My Dear Muslim Brothers,
Assalam-o-Alaikum,
I was away for two days. I'm sorry to see how quickly my brothers leap to personally hurtful comments on this forum. Just imagine, this is the first time in the Islamic history that Muslims from all around the world, belonging to different schools of thought, are able to communicate on different Islamic issues. This wouldnt be possible without internet. Hence this is a wonderful opportunity to debate, in a healthy learning environment, the issues which are dividing Muslims. As a result of this division, Muslims are becoming weaker and weaker day by day.
We should not be doing Islamic debate for the sake of debate. It is not a wrestling match. The only way to minimize the differences is to come with open mind and ready to accept weakness among ourselves. Nobody is perfect. When I talk about differences, I mean, big differences, like SHIRK. One person says it is SHIRK and present quotation from Quraan and authentic Hadith; then we should accept it with open mind. For example, one person says it is SHIRK to prostrate (سجدہ) a grave. Other says it is not prostration but kissing the grave. Other says that even kissing the grave is SHIRK. So it becomes a disputed matter. The question is, should one take risk of doing an act which may lead to SHIRKIA act? Why we have to kiss the grave. Is it because our Peer believes so? Why dont we accept that Peer may be wrong? Why dont we try to find Ahadith which prohibits this SHIRKIA act? Why we try to find something which can justify our Peer?
I am sure that whoever is taking part in Islamic debate is participating according to best of his / her believe. We should respect each others believes. Most of us are educated people and it should be reflected in our writings. I always try to be calm and avoid any abusive comments in these debates except for one occasion where I become emotional after watching a video where (according to my believe) SHIRKIA acts were being performed and I passed one abusive comment. For which I apologise and promise to be careful in future. The purpose of this debate is to investigate the truth and correct ourselves, not try to justify believes of our Peer but to test the saying of our Peer with the saying of Prophet Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم), not the other way round.
I am having a busy week and will Insha-Allah try to answer, if possible, to some of the postings for me. I will finish after quoting two Hadith, one regarding minimum requirement for a Muslim to be successful and the second reqarding avoiding SHIRK because it wipes all the good deeds mentioned in the first Hadith.
The minimum requirement to be successful is mentioned in the following Hadith from Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Talha bin 'Ubaidullah: A man from Najd with unkempt hair came to Allah's Apostle and we heard his loud voice but could not understand what he was saying, till he came near and then we came to know that he was asking about Islam. Allah's Apostle said, "You have to offer prayers perfectly five times in a day and night (24 hours)." The man asked, "Is there any more (praying)?" Allah's Apostle replied, "No, but if you want to offer the Nawafil prayers (you can)." Allah's Apostle further said to him: "You have to observe fasts during the month of Ramad, an." The man asked, "Is there any more fasting?" Allah's Apostle replied, "No, but if you want to observe the Nawafil fasts (you can.)" Then Allah's Apostle further said to him, "You have to pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)." The man asked, "Is there any thing other than the Zakat for me to pay?" Allah's Apostle replied, "No, unless you want to give alms of your own." And then that man retreated saying, "By Allah! I will neither do less nor more than this." Allah's Apostle said, "If what he said is true, then he will be successful (i.e. he will be granted Paradise)." (Sahih Bukhari Book #2, Hadith #44)
Narrated Abdullah: When the Verse:--"It is those who believe and do not confuse their belief with wrong ( i.e. joining others in worship with Allah)" (6.83) was revealed, we said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is there amongst us who has not done wrong to himself?" He replied, "It is not as you say, for 'wrong' in the Verse and 'do not confuse their belief, with wrong means 'shirk' (i.e. joining others in worship with Allah). Haven't you heard Luqman's saying to his son, 'O my son! Join not others in worship with Allah, verily joining others in worship with Allah is a great wrong indeed." (31.13) (Sahih Bukhari Book #55, Hadith #580)
Assalam-o-Alaikum,
I was away for two days. I'm sorry to see how quickly my brothers leap to personally hurtful comments on this forum. Just imagine, this is the first time in the Islamic history that Muslims from all around the world, belonging to different schools of thought, are able to communicate on different Islamic issues. This wouldnt be possible without internet. Hence this is a wonderful opportunity to debate, in a healthy learning environment, the issues which are dividing Muslims. As a result of this division, Muslims are becoming weaker and weaker day by day.
