General
46088: Which is better, reading Qur'aan together
or individually?
Question:
What is the manner in which Jibreel review the
Qur'aan with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) in Ramadaan? Does that indicate that it is better
to study the Qur'aan together rather than individually? Is
it better to do that at night rather than during the day?
We hope you can explain.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Firstly:
With regard to how he reviewed it with him, I do
not know how that was done.
Secondly:
With regard to whether it is mustahabb for people to
gather to read Qur'aan together or for each person to read
it individually, that depends on the person himself.
If gathering with his brothers to study Qur'aan together
will make him more focused and help him to learn better,
then gathering with others is preferable, i.e., if gathering
with others will make him have proper presence of mind
and be more focused on pondering the meanings of
the Qur'aan, and allow the opportunity to discuss
the meanings, then that is better. But if it is the opposite
then reading it on his own is better.
Thirdly:
With regard to Jibreel reviewing the Qur'aan with
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him),
that was for the purpose of making sure that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) memorized it.
With regard to the third part of your question _ which
is whether it is better to do that at night rather than
during the day _ the answer is yes, but a person may need to
do other things which means that he cannot study
Qur'aan at night, in which case he should study it more during
the day.
So each person should look at what is best for
him, because of the general meaning of the words of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him): "Strive
to do that which will benefit you." So whatever is
more beneficial for you, so long as it is not forbidden
according to sharee'ah, is best.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 8/78.
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34234: He claims that the Qur'aan is lacking in
eloquence and contains grammatical errors
Question:
In Soorat al-Baqarah it says (interpretation of themeaning):
"And indeed, We gave Moosa (Moses) the Book
and followed him up with a succession of Messengers.
And We gave `Eesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary),
clear signs and supported him with Rooh-ul-Qudus
[Jibreel (Gabriel)]. Is it that whenever there came to you
a Messenger with what you yourselves desired not,
you grew arrogant? Some you disbelieved and some
you killed" [al-Baqarah 2:87]
My Christian colleague says, look at the way the
word taqtuloon (translated as "you killed" _ appears in
present tense form) follows the word kadhdhabtum
("you disbelieved" _ past tense). He says that the wording
should be [Allaah forbid that we should alter His Holy Book]
fa fareeqan kadhdhabtum wa fareeqan qataltum (Some
you disbelieved and some you killed) [i.e., both
verbs appearing in past tense form], because the Prophets
have ceased and Muhammad was the Seal of the Prophets.
It should be noted that he does not believe that the
Prophet Muhammad was a Prophet, rather he believes that
Prophet `Eesa (Jesus) was the last of the Messengers.
In Soorat Aal `Imraan it says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"When He has decreed something, He says to it
only: `Be!'__and it is [kun fa yakoon]" [Aal `Imraan 3:47]
My Christian colleague also thinks that this is
ineloquent and he says that it would be more correct [Allaah
forbid that we should alter His Holy Book] to say Kun fa
kaana (Be and it was).
Please explain so that I can refute his comments. "So
ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know"
[al-Anbiya 21:7 _ interpretation of the meaning].
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
The one who is not able to engage in debate with
others should fear Allaah and not get involved in debates
and arguments with others; rather he should try to protect
his religious commitment by refraining from arguing
with the ignorant or those who promote specious arguments.
Secondly:
With regard to the specious arguments mentioned _
which are more flimsy than a spider's web _ these may
be answered in two ways.
The first way is in general terms, which is to say that
the Qur'aan is the Book of Allaah which was revealed to
the pure Arabs, who were the most advanced nation in
the field of eloquence; they paid a great deal of attention
to that and had reached a high level of eloquent
self-expression. They had established festivals of poetry
and speech-giving, they hung their mu'allaqaat poems on
the Ka'bah as a sign of the high esteem in which they
held eloquence and literature; they competed in poetry
and beautiful speech. Poetry flowed through their veins
and they recited poems on all occasions, for joy and
sorrow, birth and death, happiness and misery, victory and
defeat. This was something that was unknown in any other nation.
Hence by His wisdom Allaah revealed to them
this Qur'aan in this language of which they were so
proud and because of which they thought themselves
superior to other nations. The Qur'aan dazzled them with
its beautiful words and meanings, its great purpose
and structure. So they submitted to it out of respect for
its language and dare not speak any word of criticism
against its wording, grammar or expression.
Allaah challenged them in His Book to produce
anything like the Qur'aan, but they could not match it, let
alone find fault with its grammar. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Say: `If the mankind and the jinn were together
to produce the like of this Qur'aan, they could not
produce the like thereof, even if they helped one another'"
[al-Isra' 17:88]
Then Allaah challenged them to produced ten
soorahs like it, as He said (interpretation of the meaning):
"Or they say, `He (Prophet Muhammad) forged it
(the Qur'aan).' Say: `Bring you then ten forged
Soorah (chapters) like unto it, and call whomsoever you can,
other than Allaah (to your help), if you speak the truth!'"
[Hood 11:13]
When they were unable to do that, then Allaah
challenged them to produce just one soorah like it. Allaah
said (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if you (Arab pagans, Jews, and Christians) are
in doubt concerning that which We have sent down (i.e.
the Qur'aan) to Our slave (Muhammad), then produce
a Soorah (chapter) of the like thereof and call
your witnesses (supporters and helpers) besides Allaah, if
you are truthful" [al-Baqarah
2:23]
No one who comes afterwards, when the language
has become corrupted and mixed with foreign languages,
has any right to support such nonsensical ideas that do
no more than point to the depth of his ignorance and
the shallowness of his thinking, and his lack of
knowledge of the Arabic language. As it was said,
"How often do you see someone criticizing
something that is sound, and his problem is that he cannot
understand it properly."
The second way is in specific, detailed terms,
discussing the aspects of eloquence in the words that he
criticized. This is as follows:
With regard to the words of Allaah (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Some you disbelieved and some you killed
(fa fareeqan kadhdhabtum wa fareeqan taqtuloon)"
[al-Baqarah 2:87]
The scholar al-Taahir ibn `Ashoor said in his
commentary (al-Tahreer wa'l-Tanweer, 1/598):
The word taqtuloon (translated as "you killed")
appears in the present tense form to emphasize more vividly
the terrible action that they did, namely killing the
Prophets. This is like the verse in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And it is Allaah Who sends [arsala _ part tense
form] the winds, so that they raise up [fa tutheeru _
present tense form] the clouds, and We drive them to a dead
land, and revive therewith the earth after its death"
[Faatir 35:9]
Moreover, the form taqtuloon fits with the rhyme of
the soorah and makes it more vivid; this provides
eloquence of meaning and beauty of form. End of quote.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen quoted in his
Tasfeer (1/283) from some of the scholars another reason for using
the present tense form taqtuloon, which is to provide a
sense of continuity, i.e., the Jews kept on killing the
Prophets, even the last of them, Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him). They killed the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) with the
poison that they gave him at Khaybar, and he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) continued to suffer the effects
of that until, in his final illness, he said, "I still feel
pain from the food I ate at Khaybar. This is the time when
it has cut off my aorta."
Abu Dawood; also narrated by al-Bukhaari in a
mu'allaq report. Al-Albaani said in Saheeh Abi
Dawood (3784), it is hasan saheeh.
With regard to the verse in which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"When He has decreed something, He says to it
only: `Be!' __and it is [kun fa yakoon]"
[Aal `Imraan 3:47]
This is more indicative of the ignorance of this
objector, because this verse is speaking of when Allaah wills
to create something in the future, not in the past; this is
to be understood from the use of the word
idha (meaning when, if), which refers to something in the future.
