Questions On Islam

1 AHMADIYYA MOVEMENT IN ISLAM

Q-1. What is the meaning and significance of religion in our lives? Unlike the common concept, religion is not necessarily divine. It is a way of life, whether divine or human. Whatever way one adopts in his /her life can be termed as religion. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an: “And every one has a goal which dominates him” (2:149) “Say, ‘Everyone acts according to his own way’, and your Lord knows full well who is best guided.” (17:85)

To spend an organized and smooth life, we need a set of rules and regulations and certain principles. These rules help us to interact socially, economically, politically and emotionally with other fellow humans. Every city and town, small or big, needs a city council, every province and every country needs a parliament to run the affairs of that city, province and country. These legislative bodies work under a specific set of laws. All members of these legislative bodies as well as all citizens of that land are subject to these laws. International laws bring countries in a working relationship with each other. Similarly, we need a set of laws in spiritual field as well. In order to have a relationship with God, we need to know the ways and means through which we can communicate with God and earn His pleasure. As in secular field, parliaments make laws and enforce them through administration, in spiritual field God makes laws and sends them to us through His chosen Prophets. However, unlike worldly legislative and administrative bodies, these divine laws are not imposed upon us rather we are invited towards them. Every human being is free to either accept or reject these laws.

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[18:30] And say, 'It is the truth from your Lord; wherefore let him who will, believe, and let him, who will, disbelieve.

These divine laws are not limited to spiritual aspects of our lives but also guide us in secular fields as well. Words used in the Holy Quran for ‘religion’ are ‫ ملت۔‬،‫ صراط‬،‫ سبیل‬،‫دین‬

‫يقِيمٍ دِينًا ِقيَمًا مّ ّلةَ ِإبْرَاهِيمَي َحنِيفًا وَمَا كَانَي مِنَي‬ ‫قُلْ إِنّنِي هَدَانِي َربّييإِلَى صِصرَاطٍ مّس َْت‬6:162 َ‫شرِكِي‬ ْ ُ‫الْم‬ Say, ‘As for me, my Lord has guided me unto a straight path—a right religion, the religion of Abraham who was always inclined to the right path. And he was not of those who associate partners with God.’ (6:162)

َ‫قُلْ هَذِ هِ سَبِيلِي َأدْعُو إِلَى اللّ ِه عَلَى بَ صِيَةٍ َأنَاْ َومَ ِن اّتَبعَنِي وَ ُسبْحَانَ اللّ ِه وَمَا أَنَ ْا مِ ن‬12:109 َ‫شرِكِي‬ ْ ُ‫الْم‬ Say, ‘This is my way: I call unto Allah. I occupy a position of manifest knowledge, so do also those who follow me. And Holy is Allah; and I am not of those who associate partners with God. ٍ‫سَتقِيم‬ ْ ّ‫صرَاطٍ م‬ ِ ‫وَإِّنكَ لَتَ ْدعُوهُمْ إِلَى‬23:74 And most surely thou invite them to a right path. ‫ َوقَالَ ِإنّي ذَا ِهبٌ إِلَى َربّي سََي ْهدِي ِن‬37:100 And he said, ‘I am going to my Lord, Who will guide me.’

Q-2. What does the word 'Salat' mean in verses (17: 78 Al Isra) (2:238 Al Baqrah), (11:114 Hud), (62: 9, 10 Al Jumu'ah) (4:101 – 104 An-Nisa). Do they indicate the prayer and timings, as most Muslims understand it today? Word ‘SALAT’ has two roots,‫ و‬،‫ ل‬،‫ ص‬and ‫ ی‬،‫ ل‬،‫ص‬ It has following meanings:

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1. To pray 2. To roast on fire. In the above mentioned verses, the word ‘Salat’ means prayer and supplication, as understood by most Muslims today. This understanding of the Muslims and their practice of prayers is based upon the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (sa). This understanding has been conveyed to us through the continued and uninterrupted practice (Sunnah) of the Holy Prophet (sa), his companions and their followers for centuries. The Holy Prophet (sa) was taught the form, content and timings of Prayer by angel Gabriel which he later practiced himself and taught to his followers. However, we also find certain instructions about form (standing, bowing and prostrating) and timings of the Prayer in many verses (2:239; 17:79; 11:115; 20:131; 24:59) of the Holy Quran. The salat or prayer is the prototype of Islamic system. On the spiritual side it helps us to communicate with God and on the secular level it teaches us how should we run our system, i.e. we should have a leader and follow him in letter and spirit; we should frequently communicate with each other; we should remain clean all the time etc.

Prayer Timings: Observe Prayer at the declining and paling of the sun on to the darkness of the night and the recitation of the Qur’an in Prayer at dawn. Verily, the recitation of the Qur’an at dawn is especially acceptable to God. (Bani-Israel 17:79) And observe Prayer at the two ends of the day, and parts of the night close to the day. Surely virtues drive away evils. This is a reminder for those who would remember.(Hud 11:115)

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Bear patiently then what they say, and glorify thy Lord with His praise before the rising of the sun and before its setting; and glorify Him in the hours of the night and at sides of the day, that thou may find true happiness. (Ta Ha 20:131)

PREPERATION FOR PRAYER (5:7) O ye who believe! When you stand up for Prayer, wash your faces, and your hands up to the elbows, and pass your wet hands over your heads, and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you be unclean, purify yourselves by bathing. And if you are ill or you are on a journey while unclean, or one of you comes from the privy or you have touched women, and you find not water, betake yourselves to pure dust and wipe therewith your faces and your hands. Allah desires not that He should place you in difficulty, but He desires to purify you and to complete His favor upon you, so that you may be grateful. (24:59) O ye who believe! Let those whom your right hand possess, and those of you who have not attained to puberty, ask leave of you at three times before coming into your presence: before the morning Prayer, and when you take off your clothes at noon in summer, and after the night Prayer. (4:44) O ye who believe! Approach not Prayer while you are mentally dazed till you clearly know what you say, nor when you are clean, except when you are traveling along a way, until you have bathed. And if you are ill or you are on a journey while unclean, or if one of you comes from the privy or you have touched women and you find no water, then betake yourselves to pure dust and wipe therewith your faces and your hands. Surely, Allah is Most Indulgent, Most Forgiving.

CONGREGATIONS OF PRAYER (4:102-104) And when you journey in the land, it shall be no sin on you to shorten the Prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve may give you trouble. Verily, the disbelievers are an open enemy to you. And when thou art among them, and lead the Prayer for them, let a party of them stand with thee and let them take their arms. And when they have performed their prostrations, let them go to your rear, and let

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another party, who have not yet prayed, come forward and pray with thee; and let them take their means of defense and their arms. The disbelievers wish that you be neglectful of your arms and your baggage that they may fall upon you at once. And it shall be no sin on you, if you are in trouble on account of rain or if you are sick, that you lay aside your arms. But you should always take your means of defense. Surely, Allah has prepared a humiliating punishment for the disbelievers. And when you have finished the Prayer, remember Allah while standing, and sitting, and lying on your sides. And when you are secure from danger, then observe Prayer in the prescribed form; verily Prayer is enjoined on the believers to be performed at prescribed times. (62:10-11) O ye who believe! When the call is made for Prayer on Friday, hasten to the remembrance of Allah, and leave off all business. That is better for you, if you only know. And when the prayer is finished, then disperse in the land and seek of Allah’s grace, and remember Allah much, that you may prosper. Q-3. In the light of the Qur'an what would be the definition of (a) Kafir (b) Mushrik , (c) Muslim, and (d) Momin.

‫کافر‬ ‫ کافر‬is a person who denies or rejects. All non-Muslims are not ‘kafir’. Those who have not heard about message of Islam are ‫ ضالین‬or ‫ مضلین‬which means those who are not on right path due to their ignorance or lack of knowledge.

‫مشرک‬ ‫ مشرک‬is a person who associates partners with God in any sense. Worshipping any god, deity or person or anything beside God is called ‫ شرک‬which has been termed as ‫ ظلم عظیم‬in the Holy Quran.

‫مسلم اور مومن‬ Root of word ‫ مسلم‬is ‫ م‬،‫ ل‬،‫ س‬which means, surrender and peace. A ‫ مسلم‬is therefore a person who offers peace to others and seeks

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to establish peace on earth and at the same time surrenders before the will of Allah and to the authority of Muslim state. َ‫ِإ ْذ قَالَ َلهُ رَّبهُ أَ ْس ِل ْم قَالَ أَ ْسلَ ْمتُ ِل َربّ اْلعَالَمِي‬2:132

(2:132) When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit’, he said, ‘I have submitted to the Lord of the worlds.’ The opposite of ‫ سلم‬is ‫ تولّی‬which means to turn back.

