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:

Dear Mr.Burhan, Assalamu alaikum. Thank you very much for the invaluable help that you are doing by answering to our questions and most thanks to Allah Subhanah for guiding us to this site. I have these doubts about deeds and rewards. I also dont know for sure whether the things that i say are truely from quran/hadith or whether they are stories. You have told many times that "Every person will be judged,rewarded/punished only for HIS OWN deeds." But, 1. I think it was said in a hadith (on your site) that if anyone(RELATIVES, ETC) wails over a deadbody the DEAD PERSON will be tortured for that. Why so? 2. I saw in my local mosque notice that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told believers to kill lizards, because when Prophet Ibrahim(pbuh) was thrown into the fire, the lizard blew at the fire to make it hotter. Firstly, lizard will not have common sense to do right or wrong? Also if one lizard so many million years ago did that why to kill today`s lizards for that? 3. Someone told me women undergo pain during pregnancy because Allah subhanah cursed women for the sin committed by Eve (a.s) by eating the apple from the forbidden tree. Why to curse all women for that? 4.They told at my mosque that if a normal man faces some hardship it maybe because of his own sin, but the hardships undergone by Prophets are because of the sin committed by us (common people). Please help me in understanding these better. And that submission.org, that host is completely relying upon some research that he says he did for years using so many computers. so he also mainly follow Abjad(Alif-1, Bay-2, Jeem-3....) numbering sys, and he mainly stresses on mathematical miracles. He says the Quran has been changed (the last two aayahs of Surah Baqarah). I want to point out the aayahs in Quran which begin with just alphabets (like YaSeen, Saad, etc). Just think, if people/rulers of arabia had the guts to change Quran, they would have tried to remove these alphabets for which they could not give the meaning. But Allah never allowed that to happen, because he has promised to preserve the Quran, and no one who ever tries to change Quran will NEVER succeed.

(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:

Wailing over dead

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: You have told many times that "Every person will be judged,rewarded/punished only for HIS OWN deeds." But, 1. I think it was said in a hadith (on your site) that if anyone(RELATIVES, ETC) wails over a deadbody the DEAD PERSON will be tortured for that. Why so?

It is indeed the guidance of the Quran that no bearer of burden will bear the burden of another, and every person will be judged according to his own deeds. And there are indeed several authentic narrations which state that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said that the dead are tormented because of the wailing of the living upon their death.

These hadith mean that a dead person feels pain and displeasure when his family wails over him, for he hears their wailing when their deeds are shown to him by Allah Subhanah. This does not mean that the dead are actually punished and tormented because of the wailing of their families for them, because the Qur'an says that a person is not accountable for the actions of others.

Ibn Jarir reported from Abu Hurairah that he said: "Your deeds are shown to your dead relatives. So if these are good, they are pleased, and if these are bad, they despise them."

Ahmad and Tirmidhi reported on the authority of Anas that the Prophet (saws) said: "Your deeds are shown to your dead relatives and kinsfolk. So if these are good they are pleased, and if these are bad they say: 'O Allah! Let them not die until You have guided them to the right path as You guided us before'."

Your question: I saw in my local mosque notice that Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) told believers to kill lizards, because when Prophet Ibrahim(pbuh) was thrown into the fire, the lizard blew at the fire to make it hotter. Firstly, lizard will not have common sense to do right or wrong? Also if one lizard so many million years ago did that why to kill today`s lizards for that?

The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided the believers to kill these pests only when confronted with any animal which by its instinct terrorizes or harms man, likes poisonous snakes, scorpions, etc. Similar is the guidance regarding lizards, for their poison in indeed dangerous.

But there is absolutely no truth behind the ‘popular’ story regarding the lizard blowing at the fire in which Prophet Ibrahim (a.s.) was thrown!!! Some ignorant people have concocted this story, and repeated it so many times that it has been ‘accepted’ as the truth. Your logic and reasoning is absolutely valid that first and foremost lizards do not possess any common sense and the ability to judge between right and wrong! And even if the story is believed (for argument’s sake although it is absolutely false) that one lizard blew over the fire, it is nothing but ignorance to kill all lizards because of the ‘deeds’ of that one lizard!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) guided man to kill lizards only when confronted with it or if he feared that it might harm him or his family, just like he (saws) guided the believers to defend themselves against other poisonous animals when confronted with them.

Some ignorant people who have believed the fabricated stories, and think it is a virtue to kill lizards in Islam; whereas the guidance of the Messenger of Allah (saws) is only as a defensive measure against a poisonous animal and pest.

Your question: Someone told me women undergo pain during pregnancy because Allah subhanah cursed women for the sin committed by Eve (a.s) by eating the apple from the forbidden tree. Why to curse all women for that?

Firstly, Allah Subhanah did not blame Hadrat Hawwa (Eve) alone, but rather He said that both Hadrat Adam and Hawwa both ate of the forbidden tree!

