questionsonislam

[questionsonislam]

Does Allah help the unbeliever?

The issue has a few aspects:

1. Allah’s creating people, equipping them with material and spiritual things, making the sun, sea and earth serve them are divine help for both believers and unbelievers. Nothing would exist but for that ontological help.

2. As for the issue in social life, Allah sometimes helps unbelievers too. 

For example, the reason for the victory of the unbelievers in the Battle of Uhud is explained as follows in the Quran:

“If a wound hath touched you (in Uhud), be sure a similar wound hath touched the others (in Badr). Such days (of varying fortunes) We give to men and men by turns: that Allah may know those that believe, and that He may take to Himself from your ranks Martyr-witnesses (to Truth).And Allah loveth not those that do wrong. Allah’s object also is to purge those that are true in Faith and to deprive of blessing Those that resist Faith.” (Aal-i Imran, 3/140-141)

That victory of the unbelievers is a law of Allah. They achieved victory not because Allah loved them, but because they fought patiently and determinedly. Those who work hard with patience and determination always achieve success. It is a divine law.

It is understood from the sentence "And Allah loveth not those that do wrong" in the verse that Allah does not love any unbelievers. It is unthinkable for Allah to help the oppressors whom He does not like. In addition, there are other reasons for the defeat of the Muslims in Uhud. Almighty Allah circulates those victories and defeats among people and makes both sides experience bad and good days in order to reveal sincere believers, to make some of them attain the rank of martyrdom, to purify them from their sins and faults, and to destroy unbelievers.

If the believers were winners and the unbelievers were losers in all wars, life's being a test would be of no value, and the possibility of believing with free will would vanish; the unbelievers would be forced to believe.

As it can be understood from those explanations, we do not say, "Allah helped the unbelievers" because it is not appropriate to evaluate a win that will have a bad ending as a victory and help.

3. Those who obey the laws that Allah imposed in the universe will be successful. There is no difference between a believer and an unbeliever, a religious person or an irreligious one, and a virtuous or an immoral one.

In fact, the good attributes and values such as “working, not despairing of Allah, taking precautions/measures, learning science and technology, preparing as much force as possible against the enemies, obeying the commander, acting in accordance with causes, praying actually and verbally for every job, and obeying sunnatullah (the laws of Allah)”, which are commands of Islam, are reasons for superiority and victory over the enemies.

If their value is not appreciated, if Islamic values, decrees, fards and prohibitions are not observed, if faith and Islam are not protected, those values will be transferred to unbelievers. With those facts, good deeds and values, they will advance and progress, avoid defeat, and might overcome Muslims.

In that case, superiority is not due to their denial, but their obedience to the manifestations of Allah's names and attributes without realizing it.

[questionsonislam]

Is it regarded unbelief to curse luck, time and life?

The following is stated in a narration of Bukhari:

“Allah states the following: The son of Adam hurts me for he abuses time though I am time: in My hands are all things, and I cause the revolution of day and night.”(Bukhari, Tafsir 45)

Badruddin Ayni, the explainer of Bukhari, states that Arabs attributed the occurrence of misfortunes and disasters to time in the Era of Ignorance and adds the following:

“Some of the Arabs of the Era of Ignorance used to curse time, which consisted of the circulation of night and day because those people did not believe in Allah and attributed all events to time; that is, they would attribute the events that took place to time, that is, the day and night when they took place. They believed that everything occurred by the order of time. They were called Dahris.”

Ayni continues his statement with the following explanations:

“What the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) means by that hadith is as follows: None of you should curse time because time is not the real doer. It is Allah who does things. When you curse the time, which you believe to have caused those misfortunes, you are regarded to curse Allah because it is not time that causes those misfortunes but Allah. God Almighty’s statement 'I am time' means 'I am the owner of time'.” (Umdatul-Qari, 22:202)

It is true that in the Era of Ignorance, there was a group that attributed every evil to time and the verse “Nothing but time can destroy us” (al-Jasiya, 24)mentions their words. That idea was known as “Dahriyya” among the denialist movements in history. Their influence was seen after Islam too. Cursing time as the real doer is forbidden in those hadiths.

It will be useful to explain the following here:

Even some ancient scholars sometimes complained about time in their books and criticized falaq (destiny) because they were not able to remove some evils, and when they were hopeless, they complained about time and destiny. They complained not because they accepted time as the real doer but because the events did not occur as they wished and desired.

That is why believers also complain about destiny from time to time. In fact, every Muslim knows that time is a law and a creature of God Almighty.

To sum up, it is a requirement of taqwa to stay away from such words and curses. The intention of the person, in particular, can make things worse for him. For example, thoughts such as attributing the real cause to time and luck, regarding them as a manifestation of fate and attacking fate will be dangerous.

If a person complains by attributing his own distress to causes, its explanation is given above.

If a person does it in terms of the points mentioned in the explanation of the hadith, it is explained with a two-way intention.

[questionsonislam]

Some people claim that not performing prayers is shirk (polytheism) and unbelief. How true is their statement?

Instead of accusing a person of unbelief and polytheism, it is necessary to explain the meaning and nature of prayer to him by talking softly. It is necessary to tell such a person that if man performs a prayer, he enters into the presence of his Creator, who created him out of nothing, that he becomes a direct addressee of Him and that it is possible to attain the consent of God Almighty only through performing prayers. The Prophet, the Companions and great people encouraged people to worship by treating them softly and nicely; they avoided scaring and frightening people.

Performing prayers is the greatest reality after belief. Therefore, prayer is mentioned in almost one hundred places in the Quran. No deed of worship is emphasized as much as prayer because prayer is a believer’s closest relationship with his Lord. A person who does not perform prayers weakens this relationship and throws himself among the enemies like his soul and Satan, which is a big danger.

All verses of the Quran related to prayer encourage people. Some verses regarding the issue are as follows:

“Who believe in the Unseen, are steadfast in prayer." (al-Baqara, 2/3)

“It (prayer) is indeed hard, except to those who bring a lowly spirit.” (al-Baqara, 2/45)

“And who (strictly) guard their prayers.” (al-Muminun, 23/9)

“Prayer restrains from shameful and unjust deeds.” (al-Ankabut, 29/45)

“Speak to my servants who have believed, that they may establish regular prayers.“ (Ibrahim, 14/31)

It is possible to see the same things in hadiths too. When we go over the hadiths about prayer, we see that the virtue and rewards of performing prayers are mentioned.

