“Allah has revealed (from time to time) the most beautiful Message in the form of a Book, consistent with itself, (yet) repeating (its teaching in various aspects): the skins of those who fear their Lord tremble thereat; then their skins and their hearts do soften to the celebration of Allah’s praises. Such is the guidance of Allah: He guides therewith whom He pleases, but such as Allah leaves to stray, can have none to guide.”
Quran 39:23
Ramadan 1446 will begin on March 1, 2025
It is encouraged to increase in acts of worship as much as possible asking Allah for acceptance. I will update this blog throughout the month contemplating on the clear, sound, and beautiful Quranic Arguments. This blog is for Muslims who want to grow in their faith.
We begin the month of Ramadan and ask Allah for guidance. He facilitated and guided the righteous. We pray that He guide us in this month. May He grant us its full blessings. We begin with the torch of Al Fatiha or the opening of the Quran. We recognize our need and desire for guidance and turn to Him seeking guidance and the straight path.
As we begin our first day of Ramadan we acknowledge the gifts of our hearts, tongues, limbs, and minds and want to be grateful with these gifts by using them in ways that benefit ourselves and His creation. I found this dua or supplication in a book titled, Compilation of Supplications, by Tawfik Bin Said Bin Al-Sayegh: “Oh God, preoccupy our hearts with Your Love, and our tongues with Your Remembrance, and our limbs with Your Obedience, and our minds with pondering upon Your creation and understanding Your Revelation.”
Ameen.
Prophets and Messengers Identified by Name
The Quran is a Divine account of significant historical events, spanning from pre-eternal realms to our time on Earth and the next world. It explores the stories of former prophets and messengers and their mission and life on Earth. The Quran teaches Muslims how to respond to disagreements, emphasizing healthy boundaries in physical, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects. The Islamic story posits that prophets and messengers were sent to guide people back to God after humans came down to earth and began to multiply. However, there is insufficient information to confirm certain actions in other scriptures, and much of the Bible was written long after historical events. According to Islamic beliefs, the religion is Islam, and all religions are considered offshoots of it. As history developed, new prophets were sent to correct historical records and guide followers on the right path. Messengers like Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, upon them peace and blessings, were seen as continuing the message of monotheism, restoring the true teachings that had been corrupted over time.
Say: “We believe in Allah, and in what has been revealed to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the descendants (of Jacob) and in what was given to Moses and Jesus and in what the other Prophets received from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are those who submit to Allah.”
(Qur’an 2:136)
The Quran lists key Prophets and Messengers, and Muslims acknowledge that they all received Divine revelation and invited others to the same Truth and Way. Those who believe in one Prophet but disbelieve in others do not actually believe in the Prophet they claim to believe in, as they do not understand the monotheistic ‘Straight Way’ enunciated by Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, upon them peace and blessings, and other Prophets named in the Qur’an. The Quran mentions some earlier prophets, such as Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Jesus, upon them peace, but if they are not mentioned in the Quran, their prophethood cannot be confirmed. Additionally, there are no prophets mentioned by name who came after Prophet Muhammad, upon him peace and blessings. The Quran clearly states Muhammad, upon him peace and blessings, is the seal of the prophets and messengers.
In matters of faith, the Qur’an leaves no place for misunderstanding. Muslims, for example, cannot deny that Jesus, upon him peace, was a prophet. The language, argument, and historical account of the Qur’an leave no room for human interpretation on Jesus, upon him peace, rank and station. It’s very direct and clear. This directness is a significant feature of Islamic belief since it highlights the need of rigorously following the Qur’an’s teachings and instructions. The text’s lack of ambiguity on matters of creed helps Muslims grasp their faith and its ideals.
Prophets are on the Same Team
ALL MANKIND were once one single community; [then they began to differ] whereupon God raised up the prophets as heralds of glad tidings and as warners, and through them bestowed revelation from on high, setting forth the truth, so that it might decide between people with regard to all on which they had come to hold divergent views. Yet none other than the selfsame people who had been granted this [revelation] began, out of mutual jealousy, to disagree about its meaning after all evidence of the truth had come unto them. But God guided the believers unto the truth about which, by His leave, they had disagreed: for God guides onto a straight way him that wills [to be guided].
