#suhaib

Islam and Muslims!

The word “Islam” is an Arabic word which means “submission to the will of God”.  This word comes from the same root as the Arabic word “salam”, which means “peace”.  As such, the religion of Islam teaches that in order to achieve true peace of mind and surety of heart, one must submit to God and live according to His Divinely revealed Law.  The most important truth that God revealed to mankind is that there is nothing divine or worthy of being worshipped except for Almighty God, thus all human beings should submit to Him.

The word “Muslim” means one who submits to the will of God, regardless of their race, nationality or ethnic background.  Being a Muslim entails wilful submission and active obedience to God, and living in accordance with His message.  Some people mistakenly believe that Islam is just a religion for Arabs, but nothing could be further from the truth.  Not only are there converts to Islam in every corner of the world, especially in England and America, but by taking a look at the Muslim World from Bosnia to Nigeria, and from Indonesia to Morocco, one can clearly see that Muslims come from many various races, ethnic groups and nationalities.  It is also interesting to note that in actuality, more than 80% of all Muslims are not Arabs - there are more Muslims in Indonesia than in the whole Arab World!  So, though even though it is true that most Arabs are Muslims, the large majority of Muslims are not Arabs.  However, anyone who submits completely to God and worships Him alone is a Muslim.

Continuity of the Message

Islam is not a new religion because “submission to the will of God”, i.e. Islam, has always been the only acceptable religion in the sight of God.  For this reason, Islam is the true “natural religion”, and it is the same eternal message revealed through the ages to all of God’s prophets and messengers.  Muslims believe that all of God’s prophets, which include Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and Muhammad, brought the same message of Pure Monotheism.  For this reason, the Prophet Muhammad was not the founder of a new religion, as many people mistakenly think, but he was the final Prophet of Islam.  By revealing His final message to Muhammad, which is an eternal and universal message for all of mankind, God finally fulfilled the covenant that He made with Abraham, who was one of the earliest and greatest prophets.

Sufficient is it to say that the way of Islam is the same as the way of the prophet Abraham, because both the Bible and the Quran portray Abraham as a towering example of someone who submitted himself completely to God and worshipped Him without intermediaries.  Once this is realized, it should be clear that Islam has the most continuous and universal message of any religion, because all prophets and messengers were “Muslims”, i.e.  those who submitted to God’s will, and they preached “Islam”, i.e. submission to the will of Almighty God.

Question

I am a 24 years old girl. I fell in love, no dates, no meetings involved, pure love to a pure religious person. He promised to marry me and asked me to wait for him as his circumstances are difficult. I do not remember that he called me more than once. I asked him not to call me; because I feel this is wrong, although I love him. I felt that our love started going in the direction, he agreed to this feeling, and respected my opinion. He just sends me E-mails every so often via internet, so that I know his news. We have been in this love relationship for one year. I know this person and his family, and they know us well as well. I love him for Allah’s sake and sure he loves me as well. The problem is that I started receiving proposals, about 8 so far. Every time I refuse because I promised to wait for him. Now I am confused, is what I am doing halal or haram? I pray, Alhamdulillah, all obligatory and optional prayers, and pray qiyaam in the night as well; I fear I lose my good deeds because of what I am doing. Is a pure chaste love haram? Is my love to him halal or haram?.

Answer

Praise be to Allaah.

First of all I ask Allaah to guide you and grant you happiness, and I ask Him to increase the numbers of girls like you who are keen to maintain chastity and purity and adhere to the sacred limits of Allaah in their affairs, among the most important of which are emotional relationships that many people take lightly, so they overstep the mark and transgress the sacred limits of Allaah, and Allaah tests them with problems that we read about and hear of, in which there is a lesson for every Muslim and for every wise person. 

You should note that correspondence and contact between the sexes is one of the doors that lead to fitnah (temptation). Sharee’ah is filled with evidence which indicates that it is essential to beware of falling into the traps of the shaytaan in this matter. When the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) saw a young man merely looking at a young woman, he turned his head so as to make him look away, then he said: “I saw a young man and a young woman, and I did not trust the shaytaan not to tempt them.” Narrated by al-Tirmidhi (885) and classed as hasan by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi. 

Hence you did well to cut off contact with this young man, and we hope that you will stop corresponding too, because correspondence is one of the greatest doors to corruption that have been opened for people nowadays. This has been discussed in a number of questions.

