Ilm ul Quran Notes PDF

Ilm Ul Quran Introduction How many kinds of Quran ayahs are there and what are they? Explain them in detail. There are 3 types of Ayahs and they are: 1. Mutashabihaat. These are those ayahs whose meaning is beyond human understanding or are not able to be understood by the human intellect...

Ilm Ul Quran Introduction How many kinds of Quran ayahs are there and what are they? Explain them in detail. There are 3 types of Ayahs and they are: 1. Mutashabihaat. These are those ayahs whose meaning is beyond human understanding or are not able to be understood by the human intellect. Examples include: o Muqataat Words, words whose meaning are not possible to understand. For example o Those ayahs whose meaning is understandable but their purpose isn’t clear because the apparent meaning isn’t the actual meaning. For example, Allah has said in the Quran “There is the face of Allah” (2:155), “Allahs hand is on their hand” (48:10), “Then He ascended the Throne” (57:4) 2. Ayaat-e-Sifaat. These include the attributes of Allah which are clearly understood for example “Raheem”, “Ghafoor” etc. 3. Muhkamaat. This splits into 2 types o Those ayahs whose meaning is not hidden to such a degree like Mutashabihaat, but you still need further explanation For example: “Establish prayer and give zakah”. We have to refer to Hadith and Fiqh to know how to establish the Salah and how to give zakah etc. o Those ayahs whose meanings are quite clear, there is no difficulty in understanding them. For example, “Say, Allah is one” (112:1) i. These ayahs are called NUSOOS-E-QATI’ which means, immutable commands Tafseer of the Quran How many ways can you interpret the Quran? In 4 Ways: 1. Tafseer of Quran by the Quran. Because the Quran itself interprets its ayahs. 2. Tafseer of Quran by Hadith. No one can understand the Quran in the way The Holy Prophet has understood it. 3. Tafseer of Quran by Ijma’. Meaning, the meaning is agreed upon by the scholars. 4. Tafseer of Quran by the sayings of the Mujtahids (Qiyās) Explain Tafseer of Quran by Quran using examples. This kind of Tafseer is important because Allah ‫ ﷻ‬Himself is interpreting and explaining what He ‫ﷻ‬ means. Because he is doing this, we do not need to resort to any other sources or any other Tafseer. When Allah ‫ ﷻ‬talks about one topic in numerous ayahs but he explains it in one ayah, then that one ayah is sufficient to be used as evidence for all the other ayahs. For example, Allah Almighty has, on numerous occasions, mentioned “The people of the Book” in the Holy Quran but it is not clear who are being referred. In Surah Maida, Ayah 5, Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has said, “And those who were given the book before you.”. This ayah clearly tells us that the people who are being referred to are the Jews and the Christians as they were given a divine book in the earlier times. It also clarifies that it is not referring to the Muslims as they have a current book, and nor Hindus or Sikhs as they do not have a divine book. Similarly, Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has mentioned in many places that we should adopt and follow the Straight Path, “Sirat- e-Mustaqeem”, but it is not clear what the straight way or path is. In Surah Fatiha, Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has clarified His meaning and has said, “Show us the straight path, the path of those who you have favoured”. This ayah tells us that wherever the straight path is mentioned in the Quran, it refers to the religion and following the path of Allah, the religious Scholars and the Righteous Men.  Understanding the Words used in the Quran 1. Eman Main points: Literal meaning— comes from the word Aman which mean to give peace Shari meaning — the name of those beliefs which protect man from punishment Quranic terminology— believing in the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬truly and wholeheartedly, accepting him ❖Quran, Surah 2 Verse 285 Shaytaan is of the disbelievers because he didn’t believe in the greatness of the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. Even though he was a muwahhid, namazi, saajid etc., he still classed as a disbeliever Believing in just Allah alone or the other beliefs isn’t enough, you have to believe in the prophet as well, he is the base and foundation of our belief Quran, Surah 2 Verse 8, “Of the people there are those who believe in Allah and the Last Day but they are not really believers” Most of the hypocrites were Jews who believed in other prophets, they believed in Allah and His attributes, the last day etc., but because they didn’t believe in the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬they are classed as disbelievers Verbal acceptance not enough, need to wholeheartedly believe in the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and accept Him Quran, Surah 33 (Ahzab) Verse 36, “It is not fitting for a believer, man or woman, when a matter has been decided by Allah and His apostle, to have any option about their decision” Quran, Surah 33 Verse 6, “The Prophet is owner of the Believer than their own selves, and His wives are their mothers” Questioning power or knowledge of Prophet is kufr Quran calls the believers by the word believers (‫ )يا أيها الذين آمنوا‬and not muwahhid, namazi etc because the reality of faith is to completely and unconditionally obey the Prophet. What is meant by Eman? What does this word mean in light of the Quran? The word Eman comes from the word “Aman” which means to give peace. The Shari’ definition is the name of the beliefs which