Proving ISLAM

Praise be to ALLAH (The Glorified and Exalted).


The Name of the Religion:

Only the individuals who possess the greatest level of reasoning and insight will be able to find the correct religion by its name alone. As a blessing to the Muslim Ummah, Allah (The Exalted and Glorified) has allowed every deviant group and religion to take the name of the persons, nations, or erroneous way of life they profess to follow. So Christianity takes its name from Christ; Buddhism takes its name from its founder, the Buddha; the Zoroastrians became well known by this name because of their founder Zoroaster. Similarly, Judaism took its name from a tribe known as Yehudah (Judah), so it became known as Judaism, and so forth. It is only Islam, which means submission and surrendering to Allah, which reflects a way of life in service to the Creator alone.

ALLAH (The Glorified and Exalted):

When examining a religion, the most important consideration one must make is “Who is Allah (God)?.” It is essentially the belief in Allah that is the most important and fundamental feature of any religion. Allah in Islam pertains to the utmost epitome of belief one can possibly contemplate concerning the Creator.


Obedience to the Creator:

Allah (The Exalted) did not create His creation to ignore Him (The Almighty). The purpose of mankind is to worship and serve Allah alone, “And I (Allah) created not the jinns and men, except that they should worship Me (Alone)” [51:56] and “For We assuredly sent amongst every People a Prophet (with the command) ‘Serve Allah and eschew Evil…’” [16:36]. The fact that mankind must live by adhering to the Commands of Allah (The Exalted), is evident from the story of the downfall of Adam (peace be upon him). When Allah created Adam (peace be upon him) in Heaven, He gave Adam (peace be upon him) the command to eat from anywhere in the Garden of ‘Adn, to the exclusion of a single tree. This order was given in order to test the obedience of man. When Adam (peace be upon him) ate from the forbidden tree, he stirred the Anger of Allah, and was removed from Heaven.

Throughout one’s existence, human beings show obedience to one another in various aspects of life. Undoubtedly, when an employee follows the guidelines of his employer, he wins the employer’s pleasure. Similarly, a child that shows obedience to his parents, a student that obeys the teacher’s direction, and a law-abiding citizen, all earn the appeasement and pleasure of the parent, teacher, and authority. What if these individuals acted disobediently and rebelled against the various authority figures? Consequently, these persons would be disliked and punished. Then how about the Creator? Allah (The Exalted) is the Master and the creation are His slaves. Allah has provided various benefits to His creation. The slaves make use of the body which He (The Exalted) has created, the slaves also take shelter on His land, drink His water, and make use of His nature for their own benefit. Furthermore, these slaves desire to enter Allah’s Heaven. Undoubtedly, when a member of the creation is placed in a position of authority and those under his command ignore him, this irritates and enrages the authority figure. This is the effect on a member of the creation. Then how about the King of kings? Clearly, the ungrateful slaves that trespass against the Laws of the Creator, rightly earn His Displeasure and Punishment, “As to those who are rebellious and wicked, their abode will be the Fire…” [32:20] and “If ye reject (Allah), Truly Allah hath no need of you; but He liketh not ingratitude from His servants: if ye are grateful, He is pleased with you…” [39:7].

The Challenge of The Qur’an:

In contrast to the previous Books of revelation, the Qur’an has remained unchanged since its conveyance to mankind. This is because Allah (The Exalted) has assured its integrity, “We have, without doubt, sent down the Message (the Qur’an); and We will assuredly guard it (from corruption)” [15:9]. Whereas, the previous revelations had been entrusted to men for protection. They underwent numerous changes, “Then woe to those who write the book (i.e. revelation) with their own hands, and then say: ‘This is from Allah,’ to traffic with it for a miserable price! Woe to them for what their hands do write, and for the gain they make thereby” [2:79]. In order to prove the validity of the Qur’an as a Book of revelation, Allah (The Exalted) presents a challenge to the mankind and jinn race to find a flaw in the Qur’an. Allah (The Exalted) also challenges the mankind and jinn race to compose a literary work that would match the eloquence of His revelation, whilst conveying His Sublime principles in similar essence to the Qur’an. This challenge is conveyed in the following verses, “Do they not consider the Qur’an (with care)? Had it been from other Than Allah, they would surely have found therein much discrepancy,” [4:82] “And if ye are in doubt as to what We have revealed from time to time to Our servant, then produce a Chapter like thereunto; and call your witnesses or helpers (If there are any) besides Allah, if your (doubts) are true,” [2:23] and “Say: ‘If the whole of mankind and jinns were to gather together to produce the like of this Qur’an, they could not produce the like thereof, even if they backed up each other with help and support’” [17:88]. During the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), none of the Arabs of Arabia accepted this challenge, although they were well known for their mastery of the Arabic language and productions of eloquent poetry. This is a great challenge, which the authors of the corrupted scriptures and deviant religions have not dared to invoke. Undoubtedly, this is a challenge that only Allah (The Exalted) would propose.

Disproving Judaism and Christianity:

During the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Jews and Christians debated extensively with the Prophet (peace and blessigns of Allah be upon him). Therefore, Allah (The Exalted) settled the debate by challenging both the Jews and Christians to invoke His Curse upon themselves if their religions were false. The leaders of both the Jews and Christians refused to undertake the challenge.

The Challenge of Allah (The Exalted) directed toward the Jews, is mentioned in the following verse of the Qur’an, “Say: ‘O ye that stand on Judaism! If ye think that ye are friends to Allah, to the exclusion of (other) men, then express your desire for death, if ye are truthful!’” [62:6]. Ibn Kathir states in his Commentary of the mentioned verse that the challenge of Allah (The Exalted) is the following: “if you [Jews] claim that you are on the correct guidance and that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions are being led astray, then invoke Allah to bring death to the misguided group among the two, if you [Jews] are truthful in your claim.” The fact that they recognized Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) as a prophet is further supported by the following account:

Narrated Abu Burdah:
The Jews used to try to sneeze in the presence of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) hoping that he would say to them: “Allah have mercy on you!” [So they could use the invocation of the Prophet on their behalf on the Day of Judgment], but he would say: “May Allah guide you and grant you well-being!” [Dawud: Book 41: Hadith 5020]

The Challenge of Allah (The Exalted) directed toward the Christians, is mentioned in the following verse of the Qur'an: “If any one disputes in this matter [i.e. the position of Isa [Jesus] (peace be upon him) and that he is only a slave of Allah] with thee [Muhammad], now after (full) knowledge Hath come to thee, say: ‘Come! Let us gather together, our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves: Then let us earnestly pray, and invoke the Curse of Allah on those who lie!’” [3:61]. The Christians were taken aback by the bold offer. After delegating among themselves, they refused to partake in the challenge. This is recorded by Bukhari in the following account:

Narrated Hudhaifa:
Al-‘Aqib and Sayyid [two Christian leaders], the rulers of Najran, came to Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with the intention of doing Lian [invoking the Curse]. One of them said to the other, “Do not do (this Lian), for by Allah, if he is a Prophet and we do this Lian, neither we, nor our offspring after us will be successful.” Then both of them said (to the Prophet ), “We will give what you should ask [i.e. the goods, as part of the peace treaty], but you should send a trustworthy man with us, and do not send any person with us, but an honest one.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I will send an honest man who is really trustworthy.” Then every one of the companions of Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) wished to be that one. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Get up, O Abu ‘Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah.” When he got up, Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “This is the Trustworthy man of this (Muslim) nation.” [Bukhari: Book 5: Volume 59: Hadith 663]

Using one’s reasoning, an individual can decipher that the Jews and Christians living during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had recognized the truth of Islam. Allah (The Exalted) had publicly confirmed both Judaism and Christianity as deviant religions by directly challenging the Jews and Christians. Undoubtedly, a false prophet would never show such boldness, to directly challenge the followers of deviant religions, because if nothing happened to those that invoked the curse, then his falsehood would be revealed. This a challenge that only the Creator would propose. If either the Jews or Christians had accepted to invoke the Curse of Allah upon themselves, for following a misguided religion, they would all have been removed by Allah (The Exalted), before the year ended. This is mentioned in the following narration in Ibn Kathir’s Commentary of verse sixty-one of Surat Al-Imran:

Imam Ahmad recorded that Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Abu Jahl [an idolater], may Allah curse him, said, ‘If I see Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) praying next to the Ka’bah, I will step on his neck.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) later said, “Had he tried to do it, the angels would have taken him publicly. Had the Jews wished for death, they would have perished and would have seen their seats in the Fire. Had those [Christians] who sought Mubahalah [utterance of the curse] with the Messenger of Allah, went ahead with it, they would not have found estates or families when they returned home.” [Al-Bukhari, At-Tirmidhi and An-Nasa’i also recorded this hadith, which At-Tirmidhi graded Hasan Sahih (authentic)]

Corrected by Allah (The Exalted and Glorified):

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was a human being who ate, slept, felt fatigue, and possessed human emotions. In regards to the revelation, Allah (The Exalted) made him infallible. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) conveyed the message of Allah perfectly to mankind. Due to the fact that he was human, he did commit errors in regards to certain issues. However, Allah (The Exalted) did not allow His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to continue in an error. Revelation would be sent in order to correct the mistakes of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). This is evident from the occasions in which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would pray for forgiveness and salvation on behalf of deceased idolaters. For example, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had prayed for forgiveness for one of the staunchest enemies of Islam. Allah (The Exalted) was not pleased. Therefore, revelation was sent to admonish the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to never pray for a deceased unbeliever because they died in a state of disobedience to Allah (The Exalted). This event is mentioned in the following account:

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:
When Abdullah bin Ubai (the leader of the hypocrites) died, his son came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “O Allah’s Messenger! Please give me your shirt to shroud him in it, offer his funeral prayer, and ask for Allah’s Forgiveness for him.” So Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) gave his shirt to him and said, “Inform me (when the funeral is ready) so that I may offer the funeral prayer.” So, he [the son of Abdullah] informed him [the Prophet]. And when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to offer the funeral prayer, ‘Umar took hold of his hand and said, “Has Allah not forbidden you to offer the funeral prayer for the hypocrites?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “I have been given the choice for Allah says: “Whether thou ask for their forgiveness or not, (their sin is unforgivable): if thou ask seventy times for their forgiveness, Allah will not forgive them…” (9:80).” So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered the funeral prayer, and on that, the revelation came: “And never (O Muhammad) pray (funeral prayer) for any of them (hypocrites) that dies” (9:84). [Bukhari: Book 2: Volume 23: Hadith 359]

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was also admonished to not pray on behalf of his deceased mother and beloved uncle, Abu Talib. Both persons had been polytheists. The mother of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had died when he was in childhood. Her death came before the call of Islam. Therefore, she could have attained salvation if she had been a monotheist, believing in the Oneness of Allah. However, Abu Talib died as an idolater during the prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Allah (The Exalted) would not grant salvation to the mother, nor the beloved uncle of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This is mentioned in the following accounts:

Abu Hurayrah reported:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) visited the grave of his mother and he wept, and moved others around him to tears, and said, “I sought permission from my Lord to beg forgiveness for her, but it was not granted to me, and I sought permission to visit her grave and it was granted to me. So visit the graves, for that makes you mindful of death.” [Muslim: Book 4: Hadith 2130]

Narrated Al-Musaiyab:
When Abu Talib was on his death bed, Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) came to him and found with him Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya bin Al-Mughira [two idolaters]. Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “O uncle! Say: None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, a sentence with which I will defend you before Allah.” On that, Abu Jahl and Abdullah bin Abi Umaiya said to Abu Talib, “Will you now leave the religion of Abdul Muttalib [a deceased chief of the Quraish, he was also an idolater]?” Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) kept on inviting him to say that sentence while the other two kept on repeating their sentence before him, till Abu Talib said, as the last thing he said to them, “I am on the religion of Abdul Muttalib,” and refused to say: None has the right to be worshipped except Allah. On that, Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “By Allah, I will keep on asking Allah’s Forgiveness for you unless I am forbidden (by Allah) to do so.” So Allah revealed: “It is not fitting, for the Prophet and those who believe, that they should pray for forgiveness for mushrikoon [polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah], even though they be of kin, after it is clear to them that they are companions of the Fire” (9:113). And then Allah revealed especially about Abu Talib: “It is true thou [O Muhammad] wilt not be able to guide every one, whom thou lovest; but Allah guides those whom He Will and He Knows best those who receive guidance” (28:56). [Bukhari: Book 6: Volume 60: Hadith 295]

Using one’s reasoning, it is apparent that a false prophet would take it upon himself to declare which individuals may enter Heaven or Hell. It is evident however, that salvation lies only with Allah (The Exalted). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) could not promise his nearest kin salvation from the chastisement of Hell, if they died as unbelievers. This is also made clear from the following hadith:

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O people of Quraish (or said similar words)! Buy (i.e. save) yourselves (from the Hellfire), as I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment. O Bani Abd Manaf [Tribe of Abd Manaf], I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment. O ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment. O Safiyyah, aunt of the Messenger of Allah, I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment. O Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, ask me for whatever you want of my wealth, but I cannot save you from Allah’s Punishment.” [al-Bukhari no. 2753; Muslim no. 206]

A Humble Disposition:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sent as an example of excellence for the entire mankind, “Indeed in the Messenger of Allah ye have a good example to follow, for him who hopes in (the Meeting with) Allah and the Last Day and remembers Allah much” [33:21]. Prior to receiving revelation and throughout his prophethood, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) maintained a humble disposition. He had once said, “Allah has revealed to me that you must be humble, so that no one oppresses another and boasts over another” [Dawud: Book 41: Hadith 4877; narrated by Iyad ibn Himar (al-Mujashi’i)]. His humility could be seen from his mannerisms, as well as from his living conditions. The following hadith best illustrates the humbleness of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the impact his manners had upon others:

Narrated Qaylah, daughter of Makhramah:
She saw the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sitting [on the ground] with his arms around his legs. She said, “When I saw the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in such a humble condition in the sitting position (according to Musa’s version), I trembled with fear.” [Dawud: Book 41: Hadith 4829]

Both before and after his victory over the Tribes of Arabia, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived amongst the poor. When Allah (The Exalted) had given His Messenger victory over Arabia, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never built a palace. He survived only upon essential needs. The following hadith mention his living conditions:

Narrated Ibn ‘Abbas:
…When I (‘Umar Ibn Khattab) saw him (the Prophet) smiling, I sat down. Then I looked around his house, and by Allah, I could not see anything of importance in his house except three hides, so I said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! Invoke Allah to make your followers rich, for the Persians and the Romans have been made prosperous and they have been given (the pleasures of the world), although they do not worship Allah.’ Thereupon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sat up as he was reclining and said, “Are you of such an opinion, O the son of Al-Khattab? These are the people who have received the rewards for their good deeds in this world.” I said, ‘O Allah’s Apostle! Ask Allah to forgive me.’ [Bukhari: Book 7: Volume 62: Hadith 119]

‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) reported:
Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) died (in a state) when the people could afford to eat only the dates and water. [Muslim: Book 42: Hadith 7094]

Undoubtedly, a false prophet would consume the wealth of his followers. Thereby, living a life of ease and comfort. The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) suffered from tremendous tribulation and spent his own wealth providing for the indigent among his people. Allah (The Exalted) had made it clear to His Messenger, that he would suffer hardship whilst serving the Cause of Allah, “Nor expect, in giving, any increase (for thyself)! But, for thy Lord’s (Cause), be patient and constant!” [74:6-7]. The following accounts mention the sincerity and generosity of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):

Narrated ‘Uqba bin Al-Harith:
Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) offered the ‘Asr prayer [late afternoon prayer] and then hurriedly went to his house and returned immediately. I (or somebody else) asked him (as to what was the matter) and he said, “I left at home a piece of gold which was from the charity and I disliked to let it remain a night in my house, so I got it distributed [to the poor].” [Bukhari: Book 2: Volume 24: Hadith 510]

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
Al-Hasan bin ‘Ali [a grandchild of the Prophet] took a date from the dates given in charity and put it in his mouth. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Expel it from your mouth. Don’t you know that we do not eat a thing which is given in charity?” [Bukhari: Book 2: Volume 24: Hadith 568]

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “There is no Believer, but I of all the people, I am the closest to him both in this world and in the Hereafter. Recite if you wish: “The Prophet is closer to the Believers than their own selves” (33:6). So if a Believer leaves some property [due to death], then his relatives will inherit that property; but if he is in debt or he leaves poor children, let those (creditors and children) come to me (that I may pay the debt and provide for the children), for them I am his sponsor (surely).” [Bukhari: Book 6: Volume 60: Hadith 304]

The Message and Finality of Prophethood:

The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) preached the same message as that of Ibrahim [Abraham] and the previous prophets (peace be upon them). Most importantly, Declaring the Oneness of Allah and personal accountability. This is an important matter to consider, “And who turns away from the religion of Ibrahim, but such as debase their souls with folly? Him We [Allah] chose and rendered pure in this world: And he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the Righteous” [2:130]. The collective Message of the Monotheist religion entails, in brief: proclaiming the Oneness of Allah, worshipping and serving Him alone, realizing that the life of this world is a trial to test one’s degree of obedience to the Creator, recognizing the fact that every individual bears the burden of his own sins on the Day of Judgment, and to live one’s life in accordance to an exalted moral standard. This Message is proclaimed throughout the Qur’an:


Before the prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), Allah (The Exalted) had sent numerous prophets and Books of revelation to mankind. However, none of the revelation that appeared before the Qur’an, mentioned an end to prophethood. The previous prophets had also not mentioned an end to prophethood. Therefore, mankind could expect another messenger to be sent from Allah. It was only with the mission of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), that Allah (The Exalted) stated that prophethood and revelation had been finalized. This is mentioned in the following verse of the Qur’an, “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the prophets: and Allah has full knowledge of all things” [33:40].

Miracles:

Allah (The Exalted) permitted His Prophets (peace be upon them) to perform miracles in order to strengthen the faith of the Believers and to attest their prophethood to the unbelievers.

(1) The cleaving of the Moon. Allah (The Exalted) permitted the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to cleave the moon into two halves. The two halves of the moon then came together as one. This event is mentioned in the following verse of
the Qur’an and hadith:

[54:1]


Narrated Aanas:
The people of Makkah asked the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to show them a Sign (miracle). So he showed them (the miracle) of the cleaving [splitting apart] of the moon. [Bukhari: Book 6: Volume 60: Hadith 390]


(2) Curing sore eyes. ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) had once been afflicted with sore eyes. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then applied his saliva to ‘Ali’s eyes and they became cured at once. This miracle is mentioned in the following hadith:

Narrated Sahl:
On the day (of the battle) of Khaybar the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Tomorrow I will give the flag to somebody who will be given victory (by Allah) and who loves Allah and His Messenger and is loved by Allah and His Messenger.” So, the people wondered all that night as to who would receive the flag and in the morning everyone hoped that he would be that person. Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Where is ‘Ali?” He was told that ‘Ali was suffering from eye-trouble, so he [the Prophet] applied saliva to his [‘Ali’s] eyes and invoked Allah to cure him. He at once got cured as if he had no ailment. [Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 52: Hadith 253]

(3) On another occasion, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of the branches of two trees, and both trees immediately followed after him, until he reached
his desired destination. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had used the cover of the two trees for his own privacy. This event is mentioned in the following
hadith:

Jabir reported:
We set out on an expedition along with Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) until we got down at a spacious valley and Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) went to relieve himself. I followed him with a bucket full of water and Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) looked about and he found no privacy, but two trees at the end of the valley. And Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) went to one of them and took hold of one of its twigs and said, “Be thou under my control by the Permission of Allah,” and so it came under his control like the camel who has its nose-string in the hand of its rider. And then he [the Prophet] came to the second tree and took hold of a twig and said, “Be thou under my control with the Permission of Allah,” and it came under his control, and when he came in the middle of the two trees he joined together the two twigs and said, “Join with the Permission of Allah.” [Thereby placing the two separated trees, next to one another]. Jabir said, “I was afraid lest Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) should be aware of my nearness and go still farther…And as I saw, I suddenly found Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) before me and the two trees were separated and each one of them was standing at its place. [Muslim: Book 42: Hadith 7149]

(4) On many instances, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the miracle of supplying water, when there was scarcely any left. This
miracle is mentioned in several accounts:

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu’z-Zubayr al-Makki from Abu’t-Tufayl Amir ibn Wathila that Muadh ibn Jabal told him:
That they went out with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in the year of Tabuk, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) joined Zhur with Asr and Maghrib with Isha. Muadh said, “One day he delayed the prayer, and then came out and prayed Zuhr and Asr together. Then he [the Prophet] said, “Tomorrow you will come, InshAllah, to the spring of Tabuk. But you will not get there until well into the morning. No one who arrives should touch any of its water until I come.” We came to it and two men had got to it before us and the spring was dripping with a little water. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked them, “Have you touched any of its water?” They said, “Yes.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) reviled them and said what Allah wished him to say. Then they took water with their hands from the spring little by little until it had been collected in something. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) washed his face and hands in it. Then he [the Prophet] put it back into the spring and the spring flowed with an abundance of water and the people drew water from it. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “If you live long enough, Muadh, you will soon see this place filled with gardens.” [Malik: Book 9: Hadith 9.1.2]

Narrated Imran bin Husain:
… Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered me and a few others to go ahead of him. We had become very thirsty. While we were on our way (looking for water), we came across a lady (riding an animal), hanging her legs between two water-skins. We asked her, “Where can we get water?” She replied, “Oh! There is no water.” We asked, “How far is your house from the water?” She replied, “A distance of a day and a night travel.” We said, “Come on to Allah’s Messenger.” She asked, “What is Allah’s Messenger?” So we brought her to Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) against her will, and she told him what she had told us before and added that she was the mother of orphans. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered that her two water-skins be brought and he rubbed the mouths of the water-skins. As we were thirsty, we drank till we quenched our thirst and we were forty men. We also filled all our water-skins and other utensils with water, but we did not water the camels. The water-skin was so full that it was almost about to burst. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then said, “Bring what (foodstuff) you have.” So some dates and pieces of bread were collected for the lady… [Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 56: Hadith 771]

Narrated Salim bin Abi Aj-Jad:
Jabir bin Abdullah said, “The people became very thirsty on the day of Al-Hudaibiya (Treaty). A small pot containing some water was in front of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and when he had finished the ablution, the people rushed towards him. He asked, “What is wrong with you?” They replied, “We have no water either for performing ablution or for drinking except what is present in front of you.” So he placed his hand in that pot and the water started flowing among his fingers like springs. We all drank and performed ablution (from it). I [Salim] asked Jabir, “How many were you?” He replied, “Even if we had been one-hundred-thousand, it would have been sufficient for us, but we were fifteen-hundred.” [Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 56: Hadith 776]


(5) On one occasion the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) provided two floating lights as guides through the darkness of the night for two of his companions. This is mentioned in the following account:

Narrated Aanas bin Malik:
Two of the companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) departed from him on a dark night and were led by two lights like lamps (floating in midair), lighting the way in front of them, and when they parted, each of them was accompanied by one of these lights till they reached their (respective) homes.
[Bukhari: Book 1: Volume 8: Hadith 454]

Assalamu Alaykum

Thank you for sharing and May Allah SWT reward you for that!!

Continued...

Protected by Allah (The Exalted and Glorified):

Throughout his prophethood, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was threatened with death on numerous occasions. After his migration to the city of Medinah, Allah (The Exalted) revealed the following verse of the Qur’an, reassuring that He would protect His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger! Proclaim that which hath been sent to thee from thy Lord. If thou didst not, thou wouldst not have fulfilled and proclaimed His Message. Allah will protect you from mankind. Verily, Allah guides not the people who disbelieve” [6:67]. Ibn Kathir in his Commentary on the mentioned verse states: “Allah’s statement, (Allah will protect you from mankind) means, you convey My Message and I will protect, aid, and support you over your enemies and will grant you victory over them. Therefore, do not have any fear or sadness, for none of them will be able to touch you with harm.” Before the revelation of this verse (6:67), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was being guarded by pious Muslims. This is mentioned in the following hadith:

Narrated ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was vigilant one night and when he reached Medinah, he said, “Would that a pious man from my companions guard me tonight!” Suddenly we heard the clatter of arms. He [the Prophet] said, “Who is that?” He (the new comer) replied, “I am Sad bin Abi Waqqas and have come to guard you.” So, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) slept (that night). [Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 52: Hadith 136]

Verse (6:67) was revealed during the initial phase of the second half of the Prophet’s mission, peace and blessings be upon him. During his settlement in Medinah, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) participated in nineteen military expeditions. The most dangerous battle the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) fought was that of Uhud, in which he had been severely injured. The Prophet’s participation in the battles is mentioned in the following hadith:

Zaid b. Arqam reported:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) fought nineteen battles after the Hijra [migration to Medinah] and performed only one Pilgrimage called Hajjat-ul-Wada. [Muslim: Book 19: Hadith 4465]

Narrated Sahl:
That he was asked about the wound of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the day (of the battle) of Uhud. He said, “The face of the Prophet was wounded and one of his front teeth was broken and the helmet over his head was smashed. Fatimah washed off the blood, while Ali held water. When she saw that the bleeding was increasing continuously, she burnt a mat (of date-palm leaves) till it turned into ashes which she put over the wound and thus the bleeding ceased.”
[Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 52: Hadith 159]

In regards to the Messenger’s participation in military expeditions, he (peace and blessings be upon him) killed a single soldier. The enemy combatant had died from his wounds, three days after the battle of Uhud. It was the practice of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to spare his enemies on the battlefield. The reason for the numerous military expeditions is due to the fact that Arabia was occupied by several Tribes. The majority of which were hostile toward Islam.

In addition to risking death by participating in the battles, the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had also been threatened by numerous assassination attempts. One such attempt, was made by a Jewish woman from the settlement of Khaybar. She had prepared the meat of a sheep and then poisoned it, hoping to end the life of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ate from the meat, but Allah (The Exalted) protected him from its harm at the time, because his mission had not been completed. This incident is mentioned in the following account:

Aanas reported:
That a Jewess came to Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with poisoned mutton and he took of that what had been brought to him. (When the effect of this poison were felt by him) he called for her and asked her about that, whereupon she said, “I had determined to kill you.” Thereupon he (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Allah will never give you the power to do it.” [Muslim: Book 26: Hadith 5430]

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was permitted to pass from this life only after the completion of his mission, conveying the entire Qur’an. This occurred during his Farewell Pilgrimage, in which he stood on mount Arafat, and addressed thousands of his followers. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) questioned the audience as to whether he had conveyed Allah’s Message and they responded in the affirmative. Among the final verses of revelation was the following statement, “…This day have I [Allah] perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion…” [5:3]. This occasion is mentioned in the following account:

Narrated Abu Bakra:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said on the day of the Farewell Pilgrimage, “(Listen) haven’t I conveyed Allah’s Message to you?” We replied, “Yes.” He [the Prophet] said, “O Allah! Be witness (for it). So it is incumbent upon those who are present to convey it (this message of mine) to those who are absent because the informed one might comprehend what I have said better than the present audience who will covey it to him.” [Bukhari: Book 9: Volume 88: Hadith 199]