However, Islamic scholars explain the following hadiths as “those who deny that performing prayers is fard and who regard not performing prayers legitimate”:

”Between man and unbelief/polytheism is abandoning performing prayers.“ (Muslim, Iman 134; Abu Dawud, Sunnah 15)

“The covenant between munafiqs (hypocrites) and us is prayer.” (Tirmidhi, Iman 9; Nasai, Salah 8)

Polytheism and hypocrisy are not in question for a person who accepts prayer as a command of Allah but acts lazily related to performing prayers.

Ibn Abidin states the following at the beginning of the chapter related to prayer in his book called Raddul-Muhtar: “A person who denies that performing prayers is fard becomes an unbeliever. He who abandons performing prayers deliberately due to heedlessness, that is, /laziness becomes a sinner.”

Thus, not performing prayers is among major sins. Only the followers of Mutazila, which is a heretic madhhab, state that those who commit major sins become unbelievers. However, it should not be forgotten that a person who does not perform prayers will be exposed to some dangers over time.

[questionsonislam]

Is the repentance of a person who falls into unbelief knowingly or unknowingly several times accepted – unless he is about to die?

“Allah forgiveth not (the sin of) joining other gods with Him; but He forgiveth whom He pleaseth other sins than this..." (an-Nisa, 4/116)

It is stated that in the verse above that any sins can be forgiven. The shirk that Allah will never forgive is the shirk of those who die without repenting. Accordingly, any repentance before death is valid.

"Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (az-Zumar, 39/53)

As a matter of fact, it is stated in the verse above that any repentance will be accepted.

[questionsonislam]

Why does Allah increase the diseases of munafiqs (hypocrites)?

“In their hearts is a disease; and Allah has increased their disease: And grievous is the penalty they (incur), because they are false (to themselves).” (al-Baqara, 2/10)

It is stated in the verse above that there is a disease in the hearts of munafiqs.

If an organ has a disease, it means it cannot fulfill its main duty. For instance, if an eye has a disease, it means there is a problem with seeing; if an ear has a disease, it means there is a problem with hearing. What prevents those organs from functioning normally is their disease. The concepts “hearing impaired and visually impaired” show this.

Accordingly, if a heart has a disease, it means there is a problem with knowing Allah, which is its main duty. That an eye cannot see things and that an ear cannot hear sounds shows that those organs are ill; similarly, that a heart does not fulfill its main duties, which are knowing Allah, believing in Him, obeying and worshipping Him, is an indication of its being ill. 

The phrase “in their hearts is a disease” mentioned in the verse aims to declare that there is no consciousness of belief, obedience andworshippingin the hearts of munafiqs (hypocrites).

“Allah’s increasing the disease of munafiqs’ hearts, which are already ill,” can be explained as follows:

a) Their disease means they suffer more sorrow and grief.

Accordingly, as Allah strengthened the religion of the Prophet (pbuh), their sorrow and grief increased. As Allah increased Islam, He did not aim to increase their sorrow but His elevating Islam and making His Messenger dominant increased the sorrow and grief of munafiqs indirectly.  

b) The expression of the verse above is similar to the expression of Hz. Nuh in the following verse: “O my Lord! I have called to my People night and day, But my call only increases (their) flight (from the Right).” (Nuh, 71/5-6)

Indeed, Hz. Nuh’s call did not increase their flight from what is right. However, his addressees fled away more from the true path when they were called. 

The following verse also has a similar style: “But when a warner came to them, it has only increased their flight (from righteousness).” (Fatir, 35/42)

c) The hypocrites hid their unbelief in their hearts and tried to show that they were believers. Therefore, they pretended to obey some orders and prohibitions of Islam. They felt very sorry when they did so. As the divine obligations introduced by the Quran increased, their sorrow, grief and diseases increased too. (cf Razi, the relevant place)

- It is also possible to describe it as follows:

If a person has a carbuncle that is not seen by others on his body and if a person touches that place from outside, the existence of that carbuncle is revealed and its pain increases when it is touched.

[questionsonislam]

What could have possibly led the humans to commit an irrarional act as worshipping idols?

Worshiping and pleading for help is the most basic instinct (given by God) because humans have been created with an infinite weakness and a needy nature.

Humans have realized that the One who made the eye to see also created the sun to give light. He has created the stomach and all the things to eat. He has created the ear to hear and all the voices. On the other hand, humans have struggled with problems, illnesses, calamities and disasters and they have looked for someone to plead. This search sometimes has led humans to the truth and sometimes caused them to go astray.

The people who were accompanied by a prophet and who obeyed his orders enjoyed the pleasure of believing in God. They submitted themselves to God for their needs, and took refuge in God from calamities and disasters.

Unfortunately, most of the humans have made mistakes while searching (for the truth) and they have worshipped the idols that they made themselves. They are divided into two groups. Some were vulgar enough to believe that the idols created them. This group comes to mind when idol worshippers are mentioned. The other group see worshipping and pleading to God as inconceivable. Because they had many helpers in the worldly life, they were under the illusion that they cannot worship to God and they believed the idols to be their helpers.

"We worship them for no other reason than they may bring us nearer to God." (Az-Zumar Surah, 39:3)

The ill notion that God cannot be prayed, directly led some people to become an idol worshipper. Therefore, faith in God needs to be the true one.

If you should ask them who has created the heavens and the earth, they would certainly say: God." (Luqman Surah, 31:25).

The addressee of this last verse is the second type of polytheists. Their faith in God has not stopped them to become a polytheist and that wrongful faith led them fight against the prophets of God.

Christians, instead of taking refuge in God for his/her sins, if they consult to the so-called representatives of Prophet Jesus or such clergymen, it is indeed nothing but imitating the Arabs in the pre Islamic era of ignorance.

[questionsonislam]

What should a new Muslim do? What should he pay attention to?

First of all, we should state that every blessing has some burdens. Being a Muslim, which is the greatest blessing, will definitely have some burdens.

Showing patience in the face of them, never despairing, focusing only on what we need to do, seeking refuge in and praying to our Lord in any case, leaving the result to Allah after doing our duty and showing consent to itwill relieve us in terms of all aspects.

Islam is on the Agenda of the World

Islam is spreading rapidly around the world. Russia takes the first place in Islamization; Europe is the second and America is the third. This fact is not regarded as news for the media, which is busy with wars, pandemic, gold and oil prices, global economic crisis, inflation, etc. and keeps most people busy with them.

Most of the non-Muslims become Muslims after researching Islam. The resource people refer to most today is the Internet. The lucky minority who can reach the right information on the internet, where there is much more information pollution about Islam than anything else, chooses Islam without hesitation. However, some of them exit Islam for different reasons. For example, according to statistics of the year 2000, nearly half of the 500,000 Americans who were converted to Islam in a year exited Islam. The main reason for it is as follows: Americans embrace Islam at the cost of being abandoned by their families and friends. However,

1. They cannot see the examples of ideal believers defined in the Quran and hadith in the Islamic community they live in.

