Sources of Islam

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Sources of Islam (1/3)

Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah As-Suhaym


It has been a habit for adherents of abrogated religions and man-made creeds to hallow their inherited books, which were written since ancient times and whose authors or translators or the time of their writing may not really be known. They were just written by some people who used to suffer from what other human beings suffer from like weakness, defect, whimsical desires and forgetfulness.


As for the Qur’an, it is different from all other books in that, it depends on the true source which is the Divine Revelation: the Qur’an and Sunnah. Following is the brief introduction of both:
A. The Glorious Qur’an:
You have known previously that Islam is the religion of Allah, that was why Allah revealed the Qur’an to His Messenger, Muhammad as a guidance for the pious, a Law for the Muslims, a healing for the disease that is in the hearts of those whom Allah wants to heal and a light for those whom Allah wants to give success. It contains the fundamentals for which Allah sent the Messengers.[1] The Qur’an was not the first Book to be revealed nor was Muhammad the first Messenger to be sent. Allah has revealed the Scriptures to Abraham; Torah to Moses and the Gospel to Jesus. All these Books were revelations from Allah to His Prophets and Messengers. But the contents of most of these Books have been lost and have become extinct, and interpolation and alterations have entered them.


As for the Qur’an, Allah Himself guarantees its protection and makes it the witness and abolisher of earlier Books. He says while addressing the Prophet,
"And We have sent down to you the Book (the Qur’an) in truth, confirming the Scriptures that came before it and as a witness over it."[2]


He describes the Qur’an as an explanation of everything,
"And We have sent down to you the Book as an exposition of everything."[3]


He calls it guidance and mercy,
"So now has come to you a clear proof (the Qur’an) from your Lord, and a guidance and a mercy."[4]


He describes it as that which guides to uprightness when He says,
"Verily, this Qur’an guides to that which is most just and right."[5]


The Qur’an guides mankind to the most righteous path in all aspects of their life.
Whoever reflects on how the Qur’an was revealed and how it was preserved will give the book its due estimation and purify his intention for Allah alone. Allah, the Exalted says,
"And truly, this (the Qur’an) is a revelation from the Lord of all the worlds, which, the trustworthy spirit (Jibreel) has brought down upon your heart (O Muhammad) that you may be (one) of the warners."[6]


So the One Who revealed the Qur’an is Allah, Lord of all the worlds; and the one who brought it is the trustworthy spirit Gabriel; and the one in whose heart it was revealed is the Prophet.


The Qur’an is an everlasting miracle for Muhammad. It contains signs that shall abide till the Day of Resurrection. The signs and miracles of previous Prophets used to end at the termination of the Prophets' lives, but Allah has made the Qur’an the everlasting proof.


It is the extensive proof and dazzling sign. Allah challenges the mankind to produce the like thereof or ten soorahs like it or even a single soorah that resembles it, and they are unable to do that in spite of the fact that it is composed of letters and words and the people on whom it was first revealed were people of eloquence and rhetoric. Allah says,
"Or do they say: (Muhammad) has forged it? Say: Bring then a Soorah like unto it and call upon whomsoever you can besides Allah, if you are truthful."[7]


Among the things that testify to the fact that the Qur’an is a revelation from Allah is that it contains stories of the past nations, prophesied future events that came to happen as it has prophesied and the fact that it mentions many scientific facts that have not been discovered until recently. Another proof of its being a Divinely revealed Book is that the Prophet on whom it was revealed was unknown with anything similar to that or reported to have known anything similar to the Qur’an. Allah says,
"Say (O Muhammad): If Allah had so willed, I should not have recited it to you, nor would He have made it known to you. Verily, I have stayed amongst you a lifetime before this. Have you then no sense?"[8]


He was rather an illiterate who neither read nor wrote. He did not also, visit any Shaykh or men to produce the like of the Qur’an. Allah says,
"Neither did you (O Muhammad) read any book before it (the Qur’an) nor did you write any book (whatsoever) with your right hand. In that case, indeed, the followers of falsehood might have doubted."[9]

(Continued)

[1] As-Sunnah wamakaanatuhaa fit-tashree'il Islaami by Mustafa As-Sibaa'ee p. 376.

[2] Surah Al-Maaidah 5:48.

[3] Surah An-Nahl 16:89.

[4] Surah Al-An'aam 6:157.

[5] Surah Al-Israa 17:9.

[6] Surah Ash-Shuara26:192-194.

[7] Surah Yoonus 10:38.

[8] Surah Yoonus 10:16.

[9] Surah Al-'Ankaboot 29:48.

