Progress

Real Progress

''You are the best nation brought forth from mankind, enjoining the good, forbidding the evil and believing in Allah''

[ Ale-Imran: 110]

Indeed if we look to the Muslim Ummah today we can see that she has great potential; she accounts for almost 1.5 billion people; about a quarter of the world's population. The Muslim lands have been blessed with a multitude of resources and wealth; it is our lands that are rich in oil, in minerals, and in other commodities. The Muslim Ummah occupies the most strategic locations in the world, including the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The Muslims also have a glittering heritage which included leading the world for over a 1000 years when the Islamic State was the flower of the globe and the rising sun amongst nations; Islam was at the zenith of innovation, science, technology and creativity. In addition to all of these facts no one can deny that the most important resource that the Muslim's have is the fact that Allah (swt) gave them the greatest message for humanity; the deen of Islam.

Allah (swt) said

''Verily we have made you an Ummah in equilibrium, so that you may witness the affairs of mankind, and the Messenger is a witness over you''

[ Al-Baqarah: 143]

Despite having been blessed with all of these things; a massive population, plentiful resources, strategic locations, a glorious heritage and the Islamic ideology we find that Muslim Ummah is in a weak position intellectually, politically, militarily and economically. I could bring many examples to illustrate this point;

Intellectual weakness;

Many Muslims call for solutions built on a very superficial type of thought e.g. peace process in the Middle East.

Political weakness;

The Muslims are not consulted over any issue of global importance or even regional importance; decisions are taken for them not by them.

Military weakness;

recent situation in Iraq, F-15 planes and Pakistan, maintenance contracts.

Economic weakness; value of currency in Pakistan, economic crises in Far East, massive debts of Gulf countries even though they are so rich in resources (oil price fixing).

I do not need to bring any more examples to illustrate the simple point that the Ummah is simply not fulfilling the potential that you would expect of her given the factors I have already mentioned. At the other end of the spectrum the Western world has made many spectacular discoveries such as nuclear fusion, silicon chips, in-vitro fertilisation and genetic cloning. Indeed these discoveries and inventions have had a massive impact on life as we know it; the world has become a much smaller place to traverse by air travel, communication occurs by e-mail and satellite and complex tasks are performed by computers.

The problem however arises when the people look to the West and feel that only the West deserves to lead mankind since she controls ''nature''.

What I want to consider today is the effect such discoveries that the West has made has had on the Muslims, and especially those of special expertise (professionals), why such advances have not occurred in the Muslim World, and what the future holds for Muslim professionals.

The effect of Western advances on the Muslim mindset

It is the feeling of many Muslims, especially the professionals, that the West is moving ahead at lightning speed and inventing new technologies and discovering new phenomena. When they pick up any journal whether from medicine, biochemistry or chemical engineering, they see that it is the West who is at the forefront of the research and that little research takes place in the Muslim World.

There is a real feeling amongst the professionals that the West is leaving us behind in the era of camels, and the abacus. This has led many of our great minds to come to the West in order to seek an education, or to work for a Western company or government. At worst it has led to the call to westernise the Muslim world in order to move forward. The call for modernisation has become intertwined with the notion of Westernisation.

So it is no surprise that many of the people who work for NASA are Muslim. The team that designed stealth technology was Muslim. Many doctors in the Western countries are Muslim. Muslim engineers work on defence contracts and petroleum projects. There is indeed no doubt whatsoever that Muslims have the ability and the expertise to undertake such actions.

The problem however is that the dominance of the West has led many Muslims to feel that Islam is somehow out of place in the 21Th century or that to follow Islam will lead to backwardness.

It is almost as if Allah (swt) sent his Messenger (saw) unaware of a phenomena called the 21Th century, and processes such as genetic cloning. Islam is equated with the camel as a mode of transport and the bow and arrow in military strategy; how could the laws of 1400 years ago be applicable in the era of semiconductors and chromosome mapping.

Why does a massive gulf exist between the West and the Muslim World?

So why is it that the Muslims seem to be the most backward nation on the planet? Why are our professionals scattered all over the globe working for non-Muslim capitalist ventures? Have the Muslims always been the most backward nation on earth? Is the phenomena of technology unique to the West and the phenomena of the Muslim Ummah backwardness? These are the questions which we must grapple with and explore and answer in order to understand the future role of Muslim professionals in the Islamic world. Are our great thinkers, great physicians, engineers and scientists destined to stay in the heartlands of kufr while their countries remain stooped in poverty and squalid conditions?

Anyone who looks objectively at the questions I have raised would realise the following

The technology that has characterised the West in the last century is not a unique phenomena; the leading nations of the past have been the pioneers of many inventions; the Romans, Persians and Egyptians led the world for many years with their discoveries.

The Islamic State for over 1000 years was at the technological zenith of the world; many of the leading works in medicine, surgery, astronomy, mathematics and science were written by the Muslims; the Islamic State was the centre of scientific advancement.

So it is clear that in the past the Muslims were not backward but were the leaders of humanity in all fields. Even the non-Muslim historians realise this;

''The feeling of inferiority with which Western Europe confronted Islamic civilisation had various facets. Islamic technology was superior to European at many points and more luxuries were available to Muslims...... Militarily the Saracens had been feared in the past, but now the Norman knights were proving a match for them. The extent of Islamic rule, however, was formidable. In the early twelfth century, men regarded the world as consisting of three parts, Asia, Africa and Europe. The largest of these, Asia, was thought to be almost entirely Muslim, and so was much of Africa, while not the whole of Europe was Christian. In this way it was supposed that nearly two-thirds of the world was Muslim. For any Christian who had come in contact with Muslims, too, their unshakable sense of superiority must have been disturbing. In general the feelings of western Europeans against Islam were not unlike those of an underprivileged class in a great state.''

[Montgomery Watt, The Influence of Islam on Europe]

The Islamic state was a centre of learning; the universities of Baghdad, Damascus and Cairo were the leading educational institutions; people from the West used to come there to study (look how the situation is opposite today) So why as the situation changed today?

What is different about the 21Th century? Surely if Islam was able to transform a people of fighting tribes into the leading nation on earth then Islam must be able to transform our situation today? Even more importantly, didn't Allah (swt) oblige us to live according to his rules and laws in all spheres of life, not just in the mosque?

If Islam is compatible with modern day life and the technological world we live in then what is the future of Muslim professionals and how is it that the Muslim nation would regain the position she once had?

In order to answer these most important questions I want to give certain scenarios as examples in order to show the future of Muslim professionals in the Islamic world.

Case Study 1

Every year we see that when the rains come to Bangladesh there is widespread flooding. This year two-thirds of the country was under water. Alongside the flooding comes other problems such as famine, lack of housing and water-borne illnesses. Why is it that such problems occur every year, year in, year out? How does Islam deal with such problems and what would be the future role of Muslim professionals in dealing with this problem?

Bangladesh does not solve her problems according to Islam. She rather imitates the Western countries in their policies and relies heavily on them. She has embraced the NGOs and the idea of population control. She spends large amounts servicing the interest on her debts. She spends money buying American rice while growing cash crops. The rulers can see no material benefits in preventing flooding.

How would Islam deal with these issues?

Muhammad (saw) said

''The Imam (ruler) is a shepherd and he will be asked about his subjects''

A Sahabi (ra) came to the Prophet (saw) complaining about his hunger and showed him (saw) one rock which he had tied against his stomach to suppress the pain from the hunger. Then the Prophet (saw) displayed his stomach, he (saw) had two rocks tied. This incident exemplifies the nature and the attitude a statesman should have regarding his people.

Umar bin al-Khattab said ,

''If an animal, in the land of Iraq, trips, I would be afraid that Allah would question me for it, why did I not fix the road for it''

So the Muslim civil engineers, architects and planners would not be allowed to overlook the problem of flooding because there was no immediate material benefit. Rather they would deal with it and the state would have to provide them with the resources to use their expertise.

Look to the Netherlands which are mainly under sea level; not only do they not suffer from such problems but they have ''reclaimed'' land from the sea and built cities upon it. The problems of famine are nothing new and the Muslim professionals have the skills and expertise to deal with such problems if the motivation existed like it existed for Muhammad (saw) and the Sahaba (ra) and the Khulafa'a. During the time of Umar bin al-Khattab canals were dug such as the Abu Musa Canal from the Tigris to Basra and the Amriul Mumimun canal was dug from the Nile to the Red Sea. During the famine of 639 AD grain was brought from Egypt to Madina via these routes.

