Allah’s Barakat

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Always remember that evil cannot go back to Allah . It cannot go beyond the skies. Allah says;

‘We have indeed decked the lower heaven with beauty (in) the stars,- (for beauty) and for guard against all obstinate rebellious evil spirits, (so) they should not strain their ears in the direction of the Exalted assembly but be cast away from every side’ (37:6-8)

Satan had a taste of Paradise and he also had the good experience of attaining closeness to Allah so he knows how beautiful it is. He would therefore have some sort of inclination to go back there. Besides he likes to know what is going on or taking place in the heavens. As such Allah has protected the lower heavens from Satan and his minions.

‘but those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance,- they are companions of the fire, to dwell therein (for ever)’ (7:36)

Allah has given so many indications that He is ‘in charge’. For example in the Qur’an a lot of chapters are named after things of nature, and this is one of the means by which we can understand the Greatness of Allah . He showed so many signs to Pharaoh and his followers but still they took no heed. Pharaoh never thought that Allah was giving them signs. And even today we see that some groups of people feel as though that they don’t need God.

About them Allah says that they will be confined to the earth. When Pharaoh and his followers did not take heed to the message of Moses Allah sent His wrath upon them. Meanwhile the Bani Israel was prospering.

One of the consequences of not submitting humbly to Allah is that such people will be denied of Allah's blessings. He says:

'Verily, those who reject Our Signs and treat them with arrogance, (for them) there will be no opening of the gates of the skies, nor will they (be able) to enter Paradise, until the camel can pass through the eye of a needle'. (7:40)

It will be impossible for the materialistically inclined to penetrate the skies in order to go back to Allah . It is reported in one commentary that when the souls of the inhabitants of hell are being taken up to the heaven the angels will block them from proceeding any further.

In our meditation there are some who can sit and actually experience paradise. This is difficult to explain since it is outside the realm of scientific reason and logic. Ordinary human beings can experience something of paradise.

Worry not of those who argue by saying such a thing is ‘haram, bidah or shirk. These things are difficult to explain because they are outside the realm of reason and logic. It’s something that you have to experience.

If we aspire to do good Allah will open up the skies and bestow His barakat upon us. Allah tells us about this in the following verse:

'If the people of the town had but believed and feared Allah; We should indeed have opened out to them all kinds of blessings from the skies and the earth. But they rejected the truth, and We took them to task for their misdeeds'. (7:96)

It is up to us to make an effort. Remember every day we must ‘hasten to ask for forgiveness from our Lord’. Our life-span in this world is fixed and our mission is to manage it properly in order to attain maximum benefit in both the worlds.

Cover not truth with falsehood

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The blessed month of Ramadan has come to an end and, Insha Allah, we would have all had a successful and beneficial one. It means therefore that we would have put into our ‘account’ something of good and it also means that we would have polished our hearts and removed some of the stains and spots that would have been on it.; we should not try to add new stains on it. Instead of doing so we should endeavour to keep on polishing it and keeping it shining.

In order to do so we need to keep reminding ourselves of what Allah says in His Holy Words;

‘and cover not truth with falsehood, nor conceal the truth when ye know’ (2:42)

If we extend this ideology to our own deeds it indicates that we should not nullify the good that was done by reverting to the old, sinful ways. Every time we do, say or think something, be it good or bad, it creates an impression on the ruh. Besides the fact that all our thoughts and actions are being recorded in our book of deeds; they either contribute to the polishing or staining of the ruh. If you commit wrong it is as the ayat says above; you are clothing or covering the good with what is not beneficial here in this life nor in the next.

In contrast to this Allah says in Surah Huud

‘Verily; good remove those that are evil: that is the word of remembrance to those who remember (Their Lord)’ (11:114)

The stains and spots on the ruh can be removed by doing good, and in the same process we are also polishing it. So the choice is ours. We can either clothe it or have it bright and shining. This is our daily challenge; purifying our thoughts, words, and deeds because it impacts on our qalb.

Those things that clothe and conceal may appear beautiful and desirous but always remember that Satan decorates the evil. Take for example the festival of divali. Look at how beautiful the Hindus will make it and in reality what they are doing is committing shirk. So we need to understand that Satan will try to divert our focus by tempting us on a daily basis.

So, as the month of Ramadan is over let us make a strong resolution to keep engaging in all the good and refraining from the evil, so when the next Ramadan comes around our status will keep rising higher and higher.

This has to be an individual effort; no one else can do it for you. Keep in mind the importance of the intention because all actions are judged on intentions. May Allah make it easy for us and may He purify our thoughts and our actions so that we can continue drawing closer and closer

Eid ul Fitr (2010)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

EID UL FITR

2010

Allahu Akbar

Allah says in His Holy Words:

Verily, this brotherhood of yours is a single brotherhood; and I am your Lord and Cherisher; therefore submit yourselves (to Me). (21:92)

Islam came to re-establish the principle that mankind is one nation, as all human beings came from one parent, Adam and Eve. One of the ways of demonstrating this fact is that all believers; regardless of race, colour or locality, practice all the fundamentals of the Faith. They all pray, fast, give charity and go for Haj. A good example is the fact that today you are all here as one big family, gathered for the purpose of celebrating Eid.

Allah informs us that when the human family was established on the earth, they were all one people; it is their own selfish desires that caused them to become disunited. He says:

Mankind was one single nation; and Allah sent Messengers with glad tidings and warnings; and with them He sent the Book in truth, to judge between people in matters wherein they differed. But the People of the Book, after clear Signs came to them, did not differ among themselves except through selfish contumacy. Allah, by His Grace, guide the believers to the Truth, concerning that wherein they differed. (2:213)

So Islam came to remove the barriers that keep the people apart, and to again make them live like one big human family. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

We Prophets are brothers from different mothers and our Religion is one. (Fath al Bari, 6:550)

All the Believers are brothers and sisters in Faith. But every human being is an individual, with his or own temperament, etc. and may not necessarily agree with one another in every matter. When ever a disagreement comes up, there is no need to fight or quarrel, but one should try to sort it out in a refined way. Allah says:

The Believers are but a single Brotherhood; so make peace and reconciliation between two contending brothers; and fear Allah; that you may receive Mercy. (49:10)

Allah also says:

Be not like those who are divided amongst themselves and fall into disputations; after receiving clear Signs; for them is a dreadful penalty. (3:105)

Every Muslim is like a strand in a rope. All put together make the rope strong. But if the strands begin to get loose the rope will get weak and may burst. Allah says:

Hold fast, all of you tighter, by the Rope, which Allah (stretches out for you) and be not divided amongst yourselves. (3:103)

There is no doubt of the fact that Ramadan brought most of the believers together. Only those who stayed away did not feel the blessing of being like one big happy family.

If, for one reason or another; a person could not have attended the Taraweeh prayers, or even keep the fast, that person should still have hope, as Allah connects Himself to us with the Attribute of Compassion. He says:

My Mercy I extend to all things. (7:156)

Brothers and sisters, as human beings, we are separate units, but we can feel like one people if we develop love in our hearts for each other. About this Allah says, as a reminder to the Arabs who were tribal before Islam, and as an eye-opener to all of us the following:

Keep in mind, with gratitude, Allah's favour on you; for you were enemies and He joined your hearts in love; so that, by His Grace, you became brethren. (3:103)

The heart in the human being is like the pearl in the oyster. No mater what colour, size or shape the oyster may be, the pearl of every one looks alike, and is beautiful if kept bright and polished.

But how can we develop love for one another, when someone may want to destroy his believing brother for some material benefit; or may show envy and hate for things that may not have any value in the next life. Allah gave us the golden principles for establishing loving brotherhood and a good society. He says:

Do not be proud of your wealth, for Allah does not love those who are proud of their riches. But seek, with that which Allah has bestowed on you, the Home of the Hereafter, nor forget your portion of this world. Do good to others, as Allah has been good to you, and do not make mischief in the land; for Allah does not love those who make mischief. (28:77)

Instead of trying to ridicule or belittle others, a Believer is enjoined upon to show compassion. Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

Be merciful to those on earth, and receive Mercy from Him Who is in the Heaven.

Today, as we have gathered to celebrate, let us resolve that we are going to make the earth a better place in which to live, for our selves and posterity.

O our Lord; forgive us for our faults and mistakes; forgive our brethren who have gone before in faith; forgive those who are to come, and cause us all to rise with the righteous on the Day of Judgment.

Performance of Jummah & Eid salaat on the same day

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Question:

Should a person perform the Jumuah Salaat if Eid and Jumuah should fall on the same day, i.e. on a Friday?