We should not be doing Islamic debate for the sake of debate. It is not a wrestling match. The only way to minimize the differences is to come with open mind and ready to accept weakness among ourselves. Nobody is perfect. When I talk about differences, I mean, big differences, like SHIRK. One person says it is SHIRK and present quotation from Quraan and authentic Hadith; then we should accept it with open mind. For example, one person says it is SHIRK to prostrate (سجدہ) a grave. Other says it is not prostration but kissing the grave. Other says that even kissing the grave is SHIRK. So it becomes a disputed matter. The question is, should one take risk of doing an act which may lead to SHIRKIA act? Why we have to kiss the grave. Is it because our Peer believes so? Why dont we accept that Peer may be wrong? Why dont we try to find Ahadith which prohibits this SHIRKIA act? Why we try to find something which can justify our Peer?
I am sure that whoever is taking part in Islamic debate is participating according to best of his / her believe. We should respect each others believes. Most of us are educated people and it should be reflected in our writings. I always try to be calm and avoid any abusive comments in these debates except for one occasion where I become emotional after watching a video where (according to my believe) SHIRKIA acts were being performed and I passed one abusive comment. For which I apologise and promise to be careful in future. The purpose of this debate is to investigate the truth and correct ourselves, not try to justify believes of our Peer but to test the saying of our Peer with the saying of Prophet Muhammad (صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم), not the other way round.
I am having a busy week and will Insha-Allah try to answer, if possible, to some of the postings for me. I will finish after quoting two Hadith, one regarding minimum requirement for a Muslim to be successful and the second reqarding avoiding SHIRK because it wipes all the good deeds mentioned in the first Hadith.
The minimum requirement to be successful is mentioned in the following Hadith from Sahih Bukhari
Narrated Talha bin 'Ubaidullah: A man from Najd with unkempt hair came to Allah's Apostle and we heard his loud voice but could not understand what he was saying, till he came near and then we came to know that he was asking about Islam. Allah's Apostle said, "You have to offer prayers perfectly five times in a day and night (24 hours)." The man asked, "Is there any more (praying)?" Allah's Apostle replied, "No, but if you want to offer the Nawafil prayers (you can)." Allah's Apostle further said to him: "You have to observe fasts during the month of Ramad, an." The man asked, "Is there any more fasting?" Allah's Apostle replied, "No, but if you want to observe the Nawafil fasts (you can.)" Then Allah's Apostle further said to him, "You have to pay the Zakat (obligatory charity)." The man asked, "Is there any thing other than the Zakat for me to pay?" Allah's Apostle replied, "No, unless you want to give alms of your own." And then that man retreated saying, "By Allah! I will neither do less nor more than this." Allah's Apostle said, "If what he said is true, then he will be successful (i.e. he will be granted Paradise)." (Sahih Bukhari Book #2, Hadith #44)
Narrated Abdullah: When the Verse:--"It is those who believe and do not confuse their belief with wrong ( i.e. joining others in worship with Allah)" (6.83) was revealed, we said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is there amongst us who has not done wrong to himself?" He replied, "It is not as you say, for 'wrong' in the Verse and 'do not confuse their belief, with wrong means 'shirk' (i.e. joining others in worship with Allah). Haven't you heard Luqman's saying to his son, 'O my son! Join not others in worship with Allah, verily joining others in worship with Allah is a great wrong indeed." (31.13) (Sahih Bukhari Book #55, Hadith #580)