This does not mean that it is haraam for a man or woman to like a specific person whom he or she chooses to be a spouse, and feel love for that person and want to marry them if possible. Love has to do with the heart, and it may appear in a person’s heart for reasons known or unknown. But if it is because of mixing or looking or haraam conversations, then it is also haraam. If it is because of previous acquaintance, being related or because of hearing about that person, and one cannot ward it off, then there is nothing wrong with that love, so long as one adheres to the sacred limits set by Allaah. 

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

If love develops for a reason that is not haraam, a person cannot be blamed for that, such as one who loves his wife or his slave woman, then he leaves her but that love remains and does not leave him. He is not to be blamed for that. The same applies if he glances accidentally then looks away, but love may settle in his heart without him wanting it to. But he has to ward it off and look away. End quote. 

Rawdat al-Muhibbeen (p. 147). 

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

A person may hear that a woman is of good character and virtuous and knowledgeable, so he may want to marry her. Or a woman may hear that a man is of good character and virtuous and knowledgeable and religiously committed, so she may want to marry him. But contact between the two who admire one another in ways that are not Islamically acceptable is the problem, which leads to disastrous consequences. In this case it is not permissible for the man to get in touch with the woman or for the woman to get in touch with the man, and say that he wants to marry her. Rather he should tell her wali (guardian) that he wants to marry her, or she should tell her wali that she wants to marry him, as ‘Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) did when he offered his daughter Hafsah in marriage to Abu Bakr and ‘Uthmaan (may Allaah be pleased with them both). But if the woman contacts the man directly, this is what leads to fitnah (temptation). End quote. 

Liqaa’aat al-Baab il-Maftooh!

Our advice to you is that it is essential to stop corresponding with this young man, and tell him that he has to propose to you through your wali, if he really does want to get married. He should not regard his material circumstances or anything else as a barrier. The matter is simple, in sha Allaah, and if a person is content with little, Allaah will make him independent of means by His grace and bounty. He should at least contact your wali and do the shar’i marriage contract, and if the consummation is delayed there is nothing wrong with that. But if it remains as a promise to get married, ande correspondence continues between you on that basis, this – according to the rulings of sharee’ah and the experience of real life – is a wrong path that opens the door to sin and corruption. You can be certain that you will never find happiness except by obeying Allaah and adhering to the limits set by his sharee’ah. The permissible ways are sufficient and there is no need for haraam means, but we make it hard for ourselves and the shaytaan takes advantage of that. 

Your delay in getting married is very harmful for you. You are getting older and this young man’s circumstances are not improving; you are not marrying him and you are not marrying anyone else. Beware of delaying, for that will only cause harm. You should realize that one of these men who have proposed marriage may be more religiously committed and righteous than that young man, and there may be far greater love with him than there is between you and that young man. 

This is a really interesting question to ponder, and buckle up for a long one. Short answer: YES, ISLAM DOES SAY.

Does Islam believe that aliens exist?

“ARE WE ALONE?” A question that has bothered the humankind for centuries. Are we? And where does the religion stand in this regard?

The main problem with this method is, they “discover” these scientific miracles in Quran AFTER science has made the discoveries, not BEFORE. More like, smokes and mirrors explanation, which I don’t like.

But, aliens? extraterrestrial lives? Well, that’s interesting because science that we know of today has NOT yet proven THIS ONE.

But has the Quran been saying anything about that?

To your bewilderment, and to mine as well (when I first read these), it does say about extraterrestrial lives. And when I say “lives” I mean Biological entities, made of matter, not spiritual or ethereal beings like Angels or Djinns from Quran. They do not fall under the category of ET.

Do I sound crazy? Hold that thought, I am not finished yet, may be you’ll think, I’m even crazier.

First verse:

“And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and what creatures He has dispersed throughout them. And He, for gathering them when He wills, is competent.” [The Holy Quran 42:29]

Hold on, do angels fit in the category of “creatures”?

Says God:

“And to Allah prostrates whatever creature is in the heavens and whatever is on the Earth, and also the angels, and they are not arrogant.” [The Holy Quran 16:49]

That’s a really nice indication of adding the angels, outside the range of creatures. No? It’s like saying, hey, I’m not talking about angels, ok?

Next. So those creatures, where are they? Just floating in space?

No.

“It is God who has created seven heavens and similar number of Earths. His command descends among them too, so you may know that God is competent over all things and that God has encompassed all things in knowledge.” [The Holy Quran 65:12]

Could Quran be any clearer, considering that it was only the seventh century? There was no Drake equation, yet. So, there were some explanation back then saying, oh this means earth has seven layers probably.

