|
PART 1
1- No soul will be credited from the deeds of another
The Quran says:
God asserts the fact that no soul will be accountable to the sins of another, and
equally that no soul will be credited from the deeds of another. In other words,
each
soul will
be held accoutable only to what it has done.
"Every soul is responsible only for his/her own work" 53:39
".............no soul benefits except from its own work....." 6:164
Hadith attributed to the prophet:
In spite of these firm assurances from God, there are hadith that quote the prophet
declaring that
one can observe Hajj on behalf of others (whether they are dead or alive)! and that
one can give Zakat on
behalf of them and also fast on behalf of them! In other words, these hadith cancel
all the content
of 53:39 and 6:164 and declares that despite what these Quranic
ayat say that one can still benefit and be credited on
Judgement Day from the work of
another!
______________
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 26,
Number 589:
Narrated
'Abdullah bin
Abbas:
"Al-Fadl (his
brother) was
riding behind
Allah's
Apostle and a
woman from
the tribe of
Khath'am
came and Al-Fadl started
looking at her
and she
started
looking at
him. The
Prophet
turned Al-Fadl's face to
the other side.
The woman
said, "O
Allah's
Apostle! The
obligation of
Hajj enjoined
by Allah on
His devotees
has become
due on my
father and he
is old and
weak, and he
cannot sit firm
on the Mount;
may I perform
Hajj on his
behalf?" The
Prophet
replied, "Yes,
you may."
That
happened
during the
Hajj-al-Wadaa (of the
Prophet )."
The obvious
question here
is: would the
prophet of
God teach
what is in
violation of
the message
of the Quran?
would God tell
us a truth in
the Quran and
the prophet
says the
opposite?
2- God is the
Only Judge
The Quran
says:
As early as
the very first
Sura of the
Quran (The
Key/Opener)
we are told of
some rights
that are
exclusive to
God alone.
One of these
is God right of
being The
Sole judge on
the Day of
Judgement.
"Master of
the Day of
Judgement"
1:4
also,
"All
sovereignty
on that day (of
Judgement)
belongs to
God
alone…."
22:56
"That is the
day when no
soul can help
another soul,
and all
decisions on
that day, will
belong to God
alone" 82:19
Hadith
attributed to
the prophet:
In this
following
ridiculous
hadith, not
only do we
read that the
angels take
charge of
judging a man
after his
death, but that
the angels
quarrel
between
themselves as
to his fate!!!!
Volume 4,
Book 56,
Number 676:
Narrated Abu
Said Al-Khudri:
"The Prophet
said,
"Amongst the
men of Bani
Israel there
was a man
who had
murdered
ninety-nine
persons. Then
he set out
asking
(whether his
repentance
could be
accepted or
not). He came
upon a monk
and asked him
if his
repentance
could be
accepted. The
monk replied
in the
negative and
so the man
killed him. He
kept on
asking till a
man advised
to go to such
and such
village. (So he
left for it) but
death
overtook him
on the way.
While dying,
he turned his
chest towards
that village
(where he had
hoped his
repentance
would be
accepted), and
so the angels
of mercy and
the angels of
punishment
quarrelled
amongst
themselves
regarding him.
Allah ordered
the village
(towards
which he was
going) to
come closer to
him, and
ordered the
village
(whence he
had come), to
go far away,
and then He
ordered the
angels to
measure the
distances
between his
body and the
two villages.
So he was
found to be
one span
closer to the
village (he
was going to).
So he was
forgiven."
First, this
hadith
contradicts
the fact that
God is the
only Judge,
for in this
incident the
angels judge
this man and
quarrel
amongst
themselves
while doing
so! Also note
how this
hadith ends by
saying that
the fate of the
man was
eventually
decided by
means of the
most
ridiculous
method (the
distance of his
dead body in
relation to two
villages),
something
that has
nothing to do
with whether
he was a good
believer or
not nor by
whether he
led a
righteous life
or not! If we
believe what
this hadith is
telling us,
then in fact we
have to
wander what
do ones deeds
really matter
if at the end of
the day the
fate of
someone can
be decided by
none more
than the
proximity of
his dead body
to two
villages!!!