The example of Bangladesh shows the importance of having the Islamic system in place in order to solve the problems of the Muslims; we need the education system to produce people of the calibre of statesman and to produce engineers and doctors and scientists. We need the economy in place in order to ensure that we are self-sufficient and can initiate the projects that we desire. The health care system needs to exist in order to treat the sick which ultimately result from ''natural'' disasters; I will expand on some of these points in the next example.

Case Study 2

I know someone who once met a Pakistani working for the Saudi air force travelling between Makkah and Madinah. He said that when a fuse blows in the American supplied planes or ground systems that the Saudis had to call the Americans.

There are certain problems that are widespread in our lands;

Our countries do not produce aircraft, the latest missiles or large aircraft carriers, so this makes us very reliant on others. When we buy such equipment off the Western nations we usually buy their rejects, give them the maintenance agreements and allow them to have intimate knowledge of our weaponry (e.g. of F-16 jets ordered by Pakistan from USA; money refunded).So how is it that Islam would deal with the problem of military reliance on other nations? From the outset Islam does not look to this problem as a solely military problem requiring attention from army men and strategists only. Indeed the order to produce weaponry came in the Qur'an when Allah (swt) said:

''Make ready for them all you can of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that thereby you may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others beside them whom you know not. Allah knows them. Whatsoever you spend in the way of Allah it will be repaid to you in full, and you will not be wronged.''

[ Al-Anfal:60]

The Muslims of the past responded to this command without any reluctance in their hearts at all; they heard and obeyed. The Muslims didn't just restrict themselves to horses in order to fulfil the command of Allah. Muhammad (saw) adopted the ditch from the Persians and used it in the battle of al-Ahzab. The Muslims adopted the catapult and Umar bin al-Khattab used the Dabbabah, a wooden tower of several storeys which moved on wheels, and was useful in penetrating forts under siege. During the time of Umar (ra) the navy was started. Tariq bin Ziyad later used such technology to open up Spain to Islam after crossing the sea.

How was all of this possible over 1000 years ago is a question which many Muslims may ask.

The answer to this question is very simple indeed; the Muslims were motivated by Islam alone, and responded to Allah's command in this ayah; they did not buy weaponry to support the economies of the enemy like our rulers today but rather invented weaponry and strategies of war since their fate in the hereafter depended on it. In essence the Islamic State provided the infrastructure required to produce such military advances; the economic system, the education system, the industry of the state and the health care system were all geared towards fulfilling this ayah.

So the economy was geared towards developing new weapons and acquiring weapons. Capital was injected into these things. Muhammad (saw) used to use the war booty to improve the army. The Khulafa'a used the money of the Islamic State in order to make the Islamic army a formidable enemy. Salahuddin established a massive shipyard in Beirut in order to defeat the Crusaders.

The education system was geared towards generating people who were statesman; the likes of Salahudin, Sulayman al-Qanuni, Muhammad al-Fatih, Muhammad bin Qasim, Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, just to name a few; The Muslims were not the best in astronomy because they had affection for the stars but rather because they were obliged to pray towards Makkah so they determined the direction using the stars. They also used the stars to navigate themselves towards the enemy territories (cf. Radar and satellite systems). The best people in the military were also great Islamic thinkers; indeed you want the people with the best Islamic culture at the forefront of the battle.

When Muslims launch war on her enemies there will undoubtedly be casualties and injured people who require treatment. This means that the Islamic state must have an excellent health care system. In the past Muhammad (saw) was given two physicians by another ruler, but Muhammad (saw) made them open to the public. When the army of Jihad used to go out under the Khulafa'a Rashidun it was accompanied by physicians and surgeons to treat the injured and sick. Muslims did not become the leading physicians, surgeons and scientists just for the sake of academia. Rather they were responding to the command of Muhammad (saw) when he said:

"Allah has created the illness and the cure, so seek the cure''.

So the Muslim doctors of yesteryear were not motivated by massive multinational drug companies who were looking just for material benefit (e.g. Viagra). Rather they understood the need to use their expertise in order to fulfil the command of Allah. So the challenge that faces the Muslim professionals in the future is to rise to the command of Allah (swt) when he ordered us to prepare our weaponry as mentioned in the ayah above. Anyone of us can see that it is impossible just to organise the professionals in this room to establish such technology; what is required is the Islamic state which implements the Islamic systems in their entirety and which ensures that the infrastructure exists to make the Islamic State the leading nation in the world.

Conclusion

Islam is capable of solving the problems of the twentieth century in the same manner in which it solved problems for over 1000 years; Islam is capable of transforming the Muslim Ummah from the state she is in to the leading nation just like it transformed from one ayah in a cave in Makkah most of the world, and made a group of fighting tribes into the leading nation.

The Muslims used to lead the world in all fields when the Islamic State existed since the motivation was the Islamic Aqeeda alone; our backwardness today is a reflection of our non-adherence to Islam rather than our adherence to Islam. E.g. Turkey used to be a part of the Islamic State which was the leading nation in the world. Mustafa Kemal destroyed the Islamic State and adopted Westernisation while the people remained Muslim; he hoped that maybe by imitating the West we would reap the same fruits that they had; Turkey is still a declined nation, under the control of the Western nations even though she was once the leader of humanity.

The future of Muslim professionals must be seen in the same way as the Sahaba viewed the future (narration about Abdullah bin Masud); technology was not used in order to establish the Islamic State and nor was it focused upon over and above the issue of the Islamic rule; however when the Islamic State was established the Muslims immediately excelled in this area.

Even in the West they have realised that a nation's ideas about life are much more important than a piece of silicon or an aircraft; professor Samuel Huntington, a leading Western political thinker, states in an essay entitled, The West: Unique, not Universal, ''Western civilization emerged in the 8th and 9th centuries... developed its distinct characteristics in the centuries that followed... and modernized in the 18th century. The West was western long before it was modern.''

So the Muslim professionals of today must realise that the Islamic ideas are much more important than any invention or discovery; the Muslims of the past held the Shahada much more dearly than street lights or the catapult; Americans hang on to the idea of liberty much more than smart weapon technology or the Internet.

The future of Muslim professionals in the Islamic world is intrinsically linked to the issue of the Islamic State; in the continual absence of the Islamic state, not only do we remain sinful, but we continue to enforce the Western hegemony over our lands; we allow our resources to be used to line their pockets; we accepts our thinkers and professionals to work for the enemy; we allow our countries to remain stooped in backwardness and deprivation.

Allah (swt) said;

''We sent foretime our apostles with Clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance (of Right and Wrong) that men may stand forth in justice; and We sent down Iron in which is (material for) mighty war as well as many benefits for mankind that Allah may test who it is that will help Him and His apostles, though unseen; for Allah is Full of Strength exalted in Might (and able to enforce His will).''

[ Al-Hadid:25]

Fiqh Studies

Fiqh Studies

From the texts of the Book and the Sunnah are those which are ’aam (general); which is defined as that word which is inclusive of many ajnaas (categories), anwaa’ (types) and afraad (individuals). This majority of the texts are of this nature.

Example of 'Aam(general) text

"And establish regular Prayer and give regular Charity; and loan to Allah a Beautiful Loan"

(Surah Muzzamil)

This verse is general verse and it addresses all Muslims.

Other texts are khaass (specific), and are indicative of only some categories, types and individuals. Thus, if there does not exist any contradiction between the ’aam and the khaass texts, then each of them are independently acted upon. However, if a contradiction is presumed, then the ’aam is specified and delineated by the khaas.

As an example,Allah (swt) says

"And when you travel in the land, there is no sin on you if you shorten the prayer if you fear that the disbelievers may put you in trial. Verily, the disbelievers are ever unto you open enemies"

[An-Nisa: 101]

This verse is specific(khaas) to those who are one a journey.This verse gives permission to shorten the prayer during a journey.

A.'Aam text(General)

"And proclaim to mankind the Hajj. They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj)

(Al-hajj:27)

This verse commands all Muslims to perform hajj.

Khaas text(Specific)

Allah swt says

“ Pilgrimage thereto is a duty man owes to God- those who can afford the journey”

In this verse Allah(swt) informs that Hajj is obligatory to only those who can afford the journey.

Some verses of the Quran addresses both Muslim men and women in general(aam) and other verses addresses either men or women.

Examples

1.But no, I swear by your lord (Allah), they will have no Iman, until they make you, (O Prophet) rule between them in whatever they dispute amongst themselves, and then they find no resistance in their souls from what you have decided, instead they submit with absolute submission"

[ An-Nisa: 65]

2.And whosoever does not rule by what Allah has revealed, they are the Zalimun (Oppressors)."

