Week 6

BELIEF IN PROPHETS


Boys! the information given about the belief in prophets in your text book( Farkhanda Noor) is good enough. Please study this topic from the book. All the quotes are also very good :-)
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WEEK 6 (SHAHADAH)
THE SHAHADAH
It is the first pillar of Islam. The declaration: ‘’there is no god but Allah and Mohammad (pbuh) is His Messenger’’, opens the door for a person into Islam. By declaring thus, a person not only testifies to the truth of this statement, but also declares his or her faith in the principles of Islam. The first part refers to Tauheed or the Oneness of Allah and the second part relates to the prophethood of Mohammad as His last and true Prophet. The Shahadah literally means to bear witness. In Islamic Shariah, it refers to bearing witness that ‘’there is no god but Allah and Mohammad is his (last) Messenger’’. It is evident from this expression that the Shahadah consists of two separate but closely interlinked components.
The first component is Tauheed. Tauheed or the belief in the Oneness of Allah is the first and the main principle of Islam. It means that Allah is the Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is Ever-Living without a beginning or an end (the first and the last). He is Independent while others are dependent on Him for their existence and survival. He is the source and support of all life. He is the only one worthy of worship. Allah is Omnipotent (having unlimited authority or power). He knows everything; the hidden and the manifest (obvious, apparent). He is not bound by space and time; He is everywhere and has knowledge of the past, present and future. Surah Ikhlaas proclaims this in the most comprehensive way: '' Say He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal. He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is none like Him'' (112:1-4). Surah Ikhlaas is also called one-third of the Qur'an which means that one-third of the subject matter of the Qur'an revolves around Tauheed. The mention of Tauheed occurs repeatedly in the Qur'an in slightly different shades. For example the Verse of Throne begins as: ''there is no God but He...'' (2:255). The first Surah of the Qur'an begins as: ''Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (1:1). At the same time the Qur’an warns that any kind or degree of associating partners with Allah (Shirk) is the only unpardonable and most condemned sin: ‘’Indeed Allah forgives not that a partner should be associated with Him, but less than that, He forgives whomsoever He wills.’’ (4:48)

The second component of Shahadah is declaration that Mohammed (pbuh) is His Messenger. The expression means that the Prophet Mohamed (pbuh), like all other chosen people of Allah, was a specially selected human being who received Divine message through the arch angel Jibril. He too was opposed by his community while spreading the same message of Tauheed as was done by all his predecessors. He, however, had combined in himself, qualities and merits of all the Prophets to the degree of perfection by Allah’s command and that he became a symbol of mercy for all. ‘’It was only as a mercy that We sent you (Prophet) to all people.’’(21:107) The message of Islam was perfected and completed on Mohammad for all the communities and races for all times to come. The Qur’an elaborates this important point in these words: ‘’this day I have perfected your religion for you, completed my favour upon you and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.’’(5:3) not only this, but Allah assured of the protection of the originality of His message in the Qur’an: ‘’We indeed sent down the Message and We will assuredly guard it(against corruption)’’ (15:9). This means that the Qur’an revealed on the Hoy Prophet will always retain its original contents, quite unlike the previous scripts. These two facts necessitated the closure of the process of sending messengers, as the Final Message did not need any renewal. The Prophet himself said ‘’I am the seal (last) of Prophets and there will be no prophet after me.’’
Thus the second portion of Shahadah completes the most fundamental belief of the Muslims, and together both aspects of the Shahadah form the basis of all the articles of faith and the practical demonstration of these in various actions and practices.

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WEEK 6 (ARTICLES OF FAITH)
Articles of Faith


The word faith is synonym of the Arabic word ‘’Iman’’. To have strong belief or trust in someone or something is known as Faith. The fundamental (basic) beliefs, which serve as the foundation of a religion, are called articles of faith. All the messengers of Allah tried their best to transfer these beliefs to their followers. The Holy Prophet (pbuh) too began propagating his message by focusing attentions on these beliefs. These beliefs are related in Iman-e-Mufasil in these words:
"I believe in Allah, in His Angels, in His Books, in His messengers, in the Last Day and in the fact that everything good or bad, is decided by Allah, the Almighty Allah, and in the life after death". These articles of Faith are as under:
1 Belief in the Oneness and Unity of Allah or Tauheed.
2. Belief in the Angels.
3. Belief in Revealed Books.
4. Belief in the Prophets.
5. Belief in the Last Day of Judgment.
6. Belief in Life after Death.
7. Belief in Predestination.
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WEEK 6 (TAUHEED)

