Islam - Questions & Answers

Shaykh Gibril F Haddad

How would you describe the faith of Islam (the most important guidelines to follow, etc)?

It is the way of the Prophets and the elect of human beings since our father Adam through our father Abraham then Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, upon them blessings and peace, consisting in true worship of our Creator and excellent living and dying until we return to Him and enter everlasting life, in which this life forms less than a drop in the ocean; a way the formal description of which is
[1] belief in the one God alone without partner, son, or spouse, in the angels, the Divine Books, the Prophets and Messengers, the Day of the Resurrection and Judgment, and the foreordained Divine decree that includes both good and evil, and
[2] praying the five prayers in their appointed times every 24 hours, remitting the poor-due, fasting the month of Ramadan, and performing, if physically and monetarily able, the pilgrimage to Makka.

I have read that Islam believes that the God of the Jews and Christians is the same God of the Muslims, is that a correct statement? And that Muhammad was the last and final Prophet of God - the blessings and peace of Allah on the Prophet - correcting misleading concepts in the above religions. So then all three religions are from the same origin?

All three dispensations are indeed from the same Divine origin and we believe that Religion is one just as God is One, the same One that sent all the Prophets and Whose basic message does not change.

What would you say is the relationship of Islam to Judaism and Christianity today?

Islam is the unadulterated form of their message but addressed to all creation, a universal Last Testament.

I recently traveled to Israel and Egypt and felt the Middle Eastern tension for myself. There are so many political issues with the state of Palestine and Israel. Is the root of the conflict primarily religious?

No more for the Zionists than for those whom they have been plundering, oppressing, and killing mercilessly since that conflict began.

It seems as though there is a real hatred towards the Jews, is that true? More so than towards Christians? Why?

There is no hatred towards "the Jews and Christians" but hatred towards injustice and oppression, hence expressions as those attributed to Jesus in the Gospel such as "whitened sepulchres" and "race of vipers" to characterize attitudes that ultimately stem from satanic pride and which are also excoriated in other Divine admonitions including the Psalms and the Qur'an.

The reason why the latter describes the Christians as generally closer to the truth is only insofar as they tend to be more devoid of that trait; further, they reject only one of the Prophets of God (Muhammad) while the others reject two (Jesus and Muhammad).

What is the greatest hindrance holding Islam back from advancing? How can this barrier be removed?

It is advancing by the grace of God despite any appearance to the contrary. The ending has already been written and it is to the honor and glory of God and His Prophets, let the enemies try what they may.

I have read that physical action towards unbelievers is not to result in violence towards the innocent, but when I think of what has gone on in the Sudan or even the 9/11 situation, I see the innocent being killed. Is this only those taking Islam out of the context Muhammad intended?

As far as any true and sincere people of faith and goodness can see, true Muhammadan Islam is the last remaining living Divine recipe for enlightened belief and right living in the highest desirable sense for all human beings. It makes perfect sense that the enemies of the human race should therefore focus on the poisoning, corruption, and demonization of Islam whether through aggressive, insane chaos or through a reptilian discourse that poses as reasonable and historical, but strives even more desperately and aggressively to represent the followers of the most perfect man ever to walk the earth as fanatic loons. See, for example, the hate site "jihad watch."

However, the last word belongs to the owner of this Religion which is God Himself--a fact of which there is no escape. Hence the vanity of the misrepresentation that is going on, of which the situations mentioned are mere elements, and their ultimate irrelevance to the endurance of Islam as the last Godgiven way of safety and salvation.
Hajj Gibril
GF Haddad
[Sun, 21 Mar 2004]
(Emphasis by the webbeditor)

What exactly is the purpose behind revelation (the Qur'an)?

Even though there can be many drawn out explanations, the purpose of revelation in plain and simple words is to connect with Allah, our Creator. Revelation came to show you and me the quickest path to Allah in order for us to have a bond with our Creator.

Someone who is connected to revelation regularly has a direct path to God. And anytime people think they are moving forward in life while leaving revelation behind, they are actually losing out even if there is a temporary feeling of gratification.

Hold on to revelation. Not only will you fall in love with Allah but holding onto the words of Allah will be a means of His love showering upon you.

Sh. Hussain Kamani

Why Does Allah Allow Suffering and Evil in the World?

Indeed Allah is All-Powerful (Al-`Aziz) and He is able to do all things {`ala kull sha’in qadir}.

