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Worth of a Mosquito
Worth of a Mosquito Syed Sharfuddin إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَسْتَحْيِي أَنْ يَضْرِبَ مَثَلًا مَا بَعُوضَةً فَمَا فَوْقَهَا ۚ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا فَيَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ الْحَقُّ مِنْ رَبِّهِمْ ۖ وَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا فَيَقُولُونَ مَاذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بهذا مَثَلًا ۘ يُضِلُّ بِهِ كَثِيرًا وَيَهْدِي بِهِ كَثِيرًا ۚ وَمَا يُضِلُّ بِهِ إِلَّا الْفَاسِقِينَ “Allah does not mind giving an…
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A survey of ancient and contemporary schools, sects, movements and cults within and outside Islam.
The existence of various religious schools and denominations is not unique to Islam but is also present in other Abrahamic religions. Indeed, the greater the acceptability of a religion by the people, the more difference of opinion it is likely to have among its followers. It is also natural that an older religion will have…
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Similarities between Prophet Musa and Prophet Muhammad
Similarities between Prophet Musa and Prophet Mohammad Syed Sharfuddin “We have sent a messenger to you to be your witness, just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh” [Al-Quran: Surah Al-Muzammil 73:15] “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brethren like thee (Moses), and I will put my words…
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Qualities of Man: A Combination of Goodness and Evil
Qualities of Man: A Combination of Goodness and EvilSyed Sharfuddin In the holy Quran Allah has described the character of man, both good and bad with clear examples. The picture of man that emerges from this description is one that is black and white, punctuated with goodness and ungratefulness, and worthy of being a true…
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Dajjal, the False Messiah
Dajjal, the False Messiah Syed Sharfuddin Introduction In Islamic eschatology Dajjal is known as the false Messiah. Christians call him the anti-Christ. The Jews believe in the appearance of an evil king of the last generation preceding salvation. The followers of the three Abrahamic faiths also believe in the coming of the final hour and…
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Explaining Dajjal’s Time on Earth
Explaining Dajjal’s Time on Earth Syed Sharfuddin In the Islamic eschatology it is believed that Dajjal’s rule of extraordinary tribulations and tests for the believers which will take place as a clear sign of the end of time with last forty days before he is killed by prophet Isa with the support of the Mahdi.…
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Was Prophet Yusuf a King or a Governor
Was Prophet Yusuf a King or a Governor Syed Sharfuddin There is a verse in Surah Yusuf (Chapter 12) in the holy Quran in which prophet Yusuf Alaihey Salam (AS) recounts the blessings of Allah on him and asks to be re-joined with his forefathers who were among the righteous persons for whom Allah has…
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Nabi and Rasul: Similarities and Differences
Syed Sharfuddin The words Nabi and Rasul have been used in the holy Quran interchangeably (2:213-214). In essence, they both mean the same thing, i.e., a Nabi or Rasul is a pious person chosen by Allah to receive divine guidance and commandments by Allah’s Will and convey these to his people during his lifetime. Only…
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The Tablighi Jamaat: A Movement for God
By Syed Sharfuddin The ideology of Tablighi Jamaat (TJ), the largest Islamic revivalist movement of our times is best described by Sadruddin Ansari’s introduction of the six points of Maulana Muhammad Ilyas Khandahlawi, the founder of TJ as follows: “We all know that this world is mortal. Everyone who is born here is destined to…
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Destiny and Free Choice
Syed Sharfuddin The philosophical debate about destiny and choice has enchanted many people, including the believers. There is a view that if the outcome of every action is already predetermined and is in the knowledge of the Creator, then where is the freedom of choice for human being to act on his own and be…
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Evolution and Relevance of Fatwa in Islam
Syed Sharfuddin Fatwa in Islam means a legal opinion given by a Muslim scholar on a matter of concern or interest to Muslims, both individually or collectively, at a set time, situation, location or circumstances. In Islam the institution of fatwa has had a significant impact on the interpretation of Sharia law which governs the…
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Thoughts on the Validity of a Second Hijrah
Syed Sharfuddin There are three types of emigration (Hijrah). One form of emigration results from persecution of a person or group on grounds of faith and endangers its life, property and values which are different from those of the dissenting population. The persecuted individual or group may or may not share the ethnic or tribal…
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The Concept of Ruh in Islam
Ruh is energy, which can activate human body and deactivate it without any apparent source that can be observed or measured through a physical instrument. Imam Abu Abdullah Al-Qurtubi said Ruh may have a form, but we do not know it. It enters human corpus through divine breath. “Then He [Allah] moulded him [man]; He…
