Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
Saturday, 16 June 2012
Parents
Parents in the Quran:
A Muslim child should respect and
appreciate his or her parents on a daily basis. Allaah mentions that human
beings must recognise their parents and that this is second only to the
recognition of Allaah Himself. Throughout the Quran, we notice that parents are
mentioned with appreciation and respect, even if they are senile. In the Quran,
there is a very beautiful description of how parents are to be treated; Allaah
Says (what means): "And
your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good
treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not
to them [so much as] 'uff' [i.e., an expression of irritation or disapproval]
and do not repel them but speak to them a noble word. And lower to them the wing
of humility out of mercy and say: 'My Lord! Have mercy upon them as they
brought me up [when I was] small.'" [Quran
17:23-24]
The recognition and respect of parents
is mentioned in the Quran eleven times; in every instance, Allaah reminds
children to recognise and to appreciate the love and care that they have
received from their parents. One such example is when Allaah says what means: "And We have enjoined upon man
goodness to parents…" [Quran 29:8 & 46:15]
1. The demand for
recognising parents is made more emphatic when Allaah Says (what means): "And [recall] when We took the
covenant from the Children of Israel, [enjoining upon them]: 'Do not worship
except Allaah; and to parents, do good…'" [Quran
2:83]
2. Allaah again emphasises
in chapter An-Nisaa' that children should be kind to their parents. He says
what means: "Worship
Allaah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good..." [Quran 4:36]
3. In Chapter Al-An'aam, Allaah
reemphasises that people should be kind to their parents; He says what means: "Say: 'Come, I will recite what your
Lord has prohibited to you. [He commands] that you not associate anything with
Him, and to parents, good treatment...'"
[Quran 6:151]
C. Mothers:
Although Islam recognises both
parents, mothers are given particular gratitude and respect. This can be
appreciated if we reflect upon the hardships and suffering that mothers
experience in their lives. In this regard, there is a Hadeeth of the Prophet : It was narrated by Abu Hurayrah that a man came to the Prophet and asked him: 'Who is most
deserving of my close companionship?' He replied: “Your mother; your
mother; your mother; then your father; then the next closest to you in kinship;
then the one next closest.”
Islam has endorsed respect for parents
by their children, even if the parents are non-Muslims. If parents strive to
convert their children to non-Islamic beliefs, the children should not obey
them, but must still maintain goodness towards them. In this regard, Allaah
says what means: "And We
have enjoined upon man [care] for his parents. His mother carried him,
[increasing her] in weakness upon weakness, and his weaning is two years. Be
grateful to Me and your parents; to Me is the [final] destination. But if they
endeavour to make you associate with Me that of which you have no knowledge, do
not obey them but accompany them in [this] world with appropriate kindness and
follow the way of those who turn back to Me [in repentance]. Then to Me will be
your return, and I will inform you about what you used to do." [Quran 31:14-15]
D. More Respect:
Islam teaches us that of the most
beloved deeds to Allaah, having respect for one's parents is second only to
that of prayer and is greater than that of Jihaad (fighting in His cause). In
this respect, Abu 'Abdur-Rahmaan 'Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood narrated the following: "I asked the Prophet : 'Which deed is the most beloved to Allaah?' He replied: "Prayers performed
on time." I then asked: 'Which one is next?' He replied: "Goodness to
parents." I then asked: 'Which is next?' He replied: "Jihaad in the
path of Allaah.""
In Islam, respect for parents is so
great that the child and his wealth are considered to be the property of the
parents: `Aa’ishah narrated that a man came to the Prophet in order to resolve a dispute that he had with
his father regarding a loan he had given him. The Prophet said to the man: "You and your wealth are to
(i.e., the property of) your father."
E. Final Remarks:
We hope and pray that all of us will
respect our parents while they are alive and after their death. One can honour
his parents after their death through the following methods:
1.
Performing daily Du'aa' (supplication) for them.
2.
Giving charity on their behalf.
3.