Did it?

7numbers? The Arabic numerical system back then used the number 7, 70, 700, 70 thousand… these as meaning “infinite”, but it could also mean exact sometimes too. Also, 40, 40000…. These numbers played the same role. Like, when you say, “I have been calling you hundred times”, but no, u didn’t mean exactly 100.

So… an indefinite number of earths? And revelations/commands coming down among those too?

So, did the Arab Muslims feel confused at this verse? Or, did they take it normally?

They did not.

They nagged about the real meaning behind it.

If we open the explanation/Tafsir by Ibn Kathir for 65:12, we see,

Companion Ibn Abbas said, “If I explain this verse to you, it will feel absurd to you. And you will think of it as a lie.”

Another one came with the same question.

Ibn Abbas said again, “How can I be sure that you won’t deny the extraordinary explanation of this verse?”

Ibn ‘Abbas was once asked about the verse, “It is Allah who has created seven heavens and of the earth, the like of them.”1 He replied, “Seven earths: In every earth is a prophet like your Prophet, an Adam like your Adam, a Noah like your Noah, an Abraham like your Abraham and a Jesus like your Jesus." [Al-Durr Al-Manthur Fi Tafsir Bil-Ma'thur by Imam Suyuti]

The incident that I’ll describe now is extraordinary. Taken from Ibn Kathir:

Once the Prophet (PBUH) appeared to the gathering of the companions. He noticed that all of them were in deep thinking. So he asked, “What’s the matter?”

“We are thinking of the creation of Allah.”

“Very well, think of Allah’s creations, but not about how He might have come first lest it should inject bizarre thoughts.”

Then the Prophet (PBUH) said, “Let it be known to you, (pointing at west horizon) there’s a white Earth there. Sun is 40 times brighter there. There exists a creation of Allah, none of them have ever gone astray.”

The companions said, “Where’s Satan then, to them?”

“They do not know of creation of Satan.”

“Are they humans? Children of Adam?”

“No,” the Prophet (PBUH) replied, “they even don’t know of Adam.”

Such a story in a book written more than a millennium ago! Well, there were many stories that didn’t make space in the books that are read today, because many of them were left out as being “ridiculous”, but still authentic. Why risk making people disbelieve?

There is a myth in Islam that Humankind if the best creation. “Ashraful Makhlukat” (The Best Creation)- a phrase only found in text books, or in hearsays, but neither in authentic hadith books, nor even in Quran. Even though Quran awards the humankind calling the most beautiful species, it stops before declaring us the very best.

But the Quran specifically says, humankind is not THE BEST, rather-

“And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them a big portion of what We have created, with preference.” [Quran 17:70]

Over many? over a big portion? Why did He not say over ALL? Why did God not say, you are the best? But He said, you are better than many.

So, is it a notion in the Quran and Hadith (i.e. Islam) that there may exist extraterrestrial biological entities that might be purer or advanced than human beings which is yet to be discovered by modern science?

Yeah.

The foundation of the Islamic faith is belief in the Oneness of Almighty God - the God of Abraham, Noah, Moses and Jesus.  Islam teaches that a pure belief in One God is intuitive in human beings and thus fulfils the natural inclination of the soul.  As such, Islam’s concept of God is straightforward, unambiguous and easy to understand.  Islam teaches that the hearts, minds and souls of human beings are fitting receptacles for clear divine revelation, and that God’s revelations to man are not clouded by self-contradictory mysteries or irrational ideas.  As such, Islam teaches that even though God cannot be fully comprehended and grasped by our finite human minds, He also does not expect us to accept absurd or demonstrably false beliefs about Him.

According to the teachings of Islam, Almighty God is absolutely One and His Oneness should never be compromised by associating partners with Him - neither in worship nor in belief.  Due to this, Muslims are required to maintain a direct relationship with God, and therefore all intermediaries are absolutely forbidden.  From the Islamic standpoint, believing in the Oneness of God means to realize that all prayer and worship should be exclusively for God, and that He alone deserves such titles as “Lord” and “Saviour”.  Some religions, even though they believe in “One God”, do not make all of their worship and prayers for Him alone.  Also, they also give the title of “Lord” to beings that are not All-Knowing, All-Powerful and Un-Changing - even according to their own scriptures.  Suffice it to say that according to Islam, it is not enough that people believe that “God is One”, but they must actualize this belief by proper conduct.