[ 5:45]

3.And whosoever does not rule by what Allah has revealed, they are the Fasiqun (Transgressors)."

[ 5:47]

Some verses addresses only men or only women(ie.khaas)

Examples

a.Men

Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has made one of them to excel the other, and because they spend (to support them) from their means. Therefore the righteous women are devoutly obedient, and guard in their husbands absence what Allah orders them to guard. As to those women on whose part you see rebellion, first admonish them, next refuse to share their beds and last beat them (lightly), but if they return to obedience, seek not against them any means (of annoyance): Surely Allah is Ever Most High, Most Great"

[An- Nisa: 34]

b.Women

"Let them draw their head-coverings (khumur) over their necks and bosoms (juyub). And let them not display (more of) their charms to any but their husbands..."

[An- Nur: 31]

Mutlaq and Muqayyad Texts

From the texts are the mutlaq (absolute) and the muqayyad (restricted) ones. It is restricted by a description or a reliable restriction. Thus, the mutlaq is restricted and qualified by the muqayyad

Example of Mutlaq text(absolute or unrestricted)

"A book" is mutlaq text because there is no further description of the book.Hence it means any kind of bookExample of Muqayyad text(restricted)

Mutlaq and Muqayyad Texts in the Quran and Sunnah

A.Mutlaq TextThe male thief and female thief cut off their hands

(5:38)

Here the word 'thief' is mentioned without any further description.

B.Muqayyad Text

Prophet (SAW) said :There is no cutting - of the hand - unless the thing stolen is worth a fourth of a Dinar or more

(Bukari & Muslim)

The Hadith explains the word 'thief' and restricts it by 'as-sareq' (the thief) who steals something worth a fourth of a Dinar

We also must take into account exegesis of Islamic texts with principles such as “Al-Qur’ân yufassiru ba`duhu ba`dan” (parts of the Qur’an explain each other) and “yuhmal al-mutlaq `alâ al-muqayyad”(unqualified expressions and statements must be interpreted in light of qualified expressions and statements) which basically means that an âyah or Hadith might be explained in greater detail by another âyah or Hadith. Also, many statements need other statements to give it clarification so that an âyah that is intended to be for a specific situation is shown as such due to other statements (whether it be from the Holy Qur’an or Sunnah) that make it exclusive not inclusive to other situations.

Mind

The Role of the Mind

versus Role of the TextAllah (swt) tells us about the Hajj which is approaching soon, the translation of which is:

"For Hajj are the months well known. If anyone undertakes that duty therein let there be no obscenity nor wickedness nor wrangling in the Hajj. And whatever good you do (be sure) Allah knoweth it. And take a provision (with you) for the journey but the best of provisions is right conduct. So fear Me o you that are wise!"

[ 2:197]

Every Muslim knows about the Hajj (pilgrimage) which is performed every year, and indeed we will know of people amongst our families and communities who have been to the Houses of Allah (swt).It is a pillar of Islam, which is obligation for us to perform at least once in our lifetime if we have the capability and the means.We know of the various obligatory acts like the Tawaf around the Ka'ba, the running between Safa and Marwa, the stoning of the Jamarat (the Shaytan) and the wearing of the Ihram.Bi'ismillah, today I want to focus on the topic of our motivation as Muslims in performing the obligations, Hajj being one of them.Today due to the intellectual decline and the weakening of the mentalities, many Muslims have become defeated to the extent that they try and defend the rules (Ahkam) of Islam by inventing reasons for these rules from their own minds. As an example with the obligation of Hajj, some Muslims propose that the reason why we perform this action is because it is a show of brotherhood, or due to the fact that it has a historical significance in relation to the previous Prophets (as) like Ibrahim (as). Others propose that the reason behind performing the Hajj is that it brings peace of mind, that for a few days we can forget about the world thus relieving our stress and tension.

Other examples of this apologetic defeated mentality can be seen if we look to the way some people invent reasons for the rules relating to ibadah.E.g.A prime example is reason given behind the rule in Islam stating that Pork is haram, people argue that this is because of its dirty unhygienic nature.E.g Lot of people claim that the reason for fasting is to improve our health or digestive system,even though there is text to prove this claim.

However we need to realise that these views are false and fundamentally flawed. They have originated from a misunderstanding of a basic concept in Islam, the role of the mind and the role of the text, which essentially is the topic of the Legislator (Al-Hakim). It is related to our very belief and all the commands and prohibitions we follow as I shall explain. It is vital for any Muslim to be clear on this topic.At the heart of the issue is a historical debate, which has existed for centuries - whether man can judge what is good or bad, halal or haram for himself. Whether people can objectively decide rules and regulations for themselves. Whether humankind has the right to legislate. Whether the mind is sovereign or not.This issue should be clear for us as Muslims. We recognise that Allah (swt) created us different to the animals, that he instilled within us the ability to think. And Allah (swt) emphasised that we use our thinking when it comes to accepting the belief in His (swt) existence. He (swt) said:"Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of night and day, they are indeed signs for men of understanding." Indeed the Quran and the ahadith of the Prophet provoke us to think. One of the famous statements of the Sahaba like Ibn Abbas was, "An Noor al Iman atafakur" "The light of Iman is the thought" When to use the Mind and When to use the Text

Our mind can judge the reality, for example we can judge that fire burns and that light comes from the Sun. These are definite judgements on the reality. In the same way we know that the Universe, Man and life must have a Creator. We should hold this belief in the same way that we believe that fire burns.We can also objectively conclude that the Quran is the word of Allah (swt). We know that all the Prophets (as) brought proofs of their Prophethood.

Musa (as) threw his staff which turned into a snake defying the illusionists of his day, Isa (as) cured lepresy and even brought the dead back to life defying the reality. Muhammad (saw) was at a time where the people were heightened in the Arabic language, they were experts in poetry and literature, the Quran which is a miracle for all time, challenged them and challenges the world to produce anything similar to it.

Allah (swt) says:

"Or say they: He has invented it? Say: Then bring a surah like unto it, and call (for help) on all you can besides Allah, if you are truthful."

[ 10:38]

Once we believe in Allah (swt) and in the Quran as being His (swt) word. We have to follow every command, Allah gives us whether He gives us a reason or not. We cannot invent reasons for the Ahkam Sharia.Just because we can't understand the reasons behind some of the rules doesn't mean that we reject them or become negligent in following them. E.g. the specific rules of Hajj - we cannot use our minds to decide how many tawaf we should be obligatory to perform.E.g. Salah(prayer) - if I were to say that today in the Salah, instead of reading Surah al Fateha I will read from the torah, the bible and the American constitution - none of us would accept this because we know that the basic structure of Salah is strictly defined Islam.

An excellent example which demonstrates this is that of Ibrahim (as) when he was ordered by Allah (swt) to sacrifice his son. Allah (swt) explains this incident in the Quran, He (swt) says:

Allah (SWT) in Surah Saaffaat tells us about the example of Ibrahim (as). He (SWT) says:

"O my Lord! grant me a righteous (son)! So We gave him the good news of a boy ready to suffer and forbear. Then when (the son) reached (the age of) (serious) work with him he said: 'O my son! I see in vision that I offer you in sacrifice: now see what is your view!' (The son) said: 'O my father! do as you are commanded: you will find me if Allah so wills one practicing Patience and Constancy! So when they had both submitted their wills (to Allah) and He had laid Him prostrate on his forehead (for sacrifice) We called out to him 'O Ibrahim! You have already fulfilled the vision!' thus indeed do We reward those who do right. "

[ 37: 99-105]

Ibrahim (as) didn't look for a reason for the command that Allah (swt) gave him, nor did Ismael (as) knowing that he was going to be sacrificed. Rather they both willingly accepted the decision of Allah (swt), because they realised that He (swt) was the creator and that their purpose was to worship Him.We can clearly see why people cannot decide good and bad for themselves because people's views are subjective and fraught with disparity, difference and contradiction.If we look to this society - opinions of right and wrong are continuously fluctuating. E.g. Drugs - recently people have been debating whether soft drugs should be legalised.E.g. Homosexuality - it was illegal in capitalist society, but now is legalised to the extent that they want to reduce the age of consent.E.g. Physical colonialism - In the past it was acceptable for the British to directly colonise India and occupy it, but today it is would be seen as 'unjust'. So we see the more politically correct 'nicer' forms of colonialism, like the economic enslavement by the IMF and World Bank. Sadly, these concepts have penetrated some of the minds of the Muslims to the extent that they even start debating what is right and wrong according to the mind, instead of referring to the guidance which Allah (swt) gave us. They call the Zakat a welfare state(as in Socialism) and equated equate the Hudud with Western human rights. They attempt to defend or legitimise the Islamic rules according to standards emanating from other than Islam.We cannot pick and choose between the Shariah rules according to what people like or don’t like.

