Apocalyptic War with the Zionists (Dajjal)

نحمده ونصلي ونسلم على رسوله الكريم

Guarding the Frontier in the Holy Land

 

The establishment of the Zionist state, so-called “Israel” in 1948 was a great calamity. It was a moment in history intimately connected with the emergence of the Dajjal (Antichrist). In several Hadith, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ predicted this development and even foretold where the Muslims will be in that time. For example, he ﷺ said:

أَوَّلُ هَذَا الأَمْرِ نُبُوَّةٌ وَرَحْمَةٌ ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ خِلافَةً وَرَحْمَةً ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُلْكًا وَرَحْمَةً ، ثُمَّ يَكُونُ إِمَارَةً وَرَحْمَةً ، ثُمَّ يَتَكادَمُونَ عَلَيْهِ تَكادُمَ الْحُمُرِ ، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْجِهَادِ ، وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ جهادِكُمُ الرِّبَاطُ ، وَإِنَّ أَفْضَلَ رباطِكُمْ عَسْقَلانُ

“The first [part] of this affair is Prophecy and Mercy, then shall come Caliphate and Mercy, then shall come Monarchy and Mercy, then shall come Emirate and Mercy, then they shall stumble over it [this affair of rulership], the stumbling of donkeys. So stick to Jihad, and verily, your best Jihad is Ribat (guarding the frontier), and your best Ribat [is in] Ashkelon.” (Mu’jam al-Kabir of Tabarani)

Ashkelon is an ancient city along the Mediterranean coast near present-day Gaza strip. Both during the Crusades and at present, the Muslims faught in this vicinity against their enemies who invaded and occupied it. The Prophet ﷺ described this resistance along this frontier as the best of the Muslims’ Jihad. At present, the Zionists are inflicting unspeakable atrocities on the Muslims held up in the Gaza strip. The Muslims there who are resisting along this frontier of Ashkelon have been praised by the Prophet ﷺ in this Hadith and Allah knows best.

In another Hadith, the Prophet ﷺ said:

يُقَاتِلُ بَقِيَّتُكُمُ الدَّجَّالَ عَلَى نَهْرِ الأُرْدُنِّ ، أَنْتُمْ شَرْقِيَّ النَّهْرِ وَهُمْ غَرْبِيَّهُ ، وَمَا أَدْرِي أَيْنَ الأُرْدُنُّ

“Your remnant shall fight the Dajjal at the Jordan River. You will be at the East of the River and they at its West, and I do not know where the Jordan is.” (Tabaqat al-Kubra of Ibn Saad)

This Hadith is highly significant in that it establishes the fact that the modern-day Zionist State is the Dajjal, their forces are the forces of the Dajjal. They are his primary followers. Incidentally, the Jordan River is the frontier between the Muslims and the Dajjalic Zionist state. The Muslims are situated in the East Bank while the West Bank is under Zionist control and occupation. Another version of the Hadith states:

لا تَزَالُونَ تُقَاتِلُونَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَتَّى يُقَاتِلَ بَقِيَّتُكُمُ الدَّجَّالَ بِالأُرْدُنِّ عَلَى النَّهَرِ أَنْتُمْ شَرْقِيُّهُ وَهُمْ غَرْبِيُّهُ

“You shall not cease fighting the polytheists until your remnant fights the Dajjal at the Jordan River; you at its East (bank) and they at its West (bank).”

Another Hadith makes clear that there will be a great war between the Muslims and the modern-day Zionist state in which the Muslims shall emerge victorious:

لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يُقَاتِلَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ الْيَهُودَ فَيَقْتُلُهُمُ الْمُسْلِمُونَ حَتَّى يَخْتَبِئَ الْيَهُودِيُّ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْحَجَرِ وَالشَّجَرِ فَيَقُولُ الْحَجَرُ أَوِ الشَّجَرُ يَا مُسْلِمُ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ هَذَا يَهُودِيٌّ خَلْفِي فَتَعَالَ فَاقْتُلْهُ ‏.‏ إِلاَّ الْغَرْقَدَ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ شَجَرِ الْيَهُودِ

“The Hour shall not be established until the Muslims fight the Jews. So the Muslims shall fight them until the Jew would hide behind a rock or tree; but the rock or tree will say: ‘O Muslim, O Slave of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and slay him.’ Except the Gharqad (tree), for it is from the tree of the Jews.” (Sahih Muslim)

This Hadith alludes to the advancement of technology, through which the Muslims will be able to pinpoint the location of the hidden enemy and exterminate them. Some people may object to this Hadith and claim it is encouraging genocide of the Jews. However, the context clearly speaks about an apocalyptic war in which the fighters on both sides are referred to by their nation or community. The Prophet ﷺ said:

لا تَزَالُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ أُمَّتِي يُقَاتِلُونَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ دِمَشْقَ وَمَا حَوْلَهُ ، وَعَلَى أَبْوَابِ بَيْتِ الْمَقْدِسِ وَمَا حَوْلَهُ

“A group of my Ummah will not cease to fight at the gates of Damascus and its vicinity, and at the gates of the Holy City (Jerusalem) and its vicinity.” (Mu’jam al-Awsat of Tabarani & Musnad Abi Yaala)

The value of this Hadith cannot be overstated in pinpointing and identifying those Muslims who at present are fighting in two different fronts; around Damascus (Syria) and around Jerusalem (Holy Land). The Hadith identifies two present Satanic foes of Islam, the fascist, Baathist regime of Assad with its capital in Damascus, and the Dajjalic Zionist regime with its capital in the Holy City of Jerusalem.

