Can We Separate God from Government?

In the name of God, the entirely merciful, the especially merciful

"So direct your face toward the way of life that is pure, the nature of God  is the nature of the people upon which He has created them. No change should there be in the creation of God. That is the established way of life, but most of the people do not know." ( Quran 30:30)


John Locke’s second treatise of civil government is one of the turning points in world politics, because most of the governments before his writings professed a state religion and ruled under the laws of God. However, he argued that although authority comes from God, the laws come from men and nature, and hence religions should not be mixed with government. If we want to know the impact of his writings on the west, we should count the significant size countries today, in the west, which derives their constitution from God’s laws, and implements. Answer is none. There is no significant western government left today, who defies John Locke’s ideology. John Locke’s theories did overlap with goals of Islam, and in some cases can be the model of Islamic countries to follow, but his argument to remove God’s authority in legislation brings it odds with Islamic Creed, where all power rests with Allah (God). Since this topic is very large to cover, let us look at two major areas where John Locke’s treatise were very effective  His focus on separation of religion and state and nature of slavery are the two prominent themes that worth discussing.

John Locke’s second treatise is an attempt to explain the rationale behind a civil government, and its authority. He establishes the theory on something called “state of nature”, which men are born in, where they have absolute freedom. However, he, then, points out that absolute freedom by everyone is not sustainable, so he argues that an alternative has to be achieved to maximize the freedom. In theory, he admits God’s authority over men to create law, as he says “In transgressing the law of nature, the offender declares himself to live by another rule than that of reason and common equity, which is that measure God has set to the actions of men, for their mutual security” (Chapter 2 Second Treatise). So, he is admitting that men are born in state of nature which is created by God, and hence God’s laws govern men. This is in complete accordance with Islamic understanding that every human is born in the state of “fitrah” (nature), as the Prophet (PBUH) stated “No one is born except they are upon natural instinct; then his parents turn him into a Jew or Christian or Magian;” (Sahih Muslim, Book 33, Number 6423).

In reality, John Loche never argues for a secular government free of any religion, but instead he argues for a civil government free of tyranny, which, he thinks, can only be achieved through civil government, where men coming together and setting up laws based on “reason” and “natural law”. While describing the legislative process that would govern a society, he says “for the law of nature being unwritten, and so nowhere to be found but in the minds of men” (Chapter 11 Second Treatise). This is where he makes the mistake that many of us make on a daily basis. We consider our senses and reasoning to be the basis of reality, but there is a lot that we can’t sense and understand in the nature, so how can people come together and create a government, when none of them knows the affects of polygyny (a man marrying two women) on the society. Should that be allowed? Or should it be banned. Of course not. What about Polyandry (a woman marrying two men). Should it be allowed? New scientific research can find the true father of a child, so is that ban from God obsolete now? Of course not. God has given us certain rules that defy our reasoning, but in his infinite wisdom are good for us. John, after admitting that God is the source of nature, he omits to mention how he knows that. Of course, he is a man of faith, which is clear in all of his writings. His theory coincides with Islam in all aspects, except the fact that, God has given us some basic rules, and they cannot be overruled by civil government. So, Islam is not a religion, but the laws of original state of men, which John Locke admires, and no government should have an official religion, agreed, but, at the same time, no government can establish laws that go against laws of nature set by God, some of them we cannot perceive completely, but are defined in Islam.

Chapter four of John’s treatise exclusively discusses about slavery, and he makes the point that Islam makes to humankind, which is that free will is not to do as you like, but to have limited freedom under the law that balances the rights of everyone. He says, “Freedom then is not what Sir Robert Filmer tells us, … a liberty for everyone to do what he lists, to live as he pleases, and not to be tied by any laws: but freedom of men under government is, to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society…” (Chapter 4 Second Treatise). Furthermore, John distinguishes between slavery under Judeo-Islamic Law and slavery by trans-Atlantic traders, because slavery by itself is not oppression, as the slave in Judeo-Islamic law becomes slave by a concession given to them by the conquering army by sparing their life in return of their service to the master, and the master has limited rights, and cannot kill him or torture him. So, slavery is an extension of laws governing the debt and war, and man is not absolutely free, because most of us are always under a command of someone else (e.g. government), and slavery if regulated properly is part of that obligation (Locke and Slavery Article). In Judeo-Islamic slavery, a slave was treated as part of the family, and had certain rights, and the owner might work alongside the slave. However, in America, slaves were treated as non-humans, and they have lost all their human rights completely. Islam did not prohibited slavery, but established rights of slaves and owners to an extent that, slavery was no more than a service contract, and an alternative to killing and imprisonment during wars and indebtedness. Judaism and Islam forbid the type of slavery that existed in the America.

In conclusion, western civilization is in decline due to the materialistic ideals they adopted from John Locke and other like him, without understanding his context and adapting his theories as a whole, who argue that the laws are based on reason and laws of nature tangible to us, and since this world govern by the laws of nature, God’s laws are not proven as the truth, and hence the safety limits that God placed on us were removed. How can one admit existence of God, and not the laws he gave in Islam, which were the foundations of the golden age? For example, men are being allowed to rent money and speculatively trade a single property multiple times, which creates a self eating cycle that can only be controlled by keep increasing the rate of “riba” (renting money) and “gambling trades”, but it can reach a critical mass and explode, as it happened in 2008. John Locke’s second treatise is a very impressing and foretelling piece of writing, but his lack of understanding of the connection between nature and God’s laws renders it a flawed theory, in the end. Islam already encapsulates all the good contained in John Locke’s theory, and is the best solution for humanity today.

Thanks,
Law abiding citizen
AbuArman (Adnan) Jumani

References

1. The Second Treatise of Civil Government: 1690: John Locke
2. Locke and slavery: An Article: http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/phl302/distance_arc/locke/locke-slavery-lec.html
3. http://www.constitution.org/jl/2ndtreat.htm
4. Sahih Muslim: Compiled by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj

Importance of Electronic Communication in Islam

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

"Verily, we have sent down the Reminder, and, verily, we will guard it" (Quran 1:59)

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was the final prophet to come, Quran is the final revelation, and Islam is the final set of rules from Allah, and there will be no more amendments, or updates coming. If we think about this for a second, this is a very important part of the message of Islam. Every other religion came before it was localized in time and place, and then another Prophet will come to replace the earlier one, and new set of rules may come down to match the situation of that nation. However, it changed with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), and he was given something that had to last until Qiyamah. So, how can an Arab living in a desert, who can not read or write, will set an example for all humanity to follow until the end of days?

Answer is very simple that Allah chose Islam as a religion for mankind, and he is the Most Wise. He selected the best of the human being to present the best way of life. Islam has survived more than 1434 years because, it does not prohibit scientific research and development, rather it makes it part of faith to benefit from new ideas and inventions, as long as they don't go against the principles of Islam. Following ahadith shows this point clearly.


Narrated Zaid bin Thabit al-Ansari, one of the scribes of the Revelation: Abu Bakr sent for me after the casualties among the warriors (of the battle) of Yamama (where a great number of Qurra (memorizers of the Quran, were killed)...Abu Bakr said to me (Zaid bin Thabit): You are a wise young man and we do not suspect you (of telling lies or of forgetfulness) and you used to write the Divine Inspiration for Allah's Apostle. Therefore, look for the Qur'an and collect it (in one manuscript)'...So I started locating the Quranic material and collecting it from parchments, scapula, leafstalks of date palms and from the memories of men (who know it by heart)..." (Bukhari 6:201)


Narrated Anas bin Malik: Hudhaifa bin Al-Yaman came to Uthman at the time when the people of Sham (Syria) and the people of Iraq were waging war to conquer Armenia and Azherbijan. Hudhaifa was afraid of their differences in the recitation of the Quran, so he said to Uthman, 'O chief of the Believers! Save this nation before they differ about the Book (Quran) as Jews and Christians did before'... 'Uthman then ordered Zaid bin Thabit, 'Abdullah bin Az-Zubair, Said bin Al-As and Abdur Rahman bin Harith bin Hisham to rewrite the manuscripts in perfect copies (in Qureyshi tongue)... Uthman sent to every Muslim province one copy ... and ordered that all the other Quranic materials whether written in fragmentary manuscripts or whole copies, be burnt..." (Bukhari 6:510)

 When Umar (RA)  and Abu Bakr came to Zaid bin Thabit, and asked him to compile Quranic verse in a single text, they were basically recognizing that Islam will not be preserved if it is not recorded in its entirety in one place as a back up copy. (Bukhari 6:201) Then, Uthman (RA) recognized that oral recitation of the Quran is being debated, and there is a need to standardize the Quran as a written form. He asked Zaid bin Thabit and a few others to make several copies and sent to all corner of the world.

Similarly, we have to recognize that if we want to survive as a community, we need to take the aid of everything available. In our generation, every organization and community is using electronic media to preserve, and share their message, which is very powerful than other forms of primitive communication. Just like many of us have text of Quran at home now, which was the adoption to new medium,  it is an obligation of the muslim community to "upgrade" the Ummah to the 21st century. Websites, emails, and other software and internet based portals are very powerful tools, and not utilizing in the service of a masjid is like not having any text of Quran in the masjid. There are basically three benefits of using websites and emails for a muslim community, which are the most convincing ones.

