Question about the “immortal boys”

 

Are the “immortal boys” or “boys of everlasting youth” Muslim children who died in infancy?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

Allaah says concerning
the people of Paradise (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Immortal boys will go
around them (serving)”

[al-Waaqi’ah 56:17] 

And Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): 

“And round about them
will (serve) boys of everlasting youth. If you see them, you would think
them scattered pearls”

[al-Insaan :19] 

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: This means that some of the children of Paradise
will go around to serve the people of Paradise. Mukhalladoon
(translated here as “immortal” and as “of everlasting youth”) means that
they will appear in one form which will never change; they will not grow
older than that age. Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: They
are young boys who will never die. 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: Abu ‘Ubaydah and al-Fara’ said: Mukhalladoon
means that they will not grow old or change. If a man has grown old and has
not turned grey, the Arabs describe him as mukhallad; or if a man
still has his teeth when he has grown old, they call him mukhallad. 

The verse in Soorat
al-Insaan, where Allaah describes them as (interpretation of the meaning): 

“If you see them, you would think them
scattered pearls”

[al-Insaan 76:19] 

means, if you saw them
as they go about tending to their masters’ needs, because there are so many
of them, their faces are so bright and their colours and their garments are
so beautiful, you would think that they were scattered pearls. There can be
no more beautiful comparison or more beautiful scene than pearls scattered
in a place of beauty. 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: Allaah likens them to scattered pearls because of
their whiteness and beautiful appearance. 

The fact that they are
scattered means two things: 

1 – It indicates that they
are not idle, rather they are moving about, serving and tending to the
people’s needs 

2 – If pearls are
scattered, especially against a background of gold or silk, it enhances
their beauty more than if they are gathered in one place. 

The scholars differed as to
who these boys are. 

It was narrated from ‘Ali
ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him) and al-Hasan al-Basri that
what is meant by these boys is the children of the Muslims who died in
infancy and have no good or bad deeds on their records. 

It was narrated that
Salmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The children of the
mushrikeen are the servants of the people of Paradise. 

Al-Hasan said: They have no
good deeds for which they are to be rewarded and no bad deeds for which they
are to be punished, so they are put in this situation.  

Shaykh al-Islam (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said: There is no basis for this opinion. Majmoo’
al-Fataawa, 4/279 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: A hadeeth was narrated concerning that which
cannot be proven. 

And it was said that these
boys are created by Allaah for the people of Paradise, to go around among
them as He wills, without being born (in the usual manner). 

This final view is the one
which was favoured by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on
him). He was asked about these boys:  Are they the children of the people of
Paradise? 

He replied: The boys who
will go around among the people of Paradise are among those who are created
for Paradise; they are not the children of people of this world. Rather if
the children of people of this world enter Paradise, they will given a
perfect form like the other people of Paradise, in the form of Adam, aged
thirty-three and sixty cubits tall. It was also narrated that their width
will be seven cubits. 

See Majmoo’ al-Fataawa,
4/312. 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah
have mercy on him) also preferred this view and said: It is most likely that
these boys will be created from Paradise, like al-hoor al-‘ayn, as servants
for them… They are not their children. By Allaah's grace He will cause their
children to be served alongside them, not to become servants to them. 

See also the answer to
question no. 6496 

And Allaah knows best.

 

Which is more sound, Tafseer Ibn Katheer or Tafseer al-Tabari?

 

Which is more sound, Tafseer Ibn Katheer or Tafseer al-Tabari?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Each of these Tafseers
was written by a great Sunni scholar, and the scholars still recommend
them. Each of them has its own characteristics which means that the seeker
of knowledge cannot show preference to one of them over the other. There
follow a few comments on these two Tafseers. 

1 – Tafseer al-Tabari 

Imam Muhammad ibn Jareer
al-Tabari was born in 224 AH and died in 310 AH, at the age of eighty-six,
in the region of Tabaristan. 

His Tafseer is entitled Jaami’ al-Bayaan fi Ta’weel
Aayi-‘l-Qur’aan. 

Abu Haamid al-Isfaraayini
said: If a traveller were to travel to China in order to obtain it, that
would not be too much.  

Tabaqaat al-Mufassireen by
al-Dawoodi, 2/106. 

Ibn Khuzaymah said: I
have read it from beginning to end and I do not know of anyone on the face
of the earth who is more knowledgeable than Ibn Jareer. 

Siyar A’laam al-Nubala’, 14/273. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: With regard to the
Tafseers that are in circulation among the people, the most sound of them is
the Tafseer of Muhammad ibn Jareer al-Tabari, for he mentions the views of
the salaf with proven isnaads, and there is no bid’ah (innovation) in it,
and he does not transmit reports from dubious sources such as Muqaatil ibn
Bukayr and al-Kalbi. 

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 13/358. 

He also said in Muqaddimah fi Usool al-Tafseer (p.
35), concerning the Tafseer of Ibn Jareer: 

It is one of the best and greatest of Tafseers. 

He relied on the views of three generations of mufassireen
among the salaf, namely the Sahaabah, the Taabi’een, and the followers of
the Taabi’een, and he quotes their opinions with isnaads going back to them.
This is an important feature of his book which is not present in many of the
books of Tafseer that are in circulation among us. But this feature does not
matter to many ordinary Muslims who are not able to research isnaads and
distinguish sound isnaads from weak ones; all they want is to know whether
an isnaad is sound or weak by means of a clear and brief statement to that
effect.  

When he has finished quoting their opinions, he states which
he thinks is most likely to be correct, then he describes how he reached
that conclusion.  

2 – Tafseer Ibn Katheer 

His full name is Abu’l-Fida’ Ismaa’eel ibn Katheer
al-Dimashqi, d. 774 AH. 

His Tafseer is entitled Tafseer al-Qur’aan il-‘Azeem. 

Al-Suyooti (may Allaah
have mercy on him) said concerning this Tafseer: Nothing like it has ever
been written. 

Tadhkirat al-Huffaaz, p. 534. 

This Tafseer is based on
commentary by quoting texts – verses and ahaadeeth – and its fame is second
to the fame of al-Tabari among later scholars. 

It is written in an excellent and easy style which is not
longwinded or boring, or too short and boring.  

He explains verses by quoting other verses, and he quotes
appropriate verses which explain the verse under discussion; then he quotes
ahaadeeth that have been narrated on the same topic as the verse, and he
quotes the isnaads of some, especially those that were narrated by Imam
Ahmad in his Musnad, as he is one of those who memorized al-Musnad.
He discusses the soundness and weakness of the ahaadeeth in most cases,
which is an important feature of his Tafseer. Then he quotes the views of
the salaf, including the Sahaabah and Taabi’een, and he states which view he
believes to be superior. He also avoids odd dissenting opinions. 

Muhammad ibn Ja’far
al-Kataani said of it: It is full of ahaadeeth and reports with the isnaads
of those who narrated them and discussion of how sound or weak they are. 

Al-Risaalah al-Mustatrafah, p.
195  

He draws attention to the shar’i attitude towards the
Israa’eeliyyaat (reports from Jewish sources) and quotes some of them in his
commentary on some verses. 

Conclusion: 

No seeker of knowledge can do without these two books. With
regard to which is superior, nothing like the Tafseer of Ibn Jareer
(al-Tabari) has been written since. It is essential for scholars and seekers
of knowledge, but it is not appropriate for ordinary people because they are
not qualified to understand it properly. The Tafseer of Ibn Katheer is more
appropriate for the ordinary people, and there is much in it from which
scholars and seekers of knowledge can benefit. 

And Allaah knows best.

The last soorah of the Qur’aan to be revealed

 

What the last soorah of the Qur’aan to be revealed.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

The last soorah of the Qur’aan to be revealed
was Soorat al-Nasr (“When there comes the Help of Allaah (to you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the Conquest (of
Makkah)” [al-Nasr 110:1 – interpretation of the meaning]). This is the view of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with
him). Muslim (3024) narrated that ‘Ubayd-Allaah ibn ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Utbah said: “Ibn ‘Abbaas said to me, ‘Do you know the last soorah of the
Qur’aan that was revealed in full?’ I said, ‘Yes, “When there comes the Help of Allaah (to you, O Muhammad against your
enemies) and the Conquest (of Makkah)” [al-Nasr 110:1 – interpretation of the meaning]].’ He said, ‘You have spoken the
truth.’” 

