Civilizational ups and downs

The following verse of the Qur’an provides us with a lot of insight into a lot of things: وَتِلْكَ ٱلْأَيَّامُ نُدَاوِلُهَا بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ … these days [of varying conditions] I alternate among the people … (Q.3:140) In our times we find that some people claim that since many people want to immigrate to some countries,…

The Dajjal’s Allusion in the Qur’an: Hidden Mentions and Symbolic Parallels

Introduction The Qur’an, as the ultimate revelation and final guidance from Allah (ﷻ), conveys truths that transcend time and space, often through multi-layered expressions that reveal deeper meanings upon reflection. One of the most enigmatic figures discussed in the Prophetic traditions is the Dajjal i.e., the false messiah and great deceiver, who will appear before…

Gender determination Hadith (part 2)

There have been quite a few questions regarding this topic, and I thought to add a new post to address them in one place. The two Hadiths under question are as follows: The questions asked are as follows: According to many of the scholarly opinions I have read, they have used the hadiths in the…

Hellfire: Does It Exist Now? Qur’ānic Verses, Hadith, and Scholarly Insights

Among the authentic narrations of the Prophet ﷺ is the Hadith about Hellfire’s two “breaths”; one in summer and one in winter, which explains extreme heat and extreme cold on earth. Some critics raise objections to this narration, arguing that the Qur’ān mentions “when Hell is kindled” (Q.81:12), implying it does not yet exist. Others…

Navigating child marriages and culture

The following questions have been asked: Below are the answers: 1) Marrying someone off without her consent is not OK. In the past, there were even pre-birth marriages in most cultures. For example, two people may agree that their unborn son would marry the unborn daughter of the other. This action may be called ‘marriage’…

Understanding ‘odd’ narrations

This is a clarification piece on how to understand problematic Hadiths or narrations and especially when they are not followed or implemented by the Muslims. Hadith reports are often concise and to the point and do not indulge in extra complications as opposed to others, and keep the account crisp, to-the-point, and user-friendly. There are…

Layers: Deeper Reflections on the Qur’an

Assalaamu’alaykum, I am pleased to announce the launch of notes/commentary on the Qur’an in a book format and covers the first two Surahs and Surahs 51 to 114. It is a life-time project and the introduction section below the image has the idea behind it. If it helps someone in any way, that would be…

The sleepers of the cave

Muhammad b. Ishaq mentioned the reason why the chapter 18, Surah al-Kahf, was revealed: The Quraysh sent two men to the Jewish rabbis in Madinah and told them: ‘Ask them (the rabbis) about Muhammad, and describe him to them, and tell them what he is saying. They are the people of the first Book, and…

Islamic identity of Rûm (Rome) and Romans II

This piece is written to cover the misconceptions of the Roman from Finland – see here and should be read in conjunction with this. The Roman from Finland extensively used the work of Koray Durak to make his claim that the ‘Romans’ according to Islam were simply the Byzantines who collapsed and hence, Romans do…

True Prophecies of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ)

It is alleged that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) made some false prophecies and two are discussed here. Before we look at those two prophecies, this snide remark is interesting: There are hundreds of prophecies attributed to Muhammad in the hadith literature, but I want to focus on the two I think are the best case for…

Islamic Stance on Astrology and its related ‘Sciences’

Astrology is made out to be a science by those who practice it while others consider it a form of entertainment. Here we look at the Islamic position on various forms of astrology. The whole position is summarized in the following two Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ): مَنْ أَتَى عَرَّافًا فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ شَىْءٍ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ…

Did Jesus die according to the Qur’an?

Ever since Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani has claimed to be a prophet, the personality of Eisa (عليه السلام) has become more and more controversial. Among the many claims of his, one was that he was also Eisa (عليه السلام) and since then up till now strange theories have continued to emerge about him. One such…

Mahdi: The Promised Caliph

Assalaamu’alaykum, It gives me great pleasure to announce that my first hard-cover book has been published. It can be ordered from here: http://amzn.to/2ovE1US (Amazon US), http://amzn.to/2Cp6u79 (Amazon UK). Also available on Kindle. The table of contents can be seen below:

Was Haman an Egyptian or a Persian?

Haman is portrayed as a close aide of the Pharaoh in the Qur’an. Below are the relevant verses: ونمكن لهم في الارض ونري فرعون وهامان وجنودهما منهم ماكانوا يحذرون And establish them in the land and show Pharaoh and [his minister] Haman and their soldiers through them that which they had feared. [Q.28:6] فَالْتَقَطَهُ ءَالُ…

Islamic identity of Rûm (Rome) and Romans

Some Hadiths of the Prophet (ﷺ) mention that the Muslims will make peace with the Romans and jointly fight another common enemy of both. Such Hadiths have never raised any controversy in the past but some mischief makers today misuse them and change the true identity of Romans. Let us take a look at the…

Does Islam allow marriage with prepubescent girls?

It is claimed that Qur’an in 65:4 allows prepubescent girls to be married off: وَاللاَّئِى يَئِسْنَ مِنَ الْمَحِيضِ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ إِنِ ارْتَبْتُمْ فَعِدَّتُهُنَّ ثَلَـثَةُ أَشْهُرٍ وَاللَّـتِي لَمْ يَحِضْنَ وَأُوْلَـتُ الاٌّحْمَالِ أَجَلُهُنَّ أَن يَضَعْنَ حَمْلَهُنَّ وَمَن يَتَّقِ اللَّهَ يَجْعَل لَّهُ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ يُسْراً And those who no longer expect menstruation among your women – if you…

Are Hadiths Anti-Semitic? There is a Jew hiding behind me; so kill him!

Some people claim that the following Hadith is anti-Semitic: تُقَاتِلُونَ الْيَهُودَ حَتَّى يَخْتَبِيَ أَحَدُهُمْ وَرَاءَ الْحَجَرِ فَيَقُولُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ هَذَا يَهُودِيٌّ وَرَائِي فَاقْتُلْهُ You will fight with the Jews until some of them will hide behind stones. The stones will (betray them) saying, ‘O `Abdullah (i.e. slave of Allah)! There is a Jew hiding…

Islamic stance on evolution

How do we reconcile evidences for evolution with Islamic texts? Before I state the theory (or theories), let me state that it is meant to be a discussion on the different possibilities without concluding decisively on one as a fact. Furthermore, it is meant to be a possibility that does not contradict both Islam and…

Black slaves of the white Prophet?

In order to portray the Prophet (ﷺ) as a racist, special emphasis has been laid on the contrast between colours where he is shown as a very whitish white man as compared to the dark slaves he owned. Firstly, his (ﷺ)’s colour was not what we consider today as white i.e. of European origin. That…