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The basic beliefs of Islam are:-
These beliefs have been stated precisely in Al-Imanul Mufassal, the faith in detail:
“Amantu Billahi, wa mala’ikatihi, wa kutubihi, wa rusulihi, wal yawmil akhiri, wal qadri, khairihi wa sharrihi minal lahi ta’ala, wal ba’thi ba’dal mawt”. (Note: - English “th” pronounced as Arabic “S”. Thus ba’thi implies Ba’si)
This Means:
“ I believe in Allah, in His Angels, His Scriptures, His Messengers, the Day of Judgments and that everything, good and bad(in the world) is pre-destined by Allah the exalted, and (I believe) in resurrection after death”.
It is the confession of Faith.
The above seven beliefs can be grouped into three:TAWHID [Allah ; Al-Qadr ] ::Tawhid means oneness of Allah.
RISALAH [ Angels ; Books ; Messengers] ::Risalah is the channel of communication between Allah and mankind.
AKHIRAH [Day of Judgment ; Life after Death] :: Our life on earth is temporary and is meant to be a preparation for Akhirah which is never ending.
Tawhid, Risalah and Akhirah summarise the whole of the Islamic system of life. So we must understand them.
TAWHID [Allah , Al-Qadr ]
ALLAH
Muslims should believe in the fact that: Allah – the most Exalted is ONE. He alone and none else is worthy of worship and devotion. He knows everything, nothing is hidden from him. He possesses great power and potency. None but he created the earth, the sky, the moon, the sun, the stars, the angels, human beings, genies and the entire world and he alone is sovereign over the whole of the universe. He gives life and death.
He alone gives food to his creatures. He neither eats nor drinks nor sleeps. He is self existent from eternity to eternity. No one created him. He has neither father nor sons, nor daughters, nor wives, nor other relations. He is above all such relationship. All depend on him. He depends on none, and is free from want. He is peerless and nothing is like him. He is free from all blemishes. Unlike his creatures he does not have hands, legs, nose, ears, face and shape.
He created angels and appointed them to do specific tasks and to manage affairs of the world. He sent messengers for the guidance of his creatures so that they exhort people to follow true religion, do right things and acts, and forbid them to do evil things.
Predestination or supremacy of divine(Al-Qadr)
A Muslim should have faith in FATE(Taqdir). There is an estimation or knowledge with Allah of all things whether good or bad. By believe in AL-Qadr we testify that Allah is the absolute controller of all the affairs of his universe. He knows the fate of all human beings. This does not mean we can do whatever we like as if it made no difference to what happens with us. Allah has given us free will. We must pay attention to divine guidance provided by Allah the almighty. We have to choose between the right and wrong. If we follow Allah’s guidance, we will be rewarded and if not, we will be punished.
The first duty of a muslim is to declare his faith that “ There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is Allah’s messenger”. To make this declaration of faith; a person must say in words and believe in his heart –
“La-ilaha illal Lahu Muhammadur rasulullah-“ (Sallallahu.Alaihi.Wasallam)
This means “there is no God but Allah; Muhammad is Allah’s messenger”. ( PeaceBeUponHim)
The sayings of these Arabic words is called Ash-Shahadah( Declaration of Faith). (It is also called Kalimah-Tay-Yibah)
RISALAH [ Angels , Books, Messengers]
ANGELS
The second is to believe in angels (Mala’ikah). Angels are the creation of Allah. They are made of effulgence (Nur-‘Light’), Divine light. By comparison, Adam, the first man was created from clay and Jinn from fire. Angels do not disobey Allah, and do not commit sin. They do not require things a human being would need. They are always busy doing the tasks that Allah has assigned to them. No one except Allah knows the exact number of angels.
We however know this much that the number of angels is very large and that four of them are very well renowned and close to Allah. (Note:- English ‘d’ is pronounced as “z” Arabic”. Thus HADRAT implies HAZRAT with lesser toned English “z”) .
It should also be believed that when a man dies and buried; two angels come to him, one is called Munkir and the other Nakir and they enquire from the dead, “ Who is his Allah? What is his religion? And who is your Prophet?