Instituting a perpetual charity on their behalf, such as a mosque, an Islamic Centre, an Islamic library, an Islamic hospital, an orphanage, etc.
4.
Performing Hajj on their behalf, or asking someone to do so.
5.
Distributing Islamic literature on their behalf.
Let us pray to Allaah that we do our
best to respect our parents, honour them, be kind to them, assist them, and
please them so that we may attain the love of Allaah.
O Allaah! Accept our humble prayers
and make us obedient slaves to You.
O Allaah! Help us to be
respectful children to our parents. Aameen.
The Grave
"Every Soul Shall Taste Death"
When the believer is close to death:
They will see bright light as far as
the eye can see, coming towards them. These will be Angels with faces shining
bright like the sun descend from the Heavens, carrying the most beautiful shroud
scented with the fragrance of Paradise. The Angel of Death then appears and
gently with great care removes the soul from the body like water falling from a
cup and wraps the soul around the shroud making the soul smell greater than any
fragrance ever found on earth. Heaven like Hell is composed of seven layers;
the Angels ascend to the highest (seventh) heaven. On the way there they will
be stopped by Angels at every level and be asked who does this good soul
belongs to. Then the Angels will reply by calling you by every good name that
you were ever called on earth. When the soul reaches the highest heaven where
the throne of God is and is presented to the All Mighty. Allah, the Great and
Glorious, says: "Record the Book of My servant in the Illiyyoon and take
him back to Earth, for I created mankind from it, and I shall return them to
it, from it I shall bring them forth again."
You see each person has a book in
which all of their actions on earth are recorded, this book will be placed in
an honoured place (Illiyyoon) until the day of judgment when you are judged by
what is in your book. When all of this is happening your body has been prepared
for burial and is now in its grave. The Angels place the soul into the grave
where it awaits to be questioned. Two different Angels named Munkar and Nakeer
who have a set of questions that they ask you.
1. Who is your Lord?
2. What is your religion?
3. Who is your prophet/messenger?
4. What is your book?
God sent down to His creation many
prophets and messengers with a book of knowledge each one different but the
same because they all carried the same message; there is one God, worship Him. The
people would but after several generations people started to add or take away
the message in their book and when that happened, God sent them another
messenger to correct the people and lead them back to God. Each generation will
answer these questions differently. Those in Moses (pbuh) time will answer him
as their prophet and the Torah as their book. David or Dawood (pbuh) was
given the palms and his people will answer that.
The true believer will answer
correctly and his grave will be made as spacious as far as the eye can see. A
window towards heaven will be opened and they will be able to see what awaits
them in the hereafter. Then the most beautiful being will come before them and
the person will ask who are you and it will reply I am your good deeds. Then
the soul will sit there and await the final hour and pray for it to come.
When the disbeliever dies:
They will see Angels with black faces
with the fiercest expression carrying the foulest shroud made of the roughest
and worst material and will set as far away as the eye can see. Then the Angel of Death will rip the soul out of the body in the most violent manner because
the soul does not wish to come out for fear of facing its creator’s rage. The
soul will then be wrapped in the shroud and sprayed with the foulest smell,
worst then rotting flesh. The souls will then ascend to the highest heaven and
on the way there, they will be stopped by Angels and be asked who is this evil
soul. The Angels will answer by calling the soul by the worst names it was
known on earth by. But when the soul reaches the lowest heaven to get to the
highest heaven and ask for the gates to be open they will not be opened and Allah
answers by saying "Record his Book in Sijjin (the lowest place) and his
soul is thrown down to Earth." Then their book will be kept in the lowest
place until the Day of Judgment. By this time the funeral is over and the body
is placed in the grave so then the soul will also be placed in the grave. When
it becomes time for the questioning, the disbelieving souls will not be able to
answer any of the questions. The grave will then be crushed until the person’s
ribs are crossing over each other and a window to hell will be open, showing the soul what
awaits it in the hereafter. A being of unspeakable horror will appear before
the soul and the soul will ask who are you and the being will reply ‘I am your
wicked sins’.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Hell Fire
Jahannam (Arabic: جهنم)
is the Islamic equivalent to Hell.
