Astronomy in The Qur'an (part IV:Conclusion)

Some may say that the presence of astronomical
facts in the Qur’an is not surprising since the Arabs
were advanced in the field of astronomy. They are
correct in acknowledging the advancement of the
Arabs in the field of astronomy. However they fail
to realize that the Qur’an was revealed centuries
before the Arabs excelled in astronomy. Moreover
many of the scientific facts mentioned here, such
as the origin of the universe with a Big Bang, were
not known to the Arabs even at the peak of their
scientific advancement. The scientific facts
mentioned in the Qur’an are therefore not due to the
Arabs’ advancement in astronomy. Indeed, the
reverse is true: they advanced in astronomy,
because astronomy occupies a place in the Qur’an.

Astronomy in The Qur'an (part III)

INTERSTELLAR MATTER
Space outside organized astronomical systems was
earlier assumed to be a vacuum. Astrophysicists
later discovered the presence of bridges of matter
in this interstellar space. These bridges of matter
are called plasma, and consist of completely ionized
gas containing equal number of free electrons and
positive ions. Plasma is sometimes called the fourth
state of matter (besides the three known states
viz. solid, liquid and gas). The Qur’an refers to
the presence of this interstellar material in the
following verse:
“He Who created the heavens
and the earth and all
that is between.”
[Al-Qur’an 25:59]
It would be ridiculous for anyone to even suggest
that the presence of interstellar galactic material
was known 1400 years ago!

THE EXPANDING UNIVERSE
In 1925, American astronomer Edwin Hubble,
provided observational evidence that all galaxies
are moving away from one another, which implies
that the universe is expanding. The expansion of the
universe is now an established scientific fact. This is
what the Qur’an says regarding the nature of the
universe:
“With power and skill
did We construct
the Firmament:
For it is We Who create
the vastness of Space.”
[Al-Qur’an 51:47]
The Arabic word musioon is correctly translated as
‘expanding it’, and it refers to the creation of the
expanding vastness of the universe.
One of the greatest astrophysicist Stephen
Hawking, in his book, ‘A Brief History of Time’,
says, “The discovery that the universe is expanding
was one of the great intellectual revolutions of the
20th century.” The Qur’an mentioned the expansion
of the universe, before man even learnt to build a
telescope!

Astronomy in The Qur'an (part II)

MOONLIGHT IS REFLECTED LIGHT:

It was believed by earlier civilizations that the moon
emanates its own light. Science now tells us
that the light of the moon is reflected light. However
this fact was mentioned in the Qur’an 1,400 years
ago in the following verse:
“Blessed is He Who made
Constellations in the skies,
and placed therein a Lamp
and a Moon giving light.”
[Al-Qur’an 25:61]
The Arabic word for the sun in the Qur’an, is shams.
It is also referred to as siraaj which means a ‘torch’
or as wahhaaj meaning ‘a blazing lamp’ or as diya
which means ‘shining glory’. All three descriptions
are appropriate to the sun, since it generates
intense heat and light by its internal combustion.
The Arabic word for the moon is qamar and it
is described in the Qur’an as muneer which is a
body that gives noor i.e. reflected light. Again, the
Qur’anic description matches perfectly with the true
nature of the moon which does not give off light by
itself and is an inactive body that reflects the light
of the sun. Not once in the Qur’an, is the moon
mentioned as siraaj, wahhaaj or diya nor the sun as
noor or muneer. This implies that the Qur’an
recognizes the difference between the nature of
sunlight and moonlight.
The following verses relate to the nature of light
from the sun and the moon:
“It is He who made the sun
to be a shining glory
and the moon to be a light
(of beauty).”
[Al-Qur’an 10:5]
“See ye not
how Allah has created
the seven heavens
one above another,
“And made the moon
a light in their midst,
and made the sun
as a (Glorious) Lamp?”
[Al-Qur’an 71:15-16]
The Glorious Qur'an and modern science, are thus
in perfect agreement about the differences in the
nature of sunlight and moonlight.

THE SUN ROTATES:

For a long time European philosophers and scientists
believed that the earth stood still in the centre of the
universe and every other body including the sun
moved around it. In the West, this geocentric concept
of the universe was prevalent right from the time of
Ptolemy in the second century B.C. In 1512, Nicholas
Copernicus put forward his Heliocentric Theory of
Planetary Motion, which asserted that the sun is
motionless at the centre of the solar system with the
planets revolving around it.
In 1609, the German scientist Yohannus Keppler
published the ‘Astronomia Nova’. In this he
concluded that not only do the planets move in
elliptical orbits around the sun, they also rotate
upon their axes at irregular speeds. With this
knowledge it became possible for European scientists
to explain correctly many of the mechanisms of the
solar system, including the sequence of night and
day.
After these discoveries, it was thought that the Sun
was stationary and did not rotate about its axis like
the Earth. I remember having studied this fallacy
from Geography books during my school days.
Consider the following Qur’anic verse:
“It is He Who created
the Night and the Day,
and the sun and the moon:
All (the celestial bodies)
swim along, each in its
rounded course.”
[Al-Qur’an 21:33]
The Arabic word used in the above verse is
yasbahoon . This word is derived from the word
sabaha. It carries with it the idea of motion that
comes from any moving body. If you use this word
for a person on the ground, it would not mean that
he is rolling but would imply that he is walking or
running. If you use this word for a person in water,
it would not mean that he is floating but would
imply that he is swimming.
Similarly, if you use the word yasbah for a celestial
body such as the sun, it would not only mean that it
is flying through space but would also mean that it
is rotating as it goes through space. Most school
textbooks have now incorporated the fact that the
sun rotates about its axis. The rotation of the sun
about its own axis can be proved with the help of an
equipment that projects the image of the sun on the
top of a table, so that one can examine the image of
the sun without being blinded. It is noticed that the
sun has spots which complete a circular motion once
every 25 days i.e. the sun takes approximately 25
days to rotate round its axis.
The sun travels through space at roughly 240 km
per second, and takes about 200 million years to
complete one revolution around the centre of our
Milky Way Galaxy.
“It is not permitted
to the Sun to catch up the Moon,
nor can the Night outstrip the Day:
Each (just) swims along
in (its own) orbit
(according to Law).”
[Al-Qur’an 36:40]
This verse mentions an essential fact discovered
only recently by modern astronomy, i.e. the
existence of the individual orbits of the Sun and the
Moon, and their journey through space with their
own motion.
The ‘fixed place’ towards which the sun travels,
carrying with it the solar system, has been located
preirsely by modern astronomy. It has been given a
name, the Solar Apex. The solar system is indeed
moving in space towards a point situated in the
constellation of Hercules (alpha Lyrae) whose exact
location is now firmly established.
The moon rotates around its axis in the same
duration that it takes to revolve around the earth.
It takes approximately 29½ days to complete one
rotation.
One cannot help but be amazed at the scientific
accuracy of the Qur’anic verses. Should we not
ponder over the question: “What is the source of
knowledge contained in the Qur’an?”

THE SUN WILL EXTINGUISH:

The light of the sun is due to a chemical process on
its surface that has been taking place continuously
for the past five billion years. It will come to an end
at some point of time in the future, when the sun
will be totally extinguished, leading to extinction of
all life on earth. Regarding the impermanence of the
sun’s existence, the Qur’an says:
“And the Sun runs its course
for a period determined
for it; that is
the decree of (Him)
the exalted in Might,
the All-Knowing.”
[Al-Qur’an 36:38]1
The Arabic word used here is mustaqarr, which
means a place or time that is determined. Thus the
Qur’an says that the sun runs towards a determined
place, and will do so only up to a pre-determined
period of time – meaning that it will end or
extinguish.

Astronomy in The Qur'an (part I)

CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE:


‘THE BIG BANG’
The creation of the universe is explained by
astrophysicists as a widely accepted phenomenon,
popularly known as ‘The Big Bang’. It is supported
by observational and experimental data gathered by
astronomers and astrophysicists for decades.
According to ‘The Big Bang’, the whole universe was
initially one big mass (Primary Nebula). Then there
was a ‘Big Bang’ (Secondary Separation) which
resulted in the formation of Galaxies. These then
divided to form stars, planets, the sun, the moon,
etc. The origin of the universe was unique and the
probability of it happening by ‘chance’ is nil.
The Qur’an contains the following verse regarding
the origin of the universe:
“Do not the Unbelievers see
that the heavens and the earth
were joined together (as one
unit of Creation), before
We clove them asunder?”
[Al-Qu’ran 21:30]
The striking similarity between the Qur’anic verse
and ‘The Big Bang’ is inescapable! How could a book,
which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia 1400
years ago, contain this profound scientific truth?

INITIAL GASEOUS MASS BEFORE
CREATION OF GALAXIES
Scientists agree that before the galaxies in the
universe were formed, celestial matter was
initially in the form of gaseous matter. In short,
huge gaseous matter or clouds were present
before the formation of the galaxies. To describe
initial celestial matter, the word ‘smoke’ is more
appropriate than gas. The following Qur’anic verse
refers to this state of the universe by the word
dukhaan which means smoke.
“Moreover, He Comprehended
in His design the sky,
and it had been (as) smoke:
He said to it and to the earth:
‘Come ye together,
willingly or unwillingly.’
They said: ‘We do come (together),
in willing obedience.’”
[Al-Qur’an 41:11]
Again, this fact is a corollary to the ‘Big Bang’ and
was not known to anyone before the prophetehood of
Muhammad (Peace be upon him)1. What then, could
have been the source of this knowledge?

