Q & A Corner

Reference 1

Question:

After the wedding the couple travel to another place for a holiday, and this is called the honeymoon. What is the ruling on that?.



Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

What the people call the honeymoon is when the husband takes his wife to another city or country, and these trips are usually to places of entertainment and sin, thus it is a reprehensible custom and bad habit.


This trip is even more reprehensible if it is to a kaafir country, as that results in many negative consequences that affect both husband and wife. The husband may be influenced by the habits and customs of the kuffaar, as he may turn away from his religion and good habits. The wife may be influenced by the kaafir women and she may give up her religious commitment and modest ways, and may look down on the good character and traditions of her people and drift away into corruption, promiscuity and wanton display.


Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said in al-Mukhallas al-Fiqhi (2/581):

Nowadays many wealthy young people travel after marriage to foreign, kaafir countries to spend the honeymoon there, as they call it, but in fact it is a “poisonmoon”, because it is a haraam month which leads to many evils, such as taking off hijab, wearing the clothes of the kuffaar, watching the bad deeds and foolish customs of the kuffaar, and visiting places of leisure, until the woman comes back influenced by these bad ways and looking down on the ways of her Muslim society. This journey is extremely haraam and those who do it must be stopped from doing it. The guardian of the woman should also prevent her from taking this journey. End quote.


Yes, if the couple travel someplace for a holiday, and there are no evils in the place they go to, or they take a journey that is approved of in Islam, such as travelling to do ‘umrah, for example, there is nothing wrong with that.

And Allaah knows best.




Islam Q&A

Question:

What is the ruling on travelling to an Arab Muslim land where evil and haraam things are widespread? Many newly-weds travel to that country for a holiday or to spend their honeymoon there. What is required of one who travels to that country?.



Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

In the answer to question with Quote "Reference 1" , we have stated what people call the honeymoon is one of the reprehensible habits that have become widespread among the Muslims, which has led to a great deal of negative consequences that can harm both spouses.

Secondly:

With regard to travelling to a country where evil and haraam things are widespread, that is haraam and it is not permissible to travel unless that is for an essential need. Travel for a holiday or for fun is not an essential need that would make it permissible to do this haraam action.

Travelling to a land in which sin and evil are widespread, whether it is a Muslim country or not, involves many dangers and haraam actions, including the following:

1 – Sitting in places of entertainment where sins are committed such as drinking alcohol and gambling, entering places of entertainment and dance halls, and not condemning those who do that. This is doing a haraam action and failing to do an obligatory action, whereby the Muslim is guilty of sin.

2 – Loss of modesty because of the tempting scenes and immoral conduct and animalistic behaviour that one sees in those countries.

Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan al-Jibreen mentioned a number of these evils and things that go against Islam in his answer when he was asked about the phenomenon of families travelling to Arab and western countries:


He replied:

There are many ahaadeeth which forbid the making of images… they are general in meaning and apply to all images, whether they are engraved, carved or drawn, and whether they are three-dimensional or have no shadow (two-dimensional). There is the command to erase all images, and it is narrated that the angels do not enter any house in which there is an image. Because of the necessity nowadays to protect borders and rights, the shaykhs and scholars have granted a concession with regard to necessities such as ID documents and passports etc, for those who want to travel for the sake of medical treatment or for essential studies and the like. Such a person may have his picture taken for his passport because it is not possible to travel otherwise. But as for travelling for the sake of pleasure or fun, this is not essential. I think that taking photographs is not permissible for this purpose. Travelling with one’s wife and family for pleasure and fun leads to many negative consequences, foremost among which is taking pictures of mahrams whereby men at the border posts see them even though it is haraam for a woman to uncover her face in front of non-mahram men.

Secondly:

There is no benefit in these journeys at all, rather they are a waste of precious time. The claim that these trips are for discovery and learning about other countries and their benefits are not true. Those who travel do not use their trips to learn and ponder; rather they use them to relax and enjoy looking at different scenes.

Thirdly:

These trips are a waste of money which is spent by these travellers and which goes to benefit the kuffaar who are the enemies of Islam and use it to support kufr, promote false religions and wage war against Islam and the Muslims.

Fourthly:

They indulge in permissible things which distract them from acts of worship, and they may do many makrooh things which lead them into haraam things. We often hear that those travellers intend to do promiscuous things, then they fall into zina, drinking alcohol, listening to music, going to dance halls and places of entertainment and spending huge amounts of money on those haraam and makrooh things, which benefits the kuffaar and harms the Muslims.

Fifthly:

The believing women end up doing things that are contrary to Islam, by lifting the veil of modesty, uncovering their faces and heads, showing their adornment and imitating the kaafir women on the grounds that they cannot cover among women who are uncovered. Thus they fall into sin and imitate the kaafir women and sinful women, and their guardians cannot stop them.

Sixthly:

Travelling to those countries for no necessary reasons is a means of committing sin or looking down on the Muslims, whereby one scorns the teachings of Islam and develops respect for the kuffaar in one's heart. We advise Muslims to protect themselves, their minds, their womenfolk, their wealth, their religious commitment and their worldly interests by not travelling except in cases of urgent need.

And Allaah is the Source of strength and the Guide to the straight path. May Allaah send blessings and peace upon Muhammad and his family and companions. End quote.

Shaykh Saalih ibn Fawzaan al-Fawzaan was asked a number of questions about young men travelling with their wives after getting married or during holidays, and the attitude of guardians about young women travelling with their husbands. There follow some of these questions and his answers:


Question 1 :

1 – If a father knows that his son is going to travel abroad after getting married, is he obliged to stop him? What is the evidence for that?


Answer: The father should stop his son from travelling abroad if the journey is merely for pleasure and if he is able to stop him, because of the harm that travelling will do to his religious commitment and to him. If he cannot stop him, then he has to advise him and not give him any money for that, because that would be helping him in sin and transgression.


Question 2:

2 – If the father of the wife knows that his daughter’s husband is going to take her on a trip abroad after they get married, is he obliged to stop her? Is she obliged to obey her father and not travel, or should she obey her husband and travel abroad for pleasure?


Answer: The wife’s father has the right to prevent her from travelling abroad with her husband if the trip is merely for pleasure. The wife should not obey her husband in that, because there is no obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience towards the Creator.

Thirdly:

With regard to what is required of the one who travels to that country: if his trip is for a necessary purpose which makes it permissible, such as medical treatment and the like, then Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan said:

My advice to those who travel abroad for permissible purposes is that they should fear Allaah and adhere to their religion and practise it openly; they should feel proud of it and call others to it and convey its message to the people. They should be a good example and represent the Muslims in a good light, and they should not remain in the kaafir land for longer than is necessary. End quote.




Islam Q&A

Question:

Is it permissible to attend the celebrations of Christian festivals and congratulate them?



Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: it is not permissible for the Muslims to attend the festivals of the mushrikeen, according to the consensus of the scholars whose words carry weight. The fuqaha’ who follow the four schools of thought have stated this clearly in their books… Al-Bayhaqi narrated with a saheeh isnaad from ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab that he said: “Do not enter upon the mushrikeen in their churches on the day of their festival, for divine wrath is descending upon them.” And ‘Umar also said: “Avoid the enemies of Allaah on their festivals.” Al-Bayhaqi narrated with a jayyid isnaad from ‘Abd-Allaah ibn ‘Amr that he said: “Whoever settles in the land of the non-Arabs and celebrates their new year and festival and imitates them until he dies in that state, will be gathered with them on the Day of Resurrection.” (Ahkaam Ahl al-Dhimmah, 1/723-724).

Question:

There is a person who used to put his money in the bank, and he got interest for it. He wants to get rid of this interest. Is it permissible for him to give it to his married daughters, knowing that they are not well off?.



Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Putting money in the bank in return for interest is emphatically haraam and is a major sin. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Fear Allaah and give up what remains (due to you) from Ribaa (from now onward) if you are (really) believers.

279. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allaah and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums)”

[al-Baqarah 2:278-279]


It is not permissible to put money in a riba-based bank except when there is the fear that the money may be stolen etc., if there is no means of protecting it other than by putting it in the bank. In that case it is sufficient to put it in a current account that bears no interest, because cases of necessity may make forbidden things permissible, but only to the extent that is necessary.

Secondly:

The one who has fallen into riba must repent to Allaah, may He be exalted, by giving up the sin, regretting what he has done, resolving not to do it again, and getting rid of the haraam interest by donating it to charitable causes. He does not have the right to benefit from it for himself or for those on whom he is obliged to spend.

Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: As for the interest that the bank gives to you, do not return it to the bank and do not consume it; rather give it to charitable causes such as giving it to the poor, repairing public washrooms, and helping debtors who are unable to pay off their debts. End quote from Fataawa Islamiyyah (2/407).

Thirdly:

There is nothing wrong with giving this money to your married daughters, if they are in need of money, because you are not obliged to spend on them, rather their husbands are obliged to do that.

And Allaah knows best.



Islam Q&A

Question:

What is the ruling on one who drives too fast in the fast lane on the highway? Is the one who dies as the result of driving too fast in the fast lane regarded as having committed suicide?
What is the ruling on one who dies because of driving too fast whilst he is rushing a casualty to the hospital?.



Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

Driving too fast is not a good thing, because of the accidents and dangers that result from it. Hence the scholars have spoken sternly about it and they regard driving over the speed limit as carelessness on the part of the driver, so he is liable for loss of life, limb or property that results from that. Any death that results from that is regarded as accidental killing or manslaughter, for which he must pay the blood money (diyah) and offer expiation (kafaarah).

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked: A person died because of an accident in which the car was speeding. Can it be said that this is a kind of suicide?

He replied: No, this is not suicide, rather he has killed himself by mistake. If speed was the cause of the accident then he killed himself by mistake, because if he were asked: were you driving so fast to die? He would say: No. So this is not suicide. But it may be said that he killed himself by mistake. End quote from Liqa’ al-Baab il-Maftooh (73/19).

Secondly:

Taking the wounded and injured to hospital is a good deed, for which a person will be rewarded. But he should not bring harm upon himself or upon the injured person by driving too fast or going through red lights. That may lead to something that will cause a delay in bringing the sick person to the hospital.

As for the one who died as the result of this speeding, we ask Allaah to forgive him, and to reward him for his good intention, and that is not regarded as suicide, because he did not mean to kill himself, rather his intention was to do good by taking the sick person to hospital quickly.

And Allaah knows best.



Islam Q&A

Question:

What are the bad deeds that cancel out good deeds if a person does them and cause them to be erased from the record of deeds?.



Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

One of the basic principles among Ahl al-Sunnah wa’l-Jamaa’ah is that good deeds are not accepted if they are accompanied by kufr, and that nothing cancels out all good deeds except kufr.

This is indicated by the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: Spend (in Allaah’s Cause) willingly or unwillingly, it will not be accepted from you. Verily, you are ever a people who are Faasiqoon (rebellious, disobedient to Allaah).”

54. And nothing prevents their contributions from being accepted from them except that they disbelieved in Allaah and in His Messenger (Muhammad), and that they came not to As-Salaah (the prayer) except in a lazy state, and that they offer not contributions but unwillingly”

[al-Tawbah 9:53-54]

Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Nothing cancels out good deeds except kufr, because the one who dies as a believer will inevitably enter Paradise, and he will be brought out of Hell if he does enter it, but if all his good deeds are cancelled out, he will never enter Paradise. Good deeds can only be cancelled out by that which is their opposite, and nothing can be the opposite of all good deeds except kufr. This is well known from the principles of Sunnah. End quote. Al-Saarim al-Maslool (p. 55)

The followers of innovation, such as the Khawaarij, Mu’tazilah and Murji’ah differed. The Khawaarij and Mu’tazilah went to extremes and said that major sins erase and cancel out all good deeds and acts of worship. In contrast the Murji’ah said that the good deed of faith cancels out all bad deeds.

Secondly:

Once it is understood that nothing can cancel out all good deeds except that which cancels out faith altogether, namely kufr, then can some sins cancel out and erase some good deeds?


Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/638):

If bad deeds do not cancel out all good deeds, can they cancel out a proportional amount of them, or can some good deeds be erased by sin that is less than kufr?

There are two views among those who claim adherence to the Sunnah, some who deny that and some who affirm it. End quote.

The first view is that bad deeds do not cancel out good deeds, rather good deeds are the ones that cancel out bad deeds, by the grace and bounty and kindness of Allaah.


Al-Qurtubi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Jaami’ li Ahkaam al-Qur’aan (3/295):

The correct ‘aqeedah is that bad deeds do not cancel out good deeds. End quote.

The second view is that sins and innovations may cancel out the reward for good deeds as a form of punishment. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah attributed this view to the majority of Ahl al-Sunnah. See Majmoo’ al-Fataawa (10/322).

This was also the view favoured by Shaykh al-Islam and his student Ibn al-Qayyim. He said in Madaarij al-Saalikeen (1/278):

Ahmad stated that in one report and said: A person should get married if he fears for himself; he should borrow money and get married, lest he fall into haraam actions which would cancel out his good deeds. End quote.


Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in Kitaab al-Eemaan (the Book of Faith) in his Saheeh:

Chapter: Fear of the believer inadvertently cancelling out his good deeds. Ibraaheem al-Taymi (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: When I compare my words with my deeds, I am afraid that my deeds belie my words. Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: I met thirty of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) all of whom feared that they might be guilty of hypocrisy, and not one of them said that his faith was like that of Jibreel and Mika’eel. It was narrated from al-Hasan: No one fears it (hypocrisy) but a believer and no one feels safe from it but a hypocrite. And one should be afraid of persisting in hypocrisy and sin without repenting, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): “and [they] do not persist in what (wrong) they have done, while they know” [Aal ‘Imraan 3:135].

Imam Muslim also entitled a chapter: The believer’s fear of his good deeds being cancelled out.


