Indivisible

 In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

The Qur'aan says in Verse 6:159, 'Those indeed who have broken the unity of their Faith, and have become sects, you have nothing to do with them ...'.

From the above, the divine dislike of dividing Islam into sects is obvious! But what is noteworthy is the arithmetical or numerical code used here to give expression to the divine concept of the indivisibility of Islam.

The believers are addressed as يا أيها الذين آمنوا (O you who believe) throughout the Qur'aan for being given necessary instructions on leading a proper life on this earth. And they are so addressed, in all, 89 times therein. 89 is an indivisible prime number!

So, you see, the divine concept of the indivisible Islam is codified here by addressing the believers for a prime number of times - a feat that could only be divine, and not man-made - in the circumstances in which the Qur'aan was revealed, nearly 1500 years ago!

And the Qur'aan is replete with such numerical codes leaving no scope for any doubts about its divinity!!

Mohammad Shafi 

Friday, the 23rd of July 2021.

 

Islam - Grossly Misunderstood & Misrepresented

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

 

In a recent TV serial, a person is shown unjustly indulging in subversion in a secretive manner. And he is shown, in the seclusion of his residence, as praying the Muslim Namaz/Salat!

 

A true Muslim would fight injustice but never indulge in unjust subversion. The TV serial was misrepresenting Islam.

 

In visual media, Muslims are shown as praying at the tombs of dead saints. As if they are seeking the saints' intercession in their prayers to Allah!

 

But Islam is strictly against seeking such intercession. It calls it 'shirk', an unpardonable sin!

 

The media is thus grossly misunderstanding & misrepresenting true Islam!

 

What is true Islam then?

 

It is simply an unshakable belief in the existence of One Creator of the entire Universe and of everything therein! Muslims call Him - the One Creator - Allah. HE has created mankind on this earth for testing its every individual for his/her eligibility to a higher, permanent life where there would be no loss, no suffering, no death. The test is whether the individual recognizes Allah without factually seeing Him.

 

Allah has adequately pre-conditioned mankind for this test. HE has ingrained the subconscious of every individual with a natural acceptance of His existence.

 

Besides, HE has provided evidence of His existence in everything, in and around the individual. The individual can decipher the evidence by pondering over it a little.

 

HE has, moreover, sent His human Messengers to every nation around the world with divine Scriptures for mankind's guidance. The last of such guidance came nearly 1500 hundred years ago in the form of the Qur'aan. 

 

No further such guidance is needed since all provisions are now in place for the preservation of the last scripture till end of this earthly world. 

 

Every individual must abide by that divine Scripture and abstain from all evil to be eligible for a permanently secure and happy life in the Hereafter. 

 

Islam is the way to that life!

 

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 11^th of June 2021.

 

O Muslims - 32

 

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

54. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo man yartadda minkum AAan deenihi fasawfa ya/tee Allahu biqawmin yuhibbuhum wayuhibboonahu athillatin AAala almu/mineena aAAizzatin AAala alkafireena yujahidoona fee sabeeli Allahi wala yakhafoona lawmata la-imin thalika fadlu Allahi yu/teehi man yashao waAllahu wasiAAun AAaleemun

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5:54. O you who believe! If there be any from among you who turns back from his religion, then, Allah will bring a people whom He will love and who will love Him, humble with the believers, stern with those who suppress the Truth. They will strive in Allah's Path and will not fear the criticism of any critic. That is Allah's Favour which He gives to whom He wills. And Allah’s knowledge encompasses everything.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 18^th of September 2020.

O Muslims - 15

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpts from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

130. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo la ta/kuloo alrriba adAAafan mudaAAafatan waittaqoo Allaha laAAallakum tuflihoona

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3:130. O you who believe! Consume not Ar-Riba¹⁴³, doubled, and multiplied. And fear Allah, so that you attain salvation.

