WHERE IS ALLOH

Important: I apologize for not mentioning the salaam on the Prophet next to his name. So we give salaam and blessings (sala Allah alehi wasalam) of Allah upon the Messenger and we say that may Allah be pleased with the companions (radi Allah anhum) and may Allah’s mercy be upon the imams and scholars (rahmat Allah alehum).

The Importance of the Issue

1.The Quran

2.The Sunnah

3.The Ijma’ of the Sahaba and their sayings

4.The sayings of the Tabiyeen and Tabe-tabiyeen

5.The sayings of the Imams (including Abul Hasan al-Ashari)

6.Logical reasoning.

7.Conclusion

Importance of the Topic

The importance of this topic is directly related to the importance of Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) and the perfection of Tawheed in one’s life and actions. As a scholar of old said that whoever does not know where His Creator is does not worship Him.

Another importance reason for this topic is to refute the groups of innovation who have distorted the teachings of Islam and distorted the words and attributes of Allah. Among them, the Sufis for instance, claim that Allah is everywhere. They keep harping on this same tone until they make people believe that what they claim is truth and undisputed truth. However, despite their unfounded contention, the books of hadith and scholars, nay the book of Quran-the actual speech of Allah is itself filled with verse upon verse refuting the heretic concept of Allah, the Omniscient, the Omnipotent being everywhere in His Glorified Essence. Rather this heresy is nothing but disbelief as will be explicitly proven in this short treatise, and this belief amounts to no less than pantheism-the belief that God is everywhere, in everything.

The Science of Hadith

We have, Without doubt, sent down the message: and we will assuredly guard it (from corruption). (Qur’an 15:9)

The promise made by Allah (SWT) in Qur’an 15:9 is obviously fulfilled in the undisputed purity of the Qur’anic text throughout the fourteen centuries since its revelation. However, what is often forgotten by many Muslims is that the divine promise also includes, by necessity, the Sunnah of the Prophet (saws), because the Sunnah is the practical example of the implementation of the Qur’anic guidance, the wisdom taught to the Prophet (saws) along with the scripture, and neither the Qur’an nor the Sunnah can be understood correctly without the other.

Allah (SWT) preserved the Sunnah by enabling the companions and those after them to memorize, write down and pass on the statements of the Prophet (saws), and the descriptions of his way, as well as to continue the blessings of practicing the Sunnah.

Later, as the purity of the knowledge of the Sunnah became threatened, Allah (SWT) caused the Muslim Ummah to produce individuals with exceptional memory skills and analytical expertise, who travelled tirelessly to collect thousands of narrations and distinguish the true words of prophetic wisdom from those corrupted by weak memories, from forgeries by unscrupulous liars, and from the statements of the large number of Ulama (scholars), the companions and those who followed their way. All of this was achieved through precise attention to the words narrated, and detailed familiarity with the biographies of the thousands of reporters of hadith.

The methodology of the expert scholars of hadith in assessing the narrations and sorting out the genuine from the mistaken and fabricated, for ms the subject matter of the science of hadith. In this article a brief discussion is given of the terminology and classifications of hadith.

Components of Hadith

A hadith is composed of three parts (see the figure [below]):

Matn (text), isnad (chain of reporters), and taraf (the part, or the beginning sentence, of the text which refers to the sayings, actions or characteristics of the Prophet (saws), or his concurrence with others action). The authenticity of the hadith depends on the reliability of its reporters, and the linkage among them.

Where is Allah?

Important: I apologize for not mentioning the salaam on the Prophet next to his name. So we give salaam and blessings (sala Allah alehi wasalam) of Allah upon the Messenger and we say that may Allah be pleased with the companions (radi Allah anhum) and may Allah’s mercy be upon the imams and scholars (rahmat Allah alehum).

The Importance of the Issue

1.The Quran
2.The Sunnah
3.The Ijma’ of the Sahaba and their sayings
4.The sayings of the Tabiyeen and Tabe-tabiyeen
5.The sayings of the Imams (including Abul Hasan al-Ashari)
6.Logical reasoning.
7.Conclusion

