Islamic history and biography
Chapter 2
The beginning of
creation
and wonders of creation
34508: Falseness of the
theory of evolution
Question:
There are people who say that long ago man
was a monkey and he evolved. Is this true? Is
there any evidence?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
This view is not correct, and the evidence
for that is that Allaah has described in the
Qur'aan the stages of the creation of Adam.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the likeness of `Eesa (Jesus)
before Allaah is the likeness of Adam. He
created him from dust, then (He) said to him:
`Be!' — and he was"
[Aal `Imraan 3:59]
This dust was moistened until it became
sticky mud or clay that stuck to the hands.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And indeed We created man (Adam) out of
an extract of clay (water and earth)"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:12]
"Verily, We created them of a sticky
clay" [al-Saaffaat 37:12]
Then it became dried (sounding) clay of
altered mud. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And indeed, We created man from dried
(sounding) clay of altered mud"
[al-Hijr 15:26]
Then when it dried it became sounding clay
like the clay of pottery. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"He created man (Adam) from sounding clay
like the clay of pottery"
[al-Rahmaan 55:14]
Then Allaah moulded it into the form that He
wanted and breathed into him (his) soul created
by Him. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"(Remember) when your Lord said to the
angels: `Truly, I am going to create man from
clay'.
So when I have fashioned him and breathed
into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall
down prostrate to him"
[Saad 38:71-72]
These are the stages through which the
creation of Adam passed according to the
Qur'aan. As for the stages of creation which the
progeny of Adam pass through, Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And indeed We created man (Adam) out of an
extract of clay (water and earth).
Thereafter We made him (the offspring of
Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops of the male and
female sexual discharge and lodged it) in a safe
lodging (womb of the woman).
Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece
of thick coagulated blood), then We made the
clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made
out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We
clothed the bones with flesh, and then We
brought it forth as another creation. So Blessed
is Allaah, the Best of creators"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:12-14]
With regard to the wife of Adam _ Hawwa'
(Eve) _ Allaah tells us that He created her from
him, as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who
created you from a single person (Adam), and
from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa
(Eve)], and from them both He created many men
and women"
[al-Nisa' 4:1]
From Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 1/31.
(www.islam-qa.com)
26876: Is the earth in the
first heaven?
Question:
Is the earth in the first heaven (al-sama'
al-dunya) or beneath it, knowing that the
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was taken up to the heavens and ascending
can only be from something lower to something
higher?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. The lowest heaven
(al-sama' al-dunya') encompasses the earth and
is high above it. Wherever a person goes on
earth, the heaven is above him.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:
It is well known from a rational point of
view that the air is above the earth, and the
heaven is above the earth. This was known before
it was known that the heaven encompasses the
earth. Being above something does not
necessarily mean encompassing, even though
encompassing does not contradict it. Hence the
people knew that the heaven is above the earth,
and the clouds above the earth, before it ever
occurred to them that it encompasses the earth.
Dar' al-Ta'aarud, 6/336, 337
Ibn al-Qayyim said in al-Sawaa'iq
al-Mursalah, 4/1308, that the view that the
heaven does not encompass the earth and is only
above it, is a view that goes against scholarly
consensus and that which is indicated by reason
and tangible evidence.
Ibn Hazm said:
Based on this evidence, the earth is a place
that is beneath the heaven, hence the heaven is
above the earth… and with regard to the son of
Adam, his head points towards the heavens and
his feet towards the earth.
Al-Fasl bayna al-Milal wa'l-Nahl,
2/243
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
2593: Why are there so many
earthquakes?
Question:
Many countries have had earthquakes, such as
Turkey, Mexico, Taiwan, Japan, etc. Does this
mean anything (from an Islamic point of view)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Praise be to Allaah, and peace and blessings
be upon the Messenger of Allaah, and upon his
family, companions, and those who follow his
guidance.
Allaah is the All-Wise, All-Knowing in all
that He wills and decrees, and He is the
All-Wise, All-Knowing in all that He legislates
and commands. He creates and decrees whatever
signs He wills, to frighten His slaves and
remind them of their obligations and duties
towards Him, and to warn them against
associating anything in worship with Him, going
against His commands and doing that which He has
forbidden. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And We sent not the signs except to warn"
[al-Israa' 17:59]
"We will show them Our Signs in the universe,
and in their own selves, until it becomes
manifest to them that this (the Qur'aan) is the
truth. Is it not sufficient in regard to your
Lord that He is a Witness over all things?"
[Fussilat 41:53]
"Say: `He has power to send torment on you
from above or from under your feet, or to cover
you with confusion in party strife, and make you
to taste the violence of one another.'"
[al-An'aam 6:65]
Al-Bukhaari narrated in his Saheeh
from Jaabir ibn `Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be
pleased with him) that when the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning) "Say: `He has
power to send torment on you from above" was
revealed, the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said, "A'oodhu bi
wajhika (I seek refuge in Your Face"; "or
from under your feet", he said, "A'oodhu
bi wajhika (I seek refuge in Your Face)."
(Saheeh al-Bukhaari, 5/193).
(Abu'l-Shaykh al-Isbahaani narrated from
Mujaahid concerning the Tafseer of this
aayah, "Say: `He has power to send torment on
you from above": (this means)
al-Sayhah (the shout or tumult), stones
and strong wind; "or from under your
feet", (means) earthquakes and being
swallowed up by the earth.)
Undoubtedly the earthquakes that are
happening these days are among the signs which
Allaah uses to frighten His slaves. All the
earthquakes and other things which happen and
cause harm and injury to people are because of
shirk and sins, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meanings):
"And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it
is because of what your hands have earned. And
He pardons much" [al-Shoora 42:30]
"Whatever of good reaches you, is from
Allaah, but whatever of evil befalls you, is
from yourself" [al-Nisaa' 4:79]
And Allaah said concerning the nations of the
past:
"So We punished each (of them) for his
sins, of them were some on whom We sent Haasib
(a violent wind with shower of stones) [as on
the people of Loot (Lot)], and of them were some
who were overtaken by As-Saihah [torment — awful
cry, (as Thamood or Shu`ayb's people)], and of
them were some whom We caused the earth to
swallow [as Qaaroon (Korah)], and of them were
some whom We drowned [as the people of Nooh
(Noah), or Fir`aun (Pharaoh) and his people]. It
was not Allaah Who wronged them, but they
wronged themselves" [al-`Ankaboot 29:40]
What Muslims and others who are accountable
and of sound mind must do is repent to Allaah,
adhere firmly to His Religion and avoid all that
He has forbidden of Shirk and sin, so
that they may be safe and attain salvation from
all evils in this world and the next, and so
that Allaah will ward off from them all harm,
and bless them with all good. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And if the people of the towns had
believed and had the Taqwaa (piety), certainly,
We should have opened for them blessings from
the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the
Messengers). So We took them (with punishment)
for what they used to earn (polytheism and
crimes)." [al-A'raaf 7:96]
And Allaah says concerning the People of the
Book (interpretation of the meaning):
"And if only they had acted according to
the Tawraah (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel), and
what has (now) been sent down to them from their
Lord (the Qur'ân), they would surely, have
gotten provision from above them and from
underneath their feet" [al-Maa'idah 5:66].
And Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Did the people of the towns then feel
secure against the coming of Our punishment by
night while they were asleep? Or, did the
people of the towns then feel secure against the
coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while
they were playing? Did they then feel
secure against the Plan of Allaah? None feels
secure from the Plan of Allaah except the people
who are the losers." [al-A'raaf 7:97-99]
Al-`Allaamah Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have
mercy on him) said: "Allaah sometimes gives the
earth permission to breathe, which is when major
earthquakes happen; this makes people feel
scared, so they repent, give up sins, pray to
Allaah and feel regret [for their sins]. When
there had been an earthquake, some of the Salaf
said: your Lord is warning you. When Madeenah
was struck by an earthquake, `Umar ibn
al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with you)
addressed the people and said: if there is
another earthquake, I will not stay here with
you."
And there are many similar reportes from the
Salaf.
Our response when there is an earthquake or
some other sign such as an eclipse, strong winds
or floods, should be to hasten to repent to
Allaah and pray to Him for safety, and to
remember Him much and seek His forgiveness, as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said when there was an eclipse: "If
you see anything like that, hasten to remember
Him, call on Him and seek His forgiveness."
(Part of an agreed-upon hadeeth narrated by
al-Bukhaari (2/30) and Muslim (2/628)).
It is also mustahabb (recommended,
encouraged) to show compassion to the poor and
needy, and to give charity to them, because the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said:
"Show mercy, you will be shown mercy."
(Narrated by Imaam Ahmad, 2/165)
"Those who are merciful will be shown mercy
by the Most Merciful. Have mercy on those who
are on earth, and the One Who is in heaven will
show mercy to you." (Narrated by Abu Dawood
(13/285), al-Tirmidhi (6/43)).
"Whoever does not show mercy will not be
shown mercy." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari (5/75),
Muslim (4/1809)).
It was reported that when there was an
earthquake, `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Azeez (may Allaah
have mercy on him) would write to his governors
telling them to give in charity.
One of the things which will help to keep
people safe and sound is if the authorities
impose an immediate crack-down on the foolish
elements in society, forcing them to behave and
applying the laws of sharee'ah to them,
enjoining what is good and forbidding what is
evil. Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"The believers, men and women, are Awliyaa'
(helpers, supporters, friends, protectors) of
one another; they enjoin (on the people)
Al-Ma`roof (i.e. Islamic Monotheism and all that
Islam orders one to do), and forbid (people)
from Al-Munkar (i.e. polytheism and disbelief of
all kinds, and all that Islam has forbidden);
they perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and
give the Zakaah, and obey Allaah and His
Messenger. Allaah will have His Mercy on them.
Surely, Allaah is All-Mighty, All-Wise"
[al-Tawbah 9:71]
"Verily, Allaah will help those who help His
(Cause). Truly, Allaah is All-Strong,
All-Mighty. Those (Muslim rulers) who, if We
give them power in the land, (they) enjoin
Iqamat-as-Salaah [i.e. to
perform the five compulsory congregational
Salaah (prayers) (the males in mosques)], to pay
the Zakaah and they enjoin Al-Ma`roof (i.e.
Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one
to do), and forbid Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief,
polytheism and all that Islam has forbidden)
[i.e. they make the Qur'aan as the law of their
country in all the spheres of life]. And with
Allaah rests the end of (all) matters (of
creatures)." [al-Hajj 22:40-41]
"And whosoever fears Allaah and keeps his
duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get
out (from every difficulty). And He will provide
him from (sources) he never could imagine. And
whosoever puts his trust in Allaah, then He will
suffice him." [al-Talaaq 65:2-3]
And there are many aayaat on this topic.
The Prophet ( peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said: "Whoever meets the need of
his brother, Allaah will meet his needs."
(Agreed upon; al-Bukhaari, 3/98; Muslim,
4/1996).
And he ( peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Whoever relieves a believer of
some of the distress of this world, Allaah will
relieve him of some of the distress of the Day
of Resurrection. Whoever makes things easier for
one who is suffering hardship, Allaah will make
things easier for him in this world and in the
Hereafter. Whoever conceals a Muslim's faults,
Allaah will conceal his faults in this world and
in the Hereafter. Allaah will help a person so
long as he helps his brother." (Narrated by
Muslim, 4/2074). And there are many ahaadeeth on
this topic.
Allaah is the One Whom we ask to reform the
affairs of all the Muslims and to bless them
with proper understanding of Islam and help them
to adhere steadfastly to it and repent to Allaah
from all their sins. We ask Him to reform all
those who are in authority over the Muslims'
affairs and to support the Truth and eradicate
falsehood through them, and to help them to rule
the people according to the laws of sharee'ah,
and to protect them and all the Muslims from
misguidance and temptation and the tricks of the
Shaytaan, for He is Able to do all that.
May the blessings and peace of Allaah be upon
our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and
companions, and those who follow them in truth
until the Day of Resurrection.
Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn Baaz (may
Allaah have mercy on him). (www.islam-qa.com)
42237: What is the purpose of
animals and plants on Earth?