First benefit is the power of availability and accessibility of the internet, which means if there is an effort requiring funds for the masjid, anyone around the world could know about it, and respond to it. Also, community members can access the information they are looking for from anywhere at anytime. Events can be organized with a simple effort, and notification can be sent to people without any expense to the masjid.

Second benefit is to preserve the message and communication. In fact, it is an obligation for every Muslim to practice Islam, and make every effort to preserve Islam for the next generations to come. If properly setup, electronic media is much more reliable and long lasting than physical media. If there is a message posted on a notice board of the masjid, it will be replaced soon, or fall off, or wear of. However, a website post will stay there for as long as we want it to be available.  For example, prayer time table can be posted on the website and accessible easily. This sounds an obvious thing, but it is worth mentioning.

Third but not least benefit is that message of Islam and community can be reached to people who don't come to masjid that often, or do not have enough time to volunteer. It is vital to reach out to people who are available online, and attract them to the masjid, and having a website and electronic communication can do that. Every organization in the world has a web presence now, and not having a website for the masjid, is like not having any sign or markings outside the building of the masjid that people can use to find the masjid.

Actually, these benefits are so common now that almost everyone is aware of it. Moreover, these are just top three benefits of electronic communication within Muslim community, but we could list hundreds of them without covering all. If the Prophet (PBUH), or Umar or Abu Bakr were alive today, they would have certainly taken advantage of internet and electronic media to preserve, share, and preach Islam. Many of us struggle to keep up with the community, so bringing the community closer to the Muslims will serve the purpose, which Allah has assigned to us.

JazakAllah Khairin

How doubts can lead you astray?

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

Following is a very common but important discussion, in the words of a scholar himself.

I had an informal discussion a few days ago with former Muslim from Chennai who had become an atheist and the first question he asked me was why Allah created human beings and this world. So, I suggested to him that, perhaps there was an even bigger question that he should ask, as the earth and its inhabitants are less than a speck in the galaxy, which is itself only a speck in the universe. I proposed that, instead, it would be better to ask why Allah created.

The athiest from Chennai then said to me, "Okay, so why did God create?" I responded saying, "He created because He is the Creator. Creators create. Creation is the natural consequence of having the attribute of being the Creator." A creator who creates is superior to a creator who doesn't create. For example, if someone told you that she was a painter and you asked her to show you one of her pain
tings and she said she hadn't painted any, you would probably think to yourself, "Is she kookoo, or what?" He still wanted to ask, "Okay, but why did He create?" I wanted to ask him, "Why did the Sun shine? Isn't that just what suns do?" But he switched the topic back to why did God create human beings, before I could verbalize my thought.

The purpose of telling the atheist that Allah created because He was the Creator - that the act of creation is a manifestation of His attribute of being the Creator, was to remove the concept of creation out of need from the discussion. As human beings, we make or create things out of a need we have for them. Allah, the Almighty Creator, has NO NEED. All creation needs Him and depends on Him for their existence, sustenance, etc. However, inspite of making that clear from the beginning, we will find the atheist coming back to this point, time and time again in the course of our discussion.

So the atheist from Chennai cut my response and asked me, "Let's go back to the original question, 'Why did Allah create human beings?' " I told him, "God created human beings for Paradise, but He gave them a free will to choose to go or not to go." However, because that was a fair reason and the act of a benevolent God, he went to the answer he wanted to hear me say, "I thought God created humans to worship and serve him? Isn't that what the Qur'aan says?" I answered, "Yes. That is true, but it should be understood within the context of His creating them for Paradise." He tuned out the second part of my answer and then said what he wanted to say from the very beginning of our conversation, "I can't believe in a God that needs people to worship him. Like a dictator who takes pleasure in his subjects blindly obeying him or a like tyrant who, due to his own insecurities, forces his people to bow down and worship him."

I reminded the Chennai Atheist that I had already pointed out earlier that God did NOT create out of a need. Creation is only a manifestation of His attribute of being the Creator. Furthermore, tyrants and dictators demand obedience for their own agrandizement and material benefit, and what they demand obedience to is mostly not good. On the other hand, Allah prescribed worship, which is a way of life and not merely prayers, in order for people to live good lives and thereby facilitate their paths to paradise for which they were created.

The atheist then digressed saying that there was no need for obedience to religious laws as all countries now had legal systems. So I pointed out to him that many man-made laws are subjective and not objective. Each ruling party makes laws in their own interest, and when they are overthrown, the new party or ruler changes the laws to suit their own interests. Only God, who created humankind and knows their natural needs can make laws which are truly objective, as He has no bias or special interests.

The Chennai Atheist then changed the topic to the concept of evil in a world created by a good God. He asked, “How do you explain AIDS babies? What fault is it of theirs that their parents had AIDS and they are born into this world in suffering only to die before maturity? What did they do to deserve such punishment?” I responded saying that I agreed with him that AIDS was not the child’s fault. The AIDS babies become a test for the adults around them. Either the challenge of looking after such babies will bring out their higher human qualities of love, care, sympathy and concern for the welfare of the less fortunate - which would earn those who displayed them immeasurable rewards - or it was a wakeup call for those who had become heedless to the realities of life in the same way that death sometimes wakes people up, or it was a punishment for those who had caused their infection due to their corrupt lifestyle. However, it was not a punishment for the children as they had done nothing to deserve it.

“How is that fair?” the atheist asked, “How is that fair that an AIDS child suffers and dies in childhood?” I thought for a moment, “In the larger scheme of life, we really don’t know what would have happened if the child grew up. We have no idea of what evil he or she might have done later or what greater evil might have happened to them, so that dying early spared others from their potential evil or they were spared from the potential evil of others.” But before I could discuss this thought, the atheist from Chennai went on to another related point, “Some people are put on an easy track to paradise by being born in Muslim families, while others are put on a swift track to hell by being born in non-Muslim families. How is that fair?” I responded saying, “Being born in a Muslim family is no guarantee of Paradise, because Islam cannot be inherited like a nationality or ethnicity. Islam is a spiritual choice and decision which each and every Muslim must make for it to be real and of benefit. Due to the fact that so many Muslims today are cultural Muslims who only practice Islam externally according to custom oftentimes mixed with shirk (worshipping others besides God or along with God), finding real Islam may be even more difficult for a “born-Muslim” to find than for a non-Muslim. As quiet as it is kept, there will be many many people in Hell with the names, Muhammad and Fatimah.”

I went on to explain that the Prophet (pbuh) had explained that at the end of the world, while the mass of humankind are being resurrected for judgment, all those children who died before puberty and maturity along with all others who did not hear the true message of Islam – whether in the times of the previous prophets (may God’s peace be upon them all), or after the time of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) – those who were retarded, deaf or senile, or to whom the message came so garbled that they could not possibly understand its truths, all would be resurrected together in the prime of their youth and with all of their faculties. After their resurrection they would see before themselves a wall of blazing fire and a messenger will come out from the fire and explain in detail the main message of all the prophets of God; to worship God alone through obedience to His commands. Following that, he will instruct them to enter the fire from which he came, and they will all move towards it, but its roaring heat and burning flames will turn many back. In spite of that, some people will walk into it and appear to be burned up completely. Others will try to enter repeatedly, each time running back from fire’s ferocity. Eventually, when all who entered were finished and only those who did not remained, those who remained will stop trying and simply refuse to enter. The Prophet (pbuh) explained that those who entered would go straight on to paradise, while those who refused to enter are those who, had they received the clear message in this life, would have rejected faith and died disbelievers.

The atheist from Chennai then questioned the validity of Islam in general saying, “Islam existed only 1400 years ago, so why should we follow this message which has obviously been extracted from previous older books of Christianity (2,000 years ago) and Judaism (5,000+ years ago)?” I replied, “According to Muslim belief, Islam did not come into existence 1,400 years ago with Muhammad (pbuh), but with the first human beings. It is the same manual of life given to the father and mother of humankind, and reintroduced whenever people strayed from the message over the generations of human existence. As to the Qur’aan being extracts from Torah and the Gospels, that is one possible interpretation of the similarities. The other interpretation is that due to all of them coming from the same source, there will be shared information. At any rate, higher criticism of the Bible and modern research have revealed that the “Torah” was written by more than one author and contains many contradictions, and the over 5,000 manuscripts of the Gospels have no two manuscripts agreeing on all the details. Furthermore, these manuscripts are in Greek, and Jesus and his disciples spoke Aramaic and the very authors of the Gospels are unknown. On the other hand, the Qur’aan, which has only one version, has withstood all academic scrutiny thereby confirming its originality. Also, the Qur’aan’s many verses containing modern scientific data strongly and clearly point towards its divine origin. So following it instead of the earlier revelations which have become distorted and changed simply makes good sense, if one is to choose a revealed book to follow. Finally, if one were to look historically at what happened to Christianity in terms of following the teachings and practice of Jesus (peace be upon him), it would become very clear that Christianity is a different religion from what Jesus (pbuh) brought and taught. Islam on the other hand, has remained virtually unchanged over the centuries. The way Muslims pray today is the same way that Muhammad (pbuh) taught his followers 1,400 years ago. Likewise, the way Muslims fast, perform pilgrimage, etc. have all remained in their original form. The final revelation of Islam has remained in its original form and will remain that way until the end of this world.”