Hence the verb yaqool (says) appears in the present tense,
to indicate that it is referring to something in the future,
and it is followed by the verb yakoon (it is), also in the
present tense, which also refers to something in the future.
And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
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32594: Is it better to recite Qur'aan from memory or
to read from the Mus-haf?
Question:
Is it better to read Qur'aan whilst looking at the
Mus-haf, or to recite from memory?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
In prayer, it is better to recite from memory. See
question no. 3465.
Outside of prayer, it is better for a person to do that
which will increase his khushoo' (humility, focus). If
his khushoo' will be increased by reciting from memory,
then that is better; if his khushoo' will be increased by
reading from the Mus-haf, then that is better. If it is the same
in either case, then reading from the Mus-haf is
better, because it combines reading and looking, and his
eyes will be protected from looking at things that may
distract him from reciting and pondering the meaning.
Al-Nawawi said in al-Adhkaar (p. 90-91):
Reading Qur'aan from the Mus-haf is better than
reciting from memory; this is the view of our companions and
it is well known from the salaf (may Allaah be pleased
with them). This does not apply in all cases however; if
the reader can focus and ponder the meanings more
when reciting from memory than when reading from the
Mus-haf, then reciting from memory is better. If it is the
same in both cases, then reading from the Mus-haf is
better. This is what the salaf meant.
There are weak (da'eef) ahaadeeth narrated from
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) which cannot be used as proof that it is better to look
at the Mus-haf. We mention them only to draw attention
to the fact that they are weak. These include:
"Looking at the Mus-haf is an act of worship; for a
child to look at his parents is an act of worship; looking at
`Ali ibn Abi Taalib is an act of worship." This is a
fabricated (mawdoo') hadeeth, as al-Albaani said in
al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah, 1/531.
"Give your eyes their share of worship: looking at
the Mus-haf, thinking about it and pondering its
wonders." This is also fabricated (mawdoo').
Al-Silsilah al-Da'eefah, 4/88.
"Five things are acts of worship: eating little, sitting
in the mosque, looking at the Ka'bah, looking at the
Mus-haf and looking at the face of a scholar." This is a
very weak (da'eef jiddan) hadeeth. Da'eef al-Jaami'
al-Sagheer, no. 2855.
And Allaah knows best.
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33583: Are precious stones mentioned in the Qur'aan?
Question:
Please let me know about this query ? how many stones
[ precious / semi precious ] are mentioned in the holy
quran ? in which surah are they mentioned ? is there any
spiritual significance of these stones ?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The primary purpose of the Qur'aan is to guide
mankind to Allaah, so that they will affirm His Oneness and
worship Him alone, and attain His Paradise and His pleasure.
The Qur'aan is not a book of science, medicine or
astronomy, even though its verses may contain a little of such things.
Hence the Muslim should not let himself be
distracted from the greater purpose of reciting the Qur'aan and
look for the number of stones or rivers or kinds of
animals mentioned therein.
Some precious stones such as rubies, pearls and coral
are mentioned in the Qur'aan.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"(In beauty) they are like rubies and coral"
[al-Rahmaan 55:58]
"Out of them both come out pearl and coral"
[al-Rahmaan 55:22]
"Like unto preserved pearls"
[al-Waaqi'ah 56:23]
"And round about them will (serve) boys of
everlasting youth. If you see them, you would think them
scattered pearls"
[al-Insaan 76:19]
These stones do not have any spiritual significance,
rather they are mentioned in the Qur'aan to explain the
blessings that Allaah has bestowed upon His slaves, of the seas
and the things that are brought forth from them, or as
a metaphor _ so al-hoor al-`iyn are likened to rubies,
coral and preserved pearls, combining the purity of rubies
and the whiteness of pearls and coral.
The boys are likened to scattered pearls, to indicate
their beauty and good looks.
And Allaah knows best.
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96: The Qur'aan and medicine
Question:
I heard in a lecture that medical scientists or doctors
claim that many medicines&treatements have
been discovererd&propounded by inferring facts frm the
Holy Quran.
Now my question is, Is that all regarding medicine
is mentioned in the Holy Quran? Or is there more left
which we've to still put into use?
I'm asking this question with regards to an earnest
request frm a friend of mine, a hindu named Vignesh and he
asked me whether there r matters left still in the Holy Quran
to control some of these deadly diseases.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) with a religion that covers all aspects
of life, as Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him)
said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) left us and no bird flapped its wings in
the sky except that he had taught us some knowledge
about it.
(Narrated by Ahmad, 20399. See Majma'
al-Zawaa'id, 8/263. al-Haythami said: it was narrated by
al-Tabaraani and its men are the men of saheeh apart from
Muhammad ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Yazeed al-Muqri' who is
thiqah (trustworthy)).
Islam came to meet the needs of people in all aspects
of their lives.
Secondly:
What is narrated in the Sunnah from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) complements
what is in the Qur'aan. These two sources are the
principal sources for Muslims. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us that Allaah has
not sent down any disease but He has also sent down a
cure for it.
It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: "Allaah has not sent down any
disease but He has also sent down a cure for it."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5678.
Thirdly:
What the questioner has mentioned, that some
Muslims say that many remedies were discovered through the
Holy Qur'aan, we say that this is somewhat exaggerated.
The Qur'aan is not a book of medicine or geography
or geology as some Muslims like to say to westerners.
Rather it is a book of guidance for mankind and one of the
greatest of its miracles is its eloquence and the ideas and
concepts that it contains. This is the main aspect of its
miraculous nature. Allaah revealed it to His Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) at a time when
eloquence had reached great heights, so this book came to
amaze those people and challenge them in their area of
expertise, to prove to them that it was from Allaah.
This is not strange, and it is nothing new in religion.
The signs of Moosa (peace be upon him) _ his stick and
his hand _ were of the kind that was prevalent during
his time, which was magic (sihr). The signs of `Eesa
(peace be upon him) _ raising the dead and healing the blind
and lepers _ were of the kind that his people were skilled
in and that was widespread among them, which was medicine.
Hence we say that the greatest feature of the Qur'aan
is its eloquence. Scholars nowadays are still discovering
new aspects of its eloquence through their study of its verses.
This does not mean that there is no other
miraculous aspects to the Qur'aan. Rather in some verses
Allaah mentions things about the design of the human body,
the stages of its creation and development, some
natural phenomena, etc.
But with regard to cures for various diseases, as
the questioner mentions, the Qur'aan is a healing for
the believers. This includes healing the heart (mental
or spiritual disease) and physical healing. Allaah
mentions honey in the Qur'aan and says that it is a healing
for mankind. And He mentions the principle of
preserving good health and guarding against sickness. So
whoever says that the Qur'aan says a lot about medicine in
this regard is right, but whoever goes beyond that
is exaggerating. Rather this is a kind of exaggeration
coined by some Muslims. The Qur'aan is not a book of
medicine. There are some diseases that did not exist previously,
so how could their cure come _ according to what
the questioner says _ before they appeared?
Fourthly:
(a) The following are some of the verses which
indicate that the Qur'aan is healing:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a
healing and a mercy to those who believe"
[al-Isra' 17:82]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
Allaah says "And We send down of the Qur'aan that
which is a healing and a mercy to those who
believe". The correct view is that the word
min (translated here as "of")
serves to explain the nature of the Qur'aan as a whole, not
to refer to parts of it and not other parts.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O mankind! There has come to you a good advice
from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'aan, enjoining all that is
good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for
that which is in your hearts"
[Yoonus 10:57]
The Qur'aan is the complete healing for all
mental, spiritual and physical diseases, all diseases of this
world and the Hereafter. But not everyone is guided to use it
for the purpose of healing. If the sick person uses the
Qur'aan for healing in the proper way, and applies it to his
disease with sincerity, faith, complete acceptance and
firm conviction, fulfilling all its conditions, then no
disease can resist it.
