The Life of this World is Fleeting Enjoyment

 "Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children. (It is) like a rain (Ghayth), thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment, and (there is) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure. And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment."

• Allah the Exalted degrades the significance of this life and belittles it by saying,
•   "that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children." 
  
• Meaning, this is the significance of this life to its people, just as He said in another Ayah,
  

  "Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world's life; but Allah has the excellent return with Him." ( 3:14 ) 

• Allah the Exalted also sets a parable for this life, declaring that its joys are fading and its delights are perishable, saying that life is,
• "Like a rain (Ghayth)," which is the rain that comes down to mankind, after they had felt despair. Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
•   "And He is it Who sends down the Ghayth (rain) after they have despaired." 
  

• Allah's statement,
  

•   "thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller;"
  

meaning that farmers admire the vegetation that grows in the aftermath of rain. And just as farmers admire vegetation, the disbelievers admire this life; they are the most eager to acquire the traits of life, and life is most dear to them,

•   "afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw."
  

Meaning, that vegetation soon turns yellow in color, after being fresh and green. After that, the green fades away and becomes scattered pieces of dust. This is the parable of this worldly life, it starts young, then matures and then turns old and feeble. This is also the parable of mankind in this life; they are young and strong in the beginning. In this stage of life, they look youthful and handsome. Slowly, they begin growing older, their mannerism changes and their strength weakens. They then grow old and feeble; moving becomes difficult for them, while doing easy things becomes beyond their ability. Allah the Exalted said,

  "Allah is He Who created you in (a state of) weakness, then gave you strength after weakness, then after strength gave (you) weakness and gray hair. He creates what He wills. And He is the All-Knowing, the All-Powerful."

This parable indicates the near demise of this life and the imminent end of it, while in contrast, the Hereafter is surely coming. Those who hear this parable should, therefore, be aware of the significance of the Hereafter and feel eagerness in the goodness that it contains,

  "But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment, and (there is) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure. And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment." 

Meaning, surely, the Hereafter that will certainly come contains two things either severe punishment or forgiveness from Allah and His good pleasure.

• Allah the Exalted said,
  

•   "And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment."
  

Meaning, this life is only a form of enjoyment that deceives those who incline to it. Surely, those who recline to this life will admire it and feel that it is dear to them, so much so, that they might think that this is the only life, no life or dwelling after it. Yet, in reality, this life is insignificant as compared to the Hereafter.

Al-Bukhari collected this Hadith through the narration of Ath-Thawri [Fath al-Bari 11:328]. This Hadith indicates the close proximity of both good and evil in relation to mankind. If this is the case, then this is the reason Allah the Exalted encouraged mankind to rush to perform acts of righteousness and obedience and to avoid the prohibitions. By doing so, their sins and errors will be forgiven and they will acquire rewards and an exalted status. Allah the Exalted said,

  "Race with one another in hastening towards forgiveness from your Lord, and Paradise the width whereof is as the width of the heaven and the earth." 

• Allah the Exalted said in another Ayah,
  

  "And march forth in the way (to) forgiveness from your Lord, and for Paradise as wide as the heavens and the earth, prepared for those who have Taqwa."

• Allah said here,
  

  "prepared for those who believe in Allah and His Messengers. That is the grace of Allah which He bestows on whom He is pleased with. And Allah is the Owner of the great bounty." 

Meaning, "This, that Allah has qualified them for, is all a part of His favor, bounty and compassion." We mentioned a Hadith collected in the Sahih in which the poor emigrants said to the Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, "O Allah's Messenger! The wealthy people will get higher grades and permanent enjoyment." He asked, "Why is that?" They said, "They pray like us and fast as we do. However, they give in charity, whereas we cannot do that, and they free servants, whereas we cannot afford it." The Prophet, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said,

  "Shall I tell you of a good deed that, if you acted upon, you would catch up with those who have surpassed you? None would overtake you and be better than you, except those who might do the same. Say, "Glorious is Allah," Allah is Most Great", and "Praise be to Allah", thirty three times each after every prayer."

They later came back and said, "Our wealthy brethren heard what we did and they started doing the same." Allah's Messenger, sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam, said,

•   "This is the favor that He gives to whom He wills." [Muslim 1:416]

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Names & Attributes of God, An Islamic Point of View

Prior to the modern age very few people disputed the fact that the world has a creator. This fact was for them as obvious as a logical truth or an observed phenomenon. They only differed about the nature of this creator and about the appropriate attitude people should have towards Him. But now the very existence of a creator is disputed. Why? This is not an easy question to answer. However, I tend to agree with those contemporary writers who trace the origins of modern atheism in the West to the ideas of some influential Western philosophers, some of whom were themselves believers. But these ‘believer’ argued in such a way as to make people at least doubt , if not reject, some of the facts belief in which used to be considered of the essence of being rational.

Good reasons for belief in the Creator, whether they be strictly rational or otherwise, used to be related to those facts. Belief in God was based on the fact that there was something in our nature and in the nature of the world which points to a transcendent Creator whom we should worship. The claim of the new thinking was that our world is in every respect a closed system that cannot therefore point to anything outside itself. The first step toward this separation of heaven and earth was perhaps Descartes’ mechanistic conception of the world in which it is claimed that it is possible to explain natural phenomena by reference to matter and motion and their laws. Hume widened the distance between heaven and earth by claiming that the causal principle by which we make such explanation of natural 

phenomena was nothing but observed regular succession. God cannot therefore be a cause since His creation or effect, is not observed to occur after Him. Kant took the final step by arguing that the concept of causation cannot apply to anything outside the world of our experience. This atheistic philosophy then became, as it were, the official philosophy of science. And since ordinary people, and even many scientists, do not see the distinction between the facts which science establishes and the philosophies which scientists adopt, especially when such philosophies become popular among great scientists, this atheistic philosophy was believed by the public to be the philosophy which science demands or even the philosophy whose truth it has establish.

Many believers accepted the atheistic assumptions of this philosophy but nevertheless maintained their belief in God hoping to find a place for Him in the realms which science could not yet conquer. But the atheists argued, with some strength, that since science was rapidly progressing in giving us “rational” explanations of phenomena which we used to believe to the works of God, it was only a matter of time before everything would be so explained, thus driving God completely out of our world.

The severance of the relation between God and the world was thus, on the one hand, a result of a new conception of the nature of our world. But on the other hand it led some believers to a new conception of the nature of God. God, as a result of this new thinking became more and more of an abstract idea rather than a living person. But this in its turn strengthened the atheistic trend. Who is interested in a God that is a mere idea, who has no active role to play either on the level of our intellects and behavior or on the level of nature.

But the idea that our world is a closed system, that it does not point to transcendent creation, has received a serious blow from the big bang theory, which is being more and more accepted by scientists as the most plausible scientific cosmological theory. According to this theory our natural world had a definite beginning. And if so it would not be illegitimate to ask: Who started it? But this means that the world itself is telling us that it is not self-sufficient, i.e., it is pointing to something beyond itself. But this fact, as we said earlier, was taken for granted by early thinkers. They did not have to wait for a twentieth-century scientific theory to prove it. Almost everything around them pointed to the fact our world had a beginning, and could not therefore be self-sufficient.

I think that it will soon be obvious that those who denied the existence of the Creator cannot support their claim by any scientific facts. But mere belief in the existence of a creator is not of much consequence. We need to know who this creator is so that we can establish appropriate relations with Him, relations that would make a difference in our life.

It is to this end that thinking believers should henceforth direct their energies. We must overcome the pre Big Bang complex which induced many of us to think of God as an abstract idea, and start expounding and defending the ordinary believer’s conception of Him as a living and loving Person.

I believe that there is much in the writings of early Muslim theologians, especially those of the Sunnite School, from which all those who believe in the existence of the Creator can benefit in this respect. And it is towards this end that I am writing the rest of this paper. I shall attempt to give contemporary believers an idea about the way early Muslim theologians thought about an issue in which we are still interested, namely, the nature of God and His attributes.