Narrated Tariq bin Shihab:
A Jew said to ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), “O Chief of the Believers, if this verse: “This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you, Islam as your religion” (5:3) had been revealed upon us [Jews], we would have taken that day as an Eid (festival) day.” ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I know definitely on what day this Verse was revealed. It was revealed on the day of Arafat, on a Friday.” [Bukhari: Book 9: Volume 92: Hadith 373]

Upon arriving from his Pilgrimage back to Medinah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had already known that his death was close at hand. The revelation of the Qur’an had been completed and Allah (The Exalted) had offered him the option of desiring immortality or death and entering Heaven. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) chose to enter the Hereafter. Before his death, he visited the graves of the martyrs of Uhud and delivered his final sermon. He was then stricken with an illness, which became fatal. The first of his family members to join him in the Hereafter, after his death, was his youngest daughter, Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her). These accounts are mentioned in the following narrations:

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
Jabriel (peace be upon him) used to repeat the recitation of the Qur’an with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) once a year, but he repeated it twice with him in the year he died. [Bukhari: Book 6: Volume 61: Hadith 520]

Narrated from Masruq that ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
Fatimah came walking in the manner of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Welcome, O my daughter.” Then he seated her to his right or to his left, then he said something privately to her and she wept. I [‘Aisha] said to her, “Why are you weeping?” Then he said something privately to her and she smiled. I said, “I have never seen anything like that which I have seen today, of joy so close to grief.” I asked her what he had said, and she said, “I would not disclose the secret of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed away, I asked her and she said, “He told me, ‘Jabriel used to review the Qur’an with me once every year, but this year he has reviewed it with me twice, so I know that my appointed time (of death) is approaching. And you will be the first of my family to join me.’ So I wept. Then he said, ‘Would it not please you to be the leader of the women of Paradise or the women of the Believers?’ So I smiled.” [Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 56: Hadith 819]

Narrated Uqba bin Amir:
Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) offered the funeral prayers of the martyrs of Uhud eight years after (their death), as if bidding farewell to the living and the dead, then he ascended the pulpit and said, “I am your predecessor before you, and I am a witness on you, and your promised place to meet me will be Al-Haud (i.e. the Cistern of al-Kawthar) (on the Day of Resurrection), and I am (now) looking at it from this place of mine. I am not afraid that you will worship others besides Allah, but I am afraid that worldly life will tempt you and cause you to compete with each other for it.” That was the last look which I cast on Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him). [Bukhari: Book 5: Volume 59: Hadith 374]

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri
Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a speech at the end of his life and said, “Allah has given one of His Slaves the choice of receiving the splendor and luxury of the worldly life whatever he likes or to accept the good (of the Hereafter) which is with Allah, and he has chosen to meet his Lord.” On that Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wept and said, “Our fathers and mothers be sacrificed for you.” We became astonished at this. The people said, “Look at this old man! Allah’s Messenger talks about a Slave of Allah to whom He has given the option to choose either the splendor of this worldly life or the good which is with Him, while he [Abu Bakr] says, ‘Our fathers and mothers be sacrificed for you.’” But it was Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) who had been given the option, and Abu Bakr knew it better than we. Allah’s Apostle (peace and blessings be upon him) added, “No doubt, I am indebted to Abu Bakr more than to anybody else regarding both his companionship and his wealth. If I were to take a friend other than my Lord, I would certainly have taken Abu Bakr as such, but the Brotherhood and friendliness of Islam is sufficient. Let no gate of the Masjid remain open, except the gate of Abu Bakr.” [Bukhari: Book 5: Volume 58: Hadith 244]

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed into the Hereafter in the home of ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). His final words were, “O Allah! With the highest companions,” referring to the highest status in Heaven, with the noblest of persons.

Narrated ‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her):
When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was healthy, he used to say, “No soul of a prophet is captured till he is shown his place in Paradise and then he is given the option.” When death approached him while his head was on my thigh, he became unconscious and then recovered his consciousness. He then looked at the ceiling of the house and said, “O Allah! (With) the highest companions.” I said (to myself), “Hence, he is not going to choose us.” Then I realized that what he had [just] said was the application of the narration which he used to mention [about the choice] to us when he was healthy. The last word he spoke was, “O Allah! (With) the highest companions.” [Bukhari: Book 5: Volume 59: Hadith 740]

It is apparent that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) died in a controlled manner. In which he knew his death was approaching. He (peace and blessings be upon him) had made final preparations, given his last advice to the Muslim Nation, and bid farewell to his companions. It is important to emphasis that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) lived in a land in which the majority of the inhabitants were extremely hostile to his mission. He had faced numerous assassination attempts upon his life. Serving as a soldier within the army, also exposed him to many dangers. The leaders of the idolaters were not ignorant, they realized that Islam would end if they could stop the preaching of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Within the chaos of the battles, the Messenger was first priority for the army of the idolaters. If he had died suddenly in one of the battles or through one of the assassination attempts, he would have proven to be a false prophet. Allah (The Exalted) never allowed the enemies of Islam to prevail in their attempts on the life of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) conveyed the entire Qur’an before his death. This is an important consideration. This is due to the fact that Allah (The Exalted) promised His Messenger Divine protection, “…Allah will protect you from mankind…” [6:67].


And Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) Knows Best.

:salam2:

Thank you for your informative and well written text.
May Allah protect and help you.

jazkom allah khayran

Continued...

The Reality of the Existence of the Jinn Race:

The existence of the jinn race (spirits) is something documented in the religious beliefs of all peoples. However, among non-Muslims the perception of the jinn and their abilities is commonly associated with exaggerations and inaccuracies. Within Judaism, a group of the ancient Hasidic Jews once believed a race of spirits lived upon the Earth along with mankind and had a hand in the affairs of the human race. Within Christianity, one may also find references to spirits in the Books of the Bible. For example, in the book of Job, it depicts an interaction with a jinn on a road, stating, “Then a spirit passed before my face, the hair of my flesh stood up’ it stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof; an image was before mine eyes” [Job 4.15-16]. Perhaps the best account of jinns made by a non-Muslim, has been the account by a Scots-Irish reverend named Robert Kirk from Aberfoyle, Scotland. His manuscript, written in 1692, and later published in 1815 by Sir Walter Scott, is known for short as “The Secret Commonwealth.”

Robert Kirk’s knowledge of the jinn in the Highlands, mostly stems from his discussions with men, whom are referred to as the “seers,” due to their apparent ability to interact and see some of the jinn. Mr. Kirk further details in his book, that the “seers” are in fact men engaged in witchcraft and fortunetelling stemming from their relationship with the spirits that inhabit the land. The rest of this text is concerned with showing the similarities between Robert Kirk’s description of the spirits that inhabit his land and the description of the jinn race mentioned in the Qur’an and hadith.

