The Meaning of the Verse "And the Moon, We have measured for it mansions ..."

I am very interested in Islam. I have since 1994 started to read the Qur'an and the Prophets Hadiths (pbuh)since early this year and I have found great spiritual fulfillment in Islam. I will (Insha Allah) soon be receiving Namaaz lessons as I plan on embracing Islam. I am not sure of the meaning of a particular verse in the Qur'an from Surah Ya-Sin and I hope that you can be of help.
And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse) till it returns like the old dried curved date stalk (36:39)
I will appreciate your help. May Allah guide, protect and bless you for all the help you have given to so many people across the world by answering our questions and ending our dilemmas.

Praise be to Allaah.

First of all, let me congratulate you for reaching a conviction that Islam is true and that it is the only religion which meets the needs of man’s soul and fills it with tranquillity and joy. From the way in which you phrased your question, it is clear that what you have read about Islam has had an effect on you, so much so that if you had not stated that you are Hindu, we would have thought you were Muslim.

The most important thing I want to say to you is to advise you to hasten to enter Islam, and do it sooner rather than later. Once a person is convinced of the truth, what reason is there to delay embracing Islam?

There is another point which also needs to made clear. Some of those who want to enter Islam delay doing so until they have learnt some practical aspects of this faith, such as how to pray and so on, because they think that they are not fit to enter the religion until they have learnt some of its teachings. This is not correct; once the truth is clear to a person, it is his duty to follow it and enter Islam straight away. Then he can learn about the Qur’an and Sunnah and broaden his understanding of Islam. The Muslim is required to take learning and practice step by step, as much as he is able to, because no one knows when he or she will die. If a person meets Allaah (dies) with a religion other than Islaam, he will be one of the doomed. Furthermore, a person will not be rewarded and no hasanaat will be recorded for him until after he has entered Islaam, so he will lose a lot of benefits if he delays his Islaam; time wasted can never be recovered.

Now let us go back to your question, which has to do with the thirty-ninth aayah of Soorah Yaa-Seen.

In this aayah, Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): "And the moon, We have measured for it mansions (to traverse)" [Yaa-Seen 36:39], i.e., We have made it progress through stages by which the passing of months can be measured, just as night and day are known from the sun.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meanings):
"They ask you about the new moons. Say: These are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage . . ." [al-Baqarah 2:189]
"It is He Who made the sun a shining thing and the moon as a light , and measured out its (their) stages, that you might know the number of their years and the reckoning. . ." [Yoonus 10:5]

Allaah has given the sun its own light and has given the moon a (reflection) of light, and has made their courses different, so that the sun rises every day and sets at the end of of the day with one unchanging kind of light, but the positions of its rising and setting vary from summer to winter, because of which the days may be long and the nights short, then the days become short and the nights long. The sun is dominant in the day, so it is the heavenly body of the daytime.

As for the moon, Allaah has measured for it mansions or stages, so that on the first night of the month it rises as a faint crescent, giving little light, then its light increases in stages and its position gets higher each night. Every time its position is higher, it has more light, even though it is a reflection of the sun’s light, until its light becomes complete, on the fourteenth of the month, when it is a full moon. Then it starts to decrease until, at the end of the month, it "returns like the old dried curved date stalk"

Ibn ‘Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "This is the stalk of a bunch of dates." Mujaahid said: "It is a dried stalk." Ibn ‘Abbaas meant: the stalk of a bunch of dates when it becomes old, dry and bent. (Reference: Tafsir Ibn Katheer).

This likening of the moon at the end of the month to an old dried curved date stalk is a beautiful example of eloquence, by choosing a simile from the environment of the first listeners.

And Allaah knows best.

No one knows the unseen in the absolute sense except Allaah

I want to know that Quran says that only Allah knows the Unseen. But i found out in a hadith that Prophet PBUH told us that Jinn the fortuneteller a part of truth and then fortune teller mix it with a hundred lies and tells to us , In another hadiths Prophet PBUH tells us that Astrology is only based on lies " Sun and Moon are only Signs of Allah"
So How does Jinn tells the fortune while only Allah knows the Fortune?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Knowledge of the unseen is something that Allaah has kept for Himself, as is indicated by the texts of the Qur’aan and Sunnah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Say: “None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (Unseen) except Allaah, nor can they perceive when they shall be resurrected”

[al-Naml 27:65] 

“And with Him are the keys of the Ghayb (all that is hidden), none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record”

[al-An’aam 6:59] 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained these keys as referring to five things which are mentioned in Soorat Luqmaan, where Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Verily, Allaah, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die. Verily, Allaah is All‑Knower, All‑Aware (of things)”

[Luqmaan 31:34]. 

Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh (hadeeth no. 4477) that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: “Whoever tells you that he knows what will happen tomorrow is lying.” Then she recited, “No person knows what he will earn tomorrow.”  

But with regard to this matter it is important to know what is the unseen the knowledge of which Allaah has kept to Himself, because al-ghayb (the unseen) means that which is not seen, and that which is not seen may be either that which is not seen by all of creation – both those who are in the heavens and those who are on earth – this kind of unseen is known to no one but Allaah, and this is that which is called al-ghayb al-mutlaq (the unseen in the absolute sense); or this unseen matter may be unseen for some people, and known to some others. This is called unseen for the one who is ignorant of it, but it is not unseen or unknown to all people, and knowledge of it is not unique to Allaah. Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah (p. 158): What is meant by the unseen is that which is not seen. The unseen is something relative. But that which is unseen in the absolute sense (al-ghyab al-mutlaq) is known only to Allaah. End quote. 

What fortune-tellers say of things that will happen in the future has nothing to do with the unseen or with knowledge of the unseen, and it is not knowledge of what will happen in the future. Rather they are liars who make false claims. But the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has told us that they steal knowledge of that which Allaah has revealed to His angels. It was narrated that ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: Some people asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about fortune-tellers, and he said: “They are nothing.” They said: O Messenger of Allaah, they say something and it comes true. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “That is a word of truth which the jinni snatches and cackles into the ear of his familiar like the cackling of a hen, and they mix more than one hundred lies with it.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7561). 

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained how the jinn steal this word. He said: “…when our Lord, may His name be blessed and exalted, decrees some matter, the bearers of the Throne glorify Him, then the people of heaven who are closest to them glorify Him, until the tasbeeh reaches the people of the lowest heaven. Then those who are nearest to the bearers of the Throne say: What did your Lord say? And they tell them what He said. And the people of heaven ask one another for the news, until the news reaches the lowest heaven. Then the eavesdropping jinn snatch what they can and convey it to their familiars. What they narrated as they heard it is true, but they add lies to it.” Narrated by Muslim (2229). 

From this it is clear that the jinn do not have knowledge of the unseen, rather they steal words that they hear from the angels, but the angels themselves do not have any knowledge of that unless Allaah tells them of it. After they are told of it, it is no longer regarded as unseen in the absolute sense, but before that they are like anyone else in creation and do not know anything of the unseen. This depends on Allaah’s telling them of it. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

““(He Alone is) the All‑Knower of the Ghayb (Unseen), and He reveals to none His Ghayb (Unseen)”

[al-Jinn 72:26]. 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The noblest of the angelic Messengers, Jibreel, asked the noblest of the human Messengers, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Tell me about the Hour.” He said: “The one who is asked about it is does not know any more about it than the one who is asking” meaning, just as you have no knowledge of it, I have no knowledge of it either. End quote. 

Sharh al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah, p. 158 

And Allaah knows best.

Reconciling between the verses which speak of the news given to Maryam of the birth of ‘Eesa (peace be upon them)

I was talking to a non-muslim and he said that there is a contradiction in the quran ( naauzubillah). I strongly know and believe that it is another one of those misconceptions or misinterpretations. But i could not properly reply to him due to my lack of knowledge. His so called contradiction was: How many angels announced the birth of Jesus to the Virgin Mary? One angel 19:17-21 or several angels? 3:42-45" Can you please properly explain this to me.

