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Dear Charlotte,

Thank you for your question.

A Message of Thanks

We would like to thank you for asking this question on behalf of your friend. We are happy that your friend is showing some interest in Islam. We highly encourage you help your friend get a better understanding of Islam and Muslims.

Being a good friend is a good way to present Islam to your friend. Islam is all about manners and ethics.

Please feel free to send us any more questions on behalf of your friend. We are always there to help her find her way to Islam based on full conviction.

Gender Equality in Islam

Men and women are on equal footing in Islam. Women are in no way inferior to men. Islam does not differentiate between men and women in terms of rights and obligations.

Gender equality is one of the fundamental teachings of Islam. There are many Quranic verses and Prophetic hadiths that prove that the issue of gender equality is not faith-based.

We read in the Quran what gives the meaning of:

People, be mindful of your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them spread countless men and women far and wide; be mindful of God, in whose name you make requests of one another. Beware of severing the ties of kinship: God is always watching over you. (Quran 4:1)

Simply put, there is no right granted to a man of which a woman is deprived for the mere reason that she is a woman.

As men feel, women feel too. Women are human exactly like men. The Prophet is reported to have said:

“Women are counterpart of men.” (Abu Dawud)

Who Was Created First?

According to the Quran, Adam was created first and then Eve was created from his rib. Why? The following verse answers this question:

It is He who created you from one soul and created from it its mate that he might dwell in security with her… (Quran 7:189)

Eve was created so that Adam would feel secure with her.

In another verse, we read:

And of His signs is that He created for you from yourselves mates that you may find tranquility in them... (Quran 30:21)

A man can do without anything except with his source of comfort and security, i.e., the woman. Hence comes the importance of creating women.

Based on this understanding, it is normal to use the masculine to go in line with the order of the creation of males and females.

Quranic Styles of Addressing People

The Quranic discourse is not only for men. When we read the Quran carefully, we can identify three types of discourses.

1- A discourse which is directed to men only. For example, we read what means:

And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. And a believing slave woman is better than a polytheist, even though she might please you. And do not marry polytheistic men [to your women] until they believe. And a believing slave is better than a polytheist, even though he might please you. Those invite [you] to the Fire, but Allah invites to Paradise and to forgiveness, by His permission. And He makes clear His verses to the people that perhaps they may remember. (Quran 2:221)

2- A discourse which is directed to women only, for example the verses about the waiting period and hijab.

3- A discourse which is directed to both men and women. This discourse is expressed in the masculine form. The verses that begin with “O children of Adam”, or “O you who believe” fall under this category.

No Need for Repetition

Another point is that the discourse is given in the masculine to avoid unnecessary repetition. We cannot expect that after each order for men, there should be an order for women.  For example, in the verses that begin with “O sons of Adam” we cannot expect that the following verse should read “O daughters of Adam”. If that happens, it would be redundancy.

Scholars of the Arabic language agree that the masculine is very easy to use. That is why the discourse of the Quran is expressed in the masculine.

Nature of the Language

We have to understand that the Quran was revealed to the Prophet (peace be upon him) in Arabic and the style of the Arabic language considered the culture of the people at that time in which man shouldered the responsibility of maintaining and caring for the family. Had the Quran provided a different style, it would have been claimed that it distorted the language of the Arabs.

Therefore, the nature of the masculine discourse is in conformity with the properties of the Arabic language in which the Quran was revealed.

Allah says:

Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Quran that you might understand. (Quran 12:2)

Special Revelation for Women

Your friend’s question is not strange. It is reported that a female companion once asked the Prophet:

“Why are women never mentioned in the Quran as men are?” (At-Tirmidhi)

A direct revelation came to meet the expectation of women:

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. (Quran 33:35)

The verse clearly stresses that women are not inferior to men and that women are rewarded equally like men and that being a female is not a reason to reward her less than men.

Also, a female companion asked the Prophet “Why are the men praised for their role in the hijrah and not the women!”

The answer was given in the following verse:

And their Lord responded to them, “Never will I allow to be lost the work of [any] worker among you, whether male or female; you are of one another. So those who emigrated or were evicted from their homes or were harmed in My cause or fought or were killed – I will surely remove from them their misdeeds, and I will surely admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow as reward from Allah, and Allah has with Him the best reward.” (Quran 3:195)

This verse explicitly says that God is Just and that He will not allow some to lose the reward of their actions because of their gender.