can protect a man from punishment. The beliefs include believing in Tauheed, Risaalat, resurrection, angels, paradise, hell and taqdeer etc. In the Quran, Eman is the basis, the foundation of belief upon which all the beliefs depend upon. It is the fact that we have to accept the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬absolutely and completely and consider ourselves the servants of the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and respecting him completely. By considering ourselves as His servants, we believe that our lives, property, children are all the belongings of the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬. If somebody believes in Tauheed and the angels etc., but he does not believe in the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬then, in light of the Quran, he is not a Mu’min, a believer, but rather, he is a disbeliever. The devil, Shaytaan, he believed in Allah ‫ ﷻ‬, he was a Muwahhid, Namazi and Sājid, he believed in the Angels, the Last day, Paradise and Hell but Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has said in the Quran that “Satan is of the disbelievers”. Despite believing in all of these, just because he didn’t believe in the Greatness of the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, and was disrespectful to Adam ‫عليه‬ ‫م‬4‫ الس‬he has been classed as a disbeliever. So, this shows that just believing in Tauheed alone is not enough, to believe in all things is not Eman but rather, it is to believe and accept the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬as a master. Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has said in the Quran, “Of the people there are some who say, “We believe in Allah and the last day”, but they are not really believers” (2:8). Here, the hypocrites are being referred to and they are the Jews. They believed in Allah, in his oneness, the Attributes of God, the Last day etc., but Allah ‫ ﷻ‬termed them as disbelievers because they didn’t accept the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬as the messenger of Allah. Even though they believed in everything, because they didn’t believe in the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬and didn’t even mention Him, Allah‫ ﷻ‬didn’t take them to be Mu’min (believers). Furthermore, when believing in the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, verbal acceptance of it is not sufficient. You have to fully, wholeheartedly accept and believe in him, you can’t just say it in a casual way. Having Tauheed is the foundation, the base of belief but you need to seal the belief and make it worth something. The way you can seal and confirm your faith is by believing in the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬as well. In the Quran and Hadith, the Muslims haven’t been referred to as Muwwahid (those who believe in the oneness of God) but rather, they have been referred to as Mu’min. In conclusion, Eman means to believe in everything that Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has stipulated upon us. Mere belief in God alone, or rejecting some beliefs or not believing in all of them does not mean you have Eman per se. To be true believers, Mu’min, you have to believe in God, Allah ‫ ﷻ‬, the other beliefs as well as the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and truly accept him as well.  2. Islam Main points: Literal meaning— comes from the word Salam which means ‘peace’ against war Different meanings it is used in include: ❖To make peace ❖Obedience/Submission Quran— used in sense of Faith or in meaning of obedience/submission Main Quran Ayahs to use incl: ❖Surah 3 Verse 19, “Verily the religion before Allah is only Islam” ❖Surah 3 Verse 67, “Ibrahim was neither a Jew nor a Christian but, he was true in Faith Muslim” ❖Surah 49 (Hujurat) Verse 49, “Say (unto them O Muhammad), You believe not, but rather say, We submit, for faith has not yet entered into your hearts” There are 2 types of obedience, 1. Obedience in matters of Takween, creation existence 2. Obedience in matters of Shariah What is meant by Islam? What does this word mean in light of the Quran? Islam is derived from the word ‘Salām ‫ ’س"م‬which means peace against war. Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has said in the Quran, “If they (enemies) go towards peace then you (also) go towards peace” (8:61). This clearly shows that Islam means to make peace or go and incline towards peace. Alongside this, it also means obedience or submission. The Quran has used the word Islam in 2 ways: 1. In sense of Faith (Emān) 2. In meaning of obedience and submission (Ita’at ‫)اطاعه‬ (How has Islam been used in the meaning of Faith?) Expanding on the first type, when Islam has been used in the meaning of Faith, Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has mentioned in Surah Imran, “Verily the religion near Allah ‫ ﷺ‬is Islam” (Ayah 19), and “Ibrahim was not a Jew and nor a Christian; but, he was a true Muslim” (Ayah 67). In these ayahs, and many other ayahs, the word Islam has been used in the sense of Faith. The basis of Faith is believing in the Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬and accepting him, and in the same way, the basis of Islam is also upon this very belief and acceptance. So, this shows that Eman and Islam come hand in hand basically, you can’t have one without the other. (How has Islam been used in the meaning of obedience?) Expanding on the second type, when Islam has been used in the meaning of obedience and submission, it can be used in 2 ways as well. 1. Ita’at in matters of Takween (creation) Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has mentioned in Surah Rūm (30), Ayah 26, “To Him belongs every being that is in the heavens ِ ‫ َق‬has been interpreted as ‫س َل َم‬ َ ْ‫انتُو‬ and the earth; all are devoutly obedient to Him”. Here, the word ‫ن‬ ْ َ‫ا‬ because all things are obedient to Allah ‫ ﷻ‬in matters of Takween, the existence of creation. However, all of these people are not just the Mu’min, but they can be Kāfirs as well. 2. Ita’at in matters of Shariah, Shari Obedience Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has mentioned in Surah Saffat (37) Ayah 103-104, “So when they both had submitted their wills to Allah and he had laid him prostrate on his forehead for sacrifice, we called out to him, “O Ibrahim!””