Imam Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Al-Bukhaari’s title for this chapter is suited to what is mentioned in it of good deeds being cancelled out by some sins, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Raise not your voices above the voice of the Prophet, nor speak aloud to him in talk as you speak aloud to one another, lest your deeds should be rendered fruitless while you perceive not”

[al-Hujuraat 49:2]


Imam Ahmad said: Al-Hasan ibn Moosa said: Hammad ibn Salamah narrated from Habeeb ibn al-Shaheed, that al-Hasan said: These people do not think that some deeds can cancel out others, but Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Raise not your voices …, lest your deeds should be rendered fruitless while you perceive not”

[al-Hujuraat 49:2]


This is also indicated by the verses in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Do not render in vain your Sadaqah (charity) by reminders of your generosity or by injury, like him who spends his wealth to be seen of men, and he does not believe in Allaah, nor in the Last Day. His likeness is the likeness of a smooth rock on which is a little dust; on it falls heavy rain which leaves it bare. They are not able to do anything with what they have earned. And Allaah does not guide the disbelieving people”

[al-Baqarah 2:264]


“Would any of you wish to have a garden with date palms and vines, with rivers flowing underneath, and all kinds of fruits for him therein, while he is stricken with old age, and his children are weak (not able to look after themselves), then it is struck with a fiery whirlwind, so that it is burnt? Thus does Allaah make clear His Ayaat (proofs, evidences, verses) to you that you may give thought”

[al-Baqarah 2:266]


In Saheeh al-Bukhaari it is narrated that ‘Umar asked the people about it and they said: Allaah knows best. Ibn ‘Abbaas said: The verse gives a likeness of deeds. ‘Umar said: What deeds? Ibn ‘Abbaas said: Deeds. ‘Umar said: A rich man may strive in obedience of Allaah, then Allaah sends the shaytaan to him and he commits sins until they drown out his good deeds.

‘Ata’ al-Khursaani said: This is a man whose deeds end with shirk or a major sin, so all his good deeds are cancelled out.

It is narrated in a saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever does not pray ‘Asr, his deeds are cancelled out.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (553).

It also says in al-Saheeh that a man said: By Allaah, Allaah will not forgive So and so. Allaah said: ‘Who is the one who swore by Me that I will not forgive So and so? I have forgiven So and so and I have cancelled out your good deeds. Muslim (2621).

‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said: Tell Zayd that his jihad with the Messenger of Allaah (S) will be cancelled out unless he repents. Narrated by al-Daaraqutni (3/52) and al-Bayhaqi (5/330)

This indicates that some bad deeds cancel out some good deeds, but they may be restored if one repents.

Ibn Abi Haatim narrated in his Tafseer from Abu Ja’far, from al-Rabee’ ibn Anas, that Abu’l-Aaliyah said: The companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) thought that no sin could do harm if one was sincere and that no good deed was of any avail if one associates others with Allaah. Then Allaah revealed the words (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Obey Allaah, and obey the Messenger (Muhammad) and render not vain your deeds”

[Muhammad 47:33]


Then they began to fear major sins after they found out that they may cancel out good deeds.

It was narrated from al-Hasan that he said concerning the words “and render not vain your deeds” i.e., by committing sins. It was narrated from Ma’mar from al-Zuhri concerning the words “and render not vain your deeds” i.e., by committing major sins.


It was narrated that Qataadah said concerning this verse: Whoever among you can avoid rendering vain his righteous deeds by doing bad deeds, let him do so, and there is no strength except with Allaah. Good cancels out evil, and evil cancels out good, and what matters is one’s final deeds.


Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: There are very many reports from the salaf about good deeds being cancelled out by major sins, and it would take too long to list them all. Hudhayfah said: Slandering a chaste innocent woman cancels out the good deeds of a hundred years.


It was narrated that ‘Ata’ said: A man may say a word in anger that destroys the good deeds of sixty or seventy years.

Imam Ahmad said, according to the report of al-Fadl ibn Ziyaad: No one of you can be sure that he will not steal a glance that will cancel out his good deeds.


As for those who say that the view that good deeds may be cancelled out by bad deeds is the view of the Khawaarij and Mu’tazilah, this is a false view, and the views of the righteous salaf do not agree with that. Yes, the Khawaarij and Mu’tazilah said that faith is cancelled out by major sins and that major sin dooms one to spend eternity in Hell, but this is a false view which was held by them alone. Sharh Kitaab al-Eemaan min Saheeh al-Bukhaari (206-210).


Ibn al-Qayyim said: The things that cancel out or spoil good deeds are too many to count. It is not the deeds that count, rather it is the protection of one's good deeds from that which may spoil them or cancel them out. Al-Waabil al-Sayyib (18).

And Allaah knows best.




Islam Q&A

Question:

After my husband died we began to get money from the National Insurance and Pension Organization. We referred this matter to the scholars, and some of them said that this money should be distributed according to sharee’ah because it is like an estate left by the deceased; others said that it should be distributed according to the rules and regulations governing insurance, because it is the result of an agreement between the deceased and that organization. We referred the second answer to the scholars who held the first view, and they said that insurance for government employees is something compulsory and the employee does not have the right to cancel it. Now I am arguing with my children about this matter. What should I do?.



Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

Insurance policies are based on ambiguity and are akin to gambling, and it is not permissible for a Muslim to join them voluntarily. If a Muslim is forced to join, and part of his salary is deducted for that each month, then he does not have the right to take anything more than what was deducted from him for that.

If his job ends or he leaves, he can take what was deducted from him and spend the rest on charitable causes. Similarly if this employee dies, it is not permissible for his heirs to make use of what they take from these institutions, apart from what was deducted from their father’s salary.

What they take every month should be divided according to sharee’ah, based on each person’s share of the inheritance, not according to the rules and regulations governing insurance. Sharee’ah takes precedence over them, not the other way round.


Islam Q&A

Question:

Is there life on other planets or in other galaxies?.



Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

As for the seven heavens, they are populated by the angels, as Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Nearly the heavens might be rent as under from above them (by His Majesty), and the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask for forgiveness for those on the earth. Verily, Allaah is the Oft‑Forgiving, the Most Merciful”

[al-Shoora 42:5]


“But if they are too proud (to do so), then there are those who are with your Lord (angels) glorify Him night and day, and never are they tired”

[Fussilat 41:38]


Al-Tirmidhi (2312) narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Verily I see what you do not see and I hear what you do not hear. The heaven is creaking and it should creak, for there is no space in it the width of four fingers but there is an angel there, prostrating to Allaah. By Allaah, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much, and you would never enjoy women in your beds, and you would go out in the streets, beseeching Allaah.” Classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi.

In al-Saheehayn it is narrated from Maalik ibn Sa’sa’ah, in the story of al-Isra’ wa’l-Mi’raaj (the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascent into heaven): “ … Then the Much-Frequented House (al-bayt al-ma’moor) was raised up for me, and I said: ‘O Jibreel, what is this?’ He said: ‘This is the Much-Frequented House. Every day seventy thousand angels enter it and when they depart from it, they never return to it.” Al-Bukhaari (3207) and Muslim (164).