The final parting question which the Chennai atheist asked me questioned the logic of the Qur’aan’s divine preservation. He said, “If God is all powerful, why didn’t he preserve the previous books of revelation when he could have easily preserved all of them?” I responded saying, “Of course if Allah wished to preserve all of them He could easily have done so, just as He could have prevented Satan from tempting Adam and Eve. However, because the earlier prophets (may God’s peace be upon them all) were sent to particular people, in particular locations for particular periods of time, and prophets were sent after them, there was no need to preserve them. Allowing them to change the texts of the earlier scriptures was part of the test faced by the earlier generations. However, since Allah decided to end the line of prophets with Muhammad (pbuh), his book of revelation had to be preserved along with his living interpretation of the scripture called his “way” (Sunnah), in order for the eternal message of Islam to remain accessible to humankind until the end of the world. Furthermore, the final scripture was also divinely preserved as the Last Prophet’s standing miracle for people of this world until the Last Day. The main miracles of the earlier prophets, which were tangible proofs to the people of their own era that they were in fact prophets of God, can no longer be witnessed today (e.g., Noah’s Ark, Moses’ staff, parting of the Red Sea, etc. and Jesus’ revival of the dead, giving sight to the blind, etc.). So, Allah made the main miracle of the final prophet, a literary miracle which would remain as proof for all the generations of human beings and the Jinn to come.”

Time ran out, and the Chennai atheist and I parted gracefully. No, he did not return to Islam as far as I know, as this discussion took place only a few weeks ago. Do pray for him. At any rate, the goal on my part was not his conversion, but merely providing reasonable and logical Islamic answers for his Islam-related questions which he could not find previously. Whether, he accepted them or not, was not my responsibility, as Allah told Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and all the believers, “You cannot guide those whom you would love to guide. Allah guides those whom He wishes.” (Soorah al-Qasas, 28:56) And He also said, “Your responsibility is to convey the message, and it is I who will take people to account.” (Soorah ar-Ra’d, 13:40)

Dr. Bilal Philips

Education: The missing link

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, the knower of All


“Read and your Lord is Most Honorable, who taught (to write) with the pen, who taught man what he knew not.”  (Qur’an, 96-3-5)



“Only those from amongst His servants who possess knowledge are the ones who fear Allah; surely Allah is Mighty Most Forgiving.”
(Qur’an, 35:28)

Also Anas Radiyallahu ‘anhu related that the Messenger of Allah Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: “Seeking of knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.” (Ibn Majah, graded as Sahih by Shiekh Albani)


I was listening to one of my Profressor, who was teaching us comparative religions, and he brought a wonderful point, and it just penetrated my heart. He said that education has three roles in a culture. It can preserve the culture, it can transfer the culture, and it can transform the culture. Just like other groups, Islam has a culture and for it to survive, education need to be established. On the surface, it could be obivous to some, but it has deep impact on our survival. Education is nothing but acquiring knowledge with its correct understanding. Islamic culture welcomes all other cultures, except when they contradict the Islamic culture.

Of course, there are two type of knowledge that we have. One is revealed knowledge that was revealed by Allah through messengers, and it is the most reliable knowledge, because once we know that it is truly from Allah, it becomes the absolute truth. Other type of knowledge is emperical knowledge that we acheive through our experiences like what we perceive, what we measure, what we observe, etc. Emperical knowledge is less reliable, because there is a chance of error, and we are always revising it.

Both are important. Emperical knowledge will benefit us in this world which is our home till death. It is our obligation to seek the knowledge of this world to benefit ourselves and others. Most importantly, Revealed knowledge will benefit us in this world as well as in the life after death.

As we know that Islam is not a religion but a way of life, and every way of life has a culture, and this way of life can only survive if the education fulfils the above three rules. If one of them are missing, it falls short, and could damage Islam. Usually, when I visit the masjid or listen to "religious" scholars, they are transfering the knowledge. Some of them may be preserving the knowledge, and others may not be preserving it. However, most of them do not transform the knowledge according to the audience and situation.

Abu Hurairah Radiyallahu ‘anhu narrated that The Prophet Sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam said: “Whoever seeks a way to acquire knowledge Allah will make easy his way to paradise.” (Trimidhi # 2655)

But, if a Muslim does not seek knowledge, they make it almost impossible for themselves to enter paradise. They will not be aware of the commands of Allah and prohibitions, and will commit sin. On the other hand, if a Muslim seek out knowledge, they are helped by Allah, as mentioned in the above hadith. So, if a person is sincere, why wouldn't they seek out the knowledge. In this case the whole chain is broken, so most of the links are missing.

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "... The superiority of the learned over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave (no monetary inheritance), they leave only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion. - Sunan of Abu-Dawood, Hadith 1631


Aisha reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said, “Whoever performs a deed that is not in accordance with our matter will have it rejected.” [Sahih Muslim, Book 18, Number 4266]


Once a Muslim starts to seek knowledge, this knowledge should be preserving Islam by only including what comes from Quran and Sunnah, and it does not include additions in revealed knowledge. If the Islamic culture is preserved in this education, it can survive that generation, and be available for the next generation. It is one of the missing link that prevent Muslims from progressing. Most don't trust the knowledge because it is tainted with innovations, and hence don't seek it.

"Truly, Allah does not remove Sacred Knowledge by taking it out of servants, but rather by taking back the souls of Islamic scholars [in death], until, when He has not left a single scholar, the people take the ignorant as leaders..." (Sahih Bukhari Book of Knowledge Hadith # 100)

Then, this preserved knowledge should be transferred to the next generation, which will ensure the survival  of Islam from generation to generation, and death of scholars will not result in loss of knowledge. This does not happen in the most household where parents are knowledgable. The parents will go to the classes, but they do not sit with their kids and explain them what Allah has commanded, and why we should follow it. This is one of the missing link that prevent Muslims from progressing

“And We have not sent you (Mohammed) except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind, but most men know not.” (Quran 34:28)

Preserving the knowledge and transferring the knowledge is not enough, because knowledge is useless if not applied in practice. However, the culture, and lifestyles evolve with time and place, and one applicaiton of the knowledge may not work in other circumstances, so knowledge has to be transformed into appropriate applicaiton for the situation. This is where most knowledgable folks slip, and cause damage to Islam. One group is so reluctant to transform that they create incompatible version of Islamic culture that does not work for a certain society, although it is not due to contradiction to basic tenants. Other group transform the knowledge unconditionally to assimilate with the situation so much that Islamic culture loses its foundation and Islam is lost. Correct path is to allow transformation without compromising the fundamentals of Islam. This path is called ijtihad or search for answer.

The saying of the Prophet (saw) when he sent Mu’az as Qadi to Yemen: “By what will you pass judgement?’ He said: By the Book of Allah. The Prophet (saw) said: If you do not find it there? He said: By the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (saw) .He said: And if you do not find it ? He said: 'I will exercise my own ijtihad’ He (saw) said: ‘Praise be to Allah who has made the messenger of the Messenger of Allah to accord with what Allah and His Messenger loves.” [Ahmad: 5/230, Abu Dawud:3592, at-Tirmizi:1327]

“Say, my Lord, increase me in Knowledge.” (Qur’an, 20:114)

I would like to end with a personal story. When I was a child, my school, National High School in Karachi, Pakistan, had a logo, which was on our uniform and everywhere else in the school. In this logo, there was a sentence that I really liked. It said, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge". I didn't know that it was part of Quran, because no one really teaches Quran to their kids in our family. We just learned how to read the Arabic, but never go back and read it or taught the meaning. Quran was more like a sacred book that was wrapped in a cloth and stored in a secret location. I used to repeat that sentence all the time, and it just became part of my habbit and it will always at my tongue when I am free. It was catchy, and beautiful, and short.

Also, I was very short in stature, and was afraid to remain a short person, so I will always make two duas. One was to have height of  5 feet 6 inches, and other to have my knowledge increased. Alhamdulilah, both of these duas were accpeted, and my height today is exactly 5 feet 6 inches, and Allah has increased my knowledge in revelations, and my emperical knowledge. I suggest to all my brothers and sisters to make their utmost goal to seek knowledge, and best of the knowledge is revealed knowledge.

If you don't seek knowledge of Islam, you are certainly among the losers. Why not make the intention to find an online school, a book, a teacher, or some other means to start seeking knowledge regularly and consistently. Of course, after you acquire it, apply that knowledge, otherwise it is like the money you earned but never spent.