The Prophet ﷺ has equated the Zionists west of the Jordan River who are oppressing and fighting the Muslims as the Dajjal (False Messiah or Antichrist). Undoubtedly, when the Dajjal emerges as an individual person, he shall be their leader, their messiah. For a while he shall seem invincible, leading them to great victory and power over the land, but when the true Messiah (Jesus son of Mary) peace be upon him, descends he shall lead the Muslims to victory. After the Dajjal is slain, his Zionist army will be on the defense but the Muslims, under the leadership of the Messiah, shall defeat them. However, soon thereafter the forces of Gog and Magog shall march toward the Holy Land in great numbers, but they shall be destroyed not through human agency, but through an epidemic sent by Heaven.

In conclusion, the defeat of the Dajjal and his forces will be through an apocalyptic, armed conflict. This will be the last great military victory of the Muslims, as the Prophet ﷺ predicted:

تَغْزُونَ جَزِيرَةَ الْعَرَبِ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ فَارِسَ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ تَغْزُونَ الرُّومَ فَيَفْتَحُهَا اللَّهُ ثُمَّ تَغْزُونَ الدَّجَّالَ فَيَفْتَحُهُ اللَّهُ

“You shall attack the Arabian Peninsula and Allah shall enable you to conquer it; then Persia and Allah will enable you to conquer it; then you shall attack Rome and Allah will enable you to conquer it; then you shall attack the Dajjal and Allah will enable you to conquer him.” (Sahih Muslim)

Hanging Amulets is Shirk

نحمده ونصلي ونسلم على رسوله الكريم

Hanging Quraanic Amulets for Protection

 

One of the distinctive features of our Tawhidi monotheistic sect in Islam is the total rejection of all form of amulets that are hung for protection, even if they contain Quraanic Verses or supplications from the Sunnah. Some of the ghair Muqallid i.e. Ahlul Hadith, who likewise claim to be champions of Tawhid, however, allow for amulets for the purpose of Ta’widh if they contain Quraanic Verses.

The Prophet ﷺ forbade the hanging of amulets and declared it an act of Shirk or idolatry:

إِنَّ الرُّقَى وَالتَّمَائِمَ وَالتِّوَلَةَ شِرْكٌ

“Verily, incantations, amulets and love-spells are Shirk”

(Sunan Abi Dawud: #3883)

Albani declared this Hadith authentic. The Ruqa (incantations) referred to here are those which contain Shirk and Kufr, for it is well known that the Prophet practiced and allowed for Quraanic and Sunnah incantations invoking Allah for things like protection or cure from scorpion stings, ulcers, sores, etc. However, there isn’t a single authentic Hadith that the Prophet ﷺ practiced or allowed wearing of amulets, even if it contained words of the Holy Quraan, for protection from the evil eye or anything else. These days ignorant Muslims, misled by their corrupt religious guides, hang amulets for protection and blessing, but are in fact spoiling their faith. Some of the Mullas and Shaikhs who defend the practice of hanging amulets cite the practice of Abdullah b. Amru b. al-Aas^RA, who allegedly used to write down a Masnun Du’a

أَعُوذُ بِكَلِمَاتِ اللَّهِ التَّامَّةِ مِنْ غَضَبِهِ وَعِقَابِهِ وَشَرِّ عِبَادِهِ وَمِنْ هَمَزَاتِ الشَّيَاطِينِ وَأَنْ يَحْضُرُونِ ‏

on a sheet of paper and hang it on the neck of a child (Jami at-Tirmidhi: #3528)

However, this report is weak due to the narrator Muhammad b. Ishaq who is Mudallis but it narrating an’an from Amro b. Shu’aib.

Nine Ahadith Used to Prove Jesus is Alive REFUTED

In a recent entry I discussed the Hadith attributed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ wherein he allegedly stated to the Jews that the Messiah Jesus son of Mary did not die but would return to them before Judgment Day. The Hadith is weak due to being Maqtu, as the narrator between Hasan al-Basri^RA and the Prophet ﷺ is missing. That Hadith is usually repeated by those who wish to prove that Jesus of Nazareth is alive. In this entry I shall examine nine additional Ahadith which are cited to that effect:

Hadith 1

عن ابن عباس قال … وإن الله رفعه بجسده، وانه حي الآن، وسيرجع إلى الدنيا فيكون فيها ملكاً، ثم يموت كما يموت الناس

Narrated from Ibn Abbas, he said: “…and verily Allah raised him [Eisa ibn Maryam] with his body while he was alive and he will soon return to this world and will be a ruler therein. Then he will die as other people die.” (Ibn S’ad’ Tabaqat Al-Kubra 1/53)

