The Majestic Allah, Part 5

A peep into Jannat al-Firdous, the finest of Allah's seven heavens...

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“There (in Paradise) they shall pass from hand to hand a (wine) cup, free from any 'Laghw' (dirty, false, evil vague talk between them), and free from sin (because it will be legal for them to drink). [Koran 52:23]

Like with other aspects of the unseen, Muslims are obligated to believe in Heaven in order to complete their faith.

A Detailed description of the Islamic Jannat al-Firdaus, the finest of seven, is given below.

The Doors of Heaven

One ahadith implies that the Islamic heaven has eight doors: Whoever performed a perfect ablution and recited the Shahadah, then all the eight doors of the Jannah is thrust open for him (believer) for he may enter from whichever door he likes. [Sahih Muslim].

The Prophet of Allah has narrated:

“When Ramadan comes round, the doors of the skies are opened. Another tradition has it that the doors of the Heaven are opened and those of the Fire are closed” [Sahih Bukhari].

Width of the Doors of Heaven

The Prophet of Allah said:

“By Him in whose hands my soul is, the distance between the two gate posts of paradise is like the distance between Makkah and Himyar or between Makkah and Basra” [Bukhari].

Keys of Heaven

“Indeed swords are the keys of heaven”. [Ibn Abi Sheeba, Kitabul Jihad]

The Width of Heaven

“Be you foremost (in seeking) forgiveness from your Lord, and a garden of Bliss the width of whereof is as the width of heaven and earth. [Al-Hadid: 21]

The Prophet has described the width of heaven thus: Harith’s [RA] mother came to the Prophet; Harith had been martyred during the battle of Badr. She said: "O Prophet of Allah! You know how much I loved him. If his reward is heaven, than I will not cry but if not than you see what I will do before you?" The Prophet of Allah said: "Is that just one heaven? There are very many heavens and your son is in the best of them, Al-Firdous Al-Aala." [Sahih Bukhari]

The Width of Hundred Grades of Heaven and Sublimity of Jannat al-Firdaus

The Prophet of Allah said:

“Indeed, there are hundred grades of the Heaven and the distance between the two grades is as great as between the heaven and earth. Allah has prepared these grades for those who perform Jihad in the way of Allah”. [Bukhari]

The Prophet said of Firdous:

“When you pray ask for Firdous, for it is in the middle of heaven and is higher in grade than the heaven and above Firdous is Allah’s throne, moreover the canals of heaven flow from Firdous”. [Bukhari]

Land and Weather of Heaven

The Prophet said:

"And then I was showed in the heaven, I saw there were camps made of pearls and the soil was of musk." [Bukhari]

The Qur’an says of the dwellers of the heaven: ‘They will see there neither the sun’s [excessive heat] nor the moon’s excessive cold’.

Trees in Heaven

The Prophet of Allah said:

“Indeed, there is a tree in heaven so big that if a person keeps riding on a brisk Madhamar [a specially bred horse] for a hundred years even then he would not reach the end of that tree”. [Bukhari]

Each Tree is of Gold

Abu Huraira (RA) reported that the Prophet of Allah (SAW) said:

‘There is no tree in the heaven that does not have a trunk of gold’. [Muslim]

A Tree That Will Manufacture Robes

There is a tree in the heaven, which will manufacture robes for the dwellers of the heaven. That tree is called Tuba. An ahadith has these words about this tree.

‘Tuba is a tree in the heaven, which spreads out as much as a distance that can be covered in a hundred years. Robes for the dwellers of the heaven will sprout from its buds’.

How to Plant Trees in Heaven

The Prophet said:

“In the night of Isra when I met Ibrahim (AS) he said: O Muhammad (SAW) tell your people that the heaven has pure soil and sweet water but the land is bare. If they want to plant trees in the heaven, they should say Subhan Allah Al-Hamdulillah and Allah Akbar”.

Scent of Heaven

According to an ahadith, ‘the scent of the Heaven can be smelled from a distance of 70 years’. [Sahih Al-Jame As-sagheer]

Mansions in Heaven

The Prophet of Allah said:

“Indeed, there will be a mansion made of pearls for a believer. It will be spread over an area of 60 miles, and in it will be the household of a believer who will visit them but they will not be able to see each other”. [Bukhari]

No Sleep in Heaven

The Prophet said:

“Sleep is the sister of death and the dwellers of the heaven will not sleep”. [Silsalatul Ahadith]

The Bazaar of Heaven

It is reported on the authority of Anas bin Malik (RA). The Prophet of Allah said:

“Indeed, there is a bazaar in the heaven where the dwellers of the Heaven will come on every Friday. The northerly wind will spray scent on them and this will enhance their beauty. And when they will return to their homes, their households will say "By Allah, your beauty has enhanced." "So has yours," they will return the compliment”. [Muslim]

In short, they will be overwhelmed by Allah’s favours.

“And when you look, it is there you will see bliss and a realm magnificent”. [Ad-Dahr: 20]

Gabriel’s Impression of Heaven

The Prophet of Allah said:

“When Allah Almighty created the heaven and the hell, He asked Jibraiel to go and take a look at what He has prepared for the believers in Heaven. Jibraiel went and had a look at what was there in the Heaven, and then he came back and expressed himself thus: ‘By your dignity! Whoever will hear of this Heaven will certainly strive for it’. Then it was said that the road to the heaven is littered with hardships, and Jibraiel was asked to take another look at the Heaven. He came back and said, ‘By your dignity I am afraid that nobody will be able to enter it’. [Tirmizee]

Can anyone imagine? Wearing the finest silk clothing and sitting on chairs made of gold and precious gem stones? Those, who disbelieve in the words of the Majestic Allah, say that this is all a fairy-tale, made up by a would-be prophet!

The most striking expression of what the believers feel when they will win Allah's good pleasure …is that He will manifest Himself to them in a way that they can see Him. This is impossible in the world because, as the Koran says: "Eyesight cannot perceive Him" (Surah 6:10). But according to the same Koran, in the next life and in a certain way Lord (Allah) will manifest Himself to His believing servants. Only the Majestic Allah (Mohammad?) knows how this will happen?

Apart from the Koranic descriptions, Muhammad, would often describe this Paradise to his companions. His descriptions were oftentimes so vivid and moving to him that, many-a-companion would hurriedly rush towards it. This was the case, as Anas narrated that the ‘Messenger of Allah, and his companions proceeded towards Badr and arrived there before the disbelievers of Makkah. When the disbelievers arrived, the Messenger of Allah said, "None of you should step forward ahead of me to do anything." Then the disbelievers advanced [towards us], and the Messenger of Allah, said, ‘Rise to enter Paradise whose width is equal to the Heavens and the Earth.’ Umayr Ibnul Humam al-Ansari asked, "O Messenger of Allah is Paradise equal in width to the heavens and the earth?" He said, "Yes." Umayr said, "Bak'hin! Bak'hin!" (An Arabic word denoting excitement and astonishment) The Messenger of Allah asked him, "What made you say these words: Bak'hin, Bak'hin?" He said, "Messenger of Allah, nothing but the desire to be amongst its residents." Mohammad said, "You are surely among its residents." He then took some dates form his bag and began to eat them. Then he said, "If I were to live until I had eaten all of the dates, indeed this life would be too long." Anas then said, "He threw away the remaining dates he had with him. He then fought [the disbelievers] until he [Umayr Ibnul Humam al-Ansari] was killed." [Sahih Muslim]

As Paradise is the aim and hope of each and every Muslim… And even though Allah describes Paradise for the believers in the Koran, He still says:

"So no soul knows the delights of the eyes, which is hidden for them; a reward for what they did." [Surah 32:17]

To be continued…

The Majestic Allah, Part 4

An account of bounties in Paradise and of Muslims religious activities, prayers, fasting etc.