This has to do with the heavens. As for the planets and other galaxies, our answer is to say: Allaah knows best.



Islam Q&A

Question:

An uncovered woman asked a young man to take a picture of her with a camera, and she was not Muslim, and he agreed to do that. Is what he did permissible or did he do something that was very wrong, and what advice do you give to people like him?.



Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The Muslim has to respect the rulings of Islam and be proud of its teachings, and he should be a caller to the guidance of Islam by his attitude more than his words, especially when he is among non-Muslim people.

Righteousness is a honour by means of which the Muslim rises in status, a light that shines among mankind. It is not a burden or something shameful that he should be embarrassed to show openly, let alone go against openly.

It is well known in Islam that it is forbidden to look at the faces of non-mahram women unnecessarily, and it is even more haraam to look at their hair and whatever of their adornments are visible.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allaah is All‑Aware of what they do”

[al-Noor 24:30]

It was narrated from Ibn Buraydah from his father that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to ‘Ali: “O ‘Ali, do not follow one glance with another; the first is allowed but the second is not.”


Narrated by Abu Dawood (2149) and classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood.

It is obvious that taking a woman’s picture with a camera involves looking closely at her face and form, along with the talking, chatting and haraam smiles that are also involved. So how about if the woman is uncovered, wearing makeup and showing her adornments?

The basic principle is that the Muslim should denounce evil and forbid everything that goes against the commands of Allaah, and he should not keep quiet about it – let alone help with it and take the matter lightly.


The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you sees an evil action, then let him change it with his hand [by taking action]; if he cannot, then with his tongue [by speaking out]; and if he cannot, then with his heart – and that is the weakest of faith.” Narrated by Muslim (49).


It would have been better for this young man to take the opportunity to call this woman to Islam and tell her of the virtues and purity to be found in hijab, and tell her that righteous believing women from Maryam (peace be upon her) to the Mothers of the Believers and the believing women were women of virtue who observed hijab, and that Islam protects women and regards them as precious jewels which are not permissible for everyone to see. Perhaps Allaah might have guided this woman at his hands and her becoming Muslim would have weighed in the balance of his good deeds on the Day of Resurrection.

This young man has to repent from what he has done, and not do such a thing again. You have to advise him and remind him that he should keep away from such actions, and that it is better to openly follow the rulings of Islam in front of non-Muslims who he hopes will be impressed when they see the greatness of this religion and its teachings.

I ask Allaah to guide us and you to that which is good, and to teach us and you guidance, truth and faith.

And Allaah knows best.




Islam Q&A

format_quote Originally Posted by alapiana1

I think that it is not the will of Allah that a Christian and Muslim be married because of the difference in religion which is sure to clash at some point in time. However, It may not have been Allah's will to marry, but now that you are, it is His will. All you can do at this time is take action by leaving when she does such things. That would be more powerful than speaking. What would be most powerful is praying for her and asking God for wisdom on how to deal with this situation. Whatever you do, it is more important to just God than lean to you own understanding which leads to death.

I went through the hadith's but i need more time to give a proper description . I shall try to give you the proper details on this part and in case if someone else knows details then feel free to share it

Question:

Is watching TV permitted in Islaam ? If so under what coditions ?




Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

The issue of watching films is not free from numerous reservations from a shar’i point of view, such as uncovering ‘awraat, listening to music, spreading corrupt beliefs and calling for imitation of the kuffaar. Allaah has commanded us to lower our gaze, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Tell the believing men to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts). That is purer for them. Verily, Allâh is All-Aware of what they do. And tell the believing women to lower their gaze (from looking at forbidden things), and protect their private parts (from illegal sexual acts)” [al-Noor 24:30-31].

Since lowering the gaze is the basis of protecting the private parts, it is mentioned first. Allaah has made the eyes the reflection of the heart: if a person lowers his gaze, the desire in his heart will be reduced, but if a person looks and stares, the desire in his heart will be provoked.

In Saheeh Muslim (1218) it is reported that Al-Fadl ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with him) was riding behind the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the Day of Sacrifice (Yawm al-Nahr) from Muzdalifah to Mina, when some women riding on camel-borne sedan chairs passed by. The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) turned his [al-Fadl’s] head away. This was prevention and denunciation through action, for if looking were permissible he would have approved of what he did.

In Saheeh al-Bukhaari (6343) it is reported that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Every son of Adam has his share of zinaa decreed for him, and he will undoubtedly get his share. The eye commits zinaa and its zinaa is looking. The tongue commits zinaa and its zinaa is speaking; the feet commit zinaa and their zinaa is walking; the hands commit zinaa and their zinaa is touching. The heart longs and desires for something and the private parts confirm that or deny it.”

He began by mentioning the eye because this is how the zinaa of the hand, foot, heart and private parts begins. By mentioning the zinaa of the tongue, he pointed out that the mouth can commit zinaa by speaking. And he stated that the private parts can confirm that if they make the deed happen, or deny it if that does not happen.

This hadeeth gives the clearest indication that the eye can sin by looking and that this is its zinaa. This is a refutation to those who say that looking is allowed in all circumstances.

It was also reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “O ‘Ali, do not follow a look with a second, for the first look is allowable but not the second.”

A look has the same effect on the heart as an arrow has on its victim. If it does not kill him, it will wound him. It is like a spark of fire in dried grass; if it does not burn all of it, it will still burn some of it. May Allaah have mercy on the one who said:

“Everything starts with a look, and big fires start from little sparks.

How often has a heart been dealt a fatal blow like that of an arrow, with no need for a bow.

As long as a man’s eyes are looking around, looking into the eyes of others, he is in a state of danger.

His eye delights in that which could destroy his heart. The joy that may lead to harm is not welcome.”

Hence Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said in al-Fataawa 3/227:

With regard to television, it is a dangerous device and its harmful effects are very great, like those of the cinema, or even worse. We know from the research that has been written about it and from the words of experts in Arab countries and elsewhere enough to indicate that it is dangerous and very harmful to Islamic beliefs (‘aqeedah), morals and the state of society. This is because it includes the presentation of bad morals, tempting scenes, immoral pictures, semi-nakedness, destructive speech, and Kufr. It encourages imitation of their conduct and ways of dressing, respect for their leaders, neglect of Islamic conduct and ways of dressing, and looking down on the scholars and heroes of Islam. It damages their image by portraying them in an off-putting manner that makes people despise them and ignore them. It shows people how to cheat, steal, hatch plots and commit acts of violence against others. Undoubtedly anything that produces so many bad results should be stopped and shunned, and we have to close all the doors that could lead to it. If some of our brothers denounce it and speak out against it, we cannot blame them, because this is a part of sincerity towards Allaah and towards other people.

Whoever thinks that this device (TV) can be free of these evils and can be used only for good purposes if it is censored properly is exaggerating and is making a big mistake, because the censor may miss things and most people nowadays want to imitate the foreigners. It is very rare to find censors who are doing their job properly, especially nowadays when most people are only interested in time-wasting entertainment and things that turn people away from true guidance. Reality bears witness to that.