This is supported by the saheeh report from
‘Umar and Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) that this soorah was a sign that the death of the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) was approaching. 

Al-Bukhaari (4970) narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas
said: “‘'Umar used to make me sit with the elderly men who had fought in the Battle of Badr. Some of them felt it (did not like that) and said to
'Umar ‘Why do you bring in this boy to sit with us when we have sons like him?’ 'Umar said, ‘Because of what you know of his position (i.e. his
religious knowledge.)’ One day 'Umar called me and made me sit in the gathering of those people; and I think that he called me just to show them
(my religious knowledge). 'Umar then asked them (in my presence). ‘What do you say about the interpretation of the verse in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):  

“When there comes the Help of Allaah (to
you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the Conquest (of Makkah).”

[al-Nasr 110:1]?’ 

Some of them said, ‘We are ordered to praise Allaah and ask for His forgiveness when Allaah's
Help comes to us and we prevail (over our enemies).’ Some others kept quiet and did not say anything. On that, 'Umar asked me, ‘Do you say the
same, O Ibn 'Abbas?’ I said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘What do you say then?’ I said, ‘That is the sign of the death of the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which Allah informed him of. Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning):  

“When there comes the Help of Allaah (to
you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the Conquest (of Makkah).

And you see that the people enter Allaah’s
religion (Islam) in crowds.

So glorify the Praises of your Lord, and
ask His forgiveness. Verily, He is the One Who accepts the repentance and Who forgives”

[al-Nasr 110:1-3] 

At that 'Umar said, ‘I do not know anything
about it other than what you have said.’” 

Al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said that the last soorah to be revealed was Baraa’ah (al-Tawbah). 

Al-Bukhaari (4329) and Muslim (1618) narrated
that al-Baraa’ ibn ‘Aazib said: “The last soorah to be revealed was Baraa’ah, and the last verse to be revealed was (interpretation of the
meaning): 

‘They ask you for a legal verdict. Say:
“Allaah directs (thus) about Al‑Kalaalah (those who leave neither descendants nor ascendants as heirs)’

[al-Nisa’ 4:176] 

‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her)
said: “The last soorah to be revealed was al-Maa’idah.” 

Ahmad (25588) narrated that Jubayr ibn Nufayr
said: “I entered upon ‘Aa’ishah and she said, ‘Do you read Soorat al-Maa'idah?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ She said, ‘It is the last soorah to be revealed, so
whatever you find in it of halaal, accept it as halaal, and whatever you find in it of haraam, accept it as haraam.’ I asked her about the
attitude of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and she said, ‘The Qur’aan.’” This hadeeth was classed as
saheeh by Shu’ayb al-Arna’oot in Tahqeeq al-Musannad. 

There is no proven hadeeth from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which states which was the last soorah of the Qur’aan to be revealed. This is why the Sahaabah
differed and each of them said what his ijtihaad led him to. 

Al-Bayhaqi (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: The differing opinions may be reconciled by noting that each of them replied according to the knowledge that he had. This was quoted from
him by al-Mubaarakfoori in Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi. 

And Allaah knows best.

 

Meaning of the verse “And raise the dust in clouds the while” [al-‘Aadiyaat 100:4 – interpretation of the meaning]

 

I would like to know the most accurate translation of one of the Quranic Ayah in English. The Surrah number is 100 and the Ayah number is 4.
My questions are:


1. Is the Arabic words raised, dust, in, and clouds found in that Ayah?


2. If yes, then what are the words in Arabic that are used in Quran 100:4 as raised, dust, in, and clouds?


3. If there is any translator of the Quran who has translated Ayah 100:4 most accurately, what is his/her name?


4. Can you please list all the Arabic words that are used in Ayah 100:4 separately along with the English translation?

Praise be to Allaah.
   

 

1 – The words “raise” and “dust” are present in the meaning
of the verse. The word “in” is not present as such, but this meaning is
indicated because dust can only be raised “in” the air. The word “clouds” is
not present as such and is not implied by the wording. 

2 – The word “raise” has many synonyms in the Qur’aan, such
as the following: 

(a)    
Al-Nash’
(bring up, originate, rise), as in the verses (interpretation of the
meaning):

“And it is He Who brings up (or originates) [yunshi’] the
clouds, heavy (with water)”

[al-Ra’d 13:12]

“Verily,
the rising [naashi’ah] by night (for Tahajjud prayer) is very hard and most
potent and good for governing oneself, and most suitable for (understanding)
the Word (of Allaah)”

[al-Muzzammil 73:6] 

(b)   
al-Hadab
(mound, hill), as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“Until, when Ya’jooj
and Ma’jooj (Gog and Magog people) are let loose (from their barrier), and
they swoop down from every mound [hadab]”

[al-Anbiya’ 21:96]

Al-Farra’ said: (this means) from every hill and elevated
place. 

(c)    
al-‘Urooj
(ascent), as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“The angels and the
Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] ascend [ta’ruju] to Him in a Day the measure
whereof is fifty thousand years”

[al-Ma’aarij 70:4].

This means: ascending or rising up. 

(d)   
al-Mawj
(wave), as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“So it (the ship)
sailed with them amidst waves [mawj] like mountains”

[Hood 11:42]

Mawj refers to water rising
above water. 

(e)    
al-Rabwah
(high ground), as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We made the son of Maryam (Mary) and his mother as a
sign, and We gave them refuge on high ground [rabwah], a place of rest,
security and flowing streams”

[al-Mu’minoon 23:50]

The word rabwah refers to an elevated place. 

(f)     
al-Nashz
(rising up), as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe!
When you are told to make room in the assemblies, (spread out and) make
room. Allaah will give you (ample) room (from His Mercy). And when you are
told to rise up [anshuzu] [for prayers, or Jihaad (holy fighting in Allaah’s
Cause), or for any other good deed], rise up”

[al-Mujaadilah 58:11]

Nushooz means rising up 

With regard to the word dust, another word with the same
meaning is also used in the Qur’aan, which is the word haba’, as in
the verses (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And We shall turn to whatever deeds they (disbelievers,
polytheists, sinners) did, and We shall make such deeds as scattered
floating particles of dust [haba’]”

[al-Furqaan 25:23] 

With regard to the word “clouds”, several synonymous words
are used in the Qur’aan, such as the following: 

(a)    
al-mu’siraat
(rain clouds), as in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We have sent down from the rainy clouds
[al-mu’siraat] abundant water”

[al-Naba’ 78:14] 

(b)   
al-muzn
(rain clouds), as in the verses (interpretation of the meaning):

“Is it you who
cause it from the rain clouds [al-muzn] to come down, or are We the Causer
of it to come down?”

[al-Waaqi’ah 56:69] 

3 – One of the best commentaries on the Qur’aan in general,
in the sense that it includes all kinds of tafseer (commentary) and is based
on sound belief is the Tafseer of al-Tabari among the earlier
scholars and the Tafseer of Ibn Katheer among the later scholars. 

In his commentary on the verse:

“And raise the dust in clouds the while”

[al-‘Aadiyaat 100:4 – interpretation of the meaning] 

al-Tabari said: “Fa atharna bihi naq’an (translated
here as ‘And raise the dust in clouds the while’)” means, they raise up dust
(or dust clouds) in the valley. 

The ha’ in the
word bihi alludes to a noun of place which is not mentioned
specifically, because it is known that dust can only be stirred up from a
place, and the listeners will understand that with no need to mention it
specifically. 

The mufassireen said something similar to that which we have
mentioned. 

Tafseer al-Tabari, 30/275, 276 

Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on the same verse:

 The word ghubaar means a battle ground where horses
fight.

 Tafseer Ibn Katheer,
4/542.

 The verse word-for-word is as follows:

 Fa atharna bihi naq’an

 Fa atharna

 Then
they (the horses) raised in clouds

 Bihi

 In it (i.e., in the place where the horses are running) 

Naq’an

 The dust.