. This shows that the hypocrites weren’t Momin but rather, they were Muslims meaning, they said they believe and accept the rules of shariah but the didn’t actually believe and accept them. In conclusion, Islam means peace and this peace can be in 2 ways. One in terms of your faith and the other in terms of obedience. Islam and Eman come hand in hand because to have Eman you need to believe in Islam and to be a follower of the religion of Islam you have to have Eman. Alongside this, you have to truly and fully submit yourself to Islam in matters of obedience whether it be in matters of takween or in matters of shariah.  3. Taqwa Main points: It’s meaning depends on the context of the sentence It means “to fear” or “to abstain” In context to Allah or the Last Day, it gives the meaning of fear and if fire or sin is mentioned then it gives the meaning of abstain. If neither are mentioned then it gives the meaning of both Main Quran Ayahs to use incl: ❖Surah 3 Verse 102, “o you who believe, Fear Allah⋯” ❖Surah 2 Verse 48, “Then fear the day when no soul shall be a substitute for another” ❖Surah 2 Verse 24, “Then save yourselves from the fire whose fuel is men and stones” ❖Surah 2 Verss 2-3, “Guidance to Muttaqees. Those who believe in the unseen⋯” 2 types of Taqwa: 1. Taqwa of body— obedience on God and His Prophet‫ﷺ‬ 2. Taqwa of the heart— the beloveds of Allah and all things related to them are to be respected from the core of the heart The symbols and remains that are on earth which are considered special should be respected Taqwa slink with Emān What is meant by Taqwa? What does this word mean in light of the Quran? Taqwa means ‘to fear’ as well as ‘to abstain’ or ‘refrain’. In ayahs where it talks about Allah ‫ ﷻ‬or the last day then Taqwa means to fear whereas, in other ayahs it will be in the meaning of saving oneself from sins etc. Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has said in Surah Imran (3) Ayah 102, “Oh you who believe! fear Allah⋯”. In this context, the word taqwa is referring to fearing Allah. However, if you look at the following ayah, Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has mentioned in Surah Baqrah (2) Ayah 24, “⋯then save yourselves from the fire whose fuel is men and stones”, this shows taqwa in the meaning of saving or guarding yourself. In the aboveforementioned examples there is a mention of Allah‫ ﷻ‬and of either hell or sin which is giving the meanings of fearing Allah‫ ﷻ‬or of fearing Hell and avoiding sins in order to abstain from it. However, in some verses, neither Allah‫ ﷻ‬and nor hell/sin are mentioned. Here, the sentence gives the meaning of both to fear as well as to abstain or either one. For example, in Surah Baqarah verses 2/3, “Guidance to the Muttaqees, the god-fearing who believe in the unseen”. What are the types of Taqwa mentioned in the Quran? There are 2 types of Taqwa mentioned in the Quran and they are: 1. Taqwa of the body 2. Taqwa of the mind Taqwa of the body is based on the obedience of not only God and His commands, but also the obedience of the Holy Prophet‫ﷺ‬. Allah‫ ﷻ‬has mentioned in the Quran, Surah A’raaf (7) Verse 35, “Those who obey Allah and Prophet and mend (their lives), on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve”. Expanding on taqwa of the body, we get into the core of the body which is the heart. Taqwa of the heart expects you to not only respect and obey Allah‫ﷻ‬, but also, the beloveds of Allah‫ ﷻ‬and everything related to him and them should also be respected. Someone who disrespects the beloveds of Allah‫ ﷻ‬or their relics cannot truly be pious of the heart or have taqwa of the heart. Allah‫ ﷻ‬has said in the Quran, Surah Hajj (22) Verse 32, “⋯and whosoever holds in honour the signs of Allah‫ﷻ‬, such (honour) is from the Taqwa (piety) of the hearts”. He has also said in Surah Hajj (22) Verse 30, “⋯whoever magnifies the sacred things of Allah‫ ;ﷻ‬from him it is good in the sight of his Lord”. Here, Allah‫ ﷻ‬himself is telling us that we should not only honour him and his signs, but we should also honour and respect the signs and relics of His beloveds. Someone who does not show respect for the sacred relics is not a sincere Muttaqi (pious/god-fearing. Someone who’s deeply committed to following religious teachings and living a righteous life). What are the signs of Allah‫?ﷻ‬ This signs of Allah‫ ﷻ‬have also been mentioned in the Quran by Him and some are related to His Beloveds and they include: Maqām e Ibrahim (Surah Baqarah (2) Verse 125) Safa and Marwa (Surah Baqarah (2) Verse 158) Bait ul Muqaddas Sacrificial animals (qurbani animals) Cloth of Ka’ba Water of zam zam Holy city of Makkah and Madina Awliya Allah How does Taqwa link with Emān? Eman is the root and Taqwa is one of its branches. You can’t have true eman without truly loving and obeying the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬and you can’t attain Taqwa of the heart without respecting the Holy Prophet‫ﷺ‬. The one who has both eman and taqwa will 7‫ إن شاء ا‬get the fruit of forgiveness.  