Mu' meneen Brothers and Sisters,

As Salaam Aleikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.  (May Allah's Peace, Mercy and Blessings be upon all of you)

One of our brothers/sisters has asked this question:

You may be right in your translation ofthe holy Quran.But why disturb our traditional beliefs from which a layman, for whom translations of the holy book is incomprehensible,has been getting solace & comfort for the last several hundred years.

(There may be some grammatical and spelling errors in the above statement. The forum does not change anything from questions, comments and statements received from our readers for circulation in confidentiality.)

ANSWER:

Following the forefathers blindly.

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and who-ever He allows to fall astray, none can guide them aright. We bear witness that there is no one (no idol, no person, no grave, no prophet, no imam, no dai, nobody!) worthy of worship but Allah Alone, and we bear witness that Muhammad (saws) is His slave-servant and the seal of His Messengers.

Since time immemorial, man has tried to find solace and comfort in the worship of various objects like the sun, moon, stars, idols of animals, idols of objects, and idols of man! Allah, in His Sublime Mercy, sent Messengers to every community to call them to find solace and comfort in the worship of the One Lord Alone, Who Created these people and everything whom they worship!

True solace and true comfort can only be attained by the constant remembrance of Allah, our Creator, and the Creator of the heavens and the earth and everything that exists in between!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 13 Surah Raad verse 28-29: The people who have accepted (the Message), their hearts find comfort in the remembrance of Allah. Note it well!, that is Allah’s remembrance Alone that brings contentment to the hearts! Blessed are those who have accepted the Message and done righteous deeds. They will have a good end.

Thus if one is trying to find comfort and solace by himself, without guidance from Allah and His Messenger, he will go towards the worship of tangible and/or objects or persons he can see and feel, and thus be involved in committing the heinous crime of ‘shirk’, or associating other gods with Allah Subhanah. ‘Shirk’ is absolutely the single biggest sin in Islam, and Allah has promised Himself in the Holy Quran that He will never forgive the one who dies while committing ‘shirk’. ‘Shirk’ is such a huge sin in the sight of Allah, that He has made Paradise haraam on the one who commits ‘shirk’. All the communities that were destroyed by Allah, whose detailed narrations are given by Allah Himself in the Quran, were all, without exception, destroyed, because they were guilty of this abominable and abhorrent crime of ‘shirk’.

Allah says in the Quran: Chapter 4 Surah An-Nisa Verse 48: Shirk (associating other deities with Allah) is the only sin that Allah does not forgive, and He forgives, whomsoever He pleases, sins other than this; for whosoever associates any other partner with Allah, does indeed forge a big lie and commits the most heinous sin.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 5 Surah Maidah verse 72: Whoever commits ‘shirk’ (invoking anything with Allah), Allah shall forbid for him Paradise, and Hell shall be his abode. And for such wrong doers there will be no one to help.

The only reason people worship objects like the sun, moon, stars, idols of animals or man, and the only reason people worship other human beings or their dead in the graves, is because they found their fathers and their forefathers doing so! hey know that these objects, or the graves, or these people, did not create them, nor do they provide for them! They know that these objects, or the graves, or these people, do not give them life, health, wealth, children, and they know that these things do not ordain their death! Mankind is unanimous in their belief that they are the creation of that One Being, Who Created everything that exists in the Universe! But they still supplicate, beg, implore, entreat, pray, bow down in prostration, invoke and worship these self-made gods and self-proclaimed holy men. And the only reason they do so, is because they found their fathers and forefathers doing so, and they think they are receiving comfort and solace for the last several hundred years!

