What is Munkar and Nakir? Munkar and Nakir (منكر ونكير) (English translation: “The Denied and The Denier”) in Islamic eschatology, are angels who test the faith of the dead in their graves.[1] Description These angels are described as having solid black eyes, having a shoulder span measured in miles, and carrying hammers “so...
God and the Truth of Divinity The sacred term Allah (God), which is also referred to as the Word of Majesty or the All-Supreme Name in the sense that it is the Chief Divine Name comprising all other Names, is the proper Name of the All-Majestic, All-Exalted Divine Being, Who...
Islamic Meditation Meditation and mindfulness are often associated with several eastern traditions such as Buddhism and Yoga, yet few know the essential position of meditative spiritual practice within Islam. In this seven week course, wSufis, Tasbih, تسبيح, Misbaha, مِسْبَحَة, Ahadith, dua, prayer beads, Meditative quiescence, khushoo, muraqaba, Tafakkur, tadabbur,Sufisme will learn...
What Is Dhikr? Dhikr (also Zikr, Zekr, Zikir, Jikir, and variants; ذِكْر, ḏikr, plural أذكار aḏkār, meaning “mentioning”) are devotional acts in Islam in which short phrases or prayers are repeatedly recited silently within the mind or aloud. It can be counted on a set of prayer beads (Misbaha, مِسْبَحَة) or through fingers of the hand. A person who recites the...
Women in the Quran and the Sunna In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to Allah is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Qur’an says: And for women...
“Five Mysteries” Mentioned In The Qur’an It appears that the time of the coming of rain and the sex of the baby in the mother’s womb can be known in advance. Are these then no longer to be counted among the “five mysteries” mentioned in the Qur’an? The question concerns...
How Does The Qur’an Regard “Knowledge”? What are the differences between the Islamic and the modern scientific points of view on knowledge (‘ilm)? How does the Qur’an regard “knowledge”? Genuine knowledge (‘ilm) is a source of infinite light covered with truth, which leads enlightened people toward the righteous path. Modern...
Important Explanations To Understand Certain Important Truths Of Quran In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Alif Lam Ra. A Book whose verses were established and set clear, and then distinguished, from One All-Wise, All-Aware. (11:1) In order to help those who do not have enough submission and...
Does The Qur’an Allude To Scientific Developments? Before answering this question, we should point out one important fact: Considering science as opposed to religion and scientific study as separate from and independent of the Qur’an is just as mistaken as trying to reduce the Qur’an to a science textbook by...
Does The Quran Contain Everything? Being a Book describing man and the universe, the Quran contains ‘everything’. It declares: With Him are the keys of the Unseen. None but He knows them. And He knows what is in the land and the sea. Not a leaf falls but with His...
Did Prophet Muhammad Write The Holy Qur’an? As this question has generated a great deal of literature, I shall confine my answer to the most pertinent points. This allegation is made by Orientalists, just as it was by their predecessors: Christian and Jewish writers who deeply resented the spread of...
Divine Wisdom In The Quran’s Being Revealed In Stages Over 23 Years The Quran was revealed in stages over a period of 23 years, and not as a complete book in one single act of revelation. There is wisdom and a number of reasons for this, which we shall try...
What is Tajwid? In the context of the recitation of the Quran, Tajweed (تجويد tajwīd, ‘elocution’) is a set of rules for the correct pronunciation of the letters with all their qualities and applying the various traditional methods of recitation (Qira’at). In Arabic, the term tajwīd is derived from the triliteral root j-w-d (‘to improve’). Tajweed is a compulsory religious duty (fard) when...
What Is Qira’at? In Islam, Qira’at (recitations, readings) refers to the method of recitation of the Quran. Traditionally, there are ten recognised schools of qira’at, and each one derives its name from a famous reader of Quran recitation. Each Qira’at is then transmitted via a riwaya (transmission) named after its primary narrator. Each riwaya a corpus of recitation containing the...
Miraculousness Of Quran While we have an eternal miracle like the Qur’an, I feel no need for any other proof. While we have an evidence of truth like the Qur’an I feel no difficulty in silencing those who deny. In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Say: ‘If...
Comprehensiveness Of Quran And Meaning This comes from the comprehensiveness of the Quran’s wording. Certainly, this comprehensiveness is apparent in the previous Words, as well as in the verses whose meanings are quoted in this Word. As pointed out in the hadith, Each verse has outer meanings, inner meanings, limits...
Respect For The Qur’an Reciting the Qur’an to your children and teaching them how to read it is of great importance, but there is something that is even more important. That is giving your children the sense that what is being recited is “the word of Allah.” Nowadays, one of...
Quran and Miracles Islam considers the Quran to be a holy book, the word of Allah, and a miracle. The text itself is believed to be a miracle on the grounds that the Arabic text would not conform to the standard poetry and prose categories commonly expressed by other forms of written and spoken languages...
What Is Satanic Verses? Satanic Verses refers to words of “satanic suggestion” which the Islamic Prophet Muhammad is said to have mistaken for divine revelation.[1] The alleged verses can be read in biographies of Muhammad by al-Wāqidī, Ibn Sa’d and Ibn Ishaq,[2] and the tafsir of al-Tabarī. Most Muslim scholars reject the historicity of the incident on the basis of the theological doctrine of ‘isma (prophetic infallibility...
What Does The Qur’an Say About Jihad And How Did The Prophet Implement It? In light of recent events, the media is constantly talking about jihad. However, sometimes they do not define this term. Can you please tell us what the Qur’an says about jihad, and how the Prophet and...
