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"THE SIMPLE TRUTH" August 2011 (3)

inside

04 Editorial

05 Guidance from the Glorious Qur'an

06 Pearls from the Holy Prophet

07 The Period of Fasting

10 Islamic Feature:Taqwa: Messageof Ramadhan

12 Guarding Tongue

13 Holy Quran: A Guidance

14 Islamic Feature: Aspects of theFirst Revelation

18 Prayer in the night of Dignity

19 Islamic Feature: Fasting: An institution to purify Soul

21 Fasting: History and objectives

23 Fasting at a Glance

26 Islamic Feature: Blessings of Recitation of Holy Quran

28 Feature: A Land of Peace

The

SIMPLE

TRUTHMONTHLY

Chief Editor

Asghar Ali Imam Mahadi Salafi

Editor

Dr. Abul Hayat Ashraf

Publisher

Khawaja Md. Qutbuddin

Address:

Markazi Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees Hind

Ahle Hadees Manzil

4116, Urdu Bazar, Jama Masjid,

Delhi-110006

Ph: 011-23273407

Fax: 011-23246613

websit: www.ahlehadees.org

E-mail: [email protected]

August, 2011

Vol. No. 5 Issue No. 8


Life is a continuous struggle and a series

o f c h a l l e n g e s . T h o s e

who value life as a precious gift from God

and who have certain values and objectives in

life have to respond to greater challenges.

Muslim youth is the pulsating heart of the Muslim

Ummah and the pillar of its progress and

advancement. The standard of civilization of any

nation can be gauged from its concern for its

youth and the keenness of its interest in solving

their problems, giving them direction and

preparing them to bear the burden of

responsibility in life and in building the glory of

the Ummah. It is for the older generation to try

to understand the psychology of the youth and

the way they think. They should look, for ideal

ways and modern means of guiding and directing

the youth, so that they are isolated from the

slippery ground of modern life and its

complications.

It is our duty to be frank with the youth, but we

should not use twisted ways and noxious means

in order to enlighten him and acquaint him with

his huge responsibility toward the Ummah. It is

a criminal act against the future of this Ummah

for the youth to spend time in useless pursuits,

while at the same time it is for us to strengthen

the self confidence of our youth and give him

NEED TO ENLIGHTEN

MUSLIM YOUTH

Editorial

incentives for serious work that is conducive to

the service of his religion and his country.

It is imperative that the Muslim youth should

know Islamic history in all its purity and

cleanness, away from the distortions of its

enemies and of the events and incidents. The

Muslim Ummah, has, over the years, gone

through many events, crises and misfortunes that

have shaken its foundations and pillars. It is

incumbent upon the Muslim youth to study those

happenings and disasters. This would enable the

Muslim Youth to avoid such and similar

misfortunes and their negative after-effects in his

efforts toward rebuilding its civilization and its

future.

For a Muslim Youth the whole life is a constant

act of worship. Every moment of his life is sacred

and he spends his whole life as he is standing in

the presence of God. He is ever conscious of

his mission of being a member of the “best

nations” (Khairul Ummah) which has been

raised for the good of mankind, to guide, purify

and ennoble every human being. This mission

naturally entails a struggle against forces of evil

that are always out to oppose the divine mission.

We must devote all our energies to the cause

and be ready to face all ordeals in this way.


Believers! Fasting is enjoined upon you,

as it was enjoined upon those before

you, that you become God, fearing.

Fasting is for a fixed number of days, and if

one of you be sick, or if one of you be on a

journey, you will fast the same number of

other days later on. For those who are

capable of fasting (but still do not fast) there

is a redemption; feeding a needy man for

each day missed. Whoever, voluntarily, does

more good than is required, will find it is

better for him, and that you should fast is

better for you, if you only know.” (Surah Al-

Baqrah: 183-184)

Like most other injunctions of Islam thoserelating to fasting were revealed gradually. Inthe beginning the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) hadinstructed the Muslims to fast three days in everymonth, though this was not obligatory. Whenthe injunction in the present verse was laterrevealed in 2AH., a degree of relaxation wasintroduced; it was stipulated that those who didnot fast despite their capacity to endure it wereobliged to feed one poor person as an expiationfor each day of obligatory fasting missed.Another injunction was revealed later and herethe relaxation in respect of able-bodied personswas revoked. However, for the sick, the

Believers! Fasting is Enjoined upon you

traveller, the preganant, the breast-feedingwomen and the aged who could not endurefasting, the relaxation was retained.

This act of extra merit could either be feedingmore than the one person required of both fastingand feeding the poor. Here ends the earlyinjunction with regard to fasting which wasrevealed in 2 A.H. prior to the Battle of Badar.The verses that follow were revealed about oneyear later and are linked with the preceding

verses since they deal with the same subject.

Guidance from the Holy Quran

CHARITY ALLIANCEFor maximum utilization of your

Zakat, Sadaqat, Charity, Atiyya, in

this Holy month of Ramadhan, kindly

contribute by cheque, draft, money or-

der, postal order payable to Markazi

Jamiat Ahle Hadees Hind: Account

No- 3053, Ahle Hadees Manzil 4116,

Urdu Bazar, Jama Masjid, Delhi-

11006 or to our representatives vis-

iting you at your residence. Almost

every paisa is properly utilized. Indi-

viduals are welcomed to pay cash in

our office.


“Abu Hurairah reported Allah’s Messenger

(S.A.W.) as saying; Allah the Majestic and the

Exalted, said: “Every act of the son of Adam is

for him except fasting. It is done for my sake,

and I will give a reward for it. “By Allah in

Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, the

breath of the observer of fast is sweeter to Allah

than the fragrance of musk. Abu Hurairah also

reported the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) as saying:

Fasting is a shield” (Sahih Muslim)

After the prayer the second obligatory duty

which every Muslim is required to perform is

that of fasting during the month of Ramadhan.

The word Sawm which has been used in the

text of this hadith means to abstain. The word

Sawm here signifies fasting or abstaining from

food, drink and sexual desires. The chief merit

of fasting is that its observer does it purely out

of love and devotion to Allah and there is not an

iota of show and exhibition of one's piety in it.

The act of fasting is completely hidden from the

view of men; it is, therefore, done merely for

the love of God and thus deserves full reward

from Him.

And, it is for the same reason that the breath of

an observer of fast is sweeter to Allah than the

Musk. The fragrance of musk is something

which can be sensed, whereas fast is that which

no one knows except God and hence the

intention behind it is that it is the best devotion

of man to his Master. Fasting is a shield in various

senses. Firstly, it protects the observer against

the fire of Hell. Secondly, it saves man from

falling a victim to low desires by inculcating in

him the habits of self control. Thirdly, it

safeguards him against indulging in foul talk,

picking up quarrels and fighting with people.

Whether a person should or should not fast while

on a journey is left to individual discretion. We

find that among the Companions who

accompanied the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) on

journeys some fasted whereas others did not;

none objected to the conduct of another.

The Quran has been revealed so that we may

know the way that leads to God’s good

pleasure, follow that way ourselves and direct

the world along it. Fasting is an excellent means

by which to prepare ourselves for shouldering

this task.

ªªª

Pearls From the Holy Prophet

Reward of Fasting


The period of obligatory Fasting is the month

of Ramadhan. The daily period of

observance starts before the break of the dawn

and ends immediately after sunset. Normally

there are accurate calendars to tell the exact time,

but in the absence of such facilities one should

consult one's watch and the sun’s positions,

together with the local newspapers and, weather

bureau, etc.

The Fasting of Ramadhan is obligatory on every

responsible and fit Muslim (Mukallaf). But there

are other times when it is strongly recommended,

after the traditions of Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) .Among these times are Mondays and

Thursdays of every week, a few days of each

month in the two months heralding the coming

of Ramadhan, i.e. Rajab and Sha’ban, six days

after Ramadhan following the Eid-ul-Fitre Day.