TAUHEED

Tauheed or the belief in the Oneness of Allah is the first and the main principle of Islam. It means that Allah is the Only Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He is Ever-Living without a beginning or an end (the first and the last). He is Independent while others are dependent on Him for their existence and survival. He is the source and support of all life. He is the only one worthy of worship. Allah is Omnipotent (having unlimited authority or power). He knows everything; the hidden and the manifest (obvious, apparent). He is not bound by space and time; He is everywhere and has knowledge of the past, present and future. Surah Ikhlaas proclaims this in the most comprehensive way: '' Say He is Allah, the One. Allah, the Eternal. He does not beget nor is He begotten, and there is none like Him'' (112:1-4). Surah Ikhlaas is also called one-third of the Qur'an which means that one-third of the subject matter of the Qur'an revolves around Tauheed. A person becomes a Muslim just by believing and uttering the expression: '' There is no god but Allah and Mohammad (pbuh) is the Messenger of Allah''. The first part of this message occurs repeatedly in the Qur'an in slightly different shades. For example the Verse of Throne begins as: ''there is no God but He...'' (2:255). The first Surah of the Qur'an begins as: ''Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the worlds" (1:1).
According to the leading scholars of Islam, there are three kinds of Tauheed:
• Tauhid-ar-Rabubiya (Oneness of Lordship of Allah)
• Tauhid-al-Auluhiya (Oneness in the Worship of Allah)
• Tauhid-al-Asma-wa-Sifat (Oneness of the names and qualities of Allah)

Tauhid-ar-Rabubiya refers to the belief that Allah is Self-Existent; He is the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe. ‘’ Allah is the Creator of all things and He is the Guardian over all things’’ (39:62). Allah is Omnipotent, the Law Giver and the Judge. The verse of the Throne says: ‘’….who is there who can intercede in His presence except as He permits…’’ (2:255). It also to the belief that He is entirely immune to all forms of human weaknesses and needs such as hunger, thirst and the need to rest or sleep etc. ‘’…no slumber ca seize Him nor sleep…’’ (2:255). He is above the grip of space and time, ‘’ He is the First and Last, the evident and the hidden…’’ (57:3).
Tauhid-al-Auluhiya refers to the belief that since Allah is the creator, He is the only one worthy of worship. All supplication, beseeching (Pleading) and imploring (begging) are due only to Allah. So we as Muslims, must observe all the religious practices such as prayers, Hajj, fast and giving alms to the poor etc. for His sake only. ‘’I created Jinn and mankind only to worship me’’ (51:56). ‘’ You alone we worship and Your aid we seek’’ (1:4).
Tauhid-al-Asma-wa-Sifat refers to the belief that Allah is matchless not only in His Essence but also in His names and Attributes. This belief includes that we must not name or qualify Allah except with what He and His Messenger have named or qualified Him. None can be named or qualified with the names or qualifications of Allah, for example Karim, Raheem, Rehman etc. ‘’And there is none like unto Him” (112:5). We must believe in all the qualities of Allah which He has stated in His Book or mentioned through His Messenger without changing, twisting or ignoring their meaning.
The acknowledgement of Tauheed is the fundamental belief in Islam and is the basis of salvation (rescue). The basic message of all the prophets was the same i.e. there is no god but Allah. All the previous scriptures preached the Unity of Allah but due to alterations made in their text over the passage of time, the doctrine (set of guidelines) of Tauheed was changed. Finally when the need arose for final and universal guidance, Allah sent His last Messenger with the Qur’an to set the people on the straight path and correct their beliefs. We cannot see Allah but His existence is confirmed when we ponder over the universe, that such an organized and well coordinated world could not have come into existence on its own; just like a letter cannot be written without an author. ‘’who created the seven heavens, one above the other. You will not see any flaw in what the Lord of mercy creates. Look again! Can you see any flaw? Look again! And again! Your sight will turn back to you, weak and defeated.’’ (67:3-4).

SHIRK:
The Arabic word ‘’shirk’’ means ‘’to share’’. In religious sense it means associating partners with Allah. There is an Arabic proverb, ‘’things become known through their opposites.’’ In the light of this saying, it is necessary to understand the nature of Shirk for the better knowledge of the oneness of Allah. The avoidance of Shirk is the fundamental teaching of the Qur’an, because Shirk is nothing but the reverse side of Tauheed. Given the fact that the proclamation of Tauheed is the first pillar of Islam and Tauheed itself is the first principle of Islam, one begins o understand why Shirk is so strongly criticized and why. According to the Holy Qur’an it is the only unforgiveable sin: ‘’indeed Allah forgives not that a partner should be associated with Him, but less than that, He forgives whomsoever He wills.’’ (4:48)
The acknowledgement of the Unity of Allah is bound in human nature, since humans were created with the knowledge that ‘’there is no god but Allah.’’ The prophets were sent as a reminder of what was already in their original nature. Hence to associate others with Allah is to go against the most basic instincts of the human species. It is, so to speak, to go against human nature.