The Jinn are Shape-Shifters and may Reside Underground:

Robert Kirk in his manuscript, frequently refers to the jinn in his land as “fairies.” In the following account, he mentions that many of them are wicked, however his people refer to them as the “good people” in fear of offending them! The spirits in his land also possess the ability to change the form of their bodies and may appear or disappear from the world of man. Mr. Kirk also states that these spirits may reside underground, calling them “subterraneans.” This is mentioned in the following passages of Kirk's manuscript:

“These siths or fairies they call sleagh maith or the good people, it would seem, to prevent the dint of their ill attempts (for the Irish use to bless all they fear harm of) and are said to be…of intelligent studious spirits, and light, changeable bodies (like those called astral) somewhat of the nature of a condensed cloud and best seen in twilight. These bodies be so pliable through the subtlety of the spirits that agitate them, that they can make them appear or disappear at pleasure.” [pg. 47]

“Their bodies of congealed air are sometimes caried aloft, otherwhiles grovel in different shapes, and enter into any cranny or cleft of the earth (where air enters) to their ordinary dwellings…” [pg. 48]

From the accounts of various hadith, it is also stated that the jinn are mostly wicked. They may also transform their bodies into various guises, for example they may appear in the form of a man, and they may reside underneath the ground. This is mentioned in the following hadith:

‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr said:
When Quraish decided to march, mention was made of what was between them and Bani Bakr – i.e. war – and that almost made them change their minds. Then Iblis [Satan] appeared to them in the form of Suraqah ibn Ju’sham al-Madlaji, who was one of the nobles of Banu Kinanah [tribe of Kinanah], and said: “I will protect you against Kinanah so that Kinanah will not be able to do you any harm.” So they [Quraish] went ahead with their plan [i.e. to wage war]. [Ibn Jareer al-Tabari narrated in his Tafseer (12564); quoted by Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaayah wa’l-Nihaayah, 5/62]

Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) put me in charge of guarding the zakah of Ramadan. Someone came to me and started scooping up some of the food, and I said, “By Allah, I will take you to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).”-He [the thief] complained of being in need and having dependents, so Abu Hurayrah took pity on him and let him go. This happened three times, and on the third occasion, -Abu Hurayrah said: “I will take you to the Messenger of Allah. This is the third time and each time you say that you will not come back, then you come back.” He [the thief] said, “Let me go and I will teach you something by means of which Allah will benefit you.” I said: “What is it?” he said: “When you go to bed, recite Ayat al-Kursi, “Allah. There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-subsisting, Eternal…” [2:255], until you complete the verse. Then you will always have a protector [angel] from Allah, and no devil will come near you until morning comes.” So I let him go, and the next morning I told the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) what had happened. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “He told you the truth, although he is a liar. Do you know who you have been speaking to for three nights, O Abu Hurayrah?” He said: “No.” He said: “That was a devil [a shaytaan or evil jinn].” [al-Bukhari no. 3275]

From the above hadith, various points are evident. Firstly, the conduct of the shaytaan, an Arabic word in this case referring to the evil jinn, is that they frequently lie and speak untruthfully in order to mislead people. Secondly, the jinn are only unseen to humans when they are in the form in which they were created. When the jinns appear in other forms in the world of man, then they can be seen. Lastly, Ayat al-Kursi can be recited in order to protect an individual from the harm of the shaytaan.

The fact that the jinn may reside underground is mentioned in the following account:

Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah was killed by the jinn when he urinated in a hole [in the ground] in which was their dwelling place, and the jinn said, “We have killed the leader of Khazraj, Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah; we struck him with an arrow and we did not miss his heart.”

The Civilization of the Jinn:

Robert Kirk gives a description of the framework of the society of the spirits that reside in his land in the following passages:

“They [the spirits] are distributed in tribes and orders and have children, nurses, marriages, deaths, and burials, in appearance even as we (unless they so do for a mock-show, or to prognosticate some such things among us). [48]

“Their apparel and speech is like that of the people and country under which they live…” [51]

“They are said to have aristocratical rulers and laws, but no discernible religion, love, or devotion towards God, the blessed maker of all. They disappear whenever they hear His name invoked…” [52]

It is known from the Qur’an and hadith that the jinn have the same fate as man and reside in this world having a similar framework to their society as humans. For example, the jinns in Arabia spoke Arabic and were distributed into tribes, which is alluded to in the following account:

Ibn Mas’ood said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Someone from among the jinn called me,” and according to another report: “A delegation of jinn from Naseebeen came to me, and what good jinn they are! They asked me for food and I prayed to Allah for them, so that they would not pass by bones or droppings, but they would find food on them.” [al-Bukhari no. 3571]

Some of the jinns are Muslims and others the contrary. In the following verses of the Qur’an, Allah mentions a group of jinn who had become Muslims after hearing the recitation of the Qur’an.


Some Jinn Are Nomadic:

Mr. Kirk mentions in his manuscript that the spirits that reside with his people, are migratory. Always moving from one residence to another during different times within the year.

“They [the spirits] remove to other lodgings at the beginning of each quarter of the year, so traversing till doomsday, being impatient of staying in one place and finding some ease by sojourning and changing habitations.” [48]

“Their chameleon-like bodies swim in the air near the earth with bag and baggage. And at such revolution of time, seers, or men of the second sight (females being seldom so qualified) have very terrifying encounters with them, even on highways; who therefore usually shun to travel abroad at these four seasons of the year…” [48]

The fact that some jinn are nomadic, constantly moving from one residence to the next, is mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the following hadith:

Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “The jinn are of three types: …a type that stops for a rest then resumes its journey [i.e. they appear to live a nomadic life].” [Reported by al-Tahhaawi in Mushkil al-Athaar, 4/95, and by al-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer, 22/214. Shaykh al-Albaani said in al-Mishkaat (2/1206, no. 4148): al-Tahhaawi and Abu’l-Shaykh reported it with a saheeh isnaad]

The Jinn may Kidnap Humans:

Robert Kirk in his manuscript states that some women from among his people have been kidnapped, after pregnancy, by the jinn and used for the purpose of serving as nurses for the infants of the jinn. Thereby, suckling their children. Mr. Kirk also states that human children are sometimes also the victims of kidnapping by the jinn. This is mentioned in the following passages:

“Women are yet alive who tell they were taken away when in child-bed to nurse fairie children…When the child is weaned, the nurse dies, or is conveyed back, or gets it to her choice to stay there.” [50]

“These subterraneans have controversies, doubts, disputes, feuds, and siding of parties; there being some ingnorance in all creatures…As to vice and sin, whatever their own laws be, sure according to ours, and equity, natural, civil, and revealed, they transgress and commit acts of injustice, and sin by what is above said as to their stealing of nurses to their children and that sort of plaginism [kidnapping] in catching our children away (may seem to heir some estate in those invisible dominions), which never return.” [56]

It is mentioned in some accounts, that the jinn may kidnap human beings on rare occasions. In the following hadith, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) warns the mothers to keep their children indoors as soon as the sun sets, because this is the time in which the jinn surface in large numbers, preferring the presence of darkness.