4. Kufr Main points: It’s meaning is ‘to hide’ or ‘to obliterate’ Because of the obliterate meaning, that’s why kaffarah is called that because it obliterates sin Also used in the meaning of thanklessness, denial or forsaking Islam It is the opposite of Eman It is to reject any one of those things whose acceptance is a part of Eman Reality of kufr Main Ayahs to mention, What is meant by Kufr? What does this word mean in light of the Quran? Kufr means ‘to hide’ or ‘to obliterate’ (get rid off). Because of this, the Islamic punishment for crimes is called Kaffarah because it obliterated (gets rid off/wipes away) sins. Allah‫ ﷻ‬has mentioned in the Quran, Surah Nisa (4) Verse 31, “If you abstain from the major sins, that which are forbidden for you, we will remove for you your evil deeds and admit you to a noble entrance”. In this verse, the word "‫ "نكفر‬has been used which means “we will remove”. The word Kufr has also been used in the meanings off thanklessness, denial and forsaking Islam. For example, in the Quran it says: 1. Surah Baqarah (2) Verse 152, “Give thanks to Me and do not be unthankful” (shows thanklessness or ingratitude) 2. Surah Baqarah (2) Verse 256, “⋯whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah‫ ﷻ‬has grasped the most trustworthy handhold” (shows denial or rejecting) 3. Surah Kāfiroon (109) Verse 1, “Say Oh you who reject faith! I worship not that which you worship” (shows disbelief or forsaking islam) So, Kufr has many meanings which all kind of link to one another. It is the opposite of Emān which is basically to not have Emān or to lose faith. In Kufr, all that things that go against Emān come under it meaning, to reject any of those things which are necessary in Faith lead to Kufr. There are many different types of Kufr for example: It is Kufr to deny existence of God It is Kufr to deny His oneness, his angels, books, messengers, belief in fate or the last day It is Kufr to deny Salah or fasting It is Kufr to reject verses of the Quran What is the reality of Kufr? Kufr is basically based on one thing mainly which is disbelief or denying the Holy Prophet ‫ﷺ‬, whether in terms of his greatness or his exalted position, regardless, it is Kufr. Everything else which comes under Kufr are the branches of it. So, disbelieving in the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬is the root and then everything else that one does or believes in, which is classed as Kufr, are the branches of this tree. For example, the one who denies Allah or denies His qualities is in essence denying the Prophet has He has said that there is one god and he has these specific qualities. Similarly, if someone denies Salah or fasting, not only are they denying the obligation that Allah has sent down and mentioned in the Quran, he is also denying the Prophet‫ﷺ‬ because He has said these are obligatory. For this reason, even the slightest disrespect to the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬is considered as Kufr in the Quran. Allah‫ ﷻ‬has mentioned in the Quran, Surah Nisa (4) Ayah 150-151, “⋯and they say, “we believe in some prophets but we reject others”, and they wish to adopt a way in between. They are in truth disbelievers. And we have prepared for the disbelievers a humiliating punishment”. Here, we learn that rejection of even any prophet is an act of infidelity and it is equal to rejection of all the Prophets. The same is the case if you reject even one verse of the Quran, it is equivalent to rejecting the full Quran. Furthermore, there is no disposition on how much of an infidel one is, you can’t be half a kafir or a quarter of a kafir. However, there can be a difference in the state or condition of infidelity meaning, one can be a cruel infidel while others can be vile/crazy infidels. And lastly, we learn that there is a severe punishment for those who disbelieve and reject the Holy Prophet‫ﷺ‬. Even in Surah Baqrah (2) Verse 104 it has been mentioned, “⋯ and for the disbelievers is a painful punishment” which shows that the one who persecute the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬or disbelieves and is a disbeliever, they are worthy of humiliating, painful punishments. Doing acts of obedience with the wrong intentions is Kufr but doing bad acts in obedience to the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬is Emān. For example: Building a masjid is a good thing but, the hypocrites built Masjid Dirar with the intention to oppose the Prophet‫ ﷺ‬so Allah‫ ﷻ‬declared them as disbelievers and their act as Kufr. This has been mentioned in Surah Taubah(9) Verse 107, “ and there are those who put up a masjid by way of mischief and infidelity – to disunite the believers in preparation for one who warred against Allah and his apostles afore time”. ‣ So, they did a good act, an act of obedience but they did it with the wring intentions and were therefore classed as disbelievers Breaking your Salah is a sin but if the Holy Prophet‫ ﷺ‬calls you and you break your salah and go to him, it is an act of worship. Allah has said in Surah Anfal (8) Verse 24, “O you who believe! Respond to Allah‫ﷻ‬ and His Messenger‫ ﷺ‬when he calls you to that which will give you life⋯”. For this reason, even raising your voice a decimal above the voice of the Prophets is an act of Kufr. The biggest example of this is Shaytaan. He was a worshipper and did it abundantly but when he said about Adam ‫م‬4‫ عليه الس‬that he is better than Adam, he became a kaafir at that instance. However, when the magicians respected Musa ‫م‬4‫عليه الس‬, Allah allowed them to receive the wealth of Emān, the companionship of Kaleemullah, Taqwa, patience and martyrdom. So, the reality of Kufr is such that, disrespect towards the prophets of Allah‫ ﷻ‬will not be forgiven and that person will be considered as a disbeliever, as a kaafir. Believing and respecting the prophets can lead to our forgiveness and save us from the eternal punishment in the hereafter.  