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The Meaning Of Islam
Islam is an Arabic word and denotes acceptance of God as the Supreme and the Ultimate Reality. It means submission, surrender and obedience. As a religion, Islam stands for complete submission and obedience to God- that is why it is called Islam.
The other literal meaning of the word Islam is peace and this signifies that one can achieve real peace of body and of mind only through submission and obedience to God. Such a life of obedience brings peace of heart and establishes real peace in society at large. Unlike many other faiths, the name Islam is neither related with its founder (as in Buddhism or Christianity) nor tribe or race (like in Judaism) nor with land and soil (as in Hinduism).
Anyone who submits to God as the Creator of the universe and follows His Commandments is a Muslim. Islam is the name given to this faith by God, in His revealed scripture, the Qur'an. According to the Qur'an this message was preached by all the Prophets of God, who guided man to the right path. But man not only veered away from the right path again and again, but also lost or distorted the code of guidance which the Prophets had bequeathed.
That was why other Prophets were sent to restate the original message and guide man to the right path. The last of these Prophets was Muhammad (peace be upon him), who presented God's guidance in its final form and arranged to preserve it for all time. It is this guidance which is now known as Al-Islam and is enshrined in the Qur'an and the life- example of the Prophet-Sunnah.
The basic Islamic concept is that the entire universe was created by God, whom Islam calls Allah and who is the Lord and the Sovereign of the Universe. He is the Lord of the universe which He alone sustains. He created man and appointed for each human being a fixed period of life which he is to spend upon the earth. God has prescribed a certain code of life as the correct one for him, but has at the same time conferred on man freedom of choice as to whether or not he adopts this code as the actual basis of his life.
One who chooses to follow the code revealed by God becomes a Muslim (believer) and one who refuses to follow it becomes a Kafir (non-believer). A man joins the fold of Islam by honestly believing in and professing faith in the unity of God and the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him). Both these beliefs are epitomized in the Shahadah (declaration of faith): La ilaha illallahu Muhammad rasulullah. (‘There is no god except God; Muhammad is His Prophet’.) The first part of this Shahadah presents the concept of Tawhid (unity of God) and its second part affirms the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him).
The word "Islam"
The name of this religion is Islam, which is the root of "Silm" and "Salam" which means peace.
Salam may also mean greeting one another with peace. One of the beautiful names of Allah is that He is the "Peace". It means more than that: submission to the One Allah, and to live in peace with the Creator, within one's self, with other people and with the environment. Thus, Islam is a total system of living.
A Muslim is supposed to live in peace and harmony with all these segments; hence, a Muslim is any person anywhere in the world whose obedience, allegiance, and loyalty are to Allah, the Lord of the Universe
TAWHID: The Bedrock of Islam
Tawhid is a revolutionary concept and constitutes the essence of the teachings of Islam. It means that there is only One Supreme Lord of the universe. He is all Powerful, all Knowing and the Sustainer of the world and of mankind.
How can one observe the inexhaustible creativity of nature, its purposefulness, its preservation of that which is morally useful and destruction of that which is socially injurious, and yet fail to draw the conclusion that behind nature there is an All-Pervading Mind of whose incessant creative activity the processes of nature are but an outward manifestation?
The stars scattered through the almost infinite space, the vast panorama of nature with its charm and beauty, the planned waxing and waning of the moon, the astonishing harmony of the seasons - all point towards one fact: there is God, the Creator, the Supreme Ruler. We witness a superb, flawless plan in the universe - can it be without a Planner? We see great enchanting beauty and harmony in its working can they be without a Creator? We observe wonderful design in nature can it be without a Designer? We feel a lofty purpose in physical and human existence - can it be without a Will working behind it? We find that the universe is like a superbly written fascinating novel - can it be without an Author? Truly, God said: O, Mankind: worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, so that you may ward off evil. Who has appointed the earth a resting place for you, the sky a canopy; and who causes water to pour down from the heavens, thereby producing fruit as food for you. So, do not set up rivals to God, when you know better.' (The Holy Qur'an 2:21-22).