Importance of the Topic

The importance of this topic is directly related to the importance of Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) and the perfection of Tawheed in one’s life and actions. As a scholar of old said that whoever does not know where His Creator is does not worship Him.
Another importance reason for this topic is to refute the groups of innovation who have distorted the teachings of Islam and distorted the words and attributes of Allah. Among them, the Sufis for instance, claim that Allah is everywhere. They keep harping on this same tone until they make people believe that what they claim is truth and undisputed truth. However, despite their unfounded contention, the books of hadith and scholars, nay the book of Quran-the actual speech of Allah is itself filled with verse upon verse refuting the heretic concept of Allah, the Omniscient, the Omnipotent being everywhere in His Glorified Essence. Rather this heresy is nothing but disbelief as will be explicitly proven in this short treatise, and this belief amounts to no less than pantheism-the belief that God is everywhere, in everything.
The main sources of Islam will be touched upon, gathering proof after proof to the answer to the question of where Allah is. The last topic of discussion-logical reasoning is the weakest proof in Islam but for those out there, who find it hard to accept the word of Allah, the words of Rasul, the Sahaba, the Imams, then they can not even rely upon their minds to proof their claims of Allah being everywhere. In order, this article will intend to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt that Allah is above the Heavens, separate from the creation but among his creation by His Hearing (as-Samiy), His Seeing (al-Baseer) and His Knowledge (al-Aleem).

Evidences from the Qur’an

As mentioned earlier, the Qur’an is full of both explicit and implicit proofs. Among the implicit proofs are the several verses that mention of deeds and Jesus being raised to Allah. Obviously, only what is below is raised or ascends. As Allah says, the meaning of which is:
“And when Allah said: ‘O Jesus! I will take you and raise you to Myself’.”[3:55]
“To Him ascend (all) the goodly words, and the righteous deeds lift them.”[35:10]
“From Allah, the Lord of the Places of Ascent, the angels and the Ruh (Gabriel) ascend to Him in a day the measure whereof is of fifty thousand years.”[70:3-4]
And there are many other verses of similar nature but the above should suffice in making the point. Among the explicit verses, there are several other verses that mention clearly that their Lord is above them
“And He is the Subduer, above His slaves, and He is the All-Wise, Well Acquainted with all things.”[6:18]

And even more clearer:

“Do you feel secure that He, Who is fis-sama (above the heavens), will not cause the earth to sink…Or do you feel secure that He, Who is fis-sama (above the heavens) will not send against you a violent whirlwind?” [67:16-17]
It is important to point out here that the literal translation of ‘fis-sama’ is ‘in’ the heavens. The scholars of tafseer have explained it according to the Arabic language for ‘fi’ in this context to have the meaning of above as it is not possible for Allah to be surrounded by His creation i.e. the heavens. Also, sometimes the word ‘fi’ is used in the meaning of ‘ala’ (on) as mentioned in another verse:
“I will surely crucify you ‘fi’ (on) the trunks of palm-trees.”[20:71]
Now, obviously the ‘fi’ in this verse refers not to ‘in’ but to ‘on’ as one cannot be crucified within a trunk!
The other interpretation is based on the variant meanings of the word ‘Sama’ which in Arabic can refers to that which is elevated-the higher, or uppermost of anything (the Muhkam). It can also refer to the ceiling of a house, to the sky, to the heavens and to elevation and transcendence. The meaning should not be, hence, confused with its predominant acceptation, a word of well-known meaning: the sky-the canopy of the earth (taj al-aroos). Hence, the verse could be translated as the one Who is in transcendence to all creation which in essence, has the same meaning of being above the heavens.
Evidences from the Sunnah (the Way) of the Prophet
The sunnah of the Prophet is the explanation of the Quran. One cannot take the Quran alone without letting the sunnah tag along. Like the Quran, the Prophet made it extremely clear the truth on this matter of where Allah is. Some of the ahadith on this matter are quoted next:
Abu Hurairah narrates that the Messenger said, “Whoever donates the equal of a date from whatever was collected righteously, and only good is ascended to Allah, then, He will accept it (the charity) with His Right and raise it for its giver till it becomes like a mountain.” [Bukhari]