There were three major views concerning the nature of divine attributes among Muslims. These are the views of the mujassima or anthropomorphists, mu’attila or negators, and the muthbita or affirmers:

The physicalistic or anthropomorphistic view likens God to a huge human being, and thus attributes to Him the human form of attributes like hearing, seeing, speaking, having eyes, etc. The difference between Him and ordinary human beings, according to this view, is not of kind but of degree. Only a few influential people held such a view in the history of Islam, and they were immediately condemned as idol worshippers. Since this view is no longer taken seriously by any contemporary believers, it need not detain us. The only important point to mention here, because it relates to the two following views, is the reason behind such a view, i.e., the assumption that only physical things with which we are familiar exist, and since God exists He must be physical in this sense, and his attributes cannot but take the forms of those of physical things.

The negators’ view assumes that all the attributes we express in the Arabic language or any other human language are attributes of physical existents. But God is not physical. When He attributes to Himself, in the Quran, things like hearing, seeing, being above His throne, having hands or eyes, etc., He is addressing us in the only language we can understand, but He is not using words describing these qualities in any real sense. What are we then to understand by such words and expressions when we use them in relation to God? Nothing, according to the extreme advocates of this view. This view, though it was not known until about the third century of Islam, soon became, especially in its milder forms, very influential and popular among many theologians and educated Muslims. It is sometimes wrongly assumed to be the only alternative to the first view.

The affirmers’ view says that when God describes Himself as being capable of seeing, hearing, etc., He is using these words in a real sense, because God really sees and hears. He has a real face and real hands. But since “nothing is like Him”, His attributes, though real, are not like the attributes of human beings or any other created things. This is the view of the early generations of Muslims and of all the great Sunnite ‘ulama’ who followed in their footsteps. It is, I believe, the view of all believers in their hours of worship. But it is no longer popular among theologians and “modernist” believers. One reason for this, as I have said, is that it is confused with the anthropomorphist view, which is obviously untenable. It is this view which I am going to briefly expound and defend against the second view.

Does God exist? The extremist advocates of the second view would refuse to answer in the affirmative, because existence in the real sense is ascribed, in their view, to natural things only. Since God is not like them we cannot even describe Him as existent. What is He then? We cannot say anything positive about Him, they say: we can only say what He is not. The affirmer says that by refusing to liken Him to any physical existent, you end up likening Him to non-existents because it is only in reference to non-existents that we cannot say anything positive.

A contemporary philosopher might think that what the negators are saying is that it is a categorical mistake to describe God as existent and therefore it would be equally wrong to describe Him as non-existent. The affirmers may respond that: we did not say that negators liken God to non-existents merely because they refused to describe Him as existent, but because of their argument for doing so, namely, that nothing positive can be said about God. Our claim is that this description applies only to non-existents.

The affirmers say, more over that the claim that a category mistake is being committed must be supported by showing that the nature of the thing to which a certain attribute is wrongly applied is different in at least one relevant aspect from the things to which this attribute is rightly applied, i.e., that they belong to different categories. But to claim that two things belong to different categories you must know something positive about each one of them. If the only thing you know about one of them is that nothing which applies to anything applies to it in a real sense, you are saying that it belongs to the category of nothingness.That is why the famous Imam Ahmad said in replying to the Jahmiyyah, a very influential school of negators, that a thing which is not like anything else is not a thing at all Admittedly, there is a verse in the Qur’an which says that “Nothing is like Him”

The Jahmiyyah took this to be a Qur’anic support for their negativist view, but this verse does not say that nothing which is said of other things can be said of God, in any real sense. That is why after saying that “Nothing is Like Him,” it goes on to say “He is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.” All that the verse is saying is that God is not to be likened to His creation. But you do not liken Him to them by merely saying that He exists and they exist, or that He knows and some of created things know. You do so only if you take His existence to be as ephemeral and dependent as the existence of created things and that His knowledge is to be as limited as theirs.

The Affirmers’ second objection to the negators refusal to describe God as existent is that anyone who takes such a belief seriously cannot really worship God. How can a person worship, love, fear, turn for guidance to, depend on, or pray to something about which he cannot say, even to himself, that it exists? This is not to say that they do not actually worship God; many of them do, but only at the expense of their theoretical standpoint.

The third objection is that since as Muslims you read the Qur’an and believe in its divine source, what do you understand by expressions which attribute to God things like knowing, hearing, acting, creating, speaking, seeing, etc.? Some negators would say that since God is completely different from anything we know. His real attributes cannot be couched in human language because human languages are necessarily confined to things which fall within our sense experience. But since this language is the only one we understand, God is using it to give us a glimpse of something which is really beyond our comprehension.

The question is how our human language can succeed in giving us even such a glimpse. If the words and expressions of our language do not apply to God in any real sense, then they cannot convey to us anything about Him. And in that case, God would be revealing to us a mere string of words which have no meaning. But no one who really believes in God would attribute to Him such a folly. On the other hand, if they do convey to us even a glimpse, there must be a relationship between them and the real attribute of God.

Other negators would acknowledge the existence of such a relation, but would say that the words are used in their metaphorical and not in their real sense. For example, when it is said in the Qur’an of God that He sees or hears, what is meant is that He knows [III] because seeing and hearing in their real senses apply to animals only. There are three objections to this view.
It can easily be shown that to see is linguistically different from to hear, and both are different from, though related to, knowing. 

If it is claimed that all the words of our language are used in the metaphorical sense when they apply to God, this would lead either to an infinite regress or an impasse. If every word or expression in our language had a metaphorical sense, then once a word, say is used in a sacred book to describe God, we must look for its metaphorical sense, but that metaphorical sense must be expressed in yet other words whose metaphorical senses are expressed in other words and so on, ad infinitum. But if you stop the regress by giving some words their real meanings, you violate your principle.

If the claim is that this applies to some and not all words and expressions describing God, then a valid argument must be given to the difference between the two. But no such argument exists. The truth is that, as Ibn Taymiyyah showed clearly in his ar-risalatu at-tadmuriyyah, whatever is said of some Divine attributes can be said of the others, as we will presently show.

This leads us to a milder version of negationism. Propounders of this milder version are ready to attribute to God things like existence, knowledge, life, power, will, seeing and hearing in their real sense, but would take as metaphorical attributes such as love, pleasure, anger and hate. The reply to a person who makes such a distinction between these two classes of attributes – affirming the former and denying the latter – is to say “there is no difference between what you affirmed and what you denied. What applies to one of them does indeed apply to the other. If you say that His will is like the will of human beings, so also would be His love and pleasure. But this is anthropomorphism. But if you say that He has a will that suits Him just as a human being has a will that suits him, it will be said to you: He also has a love that suits Him, and an anger that suits Him; and the human being has an anger that suits him” ”If one interprets things like love, hate and anger in an anthropmorhistic way, we say that the same can be said about will, knowledge and power.

People like Ibn Taymiyyah, the author of the above quotations, are often mistakenly described by their opponents and by some modern scholars as being literalists, or even worse, anthropomorphists. Those who say this assume that the only alternative to negationism or allegoricalism is literalism or anthropomorphism. But it is clear from Ibn Taymiyyah’s statement that when he affirms that God loves or hates in a real sense and not in a metaphorical sense, he is not, thereby, likening Him to human beings. He rejects the view that language cannot be used in a real sense except when it applies to created things. He thinks that some descriptive words have general meanings which as abstract meanings do not apply to anything in particular, whether it be human or divine. But when they are used to describe a particular, then they describe something which is peculiar to the particular in question [VII]. For example, if we describe two persons, X and Y, as “learned”, the connotation of “learned” when it applies to X is not the same as its connotation when it 

applies to Y. Does this mean that all words are equivocal? No, by no means. Ibn Taymiyyah thinks that though the referents are different, the word has an abstract meaning that is common to both referents. This, he thinks, applies even in the case of God. When we describe Him as loving, for example, we are not likening Him to Human beings, i.e., we are not saying that he loves in the same way as humans love. It is wrong, he insists, to think that the real meanings of such words are their meanings when they apply to human beings. Descriptive words, as such, are neutral. They take their specific forms according to the particulars which they describe. And just as there are differences between particular created things, there are differences – and greater ones – between God and the world of created things.