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“Be you foremost (in seeking) forgiveness from your Lord, and a garden of Bliss the width of whereof is as the width of heaven and earth”. [Al-Hadid:21]

The Prophet of Allah has described the width of heaven as thus:

Harith’s (RA) mother came to the Prophet (SAW), Harith had been martyred during the battle of Badr. She said: "O Prophet of Allah! You know how much I loved him. If his reward is heaven, than I will not cry but if not than you see what I will do before you?" The Prophet said: "Is that just one heaven? There are very many heavens and your son is in the best of them, Al-Firdous Al-Aala." [Sahih Bukhari].

Rasulullah (Prophet of Islam) continues his Jannah's (Paradise) account…

The Four Streams of Jannah

“Below this tree there flowed four streams, two of which were evident and two of which were hidden.

Jibra’il told me:

‘The two hidden streams flow into the Gardens of Paradise, while the two visible ones flow down to the Earth. One of them is the Euphrates, the other is the Nile.’ Then I beheld another stream, by the banks of which tents had been setup that were of ruby, pearls and chrysalides. By their banks flew birds of emerald green whose necks resembled the necks of camels.

Hazrat Jibra’il then said to me:

‘What you see here is the spring of Kawthar (abundance). Allah Almighty has made you a gift of it.’

As it is written in the Holy Quran:

“Surely, we have given thee abundance (Kawthar); so pray unto thy Lord and sacrifice. Surely he that hates thee, he is the one cut off”.

“This stream flowed along over pebbles of rubies and emerald and its water was whiter than milk. I took up a cup and drank from it. Its taste was sweeter than honey, and its scent more pleasing than musk. A spring gushed forth beneath that tree. Jibra’il told me its name: ‘Salsabil’. It was the source of two waters, one is Kawthar (Abundance); the other is Rehmat (Mercy). Both streams flow before the gates of the Garden”.

“Those entering into Paradise may drink from the waters of Kawthar, and when they do so, all the calamities of the heart, base character and bad habits disappear and they become cleansed. Then they bathe in the spring of Rehmat (Mercy). The spring of Salsabil is the source of these waters”.

The Believer’s Characteristics in Jannah

“The believers (men) assume the dimensions of Hazrat Adam A.S., who measured sixty yards in height and seven yards in breadth. They will all be thirty-three years of age and will have green moustaches. As for the believers (women), they will emerge as virgin girls of eighteen and their virginity will not be rent. Thus they will enter into Jannah, and never again will they age and become old”.

“Then I saw groups of angels passing in rows before the Sidra, and their rows were joined together. They formed such a long formation, which was a bird of swiftest flight to fly along it for a hundred years; he would not reach its other end. They moved faster than the wind, as swiftly as the arrow flies”. I then asked Jibra’il, ‘whence comes this great multitude of angels, and whither are they going? And when did they begin their passage?’ Jibra’il explained to me, saying, ‘They have been passing by since the time they were created, ceaselessly in passage. I know not whence they come nor whither are they going.’ I marveled at their great numbers, remarking on it under my breath. Instantly this verse was revealed to me through Jibra’il: ...”and none knows the hosts of thy Lord but He. (Shrouded,Surah 31)

“Then they brought before me three bowls; one containing wine, one containing honey and the third containing milk. I chose the one with milk and drank from it”.

Jibra’il then said to me:

‘You have chosen the natural disposition of Islam and your nation will be firmly established in the religion of Islam. Had you chosen the cup of wine, your nation would have been a rebellious and fickle one.’

“I saw an angel at the Sidra greater than all the other angels I had seen. He measured a thousand times of thousand years’ wayfaring in distance. This angel had seventy thousand heads. Every head had seventy thousand faces. On every face there were seventy thousand mouths. And each head was covered with seventy thousand cloths. Each one of these coverings was embellished with one thousand times thousand pearls. Each of these pearls was so great that there appeared a sea in its midst in which fish were swimming. Upon their backs was written the Kalimat-ut-Tawhid” (the Declaration of Unity) LA ILAHA ILL’ALLAH, MUHAMMADAN RASULULLAH.

“This angel engaged in exaltation of the Lord, placing one hand upon his head and one hand behind his back. The beauty of his voice was such that it caused a commotion at the Divine Throne itself”.

I asked Jibra’il to tell me who that angel was, and he said, ‘The Lord Almighty created this angel two thousand years before He created Adam.’

I then asked where he had been all this time and where was his place of dwelling?

Jibra’il replied, ‘In Paradise there is a place to the right of the Divine Throne, which is the abode of this great angel. From there he was brought here.’

Celebrating Ramadan in Jannah

When Ramadan comes round, the doors of the skies are opened for the believers. Another tradition has it that ‘the doors of the Heaven are opened and those of the Fire are closed’. [Sahih Bukhari]

“I went up to him and greeted him and he rose in answer to my Salams. Then he spread his wings, and all the heavens and the Earth were covered by their expanse. He then kissed my face and said:

‘Good tidings to you, and to your nation!’ The Lord Almighty has decreed that your nation might have a singularly blessed month so that He might forgive them their sins. This holy month is the month of Ramadan and it is meant as a gift for you and your nation.

For its sake your nation will find forgiveness. I have been sent here this very night to announce to you this great gladness.’

Then I saw two boxes standing before him. On each of them there was a key of light. I asked that angel: what was inside of those boxes? He told me, ‘In one of these boxes there are the letters of release from Hellfire for those among your nation who fast the whole month of Ramadan until the new moon, up till the Day of Judgment.’

[According to different narrations, the angel is to have said]

“Every day of Ramadan, at the time of Iftar (breaking of fast], the Lord Almighty frees from Hellfire six hundred thousand of His servants who have fasted. When Jum’a (Friday) has come, He frees six hundred thousand prisoners every hour for twenty-four hours from Hellfire until the Night of Power has come. On that blessed night, that is to say, during the twenty-four hours making up that night and day, at the beginning of every hour the Lord frees from Hell as many of His servants as He has freed since the beginning of the holy month, including the Jum’a days.

‘The last day of Ramadan, at the time of Iftar, the Lord sets free as many of His servants as He has freed during the whole month, including the Jum’a days and the Night of Power’.

The Holy Prophet continues:

“The angel told me that the other box contained this precious gift. ‘On the Day of Judgment, seventy thousand persons of your nation will be granted entry into Paradise without questioning or reckoning. Their release certificates are contained in this box. In addition to these seventy thousand, each one of them will be granted the release of another seventy thousand from among his friends and relations and other disobedient Muslims. They, too, will be released without reckoning and granted accession to the heavenly gardens. This box contains the letters of release for all of them. Touba (repentance), glad tidings to you and your nation, oh Rasulullah!’”

