Xwedodah: Practice of Incest in Zoroastrianism and Iranian Religion

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قدوس قدوس قدوس

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Islam does not restrict itself to theology as a means of defining and distinguishing itself from the false religions, but also social and cultural practices. The Quran explicitly prohibits incest among other types of marital and sexual relations practiced by the people:

حُرِّمَتۡ عَلَیۡکُمۡ اُمَّہٰتُکُمۡ وَبَنٰتُکُمۡ وَاَخَوٰتُکُمۡ وَعَمّٰتُکُمۡ وَخٰلٰتُکُمۡ وَبَنٰتُ الۡاَخِ وَبَنٰتُ الۡاُخۡتِ

Forbidden for you are your mothers, your daughters, your sisters, your paternal aunts, your maternal aunts, your fraternal nieces and your sororal nieces

(Surah 4, Ayah 23)

I previously mentioned how the Islamic Shari’ah differs from Jewish Halacha which permits and even encourages a man to marry his niece, whether a fraternal niece or a sororal niece (avunculate marriage). But Islam considers such a union incestuous. Many people, including Muslims inclined toward liberalism and secularism, criticize Muhammad bin Qasim رحمة الله عليه the Arab conqueror of Sindh. They and the Hindus vilify him (although he is a hero for us Muslims) while instead making his opponent Raja Dahir of Aror a hero and symbol of both Hindu and Sindhi nationalism. He was the Hindu ruler of Sindh who scandalously married his own sister Rani Bai. The ancient Egyptians also practiced incestuous marriages between brother and sister, especially the Pharaohs and royals. Even the famous Cleopatra, who was Greek and not a native Egyptian, nevertheless practiced the ancient custom when she married two of her own brothers, both named Ptolemy. In this article I will particularly discuss the practice of Xwedodah, incestuous marriages among the Zoroastrians, or pre-Islamic Iranians. It was not uncommon for them to marry their own mothers, sisters, daughters and granddaughters. These kind of unions were especially practiced by the royalty and nobility, as it was considered “purer” and therefore ideal. Since the pre-Islamic Iranian religion was particularly characterized by a kind of racial supremacism, racial hygiene and the notion of endogamy it is understandable why it viewed incestuous unions favorably. While Allah caused Islam to eradicate this false religion, till this day there are still a tiny remnant known as Parsis, and some other insignificant communities that descend from ancient Iranian religion like the Yazidis. They do not accept conversion into their religions because they have inherited the notion of racial purity and endogamy. So it is written in the Vendidad, a collection of texts within the broader Avesta: “Afterwards the corpse-bearers shall sit down, three paces from the dead, and the holy Ratu shall proclaim to the worshippers of Mazda thus: ‘Worshippers of Mazda, let the urine be brought here wherewith the corpse-bearers there shall wash their hair and their bodies!’ The priest who directs the funerals, 'the chief of the Nasu-kashas', the so-called Nasâ-sâlâr. O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Which is the urine wherewith the corpse-bearers shall wash their hair and their bodies? Is it of sheep or of oxen? Is it of man or of woman? Ahura Mazda answered: 'It is of sheep or of oxen; not of man nor of woman, except a man or a woman who has married the next-of-kin: these shall therefore procure the urine wherewith the corpse-bearers shall wash their hair and their bodies.'" (Chapter 8) In another text called the Shayest ne Shayest, the evil “god” Ahriman expresses his aversion to next-of-kin marriage, proving it is considered virtuous: “Avoid next-of-kin marriage! because I do not know a remedy for it; for whoever has gone four times near to it will not become parted from the possession of Ohrmazd and the archangels.” (Chapter 18) “Next-of-kin marriage will extirpate mortal sins (margarzan)” (Chapter 8)

Commentary on Select Verses of Surah 40

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قدوس قدوس قدوس

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Here I am beginning a new series that is a commentary on select Âyât that appear in the Hawâmîm, or those chapters of the Qurân which begin with:

حٰمٓ

Hâ Mîm

And the first such chapter is Sûrat al-Mu’min also called Sûrat Ghâfir because it starts with mention of a beautiful attribute of Allâh:

غَافِرِ الذَّنۡۢبِ وَقَابِلِ التَّوۡبِ

Forgiver of sin, accepting of repentance (40:3)

Hâ Mîm are from the Hurûf al-Muqatta’ât (disjointed letters) that appear at the beginning of certain chapters of the Qurân. They have some mystical significance and may likely be related to Abjad or Gematria. Allâh and His Apostle know best!

