In the name of Allah most gracious most merciful.

Faith in Scriptures

Written by Sk. Dr. Younis Saleh

Translated by: Dr. Faheem Bukhatwa

08 May 2009 ad

14 Jumada Al-Aula 1430 H

All thanks be to Allah, and may peace and prayers be upon His messenger Muhammad.

In previous talks, the Imam talked about faith into Allah, His names, and His characteristics. Imam also talked about belief into angels, their names, characteristics and what they do. Today, the Imam talked about the third part of faith. It is the faith in the books and scriptures.

Believing in the scriptures is firmly having faith that Allah Has books which He sent down upon his messengers destined for his slaves, and also believing that those books or scriptures contain the words of Allah. He spoke of those words as He saw fit. And believing that those books have the truth and the light and the guidance for people in this life and next. Believing in those scriptures includes three matters:

First: believing that it is true that they came down from Allah

Second: having faith into what Allah named those books. Like the holy Koran which was brought down upon our prophet Muhammad (ppbu). And the Torah upon Moses, and the Bible (or Enjeel) upon Isa, and the Scriptures (or Suhuf) upon Abraham, and the Zadora upon David, peace be upon them all.

Third: believing into what right text it contains, like the Koran.

Believing into the books is one part of faith. Allah says: {you, who believe, do believe in Allah, and his messenger, and the book He brought down upon his messenger, and the book which He brought down before}. That is a clear command from Allah to believe into Him, and His messenger, and the book (meaning the Koran) and the other books He sent down in the past. The messenger (ppbu) said about faith: {faith is to believe into Allah and His angels, and His books, and His messengers, and the day after and to believe in fate, the good and the bad}.

Allah told us in the holy Koran that the people of the book, the Jews and the Christians have changed their books. So, those books are no longer in the same form as when Allah sent them down. The Torah and the Bible in the hands of the people of the book now contains the wrong religions, and incorrect account of events, and false stories. We do not believe what’s in those books except which was affirmed by the Koran or by the messenger. And we must deny of it, what the Koran or the messenger deny.

A Muslim is not permitted to read any of it except what is to be used as a story which is not to be believed or denied. Omar brought a book once thinking it was good. The messenger (ppbu) was quite annoyed and said: {are you going to get astray in it? Allah my witness, I have brought it to you so pure and untarnished white. Do not ask them about nothing. They may tell you something which is true and you deny, or they may tell you something which is false and you may believe in it. By Almighty Allah, if Moses was alive today, he would have no choice except to follow me}. The people of the book used to read the Torah in Hebro and translate it into Arabic for the Muslims. The messenger (ppbu) said: {neither believe them nor deny them, just say (As in the Koran): {We believe in Allah, and believe in what He sent down to us and in what He sent before us}}. Allah has favoured this nation as He favoured its prophet and favoured its book above all other books.

Allah has favoured the holy Koran, which is the word of Allah, brought down to His slave and messenger Muhammad (ppbu), who worships by reciting it. Each sentence in this book is a miracle. Koran is a special name of Allah’s book, no other book was ever given this name. It is named the Koran, it is named the Forkan (meaning the one that sorts and identifies the truth and false). It is named: Al-Ketab (manning the Book). It is named Al-Thekr (meaning the spoken words), Tanzeel (meaning the brought down words). Allah has protected it from change and forgery. Allah sent it down to be the dominant book and the final message, and the ever lasting law. It is kept safe from the day it was first brought down, to this day of ours, and to the day when Allah shall retake earth and everything upon it. No extras are added, and nothing is missing. There was never a change not in a sentence, or a verse, not even a word. Those who disbelieved in it failed to come up with one verse like it, never mind a chapter. Any thing it forecasted it happened in reality as clear as the breaking morning after a dark night. The Koran is Allah’s thick strong tie, it is the ever clear light, and the useful recovery for the sick, immaculacy and preservation to those who hang on to it, and salvation and rescue to those who follow it. It never seizes to amaze. It gives peace and relaxation to the soul. It is recovery and mercy for those with faith. The poet, the scholar of his time and the greatest enemy of the Koran, Al-Waleed when heard the messenger (ppbu) reciting the Koran he said: “it is soft and smooth. What can I say? God knows there is no man who knows more than I do about poetry and literature, or Satanic poems, By God, what this man says is nothing like any of that. There is sweetness into what he says, and it has colour, the top of it gives fruit, and at down below it is so rich. It elevates and nothing elevates above it. And it destroys what is below it”.

