Science of the Quran : Introduction

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Definition of the Quran

What is the Quran? Basically everyone know that it is our holy scripture. Now we introduce what is Quran according to our own standard. We don't need Oxford or Orientalism standard for this! You want to learn about Islam and Quran? Learn from the "practicing and faithful Muslims". Learn with the intention that you really want to know what is mentioned in the verses without any perception. Not from those from wherever it is claiming that they are ex-Muslim turning to Atheism or other faith because of this or because of that.  How can we get the benefit when our cup is fully filled with the tea? Try take a cup and fill it with the tea or water. See what happens when you pour the tea into the cup without stopping it. So, what is the use for you to get to know something if you already have the knowledge about it?  

Just cut those craps and stop bullshitting. That is my advice to those who commit this childish act. I learned Buddhism last time. I learned it from the "real acharyas" in temples, listening from Buddhist medias like Thai national radio making notes out of it, memorize the teachings, practicing them with myself and only speaking the truth. I never claim myself as an ex-Buddhist this or ex-Buddhist that to defame it or to make other Buddhists turning to my faith. That is the act of chickens who have no balls. It's not noble and you're lowering others' intelligence. 

Quran refers to the Word of the God. It is the miracle which was consecutively descended upon Muhammad s.a.w through the medium of archangel Gabriel a.s. It is now written in Arabic in copies being read by Muslims around the world as an act of worship and to seek divine inspiration from the God through His Word.

Definition of the Sciences of the Quran

It is the field of knowledge which argues the aspects related to the Quran. Among them are the beginning of how it has been revealed, the way it was revealed, the places where it was revealed, when it was revealed, the collection of the verses, its documentation and its stages, its miracles, nasakh and mansukh, muhkam and mutashabeeh, parables, arrangements of the divine letters, recitation branches of science such as tarannum or tajweed and etc.

Field of Quranic Science's Arguments

I found that it is very interesting dear beloved brothers and sisters. It covers questions such as follows:

1. Definition of Quranic science and its source.

2. Discussions on how it was revealed with its characteristics such as qaadim and azaliy.

3. Discussing the issues and causes which brings the revelation of the verses into its revelation.

4. Discussion about the Makki and Medini verses.

5. Arguments about the questions regarding mutashabeeh and muhkam verses.

6. Discussions about the mutashabeeh and muhkam verses.

7. Discussions about the earlier and ultimate verses which were revealed.

8. Arguments about the collection of Quranic verses and its history from the Muhammad s.a.w companions' era to the modern era.

9. Discussion about the questions regarding the exegesis of the verses, explanation of the verses and its translation. There are also principles in translating the verses of the Quran. 

10. Questions of revelation and the way it has been revealed from Allah to Muhammad s.a.w.

11. Discussing few objectives related to the revelation of Quran and its miracles. There are many more.

In the matter pertaining point no. 9... I also learned about Bible translation principles and Western ideas regarding translation when I was an undergraduate student yet I feel that my field of studies is useless since I could not use it as a tool to serve the nations and I wasted the time which I should have used it to memorize kitabs and sunans. Now I almost finished everything. I am sacrificing my limited time, my pride, my limited financial and energy wishing Allah to be my witness and helping me in the hereafter. I am also hoping that brothers and sisters could help me. Be mo'allims (teachers) for your people, teach them in your languages so they may understand everything well and practice them. Get the help of teachers in your areas and spread His light to everyone. Anything that you read here are just supplements not the real stuffs. Please get help from teachers and discuss them with other brothers and sisters. I really mean this.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin! 

Science of the Quran: Definition of Science

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

We typically always hear in schools that science should means something like physics, chemistry, biology or mathematics. We were told about Ismai'ili Shi'a Muslim achievements such as of Ibnu Sina without being told that he is a Shi'a Muslim and many people do not really like Shi'a Muslims here though they never befriend one.

It is not that I am an opponent to these sciences but I found that last time it was so intense and we as religious studies students were down-graded to the level that we feel like we were not human and we must be another person which was not us as the result to fit in. I became like I am now because of the situation in society that I have to live in. 

Now, let us see what is meant by science according to Quranic knowledge explanations. Actually this is the introduction of a kitāb that I read titled "The Sciences of Quran" written by Ustad Asmawi Eḥsan. I made notes out of what I had read and listened from teachers so it would not be a stiff translation but from what I understood in those things that I had read. It is actually a habit since I was a young kid...