Special Discourse for Men

The Quran considered the position of women in the Arabic society which deprived her of the basic rights. Therefore, a special address was given to men to restore the rights of women and give them these rights. For example, we read:

O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women by compulsion. And do not make difficulties for them in order to take [back] part of what you gave them unless they commit a clear immorality. And live with them in kindness. For if you dislike them – perhaps you dislike a thing and Allah makes therein much good. (Quran 4:19)

In another verse, we read:

Those who pronounce zhihar among you [to separate] from their wives – they are not [consequently] their mothers. Their mothers are none but those who gave birth to them. And indeed, they are saying an objectionable statement and a falsehood. But indeed, Allah is Pardoning and Forgiving. (Quran 58:2)

To sum up, all Islamic injunctions and prohibitions include both men and women though the discourse is expressed in the masculine unless it is a special injunction for men only or for women only.

Salam and please keep in touch.

We hope this answers your question.

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Source: www.aboutislam.net

 

 

 

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Dear Daryl,

Thank you for your question.

Answering your question, Dr. Mohsen Haredy, PhD in Islamic Studies and Former Executive Manager and Editor-in-Chief of E-Da`wah Committee in Kuwait, states:

Rajab: A Sacred Month

The month of Rajab is one the four sacred months mentioned in the Quran during which war and fighting are not allowed. We read in the Quran what gives the meaning of:

Indeed, the number of months with Allah is twelve [lunar] months in the register of Allah [from] the day He created the heavens and the earth; of these, four are sacred… (Quran 9:36)

The other three sacred months are Dhul-Qidah, Dhul-Hijjah, and Muharram. Some scholars call the month of Rajab, Rajab al-Haram because it is one of the four sacred months.

The concept of fighting is comprehensive. It can refer to fighting anger, fighting depression, fighting bad habits, fighting injustice, etc.

So, every Muslim should fight all these things the whole year round especially in Rajab.

In the Sunnah, we read the following hadith about the sacred months:

“Time has come back to its original state which it had when Allah created the Heavens and the Earth; the year is twelve months, four of which are sacred. Three of them are in succession; Dhul-Qidah, Dhul-Hijjah and Al-Muharram, and (the fourth being) Rajab Mudar which stands between Jumad (Ath-thani) and Shaban.” (Al-Bukhari)

In this hadith, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) gave the month of Rajab another name which is Rajab Mudar. It is named after the tribe of Mudar because they used to respect this month.

Other Names

As the hadith indicates, three of the four sacred months are consecutive and the month of Rajab comes 5 months after the month of Muharram. For this reason, some scholars call it Rajab al-Fard, i.e. the solitary Rajab.  

There are fifteen other names given to the month of Rajab mentioned by Imam Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani in his famous Book Tabyeen Al-Ajab bima Warada fi Fadl Rajab.

Hadiths about Rajab

Muslim scholars agree that there is no single authentic hadith about the excellence of the of the month of Rajab except the above-quoted hadith about its being one of the four sacred months.

About offering specific acts of worship like fasting and charity in Rajab, there is no single authentic hadith reported from the Prophet except this hadith which reads:

Usamah Ibn Zaid said: “I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I do not see you fasting any month as much as Shaban.’ He said: ‘That is a month to which people do not pay much attention, between Rajab and Ramadan. It is a month in which the deeds are taken up to the Lord of the worlds, and I like that my deeds be taken up when I am fasting.”‘ (An-Nasa’i)

Based on the understanding of this hadith, scholars maintain that the Prophet made a similarity between Rajab and Ramadan in terms of being occasions to offering good deeds.

As Ramadan is the month of fasting, it is recommended to observe fasting in Rajab. However, fasting in Rajab does not entail any special reward. It is like fasting in any month of the year.

Muslims like to fast in Rajab as it is their gateway to Ramadan. Those who have missed some days of fasting prefer to make them up in Rajab. Women who could not fast in Ramadan because of their menses prefer to make up the missed days in Rajab and Shaban.

Also, it is an act of the sunnah to fast three days in each month. Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

My friend (the Messenger of Allah) directed me to observe fast for three days in every month, to perform two rakahs (optional) Duha prayer at forenoon and to perform the Witr prayer before going to bed. (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

These three days are usually the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth of every month in the Islamic calendar.

It was narrated from Jubair ibn Nufair that Aishah said:

“The Messenger of Allah used to be keen to fast on Mondays and Thursday.” (An-Nasa’i)

Based on these narrations, there is no wonder why some Muslims like to fast in Rajab.