Question:
What is the purpose of animals and plants on
Earth?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It should be noted that Allaah has created
man to worship Him, as He says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"And I (Allaah) created not the jinn and
mankind except that they should worship Me
(Alone)"
[al-Dhaariyaat 51:56]
Allaah has created for man and has subjugated
to him what is in the heavens and on earth, so
that he may benefit from it and enjoy it, and
meet his needs, and use it to help him to
worship Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"He it is Who created for you all that is
on earth"
[al-Baqarah 2:29]
"See you not (O men) that Allaah has
subjected for you whatsoever is in the heavens
and whatsoever is in the earth, and has
completed and perfected His Graces upon you,
(both) apparent (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, and
the lawful pleasures of this world, including
health, good looks) and hidden [i.e. one's faith
in Allaah (of Islamic Monotheism), knowledge,
wisdom, guidance for doing righteous deeds, and
also the pleasures and delights of the Hereafter
in Paradise]?" [Luqmaan 31:20]
"And has subjected to you all that is in
the heavens and all that is in the earth; it is
all as a favour and kindness from Him. Verily,
in it are signs for a people who think deeply"
[al-Jaathiyah 45:13]
"And He has made the sun and the moon, both
constantly pursuing their courses, to be of
service to you; and He has made the night and
the day, to be of service to you"
[Ibraaheem 14:33]
There follow some of the reasons and purposes
for the existence of animals and plants on
Earth:
Plants are food for people and animals.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the likeness of (this) worldly
life is as the water (rain) which We send down
from the sky; so by it arises the intermingled
produce of the earth of which men and cattle
eat"
[Yoonus 10:24]
"Then let man look at his food:
We pour forth water in abundance.
And We split the earth in clefts.
And We cause therein the grain to grow,
And grapes and clover plants (i.e. green
fodder for the cattle),
And olives and date palms,
And gardens dense with many trees,
And fruits and herbage.
(To be) a provision and benefit for you and
your cattle." [`Abasa 80:24-32]
Plants remind man that this world will come
to an end:
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the likeness of (this) worldly
life is as the water (rain) which We send down
from the sky; so by it arises the intermingled
produce of the earth of which men and cattle
eat: until when the earth is clad in its
adornments and is beautified, and its people
think that they have all the powers of disposal
over it, Our Command reaches it by night or by
day and We make it like a clean-mown harvest, as
if it had not flourished yesterday! Thus do We
explain the Ayaat in detail for the people who
reflect"
[Yoonus 10:24]
Allaah gives people the likeness of the
resurrection of the dead and their coming forth
from their graves, by reminding them of what
they see of the earth coming back to life after
it was dead. He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And among His Signs (in this), that you
see the earth barren, but when We send down
water (rain) to it, it is stirred to life and
growth (of vegetations). Verily, He Who gives it
life, surely is Able to give life to the dead
(on the Day of Resurrection). Indeed He is Able
to do all things"
[Fussilat 41:39]
Man also derives medicines from plants, the
greatest of which are the black seed of which
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said that it is a cure for every
disease apart from death (narrated by
al-Bukhaari, 5687); and honey, which is gathered
from the nectar of flowers, of which Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "… wherein
is healing for man…" [al-Nahl 16:69].
Animals are also food for people.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And the cattle, He has created them for
you; in them there is warmth (warm clothing),
and numerous benefits, and of them you eat"
[al-Nahl 16:5]
"And He it is Who has subjected the sea (to
you), that you eat thereof fresh tender meat
(i.e. fish), and that you bring forth out of it
ornaments to wear. And you see the ships
ploughing through it, that you may seek (thus)
of His Bounty (by transporting the goods from
place to place) and that you may be grateful"
[al-Nahl 16:14]
And animals are a means of transportation and
an adornment.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (He has created) horses, mules and
donkeys, for you to ride and as an adornment.
And He creates (other) things of which you have
no knowledge"
[al-Nahl 16:8]
From animals man makes the tents in which he
lives and the clothes that he wears. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And Allaah has made for you in your homes
an abode, and made for you out of the hides of
the cattle (tents for) dwelling, which you find
so light (and handy) when you travel and when
you stay (in your travels); and of their wool,
fur, and hair (sheep wool, camel fur, and goat
hair), furnishings and articles of convenience
(e.g. carpets, blankets), comfort for a
while" [al-Nahl 16:80]
Horses are a means of jihad and will remain
so until the Hour begins; the Muslims wage jihad
on horseback and achieve victory, acquire war
booty and are rewarded by Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And make ready against them all you can
of power, including steeds of war to threaten
the enemy of Allaah and your enemy, and others
besides whom, you may not know but whom Allaah
does know" [al-Anfaal 8:60]
Al-Bukhaari (2852) and Muslim (1873) narrated
from `Urwah al-Baariqi that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Good
will remain (as a permanent quality) in the
foreheads of horses (for Jihad) till the Day of
Resurrection, for they bring about reward (from
Allaah) and booty."
These are some of the benefits of animals and
plants. And there are other purposes and
benefits which no one knows except Allaah.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
36521: Maqaam Ibraaheem and
the footprints on it
Question:
Are the marks on Maqaam Ibraaheem the
footprints of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) or
not?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Maqaam Ibraaheem (the Station of Ibraaheem)
is the stone on which he stood when the building
became higher than he could reach. So his son
put this famous stone there for him so that he
could stand on it when the building grew tall…
The footprints of al-Khaleel (Ibraaheem, peace
be upon him) remained on the rock until the
beginning of Islam.
From al-Bidaayah wa'l-Nihaayah, 1/163
Ibn Hajr said: What is meant by Maqaam
Ibraaheem is the stone on which are the marks of
his feet.
Ibn Katheer said:
The marks of his feet were clear on it and
were well known; the Arabs were familiar with
that during their jaahiliyyah and the Muslims
also knew of that, as Anas ibn Maalik said: I
saw the Maqaam on which were the marks of his
toes and heels.
But they disappeared because of people
touching them with their hands.
Ibn Jareer narrated that Qataadah said: "
`And take you (people) the Maqaam (place) of
Ibraaheem (Abraham) [or the stone on which
Ibraaheem (Abraham) stood while he was building
the Ka`bah] as a place of prayer (for some of
your prayers, e.g. two Rak`at after the Tawaaf
of the Ka`bah at Makkah)' [al-Baqarah 2:125 _
interpretation of the meaning]. This means
that they were commanded to pray at that place;
they were not commanded to touch it. This ummah
went beyond what was prescribed for it, to an
extent that no previous nation did. We have
heard from those who saw the marks of his heels
and toes on it, but this ummah kept touching
them until they disappeared."
From Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/117
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:
Undoubtedly Maqaam Ibraaheem is proven and
that on which the glass enclosure is built is
indeed Maqaam Ibraaheem. But the engraved marks
that appear on it do not seem to be footprints,
because what is well known from an historical
point of view is that those footprints
disappeared a long time ago. But these engraved
marks were meant as a marker only, and we cannot
be certain that these are the footprints of
Ibraaheem (peace be upon him).
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
14527: Who moved the Ka'bah
to where it is now?
Question:
Who moved the kab'ah to where it is now?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The Ka'bah was not in one place and then
moved, rather it was built in the place where it
is now, and it has not been moved from that
time. The scholars differed as to who built the
Ka'bah. It was said that it was the angels, or
Adam (peace be upon him), or Ibraaheem (peace be
upon him) _ the latter is the correct view.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when Ibraaheem (Abraham)
and (his son) Ismaa'eel (Ishmael) were raising
the foundations of the House (the Ka`bah at
Makkah), (saying), `Our Lord! Accept (this
service) from us. Verily, You are the
All-Hearer, the All-Knower'"
[al-Baqarah 2:127]
It was narrated that Abu Dharr (may Allaah be
pleased with him) said: I said, "O Messenger of
Allaah, which mosque was built first on earth?"
He said, "Al-Masjid al-Haraam." I said, "Then
which?" He said, "Al-Masjid al-Aqsa." I asked,
"How much time was between them?" He said,
"Forty years. So wherever you are when the time
for prayer comes, then pray."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3186; Muslim, 520.
The scholars of the Standing Committee said:
The Holy Ka'bah is the qiblah of the Muslims
towards which they face in every prayer, in
obedience to the command of Allaah, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We have seen the turning of your
(Muhammad's) face towards the heaven. Surely, We
shall turn you to a Qiblah (prayer direction)
that shall please you, so turn your face in the
direction of Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah).
And wheresoever you people are, turn your faces
(in prayer) in that direction"
[al-Baqarah 2:144]
It is also the place where they perform the
rituals of Hajj and `Umrah, by circumambulating
it, in obedience to the command of Allaah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"and circumambulate the Ancient House (the
Ka`bah at Makkah)" [al-Hajj 22:29]
And in obedience to what Allaah has
prescribed on the lips of His Messenger Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
It was built by Ibraaheem al-Khaleel and his
son Ismaa'eel (peace be upon them both) as
Allaah tells us (interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when Ibraaheem (Abraham)
and (his son) Ismaa'eel (Ishmael) were raising
the foundations of the House (the Ka`bah at
Makkah), (saying), `Our Lord! Accept (this
service) from us. Verily, You are the
All-Hearer, the All-Knower'"
[al-Baqarah 2:127]
And it has been renovated several times since
then.
Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn `Abd-Allaah ibn
Baaz, Shaykh `Abd al-Razzaaq `Afeefi, Shaykh
`Abd-Allaah ibn Ghadyaan, Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn
Qa'ood.
Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 6/310
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
4811: So let man see from
what he is created
Question:
Did Allaah create man from clay or from
something else that is not fully described in
the Qur'aan?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Allaah created Adam (peace be upon him) from
the earth i.e., from what it contains. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Thereof (the earth) We created you, and
into it We shall return you, and from it We
shall bring you out once again"
[Ta-Ha 20:55]
He created him from the dust of the earth, as
He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the likeness of `Eesa (Jesus)
before Allaah is the likeness of Adam. He
created him from dust…" [Aal `Imraan
3:59]
There are many similar verses in the Qur'aan.
Then the dust was combined with water to form
clay, as the Lord of the Worlds says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"He it is Who has created you from clay,
and then has decreed a (stated) term (for you to
die). And there is with Him another determined
term (for you to be resurrected)"
[al-An'aam 6:2]
There are also many similar verses.
This clay was sticky _ or it was said,
viscous _ as it says in the verse
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We created them of a sticky clay"
[al-Saaffaat 37:11]
Ibn Manzoor said: the words laazib
(sticky) comes from the root lazuba which has
the meaning of becoming sticky and solid.
Lisaan al-`Arab, 1/738
Then this sticky clay became muntin
(stinking). Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And indeed, We created man from dried
(sounding) clay of altered mud [min hama'in
masnoon]"
[al-Hijr 15:26]
Al-Raazi said:
Al-hama' means black mud.
(Mukhtaar al-Sihaah, p. 64).
It says in Lisaan al-`Arab (1/61):
Al-hama' means black, stinking mud. In
the Qur'aan it says "min hama'in
masnoon."
And it says in Lisaan al-`Arab
(13/227):
"Masnoon means muntin
(stinking), as in the verse `min hamaa'in
masnoon.' Abu `Amr said: this means altered
and stinking. Abu'l-Haytham said: sunna
al-ma', fa huwa masnoon, i.e., the water
changed, so it was altered (masnoon)."
When this mud was mixed with sand, it became
salsaal (dried clay).
Al-Raazi said:
Salsaal is hot mud mixed with sand, so
it starts to clank or clatter when it dries. If
it is baked with fire it becomes fired clay or
earthenware pottery.
Mukhtaar al-Sihaah, 1/154.
It says in Lisaan al-`Arab (11/382):
Al-Salsaal min al-teen (clay made from
mud) is that which has not been made into
pottery. Any mud or clay that dries is described
as salla saleelan (rattling or
clattering) … i.e., it makes a noise like new
pottery. Thus salsaal is likened to
pottery, as in the verse,
"He created man (Adam) from sounding clay
like the clay of pottery"
[al-Rahmaan 55:14 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
All of this is confirmed by the hadeeth of
Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari who said: "I heard the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say: `Allaah created Adam
from a handful that He gathered from the entire
earth, so the sons of Adam come like the earth.
Some of them are red, some are white, some are
black and some are in between. Some of them are
easy, some of them are difficult, some are evil
and some are good."
(Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2955; Abu Dawood,
4693. Al-Tirmidhi said that this hadeeth is
hasan saheeh, and it was classed as saheeh by
Ibn Hibbaan, 14/29; al-Haakim, 2/288; and
al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 3926).
This is how Adam was created: from the earth
_ i.e. from its dust _ which was then mixed with
water to form mud, which then became black,
stinking mud. And this dust was created from the
earth which is partly sand and when it is mixed
it becomes sounding clay like the clay of
pottery.
Hence when Allaah describes the creation of
Adam in the Qur'aan, in each case He describes
one of the stages through which his creation
passed and through which the mud was formed. So
there is no contradiction in the verses of the
Qur'aan.
Then after that the sons of Adam started to
multiply and they were created through water
which is the sperm and fluids which are emitted
by men and women, as is well known.
This is explained by the Qur'aan in the
verses (interpretation of the meanings):
"And it is He Who has created man from
water, and has appointed for him kindred by
blood, and kindred by marriage"
[al-Furqaan 25:54]
"Then He made his offspring from semen of
despised water (male and female sexual
discharge)"
[al-Sajdah 32:8]
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said:
When the perfection, complete power,
all-encompassing knowledge, ever-executed will
and utmost wisdom of the Lord decreed that His
creation should be of materials of different
kinds, and that they should vary in their forms
and attributes and natures, His wisdom decreed
that He should take a handful of dust from the
earth, then mix it with water. So it became like
black stinking mud. Then the wind was sent upon
it and it dried out, until it became clay like
pottery. Then it was given shape and limbs and
faculties, and each part of it was given a shape
suited to its purpose.
Then he mentioned how people are created by
means of intercourse and the emission of semen.
Al-Tabaayun fi Aqsaam al-Qur'aan, p.
204
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
20907: How many years were
there between Adam and Muhammad (peace be upon
them both)?
Question:
How long was the period of time between the
creation of Adam (peace be upon him) and the
creation of Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him)?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing in Islam that defines the
period between Adam and Muhammad (peace be upon
them both); indeed the length of time that Adam
(peace be upon him) lived is not known.
But there are some ahaadeeth and reports
which, if we put them together, we can arrive at
an approximate length of time, but that does not
cover the complete period. Some of these
ahaadeeth and reports are saheeh (sound) and
others are subject to differences of scholarly
opinion, and some periods of time are not
defined precisely in any reports. Among the
saheeh reports concerning that are the
following:
1 _ Allaah says concerning the length of time
that Nooh (peace be upon him) remained calling
his people:
"and he stayed among them a thousand years
less fifty years"
[al-`Ankaboot 29:14]
2 _ The period between `Eesa and our Prophet
(peace be upon them both): al-Bukhaari narrated
that Salmaan al-Faarisi said: "The period
between `Eesa and our Prophet (peace be upon
them both) was six hundred years." There are
also other reports whose soundness is debatable,
which mention the following:
3 _ The period between Adam and Nooh (peace
be upon them both): it was narrated from Abu
Umaamah that a man said: "O Messenger of Allaah,
was Adam a Prophet?" He said, "Yes, and Allaah
spoke to him." The man asked, "How much (time)
was there between him and Nooh?" He said, "Ten
centuries." Narrated by Ibn Hibbaan in his
Saheeh, 14/69; and by al-Haakim, 2/262.
He said it is saheeh according to the conditions
of Muslim, and al-Dhahabi agreed with him. Ibn
Katheer said in al-Bidaayah wa'l-Nihaayah
(1/94): this is (saheeh) according to the
conditions of Muslim, even though he did not
narrate it.
4 _ The period between Nooh and Ibraaheem
(peace be upon them both): our evidence is in
the continuation of the hadeeth of Abu Umaamah
(may Allaah be pleased with him) quoted above: …
He said, "And how long was there between Nooh
and Ibraaheem?" He said, "Ten centuries."
(Narrated by al-Haakim in al-Mustadrak,
2/288. He said: this hadeeth is saheeh according
to the conditions of Muslim, although he did not
narrate it. And it was narrated by al-Tabaraani
in al-Mu'jam al-Kabeer, 8/118.
It was reported that some of the narrators of
this hadeeth were da'eef (weak), but
al-Albaani classed it as saheeh on the
basis of corroborating reports.
Some of the reports that were narrated
include the following:
5. The period between Moosa and `Eesa (peace
be upon them both). Al-Qurtubi said: there was
some difference of opinion as to the length of
this period. Muhammad ibn Sa'd mentioned in his
book al-Tabaqaat that Ibn `Abbaas said:
"between Moosa ibn `Imraan and `Eesa ibn Maryam
(peace be upon them both) there were one
thousand and seven hundred years, and there was
no fatrah (interval when no Prophet was sent)
between them, for one thousand Prophets of the
Children of Israel were sent between them, apart
from other Prophets who were also sent (to other
nations). And between the birth of `Eesa and the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) there were five hundred and ninety-nine
years." (Tafseer al-Qurtubi, 6/121). Ibn
Hajar said: "The narrators are agreed that the
period of the Jews until the coming of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was more than two thousand years, and the
period of the Christians until the coming of the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) was six hundred years." (Fath
al-Baari, 4/449)
By looking at the verse, ahaadeeth, reports
and opinions quoted above, if they are correct
then we may use them to work out the period in
question.
But as for being certain of the length of
time between Adam and Muhammad (peace be upon
them both), then in addition to the above there
are many other considerations to be addressed
before we can work it out, including the
following:
· Differences of scholarly opinion concerning
the definition of the word qarn
(translated above as "century") _ does it mean
one hundred years, or does it mean one
generation? What we know is that the lifespan of
the people at that time was a fraction of the
time that Nooh spent in calling his people, and
we do not know how long the people of those
generations lived.
· There is no report which defines the number
of years between Ibraaheem and Moosa (peace be
upon them both).
It remains to be said that being certain
about such matters or researching them are not
things on which we base our acts of worship or
our actions, and the words of Allaah are
sufficient for us:
"And (also) `Aad and Thamood, and the
Dwellers of ArRass, and many generations in
between"
[al-Furqaan 25:38 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
We must strive to follow the example of these
Prophets and walk in their footsteps, because
this is the purpose behind mentioning them and
their lives:
"They are those whom Allaah had guided. So
follow their guidance"
[al-An'aam 6:90]
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
22058: Man was created tall
then he kept getting shorter until now
Question:
Was man short at the time of Adam (peace be
upon him) then he gradually grew taller, or was
it the other way round? May Allaah reward you
with good.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah created Adam (peace be upon him) sixty
cubits tall, then mankind gradually grew shorter
until they stopped and remained as they are now.
The evidence for that in the Sunnah is the
hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): "Allaah created Adam sixty
cubits tall, then mankind kept getting shorter
until now." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3326;
Muslim, 2841). Ibn Abi Haatim narrated with a
hasan isnaad from Ubayy ibn Ka'b that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Allaah created Adam a tall man with
a lot of hair on his head, as if he were a tall
palm tree."
Al-Haafiz ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said in Fath al-Baari:
" `Mankind kept getting shorter until now'
means that each generation grew shorter than the
generation before, and that decrease in height
ended with this ummah, and that is how they
stayed."
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send
blessings and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
20965: The pigeons of Makkah
and Madeenah
Question:
Is there anything special about the pigeons
of Makkah and Madeenah?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing special about the pigeons of
Makkah or the pigeons of Madeenah, apart from
the fact that they may not be hunted or
disturbed so long as they are within the
boundaries of the sanctuary, because of the
general meaning of the hadeeth: "Allaah had made
Makkah sacred, and (fighting therein) was not
permitted to anyone before me and will not be
permitted to anyone after me. It was only
permitted to me for a brief time on one day. Its
shrubs are not to be uprooted, its trees are not
to be cut down, and its game is not to be
disturbed." (Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1349). And
he SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Ibraaheem made Makkah a sanctuary,
and I have made Madeenah a sanctuary, whatever
is between its two lava fields [?]; its trees
are not to be cut down and its game is not to be
hunted." (Narrated by Muslim, 1360).
Standing Committee for Academic Research and
Issuing Fatwas, Fataawa al-Lajnah, 11/199.
(www.islam-qa.com)
14085: Are the monkeys and
pigs that exist nowadays humans who have been
transformed?
Question:
Could you please tell me about monkeys. Are
they humans who were turned into monkeys for
disobeying Allahs commandments? if so which
people were they and what did they do?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Maskh (transformation) refers to the changing
of a person's exterior appearance. Allaah has
told us in more than one place in the Qur'aan
that He transformed some of the Children of
Israel into monkeys as a punishment for their
disobedience towards Allaah. Allaah says,
addressing the Children of Israel
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And indeed you knew those amongst you who
transgressed in the matter of the Sabbath (i.e.
Saturday). We said to them: `Be you monkeys,
despised and rejected.'
So We made this punishment an example to
their own and to succeeding generations and a
lesson to those who are Al-Muttaqoon (the
pious)"
[al-Baqarah 2:65-66]
And Allaah tells us their story in more
detail in Soorat al-A'raaf, where He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And ask them (O Muhammad) about the town
that was by the sea; when they transgressed in
the matter of the Sabbath (i.e. Saturday): when
their fish came to them openly on the Sabbath
day, and did not come to them on the day they
had no Sabbath. Thus We made a trial of them,
for they used to rebel against Allaah's Command
(disobey Allaah)
And when a community among them said: `Why
do you preach to a people whom Allaah is about
to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?'
(The preachers) said: `In order to be free from
guilt before your Lord (Allaah), and perhaps
they may fear Allaah.'
So when they forgot the reminders that had
been given to them, We rescued those who forbade
evil, but with a severe torment We seized those
who did wrong because they used to rebel against
Allaah's Command (disobey Allaah).
So when they exceeded the limits of what they
were prohibited, We said to them: `Be you
monkeys, despised and rejected'"
[al-A'raaf 7:163-166]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Say: `O people of the Scripture (Jews and
Christians)! Do you criticize us for no other
reason than that we believe in Allaah, and in
(the Revelation) which has been sent down to us
and in that which has been sent down before
(us), and that most of you are Faasiqoon
[rebellious and disobedient (to Allaah)]?'
Say (O Muhammad to the people of the
Scripture): `Shall I inform you of something
worse than that, regarding the recompense from
Allaah: those (Jews) who incurred the Curse of
Allaah and His Wrath, and those of whom (some)
He transformed into monkeys and swines, and
those who worshipped Taaghoot (false deities);
such are worse in rank (on the Day of
Resurrection in the Hellfire), and far more
astray from the Right Path (in the life of this
world)'"
[al-Maa'idah 5:59-60]
This transformation was a punishment from
Allaah to them for their doing that which Allaah
had forbidden to them. This punishment was not
exclusively for the Children of Israel, rather
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) told us that the Hour will not begin
until such transformation happens among this
ummah too. He issued this warning to those who
disbelieve in the divine decree (al-qadr), and
those who drink alcohol and listen to singing _
we seek refuge with Allaah from that.
Ibn Maajah (4059) narrated from `Abd-Allaah
ibn Mas'ood that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Shortly
before the Hour begins, people will be
transformed into monkeys and pigs, swallowed up
in the earth, and pelted with stones."
(Saheeh Ibn Maajah, 3280).
Being swallowed up in the earth means that
the earth will split open and swallow up a
person, house or city, just as Allaah caused the
earth to swallow Qaaroon and his household.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning);
"So We caused the earth to swallow him"
[al-Qasas 28:81]
Pelting with stones is the same as Allaah did
to the people of Loot. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"and rained down on them stones of baked
clay"
[al-Hijr 15:74]
Al-Tirmidhi (2152) narrated that Ibn `Umar
said: "I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, `Among
this ummah those who disbelieve in the divine
decree (al-qadr) will be wallowed up by
the earth, transformed into monkeys and pigs or
pelted with stones." (Saheeh al-Tirmidhi,
1748).
And al-Tirmidhi (2212) narrated from `Imraan
ibn Husayn that the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
"Among this ummah, people will be transformed
into monkeys and pigs, swallowed up in the
earth, and pelted with stones." A man among the
Muslims said, "O Messenger of Allaah, when will
that be?" He said, "When singing-girls and
musical instruments become widespread and wine
is drunk." (Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 1802).