Alcohol According to Qur’an and Sunnah

The Prohibition: Al-Tirmidhi #580, Narrated AbudDarda’ …don’t drink wine for it is the key to every evil.Abu Dawood, Narrated Umar ibn al-Khattab “When the prohibition of wine (was yet to be) declared, Umar said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine. So the following verse of Surat al-Baqarah revealed; “They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: In them is great sin….” Umar was then called and it was recited to him. He said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine. Then the following verse of Surat an-Nisa’ was revealed: “O ye who believe! approach not prayers with a mind befogged….” Thereafter the herald of the Apostle of Allah would
call when the (congregational) prayer was performed: Beware, one who is drunk should not come to prayer. Umar was again called and it was recited to him. He said: O Allah, give us a satisfactory explanation about wine. This verse was revealed: “Will ye not then abstain?” Umar said: We abstained. The Noble Qur’an – al-Baqarah 2:219
They ask you (O Muhammad ) concerning alcoholic drink and gambling. Say: “In them is a great sin, and (some) benefit for men, but the sin of them is greater than their benefit.” And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: “That which is beyond your needs.” Thus Allâh makes clear to you His Laws in order that you may give thought.
Selling and Buying: Al-Tirmidhi #2776 Narrated Anas ibn Malik “Allah’s Messenger cursed ten people in connection with wine: the wine-presser, the one who has it pressed, the one who drinks it, the one who conveys it, the one to whom it is conveyed, the one who serves it, the one who sells it, the one who benefits from the price paid for it, the one who buys it, and the one for whom it is bought.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.Dying when Addicted: Muslim #4963, Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar “Allah’s Messenger
said: Every intoxicant is Khamr and every intoxicant is forbidden. He who drinks wine in this world and dies while he is addicted to it, not having repented, will not be given a drink in the Hereafter.”
Beat for Drunkedness: Bukhari 3:509, Narrated ‘Uqba bin Al-Harith “When An-Nuaman or his son was brought in a state of drunkenness, Allah’s Apostle ordered all those who were present in the house to beat him. I was one of those who beat him. We beat him with shoes and palm-leaf stalks.”
Bukhari 8:764, Narrated Anas bin Malik “The Prophet beat a drunk with palm-leaf stalks and shoes. And Abu Bakr gave (such a sinner) forty lashes.”
Bukhari 8:768, Narrated Abu Salama Abu Huraira said, “A man who drank wine was brought to the Prophet . The Prophet said, ‘Beat him!’ ” Abu Huraira added, “So some of us beat him with our hands, and some with their shoes, and some with their garments (by twisting it) like a lash, and then when we finished, someone said to him, ‘May Allah disgrace you!’ On that the Prophet said, ‘Do not say so, for you are helping Satan to overpower him.’ ” Satan’s Use of Intoxicants The Noble Qur’an – Al-Ma’idah 5:91 Shaytan (Satan) wants only to excite enmity and hatred between you with intoxicants (alcoholic drinks) and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of Allah and from As-Salât (the prayer). So, will you not then abstain?”
Prayer Not Accepted: Al-Tirmidhi #3643, narrated Abdullah ibn Umar ;
Allah’s Messenger said, “If anyone drinks wine Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he repeats the offence Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he again repeats the offence Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, but if he repents Allah will forgive him. If he repeats it a fourth time Allah will not accept prayer from him for forty days, and if he repents Allah will not forgive him, but will give him to drink of the river of the fluid flowing from the inhabitants of Hell.” [Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it on the authority of Abdullah ibn Amr.]
Medicine: Abu Dawood, narrated Tariq ibn Suwayd or Suwayd ibn Tariq Wa’il said: “Tariq ibn Suwayd or Suwayd ibn Tariq asked the Prophet about wine, but he forbade it. He again asked him, but he forbade him. He said to him: Prophet of Allah, it is a medicine. The Prophet said: No it is a disease.”
Umm Salamah, the wife of the Prophet reports that he once said: “Allah has not placed a cure for your diseases in things that He has forbidden for you.” (Reported by Baihaqi; Ibn Hibban considers this hadith to be sound. Bukhari has also related it on the authority of Ibn Mas’ud.)
Abu Dawood; Sahih Bukhari Abu ad-Darda reported that the Prophet said: “Allah has sent down both the malady and its remedy.. For every disease He has created a cure. So seek medical treatment, but never with something the use of which Allah has prohibited.”

Action Items

Do not ingest alcohol

If your husband (or other relative) comes home drunk (please note that you have grounds for divorce in such an example), ask for the Muslim brothers to give him 40 lashes for it.
Don’t be a passive tool of Shaitan by accepting alcoholism in your family or the Muslim community.

