The Story of Prophet Yusuf and the Wife of al-Aziz

 

The Quran tells the stories of the prophets in order to make Prophet Muhammad’s heart firm and for us to draw lessons from their lives.

We read in the Quran what means:

{So [Muhammad], We have told you the stories of the prophets to make your heart firm and in these accounts truth has come to you, as well as lessons and reminders for the believers.} (Quran 11:120)

Most of the stories of the prophets are repeated more than once throughout the Quran.

The distinct story of prophet Joseph (Yusuf)

Indeed, the only story that is mentioned once and in one complete chapter is the story of Prophet Joseph, Yusuf (peace be upon him).

The chapter tells us the purpose of its revelation:

{There are lessons in the story of Joseph and his brothers for all who seek them.} (Quran 12:7)

The final verse of this chapter stresses the fact there is a lot to learn from the stories of the Prophets:

{There is a lesson in the stories of such people for those who understand.} (Quran 12:111)

Hence, this chapter is named after Prophet Yusuf. The chapter is self-explanatory and it gives many details of the life of Prophet Yusuf and his family and the challenges he was put to.

Read this chapter and I am sure you will understand it completely. However, if you face any difficult verses, please feel free to contact us to explain them to you.

The Incident of the wife of Al-Aziz

With regard to the incident of the wife of al-Aziz, chief minister of Egypt, I quote these verses:

{The woman in whose house he was living tried to seduce him: she bolted the doors and said, ‘Come to me,’ and he replied, ‘God forbid! My master has been good to me; wrongdoers never prosper.’ And she advanced towards him, and he would have succumbed to her if he had not seen evidence of his Lord– We did this in order to keep evil and indecency away from him, for he was truly one of Our chosen servants. They raced for the door– she tore his shirt from behind– and at the door they met her husband. She said, ‘What, other than prison or painful punishment, should be the reward of someone who tried to dishonor your wife?’ but he said, ‘She tried to seduce me.’ A member of her household suggested, ‘If his shirt is torn at the front, then it is she who is telling the truth and he who is lying, but if it is torn at the back, then she is lying and he is telling the truth.’ When the husband saw that the shirt was torn at the back, he said, ‘This is another instance of women’s treachery: your treachery is truly great. Joseph, overlook this; but you [wife], ask forgiveness for your sin– you have done wrong.’} (Quran 12:23-29)

Certainly, the whole story is a trial from Allah for Prophet Yusuf.

Some commentators give the chief minister’s wife the name of Zulaikhah.

What really happened?

Thus, the Quran states that it was she who seduced him. She closed the doors and made the environment suitable for her purpose.

In reaction to this, prophet Yusuf behaved in a very civilized manner. He reminded her of her husband’s favors on him. Therefore, he cannot cheat on him and cannot show disloyalty to him.

Indeed, prophet Yusuf was aware that adultery is a grave sin and those who commit it will never prosper and be saved from punishment.

The verses mention that he would have succumbed to her if he had not seen evidence of his Lord. Commentators give different interpretations of this statement.

Some say she wanted him to kiss her and he attempted to strike her. Others say she tempted him and he tempted her but he did not follow this intent. Most of the commentators concluded that there is a temptation and a resistance.

Prophet Yusuf tried to run away from her and she ran after him and tore his shirt from the back.

Suddenly, they found al-Aziz at the door. She ran to her husband and accused prophet Yusuf of seducing her.

Naturally, prophet Yusuf tried to defend himself and told al-Aziz that it was his wife who seduced him.

Though al-Aziz saw prophet Yusuf’s shirt torn from the back and this is an indication that he tried to escape, he listened to the advice of his wife and imprisoned him.