ِ‫غ وَال ّلهُ َبصِيٌ بِاْلعِبَاد‬ ُ َ‫ َفإِنْ َأ ْسلَمُوْا فَ َقدِ اهَْتدَوْا وّإِن َتوَّل ْوْا َفإِنّمَا َعلَ ْيكَ الْبَل‬3:21

If they submit, then they will surely be guided; but if they turn back, then thy duty is only to convey the message. And Allah is watchful of His servants. (3:21) Difference between ‫ مسلم‬and ‫ مومن‬is that a ‘Muslim’ is a first step to become a ‘Momin’. A person first surrenders before the authority of Allah and by entering in Islam agrees to become the subject of Islamic laws. It can be said that every ‘Momin’ is a ‘Muslim’ but every ‘Muslim’ is not ‘Momin’. ‫قَالَ تِ اْلأَ ْعرَا بُ آمَنّ ا قُل لّ مْ ُت ْؤمِنُوا َولَكِن قُولُوا أَ ْسلَمْنَا َولَمّ ا َيدْخُ ِل اْلِإيَا نُ فِي ُقلُوبِكُ مْ َوإِن تُطِيعُوا‬49:15 ٌ‫ال ّلهَ َورَسُوَلهُ لَا َيلِتْكُم مّنْ أَعْمَالِ ُكمْ شَيْئًا إِ ّن ال ّلهَ َغفُورٌ رّحِيم‬

The Arabs of the desert say, ‘We believe’. Say, ‘You have not believed yet; but rather say, We have accepted Islam, for the true belief has not yet entered into your hearts.’ But if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not detract anything from your deeds. Surely Allah is Most Forgiving, Merciful. (49:15)

Who is ‘Momin’?

ِ‫ِإنّمَا الْ ُم ْؤمِنُو نَ اّلذِي نَ آ َمنُوا بِاللّ هِ َورَ سُوِلهِ ُثمّ لَ مْ َي ْرتَابُوا وَجَا َهدُوا ِبَأ ْموَاِلهِ مْ َوأَنفُ سِ ِه ْم فِي َسبِيلِ اللّ ه‬49:16 َ‫ك ُهمُ الصّادِقُون‬ َ ‫ُأوْلَِئ‬

The believers are only those who truly believe in Allah and His Messenger, and then doubt not, but strive with their possessions

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and their persons in the cause of Allah. It is they who are truthful. (Al-Hujrat 49:16) Momin is a person who is in peace and as a source of peace offers peace to others. By extending greeting of peace (‫السلم‬ ‫ )علیکم‬one extends peace to others and expects peace in reciprocation. Muslims are prohibited to deny peace to such person and accept his declaration on its face value. ‫ستَ ُم ْؤمِنًا‬ ْ َ‫لمَ ل‬ َ ّ‫ وَلَ َتقُولُوْا لِمَنْ أَْلقَى ِإلَيْ ُكمُ الس‬4:95

…and say not to anyone who greets you with the greeting of peace, ‘you are not a believer’. Q-4. In verse (33:40 Al-Ahzab), what does the Seal of prophet mean?

‘Seal’ is used to attest or verify something. In old times, kings and rulers have such seals as rings and wear them on their finger for security purpose lest someone use them illegally. The ordinary rings were, therefore, also called ‘khatam’ in Arabic. Holy Prophet (sa) was advised to have a seal and put it on his letters to kings and rulers. Holy Prophet (sa) required his followers to believe in all the prophets. Thus, he, acting as a seal, attested and authenticated the prophethood of all prophets of Allah. It is alleged that Ahmadies do not believe in the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) to be Khataman Nabiyyeen. This is based on a gross misrepresentation of the Ahmadiyya views and I would like to present the following to remove this misunderstanding. At the very outset I would like to state categorically that Ahmadies believe the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) to be Khataman Nabiyyeen Seal of the Prophets, as has been stated in the Holy Quran and it is an awful fabrication against the Ahmadies that they do not believe in the doctrine of Khatm-i-Nabuwwat. The difference is only in interpretation of the title and not in the title itself. The Promised Messiah and Mahdi, the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement in Islam (as) says:

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"I swear by the glory of God and His Majesty that I am of the faithful, a Muslim and I believe in Allah, the High, in His Books, and in His Messengers and in His Angels and in Life after death. And I believe that our Prophet Muhammad the Elect of God (peace of Allah be on him and His blessings) is the most eminent of the prophets and the Seal of Apostles." (Hamamatul Bushra, page 6)

He further says: "The charge made against me and my Community that we do not believe the Messenger of Allah (peace be on him and His blessings) to be the Seal of Prophets is a big falsehood. The faith, the conviction, certitude and the utterances that characterize our belief in the Holy Prophet as the Seal of Prophets, are markedly absent in the belief of these people (those who level this charge at us)." (AlHakam, March 19, 1905)

Many Muslims believe that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be on him) is the last prophet and that no prophet can come after him. I shall first state and examine the arguments that are given in support of this belief, then show that this is true only in a certain sense. The Holy Quran says: "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Apostle of Allah and Khataman Nabiyyeen--The Seal of the Prophets." (33:41) The real meaning of Khatam is a seal (see Tajul Aroos, Lisanul Arab, and Qamoos), and the phrase should be interpreted in the light of this meaning. Ibn Khaldun says it is wrong to interpret the word Khatam in this verse to mean the last or the end (see Muqaddama Vol. II, p. 54, Paris). He holds that the word Khatam denotes the consummation and completion of a thing, which he further explains by the words, authenticity, perfection and validity. When a seal is put to a letter it becomes authentic and complete. The seal may be put in the end or in the beginning. According to him, therefore, Khataman Nabiyyeen would mean the truest and the most perfect of prophets and not the last in point

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of time. It refers to his status and place among the prophets and not to the time of his advent.

USE OF THE WORD KHATAM: In one of his sayings the Holy Prophet (sa) calls his uncle, Hadhrat Abbas ra, Khatam ul Muhajireen (see Kanzul Ommal, Vol. VI, p. 178). But it does not mean that Abbas was the last Muhajir (refugee) of the whole Muslim world. Similarly, Hadhrat Ali (ra) is called Khatamul Auliya (see Tafsir Safi under the Quranic verse 33:41). Ibn Khaldun says this phrase is understood to mean that Ali was a perfect saint and not the last (see Muqaddama, Vol. II pp. 165-167). An Arab poet, Hasan bin Wahab, called Abu Tamam (the compiler of Himasa) Khatamush-Shu'ara (see Wafiyatul A'ayan Li Ibn Khallikan, Vol. I, p. 123, Cairo). Obviously Abu Tamam was not the last poet. The word Khatam, therefore, used in such phrases means the best and not the last. The context of a verse is a most important factor in determining its true meaning. If we look into the context of the words we are further assured of the same meaning. The verse runs as follows: "Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but he is the Messenger of God and Khataman Nabiyyeen." God is obviously refuting an objection, viz., the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) has no male issue. We read in the Quran: "Surely it is thy enemy and not thou who shall be childless and without posterity." (108:4) These words are said to have been revealed when Al-Aas Ibn Wayel called the Holy Prophet (sa) Abtar (having no children or posterity) on the death of his son Al-Qasim (see Jalaluddin's Commentary under verse

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108:4). As an answer to this taunt of the enemies, God declared in the verse under discussion that the line of his physical male descendants is no doubt cut off by the death of his sons but as Hadhrat Muhammad (sa) is a Messenger of God, he possesses devoted followers who shall form a continuous and long line of spiritual descendants to keep his memory and name and teachings alive for ever and ever. The followers of a prophet are often described as his spiritual children. The meaning of the word Khataman Nabiyyeen must fit with this context. To say that Hadhrat Muhammad (sa) is the last of the prophets and there shall be no prophet after him does no credit to him. His enemies could at once add an insult by saying that Hadhrat Muhammad (sa) failed to produce a progeny in the spiritual sense of the word also and thus proved himself (God forbid) barren and abtar in every respect. According to the context, therefore, the Seal of the Prophets must mean that the spiritual descendants of Hadhrat Muhammad (sa) would be of no mean order. They would, God says, attain to great spiritual distinctions so must so that by following in his footsteps some of them would even become prophets. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) is called here the Lord Privy Seal or the Lord Keeper of the great Divine Seal of Prophethood, which not only ratifies and authenticates the office of the previous prophets but also awards the distinctive mark of prophethood to those who make themselves worthy of it. (Haqeeqatul Wahy by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, p. 56) We read in the Bible: "The Lord will make thee the head and not the tail; thou shalt be above only and thou not be beneath." (Deuteronomy 28:13) To be the tail of a line, therefore, is no credit or distinction. Even if we take the phrase Khataman Nabiyyeen to mean the last of the prophets; we must interpret it as meaning that he is the last in the sense that he has attained a degree of perfection beyond which it is impossible for anyone to go. He has exhausted all the degrees of perfection and none can ever excel or supersede him. He is the Head of the prophets and not the tail.

