Imam Mehdi: The End Times Caliph

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful.

May the peace and blessings of God be upon you all.

I will start today's blog with a du'a that I probably should have been making for all my posts. O God, if there are any errors in this blog, or more importantly, if I am committing any sins in any of the statements or comments I make, then I ask that You, in your infinite mercy and grace, for forgiveness.

I make this du'a because a lot of what I preach and write about is beyond what is confirmed in Islam. For example - I concentrate a lot on philosophical issues, such as the nature of God, the status of the prophets (a), and I touch up on a lot of issues in which I differ with tradition Muslims of all sects. Some of these issues are not set in stone. I try my best to base ALL of my theories on clear Qur'anic proofs as a base of support, and I use hadiths for an extra punch.

However I will be writing this post purely based on hadiths. Now, God has not promised to protect the Sunnah of the Prophet (s), nor has He promised to protect any of His other revelations found in books like the Bible.

The topic for today's discussion is IMAM MEHDI (a): THE END TIMES CALIPH

As a Sunni Muslim growing up, I knew nothing of Imam Mehdi. He was never talked about, despite being raised in a religious, pious family and surrounding. This, though, is not the fault of my parents or teachers - Sunni Muslims generally just do not talk about Imam Mehdi. The first time I had heard his name was when I had learned more about Shi'ah Islam, and through that journey for knowledge, I had learned the three major opinions of Imam Mehdi.

#1. Skepticism

About 86% of the world's Muslims fall into the mainstream Sunni sect. From personal experience as a former Sunni Muslim, I had realized that most of my brothers and sisters had either known nothing about the Mehdi, or they were not sure of his existence. Till today, my family has no formal belief regarding his existence. Many scholars and sheiks of the sect have even refused to talk about him.

#2. An End-Times Muslim reviver

The Sunni, Sufi, and other Muslims who do believe in some form of an Imam Mehdi find their beliefs in hadith books such as Tirmidhi and Sunan Abu Dawud. The overall message portrayed in these books is that the Mehdi is simply a Muslim who will be born in the end times, and will rule among the Muslims at the time of the Anti-Christ and the return of the Messiah Jesus (a).

#3. The 12th Imam

The opinion held by the Twelver Shi'ah is that Imam Mehdi (a) was born in 869 CE, and was the son of the 11th Imam, Hassan al-Askari (a). Shortly after the death of his father, the Mehdi had gone into occultation - where he was hidden from public view - but he had kept in contact with four deputies, who had relayed his messages. A few days before the final deputy had died, the Imam had gone into his major occultation, where he is in contact with no human being, until God pleases.

In my transition of beliefs, I had gone through all three of these beliefs: first starting off with disbelief in the Mehdi, followed by a partial belief, a full belief in the Mehdi as simply a reviver, and finally as the 12th Imam.

EVIDENCES OF IMAM AL-MEHDI (A)

I would first like to clear up who the Mehdi is. He is NOT the Messiah. The Messiah is Jesus (a) and only Jesus. The Mehdi is simply a figure who will unite Muslims in the end times, fight against the Anti-Christ, and finally establish a peaceful Islamic rule with the Messiah Jesus (a) in the end times. A utopia.

The Mehdi is also the Muslim Caliph today, in a period where Muslims have no leadership, no government, and no guidance. He has been hidden away until we as an Ummah are ready for his return, and when God had decided his reappearance.

IT IS A POPULAR MISCONCEPTION in which some say the Mehdi was not mentioned in the Sahih Books (Bukhari and Muslim). I will narrate hadiths from Sahih books first.

Sahih Bukhari V4 Tradition #658

"What would be your situation if the Son of Marry (i.e. Jesus) descends upon you and your Imam is among you?" – Prophet Muhammed (s)

What needs to be noted is that this translation is not found in the English translation of the hadith. What you do find instead of the words "your Imam is among you" are the words "he will judge people by the law of the Qur'an and not the law of the Gospel". This is simply a mistranslation, because the Arabic text of this hadith clearly says "Wa Imamakum minkum?" which means "And your Imam is with you". Don't take my word for it, check the source yourself, and you will see what I am speaking the truth.

As a side note, anyone who studies comparative religion, the Bible and the Qur'an, would know that the Injeel and Gospel does not have a Law. Jesus (a) followed the Law of the Torah and did not bring down a new Law like Moses (a) or Muhammed (s).

So, what this hadith indicates is that when Jesus (a) returns, he return when our Imam (literally means "leader") is among us. This means the Muslims will have a leader at the end times. But this hadith isn't sufficient to prove that such a leader will be a Caliph, and that this person is Imam Mehdi so let us take a look at more hadiths.

Sahih Muslim, Kitab al Imara, Hadith 4477

“The Caliphate will not end until there have been 12 Caliphs among them… All of them will be from Quraysh. – Prophet Muhammed (s)

This hadith and many others like it in the Sahih books confirm a Caliphate of 12 successive Caliphs. There have, of course, been dozens of what Sunni Muslims call “Caliphs” from different branches of the Islamic rule, including the 4 Rashidun (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali), Hassan ibn Ali, 14 Umayyad Caliphs, and 37 Abbaside Caliphs. That’s a total of 52 if you don’t want to include the 10 Imams of Ahlul-Bayt who have not ruled. So how is it that the Prophet Muhammed (s) prophesied 12 successors after him, when in fact there were 52? Which Caliphs would you miscount? What authority will you go by and what methods will you use?

The only real solution to this conundrum is to accept the 12 consistent successors in the family of the Prophet (s). After all, the Prophet Muhammed (s) did appoint Imam Ali (a) as the Master of the believers in his farewell pilgrimage, and many Sunni Muslim sources confirm that Imam Mehdi will be from the family of the Prophet (s) and will rule as a Caliph in the end times.

But the evidence I have provided really is not enough to prove the Mehdi undoubtedly. What we have covered so far is that there has only really been 12 Caliphs, and that there will be an Imam in the end times. How could we prove that this Imam will actually rule over the Ummah like the prophecies state? What if the Caliphate is gone for good?

Sahih Muslim, Kitab al Fitan, Tradition #67

“There would be a Caliph in the last period of my Ummah who would freely give handfuls of wealth to the people without counting it” – Prophet Muhammed (s)

As the hadith clearly transpires, there will be a Caliph in the end times. This means the Muslim Caliphate will see a return, and we will have a leader of the Ummah once God wills it.

Sahih Muslim, part 2, p 193

“A group from my Ummah will fight for truth till near the Day of Judgment when Jesus, son of Mary, will descend and the leader of them (the Muslims) will ask him to lead the prayer, but Jesus declines, saying “No, verily among you God has made leaders for others and He has bestowed his bounty upon them”.

At the time of the return of the Messiah Jesus (a) where he will be finishing and fulfilling his duty as the Messiah, he will appear to this Leader. The Leader will ask Jesus (a) to lead the prayer, but Jesus (a) insists that God has made this individual and others as leaders from among the Ummah and God has bestowed His bounty on them. The leaders that Jesus (a) talks about in this hadith are of course the righteous 12 Caliphs mentioned in the other hadith, because logically, God would not shower his bounties on corrupt leaders.

So far we have gathered, using ONLY Sahih sources:

-The Prophet (s) had prophesied 12 Successors

-There will be a Caliph in the end times, and he’d therefore be the last (12^th)

-He will come from Quraysh (the tribe of the Prophet)

-He will be an Imam (leader) among us

-He will be around at the time of the return of the Messiah Jesus (a)

-The Messiah Jesus (a) will recognize his authority

These hadiths by themselves confirm the Imam Mehdi as an end-times reviver of the Muslim Ummah. As it stands, the Ummah is in turmoil, and we are facing wars, genocides, ignorance and division – these hadiths confirm, at the very least, that there will be a reestablishment of some form of the Caliphate in the end times.