The Truth

The following verses give us more details:

{Some women of the city said, ‘The governor’s wife is trying to seduce her slave! Love for him consumes her heart! It is clear to us that she has gone astray.’ When she heard their malicious talk, she prepared a banquet and sent for them, giving each of them a knife. She said to Joseph, ‘Come out and show yourself to them!’ and when the women saw him, they were stunned by his beauty, and cut their hands, exclaiming, ‘Great God! He cannot be mortal! He must be a precious angel!’ She said, ‘This is the one you blamed me for. I tried to seduce him and he wanted to remain chaste, but if he does not do what I command now, he will be put in prison and degraded.’ Joseph said, ‘My Lord! I would prefer prison to what these women are calling me to do. If You do not protect me from their treachery, I shall yield to them and do wrong,’ and his Lord answered his prayer and protected him from their treachery– He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.} (Quran 12:30-34)

The news of this incident spread in the city. The women knew that it was the wife of Al-Aziz who seduced Yusuf. Therefore, she tried to prove the opposite.

Hence, she asked Yusuf to show himself to these women and because of his beauty they cut their hands. On seeing this, the wife of Al-Aziz told the gathering that this is the man you blamed me for.

She made a very clear statement that it was she who seduced him but he resisted the temptation.

Imprisonment

She decided to put him in prison and he accepted the decision because imprisonment was better than what these women were calling on him to do.

God answered his prayer and protected him from their plot.

In the above verses, we can notice Prophet Yusuf’s sincerity and seeking refuge in God from the women’s plot against him.

Although the wife of Al-Aziz confessed her guilt in front of all these women, they remained silent and did not defend Yusuf.

Also Al-Aziz himself did not object to his wife’s advice and threw Yusuf in prison.

We read what means:

{In the end they thought it best, after seeing all the signs of his innocence, that they should imprison him for a while.} (Yusuf 12:35)

Here ends the story of the wife of al-Aziz with Prophet Yusuf.

As for the prison, there starts another story which is covered in the articles reference below.

Lessons Learned

What we can learn from this story is patience and submission to God’s destiny.

In difficult situations, we should put our trust in God and seek refuge in Him. We should be sure that there is always a way out for the believers.

Muslims should guard themselves against the plots made by their enemies by asking God’s for help and not surrendering to temptations.

- aboutislam.net

About Dr. Mohsen Haredy

Dr. Mohsen Haredy holds a PhD in Hadith literature from Leiden University, the Netherlands. He is the former Executive Manager and Editor-in-Chief of E-Da`wah Committee in Kuwait, and a contributing writer and counselor of Reading Islam. He graduated from Al-Azhar University and earned his MA in Hadith literature from Leiden University.

Marital Rape OK within Islamic Marriage?!

 

Context: Sexual Pleasure for Both Parties

First, the Quranic verse mentioned has a completely different interpretation than the one you thought of. It doesn’t mean any sense of sexual exploitation.

Actually, it was revealed on the occasion that some of the prophet’s companions asked him about how to approach their wives sexually.

This was because their Jewish neighbors used to tell them that a sexual intercourse should only be made in one particular position.

The verse was then revealed to inform believers that they are free to approach their women in any position they like.

Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) added to its interpretation that one is free to have sexual intercourse with his wife in any position, as long as it is vaginal—for anal intercourse is prohibited in Islam.

It is clear that such permission aimed at adding more pleasure to both husband and wife. This is by avoiding the monotony of such a relationship.

Mutual Satisfaction is Paramount

As for “marital rape“, Islam teaches both husband and wife the understanding of having to minimize the times when they are reluctant to respond to their spouses’ sexual demand.

Unless there are really serious reasons concerning, for example, health or mental difficulties, neither of them should refuse such a demand.

This is not because any side is a “property” of the other or because Islam approves what is called “marital rape”. On the contrary, this is because Islam prohibits adultery and marital infidelity.

This, in fact, is prohibited for both parties.

Therefore, Islam urges both parties to be always welcoming to meet the other party’s sexual needs.

Both parties are also obliged to make sure that this affair has ended with full satisfaction for ones’ partner.

It seems you have read about this part, which focuses on the rule of submitting to the spouse as “obligatory” to women.