(Quran 2:213)
Non-Qur’anic version: People attempt to trace the history of ‘religion’ in view that man began his life in the darkness of polytheism, and in the course of time, corresponding to man’s progress, this darkness gradually receded and light increased till man arrived at monotheism.
The Qur’anic version: People began this life in full light of the truth. God revealed this truth to the very first man He created, one to whom He intimated the right way of life for man. Thereafter the human race remained on the Right Way for some time and lived as one community. Later, however, people invented deviating ways. This did not occur because the truth had not been given to them clearly, without ambiguity or question. The root cause was that some people actively sought privileges, benefits, and advantages beyond their legitimate boundaries, causing others to suffer injustices. A supremacy mindset divides people into groups and pits them against one another. It was in order to enable people to overcome this corruption that God sent His Prophets. These Prophets were not sent to found separate religions in their own names and bring new religious communities into existence. Rather, the purpose of the Prophets was to illuminate before people the truth that they had allowed to be lost and once again make them into one community.
Revelation Began in Heaven
Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: "I will create a vicegerent on earth." They said: "Wilt Thou place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?- whilst we do celebrate Thy praises and glorify Thy holy (name)?" He said: "I know what ye know not."
And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said: "Tell me the names of these if ye are right."
They said: "Glory to Thee, of knowledge We have none, save what Thou Hast taught us: In truth it is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom."
(Quran 2:30-32)
Framing Matters. Whenever one enters any conversation, consider the framing. Often, conversations are framed in a way to manipulate and deceive, not to engage or inform. In this conversation, God informs the Angels of a matter.
The Angels sought guidance from God by asking Him a question. We can witness their purity in the question, as they put on the table what is confusing them. So when you read a command that disturbs you, write down what is disturbing you about the command or verse.
However, they do not address their query. That is conjecture, manipulation, and rationalization. Similarly, we can ask God about some things, but this verse teaches us not to answer our own inquiries. Consider this: either you’re asking a question because you truly don’t know, or you’re asking a question to throw a Red Herring – something to distract, mislead, or steer the conversation away from its intended topic. In seeking guidance from God, it is important to approach Him with sincerity and humility, allowing Him to provide the answers we seek. By avoiding the temptation to rely on our own egoism or agendas, we can better align ourselves with His will and purpose for us.
So, think about whether you’re asking a question or throwing a red herring into the conversation. Remember that God sees our intentions and knows our hearts, so it is crucial to approach Him with honesty and openness in all our inquiries. This will allow us to receive true guidance and wisdom from Him. Let us approach Him with open hearts and minds, ready to receive His guidance without any ulterior motives.
Discern your motives behind asking questions. Do you have the answer to your question or not? If so, you’re not asking a question to know, instead you may be trying to manipulate the conversation and framing.
Absolute and Unspecific
It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah. But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.
--Quran 3:8
Scholarly commentary
Muhkam refers to something that has been made firmly, precise meaning, and perfectly. The muhkam verses described of the Qur’an are expressed in clear and explicit language and whose content is free of any ambiguity.
An example: “Muhammad, is the Messenger of Allah.”
The wording in this verse is unambiguous indicator of their genuine meaning, making it difficult to subject them to artificial interpretation. Such verses are at the heart of the Holy Book; they serve the actual goal for which the Qur’an was given, and they welcome the entire world to Islam. They contain admonitions and instructions, as well as the rebuttal of false teachings and the clarification of the Right Way. They also contain the essentials of the true faith: teachings that relate to belief, worship, and morality, and mandatory duties and prohibitions. These are the verses that will guide the genuine seeker after truth who turns to the Qur’an in order to find out what he ought and ought not to do.
‘Ambiguous’ verses are those whose meaning may have some degree of equivocation. Their full knowledge that they carry has not been fully disclosed. Only Allah knows their firm and precise interpretation. They carry truths that lie beyond the range of human perception have always eluded and will continue to elude man; no words exist in the human vocabulary that either express or portray them. In speaking about such things, we necessarily resort to words and expressions generally employed in connection with tangible objects. In the Qur’an, too, this kind of language is employed in relation to supernatural matters; the verses that have been characterized as ‘ambiguous’ refer to such matters.