Praise be to Allaah.

You are correct in describing what you friend said about the Qur’aan being contradictory as a misconception or misinterpretation. It is either because your friend has misunderstood something or he is being stubborn and is looking for a specious argument to stir up doubts in the hearts of some Muslims who are ignorant about their religion.  Hence the advice we offer to all our Muslim brothers is not to indulge in debate with the followers of falsehood before arming themselves with knowledge with which they can ward off these specious arguments. They should leave this to those who are qualified for it, namely the scholars who are well versed in knowledge and the seekers of knowledge who have a solid base of knowledge, because a specious argument may enter one’s heart and have a serious effect, and it is better to err on the side of caution. 

With regard to this particular issue, there is no contradiction between the two verses, praise be to Allaah. It was answered by the scholars of tafseer in the past; al-Raazi said in his Tafseer, when commenting on the verse in Aal ‘Imraan: What is meant by the angels here is Jibreel alone. It is like the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “He sends down the angels with the Rooh (Revelation) of His Command to whom of His slaves He wills” [al-Nahl 16:2], meaning Jibreel. End quote. 

This is nothing strange in Arabic, where the plural may be used to refer to the singular. There are many such examples in the Qur’aan, such as the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Those (i.e. believers) unto whom the people (hypocrites) said, “Verily, the people (pagans) have gathered against you (a great army), therefore, fear them.” But it (only) increased them in Faith, and they said: “Allaah (Alone) is Sufficient for us, and He is the Best Disposer of affairs (for us)” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:173]. 

What is meant by al-naas (the people) in the first case is Na’eem ibn Mas’ood, and in the second case is Abu Sufyaan and his companions. It does not mean all the people. 

Imam Ibn ‘Atiyyah said in his tafseer al-Muharrar al-Wajeez: The word al-malaa’ikah (the angels) is used to refer to Jibreel because he is one of them, so the name of the race is used, as in the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “Those (i.e. believers) unto whom the people (hypocrites) said,” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:173]. End quote. 

And Allaah knows best.

The meaning of “Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men) and bad people for bad statements (or bad men for bad women)”; and is it possible to find a wife who is righteous both outwardly and inwardly?

I wrote this message after I read an essay. In its end a situation was mentioned: Al-laalkaa’e narrated that when a man mentioned A’yesha, may Allah be pleased with her, in a bad manner in Al-hasan ben zaid’s presence, he ordered to kill this man by sword. The Alwiyyoun said: he is one of our group. So Al-hasan said: “we seek refuge with Allah from this, this man slandered the prophet, peace be upon him. Allah Almighty says (interpretation of the meaning): “Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men) and bad people for bad statements (or bad men for bad women). Good statements are for good people (or good women for good men) and good people for good statements (or good men for good women) such are innocent of that which people say: For them is pardon and a bountiful provision”
  So if A’yesha may Allah be pleased with her is a bad woman then the prophet, peace be upon him is also bad. Thus, this man is infidel; kill him by sword, so they killed him.  
  What is the explanation of this verse “Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men) and bad people for bad statements (or bad men for bad women). Good statements are for good people (or good women for good men) and good people for good statements (or good men for good women) such are innocent of that which people say: For them is pardon and a bountiful provision”
  I had a personal experiment myself; I married a girl who I though is religious, my aim was to establish a righteous Muslim home in which I try my best to follow the approach of our honourable prophet, peace be upon him, and his companions. In brief, I did not ask about her very well before marriage, I found her to be very vile. May Allah forgive her and me. Most of her talk was lies and tricks. I did not feel she has any passion for Islam or for righteousness. I divorced her after I knew she is not going to change herself, we have one child.
I love Islam too much and I love anyone I feel he is religious, and I have strong hatred to those who are immoral especially if they insist on sinning or announce their sins.
  My marriage and divorce experiment was the bitterest I had in my life. I now fear I repeat the bitter experience again. I wish to find who will help me be more religious. How can I be assured while people are content to show opposite of who they really are? Especially when it comes to such matters as marriage.
  Before I married that woman I prayed istikhara many times and consulted Allah, I was sometimes crying and asking Allah to guide me, especially when I see bad signs from her side or from her family that indicates they are not religious people.
  I am not trying to say it is not my fault, or to show myself as the better one in this relationship. By I love Islam, by Allah, and am very jealous for Islam, and I hate lying strongly. Briefly, I do not think it is in my hands to get the right one even if I ask very well and collect information about the girl or try to test her personality before marriage. Unless if Allah has mercy on me and blesses me with giving me a righteous wife.  
Marriage nowadays became very difficult. I, by Allah, think it is of the most difficult matters, and the most difficult part of it is finding a moral and religious wife. I think it is impossible unless Allah permits. When I read or hear the mentioned verse, I feel very sad; does it mean that I chose my previous wife because I deserve this? I know it is a test from Allah, but I want to have a clear explanation of the verse and, if possible, the rest of my queries.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

The mufassireen differed concerning the meaning of the verse (interpretation of the meaning):  

“Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men) and bad people for bad statements (or bad men for bad women)”

[al-Noor 24:26] 

Some of them said that it refers to bad and good words, so the meaning of the verse is: Evil words are for evil men, and evil people are for evil words, and good words are for good people, and good people are for good words. 

Others said that it refers to evil and good actions. So the meaning of the verse is: Evil actions are for evil men, and evil people are for evil actions, and good actions are for good people, and good people are for good actions. 

The third opinion concerning this verse is that evil and good refer to people with regard to marriage. So the meaning of the verse is: evil women are for evil men, and evil men are for evil women, and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women. 

There is no reason why the verse cannot be understood in all these senses, although the most obvious meaning is the first one mentioned, and this is the opinion of the majority of mufassireen. The second view comes next. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  

“Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men) and bad people for bad statements (or bad men for bad women)” means all evil men, women, words and actions that are fit for evil and in accordance with it or accompanied by it and in harmony with it, and all good men, women, words and actions that are fit for good and in accordance with it or accompanied by it and in harmony with it. This explanation is general in meaning and nothing is excluded from that. One of the greatest application of this is that with regard to the Prophets – especially the Messengers of strong will, and especially their leader, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who is the best among all the good of creation – only the best of women are suitable for them. So the one who slanders ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) in this manner is slandering the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), which was the aim of the slander (al-ifk) fabricated by the hypocrites. The mere fact that she was the wife of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) confirms that she was nothing but good and pure and innocent of these reprehensible matters. 

So how about when she is the siddeeqah of women, the best, most knowledgeable and purest of them, the beloved of the Messenger of the Lord of the Worlds? Revelation did not come down to him when he was under the same cover as any of his wives except her. Then the verse states clearly, so that there will be no opportunity for any propagator of falsehood to say anything and no room for any doubt whatsoever:  

“such (good people) are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say”

[al-Noor 24:26] 

The reference is primarily to ‘Aa’ishah, and then to the believing chaste women. 

“for them is forgiveness” [al-Noor 24:26]

meaning, forgiveness for all of their sins. 

“and Rizqun Kareem (generous provision, i.e. Paradise)” i.e., in Paradise, coming from the Generous Lord. 

Tafseer al-Sa’di (p. 563). 

Secondly: 

What you have quoted about the killing of a man who slandered ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) is true. This is what the Muslim rulers should do, which is to execute everyone who slanders ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), because impugning the honour of ‘Aa’ishah is disbelief in the Qur’aan, and impugning the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). Either of these actions implies kufr which puts a person beyond the pale of Islam, and the one who does it deserves to be executed for apostasy. 

In al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah (22/185) it says: 

The fuqaha’ are unanimously agreed that the one who slanders ‘Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) has disbelieved the clear, unambiguous statement of the Qur’aan that was revealed concerning her, and hence he is a kaafir. Allaah says – in the hadeeth of the slander (al-ifk), after Allaah declared that she was innocent – “Allaah forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever, if you are believers” [al-Noor 24:18]. So the one who goes back to that is not a believer. 

