8 July 2012

Seerah of Muhammed*

*: May the peace blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him

TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an

Reconnoitring The Weapons of The Messenger Of Allah*:

The spies that Malik had already dispatched to spy Muslim forces, returned with their limbs smashed. “Woe unto you! What happened to you?” Said Malik. They said: “We have seen distinguished people on spotted horsebacks. What you see, would not have happened if we had been firmly together.”

Reconnoitring The Enemy's Weapon:

News about the enemy’s marching were conveyed to the Messenger of Allah* , so he sent out Al-Aslami with orders to mix with people, stay with them so that he would be able to know their news and to convey it to the Messenger of Allah* when he turns back. That was exactly what he managed to do.

The Messenger Of Allah* Leaves Mecca For Hunain

On Shawwal, the ninth, the captive day, the Messenger of Allah* left Mecca accompanied by twelve thousand Muslims. Ten thousand of those had previously shared in Mecca Conquest. A great number of the other two thousand, who were Makkans, had recently embraced Islam. That march was on the nineteenth day of his conquest to Mecca. He borrowed a hundred armours with their equipment from Safwan bin Umaiyah. Before setting out, the Prophet had sent to Safwan to borrow a hundred coats of mail which he was known to possess, and the weapons that went with them. "O Muhammad," said Safwan, "is it a question of 'Give or I will take?'" "It is a loan to be returned," said the Prophet, whereupon Safwan agreed to provide the camels for the transport of the armour and arms which he handed over to the Prophet when they had reached their final camp. He appointed ‘Itab bin Usaid as a governor over Mecca and appointed Mu'adh ibn Jabal, a young but well informed man of Khazraj, to instruct converts in all matters that concerned the religion. When it was evening time, a horseman came to the Messenger of Allah* and said: “I have climbed up so and so mountains and came across Hawazin with their riding camels, livestock and sheep. Hawazin wholly were gathered together there.” The Messenger of Allah* smiled then and said: “They will all be Muslims’ spoils tomorrow, if Allah wills.”

The Tree and superstitions

On their way to Hunain they saw a great green Nabk plant, that was called Dhat-Anwat (the one with suspenders). That was because the Arabs used to hang their weapons on it, slay beasts under it and keep to it. So some of army members asked the Messenger of Allah* to make them a Nabk with suspenders as the one they had. “Allah is the Greatest of all!” He said, “I swear by the One in Whose Hand is Muhammad’s soul, that you have just said what the people of Moses said to him. They said ‘Make us a god as the one they have.’ Surely you are ignorant people. These are Sunnah, but you will follow and comply with the modes of life of those who preceded you.” Seeing how great in number the army was, some of them said: “We shall not be defeated.”

Guarding the Muslims before battle

That night Anas bin Abi Murthid Al-Ghanawi volunteered to guard (Ribat) after the Prophet* gave him specific instructions on where to go and what to do. When the nigh was over, at Fajr time, he returned and told the Prophet* that he didn’t see anything, nor did he leave his station except to pray or answer the call of nature. The Prophet* praised him and said that his reward for standing guard that nigh was Jannah!

Ribat means standing in guard of the borderlines, at the places feared to be attacked by the enemies of Islam, and a Murabit is the person garrisoned there, who has dedicated himself to Jihad (striving / fighting) in the Cause of Allah and defending His Deen (Religion) and his Muslim brothers. There are many Hadith that have been mentioned on the merits of staying in guardian and defence of the Muslim frontiers in the Cause of Allah for you Muslim brothers who are yearning to stand guarding the frontiers in the Cause of Allah such as: It is narrated on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd that the Messenger of Allah* said, "Ribat (guarding the Muslim frontiers) in the Cause of Allah for one day is better than this world and whatever is on it; and the place occupied by the whip of one of you in Paradise is better than this world and whatever is on it; and a morning or an evening's journey that a Servant travels in the Cause of Allah is better than this world and whatever is on it. " [Al-Bukhari, Muslim, Al-Tirmidhy, and others]. It is also narrated on the authority of Salman that he heard the Messenger of Allah* saying, "Ribat (guarding the Muslim frontiers) for one day and night is better than Sawm (Fasting) for one month and standing its nights in prayer. Anyone who dies doing it will continue to receive the reward for that deed he used to do and will continue to have his Rizq (sustenance) and will be safe from Fitan (trials of death and within the grave). " [Muslim]

The Ambush And Panic: The Islamic Army Stunned The Archers And The Attackers

The Muslim army arrived at Hunain. Malik bin ‘Awf, who had previously entered the valley by night, gave orders to his army to hide inside the valley and lurk for the Muslims on roads, entrances, narrow hiding places. His orders to his men were to hurl stones at Muslims whenever they caught sight of them and then to make a one-man attack against them.

