Prayer behind one who denies the Attribute of...

Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah, may Allah's mercy be upon all of them, are upon the doctrine that Allah Himself rose over His throne and is high above all His creation. No one differs with such except one whose sight has been blinded from amongst the Jahmiyyah, Mu'tazilah, and others from the deviant sects who have abandoned the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet, and ruled by their desires and the opinions of their teachers.

Allah's Highness is firmly established in the Qur'an, Sunnah, intellect, and Fitrah:

As for the Book of Allah: Then it is filled with texts proving Allah's highness Himself so He is above all of His creation. The texts indicate such in a number of ways and wordings.

Firstly: Explicit declaration of His rising above His throne, this is mentioned in seven places in the Qur'an.

Secondly: Explicit usage of the words al-'Alee (The High) and al-A'la (The Highest). Allah says, ...And He is the High and Mighty. [al-Baqarah 2:255]

And He says, To Him belongs what is in the heavens and earth, and He is the High and Mighty. [ash-Shura 42:3]

Hypocrisy is Internal Destruction !!!

Hypocrisy is a chronic disease and a dangerous moral deviation in the life of individuals, communities and nations. Its danger is great and the hypocrites are the cause of this great evil. This danger is clearly noticeable when the destructive consequences of hypocrisy afflict the entire Ummah and the charitable reform movements in particular, as the hypocrite causes their fatal internal destruction, whilst he is safe and unwatched. No one expects his slyness and plotting since he is considered a Muslim whose name, appearance and speech is like that of any other Muslim. Scrutinizing the essence of hypocrisy, you will find it a satanic combination that comprises severe cowardice, greed for the immediate pleasures of this worldly life, denial of truth and lying. Of course, one can imagine the evil effects of such a combination. The linguistic meaning of hypocrisy implies deception, cunning, showing outward goodness and concealing evil.

Forms of Hypocrisy

Many scholars mentioned that hypocrisy is divided into two types:

 

1 - Hypocrisy in Belief: Some scholars call this form of hypocrisy "Major Hypocrisy". Al-Hafith ibn Hajar explained it as follows, “It is when the person shows his belief in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers and the Last Day, but conceals what contradicts some or all of this.” He added, “This was the type of hypocrisy that prevailed during the time of the Prophet (saws). In the Quraan, Allah dispraises such hypocrites and brands them as disbelievers. The Quraan also mentions that they will be destined to be in the lowest depths of Hell. Allah says: "Indeed, the hypocrites will be in the lowest depths of the Fire - and never will you find for them a helper." [4:145]”

 

When They Turn Their Backs On You...

An elderly man who was in one of the many prisons I’ve resided in the past decade, opened his heart to me, telling me how prominent he was in his community and throughout the states. He sat in agony because the hundreds or rather thousands that he extended his arms to, had all turned away from him in his time of need. He was alone and hurt and overwhelmed with worries. His family was unable to maintain their house due to tremendous financial hardships. With a feeling of helplessness, he turned to his old lifelong friends — the ones he had no doubt would always be there to help him. The ones he loved dearly. He loved his brothers and students as much as, if not more than, his own family.

This brother devoted his time and effort to them. He ran to them to help ease any of their hardship he was made aware of. They were the ones who he thought to be his soul or even closer. But as the days went on, they turned away from him. As the entire world turned their backs on him, so too did the brothers and students he thought so highly of. He pleaded they listen and asked his family to contact them — to no avail. The brothers had no mercy on the tears dripping uncontrollably down the cheeks nor the weeping heart aching with pain. They turned their back on him. They lied and procrastinated to the family and made the family feel like a burden. And in the end they disappeared like a mirage leaving the family with no help or hope in obtaining help from any of Allah’s creations.

The darkness in this elderly man’s dark cell became even darker. He felt betrayed and abandoned and thought back to how he would have treated those very same brothers if the tables were turned. Never in his wildest dreams would he have abandoned any of his brothers or students. The more he thought about what he would have done, the more he was convinced that his brothers and students were treacherous and deceitful. This elderly brother found his days with no daylight. He was the imam of a big center. He performed their marriage ceremonies, he buried their dead. He was there for them in their hardships and helped them resolve family problems. By Allah’s mercy, his counseling kept families intact and he helped bring people closer together. And now, they all turned their backs on him, with no exceptions.