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WEEK 6 (ANGELS)
BELIEF IN ANGELS
Belief in the existence of angels is an article of Islamic faith. The non-believers considered angels to be deities and Allah’s daughters. This article of faith purifies the belief in the unity of Allah. Allah has appointed many of His Angels for the management of this Universe. Angels have been created from light and are not visible to ordinary mortals. They belong to the category of the unseen unless they appear in human form. They perform their assigned duties according to the Decree (order) of God. They are sent to protect men, to administer Allah’s punishments, to carry His messages and to perform various other functions. Allah describes their entire submission to Him in the following words:
"They never disobey Allah's Command and do as they are commanded."(16:50) The Angels are also called messengers in the Holy Book as they conveyed the Divine message of Allah to the Prophets. The Angels were also appointed duties in the human form; they appeared before Abraham to give him the glad tidings of a son. Hazrat Lut was also warned about impending doom of his town. Hazrat Maryam was also blessed with the news of a Holy son by an angel Gabriel. Hazrat Zakriya also experienced the same experience of visiting of an angel. Angels are Allah's creation having necessary powers and qualities. They are not His daughters nor are they objects of worship. They have no knowledge except that what Allah has taught them. They prostrated before Adam when Allah commanded them to do so. Angels glorify and praise Allah. They never get tired. They neither need sleep nor do they require the things needed by human beings. Angels are the guardians of Hell-fire. They will welcome in Heaven all those who obey Allah's commands and will throw the wrong doers into Hell. The name of the angel in charge of Paradise is Rizwan while Malik is in charge of Hell. There are many Angels like Kiram-an-katibeen i.e. angels on our shoulders having records of our good and bad deeds. They are many in numbers. The Qur’an says: ‘’But verily, over you (are appointed angels) to protect you- kind and honorable, writing down (your deeds)’’. (82:10-11) There are also Munkar and Nakeer, they go to the graves of the newly dead to ask them questions. Besides, there are many angels having various assignments with them they are as under;
1. Hazrat Gabriel, who brought revelations from Allah to the Prophets including Hazrat Muhammad (pbuh) He is called 'Rooh-ul-Allah' or ‘Rooh-ul-Ameen’ because he never changes the messages of Allah.
2. Hazrat Izrael, the angel of death. He is responsible for taking our souls upon death.
3. Hazrat Israfeel, who will blow the trumpet at the time of the end of the world, i.e. on the Day of Judgment. With his second blow everyone will rise again for the Day of Judgment.
4. Hazrat Mekaeel, who is responsible for rainfall and distribution of ‘rizq’( means of sustenance).
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WEEK 6 (BOOKS)
BELIEF IN REVEALED BOOKS
Human beings are the servants of Allah and need guidance to carry out their various duties and responsibilities. This guidance is mentioned in Books revealed to various Prophets. So for this guidance Muslims are required to believe in the Books. Allah says in the Holy Book:
"Those who believe in the revelation sent down to you (Mohammad) and in what was sent before you…" [2:4]
There were several revealed books but only four out of them are famous"
1. The Holy Quran, revealed to the Holy Prophet (pbuh).
2. Injil or the Gospels was revealed to Isa. The Christians failed to act upon it; they distorted it and introduced the doctrine (policy) of trinity and redemption through crucification; although Isa clearly told his followers that Allah was his and their Lord. According to the Quran Injil confirms the Torah.
3. Zubur or Psalms, revealed to David.
4. Torah was revealed to Moses for the guidance of Bani Israel. It contained Allah’s command, warning and mercy. The original book was changed. Its followers distorted the words of Allah. Allah says, ‘’they change the words from their (right) places and forget a good part of the message that was sent.’’(5:13)
The Qur’an also mentions the Suhuf of Ibrahim. Books were also revealed to other messengers, who were sent at different times among different nations having different languages. Their teachings were in the language they spoke and they were for the guidance of that particular community. The teachings contained were, the Uniqueness and Oneness of Allah, the concept of reward and punishment for one's deeds in the life after death.
All the heavenly books were from Allah and whatever Allah said in them is to be believed in. However due to changes and alternations, their originality and purity has been brought into question. The preservation of the Holy Scriptures was the duty of their respective followers. The basic purpose of these books was the acknowledgment of the Oneness of Allah. These books made it clear to the people that they should believe in the prophets of their times. If anyone failed to do so, their faith in Allah would not merit any rewards. These books also testified that all the Prophets were truthful and they should not differentiate among them. Each Prophet (pbuh), after all, was sent by Allah with guidance, and the primary message of each was the same. These books also reformed the wrong beliefs of people concerning Allah’s Essence, His Messengers, books, and the life after death and acts of worship. Instead of preserving the scriptures in their memories and on tablets, they distorted them. The outcome is that these scriptures cannot be relied upon to be the same as when they were sent down.
Since Islam is based on the Quran, and the Qur’an is Allah’s last book, Allah took the responsibility of preserving whatever is contained in it. The following holy verse testifies this, “We have sent down the Quran Ourself and We Ourself will guard it…” (15:9)
It is the living miracle of the Quran that no one ever produced even a verse like that of the Quran. The Qur’an, unlike the other divine books which were meant for a particular community, is a guide book for all communities for all times to come. The Qur’an is a universal book, sent to the entire mankind for all ages.