 And Allaah knows best.

No contradiction between the two aayahs

 

How can we reconcile between these two aayahs (interpretation of the meanings):
“Verily, Allaah forgives not that partners should be set up with Him (in worship), but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He wills”
[al-Nisa’ 4:48]
and
“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)”
[Ta-Ha 20:82]
Is there any contradiction between them?

Praise be to Allaah. 
There is no contradiction between them. The first aayah refers to one who dies in shirk (associating others with Allaah) without having repented from it. He will not be forgiven and his abode will be Hell, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
“Verily, whosoever sets up partners (in worship) with Allaah, then Allaah has forbidden Paradise to him, and the Fire will be his abode. And for the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) there are no helpers”
[al-Maa'idah 5:72]
“But if they had joined in worship others with Allaah, all that they used to do would have been of no benefit to them”
[al-An’aam 6:88] 
And there are many similar aayahs.
The second aayah –  
“And verily, I am indeed forgiving to him who repents, believes (in My Oneness, and associates none in worship with Me) and does righteous good deeds, and then remains constant in doing them (till his death)”
[Ta-Ha 20:82 – interpretation of the meaning] –
refers to those who repent. Similarly Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Say: O ‘Ibaadi (My slaves) who have transgressed against themselves (by committing evil deeds and sins)! Despair not of the Mercy of Allaah, verily, Allaah forgives all sins. Truly, He is Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”
[al-Zumar 39:53]
The scholars are agreed that this verse refers to those who have repented. And Allaah is the Source of strength.

 

Is the Prophet peace and blessings of Allaah alive and present on the earth at this time?

 

the following article was published stating that the prophet’s spirit is omnipresent at all times (may allah bless him & give him peace). below is most of their article and their proofs. is what they say the truth? 


it is the contention and the belief of the ahle sunnat wal jamaat that the holy prophet(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is : (a). present & seeing at all times , (b). aware and witnessing the creation of allah , (c). able to be present in several places at the same time . 


" 'o' nabi (communicator of the unseen) we have sent you as a witness." (s33 v45). 2). "then how shall it be, when we bring up a witness from each nation (of each prophet) and 'o' beloved messenger we will bring you as a witness and guardian against all those." (s4 v41)


observe that the holy prophet(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) is being called a witness to all the nations that allah has put upon this earth. therefore, the holy prophet(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) must have been present before his earthly appearance and is still present after this earthly demise, otherwise he cannot be called upon as a witness in the true sense of the word. there are many other verses of the holy quran that call upon the holy prophet(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) to be a witness. and a witness can only be someone who is haazir & naazir.


a technical point: the following quranic verses are often quoted to show that the holy prophet(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was not present and seeing before his earthly appearance : "and you('o' prophet) were not with them(present) when they cast their pens(to decide) which of them should be mary's guardian." (s3 v44)


"the prophet was not present when musa was called upon tur" (s28 v46) yes, the holy prophet(sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was not present (physically speaking) at these .

The Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the best and most perfect of
creation, and the most beloved to Allaah and the most honoured by Him.
But this does not mean that his human characteristics are to be denied,
or that any of the duties of worship which are due only to Allaah should
be directed to him. The Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was a human being who suffered
from sickness and real death the same as any other human being. Allaah
said (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, you (O Muhammad) will die,
and verily, they (too) will die” [al-Zumar 39:30] 

“And We granted not to any human
being immortality before you (O Muhammad); then if you die, would they
live forever?” [al-Anbiyaa’ 21:34]

 The Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) died and was buried in his
grave, hence al-Siddeeq Abu Bakr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said:
“Whoever used to worship Muhammad, Muhammad has died, but whoever used
to worship Allaah, Allaah is alive and will never die.”

 The fact that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was a witness, a bringer
of glad tidings and a warner, and that he will be a witness on the Day
of Resurrection, does not mean that he is present among all nations,
or that he (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) will remain alive until the Day of Resurrection,
or that he sees and witnesses whilst he is in his grave. Witnessing
does not only mean seeing. Rather he will testify against the nations
by means of what Allaah tells him, for he does not know the unseen.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“… and If I had the knowledge of the Ghaib (Unseen), I should have secured
for myself an abundance of wealth…”[al-A’raaf 7:188]

 The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) does not have the ability to be present in numerous places; he is in only one place, which is his grave, and this is according to the consensus of the Muslims.

Was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) the first to be created?

 

Is it permissible for the Muslim to say in praise of Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Yaa awwal khalq Allaah (O first of the creation of Allaah)”?

Praise be to Allaah. 

 Muhammad (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) is the best of the creation of Allaah, and the
highest in status. But he is not the first of the creation of Allaah.
The first thing that Allaah created was the Throne, not Adam or Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). With regard to the reports that Allaah created Muhammad
from light and put his name next to His Name, and that when Adam was
created and the spirit was breathed into him, he saw that his name was
written by the Throne – there is no proof that any of these reports
were narrated from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). And Allaah knows best.

How long was Maryam pregnant with ‘Eesa (peace be upon him)?

 

Was the virgin Maryam pregnant with ‘Eesa (peace be upon him) for nine months? Or when the angels came to her and told her to take refuge at the trunk of the palm tree, did she give birth to him at that point?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

The scholars
differed as to how long Maryam was pregnant with ‘Eesa (peace be upon him). 

The view of
the majority is that it was nine months, as with all other humans. 

‘Ikrimah
said: Eight months, and said: For that reason no child born at eight months’
gestation lives, so as to preserve the uniqueness of ‘Eesa. 

It was
narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: No sooner did she become pregnant but she
gave birth. 

Ibn Katheer
said (3/117) concerning this report narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas: 

This is
strange, and appears to have been taken from the apparent meaning of the
verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“So she conceived him, and she withdrew with
him to a far place (i.e. Bethlehem valley about 4-6 miles from Jerusalem).

23. And
the pains of childbirth drove her to the trunk of a date palm”

[Maryam
19:22] 

The particle
fa (translated here as ‘and’), in Arabic, implies a succession of events,
but things follow one another at their own pace, as in the verse where
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“And
indeed We created man (Adam) out of an extract of clay (water and earth).

13. Thereafter We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops
of the male and female sexual discharge and lodged it) in a safe lodging
(womb of the woman).

14. Then
We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We
made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little
lump of flesh bones”

[al-Muminoon 23:12-14] 

Here the
particle fa (translated as ‘then’) indicates succession at the appropriate
pace. 

And it is
proven in al-Saheehayn that between each two stages is a period of
forty days [i.e., it remains a nutfah for forty days, then a clot for forty
days, then a lump of flesh for forty days].  

And Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“See you
not that Allaah sends down water (rain) from the sky, and then the earth
becomes green?”

[al-Hajj
22:63] 

The
well-known view is the apparent meaning– and Allaah is able to do all things
– which is that she bore him as all other women bear their children. Hence
when the signs of pregnancy appeared on her, and there was with her in the
mosque a righteous man from among her relatives who worshipped in the temple
with her, who was called Yoosuf al-Najjaar.  When he saw that her belly had
become swollen he found it strange. Then he decided to think well of her
because of what he knew of her innocence, honour, religious commitment and
worship. Then he thought about her situation, and he could not stop thinking
about this matter. So he said, speaking indirectly: “O Maryam, I am going to
ask you about something, so do not get alarmed.” She said, “What is it?” He
said: “Has any tree or plant ever grown without a seed? Has any child ever
been born without a father?” She said: “Yes, I understood what you are
referring to. As for your asking whether any tree or plant has ever grown
without a seed, when Allaah first created trees and plants He created them
without seeds. And has any child ever been born without a father? Allaah
created Adam without either a father or a mother.” So he believed her and
left her alone. 

When Maryam
felt that her people were accusing her, she withdrew to a far place, i.e.
far away from them, so that she would not see them and they would not see
her. 