How can disease resist the words of the Lord of
heaven and earth which, if He had revealed it to the
mountains they would have crumbled and if He had revealed it
to the earth it would have broken it apart? There is
no sickness, spiritual or physical, but in the Qur'aan there
is that which indicates its remedy, its cause and how
to protect against it for those who are blessed
with understanding of His Book. Zaad
al-Ma'aad, 4/352
(b) The Qur'aan contains the treatment for hearts
and souls, and as such it is a means of expelling all
sicknesses from the body. In this regard the Qur'aan is a healing
and a remedy for many diseases.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
We and others have tried this on many occasions and
we have seen that it works in ways that physical remedies
do not. Indeed we now regard physical medicine as
the doctors regard folk medicine. This is in accordance
with the law of divine wisdom, not contrary to it, but the
causes of healing are many and varied. When the heart is
in contact with the Lord of the Worlds, the Creator of
the disease and the remedy, the Controller of nature
Who directs it as He wills, he has other remedies apart
from the remedies that are sought by the heart that is far
away from Him and that turns away from Him. It is known
that when a person's spirits are high and his body is in
good shape, they cooperate in warding off disease
and suppressing it, so if a person is in high spirits and
physical good shape, finds comfort in being close to his
Creator, loving Him, enjoying remembrance of Him
(dhikr), devoting all his strength and power for His sake
and focusing on Him, seeking His help, putting his trust
in Him, how can anyone deny that this is the
greatest medicine or that this spiritual power gives him the
means to ward off pain and defeat it completely? No one
would deny this but the most ignorant of people, those who
are furthest away from Allaah and the most hard-hearted
and unaware of human nature.
Zaad al-Ma'aad 4/12
(c) In the Qur'aan there is Soorat al-Faatihah which is
a ruqyah to be recited as a prayer for healing.
It was narrated that Abu Sa'eed (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: "A group of the companions of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) set out on
a journey and traveled until they stopped in (the land
of) one of the Arab tribes. They asked them for
hospitality but they refused to welcome them. The chief of that
tribe was stung by a scorpion and they tried everything
but nothing helped them. Some of them said, `Why don't
you go to those people who are camped (near us), maybe
you will find something with them.' So they went to
them and said, `O people, our chief has been stung by a
scorpion and we have tried everything but nothing helped him.
Can any of you do anything?' One of them said, `Yes,
by Allaah, I will recite ruqyah for him, but by Allaah
we asked you for hospitality and you did not welcome us,
so I will not recite ruqyah for you until you give us
something in return.' Then they agreed upon a flock of sheep.'
Then he went and spat drily and recited over him
Al-hamdu Lillaahi Rabb il-`Aalameen [Soorat al-Faatihah].
(The chief) got up as if he was released from a chain and
started walking, and there were no signs of sickness on him.
They paid them what they agreed to pay. Some of them (i.e.
the companions) then suggested to divide their
earnings among themselves, but the one who performed the
ruqyah said, `Do not divide them until we go to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and tell him
what happened, then wait and see what he tells us to do.'
So they went to the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) and told him what had
happened. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) asked, `How did you know that it
(al-Faatihah) is a ruqyah?' Then he added, `You have
done the right thing. Share out (the flock of sheep) and
give me a share too.' And the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) smiled."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2156; Muslim, 2201
Ibn al-Qayyim said concerning Soorat al-Faatihah:
Whoever is guided by Allaah and is given good insight
to understand the deep meaning of this soorah and what
it contains of Tawheed, understanding of the Divine
nature, the names, attributes and actions of Allaah, the
Divine decree, the Resurrection, rejecting any misconception
that undermines the concept of the Oneness of the
Divine Lordship and Divine nature, complete trust in Allaah
and referring all one's affairs to the One Who has full
control of all things _ to Him be all praise, for all goodness is
in His hand and to Him all things return _ and feeling
in need of Him in seeking guidance that is the root
of happiness in this world and in the Hereafter, will
realize the connection between the contents of this soorah
and bringing good and warding off evil. He will
understand that ultimate goodness and blessing is connected to
this soorah and is dependent upon understanding it and
acting upon it. Then this soorah will make him independent
of many other kinds of medicine and ruqyah, and it will
open the door to a great deal of goodness and ward off a
great deal of evil.
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/347
(d) The Qur'aan mentions the principle of
maintaining good health.
Ibn al-Qayyim said:
The basic principles of medicine are three:
prevention, maintaining good health, and removing
harmful substances from the body.
Allaah has mentioned them all together, to His
Prophet and his ummah in three places in His Book.
He prevented the sick person from using water lest it
harm him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you
comes after answering the call of nature, or you have been
in contact with women (by sexual relations) and you find
no water, perform Tayammum with clean earth and
rub therewith your faces and hands
(Tayammum)" [al-Nisa' 4:42]
Allaah allowed the sick person to do tayammum to
protect him, just as He permitted it to the one who has no water.
Allaah says concerning the maintenance of good health:
"and whoever is ill or on a journey, the same number
[of days which one did not observe Sawm (fasts) must
be made up] from other days"
[al-Baqarah 2:185]
The traveller is allowed to break his fast during
Ramadaan, to protect his health lest the combination of fasting
and the difficulties of travel weakens him and affects
his health.
And Allaah said concerning the removal of harmful
things by shaving the head of the person in ihraam (for Hajj
or `Umrah):
"And whosoever of you is ill or has an ailment in
his scalp (necessitating shaving), he must pay a
Fidyah (ransom) of either observing Sawm (fasts) (three
days) or giving Sadaqah (charity — feeding six poor
persons) or offering sacrifice (one sheep)"
[al-Baqarah 2:196]
So if a person has an ailment in his scalp when he is
in ihraam, he is permitted to shave his head and remove
the harmful thing or the bad substance that is causing lice
to develop _ as happened to Ka'b ibn `Ajrah _ or if it
is causing sickness to develop.
These three matters are the basic principles of
medicine. We have mentioned an example of each one in order
to point out the blessing of Allaah to His slaves in
preventing sickness, protecting their health and removing
harmful substances from them, as a mercy and kindness
towards His slaves, for He is the Most Kind, Most Merciful.
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 1/164, 165
Ibn al-Qayyim said: On one occasion I discussed this
with one of the chief doctors of Egypt, and he said: By
Allaah if I had to travel to the west to obtain these benefits
that would not be too much _ or words to that effect.
Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/25
(e) Mention of honey in the Qur'aan, and that it is a
healing for mankind.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"There comes forth from their [bees'] bellies, a drink
of varying colour wherein is healing for men"
[al-Nahl 16:69]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
With regard to the Prophet's guidance
concerning drinking, it is the most perfect guidance that
maintains good health. He used to drink honey mixed with
cold water. This is very healthy and no one can
understand how healthy it is except the most prominent doctors.
For drinking honey on an empty stomach dissolves
phlegm, cleanses the stomach, reduces its viscosity, washes
away waste matter, warms it up a little and opens its inlet
and exit. It has a similar effect on the liver, kidneys and
urethra. It is more beneficial to the stomach than any other
kind of sweet that enters it. However it may cause side
effects in people who are suffering from jaundice because it
is hot and jaundice is hot, so it may aggravate it; in order
to avoid this effect vinegar may be added, then honey
will become beneficial and drinking it will be more
useful than many or most of the drinks that are made from
sugar, especially for those who are not used to these drinks,
for if they drink them they will not suit them as well as
honey does, or even come close.