It is also mentioned in the Quran
as: "That which Breaks to Pieces", '"Blazing
Fire" and "The Abyss". The term comes from the Hebrew
Gehenna, originally the
name of a valley outside Jerusalem.
Characteristics
Jahannam (Hell) is described as having seven
gates, each for a specific group of sinners, the sinners have degrees (or
ranks) based on their deeds and hypocrites
are in the lowest of the depths of the Jahannam. Sinners are the fuel for the
fire of Jahannam along with disbelieving Jinns and stones. The fire burns their skins, changing their
colour to black due to its intensity. Jahannam has a shadow of smoke ascending
in three columns, which yields no shade of coolness against the fierce blaze.
Its sparks are described to be as "huge as a palace." Jahannam is
described to have nineteen angels, who will punish wrongdoers. The leader of
these angels, as stated in the Quran, is Maalik. According to prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) he is an angel, very severe & harsh, and he will listen to the
request of the dwellers of hell after a 1000 years and the response will be in negative.
The food of Jahannam described in Hadith and
the Quran includes a bitter thorn plant, Dhari, which does not
nourish sinners, along with a tree named Zaqqum. Zaqqum
is described in the Quran as a tree that springs out of the bottoms of
hellfire; the shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the "heads of
devils" and eating it is similar to eating molten brass that will boil
their insides "like scalding
water". Sinners drink boiling water that will cut their bowels when they
consume it. If they call for relief, they shall be given water described to be
like molten brass,
which will scald their faces. The residents of Jahannam wear garments of fire
that will scorch them.
Inhabitants
Various groups of people described to be in
Jahannam include; disbelievers, hypocrites, polytheists, the People of the Book who
reject the truth, arrogant rejectors of truth, sinners and criminals, tyrants,
the unjust, transgressors, concealers of God's revelations, persecutors of
believers, people who commit suicide and murderers. Other people mentioned in
Hadith include, but are not limited to; the arrogant, the proud and the
haughty. Some prominent people mentioned in the Hadith and Quran are; Fir'awn,
the wives of Nuh
and Lut, Abu Lahab and his wife.
Punishment
Muslims believe that unfaithful Muslims not
true to their religion will be punished in Jahannam. Sunni Muslims believe that
such Muslims will eventually be forgiven. Muslims also believe that a
disbeliever or non-Muslim, for not believing while on Earth, may remain there
in Jahannam for eternity — each person is judged according to their own
circumstances. However, those who commit shirk will be condemned to
the worst punishments in Jahannam for eternity. The Quran states that God may
choose to make the punishment of hell temporary if He wills it according to His
wisdom and knowledge.
The Quran and Hadith offer detailed
descriptions of the methods of torture in Jahannam. The Quran states the
punishments will be: the burning of skin, only to be replaced for reburning;
garments of fire to be worn, and boiling water will scald the skin and internal
organs; faces on fire; lips burnt off; backs on fire; roasting from side to
side; faces dragged along fire; bound in yokes then dragged through boiling
water and fire. The Hadith introduces punishments, reasons and revelations not
mentioned in the Quran, the least-suffering person in Jahannam will have
his/her brain boiling from standing on hot embers; and Hadith also relates that a person who
committed suicide will be tortured on the Day of Judgment
by the very means he/she used to end his/her life, as well as in Jahannam.
Paradise
Paradise
Jannah (Arabic: جنّة Jannah), is the Islamic conception of paradise. The Arabic word Jannah is a shortened version meaning simply "Garden". According to Islamic eschatology, after death, one will reside in the grave until the appointed resurrection on Yawm al-Qiyāmah/ Day of Judgement. Muslims believe that the treatment of the individual in the life of the grave will be according to his or her deeds in the worldly life. Jannah is often compared to Christian concepts of Heaven. According to Muslim belief, everything one longs for in this world will be there in Paradise.