However, it seems you haven’t read about the Islamic teaching that also made it obligatory for husbands to offer sex to their wives.

A Wife’s Rights to Foreplay & Satisfaction

This is due to the fact that the woman might be shy or embarrassed to ask it for herself, every four days. According to Imam Ghazali and other scholars, this is even if the husband does not feel like doing it:

It is desirable that he should have intimate relations with her once every four nights; that is more just, for the [maximum] number of wives is four which justifies this span. It is true that intimate relations should be more or less frequent in accordance to her need to remain chaste, for to satisfy her is his duty. If seeking intimate relations [by the woman] is not established, it causes the same difficulty in the same demand and the fulfill­ment thereof.

In addition, a ruler should not send soldiers in an army – even if it is wartime – for more than four months, just for this reason!

You need to know that the Prophet (peace be upon him) warned husbands against what he called: “falling onto women like animals.”

“Let none of you come upon his wife like an animal, and let there be an emissary between them.” He was asked, “What is this emissary, 0 Messenger of God?” He said, “The kiss and [sweet] words.”

Also, Ibn Magah reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) has commanded husbands not to start a sexual intercourse, unless they start by ‘flirting, talking and kissing the wife’ till she becomes ‘in the mood’ and capable of sharing the pleasure of these moments:

There are three qualities which are considered deficiencies in a man: one, that he should meet someone whose acquaintance he wishes to make but parts from him before learning his name and lineage; second, that he should be treated kindly and reject the kindness’ done unto him; and third, that he should approach his wife and have sexual contact with her before exchanging tender words and caresses, consequently, he sleeps with her and fulfills his needs before she fulfills hers.

Thus, he also drew men’s attention to the fact that women tend to reach orgasm, a short time after husbands do.

Because of this fact, a husband should wait till she is fully satisfied to end their exchange.

We believe that this prescription of sexual relations in Islam is the furthest it can be from rape!

A Husband’s Equal Rights

Simultaneously, Islam urges the Muslim woman that – however busy she may be – she should leave whatever is keeping her busy if her husband asks her.

Here, if the woman refuses to submit to her husband’s desire, for no serious reason, she would be exposed to God’s displeasure. Thus, Islam directs both parties and not men only to observe this rule.

In fact, the wisdom behind such elucidation in describing spouses’ sexual relations and the ideal way to reach full satisfaction – either in quantity or quality – was meant to close the door for any body to find an excuse to commit the major sin of adultery.

It is a sin, which is not accepted in Islam under any circumstances.

I really appreciate your interest in Islam. Still, I advise you to read it from its original sources. These are now available through the Internet and many other ways.

This is rather than discovering Islam through sources, which deliberately distort its beautiful and comprehensive message.

The message of Islam, dear Bethany, touches every aspect of people’s lives, even their sexual life!

Some simply misinterpret this message by focusing on “choosing” specific Quranic verses or taking parts of the rulings, that serves their interpretations, and leaving the other parts.  - aboutislam.net

Show Your Gratitude Through Worship

 

One of the fundamental components of a person’s relationship with Allah is worship. As one’s heart is filled with gratitude to one’s benefactor, one expresses indebtedness, humility, and surrender to him.

This is a natural response, observed even in domestic animals and pets. They express gratitude by gesture or look, but human beings are required to express gratitude in a much more pronounced manner.

It is an ordinary experience that a person owing a debt of gratitude to another expresses these feelings in appropriate manners and speech. Those failing to thank their benefactors are generally regarded as at least uncouth or ill-natured. It is part of the human nature to hold one’s benefactor in esteem.

Given this, we can see what gratitude we owe to our true Benefactor, Allah, Who is the source of all favors and blessings. We owe our very existence to Him. His favors are not ephemeral, but eternal.