Whatever the hidden meaning of Hâ Mîm, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم has explained the efficacy of its verbalization with regard to protection and help in a situation of alarm, for instance:

إِنْ بُيِّتُّمْ فَلْيَكُنْ شِعَارُكُمْ حم لاَ يُنْصَرُونَ

If you are raided then let your slogan be Hâ Mîm. They will not be aided (Sunan Abî Dâwud)

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

کُلُّ اُمَّۃٍۭ بِرَسُوۡلِہِمۡ لِیَاۡخُذُوۡہُ

Every Ummah tried to seize their Messengers (40:5)

The unbelievers attempted to murder or imprison every single Apostle that was sent by Allâh, and some of them were indeed martyred at the hands of their own people (2:87; 5:70; 3:183). This is especially true of the Jews who sought to slay Jesus (John 5:16; John 7:1) and they repeatedly attempted to assassinate the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

اَلَّذِیۡنَ یَحۡمِلُوۡنَ الۡعَرۡشَ وَمَنۡ حَوۡلَہٗ یُسَبِّحُوۡنَ بِحَمۡدِ رَبِّہِمۡ وَیُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِہٖ وَیَسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡنَ لِلَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا

Those that carry the Throne and whoever is around it glorify with the praise of their Lord, believing in Him and asking forgiveness for those who believe (40:7)

These are the high category of Angels that are known as the Hamalât al-Arsh, Carriers of the Throne, and the Kurûbiyyîn or Cherubim that are around the Throne. They are constantly engaged in very beautiful and perfect glorification and praise of the Lord. Many Prophets have had visions of these Angels at the Throne, such as Isaiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, but also our Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم during his Mi’râj. In this Âyah it is revealed that they intercede on our behalf by praying to Allâh for forgiveness of the Believers.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

قَالُوۡا رَبَّنَاۤ اَمَتَّنَا اثۡنَتَیۡنِ وَاَحۡیَیۡتَنَا اثۡنَتَیۡنِ فَاعۡتَرَفۡنَا بِذُنُوۡبِنَا فَہَلۡ اِلٰی خُرُوۡجٍ مِّنۡ سَبِیۡلٍ

They will say: “Our Lord, You gave us death twice and You gave us life twice. So we have confessed our sins, is there a way out?” (40:11)

The unbelievers, especially the polytheists (40:12), will plead to Allâh for a way out of Hell on account of their having acknowledged the sins they committed in this world, but to no avail. The life of this world is a soul’s only opportunity to do what is right and earn the favor of Allâh. Once the Angel of Death comes for someone there will be no second chances for them! What are the two deaths and the two lives referred to here? The first death is the state of the soul before its formation in the womb of its mother and subsequent birth and coming into this world, and the second death is its departure from this world when the soul is taken by the Angel of Death. The first life is then the life of this world, and the second life is at the Resurrection.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

یُلۡقِی الرُّوۡحَ مِنۡ اَمۡرِہٖ عَلٰی مَنۡ یَّشَآءُ مِنۡ عِبَادِہٖ لِیُنۡذِرَ یَوۡمَ التَّلَاقِ

He casts the Spirit of His command upon whoever He wills of His servants to warn of the Day of the Meeting (40:15)

Through the Spirit does Allâh inspire a chosen slave of His to prophesy concerning the Apocalypse, that is, Judgment Day and the Resurrection. It is not only the actual Prophets but any servant of God who is a Believer and is moved to warn about Judgment Day has had the Spirit cast upon him. The Holy Spirit continues to descend upon and envelop individuals from among the servants of Allâh, through which they are inspired and moved to preach the Word of God and particularly warn about Judgment Day.

قَالُوا اقۡتُلُوۡۤا اَبۡنَآءَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَہٗ وَاسۡتَحۡیُوۡا نِسَآءَہُمۡ

They said: “Slay the sons of those who believe with them but leave alive their women” (40:25)

This command of Pharaoh, Hâmân and Qârûn to kill the sons of the Believers while sparing their women was not limited to the Israelite infants as in the first instance (2:49; 28:4), since Pharaoh also wanted to have Moses killed (40:26). Qârûn is Korah. Although he was apparently a Levite, he was a traitor and a hypocrite who managed to gain Pharaoh’s favor and company. At the Exodus he had to leave with the Nation but continued to rebel and cause mischief. The opponents argue the Qurân has erred by making Hâmân a minister of Pharaoh when according to the Book of Esther, Haman was an official in the court of a Persian king named “Ahasuerus” and he hatched a conspiracy to exterminate the Jews. But the Book of Esther is widely considered historical fiction and an invented etiology for the Jewish festival of Purim. The book can hardly be considered Scripture, it does not even mention God!