If the deceased has Faith (Iman), his replies are proper and a window of paradise is opened towards him and he enjoys its cool fragrant air and sleeps soundly. But if he has no faith, he says he doesn’t know anything and then he has to suffer punishment till the day of judgement.
Some angels are busy recording everything we do.
Books of Allah: Divine scriptures
Allah’s greatest favours to mankind are His guidance contained in the books of revelation. A Muslim believes in al the revealed books which are mentioned in the Qur’an. There are four famous Divine Books:
Tawrat (Torah) or Old Testament Revealed to Hadrat Musa (Moses) (PeaceBeUponHim)
Zabur (psalms) Revealed to Hadrat Dawud (David) (PeaceBeUponHim)
Injil (Bible) or New Testament Revealed to Hadrat Isa (Jesus Christ) (PeaceBeUponHim)
Holy Qur’an Revealed to Prophet Hadrat Muhammad (PeaceBeUponHim) (Sallallahu.Alaihi.Wasallam)
Of the divine books, only Quran exists in its original form, while the rest are not available in their original language and form. Even their original texts do not exist. Their compilers have modified and mixed divine words of Allah with those of human beings. Also the compilation was done many years after the deaths of the prophets to whom they were revealed. For example The Bible which is a combination of Old Testament and New Testament has been translated into English from available Greek manuscripts. Any careful reader can easily find out the additions and alterations made to them.
Each and every word of the Quran was recorded as soon as it was revealed by Allah to the Prophet through Angel Jibra’il. The Prophet’s secretary, Zaid Bin Thabit, used to record them exactly as Prophet told him. He would read back to the Prophet what he had recorded.
The Quran is a living proof of existence of Allah, the All-Powerful. It is also a testimony of the validity of the Islamic way of life for all times. The subject matter of Quran is man and his ultimate goal in life. Its teachings cover all areas of this life and life after death. Insha-Allah in future, I would post a separate topic About the Holy Quran .
Messengers of Allah
The fourth factor of Muslims faith is to believe in Messengers of Allah (peace be upon them). According to a saying, there are at least 1,24,000 prophets, i.e. Messengers of Allah. The first Prophet was Adam(PeaceBeUponHim) and the last prophet is Muhammad(sallalhu-alaihi-wasallam) and prophet hood ends with him.
Our Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) is the most exalted and glorious of all the messengers and prophets. He is the most beloved Prophet of Allah.
AKHIRAH [Day of Judgment, Life after Death]
The Day of Judgment
The fifth factor of faith is to believe in “THE JUDGMENT DAY”. The day when all human beings and living souls shall die, the entire world(whole universe) shall perish, the mountains shall blow like cotton puffs, the stars shall disintegrate and fall down and almost all the objects shall be reduced to nothing.
All dead persons after the second trumpet call of angel Hadrat Israfil (Allaihis Salam), will have to appear before Allah to give full account of their deeds. Their deeds will be measured and weighed for their final rewards and punishment. The people will have to pass over the bridge (Pul Sirat). The Holy prophet Muhammad(S.A.W) will first of all cross that bridge with his followers. Then those people who were obedient to Allah’s previous messengers(Prophets) will pass over the bridge only with the intercession of hadrat Muhammad(S.A.W) according to the measurement of their deeds.
The sinners will have to face unlimited torture in Hell. But Allah, the most benevolent and merciful will pardon the BELIEVERS at last and send them into PARADISE. But the pagans(non-beleivers/idolators) will have to be part of HELL forever.
Click following link and Check out the signs of Qayamat(Judgement day)
http://sirat-al-mustaqim.blogspot.com/2007/09/though-allah-only-knows-when-last-hour_19.html
Life after death(Akhirah)
A Muslim believes that he will be rewarded in life after death for his good actions. He will live in heaven, a place of eternal happiness and peace. To be rewarded by Allah, the merciful and Kind, we need to follow his guidance given to Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W). We need to do all that Allah demands of us and given up all bad habits and wrong actions.
Wrong-doers will be punished on the Day of Judgment and will be sent to Hell, a place of severe punishment and suffering.
Doubts have been expressed by unbelievers about life after death. They cannot understand how Allah can raise men and women after death. But Allah can make human beings out of nothing. So it is not difficult for him to raise them after death.