How do we know about the attributes of God? According to the school of Ahl as-Sunnah, also called the “people of affirmation,” some of the Divine attributes can be known by reason alone, though most of them are known by revelation also. Other attributes of God are not known except through the Divine revelation to God’s chosen Prophets or Messengers. Those which can be known by reason alone may be divided into three categories: God’s attributes as existent, His attributes as a living being, and His attributes as a creator and the object of our worship.

It is of paramount importance to see the difference between the attributes of something as an existent and its attributes under other descriptions or headings. Failure to see this has led both believers and atheists into confusion about their conceptions of God. The mistake starts when either the theist or the atheist assumes that all the attributes of the physical are limited to its attributes under this physical description. Once this mistake is committed, it is easy to argue from it that since God is not physical, nothing which is said of physical things can be said of Him in any real sense. Thus, Lenin, seeing that the progress of science was creating havoc for the materialists’ conception of matter, thought of defining the latter in a way which no scientific discovery could render obsolete. He came to the conclusion that the material was anything that existed objectively, i.e., 

outside our mind.But, this is not a definition of the material; it is a necessary condition of every existent. If communists took Lenin’s definition seriously, the difference between them and the believers would be only verbal, i.e., whether it is proper to say of God that He is material or not. But they do not take their own view seriously. In fact, they insist on having their cake and eating it. Thus, if you tell them that you are ready to say that God is material according to their definition of this word, because you believe that He exists objectively, they would react by asking you to show Him to them, thus reverting back to an earlier definition of the material.

Because material things exist objectively, and God is not material, then His existence must be only subjective. It seems that Lenin argued in this way. Some theistic theologians argued in a manner that is rather similar to this. In their attempt to exalt God above all material things, they ended up depriving Him of the very necessary attributes of the existent thus making Him a mere word that designates nothing.The Ahl as-Sunnah were very much against this trend, and they dubbed the people who followed it mu’attila, i.e., negators. In contrast the Ahl as-Sunnah called themselves the people of ithbat, i.e., affirmation. The negators talk of God only in negative terms: All they say about God is that He does not have the attributes that material things have. The affirmers, on the other hand, believe that the basic attributes of God are positive ones. The negative attributes which God is said not to have are only the negations of these positive attributes and what is logically implied by these negatations.

They think that as a Creator, God must exist and exist objectively. To exist objectively God must have all the attributes of objective existents. God must therefore be somewhere and cannot thus be everywhere. Why not? Because to be everywhere is to fail to be distinguished from other existents and thus not to have a special identity.To believe that He is everywhere leads, moreover, to yet other absurdities. If God was everywhere before He created some things, then where did He create them? To say that He created them inside Himself is absurd.To say that He created them outside Himself contradicts the statement that He is everywhere.To say that God shrank to leave some space for them is absurd. At least it contradicts the assumption that He is infinite. It also leads to the absurdity that whenever anything passes out of existence God extends Himself to fill the empty space.

Where is God then? The Ahl as-Sunnah do not hesitate to answer that He is above His throne in heaven. Does this mean that He is limited? If by this is meant His person, then the answer is yes. But although His person is confined to a particular “region”, His power, knowledge and other attributes are not so limited. God is in heaven, but His power and knowledge are everywhere. He cannot in this sense; therefore, he said to be limited.

The negators believe that God cannot at all be known by the five senses because they thought that to be thus known is to be physical. The affirmers agreed that He cannot be observed by us while we are in this world. But this is not because it is in His nature not to be observed; it is rather because of our own present nature. There are verses in the Qur’an and the authentic sayings of the Prophet Muhammad which affirm that believers shall behold God in the Hereafter. In fact, beholding Him would be their greatest joy. They would be able to behold Him because their nature would be different from what it is now.

The affirmers do not depend on this religious argument alone. They also believe that it is a contradiction in terms to say that something exists objectively and yet cannot, in principle, be observed. It is only non-existents which cannot in principle be observed, or as al-Darimi says, “a thing which cannot be observed, yudrak, by any of the senses, is nothing” [IX]. As an existent, then, God must exist outside our minds, i.e. He cannot be a mere idea or an abstract concept. Secondly, He must have some defining qualities [X]. Thirdly, He must exist in a “place”, that is distinct from places occupied by other existents. [XI] Otherwise, He would be one with them and hence could not be anything in His own right. Fourthly, He must be in principle observable.

God is not only an existent. He is a Living existent. And as a Living existent He must have the attributes of willing, knowing, seeing, hearing, etc. In short, God must have all the attributes which living things necessarily have as living things, and not because of their materiality or animality.

But God is the Creator of everything. As such He must be eternal and hence self-sufficient, unique and perfect. All the other attributes that He has must be seen in the light of these basic attributes.Thus if we say that He knows, His knowledge must be different from that of any of His creatures in that it must be knowledge which is not preceded by ignorance and thus acquired through the senses or any other means. And so on. The same must be said of all the other attributes. That is why it is one of the pillars of the Muslim faith to believe that God is unique in His person as well as in His attributes. Just as none of His creation resembles Him, so none of their attributes resemble His attributes. And so while we know the meanings of the divine attributes, we do not know their modality or the form which they take when they apply to His unique person.

Some of the attributes of God we cannot know except through His own words revealed to chosen prophets. In Islam these words are confined to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad.These sources attribute to God things like being above His Throne, having hands, smiling, etc... The negators take all these attributes to be metaphorical, but the Ahl as-Sunnah’s position is to affirm about God whatever He affirms about Himself in the Qur’an or through His prophet without tashbih, i.e., likening Him to created things, or ta’til, i.e., explaining away His attributes as metaphorical. We understand them, affirmers say, in the light of the principle stated in the verse “Nothing is like Him, the All-hearing, the All-seeing”

Let me end this paper by quoting some famous Qur’anic verses about God’s attributes which every practicing Muslim knows by heart and repeats on many occasions as an expression of his devotion to God:
Say: He is God, one God the Everlasting Refuge, Who has not begotten, and has not been begotten, and equal to Him is not any one 

God, there is no God but He, the Living, the Everlasting, slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; to Him belongs all that is in the Heavens and the earth. Who is there that shall intercede with Him save by His leave? He knows what lies before them and what lies after them, and they comprehend not anything of His knowledge save such as He wills. His throne comprises the heavens and the earth; the preserving of them oppresses Him not; He is the All-High, the All-Glorious.
 
By person I do not of course mean that God is a human or like a human person. Person is used here in the general sense of an actual existent with definite characteristics in contradistinction to an abstract idea. Allah is described in some ahadith of the Prophet as being that and as having a shakhs (personality).

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What is the historical significance of Ghar e Hira?

During his youth, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) travelled to several places in Syria and Palestine in the capacity of a merchant. In between his commercial undertakings, he also worked as a shepherd. This afforded him the opportunity for quiet thought and meditation far from the maddening crowds of Makkah.

When the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was nearly forty years of age, one night while seated in deep thought and meditation in the cave of the Mount Hira, Hazrat Jibrail or the angel Gabriel (may God be pleased with him) came to him with a piece of silk brocade on which some words were written and said, “Read”. The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied, “I cannot read!” But the angel repeated his words three times and said:

“Read in the name of thy Lord who created
Man from blood coagulated
Read! Thy Lord is wondrous kind
Who by the pen has taught mankind
Things they knew not, being blind.”

This was the first revelation. It affected the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) so deeply that he trembled all over and turned pale. He rose from his seat and hurried home where he related the incident to his wife – Hazrat Khadija bint Khuwaylid (may God be pleased with her). She comforted him and told him that he was the Prophet. In order to confirm her opinion, she went to her cousin, Waraqa bin Naufal, who was a ‘hanif’ or monotheist. This meant that he still followed the same uncorrupted religion of the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). He also supported her. Encouragements from his wife and her cousin comforted Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him).

