Messages

31

Discussions / Re: Shi'a Doctrine

« on: May 30, 2013, 02:11:56 PM »

<<<What does he mean?  Is he referring to the succession of the prophets- but they are not each other's "assistant" are they?  Though they all promote the same message;  the Quran completes it. I guess he did not get the memo.>>>

Probably he meant "just as Prophet Aaron was appointed as assistant to Prophet Moses".  Shi'a swell on this 'Aaron/Musa relationship' for their own Ali/Muhammmad analogue.

32

Discussions / Re: Shi'a Doctrine

« on: May 29, 2013, 01:02:45 PM »

Salamun alaikum, brother Joseph:
From my own experience of many years, I am almost certain that any academic discourse that happens between someone who accepts the Qur’an as the ONLY source of Islam and someone who believe in the Qur’an AND something else is bound to end up in fiasco.  It is because the two debating parties belong to two different “planets” (sorry for the alarming analogy). Both believe in the Qur’an but one of the debating paries believes in “Qur’an AND….”—<the Qur’an AND the Hadith/Sunnah>, or <the Qur’an AND the Ahl al-bayt (which to the Shi’a community is not the same as the Qur’anic Ahl al-bayt (33:33, referring primarily to the Prophet and his wives—and, by extension, to his daughters and their husbands, etc)>.  This AND is the basic source of all problems in such debates.  The Shi’a have a field day with the Sunnis because BOTH of them believe in “Qur’an AND…”, even though their “ANDs” are not exactly the same. Sunnis are a disadvantage because of their immense respect for at least the three imams and the Prophet’s daughter whom they cannot reject as genuine sources of guidance for that reason (I say ‘for that reason’, because the Sunnis never take their hadith from any of these four in general (sporadically, yes, but not generally), they would rather go for someone who is relatively a non-entity, Abu Hurayrah.
You are absolutely right, the Qur’an does not support ANY ‘pillar’ of the major Shi’a belief system built on the “Usul” scaffold—no mandate for imamate, no ‘panjtan pak’ (five infallible) or 14 m’asooms (14 infallibles), no mention of the names of the “Mubahala” (3:61) participants other than “OUR SONS AND YOUR SONS, OUR WOMEN AND YOUR WOMEN, OURSELVES AND YOURSELVES”—the tone and tenor of this verse is inclusive of the entire believer community versus the entire Christian community—without specification of any particular member of the Prophet’s family or any specific Christian family. The Qur’an doesn’t even specify whether this “mubahala” actually took place, as both sectarians suggest from the “Islamic history” which itself is suspect to a significant extent. You also notice that the Qur’an says “OUR WOMEN and your women”—how come the Prophet took only one woman (Fatima) to the exclusion of several other women in his household, such as his wives as ordered by Allah?  This is not the ONLY question about Shiism and Sunnism—basically the Qur’an does not stand in support of either of these major sects of today.  The Qur’an mentions no Abu Bakr, no Umar, no Uthman, no Ali, no Fatimah, no Hasan and no Husain by name!  Rather it mentions only one companion by name—Zaid (33:37) and, subhanallah, what a mention!  It says “WHOM GOD FAVORED AND WHOM YOU FAVORED”- a great and unique, unshared honor indeed. Ironically neither Sunni nor the Shi’a regard Zaid much of a companion—even though they do respect him.  Brother Joseph, imagine if God would have said about Ali “WHOM GOD FAVORED AND WHOM YOU FAVORED” or the same about Abu Bakr!!! I think the Shias or Sunnis would have literally jumped through the roof!  But who can argue with God—He gave that unique honor to Zaid and no one else.
Irfan

33

Islamic Duties / Re: On Wudhu

« on: May 27, 2013, 06:54:53 AM »

Dear Shahmatt,

I think flatulence should not be a problem if you are praying alone.  However, in congregation, this incidence can cause some serious 'concern' for the people around, and for that reason, one can leave temporarily without having to do the wudu again.  If flatulence has cause some 'leakage' problem, repetition of wudu is warranted after cleaning.