Besides, it is always compensating to fast any

day of any month of the year, except the Eid

Days and Fridays when no Muslim should fast.

However, the only obligatory Fasting is that of

Ramadhan which may be 29 or 30 days,

depending on the moon’s position. This is a pillar

of Islam, and any failure to observe it without

reasonable excuse is a severely punishable sin.

Knowing what Fasting can do for man, God

The Period of Fasting

By: Hammudah Abdalati

Islamic Feature

has enjoined, as an alternative, the fast of three

days on anyone who breaks an oath. Similarly,

if someone declares his wife as forbidden for

him as his mother, as old pre-Islamic custom,

he must pay for his carelessness and

irresponsibility. To expiate for this sin he has, as

an alternative, to observe the fast of two

consecutive months. (The Holy Quran, 2:183;

5:92; 58:1-4)

WHO MUST FAST

The fasting of Ramadhan is compulsory upon

every Muslim, male and female, who has these

qualifications;

1.To be mentally and physically fit, which means

to be sane and able;

2. To be full age, the age of puberty and

discretion of which is normally about fourteen.

Children under this age should be encouraged

to start this good practice on easy levels, so when

they reach the age of puberty they will be

mentally and physically prepared to observe the

Fasting;

3. To be present at your permanent settlement,

your home town, your farm, your business

premises, etc. This means not to be travelling

on a journey of about fifty miles or more;


4.To be fairly certain that the Fasting is unlikely

to cause you any harm, physical or mental, other

than the normal reactions to hunger, thirst, etc.

EXEMPTION FROM FASTING

These said qualifications exclude the following

categories:

1.Children under the age of puberty and

discretions;

2.Insane people because they are unaccountable

for their deeds. People of these two categories

are exempted from the duty of fast and no

compensations or any other substitute is enjoined

on them;

3.Men and women who are too old and feeble

to undertake the obligation of fast and bear its

hardships. Such people are exempted from this

duty, but they must offer, at least, one needy

poor Muslim and feed him an average full meal

or give him something of the same value per day.

This compensation indicates that whenever they

can fast even for one day of the month, they

should do so, and compensate for the

rest.Otherwise they are accountable for their

negligence.

4. Sick people whose heath is likely to be

severely affected by the observance of fast. They

may postpone the fast, as long as they are sick

, to a later date and make up for it, a day for a

day.

5. People in the course of travelling of distances

about fifty miles or more. In this case such

people may break the fast temporarily for a day.

But it is better for them, the Quran tells, to keep

the fast if they can without causing extraordinary

hardship;

6.Expectant women and women nursing their

children may also break the fast, if its observance

is likely to endanger their own health or that of

their infants. But they must make up for the fast

at a delayed time, a day for a day.

7.Women in the period of menstruation (of a

maximum of ten days) or of confinement (of

maximum of forty days). It is not allowed to fast

even if they can and want to during these days.

They must postpone the fast till recovery and

then make up for it a day for a day.

8.Vomiting deliberately.

It should be understood that here, like in all other

Islamic undertakings, the intention must be made

clear that this action is undertaken in obedience

to God, in response to His command and out of

love for Him. Intention is marked by the feeling

of the heart and not the utterance of the month.

The fast of any day of Ramadhan becomes void

by intentional eating or drinking or smoking or

indulgence in any intimate intercourses or

spermatizing by any means, and by allowing any

thing to enter through the mouth into the interior

parts of the body. And if this is done deliberately

without any lawful reason, the penalty is to

observe the fast of sixty consecutive days or, as

a second alternative, feed sixty poor persons

sufficiently, besides observing the fast of one day

against the day whose fast was made void.

When the fast of days other than those of

Ramadhan is broken for a lawful reason like

those classified under the heading “Exemption”

above, the person involved must make up for

that fast later, a day for day.

If anyone, by mistake, does something that


would ordinarily break the fast, his observance

is not nullified, and his fast stands valid, provided

he stops doing that thing the moment he realizes

what he is doing.

On completion of the fast of Ramadhan, the

special charity known as Sadqatul-Fitr (Charity

of Fast-breaking) must be distributed.

GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS

It is strongly recommended by the Holy Prophet

(S.A.W.) to observe these practices during

Ramadhan:

1.To have a light meal before the break of the

dawn, known as Suhoor;

2.To eat three dates and have a drink of water

right after sunset, saying this prayer: Al-

Lahumma Laka Sumtu, wa ala rizqika

aftartu (O God, for your sake I have fasted

and now I break the fast with the food you have

given me).

3.To make your meals as light as possible

because, as the Holy Prophet put it, the worst

thing man can fill is his stomach.

4.To observe the supererogatory prayer known

as tarawaeeh;

5.To exchange social visits and intensify

humanitarian services;

6.To increase study and recitation of Holy

Quran.

7.To exert the utmost in patience and

humbleness;

8.To be extraordinary cautious in using the

senses, the mind and especially the tongue in

order to abstain from careless and gossipy chats

and avoid all suspicious motions.

Charity increases wealth and begging diminishes

it. The reason is that a hard working-man

believes in the earning through honest labour and

when he spends a part of his income on

charitable acts, he does not sit idle but, strives

more to attain an honest living in order to fulfil

the needs of his family and continue this noble

acts. Whereas there is no question of charity on

the part of a person who makes begging as his

vocation as he is devoid of that sense of honour

which only could compel him to strive for an

elevated position in both worlds and therefore

always remains indigent.

vvv

UNDESIRABLE

DAYS OF FASTING1.The days of the Tashrik, the three days

following the feast of the socrifice,

2.Specific fasting of Friday, if not pre-

ceded or followed by another day is un-

desirable but not taboo.

3.Fasting on Saturday is undesirable,

because this day is glorified by the

Jews.

4.Fasting on the day of doubt is

undesirable.The day of doubt is that

day which is uncertain whether it is the

beginning of Ramadhan or the end of

Shaaban.


“O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed

for you even as it was prescribed for those

before you, that you may ward off (evil)”

(Surah Al-Baqrah:2,183)

These verses of the Holy Quran bring to light

the distinctive characteristic of the Islamic fast,

i.e. “warding off evils”. In Arabic it is known as

Taqwa which means “fear of God” or keeping

oneself away from vices”.

As a matter of fact, Ramadhan is a month of

training which aims at training the Muslims to

keep themselves away from vices for the rest of

11 months to follow. But, unfortunately, the

Muslims have confined Taqwa to this month only

which is totally against the spirit of the Holy

Quran. In fact, taqwa which is the fundamental

message of Ramadhan is not an yearly practice

as the Muslims have made it for their own

convenience. On the contrary, Taqwa should

permeate their daily lives.

The Islamic fast tries to create Taqwa in two

ways- physically as well as spiritually. Physically,

the keeper of the fast must abstain from eating,

drinking and coition from morning to evening. It

is notable that which fasting, the Muslims have

TAQWA: MESSAGE OF RAMADHAN

Islamic Feature

By: Momin Noorul Hasan

to go without food and water for more than 12

hours either in summer or in winter. So it is a

very hard worship ordained by the Holy Quran.

Surely, a training is always hard. It is for this

reason that wayfarers and the sick and children

are exempted from fasting. But they (excluding

children) have to complete the fasting in other

days of the year.

Fast begins as soon as the whiteness of the dawn

becomes manifest from the blackness of the

night. That is why the Muslims have to wake up

a bit after midnight to eat what is generally called

sahri, the meal emphasized by the Holy Prophet

(S.A.W.) in order to get strength during the day.

Traditions say that if one hears the call of Azaan,

he should not give up eating, instead, he should

finish Sahri before the call concludes. Thus it is

imperative to eat Sahri in order to gain strength

to complete the fast till the sun sets in the evening.