We ask Allaah to keep us safe from all evil for He is the Most Generous.




Islam Q&A

Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid

Question:

What is the ruling on watching videos in general, and the movies that are called documentaries? Please advise us, may Allaah bless you.



Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Watching movies includes looking at things that are haraam, such as seeing ‘awrahs, following immoral actions, or listening to things that are haraam such as music and obscene talk. Undoubtedly it is haraam to watch them in this case.

If the movies are free of such things, then there is nothing wrong with watching them, so long as that does not distract one from remembering Allaah or keep one from doing something that is obligatory.

No distinction is made between documentaries and other kinds of movies.

Watching movies has a bad effect on the individual and on the ummah. These include the following:

1- Provocation of desires

2- Propagation of immorality which is made attractive and easily accessible

3- Teaching and justification of crime, and making it familiar to young and old

4- Corruption of married life, by making the wife seem ugly to the husband and vice versa, by showing images of attractive girls and men

5- Spreading corrupt beliefs which are based on kaafir theories, such as the theory of evolution, or attributing the powers of creation and destruction to researchers and inventors, or propagating magic, soothsaying and claims to know the unseen, or making fun of religion and religious people, and other things which appear in movies that are shown to young and old.

6- Wasting time and draining away energy, living with illusions far removed from reality.

And there are other evil consequences.

Shaykh Ibn Jibreen (may Allaah preserve him) said: Another of the evils of looking at those beguiling images and enjoying watching them is those images which are shown in movies on videos and on the TV etc, which show images of adorned women, especially those which are broadcast from foreign countries, and those that are shown via satellite, etc.

They are a fitnah (trial, temptation), and what a fitnah. The one who looks at those images cannot be sure that he will remain uninfluenced by the image of this woman or this zaani (adulterer) or this one who is committing evil and showing him the way to do it. He may not be able to control himself and stop himself from looking for ways to fulfil his desire, if he does not have the faith to stop him looking at these images, whether they are drawings, photographs in the pages of newspapers and magazines, or they are shown in direct broadcasts or in movies and the like.

These sins and haraam things are prevalent everywhere, and they are calling people to commit immoral actions. When a woman watches these non-mahram men, she cannot be sure that her heart will not incline towards committing immoral deeds, and when a woman sees these immoral, adorned women she would be temped to imitate them because she will think that they are smarter and stronger than her. That will make her cast aside the garment of modesty and uncover her face, and she will show her beauty to strangers, and she will become a fitnah and what a fitnah. End quote from the website of Shaykh Ibn Jibreen.

For more information on the dangers of TV, see the essay al-Ijhaaz ‘ala al-Tilfaaz by Shaykh Muhammad Ahmad Ismaa’eel.

And Allaah knows best.




Islam Q&A

Question:
A waswasa is disturbing that maybe the rules of shirk which apply in this world do not apply in the universe. Somewhere else in the universe there might be a place where the dead can hear and help, where going to the graves is a form of worship etc. Please help me with to fight this waswasa.




Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

One of the means that the Shaytaan uses to misguide people is by casting doubts and whispers (waswaas) into their hearts. The Messenger of Allaah peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) has warned us against some of these things. It says in the hadeeth: “The Shaytaan comes to any one of you and says, ‘Who created such and such? Who created such and such?’ until he says, ‘Who created your Lord?’ If that happens to you, seek refuge with Allaah and give up these thoughts.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, no. 3277

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) taught us two important things:

1 – To turn to Allaah and seek His protection, and to beseech Him, for He is the most Generous:

“And if an evil whisper comes to you from Shaytaan (Satan), then seek refuge with Allaah”

[al-A’raaf 7:200 – interpretation of the meaning]

2 – To put a stop to this matter and turn away from it, and to keep ourselves busy with other, useful things.

The companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to him complaining about the doubts and waswaas that they were suffering. In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated that Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said: “Some of the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to him and said, ‘We find in our hearts things that none of us dares utter.’ He said, ‘Do you really find that?’ They said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘That is clear faith.’” (2/153).

What is meant by his saying ‘That is clear faith’ is that their hatred of that waswasah and their rejecting it was a clear sign of faith.

The Shaytaan only whispers to people of faith; as for the kaafir he comes to him however he wants and does not limit himself to waswaas, rather he toys with him however he wishes.


The belief concerning which there can be no doubt is that the entire universe, from its heights to its depths, is in a state of submission to Allaah and no one in the universe possesses any power. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Say: (O Muhammad to polytheists, pagans) Call upon those whom you assert (to be associate gods) besides Allaah, they possess not even an atom’s (or a small ant’s) weight either in the heavens or on the earth, nor have they any share in either, nor there is for Him any supporter from among them.

Intercession with Him profits not except for him whom He permits”

[Saba’ 34:22-23]

This crafty enemy is keen to misguide people and to make them doubt. The more you seek the help of Allaah, learn about your enemy and be prepared to face him, the more you will be victorious over him. If you know your true enemy, the following are the weapons at your disposal.




Firstly:

Adherence to the Qur’aan and Sunnah in word and deed, and keeping away from the paths of misguidance, for on every path there is a devil calling people to it. So you should follow the beliefs, words, acts of worship and laws that have come from Allaah and abstain from that which He has forbidden. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“Enter perfectly in Islam (by obeying all the rules and regulations of the Islamic religion)”

[al-Baqarah 2:208]

Silm (translated here as Islam) refers to Islam. Muqaatil interpreted it as doing all kinds of good and righteous deeds.

Whoever gives up any part of Islam has followed in some of the footsteps of the Shaytaan.

Adhering to the Qur’aan and Sunnah in word and deed expels the Shaytaan annoys him greatly. Muslim narrated from Abu Hurayrah: “When the son of Adam recites a verse of sajdah and prostrates, the Shaytaan withdraws weeping, saying, ‘Woe to me, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and he prostrated, so Paradise will be his; I was commanded to prostrate and I disobeyed, so Hell will be mine.’” Narrated by Muslim, no. 133.

Secondly:

Seeking refuge with Allaah from all kinds of evil and turning to Him. Islam teaches us to seek refuge with Allaah in certain situations, such as the following:

When entering the washroom: “Allaahumma inni a’oodhu bika min al-khubthi wa’l-khabaa’ith (O Allaah, I seek refuge with You from the male and female devils).”


When one is angry: “A’oodhu Billaahi min al-Shaytaan ir-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan).”


When having intercourse: “Bismillaah Allaahumma jannibna al-shaytaan wa jannib al-shaytaana ma razaqtana (In the name of Allaah, O Allaah, keep the Shaytaan away from us and keep the Shaytaan away from that which You may bless us with).”


When stopping in a place: “A’oodhu bi kalimaat-Allaah il-taammah min sharri ma khalaqa (I seek refuge in the perfect words of Allaah from the evil of that which He has created).”


When hearing the braying of a donkey: “A’oodhu Billaahi min al-Shaytaan ir-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allaah from the accursed Shaytaan).”