The question should not be why does Allah allow suffering, but how much Allah protects us and saves us all the time in spite of our violations and negligence.

Sometimes Allah does punish people because of their violations of His laws whether they are physical or moral.

Suffering can also be a test and trial for some people. Allah allows some people to suffer in order to test their patience and steadfastness. Even Allah’s Prophets and Messengers were made to suffer.

Sufferings occur to teach us that we must adhere to Allah’s natural and moral laws.

Source:
Why Does Allah Allow Suffering and Evil in the World? Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi
https://archive.islamonline.net/?p=885

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Islam is threefold

The dīn of Islam is threefold:

Dīn, دين ≈ religion, life transaction, also ’deen’ , meaning the way of life in the surrender to the One, Allah سبحانه و تعالى, following the example of the Prophet - may Allah bless him and grant him peace.

What one gives in this life, such as spiritual awareness, prayer, poor-due, etc. will be (a.) an investment into the abode of the Hereafter, if Allah will grant it and (b.) to a certain extent a protection and spiritual advancement in this life already - nothing is lost, and Allah knows best and most!

  • Islam
  • Iman
  • Ihsan

1 What is Faith (Iman)?

2 What is Islam?

3 What is Ihsan?

4 When will the Hour be established?

The famous Gibril hadith

Narrated by Abu Huraira:

One day while Allah's Messenger ﷺ was sitting with the people, a man came to him walking and said, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ.

What is Belief / Faith (Iman)?"

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Belief is to believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Apostles, and the meeting with Him, and to believe in the Resurrection." The man asked, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ

What is Islam?"

The Prophet ﷺ replied, "Islam is to worship Allah and not worship anything besides Him, to offer prayers perfectly, to pay the (compulsory) charity i.e. Zakat and to fast the month of Ramadan." The man again asked, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ

What is Ihsan (i.e. perfection, benevolence or spiritual excellence)?"

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Ihsan is to worship Allah as if you see Him, and if you do not achieve this state of devotion, then (take it for granted that) Allah sees you." The man further asked, "O Allah's Messenger ﷺ

When will the Hour be established?"

The Prophet ﷺ replied, "The one who is asked about it does not know more than the questioner does, but I will describe to you its portents. When the lady slave gives birth to her mistress, that will be of its portents; when the bare-footed naked people become the chiefs of the people, that will be of its portents. The Hour is one of five things which nobody knows except Allah.

{ Verily, the knowledge of the Hour is with Allah (alone). He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs.}" 31-34
Then the man left.

The Prophet ﷺ said, "Call him back to me." They went to call him back but could not see him. The Prophet ﷺ said, "That was Gabriel who came to teach the people their religion."

Source:
Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 300; Arabic ref.: Book 65, Hadith 4777
https://sunnah.com/urn/44550

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Recent Islamic Texts

From the about 830 pages of Islamic texts on Livingislam.org, a few are listed here.
Also two external texts ( with this symbol ) were included - highly informative!

Why an Islamic State Is Not Feasible Today
”The Islamic state has to be built in the very soul of the faithful believer, in order to rule his inner self and his limbs according to the noble principles of Islam.”

Khawarij Ideology, ISIS Savagery: Part One
”Before tackling ISIS, let’s look at their forerunners; the Kharajites, to whom their pedigree can be traced.”

Khawarij Ideology, ISIS Savagery: Part Two
”On May 14th, 2015 Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the alleged khalifah of all Muslims, said: ‘O Muslims, Islam was never for a day the religion of peace. Islam is the religion of war. Your Prophet ﷺ was dispatched with the sword as a mercy to the creation.’ The issue of jihad and Islam’s attitude to war is as good a place as any to start our examination of ISIS.”

Nasiha (Good Advice) For Mosques, Sh. Muhammad Aslam
”We do not need every child to be a Hafiz of the Qu'ran, but we need every child to be a Hafiz of the Prophet's love and honour. ﷺ ”

Rules Of Getting Closer To Allah (swt), Omar KN
Put Allah first in your life & the religious duties mandatory on you.

Advice For Spiritual Realisation, Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi
”The only kind of science that requires all of our aspiration and thus demands that we give all of ourselves to it is that science which will remain valid when we die, namely knowledge of God.”

Shaykh Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi And The Diversity of Beliefs
No individual can escape having a belief - a personal, individual belief (i'tiqâd) - concerning his Lord.

Ibn Arabi On True Knowledge, Omar KN
”Reason judges upon this basis, so it also may be mistaken or correct. Hence reason is a follower of authority, and it may make mistakes.”