The time of breaking the fast is really very very

auspicious, sacred and full of blessings. Special

arrangements are made in homes, in mosques

and in some Muslim restaurants, free of cost,

for breaking the fast. A number of food items,

including various kinds of fruits, sweets and other

dishes are prepared and served to the observers


of the fast. This is popularly known as iftaar. It

is generally asserted that prayers entreated to

God at the time of iftaar are answered by Him.

Sofar as spiritual Taqwa is concerned, the

Muslims keep their eyes and hearts clean of all

lustful things and thoughts during the fast .They

spend their weath in the way of Allah by paying

the Zakat- the poor due and alms to the poor,

the needy and the deserved. They submit their

own choice to the will of God by reciting the

Holy Quran and offering taraweeh prayers

besides congregational prayers five times a day

with renewed zeal and devotion. They remain

patient at the time of anger as patience is as

inseparable part of taqwa. They try their level

best to eschew all verbal and corporal disputes

as traditions say that abuses, harsh talks and

quarrels spoil the fast. Some Ulama have gone

to the extent of saying that these things even

break the fast depriving one of the immense

reward of fasting promised by God.

It goes without saying that the tolerance and self

restraint gained on account of fasting can check

many a clash, communal or otherwise, in our

country if applied to every day life by the

Muslims. Thus they can proudly say to the world

that Islam does not teach violence but patience

of the highest quality. Their life can also become

as pious, calm and full of bliss as those of the

Muslims belonging to the era of the Holy Prophet

(S.A.W.).

One may ask, and he will be certainly right in

doing so, as to why they Muslims are not so

tolerant today as they should have been. The

answer is quite simple. Today the Muslims have

given themselves to mundane pleasure. They do

not care how they come by wealth. Nor do they

care how they spend the wealth which Allah has

bestowed upon them. They spend it lavishly on

worldly comforts and luxuries. They have

become accustomed to live life of their own

choice. Though they remember very well the

teachings of Islam, they are not prepared to

conform to those teachings.

But, unfortunately, they are Muslims, though they

can be counted on fingers, who still firmly stick

to Taqwa in their every day life, that is, they

fear Allah and remember Him as He deserves

to be remembered. They are the true Muslims

and are remembered by Him as He has promised

in the Holy Quran. Such Muslims are successful

in this world as well as in the Hereafter.

FASTING SIX DAYS

IN SHAWWALAbu Ayyub, may Allah be

pleased with him, narrated

that the Messenger of Allah

(S.A.W.) said:"He who fasts

Ramadhan and follows it

with six days of Shwwal, will

be as if he had performed a

perpetual fast.

(Saheeh Muslim)


“Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet

(S.A.W.) said: “If a person does not refrain from

lying and indecent activities, Allah does not want

that he should abstain from eating and drinking”.

(Sahih Bukhari)

Here the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) made it

abundantly clear that what fasting means in Islam.

It aims at attaining piety. Piety is soul of fast.

Because it was in the month of Ramadhan that

the Holy Quran was made to reveal to lead

mankind along the path of virtue, abstinence and

righteousness with full dedication. The Holy

Quran teaches us how to live our lives in virtue

and righteousness, how to distinguish between

good and evil and right and wrong, and shows

us the straight path which will lead us to welfare

in this world and the Hereafter. If in this month

we do not follow the Holy Quran in letter and

spirit, our fasting becomes meaningless.

Through the light of the Holy Quran we can

illuminate our hearts, better our moral conduct,

and improve our ways. The month of Ramadhan

brings us closer to the Holy Quran.We should

derive full advantage of the blessings Allah

showers during this month. If we remain

unblessed, the fault will be our. Our fasting will

be nothing but abstinence from food, water and

GUARDING TONGUE

sexual needs. Allah does not need it .As He wants

full compliance with His commandments on the

part of His created ones in this month.

A MONTH OF

GREAT BLESSINGSalaman Farsi (R.A.) narrates that the

Apostle of Allah delivered a sermon on the

last day of Sha’aban in which he said, “O

my people! You are on the threshold of a

month of great solemnity and blessings. It

is a month whose one night is better than

a thousand months. God has prescribed

fasting in this month and made Taraweeh

prayers optional. Whosoever willingly and

with good intentions does one good act in

this month will have the merit of having

done as obligatory act in other months and

one who does a prescribed act this month

it will be equal to seventy prescribed acts

of other months. This is the month of

endurance and the reward of endurance is

paradise and this is the month of sympathy

and care towards the poor and the needy”

(Mishkat)

Islamic Feature


“During the month of Ramadhan the Quranwas sent down as guidance to the peoplewith clear signs of the true guidance, and

as the criterion (between right and wrong).So those of you who live to see that monthshould fast it, and whoever is sick or on a

journey should fast the same number of otherdays instead. Allah wants to ease and nothardship for you so that you may complete

the number of days required, magnify Allahfor what He has guided you to, and givethanks to Him” (Surah Al-Baqrah; 2:185)

Whether a person should or should not fastwhile on a journey is left to individual discretion.We find that among the Companions whoaccompanied the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) onjourneys, some fasted whereas others didn’t;the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) himself did notalways fast while travelling. On a journey aperson was so overwhelmed by hunger that hecollapsed; the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)disapproved when he learnt that the man hadbeen fasting. During wars the Holy Prophet(S.A.W.) used to prevent people from fastingso that they might not lack energy for the fight.

Fasting need not be confined, exclusively, toRamadhan. For those who fail to fast duringthat month owing to some legitimate reasonsGod has kept the door of compensation openduring other months of the year so that they

HOLY QURA’N: A GUIDANNCE

need not be deprived of Him for His great bountyin revealing the Holy Quran.

It should be noted here that fasting in Ramadhanhas not only been declared an act of worshipand devotion and a means to nourish piety buthas also been characterised as an act ofgratefulness to God for His great bounty of true,guidance in the from of the Holy Quran.

Feature

HAPPY EID GREETINGSHafiz Muhammad Yahaya, Ameere

Jama'at and Maulana Asghar Ali

Imam Mahadi Salafi, G. Secretary and

rest of office-bearers of Markazi

Jamiat Ahle Hadeeth Hind extend

their happy Eid Greetings to Muslim

Ummah, Members of Jamaa't and

Readers of The Simple Truth on the

occasion of Happy Eid and proclaim:

Let us at the end of this holy month of

Ramadhan resolve to work for Islamic

causes.Firm faith and utmost struggle

is the key to achieving the goals for

the Ummah and Jamaa't.

We endorse the confluence of civili-

zations, spirit of cooperation and

unity of mankind. We are friends of all

and enemies of none.


Now there arises a question why God should

select these five verses (96:1-5) as the first

instalment of revelation. If the revelation had tobegin with the instruction of reading only, then

there are verses like the following which would

have served the purpose equally well.

“Recite what is sent of the Book by

inspiration to you” (Surah Ankabut; 29;45)

“And recite (and teach) what has been

revealed to you, of the Book of your Lord;

none can change His Words” (Surah Kahaf;

18:27)

The selection of verses 96:1-5 for the first

revelation serves many more purposes than the

mere instruction to read: One purpose seemsto be to foster a scientific temper. This is done

by laying emphasis on the "How" aspect of

three main verbs used in the revelation-read,create, teach. How should one read? The

answer is that one should read in the name of

God. How did God created? The answer givenis that God created man out of a mere clot of

congealed blood. How did God teach man?

The answer given is that God taught man theuse of the pen, as a tool for instruction.

The answer to the first “How” refers to a mental

cause; the answer to the second “How” refersto a material cause; the answer to the third

ASPECTS OF THE

FIRST REVELATION

By U Muhammad Iqbal

“How” refers to an efficient cause. The emphasison “How” is to encourage the use of technical

devices, to cultivate the spirit of curiosity, to

develop scientific temper and enquiry.