Are all the other wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) regarded as being like her? 

The Hanafis and the Hanbalis, according to the correct opinion, which was favoured by Ibn Taymiyah, say that they are all like her. They quoted as evidence the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men) and bad people for bad statements (or bad men for bad women). Good statements are for good people (or good women for good men) and good people for good statements (or good men for good women): such (good people) are innocent of (every) bad statement which they say; for them is forgiveness, and Rizqun Kareem (generous provision, i.e. Paradise)”

[ al-Noor 24:26] 

Slandering them implies slander of the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and impugning his honour, which is forbidden. 

The other view, which is that of the Shaafa’is and the other view of the Hanbalis, is that they – apart from ‘Aa’ishah – are like the rest of the Sahaabah; the one who reviles them is to be flogged, because he is a slanderer. End quote. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

Slandering ‘Aa’ishah with regard to that of which Allaah has declared her innocent is kufr, because it is disbelieving the Qur’aan. With regard to slandering other wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) there are two scholarly opinions, the sounder of which is that it is kufr, because it is a slander against the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), because “Bad statements are for bad people (or bad women for bad men).”  

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (5/p.86) 

See also the answer to question no. 954. 

Thirdly:

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Women may be married for four things: their wealth, their lineage, their beauty and their religious commitment. Choose the one who is religiously-committed, may your hands be rubbed with dust (i.e., may you prosper).” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 5090; Muslim, 1466. 

It is not impossible for a man to find a righteous wife who will help him to obey Allaah, serve him, raise his children, and look after his wealth and house. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advised men to marry the woman who is religiously committed. If it were not possible or within a man’s capability to find that religiously committed woman, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) would not have advised him to marry her. He is the one who said in the same hadeeth that some men marry women for their beauty, and some marry them for their lineage or their wealth. Men choose women according to their own desires and traditions and customs, but his advice to all men is to look for the woman who is religiously committed and marry them, because in marrying such a woman there is a great deal of good which the man will see in himself, his house and his children. 

You should not give up hope of finding a woman who is religiously committed and of good character. The Muslim ummah is still doing well and there are still Muslim families which are raising women who are of good character and committed to Islam, and are brought up in this manner. 

The failure of one experience of marriage does not mean that the same will happen to all subsequent marriages. What happened to you may have been a punishment to you because of your shortcomings in asking and finding out about the woman whom you married. 

People know one another and mix with one another, so the state of a family and its members will not be hidden from their relatives and neighbours. The members of the family mix with people in the mosque and school and when visiting people, so a righteous woman will be known and distinguished from the opposite, and the religiously committed man will be known and distinguished from his opposite, by their adhering to regular prayer, and adherence to outward shar’i laws, and their attitude in dealing with others. What one of them hides inwardly is something that no one can know, and the one who is deceived by outward righteousness when a person is inwardly corrupt is not to be blamed, because our Lord does not require us to look at what is hidden inside people. 

Moreover, what is applicable to the women among whom you are looking for a life partner is also applicable to you. How do people know who you really are, or what you are like inwardly? Guardians have been advised to give their female relatives in marriage to men who are religiously committed and of good character, based on what they can see, as well as asking and finding out from the relatives of the suitor. Whatever wrong impressions and deceit may happen on the part of the woman may also happen – and more so – on the part of the man. So you should not be anxious or worry because of your first marriage. All you have to do now is look carefully, and ask good people about good families who raise their daughters to obey Allaah and with good morals and attitudes. Then you can focus your questions about the one whom you want to marry from those families, by asking her friends and classmates about her commitment and righteousness, and about her attitude and interactions with others. Thus you will have followed the advice of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and we hope that you will not be disappointed by her and that they will not be disappointed by you. 

We ask Allaah to help you to make a good choice and to bless you with a righteous wife who will keep you chaste and you will keep her chaste, and you will treat her well and she will treat you well, and to bless you with good and righteous  children. 

For more information on the qualities to be sought in the wife, please see the answers to questions no. 26744 and 10376. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength.

Reconciling between the verse “Allah will protect you from the people” and the death of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)

How can we reconcile between the verse “Allah will protect you from the people” i.e., from being killed, and the hadeeth narrated by ‘Aa’ishah in Saheeh al-Bukhaari: “O ‘Aa’ishah, I still feel the pain of the food that I ate in Khaybar, and this time I feel that my aorta is being cut from that poison”?.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly: 

The verse in question says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O Messenger (Muhammad )! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not, then you have not conveyed His Message. Allah will protect you from mankind. Verily, Allah guides not the people who disbelieve.”

[al-Maa’idah 5:67]. 

The hadeeth in question says:

‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) used to say, during the illness of which he died: “O ‘Aa’ishah, I still feel the pain of the food that I ate in Khaybar, and this time I feel that my aorta is being cut from that poison.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 4165 

The “food” was poisoned mutton.

The aorta is an artery connected to the heart; if it is cut, the individual dies. 

The original story is as follows 

It was narrated from Anas that a Jewish woman brought some poisoned mutton to the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he ate some of it. Then she was brought to the Messenger of Allaah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he asked her about that. She said: I wanted to kill you. He said: “Allaah would not have given you the power to do that.”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2474; Muslim, 2190 

Secondly: 

The Muslim must understand that there is no contradiction between the texts of the revelation. What some people think, that there are contradictions between the texts of the revelation are only apparent contradictions as it appears to them, but in fact they are not contradictions. Hence the well-versed scholars of Islam are not incapable – by the grace and help of Allah – of reconciling what appears to be a contradiction for those who are unaware of how these texts may be reconciled. 

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

It is not possible for there to be in Islam two reports that contradict one another in all ways, without one of them being stronger and thus taking precedence. 

Al-Musawwadah, 306 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

As for there being two clear saheeh hadeeths that contradict one another in all aspects without one of them abrogating the other, this does not exist in the first place. Allah forbid that such a contradiction should be found be in the words of the most truthful one (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), from whose lips nothing but the truth came. 

Zaad al-Ma‘aad, 4/149 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) also said: 

Blessings and peace of Allah be upon the one whose words confirmed one another and testified to one another. Any conflict or confusion can only stem from misunderstandings, not from the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). What every believer must do is confirm his beliefs in the words of the most truthful one (i.e., the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)), and he should realise that above every man of knowledge, there is someone more knowledgeable.

Miftaah Dar as-Sa‘aadah, 3/383 

Ash-Shaatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Anyone who is well versed in the fundamentals of sharee‘ah would realize that the shar‘i texts could hardly contradict one another and anyone who examines the basis of different shar‘i issues would see any confusion therein, because there are no contradictions at all in sharee‘ah. So the one who is well versed in it is aware of the subtle differences between one text and another, he will never find any contradiction. Therefore you can never find two texts that all Muslim scholars agree contradict one another. But because the scholars are not infallible, it is possible that there may be a contradiction between texts in the opinion of some of them. 

Al-Muwaafaqaat, 4/294. 

There are some scholars who challenged those who claimed that there are contradictions between the texts of the revelation, such as Imam Ibn Khuzaymah (may Allah have mercy on him) who used to say – as we see in Tadreeb ar-Raawi, 2/176: I do not know of any two hadeeths that contradict one another; if anyone has two hadeeths that contradict one another, let him bring them to me so that I may reconcile between them. 

Thirdly: 

With regard to what the questioner mentioned about there being an apparent contradiction between the words of Allah, may He be exalted, “Allah will protect you from mankind” and the words of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), “and this time I feel that my aorta is being cut” and the fact that he died from the poison that the Jews put in his food – there is no contradiction between them, because the protection of which the verse speaks is protection from fitnah and misguidance, and from being killed before having conveyed the message, and all of that was fulfilled for him (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). His Lord, may He be exalted, protected him from all of that and he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not die until after he had conveyed the message of his Lord. Allah, may He be exalted, said (interpretation of the meaning):

“This day, I have perfected your religion for you, completed My Favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion”

[al-Maa’idah 5:3].