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NO NEW LAW: He is the greatest not because he appeared last of all but because he has brought a law which is absolutely final and can never be replaced or excelled. Ibn Khaldun also mentions this meaning in his Muqaddama (Vol. II, p. 165, Paris). Ali Bin Muhammad Sultan Al-Qari (Mulla Ali Qari) interprets this phrase in the same sense. He says that it means that there will not come a prophet after Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be on be him) who could cancel his law and who is not a follower of his (Mauzooat Kabeer, p.69). Sheikh Mohyud Din Ibn Arabi says that the prophethood which brings law is finished with the advent of Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be on be him. (Fosoosul Hikam, p. 140) Shah Waliullah Muhaddas of Delhi writes that Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be on be him) was the last of the prophets in the sense that there will appear no one after him to promulgate a new law for the people. (Tafheemate Ilahiya, 53) Syed Abdul Kadir Jeelani says: "The prophetic law is finished and completed with the Holy Prophet and he was called Khataman Nabiyyeen. (Al-Insanul Kamil, Ch. 36) Maulana Abdul Haye of Lukhnow says: "It is not impossible that a new prophet may appear during or after the age of Muhammad but bringing of a new code of religion is an absolute impossibility." (Dafi-ul-Wasawis fee asr ibn Abbas, p. 12) THE TRADITIONS: I shall now deal with Hadith (Traditions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) on this subject. The Holy Prophet (sa) said to Ali Ibn Abi Talib (ra):

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"You are to me as Aaron was to Moses, except that *Laa Nabiyya Ba'adi". (Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, Mishkat) The last words are translated as: there is no prophet after me. On the basis of these words it is contended that if it were really possible for anyone to become a prophet, no one could have been more deserving than Hadhrat Ali (ra), who was not only a near relation of but succeeded the Holy Prophet (sa) as the 4th Khalifa. The words were uttered when the Holy Prophet (sa) was going to Tabook and appointed Hadhrat Ali (ra) as the Ameer at Medina after him. Hadhrat Ali (ra) was desirous of participating in the battle and did not wish to stay behind. The Holy Prophet (sa), therefore, reminded Hadhrat Ali (ra) of the importance of his work by referring to Hadhrat Aaron (as) who was appointed Ameer of the Israelites when Moses (as) went to Mount Sinai. Hadhrat Aaron (as) was the brother of Hadhrat Moses (as) and a prophet of God. Hadhrat Ali (ra) was a cousin but not a prophet. The Holy Prophet (sa) could not be blunt but he must not be misunderstood in such matters. Therefore, he added that he was not leaving a prophet behind him. The word Ba'ad means behind. (see Lane's Lexicon Book I, p. 225) The context shows that the idea was to tell Ali (ra) that he was being left behind like Hadhrat Aaron (as) but he was not a prophet. The words cannot refer to any remote future. They were used and meant for that particular occasion. The word Ba'ad is often used in this sense. In verse 7:149 of the Quran this word is translated by Pickthall as `after I had left you'. The word Ba'ad is also used in the sense of Ma'a, i.e., with. (Lane's Lexicon Book I, p. 225) In this sense the sentence La Nabiyya Ba'adee would mean that there was no prophet with him. It is curious to note that in the Shia traditions the words used are Laisa Ma'ee Nabiyyun, i.e., there is no prophet with me (Amalee). In other traditions the words reported are quite clear. The Holy Prophet (sa) added "except that thou art not a prophet". (Tabaqati Kabeer, Vol. V., p. 15) There is another tradition which is very clear: "Dost thou not desire to be what Aaron was to Moses except that thou art not a prophet". (Biharul Anwar, Kitabul Manaqib, Vol. 9, Iran) Taking the word Ba'ad to mean after, we can interpret the sentence in another way. If we go into

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the idiom of language we find that the words are not to be taken in their literal sense. There is another tradition where the Holy Prophet (sa) says: "When Chosroe dies there will be no Chosroe after him, and when Kaiser dies there will be no Kaiser after him." (Bukhari, Vol. IV, p. 91, Egypt) This is explained in Fathul Bari, Vol. VI as follows: "No Chosroe will administer the affairs of State as well as this Chosroe has done." Obviously it cannot mean that there will be no king after the Chosroe or Kaiser. Muhyuddin Ibn Arabi interprets La Nabiyya Ba'adi by saying that there shall be no prophet who will cancel or go against the Islamic law of Hadhrat Muhammad SAW. (Fotoohati Makkiya Vol. I, p. 569; Vol. II, pp. 3, 64, 417) Imam Muhammad Tahir Gujrati also says the same thing. (Takmala Majmaul Bihar, p. 85) Imam Sha'arani also interprets these words in the same way. (Al-Yawaqeet Wal Jawahir, Vol. II, p. 22) Nawab Siddique Hasan Khan states the same. (Iqtarabus Sa'a, p. 162) Hazrat Ayesha (ra), whose position is well known, says: "Say he is the Seal of the Prophets but do not say that there is no prophet after him". (Takmala Majmaul Bihar, p. 88) Imam Soyooti writes that Mogheera also expressed the same opinion. (Durri Mansoor) The other Hadith brought forward is: Lau Kaana Ba'adi Nabiyyeen Lakaana Umaro. "If there were a prophet after me, it would have been Umar." The word Ba'ad as stated earlier also means `with', and there is nothing here which should confine its meaning to `after'. Therefore, the tradition should be translated as: "If there were a prophet with me it would have been Umar." In another tradition, the Holy Prophet (sa) says: "If I were not raised it would have been you, O Umar." (Mirqat, Vol. V, p. 539) Another saying is: "If I was not raised, Umar would have been raised among you." (, p. 103) These traditions would only show that Umar (ra) had an aptitude for a prophet, like Hadhrat Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be on him) who brought the Islamic law. Therefore, the Hadith in question would mean that if a prophet were to bring a new law,

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it could have been Umar (ra). It cannot mean that there can be no prophet after Hadhrat Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be on him). In another tradition, the Holy Prophet (sa) clearly implies the opposite. He says: "If Ibrahim (his son) had lived, he would have been a Prophet." (Ibn Maja, Vol. I, p. 237) He could not say this if it were absolutely impossible for anyone to become a prophet. This shows clearly that the Holy Prophet was clear in mind as to the continuity of prophethood after him. Another tradition points to the same effect when he says: "Abu Bakr is best of men after me except a prophet should appear." (Kanzul Ummal) The next Hadith in support of this belief is: "I am the last of the Prophets and you are the last of peoples." (Muslim) The meaning of this is explained by another Hadith which runs as follows: "and my mosque is the last mosque." (Muslim, Kitabul Haj Fazlis Salat, p. 531) It is clear that the Holy Prophet did not mean that there was to be no prophet after him, otherwise we shall have to conclude that he did not want the Muslims to build any other mosques. Obviously, what he means is that the religion brought by him is perfect and no one can cancel or modify it after him. The use of the word Akhir (last) in this sense is quite common in the Arabic language. Imam Soyooti calls Ibn Taimiyya as the last of Mujtahideen (original thinkers and Jurists). (Al-Intibah Wan Nazir, Vol. III, p. 310, Hyderbad) An Arab poet uses the word Akhir (last) in the sense of perfect and unique, in Himasa, Babul Adab. It is clear from the foregoing that it is not Ahmadies alone who are interpreting the expression Khataman Nabiyyeen (Seal of Prophets) in a manner allowing the appearance of a prophet after the Holy Prophet (sa), who does not bring any new Shariah (Law) and does not attain prophethood independently but through complete obedience to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be on him). Even recognized Muslim saints of different countries, ages, and clines, and even the Holy Prophet himself, have understood the expression in the like manner.

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The Ahmadiyya belief, beyond any shadow of doubt, is par excellence that the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of God be on him) is Khataman Nabiyyeen, i.e., the Seal of the Prophets. In him the excellences of prophethood have reached their perfection and therefore, the door to receiving prophethood independently is closed since his appointment to this office. Henceforth, every kind of Grace is attainable only through serving him. His advent, thus has not closed the stream of Divine Grace but its course has been channelized through his person which is now, so to say, the new Headwork. A prophet, henceforth, shall appear only through allegiance to him, by receiving light from his light and as his shadow and reflection, and not otherwise. Hence, "all prophethood except Muhammadan prophethood has ended. No law-giving prophet shall ever come, and a prophet without law may, but only such as is primarily a follower of the Holy Prophet (Allah bless him). I am both a follower and a Prophet." (Tajalliyate Ilahiyya by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, pp. 24-25)

Q-5. Was Jesus taken up to heaven before having been crucified? How would you explain the verses (3: 54,55 Al-Imran), (4: 157, 158 An-Nisa)?

There are innumerable evidences, scriptural, historical, and scientific, regarding death of Jesus Christ. A great and increasing number of scholars believe that he has died and shall never come back. This increasing number of scholars believing in the death of Jesus Christ proves the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Promised Messiah (a.s.) as he stated: O mankind! hearken, this is the prophecy of God Who made the Heavens and the Earth. He will spread this Movement in all the countries and will give it supremacy over all through reason and arguments. Remember, no one will descend from heaven. All our opponents who are living at present will die and not one of them will see Jesus, son of Mary, descend from the sky and then their children who survive them will also pass away and none of them will see Jesus, son of Mary, coming down from the heaven.

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Generations of their posterity will also perish and they too will not see the son of Mary descending from heaven. Then God will create restlessness in their hearts; that the day of the glory of the Cross had passed away and the world had taken another turn but Jesus, son of Mary, had still not come down from the sky. Then all the wise people will discard this belief and the third century from today will not have completed when all those who had been waiting for Jesus, both Muslims and Christians will despair of his coming and entertaining misgivings shall give up their belief and there will be only one Faith in the world and one preceptor. I came only to sow the seed. That seed has been sown by my hands. It will now grow and blossom forth and none dare retard its growth. (The Promised Messiah in Tazkira– tush-Shahadatain – R.K. vol-20, p-67)

The following are some quotes from the Holy Qur’an, Hadith and the Bible that confirm the notion that Jesus died a natural death:

PROMISE MADE [3:56] Remember the time when Allah said, 'O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death and will raise thee to Myself, and will clear thee of the charges of those who disbelieve, and will exalt those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ.'