It is true that
God's Mercy
is infinite, and
that He may
forgive
whoever He
pleases, but
surely God
will also judge
this man who
committed
murder in
accordance to
his belief and
righteousness
and not by
moving two
villages then
measuring the
distance
between the
dead body and
each of the
villages!! This
whole
fabricated
fairy tale
smells too
much of a
naive
medieval
mentality and
is a gross
insult to God
being the Best
Judge.
Furthermore,
we are told in
82:19 that
judgement
comes on
Judgement
Day, that is
why it is
called
Judgement
Day!
However, this
hadith
contradicts
this Quranic
truth by
stating that
the angels
gave this man
his judgement
upon dying!
3- God is the
Only Law
Giver
The Quran
says:
The Quran
tells us that
God is the
ONLY Law
Giver:
"Shall I seek
other than
God as a
source of
Law......"
6:114
We are also
told that the
only duty of
any
messenger is
to deliver
God's
message.
"The soul
duty of the
messenger is
to deliver the
message"
5:99
In
confirmation
of this clear
message we
find that on
one occasion
when the
prophet
actually
prohibited
something
that God has
made lawful,
God
reprimanded
him for doing
so:
"O you
prophet, why
do you
prohibit what
God has made
lawful to you,
just to please
your wives?"
66:1
Hadith
attributed to
the prophet:
In spite of all
these firm
assurances
that God is
the ONLY law
Giver, we find
many hadith
which claim
that the
prophet
prohibited one
item or
another (e.g.
gold and silk
which God
made lawful,
but are
prohibited for
men in the
hadith!!!)
In both
Bukhari and
Muslim we
read that the
prophet is
claimed to
have
prohibited silk
and said:
"Do not wear
silk, for those
who wear it in
this life shall
not wear it in
the
Hereafter."
The amazing
thing is that in
another hadith
we find a total
contradiction
to the hadith
prohibiting
silk:
"The halal is
that which
Allah has
made lawful in
His Book and
haram is that
which He has
forbidden, and
that
concerning
which He is
silent He has
permitted as a
favour to
you."
Reported in
Al-Hakim,
classified as
sahih (sound),
and quoted by
al-Bazzar,
(Tirmidhi, Ibn
Majah).
(The Lawful
and Prohibited
in Islam (arb:
Al halal wal
haram fil
Islam) by.
Yusuf Al
Qaradawi).
If we follow
the logic of
the above
hadith we
should
recognise that
since silk is
not prohibited
in the Quran
then it is
lawful for men
to wear, so
why is the
prophet
prohibiting
men from
wearing it?
The answer is
simple, the
prophet never
prohibited silk
(nor anything
not prohibited
by God). The
only time that
the prophet
made an error
and prohibited
something
which was not
prohibited by
God he was
reprimanded
by God for
doing so (see
66:1).
4- Contact
Prayers
(Salat)
Times of
Prayer
The Quran
says:
God asserts in
the Quran
that the
prescribed
Salat must be
observed at
specific times
only:
"................the
Contact
Prayers
(Salat) are
decreed for
the believers
at
SPECIFICtimes" 4:103
Hadith
attributed to
the prophet:
In spite of this
clear law of
God, we read
numerous
hadith that
makes it
permissible
for people to
observe the
salat after it's
prescribed
time has
passed. This
they call
(Salat Qada).
As a result of
this un-Quranic
concession,
the devil has
tricked
millions into
ignoring 4:103
altogether and
unlawfully
observe all
their missed
prayers
collectively at
night when
they would not
be leaving any
work or
leisure to
commemorate
God!
By doing so
they miss the
prime issue
related to
observing
Salat at
specific times,
the reader is
invited to read
the following
Quranic
words:
"People who
are not
distracted by
business or
trade from
commemorating God; they
observe the
Contact
Prayers
(Salat), and
give the
obligatory
charity
(Zakat), and
they are
conscious of
the day when
the minds and
the eyes will
be horrified."
24:37
These words
outline clearly
why we must
observe the
salat at
specific times
and not let
any business,
trade, or
leisure
distract us
from doing so.