Some of the scholars mentioned a subtle meaning here, which is that Allah, may He be exalted, insisted that for our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), Prophethood and martyrdom should be combined. 

Allah, may He be exalted, protected His Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) from the kuffaar of Quraysh when they wanted to kill him in Makkah, and his Lord protected him from being killed in Madinah in the campaigns in which he was present. And even when the Jews attempted to kill him with poison, Allah protected him from that, and the mutton told him that it was poisoned. The Sahaabi who was with him and ate some of it – namely Bishr ibn al-Bara’ ibn Ma‘roor – died but the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not die. But this does not contradict the fact that that there was some effect from that poison or his belief that he would die because of it. What he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said does not mean that the poison was the cause of his death; rather the report indicates that he was feeling it and that that might coincide with the end of his life. 

Whatever the case, protection from being killed came before he finished conveying the message of his Lord, and he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not die until he had conveyed it in the most complete manner. The context of the verse indicates that, as his Lord, may He be exalted, instructed him to convey the message and told him that He would protect him from the people. 

This idea is also supported by what the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said to the Jewish woman: “Allaah would not have given you the power to do that.” That was after she told him that she had wanted to kill him. This is either a statement that refers to his being protected against being killed by poison until he departed this world, or it is a statement indicating that that would not happen before the message was conveyed. 

To sum up: it may either be said that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was protected from being killed by the poison – as we shall see below in the words of Ibn Katheer, an-Nawawi and others – and that Allah revealed to him that there was poison in the meat and this was part of His protection of him, or it may be said that the protection was during his conveying of the message of Islam, which does not mean that he could not be killed after the message had been conveyed – as we shall see below in the words of al-Qurtubi, Ibn Hajar and al-‘Uthaymeen – and that through this killing, Allah granted our Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) both Prophethood and martyrdom, and made that a reminder to us of the ongoing enmity of the Jews towards us and our religion. 

There follow some of the comments of the scholars on what we have mentioned above, which will explain what we mean, in sha Allah. 

1.     Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

Part of Allah’s protection of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was His protection of him from the people of Makkah and their leaders, those who bore malicious envy towards him, and those who were stubborn, despite the intensity of their enmity and resentment, and their drawing up plans to oppose him night and day, through the means that He created by His decree and wisdom. At the beginning of his mission, He protected him by means of his paternal uncle Abu Taalib, who was an important leader who was obeyed among Quraysh. Allah created in his heart a natural love for the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), not love as ordained by Allah; if he had become Muslim, the kuffaar and their leaders would have had the audacity to harm the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But because he (Abu Taalib) and they had in common the fact that they were not believers, the kuffaar feared and respected him. But when Abu Taalib died, the mushrikeen caused him some harm, then Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, brought him the Ansaar, who swore allegiance to him as Muslims, who arranged for him to move to their land – namely Madinah. When he joined them, they protected him against the red and the black (i.e., all people). Whenever any of the mushrikeen or people of the Book wanted to do him harm, Allah opposed them and turned their plots against them. When the Jews plotted against him by means of witchcraft, Allah protected him from them and revealed to him the Mi‘wadhatayn (Soorat al-Falaq and an-Naas) as a remedy for this disease. When the Jews poisoned the leg of mutton in Khaybar, Allah informed him of that and protected him from it. And there are many similar cases which it would take too long to mention here.

Tafseer an-Nawawi, 3/154 

2.     an-Nawawi said, in his commentary on the hadeeth about the poisoned mutton: 

This shows how he (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was protected from all the people, as Allah said (interpretation of the meaning): “Allah will protect you from mankind”[al-Maa’idah 5:67]. This is a miracle of the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), as he was protected from the poison that killed others, and Allah, may He be exalted, informed him that it was poisoned, and the leg of mutton itself spoke to him. Elsewhere than in Muslim it is narrated that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “The leg (of mutton) is informing me that it is poisoned.” 

Sharh Muslim, 14/p. 179 

3.     Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

With regard to the words of Allah (interpretation of the meaning): “Allah will protect you from mankind”[al-Maa’idah 5:67], Ibn Qutaybah said: That is, He will protect you against them. The protection of Allah means that He prevents him from committing sin. 

If it is said: Where is the guarantee of protection when his cheek was cut, his tooth was broken and other kinds of harm reached him? There are two answers to this. 

The first is that he was protected against being killed or captured or extensive harm. With regard to regular harm, that was possible. 

The second is that this verse was revealed after those things happened to him, because al-Maa’idah is one of the last soorahs to be revealed. 

Zaad al-Maseer, 2/397 

4.     Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

With regard to what befell the Messengers of different kinds of harm, the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not protected from that; rather some such things did happen to him. He was wounded on the day of Uhud, his helmet was broken on his head, some of the links of chainmail were embedded in his cheek and he fell into one of the holes that were dug there. They also put great pressure on him in Makkah where he encountered some of that which had befallen previous Messengers, that Allah had decreed for him, and Allah raised him thereby in status and multiplied his rewards. But Allah protected him against them and they were not able to kill him or to stop him conveying the message; they did not come between him and what he was obliged to do of conveying the message. He conveyed the message and fulfilled the trust, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him. 

Fataawa ash-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 8/p. 150 

5.     Al-Qurtubi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: 

There is nothing in this verse that contradicts the idea that he should take precautions to protect himself, just as the fact that Allah declared that His religion would be victorious and prevail does not contradict the command to fight and make all necessary preparations for the fight. 

Al-Mufhim lima Ashkila min Talkhees Kitaab Muslim, 6/280 

6.     al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) said, after quoting these words of al-Qurtubi: 

Based on this, what is meant is protection against fitnah and misguidance, or being killed. And Allah knows best. 

Fath al-Baari, 6/82 

Fourthly: 

Among the practical examples of the Prophet’s being protected from being killed before the message had been conveyed is the following: 

It was narrated that Jaabir ibn ‘Abdullah said: We went out on a campaign with the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in the direction of Najd. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) caught up with us in a valley where there were a lot of trees. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) dismounted beneath a tree and hung up his sword of one of its branches, and the people scattered in the valley seeking the shade of the trees. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “A man came to me whilst I was sleeping and took the sword. I woke up to see him standing over my head and he took me surprise when I saw that the sword was unsheathed in his hand. He said to me: Who will protect you from me? I said: Allah. Then he said a second time: Who will protect you from me? I said: Allah. Then he put the sword back in its sheath, and there he is, still sitting here.” Then the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) did not take the matter any further. 

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2753; Muslim, 843 

According to another report, he said: O Muhammad, who will protect you from me? The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Allah will protect me from you; put down the sword.” And he put it down. 

An-Nawawi said: 

This shows that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) put his trust in Allah and that Allah, may He be exalted, protected him from the people, as Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning): “Allah will protect you from mankind”[al-Maa’idah 5:67]. 

Sharh Muslim, 15/44 

And Allah knows best.

Meaning of the verse “Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning?”

This has reference to chapter 76 Al-Insan or Ad Dahr verse 1. Has there not been over a man a period of time.... to be mentioned. What does the period of time imply? Is Adam peace be upon him Isaa peace be upon him and prophet (sws) are included in insan.

Praise be to Allaah.

Soorat al-Insaan begins with a gentle rhetorical question which alerts man to the fact that he was nothing before he was created, and Who is the one Who created him and made him something worth mentioning after he had been nothing. It comes in the form of a question so as to attract the listener’s attention and make him listen out for the words that come after it. So Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):  

“Has there not been over man a period of time, when he was not a thing worth mentioning?”

[al-Insaan 76:1] 

The words insaan (man) in this verse includes all of mankind, because all of mankind are created; they came into existence after they did not exist and were not a thing worth mentioning, as Allaah said to the Prophet Zakariya (peace be upon him) (interpretation of the meaning): 

“He said: ‘So (it will be). Your Lord says: It is easy for Me. Certainly I have created you before, when you had been nothing!’”

