Changing Qibla: What Happened in Madinah?

An important event took place some 16 or 17 months after the Prophet had settled in Madinah . It was the change of direction Muslims face when they offer their prayers.

While the Prophet was still in Makkah, he was ordered to turn towards Jerusalem when he prayed. 

Muslims complied with this divine instruction and continued to do so after they had emigrated to Madinah.  There they came in close contact with the Jews.

The Jews used the fact that Muslims adopted their own holy city as their qibla to claim that Judaism was the religion of truth. And that Muhammad and his companions should adopt Judaism, instead of calling on the Jews to accept Islam.

Changing Qibla & Quran Revelation

Now, nearly 18 months after the migration of the Prophet to Madinah, new Quranic revelations instructed the Prophet (peace be upon him) and the Muslims to turn towards the Kabah in Makkah when they prayed.

The Prophet himself was very pleased with this change, which he keenly desired but dared not request. 

The Jews in Madinah countered with a sustained campaign of criticism, as they felt that the change deprived them of their argument for refusing to accept Islam. Their new campaign sought to create doubts in the minds of Muslims as to the basis of their own religion.

If it was right, the Jews argued, that the Muslims should formerly face Jerusalem in their prayers, then the new direction is wrong. They also told the Muslims:

Your prayers from now on would then be of no value. If, on the other hand, the new direction is right and the Kabah is the true qibla, then your prayers in the past were in vain.

The Jews also argued that God, the Lord Who knows all, does not change His instructions in that manner. The change clearly showed, the Jews went on, that Muhammad did not really receive any revelation from God.

Reading the verses which speak of this subject and the argument that ensued in Madinah shows that the Jewish campaign was not without results.

Reassurance was needed and was, indeed, provided in a long passage in the Quran, which runs from verse 106 to verse 150 in the surah (chapter) entitled Al-Baqahrah (The Cow). A word of explanation here may be useful. 

The True Heirs of Abraham

Arabs revered the Kabah before the advent of Islam.

To them it was the symbol of their national glory.

It was also one of the factors which held the Arab tribes together.

Islam, however, requires of its follower’s total, undivided loyalty.

Muslims must dedicate themselves wholly to God and the cause of Islam.

The Prophet’s companions must, therefore, abandon all their former loyalties, tribal, racial, or national. Hence the need to separate their worship from their traditional reverence of the Kabah.

To accomplish this, they were ordered to turn towards Jerusalem when they prayed.

After a period of time, when the Muslims had accepted the new situation – moving away, in the process, from the rest of the Arabs – they were taught to regard the Kabah in a different light.

They were told to face it in their prayers because it was built by the two Prophets, Abraham and Ishmael, as a place wholly devoted to the worship of God alone.

Answering Abraham’s Prayers

Thus, it becomes part of the heritage of the Islamic nation, which has come into existence by way of answering Abraham’s prayers to raise among his seed a Prophet who would teach them the true religion.

Thus, having achieved the objective of making the Muslims turn to Jerusalem in their prayers for a while, it was now time to give them their own distinctive qibla – the Kabah, the first house of worship ever built.

This process made the Muslims keenly aware that they were the true heirs of Abraham and his religion, based on total submission to God.

To be distinct from others is very important when one speaks of faith and worship, for worship is the visible expression of the beliefs which take root in the soul.

If worship is visibly distinct from that of other religions, then it strengthens the perception that the religion itself is unique. The purpose of giving the Muslims their own qibla must be seen in this light.

- aboutislam.net

About Adil Salahi

Adil Salahi is the Religious Page editor of the Jeddah-based Arab News.

Why Was the Qiblah Changed from Jerusalem to Makkah?

 

Significance of the Change of Prayer Direction

Two momentous events in the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) bear special significance as regards the institution of Prayer (Salah) in Islam: The Mi`raj (the Prophet’s Ascension) and the change of the qiblah from Jerusalem to Makkah.

There is general agreement among Muslim scholars that the Prophet’s Night Journey and Ascension occurred in the month of Rajab, most probably on the 27^th of that month, about a year before the Hijrah (the Prophet’s emigration from Makkah to Madinah); and the change of qiblah happened in the middle of Sha’ban, about sixteen months after the emigration.

Muslims believe that during the Prophet’s Mi`raj, God instituted the five daily obligatory Prayers for believers. And it was in the middle of a congregational Prayer in Madinah, that God’s command came to the Prophet about the change of qiblah.