The Qur’an says:
“Does man think that we shall not assemble his bones?. Nay, we are able to put together in perfect order, the very tips of his fingers.”.[75:3,4]
There are people who do not care about life after death or do not believe in it at all. These people will suffer terribly for their unbelief.
Life on earth would be horrible if people do no believe in life after death. There would be no restraint or control on what we do. Belief in Akhirah would make a Muslim accountable for his actions. He knows Allah is watching, his conduct and behavior would therefore be responsible, controlled and careful. He will always try to do things which Allah will favour and give up those actions which will invite Allah’s Punishment.
PROPHET NUH (Noah) (PeaceBeUponHim)
He was Nuh Ibn Lamik, Ibn Mitoshilkh, Ibn Idris (Enoch), Ibn yard, Ibn Mahlabeel, Ibn Qinan, Ibn Anoush, Ibn Seth, Ibn Adam the Father of Mankind (PBUH).
Note:- I have divided the paragraphs in 11 parts for better understanding of the Events.
****1***
Many hundred of years passed after Adam, and the earth was filled with his children. As time passed, the children of Adam forgot Allah and started to worship statues made of stones. They became bad and would lie, steal and some became mean and greedy.
For many generations Nuh's people had been worshipping statues that they called gods. They believed that these gods would bring them good, protect them from evil and provide all their needs. They gave their idols names such as Waddan, Suwa'an, Yaghutha, Ya'auga, and Nasran, (These idols represented, respectively, manly power; mutability, beauty; brute strength, swiftness, sharp sight, insight) according to the power they thought these gods possessed.
Originally these were the names of good people who had lived among them. After their deaths, statues of them were erected to keep their memories alive. After sometime, however, people began to worship these statues. Later generations did not even know why they had been erected; they only knew their parents had prayed to them. That is how idol worshipping developed. Since they had no understanding of Allah the Almighty Who would punish them for their evil deeds, they became cruel and immoral.
Ibn Abbas explained: "Following upon the death of those righteous men, Satan inspired their people to erect statues in the places where they used to sit. They did this, but these statues were not worshiped until the coming generations deviated from the right way of life. Then they worshipped them as their idols."
Ibn Abi Hatim related this story: "Waddan was a righteous man who was loved by his people. When he died, they withdrew to his grave in the land of Babylonia and were overwhelmed by sadness. When Iblis saw their sorrow caused by his death, he disguised himself in the form of a man saying: 'I have seen your sorrow because of this man's death; can I make a statue like him which could be put in your meeting place to make you remember him?' They said: 'Yes.'
So he made the statue like him. They put it in their meeting place in order to be reminded of him. When Iblis saw their interest in remembering him, he said: 'Can I build a statue of him in the home of each one of you so that he would be in everyone's house and you could remember him?'
They agreed. Their children learned about and saw what they were doing. They also learned about their remembrance of him instead of Allah. So the first to be worshipped instead of Allah was Waddan, the idol which they named thus."
****2***
The essence of this point is that every idol from those earlier mentioned was worshipped by a certain group of people. It was mentioned that people made picture sand as the ages passed they made these pictures into statues, so that their forms could be fully recognized; afterwards they were worshipped instead of Allah.
Worshipping anything other than Allah is a tragedy that results not only in the loss of freedom; its serious effect reaches man's mind and destroys it as well. Almighty Allah created man and his mind with its purpose set on achieving knowledge the most important of which is that Allah alone is the Creator and all the rest are worshippers (slaves). Therefore, disbelief in Allah, or polytheism, results in the loss of freedom, the destruction of the mind, and the absence of a noble target in life. (By worshipping anything other than Allah, man becomes enslaved to Satan, who is himself a creature and becomes harnessed to his own baser qualities).
****3***
Into this environment Allah sent Nuh with His message to his people. Nuh was the only intellectual not caught in the whirlpool of man's destruction which was caused by polytheism.