Muhammad ibn
Ishaaq said: When she became pregnant with him and her menses ceased, and
she experienced the discomforts that all pregnant women face, then no
household experienced what the household of Zakariyah experienced. Talk
spread among the Children of Israel and they said that the one who was
responsible for this was her companion Yoosuf because there was no one else
in the church with her except him. So she stayed away from people and put a
screen between her and them so that no one could see her and she could not
see anyone. 

End quote
from Ibn Katheer. 

And Allaah
knows best.

How the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw in this world some events of the Hereafter

 

My Question is if Judgement day has not occurred yet and no one is in
Hell or Paradise how is it that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing be upon him) saw
people being punished in Hell already and the prophets, children, and people already in
Paradise.

Praise be to Allaah.

How the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) saw in this world some events of the Hereafter

If we believe that Allaah is able to do all things, the matter is easy
for us, and we believe what the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has
told us. Allaah is the Creator of time and is able to show His Prophet in this world
things that will happen on the Day of Resurrection, just as He showed him Paradise and
Hell on the wall when he prayed Salaat al-Kusoof (the eclipse prayer), and he
almost brought his companions a bunch of grapes from the fruits if Paradise, even though
the distance between earth and Paradise is so immense. The One Who brought the place near
is not incapable of doing whatever He wills with regard to time and of showing His Prophet
in this world living scenes of what will happen on the Day of Resurrection. Your Lord is
Able to do all things.

Are the Prophets equal?

 

I help teach a group of girls about Islam once a week.This past week, one of the girls asked me the following question.To which, I was not able to reply and I told her that I would look it up or ask someone. The question was: Are all the
prophets considered equal? If so, then why is it that the there is a prophet on each level of heaven, with Prophet Muhammad (SAAS) in the highest (seventh heaven)?

Praise be to Allaah. 

All
people were created by Allaah and are His slaves; His is the power and
command from eternity to eternity. The wisdom of Allaah decreed that He
should select some of His angels and prefer them over others, such as
Jibreel, Mika’eel, Israafeel, Maalik, Radwaan et al., who have a higher
status than others. And His wisdom and justice decreed that He should
select some of the children of Adam and prefer some of them over others,
so that they have a higher status and better position. As Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Allaah
chooses Messengers from angels and from men. Verily, Allaah is
All-Hearer, All-Seer” [al-Hajj 22:75]

“Those
Messengers! We preferred some  of
them to others; to some of them Allaah spoke (directly); others He raised
to degrees (of honour)” [al-Baqarah 2:253]

Allaah
tells us that He chose and selected these Messengers from among mankind.
After mentioning some of the Prophets and Messengers, He says
(interpretation of the meaning):

“And
also some of their fathers and their progeny and their brethren, We chose
them, and We guided them to the Straight Path” [al-An’aam 6:87].

And
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And
Allaah has preferred some of you above others in wealth and properties”
[al-Nahl 16:71].

His
wisdom decreed that Adam (peace be upon him) should be the father of
mankind, and His wisdom, mercy and justice decreed that from among
Adam’s progeny He should select an elite of Messengers and Prophets –
may peace and blessings be upon them and upon our Prophet. Among those
whom He chose and preferred over others were the Messengers of strong will
[Uloo’l-‘Azm, see al-Ahqaaf 46:35], namely, Muhammad,
Ibraaheem, Nooh, Moosa and ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam, may the best of blessings
and peace be upon them. And He chose and favoured above them all their
leader, the final Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad ibn ‘Abd-Allaah

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He is indeed the leader of
the sons of Adam, with no boast. He will carry the banner and will be
granted the power of intercession [on the Day of Resurrection]. He is the
one who will attain al-maqaam al-mahmood (the Praised Position) in
Paradise, which will be given to one person only, and that person will be
our Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Hence Allaah
took the covenant and pledge from all the Prophets that if Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was sent during the lifetime
of any one of them, they would be obliged to follow him
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), to leave behind what they had brought
and follow what our Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) brought. As Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And (remember) when Allaah took the Covenant of the Prophets, saying:
‘Take whatever I gave you from the Book and Hikmah (understanding of the
Laws of Allaah), and afterwards there will come to you a Messenger
(Muhammad) confirming what is with you; you must, then, believe in him and
help him.’ Allaah said: ‘Do you agree (to it) and will you take up My
Covenant (which I conclude with you)?’ They said: ‘We agree.’ He
said: ‘Then bear witness; and I am with you among the witnesses (for
this).’ Then whoever turns away after this, they are the
Faasiqoon (rebellious: those who turn away from Allaah’s obedience)”
[Aal-Imraan 3:81-82]

The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to
‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him): “By Allaah, if
my brother Moosa were alive, he would have no 
choice but to follow me.”

And when the Messiah ‘Eesaa ibn Maryam (peace be upon him) comes down
at the end of time, he will come to rule in accordance with the
sharee’ah of Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
and he will follow him
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). 

All of the above refers to their status before Allaah. With regard to
their religion, it is one religion, for they all called people to believe
in One God, Allaah (Tawheed) and to devote worship sincerely to Him Alone.
With regard to laws, each of them had his own law which was for his people
alone. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“To each among you, We
have prescribed a law and a clear way” [al-Maa’idah 5:48]. But the
way (sharee’ah) of our Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) is the most perfect, the best, the most complete and
the most beloved to Allaah; it abrogates all laws that came before it.
Undoubtedly the Prophets differ in status, and they are at varying levels.
The best of them, as stated above, are the five Messengers of strong will
(Uloo’l-‘Azm), and the best of them all is the Seal of the
Prophets, Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).

With regard to the saheeh
ahaadeeth, “Do not prefer me over Yoonus ibn Mattaa” and “By the One
Who chose Moosa over all of creation” – these all indicate the immense
humility of the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
when speaking of his brothers the Messengers. But he is undoubtedly the
best of them all, for he led them in prayer in Bayt al-Maqdis (Jerusalem)
on the night of the Israa’. He will be the leader of the sons of Adam on
the Day of Resurrection, and he is the only one among all the Messengers
who will be granted the power of intercession on that Day. He
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the one who said: “From among
the sons of Adam, Allaah chose Quraysh; from among Quraysh He chose
Kinaanah; from among Kinaanah He chose Bani Haashim; and from among Bani
Haashim He chose me.” He
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) is the Chosen One (al-Mustafaa) from among all of mankind.

And Allaah knows best.

 

Are the ahaadeeth about matters of the unseen revelation (wahy) from Allaah?

 

I
have a question regarding hadith. I know the Prophet (saaw) never spoke
from his own desires about the deen so how did he know information about
stuff like the signs of the dat of judgement and so on? Did Allah (swt)
tell him all these things?
Please clearify this matter for me. Thank you

Praise be to Allaah. 

Everything that the
Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us about
the unseen, past, present and future, such as the beginning of creation, the
resurrection, Paradise, Hell, the signs of the Hour, the angels and the
Prophets, all of that is by revelation (wahy)
from Allaah, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

 “Nor does he speak of (his own)
desire. It is only a Revelation revealed” (al-Najm 53:3-4)

 “This
is of the news of the Unseen which We reveal unto you (O Muhammad)” [Hood
11:49]

 “Say
(O Muhammad): ‘I don’t tell you that with me are the treasures of
Allaah, nor (that) I know the Unseen; nor I tell you that I am an angel. I
but follow what is revealed to me.’” [al-An’aam 6:50]

 Hence
it is obligatory to believe everything that Allaah has told the Messenger

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) concerning the unseen and
other matters, for he is the one who tells the truth and is to be believed.
Whoever disbelieves him, even if it is with regard to only one report that
he knows to be sound (saheeh), becomes an apostate thereby, if he is Muslim.

 Al-Nubuwwaat
(Prophethood)

 

 

Did the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) commit sin?

 

My question is about the Prophet(
). Some muslims believe that he was sinless while others say he was not. I personally dont think he was sinless cause he was just a human. Can u tell me which is true using Quran or Hadith, please? Thank you very much. Allahu Akbar

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: the use of the word “sin” in the
question is a grave mistake, because sin (khatee’ah, pl. khataayaa) is
impossible in the case of the Messengers. It is more correct to say mistakes, because a
mistake may be made unintentionally, which is not the case with sins.