With regard to drinking it when it is collected and
well-prepared, this is one of the most beneficial things for
the body, and one of the greatest means of preserving
health; it is very refreshing and energizing, and it is good for
the liver and heart. If it is well-prepared it provides
nutrition and makes food reach all parts of the body in the
most effective manner.
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/224, 225
And he said (may Allaah have mercy on him):
Honey contains great benefits, for it cleanses
impurities from the veins and stomach etc, whether it is eaten
or applied to the skin. It is good for the elderly, the
phlegmatic and those whose humours are cold and wet. It
is nourishing, aids digestion, energizes, makes
unpleasant medicine palatable, is good for the liver and chest, is
a diuretic and helps to ease coughs caused by phlegm. If
it is drunk warm mixed with rosewater it is beneficial
for one who has been bitten by a scorpion or who
has consumed opium. If it is drunk on its own mixed
with water, it is good for the one who has been bitten by
a rabid dog or eaten poisonous mushrooms. If fresh
meat is placed in honey, it will stay fresh for three months,
as will cucumbers, pumpkins and eggplants. Many fruits
can be kept in it for six months. It will also preserve a
dead body, and it is known as the trustworthy preserver. If
the body of one who is afflicted with lice is painted
with honey, it will kill the lice and their eggs. It makes the
hair long, beautiful and smooth. If used on the eyes like
kohl it clears the vision. If the teeth are brushed with it,
it whitens the teeth and makes them bright, and keeps
the gums healthy. It opens the veins and induces
menstruation. If taken on an empty stomach it takes away phlegm
and cleanses the stomach, clearing away waste matter
and restoring the correct temperature. It does likewise to
the liver, kidneys and urethra.
As well as all this, it has no side effects and causes
little harm. It may cause side effects in one who is
suffering from jaundice, but that may be counteracted by
vinegar and the like, in which case it becomes very beneficial
for him.
It is a kind of nourishment, a kind of medicine, a kind
of drink, a kind of sweet, a kind of cream. There is
nothing that has been created for us for a similar purpose that
is better than it, or even comes close. The ancient
peoples relied on it, and in most of the books of the ancients
there is no mention of sugar at all and it was unknown to
them, for it is something that is very new. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to drink
honey mixed with water on an empty stomach, and this is
the secret of maintaining good health that no one
can understand except one who is intelligent and blessed.
Zaad al-Ma'aad, 4/33, 34.
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31865: Were the heavens and the earth created in six
days or eight?
Question:
I read the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Indeed, your Lord is Allaah, Who created the
heavens and the earth in Six Days, and then He rose over
(Istawa) the Throne (really in a manner that suits His
Majesty). He brings the night as a cover over the day, seeking
it rapidly, and (He created) the sun, the moon, the
stars subjected to His Command. Surely, His is the
creation and commandment. Blessed is Allaah, the Lord of
the `Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists)!"
[al-A'raaf 7:54]
What I understand from this is that Allaah created
the heavens and the earth in six days. This is clear.
But in another passage Allaah mentions the creation
of the heavens and the earth, and He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): Do you verily disbelieve in
Him Who created the earth in two Days? And you set up
rivals (in worship) with Him? That is the Lord of the
`Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
He placed therein (i.e. the earth) firm mountains
from above it, and He blessed it, and measured therein
its sustenance (for its dwellers) in four Days equal (i.e.
all these four `days' were equal in the length of time) for
all those who ask (about its creation).
Then He rose over (Istawa) towards the heaven when
it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: `Come both
of you willingly or unwillingly.' They both said: `We
come willingly.'
Then He completed and finished from their creation
(as) seven heavens in two Days and He made in each
heaven its affair. And We adorned the nearest (lowest)
heaven with lamps (stars) to be an adornment as well as to
guard (from the devils by using them as missiles against
the devils). Such is the Decree of Him, the AllMighty,
the AllKnower" [Fussilat 41:9-12]
Here Allaah says that He created the earth in two
days, then He placed therein firm mountains and
measured therein its sustenance in four days, which makes six
days in all. Then He created the heavens in two days, so
the total comes to eight days.
How can we reconcile between the two verses?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This is an issue which confuses some people, and
some of them think that Allaah created the heavens and the
earth in eight days as Allaah says in Soorah
Fussilat (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): Do you verily disbelieve in
Him Who created the earth in two Days? And you set up
rivals (in worship) with Him? That is the Lord of the
`Aalameen (mankind, jinn and all that exists).
He placed therein (i.e. the earth) firm mountains
from above it, and He blessed it, and measured therein
its sustenance (for its dwellers) in four Days equal (i.e.
all these four `days' were equal in the length of time) for
all those who ask (about its creation).
Then He rose over (Istawa) towards the heaven when
it was smoke, and said to it and to the earth: `Come both
of you willingly or unwillingly.' They both said: `We
come willingly.'
Then He completed and finished from their creation
(as) seven heavens in two Days and He made in each
heaven its affair. And We adorned the nearest (lowest)
heaven with lamps (stars) to be an adornment as well as to
guard (from the devils by using them as missiles against
the devils). Such is the Decree of Him, the AllMighty,
the AllKnower"
[Fussilat 41:9-12]
because this seems to contradict the other verse
which says that He created them in six days.
This is a misunderstanding, and the answer to it is
as follows:
There is no contradiction between the time
period mentioned in these verses and the other verse which
says that it was six days.
In these verses _ from Soorah Fussilat _ we see that
Allaah is telling us that He "created the earth in two
Days".
Then He "placed therein (i.e. the earth) firm
mountains from above it, and He blessed it, and measured
therein its sustenance (for its dwellers)" in four days equal_
i.e., in two days that were added to the two days in which
He created the earth, so the total is four days. It does not
say that the creation of the mountains and the measuring
of the sustenance took four days.
Perhaps the confusion which is mentioned in the
question stems from this, i.e., from thinking that the four days
are added to the two days in which the earth was
created, equaling six, and then adding the two days in which
the heavens were created ("Then He completed and
finished from their creation (as) seven heavens in two
Days") _ making a total of eight days, not six days. But
this confusion can be dispelled by dealing with this
mistaken notion. So the earth was created in two days, and
the mountains were created and the sustenance measured
in two more days which makes a total of four, i.e., this
took the other two days. Then the creation of the seven
heavens took two days. So the total is six days of the Days
of Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted.
The mufassireen commented on this fact which deals
with the mistaken notion. Al-Qurtubi said:
"in four days" _ this is like someone saying, "I set
out from Basra to Baghdad in ten days and to Kufa in
fifteen days, i.e., a total time of fifteen days."
(al-Jaami' li Ahkaam al-Qur'aan, vol. 15, p. 343).
Al-Baghawi said: "in four days" means the creation
of what is in the earth. The measuring of the sustenance
was on Tuesday and Wednesday, which along with
Sunday and Monday add up to four days. This is like saying
"I married a woman yesterday and today I married two"
_ one of whom is the woman whom he married the day before.
Tafseer al-Baghawi, 7/165
Al-Zajjaaj said: "in four days" means two days added
to the previous two days.
Al-Kashshaaf, vol. 3, p. 444
These verses _ from Soorah Fussilat _ confirm the
other verse, which says that the creation of the heavens and
the earth was completed in six days. So there is
no contradiction concerning the period in which
Allaah created the heavens and the earth. There cannot be
any such contradictions in the Qur'aan..
