Amin Ahsan Islahi's Problematic Interpretation of 4:159

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

والصلاة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء والمرسلين

Ayah 4:159 of the Quran states that there is none from among the people of the Scripture [Jews and Christians] except that they will believe in him [Jesus] before their own death. However, Amin Ahsan Islahi dissented from this mainstream understanding of the Ayah, and instead posited:

لَيُؤمِنَنَّ بِهِ اور قَبْلَ مَوْتِهِ میں پہلی ضمیر کا مرجع ہمارے نزدیک قرآن مجید ہے اور دوسری کا مرجع آنحضرت صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ہیں۔ مطلب یہ ہے کہ آج یہ اہل کتاب قرآن اور نبی کی صداقت تسلیم کرنے کے لیے یہ شرط ٹھہراتے ہیں کہ وہ آسمان سے کتاب اترتی ہوئی دکھائیں تب وہ یقین کریں گےکہ قرآن فی الواقع اللہ کی کتاب ہے اور محمد (صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم) واقعی اللہ کے رسول ہیں اور اس حیلے سے وہ ان تمام عقلی، نقلی، فطری اور تاریخی دلائل کو نظر انداز کررہے ہیں جو قرآن اور پیغمبر ^ص کی صداقت کے ثبوت میں موجود ہیں لیکن وہ وقت بھی دور نہیں ہے جب یہ یہود اور نصاری قرآن اور پیغمبر کی کہی ہوئی ایک ایک بات کو واقعات کی شکل میں اپنی آنکھوں سے دیکھ لیں گے اور قرآن ان کے لیے جس رسوائی ونامرادی اور جس ذلت وشکست کی خبر دے رہا ہے وہ پیغمبر کے دنیا سے اٹھنے سے پہلے پہلے اس طرح ان کی آنکھوں کے سامنے آجائے گی کہ اس کو جھٹلانا ان کے لیے ممکن نہیں رہے گا اگرچہ ایمان کی سعادت ان کو یہ سب کچھ دیکھنے کے بعد بھی حاصل نہیں ہوگی۔

"They will believe in it" refers to the Quran and "before his death" to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, in our opinion. It means today these People of the Scripture make their believing in the Quran and the Prophet peace be upon him conditional to him bringing down a Scripture from Heaven manifestly, then they will have certainty that the Quran is in reality the Book of God and Muhammad (peace be upon him) is really the Messenger of God. With this excuse they ignore all the rational, textual, natural and historical proofs that are there to verify the veracity of the Quran and the Apostle [Muhammad]. However, that time isn’t far when these Jews and Christians will witness with their own eyes every word of the Quran and the Apostle materialize in actuality. The Quran’s prophecy of their disgraceful defeat and humiliation will be realized prior to the Apostle is raised up from this world [dies], before their very eyes, such that it will be impossible for them to reject it, although they will not be blessed with Faith despite witnessing all of this. (Tadabbur-i-Quran; v.2, p.423):

There are several difficulties with Amin Ahsan Islahi’s interpretation of the Ayah 4:159: Nowhere in the context of the verse, that is the verses immediately preceding and proceeding it, is there mention of either the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Rather, the context of 4:159 is clearly regarding the person of the Messiah Jesus. Secondly, 4:159 states that none of the People of the Scripture, Jews and Christians, will believe in him (or it) before his death – clearly indicating that all of the People of the Scripture are intended and not merely a portion of them. Yet the majority of the People of the Scripture, even if we restrict ourselves to the lifetime of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم weren’t even aware of him or the Quran. How can it be argued that all of the Jews and Christians attained certainty regarding the Quran being the Word of God prior to the death of the most holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم?

The correct interpretation is that every Jew and Christian, right before their death, shall experience a vision which will compel them to believe in the Messiah Jesus as a true servant of God and His Apostle. However, such faith will not profit them. This explanation was put forth by some of the senior Companions of the Prophet, like Ibn Abbas رضى الله عنهما and likewise major authorities among the early Muslims, like al-Hasan al-Basri, Mujahid bin Jabr, al-Dhahhak and Muhammad bin Sirin (may Allah be pleased with them all).

Prohibition of Fasting on the Sabbath

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

The most holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him & his family) forbade fasting on the Sabbath:

لاَ تَصُومُوا يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ إِلاَّ فِيمَا افْتَرَضَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَجِدْ أَحَدُكُمْ إِلاَّ لِحَاءَ عِنَبَةٍ أَوْ عُودَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلْيَمْضُغْهُ

Do not fast on the Day of the Sabbath [Saturday] except in what Allah has obligated upon you. So if one of you does not find but a grape peel or the twig of a tree then let him chew it.

(Jami’ at-Tirmidhi, #744)

Commenting on this Hadith, Imam at-Tirmidhi says:

وَمَعْنَى كَرَاهَتِهِ فِي هَذَا أَنْ يَخُصَّ الرَّجُلُ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ بِصِيَامٍ لأَنَّ الْيَهُودَ تُعَظِّمُ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ

“The meaning of its dislike here is a man singling out the Day of the Sabbath for fasting because the Jews revere the Sabbath.”