The Holy Prophet’s continues:

“I then beheld another angel who had the shape and form of a rooster and was created from white pearls. This angel had seventy thousand wings to his left and seventy thousand wings to his right. On each wing there were seventy thousand feathers made of pearls, and seventy thousand feathers made of rubies, and seventy thousand feathers of red gold, and seventy thousand feathers of silver, and seventy thousand feathers of pure musk, and seventy thousand feathers made of camphor, and seventy thousand feathers of ambergris, and seventy thousand feathers made of saffron. He reached in height from the Throne to the lowest of the seven layers of the earth. On each one of his wings were written these words:

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim, La ilaha ill’Allah, Muhammadan Rasulullah.

Kullu shay’in halikun illa wajhahu, al-Wahid ul-Qahhar.

[In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate. There is no God but Allah; Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger. All must perish save His Divine Countenance, He who is One, the All-Vanquishing.]

“At every prayer time, this angel would raise his head and repeat the glorification:

‘Bismillahil-‘azhim wa bi-hamdihi’ [In the Name of Allah, the Mighty and in Praise of Him].

“His Tasbih was thus: ‘Subhanaka, ma a’zhama sha’nuka’. (Praise be to Thee, how great is Thy Glory!)

“After this, he would flap his wings together, and as he did this, wondrous sounds issue forth from this flapping. When these tones reach the Paradise Gardens, the boughs of the trees of Paradise would bend and sway against each other, and it would carry on to the ruby and garnet domes of Paradise which resound with melodious echo. These tones rouse the Huris and Ghilman of Paradise, and they say to each other, ‘Good news! The time for prayer has come to the nation of Muhammad!’ Then, this great angel begins to move and his movement makes the Throne tremble. The Lord then asks him, ‘What makes you tremble?’ and the angel answers’ Him, ‘Oh my Lord, the nation of Muhammad has risen for prayer, and yet there are among them such a great number of sinners. Therefore I tremble.’ The Lord thereupon says, ‘Oh angel, be unperturbed! I am obliged to dispense of My Mercy upon those who pray. Witness that I train upon them the Gaze of Mercy and that I have forgiven them. I have freed them from Hellfire, for the honor of My Beloved, I have granted them dwelling in the Paradise of Mawah.’ Thus the Lord proclaims His great Kindness and Munificence.”

Adhan in Jannah (call to Prayers in Paradise)

The Holy Prophet continues:

“Then we came to an open space from where we could hear the sounds of the writing of the Divine Pen. I said to Jibra’il, ‘Go ahead’, but Jibra’il answered, ‘You go ahead, for in the eyes of Allah you are more honored than I and all the worlds.’ I then passed on ahead of him and Jibra’il went behind me. We came unto a veil of gold. Jibra’il shook the veil and a voice was heard from behind it, saying, ‘Who are you?’ Jibra’il answered, ‘I am Jibra’il, and Muhammad is with me.’ From within the veil this angel intoned: ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.’From behind the curtain came a voice which said, ‘My servant has spoken truly, I am indeed the Greatest, no Greatness is due to any but Me.’

“Then the angel called, ‘Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill’Allah.’ Again there was a call, ‘My servant has spoken truly, Ana la ilaha illa ana, I am He beside whom there is no other God.’ The angel repeated the words of the Shahada, ‘Ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulullah, I bear witness that Muhammad {s} is the Prophet of Allah.’ Again there was a call, 'My servant has spoken truly, I have sent Muhammad {s} as My Messenger-Prophet. ’ Then I heard the angel say,‘Hayy ‘ala-s-sala, Hayy ‘alal-falah.’ Another call was heard, ‘My servant has spoken truly; he calls My servants to come to Me, worshipful. I have invited them to My gate, and whoever answers My invitation, will be saved and meet with success.’ Thereafter I heard the angel say, ‘Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.’Another call came, ‘My servant has spoken the Truth: Ana Akbar, I am the Greatest.’ The angel then said, ‘La ilaha ill’Allah’. A call came, saying, ‘My servant has spoken truly, there is no God but I.’

“Then I heard another call, ‘Oh Muhammad {s}, Allah has honored you with perfect honor over all those who went before you and who are yet to come.’ I then asked Jibra’il, ‘Who is this angel?’ Jibra’il told me, ‘I swear by the Might and Glory of Allah who has sent you as His Messenger of Truth: I have never seen this angel, I do not know who he is or anything about him, but you are now about to find out.’ I then asked, ‘Are you not going any further then? Does a true friend leave his friend in midstream?’ Jibra’il then said, ‘Oh Rasulullah! Every angel has his place and station beyond which he cannot go. If I advance even the breadth of a finger, the Wrath of Allah will burn me. My ultimate station is the Sidratul Muntaha. Up to this very moment, I have never gone as far as this point. For your sake and honor, however, I have been given permission, and I have brought you here. But I can proceed no further than this.’

“Then I asked, ‘Is there anything you request of the Lord Almighty? If there is anything you desire, I will ask it of Him.’ Jibra’il answered, ‘My request of the Lord is that He permit me, when your nation is ordered to march across the Bridge of the Sirat, to spread my wing across that bridge and assist them in crossing it in safety in this way.’

“Then an angel stretched forth his hand from behind the veil, and in less time than the blinking of an eye, he pulled me through to the farther side. Then he said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah! Proceed ahead of me.’ In a short while, he had brought me before a curtain of pearls. When he stirred the curtain, an angel’s voice was heard from behind it, asking, ‘Who is this?’ The angel accompanying me said, ‘I am the angel of the golden curtain and with me is the most-honored Prophet of the Lord.’ The angel behind the veil then said, ‘Allahu Akbar’ and, stretching out his hand from behind the veil, he pulled me across. In as little time as it takes for the eye to blink, I had traversed the curtain and found myself standing before him, where he greeted me with every mark of honor and respect.

To be continued….

The Majestic Allah, Part 3

The beloved Prophet of Allah narrated his heavenly visit to the Seventh Heaven. Here the Majestic Allah gave Mohammad a rousing tour of His majestic abode, where the Angels welcomed Mohammad, gave prestige and honour to him...

The grand tour consisted of the Gates of Heavens, meeting with the majestic Allah’s majestic Angels as well as Prophet Ibrahim, and visiting his Islamic Education center. While the Prophet led in prayer, the inhabitants of the heaven, Allah sits and listens to Mohammad’s advices and intentions.

Lets’ see what the Prophet’s revelations are:

“Allah Almighty has it created from Light. Its name is Ghariba and the name of its guardian angel is Afra’il. Jibra’il requested entry at the keeper of the gates as he had done before, and after a succession of questions and answers, the gates swung open and we were admitted. I beheld Afra’il and the seven hundred thousand angels under his command. Each one of these had in turn seven hundred thousand helpers, and their glorification was this.

Subhana-lladhi sataha-s-samawati wa rafa’aha,

Subhana-lladhi basatal-arda wa farashaha,

Subhana-lladhi atla’al-kawakiba wa azharaha,

Subhana-lladhi arsal-jibala wa haya’ha.

(Glory be to Him who has fashioned the skies as a roof and raised them aloft;

Glory to Him who has flattened the earth and fitted it accordingly;

Glory to Him who brought forth the stars and made them to be adornments;

Glory to Him who has set up the mountains and fixed them in their places.)”

“I greeted Afra’il and he received my greetings with pleasure. He gave me glad tidings of many spiritual gifts of grace and much reward for accepted good works.