Answer:

The sanad of this Hadith Mawquf (*Note it is an alleged saying of a Sahabi and not a Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ) is as follows:

أخبرنا هشام بن محمد بن السائب عن أبيه عن أبي صالح عن بن عباس

This Sanad contains the narrator Muhammad b. Saa'ib al-Kalbi, a known fabricator. Imam al-Dhahabi has clarified this in his Mizan al-I’tidal:

أما الكلبي : فهو محمد بن السائب الكلبي ، أبو النضر الكوفى المفسر ، وهو وضاع مشهور

قال سفيان : قال لى الكلبي : كل ما حدثتك عن أبي صالح فهو كذب .

وقال أحمد بن زهير: قلت لأحمد بن حنبل: يحل النظر في تفسير الكلبى ؟ قال: لا

وقال ابن حبان: مذهبه في الدين ووضوح الكذب فيه أظهر من أن يحتاج إلى الإغراق في وصفه ، يروى عن أبي صالح عن ابن عباس التفسير ، وأبو صالح لم ير ابن عباس ، ولا سمع الكلبى من أبي صالح إلا الحرف بعد الحرف ، لا يحل ذكره في الكتب، فكيف الاحتجاج به

"ميزان الاعتدال" (3 /557-559)

Hadith 2

عن صفية أم المؤمنين رضي الله عنها أنها كانت إذا زارت بيت المقدس ، وفرغت من الصلاة في المسجد الأقصى صعدت على جبل زيتا فصلت عليه وقالت : هذا الجبل هو الذي رفع منه عيسى عليه السلام إلى السماء

It is narrated from Ummul Momineen Safiya, may Allah be pleased with her, that when she visited Bait Al-Maqdis (i.e. Jerusalem) and finished prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque she climbed up to Mt. Olives and prayed there as well and said: ‘This is the mountain from where ‘Eisa, may Allah bless him, was raised up to the Heavens.’ (Al-Tasrih bima Tawatar fi Nuzul Al-Masih Hadith 74 cf. Tafsir Fath Al-Aziz Surah 95)

Answer:

Note this is another Hadith Mawquf attributed allegedly to a Sahabiya and not the Prophet ﷺ himself. Shah Abdul Aziz Muhaddith Delhawi mentioned this narration in his Tafsir for Surat at-Tin but did not bring a sanad for it. So it is rejected as being a baseless report without even a Sanad!

Hadith 3

عن ابن عباس { إن تعذبهم فإنهم عبادك } يقول : عبيدك قد استوجبوا العذاب بمقالتهم { وإن تغفر لهم } أي من تركت منهم ومد في عمره حتى أهبط من السماء إلى الأرض يقتل الدجال ، فنزلوا عن مقالتهم ووحدوك

About the verse, ‘If you punish them they are your servants’ Ibn Abbas  said, he [‘Eisa] will say: ‘These slaves of yours have invited your chastisement by what they said [and believed]’. ‘And if you forgive them’ i.e. ‘those whom I left behind me and those who were there when I came down from the Heavens to Earth to kill al-Dajjal and they turned back from what they said [i.e. Trinity] and believed in your Oneness…’ (Durr Manthur 4/27 Under Surah 5 Ayah 118)

Answer:

Yet another Hadith Mawquf attributed to Ibn Abbas^RA but even so it is baseless as it doesn’t have a complete Sanad. Imam Suyuti^RA narrated it thus: 

وأخرج أبو الشيخ عن ابن عباس { إن تعذبهم فإنهم عبادك } يقول: عبيدك قد استوجبوا العذاب بمقالتهم { وإن تغفر لهم } أي من تركت منهم ومد في عمره حتى أهبط من السماء إلى الأرض يقتل الدجال، فنزلوا عن مقالتهم ووحدوك، وأقروا إنا عبيد { وإن تغفر لهم } حيث رجعوا عن مقالتهم { فإنك أنت العزيز الحكيم }

As the reader can see, the narration is Maqtu as the chain between Abul Shaykh al-Isfahani and Ibn Abbas is missing.

Hadith 4 

حدثنا الأستاذ أبو الوليد الهيثم بن خلف الدوري ، ثنا سوار بن عبد الله العنبري ، ثنا المعتمر قال : قال أبي : حدثنا الحريث بن مخشي ، أن عليا قتل صبيحة إحدى وعشرين من رمضان ، قال : فسمعت الحسن بن علي يقول ، وهو يخطب وذكر مناقب علي ، فقال : « قتل ليلة أنزل القرآن ، وليلة أسري  بعيسى ، وليلة قبض موسى »

Abu Al-Waleed Al-Haitham narrated from Sawar bin ‘Abdullah Al-Anbari; he said, Mu’tamar narrated to us; he said: ‘My father said’; Harith bin Makhshi narrated: ‘Ali (RA) was murdered the morning of 21st Ramadan. He said; I heard Hassan bin ‘Ali (RA) speaking. He was making an address and talking of the virtues of ‘Ali (RA); he said: ‘He has been killed the night Qur’an was revealed, the night ‘Eisa (AS) was moved and the night Musa (AS) died.’ (Mustadrak Hakim, Hadith 4671. Hakim said it is Sahih).