Secondly: with regard to sins, the Messengers, including Muhammad

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), never committed any sin intentionally as an
act of disobedience towards Allaah after receiving their Mission (risaalah). This
is according to the consensus of the Muslims. They were protected from major sins (kabaa’ir)
but not from minor sins (saghaa’ir).

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The view that the Prophets were protected from major sins (kabaa’ir)
but not from minor sins (saghaa’ir) is the view of the majority of the
scholars of Islam and all the sects… It is also the view of the majority of the
scholars of tafseer and hadeeth, and of the fuqahaa’. Nothing was reported from any
of the Salaf, Imaams, Sahaabah, Taabi’een or the successive generation that does not
agree with this view.

(Majmaa’ al-Fataawaa, 4/319).

This question was posed to the Standing Committee on
this topic:

Question:

Some people, including the heretics, say that the Prophets and
Messengers could make mistakes, i.e., they could make mistakes like all other people. They
say that the first mistake ever made was when the son of Adam, Qaabeel, killed
Haabeel… and when the two angels came to Dawood, he listened to the first and did not
listen to what the second had to say… and the story of Yoonus when the big fish
swallowed him; and the story of the Messenger with Zayd ibn Haarithah, they say that he
concealed something which he should have declared openly; and with his Sahaabah, he told
them, “You know better about your worldly affairs,” and they say that this is
because he made a mistake in this regard; and what happened with the blind man, which is
referred to in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning), “(The Prophet) frowned
and turned away, because there came to him the blind man…” [‘Abasa 80:1-2].
Could the Prophets and Messengers really make mistakes? How can we respond to these
sinners [who say these things]?

Answer:

Yes, the Prophets and Messengers made mistakes, but Allaah did not
approve of their mistakes; rather, He pointed out their mistakes as a Mercy to them and
their ummahs, and He forgave their mistakes and accepted their repentance as a Grace and
Mercy, for Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. This will be clear to anyone who checks
out the aayaat of the Qur’aan in which the matters raised in the question are
discussed… With regard to the sons of Aadam, even though they were not Prophets…
Allaah explained how evil was the deed which he did to his brother…

(Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah, no. 6290, 3/194).

Thirdly: before they were given their Mission
(risaalah), the scholars have said that it is possible that they may have committed some
minor sins, but they were protected from committing major sins such as zinaa, drinking
wine, etc.

But after they received their Mission, the correct view is that they
may have committed some minor mistakes but this was not approved of and they were rebuked.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] said:

Most of the reports from the majority of scholars state that they were
not infallible with regard to minor mistakes, but they were not allowed to persist in
them; they do not say that this could never happen at all. The first suggestion that they
were completely infallible came from the Raafidis, who say that they are so infallible
that they could never make any mistake even by way of forgetfulness and misunderstanding.

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa, 4/320).

They are infallible with regard to conveying the Message
from Allaah, may He be exalted.

Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The aayaat which indicate the Prophethood of the Prophets also indicate
that they are infallible with regard to the conveying of the Message from Allaah; so what
they say can only be true. This is the meaning of Prophethood, which implies that Allaah
tells the Prophet something of the Unseen and he tells it to the people. And the Messenger
is commanded to call the people to Allaah and to convey the message of his Lord.

(Majmoo’ al-Fataawaa, 18/7)

Fourthly: mistakes which are committed unintentionally
are of two types:

With regard to worldly matters: this happened to the Messenger of
Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). With regard to agriculture, medicine,
carpentry, etc., he was like all other people. Allaah did not tell us that he was sent to
us as a businessman or a farmer or a carpenter or a doctor. His mistakes in these fields
are quite natural and do not impact on his Message at all.

It was reported that Raafi’ ibn Khudayj said: The Prophet
(peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to Madeenah, and they were pollinating the
date-palms. He said, “What are you doing?” They said, “We always used to
pollinate them.” He said, “Perhaps if you do not do that, it will be
better.” So they did not do it, and the harvest was lacking. They mentioned that to
him, and he said, “I am only a human being like you. If I tell you to do something
with regard to religion, then follow it, but if I tell you to do something based on my own
opinion, I am only a human being.” (narrated by Muslim, 2361).

We note that the Messenger
(peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) made a mistake in this worldly matter, because he was like all other
human beings, but with regard to matters of religion he did not make mistakes.

With regard to unintentional mistakes concerning matters of religion:

The most correct view among the scholars is that the way this happened
with regard to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is that he might
do something which is OK but it was not the more appropriate choice.

He was sometimes faced with issues concerning which there was no
shar’i text on which he could base his decision, so he sought to make ijtihaad based
on his own opinion, just as any Muslim scholar may make ijtihaad, and if he makes the
right decision, he will be given two rewards, and if he makes the wrong decision, he will
still be given one reward. This is what the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: “If the judge makes ijtihaad and gets it right, he will have two
rewards, and if he makes ijtihaad and gets it wrong, he will have one reward.” (Narrated
by al-Bukhaari, 6919; Muslim, 1716, from the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah).

This also happened to him concerning the prisoners of
Badr.

Anas said: the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) consulted the people concerning the prisoners who had been captured on the day
of Badr. He said, “Allaah has given you power over them.” ‘Umar ibn
al-Khattaab stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, strike their necks [execute
them]!” The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned away from
him. Then the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came back
and said, “O people, Allaah has given you power over them and they were your
brothers.” ‘Umar stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allaah, strike their
necks [execute them]!” The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
turned away from him. Then the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came
back and said something similar to the people. Abu Bakr stood up and said, “O
Messenger of Allaah, why don’t you forgive them and accept payment of ransom from
them?” The worried expression left the face of the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), and he forgave them and accepted their payment of
ransom. Then Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“It is not for a Prophet that he should have prisoners of war
(and free them with ransom) until he had made a great slaughter (among his enemies) in the
land. You desire the good of this world (i.e. the money of ransom for freeing the
captives), but Allaah desires (for you) the Hereafter. And Allaah is All-Mighty,
All-Wise” [al-Anfaal 8:67]

Narrated by Ahmad (13143).

We may note that in this case, the Messenger of Allaah

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not have any clear text so he made
ijtihaad and consulted his companions, and he made a mistake in deciding what was the best
thing to do.

Cases like this are few in the Sunnah. We have to believe that the
Messengers and Prophets are infallible, and we know that they did not disobey Allaah. We
should also beware of the words of those who want to cast aspersions on his conveying of
the Message by referring to the fact that he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
made some mistakes with regard to earthly matters. There is a huge difference between the
former and the latter. We should also beware of those misguided people who say that some
of the rulings of sharee’ah which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) told us about are his own personal ijtihaad which could be right or wrong. What would
these misguided people say in response to the words of Allaah (interpretation of the
meaning): “Nor does he speak of his own desire. It is only an Inspiration that is
inspired” [al-Najm 53:3]? We ask Allaah to protect us from confusion and
misguidance, And Allaah knows best.

 

How was ‘Eesaa (peace be upon him) created?

 

can you tell me how nabi Isa was created in
relation to his conception?

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah commanded Jibreel to blow through the neck of
Maryam’s garment, and this breath went down and by the will of Allaah entered her
womb, so it became a soul that Allaah had created. Allaah has explained how He created
‘Eesaa (peace be upon him), as He said (interpretation of the meaning):

“And she who guarded her chastity [Virgin Maryam
(Mary)], We breathed into (the sleeves of) her (shirt or garment) [through Our Rooh —
Jibreel (Gabriel)]” [al-Anbiya’ 21:91]

Then Allaah explains that the Rooh reached her
womb, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And Maryam (Mary), the daughter of ‘Imraan who guarded
her chastity. And We breathed into (the sleeve of her shirt or her garment) through Our
Rooh [i.e. Jibreel (Gabriel)]”. [al-Tahreem 66:12]

The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“(The angel) said: ‘I am only a messenger from your Lord,
(to announce) to you the gift of a righteous son’” [Maryam 19:19] –
indicates that the one who blew into her was Jibreel, who does not do anything except by
the command of Allaah.