This is the basic tenet to which Muhammad (peace be upon him) asked humanity to adhere. It is an important metaphysical reality and answers the riddles of the universe. It points to the supremacy of the law in the cosmos, the all pervading unity behind the manifest diversity. It presents a unified view of the world and offers the vision of an integrated universe. It is a mighty contrast to the piecemeal views of scientists and the philosophers and unveils the truth before the human eye. After centuries of groping in the dark, man is now coming to realize the truth of this concept and modern scientific thought is moving in this direction. But it is not merely a metaphysical concept. It is a dynamic belief and a revolutionary doctrine. It means that all human beings are the creatures of One God - they are all equal.
Discrimination based on color, class, race or territory is unfounded and illusory; it is a remnant of the days of ignorance which chained men down to servitude. Humanity is one single family from Adam. Men are one - and not bourgeois or proletarian, white or black, Aryan or non-Aryan, Westerner or Easterner. Islam gives a revolutionary concept of the unity of mankind. The Prophet came to unite humanity on the world of God and to give it a new life. God says: ‘Hold tight to the rope of God, altogether and do not separate. Remember God's gifts and blessings unto you all, when you were enemies; remember how He forged your hearts together in love, and by His grace, you became brethren.’ (The Holy Qur'an 3:103).
This also defines the true position of man in the universe. It says that God is the Creator, the Sovereign; and that man is His vicegerent on the earth. It exalts man to the noble and dignified position of being God's deputy on earth and endows his life with a lofty purpose, to fulfil the Will of God on earth. This solves all the perplexing problems of human society and establishes a new order wherein equity and justice and peace and prosperity will reign supreme. The starting point of Islam is this belief in the Unity of God (Tawhid).
Islam : Basic Concepts
ISLAM is the religion of truth. It is the embodiment of the code of life which God, the Creator and the Lord of the universe, has revealed for the guidance of mankind. For the proper development of human life man needs two kinds of thing, viz.: (a) resources to maintain life and fulfil the material needs of the individual and society, and (b) knowledge of the principles of individual and social behavior to enable man to have self-fulfilment and to maintain justice and tranquility in human life. The Lord of the universe has provided for both of these in full measure.
To cater for the material needs of man He has provided nature with all kinds of resources, which lie at the disposal of man.
To provide for his spiritual, social and cultural needs He raised His Prophets from among men and revealed to them the code of life which can guide man's steps to the Right Path. This code of life is known as Islam, the religion preached by all the Prophets of God
NUBUWAH: THE PROPHETHOOD
The second part of the Shahadah, on the other hand, signifies that God has not left man without any guidance for the conduct of his life. He has revealed His Guidance through His Messengers, and Muhammad (peace be upon him) was the last Messenger. And to believe in a Messenger means to believe in his message, to accept the Law which he gave and to follow the Code of Conduct which he taught.
Thus the second basic postulate of Islam is to believe in the Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him), to accept the teachings which he presented and to follow his commands. Every Prophet of God, according to the Qur'an, strove to build man's relationship with God on the principle of God's sovereignty and the acknowledgement of the authority of the Prophet as the source of divine guidance. Every one of them said: ‘I am to you God's Messenger, worthy of all trust. So be committed to God, fear Him, and obey me.’ The Guidance is revealed through the Prophets.
It is a part of their mission to translate that into practice, in their own lives and in the society they try to reform. All the Prophets are representatives of God, but they are human beings and their lives are models for mankind. Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the last Prophet and Messenger and as such the final model for mankind. To believe in him means to accept his authority as representative of the Supreme Ruler and to follow his example in thought and behavior.
The code of behavior, the law which is to decide what is permissible and what is forbidden (halal and haram), is given by God through the Prophet and is known as the Shari'ah. Belief in the Prophet involves acceptance of the Shari'ah. the Path, he has conveyed and to implement that in all walks of life. This is how the Will of God is fulfilled on the earth. The Qur'an says: ‘Every Messenger who was sent by us was sent for the purpose that he should be obeyed under the sanction of God.’ (The Holy Qur'an 4:64).
The late Pope of Vatican had visited Mashyakhat Al Azhar before, to renew the human meetings and express in respect for both sides, and agree that the difference of beliefs doesn't prevent from cooperation to spread the virtues which monotheist legislations and right human minds asked for.
The world media mentioned, a few days ago, a lecture delivered by the recent Pope of Vatican in German language, which included a dialogue between a Byzantine Caesar and a Persian Muslim in the year 1391, such dialogue contained insults against Islam away from reality, that Caesar claimed that Islam was spread by sward and that Jihad deals with aggression, and Muhammad didn't get any goodness but get evils as he ordered to spread Islam by sward and that Islam is against mentality.