SHAPE OF THE EARTH IS SPHERICAL
In early times, people believed that the earth was
flat. For centuries, men were afraid to venture out
too far, for fear of falling off the edge! Sir Francis
Drake was the first person who proved that the
earth is spherical when he sailed around it in 1597.
Consider the following Qur’anic verse regarding the
alternation of day and night:
“Seest thou not that Allah
merges Night into Day
and He merges Day into Night?”
[Al-Qur’an 31:29]
Merging here means that the night slowly and
gradually changes to day and vice versa. This
phenomenon can only take place if the earth is
spherical. If the earth was flat, there would have
been a sudden change from night to day and from
day to night.
The following verse also alludes to the spherical
shape of the earth:
“He created the heavens and
the earth in true (proportions):
He makes the Night
overlap the Day,
and the Day
overlap the Night.”
[Al-Qur’an 39:5]
The Arabic word used here is Kawwara meaning
‘to overlap’ or ‘to coil’– the way a turban is wound
around the head. The overlapping or coiling of the
day and night can only take place if the earth is
spherical.
The earth is not exactly round like a ball, but
geo-spherical, i.e. it is flattened at the poles. The
following verse contains a description of the earth’s
shape:
“And the earth, moreover,
hath He made egg shaped.”
[Al-Qur’an 79:30]
The Arabic word for egg here is dahaahaa1 which
means an ostrich-egg. The shape of an ostrich-egg
resembles the geo-spherical shape of the earth.
Thus the Qur’an correctly describes the shape of the
earth, though the prevalent notion when the Qur’an
was revealed was that the earth was flat.

HIJAB (VEIL)

Question:
Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?

Answer:
The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media.
The ‘hijab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the
‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning
behind the religiously mandated ‘hijab’, let us first study the status of women in
societies before the advent of Islam

1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust
The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of
women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied
basic human dignity:
a. Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian
law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife
was put to death.
b. Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations.
Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and
were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called
‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks
considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of
women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks
were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution
became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.
c. Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the
right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common
amongst the Romans.
d. Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.
e. Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and
very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.

2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them
to maintain their status.
Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years
ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.
Hijab for men
People usually only discuss ‘hijab’ in the context of women. However, in the
Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijab’ for men before ‘hijab’ for the
women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor:
“Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard
their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is
well acquainted with all that they do.”
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]
The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought
comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.
Hijab for women.
The next verse of Surah Noor, says:
“ And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and
guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and
ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they
should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty
except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their
sons...”
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]

3. Six criteria for Hijab.
According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing
hijab:
1. Extent:
The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is
different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male
is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the
extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face
and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these
parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands
are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijab’.
All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.

2. The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.
3. The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through
them.
4. The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.
5. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.
6. The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they
should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the
unbelievers’ religions.

4. Hijab includes conduct and behaviour among other things
Complete ‘hijab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral
conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only
fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijab’ in a limited sense.
‘Hijab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijab’ of the eyes, ‘hijab’ of the
heart, ‘hijab’ of thought and ‘hijab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person
walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.

5. Hijab prevents molestation
The reason why Hijab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in the
following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab:
“O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women
that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when
abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such)
and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
[Al-Qur’an 33:59]
The Qur’an says that Hijab has been prescribed for the women so that they are
recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being
molested.

6. Example of twin sisters
Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down
the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijab i.e. the complete body is
covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister is
wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just around the corner there is
a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he
tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini?
Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an
indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an
rightly says that hijab prevents women from being molested.

7. Capital punishment for the rapists
Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given
capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even
say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to
hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife,
your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in
front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would
put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to
death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put
him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or
daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double
standards?

8. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women
Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of
exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour.
Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually
degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies
who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers,
hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.

9. USA has one of the highest rates of rape
United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries
of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the
world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average
1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report said
that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The
year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans
got ‘bolder’ in the following years.
Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijab is followed in America. Whenever
a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his
mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijab, that is the
complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After
this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such
a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or
will it decrease?

10. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes
Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be
inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it
is America or Europe, society will breathe easier. Hijab does not degrade a
woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.

POLYGAMY

Question: Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is
polygamy allowed in Islam?

Answer:
1. Definition of Polygamy
Polygamy means a system of marriage whereby one person has more than one
spouse. Polygamy can be of two types. One is polygyny where a man marries
more than one woman, and the other is polyandry, where a woman marries
more than one man. In Islam, limited polygyny is permitted; whereas polyandry
is completely prohibited.
Now coming to the original question, why is a man allowed to have more than
one wife?

2. The Qur’an is the only religious scripture in the world that says,
“marry only one”.
The Qur’an is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the
phrase ‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men to
have only one wife. In none of the other religious scriptures, whether it be the
Vedas, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Geeta, the Talmud or the Bible does
one find a restriction on the number of wives. According to these scriptures one
can marry as many as one wishes. It was only later, that the Hindu priests and
the Christian Church restricted the number of wives to one.
Many Hindu religious personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple
wives. King Dashrat, the father of Rama, had more than one wife. Krishna had
several wives.
In earlier times, Christian men were permitted as many wives as they wished,
since the Bible puts no restriction on the number of wives. It was only a few
centuries ago that the Church restricted the number of wives to one.
Polygyny is permitted in Judaism. According to Talmudic law, Abraham had
three wives, and Solomon had hundreds of wives. The practice of polygyny
continued till Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah (960 C.E to 1030 C.E) issued an
edict against it. The Jewish Sephardic communities living in Muslim countries
continued the practice till as late as 1950, until an Act of the Chief Rabbinate of
Israel extended the ban on marrying more than one wife.