“Above the gate to this Heaven were written these words:

• La ilaha ill-Allah, Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah, wa Abu Bakr as-Siddiq.
• There I beheld an angel whose head was at a level with the Throne, while his feet were placed firmly on the earth.
• He was so great that he might have swallowed up all the seven layers of Heaven with one gulp, had Allah Almighty permitted him to do so. The Tasbih of this tremendous angel was this:

Subhanal-muhtajibi bi jalalihi,

Subhanal-musawwiri fil-arhami ma yasha’u.

(Glory be to Him who is veiled by His Majesty,

Glory be to Him who forms in the womb whatever He wills.)

“Then I saw an angel with seven hundred thousand heads, and each of these heads bore seven hundred thousand faces. On every single face there were seven hundred thousand mouths, and in every single mouth there were seven hundred thousand tongues and with each tongue he speaks seven hundred thousand different languages. This angel also has seven hundred thousand wings. Every day, this angel plunges seven hundred times into the Ocean of Light, which is in Paradise, and each time he comes up out of the water, he shakes himself. From every drop of light that flies off him, the Almighty creates an angel, which glorifies the Lord as follows:

Subhanaka ma ‘azhama sha’nuka,

Subhanaka ma ’azhama makanuka,

Subhanaka sayyidi ma arhamaka bi khalqika.

(Be Thou glorified, how immense is Thy dignity!

Glory be to Thee, how high is Thy station!

Glory to Thee, my Lord, how great Thy Mercy on Thine creation!)

“After passing by this one, I beheld another angel, seated upon a throne. His head was beneath the Divine Throne, and his feet reached to the bottom of the earth. He was so great, that he could have swallowed up the world and what is within it in a single gulp. The tip of one of his wings touched the west, whereas the other touched to the east. Seven hundred thousand angels were at his service, and each one of these commanded another seven hundred thousand angels. ‘Who is this?’ I asked the angel Jibra’il. ‘This is Israfil,’ he told me. I went up to him and gave him Salams and he received them well and gave me great good tidings. His Tasbih was this:

Subhana-s-sami’-al-‘alim,

Subhanal-muhtajibi ‘an khalqihi,

Subhana Rabbina wa ta’ala.

(Glory be to Him, the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing,

Glory be to Him who is veiled from His Creation,

Glorified and exalted be He, our Lord Almighty.)

“After this, I came upon a person all drowned in Light. He was seated upon a throne in an attitude of awesome dignity, and before him was a multitude of little children. I asked Jibra’il who was this person of such light, majesty and awe, and who were all the children with him. The angel answered me, ‘This is your great grandfather Hazrat Ibrahim ale-salaam [Prophet Abraham]. He loves you and the entire nation that believes in you. He once prayed to the Lord of the Worlds that he might be of service to your nation, and the Lord heard his supplication. He gave him all these little children who are the little boys and girls from your nation who die before reaching adulthood. Allah Almighty has entrusted Hazrat Ibrahim with their upbringing and education. Until the Day of Judgment, he will be instructing them in proper behavior and training their minds in the useful sciences. After having perfected their schooling, on the Day of Gathering he will lead them forth and bring them to the site of Resurrection. There, before the Lord’s Holy Presence, he will entreat Him with these words: ‘Oh my Lord, here are the youngsters of the nation of Your Beloved nabi [Muhammad] who died before reaching the age of maturity. According to Your order and command, I have taught and trained them in all useful branches of knowledge, and brought them before Thy Majestic Throne. Thine is all kindness, favor and grace.”

“At this invocation, the Almighty Lord will reply with the full glory of His Majesty, ‘Oh children, go and enter the Gardens of Paradise.’

• Thereupon, these children will reply, ‘Oh our Lord, by Thy Grace and Thy Munificence, let our parents go with us!’
• The Almighty Lord will again direct His Divine Speech at them, and say,
• ‘You have nothing to answer for, go and enter into Paradise forthwith; as for your parents, they are accountable and there are things they have to answer for.’
• Again, these children entreat the Lord, ‘During their lives in the material world, we caused them sorrow through our absence;
• Now, by the vastness of Thine Mercy which floods the universal expanse, let us be the cause of happiness for them.’
• Upon this plea, the All-Merciful and Beneficent Lord accepts the children’s supplications and addresses them, saying, ‘Go then and take from the wine of the spring of Kawthar and give your parents to drink there from.

“Thereafter, Hazrat Jibra’il turned to me and said, ‘Go ahead and give Salams to Hazrat Ibrahim.’ I stepped forth and greeted him, whereupon he honored me and received me well. Then he spoke to me, saying, ‘Welcome to you, oh virtuous son and righteous Prophet! Tonight you are to be honored in that you will witness the splendor of the Lord of the Universe, and you will be admitted to behold all manner of sacred displays. As for your nation, it is the last of all nations and it will be a very weak nation, so do not neglect to intercede with your Lord on their behalf.”

“And he continued, ‘Oh Muhammad! Give Salams to your nation from me and convey to them my advice: the dunya [world] is of a passing nature and rapid in its decline. In the eyes of the Eternal Lord it is but base and contemptible matter. He attributes to it not even the value of a fly’s wing. Tell them not to waste their lives in the pursuit of its vain beauties, its pomp and palaces; not to be deceived by its many and varied taste, by promises of grandeur and large followings. For it is the world to come, which is lasting, and eternal. Therefore, let them busy themselves in following the pure ways of the Sharia’h (Divine Laws) by night and by day, and the guidance contained in your Sunnah [practice of the Prophet] and thereby gain the good pleasure of the Almighty Lord. The Gardens of Paradise are vast, so let them plant there many, many trees.”

“I asked him then, ‘How does one plant a tree in the Jannah?’ He replied, ‘through the recital of this Tasbih:

Subhanallahi wal-hamdu-lillahi

wa la ilaha ill-Allahu wallahu akbar,

wa la hawla wa la quwwata illa billahil-aliyyil-azhim.

(Glory be to Allah and Praise; none is worthy of worship but Allah alone, and Allah is Most Great!

There is no Might and no Power save with Allah, the Exalted, the Majestic.)

Tell them to recite this Du’a (prayer), for each time they recite it, a tree is planted in Paradise.’

“Then Jibra’il called the Adhan to prayer and made Iqama; I then led the angels and inhabitants of the seventh Heaven in a prayer of two Rak’ats, then we ascended to the Bayt-al-Ma’mur.

The Bait-al-Ma’mur [The Heavenly House]

“This is a highly revered building in the Seventh Heaven. It is of the same size as the revered Kaaba, which stands upon the earth and it is situated right above it. Were it to be let down from the Heavens, it would land right on top of the Kaaba.

• Allah has created it from red ruby stone and given it two doors made from green emerald.
• Ten thousand lamps of pure gold illuminate it and it has a minaret of pure silver,
• Which has a height of five hundred years’ traveling? At the door of this building there is a Minbar [ pulpit], and every day since their creation up until the Last Day,
• Seventy thousand angels come here to visit this house.
• “In front of it there is a sea of light in which they first bathe, then take thereof a veil of light each and wrap it around themselves.
• This is their Ihram (ceremonial clothing of the pilgrimage).
• Then they begin to circumambulate the Heavenly House in Ihram, calling out Labbayk [at your service], as the pilgrims do on earth.
• Having once completed their Tawaf [circumambulation], these angels do not return a second time until the Day of Judgment, and it is only the angels of the seventh Heaven who go there at all. Jibra’il then took me by the hand and we went inside.