5. Shirk Main points: Literally, it means to ‘share’ or ‘partnership’ Shari’ meaning— to consider someone equal to God So, shareek (‫ )شريك‬means ‘sharer’ or ‘partner’ Shari meaning— to consider someone equal to God In Quranic terminology it gives meaning of Kufr as well as the meaning of associating partners or considering someone equal to God Every shirk is Kufr but not every Kufr is shirk What is meant by Shirk? What does this word mean in light of the Quran? Shirk means share or partnership so when Allah ‫ ﷻ‬says in the Quran, Surah 35 (Fatir) Verse 40, “Or have they a share in the heavens and the earth.” This shows that the word Shirk or Shareek has been used in its literal meaning which is share, partnership etc. While it has been used in this meaning, it has also been used in its Shari meaning which is ‘to consider someone equal to God’ so in essence, in the sense of Kufr. However, this Kufr is of two types. 1. The first type of Kufr refers to every type of Kufr because no type of Kufr is acceptable, whether you are a mushrik like the Hindus or kafir like the Jews and Christian’s. ‣ Allah‫ ﷻ‬has said in the Quran, in Surah 2 Verse 221, “Do not marry unbelievers (mushrik) until they believe” ‣ And, also in the same ayah, “⋯a believing slave is better than a mushrik”. 2. The second type of Kufr refers to the other meaning of shirk which is to consider someone equal to God. ‣ Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has said in the Quran, in Surah 31 (Luqman) Verse 31, “Shirk is indeed the highest wrong doing” ‣ Allah ‫ ﷻ‬has said, Surah 12 (Yusuf) Verse 106, “And most of them believe not in Allah without associating (others as partners) with Him” What is the reality of shirk? Shirk is the belief that someone is equal with god or like him. So, unless someone actually believe this, they won’t be considered as having committed shirk. For this reason, the disbelievers will say on the Last Day to their idols, “By Allah we were truly in an error manifest when we held you as equal with the Lord of the worlds” (26(Shu’ra):97-98). When it says that shirk is to class someone as equal with god, this can be in various forms which include: 1. Believing someone to be the offspring of God For example, the Jews believed that Hazrat Uzair was the son of God and the Christians believed that Jesus was the son of God. The Arab idol worshippers believed that the angels were the daughters of God. In Surah Tauba (9) Verse 30, “The Jews call Uzair the son of God and the Christians call the Messiah the son of God” In Surah Najm (53) Verse 27, “Those who believe not in the Hereafter name His angels with female names” 2. Considering someone as the creator Some Arab idolaters believed that the creator of goodness is Allah and the creator of evil is another God. Alongside this, the Christian’s believed in 3 creators, God, Son of God and the Holy Spirit. Surah Sajdah (32) Verse 4, “Allah is He who has created heavens and the earth and whatever is between them” Surah Maida (5) Verse 72- 73, “They blaspheme who says: Allah is Christ, the son of Mary. They blaspheme who says: Allah is one of three in Trinity” 3. Existence of God denied and believing in time in the sense that everything has its due course So, they deny belief in God but rather, they believe that everything will live its due course and when you die, there’s nothing more. You’re just dead. Surah Jasia (45) Verse 24, “And then they say: What is there but our life in this world? We die and we live and nothing but time destroys us.” Allah then in response to their absurd beliefs tells these people to and look at the marvels of this world and the way in which it was created. How can all these things come into existence without a creator? Surah Zâriyât (51) Verse 20-21, “On the earth are signs for those of assured faith. And also in your own selves: will you then not see?” Surah Yaseen (36) Verse 82, “Verily, when He intends a thing, His says Be and it is!” 4. Believing that Allah is the creator of everything but He got tired after creating them once and now he’s useless. Now, the universe is being run by false gods They believe that the earth was created in 6 days and on the 7th day, God took a rest because he got tired. And even now, he is resting. Allah refutes this belief of theirs in the following verses: Surah Qāf (50) Verse 38, “We created the heavens and the earth and all between them in 6 days, nor did any sense of weariness touch us.” Surah Yaseen (36) Verse 82, “Verily, when He intends a thing, His says Be and it is!” 5. Believing Allah is the Creator and Master of every particle but He isn’t able to control it all by himself. So, He chose some of His servants to run the world for Him, so, Gods partners. So, people believe that these leaders that God has appointed on earth to do the job are sufficient and can help and aid us in any way where god lacks. They believe that these people and the fulfilled of needs and removers of all difficulties when these attributes