According to the Hanafi, Shaafi and Maliki Mazhaib, if Eid and Jumuah should fall on the same day, the two cannot be combined; so the Eid Salaat will have to be performed separately from the Jumuah Salaat.

One of the reasons given is because the Jumuah Salaat is an Obligatory one, and is mentioned in the Holy Qur'an. The Eid Salaat is not mentioned in the Holy Qur'an, and is Waajib. So that preference must be given the Obligatory over the Waajib.

Imam Hanbal is of the view that if both Salaat should coincide; then only the Eid Salaat has to be performed and the Jumuah Salaat may not necessarily be performed, although the Imam must be present at the time of Jumuah in the Masjid.

Imam Hanbal's reason for giving such an opinion is based on a Hadith reported by Abu Huraira in which he reports that the Prophet (pboh) said to the Bedouins on the day of Eid after the Salaat: Whoever wishes he may perform the Jumuah Salaat; and whoever wishes he may return; we shall soon meet again.

According to the Scholars, the Prophet (pboh) was giving permission to all those who came from far off to perform the Eid Salaat, and can be classified as travellers. For them Jumuah was not compulsory, so that they had the option, if they wanted, to remain for the few hours to get Jumuah, or to return back to their homes. When he said that they were to meet again soon, he was referring to the meeting for Jumuah.

The same thing happened in the time of Hazrat Uthman, and he gave the same concession to those who came from far off. However, the people of the city performed Jumuah afterwards.

The conclusion is that if the two Salaat should fall on the same day, the two must be performed separately.

Allah knows best.

A Poem on Ramadhan

Welcome O Ramadhan
By Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed


Anxiously I looked out for the moon,
Hoping that it was not too soon;
May it be visible I pray
On the western horizon today.

Welcome, O Ramadan, I cried,
As I saw the crescent in the sky,
The month destined to make me be
In the Hereafter, a VIP.

Restraint, submission and devotion,
Extra worship and Recitation.
I tried to please the Lord each day
Through fasting and the way I pray.

A little thirst, a bit of hunger,
Sometimes I wonder how much longer,
For the time when I shall break the fast,
Patiently I waited to the last.

I enjoyed the numerous preparations
At the many aftari invitations,
Curry being the main menu
Interchanged at times with tasty stew.

I waited anxiously for the Night of Power
Hoping to be awake at the Special Hour.
When the climax of worship was to be
The feeling of peace and tranquility.

The Sermon of Eid I'll never forget,
As it makes me feel a bit of regret
It says: As you gather today to celebrate Eid
One day you shall gather to know your deeds

O Ramadan, when you are gone,
A lot of people shall mourn
They did not fast, pray or give charity
Making them not fit to be a VIP.

Allahu Akbar

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

الله أكبر

When we say Allahu Akbar what is it that we really mean? Can we fully understand this expression?

We know, as creatures’, we have limitations. We cannot engage in many activities at one at the same time. Allah has Divine Attributes. We know them as the Asma ul Husna – the 99 Beautiful Names of Allah . One example of His Greatness is that He functions through all these Divine Attributes at one at the same time. For example He can issue mercy and punishment at time same, and to all creatures, not only human beings. He says in Surah An'am;

‘and He knows whatever there is in (or on) the earth and in the sea; not a leaf falls, but He knows it. there is not a grain in the darkness of the earth nor anything fresh or dry, but is written in a clear Record’ (6:59)

This ayat just draws reference to one of Allah’s Divine Attribute; Al Aleem – The All Knowing. And He functions through all His Divine Attributes at one at the same time.

The other point that exemplifies Allah’s Greatness is that He responds to all His creatures also at one at the same time. For example He sustains some of His creatures and provides protection for others at the very same time. All creatures depend on Him and this is a connotation of As-Samad. Even those misguided creatures who claim to be a god, they too are dependent on Allah. Allah is in no need of sustenance. He is Al-Malik – The Absolute Possessor.

So when we say the simple expression Allahu Akbar we are incorporating everything about the Divine Personality of our Lord. We cannot fathom how truly Great Allah is. He says in Surah Luqman;

‘and if all the trees on earth were pens and the ocean (were ink), with seven oceans behind it to add to its (supply), yet would not the words of Allah be exhausted (in the writing): for Allah is Exalted In power, full of wisdom’ (31:27)

By saying this simple expression of Allahu Akbar we immediately recognised that we have limitations and Allah is limitless; we occupy a tiny space and time and Allah is confined to nothing. Even His thrown is difficult for us to conceptualize;

‘His Throne doth extend over the heavens and the earth,’ (2:255)

He cannot be compared and if you have your faith and trust in Him, He will take care of you and will never let you down. Yes we will experience hardships but if you look back at life you’ll see that you experienced many trials.

Our Lord is truly Great, so much that it is impossible for us to fully comprehend. Realise this and worship and serve Him as He ought to.

The Blessed Month of Ramadan

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The blessed month of Ramadan is upon us, and Allah says that Ramadan is His month. One reason why Ramadan is special is because Prophet Muhammad (saw)is reported to have said that Shaitan is chained in this month;

In this month (for them) evil-minded Shaytaan is chained so as not to reach unto those evils to which they normally reach during other months besides Ramadan.

This is a very special blessing for those who keep the fast. Why can’t Satan ‘attack’ us? Firstly, in Ramadan we tend to be more God conscious. We don’t pay importance to a few things that engage our time and energy. We therefore have more time to think about Allah and because of this we get closer to Allah and Satan can’t get between.

Satan uses a few things to distract us. He engages our lust, desires for food/drink, and a person’s arrogance. All of these are the handiwork of Satan and we are commanded to stay away from them. We are advised to engage in more Ibadaat and to show more compassion to others. Fasting is meant to bring you closer to Allah and to keep you away from those things that are not beneficial for us, in this life and the next. There are no avenues for Satan to attack you.

Ramadan helps you become a ‘VIP’ in the hereafter. There is a gate in Paradise called Riyan and those who fast shall enter into Paradise through this gate. Look at the status and benefits you could achieve in this blessed month.

Remember if Allah loves you He will try you. If you are aspiring to get closer to Allah He will love you more, and He would also try you more. Even in Ramadan you may get some trials. However you should try to bear them with patience and keep on persevering. Even if someone abuses you in Ramadan we are taught to say “I am fasting”.

Try your best to make full usage of Ramadan. Engage in recitation of Qur’an, plenty of Astagfirullah and send lots of Darood on our Beloved (saw). Make dua to Allah for whatever you desire because He has shown us that He is capable of doing things outside our realm of understanding.

May Allah make this Ramadan peaceful and tranquil for all the believers’. May He make the trials easy and bearable for us and may He remove most of it in this most special month. Let us benefit from it, and whatever you do, do it solely for the sake of Allah.

The blessing of the Qur’an

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

We continuously emphasize that human beings are truly blessed and are created special. One reason that highlights this fact is that man has the ability of reciting the Glorious Words of Allah . Which other creature has this blessing? True some Jinns has the capability of reciting, but the Qur’an was revealed to man, and the Jinns, after hearing it being recited, were enticed by it.

‘Say: it has been revealed to me that a company of Jinns listened (to the Qur'an). They said, 'We have really heard a wonderful recital! 'It gives guidance to the right, and we have believed therein: we shall not join (in worship) any (gods) with Our Lord.’ (72 : 1-2)

Never feel that recitation of the Holy Qur’an is a burden. It’s a great blessing. We have the opportunity of repeating the words that Allah recites. We should try our best to recite the Qur’an as much as possible, and to recite it sweetly as it is reported that Allah and His angels listens to its recitation.

Imagine this ‘piece of mud’ has the capability of repeating these Glorious Words. This is why when Prophet Muhammad (saw) was delivering his last sermon he repeated 3 times that he was leaving behind ‘The Book’ and thereafter he mentioned his Sunnah.

Thank your Lord for this great blessing and make it a part of your daily routine to recite at least a few ayats. Yes we’re busy with work, family, et cetra but after all that has been said and done recite as often as you can. May Allah bless us and may He keep out hearts tied to His Glorious Book.

The Mir’aj

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

‘and raised high the esteem (in which) Thou (art held)’

Mir’aj is a very special time and some people may think that it is a sort of ritual celebration, so whenever it comes around it is mandatory that we ‘celebrate’ it. Mir’aj is much more important than just a celebration. In addition of acquiring blessings for associating with Allah’s beloved and trying to understand something of his great mission we are all, insha Allah, gaining some form of enlightenment.