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

وَقَالَ فِرۡعَوۡنُ یٰہَامٰنُ ابۡنِ لِیۡ صَرۡحًا لَّعَلِّیۡۤ اَبۡلُغُ الۡاَسۡبَابَ

اَسۡبَابَ السَّمٰوٰتِ فَاَطَّلِعَ اِلٰۤی اِلٰہِ مُوۡسٰی وَاِنِّیۡ لَاَظُنُّہٗ کَاذِبًا

And said Pharaoh: “O Haman! Build for me a tower that I may reach the ways. Ways to the Heavens so I may look at the God of Moses. For surely I assume he is a liar.” (40:36-37)

This passage indicates that the God of Moses had been introduced to Pharaoh and others as One Who is above Heaven. Pharaoh’s limited and childish understanding of the reality of the Heavens made him assume a tower could be constructed by human hands that reaches high into the sky where he might catch a glimpse of the God of Moses. And from this we know that the God of Moses, the true God, is unlike the imaginary, terrestrial gods of the idolaters. Our God is transcendent, being above and beyond the universe.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

مَنۡ عَمِلَ سَیِّئَۃً فَلَا یُجۡزٰۤی اِلَّا مِثۡلَہَا

Whoever does an evil deed will not be recompensed except by its likeness (40:40)

The assurance is given that whatever punishment awaits the unbelievers in the Hereafter shall be truly just and fair, appropriate to their evil deeds. And surely, eternal damnation to the Fire is a fair and just reward for the evil of not worshipping Allâh alone. If only the people could begin to comprehend the gravity of such an evil!

وَیٰقَوۡمِ مَا لِیۡۤ اَدۡعُوۡکُمۡ اِلَی النَّجٰوۃِ وَتَدۡعُوۡنَنِیۡۤ اِلَی النَّارِ

And O my people! How is it that I call you to Salvation and you call me to the Fire? (40:41)

The word Najâh means salvation, in the Islamic context it is salvation from Hellfire. Islam is essentially a call to salvation from Hell (hence the name of my blog).

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says:

اَلنَّارُ یُعۡرَضُوۡنَ عَلَیۡہَا غُدُوًّا وَّعَشِیًّا ۚ وَیَوۡمَ تَقُوۡمُ السَّاعَۃُ ۟ اَدۡخِلُوۡۤا اٰلَ فِرۡعَوۡنَ اَشَدَّ الۡعَذَابِ

The Fire, they are exposed to it morning and evening. And the Day the Hour is established the people of Pharaoh will be entered into the severest punishment (40:46)

This Âyah is a proof for the reality of the punishment of the grave, as an intermediary state between the life of this world and the Resurrection. Presently, Pharaoh and his people are exposed to the Fire, but at the Resurrection they will be made to enter it, meaning into the blaze of Jahannam.

Allâh says:

وَمَا دُعٰٓؤُا الۡکٰفِرِیۡنَ اِلَّا فِیۡ ضَلٰلٍ

And the prayer of the unbelievers is but in error (40:50)

While this is in the context of the unbelievers pleading with God in Hell, it is a general rule that the prayers of the unbelievers are futile and of no avail while they are in a state of unbelief. Except for the one who sincerely prays for guidance and light. But such a one, though he is ignorant of the Truth, can’t be described as a kâfir because the proof has not been established against him, nor have the Signs been made manifest to him. And it is sufficient for one to be considered a kâfir if he even hears about the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم but does not believe in him, thus most of humanity has fallen into kufr.

Allâh says:

وَلَقَدۡ اٰتَیۡنَا مُوۡسَی الۡہُدٰی وَاَوۡرَثۡنَا بَنِیۡۤ اِسۡرَآءِیۡلَ الۡکِتٰبَ

And We gave Moses the Guidance and We bequeathed to the Children of Israel the Scripture (40:53)

The Torah is the primary Scripture that was bequeathed to the Israelites, but also the Scriptures of the Prophets subsequent to Moses, such as the Psalms and the other Sahâ’if. These were inherited by the Children of Israel and they were entrusted with them. They are an inheritance, but not of material wealth, rather an inheritance of knowledge.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted, says to His Prophet صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم

وَّاسۡتَغۡفِرۡ لِذَنۡۢبِکَ

And seek forgiveness for your fault (40:55)

Fakhr ud-Dîn ar-Râzî explains:

‌وَنَحْنُ ‌نَحْمِلُهُ ‌عَلَى ‌التَّوْبَةِ ‌عَنْ ‌تَرْكِ ‌الْأَوْلَى ‌وَالْأَفْضَلِ ‌أَوْ ‌عَلَى ‌مَا ‌كَانَ ‌قَدْ ‌صَدَرَ ‌عَنْهُمْ ‌قَبْلَ ‌النُّبُوَّةِ

We hold it to be repentance for abandoning what is better and preferable, or what issued from him before the Nubuwwah (Tafsîr al-Kabîr)

We Sunni Muslims believe the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم is sinless. His constant repentance and seeking forgiveness from Allâh was to model for his followers, and also for those minor errors and unintentional mistakes which are a natural consequence of his humanity.

Allâh, Holy and Exalted is He, says;

اِنَّ الَّذِیۡنَ یَسۡتَکۡبِرُوۡنَ عَنۡ عِبَادَتِیۡ سَیَدۡخُلُوۡنَ جَہَنَّمَ دٰخِرِیۡنَ

Surely, those who are too arrogant to worship Me shall enter Jahannam, despised (40:60)

Along with those who worship partners they have set up with Allâh, those who do not worship at all will be cast into Hell. So it is not sufficient to merely confess belief in Allâh. One who thinks he is too good to bow, kneel, and prostrate his face before the King of Kings is likewise an infidel. He is essentially no different than an idolater or an atheist.

Allâh says:

فَاِمَّا نُرِیَنَّکَ بَعۡضَ الَّذِیۡ نَعِدُہُمۡ

So if We show you some of which We promised them (40:77)

The Holy Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم beheld many visions of the Afterlife, especially in a state of wakefulness. Once he led the people in Salât al-Khusûf, or the solar eclipse prayer, the Companions رضى الله عنهم praying behind him witnessed him step forward and reach for something, and likewise witnessed him step back from something. After the conclusion of the Salâh they asked him about that and he said:

إِنِّي أُرِيتُ الْجَنَّةَ فَتَنَاوَلْتُ مِنْهَا عُنْقُودًا وَلَوْ أَخَذْتُهُ لأَكَلْتُمْ مِنْهُ مَا بَقِيَتِ الدُّنْيَا

I saw the Paradise, and wanted to reach the fruit in it and grab it so that you could eat from it for the remainder of this world (Sahih al-Bukhari)

وَأُرِيتُ النَّارَ فَلَمْ أَرَ مَنْظَرًا كَالْيَوْمِ قَطُّ أَفْظَعَ وَرَأَيْتُ أَكْثَرَ أَهْلِهَا النِّسَاءَ

And I saw the Fire, and I never saw such a terrifying sight, and I saw that most of its people were women (ibid)

Allâh says:

وَلَقَدۡ اَرۡسَلۡنَا رُسُلًا مِّنۡ قَبۡلِکَ مِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ قَصَصۡنَا عَلَیۡکَ وَمِنۡہُمۡ مَّنۡ لَّمۡ نَقۡصُصۡ عَلَیۡکَ

And We sent Messengers before you among whom We have mentioned their stories to you, and among them whose stories We have not mentioned to you (40:78)

And perhaps the greatest Messenger of God to fall in the category of من لم نقصص عليك the “one We did not relay about to you” is the Prophet Jeremiah, peace be upon him. And Allâh knows best.

Antichrist the Worthless Shepherd

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قدوس قدوس قدوس

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

The Holy Prophet Muhammad, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, informed us that every Prophet warned his people about the Dajjal, or Antichrist. He, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, said:

أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا عَنِ الدَّجَّالِ مَا حَدَّثَ بِهِ نَبِيٌّ قَوْمَهُ إِنَّهُ أَعْوَرُ

Shall I tell you something about the Dajjal which no Prophet told his people? He is one-eyed (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The Prophet Muhammad, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, further explained this when he said:

وَإِنَّ الْمَسِيحَ الدَّجَّالَ أَعْوَرُ الْعَيْنِ الْيُمْنَى كَأَنَّ عَيْنَهُ عِنَبَةٌ طَافِيَةٌ

Verily, the Antichrist is blind in his right eye, as if his eye were a floating grape (ibid)