can only be associated with Allah. They also believe that whatever these people in charge want something or wish for something to happen then God has to listen to them and obey them. They believed that God alone could not do his work, he does so with the help of their idols and by use of other people. Surah Mu’minoon (23) Verse 84-87, “ Surah Mu’minoon (23) Verse 88-89, “ What is the difference between the Muslims intercession of the apostles & saints and the Mushriks belief in the intercession of their idols? The Mushriks believe that their idols and other things of importance are God or could be used to be an intercession for them and forced God to accept their intercession via these sources. They believe man- made items such as their idols, the enemies of god, to be their means of salvation however, this is not the case and for this reason, they are Kafir. The Muslims believe that the beloveds of Allah are a way or a link in which they can be intercessors for them. Through respecting these means out of love and the history and beauty behind them, they can act as a wasilah for their intercession , for this reason, they are not called disbelievers. For example, the Muslims respect the Zam Zam water and the disbelievers respect the River Ganges however, the way they do it and their reasoning and beliefs behind it are 2 different things. Similarly, the Muslims respect the Hajre Aswad and the Maqaam Ibrahim and the disbelievers worship their idols. Even though these are both made of stone, the respect given to both things are due to different reasons on the opposite end of the stick basically !  6. Bid’at Main points: Literally, it means ‘new thing’ Shari’ meaning— a new thing introduced in religion in order to get reward. If it is against religion it is haram and if it is not against religion then it is lawful Both meaning are used in the Quran Main verses to include: ❖Surah An’aam(6) V102 ❖Surah Ahqāf (46) V9 ❖Surah Hadeed (57) V27 What is meant by Bid’at? What does this word mean in light of the Quran? Bid’at literally means ‘new thing’ however, in Shariah, it means ‘a new thing invented or introduced in religion’. If it is a good thing, something which doesn’t go against the Quran or the Sunnah then you can get reward for these acts. However, if it goes against the religion, against the Quran and Sunnah, then it is haraam. Both of these meanings have been used in the Quran: Surah An’aam(6) V102 and Surah Ahqāf (46) V9. In both of these ayahs, the literal meaning has been used of ‘new’. In this ayah, the shari’ meaning has been used: Surah Hadeed (57) V27. Thi shows that the Christian’s themselves invented seclusion and basically, becoming monks and nuns, this wasn’t commanded by God. So, they invented this thing as a Bid’at Hasana and Allah rewarded them for this as it didn’t go against His laws, commands and the teachings of the religion. This clearly shows that inventing new things in religion which doesn’t go against the Quran or the Sunnah is rewarding and it should be practiced. For example, the 6 Kalimahs, Verbal intention in Salah, ruku etc. in the Quran, celebrating mankind etc. Despite these being invented after the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬times, because it doesn’t go against the religion, there is no harm in practicing these acts. But in fact, they are rewarding as it is proved in the Hadiths, “The one who invents a good way in Islam, he shall get a handsome reward” (mentioned in⋯⋯⋯⋯⋯)  7. Ilah Main points: Comes from Alhun which literally means ‘great height’ or ‘amazement’ Quranic meaning— someone whose deserving or worthy of worship (deity) Wahabis took the wrong meaning of ilah What the prophets commanded, that’s the true Ilah and whatever they taught against is the false Ilah Certain people have deviated beliefs with regards to the oneness of God and his qualities What meaning did the Wahabis take for the word Ilah and what mistake did they make? Wahabis opinion, Ilah is based on 2 things: 1. Knowledge of the unseen 2. Fulfilment of needs metaphysically—meaning, one who has knowledge of unseen, can assist you in hardships and fulfill your needs etc. By this, they mean that the Muslims who believe that the Prophets and Saints have ilm-ul ghayb and have metaphysical powers are not Muslims but rather, they are deniers of the Kalima and Mushriks. However, this thought of theirs is completely wrong as it goes against what is mentioned in the Quran. By Allahs permission, Angels, Prophets and Saints perform miracles. For example, regarding the angels, it is mentioned in the Quran about the angels who takes the soul and gives death to the living, the other who forms the child in a mothers womb, causes rain to fall, ask questions to the dead in the grave etc. and all of these are performed in a supernatural way. Regarding the Prophets, it is mentioned in the Quran that Prophet Eesa cured the lepers, gave sight to the blind and resurrected the dead, Prophet Yusuf gave sight to the blind etc. So, the meaning that the Wahabis had taken for Ilah are wrong on the grounds that other creation of Allah also has knowledge of the unseen as well as can aid and assist us and help the world all through the permission of Allah. Their definition went against what is mentioned in the Quran so, no believer in the Holy Quran can be a Muslim with this definition of Ilah. What, according to the Quran and Hadith are the attributes of a real Ilah? How can one recognise a true Ilah and a false one? The main thing and the true identification of Ilah is to believe that which is said by the