These ahaadeeth indicate that such
transformations will happen in this ummah as a
punishment for some sins. So let the Muslim
beware of doing anything that Allaah has
forbidden. Woe be to the one who provokes the
anger, wrath and vengeance of Allaah. May Allaah
keep us all safe from the things that incur His
punishment.
But these monkeys and pigs that exist
nowadays are not the people from the earlier
nations who were transformed, because Allaah
does not enable those who have been transformed
to have offspring, rather He causes them to die
after being transformed, so they have no
offspring.
Muslim (2663) narrated that `Abd-Allaah ibn
Mas'ood said: "A man said, `O Messenger of
Allaah, are the monkeys and pigs those who have
been transformed?' The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: `Allaah
does not enable those who have been transformed
to have offspring or children. The monkeys and
pigs existed before that.'" al-Nawawi (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: "The Prophet's
words `The monkeys and pigs existed before that'
means that they existed before the Children of
Israel were transformed, which indicates that
they are not from among those who were
transformed."
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad and grant him peace. Islam
Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
22233: Does Iblees have any
offspring?
Question:
Does Iblees have any offspring? If so, is the
via marriage? And does he have a wife?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh al-Shanqeeti said in his commentary on
the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"Will you then take him (Iblees) and his
offspring as protectors and helpers rather than
Me…?"[al-Kahf 18:50]
The word dhurriyah (offspring) in this aayah
indicates that the Shaytaan has offspring. The
claim that he does not have offspring clearly
contradicts this aayah as you can see.
Everything that clearly contradicts the Qur'aan
is undoubtedly false. But there is no clear text
concerning the way in which his offspring come
into being, whether that is through marriage or
otherwise, and the scholars differed concerning
this matter. Al- Shu'bi said: A man asked me
whether Iblees has a wife? I said, "That is a
wedding party I never attended!", then I
remembered the aayah (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Will you then take him (Iblees) and his
offspring as protectors and helpers rather than
Me…?"
[al-Kahf 18:50]
Then I realized that he could not have
offspring unless he had a wife, so I said, Yes.
Something similar to what al-Shu'bi
understood from this aayah, that having
offspring implies having a wife, was also
narrated from Qutaadah. Mujaahid said: the way
in which his offspring came into being is that
he inserted his private part into his private
part, then he laid five eggs, and this was the
origin of his offspring. Some of the scholars
said that Allaah created a penis on his right
thigh and a vagina on his left thigh, so he
impregnates himself in this manner and ten eggs
are laid every day, from each of which emerge
seventy male and female devils.
It is obvious that these views are
unreliable, because they are not supported by
any text in the Qur'aan or Sunnah. The aayah
indicates that he has offspring, but as to how
these offspring are born, there is no reliable
text concerning that, and such matters cannot be
known through mere opinions.
Al-Qurtubi said in his commentary on this
aayah: I say: what is proven in saheeh reports
concerning this matter is that which was
narrated by al-Humaydi in al-Jam' bayna
al-Saheehayn from Imaam Abu Bakr
al-Burqaani, who narrated in his book with an
isnaad from Abu Muhammad `Abd al-Ghani ibn
Sa'eed al-Haafiz from the report of `Aasim from
Abu `Uthmaan from Salmaan that the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Do not be the first one to enter the
market-place or the last one to leave, for there
the Shaytaan lays his eggs and there they
hatch." This indicates that the Shaytaan has
offspring from his loins.
Those who interpreted this report literally
(may Allaah forgive them) said that this hadeeth
indicates that he (the Shaytaan) lays eggs and
that they hatch. But there is nothing to
indicate that these eggs are from a female,
namely his wife, or otherwise. This hadeeth may
be interpreted differently, because the Arabs
often speak of laying eggs and hatching them by
way of metaphor. So the words "he lays his eggs
and they hatch" may be interpreted as meaning
that he does whatever he wants to misguide and
tempt people, and whisper insinuating thoughts
to them, and so on, as a metaphor. The wording
of metaphors does not change, regardless of the
context.
Adwaa' al-Bayaan, 4/133-135.
(www.islam-qa.com)
22247: The wisdom behind the
fact that `Eesa ibn Maryam was created without a
father
Question:
What is the wisdom behind the fact that
Allaah created `Eesa ibn Maryam without a
father?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh al-Shanqeeti said:
Part of the wisdom behind the fact that
Allaah created `Eesa from a woman without a
husband was to make that a sign for mankind,
i.e., a sign that was indicative of His complete
power, and to show that He can create whatever
He wills however He wills. If He wills, He can
create a person from a female without a male, as
He did in the case of `Eesa. If He wills, He can
create a person from a male without a female, as
He did in the case of Hawwa' (Eve), as He states
in the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"and from him (Adam) He created his wife
[Hawwa (Eve)]"
[al-Nisaa' 4:1]
i.e., from that soul, who was Adam, He
created his partner, who was Hawwa'. If He
wills, He can create a person without a male or
a female, as He created Adam. And if He wills,
he can create a person from a male and a female,
as He did with the rest of the sons of Adam.
Adwaa' al-Bayaan, 4/259. (www.islam-qa.com)
13741: Allaah created the
universe in six days
Question:
Is it true that Allah created the universe in
6 days?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Yes, Allaah created the heavens and the earth
and everything in between in six days, as He
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And indeed We created the heavens and the
earth and all between them in six Days and
nothing of fatigue touched Us"
[Qaaf 50:38]
This indicates that what the Jews, upon whom
be the curses of Allaah, say is false, as they
said that He got tired when He created the
heavens and the earth in six days, so He rested
on the Sabbath. Exalted be Allaah far above what
they say.
More details are narrated in the Qur'aan.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): `Do you verily
disbelieve in Him Who created the earth in two
Days? And you set up rivals (in worship) with
Him? That is the Lord of the `Aalameen (mankind,
jinn and all that exists).
He placed therein (i.e. the earth) firm
mountains from above it, and He blessed it, and
measured therein its sustenance (for its
dwellers) in four Days equal (i.e. all these
four `days' were equal in the length of time)
for all those who ask (about its creation).
Then He rose over (Istawa) towards the heaven
when it was smoke, and said to it and to the
earth: `Come both of you willingly or
unwillingly.' They both said: `We come
willingly.'
Then He completed and finished from their
creation (as) seven heavens in two Days and He
made in each heaven its affair. And We adorned
the nearest (lowest) heaven with lamps (stars)
to be an adornment as well as to guard (from the
devils by using them as missiles against the
devils). Such is the Decree of Him, the
AllMighty, the AllKnower"[Fussilat 41:9-12]
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
13821: Killing salamanders
by hand
Question:
Is it correct to kill salamanders by hand? Is
it proven that there is reward for killing them?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Killing salamanders is prescribed because
there is a great deal of evidence to that
effect. It should be done with a tool or
implement, etc. There is nothing in the reports
to specify that they should be killed by hand or
to encourage killing them by hand. I do not
think that this is correct and there is no
report to this effect. That is alien to Islamic
teaching and good characteristics.
In al-Saheehayn and elsewhere it is
narrated via Sa'eed ibn al-Musayyib that Um
Shareek told him that the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) told her to
kill salamanders. According to the report
narrated by al-Bukhaari, he said: "It (the
salamander) used to blow on Ibraaheem, peace be
upon him."
In Saheeh Muslim it is narrated via
`Abd al-Razzaaq, Mu'ammar told us from al-Zuhri
from `Aamir ibn Sa'd from his father that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said enjoined the killing of salamanders
and called them mischief doers.
Killing salamanders with one blow brings more
reward than killing them with two blows. This
was narrated in Saheeh Muslim via Khaalid
ibn `Abd-Allaah from Suhayl ibn Abi Saalih from
his father from Abu Hurayrah, that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "Whoever kills a salamander with one blow
will have such and such hasanah (good deeds);
whoever kills it with the second blow will have
such and such hasanah, less than the first; and
whoever kills it with three blows will have such
and such hasanah _ less that the second."
Shaykh Sulaymaan al-`Alwaan.
Ibn Maajah (may Allaah have mercy on him)
narrated in his Sunan from Saa'ibah the
slave woman of al-Faakih ibn al-Mugheerah that
she entered upon `Aa'ishah and saw a spear
sitting there in her house. She said, "O Mother
of the Believers, what do you do with this?" She
said, "We kill these salamanders with it,
because the Prophet of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) told us that
when Ibraaheem was thrown into the fire, there
was no animal on earth but it tried to
extinguish the fire, except for the salamander,
which was blowing on the fire (to keep it
burning). So the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) commanded that
they should be killed."
(Sunan Ibn Maajah, 3222. He said in
al-Zawaa'id, the isnaad of `Aa'ishah's
hadeeth is saheeh, its men are thiqaat
(trustworthy)
And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A. Sheikh
Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
13286: The creation of man
Question:
Can you tell me about the beginning of man's
creation?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah created Adam with His hand and
breathed into him his soul created by Him, and
told His angels to prostrate to him.
Allaah created Adam from dust, as He says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, the likeness of `Eesa (Jesus)
before Allaah is the likeness of Adam. He
created him from dust, then (He) said to him:
`Be!' — and he was"
[Aal `Imraan 3:59]
When Allaah had completed the creation of
Adam, He commanded the angels to prostrate to
him, so they prostrated, except for Iblees, who
was present but he refused and was too arrogant
to prostrate to Adam:
"(Remember) when your Lord said to the
angels: `Truly, I am going to create man from
clay.
So when I have fashioned him and breathed
into him (his) soul created by Me, then you fall
down prostrate to him.'
So the angels prostrated themselves, all of
them,
Except Iblees (Satan), he was proud and was
one of the disbelievers" [Saad 38:71-74 _
interpretation of the meaning]
Then Allaah told the angels that He was going
to place Adam on earth and make generations
after generations of his offspring, as He said
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And (remember) when your Lord said to the
angels: `Verily, I am going to place (mankind)
generations after generations on earth'"
[al-Baqarah 2:30]
Allaah taught Adam all the names:
"And He taught Adam all the names (of
everything)"
[al-Baqarah 2:31 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
When Iblees refused to prostrate to Adam,
Allaah expelled him and cursed him:
"(Allaah) said: `Then get out from here; for
verily, you are outcast.
And verily, My Curse is on you till the Day
of Recompense'"
[Saad 38:77-78 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
When Iblees knew of his fate, he asked Allaah
to give him respite until the Day of
Resurrection:
"[Iblees (Satan)] said: `My Lord! Give me
then respite till the Day the (dead) are
resurrected.'
(Allaah) said: `Verily, you are of those
allowed respite
Till the Day of the time appointed'"
[Saad 38:79-81 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
When Allaah granted him that, he declared war
on Adam and his descendents, made disobedience
attractive to them and tempted them to commit
immoral actions:
"[Iblees (Satan)] said: `By Your Might,
then I will surely, mislead them all,
Except Your chosen slaves amongst them (i.e.
faithful, obedient, true believers of Islamic
Monotheism).'"
[Saad 38:82-83 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah created Adam, and from him He created
his wife, and from their progeny He created men
and women, as He says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who
created you from a single person (Adam), and
from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwa
(Eve)], and from them both He created many men
and women"
[al-Nisaa' 4:1]
Then Allaah caused Adam and his wife to dwell
in Paradise, as a test for them. He commanded
them to eat of the fruits of Paradise but He
forbade them to eat from one tree:
"And We said: `O Adam! Dwell you and your
wife in the Paradise and eat both of you freely
with pleasure and delight, of things therein as
wherever you will, but come not near this tree
or you both will be of the Zaalimoon
(wrong-doers)'"
[al-Baqarah 2:35 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah warned Adam and his wife against the
Shaytaan, as He said (interpretation of the
meaning):
"O Adam! Verily, this is an enemy to you
and to your wife. So let him not get you both
out of Paradise, so that you will be distressed"
[Ta-Ha 20:117]
Then the Shaytaan whispered to Adam and his
wife, and tempted them to eat from the forbidden
tree. Adam forgot and could not resist the
temptation, so he disobeyed his Lord and ate
from that tree:
"Then Shaytaan (Satan) whispered to him,
saying : `O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree
of Eternity and to a kingdom that will never
waste away?'