Narrated Jabir:
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When night falls, then keep your children close to you, for the devils spread out then. An hour later you can let them free; and close the gates (i.e. doors) of your house (at night), and mention Allah’s Name thereupon (i.e. Bismillah), and cover your utensils (i.e. foods), and mention Allah’s Name thereupon, (and if you don’t have something to cover your utensil) you may put across it something (e.g. a piece of wood, etc.).” [Bukhari: Book 4: Volume 54: Hadith 500]

During the time of ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), it is well known that a man was kidnapped by the jinn and stayed with them for four years. Then the man came back and told the people that some pagan jinn had kidnapped him and that he was rescued by some Muslim jinn [Manaar al-Sabeel, 2/88. The story of the kidnapped man was reported by al-Bayhaqi (7/445-446) and its isnad was classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in al-Irwaa’, 6/150, no. 1709]

The Jinn are Harmed by Iron:

In his manuscript, Mr. Kirk mentions that iron is known to ward off harm from the spirits. He states that people place iron in the beds of women to keep them from being kidnapped. There is also an account of a seer being attacked by a jinn and then fighting off his attacker and killing him, with a piece of iron. This is mentioned in the following instances:

“The tramontanes [here, northereners] to this day put…a piece of iron, in women’s beds when traveling to save the from being thus stolen; and they commonly report that all uncouth unknown wights are terrifed by nothing earthly so much as by cold iron.” [51]

“Thus I have frequently spoke to one of them [a seer], who in his transport told he cut the body of one of these people [i.e. spirit] in two with his iron weapon and so escaped this onset, yet he saw nothing left behind of that appearing divided body…” [54]

Among the physical items that humans possess, iron causes physical harm to the shayateen. This is due to the fact that Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) sent iron from the heavens as a blessing, “…and We sent down Iron, in which is (material for) mighty war, as well as many benefits for mankind…” [57:25]. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also mentioned that iron afflicts the shayateen: narrated that Naafi’ said: When Abdullah ibn ‘Umar sat during the prayer, he would put his hands on his thighs and point with his finger whilst looking at it. Then he said, “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘It is harder on the Shaytaan than iron,’ meaning the index finger” [Ahmad no. 5964; classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Sifat Salaat al-Nabi (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), p. 159]. Iron maces are also the weapons carried by the Angels of punishment. When ridding oneself of jinns, it is sufficient to recite the Qur’an. People should not rely upon or use items such as iron for ridding oneself of jinns.

The Qareen (Jinn Companion):

Robert Kirk in his manuscript also mentions the "seers’" account of the qareen (jinn companion). In Kirk’s account, the "seers" state that every human has a spirit shadowing them and mimicking their actions. This knowledge is given to the “seers” by the shayateen from among the jinn that are dealing with the “seers.” However, they, the “seers,” are confused as to the purpose of this “shadow walker” or “echo” as they call the qareen. This is mentioned in the following passages:

“They [the seers] call this reflex-man a co-walker, every way like the man, as a twin-brother and companion, haunting him as a shadow, as is oft seen and known among men (resembling the original) both before and after the original is dead…” [49]

“This copy, echo, or living picture goes at last to his own herd. It accompanied that person so long and frequently for ends best known to itself, whether to guard him from the secret assaults of some its own folks or only as one sportful ape to counterfeit all his actions.” [49]

The qareen was mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in various accounts. Every human has a jinn companion throughout his or her life, which is called the qareen. The qareen is different from other jinn, because it specifically stays with its human host throughout the life of the human, by shadowing the person. The qareen engages in every activity along with the human. For example, when the human counterpart eats, his qareen will also engage in the activity. The man has a male qareen and the woman has a female companion. This life involves man being tested by Allah (The Exalted). The qareen is evil (a shaytaan) and whispers for man to commit sins and disobey Allah. Therefore, it is part of the trial in this life that every individual must overcome and not engage in the evil temptations of his constant companion. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also had a qareen, but Allah made him become a Muslim:

Ibn Mas’ood said:
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “There is not one of you who does not have a jinn appointed to be his constant companion.” They said, ‘And you too, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, “Me too, but Allah has helped me and he has submitted, so that he only helps me to do good.” [Muslim no. 2814]

The Jinn are Called by Humans by means of Witchcraft:

Robert Kirk states that the “seers” call upon the spirits thru spells and use them to harm other persons. The “seers” also use the jinn for fortune-telling. This is stated in the following passages:

“The tabhaisver, or seer, that corresponds with this kind of familiars [i.e. his friends from among the spirits], can bring them with a spell to appear to himself or others when he pleases…He [the seer] tells they [the spirits] are ever readiest to go on hurtful errands but seldom will be the messengers of great good to men.” [52]

“He [the seer] is not terrified with their sight when he calls them, but seeing them in a surprise (as often he does) frights him extremely.” [52]

In the following account, Mr. Kirk mentions the story of a man, yeoman (farmer that cultivates his own land), meeting a “seer,” in which the yeoman was told that he would die in two days. As a result, the yeoman killed the “seer” in rage, and was executed two days later.

“It is notoriously known what in Killin within Pertshire, fell tragically out with a yeoman that lived hard by, who coming into a company within an ale-house where a seer sat at a table, that, at the sight of the entrant neighbour, the seer, starting, rose to go out of the house, and being asked the reason of his haste, told that the entrant man should die within two days, at which news the named entrant stabbed the seer and was himself executed two days after for the fact.” [61]

The fortunetellers are frauds. Some of them may at times succeed in their handiwork. These fortunetellers have a shaytaan from among the jinn as their helper. The shaytaan flies into the lower heaven, and steals away a hearing from the angels who are discussing what is predestined for certain people. The shayateen that are spotted are attacked with meteors. If the shaytaan helper escapes, he comes back to the fortuneteller and tells him a little or vague amount of truth, which the fortuneteller mixes with many lies. Some magicians operate in the same manner, by having a shaytaan help them perform tricks such as: levitation, knowing peoples’ private matters, etc. The jinn helper interrogates the individual’s qareen in order to learn a person’s private matters.

Narrated Abu Hurayrah:
Allah’s Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “When Allah decrees some order in the heaven, the angels flutter their wings indicating complete surrender to His saying which sounds like chains being dragged on rocks. And when the state of fear disappears, they ask each other, ‘What has your Lord ordered? They say that He has said that which is true and just, and He is the Most High, the Most Great.’ (34:23). Then the stealthy listeners (devils) hear this order, and these stealthy listeners are like this, one over the other.” [Sufyan, a sub-narrator demonstrated that by holding his hand upright and separating the fingers.] “A stealthy listener hears a word which he will convey to that which is below him and the second will convey it to that which is below him till the last of them will convey it to the sorcerer or fortuneteller [or magician]. Sometimes a flame (fire) may strike the devil before he can convey it, and sometimes he may convey it before the flame (fire) strikes him, whereupon the sorcerer (or fortuneteller) adds to that word a hundred lies. The people will then say, ‘Didn’t he (i.e. fortuneteller) tell such-and-such a thing on such-and-such date?’ So that fortuneteller is said to have told the truth because of the Statement which has been heard from the heavens.” [Bukhari: Book 6: Volume 60 : Hadith 324]

‘Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said:
Some people asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) about fortunetellers. He said: “They are nothing.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, sometimes they tell us something and it is true.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “That is a word of the truth that they learn from the jinn, which he [the jinn] whispers into the ear of his familiar [i.e. fortuneteller], but they mix a hundred lies with it.” [al-Bukhari no. 5429; Muslim no. 2228]

During the prophethood of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), the lower heaven was heavily guarded against the shayateen. The following narration also conveys the point that successful fortunetellers operate by using a jinn.