On Cultivating Gratitude in Sufi Ethics, Atif Khalil
”On the virtue of gratitude (shukr) & specifically on the importance attached to its cultivation within the inner life of the spiritual aspirant.”

On The Shariah, (The Heart of Islam) S. H. Nasr
”The Shariah also includes ethical and spiritual teachings that are not of a legal nature, although the legal is never separated from the moral in Islam.”

Kafir, kufr - Islamophobia 1 - Ep2, Sh. F. Soliman
”The word kafir (disbeliever) is not an insult - it is a description of a status, a state of mind regarding a certain context."

Non-Violence In Issues Pertaining To The Muslims
Hadith: ’Allah grants to rifq (gentleness) what He does not grant to unf (violence)’

Is Sufism something new, not practiced by the Prophet (saws)?
Many ask why ’Sufism was unknown’ in the beginning of Islam. (We answer:) In the first generation, there was no need for it. By their own disposition, the people of that era were already people of piety and scrupulousness, masters of spiritual rigors and keenness to worship.

The Formation Of Sufism As A Science, Sh. 'Abd Al-Qadir 'Isa
”Ibn Khaldûn states that both the Sufis and Sufism came about as a result of the people's engrossment in the life of this world in the second generation after the hijra.”

About The Pure Heart - And What It Keeps Alive, Omar KN
”The souls of men are not free from blame. This is why the men of insight and understanding were distrustful of their souls…”

Green Leaves

Decisive Arguments & Proof For Tasawwuf - Sufism in Islam
”Some formalists recognise only the science of the external religious law comprised in the Quran and the Sunna, and declare that the esoteric science, i. e. Tasawwuf or Sufism, is without meaning.”

Al-Azhar Sufism in Modern Egypt: The Sufi Thought; I. M. Abu-Rabi'
”One of the major consequences of the encroachment of Western culture in the Muslim world is the contemporary confrontation between traditional principles of the present Muslim culture and anti-traditional culture.”

The Miracles Of The Saints
”The existence of saintly miracles is established in the Book of Allah, the Sunna of His Messenger ﷺ, the reports from the Companions - may Allah be pleased with all of them - and those after them up until today. ”

This is Not the Path to Paradise! Shaykh Abdallah bin Bayyah
”This is addressed to the young men who bear arms against their own nations and destroy both country and countrymen. You have abandoned all values and made enemies of the world.”

Open Letter To Al-Baghdádí - (Not An Islamic State!)
”It is forbidden to cite a portion of a verse from the Qur’an, to derive a ruling without looking at everything that the Qur’an and Hadith teach related to that matter.”

Islamic Tradition Not Equal 'Fundamentalism'
“Two centuries ago, if Westerners (or others)... were to study Islam, they would have encountered but a single Islamic tradition.”

Anger Management in Islam, Omar KN
Hadith: "Whoever curbs his anger, while being able to act, Allah will fill his heart with certainty of faith."

Six Examples of Early Muslim Treaties w/ Conquered Lands & Cities
Al-Tabarî records the ’Covenant of 'Umar’, a document addressed to the people of the city of Jerusalem, which was conquered in the year 15 A.H. / 636 C.E.

Advice to the Ulama of the Najd, Sh. ibn Al-Sayyid Hashim al-Rifa'i
”It is not permitted to charge Muslims - believers in monotheism … by Law, to charge them with idolatry (al-shirk) the way your books and publications are filled with such charges.”

Characteristics of Extremism, by Shaykh Yusuf al-Qaradawi
”The first indications of extremism include bigotry and intolerance, which make a person obstinately devoted to his own opinions and prejudices, as well as rigidity…”

The New Crime-Terror Nexus; ICSR, Basra, Neumann, Brunner
”Criminal and terrorist groups have come to recruit from the same pool of people, creating synergies and overlaps that have consequences for how individuals radicalise and operate.”

The Confusion of the Psychic and the Spiritual, R. Guénon
This [modern] confusion (is twofold) first, the spiritual is brought down to the level of the psychic, and … secondly, the psychic is mistaken for the spiritual.

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Audhu-bi-kalimatillahi-t-tammati-min-sharri-ma-khalaqa

I seek refuge in Allah's perfect words from the evil of what he has created.

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Searching Knowledge

The one who poses a question has already taken the first step towards knowledge.

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

"Seek knowledge even as far as China."

and

"Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim."

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