Allah is His Mercy sent His messenger Nuh to guide his people. Nuh was an excellent speaker and a very patient man. He pointed out to his people the mysteries of life and the wonders of the universe. He pointed out how the night is regularly followed by the day and that the balance between these opposites was designed by Allah the Almighty for our good. The night gives coolness and rest while the day gives warmth and awakens activity. The sun encourages growth, keeping all plants and animals alive, while the moon and stars assist in the reckoning of time, direction and seasons. He pointed out that the ownership of the heavens and the earth belongs only to the Divine Creator.
Allah the Almighty told us: "Indeed We sent Nuh to his people (he said): "I have come to you as a plain Warner that you worship none but Allah, surely, I fear for you the torment of a painful Day." The chiefs of the disbelievers among his people said: "We see you but a man like ourselves, nor do we see any follow you but the meanest among us and they too followed you without thinking. And we do not see in you any merit above us in fact we think you are liars." (11:25-27).
Nuh tried his best for many years to make people come back to the worship of Allah. But the people would not listen. They laughed at him, mocked him, despised him and called him crazy and a liar(26:105-118,54:9 Quran)
****4***
Nuh's people were divided into two groups after his warning. His words touched the hearts of the weak, the poor, and the miserable and soothed their wounds with its mercy. As for the rich, the strong, the mighty and the rulers they looked upon the warning with cold distrust. They believed they would be better off if things stayed as they were. Therefore they started their war of words against Nuh.
The rulers had thought at first that Nuh's call would soon fade on its own. When they found that his call attracted the poor, the helpless and common laborers, they started to verbally attack and taunt him: 'You are only followed by the poor, the meek and the worthless.'
The disbelievers tried to bargain: "Listen Nuh, if you want us to believe in you, then dismiss your believers. They are meek and poor, while we are elite and rich; no faith can include us both." Nuh listened to the heathens of his community and realized they were being obstinate. However, he was gentle in his response. He explained to his people that he could not dismiss the believers as they were not his guests but Allah's.
Nuh appealed to them: "O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none but Allah. I am not going to drive away those who have believed. Surely, they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people that are ignorant. O my people! Who will help me against Allah, if I drove them away? Will you not then give a thought? And I do not say to you that with me are the Treasures of Allah nor that I know the unseen, nor do I say I am an angel, and I do not say of those whom your eyes look down upon that Allah will not bestow any good on them. Allah knows what is in their inner selves (regards to Belief). In that case, I should, indeed be one of the Zalimeen (wrongdoers, oppressors etc)." (11:29-31 Quran)
Nuh refuted the arguments of the disbelievers with the noble knowledge of the prophets. It is the logic of intellect that rids itself of personal pride and interests.
The rulers were tired of Nuh's arguments. Allah the Exalted related their attitude: They said: "O Nuh! You have disputed with us and much have you prolonged the dispute with us, now bring upon us what you threaten us with, if you are of the truthful." He said: "Only Allah will bring it (the punishment) on you, if He will, and then you will escape not. And my advice will not profit you, even if I wish to give you counsel, if Allah's Will is to keep you astray. He is your Lord! And to Him you shall return." (11:32-34 Quran)
Nuh continued appealing to his people to believe in Allah hour after hour, day after day year after year. He admonished his people and called them to Allah day and night, in secret and openly. HE gave them examples, explained Allah's signs and illustrated Allah's ability in the formation of His creatures. But whenever he called them to Allah, they ran away from him. Whenever he urged them to ask Allah to forgive them, they put their fingers in their ears and became too proud to listen to the truth.
****5***
Allah the Almighty related what Nuh faced in following verses of Chapter71: Verily, We sent Nuh to his people saying: "Warn your people before there comes to them a painful torment."
He said: "O my people! Verily, I am a plain Warner to you, that you should worship Allah alone, be dutiful to Him and obey me, He (Allah) will forgive you of your sins and respite you to an appointed term. Verily, the term of Allah when it comes, cannot be delayed, if you but knew."
He said: "O my Lord! Verily, I have called my people night and day (secretly and openly to accept the doctrine of Islamic Monotheism), but all my calling added nothing but to their flight from the truth. Verily! Every time I called unto them that You might forgive them, they thrust their fingers into their ears, covered themselves up with their garments, and persisted (in their refusal), and magnified themselves in pride. Then verily, I called to them openly (aloud); then verily, I proclaimed to them in public, and I have appealed to them in private, I said to them: 'Ask forgiveness from your Lord, Verily, He is Oft Forgiving; He will send rain to you in abundance, and give you increase in wealth and children, and bestow on you gardens and bestow on you rivers."