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143. …. Ar-Riba got totally prohibited under Verse 2:275, and Verse 3:130, the one we are studying now, was revealed earlier in chronological order of revelation. So, at the time of the revelation of Verse 3:130, Ar-Riba was not totally prohibited. But by this Verse, the believers were asked not to consume Ar-Riba at exorbitant rates. This is in line with the divine scheme of inducting prohibition of long-entrenched harmful human habits in gradual steps. Prohibition of intoxicants was also similarly done….

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Please read e-book ISLAM AND INTEREST or its Urdu Translation in this context.

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 22^nd May 2020.

O Muslims - 10

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpts from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

278. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo ittaqoo Allaha watharoo ma baqiya mina alrriba in kuntum mu/mineena

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2:278. O you who believe! Fear Allah and give up what has remained of Ar-Riba, if you are indeed believers.⁵¹⁹

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519. Recall divine Rulings, Warnings and Directions made in Verses 2:275 and 2:276. The divine admonition, here in Verse 2:278, is in pursuance thereof.

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Kindly go through my e-book ISLAM & INTEREST in this context.

Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 17^th of April 2020.

O Muslims - 9

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious the Merciful

Excerpts from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

267. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo anfiqoo min tayyibati ma kasabtum wamimma akhrajna lakum mina al-ardi wala tayammamoo alkhabeetha minhu tunfiqoona walastum bi-akhitheehi illa an tughmidoo feehi waiAAlamoo anna Allaha ghaniyyun hameedun

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2:267. O you believers! Spend from the good things you have lawfully earned and from that which We have taken out for you from the earth⁵⁰³, and seek not for spending, things of little worth there from, which you yourselves would not accept but scornfully. Bear in mind that Allah has everything in abundance and is Praiseworthy.⁵⁰⁴

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503.  Agricultural products, obviously.

504. It is a general human tendency to give away only those things in charity which the giver himself would consider to be unworthy of use. Suppose, for example, I take a superior grade A rice for my personal use. Then if I intend sending some cooked rice as charity to an orphanage, I may take rice of an inferior quality. That is what Allah abhors. HE wouldn't give me any marks for charity on that score. What He expects me to do is use the same superior grade A rice for sending cooked food as charity to the orphanage. Allah allays my fears of getting impoverished by my using the superior quality rice also for charity. He reminds me that it is by His grace that I can use grade A rice for myself. And if He wants to, He can provide for the orphans with food, even better than what I use for my own consumption. By providing me with the means to give charity, He is only testing me as to how I treat the have-nots. Praise be to Him! HE can keep a simultaneous watch on everybody and everything in any part of the Universe. HE has knowledge of what goes on inside the minds and bodies of all living creatures.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 10^th of April 2020.

O Muslims - 6

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpts from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

208. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo odkhuloo fee alssilmi kaffatan wala tattabiAAoo khutuwati alshshaytani innahu lakum AAaduwwun mubeenun

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2:208. O those who believe! Get into Islam thoroughly^{365, 366}, and follow not Satan's footsteps. He indeed is an open enemy to you.³⁶⁷

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365. The original Arabic phrase could also be translated as 'Surrender yourselves completely to Allah'. Complete surrender to Allah would inter alia mean adherence to all applicable Qur'aanic commands.

366. Once a cyber-friend told me that it wasn't practical to do everything that the Qur'aan asks us to do. It was enough to adhere to as many Qur'aanic commands – from among those applicable – as it was practically possible. This view is a negation of this Verse we are presently studying. The Satan it is that subtly induces man to entertain such views to lead him astray. That's why the Verse further advises man not to follow the Satan's footsteps. He (the Satan) arrogantly (see Verse 7:12) thought it wasn't possible for him to follow one of Allah's commands to him – to bow before Adam!