In Hajj, you can't leave without causing significant disruption and old people do not leave even after 'noisy flatulence.  The verse is most likely talking about emptying of regular bowels.  That is my understanding anyway.

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General Discussions / Re: Blessed is he whosoever is in the fire

« on: May 25, 2013, 09:55:28 PM »

Big thank you to all who reflected upon and shared their thoughts about this topic. I must say that I learnt some new perspectives on the word "naar"- the fact that the thing that scares most of us is actually a blessing, too. Come to think of the sun that God has made source of the presence of all life on the planet Earth. Plants capture sun's energy that converts CO2 and water to food we all consume for survival. The verse 27:8 provides an excellent pointer to God's immense blessings and favors.

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General Discussions / Re: Masturbation

« on: May 25, 2013, 09:15:40 PM »

Dear bro Duster,
What I understand from your recent post is that since masturbatin is not explicitly mentioned in the Qur'an, there's no question of exceptions. Great point. However, since I am not sure if my position is entirely sustainable by Qur'ann, I tried to look for refuge on the DOJ in case I may be misleading readers on this forum. I still think, though, that God looked away from bringing up this issue on purpose. I call it God's mercy on those who may be feeling guilty in weak moments. I hope I understood your post correctly.

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General Discussions / Re: Blessed is he whosoever is in the fire

« on: May 24, 2013, 03:01:22 AM »

Thanks you Duster and Optimist for your responses.  This verse, according to my limited knowledge, is the only verse in the Qur’an that uses “Naar = fire” in a ‘good’ sense.  Everywhere else, it seems, this word has been used in the sense of heat, or torture, or some form of unwarranted escalation of hostilities. So here’s the ‘hunch’ I referred to in my question:  I am currently thinking of two ways by which the word ‘naar = fire’ can be understood in this ayah.  One, the use of the word ‘naar’, in 27:8, is a nuance of the Arabic linguistic subtlety that exists in perhaps all languages.  Even in English, sometimes we can use the word fire in a ‘good’ sense—such as “the fire of love” or “fire of passion for invention, science, music” etc.  In this sense, God may be telling Prophet Musa (as) that he should now consider himself in a ‘fire of trials, or fre of passion for a Higher purpose/mission’, which may be sweltering hot but will ultimately serve as a blessing for him and the Children of Israel. So Prophet Musa is in the ‘fire’ and whosoever else (man haulaha) happens to be involved or affected by this ‘fire’ will also be part of that blessing (alternatively, God is “man haulaha =whosoever is around it”). This meaning of the word “naar” is similar to Asad’s understanding bro Duster referred to. Two, I have been thinking about the fact that even though God describes man being fashioned (originally) from dust/clay, and the Jinn were fashioned from the ‘fire’, I do not see any verse of the Qur’an informing us about the nature of the material angels were created from. I like to submit that the angels and the Jinn—both—were created from fire.  However, the fire, as we all know is the energy.  It can take many forms, two of the well-known ones being “Heat” and “Light”.  Since different forms of energy are interconvertible, Light can be converted to Heat and Heat can be converted to Light when the circumstances call for the interchange. In that vein, God can be considered “Naar” (even though He has described Himself as “Noor = Light-24:35”, and not naar). Thus, while most of the time God’s “Light” aspect of the Naar is dominant (mercy/compassion), His “Heat” aspect is also sometimes apparent when He is in the ‘punishing mode’ (shaded-ul-Iqaab = quick to requite-2:211, 3:11, dhoo al-intiqaam = revengeful-3:4, 5:95).  In this sense, then, God can be considered “Naar”---which would mean that the word “naar” as used in the ayah 27:8 is for God, not for Prophet Moses.  This connotation will put Prophet Moses and the Children of Israel as part of the enviroment “man haulaha =whosoever is around it”.
Maybe there are other explanations as well. I am all ears and eyes.
Irfan 

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General Discussions / Blessed is he whosoever is in the fire

« on: May 23, 2013, 02:19:57 PM »

Salamun alaikum all,

Lately I have been thinking about the explanation of the verse  27:8.