Adherent to Tawheed!!!

The adherent to Tawheed is well aware of that which Allah has stated regarding the concept of Gods !

Allah said: "Or have they taken (for worship) aliha (gods) from the earth who raise the dead? Had there been therein (in the heavens and the earth) gods besides Allah, then verily both would have been ruined. Glorified be Allah, the Lord of the Throne, (High is He) above what they attribute to Him! He cannot be questioned as to what He does, while they will be questioned. Or have they taken for worship (other) aliha (gods) besides Him? Say: “Bring your proof:” This (the Qur’an) is the Reminder for those with me and the Reminder for those before me. But most of them know not the Truth, so they are averse.  And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We inspired him (saying): La ilaha illa Ana (none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah)), so worship Me (Alone and no one else).” [21:21-25]

Allah stated His disapproval of the polytheists (idolaters) – those who (worship things which they have taken as) gods in the earth, even though these (so called) gods are absolutely incapacitated and powerless. Neither are they are able to bring them back to life nor resurrect them, and this is further explained by the statement of Allah: "Yet they have taken besides Him other aliha (gods) that created nothing but are themselves created, and possess neither hurt nor benefit for themselves, and possess no power (of causing) death, nor (of giving) life, nor of raising the dead." [25:3]

Shaytaan's gateways to the heart !

The heart is like a fort and Shaytaan the advancing enemy, who is intent on infiltrating and occupying it. Hence, only by guarding the gates, entrances and vulnerable positions, will it be impenetrable. Yet, a person who is unacquainted with the structure of the fortress, particularly its access points, cannot adequately defend it. By the same token, the obligation of guarding the heart from the whispers of Shaytaan cannot be fulfilled and he cannot be warded off, unless a person knows the gates to the heart that Shaytaan may take.

These gateways are, generally, personal characteristics, of which there are many, but, here, we will only refer to the ones that are so wide so as to accommodate all the numerous soldiers of Shaytaan. These include:

 

-      Anger and desire: Anger is the ghoul of the psyche; when it weakens the guards of one's mind, Shaytaan's soldiers immediately seize the opportunity to attack. Furthermore, when a person becomes enraged, Shaytaan toys with him in the same way children play with a ball.

-      Envy and greed: No matter how careful man is, his covetousness makes him deaf and dumb. The light of insight reveals the gates of Shaytaan; when envy and greediness mask this light, man becomes at risk. Hence, Shaytaan seizes that opportunity and adorns for an acquisitive person whatever leads to his or her desires, even if it is heinous and evil. The Prophet (saws), spoke of avarice: "If two starving wolves were left in a flock of sheep, they would not be as harmful (to them) as a person’s hunger for money and status is to his (or her) faith." [At-Tirmithi]

Has the Qur'an been tampered with?

Question: 

What is the proof that the Qur'an was not tampered with? Who wrote the Qur'an and when was it written? Can you give a brief history of it?

Answer:

Bismillah (In the Name of Allah).

1] Firstly to address your question with regards to the proof that parts of the Qur'an was not tampered with:

Allah says: "Verily We: It is We Who have sent down the Dhikr (i.e. the Quran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption)." [15:9]

As opposed to other old scriptures whose protection and witnessing to were left to its people, the Qur'an is in fact the only scripture whose protection and preservation has been promised by Allah. Allah has promised to guard and protect the Qur'an Himself. So, that is our strongest proof that it has been preserved.

Allah describes the Qur'an: "And verily, it is an honourable respected Book (because it is Allah's Speech, and He has protected it from corruption, etc.). Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it (it is) sent down by the All-Wise, Worthy of all praise (Allah)." [41:41-41]

To say otherwise is to disbelieve in how Allah describes the Qur'an in His words and to disbelieve in His promise. 

2] As for the Qur'an being written, as we know the Qur'an was not written as a book would be written by an author. If by this statement it is implied that the Prophet (ﷺ) wrote the Qur'an then it must be corrected.