“He said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah does lead us here in prayer too!’ Then he called the Adhan, and all the inhabitants of the seven heavens now followed as I led them in a prayer of two Rak’ats. When I beheld the immense multitude, it came to my mind, ‘Oh if only my nation were granted such a communal prayer.’ Thereupon, the Lord who knows all hidden thoughts realized my secret wish in that He commanded, ‘Oh Muhammad your nation will be granted such a communal prayer: it will be on Jum’a [Friday] and it will be obligatory.’”

It is written in some of the books of admonition:

“Every Friday the great angels assemble round the Holy House of Allah. Jibra’il calls the Adhan and Israfil delivers the Khutaba [sermon] while Mikha’il [Michael] leads the prayer as Imam. All the angels of the seven heavens follow his lead. After the Jum’a prayer is complete, Jibra’il addresses the gathering as follows, “Oh gathering of angels, bear witness that I pass on the reward for this Adhan to the Muadhdhins [callers to prayer] of the nation of Muhammad”.

Then Israfil [Israel] rises and says, “Oh ye angels! Bear witness that I donate the reward for this Khutb’a to all the Khatibs [congregation] of the nation of Muhammad”. Then Mikha’il steps forth and says, “Oh angels, I too have made over the merit of leading this prayer to the Imam of the nation of Muhammad”. All the angels then present the merit for their prayer to those of the nation of Muhammad who have prayed the Jum’a prayer.

Then there comes a call from the Highest Lord, saying, “Oh Angels of Mine! Do you seek to outdo Me in generosity, whereas I am He who created all Generosity and Munificence! Hear then My Decree: whoever honors the day of Jum’a from among the nation of Muhammad, man or woman alike, I will forgive them their sins and free them from the torments of Hell!” Thus He Almighty grants us His Grace and Mercy. Oh Allah, make us also recipients of Your Munificence and ease our way to reach such a degree of merit, for the honor of the Trusted Prophet Muhammad, oh Most Merciful of the Merciful, Ameen!

The Sidratul Muntaha

“Then,” continued the Holy Prophet, “we ascended to Sidratul Muntaha.”

Concerning the ‘Sidratul Muhtaha’, the learned ‘Ulemas have proffered various differing opinions, particularly with regard to the statement: “It is called ‘Sidratul Muntaha’ [the lotus tree of the extreme limit] because it is the end of all that is knowable, and nobody can know what is beyond it.” Some others have explained: “Whoever comes from above arrives here and cannot pass on further down. Whoever comes from below reaches this point and cannot ascend further. Therefore it is called by this name.”

Yet others try to explain it in this way: “The world of spirits ends at this point, therefore it is called the Lote tree of the extreme limit.” Ibn ‘Abbas tells us:

• “It is a tree which is made all of gold.
• Some of its boughs are made of emerald,
• Some are of ruby.
• The tree measures a distance of one hundred and fifty years journey from its foot to its top.
• Its leaves resemble the ears of the elephant, and they are very great: a single one of them would cover the entire world. Its fruits are shaped like water jugs. The whole tree is engulfed by light.”

The Holy Prophet continues:

“Upon this tree I saw such a number of angels that only Allah Almighty can know. They enfolded all the leaves of that tree and glittered like locusts, flashing like stars.”

This holy verse was revealed concerning this vision:

“Indeed, he saw him another time by the Lote-Tree of the Boundary nigh which is the Garden of the Refuge, when there covered the Lote-Tree that which covered; his eye swerved not, nor swept astray. Indeed he saw one of the greatest signs of his Lord”. [Surah (The Star), 13-18]

The commentators interpret this verse as meaning that the whole tree was surrounded and embraced by the multitude of angels upon it. It is related that there were as many angels upon the leaves of that tree as there are stars in the sky and grains of sand in the earth.

• Some angels took the form of golden butterflies.
• All of them came to greet the Prophet of Allah r, and when they beheld his saintly beauty, they all gave thanks to the Lord and gave to him the assurance of Allah’s Mercy.
• They also made over all the merit of their devotional actions to the nation of Muhammad {s}.
• Jibra’il, too, had his place upon the branches of this tree, and his was a branch made of green emerald.
• It was at a height of one hundred thousand years of journeying. There is a leaf there,
• the breadth of which is that of the seven layers of the heavens and the seven beds of the earth.
• Upon it there is a carpet spread of light, and on it there is a Mihrab made of red ruby.
• This Mihrab is the place of the Angel Jibra’il. Before it was placed a seat of honor reserved for the Holy Prophet {S} upon which no one had sat since the day it was set in place.
• Each of these was surrounded by forty thousand stools upon which angels sat reciting the Injil.
• To the left there were also ten thousand stools made of beryl, and the angels seated upon them were writing out the Zabur.
• Forty thousand other angels reciting the Zabur surrounded each seat.
• Behind us there were again ten thousand stools of red ruby. The angels seated on these were writing out the Holy Quran, and around each stool there were seated another forty thousand angels reciting the Holy Quran.

This has been explained as follows:

• The wisdom of the Torah being placed before Muhammad.
• The Injeel to his right, and
• the Zabur to his left is this:
• Before the Holy Prophet the Choice of all Humankind, had yet appeared in the world and begun fulfilling his mission, those Holy Scriptures had already been revealed.
• All of them contained descriptions of the Prophet to come and told of his characteristics and excellence, and of the preeminent position of his nation among all other, previous nations.
• The Holy Quran was placed behind him because its Judgment is to remain valid and unsurpassed until the Day of Judgment, and even the Day of Judgment would be conducted by its rulings. It is a sign of its remaining free and safe from abrogation, substitution, alteration or corruption.

Mohammad continues:

“Jibra’il then said to me, ‘Oh Rasulullah, I have a request to make of you: that you would deign to pray two Rak’ats here, so that my Maqam might gain blessings from it.’ I therefore prayed a prayer of two Rak’ats there and all the angels of the Holy House and the Sidratul Muntaha followed suit.” In this way the Holy Prophet was honored above the angels.

To be Continued….

The Majestic Allah, Part 2

Is Allah 'loving'? Does He love? Seems not; if at all, very little. But He surely wants to be loved intensely...

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"…according to Islamic beliefs, it can be postulated that if Allah stops thinking of existence, then existence will not exist. The Love of the Majestic Allah is something barely graspable to created beings [believers]…”

In this article, we categorize and analyze the various Koranic verses that incorporate the word "love". Allah spoke to his Prophet to come and guide Muslims only to love him, which Mohammad and Allah made very clear in the Koran. The claim that love is at the core of all religion is just some meaningless bullshits, at least when it comes to Islam!

A man once came to the Prophet and asked him about the hereafter. The Prophet asked him: “And what have you prepared for that time?” The man replied: “Nothing, except that I love Allah and I love you.” The Prophet answered him: “You are with the ones you love."