There are many definitions according to fields of specialization such as philosophy, uṣūl, linguistics and religious studies. I wish beloved brother Idris could access this. I am doing this apart of it for brothers and sisters in China and those in areas with less Muslim population. I feel that I did not function well because I refuse to speak about religious studies in front of people of diverse background but that does not mean that we leave behind da'awa mission. It is in our blood and heritage.

Definitions

Philosophers

Defined science as a picture which exists or sparked from the mind of human-being in their assumption of a particular thing, event, situation or anything which he founds or faced. Some philosophers defined it as something which controls the soul and the mind of man-kind in their quest to explore a particular thing.

Uṣūluddin Specialists

They defined the term science as a nature which a human could achieve the highest position in his life and his affairs if he acquires it. Some defined it with a nature which would possibly determine a person to choose and deciding on something without any doubt though it is only through the usage of common-sense.

Materialists

Science is defined by these people as something that would be believed and detected through the senses such as being witnessed by physical eyes. If it is not through this way such as the belief on supernatural matters and things that we listened or sam'iyyat could not be assumed as a science. Why? Because these things could not be touched, tasted, watched or witnessed and achieved by human senses. This is the view that we had been taught in schools in our country. It is intensely being focused by government policy in education in order to be a developed country though I fail to see what kind of development being brought so far. A body or a mass without soul has no value at all. It is not a holistic one. How about others in other parts of the world?

Linguists

Their opinion is that science means the knowledge which is possessed by someone that with it a person could get to know something in the universe.

Religionist

Define the science as the ability of a person in his quest to know His Creator and in the quest to prove His existence, His deeds to His creations and firming it in their heart.

Summary

Basically, these definitions mean that science is an ability on human-being granted by the God which could be used to make assumptions, to discuss and to argue something which has been faced by human-kind in the Earth. In Arabic, it is known as 'Ulūm which is the plural for 'Ilm. It means branches of knowledge since there are many subjects being discussed in the scientific arguments.

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace and love, amin!   

Taqleed Definition

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

Diary

I took Sharia paper after I returned from pilgrimage as one of a subject in my A-Level paper after I feel something that makes me wanted to return to my "real" responsibility. Unfortunately I did not do well in it because the pressure of time and I had left the Sharia classes since I was around 15-16 years old but I still could answer certain questions regarding the law and rulings. If I stayed longer perhaps I could be a jurist because that time we were almost registered to tsanawi papers but how could person become an Islamic scholar if he believes not in the path? LOL.

15 was the age where I embraced Buddhism by heart through rituals and it is actually formal which I did according to prescriptions of monastic rules and beginning to stop Islamic rituals or even listening to advises from people around due to my hatred to environment. Urmm, quite a kenangan (memory). Ironically, now I have a special passion to sciences of jurisprudence and the path which makes me reading and memorize everything about the sciences because I wanted to correct myself, hahahahaha. This is the real science for me as the contrast of what we had been taught in schools.

Introduction

This is from articles that I had read and always keep with me. So, thinking to put it here for myself and if it is useful for others... I would also feel happy for everyone. I'm trying to simplify everything yet making it as easy as possible to be understood by audiences through simple translations of points. When reading articles or anything in the posts of this site please don't rely on it as it is from a scholar and it is wrong to take something without reference and proofs. Make sure to get guidance from teachers, clerics or ulamas, and jurists who are specialists in their fields.  

Definition of Taqleed

According to Sheikh Muhammad bin Uthaimeen in al-Usool min 'Ilmil Usool, taqleed linguistically mean placing something around the neck and it encircles the neck. Technically it means following he whose sayings is not a proof or without hujjat. 

This is the view according to Salafi scholar and the definition according to Salafis. Salafi usually refers to Sunnah Muslim of Hanbali school of jurisprudence in general and not specifically to those of Wahhabi movement so please try not to associate us with them although I read treatises of Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. We are different and are not in agreement with any violence. On the other hand, we respect local customs that are in accordance to our traditions differently to those from Middle East or even tolerant than Europeans because I just visit chinese temples or churches where I think possible for me to recite blessings and asking mercy and love of the God for everyone. 

The Sheikh further mentions that those who are following any of these in their path are not committing taqleed because these are proofs for their acts of worship:

1. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w

2. Guidelines from the assembly of the ulamas

3. any companion of prophet Muhammad s.a.w by considering any sayings of the companions as a proof for their acts of worship  

However, these type of matters are still categorized as taqleed in a metaphorical and loose sense. I think this make sense because I also read an article written by Ustad Abu Muhammad Idral Harith of Indonesia regarding on those who are fanatic with their imams, school of jurisprudence, teachers, and etc while giving the advise to others who are slightly different from them in term of practices. We would discuss about this in another post if possible just for our general knowledge so in the future we won't be blurred by terms.