The sky was overcast, so that it was still almost dark as they descended into the valley bed. Khalid was in the van as before, commanding Sulaym and others. Next came the Muslim part of the new Meccan contingent. The Prophet, mounted on Duldul, was this time in the midst of the army, with the same squadron of Emigrants and Helpers, but surrounded by more members of his own family than ever before, including his cousins Abu Sufyan and 'Abd Allah, who had joined him on his way to Mecca, and the two eldest sons of 'Abbas, FadI and Qitham, and the two sons of Abu Lahab. In the rear of the army were those of the Meccans who had not yet entered Islam. At early dawn the Messenger of Allah* started mobilizing his army and distributing posts and flags to people. In the dark and just before dawn the Muslims moved towards Hunain Valley. They started descending into it unaware of the presence of an enemy lurking for them inside the valley.

The van had almost finished its descent when in the half-light the stationary host of Hawazin loomed into view above them on the opposite slope. It was a formidable spectacle, the more so because in the rear of the army itself there were thousands of camels, unmounted or mounted by woman, and in the dimness of dawn they appeared to be part of the army itself. The road was clearly barred in that direction; but before any new instructions could be sought or any new orders given, Malik gave his signal. The squadrons of Hawazin suddenly wheeled out of the ravines and swept down upon Khalid and his men. The onslaught was so fierce and so sudden that he could do nothing to rally the Bani Sulaym, who made little or no resistance, but turned and fled headlong, scattering the ranks of the Meccans who were behind them and who now followed them in flight up the slope that they had just descended. The terrible stampede of horses and camels choked the defile in its narrowest parts, but the Prophet was at a point where he could withdraw a little to his right, and he now made a firm stand at the side of the road with a small body of those who had been riding near him -Abu Bakr, 'Umar and others of the Emigrants, some of the Helpers (Ansar), and all the men of his family who were present.

Hawazin arrows began showering intensively at them, whereas the enemy’s battalions started a fierce attack against the Muslims, who had to retreat in disorder and utter confusion. It was such a shatteringly defeat that Abu Sufyan bin Harb, who had recently embraced Islam, said that their retreat would not stop till they got to the Red Sea. Jablah or Kildah bin Al-Juna commented on that by saying: “Surely magic has grown inactive today.”

The Messenger of Allah* turned to the right and said: “Come on, people! I am the Messenger of Allah. I am Muhammad, the son of Abdullah.” Those who stood fast by him were only few Emigrants (Muhajir) and some of his kinsmen. The matchless bravery of the Prophet* was then brought to light. He went on and on in his attempts to make his mule stand fast in the face of the disbelievers while saying loudly: “Truly saying, I am the Prophet I am the (grand) son of Abdul Muttalib.” However, Abu Sufyan bin Harith, who was then holding the rein of the Prophet’s mule, and Al-‘Abbas, who was holding its stirrup; were endeavouring to make it halt. The Messenger of Allah* dismounted and asked his Lord to render him help. “O, Allah, send down Your Help!” He then asked for some dirt or sand to throw at the enemy…

Fiqh Topic (part 8): Daleel in Detail

We talked about Conclusive and 'Doubtful' sources and Conclusive and 'Doubtful' / ambiguous meanings whilst trying to explain Daleel (Evidence).

Daleel

Linguistically, Daleel means a proof, indication, or evidence. As a (Shariah) term, Daleel means the source or evidence for a thought, concept, or a ruling. Any law or ruling must have a Daleel, which can be from Qur’an, Sunnah, or a source, which Qur’an and Sunnah directed us to adopt.

Structure of Daleel

There are two aspects related to any Daleel: Riwayah (reportage) and Dalalah (meaning).

• The Riwayah covers issues related to how the information was relayed to us, which includes the number and the integrity of its reporters.
• The Dalalah is related to the meaning of the text in the Daleel.