Paradise itself is commonly described in the Qur'an. The highest level
of Paradise is Firdaws
(فردوس),
which is where the prophets,
the martyrs and the most
truthful and pious people will dwell. In contrast to Jannah, the words Ǧahannam and Nār
are used to refer to the concept of hell.
Descriptions of Paradise
The descriptions of paradise are mentioned in
significant detail in the Qur'an, hadiths
and traditional tafsīr
(exegesis). Paradise is
described as surrounded by eight principal gates, each level generally being
divided into a hundred degrees. The highest level is known as firdaws
(sometimes called Eden). It will be entered first by Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), then those who
lived in poverty, and then the most pious. Entrants will be greeted by angels
with salutations of peace
or As-Salamu
Alaykum.
"Gardens of perpetual bliss: they shall enter
there, as well as the righteous among their fathers, their spouses, and their
offspring: and angels shall enter unto them from every gate (with the
salutation):
"Peace unto you for that ye persevered in
patience! Now how excellent is the final home!"
The Islamic texts
describes life for its immortal inhabitants as: one that is happy — without hurt,
sorrow, fear or shame — where every wish is fulfilled. Traditions relate that
inhabitants will be of the same age (33 years), and of the same standing/equal.
Their life is one of bliss including: wearing fancy robes, bracelets, perfumes
as they partake in exquisite banquets, served in priceless vessels by immortal
youths, as they recline on couches inlaid with gold or precious stones. Other
foods mentioned include meats, scented wine and clear drinks bringing neither
drunkenness nor rousing quarrelling. Inhabitants will rejoice in the company of
their parents, spouses, and children (provided they were admitted to paradise)
— conversing and recalling the past.
The food in Jannah is reported by the
companions of the Prophet as never rotting and so sweet it will make any person
on earth live without feeling hunger forever.
The dwellings for inhabitants will be pleasant,
with lofty gardens,
shady valleys, fountains scented with camphor or ginger; rivers
of water, milk, honey and wines; delicious fruits of all seasons without
thorns;
One day in paradise is considered equal to a
thousand years on earth. Palaces are made from bricks of gold, silver, pearls,
among other things. Traditions also note the presence of horses and camels of "dazzling
whiteness", along with other creatures. Large trees are described,
mountains made of musk,
between which rivers flow in valleys of pearl and ruby.
The names of four rivers are Saihan (Syr Darya), Jaihan (Amu Darya), Furat (Euphrates) and Nil (Nile).[4] Salsabil is the name of a
spring that is the source of the rivers of Rahma (mercy) and Al-Kawthar (abundance).[5] Sidrat al-Muntaha is a Lote tree that marks the
end of the seventh heaven,
the boundary where no creation can pass.
In spite of the goodly dwellings given to the
inhabitants of paradise, the approval of God and nearness to Him is considered
greater. According to the Qur'an, God will bring the elect
near to His throne (ʿarš), a day on which "some faces shall be
shining in contemplating their Lord." The vision of God is regarded as the
greatest of all rewards, surpassing all other joys.
Conditions of going to Paradise
According to the Qur'an, the basic criteria for
salvation in afterlife is the belief in
one God (Tawḥīd), Last Judgment, good deeds,
and in all the messengers of
God, as well as believing that Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)is the final prophet of God.
Though one must do good deeds and believe in
God, salvation can only be attained through God's judgement.
Conditions of going to Paradise according to
the Qur'an:
"Those who spend (freely), whether in
prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men;- for Allah loves those who do
good;-
And those who, having done something to be
ashamed of, or wronged their own souls, earnestly bring Allah to mind, and ask
for forgiveness for their sins,- and who can forgive sins except Allah?- and
are never obstinate in persisting knowingly in (the wrong) they have done.
For such the reward is forgiveness from their
Lord, and Gardens with rivers flowing underneath,- an eternal dwelling: How
excellent a recompense for those who work (and strive)!