PROMISE FULFILLED [5 118] `I said nothing to them except that which Thou didst command me Worship ALLAH, my Lord and your Lord. And I was a witness over them as long as I remained among them, but since Thou didst cause me to die, Thou, hast been the Watcher over them, and Thou art Witness over all things;

I USED TO WATCHOVER THEM 11. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me that they may be one, as we are.

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12. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gave me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:11, 12 - King James Version)

ALL PROPHETS BEFORE MUHAMMAD (s.a.) HAVE PASSED AWAY [3:145] And Muhammad is but a messenger. Verily all Messengers have passed away before him.

ALL PROPHETS BEFORE JESUS (a.s.) HAVE PASSED AWAY [5:76] The Messiah, son of Mary, was only a Messenger; surely Messengers like unto him had passed away before him.

RAISING JESUS “TOWARDS” GOD? In the following verse it is stated that all of us, upon our death, return “towards” Him. Does it mean that we are raised physically? [2:157] Who, when a misfortune overtakes them, say, 'Surely, to Allah we belong and to Him shall we return.'

In the following verse Hadhrat Ibrahim (a.s.) has been quoted as saying that he is “going” towards his Lord. Does it imply that he was also raised towards God? [37:100] And he said, 'I am going to my Lord. He will, surely, guide

me.'

Allah is every where, as stated by the following verse. Where then Jesus was raised? [6:4] And He is Allah, the God, both in the heavens and in the earth. [2:116] To Allah belongs the East and the West; so whithersoever you turn, there will be the face of Allah. Surely, Allah is Bountiful, All-Knowing.

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NO HUMAN CAN ASCEND PHYSICALLY TO HEAVENS In the following verse Allah has categorically expressed this principle that the Holy Prophet (s.a.) cannot physically ascend to the heavens, because he is a human being, though a prophet. [17:94] 'Or, thou have a house of gold or thou ascend up into heaven; and we will not believe in thy ascension until thou send down to us a Book that we can read.' Say, 'Holy is my Lord! I am but a mortal sent as a Messenger.'

In the light of the above, if anyone believes that Jesus Christ physically ascended to heavens, he has to believe that Jesus was not a human being. In the following verse of the Bible, Jesus has mentioned that ascending to or descending from heavens is nothing but metaphorical. “And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.” (JOHN 3:13)

DEATH OF JESUS VERIFIED BY THE HOLY PROPHET Ibn-e-Abbas narrated that the holy Prophet (s.a.) delivered a sermon and said....... "On judgment day some people of my Ummah shall be brought and taken towards hell. I'll submit that O Allah these are from my Ummah. I'll be told that you don't know that they have made innovations in the law. Then I'll say the same sentence what the righteous servant of Allah Isa said that when You caused me to die, You were Watcher over them. I'll be told that they turned away from the religion" (Bukhari, Kitab-ul-Tafseer, Vol-2,

P-889)

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THE FIRST CONSENSUS OF THE COMPANIONS (r.a.) OF THE HOLY PROPHET (s.a.) Based on the account of Ibn-e-Abbas (r.a.), we know that upon hearing these words from Abu Bakr (r.a.), the gathering succumbed to the realization of the Holy Prophet’s (s.a.) death, including Umar (r.a.). Indeed Umar (r.a.) relates that when he heard these words, he felt his legs give away beneath him and he fell to the ground in grief and shock (Bukhari Kitab –ul-Maghazi, Vol-2, P-811). If the Muslims at the time of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) possessed the belief that Jesus was alive and had not died a natural death, not only would have at least one of them raised this point, but Umar (r.a.) would not have been so unequivocally convinced. Indeed, Umar (r.a.) or another member of the congregation would have cited Jesus as an example of how the Holy Prophet (s.a.) could have escaped death and was merely physically raised to heaven, but they did not. Therefore, according to the understanding of the Muslims of the time, they must have understood the meaning of the above verse. Otherwise, the effect those words had on the gathering could not have been possible.

IBN-E-KATHIR ACKNOWLEDGES DEATH OF JESUS Hafiz Ibn-e-Kathir, a famous commentator of the Holy Qur’an has mentioned that there are certain Hadiths of the holy Prophet (s.a.) which shows that Jesus Christ has died and is not a living person any more. “In some Hadiths it is mentioned that had Moses and Jesus lived today they wouldn’t have any option but to follow me.” (Tafseer Ibn-e-Kathir vol-1, p449)

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EVERY ONE FROM THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK SHALL BECOME MUSLIM The proponents of the belief about Jesus Christ being alive in heavens since more than 2000 years and his descend on earth in latter days present the following verse of the Holy Qur’an as a concrete evidence for their belief: [4:160] And there is none among the People of the Book but will continue to believe in it before his death; and on the Day of Resurrection, he (Jesus) shall be a witness against them.

They claim that according to this verse of the Holy Qur’an, everyone from the people of the Book, i.e., the Jews and the Christians shall accept Jesus Christ as a true prophet of God before ‘his’ (Jesus’) death. This pronoun ‘his’ is referred to Jesus and not to that Jew or Christian who is expected to believe in Jesus. They argue that as, apparently, all the Jews and the Christians have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as a true prophet of God, therefore, he is still alive in the heavens. In order to know the exact and correct meanings and interpretation of the above mentioned verse of the Holy Qur’an, we need to keep in mind the principles of interpretation, some of which mentioned below.

UNANIMOUS PRINCIPLES OF INTERPRETATION It is widely accepted amongst the Muslim religious scholars that the Holy Qur’an interprets itself, which means that certain verses of the Holy Qur’an can be used to interpret certain other verses. It is also invariably accepted that there cannot be any contradiction in the Holy Qur’an. It is also a canonized principle that Hadith cannot state anything against the teachings of the Holy Qur’an. Let’s check the above verse in the light of these unanimously accepted criteria.

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LOGICAL PROBLEM Before discussing this verse a logical problem needs to be resolved. When we say that each and every one among the People of the Book shall believe in Jesus Christ before his death, we need to know that people of what time period we are talking about, because in the verse under consideration, an encompassing and all-inclusive phrase, “and there is none among the People of the Book”, ‫ و ان من ا ہل الکتاب‬is used? So we need to know whether we are talking about those ‘people of the book’ who were at the time of Jesus, those who were at the time of the Holy Prophet (s.a.) when this verse was revealed, those who shall be present at the time of the second coming of Jesus or all of them? The onus of reply to this question lies on those who believe in literal interpretation of this verse. However, ignoring this point, we focus our attention to the crux of the matter. This verse, according to non-Ahmadi interpretations, states that all of the People of the Book shall unanimously accept Jesus Christ as true prophet of God before his death. Consequently, there shall be no Jew or Christian left on the face of the earth as all of them would have been converted to Islam. Now, let’s check the following two verses of Sura Maida, chapter 5 of the Holy Qur’an:

CHRISTIANS SHALL EXIST ON EARTH TILL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT [5:15] And from those also who say, 'We are Christians,' We took a covenant, but they too have forgotten a good part of that with which they were exhorted. So We have caused enmity and hatred among them till the Day of Resurrection. And Allah will soon let them know what they have been doing.

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JEWS SHALL EXIST ON EARTH TILL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT [5:65] And the Jews say, 'Allah's hand is tied up.' Their own hands shall be tied up and they shall be cursed for what they say. Nay, both His hands are wide open. He spends as He pleases. And what has been sent down to thee from thy Lord will most surely increase many of them in rebellion and disbelief. And We have cast among them enmity and hatred till the Day of Resurrection. Whenever they kindle a fire for war, Allah extinguishes it. And they strive to create disorder in the earth, and Allah love not those who create disorder.

These two verses clearly state that different sects of the Jews and the Christians shall remain on earth till the last day or the Day of Judgment and there shall be enmity and hatred between them till that day.

FOLLOWERS OF JESUS EXALTED OVER DISBELIEVERS Another verse of the Holy Qur’an also confirms the same subject: [3:56] Remember the time when Allah said, 'O Jesus, I will cause thee to die a natural death and will raise thee to Myself, and will clear thee of the charges of those who disbelieve, and will exalt those who follow thee above those who disbelieve, until the Day of Resurrection; then to Me shall be your return, and I will judge between you concerning that wherein you differ.'

In this verse Allah promises Jesus to exalt his followers over those who disbelieve, till the day of resurrection. Historically, those who do not follow Jesus are the Jews, who shall be empowered by those who follow Jesus. It also proves that the Jews shall not be completely annihilated from the face of the earth, but exist till last day.

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THE JEWS SHALL BE KILLED BY THE MUSLIMS In addition to the two positions of the ‘people of the book’ stated in the above mentioned verses of the Holy Qur’an, the following Hadith presents a third scenario. It is mentioned that at the time of second coming of Jesus Christ, the Muslims shall kill each and every Jew except those who hide behind their own tree, called gharqad. Abu Hurairah (r.a.) reported Allah’s Messenger (s.a.) as saying: The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews who hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: Muslim, or the Servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him; but the tree gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews. (Sahih Muslim, Book 41, Number 6985).