These words are nude from reality since Islam was spread by wise convincing and guidance as legislation of Islam is against any saying or acting based on enforcement, and Jihad in Islam was ordered legally to defend the soul, belief and whatever to be defended. As the prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, had brought all goodness for mankind, and he is the final of the prophets and messengers, had brought an inclusive legislation containing all good virtues and morals. It's sufficient that Allah the Almighty praised Him in the Holy Quran saying "You are bearing great moralities", as He praised his message saying: "We have not sent you but only as a mercy for mankind" and all the documents of Islam from the Holy Quarn and Sunna prove all that. It was a duty for the Pope of Vatican not to mention such story without any comment on, because it is for unwise Caesar in the fourteenth century and without studying the Holy Quran and the Tradition of the Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him, and what the majority of Muslim Scholars agreed upon where he could see nothing at all concerning such false claims.
Al Azhar al Sharif calls upon all human kind to study Islam carefully from its true sources to preserve mutual respect and good cooperation for the sake of humanity through the dialogue among religions.
God says the Truth and guides to the straight path.
Al Azhar Al Sharif Office of the Grand Imam Sheikh Al Azhar Al Azhar Al Sharif expresses his all displeasure for what was said by the Pope of Vatican insulting Islam and the Holy Prophet, Peace and Prayers of Allah Be Upon Him. Such words affected the feelings of anger to more than one billion and three hundred millions Muslims all over the world.
Mashyakhat Al Azhar confirms that such declaration proves ignorance of Islam and attributes to it what it doesn't have, and it will not contribute, at any way, to strengthen the dialogue among the religions and cultures of the world
The Islamic Creed
"La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadu Rasool Allah"-"There is no deity except God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
This simple statement of a Muslim's basic beliefs is the starting point for all that follows. From this expression of belief in the Oneness and Uniqueness of God and the messengership of Muhammad stem all of Islam's concepts, attitudes, moral values and guidelines for human behavior and relationships. How can all this follow from this one simple and seemingly quite obvious statement?
Thus: The first part of this declaration, "La ilaha illa Allah," attests not only to the Oneness and Uniqueness of God, the Deity. It signifies, at the same time, the oneness of the lordship, the sovereignty and the authority in the universe and this world. For when we affirm that there is no deity except the One God, we are actually stating that, as there is no other Creator and Sustainer of the universe, this world and all that is in them, there can likewise be no other Ruler, Law- Giver and Supreme Authority for mankind. God, the Lord of all creation, creates what He pleases. giving each of His creations the nature, function and role which He desires for it in this He is accountable to no one and all things are under His absolute control. The purpose for which He created human beings is to acknowledge, worship and obey Him alone, and at the same time to manage the affairs of this world and administer it with justice and righteousness according to His all-wise laws.
How do we know all this? How can a mere human being, a very limited and finite creature, know about God- that is, about Infinity-and His purposes for mankind, the answers to the multitude of basic questions which encompass God's nature and attributes,man's relationship to Him, and why he has been put into this world? We are living in an era in which we have increasingly lost the conviction of the meaning and purpose of existence; indeed, the entire complex of modern civilization seems to proclaim the utter purposelessness and meaninglessness of life.
Then how can we know? Indeed, these are the most vital and basic questions for any human being. Without satisfactory answers to them, life makes no sense; it' has neither purpose nor meaning, and one is simply going through the motions of living without any reason other than the fact that he happens to be alive. Hence the essential task facing each individual is to search for the answers to these questions until he finds them and, when he has found them, to acknowledge their truth and to live by them as faithfully as he can. But the question remains: Where are the answers to them to be found?
Assuredly, if (as many people believe) religion were simply a device invented by man to explain the world of nature or for ordering human affairs, human beings would have been able to arrive at satisfactory answers to these questions through their own reasoning and observation and to guide their lives by them in a suitable manner; the worship of the forces of nature, spirits and demons, sticks and stones and gods made by human hands and mythological figures connected to the world of men by their semi-human nature represents various efforts on their part to do so throughout the course of history. But to arrive at the objective truth: at a correct knowledge of the meaning and purpose of existence, the nature and attributes of the Creator of all things, and of man's role and ultimate destiny, by man's unaided efforts is an obvious impossibility since it concerns what is totally out-side the realm of human observation or deductive faculties; even if some individuals should, by their own efforts, succeed at grasping some part of these truths, they would have no certain or positive means of verifying them.