2. They do not receive the attention and support of the other Muslims in mosques, which are the social environments of the community they live in.

Having been disappointed at not seeing a Muslim who fits the description of Islam truly in the Islamic circle he joined and been pushed into loneliness by Muslims, the newly converted American, unfortunately, can return to his old environment if he does not have a strong spiritual structure.

It seems that the most important reason why those who were converted to Islam remained in Islam is that those who became Muslims before them did not neglect them and took care of them.

What should be the roadmap of the new Muslim?

It is necessary to teach the true Islam and the righteousness worthy of Islam consciously to the new Muslim and somebody should be a role model for him.

For example, a Christian believes in the trinity. Hz. Isa (Jesus) is either the son of God or God himself in his eyes. When a Muslim says “Muhammadur-Rasulullah”, the Christian thinks - with a false comparison - that the Muslim claims that Muhammad (pbuh) is the son of God - God forbid - out of spite. When an American becomes a Muslim by uttering kalima ash-shahadah, he embraces Islam by getting rid of his wrong beliefs about Allah and the Prophet.

However, there are six pillars of beliefin Islam. One of them is belief in the hereafter. A Christian who does not believe in bodily resurrection might not believe in bodily resurrection when he utters kalima ash-shahadah. Again, he might not believe that both good and evil came from Allah when he becomes a Muslim by uttering kalima ash-shahadah by leaving his previous Christian life, in which he lived unaware of the concepts and meanings of good and evil in his own world because he has not even been aware of their existence.

Based on the fact “the highest reality in the universe is belief; after belief comes prayer...”, the first lesson that should be given to a new believer to embrace Islam is the lesson of belief.

There are Muslims who work hard to serve Islam in the Western world. However, the books they write to invite people to Islam are full of examples of how Christianity was distorted in general - as if taking revenge for the West’s constant attacks on the Islamic world. In other words, they focus on what a bad religion Christianity is rather than explaining what a good religion Islam is. Such books do more harm than good to those people. Those works are far from the potential to teach the belief lesson in question.

We said ‘after belief comes prayer’. The five pillars of Islam should be taught in a conscious order. For example, the issue of hajj, which is fard only for the rich and once in a lifetime, should not be instructed before prayer, which is fard for everybody, five times a day, regardless of being sick-well, young-old and poor-rich.

The other pillars, i.e., fasting and zakahcan also be taught in order of importance in this context.

In short, before we make the mistake of thinking that a newly converted person believes as we believe, he should first be taught the principles of belief, along with prayer, and, over time, fasting, zakah and hajj, which are the other fard deeds of worship. In addition to the memorization of the chapters needed for prayer, he should be taught to read the Quran.

What should a new Muslim pay attention to?

 If a new Muslim is not junub, it is not necessary for him to make ghusl but it is sunnah to make ghusl because the Prophet (pbuh) wanted such a person to make ghusl. (see Ahmad, Musnad, 5/161)

First of all, he should learn the principles of belief and Islam; it is not necessary to change his name if it does not have a non-Islamic connotation. Besides, men are recommended to be circumcised.

When a person became a Muslim, the Prophet (pbuh) would teach him how to perform prayers and then advise him to pray as follows:

اَللّٰهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِي وَارْحَمْنِي وَاهْدِنِيوَعَافِنِي وَارْزُقْنِي

“Allahummaghfir li warhamni wahdini wa afini warzuqni / O Allah! Forgive me, have mercy on me, guide me, grant me well-being and grant me provision!” (Muslim, Dhikr, 35)

Learning Islam

The most important turning point in the life of a new Muslim is doubtlessly the moment he is converted to Islam. It erases all the sins of the past and opens a clean, white page in his life. It is like being born again.

Therefore, it is very important for that newly opened clean page not to be polluted and that a good start to be made for that person’s happiness in this world and the hereafter. After entering Islam with a pure belief that leaves no room for doubt, it is necessary to make an effort to learn Islam correctly because without knowing the basic and indispensable teachings of Islam, it is not quite possible to practice Islam fully.

A true believer should know Islam well, embrace it consciously and try to practice it in his life. The best Muslim is the one who shows the highest respect to Allah. It is necessary to know how to be pious (muttaqi) in order to show the best respect to Allah - to put it in Islamic terms- to be one of the pious ones.

It is not possible to practice Islam in one’s life without knowledge, or at least to practice it as desired.

A Muslim who learns the principles of Islam can clearly see the bright path of Islam. Thus, he can realize the elements of unbelief, polytheism, and immorality that are contrary to Islam.

Unfortunately, many Muslims in our age have not been able to display the beauties of Islam in their lives because they have not learned enough about Islam. Therefore, it is not quite possible to practice Islam correctly only by imitating today’s Muslim communities.

In that case, Muslims should try to live according to Islam itself, not their mistakes. The mistakes and deficiencies of Muslims should not cause them to turn away from Islam. That issue is as important as being a Muslim for a newly converted Muslim.

Firstly, it is essential to read and understand the Quran, to act according to its contents and to put its principles into practice.

Secondly, it is necessary to take the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a model in all aspects.

A new Muslim should try to learn Islam from the true sources in the appropriate way. Accordingly, he should try to learn the Quran and the Prophet’s (pbuh) practice of Islam so that he can fully surrender to Allah and benefit from the example of the last prophet.

In this regard, it is possible to benefit from the guidance of people who know Islam.

He should begin by fulfilling fard duties, especially the five daily prayers, and by avoiding harams, especially the major sins.

Prayer (salah) must be the first thing to do beginning from the first day of becoming a Muslim. The five daily prayers, which are daily deeds of worship, must never be neglected.

A Muslim who has just been converted to Islam should either benefit from the practical guidance of other Muslims or from educational and instructional video publications prepared regarding the issue.

Thus, a believer first starts to perform the daily prayers as much as he can; then, he gradually tries to make up for his deficiencies, to learn what is necessary, and to perform prayers in accordance with the rules.

Willpower and Effort are Necessary

There may be some difficulties awaiting new Muslim. The way to overcome those difficulties is to continue the will and effort shown while becoming a Muslim. Allah will bestow many conveniences and make him successful in good deeds. As a matter of fact, the following is stated in the verses of the Quran:

“And those who strive in Our (cause),- We will certainly guide them to our Paths: For verily Allah is with those who do right.” (al-Ankabut, 29/69)

“But to those who receive Guidance, He increases the (light of) Guidance, and bestows on them their Piety and Restraint (from evil).” (Muhammad, 47/17)

Dying as a Muslim

Dying as a Muslim is just as important as being a Muslim. It can even be said that dying as a Muslim is more important than being a Muslim. Allah states the following in the Quran:

“Behold! his Lord said to him: ‘Bow (thy will to Me):’ He said: ‘I bow (my will) to the Lord and Cherisher of the Universe.’ And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; ‘Oh my sons! Allah hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam.’” (al-Baqara, 2/131-132)

To sum up, being a Muslim is the greatest spiritual treasure and a means of happiness for both worlds. Learning and practicing what is in that treasure must come before anything else.