In What Cases do Taqleed Happens?

It happens in two cases...

I. When a muqallid (follower) is a common person who does not have the ability to acquire knowledge of the shari'a rulings and principles by himself. Taqleed will become obligatory upon him as what has been mentioned by the God the Most Highest: "ask the people of the knowledge if you do not know." Taqleed will be done by placing the dependency on a person whom he considers as knowledgeable and pious for example like Imam Hanafi, Imam Ja'afar, Imam Shafi'ie or Imam Maliki. In our way of talking about this for example, I would mention that I put my naqal or carriage over the knowledge of Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal. So, my acts of worship is according to what has been taught by him according to his scholarship. If there are two of such people who are equal in his view in certain jurisprudence, the muqallid chooses any one of them.   

II. A mujtahid (a diligent person in sciences) when he encounters a new situation where an immediate solution is required. However it's not possible for him to do research into this matter. In this case, he is permitted to perform taqleed. Some also bringing questions about the permissibility of taqleed that it is not the fundamental of the path or law of life. Or on the questions about 'aqeedah since matters of 'aqeedah requires certainty, while taqleed only amounts to dzann or the knowledge which is not certain, assumption can we say?  

The correct saying in this matter of following the 'aqeedah is unlikely a condition due to the generality of sayings of the God the Most Highest: "ask the people who are knowledgeable if you don't know". This verse according to the Sheikh is in the context of affirming messenger-hood which is from the basis of the law of the path. A common person could also not acquire knowledge of the law rulings with its proofs by himself since law rulings need specific knowledge on sciences of the path. Due to that he can't arrive to such truth by himself, he has nothing remains in his self except for taqleed.  

The God knows more than His creatures...

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!

What is Adzan? It is Creepy!

Assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullah

A person who calls for prayer is called as Muezzin. The first Muezzin was Bilal bin Rabah, a black man from Abyssinia and black were exhibited in democratic European human zoos during colonial time as animal for the Jakuns Europeans.

Peace be upon everyone and blessings of the God be poured on those passing by. I have had heard this issue for long about adzan where some in Europe believe as scary since they do not understand what has been uttered from the minaret. They said, bell at the church tower is not scary as the adzan. Everybody has his own opinion.

Some of my Muslim brothers and sisters also said that listening to church bell or Catholic church organ makes them feel creepy like listening to some ghostly rhythm or being in creepy scenes in vampire movies. People are always afraid of things which they are not familiar with or things which they are not sure about. 

Now I am here to help people especially Muslim ourselves understand what is adzan and at least when 'some' people who do not believe do research, and they are lazy to do interview; they may perhaps checking some information from a practicing Muslim. 

What exactly is adzan??? Adzan  is a special utterance practiced by those who submit themselves to the God as the sign that a prayer service to honor the Lord of the time will happen. It urges the faithful community and people around who hear it to come into the congregation and together performing the prayer service. It is a phenomena for five obligatory prayer service time at every masjid worldwide. It will stop only when the world comes to its end. 

Where Does the Word Islam Comes From?

Before that, why I don't use the word Muslim instead I am using people who submit themselves to the God? Because people only take the word as it is. They have no effort to understand what exactly the origin of the derivative nor eliminating ignorance.

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What??! Islam means peace?!!!! WTF are you talking about?! If Islam means peace, why "you" slaughter this and that and s**t and **** bla... bla... bla...

I know all of these s***s will come out of certain red necks and those who suck them up in Asia. Make sure to brush teeth after meals and balun beer ya, hehehe. I am familiar with those kind of barks and do I care? Na'ah... LOL... 

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People have their right to say anything they want. Those filthy words we could see everywhere in comments of many sites. We talk about religion, path of life, and matters which cleanse our souls but in the same time we throw out filthy words, thinking that we are holy amongst others, and we had forgotten to purify ourselves of evil thoughts no matter in what condition we are... ironically : ) This applies to all human-being... No matter whether a person calling himself or herself Muslim, Christian, Jew, Buddhist, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Sikh, Jain, Taoist, and what else the name that people identify themselves as adherents in the world?