There after the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) received the message of the God Almighty through the angel Gabriel that he was the Messenger of Allah and His Rasul. And that he was to deliver the message of Islam to the idolaters of Makkah in particular and the non-Muslims of the world in general. The Prophet (peace be upon him) returned and busied himself with the increasing burdens of prophet hood. He stood at the threshold of the most critical period in his own life and the history of the world. At first he conveyed the message privately to the close circle of his relatives and friends. But later on the message was spread in all directions. Thus God perfected religion. Sensible minds in Arabia understood that the mission of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was true and free from any worldly ambitions.


Not only was Mount Hira the choicest refuge of Hazrat Muhammad (peace be upon him) but it also became a much frequented ziyarat in subsequent centuries.

The Mount itself would be known as Jabal e Noor or the Mountain of Light. Particularly during the Hajj season is this cave visited by pilgrims in large numbers. But Umrah pilgrims keep visiting it off and on throughout the year. Devotees of the Holy Prophet (Ashiq e Rasool) climb the rock to reach the top where the cave is located. Strictly following the way of the Prophet (peace be upon him), they climb the steep enthusiastically and make the descent anxiously. By no means is this the only way, or the compulsory way. Pilgrims can climb and descend the way they like it or in a way that is not hazardous to their health. This is just for those who wish to see the Cave of Hira from inside and in accordance with the Sunnah.

The Mount Hira is only three kilometres away from Makkah at the end of the Jabal An Nur Road. Vehicles may or may not go beyond Bilal bin Rabah Mosque. This is where the said road terminates and the Ghar e Hira Trail begins. The passage is about half a kilometre of unpaved dirt road and may not be for everyone

.Mount Hira

This is Mount Hira (Jabal Hira), which lies about two miles from the Ka’bah. Near the top is a small cave, a little less than 4 meters in length and a little more than one and a half meters in width. It was here that the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) received the first revelations of the Holy Quran during the month of Ramadhan in 610 CE. The mountain is also known as Jabal Noor (the Mountain of Light).

The Prophet (ﷺ) first began to have revelations in the form of good dreams which came true. Then he began to like solitude. He would go to the cave of Hira and meditate there in solitude for a number of days and nights. He would take provisions with him to stay for an extended period, and when he returned to Khadija (رضي الله عنه), he would stock up again and go back to the cave. This was his practice until Truth was revealed to him by an angel while he was in the cave of Hira.

During Tahajjud time one night, when he was alone in the cave, there came to him an angel in the form of a man. The angel said to him, “Recite!”. “I cannot read”, the Prophet (ﷺ) replied. The angel took hold of him a second time and pressed him until he could not endure it any longer. After letting him go, the angel again said, “Recite!”. Again the Prophet (ﷺ) replied “I cannot read”. The angel further embraced him again until he had reached the limit of endurance and said “Recite!” for the third time the Prophet (ﷺ) said “I cannot read”. The angel released him and said: “Read in the name of your Lord, the Creator. He Who created man from a clot. Read! And your Lord is the Most Bounteous. Who taught by the Pen, taught man what he knew not.” [96:1-5]

This was the first day of his Prophethood and these were the first verses of the Quran revealed to him. He recited these words after the angel, who thereupon left him; and he said; “It was as though the words were written on my heart.” He was very alarmed by the experience and feared that he had become possessed.

The Prophet (ﷺ) fled from the cave, and when he was halfway down the slope of the mountain he heard a voice above him saying: “O Muhammad, thou art the Messenger of God, and I am Jibraeel (Gabriel)”. The Prophet (ﷺ) stood gazing at the angel; then he turned away from him, but whichever way he looked the angel was always there on the horizon, whether it was to the north, east, south or west. Finally the angel turned away. The Prophet (ﷺ) was terrified and his heart was pounding hard. He returned home to Khadija (رضي الله عنها) and said, “Cover me!”. Khadija (رضي الله عنها) covered him and helped him calm down.

The Quran tells us that the first revelation descended in Ramadan on the ‘Night of Power’.“The month of Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was revealed.” [2:185]
“We have indeed revealed this message during the Night of Power.” [97:1]
The entire Quran was revealed over a period of approximately 22 years, 5 months and 14 days.

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Twelve Proofs that Muhammad is a True Prophet

I ask Allah that He facilitates tat this essay reaches every ear, falls under the sight of every eye, and is understood by every heart...

Muhammad the son of `Abdullah is Allah's Prophet and the Final Messenger Sent by Allah to the Inhabitants of Earth.

My brothers and sisters everywhere! You should know that the Messenger, Muhammad the son of `Abdullah (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) is Allah's Messenger in reality and truth. The evidences that show his veracity are abundant. None but an infidel, who out of arrogance alone, could deny these signs.

Among these proofs:

1. Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) was raised illiterate, unable to read or write, and remained like that till his death. Among all his people, he was known as being truthful and trustworthy. Before receiving revelation, he had no prior knowledge of Religion or any previously sent Message. He remained like that for his first forty years. Revelation then came to Muhammad with the Koran that we now have between our hands. This Koran mentioned most of the accounts found in the previous scriptures, telling us about these events in the greatest detail as if he witnessed them. These accounts came precisely as they were found in the Torah sent down to Moses and in the Gospel sent down to Jesus. Neither the Jews or Christians were able to belie him regarding anything that he said.

2. Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) also foretold of everything that would occur to him and his community after him, pertaining to victory, the removal of the tyrannical kingdoms of Chosroes [the royal title for the Zoroastrian kings of Persia] and Caesar, and the establishment of the religion of Islam throughout the earth. These events occurred exactly as Muhammad foretold, as if he was reading the future from an open book.

3. Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) also brought an Arabic Koran that is the peak of eloquence and clarity. The Koran challenged those eloquent and fluent Arabs of his time, who initially belied him, to bring forth a single chapter like the Koran. The eloquent Arabs of his day were unable to contest this Koran.

Indeed, till our day, none has ever dared to claim that he has been able to compose words that equal-or even approach-the order, grace, beauty, and splendor of this Glorious Koran.

4. The life history of this Noble Prophet was a perfect example of being upright, merciful, compassionate, truthful, brave, generous, distant from all evil character, and ascetic in all worldly matters, while striving solely for the reward of the Hereafter. Moreover, in all his actions and dealings, he was ever mindful and fearful of Allah.

5. Allah instilled great love for Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) in the hearts of all who believed in and met him. This love reached such a degree that any of his companions would willingly sacrifice his (or her) self, mother or father for him.

Till today, those who believe in Muhammad honor and love him. Anyone of those who believe in him would ransom his own family and wealth to see him, even if but once.

6. All of history has not preserved the biography of any person in the manner it has preserved the life of Muhammad, who is the most influential human in history.

Nor has the entire earth known of anyone whom every morning and evening, and many times thereafter throughout the day, is thought of by those who believe in him. Upon remembering Muhammad, the believers in him will greet him and ask Allah to bless him. They do such with full hearts and true love for him.

7. Nor has there every been a man on earth whom is still followed in all his doings by those who believe in him.

Those who believe in Muhammad, sleep in the manner he slept; purify themselves (through ablution and ritual washing) in the manner he purified himself; and adhere to his practice in the way they eat, drink, and clothe themselves.

Indeed in all aspects of their lives, the believers in Muhammad adhere to the teachings he spread among them and the path that he traveled upon during his life.

During every generation, from his day till our time, the believers in this Noble Prophet have fully adhered to his teachings. With some, this has reached the degree that they desire to follow and adhere to the Prophet's way in his personal matters regarding which Allah has not sought of them to adhere to in worship. For example, some will only eat those specific foods or only wear those specific garments that the Messenger liked.