We must understand firstly that Mir’aj is the occasion when Allah placed the seal of prophet hood. After Prophet Muhammad (saw)there was no need for any other Messenger. Mir’aj is also that occasion when the true meaning of the term ‘Imam ul Ambia’ was realised. All the previous Messengers (pbot) predicted Prophet Muhammad (saw)coming. Why was this necessary? The mission was not yet completed.

Allah has placed at mans’ disposal whatever is in the skies and earth. He says in Surah Ibrahim;

‘It is Allah who hath created the heavens and the earth and sendeth down rain from the skies, and with it bringeth out fruits wherewith to feed you; it is He who hath made the ships subject to you, that they may sail through the sea by His command; and the rivers (also) hath He made subject to you’.

So our mission, physically, is to benefit from the things Allah has created in the universe. And the Mir’aj was the occasion when man learned how to access whatever Allah has created from him.

Allah is the embodiment of purity. He is ‘As Sahir’; The One that is Pure. Since Allah has created man as His vicegerent on earth, man is supposed to also be pure and clean. He says in Surah Baqarah;

‘for Allah loves those who turn to Him constantly and He loves those who keep themselves pure and clean’.

Whenever you ‘dirty’ yourself remove the impurity immediately but begging your Lord for forgiveness. It necessary to seek purity because our Lord is our destination and only the pure will be able to meet him. He says;

‘and to Him will ye be all brought back’.

Every so often we hear “Verily to Allah we belong and unto Him is our return”. Each one of us is returning to our Creator; however some may not reach Him. Understand that we are on a journey and that journey is to successfully return to and meet our Lord. The best and surety way of achieving this is to follow the path of Siratul Mustaqeem – the straight path that has no deviations.

Mir’aj is real and it is possible for followers of Prophet Muhammad (saw)to also experience some sort of ‘mir’aj’, if they keep their personality clean and pure. We are all aware of the hadith ‘salaat is the mir’aj of the believer’. And in order to pray our salaat as a prerequisite we must physically purify ourselves. Remember Allah loves purity. This is why the non-believers are banned from entering the holy city of Makkah Mukarramah. So we can see the importance of constantly seeking purity, physically, spirituality and morally. The foundation for making yourself eligible to meet your Lord is purity.

On the Day of Judgement mankind will be categorise into three groups. There will be one group of people who will be blessed with the ability to overtake everyone and reach the destination that is Allah . The second group will be those who will be a bit slower because of the ‘heavy baggage’ they will be carrying and Prophet (saw) will intercede to Allah on behalf of them. The third group will be those who will not be able to move at all regardless of the effort they will put in. They are the unsuccessful ones who will not have a chance to meet Allah and as a result they will be pushed into the abyss of hell. Which group would you like to be in?

Prophet was so pure and clean that it was no problem for him to physically leave this universe and go right up and meet his Lord. This journey consisted of two phases; the journey from Makkah to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem up to the heavens. Using the physics of today we see that it is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light.

Allah says about Prophet ;

‘The Messenger of God is an excellent model’

A lot of people tend to think that this only refers to religious issues. However, it refers to all aspects of life, so whatever scientists’ discover today or in the future, Prophet (saw) was already ahead and advanced in all matters. This is so different from the other religions. For the example the Christians propagated that the world was flat, the Hindus argue that the earth is actually resting upon a horn of a cow. Prophet Muhammad (saw) was able to travel from one city to another in a way in which man is yet to discover. And while travelling he stopped at two places where they were caravans. At the first stop the lead camel of the caravan became agitated and ran off. Prophet (saw) was able to accurately advise the tribesmen where to recover the camel. At the other caravan Prophet (saw) went into the tent where the people were resting, he drank some of their water and continued on his journey. The companions and others, who accused him of being ‘crazy’, because of the difficulty they had in believing him, were able to verify what he told them through these meetings. He was also able to accurately describe Masjid al Aqsa for the doubters. The means of travel was so sophisticated that man is yet to discover how.

After his visit to Al Aqsa where he led all the past Messengers in salaat, he was privileged to go up. We must note that the atmosphere consists of barriers called the electro magnetic barriers. Earth’s atmosphere has 7 electro magnetic barriers and in the Qur’an we find the term ‘samawat’ mentioned. This translates to the 7 layers (skies) in the earth’s atmosphere. Because of the presence of these barriers waves cannot penetrate it. However during the mir’aj Prophet (saw) was able to ‘break through’ these hurdles and go higher and higher even to the point where angel Jibreel couldn’t go. We can’t explain this wonder through scientific reason and logic. It was on this night that the avenues were opened up for man to gain access.

Why could Jibreel go on with Prophet while in the heavens? Possibly because when Allah announced that He was going to create man He gave the angels a little leeway and they questioned His decision. They demonstrated a limit in their capacity and therefore couldn’t go further as Prophet (saw) was able to. Why was he able to go higher and higher? Because it is said about him in the Qur’an;

‘nor does He say (aught) of (his own) desire.’

Every thing he said was on the basis of Divine inspiration and guidance. Because he was most pure and clean he was able to go higher and higher, to the point where he was in the Divine Presence of Allah .

Allah says He is close to us. He mentions in Surah Qaaf;

‘for We are nearer to him than (his) jugular vein’.

If Allah is ‘with us’ why was it then necessary for Him to physically take Prophet (saw) up into the heavens to meet and converse with him? In order to understand this reference must be made to the following;

‘Ashadu an la ilaha illa'llah - I testify that there is no God but Allah ’

Once there was a muezzin who was sounding the adhan and when he said ‘ashadu an la ilaha illa'llah.’ his Sheikh held him by the arm and accused him of lying. Puzzled the muezzin asked how he could make such a statement. The sheikh replied how is it possible to prove there is only One God. The muezzin, an intelligent fellow, replied, “I can’t but my leader and teacher said there is only One God, and he never told a lie so I know there is only One God.’

Even before Prophet hood, Muhammad (saw) was known for his trustworthiness and honesty.

How can you believe in something you have never seen? Because Prophet was sent as a witness to the entire universe and he testified to what he saw and preached. He says;

‘And I am commanded to be the first of those who bow to Allah in Islam’.

When he was in the Divine Presence according to some scholars Allah greeted him and he replied and in this beautiful situation he thought of his ummah and included us all in this beautiful moment. At that point when he was at the highest, greatest point he remembered others. This conversation is repeated daily by Muslims all over the word we they engage in salaat;

Attahiyyaatu Lillahi Was Salawato Wattayyibatu Assalamu Alaika Ayyuhannabi 'o 'Warahmatullahi Wabarka'tuhu Assalamu Alaina Wa'ala'Ibadillahis Sa'liheen, Ash'had'u'un La ilahaillallahu Wa Ash'hadu Anna MuhammadunAbd'uhu Wa Rasooluh'

Greetings, prayers and our good deeds are for Allah. Peace, mercy and blessings of Allah be on you O Prophet. May peace be upon us and on the devout slaves of Allah. I testify that there is no god but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is His slave and messenger.

How can we keep ourselves pure and clean? It starts with your intentions. Remember ‘actions are judged by intentions’. Allah showed His beloved the unseen verities. Some of the companions had a debate as to whether or not Prophet (saw) saw Allah . Hazrat Aisha (ra) was of the view that he didn’t and she further went on to say ‘anyone who says that he saw Allah is a liar’. Perhaps she was referring to physical sight, but think for a moment did Prophet (saw) tell of everything he saw and witnessed?

Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, wrote in his final writings ‘those who know don't speak, those who speak don't know’. Why didn’t Prophet disclose everything he experienced? For example when he was asked to describe the Lot tree he said that ‘the leaves were like the ears of elephants’. How can one describe this and generally speaking how can one explain religious experiences?

We all know of the 5 senses that humans poses. But what about the sixth sense, the one that is used to read the book of Moses (as). As scholars put it there are certain degrees of freedom that man has and some may be able to use their higher senses while other may not. So how for example people, using their 10th sense or higher degree of freedom, explain a matter or experience to someone who only operates on their 5th sense? Religious experiences are difficult to explain using scientific reason and logic. Prophet (saw) was privileged to witness the unseen, be it actual or concept. Allah wanted to show His beloved who He is.

‘There is no God but He: that is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice, there is no God but He, the Exalted In power, the wise’.

It is possible for man to travel spirituality and for him to even go upwards into the heavens. This is being done on a regular basis. There are righteous people who have access to the heavens and to the Messengers. How can this be proved? The answer is found in the Qur’an?

‘and say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah. "they are dead". Nay, they are living, though ye perceive (it) not’.