For the only possible means by which human beings can have access to an unquestionably correct understanding of such matters is if the Source of everything, the willing, acting, sustaining Power Whom we call God, Himself imparts this knowledge to us by whatever means He may deem fit. And this is precisely the significance of the second part of Islam's Declaration of Faith, " . . . Muhammadu Rasool Allah"- Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
Since the dawn of true human consciousness, Islam asserts, the Creator not only implanted in human beings the awareness of His existence, the innate knowledge that there is a non-corporeal, transcendent Being Who created them and the world around them; 1 He also provided them with the answers to these vital questions which have occupied their minds since their emergence as thinking, questioning, problem-solving beings on this planet, conveying His guidance to humankind through various individuals whom he chose as His message-bearers to different groups of people: to be the connecting link between Himself and man, so to speak. Through the passing of time and changes occasioned by human error, much of the Message which they brought was lost. However, enough remains of the earlier scriptures or the teachings of earlier messengers-of the revelations entrusted by God to such prophets as Ibrahim, Moses, Jesus and many others - to make it very clear that this Message has been basically one and the same throughout history: that there is a single, unique Being Who is the Lord and Master of all creation; that this Being has made laws to govern the conduct of human beings; and that each individual is accountable to this Being for how he lives his life.
Thus Islam does not claim to be a new religion. Rather it is the original religion, that primordial faith which has had its roots deep in man's consciousness since the first true human being walked upon earth because the Creator Himself implanted it there, the faith revealed to and preached by all the prophets: the religion of submission and accountability to the One God. Islam teaches the Divine origin of this message, pointing to the similarity and continuity of the teachings brought by the various messengers of God throughout history, but it makes it clear that in the course of time they were changed and grave distortions appeared among them. Hence the Divine origin of these messages is to be believed in but not necessarily their present form or content, since their present condition makes it impossible to determine what part of them has been changed, either accidentally or deliberately, by the hands of men.
Each one of the prophets was a man like other men, with the same human needs and feelings; Islam most emphatically denies any suggestion of the divinity or super-human nature of God's messengers. At the same time, they were men of special qualities whom God singled out from the rest of humanity for the task of conveying His guidance. The prophets are characterized by their total submission to God and their nearness to Him, their pure and upright natures, the extraordinary righteousness of their conduct, and their unswerving commitment to the mission with which they were entrusted.
The guidance revealed suited the mentality and needs of the particular peoples to whom it was addressed. Consequently, many earlier prophets were sent with miracles and signs since the people of their eras, whose belief in God was very weak or altogether lacking, were willing to acknowledge Him only when His existence and power were demonstrated by such proofs. At length, when the mind of man had developed to its full potential, God raised His last prophet, Muhammad, an Arab descended from Ibrahim, with the final and complete statement of His guidance for all time to come. And it is because Muslims follow the guidance which was conveyed through Muhammad , the guidance which carries the complete and final proclamation of God's laws and commands for humankind, that "Muhammadu Rasool Allah"-Muhammad is the Messenger of God-is so significant and vital as to form the second part of the Muslim's statement of faith.
Far from being a state of degradation and servility. The human individual's exclusive submission to the Creator alone invests him with greatness and sublimity, for by means of it he is freed from obeying and serving anything less than God, the only Being Who can ever be worthy of his devotion and obedience. "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadu Rasool Allah" is therefore that powerful statement of faith which represents the liberation of the one who professes it from servitude and submission to anything or anyone other than God Most High. It is the denial of all other claimants to divinity and supreme authority, the affirmation of God's Oneness and Sovereignty, and the statement of belief in and acceptance of His guidance as revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), the last of God's messengers
The Islamic Creed
"La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadu Rasool Allah"-"There is no deity except God, Muhammad is the Messenger of God."
This simple statement of a Muslim's basic beliefs is the starting point for all that follows. From this expression of belief in the Oneness and Uniqueness of God and the messengership of Muhammad stem all of Islam's concepts, attitudes, moral values and guidelines for human behavior and relationships. How can all this follow from this one simple and seemingly quite obvious statement?