{*Interesting Note:- As per the 1975 census of India Hindus are more
polygynous than Muslims. The report of the ‘Committee of The Status of
Woman in Islam’, published in 1975 mentions on page numbers 66 and 67 that
the percentage of polygamous marriages between the years 1951 and 1961
was 5.06% among the Hindus and only 4.31% among the Muslims. According
to Indian law only Muslim men are permitted to have more than one wife. It is
illegal for any non-Muslim in India to have more than one wife. Despite it being
illegal, Hindus have more multiple wives as compared to Muslims. Earlier, there
was no restriction even on Hindu men with respect to the number of wives
allowed. It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act was passed that it
became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At present it is the Indian
Law that restricts a Hindu man from having more than one wife and not the
Hindu scriptures.}

Let us now analyse why Islam allows a man to have more than one wife.
3. Qur’an permits limited polygyny
As I mentioned earlier, Qur’an is the only religious book on the face of the earth
that says ‘marry only one’. The context of this phrase is the following verse from
Surah Nisa of the Glorious Qur’an:
“Marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if ye fear that
ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one.”
[Al-Qur’an 4:3]
Before the Qur’an was revealed, there was no upper limit for polygyny and
many men had scores of wives, some even hundreds. Islam put an upper limit
of four wives. Islam gives a man permission to marry two, three or four women,
only on the condition that he deals justly with them.
In the same chapter i.e. Surah Nisa verse 129 says:
“Ye are never able to be fair and just as between women....”
[Al-Qur’an 4:129]
Therefore polygyny is not a rule but an exception. Many people are under the
misconception that it is compulsory for a Muslim man to have more than one wife.
Broadly, Islam has five categories of Do’s and Don’ts:
(i) ‘Fard’ i.e. compulsory or obligatory
(ii) ‘Mustahab’ i.e. recommended or encouraged
(iii) ‘Mubah’ i.e. permissible or allowed
(iv) ‘Makruh’ i.e. not recommended or discouraged
(v) ‘Haraam’ i.e. prohibited or forbidden
Polygyny falls in the middle category of things that are permissible. It cannot be
said that a Muslim who has two, three or four wives is a better Muslim as
compared to a Muslim who has only one wife.

4. Average life span of females is more than that of males
By nature males and females are born in approximately the same ratio. A
female child has more immunity than a male child. A female child can fight the
germs and diseases better than the male child. For this reason, during the
pediatric age itself there are more deaths among males as compared to the
females.
During wars, there are more men killed as compared to women. More men die
due to accidents and diseases than women. The average life span of females
is more than that of males, and at any given time one finds more widows in the
world than widowers.

5. India has more male population than female due to female
foeticide and infanticide
India is one of the few countries, along with the other neighbouring countries, in
which the female population is less than the male population. The reason lies in
the high rate of female infanticide in India, and the fact that more than one
million female foetuses are aborted every year in this country, after they are
identified as females. If this evil practice is stopped, then India too will have
more females as compared to males.

6. World female population is more than male population
In the USA, women outnumber men by 7.8 million. New York alone has one
million more females as compared to the number of males, and of the male
population of New York one-third are gays i.e sodomites. The U.S.A as a whole
has more than twenty-five million gays. This means that these people do not
wish to marry women. Great Britain has four million more females as compared
to males. Germany has five million more females as compared to males. Russia
has nine million more females than males. God alone knows how many million
more females there are in the whole world as compared to males.

7. Restricting each and every man to have only one wife is not
practical
Even if every man got married to one woman, there would still be more than
thirty million females in U.S.A who would not be able to get husbands
(considering that America has twenty five million gays). There would be more
than four million females in Great Britain, 5 million females in Germany and nine
million females in Russia alone who would not be able to find a husband.
Suppose my sister happens to be one of the unmarried women living in USA, or
suppose your sister happens to be one of the unmarried women in USA. The
only two options remaining for her are that she either marries a man who
already has a wife or becomes 'public property'. There is no other option. All
those who are modest will opt for the first.
Most women would nto like to share their husband with other women. But in
Islam when the situation deems it really neccessary Muslim women in due faith
could bear a small personal loss to prevent a greater loss of letting other Muslim
sisters becoming 'public properties'.

8. Marring a married man preferable to becoming 'public property'
In Western society, it is common for a man to have mistresses and/or multiple
extra-marital affairs, in which case, the woman leads a disgraceful, unprotected
life. The same society, however, cannot accept a man having more than one
wife, in which women retain their honourable, dignified position in society and
lead a protected life.
Thus the only two options before a woman who cannot find a husband is to
marry a married man or to become 'public property'. Islam prefers giving
women the honourable position by permitting the first option and disallowing the
second.

There are several other reasons, why Islam has permitted limited polygyny, but
it is mainly to protect the modesty of women.