Some commentaries have been narrated from some Mufassireen suggesting
that her pregnancy lasted only a few seconds, but this is not clearly indicated by the
texts. If that had been the case, it would have been a miracle in and of itself: people
would have accepted that this was not a normal pregnancy as experienced by women, and they
would not have accused her of fornication, as they said (interpretation of the meaning):

“O Mary! Indeed you have brought a thing Fariyy (a mighty
thing)” [Maryam 19:27]

There follow comments on this matter from two of
the great Mufassireen, one from the past – Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him,
and one from more recent times – al-Shanqeeti, may Allaah have mercy on him.

Imaam Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have mercy on him, said:

The Mufassireen differed as to the length of time (Maryam was) pregnant
with ‘Eesaa (peace be upon him). The best known view of the majority is that she
carried him for nine months… Ibn Jurayj said: al-Mugheerah told me, from ‘Utbah
ibn ‘Abd-Allaah al-Thaqafi, that he heard Ibn ‘Abbaas being asked about the
pregnancy of Maryam, and he said: no sooner had she conceived him then she gave birth!

This is strange (ghareeb), and it was based on what might be the
apparent meaning of the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“So she conceived him,
and she withdrew with him to a far place. And the pains of childbirth drove her
to the trunk of a date palm” [Maryam 19:22].

The prefix “fa” here [in the phrase fa ajaa’ahaa
al- makhaad - And the pains of childbirth drove her] indicates a succession of events,
but things follow one another according to their own merits and characteristics, as in the
aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“And indeed We created man (Adam) out of an extract of clay
(water and earth). Thereafter We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops
of the male and female sexual discharge and lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb of the
woman). Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood), then We
made the clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made out of that little lump of flesh
bones” [al-Mu’minoon 23:12]

Here the fa’ [translated as ‘then’] implies a
succession of events according to their own merits and characteristics. It was reported in
al-Saheehayn (al-Bukhaari, 3208, Muslim, 2643) that “between each stage there are
forty days.”

And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“See you not that Allaah sends down water (rain) from the sky,
and then [fa’] the earth becomes green?” [al-Hajj 22:63].

The apparent meaning – although Allaah is able to do all
things – is that her pregnancy was like that of other women… When Maryam felt
that her people were becoming suspicious about her, she hid herself away from them “[in]
a far place” [Maryam 19:22], i.e. far away so that she would not see them and
they would not see her… she hid away from them and “placed a screen (to
screen herself) from them” [Maryam 19:17 – interpretation of the meaning].
So no one could see her and she could not see anyone else. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer,
3/122).

Shaykh al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

We will not mention all the views of the scholars concerning the length
of time Maryam carried ‘Eesaa (peace be upon him), because of the lack of evidence
(daleel) for these views. The strongest opinion is that her pregnancy was like that of
other women, even though its beginning was miraculous. And Allaah knows best. (Adwaa’
al-Bayaan, 4/264)

Some ignorant people interpret the aayah (interpretation of the
meaning):

“So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul
created by Me” [Saad 38:72] as meaning that the Messiah was a part of the spirit
of Allaah!

[The original Arabic says min roohi, lit. ‘of My
spirit’]

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) explained that this
interpretation is misguided, as he said:

With regard to the misinterpretation of the genitive (or possessive)
construction [idaafah] in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):

“So when I have fashioned him and breathed into him (his) soul
created by Me [min roohi, lit. ‘of My spirit’]” [Saad 38:72] – it
should be known that when this construction appears in conjunction with the name of
Allaah, may He be glorified, it may be one of two types:

(The first) is qualities that cannot stand alone, such as knowledge,
power, words, hearing, sight. Here the attribute is attached in a genitive construction (idaafah)
to the One Who is described in this manner. So His knowledge, His words, His will, His
power, His life are all attributes or qualities which are not created (because this refers
to His Essence); the same applies to His Face and His Hand, may He be glorified.

The second kind are things which exist separately and are mentioned in idaafah
(genitive construction), such as (His) house, (His) she-camel, (His) slave, (His)
Messenger, (His) spirit. Here the created thing is connected by the genitive construction
to its Creator, but in this case the idaafah implies that the thing mentioned is
special and is honoured, and is thus distinguished from other things. For example, the
House of Allaah [meaning the Ka’bah] – although all houses belong to Allaah
– and the she-camel of Allaah – although all camels belong to Allaah and are
created by Him. This idaafah is connected to the idea of His Divinity (uloohiyah),
which implies that he loves and honours the thing so described. In contrast, idaafah
in the general sense has to do with His Lordship (ruboobiyyah), which implies that
He created and formed it. So the general kind of idaafah implies that He is the
Creator of that thing, whilst the specific kind of idaafah implies that Allaah has
chosen that thing. Allaah creates what He wills and chooses some of His creation, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And your Lord creates whatsoever He wills and chooses”
[al-Qasas 28:68]

So in this case – the phrase min roohi (lit. ‘of
My spirit’), the idaafah (genitive construction) is of the specific type, not
the general type, and it does not refer to the attributes of Allaah. Think about this
matter, for it will save you from the many errors into which people have fallen by the
will of Allaah.

(al-Rooh, p. 154, 155)

In conclusion, the description of ‘Eesaa (peace be
upon him) as the spirit (rooh) of Allaah is by way of honouring him. This idaafah
(whereby the word rooh (spirit) is connected in a genitive construction to the Name
of Allaah) does not serve to ascribe an attribute to the One Who is so described, as is
the case in the phrases “the hand of Allaah”, “the Face of Allaah.” On
the contrary, it connects the created being in a genitive construction to the Creator, as
the Ka’bah is described as the House of Allaah, and the she-camel – which was
the miracle that Allaah gave to His Prophet Saalih (peace be upon him) – was
described as the she-camel of Allaah.

And Allaah knows best.

 

Which son was to be sacrificed?

 

I understand that Prophet Ibrahim
(pbuh)intended to sacrifice his son, Prophet Ishmail (pbuh), according to Muslim belief.
However, a non-Muslim that I had a discussion with pointed out that this is not mentioned
in the Quran. Upon investigating this matter, it seems that the Quran is ambiguous as to
which son is intended to be sacrificed (as least in my English translation) (surah 37).
Please explain the Muslim position on Prophet Ibrahim and the sacrifice, using textual
evidence.
jazakallah khairun

Praise be to Allaah.

Allaah says of His slave and Close Friend (Khaleel) Ibraaheem (peace be
upon him) (interpretation of the meaning):

“99. And he said (after his rescue from the fire):
“Verily, I am going to my Lord. He will guide me!”

100. “My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the
righteous.”

101. So We gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing boy.

102. And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with
him, he said: “O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am slaughtering you (offering
you in sacrifice to Allaah). So look what you think!” He said: “O my father! Do
that which you are commanded, In shaa’ Allaah (if Allaah wills), you shall find me of
As-Saabiroon (the patient).”

103. Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the
Will of Allaah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his
forehead for slaughtering);

104. We called out to him: “O Ibraaheem!

105. You have fulfilled the dream!” Verily, thus do We
reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers).

106. Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial.

107. And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice (i.e. a
ram);

108. And We left for him (a goodly remembrance) among the
later generations.

109. “Salaam (peace) be upon Ibraaheem!”

110. Thus indeed do We reward the Muhsinoon (good-doers).

111. Verily, he was one of Our believing slaves.

112. And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaaq (Isaac) ¾ a Prophet from the righteous.

113. We blessed him and Ishaaq (Isaac). And of their
progeny are (some) that do right, and some that plainly wrong themselves.”
[al-Saaffaat 37:99-113)

Ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: Allaah tells us that
when His Close Friend (Khaleel) Ibraaheem migrated from the land of his people, he asked
his Lord to grant him a righteous son, so Allaah gave him the glad tidings of a forbearing
boy. This was Ismaa’eel (peace be upon him), because he was the first child who was
born (to Ibraaheem, peace be upon him). There is no dispute on this point among the
followers of the various religions [Jews, Christians and Muslims], that (Ismaa’eel)
was the first child born to Ibraaheem.