[questionsonislam]

How would you answer those who deny miracles by saying, “Did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have miracles but we are not aware of them”?

ANSWER PART -3

Question:

Let us keep looking at how the Prophet Muhammad answered those who wanted miracles from him:

“Say: ‘I tell you not that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor do I know what is hidden, nor do I tell you I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me.’” (al-Anam, 6/50)

Answer

“Say: ‘I tell you not that with me are the treasures of Allah, nor do I know what is hidden, nor do I tell you I am an angel. I but follow what is revealed to me.’ Say: ‘Can the blind be held equal to the seeing?’ Will ye then consider not?’” (al-Anam, 6/50)

Can it be anything as natural as mentioning the human characteristics of the Prophet, who is a human being, in the verse above? In which one of the sentences above is there a sign showing that the Prophet (pbuh) will not be given any miracles? God forbid! There is nothing like that whatsoever!

Question:

Why did the Quran, which includes the miracles of other prophets, not include the miracles of the Prophet Muhammad if he had any? Let alone miracles, the Prophet Muhammad REGARDS HIMSELF HELPLESS SINCE HE HAS NO MIRACLES. The people who insistently claim that the Prophet Muhammad is the loftiest and most superior prophet who was bestowed upon miracles first need to deny the verses above and several other similar verses and then declare the Prophet Muhammad as the loftiest prophet.

Answer:

The person who uses such bad and inappropriate expressions for the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) describes the other party as “Ahl as-Sunnah”; thus, he means he belongs to one of the heretic groups. However, his last statements are inappropriate and it does not fit any believer to utter them.  

To sum up;

- If one looks at the verses carefully, he will see that the sarcastic offers of the deniers who want to make things difficult are generally answered in the verses in question. They are reminded that some deniers were shown the miracles that they wanted but that they still did not believe; it is indicated that it is not in accordance with divine wisdom to repeat the same things that were experienced in history.  

- Books of history and siyar (biography of the Prophet) witness more than one thousand miracles of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

- As a book that shows the miraculousness of the book of the universe, the Quran brings to the forefront spiritual, rational, universal and ontological miracles rather than local, material and emotional miracles. For, the miracles of Hz. Isa (Jesus) and Hz. Musa related to the senses are temporary and specific; it is not possible for those who want to believe by seeing miracles to see those miracles again. For example, it is not possible for a person to see the staff of Hz. Musa or the incident of Hz. Isa’s reviving the dead. However, scientific and rational miracles that are always valid are necessary for the Quran, which is the divine book that is valid up to the Day of Judgment, so that its messages will be effective.   

The issue necessitates a profound foundation; therefore, we regard what we have written so far enough and give some examples of the miracles of the Prophet (pbuh) related to senses mentioned in the Quran:

a.  As all sound hadith sources and books of history and siyar mention unanimously, the Prophet picked a handful of pebbles during the Battle of Badr and threw them at the enemy by saying, “May their faces be humiliated”; that handful of soil/pebbles entered the eyes of the enemy soldiers, caused them to escape and to be defeated.  

“It is not ye who slew them; it was Allah. when thou threwest (a handful of dust).” (al-Anfal, 8/17)

That fact is indicated in the verse above.

b. Once, the Prophet (pbuh) said something secret to one of his wives and warned her not to tell anyone about it. However, she told another wife of the Prophet about it. Having been informed about it through revelation, the Prophet (pbuh) reproached her due to telling the secret to someone else. When his wife asked him how he found out about it, the Prophet (pbuh) said, “Allah, who knows and is well-acquainted with everything, told me about it.”

“When the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his consorts, and she then divulged it (to another), and Allah made it known to him, he confirmed part thereof and repudiated a part. Then when he told her thereof, she said, ‘Who told thee this?’ He said, ‘He told me Who knows and is well-acquainted (with all things).’” (at-Tahrim, 66/3)

c. The incident of the splitting of the moon is mentioned in hadiths, history sources as well as the Quran.

“The Hour (of Judgment) is nigh, and the moon is cleft asunder. But if they see a Sign, they turn away, and say, ‘This is (but) transient magic.’” (al-Qamar, 54/1-2)

It is underlined in the verses above that the moon was cleft asunder, that the unbelievers could not deny it and that they regarded it as magic.

d. It is emphasized in the first verse of the chapter of al-Isra that the Prophet (pbuh) went to Quds (Jerusalem) from Makkah and that he visited Masjid al-Aqsa one night in a very short period of time. The details of the incident are narrated in hadith and siyar sources and it is stated that he returned to Makkah on the same night and that his bed was still warm when he returned.  

Although he had never been to Quds before, the Prophet (pbuh) answered the questions that he was asked about Masjid al-Aqsa correctly and gave them some other information about it, proving the trueness of his journey.  

e. It is clearly stated in chapter of al-Fath - which was sent down two years before the conquest of Makkah - in the Quran that Makkah will be conquered and it is emphasized that the dream of the Prophet (pbuh) regarding the issue is confirmed. Indeed, Makkah was conquered two years later.  

- All of those incidents mentioned in the Quran are miracles - in the form of news about senses and ghayb (unknown/unseen) - shown by the Prophet. Those miracles are indicated in the Quran (pbuh).

[questionsonislam]

How would you answer those who deny miracles by saying, “Did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have miracles but we are not aware of them”?

ANSWER PART- 2

Question:

Al-Anbiya 5. “’Nay’ they say, ‘(these are) medleys of dream! - Nay, He forged it! - Nay, He is (but) a poet! Let him then bring us a Sign like the ones that were sent to (Prophets) of old!’”

Answer:

Attention is attracted to the stubborn and irrational insistence of the deniers about unbelief in the verse above. For instance, they make different judgments - which show their ignorance - about the Quran, which is a treasure of miracles. They say, “Sometimes it is a magic, sometimes the words of a poet, sometimes the words of a soothsayer and sometimes a fabricated tale.” This indecision of theirs shows that they themselves do not believe in the wrong things they attribute to the Prophet and that they are away from displaying a determined attitude regarding the issue.