When starting to read Qur’aan: “A’oodhu Billaah il-samee’ il-‘aleem min al-Shaytaan ir-rajeem (I seek refuge with Allaah, the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the accursed Shaytaan).”


After starting to pray: “A’oodhu Billaah il-samee’ il-‘aleem min al-Shaytaan ir-rajeem wa min hamzihi wa nafakhihi wa nafthihi (I seek refuge with Allaah, the All-Hearing, All-Knowing, from the accursed Shaytaan, from his madness, his arrogance and his poetry).”


The best words with which we may seek refuge with Allaah are al-Mi’wadhatayn i.e., Soorat al-Falaq and Soorat al-Naas. It was narrated from ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Aamir (may Allaah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do you not see the verses that were revealed to me tonight, the like of which have never been seen? Qul ‘aoodhu bi Rabb il-falaq and Qul ‘aoodhi bi rabb il-naas.” Narrated by Muslim, 814.

Thirdly:

Keeping busy with dhikr, for this is the greatest thing that may protect a person. In the hadeeth it says that Allaah commanded Yahya (peace be upon him) to enjoin five things upon the Children of Israel, one of which was: “I command you to remember Allaah, for this is like a man who is being pursued by the enemy, then he comes to a strong fortress and saves himself from them. Similarly a man cannot save himself from his enemy except by means of dhikr.” Narrated by al-Haafiz Abu Moosa al-Madani in al-Targheeb fi’l-Khisaal al-Hameedah wa’l-Tarheeb min al-Khilaal al-Murdiyyah. Ibn al-Qayyim said: Shaykh al-Islam used to regard this hadeeth highly, and I heard that he used to say: “The evidence for its being sound is quote clear.” al-Waabil al-Sayyib, 60.

Fourthly:

Adhering to the main body of the Muslims (the jamaa’ah) by living in a Muslim land and choosing righteous friends who will help him to do good. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever among you wants to attain the best part of Paradise, let him adhere to the main body of the Muslims, for the Shaytaan is with the one who is alone but he is farther away from two.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2254. Al-Qaari’ said: its isnaad is saheeh. Al-Mubaarakfoori said: The entire hadeeth is either saheeh or hasan. Tuhfat al-Ahwadhi, 6/320.

Fifthly:

Opposing the Shaytaan, for he may come in the form of someone offering sincere advice, so we must go against him. For if he were really good he would be good to himself first, but he has caused himself to be doomed to Hell. So if he comes to you whilst you are praying, and says, “You are showing off (so cut your prayer short),” then make your prayer lengthy. If he says, “You have broken your wudoo’,” say, “You are lying”. If he says to you that the dead can hear you and benefit you or harm you, tell him, “You are lying.” When you eat, be different from him and eat and drink with your right hand, and take food with your right hand. This even applies to taking a siesta, as it says in the hadeeth: “Take a siesta for the devils do not take a siesta.” Narrated by Abu Na’eem with a saheeh isnaad. Saheeh al-Jaami’, 4/147.

Even with regard to a piece of food that falls to the ground, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Pick it up and do not leave it for the Shaytaan…” Narrated by Muslim, 12, al-Adaab.

Sixthly:

Repenting and seeking Allaah’s forgiveness. According to the hadeeth the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “The Shaytaan said to the Lord of Glory: ‘By Your Glory O Lord, I will keep trying to misguide Your slaves so long as their souls are in their bodies.’ The Lord said, ‘By My Glory and Majesty, I will continue to forgive them so long as they ask My forgiveness.’” Narrated by Ahmad in al-Musnad and classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Jaami’, 2/32

So man should always be in a state of repentance and turning to Allaah. They have an example in their father Adam (peace be upon him):

“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]


These are some of the means that will help you to ward off this waswaas. We ask Allaah the Almighty, by His most beautiful names and sublime attributes to grant us refuge from the madness of the devils and from their traps and whispers. Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds.



Islam Q&A

here is a brief discussion before getting in to the core question i request you my friend to go through this post.



The Islamic and Christian View of Jesus:
A Comparision

The person of Jesus or Isa in Arabic (peace be upon him) is of great significance in both Islam and Christianity. However, there are differences in terms of beliefs about the life and the occurrences of this noble Messenger.

Source of information about Jesus in Islam

Muslims take their information about Jesus from two main sources: the Quran, the direct word of God, as revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), as well as the Hadith, or the sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad.

Most of the information about Jesus is actually found in the Quran. It is interesting to note that contemporary scholars and scientists, Muslims and non-Muslims, have discovered that the Quran talks about scientific phenomena which could not have been known by humans when the Quran was revealed in seventh century Arabia. Accurate information about embryology is one such example.

As a result, a number of non-Muslim scholars have concluded that the Quran can only be the Book of God.

The Quran was memorized, written down and revised in the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Today, anyone who calls him or herself a Muslim believes in the complete authenticity of the Quran.

Source of information about Jesus in Christianity

Christians take their information about Jesus from Bible, which for them includes the Old and New Testaments.

This includes four biblical narratives covering the life and death of Jesus. These have been written, according to tradition, respectively by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are placed at the beginning of the New Testament and comprise close to half of it.

Encyclopedia Britannica notes that "none of the sources of his life and work can be traced to Jesus himself; he did not leave a single known written word. Also, there are no contemporary accounts written of his life and death. What can be established about the historical Jesus depends almost without exception on Christian traditions, especially on the material used in the composition of the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke, which reflect the outlook of the later church and its faith in Jesus."

Wayne A. Meeks, Woolsey Professor of Biblical Studies at Yale University, interviewed for the 1998 PBS documentary "From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians" adds: "there is only an interpreted Jesus, there are many interpreted Jesuses. So where do we begin? We begin not with Jesus, we have no access to him. We begin with the responses to Jesus, by his followers, by outsiders who heard about him.... We begin with those reactions as they're enshrined in the text we have."

Below are the views of Islam and Christianity based on primary source texts and core beliefs.

ISLAM

1. Do Muslims believe he was a Messenger of One God? YES

Belief in all of the Prophets and Messengers of the God, Allah as He is known in Arabic, is a fundamental article of faith in Islam. Thus, believing in Prophets Adam, Jesus, Moses, and Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon them) is a requirement for anyone who calls him or herself a Muslim. A person claiming to be a Muslim who, for instance, denies the Messengership of Jesus, is not considered a Muslim. The same is true of any other Prophet.

The Quran says in reference to the status of Jesus as a Messenger:

"The Messiah (Jesus), son of Mary, was no more than a Messenger before whom many Messengers have passed away; and his mother adhered wholly to truthfulness, and they both ate food (as other mortals do). See how We make Our signs clear to them; and see where they are turning away!" (5:75).

Also in the Quran, God says:

"People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to God nothing except the Truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of God, and His command that He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in God and in His Messengers, and do not say: (God is a) trinity. Give up this assertion; it would be better for you. God is indeed just One God. Far be it from His Glory that He should have a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. Allah is sufficient for a guardian." (4:171-172)

2. Do Muslims believe he was born of a Virgin Mother? YES

Like Christians, Muslims believe Mary, Maria in Spanish, or Maryam as she is called in Arabic, was a chaste, virgin woman, who miraculously gave birth to Jesus.

