Messages

Salam all

Dear brother Hamzeh,

Minor correction here, it's 64:14, the ayah you're referring to. I thought I should correct it for the readers.

May Allah reward you good, brother.

Take care.

[directly]

So it doesn't matter if verses were personally for the Prophet? Because these verses still apply to all believers?

Salamun alaykum

Yes brother. They are all relevant. Even some of them cannot be practised directly today, they have messages for all believers at all times to be extracted. They help us understand "the ideal Muslim behaviour and morality". Allah (swt) does not speak in vain. SubhanAllah.

Brother Joseph inshaAllah will help you if he has time. Be patient inshaAllah (God willing).

Take care

["must"]

Salamun alaykum,

Dear Shahmatt, honestly i don't have any clear answers for your topic question. However i would like to express my thoughts about another point you've made in your post.

(FYI: These are my "personal" feelings and thoughts about the subject, my understanding from the Quran. I will try to explain them with my limited knowledge of English, Alhamdulillah and inshaAllah...)

We often think that a "suggestion" or "recommendation" from Allah(swt) is less obligatory than His "commands" or "orders". I don't think it has a sound basis according to Quran. The one who gives recommendation here, is not one of our close friends or family etc... The one and only God, the creator of us and everything around us... When I look at similar ayat which sound like "recommendation" I always see something we "must" adhere to. I don't think it would be appropriate to see a recommendation from Allah(swt) and act like we have a better idea than that so we are free to ignore them just because it doesn't sound like an order. We often ignore a suggestion because we think we have a better option. This is not the case with Allah (swt).

A few examples:

"Of the Jews there are those who displace words from their (right) places, and say: "We hear and we disobey"; and "Hear what is not Heard"; and "Ra'ina"; with a twist of their tongues and a slander to Faith. If only they had said: "What hear and we obey"; and "Do hear"; and "Do look at us"; it would have been better for them, and more proper; but Allah hath cursed them for their Unbelief; and but few of them will believe." (4:46)

"You are the best community ever raised for humanity—you encourage good, forbid evil, and believe in Allah. Had the People of the Book believed, it would have been better for them. Some of them are faithful, but most are rebellious." (3:110)

"Were it to obey and say what is just, and when a matter is resolved on, it were best for them if they were true to Allah." (47:21)

I don't think "giving charity" is only a strong recommendation, I think it's an order.

"And spend [in the way of Allah ] from what We have provided you before death approaches one of you and he says, "My Lord, if only You would delay me for a brief term so I would give charity and be among the righteous.""(63:10)

"˹They are˺ those who donate in prosperity and adversity, control their anger, and pardon others. And Allah loves the good-doers." (3:134)

"Indeed, the Muslim men and Muslim women, the believing men and believing women, the obedient men and obedient women, the truthful men and truthful women, the patient men and patient women, the humble men and humble women, the charitable men and charitable women, the fasting men and fasting women, the men who guard their private parts and the women who do so, and the men who remember Allah often and the women who do so - for them Allah has prepared forgiveness and a great reward." (33:35)

Allah counts charitable people among those who keep faithful to Allah (swt)'s commands like "believe in One God, obey Him, be truthful, be patient, be humble, fast, guard your private parts etc...

Again I don't want to offend anyone, I just want to share some thoughts... Take care inshaAllah.

salamun alaykum brothers and sisters...

MashaAllah subhanAllah very nice explanation Br. Athman !

Alhamdulillah !

By the way thanks Br. miracle114 for being open-minded and nice

JZK

Take care inshaAllah.

[beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause]

Salam brother miracle114,

What about these ayat:

"Say, [O Muhammad], "If your fathers, your sons, your brothers, your wives, your relatives, wealth which you have obtained, commerce wherein you fear decline, and dwellings with which you are pleased are more beloved to you than Allah and His Messenger and jihad in His cause, then wait until Allah executes His command. And Allah does not guide the defiantly disobedient people."" (9:24)

"The Prophet is more worthy of the believers than themselves, and his wives are [in the position of] their mothers. And those of [blood] relationship are more entitled [to inheritance] in the decree of Allah than the [other] believers and the emigrants, except that you may do to your close associates a kindness [through bequest]. That was in the Book inscribed." (33:6)

"There has certainly come to you a Messenger from among yourselves. Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful." (9:128)

How come you don't concur with love for the prophet/prophets of Allah(swt) who were great examples for humanity, chosen by Allah (swt) the most merciful, with all the moral attributes you would seek around you in your normal life ? Wouldn't you like somebody who tells you the truth all the time, helps and tries his best for you to stay on the right path to Allah (swt) and for you to learn its ways ?

"Grievous to him is what you suffer; [he is] concerned over you and to the believers is kind and merciful."

Wouldn't you love your brother ?

"The believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers. And fear Allah that you may receive mercy." (49:10)

Take care inshaAllah.

Salamun alaykum all

Alhamdulillah. Thanks for your comments brothers Hope and Athman

Br. Athman thanks so much for your comment on my post and thanks for clearing it up

Take care inshaAllah.

["And when it is said to them: Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger, you will see the hypocrites turning away from you with (utter) aversion."]

Wa alaykum salam brother

I personally believe that even if a random ayah refers to a particular group back in the day, if it's in the Quran, that means we can still extract the essence, the message or anything beautiful from that ayah.

Of course all of humanity are asked to follow the prophet. He doesn't need to be alive today to be followed. He followed the Quran, he always kept being nice and good mannered. He was one of the best examples of submission to one and only Creator. Of course we need to follow him, understand him, embrace and love him in order to have a good character in the eyes of Allah(swt).

I can't think the other way. From Quranic perspective, claiming that "We don't need to follow the prophet today" sounds dismissive and wrong.