Their inconsistent delusions are indicated as follows in the Quran (cf. Ibn Kathir, the interpretation of the verse in question):

“See what similes they strike for thee: but they have gone astray, and never can they find a way.” (al-Isra, 17/48);

“And they say: ‘What sort of an apostle is this, who eats food, and walks through the streets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him to give admonition with him? Or (Why) has not a treasure been bestowed on him, or why has he (not) a garden for enjoyment?’ The wicked say:‘Ye follow none other than a man bewitched.’ See what kinds of comparisons they make for thee! But they have gone astray, and never a way will they be able to find!” (al-Furqan, 25/7-9)

What can be the significance of showing the miracles that they want to those people, who view the Quran, the miraculous book, stubbornly and biasedly with their nonsensical words? It does not seem possible for those people who do not accept the Quran, which is a miracle in various ways and which is before their eyes, to accept other miracles. There remain two alternatives: They will be shown those miracles and they will be eliminated totally in accordance with the principle of Allah valid for the previous nations. The verse coming immediately after the verse in question describes it clearly:  

“(As to those) before them, not one of the populations which We destroyed believed: will these believe?” (al-Anbiya, 21/6)

Or, their offers will not be accepted and the door of repentance and mercy will be left open for them - for the sake of the Prophet (pbuh) – and they will be given opportunity to become believers. Allah preferred the second alternative with His infinite mercy. (cf. Ibn Ashur, the interpretation of the verse in question)

Question:

Ar-Rad 38. “And it was never the part of an apostle to bring a sign except as Allah permitted (or commanded).”

(The verse is very clear.)

Answer:

The meaning of the verse above is really clear: No prophet can show a miracle without the permission of Allah. That meaning has no ambiguous aspect. However, to make a judgment from the verse that the Prophet was not given miracles is really something dark.

Question:

Al-Ankabut 50. “Ye they say: ‘Why are not Signs sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say: ‘The signs are indeed with Allah and I am indeed a clear Warner.’”

(See how the Prophet Muhammad answers those who expect miracles from him. He does not say, “I am the best prophet and these are my miracles” as Ahl as-Sunnah claims.)

Answer:

What is meant by the signs/miracles in the verse above is Safa hill being transformed into gold and similar nonsense - as it was mentioned above - or the miracles related to senses shown by previous prophets like the Staff of Hz. Musa (Moses). (Mawardi, the interpretation of the verse in question)

It is indicated in the expressions in the verse above that miracles can take place with the creation of Allah and that no prophet can show a miracle without the permission of Allah as it is mentioned in the previous verses.

The meaning “I am not given miracles”can never be deduced from the statement “and I am indeed a clear Warner” in the verse above. On the contrary, its meaning is as follows:

“It belongs to Allah to create miracles through my hand. It is not my duty and I am not held responsible for it. I have no such authority. I will be held responsible for only one thing: to convey the book of Allah to people and to warn clearly those who do not believe in His Messenger. The Quran is enough for that warning. How can a person who does not believe in a visible miraculous book like the Quran believe in other miracles?”

However, it is emphasized in the following verse of the chapter of al-Anam that to warn people is the common characteristic of all prophets:

“We send the apostles only to give good news and to warn: so those who believe and mend (their lives),- upon them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. But those who reject our signs,- them shall punishment touch, for that they ceased not from transgressing.” (al-Anam, 6/48-49)

Anyone who looks at verses 50 and 51 of the chapter of al-Ankabut together will know that what we say is true:  

“They say: ‘Why are not Signs sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say: ‘The signs are indeed with Allah. and I am indeed a clear Warner.’ And is it not enough for them that we have sent down to thee the Book which is rehearsed to them? Verily, in it is Mercy and a Reminder to those who believe.” (al-Ankabut, 29/50-51)

[questionsonislam]

How would you answer those who deny miracles by saying, “Did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have miracles but we are not aware of them”?

ANSWER PART- 1

Question:

Some friends of Ahl as-Sunnah keep saying that the Prophet Muhammad had miracles. Did the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) have miracles but we are not aware of them? Why are those miracles not included in the Quran? What does ALLAH say about the Prophet Muhammad’s miracles?

Answer:

It will be useful to give each answer under each verse in order to show the true meanings and aims of the verses. Therefore, we will try to make explanations in the form of questions and answers.

Question:

Al-Anam 35: “If their spurning is hard on thy mind, yet if thou wert able to seek a tunnel in the ground or a ladder to the skies and bring them a sign,- (what good?). If it were Allah’s will, He could gather them together unto true guidance: so be not thou amongst those who are swayed by ignorance (and impatience)! “

(Allah tells the Prophet Muhammad not to be ignorant; He says, I do not give you miracles; create a miracle yourself if you can.)

Answer:

- It is emphasized - in summary – in the verse above that it is not possible for a prophet to show a miracle on his own when he wishes without the help of Allah. Can there be anything more natural, reasonable and correct than it? There is no evidence in the verse that the Prophet will not be given any miracles. With the verse, the Prophet is consoled in the face of the denying ignorant people who asked nonsensical things sarcastically from him from time to time. He is asked not to feel sorry due to their words. The consolation is strengthened with the following statement: “If it were Allah’s will, He could gather them together unto true guidance”. (Tabari, Ibn Juzay, the interpretation of the verse in question).

The phrase “be not thou amongst those who are swayed by ignorance (and impatience)” in the verse means do not act impatiently like ignorant people in cases when patience is necessary. (see Tabari, Mawardi, the interpretation of the verse in question)

The following statement in the previous verse, which is related to the verse in question, is the clearest evidence of it:

“Rejected were the apostles before thee: with patience and constancy they bore their rejection and their wrongs.”

Allah means the following in the verse: “Like the other prophets, it is not something that you can do to show a miracle on your own. You are not held responsible because of it. It is a test. The door is opened for the mind in the test but man’s free will is not removed so that everybody will make their choice based on their free will and mind. Therefore, do not upset yourself in vain. “

The verse has nothing to do with asking for miracles. It is natural for a prophet to ask for miracles and it is a prerequisite of prophethood to show miracles. Therefore, it is not possible in terms of religion and mind to attribute ignorance to a prophet who asks for a miracle.  

Question:

Al-Anam 37. “They say: ‘Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say: ‘(Allah) hath certainly power to send down a sign: but most of them understand not.’”

(As it is understood from verse 37 of the chapter of al-Anam, the Prophet Muhammad did not bring any miracles. Therefore, the unbelievers said, “Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?”)