There is the question, “what did God teach

man?” The answer is what man did not know

and could not have known without God’s explicitrole. The properties and constituents of any

given object implicit in the question" what" are

stressed. The biological taxonomy of any livingcreature is implicit in the question “What”.

The check-by-jowl allusion to creation and

knowledge, the allusion to the invention of thepen, and the repeated reference to “Man”

emphasise scientific discoveries, and areas of

scientific study and man’s role in expanding thehorizon of scientific progress under divine

guidance.

Another aspect of the first revelation seems to

reveal a comprehensive historical perspective

of the Author of the revelation. In the humanhistory the first stage ought to be the ultimate

advent of man. The statement, “He created man

“marks the first stage. The world has never beenthe same again after man’s appearance on earth.

The second stage commenced when the

foundation for the era of communicationtechnology was laid with the invention and use

Islamic Feature


of the pen. The statement, “He taught the use of

the pen” refers to that landmark invention. God

had been reaching out to mankind through themedium of His Messengers and scriptures in

different parts of the world and at different times.

The definitive and seminal revelation of the HolyQuran preserving for ever in a nutshell all the

timeless and genuine teachings and precepts

revealed through the preceding Messengers andthe scriptures of the world commenced with the

order “Read” to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.)

in the cave of Hira. This order marks the thirdepoch- making stage in human history. The day

was Monday and the month was Ramadhan.

There will be no other scripture to be revealedby Allah after the Holy Quran. Muslims,

therefore, celebrate this revelation throughout

the month of Ramadha, year after year.

“This Quran is not such as can be produced by

other than Allah; on the contrary it is a

confirmation of revelations) that went before it,and a fuller explanation of the Book-wherein

there is no doubt- from the Lord of the worlds”

(10:37)

“Say: In the bounty of Allah and in His Mercy-

in that let them rejoice; that is better than the

(Wealth) they hoard”. (Surah10:58)

As the Holy Quran conveys Allah’s bounty and

mercy, its revelation has a significance which will

stand the test of time and which will remainunsurpassed by any future development. It will

remain the most widely read book; the human

voice should bring forth its concealed melody;and the art of governance should display its

splendid spectacle of social justice and harmony.

Carl Sagan offers another perspective on humanhistory and it refers to three stages too. He says

in his book. Cosmos, talking about extra

terrestrial intelligent beings and their tentative

presence. “Might they somehow have an inkling

of the long evolutionary progression from genesto brains to libraries that has occured on the

obscure planet Earth?”. The three landmarks

which he mentions “genes” brains and libraries.When he mentions "genes," he may have in his

mind Charles Darwin's concept of random

genetic mutation which led to the emergence ofmen as a new species in different parts of the

world. The Holy Quran refers to the advent of

man too as the first stage and the presence ofthe word Alaq or the clot blood is indicative of

the fathers and the mother's genomes coming

into balance and preserving their hereditaryfactors but the Holy Quran makes it clear that

this takes effect not as a result of random

mutation but as a result of God’s role as theCreator. Ignoring other stages of creation, the

Holy Quran prefers the stage of alaqa here to

emphasise the genetic factor. Is not this choice

miraculous?

When Carl Sagan refers to “brains,” he may

have in his mind Aristotle's definition of man as

a “national animal” .This definition exalts intellect

as the key to the sustained promotion of human

capabilities, and development . The Holy Quran

prefers a verb “taught” to the noun “brains” that

Carl Sagan uses. Teaching Holy Quran presents

God as the teacher of mankind and never as

student of any body. Carl Sagan thinks of

“brains” without reference to God. When Carl

Sagan refers to the “libraries”, he may have in

his mind the outcome of the cultivation, education

and enlightement of the brains. The libraries

preserve and store this outcome and make it

accessible to posterity, advancing and enriching


thereby this outcome. What Carl Sagan calls

“libraries” is anticipated by the use of the term

qalam-the pen, the mechanism which makes the

emergence of libraries possible.

Carl Sagan: 1.Genes 2.Brains 3.Libraries. The

Holy Quran: 1 Alaq/ clot of Blood 2 Allama

taught 3.Qalam pen.

Carl Sagan The Holy Quran

1.Genes 1.Alaq/ clot of

blood

2.Brains 2.Allama/

Taught

3.Libraries 3.Qalam / pen

The chart above shows how the first revelationof the Holy Quran anticipated in a miraculous

manner Carl Sagan’s interpretation of human

history and his definition of modern progress.The supremacy of the Holy Quranicapproach

of God and of the Scriptures with special

reference to the Holy Quran. It is unfortunatethat such a brilliant astro-physicist denied himself

the blessings of the Holy Quran and died in such

a state.

Besides dealing with science and history, the first

revelation deals with the theory of education too.

God is presented as the teacher's Teacher whoprescribes the syllabus, describes the

instructional objectives, chooses the scriptures,

selects and appoints the Messengers as teacherswho have to elevate humanity to a high level of

intellectual enlightenment and ethical excellence.

According to educationists, there are threecomponents of the human personality and they

are known as the cognitive, the psycho-motor

and the affective. These components are taken

care of as follows:

1. COGNITIVE COMPONENT:

Knowledge of the name of Lord, knowledge ofHis attributes, Teachings of God, removal of

ignorance.

2.PSYCHO-MOTOR; Reading, writing “adance of the pen”

3.AFFECTIVE:

God’s affection and bounty and grace asTeacher is shown in the words Rabb and Akram

and in His sustained compaign to spread

knowledge. The use of one adjective, Akram,in relation to God is highly significant.

Constant increase in knowledge, the generous

quantum of wisdom and the company of peopleendowed with moral excellence, and the

avoidance of ignorance, superstition, and

prejudice are some of the ideals of the Quranictheory of education.Uprightness in social

behaviour is given a pride of place. A Muslim is

sensitized against indecorous, shameful,

unnatural, and obscene conduct.

The Holy Quran trains a Muslim to function

efficiently as a cautious consumer of resources,

as a responsible member of society, and as a

generous contributor to the welfare and well-

being of one and all.

Moreover, the first revelation is an excellent

introduction to the doctrinal base of Islam. There

are three important beliefs-belief in God, belief

in prophethood, and belief in the life hereafter.

With regard to the first belief, the first revelation

has following details; God is one and He has

created all things. The scientists lump life into


three categories-bacterial, archaean, and

everything else. He is the only Ccreator of man

and He feeds him and take care of him in several

ways. God is the most knowledgeable, most

beneficent, and most bounteous and honourable.

One of the ways in which He takes care of man

is that He teaches and guides him and tells him

what is good and what evil and how he should

promote goodness and eradicate evil in all walks

of life. In this task of shaping human personality,

He makes use of education technology

(represented by qalam), of parents (alaq), of

scriptures and messengers (iqra), and

prescribes the universe and man for study

(represented by khalaqa and insan here and

afaaq and anfus in 41:53).

Belief in prophethood is emphasized. The order

to proclaim, communicate, and teach mankind

is given to Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) in the

expression “Your Lord and Cherisher”. “Your”

refers primarily to Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) and secondarily to every human beings

(114:1). The duties of a Prophet as listed in the

first revelation are reciting revealed verses,

proclaiming the message of God to mankind,

bringing mankind closer to their one and only

Creator, explaining how god is bounteous,

obeying God’s orders, and becoming

instrumental in God’s plan to educate and

enlighten mankind. The agglutive nature of the

Arabic language brings out the symbiotic nature

of God and the prophet very clearly indeed.

“Your Lord and Cherisher” is written as

Rabbaka, which is one word only.

Belief in Akhirah has a unique educative and

purifying value and so the Prophet (S.A.W.) has

given it due importance in his teachings.What

man knows not is a broad area which includes

ignorance about life after death (16:78). The

Holy Quran says: “They know but the outer

(things) of the life of this world but of the

end of things (Aakhirat) they are

headless”(30:7). In another place, the angels

question to the unbelievers is given as follows:

Did not messengers come to you from among

yourselves, rehearsing to you the signs of

your Lord and warning you of the meeting

of this Day of yours? (39:71).