Arabic, Aramaic and Hebrew are all sister languages. They are of Semitic origin, the children of Shem bin Noah. The origin of the word Islam was actually spelled as Sleem. We have Sarf for phonology of words linked to Nahw or grammar in Arabic but too bad English, French, Italian, German and other European languages has no well built phonology subject. Ancient and well-developed languages like Arabic and Sanskrit has well-built grammatical systems. Most of Arabic speaker students fail this subject. However, we in South East Asia had preserved this lessons and most of South East Asian religious studies students no matter whether they are of Arab descents or natives memorized the lessons and practicing them in speeches. 

This word "sleem" which forms the word Islam and later Muslim to signify a person who embraced Islam or choosing Islam as their path to reach the God. Islam is actually derived from the Name of the God. The God possesses Most Glorious and Holiest Name. It is mentioned in the glorious Quran. I still remember when I was a young child maybe around seven to nine years old, we always recite His Holiest Names before we begin lessons and I was first introduced at home with Arabic alphabets and not Roman alphabets so when I entered National School I also had problems to spell and write, so do my younger sisters. We recited : "He is the God, there is no gods but only Him the Most Compassionate, the Most Loving-Kind, the King of the universe, the Most Holy, the One Who grants Peace, the One Who keeps promises.... and so on..."

We are also encouraged to pray for each other as a greeting with assalaamu'alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu which means may be peace descends upon you and with His boundless Compassion, and His boundless Blessings. 

The word related to Peace is actually derived from one of the Name of the God. It is not a human name and languages came from Him. We are different from Jews or Christians in this sense where we do not identify ourselves with Muhammad or his tribal identification as what had been written by Western writers. That is why we do not greet people in certain dirty places like in toilet or lavatory and in certain circumstances. The Jews also have this rule because I indeed have some Jew acquaintances. Those Orthodox Jews always greet others with shlom'aleichem and some Syriac Christians who speak Aramaic also greet other with shlumlakhum. All have the same meaning with assalaamu'alaikum which I also use to begin my posts.

Again we emphasize to everyone. The God of all the human, creatures and universe is none other than Him. Human build up concepts to view Him and human have their own religious history regarding dogma and creed. People could be childish all they want but soon... They will realize the reality of life where all of human-being possess negative qualities and not angels. That's why human have religions and why human need the teaching of morality : )   

Background of Adzan

Usually a Muezzin will call for the prayer services from high places, it could be on hills, minaret of the masjids, or any high places. Nowadays we have technology like microphone and if we do not accept technology, won't we be called as backward and could not get along with modernization?

Idiomatically adzan means the herald. It is synonymous to the exclamation. Adzan is a combination of certain words signifying that it is now the time for obligatory prayer services or the herald that it is now the time for an obligatory prayer service. A person will take charge to herald this and that is what we hear from the minaret of masjids or from the microphone in masjids across the world. 

Its Position within the Law 

Its position within the law and tradition is encouraged while we are about to perform obligatory prayer services. I don't know how to translate this concept of sunna muakkada. Our translation and interpretation lecturers never taught us on the language of shariah. We only learned about Nida and Bible translations and later about editing of newspapers and stuffs. Now it is on my initiative and brothers and sisters to make lists of shariah terms and concepts because we have large corpus of shariah terms in Malay but we never do translation and adaptation to other languages. It leaves people in ambiguity and I am not actually supporting the usage of other ritual languages rather than Arabic because Arabic is better but people need to understand or else there would be of no use to embrace something that we do not understand.   

Then, it is obligatory for a person in a community or a group to take charge to call for congregational prayer services when obligatory time to honor the God is coming. We call this as fardu kifayya and I had explained the meaning more or less. If only a person in an area and there is no people for congregation, then it is considered as an observation of prophetic tradition. There are merits for observation of prophetic traditions but no sins if they are not observed. If there are a Muslim community, then one of the community must take charge to call for obligatory prayer services. Women are only encouraged to perform other form of adzan which is called as iqamah only among them as to prevent them from being slandered if they raise up their voice. 

Evidence in the Quran and Sunnah

The Quran, the Sunnah, and the agreement of ulamas stated that adzan has many benefits and its merit is great. The evidence from the Quran surah al-Maidah verse 58 mentioned about the exclamation...

Says the God : "When you are exclaiming to (perform) prayer services, they take it as mockery and something to make fun of; that is because they are the people who possess no mind (to think)."