Answer:

As it is known, the reason why a verse was sent down is generally very important in understanding a verse. The verse in question is one of the verses whose reason to be sent down is known. According to what scholars state, the statement “Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?” in the verse is related to the following verses in the chapter of al-Furqan:

“And they say: ‘What sort of an apostle is this, who eats food, and walks through the streets? Why has not an angel been sent down to him to give admonition with him? Or (Why) has not a treasure been bestowed on him, or why has he (not) a garden for enjoyment?’ The wicked say: ‘Ye follow none other than a man bewitched.’” (al-Furqan, 25/7-8)

That verse in question indicates their sarcastic requests and answers them with the following statement: “Say: ‘(Allah) hath certainly power to send down a sign.

'“ (Tabari, the interpretation of the verse in question)

Thus, their requests were not fulfilled because they were not regarded reasonable and it was not regarded appropriate by divine wisdom to reward their sarcastic and spoiled attitudes with a miracle. There is no statement in the verse indicating that the Prophet (pbuh) will not be given any miracles. As a matter of fact, the phrase “but most of them understand not” at the end of the verse indicates that they do not know such wisdom.  

Question:

Yunus 20. “They say: ‘Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say: ‘The Unseen is only for Allah (to know), then wait ye: I too will wait with you.’”

Answer:

An answer given to deniers is in question in the verse above. As some scholars like Zamakhshari state, the miracles given to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) are much more than the ones given to other prophets. The people of Makkah saw the miracle of the splitting of the moon called “inshiqaq al-qamar” but they made a new offer; although there was a miracle like the Quran, which challenged and refuted them, they insisted on seeing another miracle they offered, which showed their insincerity and spoiled obstinacy regarding the issue and that they had no intention of believing. Instead of giving them a harsh answer that they deserved, Allah, who knew about their insincere and unserious attitudes very well, stated that it was an issue of ghayb belonging to Allah and that He could do it any time He wished; thus, He did not dishearten them and did not put His messenger in a difficult situation. (cf. Zamakhshari, Ibn Kathir, the interpretation of the verse in question)

There is no statement indicating that the Prophet will not be given a miracle in the verse. On the contrary, there is a sign that miracles can be given. Allah’s advice to the Prophet to be patient is an evidence for it.   

Question:

ar-Rad 7. “And the Unbelievers say: ‘Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?’ But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide.”

Answer:

As it is the case in the previous verses, there are statements indicating a sarcastic attitude, a stubborn unbelief and a spoiled and ignorant insistence in the verse above.

“And the Unbelievers say: Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?' But thou art truly a warner, and to every people a guide.”

There is no statement about other miracles not being given to the Prophet (pbuh) in the verse above. The following issues are emphasized to console the Prophet in the face of the unserious offers that express nothing but obstinacy like “transform Safa hill into gold” and the offer in the verse “O Allah if this is indeed the Truth from Thee, rain down on us a shower of stones form the sky, or send us a grievous penalty” (al-Anfal, 8/32):

“You are only a warner; you cannot force people to believe. It is not among your duties to give guidance. It belongs to Allah. Therefore, do not feel sad due to the attitudes of the insincere deniers who insist on denial. You have no responsibility regarding the issue.” (cf. Ibn Kathir, Qurtubi, the interpretation of the verse in question)

Question:

Ar-Rad 27. “The Unbelievers say: ‘Why is not a sign sent down to him from his Lord?’ Say: ‘Truly Allah leaveth, to stray, whom He will; But He guideth to Himself those who turn to Him in penitence’”

Answer:

That offer is one of the unserious offers of the stubborn unbelievers. According to what Imam Ahmad b. Hanbal reports from Ibn Abbas, Makkan polytheists said to the Prophet, “Transform Safa hill into gold for us; make nice rivers flow for us; make the mountains around us move and make gardens of pearls and coral instead of them.” Thereupon, Allah said to His Prophet, “I will give them what they want if you wish but if they still do not believe, I will eliminate all of them. I will not give them what they want if you wish and leave the door of mercy and repentance open for them.” The Prophet (pbuh) said he preferred the door of mercy and repentance being left open.

” (Ibn Hanbal, 1/242; Ibn Kathir, the interpretation of the verse in question) 

Consequently, Allah did not give them what they wanted but left the door of mercy and repentance open for them. After a while - especially after the conquest of Makkah – almost all of the polytheists believed and were saved from elimination.

Thus, the sarcastic offers of some people in terms of their stubbornness are mentioned in such verses; their nonsensical offers full of delusions are rejected and answers are given to them. There is no statement about not giving any miracles to the Prophet in them.  

[questionsonislam]

What makes a slave approach Allah? How can we understand that Allah loves us?

What makes slaves approach Allah is a sincere belief and obeying Allah’s commands and prohibitions.

In Islam, the most important thing after belief is prayer (salah). The most important thing in prayer is the peace of the heart and tadil al-arkan. The Prophet (pbuh) states the following in a hadith:

 “A slave is closest to his Lord when he is in prostration (sajdah).” (see Muslim, Salah 215. Abu Dawud, Salah 148)

“Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith.”(al-Baqara, 2/152)

It is understood from the verse above that if a Person loves Allah, Allah will love him. If a person shows respect to Allah and shows his respect by obeying Him, he will attain Allah’s love and appreciation.

As a matter of fact, according to a narration, the Prophet (pbuh) stated the following:

“If a person wants to learn his value in the eye of Allah, he should look at Allah’s value in his eye. Allah values a person as much as a person values Him.” (Hakim, 1/671)

Valuing Allah becomes manifest through obeying Him. A person’s good creed, good worship, high ethics, good manners and good intentions show how he values Allah.

In fact, it is a command of our religion to love Allah more than anything else. The way of loving Allah is to love the Prophet (pbuh), who lives in the way that Allah loves, and to be on His way.

Thus, the sign showing that we love Allah and that Allah loves us is to obey (follow) the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), His Messenger.

As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a verse:

"Say: If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Aal-i Imran, 3/31)

To love Allah is the highest purpose of man’s creation. Thus, it is the highest purpose that Islam leads man to. The verse above includes the following definite analogy: 

If you love Allah, you must follow the Messenger of Allah. If you do not follow him, it means you do not love Allah.

If you follow the Messenger of Allah, you must live like him. Thus, it means Allah loves you.

[questionsonislam]

Is there any drawback to viewing the religion of Islam and the Quran - in order to understand that it is the true religion - with an impartial eye?

Unbiased thinking lexically means to consider and evaluate something impartially. Satan leads man to aberration by saying, "Consider the Qur’an not as the word of Allah but to be neither man’s word nor the word of Allah and view it like that in order to be impartial. Would it still have the superior virtues and superior power of expression that you claim it has?"

Badiuzzaman Said Nursi states the following:

"Unbiased thinking is to take a position between two sides. Whereas what both you and your disciples from among men call unbiased thinking is to take the part of the opposing side; it is not impartiality, it is temporary unbelief." (see Sözler, On Beşinci Söz'ün Zeyli)

Thus, he states that one cannot view the Quran impartially and that unbiased thinking implicitly means to take the part of the opposing side, revealing this subtle trick of Satan.