Concept Of God In Christianity

Islamic Principles Enjoin Mercy and Condemn Aggression

The Divine religion of Islam is a religion of peace, mercy, tolerance, kindness and benevolence. It stands upright against all brutality, wanton violence, and viciousness in order to promote and protect justice and peace. Allah, the Most Benevolent urged all Muslims to follow the pattern of Allah's Messenger (r) as follows:-

(It is part of the Mercy of Allah that you deal gently with them. Were you severe or harsh-hearted, they would have broken away from about you. So pass over their faults, and ask for Allah's forgiveness for them; and consult them in the affairs. Then, when you have taken a decision, put your trust in Allah. For Allah loves those who put their trust in Him.) (3:159)

Allah the Wise and Sublime characterizes the mission of Muhammad (r) as a mercy to all, when He said Most Exalted: (We have not sent you but as a Mercy for all creation.) (21:108)

The teachings of Islam call all Muslims to show mercy and kindness to every innocent and poor person. The Prophet of Allah (r) said:

“The merciful and kind people will receive the Mercy of the Merciful Lord, Allah, the Almighty. Be merciful to people on earth, and Allah, the Almighty, Who is in Heaven, will grant you His Mercy.” (Tirmidthi)

and in another version he said:
“Allah, the Almighty, would be Merciful to the merciful people. Be merciful to those on earth, and the One in Heaven would be Merciful to you.” (Tirmidthi & Abu Dawood)

Allah's Messenger (s) said:
“Being kind to others is good in every matter, and if kindness is removed (from the hearts of people) the situation becomes bad and worst” (Muslim)

The Messenger of Allah, may the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him said: "He who is deprived of forbearance and gentleness is, in fact, deprived of all good." [Reported by Muslim].

The Prophet (s) said:
"Whenever forbearance is added to something, it adorns it; and whenever it is withdrawn from something, it leaves it defective."

The Messenger of Allah (s) said to Ashaj Abdul-Qais, may Allah be pleased with him:
"You possess two qualities that Allah loves: clemency and tolerance." (Muslim)

Furthermore, Islam requires that mercy and kind treatment should be meted out to all people, even to the enemies of the Muslims captured during the jihad, as in the command of the Prophet of Allah's Messenger (r) when he said: “Be kind and merciful to the captives” [see Al-Mu'jammal-Kabeer, The Grand Dictionary of Hadith. 22/393].

If the Prophet (s) commanded this command to Muslims concerning the hostile enemies who are fighting against them, then the treatment towards the peaceful people would naturally be even better. Never is any life to be taken unjustly. As Allah said:
(Nor take life, -which Allah has made sacred-, except for just cause. And, if anyone is slain wrongfully, We have given his heir authority (to demand Qisas or to forgive): but let him not exceed bounds in the matter of taking life; for he is helped (by the law).) (17:33)

More on this topic will be presented below, but here let us note that Islamic mercy and kindness, not to mention the prohibition of taking life unjustly, is not limited to human beings but includes animals and all living creatures as well.

The Prophet of Allah, may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, noticed someone shooting a little bird for fun and then leaving it to die for no reason, whereupon he said:

“This little bird would supplicate its case before Allah the Almighty on the Day of Judgment, saying ‘O My Lord! This man killed me for no reason to benefit by my death (like hunting for food which is allowed).’” (Ahmed & Nasa’ee)

The companion Abdullah ibn Omar (t) is reported to have passed by a group of young men from the tribe of Quraish who had captured a bird and set it up as a shooting target. He said: 'Who placed this bird as a shooting target? May Allah's Curse descend on the person who did this! The Messenger of Allah (s) said:
“Allah the Almighty curses the person who captures and sets any living creature as a shooting target” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Allah's Messenger (s) commanded Muslims to show kindness in every action, even when slaughtering an animal, by the words:

“Allah, the Almighty, prescribes perfection in every action. If you kill, be perfect in your killing. If you slaughter an animal for meat, perfect your act of slaughtering. Sharpen your knife and be good, kind, and merciful to the animal you are about to slaughter. Give the slaughtered animal the best comfort you can while being slaughtered.” (Muslim)

The Messenger of Allah (s) said:
“While a man was on a trip in the wilderness he became extremely thirsty. He searched for water and found a well and managed to go to the bottom of the well to get to the water. Since he had nothing to reach the bottom from the top where the water was he suffered a great deal to reach down but eventually managed to quench his thirst and came out of the well. Upon reaching the surface he found a dog with his tongue stretched out from severe thirst. The man thought to himself: ‘This dog is certainly suffering the same hardship I suffered from his severe thirst.’ Therefore the man went down the well again, holding one of his shoes by his teeth, filled the shoe with water and brought it back up to the thirsty dog. The dog drank and went away. Allah, the Almighty, appreciated the action of this man and forgave his previous sins.”

One of the audience, who heard the statement of the Prophet (s) enquired, O Messenger of Allah! Would we be rewarded for being kind and merciful to animals? Allah's Messenger (r) asserted:
“Truly there is a blessed reward for being kind and merciful to every living creature that has a moist liver.” (Bukhari)

Conversely a woman deserved the penalty and the wrath of Allah, the Almighty, and was to become one of the dwellers of the Fire of Hell, as a result of her cruelty to a cat. Allah's Messenger (s) is reported to have said:
“A certain woman would become a dweller of the Fire of Hell as a result of cruel treatment of a cat. She tied the cat up and did not offer it food nor let it hunt for it from the top from the top s own food in the surroundings” (Bukhari & Muslim)

The list of the Prophet's (s) commands to Muslims to be kind, merciful, and kindhearted even to animals is endless. We only cited above few examples. Some other examples are as under Allah's Messenger (s) said while passing by a donkey that had been tattooed on its face:
“May Allah's Curse descend on the person who placed this tattoo on the face of the donkey.” (Muslim)