Ho to Be Grateful

One should reflect gratitude to Allah by way of surrendering humbly and fully to Him. In doing so, one acts in a natural way and will be blessed with tranquility and spiritual contentment. However, those overwhelmed by neglect or ignorance fail to give thanks to their Creator and Benefactor. They even fail to think of Him or do so only in a passing and cursory manner.

The gratitude we owe to Allah is manifested in our worship. It is expressed both verbally and by gesture and body movement. Worship embodies outwardly our gratitude to our Benefactor.

One’s whole being is involved in the act of worship. Each body part contributes in its own way, and one’s mental and spiritual faculties are also actively involved.

One’s whole being takes part in paying homage to the Creator, because it is incumbent upon to involve also all those means and ways by which one meets their worldly needs.

Gratitude in Quran and Sunnah

There is no need of weighty arguments to illustrate that the worship of Allah manifests our gratitude to our real, true Benefactor. This appears clearly in the opening surah of the Qur’an, Al-Fatihah.

Surat Al-Fatihah is woven around the theme of gratitude and it forms an essential part of prayer in Islam. It emerges from studying this surah that one’s gratitude in response to Allah’s lordship, mercy, and compassion prompts one to exclaim {We worship You alone} (Al-Fatihah 1:5).

It is also evident from other Qur’anic verses  that worship is synonymous with the expression of gratitude to Allah. For example, {Worship Allah and be among His grateful servants} (Az-Zumar 39:66).

Elsewhere, one is directed to worship and thank Him: {So seek your provision from Allah, and serve Him, and give thanks unto Him} (Al-`Ankabut 29:17).

It is reported about Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) that he stood for so long in his Night Vigil Prayer that his feet would swell up.

Take the following hadith as illustrative: The Prophet’s wife `A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, I asked, “Messenger of Allah, why do you exert yourself so much while all your sins have been forgiven?”

To this he replied, “`A’ishah, should I not be a grateful servant of Allah?” (Muslim).

Worship is prompted by one’s feeling of gratitude to Allah. Allah’s commands are not meant to put us through any inconvenience. Rather, Allah has prescribed certain forms for expressing our gratitude, and these forms are approved by Him. These accrue numerous blessings to us.

In terms of its essence, true worship is characterized by genuine and overflowing gratitude to Allah. By worshiping Allah, one discharges obligations toward the Creator, Master, Benefactor, and Lord.

It Is for Our Own Benefit

One does not do so for the sake of benefiting in any way the Creator and Master but rather earns blessings for oneself and makes oneself worthy of more rewards. It is clear from several Qur’anic verses that Allah is to be worshiped because He is the Creator, Master, Sustainer, and Lord.

Our worship does not profit Him in any way, and our refusal to worship Him does not harm Him in the least. However, unbelievers refusing to worship Him are liable to fall more deeply into error and are more likely to follow the path of Satan rather than the straight way prescribed by Allah.

Excerpted with some modifications from Tazkiyah: The Islamic Path of Self-Development, The Islamic Foundation.

Are Mosque Partitions for Men and Women Sunnah?

 

Historical Practices of Gender Arrangement in Mosques

Both men and women are allowed to pray in the mosque in the same congregational prayer. When men and women are together in the mosque then we should have first men’s lines behind the Imam, then children and then women.

This is the way Muslims used to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He did not make or ask his Companions to have a curtain or wall between the lines of men and women. (See Al-Sindi’s Commentary on Sunan An-Nasa’i, p. 798)

According to the Shari`ah, it is not required to have a partition, neither of temporary nor of permanent nature, between men and women in the mosque.

It is perfectly Islamic to hold meetings of men and women inside the mosque, whether for prayers or for any other Islamic purpose, without separating them with a curtain, partition or wall.

Proper Islamic Dress Code for Women in Mosques

It is, however, very important that Muslim women come to public gatherings wearing proper Islamic dress, for it is forbidden for a Muslim woman to attend a public gathering without a full Islamic dress. She must cover her hair and neck with a scarf, which should also go over her bosom. Her dress should be modest and loose enough in order not to reveal the shape of her body.