Jazakallah Khairin

AbuArman Jumani
A seeker of knowledge

Are Women Prohibited to Drive in Islam?

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Specially Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of Mankind (male and female)

Islamic Center of Windermere:  Door to Door drive will begin, InshAllah, on July 14, 2012 at 5 PM, and continue until we cover all the communities. We need to select a person responsible for each community, so please let me know if you like to volunteer. 407-873-2187

After writing my last article, I received a comment from one of my dear brothers, who was worried that we may be drinking water with urine in it. So, let us investigate what is the truth. Following is his comment.

'' Islam does not ask us to ban women from driving''.  

Unfortunately this (driving ) of women [art of your article is not permitted in Islaam as it is against the laws of Hijaab.

Your article is 97% water mixed with 3% urine.

Therefore not good for Muslims consumption.

Wsalaam

This brother is claiming that women driving a car is against the laws of hijab. In fact, Saudi Arabia bans women from driving, so he is not alone, and many Muslims seems to believe this. If a woman wants to go for grocery with her kids to the market, she is breaking the laws of hijab? If a woman goes to masjid, she is breaking the laws of hijab? If a woman drives with her husband sitting next to her, she is breaking the laws of hijab? How can that be? What laws of hijab are these? Are they mentioned in the Quran, or the Sunnah, or agreed upon by major scholars?

In fact, a little bit of investigation reveals that prohibiting women from driving is more of a cultural influence, and a minority opinion. There is no prohibition in Islam for a woman to go out alone and ride. In the following hadith, wife of Umar ibn AlKhattab (RA) goes out to the masjid, even when he did not give explicit permission. He was the strictest believer regarding hijab, and even complaint to the Prophet (PBUH) regarding his wives, and hence some of the orders of hijab were revealed.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Sa'id that 'Atika bint Zayd ibn 'Amr ibn Nufayl, the wife of 'Umar al-Khattab, used to ask 'Umar ibn al-Khattab for permission to go to the mosque. He would keep silent, so she would say, "By Allah, I will go out, unless you forbid me," and he did not forbid her. (Muwatta Malik Book 14 Hadith 14.5.14)

There are other incidents where women came to masjid alone, and Umar knew about it.When Umar himself didn't prohibit women from travelling within the city alone, who else is more pious and understanding then him that can stand up and claim that women should not go out.

Banning women from driving is based on the fear that it will lead to immorality in the society, and it is certainly possible. Just like women going to masjid can lead to immorality. Just like women going to Hajj can lead to immorality. Just like allowing women to walk on the same street with man can lead to immorality. Just like allowing women to go to school can lead to immorality. Just like women working on the battlefield can lead to immorality. There are so many things that could lead to immorality that if we ban these, we will be enslaving women. Is that what Islam want us to do?

In fact, Saudi  Arabia bans women, because it goes against their culture norms, and it is no different than women being banned from masajid in Pakistan, and girls being banned from being educated in Afghanistan. These are not based on Islamic laws, but laws created to satisfy the cultural requirements.

Honestly, it is men feeling insecure and paranoid about the women, and I saw how a man behaved when a woman entered the masjid from the main door. His skin turns pale, eyes widened, face frowned, but the same person I know owns a gift shop where half naked women and covered women come and buy things, and he will smile and say "Thank you Maam." Why not he setup a separate counter for women? 

Islam does not ban women from driving, insecure men do, but we should change that. We should educate ourselves with Quran and Sunnah and replace these twisted ideologies with clear teachings of Islam.

After saying that, Islam does prohibit women from exposing part of her body except hands and face, and interacting with non-mahram men unnecessarily, but we don't have to police that, we should discourage that, without banning them from doing anything.

AbU Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) having said this: "Two are the types of the denizens of Hell whom I did not see: people having flogs like the tails of the ox with them and they would be beating people, and the women who would be dressed but appear to be naked, who would be inclined (to evil) and make their husbands incline towards it. Their heads would be like the humps of the bukht camel inclined to one side. They will not enter Paradise and they would not smell its odour whereas its odour would be smelt from such and such distance."( Sahih Muslim Book 24 Hadith 5310)

Brothers, please don't become the first type of residents of hell by banning your wives from doing anything. Teach them Islam and how to behave and don't chain them in the houses like cattles, and don't whip them with driving bans, masjid bans, school bans. You yourself should lower your gaze at work, at school, and at market. You should not be only worrying about banning women but banning your eyes from fornicating. And, you know what I mean. Protect your flock but modestly.

Sisters, please don't become the second type of residents of hell by preparing yourself when going out more than you prepare yourself for your husband. Don't wear the tight blouse and pants under a scarf. Don't socialize with non-mahram men unnecessarily. Your body, your voice, and your actions are all trials for men and an attraction for them. Please don't make it easy for Satan. Fight for your cause but with modesty.

And Allah knows best.

JazakAllah Khairin

A drinker of water without urine. (hopefully)

AbuArman Jumani

Saudi Arabia: A non-Islamic Country

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

"O you who believe! Have Taqwa of Allah and give up what remains from Riba, if you are (really) believers. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allah and His Messenger but if you repent,you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly, and you shall not be dealt with unjustly" (Quran 2:278-279)


Ibn Majah recorded that Abu Hurayrah said that the Messenger of Allah said, "Riba is seventy types, the least of which is equal to one having sexual intercourse with his mother." (Ibn Kathir)

Whenever, I told people that Saudi Arabia is not an Islamic country, some would not believe me, and cite me that the Saudi laws are based on Islamic Sharia, and they would tell me that we should not disrespect the country that contains the two most holy places for believers. In fact, Saudi Arabia has become an Arab country that is populated with Arab Muslims, and is not an Islamic country anymore.Why do I say that? Well, let us look at the following facts, and you can decide for yourself, if Islam is the supreme law of the land.

Saudi Arabia is a kingdom ruled by a family, who establishes the law. If Saudi Arabia was an Islamic country, then Islam will be the supreme law, and any law or royal decree that contradicts Islam would not be implemented. Moreover, any act of disobedience to Allah will not be decreed by the ruler, or tolerated. So, is Saudi Arabia an Islamic Country?

Unfortunately, the answer is no. There is no Islamic country left in this world, and no country can claim that they uphold Islam above all man made law and regulations. Saudi Arabia is probably the best case for a possible Islamic country. However, recently, I realized the hypocrisy of Saudi Arabia, and it was very painful. First I thought that I am mistaken and misunderstanding the situation, but then I verified with my teacher Dr. Anwar Sahib, who lived in Medinah for 15 years, and he concurred with my conclusion.

In 1957, Saudi Arabia surrendered to IMF, and disobeyed Allah's command in the above verse. IMF stands for International Monetary Funds. It is one of the five institution established, on July 22, 1944, during Bretton Woods Conference, during World War II, which established the current world monetary system. Although membership is voluntary, every country was pressured to become member. Initially, no one need to take any assistance, but every country has a credit limit, which can be used to fulfil budget gaps. Loans are taken on interest, and returned over time. Saudi Arabia also fell into the trap.

According to 2011 Article IV IMF report, Saudi Arabia paid 8.6 billion Saudi Riyal in interest payments. Also, SAMA ( Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency) provides loans to commercial banks at discounted rates (interest) to encourage conventional banking systems that has been established in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Citizens earn interest on savings account, and take interest loans. All of this activity is decreed by the Saudi Law which clearly overrides the law of Islam in Saudi Arabia.

How can this be an Islamic country? This is an ultimate hypocrisy. On one side, foreigners are being beheaded, and on the other side Riba is being established. Since when having Allah and his Messenger waging war against you, makes you a leader of believers. I reject this version of Islamic Sharia which is only upheld in some cases and ignored in other.

In fact, Saudi Arabia is not a model for Islam, and we should not look up to it as moral compass. Islam does not ask us to ban women from driving. Islam does not say that Arabs are superior than non-Arabs. Islam does not allow for Al Walid ibn Talal to mock Allah's commandment of Hijab. Islam does not allow for a ruler to establish Riba.

I hope that these facts will clear up the misconception that Saudi Arabia has established the Islamic Sharia, which it has not, because many use it as an argument, and it is clear that Saudi Royal family is the final authority in Saudi Arabia, and not Allah. No one can challenge the royal decree of permitting interest, and get it over ruled on the basis of Quranic verse above. Can they?

One more time. There is no Islamic country in the world, and every believer lives under a non-Islamic rule.

May Allah establishes an Islamic land which is ruled by Allah's commands, and it is only possible, if we keep practicing Islam in our individual lives.

JazakAllah Khairin

Resident of Non-Islamic Country
AbuArman Jumani

Sword is strong, but words are might!

Note: We will be starting our door to door drive for Islamic Center of Windermere on July 14, 2012 at 5 PM. Please call me if you like to participate 407-873-2187.


In the Name of Allah, the one with infinite sight.

Some pulls me from the left, some from the right,
Some ask me, "You are insane right?"
Some love me, some hate me for what I write.

Allah wants us to be upright,
How can that be if we fight?,
Days are passing by and the night,
We will just come, pray, and go home tonight,

I reject this ignorant plight,
If you are truthful, show me the light,
Truth is not dark, it is bright.

