145- AND IF YOU WERE TO BRING ALL SIGNS AND EVIDENCE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW YOUR QIBLA, AND YOU WILL NOT FOLLOW THEIR QIBLA, AND THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW EACH OTHER’S QIBLA.  AND IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR DESIRES AFTER THE KNOWLEDGE THAT CAME TO YOU, YOU WILL THEN BE OF THE WRONG-DOERS.

146- THOSE WE HAVE GIVEN THE BOOK, THEY KNOW THE BOOK AS THEY KNOW THEIR OWN CHILDREN, WHILE SOME OF THEM HIDE THE TRUTH, KNOWINGLY.

147- THE TRUTH FROM YOUR LORD, SO DO NOT BE OF THE DOUBTFUL.

 

The people of the Book do not follow the Qibla of the Muslims as they do not believe in the prophecy of Mohamed prayer and peace upon him or that of Ismail, peace be upon him.  They claim that Ismail was a slave girl’s son, therefore can not be a prophet, and a prophet can not come from his line.  Some even say that Ismail peace upon him was an illegitimate child, consequently, can not be a prophet and can not produce a prophet from his line. 

Are they not aware that in saying that they are calling Ibrahim peace upon him adulterer?

Their perversions of their books permanently altered their belief, and the belief of all who follow them.  They do not accept and submit to Allah’s will, which is what we are commanded to do.

The Issue about the Qibla is that of Obedience and Submission.   It is not the decision of the believer and the believer might know why, but does not have to.  A true believer should obey and submit to Allah’s Will, expressed in His Book the Quran or through His messenger prayer and peace upon him, regardless.  Allah the Highest said: “IT IS NOT FOR THE BELIEVERS, MEN AND WOMEN, TO HAVE ANY OPTION CONCERNING WHAT TO DO IF A MATTER HAS BEEN DECIDED BY ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER; AND ANY ONE WHO DISOBEYS ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER, HE HAS CLEARLY GONE ASTRAY OF THE RIGHT PATH”.  (S: 33 A: 36)

This is what it is for the Muslim, Obedience and Submission.

The Qibla here symbolizes all the things which are held dear, morality and principles in life, if they are different from ours.  We should be aware that what we hold dear might be different from what the people of the book hold dear.  They will not follow our values, and we should not follow theirs.  Some things in life are not negotiable, and if we negotiate or dilute our values, the loss is very great then. 

145- AND IF YOU WERE TO BRING ALL SIGNS AND EVIDENCE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK, THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW YOUR QIBLA, AND YOU WILL NOT FOLLOW THEIR QIBLA, AND THEY WILL NOT FOLLOW EACH OTHER’S QIBLA.  AND IF YOU FOLLOW THEIR DESIRES AFTER THE KNOWLEDGE THAT CAME TO YOU, YOU WILL THEN BE OF THE WRONG-DOERS.

146- THOSE WE HAVE GIVEN THE BOOK, THEY KNOW THE BOOK AS THEY KNOW THEIR OWN CHILDREN, WHILE SOME OF THEM HIDE THE TRUTH, KNOWINGLY.

147- THE TRUTH FROM YOUR LORD, SO DO NOT BE OF THE DOUBTFUL.

 

The people of the Book do not follow the Qibla of the Muslims as they do not believe in the prophecy of Mohamed prayer and peace upon him or that of Ismail, peace be upon him.  They claim that Ismail was a slave girl’s son, therefore can not be a prophet, and a prophet can not come from his line.  Some even say that Ismail peace upon him was an illegitimate child, consequently, can not be a prophet and can not produce a prophet from his line. 

Are they not aware that in saying that they are calling Ibrahim peace upon him adulterer?

Their perversions of their books permanently altered their belief, and the belief of all who follow them.  They do not accept and submit to Allah’s will, which is what we are commanded to do.

The Issue about the Qibla is that of Obedience and Submission.   It is not the decision of the believer and the believer might know why, but does not have to.  A true believer should obey and submit to Allah’s Will, expressed in His Book the Quran or through His messenger prayer and peace upon him, regardless.  Allah the Highest said: “IT IS NOT FOR THE BELIEVERS, MEN AND WOMEN, TO HAVE ANY OPTION CONCERNING WHAT TO DO IF A MATTER HAS BEEN DECIDED BY ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER; AND ANY ONE WHO DISOBEYS ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER, HE HAS CLEARLY GONE ASTRAY OF THE RIGHT PATH”.  (S: 33 A: 36)

This is what it is for the Muslim, Obedience and Submission.

The Qibla here symbolizes all the things which are held dear, morality and principles in life, if they are different from ours.  We should be aware that what we hold dear might be different from what the people of the book hold dear.  They will not follow our values, and we should not follow theirs.  Some things in life are not negotiable, and if we negotiate or dilute our values, the loss is very great then. 