At best, such expressions may serve to either bring man close to or enable him to formulate some view of reality, even if it is a faint one. Like obsessing over how the universe was created. The more one tries to determine the precise meaning of such verses, the more their ambiguities proliferate, and the more one is confronted with choosing between several plausible interpretations. All this is likely to alienate one progressively further away’ from the truth instead of bringing one closer to it. Shaykh Ash-Sharaawy said, some verses are revealed for later generations when the tools and measures to verify the knowledge manifest to give clear understanding. Like embryology. Those who seek the truth and do not hanker after the satisfaction of their egocentric quest for exotic superfluities will be satisfied with the dim vision of reality derived from these verses. They will concentrate their attention instead on the clear and lucid ‘core’ verses of the Qur’an. It will be left to those who are either out to make mischief and mislead people or who have an abnormal passion for superfluities to devote their attention to hair-splitting discussions about the contents of the ‘ambiguous” verses.
This might give rise to an unnecessary problem: How can people believe in ‘ambiguous’ verses when the contents of these cannot be grasped? As God told the Angels, He knows what we know not. We surrender to the reality that our ignorance is greater than what we know. We are not going to be asked how the universe was created on the Day of Judgement. We will be asked who is Prophet Muhammad, upon him peace and blessings. Surrender to what is clear.
The rule of thumb is will God question me on the full details and meaning of this verse on the Day of Judgement? If not, then it is best to leave it to God’s knowledge and focus on what is clear and understandable. Trust in His wisdom and guidance, and avoid unnecessary confusion by trying to interpret what is beyond our human perception and its reality will not manifest in our time.
The fact is that a reasonable person will believe that the Qur’an is the Book of God through his reading of its clear and lucid verses, rather than by learning fanciful interpretations of the ambiguous verses. Once so convinced, he is not likely to be worried by doubts and anxieties caused by the ambiguities of the verses concerned. One who seeks the truth is satisfied with the obvious meaning of these verses, and wherever he encounters complications and ambiguities, he abstains from pursuing their solution too far. Instead of wasting his time splitting hairs, he is content to surrender like the Angels did: “Glory to Thee, of knowledge We have none, save what Thou Hast taught us: In truth it is Thou Who art perfect in knowledge and wisdom.”
Love Is Deeper Than Words
“Say, 'O Prophet, If you sincerely love Allah, then follow me; Allah will love you and forgive your sins. For Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'"
-Qur'an 3:31
Scholarly commentary:
Love is something secret. Whether or not a person loves another person, or loves less or more, are questions which cannot be answered precisely. There is no measure or yard-stick to determine the truth of the matter except that one makes an educated guess based on visible conditions and dealings, for love leaves traces and signs which could help in recognizing it as such. Now, in these verses, Allah Almighty tells those who claimed that they loved Allah and hoped to be loved by Him, above the real criterion of His love. In other words, if a person living in the world of today claims that he loves his Creator and Master, then, he must test it on the touch-stone of his obedience to the Messenger, that is, match it against the frequency and quality of where and how he has been following him. Once this is done, the genuine and the fake of it will be exposed right there. How much true a person turns out to be in his claim will be visible from how much he makes it a point to follow the noble prophet, upon him peace and blessings, using the guidance brought by him as the guiding force in his life. The same test will show that the weaker a person is in his claim, so equally weak he shall be in his obedience to the Prophet, upon him peace and blessings.
This test allows us to identify whether someone is using religion for egoistic reasons or to lead people to the truth. It was the same during each Messenger’s time: individuals who loved God were instructed to follow the Prophet or Messenger identified by name. Sometimes we see someone claim to love God, yet their behaviors demonstrate egoism rather than faith. Holy wars are an example of people who did not obey God’s commands and instead used religion as a marketing strategy to rally people against one another. We can turn to God and ask Him to help us be of those who follow His commands. Zionism is such an example. Whether they claim to follow Jesus, upon him peace, or David, upon him peace, do they live their lives following the commands of God as Jesus or David, upon them peace, did? Prophets and Messengers are to be followed, not weaponized to kill innocent people. If you are going to follow your ego, leave your religion out of the conversation. Don’t use God as a tool for personal gain or power.