We read about it in the Quran:

The fools among the people will say: “What has turned them from the Qiblah to which they were used?” Say: To Allah belong both East and West; He guides whom He pleases to a Way that is straight. (2:142)

“The fools” in this context are those who criticize the change of qiblah, without any understanding of the matter. Before considering the meaning of the change of qiblah, we need to understand the importance of what is called the qiblah for Muslims.

For Muslims, none of the daily Prayers can be done correctly without knowing the qiblah. “Qiblah” means orientation, or a sense of true direction.

God’s House

At the beginning of every Prayer, the Muslims face the house of God in Makkah, thereby spiritually connecting themselves along an invisible line that passes through every point on earth, to the spiritual center in Makkah.

Whether they pray alone, or in congregation, they do so as part of the greater community of Islam. Thus, five times a day, each Muslim is aligned to the other Muslims who form concentric circles around the Ka’bah encircling the earth.

Imagine watching the scene from space; and we may see all the Muslims at Prayer like a huge flower the size of the earth, opening and closing its millions of petals. Each of those petals represents a Muslim at Prayer.

Thus the qiblah (which is unique to Islam) has a significant role in bringing together every nation, race, and tribe on this planet regularly five times a day, so as to link them to the common center at Makkah.

Being central to the worshipers in Islam, the qiblah serves as the heart of the Ummah of Islam, supplying life-blood to the spiritual existence of Muslims all over the world and keeping the concept of unity in every sense of the term: God is One, the religion is one and the Ummah is one.

Spiritual Journey

Every time we stand in Prayer, Muslims may say they make a spiritual journey to the Ka’bah in Makkah, somewhat as the Prophet did during his Night Journey to Jerusalem.

And from the Ka’bah, our spirit travels upward towards Allah the Almighty just as the Prophet during his Ascension from Jerusalem. So for a pious and sincere worshiper, every Prayer he performs involves Night Journey and an Ascension, as it were.

During his Ascension, in a mystical experience of immense spiritual significance, Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) led all the earlier prophets in Prayer in Al-Aqsa mosque at Jerusalem. This was a wonderful event that symbolized not only the oneness of both the houses of worship — the Ka’bah and Al-Aqsa — but also the oneness of the guidance of Allah given through all the prophets.

Because Prophet Muhammad was sent as the final prophet for the whole of humanity consisting chiefly of the children of Abraham by his eldest son Ishmael, and the second son Isaac, (peace be upon them both). Jerusalem represents the line of Isaac, as Makkah represents the line of Ishmael.

The foregoing highlights the significance of both the cities serving as the qiblah of Muslims: First Jerusalem and then Makkah. The final prophet born in the line of Ishmael, the first son of Abraham, at Makkah was commanded to turn to Jerusalem for Prayer; and then as a significant turning point in the process of the completion of the religion of Islam, God asks Prophet Muhammad to turn to the first house of God in Makkah for worship.

And God says in the Quran what means:

Thus, have We made of you an Ummah justly balanced, that ye might be witnesses over the nations, and the Messenger a witness over yourselves; and We appointed the Qiblah to which thou was used, only to test those who followed the Messenger from those who would turn on their heels (From the Faith). Indeed it was (A change) momentous, except to those guided by Allah. And never would Allah Make your faith of no effect. For Allah is to all people Most surely full of kindness, Most Merciful. (Al-Baqarah 2:143)

A Prophet For All Humanity

In the above verse the use of the expression, “an Ummah justly balanced that ye might be witnesses over the nations” is particularly noteworthy.

Muslims believe that Prophet Muhammad is not to be considered the prophet of just a region, a race or a nation any more. Rather, he is the prophet of the whole of humanity; and the community of believers will be a justly balanced middle nation with Makkah as its center.

Jerusalem, representing the earlier versions of the religion, was not the qiblah any more. Makkah, representing the patriarch of mankind Abraham and all his children, was to be recognized as the center of the completed religion of God.

This means that the change of qiblah had far more significance than most people at that time understood.

According to the Quran, Prophet Muhammad and his followers were named “the best of peoples” as well as “a justly balanced society”, deserving of leading the whole of humanity to the path of God.

That is to say, the change of the qiblah is a declaration by God of the perfection of the first religion as the final religion for mankind. Through the two mystical events in the life of the final messenger, Muhammad, God completes and perfects the religion for humanity and declares the Ka’bah in Makkah as the center of the world as well as of His religion.

And those who recognize and accept this cannot be parochial or ethnocentric; they have got to be above race, region or nation; they have to be at the center as a justly balanced middle nation serving as “witnesses over nations” as the true representatives of the whole of humanity.