Thus: The first part of this declaration, "La ilaha illa Allah," attests not only to the Oneness and Uniqueness of God, the Deity. It signifies, at the same time, the oneness of the lordship, the sovereignty and the authority in the universe and this world. For when we affirm that there is no deity except the One God, we are actually stating that, as there is no other Creator and Sustainer of the universe, this world and all that is in them, there can likewise be no other Ruler, Law- Giver and Supreme Authority for mankind. God, the Lord of all creation, creates what He pleases. giving each of His creations the nature, function and role which He desires for it in this He is accountable to no one and all things are under His absolute control. The purpose for which He created human beings is to acknowledge, worship and obey Him alone, and at the same time to manage the affairs of this world and administer it with justice and righteousness according to His all-wise laws.
How do we know all this? How can a mere human being, a very limited and finite creature, know about God- that is, about Infinity-and His purposes for mankind, the answers to the multitude of basic questions which encompass God's nature and attributes,man's relationship to Him, and why he has been put into this world? We are living in an era in which we have increasingly lost the conviction of the meaning and purpose of existence; indeed, the entire complex of modern civilization seems to proclaim the utter purposelessness and meaninglessness of life.
Then how can we know? Indeed, these are the most vital and basic questions for any human being. Without satisfactory answers to them, life makes no sense; it' has neither purpose nor meaning, and one is simply going through the motions of living without any reason other than the fact that he happens to be alive. Hence the essential task facing each individual is to search for the answers to these questions until he finds them and, when he has found them, to acknowledge their truth and to live by them as faithfully as he can. But the question remains: Where are the answers to them to be found?
Assuredly, if (as many people believe) religion were simply a device invented by man to explain the world of nature or for ordering human affairs, human beings would have been able to arrive at satisfactory answers to these questions through their own reasoning and observation and to guide their lives by them in a suitable manner; the worship of the forces of nature, spirits and demons, sticks and stones and gods made by human hands and mythological figures connected to the world of men by their semi-human nature represents various efforts on their part to do so throughout the course of history. But to arrive at the objective truth: at a correct knowledge of the meaning and purpose of existence, the nature and attributes of the Creator of all things, and of man's role and ultimate destiny, by man's unaided efforts is an obvious impossibility since it concerns what is totally out-side the realm of human observation or deductive faculties; even if some individuals should, by their own efforts, succeed at grasping some part of these truths, they would have no certain or positive means of verifying them.
For the only possible means by which human beings can have access to an unquestionably correct understanding of such matters is if the Source of everything, the willing, acting, sustaining Power Whom we call God, Himself imparts this knowledge to us by whatever means He may deem fit. And this is precisely the significance of the second part of Islam's Declaration of Faith, " . . . Muhammadu Rasool Allah"- Muhammad is the Messenger of God.
Since the dawn of true human consciousness, Islam asserts, the Creator not only implanted in human beings the awareness of His existence, the innate knowledge that there is a non-corporeal, transcendent Being Who created them and the world around them; 1 He also provided them with the answers to these vital questions which have occupied their minds since their emergence as thinking, questioning, problem-solving beings on this planet, conveying His guidance to humankind through various individuals whom he chose as His message-bearers to different groups of people: to be the connecting link between Himself and man, so to speak. Through the passing of time and changes occasioned by human error, much of the Message which they brought was lost. However, enough remains of the earlier scriptures or the teachings of earlier messengers-of the revelations entrusted by God to such prophets as Ibrahim, Moses, Jesus and many others - to make it very clear that this Message has been basically one and the same throughout history: that there is a single, unique Being Who is the Lord and Master of all creation; that this Being has made laws to govern the conduct of human beings; and that each individual is accountable to this Being for how he lives his life.
Thus Islam does not claim to be a new religion. Rather it is the original religion, that primordial faith which has had its roots deep in man's consciousness since the first true human being walked upon earth because the Creator Himself implanted it there, the faith revealed to and preached by all the prophets: the religion of submission and accountability to the One God. Islam teaches the Divine origin of this message, pointing to the similarity and continuity of the teachings brought by the various messengers of God throughout history, but it makes it clear that in the course of time they were changed and grave distortions appeared among them. Hence the Divine origin of these messages is to be believed in but not necessarily their present form or content, since their present condition makes it impossible to determine what part of them has been changed, either accidentally or deliberately, by the hands of men.