Obviously if
we were to
ignore the
specific times
set by God
when we are
busy at our
work or
leisure then
we would have
totally ignored
the command
in 24:37
Nevertheless,
there will
always be a
corrupt hadith
that will
totally violate
a specific
Quranic
command, and
with regards
to the
command in
4:103, we find
a number of
fabricated
hadith that
falsely say
that the
prophet
observed
prayers
outside their
prescribed
times.
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 20,
Number 212:
Narrated
Anas bin
Malik:
"Whenever
the Prophet
started a
journey
before noon,
he used to
delay the Zuhr
prayer till the
time of 'Asr
and then offer
them
together; and
if the sun
declined (at
noon) he used
to offer the
Zuhr prayer
and then ride
(for the
journey)."
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 26,
Number 733:
Narrated Ibn
'Umar:
"The Prophet
offered the
Maghrib and
'Isha' prayers
together at
Jam' (i.e. Al-Muzdalifa)
with a
separate
Iqama for
each of them
and did not
offer any
optional
prayer in
between them
or after each
of them."
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 26,
Number 734:
Narrated Abu
Aiyub Al-Ansari:
"Allah's
Apostle
offered the
Maghrib and
'Isha' prayers
together at
Al-Muzdalifa."
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 26,
Number 742:
Narrated
Abdullah:
"I never saw
the Prophet
offering any
prayer not at
its stated time
except two; he
prayed the
Maghrib and
the 'Isha'
together and
he offered the
morning
prayer before
its usual
time".
Is it possible
that the
prophet
changed the
law of God in
4:103 and
observed
prayers
outside their
times?
5- Contact
Prayers
(Salat)
Shortening
the Prayers
The Quran
says:
"When you
travel during
war, you
commit no
error by
shortening
your Contact
Prayers
(Salat), if you
fear that the
disbelievers
may attack
you." 4:101
It is clear
from this
verse that the
only
concession
granted by
God for the
believers to
shorten their
Salat is during
war when they
fear for their
lives. Then in
the verse that
follows
(4:101) God
outlines very
careful
instructions as
to how the
believers
should pray in
groups, so
that others
may stand
guard.
In all the
Quran there
are no
concessions to
shorten the
Salat for any
other reason.
Hadith
attributed to
the prophet:
Sadly
Muslims
today shorten
their prayers
whenever
they travel,
even if
travelling in
the comfort of
air-conditioned
trains or
planes!
This they do
because they
have
disregarded
God's Law of
the Quran and
believed
corrupted
'hadith' that
claim that the
prophet
shortened his
prayers
whenever he
travelled!
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 20,
Number 186:
Narrated Ibn
Abbas:
"The Prophet
once stayed
for nineteen
days and
prayed
shortened
prayers. So
when we
travelled (and
stayed) for
nineteen days,
we used to
shorten the
prayer but if
we travelled
(and stayed)
for a longer
period we
used to offer
the full
prayer."
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 26,
Number 773:
Narrated
Anas bin
Malik:
"The Prophet
offered four
Rakat of Zuhr
prayer at
Medina and
two Rakat of
'Asr prayer at
Dhul-Hulaifa.
Narrated
Aiyub: "A
man said:
Anas said,
"Then he (the
Prophet)
passed the
night there till
dawn and then
he offered the
morning (Fajr)
prayer."
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 20,
Number 187:
Narrated
Yahya bin
Ishaq:
"I heard Anas
saying, "We
travelled with
the Prophet
from Medina
to Mecca and
offered two
Rakat (for
every prayer)
till we
returned to
Medina." I
said, "Did you
stay for a
while in
Mecca?" He
replied, "We
stayed in
Mecca for ten
days."
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 20,
Number 188:
Narrated
'Abdullah bin
'Umar:
"I offered the
prayer with
the Prophet,
Abu Bakr and
Umar at Mina
and it was of
two Rakat.
Uthman in the
early days of
his caliphate
did the same,
but later on he
started
praying the
full prayer."