"Let us extend the masjid into a might",
So, the Friday becomes our Sunday lite,
Empty Churches comes to my sight,
5 Million Dollar Masjid will be tourist delight.

Communities are Muslim in the name alright,
In them, Islam is nothing more than a hand's slight,
Speeches are heavy, but practice is light.

Everyone thinks that they are right,
I know for sure I am not always right,
I struggle for Allah, for whom do they fight?

All of us holding the rope tight,
But, the rope is not the same, it is hanafite, or salafite,
O Abu Arman! choose a madhab, or we might...
Sorry Brothers! I have jumped the ship with Islam tied

I feel the wind, and the breeze on my side,
Would I land in hell or heaven, Allah is all might.
As I study Islam, it expands my sight,
Who needs a cane, when Allah is the guide.

When I write, observe, and criticize,
They tell me, it has been settled already, alright!
Really! so why Muslims are not at the same height,
Nay, they resist the change, which is forthright.

Follow who you want; Do what you feel right,
Be very sure, that your Imam is right,
Remember, you will answer alone when you have died.
                                                                  - abu arman

Exclusive Investigation: Ijtema Tableeghi Jamat

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Specially Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, the King of the day of judgement.

Whenever I warned my dear brothers about the fitnah of Tableeghi Jamat, they would always invite me to come and experience their gatherings before making my judgement. Friday night, I decided to attend the Ijtema  organized by the Tableeghi Jamat. Following is my report on that. I have tried to put aside my personal opinion, and look at it objectively, but I am just a human.

According to my limited understanding, Ijtema is a gathering of Muslims, to remind themselves, and to learn their deen, and to leave with increased faith and more knowledge then one arrived. So, the main event will be the speeches, and this is what I wanted to see. To see what this Ijtema means for Muslim Ummah.

As I drove towards the Osceola High School, I saw the signs for ijtema, and as I entered the school, parking area was well organized. People were streaming in the school from every direction. I parked my car, and slowly walked towards the school. Most of the people were carrying sleeping bag and luggage, and it reminded me of Hajj. Jamat members were collecting money for dinner, but I already had dinner so I walked inside. When I came close to the auditorium doors, I was shocked to see people lying around with their luggage, and it was probably because I wasn't expecting that view.

It was almost Maghrib time, so me and another brother sat down in the front rows, and I was very impressed with the setup and organization. After adhan, salat didn't start for 15 minutes or so, and when it did, the recitation was very simple, which I liked, but was surprised that many of the Huffaz with a good recitation were not selected to lead salat. Finally, after salat, the famous announcement was made "After the rest of the salat, there is a very important talk on deen, please come closer." Then, the announcement said something which made my jaw dropped. He said, please do not leave, because this talk is the most important part. Wait. What!? So, this talk is more important then Salat? Anyways, the speaker came and sat down.

He started speaking without invoking Allah's name or any salutation to the Prophet (PBUH), and it was not a good start at all. Well, he started talking about our four stages, and the first stage being the womb. I think he forgot that the first stage is the soul staying in the heavens before womb, but anyways not a big deal. the speech was mostly about how Allah provides our need, and running after this world will take us away from Allah's path, which is all true and good reminders. However, he kept saying the we should practice our deen, but the only two practices he mentioned were Salat and going in the path of Allah, and the path of Allah was "tashkeel" of course, which he mentioned a couple of times.

First half of the speech was without any reference to Quran and Sunnah, and he gave one reference to a Quranic verse without mentioning the Surah or the verse number. So far, there was nothing that he said was new, which is not said regularly in the bayans for tashkeel in the masjid. All of a sudden, he mentions a pious person giving everything in his house to charity, and in the dream finds the location of burried wealth which the speaker called it "Barakah". I am not sure about this story. Was this dream from Allah or shaytan?  Anyways, nothing wrong with an anonymous story I guess. Then, he mentions a few of ahadith and stories of the companions that blew me away. They were more hand waves and conversation plugins. No reference of the narrator, or the book, just english translations.

First, he mentions that Abdullah bin rawah was stopped by the robbers, and he asked them if he could pray two rakat, before they killed him. They allowed him, and during salat, he said "Arhama Rahimeen", and angels on the highest heaven heard him and they came to help. Really!? who narrated this story? How this narrator knows what angels did? Doesn't sound authentic at all. Some ahadith he mentioned, I couldn't locate at all (when I came back home and checked), and only Allah knows if they are truly ahadith. Some were weak like the one about missing a salat will be punished by 80 years in hell fire. He didn't mention it, but I think it is knows to be from At-Tabari. By the time, he summed up his speech, a few men stood up among the crowd with a notebook and pen, and the speaker told everyone. Tashkeel is the path of Allah, as the companions were sent to fight, you should sign up with us to go out for 40 days. Oh my Allah. What religion is this? I could not believe that every speech ends with a call for recruitment. If Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would have done that, only a handful would have remained in this deen. We can't ask for people to go in the path of Allah after every speech.

Well, brothers and sisters, I gave Tableeghi Jamat another try, hoping to be proven wrong by substantative speeches with authentic evidences, and no mention of joining Tableeghi Jamat, but none of that happen I am exhausted with this group, and I surrender to Allah my affairs and their affairs. I am no saint. I am no scholar. I am no wise man. I am just a Muslim, who follow Allah and his messenger, and Tableeghi Jamat has not shown any connection with Quran and Sunnah so far, and is not beneficial for me or anyone else. If I ever miss my brothers of Tableeghi Jamat or wanted to hang out among these cool dudes ( I really like them), I may visit their ijtema again, but this effort has lost all interest for me, Islamically. Not a bad idea to get away from the family for a day or two.

If any of you believe that this group has more benefits than harm, you may continue to associate with them, but I see more harm than benefit, and I will keep myself and my family away from this deviant group, and continue to advice who would listen. Please discourage this group as this is not healthy at all for this Ummah.

Reason for this group to be harmful and deviant is because they do not base their movement upon Quran and authentic Sunnah, and have established an aggressive cult that prioritize Tashkeel as going in the path of Allah.


 "And verily, this is My straight path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His path. This He has ordained for you that you may have Taqwa." (Quran 6:153)

Imam Ahmad, Ibn Majah, in the Book of the Sunnah in his Sunan, and Al-Bazzar collected this Hadith. Ibn Jarir recorded that a man asked Ibn Mas`ud, "What is As-Sirat Al-Mustaqim (the straight path)'' Ibn Mas`ud replied, "Muhammad left us at its lower end and its other end is in Paradise. To the right of this Path are other paths, and to the left of it are other paths, and there are men (on these paths) calling those who pass by them. Whoever goes on the other paths will end up in the Fire. Whoever takes the Straight Path, will end up in Paradise. (Ibn Kathir)

Brothers, Prophet (PBUH), his compaions and generations after them did not consider any of these Tableeghi activites as path of Allah, and the path of Allah is the methodology of the Sunnah, which has no connection with Tashkeel that Tableeghi Jamat is promoting. Tableeghi Jamat is a new religion and a cult, and getting involve in it is serious innovation. It seems very innocent, but we don't need any new "Nisab", as the Prophet (PBUH) has already provided us with a nisab.

Oh my beloved Allah! I pray to Allah to you to discontinue these lines on our left and right, and keep us on the straight path. Keep us from any "Important Talk" that is not decorated with your speech. Ameen.

And Allah knows best


JazakAllah Khairin

A seeker of the path of Allah.
Abu Arman Jumani

Mudharabah: The Speculative Parternship in Islam

In the Name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, The Provider.

It is an amazing coincidence that speculative partnership is the topic of my recent assignment for Fiqh-ul-Muamalat, but nothing truly is a coincidence in the dominion of Allah, and everything seems so according to his plan. Recently, some events unfolded that provided a painful insight into harms of not following the Islamic conditions of Mudharabah (speculative parternership). Unfortunately, it seems a very common practice in western countries to form this invalid type of speculative partnership. Let us examine the details of this type of trade or business that is certainly haram in Islam, but is very attractive among Muslims. In this example, we are looking at a car dealer, who is a Muslim, and looking for investment for his expanding business. He reaches out to other Muslims in his family and community, and able to convince many to participate in his business. However, these partnerships were formed without giving due regards to the conditions set by Allah and his Messenger (PBUH).  In the end, it was a dishonorable situation, and it became a warning and example for other Muslims to not engage in similar trades.

Mudharabah is a type of partnership where one partner provides assets for the business, but does not participate in day to day operations of the business, and the other partner runs the business. In the example of the car dealer, he receives money from a partner, who provides the money without the presence of witnesses, or any written agreement. The Sleeping partner (partner providing the money) verbally stipulates that he requires a certain amount of money every month regularly as “profit”. The working partner (the car dealer), agrees to the terms verbally, and does provide some returns for a period of time. After a while, the business takes a downturn, and the business runs out of money, as the regular “profit” payments to the sleeping partner continue during the loss. In the beginning, the car dealer hides the reality of the business, and get more sleeping partners involve in the same fashion, but once the original partner finds out, he demands his principal and profit. There are many issues with this partnership, and we can go through each of them and identify a solution for them so it can conform to Islamic law.