“And, when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him” means,
when he grew up and was able to take care of himself, like his father. Mujaahid said: “And,
when he (his son) was old enough to walk with him” means, when he grew up and was
able to ride and walk and work like his father did. When this happened, then Ibraaheem
(peace be upon him) saw a dream in which he was commanded to sacrifice this son of his.
According to a hadeeth narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas and attributed to the Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): “The dreams of the Prophets are Wahy
(revelation).” So Allaah was testing His Close Friend by commanding him to sacrifice
this beloved son who had come to him in his old age, when he was very old, and after he
had been commanded to settle the child and his mother in the desert, in a valley in which
there was no noise, no people, no vegetation and no animals. So Ibraaheem obeyed the
command of Allaah and left them there, putting his trust in Allaah, and Allaah sent them
provision, from an unexpected source. After all that, when Ibraaheem was ordered to
sacrifice this son of his, who was his firstborn and his only child, he responded to his
Lord and obeyed His command, hastening to do as He willed. So he told his son about it so
as to put him at ease and not sacrifice him by force.

“He said: ‘O my son! I have seen in a dream that I am
slaughtering you (offering you in sacrifice to Allaah). So look what you
think!’” The forbearing boy immediately responded: “He said: ‘O
my father! Do that which you are commanded, In shaa’ Allaah (if Allaah wills), you
shall find me of As-Saabiroon (the patient).’” This was the best answer he
could give, an example of obedience to his father and to the Lord of mankind. Allaah said
(interpretation of the meaning):

“Then, when they had both submitted themselves (to the Will of
Allaah), and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead (or on the side of his forehead for
slaughtering).” It was said that “when they had both submitted themselves”
meant when they had both surrendered to the command of Allaah. “and he had laid
him prostrate on his forehead” means that he put him face down. It was said that
he wanted to slaughter him from behind so that he would not see his face at the time of
slaughter. This was the view of Ibn ‘Abbaas, Mujaahid, Sa’eed ibn Jubayr,
Qutaadah and al-Dahhaak… “They both submitted themselves” means that
Ibraaheem said Bismillaahi’r-Rahmaan ir-Raheem and said Allaahu akbar
and the boy said La ilaaha ill-Allaah because he was about to die. Al-Saddi and
others said that (Ibraaheem) passed the knife over the boy’s throat but it did not
cut him at all. It was said that a sheet of copper was placed between the knife and his
throat, and Allaah knows best. Then it was called out from Allaah:

“’O Ibraaheem! You have fulfilled the dream!’” meaning,
the purpose has been achieved, you have been tested and your obedience and willingness to
do what your Lord commands have been proven. An alternative sacrifice will be provided
instead of your son, just as you willingly submitted your body to the flames and you spent
your wealth to honour your guests. Hence Allaah said:

“Verily, that indeed was a manifest trial” meaning
that it was an obvious test.

“And We ransomed him with a great sacrifice” means, We
provided a ransom for his son, an alternative to be sacrificed in his stead. According to
the best known opinion of the majority of scholars, this was a fine white horned ram.
Al-Thawri narrated from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Uthmaan ibn Khaytham from Sa’eed
ibn Jubayr that Ibn ‘Abbaas said: It was a ram that had grazed in Paradise for forty
years.

It was also narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas that the dried ram’s
head was still hanging on the downspout of the Ka’bah. This alone is evidence that
the one who was to be sacrificed was Ismaa’eel, because he was the one who was
settled in Makkah and we have never heard that Ishaaq ever came to Makkah from the time he
was little. And Allaah knows best.

See Al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah by Ibn Katheer, 1/157-158

The one who was to be sacrificed was Ismaa’eel and not Ishaaq,
because of the reasons stated above. In his Tafseer (commentary) on these Ayaat,
Ibn Katheer also mentioned a number of points which prove that it was Ismaa’eel who
was to be sacrificed. These points may be summed up as follows:

Ismaa’eel was the first child of whom glad tidings were given to
Ibraaheem. He was older than Ishaaq according to the consensus of the Muslims and the
People of the Book (Jews and Christians). According to the scriptures of the People of the
Book, it was stated that Allaah commanded Ibraaheem to sacrifice his only son, and in some
manuscripts it says that he was to sacrifice his first-born son.

The first son is usually more dear than other children, so the command
to sacrifice him is a more exacting test.

It is mentioned that glad tidings of a forbearing boy were given, and
that he was the one who was to be sacrificed. Later in the passage it says (interpretation
of the meaning): “And We gave him the glad tidings of Ishaaq (Isaac) ¾ a Prophet from the righteous.” When the angels brought
the glad tidings of Ishaaq to Ibraaheem, they said: “We give you glad tidings of a
boy (son) possessing much knowledge and wisdom” [al-Hijr 15:53 – interpretation
of the meaning].

Allâh said (interpretation of the meaning): “But We gave her
glad tidings of Ishaaq, and after him, of Ya’qoob.” (Hood 11:71) meaning
that a child called Ya’qoob would be born during their (Sara and Ishaaq’s)
lifetimes, and he would have many descendents… and it does not sound right for
Ibraaheem to be commanded to sacrifice him when he was little, because Allaah had promised
that he would have many descendents.

Ismaa’eel is described here (in Soorat al-Saffaat) as being
“forbearing” because this is very appropriate in this context.

Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 4/15. And Allaah knows best.

 

The reason why the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led the other Prophets in prayer during the Isra’ (Night Journey)

 

What is the reason why the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led the other prophets in prayer on the night of the Isra’? What does this indicate?.

Praise be to Allaah.
 

 

The reason why the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) was made to go forward to lead the other Prophets in
prayer in al-Masjid al-Aqsa, which is the home of the Prophets from
Ibraaheem al-Khaleel (peace be upon him) is that our Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is the greatest leader, as was
stated by al-Haafiz ibn Katheer (may Allaah have mercy on him) at the
beginning of his commentary on Soorat al-Isra’. He also said, when
discussing how the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
led the other Prophets in prayer: “Then his honourable status and
superiority to them was manifested when he was made to go forward to lead
them in prayer, when Jibreel (peace be upon him) indicated to him that he
should do so.” 

Undoubtedly our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) is the foremost among the Prophets. He (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “I will be the leader of the sons of
Adam on the Day of Resurrection and the first for whom the grave will be
opened and the first to intercede and the first whose intercession will be
accepted.”

Narrated by Muslim, 2278. 

One of the scholars suggested another reason why he
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was made to go forward to lead
the Prophets in prayer. He said: The Prophet’s words, “I led them (in
prayer)” indicate – and Allaah knows best – that this ummah took over the
position of leading mankind.  

And Allaah knows best.

How can a father treat his children equally when there are individual differences between them?

 

There is no doubt that each individual has his own character that Allah has given to him. Although there are characteristics that are common to all human beings, people vary with regard to the way those characteristics are combined. My question is with regard to children: how can a father deal fairly with those differences and treat his children – male and female – equally when each of them has a different attitude and character that make the parents more favourably inclined towards some rather than others?.

Praise be to Allaah.

1.

Allah, may He be exalted, created His creation and caused
them to vary in characteristics, nature and attitude. This is something real
and visible, and these differences are common throughout the world. Even
within one family differences may be seen between the children. There is
great divine wisdom in that and it is indicative of Allah’s great power. 

2.

It cannot be denied that  a father will feel more inclined
towards the child who has good characteristics, whether physical or in his
attitude, or is of a nature to which people are attracted, such as if he is
cheerful, easygoing and kind. The fact that a child is male does not
necessarily mean that a parent will be inclined towards him; rather we find
that many fathers are more attached to their daughters, and so on. 

3.

The father cannot be blamed for such inclinations, but it is
not wise to express that in front of the children, because of the negative
results that stem from that. But if he has only one child, then he may
express all his feelings and no one will blame him for that. 

4.

Many parents do not realise that showing preference to the
child who is distinguished by good and attractive characteristics may be
harmful to that child who is so distinguished. That may lead to making him
proud and big headed, or it may lead him to become lazy or idle and rely on
others to meet his needs. There is no doubt that such a child will never be
of benefit to himself or to his parents or the rest of his family. 