There are also two terms used in connection with Riwayah and Dalalah; Qata’i [üü] and Dhanni [??].

• Qata’i is defined as being conclusive or decisive,
• Dhanni is the opposite of Qata’i and means ambiguous, non-definite, speculative or indecisive.

Riwayah (report)

Any Ayah from the Qur’an or Hadith Mutawatir is considered Qata’i (conclusive) [üü] in its Riwayah (report). The Qata’i in Riwayah implies that the evidence is authentic without any shadow of doubt. This authenticity is established based on the methodology of transmission. The methodology by which the Qur’an was transmitted to us precludes any possibility of fabrication. The report was transmitted generation by generation in exactly the same manner. It is impossible for an entire generation to fabricate, erase, or add contents to the Qur’an. It is inconceivable to believe that every single individual in that generation assembled together and agreed to add or delete parts of the Qur’an. Everyone in that generation was reciting the same contents of the Qur’an, thus authentifying its contents.

Hadith Mutawatir was not transmitted generation-by-generation, but rather by a large number of people. Due to the large number of people reporting the Daleel, and their diversity of residence, their established reliability and conviction, it is inconceivable that this Daleel could be wrong.

Any report of information other than through the Qur’an or Hadith Mutawatir, such as Hadith Ahad, is considered Dhanni (non-definite) [??], meaning that there is a minute possibility that the Daleel could contain error. To summarise Riwayah (report) can be:

• Qata’i (Conclusive) [üü] is Qur’an and Hadith Mutawatir (e.g. “Whosoever lies about me deliberately, let him take his place in the Hell fire.”)
• Dhanni (Non-Definite) [??] is Hadith Ahad (e.g. “Leave it, it is rotten”. [Refers to all forms of Asabiyah, racism]. (Bukhari and Muslim))

Dalalah (meaning)

The second aspect of the Daleel is the Dalalah (meaning). If the text of Qur’an, Hadith Mutawatir or Hadith Ahad is clear, specific, and has only one meaning, then it is considered Qata’i [üü]. The text of a Qata’i Daleel has to have only one meaning and cannot be open to any other interpretation. If the text is open to more than one interpretation, then it is considered Dhanni [??]. Since interpretations are due to the Arabic language, any interpretation has to be justified through the Arabic language. To summarise Dalalah (Meaning) can be:

Qata’i (Conclusive) [üü] Qur’an (One meaning) or Hadith Mutawatir (One meaning) or Ahad Hadith (One meaning)

• Example of Qur’an with a Qata’i (conclusive) meaning: “What your wives leave, your share is a half, if they leave no child”. (TMQ An-Nisa: 12) or “Those who accuse chaste woman of zina (adultery) and fail to bring four witnesses (to prove it) flog them eighty stripes.” (TMQ An-Nur: 4) The quantitative aspect of these rulings, namely one half and eighty are clear and therefore cannot be open to any other interpretations.
• Example of Hadith Mutawatir with Qata’i (conclusive) meaning: “Whosoever lies about me (Prophet Muhammad saw) deliberately let him take his place in the hell-fire.” (Bukhari & Muslim) This Mutawatir Hadith is very clear in its subject; thus there is only one understanding from the text that whoever lies about what Prophet* said, intentionally, he will go to hell-fire.
• Example of Hadith Ahad with Qata’i (conclusive) meaning: It is reported from a non-Mutawatir Hadith that the Prophet* fasted 6 days in Shawwal. The conclusive meanings from this Hadith are the permissibility of fasting 6 days in Shawwal (except on the first day of Shawwal, since it is the day of Eid, and it is Haram to fast on Eid).