Allah's Messenger (s) is reported to have said while passing by a camel that appeared extremely thin from hunger:
“Be mindful and honor the Commandments of Allah concerning these animals, which can't express their needs by speech. Ride them while you keep them in good shape, and slaughter and eat them while you keep them in good shape.” (Abu Da`ood)

If such was the mercy and kindness to animals and living creatures, what about the human being, who is given preference, honor and respect over all other creatures of Allah’s creation? The Omniscient and Almighty Allah honored man above all others, and enumerated His bounties to mankind:
(We have honored the sons of Adam and provided them with transport on land and sea, given them for sustenance things good and pure, and conferred on them special favors, making them to be above a greater part of Our Creation.) (17:70)

Indeed by obedience to Allah and the guidance revealed to His Messengers, man is honored, but by disobedience he falls into disgrace and dishonors himself by shameful and obnoxious deeds.

I just Quoted some hadith or verses 100 of hadith still reamaining.
May Allah Guide to us on right path Ameen ya Rab Alameen.

THE RETURN OF JESUS (pbuh)

The Qur'an explicitly declares the return of Jesus (pbuh) to earth. Many verses contain explicit statements regarding this matter. The proofs revealed in the Qur'an take this form:

When Allah said, "'Isa, I will take you back and raise you up to Me and purify you of those who are disbelievers. And I will place the people who follow you above those who are disbelievers until the Day of Rising. Then you will all return to Me, and I will judge between you regarding the things about which you differed. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 3, Verse 55)


The Prophet and last Messenger of Allah (pbuh), has also given the glad tidings of the return of Jesus (pbuh). The scholars of hadith (reports and traditions on the sayings and doings of the Prophet Muhammad) say that the hadiths on this subject, in which Allah's Messenger (pbuh) said that the Prophet Jesus (pbuh) will descend amongst people as a leader before the Day of Judgement have reached the status of mutawatir. That means that they have been narrated by so many people from each generation from such a large group of the Companions that there can be no possible doubt of their authenticity. For example:

Abu Hurairah (ra) narrated that Allah's Messenger, peace be upon him, said, "By the One in Whose hand is my self, definitely the son of Maryam will soon descend among you as a just judge, and he will break the cross, kill the pig and abolish the jizyah, and wealth will be so abundant that no one will accept it, until a single prostration will be better than the world and everything in it. (Sahih al-Bukhari)

(3)
That Jesus (pbuh) will come back to earth towards the end of time is related in another verse in The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verse 61. Starting from The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verse 57, there is reference to Jesus (pbuh):

When an example is made of the son of Maryam ('Isa) your people laugh uproariously. They retort, "Who is better then, our gods or him?" They only say this to you for argument's sake. They are indeed a disputatious people. He is only a slave on whom We bestowed Our blessing and whom We made an example for the tribe of Israel. If We wished, We could appoint angels in exchange for you to succeed you on the earth. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verses 57-60)

Just after these verses, Allah declares that Jesus (pbuh) is a sign of the Day of Judgement.
He is a Sign of the Hour. Have no doubt about it. But follow me. This is a straight path. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 43, Verse 61)


Allah tells about the death of Jesus (pbuh) in one verse in The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 19 as follows: ('Isa said,) Peace be upon me the day I was born, and the day I die and the day I am raised up again alive. (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 19, Verse 33)

Excerpted from Jesus will Return by Harun Yahya

100 QUESTIONS ABOUT AL-QURAN

Q) What is the meaning of the word "Qur'an"?
A) That which is Read.

Q) Where was the Qur'an revealed first?
A) In the cave of Hira (Makkah)

Q) On which night was the Qur'an first revealed?
A) Lailatul-Qadr (Night of the Power)

Q) Who revealed the Qur'an?
A) Allah revealed the Qur'an

Q) Through whom was the Qur'an revealed?
A) Through Angel Jibraeel (Alaihis-Salaam)

Q) To whom was the Qur'an revealed?
A) To the last Prophet Muhammed (Sallahu Alaihi Wasallam)

Q) Who took the responsibility of keeping the Qur'an safe?
A) Allah himself

Q) What are the conditions for holding or touching the Qur'an?
A) One has to be clean and to be with wudhu (ablution)

Q) Which is the book which is read most?
A) The Qur'an

Q) What is the topic of the Qur'an?
A) Man

Q) What are the other names of the Qur'an according to the Qur'an itself?
A) Al-Furqaan, Al-Kitaab, Al-Zikr, Al-Noor, Al-Huda

Q) How many Makki Surahs (chapters) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 86

Q) How many Madani Surahs (chapters) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 28

Q) How many Manzils (stages) are there in the Qur'an?
A)7

Q) How many Paara or Juz (parts) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 30

Q) How many Surahs (chapters) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 114

Q) How many Rukoo (paragraphs) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 540

Q) How many Aayaath (verses) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 6666

Q) How many times is the word 'Allah' repeated in the Qur'an?
A) 2698

Q) How many different types of Aayaath (verses) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 10

Q) Who is the first 'Haafiz' of the Qur'an?
A) Prophet Muhammed (Sallalahu Alaihi Wasallam)