The wonderful and miraculous aspects of the Quran can be seen only when it is viewed as the word of Allah. Otherwise, viewing it impartially or as a word of a human being will extinguish that light. In that case, a person who says he acts unbiasedly and impartially is driven to irreligiousness and is choked in darkness. Many people lose their belief with this deception of unbiased thinking.  

The Quran is Allah’s word. It is necessary to accept it like that first, to believe it like that and then to answer the questions and claims about the Quran by standing in the same front as the Quran.

To leave the front in the name of impartiality, to join the ranks of those who say the Quran is the word of a human and to view the Quran from that viewpoint will cause the lofty truths in the Quran to be hidden.

[questionsonislam]

What makes a slave approach Allah? How can we understand that Allah loves us?

What makes slaves approach Allah is a sincere belief and obeying Allah’s commands and prohibitions.

In Islam, the most important thing after belief is prayer (salah). The most important thing in prayer is the peace of the heart and tadil al-arkan. The Prophet (pbuh) states the following in a hadith:

 “A slave is closest to his Lord when he is in prostration (sajdah).” (see Muslim, Salah 215. Abu Dawud, Salah 148)

“Then do ye remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and reject not Faith.”(al-Baqara, 2/152)

It is understood from the verse above that if a Person loves Allah, Allah will love him. If a person shows respect to Allah and shows his respect by obeying Him, he will attain Allah’s love and appreciation.

As a matter of fact, according to a narration, the Prophet (pbuh) stated the following:

“If a person wants to learn his value in the eye of Allah, he should look at Allah’s value in his eye. Allah values a person as much as a person values Him.” (Hakim, 1/671)

Valuing Allah becomes manifest through obeying Him. A person’s good creed, good worship, high ethics, good manners and good intentions show how he values Allah.

In fact, it is a command of our religion to love Allah more than anything else. The way of loving Allah is to love the Prophet (pbuh), who lives in the way that Allah loves, and to be on His way.

Thus, the sign showing that we love Allah and that Allah loves us is to obey (follow) the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), His Messenger.

As a matter of fact, the following is stated in a verse:

"Say: If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (Aal-i Imran, 3/31)

To love Allah is the highest purpose of man’s creation. Thus, it is the highest purpose that Islam leads man to. The verse above includes the following definite analogy: 

If you love Allah, you must follow the Messenger of Allah. If you do not follow him, it means you do not love Allah.

If you follow the Messenger of Allah, you must live like him. Thus, it means Allah loves you.

[questionsonislam]

Is material interest bad? Is it bad to take care of one’s material interests?

It will be better to start with the definition of material interest.

The word manfa’ah (material interest) is derived from the root naf’, which means use, profit and material interest, in Arabic. It is used in the sense of making use of something, benefitting from something.

If we look at the issue from the viewpoint the truth and knowledge, it is clear that every sane person has to take care of his essential interest, which is salvation from Hell, nothing else.

However, when we say manfa’ah, we think of the worldly manfa’ahs (interests) only. The following is stated in the Quran:

“A little enjoyment in this world!- and then, to Us will be their return, then shall We make them taste the severest penalty for their blasphemies.”(Yunus 70)

“Know ye (all), that the life of this world is but play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting and multiplying, (in rivalry) among yourselves, riches and children. Here is a similitude: How rain and the growth which it brings forth, delight (the hearts of) the tillers; soon it withers; thou wilt see it grow yellow; then it becomes dry and crumbles away. But in the Hereafter is a Penalty severe (for the devotees of wrong). And Forgiveness from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure (for the devotees of Allah. And what is the life of this world, but goods and chattels of deception?”(Hadid 20)

The real manfa’ah that we need to pursue is keeping away from unnecessary and meaningless things and sins, which will be of no use after death, which will harm us and which seems to be manfa’ah in the world.

On the other hand, as a necessity of the test in the world, we all have duties like living in the world, having a family, earning our living, getting on well with people, respecting the elderly, protecting the young ones, not telling lies, not stealing, not killing, keeping away from what Allah and His Messenger forbad, not ignoring worshipping, struggling against our souls, which is fard, and conveying the message of the religion of Allah to people without fearing.  

All of those duties mean Islam itself. It is related to our otherworldly interest to fulfill them. We are actually ordered to take care of our eternal interest only.

All of the other things seem to be useful for our interest in this short worldly life but they are deceitful and harmful; they will give us a lot of trouble in the hereafter.

Our duty is to take care of our interest by obeying fully the orders of Islam, which Allah sent us through His Messenger and the Quran.

The duty of Satan is to deceive us by changing our directions away from them toward worldly, unnecessary, meaningless things and harams, and by using our souls. He will make us think as follows: “Allah is the Forgiver; He will forgive me.”

Be careful. Allah Almighty states the following in the Quran:

“O mankind! Do your duty to your Lord, and fear (the coming of) a Day when no father can avail aught for his son, nor a son avail aught for his father. Verily, the promise of Allah is true: let not then this present life deceive you, nor let the chief Deceiver deceive you about Allah.”(Luqman 33)

Do not forget that real interest (manfa’ah) is nothing but to hold onto Allah’s rope, orders and to keep away from His prohibitions.

[questionsonislam]

Does everyone live the life they deserve?

We were all born at hard times and undergo hard times.

What about the ones that lived before us?

Let us have a look at our ancestors Adam and Hawwa (Eve). Allah Himself addressed them but they committed a sin due to negligence and were sent to the world to be tested. Some of their children did not believe though they knew about it. You can think of the agonies they suffered.  

Have a look all prophets including Hz. Muhammad (pbuh), saints and friends of Allah. There were people among their relatives that did not believe like their parents, children, siblings, wives, members of their families and friends. Hz. Nuh conveyed the message of his religion to people for nearly 1000 years but fewer than 100 people embarked his ship. Was what they suffered less than what we suffer?

Circumstances can change but Allah’s law never changes. Allah Almighty states the following:

“Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger, some loss in goods or lives or the fruits (of your toil), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.” (al-Baqara 155)

“Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden (of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you? they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will come) the help of Allah?" Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near.”(al-Baqara 214)

“We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, but for just ends. And the Hour is surely coming (when this will be manifest). So overlook (any human faults) with gracious forgiveness.” (al-Hijr 85)

“I have only created Jinn and men, that they may serve Me.”(adh-Dhariyat 56)

Our Lord gives answers to our questions in His book. We should seek consolation and peace in Him and take refuge in Him. We should never be unaware that we are being tested and that this test can be through our health, wealth, material and spiritual deficiencies and abundance; we should fulfill all our duties assigned to us, especially five daily prayers, pay attention to the balance of halal and haram, act based on causes and take refuge in Him and ask His help without being slaves of others.