Then they both ate of the tree, and so their
private parts became manifest to them, and they
began to cover themselves with the leaves of the
Paradise for their covering. Thus did Adam
disobey his Lord, so he went astray" [Ta-Ha
20:120-121 _ interpretation of the meaning]
Their Lord called to them and said
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Did I not forbid you that tree and tell
you: Verily, Shaytaan (Satan) is an open enemy
unto you?"
[al-A'raaf 7:22]
When they ate from the tree, they regretted
what they had done, and said:
"Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If
You forgive us not, and bestow not upon us Your
Mercy, we shall certainly be of the losers"
[al-A'raaf 7:23 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The sin of Adam stemmed from desire, not from
arrogance, hence Allaah guided him to repent and
He accepted that from him:
"Then Adam received from his Lord Words.
And his Lord pardoned him (accepted his
repentance). Verily, He is the One Who forgives
(accepts repentance), the Most Merciful"
[al-Baqarah 2:37 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
This is the way for Adam and his descendents:
whoever sins then repents sincerely, Allaah will
accept his repentance:
"And He it is Who accepts repentance from
His slaves, and forgives sins, and He knows what
you do"
[al-Shoora 42:25 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Then Allaah sent Adam and his wife, and
Iblees, down to the earth, and He sent down
Revelation to them and He sent the Messengers to
them. So whoever believes will enter Paradise
and whoever disbelieves will enter Hell:
"We said: `Get down all of you from this
place (the Paradise), then whenever there comes
to you Guidance from Me, and whoever follows My
Guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor
shall they grieve.
But those who disbelieve and belie Our Ayaat
(proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs,
revelations, etc.) — such are the dwellers of
the Fire. They shall abide therein forever'"
[al-Baqarah 2:38-39 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
When Allaah sent them all down to the earth,
the conflict between faith and kufr, between
truth and falsehood, between good and evil,
began, and it will continue until Allaah
inherits the earth and everyone on it:
"(Allaah) said: `Get down, one of you an
enemy to the other [i.e. Adam, Hawwa, (Eve), and
Shaytaan (Satan)]. On earth will be a dwelling
place for you and an enjoyment for a time'
[al-A'raaf 7:24_ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah is Able to do all things. He created
Adam with no father or mother, and He created
Hawwa from a father with no mother, and He
created `Eesa from a mother with no father, and
He created us from a father and a mother.
Allaah created Adam from dust, then He made
his descendents from semen of despised water, as
He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Who made everything He has created good
and He began the creation of man from clay.
Then He made his offspring from semen of
despised water (male and female sexual
discharge).
Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and
breathed into him the soul (created by Allaah
for that person); and He gave you hearing
(ears), sight (eyes) and hearts. Little is the
thanks you give!"
[al-Sajdah 32:7-9]
How man is created in the womb, and the
stages which he goes through, is a wondrous
thing. Allaah mentioned this in the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And indeed We created man (Adam) out of
an extract of clay (water and earth).
Thereafter We made him (the offspring of
Adam) as a Nutfah (mixed drops of the male and
female sexual discharge and lodged it) in a safe
lodging (womb of the woman).
Then We made the Nutfah into a clot (a piece
of thick coagulated blood), then We made the
clot into a little lump of flesh, then We made
out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We
clothed the bones with flesh, and then We
brought it forth as another creation. So Blessed
is Allaah, the Best of creators"
[al-Mu'minoon 23:12-14]
Allaah Alone creates whatever He wills. He
knows what is in the wombs, and He decrees
provision and lifespans (for His creatures):
"To Allaah belongs the kingdom of the
heavens and the earth. He creates what He wills.
He bestows female (offspring) upon whom He
wills, and bestows male (offspring) upon whom He
wills.
Or He bestows both males and females, and He
renders barren whom He wills. Verily, He is the
AllKnower and is Able to do all things"
[al-Shoora 42:49-50 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Allaah has appointed an angel
over the womb. He says, `O Lord, a drop of semen
(nutfah); O Lord, a clot
(`alaqah); O Lord, a little lump of flesh
(mudghah).' Then if Allah wishes (to
complete) its creation, the angel asks, (O Lord)
male or female, wretched (doomed to Hell) or
blessed (destined for Paradise)? How much will
his provision be? And what will his lifespan
be?' So that is written whilst (the child) is
still in the mother's womb."
(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 318)
Allaah honoured the children of Adam and
subjugated for their benefit that which is in
the heavens and on earth:
"See you not (O men) that Allaah has
subjected for you whatsoever is in the heavens
and whatsoever is in the earth, and has
completed and perfected His Graces upon you,
(both) apparent (i.e. Islamic Monotheism, and
the lawful pleasures of this world, including
health, good looks) and hidden [i.e. one's faith
in Allaah (of Islamic Monotheism), knowledge,
wisdom, guidance for doing righteous deeds, and
also the pleasures and delights of the Hereafter
in Paradise]?
[Luqmaan 31:20 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah has distinguished and honoured man
with reason by which he knows his Lord, Creator
and Provider, and by which he knows what is good
and evil, what will benefit him and what will
harm him, what is halaal and what is haraam.
Allaah did not create man and leave him alone
with no path to follow. Rather, Allaah revealed
the Books and sent Messengers to guide mankind
to the Straight Path.
Allaah created people with a natural
inclination towards monotheism (Tawheed _ belief
in the Oneness of Allaah). Every time they
deviated from that, Allaah sent a Prophet to
bring them back to the Straight Path. The first
of the Prophets was Adam and the last was
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him):
"Mankind were one community and Allaah
sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings,
and with them He sent down the Scripture in
truth to judge between people in matters wherein
they differed
[al-Baqarah 2:213 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
All the Messengers called people to the same
truth, which is the worship of Allaah alone and
to reject all gods besides Him:
"And verily, We have sent among every
Ummah (community, nation) a Messenger
(proclaiming): "Worship Allaah (Alone), and
avoid (or keep away from) Taaghoot (all false
deities, i.e. do not worship Taaghoot besides
Allaah)."
[al-Nahl 16:36 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The religion with which Allaah sent the
Prophets and Messengers was the same, i.e.,
Islam:
"Truly, the religion with Allaah is Islam"
[Aal `Imraan 3:19 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The last of the heavenly Books which Allaah
revealed was the Qur'aan, confirming the Books
which came before it, and as a guidance to all
of mankind:
"(This is) a Book which We have revealed
unto you (O Muhammad) in order that you might
lead mankind out of darkness (of disbelief and
polytheism) into light
[Ibraaheem 14:1 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The last of the Prophets and Messengers whom
Allaah sent was Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him):
"Muhammad is not the father of any of your
men, but he is the Messenger of Allaah and the
last (end) of the Prophets"
[al-Ahzaab 33:40 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
Allaah sent Muhammad (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) to all of mankind:
"Say (O Muhammad): `O mankind! Verily, I
am sent to you all as the Messenger of Allaah'"
[al-A'raaf 7:158 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The Qur'aan is the last and greatest of the
heavenly Books and Muhammad (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) is the last and best of
the Prophets and Messengers.
Allaah has abrogated all of the heavenly
Books with the Qur'aan, so whoever does not
follow the Qur'aan and enter Islam and believe
in the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) and follow him, his deeds will not
be accepted:
"And whoever seeks a religion other than
Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in
the Hereafter he will be one of the losers"
[Aal `Imraan 3:85 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
The religion which was brought by Muhammad
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
confirms the message brought by the Prophets
before him, in its basic principles and
advocation of noble characteristics, as Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"He (Allaah) has ordained for you the same
religion (Islamic Monotheism) which He ordained
for Nooh (Noah), and that which We have revealed
to you (O Muhammad), and that which We ordained
for Ibraaheem (Abraham), Moosa (Moses) and `Eesa
(Jesus) saying you should establish religion
(i.e. to do what it orders you to do
practically) and make no divisions] in it
(religion) (i.e. various sects in religion).
[al-Shoora 42:13] From Usool al-Deen
al-Islami, by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraaheem
al-Tuwayjri. (www.islam-qa.com)
9420: What was the first
thing to be created?
Question:
How can we reconcile between the following
ahaadeeth:
"Allaah existed and nothing
existed before Him. His Throne was above the
water. He wrote all things with His Hand, then
He created the heavens and the earth"
and:
"As soon as Allaah created the Pen..."?
These ahaadeeth appear to contradict one
another as to which thing was created first, and
the reports which say that the first one to be
created was Muhammad the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
These ahaadeeth are in harmony with one
another; they do not contradict one another. The
first thing that Allaah created of the things
that are known to us was His Throne, which He
rose over after He created the heavens, as
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And He it is Who has created the heavens
and the earth in six Days and His Throne was on
the water, that He might try you, which of you
is the best in deeds" [Hood 11:7]
With regard to the Pen, there is nothing in
the hadeeth to indicate that the Pen was the
first thing created. What the hadeeth means is
that when Allaah created the Pen, He commanded
it to write, so it wrote down the decrees of all
things.
With regard to Muhammad (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him), like all other human
beings, he was created from the water (semen) of
his father, `Abd-Allaah ibn `Abd al-Muttalib. He
is no different from other human beings in the
manner in which he was created, as he said about
himself, "I am a human being, I forget as you
forget." He (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) felt fear, got thirsty, felt cold,
suffered from the heat, got sick and died.
Everything that humans go through as a part of
human nature, he also went through, but he is
distinguished by the fact that he received
Revelation and he was qualified to bear the
Message, as Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Allaah knows best with whom to place His
Message" [al-An'aam 6:124]
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Rasaa'il Fadeelat
al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen,
vol. 1, p. 62-63 (www.islam-qa.com)
3668: Believing that
dinosaurs existed
Question:
Imaam, can you please tell me if it is
impermissible to believe that there were
dinosaurs on the earth before Adaam and Eve were
created?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah created Adam (peace be upon him) on a
Friday, the sixth day from the beginning of
creation. Some texts mention what was created on
the previous five days, in brief and general
terms, but as to the details of what was
created, Allaah knows best about that. Questions
like this, on which no belief or deeds are to be
based, are just meaningless distractions that
are of no benefit. Faith does not increase or
decrease according to whether one believes in
dinosaurs or not. It was reported that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) forbade us to occupy ourselves with things
that cause confusion and are not clear. We also
know that people differ in their views as to
whether these dinosaurs existed or they are just
figments of the imagination. And Allaah knows
best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
4395: A Christian asks about
the nature and definition of the soul
Question:
With regard to Islam, what is the soul? For
instance, who created the soul, and what
limitations does it have?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah is the Creator of all things, and the
soul is something that has been created just
like everything else. The knowledge about its
true essence is something that belongs
exclusively to Allaah, may He be glorified and
exalted. Allaah has kept this knowledge
exclusively to Himself, as is stated in the
hadeeth of `Abd-Allaah ibn Mas'ood (may Allaah
be pleased with him), who said: "Whilst I was
with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) on a farm, and he was resting on a
palm branch stripped of its leaves, the Jews
passed by, and some of them said to others, `Ask
him about the soul.' Some of them said, `What
urges you to ask him about it?' Others of them
said, `Don't ask him in case he says something
you dislike.' But they said, `Ask him,' so they
asked him about the soul. The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) kept quiet and
did not respond to them, and I knew that he was
receiving Revelation, so I stayed where I was.
When the Revelation of the aayah was complete,
he said (interpretation of the meaning): `And
they ask you [O Muhammad] concerning the rooh
[the spirit]. Say: `The rooh: it is one of the
things, the knowledge of which is only with my
Lord. And of knowledge, you (mankind) have been
given only a little.' [al-Isra' 17:85]"
(Reported by al-Bukhaari). The rooh (soul
or spirit) has been described by Allaah in His
Book and by the Messenger (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) in his Sunnah, and
various verbs and adjectives have been used in
conjunction with the word `rooh', such as
seizing or grasping, taking (as in death), it
may be fettered or shrouded, it comes and goes,
it goes up and comes down, it may be pulled out
like a hair being pulled out of dough… It is
obligatory (in Islam) to believe in these
attributes which are narrated in the "two
Revelations" (i.e., the Qur'aan and Sunnah), and
also to realize that the soul is not like the
body.