CONCLUSION It is concluded from the above that non-Ahmadi scholars offer three different and contradictory scenarios about the Jews and the Christians in latter days: 1) All Jews and Christians shall accept Jesus as true prophet of God and become Muslims; 2) Jews and Christians shall remain as they are now till the day of resurrection; 3) Jews shall be killed by the Muslims except few who seek refuge of their own tree, gharqad. But even then they shall remain Jew. As mentioned above, it is our cardinal belief that there can be no contradiction whatsoever, in the verses of the Holy Qur’an and also the Hadith cannot mention something against the Holy Qur’an. If nonAhmadi interpretation of the verse [4:160] is accepted, one has not only to accept contradictions in the Holy Qur’an but also the belief of Hadith against the Holy Qur’an. Both these beliefs are sufficient for anyone to throw him out of the pale of Islam.

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Interpreting the verse [4:160] in the light of other verses of the Holy Qur’an which, in this case are, [3:56]; [5:15, 65] shows that the pronoun ‘his’ used in the verse [4:160] is referred to each person of “the people of the book” and not to the Jesus Christ.

Q-6. What does the word Ahmad signify in verse (61:6 As-Saff)?

‘Ahmad’ is derived from ‘‫ ’حمد‬and ‘‫ ’حمدہ‬means, he praised, eulogized or commended him; spoke well of him; he requited him; he gave him his due. ‫( احمد‬Ahmada) means he did or said that for which he should be praised or which was praiseworthy. ‫ احمد الشیئ‬means the thing was or become praiseworthy. ‫احمد‬ means one who praises much or who is praised much or most. The prophecy of Jesus about the coming of ‘Paraclete’ or the Comforter or the Spirit of Truth as given in the Gospels is as follows:

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I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive because it sees him not, neither know him…..but when the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth which proceeds from the father, he shall testify of me……for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you, but if I depart, I will send him unto you……I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when the Spirit of Truth is come, he will guide you unto all truth, for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak, and he will show you things to come……He shall glorify me (John 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:7, 12-14) The Hebrew word for the Spirit of Truth is ‘Rooh Haemet’ ‫ ))רוחַ הָאֱמֶת‬which has phonetic resemblance with Ahmad. From these verses of the Gospel of John the following inferences are clearly deducible: (1) that Paraclete or the Comforter or the Spirit of truth could not come unless Jesus should have departed from the world. (2) That the Comforter was to abide in the world forever. (3) That he was to say many things which Jesus himself could not tell because the world could not then bear them. (4) That he would guide men unto all truth. (5) That he would not speak of himself, but whatever he would hear that would he speak. (6) That the Comforter would glorify Jesus and testify of him.

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This description of Paraclete or the Comforter or the Spirit of truth is in complete harmony with the status and mission of the Holy Prophet (sa) as given in the Qur’an: (1) The Holy Prophet (sa) appeared after Jesus had departed from this world. (2) He is the last Law-giving Prophet and the Qur’an the last revealed Divine Law for the whole mankind till the end of time (5:4). (3) Jesus could not guide mankind to all truth because his Message was meant only for a particular people and for a particular period, and the Law as amended and given to the Jews by him was not and could not be a complete and perfect Law because they had not yet mentally and morally so developed as to be the bearers of a complete Shari’at and the world had to wait till it was given a perfect Law in the form of the Qur’an (5:4) and a Prophet par excellence i.e., the Holy Prophet (sa) who could guide all mankind. (4) The Holy Prophet (sa) gave to the world a Law complete in all its details which alone could guide mankind unto all truth. (5) The Holy Prophet (sa) did not speak of himself but whatever he heard from God that did he speak (53:4). (6) The Holy Prophet (sa) glorified Jesus (2:254; 3:56). The prophecy in the Gospel of John resembles the prophecy mentioned in the verse under comment except that instead of ‘Ahmad’ the name stated therein is “Paraclete. Christian writers challenge the correctness of the Quranic version of the prophecy, basing their contention on this difference of names, irrespective of otherwise similar features of Biblical & Quranic versions.

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In fact Jesus spoke Aramaic and Hebrew. Aramaic was his mother tongue and Hebrew his religious language. The present Biblical version is the translation of Aramaic and Hebrew into Greek. A translation naturally cannot fully convey the beauty of the text. Languages have their limitations. The same is true of the people who speak them. Their limitations are reflected in their works. The Greek language has another word, i.e., Periklutos, with a similar meaning as Ahmad in Arabic. Jack Finegan, the renowned theologian, in his book, “The Archaeology of World Religions” says; “Where in Greek the word Comforter (Parakletos) is very similar to the word for ‘renowned’ (Periklutos), the later being the meaning of the names Ahmad & Muhammad.” Moreover, “The Damascus Document” a scripture discovered towards the end of the nineteenth century in Ezra Synagogue, Old Cairo (p-2, lines 12, 13) describes Jesus as having foretold the advent of a “Holy Spirit” named Emeth. ‫ویودیعیم بید مشیحو روح قدشو و ھوا ایمۃ و بفروش شمو شموتیہم‬ i.e. And by His Messiah, He has made them know His Holy Spirit. For it is He who is Emeth i.e., “The Truthful One, and in accordance with his name are also theirs. “Emeth” in Hebrew means “Truth” or “The Truthful One and a person of constant goodness”. (Strachan’s Fourth Gospel, page-141) The word was interpreted by the Jews as “God’s Seal”. Naturally, though Jesus must have used the name Ahmad, the phonetic resemblance of the two words (Ahmad

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and Emeth) caused later writers to substitute “Emeth” for Ahmad, its Hebrew synonym. Thus the prophecy mentioned in the verse under comment applies to the Holy Prophet (sa), but as a corollary it may also apply to the Promised Messiah, the Founder of the Ahmadiyya Movement, since in his person the Second Manifestation of the Holy Prophet took place. To this second manifestation or second coming of the Holy Prophet (sa), the third and fourth verse of sura Al-Jumu’ah pointedly refers. Q-7. What does 'Dua' or supplication mean? Is supplication related to the verses (2:186 AlBaqarah), (42:26 As-Shu'rah). Verse (50:16 Qaf), says God is closer than the jugular vein. What does it mean?

The Founder of Ahmadiyya Movement, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian (as) exposing the misconception of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan about prayers and their acceptance, wrote: “Syed Sahib sets forth his belief that the acceptance of prayer does not mean that the supplicant should be bestowed what he asks for. If this should be the meaning of the acceptance of prayer two difficulties would be encountered. The first difficulty is that thousands of supplications that are made most humbly and earnestly are not fulfilled which means that the prayer has not been accepted, while God has promised acceptance of prayer. The second difficulty is that that which is to happen is determined and also that which is not to happen. Nothing can happen contrary to that determination. If acceptance of prayer means granting the request made, then the Divine promise: Call on Me, I shall respond to you (40: 6 I), is not

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fulfilled concerning supplications the granting of which is not determined. According to this interpretation, the general promise of acceptance of prayer will be falsified inasmuch as only those requests are granted the fulfillment of which is determined, and yet the promise of acceptance of prayer is general and is not subject to any exception. Some verses indicate that those things which are not determined will not be granted and some verses indicate that no supplication is rejected and that all are accepted. The verse: Call on Me, I shall respond to you, shows that God has promised the acceptance of all prayers. Thus, the only way of reconciling this contradiction between the verses is that the acceptance of prayer should be interpreted as meaning the acceptance of an act of worship, that is to say, that prayer should be interpreted as a type of worship concerning which there is a Divine promise of acceptance when it is offered in the sincerity and earnestness of the heart. The acceptance of prayer is, therefore, no more than that it earns merit by being regarded as a type of worship. If the bestowal of something has been determined and it is also prayed for, it is bestowed not because of the prayer, but because it had been determined upon. The great benefit of prayer is that when at the time of prayer the heart is fixed upon the greatness of God and His limitless power that idea overcomes all the apprehensions which were the cause of restlessness and the supplicant experiences patience and steadfastness. This condition of the heart is produced by worship and this is the acceptance of prayer.

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Syed Sahib observes that those people who are unaware of the reality of prayer and of the wisdom that is inherent in it can say that-if that which is not determined cannot happen, then prayer is of no use. That is to say, that that which is determined will happen in any case whether one offers a prayer in respect of it or not and that a thousand prayers will not help where the matter has not been determined, thus prayer is vain and useless. In answer to this Syed Sahib says that to supplicate for help in a time of distress is a characteristic of human nature and a person supplicates on account of his natural characteristic without thinking whether what is being supplicated for will happen or not. On account of this characteristic of his nature he has been told to supplicate God for whatever he desires. This summary of the view held by Syed Sahib indicates that his belief is that prayer cannot be the means of achieving one's goal, nor has it any effect on such achievement. If by prayer the only purpose of the supplicant is that through his supplication his request should be granted his purpose is vain, inasmuch as no prayer is needed for that which has been determined and for that which has not been determined, humility and earnestness are without avail. He believes that prayer is only a form of worship and it is vain to adopt it as a means of achieving a specific purpose. We shall show later that Syed Sahib has woefully misunderstood the verses of the Holy Quran. At this stage we would observe with regret that if Syed Sahib's intellect had fallen short of the meaning of the Holy Quran, had he at the time of writing these booklets overlooked the law of nature which he claims to

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follow and which he regards as the interpreter of Divine guidance and of the hidden mysteries of the Holy Quran? Is Syed Sahib not aware that though nothing good or ill in this world is free from determination, yet nature has appointed such means for the achieving of the good or the ill, the true and correct effect of which is not questioned by any wise person? For instance, though keeping in mind determination, to have recourse to a remedy in case of illness is the same as praying or not praying for an object, yet would Syed Sahib affirm that the science of medicine is altogether without any basis and that remedies have no effect whatever? If, despite his belief in determination, he is persuaded that remedies are not without effect, then why does he create a distinction between this law and a similar and parallel law? Does he believe that God had power to invest certain medicines with such powerful effects that their full dose should immediately move the stomach, or that certain poisons should have such powerful effect that a full dose of them should dispatch the consumer from this world within a matter of minutes, yet He should leave as dead and without effect the supplications of His elect which are full of resolve and attention and earnestness? Is it possible that there should be a contradiction in the Divine system and that the Divine design which works for the welfare of His servants through medicines should not operate in the case of prayer? That is not so. Syed Sahib himself is unaware of the true philosophy of prayer and has no personal experience of its high effectiveness. His case is like that of a person who over a period uses a stale medicine which has lost all its effectiveness and then concludes, as a general rule, that that medicine is ineffective.