Still less can their knowledge comprehend the

Hereafter. (27:66)

From these verses, it is clear that God and the

Prophets have been forewarning mankind about

the true life (89:24) for which this life is but a

preparation and this forewarning has been a vital

component of divine instruction that has been

imported down the ages, and particularly from

the time the pen began to play its role in divine

teaching. Indifference to the concept of the Day

of Judgement may qualify for divine wrath and

for spiritual benightedness.

“The Hereafter is better and more enduring.

And this is in the Books of the earliest

revelations-the Books of Abraham and

Moses” (87:17-19). The relationship between

the pen and the books is there for all to see.

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“The person who offered prayers to Allah in

the Night of Dignity with faith and with the hope

of reward from Allah, all his past sins have been

forgiven” (Sahih Bukhari)

The Night of Dignity is the most suitable night

for attaining nearness to Allah. It is so because

this auspicious Night is the commemoration of

the revelation of the Holy Quran the Book

which leads man to the ultimate success here

and hereafter.

Spending this Night in prayers and

rememberanence of Allah have been cherished

desire of the believers. For, the Holy Prophet

(S.A.W.) has repeatedly encouraged his

followers to seek Allah’s forgiveness and his

closeness in the Night of Dignity. In this tradition

the Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) points out two basic

conditions that make all the past sins forgiven.

One the believer must spend the Night in

offering prayers to Allah with firmness of Iman

(faith). Iman here means not only faith in Allah,

His Angels, Books, Messengers and the Day

of Judgement but in the auspiciousness of the

Night of Dignity as well .Two, the believer must

see to it that every moment of the Night of

PRAY IN THE NIGHT OF DIGNITY

Dignity is used in prayers, recitation of the Holy

Quran and Allah’s remembrance, and have

strong hope of reward from Allah. And, Allah

the Most Merciful and Most Beneficent forgives

all the past sins of His slave , and thus gives him/

her a new lease of life. Thus the Night of Dignity

is a vital source of purification and purgation of

human soul from sins. This Night of Dignity is

not a fixed night. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)

has enjoined upon the Muslims to seek the Night

of Dignity in the odd nights of Ramadhan.(i-e.21

st 23rd 25th 27th and 29th night). This increases

the yearning to seek the Night and thereby

Allah’s forgiveness.

IMPORTANCE OF I'TIKAF

Ai'sha(may Allah be pleased with

her) reported that the Messenger

of Allah (S.A.W.) used to observe

I'tikaf in the last ten days of

Ramadhan till Allah called him

back (to his heavenly home). Then

his wives observed I'tikaf after

him.(Sahih Muslim)vv

Islamic Feature


After prayer the second obligatory duty which

every Muslim is required to perform is that offasting during the month of Ramadhan. The

word sawm which has been used in the Holy

Quran and the Hadith for fasting means “toabstain”; thus a horse that abstains from moving

about or from eating the fodder is said to be

sa’im. In the technical language sawm signifiesfasting or abstaining from food and drink and

sexual intercourse from the dim beginning of

dawn till sunset.

Fasting as an institution for the purification of

the sould is common to all divine religions. The

writer of the article on “Fasting” in theEncyclopaedia Britannica states that it would

be difficult to name any religious system of any

description in which it is wholly unrecognized.This institution was well established among the

Jews and the Christians.

The records of the Hadith bear ample testimonyto the fact that fasting was a common religious

practice among the pre-Islamic Arabs too, and

they used to observe fast on the tenth ofMuharam because it was on this very day that

Allah saved Moses and his companions from

the clutches of the Pharaoh who was drownedin the sea along with his army. The Arabs and

other people too were familiar with fasting as

an act of penitence or of propitiation or a

Fasting: An Institution To Purify Soul

By Abdul Hamid Siddiqi

preparatory rite before some act of sacramentaleating or an initiation or a mourning ceremony.

In Islam fasting is primarily an institution for a

spiritual discipline and self-control. It is in factan exercise in religious devotion in the form of

cheerful and willing renunciation, for a definite

period, of all the appetites of flesh lawful inthemselves (the unlawful once being ruled out

of course).(2:183).

Of all the creation of God only man deviatesfrom His path. We will find that two things are

mainly responsible for this; the love for material

possessions and the temptations of the flesh.Islam has through the institutions of Zakat and

Sadaqat, purged the hearts of its followers from

the love of wealth, and has inculcated in him thehabit to part with it readily for the sake of God.

Fasting has been ordained as a religious duty

for the Muslims for subduing their lust andkeeping their appetites well within reasonable

bounds so that man may not become their slave

and lose control over himself. The Quran clearlystates that a man cannot attain salvation unless

he learns to restrain himself from low desires.

And as for him who fears to stand before hisLord and restrains himself from low desires,

Paradise is surely the abode; (79:40-41).

The exercise of abstaining from things otherwise

Islamic Feature


lawful in the ordinary course of life, at the behest

of Allah, strengthens man’s morality and self-

control and deepens in him the consciousnessof the Lord. This is what distinguishes fasting in

Islam from fasting in other religions.

It should also be borne in mind that fasting doesnot aim at inflicting punishment upon people or

saddling upon people unbearable burdens. The

underlying idea behind it is to teach moderationand spiritual discipline so that human temptation

may not become so wild and uncontrollable as

to flout the commands of the Great Master. Tobe true servant of Allah, it is essential that man

should be able to conform his behaviour to the

moral and spiritual discipline embodied in theShari’ah of Islam. One cannot achieve this end

if one finds oneself helpless before untamed and

turbulent desires. Fasting is indispensable for thismoral and spiritual training.

Another distinguishing feature of Islamic fasting

is that it does no train a person for completerenunciation but for perfect and cheerful

obedience to the Lord. All those things from

which man is commanded to abstain during fast,e.g. eating, drinking and sexual intercourse,

become permissible for him at the end of the

fast. This shows that Islam does not look downupon the appetite of flesh as something ignoble

and thus fit to be exterminated root and branch

from the human soul. According to Islam, thereis nothing profane or ignoble in human

personality; both soul and body are sacred and

worthy of respect. No aspect is to be ignoredand no urge is to be completely curbed. What

is required is to keep all these urges well within

their proper limits so that none of themtransgresses natural bounds and becomes the

source of trouble.

That fasting is an institution for moral elevation

can be judged from the fact that Allah does not

impose check only upon eating, drinking andsexual intercourse from dawn to sunset, but also

exhorts His servants to refrain from other foul

acts, for example, backbiting, indulging in foulspeech, telling lies, etc. Abu Huraira reported

Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as

saying: if one does not abandon falsehood andother actions like it, God has no need that one

should abandon one’s food and drink. (Sahih

Bukhari)

The social aspect of fasting in Ramadhan is that

the whole atmosphere is permeated with religious

piety and devotion to Allah. There is one extracongregational prayer, Tarwaeeh, during the

night, in which the Quran is recited and the

Muslim is reminded of the fact that the revelationof the Quran commenced. The sadaqat are also

given with greater zeal and fervour in this month.

Thus the whole Muslim society is inspired bythe love of God.

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (peace

be upon him) as saying: when Ramadhan begins,the gates of Heaven are opened, the gates of

Hell are locked, and the devils are chained

(Bukhari and Muslim).

Muhammad Asad, while elucidating the spiritual

and moral significance of fast says: “Twofold I

learned , is the purpose of this month of fasting.One has to abstain from food and drink in order

to feel in one’s body what the poor and hungry

feel: thus social responsibility is being hammeredinto human consciousness as a religious

postulate. The other purpose of fasting during

Ramadhan is self-discipline, an aspect ofindividual morality.


Islam, however, takes the opposite stance in the

period of fasting. To apply oil on the head, to

use collyrium (Surmah) in the eyes, and to apply

perfume while fasting are not prohibited in Islam.