The rule of Hajj is equal to the rule of Salah. Our motivation towards them should be the same i.e. to gain the pleasure of Allah (swt). The rule of Salah is equal to the rule of unity which demands that a Muslim is the brother of another Muslim there are should be no borders or visas between them. So Pork is Haram to eat because Allah defined it as such, Riba (Interest) is Haram because Allah denoted it. Allah (swt) says:Indeed since the beginning of time Allah (swt) set the law for the Universe: " The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed" Allah has made the sun and the moon follow their particular course." " And the herbs and the trees-both (alike) bow in adoration."

Even the trees bow to Allah in prostration. We should bow to Allah in our prayers not to other people. Only Allah (SWT) is our Rabb, our Lord,our Legislator.

" And the sky He raised high and He has set up the balance (al-Mizan)".

Allah (SWT) has established the balance in the Universe.We should not be mistaken into thinking that because Allah (swt) defined for us the rules for life that this means that we do not need to think about our reality and the problems we face. The rules of Sharia apply to reality.

For example the rule to pray towards Qibla - this means that we have to use our minds to find the location of Qibla, we may even use a compass to aid us.Similarly we also have to use our minds to understand the wide variety of problems that have befallen the Muslims, identifying the fundamental problem amongst them and solve it by applying the rule from Islam.In conclusion I want to give you an example from one of the Sahaba (ra) which clearly demonstrates the Message of Islam as liberating people from using the mind incorrectly to use it correctly in worshipping Allah (swt). This was expounded clearly by Ribbi ibnu Amir in his address to Rustum, the Persian emporor when he was asked: "Why did you come out of the desert you nomads from Arabia?" Ribbi ibnu Amir replied:

"Verily Allah has delivered us, to release the people from the worship of other people, to the worship of the Lord of all people. And from the oppression of all other ways of life, to the Justice of Islam. And from the narrowness of this life to the vastness of the hereafter."

The Open Photo Project . Free Stock Images .

The Open Photo Project . Free Stock Images .

US Sanctions

West’s Double Standards over Iran’s Nuclear Program

In announcing US sanctions on Iran and designating the Iranian revolutionary guards Quds division, a "terrorist" organisation - a move immediately supported by British PM Gordon Brown - western governments show they intend to continue to intervene and destabilise the Middle East. US secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, said the moves were intended "to counter the threatening behaviour of the Iranians". Dr Imran Waheed, a media representative of Hizb ut-Tahrir Britain, said, "The US and UK governments accuse others of threatening and ‘terrorist' behaviour. Yet it is they who invaded Iraq, continue to terrorise its people, and have presided over a genocide of more than 650,000 people."

"It is they who construct military bases and have aircraft battle groups stationed in the Gulf. It is they who possess nuclear weapons - which only the US has used against civilians - and are currently developing the latest generation of these. Just this week, the Pentagon asked for $88m to develop the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a huge bunker busting bomb for its Stealth bombers. Commenting on who this would be used against, Jim Moran, a member of the US House of Representatives said: ‘My assumption is that it is Iran'".

" Iran has said its bid for nuclear capabilty is for non-military energy production. However, given the beligerent track record of the US and UK governments towards Muslim countries, whilst adopting a different strategy with a nuclear North Korea, some may think it would be a wiser course of action for Iran and others to adopt a nuclear deterrent."

Extremists in Britian

Extremists in British political think tanks

The past few years has seen the emergence of a unified set of voices in various media and political institutions. They preach an extreme philosophy that would appear to many to foster hatred and division in society. They project themselves in an arrogant manner that seems to assume that their political ideology is superior to all others. They have a supremacist view, although they claim to be non-violent, they breed an atmosphere that allows violence to occur. They are the neo-conservatives, amongst who are members of the Policy Exchange and think tank and the Henry Jackson Society. Their supremacist view is one that is best summarised as advocating a pro-active approach to spread their extreme interpretation of liberal democracy in the world. The Henry Jackson Society is linked to many influential American neo-conservatives and its members have been enthusiastic supporters of U.S. President Bush's decision to go to war in Iraq. Hence, one could argue that they fostered an atmosphere that potentially led to the deaths, or at least justified the deaths, of over half a million civilians. As we will see, many of the key figures in these circles are linked to the current Conservative Party leadership. This week, the Policy Exchange issued a report, titled 'The Hijacking of British Islam'. It reads more like a document where the evidence has been sought to fit an argument than a piece of serious research. The author is Dr. Denis MacEoin, who according to Wikipedia is a novelist and former lecturer in Islamic studies. He sometimes writes under the pseudonyms Daniel Easterman and Jonathan Aycliffe. Under the pseudonym Easterman, he wrote 'The Name of the Beast' published by HarperCollins and described as a 'millenial occult horror of the emergence of the Antichrist in modern Egypt.' Again, according to Wikipedia, in recent years, he has become active in pro-Israel advocacy (hasbara).

The 'The Hijacking of British Islam' report was published by the Policy Exchange, who are often described as a centre-right think tank. Many would describe them as far-right, and certainly they contain people who amongst Muslims are (in) famously viewed as some of the most anti-Muslim and anti-Islam personalities in the UK. Their current chairman is Charles Moore, a leading conservative commentator who frequently writes hostile articles. He has written some of the most offensive and provocative questions about the Prophet Muhammad (saw) in an artcile in the Telegraph. Moore also described the Muslim woman's veil as "a hostile statement about the society in which the wearer lives", thereby potentially whipping up hatred against Muslim women.

Their former director was Michael Gove, a self-confessed neo-conservative once described as a "venomous media voice who thinks no Muslim is worth talking to" - which he of course denied. He is the author of Celsius 7/7, which has been described as ‘pernicious' and 'paranoid'. In it, he plays on the fears of the British public, trying to focus on the political aspects of Islam as the causes for violence in the world. Gove is widely believed to be one of the ideologues behind Cameron's Conservative party and its policies. He was unashamedly in favour of the massacre of hundreds of thousands in Iraq in order to remove Saddam Hussein.

Along with these two are Nicholas Boles MP, another of Cameron's lieutenants, and Dean Godson, the director of research. Mr Godson has written articles such as 'Do we have to treat Muslims as Muslims?' and 'You'll never guess who's to blame for 7/7' in which he tries to counter the idea that either Tariq Ramadhan or the MCB are moderates. He sensationally suggests that there is an 'Arabising' of Britain's Muslim community.

Many of these people are linked to the Henry Jackson Society, described by some as a neo-conservative think tank - a label they deny - who are dedicated to the spread of their interpretation of free market capitalism and liberal democracy across the entire planet. Whilst many view this as totalitarian and supremacist, their ranks include prominent neo-conservative supporters, and ‘liberal interventionists'.

It has many high-profile signatories to its statement of principles, Michael Gove, Edward Vaizey, David Willetts, Denis MacShane, Fabian Hamilton, Gisela Stuart, former MPs David Trimble, Jackie Lawrence, as well as Sir Richard Dearlove - former head of the British Secret Intelligence Service - and Irwin Stelzer, Rupert Murdoch's friend. Notable patrons include Richard Perle and William Kristol, two of the leading lights in the American neo-conservative movement, James Woolsey, former Director of the CIA and Tsakhiagiyn Elbegdorj, former Prime Minister of Mongolia.

These two organisations have echoes of the Project for the New American Century (PNAC), a US think tank that was extremely well co-ordinated and unified in purpose, which then in turn influenced the Republican leadership, in particular President George W. Bush. It was PNAC that led the call for the war in Iraq, and the US has paid the price ever since.

The Policy Exchange is more media savvy than most think tanks. It now has an impressive track record of co-ordinating its controvertial and some would say sensationalist ‘research' with political events and policy timetable. This report emerged in the week that Hazel Blears will address the governments position on ‘extremism'. A previous report on Islam and Muslims was released in the week Cameron set out his views on the subject about a year ago. A report commissioned by them from Martin Bright attacked the government's position on engagement with the MCB and promoted the Sufi Muslim Council (SMC) only days before the official launch of the SMC.

