Scripture

Oct 16, 2024 | Articles

A core belief of Islam is that God (exalted is He) has books that He revealed to His prophets wherein He clarified His command, prohibition, promise, and threat as well as informing of past, present, and future incidents. Muslims believe they are the literal word of God (exalted is He) that manifested from Him without any manner as an indication of His divine speech and He revealed them to his chosen messengers via revelation. From amongst these books are: Al-Tawrāh which was given to Moses, Al-Injīl which was given to Jesus, Al-Zabūr which was given to David, and the Quran which was given to Muhammad (may God’s peace and blessings be upon all of them). In addition, the Quran speaks about scriptures given to other prophets, “the scrolls of Abraham and Moses”[1] and “We believe in Allah and what has been revealed to us; and what was revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and his descendants; and what was given to Moses, Jesus, and other prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them. And to Allah we all submit.”[2] Muslim theologians assert that these earlier scriptures (excluding the Quran) have not been preserved in their original forms or languages and are therefore not fit for purpose.

The Quran, revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ over 1,400 years ago, is considered as God’s final and unaltered word, serving as the ultimate everlasting guide for all of humanity. It is a succinct and comprehensive foundational guide for all aspects of life. Muslims believe that the Quran is the noblest book that God revealed to the noblest of His prophets, Muhammad ﷺ, that it is the last of the divine books to be revealed, that it is an abrogator of all the previous books, and its ruling is permanent until the Day of Resurrection. They believe that it is not possible for change or alteration to overcome it, and it is the greatest sign of the prophethood of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ because it is the greatest of his miracles. One of the oldest manuscripts of the Quran is held at Birmingham University, England and has been carbon-dated back to the life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. The manuscript matches the copies of the Quran that are widespread available today.[3]

One of the numerous miracles of the Quran is its bold mention of future events, that if were never to occur would have placed the entire validity of the Quran into question. The examples of this are many and cannot be dismissed as a mere fluke, like the promise of victory at the Battle of Badr before the battle occurred and the disbelief of Abu Lahab (an uncle of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) before he died. One striking example is the promise of victory to the Byzantium Empire over the Persian Empire which even prompted some of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ (may Allah be pleased with them) to place bets with the Quraysh[4] on it. Allah (exalted is He) says:

“The Byzantines have been defeated

in the nearest land. But they, after their defeat, will be victorious

within three to nine years.”[5]

[1] Quran 87:19.

[2] Quran 2:136

[3] https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/facilities/cadbury/birmingham-quran-mingana-collection/birmingham-quran

[4] A tribe of Arabs who were at war with the Muslims at the time.

[5] Quran 30: 2-4.

My Long Journey to Islam

I was christened and brought up in Germany. My parents split up when I was 7 followed by the sad loss of my older stepbrother through suicide. It left me somewhat traumatised and yearning for security, love and stability but it also forced me to be fiercely independent and self-sufficient. I had been close to my mother who was primarily a non-practising Christian…

Allah

The fundamental belief in the oneness of Allah is the cornerstone of Islamic theology. Allah is considered the sole creator, sustainer, and ruler of the universe. This belief entails that Allah has no partners, equals, or offspring, and He is incomparable to any of His creation in any way, shape, or form.

Divine Decree

Muslims believe that God has knowledge of all that will happen, and everything happens according to His divine plan. While God’s knowledge is absolute, humans have free will to make choices…

Life After Death

Muslims believe that all humans will be resurrected from their graves and judged by Allah based on their deeds. Every individual will be held accountable for their actions in this life.

Prophets

Muslims believe in a long line of prophets and messengers sent by Allah to guide humanity, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (may God’s peace and blessings be upon all of them). Each prophet conveyed God’s message in a way that was appropriate for their time.

Angels

Angels are ethereal bodies created from light, meaning that they are normally invisible to human beings. They can, however, be seen if they take on a corporeal form. They have no free will and carry out Allah’s commands in total obedience and without error.

Hajj

The last of the core pillars of Islam is the obligation to perform pilgrimage to Mecca, known as hajj, once in a lifetime if one is financially and physically able to do so. The Quran says, “To Allah is an obligation on people to perform pilgrimage to the House, whoever is able to find a way to do so.”

Fasting Ramadan

One of the core pillars of Islam is the obligation to fast during the month of Ramadan based on the Quranic injunction: “You who believe, fasting is prescribed for you, as it was prescribed for those before you, so that you may become righteous.”

Zakah

The third of the five core pillars of Islam is to pay an amount of one’s wealth to charitable causes, known as zakah in Arabic. The Quran commands Muslims to pay the zakah in several places in the Quran and praises those who “give out from what they have been provided with”

Salah

One of the five core pillars of Islam is to establish five daily prayers, known as salah in Arabic. God instructs Muslims to establish salah 16 times directly and highlights its importance several other times throughout the Quran.

Shahadah

The shahadah means “testification” or “witnessing” in Arabic. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Islam is based on five things: Testification that there is none worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His slave and messenger, establishing the prayer, giving zakah, fasting Ramadan, and pilgrimage to the House”

Zakah for Reconciling Hearts

Zakah is an obligatory financial act of worship and one of the five pillars or foundations of Islam. The eight categories who are eligible recipients of zakat are restricted and defined by canonical religious texts. In this article, we will discuss the limitations and restrictions around distributing zakat to converts under the purview of the category of “reconciling hearts”…

Before I Found You

Ya Allah, before I found you I was broken and lost Before I found you
My purpose was at a cost You see, my life was full of hardships…

Why I Became Muslim

I couldn’t comprehend death, or why God would take him from us. I was left with more questions than answers, and with that I distanced myself from religion as a whole.

Not Ready

Islam, you keep pulling me in
Allah is pulling me closer

And how will I navigate through
The waters of islamophobia

How would I live in a majority non-Muslim Country and thrive as a convert

So many worries but also,
So much comfort as my path begins to unfold

Silja’s Story

I grew up in a secure and loving home in a tiny village in the Swiss countryside. This village gave me the best childhood memories and until now, it is the place I call home (pictured above). My family moved there when I was about five years old. My parents wanted my...

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“So, your father tells me you’ve converted to Islam?” said James’s mother. “Actually, it’s reverted, mum, reverted.” James pedantically replied. It may seem a trivial issue to some, but the use of words can have severe impacts in the real world, especially in an age...

What’s My Name?

“What’s my name?” Shouted Muhammad Ali as he delivered a powerful and swift left-right combination to an already hurt and demoralised Ernie Terrell. “What’s my name?” he spat again through his mouthpiece. Terrell closed his eyes as the next combination flew at him. To...

Michelle’s Story

I have supported children and adults with additional needs most of my working life and it was work where my journey began. I was brought up in an Atheist family and lived in a 95% White area so never had the chance to meet people from other cultures and religion. I...