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Syed Sahib has reached an advanced age, but the natural system, that determination is closely related to means, has eluded him. That is why he has fallen into the error that anything can happen without the intervention of the means which nature has appointed spiritually and physically. As a general rule, nothing is free from determination. A person who derives advantage from fire, or water, or air, or clay, or corn, or vegetables, or animals, or minerals, does so under the rule of determination, but if a stupid one should imagine that without the help of the means which God Almighty has appointed, and without treading the paths that have been fixed by nature, something might be acquired without the mediation of physical or spiritual means, such a one seeks to falsify the wisdom of God Almighty. The meaning of all that Syed Sahib has put forth is that he does not regard prayer as one of the effective means, the existence of which he admits, and that he has in this matter gone beyond the limit. For instance, if someone mentions the effect of fire to him, he will not deny it and will not affirm that if anyone's being burnt has been determined he would be burnt without the intervention of fire, then I am surprised that despite being a Muslim he denies the effectiveness of prayer which sometimes lights up the darkness like fire and sometimes burns the hand of an impertinent intervener. Does he remember determination at the time of prayer and forget it when fire or the like is mentioned? Does not the same determination comprehend both? When, despite determination, he adheres so strongly to effective means that he has acquired an ill reputation in his exaggeration, then what is the reason that the system of nature which he acknowledges is forgotten by him in the matter of prayer, so much so that while in his view a fly has some effect, yet prayer has none?

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The truth is that he is unaware of the effect of prayer and has no personal experience of it, nor has he had the advantage of keeping company with those who have such experience. Miracles Are Wrought By Prayer The subject of the acceptance of prayer is a branch of the subject of prayer. A person who does not comprehend the principle encounters difficulty in comprehending a branch. The principle of prayer is that there is a mutually attractive relationship between a pious servant and his Lord. To begin with, the Rahmaniyyat of God Almighty draws a servant to itself. Then through his sincerity the servant approaches close to God Almighty and in prayer that relationship, when it arrives at a certain stage, manifests its wonderful qualities. When a servant being confronted with a great difficulty leans towards God Almighty with perfect certainty, perfect hope, perfect love, perfect fidelity and perfect resolve, and becoming extremely alert and tearing aside the veils of heedlessness advances far into the fields of the discarding of self, he beholds in front of him the court of the Divine and perceives that He has no associate. Then the soul prostrates itself at that threshold and the power of attraction that is invested in him draws the bounty of God Almighty towards itself. Then God, the Glorious, addresses Himself towards fulfilling the purpose of the supplication and casts the effect of prayer on all those preliminary means which give rise to the means that are necessary for the achievement of the purpose of the prayer.

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For instance, if the prayer is for rain then on its acceptance the natural means that are needed for rain are created by the effect of the prayer. If the prayer is for famine the All-Powerful One creates the contrary means. It has been proved to the satisfaction of those who have frequent experience of visions that in the prayer of a perfect person a power of fashioning is created. That is to say, by the command of God the prayer exercises control in the lower and higher world and turns the elements and heavenly bodies and the hearts of people to the direction that is desired. The Effect Of Prayer Is Greater Than The Effect Of Fire There are many instances of this in the holy Books of God Almighty. Some types of miracles are in reality the acceptance of prayer. The source of thousands of miracles that were manifested by the Prophets and the wonders that have been exhibited throughout by the saints was prayer, and it is through the effect of prayer that extraordinary events display the power of the All-Powerful. Are you aware what was the wonderful event that happened in the deserts of Arabia, that hundreds of thousands of the dead came alive within a few days, and those who had been corrupted through generations took on Divine color, and the blind began to see, and the tongues of the dumb began to flow with Divine insights, and such a revolution took place in the world which no eye had seen and no ear had heard before? It was the prayers during dark nights of one who had been wholly lost in God which created an uproar in the world and manifested such wonders as had appeared impossible in the case of that unlearned helpless one. O Allah send down blessings and peace on him and on his people

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according to the number of his grieves and sorrows for the Muslims and send down upon him the lights of Thy mercy for ever. I have experience that the effect of prayers is greater than the effect of fire and water. Indeed in the systems of natural means nothing has greater effect than prayer. Physical And Spiritual Means Are Not Outside Determination If a question is raised that some prayers are not heard and no effect of theirs becomes visible, I would say that the same is the case with medical remedies. Have medicines shut the door of death, or is it not possible for them to fail of their purpose? Yet, despite this, can anyone deny their effect? It is true that determination comprehends everything, but determination has not wasted or disgraced knowledge, nor has it rendered means unreliable. Careful consideration would show that physical and spiritual means are not outside determination. For instance, if the fate of a patient should be good, the means of a proper remedy become available and the body becomes ready to take advantage of them. In such a case the remedy becomes most effective. The same is the case with prayer. All means and conditions of the acceptance of prayer come together where the Divine design is of acceptance. God Almighty has tied together His physical and spiritual systems in the same chain of causes and effects.

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It is a great mistake on the part of Syed Sahib that he acknowledges the physical system but denies the spiritual system. Must All Prayers Be Accepted? Syed Sahib says that in the Holy Quran God Almighty has promised acceptance of all prayers while the fact is that some prayers are not accepted. This is a misunderstanding on his part and the verse: Call on Me, I shall respond to you (40: 6 1), does not help his purpose. The prayer that is prescribed in this verse as a command is not any ordinary prayer, but is the worship that has been made obligatory. Not all prayers are obligatory. At some places God, the Glorious, has praised those who are steadfast and at a time of trial confine themselves to committing themselves to God. In this verse prayer has not only been commanded but the verse goes on to describe it as worship and in case of disobedience warns of the torment of hell. It is obvious that in the case of other prayers this warning is not added. Indeed in some cases Prophets were admonished in respect of their prayers. The verse: I advise thee not to act like the ignorant ones (11:47); is an instance. This shows that if every prayer had been worship Noah would not have been rebuked about his prayer. In some situations Prophets and saints have considered it disrespectful to supplicate and the righteous have followed the dictate of their hearts in respect of such prayers; that is to say, if at a time of distress the heart suggested prayer they turned to prayer and if the heart suggested steadfastness, they were steadfast and turned away from prayer.

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Besides, God has not promised acceptance of prayer in all cases, but has clearly said that He would accept if He so wills and would reject if He so wills. The verse: In such an event you will call on Him alone, then will He remove that which you call on Him to remove, if He please (6:42); clearly indicates this. Conditions Of Acceptance Of Prayer Even if we were to concede that the phrase 'Call on Me' means prayer, we would have to affirm that by prayer is meant such prayer as complies with all required conditions and that is not within the power of man unless he is helped by God. Humility alone is not enough for prayer, but righteousness, purity, truthfulness, perfect certainty, perfect love and perfect attention are all needed, and it is also necessary that the object prayed for should not be opposed to the Divine design for the welfare in this world and in the hereafter of the supplicant, or of the one on whose behalf supplication is made. Very often, despite all other conditions being fulfilled, the object for which supplication is made is opposed to the Divine design and there is no good in its fulfillment. For instance, if a child should cry that his mother should hand over to him a burning brand, or a serpent, or should feed him a poison, which appears agreeable, the mother would not comply with his wish. Were she to do so, and though the child might escape with his life some limb of his should become useless, then arriving at years of discretion the child would have a grievance against his foolish mother. There are many other conditions in the absence of which prayer does not deserve that name and so long as a prayer is not inspired by full spirituality and there is not a close connection between him who

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supplicates and him on whose behalf supplication is made, there is little hope of the acceptance of prayer. Unless there is Divine willingness for the acceptance of prayer all these conditions are not fulfilled and full attention remains lacking. Syed Sahib acknowledges that the good fortune of the hereafter and its bounties and delights and comforts which constitute salvation, are the result of faith and sincere prayers. That being so, Syed Sahib would be compelled to acknowledge that a believer's prayers have effect and become the cause of the removal of calamities and the achievement of objectives. (Barakatud Dua pp 5-14).

Q-8. What does 'Seven Heavens' mean in context of the Holy Qur'an?