[Maryam 19:9]. 

Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

In this soorah Allaah mentions the first state of man, and his beginning, middle and end. He says that for a long time – which is before man was created – he was nothing, and was not even worth mentioning. End quote. 

Tayseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan fi’l-Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan (p. 900). 

Al-‘Allaamah al-Taahir Ibn ‘Ashoor (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

What this means is: Does every man who exists realize that he was non-existent for a long time, and he was not a thing worth mentioning, i.e., he had no name and he was not spoken of. The word insaan (man) is used to refer to mankind in general, as in the verse “Verily, man is in loss, Except those who believe …” [al-‘Asr 104:2-3].

i.e., has there not been over every man a period of time when he was not a thing? Dahr (translated here as “a time”) refers to a long time. End quote. 

Al-Tahreer wa’l-Tanweer (29/345-346). 

Perhaps this view, which was narrated from Ibn ‘Abbaas and Ibn Jurayj, is more sound than the view that it is Adam in particular who is referred to by the word insaan (man). The context is general in meaning, and points to the general meaning of the verse that comes after it, in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily, We have created man from Nutfah (drops) of mixed semen (sexual discharge of man and woman), in order to try him, so We made him hearer and seer” [al-Insaan 75:2]. It is known that it is the sons of Adam who are created from “Nutfah (drops) of mixed semen”, so this indicates that what is meant by the word insaan in the first verse is all of mankind. 

This statement that man had no prior existence has to do with the creation of man and reality.  In this sense the statement includes all of mankind, even the Messengers and Prophets. All of them were non-existent, then Allaah created them. 

With regard to the knowledge of Allaah, all of mankind are known in Allaah’s eternal knowledge, and are recorded in al-Lawh al-Mahfooz, but the Messengers and Prophets have a special mention in the highest degrees, so they are the best of mankind, and their being mentioned in the knowledge of Allaah is appropriate to the high status of Prophethood and Messengership which Allaah has bestowed upon them. 

And Allaah knows best.

How can the Muslim be a trial for the kaafir?

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 
“Our Lord! Make us not a trial for the disbelievers”
[al-Mumtahanah 60:5]. 
How can a Muslim be a trial for those who disbelieve?.

Praise be to Allaah.

He can be a trial for those who disbelieve if the kuffaar gain power over him, because the kaafir’s gaining power over the Muslim is a trial (fitnah), as they will carry the burden of the sins they commit against us, so that is a trial for them.  

The phrase “a trial for those who disbelieve” may also be understood as meaning that they try to tempt us away from our religion by means of persecution, as in the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Verily, those who put into trial the believing men and believing women (by torturing them and burning them), and then do not turn in repentance (to Allaah), then they will have the torment of Hell, and they will have the punishment of the burning Fire”

[al-Burooj 85:5]. 

This verse includes both meanings, because the two meanings do not exclude one another. The basic principle in tafseer is that if the verse may be interpreted in two ways that do not exclude one another, then it must be interpreted in both ways. End quote. 

Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him).

Who are those are present at al-Masjid al-Haraam?

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“This is for him whose family is not present at Al-Masjid Al-Haraam” [al-Baqarah 2:196]. 
Who are those who are present at al-Masjid al-Haraam? Are they the people of Makkah or the people of the Haram? What is your opinion of those who say that the Makki (resident of Makkah) can never do Tamattu’ or Qiraan without his family?.

Praise be to Allaah.

What the questioner has quoted is part of a verse in which Allaah mentions those who do tamattu’. He says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“whosoever performs the ‘Umrah in the months of Hajj, before (performing) the Hajj, (i.e. Hajj-at-Tamattu‘ and Al-Qiraan), he must slaughter a Hady such as he can afford, but if he cannot afford it, he should observe Sawm (fasts) three days during the Hajj and seven days after his return (to his home), making ten days in all. This is for him whose family is not present at Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (i.e. non-resident of Makkah)”

[al-Baqarah 2:196]. 

The scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) differed as to what is meant by those who are not present at al-Masjid al-Haraam. 

It was said that they are those who are within the boundaries of the Haram; whoever is outside the boundaries of the Haram is not among those who are present at al-Masjid al-Haraam. 

And it was said that they are the people who live at the Meeqaats and within those limits. 

And it was said that they are the people of Makkah and those who live closer to it than the distance at which the traveller may shorten his prayers. 

The most likely to be correct is the view that those who are present at al-Masjid al-Haraam are the people of the Haram. 

If the person who is one of those who are present at al-Masjid al-Haraam does tamattu’ for ‘Umrah and Hajj, he does not have to offer a hadiy. For example, if a man from Makkah travels to Madeenah, say, during the months of Hajj, then comes back from Madeenah and enters ihraam from Dhu’l-Hulayfah for ‘Umrah, but he intended to do Hajj this year, then he does not have to offer a hadiy, because he is one of those who are present at al-Masjid al-Haraam. The people of Makkah may also do Qiraan but they do not have to offer the hadiy, such as if one of the people of Makkah is in Madeenah, then he enters ihraam from Dhu’l-Hulayfah during the days of Hajj for ‘Umrah and Hajj together (Qiraan). This pilgrim who does Qiraan does not have to offer a hadiy either, because he is one of those who are present at al-Masjid al-Haraam. End quote. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (22/70, 71) 

It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (11/389): 

The scholars differed concerning the meaning of “those who are present at al-Masjid al-Haraam.” The most correct view is that they are the people of the Haram. 

And Allaah is the Source of strength. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote. 

Standing Committee for Academic Research and Issuing Fatwas.

Question from a Christian about the scholars' differences in interpretation of the Holy Qur'aan

A question from a Christian in Canada: Why do the scholars differ concerning the interpretation of the Holy Qur'aan and claim that there is only one version of the Gospel in Canada and the interpretation of it is one and there are not two views? What is your opinion? May Allah reward you with good.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

There is no difference of opinion among the scholars with regard to the interpretation of the entire Qur'aan. Rather they differed concerning the interpretation of some of its verses. There is no doubt that with regard to most of the verses, there is no difference of opinion as to their interpretation. Rather the commentators, both early and later, and scholars are agreed on its interpretation. This is something that is clear to everyone who reads the Qur'aan and books of commentary. The majority of Muslims still read the Qur'aan and listen to its verses, and most of them have no problem understanding most of it; rather they know what it means and this is sufficient to be guided by the Qur'aan.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

With regard to the saheeh reports which say that they differed concerning it and held conflicting views, these are very few compared to the verses concerning which they did not differ. End quote.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 5/162

Secondly:

Most of the differences that did occur came after the best (earliest) centuries. As for the Sahaabah and Taabi’een, the differences among them concerning the interpretation of the Qur'aan were very few.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Hence the disagreements among the Sahaabah concerning the interpretation of the Qur'aan were very few. Even though there were more disagreements among the Taabi’een than among the Sahaabah, they are still few in comparison to what came after them. The more virtuous the era, the more consensus, harmony, knowledge and clarity about the Qur’aan there was. End quote.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 13/332.

Thirdly:

As for the few verses concerning the interpretation of which there was a difference of opinion (among the Salaf), they may be divided into several categories:

(i) Those concerning which the difference has to do with variations of meanings, not conflicting opinions. So these are differences in wording, which do not affect anything and a difference in wording is not really a difference in fact, because if there is a difference the two opinions should contradict one another, and that is not the case in this category of differences.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) said, commenting on differences in varieties of meaning:

That is of two types:

The first type is where each of the commentators expressed what the words mean in wording different from that of his companions, which indicates that what is meant is a different shade of meaning, not a different meaning altogether, as they are referring to the same thing. This is like referring to a sayf (sword) as saarim or muhannad (other Arabic words for sword). The same is true of the beautiful names of Allah, the names of His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and the names of the Qur'aan. The names of Allah all refer to the same One, and each of His names refer to the same Essence and the attribute reflected in the name. The same may be said of the names of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), such as Muhammad, Ahmad, al-Maahi (the Eraser, by means of whom Allaah erases (yamhu) kufr), al-Haashir (the Gatherer, at whose feet the people will gather), and al-‘Aaqib (the successor, i.e., the one who succeeds the other Prophets in bringing about good, or the Last Prophet); and of the names of the Qur'aan, such as the Qur’aan, al-Furqaan (the Criterion), al-Huda wa’l-Shifa (guidance and healing), al-Bayaan (clarity), al-Kitaab (Book) and so on.