Answer:

Another Hadith Mawquf allegedly attributed to Imam al-Hassan^AS. This sanad contains the narrator al-Huraith b. Makhshi He is Majhul (unknown), no one authenticated him. Imam Muqbil رحمه الله brought this out in his checking of the Mustadrak:

There is another version of this narration with different wording which mentions that the Ruh (spirit) of Jesus was raised on the same night Amir-al-Mu’minin Ali b. Abi TalibAS was martyred. That narration is authentic and actually proves the death of Jesus of Nazareth, rather than the mythological belief in his physical/bodily ascension into Heaven without having died.

Hadith 5

قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ يَنْزِلُ أَخِي عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ عَلَى جَبَلِ أَفِيقٍ , إِمَامًا هَادِيًا وَحَكَمًا عَادِلا

Ibn Abbas narrated: the Messenger of Allah, on whom be the blessings of Allah, said: ‘And near it (Bait al-Maqdis) will descend from the Heavens my brother ‘Eisa ibn Maryam upon the Mount Afiq, as an Imam, Guide and Just Ruler.’ (Kanzul Ummal 14/619 Hadith 39726)

Answer:

The primary source of this Hadith is Tarikh Dimashq of Ibn Asakir and it is weak. Furthermore, this Hadith actually contradicts the more authentic narration which states that Jesus will descend near the White Minaret in the east of Damascus. Afiq is an area west of Damascus in al-Quneitra governorate of Syria:

Hadith 6

عن أبي سلمة بن عبد الرحمن قال: اقتحم الناس على النبي، صلى الله عليه وسلم، في بيت عائشة ينظرون إليه فقالوا: كيف يموت وهو شهيد علينا ونحن شهداء على الناس؟ … لا والله ما مات ولكنه رفع كما رفع عيسى بن مريم، صلى الله عليه وسلم

Narrated Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd al-Rahman: The people rushed to the Prophet, may Allah bless him, in the apartment of ‘Aisha to look at him. They said: “How can he die since he is a witness to us and we are witnesses to other people? … No! by Allah! He has not died; but he has been raised as ‘Eisa ibn Maryam was made to ascend.” (Tabaqat al-Kubra 2/271).

Answer:

The sanad of this Hadith contains the narrator Muhammad b. Umar al-Waqidi, he is severely weak. Hypothetically, if this Hadith were authentic it would still not prove that Jesus of Nazareth was raised to Heaven in his corporal body, since the people allegedly said, while looking at the lifeless body of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ before them that he had ascended like how Jesus of Nazareth had ascended, therefore, they necessarily had to be speaking of a spiritual ascension and not a bodily one.

Hadith 7

Al-Tabari and Ibn Abi Hatim quote hadeeth, notice word يأتي (future tense): “When a delegation of sixty men from (the Christian) people of Najran came to the Holy Prophet, their chief priest discussed with him the status of Jesus and asked him as to who Jesus’ father was. The Holy Prophet said…:

ألستم تعلمون أن ربَّنا حيّ لا يموت، وأنّ عيسى يأتي عليه الفناء؟

“Do you not know that Our Lord (Allah) is ever living but death will come to Jesus?” (Tafsir Al-Tabari 6/154 Narration. 6544, Ibn Abi Hatim 9/408. Both have brought it under verse 1 of Surah 3)

Answer:

This Hadith from Ibn Abi Hatim is weak as its Sanad contains Ahmad b. Abdir Rahman and the one from Tabari contains Muthanna b. Ibrahim who is Majhul.

Hadith 8

عن ابن عباس قال: لما أراد الله أن يرفع عيسى إلى السماء خرج على أصحابه ورفع عيسى من رَوْزَنَة في البيت إلى السماء

Ibn Abbas said, “When Allah intended to raise ‘Eisa to the heavens, he went to his companions…and ‘Eisa ascended to the Heavens through an opening in the top of the house.” (Ibn Abi Hatim 4/431 Hadith 6266, Ibn Kathir 2/449. Ibn Kathir graded it Sahih)

Answer:

The following is the Sanad of this Hadith Mawquf (it is not a Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ):

قال ابن أبي حاتم : حدثنا أحمد بن سنان ، حدثنا أبو معاوية ، عن الأعمش ، عن المنهال بن عمرو ، عن سعيد بن جبير ، عن ابن عباس قال : لما أراد الله أن يرفع عيسى إلى السماء ، خرج على أصحابه

The Sanad contains al-'Amash who is Mudallis narrating 'an'an from al-Minhal b. Amru, therefore the narration is weak.