This ‘love’ that the Muslims are taught in the Koran is done [repetitively] by the five-time daily salat [prayers]. Here, Muslims simply praise the Prophet twice more than Allah in prostrations and in his Sunnah:

• “Say, if you love Allah, then follow me, and Allah will love you greatly and forgive your sins, for Allah is oft forgiving and merciful…” [Surah 3:31]
• “O you who have faith, whoever among you turns back from his religion, Allah will surely bring forth a people He loves and who love Him, who are humble before the faithful and exalted before the deniers. They strive in the way of Allah and fear no blame from any blamers. This is the favor of Allah; He bestows it on whomever He wills. For Allah is all-encompassing, all-knowing!” [Surah 5:54]

The Prophet once told his dear companion, Muazh Ibn Jabal: “Muazh, I do love you!” Muazh replied, “And I love you, Messenger of Allah, more dearly than my own father and mother!” The Prophet then instructed Muazh: “Do not end a prayer without asking Allah to help you remember Him, to be thankful to Him, and to serve Him in the best of ways.”

For Muslims, praying to Allah is not as simple as it seems. It is really impossible to learn how to pray until and unless by first learning the everlasting love of Allah, His faith and their devotions.

There are many Islamic books written on the positions of salat and other tafseer books on how the beloved Prophet prayed, but few ever delve into Islam ….and that is pure ‘love’ of Allah! Until and unless Muslims' heart and mind is taught about this, will it ever knows or grows in love? Muhammad said: "Allah does not accept the Prayers of a momin [believer], until his heart achieves in it what his body has achieved." [Al- Ghazali in ‘Ihya-Uloom ad-Deen’]

Islam teaches Muslims to love Allah and his beloved Prophet [only] more than their own life, more than their families. Deen [faith] can not be taught, but it can be gifted to Muslims by Allah as a blessed gift or event. When the heart is happy, then Muslims will, indeed, be on the right path to human righteousness [which the Muslims don’t know of?]. It was narrated by Anas: The Prophet said: “No one of you truly believes, until I am dearer to him than his father, his son, his own self and all the people." [Al-Bukhari 15; Muslim 44]

Does the Majestic Allah teach ‘LOVE’ in his Koran?

Say: "Obey Allah and His Messenger: But if they turn back, Allah loveth not those who reject Faith [Islam]. (Surah 3:32)

In Islamic scripture, Allah appears to be, present Himself as, a loving Father, the loving Creator. Allah created man to burn in hell. Allah does not love those, who do not accept him blindly.

"Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell: They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle; nay more misguided: for they are heedless [of warning]. (Surah 7:179)

These are the words of Allah that many men and Jinns are created to burn in hell

• “They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be [all] alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly [their homes] in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper.” [Surah 4:089]
• You who believe! Do not take my enemy and your enemy as friends, showing love for them when they have rejected the truth that has come to you, driving out the Messenger and yourselves simply because you believe in God your Lord. If you go out to strive in My Way and seeking my pleasures, keeping secret the love you have for them, know best what you conceal and what you make known. Any of you who do that have strayed from the right way. [Surah 60:1]

Allah forbids Muslims from being good to those, who have not fought for religion and who've driven Muslims from their lands, or from being ‘just’ toward them. Allah merely forbids Muslims from taking as friends [unbelievers]. However, it is helpful to understand that Allah won't spare those or have any mercy toward them, who do not believe in Him, despite claiming repeated that ‘Allah is the Al-Merciful and Al-Understanding and Al-Compassionate’.

Moreover, the Koran tells Muslims to fight non-believers.

While "God is great" (Allahu akbar) is a statement of the Islamic faith, which Muslims, starting with Muhammad, used and use as the battle-cry in their violence and wars, the affirmation and expressions—"God is love" (Allahu muhibba)—is absent as an attribute of Allah in Islamic discourse and literature. While Islam recognizes Christians as "the people of the book" and that Muslims and Christians worship the same God, it's a sheer contrast between the two faiths that "God is love" is a oft-repeated phrase in Christian scriptures and discourse, but totally absent in Islam.

It is appropriate to take a look at the Koran to seek out how the Majestic Allah position himself concerning 'love'.

The translation of Abdullah Yusuf Ali has been chosen [for this study], as it is probably the most popular bilingual version used in English speaking countries. The translation itself tends to be interpretive and sometimes propagandistic rather than literal, so occasionally the English word "love" is used without any linguistic warrants.

While it would have been interesting to include the references from the large body of Hadith of the word love, it would be excluded in this investigation, because although Muslims hold the Ahadith in high esteems, it is generally held as of lower authority than the Koran; and many Muslims lately have even started questioning the authenticity of certain statements of ahadith. However, investigations reveal that Bukhari ahadith lists 95 uses of love and 36 of loved; Muslim lists 22 usages of love and 4 for loved; Abu Dawud lists only 10 for love, one for loved; and Malik's Muwatta lists love 12 times and loved 4 times.

In the Quran, Islam's divine scripture, the occurrence of the term 'love' or its derivatives is rather limited. Most of these usages have to do with human love or love of things and only a limited number referring to Allah's love. The Bible lists 409 uses of love with 223 in the New Testament alone.

The word love (Hubb in Arabic) in its various grammatical forms is used 69 times in the holy Koran; few given below:

• “Ah! Ye are those who love [hubb] them, but they love [hubb] you not, though ye believe in the whole of the Book. When they meet you they say, "We believe": But when they are alone, they bite off the very tips of their fingers at you in their rage. Say: "Perish in your rage; Allah knoweth well all the secrets of the heart." [Surah 3:119]

• “And among His Signs is this, which He created for you mates from among yourselves, whom ye may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your [hearts]: Verily in that are Signs for those who reflect”. [Surah 30:21]
• “That is [the Bounty] whereof Allah gives Glad Tidings to His Servants who believe and do righteous deeds. Say: "No reward do I ask of you for this except the love of those near of kin.” And if any one earns any good, we shall give him an increase of good in respect thereof: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most ready to appreciate [service]”. [Surah 42:23]
• “O ye, who believe! Take not My enemies and yours as friends [or protectors], -offering them [your] love, even though they have rejected the Truth that has come to you, and have [on the contrary] driven out the Prophet and yourselves [from your homes], [simply] because ye believe in Allah your Lord! If ye have come out to strive in My Way and to seek My Good Pleasure, [take them not as friends], holding secret converse of love [and friendship] [mawadda] with them: For I know full well all that ye conceal and all that ye reveal. And any of you that does this has strayed from the Straight Path”. [Surah 60:1]
• “It may be that Allah will grant love [and friendship] between you and those whom ye [now] hold as enemies. For Allah has power [over all things]; and Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful”. [Surah 60:7]

Mentions of 'love' in above verses refer to friendship among human beings, that too, mainly as reprimands, or referring to 'love' that is not permitted or disliked by Allah. There is also the teaching in Surah 5:85 that the Christians are the closest in friendship to believing Muslims.

A part of the first sermon given by the Prophet at Medina, this is what Mohammed had to say to his companions:

“Verily, the best discourse is the Book of Allah. One is truly successful whose heart Allah has adorned with the love of His Book, and whom, after living in denial, Allah has caused to enter into submission to Him, and caused him to prefer His Book above any human discourse. The Book of Allah is the most beautiful and eloquent of discourses”.

“Love that which Allah loves! Love Allah with all your hearts! Grow not weary of hearing the Word of Allah. Do not stop remembering Him. Do not let your hearts grow hard toward Him. For verily, Allah has preferred His Book above all of Creation. Indeed, Allah has endowed it with guidance to the best of deeds, and made it an example for the elect of His servants, and filled it with righteous discourse, and has made clear in it what is lawful and unlawful for you”.