What is the matter with you, that you fear not Allah (His Punishment), and you hope not for reward from Allah or you believe not in His Oneness. While He has created you in different stages. (23:13-14 Quran)
See you not how Allah has created the seven heavens one above another, and has made the moon a light therein and made the sun a lamp? And Allah has brought you forth from the dust of earth. Afterwards He will return you into it (the earth), and bring you forth (again on the Day of Resurrection) Allah has made for you the earth wide spread (an expanse) that you may go about therein broad roads.
Nuh said: "My Lord! They have disobeyed me, and followed one whose wealth and children give him no increase but only loss. They have plotted a mighty plot. They have said: 'you shall not leave your gods, nor shall you leave wadd, nor Suwa, nor Yaghuth, nor ya'uq nor Nasr (names of the idols). Indeed they have led many astray. O Allah! Grant no increase to the Zalimeen (polytheists, wrongdoers, and disbelievers etc) save error."
Because of their sins they were drowned, then were made to enter the Fire and they found none to help them instead of Allah. (71:1-25 Quran).
****6***
Nuh continued to call his people to believe in Allah for 950 years.
Allah the Almighty said: Indeed We sent Nuh to his people and he stayed among them a thousand years less fifty years (inviting them to believe in the Oneness of Allah (Monotheism) and discard the false gods and other deities). (29:14 Quran)
****7***
NOAH Building The ARK
Nuh was tired and shocked to see the stone heartedness of his people. He became so fed up with the stubbornness of their opposition to the truth that he ultimately prayed to Allah “"My Lord! Leave not one of the disbelievers on the earth. If you leave them, they will mislead Your slaves and they will beget none but wicked disbelievers." (71:27 Quran)
“I am vanquished, so give help.”(54:10 Quran).
He also prayed to Allah to save him and his followers (26:118).
Allah inspired him not to grieve for them at which point Nuh prayed that the disbelievers be destroyed.
Allah accepted Nuh's prayer. The case was closed, and He passed His judgment on the disbelievers in the form of a flood. Allah the Exalted ordered His worshipper Nuh to build an ark with His knowledge and instructions and with the help of angels. Almighty Allah commanded: "And construct the ship under Our Eyes and with Our Inspiration and address Me not on behalf of those who did wrong; they are surely to be drowned." (11:37 Quran)
Nuh chose a place outside the city, far from the sea. HE collected wood and tools and began to day and night to build the ark. The people's mockery continued: "O Nuh! Does carpentry appeal to you more than prophet hood? Why are you building an ark so far from the sea? Are you going to drag it to the water or is the wind going to carry it for you?" Nuh replied: "You will come to know who will be put to shame and suffer."
Allah the Almighty narrated: As he was constructing the ship, whenever the chiefs of his people passed by him, they made a mockery of him. He said: "If you mock at us, so do we mock at you likewise for your mocking. And you will know who it is on whom will come a torment that will cover him with disgrace and on whom will fall a lasting torment." (11:38-39 Quran)
****8***
The ship was constructed, and Nuh sat waiting Allah's command. Allah revealed to him that when water miraculously gushed forth from the oven at Nuh's house, that would be the sign of the start of the flood, and the sign for Nuh to act.
The terrible day arrived when the oven at Nuh's house overflowed. Nuh hurried to open the ark and summon the believers. He also took with him a pair, male and female, of every type of animal, bird and insect. Seeing him taking these creatures to the ark, the people laughed loudly: "Nuh must have gone out of his head! What is he going to do with the animals?"
Almighty Allah narrated: So it was till then there came Our Command and the oven gushed forth (water like fountains from the earth). We said: "Embark therein, of each kind two (male and female), and your family, except him against whom the Word has already gone forth, and those who believe." And none believed him except a few. (11:40 Quran)
Nuh's wife was not a believer with him so she did not join him; neither did one of Nuh's sons, who was secretly a disbeliever but had pretended faith in front of Nuh. Likewise most of the people were disbelievers and did not go on board.