Let alone all that, all those who believe in Muhammad repeat those praises of Allah, special prayers, and invocations that he would say during each of his actions during day and night, like: what he would say when he greeted people, upon entering and leaving the house, entering and leaving the mosque, entering and leaving the bathroom, going to sleep and awaking from sleep, observing the new crescent, observing the new fruit on trees, eating, drinking, dressing, riding, traveling and returning from travel, etc.

Let alone all that, all those who believe in Muhammad fully perform-even to the minute detail-every act of worship-like prayer, fasting, charity, and pilgrimage-as this Noble Messenger (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) taught and as he himself performed.

All of this allows those who believe in him, to live their lives in all aspects with this Noble Messenger as their example, as if he was standing before them, for them to follow in all their doings.

8. There has never been nor will there ever be a man anywhere upon this earth who has received such love, respect, honor, and obedience in all matters-small and large alike-as has this Noble Prophet.

9. Since his day, in every region of the earth and during every period, this Noble Prophet has been followed by individuals from all races, colors and peoples. Many of those who followed him were previously Christians, Jews, pagans, idolaters, or without any religion. Among those who chose to follow him, were those who were known for their sound judgment, wisdom, reflection, and foresight. They chose to follow this Noble Prophet after they witnessed the signs of his truthfulness and the evidences of his miracles. They did not choose to follow Muhammad out of compulsion or coercion or because they had adopted the ways of their fathers and mothers.

Indeed many of the followers of this Prophet (may Allah's blessings peace be upon him), chose to follow him during the time when Islam was weak, when there were few Muslims, and when there was severe persecution of his followers on earth. Most people who have followed this Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) have done so not to acquire some material benefits. Indeed many of his followers have suffered the greatest forms of harm and persecution as a result of following this Prophet. Despite all this harm and persecution, this did not turn them back from his religion.

My brethren! All of this clearly indicates to anyone possessing any sense, that this Prophet was truly and really Allah's messenger and that he was not just a man who claimed prophethood or spoke about Allah without knowledge.

10. With all this, Muhammad came with a great religion in its credal and legal make-up.

Muhammad described Allah with qualities of complete perfection, and at the same time in a manner that is free of ascribing to Him any imperfection. Neither the philosophers or the wise could ever describe Allah like such. Indeed it is impossible to imagine that any human mind could conceive of an existing being that possesses such complete ability, knowledge, and greatness; Who has subdued the creation; Who has encompassed everything in the universe, small or large; and Who possesses such perfect mercy.

Nor is it in the ability of any human being to place a perfect law based upon justice, equality, mercy and objectivity for all human activity on earth like the laws that Muhammad brought for all spheres of human activity - like buying and selling, marriage and divorce, renting, testimony, custody, and all other contracts that are necessary to uphold life and civilization on earth.

11. It is impossible that any person conceive wisdom,, morals, good manners, nobleness of characters as what this honorable Prophet (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) brought.

In a full and complete manner, Muhammad spread a teaching regarding character and manners toward one' parents, relatives, fiends, family, humanity, animals, plants and inanimate objects. It is impossible for the human mind alone to grasp all of that teaching or come with a similar teaching.

All of that unequivocally indicates that this Messenger did not bring an) of this religion from his own accord, but that it was rather a teaching and inspiration that he received from the One Who created the earth and the high heavens above and created this universe in its miraculous architecture and perfection.

12. The legal and credal make-up of the religion that the Messenger, Muhammad, (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him) brought resembles the engineering of the heavens and the earth. All of that indicates that He who created the heavens and the earth is the One Who sent down this great law and upright religion.

The degree of inimitability of the Divine law that was sent down upon Muhammad is to the same degree of inimitability of the Divine creation of the heavens and earth. For just as humanity cannot create this universe, in the same manner humanity cannot bring forth a law like Allah's law that He sent down upon His servant and messenger Muhammad (may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him).

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The Fundamentals of Islamic Belief

One could be forgiven for assuming that any group with the word Islam in its title would be Muslim.  But when it comes to the group calling itself the “Nation of Islam”, one must be very wary indeed.  To be Muslim means to hold certain fundamental theological beliefs.  The Muslim profession of faith is:

“I bear witness that there is no god but God, and I bear witness that Mohammed is a prophet of God.”

To elaborate on these statements, to be a Muslim means to believe that God is One, unique.  He has no partners, no associates, no Son, nor did He ever become incarnate.  As chapter 112 of the Quran makes clear:

“He is God, the only One,

God the Everlasting.

He did not beget and is not begotten,

And none is His equal.”

In Islam the ascribing of partners to God, referred to as shirk, is the greatest of all sins.  The Quran states explicitly in chapter 4, verse 36:

“Serve God, and join not any partners with Him.”

Secondly, Muslims believe Mohammed to have been the “Seal” or last of the prophets.  To recognize anyone after Mohammed claiming to be a prophet, negates one’s Islam.  As is stated in the Quran:

“O people!  Mohammed has no sons among ye men, but verily, he is the Messenger of God and the last in the line of Prophets. And God is aware of everything.” (Quran 33:40)

This is reinforced by various sayings of Prophet Mohammed, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him:

“The tribe of Israel was guided by prophets. When a prophet passed away, another succeeded him. But no prophet will come after me; only caliphs will succeed me.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)

“In My Ummah, there shall be born Thirty Grand Liars (Dajjals), each of whom will claim to be a prophet, But I am the Last Prophet; there is No Prophet after Me.” (Abu Dawood, At-Tirmidhi)

The Errant Theology of the “Nation of Islam”

The “Nation of Islam” does not adhere to these core tenets of Islamic theology.  They believe that God appeared on earth in the person of their founder, a “great man from the East”, Master W. Fard Muhammad, a preacher who first came to public attention in the USA on July 4, 1930 then mysteriously “departed the scene” on February 26, 1934.  As the NOI website unambiguously declares:

“WE BELIEVE that Allah (God) appeared in the Person of Master W. Fard Muhammad, July, 1930; the long-awaited “Messiah” of the Christians and the “Mahdi” of the Muslims.”

In 1934 following the unexplained departure of the “Master”, the organization he founded came to be headed by one Elijah Poole, who became known as the Honorable Elijah Muhammad.  Until very recently, the “Nation of Islam” accorded the status of prophet to Elijah Muhammad.

Therefore it is clear that despite their name and calling themselves Muslims, “Nation of Islam” beliefs about God and prophethood are glaringly incompatible with Islam.

Louis Farrakhan, current leader of the Nation of Islam, finally allowed to enter the UK after a court orders the lifting of a 15-year government ban.

“Honorable” Elijah Muhammad, the “prophet” of the Nation of Islam.

“Master” W. Fard Muhammad in whose person God appeared in early 1930’s America, according to Nation of Islam beliefs.

 Racist ideology also at odds with universal Islam

A third area of non-compliance with Islam, and the one which receives by far the greatest attention in the secular media, is the issue of race.  The present “Nation of Islam” leader, Louis Farrakhan, is on record as having made objectionable anti-Jewish (as distinct from anti-Zionist) remarks.  Among other unfortunate utterances, he is alleged to have referred to Judaism as a “gutter religion”.

Moreover, the NOI is a segregationalist organization exclusively for black people descended from slaves.  Proper Islam is a universal religion open to people of every race.  Muslims are supposed to differentiate between people on the basis, not of ethnic origin, but of piety and upright behavior.  As the Quran makes clear:

“And mankind is naught but a single nation.” (Quran 2:213)

“O Mankind!  Most certainly, it is We (God almighty) who have Created you all from a single (pair) of a male and a female, And it is We who have made you into nations and tribes, that ye may recognize each other.  Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you.” (Quran 49:13)

And in his final sermon, Prophet Mohammed made clear that racism has no place in Islam:

“O people!  Verily your Lord is one and your father is one. All of you belong to one ancestry of Adam and Adam was created out of clay. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab and for a non-Arab over an Arab; nor for white over the black nor for the black over the white except in piety. Verily the noblest among you is he who is the most pious.”