- aboutislam.net

About Professor Shahul Hameed

Professor Shahul Hameed is an Islamic consultant. He also held the position of the President of the Kerala Islamic Mission, Calicut, India. He is the author of three books on Islam published in the Malayalam language. His books are on comparative religion, the status of women, and science and human values.

Why Should I Read the Quran Daily?

 

You must know that reciting and reflecting over the Quran and devoting time regularly to its study and its’ implementation in one’s life has tremendous benefits here and in the Hereafter.

So, let us see a few of them in order to attach ourselves more firmly to the Quran. Each benefit is an inspiration for us.

Reading and reflecting over the Quran fulfills an Islamic duty

Indeed the Prophet (peace be upon him) summarized this Religion with his statement:

“The Religion is naseehah (loyalty or sincerity)!”

So then Tameem ibn Aws, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “We asked, ‘To whom?’”

He said:

“To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders of the people, and their common folk.” [Muslim]

The sincerity that is due to the Book of Allah includes its regular recitation, learning the rules of tajweed and reciting it beautifully.

It also includes learning about its tafseer and the reasons for its revelation.

We should also affirm that it is the Truth—the perfect Speech of Allah and not part of the creation—and honor it and defend it.

Last, but most important, we must abide by the orders and prohibitions found in it, teach it, and call others to it. [See Jaami’ul-’Uloom wal-Hikam of Ibn Rajab Al-Hambalee]

So by reading and reflecting over the Quran, one fulfills an obligation and is rewarded for that.

Upon fulfilling this obligation, the Qur’an then becomes a proof for him on the Day of Judgment!

The Quran will be a proof for us on the Day of Judgment

This is due to the Prophet’s statement:

“And the Quran is a proof for you or against you.” [Muslim]

So, if the Quran is in front of you it will lead you to Paradise (Jannah), if it is behind you it will drag you to Hell (Jahannam).

We need to think carefully about our position with the Quran: Are we neglecting it, contradicting it, ignoring its orders and prohibitions, do we deeply reflect over it?

Will it be in our favor on the Day of Judgment?

We ask Allah to make the Quran a proof for us, and not a proof against us, on that Day.

The Prophet said:

The Quran is an intercessor, something given permission to intercede, and it is rightfully believed in. Whoever puts it in front of him, it will lead him to Paradise; whoever puts it behind him, it will steer him to the Hellfire. [An authentic hadith found in At-Tabaraanee, on the authority of ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood]

Your status in this life will be raised

In Saheeh Muslim, we find how ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab, understood this principle: Some men came to question him during his khilaafah about the leadership of Makkah.

They asked, “Who do you use to govern Makkah?”

He said, “Ibn Abzaa.” They asked, “And who is Ibn Abzaa?”

Umar replied, “A freed slave from those we freed.”

They remarked, “You left a freed slave in charge of the people of the Valley (the noble tribes of the Quraysh)!?!?”

So he answered them,

Verily he is a reader of the Book of Allah and is knowledgeable about the obligations of the Muslims. Haven’t you heard the statement of your Messenger: “Verily Allah raises some people by this Book and lowers others by it.

You will be from the best of the people in this life, and the Next

‘Uthmaan, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

The best of you are the ones who learn the Quran and teach it to others. [Al-Bukhari]

‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Amr ibn Al-’Aas heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) saying:

It will be said to the companion of the Quran: Read and elevate (through the levels of the Paradise) and beautify your voice as you used to do when you were in the dunya! For verily, your position in Paradise will be at the last verse you recite! [Abu Daawood and At-Tirmithee, sahih]

In Summary:

It is essential for a Muslim to read the Quran. S/he must understand it. There are added benefits (blessings) in reading the Quran in Arabic.

The best practice is set a time (say, after Fajr) to read the Quran each day, read the Arabic and then, if one doesn’t understand Arabic, read the translation in your own language.

Also, one should try to find a scholar or a study circle to improve his understanding of the Quran.

- aboutislam.net

How to Guard Your Tongue and Make it Work For Good

 

The tongue is a blessing from Allah and a great tool of communication. Animals are unable to speak, we are!
How can you show gratefulness for your tongue? That’s right, by using it in the right way.

Sahl ibn Sa’ad reported that the Messenger of Allah said:

Whoever guards what is between his jaws and legs, I shall guarantee him paradise. (Al-Bukhari)

Let’s first look at some don’t’s of the tongue so we can recognize them in our lives and break our bad habits. Then we’ll look at how we can use our tongues in the right way so we can make this tiger work for good!

