Religion of Islam

Afnan Shahid

Major Miracles of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

In Arabic, the term miracle literally means to make another unable to do

something and in religious terms means for one to do something or say
something that others are unable of doing or saying. Therefore, the
phenomenon that divine prophets would do in order to prove their
prophethood that others were unable of doing are all miracles, like the
awakening of the dead that Prophet Isa (pbuh) would do, or like the staff of
Prophet Musa (pbuh) that would turn into a python.
The Prophet of Islam had many miracles in his lifetime, to the extent that
they have counted four thousand miracles for him. His greatest miracle is the
Holy Quran that in contrast to the miracles of other prophets, and in contrast
to other miracles of his own, is an eternal and never-ending miracle that will
remain for all time and eras. It is a book of miracles in different dimensions;
it has unique eloquence, and expresses the highest divine teachings and
concepts etc. that scholars and commentators have all thoroughly discussed
about. The best reason for the Quran being a miracle is its challenging others
to bring a surah like it: And if you are in doubt concerning what We have
sent down to Our servant, then bring a surah like it, and invoke your helpers
besides Allah, should you be truthful. No one has been able to bring a surah
like it till today, and no one will be able to do so forever. Also, the Qurans
predictions of the future are another example of it being a miracle and since
all of these news of the future and the unseen were first disclosed by the
Prophet (pbuh) they can be considered his miracles. Some of these
predictions that have been mentioned in the Quran are as follows:
1- In order to receive charities, a group of the Bani Asad tribe converted to
Islam, but hadnt truly embraced Islam in their hearts. When they came to
the Prophet (pbuh) and claimed that they have become Muslim, the Prophet
recited the following verse: The Bedouins say," We have faith." Say," You
do not have faith yet; rather say," We have embraced Islam," for faith has not
yet entered into your hearts. Knowing what is going on in others hearts is
truly a miracle.

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2- Aas ibn Wail would insult the Prophet (pbuh) and call him abtar (cut
off in progeny) because of him not having a son. The Prophet (pbuh) said
that Aas is the true abtar and called his own progeny the Kawthar. This
prediction came out to be true and it was Aass progeny who was cut off, but
the Prophets progeny is still alive till today (there are seyyids all over the
world today)
3- The Prophet (pbuh) informed of the defeat of the Roman Empire to
the Persian empire.

Islamic Attributes for an ideal Muslim

Those who offer their Salaah (prayers) with all solemnity and full
submissiveness. And those who turn away from Laghw (dirty, false, evil
vein talk, falsehood and all that Allah has forbidden).
And those who pay Zakaat.
And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual
acts). Except from their wives or (slaves) that their right hands possess, for
them, they are free from blame.
But whoever seeks beyond that, those are the transgressors.
Those who are faithfully true to their amanat (all the duties which Allah has
ordained, honesty, moral responsibility and trusts) and to their covenants.
And those who strictly guard their five compulsory congregational Salawat
(prayer) (at their fixed hours).
These are indeed the inheritors who shall inherit the firdaus (paradise). They
shall dwell therein forever.

Tauheed Effects on Human Life

Tauheed is just not a simple definition which one has to follow. It brings
numerous effects in the life of a believer. Believers, who transform the
meaning of religion as a set of rituals, fail to implement the true essence of
Tauheed into their lives. There are numerous aspects, which Tauheed adds
into the life of a Muslim, which is imperative and the key to success in the
life and in the life hereafter. Following are the effects, which Tauheed
enriches ones life with.

Judicial System

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Afnan Shahid

Man is a social being by nature. He cannot live perpetually on his own,

completely independent of others. People are interdependent.
Consequently, friction arise between them when their personal interests
come into conflict with each other, or when what they perceive as their
individual rights infringe upon those of others. Conflicts between them
inevitably break out. In some cases, one party to the conflict might be
strong and aggressive while the other is weak and condescending, incapable
of defending his rights.
Because of this, it becomes necessary for there to be a way to prevent
people from oppressing one another, to ensure that the weaker members of
society receive justice, and to determine right from wrong when issues get
complicated or uncertain. This can only be realized through a judge that has
the power to give legal verdicts in cases of dispute.
For this reason, we find that the existence of a judge is considered by
Islamic law and the laws of all the other revealed religions to be both a
religious obligation and a necessity of human life. God says:
We have sent Messengers with clear proofs, and sent
down with them the Scripture and the Balance that
mankind can establish justice (Quran 57:25)

Muslim Ummah and Their Problems in Modern World

Some challenges that the Muslim community faces today are Unity and
Soliditary, Technological advances, Scientific findings, Economic
challenges, Restricting our economic systems, and Negligence of the Islamic
Economic system.

Human Rights in Islam

Some of the basic human rights in Islam are Sanctity of Human life,
Freedom of Religion, Property rights, Honor and Dignity, Right to know,
Health Care, No Punishment without Trial, Right to Privacy, Freedom of

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Conscience, Equality and Equal protection of Law, Occupation and Earning

livelihood, Freedom of Movement, and Freedom of Choice and Action.