Evidence from prophetic traditions covering many hadiths. Among them is from the narration of Bukhari and Muslim which sounds : "When the time of prayer services is there, one of you must perform the adzan and the elder among you must be the leader of the prayer service." This is one of the reasons I feel not comfortable to be imam in prayer services in my hostel because there are many elders in our hostel musalla. Unless if it is very very crucial, then I would not question anything.

How Adzan Began to be Practiced?

Adzan was practiced by Muslims in the first period of Hegira. In a hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim from the report of Ibnu Umar r.a : "In the beginning of Meccan Muslim migration to Medina, they had assembled and waiting for the time to perform daily prayer services. At that time, there was no adzan yet. One day, the noble prophet Muhammad s.a.w had called all of his companions into a meeting on how to herald the coming of prayer service time and how to call people to the masjid for prayer services. There were few suggestions regarding the herald about the time. Some had suggested that they should show up flag to denote the prayer services time so people who see it will come to the masjid and pray together. Some had suggested the sofar (whistle) being used to call people. Some had suggested bell as a mean to denote the time and to call for congregation. 

However, Umar al-Khattab had suggested that it should be more appropriate and natural with just the announcement through human voice and just saying 'it is now the time for prayer service.' Muhammad s.a.w accepted the suggestion of Umar al-Khattab but he changed the wordings with 'let us perform prayer (charity).'

One night a companion whose name Abdullah bin Zayd had dreamed about more better way to announce the prayer time with the beginning of the word are God is the Greatest and so on... The morning after that, Abdullah bin Zayd went to see prophet Muhammad s.a.w and talked with the meeting. Prophet Muhammmad s.a.w said that his dream is a true dream. The prophet Muhammad s.a.w ordered another companion, Bilal bin Rabah to proclaim the herald. After listening to wordings of the adzan, Umar al-Khattab then came to the meeting and said that he dreamed the same thing and his dream was the same dream as Abdullah bin Zayd."

Al-Bazzar narrated from a report that : "The messenger of the God s.a.w during the night of Isra' had been shown and listened to the adzan at the seventh heaven. Then the archangel Gabriel a.s came to him and he became the imam for the members of heavens. Among those members of heavens are Adam a.s and Noah a.s. The God had completed the noble value of him on the inhabitants of heaven and earth."   

What Is Uttered in the Adzan?

Straight to the point without Arabic parallel texts because it might make monolingual people dizzy. People in Middle East are actually bilingual people and I believe around the world there are many bilingual or trilingual people. Usually Christians in Middle East could also speak Arabic, Syriac, and Greek and they use all three languages in parallel in their prayers. 

For us Muslims in South East Asia, some of us would do supplications in native languages and only obligatory rituals in Arabic. Like one of a Malay brother in musalla had also recited supplications after obligatory prayer services in Malay, and it is not wrong. People who could not understand Arabic also understood what he said. Adzan in Arabic that everyone listens from minarets of masjids means....

The God is the Great.... 

The God is the Great...

I bear witness that there is no gods but only the God... 

I bear witness that there is no gods but only the God...

I bear witness that Muhammad s.a.w is the messenger of the God... 

I bear witness that Muhammad s.a.w is the messenger of the God... 

Let us perform prayer...

Let us perform prayer...

Let us all achieve success (in the world and hereafter)...

Let us all achieve success (in the world and hereafter)...

The God is the Great...

There is no gods but only the God...

Shi'a Muslim brothers might have a slightly different adzan but just one addition regarding Ali k.w. Nothing really different. So, when we understood things we won't be paranoid right? Or some people love to scare others away with something which does not really happen? Its like a creation of negative perception for example don't go to the forest lest you will see a monster, a demon, a ghost, and etc negative by some village folk parents to scare away their children from going to certain area since they are lazy to answer questions that will be posed to them by their children after they know what happen in the forest while the parents are lazy or just perhaps became chickens since they are also influenced by their imagination, hahahaha.

Then we have supplications after the adzan which means in English.......................

Dear the God our Lord, please be in contact with our prophet Muhammad s.a.w and his family as You had been in contact with our father, Abraham a.s and his family. Dear the God our Lord, please bless our prophet Muhammad s.a.w as You had blessed our father Abraham a.s. and his family.

Dear the God Who Dominates the perfect exclamation and the prayer service which is being performed. 

Please make the prophet Muhammad s.a.w (for me) as a rope which connects me to You and a priority for me. 

And raise prophet Muhammad s.a.w with the appraised position as what You had promised for him.  

(Supplication from the report of Bukhari)

Sealed with prayers for mercy, peace, and love, amin!