IMAM MEHDI IN SUNAN AT-TIRMIDHI

Sunan at-Tirmidhi is a compilation of the traditions of the Holy Prophet (s) throughout his lifetime. It is regarded by the main body of Sunni Muslims and their scholars as being the third (and sometimes fourth) most authentic compilation of the Prophet’s life. It notes many famous Sahih and Hasan hadiths, and is a testament to the coming of the Imam Mehdi (a).

Sunan at-Tirmidhi, v2, p86, v9, pp 74-75

“Even if the entire duration of the world’s existence has already been exhausted and only one day is left [before the day of judgment], Allah will expand that day to such a length of time, as to accommodate the kingdom of a person from Ahlul Bayt, who will be called by my name. He will fill out the earth with peace and justice as it will have been full of injustice and tyranny.” – Prophet Muhammed (s)

This hadith is also related in Sunan Abu Dawud, and Musnad Ahmed ibn Hanbal, which are both considered to be part of the six major Sunni Muslim hadith compilations. The very narration contains a wealth of incredible information, and is widely related by Muslims of all sects, as it is seen as an authentic hadith. The Prophet (s) guarantees that this ruler, who is even named Muhammed and from his Ahlul Bayt (relatives), will establish a peaceful and just kingdom on the earth in the end times, even if only one day remains until the day of judgment. There are two specific interpretations to what is meant by this – either Muhammed (s) is simply guaranteeing the kingdom of his progeny in the end times by using the expression “God will expand that day”, or God will literally expand that day before Doomsday by means of His ultimate power.

Abdullah ibn Mas’ud narrates a similar hadith of the Prophet Muhammed (s) in Tirmidhi, where he is said to have proclaimed “This world will not come to an end until one person from my progeny rules over the Arabs, and his name will be the same as my name”.

From the gathered information, we must summarize that:

-This Caliph will definitely rule at the end times, possibly even the last term before the Judgment

-He will come from Ahlul Bayt, the family of the Prophet

-His name will be Muhammed

-He will have a kingdom from among the Arabs (this may signify the Middle East)

-He will fill the earth with justice and peace

NARROWING IT DOWN USING SUNNI MUSLIM SOURCES

Using the above evidences in hadith, it would be impossible to deny this end-times figure. He is clearly mentioned several times by the Prophet Muhammed (s) as being a Caliph, who will emerge from Ahlul Bayt and rule in the end times. So far, this description fulfills that of theories #2 and #3 in the beginning of this analysis. How could we know exactly who this Mehdi is?

In this portion, I will be using the famous Sunni Muslim compilations for Sunnah, such as the Sunan Abu Dawud, Sunan ibn Maja, and Musnad Ahmed ibn Hanbal.

Sunan Ibn Maja, v2, Tradition #4085

“The Mehdi is one of us, [from] the Ahlul Bayt” – Prophet Muhammed (s)

Sunan Abu Dawud, Chapter 36, Tradition #4271 (narrated by the Prophet’s wife Umm Salama)

“The Mehdi will be of my family, of the descendants of Fatima” – Prophet Muhammed (s)

Simply stated: Imam Mehdi will be from the descendants of Fatima (a). This points out that he would also be a descendant of Imam Ali (a), the husband of Fatima (a). Does this not open the possibility that Imam Mehdi may actually be the son of Imam Hassan al Askari (a)?

If so, this must mean Imam Mehdi has already been born. The belief held by the twelver Shi’ah and myself is that the 12^th Imam had disappeared shortly after praying the funeral prayer of his father, and had only kept in contact with four individuals, who would then relay his message to the people. Following this period is the period of the major occultation, where Imam Mehdi has been put away from our vision for the time being, and will then “re-emerge”, or “re-appear” when God wills, at the end times.

One may ask the question, is this notion of a sudden reappearance supported by any hadiths in the Sunni Muslim sources? The answer is yes:

Musnad Ahmed ibn Hanbal, v1, p 99

“God will bring out from concealment the Mehdi from my family and just before the Day of Judgment…” – Prophet Muhammed

The fact that the hadith says God will bring him “out of concealment” would suggest that God had concealed the Mehdi at one point. It does not say he will be born just before the Day of Judgment, but rather he will be revealed. This very specific wording the Prophet (s) had used fits the 12^th Imam like a glove. This is what is called an occultation. Of course, the hadith does not need to identify how long the occultation of the Mehdi will be, because only God Himself knows when the Hour is.

Sunan ibn Maja, v2, Tradition #5083

“The Mehdi will appear in my Ummah. He will appear for a minimum of 7 or a maximum of 9 years; at that time, my Ummah will face a bountiful favour like never before. It shall have a great abundance of food, in which it need not save anything, and the wealth at that time is in great quantities, such that if a man asks the Mehdi to give him some, he will say ‘Here, take!’”. – Prophet Muhammed

The hadith describes just some of the bounties in which God will give the Ummah at the “appearance” of the Mehdi. Shi’i sources claim the 7-9 years will be a period in which the Mehdi will fight to build his kingdom, and will then rule until the Judgment. God knows best.

Some may try and argue that this narrations of the Mehdi being “brought out of concealment” and “appearing” are simply stories of the Shi’ah that have made their way into Sunni Muslim books. I would like to point out that Ahmed ibn Hanbal had died BEFORE the birth of the 12^th Imam, and that Ibn Maja had died before the major occultation had taken place. Therefore, these are not Shi’i legends, but rather real Sunni Muslim hadiths that have been passed on for long.

Some people still have a hard time believing that the Mehdi can possibly be hidden till this day. I would like to remind my readers that God managed to hide the people of the Cave for over 300 years in Surat al Cahf, and that He also had hid the Messiah Jesus (a) for almost two thousand years now – as Muslims we believe neither the people of the cave nor Jesus Christ had died, but rather God kept them alive. Similarly, God can conceal the Mehdi for whatever length of time necessary.

Sahih Muslim, Kitab al Imara, Hadith 4476

“The Caliphate will remain among the Quraysh even if only two persons are left on earth” – Prophet Muhammed (s)

Where is the Caliph today? The standard definition of what one would call a Caliphate does not exist today, and yet this prophecy says it will remain, even if only two people are left on the entire earth. This means we have a Caliph today, and by using the hadiths and proofs provided, I can conclude that the Caliph of today is the concealed, awaited and expected Imam Mehdi (a).

THE MEHDI WILL BE:

-Named “Muhammed”

-The 12^th Successor/Caliph to the Prophet Muhammed (s)

-From Quraysh, more specifically from the Ahlul Bayt, a descendant of Fatima (a)

-Concealed until the End Times

-Our Imam, our Caliph, and our Leader in the End Times

-Recognized by the Messiah Jesus (a)

-Ruling among the Arabs

-Filling the earth with justice and peace

-The Caliph of Today

IN CONCLUSION

Imam Mehdi (a) can therefore be Muhammed al-Qa’im al-Mehdi, the 12^th Imam, the son of Imam Hassan al Askari, the 11^th Imam. May God guide us all to the truth, may He forgive me if I had made any mistakes, and may He bless the Prophet (s), his family, and his followers until the Day of Judgment.

Egyptian border guards fire at Fleeing Gazans

Peace and blessings be upon you all!

Disgusting! Despicable! Terrifying!

During Israel's latest siege on our Palestinian brothers and sisters in Gaza, there have been many Palestinians trying to flee to bordering Egypt for safe passage. As some of you may know, Egypt and Israel are allies, and Egypt is therefore silently in support of the onslaught on Palestinians in Gaza.

Yesterday afternoon Egyptian border guards fired at Palestinians trying to flee from the genocide into Egypt.

http://news.antiwar.com/2008/12/28/egyptian-border-guards-open-fire-on-fleeing-gazans/

This needs to stop.