One wonders when the moderates amongst advocates of liberal democracy will denounce these extreme voices, or when the world will wake up to the threat posed by people whom some will see as 'hate-filled radicals' bent on spreading their ideology across the world, even at the cost of innocent life.

Rivals to Allah (swt)

Setting up rivals to Allah (swt)

Allah (swt) says:

''And of Humankind are some who take (in obedience), others besides Allah (swt) as rivals (Andaad); they love them as they love Allah (swt). When those who are followed disown those who followed them, and they see their torment. And all their relations will be cut off from them. And those who followed will say, 'If only we had one more chance to return (to the worldly life), we would disown them as they have disowned us'. Thus Allah (swt) will show their deeds as regret for them. And they will never be able to get out of the Fire''

[ Surah al-Baqarah 165-167]

On the authority of Imam Bukhhari, 'Abdullah (ra) narrated:

''A man said, 'O Allah's Messenger! Which is the greatest sin in Allah's (swt) sight?' The Prophet (saw) said, 'To set up a rival unto Allah though He alone created you.' The man said, 'What is next?' The Prophet (saw) said, 'To kill your son lest he should share your food with you.' The man said, 'What is next?' The Prophet (saw) said, 'To commit illegal intercourse with your neighbour's wife'. ''

Despite such a severe chastisement, there are many people who insist on taking rivals (Andaad) to Allah (swt). Such people do not necessarily reject Allah (swt), for these verses do not state that they actually worship them as they worship Allah (swt). Rather these verses state that these people love the Andaad as they love Allah (swt). Therefore such people could believe in Allah (swt) or disbelieve in Him (swt). The mufasiroon (Qur'anic commentators) elaborated the nature of these rivals. The Andaad are described as humans. Assadi says,

''The rivals are people or men whom they obey as they obey Allah (swt), even they obey them whilst disobeying Allah (swt)''.

Fath al-Qadeer says, ''The rivals here are the leaders''.

So, Andaad are humans, for the reference to 'love' is in the context of humans, not idols. This is further clarified by the fact that the Andaad will dissociate themselves from their followers on the Day of Judgement, which is not possible for idols.

It is to be expected that the disbelievers will love others besides Allah (swt). For example, the Christians love 'Isa (as) as they love Allah. In fact they refer to 'Isa (as) with more emphasis and reverence than Allah (swt). The munafiqoon (hypocrites) are also guilty of this crime. For they hide Kufr in their hearts, whilst pretending to be Muslim. They love and continue to obey human rivals more than they obey Allah (swt).

It is the true believer alone that loves Allah (swt) without any partner. Love which is real love, together with respect, obedience, supplication to Him (swt) and tawakkul (dependence) on Him (swt) and Him (swt) alone. However today many Muslims, whilst believing in Allah (swt), set up rivals in love to Him (swt), such as the present rulers in Islamic Lands or parties or 'sheikhs'. They obey them even though their commands are against the commands of Allah (swt).

So when these rivals act against the order of Allah (swt), they will defend their actions rather than accounting them. Furthermore they will try to prevent others from accounting them, saying, ''He is our leader'' or ''He is our Sheikh''.

Allaah (swt) has likened it to following another God besides Allaah (swt) i.e. Shirk (the association of partners with Allaah). Allaah (swt) has said,

'They took their Rabbis and their Monks to be their Lords and Legislators besides Allaah (swt) '

[9:30-31]

Although we know that the Jews and Christians do not prostrate, nor bow down to their priests or rabbis, they followed them and agreed with them when matters that Allaah (swt) had declared forbidden, they would declare allowed; and matters declared allowed, their priests would declare forbidden?

In fact the above ayah was revealed in the following circumstances. It has been reported by Hudhayfah in Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Jareer that the Messenger Muhammad (saw) was reciting the above verse and Udayy (ra) said to Him (saw),

'Oh Rasool Allaah, they do not worship the Rabbis and the Monks' .

To which He (saw) replied: 'The Rabbis and Monks make that which is lawful unlawful and that which is unlawful lawful and they i.e. the people, follow them, and by doing so they worship them'

Our discussions should focus on ISSUES that we face, and how to understand these issues from the Islamic perspective. Once you bring the name of a group, or a particular figurehead, then loyalties will be strengthened, people will begin to discuss based on their loyalties, they will insult those who threaten or undermine their loyalty, and we can forget about having an objective discussion based on Islam.

More importantly, we must stick to the Qur'an and the Sunnah, because that is our reference point. Even if we work with a group, our loyalty remains to the Islamic text (the Qur'an and the Sunnah) and not to the group. The purpose of the group is to discharge an Islamic obligation (or obligations); therefore, if the group goes in one direction, but the Islamic text points in another direction, we should follow what the text says.

Muslims! Who are you!!!

Why are you Muslim?

‘Why are you Muslim?’ It may sound like an obvious question, but often many of us don’t have a clear answer to it. I remember being asked this question by my elder brother when I was fourteen years of age, my initial answer was ‘Well, our family is Muslim’, his reply to this made me think, he said, ‘If your family were Hindu or Christian, would you be as well?’. I replied with a strong ‘No, Islam is the truth’, the discussion that followed made me question the basis of my life and changed my life for ever. He triggered me to think about how to prove that Islam is the truth rather than just believing it emotionally or blindly. In fact Allah (swt) has condemned people for imitating their forefathers and adopting their belief without clear evidence.

In the Holy Qur’an, He (swt) says:

“And verily guess is no substitute for the truth.”

[TMQ 53:28]

“They have no (certain) knowledge. They follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not (‘Isa).”

[TMQ 4:157]

"These are nothing but names which you have devised, you and your fathers, for which Allah has sent down no authority. They follow nothing but conjecture and what their Nafs desire. Even though there has already come to them the Guidance from their Rabb"

[TMQ 53:23]

"Do you have Ilm (knowledge) for that which you claim so that you provide us with? You follow nothing but conjecture (Zann)."

[TMQ 6:148]

The followers of other religions have no decisive proof for their belief, therefore they believe in their religions emotionally or through imitation. Some of them think that you just have to have faith without clear proof. However when it comes to normal things in life people apply a lot of thought such as buying a car, house, choosing a University course or which bank to join, so how can it be that when it comes to the most important questions about life; which define the purpose of our lives that we should just have ‘faith’ without being convinced absolutely.

It is therefore vital for a Muslim to believe in the existence of Allah (swt) without any doubt whatsoever and to believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad (saw) and that the Qur’an is the final revelation sent by Allah (swt) to humanity. Islam is unlike all the other religions as it has a decisive proof that convinces the mind.

Proof of the existence of Allah (swt)

Let us begin by discussing the proof of the existence of Allah (swt). Although we are taught theories regarding the origin of the Universe and origin of the Man such as the big bang theory and the theory of evolution, we should realise that they contradict the clear reality which everyone can sense.

The fundamental proof that God exists is that everything that we sense around us whether it is the mountains, the trees, the sun, the moon, the stars or animals and fellow human beings are limited things and are not eternal. By limited we mean that they have restrictions, a starting point and an ending point, and they have definable attributes i.e. they are all finite. Human beings are born and die. There is no-one alive who will not die. During their life span, they will grow to a certain height, weight and volume.

It is true that there are differences between the things that exist in the Universe however all of them share the quality of being limited and finite, the earth may be huge but it still has a certain shape, weight, volume by which it is limited, this applies to all planets, stars, solar systems and galaxies. Even though a galaxy may look huge to us as the earth looks huge to us and it is not eternal. Even if all of the galaxies and elements of the Universe are added together they do not become unlimited and therefore require an origin. No scientist could ever prove using hard facts that the universe has no bounds. In fact when they say that the universe arose from the Big Bang and is expanding they inherently admit it is finite in size, otherwise it could not expand! There is nothing in reality which is unlimited. No matter how hard we try, we are unable to find anything unlimited around us. All we can perceive is finite and limited.

It is a simple principle that something cannot come from nothing, therefore, where did the Universe come from? It cannot simply exist without having any cause as this contradicts the clear reality which everyone can sense, for example, if we see a car no one would ever think that it simply exists without any manufacturer, this can be applied to anything around us. The following example demonstrates this point well.