5.

The family in which the parents -- especially the father --
favours one of the children over the others causes many negative
consequences, such as the following: 

(a)  
The other children will be
discouraged from succeeding or advancing in both religious and worldly terms

(b) 
It may cause them to suffer
psychological or physical illness.

(c)  
It may lead to resentment
against the favoured sibling, which may go as far as murder! 

Parents who favour some of their family over others are
playing a role in the break-up and destruction of that family, because that
favouritism sows the seeds of enmity, resentment and destructive envy among
their children. So those who are less favoured may gang up on the one who is
favoured over them, and even against their parents. The one who ponders the
story of Yoosuf (peace be upon him) and sees what they did to him and his
other brother will clearly see that what we are saying is true. Allah, may
He be exalted, has told us the reason why they did that to their brother
Yoosuf. Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“When they said: ‘Truly, Yoosuf (Joseph) and his brother
(Benjamin) are dearer to our father than we, while we are ‘Usbah (a strong
group). Really, our father is in a plain error.

9. ‘Kill Yoosuf (Joseph) or cast him out to some (other)
land, so that the favour of your father may be given to you alone, and after
that you will be righteous folk (by intending repentance before committing
the sin)’”

[Yoosuf 12:8, 9].

There is no doubt that Ya‘qoob (peace be upon him) was not
mistreating those other sons of his; the only thing that made them do that
was his feelings of love towards his son Yoosuf (peace be upon him). So how
about the case of brothers whose father has wronged them by giving to one of
their brothers what he did not give to them? 

6.

One of the most well-known ways in which parents favour some
of their children over others is with regard to giving, which is something
that is forbidden according to the laws of Allah. Among the bad effects that
result from this kind of favouritism is that it causes children to be
disobedient towards their parents, so that they do not all treat their
parents with the same level of respect and kindness. Our Prophet Muhammad
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) drew attention to that and
clearly stated that favouritism in giving is wrongdoing and unfair. 

It was narrated that al-Nu‘maan ibn Basheer (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: My father took me to the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: “O Messenger of Allaah, bear
witness that I have given such and such of my wealth to al-Nu‘maan.” He
said: “Did you give to all your children the same as you have given to
al-Nu‘maan?” He said: “No.” He said: “Let someone else bear witness to that
for you.” Then he said: “Would you not like all your children to honour you
equally?” He said: “Yes.” He said: “Then no (I will not bear witness).”  

Narrated by Muslim (3059). 

Just as Allah, may He be exalted, has forbidden this
favouritism among children in giving, He has also forbidden something else,
namely making a bequest to any one of them. He has forbidden making a
bequest to an heir (one who automatically inherits according to sharee‘ah).
All these rulings are in the best interests of the family and lay the
foundations for family unity, not division.  

7.

The father should realize that not one of his children is
perfect. If he favours one of his children for some reason, if he is
fair-minded he will also find that the child has some other, negative,
characteristics. The opposite may also be said of those whom he does not
favour: many of them may have many positive qualities. A child who is loved
for the way he moves and speaks may not be able to help the family by buying
groceries from the store, and he may not be good at welcoming and serving
guests. Parents should pay attention to that. They should encourage the good
characteristics of their children and help them to develop them, and not
expect the others to be the same. Each person will be helped to do that for
which he was created. One of them may love to work, another may love to seek
knowledge; a third may love to deal in trade. Some of them may have
characteristics that are not found in others. The wise father tries to
develop that and makes them complement one another. If he praises the
positive characteristics in one child, he should also praise the positive
characteristics in others, so that there will be no destructive envy or
resentment among them, by Allah’s leave and with His help. 

8.

By the same token, parents should also beware of scolding
children for their mistakes and demanding that one child be like his brother
So and so. Rather he should mention to him relatives or neighbours of the
same age, or encourage him to develop good characteristics whilst
discouraging bad characteristics, without mentioning anyone in particular,
because comparing him with a sibling who is better than him in this case
would generate enmity and resentment between them. 

9.

It is not fair for the father to treat the disobedient one
among his children the same as he treats the one who obeys him, otherwise
the obedient one will not have any advantages. He has to make it clear that
the one who does good -- such as helping his mother in the house or
memorizing Qur’aan -- will have a reward, whereas the one who behaves badly
will be deprived of it or penalized -- according to whatever misdemeanours
the children may commit. Of course, we do not mean here that he should give
him a gift -- we have explained above that doing that is haraam; rather we
mean that he should praise him by saying good things, or giving him more
pocket money, or he can let him play a permissible game for longer than the
one who misbehaved, and so on. This is the fairness that we encourage in
parents; not treating all of them -- those who behave well and those who
behave badly -- in the same manner, otherwise it would be unfair to the one
who is obedient. 

The father has the right to withhold from the one who is
stubbornly disobedient the money with which he commits sin; in fact it is
obligatory for the father to do that, so that he can prevent his child from
doing that which angers his Lord, may He be exalted. 

Shaykh ‘Abd-Allah al-Jibreen (may Allah have mercy on him)
said: 

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said:
“I will not bear witness to unfairness,” meaning that if the father was more
inclined towards one of them, then he may be called unfair or unjust, but it
may be that doing that is permissible if the one whom he favours is
righteous and the other one is an evildoer and sinner. If he tries to set
him straight and fails, and the child becomes disobedient and defiant
towards his parents and disobedient towards Allah, turning away from Him and
from worship, and indulging in consuming intoxicants and committing evil
deeds and sins, and his parents cannot set him straight --- in that case,
there is nothing to stop the parents (treating their children differently).
In that case it is permissible for them to overlook the issue of equality
and not treat him the same as others. Rather they should be strict in
dealing with him, even if they deprive him of their care or spending on him,
or they penalize him in a way that will bring him back to the right path,
with the help of Allah. 

Duroos al-Shaykh Ibn Jibreen
(1/23) 

10.

Another matter we advise parents to do is to direct their
children’s feelings towards the one among their siblings who deserves
compassion and love. For example, one of the children may have a disability,
so the parents should direct their children to show compassion and love
towards their sibling before themselves. In this way they will ensure that
the one who has the disability will be given his share of compassion, and
they will ensure that there will be no ill feeling between them and their
sibling. 

11.

No matter what the differences in the characters and natures
of the children, fairness between them in visible matters is something that
is prescribed in Islam. If the father pays the marriage expenses for one of
them, he should also do that for each of them who wants to get married. If
he pays for the medical treatment of one of them who falls sick, he should
do the same for whoever needs treatment. If he contributes to the education
of one of them, he should do the same for the others too -- so long as it
falls within the category of permissible education. The same may also be
said with regard to maintenance and clothing. He should treat all of his
children fairly with regard to this matter. But we do not say that it should
be the same; rather it should be fair. What we mean by that is that he
should give each of them what is sufficient for him. Indeed, some of the
salaf were of the view that it is mustahabb to be fair with children in the
matter of kissing them! 

Imam al-Baghawi (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
commenting on the hadeeth of al-Nu‘maan ibn Basheer quoted above: 

There are many lessons to be learned from this hadeeth, such
as: it is mustahabb to treat children equally in gift-giving and in all
kinds of kindness, even kisses, whether they are male or female, so that
there will not be anything in the heart of the less-favoured one that will
keep him from honouring the parents. 

Sharh al-Sunnah, 8/297

 It was narrated that Ibraaheem al-Nakha‘i said: They
regarded it as mustahabb for a man to treat his children equally even with
regard to kissing. 

Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah,
11/221 

Similarly, he should not favour any child over another. This
does not mean that he should have the same feelings towards all of them,
because that is something that the father does not have control over. Rather
he has control over being fair towards them in outward matters, as is the
case with one who has more than one wife: he is not forbidden to love one of
his wives more than another, but at the same time he is enjoined to treat
them fairly with regard to that which he has control over, namely being fair
with regard to outward matters such as maintenance, spending the night with
them, and clothing.  

We ask Allah to enable you to do that which pleases Him, and
to help you to achieve fairness among your children. 

And Allah knows best.