—Qur'an, sura 3 (Al-i-Imran), ayat 134 -
136
"Allah did aforetime take a covenant from the Children of Israel, and we appointed twelve captains among them. And Allah said: "I am with you: if ye (but) establish regular prayers, practise regular charity, believe in my messengers, honour and assist them, and loan to Allah a beautiful loan, verily I will wipe out from you your evils, and admit you to gardens with rivers flowing beneath; but if any of you, after this, resisteth faith, he hath truly wandered from the path or rectitude."
—Qur'an, sura 5 (al-Māʾidah) ayah 12
"As in life there are many trials which one must face. This is also a condition individuals must encounter in order to enter Jannah.
Or do ye think that ye shall enter the Garden
(of bliss) without such (trials) as came to those who passed away before you?
they encountered suffering and adversity, and were so shaken in spirit that
even the Messenger and those of faith who were with him cried: "When (will
come) the help of Allah?" Ah! Verily, the help of Allah is (always) near!"
—Qur'an, sura 2 (al-Baqarah), ayah 214
"Did ye think that ye would enter Heaven without Allah testing those of you who fought hard (In His Cause) and remained steadfast?"
—Qur'an, sura 3 (Al-i-Imran), ayah 142
The Qur'an also asserts that those who reject the Prophets of God with their best knowledge are damned in afterlife[6] and if they reject in front of the Messenger of God, then they also face dreadful fate in this world and in afterlife (see Itmam al-hujjah). Conversely, a person who discovers monotheism not having been reached by a messenger is called Hanif.
25 Noble Prophets
Prophets in Islam
Muslims
identify the prophets of Islam (النبوة في الإسلام)
as those humans chosen by God in Islam
(Allah) and given revelation
to deliver to mankind. Muslims believe that every prophet was given a belief
to worship God and their respective followers believed it as well. Each
prophet, in Muslim belief, preached the same main belief of worshiping God (which in Arabic is translated as Allah) and in the
avoidance of idolatry
and sin.
Each came to preach Islam
at different times in history and some, including Jesus, told of the coming
of the final prophet and messenger of God, who would be named Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). Each prophet
directed a message to a different group of people, and thus would preach Islam
in accordance with the times. Although many lay Muslims and many Western
scholars and writers hold the view that Islam began with Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) in Mecca, this contradicts
the Quran, which says that
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) simply was the last prophet
who preached the same faith that Adam
preached to his children.
Islamic tradition holds that God sent
messengers to every nation. Muslims believe that God finally sent Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) to
transmit the message of the Quran, the holy book which, according to Islam, is
universal in its message. The reason the Muslims believe the Quran is universal
and will remain uncorrupted is because they believe that previous Islamic holy books, namely
the Torah given to Moses; the Psalms given to David; and
the Gospel given to
Jesus, were for a particular time and community and because they
believe that the books were corrupted, many prophets were still to
come who could tell the people of what was correct in the scripture and warn
them of corruptions. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) therefore, being the last prophet, was vouchsafed
a book which, in Muslim belief, will remain in its true form till the Last Day.
Adam آدم
Adam is the first prophet of Islam and,
according to Islamic tradition, the first human being. He is an important
figure in Judaism
and Christianity as
well and is best known for the story of Adam and Eve.
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| Size of Adam |
Idris إدريس
Prophet Idris is, at times, identified with the
Enoch found in the Bible. In the Quran,
it says that God exalted Idris to a lofty station and Muslims believe that he
lived at a time when pure monotheism was, for the most part, forgotten. He is
known to be the first prophet to wage a Jihad war.
Noah نوح
Although best known for the Deluge, Nuh was a primary
preacher of monotheism
at his time. According to Islamic tradition, it was this faithfulness to God
that led to him being selected to build the Ark
Hud هود
According to Islam, Hud, for whom the eleventh chapter of the Quran is named, was sent
by God some time after the Deluge to remind the
people of his nation about God. He was sent to the people of Ad, and is one of
the five Arab prophets.
Saleh صالح
According to the Quran, Saleh was ordered
by God to leave behind his
people after they disobeyed God's orders. They were the nation of Thamud and
they were known to have carved buildings and homes out of cliffs and mountains.