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 20,
Number 189:
It is totally
absurd to find
that the hadith
claims that
the shortening
of the Salat
took place
during Hajj,
when all those
at Hajj have
all day long to
do nothing
except
worship God,
yet they still
manage to
find an excuse
to shorten
their Salat!
The ironic
thing is that
after they
shorten the
Salat that is
decreed by
God, they
have nothing
to do so they
start to
perform
countless
Raka's that
were not
sanctioned by
God and
which they
call 'Sunna'!
In the
following
'hadith' we
are told that
the prophet
shortened his
afternoon
Salat (Asr)
even before
he started his
Hajj:
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 26,
Number 773:
Narrated
Anas bin
Malik:
"The Prophet
offered four
Rakat of Zuhr
(Midday)
prayer at
Medina and
two Rakat of
'Asr
(Afternoon)
prayer at
Dhul-Hulaifa.
Narrated
Aiyub: "A
man said:
Anas said,
"Then he (the
Prophet)
passed the
night there till
dawn and then
he offered the
morning (Fajr)
prayer, and
mounted his
Mount and
when it
arrived at Al-Baida' he
assumed
Ihram for both
'Umra and
Hajj."
6- Contact
Prayers
(Salat)
Prohibiting
prayer at
certain
times!!!
The Quran
decrees three
salat per day
and they are
given the
names : Fajr
(dawn), Wusta
(middle) and
the Esha
(night). These
three salat
are prescribed
specific times.
The only time
the believer is
prohibited
from prayer is
if he/she is
intoxicated.
There are no
time related
prohibitions in
the Quran
regarding
salat. Salat is
the contact of
the believer to
God Almighty,
God would
never prohibit
any believer
from contact.
God is not an
employer who
can only be
contacted
during office
hours!
Hadith
attributed to
the prophet:
Volume 2,
Book 26,
Number 695:
Narrated
Abdullah:
"I heard the
Prophet
forbidding the
offering of
prayers at the
time of
sunrise and
sunset."
7- Hajj
(Pilgrimage)
The imposed
Hajj garments
The Quran
says:
When we
contemplate
the wisdom of
the Quran, we
clearly realise
that on no
occasion is a
dress code a
requirement
of any ritual
or form of
worship.
Instead God
Almighty
stresses the
fact that He
will judge
people by
what is in the
heart and not
by their
appearance:
"Only those
who came to
God with a
pure heart
(will be
saved)."
26:89
It must also
be added that
God invites us
to look at our
best whenever
we go to any
Masjid:
"O children of
Adam take
'Zeenatakom'
(your
adornments)
to EVERY
Masjid, and
eat and drink
moderately.
Surely God
does not like
the gluttons"
7:32
But since the
Masjid Al-Haram
(Kab'ah) is
not exempted
from this clear
merciful
instruction
from God, we
can be sure
that God
would like to
see us
dressed well
when we visit
the Kab'ah.
The state of
'Ihram'
(abstention)
during Hajj is
clearly
defined in the
Quran. It does
not include
abstaining
from wearing
nice clothes,
there is no
authorisation
anywhere in
the Quran for
a special hajj
garment.
Hadith
attributed to
the prophet:
One of the
traditions of
Hajj that has
no Quranic
authorisation
but can only
find reference
in the hadith
is the men's
hajj garment.
According to
hadith men
should only
wear
seamless
fabric (like
towels)
around their
bodies, with
one of the
shoulders
exposed.
Furthermore
it is stressed
that nothing
made of metal
shall be worn
to the extent
that even a
safety pin to
tie the towels
together is not
permissible!
It is obvious
that these
rules do not
come from the
Quran, on the
contrary they
contradict the
law of God
which invites
men and
women to
take their
adornments to
every masjid,
including the
Masjid Al-Haram.
Bukhari,
Volume 2,
Book 26,
Number 615:
Narrated
'Abdullah bin
'Umar:
A man asked,
"O Allah's
messenger!
What kind of
clothes should
a Muhrim
wear?"