142- THE FOOLS AMONG PEOPLE WILL SAY: WHAT TURNED THEM AWAY FROM THE QIBLAH THEY USED TO FACE?  SAY: THE EAST AND THE WEST BELONG TO ALLAH, HE GUIDES WHOM HE WILLS TO THE STRAIGHT PATH.

143- WE HAVE MADE YOU INTO A MIDDLE (JUST) NATION, SO THAT YOU MAY BECOME WITNESSES OVER PEOPLE, AND THE MESSENGER A WITNESS OVER YOU.  WE DID NOT YOUR PREVIOUS QIBLAH FOR YOU EXCEPT TO KNOW THOSE WHO WILL FOLLOW THE MESSENGER FROM THOSE WHO WILL TURN BACK ON THEIR HEELS.  INDEED IT IS HARD, EXCEPT FOR THOSE ALLAH HAVE GUIDED, AND ALLAH WOULD NOT HAVE LET YOUR FAITH BE WASTED.  ALLAH IS MOST KIND AND MOST MERCIFUL TO MANKIND.

144- WE HAVE SEEN THE TURNING OF YOUR FACE FROM THE SKY, SO WE WILL DIRECT YOUR TOWARDS A QIBLAH THAT WILL PLEASE YOU, SO TURN YOUR FACE TOWARDS THE SACRED MOSQUE AND WHEREVER YOU ARE DIRECT YOUR FACES TOWARDS IT.  THOSE WHO WERE GIVEN THE BOOK KNOW THAT IT IS THE TRUTH FROM YOUR LORD, AND ALLAH IS NOT UNAWARE OF WHAT THEY DO.

 

These three Ayahs are about the change of Qibla from al-Aqsa to the Sacred Mosque.  First there is an explanation then a command of the change of Qibla.

While they Muslims were in Makah, they prayed towards Kabba and Al-Aqsa mosque at the same time.  However, after they migrated to Medina, this was not possible, as Al-Aqsa mosque was north while the Kabba was south of Medina.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him and the Muslims prayed towards Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. This went on for 17 month, which pleased the Jews in Medina, as it was their Qibla too. 

Mohamed prayer and peace upon him was not happy with this, and he often looked up to the sky hoping that this will changes, without saying any thing which might displease Allah the Highest.  Then Allah the Highest commanded the change of Qibla to the sacred mosque in Makah.

The Qibla of the Muslims to Al-Aqsa Mosque was a test of their faith and obedience.  This is because the Arabs knew that it was built by their fathers, Ibrahim and Ismail, and because it was held in a very high esteem by the Arabs.  The Change of the Qibla was also a test of faith and Obedience.  Some of the Jews and the hypocrites said to the Muslims that all the Salah of the past 17 month towards Al-Aqsa mosque was in vain, but Allah the Highest answered them saying: “AND ALLAH WOULD NOT HAVE LET YOUR FAITH BE WASTED”.  For the Muslims were following Allah’s command for the first Qibla and for the second Qibla, therefore their Salah could never have been wasted.

 

People chosen for great tasks are often tested and tried.  Allah the Highest made the Muslim nation a middle and just nation, to lead mankind in faith, and as we will bear witness of what other nations do.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace  upon him said: “Whoever you praise will deserve the Paradise, and whoever you speak ill of will deserve the Hell-Fire”.  (B:Janaez;85 & T:Janaez;63 & N:Janaez;50 & Ma;Janaez;20 & A:2;261)

This test was indeed difficult, except for those who follow Allah’s Guidance and never doubt His messenger prayer and peace upon him.

It is of Allah’s messenger’s excellent character is that he did not ask Allah the Highest about the change of Qibla.  However, Allah the Highest could see his face and his desire to change the Qibla without having to speak.  Allah the Highest honored the wish of His messenger prayer and peace upon him by changing the Qibla, without being asked.

One of Allah’s messenger’s companions by the name of Abi Sael Ibn Al-Maeli said: “One day we (had others with him) were passing past the mosque, and we saw Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him sate on the member, they thought that something was going on and they sate in the mosque.  Then, Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him recited the Ayahs:” WE HAVE SEEN THE TURNING OF YOUR FACE FROM THE SKY, SO WE WILL DIRECT YOUR TOWARDS A QIBLAH THAT WILL PLEASE YOU, SO TURN YOUR FACE TOWARDS THE SACRED MOSQUE AND WHEREVER YOU ARE DIRECT YOUR FACES TOWARDS IT………”.  I said to my companion : “Let us pray two Rakaas before Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him steps down from the Member, so that we will be the first to have prayed towards Al-Kabba”.  We stood aside and prayed, then Allah’s messenger came down from the Member and prayed al-Zohr Salah” (Al-Nesae)

 