With Miswak have also been encouraged. In

addition to cleanliness, the aim is that the fasting

person should not fall victim to show hypocrisy

and may not appear to be undergoing a great

hardship and anguish in discharging this

commandment of Allah. On the contrary, an

appearance of joyfulness, happiness and

willingness should be presented.

The Prophet (S.A.W.) used to fast very often.

He had fixed certain days in the week and in the

month for this purpose. For the followers of

Islam, these fasts were considered

commendable (Mustahab) but not obligatory.

In addition to these, the Prophet (S.A.W.)

sometimes used to fast continuously day and

night. Fasting, in comparison to other worships,

is obviously to some extent an act of hardship

and suffering. It was, therefore, necessary to

prevent the followers of Islam from indulging in

it to excess. This practice of wisaal (continuous

fasting of day and night) was declared strictly

forbidden by the Prophet (S.A.W.) for his

followers. When certain companions asked for

Fasting-History and Objectives

Reforms in pre-Islamic Fasting

By Sayyid Sulaymaan Nadwi

the reason, he replied, “I am not like you, for I

am provided food and drink (by Allah)”.

(Bukhari)

The Objects of Fasting

The divine teachings of the Prophet Muhammad

(S.A.W.) are in accordance with Allah’s

commands and prudence. These teachings

include in them all spiritual, moral and material

benefits. The principles and the purpose of the

commands revealed by Allah have been

explained and exemplified by the Prophet

(S.A.W.) himself.

The purposes and intents of fasting have also

been explained in the Glorious Quran in three

short sentences:

“To glorify Him in that He has guided you.”

(2:185)

“And that ye shall be grateful.” (2:185)

“That ye may (learn) self restraint.” (2:183)

As has been described in previous pages, the

life histories of all the Prophets who were

recipients of Divine Laws show that they had

led an angelic existence for a certain period

before they received revelation of Divine

Guidance. During this period, they abstained,

Islamic Feature


as far as possible, from food, drink and other

human needs. Thus they enabled their souls to

have communion with Allah and finally were

rewarded with His Revelation.

Prophet Moosa (peace be upon him) spent 40

days in this way and then the commandments of

the Torah were entrusted to him. Prophet Eesaa

(peace be upon him) also spent 40 days in the

same way and only then did the fountainhead of

wisdom flowed out of his heart and tongue.

Muhammad (S.A.W.) the final Messenger of

Allah, had been busy in worship for 30 days in

the Hiraa cave when the light giving Message of

Allah started to be revealed to him.

From the above, it is clear that the foremost

purpose of the duty of fasting was to follow the

actions, which the Prophets performed in those

days of confinement. The Jews, following

Prophet Moosa (peace be upon him) think it

appropriate to fast for 40 days, but consider it

compulsory to fast on the 14th day. The

Christians should have done the same and fasted

for 40 days following Prophet Eesaa (peace be

upon him) but in the same way as they did not

comply with other commands and traditions of

Eesaa (peace be upon him) following paul, they

did not follow this duty of fasting either. The

Muslims were commanded by Allah to follow

their Prophet (peace be upon him) and spend

fixed number of days in the same manner.

“O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you

as it was prescribed to those before you.”

(2:183) The teachings of the Prophet of previous

religions were forgotten by their followers in a

short time but the thousands and millions of

followers of Islam still remember the teachings

of their Prophet (peace be upon him) and follow

them. They do not eat and drink in the daytime

and abstain from other sensual desires for one

month, thus leading an angelic life this period.

TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESSRighteousness is not turning your

faces towards the east or towards

the west, true righteousness consists

in believing in Allah and the Last

Day, the angels, the Books and the

Prophets, and in giving away one's

property in love of Him to one's kins-

men, the orphans, the poor and the

wayfarer, and to those who ask for

help, and in freeing the necks of

slaves, and in establishing prayer

and dispensing the Purifying Alms

(Zakat). True righteousness is at-

tained by those who are faithful to

their promise once they have made

it and by those who remain stead-

fast in adversity and affliction and

at the time of battle between truth

and falsehood. Such are the truth-

ful ones; such are the God-fearing.

(Surah Al-Baqrah, 2:177)

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A unique moral and spiritual characteristic of

Islam is the prescribed institution of fasting.

Literally defined, fasting means to abstain

completely from food, drink, intimate intercourse

and smoking before the break of the dawn till

sunset. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Fasting in Ramadhan is compulsory for Muslims.

The one who rejects it, falls outside the pale of

Islam, and the one who does not observe it

without genuine reason is a grave sinner.

After prayer, the second obligatory duty, which

every Muslim is required to perform, is that of

fasting during the month of Ramadhan. Fasting

as a way of worship, has been common in almost

all religions. All Prophets exhorted their followers

to purify themselves through fasting in one way

or the other. The Holy Quran declares:“O

believers, fasting is prescribed for you as it

was prescribed for those before you, so that

you may be pious”.

Fasting is the best method of self control and

self discipline, it disciplines one just as the rein

disciplines a horse. One who abstains from

eating, drinking and sex for a full day, even in

the hottest days, when days are longer and nights

shorter, would certainly be able to control himself

Fasting: At A Glance

By Ramla Rahiman

and purify his soul. This training of fast will enable

him to refrain from all unlawful and immoral

activities which earn the displeasure of Allah and

pervert his personality.

Fasting is not only a ritual, it is a source of piety

and it generates taqwa and inculcates many

virtues in believers. The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.)

said. “Whoever observes the fast with firm belief

and with a hope of divine rewards, all his past

sins are forgiven.” (Muslim)

Fasting is a source of moral and spiritual growth.

It does not put obstacles in the way of

performing social duties, rather it helps in

discharging them in a much better way, as it

makes him aware of the sufferings and problems

of others. Looking after the poor and widows,

safeguarding the interest of the downtrodden and

spending money on destitutes are consequential

effects of fasting.

The person who keeps fast, being himself in the

throes of hunger and thirst, can better realise

the misery of the hungry poor. Prophet

Muhammad (S.A.W.) said; “In Ramadhan

whoever provides food for a person who is

fasting to break fast, will earn forgiveness for

his sins, deliverance from the fire and as much

Islamic Feature


reward as the one who is fasting, without any

reduction in the recompense of the latter”.

The objective of fasting is to inculcate in man

the spirit of abstinence from sins and to cultivate

virtue. The prime consideration in undertaking

fasting as in any act of devotion is to seek

“nearness of God” and beseech His pleasure

and forgiveness. This itself generates a spirit of

piety in man. Fasting should thus proves itself to

be an ordinance to abstain from things breaking

the fast and forbidden acts. Genuine fasting helps

us at the beginning of the road leading to

perfection.

The chief merit of fasting is that its observer does

it purely out of love of and devotion to Allah

and there is not an iota of show and exhibition

of one’s piety in it. The act of fasting is

completely hidden from the view of men; it is,

therefore, done merely for the love of God and

thus deserves full reward from Him.

The breath of an observer of fast is sweeter to

Allah than the musk. The fragrance of musk is

something which can be sensed, whereas fast is

that which not one knows except God and hence

the intention behind it is that it is the best devotion

of man to his Master.

Fasting is only for God. Abu Huraira reported

Allah’s Messenger (S.A.W.) as saying, “Allah,

the Majestic and the Exalted, said: “Every act

of son of Adam is for it. By Allah in whose Hand

is the life of Muhammad, the breath of the

observer of fast is sweeter to Allah than the

fragrance of musk”. (Muslim)

Fasting is a shield in various senses. Firstly, it

protects the observer against the fire of Hell.

Secondly, it saves man from falling a victim to

lower to desires by inculcating in him the habits

of self-control. Thirdly, it safeguards him against

indulging in foul talk, picking up quarrels and

fighting with people.