One of the Greatest Productivity Killers: Backbiting

The Prophet Muhammad once asked his Companions:

Do you know what is backbiting?

They said:

‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’

He said:

To mention about your brother that which he hates.

They said:

‘What if that which we say about our brother is true?’

He said:

If there is in him what you say about him then that is backbiting, and if you say of him that which is not true then you have slandered him. (Muslim)

Allah says in the Quran:

Do not backbite each other, would any of you wish to eat the flesh of your dead brother, no rather you hate it! (49:12)

Four Tips on How to Overcome the Evil Habit of Backbiting

1. Remember the punishment of Allah and reflect on the verses of the Quran that talk about bad speech.

2. Fear that your own faults might be revealed. The Prophet said:

O you who believe with your tongues, yet eeman has not entered your hearts. Do not backbite the Muslims, nor follow their faults. For he who follows others faults then Allah will declare (disclose) his faults and he whom Allah reveals his faults, then Allah disgraces him in his own house. (Sunan Abu Dawood)

3. Know that you give your rewards to someone else if you backbite them.

A man came to al-Hasan al-Basri and said that he had heard that al-Hasan al-Basri had backbitten him. Upon this he said:

“Who are you that I may give you my rewards?”

It is also said:

“If I would backbite, I would backbite my parents, because they deserve my rewards the most!”

4. The most important thing is that there is a great reward in staying away from backbiting. The Prophet said:

Whoever protects the honor of his brother in his absence, Allah will protect his face from the Fire on the Day of Judgment. (Sunan at-Tirmidhi)

Don’t’s of the Tongue

– Lying (How often do you hear: “I’m not lying, I’m only joking”? This is what the Prophet said about this:

 A believer does not become a perfect believer until he abandons lying, even as a joke. Until he gives up arguing and debating even if he may be upon the truth and he may be right. (Sunan Abi Dawud)

– Verbal abuse

– Foul language

– Backbiting and slander

How Silence is Golden

To conclude, we can do either of two things with our speech to become successful: 1. use it to encourage to good, or 2. keep silent.

Your speech can be khayr (good), sharr (evil), or laghw (vain).

Next to good speech, silence can be a great productivity booster too! Silence can be worship; it’s an adornment without jewels and a fortress without walls.  It frees us from having to apologize to anyone, the recording angels having nothing to record when we are silent, and our faults are concealed.

Three Ways You Can Control Your Tongue

1. Think

Imam Ash-Shafi’i said:

“If you wish to speak then it is upon you to think before you speak. If you think there is good in it then speak and if not then do not speak. Before you talk, ask yourself: Will this saying of mine please Allah? Will this saying of mine bring me closer to Allah? Does this saying earn with it obedience to Allah? If yes, speak, if not, remain silent.”

2. Surround yourself with good company and remind yourself and others to good speech.

It takes two to gossip. Research and learn the punishment for bad speech. Imagine how the punishment in the grave would feel. If the angel of death were to take your soul in would you want bad words to be your last?

3. Use the money jar.

The idea is to keep a jar in your house in which you put a certain amount of money whenever you use bad language, for example each time you swear or gossip. The amount you put in should be big enough to make you feel regret and remember how much this bad language will cost you in the Hereafter! You can give the money to charity.

Do’s of the Tongue:

• Read the Quran!
• Teach someone beneficial knowledge.
• Enjoin good and forbid evil.
• Tell others you love them for the sake of Allah.
• Don’t talk too much (excessive speech hardens the heart even if it’s not bad speech).
• Practice keeping silent more!

Homework:

It’s not difficult to break the habit of foul language. Replace it with dhikr. Whenever you can, begin to replace your swear words with Alhamdulillah, or Subhanallah or other words of remembrance. This way you get the reward of remembering Allah and you cleanse your heart and tongue of foul language, because Allah hates foul speech!

Finally, please make dua’ with me that we will be of these people:

Indeed, Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow. They will be adorned therein with bracelets of gold and pearl, and their garments therein will be silk.  And they had been guided [in worldly life] to good speech, and they were guided to the path of the Praiseworthy. (Quran, 22:23-24)

From Understand Quran.