How can you explain this? How can we explain that there are certain righteous believers who have left this world and yet still they are still alive and are functioning? Reason and logic is useless when it comes to understanding this. Unfortunately there are some who argue haram, bidah, shirk. Remember what Allah says in His Glorious Words;

‘They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they Hear not’.

After all of this explanations and descriptions the question sill remains why Mir’aj? Why was it necessary to physically take up Prophet (saw)? In order to answer this, firstly think of how is it possible to get the sun light into a dark room. Logically one could reflect the light using a mirror. There may be some hindrance such as the clouds, dust in the atmosphere, spots on the mirror etc. The Mir’aj is the occasion when Prophet (saw) went up into the heavens and removed all the barriers that existed and got the true and beautiful Light of Allah to reflect on mankind. He was destined to reflect the Light of Allah on earth. Proof of this can be found in the Qur`an in Surah Ma'ida and Surah Nur. In Surah Nur there contains a verse known as Ayat an-Nur. This ayat is renowned for its remarkable beauty;

‘Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The Parable of His Light is as if there were a Niche and within it a Lamp: the Lamp enclosed in Glass: the glass as it were a brilliant star: Lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil is well-nigh luminous, though fire scarce touched it: Light upon Light! Allah doth guide whom He will to His Light: Allah doth set forth Parables for men: and Allah doth know all things’.

Prophet (saw) is that one who was delegated that mission of reflecting the Light of Allah on the universe. Allah says in Surah Zumar;

‘and the earth will shine with the glory of its Lord’.

No other creature has this capacity. His blessed personality is capable of absorbing the Light of Allah; and further reflect it throughout the universe.

Make this an occasion where we make the firm decision that we are going back to meet our Lord and the meeting will be cordial and beautiful. May Allah help us and bless us and make it possible for the believers to experience their ‘mir’aj’ here in this world. May Allah always bless the believers.

Climbing back to our Lord

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

Allah has created made man very special. He has given man tremendous capacity such that He did not give any other create, even the highest of angels. He says in Surah Tiin;

‘We have indeed created man in the best of moulds, then do We abase him (to be) the lowest of the low, except those who believe and do righteous deeds:’

Allah has created us as He says ‘in the best of moulds’. However He has placed us at the ‘bottom of the ladder’ here on earth, so our mission is to ‘climb’ back up to Him. In order to achieve this ‘climb’ He says that we must believe in His Oneness and engage in righteousness.

We have been given the capacity and capability of returning to our Lord and according to some scholars we will even have the opportunity of greeting Him and He will respond.

In this context we can see that the Mir’aj of our dear leader is the manifestation of the achievement of mans’ mission. We have this as an example and as a motivator. A physical creature was able to purify his personality to the extent where he had no problem to ascend back where he came from and even higher.

Prophet (saw) went right up and he bears witness to what Allah mentions in the Holy Qur’an. His status is higher than all and his visit to the heavens was a grand occasion.

So man has tremendous capacity. For example everyday 70’000 angels’ descend to earth and roam the land searching for those who send darood on our beloved. And when they return to the heaven they never return and the other day another 70’000 angles descend, and this cycle goes on and on. We have the opportunity of sending darood anytime we wish, so Allah has truly been favourable to us.

It is Satan who manipulates some to an extent that they behave worst than some animals. Believers are not like this. Our leader is different and unique and as such his followers must also be of a higher standard. He is reported to have said in hadith “people become like their leaders”. So we have been blessed with a most beautiful, universal model and we should work hard to live up to this expectation.

Allah wants us to become enlightened. And we can see this from the very first revelation He gave Prophet (saw); read. Prophet (saw) gave us a lot of ahadith of the importance of becoming enlightened. “The ink of the scholar is holier than the blood of the martyr”. “One learned man is harder on the devil than a thousand worshippers”.

The way of enlightenment is to have Mir’aj, and this is not haram, bidah, shirk as the masses unfortunately propagate. If you engage in spirituality properly it is possible for you to actually see Jannah in this life, and many of the Masheikhs have taught this. The next stage in spirituality is ascent. Allah through His grace and mercy makes matters of the unseen known. This is why it is written in the Qur’an that some ‘have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not’.

Struggle and strive to achieve the potential Allah has afforded you. The days behind are lost and we may hold some form of regret. However we need to make use of the days ahead. Use the bounties Allah has blessed you with to ‘climb’ back up to Him, and insha Allah the meeting will be a most pleasant one.

Keeping a sound heart

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّ حِيْمِ

The goal of every pious believer is to stand in the presence of Allah, seeking His Divine Countenance. We see this in the Holy Qur’an and we should try to work towards this every single day. Take for example our Salaat, where we are actually meeting Allah face to face. Before we begin we say;

'Inni -y wajjahtu wajh -e li- 'alladhe fat.ara as- samaawaat wa- al- 'ard hanef (an) wa- maa 'anaa min al-mushriken '

"For me, I have set my face, firmly and truly, towards Him(Who is facing me) Who created the heavens and the earth, and never shall I give partners to Allah."

Islamic sprituality teaches a person to aspire to attain this feeling of being in the Divine Presence. In order to attain this one must purify himself. Allah says in His Holy Words;

‘The Day whereon neither wealth nor sons will avail, but only he (will prosper) that brings to Allah a sound heart’. (26 : 88-89)

Only those who ‘bring to Allah a sound heart’, free from ‘blemishes’ will be among the successful ones. Allah is pure and as such only those whose personality is clean and pure will be able to feel himself standing in the Divine Presence. One example of such a person is Prophet Abraham (as) as Allah mentions in the Qur’an;

‘Verily among those who followed His way was Abraham. Behold! He approached His Lord with a sound heart’. (37 : 83-84)

Abraham (as) was one who purified himself from the impurities of this world, thus Allah refers to him as one who followed the rightous path.

It is important to note that purification from impurities also implies purifying the environment and the company we keep. Allah advises us that we should interact or socialize with the true believers. There was this one time where some Jews came to see Prophet Muhammad (saw) while he was in the company of his Companions. The Jews requested private meeting with him, away from his Companions. As such Allah revealed the following ayat;

‘and keep thy soul content with those who call on Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not thine eyes pass them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this life; no obey any whose heart have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own whose case has gone beyond all bounds’. (18:28)

It is better for us to stay in the company of believers who engages in those activities that leads to seeking the Divine Countenance of Allah. Running after the world and idolizing the wealthy and powerful serves no benefit to you.

Works towards feeling yourself in the Divine Presence of our Lord and Master and through this process Allah will grant you success. Be mindful of what is inside the heart and the company you keep, as Allah is All Seeing and He knows what our true status are. May Allah bless us and take care of our affairs.

Culturing the Ruh

In order to light a fire you must first have a source of light, for example you must first strike a match; and the conditions for allowing the spark to ignite, must be present, such as the quality of the wood, the amount of moisture and oxygen present. When combined the little spark from the match will be able to ignite, spread and grow.

In every human being Allah has placed a tiny spark, like that which comes from the lighter, in the physical shell of the body. The mission of life is to prepare the conditions in that physical shell, so that the spark can increase in brightness and spread to all parts of the body.

The human personality comprises of a physical dimension and non-physical dimension. The body with the nafs is the physical and the soul or ruh is the non-physical. The ruh is the ‘spark of light’ Allah has put into human beings; and it is expected that every single person will make the conditions right so that it can increase in brightness and spread to every physical cell. The conditions which will permit it to grow and spread are called in the Holy Qur'an maruf. So, by upholding maruf, the soul will become brighter and brighter.

On the other hand, if a person instead of upholding maruf, does what is called munkar i.e. prohibited things, the ruh becomes soiled and will not spread. In reference to this Allah says:

Nay, but that which they have earned is rust on their hearts. (83:14)

Allah gives us the formula for our ‘spark of light’ to spread. He says in Surah Imran;

Enjoin what is right, and forbid what is wrong: (3:104)

Allah gives us a clear understanding of the do’s and don’ts in Islam. If we adhere to the do’s our ‘spark of light’ will be able to grow and spread because the conditions will be present. One of the best of actions which will cause the light of the soul to increase in brightness is the performance of Salaat. The Messenger of Allah (saw) is reported to have said, “Salat is the best of all that has been ordained by Allah.” In Salaat we are standing facing our Lord, in doing so the Light of Allah will have an impact on our light.

He also mentions in Surah Hijr;

“and serve Thy Lord until there come unto Thee the Hour that is Certain.” (Chapter 15, verse 99)

Some scholars are of the opinion that ‘certainty’ means death; others argue that it means ‘religious experiences’. Regardless of the philosophical debates Allah clearly indicates in the first part of the ayat that we must submit to Him, whole heartedly; and throughout our entire lives. When our beloved Prophet (saw) returned from the Mir’aj he still remained submissive and obedient to Allah, although he had the greatest of experiences. So we must continue striving on the right path; even when we believe that we may have had something of certainty in the form of religious experience.