So while no Prophet prior to our Master Muhammad, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, revealed this fact about the Dajjal that he shall be blind in his right eye, the Prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah apparently prayed for this and hinted at it: “For I am going to raise up a shepherd over the land who will not care for the lost, or seek the young, or heal the injured, or feed the healthy, but will eat the meat of the choice sheep, tearing off their hooves. Woe to the worthless shepherd, who deserts the flock! May the sword strike his arm and his right eye! May his arm be completely withered, his right eye totally blinded!” (Zechariah 11:16-17, NIV). Many Christians also identify the “worthless shepherd” with the Antichrist or “man of lawlessness”. Jesus too apparently warned about the Antichrist when he said: “I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.” (John 5:43, NIV)

Islamic Society vs. Islamic State

 بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

قدوس قدوس قدوس

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

Zionist occupation of Al-Quds (Jerusalem) rightfully pains and infuriates Muslims worldwide, but so should Saudi “custody” of the Haramain (Mecca and Medina). While Zionist occupation is certainly more brutal and is made worse by the fact they are non-Muslims who bear fanatical hostility to Islam, Saudi control is more insidious because it serves to normalize in the Muslim mind a terrible state of affairs in the Sanctuaries. It is argued that things are running smoothly in the Haramain so it is unwise and even forbidden as per Shariah to agitate against the Saudis. I agree with this sentiment. As Sunni Muslims we prioritize stability over chaos and anarchy. And the House of Saud is still Muslim, so it is forbidden to revolt against any Muslim ruler no matter how tyrannical or autocratic. Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman or MBS is undoubtedly an evil man, a devil in human form who is on the path of war against our God Allah and His Apostle, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam. His liberalization of Arabia and spreading of decadence in the Land should anger any true Believer. So as we pray for the liberation of Jerusalem and Palestine from the Zionist infidels we should likewise pray fervently to our God Allah for the liberation of the Haramain.

Now more important than the establishment of an Islamic state is the establishment of an Islamic society. In recent history many states have claimed to be Islamic, including Saudi Arabia, but also Iran, Pakistan and Sudan. None of the aforementioned are or were Islamic. But a truly Islamic society is one where the hearts of the people are for Allah and His Apostle, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam. The Mosques are filled with worshippers, the Madaris and Islamic schools are thriving, there is a multitude of Ulama, Sufis, preachers and devotees. Everywhere there is the sound of the Quran being recited and the Adhan being proclaimed. Women, when they go out in public, are covered head to toe. The people cling to their Islamic identity, appearance and dress. There are no cinemas, nightclubs or lounges. The society is cleansed of the filth of alcohol and drugs. It is a high trust society, where crime is extremely rare, rather virtually non-existent. Muslims busy themselves in studying the Religion. Rather than worthless musicians, actors and athletes the celebrities are the men of Religion; the Ulama, the Mashayikh and the charismatic preachers. Working to establish such a society is exponentially more important than the political activity aimed at making an Islamic state. This was the Islamic society that thrived in Medina during the time of the Holy Prophet, sall Allahu alaihi wasallam, and its protection and maintenance was the aim of the subsequent Rashidun Caliphate. The great thing about turning our priority to establishing an Islamic society rather than a state is that it is a struggle in which all Muslims may participate in a meaningful way. It is a grassroots effort, which I see certain Islamic outfits leading the way, perhaps the most prominent of them being Tablighi Jamaat, but certainly there are others too. The recent Saudi ban on Tablighi Jamaat illustrates the enmity they have toward Islam and how their hearts are captive to Shaytan. The Emiratis are even worse than the Saudis. These are people whose hardheartedness is perceived by the fact they have absolutely no concern from the Ummah. A Hadith says:

‌‌وَمَنْ ‌لَمْ ‌يَهْتَمَّ ‌بِأَمْرِ ‌الْمُسْلِمِينَ ‌فَلَيْسَ ‌مِنْهُمْ

"Whoever is not concerned with the affairs of the Muslims does not belong to them"

The first step toward any effort to rectify our state of affairs and make ourselves right with Allah to elicit His favor once again is to sincerely and fervently repent. Both on a collective and individual level repentance is imperative. Taliban are the most successful today in having established both an Islamic society and state. After them I sense some goodness in the hearts of some Muslim rulers, like Erdogan of Turkey, the Emirs of Qatar and perhaps the new government that managed to liberate Syria.