The scholars hold different opinions on the number of those who were with Nuh on the ship. Ibn Abbas stated that there were 80 believers while Ka ab al Ahbar held that there were 72 believers. Others claimed that there were 10 believers with Nuh.
Water rose from the cracks in the earth; there was not a crack from which water did not rise. Rain poured from the sky in quantities never seen before on earth. Water continued pouring from the sky rising from the cracks; hour after hour the level rose. The seas and waves invaded the land. The interior of the earth moved in a strange way, and the ocean floors lifted suddenly, flooding the dry land. The earth, for the first time was submerged.
****9***
Allah told the story thus:
He (Nuh) said: "Embark therein in the Name of Allah will be its moving course and its resting anchorage. Surely, my Lord is Oft Forgiving, most Merciful." so it (the ship) sailed with them amidst the waves like mountains, and Nuh called out to his son, who had separated himself (apart), "O my son! Embark with us and be not with the disbelievers." The son replied, "I will betake myself to a mountain, it will save me from the water." Nuh said: "This day there is no savior from the Decree of Allah except him on whom He has mercy." And a wave came in between them so he (the son) was among the drowned.
It was said: "O Earth! Swallow up your water, and O sky! Withhold (your rain)." The water was diminished (made to subside) and the Decree (of Allah) was fulfilled (the destruction of the people of Nuh). And it (the ship) rested on Mount Judi, and it was said: "Away with the people who are Zalimeen (polytheists, and wrongdoing)!"
Nuh called upon his Lord and said, "O my Lord! Verily, my son is of my family! Certainly, Your Promise is true, and You are the Most Just of the judges." HE said: "O Nuh! Surely, he is not of your family; verily, his work is unrighteous, so ask not of Me that of which you have no knowledge! I admonish you, lest you be one of the ignorants."
Nuh said: "O my Lord! I seek refuge with You from asking You that of which I have no knowledge. And unless You forgive me and have Mercy on me, I would indeed be one of the losers."
It was said: "O Nuh! Come down (from the ship) with peace from Us and blessings on you and on the people owho are with you (and on some of their offspring), but (there will be other) people to whom We shall grant their pleasures (for a time), but in the end a painful torment will reach them from Us." (11:41-48 Quran)
****10***
With the issue of the divine command, calm returned to earth, the water retreated, and the dry land shone once again in the rays of the sun. The flood had cleansed the earth of the disbelievers and polytheists.
Nuh released the birds, and the beasts which scattered over the earth. After that the believers disembarked. Nuh put his forehead to the ground in prostration. The survivors kindled a fire and sat around it. Lighting a fire had been prohibited on board so as not to ignite the ship's wood and burn it up. None of them had eaten hot food during the entire period of the floor. Following the disembarkation there was a day of fasting in thanks to Allah.
****11***
The Quran draws the curtain on Nuh's story. We do not know how his affairs with his people continued. All we know or can ascertain is that on his deathbed he requested his son to worship Allah alone, Nuh then passed away.
Abdullah Ibn Amru Ibn Al as narrated that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: "When the death of the Messenger of Allah ,Nuh, approached, the messenger admonished his sons: 'Indeed I would give you far reaching advice, commanding you to do 2 things, and warning you against doing 2 things as well. I charge you to believe that there is no god but Allah and that if the seven heavens and the seven earths were put on one side of a scale and the words "there is no god but Allah" were put on the other, the latter would outweigh the former. I warn you against associating partners with Allah and against pride." (Sahih al Bukhari)
Some traditions said that his grave is in the Scared Mosque in Mecca, while others said that he was buried in Baalabak, a city in Iraq.
Sources:-
1. http://www.anwary-islam.com/
2. ISLAM-Beliefs and Teachings, Author:-Ghulam Sarwar, Director, the Muslim Educational Trust (London).Publisher: The Muslim Educational
The topics of my Blog so far were as follows:- ( starting with the latest Posts) Note:(Right-click on name of Topic and then Click on "Open in New Window" to open in a New Page.)
Read and Feel free to Share the information here with Everyone you know, and earn Sawab-e-Jariya..May Allah make it a source of Sawab-e-Jariya for u and me .A'ameen.