We should show patience in the face of the things that happen to us and thank Allah.

We should never despair because the following is stated in the Quran:

“Say: ‘O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of Allah: for Allah forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.’” (az-Zumar 53)

[questionsonislam]

Why does the right to life not given to a person who exits the religion of Islam?

First of all, we should say that the door of repentance is always open for everybody. This issue is valid for apostasy too. If a person commits the same crime many times and repents truly, his repentance will be accepted.

We cannot know whether Allah accepts a repentance or not but the apparent rules of the shari’ah necessitate it. There is no difference between repenting of a sin and repenting of apostasy.  

As a matter of fact, According to the majority of Shafii scholars, if a person becomes an apostate (murtad) and then repents and becomes a Muslim, his repentance is accepted. Even if he does in a hundred times, his repentance is accepted. (see Mawardi, al-Hawi, 13/449)

- An important source of the decree about killing an apostate is the following hadith:

“It is not permissible to take the life of a Muslim except in one of the three cases: a married person who commits adultery, a person who kills another person unjustly and a person who exits the religion of Islam, abandoning the community.” (Muslim, Qasama, 25,26 ; Tirmidhi, Hudud,15; Abu Dawud, Hudud,1; Nasai, Qasama,5,14)

Acting upon the hadith above, and the following hadith that is included in all of Kutub as-Sitta books except Bukhari

“Kill the person who changes his religion” (Naylul-Awtar, 7/190),

Islamic scholars agree unanimously that an apostate is to be killed. (see W. Zuhayli, al-Fiqhul-Islami, 6/186)

- According to Hanafi madhhab, an apostate who is a woman is not killed. However, she is imprisoned until she repents. According to the other three madhhabs, an apostate is killed even if she is a woman. (Zuhayli, ibid)

- On the other hand, according to Hanafi madhhab, it is mustahab to give an apostate the opportunity to repent and want him to repent. According to the other three madhhabs / the majority, it is wajib to want him to repent and to give him this opportunity, and to try to realize it (by keeping him in prison / under custody at least three days). (Zuhayli, 6/187-188)

- An important point regarding the issue is as follows: Only the president or his deputy (official courts of the state today), not individuals, can determine and execute the penalty of an apostate.

The state can execute him only after giving him some time to think and scientific help to correct his mistake if he still insists on his apostasy.

- After giving this short information about the execution of an apostate, we can explain the wisdom behind it as follows:

a) The apostate loses his innocence since he exist his religion and the ummah of Islam and becomes a traitor. The penalty of a traitor is death.

b) A person who abandons his religion is regarded to have betrayed his religion. A person who betrays his religion betrays his country where the religion of Islam is in effect. Therefore, the crime committed by the apostate is a kind of “treason”. Its penalty is death.

c) An apostate cannot be compared to an unbeliever. For, a person who exits from the religion of Islam, which is a religion that addresses both the mind and the heart as well as the lofty feelings, will not have any virtues related to humanity. From this viewpoint, when a person exits the religion of Islam, he is regarded to have exited humanity too. A person who loses his humane feelings becomes an anarchist. It cannot be thought that he will adhere to any religion or doctrine. He loses the right to live since he has a mind and he is like a wild animal, not an innocent animal.

d) To change one’s religion, means “to join the opposite front and to declare war against Muslims” in terms of balances in the international level and among nations in a sense. Or, it means a snake, a scorpion that poisons people, especially the young people by propaganda against the Muslim community, emitting poison. Therefore, a person is not killed because he changed his religion but because he waged war against Muslims and tries to poison them spiritually.  

e) “Also, Islam cannot be compared with other religions; if a Muslim abandons Islam and gives up his religion, he will not accept any other prophet; indeed, he will not acknowledge Almighty Allah either nor probably recognize anything sacred. He will have no conscience that will allow him moral and spiritual attainment; it will be corrupted. Therefore, in the view of Islam, in wartime, an unbeliever has the right to life. His life is protected according to Islam if he is outside the country and makes peace, or if he is inside the country and pays the head-tax. But an apostate does not have the right to life. For his conscience is corrupted and he becomes like poison in the life of society. But a Christian may still contribute to society, even if he is irreligious. He may accept some sacred matters and may believe in some of the prophets, and may assent to Almighty Allah in some respects.

[questionsonislam]

What does Sirat-al mustaqim mean?

The straight path means the true path.

There have been descriptions such as moderate way free from all sorts of extremes, straightforward path, smooth way, or justice for the straight path. The revealed Quran describes this way as

"The Way of Allah, to Whom belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on earth. Behold (how) all affairs tend towards Allah!" (Ash-Shura: 53), and

"The way of the prophets (who teach), the Sincere (lovers of Truth), the martyrs, and the Righteous (who do good)" (An-Nisa: Women: 69).

A believer recites the Chapter of al-Fatiha during all rak’ahs (units) of prayers and asks for guidance to the straight way from his Lord. We want to spend all our lifetime in a straight line in this worldly life, that is, to pass the Sirat here, by wishing our guidance to the straight path from our Creator. It is really difficult for us to keep all our works, words and states in the straight line in this world. However, unless we complete this hard and sharp path without going to extremes, it will be impossible to cross the Sirat (the bridge over Hell, which must be crossed to enter Paradise on the Day of Judgment).

Sirat is located over Hell. The front of all our deeds is like Paradise and the underneath is like Hell. Whatever deed we commit without intending the consent of Allah, we will commit sins and disobey Allah. They are all harbingers of Hell in this world.

The way to happiness in this world depends on the straight path. It will not be possible for us to get happiness unless our body with its all organs and our heart with its whole senses are on the straight path. Our eyes should be neither near-sighted nor far-sighted. Our blood pressure should be neither high nor low. The electric current of the mechanism that makes our brain work should be neither low nor high. Our heart should beat within certain ranges. Our body temperature should be moderate.

Another definition of the straight path is to prefer the moderate way which is far from all sorts of extremes in ethics.

Generosity is a part of social ethics. The person who is neither extravagant nor stingy has got this part of ethics. Justiceis another good character. Man should neither tyrannize nor be too weak to seek his rights and cause others to become oppressors.

The primary form of having high ethics is tawakkul (complete trust in Allah). Man who applies to the causes and shows consent to the results in the end, understands the essence of tawakkul and is on the straight path.

If a believer prays, Oh my Lord! Lead us to the straight path, he demands from his Creator to live all aspects of the true path. And he includes all believers in his prayer.