Dhanni (Non-definite) [??] Qur’an (More than one meaning) or Hadith Mutawatir (More than one meaning) or Ahad Hadith (More than one meaning)

• Example of Quranic Ayah with a Dhanniy (non-definite) meaning: Allah says: “O you who believe! When you intend to offer As-Salat (the prayer), wash your faces and your hands (forearms) up to the elbows, rub (by passing wet hands over) your heads, and (wash) your feet up to ankles. If you are in a state of Janaba (i.e. had a sexual discharge), purify yourself (bathe your whole body). But if you are ill or on a journey or any of you comes from answering the call of nature, or you have been in contact with women and you find no water, then perform Tayammum with clean earth and rub therewith your faces and hands.” (TMQ Al-Maida: 6) The verse says if you ‘lamastum’ the women, it breaks the Wudhu. The word ‘lamastum’ has been interpreted as having two meanings – either ‘Touching’ or ‘being intimate’. Thus the Ayah has a Dhanni Dalalah, i.e. it could mean touching women breaks the Wudhu, or sexual intercourse with a woman breaks the Wudhu.
• Example of Hadith Mutawatir with a Dhanniy (non-definite) meaning: It was reported that the Prophet* used to take off his Ihram in a specific manner. However, when the Sahabah (ra) told the Prophet* that they took it off in a manner different from the way he* took it off, the Prophet* approved of their actions. Though this incident is Mutawatir, the rules to take off one’s Ihram are many.
• Example of a Hadith Ahad with a Dhanniy (non-definite) meaning: It is reported from a non-Mutawatir Hadith that the Prophet fasted 6 days in Shawwal. The non-definite meanings of this Hadith are whether the six days of fasting are consecutive or fasting in which part of Shawwal (other than the day of Eid)?

So far we have discussed the Qata’i and Dhanni aspects of both Riwayah and Dalalah separately. However, the method to determine whether the Daleel (both in Riwayah and Dalalah) is Qata’i (conclusive) or Dhanni (non-definite) is the following:

1: Qata’i Riwayah [üü] + Qata’i Dalalah [üü] = Qata’i Daleel [üü]

2: Dhanni Riwayah [??] + Qata’i Dalalah [üü] = Dhanni Daleel [??]

3: Dhanni Riwayah [??] + Dhanni Dalalah [??] = Dhanni Daleel [??]

4: Qata’i Riwayah [üü] + Dhanni Dalalah [??] = Dhanni Daleel [??]

Aqeeda must be definite / without doubt but the Laws can be from either source

Any idea, thought, or concept related to the Aqeedah has to be based upon a Qata’i Daleel. As an example, the concept that Angels exists is based upon a Qata’i Daleel not Dhanni. Also, in Usul al-Fiqh, to establish a source for extracting rulings according to the strongest view, the source must base upon a Qata’i Daleel as well. As an example, to consider Ijma as-Sahabah (consensus of the Companions) as a source of rulings, the Daleel to prove the authority of Ijma as-Sahabah has to be Qata’i both in Riwayah and Dalalah, though a ruling can be derived from either Qata’i or Dhanni Daleel.

Why is understanding the text of Qur’an and Sunnah so complicated?

By examining the text of Qur’an and Sunnah one can see that it is limited in its volume. With its limited text one can generate rulings to any problems affecting us anywhere and anytime until the Day of Judgment. It is a miracle from Allah that the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah have the ability to express numerous rulings from a single Ayah and Hadith; whereas, the ability to understand many meanings from a single text cannot be found in any other legal text in the world!

The challenge is for Muslims in each generation to try to understand the text and relate it to their lives since the Qur’an and Sunnah are relevant to all times and places.

Besides the point mentioned above, we have to realise that there are rules and guidelines related to understanding and deriving laws from the Qur’an and Sunnah. No one, without being acquainted with these rules (Arabic language, rules which differentiate one type of text from another, etc.) can understand the text of Qur’an and Sunnah. Even to understand man-made constitutions, one has to spend a few years studying and understanding the text. So, how can we expect an individual who is unfamiliar with the Usul al-Fiqh to open up the Qur’an and Sunnah and start extracting laws from it?

Shariah:

Why can't Muslims use their mind to make up their laws?

Why should Muslims follow something 1400 years old?

How can Muslims face today's challenges with an ancient book?

We had a short discussion focusing on aspects of Shariah and what laws do we live our lives by. Essentially, we've been exploring over the last few weeks how Muslims should think deeply about their purpose in life and to think deeply about the universe around them.  This process of active interaction and contemplation should necessarily lead to the only sensible conclusion that there is one unique Creator (who we call Allah) and they should give our life some purpose.  We, therefore, need to find out how best to conduct ourselves and live our life.  This includes practical things like how we should pray to our Creator - if indeed we should pray at all.  Why can't we pray kneeling down and putting her hands together in front of our faces or come up with some other way of praying?  Surely we can use our mind and intellect to come up with the best way to do these things as we know our reality better than anybody else?  Furthermore, if we have insisted on using our mind and intellect to come to the conclusion that Allah exists - surely we can use the same process to work out how we should live! This is the premise behind philosophies like democracy - where mankind can decide what is best.