Prophets and reject everything other which goes against what they are saying. They teach us who is worthy of worship and who to worship and therefore, what they say is something we have to believe. For example, Pharaoh and his followers denied the divinity of Allah, Prophet Musa believed it and thus, Pharaoh and his followers are liars and Musa is true. Similarly, the disbelievers believed the sun, the moon, the stars and stones Ilah and the Holy Prophet rejected it so, the Prophet is true and all others are false. So, the attributes a real Ilah comes from what the Prophets say and they are the absolute and final argument of Ilah. It is mentioned in the Quran, Surah Shu’raa(26) V 46-48, “Then the sources were made to fall down prostrate in adoration saying, “We believe in the Lord of the Worlds, the Lord of Musa and Haroon” Here, the mark of identification of Allah is found by saying, I believe in the Lord of Musa and Haroon and Pharaoh even said the same thing as well. He recognised the true god through these 2 prophets however, his emaan was not accepted as he had believed after seeing his doom and at that time, the doors of acceptance and repentance are closed. So, the saying of the Prophets is the most convincing argument in favour of Allah. If a person recognises Allah simply by using his own brain, ignoring what the prophets have said then he is neither a momin and nor a muwwahid. What is the basis of Uluhiyyah (divinity), i.e. qualities which, if we believe to exist in a certain man, means that we have accepted him as Ilah? The word Ilah comes from the word Alhun which literally means ‘a great height’ or ‘amazement’. So, Ilah therefore means someone extremely high and superior or someone whose existence or qualities amaze the creation. According to Quranic terms, Ilah means someone who is worthy or deserving of worship (deity). So wherever the word Ilah is used in the Quran, it gives the meaning of deity. The one who is worthy of worship is He who has these qualities: to create, provide sustenance, own life and death, free from the qualities of creation (like eating, sleeping etc.), to be the knower of the unseen etc. The Quran mentions these qualities in the following versesm 1. Surah Ambiya (21) V21, “Or have they taken (for worship) gods from the earth who can create” 2. Surah Baqrah (2) V255 (ayatul kursi), “Allah, there is no deity except him, the ever living, the sustained of all existence, neither drowsiness overtakes him nor sleep, to him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth⋯⋯⋯” So, since idols are unable to create and they were created, they cannot be gods and similarly idols and other creatures don’t have these attributes but rather, they have attributes and qualities of creation such as eating, drinking, sleeping, dying, to be created etc. Like Jesus and his mother would eat, drink and sleep and were therefore not deity’s. Now, the following qualities are where people took others to be deities and therefore became mushriks: 1. Obeying other than Allah and believing them and obeying their commands even if it’s against Allahs command The Christian’s obeyed their priests in a way that it went against the commands of Allah and also considered them as Ilah Surah Taubah (9) V31 2. Thinking that someone other than Allah can save somebody without the permission of Allah For example, thinking that if Allah wants to punish someone or torment them then these gods can prevent Allah from, doing so Surah Ambiya (21) V43 3. Believing in such an intercessor who can force Allah to accept his intercession against the will of Allah Surah Zumar (39) V43, “What! Do they take for intercessors besides Allah?” Surah Baqrah (2) V255, “Who is there to intercede in His presence except with His permission” 4. Worshipping someone considering him to be an intercessor and prostrating to him and considering him as Ilah Surah Yunus (10) V18, “They worship besides Allah things that hurt them not and nor profit them and they say, ‘These are our intercessors with Allah’” 5. Believing in someone being the offspring of Allah and therefore obeying them Surah Anaam (6) V100, “ In conclusion, Ilah is based on the fact that someone is considered qualified to Allah with forms of equality which is mentioned above. We believe that creation can see, hear, eat, drink, sleep, have power, rule etc. but we do not believe they are equal to Allah in any way, shape or form. We are not mushrik because we do not consider them as Gods equal in any qualities which he has.  8. Walee Main points: Comes from ‘Walyun’ which means nearness, vicinity or closeness, or ‘Wilaayat’ which means support, favour Walee therefore literally means near or supporter It’s been used in the Quran in different meanings such as friends, helper, heir, master, guide etc. What is meant by Walee? What does this word mean in light of the Quran? The word walee can be derived from the following 2 words, ‘Walyun’ or ‘Wilaayat’. Walyun means nearness, vicinity or closeness whereas ‘Wilaayat’ means support or favour. Therefore, Walee literally means near or sovereign supporter. It has been used in the Holy Quran in the meanings of friends, close, helper, heir, master, guide etc. 1. Protector. Surah Ha Meem Sajdah (41) V31 2. Close, friend, helper. 