367. In Verse 2:168 there is a similar divine instruction not to follow Satan's footsteps as 'he is to you an open enemy.' The instructions there were in the context of consuming lawful and wholesome things. One of the food items that are prohibited is 'that which is consecrated to someone other than Allah' [Verse 2:173]. This category of prohibited food could include items distributed as tabarruk from the shrine of a peer or saint. The association of the saint with the food makes the latter consecrated to 'someone other than Allah'. Consumption of such food in the belief that it specially benefits the consumer, is a manifest sin of shirk. It (the belief) betrays the consumer's blasphemous assumption that the peer or saint partners with Allah in granting special benefits in the act of eating the tabarruk. Satan, the avowed enemy of man, misleads the consumers in making them think that they are doing nothing wrong.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 20^th of March 2020.

O Muslims - 5

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Excerpts from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

183. Ya ayyuha allatheena amanoo kutiba AAalaykumu alssiyamu kama kutiba AAala allatheena min qablikum laAAallakum tattaqoona

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2:183. O you who believe! The fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those who lived before you, so that you become pious.³⁰⁵

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305. And the pious are the ones who are on the right Guidance and successful, the All-knowing Allah assures us (refer Verses 2:2 to 2:5)! In other words, fasting opens the door to real success in this world and to salvation in the Hereafter. To achieve success in its real sense, therefore, one has got to fast in the divinely prescribed manner.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 13^th of March 2020.

Suppressors of Truth

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

178. Wala yahsabanna allatheena kafaroo annama numlee lahum khayrun li-anfusihim innama numlee lahum liyazdadoo ithman walahum AAathabun muheenun

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3:178. And let not the suppressors of the Truth think that the long rein We give them is any good for them. The long rein to them is only for the purpose that they may add to their sins. And for them is a disgraceful punishment.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 27^th December 2019.

Prophet Worship

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

79. Ma kana libasharin an yu/tiyahu Allahu alkitaba waalhukma waalnnubuwwata thumma yaqoola lilnnasi koonoo AAibadan lee min dooni Allahi walakin koonoo rabbaniyyeena bima kuntum tuAAallimoona alkitaba wabima kuntum tadrusoona

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3:79. A man, whom Allah has given the Book and the Command and the Prophethood, cannot say to the people, “Be worshippers of me besides Allah.” But be you all faithful worshippers of your Lord in accordance with what you have been teaching from the Book and in accordance with what you have been studying/learning from it.⁹⁴

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94. The Verse is a direct indictment of the Christians. They worship Prophet Jesus (peace be upon him) as God Himself or as Son of God. This tendency to worship God's Messenger as God Himself is not restricted, among mankind, to the Christians alone. Worshipping of Rama and Krishna in India appears to be a result of the same tendency. Why blame other communities? There is a palpable tendency among the Muslims themselves to give their own Prophet (peace upon him) some of the divine powers. They have already 'given' him the power of intercession, as the Christians have given Jesus, to ensure their safe entry into Paradise despite their sins committed here on earth. There is nothing in the Qur'aan to show that Allah has given the power of intercession to any of His Messengers/Prophets. The Qur'aan, in fact, categorically states that there shall be no intercession on the Day of Judgement (Verse 2:254)

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 8^th of November 2019.

Fundamental Article

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Fundamental Article of Islamic Faith

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

18. Shahida Allahu annahu la ilaha illa huwa waalmala-ikatu waoloo alAAilmi qa-iman bialqisti la ilaha illa huwa alAAazeezu alhakeemu

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3:18. Allah bears witness that there indeed is none worthy of worship but He; and so, do the angels and those with right knowledge, based on truth and justice. There is none worthy of worship but He, the Omnipotent, the Wise.¹⁶

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16. This fundamental article of Islamic Faith is witnessed and certified by Allah Almighty Himself and by the angels who are the first amongst His creations to know the absolute Truth of the article of Faith. And among mankind, only those endorse the fundamental article, whose acquisition of knowledge is the result of their quest and enquiry based on truth and justice. Their knowledge is not based on unverified guesswork like Darwin's Theory of Evolution. Had his theory been true, we ought to have seen at least some signs of monkeys/chimpanzees evolving into humans, during this historical period of well over a thousand years. Protagonists of the theory try to hide behind the anonymity and haziness of the pre-historic ages. There too they encounter their 'missing links'.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 18^th of October 2019.