Once this is established, one of the early generation sometimes referred to a thing with a word or phrase that referred to one of its attributes, and another would refer to it by a different word or phrase that reflected another of its attributes, like one who says: Ahmad [i.e., the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)] is al-Haashir, al-Maahi, al-‘Aaqib; and al-Quddoos (the Most Holy) is al-Ghafoor (The Oft Forgiving), al-Raheem (the Most Merciful). In other words, what is referred to is one and the same, but the attributes are not the same. It is known that this is not a contradiction as some people think.

Another example of that is their interpretation of the phrase al-siraat al-mustaqeem (the straight path).

Some of them said that it means the Qur'aan, i.e., following it.

Some of them said that it means Islam.

These two opinions are in harmony, because the religion of Islam is following the Qur'aan, but each one highlights a different shade of meaning that is not reflected in the other.

The word siraat (path) may also indicate another meaning, as reflected in the view of those who say that it is al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah (i.e., adhering to the Sunnah and the main body of the Muslims); and those who say that it is obedience to Allah and His Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), and other examples, all of which indicate the same thing, but each looks at it from a different angle.

The second type is where the Qur'aan uses a general word and each commentator mentions some specific type by way of example, in order to explain to the listeners the general meaning.

That is like when a non-Arab asks what is meant by the word khubz (bread), and someone shows him a loaf of bread (ragheef) and says, “This”, although the word does not refer to this specific type or this particular loaf.

Another example is what is narrated concerning the verse in which Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “Then We gave the Book (the Qur’aan) as inheritance to such of Our slaves whom We chose (the followers of Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم). Then of them are some who wrong their ownselves, and of them are some who follow a middle course, and of them are some who are, by Allaah’s Leave, foremost in good deeds” [Faatir 35:32]. It is well known that the phrase “those who wrong their own selves” includes one who neglects the obligation of Islam and one who transgresses the sacred limits, and the phrase “those who follow a middle course” includes the one who fulfils the obligations of Islam and refrains from haraam things, and the phrase “those who are foremost in good deeds” includes the one who goes ahead and draws close to Allah by means of naafil good deeds in addition to obligatory duties.

Moreover each of the commentators may mention different types of acts of worship (sc.) when commenting on this verse:

One may say that the one who is foremost in doing good deeds is the one who prays at the beginning of the time for the prayer, the one who follows a middle course is the one who prays within the period for that prayer, and the one who wrongs himself is the one who delays praying ‘Asr until the sun has turned yellow [i.e., close to sunset].

Another commentator may say that the one who is foremost in doing good deeds and the one who follows a middle course and the one who wrongs himself are the ones who are mentioned at the end of Soorat al-Baqarah, where it describes the doer of good as the one who gives charity, the one who wrongs himself as someone who consumes riba, and the one who follows a middle path as being the one who is honest his dealings.

Each interpretation refers to some qualities that come under the meaning mentioned in the verse so as to tell the listener that this is included in the meaning of the verse and to point to another shade of meaning. Explaining by giving examples is much easier than speaking in general terms, and the sound mind will understand that the example given refers to something more general, just as the one who is shown a loaf of bread and is told that this is called bread (khubz) understands that this word refers to bread in general and not just this particular loaf. End quote.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 13/332-338

He also said (may Allah have mercy on him):

It should be noted that the differences that arose among the commentators are of two types:

The first type is those in which there is no contradiction, rather each view may be correct and it is no more than a variation in the shades of meaning or describing the same meaning from different perspectives. In most cases the differences that are proven to be from the commentators among the early generations, the Sahaabah and Taabi’een, are of this type. When Allah mentions something in the Qur'aan, such as the verse in which He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Guide us to the Straight Way (al-siraat al-mustaqeem)” [al-Faatihah 1:6], each of the commentators explained the straight path with a phrase which is indicative of some of its meaning or attributes, and all of that is true. So some of them said that the straight path means the Book of Allah or following the Book of Allah. Another said that the straight path means Islam, or the religion of Islam. Another said that the straight path means the Sunnah and the main body of the Muslims (al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah). Another said that the straight path means the way of complete servitude to Allah (‘uboodiyyah) or the way of hope and fear, love of Allah, or obeying commands and heeding prohibitions, following the Qur'aan and Sunnah, striving to obey Allah and other words and phrases.

It is known that what is referred to is one and that there are variations in attributes and wording.

And there is another type, in which the commentator explained the meaning by giving an example without wanting to limit the meaning to the example he gave, such as when a foreigner says what does “bread” mean? And he is shown a piece of bread. End quote.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 13/381-384

The second type is verses in which the differences concerning the interpretation are opposite or contradictory. This is very rare and applies to only a few verses; these differences are well known and limited.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Differences concerning tafseer among the salaf are very rare; their differences concerning rulings are more common than their differences concerning tafseer. Most of the saheeh reports which speak of their differences have to do with variations on shades of meaning, not contradictory opinions. End quote.

Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 13/178

There are many reasons for these differences and they have been studied by specialised scholars. The reader may consult Asbaab Ikhtilaaf al-Mufassireen by Prof. Dr. Muhammad al-Shaayi’ and Ikhtilaaf al-Mufassireen Asbaabuhu wa Athaaruhu by Prof. Dr. Sa’ood al-Funaysaan.

Fourthly:

This second type should not be a reason for doubting the validity of the Qur'aan for a number of reasons:

1- It does not occur concerning any the verses that have to do with beliefs or the aims of Sharee’ah; rather it only occurs concerning the verses on rulings, such as the difference of opinion among the scholars on meaning of the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “And divorced women shall wait (as regards their marriage) for three menstrual periods” [al-Baqarah 2:228]: does al-qar’ (translated here as menstrual period) refer to purity or menses? Or it may occur in the commentary on some Qur’aanic contexts that have to do with stories or exhortation and the like, such as their difference of opinion on the meaning of the verse (interpretation of the meaning): “Then [the babe ‘Eesa (Jesus) or Jibreel (Gabriel)] cried unto her from below her, saying: “Grieve not: your Lord has provided a water stream under you” [Maryam 19:24]. -- is the one who called out Jibreel or ‘Eesa (peace be upon them both)? This difference of opinion -- as you can see -- does not have to do with the essence of belief or sharee’ah; rather it is a fiqhi matter in which Allah willed that some differences should occur out of mercy towards this ummah and also as a test; or it is a difference that does not affect the general meaning of the verse.

2- These differences -- although they are very rare -- mostly occurred among the later generations. If we go back to the tafseer of the early generations, the Sahaabah and Taabi’een, we would not find most of these differences that are found in later books of tafseer.

3- Finally, there is wisdom in the fact that the meaning of some verses is not quite clear, so that people will strive hard and there will be discussion of these verses and knowledge in books and people's minds.