“[David] said, "He has certainly wronged you in demanding your ewe [in addition] to his ewes. And indeed, many associates oppress one another, except for those who believe and do righteous deeds - and few are they."” (Quran 38:24)

Even if writing down a partnership contract was not an obligation, in the western countries, it should be an obligation, because the law of the land settles financial transaction with written proofs. At the least, it should be done to protect both parries’ interest, and provide a stable partnership. In the above example, the car dealer didn’t find it necessary to write down the terms of the investment/loan/partnership, which became a major issue in keeping track of total debt, and hence collapse of the business. The car dealer continues to borrow money to pay the others’ monthly “profit” payments, without knowing the true nature of his debt, until the end. If the car dealer would have written down every transaction with witnesses, it would have provided the needed awareness of total debt, and hence minimizing the damage, at the least. According to local custom for the western countries, it is critical to record all business transaction, and should be a condition to Islamic transactions within these countries.

"O You who have attained to faith! Whenever you give or take credit for a stated term, set it down in writing. … And call upon two of your men to act as witnesses…” (Quran 2:282)

In this partnership, the sleeping partner was expecting a fixed return on his investment, and this return is not tied to the profit of the business. As we know that one of the conditions of speculative partnership is to use percentages of profits, and not fixed amount of profit, because the business could make no money in one of the months, but the investor will want their return nonetheless.  In fact, we look at his closely, this is a form of Riban-Nasi’ah (interest based loan), because the investment is a loan that was given to the car dealer to do business on the condition that a fee will be returned for using the money, and the intention was not to share the profit from the business, at all. If these two partners would have stipulated the percentage of share from the profit in their agreement, then there would not have been an issue of riba. Unfortunately, the investors are not willing to take the risk, and greed takes hold of them. This greed destroys the business and everyone attached to this business. The Prophet (PBUH) said.

“Any loan that brings a profit is (kind of) riba” Al-Bayhaqi (10933) [5/573]

Any partnership that has deception in it loses blessings from Allah, and in the example of the car dealer, he failed to disclose the true state of the business to his partners. In fact, this is a very common trend among Muslims, and people expect this from of the working partners. In some cases, the sleeping partner takes the option of interest based loan instead of splitting the profit due to the expected deception from the working partners. Also, the sleeping partners deceived the car dealer as well, by denying the money received, as nothing was documented. So, lack of honesty leads to absence of trust, and motivation to rely on interest based loan (haram) instead of sharing the profit (halal). If the car dealer would have been honest about his profit, and loss, he would have taken hold of the situation before it became unbearable.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet (Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam) said: "Allah Says: I am the third partner of any two partners as long as neither of them betrays the other. But if one of them betrays the other I get out of them" (Abu Dawud (3383) [3/438])

In conclusion, this type of partnership has become norm of the society now, and Muslims don’t find it objectionable. When this above partnership broke, and interdiction began, the sleeping partner was told that his investment was riba, but he refused to accept it, and claimed to have invested Islamically for profit (fixed profit i.e.). This event caused harm to three close families, and unknown number of indirect victims, including infants and women. During the interdiction, the debt was documented with the help of two male witnesses, and the profit given so far was deducted from the principal amount, and business inventory ceased with allowance of the car dealer to sell the inventory. It is a living example of how disobedience to Allah results in disgrace in this world and disgrace in the hereafter. May Allah guide us all to learn the Islamic law of business, and apply it to protect ourselves.

I beg to all of you to learn and practice Islam in all aspect of your life, or be ready for dishonor in this world and hereafter.

JazakAllah Khairin
A witness to these disobeying Muslims
AbuArman Jumani

Shab-E-Miraj: Bidah or No Bidah, That is the question!

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Specially Merciful.

All praise is due to Al-Aleem, the most knowledgeable.

"O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result." (Quran 4:59)

After a long pause, I attended the hadith class on Sundays. I did not expect to witness the clashes of religions on full force. Imam was trying to explain that celebrating Shab-E-Miraj on Rajab 27 is not part of Islam, and he gave many reasons. As he went through the arguments, I could see the room become a little uneasy. People were not buying the argument, and someone asked the long awaited question. "But, what is wrong with worshipping Allah on special days?". This is where the explanation of Good Bidah versus Bad Bidah should have come, but the Imam chose the answer in a short statement which didn't explain it completely.

I am not sure, if it was a mistake or on purpose, but unless this issue is explained, it can explode in the face of the community. I asked an indirect question to a group who attended the class. As expected, it triggered the chain of discussion leading to the topic at hand, and three brothers were on one side and other three brothers on the other side. Group supporting the Shab-E-Miraj festivities presented the argument that there are some scholars who consider it islamic, and thus it is a difference of opinion, and we should not label as bidah. In fact, this is a very good point, because there are many religions within Islam who divide over these differences, so why not another one?

Alright, so lets discuss this a little. There is nothing wrong with  someone worshiping Allah in congregation or alone during any night, and if people do that, there is no blame. However, if they believe that they will receive an extra reward to do it on 27 Rajab, this becomes a new belief in Islam which was not present at the time of death of the Prophet (PBUH). Allah decreed that Islam has been perfected, which means all matter of unseen believe has been established, and there is no more messenger coming with a revelation that a normal human cannot perceive. Shab-E-Miraj is celebrated with this new belief (Bidah) that worship during this night will provide more reward than night before or night after. Have they received a revelation from Allah? Have they figured out something that the Prophet (PBUH) and companions combined couldn't know? All along, this night of special rewards was ignored by the pious generations of believers? How? No, it is impossible. This is prohibited completely in Islam, and can not be tolerated. If anyone wants to know the deviation happening due to this, please cut and past this link on internet (noorulislambolton.com/Articles/Rajab.pdf)

In my humble opinion, the Imam should have explained it a little further by presenting the difference between legitimate differing opinion based on ijtihad, and illegitimate differing opinion which defies Quran and Sunnah evidences. Let us find out how to handle difference of opinions in Islam. Above verse of the Quran provides the instructions for us how to do that. We suppose to follow clear commands from the Quran and Sunnah, and follow the Ameer of the Masjid in complicated matters, and if two Ameers disagree, they suppose to resolve by looking up evidences. It is very simple and it works. I would like to present two examples to clarify the types of difference of opinions.


There are two types of difference of opinions among scholars. One is allowed, and second is not allowed. If both opinions are based on authentic proofs, and ijtihad is the only separating factor, then we have to accept both opinions, and we should follow the scholar that we normally follow.

However, if one opinion has a clear hujjah (proof) over the other, or in the begining both were based on ijtihad, but later a proof is brought up that supports one position, then we should submit to that opinion. If the person supporting the weak opinion accepts the new proof as authentic, but still don't submit to it, because it is outside their "madhab", this is taqleed (blind following).


Narrated by Ibn Umar, On the day of Al-Ahzab (i.e. Clans) the Prophet said, "None of you Muslims should offer the 'Asr prayer but at Banu quraiza's place." The 'Asr prayer became due for some of them on the way. Some of those said, "We will not offer it till we reach it, the place of Banu quraiza," while some others said, "No, we will pray at this spot, for the Prophet did not mean that for us." Later on It was mentioned to the Prophet and he did not berate any of the two groups. (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 445)


In the above hadith, there was a difference of opinion, and it was allowed. Best opinion was to pray Asr on time, and the Prophet (PBUH) had that opinion as well. However, the companions who disagreed didn't have that knowledge, and they were both right at that time. For the sake of argument, let us assume that they were to get a message that Prophet (PBUH) has prayed Asr already. After that, no difference of opinion would have been allowed, and they would have submit to that and prayed Asr. So, it is all about the available knowledge at the time, and sincerity of intention, but once truth is established, it is an obligation to obey.

"...and if you are ill, or on a journey, or one of you comes from the Gha'it (toilet), or from Lamastum (touching) women, but you do not find water, then perform Tayammum..." (Quran 4:43)

Above verse seems to say that we should perform wudu after merely touching a woman. Some scholars took this meaning literally, and declared that if one touches any woman, their wudu is not valid. Other said that this refers to sexual intercourse, and merely touching does not break wudu. Now, we can't have wudu and not have wudu at the same time. One of them is certainly correct opinion. In fact, the correct opinion is that wudu does not break, because Allah has used this word in other places where touching refers to sexual intercourse. (ibn Kathir)

"And if you divorce them before you have touched them, and you have appointed unto them the dowry, then pay half of that" (Quran 2:237)

Also, the Prophet (PBUH) didn't make wudu after just touching his wives, as it is reported below.