Those who are generally against ‘spirituality’ or tassawuf may do so because of the lack of understanding of what is actually done in any one of the meditation sessions. This is because it is something that one has to experience and not simply read about from a book.

Imam Ghazali (ra) writes “those who choose to travel upon the path of Truth, know that it is essential for you to attach yourself to a Spiritual Guide and Teacher who, through his spiritual instructions, will purify yourself from evil tendencies and replace them with nobility of character. And the definition of this “spiritual instruction” may be likened to that of the husbandman who removes the thorns and plucks out the weeds from the young plantation so that it may grow to perfection.”

Spirituality is something that reason and logic cannot explain because it is outside the realm of space and time. Allah makes mention of those who are blind to the truth;

“Many are the Jinns and men we have made for Hell: they have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, and ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle,- nay more misguided: for They are heedless (of warning).” (Chapter 7, verse 179)

In another ayat He says;

“and say not of those who are slain in the way of Allah "they are dead." Nay, They are living, though ye perceive (it) not.” (Chapter 2, verse 154)

How can you explain these things using scientific reason and logic? Or how can you learn about these matters from just picking up a book and reading? You can’t and it is indeed unfortunate that some people fall into the trap of using their limited knowledge to explain matters that can only be experienced through the Mercy and Grace of Allah . And then they argue “haram, bidah, shirk”. It is so unfortunate and we must sympathise with them and ask Allah to open their hearts.

Spirituality is truly a beautiful thing. It allows you to realise every second of the day how close and loving your Lord really is, and how He is always willing to bestow His compassion, mercy and forgiveness upon His devotees.

Let us make a conscious effort, every single day, to make right the conditions surrounding us that will allow our ruh to grow and spread. We beg Allah to make this exercise easy for us and may He keep us far away from the ‘heedless ones’ and the ones who understand not. May Allah bless us and protect us.

Reliance on Allah

Complete reliance in Allah

We cannot judge whatever happens to us and to others on the basis of reason and logic. We cannot fully comprehend the workings of Allah . He gives examples of man's lack of understanding when it comes to His workings. For example He makes mention of the meeting between Hazrat Musa (as) and Khidr in Surah Kahf. At that particular juncture in Musa’s life he assumed that he was the most knowledgeable person on the face of the earth. When Allah brought to Musa’s attention that there was someone (Khidr) who had more knowledge than him, Musa set out to meet and learn from Khidr. During their journey Khidr did certain actions that appeared to be harmful and ‘senseless’. For example he scuttled a boat that was owned by Masaakin (poor people). Musa (as) using reason and logic was of the opinion that Khidr intended to cause the owners of the boat to drown. However as Khidr would later reveal it was to safe guard their boat from the unjust ruler. The full story of Musa (as) and Khidr is recorded in Surah Kahf, ayats 65 to 82.

So Allah has means and ways that He takes care of His servants. Some of these may be apparent to us and others may not. Remember there is wisdom in whatever Allah allows to take place, even though we may not fathom it. As Allah mentions in His Holy Words;

                     
“but it is possible that ye dislike a thing which is good for you, and that ye love a thing which is bad for you. but Allah knoweth, and ye know not.” (Chapter 2, verse 216)

When Prophet Muhammad was informed by Angel Jibriel that his grandson, Imam Hussain (ra), would have been martyred he didn’t pray to Allah to prevent it even though he was saddened. Prophet knew that he could not alter the plan of Allah .

Allah takes care of us whether we are aware of it or not. Our success is to put our faith in Him and submit humbly and whole heartedly. We need to try to develop this reliance on our Lord. No one will do it for us; as Allah says in Surah Ar Ra'd;
            
“Verily never will Allah change the condition of a people until they change it themselves (with their own souls)”. (Chapter 13, verse 11)

Even the ability to ‘try’ comes from Allah . Whenever something happens that we may not understand just resign yourself to your Lord. This is what faith is. He is the one who protects us, sustains us and guides us. He has made Islam complete and perfect. Once Prophet Muhammad , while walking with his companions saw a mother being most loving to her baby. Upon seeing this he told his companions “Allah loves his servants more than this mother loves her baby.”

If Prophet says that Allah loves you and he is one that never told a lie, do you think Allah will cause you to be destroyed? What we have to do is to try to keep our covenant with Him and insha Allah He will take care of everything else. Remember if you go to Allah walking He will come to you running. So willing He is to help us that He says in Surah Ahzab that He and His angles send salaat on all of us so that we can move out of ‘darkness’ and into ‘light’;

              
“He it is who Sends blessings on you, as do His angels, that He may bring you out from the depths of darkness into Light: and He is full of Mercy to the believers” (Chapter 33, verse 43)

If He is doing all of this for us then all we need to do is to put our faith and trust in Him. Yes we will experience challenges and difficulties but if we have faith in our Lord then He will never let us down.

Total reliance on Allah is something easier said than done, especially when the trials and tribulations come our way, and the ones who we would have expected to help us and ‘be there’ for us reveal their true personalities.

A beautiful example of faith in Allah was when Prophet Abraham (as) was ordered to leave his wife, Hajar and his son, Ishmael in a barren valley. Imagine Abraham (as), after so many years of begging Allah for a son finally got Ishmael, and soon afterwards he was commanded by His Lord to led them and leave them to an uncultivated valley having no fruit, no trees, no food, no water and no sign of life. Imagine how he would have felt. And what did he beg Allah for when he was leaving them? He didn’t ask Allah to provide food or water for them. Instead he made this beautiful plea;

                  ••     •     •                  
“O Our Lord! I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy sacred House; in order, O Our Lord, that they may establish regular prayer: so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them, and feed them with fruits: so that They may give thanks. O Our Lord! truly Thou dost know what we conceal and what we reveal: for nothing whatever is hidden from Allah, whether on earth or In heaven.” (Chapter 14, verse 37 – 38)

We are all dependant on Allah and He bestows His abundance of Mercy on whomever He wishes. When you understand this your outlook on life will change and you will demonstrate more humility, tolerance and patience. We have to strive and work hard in order to make our ruh shine and, insha Allah, Allah will elevate us in this life and the next.

We all aspire to improve our personalities and one way of achieving this is to have complete reliance on Allah . We are completely dependent on Him. This is why the 5th stage in spirituality is called ‘realization’. When you realize that you are nothing and that Allah is everything, you will understand that your importance is solely because of His Mercies on you, and that your success is because He has been gracious to you.

We beg Allah to increase us in tawakkul and may He, out of His Grace and Mercy, look after our affairs and provide for us a ‘way out’ in times of need.

CAN A WOMAN BE A LEADER

CAN A WOMAN BE A LEADER?
By
Maulana Dr. Waffie Mohammed

Some Muslims are confused as to what they should do in the up coming General Elections of Trinidad and Tobago. The reason for being uncertain as to whether they should vote or not, is because of the opinion of some scholars that Muslims should not put a woman in a leadership position.

Those who are propagating this belief base their authority on the Hadith of Prophet (pboh) as is reported by Abu Bakrah, and is recorded in Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No. 4425. According to this Hadith, the Prophet (pboh) is reported to have said: A nation which placed its affairs in the hands of a woman shall never prosper.

Those who claim that the leadership of women is un-Islamic rely on this Hadith for so doing. It is interesting to know that there was never unanimity on this matter among the scholars, past and present, regarding the authenticity of this Hadith; as the disenfranchisement of women in politics is suspicious.

Upon close examination of the Hadith, it is found that, even those who rely on it as guidance, are not clear regarding the position of the part of it which says: placing the affairs in the hands of women.

Some scholars prohibit women to hold any public office. However, Imam Abu Hanifa is of the view that a woman can hold any public office including that of a judge on all cases except where fixed penalties (hudud and qisas) are to be prescribed.

There are scholars that permit women to hold any office including that of the head of the State. Hafiz Ibn Hajr indicates in Fathul Bari that Imam Ibn Jarir al Tabari, that not only can a woman be appointed as a judge, but can also be appointed as the Head of the State. A similar view is expressed by Imam Malik and adopted by some of the Maliki Scholars.

From what has been said so far, one can conclude that there is no unanimity regarding the position taken by even the earlier scholars on this matter. It is not true to believe that leadership in politics is a recent western inclusion, as, in the past there were many Muslim women who became the Head of State and they were accepted by all, including the Muslim scholars of the time.