Allah has given Koran a number of characteristics:

1) The Koran included the extract of all the godly laws and rulings. Koran came endorsing and supporting what the old books commanded about worshiping one God. Koran supersedes and replaces all previous books.

2)   All people of the world must hang on to the Koran. All creation should follow the Koran and live by it, unlike all previous books which were for specific nations or clans.

3) Allah Almighty has undertaken to take care of the Koran and keep and protect it so it will not be falsified or forged.

The benefits of the Koran too many to be numerated. The messenger (ppbu) said:

{The best amongst you is this who learns and Koran and teaches it}

{The one who knows the Koran by heart will be told: read and get higher levels, just as you used to recite in the first life. Your level in paradise is determined by the last verse you read}

{Koran comes on the day of resurrection as a mediator for those who have it}

{Whoever reads a character from the Koran will receive a good point for it. And each point counts for ten points. I say: “A” is a letter, “L” is a letter and “M” is a letter.}

{Satan runs away from a house where the chapter of Bakarah (chapter 2) is recited}

{The Bakara and Al-Emran chapters (2 and 3) come on the day of resurrection arguing on behalf of those who know them}

{This who recites the chapter Al-Kahf on a Friday will lighten up for them between the two Fridays}

{The chapter Al-Molk kept mediating for some man until he was forgiven}

{The one line chapter “قل هو الله أحد” is the equivalent of one third of the Koran}

{The last two chapters in the Koran are the best protection that can ever be}

Allah say: {If the sea was the supply of the words of Allah, then the sea would run out before the words of my Lord would}

Dear Muslims, believing in the heavenly books has many effects:

1.    The care Allah pays to His slaves and the mercy.

2.    The learning and gaining of knowledge about Allah’s rulings and laws.

3.    Giving thanks to Allah for bring such books down to us. Those books are light and guidance in this life and the next.

What are our obligations towards the Koran?

We must love it, revere it and respect it. For indeed it is the word of the creator. It has the best and most truthful words. Allah says: {if we brought down this Koran upon a mountain you would see the mountain humbling and collapsing in fear and respect of Allah. We give such examples so people may get to think}.

We must give part of our time towards reciting, studying and analysing the Koran and its verses. Heed its lessons, and take its points and fathom its stories. We must follow its rulings and obey its commandments and consider its etiquette. A-esha said about the messenger (ppbu): His morals were the Koran. Meaning he was a practical implementation of the laws and rulings of the Koran. We ought to have our messenger (ppbu) as our example.

Please God, we ask you to make the Koran be the life of our hearts, and the light in our chests. And make it be what clears our gloom and sadness and takes away our worries.

Notes:

Adhan - The call to prayer.

Ansar (or Al-Ansar): The inhabitants of the city of Al-Medina that received and supported the messenger (PPBU) when he immigrated from Mekkah in the very early years of Islam.

Assalam Alaikum - The Islamic greeting, literately means: Peace be with you. Used when approaching or leaving. When used during approaching it will be like saying: I bring no harm to you . and when said during leaving somebody it will mean: No harm will come to you after I leave.

Aya (or Ayah): is a verse of the Koran. It also means a miracle or a sign from God.

Arafa (or Arafah or Arafat): is a mountain outside the city of Mecca that represents the climax of the Hajj worship. All doing Hajj must stay at this location on the same day.

Badr - The place of the first significant battle between the Muslims and the pagans of the Quraish. It is located in Saudi Arabia.

Caliph - A Muslim ruler. See: (Khalifa)

Dajjal - Antichrist or the False Massiah.