Narrated Abdullah bin ‘Umar:
I never heard ‘Umar saying about something that he thought it would be so-and-so, but he was quite right. Once, while ‘Umar was sitting, a handsome man passed by him, ‘Umar said, “If I am not wrong, this person is still on his religion of the pre-Islamic period of ignorance or he was their fortuneteller. Call the man to me.” When the man was called to him, he [‘Umar] told him of his thought. The man said, “I have never seen such a day on which a Muslim is faced with such an accusation.” ‘Umar said, “I am determined that you should tell me the truth.” He said, “I was a fortuneteller in the pre-Islamic period of ignorance.” Then ‘Umar said, “Tell me the most astonishing thing your female jinn has told you of.” He said, “One-day while I was in the market, she came to me scared and said, ‘Haven’t you seen the jinns and their despair and they were overthrown after their defeat (and prevented from listening to the news of the heaven) so that they (stopped going to the sky and) kept following…[Arabs])?’” ‘Umar said, “He is right.” [Bukhari: Book 5: Volume 58: Hadith 206]

Conclusion:

From the accounts of Robert Kirk’s manuscript it is clear that the "spirits" or "fairies" he describes living among his people is what is referred to as “jinn” in the religion of Islam. His account was written in the 1600s, well over 1000 years after the life of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and in a land far replaced from Arabia. Mr. Kirk is also a Christian minister, unlearned in the teachings of Islam or else he would have written about the commonalities between the spirits residing in his land and the existence of the jinn race as described in Islam. There are two fine details that are especially notable for one to contemplate over, Kirk’s mention of the qareen and the fact that the spirits in his land are harmed by iron. Both details, mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). Kirk’s account also reinforces the reality of witchcraft and the fact that the men engaged in such work are indeed dealing with jinn, as mentioned by the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). An individual may use their reasoning to reflect that Mr. Kirk was able to independently describe the jinn race in great detail in close likeness to the religion of Islam, down to many of the fine details. Thereby, confirming to a non-Muslim or those of weak faith, the reality of the existence of the jinn race and truth of the Prophethood of the final Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

And Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) Knows Best.

jazaak Allah khair

Continued...


When examining a religion, the most important consideration one must make is, “Who is God?.” It is essentially the belief in God, that is the most important and fundamental feature of any religion. The religion of Islam is strictly a monotheist religion that offers a direct relationship with God. The focus of the entire religion is on the worship of the Creator alone, with no co-partners, no co-equals, and no intermediaries. All prayers and acts of worship are directed to God alone. Considering, the language of Islam is Arabic, God is commonly referred to by the Arabic term “Allah,” (pronounced Al-Law) which literally means “The God.” In the Arabic language, the word ilah means “god” and the word aliha means “gods.” There are no capital or lowercase letters in the Arabic language as there are in English, for example. All Arabic letters are written in the same case level. Therefore, in order to refer to the One God, the definitive AL, which means “The” is joined with the word ilah to form Allah, The God. The Arabic term “Allah” also does not elude to any gender, nor can it be changed into the plural. The masculine pronoun “He” is only used to refer to Allah because in the semeitic languages this is considered more formal and respectful, it is not meant literally. Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) is the Supreme Being, there is none like Him. He uses the masculine pronoun to refer to Himself in the Qur’an and also in previous revelations such as the Taurat (Torah).

The term “Allah” is used by every Arabic speaker of various religions to refer to the One God. However, there beliefs concerning Him vary. Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) states in the Qur’an the Truth concerning Himself. It is also important to note that the revelation of the Qur’an is in the highest formality of classical Arabic, in which Allah frequently speaks in the royal plural. Thereby, referring to Himself in the third person, such as in the form “We,” “Us,” and “Our.” There are also other verses of the Qur’an in which He is more personal and refers to Himself in the first person, such as “I” and “Me.”

Allah, in Islam pertains to the utmost epitome of belief one can possibly contemplate concerning the Creator. He is truly thought of in terms of absolute perfection and is not represented by any image. The following verses of the Qur’an best describe the Creator:


The Greatness and Glory of Allah is to such an immense degree that He has placed a veil (partition) between Himself and His creation, in order to protect the creation from His Grandeur. If the veil were to be removed, the creation would be destroyed by the Glory of Allah. This is mentioned in the following hadith:

Abu Musa (may Allah be pleased with him; this is a statement that the reader should repeat after the name of every companion) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was standing amongst us and he told us five things. He said: Verily the Exalted and Mighty Allah does not sleep, and it does not befit Him to sleep. He lowers the scale and lifts it [i.e. the scale of judgment]. The deeds in the night are taken up to Him before the deeds of the day and the deeds of the day before the deeds of the night. His veil is the light. If he withdraws it (the veil), the splendor of His countenance would consume His creation so far as His sight reaches (i.e. the entire creation would be consumed or destroyed because everything is within His sight). [Muslim: Book 1 (Book of Faith): Hadith 343]

The following hadith pertains to the time after the Prophet’s ascent to Heaven, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

Abdullah b. Shaqiq reported:
I said to Abu Dharr: Had I seen the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), I would have asked him. He (Abu Dharr) said: What is that thing that you wanted to inquire of him? He [Abdullah] said: I wanted to ask him [the Prophet] whether he had seen his Lord. Abu Dharr said: I, in fact, inquired of him, and he [the Prophet] replied: I saw Light (i.e. not Allah, but His veil). [Muslim: Book 1 (Book of Faith): Hadith 342]

The following verse of the Qur’an refers to the Glory of Allah:


There are some religions that attempt to portray the Almighty in human form. By being constrained to the body of a human, these religions have made God dependent upon eating, sleeping, and devices such as a beating heart, or blood vessels in order to survive. Glory to Allah (The Exalted), He is Self-Sustained and does not rely on anything. This is the true reality of His level of absolute Self-Sufficiency and Perfection.

And Allah (The Glorified and Exalted) Knows Best.

Praise be to Allah (The Glorified and Exalted).

Continued...

Science Against Evolution:

Click on the following link:
http://www.turntoislam.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62132



JazakAllahu Khariyan for the supplications and the same to all of you. Ameen.

Jazak-Allahu Khairan for Sharing