In recent times there were a number of Muslim women voted in power by their respected people either as president or prime minister. All these women had the blessings of even the renowned scholars of their respective countries. Some of these women are:

• Fatima Ali Jinnah: Prime Minister was selected by the Scholars of Pakistan in 1965 to contest the election for President against Ayyub Khan.
• Benazir Bhutto: Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1988-90; 1993-1996
• Tansir Ciller: Prime Minister of Turkey 1993-1996
• Hasina Wajed: Prime Minister of Bangladesh 1996
• Khaleda Zia: Prime Minister 1994 and 1996

Ibn Batuta writes in his book that the Maldives were ruled by queens, for many years, the first being Sultana Khatija. There were similar situations in Indonesia for many years. (Art. Women and Political Leadership in Muslim Thought. Sanusi Lamido Sanusi: Taken from the internet).

The permission to allow women to be leaders in Islam seems to oppose the Hadith reported by Abu Bakrah. Some of the reasons for doing so are as follows:

1. Abu Bakrah was a former slave who accepted Islam because he was promised to be set free.
2. He fought along with Hazrat Ayesha against Hazrat Ali, in the battle of the camel, and did not narrate the Hadith all the time he was fighting under the leadership of Hazrat Ayesha.
3. It was only when she lost the battle that he reported the Hadith to Hazrat Ali.
4. He reported that he heard the Hadith from the Prophet (pboh) many years before but never narrated it to anyone.
5. He was hopeful to be appointed as a Governor of province by Hazrat Ali.
6. Abu Bakrah had a questionable past, as he was ordered to be flogged by Hazrat Umar for false testimony. (The Veil and the Male Elite: Mernissi)
7. Some scholars (Justice Aftab Hussain) are of the view that Abu Bakrah did not really understand the Hadith narrated, otherwise he would not have accepted Hazrat Ayesha as his leader in battle.
8. The particular Hadith was a prediction relating to the Kingdom of Persia and not a general prediction; as the Prophet (pboh) was predicting that the Chosroe's dynasty will not prosper.

Allah endorses the capability of some women to successfully rule their people in the Holy Qur'an. One example given is the Queen of Sheba, the female ruler who was very successful and prosperous. He says:

I found a woman ruling over them and provided with every requisite, and she has a magnificent throne. (27:28-44)

It will be seen from the above presentation that the issue of having a woman as a political leader is acceptable in Islam; and the basis of authority by those who oppose it may have some amount of uncertainty attached to it.

Muslims are required to: Help one another in righteousness and piety; and not to help one another in sin and rancour. (5:2)

Therefore if something appears to be unjust and corrupt it should not be supported.

The Last Days of Jesus on Earth

THE LAST DAY
OF JESUS ON EARTH
Text of TV Script
Summary:

In our last program, we saw where Jesus was preaching moral principles, and while he was popular with the multitude of the Israelites, the Chief priest and the Scribes were not favouring him very much. They considered him to be a problem as he was criticising their behaviour and teachings.

They were violating the laws of Moses, and he was trying to restore them; so they wanted to get rid of him.

Jesus had real problem to get dedicated workers for the cause of Allah, as he preached and taught the people. They listened to him but were not prepared to sacrifice their lives for the cause of Allah. Even his disciples were not very dedicated to his mission.

We saw this in his saying to them that all of them were going to forsake him in that crucial night. This included even Peter. So he said to them, after they had a meal together. All of you shall be offended because of me tonight.

Why did Jesus tell Peter that he (Peter) will forsake Jesus?

Jesus was aware that there was plan to take hold of him and to try to get rid of him. He was also aware of the fact that while his disciples were with him all the time they were not fully dedicated to his mission and did not really learn much from him.

For example, he once told Peter:

Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offense unto me; for thou
savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. (Mt.17:23).

But was Peter the only one about whom Jesus was disappointed?

Jesus was not happy with the dedication to his mission from his disciples. Look at what he told them all:

If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mt.17:24)

Again he said to them:

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? (Mt.17:17)

We see the lack of dedication among the disciples when they were given some major responsibilities to undertake. Take for example while Jesus was praying in the garden.

While Jesus was in the garden worshipping Allah, what were the disciples who were with him doing?

Jesus went to worship the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. He took with him three of the disciples and with a heavy heart, he ordered them to sit and keep watch while he went a little further and prayed as Muslims pray.

When Jesus made his supplications to the Lord, he came back and found the three of them asleep. He was not happy with them and said to them:

What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. (Mt.26:40-41)

Then he went back again to worship, hoping that his disciples would listen to him and stay alert; but when he was finished and came back; he again found them asleep. He gave up on them and went back and continued to worship Allah. He said to them:

Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners. (Mt.26:45)

Was Jesus really betrayed by one of his disciples?

The Qur'an has not mentioned anything about what happened to him, from the time of his preaching, his encounter with the chief priests and scribes, his arrest and trial. All it has mentioned is about the crucifixion.

What we know about the incidents which led to his end or disappearance can be understood from what is contained in the Gospels.

For example, he was identified by Judas, who betrayed him for a fee. Upon his betrayal, he was arrested; one of his disciples resisted his arrest; but Jesus ordered him to put away his sword.

Jesus was disappointed with the way the multitude was behaving against him so he said to them:

Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. (Mt.26:55)

What made the chief priests and scribes angry with Jesus?

Jesus was teaching humility; something the chief priests and scribes did not have. Look at what he taught them:

Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Mt.18:3-4)

Another example of how he dealt with them: They came to him and ask him something. Jesus replied as follows:

Ye have made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips but their heart is far from me but in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men…..
Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?

So Jesus was all the time highlighting their evil and telling the multitude how their leaders were evil, and they did not like that at all.

What happened when he was arrested?

First of all, the disciples forsook him and fled.

Then all the disciples forsook him and fled. (Mt.26:56)

He was taken to the high priest, who was with the scribes and the elders.

And they that had laid hold on Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled. (Mt.26:57)
Peter followed and sat among the people; and the authorities were trying to find false witnesses to accuse him of treason, so that they can kill him. They found two false witnesses and as a result they began to torture him.

What did Peter do when he saw the people humiliating Jesus?

Peter found himself in trouble, as some of the women identified him as being one from among Jesus disciples. But Peter denied ever knowing Jesus and began to curse, as if he was cursing Jesus.

He said: I do not know the man. …Then began he to curse and swear, saying, I know not the man. Mt.26:74)

When he realised that Jesus had predicted that he will forsake his master, he went out and wept for what he did.

Was Jesus tried for whatever he was accused?

The Bible tells us about his trial as follows:

When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death; and when they bound him, they led him away, and delivered him to Pontius Pilate, the governor. (Mt.27:1-2)

He was taken before the governor; but he did not answer any of the questions that were posed to him. Instead of condemning him the governor was surprised that Jesus was able to hold his peace in spite of all the accusations that were levelled against him by the high priest and his men.

The governor realised that Jesus was a just person and that he was envied. To add to his own conviction, his wife sent a message to him telling him that he should have nothing to do with the condemnation of Jesus.

When the governor questioned the multitude as to who was the one to be released from prison the chief priest and his men urged the multitude to say Barabas, and not Jesus. The multitude did not want to hear anything about justice, etc. they simply said let him be crucified. Pilate washed his hands off the matter

But he was not tried for anything?

No, the high priest and his men just wanted to get rid of Jesus and the way they selected was to crucify him. So they began torturing him and began making preparation for his crucifixion.

They then proceeded to take him to the place where he was to be crucified. But he was unable to carry the cross, so they forced Simon to take the cross and carry it for Jesus. There is no record in the Bible that Jesus took back the cross.

Also, there is no record that he was kept close to Simon. As a matter of fact, he turned around and began speaking to the ladies who were following him. This is recorded in Luke 23:28, as follows:

Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children….

It because of all the turmoil and confusion, no one knows exactly who was put on the cross.

But there were guards and soldiers, and the high priests, etc. how could they have made a mistake and crucify another person?

There are many Christian sects that believe that Jesus was not crucified. Some of these are:

• The Basilidians, in the very beginning of Christianity denied that Christ himself suffered, but asserted that it was Simon who was crucified.
• The Corinthians also are of the same view.
• The Carpocrations also are of this view.

All those who believe that it was not Jesus who was crucified believe that it was one of his disciples, or some other person.

What does the Qur'an say about his crucifixion?

Allah tells us in the Holy Qur'an, the following:

They (Jews) boastfully say: We killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. But they killed him not, nor crucified him. But so it appeared to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with not certain knowledge; but only conjecture to follow; for a surety they did not kill him. (4:157)

Why were there some doubts as to who was actually put on the cross?