THE LAYERS OF THE ATMOSPHERE One fact about the universe revealed in the verses of the Qur'an is that the sky is made up of seven layers. "It is He Who created everything on the earth for you and then directed His attention up to heaven and arranged it into seven regular heavens. He has knowledge of all things." (The Qur'an, 2:29)

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"Then He turned to heaven when it was smoke. In two days He determined them as seven heavens and revealed, in every heaven, its own mandate." (The

Qur'an, 41:12) The word "heavens", which appears in many verses in the Qur'an, is used to refer to the sky above the Earth, as well as the entire universe. Given this meaning of the word, it is seen that the Earth's sky, or the atmosphere, is made up of seven layers. Indeed, today it is known that the world's atmosphere consists of different layers that lie on top of each other. Furthermore, it consists, just as is described in the Qur'an, of exactly seven layers. In a scientific source, the subject is described as follows: If we count the number of layers we see that the atmosphere consists of exactly seven layers, just as stated in the verse. 1. Troposphere 2. Stratosphere 3. Ozonosphere 4. Mesosphere 5. Thermosphere 6. Ionosphere 7. Exosphere These layers differ in such physical properties as pressure and the types of gasses. The layer of the atmosphere closest to Earth is called the TROPOSPHERE. It contains about 90% of the total mass of the atmosphere. The layer above the troposphere is called the STRATOSPHERE. The OZONE LAYER is the part of the stratosphere where absorption of ultraviolet rays occurs. The layer above the stratosphere is called the MESOSPHERE.

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The THERMOSPHERE lies above the mesosphere. The ionized gases form a layer within the thermosphere called the IONOSPHERE. The outermost part of Earth's atmosphere called the EXOSPHERE extends from about 480 km out to 960 km. (Carolyn Sheets, Robert Gardner, Samuel F. Howe; General Science, Allyn and Bacon Inc. Newton, Massachusetts, 1985, s. 319-322)

Q-9. Would you consider Sura Al- Fatihah the foundation and essence of the Qur'an. The sura is considered as a Dua and the rest of the Qur'an as Allah's answer to it.

This chapter has been referred to in the Qur’anic verse, ‘We have indeed given thee the seven oft-repeated verses and the great Qur’an’ (15:86). The chapter has been called by quite a number of names, out of which the following ten are more authentic. These are: Al-Fatiha, Al-Salat, Al-Hamd, Umm-ul-Qur’an, Al-Qur’an ul Azim, AlSab ul Mathani, Umm-ul-Kitab, Al-Shifa, Al-Ruqya and Al-Kanz. This chapter contains the essence of the entire Qur’anic teaching. It comprises, in outline, all the subjects dealt at length in the body of the Qur’an. The chapter starts with a description of the fundamental attributes of God, the pivot round which all the other divine attributes revolve the basis of the working of the universe and of the relations between God and man. Rabb (the Creator, Sustainer and Developer), Rahman (the Gracious), Rahim (the Merciful) and Maliki Yaum-ud-Din (Master of the Day of Judgment)—these attributes signify that after creating man God endowed him with the best capacities and capabilities, and provided the means and material needed for his physical, social,

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moral and spiritual development. Further, He made a provision that all labours and endeavours of man should have an ample reward. The chapter goes on to say that man has been created for ‘ibadat’, i.e., the worship of God and the attainment of His nearness, and that he constantly needs His help for the fulfillment of this supreme object of his creation. Then we have a comprehensive prayer in which all the urges of the human soul find full expression. The prayer teaches us that we should always seek and invoke the assistance of God that He may provide us with the means required for our success in this life and the life to come. And as man is apt to derive strength and encouragement from the good example of those noble and great souls who led successful lives in the past, he is taught to pray that just as by God’s help and assistance those righteous and God-fearing men achieved the object of their life, and their labours were crowned with success, God should open up for him also avenues of moral and spiritual progress. Finally, the prayer contains a warning that after having been led to the right path, man sometimes strays away from it, loses sight of his goal and becomes estranged from his Creator. We are taught to remain always on our guard and constantly seek God’s protection against any possible estrangement from Him. This is the subject which is put in a nutshell in Al-Fatiha, and this is the subject with which the Qur’an deals fully and comprehensively, citing numerous examples for the guidance of the reader. The chapter is introductory to the Qur’an. It is an epitome of the whole Book. Thus at the very beginning of his study, the reader knows in broad outline the subject he should expect to find in the Qur’an.

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Q-10. Do humans have a 'free-will' or is everything predestined. If predestined then why the judgment as per the Qur'an.

Pre-Destination is also known as Taqdeer in Islamic terminology. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an “And who so disbelieves in Allah and His angels and His books and His messengers and the last day, has surely strayed far away.” 4:137

He then further reaffirms that “Allah has created everything and has ordained for its proper measure.” 25:3

Islamic history reveals that the subject of Taqdeer has been misunderstood by many Muslim scholars. Throughout ages, this resulted in a common misconception that if everything has been predestined, then why is there a need for us to exert an effort? On the other end of the spectrum, another school of thought among Muslims of various ages has been that: if Allah has created us with different faculties then decree of Allah does not play any role in our day to day and our daily lives. An unbiased study of Muslim nations provides ample evidence on how incorrect interpretations of Taqdeer have damaged the Islamic society, and sadly continues to do so. When we believe in Allah, we believe in two concepts: the existence of Allah, and the in attributes of Allah

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When these attributes are in action, they form His decree. The meaning of Taqdeer, from the Arabic Lexicon of Lane I measured the thing, computed, or determined its quantity, measure, size, bulk, proportion. In the literal sense of the word, taqdeer or Qadarah means, he mediated, considered, exercised thought in arranging or preparing a thing or an affair. Either making use of his reason or building thereon. The doing of which is praiseworthy. Or according to his desire or appetite. The doing of which is qadarah. And then it further elaborated, by means of marks, where to cut it. He intended a thing or an affair, he determined upon it, he decreed, appointed, ordained, he destined or pre-destined a thing. All these are connotations of the word Taqdeer or Qadarah. Now, let us examine in detail, what is meant by belief in Allah. There are four fundamental points that must be understood: Allah is the creator of everything. The key word here is ‘Everything’. When we say everything it means that Allah is the Creator of everything in its entirety, whether we can perceive it or not; everything is included. There is nothing in the Universe that is outside the bounds of Allah’s creation. Allah has created everything. I wish to emphasize this fundamental point as because in some religions, the essence of God is not viewed as being a fundamental and absolute creator. For example, Hindu belief dictates that Allah is not the creator of Souls. In their view souls have co-existed with Allah from the beginning of time. Allah can take a soul and place it in a body but He cannot create them. The Holy Qur’an very strongly rejects this concept, and says that “Allah is the creator of everything”, 6:102 and 103. This statement is without any exception.

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This point is further elaborated and strongly emphasized in the Holy Qur’an as: “The Originator of the heavens and the earth! How can He have a son when He has no consort, and when He has created everything and has knowledge of all things? Such is Allah, your Lord. There is no God but He, the Creator of all things, so worship Him. And He is Guardian over everything”. 6:102-103

The second important point I would like to mention is that when Allah creates an entity, whether it has physical dimension or not, he creates a blueprint outlining this creation. This is a complete and faultless document, listing every detail of the creation and particulars of how the entity will function after its creation. This entity can be a bacterium, a germ whose life span is only a few seconds or it could be a planet - even a solar system or a galaxy is not outside Allah’s creation. Whatever Allah has created, it is reflective of His thoughtful planning and deep understanding. No entity has been created randomly and none can be created without the Will and Consent of Allah. I will illustrate the completeness and thoroughness of Rab-ul-Alameen’s creation and planning by an example. When Allah decided to create life on earth, he formulated a plan and put it in place for billions of years or even more. This plan will remain in action as long as Allah wills. The creation of life; Human or any specie, has gone through a perfect process of evolution and has arrived at the stage that we witness today. This is not by randomness or by chance. It is perfect planning. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an, chapter 25, verse 3: “He to Whom belongs the kingdom of the heavens and the earth. And He has taken on to Himself no son, and has no partner in the kingdom, and has created everything, and has ordained for it its proper measure”.

This is the gist of the concept of taqdeer. Allah has ordained everything. Every infinitesimal detail on how a creation occurs or that how that

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creature of God will function. To accentuate this point, Allah says in the Holy Qur’an. chapter 36, verse 39 – 41: “And the sun is moving on the course prescribed for it. That is the decree of the Almighty, the All-Knowing God. And for the moon We have appointed stages, till it becomes again like an old dry branch of a palm-tree. It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor can the night outstrip the day”.

In brief then, you can see the entirety of Allah’s plans. He has detailed, in great clarity, functioning of every creation including heavenly bodies. In that master plan Allah has also decreed how these creations will move towards their final destiny; the point at which every creation, every entity will become extinct. At this stage, the third fundamental point that I would like to highlight is that everything, except Allah, has a final destiny or an end. Indeed everything, without any exception, has a final destiny. As I mentioned earlier, everything has been created by Allah on the basis of a blueprint and a final destiny. Humans, for example, have longed for eternal life. Even if the advancement in medicine makes it possible for humans to live longer, there will eventually be an end to their physical existence. One cannot escape the ultimate fate that Allah has planned for any specie, be it human or a virus. As history is a witness, millions of species have died and this process of continuation of evolution will continue. Species will evolve and will reach their final destiny. The notion that Allah’s creations are now evolving independently, that is, without will of Allah is erroneous and flawed. Allah is not only the originator of everything, He is also the eradicator, as He clearly states in the Holy Qur’an, chapter 55, verses 27 to 28: “All that is on it (earth) will pass away. And there will remain only the Person of thy Lord, Master of Glory and Honor”.