فَلَمَّا جَاءهَا نُودِيَ أَن بُورِكَ مَن فِي النَّارِ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَسُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (27:

•  27:8 (Picktall) But when he reached it, he was called, saying: Blessed is whosoever is in the fire and whosoever is round about it! And glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Worlds!

I wonder if we all can give our perspective on the "whosoever is the fire and whosoever is round about it".  I have a hunch about this verse but I like to pick your brain about this.  It would be interesting to know how other people of knowledge understand this verse.  Thanks in advance for your participation. 

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General Discussions / Re: Masturbation

« on: May 23, 2013, 02:11:35 PM »

Salamun alaikum, Br. Joseph,
The Qur'anic perspective is of course has to be the final argument.  I agree with you that a convincing argument can perhaps be made against self-pleasuring from within the Qur'an and you have done that in your posts.  Personally, I don't think it is a matter of pride for me to encourage folks to engage in this practice in a habitual manner. Being a human, however, I do feel that God recognizes our irresistible physiological pressures and perhaps He chooses to let us use some of His 'back doors' on purpose with a 'wink' of the eye, so to speak. In other words, the Most High, understands our special stressful situations and may let us take a 'lesser evil' route with an implicit backing of forgiveness. In support of this argument of mine, I find an analogy in the Qur'an where normally consumption of the swine flesh is explicitly declared haram but may become halal under duress, or even suspension of faith can be faked during certain times of the social/political oppression (16:106, 40:28).
I think you will agree that resorting to self-pleasuring is certainly a much lesser evil compared to engaging unlawfully with the opposite sex. I just hope that, given all the weaknesses and the shortcomings of my human nature, God treats me the way I hope to be treated ---as God tells us humans are created weak (4:28) and there will be times we will succumb to forcing temptations.
I just shared my views I have held for many years without change on this specific topic.  Of course, I don't claim accuracy of my views on this, or any other matter.  I still look to God's infinite Mercy and His guarantee that He, the Most Compassionate, has not made His Deen difficult for us beyond we can bear (2:285) as well as the fact that I have opted to use the ‘back door’ somewhere hidden in the wall of the absence of an explicit Divine command regarding this specific issue. 
Since I have not said anything radically new in this post, I feel that I am at the end of my rope here.  If I can think of a new perspective on this, maybe we can revive the thread.  These topics never really die as the humans do.

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General Discussions / Re: Masturbation

« on: May 22, 2013, 01:07:04 PM »

Dear br. Joseph:
You have made some valid points.  This issue may border on "to err on the side of the caution" and I can understand that.  I agree with most of the points you made through the Qur'an. However--and this is a big however-- it is a fact that the Qur'an could have explicitly forbidden masturbation but it hasn't.  Conversely, it could have explicitly allowed it, but it remained silent.   I take great solace in the fact that we cannot question the Divine Wisdom why God did not choose to touch upon this extremely important human aspect of human life so pervades our thoughts so profusely everyday—also something that has been known from antiquity. This is not the only thing the Qur’an preferred to stay away from, there are some other things as well.  To me at least, that is all understandable.  Brother, I am thinking about a young male (could be a female, too) who is beginning to feel the influence of “extremely” powerful hormones. He cannot marry because he cannot support his wife and handle a family. The hormone are “literally” jumping up and down from head to toe and the victim, being not an angel, feels under tons of pressure.  If we say to him “masturbation is forbidden by the Qur’an—you cannot do it—you must fast or seek help in prayer”, he might listen to us for a while but we may be asking him to ‘hold on to it’ for several years! The question is:  how long will he be able to put a lid on the boiling pot? I almost guarantee that the damn will break, sooner than later! And it will break not just once but hundreds of times till he gets the wherewithal to marry!  In the meantime, he may end up committing an offense far more serious—such as, molesting a neighbor’s daughter/sister or  some other innocent girl.  Perhaps there is a much better alternative ‘slip’ the lid for a few minutes and the storm would be over.  I humbly submit that God the Almighty knows man very well and He often turns to him in mercy in many ways—this is one of those instances where God’s mercy comes in a form akin to “Don’t ask, Don’t tell”.  I think that even if masturbation comes within the ambit of ‘fahisha’ (which I am not sure either way), it is a form where God may be more than willing to mercifully turn a ‘blind eye’.
I think the “the concealed fahisha” acts your referred to in your post could find expression in other unintended forms, some of them could be very dangerous—and perhaps that’s the kind of “hidden fahisha” the Qur’an is referring to.  Along the same lines, all the verses that I saw quoted in your undoubtedly elegant email, can be looked from alternative angles circumventing masturbation. 
On the other side of the coin—from the medical point of view, I have seen articles on masturbation, both admiring it in terms of its wholesome effect on personality, as well as criticizing it.  Mayo Clinic’s Health Book actually recommends it.  I realize this is not the argument for this forum, but if it can be definitively proven—and I am not saying it has been proven beyond doubt—perhaps that can shine some light on the Divine Wisdom of not touching this subject in the Qur’an.  I am just thinking aloud…
 