Q) At the time of the death of Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) how many Huffaz were there?
A) 22

Q) How many Aayaaths (verses) on Sajda (prostation) are there in the Qur'an?
A) 14

Q) In which Paara (part) and Surah (chapter) do you find the first verse about Sajda (prostation)?
A) The 9th Paara, 7th Chapter-Surah-al-Araaf, Verse206

Q) How many times has the Qur'an stressed about Salaat or Namaaz (prayer)?
A) 700 times

Q) How many times has the Qur'an emphasized on alms or charity?
A) 150

Q) How many times in the Qur'an, is the Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) addressed as Yaa-Aiyu-Han-Nabi?
A)11 times

Q) Where in the Qur'an has Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) been named 'Ahmed'?
A)Paara 28, Surah Saff, Ayath 6

Q) How many times has the name of Rasool-ullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) been mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) - 4 times Ahmed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) - 1 time.

Q) Name the Prophet whose name is mentioned and discussed most in the Qur'an?
A) Moosa (Alahis-Salaam)

Q) Who were the Kaathibe-Wahi (copyists of the revelations) of the Qur'an?
A) Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu), Usman (Radhiallahu Anhu), Ali (Radhiallahu Anhu), Zaid Bin Harith (Radhiallahu Anhu) And Abdullah bin Masood (Radhiallahu Anhu)

Q) Who was the first person who counted the Aayaath (verses) of the Qur'an?
A) Ayesha (Radhiallahu Anha)

Q) On whose advice did Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu) decide to compile the Qur'an?
A) Omer Farooq (Radhiallahu Anhu)

Q) On whose order was the Qur'an compiled completely in written form?
A) Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu)

Q) Who confined the recitation of the Qur'an on the style of the Quraysh tribe?
A) Usman (Radhiallahu Anhu)

Q) Out of the copies of the Qur'an compiled by Usman (Radhiallahu Anhu), how many and where are they at present?
A) Only 2 copies. One in Tashkent and the other in Istanbul.

Q) Which Surah of the Qur'an was Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) reciting while praying, that Hazrat Jabeer Bin Muth'im Listened to and embraced Islam?
A) Surah Thoor

Q) Which was that Surah of the Qur'an which the Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) had recited when one of his enemies Utba after listening to it fell in Sajda (prostation)?
A) The first five Ayaaths of Ham-Meem-Sajda

Q) Which is the first and the most ancient Mosque according to the Qur'an?
A) Kaaba.

Q) In Qur'an mankind is divided into two groups. Which are those two groups?
A) Believers and disbelievers.

Q) Who is the man about whom, Allah has said in the Qur'an that his body is kept as an admonishing example for future generations to come?
A) Fir'aun. (Pharaoh)

Q) Besides the body of Pharaoh, what is that thing which is kept as an admonishing example for future generations to come?
A )Noah's Ark.

Q) After the wreckage of Prophet Noah's Ark, which is its place of rest mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) Cave of Judi.

Q) In the Qur'an the name of which companion of Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) is mentioned?
A) Zaid Bin Harith.

Q) Who is the relative of the Prophet Muahmmed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) whose name is mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) Abu Lahab

Q) In the Qur'an there is a mention of a Prophet who has been called by his mother's name. Who was he?
A) Jesus Prophet (Isa Alahis salaam) is mentioned as bin Maryam.

Q) Which was the agreement that was titled Fath-hum-Mubeen' without fighting a battle?
A) Treaty of Hudaibiya.

Q) What are the different names used for Satan or Devil in the Qur'an?
A) Iblees and Ash-Shaitaan.

Q) Which category of creature does the Qur'an put 'Iblees' into?
A) Jinn.

Q) What were those worships and prayers that were ordered by Allah to the community of Bani Israeel and which were continued by the Muslim Ummah also?
A) Salaat and Zakaat. (Al-Baqarah:43)

Q) The Qur'an repeatedly warns of a certain day. Can you say which day it is?
A) Youmal Qiyamah. (Doomsday)

Q) Who were those people with whom Allah was pleased and they were pleased with Him, as mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) Companions of Prophet Muhammed. (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)

Q) In which Holy Book of Non-Muslims the Qur'an mentioned repeatedly?
A) In the Holy Book of Sikh Community-Granth Saheb.

Q) In which year were the vowels inserted in the Qur'an?
A) 43 Hijri.

Q) Who were the first serious students of the Qur'an? A) As-haabus Suffah.

Q) Which is the first Residential University where the faculty of the Qur'an was established for the first time?
A) Masjid-e-Nabvi. Mosque of the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)

Q) By what name did the Qur'an address those noble and pious people who were selected by Allah to convey His message to mankind?
A) Nabi (Prophet) and Rasool (Messenger).

Q) What type of a person does the Qur'an want to make?
A) A Momin.

Q) What is the scale or measure of one's dignity according to the Qur'an?
A) Thaqwa. (Piety)

Q) What according to the Qur'an is the root cause of the evil?
A) Alcohol.

Q) What are the two most important types of kinds of Aayaaths (Verses) found in the Qur'an?
A) Muhakamaat and Muthashabihaath.