It equips man with a creative sense of hope and

an optimistic outlook toward life; because when

he fasts, he is hoping to please God and seeking

His Grace. It imbues man with a genuine virtue

of effective devotion, honest dedication and

closeness to God; because when he fasts, he

does so for God and for His sake alone. It

cultivates in man a vigilant and sound conscience;

because the fasting person keeps his fast in

secret as well as in public. It indoctrinates man

in patience and unselfishness because when he

fasts, he feels the pain of deprivation but endures

patiently.

Ramadhan is the month of the Islamic lunar

calendar. Ramadhan, the spring of good deeds,

arrives with its refreshing winds of Allah’s mercy,

showers of blessing and innumerable rewards

for a single good deed done sincerely for and

only for Him.

Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) has termed this

month as “a month of endurance”, which implies

that in this month man undergoes a training of

self discipline with help of which he becomes

prepared for the rest of the 11 months and is in

possession of a zest for obedience of God.

The faith of heart and purity of intention are the


very first requirements for fasting. It must be

performed with the desire of obtaining Allah’s

pleasure. Secondly, the faster must constantly

keep an eye on his thought and actions to

ascertain that he is not doing anything contrary

to the commands of Allah, he must adopt the

course approved by Allah and keep away from

what is disapproved by Him, because his belief

in the reward and punishment in the hereafter is

profound. He does not have even the slightest

spot of doubt in his mind. He believes that this

fast purifies his hearts, soul and body as well.

This training is meant to enable him to transform

his whole life into a regular Ibadah. This long

practice of obedience must show its effects in

the next 11 months. Another great feature of this

month is that it creates a general environment of

goodness and piety. The whole atmosphere is

filled with the spirit of virtuousness. It

automatically rouses the desire to do some good

work.

Allah has promised unbounded rewards in lieu

of good deeds during this month. The Prophet

Muhammad (S.A.W.) said: “Every deed of man

gets some increment or other from Allah. One

good deed flourishes 10 times to 700 times. But

Allah says, “Fasting is exempted from this, it is

exclusively for Me and I give reward for it as

much as I like.

ªªª

The General Secretary, Markazi Jamiat AhleHadeeth, Hind, Maulana Asghar ImamMahadi Salafi, has condoled the dealths inthe devastating bomb blasts of Mumbaion.July 13,2011.

He said he is deeply pained at the death,destruction and sufferings of the people. Heconveyed his heartfelt sympathies to theaffected people. He appealed to thecountrymen to be united and maintain calmand do every thing possible to help thesufferers. This sort of bomb blast poses thedanger to the internal security and stabilityof India. In fact the incident also alienatedall minority communities in India and hasprovided our enemies with an opportunityto carry out their nefarious activities withinthe country.

It is high time the Indian authorities actedagainst the real culprits. Maulana Asgharhas expressed his deep sense of grief andgrave concern on the serial blasts inMumbai. In a statement released on July14,2011 the General Secretary said, “thosewho violate peace in the country with suchacts of terror are undoubtedly the greatestenemy of the country as well as humanity.They should know that they would neversucceed in their unholy mission with suchcruel acts.

The Government should issue express ordersfor just and unprejudiced investigation intothese blasts, bringing the culprits to book,and for restraining media and investigatingofficials from making irresponsiblestatements. Maulana said.

JAMAAT LEADEL

CONDOLES MUMBAI

BOMP BLASTS

Press Release


“Recitation of the Holy Quran is the form of

worship which brings a servant nearest to Allah.”According to a well known Hadith the best

amongst the believers are they who learn and

teach the Holy Quran. Learning and teachingare not anything different and distinct from

recitation, but a mode of the same act. It is

because of this that recitation of the Holy Quranhas been declared as the best of all human

actions and the reciters are recognized as the

elite of the Ummah in virtue and righteousness.

The term Ahlul-Allah (the people of Allah) is

understood and used by all of us. There is

Hadith, in Ibn Maja, that by" Men belonging toAllah" is meant the people who regularly recite

the Holy Quran. According to a hadith, in

Miskhat, on the Day of Judgement threecategories of men will be on the top of the mount

of the Black Musk and one will be of those that

recite the Holy Quran solely to seek Allah’sapprobation.

Abu Imam Bahli quotes the Holy Prophet as

saying that a reciter of the Quran gets the rewardof ten noble deeds for each letter of the Holy

Quran that he recites. “I do not say that Alif-

Lam-Mim is one letter- Alif is one letter, Lam isanother letter and Mim still another.” The Holy

Prophet has also said that the true believers

should cultivate in his heart the inclination and

Blessings of Recitation

of Holy Quran

By Hakim Mohammed Said

the desire to recite the Holy Quran, because itis this act which is an undeniable proof of the

believer’s love of Allah and of His Prophet.

Everything that belongs to the beloved, hisdisposition,his habits, his manners of speech,his

bearing is adorable and lovable for the man who

loves. The Holy Quran is the Word of Allah.The Momin, therefore, should have profound

love for it in his heart. Those who repeat the

words of their beloved lovingly often attract theattention of their beloved and succeed in winning

his regard. Accordingly those who devote much

time to the recitation of the Holy Quran invitethe kindness and mercy of Allah to their person.

A companion of the Holy Prophet Amr bin al-

As says that every verse of the Holy Quranmeans specific grade in the paradise and a lamp

for the home. Another Companion, Abu Hurayra

says that a house in which the Holy Quran isrecited is blessed with many bounties of Allah

and that where it is not recited has to face

hardship and adversity.

Sufyan Sori says that when a man recites the

Quran angles kiss him between his two ears.

According to a Hadith quoted by Baihaqi,Companion Khalid Bin Aqiba came into the

presence of the Holy Prophet and requested him

to recite the Holy Quran before him.


The Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) started the recitation

from the verse and concluded it at the end of

the chapter. The companion asked the HolyProphet to recited them again. When the Prophet

finished, the Companion exclaimed with great

fervour, “It is so sweet, it is inner part of thesweetness of the drops of rain and its manifest

portion has the freshness and succulence of

sweet fruits.

Abdullah Bin Masud, a close Companion of the

Holy Prophet and a profound exegete has said

that on the Day of Judgement there will be nointercessor better than the Holy Quran.

Recitation will intercede on behalf of the reciter

in the Court of Allah, the Alimightly, the WorldSustainer. It is true that the best form of recitation

is that which is accompanied by full

understanding of the verses and an analyticalinsight. But even he who just recites, will not be

deprived of the benefits and the blessings that

are inherent in the recitation. Recitation, pureand simple, brings a great recompense.

Continuous recitation over and over again does

at some stage create the state of contemplationand the meanings begin to reveal themselves. In

reality, recitation of the Holy Quran is one of

the primary acts of Islamic worship. To enablea person to be pleased with the excellences

attached to the recitation of the Holy Quran the

only conditions is the belief that he is incommunication with Allah and what he is reciting

is the Word of the Creator.

Mullah Ali Qari has written on the authority ofHafiz Ibn Hajar that the recitation of the Holy

Quran, irrespective of the fact whether the reciter

understands the words or not, is an act ofworship and undoubtedly has a recompense,

because the mere utterance of the words of the

Quran constitutes devotion to, and

remembrance of, Allah. That mere recitation,

without knowledge of the meaning of the text, isaccepted as recompensible is a proof of the virtue

of reciting the Quran.

Abdul Wahab Sherani writes that one thing inwhich the Imam sought divine guidance in

particular was whether a man who recites the

Holy Quran without understanding its meaningwill get a recompense and will be allowed to

come close to Allah. He was given the tidings

that even a person who recites withoutunderstanding will be blessed with nearness to

Allah.