"Relate in the Book the story of Mary, when she withdrew from her family, to a place in the East. She screened herself from them; then We sent to her Our spirit (angel Gabriel) and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. She said: I seek refuge from you in Allah Most Gracious (come not near) if you do fear Allah. He said: Nay, I am only a Messenger from your Lord, to announce to you the gift of a pure son. She said: How shall I have a son, when no man has ever touched me, and I am not unchaste? He said: So it will be, your Lord says: ‘That is easy for Me; and We wish to appoint him as a sign unto men and a Mercy from Us’: It was a matter so decreed" (Quran 19:16-21).

3. Do Muslims believe Jesus had a miraculous birth? YES

The Quran says:

"She (Mary) said: ‘O my Lord! How shall I have a son when no man has touched me.’ He (God) said: ‘So (it will be) for Allah creates what He wills. When He has decreed something, He says to it only: ‘Be!’- and it is" (3:47).

It should also be noted about his birth that:

"Verily, the likeness of Jesus in Allah’s Sight is the likeness of Adam. He (Allah) created him from dust, then (He) said to him: ‘Be!’-and he was" (Quran 3:59).

4. Do Muslims believe Jesus spoke in the cradle? YES

"Then she (Mary) pointed to him. They said: ‘How can we talk to one who is a child in the cradle?’ He (Jesus) said: ‘Verily! I am a slave of Allah, He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet; " (19:29-30).


5. Do Muslims believe he performed miracles? YES

Muslims, like Christians believe the Prophet Jesus performed miracles. But these were performed by the will and permission of Allah, Who has all power and control over all things.

"Then will God say: ‘O Jesus the son of Mary! recount My favor to you and to your mother. Behold! I strengthened you with the Holy Spirit (the angel Gabriel) so that you did speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught you the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel. And behold: you make out of clay, as it were, the figure of a bird, by My leave, and you breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by My leave, and you heal those born blind, and the lepers by My leave. And behold! you bring forth the dead by My leave. And behold! I did restrain the children of Israel from (violence to you) when you did show them the Clear Signs, and the unbelievers among them said: ‘This is nothing but evident magic’ (5:110).

6. Do Muslims believe in the Trinity? NO

Muslims believe in the Absolute Oneness of God, Who is a Supreme Being free of human limitations and wants. He has no partners in His Divinity. He is the Creator of everything and is completely separate from His creation.

Allah says in the Quran regarding Trinity:

"Surely, disbelievers are those who said: ‘Allah is the third of the three (in a Trinity).’ But there is no god but One God. And if they cease not from what they say, verily, a painful torment will befall the disbelievers among them (Quran 5:73).

Also:

"People of the Book (Jews and Christians)! Do not exceed the limits in your religion, and attribute to God nothing except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was only a Messenger of Allah, and His command that He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and in His Messengers, and do not say: ‘Allah is a Trinity.’ Give up this assertion; it would be better for you. Allah is indeed just one God. Far be it from His glory that He should have a son. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and in the earth. Allah is sufficient for a guardian" (Quran 4:171).

7. Do Muslims believe that Jesus was the son of God? NO

As mentioned above, Muslims believe that God is One and free of all partners and associates. He is above all that others associate with Him. All power and control are with Him. It is above His Majesty and Glory to take a son, partner or associate. He is independent of everyone and everything, while on the other hand, everyone and everything is dependent on Him.

"Say: "God is Unique! God, the Source [of everything]. He has not fathered anyone nor was He fathered, and there is nothing comparable to Him!" (Quran 112:1-4).

The Quran also states:

"Such was Jesus, the son of Mary; it is a statement of truth, about which they vainly dispute. It is not befitting to the majesty of Allah, that He should beget a son. Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it, ‘Be’ and it is" (Quran 19:34-35).

8. Do Muslims believe Jesus was killed on the cross then resurrected? NO

"And because of their saying, ‘We killed Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah’- but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of Jesus was put over another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ therein are full of doubts. The have no knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely they killed him not (Jesus, son of Mary). But Allah raised him (Jesus) up (with his body and soul) unto Himself (and he is in the heavens). And Allah is ever All-Powerful, All-Wise" (Quran 4:157-158).



CHRISTIANITY

1.Do Christians believe Jesus was a human being and Messenger of God? YES & NO

With the exception of Unitarian Christians, most Christians now believe in the Divinity of Prophet Jesus, which is connected to the belief in Trinity (which is discussed in point number six).

They say he is the second member of the Triune God, the Son of the first part of the Triune God, and at the same time "fully" God in every respect.

Early followers of Jesus never believed that he was God.

2. Do Christians believe he was born of a Virgin Mother? YES

A chaste and pious human woman who gave birth to Jesus Christ, the second member of the Trinity, the Son of God, and at the same time "fully" God Almighty in every respect.

Christians believe however, that while she was a virgin, she was married to a man named Joseph (Bible: Matthew:1:18). According to Matthew 1:25, Joseph "kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus".

3. Do Christians believe he had a miraculous birth? YES

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit" (Bible: Matthew 1: 18).

4. Do Christians believe he spoke in the cradle? YES and NO?

There is a second century Arabic apocryphal fable from Egypt called the Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ which mentions this:

"...Jesus spake when he was in the cradle, and said to his mother: "Mary, I am Jesus the Son of God, the Word, which thou didst bring forth according to the declaration of the angel Gabriel, and My Father hath sent me for the salvation of the world."

5. Do Christians believe he performed miracles? YES

"And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to thy servants to speak thy word with all boldness, while thou stretches out thy hand to heal, and sign and wonders are performed through the name of thy holy servant Jesus (Bible: Acts 4:30).

Christians believe that Jesus performed these miracles because he was the Son of God as well as the incarnation of God. However, this passage clearly indicates that it was actually God acting through His servant Jesus.

6. Do Christians believe in the Trinity? YES

With the exception of the Unitarian Christians, who do not believe in the Divinity of Christ, the Trinity, according to the Catholic encyclopedia, is the term used for the central doctrine of the Christian religion. The belief is that in the unity of the Godhead there are Three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three Persons or beings are distinct from each another, while being similar in character: uncreated and omnipotent.

The First Vatican Council has explained the meaning to be attributed to the term mystery in theology. It lays down that a mystery is a truth which we are not merely incapable of discovering apart from Divine Revelation, but which, even when revealed, remains "hidden by the veil of faith and enveloped, so to speak, by a kind of darkness" (Const., "De fide. cath.", iv).\ The First Vatican Council further defined that the Christian Faith contains mysteries strictly so called (can. 4). All theologians admit that the doctrine of the Trinity is of the number of these.The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that of all revealed truths, this is the most impenetrable to reason.

More specifically, the Trinity is mentioned in Matthew 28:19:

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit".