[ابوالوليد المسلم]

Sources of Islam (2/3)

Dr. Muhammad bin Abdullah As-Suhaym


This unlettered man who has been described in the Torah and the Gospel that he would not read nor write, was visited by Jewish and Christian monks – who had some remnants of the Torah and the Gospel – and asked about issues by which they differed, and they would request for his arbitration in matters in which they contended. Allah says, explaining the description of Muhammad in the Torah and the Gospel,
"Those who follow the Message, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad) whom they find written with them in the Torah and the Gospel, he commands them to do all that is good and forbids them from all that is evil; he allows them as lawful all good things and prohibits them as unlawful all filthy things."[1]


Allah also says, while speaking about the question that the Jews and Christians asked the Prophet,
"The People of the Scripture ask you to cause a book to descend upon them from heaven."[2]
"And they ask you concerning the Spirit."[3]
"And they ask you about Dhul-Qarnayn."[4]
"Verily, this Qur’an narrates to the Children of Israel most of that in which they differ." [5]


Reverend Abraham Philips, has had a failed attempt, in his doctorate thesis to undermine the Qur’an. The Qur’an rather overwhelmed him with its proofs, evidences and signs. The man proclaimed his own weakness, surrendered to his Creator and embraced Islam.[6]


When one of the Muslims presented a translated copy of the meaning of the Noble Qur’an as a gift to the American doctor, Jeffrey Lang, he found that this Qur’an was addressing him, answering his questions and removing the barrier between him and His own soul. He said, "It seems that He Who revealed the Qur’an knows me more than I know myself." [7]



Yes, the One Who revealed the Qur’an is the Creator of man, and He is Allah, may He be Glorified. He says,
"Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most-Kind and Courteous, the All-Knower"[8]


So, the man's reading of the translation of the meaning of the Noble Qur’an led him to Islam and to the writing of his book from which I am quoting.


The Qur’an is comprehensive to all that man needs. It contains all fundamentals of faith, legislations, human interactions and manners. Allah says,
"We have neglected nothing in the book."[9]


In the Qur’an, there is call to belief in the Oneness of Allah, and mention of His Names, Attributes and deeds. It calls to belief in the authenticity of what the Prophets and Messengers brought. It affirms the Resurrection, reward and reckoning and establishes evidences and proofs for that. It narrates the stories of past nations, the punishment meted out to them in this world as well as the torment and exemplary punishment that awaits them in the Hereafter.


It also contains many proofs and signs that dazzle the scientists and that is suitable for all generations and ages; and in which many scholars and researchers find what they look for. I will give only three examples that reveal some of these facts.


1. His saying, "And it is He Who has let free the seas: one palatable and sweet and the other salty and bitter; and He has set a barrier and a complete partition between them." [10]


He also says,
"Or is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by dark clouds, (layers of) darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom Allah has not appointed light, for him there is no light."[11]


It is well-known that Muhammad never travelled by sea on a sea neither was there in his time the material instruments that could have helped to discover the depths of the sea. Who else could have provided Muhammad with this data if not Allah?


2. Allah says, "And indeed, We created man out of clay (water and earth), therefore, We made him (the offspring of Adam) as a mixed drops of male and female sexual discharge (and lodged it) in a safe lodging (womb), then We made the mixed drops into a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood) then We made the clot into little lump of flesh, then we made out of that little lump of flesh bones, then We clothed the bone with flesh and We brought it forth as another Creation. So, blessed is Allah, the Best of Creators." [12]


The scientists did not discover these subtle details about the stages of embryonic development until recently.


3. Allah also says, "And with Him are the keys of all that is hidden, none knows them but He. And He knows whatever there is in the land and in the sea; not a leaf falls but He knows it. There is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a Clear Record." [13]


Mankind did not know this all-encompassing thought and had never thought about these things let alone having the ability to do it. If a group of scientists observe a plant or insect and they record their findings and discoveries we all become dazzled with that, though we know that what is hidden from these scientists in this plant or insect is more than what they observe in it.


The French scholar Maurice Bucaile has made a comparison between Torah, the Gospel and the Qur’an and between modern scientific discoveries concerning the creation of the heavens, the earth and man and found out that these modern discoveries agree with what is in the Qur’an. On the other hand, he found out that the Torah and the Gospel that are in circulation today contain many erroneous information about the creation of the heavens, the earth, man and animals.[14]

(Continued)

[1] Surah Al-A'raaf 7:157.

[2] Surah An-Nisaa 4:153.

[3] Surah Al-Israa 17:85.

[4] Surah Al-Kahf 18:83.

[5] Surah An-Naml 27:76.

[6] See: Al-Mustashriqoon wal-mubashshiroon fil-'aalamil 'arabee wal Islaamee, Ibrahim Khalil Ahmad.

[7] “Struggle in the Cause of Faith”, by Dr. Jeffrey Lang; Arabic translation by Mundhir Al-‘Absee p34.

[8] Surah Al-Mulk 67:14.

[9] Surah Al-An'aam 6:38.

[10] Surah Al-Furqaan 25:53.

[11] Surah An-Noor 24:40.

[12] Surah Al-Mu'minoon 23:12-14.

[13] Surah Al-An'aam 6:59.

[14] See: "The Torah, the Bible and the Qur’an in the light of modern science" by Maurice Bucaile p. 133-283. He was a Christian revert.