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10022: The meaning of the hadeeth " `Qul Huwa
Allaahu Ahad" is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan"
Question:
Answer #4156 item#2
then there is no need to learn the entire quraan or to
even read it during ramadaan,etc all you have to do is to
read sura Ikhlas.I think you made a mistake.Sura Ikhlas is
the substance of 1/3 of the quraan.it is amazing to
believe that reading the sura Iklas 3 times will give you
the blessing of reading the ENTIRE quraan,then there is
no point reading the entire Quraan.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly: there follow some of the ahaadeeth narrated
from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) which state that Soorat al-Ikhlaas (Qul Huwa
Allaahu Ahad) is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan.
Al-Bukhaari (6643) narrated from Abu Sa'eed that a
man heard another man reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu
Ahad and repeating it. The next morning he came to the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and told him about that. The man thought that it was
too little, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "By the One in Whose
hand is my soul, it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan."
Muslim (811) narrated from Abu'l-Dardaa' that
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Is any one of you unable to recite one-third of the
Qur'aan in one night?" They said, "How could anyone read
one-third of the Qur'aan?" He said, "Qul Huwa Allaahu
Ahad is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan."
Muslim (812) narrated that Abu Hurayrah said:
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Gather together, for I will recite to
you one-third of the Qur'aan." So those who could
gather together gathered there, then the Prophet of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and
recited Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, then he went in. They said
to one another, Perhaps there has been some news
from heaven on account of which he has gone inside
(the house). Then the Prophet of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) came out and said, "I told
you that I was going to recite to you one-third of the
Qur'aan. Verily it is equivalent to one-third of the Qur'aan."
Secondly: The bounty of Allaah is immense, and
Allaah has bestowed His bounty upon this ummah and has
made up for its short life span by giving it more reward
for simple deeds. It is strange that with some people,
instead of this motivating them to do more good, this makes
them apathetic and lazy in doing acts of worship, or they
feel that this bounty and reward is strange and farfetched.
With regard to the meaning of the hadeeth:
There is a difference between jaza' (reward) and
ijza' (what is sufficient). What is making the brother
confused is that he does not see the difference between them.
Jaza' means the reward which Allaah gives for
obeying Him.
Ijza' means what is sufficient and takes the place
of something else.
Reciting Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad brings a
reward equivalent to reciting one-third of the Qur'aan, but it
does not take the place of reading one-third of the Qur'aan.
If a person vows _ for example _ to read one-third of
the Qur'aan, it is not sufficient for him to read
Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad, because it is equivalent to one-third of
the Qur'aan in reward, but not in terms of being sufficient
or taking the place of reading one-third of the Qur'aan.
The same may be said of reciting it three times. If a
person recites it three times in his prayer, that does not mean
that he does not have to recite al-Faatihah, even though
he will be given the reward of reciting the whole Qur'aan.
A similar example is the reward given by the Lawgiver
to one who offers a single prayer in the Sanctuary of
Makkah, and that he will have the reward of one hundred
thousand prayers. Does anyone take this divine bounty to
means that he does not have to pray for decades because
he offered a single prayer in the Haram that is equivalent
to one hundred thousand prayers?
Rather this has to do with reward; as for what is
sufficient, that is another matter altogether.
Moreover, none of the scholars has ever said that there
is no need for us to read the Qur'aan or that Qul Huwa
Allaah Ahad is sufficient and takes the place of that. The
correct scholarly view is that this soorah has this great
virtue because the Qur'aan deals with three topics:
one-third for rulings, one-third for promises and warnings, and
one-third for the Divine names and attributes.
This soorah combines names and attributes.
This is the view of Abu'l-`Abbaas ibn Surayj, and
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah stated that it was good in
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 17/103.
The Muslim cannot do without the two other issues,
which are the rulings and the promises and warnings.
His knowledge cannot be complete unless he looks at the
Book of Allaah as a whole. The one who stops at Soorat
al-Ikhlaas cannot know the other two matters.
Shaykh al-Islam (Ibn Taymiyah _ may Allaah have
mercy on him) said:
Rewards are of different types, just as wealth is of
different types, such as food, drink, clothing, houses, money
and so on. If a man possesses one type of wealth, to the
value of one thousand dinars, that does not mean that he can
do without the other types. Rather if he has wealth in
the form of food, he also needs clothing and a place to
live, etc. Similarly if it is a type other than money, he still
needs other things. If he has nothing but money, he will need
all kinds of wealth that are usually needed. In
al-Faatihah there are the benefits of praise and du'aa' which
people need, and Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad cannot replace it
in that sense. Although its reward is very great, he
cannot benefit from it unless he also recites the Opening of
the Book (al-Faatihah) in his prayer. Hence if a person
recites only Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad in his prayer, without
al-Faatihah, his prayer is not valid. Even if he recited
the whole of the Qur'aan without al-Faatihah, his
prayer would not be valid, because the al-Faatihah refers to
the basic needs that people cannot do without.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 17/131.
And he said:
The people need the commands, prohibitions and
stories that are in the Qur'aan, even though Tawheed is
greater than that. Man needs to know what he is enjoined to
do and what he is forbidden to do; he need to know what
is enjoined upon him and the stories and promises
and rewards. These cannot be replaced by anything else,
and Tawheed cannot be replaced by these. The stories
cannot take the place of the commands and prohibitions, and
the commands and prohibitions cannot take the place of
the stories. Rather everything that was sent down by
Allaah is beneficial and people need it.
If a person recites Qul Huwa Allaahu
Ahad, he earns a reward equivalent to the reward of one-third of
the Qur'aan, but that does not mean that the reward is of
the same kind as that earned by reading the rest of the
Qur'aan. Rather he may need the kind of reward that comes
from reading the commands and prohibitions and stories,
so Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad cannot take the place of all that.
And he said:
The knowledge that is to be gained by reading the rest
of the Qur'aan cannot be gained by reciting this soorah
only. So whoever reads the whole Qur'aan is better than
one who simply recites this soorah three times in the
sense that he earns different kinds of reward, even though
the one who recites Qul Huwa Allaahu Ahad earns a
reward equivalent to that reward, but it is of one type and
does not include all the types that a person needs. This is like
a man who has three thousand dinars and another who
has food, clothing, accommodation and money equivalent
to three thousand dinars. The latter has that which
will benefit him in all his affairs, whereas the former
needs what the latter has, even though what he has is
equivalent in value. Similarly, if he has the finest food, equivalent
to three thousand dinars in value, he still needs clothing
and accommodation, and weapons and tools that will
ward off harm from him, and the like, which cannot be
done with food alone.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 17/137-139
And Allaah knows best.
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10012: Who wrote the Qur'aan and how was it put together?
Question:
Who wrote the Qur'aan and how was it put together?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allaah has guaranteed to preserve this Qur'aan
Himself. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr
(i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it
(from corruption)"
[al-Hijr 15:9]
Ibn Jareer al-Tabari said in his Tafseer, 14/8:
Allaah is saying, it is We Who have sent down the
Dhikr (Reminder), i.e. the Qur'aan, and We will guard
the Qur'aan against anything false being added to it that
is not part of it, or anything that is part of it being
taken away, whether that has to do with rulings,
hudood punishments or matters having to do with inheritance.
Al-Sa'di said in his Tafseer (p. 696):
It is We Who have sent down the Qur'aan in which
there is mention of all issues and clear evidence, and in
which We remind those who want to be reminded.