Mecca’s Water of Benison

zam-zam water

By Moin Uddin Ahmed

Come the hajj season, and I am reminded of the wonders of aab-i-Zumzum. Let me go
back to how it all started.
In 1971, an Egyptian doctor wrote to the European Press, a letter saying that
aab-i-Zumzum was not fit for drinking purposes. I immediately thought that this was just a form of prejudice against the Muslims and that since his statement was based on the assumption that since the Khaan-i-Ka’aba was a shallow place (below sea level) and located in the center of the city of Makkah, all the waste water of the city collecting through the drains fell into well holding the water.
Fortunately, the news came to Shah Faisal’s ears who got extremely angry and decided to disprove the Egyptian doctor’s provocative statement. He immediately ordered the Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources to investigate and send samples of aab-i-Zumzum to European laboratories for testing the portability of the water. The ministry then instructed the Jeddah Power and Desalination Plants to carry out this task. It was here that I was employed as a desalting engineer (chemical engineer to produce drinking water from sea water). I was chosen to carry out this assignment. At this stage, I remember that I had no idea what the well holding the water looked
like.
I went to Makkah and reported to the authorities at the Khaan-i-Ka’aba explaining my purpose of visit. They deputed a man to give me whatever help was required. When we reached the well, it was hard for me to believe that a pool of water, more like a small pond, about 18 by 14 feet, was the well that supplied millions of gallons of water every year to hajjis ever since it came into existence at the time of Hazrat Ibrahim, many, many centuries ago. I started my investigations and took the dimensions of the well. I asked the man to show me the depth of the well. First he took a shower and descended into the water. Then he straightened his body. I saw that the water level came up to just above his shoulders. His height was around five feet, eight inches.
He then started moving from one corner to the other in the well (standing all the while since he was not allowed to dip his head into the water) in search of any inlet or pipeline inside the well to see from where the water came in. However, the man reported that he could not find any inlet or pipeline inside the well.I thought of another idea. The water could be withdrawn rapidly with the help of a big transfer pump that was installed at the well for the aab-i-Zumzum storage tanks. In this way, the water level would drop enabling us to locate the point of entry of the water. Surprisingly, nothing was observed during the pumping period, but I knew that this was the only method by which you could find the entrance of the water to the well. So I decided to repeat the process. But this time I instructed the man to stand still at one place and carefully observe any unusual thing happening inside the well. After a while, he suddenly raised his hands and shouted, “Allhumdulilah! I have found it. The sand is dancing beneath my feet as the water oozes out of the bed of the well.” Then he moved around the well during the pumping period and noticed the same phenomenon everywhere in the well. Actually the flow of water into the well through the bed was equal at every point, thus keeping the level of the water steady.
After I finished my observations I took the samples of the water for European
laboratories to test. Before I left the Khaan-i-Ka’aba, I asked the authorities about the other wells around Makkah. I was told that these wells were mostly dry.When I reached my office in Jeddah I reported my findings to my boss who listened with great interest but made a very irrational comment that the Zumzum well could be internally connected to the Red Sea. How was it possible when Makkah is about 75 kilometers away from the sea and the wells located before the city usually remain dry?
The results of the water samples tested by the European laboratories and the one we analyzed in our own laboratory were found to be almost identical. The difference between aab-i-Zumzum and other water (city water) was in the quantity of calcium and magnesium salts. The content of these was slightly higher in aab-i-Zumzum. This may be why this water refreshes tired hajjis, but more significantly, the water contains fluorides that have an effective germicidal action. Moreover, the remarks of the European laboratories showed that the water was fit for drinking. Hence the statement made by the Egyptian doctor was proved false. When this was reported to Shah Faisal he was extremely pleased and ordered the contradiction of the report in the European Press.

Zaitoon (Olive) is Cure for Seventy Diseases

by Dr. M. Laiq Ali Khan

Zaitoon (Olive) the sign of peace and friendship in this world has its description in Holy Qur’an Allah (swt) says:

1. By the fig and olive
2. And the mount of Sinai
3. And the city of security
4. We have indeed created man in the best of moulds
5. Then do we abase him (to be) the lowest of low
6. Except such as believe and do righteous deeds for they shall have a reward unfailing
7. What then, can after this, make you deny the last judgement
8. Is not Allah the wisest of judges” (The Fig, Surah 95)

The plant of olive goes up to the height of 3 metres, leaves are bright green and very attractive and the fruits are of bright bluish or violet colour, possesses a metallic taste. It is known from old ages. During the excavation of ancient Egyptian graves, vessels full of olive oil were found with other articles. According to the scholars of Hadith, on subsidence of Toofan-E-Nooh, when water level came down, the first thing on the earth that was seen, was the olive plant.

The plant is extensively found in Asia minor, Palestine, Roman territory, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, Italy, North Africa, Algeria, Tunisia, California in America, Mexico, Peru and South zone of Australia. Usually it is imported from Spain, Italy, France, Turkey and Greece. Though olive fruits are very nutritious it is not usually eaten due to its metallic taste. Rather pickles of its fruits are largely consumed in Europe. The fruits preserved in vinegar is imported from Greece and liked very much in Europe and in Arabian countries.