In other words, Imam at-Tirmidhi imagined that the Prophet (peace be upon him & his family) forbade singling out the Sabbath for fasting because it is the day which the Jews revere, and the intention of disliking fasting on the Sabbath is to oppose the sentiments of the Jews. However, deeper analysis reveals that Imam at-Tirmidhi’s reasoning was flawed for a number of reasons. Firstly, although in our Shari’a the Sabbath is not considered a day of rest as it is in the Mosaic Law given to the nation of Israel nevertheless the Quran magnifies the Sabbath as the day in which Allah Most High settled upon the Throne:

اِنَّ رَبَّکُمُ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیۡ خَلَقَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضَ فِیۡ سِتَّۃِ اَیَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسۡتَوٰی عَلَی الۡعَرۡشِ

Surely, your Lord is Allah Who created the Heavens and the Earth in six days; then He settled Himself on the Throne

(Sura 7:54)

This mirrors the Biblical explanation for the holiness of the Sabbath: “Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.” (Genesis 2:3)

As for the Hadith in Sahih Muslim which says:

خَلَقَ اللَّهُ التُّرْبَةَ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ

“Allah created the clay on the Sabbath”

it is an error as Ibn Taymiya explained:

وَنَازَعَهُ فِيهِ مَنْ هُوَ أَعْلَمُ مِنْهُ ‌كَيَحْيَى ‌بْنِ ‌مَعِينٍ ‌وَالْبُخَارِيِّ ‌وَغَيْرِهِمَا ‌فَبَيَّنُوا ‌أَنَّ ‌هَذَا ‌غَلَطٌ لَيْسَ هَذَا مِنْ كَلَامِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

وَالْحُجَّةُ مَعَ هَؤُلَاءِ فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ ثَبَتَ بِالْكِتَابِ وَالسُّنَّةِ وَالْإِجْمَاعِ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى خَلَقَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ وَأَنَّ آخِرَ مَا خَلَقَهُ هُوَ آدَمَ وَكَانَ خَلْقُهُ يَوْمَ الْجُمُعَةِ وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ الْمُخْتَلَفُ فِيهِ يَقْتَضِي أَنَّهُ خَلَقَ ذَلِكَ فِي الْأَيَّامِ السَّبْعَةِ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ إسْنَادٌ أَصَحُّ مِنْ هَذَا أَنَّ أَوَّلَ الْخَلْقِ كَانَ يَوْمَ الْأَحَدِ

Yahya bin Ma’in, al-Bukhari and other than them explained that this is incorrect, this is not from the speech of the Prophet – sall Allahu alaihi wasallam. It is proven from the Book [Quran], the Sunna and the Ijma [consensus] that Allah Most High created the Heavens and the Earth in six days, in the last of which He created Adam, and his creation was on Friday. (Majmu al-Fatawa, v.1 pp.256-257)

According to a narration in the Sunan al-Kubra of Imam an-Nasa’i the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

يَا ‌أَبَا ‌هُرَيْرَةَ ‌إِنَّ ‌اللهَ ‌خَلَقَ ‌السَّمَوَاتِ ‌وَالْأَرَضِينَ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا فِي سِتَّةِ أَيَّامٍ ثُمَّ اسْتَوَى عَلَى الْعَرْشِ يَوْمَ السَّابِعِ

“O Abu Huraira! Verily, Allah created the Heavens and the Earths and what is in between them in six days, then He settled upon the Throne on the Seventh Day [Sabbath]”

Secondly, the Jews till this day also consider it prohibited to keep a fast on the Sabbath unless the Sabbath coincides with Yom Kippur.

Spiritual Ascension (Rafa) of Jesus Christ

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على خاتم النبيين

In explanation of the two Ayats in the holy Quran:

اِذۡ قَالَ اللّٰہُ یٰعِیۡسٰۤی اِنِّیۡ مُتَوَفِّیۡکَ وَرَافِعُکَ اِلَیَّ

When Allah said: “O Jesus, indeed I will cause you to die and raise you to Myself”

(Sura 3:55)

بَلۡ رَّفَعَہُ اللّٰہُ اِلَیۡہِ

Rather, Allah raised him [Jesus] to Himself

(Sura 4:158)

we can determine the correct interpretation of the ascension or raising up of Jesus Christ to God from the Hadith of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم

‌وَمَا ‌تَوَاضَعَ ‌أَحَدٌ ‌لِلَّهِ ‌إِلَّا ‌رَفَعَهُ ‌اللهُ

No one humbles himself for Allah except that Allah raises him

(Sahih Muslim)

In another version it is mentioned:

‌فَإِذَا ‌تَوَاضَعَ ‌رَفَعَهُ ‌اللَّهُ ‌إِلَى ‌السَّمَاءِ ‌السَّابِعَةِ

So if he humbles himself, Allah raises him to the Seventh Heaven

(Masawi al-Akhlaq lil-Khara’iti, p.259 #588)

In this version it is obvious that ascension to the Seventh Heaven means a spiritual ascension and not a corporal one. However, the Hadith with this wording is weak due to the narrator Zam’a bin Salih. Nevertheless, these narrations clearly indicate that the ascension of Jesus Christ to Heaven or to the presence of God was not a bodily, corporal elevation.