a fact that the Qur'an could have explicitly forbid masturbation and it didn't.  We know that we cannot question the Divine Wisdom

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General Discussions / Re: Ramadhan timing

« on: May 22, 2013, 11:09:31 AM »

I read FreeMinds article several years ago.  I was no convicted by their arguments.  The writer emphasized the meaning of the Arabic word “Ramadhan” (scorched heat), so he thinks that the fasting month has to be hot.  However, Qur’an mentions the total number of the months twelve—of which “four” are “well-known”-9:36.  So the Qur’an is not inventing any new name for a month—these 12 months have been around since antiquity (the Qur’an says that these months were created since the creation of the earth/universe). I don’t think Allah would want to create a huge confusion about a well-known month and then require us to fast in it. Additionally, the names of the lunar months  do not have any special significance with respect to whether, or harvest of crops, or other social ritual etc, because of their usual rotation in their temporal routine (lunar year is 9-10 days shorter than solar year).

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General Discussions / Re: Masturbation

« on: May 20, 2013, 01:50:35 PM »

Bro. Joseph:  I tend to agree with Rose. Self-pleasuring has been around since time immemorial—not only among humans but also among animals.  People have always engaged in it, regardless of any social or religious restrictions. I guess the question is the same that was alluded to by the original poster “Does the Qur’an forbid self-pleasuring?”  Do we think Allah, the all Knowledgeable, forgot to mention it? If He didn’t, then, perhaps we can rely on Allah’s implicit mercy and relieve ourselves from a potentially extremely compulsive and literally explosive situation.  The natural law is  that the water will flow through the first accessible pathways. I do value your reference to remembering God in the Salaat in those times, but, given man’s ever frailty (4:28), I submit that even though remembrance of God and meditation do help to an extent, the human patience can still easily start wearing thin at some point. So I believe if God did not will to mention it, it is out of his infinite mercy!  God certainly knows that if He burdened humans beyond what they can bear (2:286), they would likely be prone to fall prey to even graver sins.  Masturbation is done under strenuous conditions—conditions of a BASIC human need.  Allah knows that forbidding it will not stop people from doing it—because this is how He built humans—with a basic need of sex.

The verses of the Qur’an about fahisha are related to interpersonal sins and sexual involvements with fellow human beings.  Also, we do not have ‘luxury’ of marrying “those whom the right hands possess” anymore. So perhaps, given our circumstances, perhaps some young folks can resort to the ‘oldest form of relieving sexual stress’, namely, masturbation.  After all, it is a private thing and it does not invade another person’s privacy and dignity—which would be true ‘fahisha’. 

Maybe by forbidding this act to ourselves, we are making something haram that God did not make haram.

10:59 Say: "See ye what things Allah hath sent down to you for sustenance? Yet ye hold forbidden some things thereof and (some things) lawful." Say: "Hath Allah indeed permitted you, or do ye invent (things) to attribute to Allah."
Irfan

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General Discussions / Re: Ayah 59:70

« on: May 20, 2013, 01:09:50 PM »

Thanks bro. Joseph,

All these verses of forgiveness soften my heart and bring tears to my eyes....what a very powerful support from the Most High and the Most Compassionate.  God begins all the Suras (except Sura 9--compensated in 27:30) with His attributes showing his wiliness to grant limitless bounties of forgiveness. The word Awesome does not describe the coolness of shade in the sweltering heat.