Imam Abu Hanifa was once asked by an atheist, "Is there any proof that God exists?" he replied, "Forget it! At the moment, I am busy thinking about this ship.People tell me there is a big ship; it contains different goods on board. There is no one to steer it, no one maintaining it. Yet, this ship keeps going back and forth; it even traverses big waves on the oceans; it stops at the locations that it is supposed to stop at; it continues in the direction that it is supposed to head. This ship has no captain and no one planning its trips." The atheist who posed the question interrupted and exclaimed, "What kind of strange and silly thought is this? How can any intelligent person think that some thing like this can occur?"

Imam Abu Hanifa said, "I feel sorry about your state! You cannot imagine one ship running without some one looking after its affairs. Yet you think that for this whole world, which runs exactly and precisely, there is no one who looks after it, and no one owns it."

The attribute of everything around us is that they are all needy and dependent in order to continue existing. They are not self-sustaining or independent. Man has needs he has to satisfy in order to survive. He has organic needs for example he must eat and drink if he is to survive. If he does not he will die. We see the need and dependency in plants and animals. They depend on other parts of the food chain for their existence. The water cycle is dependent on the sun, which is dependent on the laws of the galaxies and of burning mass, and so on... Nothing we can perceive is self-subsistent. So things exist, but do not have the power of existence. They cannot control when they die or when other bodies die. Thus what we see is that everything around us is limited and finite. Everything that is limited and finite is dependant and everything that is dependant is dependant upon something greater than itself. Applying this to everything we see will bring us to a conclusion. If everything in the universe is dependant because it has not the power of being in existence on its own accord, and is also finite and limited, then what is everything dependant upon for its existence? It must be an unlimited and independent creator.

Today the various theories that exist about the origin of the Universe such as the ‘Big bang theory’, ‘Big bang – Big crunch theory’ or ‘dialectic materialism’ they contradict the simple fact of the need for an unlimited creator.

One example that highlights this is that of the origin of life. Living things like plants, animals and human beings are different from inanimate or dead things as they have certain features such as independent growth, motion and reproduction. If people believe that the Universe has existed forever or that it evolved from single blast etc, this means that they believe that life also evolved from inanimate or dead matter such as gases, liquids or solids. If this is the case, then they should be able to show us one example at least of non-living things producing life, no such example exists. In fact some of them say that this happened by coincidence millions of years ago when certain amino acids and chemicals mixed together to produce the first life. If this is the case, then they should be able to reproduce this ‘coincidence’ with their billions of dollars worth of technology. But they are unable even to produce the most basic life form; an amoeba, which is a single celled organism. What scientists can do is manipulate the attributes that exist within living cells such as in genetic cloning; however this does not mean that they are creating life from dead matter. They are simply manipulating the attributes that Allah (swt) has placed within life, just as we manipulate metal to produce knives and cars.

Therefore, it is a simple fact that this universe must have a creator. The question remains is this creator like the universe i.e. limited or is the creator unlimited and eternal. If the creator was limited like the universe then He would also require a creator as this is the case with every limited thing. So if the universe was caused by a big bang as they claim, what was before the big bang? If it was something else like another universe then what was before that? This chain would continue until there would be a beginning or origin, this could only be caused by something which is uncaused or eternal, which we call Allah (swt).

Furthermore the amazing design of every part of the universe, man and life are testament to the fact that Allah (swt) exists. Imam Shaa'fi explained this when he said, "The leaves of Toot (berries) are all but one. Each leaf tastes exactly the same. Insects, honey bees, cows, goats, and deer live off of it. After eating these the insects produce silk; bees produce honey; deer give musk (a special kind of scent), cows and goats deliver off-springs. Is this not clear evidence that one kind of leaf has so many qualities, and who created these qualities? It is the Khaliq (Creator) who we call Allah (swt)) Who is the Inventor and the Creator."

We see that the Qur’an draws attention to everything around us and to conclude from this pondering the existence of Allah. There are hundreds of Qur’anic ayat expressing this meaning. Such as,

إنَّ فِي خَلْقِ ألسَمَاوَاتِ وَالأرْضِ وَاخْتِلافِ ألَّيْلِ وَالنَّهــارِ لأََيــاتٍ لِأُوْلـــىالْبــَابِ

Behold! In the creation of the heavens and the earth and the alteration of night and day, these are indeed signs for men of understanding."

[TMQ Al-Imran: 190]

وَمِنْ آيَاتِهِ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذلِكَ لآيَاتٍ لِّلْعَالَمِينَ

And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colours. Behold! herein indeed are signs for men of knowledge."

[TMQ Ar-Rum: 22]

أَفَلاَ يَنظُرُونَ إِلَى الإِبْلِ كَيْفَ خُلِقَتْ وَإِلَى السَّمَآءِ كَيْفَ رُفِعَتْ وَإِلَى الْجِبَالِ كَيْفَ نُصِبَتْ وَإِلَى الأَرْضِ كَيْفَ سُطِحَتْ

Will they not look at the camels, how they are created! And the heaven, how it is raised! And the mountains, how they are set up! And the earth, how it is spread!"

[TMQ Al-Ghashiya: 17-20]

فَلْيَنظُرِ الإِنسَانُ مِمَّ خُلِقَ خُلِقَ مِن مَّآءٍ دَافِقٍ يَخْرُجُ مِن بَيْنِ الصُّلْبِ وَالتَّرَآئِبِ

So let man reflect, from what he is created. He is created fom a gushing fluid, that is issued from between the loins and ribs."

[TMQ At-Tariq: 5-7]

إِنَّ فِي خَلْقِ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلاَفِ اللَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالْفُلْكِ الَّتِي تَجْرِي فِي الْبَحْرِ بِمَا يَنفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَآ أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مِن مَّآءٍ فَأَحْيَا بِهِ الأَرْضَ بَعْدَ مَوْتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيهَا مِن كُلِّ دَآبَّةٍ وَتَصْرِيفِ الرِّيَاحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الْمُسَخَّرِ بَيْنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالأَرْضِ لآيَاتٍ لِّقَوْمٍ يَعْقِلُونَ

Behold! in the creation of the heavens and the earth and the difference of night and day, and the ships which run upon the sea with that which is of use to men, and the water which Allah sends down from the sky, thereby reviving the earth after its death, and dispersing all kinds of beasts therein, and in the ordinance of the winds, and the clouds obedient between heaven and earth are signs (of Allah's sovereignty) for people who have sense."

[TMQ Al-Baqarah: 164]

"Were they created of nothing, or were they themselves the creators? Or did they create the heavens and the earth? Nay they have not firm belief."

[TMQ At-Tur 35-36]

Proof of the Qur’an

Once we have concluded definitively that Allah (swt) exists the next obvious question that arises is that has Allah (swt) sent a revelation for us to follow. It is clear that we are not able to communicate with God and therefore we are unable to know what He wants us to do, how He wants us to worship Him and how we should solve the problems we face in life. All of these questions would remain unresolved unless there the creator has communicated with us and given us a guidance to follow.

As Muslims we believe that throughout history, there have been messengers and prophets, men sent from the Creator, bringing laws or revelation on how man should conduct his life. They were given miracles which proved to mankind that they had a communication with God and a revelation from Him. A miracle is something which goes against the laws of nature which is impossible for anyone else to do; by miracles the Prophet’s were able to prove their direct relationship with God. For example prophet Musa (as) had a stick which parted the Red Sea, Prophet Isa (as) had the ability to cure the sick by just touching them.

But how do we know if these messengers existed? The miracles performed by the above prophets were only miracles for that specific period of time. But how do we know that they were not just legends or fables? So what miracle do we have right now to convince us and guide us through our lives?

The Qur’an itself is the main miracle that the Prophet (saw) brought which is different to the physical miracles of the other Prophet’s as they were limited to their times only. The Qur’an is an intellectual miracle that proves Islam. It was revealed to Muhammad (saw) in the 6th Century, it exists today and has been revealed for all times.

It is an established fact that the Qur’an was proclaimed by Muhammad (saw) in Arabia over fourteen hundred years ago. In order for us to prove decisively that it is from Allah (swt), we must first consider the possible sources of the Qur’an and then eliminate these to arrive at its true origin.

The only possible sources for the Qur’an are:

a) The Arabs

b) Muhammad (saw) himself

c) Allah (swt)

At the time it was revealed, the pagan Arabs were deeply into poetry. It was an indication of nobility in society. People used to go to the desert for days just to write poetry. The Arabic language has great fluidity and depth of expression, so it was held high in esteem by the Arabs. Allah (swt) in the Qur’an challenged the Arabs to produce something comparable to it in language and they failed to do so.