Secondly, Allah Subhanah never ever cursed Hadrat Hawwa or Hadrat Adam after they ate of the forbidden fruit; but rather these righteous slaves of Allah begged forgiveness for their disobedience and the Merciful Lord forgave them. Only after He forgave them, did He command them to go unto earth and live a life for a fixed period on earth as a test.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 37-39:At that time, Adam learnt appropriate words from his Lord and repented, and his Lord accepted his repentance; for He is indeed very Relenting and Merciful. We said, “Now go down, all of you from here. Henceforth there shall come unto you Guidance from Me now and again. Whoever will follow it shall have neither fear nor sorrow, and whoever will refuse to accept it and belie Our Revelations, they shall be doomed to the Fire, wherein they shall remain for ever.”

Thus it is not Islamic belief to believe that Hadrat Hawwa alone disobeyed the command of Allah and ate of the forbidden fruit, nor is it correct belief that Hadrat Hawwa instigated Hadrat Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, not is it Islamic belief that Allah Subhanah cursed all woman or mankind for the disobedience of Hadrat Adam and Hawwa!

It is the (false and self-invented) belief of Christianity that Hadrat Hawwa instigated Hadrat Adam to eat of the forbidden fruit, and as a result all mankind were cursed and were born with the so-called ‘eternal-sin’, which then resulted in their false belief that (I seek refuge in Allah from saying this) God sent his only ‘begotten son’ Jesus Christ to earth and die for their sins!!!

In contrast to the self-invented dogma of Christianity, Islam has guided the believers that every child who is born (whether male or female) is born absolutely innocent, and has been given this one life as a test to see who amongst them is grateful to His Lord, and who is ungrateful, according to his/her own deeds. Islam has guided the believers that the life of this earth is a place for deeds, and the Hereafter is a place for determining results.

The labor pains that a woman experiences at the time of child birth are nothing to do with her sins or a curse, but is a result of the nature that Allah has bestowed and honored upon women. Allah Subhanah has commanded mankind to honor the wombs that bore them, and reminded mankind of the pain that one’s mother goes through during their child-birth, and thus commanded man to recognize and appreciate this great sacrifice of the woman and honor, respect, and show gratitude to the woman that bore him!

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 46 Surah Ahqaaf verses 15-16:

15 We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents: in pain did his mother bear him and in pain did she give him birth. The carrying of the (child) to his weaning is (a period of) thirty months. At length when he reaches the age of full strength and attains forty years he says "O my Lord! Grant me that I may be grateful for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed upon me, and upon both my parents, and that I may work righteousness such as Thou mayest approve; and be gracious to me in my issue. Truly have I turned to Thee and truly do I bow (to Thee) in Islam."

16 Such are they from whom We shall accept the best of their deeds and pass by their ill deeds: (they shall be) among the Companions of the Garden: a promise of truth which was made to them (in this life).

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 1:

1 O mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord Who created you from a single person, created of like nature his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women; reverence Allah through Whom ye demand your mutual (rights), and (reverence) the wombs (that bore you): for Allah ever watches over you.

Your question: They told at my mosque that if a normal man faces some hardship it maybe because of his own sin, but the hardships undergone by Prophets are because of the sin committed by us (common people). Please help me in understanding these better.

Every calamity or hardship that befalls man, comes from Allah Subhanah and may have one of only two reasons:

Allah Subhanah Wills to try the person with some hardship or calamity for a fixed period to see whether His slave is patient, steadfast, and firm in his belief or not.

or, because of the result of man’s own evil deeds.

Quranic evidence that Allah tests mankind with trials:

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 2 Surah Baqarah verses 155-157:

155 (O you who believe!) Be sure We shall test you with something of fear, and hunger, some loss in goods or lives, or the fruits (of your toil); but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.

156 Who when afflicted with calamity, say: "To Allah we belong and to Him is our return."

157 They are those on whom (descend) blessings from Allah and Mercy, and they are the ones that receive guidance.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 21 Surah Anbiyaa verse 35: Every soul shall have a taste of death: and We test you by evil and by good, by way of trial: to Us must ye return.

Quranic evidence that sometimes evil befalls man as a result of his own evil deeds:

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 4 Surah Nisaa verse 79:

79 Whatever good (O man!) happens to thee, is from Allah; but whatever evil happens to thee is from thy (own) soul. And We have sent thee (O Mohamed) as a Messenger to (instruct) mankind: and enough is Allah for a witness.

Allah Says in the Holy Quran Chapter 42 Surah Shuraa verse 48:

48 If then they turn away, We have not sent thee as a guard over them. Thy duty is but to convey (the Message). And truly when We give man a taste of Mercy from Ourselves He doth exult thereat; but when some ill happens to him on account of the deeds which His hands have sent forth, truly then is man ungrateful!