Manat and Uzza: False Black Goddesses of the Pagan Arabs

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

والصلاة والسلام على رسوله الامين

The idols Uzza and Manat worshipped by the pagan Arabs were not merely lifeless images but personified as naked black women. It is mentioned that the most holy Prophet Muhammad sent his general Khalid bin Walid, the Sword of Allah, may Allah be pleased with him, to demolish Uzza:

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ فَتَحَ مَكَّةَ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ إِلَى الْعُزَّى لِيَهْدِمَهَا فَخَرَجَ فِي ثَلَاثِينَ فَارِسًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ حَتَّى انْتَهَوْا إِلَيْهَا فَهَدَمَهَا ثُمَّ رَجَعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ هَلْ رَأَيْتَ شَيْئًا قَالَ لَا قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تَهْدِمْهَا ‌فَارْجِعْ ‌إِلَيْهَا ‌فَاهْدِمْهَا فَرَجَعَ خَالِدٌ وَهُوَ مُتَغَيِّظٌ فَجَرَّدَ سَيْفَهُ فَخَرَجَتْ إِلَيْهِ امْرَأَةٌ عُرْيَانَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ نَاشِرَةُ الرَّأْسِ فَجَعَلَ السَّادِنَ يَصِيحُ بِهَا فَضَرَبَهَا خَالِدٌ فَجَزَلَهَا بِاثْنَتَيْنِ وَرَجَعَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ تِلْكَ الْعُزَّى وَقَدْ يَئِسَتْ أَنْ تُعْبَدَ بِبِلَادِكُمْ أَبَدًا وَكَانَتْ بِنَخْلَةَ وَكَانَتْ لِقُرَيْشٍ وَجَمِيعِ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ وَكَانَتْ أَعْظَمَ أَصْنَامِهِمْ وَكَانَ سَدَنَتَهَا بَنُو شَيْبَانَ مِنْ بَنِي سُلَيْمٍ

The Messenger of God (peace be upon him) sent Khalid bin Walid at the time of the liberation of Mecca to Uzza to demolish it. So he went with thirty cavalrymen from among his companions until they reached it and destroyed it, then returned to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and informed him. He [Messenger of God] asked: “Did you see anything?” He [Khalid] answered: “No”. He [Messenger of God] said: “Indeed you have not destroyed it, so return to it and destroy it”. So Khalid returned, and he was angry, drawing his sword, and behold a naked, black woman came out with dishevelled hair, whom Khalid struck and cut into two, then returned to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and informed him, who said: “Yes, that was Uzza, despaired of ever being worshipped again in your country” (Tabaqat al-Kubra, v.2 p.111)

Likewise, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) sent Sa’d bin Zaid al-Ashhali (may Allah be pleased with him) to demolish Manat on the occasion of the liberation of Mecca:

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم حِينَ فَتَحَ مَكَّةَ سَعْدَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ الْأَشْهَلَيَّ إِلَى مَنَاةَ وَكَانَتْ بِالْمُشَلَّلِ لِلْأَوْسِ وَالْخَزْرَجِ وَغَسَّانَ فَلَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم سَعْدَ بْنَ زَيْدٍ الْأَشْهَلِيَّ يَهْدِمُهَا فَخَرَجَ فِي عِشْرِينَ فَارِسًا حَتَّى انْتَهَى إِلَيْهَا وَعَلَيْهَا سَادِنٌ فَقَالَ السَّادِنُ مَا تُرِيدُ قَالَ هَدْمَ مَنَاةَ قَالَ أَنْتَ وَذَاكَ فَأَقْبَلَ سَعْدٌ يَمْشِي إِلَيْهَا وَتَخْرُجُ إِلَيْهِ امْرَأَةٌ عُرْيَانَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ ثَائِرَةُ الرَّأْسِ تَدْعُو بِالْوَيْلِ وَتَضْرِبُ صَدْرَهَا فَقَالَ السَّادِنُ مَنَاةُ دُونَكَ بَعْضَ غَضَبَاتِكِ وَيَضْرِبُهَا سَعْدُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ الْأَشْهَلَيُّ وَقَتَلَهَا وَيُقْبِلُ إِلَى الصَّنَمِ مَعَهُ أَصْحَابُهُ فَهَدَمُوهُ وَلَمْ يَجِدُوا فِي خَزَانَتِهَا شَيْئًا وَانْصَرَفَ رَاجِعًا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلّى الله عليه وسلم وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ لِسِتٍّ بَقِينَ مِنْ شَهْرِ رَمَضَانَ

When Sa’d bin Zaid al-Ashhali reached the temple of Manat at al-Mushallal with twenty cavalrymen to demolish it he encountered a temple guard asking him what he intended to do. When he expressed his intention to demolish the shrine a naked, black woman with dishevelled hair came out wailing and beating her chest. Sa’d bin Zaid struck and killed her. He then destroyed the idol of Manat but did not find anything in its treasury (ibid, p.112)