There were some unusual developments at the time of the crucifixion. These are recorded in the Bible as follows:

Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour. (Mt.27:45)

Behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent; and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose. (Mt.27:51ff.)
But they would have known who was actually crucified, when they would have taken down the body?

The body of the one that was crucified was secretly taken away and buried in a private tomb. We find reference of this in Mathew. It says:

When the even had come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. (Mt. 27:57-61)


Is it true then that no physical body was put in the tomb which was guarded by the high priests?

No body was put in the tomb in which the crucified person was supposed to be put. What Joseph did was to put a stone in front of it as though some one was put inside it.

Although the chief priest and the guards were there when they opened the tomb there was no one in it. So the guards were bribed to stay quiet about the whole matter. Mathew tells us about this in the following verses:

They gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Mt.28:12-15)

No one could have attested to the fact that it was Jesus who was crucified, as there was no evidence that he was put in the tomb, and when they finally went to open it, they found it opened with no one inside of it.

The Qur'an makes it absolutely clear that they did not harm Jesus although they believe they did; and the truth of this matter will one day come to light. Allah says:

They said: We killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah; but they did not kill him; nor did they crucify him; but so it was made to appear to them. And those who differ therein are full of doubts, with no certain knowledge; but only conjecture to follow. For a surety they did not kill him. Nay, Allah raised him up unto Himself; and Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. And there is none of the People of the Book but must believe in him before his death. (4:157-159)

For us the important thing to keep in mind is what Jesus taught and what he stood for. This, unfortunately is not taken into consideration by those who claim to believe in him and love him.

The Mission of Jesus

THE MISSION OF JESUS

Part of a Series of Program
Presented on IBN TV

About whom was Jesus referring?

Jesus was referring to someone who was not to be from the tribes of Israel, as he said to them:

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you (O Israelites) and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof. (Mt.21:43)

In another place he told them:

The stone which the builder rejected, the same is become the head of the corner, this is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in our eyes. (Mt.21:42)
It appears as though Jesus was indicating to the Israelites that they were no longer to be the custodians of the religion which God wanted to establish on earth; can you comment on this?

If we re-examine the prediction that Moses gave to the people about the one that was to come; he said to them:

(God spoke to him and said) I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deut.18:18)

The promise of God had to be fulfilled. But what we see in the saying of Jesus was that the expected one was not him and he, that is the expected one, still had to come. And it would not be from among the Israelites. That is why he told them:

The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you.

But the promised one was to come from the progeny of Abraham as everyone regarded Abraham as the father of the revealed religions.

If everyone accepts Abraham, his faith and works, why are there differences between the religions that came from the teachings of him?

First of all, there is a problem about the recognition of Ishmael as a son of Abraham in every sense of the word.

Ishmael was acknowledged as the first son of Abraham. He (Abraham) was the biological father of both Ishmael and Isaac.

Like Isaac, the Lord gave the name Ishmael to the boy that was to be born to Hagar. He told her that the meaning of the name Ishmael was "he shall be blessed". It is recorded in the Bible about the Lord's promise to the boy in the following verse:

As for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful. (Gen.16:20)

If in the Bible Ishmael is recognized as the blessed son, then why is he not accepted by the Jews and Christians?

In order to project the superiority of the Israelites who came from the second son of Abraham through Sarah, over the Ishmaelites, the upholders teach that he is a biological son but not one through which the promise of God shall be fulfilled. In this connection Paul wrote as follows:

But he (i.e. Ishmael) of the bondwoman was born after the flesh, but he (i.e. Isaac) of the freewoman was by promise…. Nevertheless, what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of a bondwoman shall not be the heir with the son of the freewoman. (Gal.4:22)

So the problem does not lie with what God wanted, it is based on what the Church teaches?

Paul does not believe that Ishmael must be considered to be a son in every sense of the word. As a result he says:

Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children. They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. (Rom.9:7)

The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary, the one and the other. (Gal.5:17)

Both Ishmael and Isaac are the sons of Abraham, and both were from the prayers of the old man. When he prayed for an offspring, in the beginning, Sarah offered her handmaid Hagar to him so that he can have a offspring, and later on she also became pregnant. Up to that time Ishmael was his only hope for carrying on his mission that is why when he left them in the wilderness upon the insistence of Sarah, he prayed as follows:

O my Lord, I have made some of my offspring to dwell in a valley without cultivation, by Thy Sacred House; in order, O My Lord, that they may establish regular prayer; so fill the hearts of some among men with love towards them. And feed them with fruits, so that they may give thanks. Qur'an 14:37)

Are we to believe that Paul regarded the progeny of Ishmael to be inferior to those from Sarah?

What Paul is saying is that Hagar and her son are not people of God, although God guided them, fed them and protected them in every way, while they were cast away in the wilderness.

Because of his position regarding the second wife of Abraham and his son they are called Gentiles, meaning: pagan and heathen.

But as we know, they were humble and submissive to God, just as Jesus and his mother Mary were humble and submissive to God. On the other hand Sarah had an attitude problem, and looked at things on the basis of reason and logic. That is why when the angel told her that she was going to have a son she laughed at the idea and questioned the rationality of it.

How was Paul able to discourage the Israelites from accepting Ishmael and his progeny?

Paul has misinformed the readers about the true status, in the sight of God, between both the wives and their children. He says:

He that is born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it was now. (Gal.4:29)

This is contrary to what happened then; and is still happening today, between the progeny of Ishmael and Isaac as some of the Israelites are slaughtering the Palestinians who are from Ishmael.

But who really did the torturing?

Hagar was tortured by Sarah while in her home. So severe was it that she ran away in the wilderness in order to escape her mistress's punishment. This is recorded in the Bible as follows:

And when Sarah dealt harshly with her, she fled from her face. ……And he (i.e. the angel of the Lord) said: Hagar, Sarai's maid whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the "angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. (Gen.16:6-9)

In the beginning, the persecution was because Hagar became pregnant for Abraham and Sarah could not have a child, but later on when Isaac was born, it was no longer envy, rather, Sarah did not want Abraham to give to Ishmael any of the inheritance. As a result she said to him:

Cast out the bondwoman and her son, for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. (Gal.4:30)

So the issue then, according to the Bible, was inheritance, and not any other matter which caused the separation.

The Israelites were from the progeny of Isaac; what about the progeny of Ishmael. Did not God tell Abraham something about them?

Abraham was righteous person, and is accepted by Jews, Christians and Muslims to be a person of high status in Paradise. In the Bible there is the indication that the righteous shall dwell in the bosom of Abraham. It says:

And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels in the bosom of Abraham. (Lk.16:22)

It means that whatever Abraham did was not evil, and so, his having a son with Hagar was not an evil act. It is because it was a thing ordained by God that He guided the woman and spoke to her and made a promise to Abraham concerning Ishmael.

According to the Bible, God said to Hagar:

And God hears the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar, out of the heavens, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is. Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand, for I will make him a great nation. (Gen.21:17-18)

Up to the time of the coming of Jesus that promise of God contained in the Bible was not yet fulfilled. So Jesus came to announce to the Israelites that God was about to fulfil that promise.

What was the promise God made to Abraham concerning Ishmael?

According to the Biblical records, God said to Abraham:

As for Ishmael, I have heard thee; behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. (Gen.17:20)

So that from Ishmael was to come a great nation; that was not yet fulfilled.

We see that Jesus was telling the Israelites two things; viz.

• The mission for the messengers was not yet complete as some one still had to come.
The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you (O Israelites) and given to a nation bringing forth the fruit thereof (Mt.21:43)

• The stone that was rejected by the Israelites was to become the corner stone. They had rejected the progeny of Ishmael calling them the children of the flesh. But God, in His wisdom was about to transfer the responsibility of upholding the laws which Moses had brought and uniting the entire humanity under one law, as one big happy human family. This is recorded in the Bible in the following verse:
Jesus saith unto them: Did ye never read in the scriptures, the stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes. (Mt.22:42)

Abu Huraira narrated that Prophet Muhammad (pboh) is reported to have said:

My similitude in comparison with the other prophets before me is that of a man who has built a house nicely and beautifully, except for a place of one brick, in a corner. The people go about it and wonder at its beauty, and say: Would that this brick be put in place. So I am that brick, and I am the last of the prophets. (Bukhari)

The progeny of Ishmael became the Arab people; did the Israelites recognise them at any time at all?

There were some interactions between them. For example, we have in 11 Chron. 9:11, where the kings of Arabia and governors brought gold and silver to Solomon.