The criticism that his charged towards the Muslims is why we insist on following something which is over 1400 years old - and, because of its age, is bound to be outdated and not relevant to the 21st-century.  Linked to this is the accusation that Muslims are not equipped to deal with the challenges in modern society based on this ancient text.  So how do we respond to these accusations and are they true?  How can we, in ourselves, justify living by rules and regulations that are over a thousand years old?  And a further short discussion explored some of these questions that may occur in the playground or the workplace.  These themes will be explored in greater detail in the following weeks, InshaAllah. 

Homework from 08 July 2012:

• Seerah: The Prophet* threw some dirt / dust at the enemies during the battle of Hunain. What did this do to the enemy and how did it make them feel?
• Shariah - Whilst talking about the need for Laws we wanted to know what things/needs are essential for human survival (without which man[kind] would die) and what instinct does man[kind] have?

17 June 2012

Welcome back after a couple of weeks break…

Seerah of Muhammed*
*: May the peace blessings and Mercy of Allah be upon him
TMQ: Translation to the nearest meaning of the Qur’an
 
Abu Sufyan's conversation with Hind
Having given orders that Hubal, the largest of the fallen idols, should be broken to pieces and that all of them should be burned, the Prophet* had it proclaimed throughout the city that everyone who had an idol in his house must destroy it. The Messenger of Allah* stayed in Mecca for 19 days. During that period he used to define the way to Islam, guide people to the orthodox path. He ordered Abu Usaid Al-Khuza'i to restore the pillars of the Holy Sanctuary, sent missions to all quarters inviting them to adopt Islam and break down the graven images still lying in the vicinity of Mecca, and he did have all of them scrapped, inculcating in the believers' ears his words: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Hereafter is supposed to scrap out the idols that should happen to be in his house."
Abu Sufyan was still only a new Muslim and, as a senior leader of the Quraish who had spent the last twenty years opposing the Prophet*, found his new predicament strange – overturning his world view. When he saw the strength of the Muslims and their devotion to Allah, as they went around the Kaaba, he was impressed. Then he returned home to his wife Hind and asked her if this was really from Allah. Hind, who was a bitter enemy of Islam just days prior had now smashed the idols in her house and was becoming reconciled to Islam. She reassured Abu Sufyan that this was truly was a sign from Allah and that the Prophet* was true. The next day Abu Sufyan met the Prophet* who informed Abu Sufyan of the private conversation he had with his wife. Abu Sufyan immediately knew that no-one could over-hear their intimate conversation and again testified that the Prophet* was indeed a Messenger of Allah.

Khalid bin Walid and his mistake with the people of Bani Jazimah
During the Age of Ignorance the tribe of Bani Jazimah had killed Khalid's uncle and Abdur Rahman's father while they were returning from Yemen and had plundered their property, and Khalid nursed a grudge against them on this account. When he came face to face with the people of Bani Jazimah, he found all of them armed and ready to defend themselves. The commander of the battalion then said aloud: "Lay down your arms on the ground, because the period of idol-worship is over and Mecca has fallen, and all the people have surrendered before the army of Islam". The chief of the tribe expressed the opinion to his men that they should hand over their arms and surrender before the army of Islam. One person out of them was intelligent enough to realize that the intentions of the commander of the army were not good. Addressing the chiefs of the tribe, therefore, he said: "The result of surrendering will be captivity and thereafter death". Eventually the opinion of the chiefs was acted upon and the arms were made over to the soldiers of Islam.