Narrated: Aisha, The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) kissed me and did not perform ablution. ( Abu Dawood Book of Purification # 178)


In the case of the wudu breaking by mere a physical touch, in the begining, it was a difference of interpreting the word, and the difference was allowed, but we now know the hadith where the Prophet (PBUH) kissed Ayesha (RA) before going out to lead Salah. This clear hujjah overrides any difference of opinion, and if someone still follows the weak opinion, they are either challenging the authencity of the hadith, or have some explaining to do. Shafii madhab still defends this opinion, and stretch the truth so  much that it starts to hurt. If you want to watch this painful act, copy and paste this link on internet (shafiifiqh.com/the-proofs-that-touching-a-woman-breaks-wudu/)

My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, we love you for the sake of Allah, and respect the difference of opinion where there is evidence on both sides, but this is not one of those cases. Please submit to this opinion of Shab-E-Miraj being addition to Islam and Bidah, and save yourselves from the fire. Yes, there are scholars in India and Pakistan who allow celebrating Shab-E-Miraj, but this difference of opinion does not qualify for the immunity, because there is clear evidence against it, and anyone who follows the weak opinion after the truth has come to him is not following the command of Allah mentioned in the begining. We have to obey Allah and obey the Messenger (PBUH), and if we disagree, we should let Quran and Sunnah decide the truth. Once decided, we should surrender to it regardless of who holds that opinion. This is the straight path.

May Allah guide us to the straight path.

JazakAllah Khairin

A sincere brother in Islam.
Abu Arman Jumani

Greet others, if you believe!

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Specially Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, The All Peace full.

"They will not hear therein (in paradise) ill speech or commission of sin -Only a saying: "Peace, peace."" (Quran 56:25-26)

Recently, I traveled to Washington DC due to my work, and went looking for food. As I entered into a restaurant, I saw a believer getting the food from the buffet. He looked at me, and I looked at him. I smiled and waited for him to say Salam, but he did not. It was an amazing display, but not surprising. It was clear that he was a believer, because he had a beard, which is the sign of a believer. Beard is usually an announcement of one's faith that they are not ashamed of obeying Allah. Anyways, I greeted him, but no reply. I wasn't sure if he did not hear me or was he ignoring me. I said it one more time, but a little louder, "AsSalamuAlaykum". This time, he turned around and returned the greeting. It felt like pulling someones tooth. At that time, above verses of Surah AlWaqia came to me, as I have been trying to memorize them. In these verses, Allah was providing a description of Jannah, where everyone will greet each other with the best of greeting.

 After finishing the food while listening to this brother giving me lecture about Satan controlling me, I took the bus to the Islamic Center nearby. As I entered, I was taken by the design and beauty of the architecture of the masjid. It looked more like a palace of a Muslim King. I heard that a masjid is paradise on this earth, so I was waiting for everyone to greet me as I entered. It did not happen. I went and sat down with a brother waiting for Maghrib Salah. When we finish Salah, I greeted the Arab brother on my right side, and the Paksitani brother on my left side. Both were pleasantly surprised with the gesture, and smiled for the first time, since I have been observing them. See, they both were ignoring each other, and I am not sure why. After I greeted them, they both greeted each other and others in the masjid.

We have become so self centered that greeting others have become an abnormal activity. I know that some of the Imam of the masajid don't greet people when they enter unless they are close to them or they know them except for Imam Hatim Hamidullah from Masjid al Haqq. He will go out of his way and greet the new faces. He will smile and greet them and welcome them to the masjid, and may have a small talk. Why not you scholars of Islam? Why not you Imam of communities? Why not greet and smile as you approach people who you do not know? You don't have to come and sit with the people you know, to read a book or chit chat. Isn't the masjid part of paradise? There should be greetings flying left and right, and smiles on most faces as their eyes meet. We should not be like the donkeys who carry the knowledge of Quran and Hadith, but do not practice. Come on now! Walk up to that brother in the far side who looks new, and welcome him with a greeting. I guarantee you that there will be happiness in both hearts.

In fact, we should greet the the strangers on the streets, in the market, and at the workplace, regardless of if they are believers, muslims, or non-muslims. Greeting to strangers diffuses any silent tension that may be building in their head as they see your beard, and your wife's hijab (of course this is assuming that you are practicing Islam). It is the best form of dawah to Islam. It is the key to success at work. It is the bond that will tie the community. If you observe the people, you can tell by how they greet each other, how much they care about each other. Many times, I walk in the masjid, and I see people just ignore anyone who they don't know, and go straight for the group they recognize "Arey Chaudray Sahib kaisey hain aap...?" "Kaifal Haalak ...?"


Narrated Abu Hurayrah
The Messenger of Allah, said: You shall not enter paradise so long as you do not affirm belief (in all those things which are the articles of faith) and you will not believe as long as you do not love one another. Should I not direct you to a thing which, if you do, will foster love amongst you: (i.e.) give currency to (the practice of paying salutation to one another by saying) as-salamu alaykum. (Sahih Muslim 96)

Many discuss with me why we don't have unity in our communities, and the same people do not greet strangers in the masjid. How do they expect the unity to come, if they would not surrender their ego to Allah and walk up to a brother that is not from their circle and greet them with a smile? I do not know of any thing better than greeting one another, to create brotherhood.

I claim that a person who does not greet every living thing has not yet believed. A believer should greet an animal, an empty house, a muslim, a believer, and a non-believer. A believer should greet others before they greet. A believer should greet strangers.

Please greet anyone and everyone, as you will do in the Jannah, if you believe. Of course, If you do not believe, continue avoiding greetings.

P.S.  I like to share a painful detail. One of the brother told me today that Imam of Masjid Al-Sunnah described the lifestyle of Americans as pigs, and hence causing a new female convert to Islam to suffer and cry. I do not know the details of the Friday sermon, but I wish we can avoid it. It is unfortunate that we bring scholars who do not understand the culture, and they will harm our chances. We should find a way to replace them with scholars who understand American culture and benefit Islam in USA. Inviting Non-Muslims in USA is our primary goal. 

JazakAllah Khairin

A person who greets you greetings of peace.
AbuArman Jumani

Blindspot: What Scholars are not telling us?

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Specially Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, The Provider.

"Allah destroys "ribaa" and gives increase for charities. And Allah does not like every sinning disbeliever." (Quran 2:276)

When I listen to my teacher teach us about fiqh of trade, one thing keeps circulating in my mind, and that is "Ribaa". This word is one of the most misunderstood word in Islam. I intentionally did not translate above, as it is mistranslated in many translations. Literally, it means increase or excess, or something that is unreasonably increases, or the excess that is not natural. And Allah knows best.

So, why did Allah used this word? Does it means Interest?

Allah used this word, because it represent the concept that is banned for us, and interest is just one way to implement it, but it is not the only way to implement it. Muslims who avoid interest are not aware that "Ribaa" is implemented around them in several ways, and everything they buy or sell has at least fumes of Ribaa in it. That is exactly what Prophet (PBUH) told us. So, what does it exactly means?

I was reading an article about how home prices have plunged 30% costing $7 trillion loss to US economy. I started to think. How can we lose $7 trillion? Did something break that we constructed? Where was the money that we lost? If we lost it, who gained it? Then, I realized that this money is Ribaa that Allah destroyed. In essence, the whole economy of this world is based on Ribaa, and the wealth is created, not earned. I will try to explain it in simple terms, because this topic can get complicated.

Majority of Scholars of Islam discuss the details that they can see which are halal or haram, but there is a blind spot that they don't realize. They do not include the global economy in the equation. This is what causes depression and downturn in the economies, and people are fooled into investing their wealth into a black hole of Ribaa system that sucks in everything but provides nothing. Alright enough of cliches, lets look at the example.

In the old days, price of commodities did not increase, and everything cost the same regardless of passing time. Now a days, prices go up, and if you convert one currency into other, you may get more goods for your money in a poor country. This is because that the standard of value is the currency, and it is not the price of the product that is going up, it is the currency that is being devalued. Moreover, the different currencies are traded by the standard of US dollar. So, everything in the world values against US dollar. Before 1973, US dollar was backed by gold and silver, so if Pakistan got bored, they can call US treasury, and say, "Hey, I would like to cash some of this dollars into my gold I gave you 20 years ago, and US will handover the gold". So, Gold and Silver value was static, as it has always been in the past.

Now, US dollars is the independent standards for the wealth of this world. So, the wealth is not grounded in the crops and cattle that Allah can increase, but it is in the hands of Federal Reserve of USA. Mr Bernake decides to print money and value of dollar goes down, and bread is more expensive in Karachi.

If we look at the value of Gold and Silver against any commodity like barrel of Oil, it is roughly the same since 1970, but the price in dollar has increased. That is Ribaa.

So, every country including Saudi Arabia has a currency that is circulated through their economy on federal lending. Banks are given permission to lend $10 on $1 deposit they have in the central bank, and ask the people to pay that $10 back by borrowing from another bank, and on and on it goes. This can usually be sustained for 15 - 18 years, before the balloon pops and the economy resets. So, where does the reset comes from. It comes from you and me. When you deposit your income in the bank, you receive exactly the same amount you deposit plus interest, but in reality, the value of dollar has gone down since then, so the buying power of the same money has reduced to 50% after 5 years or so. They should be giving us according to the increase in the value of Gold. (Value of Gold has also become a traded commodity, but thats another topic)

I see people so happy to see the interest on the large amount of money they have in the bank, not realizing that even with interest gains they lost their wealth. It is due to Ribaa that is the foundation for the value for the money we use. This is how Allah destroys our wealth if we deal with Ribaa. World economy will always be going through cycles sucking up our blood as fuel, until we re-establish the Islamic Economy.

