Monthly Archives: January 2014
Rules of meeting each other
In all civilized societies, there have always been some particular forms of greetings, as an expression of respect, affection or formal recognition, upon meeting a person. The Hindus say ‘Namaste’ or ‘Raam Raam’, whilst among the Christians, it is customary to salute with words like ‘Good morning’ and ‘Good evening’.
Among the Arabs too, before the advent of Islaam, similar forms of salutations were in existence. It is stated in Sunan Aboo Daawood, on the authority of Imraan Ibne Hussein radhiyallahu anhu that he said:
“Before Islaam, we used to say, ‘God grant coolness to your eyes’ and ‘May your morning be happy’ while greeting one another. When from the darkness of ignorance we emerged into the light of Islaam, these formulas of salutation were forbidden and, in their place, we were taught to say, Assalaamu’ Alaykum (Peace be with you).”
As a little reflection will show, no better form of salutation is possible as an expression of love, regard and goodwill. It makes excellent and most comprehensive prayer for the occasion, denoting: May Allah bestow peace and security on you. For those who are younger to us in age, it is an expression of kindness and affection, and for the elders, of regard and attention. Moreover, salaam is one of the Excellent Names of Allah. In the Qur’aan, the phrase, Assalaamu’ Alayk, has been used, on behalf of Allah, as a mark of favour and esteem for the Divine Apostles. Thus, we read:
Peace be unto Nooh among the people, (37:79);
Peace be unto Ibraheem, (37:109);
Peace be unto Moosaa and Haaroon, (37:120);
Peace be unto Ilyaas, (37:130);
Peace be unto the Messengers, (37:181);
and, Peace be on His Slaves whom He hath chosen, (27:59).
The believers too, are commanded in the Qur’aan to make salutation to the Prophet in these words: Assalaamu’ Alayka Ayyuhan Nabiyyu (Peace be unto you, O Prophet), and, the Prophet is told that when those who believed in the Divine Revelations came to him, he should say to them:
Peace be unto you! Your Lord has prescribed for Himself mercy. (6:54)
Similarly, in the Hereafter, at the time of entry into Heaven, Believers will be received with these words:
Enter here in peace and security, (15:46);
and peace be unto you because you preserved in patience. Now how excellent is the final home. (13:24)
Anyway, there can be no better greeting than Assalaamu’ Alaykum.
If the two Muslims who meet are already acquainted with each other and there exists a bond of friendship, relationship or affection between them, this form of salutation fully signifies the connection, and, on the basis of it, gives an eloquent expression to the sentiments of joy, regard, love and well-wishing.
On the other hand, if they are strangers, it becomes a means of introduction and a declaration of trust and sincerity; or, in other words, one assures the other, through it, that he is a well-wisher and there obtains a spiritual tie between them.
Be that as it may, the teachings of Assalaamu Alaykum and Wa’ Alaykum Assalaam as the forms of greeting among the Muslims is a most propitious instruction of the sacred Prophet and a distinctive practice of Islaam.
Courtesy of: islaam.org
Source: rules-of-meeting-each-other.html
How the Glorious Qur’aan Was Preserved
How the Glorious Qur’aan Was Preserved
In the days of the Noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam)
Since the Noble Qur’aan was not revealed all at once, on the contrary, different verses of it were being revealed as and when appropriate, therefore, it was not possible from the very beginning to write and preserve it in a book form. So, during the initial stage of Islaam, major emphasis was laid on memory as a means of preserving the Noble Qur’aan.
When wahee (revelation) used to come in the very beginning, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would tend to repeat its words instantly so that they would be memorized well enough. Thereupon, Allah Almighty directed him through the verses of Soorah Qiyaamah that he need not repeat words in a hurry immediately as revelation came.Allah Almighty would himself endow him with a memory that he will be unable to forget the words of the waheeonce its descent has been completed. So it was that the moment the Qur’aanic verses would come to him, they would be committed to his memory the next moment. Thus, the blessed chest of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam), was the most protected vault of the Noble Qur’aan, in which there was no chance of even some commonmistake, editing or alteration.
Moreover, as a matter of additional precaution, he used to recite the Qur’aan before angel Jibra’eel alayhis salaamevery year during the month of Ramadhaan; and the year he left this mortal world he completed a cumulative review of Qur’aanic recitation twice with Jibra’eel alayhis salaam.
(Saheeh Bukhaari with Fat’hul Baari)
Again, as it was, he would not restrict his teachings of the Sahaabah (Companions) to just the meaning of the Noble Qur’aan, but had them memorize its words as well. Then, the revered Companions were themselves so enamored with a desire to learn and remember the Noble Qur’aan that everyone of them was anxious to get ahead of the other. There were women who claimed no mahr (dowry) from their husbands except that they would teach the Qur’aan.
Hundreds of Companions, freeing themselves from all other concerns, had devoted their whole lives for this purpose. Not only did they memorize the Qur’aan but also went on repeating it within the nightly prayers. ‘When someone migrated from Makkah Mukarramah and came to Madeenah Munawwarah’, says Ubaadah Ibne Saamit radhiyallahu anhu, ‘the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) would entrust him to one of us Ansaar so that he could teach Qur’aan to the new comer.’ The mosque of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) was so filled with voices generated by learners and teachers of the Qur’aan that the noble Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) had to ask them to lower their voices so that mistakes are not made.
(Manaahilul ‘Irfaan)
So, within a fairly short time, there was on hand a large group of the noble Companions who had the Glorious Qur’aan all committed flawlessly to their memory. Included in this group were, in addition to the four guided Khulafaa, persons like Talhah, Sa’d, lbne Mas’ood, Huzayfah Ibne Yamaan, Saalim Mawlaa Aboo Huzayfah, Aboo Hurayrah, Abdullah Ibne Umar, Abdullah Ibne Abbaas, Amr Ibne Aas, Mu’aawiyah, Abdullah Ibne Zubayr, Abdullah Ibne Saa’ib, Aa’ishah, Hafsah, Umme Salamah, (radhiyallahu anhum).