We need to take heed of the keynotes of this ayah all the time:

"And when it is said to them: Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger, you will see the hypocrites turning away from you with (utter) aversion." (4:61)

Allah(swt) included "the Messenger" in His ayah.

For example, although the prophet (pbuh) is not alive today, whenever something about him and his life is mentioned somewhere , some people (even some who claim to be Quranists) seem to run away from the discussion immediately.

[When We intend to destroy]

Salamun alaykum

Alhamdulillah, brother wanderer thanks for your comment. I thought about what you said but i'm not sure it feels right. Because the beginning of the ayah is: "When We intend to destroy a city/country ... " So, those people must have already deserved the punishment...

[We command]

Salamun alaykum brothers and sisters,

What do you think about the translation of 17:16 ?

Did Brother Joseph talk about this ayah before ?

I don't understand especially the part i wrote in bold (cause Allah (swt) doesn't command evil things!):

"And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent but they defiantly disobey therein; so the word comes into effect upon it, and We destroy it with [complete] destruction."

Take care inshaAllah

["wrong-doers"]

Salaam Hamzeh and Ilker
So is Allah the Almighty saying that the fire might touch not just the followers but also the prophet if he stepped out of line?

Jzk and kind regards

Salam folks

Here are two more ayat about the "wrong-doers" in which Allah (swt) talks to the messenger directly, at least from what I understand when i read them.

"And do not send away those who call upon their Lord morning and afternoon, seeking His countenance. Not upon you is anything of their account and not upon them is anything of your account. So were you to send them away, you would [then] be of the wrongdoers (zhalimeen)." (6:52)

"It has already been revealed to you [Prophet] (ilayka) and to those before you: 'If you ascribe any partner to God, all your work will come to nothing: you will be one if the losers. (al khasireen) " (39:65)

Alhamdulillah. Thanks brother Hamzeh for your replies

["So keep to the right course as you have been commanded, together with those who have turned to God with you. Do not overstep the limits, for He sees everything you do.And do not incline towards the wrong-doers lest the Fire might seize you and you will have none as your protector against Allah; and then you will not be helped from anywhere"]

wa alaykum salam

If we just look at the previous ayah we can see who those people are that Allah warns about the fire.

"So keep to the right course as you have been commanded, together with those who have turned to God with you. Do not overstep the limits, for He sees everything you do.

And do not incline towards the wrong-doers lest the Fire might seize you and you will have none as your protector against Allah; and then you will not be helped from anywhere" (11: 112-113)

Allah (swt) warns His slaves who follow His prophet and try to stay on the right path as He (swt) commanded them to do. He tells them (and tells us inshaAllah) not to have any inclinations for the actions of sinners which cause them to go astray. We should inshaAllah set our personal boundaries with them (wrong-doers) reasonably.

"Still there are some who take others as Allah's equal—they love them as they should love Allah—but the ˹true˺ believers love Allah even more. If only the wrongdoers could see the ˹horrible˺ punishment ˹awaiting them˺, they would certainly realize that all power belongs to Allah and that Allah is indeed severe in punishment." (2:165)

"You who believe, do not take My enemies and yours as your allies, showing them friendship when they have rejected the truth you have received, and have driven you and the Messenger out simply because you believe in God, your Lord––not if you truly emigrated in order to strive for My cause and seek My good pleasure. You secretly show them friendship––I know all you conceal and all you reveal–– but any of you who do this are straying from the right path." (60:1)

"You who believe, do not take as allies those who ridicule your religion and make fun of it- whether people who were given the Scripture before you, or disbelievers- and be mindful of God if you are true believers." (5:57)

["And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving (living) creature on the surface of the earth, but He gives them respite to an appointed term, and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever AllSeer of His slaves."]

Salaam
I read Joseph Islam's link and it makes really good sense . It's hard to imagine or logically does not compute to me when Allah the Almighty says a few times those that are Janna bound need not fear , yet out of the blue suddenly has a really ambiguous verse (interpreted ambiguously by traditionalists) that says everyone will experience some discomfort or maybe pain in or near hell before being sent to Janna.
I do recall hearing somewhere not sure Quran verse or secondary source that if everyone were to be judged on deeds alone everyone would wind up in hell ahnd I would appreciate if this is a quranic verse then would someone please share it ?

ALLAH the Almighty knows best

Peace and kind regards

Salamun alaykum miracle114,

Is this the ayah you were referring to ? :

"And if Allah were to punish men for that which they earned, He would not leave a moving (living) creature on the surface of the earth, but He gives them respite to an appointed term, and when their term comes, then verily, Allah is Ever AllSeer of His slaves." (35:45)

["Allah grants wisdom to whoever He wills. And whoever is granted wisdom is certainly blessed with a great privilege. But none will be mindful ˹of this˺ except people of reason."]

Wa alaykum selam

Let's combine those ayat with 2:269:

"Allah grants wisdom to whoever He wills. And whoever is granted wisdom is certainly blessed with a great privilege. But none will be mindful ˹of this˺ except people of reason."

Here, as far as i know, the phrase "man yashau" could also mean "who wishes" besides "to whom He wishes". That means, we all have our responsibilities to be righteous before Allah (swt) gives "wisdom" to us. In other words, if we want to get wisdom and knowledge, we must be one of the "Muhsineen (righteous)" inshaAllah. If we want to know how to be one of those precious slaves of Allah (swt), we have to read and study His book and reflect upon His ayats and think of them sincerely.

Allah(swt) knows best.

Take care inshaAllah.

Salamun alaykum

Eid Mubarak to all my brothers and sister out there !

Take care inshaAllah

Wa alaykum salam

Sister, here is a nice comment about your question and I think you'll benefit from it inshaAllah.

http://quranqanda.com/5412/how-to-understand-cleansed-in-2-222

Take care.