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Why is Islam Uncompromising on Apostasy
Syed Sharfuddin Critics of Islam often put Muslims on the defensive by pointing out that Islam is the most intolerant religion among all other faiths on the question of apostasy. They point out that its uncompromising attitude on punishment by death has no place in the civilised world where freedom of religion is a fundamental…
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The End of Time
The End of Time Syed Sharfuddin In Surah Muhammad in the holy Quran, Allah says: “are (nonbelievers) waiting for the Last Hour to take them by surprise? Yet, some of its signs have already appeared. When the Last Hour befalls them, will it not be too late for them to submit?” [47:18]. In Surah Al-Ahzab,…
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Blowing of Wind: A Sign from Allah
Syed Sharfuddin Every year before the start of summer, strong winds blow over the mountains and plains of southern Turkey that faces the Mediterranean. It is the sea which links Turkey to the land of past prophets and their nations who lived in Egypt and adjoining lands all the way to the Red Sea on…
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Bound in Mortgage
Syed Sharfuddin In the holy Quran a very interesting word appears twice which has become a part of our everyday living. This word is ‘raheen’ meaning collateral. These are the two verses where the word ‘raheen’ has been used: وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَاتَّبَعَتْهُمْ ذُرِّيَّتُهُم بِإِيمَانٍ أَلْحَقْنَا بِهِمْ ذُرِّيَّتَهُمْ وَمَا أَلَتْنَاهُم مِّنْ عَمَلِهِم مِّن شَيْءٍ كُلُّ امْرِئٍ…
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The Parable of Sinners
Syed Sharfuddin In Surah Al-Qalam, Chapter 68, Allah mentions two types of people: those who accept the faith and those who deny it. In verse 68:35 the faithful are called Muslimeen and the sinners Mujrimeen. The subsequent verses challenge the sinners. They are asked if Allah has sworn a covenant with them that on the…
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Prophets, Angels, Jinns and Women mentioned in the Quran
Syed Sharfuddin Prophets and messengersIn the holy Quran prophets are of two kinds: human beings such as Nuh and angels such as Jibreel. The former are human and live among their nations. The latter are angels and do not live among people. At another level, they are also bearers of the divine scriptures such as…
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A Model Salat for All
Introduction There was a time in the history of Islam when there used to be several congregational prayers (salat with jamaat) organised in the Haram at the time of the annual Hajj. Ibn Jubair, a nobleman from Muslim Andalusia, wrote in his memoirs that he saw the Hanafi praying their slalat on one side of…
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An Essay on Jinns
Humans occupy the middle ground between angels and jinns. Their constituent material, clay has the flexibility to withstand extreme variations in temperature. When it is too hot, it becomes molten lava and acquires the characteristics of fire. When it is too cold it freezes and wears a layer of ice, which is reminiscent of celestial…
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Allah’s Instructions to Muslims: A Guidance for Mankind: Comparing Surah Al Isra and Al Hujarat.
Syed Sharfuddin The holy Quran is a beautiful tapestry of repeating parables, divine guidance, biblical warnings, and holy commandments, assertions and prohibitions which, if understood and acted in letter and spirit with full sincerity and faith, can make a Muslim a complete human being serving Allah and following His prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him,…
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Limits of Knowledge: Lesson from Surah Al-Kahaf
Syed Sharfuddin Every Friday millions of Muslims recite Surah Al-Kahf, as recommended in Ahadith as an anti dote to the fitna of Dajjal’s coming, as well as for blessing and guidance in this world and for reaping the reward of reading the holy Quran in the hereafter. There are many messages in the parables mentioned…
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Wahi and Waswasa: Explaining two important meanings in the holy Quran
By Syed Sharfuddin Wahi The root word وحى and its derivatives اوحى and اوحينا have been used in the holy Quran in a number of verses. The word wahi has various meanings. It is used as a sign, a signal, an inspiration, an awakening or a biblical commandment from the Lord Almighty. Allah Tabarak wa…
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The power of imagination: A biblical perspective
By Syed Sharfuddin When we read the translation and tafseer of Surah Waqea we come to know that the lucky dwellers of Paradise will remember events of their earthly life and recall their past episodes, conversations and feelings in their heavenly discourse with each other in a manner of surprise or reference for a new…
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A Model Eid Khutba in Arabic and English
Syed Sharfuddin In many non-Arabic speaking countries, the Eid khutba is read in Arabic following the wajib Eid Salat. However, its summary is often delivered in the form of a speech in the local language while the faithful are still arriving for the congregation. This takes away the time for reciting Takbeerat before the Salah.…