In contrast, the NOI has a pronounced anti-white bias.  They refer to blacks as God’s chosen people and Caucasians as white devils.  They call for a separate homeland for American blacks, for racially segregated education and for a ban on interracial marriage.  To quote again from their website:

We believe we are the people of God’s choice.

WE BELIEVE this is the time in history for the separation of the so-called Negroes and the so-called white Americans.

We want our people in America whose parents or grandparents were descendants from slaves, to be allowed to establish a separate state or territory of their own--either on this continent or elsewhere.

We want all black children educated, taught and trained by their own teachers.

We believe that intermarriage or race mixing should be prohibited.

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Waldain Ke Huqooq - Maa Baap Ke Huqooq

    والدین کے حقوق

جنت کا ساتھی:

      حضرتِ سیِّدُنا موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام نے اللہ پاک کی بارگاہ میں عرض کی کہ مجھے  میرا جنت کا ساتھی دکھا دے۔ اللہ پاک نے فرمایا: فلاں شہر کا قصائی تمہارا جنت کا ساتھی ہے۔ حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام اس قصائی سے ملنے پہنچے تو اس نے آپ عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام دعوت کی۔ جب کھانے  کے لئے بیٹھے تو قصا ئی  نے ایک بڑی سی ٹوکری اپنے پاس رکھ لی۔ دو نوالے ٹوکری میں ڈالتا اور ایک نوالہ خود کھاتا۔ اتنے میں دروازے پر دستک ہوئی۔ قصائی باہر گیا، حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام نے ٹوکری میں نظر کی تو کیا دیکھتے ہیں کہ ٹوکری میں بوڑھے مرد و عورت ہیں جیسے ہی ان  کی نظر حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام پر پڑی، ان کے ہونٹوں پر مسکراہٹ پھیل گئی پھر ان بزرگوں نےآپ عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام کی رسالت کی گواہی دی  اور ُاسی وقت انتقال کرگئے۔ قصائی جب واپس آیا تو اپنے فوت شدہ والدین  کو دیکھ کر سارا معاملہ سمجھ گیا اور حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام کا ہاتھ چومتے  ہوئے کہنے لگا: مجھے لگتا ہے کہ آپ اللہ پاک کے نبی حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام ہیں؟ فرمایا ہاں تمہیں کیسے اندازہ ہوا؟ کہنے لگا کہ میرے والدین روز یہ دعا کرتے تھے: اے اللہ پاک ہمیں حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام کا دیدار کرتے ہوئے موت دینا۔ ان کے اچانک انتقال کرنے سے میں نے اندازہ لگایا کہ آپ ہی حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام ہیں۔ جب میری ماں کھانا کھالیتی تو مجھے اس طرح دعا دیتی:یا اللہ پاک میرے بیٹے کو جنت میں حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام کا ساتھی بنانا۔ حضرت موسی عَلَیْہِ السَّلَام نے فرمایا: مبارک ہو  کہ اللہ پاک نے تمہیں میرا جنت کا ساتھی بنایا ہے۔

والدین کی شان بزبان قرآن:

اللہ پاک نے قرآن پاک کے کئی مقامات میں والدین کی اہمیت و مرتبے کو اجاگر کیا ہے۔ اللہ پاک قرآن کریم میں ارشاد فرماتا ہے:’’اور ماں باپ کو اُف تک نہ کہو اور نہ ہی انہیں جھڑکو اور ان سے نرمی سے بات کرو!‘‘(پ ۱۵، بنی اسرائیل، آیت۲۳(اللہ اکبر! ہمیں تو والدین کو اُف تک کہنے سے منع کیا جا رہا ہے جبکہ آج کل کی نادان اولاد کے نزدیک والدین کو اولڈ ہاؤس میں چھوڑ کر آنا کوئی برائی ہی نہیں!

احادیث مبارکہ میں بھی والدین کی قدر و اہمیت بیان کی گئی ہے: چنانچہ

حضور  اقدس صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم کا فرمانِ عالی شان ہے: جس شخص سے اسکے والدین راضی ہوں اللہ پاک اس سے راضی ہے اور جس سے اس کے والدین ناراض ہوں اس سے اللہپاک بھی ناراض ہے۔ (ترمذی)

حدیث مبارکہ میں تو ماں باپ کو جنت دوزخ  سے تعبیر کیا گیا  اللہپاک کے نبی صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم سے ایک شخص نے  پوچھا:یا سولُ اللہ صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم ماں باپ کا اولاد پر کیا حق ہے؟ اللہ کے نبی صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم نے ارشاد فرمایا: ماں باپ تیری جنت اور دوزخ ہیں۔ (ابن ماجہ)

ایک اور مقام پر ارشا د فرمایا: سب گناہوں کی سزا قیامت میں ملے گی لیکن ماں باپ کے نافرمان کو اللہ پاک دنیا میں ہی سزا دے دیتا ہے۔ (شعب الایمان)

حدیث پاک کا مضمون ہے: جو بچہ اپنے ماں باپ کو محبت کی نگاہ سے دیکھے اللہ پاک اسے مقبول حج کا ثواب عطا فرمائے گا اللہ اکبر! ذرا سوچئے کہ محبت سے دیکھنے کا یہ اجر ہے تو خدمت کرنے کا عالم کیا  ہوگا! ایک صحابی رسول نے عرض کی: حضور صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم اگر کوئی دن میں سو بار دیکھے؟ آقا  صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم فرماتے ہیں: کوئی سو بار بھی  دیکھے تو اسے اللہ پاک مقبول حج کا ثواب عطا فرمائے گا۔ (شعب الایمان، حدیث7859، ج6، ص186)

ماں کی شان:

ایک شخص رسولُ اللہ صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم کی بارگاہ میں حاضر ہو کر عرض گزار ہوا: یارسول اللہ صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم! میرے حسنِ اخلاق کا زیادہ حق دار کون ہے؟ ارشاد فرمایا: ’’تمہاری ماں‘‘ اس نے دوبارہ عرض کی: اس کے بعد کون؟ ارشاد فرمایا: ’’تمہاری ماں‘‘ تیسری بار عرض کی: اس کے بعد کون؟ تو آپ صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم نے اس مرتبہ بھی یہی ارشاد فرمایا: ’’تمہاری ماں‘‘ اس نے پھر عرض کی: اس کے بعد کون؟ تو آپ صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم نے ارشاد فرمایا: ’’تیرا باپ‘‘، پھر قریبی کا زیادہ حق ہے پھر جو اس کے بعد قریبی ہو۔ (صحیح بخاری)

ایک صحابی رَضِیَ اللہُ عَنْہ نے نبی کریم صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم کی بارگاہ میں عرض کی: ایک راستے میں ایسے گرم پتھر تھے کہ اگر گوشت کا ٹکڑا اُن پر ڈالا جاتا تو کباب ہوجاتا! میں اپنی ماں کو گردن پر سوار کرکے چھ میل تک لے گیا ہوں، کیا میں ماں کے حقوق سے فارغ ہوگیا ہوں؟ سرکار مدینہ صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم نے فرمایا: تیرے پیدا ہونے میں درد کے جس قدر جھٹکے اس نے اٹھائے ہیں شاید یہ ان میں سے ایک جھٹکے کا بدلہ ہوسکے۔)اَلْمُعْجَم الصَّغِیر لِلطّبَرانی (

باپ کی شان:

رسولُ اللہ صَلَّی اللہُ عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم ارشاد فرماتے ہیں: اللہ پاک کی رضا والد کی رضا میں ہے اور اللہ پاک کی ناراضی والد کی ناراضی میں ہے۔ )سنن الترمذي)

بے شک تمام نیک اعمال سے بڑھ کر نیک عمل یہ ہے کہ بیٹا اپنے باپ کے دوستوں سے اچھا سلوک کرے۔ (الصحیح المسلم)

بینک سے ریٹائرڈ تو گھر سے ریٹائرڈ:

ایک عمر رسیدہ بزرگ پانچ بیٹوں اور دو بیٹیوں کے والد ہیں اور کراچی کے مشہور علاقے میں واقع اولڈ ہاؤس میں رہتے ہیں۔  صحافت میں ماسٹرز کر رکھا ہے اور بینک افسر کی حیثیت سے ریٹائرڈ ہوئے اور گھر چھوڑ کر اولڈ ہاؤس آگئے، کہتے ہیں: پہلے میرے بچے مجھ سے بہت ڈرتے تھے۔ اب میں بوڑھا ہوگیا ہوں اس لیے اب وہ مجھ سے نہیں ڈرتے۔ ایک بیٹے کو میں نے ہی بینک میں لگایا تھا اور اب وہ مینیجر بن گیا ہے۔ ریٹائرمنٹ پر جو رقم ملی اس سے تین منزلہ مکان بنایا ہے جس میں سب رہتے ہیں۔

      پیارے دوستو! ماں باپ اس لئے نہیں کہ انہیں گھر سے نکالا جائے بلکہ انہیں توسرآنکھوں پر بٹھانا چاہیے۔یہ کمال ہستیاں بہت دکھی ہوں پھر بھی اظہار نہیں کرتے بلکہ بعض ماں باپ تو بچوں کے سامنے بولنے سے ڈرتے ہیں کہ زیادہ بولا تو اولاد گھر سے نہ نکال دے۔ حیرت ہے ایسی اولاد پر جس کے ماں باپ ان سے بات کرنے میں ڈرتے ہوں۔ تعجب ہے اس بیٹی پرجس سے ماں بات کرنے میں ہچکچائے کہ بیٹی مجھ پر چیخے گی! آپ غور تو کریں یہ کتنا بڑا گناہ ہے، کتنی بڑی نافرمانی ہے۔ اولاد کا ایک حق یہ بھی ہے کہ اولاد  کا انداز والدین کے سامنے ایسا ہو جیسا غلام کا انداز اپنے آقا کے سامنے ہوتا ہے مگر کیا آج ایسا نہیں کہ بعض والدین اپنی اولاد کے سامنے غلام بنے نظر آتے ہیں کہ بیٹا میرا یہ کام کردو! بیٹا مجھے تھوڑے سے پیسے دے دو اور بیٹا جھاڑ رہا ہوتا ہے  کہ یہ میرے پیسے ہیں! آپ پریشان نہ کیا کریں! ابو آپ کو سمجھ ہی نہیں آتی، امی آپ پرانی باتیں نہ کیا کریں، اب زمانہ بہت بدل گیا ہے۔ کیا یہ انداز ہوتا ہے والدین سے بات کرنے کا؟ ان کو اولاد یہ کہتی ہے کہ سمجھ نہیں آتی، ان کو تو تب بھی سمجھ آتی تھی جب اولاد کو بولنا نہیں آتا تھا بچہ روتا تھا تو ماں کو پتہ چل جاتا تھا کہ پیٹ میں درد ہورہا ہے یا بھوک لگ رہی ہے۔ ماں باپ کا نعم البدل ہو ہی نہیں سکتا کیو نکہ ماں باپ اپنی اولاد کی خاطر  زندگی کے شب و روز قربان کردیتے ہیں۔ باپ صبح سے رات تک صرف اس لئے محنت کرتا ہےکہ میری اولاد اچھا کھاسکے، اچھا پہن سکے، اچھا پڑھ سکے، معاشرے میں عزت و مقام حاصل کرسکے جبکہ ماں نو ماہ اپنے پیٹ میں رکھ کر، پیدائش کے وقت سخت تکلیف برداشت کرکے، اپنا خونِ جگر پلاکر، اپنی رات کی نیندیں قربان کرکے  اپنی اولاد کی تر بیت کرتی ہے۔

ماں باپ کے ساتھ ناروا سلوک کرنے والے کو دنیا میں کس طرح سزا ملتی ہے،ایک  عبرت انگیز حکایت   ملاحظہ کریں: چنانچہ ایک سنگ دل بیٹا اپنے بوڑھے باپ سے تنگ آ کر جنگل میں چھوڑنے پر آمادہ ہوگیا۔ جب جنگل میں اپنے باپ کو لے کر پہنچا تو باپ نے کہا: بیٹا سردی کا موسم ہے، مجھے کم از کم ایک کمبل تو دے جاؤ! اس وقت بوڑھے شخص کا پوتا  بھی وہاں موجود تھا۔ بیٹے نے اپنے بیٹے سے کہا: گھر جاؤ اور ایک کمبل لے کر آؤ۔ بیٹا گھر آیا، کمبل پھاڑ کر آدھا کیا اور جنگل کی طرف روانہ ہوگیا، جنگل پہنچتے ہی جب آدھا کمبل باپ کے حوالے کیا تو باپ حیرت ذدہ ہوکر بولا: آدھا کمبل کہاں گیا؟ بیٹے نے جواب دیا کہ وہ آدھا کمبل تو میں آپ کے لئے چھوڑ آیا ہوں  جب آپ بوڑھے ہوجائیں گے تو میں بھی آپ کو جنگل میں چھوڑ جاؤں گا  اور باقی ماندہ آدھا کمبل آپ کو لاکر دے دوں گا۔

                                                                                                اللہ پاک ہمیں  والدین کی قدر عطا فرمائے اور ان کی خدمت کرنے کی توفیق عطا فرمائے۔آمینم

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Tasbih – How to recite Salatul Tasbih & its benifits

This article discusses the significance and benefits of praying Salat ul Tasbih.
Our Beloved Prophet Mohammed (SAW) once said to his uncle (father’s brother) Sayyiduna Abbass (may Allah be pleased with him).

“Oh, uncle! Shall I not give you Shall I not grant you Shall not award you Shall not do mercy on you. When you do ten things Allah will forgive your sins of the future, and of the past; new and old; those you have forgotten and those you did knowingly; big and small; hidden and revealed”. He then (SAW) clarified the way how to pray Salatul Tasbih. He said the person who prays this Salah one in a day or every Friday or one in every month or only one Time in a whole year and if this is not possible then at least one time in a lifetime.(Abu’Dawood and Tirimzi)

How to pray salatul Tasbih

Salatul Tasbih has four Rakat, and it can pray and read at any time a day. But do not pray (Namaz) on away time and sunrise sunset makrooh time because Islam does not allow to pray in these times. So, keep in your mind these forbidden times for performing Salat (namaaz). But it is preferred before Zuhr (Fatawa Alamgeeri)

The Tasbih to be read in Salatul Tasbih:
“Subhan Allahi Wal Hamdulillahi Wa Laa ilaha illal Laahu Wallahu Akbar.”

Method:

 
Here is the method of how to pray Salatul Tasbih. The goal is to recite above Tasbih 300 times in Four Rakah with the following method.

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First Rakaat:

 
In the first rakaat, after reading Sana “Subhaana Kallahumma…”, read the above tasbih 15 times. Now recite Aaoz “Aoozubillah…”, Bismillah “Bismillah…”, Then read sura Fatiha and a Surah or minimum of three small Ayayhs then read the tasbih 10 times again. Go to Roku saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar), after reciting “Subhaana Rabbiyal Azeem” minimum of three times read the tasbih 10 times in Ruku. Saying “Samee Allahu Liman Hamidah Rabbana Lakal Hamdh” gets up from ruku to qiyam position.

Now read the tasbih 10 times. Go to Sajdah saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar) and after reciting “Subhaana Rabbiyal A’la” minimum of three times read the tasbih ten times in Sajdah. Now go after first Sajdah go to Jalsa (sitting position) saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar). Sit in Jalsa read Tasbih ten times. Go to Sajood again saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar) and after reciting “Subhaana Rabbiyal A’la” minimum of three times read the tasbih ten times in Sajdah again.

Second Rakaat:

 
Get up to begin 2nd rakat saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar).