About Khawlah bint Yahya

Khawlah b. Yahya founded SISTERS' PROJECT in 2008, a United Kingdom women's support organization and is a writer for different Islamic organizations and academies. She authored the renown How to Live by the Names of Allah Series, published by the Understand Qur'an Academy, as well as the internationally shared Revive a Sunnah Series. She focuses most of her work on how to translate classic Islamic Knowledge to daily life action. She recently released Personal Lessons from the Qur'an, in which daily life action points are based on Qur’anic ayaat in a way that’s never seen before. You can now purchase the E-book on: dailylifeknowledge.co.uk

Perfecting The Prayer

 

 

Do you find that you use the same surah every time you pray? Well, this is a video that teaches us how to get out of the robotic nature of our salaat and pray as we have seen the Prophet (SAW) used to pray. There are many ways we can improve and perfect our prayers. Check these tips! - aboutislam.net

What Does Belief in Allah Mean?

Some people have erroneous belief that once you have pronounced the words of shahada indicating belief in Allah (SWT) that is all. But is that always the case? In this video, Imam Tom Facchine reflects on a hadith related to the concept of “Belief”. He discusses how genuine belief in Allah, the Creator, is reflected through our actions rather than just mere words. - aboutislam.net

What Makes Islam Unique?

 

Islam is unlike any other religion because it is not merely a belief to which one adheres, but rather Islam is a complete way of life.

Muslims put their beliefs into practice on a daily basis. Islam provides guidance in all the spheres and activities of life.

Furthermore, it is unique in that it is not named after any person, tribe, region, or culture.

Islam is named after a belief in one God, Allah, and submission to His will. In other words, Muslims put Allah’s Will before their own.

The message of Muhammad (peace be upon him) is not new; his message of absolute monotheism is a reaffirmation of what came before it.

We as humans constantly stray from guidance if we are left on our own without a divine reminder, thus Allah the Merciful has sent us prophets to remind us.

Islam preaches the same message of all previous prophets. That message is: Allah is One, worship Him alone.

Additionally, human society changes and develops with time, and so Allah has adjusted His Laws slightly over the centuries to correspond accordingly.

Thus, while Allah’s message of divine oneness has been the same since the beginning of time, His Sacred Law has been abrogated and amended with the advent of each new prophet.

The Sacred Law of Muhammad (peace be upon him) represents the final version of Allah’s commandments applicable to all of humankind until the Last Day.

Benefits of Islam

Islam invites us to what benefits us and all of humanity.

It commands goodness towards all people and does not promote preferential treatment for a certain group, be they believers or not.

No one is immune from Allah’s commands and laws in Islam.

Islam offers us eternity in Paradise if we obey Allah’s commands.

Whether we believe in Him, follow His Guidance, practice good and forbid evil, Allah does not benefit anything from it. We are the ones who benefit from submitting to His Will.

Likewise, if we refuse to believe, practice evil, and prevent good; Allah is not harmed one bit by our behavior. Rather, it is only we who suffer from our own misdeeds.

Ultimately, the only real guarantee of salvation from Allah’s displeasure and wrath is from Allah Himself.

We see this through the example of His Noble Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him) and Allah’s unfaltering promise in the Holy Quran, the final unaltered scripture of Allah.

No one will be wronged by Allah an atom’s weight in this life or the next.

Allah’s promise is reiterated many times in the Holy Quran: If we believe and do good deeds, we will be rewarded, while if we deny the message and do evil, we will be punished.

Islam offers guidance to all humankind, regardless of race, culture, education level, sex, and socioeconomic status.

Through Islam, we achieve peace with ourselves, with Allah, with our fellow man, and even with the environment so that we can live in harmony with the entire universe as Allah intended.

The Final Message

Then why Islam and not Judaism or Christianity?

First of all, Islam is the message of the final Prophet to mankind, Muhammad (peace be upon him) and no other prophet has come with true guidance or a new message from Allah since his time.

While all previous prophets of Allah (such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus) were followed by a subsequent prophet and a new Sacred Law that abrogated that which was before it, the prophethood of Muhammad is final and complete – no messenger will come after him.

The example of Prophet Muhammad offers solid guidance for all times and places.

Islam is the only true universal religion – it is open to people of all cultural backgrounds, man, and woman alike.

Islam preaches the Oneness of humanity more than any other religious tradition.

We are all sons and daughters of Adam and Eve (peace be upon them), and the most beloved human before Allah is the most god-fearing.

We are all brothers and sisters from a common ancestor, and we will all return to our Creator in the end.

- aboutislam.net

About Waleed Najmeddine

Waleed Ahmed Najmeddine is a Canadian born Muslim and public school administrator. He is an active member of the Muslim community and enjoys educating Muslims and non-Muslims about Islam. He currently holds a Master of Education degree in leadership and school improvement.