"and surely, We will guard it" means, when it is
being revealed and after it has been revealed. When it
is revealed, We protect it from the tampering of
every accursed devil, and after it has been revealed
Allaah instilled it in the heart of His Messenger. Allaah
protected the words from being changed and from anything
being added or taken away, or from its meanings being
distorted. So no one can attempt to distort its meanings but
Allaah will guide someone to explain the truth of the
Qur'aan. This is one of the greatest signs of Allaah and His
blessing to His believing slaves. Another aspect of this
protection is that Allaah protects the people of the Qur'aan
against their enemies, and no enemy can overpower them
and eliminate them.
The Qur'aan was revealed to the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in stages over a
period of twenty-three years. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"And (it is) a Qur'aan which We have divided (into
parts), in order that you might recite it to men at intervals.
And We have revealed it by stages"
[al-Isra' 17:106]
al-Sa'di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
This means, We have revealed this Qur'aan in stages,
to differentiate between guidance and misguidance,
between truth and falsehood.
"in order that you might recite it to men at
intervals" means, slowly, so that they may ponder and think
about its meanings, and understand the different branches
of knowledge contained therein.
"And We have revealed it by stages" means,
gradually, over a period of twenty-three years.
Tafseer al-Sa'di, p. 760.
Secondly:
Literacy was not widespread among the Arabs.
Allaah described them in such terms when He said
(interpretation of the meaning):
"He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a
Messenger (Muhammad) from among
themselves" [al-Jumu'ah 63:2]
They used to memorize the Qur'aan by heart, and a
few of them used to write down some verses or soorahs
on animal skins, thin white stones and the like.
Thirdly:
At first the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) forbade the writing of anything other than
the Qur'aan, and he forbade them to write down his
words for a while, so that the Sahaabah would focus
on memorizing the Qur'aan and writing it down, and so
that the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) would not be confused with the words
of Allaah, and so the Qur'aan was protected from
anything being added or taken away.
Fourthly:
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) appointed a group of his companions who were trustworthy and knowledgeable to write down
the revelation. They are known in their biographies as
those who wrote down the Revelation, such as the four
Caliphs, `Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr ibn al-`Aas, Mu'aawiyah ibn
Abi Sufyaan, Zayd ibn Thaabit and others _ may Allaah
be pleased with them all.
Fifthly:
The Qur'aan was revealed in seven dialects as
was narrated in the saheeh hadeeth of `Umar ibn
al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) from the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). This was
narrated by al-Bukhaari (2287) and Muslim (818); these were
the dialects of the Arabs which were known for
their eloquence.
Sixthly:
The Qur'aan continued to be preserved in the hearts
of the Sahaabah who had memorized it, and on the
skins and other materials until the time of the caliph Abu
Bakr al-Siddeeq (may Allaah be pleased with him). During
the Riddah wars many of the Sahaabah who had
memorized the Qur'aan were killed, and Abu Bakr (may Allaah
be pleased with him) was afraid that the Qur'aan would
be lost. So he consulted the senior Sahaabah about
compiling the Qur'aan in a single book so that it would
remain preserved and would not be lost. He entrusted this
mission to the chief of memorizers Zayd ibn Thaabit (may
Allaah be pleased with him). Al-Bukhaari narrated in his
Saheeh (4986) that Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be pleased
with him) said:
Abu Bakr al-Siddeeq sent for me when the people of
al-Yamaamah had been killed [i.e., a number of the
Prophet's Companions who fought against the false
prophet Musaylimah]. (I went to him) and found `Umar ibn
al-Khattaab sitting with him. Abu Bakr then said (to me),
" `Umar has come to me and said: `Casualties were
heavy among the Qurra' of the Qur'aan (i.e. those who
knew the Qur'aan by heart) on the day of the battle of
al-Yamaamah, and I am afraid that more heavy
casualties may take place among the Qurra' on other
battlefields, whereby a large part of the Qur'aan may be lost.
Therefore I suggest that you (Abu Bakr) order that the Qur'aan
be collected." I said to `Umar, "How can you do
something that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) did not do?" `Umar said, "By
Allah, this is something good." `Umar kept on urging me
to accept his proposal till Allaah opened my heart to it and
I began to realize the good in the idea which `Umar
had realized." Then Abu Bakr said (to me). "You are a
wise young man and we do not have any suspicion about
you, and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). So search for (the fragmentary scripts of)
the Qur'aan and compile it in one book." By Allah If
they had ordered me to move one of the mountains, it
would not have been heavier for me than this ordering me
to compile the Qur'aan. Then I said (to Abu Bakr),
"How can you do something that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did not do?"
Abu Bakr replied, "By Allaah, it is a good thing." Abu
Bakr kept on urging me to accept his idea until Allaah
opened my heart to that to which He had opened the hearts
of Abu Bakr and `Umar. So I started looking for the
Qur'aan and collecting it from (what it was written on) palm
stalks, thin white stones and also from the men who knew it
by heart, until I found the last Verse of Soorat
al-Tawbah with Abu Khuzaymah al-Ansaari, and I did not find
it with anybody other than him. The verse is
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, there has come unto you a
Messenger (Muhammad) from amongst yourselves. It grieves
him that you should receive any injury or difficulty..."
[al-Tawbah 9:128] until the end of Soorat Baraa'ah (i.e.,
al-Tawbah).
Then the complete manuscript (copy) of the
Qur'aan remained with Abu Bakr until he died, then with
`Umar until the end of his life, and then with Hafsah, the
daughter of `Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him).
The Sahaabi Zayd ibn Thaabit (may Allaah be
pleased with him) knew the Qur'aan by heart but he
was methodical in his confirmation; he would not agree
to write down any verse until two of the Sahaabah
testified that they had heard it from the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
This Mus-haf (written copy of the Qur'aan) remained
in the hands of the caliphs until the time of the
Rightly-Guided Caliph `Uthmaan ibn `Affaan (may Allaah
be pleased with him). The Sahaabah (may Allaah be
pleased with them) had dispersed to different lands, and they
used to recite the Qur'aan according to what they had heard
of the seven recitations from the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and each of
their students used to recite according to what he had
heard from his shaykh. If a student heard someone reciting in
a manner different from what he knew, he would
denounce him and accuse him of making a mistake, and this
went on until the Sahaabah feared that there would be
fitnah (trouble) between the Taabi'een and
successive generations. So they thought that they should unite
the people in following one recitation, which was in
the dialect of Quraysh in which the Qur'aan had first
been revealed, so as to dispel any disputes and resolve
the matter. `Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with him)
was consulted, and he agreed with this opinion.
Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (4988) from Anas
ibn Maalik that Hudhayfah ibn al-Yamaan came to
`Uthmaan at the time when the people of Shaam (Syria) and
the people of Iraq were waging war to conquer Armenia
and Azerbaijan. Hudhayfah was alarmed by their (the
people of Sham and Iraq) differences in the recitation of
the Qur'aan, so he said to `Uthmaan, "O Ameer
al-Mu'mineen! Save this nation before they dispute
about the Book (Qur'aan) as the Jews and the Christians
did before." So `Uthmaan sent a message to Hafsah
saying, "Send us the manuscript of the Qur'aan so that we
may make copies of the Mus-haf and we will return
the manuscript to you."
Hafsah sent it to `Uthmaan. Then `Uthmaan ordered
Zayd ibn Thaabit, `Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, Sa'eed ibn
al-`Aas and `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Haarith ibn Hishaam to
copy out the manuscripts. `Uthmaan said to the three men
who were from Quraysh (the tribe of which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) was a member),
"In case you disagree with Zayd ibn Thaabit on any point
in the Qur'aan, then write it in the dialect of Quraysh,
for the Qur'aan was revealed in their tongue." They did
so, and when they had written many copies,
`Uthmaan returned the original manuscripts to Hafsah.