The Prophet Muhammed (s) said: It is worse to kill one Muslim unjustly than all of humanity

God (swt) said in the Qur'an: One who kills someone unjustly is just like one who kills all of humanity

As we see, in the words of both God and His Messenger, killing of anyone is an enormous sin, especially if that is a fellow Muslim brother or sister. Here we see border guards who had shot at fellow Muslims for trying to reach safety. What is worse, O Egypt, crossing a border, or hurting another human being? Do you not want foreigners in your land O Egypt? There are no foreigners in any land, because Islam is a brotherhood and our Nation is one.

Meanwhile, it seems that Israeli ground forces plan on moving into Gaza and toppling the elected Hamas government. The objective is to first hit targets by air, which has so far included a Mosque (Israel called it a "Terrorist command post"), various suburbs (called "Hamas compounds"), and a police station (called a "Hamas weapons cache"). Many homes, shops, and even schools have been destroyed in the bombings, which have now officially killed over 400 people - the vast majority of which civilians. The Israeli military will then cleanse the area by ground by fighting Palestinian and Hamas security forces on the streets, toppling the government and organization.

Palestinians have resisted the latest massacre by volleying dozens of rockets into Israeli military sites, which has killed an Israeli soldier. These pitiful rockets are all the Palestinians have got, and it has been CONDEMNED by all Western powers. Meanwhile, the Israeli warplane onslaught has not been condemned by Western and Arab powers like.

I ask all my readers to PRAY FOR EVERYONE. Pray that the Palestinian dead find martyrdom and everlasting peace in paradise, pray for comfort and content for Palestinian families who have lost loved ones, pray for the well being of all Muslims, and pray that Israel finds it in its heart to stop its onslaught.

Turmoil in Palestine

I would just like to take a slight detour from my usual topics of religion, sectarianism, unity and peace, because I really think the latest turmoil in Gaza must be talked about on this blog.

As some of you may have heard, the Israeli military has launched a major onslaught in Gaza today. Different media outlets are reporting different variables, including the amount of casualties and the targets in these attacks.

Western news outlets such as CNN and Fox were not on the ball in this latest tragedy. In fact, for the past year or so, we in the West have not been hearing about the situation in Palestine at all, despite all of the imprisonment, starvation, poverty, killings, and bulldozing of homes. Today, Western media has only directed some attention on this latest massacre, and it has not shared many of the facts.

Media groups such as Reuters are now only admitting the death of between 150 and 200, and through misleading titles and subtitles, it is being made to sound as if most of these victims are armed Hamas members.

In fact, Arabic and Mideast News outlets have been giving ALL of their attention to Gaza. The news is breaking, and television programs and daily media routines have been interrupted to broadcast the situation in Palestine. They are reporting an estimated 1,000 dead. Even if this is exaggerated, this casualty figure is more than 5 times more than what the West is reporting. Chances are it is not exaggerated, since Mideast Media is more entrenched in what is going on in the Middle East than, say, CNN or Fox.

They are also reporting that the vast majority of the dead are in fact civilians. Pictures, videos, and posts have been released, describing the absolute horror of this tragedy, whose victims included many young children. The areas hit were in fact not Hamas compounds, but rather public and residential areas.

And after all this, what is the West saying? Nations such as the United States have not condemned the violence. Instead, they have called on the Palestinians to stop firing rockets into Israel. Palestinians, who have no form of any army, and whose rockets manage to kill barely 5 people a year, are starving and have no way of defending themselves against one of the strongest armies in the world. The Qassam rockets are comparable to fireworks - they hold barely any firepower and are largely inaccurate and incomparable to ANY of even the most simple Israeli long or short ranged weapon. This is truly David (a) vs Goliath.

Anyways, as always I have prayed for peace in the Middle East. I do believe an Israel can exist peacefully in the Middle East, but things must be different. The situation cannot remain the same - 5 million Palestinians are displaced, 10,000 are in Israeli dungeons, and thousands are being killed annually.

I ask all of my readers to pray for PEACE, and I pray to God that He gives patience to those Palestinians who have lost loved ones. I pray that organizations, such as the Islamic Relief, which in just two days has raised over 1 hundred thousand dollars for Gazans, are able to aid the Palestinian people. I pray that the reach and healthy of the Arab and Muslim nations reach out their hands to Palestine, and I pray that Israel ceases its hunger for blood and conflict.

Do not forget Palestine in you du'a.

Christmas?

Salamu Alaykum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatu,
May the peace, grace, and blessings of God be on all of you,

I've been getting questions on the origin of Christmas. Is it really the birthday of the Messiah Jesus (a)? What are its origins? Should we celebrate this?

I'd like to make things clear firstly. I am not here to offend Christians or Christianity. It is from my love of the Christians that I write this - because in this article, I am sharing vital information every Christian must be aware of concerning the Christian religious holidays. In fact, every Christian should try their best to make themselves best for their God and religion by seeking knowledge, demanding truth, and repair what is in need of fixing in their way of life. Use the following information to your advantage.

I will start with a clear note: The date of Prophet Jesus' birth was never mentioned in any scripture. It's not in the Bible, nor is it in the Qur'an, so the question is asked, where does Christmas originate?

As some of my readers may know, what we know today as Christianity happened as a result of the Roman Empire adopting one of the Christian branches under Emperor Constantine in the year 325 C.E. Before it became Christian, Rome was a predominantly pagan state, which had believed in various polytheist religions - mostly revolving around mythological or mystical figures.

Before Emperor Constantine was baptized on his deathbed, he had been part of the religion Sol Invictus. Sol Invictus literally means "Sun Invincible", and the religion revolved around the worship of the Sun and/or solar deities. The belief was that the Sun had a human Son, on earth, and Constantine believed that he was that Son.

He was said to have seen a revelation in the sky during one of his battles, which had convinced him to make Rome a Christian state. So, in 325 C.E., the council of Nicea was held. The council had contained top Roman officials, Christian leaders from the Pauline sect, as well as members of the Universal Church of Rome ( aka the"Roman Catholic Church" which was, at the time, a Church representing the pagan Roman religions). At this council;

• It was decided that Rome would adopt a form of Pauline Christianity (which is based on the teachings of St. Paul, derived from his mystical visions of Jesus)
• The table of contents of the Bible were decided; 4 Gospels were chosen, Matthew Mark Luke and John
• The Trinity was set in stone completely. It was defined as 3 persons, the Father Son and Holy Spirit, acting as 1 God
• Everything that did not coincide with these beliefs was considered heresy

After the council was concluded, the Roman Catholic Church had adopted this version of Christianity, and it was therefore forced on all citizens of Rome. All pagan statues and literature was destroyed, and those who declined Christianity were either killed or exiled. All of the other Gospels and Christian literature, including ones that are arguably more credible than the 4 Gospels, were therefore burned or hid away.

The Romans prior to Christianity had mainly celebrated two very large festivals: Dies Natalis Solis Invicti and the festival of Ishtar:

Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (December 25th):

• Literally means "The Birthday of the Invincible Sun"
• It was on December 25th, Christmas Day, and the festival coincided with the winter solstice
• This was the first day when the Sun reversed its "southward retreat" and proved itself to be "unconquered". This is because the Sun is at the lowest point of the sky on December 21st, and on December 25th it begins to rise gradually again (day by day)
  
• On this day of Christmas, the Roman Church allowed the worship of the solar deities, or "Sun gods", the most prominent of which would be Mithra (on a side note, Christmas day was considered the birthday of many Sun gods, including Mithra and Horus)
• When Rome had converted to Christianity, it was forced to convert its festivals as well, in an effort to make a smooth transition between the worship of the Sun to the worship of Jesus (a)
• We still see many pagan influenes in the holiday till this day - it still takes place on the winter solstice, which holds religious importance to the Sun-worshipers. Christmas trees, candles, and such all come from the pagan traditions.