Unfortunately, these details falls in the blind spot of the Scholars, so only a few knows about it, and the rest are slaves to this system without knowing about. I try to get rid of my income as soon as possible so I don't lose any wealth. Pay your debt. Give Charity. Give it to your wife :-). What ever it takes, keep only what you need for sure in the near future. Don't keep money in savings if there is no plan use for it. That is the Sunnah. Of course, if you want to go to Hajj, or send your kids to College, save it for that purpose, and may be invest it in Gold, business, cattle, something that Allah can increase for you.

May Allah give us strength and knowledge so we can avoid Ribaa not as interest only, but as business transaction, daytime trading, currency exchanges, money laundering etc. Of course, we can't avoid the fumes of Ribaa, that is in the air, because we have to breath to stay alive.

So, today any money we save will be destroyed, and any money we give in charity is locked in for us on the day of judgement at the same conversion rate. And Allah is the most just currency exchanger. This is what this verse of the Quran means.

And Allah knows best.

JazakAllah Khairin

Aware of the blindsopt
AbuArman Jumani

Barzakh: World of Souls

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Specially Merciful

All praise is due to Allah, Who causes death to everything.


"They ask you [O Muhammad (saws] concerning the Ruh (Soul). Say: 'It is one of the things, the knowledge of which is only with my Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been given very little."(Qur'an Al-Israa 17:85)

Someone asked me about the matter of the soul after it departs the body. They learned about it, but weren't clear on some of the details. First of all, Allah has not shared a lot of information regarding the nature of soul, but there is some information that provide basic understanding.

At the time of death, our soul is removed from our body through the nervous system, and it is captured by the Angels. Angels take the soul with them towards the heavens. Once the Soul reaches the seventh heaven, Allah orders the Angels to store the deeds from the soul into one of the two storage (Illeen, or Sijjin). After that, the soul is returned to the world.

So, where does the soul remains until the day of judgment? This confuses many people, and some even fall into shirk due to these confusions. So, let us try to find out what is the truth. One of the best source for this topic after Quran and Sunnah is a book called "The Soul's Journey"(Kitab-ur-Ruh) written by ibn AlQayyim. I have an electronic copy, if anyone needs it. What I will be presenting is mostly from that book.

There are two things that we have to understand, before understanding the life after death. First, restrictions of times are different in the next world, then from this world. For example, when the soul comes back from heavens, it can enter this world at the same exact time that it left this world, because passing of time is the rate of decay of the structure of this world, and it is static when looking from first heaven towards this world, so soul will watch the family members carry the body to the graveyard, and so forth, although the soul has just returned from a long journey to seventh heaven and back.

Second, soul exist in a different reality, and can not be seen from our world. Similar to Jinn and Angels, who occupy this world with us, but not in the same reality. An example of this is the sound waves that dog can hear, but we cannot hear, because Allah has restricted our hearing to a certain bandwidth, but dogs are more sensitive. Similarly, our eyesight, and body can't perceive the Angels, Jinn, and soul because they are vibrating at a different wavelength of matter, but dogs and horses are able to perceive that wavelength.

If one understands these two details, then everything else fits into place. When the soul returns to this world, it once again experiences the time passage, but can not interact with us. We will feel like air to it, and it will feel like air to us. Once the body  is buried, the soul stays with the body and answers the Angels' questions. What if the body was burned to dust. How would the soul enters that dust, as sometimes the dust is thrown into water? Of course, the grave is not the physical grave, but it is the world of souls. Soul will not enter the body again until the day of judgement, and the body will decay, but the punishment of the grave will not stop. So, all this information tell us that, soul stays below the first heaven, and within this world, but in a different reality.

Before the day of judgement, our bodies will be come together, and soul will enter it. At that point, the soul will forget all about the days that it spent in the grave(the world of souls), and the memory will start from the time of death. On the day of resurrection, we will feel that we just died. Of course we will enter Jannah (InshAllah) with the body and soul together, and it will not be the world of souls.

How much time do we spend researching our itinerary, and nearest restaurants, and maps, so when we travel, we are informed and not confused. Now, how much time do we spend reading information about life after death? Is it because we don't believe that it will happen, as much as we believe that the upcoming vacation. Let this be a reminder to all of us to prepare for our journey through the world of souls.


The Angels are on their way.
Oh God! Oh God! Now I leave?


The line grew short, and came my turn.
Oh God! Oh God! Now I believe!

And Allah knows best

JazakAllah Khairin

Marketing Agent for Journey of Soul
AbuArman Jumani

Oh! The nation of limpy folks.

In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Specially Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, worthy of all worship.


"Indeed those who say, 'Our Lord is Allah,' and, further, stand straight and steadfast, the angels descend on them (from time to time)..." (Quran 41:30)



Sufyan bin `Abdullah Ath-Thaqafi said, "I said, `O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about Islam that I will not have to ask anyone about it after you.' He said (Say: I believe in Allah, then stand firm.)'' (ibn Kathir)


Islamic Center of Windermere:  We have a land that we can use with county's approval, and the next step is to visit Muslim's home and do a survey, before calling a public meeting. If you like to volunteer to go out with us, please contact me at ajumani@hotmail.com. Only say yes if you will stand firm. Also, the other group is not communicating with us, so we are not collaborating with them any longer.

Yesterday, I met one of my dear brothers in Islam, and he asked me why haven't I written any blogs lately. Well, I do not write for entertainment, and I can't write as I wish. When something hits my heart, and it inspires me to write, I write. So, what inspired me yesterday was the fact that there were 30 sisters and 3 brothers in the gathering. Where are the men folks? Now, I missed the last few classes, due to my conflict with school, but I regret that, and hope to continue attending the groups that I consider to be on the right path.

In fact, whenever I send out a request for participation, only a few people respond. Some ignore it as they don't agree with what I say. Some ignore it because they don't want to part of anything controversial. "Oh brother, I can't support you because my family wants me out". "Oh, the gathering of new muslims. Why would I waste my time there? We will just invite them to our place every 2 months." "Oh, you are building a masjid, and  I will not be a leader. No thank you."  It is not just my call for support, where people are missing in action, but they are missing in every place where it is not their culture, or their group of people present.


Some of you may ask what am I talking about. What I am talking about is the command of Allah where he wants us to stand firm. So, what does this means? It means that if you believe that there is an effort or a group that is on the right path, and they need your support, you should move heaven and earth to participate in it. It is not enough to come one Sunday after 3 months and call it a success. No brothers (and I am talking to brothers only). You don't get to chose when to come in and when not to. Let me give you an example.

Every organization is built like a wall, where every brick supporting the brick above it. If a brick says "You know what I will not be able to participate, because I have to buy a new rug for my home, or I am not feeling active today, or my kids want to go to park, or my relative has invited for dinner." What????? Are you kidding me. Do you think the wall will stay in its place? No, the brick walls do not stand firm when there are big gaps in them, or bricks are "LIMP".

If not a single person from Jamah Masjid attends the monthly pot luck on Saturday, what is the purpose of keeping the masjid. Only reason I see for a masjid in USA is to convey Islam, and support the growth. Why anyone bother becoming a Muslim, if they are to be ignored. We should demolish the masjid and pray at home. What is the purpose of these Muslims in USA? Are they here to earn income, then that is what they will get.

Today, if we start an initiative, and ask for participation, like it was done on the 27th Ramadhan in 2010. I was there. I saw people raising hands "$10,000" "$25,000". "AllahuAkbar!". Later on, we found out that most of them were limp bricks, and when asked to hand over the money, they denied it. Masajid are full on Fridays. I sit and watch as people walk in like they are doing a favor to attend, and get upset if there is no space to sit or Imam takes an extra minute to explain an important announcement. Where were you during the week? If you came during the week, people would have notice the need to expand and everyone would have chipped in.

Oh! The nation of limpy folks.

Men folks have become limp bricks in the wall, and they come when they feel convenient for them. They pretend that all they have to do is have long beards, and pray salah in the masjid. When it comes to the time when the load of the wall is pushed upon their shoulder, they don't hold their grounds. Islam is a hobby for them, and they play with it as they find it convenient. We don't need this nation of limpy folks, and if they remain Muslim or leave Islam, we don't care.

Alright, I do miss events and classes, and I will inshAllah work on being more consistent, but we should be consistent overall, as a member of a group. We should do it for the pleasure of Allah, and not for the pleasure of the Imam. We should take initiatives on our own, and not wait for others to be the leaders.

And, May Allah help the ones who believe, and then stand firm.

JazakAllah Khairin

A mostly consistent, but sometimes wrong, Muslim
AbuArman Jumani