Your Statement: but the hardships undergone by Prophets are because of the sin committed by us (common people).

The basic and underlying principle in Islam is that every person is responsible for his own deeds, including the noble Prophets of Allah Subhanah.

Allah says in the Holy Quran Chapter 10 Surah Yunus verses 40-41:Some of these people will believe in (The Quran), and others will not. Your Lord knows these mischief-makers very well indeed. If these people deny you (O Mohamed), say to them: “I am responsible for my deeds and you are for yours. You are not accountable for what I do, nor am I for what you do.”

It is absolutely clear from the above Revelation of the Quran, that the Prophets are not accountable for the deeds of mankind!

Rather it is the Wisdom and Decree of Allah Subhanah, that the more righteous a slave of Allah, the bigger his trials, tribulations and hardships in the life of this world. And since the Prophets of Allah are indeed the most righteous of all mankind, their trials are absolutely the biggest! If one can only imagine and understand the trials that were put on the noble Prophets of Allah like Prophet Noah, and Hud, and Saleh, and Lut, and Ayyub, and Ismail, and Moosa, and Yaqoob, and Yusuf, and Zakariah, and Yahya, and Isa, and Mohamed (saws); one will realize the enormity of their trials and tests!

And the trials that were put upon the Best Friend of Allah Subhanah, His Noble slave and His Noble Prophet, Ibrahim Khalil-ullah (a.s.), were absolutely unprecedented! Because of his belief in the One True Lord, he was disowned by his family and by his people, he was thrown in a burning fire, he was thrown out of his land, he had no children until he was very old and barren, and when finally Allah blessed him with a child (Hadrat Ismail), Allah commanded him to slaughter that child! …… but the noble Prophet passed every trial with ‘flying-colors’ and was thus honored by Allah Subhanah as His Khaleel or Best Friend in the life of this world, and in the Hereafter!

Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet (saws) said: "When Allah wants to be good to someone, He tries him with some hardship."

Abu Hurairah reports that Allah's Messenger (saws) said: "For every misfortune, illness, anxiety, grief, or hurt that afflicts a Muslim -even the hurt caused by the pricking of a thorn - Allah removes some of his sins." Ibn Mas'ud said: "I visited the Messenger of Allah (saws) while he had a fever. I exclaimed: 'O Messenger of Allah! You have a high fever! ' He (saws) said: 'My fever is as much as two among you [might have]. ' I asked: 'Is it because you have a double reward?' He (saws) replied: 'Yes, that is right. No Muslim is afflicted with any hurt, even if it is no more than the pricking of a thorn, but Allah wipes off his sins because of it, and his sins fall away from him as leaves fall from a tree'."

Thus it is incorrect to believe that the hardships of the Prophets are due to the sins of their people or mankind! The more Allah Subhanah wishes to honor one amongst His righteous slaves, the more trials and hardships He lays upon him in the life of this world…. That is the Wisdom and Decree of the All Knowing, All Merciful!

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said in an authentic narration: “ The biggest hardships (or trials) are for the Prophets, and then for the most pious people, and then the less pious, and so on…”

Sahih Muslim Hadith 6778 Narrated by Anas ibn Malik

The Messenger of Allah (saws) said: “Paradise is surrounded by hardships, and the Hell-Fire is surrounded by temptations.”

Your Statement: And that submission.org, that host is completely relying upon some research that he says he did for years using so many computers. so he also mainly follow Abjad(Alif-1, Bay-2, Jeem-3....) numbering sys, and he mainly stresses on mathematical miracles.

The ‘submission.org’ is a site of misguidance, and they have claimed many things from themselves without any evidence or proof from the Quran and Sunnah! They absolutely refute the following of the Sunnah of the Noble Messenger of Allah (saws), and have derived many a fantastic belief from themselves! May Allah Subhanah guide them to the Straight Path of Islam.

The ABJAD numbering system is a man-made system and has absolutely no basis or evidence in the Quran and Sunnah!

Your Statement: He says the Quran has been changed (the last two aayahs of Surah Baqarah). I want to point out the aayahs in Quran which begin with just alphabets (like YaSeen, Saad, etc). Just think, if people/rulers of arabia had the guts to change Quran, they would have tried to remove these alphabets for which they could not give the meaning. But Allah never allowed that to happen, because he has promised to preserve the Quran, and no one who ever tries to change Quran will NEVER succeed.

Beloved brother, you are absolutely right in your deduction. Whoever has the audacity and dares to claim that the Glorious Quran has been changed or altered, is nothing but a guaranteed and manifest liar….and if he does not repent, he will have a severe accounting for his blasphemy in the Just Court of Allah Subhanah on an Inevitable Day!

Allah Subhanah has taken it upon Himself to guard the Quran, and guaranteed that the Holy Quran can never be changed or altered or corrupted in any way; and the true believers are content to believe in the Promise of their Merciful and All Powerful Lord.

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).

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