Allaah created Adam and breathed the soul
into him, as is stated in the Qur'aan and in the
hadeeth of the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him): "When Allaah created Adam
and breathed the soul into him, he sneezed and
said `Al-hamdu-Lillah (Praise be to
Allaah).' He praised Allaah by His permission.
Then his Lord said to him, `May Allaah have
mercy on you, O Adam. Go to those angels, to a
group of them who are sitting, and say,
`As-salaamu `alaykum (peace be upon
you).' They said, `Wa `alayka al-salaam wa
rahmat-Allaah (and upon you be peace and the
Mercy of Allaah).' Then he went back to his
Lord, who said, `This is your greeting and the
greeting of your descendants amongst
themselves.'" (Reported and classed as hasan by
al-Tirmidhi. Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3290).
Allaah sends the angel to breathe the soul
into the foetus as was reported by `Abd-Allaah
ibn Mas'ood, who said: "The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who
is the most truthful (of human beings) and his
being truthful (is a fact) told us: `The
constituents of one of you is gathered in his
mother's womb for forty days, then it becomes a
clot of blood within another period of forty
days. Then it becomes a lump of flesh, and forty
days later, Allaah sends His angel to it to
breathe into it the soul. The angel comes with
instructions concerning four things, so the
angel writes down his livelihood, his death, his
deeds and whether he will doomed or blessed."
(Reported by Muslim, 1528).
The soul of the deceased is taken from the
ends of the toes towards the top of the body,
and when it reaches the throat, the death rattle
sounds in the throat of the person who is about
to die, and his eyes glaze over and roll
upwards. Um Salamah said: "The Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) entered upon Abu Salamah (after he had
died) and his eyes were open, so he closed them
then said, `When the soul is taken, the eyes
follow it.'" (Reported by Muslim, 1528).
The soul is met by the angels. The Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "The angels met the soul of a man from
among the people who came before you, and said,
`Did you do anything good?' He said, `I used to
tell my employees to postpone collection of
payment or to let off anyone who was in
difficulty.' So it was said, `Let him off.'"
(Reported by al-Bukhaari, 1935).
The soul is taken up to heaven by two angels
after it is taken (i.e., after a person dies),
as was reported in the hadeeth of Abu Hurayrah
who said: "When the soul of the believer is
taken, it is met by two angels who take it up…"
(The narrator said: then he mentioned its good
fragrance and scent of musk). The people of
heaven say, `A good soul that has come from
earth, may Allaah bless you and the body in
which you used to dwell. Then they take it up to
its Lord, may He be glorified and exalted, then
He says, `Roam with it until the end of the
world.' When the disbeliever's soul comes out…
(the narrator mentioned its putrid smell and
curses). The people of heaven say, `An evil soul
that has come from earth,' then it is said,
`Roam with it until the end of the world.' Abu
Hurayrah said: then the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) put
a piece of cloth over his nose, like this.
(Reported by Muslim, 5119).
More information about how the soul comes out
(at death) was reported in the hadeeth of Imaam
Ahmad (may Allaah have mercy on him) from
al-Bara' ibn `Aazib who said: "We went out with
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) for the funeral of a man from among
the Ansaar, and we reached the grave whilst it
was still being dug. The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) sat
down and we sat down around him, and it was as
if we had birds on our heads. In his hand was a
stick with which he was scratching in the earth.
He raised his head and said, `Seek refuge with
Allaah from the punishment of the grave,' two or
three times. Then he said, `Verily, when the
believing slave is about to depart this world
and enter the Hereafter, there come down to him
angels from heaven with white faces, as if their
faces are the sun. They bring with them one of
the shrouds of Paradise and some of the perfume
of Paradise. They sit with him as far as the eye
can see. Then the Angel of Death (peace be upon
him) comes to him and sits by his head and says,
`O pure soul, come out to the forgiveness and
pleasure of Allaah.' Then his soul comes flowing
out like a drop of water flowing from a cup.
Then he takes the soul, and no sooner does he
seize it but they take it and place it in that
shroud and perfume. Then out of it comes the
most excellent fragrance of musk to be found on
the face of the earth. Then they ascend with it
and they do not pass by any group of angels but
the angels ask, `Who is this pure soul?' and
they reply, `It is So and so the son of So and
so' _ using the best names by which he was known
on earth. Then they bring it to the lowest
heaven, and ask for it to be opened, and it is
opened for him. Those who are of high rank in
each heaven accompany it until they approach the
next heaven, and so it goes until it reaches the
seventh heaven. Then Allaah, may He be glorified
and exalted, says: `Record the book of My slave
in `Illiyoon (the highest heaven) and take him
back to the earth, for I created them from it,
and I shall return them to it, then I shall take
them out from it again.' Then his soul is
returned to his body and two angels come and
make him sit up, and ask him, `Who is your
Lord.' He says, `Allaah.' They ask, `What is
your religion?' He says, `My religion is Islam.'
They ask, `Who is this man that was sent amongst
you?' He says, `He is the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him.'
They ask him, `What knowledge do you have?' He
says, `I read the Book of Allaah and I believed
in it.' Then a voice will call out from heaven,
`My slave has spoken the truth. Prepare for him
a bed from Paradise and give him clothes from
Paradise, and open for him a door to Paradise.'
And he will feel its breeze and smell its
fragrance, and his grave will be widened for him
as far as his eye can see. Then a man with a
handsome face, beautiful clothes and a pleasant
fragrance will come to him and say, `Good news!
This is the day that you were promised.' He will
say, `Who are you? You face looks as if it
brings good news.' He will say, `I am your good
deeds.' (The deceased) will say, `O Lord, let
the Hour come so that I may see my family and my
wealth again.'
When the disbelieving slave is about to
depart this world and enter the Hereafter, there
come down to him angels from heaven with black
faces, bringing with them sackcloth. They sit
with him as far as the eye can see. Then the
Angel of Death comes to him and sits by his head
and says, `O evil soul, come out to the wrath
and anger of Allaah.' Then his soul disperses in
his body and is dragged out like a skewer being
pulled out of wet wool. Then he takes the soul,
and no sooner does he seize it but they take it
and place it in that sackcloth. Then out of it
comes the most putrid stench of rotten flesh to
be found on the face of the earth. Then they
ascend with it and they do not pass by any group
of angels but the angels ask, `Who is this evil
soul?' and they reply, `It is So and so the son
of So and so' _ using the worst names by which
he was known on earth. Then they bring it to the
lowest heaven, and ask for it to be opened, and
it is not opened for him." Then the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) recited (interpretation of the meaning):
"… For them the gates of heaven will not be
opened, and they will not enter Paradise until
the camel goes through the eye of the needle"
[al-A'raaf 7:40]. Then he said, "Then
Allaah, may He be glorified and exalted, says:
`Record the book of My slave in Sijjeen (the
lowest Hell) in the lowest earth. Then his soul
is cast down." Then he recited (interpretation
of the meaning): "… and whoever assigns
partners to Allaah, it is as if he had fallen
from the sky, and the birds had snatched him, or
the wind had thrown him to a far off place."
[al-Hajj 22:31]. He said, "Then his soul is
returned to his body and two angels come and
make him sit up, and ask him, `Who is your
Lord.' He says, `Oh, oh, I don't know.' They
ask, `What is your religion?' He says, `Oh, oh,
I don't know.' They ask, `Who is this man that
was sent amongst you?' He says, `Oh, oh, I don't
know.' Then a voice will call out from heaven,
`He is lying. Prepare for him a bed from Hell
and open for him a door to Hell.' And he will
feel its hot winds and smell its stench, and his
grave will be constricted for him until his ribs
interlock. Then a man with an ugly face, ugly
clothes and a horrible stench will come to him
and say, `Bad news! This is the day that you
were warned about.' He will say, `Who are you?
You face looks as if it brings bad news.' He
will say, `I am your evil deeds.' (The deceased)
will say, `O Lord, do not let the Hour come!'"
(Musnad al-Imaam Ahmad, 17803; this is a
saheeh hadeeth).
At the end of time, Allaah will send a wind
which will take the soul of every believer, as
was reported in the hadeeth of al-Nawwaas ibn
Sam'aan, who said: "The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
mentioned … (the coming of the Dajjaal
[Antichrist] and the descent of `Eesa [Jesus],
peace be upon him, and the good life and
happiness of mankind at the time of Jesus and
afterwards). He said, `And whilst the people are
living like that, Allaah will send a good wind
which will seize them under the armpits and will
take the soul of every believer and every
Muslim. The evil people will remain and they
will behave like donkeys, then the Hour will
come upon them.'" (Reported by Muslim, 5228).
When people sleep (and sleep is the "lesser
death"), the soul is taken, but not completely,
so the sleeper is still alive. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "It is
Allaah Who takes away the souls at the time of
their death, and those that die not during their
sleep, He keeps those (souls) for which He has
ordained death and sends the rest for a term
appointed. Verily, in this are signs for a
people who think deeply." [al-Zumar 39:42]
The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) advised the Muslim, when
he lies down to sleep, to say: "Bismika
Rabbee wada'tu janbi wa bika arfa'uhu wa in
amsakta nafsi farhamhaa wa in arsaltahaa
fahfazhaa bimaa tuhfaz bihi `ibaadika
al-saaliheen ( In Your name, my Lord, I lie
down, and in Your name I rise. If You should
take my soul then have mercy on it, and if You
should return my soul then protect it as You
protect Your righteous slaves)." When the Muslim
wakes up, he should say, "Al-hamdu Lillaah
alladhi `aafaani fi jasadi wa radda `alayya
roohi wa adhina li bi dhikrihi (Praise be to
Allaah Who has restored to me my health and
returned my soul and has allowed me to remember
Him )." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, 3323' He said,
a hasan hadeeth).
These are a few of the aayaat and saheeh
ahaadeeth which describe the soul. Maybe you
will find in them information that will guide
you to the way of truth, the Religion of Islam.
Thank you for your question.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
3864: The meaning of the
hadeeth "Souls are like conscripted soldiers"
Question:
A'ushu mina Eshaytan errajim
Bismi Allahi Errahman Errahiim
Assalam Alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa Barakatuh
Dear Imam
I am a revert and my homepage is at : …………..
I have found the Haadith below and i have
asked an Uztazah about it. I send you her
answer.
I am very troubled about the Haadith and the
answer I received concerning what this Haadith
really means.
Please, could you tell me more
about this matter and if there are other
Haadiths confirming it?
Jazakallahkhairan
May Allah Taalah reward you for your efforts
in His Deen - Sahih Muslim Hadith 6376 (the Alim
CD for WINDOWS)
Allah's Apostle (peace be upon him) said:
Souls are troops collected together and those
who familiarised with each other (in the heaven
from where these come) would have affinity with
one another (in the world) and those amongst
them who opposed each other (in the Heaven)
would also be divergent (in the world).
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah the hadith doesn't
say "humans were alive before being born". Only
the souls were in heaven.
This heaven is not the one people with good
deeds go to in the hereafter. It is somewhere
that we do not know. It's in the
Lohmahfuz....only Allah knows. In simple words
this place is like a "bank" where the souls
created by Allah were placed. So when a woman is
pregnant, at the point where Allah gives the
soul to the creation in the womb, He will take
one of these souls. So, there were good and bad
souls. Let say, the bad soul is given to the
creation, the baby is born and become a bad
person. However, this grown up person can have a
change in his/her destiny due to his/her deeds
in his life. This is where the du'a plays a
major role. The du'a and the inten
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Imaam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on
him) reported in his Saheeh that
`Aa'ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) said:
"I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) saying: `Souls are like
conscripted soldiers; those whom they recognize,
they get along with, and those whom they do not
recognize, they will not get along with.'"
(Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Kitaab Ahaadeeth
al-Anbiyaa', Baab al-Arwaah junood
mujannadah).
Ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy on him) said
in his commentary on the hadeeth: "Concerning
the phrase `Souls are like conscripted
soldiers…' al-Khattaabi said: `This may refer to
their similarity as regards good or evil,
righteousness or corruption. Good people are
inclined towards other good people, and evil
people are similarly inclined towards other evil
people. Souls feel affinity with others
according to the nature in which they were
created, good or evil. If souls' natures are
similar, they will get along, otherwise they
will not be on good terms with one another. It
could be that what is being referred to is the
beginning of creation in the realm of the unseen
when, it is reported, souls were created before
bodies, and used to meet one another and express
their pessimism about the future. When souls
have entered bodies (come to the physical realm)
they may recognize one another from the past,
and may be on friendly terms or otherwise based
on that past experience."