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General Discussions / Re: Ayah 59:70

« on: May 20, 2013, 12:42:26 PM »

Peace all,

The following reply that I poste this morning was posted to the wrong thread.  Here it is again:

I agree with the responses given by Bros Miyan and Siddiq.  The critical verse to understand 25:70 (which used the derivative of the root verb  "baddala =switch) is to understand its cognate verse 11:114 (which uses the root verb "dhahaba =takes away) and the verse 28:54 that uses the root verb "dara'a = to avert):
28:54 "Twice will they be given their reward, for that they have persevered, (and) they avert evil with good." Notice the "doubling of the award, one for persevering and the other for averting evil with good.
Even if the meaning of the “Sayyi’ah” is “sin”, still the verse 6:60 allows the “sinner” to offset the balance of sins in his favor by a margin of 10:1.
[6:160] Whoever does a righteous work receives the reward for ten, and the one who commits a sin is requited for only one. No one suffers the slightest injustice
This is an excellent question. Sometime ago, an imam candidate at our local mosque delivered a sermon about "Divine forgiveness". He gave an example of a 90-year man who was reported to have sinned all his life but finally had his moment and turned to Allah (swt).  The imam said that Allah, not only forgave all his previous sins, but, in fact, transformed ALL of them into "good deeds".  Then he immediately referred to verse 25:70 so he would be able to ward off a possible question. A questioner confronted the imam after the khutba. The imam gave another example of a man (mentioned in a hadith) who murdered 100 people and wanted to know if he was still entitled for forgiveness. He was directed to visit a Muslim scholar who lived at a far-off place.  The murderer travelled but died on the way to the scholar.  The Paradise angels and the Hell angels disputed and finally agreed to measure the distance from the start of the travel to the scholar and found the murderer’s dead body closer in distance to the scholar--so Allah forgave all his murders!!!  The questioner was not satisfied...but he kept quiet.

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General Discussions / Re: changing the creation of Allah

« on: May 20, 2013, 12:40:51 PM »

Yes, Truth Seeker.  Thanks for the correction.

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General Discussions / Re: changing the creation of Allah

« on: May 19, 2013, 10:37:16 PM »

I agree with the responses given by Bros Miyan and Siddiq.  The critical verse to understand 25:70 (which used the derivative of the root verb  "baddala =switch) is to understand its cognate verse 11:114 (which uses the root verb "dhahaba =takes away) and the verse 28:54 that uses the root verb "dara'a = to avert):
28:54 "Twice will they be given their reward, for that they have persevered, (and) they avert evil with good." Notice the "doubling of the award, one for persevering and the other for averting evil with good.
Even if the meaning of the “Sayyi’ah” is “sin”, still the verse 6:60 allows the “sinner” to offset the balance of sins in his favor by a margin of 10:1.
[6:160] Whoever does a righteous work receives the reward for ten, and the one who commits a sin is requited for only one. No one suffers the slightest injustice
This is an excellent question. Sometime ago, an imam candidate at our local mosque delivered a sermon about "Divine forgiveness". He gave an example of a 90-year man who was reported to have sinned all his life but finally had his moment and turned to Allah (swt).  The imam said that Allah, not only forgave all his previous sins, but, in fact, transformed ALL of them into "good deeds".  Then he immediately referred to verse 25:70 so he would be able to ward off a possible question. A questioner confronted the imam after the khutba. The imam gave another example of a man (mentioned in a hadith) who murdered 100 people and wanted to know if he was still entitled for forgiveness. He was directed to visit a Muslim scholar who lived at a far-off place.  The murderer travelled but died on the way to the scholar.  The Paradise angels and the Hell angels disputed and finally agreed to measure the distance from the start of the travel to the scholar and found the murderer’s dead body closer in distance to the scholar--so Allah forgave all his murders!!!  The questioner was not satisfied...but he kept quiet.