophet and his Sunnah
by Akram Y Safadi


In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful
All praise be to Allah, and peace be upon His slaves whom He has chosen.

Notes on the Hadith and Sunnah: The authority of the Prophet and his Sunnah
28.November.1995

1. It was among the duties of all messengers to make the message clear

The Qur'an 14:4, {And We have never sent a messenger except with the tongue
of his people that he might make clear to them.}

2. Allah Most High taught His Messenger and explained the Qur'an to him

The Qur'an 75:16-19, {Move not your tounge with it to hasten it. Surely it
is upon Us to gather it and to recite it. So, when We recite it, follow its
recitation. Then surely it is upon Us to make it clear.}

The Qur'an 4:113, {And He has sent down upon you the Book and the wisdom,
and has taught you what you did not know before.}

3. Among the duties of the Messenger of Allah is to teach the Book and the
wisdom

The Qur'an 16:44, {And We have sent down unto you the revelations (al-Dhikr
) that you might make clear to humankind that which has been sent down to
them.}

The Qur'an 62:2, {He it is who has sent among the unlettered ones a
messenger of their own; to recite unto them His ayah-s (verses), and to
purify them, and to teach them the Book and the wisdom.}

4. Allah has inspired His Messenger the wisdom

The Qur'an 4:113, {And He has sent down upon you the Book and the wisdom,
and has taught you what you did not know before.}

The Qur'an 33:34, {And mention that which is recited in your houses of the
ayah-s of Allah and the wisdom.}

The Qur'an 53:1-4, {By the star when it goes down, your companion is neither
astray nor being misled, nor does he speak of desire, it is naught except an
inspiration (wahy) that is inspired.}

5. Allah has guided and protected His Messenger from any error

The Qur'an 42:52-53, {. . . and surely you guide unto a straight path. The
path of Allah . . .}

The Qur'an 68:4, {And surely you are upon a mighty morality.}

The Qur'an 53:1-4, {By the star when it goes down, your companion is neither
astray nor being misled, nor does he speak of desire, it is naught except an
inspiration that is inspired.}

The Qur'an 4:80, {Whoever obeys the Messenger, he thereby surely has obeyed
Allah. . .}

6. Allah has commanded us to submit fully to the authority of His Messenger
and to obey him

The Qur'an 4:65, {But nay, by your Lord, they will not believe until they
make you the judge of what is in dispute between them, then they shall find
in themselves no dislike of that which you have decreed, and submit in full
submission.}

The Qur'an 33:36, {It is not for a believing man nor a believing women, when
Allah and His Messenger have decreed a matter, to have the choice in their
affair; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger has surely gone astray
in manifest error.}

The Qur'an 4:59, {O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger and
those of you who are in authority; and if you have a dispute concerning any
matter, refer it to Allah and His Messenger if you believe in Allah and the
Last Day; that is best and more suitable to the end.}

The Qur'an 3:32, {Say: Obey Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away,
surely Allah does not love the disbelievers.}

The Qur'an 4:80, {Whoever obeys the Messenger, he thereby surely has obeyed
Allah, and whoever turns away--We have not send you as a watcher over them.}

7. Allah has commanded us to take His Messenger as the perfect example and
to follow him

The Qur'an 3:31-32, {Say: If you love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love
you and forgive you your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Say: Obey
Allah and the Messenger. But if they turn away, surely Allah does not love
the disbelievers.}

The Qur'an 33:21, {Verily in the Messenger of Allah you have a good example
for whoever hopes for Allah and the Last Day, and remembers Allah much.}

8. Allah has promised good reward for those who obey and follow His Messenger

The Qur'an 4:69, {Whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger--they are with those
whom Allah has shown favor, of the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs and
the rigthous; and the best of company are they!}

9. Allah has promised punishment for those who disobey His Messenger

The Qur'an 24:63, {. . . So let those who go against his (the Prophet)
command beware, lest a trial befall them, or there befall them a painful
chastisement.}

The Qur'an 4:115, {And whoever opposes the Messenger after the guidance has
been manifested unto him, and follows other than the believers' way, We
appoint for him that unto which he has turned, and expose him him unto
hell--a hapless journey's end!}

The Qur'an 72:23, {. . . And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger,
surely his is hell-fire, wherin such dwell forever.}

10. Allah has promised to guard His religion, Islam

The Qur'an 15:9, {Surely it is We who have sent down the revelations
(al-Dhikr), and We surely are its Guardian.}

The Qur'an 5:3, {. . . Today I have perfected your religion for you, and
have completed My favor upon you, and have approved for you Islam as
religion. . .}

The Qur'an 3:19, {Verily, the religion with Allah is Islam. . .}

The Qur'an 3:85, {And whoever seeks other than Islam as religion, it will
not be accepted from him; and in the Hereafter, he will be among the losers.}

The Qur'an 9:33, 61:9, {He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the
guidance and the Religion of the Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over
all religion, even though the disbelievers are averse.}

The Qur'an 48:28, {He it is Who has sent His Messenger with the guidance and
the Religion of the Truth, that He may cause it to prevail over all
religion, and Allah suffices as a Witness.}