Someone else said: "What it means is that
when souls are created, they are made in two
parts, and when the bodies in which the souls
reside meet in this world, they either get along
together or do not, based on the way in which
these souls are created in this world."
I say that this is not contradicted by the
fact that some people who do not like one
another at first may get along well later on,
because the hadeeth is probably speaking about
the moment of first meeting, which has to do
with the original creation and nothing else. If
they dislike one another at first but later come
to like one another, it is because of something
new, a new quality that makes them love one
another after the initial dislike, such as a
kaafir becoming a Muslim or a sinner being
reformed.
The phrase "conscripted soldiers" refers to
different types or classifications, or groups
brought together. Ibn al-Jawzi said: "What we
learn from this hadeeth is that when a person
finds that he feels dislike towards someone who
is known to be virtuous or righteous, he should
try to find out the reason for that so that he
can make the effort to rid himself of something
undesirable. The opposite (if a person finds
himself liking someone who is known to be evil)
also applies." Al-Qurtubi said: "Although they
are all souls, they differ in different ways, so
a person will feel an affinity with souls of one
kind, and will get along with them because of
the special quality that they have in common. So
we notice that people of all types will get
along with those with whom they share an
affinity, and will keep away from those who are
of other types. ["Birds of a feather flock
together" _ Translator]. We may also note that
within any given group or type, people may get
along with some and dislike others, and this is
in accordance with issues or qualities that form
the basis of love or hate."
We have narrated a mawsool report in Sunan
Abi Ya'laa, at the beginning of which is the
story narrated from `Amrah bint `Abd al-Rahmaan,
who said: "There was a woman in Makkah who liked
to joke, and she came and stayed with a woman in
Madeenah who was like her. When `Aa'ishah heard
about this, she said, `My beloved spoke the
truth. I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saying…'
and mentioned a similar hadeeth."
The hadeeth was also narrated by Muslim in
his Saheeh, 4773. Al-Nawawi said: "With
regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him), `Souls are
like conscripted soldiers; those whom they
recognize, they get along with, and those whom
they do not recognize, they will not get along
with', the scholars said that the meaning is
groups gathered together, or different types. As
for them getting along, this happens because of
something in common between them that Allaah has
created. It was said that they are similar
attributes that Allaah has created in them, or
that they were created in a group and then
dispersed in their bodies, so people who have
similar characteristics will like one another,
and those who do not have similar
characteristics will not like one another.
Al-Khattaabi and others said: this getting along
with one another has to do with what Allaah
decreed from the outset about the ultimate
destiny of souls, whether they will be among the
blessed [in Paradise] or the doomed [in Hell].
Souls are of two opposing kinds, and when they
meet in this physical world, they will either
love or hate one another depending on the way
they were created. Good souls will be inclined
towards other good souls, and evil souls will be
inclined towards other evil souls. And Allaah
knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
3001: Are sperm alive or do
they have no soul?
Question:
If the soul is breathed into the embryo after
four months, are we to understand that the sperm
which joins with the woman's egg, from which the
embryo is formed, has no soul, or what?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Both the sperm and the ovum are alive in a
sense which, if they are free from defects,
prepares each of them to join with the other, if
Allaah wills and decrees it to happen. When that
happens, if Allaah wills it, the embryo is
formed and is also alive in a manner that suits
it and prepares it to grow and develop, moving
through the known stages. When the soul is
breathed into it, it becomes alive in another
sense, by the permission of Allaah, the Subtle
One, the Aware. No matter how a man tries, even
if he is a highly-skilled doctor, he can never
comprehend all the secrets and stages of
development of pregnancy. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meanings):
"Allaah knows what every female bears, and by
how much the wombs fall short (of their time or
number) or exceed. Everything with Him is in
(due) proportion. All-Knower of the unseen and
the seen, the Most Great, the Most High."
[al-Ra'd 13:8-9]
"Verily, Allaah! With Him (Alone) is the
knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain,
and knows that which is in the wombs…" [Luqmaan
31:34]
(Fataawa Islamiyyah li'l-Lajnah
al-Daa'imah, 488).
Life is of varying kinds, and each being is
alive in a manner that suits it by the power of
Allaah. So plants are alive in a manner that
suits them, sperm is alive in a manner that
suits it, and man is alive in a manner that
suits him, and so on. Allaah is the Creator of
all this, and He has made water the basis of
every living thing, as He says in the Qur'aan
(interpretation of the meaning):
"Have not those who disbelieve known that
the heavens and the earth were joined together
as one united piece, then We parted them? And We
have made from water every living thing. Will
they not then believe?" [al-Anbiya' 21:30]
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
1920: Trees mentioned in the
Qur'aan and Sunnah
Question:
As salaamo alaikum wa rahmatullah wa
barakatahu
Could you please give me some Hadith
references and
Quranic references to the Following:
Tuba tree
Tree of Life
Tree of Knowledge
The Cosmic Tree
The Fartherest Tree of the Heavens
These trees are mentioned in muslim
literature and I am looking for their
credibility
Jazak Allah Khairun
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
A number of trees are mentioned in the
Qur'aan and Sunnah, some of which will be
discussed below:
The date palm
tree
This is a good tree to which Allaah likened
the word of Tawheed when it is established in
the sincere heart, where it bears fruits of good
deeds that strengthen eemaan
(faith).
Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning): "See you not how Allaah sets
forth a parable? _ A goodly word is as a goodly
tree, whose root is firmly fixed, and its
branches (reach) to the sky (i.e., very
high)." [Ibraaheem 14:24]
This is the
tree to which Allaah likens the believer because
it is good in all aspects, it is lasting and it
offers different kinds of benefit. Ibn `Umar
reported: "The Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said: `There is a kind of
tree whose leaves do not fall and it is like the
Muslim. Tell me what it is.' The people
mentioned different kinds of desert trees … and
I said to myself, `It is the date palm tree,'
but I felt too shy to speak up. Then the people
said, `Tell us what it is, O Messenger of
Allaah.' He said: `It is the date palm tree.'"
(al-Bukhaari, 60)
The blessed olive
tree the purity of which Allaah set forth as a
parable
Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"Allaah is the Light of the
heavens and the earth. The parable of His Light
is as (if there were) a niche and within it a
lamp, the lamp is in glass, the glass as it were
a brilliant star, lit from a blessed tree, an
olive, neither of the east (i.e., it neither
gets sun-rays only in the morning) nor of the
west (i.e., nor does it get sun-rays only in the
afternoon _ but it is exposed to the sun all day
long), whose oil would almost glow forth (of
itself), though no fire touched it. Light upon
Light! Allaah guides to His Light whom He wills.
And Allaah sets forth parables for mankind, and
Allaah is All-Knower of everything."
[al-Noor 24:35]
In Soorat al-Mu'minoon, Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "And a tree
(olive) that springs forth from Mount Sinai,
that grows oil, and (it is a) relish for the
eaters." [al-Mu'minoon 23:20]
Abu Aseed said: "The Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Eat the
oil and use it on your hair and skin, for it
comes from a blessed tree." (Reported by
al-Tirmidhi, 1775; see also Saheeh
al-Jaami')
The tree which Allaah
caused to grow for Yoonus (upon whom be peace)
for food and healing.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And, verily, Yoonus was one of the
Messengers … Then a (big) fish swallowed him and
he had done an act worthy of blame. Had he not
been of those who glorify Allaah, he would have
indeed remained inside its belly until the Day
of Resurrection. But We cast him forth on the
naked shore while he was sick, and We caused a
plant of gourd to grow over him."
[al-Saaffaat 37:139, 142-146]
The
mufassireen (commentators) said: The gourd
(al-yaqteen) is a kind of pumpkin. Some of them
described the benefits of the pumpkin, such as:
it grows quickly, it provides shade, it has
large, smooth leaves, it keeps flies away and
its fruit provides good nourishment: it can be
eaten raw or cooked, and its skin may be eaten
too. It is known that the Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
liked this kind of pumpkin and used to look for
it on the plate of food. (Tafseer Ibn Katheer).
The great tree in heaven where our Prophet
Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) saw his father Ibraaheem (upon whom be
peace)
Samurah ibn Jundub reported that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said, describing his vision: "Then we went up
until we reached a green garden, in which there
was a great tree, with an old man and children
at its base, and another man near the tree,
trying to light a fire in front of him. They
took me up to that tree and into a house; I have
never seen any more beautiful than that house.
In it there were men, old men, youths, women and
children. Then they brought me out and took me
up to the tree and into another house, even
better than the first one. In this house there
were old and young men. I said: `You have shown
me around tonight; tell me about what I have
seen.' They said, `Yes… the old man at the foot
of the tree was Ibraaheem (upon whom be peace),
and the children around him were the children of
mankind…" (al-Bukhaari, 1270).
Sidrat al-Muntaha, by which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw
Jibreel when he was taken up into the
heavens
Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And indeed he (Muhammad (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw him
(Jibreel) at a second descent (i.e., another
time), near Sidrat al-Muntaha (the lote tree of
the utmost boundary, beyond which none can
pass), near it is the Paradise of Abode, when
that covered the lote-tree which did cover it!
The sight (of Prophet Muhammad (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him)) turned not
aside (right or left), nor did it transgress
beyond (the) limit (ordained for it). Indeed, he
did see of the Greatest Signs of his Lord
(Allaah)." [al-Najm 53:13-18]
The phrase translated here as "when that
covered the lote-tree which did cover it" is
explained by the hadeeth narrated by Imaam
al-Bukhaari from Abu Dharr, in which the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: "It was covered in colours, I do not know
what they are…" According to a hadeeth narrated
by Abu Sa'eed and Ibn `Abbaas, he said: "It was
covered by the angels." According to a report
narrated by Muslim, he said: "When it was
covered with whatever covered it by the command
of Allaah, it changed, and none of the creation
of Allaah could describe its beauty."
In the famous hadeeth about his Mi'raaj
(ascent into heaven), the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that when
Jibreel took him up into the heavens, he went
through from one heaven to the next by the
command of Allaah, until he reached the seventh
heaven. He said: "Then I was taken to Sidrat
al-Muntaha; its fruits were like the pitchers of
Hajar and its leaves were like the ears of
elephants. He said, `This is Sidrat
al-Muntaha'…" (Reported by al-Bukhaari,
3598).
The reason why it is called Sidrat
al-Muntaha is stated in the hadeeth narrated
from Ibn Mas'ood by Imaam Muslim: "There
everything that comes up from earth stops
(yantahee), and it is taken from there, and
there everything that comes down stops, and it
is taken from there." Al-Nawawi said: It is
called Sidrat al-Muntaha because the knowledge
of the angels stops at that point, and no one
has gone beyond it except the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him).
It is the tree at which the knowledge of
every Prophet who has been sent and every angel
who is near to Allaah stops. What lies beyond it
is unseen; no one knows it except Allaah or the
one to whom He tells it. It was said that this
is the ultimate destination of the souls of the
martyrs.
The fruits described in the hadeeth are well
known: they are the fruits of the lotus tree.
Al-Khattaabi said that the phrase "like the
pitchers of Hajar" meant that they were big like
pitchers; this is something that was known to
the first listeners, which is why this analogy
was used. Hajar is a place-name. The phrase "its
leaves were like the ears of elephants" is also
indicative of huge size.
The Tree of
Tooba in Paradise
Abu Hurayrah (may Allaah be pleased with him)
narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "In Paradise there
is a tree in whose shade a rider could travel
for a hundred years without crossing it. Recite,
if you wish: `In shade long-extended'
[al-Waaqi'ah 56:30]" (Reported by al-Bukhaari,
4502)
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "Tooba is a tree in Paradise,
one hundred years big. The clothes of the people
of Paradise are made from its calyces (outer
casing of its flowers)." (Reported by Ibn
Hibbaan; see also Saheeh al-Jaami', 3918)
`Utbah ibn `Abdin al-Salami said: "A Bedouin
came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) and asked him about al-Hawd
(the cistern). He mentioned Paradise, then the
Bedouin asked him, `Is there fruit there?' He
said, `Yes, and there is a tree called Tooba.'