3. Heir 4. Supporter What is the difference between Walee Allah and Walee Min Doonillah? Walee in the sense of friend or helper is if 2 kinds: 1. Allahs walee—they are those who are close to Allah and are His friends and, for this reason, the common people befriend 2. Walee against Allah—there are 2 types 1. Enemies of God such as the disbelievers, idols or satan 2. To consider Allahs friends (prophets/saints) as helpers/supporters against Allah Believing in Walee Allah is the real faith but, to make a Walee against Allah is disbelief and shirk. Allah has mentioned both types in the Quran: Surah Yunus (10) V62, “Behold! Verily on the Walees (friends) of Allah there is no fear and nor shall they grieve”—this ayah talks about WaleeAllah Surah Imran (3) V28, “Let not the believers take the unbelievers for Walees rather than the believers” Surah Baqrah (2) V107, “⋯and besides Him you have no walee nor helper” These above 2 verses talk about Walee min Doonillah. The first is talking about taking friends who are disbelievers and the enemies of Allah which is forbidden and the second, it talks about how there is no helper, friend or protector against Allah. For those who believe in Allah and his prophets, there are helpers however, for those who go against Him and what He has commanded, there are no helpers or protectors for him as is mentioned in various places in the Quran.  9. Dua’ Main points: Derived from ‘Da’wun’ or ‘Da’wat’ which means to call or to cry Been used in 5 meanings in the Quran What is meant by Dua? What does this word mean in light of the Quran? The word Dua is derived from one of the following two words: 1. Da’wun 2. Da’wat Both of which mean to call or to cry. The word Dua has been used in 5 senses in the Holy Quran: 1. To pukarna (shout or cry out) Surah Ahzab (33) V5, “Call them by the names of their fathers⋯” 2. To call or invite Surah Nahl (16) V125, “Invite (all) to the way of the Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching.” 3. To demand/ask for, to pray basically Surah Ibrahim (14) V40, “O Our Lord! And accept my prayer.” 4. To worship Surah Mo’min (40) V60, “And your Lord says, Call on me (pray to me). I will answer your (prayer) but those who are too arrogant to worship Me will surely find themselves in Hell in humiliation.” 5. To wish Surah Ha Meem Sajdah (41) V31, “Therein you shall have all that your souls shall desire; therein you shall have all that you ask for” The dictionary mentions the word Dua as ‘to call’. What is our response? Literally, the word Dua means ‘to call, to cry out’ etc. however, in Shari terms it means worship. In the Quran, both the literal meaning and the Shari meaning have been used and the correct meaning for those ayahs depends on the context. Where Dua is allowed, it gives its literal meaning of calling or crying out however, where Dua is used in context that Dua to other than Allah is forbidden then the Shari meaning of Dua is taken into context. The word Salah literally means prayer however, where in the Quran, it mentions, ‫ة‬4‫أقيموا الص‬, it talks about the establishment of prayer and praying the 5 daily prayers. In another verse it is mentioned, ‫ صلوا عليه و س ّلموا تسليما‬which means send upon him Salaat (blessings) and Salaam him fully well in abundance. Here, Salah means blessings so, the way in which, depending on the context, the meaning is given, similarly, the meaning of Dua is selected depending on the context. And secondly, Dua does mean to call or cry out but, there are many different way in which one can call out. What is forbidden is calling out to someone thinking them as your God is forbidden. Allah has forbidden this in the Quran as well, Surah Mo’minoon (23) V117, “If anyone invokes besides Allah any other God, he has no authority therefor; and his reckoning will be only with his Lord.” Mention the proofs of calling from a distance. There is no mention of calling from far off or from a distance in the Quran. Calling from a distance is not shirk because if it was then we would all be considered mushrik. The following examples prove this: 1. Prophet Ibrahim, after building the Kaaba, called the people of all eras and the souls which were still to be born until the Last Day all heard it—(Surah Hajj v28) 2. In Salah, all Namazi say ‫م عليك أيها النبي‬4‫الس‬, O Prophet Salaam be upon you, even though we are from a distance to him If this was the case then every Salah offering has committed shirk before he even completes his Salah. The way in which radios transmit sounds to a far off distance through the source of its electric powers, similarly, the Noor of the Prophethood is a source and therefore, with the cause it is not shirk to hear from a distance. Mention proofs of calling the dead. Allah has put no restriction on the dead or the living, the absent or the fad and therefore, calling out to the dead is not shirk as there is no real restriction or anything proving against this mentioned in the Quran or the Sunnah. Also, the Quran itself tells us that Dua is a form of worship so if one prays or does Dua for the dead, how can it be classed as shirk? Also, there are many proofs of calling out to the dead which are mentioned in the Quran: 1. Prophet Ibrahim called the slaughtered birds and they heard it 2. Prophet Saleh called out to his annihilated nation 3. Prophet Shoaib called out to his annihilated nation 4. The Holy Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬himself cried out to the disbelievers such as Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab etc. and when Hazrat Umar questioned Him about this He said, You do not hear more than these dead (people). So, if the Prophets called out to the dead how can we say it is shirk? How is it possible that the Prophets can commit these major sins when they are Ma’soom and do not commit sins. Mention proofs of calling from a distance for the fulfilment of one’s wishes.