When was Jesus' real birthday? The Qur'an doesn't say, nor do we really need to know, however we could definitely know that it did not take place in the winter.

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful:

"And shake the trunk of the palm tree towards you, you will cause ripe dates to fall upon you" (Qur'an, 19:25)

This verse comes from Surat Maryam (Chapter Mary) and comes from a group of verses, revealing the details of the birth of the Messiah Jesus (a). When Mary (a) is in the pains of childbirth, God tells Mary (a) through an angel that there is a rivulet under her, and that ripe dates were on the palm tree she was leaning towards - this food and water would help comfort her during the birth of our Messiah (a).

Ripe dates do NOT grow in the winter; this eliminates any possibility of Jesus (a) being born in the winter time.

Festival of Ishtar (Easter)

• Ishtar, an Assyrian/Babylonian goddess, is also known as "Easter". This is where the Easter holiday gets its name.
• She was the goddess of fertility and love
  
• Prominent symbols used to represent Ishtar were the eggs and bunnies. Eggs were a symbol of both fertility and love for obvious reasons, and bunnies were also used to represent fertility
• The festival was replaced with what we know today as Easter, which commemorates the alleged death and resurrection of the Messiah Jesus (a).
• We still see many pagan influences in the holiday though, including the name of the holiday, the easter bunny, easter eggs, and many other influences.

The Prophet Muhammed (s) said: "Whoever fulfills the traditions of a nation is of that nation". Christmas day is different from, say, 'Milad al Nabi' (the birthday of the Prophet Muhammed [s]). Christmas Day, which is not even the birthday of Jesus (a), just has way too many pagan influences unrelated to Jesus (a) for us Muslims to have any part in it. Besides that, it is hugely a secular, commercial, and materialistic holiday, and all religious importance of the holiday are all but existant.

We pray to God that He gives us happiness in this life and the next; and keeps all harmful things away from us. May God bless all of the prophets, including Jesus (a), and may he bless Muhammed (s) and the Ahlul Bayt (a), just as He blessed Abraham (a) and his family.

Shaytan

Shaytan! The word Satan comes from the Semitic root STN , meaning, "to be hostile" or "to accuse". He is known in Hebrew as satan and in Arabic as shaytan, and is recognized by Jews, Christians, and Muslims as an evil being. Satan's personage is known as Lucifer to the Christians, and Iblees to the Muslims. However, the three religions differ when it comes to the details of Shaytan; who he really is. Let us analyze the three views:

Jewish view of Shaytan

To analyze Satan in Judaism, we must look at the Tanakh (Old Testament). Satan is mentioned in the book of the Prophet Job (a).

According to the article on 'Satan' in the Jewish Encyclopedia, Satan's role as the accuser is found:

"In the prologue to the Book of Job, where Satan appears, together with other celestial beings before the Deity, replying to the inquiry of God as to whence he had come, with the words: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' (Job 1:7) Both question and answer, as well as the dialogue which follows, characterize Satan as having the evil purpose of searching out men's sins and appearing as their accuser. He is, therefore, the celestial prosecutor, who sees only iniquity; for he persists in his evil opinion of Job even after the man of Uz has passed successfully through his first trial by surrendering to the will of God, whereupon Satan demands another test through physical suffering."

Judaism definitely does not have as much emphasis on Satan as Christianity and Islam does, as the Jews see Satan as simply a Biblical character, mentioned only a handful of times. Satan is just seen as a troublemaker and spiritual persecutor.

Christian view of Shaytan

The word "Lucifer" is often used by Christians, and it is a Latin-based name which means "Day Star". Much like the name Iblees, Lucifer was Shaytan's real name before forsaken by the Lord. Christians however use Isaiah 14:3-20 to reason that Satan is actually a fallen angel. In Christian theology, certain angels, including Lucifer, had been given free will. He had then used this free will to do evil instead of good, and was then known as a fallen angel; an angel that had fallen from his lofty rank into evil.

The New Testament sites Satan's name as "Beelzebub" (Ba'al Zebub, which means "Lord of the Flies") however Beelzebub was actually the name of a Philistine god. This may be because idolatry is seen as almost Satanic by the three Abrahamic religions. Christians also identify the "Dragon" and "Old Serpent" from the Book of Revelations as Satan, and Paul calls Satan the god of this world.

Satan is given much more power and authority in Christianity. He even manages to tempt the Messiah Jesus (a), allegedly God in Christianity. Ministers, preachers, priests and reverends often attribute all evils to Satan - if there is any famine, starvation, war, or terror in the world, Satan is made responsible for all of this - which almost makes the Christian version of Satan seem like a pagan demigod. It gives the illusion as if there are two gods in Christianity - the first being "God", the source of all good, Lord of the heavens, and the second being "Satan", the source of all evil, Lord of the underworld, battling it out through their followers.

A simple question arises: if Satan is the source of all evil, then why is God unable to stop him?

Muslim view of Shaytan

The formal name of Shaytan is "Iblees", which comes from the Arabic word "balasa", or "he despaired". The word Shaytan primarily refers to Iblees, but in Arabic, it could also refer to any other devil, or evil object. The very first Islamic episode of Satan is at the creation of the Prophet Adam (a). Christians and Jews say that "the serpent" had fooled the Prophet Adam (a) and his wife Eve (a) to eat the forbidden fruit in Genesis, but who is the serpant and what was its motives?

Islam says Shaytan is not an angel, but rather, a Jinn. The Jinn are a race of spirits, given free will and other mystical abilities, and like humans they are capable of both good and evil. Iblees was actually a submitter to God throughout his existence, but when Prophet Adam (a) was created and when the angels and Iblees were told to kneel to him, Iblees had refused. He did not prostrate because he felt he was superior and therefore disobeyed God. He had then made the promise to mislead humanity and lead us to evil in this life, and hell in the next.

Shaytan, though, is not the source of evil. He is simply one spirit, like everyone else, who is capable of both good and evil. He, of course, chooses to do evil and mislead humanity. However, Shaytan does not have control or mastery over the evils that we do. Rather, he whispers and tries to influence humans and jinn to do evil, and we either give in or reject him.

Nature of God

Salam Alaykum, may peace and blessings be upon you all.

There's been some confusion on the nature of God both within Islam and other religions. Let us first analyze Islam's God:

Allah and Islam

• All-Knowing, All-Powerful
• Unlimited, Eternal
• Incomparable to absolutely everything
• Creator, Cherisher, Sustainer, Evolver, and Lord of all
• Clear distinction between God as the Creator and the material and spiritual worlds as a Creation

Now let's take a look at Christianity:

God and Christianity

• God is manifested into three forms: Father, Word (Son), and Holy Spirit
• The Father is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the Word is God's mercy and compassion (eventually incarnated into a man in the form of the Messiah Jesus (a)), and the Holy Spirit is God's spiritual connection with the hearts and minds of all creation
• The Father is Just, the Son is Merciful, and the Holy Spirit is the guide
• Humanity is created in the image of God literally; which means the Father is in a humanoid form
• Christ appears in the form of people, angels and apparitions before and after his birth (Melchezidek is an example)

God in Judaism

• Very similar to Islamic concept
• Only real difference is that God is panentheistic, which means all of creation is in God; that God is both transcendent in His creation, yet separate at the same time

Popular misconceptions Muslims make concerning God's nature

• (Sunni Muslim tradition) God has a physical form, such as a face, hands, shins, etc.
• (Sufi Muslim tradition) God is pantheistic (different from panentheism) which means God is in all of the creation
• God is panentheistic

Let us cover the Muslim misconceptions first.

#1. God has a physical form.