Khalid bin Al-Walid at the head of 350 horsemen of Helpers, Emigrants and Bani Saleem was despatched once again in the same year 8 A.H. to the habitation of Bani Khuzaimah bedouins to invite them to the fold of Islam. He was instructed to carry out his mission with peace and goodwill. There, the people were not articulate enough to communicate their intentions, so Khalid ordered his men to kill them and take the others as captives. He even had in mind to kill the captives but some of the Companions were opposed to his plan. Abdullah ibn Umer tells of this story: “The Prophet sent Khalid bin Al-Walid to the tribe of Jadhima and Khalid invited them to Islam but they could not express themselves by saying, "Aslamna (i.e. we have embraced Islam)," but they started saying "Saba'na! Saba'na (i.e. we have come out of one religion to another)." Khalid kept on killing (some of) them and taking (some of) them as captives and gave every one of us his Captive. When there came the day then Khalid ordered that each man (i.e. Muslim soldier) should kill his captive, I said, "By Allah, I will not kill my captive, and none of my companions will kill his captive." When we reached the Prophet, we mentioned to him the whole story. On that, the Prophet raised both his hands and said twice, "O Allah! I am free from what Khalid has done."” ‘Saba'na’ was a derogatory term that the Quraish used to call the Muslims – as they would not say ‘Muslims’ or ‘Islam’ but call the people who left their religion (to follow Muhammed*) as ‘Suba’a’. This is not too dissimilar to people calling Muslims today as bad terms like ‘terrorist’ or ‘extremist’! The unfortunate thing was that the people of the tribe of Jadhima only ever heard these words and so believed that all Muslims were called this. Khalid did not know this and was therefore acting in good faith but wrongly. Ibn Umer knew this and refused to obey the leader (Amir) on killing the captives – even though this was a serious matter to disobey the rightful leaders of the Muslims. Hence, we learn that Muslim loyalty is to the Qur’an and Sunnah and we should not obey leaders if they tell us to do Haram.
News of bloodshed reached the Prophet*. He was deeply grieved and raised his hands towards the heaven, uttering these words: "O Allah! I am innocent of what Khalid has done," twice. He immediately sent 'Ali to make every possible reparation/compensation to the tribes who had been wronged. This money was from the Treasury (Bait ul-Maal) of the Islamic State and was not required to be paid back through the pocket of Khalid – as it was a mistake whilst on a mission ordered by the State/Prophet*. After a careful inquiry, 'Ali paid the bloodmoney to all those who suffered loss. Ali reckoned their losses so minutely that he paid the price of even a wooden vessel in which the dogs of the tribe drank water and which were broken during their encounter with Khalid. Then he called all the afflicted chiefs and asked them whether the entire war damages and the blood-money of the innocent victims had been fully paid and all of them replied in the affirmative. Thereafter, keeping in view the fact that they might possibly have sustained some loss of which they might not be aware, Ali gave them some money gratuitously and then returned to Mecca and submitted his report to the Prophet. The remaining portion was also distributed amongst the members of the tribe in order to alleviate their suffering.

Khalid bin Walid and the idol (al-Uzza)
Shortly after the great conquest, the Prophet* began to despatch platoons and errands aiming at eliminating the last symbols reminiscent of pre-Islamic practices. The nearest to Mecca of the three most eminent shrines of paganism was the temple of al-Uzza at Nakhlah. He sent Khalid bin Al-Walid in Ramadan 8 A.H. to a spot called Nakhlah where there was a goddess called Al-'Uzza venerated by Quraish and Kinanah tribes. It had custodians from Bani Shaiban. Khalid, at the head of thirty horsemen arrived at the spot. At the news of his approach the warden of the temple hung his sword on the statue of the goddess and called upon her to defend herself and slay Khalid or to become a monotheist. Khalid demolished the temple and its idol, and returned to Mecca. On his return, the Prophet* asked him if he had seen anything there, to which Khalid gave a negative answer. Here, he was told that it had not been destroyed and he had to go there again and fulfill the task. So Khalid went again to Nakhlah, and out of the ruins of the temple there came a black woman, entirely naked, with long and wildly flowing hair. "My spine was seized with shivering," said Khalid afterwards. But he shouted "'Uzza, denial is for thee, not worship," and drawing his sword he cut her down. On his return he said to the Prophet*: "Praise be to God who hath saved us from perishing! I was wont to see my father set out for al-Uzza with an offering of a hundred camels and sheep. He would sacrifice them to her and stay three days at her shrine, and return unto us rejoicing at what he had accomplished!" He returned and narrated the story to the Prophet*, who then confirmed the fulfillment of the task.

Fiqh Topic (part 5):
Introduction to Daleel / Evidence

Continuing our introduction to various topics and terminology related to Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence), we talk about Daleel or Evidence / Proof (which is also linked to the Main Topic on Believing in Allah).