Q) Which is the longest Surah (Chapter) in the Qur'an?
A) Surah-al-Baqarah.

Q) Which is the smallest Surah in the Qur'an?
A) Surah-al-Kausar.

Q) What was the age of Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) when the Qur'an was first revealed to him through aeel (Alaihis-salaam)?
A) 40 Years

Q) How long did Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) receive the revelation of the Qur'an in Makkah?
A) 13 Years.

Q) How long did Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) receive the revelation of the Qur'an in Madinah?
A) 10 Years.

Q) Where was the first Surah revealed?
A) In Makkah.

Q) Where was the last Surah revealed?
A)In Madinah.

Q) How many years did it take for the complete revelation of the Qur'an?
A) 22 years, 5 months and 14 days.

Q) Which Surah (Chapter) of the Qur'an is to be read compulsorily in each raka'at of the Sallat (Namaaz)?
A) Surah-al-Fatihah.

Q) Which is the Surah, which Allah taught as a Du'a(Prayer)?
A) Surah-al-Fatihah.

Q) What is the reason of keeping Surah-al-Fatihah in the beginning of the Qur'an?
A) It is the door to the Qur'an

Q) What is the Surah (Chapter) revealed completely and found first place in the Qur'an?
A) Surah-al-Fatihah.

Q) Who was the only lady whose personal name is found in the Qur'an?
A) Bibi Mariam (Alaihis-salaam).

Q) In which Surah (Chapter) of the Qur'an do you find maximum instructions?
A) Surah-al-Baqarah.

Q) When and Where did the Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) and Jibraeel (Alaihis-salaam) meet for the second time?
A) On Friday,18th Ramadan,in the Cave of Hira.

Q) What was the interval between the first and the second revelation?
A) 2 years and six months.

Q) Which is the Surah (Chapter) that does start without Bismillah? A) Surah-al-Taubah or Bara'ath.

Q) In which Surah (Chapter) of the Qur'an is Bismillah repeated twice?
A) Surah-al Naml.

Q) How many Surahs (Chapters) in the Qur'an have the titles named after different Prophets?
A) 6 Surahs (Chapters)

Q) How many Surahs (Chapters) in the Qur'an have the titles named after different Prophets?
A) 6 Surahs (Chapters)
1- Surah-al-Yunus. 2- Surah-al-Hood. 3- Surah-al-Yusuf. 4- Surah-al-Ibraheem. 5- Surah-al-Nuh. 6- Surah-al-Muhammed.

Q) In which part of the Qur'an do you find 'Ayat-ul-Kursi' (Verse of the Throne)?
A) In the beginning of the third Part. (Chapter 2-55)

Q) How many different names of Allah are mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) 99.

Q) Who were the three non-prophets whose names are mentioned with due respect in the Qur'an?
A) Luqman, Aziz of Egypt and Zulqarnain.

Q) At the time Abu Bakr (Radhiallahu Anhu) how many companions had compiled the Qur'an in the form of a book?
A) 75 companions.

Q) Which is that only book which is completely memorized by millions of people in the world?
A) Al-Qur'an.

Q) What did the Jinns who heard a few Aayaaths (Verses) of the Qur'an say to each other?
A) We have heard a unique discourse which shows the right path, verily we believe in it.

Q) Which are the most popular transalations of the Qur'an in English?
A) Transalation by Muhammed Marmaduke Pickthall and by Allama Yusuf Ali.

Q) Into how many languages of the world has the Holy Qur'an been transalated?
A) Nearly 103 languages.

Q) Who was the first transalator of the Holy Qur'an into Urdu?
A) Moulana Shah Rafiuddin Muhaddis Dehlavi.

Q) What will be our condition on 'The day of the Judgement' according to the Qur'an?
A) Everybody will be in a state of anxiety.

Q) Who was the Prophet mentioned in the Qur'an whose three generations were prophets?
A) Ibraheem (Alaihis-salaam).

Q) What is that book which abolished all old rules and regulations?
A) Al-Qur'an.

Q) What does the Qur'an say about property and wealth?
A) They are tests of one's faith.

Q) According to the Qur'an who is "khaatamun Nabiyyeen" (the last of the Prophets)?
A) Prophet Muhammed (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam)

Q) What is the name of the book that tells us clearly about the reality of the beginning and the end of the world?
A) Al-Qur'an.

Q) In the Qur'an what other name is given to the city of Makkah?
A) Bakkah and Baladul Ameen.

Q) According to the Qur'an what other name is given to the city of Madinah?
A) Yathrib.

Q) Whose Generation is known as "Bani Israeel" according to the Qur'an?
A) The generation of Prophet Yaqoob (Alaihis salaam) who is alsoknown as Israeel.

Q) Which are the 5 mosques that are mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) 1- Masjid-ul-Haram. 2- Masjid-ul-Zirar. 3- Masjid-ul-Nabawi. 4- Masjid-ul-Aqsa. 5- Masjid Quba.

Q) Which are the 4 angels that are mentioned in the Qur'an?
A) 1- Jibraeel Ameen. (Alaihis salaam) 2- Meekaeel. (Alaihis salaam) 3- Haroot. (Alaihis salaam) 4- Root.(Alaihis alaam)