This is actually a very dangerous idea, and it has risen to popularity via two ways. The first being the Qur'an - God often [metaphorically] speaks about His divine Hands, which some Sunni Muslims suggest is a literal meaning. Such as in Surat al Ma'idah (Chapter "the Tablespread") where God says His hands are not fettered, but rather free from all limitations. On a sidenote, this verse actually concerns the Judeo-Christian belief that God is somehow limited and had tied His hands by creating the world and its laws of physics. However, we know that God has power over all things, with or without the laws of physics.

To disprove the so-called physical form of God, I will use none other than verses of the Noble Qur'an:

In the name of God, the Gracious, the Merciful:

"Vision comprehends Him not, but He comprehends (all) vision. He is the Subtile, the Aware" (6:103)

The verse is made very clear - that no vision can comprehend God. It does not say vision only in this life, nor does it say only human vision, but rather vision itself. God can see all, none can see or even comprehend God.

Let us analyze more verses in the Qur'an. Below is a specific incident in which the children of Israel wanted to see God:

"The followes of the Book ask you to bring down a Book from heaven, so indeed they demanded of Moses a much greater thing than that, for they said 'Show us Allah manifestly!' so the lightning overtook them on account of their injustice" (4:153)

The children of Israel were used to seeing gods being worshiped around them by the Egyptians, each of which having physical depictions. It's only natural that they would think God also had a physical form, kind of like certain Muslims still sub-consciously caught up in their former idolatrous religions.

I will provide one more verse from the most important chapter in the Qur'an, Surat al-Ikhlas (the Purity of Faith)

"And there is none comparable unto Him" (4:112)

Very simply, there is none comparable to God in any aspect. Is God a physical body? No - because the creation is a physical body. Is God a spirit? No - because the creation is also spririts. How is it that God could have a physical manifestation for eternity, when He had created existence and even the idea of having a body and form?

#2. God is pantheistic.

Pantheism is mainly a belief seen in mysticism, as well as eastern religions such as Hinduism, and it is the belief that God is all and all is God. Pantheism has found its way into Islam as well through confusion of Muslim teachings, namely through the verse 50:16 of the Qur'an, which states:

"We verily created man and We know what his soul whispers to him, and we are nearer to him than his jugular vein" (50:16)

Some suggest that the last part of the verse sugests that God is in us. However, the next verses answers the confusion:

"When the two Receivers receive him, seated on the right hand and the left, he uttereth no word but there is with him an observer ready." (50:17-18)

So the jugular vein verse is simply talking about angels. God is here, yes, but through His angels, His knowledge, His mercy, His punishment, and His love. Not physically. The two receivers are the two angels which record our good and evil actions, and through them, God is closer to us than our own veins.

That's another thing worth noting; God is here with us through His attributes (at least ninety-nine of them) but these attributes are not God physically. There's no physical structure to "Truth" for example.

#3. God is panentheistic

The idea of panentheism is one that must be countered with philosophy and logic. It is the belief that God is transcendant through His creation, and/or the creation is in God.

Let us analyze good and evil once more. God had created a neutral creation, giving some of His creatures the freedom of choice. Therefore some of God's creation have inclinations to do good and evil. What is good? Good is submission to God - for example, being a good person would be fulfilling His wishes for you. God has asked us not to muder, so those who do not muder each other are "good people" in that respect.

What is evil? Evil is the disobedience of God's will. One who murder has disobeyed the commandment against murdering, and one who steals has goes against the commandment of stealing, and therefore these acts are evil.

Is God therefore a good God or an evil one? Since God has no choice but to submit to His own will (which means He does what He wills), this would make God eternally good and never evil. What about creation? Creation is, again according to Islamic philosophy, a neutral entity capable of good and evil. Therefore, to say that God is trancendant in His creation is to say that He becomes the basis of creation, the ground of all being, which includes both neutrality and evil in Him.

Is God good all the time? Islam says yes. Therefore, the imperfect, evil and neutral creation can never be in His excellency.

The God of Christianity: do we worship the same God?

We as monotheists worship the same God, however Christianity has confused itself on some of God's important attributes. Namely, the Trinity.

The very basis philosophically of the Trinity is God is manifest in these three attributes:

1. God as a timeless, independant essence
2. God with a power to create ex nihilo
3. God with a desire and ability to connect with His creation

Islam totally agrees with these three attributes of God. What disturbs the monotheism are the three seperate beings these three attributes are attributed to. God's three different "roles" if you will have been divided to three different beings - the Father, the Word/Son, and the Holy Spirit.

According to Islam:

• The "Father" is supposed to be God found in Islam and Judaism that I have described above
• The "Word" is simply "Be!": The act of God's will in order to create. All God must do is will something and it comes into existence.
• The "Son" is simply the Messiah Jesus (a), a prophet and messenger of God to the children of Israel. He is not the begotten "Son" of God.
• The "Holy Spirit" is simply the Angel Gabriel (a) who is responsible for sending revelations to humanity, an archangel between humanity and God

According to the Bible, these three people can no way all be God at the same time. In which way are these three united?

• Only the Father is All-Knowing; the Son and Holy Spirit are not All-Knowing beings. When talking about Yom al Qiyama (the day of Judgment), Jesus (a) said: "No one knows when that day or that hour will come: no, not the angels, not even the Son, but the Father in Heaven" (Mark 13:32)
• The Son is simply fulfilling the mission it was given by the Father, not his own mission. "But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John [(a)] because the works the Father has given Me to complete - the very works that I am doing - testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me." (John 5:36)
• The Father is said to be greater than the Son. Jesus (a) said in the Gospels: "You have heard me tell you that I am going away, but I am coming back to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Fatheri s greater than I" (John 14:28)
  
• Lastly, the will of the Father does NOT equal the will of Jesus (a): And he went a little beyond them, and fell on his face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not as I will, but as You will" (Matthew 26:39)

This therefore proves that the Father (God) has a different will than Jesus, He is more knowledgable than Jesus, and that He had sent Jesus. This clearly testifies that Jesus (a) is the Messiah and Prophet of God and not God Himself. How is it that they are the same person, when their wills are different, their knowledge is different, etc.? What in the Bible made Jesus (a) God?

As for the Holy Spirit, it is said God needs its divine status to inspire the prophets and saints. Again, what makes the Holy Spirit divine and what makes him God?

Therefore, it is with great pleasure that I conclude that the concept of God is greatest when reflected in the Qur'an, with no internal or extrenal contradictions or philosophical inconsistencies.

Wa salam alaykum.

Surah Ar-Rahman

Some of our Muslim brethren forget the importance of the Noble Qur'an. Not only is it the eternal Law, but it is also the bond that unites the Muslims. It's the only pure theological piece of literature we have as human beings, as it was revealed to the Prophet Muhammed (s) via the Angel Gabriel (a). As much as some of our brothers like to concentrate on Bukhari, Muslim, Nahjul Balagha, Bihar al Anwar and Al Kafi, the Noble Qur'an outweighs all of these collections.

I thought this narration was beautiful, I highly recommend it to all of you:

For our non-Muslim brothers and sisters, this is a video of the Qur'anic chapter "Ar-Rahman", which means "the Merciful". It is sang gorgeously in Arabic, with English translations for you to follow along.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr8DR8frP_s

Proving the A'immah

Salam Alaykum,

As a born Sunni Muslim, I have only recently accepted the twelve Imams as the spiritual successors to the Prophet Muhammed (s). This rational fact has been proven to me from my study of the Qur'an and Sunnah, through various hadiths from the 'Sahih' sources, and verses from the Noble Qur'an.

First I would like to clear up a misconception among the Sunni Muslims and Shi'ah: the twelve Imams are not a continued prophethood. The Imams do not receive revelations, rather, they inherited the knowledge of the Prophet Muhammed (s) and used the very same Qur'an that we use today. Revelations belong to the Prophets and Messengers, and Muhammed (s) was the seal of Prophets. The Imams were simply guides for the Muslim Ummah.