It stands to reason that partitions were introduced inside the mosque later in Islamic history. This was done, perhaps, because some women began coming to mosques without observing proper Islamic dress, or perhaps, some men wanted to discourage them from coming to Mosques.

In the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), there was no curtain or partition in his mosque, although women used to come to the mosque almost for every prayer and for many other gatherings. It is, however, reported that they used to come to the mosque dressed up in long clothes.

Aishah, the Mother of the Believers (may Allah be pleased with her) said that the believing women used to attend the Dawn prayer with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). They used to come wrapped up in their long garments and then they used to return to their homes after the prayer, no one could recognize them because of the darkness. (Al-Bukhari)

Jama`ah means a congregation of people who are praying behind one Imam in continuous lines without any barrier or interruption. As for people who pray behind the Imam, they should either see the Imam or see those who are in front of them.

There is no Jama`ah when a person is in one room and his/her Imam in another room, the lines are not continuous and the people behind the Imam are also not visible, otherwise people would not have to come to the mosque for Jama`ah prayer. They would stay home and pray listening to the loudspeakers from their mosque or through intercoms. They could nowadays even pray Jama`ah prayer in this way in their own homes listening to the prayer broadcasts coming from Makkah and Madinah on their radios, television sets or through the Internet. But no jurists have ever allowed a Jama`ah prayer in this way.

The definition of Jama`ah that I gave above is a general one and it is applicable to both men and women. Only in the case of necessity this rule can be relaxed. For example, if the mosque was too small and people had to pray on different levels or in different rooms to accommodate every person then this would be permissible because of necessity. Muslims should not deliberately and for no reason bifurcate their congregation in their mosques.

Exceptions and Modern Mosque Arrangements

If there is a concern that the lines of men and women will mix inside the mosque, then there is no harm in putting a lower barrier, only to demarcate the separate area for women. But women should not be put in a totally separate room in the mosque unless there is a shortage of space and no other proper arrangement can be done for them.

Almighty Allah knows best.

- aboutislam.net

About Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi

Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi is the Chairman of the Fiqh Council of North America

Death is Not the End – You’re Made to Be Eternal

 

We’re here to discuss the journey of the soul. Now, so far you’re sitting here and you’re thinking like everybody else on this planet that this is my life and when my life goes, then that’s it. I’ll be somewhere else!

But we think of it as this is life; this is it, now we’re here and all my family members are with me, I wish I can stay for a very long time with my mom, my dad, my sister…

Death is Not the End

But we all know it’s not too possible.

When a person has gone from this world, it is death. It is the end of one’s life and the end of this body and this life is finished.

Yet when the Quran was revealed, it gave a whole total new term. The Quran did use the word mawt (death) and it said everybody has to taste death, but it did not stop there. It said: “You are being transferred; and you are being taken to a new world; you are traveling; you are going from this place to another place.”

What did that mean?

That means that we don’t actually die, we don’t come to an end. Yes, we taste death, but we move on.

And it’s not the first time that has ever happened, it’s happened before that we move from one world to another world.

When we think of our life, don’t think of a life on its own, and don’t think of death as the end of that life. This life is only one small part to a massive life Allah has created for us.

We Are Made to Be Eternal

In fact we are actually in some ways eternal.

We had a birth somewhere Allah created us somewhere, and I’m not talking about the birth in this world, I’m talking about the birth of the soul.

There’s a time when my soul and your soul was created; and once it was created it was never to go dead ever except one death which is the death of this world.

When we face that death, and after that we just transfer; and throughout this entire life, there are many times a lot transfers from one world to another world.

There are five transfers each and every one of us goes through; there are six whole worlds that we will live in…

- aboutislam.net

What is the Concept of Soul in Religion & Science?