Each one of the prophets was a man like other men, with the same human needs and feelings; Islam most emphatically denies any suggestion of the divinity or super-human nature of God's messengers. At the same time, they were men of special qualities whom God singled out from the rest of humanity for the task of conveying His guidance. The prophets are characterized by their total submission to God and their nearness to Him, their pure and upright natures, the extraordinary righteousness of their conduct, and their unswerving commitment to the mission with which they were entrusted.
The guidance revealed suited the mentality and needs of the particular peoples to whom it was addressed. Consequently, many earlier prophets were sent with miracles and signs since the people of their eras, whose belief in God was very weak or altogether lacking, were willing to acknowledge Him only when His existence and power were demonstrated by such proofs. At length, when the mind of man had developed to its full potential, God raised His last prophet, Muhammad, an Arab descended from Ibrahim, with the final and complete statement of His guidance for all time to come. And it is because Muslims follow the guidance which was conveyed through Muhammad , the guidance which carries the complete and final proclamation of God's laws and commands for humankind, that "Muhammadu Rasool Allah"-Muhammad is the Messenger of God-is so significant and vital as to form the second part of the Muslim's statement of faith.
Far from being a state of degradation and servility. The human individual's exclusive submission to the Creator alone invests him with greatness and sublimity, for by means of it he is freed from obeying and serving anything less than God, the only Being Who can ever be worthy of his devotion and obedience. "La ilaha illa Allah, Muhammadu Rasool Allah" is therefore that powerful statement of faith which represents the liberation of the one who professes it from servitude and submission to anything or anyone other than God Most High. It is the denial of all other claimants to divinity and supreme authority, the affirmation of God's Oneness and Sovereignty, and the statement of belief in and acceptance of His guidance as revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be on him), the last of God's messengers
God Almighty forwarded word “will” or “legacies” to “debt” in the clause “after payment of legacies and debts” despite the fact that paying off debts actually precedes fulfilling the will in order to stress on its significance and fulfillment.
Wills could most probably be neglected or hidden because they are uncompensated money and people find it hard to give it away. Hence came these orders eloquently to urge people to respect wills and fulfill them by forwarding the word “will” to “debt” in the four clauses to shed light on its moral importance and significance.
Imam Al Zamakhshary explained this meaning in Al-kashaf saying: “If I was asked why the word “will” is forwarded to “debt” in the verse despite the fact that shari’ah stipulates paying debts off first, I would say that giving.
“Will” is usually just like giving a share of the legacy for free. Hence come the hardship of fulfilling it on part of the inheritors. Unlike a debt which they most readily pay because it is money that have been taken before. God forwarded the word “will” to “debt” to remind of its importance and urge people to fulfill it as they pay off debt.
The clause “so that no loss is caused (to any one)” is a prohibition for a person to do harm to his/her inheritors through the will or leaving them in heavy debt. Doing harm to the inheritors through the will of the deceased happens when his/her disposes of more or less than one third of his/her fortune away with the intention of decreasing the share of the inheritors of the legacy or depriving them totally of inheritance. Al-Nissa’i related that Ibn Abbas narrated: “The Prophet (pbuh) says: “Doing harm through a will is one of the deadly sins.” Qitabah said:
“God hates doing harm in life and after death. He Almighty forbade it.” Doing ham to the inheritors through debt occurs when a person falsely states that s/he is indebted to another in order to deprive the inheritors from legacy. Or else s/he might falsely state that s/he has their loaned money/item paid back so that the inheritors would not be able to retrieve them.
God Almighty mention the clause “so that no loss is caused (to any one)” after specifying the portion given of brothers and sisters of the deceased in the inheritance in order to stress on giving them their rights. For some people almost neglect the share of the brothers and sisters to the share of the mother of the deceased till the present day.
The clause “Thus it is ordained by God” asserts the imperativeness of dividing the inheritance the same way God ordained and revealed in the Glorious Qur’an. The clause denotes that this divine will is obligatory, whoever violates it deserves God’s punishment.
The clause “God is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing” is a conclusion that aims to raise heart on piety to God Who is Well-Aware of its hidden secrets and Who is Lenient and never hastening to punish the sinners.
The clause "God is All-Knowing, Most Forbearing" is a conclusion that aims to raise hearts on piety to God Who is Well-Aware of its hid¬den' secrets and Who is Lenient and never hastening to punish the sin¬ners; tarrying but never unfair.