The number one widely used criticism to the A'immah (Imamate, 12 Caliphs, Succession, etc.) theory is that the Qur'an does not clearly mention their advent. It is true that we do not find the name of Ali ibn abi Talib (a) in the Qur'an, or that of any other Imam. However, I'll have to disagree that the Succession has not been mentioned at all in the Qur'an.

Let's take this slow and cover most of the points:

Ali (a) in the Qur'an

"And among men there is one who sells his self seeking the pleasure of God; and verily, God is affectionate to His (faithful) servants" (Noble Qur'an, 2:207)

This verse is unanimously speaking about Imam Ali (a), and our Sunni Muslim brothers and their scholars agree with this. It is referring to the time when Ali (a) slept in the bed of the Prophet Muhammed (s) to prevent his capture. Ali faithfully slept in his bed, for God's pleasure and that of his cousin and master, and when the Quraysh barged in, they saw that the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) had already escaped.

There are many other verses I can point out, but before this blog gets too long, let us move on:

The Authority:

"O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey His Messenger and those vested with authority from among you." (4:59)

Let's take a close look at this ayah for a moment. When God addresses us with "O you who believe", He is of course talking to the mu'min Muslims about a matter in which we must all abide. He then says, obey God, obey His Messenger (the Prophet Muhammed [pbuh]) and those vested with authority from among you.

Who could the third group be? Considering this ayah is talking to Muslims about obedience, and then mentions obedience to God and His Messenger, the third group must also be spiritual. It is put as the tertiary; the third model we must follow.

Traditional Sunni Muslims say that the verse refers simply to those we have in charge, whether that be our caliphs, governments, leaders, etc. The problem with this interpretation is that our leaders can be misguided and corrupt - God does not want us to follow evil leaders. Rather, we should do our part to make political leaders just, fair, and active by any means necessary.

The other problem is that in the verse, of the three parties (God, Muhammed, Authority among the Ummah), the first two are an unquestionable religious authority. Why would God name a third, possibly-corrupt authority that we must follow?

Rather, this is referring to the A'immah - because obeying them is obeying the Messenger, and obeying the Messenger is obeying God. Which makes sense in the context of the ayah. Political leaders would not.

The Hadiths

The Qur'an is not a book which emphasizes details, but rather it is one that reviews the point of our existence - to worship God, to be good to our fellow comrades, and to prepare for one of two final destinations on Judgment Day. The Qur'an primarily talks about these three points, and recites parables to give examples of Prophets and good men and women.

However, for details beyond the core of the religion, one must explore the Sunnah (tradition) of the Prophet Muhammed (s). The Qur'an and Sunnah go hand in hand, for example, the Qur'an tells us to worship, and the Sunnah teaches us how.

So the Sunnah instructs us on how to conduct our private life, how to dress, sleep, eat, and even gives us prophecies of the future and instructs us on how to create an ideal Muslim society. Therefore, the Sunnah is where you find the real meat concerning the A'immah.

Let's take a look at a Sunni Muslim source --> Sahih Muslim. Sahih Muslim is a respected compilation of the traditions of the Prophet (s), and the third most important source in Sunni Islam (the first two being the Noble Qur'an and Sahih Bukhari).

Sahih Muslim's volume named "Kitab al Imara" (Book of Government) has got some very interesting hadiths. Let's take a look:

The Prophet Muhammed (s) said;

" The Caliphate (khalifah, Arabic word for "succession") will not end until there have been twelve Caliphs among them... All of them will be from Quraysh" (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al Imara, Hadith 4477)

Very simply put, the Prophet said that there will be 12 Caliphs (successors) from Quraysh tribe. If we look into history, we see that there were dozens of Caliphs, far more than twelve. Sunni Muslim scholars have been disagreeing about the interpretation of this hadith for thousands of years now, debating over which of their Caliphs would count towards the "twelve".

The most popular interpretation is that the twelve would include the first 4 Caliphs (Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali), plus the 8 which succeeded them. But many problems arose with this interpretation, such as the fact that Imam Mehdi would not be included in the twelve, despite his integral role in the end times. Some Sunni Muslims will also say that Yazid was unjust in his actions and undeserving of the Caliphate.

These 12 Caliphs can definitely only be the 12 Imams, starting with Ali (a) and ending with the Mehdi (a)

The second hadith I can use to prove this another hadith in the same Kitab al Imara, which states:

The Prophet Muhammed (s) said:

"The Caliphate will remain among the Quraysh even if only two persons are left on earth" (Sahih Muslim, Kitab al Imara, Hadith 4476)

According to Sunni Islam, there is no Caliphate today at all. Historically, the Muslim leadership had been shattered and today we are left with no political leader. However, this hadith still stands, and indicates that we indeed do have a Successor to the prophet among us.

This can only be Imam Mehdi, who is in occultation and will return when God wills it. Even if only two people are left on earth, Imam Mehdi will be there, waiting.

Imam Ali (a) as the natural successor to the Prophet Muhammed (s)

In the Sunni Muslim hadith compilation "Tirmidhi", which is the third most important source for hadiths, the Prophet Muhammed (s) announced the Muslims' allegiance to Ali ibn abi Talib (a).

The Holy Prophet (s) held up the hand of Imam Ali (a) at Ghadir Khum, and said "Whoever I am his maula (leader, friend, master), Ali is his maula [too]! O God, love those who love him, and be hostile to those who are hostile to him." (Tirmidhi, V2, p298, v5, P63)

This was believed to have been said during the Prophet's "farewell pilgrimage". The hadith has been viewed as "Sahih" by hundreds of Sunni Muslim sources, including some very big names such as Ibn Maja and Ahmed ibn Hanbal.

Therefore, anyone who takes the Prophet (s) as his master, which all Muslims do, must therefore take Imam Ali (a) as his master as well. Considering that this was said at his fairwell ceremony, and considering Ali (a) had lived long after the Prophet (s) had died, we can therefore assume that Ali was the maula of the Muslims, therefore making him the successor of the Prophet (s).

One must understand that by "Successor" I do not mean the Imams were in any way better than the Prophet Muhammed (s). Astaghfirallah, because Muhammed (s) was the seal of prophets, the praised one, the loved, the prophesied, and was the cradle of Allah's final testament, the Qur'an. The Imams were merely Muslims like ourselves, set to keep us on the straight path and lead us into the troubling times which pursued after the death of the Prophet.

God willingly, we will one day see the return of the twelve Imam, as well as the return of our Messiah Jesus (a).

May God bless you for your patience, thanks for reading my blog, and please do not forget me in your du'a. Wa-salamu alaykum.

-Qa'im

My Poem to God

Motionless,

Only naturally,
Our axe comes early,
To seal the fate we've held so firmly,
But what would we be,
If we simply cannot see,
The key to what's inside of me,
Is it not plain to see?
The evil inside of me?
The void of all ecstasy?
Where could it be?
The rapture that is needed to set me free,
A stature to keep me from falling on my knees,
Movement on a great degree.

But that was until You,
And all of the problems which previously ensued
Were reverted to dust,
Converted to lust
Alluring my trust,
And filling in the bottomless hole
Because with You, I have achieved warmness on my soul.

Like roses we fade,
And into the eternal shade,
We are brought back to life,
But not through this sectarian strife,
But through your limitless compassion,
I may live a life with no ration

The Absolute Majesty of God in His 99 Names

The 99 names of God. Surely, these names on their own is one of the things that make Islam the religion that it is. Never have there been so many names and title for the same God, rendering just some of His unequaled majesty.

In every culture, there is something of extreme importance, which often reflects on the language of that culture. For example, the Inuit have over a dozen names for snow and ice, since the weather conditions play a big role in their lives. Many central African native languages similarly have many names for each shade of the color "green" in order to describe certain trees, plants, and other environmental species.

To the ideal Muslim, there is nothing closer to his or her heart than God, Who has many names we invoke on a daily basis.