The Bedouin asked, `What tree of this world does
it resemble?' He said, `It does not resemble any
tree of your land. Have you been to Syria?' He
said, `No.' He said, `It resembles a tree in
Syria called al-Jawzah (walnut) which grows on
one trunk then spreads its branches higher up.'
The Bedouin asked, `How big is its trunk?' He
said, `If one of the camels of your people was
to go around it, it would not complete one
circuit before its neck broke of old age and
exhaustion. The Bedouin asked, `Are there grapes
there?' He said, `Yes.' He asked, `How big is a
bunch?' He said, `The distance a crow could fly
without stopping in a month.' He asked, `How big
is one grape?' He said, `Does your father ever
slaughter a he-goat from his flocks?' He said,
`Yes.' He said, `And does he skin it and give
the hide to your mother, and say, "Make me a
bucket"?' He said, `Yes.' The Bedouin asked, `Is
one grape big enough to satisfy me and my
family?' He said, `Yes, and your whole tribe.'"
(Reported by Imaam Ahmad).
The tree of
Zaqqoom, which is the food of the people of
Hell
This tree is described in the Qur'aan as
(interpretation of the meaning): "… the
accursed tree (mentioned) in the Qur'aan"
[al-Israa' 17:60].
Allaah also says about it (interpretation of
the meaning):
"Then, moreover,
verily, - you the erring-ones, the deniers (of
Resurrection)! You verily will eat of the trees
of Zaqqoom. Then you will fill your bellies
therewith, and drink boiling water on top of it,
so you will drink (that) like thirsty camels!
That will be their entertainment on the Day of
Recompense!" [al-Waaqi'ah
56:51-56]
"Verily, the tree of
Zaqqoom, will be the food of the sinners, like
boiling oil, it will boil in the bellies, like
the boiling of scalding water. (It will be
said): `Seize him and drag him into the midst of
blazing Fire, then pour over his head the
torment of boiling water, taste you (this)!
Verily, you were (pretending to be the mighty,
the generous! Verily! This is that whereof you
used to doubt!'" [al-Dukhaan 44:43-50]
"Is that (Paradise) better entertainment
or the tree of Zaqqoom (a horrible tree in
Hell)? Truly We have made it (as) a trial for
the Zaalimoon (polytheists, disbelievers,
wrongdoers, etc.). Verily, it is a tree that
springs out of the bottom of Hell-fire, the
shoots of its fruit-stalks are like the heads of
shayaateen (devils); truly they will eat thereof
and fill their bellies therewith. Then on the
top of that they will be given boiling water to
drink so that it becomes a mixture (of boiling
water and Zaqqoom in their bellies). Then,
thereafter, their return is to the flaming fire
of Hell." [al-Saafaat 37:62-68]
The tree under which the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) accepted
his Companions' pledge of allegiance unto death
and not to desert him.
This happened during the campaign of
al-Hudaybiyah, when he heard of the betrayal of
the mushrikeen. This tree is also mentioned in
the Qur'aan (interpretation of the meaning):
"Indeed, Allaah was pleased with the
believers when they gave the Bay'ah (pledge) to
you (O Muhammad) under the tree…" [al-Fath
48:18]
The tree next to which the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to
preach
Jaabir ibn `Abdullaah (may Allaah be pleased
with him and his father) reported that the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) used to go and stand next to a tree or
palm-tree on Fridays. A woman or a man of the
Ansaar said: "O Messenger of Allaah, should we
not make for you a minbar ("pulpit")?" He said,
"If you wish." So they made a minbar for him,
and when the next Friday came, he was shown to
the minbar. The tree cried like a small child,
then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) came down and hugged the crying
tree until it calmed down." Jaabir said: "It was
crying because of the dhikr (remembrance of
Allaah) that it used to hear." (al-Bukhaari,
3319).
The tree from which Allaah spoke to Moosa
(upon whom be peace) and sent him as a
Prophet
Allaah says in the Qur'aan (interpretation of
the meaning):
"So when he reached it (the
fire), he was called from the right side of the
valley, in the blessed place from the tree: `O
Moosa! Verily! I am Allaah, the Lord of the
`Aalameen (mankind, jinns and all that
exists)!" [al-Qasas 28:30]
The tree from which Allaah forbade our
father and mother (Aadam and Hawwa) to eat
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"And O Adam! Dwell you and your wife in
Paradise, and eat thereof as you both wish, but
approach not this tree, otherwise you both will
be of the Zaalimoon (unjust and
wrong-doers)." [al-A'raaf 7:19]
"Then Shaytaan whispered to him, saying:
`O Adam! Shall I lead you to the Tree of
Eternity and to a kingdom that will never waste
away?" [Ta-Ha 20:120]
"So He misled them with deception. Then
when they tasted of the tree, that which was
hidden from them of their shame (private parts)
became manifest to them and they began to stick
together the leaves of Paradise over themselves
(in order to cover their shame). And their Lord
called out to them (saying): `Did I not forbid
you that tree and tell you: Verily Shaytaan is
an open enemy to you?'" [al-A'raaf 7:22]
The cedar tree to which Allaah likened the
kaafir (disbeliever)
Abu Hurayrah said: "The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)
said: `The example of the believer is like that
of a plant which is continually bent over by the
wind; the believer is continually beset with
afflictions. The example of a hypocrite is like
that of the cedar tree, which does not yield
until it is uprooted in one go." (Muslim, 5024)
The scholars of Arabic language said: the
cedar (al-arz) is a tree similar to the stone
pine tree, which grows in Syria and Armenia.
According to another report, the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "The
example of the kaafir is that of the
firmly-rooted cedar which does not yield to
anything until it is uprooted in one go."
The scholars said: The meaning of this
hadeeth is that the believer suffers a great
deal, in his physical health, with his family
and with his wealth, but this is an expiation
for his sins and will raise his status. The
kaafir, however, suffers little, but even if
something happens to him it will not expiate for
his sins at all; he will come with a full burden
of sin on the Day of Resurrection.
The
tree in the righteous vision that was narrated
concerning the sajdah (prostration) to be
performed when reciting certain aayaat of the
Qur'aan
Ibn `Abbaas said: A man came to the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and
said: "O Messenger of Allaah, last night I had a
dream in which it was as if I was praying behind
a tree. I prostrated and the tree prostrated
after me. I heard it saying: `Allaahumma uktub
li bihaa `indaka ajran wada' `anni bihaa wizran
waj'alhaa li `indaka dhukhran wa taqabbalha
minni kamaa taqabbaltahaa min `abdika Daawood (O
Allaah, record for me because of it (the sajdah)
a reward, alleviate some of my burden, and make
it an investment on my behalf with You. Accept
it from me as You accepted it from Your slave
Daawood).'" Ibn `Abbaas said: The Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) recited an
aayah where a sajdah is required, then he
prostrated, and I heard him saying the same
words that the man had reported that the tree
had said. (Reported by al-Tirmidhi,
528)
The two trees which came together
to conceal the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) when he was answering the
call of nature
This was recorded in the saheeh report
narrated by Imaam Muslim, may Allaah have mercy
on him, from Jaabir (may Allaah be pleased with
him): "… We stopped in a fragrant valley, and
the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) wanted to answer the call of
nature. I followed him, bringing a bottle of
water, but he could not find anywhere where he
could conceal himself. There were two trees at
the edge of the valley, so the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) went to one of them, took hold of one of
its branches, and said: `Follow me, by the
permission of Allaah.' So it followed him like a
camel being led by a rope, until he came to the
other tree. He took one of the other tree's
branches and said: `Follow me, by the permission
of Allaah.' So it followed him until he reached
the halfway point between them, then he put them
together and said: `Stay together and cover me,
by the permission of Allaah.' So they stayed
together." Jaabir said: "I kept away, for fear
that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) might feel my
presence and move even further away. So I sat
down, thinking to myself, and when I turned
around, I saw the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) coming towards
me, and the two trees had separated and taken up
their former positions." (Saheeh Muslim,
5328)
Trees (plants) with
foul-smelling "fruits" after eating which the
Muslims are forbidden to come to the mosque
Jaabir said: "The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:
`Whoever eats of these vegetables (the first
time he said `garlic,' then `garlic, onions and
leeks'), let him not come near us in our
mosques, for the agels will be offended by
whatever offends the people.'" (al-Nisaa'i, 700)
The trees (all except the gharqad) which
will show the Jews to the Muslims so that they
may kill them during the great battle at the end
of time
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) said: "The Hour will not come until
the Muslims fight the Jews and kill them. The
Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the
rocks and trees will say: `O Muslim, O slave of
Allaah! There is a Jews behind me, come and kill
him!' (All the trees will say this except for
the gharqad (box-thorn), for it is one of the
trees of the Jews.'" (Reported by Imaam Ahmad;
it is a saheeh hadeeth).
These are a number of the trees mentioned in
the Qur'aan and Sunnah, from which we may learn
many lessons. We ask Allaah to help us benefit
from these lessons. May Allaah bless our Prophet
Muhammad.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
1485: Finding Noah's ark
Question:
Assalaamualaikum, I have heard that Noah's
ark was found a few years ago using references
from the Quraán as opposed to the bible. Is this
true?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Allaah says (interpretation of the
meaning):
"The people of Nuh denied
(their Messenger) before them, they rejected Our
slave, and said: `A madman!' and he was
insolently rebuked and threatened.
Then he
invoked his Lord (saying): `I have been
overcome, so help (me)!'
So We opened the gates of heaven with water
pouring forth.
And We caused the earth to gush forth with
springs. So the waters (of the heaven and the
earth) met for a matter predestined.
And We carried him on a (ship) made of planks
and nails,
Floating under Our Eyes, a reward
for him who had been rejected!
And, indeed, We have left this as a sign, is
there then any that will remember (or receive
admonition)?
Then how (terrible) was My
Torment and My Warnings!"
[al-Qamar
54:9-16]
In his Tafseer, Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have
mercy on him, said: "`And, indeed, We have left
this as a sign, is there then any that will
remember (or receive admonition)?' refers to
this story, which serves as a lesson." It was
also suggested that it referred to the ship or
ark itself, which was left so that those who
came after the people of Nuh might learn lessons
from it and not reject the Messengers. Qutaadah
said: "Allaah left it in Baaqirdi in the Arabian
Peninsula (a place in Iraq), as a lesson and a
sign, so that the first generations of this
ummah would see it. How many ships have there
been after it that have turned to dust and left
no trace!"
The apparent meaning is that
this refers to ships in general, as in the
aayaat (interpretation of the
meaning):
"And an aayah (sign) for them is
that We bore their offspring in the laden ship
(of Nuh),
And We have created for them of the like
thereunto, so on them they ride."
Yaa-Seen 36:41-42]
"Verily! When the water rose beyond its
limits [Nuh's Flood], We carried you [mankind]
in the floating (ship that was constructed by
Nuh).
That We might make it a remembrance for you,
and the keen ear (person) may (hear and)
understand it."
[al-Haaqqah 69:11-12]
Hence Allaah says here "is there then any
that will remember (or receive admonition)?"
i.e., is there anyone who will remember and
learn?
In his tafseer of the words "We have left
this as a sign" Ibn Katheer, may Allaah have
mercy on him, mentions three opinions:
1. That Allaah has left this story as a
lesson to those who come after the people of
Nuh;
2. That Allaah has left the ship of Nuh so
that subsequent nations may see it and learn
from it how Allaah saved the believers and
destroyed the kuffaar.
3. That Allaah taught mankind how to make
ships and left this invention as a reminder of
His blessings and how Nuh's children and the
believers were saved by means of a ship like
those which are well-known. In any case, there
is nothing that would go against either Islamic
teaching or reason if Nuh's ark were to be
discovered and if generations of mankind after
Nuh were to see it, because it would be a sign
to them. The issue would be how to prove that
the ship discovered was really Nuh's ark; not
everyone who finds an ancient ship and claims it
to be Nuh's ark is to be believed. And Allaah
knows best.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid
(www.islam-qa.com)
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Introduction