Hadith 9

وَعَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ قَالَ قَالَ هِشَامُ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ فَأَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي قَالَ لَمَّا قُتِلَ الَّذِينَ بِبِئْرِ مَعُونَةَ وَأُسِرَ عَمْرُو بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ الضَّمْرِيُّ قَالَ لَهُ عَامِرُ بْنُ الطُّفَيْلِ مَنْ هَذَا فَأَشَارَ إِلَى قَتِيلٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ عَمْرُو بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ هَذَا عَامِرُ بْنُ فُهَيْرَةَ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُهُ بَعْدَ مَا قُتِلَ رُفِعَ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ حَتَّى إِنِّي لأَنْظُرُ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الأَرْضِ، ثُمَّ وُضِعَ

Urwa b. az-Zubair said: "When those (Muslims) at Bir Ma'una were martyred and `Amr bin Umaiya Ad-Damri was taken prisoner, 'Amir bin at-Tufail, pointing at a killed person, asked `Amr, "Who is this?" `Amr bin Umaiya said to him, "He is 'Amir bin Fuhaira." 'Amir bin at-Tufail said, "I saw him lifted to the sky after he was killed till I saw the sky between him and the earth, and then he was brought down upon the earth." (Bukhari)

 

Answer:

 

This Hadith reported in Sahih al-Bukhari is not concerning the alleged physical/corporal ascension of Jesus into Heaven alive without dying. Furthermore, this narration is weak as it is Mursal, we do not know through whom this information was conveyed to Urwa b. az-Zubair^RA.

In conclusion, there isn’t a single authentic Hadith established from the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ which states that Jesus of Nazareth is alive or was physically raised in his corporal body to Heaven without having died. And Allah knows best.

Reality of Corporal Body After Death

نحمده ونصلي ونسلم على رسوله الكريم

Reality of the Corporal Body After Death

In my recent debate with the Barelwi mulla, Mufti Syed Mubashar Shah Qadri, the issue of Jism Mithali was raised. Initially the mulla flatly denied the existence of such a concept, but when I cited the Deobandi scholar ‘Hakim-ul-Ummat’ Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanwi as affirming and explaining the reality of Jism Mithali, the mulla was trapped and had no choice but to utter a bald faced lie. The mulla claimed that after death the Ruh (spirit) of the deceased is returned to his original body, which is also called Jism Mithali. He went on to shamelessly claim that Ashraf Thanwi was stating the same in the book Ashraf-ul-Jawab (pp.600-601) which I had cited. In the debate I remarked that this is quite strange that the Jism Asli (original body) is synonymous with Jism Mithali yet this point escaped the mulla, who insisted on lying and twisting the meaning of Ashraf Thanwi’s words!

The reality is that after death the earthen, corporal body of the deceased decays until it is nothing more than bones and dust. The special spiritual life that the soul enjoys after death in the realm of Barzakh is obviously not with the earthen corporal body which is confined to this Dunya (world). On Judgment Day, the deceased will be resurrected as a new creation, but keep in mind that Judgment Day will not happen in this world, rather, it will be in the Afterlife. The people will come out of their graves and be gathered before Allah to face their final judgment. The resurrection will begin from the tailbone that is part of a person’s spine, through it a person will be resurrected from the grave. However, the intermediate period between a person’s death and his resurrection on Judgment Day is known as the Barzakh. During this intermediate period the Ruh of the deceased is disembodied from its corporal, earthen body, but it will experience the sensations of the world of the Barzakh, such as punishment of the Grave if it is a sinful soul or the delights of Paradise if it is a good soul, through a parallel, celestial body which may be termed Jism Mithali.

The usual objection against the idea of a parallel body which is granted to the soul after death in the world of Barzakh is that there is no explicit proof for such an idea in the divinely revealed Texts of Quraan and Sunnah. However, there are many matters in Islam which we come to know of not through a single explicit text, but through deduction from studying a whole range of texts on any given issue. One has to reconcile the fact that the corporal body that is buried in a grave decomposes and becomes nothing but bones with the revelatory belief of Islam that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ during his Israa and Mi’raj (spiritual ascension) beheld the ancient Israelite Prophets. For example, he beheld the Prophet Moses praying in his grave. Therefore, what the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw were these Prophets in a form that was identical to their form and image of their corporal bodies while they were alive in this world. That form which he witnessed is termed Jism Mithali and we have come to know that it is a different body or form from that of their corporal earthen bodies through simple deduction.

And this reality was affirmed by the classical scholars of Islam. For example, Imam Jalaluddin al-Suyuti (1445-1505 CE) writes:

وقد رأى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ليلة الإسراء موسى قائما يصلي في قبره ورآه في السماء السادسة فالروح كانت هناك في مثل البدن ولها إتصال بالبدن بحيث يصلي في قبره

نبی کریم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم نے شب معراج میں موسی علیہ السلام کو ان کی قبر میں دیکھا کہ نماز پڑھ رہے ہیں اور پھر چھٹے آسمان پر بھی دیکھا۔ اس کی وجہ یہی تھی کہ آپ کی روح جسم مثالی میں قبر کے اندر موجود تھی اور اسے ایک خاص قسم کے جسم سے اتصال حاصل ہے کہ وہ نماز بھی ادا کریں

“Nabi ﷺ saw Musa performing Namaaz in his Grave on the night of Me’raj and again he saw him on the sixth Sky. This was because his soul was present in the Jism e Mithali (Ideal body) inside the grave. In addition, it has a connection to a special kind of body, whereby it is able to perform Namaaz.”