Contemplate the Quran
He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah; but those who turn away - We have not sent you over them as a guardian. And they say, "[We pledge] obedience." But when they leave you, a group of them spend the night determining to do other than what you say. But Allah records what they plan by night. So leave them alone and rely upon Allah. And sufficient is Allah as Disposer of affairs. Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an? If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction. And when there comes to them information about [public] security or fear, they spread it around. But if they had referred it back to the Messenger or to those of authority among them, then the ones who [can] draw correct conclusions from it would have known about it. And if not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, you would have followed Satan, except for a few.
--Qur'an 4:80-83
I would like you to read the scholarly commentary here. You can continue with the verses after this. I want to bring your attention to the healthy boundaries in the verses as clarified and unpacked in the scholarly commentary. If you continue with the reading of the scholarly commentary for the verses after those highlighted, you will also notice how a recommendation is given in Islam and helping someone who requests your help. I used this understanding in my article “If you or someone you know feels wronged”. Again, notice the healthy boundaries and no manipulation of any kind. No overpowering or compulsion. No spying or sedition disguised as resilience or motivation. Just clear nurturing of commitment, contentment, faith, and certainty. Do take a moment to read the commentary and reflect. I will share from the scholarly commentary the Muslim greeting: ‘As-Salamu Alaikum’ “commonly, though incompletely, translated in English as ‘peace be on you’, the greeting means: ‘May you remain safe from every pain, sorrow and distress.” In Ahkam al-Qur’an, Ibn ` Arabi says: The word Salam is one of the good names of Allah Almighty and السلام علیکم ‘As-Salamu Alaikum’ means; that is, Allah Almighty is your guardian and caretaker.
If you are a Muslim who uses this greeting, do reflect on this expanded meaning of the greeting, and reflect if you have that understanding in your heart when you say it to others. When people act as a guardian over you or a disposer of your affairs, and they are not, they are following in the footsteps of Satan. If they demand power, and act with will and plans to gain power, they are responsible for people they have power over. If somebody used their will and power to remove a caretaker or guardian from authority, they are responsible for all those who were under their control. Abuse of power is when people seek power or remove others through sedition from power, yet want no responsibility for those under their power or those who were formerly under the caretaker’s power. Power with true faith assumes responsibility for those under its power. All else is following the footsteps of Satan. The full needs from healthcare to rebuilding for Lebanon and Gaza must be supplied and paid for by Israel. Reflect on this understanding next time you want to remove someone from power, are you willing to assume full responsibility for all under their power? If not, don’t remove those in power. If yes, assume full responsibility for their humanitarian needs.
The Scholarly commentary in later sections adds: “In short, Islam envisages and demands a society that provides not only for the spiritual needs of man, but for his bodily and intellectual needs as well. It follows, therefore, that – in order to be truly Islamic – a society (or state) must be so constituted that every individual, man and woman, may enjoy the minimum of material well-being and security without which there can be no human dignity, no real freedom, and, in the last resort, no spiritual progress: for, there can be no real happiness and strength in a society that permits some of its members to suffer undeserved want while others have more than they need. If the whole society suffers privations owing to circumstances beyond its control (as it happened, for instance, to the Muslim community in the early days of Islam), such shared privations may become a source of spiritual strength and, through it, of future greatness. But if the available resources of a community are so unevenly distributed that certain groups within it lives in affluence while the majority of the people are forced to use up all their energies in search of their daily bread, poverty becomes the most dangerous enemy of spiritual progress, and occasionally drives whole communities away from God-consciousness … Consequently, the social legislation of Islam aims at a state of affairs in which every man, woman and child has (a) enough to eat and wear, (b) an adequate home, (c) equal opportunities and facilities for education, and (d) free medical care in health and sickness. A corollary of these rights is the right to productive and remunerative work while of working age and good health, and a provision (by the community or the state) of adequate nourishment, shelter, etc., in cases of disability resulting from illness, widowhood, enforced unemployment, old age, or under-age. As already mentioned, the communal obligation to create such a comprehensive social scheme has been laid down in many Qur’anic verses, and has been amplified and explained by a great number of the Prophet’s commandments. It was the second Caliph, `Umar ibn al-Khattab, who began to translate these ordinances into a concrete administrative plan.”