As Ramadan is the month of zakat al-fitr, Muslims like to give charity in Rajab and Shaban. These three months are a golden season for giving charity.

There is also nothing called Salat al-Raghaib which is twelve rakahs that are offered between Maghrib and Isha on the night of the first Friday in Rajab. There is no hadith that the Prophet did it, or any of his companions, or any of the best generations of Muslims. 

The month of Al-Isra and Al-Miraj

Some biographers argue that the event of the Prophet’s journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and his ascension to Heaven, better known as Al-Isra and Al-Miraj, took place on the 27th of Rajab.

Therefore, they attach great merits and virtues to this month. The event of Al-Isra was a turning point in Islamic history. It was meant to honor the Prophet and strengthen his heart and to comfort him after the death of his wife Lady Khadija (may Allah be pleased with her) and his uncle Abu Talib.

This event also reminds us of the significance of Al-Aqsa mosque to which early Muslims used to direct their faces in prayer before the command from Allah came to make the Kabah in Makkah the direction of Muslim prayer.

By the way, there is no authentic hadith that recommends fasting on the 27th of Rajab. If it coincides with a Monday or a Thursday, you can fast it.

Practical Tips

Apart from the disputable acts of worship in Rajab, you should have a sincere intention to prepare yourself to the coming of Ramadan. You should seek forgiveness from Allah. You should strive hard to give up bad habits and improper behavior.

You should resist your desire and control yourself. You should extend your hand to the poor and the needy. You should get closer to Allah by offering extra optional prayers and making a lot of duaa (supplication) to Allah.

To sum up, what is so special about the month of Rajab is that Allah made it one of the sacred months.

Source: www.aboutislam.net

We hope this answers your question.

Keep in touch.

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Dear Cora,

Thank you for your question.

Answering your question, Dr. Jasser Auda, Professor and Al-Shatibi Chair of Maqasid Studies at the International Peace College South Africa, the Executive Director of the Maqasid Institute, states:

"As for your first question, I agree 100%. Islam is a way of life, and this is the message of the Quran. You know the word 'shari`ah' which is often translated as 'the Islamic law', is actually wider than 'the law'. The root is shara`a, which means a way or a path.

So, when God told Muhammad (peace be upon him) that He appointed for him a 'shari`ah', He meant 'a way of life'.

The Prophet said: 'I have been sent solely to perfect good morals'.

And that is why I was saying that we should read the Quran as a message of faith and morality, more than anything else.

With regard to your second question, there is a narrated hadith that could give you some answers.

The following verse was revealed:

Unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. And whether you bring into the open what is in your minds or conceal it, God will call you to account for it. (Quran 2:284)

A group of the companions of the Prophet (peace be upon him) came to him, and said: "Will we be accounted for what we conceal? We have evil thoughts that scare us. We would not even dare to announce these thoughts to people'. The Prophet asked the companions sitting with him: 'Do you get these evil thoughts?' They said: 'Yes.' He said: 'This is the true faith'.

In other words, it is 'normal' to have some doubts. You should know, though, that faith increases and decreases.

Faith increases with good deeds and decreases with evil deeds. So, if you continue on doing your good deeds, your faith will strengthen, insha' Allah, and maybe you will feel one day as one of the companions had felt when he said: 'If the hereafter comes now, my belief in it would not increase one bit'.

So, confirm your faith with knowledge, and ask God for His guidance."

We hope this answers your question.

Keep in touch.

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Dear Gail,

Thank you for your question.

With regard to your question, Dr. Ibrahim H. Malabari, a well-known Islamic researcher and author of many Islamic books, states:

The charge against the Prophet Muhammad that he concocted the Quran is a very prevalent one, especially in the West. Even those who are sympathetic to Islam among Western writers cannot admit that the Quran is revelation and its author is God himself.

There is a long and deep-rooted tradition in Western literature that views the Quran as the work of the Prophet. Thus, we will look at this issue, though extremely briefly, in light of well-documented historical facts, logic, as well as with respect to the Prophet’s personality, life and career.

The Prophet Muhammad is perhaps the most fully documented person in antiquity and history. This fact enables us to examine closely the claim that he wrote the Quran himself.

This is a topic of volumes, as scholars have discussed in detail hundreds of strong evidences that establish the divine origin of the Quran.

Considering the scope of this answer, we will mention just a few.