وكذلك رؤية النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم الأنبياء في ليلة الإسراء في السماوات الصحيح أنه رأى فيها الأرواح في مثل الأجسام

اسی طرح حضور اکرم صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم کا شب معراج میں انبیاء علیہم السلام کو دیکھنا اجسام مثالیہ کے ساتھ تھا۔

“Similarly, Rasoolullah ﷺ seeing the Ambia e Kiraam on the eve of Me’raj is said to be with Ajsaam e Mithalia.”

Reference: Sharh-us-Sudur: p.240

Basmalah is an Ayah of the Quran

Page of the Holy Quraan with Basmalah counted as an Ayah

 

Some imams and scholars of Islam, particularly the Hanafis, do not consider the Basmalah which appears at the beginning of every Surah of the Quraan al-Karim with the exception of the 9th Surah, as an Ayah (Verse). In the modern-day prints and copies, or Masahif, of the Quraan which Muslims worldwide read from, in order to avoid this controversy, the Basmalah occurring at the beginning of the Suwar (Chapters) has been written but not numbered. However, some modern copies of the Quraan number the Basmalah of Surat-al-Fatihah as its first Ayah, while others do not.

The correct position is that the Basmalah at the beginning of the Suwar is an Ayah and in fact should be numbered. However, on this blog, I refer to Verses based on the common numbering system for sake of convenience. Yet the reader should know that I consider Basmalah at the beginning of the Suwar as the first Ayah. Some consider the Basmalah as an Ayah but not as part of the Surah, rather as separate from it. However, I disagree with this position. In this entry I shall present my proofs:

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ , قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : إِذَا قَرَأْتُمِ : الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ فَاقْرَءُوا : بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ إِنَّهَا أُمُّ الْقُرْآنِ , وَأُمُّ الْكِتَابِ , وَالسَّبْعُ الْمَثَانِي , وَ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ إِحْدَاهَا

Abu Hurairah narrates that Allah's Apostle (Sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: When you read "Alhamdulillahi" then read "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" It is the Mother of the Quraan, and the Mother of the Book, and the Seven Oft-Repeated, and "Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim" is its first (Ayah) (Sunan al-Daraqutuni: Kitabus-Salat; Babo Wujube Qiraate; Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim)

This Hadith proves that the Basmalah is the first Ayah of Surat-al-Fatihah, which consists of Seven Verses. Another Hadith establishes that Basmalah is also the first Ayah of the other Suwar at the beginning of which it is written: 

عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ بَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِنَا إِذْ أَغْفَى إِغْفَاءَةً ثُمَّ رَفَعَ رَأْسَهُ مُتَبَسِّمًا فَقُلْنَا مَا أَضْحَكَكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ أُنْزِلَتْ عَلَىَّ آنِفًا سُورَةٌ ‏‏ فَقَرَأَ‏ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ۝ ‏إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ۝ فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ۝ إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الأَبْتَرُ۝

Anas reported: While the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was among us when he dozed off. He then raised his head smilingly. We said: What makes you smile O Messenger of Allah? He said: A Surah has just been revealed to me, and then recited: “In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Verily We have given thee Kawthar. Therefore turn to thy Lord for prayer and offer sacrifice, and surely thy enemy is cut off.” (Sahih Muslim)

 The Hadith proves that the Basmalah is part of the Revelation, and was revealed as the first Ayah of Surat-al-Kawthar, which therefore consists of four Verses. Incidentally, the Hadith corroborates our belief that the Quraan would also be revealed to the Prophet ﷺ while he was sleeping.

Mirza Ghulam Ahmad: "Moses is Alive"

One of the objections put forward against Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian is his statement where he apparently proclaims that the ancient Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) is alive in Heaven and not dead:

 

هذا هو موسى فتى الله الذى أشار الله فى كتابه إلى حياته, وفرض علينا أن نؤمن بأنه حيٌّ فى السماء ولم يمت وليس من الميتين

یہ وہی موسی مرد خدا ہےجس کی نسبت قرآن میں اشارہ ہے کہ وہ زندہ ہے اور ہم پر فرض ہوگیا ہے کہ ہم اس بات پر ایمان لاویں کہ وہ زندہ آسمان میں موجود ہے اور مردوں میں سے نہیں۔

“This is that Moses, man of God, concerning whom the Qur’an infers that he is alive, so it is obligatory upon us to believe that he is alive in Heaven and that he is not among the dead.”

Reference: Ruhani Khaza’in: v.8 p.69; Nur-al-Haq p.50

Incidentally, this same objection was put forward to me in the second part of a recent debate with the Barelwi Mufti Mubashar Qadri on the topic of whether Jesus of Nazareth (peace be upon him) is alive or not. The Barelwi mulla argues that Jesus is alive, and cites this statement of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad polemically, arguing ‘if Moses is alive in Heaven then why not Jesus?’