Scholars extracted from these two verses a group of legislations which when applied - will lead to welfare, justice, security and good life of the na¬tion and all its members- males and females. These legislations include: The most sound arrangement of the inheritors is given in the two verses. The fist verse lists the inheritors start¬ing" from parental and. fraternal lineage which em¬bodies, the closest kind of relationships among human beings.
The second verse specified spou¬sal inheritance which comes second to parental and fraternal inheritance because the first two reinitiated through a blood relationship where¬as the latter is caused by a marriage agreement that could be annulled any moment. Then this verse moved on to speak about inheritance through /kalalah/ which is a weaker form of kinship than the above two forms. In /kalalah/ in¬heritance is begotten through indirect kinship.
Second, accordingly, it is evident that inheritors are divinely arranged in these two verses. This, arrangement is one which the Creator has made rather than any, human, being. It aims to render good the life of human beings. On 'earth because God is Well-Aware and Knowledgeable of their interests and He is the Wise in all His deeds and ac¬tions.
God reinforced the necessity of conforming to His legislations with regards to dividing inheritance by starting the two verses with the clause "God (thus) directs you". The word "ordained" as indicated above- denotes giving directions to others as regards the things they should.
This is to be done in wise and convincing advice. God warned people against hes¬itating about the application of these legislations. He Almighty said : "Ye know not whether your parents or your children are nearest to you in benefit. These are settled portions ordained by God; and God is All-knowing, All ¬Wise;"
Third, those above two verses clearly declared that the portion given to males in the inheritance is dou¬ble that of females in most cases. The word 'most' is used because there are some examples when both the male and the female have equal portions of the inheritance. For example when the inheritors are the two parents and a son, or two parents and two daughters or more, the mother's portion in this case would be equal to that of the father. For both of them would have one sixth of the inheritance as stipulated in the verse: "For parent, a sixth share of the inheritance to each, If the de-ceased left children".
The same case applies when there are brothers and sisters to the moth¬er of the deceased. All of them would equally share one third of the inheritance. This one third is to be divided justly a male's portion is as much as that of a female, unless more lineal kinship that precedes them in the inheritance hier¬archy. This rule has been indicated in the second verse: "If the man or a woman whose inheritance is in ques¬tion, has left neither ascendants nor descendants, but has left a brother or a sister, each one of the two gets a sixth; but if more than two, they share in a third". This rule has been duly referred to before in the ex¬planation of the two noble verses.
Fourth, the Islamic legislation which is stipulated in the clause "God (thus) directs you as regards your children’s (inheritance) to the male, a portion of two females" represents sheer justices and wisdom. This legislation has been based on consideration the social, financial and economic responsibilities Islam has made incumbent on a man in comparison to those of a woman. Within Islamic legislation, the man is the bread winner. He is ordered to support and sustain all the members of the family including the wife. Whereas the Woman is exempted from many Of the financial re¬sponsibilities that a man shoulders. A man is the one who pays the dowry in marriage and shoulders the financial responsibilities of the family. It is only within Islamic legislation that the wife as the right to keep intact all her money and possessions. Islamic legislation does not ordain a wife to spend any of her private mon¬ey or on the family, unless she -willingly- volunteers to help her husband with his responsibilities.
Thus we do see that Islamic legisla¬tion is primarily based on justice in stipulating a double portion of the in¬heritance to the male, giving the woman half his portion because supporting the family and the burden of breadwinning in Islam lies on the man rather than the women.
The second kind of treatment for a haughty and disobedient wife is referred to in the clause" refuse to share their beds".
The word / madhagi'e / is the plural of / madhga'a / which is the place where .people sleep. The clause informs men that if advice and exhortation .was of no avail to their wives, they should move on a step forward by¬ abstaining from sleeping on the same bed and leaving them to sleep alone. Husbands at these times are not to say any term of abuse to their wives, for they ordered only to end their company to their wives in bed without any form of enmity or hatred.
Denying women company in theft beds is a kind of psycho¬logical discipline for some women. The third kind of treatment for the disobedience of wives is indicated in the clause "(and last) ;peat them (lightly)" which informs men that if none of the two above mentioned workout in treating the disobedience of their wives, then they should gently beat their wives in such a manner as not to hurt- the face provided that they should not also call their wives bad names so they would not hurt their feelings.
