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:

I have 2 questions.1st is in Ayat Al Kawther."Inna A`atainaka Al Kawther" would this mean "Oh(My Beloved Muhammed) We have given you IN ABUNDANCE" or We Have gifted (or given) you (well of or well called) Al Kawther"? 2nd question in Quran the litral translation in the Urdu if you have any knowledge of the language, of "Bismillah Ir Rehmaan Ir Rahim" by lot of scholars is "Starting with Allah`s Name....." now I came across ONE translation that reads "Allah`s Name I start who is....." Dont you agree the second one is more accurate and to the point i.e it STARTS with Allah`s name.By the way the 2nd traslation is by Shaikh Ahmed Redha Khan Barelwi,which a lot of scholars from present Saudi Arabia and Wahabi school of thought disagree totally with.I have even read lots of articales fabricated against the Shaikh Redha Khan.But wasnt he,who did a lot to glorify Rasool Allah`s name in sub-continent,I know its Allah Azawajal who Glorified the name of His Habib Rasool as stated in Sura Nashrah " Wara fa`ana Laka Zikrak" We Glorified FOR YOU(Laka)YOUR subject/discussion(Zikrak). But as a Muslim who would secrifice his life for the sake of Rasool Alllah`s name,shouldnt he be respected. Disrespect him just because he claimed that The Rasool Lives!!!!! Thank You Kashif Farid

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Answer:

Correct translation and Prophet Mohamed (saws)alive

In the name of Allah, We praise Him, seek His help and ask for His forgiveness. Whoever Allah guides none can misguide, and whoever 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.

Your question: 1st is in Ayat Al Kawther."Inna A`atainaka Al Kawther" would this mean "Oh(My Beloved Muhammed) We have given you IN ABUNDANCE" or We Have gifted (or given) you (well of or well called) Al Kawther"?

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 108 Surah Al Kawthar verse 1: To thee have We granted the Fount (Of Abundance).

Although ‘kawther’ would literally mean ‘goods in abundance’, to get the correct meaning we must try to understand the Aayah as understood and explained by the Messenger of Allah (saws).

Sahih Muslim Hadith 790 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

One day when the Messenger of Allah (saws) was sitting amongst us, he (saws) dozed off. He (saws) then raised his head, smiling. We said: ‘ What makes you smile, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “A Surah has just been revealed to me, and then recited: ‘In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Verily We have given thee Kawthar (Fount of abundance). Therefore turn to thy Lord for prayer and offer sacrifice, and surely thy enemy is cut off (from the good).’ Then he (saws) said: “Do you know what Kawthar is?” We said: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” The Holy Prophet (saws) said: “It (Kawthar) is a canal which my Lord, the Exalted and Glorious, has promised me, and there is an abundance of good in it. It is a cistern and my people will come to it on the Day of Resurrection, and tumblers there would be equal to the number of stars. A servant will be turned away from (among those gathered there). Upon this I shall say: ‘My Lord, he is one of my people.’ He (the Lord) will say: ‘You do not know that he created new things (innovations in Islam) after you.”

Your question: 2nd question in Quran the litral translation in the Urdu if you have any knowledge of the language, of "Bismillah Ir Rehmaan Ir Rahim" by lot of scholars is "Starting with Allah`s Name....." now I came across ONE translation that reads "Allah`s Name I start who is....." Dont you agree the second one is more accurate and to the point i.e it STARTS with Allah`s name.

Because a sentence is translated from one language to the other, there might be a change in the location of the translated words, but it does not change the meaning. Thus if one translates Bismillahir Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, “I start in the Name of Allah Who is Most Gracious, Most Merciful” or “In the Name of Allah I start, Who is….”, or simply, “In the Name of Allah, Who is….”; the meaning is still all the same.

If one is seeking a literal word to word translation, then the correct translation would be:

“In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.”

Your Statement: Disrespect him (Shaikh Ahmed Redha Khan Barelwi) just because he claimed that The Rasool Lives!!!!!

Beloved brother, the truth is that I have not read any of the literature of Shaikh Ahmed Redha Khan Barelwi, therefore I cannot actually comment on him or his teachings.

Whatever he might be or have done, if the Shaikh Ahmed Redha believed that the Messenger of Allah (saws) is alive after having died his death; then indeed this belief is against the clear teachings of Allah and His Messenger (saws)!

The Prophet of Allah (saws) died his death, and is buried in his grave. As with all the human beings who have died, they are now in a state of life called the ‘barzakh’. The life of ‘barzakh’ and its laws are known to Allah Alone, and cannot be perceived by the human beings of this earth. It is not like the life of this world, where he (saws) can hear us, or guide us. The nature of the life of ‘barzakh’ is known to Allah Subhanah Alone.

But to claim that the Messenger of Allah (saws) is alive in his grave and can hear us, and/or respond to us, or guide us, or he is aware of the condition of the believers, is against the principles of Islam. Allah Alone is the All Living, All Hearing and All Knowing and if someone were to share the Attributes of Allah Subhanah with any of His creation, they would indeed be guilty of the heinous crime of ‘shirk’.

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 in Islam,

Burhan