Three Shrines in Islam

 بِسۡمِ اللّٰہِ الرَّحۡمٰنِ الرَّحِیۡمِ

قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ ‌قُدُّوسٌ

In the Name of Allah, the Rahman, the Merciful

Holy, Holy, Holy

The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said:

لاَ تُشَدُّ الرِّحَالُ إِلاَّ إِلَى ثَلاَثَةِ مَسَاجِدَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَمَسْجِدِ الرَّسُولِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَمَسْجِدِ الأَقْصَى

Do not saddle up (for a pilgrimage) except to three Mosques: The Sacred Mosque (in Mecca), the Mosque of the Messenger, peace be upon him (in Medina) and the Aqsa Mosque (in Jerusalem) (Sahih al-Bukhari)

The delineation of this Ummah is in it being restricted to considering these three Mosques as its only shrines or sanctums to which a pilgrimage may be undertaken. To add to these three, or to subtract from them, is an extreme heresy. The Shi’ah are guilty of the former, having made the tombs of the Imams buried in various places at Iraq and Iran into shrines to which they offer pilgrimages. They go further by considering these tombs more sacred and holier than the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Another heretical sect, the Qadianis (“Ahmadiyah”) locate the Aqsa Mosque in Qadian, India and consider Qadian a holy place along with Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Other heresies, associated with Hadith-rejecters like Ghulam Ahmad Parwez, Dr. Rashad Khalifa and Muhammad Shaikh deny the holiness and status of the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (they tend to identify the Aqsa Mosque with the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina).

The evil king Jeroboam set up shrines in Bethel and Dan to rival the Temple in Jerusalem. While the shrine in Dan was destroyed by the Assyrians during their conquest of the northern Kingdom of Israel, the one in Bethel was finally destroyed by the righteous King Josiah of the Kingdom of Judah. A strange story is mentioned in the Bible about a Prophet from Judah who was raised up by God to preach against this false shrine in Bethel: “And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before. And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel. Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers. And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass. And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother! And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass. After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.” (1 Kings, Chapter 13, KJV) One is naturally curious as to why there was no rebuke for the old Prophet of Bethel who supposedly lied to the Prophet who came out from Judah to prophesy against Jeroboam. The latter was tricked by the former into disobeying God’s command for him, and suffered an ignoble death as a consequence. But moving on, we see the importance of delineating the shrines and sanctuaries without addition or subtraction for an Ummah. The Samaritans strayed in their rejection of Jerusalem while favoring Mount Gerizim. In the time of Jesus this controversy between the Jews and Samaritans, ostensibly divided on the question of the correct place to worship is mentioned in the story of the Samaritan woman: “The woman saith unto him [Jesus], Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews” (John 4:19-22, KJV). So Jesus judged the Samaritans wrong in this controversy when he said that they do not know what they worship whereas he and the Jews do know, and that salvation is of the Jews. So at that time it was the way of the Jews and not the Samaritans which was the right way, and the Messiah was raised up among them for this reason. The Jews were right because they centered their worship at Jerusalem, while the schismatics either rejected the centrality of Jerusalem or avoided it. While the Torah acknowledges the places of Bethel and Gerizim, but the will of God was gradually unfolded in favor of Jerusalem, to delineate the chosen people of that dispensation. Likewise, in the Ummah of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, for us there are the three Mosques, in Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem. Rejecting any of these or adding to them is like a rejection or change of the Qiblah, which entails the establishment of a separate Ummah, while the Ummah of Muhammad is the final Ummah:

وَأَنَا آخِرُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ ‌وَأَنْتُمْ ‌آخِرُ ‌الْأُمَمِ

I am the last of the Prophets and you are the last of the Ummats (Sunan Ibn Majah)

إِنَّهُ لَا نَبِيَّ بَعْدِي ‌وَلَا ‌أُمَّةَ ‌بَعْدَكُمْ

Verily, there is no Prophet after me and there is no Ummah after you (Sunan Ibn Abi Asim)

Therefore, the establishment of Najaf, Karbala, Mashhad, Samarra, Qadian or any other place as a new shrine, sanctuary or site of pilgrimage signifies the establishment of a new Ummah. The heretical Zikri sect are non-Muslim not only because they reject offering the Salah or Namaz, they also reject pilgrimage to Mecca and instead make pilgrimage to Koh-e-Murad, a mountain in Turbat, Baluchistan (Pakistan). The Bektashis are another non-Muslim heretical sect who have made Mount Tomorr in Albania their sacred site of pilgrimage. They make the ridiculous claim that the tomb of the martyr of Karbala, Abul-Fadl Abbas bin Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, is located at Tomorr, to which they offer an annual five day pilgrimage from the 20^th to the 25^th of August. They offer animal sacrifices to Abul-Fadl Abbas during this pilgrimage.

Therefore, we Sunni Muslims should be jealous for our three sacred Mosques and reject forcefully any notion of additional shrines and sites of pilgrimage.