Shah Waliullah has written in his treatise Chahar

Bab that the recitation of the Holy Quran is

superior to Takbir (the call to Allah), Tasbih

(humbly repeating His name as a form ofworship), Saum (fasting), Sadqah, (charity),

Nawafil (voluntary prayer). It is therefore,

obligatory for every Muslim to recite someportions of the text everyday, conforming to the

standard enunciation, with clarity and

distinctness. Because the virtue of reciting withproper Tajwid enunciation, has been reiterated

in a large number of Ahadith.

If a man can learn to understand the meaning ofthe text, it will undoubtedly be better for him.

But if he cannot, then it will suffice, if, while

reciting the Holy Quran, he keeps conscious ofthe fact of its being Allah’s Word and that all its

injunctions, positive as well as negative what it

orders one to do and what it requires one toabstain from and the incidents narrated in it, are

all true and he has complete faith in their veracity.

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Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil producer

and the land of the Two Holy Mosques, is one

of the most influential countries in the Islamic

world. It has given billions of dollars in foreign

aid to Third World countries to implement

development projects and offset the losses

caused by natural calamities. Since its formation

in 1932, the Kingdom has been an ardent

supporter of Islamic causes.

Saudi Arabia hosts millions of pilgrims who come

to the holy cities every year by providing them

with all facilities to perform their religious duties

in a spiritual and peaceful atmosphere. No

country in the world has made such major

contribution towards world peace and

development in a comparatively short span of

less than two decades.

Almost all countries in the Third World have

enjoyed Saudi Arabia’s humanitarian and

development aid. One will seldom find a country

where a mosque or Islamic center is built without

the Kingdom’s financial support. It employs more

than five million expatriate workers including

about one million Indians.

The Kingdom’s efforts to stabilize the world oil

market have been remarkable. During the Gulf

A Land of Peace

By P.K. Abdul Ghafour

War, it pumped millions of gallons of extra

barrels of oil to bring about market stability and

support international economic progress. Saudi

Arabia plays a leadership role in the 11 member

Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries

(OPEC).

Saudi Arabia is located in the southwestern

corner of Asia. With an area of 2, 150, 000

square kilometers (830,000 square miles), it

occupies most of the Arabian peninsula. It is

bordered by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba

on the west, Yemen and Oman to the south, the

Arabian, Gulf, UAE and Qatar to the east, and

Jordan, Iraq and Kuwait to the north. The Red

sea coastline stretches about 1,760 kilometers

(1,100 miles), and the Arabian Gulf coastline

around 560 kilometers (350 miles).

The kingdom’s Red Sea coast has a sub-

equatorial climate, with a moderate winter and

light rainfall between November and February.

In the central region, summer temperatures

average 44 degrees centigrade; the winter is dry

and cold. The eastern region has high humidity.

Temperatures can rise to 50 degrees centigrade

in the summer. The winter months has mild

temperatures and light rains.

Islamic Feature


Saudi Arabia has huge oil and natural gas

reserves. Its mineral resources consist of iron

ore, gold, copper, bauxite, phosphate and other

minerals. Total population is estimated at 20.4

million in 1999 of which 11.29 million are males;

9.11 million are females. Population grew at the

rate of 3.55 percent in 1999. Its nominal GDP

was estimated at $132.8 billion in 1999 and per

capita income at $6,509.

The Kingdom’s strong voice calling for justice

for Muslim causes has reverberated at the

corridors of international forums. At the recent

UN Millennium Summit in New York, the Saudi

crown prince told world leaders that it was high

time to resovle the protracted issue of Jerusalem

and restore the legitimate rights of the

Palestinians.

“There exists a 50-year old struggle to restore

the legitimate rights of the Palestinians and to

assure the return of the holy places in the holy

city of Jerusalem to Palestinian sovereignty,” the

Saudi leader told the summit attended by more

than 150 kings, presidents and prime ministers.

In his address, the crown prince made it clear

that Jerusalem was the core of the Arab Israeli

conflict. Saudi Arabia has given top priority to

the Palestinian issue ever since its establishment.

It calls for an independent Palestinian state with

Jerusalem as its capital.

The Kingdom played a vital role in the liberation

of Kuwait from Iraqi occupation, by opening its

bases to US-led allied forces, hosting thousands

of troops from around the world, giving

protection to thousands of Kuwaitis who had

fled their country, and mobilizing world opinion

for the Kuwaitis.

Saudi Arabia is the largest economic power in

the Middle East. Last June, the Kingdom signed

deals with eight international oil giants to develop

its gas fields. The Project will bring a minimum

direct investment of SR75 billion ($20 billion).

Exxon Mobil, Royal Dutch Shell, British

Petroleum and Phillips were given stakes in the

biggest of the three gas projects on offer, the

$15 billion South Ghawar development in the

Eastern Province, known as core venture one.

Exxon secured the leading role in core venture

two, on the Red Sea coast and northwest of the

Kingdom, with Enron and Occidental! Also

winning shares. Shell, Total Fina Elf and Conoco

won stakes in core venture three, for

development of the Shaybah gas field and the

southeast of the Empty Quarter.

The new gas projects are part of the

government’s efforts to attract foreign investment

and diversify revenue sources. The Kingdom has

established the General Investment Authority and

the Supreme Commission for Tourism to

promote investment and domestic tourism

respectively. It has also taken steps to privatize

some of the vital public institutions such as

telecom, electricity, railways and Saudi Arabian

Airlines.

According to an official report, the Kingdom

has given more than SR200 billion in foreign aid

during the past years, especially to Muslim

countries in Africa and Asia. It has donated more

than $600 million in aid to Bosnia alone to

reconstruct the war torn state.


At a time when Islam and Muslims face strident

smear campaigns by their enemies, linking them

with terrorism and extremism, Saudi King

Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz used his international

tours to tell the world that Islam is a religion of

peace and has nothing to do with terrorism. King

Abdullah also used such foreign tours to mobilize

support for Islamic causes, most importantly the

Jerusalem issue.

The handing of all affairs for the annual

pilgrimage, (Hajj) the largest international

Muslim gathering has been a major challenge

for the Kingdom as a result of the growing

number of pilgrims. Saudi Arabia took the

challenge by implementing giant projects and

mobilizing all its resources.

The Saudi government has carried out massive

expansion projects on the Two Holy Mosques

in Makkah and Madinah during the past years

to accommodate the growing number of pilgrims

and worshippers. Described as the biggest and

most magnificent expansion works in history, the

two projects cost SR70 billion. The Two Holy

Mosques now stand out as impressive

landmarks as the projects were carried out

following the latest Islamic architectural designs

and using the best available construction

materials. Each mosque can now accommodate

about one million worshippers at a time.

According to the figures published by the

Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Saudi Arabia has

established and financed more than 1,600

mosques and Islamic centers in major world

cities. The King Faisal Mosque in Islamabad,

the King Fahd Mosque in Gibraltar, and the

Islamic centers of New York, Washington,

Toronto, London, Rome, Brussels, Madrid,

Vienna, Khartoum, Tokyo, Buenos Aires and

Queensland are some examples.

Saudi Arabia serves as the headquarters of

several international Islamic organizations such

the 57 member Organization of Islamic

Conference, the Islamic Development Bank, the

Muslim World League, the World Assembly of

Muslim Youth, the international Islamic Relief

Organization and the International Islamic News

Agency. The Jeddah based Islamic

Development Bank has been playing a

commendable role in boosting economic and

social development of Muslim countries and

communities. During the past 25 years, it has

provided more than $30 billion in loans, grants

and aid for member countries to implement

development projects.

The Kingdom has finance the Islamic universities

in Malaysia, Niger, Uganda, Pakistan and

Sudan. It also established several academies,

schools and institutes to educate Muslim

students in non-Muslim countries. The King

Fahd academies in Washington, London, and

Bonn play a big role in projecting the correct

picture of Islam and Muslims of the Christian

world. With the same view, the Kingdom has

established six institutes of Islamic and Arabic

studies in the United States, Japan, Indonesia,

Ras Al-Khaima, Djibouti and Mauritania.

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