 

Dr. Shabir Ally addresses this question in the video below:

Transcript:

Aisha Khaja: Dr. Shabir, welcome back. So, the question is about the concept of the soul in various religions and science. It’s a two-part question. What is the concept of soul according to various religions and science? Sorry, it’s a three-part question. Does science prove that the soul exists? And what is the Islamic perspective on the soul?

So, maybe, let’s start with the first one. What’s the concept of the soul according to various religions and science?

Dr. Shabir Ally: Well, to answer about the various religions, I have to confess my ignorance here. But let me speak specifically to the religion of Islam, and then maybe we can make some comparative comments. In the religion of Islam, we speak of the soul—ruh. We also speak of nafs which means something like person.

But, we could be speaking, and using the word nafs, we could be speaking about the person as a whole, like flesh, body, and spirit as well. Or we could be speaking just about the spirit of the person and it’s not so clear sometimes.

What’s the difference between spirit and soul? Are they two different things? And how does mind fit in? Is the mind the same as the spirit or the soul? So, these we can see are mysterious things. And they’re not so very clearly defined in the tradition.

Now, what happens [to] that at death? Often it is said that what happens at death is that the Angel of Death comes and then takes the soul out of the body, or the spirit out of the body. So, this is either the nafs or the ruh which is taken out. And the lifeless body remains dead.

Something that is by this very fact of taking out this soul that the body becomes dead at this time.

Now, what happens during sleep, according to Ibn al-Qayyim al Jawziyya’s Kitab al-Ruh, his book of the soul, at the time of sleep, the soul is taken out of the body as well, or exits the body.

But this exit is not the kind of permanent exit that results in death. This is a temporary one so that the soul is still somewhat attached to the body, though it is free to roam around and meet with other souls.

This, of course, is a concept which is difficult to maintain today. But this is how we account for dreams. So, you know …

Aisha Khaja: So, the soul, does, is taken out of our bodies in some ways when we sleep?

Dr. Shabir Ally: … during sleep … In fact, the Quran seems to make mention of this, when it says:

Allahu yatawaffa al-anfusa heena mawtiha waallatee lam tamut fee manamiha : God is the one who takes the soul at the time of death. And as for the souls that did not die, but are asleep. [Quran 39:42]

He takes them during the sleep. And then He returns the soul to the body so that the person wakes up.

So, these are obviously mysterious concepts. And how does that relate to mind? Now what is the scientific view? In terms of science—science only describes what we can see, feel, hear, and touch, and smell. What can be examined in the laboratory.

And the soul or spirit cannot be so examined. But scientists can speak about the mind. And they think that the mind is related to the brain activity. But philosophers like Dr. Keith Ward, for example, he has a book on the soul.

And they ask—well, how can you really be sure that the mind is really only connected to the brain? And that there isn’t another subtle influence on the mind itself? How can you discount utterly the concept of the soul?

Perhaps human beings do have something that we can identify as the soul, even if that is so closely connected with the mind, and even if that soul and mind is actually based on brain activity.

Now the important thing for Muslims–I believe–and maybe for followers of other religions as well, like Christianity, for example, that holds to the belief in the spirit or soul; then, the important thing for us is—is there something that survives us after our human flesh and blood dies?

And the answer for this from our religion is, yes. And that’s all we need to affirm here. We don’t need to get into all of the mysteries and solve that in terms of modern science. And this is something I believe that modern science cannot discount.

And in fact, by holding to the belief that this mind that we’re cultivating—call it a soul, or spirit, or what you will—that by holding to the belief that this mind remains after the death of our bodies, this helps us to make better sense of our world.

Otherwise, all of the injustice in the world would remain unaccounted for. But the belief that we survive with our minds and with the memories of what we have done, this I believe is an important principle. - aboutislam.net

Status of Brain during Prayers: Scientific Analysis

 

Since the beginning of time, philosophers, psychologists, scientists, and many others have always questioned the presence of God.

According to research done since the past few years, belief in God isn’t merely a play of the mind or belief in the unseen, it is the reality.