Islam is not a deen of following forefathers, but rather in submitting ones will to Allah’s and taking guidance from the clear teachings of the Holy Quran. Just because you found your fathers and forefathers following a certain way, does not make it right. In Islam, you are commanded by Allah to take guidance from Allah and His Messenger (saws), if indeed you want to find comfort and contentment in this world, and success and the Mercy of Allah in the Hereafter.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 170-171: When it is said to them, “Follow the Commands that Allah has sent down”, they reply, “We will follow only what we found our forefathers practicing.” Well, will they go on following their forefathers even though they did not use common sense and did not find the Right Way! The mental condition of those who rejected the way of Allah may be likened to that of the cattle whom the shepherd calls but they hear nothing except the sound of shouts and cries. They are deaf, they are dumb, they are blind; therefore they do not understand anything.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 7 Surah Al Aaraf verse173-174: This We did lest you should say on the Day of Resurrection, “We were unaware of this thing.” Or lest you should say, “Our forefathers started the practice of ‘shirk’ before us and we were born after them to their descendants. Do You, then, punish us for the sin that was committed by the wrong-doers?” Behold, this is how We make Our Signs clear, so that these people may return to Us.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verse 52-54: Recall to mind the occasion when Ibrahim said to his father and his people, “What are these images to which you are so devoted?” They replied, “We found our forefathers worshipping them.” Ibrahim said, “You have gone astray and so had your forefathers manifestly deviated from the Right Way.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 26 Surah Shuaraa verse 69-82: And tell them the story of Ibrahim, when he asked his father and his people: “What are these things that you worship?” They answered, “These are idols which we worship and we serve them devotedly.” Ibrahim asked, “Do they hear you when you call on them? Or do they bring any good or harm to you?” They replied, “No, but we have found our elders doing the same.” At this, Ibrahim said, “Have you ever seen with open eyes the things which you and your elders have been worshipping? They are all enemies to me, except the One Lord of the Worlds, Who created me, then He it is Who guides me, Who gives me food and drink, and Who gives me health when I am ill, Who will cause me to die and then will give me life again, and of Whom I expect that He will forgive me my errors on the Day of Judgment.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 31 Surah Luqman verse 21: And when it is said to them, “Follow what Allah has sent down”, they say, “We shall only follow that upon which we found our forefathers.” What! Will they still be following them even if Shaitaan had been calling them to the raging Fire?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 34 Surah Saba verse 43: When Our clear Revelations are recited to these people, they say, “This person only wants to turn you away from those deities whom your forefathers have been worshipping.”

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verse 22-25: Nay! But they say, “We found our forefathers on a way and we are only walking in their footsteps.” Even so, whenever before you We sent a warner to a habitation, its people of means said, “We have found our forefathers on a way and we are only following in their footsteps.” Every Prophet asked them, “Will you still go on following the same old way even if I guide you to a more right way than that you found your forefathers following?” They replied, “We disbelieve the religion with which you have been sent.” Consequently, We took vengeance on them. Just consider what was the end of those who denied.

Even in today’s world, in the normal worldly matters, no one says that just because his father was uneducated, he wants to follow his father’ footsteps and remain uneducated all his life. But rather, he strives hard to get a thorough education, so that he can improve his lot and better provide for his family.

Similarly, just because his father was a laborer, will he strive to become a laborer! He strives to get a good education so that he can get a better job than his father to support his family.

Or, just because his father was a poor man, he will follow his father’s footsteps and never try to make money.

So, why, when it comes to choosing a religion, the person just closes his brain cells and remains blindly on his fore-fathers religion? Why does he refuse guidance from the Glorious Quran? Why does he blindly follow the path of his father and forefathers, even though the Quran might be guiding towards the Truth?

Your Comment: But why disturb our traditional beliefs from which a layman, for whom translations of the holy book is incomprehensible.

My dear brother, you assume that the clear teachings and guidance of the Holy Quran are incomprehensible for a layman. But Allah states, that this Quran are His very words, and He has revealed these for the guidance of all of mankind! But Allah states, that this Quran is easy to understand! But Allah states that this Quran says everything directly and plainly! But Allah says that this Quran does not consist of anything which is crooked! But Allah says this Quran is a perfect guidance for all of mankind!

But some people claim that this Quran and its clear teachings and guidance are incomprehensible to a layman!

Allah speaks only the Truth, and what man ‘assumes’ is absolutely false! If at anytime we have to choose between the word of man and the word of Allah, we must always choose the words of Allah as the Truth!

Allah says in Chapter 2, Surah Baqarah aayat 185: "Ramadan is the month in which the Quran was sent down: this Book is a perfect guide for mankind and consists of CLEAR teachings which show the right way and are a Criterion of the Truth and falsehood."