Abraham ابراهيم
Abraham is regarded by Muslims today as one of
the significant prophets as he is credited with building the Kaaba in Makkah. His family
included his prophetic sons Ismail
and Isaac as well as his
prophetic grandson Jacob
and the holy women Sarah
and Hagar.
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| Grave of Prophet Abraham |
Lut لوط
Lut is known in Islam for preaching against homosexuality in Sodom and Gomorrah, only
to be mocked and ignored by the people who lived there. This nation was
destroyed By God's command.
Ismail اسماعيل
According to Islamic tradition Ismail and his
mother Hajra's
search for water in the region around Makkah led God to reveal the Zamzam Well.
Isaac اسحاق
According to Islamic tradition, Isaac,
second-born son of Abraham, became a prophet in Canaan. He, along with his
brother Ismail, carried on the legacy of Abraham as prophets of Islam.
Jacob, according to the Quran was "of the
company of the Elect and the Good" (Yusuf Ali 38:47) and he
continued the legacy of both his father, Isaac,
and his grandfather, Abraham.
Like his ancestors, he was committed to worshipping and bowing to God.
Yusuf, son of Yaqub
and great-grandson of Abraham,
became a prominent advisor to the pharaoh
of Egypt since he was
believed to have been able to predict the future through dream interpretation.
He spent a large part of his life away from his eleven brothers, who, jealous
of Yusuf's success, told their father Yaqub
that Yusuf
had died. But indeed they had thrown him in a well and took off his shirt and
smeared it with that of a killed ram's blood. Yusuf a.s. was afraid in the well
but knew very well that Allah was with him. Yusuf was a prophet as well as the
messenger of Allah (God). 99% of mankind’s beauty was put into this one man.
According to Islamic tradition, Ayub was
rewarded by a fountain of
youth, which removed all illnesses except death, for his service to Allah in his hometown
outside Al Majdal
Shoaib was a direct descendant of Abraham.
According to Islam, he was appointed by Allah to guide the people
of Madyan and Aykah, who lived near Mount Sinai. When the
people of the region failed to listen to his warnings, their villages were
destroyed by Allah.
Musa, referred to in the Quran more than any other
prophet, is significant for revealing the Tawrat to the ancient Egyptians. The Quran says Musa realized
his connection with Allah after receiving commands from Him during a stop at Mount Sinai. He later went
on to free the enslaved Israelites after failing to convince the Egyptian pharaoh of Allah's power.
Musa subsequently led the freed Israelites for forty years through the desert
on a long attempt to capture Canaan,
the promised land. During this long journey, Musa received the Tawrat and the Ten Commandments during
another trip to Mount Sinai.
At the end of his life, according to Islamic tradition, Musa chose to die to be
closer to Allah instead of taking an offer that would have extended his life.
Harun served as an assistant to his elder
brother Musa.
In Islam, he, like Musa,
was given the task of saving the Israelites from the Egyptian pharaoh. He would often
speak for Musa
when his speech impediment prevented him from doing so himself.
Dhul-Kifl is stated twice in the Quran (Surah
Al-Anbiya ayat 85 and Surah Sa'd ayat 48). Both references describe that
Dhul-Kifl was amongst the most patient and righteous of men. He is most often
identified with the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel because Ezekiel in
his journey to Nineveh went to a little town called Kefil and his shrine is
there. So, people believe Ezekiel as Dhul-Kifl.
In Islam, the Zabur (equated by some
with the Psalms) were revealed to
Daud by Allah. He is also significant
as he is the one who conquered Goliath.
Zabur the short book, which was given by Allah to him.
Sulayman learned a significant amount from his
father Daud before being made a
prophet by Allah. According
to Islamic tradition, Sulayman was given power over all things, including the jinns. Known for his honesty and fairness,
he also led a kingdom that extended into southern Arabia. He was the
youngest among his nineteen brothers, he was thirteen years old when he became
a prophet. He inherited his fathers throne because he made fair decisions. He
had the ability to control winds also and speak to animals.