Do rakah #2 in the same fashion, but before reading Bismillah “Bismillah…”, and Surah Fatiha, read the Tasbeeh 15 times. Follow the rest as you did in the first Rakat. After the second Sajdah of Second Rakat sits in Qaidah Oola (first sitting) read Attahiyat, Durood and Dua then get up for 3rd rakaat without saying Salam.

Begin third Rakat, just like the first Rakat, with Sana “Subhaana Kallahumma…”, read the above tasbih 15 times. Follow the rest as you did in the first Rakat until you sit for Qaidah Akihra (last sitting) after the second sajdah of fourth Rakah.

In Qaidah Akihra Attahiyat, Durood, Dua finish Salah with Salam.

I hope you all know that how to pray Salatul Tasbih. No doubt this Salah has many rewards. So, being a Muslim try to pray Salatul Tasbih.

Our Beloved Prophet Mohammed (Sallallaho Alihiwassallam) said to his uncle (father’s brother) Sayyiduna Abbass (may Allah be pleased with him) Oh uncle shall I not give you Shall I not grant you Shall I not award you Shall I not do mercy on you When you do 10 things Allah will forgive your sins: of the future and of the past; new and old; those you have forgotten and those you did knowingly; big and small; hidden and revealed.

Then he (Sallallaho Alihiwassallam) explained the taught the way to pray Salatul Tasbih and then said if you can pray this salah once a day, if you can not pray once a day then every Friday, and even if this is not possible then once a month and even if this is not possible then once a year and even if this is not possible then at least once in a lifetime

This salaat (namaz) is offered in four rakat at a time and can be read in any part of the day and night besides Zawal and Sunrise and Sunset makrooh times, keeping in mind the forbidden times for performing Salat (namaaz). But is is preferred before Zuhr (Fatawa Alamgeeri)

The Tasbih to be read in Salaat-Ul-Tasbeeh:
" Subhaan Allahi Wal Hamdulillahi Wa Laa ilaha illal Laahu Wallahu Akbar "

Method:

Goal is to recite above Tasbih 300 times in Four Rakah with the following method.
In the first rakaat, after reading Sana "Subhaana Kallahumma...", read the above tasbih 15 times.

Now recite Aaoz "Aoozubillah...", Bismillah "Bismillah...", Then read sura Fatiha and a Surah or minimum of three small Ayayhs then read the tasbih 10 times again.
Go to ruku saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar), after reciting "Subhaana Rabbiyal Azeem" minimum of three times read the tasbih 10 times in Ruku.
Saying "Samee Allahu Liman Hamidah Rabbana Lakal Hamdh" get up from ruku to qiyam position.

Now read the tasbih 10 times.
Go to Sajdah saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar) and after reciting "Subhaana Rabbiyal A'la" minimum of three times read the tasbih 10 times in Sajdah.
Now go after first Sajdah go to Jalsa (sitting position) saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar). Sitting in Jalsa read tasbih 10 times.

Go to sajda again saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar) and after reciting "Subhaana Rabbiyal A'la" minimum of three times read the tasbih 10 times in Sajdah again.
Get up to begin 2nd rakat saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar).

Do rakah #2 in same fashion, but before reading Bismillah "Bismillah...", and Surah Fatiha, read the tasbih 15 times. Follow the rest as you did in first Rakat.
After second Sajdah of Second Rakat sit in Qaidah Oola (first sitting) read Attahiyat, Durood and Dua then get up for 3rd rakaat without saying Salam.

Begin third Rakat, just like the first Rakat, with Sana "Subhaana Kallahumma...", read the above tasbih 15 times. Follow the rest as you did in first Rakat untill you sit for Qaidah Akihra (last sitting) after second sajdah of fourth Rakah.
In Qaidah Akihra Attahiyat, Durood, Dua finish Salah with Salam.

Special notes for Salat-Ul-Tasbih:
1) Do not count loudly. It will break Salah
2) Do not count on fingers or by holding a Bead Tasbih in hand. It is Makruh.
3) You may count by pressing the fingers as a reminder. For example if you are in Ruku. You me press pinky of your right hand first for the first count, then the finger next to it for second count, then the middle finger for third count, following this method untill you reach the pinky of left hand will give you an exact count of ten. Use the same method in Qayam, Sajdah and Jalsa.
4) If missed a count then make it up in the next posture. For example if forgot to recite Tasbih after Surah in Qayam. Then you may recite Tasbish 20 times instead of 10 in Rukuh after "Subhaana Rabbiyal Azeem". Missed Tasbih cannot be recited in Qayam after ruku and Jalsa between Sajdah. If you missed the Tasbih in Ruku then recite 20 in the first Sajdah instead of the Qayam after rukuh. Similarly if missed the Tasbih in first Sajdah then do not make it up in Jalsa. Instead recite missed tasbih in the second Sajdah. If Tasbih has been missed in last sajdah of second or fourth Rakah then you can recite the missed ones before Attahiyat in Qaidah.
5) If you miss a wajib in Salah and have to do Sajdah Sahaw. You dont have to recite Tasbih in Sajdah sahoo, since the 300 count has been estalished. But if you had missed Tasbih in any of the postures and remeber it now. Then you may recite the missed Tasbih in Sajdah Sahaw now.
6) It is preferable to recite after Surah Fatiha Sura Takathuur in the first raka’, Surah Wal A’sr in the second raka’, Surah Kaferoon (qul ya aiyuhal Kafiroon) in the third and Surah Akhlas (Qul hu Allah-hu ahd) in the fourth raka’. If one does not remember these surah they can recite the ones they prefer.

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FLIGHT JANAZAH

When we are leaving this world for the next one, it shall be like a trip to another country.Where details of that country won’t be found in glamorous travel brochures but in the Holy Qura’an and the Hadiths.Where our plane won’t be Indian Air Lines, British Airways, Gulf Air or Emirates but Air Janazah.

Where our luggage won’t be the allowed 30 Kgs but our deeds no matter how heavy they weigh.

You don’t pay for excess luggage. They are carried free of charge, with your Creator’s compliment.Where our dress won’t be a Pierre Cardin suit or the like but the white cotton shroud.Where our perfume won’t be Channel, Paco Rabane, but the camphor and attar.Where our passports won’t be Indian, British, French or American but Al Islam.

Where our visa won’t be the 6 months leave to stay or else but the “La Illaha Illallah”. Where the airhostess won’t be a gorgeous female but Isra’iil and its like. Where the in-flight services won’t be 1st class or economy but a piece of beautifully scented or foul smelling cloth. Where our place of destination won’t be Heathrow Terminal 1 or Jeddah International Terminal but the last Terminal Graveyard. Where our waiting lounge won’t be nice carpeted and air-conditioned rooms but the 6 feet deep gloomy Qabar.

Where the Immigration Officer won’t be His Majesty’s officers but Munkar and Nakeer. They only check out whether you deserve the place you yearn to go. Where there is no need for Customs Officers or detectors. Where the transit airport will be Al Barzakh. Where our final place of destination will be either the Garden under which rivers flow or the Hellfire.

This trip does not come with a price tag. It is free of charge, So your savings would not come handy. This flight can never be hijacked so do not worry about terrorists. Food won’t be served on this flight so do not worry about your allergies or whether the food is Halal. Do not worry about legroom; you won’t need it, as our legs will become things of the past. Do not worry about delays. This flight is always punctual. It arrives and leaves on time. Do not worry about the in-flight entertainment program because you would have lost all your sense of joy. Do not worry about booking this trip, it has already been booked (return) the day you became a foetus in your mother’s womb.

Ah! At last good news! Do not worry about who will be sitting next to you. You will have the luxury of being the only passenger. So enjoy it while you can. If only you can! One small snag though, this trip comes with no warning. Are you prepared…..you better be ! Please spread the truth and Insha-Allah our Muslim brothers & sisters will understand and practice the guiding principles, whatever way they can afford to uphold our believe of our religion Islam in this world and in the hereafter.

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