The viewer of the debate, which is in Urdu, will know that my answer to this objection consists of several points:

1. It is immaterial and a diversion from the topic of the life/death of Jesus of Nazareth

2. It is not a proof from the divinely-revealed Texts of the Qur’an, nor a Hadith of the Prophet ﷺ, rather a statement of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad

3. Ghulam Ahmad’s statement is actually regarding the spiritual life of Prophet Moses in the afterlife, specifically, the world of the Barzakh. It is not a statement affirming any kind of worldly or bodily life for Prophet Moses

4. The quotation is being taken out of context as I shall demonstrate

Ghulam Ahmad has stated that the reality of Prophet Moses being alive is inferred from the Holy Quraan itself. He is referring to the Verse:

وَلَقَدْ آتَيْنَا مُوسَى الْكِتَابَ فَلَا تَكُن فِي مِرْيَةٍ مِّن لِّقَائِهِ ۖ وَجَعَلْنَاهُ هُدًى لِّبَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ

And We granted Moses the Book [Torah], so be not in doubt concerning his meeting. And We made it [Torah] a Guide for the Children of Israel (Sura 32:23)

The exegetes mention that the meeting spoken of n this Verse is that which occurred between the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and Moses during the Night of the Israa and Mi’raj, for example:

{ وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَىٱلْكِتَٰبَ } التوراة { فَلاَ تَكُن فِى مِرْيَةٍ } شك { مِّن لِّقَآئِهِ } وقد التقيا ليلة الإِسراء { وَجَعَلْنَٰهُ } أي موسى أو الكتاب { هُدًى } هادياً { لِّبَنِى إِسْرٰءِيلَ }

And verily We gave Moses the Scripture the Torah; so do not be in doubt concerning the encounter with Him and indeed he and He met on the Night of the Journey; and We appointed him namely Moses — or read ‘We appointed it’ the Scripture a guidance for the Children of Israel.

(Tafsir al-Jalalayn)

Anas b. Malik^RA reported Allah’s Apostle ﷺ as saying:

أَتَيْتُ - وَفِي رِوَايَةِ هَدَّابٍ مَرَرْتُ - عَلَى مُوسَى لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِي عِنْدَ الْكَثِيبِ الأَحْمَرِ وَهُوَ قَائِمٌ يُصَلِّي فِي قَبْرِهِ

“I came - and in the narration transmitted on the authority of Haddab (the words are) - I happened to pass by Moses on the occasion of the night journey near the red mound (and found him) saying his prayer in his grave. (Sahih Muslim)

Likewise, the Ahadith which describe the Mi’raj of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ mention his meeting with Prophet Moses at the Sixth Heaven.

Obviously, these narrations which speak of the Prophet ﷺ seeing and meeting Moses are in reference to the latter’s life in the world of the Barzakh, and not in this Dunya (world).

Finally, if there is any lingering doubt that Ghulam Ahmad was proposing an entirely new doctrine that Prophet Moses is alive in Heaven without having tasted death, and is alive there in his earthen body, having been raised up to Heaven physically, then simply read the next page, where Ghulam Ahmad says:

وما من رسول إلا تُوُفّى وقد خلت من قبل عيسى الرسلُ

اور کوئی نبی ایسا نہیں جو فوت نہ ہوا ہو اور حضرت عیسی علیہ السلام سے پہلے جو نبی آۓ وہ فوت ہو چکے ہیں

“And there was no prophet who didn’t die; every Prophet before Jesus peace be upon him died.”

Reference: Ruhani Khaza’in: v.8 p.70

Jesus Used to Eat Food (Sura 5:75) Proof He is Deceased

Allah Most High says:

 

مَّا الْمَسِيحُ ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ إِلَّا رَسُولٌ قَدْ خَلَتْ مِن قَبْلِهِ الرُّسُلُ وَأُمُّهُ صِدِّيقَةٌ ۖ كَانَا يَأْكُلَانِ الطَّعَامَ ۗ انظُرْ كَيْفَ نُبَيِّنُ لَهُمُ الْآيَاتِ ثُمَّ انظُرْ أَنَّىٰ يُؤْفَكُونَ۝

The Messiah son of Mary was not but an Apostle. The Apostles from before him all passed away (died). His mother (Mary) was a truthful woman. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear for them the Signs, then look how they are deluded!