There are many prophetic hadiths that elaborate on this third kind of treatment and specifying two cases when a husband is allowed to hit his wife. For example, there is a hadith related by AI- Tirmidhi where Amr bin Al Ahwas narrated that he heard the Prophet (pbuh) in Hijjat Al Wadaa' (Farewell Pilgrimage) by praising God out loud and urging people saying: "0 you are recommended to do well to women except when they do a vile sin. If so, then you abstain from sleeping in the same bed and bit them gently". "O you have a right upon your wives and they have a right upon you. Your right is they must never allow someone you hate into your houses. Their right is to be welt treated in food and clothing. "
Abu Dawood related a hadith where Iyas Thn Abd AIlah ( may Allah be pleased with him) narrated: "The Prophet (pbuh) said :"Do not hit women, as they are your sisters" Iyas (may, Allahbe pleased with him) narrated: 'The prophet (pbuh) narrated that Omar bin Khattab said to the Prophet (pbuh): "Women have become too bold with their husbands", so the Prophet. (pbuh) permitted husbands to' hit their wives. Then, many women came to the Prophet (pbuh) and his wives to complain of the ill-treatment of their husbands. The Prophet said: "Many women came to my family complaining from their husbands. O those husbands are not your most . honored." (meaning, those husbands who hit their wives are not the best of you).
Mu'aweyah bin Hidah (may God bless him) narrated that he asked the Prophet (pbuh) "What is the right of the wife to her husband?" He (pbuh) said: "Whenever he eats, he should feed her. Whenever new clothes, he should get her new clothes. He must not be rude to her, and should always talk to her."
As indicated in the Prophetic hadiths, the Prophet (Pbuh) allowed the husband to hit his : wife gently, but only after ap¬proaching her in all other ways possible. A husband should start by giving her advice and " then by refraining from her company in bed. Hitting the wife should be the last resort. The Prophet (pbuh) stip¬ulated that hitting the wife should be gently, away from the face and should" not say vile words or use terms of abuse. Hitting a wife should never occur except in cases where she trans gresses against a legislative ruling or divine order as regards the relationship with her husband in matters of honor, good manners and in accordance with the Prophet's '(pbuh) saying: ' unless they commit a vile sin' Then God Almighty indicated the reaction of husbands towards their wives if they became lenient and stopped being disobedient and arrogant. He says: "but if they turn to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance ) for Allah is Most High , Great (above you all)" . The clause orders men that whenever they are reconciled with their wives, they' treat them well and not hurt. God says: "On the contrary live them on a footing of kindness and equity if ye take a dislike to them it maybe that" ye dislike a thing, and Al-lah brings about through it a great deal of good." (Surat AnNisaa: 19)
The Prophet (pbuh) says: "No believing male should loathe his spouse. If he hated one of her traits, he should love another trait" .
Men should know that God AI-mighty is powerful and capable so that they might fear and be pious to him. Imam Fakhr Ar-Razi who said in explanation of this clause, using the two adjectives Most High"," Great (above you" all)" in this context . is most eloquent for many reasons:
First: to instill awe and fear from God into the hearts of men and to warn them against op¬pressing women or else God AI-mighty, Who has power over them will punish them. Second: Men, due to their upper hand over women. should not hurt and transgress against women if they relented and obeyed them. They should remember that God Almighty has the upper hand over them.
Third: Despite the fact that God is "Most High" ," Great (above you all)", He never ordained something you cannot bear or afford. Hence you should not oblige your wives to love if they do not. Fourth: God Almighty Who is "Most High"," Great (above you all)", yet He Almighty does not rep¬rimand a sinner when they repent. On the contrary, He Almighty pardons and forgives. So husbands should stop scolding their wives for being previously disobedient and ar¬rogant once they relent and refrain from their misbehavior.
Fifth: God Almighty "Most High", Great (above you all)" asks His", worshippers to account for their ap¬parent sayings and deeds not their inner thoughts and feelings. Thus hus¬bands should parody this example. Whoever reflects on this noble verse would find that it asserted that the uprightness of men to women is , a divine stipulation that is not to be opposed. This uprightness is stipulat¬ed due to the responsibilities and ordinances God commanded men, not women, to do. It is also and uprightness of protection and care rath¬er than oppression and coercion. Fairness and good manners of hus¬bands, towards their wives has a legislative basis in Islam. God Almighty is Ever-Truthful in saying "but if they return to obedience, seek not against them means (of annoyance): for Allah is Most High, Great (above you all)" .