Dawah - The proliferation of Islamic teachings through word and deed.

Deen (Din) - Religion or way of life.

Duaa: a prayer in the form of talking to Allah; praising him and asking him for help.

Fatwa - Legal verdict given based on the Qur'an (Koran) and the Sunnah which are the recorded sayings and deeds of Muhammad.

Ferdose: is the highest level of the all the gardens of Eden or paradise.

Fiqh - Religious law.

Hadeeth: is something reported that the messenger have said. It includes all the speeches and ceremonies he gave. It is usually narrated or told by one of his companions. There is a list of hadeeths approximately 14000 that are reported and checked to be genuine. No more hadeeths are acceptably added to this list.

Hajar - The Black Stone set into the corner of the Ka'aba in Mecca. It is said to be a stone from Heaven.

Hajj - The pilgrimage to Mecca which takes place in the last month of the Islamic calendar. One of the five pillars of Islam.

Hasana or hasanas: is the reward for a good deed. a hasana is a point or a merit for a good deed.

Hadith - The sayings and not deeds of the prophet Muhammad recorded by his followers. Considered authoritative and perfect.

Hajj: is the worship of pilgrimage.

Hijra (or Hejrah): the event of the immigration of the messenger from Mekkah to Madina. This event marks the start of the Islamic calendar. the Islamic calendar has 12 months based on the lunar cycle, each is 29.5 days. Hijra is also used as a name for the Islamic dating system.

Ibadah - Worship. All the words and deeds with which Allah is pleased. These deeds could be prayer and charity.

Iblis - (Ibleese): On of Satan's names.

Ibn (Ebn): the son of. Used by Arabs as part of an individual's name. Example: Ali whose father is Omar or the son of Omar, would be called: Ali Ibn Omar.

Imam (or Emam)- The leader for a prayer. In the Shiaa sect, an Imam is the individual who has the religious authority.

Iman: belief or faith

Injil (Enjeel) - The Bible. The book inspired to Jesus for the Christians.

Islam - Submission, the religion of all the prophets of Allah culminating in Muhammad.

Jannah - The heavenly garden, Paradise. The place of the faithful in the afterlife.

Jihad: is striving in the line of Allah in many forms. Includes a very wide scope varying from improving oneself to fighting a defensive war in protection of Allah's word. The greatest Jihad is the fight one's self against temptations. It also means "holy war."

Jinn - Supernatural, invisible beings race of beings, below angels. They were made from fire. Like humans, there amongst them are the faithful and the non beleivers and Jinn shall be judged on Judgment Day.

Ka'aba: A cube shaped building in Mecca containing a stone laid there by Abraham and Ishmael. Some say Ka'aba was first built by Adam, and some say by Abraham. It is the holiest place for Muslims. It is where all Muslims face in their daily prayers. Ka'aba also makes a major part of the pilgrimage in a ritual known as Tawaf.

Khalifa: is the Muslim ruler. Head of the Islamic empire. Exact translation: "Successor".

Khutbah - A sermon given in a Mosque, usually on Friday.

Kufr - Denial or Disbelief. A term Muslims use for anyone who denies existence of Allah or the prophecy of Muhammed.

Koran - Also spelled Qur'an. The holy book of Islam revealed to Muhammad by Allah through the Archangel Gabriel. Koran literally means "the recital." It is the final revelation of Allah given to the prophet Muhammad. It consists of 114 surahs (or chapters.)

Madinah - (Medinah): A city in the Arabian peninsula (in the country known now as Saudi Arabia). A city where the messenger had to immigrate to. Then it was called Yathrib.

Masjid - A center for Muslim activity. It is referred to as a mosque.

Masiah - A sin, or a sinful act

Mecca or Makkah: is the holiest city for Muslims. It contains the Ka'aba mosque with the famous black cubical shape. Mecca is the birth place of the messenger (PPBU).

Mosque - A Muslim house of worship.

Muhajir - (Muhajireen) Immigrant, one who leaves his home town due to lack of religious freedom. It was first used to describe early Muslims immigrating from Mecca to Median and Ethiopia.