Daleel - what is Proof and Evidence
•    Linguistically, Daleel means a proof, indication, or evidence.
•    As an Islamic (Shariah) term, Daleel means the source or evidence for a thought, concept, or a ruling.
Any law or ruling must have a Daleel, which can be from Qur’an, Sunnah, or a source, which Qur’an and Sunnah directed us to adopt. Any ruling from the text of either the Qur’an or Sunnah is considered a Daleel.
We pray and fast not in a way we like or chose – but how we are told to – from Qur’an and Sunnah. We don’t pray kneeling with hands joined together like Christians pray but follow a specific ritual – which comes from how the Prophet* prayed. We take our ‘evidence’ (Daleel) of prayer from the Prophet*. The same with fasting in Ramadhan. All actions must have a source in Qur’an and Sunnah (and Ijma-as-Sahaba or Qiyas – to be discussed in future weeks InshaAllah).
Hence, it is important to know about the sources and how good these sources are. How reliable are the sources and how reliable are the laws we take from them. When we review sources scholars have said that there are 2 parts to the source (like there are 2 parts to Hadith = Sanad [chain of narrators] and Mutn [text]).

Structure of Daleel
As mentioned earlier, a Daleel is an evidence for an opinion, concept, ruling, or a thought from Islam. There are two aspects related to any Daleel:
•    Thaboot (source) or Riwayah (reportage), and
•    Dalalah (meaning).
The Riwayah covers issues related to how the information was relayed to us, which includes the number and the integrity of its reporters.
The Dalalah is related to the meaning of the text in the Daleel.
There are also two terms used in connection with Riwayah and Dalalah; Qata’i and Dhanni which we’ll talk about in more detail next time, i/A:
Qata’i is defined as being conclusive or decisive, while Dhanni is the opposite of Qata’i and means non-definite, speculative or indecisive.

Main Topic: Belief (part 5)
We reviewed what we had covered last week in the Aqeeda / Belief section, including:

• Belief in Allah is not a superstition nor a mythology, but is a definite fact that is established upon the use of the mind and is felt within every person
• The limited nature of the Universe and that there is nothing in reality which is unlimited (apart from Allah)
• There needs to be a first cause (Creator) upon which everything depends and itself being independent
• We cannot confine Allah to our limited understanding of the universe and its laws as Allah is beyond this and not subject to these laws as He created them. So many questions (can’t lift a stone) do not make sense
• This “Creator” (that we call Allah), is either:

1. created by someone else,
2. creator of himself, or
3. azali (eternal - limitless) whose existence is indispensable (wajib ul-wujood).

• The Islamic Belief (Aqeeda) and subsequently the Islamic way of life has an intellectual basis – based on thinking and the mind
• Muslims should have a belief in Allah that is beyond superstition and ‘leap of faith’
• We discussed evidence and Proof and why rational thinking is superior to scientific thinking
• Doing good deeds with 'leap of faith' in Allah doesn’t necessarily mean actions will be less rewarded by Allah
• Theory of Divine Knowledge or Divine Design behind existence, with brief examples:

1. Think about The story the boat
2. The knock on the door
3. The pile of stones on the beach
4. Footprints and the sky and mountains

3 Fundamental Questions about Life
There are 3 really basic questions that ALL humans ask. These are similar to what a person would ask if he woke up in a strange room:
•    Where am I?
•    How did I get here?
•    How do I get out of here?
These are similar to the 3 Fundamental Questions about Life:
•    Why am I here (alive)?
•    Where did I come from?
•    What happens when I die (as we all certainly die)?
Islam has answered these questions and they relate to this topic about belief. However, we’ll come back to this at the end…

Time Travel, TARDIS and Dr Who
Most people are familiar with the popular children's television show called Doctor Who. This is about an alien (Time Lord) who looks like a human being and travels throughout the universe in a special time travelling machine which also distorts the dimensions of space.  This machine is known as the T.A.R.D.I.S. (TARDIS = Time and Relative Dimension in Space).  This program introduces children (and adults - who is your favourite Doctor Who?!) to many ideas and concepts which include, for the purposes of our discussion, the ability to travel through time and outside of space. 
For example, we are informed in authentic narrations (hadith) and the Prophet* travelled from Mecca to Al-Quds (Jerusalem) and then through and outside the universe to the seven heavens, and back all in the same night.  We're also told that the Prophet actually saw the punishment of people in Hellfire as well as hearing the footsteps of people in Paradise.  The question is how could he have witnessed these if the Day of Judgment has not happened -- and this is not to do with the Knowledge of Allah because these were witnessed events?  By thinking about the limited nature of the universe, and the limited nature of the things which make up the universe including the physical objects (stars and planets) and the dimensions of the universe (time and space) we can answer questions like 'What was there before Allah' and 'Where is Allah'?