First, it was well-known among the early Arabs of Mecca that the Prophet Muhammad did not read or write, and was not formally educated.

The Quran itself states that the Prophet was unlettered, specifically in the sense that he could not read or write. No one in the Meccan community attempted to deny this claim of the Quran: “Believe, then, in God and His Messenger – the unlettered Prophet who believes in God and His words – and follow him, so that you might find guidance!” (Quran 7:158)

As is recorded in his biography, when the angel Gabriel approached the Prophet for the first time at the age of 40, and revealed to him the first verse of the Quran, “Read!”, the Prophet’s response was that he was unable to read.

Thus even at the start of revelation, the Prophet was in no position to compose a book. Indeed as the Quran states, the Prophet’s being unlettered was itself a matter of divine wisdom: “Never have you recited Scripture before this (Quran oh Prophet)! Nor have you transcribed one with your right hand. For then, the progenitors of falsehood would have had cause to doubt (the revelation).” (Quran 29:48)

Second, in various instances in the life of the Prophet Muhammad where a problem arose, he was unable to find a solution until it was revealed to him by God.

In many of these instances, the answer was delayed often causing the Prophet great anxiety. If the Prophet had devised the answers himself, why would he need to wait on revelation?

Here are a few examples:

• Once a group of people accused the Prophet’s wife Aishah of adultery. The slanderous accusations shook the community in Medina, and resulted in the Prophet separating from his wife temporarily. During this extremely difficult ordeal he did not know what to do. Finally, verses were revealed that established the innocence of Aishah and rebuked those who made the false accusations against her.

• The leaders of Quraish once asked the Prophet a few questions in order to test him and to see if he really is the Messenger of God. They asked about stories and issues, such as the Seven Sleepers, Dhul-Qarnain, the nature of the spirit, etc. Weeks had passed and the Prophet would not give any answers, because he did not have knowledge of them at that time. As a result of the delay, the Prophet was accused of being a liar by the Quraysh. Finally, the Prophet received by revelation a whole chapter of the Quran, called the Cave (Chapter 18), as well as other verses, answering all the questions asked to the Prophet by the Quraysh.

• In the early days of Islam, the Muslims used to face Jerusalem while praying. The Prophet wished and wanted to change the direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca. But he did not instigate the change himself; instead, he waited for a command from his Lord, raising his head towards the heavens in anticipation. The Quran states: “We have seen you (O Prophet) often turn your face towards heaven…” (Quran 2:144)

Thereafter God’s commands arrived, and Muslims immediately turned their faces towards the direction of Mecca, turning from North to South.

In all of these incidents and many others the Prophet did not act until revelation came to him with an explicit answer or command. This was the case even though the delay caused him to be rebuked and accused of being a false Prophet.

If the Quran were from the Prophet, surely he could have “revealed” the verses earlier. This shows the Quran is a revelation from God, and not from Muhammad’s own imagination.

Third, the Arabs, both Muslims and non-Muslim, have testified to the high calibre and literal mastery of the Quran:

• Umar ibn Al-Khattab used to be a judge of the poetry festival in Mecca. His mastery of the Arabic language was superb. Nonetheless, when he heard a portion of the Quran, he was spellbound, and because of it embraced Islam. How could the Prophet produce such a literal masterpiece at the age of 40 when he had never shown such talent before?
• Similarly, there were many others like At-Tufayl ibn Amr al-Dawsi, Utbah ibn Rabiha and others who had such experiences when they heard portions of the Quran. They would repeat statements such as, “I have heard words of such that I never heard before. By God, it is not poetry, nor magic, nor divination.” This was often their first impression.

This shows that the Quran was something beyond the Prophet’s talent or genius, as its origin was other than the Prophet Muhammad.

Fourth, there is a marked difference between the Prophet’s sayings and Quranic verses. The Prophet’s sayings are recorded in volumes, called hadith, which are more voluminous than the Quran. When he spoke, his sayings were not accompanied with any extraordinary experiences, but when he received the revelation he would often experience abnormal sensations. When verses were revealed to him, sometimes he would sweat even on cold days, his face would become red, his body would become heavy, etc.

Was he just acting? Definitely not! How could he have lived such a pretentious and complicated life for 23 years? This is indeed the difference between the hadith and the Quran.

As for the Quran, he received it by revelation from God verbatim, and as for the hadith, they were his own words.

Another crucial point in this respect is the huge difference between the linguistic style of the Quran and that of hadith.