`Uthmaan sent to every Muslim province one copy of
what they had copied, and ordered that all the other
Qur'aanic materials, whether written in fragmentary manuscripts
or whole copies, be burnt.
Ibn Shihaab said: Khaarijah ibn Zayd ibn Thaabit
told me that he heard Zayd ibn Thaabit say: "When we
made copies of the Mus-haf I missed a verse of al-Ahzaab
that I used to hear the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recite. So we
searched for it and we found it with Khuzaymah ibn Thaabit
al-Ansaari. (The verse was) `Among the believers are
men who have been true to their covenant with Allaah'
[al-Ahzaab 33:23 _ interpretation of the
meaning]. So we put it in its place in its soorah in the Mus-haf."
Thus an end was put to dispute and the Muslims
were united. The Qur'aan has remained and will
remain narrated from generation to generation and preserved
in men's hearts until the Day of Resurrection. This is
how Allaah has preserved His Book, in confirmation of
the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr
(i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it
(from corruption)"
[al-Hijr 15:9]
And Allaah knows best.
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6577: The Qur'aan is a healing and a mercy to
the believers
Question:
Tell me more about quran.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Qur'aan is the word of Allaah that was revealed
to His Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and is recited as an act of worship.
This definition of the Qur'aan is comprehensive.
Our saying "the word of Allaah" excludes the words
of human beings or others.
Our saying "revealed to His Prophet Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)" excludes
anything that was revealed to anyone else, such as the
Injeel (Gospel), Tawraat (Torah) and Zaboor (Psalms).
Our saying "it is recited as an act of worship"
excludes the hadeeth qudsi (ahaadeeth in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) narrated words
from Allaah which are not part of the Qur'aan).
It brings light and gives certainty, it is the strong rope,
it is the path of the righteous. It tells us of those who
came before us, Prophets and righteous people, and how
those who disobeyed them tasted the punishment of Allaah
and were humiliated. It contains verses which speak of
the miracles of Allaah and His power in this great
universe. It tells us of the origins of human beings who are
created from "despised water" (semen). It contains the
basic principles of faith which must be embraced by
every humble heart. It contains the rules of sharee'ah
which tells us what is permissible and what is forbidden;
what is true and what is false. It tells us of the
Resurrection and the fate of human beings, either in the Fire in
which they will burn and be among those who are
humiliated, or in Paradise with its gardens, springs, plants and
places of security.
In it there is healing for men's hearts, light
and illumination for the blind. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And We send down of the Qur'aan that which is a
healing and a mercy to those who believe (in Islamic
Monotheism and act on it), and it increases the Zaalimoon
(polytheists and wrongdoers) nothing but loss"
[al-Isra' 17:82]
Al-Haafiz Ibn Katheer said in his commentary on
this verse:
Here Allaah tells us about His Book, which He
revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) and which is the Qur'aan
which "Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind
it, (it is) sent down by the AllWise, Worthy of all
praise" [Fussilat 42:41- interpretation of the
meaning], that it is "a healing and a mercy to those who
believe" _ i.e., it takes away the diseases in the heart such as
doubt, hypocrisy, shirk, deviation and misguidance; the
Qur'aan heals all of that. And it is also a mercy which brings
about faith, wisdom and the pursuit of and desire for
goodness. This is only for those who believe in it and follow it;
for such it will be a healing and a mercy. But as for the
kaafir and those who wrong themselves thereby, their
hearing the Qur'aan only makes them further away (from
truth) and increases them in kufr. The problem comes from
the kaafir, not from the Qur'aan. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Say: It is for those who believe, a guide and a
healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is
heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur'aan) is
blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place
far away (so they neither listen nor understand)"
[Fussilat 41:44]
"And whenever there comes down a Soorah, some of
them (hypocrites) say: `Which of you has had his
Faith increased by it?' As for those who believe, it has
increased their Faith, and they rejoice.
But as for those in whose hearts is a disease (of
doubt, disbelief and hypocrisy), it will add suspicion and
doubt to their suspicion, disbelief and doubt; and they die
while they are disbelievers"
[al-Tawbah 9:124-125]
Qutaadah said, concerning the phrase "And We send
down of the Qur'aan that which is a healing and a mercy
to those who believe": when the believer hears it he
benefits from it, memorizes it and understands it.
"and it increases the Zaalimoon (polytheists and wrongdoers) nothing
but loss" means, they do not benefit from it, memorize it
or understand it. Allaah has made this Qur'aan a
healing and a mercy for the believers. Tafseer Ibn
Katheer, 3/60.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O mankind! There has come to you a good advice
from your Lord (i.e. the Qur'aan, enjoining all that is
good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for
that which is in your breasts, — a guidance and a
mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things) for the
believers" [Yoonus 10:57]
"And if We had sent this as a Qur'aan in a
foreign language (other than Arabic), they would have said:
`Why are not its verses explained in detail (in our
language)? What! (A Book) not in Arabic and (the Messenger)
an Arab?' Say: `It is for those who believe, a guide and
a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there
is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the
Qur'aan) is blindness for them. They are those who are called
from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)'"[Fussilat
41:44]
In it is guidance for mankind, away from
misguidance and to the truth. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"This is the Book (the Qur'aan), whereof there is no
doubt, a guidance to those who are Al-Muttaqoon [the
pious" [al-Baqarah 2:2]
"And thus We have revealed to you (O Muhammad)
a Qur'aan in Arabic that you may warn the Mother of
the Towns (Makkah) and all around it, and warn (them)
of the Day of Assembling of which there is no doubt, when
a party will be in Paradise (those who believed in
Allaah and followed what Allaah's Messenger brought them)
and a party in the blazing Fire (Hell) (those who
disbelieved in Allaah and followed not what Allaah's
Messenger brought them)"
[al-Shoora 42:9]
"And thus We have sent to you (O Muhammad) Rooh
(a revelation, and a mercy) of Our Command. You knew
not what is the Book, nor what is Faith? But We have made
it (this Qur'aan) a light wherewith We guide whosoever
of Our slaves We will. And verily, you (O Muhammad)
are indeed guiding (mankind) to the Straight Path
(i.e. Allaah's religion of Islamic Monotheism).
The path of Allaah to Whom belongs all that is in
the heavens and all that is in the earth. Verily, all matters
at the end go to Allaah (for decision)"
[al-Shoora 42:52-53]
It contains innumerable benefits, so everyone who
seeks happiness in this world and in the Hereafter must refer
to it for judgement and follow its commands.
Imam Ibn Hazm said:
Because the proof and the miracles indicate that
the Qur'aan is the covenant of Allaah with us, we must
believe in it and act in accordance with it. It has come down to
us through generations of Muslims narrating it to those
who came after them, which leaves no room for doubt that
the Qur'aan is the one which is written in the Mus-hafs
which we find everywhere. We have to follow its teachings,
for it is our reference-point, because we read in it the
words (interpretation of the meaning):
"There is not a moving (living) creature on earth, nor
a bird that flies with its two wings, but are
communities like you. We have neglected nothing in the Book,
then unto their Lord they (all) shall be gathered"
[al-An'aam 6:38]
Whatever commands and prohibitions are in the
Qur'aan, we must adhere to them.
Al-Ihkaam, 1/92 . And Allaah knows best. Islam
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21500: Distortion of the Qur'aan by the Raafidis
Question:
I have also heard by a shia collegue that their is a surat
in their book which is not in the QURAN. can u
confirm this? the surat in qs is called SURAT AL-WILAYAT.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
With regard to Soorat al-Wilaayah, some of the
Shi'ah scholars and imams have stated that it exists. Any of
them who denies that does so by way of taqiyah
(dissimulation). One of those who clearly stated that it exists is
Mirza Hussein Muhammad Taqiy al-Noori al-Tubrusi (d.