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Further analysis into the subject of existence reveals that there was a time when nothing existed, except Allah; then He created this Universe, and should He choose, He may bring an end this universe. The following two quotes from the Holy Qur’an clarify this point. Firstly, from chapter 57, verse 4: “He is the First and the Last, and the Manifest and the Hidden, and He knows all things full well”.

Secondly, from chapter 30, verse 9: “Do they not reflect in their own minds? Allah has not created the heavens and the earth and all that is between the two but in accordance with the requirements of wisdom for a fixed term. But many among men believe not in the meeting of their Lord”.

Now to the fourth fundamental point in this regard. The laws of nature are part of Allah’s decree. So whatever Allah has created, Allah has made corresponding laws that govern its existence. Many laws are now known to us, and many more are yet unknown. It is Allah, who has created these boundaries of knowledge and abilities. For example, a person may intend to become a weight lifter. To this end he improves his abilities and becomes the best weight lifter in the world. However, there is an upper limit that he cannot exceed. Similarly, a person who is a sprinter can become the fastest man on earth; ever improving by perhaps a fraction of a second, but even in that case there will be an upper limit. There are natural laws, for example, that fire will burn or the water will extinguish the fire. There are millions of these laws of Nature which form boundaries around us. They are part of the laws that Allah has already decreed. Sometimes, however, we notice a deviation in the law. This divergence does not, in any sense, mean that Allah is breaking the law. They merely represent execution of laws that are not known to us. These hitherto laws are triggered by factors which are not known to us. Allah says in Chapter 2, verse 118 says:

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“He is the Originator of the heavens and the earth. When He decrees a thing, He does only say to it, ‘Be!’ and it is”.

From this verse one should not understand that everything is created suddenly. Kun Fayakoon means that he says BE and it starts happening and it starts taking its shape, in accordance with the blueprint designed by Allah. We can take the example f the long process of evolution which has taken place on this earth, started when Allah said ‘Kun’. The process is still continuing and will keep evolving for as long as Allah wills, and remains subservient to the complete and absolute desire of Allah. In summary, Kun Fayakoon does not mean that Allah says and things happen suddenly. This is a misconception. Therefore, summarizing the fundamental points regarding the decree of Allah or Taqdeer, one can say that we do not have freewill in these matters. Firstly, Allah is the creator and he controls every creation. Secondly, we cannot change the blueprint that Allah has created to govern his creations. Thirdly, we cannot control creations and we do not have knowledge of how the things will eventually end. For example, we do not know our life span, we do not know how the life on earth will end, we do not know when this solar system will end, we do not know when the stars will die, we do not know whether this whole universe will end or not. However, everything is known to Allah and everything is controlled by Allah. Hence, in this Taqdeer, we cannot assume absolute freewill or contemplate having control, whether partial or full, over His creations, over the governance of His creations and over the final destiny of these creations. The laws of nature, as I discussed earlier form a boundary. Think of a horse that is tied to a pole with a long rope. That horse is free within the defined boundaries or extension of the rope. It is not free to escape the perimeter enforced by the rope. This is a boundary.

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So we can say that there are boundaries of the spiritual laws or the laws of nature and we cannot go out of those boundaries. We can benefit by learning and respecting them. However, if a person says that he does not believe that fire can harm him and is willing to jump into the fire, he must realize that he is trying to cross a boundary established by Allah. Therefore he cannot escape death. Now, coming to the second aspect of my topic, the question to be considered is what is freedom? And what is free will? The description we find in laws of Shariah or the laws of religion is clarified by Allah as “And if Allah had enforced his will, He would have made you all one people.”

5:49 As history is witness, Allah does not enforce His will. Should He have willed He would have forced all humans to accept the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him). However, He did not compel humans. In accordance with His rules, He gave humans a choice, whether to believe or disbelieve. A basic analysis of the Holy Qur’an reveals the rules established by Allah regarding free will. In chapter 18 verses 30 Allah says, “Let him who will believe and let him who will disbelieve.”

Then He says in 2:57, “There should be no compulsion in matters of religion.

In the matters of religious laws Allah has given the choice. That choice, however, is based on the wisdom that if you make the right choice you will be rewarded and you will have a peaceful eternal life. It will be a serene life that will be much superior then this worldly life. Conversely, if you decide to choose to disbelieve in the revelation of Allah, you should fully understand the rules that govern that decision. By choosing to disobey Allah, you would have to accept the penalty.

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The exercise of free will in this case should not be viewed as a punishment. It is not that Allah is angry and that He will punish you because of your choice. It should be noted that Shariah is very clear about this matter. When Allah gives you free choice, He clearly explains the benefits and disadvantages of each option. The choice, in the end, is yours. Now, let us analyze another common misconception about Taqdeer. People say that if Allah knows what I will do tomorrow, how can I have free will? Or if Allah knows about all the sins I am going to commit in my life how do I have free will? One should try to understand the above two questions in light of the teachings of Shariah and Hadith. Allah’s knowledge of the past, present and future is complete and there is no limit to His knowledge. He knows what happened from time immemorial and knows what will happen in the future, be it tomorrow or a billion years from now. However, Allah chooses not to disclose his knowledge on daily basis, because of the free will that he has decreed. I’ll illustrate this by means of an example. Assume you are standing on top of a multistory building and you observe a child running towards the road. You also observe a car coming towards the child and you can see that various obstructions on the road do not allow the driver to see that a child is in the path of collision. Your knowledge tells you that the accident is imminent and that is exactly what happens. Are you, then, responsible for the accident? No. Your knowledge, as an observer is complete, however, it is the choice of the child to run towards the road. It is in the power of the driver to stop, but that does not happen. Likewise, Allah’s knowledge is complete, and one cannot say that Allah’s knowledge is responsible for the sins of humankind. People also demand that if Allah knows that a certain type of crime is going to be committed then He should stop it. If Allah knows that there is murderer who is going to kill an innocent person; who will leave a widow or an orphan child, He should stop the murderer, because he has the power. Nevertheless, this is exactly what Allah says that I do not do

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on daily basis because He has given you free will and He does not do this normally until and unless there is a special Taqdeer which comes into play and which is triggered on special occasions. Make no mistake, Allah can stop all the crimes and Allah can make this world a beautiful world without any crimes or without any sins, but He says that He has chosen not to do that because He want to see who are the people who follow His commandments and who are the ones who don’t. So perhaps we can say that we live in a boundary stipulated by Allah. Consequently, a person cannot say that he will live for a thousand years or that he will defy the laws of nature. Every one of us is encircled in that boundary. This outer line of this boundary is pre destination. It implies that everything has been fixed, he has to die on a certain day and he has to go through all those activities which Allah has pre-destined. But then Allah has given him free will so that he can make the right choice or he can opt for another course of action on a daily basis. We witness this phenomenon on a daily basis.

Q-11. Is the Qur'anic message outdated, does it need updating or is for all times?

THE HOLY QUR’AN CONTAINS LASTING TEACHINGS

98:4. Wherein are lasting commandments. Do you not see how Allah sets forth the similitude of a good word? It is like a good tree, whose root is firm and whose branches reach into heaven. It brings forth its fruit at all times by the command of its Lord. And Allah sets forth )similitudes for men that they may reflect. (Ibraheem-14:25, 26 Say, ‘If the ocean became ink for the words of my Lord, surely, the ocean would be exhausted before the words of my Lord came to an end, even though We )brought the likes thereof as further help’. (Al-Kahaf 18:110

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And if all the trees that are in the earth were pens, and the ocean were ink, with seven oceans swelling it thereafter, the words of Allah would not be exhausted. Surely, Allah is Mighty, Wise.

These are not mere claims but supported with strong evidences of scientific information like ‘Embryology; Origin of life from water; Age of maturity etc. contained in the Holy Quran discovered by modern science and the prophecies fulfilled in recent times like nuclear holocaust; finger prints; environmental pollution establishment of Israel; genetic engineering; roads in mountains; modern transport systems; establishment of zoo; linking of oceans; modern communication systems; rights of women; publication and spread of books; extra-terrestrial life; and air traffic system. Q-12. What is your view on Halala marriage in light of the Qur'an?

The verse 2:231 refers to the third and final pronouncement of divorce after which the husband loses all right of reunion with his wife unless the divorced woman marries another man and establishes conjugal relations with him, and is then formally divorced by him or he dies, leaving her free to marry another man. By the inclusion of this provision in the law of divorce, Islam has, on the one hand, enhanced the sanctity of the marriage tie which must not be trifled with and has declared unlawful the evil practice of ‘halala’; and on the other, it has afforded yet another opportunity to the couple who once had lived as husband and wife to become reunited if they so desired. The practice of halala referred to above consists in a divorced woman marrying a man, other than her former husband, with the object of obtaining divorce from him and thereby making herself lawful for the former husband. Islam condemns this practice as a thing accursed (Tirmidhi ch. on Nikah) and enjoins that marriage with and divorce from another husband must both be genuine.

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