The Test – “the land belongs to Allah”
The chiefs of the people of Pharaoh said, “Shall you leave Moses and his people free to spread disorder in the land and to abandon you and your gods?” He said, “We shall slaughter their sons and let their women remain alive. We have full power over them.”
Moses said to his people, “Seek help from Allah and be patient. Surely, the land belongs to Allah. He lets whomsoever He wills inherit it from among His servants; and the end-result is in favor of the God-fearing.”
They said, “We were persecuted before you came to us and after you have come to us.” He said, “Hopefully your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you successors in the land, then He will see how you act.”
(Quran 7:127-129)
Pharaoh had no convincing sound argument, just threats and overwhelming power. When tyrants cannot produce a convincing argument, they project their insecurity through mass killing. That is their argument: mass killing, further evidence of their insecurity and egoism. The followers of Moses, upon him peace were greatly alarmed of the punishment they had experienced before the coming of Moses, upon him peace. However, even though Moses, upon him peace, won the argument, they did not see the killing stop. Out of his kindness, he offered two wise solutions to the Israelites. He said to them that only way of getting out of this trial was, firstly, to seek help from Allah and, secondly, to remain patient until the things change into their favour. He also promised them that they shall inherit the whole land if they faithfully observed the two instructions.
Rumi: “The earth, the air, the water and the fire, all are servants of Allah. To me and to you they are dead, but to Allah they are full of life.”
It is reported in a Hadith: When Allah wills to do something everything turns in favour of that purpose. Therefore, nothing is more powerful against an enemy than seeking Allah’s help with all the sincerity of one’s heart. Simply uttering out some formula words for seeking help are not enough.
The Israelites who seemed to have no conception of such matters could not understand how patience alone could free them from Pharaoh’s punishment and bring them success against him. They blamed the prophet Moses, upon him peace, saying:
“We have been persecuted before you came to us as well as after you came to us.”
What they meant, perhaps, was that they were looking for a prophet to deliver them from the oppression of the Pharaoh, but their fate remained unchanged even after he came to them. Prophet Moses, upon him peace, answered them:
‘It is likely that your Lord will destroy your enemy and make you successors in the earth that He may see how then, you act.’
Sovereignty is a test
The last phrase of the verse has provided with a wise observation that sovereignty or dominion is not in itself an aim or objective but a means to achieve the objective of making peace and justice prevail in the land. Sovereignty or dominion is a sacred trust bestowed upon by Allah for making good prevail over evil. The verse has warned them that, in case they are bestowed this trust, they should not forget the ill fate of those who were before them.
Though the direct addressee of the verse are the Israelites, but indirectly the verse has thrown a warning to all those trusted with rule or dominion. Sovereignty or power, in fact, belongs to Allah alone. Allah has made man his deputy on the earth. He is the One who designates man with power and takes it away when He so wills. This is what the following verse means:
"You give power to whom You please, and You strip off power from whom You please."
(3:26)
The power and rule, therefore, is a test for the rulers to see how far they have fulfilled their duty of establishing peace and justice and making good prevail over evil.
Abu Hayyan in his Tafsir Al-Bahr-al Muhit has included the following event under the comments on this verse: ` Amr ibn ` Ubaid once visited Mansur, the second caliph of the Abbaside dynasty, prior to his designation to caliphate and recited this verse: ‘It is likely that Allah will destroy your enemy and make you successor in the earth.’ This was a sort of prediction by ` Amr ibn ` Ubaid of his succession to the throne. Soon after Mansur succeeded to the throne and became the Caliph. ` Amr ibn ` Ubaid came to the Caliph again. Mansur reminded him of the prediction made by him. Amr ibn ` Ubaid instantly answered, “Well, the first part of the prediction has come true and you have become the Caliph, but the second part of it still remains unfulfilled. The verse also contains this phrase,
“Then, He will see how you act.”
Amr ibn ` Ubaid suggested that gaining power is not a matter of pride because thereafter, Allah judges the acts of those in authority and sees how they make use of this trust.
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