But one thing I have pondered on recently is simply the layout of some of these names. I will give you an example: One of God's names is al-Haq, which means "the Truth". However, another one of His names is ar-Rahman, or "the Gracious". What are the main differences between these two titles besides their meanings?

Take a closer look at ar-Rahman. Why is it that God is "gracious" and not the Grace itself, similar to how He is the Truth? Why isn't God "the Truthful" instead of Truth? Etc. Another example I can give is the term al-Wadud which means "the Lover"; some Christians ask, why is God not Love itself?

The answer I have given is very philosophical and logical at the same time. Since God is absolute and infinite in nature, His attributes must also reflect. God is the "Truth" because it is absolute - a fact can never be "more truthful" or "less truthful", but rather it can only be true or false. For example, if 3 + 3 = 6, this is an absolute truth, and the statement can never be more true than this.

So why can't God be "Mercy" instead of "the Merciful", etc.? This is because mercy is not an absolute. You can always have more mercy or less depending on the scenario you are in, and since God is unlimited and majestic, He must be "All-Merciful" to emphasize that God exceeds the limit of the term. One who stabs a person with a dull knife, for example, can technically be considered as being "more merficul" than one who stabs with a sharp knife. God can, therefore, never be mercy itself, but rather He is the All-Merciful.

So why can't God be Love? Same reason - love is not an absolute; you can always have different levels of love for different objects. God is not limited to the amount of emotion we have for something, but rather His greatness is static, incomparable and undescribable.

Just thought it would be interesting to point this out.

The Need for Islamic Unity

I am often asked about what sect I attribute myself to, when in fact I do not belong to any sect or school of thought. What I do follow is the Qur'an; which is the most authentic source of theology we will ever have. The Qur'an tells me to follow the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), so I follow those hadiths that comply with the Qur'an and common sense (I try not to bother with hadiths that do not effect our daily lives).

The Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) told us at Ghadir that Imam Ali (as) is our maula, and also tells me that he will have twelve successors from Quraysh. So, therefore, I do adhere to the teachings of Imam Ali in Nahjul Balagha, Imam Zain al-Sajjad in Sahifa as-Sajjadiya, Imam Ja'far in his madhab, and Imam Mehdi as my Caliph.

What was the message of all of these great prophets? Worship God and follow His messengers. So, consequentially, I worship, I read Qur'an, and I propagate to non-Muslims. Alhamdulilah, I am helping others on the Way.

Am I Shi'i? What makes someone part of the Shi'ah? I do not believe in the infallibility of any prophet or imam, because God says in the Qur'an:

"If God were to punish men according to what they deserve, He would not leave on the back of the (earth) a single living creature: but He gives them respite for a stated Term: when their Term expires, verily God has in His sight all His Servants." (35:45)

Prophets were humans, Imams were humans, humans are humans, and we all have temptations and inclinations to do evil. The difference between the men we revere is that they had abstained from it to their maximum capabilities. This does not mean they were infallible, though - Adam (as) still ate the forbidden fruit, and Jonah (Yunus) (as) still ran away from his prophetic duty, and they were both prophets. Of course they were not evil, they were human.

I also do not believe in many other Shi'ah traditions such as the "14 Ma'soomen" existing as lights before creation, I do not hit myself on 'Ashura, I do not call on anyone other than God, I do not believe Imams had higher statuses than Prophets, nor do I think we should practice these traditions. But, we must face reality, and love our Muslim brothers who still follow the Qur'an and Sunnah, pray, fast, etc., no matter what their interpretation is, they are Muslims.

Evil and Philosophy

What is evil? Philosophy asks the question, how could a good God create evil? Islam's answer is very simple: God did not create evil; rather, God created free will. The simplest ayah concerning evil is from the end of the Qur'an:

"From the evil of that which He created" (113:2)

"Min sharey ma khalaq" in Arabic. This ayah proves my point, because it talks about the evil "of that which" created. It does not say "God created evil" but rather than His creations are capable of evil.

God created us with two inclinations: an inclination to do good and an inclination to do evil. What is the meaning of good and evil? To be good is to submit to God by following his commandments (the exact meaning of "Islam"). For example, God tells us not to kill, therefore it is evil to kill and good to abstain from killing.

Is God capable of evil? Of course not, because if evil is to go against God's will, God is not capable of going against His own will. For example, God cannot lie because He is the Truth, God cannot be unjust because He is the Just, etc.

Back to Muslim Unity

The Prophet (pbuh) had always preached brotherhood. To me, anyone who accepts the Qur'an and Sunnah is a Muslim, so this would include Sunni Muslims, Shi'i Muslims, most Sufis and some smaller sects. Sects such as the Ahmedi/Qadianis, Isma'ilis, Nation of Islam, etc. I would not consider under the fold of Islam. Of course, this does not mean they are not deserving of our mercy or compassion, because universal brotherhood with our religions is an ultimate goal in Islam. They may not be Muslims to us, but they still have high regard for our prophets.

What does the Qur'an say about Muslim unity and brotherhood? Very much:

"And hold fast, all together, by the rope which Allah (stretches out for you), and be not divided among yourselves." (3:103)

"The believers are but a single brotherhood. Make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers and fear Allah so that you may receive mercy." (49:10)

"As for those who divide their religion and break up into sects, you have no part in them in the least: their affair is with Allah. He will in the end, tell them the truth of all that they did." (6:159)

The Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) said...

"The Muslims are like a body, if one part of the body hurts, rest of the body will also suffer."

"Believers are brethren, their lives are equal to each other and they are as one hand against their enemy."

"It is not permissible for two Muslims to be annoyed and angry for more than three days."

"When Muslims are angry with each other for three days. If they do not compromise then they go away from the limits of Islam and the one who compromise first will enter Jannah (Paradise) earlier."

What more must be said? Ignorance is bliss, unity is strength, and we are stronger as a brotherhood than as two contending groups.

Concentrate on your prayers, start studying the Qur'an, and of course, educating yourself. Life is too serious for these petty differences, and a social union between the Muslims is absolutely necessary. May God bless you and all of us, and pray for our success.

Is Sahih Bukhari completely authentic?

Sahih Bukhari is a book of narrations and hadiths of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh). It was compiled a couple centuries after the Prophet by Sheikh Muhammed al Bukhari, and admittidely it is quite beautifully compiled. To maintain authenticity, there is a chain of narrators for each hadith, to pinpoint where the hadith comes from and who had originally narrated the message. It traces down to early Muslims, companions of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh), his family members and his wives.

For the time period, it was an excellent compilation. Bukhari is claimed to have memorized about 200,000 hadiths by the end of his life, and contained about 6,000 hadiths of what he believed were the most authentic. They concern everything such as interpretations of the Qur'an, parables, morals, the legal system, war, the day of judgment, prophecies, the future, etc. It was a rather useful tool, and until today, it can accurately shape the attitude of the Prophet.

But. Is it perfect?

There are many Sunni Muslims who claim this book is absolutely perfect, because according to them, the companions and wives never lied. They also see how Bukhari spent his whole life travelling the world and collecting hadiths, and rationalize that because of the effort, the book has to be "sahih" or authentic in every sense.

Muslims must remember that the only perfect book is the Qur'an. Although I agree Bukhari is a great source, and I do agree that it is probably mostly authentic, but to say it is the perfect representation of the Sunnah is absurd. It may be our best, but definitely not completely Sahih. Bukhari was good for its time period, but now with today’s technology, we have a much better ability at collecting hadiths and new methods in judging their authenticity.

Let us take a look at some inconsistencies in Bukhari.