Muhammad - the final messenger and prophet of God whose message abrogated all previous revelations. He received the Koran through the angel Gabriel over a 23 year period. Born in Mecca and died in Medina at the age of 63. His full name: Muhammad ibn Abd-Allah

Muslim - One who holds faith to the religion of Islam.

Nafilah: a voluntary prayer other than the five obligatory prayers; performed at any time.

Nasara - Christians. Nasrani: A Christian individual. Nasraniah: Christianity.

Ommah: is the Arabic word for a nation. It usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise specified.

Paradise - Another word for heaven. A garden of bliss, fruits, rivers and all forms of pleasures imaginable and imaginable. No suffering, disease or death. Service is provided by angels. All live in it an ever lasting youthful life. Promised by Almighty Allah to all faithful, true Jews, true Christians and True Muslims. Paradise is one of two places every person will go to, either Paradise or Hellfire.

PPBU (P.B.U.H.) : Peace and Prayers Be Upon him. A statement Muslims use any time they mention the name of the messenger or make a reference to him.

Qadar - Fate. Preordainment is the teaching that all things, good and bad, are preordained to occur.

Qadr - (night of Qadr): The night when the first revelation of the Koran took place. Most likely it happened during one of the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan. Or when the Koran was brought down to the nearest heaven in one go, and from there it was brought down in bits and few verses at a time over a period of 23 years. This night is considered the holiest night for Muslims with tremendous advantages.

Qibla - The direction which Muslims turn for daily prayers, towards Mecca.

Quraish - An ancient Arab tribe to which the messenger Muhammad belonged.

Ramadan - The ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is the month of the fast. The holiest month in the Muslim colander.

Salat - Prayers. Generally it covers all forms of worship, but more specifically refers to the Muslim rituals which is performed to worship Allah five times daily.

Shiaa: A sect of Islam that teaches that a religion leader (Imam) should be the political ruler and must be direct descendants of the messenger (PPBU). Therefore, disapproving of all Muslim leaders who ruled After the messenger (PPBU) except Ali, the messenger's grandson.

Shirk - Associating another god with Allah. Or associating anyone or anything with Allah. Or using anyone or anything as a medium to Allah. The opposite of Monotheism or Tawheed.

Siam or Soam- Fasting

Sunni: is a the title of those Muslims who are suppose to be following the life style of the messenger. This differentiates them from the Shiaa of Iran.

Sunna (Sunnah): Is how the Messenger PPBU lived, what he did or said. It includes the way he dressed, ate, drank, prayed, interacted with other people and fought. Basically, sunnah is the life style of the messenger PPBU. It is considered the second source of legislation in Islamic laws and it is considered to be an important reference to be used for concluding arguments and disputes. It is also a title give to the main stream Muslims who make 90% if all Muslims.

Surah - A chapter of the Koran.

Tawaf: part of the pilgrimage (Hajj) ritual. It involves walking round the Ka'aba Mosque in anti-clock wise direction a number of seven circles.

Tauhid - Tawheed - Monotheism, in Islam is the teaching that there is only one God who alone is worthy of worship. The first requirement of becoming a Muslim. It is included in the testimony of faith for new Muslims when declaring that God is one: (No God but Allah)

Taqwah - Proper fear and veneration of Allah. A divine spark that enables the person to understand God.

Taurat: The old Testaments and scriptures of Mosa.

Ummah - the word means: a Nation. Usually refers to the Islamic nation unless otherwise stated.

Umrah - (Amrah): A mini hajj. A Minor form of pilgrimage to Mecca. Unlike Hajj which can only be done on the 12th month of the Islamic year, Umrah can be performed at any time.

Wathoo (wadoo): a washing up ritual done by Muslims before each of the five daily prayers known as ablution.

Zaboor - The Psalms

Zakat - The third pillar of Islam. Alms giving, charity that is given to the poor.

Faheem Bukhatwa, my email address is : faheemfb@gmail.com