Prohibited Ar-Riba

In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful

Prohibited Ar-Riba

Extract from QUR’AANIC STUDIES – A Modern Tafsir PART I:

275. Allatheena ya/kuloona alrriba la yaqoomoona illa kama yaqoomu allathee yatakhabbatuhu alshshaytanu mina almassi thalika bi-annahum qaloo innama albayAAu mithlu alrriba waahalla Allahu albayAAa waharrama alrriba faman jaahu mawAAithatun min rabbihi faintaha falahu ma salafa waamruhu ila Allahi waman AAada faola-ika as-habu alnnari hum feeha khalidoona

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2:275. Those who consume Ar-Riba⁵¹⁴ live not but like those whom Satan makes to stumble on in life, under his spell⁵¹⁵. That is because they assert, "Business is just like Ar-Riba.⁵¹⁶" And Allah has made business lawful and Ar-Riba unlawful. He, then, to whom admonition has come from his Lord and has since abstained from Ar-Riba – to him belongs what happened in the past. And to Allah returns his deed.⁵¹⁷ And those who rebel – they shall be inhabitants of the hellfire, therein to remain forever.

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514. In Verse 30:39, Allah declares, "That which you give at a premium, so that the gain accrued is on account of other people's properties, possessions or dues, such a gain has no approval of Allah ...." In that Verse, Allah has clearly expressed his disapproval of gains that are rightfully due to others, but manoeuvred to be usurped from them in day-to-day human dealings. An example can be given of a factory owner cheating the workers employed, in their salaries, to have a fatter profit for himself. Such gains, wrongfully usurped from others and disapproved of by Allah in Verse 30:39, are here in this Verse, 2:275, made totally unlawful. And such gains are termed as Ar-Riba, literally meaning the gain/increase, to distinguish it from lawfully obtained gains as through trading, giving services etc. It is unfortunate that most Muslim scholars have given a wrongly restrictive meaning of 'interest on money lent or borrowed' to the Qur'aanic term.

515. Under the satanic spell, people become reluctant to believe in any life after death. They therefore tend to believe that this worldly life is the be-all and end-all of human existence. And they try to get the most out of it. With no fear of any divine punishment, they stumble on from one wrongdoing to another and consume Ar-Riba to get rich quickly and enjoy all that money can buy. But the happiness and enjoyment, that they seek, ever eludes them like a mirage.

516. I have no knowledge of the people who said this at the time of revelation of this Verse. But I know people who say this now in this 21st Century (15th Century Hijri). I know people who say, 'Banking business is Ar-Riba', whereas Allah has categorically made business lawful and Ar-Riba unlawful. Business is an activity by a person or by a group of persons to make things or services conveniently available to the public. Manufacturing and trading businesses make goods conveniently available and there are firms, like those of solicitors, who provide services to the public. Likewise, banking business provides money for needful projects that an individual or a group of individuals undertake, but for which the individual, or the group, doesn't have all the necessary finance. Banking is therefore a legitimate business fulfilling a social need. Like other businesses, banking business too is legitimately entitled to a reasonable profit for itself. It is also entitled to recover expenses incurred like staff salaries, building rentals etc., on pro rata basis from its clientele. And a bank does recover its expenses plus profit and calls this recovery as interest. Such interest gets divinely sanctioned when this Verse 2:275 declares that Allah has made business lawful. But the Satan has succeeded in inducing many Muslim scholars in declaring such legitimate interest collected as Ar-Riba! Ar-Riba, I repeat, is wrongful usurpation, during transactions, of other people's properties, possessions or dues, in terms of Verse 30:39. Ar-Riba is not interest, as such.

517. Whatever Ar-Riba gains people had made before they became aware of the divine prohibition against it, could be retained with those people, provided they abided by the prohibition thereafter. Their matter is left for Allah Himself to deal with as He wished. Allah, in His mercy, may forgive them – but not those who consciously act against the divine prohibition.

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Mohammad Shafi

Friday, the 4^th of October 2019.