Fifthly

With regard to the claim that there is no contradiction in the Gospel or in the commentaries on the Gospel, this is very strange and weird. The Christians themselves make no such claim, because it is contrary to reality, as the copies, variations and translations of the Gospel differ a great deal and contradict one another. The Christians also have a lot of different branches and religious differences, and the differences in interpretation of the Gospel have to do with the foundations of their beliefs and the meaning of the Trinity, Divine Oneness and the three Persons (of the Trinity). This is a contradiction that led to the emergence of many branches which differ concerning the essence of faith and religion. But in the case of Islam and the Qur'aan, among the scholars of Islam of Ahl al-Sunnah (the Sunnis), who formed the majority of Muslims, from the time of the Sahaabah and Taabi’een until the present day, there are no differences concerning the basic foundations of the faith and its major teachings.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

The Christians' commentaries on their holy books contain distortions of the book of Allah and misinterpretation of the names of Allah and His Signs; it would take too long to describe them but you can never cease to be amazed by them. End quote.

Al-Jawaab al-Saheeh, 3/93

He also said:

The Christians affirm that this phrase in the Gospel is taken from the Messiah but they differ as to the meaning of these words. Many of them say that the Father is existence and the Son is the Word and the Holy Spirit is life. Some of them say: Rather the Father is existence, the Son is the Word and the Holy Spirit is Power. And some of them say that the three Persons (of the Trinity) are: Generous, Wise and Able. So they say that the Father is generous, the Son is wise and the Holy Spirit is able. They claimed that all divine attributes are included in these three. I have seen all of that in the books of the Christians. And there are some who explain the Word as meaning knowledge, and some who say that it is self-sufficient, living and wise. They are all agreed that what is incarnated in Jesus is the incarnation of the word, and he is the one whom they call the Son, not the Father. Those who deny the incarnation, such as the Arians, say that Christ (peace be upon him) was a servant who was sent, like all the Messengers (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them). Although they agreed with them on using the terminology Father, Son and Holy Spirit, they did not interpret it as their opponents did as referring to incarnation. Similarly, the Nestorians also agreed with them on this terminology, but they differed with them concerning the incarnation in which the Jacobites and Melkites believe.

And thus they agreed on the wording but differed on the meaning. It is known that they believed in this wording as part of their religion, because they believe it is mentioned in their religion. But then they differed after that concerning the interpretation of the Book as they and all the followers of different religions differed concerning the interpretation of some words that they believed were transmitted from the Prophets (peace be upon them). End quote.

Al-Jawaab al-Saheeh (3/189-192)

And Allah knows best.
Its the responsibility of every Moslem in learning quran and read tajweed and we also have to teach our kids Quran and not only the Quran teaching we should let then be aware of the basic of Islam and why it was reviled you bet it was vituperated and truth teaching of holy Quran and with tajweed quran we read Quran we can understand better all the replies that are asked if we study koran from a qualified Quran tutor he will let you know verity heart of Islam and why koran was reviled for it we should gain the ability of the Book with there translation and the context of when those verses were reviled and why and that is only potential when we keep on with not simply learning quran for beginners but gaining the information of Quran tafseer and one query that we all is necessary to ask our self that why we all are here in the world to do good acts or to do bad human action to promote correct or to promote incorrect and will we be answerable to any one after this life of not then the enquiry remains the exact same that the reasons why we are here in the world but if yes then whom we have to reply is there any Lord All these response exist when we go deep in to the Quran education do Quran reading and the so let us unite hands to full fill our responsibility. We all must do quran memorization and listen to quran online when ever we have time to stay in touch

What do Muslims believe about Jesus(peace be upon him)

What do Muslims believe about Jesus (peace be upon him)?

Muslims respect and revere Jesus (peace be upon him) , and await his second coming. They consider him one of the greatest of God’s messengers to mankind. A Muslim never refers to him simply as `Jesus', but always adds the phrase "peace be upon him." The Qur’aan confirms his virgin birth (a chapter of the Qur’aan is entitled `Mary') in her time, and Mary is considered the purest woman in all creation. The Qur’aan describes the creation of Jesus as follows (interpretation of the meaning): "Behold! the Angel said, `God has chosen you, and purified you, and chosen you above the women of all nations. O Mary, God gives you glad tidings of a word from Him, whose name shall be the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, honored in this world and the Hereafter, and one that shall speak to the people from his cradle and in maturity, and shall be of the righteous.' She said: `O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me?' He said: `Even so; God creates what He wills. When He decrees a thing, He but says to it, "Be!" and it is." (Qur’aan, Surat (chapter) Aala ‘Imraan, 3:42-7) Jesus (peace be upon him) was born miraculously through the same power which had brought Adam (peace be upon him) into being without a father: "Truly, the likeness of Jesus unto Allaah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, and then said to him, `Be!' and he was." (3:59) During his prophetic mission, Jesus (peace be upon him) was granted and performed many miracles. The Qur’aan tells us that he said (interpretation of meaning): "I have come to you with a sign from your Lord: I make for you out of the clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, and breathe into it and it becomes a bird by Allaah’s leave. And I heal the blind and the lepers, and I raise the dead by Allaah’s leave." (3:49) Other miracles include speaking soon after birth in defense of his mother's piety. God's other gifts to him included healing the blind and the sick, reviving the dead, and, most importantly, the message he was carrying. These miracles were granted to him by God to establish him as a prophet. According to the Qur’aan, he was not crucified, but only appeared so; instead, Allaah raised him unto Heaven. (Quraan, Chapter Maryam) Neither Muhammad (peace be upon him), nor Jesus (peace be upon him), came to change the basic doctrine of the belief in one God, brought by earlier prophets, but to confirm and renew it. In the Quran Jesus (peace be upon him), is reported as saying that he came: " To attest the law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was forbidden you; I have come to you with a sign form your Lord, so fear God and obey me." (3:50)

Who was Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

Who was Muhammad(peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?

In brief, Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) was born in a noble tribe of Mecca in Arabia in the year 570 CE (Christian Era). His ancestry goes back to Prophet Ishmael (peace be upon him), son of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him). His father died before his birth and his mother died when he was six years old. He did not attend any formal school. He was raised first by a nursemaid in the desert, as it was the customary in those days, then by his grandfather and then by his uncle. As a young man, he was known as a righteous person who used to meditate in a cave. At age 40, he was bestowed with prophet-hood by God through an angel, Gabriel, who appeared to Him in the cave of Hiraa’, in Mecca. Subsequently, revelations were received by Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be upon him) for a period of 23 years. This book of revelations is called the Qur’aan.

The Qur’aan has been preserved, unchanged, in its original form and language, and confirms the truth in the Torah, the psalms and the Gospel, prior to their corruption as in their present forms today. The Qur’aan is the only scripture in existence today in its original text. All the earlier divine scriptures were entrusted by God to His messengers to guard them, and after the physical death of the Messengers, their followers were entrusted to guard them. However, the followers failed in their duties; therefore each subsequent divine scripture corrected the previous one. God has confirmed in the Holy Qur’aan that not only is it His last and final revelation to mankind, and but also that He Himself will guard and preserve it until the Day of Judgment.

Do Prophets sin? Do they need forgiveness?

I have been told by someone claiming to be a Muslim that all God's prophets, including Mohammed, were without sin, (perfect), never requiring forgiveness. Is this a view held officially by Islam as a whole?

Praise be to Allaah.

We thank you for sending this question in an effort to find the right answer instead of merely accepting what you have heard from someone who claims to be a Muslim.

“The ummah (Muslim nation) is agreed that the Messengers are infallible in carrying out their mission – they do not forget anything that Allaah has revealed to them except with regard to matters that have been abrogated. They are also infallible in conveying the Message – they do not conceal anything that Allaah has revealed to them, for that would be a betrayal and it is impossible to imagine that they could do such a thing. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘O Messenger! Proclaim (the Message) which has been sent down to you from your Lord. And if you do not ,then you have not conveyed His Message…’ [al-Maa’idah 5:67]. If anything is concealed or changed, then the punishment of Allaah will befall the one who is guilty of doing these things, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): ‘And if he [Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] had forged a false saying concerning Us [Allaah], We surely would have seized him by his right hand (or with power and might), and then certainly should have cut off his life artery (aorta).’ [al-Haqqah 69:44-46]. One aspect of infallibility is that they (the Prophets) do not forget anything of that which Allaah has revealed to them, and thus no part of the revelation is lost.”