When the Muslims praying in another mosque were told about the change of Qibla while they were praying, they turned around facing south instead of north in the middle of their Salah.  This mosque is still there and is called the mosque of “Qiblateen”  ie. The mosque of the two Qibla.  It was reported that: “After the ‘WE HAVE SEEN THE TURNING OF YOUR FACE ………’ was sent down, a man from Bani Salamah passed by some people praying, they were prostrating.  He called to them to tell them about the Qibla changing to the Sacred Mosque, and they turned immediately towards the Kabba”.  (M:Masajid; 11-15 & D:Salah;200,205 & Ma:Eqamah,56 & N:Salah;22)

The People of the book know that the what the Kabba is and that it was the first house of Prayer that was ever built, and about it being rebuilt by Ibrahim, the father of the prophets and his son Ismail, peace be upon them. 

Allah the Highest called the Muslims “Omah Wasata”, which means middle, good and just nation.

Middle, is that it is moderate, no extremes, or excesses.

Good, in that it basis it’s life and rules on Allah’s commands.  In this way, the nation can not be any thing but good.

Just in it’s dealings in all relationships between people of the same faith and with those of other faith.

This is the Muslim nation, and how it should be.

 

 

B: Bukhari  M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi  

 

135- AND THEY SAID: ‘BECOME JEWS OR CHRISTIANS, AND YOU WILL BE TRULY GUIDED’.  SAY: ‘BUT THE RELIGION OF IBRAHIM, THE TRUE AND PURE IN FAITH, HE WAS NOT OF THOSE WHO WORSHIP PARTNERS BESIDES GOD’.

136- YOU SAY : “WE BELIEVE IN ALLAH AND WHAT WAS SENT DOWN TO YOU, AND WHAT WAS SENT DOWN TO IBRAHIM, ISMAIL, IS,HAQ, YACOB AND THE ASBAT, AND WHAT WAS GIVEN TO MOSES AND JESUS AND WHAT WAS GIVEN TO THE PROPHETS FROM THEIR LORD, WE MAKE NO SEPARATION BETWEEN THEM, AND WE SUBMIT TO HIM (ALLAH).

137- IF THEY BELIEVE IN WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN, THEY WILL BE RIGHTLY GUIDED, BUT IF THEY TURN AWAY, THEN THEY ARE IN DISCORD.  ALLAH WILL BE SUFFICIENT FOR YOU AGAINST THEM, FOR HE HEARS AND KNOWS EVERY THING.

138- THIS IS ALLAH’S COLOUR, AND WHO’S COLOURS IS BETTER, AND WE WORSHIP HIM.

139- SAY: “DO YOU DISPUTE WITH US CONCERNING ALLAH WHILE HE IS OUR LORD AND YOU’RE, WE HAVE OUR DEEDS AND YOU HAVE YOUR DEEDS, AND WE ARE SINCERE TO HIM”.

140- OR DO YOU SAY THAT IBRAHIM, ISMAIL, IS, HAQ, YACOB, AND THE ASBAT WERE JEWS OR CHRISTIANS?  SAY: “DO YOU KNOW BETTER OR ALLAH”.  WHO IS MORE WICKED AND UNJUST THAN HE WHO HIDES A TESTIMONY HE HAS FROM ALLAH, FOR ALLAH IS NOT UNAWARE OF WHAT YOU DO.

141- THIS IS A NATION WHICH PASSED AWAY, THEY HAVE WHAT YOU EARNED AND YOU HAVE WHAT YOU EARNED, AND YOU SHALL NOT BE ASKED ABOUT WHAT THEY USED TO DO.

 

The Jews said to Mohamed prayer and peace upon him, be Jewish and you  will be rightly guided, and the Christians said be Christian and you will be rightly guided.  Allah the Highest is answering them. 

We are on the True religion starting from Ibrahim, Ismail, Is,haq, Jacob, the Asbat (Jacob’s twelve children), Moses, Jesus, and they are but some of the prophets of Allah.  They are all on the same Religion, Islam.  They all preached the same religion, Islam. 

Allah he Highest said: “THE MESSENGER BELIEVED IN WHAT WAS SENT DOWN TO HIM FROM HIM LORD SO DID THE BELIEVERS; THEY ALL BELIEVED IN ALLAH, HIS ANGELS, HIS BOOKS AND HIS MESSENGERS, WE DO NOT SEPARATE BETWEEN ANY OF HIS MESSENGERS, AND THEY SAID: ‘WE HEAR AND WE OBEY, OUR LORD FORGIVE US FOR TO YOU IS OUR DESTINY”.  (S:2 A:285)

Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “I am the closest person to Jesus the son of Mary”.  He was asked: “How is this Allah’s messenger”.  He said: “All the prophets are brothers born to different women, their mothers are different but their religion is one, and there is not prophet between us (Mohamed and Jesus peace upon them)”.       (B: Anbia; 48 & M: Fadael; 143-145 & D: Sunah; 13 & A: 2; 463451)

Al-Asbat are the grandchildren in Arabic.  They refer to the 12 grandchildren of Jacob, the 12 tribes of the children of Israel are their descendants.