Share this Link: http://sirat-al-mustaqim.blogspot.com/
The Post covers topics about
1.Status of Women in Islam
2.Rights of Women in islam
3.Duties of Women in islam
1.Status of Women in Islam
Women have a very important place in Islamic society. Unlike a number of other religions, Islam holds women in high esteem. Her importance as a mother and as a wife has been clearly stated by Prophet Mohammad (pbuh).
The prophet said, “Paradise lies at the feet of your mothers.” Once a person asked the prophet, “Who deserves the best care from me?” the prophet replied, “your mother (he repeated 3 times), then your father and then your nearest relatives.”
In his farewell speech at Arafat in the 10th year of Hijrah, the prophet said, “O people, your wives have certain rights over you and you have certain rights over them. Treat them well and be kind to them, for they are your partners and committed helpers.”
The prophet also said, “The best among you is the one who is the best towards his wife.”
These sayings clearly prove the important position given to women in Islam. But there are still people, especially in the west, who have misgivings about the status of women in Islam. To these people, the Muslim woman is seen almost as ‘a prisoner in the four walls of the house, a non-person, and as someone who as no rights and living under the dominance of a man.’ Their notions are totally wrong, and are based on ignorance rather than knowledge of Islam. Unfortunately, most Muslims are ignorant and do things which are against what is taught in Islam. This helps those who are constantly on the look-out to pull down Islam.
In order to judge these false ideas held by western people, it would be useful to survey the attitudes to women in different societies in the past.
If we keep this picture in mind, we must conclude that Islam liberated women from Dark Age of obscurity, 14 hundred years ago…!!
Islam recognizes the realities of life. This does not mean it has recognized equalities of man and woman in every respect. Rather, it has defined their duties in keeping with their different biological make-up (2:228). Allah has not made man and woman identical, so it would be against nature to have total equality. It would destroy social balance; society would not prosper, but would instead have insoluble problems such as broken marriages, illegitimate children and the break-up of family-life.
These problems are already rife in the western society. Teenage pregnancies, abortions, divorce and many other problems have cropped up because of a permissive outlook and so-called freedom. No doubt the western society has started to realize these faults and is trying to find ways to return back to family-life and setting moral standards and every sign of immorality is being dealt with. It’s a slow but a much needed change.
Note: (2:228) implies 2nd chapter, Verse number 228 of the Holy Quran.
2.Rights of Women in Islam
Note: 51:49 implies 51st chapter, Verse number 49 of the Holy Quran.
3.Duties of a woman in Islam
Islam is a fair and balanced system of life. While it specifies the rights of women it also lays down duties. A Muslim woman is expected to observe the following duties:-
She should dress modestly and should put on Hijab while going out , meeting adult males beyond her close relatives (33:59,24:30-31). She should not wear men’s clothing.
She is her husband’s help-mate. A faithful wife is like a garment, a source of peace, happiness and contentment for her husband (30:21, 2:187).
If she is asked to go against the commands of Allah, she must defy even her husband, father or brother.
She is expected to protect her husband’s property and belongings in his absence.
Islam views husband and wife as complementary to each other. Together they form a peaceful and happy family which is the basis for a sound and prosperous society.
Man and women are not exactly equal in Islam. They have different physical and biological features. Islam recognizes the leadership of a man over a woman (4:34, 2:228), but does not mean domination.
Note: (4:34) implies 4th chapter, Verse number 34 of the Holy Quran.
In the west, women have been reduced almost to a commodity of enjoyment and fancy. And women have tended to degrade themselves unwittingly in modern times, for in the name of equality, they have become the objects of exploitation by men, and the slogans of liberty and equality have virtually reduced them to playful commodities. They have neither gained liberty nor achieved equality; rather they have lost their natural place in the home.
Source: - ISLAM-Beliefs and Teachings,
Author:-Ghulam Sarwar, Director, the Muslim Educational Trust (London).
publisher: The Muslim Educational Trust, London, 130 Stroud Green Road, London N4 3RZ( Tel 020 7272 8502).
( Not evrything is from this book, instead, like my other posts, i have taken refrences from other places too . And Allah knows the Best)