Olive oil is a good preservative for other eatables too. Sardine and other fishes are tinned and preserved in olive oil. The smoke-less burning of olive oil is a peculiar feature, which produces a bright light. Holy Qur’an stresses the importance of Zaitoon on several occasions: (141-M-AlInaam-6), (99-K-AlInaam-6), (11-K-AlNahl-16), (AlNoor-35), (Moominoon).

Hazrat Sayyed Al-Ansari narrates that the Prophet (saws) said “Eat the olive oil and massage it over your bodies since it is a holy (mubarak) tree.” (Tirmizi, Ibn Maja)

Hazrat Alqama Bin Amir narrates that Prophet (saws) said, “ There is olive oil for you, eat it, massage over your body, since it is effective in Haemorrhoids (Piles).” (Ibn Al-Jozi, Zanbi)

Hazrat Aqba Bin Amir narrates that the Prophet (saws) stated, “You have the olive oil from this Holy (mubarak) tree, treat yourself with this, since it cures the Anal fissure (Basoor).” Khalid Bin Saad narrates “I came to Madinah with Ghalib Bin Al Jabr. Ghalib became ill during the journey. Ibn Abi Ateeq came to see him and told a narration from Hazrat Aisha that the Prophet (saws) told about the cure in Kalonji. We crushed a few seeds of Kalonji and mixed it with olive oil and dropped in both nostrils, after which Ghalib became healthy.” (Ibn Maja, Bukhari)

Hazrath Abu Hurairah (t) narrates that the Prophet (saws) stated, “ Eat the olive oil and apply it (locally), since there is cure for seventy diseases in it, one of them is Leprosy.” (Abu Naim)

Hazrat Zaid Bin Arqam narrates “ We have been directed by the Prophet (saws) that we should treat the Pleurisy with Qust-e-Behri (Qust Sheerin) and olive oil.” (Tirmizi, sanadeAhmed, Ibn Maja)

Olive oil has a place in Govt Pharmacopeia of USA and Britain (British Pharmacopeia). Both of these countries have given prime importance to olive oil for the treatment of various ailments and have fixed standard parameters to evaluate its purity.

It contains Palmatic Acid, Oleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Steanic Acid, Myristic Acid and Glycerides. It is not dissolved in water but in Alcohol, Ether, Chloroform and Liquid Paraffin.

islamic Medicine (b)

Edited by Dr. Shahid Athar

Statement on Beverages

As to drinks, know them in regard to their properties and actions to employ the useful and to beware of what is harmful. One cannot know their temperaments and qualities. Since water is the earliest known (of drinks) and the most honourable in temperament, quali6es, and usefulness one should know its properties in regard to bodily change. Under normal circumstances, there are none. It is substance without colour, without taste, and without smell but it is cold and moist. Its body was created without form, and without connection among its parts except that which is united when it is in a container. It is not nutritious unless one considers its use in the cooking of food and its penetration into parts of the body.

As to the water which is contrary to that here mentioned, its matter has mixed with other matter possessing other attributes like sulphur and borax waters, etc. Waters like these have different tastes and properties. Owing to the fact that they vary in taste, smell and weight, for this reason, they affect the body in different ways. The physician must know the properties of waters and their differences. Otherwise, if the question of water is neglected, great harm will come to the body; this is because it is essential for life and its need is continuous.

So far as internal harm to the body is concerned, then, there are the matter [of water], the matter of the air, the factor of the seasons when they change, and the effect of the winds generally in [some] countries. Therefore, Hippocrates said that he, who wants to study medicine the straightforward way, must do this that I describe. It is, first, that you must consider the times of the year and what can be done since they are not alike. They are very different not only in themselves but compared also to others. Then, attention must be paid to the hot and cold winds, especially those common to all people and those peculiar to each country. It is also necessary to consider the properties of waters since they may not only differ in taste and weight but also be different in [other] properties.

When we reflect on the results of Hippocrates’ advice, we understand that water is important, when suitable, for the preservation of health; it is harmful if not suitable. No one can be more discriminating in acquiring this [knowledge] than were the ancients. The most efficient in this was Hippocrates so listen to his teaching and hold on to it in order to attain your wish in the art of medicine.

Hippocrates said, “I want to inform you of the other waters and which of them are more effective in bringing good health. I shall describe what it is necessary to derive from evil and salty waters since the kind of waters is very important in aiding health.