Allah’s colour is Allah’s Faith.  This is a figure of speech, as we use colours with flags or to symbolize the group we belong to.

Statement in These Ayahs concerning many points of dispute:

-         That Ibrahim, Ismail, Is, Haq, Jacob, Asbat, Moses, Jesus, were not Jews nor Christians, but Muslims.

-         All Allah’s  prophets and messengers peace be upon them delivered the same message from the same God.  It is not for a believer to believe in one not the other .

-         The Christians and Jews hid the testimonies concerning the coming of Mohamed prayer and peace upon him, and they still do.

-         Every nation is responsible for it’s own actions and deeds before Allah the Highest just as every person is.

-         The most important thing is to be sincere in our faith to Allah the Highest.  This sincerity warrants obedience and submission.

 

 

 

B: Bukhari  M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi  

 

 

End of the First Part of 30 parts of the Quran

133- OR WERE YOU WITNESSES WHEN DEATH CAME TO YACOB (JACOB) AS HE SAID TO HIS CHILDREN: “MY CHILDREN, WHAT WILL YOU WORSHIP AFTER ME?”, THEY SAID: “WE WILL WORSHIP YOUR LORD AND THE LORD OF YOUR FATHERS, IBRAHIM, ISMAIL, AND IS,HAQ (ISAAC), HE IS ONE GOD AND WE SUBMIT TO HIM.

134- THIS IS A NATION THAT PASSED AWAY, THEY HAVE WHAT THEY HAVE EARNED, YOU HAVE WHAT YOU HAVE EARNED, AND YOU SHALL NOT BE QUESTIONED ABOUT WHAT THEY DID.

 

Here, Jacob, Ibrahim’s grandson is also showing his greatest concern about his children’s faith and afterlife, not their wealth and business.  He is making sure that they are to worship Allah the Highest, with no partners besides him.

Then Allah the Highest states a very important principle which has been mentioned several times in the Quran and Hadith.  It is that every person is responsible for what they did in their life. It is interesting that the word used is earned, which means that one should have worked for willfully, and intentionally.  This applies to the good deeds as well as the sins, but more so for the sins.  One might earn good deeds without a great deal of willfulness on his part, but not sins.  One have to earn sins 100%, to have thought, then acted or spoken, with full intention, to earn the sin.  Only our own deeds, or our own as well as the sins of those we lead astray or to the right path, we will be recompensed for.  Allah the Highest said:

-         “AND EVERY SOUL WILL BE RECOMPENSED FOR WHAT IT EARNED,  AND THEY SHALL NOT BE UNJUSTLY TREATED”.  (S:45 A:22)

-         “YOU WHO BELIEVE, YOU ACCOUNT FOR YOURSELVES ONLY, NO HARM SHALL COME TO YOU FROM THOSE WHO GO ASTRAY IF YOU FOLLOW THE RIGHT GUIDANCE, THEN ALL OF YOU WILL BE RETURNING TO ALLAH WHO WILL INFORM YOU ABOUT WHAT YOU DID”.  (S:5 A:105)

-         “HE WHO IS RIGHTLY GUIDED, IT IS FOR HIS OWN SOUL, AND HE WHO IS MIGUIDED, IT IS AGAINST HIS OWN SOUL, AND NO SIN WILL BE RECORDED ON ACCOUNT OF ANOTHER”.  (S:17 A:15)

 

One has responsibility for those he is responsible for too, not just for himself.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “All of you are guardians, and you are all responsible for those in your guardianship”.  (B:Jomah;11 & M:Emarah;20 & D:Emarah;1 & T:Jihad;27 & A:2;5,45)

 

One also has responsibility towards those outside his immediate responsibility, particularly when he or she sees something wrong happening.  Allah’s messenger prayer and peace upon him said: “If any of you sees wrong being done, he should change it (put it right) with his hand, if he can not, then with his tongue, if he can not, then with his heart, and this is the weakest faith”.  (M:Eman;78 & T:Fetan;11 & N:Eman;17 & A:3;20,49)

 

There is not a greater responsibility than the religious and morale welfare of those one is responsible for.  If one could not provide the best material possessions for those one is responsible for, they might be uncomfortable in this life which is short.  While neglecting their religious and morale welfare, affects their Hereafter, which is eternal.

 

 

B: Bukhari  M: Muslim    Mal: Malek   A: Ahmed   D: Abu Dawood     

 Da: Daremy       Ma: Ibn Magah            N: Nesae          T: Termezi