One passage in Mark 12:28, 29, and 30 contradicts the "three in one theory" though. It says:

"And one of the scribes came and herd them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked him, ‘What commandment is the foremost of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The foremost is, ‘HEAR, O ISRAEL! THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD; AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH’"


7. Do Christians believe that Jesus was the son of God? YES

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him (Bible: John 3:16).

However, it is interesting to note that the term "son of God" is used in other parts of the Bible to refer to Adam (Bible: Luke 3:38), Israel (Bible: Exodus 4:22) and David (Bible: Psalms 2:7) as well. The creation of God is usually referred to in the Bible as children of God.

The role of Paul of Tarsus in shaping this belief and the belief in Trinity

The notion of Jesus as son of God is something that was established under the influence of Paul of Tarsus (originally named Saul), who had been an enemy of Jesus, but later changed course and joined the disciples after the death of Jesus.

Later, however, he initiated a number of changes into early Christian teachings, in contradiction, for instance, to true disciples like Barnabas, who believed in the Oneness of God and who had actually lived and met with Jesus.

Paul is considered by a number of Christian scholars to be the father of Christianity due to his additions of the following ideas:

the idea that Jesus is the son of God,
the theory of Atonement,
the renunciation of the Law of the Torah which affected rulings about food and circumcision in early Christianity
His letters are the primary sources of information on Jesus according to the Christian tradition.

Initially, Paul was a staunch opponent of Jesus. However, when he did join the followers of Jesus later on, he added many changes in the original teachings of Jesus in hopes of winning over the Gentiles (non-Jewish people), such as the three examples mentioned above.

The original followers of Prophet Jesus opposed these blatant misrepresentations of the message of Jesus. They struggled to reject the notion of Divinity of Jesus for close to 200 years.

One person who was an original follower of Prophet Jesus was Barnabas. He was a Jew born in Cyrus. He was a successful preacher of the teachings of Jesus. Because of his closeness to the Prophet, he was an important member of the small group of disciples in Jerusalem who had had gathered together following the disappearance of Jesus.

The question of the Jesus’s nature, origin and relationship with God was not raised amongst Barnabas and the small group of disciples. The Prophet was considered a man miraculously endowed by God . Nothing in the words of Jesus or the events in his life led them to modify this view.

The Gospel of Barnabas was accepted as a Canonical Gospel in the Churches of Alexandria till 325 C.E. Iranaeus (130-200) wrote in support of pure monotheism and opposed Paul for injecting into Christianity doctrines of the pagan Roman religion and Platonic philosophy. He had quoted extensively from the Gospel of Barnabas in support of his views. This shows that the Gospel of Barnabas was in circulation in the first and second centuries of Christianity.

Since Paul’s alterations to the original monotheistic message of Jesus were very appealing to the Gentiles, the true believers were unable to stop the misguidance.

In 325 Common Era (C.E.), a council of Christian leaders met at Nicaea and made Paul's beliefs officially part of Christian doctrine. It also ordered that all original Gospels in Hebrew script which contradicted Paul’s beliefs should be destroyed. An edict was issued that any one in possession of these Gospels will be put to death.

The Gospel of has miraculously survived though.

8. Do Christians believe he was killed on the cross? YES

This is a core Christian belief and it relates to the theory of atonement. According to this belief, Prophet Jesus died to save mankind form sin. However, this is not stated explicitly in the four gospels which form the primary source texts of Christianity.

It was Paul of Tarsus, considered the real father of Christianity, who came up with this idea (see explanation above). It is found in Bible: Romans 6:8,9.

Christians believe Jesus was spat on, cut, humiliated, kicked, striped, and finally hung up on the cross to endure a slow and painful death.

The original sin of Adam and Eve of eating from the forbidden tree was so great that God could not forgive it by simply willing it, rather it was necessary to erase it with the blood of a sinless innocent god named Jesus who was also "fully" God.

Resurrection

The four Gospels and the Epistles of St. Paul are the main sources of Christianity which discuss the Resurrection of Jesus after his crucifixion. According to St. Matthew, Prophet Jesus appeared to the holy women, and again on a mountain in Galilee. Mark’s gospel tells a different story: Jesus was seen by Mary Magdalene, by the two disciples at Emmaus, and the Eleven before his Ascension into heaven.

Luke’s Gospel says Jesus walked with the disciples to Emmaus, appeared to Peter and to the assembled disciples in Jerusalem. In John’s Gospel, Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, to the ten Apostles on Easter Sunday, to the Eleven a week later, and to seven disciples at the Sea of Tiberias.

Another account of the resurrection by St. Paul is found in Bible: Corinthians 15: 3-8.

According to Christian belief, Resurrection is a manifestation of God’s justice, who exalted Christ to a life of glory, as Christ had humbled Himself unto death (Phil., 2: 8-9). This event also completes the "mystery" of Christian salvation and redemption. The death of Jesus frees believers from sin, and with his resurrection, he restores to them the most important privileges lost by sin (Bible: Romans 4:25).

More importantly, the belief in the resurrection of Jesus indicates Christian acknowledgment of Christ as the immortal God, the cause of believers’ own resurrection (Bible: I Corinthians 4: 21; Phil., 3:20-21), as well as the model and the support of our new life of grace (Bible: Romans 4: 4-6; 9-11).

format_quote Originally Posted by Fr0mHim

Hey so I was wondering about the Holy Quran. well I understand that we have different beliefs about who was the actual person who was killed was it Jesus or Judas. well I was wondering if there was anyone else in the Bible that was mistaken... if you need me to rewrite the question I will... But for an example genesis it instead of Abraham offering Isaac it was ishmeal...

Greetings,

I think the first problem is you will find that we do not believe that Bible as it exists today is the word of God(swt). Much of it has been changed and much has been altered. so there are very many things in the Bible we believe are now in error. We believe the original Bible as it was revealed was true. But, what is called the ?Bible today is mostly false.

So to answer your question are there any other people misidentified as being killed besides Jesus(as). I would say that is possible. However, I do not know of any actual Islamic scholastic works where any Muslim was ever concerned about that. as a Muslim I would consider it a useless question and would have no reason to research it.

To me this is like asking are there any recipes for chocolate cake with the wrong ingredients, mentioned in the NYC phone directory? The question is sensless to me.

format_quote Originally Posted by Fr0mHim

judging by the Topic here.. I may also give my thoughts on what people have made. but I am only requesting that I may do this if I am not able to.

thanks for your Update Shible. I would certainly disagree on some of your points. but my question was still not answered.

well to say one thing: the Church is a growing body, as the years progress and as the believer grows more he is able to understand more about what the Bible is saying. not that Knowledge is what gets us into heaven. but, yeah I mean the Church is like a child in ways the more they grow the more they are able to understand the Parent.

I doubt very much you will find an answer to your question from a Muslim. I do not know of any scholastic Islamic works where this was ever discussed and I doubt very much that many if any Muslims would have even thought of that as a question.

Please keep in mind we do encourage religious debate in the Comparative Religion section. But, this section is not for debate as is to specifically state what Islamic beliefs are.