Rights of Women
Men and women worship Allah in the same way, meaning they worship the
same God (Allah), perform the same acts of worship, follow the same
scripture, and hold the same beliefs. Allah (the Arabic word for the One true
God of all creation), judges all human beings fairly and equitably.
Women have equal right to knowledge, equal right to choose a spouse.
Islam has honoured women by giving them the right to choose a spouse and
keep their original family name once married. Additionally, many have the
impression that parents force their daughters into marriage. This is a cultural
practice, and has no basis in Islam. In fact, it is prohibited.
Both men and women are equally encouraged to seek knowledge. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said, Education is compulsory for every
Muslim.
Also, great female Muslim Scholars existed at and around the time of the
Prophet (peace be upon him). Some were from his family and others were
his companions or their daughters. Prominent amongst them was Aisha, the
wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him) through whom a quarter of the
Islamic law has been transmitted.

Rights of Minorities in Islam

Under the Islamic law, non-Muslim minorities received rights and privileges
that other minorities did not have under any other law in any other country.
The relationship between the Muslim community and the non-Muslim
minority is based on Allah's rule that says: {Allah forbids you not, with
regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your
homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who
are just.}[Al-Mumtahanah: 9].

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This verse has identified the ethical and legal basis, with which Muslims
must treat non-Muslims, namely kindness and justice with all those who do
not have enmity against them. The humanity did not know these rules before
Islam. It lived for centuries after Islam, but suffered the horrors of lacking
them. It still looks forward to the day when it can apply these rules in
modern societies but to no avail due to passion, fanaticism and racism.
Minorities' right to freedom of belief
The Islamic law has ensured several rights and privileges for non-Muslim
minorities. Perhaps the most important of which is the freedom of belief,
which is stated in Allah's saying: {There is no coercion in religion}[AlBaqarah: 256]. This was also reflected in the Prophet's (peace be upon him)
letter to the People of the Scripture in Yemen where he invited them to
Islam. He (peace be upon him) said: "and a Jew or a Christian who
embraces Islam becomes one of the believers, having their rights and duties;
and the one who remains Jewish or Christian should not be forced to disband
his religion.."
As the Islamic law allowed non-Muslims to enjoy the freedom of belief, it
enacted rules to preserve their lives, on the ground that they are human
beings who have the right to life and existence. In this regard, the Prophet
(peace be upon him) says: "whoever kills a contracting man(a non-Muslim
protected by the state or an agreement) he will not smell the Paradise".
Warning against doing non-Muslims injustice
The Prophet (peace be upon him) warned against commitment of injustice
against non-Muslims and diminishment of their rights. He vowed to be the
opponent of their aggressors. He said: "Beware, if anyone wrongs a
contracting man, or diminishes his right, or forces him to work beyond his
capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall plead for
him on the Day of Judgment."
One of the good stances of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in this regard is
what happened with Al-Ansar in Khaybar, as Abdullah ibn Sahl Al-Ansari
(May Allah be pleased with him) was killed in the lands of the Jews. It was
mostly expected that one of the Jews killed him. However, there was no
evidence. Therefore, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not punish the

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Jews, but he asked them to take an oath. Sahl ibn Abu Hathma (May Allah
be pleased with him) narrated that a number of people from his tribe went to
Khaybar and dispersed, and then they found one of them murdered. They
said to the people with whom the corpse had been found, "You have killed
our companion!" Those people said, "Neither have we killed him, nor do we
know his killer." The bereaved group went to the Prophet and said, "O
Allah's Messenger! We went to Khaybar and found one of us murdered."
The Prophet said, "Let the older among you come forward and speak."Then
the Prophet said, to them, "Bring your proof against the killer."They said
"We have no proof." The Prophet said, "Then they(the defendants) will take
an oath."They said, "We do not accept the oaths of the Jews." Allah's
Messenger did not like that the blood-money of the killed one be lost
without compensation, so he paid one-hundred camels out of the camels of
Zakat (to the relatives of the deceased) as Diya (blood-money).
Here, the Prophet (peace be upon him) did what no one even imagined, as he
himself paid the blood-money from the funds of Muslims in order to calm
down the anxiety of Al-Ansar without committing an injustice against the
Jews. So, the Islamic state assumed the burden so that a suspicious rule
would not be applied to a Jew!
Protection of non-Muslims' funds
The Islamic law has guaranteed the right to protect the funds of nonMuslims. It prohibited taking or seizing these funds unjustly through theft,
usurpation, damage or any form of injustice. This was practically applied the
Prophet's (peace be upon him) promise to the people of Najran, as he said:
"The people of Najran and their surrounding areas would be under the
protection of Allah and His Prophet Muhammad; their funds, religion, trade
and everything small or big would be also safe"

Religion of Islam
Afnan Shahid