[Al-rusul wa’l-risaalaat (The Messengers and their missions), ‘Omar al-Ashqar, p. 97]

‘Omar al-Ashqar also said (op. cit., p.102): “The Prophets and Messengers may also strive to find the right judgement in the situations with which they are faced, and they judge according to what they themselves see and hear – they do not have knowledge of the Unseen. They may make an incorrect judgement, as happened to the Prophet of Allaah Dawood (David), who failed to do so, and Allaah helped his son Sulaymaan (Solomon) to come up with the right answer in that particular case. Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: ‘There were two women, each of whom had a son. A wolf came and carried off the son of one of them, who said to the other, “The wolf has taken your son.” The other said, “No, he took your son.” They came to Dawood to ask him to judge between them, and he ruled in favour of the older woman. Then they went to Sulaymaan the son of Dawood and told him what had happened. He said, “Bring a knife and divide the child between them.” The younger woman said, “Do not do that, may Allaah have mercy on you! He is her son.” So Sulaymaan ruled in favour of the younger woman.’ (Reported by al-Bukhaari).

“The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) explained this story: Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) narrated that he heard a dispute going on at the door of his apartment, so he went out and told them: ‘I am no more than a human being. Disputing parties may come to me, and one of you may be more eloquent and persuasive than the other, so I may think that he is telling the truth and rule in favour of him. Whoever has a judgement in favour of him to the detriment of a fellow-Muslim’s rights, this is a piece of the Fire – let him take it or leave it.’”

When it comes to the idea of the Prophets committing major sins (kabaa’ir), Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said (in al-Fataawaa, 4/319): “…The belief that the Prophets are free of major sins, but not of minor sins, is the opinion of the majority of Islamic scholars and of all (Muslim) groups… It is the opinion of most mufassireen (commentators on the Qur’an), scholars of hadeeth and fuqaha’ (jurists).”

With regard to whether it is possible for the Prophets to commit minor sins, in Lawaami’ al-Anwaar al-Bahiyyah (2/214), al-Safaareeni quoted from Ibn Hamdaan who said in Nihaayat al-Mubtadi’een: “They are infallible in conveying the commands and message of Allaah, but they are not infallible in any other regard. They may make mistakes, forget things, or commit minor sins – according to the most well-known opinion (of the scholars) – but they will not be approved for these mistakes.”

The majority of scholars take the following as evidence to support their claim that the Prophets are not free from minor sins:

Adam’s sin in eating from the tree from which Allaah had forbidden him to eat. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And (remember) when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate yourselves to Adam.’ They prostrated (all) except Iblees (Satan), who refused. Then We said, ‘O Adam! Verily, this is an enemy to you and to your wife. So let him not get you both out of Paradise, so that you be distressed in misery. Verily, you have (a promise from Us) that you will never be hungry therein nor naked. And you (will) suffer not from thirst therein nor from the sun’s heat. Then Shaytaan whispered to him, saying: ‘O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of Eternity and to a kingdom that shall never waste away?’ Then they both ate of the tree, and so their private parts appeared to them, and they began to stick on themselves leaves from Paradise for their covering. Thus did Adam disobey his Lord, so he went astray.” [Ta-Ha 20:116-121]

When Nooh prayed for his kaafir son, Allaah rebuked him for doing so, and taught him that this person was not a member of his family, and that this prayer was not a righteous deed on his part. So Nooh sought forgiveness from his Lord, repented and returned to Allaah: “Nooh said: ‘O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have Mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers.’” [Hood 11:47 – interpretation of the meaning].

When Dawood realized that he had been too quick to judge, without listening to what the second disputant had to say, he hastened to repent: “… and he sought Forgiveness of his Lord, and he fell down prostrate and turned (to Allaah) in repentance.” [Saad 38:24 – interpretation of the meaning].

Everyone, even the Prophets, is in need of the forgiveness of Allaah. Allaah has blessed His Prophets by forgiving their sins, and He has blessed our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as He said (interpretation of the meaning): “That Allaah may forgive you your sins of the past and the future, and complete His favour upon you, and guide you on the Straight Path.” [al-Fath 48:2]

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said, in al-Fataawaa 10/296, “Concerning the issue of forgiveness of the Prophets’ sins: Allaah, may He be exalted, does not speak of any Prophet in the Qur’aan, except He also mentions repentance and seeking forgiveness. For example, Adam and his wife said: ‘Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers.” [al-A’raaf 7:23 – interpretation of the meaning]. Nooh said: “O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have Mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers.’” [Hood 11:47 – interpretation of the meaning]. Ibraaheem said: “Our Lord! Forgive me and my parents, and (all) the Believers on the Day when the reckoning will be established.” [Ibraaheem 14:41 – interpretation of the meaning] and “… You are our wali (Protector), so forgive us and have Mercy on us, for You are the Best of those who forgive. And ordain for us good in this world, and in the Hereafter. Certainly we have turned unto You…” [al-A’raaf 7:155-156 – interpretation of the meaning]. Moosa said: ‘…You are our wali (Protector), so forgive us and have Mercy on us, for You are the Best of those who forgive.’ [al-A’raaf 7:155 – interpretation of the meaning]. Then he [Ibn Taymiyah, may Allaah have mercy on him] gave further examples, but what we have mentioned here is sufficient. And Allaah knows best.

Muslim view of Ibraaheem (upon whom be peace) and the Tawraat (Torah)

Why does Islam ,believing that its roots lie with abraham ,nonetheless not believe in the veracity of hebrew scriptures?

Praise be to Allaah.

Muslims believe in all the Prophets and Messengers without exception; whoever denies any Prophet is a disbeliever. Muslims believe in all the Books that were revealed by Allaah to His Prophets, without exception; whoever denies any Book is a disbeliever.

On this basis, Muslims believe in Moosa (Moses) as a Prophet from Allaah, and in the original Torah as a Book from Allaah, and in ‘Eesa (Jesus) as a Prophet from Allaah, and in the original Gospel as a Book from Allaah.

When the previous books were distorted and altered because of men’s desires and division among the Jews and Christians, it was no longer possible to rely on them. Allaah abrogated all previous laws (sharee’ahs) when Islam came, and all previous Books when the Qur’aan was revealed. When He sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) as the final Messenger and Seal of the Prophets, it became obligatory to believe in and follow the Qur’aan which was revealed to him, especially since Allaah has guaranteed to preserve the Qur’aan and protect it from alteration and distortion, as He says (interpretation of the meaning): “Verily We: it is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e., the Qur’aan) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption).” [al-Hijr 15:9]

Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) is the Khaleel (Friend) of Allaah, the Father of the Prophets and the pride of the Muslims. Allaah sent him with the message of Tawheed (Divine unity) just as He sent Moosa, ‘Eesa and Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon them all). The happiest of mankind is one who follows his way, which is Tawheed (belief in Divine unity).

Because both the Jews and Christians claimed that Ibraaheem belonged to them, Allaah explained that they were both wrong, giving decisive historical evidence in the aayaat (interpretation of the meaning):

“O People of the Scripture (Jews and Christians)! Why do you dispute about Ibraaheem, while the Tawraat and the Injeel were not revealed till after him? Have you then no sense?

Verily, you are those who have disputed about that of which you have no knowledge. Why do you then dispute concerning that which you have no knowledge? It is Allaah Who knows, and you know not.

Ibraaheem was neither a Jew nor a Christian, but he was a true Muslim haneefa (Islamic monotheism – worshipping none but Allaah alone), and he was not of al-mushrikoon (polytheists).

Verily, among mankind who have the best claim to Ibraaheem are those who followed him, and this Prophet (Muhammad (peace andb lessings of Allaah be upon him) and those who have believed (Muslims). And Allaah is the Wali (Protector and Helper) of the believers.”[Aal ‘Imraan 3:65-68]

Become Muslim and you will be saved. Praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the Worlds.