1320 AH). He wrote a book in which he claimed that
the Qur'aan had been distorted and that the Sahaabah
has concealed some parts of it, including Soorat
al-Wilaayah. The Raafidis honoured him after his death by
burying him in al-Najaf. This book by al-Tubrusi was
published in Iran in 1298 AH, and when it was published there
was a great deal of controversy because they wanted the
doubts about the validity of the Qur'aan, which were known
only to their leaders, to remain scattered throughout
hundreds of their major books, and they did not want that to
be compiled in one book. At the beginning of his book
he said:
"This is a good and noble book entitled
Fasl al-khitaab fi ithbaat tahreef Kitaab Rabb
il-Arbaab (Decisive comment on the distortion of the Book of the Lord of Lords)…
He mentioned aayahs and soorahs which he claims that
the Sahaabah concealed, including `Soorat al-Wilaayah,'"
the text of which, according to them, and as quoted in
this book, is:
"O you who believe, believe in the Prophet and the
Wali [i.e., `Ali] whom We have sent to guide you to the
straight path, a Prophet and a Wali who are part of one
another, and I am the All-Knowing, All-Aware…"
And they have another soorah which they call Soorat
al-Noorayn: "O you who believe, believe in the two
lights (al-noorayn) which We have sent down to you to recite
to you My Verses and to warn you of the punishment of
a great Day. They are part of one another and I am the
All-Hearing, All-Knowing. Those who fulfil the covenant
with Allaah and His Messenger mentioned in the verses
(of the Qur'aan), the Gardens of delight will be theirs,
but those who disbelieve after they believed by breaking
their covenant and disobeying the command of the
Prophet, they will be thrown into Hell. They have
wronged themselves and gone against the wasiyyah of the
Prophet (i.e., the appointment of `Ali as khaleefah), and they
will be given to drink of boiling water…" and other
such nonsense.
You can see the entire soorah, along with a
telegraphic picture of the Persian mus-haf at the following site:
http://arabic.islamicweb.com/shia/nurain.htm
Prof. Muhammad `Ali Sa'oodi _ who was one of
the greatest experts of the Ministry of Justice in Egypt
_ examined an Iranian mus-haf kept by the Orientalist
Bryan and he obtained a copy of this soorah; above the lines
of Arabic script there is written the translation in the
Iranian language.
As it was mentioned by al-Tubrusi in his book,
Fasl al-khitaab fi ithbaat tahreef Kitaab Rabb
il-Arbaab, it is also mentioned in their book
Dabastan Madhaahib, which is in Farsi, written by Muhsin Faani al-Kashmiri.
This book has been printed numerous times in Iran, and
this false soorah was quoted from it by the
Orientalist Noeldeke in his book The History of
Qur'anic Manuscripts, 2/120, and was published by the
French Asian newspaper in 1842
(p. 431-439).
It was also mentioned by Mirza Habibullaah
al-Haashimi al-Kho'i in his book Manhaaj al-Baraa'ah fi Sharh
Nahj al-Balaaghah (2/217); and by Muhammad Baaqir
al-Majlisi in his book Tadhkirat al-A'immah (p. 19, 20)
in Farsi, (published by) Manshoorat Mawlana, Iran.
See also al-Khutoot al-`Areedah li'l-Asas allati
qaama `alayha deen al-Shi'ah by Muhibb al-Deen al-Khateeb.
This claim of theirs is a denial of the words of
Allaah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We, it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr
(i.e. the Qur'aan) and surely, We will guard it
(from corruption)"
[al-Hijr 15:9]
Hence the Muslims are unanimously agreed that
anyone who claims that anything in the Qur'aan has been
altered or changed is a kaafir.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
The same applies to those among them who claim
that some verses of the Qur'aan have been taken away
or concealed, or who claim to have some esoteric interpretations that exempt him from having to do
the actions prescribed in sharee'ah etc., who are called
al-Qaraamitah and al-Baatiniyyah, and who include
al-Tanaasukhiyyah [names of esoteric sects]. There is
no dispute that they are kaafirs.
Al-Saarim al-Maslool, 3/1108-1110.
Ibn Hazm said:
The view that the Qur'aan has been altered is blatant
kufr and is a rejection of what the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said.
Al-Fasl fi'l-Ahwa' wa'-Milal wa'l-Nihal, 4/139.
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5105: Refutation of those who try to prove that
the Qur'aan is not true
Question:
Recently I became aware of some scholarly research
done by German scholars into the inerrancy of the Quran.
Some of their findings are discussed in an Atlantic
Monthly article entitled "What Is the Koran?" written by
Toby Lester, published in the January 1999 issue of
that magazine. The gist of their research is that some very
old fragments of the Quran found in a mosque in Yemen
show small but significant aberrations from the
standard Quranic texts. In some cases, the writing on the
fragments found had been washed off and different
writing substituted overtop. The article tries to cast doubt on
the Muslim view of the Quran as being absolutely
reliable, and tries to show instead that it is a literary text that
has been subject to change just like any other.
I am not a Muslim, but I know that the Quran holds
a position in Islam that is similar to that of Christ
in Christianity. In view of this, sir, how would you
respond to these attempts to dispute the absolute inerrancy of
the Quran? In your view, do these scholars have false
motives that render their findings untrustworthy? Or do you
have another response to these attacks on the verity of
the Quran?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
1 _ The proof that the copies of the Holy Qur'aan that
we have before us is not just one or two pieces of
evidence, rather it is proven by a vast amount of evidence that
no fair-minded person can study without becoming convinced that it is exactly as Allaah revealed it
to Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
2 _ There have been generations coming one after
another, reciting the Book of Allaah and studying it,
memorizing it and writing it down. They have not omitted a
single letter, and no one can change even the vowel point of
a single letter. Writing is just one means of preserving
it; basically it is preserved in their hearts.
3 _ The Qur'aan has not come down to us on its
own, such that the so-called alterations could be made.
Rather the interpretation of its verses, the meanings of its
words, the reasons for its revelation, the grammar of its
words and the commentary on its rulings have all
been transmitted. When such care has been given to this
Book, how could sinful hands find a way to distort even
one letter of it, or add a word, or take away a verse?
4 _ The Qur'aan speaks of matters of the unseen, in
the future, which Allaah revealed to His Messenger Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) to show him that they came from Allaah. If a human
being wants to write a book, he can describe an event or
express a point of view, but if any human being were to
speak about matters of the unseen, in this field he can only
base that on speculation and lies. But the Qur'aan told of
the defeat of the Romans by the Persians, at the time
when there was no means of communication to inform the
Arabs of this event. The same verses also foretold that they
(the Persians) would be defeated after a certain number
of years. If what the Qur'aan said was not accurate, then
the kaafirs would have had a great opportunity to
criticize the Qur'aan.
5 _ If you read any verse of the Qur'aan, then you go
to America or Asia or the jungles of Africa, or to the
deserts of Arabia or any place where there are Muslims, you
will find that all of them have the exact same verse,
memorized by heart or in their books; not a single letter of it
will have been altered.
So what is the importance of this unknown manuscript
in Yemen which we have not seen, and in which some ignorant may have altered, in recent times, one verse
or one word?
Does this argument carry any weight when
properly researched and discussed? Especially when the
people claim to be fair-minded and objective in their research.
What would be their response if we went to one of
their most trusted books | 