Initially Allah (swt) challenged them to produce ten chapters (surah’s) similar to it:

"They may say: He forged it (the Qur’an). Say: "Bring you then ten forged surah (chapters) like unto it, and call whomsoever you can, other than Allah (to your help), if you speak the truth!"

[TMQ 11:13]

They failed to do so. Allah (swt) then reduced the challenge to something that at first glance may sound easy, He (swt) said:

“If you are in doubt of what we have revealed to our messenger, then produce one chapter like it. Call upon all your helpers, besides Allah, if you are truthful”

[TMQ 2:23]

The smallest chapter in the Qur’an, Surah al-Kauthar is only three sentences long, surely someone in history must have matched this challenge? The Arabs at the time of Muhammad (saw) failed to do so, although they were the best in the Arabic language. Furthermore no piece of Arabic literature before them or after them until today has even come close to matching the language of the Qur’an.

For non-Arabs sometimes this may be difficult to perceive as they do not appreciate the language of the Qur’an directly. However, everyone can agree that any piece of literature written by human beings can be matched; people can copy its style and produce something comparable to it in quality. If we look at great English authors like Shakespear no one would claim that they were Prophet’s and that their works are miraculous in nature. Even though they may have been geniuses in language, people can easily write something similar in excellence to three sentences from their books. Despite having the Arabic language, its letters, grammar, syntax and dictionaries available today, the Arabic linguists cannot construct any piece of language that is comparable to the Qur’an. Therefore, it is impossible that the Qur’an was written by any of the Arabs.

It is also inconceivable that the Qur’an is the speech of Muhammad (saw). After all he was one of the Arabs. Also, whatever level of genius people may assign to him, he was still a human being and one of his tribe and nation. Since the Arabs failed to bring the like of the Qur’an, this equally applies to Muhammad (saw). Moreover, Muhammad (saw) has left saheeh ahaadeeth (sound narrations) and mutawaatir ahaadeeth (definitive narrations) whose authenticity is beyond doubt. If any of these ahaadeeth were to be compared with any verse of the Qur'an, there would be no similarity between them in style. He (saw) used to utter the revealed verse and say the hadeeth at the same time and yet there is a difference between them in style. Whenever any man attempts to diversify his speech, it will remain similar in style, because it is a part of him. Since there is no similarity between the hadeeth and the verse in style, the Qur'an is absolutely not Muhammad’s speech. It is important to point out that none of the Arabs, who despised Muhammad (saw), particularly at that time, were the most acquainted with the styles of Arabic speech yet never claimed that the Qur’an was Muhammad’s (saw) speech, or even similar to his speech.

Since it is proved that the Qur'an is neither the speech of the Arabs nor the speech of Muhammad (saw), it is definitely the speech of Allah as this is the only rational possibility we are left with.

The Qur’anic challenge is unique because the Creator, Allah (swt), pushes man to use his ability to undermine the authenticity of the Qur’an. It is such a profound yet simple challenge. Imagine throughout the history of Islam, all her enemies needed to defeat this challenge to destroy the whole basis of Islam. Yet not one, non-Muslim Arab or non-Arab has been able to do this even though all the tools of the Arabic language are at their disposal. The Western government’s hatred of Islam is well known. All they have to do in order to defeat Islam and to make over one billion Muslims apostatise from it, is not to spend billions of dollars in invading Afghanistan, Iraq and launching a mythical ‘war on terror’. They simply have to produce one chapter similar to the Qur’an.

To this day Muslim and non-Muslim scholars have not been able to find any contradiction or mistake in the Qur’an. Moreover, if one was to compare word by word a copy of the Qur’an published today to one of the first copies of the Qur’an available then one would find that not a single word has been omitted or added. Copies of the Qur’an dating back to the first century of Islam can be found in Istanbul and Tashkent. Allah (swt) says:

"Do they not ponder about the Qur’an? If it had come from God they would surely have found therein much contradictions."

[T.M.Q 4:82]

There are many texts available today claiming divine status from God, like the Bible of the Christians and the Torah of the Jews etc. However, they have no proof that they have been revealed by God, if they are not miraculous in nature then there is no reason to believe in them.

As Muslims we believe that Allah (swt) revealed different books through history such as the original Injeel (Bible) and Torah, Allah (swt) informed us of this in the Qur’an this is why we believe these. However, we have also been informed that these books have been altered and therefore the versions that exist today are not that which was revealed by Allah (swt). Besides this, the Qur’an is the final revelation from Allah (swt) which abrogates all others.

Allah (swt) says,

"Say ye: "We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) Prophets from their Lord: we make no difference between one and another of them: and we bow to Allah (in Islam)."

[TMQ Al-Baqarah:136]

Once we have established through rational proof that Allah (Swt) exists and that the Qur’an is the Word of Allah, we must believe in everything that the Qur’an informs us of and commands us with, whether we can perceive them or not. Therefore, we must have Iman (belief) in the Day of Resurrection, in paradise (jannah) and hell, in reckoning and punishment, in angels, in jinn, in Shayaateen and all others that the Qur'an or hadeeth mutawaatir (definitive narrations) have mentioned. To believe in these things is therefore not irrational just because we cannot see them or sense them physically as we have conclusively proved the Qur’an being from Allah (swt) which informs us about all of these.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ آمِنُواْ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي نَزَّلَ عَلَى رَسُولِهِ وَالْكِتَابِ الَّذِي أَنَزلَ مِن قَبْلُ وَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلآئِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ ضَلاَلاً بَعِيداً

O you who believe! Believe in Allah and His messenger, and the Book which He sent to His Messenger and the Book which He sent to those before (him). Any who denies Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and the Day of Judgement, has gone far, far astray."

[An-Nisa: 136]

Once the Iman in Allah, His Messenger and the Qur’an has been proven, every Muslim is obliged to believe in the Islamic Shari’ah as a whole. We cannot pick and choose as we like. As the Shariah was revealed in the glorious Qur'an, and the Messenger (saw) conveyed it. If someone disbelieves in this he would be a (disbeliever) Kafir. Therefore, it is disbelief (Kufr) to deny the shariah rules as a whole, or any definite detailed rule amongst them. This is the case whether these ahkam (rules) are connected with worships (ibadaat), transactions (mu'amalaat), punishments (uqoobat), food, etc. So the rejection of the verse:

وَأَقِيمُواْ الصَّلاَةَ

So establish regular prayer"

[Al-Baqarah: 43]

Is the same as rejecting the following verses:

وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا

But Allah has permitted trade and forbidden usury,"

[Al-Baqarah: 275]

وَالسَّارِقُ وَالسَّارِقَةُ فَاقْطَعُواْ أَيْدِيَهُمَا

As to the thief, male or female, cut off his or her hands,"

[Al-Ma’idah: 38]

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالْدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ اللَّهِ بِهِ

"Forbidden to you (for food) are dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which has been invoked the name of any other than Allah."

[Al-Ma’idah: 3]

We must completely surrender to all the rules revealed by Allah (swt) whether we see rational reasons for them or not.

فَلاَ وَرَبِّكَ لاَ يُؤْمِنُونَ حَتَّى يُحَكِّمُوكَ فِيمَا شَجَرَ بَيْنَهُمْ ثُمَّ لاَ يَجِدُواْ فِي أَنْفُسِهِمْ حَرَجاً مِّمَّا قَضَيْتَ وَيُسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً

But no, by your Lord, they can have no (real) faith, until they make you judge in all the disputes between them, and find in their souls no resistance against your decisions, but accept them with the fullest submission."

[An-Nisa: 65]

Ramadhan And the Qur'an

Month of the Quran & its affect upon us

The graceful month of Ramadhan has set in; the month during which the gates of Mercy are wide open, the gates of Hell are shut and the Shayateen are chained up. It is a month chosen by Allah (swt) as a month of fasting; an act of Ibadat that Allah (swt) made special to Him. He (swt) favoured this month over all other months by making it the month of mercy and reverence for all the believers.

¨ Also, in this month were revealed the scriptures of Ibrahim (as) and Musa (as), as well as the Zabuur and the Injeel. Indeed, this month is the most superior of months in which Allah (swt) revealed His final revelation, the Quran.

¨ So in this month we recite the Quran everyday, we pray the Taraweeh salah in which the Quran is recited. But do we understand and practice this Quran? Aisha (ra) described the Prophet’s (saw) character as being the walking Quran, are we in our characters like the Quran. Do we implement in our lives? Do we feel the weight of the Quran on our shoulders? Do we feel the burden of the Quran? Have we realised the power and might of this Quran which revealed by the one almighty in power?