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 44 Surah Dukhan verse 58: We have made this Book easy in your own tongue so that they may ponder and take good counsel.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 43 Surah Zukhruf verses 1-3: Haa Meem. By this lucid (clear or open) Book. We have made it an Arabic Quran, so that you may understand it.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 6 Surah Anam verse 70: And leave alone those who have taken their ‘deen’ as a sport and past-time, and have been deluded by the life of this world. Nevertheless, you go on admonishing them by reciting the Quran to them, lest any person should be seized because of his own deeds; and that too, at a time, when there would be no protector, no helper and no intercessor to rescue him from Allah; when no conceivable amount of ransom would be accepted from him. This is because such people shall be seized, in consequence of what they themselves had earned.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 15 Surah Al Hijr verse 9: It is We (Allah), Who has sent down this Quran, and We will assuredly guard it against corruption.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 12 Surah Yusuf verse 1-2: These are the verses of the Book that makes its object perfectly clear. We have sent it down as a Quran in Arabic, so that you may understand it well.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 16 Surah Nahl verse 89: We have sent down to you this Book, which makes everything plain, and is a guidance, blessing and good news to those who have surrendered themselves entirely.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 19 Surah Maryam verse 97: O Mohamed, We have made this Quran easy, and sent it down in your tongue so that you should give good news to the pious and warn the stubborn people.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 41 Surah Ha Mim As Sajdaah verse 2-4: This is a Revelation from the All Compassionate, the All-Merciful Allah. A Book whose verses are well expounded, an Arabic Quran for the people who want to understand, and a giver of good news and a warner.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 18 Surah Kahf verse 1-2: All praise is for Allah Alone, Who has sent down this Book to His Servant (Mohamed (saws), and assigned nothing crooked to it. This Book says everything directly, so that he may warn the people of the severe chastisement of Allah and give good news to the believers, who do righteous deeds, that they will have an excellent reward.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 99: We have sent down to you Revelations that clearly expound the Truth, and none but the disobedient reject them.

There is not one aayah in the Quran, whereby Allah states that the guidance and the teachings of the Glorious Quran are incomprehensible to a layman! On the contrary, Allah states time and again, that what is required to understand the Quran is simple commonsense! People are not required to be rocket-scientists to understand the simple guidance and teachings of the Quran…. But Allah has made this guidance available to all those who turn to Him Alone, for guidance. The guidance of the Holy Quran is easily understood by any layman, who possesses simple common sense! One just has to open the book and read the Holy Quran with understanding!

Yes, there are some unscrupulous self-made leaders and self-proclaimed holy men, who debar people from understanding the clear message and guidance of the Holy Quran. They wear the garb of Islam, but guide people away from the Quran. They repeatedly warn people that the Quran is incomprehensible and not for the common man! They warn people that if you were to try and understand the Quran, you will be misguided. They tell people that each aayah of the Quran has several meanings! They tell people that only some ‘special’ people and their families can understand the Quran, and you have to follow and revere them, if you want to understand the Quran. They tell you one sentence here and one word there from the Quran, but never propagate and invite you to understand the whole Quran! They conceal the clear commandments of the Glorious Quran so that they can subjugate you, swindle your hard-earned money, and bring you to their worship and their invocation, rather than guiding you to the Holy Quran.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Al-Baqarah verse 174: Indeed those, who conceal the commands that Allah has sent down in His Book and barter them away for paltry worldly gains, fill their bellies with fire. Allah will not speak to them on the Day of Resurrection, nor will He regard them as pure and there is a painful torment for them!

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verse 159: Those who conceal the clear (Revelations) and Guidance We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, on them shall be Allah’s ‘laanah’ and the ‘laanah’ of those who are entitled to curse!

May Allah guide you and us to read and understand the clear message of the Holy Quran. May Allah give us the wisdom and courage to recognize these unscrupulous self-made leaders and self-proclaimed holy men, and make us comprehend their agenda. May Allah guide you and us to the truth. May Allah guide you and us all to the Siraat al Mustaqeem (the Straight Path of Islam).

May Allah guide you and us to read and understand the simple and plain words of the Glorious Quran. May Allah increase our knowledge from the Holy Quran. May Allah guide us to the Siraat al Mustaqeem.

Whatever written of Truth and benefit is only due to Allah’s Assistance and Guidance, and whatever of error is of me. Allah Alone Knows Best and He is the Only Source of Strength.

Your brother and well wisher in Islam,

Burhan