“So, serve Allah alone, and associate with Him no other. Be ever conscious of Him. Be truthful to Allah in what you utter from your mouths. Let the Spirit of Allah be the source of love between you”.

Can you hear love in the Prophet’s words?

Can you hear his urgent call to a believer’s hearts?

Can Muslims ever sense the profound purpose of LOVE in Allah’s teaching?

To Be Continued…

The Majestic Allah, Part 1

Allah, in His Own words, isn't commited to true justice and is majestic in deceiving, misleading, lying---a degree higher than even the so-called Satan, the allegedly supreme master of deception.

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"...just because you don't bow on your knees and worship an idol or an invisible being, does not mean you are not a Satan worshiper. The worship of any other god[s] is the same thing. There are no other gods[s]. They are demons and Satan in control of them…"

Truth as truth will never contradict itself. It will form a harmonious basis for logic, science, and laws of life. If truth cannot be conveyed and shown in words and propositions, then Truth has mere follies and emptiness.

Sound and fury signifies nothing.

Religious dogmas in the world still today strive on using words with soothing eternal rewards. Indeed, some words are soothing but all empty; some transient and ultimately meaningless as a vapor; some mere follies, claiming to be truth, are leading to harsh realities, bloodlettings.

"Find those who say, "We are Christians": Because amongst these are Men devoted to learning. And men who have renounced the world, and they are not arrogant." [Surah 5:82]

"If thou wert in doubt as to what we have revealed unto thee, then ask those who have been reading the book before thee." [Surah 10:94]

Eternal life or eternal punishments: many souls are certainly at stake here, indeed, each and every one in this blessed world; that is why, there is an urgency in seeking to know and defend the truth, and to understand, “what really is these ‘revelations’ and ‘the will’ of the Majestic Allah [the Islamic God]?”

Muslims, however, claim that there is another way to this: they do soothing talk of men simply following the five pillars, and earning their ways by bringing good deeds for Allah’s Islam. But there is none righteous, no not anyone in them.

But, please! Be frank at least with your own conscience. Listen to your heart, your own deepest feelings and logics. Am I in the truth? Or are you just looking for excuses, looking for arguments to suit your certain faithful dogmas? Dogmas passed on to you [Muslims] for generations without any questionings.

Are we? Are you? Am I? Those are good questions to ask, to think and to know about, to earnestly study, to wrestle with logics and absurd sacred teachings—for, indeed, it is a matter of eternal consequences. Your dogmas have indeed been passed on to you since the 7th century C.E. Before that, your Allah was just a perched-on-the-shelf idol to be worshiped and praised.

It is ‘him’ who will get the most of the blame if he misguided the people. And there is always hope in everyone.

It is true that the Allah of Islam does give: he gives up righteousness and truth by simply ignoring Muslims' sin, ‘if Muslims have a slight edge of good works more than bad’? Islam compromises the very being of supposedly benevolent God: His character and His revelations, His holiness, purity and justice, and fails to recognize the perversity and depths of man's sin and his sinful character before God. The Quran claims to stand on the foundations of the Torah and the Injil (New Testament), but constitutes a complete and radical paradigm shift away from those revelations.

Allah is claimed to be ‘oft forgiving and merciful in the final judgment’ [if you have more good in your life than bad]. Muslims seek to soothe themselves, and Islam seeks to soothe Muslims, by imagining that you are good enough to make yourself right before Allah.

Allah is considered as:

1. He is just. Therefore, He does not have to send anybody [including Isa] to 'pay' for the sin of the people.
2. He is just. Therefore, He punishes those who’ve committed sin accordingly.
3. He is also merciful and can forgive. He can forgive without sacrificing anybody. Without being unjust to anybody. But first and foremost everybody is accountable to his own doings.

Now taking these statements together, the logical implication is that Allah will, and must—because He is just—punish individuals for their sins. You see here is where it differs and where Islam has a serious problem. Allah as the Koran describes Him first:

• Is just; as Allah would be if He punished every sin accordingly; and indeed He can maintain His justice without sending another to pay for anyone else's sin, and simply let the Muslims pay for it themselves.

However, if Allah is infinitely holy, infinitely just, and unchanging in His attributes—i.e., He won't compromise His attributes for anyone or any reason, whatsoever—then Allah has no substitutes to pay for, or show mercy, for Muslim’s sins. The clear follow-through is that Muslims must pay in due measure for all their sins. If Allah is infinitely holy, then each sin—committed by whoever it may: Muslim or otherwise—is a mockery of that infinite holiness and is due for worthy punishments. Therefore, Muslims must then bear justice and wrath from Allah for all their sin.

Now the claim 3 above that Allah is merciful, i.e. He can forgive simply by saying "I forgive". If this is true, then Allah's mercy is simply a negation or mockery of His justice. Infinite justice and mercy, attributes that Allah Himself claims to posses, not harmonious attributes; they can't exist in the same being; they are mutually exclusive. Instead, they are attributes like those of a man: conflicting, partial, incomplete, and changing. He would punish an opponent or unrelated person harshly for a wrongdoing, but would forgive, even desperately try to protect, the perpetrator, if he is his kindred, friend or tribesman.

Allah is not infinitely just and righteous by these claims of His Own. Allah is not completely just and righteous in all things, in all His being, for Allah ignores justice and righteousness in order to be what the Koran claims’ is ‘merciful’. Thus, Allah in some cases completely ignores sins.

Allah then is not Holy, Righteous, Good.

Clearly Allah by Islamic theology, by His Own words in the Koran, is a ‘changing being’. He is consistent, unchanging, who remains true to His judgement, convictions, conscience?

Allah, the Islamic God, may ignore justice, ignore truth. He compromises truth as does a man! Allah, in fact, appears like a modest man, or the idea of a man, rather than manifestation of an immaculate God.

It is, therefore, evident that Allah of Koran cannot be God, period! Indeed, the Koran’s own teachings say that Allah is the greatest “makkar” [deceiver]:

If Allah is the Greatest Deceiver of all (Surah 3:54), how can you, Muslims, trust anything Allah says?

Hence, Muslims do not serve the God of all creations; instead, they worship an uncertain being, made in man's own image. And, if there exist a true God, who is infinite in perfection, unchanging in holiness and justice, they may not find Him as a savior on the Judgment Day.

An all-powerful god has no need to deceive anyone to achieve His goals. Only a being, full of human frailties, may need to deceive attain his/her objectives.