Allah's
messenger
replied, "He
should not
wear a shirt, a
turban,
trousers, a
headcloak or
leather socks
except if he
can find no
slippers, he
then may
wear leather
socks after
cutting off
what might
cover the
ankles. And
he should not
wear clothes
which are
scented with
saffron or
Wars (kinds
of Perfumes)"
Editor's note:
When we stop
and ponder
one more time
at the
meaning
behind 7:32,
we note that
God
deliberately
used the word
'Zeenatakom'
(your
adornments).
The word
'Zeena'
literally
means
adornments or
anything worn
to make
oneself
beautiful.
Since the
verse said
"every
masjid" and
no exception
in the Quran
has been
made to this
totality, then
it must be
understood
that this
includes the
'Masjid Al-Haraam' as
well. If God
wished to
exclude the
'Masjid Al-Haraam' from
this command
He would
have surely
done so. What
this really
means is that
God wants us
to dress in
nice clothes
and adorn
ourselves with
beautiful
things, as long
as we are not
too flashy, so
as to treat the
visit to the
masjid as a
happy and
festive
occasion.
What would
be more
beautiful than
people going
to Hajj
dressed
nicely, feeling
happy and
looking
forward to
being close to
God, instead
of going to
commemorate
God in a
highly
stressed
morbid state
and looking
like beggars
in rags!!!
I have often
contemplated
the happy
mood and nice
appearance of
Christians
when they go
to Christmas
Mass. In a
way I have
always envied
them and
thought at
least they got
that aspect of
worship right.
Commemorating and
glorifying our
Creator
should always
be a happy
occasion, not
a stressful or
morbid
experience!! I
suppose this
behaviour
stems from
the nature
(Arabs in
particular) of
dramatising
everything,
and in
indulging in
morbid states
of self denial,
thinking that
the
exaggerated
gloom adds an
air of sincerity
to our
actions!!!
Again this is
far from the
truth. The
credibility of
any action or
its sincerity
lies only in the
heart.
The classic
excuse given
by the
Muslims for
wearing the
Hajj costume
is their claim
that it equates
the rich with
the poor.
They add that
the poor will
not feel
uncomfortable
or
embarrassed
by their dress
since all look
alike. The
answer to that
is very simple.
The Friday
congregational prayer has
no dress code,
everyone
wears what
they like, yet
no one feels
uncomfortable
or
embarrassed
by what they
wear. It is not
a problem
simply
because the
general mood
of the people
in the masjid
is one of
worship, no
one is
interested in
what others
are wearing!
If the mood in
the Hajj is
even much
more of an
adoration to
God Almighty,
it does not
make sense to
think that it
would be a
problem to
anyone.
Furthermore,
the poor
person would
be better off
going to Hajj
in whatever
clothes he's
already got.
This will save
him the
financial
burden and
the expense
of going out
and buying
the Hajj
costume
(towels,
special
sandals and
leather belt).
If 7:31
provides us
with the
Quranic
evidence that
the Hajj dress
code is not
Quranic, there
is also a
rational and
logical
confirmation
to reject the
dress code.
To explain
this logic it
must first be
stressed that
God will never
command the
believers to
perform a
certain
practice and
then make it
impossible for
them to
exercise it.
God decreed
for us to
perform Hajj
anytime
during the
four specified
months. Now,
if the present
dress code
was a genuine
requirement
for Hajj, and
due to the
corruption of
today's
Muslim in
restricting the
Hajj to a ten
day period, it
would be
impossible for
a genuine
believer to go
to such places
as Arafat and
Mena to
perform the
rites of Hajj
dressed in
towels
anytime
outside the
ten day
period. The
corrupt
authorities
would not
permit him to
do so, further
still he would
probably be
stoned by the
idol
worshippers!
However, and
if he is
dressed in
normal
clothes, he
would be
allowed in and
given access
to do a 'Omra'
and also be
permitted to
visit the holy
sites like
Arafat and
Mena in plain
clothes. In
actual fact he
would be
doing his Hajj.
God the Most
Merciful by
allowing the
believers to
wear normal
clothes during
Hajj has in
effect made it
possible for
them to follow
His law
anytime
during the
four months in
spite of the
idol
worshippers.
|