(Sura 5:75)

 

Elsewhere, Allah says:

 

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلَّا إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِي الْأَسْوَاقِ

And We did not send before you (O My Prophet ﷺ) from the Messengers except that they ate food and walked in the markets (Sura 25:20)

And

 

وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ ۖ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٧﴾ وَمَا جَعَلْنَاهُمْ جَسَدًا لَّا يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُوا خَالِدِينَ ﴿٨﴾

And We sent not before you, [O Prophet ﷺ], except men to whom We revealed [the message], so ask the people of the message if you do not know. And We did not make for them bodies not eating food, nor were they immortal. (Sura 16:7-8)

In other words, all of the Prophets, being mortal human beings including Jesus of Nazareth, required nourishment in order to sustain their bodies and consequently their worldly lives. But in the first Verse I cited, Allah says that both Jesus and his mother Mary (peace be upon them both) used to eat food, the third person, dual perfect verb كانا being for the past tense. In other words, Jesus does not eat at present like his mother. Now while those Muslims who believe that Jesus is physically alive affirm that his mother Mary is deceased, the wording of this Verse leaves no possibility of a distinction in that regard. If those Muslims argue that this Verse does not prove the death of Jesus, they will have to likewise say it doesn’t affirm a death of his mother Mary in order to avoid inconsistency. Furthermore, they would have to confess that at present Jesus is living and being sustained without food, something which is impossible according to the other Verses of the Holy Quraan which I cited.

Did the Prophet ﷺ Possess a Shadow?

When the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

لَا تُطْرُونِي كَمَا أَطْرَتِ النَّصَارَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ فَإِنَّمَا أَنَا عَبْدُهُ ، فَقُولُوا : عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولُهُ

“Do not exaggerate concerning me as the Christians exaggerated concerning the Son of Mary. For verily I am His (Allah’s) slave, so say: ‘Allah’s slave and His Apostle.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari)

 

He ﷺ was apparently warning against the phenomenon which would come to characterize the Barelwi sect. The  latter are distinguished by their apparently excessive love and praise for the Prophet ﷺ to the extent that they exaggerate concerning him as the Christians exaggerate concerning Christ Jesus. The Christians deviated in the matter of Christology, formulating as part of their dogma ideas such as that Jesus was fully divine, co-equal with God, and pre-existent. Similarly, from among this Ummah, the misguided Barelwi sect emphasize their unique beliefs that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is Hadhir and Nadhir (omnipresent), that he possesses Ilm-al-Ghaib (omniscient), and that he is Mukhtar-i-Kull (omnipotent). However, where the Barelwis resemble quite closely the Christians in the latter’s doctrinal controversies of Christology, is their belief in the idea that the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is both literally Nur (Light) and Bashar (a mortal human). This reminds one of the Christian trinitarian doctrine that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human, as formulated in the Chalcedonian Creed of 451 CE. The Western Churches of Christianity proclaimed that Jesus possessed two different natures, i.e., divine and human, united in a hypostasis, or individual existence. Likewise, the Barelwis believe the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is simultaneously Nur (Light) and Bashar (Human). The rest of the Muslims affirm that the Prophet ﷺ is described as Nur metaphorically, meaning he is a source of guidance and spiritual illumination, not that he is literally made of Light like the Angels.

 

However, in order to prove their belief that the Prophet ﷺ is literally made from the ‘substance’ of Light they cite nothing but baseless and fabricated traditions including some which state that the Prophet ﷺ did not possess a shadow. Hence this belief in a ‘shadowless’ man is something unique to the Barelwis. Any rational person would question that if the Prophet ﷺ was ‘shadowless’, such an obvious sign of his truthfulness, why didn’t all of Arabia immediately accept him. Indeed, the idea that there was a man who didn’t possess a shadow would have become famed around the world as a great wonder. But the historical record is simply silent in this regard.

 

On the contrary, the fact that the Prophet ﷺ did possess a shadow is affirmed in an authentic Hadith, which is sufficient to refute the childish mythology of the Barelwis:

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ : أَنّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ فِي سَفَرٍ لَهُ ، فَاعْتَلَّ بَعِيرٌ لِصَفِيَّةَ ، وَفِي إِبِلِ زَيْنَبَ فَضْلٌ ، فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ :  إِنَّ بَعِيرًا لِصَفِيَّةَ اعْتَلَّ ، فَلَوْ أَعْطَيْتِهَا بَعِيرًا مِنْ إِبِلِكِ . فَقَالَتْ : أَنَا أُعْطِي تِلْكَ الْيَهُودِيَّةَ . قَالَ : فَتَرَكَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَا الْحِجَّةِ وَالْمُحَرَّمَ ، شَهْرَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلَاثَةً ، لَا يَأْتِيهَا ، قَالَتْ : حَتَّى يَئِسْتُ مِنْهُ وَحَوَّلْتُ سَرِيرِي . قَالَتْ : فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا يَوْمًا بِنِصْفِ النَّهَارِ ، إِذَا أَنَا بِظِلِّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مُقْبِلٌ

Sayyida A’isha (Allah be pleased with her) narrates that once while the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) was on a journey, the camel of his wife Sayyida Safiyya (Allah be pleased with her) fell ill. However, his other wife Sayyida Zaynab (Allah be pleased with her) had an extra camel. The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) said to Sayyida Zaynab: “The camel of Safiyya has become ill, can you lend her your extra camel?” She replied: “should I give that Jew?” (Sayyida Safiyyah was originally a Jew). So, (upon hearing this, the Messenger of Allah became upset and) deserted her for two or three months and he would not come to her. She says: “Until one day, at midday, I could see the shadow of the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him & give him peace) approaching.” (Musnad Ahmad)