'What was there before Allah’; 'Where is Allah'?
As we discussed previously and demonstrated through a rational approach, we live in a universe that is limited.  Necessarily, this universe was created and that Creator must be unlimited and not bound by the limits of this universe.  Therefore, Allah is not confined by the dimensions of time and space.  Hence, it would be wrong to suggest that 'Allah is everywhere' - which is a belief called pantheism - a common misconception amongst people who don't think about this deeply. This gives rise to concepts that Allah is everywhere and in everything (including trees and rocks and dirty places), and so some people would use this to justify worshipping these objects claiming that they are part of God or contain God.  By claiming that 'Allah is everywhere' we are in fact limiting His existence and defining it within the realms of our dimensions of space.
It would be better to consider that Allah is 'outside' our dimensions of space -- if we can try to get our heads around that.  The problem is with our language and as we do not have any words in the language to express how somebody could be outside/not bound by the concept or constraints of space.  Words like inside, outside, beyond, where, up, down are all relative and related to space - so how can we describe something which is beyond this!? But that is indeed what/where Allah is!
The same idea is related to the question about ' what was there before Allah?' - as the words before, during, after are all specifically related to time.  Whereas, Allah is beyond time as He created time and made it unidirectional in our universe.  Hence we cannot ask what was there before time as the question doesn't make sense as there is no 'before' when time was created.  Therefore, there is no time before the Big Bang or creation of the universe.  Hence, it is perfectly possible for Allah to be separate from time and space (acknowledging that separate is still related to space!).

'There is none like unto Him’
Therefore, by thinking of all of these things Muslims have a unique and pure perspective and understanding of Allah and Tawhid.  This looks at the true Glory and Majesty of our Creator.  Hence, the only appropriate ways in which we can try to describe Him are by the descriptions He gives if Himself and the comparisons He makes.  We don't have the words in our language to properly address this but Allah does mention in the Quran that 'there is none like unto Him'!  Simply put, that is the best description.

The Absurdity of the Atheist
We then revisited some elements of the design theory, but focusing on the concept of chance and probability.  There is an old saying which states that "an atheist must have stronger belief than a person who believes in God, because the atheist must have looked under every stone and every leaf for him to not believe in God!" but we find that the modern disbelievers put their entire trust in science all this idea of chance as being the source and creator of the universe, and life and human beings.  This is obviously a false situation if we are to analyse it rationally.  The creation of the universe by chance (although we have already said it cannot occur by itself) would be similar to believing that a whirlwind swept through the streets and through a garage that had lots of car parts on the floor.  After the whirlwind had left there would be a fully functioning perfectly formed car (Bugatti if you like) with its engine running ready to hit the road with no mess on the floor! Patently, nobody would believe this yet why do atheists think this is what happened with the universe -- even though we have said it cannot happen?
One of the reasons why it is quite possible that these people refuse to believe in an Almighty Creator is because if they did believe in one they would have to have some sort of relationship with the Creator.  This would involve finding out what He wants from us and what we have to do in return.  People would have to take responsibility for their beliefs and base any actions on these beliefs.  People are afraid of this and these responsibilities and so would prefer to avoid the obvious answer -- which is belief in an Almighty Creator.  Because, if you acknowledge an Almighty Creator that you will still need to answer the 3 Fundamental Questions about Life:
•    Why am I here (alive)?
•    Where did I come from?
•    What happens when I die (as we all will die)?
We shall talk about this more detail next week, inshaAllah.

Children's Feedback:
Why I like Ramadhan and preparing for Ramadhan
The Importance of Fathers

Homework:
Why was the Prophet upset with Usama bin Zaid in Mecca?
What can prove something for you? How do you know something is true? What is sufficient 'Evidence'