1. Exaggeration of the rank Moses (as)

Prophet Moses (as) is of course one of the most important prophets in Islam, and definitely the most similar to Muhammed (pbuh). They were both not raised by their natural parents, they were both raised in elite families, they were both regarded as political and spiritual leaders, they both lead a mass exodus of people, they were both seen as lawgivers, they were both married with children, they both succeeded over their enemies, they both fathered a nation, they were both given revelations, and finally they both succeeded against their enemies.

However, we see an exaggeration in Moses’ rank in Bukhari, which leads to internal contradictions within the book. Most of these hadiths come from Abu Huraira, who was himself a former Jew and would therefore have a somewhat bias for Prophet Moses (as) over all of the other Islamic prophets. Let’s take a look at some of these hadiths:

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 581:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

One day some meat was given to the Prophet and he said, "On the Day of Resurrection Allah will gather all the first and the last (people) in one plain, and the voice of the announcer will reach all of them, and one will be able to see them all, and the sun will come closer to them." (The narrator then mentioned the narration of intercession): "The people will go to Abraham and say: 'You are Allah's Prophet and His Khalil on the earth. Will you intercede for us with your Lord?' Abraham will then remember his lies and say: 'Myself! Myself! Go to Moses."

You could already see what is wrong here without me explaining. Basically, on the Day of Judgment, people will all be asking Prophet Abraham (as) for intercession because of his high rank of “Khalilullah” or “Friend of God”. Then, Abraham (as) will “remember his lies”. This is absurd, because it suggests that Prophet Abraham (as) had lied during his lifetime. As a prophet and holy representative of God, how can one conceive that Abraham (as) had lied during his life? There is nothing in the Qur’an to suggest that he did. Do Sunni Muslims really believe this?

Abraham (as) will then allegedly tell people to go to Moses (as) out of fear for his own sins. This means Moses (as) will be free to intercede while Abraham (as) is not, which suggests Abraham will be afraid of his sins while Moses did not commit any sins and will have enough reassurance to intercede for the followers of Abraham (as). Do you see what I mean by exaggerating the rank of Moses?

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 619:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

The Angel of Death was sent to Moses when he came to Moses, Moses slapped him on the eye. The angel returned to his Lord and said, "You have sent me to a Slave who does not want to die." Allah said, "Return to him and tell him to put his hand on the back of an ox and for every hair that will come under it, he will be granted one year of life." Moses said, "O Lord! What will happen after that?" Allah replied, "Then death." Moses said, "Let it come now." Moses then requested Allah to let him die close to the Sacred Land so much so that he would be at a distance of a stone's throw from it." Abu Huraira added, "Allah's Apostle said, 'If I were there, I would show you his grave below the red sand hill on the side of the road."

How is it that one could ward off the angel of death? Your time is up when your time is up, and there is nothing you could do about it. In this hadith, the will of Moses (as) is put stronger than the will of God. As the Qur’an iterates, God will put death onto all and there’s nothing we could do to stop it. In this case, Moses (as) allegedly slaps the angel of death onto his eye. How is it that a human being, made of clay, could somehow hurt an Angel, made of spirit?

As well, the act of being a “Muslim” is submitting your will to God. By rejecting death, Moses would have defied the will of God and would therefore be committing kufr. This is another case where Moses’ (as) rank is exaggerated.

Volume 4, Book 55, Number 620:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

A Muslim and a Jew quarreled. The Muslim taking an oath, said, "By Him Who has preferred Muhammad over all people...!" The Jew said, "By Him Who has preferred Moses, over all people." The Muslim raised his hand and slapped the Jew who came to the Prophet to tell him what had happened between him and the Muslim. The Prophet said, "Don't give me superiority over Moses, for the people will become unconscious (on the Day of Resurrection) and I will be the first to gain consciousness to see Moses standing and holding a side of Allah's Throne. I will not know if he has been among those people who have become unconscious; and that he has gained consciousness before me, or he has been amongst those whom Allah has exempted."

And again in another hadith…

…The Prophet became angry, till anger appeared on his face, and said, "Don't give superiority to any prophet amongst Allah's Prophets, for when the trumpet will be blown, everyone on the earth and in the heavens will become unconscious except those whom Allah will exempt. The trumpet will be blown for the second time and I will be the first to be resurrected to see Moses holding Allah's Throne.”… (Volume 4, Book 55, Hadith 626)

Another hadith in Bukhari states that Muhammed (pbuh) has five names: Muhammed (the one who is praised), Ahmed (the praiseworthy), al Mahi (the eraser of evil), al Hashr (the first to be resurrected), and al Aqib (that there will be no prophet after him).

These two hadiths contradict each other. While one says Muhammed (pbuh) will be the first to be resurrected, the other says Muhammed (pbuh) will be the first to regain consciousness, only to see Moses (as) already leaning on the throne of God. There are other hadiths scattered around Bukhari that say the same thing; that Moses will be conscious before Muhammed (pbuh). This creates an internal contradiction within Sahih Bukhari.

2. Bizarre Hadiths

Volume 4, Book 53, Number 324:

Narrated Ali:

I got a she-camel in my share of the war booty on the day (of the battle) of Badr, and the Prophet had given me a she-camel from the Khumus. When I intended to marry Fatima, the daughter of Allah's Apostle, I had an appointment with a goldsmith from the tribe of Bani Qainuqa' to go with me to bring Idhkhir (i.e. grass of pleasant smell) and sell it to the goldsmiths and spend its price on my wedding party. I was collecting for my she-camels equipment of saddles, sacks and ropes while my two she-camels were kneeling down beside the room of an Ansari man. I returned after collecting whatever I collected, to see the humps of my two she-camels cut off and their flanks cut open and some portion of their livers was taken out. When I saw that state of my two she-camels, I could not help weeping. I asked, "Who has done this?" The people replied, "Hamza bin Abdul Muttalib who is staying with some Ansari drunks in this house." I went away till I reached the Prophet and Zaid bin Haritha was with him. The Prophet noticed on my face the effect of what I had suffered, so the Prophet asked. "What is wrong with you." I replied, "O Allah's Apostle! I have never seen such a day as today. Hamza attacked my two she-camels, cut off their humps, and ripped open their flanks, and he is sitting there in a house in the company of some drunks." The Prophet then asked for his covering sheet, put it on, and set out walking followed by me and Zaid bin Haritha till he came to the house where Hamza was. He asked permission to enter, and they allowed him, and they were drunk. Allah's Apostle started rebuking Hamza for what he had done, but Hamza was drunk and his eyes were red. Hamza looked at Allah's Apostle and then he raised his eyes, looking at his knees, then he raised up his eyes looking at his umbilicus, and again he raised up his eyes look in at his face. Hamza then said, "Aren't you but the slaves of my father?" Allah's Apostle realized that he was drunk, so Allah's Apostle retreated, and we went out with him.

There are a lot of hadiths in Bukhari, which make you wonder why they are there in the first place. This hadith tries to portray Hamza (ra), the uncle and protector of the Prophet (pbuh), as a violent drunkard. Hamza (ra) was, of course, named the “Master of Martyrs” by the Prophet, and this hadith is not so befitting of this title. Even if this hadith were somehow authentic, why would it be in the Sunnah today, and what applicability does it have to my day-to-day life as a Muslim? What purpose does the hadith serve other than tarnishing the image of Hamza (ra) and Muslims?

Volume 4, Book 53, Number 334:

Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Umar:

Once I went upstairs in Hafsa's house and saw the Prophet answering the call of nature with his back towards the Qibla and facing Sham.

Again, this is irrelevant to Islam. I don’t know what the narrators hopes to achieve by talking about the direction in which the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) answered the call of nature once in his life.

Anyways. I don’t want to make this blog too long, and I don’t think anyone will ever be able to fit all of the inconsistencies, contradictions, or downright bizarre hadiths in one blog. If Muslims want a Sahih book, they must critically study Bukhari as well as other books, erase what is not applicable to Muslims, and go from there. Sahih Bukhari is a good start, but it should definitely not end at that.