In short, memorization of the Qur’aan was given more emphasis in early Islaam as this was the only protected and trustworthy method given the conditions of that time. The reason is that the number of people who could read or write was very limited in those days. The means of publishing books, such as printing press, etc., were not there. Therefore, in that situation, if writing was taken to be sufficient, it would have neither been possible to spread the Qur’aan on an extensive scale nor to protect it reliably. In its place, Allah Almighty had blessed the people of Arabia with a memory of such dimensions that thousands of poetic lines would normally rest in the memory of one person after another. Common ordinary villagers would remember by heart their genealogies and those of their families and unbelievably enough – even those of their horses! Therefore, this power of memory was well utilized for the conservation and protection of theNoble Qur’aan and it was through it that the verses and chapters of the Noble Qur’aan reached all over in to the far corners of Arabia.
Courtesy of: islaam.org/
Intellectual Proofs in the Qur’an
In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Dr. Abdul Radhi Muhammad Abdul Mohsen
These are different means used in the Qur’an for intellectual thinking and certain proofs, such as:
A – Qur’anic standard
The intellectual criteria and parables set in the Qur’an to reveal the truth, and the ways to know similarity and difference, the Almighty Allah says:
“Shall We then treat the Muslims like the Mujrimoon [criminals, polytheists, disbelievers etc.]? What is the matter with you? How judge you?” [Qur’an, 68:35-36]
B – The standard of the greater reason
This means to confirm a statement or a quality to something on the basis that it is confirmed to its equal, or when there is a greater reason to do that by analogy, as the Qur’an has proved Resurrection in the following verse:
“And he puts forth for Us a parable, and forgets his own creation. He says: “Who will give life to these bones after they are rotten and have become dust?” Say: [O Muhammad] “He will give life to them Who created them for the first time! And He is the All-Knower of every creation!” [Qur’an, 36:78-79]
The Qur’an also used the standard of the greater reason as regards the divine qualities. It confirms for Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala all the perfection that is possible for man and deems Him far above any defect confirmed for man. When the polytheists said that the Almighty Allah has daughters when at the same time they hated having daughters, the Qur’an says:
“Have you then considered Al-Lat and Al-`Uzza [two idols of the pagan Arabs]? And Manat [another idol of the pagan Arabs], the other third? Is it fo you the males and for Him the females?” [Qur’an, 53:19-21]
The Qur’an also uses this method to prove the Oneness of Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala. Allah says:
“He sets for you a parable from your own selves: Do you have partners among those whom your right hand posses [i.e. your slaves] to share as equals in the wealth We bestowed on you whom you fear as you fear each other….?” [Qur’an, 30:28]
The man among them would not accept to have his slave as equal partner in his wealth, then how can man accept that the created slave be partner to Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, in godship and in the right of worship?
C – Exigency
Whoever knows that something is necessary for the realisation of another uses the result to prove the thing that is necessary. This is clear in the following Qur’anic verse:
“Were they created by nothing? Or were they themselves the creators?” [Qur’an 52:35]
No one of a good natural disposition can allege that things can happen without an author or by themselves.
Courtesy Of: Islaam.com
Source: kalamullah.com
O Bearers of the Qur’an!
The Excellence of the Followers of the Qur’an
The Miracle of Qur’anic Eloquence and Style
In the Name of Allâh, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
Dr. Abdul Radhi Muhammad Abdul Mohsen This includes: A – Expression: the eloquence of the Qur’an’s expression has two aspects: purity of language and impressiveness. B – Meaning: the eloquence of the Qur’an as regards meaning is obvious in three aspects: 1. The meaning is clear from the word itself. 2. The meaning conforms to the word, it is neither more than it to cause disorder in the word nor less than it to cause disorder in meaning. That is obvious in the Arabs’ saying: “The killing stops killing” and what the Almighty Allah, subhanahu wa ta`ala, says: “And there is [a saving of] life for you in Qisas [the law of Equality in punishment of murder]…” [Qur’an 2:179] 3. Saying many concepts in a few words. C – The composition: The good composition of the Qur’an is obvious in the following: 1. The Qur’anic speech is harmonious. 2. The measure is balanced and not inconsistent. 3. If a word is taken from its place, and the whole Arabic language is searched for a better substitute, it will not be found. The Almighty Allah says: “[This is] a Book, the Verses whereof are perfected [in every sphere of knowledge], and then explained in detail from one [Allah] Who is All-Wise All-Acquainted [with all things].” [Qur’an 11:1] D – The artistic imagery: This is a new aspect of the Qur’an’s miraculous eloquence revealed by Sayyid Qutb who studied the general principles of the artistic and esthetical qualities of the Qur’an materialized in imagery that he considered the preferred instrument in the style of the Qur’an, and the first rule of its eloquence. It expresses in an imaginary image the mental meaning, the psychological state, the tangible incident, the visible spectacle, the human model and man’s nature. Then that image is promoted and given life or renewable movement, thus the mental meaning becomes a movement, the psychological state becomes a spectacle, the human modem becomes a living person and man’s nature becomes visible. The listener forgets that he listens to a recital and imagines himself in front of a spectacle that is presented or an incident taking place in front of one’s eyes. The miraculous aspect of artistic imagery in the Qur’an is that its instrument is the inanimate word and not the expressive persons, the colours or the accompanying music.
Courtesy Of: Islaam.com
Source: the-miracle-of-quranic-eloquence