Allah, in His Own confession, is like, what believers call, the Satan, who misleads, deceives. It is there in His holy book. The Quran testifies that Allah is a greatest deceiver:

Lo! The hypocrites seek to beguile Allah, but it is He Who beguileth them. When they stand up to worship they perform it languidly and to be seen of men, and are mindful of Allah but little... [Surah 4:142]

Further passages, which claim that Allah is a deceiver, include Surahs 8:30 and 3:54. Allah even misleads people and has actually created people to burn in Hell:

• Whomsoever Allah guides, he is rightly guided, and whom He leads astray, they are the losers! We have created for Hell many Jinns and men... Do ye desire to guide him whom Allah led astray? Whom Allah leads away, you will find no way for him. [Surah 4:87, 90]
• Those whom Allah wills to guide, He opens their breast to Islam; Those whom He wills to leave straying, - He makes their breast close and constricted, as if they had to climb up to the skies: thus does Allah lay abomination on those who refuse to believe. [Surah 6:125]
• Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell. [Surah 7:179]
• Allah leads astray whomsoever He wills and guides whomsoever he wills. [Surah 14:4]

Thus, the Quran clearly says that Allah as the best of deceivers, a liar, who uses the same evil and wicked schemes of His opponents. For example, the Quran calls Allah a ‘makkar’, in fact the best makkar there is:

“But they [the Jews] were deceptive, and Allah was deceptive, for Allah is the best of deceivers" [Surahs 3:54; 8:30]

Other texts that identify Allah as a makkar include:

• Are they then secure from Allah's deception. None deemeth himself secure from Allah's scheme save folks that perish. [Surah 7:99]
• So they schemed a scheme: and We schemed a scheme, while they perceived not. Surah 27:50]
• I will mislead them, and I will create in them false desires; I will order them to slit the ears of cattle, and to deface the [fair] nature created by Allah. Whoever, forsaking Allah, takes Satan for a friend, hath of a surety suffered a loss that is manifest. [Surah 4:119]

In verses 4:119 above, Allah says that He misleads and deceives human and creates false desires etc.

Then the next verse, Allah says: "Satan makes them promises, and creates in them false desires; but Satan's promises are nothing but deception” [Surah 4:120].

So, what Allah does in verse 4:119, exactly the same is also done by the Satan. Allah and the Satan's working or modus operandi is one and the same. Lo! Allah and Satan are working together to create false desires in believers.

Conclusion: Allah is Satan creating false desires in people:

And because of their sayings [in boast]. We killed the Messiah 'Isa [Jesus], son of Maryam [Mary], the Messenger of Allah, but they killed him not, nor crucified him, but the resemblance of 'Isa [Jesus] was put over another man [and they killed that man]... [Surah, 4:157]

Allah Deceives Even Muslims.

"...and then only this nation [Islam] will remain, including their hypocrites. Allah will come to them in a shape other than they know and will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, ‘We seek refuge with Allah from you. This is our place; [we will not follow you] till our Lord comes to us, and when our Lord comes to us, we will recognize Him.’ Then Allah will come to them in a shape they know and will say, ‘I am your Lord.’ They will say, [no doubt] You are our Lord,’ and they will follow Him." [Bukhari 8.76.52.577, p. 375; also Sahih Muslim 1.1.81.349, p. 115].

Muslims may point out that the word "deceive" is not present in this hadith. Allah did not speaketh any lying words, and this occurs in Heaven, and not on earth. But Allah impersonates someone else and presents Himself before humans, obviously to deceive and mislead them: if this is not deception, then what is it?

This hadith makes it clear that Allah will deliberately misrepresent himself before Muslims in a "false shape", different from the shape Muslims know Him of. That means Muslims know of what Allah is. Would any Muslim tell us of what shape Allah is? I never heard a Muslim saying that Allah has this or that particular shape, until one told me: Allah probably has a humanoid shape.

Here is what Bukhari 9.93.24.532b, p. 396 tells us:

"When there remains only those who used to worship Allah [alone], both the obedient ones and the mischievous ones, [and they will say] ‘and now we are waiting for our Lord.’ Then the Almighty will come to them in a shape other than that which they saw the first time, and He will says, ‘I am your Lord,’ and they will say, ‘You are not our Lord.’ And none will speak to Him then but the Prophets, and then it will be said to them, ‘Do you know any sign by which you can recognize Him?’ They will say, ‘The Shin,’ and so Allah will then uncover His Shin whereupon every believer will prostrate before Him and there will remain those who used to prostrate before Him just for showing off and for gaining good reputation. These people will try to prostrate but their backs will be rigid like one piece of a wood [and they will not be able to prostrate]. Then the bridge will be laid across to Hell…"

Despite whatever Muslims might say, Bukhari says that Allah will have a true physical form in Heaven, and Allah himself will also appear to Muslims in a false physical form, as sort of a temptation to mislead them. This is in clear contrast to what the Bible says of God: "God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone." [James 1:13]

Do not follow wrong parts of the Quran

[Bukhari 6.60.9.8, p. 10] "Umar said, ‘Our best Quran reciter is Ubai and our best judge is ‘Ali; and in spite of this, we leave some of the statements of Ubai because Ubai says, ‘I do not leave anything that I have heard from Allah’s Apostle while Allah said, ‘Whatever verse [Revelations] do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten but We bring a better one or similar, to it”… [Surah 2:106]

What do you think about the abrogated verses means?

1. Verses that are still in the Qur’an, but Muslims are not supposed to follow it?
2. Verses that used to be in the [some say unalterable] Quran, but are no longer there anymore.
3. We can find examples of both.

It turns out that the Islamic ahadith show us that (c) is the correct answer. Example of (a) Surah 73:2-3 is abrogated by Surah 73:20. Abu Dawud 1.2.457.1299, p. 343

An example of an abrogated tradition is that Mu’tah [temporary Islamic marriages] for a short time, a few hours, days or weeks or so on, was allowed by Mohammed, but, according to Sunnis, was later abrogated. However, Shiites believes that this was not abrogated.

Example of (b) "Narrated Anas bin Malik: ...“There was revealed about those who were killed at Bi’r-Ma’una a Qur’anic Verse we used to recite, but it was cancelled later on. The verse was: ‘Inform our people that we have met our Lord. He is pleased with us and He has made us pleased’." [Bukhari 4.52.19.69, p. 53].

This is not in any Quran today. By the way, I hope nobody has tried to deceive you into thinking that the Qur’an has not been changed, or that everything is to be followed.

The Fihrist [p. 81-82] lists 18 books about the Abrogating and the Abrogated in the Qur’an. Among Muslims scholars, the translator in Bukhari 6, fn. 1, p. 506 mentions a special term for Quranic verses that have not been abrogated: ‘muhkam’, although other sources call them ‘mohkam’.

Will Allah Deceive You Too?

One Answer from Islam: You had better not ask too many questions.

• I heard the Prophet saying, ‘Allah has hated for you three things: … And asking too many question… [Bukhari 2.24.52.555, p. 323]
• Believers! Do not ask questions about things which if made plain and declared to you, may vex you, causing you trouble. [Surah 5:101]
• Some people before you did ask such questions, and on that account they lost their faith and became disbelievers. [Surah 5:102]

Satan will not Impersonate Muhammad. Why?

So even though Allah could come in a deceiving shape and galat [wrong] Muslims might be deceived in worshipping the wrong Allah, thinking that ‘Ali and Mohammed are divine and parts of Allah, the ahadith say Satan cannot impersonate Mohammed.

"... and whoever sees me [Mohammed] in a dream, he surely sees me, for Satan cannot impersonate me (appear in my figure). And whoever intentionally ascribes something to me falsely, he will surely take his place in the (Hell) Fire." [Bukhari 8.73.109.217, p. 139-140, also Sahih Muslim 4.27.948.5635-5639, p. 1225-1226]

I have never yet heard from a Muslim the answer to 'why Muslims think God chooses to appear in a deceiving manner?' This may deceive people in worshipping a false impersonation of God, yet Satan will never impersonate Mohammed.

Pretty strange: The Satan seems less inclined than Allah in deceiving.

Wait for the next Part to know of this exciting Majestic Allah.

To be Continued…