A comparison of both suggests unequivocally that the author of the Quran is entirely different from that of the hadith.

It is also recorded authentically that the Arabs themselves were surprised by the language of the Quran because the Prophet was not known to have composed any literal piece before its revelation.

Clearly, the language of the Quran was not from Muhammad’s own tongue. Even non-Arabic speaking people can see this vast difference in style and language between the Quran and the hadith, even by reading translations.

Fifth, a good portion of the Quran includes stories of previous Prophets and their nations. Always, the concluding remark is that the Prophet had no previous knowledge of any of those stories or historical events, and that he only knew of them through revelation, for example:

• After relating the story of Moses and Pharaoh the Quran states: “You were not (there, O Prophet,) on the western mountainside (of Tur) when We decreed to Moses the Commandments. Nor were you (there among those) of the Children of Israel who bore witness (to these events). Furthermore, We brought forth (many) generations (after Moses), such that the life spans (of heedlessness) that stretched over them grew (so very) long – (until they forgot God’s Covenant). Moreover, you were not (there with Moses when he was) dwelling among the people of Midian, conveying Our message unto them…” (Quran 28:44-45)
• The Quran also states after the story of Jesus and Mary: “This account of something that was beyond the reach of your perception We [now] reveal unto you: for you were not with them when they drew lots as to which of them should be Mary's guardian, and you were not with them when they contended [about it] with one another.” (Quran 3:44)
• It also states after the story of Joseph: “This is (but one) of the tidings of the unseen (past) that We reveal to you, (O Prophet). For you were not with them when they resolved (to execute) their (evil) affair, and while they were plotting (it).” (Quran 12:102)

Verses like the above appear routinely after the stories in the Quran. Thus, if the Prophet had learned these stories from Jews and Christians, why should he ascribe them to God? Is he such a blatant liar?

Sixth, the Quran severely criticized the Prophet on several issues:

• The Prophet was once sitting with some of the leaders of Quraysh, inviting them to Islam. A blind man, Abdullah ibn Umm Makhtum, who was already a Muslim, came to the Prophet to ask him some questions regarding Islam. The Prophet ignored him, as he was busy delivering the message of Islam to the leaders of Quraysh, hoping they would come to Islam. Thereupon, the revelation came reproaching and reprimanding him: “He frowned and turned away because the blind man approached him. Yet for all you did know (O Muhammad) he might perhaps have grown in purity?” (Quranv80:1-3).
• The Prophet used to love to eat honey. Once he refused to consume any honey after his wives discouraged him to do so, as a result of a quarrel they were having among themselves. God again reproached and reprimanded him: “O Prophet! Why do you, out of a desire to please [one or another of] your wives impose [on yourself] a prohibition of something that God has made lawful to you?” (Quran 66:1)
• At the time of the battle of Tabuk, some hypocrites came and asked the Prophet to excuse them from participating in the campaign. The merciful Prophet accepted their excuse. Thereupon, revelation came down upon him again reproaching and reprimanding him: “May God pardon you (O Prophet)! Why did you grant them permission (to stay at home) before it had become obvious to you as to who was speaking truth and (before) you came to know (who were) the liars.” (Quran 9:43)

There are many other incidents in which the Prophet was reproached and reprimanded by God.

The logical question here is why would the Prophet make up these verses? Even if someone had revealed these verses to him, why would he retain them while having a firm belief that these verses will be recited and read throughout the ages?

The logical and factual answer is that these are not the words of the Prophet, and he is not the author of the Quran.

Seventh, one of the major themes of the Quran is that the source of the Quran is God Himself. The Prophet did not have any right to add or subtract from what had been revealed: "If he (Muhammad) had dared to attribute some of (his own) sayings unto Us, we would indeed have seized him by his right hand and would indeed have cut his life-vein.” (Quran 69:44-46)

If the Prophet was really the author of the Quran, why did he have to state these words? Was he a sheer liar to the extent that he both concocted the Quran and devised threats against himself?

History and logic would refute this claim, especially since the Prophet was known never to have uttered a lie in his whole life. Before Prophethood, even the pagan idolaters attested to his truthfulness, and he was known as the “Trustworthy” and “Truthful”.

Are we to believe that suddenly, at the age of 40, the Prophet not only began to utter a long string of lies but that these lies were against God Himself? Simply illogical!

We hope this answers your question.

Keep in touch.

Source: Taken from the author’s Ten Questions and Answers about the Prophet Muhammad.

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