Ilyas, descendant of Harun,
took over control of the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula after Sulayman's kingdom
collapsed. Islamic tradition says he attempted to convince the people of the
Peninsula of the existence of only one God, but when the people refused to
listen they were smitten with a drought and famine.
Al-Yasa took over the job of leading the
Israelites after Ilyas' death. He attempted to show the king and queen of Israel the powers of
Allah, but was dismissed as a magician. Subsequently, the Assyrians were able to
conquer the Israelites and inflict significant damage on them.
Yunus was commanded by Allah to help the people
of Nineveh towards
righteousness. However, after Nineveh's
people refused to listen to Yunus, he became disgruntled and started to ignore Allah. After an incident where Yunus was spared death, he decided to re-commit
himself to striving for Allah, attempting to lead the people of Nineveh to righteousness.
But after the Nineveh's returning to evil, illicit ways, the Scythians conquered them.
A descendant of Sulayman, Zakariya was a
patron of Maryam,
mother of Isa.
According to Islamic tradition, he prayed to Allah asking for a son, since his
sterile wife al-Yashbi
could not provide one. Allah granted his wishes, temporarily lifting his wife's
sterility and allowing her to give birth to Yahya. His death was
considered tragic as several Israelites
severed his body in half.
Yahya
(John the Baptist)
يحيى
Islam says that, like his father Zakariya,
Yahya prayed to Allah to bless him with a son who could continue his legacy of
guiding people towards Islam. Throughout his lifetime, Yahya captivated
audiences with his powerful sermons that preached monotheism.
One of the highest ranked prophets in Islam,
Isa was sent to guide the Children of Israel. The Quran makes it very clear
that Isa is not the son of God as Christianity teaches, but rather a prophet,
and Messenger of God. He was able to perform many miracles but only by the will
of God. It also states that he received the New Testament although the
version seen today is different from the one revealed at the time. Muslims
believe that Isa was not crucified on the cross but instead is in heaven,
waiting to return to defeat the dajjal.
In Sura Maryam (19:88-89), The Quran states, "And they say: Allah the most
gracious has begotten a son. Indeed, you have made a abominable
assertion." This is such an unjust and grave claim that "At it the
skies are about to burst, and the earth split asunder, and the mountains to
crumble down crashing, that they have attributed to the Most Gracious a son! It
is not befitting for the Most Gracious to beget a son. There is none in the
heavens and the earth but comes to the Most Gracious as a slave" 19:90-93.
The claim of those who attribute such fallacy to Him is refuted in these
verses.
Muhammad محمد
Muhammed (peace and blessings be upon him) ibn Abdullah(53 B.H-11 A.H; 571-632
AD) is the Last Prophet in Islam. According to Islamic tradition Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) never
claimed Islam a new religion but in fact preached the unity of the religion
since Adam
the first person and prophet of Allah on the face of earth. The strongest
Islamic belief is that Islam is the only religion which all prophets preached.
Also Quran refers to all prophets as Muslims. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was born in Makkah where he spent the
first part of his life as a well-travelled merchant. He would often spend his
time in the mountains surrounding Makkah in prayer contemplating the situation
with the city. According to Islamic beliefs, at the age of forty during one of
those trips to the mountain, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) began to, despite his illiteracy,
receive and recite verses from Allah
which today make up the Quran.
He quickly began to spread the message he was receiving, convincing a few
others in the city, including his wife, to convert to a form of Islam similar to one
practiced today. He became the leader of those who had submitted to Allah
(Muslims), moving to another city (present-day Medina) away from the
oppressors in Makkah. Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) served not just as a prophet, but as a
king/leader who helped defeat the Makkans in 624 during the Battle of Badr. He
continued to lead the Muslims
spreading Islam across the Arabian Peninsula. He
performed the first hajj
in 629 and established the
form of Islam, with its five pillars
still practiced by Muslims today. Others continued Muhammad's (peace and blessings be upon him) legacy after his
death in 629 proclaiming themselves
as caliphs (or successors) to
Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him).
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