Researchers have found a strong connection between brain activity and religious practice.

Dr. Andrew Newberg, MD, from Thomson Jefferson University Hospital and Medical College, found differences in brain activity of religiously devout individuals before praying, after praying and of atheist individuals before meditating and after meditating.

The differences were found in the most important part of the brain, the frontal lobe.  He studied the effects of prayer on the human brain and what happens inside their heads while praying by injecting harmless radioactive dye into subjects and observing them through scanning machines. He observed brain scans of Muslim Imams, Tibetan monks, and meditating atheists.

Understanding Frontal Lobe

There are six components inside the brain; the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, cerebellum, and the brain stem.

This frontal lobe represents nearly a third of the entire brain. It is the last region of the brain to develop and the first to decrease in activity with growing age. It is the CEO of the brain, the boss of the brain, and is located right behind the forehead.

The frontal lobe is primarily involved in decision making, planning, organizing, working memory, self-management, and managing emotion.

The frontal lobe is what gives individuals their personality and is responsible for their cognitive skills. In addition, the frontal lobe is active during the conversation, and it allows speech and active listening.

The parietal lobe is located at the back of the brain and is divided into two hemispheres. The parietal lobe is also greatly impacted during prayer and meditation per research done by Dr. Newberg.

In general, its main function is to process sensory information about the processing location of parts of the body. It also interprets visual information and process language and mathematics.

Nonetheless, all components of the brain work cohesively for the proper functioning of the human body.

Brain Activity Scans

The images above show the brain activity of Franciscan Nurse, who has prayed to God daily for 34 years, before and after prayer.

They are derived from a SPECT scan, a nuclear imaging test, which uses radioactive substances and a special camera to observe how the organs work by creating 3D images.

SPECT, single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), allows the measurement of blood flow. The more blood flow a brain area has, the more active it is (red > yellow > green > blue > black).

After the prayer scan, the frontal lobe of the nurse, along with the language center, shows an elevated activity level. The increased activity of the frontal lobe, which is responsible for attention and conversation, indicates that when an individual prays, they are engaging in a conversation with God which resembles a physical conversation.

In other words, just by observing the scans, one can easily confuse that speaking to God is the same as speaking to an individual in the physical world. The two conversations, per the SPECT scans, are indistinguishable.

Likewise, the image on the right also shows a decreased activity of the part of the brain responsible for orientation, located in the parietal lobes.

According to Dr. Newberg’s, this is because the complete concentration in the brain during prayer and meditation blocks sensory and cognitive input from the outside. Hence, it leads to a decreased activity of the orientation area.

Atheists & Prayers

The above images, taken before and after an atheist meditates and contemplates on the existence of God, do not show the same level of activity of the frontal cortex of the brain. There is no relative difference between the brain scan taken prior to meditation and afterward.

Therefore, this study wants to prove that, for individuals who do not believe in God, meditation does not provide the same differences and increase in activity level as does for the believer. This is because to the atheist, God is unimaginable.

When believers describe their feelings with God, their descriptions are not a mere figment of their imagination. They are physical realities. Therefore, to those who claim that God only exists in the brain, it is the brain which crystallizes reality.

As science and technology progress, they seem to be solidifying the words of God. Allah says in the Qur’an that holy book was sent down as mercy to the worlds. (21:107)

In conclusion, Dr. Andrew Newberg said, “Our brains are set up in such a way that God and religion become among the most powerful tools for helping the brain do its thing—self-maintenance and self-transcendence. Unless there is a fundamental change in how our brain works, God will be around for a very long time.”

Indeed as Allah mentions to us in the Holy Qur’an, “We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth. But is it not sufficient concerning your Lord that He is, over all things, a Witness?” (Surat Fussilat 41:53).

- aboutislam.net

About Madiha Sadaf

Madiha Sadaf in an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa, enrolled in BSc. with Major in Biology and Psychology with Minor in Health Social Sciences.