Allah (swt) says in the Quran in Surah al Hashr:

“Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself and split asunder (crumbling) by the fear of Allah. Such are the parables that We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.”

[TMQ - Al-Hashr: 21]

¨ Allah (swt) is saying that if He had sent the Quran upon a mountain, imagine the size and magnitude of a mountain. From humbling itself it would split asunder by the fear of Allah.

¨ Let us ask ourselves, the Quran has been revealed to us, not to the mountain! Do we feel humbled by it?

“Such are the parables that We put forward to mankind that they may reflect.”

¨ Is this the impact that the Quran has on our souls and on the lives of this Ummah. Let us look at the impact that this Quran had on the Sahabah and the Muslims in the past, it is known that some of the Sahabah when hearing a verse of the Quran would faint.

¨ So what made Abdullah ibn Masud go out and recite this Quran in front of the Quraysh and endured a beating, fearing none but Allah.

¨ So what made Abu Huraira (ra), one of the stars of the sky cry on his deathbed and he was asked: “What makes you cry?” He replied: “I do not cry for this world of yours, rather I cry over the long journey ahead of me and how few provisions I have with me. I am rising on a runaway to paradise and Hellfire and I do not know which of them it would lead to.”

¨ What made Tariq bin Ziyad, the conqueror of Spain in the month of Ramadhan burn his boats motivating the Muslims that Paradise lay ahead of them and defeat and the sea to the rear, leading to the conquest of Spain in this blessed month. Allah (swt) said:

“Verily Allah hath bought of the believers their lives and their riches for the price that theirs shall be the Garden”

[TMQ 9:111]

Mu’ad ibn Jabal (ra) once called the people of the town and said to them, “Today the reciters of Quran are few but the implementers are many, what of the time when the reciters will be many and the implementers will be few.”

¨ He was describing our time! Today the reciters may be many but the implementers are few.

¨ Why is it that many Muslims come to the mosque and pray taraweeh – so we see the mosques are full but as soon as Eid comes, many people stop coming to the mosque, stop reading the Quran and even stop praying regularly. Today we read the Quran but do we implement it?

Allah (swt) said:

“O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. The noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Allah is the Knower, Aware.”

[TMQ 49:13]

Ibn Abi Hatim al-Razi said that the circumstances in which this Ayah was revealed, the Asbab an Nuzul (circumstances of revelation) was when in the opening of Makkah which occurred in Ramadhan, the Prophet (saw) ordered Bilal (ra) to say the Adhan and Abu Sufyan said can’t you find someone better than this black man to say the Adhan then this verse was revealed. Explaining to us that in Islam no one better on the basis of colour or from what part of the world he has come – rather what distinguishes us in the sight of Allah (swt) is our actions. So the noblest of us is the best of us in our actions.

The Prophet (saw) said:

«إن الله يرفع بهذا الكتاب أقواماً ويضع به آخرين».

“Allah will elevate some nations through this book and degrade others with it”

[Muslim]¨

We know how the Islamic Ummah was elevated in the past through the implementation of the Quran, the Khulafaah in the past through implementing the Shari’ah of Allah (swt) made this Ummah elevate and progress and look how we are degraded today when the Quran is not implemented.

¨ Today the Quran is not implemented in our lands, if we look to the problems in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan or others how do our countries deal with them? What solution do these people bring, do they look to the Quran and the Sunnah which tells us to liberate Muslim land and not to take the colonialists as our Allies? No! rather they run to America and the United Nations for solutions.

Ziyad ibn Labid narrated that Allah's Messenger (saw) spoke of something and said:

It will happen when knowledge will be no more. I said: Allah's Messenger, how will knowledge vanish despite the fact that we will be reciting the Qur'an and teaching its recitation to our children and our children will teach its recitation to their children up to the Day of Resurrection? Thereupon he said: Ziyad, may your mother weep over you. I was of the opinion that you were one of those who have greatest understanding of religion in Medina. Do these Jews and Christians not recite the Torah and the Bible but not act according to what is contained in them?

[Transmitted by Ahmad, Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi.]

¨ Today the rulers have become like the aforementioned who may recite the Quran but not implement it, they even attack those who work for the re-establishment of the Khilafah. So we may hear of the beautiful recitation of the Quran in the Haram in Makkah, yet we see that the Quran is not implemented over this land in which the Ka’ba resides. Rather the Americans still have their troops stationed in this land.

¨ Some Muslims have become like those who were chastised by the Prophet (saw) because they recite the Quran but do not act according to it in their lives, so limit the Quran to Ramadhan and not in the rest of their lives.

¨ The leaders of the Muslim lands have made Bush their Mufassir, the Whitehouse their Qibla and hold fast to the rope of Kufr.¨ We need to take the Muhammad (saw) as our Mufassir, restore the Ka’ba as our Qibla and hold fast to the book of Allah. Allah (swt) says:

“And hold fast all together by the rope which Allah and be not divided among yourselves”

[TMQ 3:103]

Ibn Masud said that the rope of Allah in this ayah means the Quran.

¨ We are in the month of reward in which the Quran was revealed, we must hold fast to the rope of Allah, we must recite the Quran, increase our understanding of it and implement it in our lives.

Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated that the Prophet (saw) said:

“He in whose heart there is nothing of the Qur'an is like a house in ruin.”

[Transmitted by Tirmidhi.]

¨ The Quran should never be allowed to left on our shelves gathering dust, we must realise that it is the Guidance that Allah (swt) has sent for humanity.

The Messenger (saw) said

“Learn the Qur’an and recite it, because the example of one who learns the Qur’an, reads it and recites it in Tahajjud is like an open bag full of musk, the fragrance whereof spreads over the entire place, and a person who has learnt the Qur’an but sleeps while the Qur’an is in his heart, is like a bag of musk but with its mouth closed”

[Tirmidhi, Nisaa’i, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban]

¨ Let us not allow our hearts to become rusty devoid of the Quran!

The Prophet (saw) said,

"These hearts become rusty just as iron does when water affects it." On being asked what could clear them he replied, "A great amount of remembrance of death and recitation of the Qur'an."

[Bayhaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-Iman. Abdullah ibn Umar narrated]

¨ The implementation of the Quran is what the world is in need of today, look at the oppression in every place – In Palestine, Afghanistan, in Iraq as well as in the West.

Allah (swt) says:

" ALIF-LAAM-RAA'. This is a Book we have revealed unto you, O Muhammad, in order that you may lead mankind out of darkness into the light”.

[TMQ Ibrahim:1-2]

¨ So let us make this month of Ramadhan, the month of prayer, the month of worship, the month of recitation of Qur’an, the month of giving Zakah, the month of strengthening the relations between our relatives, the month of generosity and goodness to the needy, the month of being aware of our speech and actions, the month of re-invigorating our Iman and purifying our hearts and the month of engaging in the da’wa to re-establish the Khilafah, the implementation of the Quran on the earth.

¨ I want to end on a Hadith narrated in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad that should motivate us to work to revive this Deen by the Quran.

The Messenger Muhammad (saw) said:

"Some peoples will come on the Day of Judgement and their Iman will be outstanding, it's light will shine from their chests and from their right hands. So it will be said to them, 'glad tidings for you today, Assalaamu alaykum and goodness for you, enter into it (Jannah) forever!’ So the Angels and the Prophets will be jealous of the love of Allah for them". So the Sahabah asked, ' who are they O Messenger of Allah?' He (saw) replied, "They are not from us and they are not from you. You are my companions but they are my beloved. They will come after you and will find the book (the Qur'an) made redundant by the people, and a Sunnah which has been killed by them. So they will grab hold of the book and the Sunnah and revive them. So they will read them and teach them (the Qur'an and the Sunnah) to the people and they will experience in that path a punishment more severe and more ugly than what you (O Sahabah) have experienced. Indeed, the Iman of one of them is equivalent to the Iman of forty of you. The Shaheed of one of them is equivalent to forty of your Shuhadaa'. Because you found a helper towards the truth (the Prophet [saw]) and they will find no helper towards the truth. So they will be surrounded by tyrant rulers in every place, and they will be in the surroundings of Bayt ul-Maqdis (al-Quds). The Nussrah (victorious material support) of Allah will come to them, and they will have the honour of it on their hands". Then he (saw) said "O Allah give them the Nussrah and make them my close friends in Jannah".

[Musnad of Imaam Ahmad, chain no. 77, Hadeeth no. 17561]

¨ O Allah (swt) we ask you to make us of these people and grant us with the Victory.