Also in 17:11, the Arabians gave to Jehoshaphat flocks of goats and sheep; and he accepted them.

So they had communication, but one thing remained outstanding and that is, they were not entitled to the inheritance of anything that came from the assets of Abraham.

Had they been recognised as legitimate from the progeny of Abraham, then they would have been religiously entitled to inherit something from him.

Jesus was not speaking about inheritance of land and wealth; he was speaking about upholding the law; what was the people's reaction to what he was telling them?

Jesus tried patiently to get the Israelites to believe in God and uphold the law. But all the time they kept disobeying and were only looking for their material benefits. It pained him to see how they were behaving. Look at what he said to them:

If God were your Father you would love me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of myself, but he sent me. Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? He that is of God heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. (Jn.8:42-47)

So Jesus kept struggling to get the Israelites to listen to him and change their ways, but they never took him on. They were only interested in using him for their own benefit, as they did with all the messengers that came before him.

But did Jesus receive any help from his disciples in propagating his teachings?

Jesus had trouble with his disciples just as he had with the people. Take for example, when he was walking on the water, Peter requested Jesus to allow him to walk with him on the water too. And Jesus said come.

As Peter began walking he got scared and began to sink. Jesus took him by the hand and said to him:

O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? (Mt.14:28-31)

Again Jesus said to the people:

O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you, how long shall I suffer you? (Mt.17:17)

The Israelites knew that he was a special person with special powers, did they heed his teachings?

The Israelites were troubled in their minds whenever Jesus used to condemn them for their wrongs. Take for example, he was telling them of their lack of faith in the message from God, and they decided to throw him out of the temple. This is recorded in Lk. 4:28-29. It says:

And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath. And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built; that they might cast him down headlong.

On another occasion he chased them all out of the temple, as they were using it as a market place and not a place of worship. We find this recorded in the Bible as follows:

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought; saying unto them. It is written, My house is the house of prayer; but you had made it a den of thieves. And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him, and could not find what they might do; for all the people were very attentive to hear him. (Lk.19:41-42)

What we are seeing is that the leaders of the Israelites were opposed to the teachings of Jesus, even though the masses were listening to him.

If the leaders of the temple, the chief priests and scribes were all against his teachings, did they try to kill him?
Jesus used to teach the people in the temple during the day and in the night he used to go up in the mountain and pass it with his Lord. This is recorded in Luke 21:37 as follows:

And in the daytime he was teaching in the temple, and at night he went out, and abode in the mount that is called the Mount of Olives. And all the people came early in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him.

Jesus was becoming more and more popular with the masses; and this was some cause for concern among the leaders of the Israelites.

Did the chief priests and scribes like what was going on; or were they planning against Jesus; surely, they would have become concerned about his growing popularity?

The chief priests and scribes were trying to find ways and means of killing him without the knowledge of the masses. Most of them did not really know who he was but were only hearing about him.

Jesus was becoming too popular for them. Take for example when he was entering Jerusalem, the people lined up along the pathway and a great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strewed them in the way….. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying: Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. (Mt.21:6-10)

They i.e. the chief priests began putting together a plot to get rid of him.

Is there any record of the plot that they were able to hatch against him?

The fame of Jesus was growing, and he was helping more and more people; he healed their sick, he fed the multitude in the desert with five loaves of bread and two fishes; again he fed the multitude with seven loaves and a few small fishes, and so he was getting the masses of Israelites to believe in what he was preaching and teaching.

Knowing that they would not be able to do him harm in front of the multitude of people the leaders tried to embarrass him by asking him all kinds of questions. For example, they came to him and demanded a sign.

But Jesus was very alert, and knowledgeable and answered them by wisely telling them of the evil that was in them. He said to them: A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah. (Mt.16:1-5)

But were they satisfied with what he was telling them?

They became more and more confused with the answers that he was giving them to their questions; as his answers were in parables which were very difficult for them to unfold.

Some of these were:

The parable of the lost sheep.
Of a brother who sins
Of the unforgiving servant.

In addition to his answers in parables he also gave advises based on the commands that God had revealed.

For example he told the rich young ruler:
Do not commit murder
Do not commit adultery
Do not steal
Do not bear false witness
Honour thy father and thy mother
Love thy neighbour as thy self
Give your wealth in charity.

Jesus continued to preach the law and the commandments directly and by examples in order that the people may take heed.

Does the Qur'an bear testimony to the preaching and teaching of Jesus?

Allah tells us in the Qur'an that Jesus said to the Israelites:

I have come to you to attest the Law which was before me. And to make lawful to you part of what was before forbidden unto you; I have come to you with a Sign from your Lord. So fear Allah and obey me. It is Allah Who is my Lord and your Lord; then worship Him: this is a Way that is Straight. (3:50-51)

Jesus was very pious and saintly, and did everything possible to get the people to turn to God, for guidance and sustenance; but the detractors were not happy with the impact his message was having on the people and they wanted to put an end to it.

More so as he was not consulting with the chief priests and the rulers, but went about with his mission by himself, and with the few half hearted scribes that followed him.

Was Jesus fearful about the plots that were being hatched to kill him?

Jesus informed his disciples that there was a plan to crucify him. He said to them:
And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the Passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. (Mt.26:1-2)

Jesus also informed his disciples that they were not really dedicated to the cause for which he was sent; because when the real test will come upon them they will manifest their weakness of faith. For example, he told Peter:

Jesus said unto him (i.e. Peter), Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. (Mt.26:24)

Did Jesus inform the Israelites about the coming of Prophet Muhammad (pboh)?

According to what is revealed in the Holy Qur'an, Jesus said to the Israelites the following:

O Children of Israel, of a truth I am God's Apostle to you to confirm the law which was given before me; and to give Glad Tidings of an apostle that shall come after me, whose name shall be Ahmad (61:6)

So Jesus was telling them that he was upholding the law and connecting himself with Prophet Muhammad (pboh) who was to follow him.

Why did Jesus tell Peter that he (Peter) will forsake Jesus?

Jesus was aware that there was plan to take hold of him and to try to get rid of him. He was also aware of the fact that while his disciples were with him all the time they were not fully dedicated to his mission and did not really learn much from him. So he said to them, after they had a meal together. All of you shall be offended because of me tonight.

Then Jesus went to worship the Lord in the garden of Gethsemane. He took with him three of them and with a heavy heart, he ordered them to sit and keep watch while he went a little further and prayed as Muslims pray.

While Jesus was in the garden worshipping Allah, what were the disciples who were with him doing?

When Jesus made his supplications to the Lord, he came back and found the three of them asleep. He was not happy with them and said to them:

What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. (Mt.26:40-41)

Then he went back again to worship, hoping that his disciples would listen to him and stay alert; but when he was finished and came back he again found them asleep. He gave up on them and went back and continued to worship Allah. He said to them:

Sleep on now, and take your rest; behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of the sinners. (Mt.26:45)

Was Jesus really betrayed by one of his disciples?

The Qur'an has not mention anything about what happened to him, from the time of his preaching, his encounter with the chief priests and scribes, his arrest and trail. All it has mentioned is about the crucifixion.

What we know about the incidents which led to his end or disappearance can be understood from what is contained in the Gospels.

For example, he was identified by Judas, who betrayed him for a fee. Upon his betrayal, he was arrested; one of his disciples resisted his arrest; but Jesus ordered him to put away his sword.

Jesus was disappointed with the way the multitude was behaving against him so he said to them:

Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. (Mt.26:55)

What happened when he was arrested?

First of all, the disciples forsook him and fled. (Mt.26:56)

He was taken to the high priest, who was with the scribes and the elders. (Mt.26:57)

Peter followed and sat among the people; and the authorities were trying to find false witnesses to accuse him of treason, so that they can kill him. They found two false witnesses and as a result they began to torture him.

What did Peter do when he saw the people humiliating Jesus?

Peter found himself in trouble, as some of the women identified him as being one from among Jesus disciples. But Peter denied ever knowing Jesus and began to curse, as if he was cursing Jesus. When he realised that Jesus had predicted that Peter will forsake him, he went out and wept for what he did.

Was Jesus tried for whatever he was accused?

He was taken before the governor; but he did not answer any of the questions that were posed to him. Instead of condemning him the governor was surprised that Jesus was able to hold his peace in spite of all the accusations that were levelled against him by the high priest and his men.

The governor realised that Jesus was just person and that he was envied. To add to his own conviction, his wife sent a message to him telling him that he should have nothing to do with the condemnation of Jesus.

When the governor questioned the multitude as to who was the one to be released from prison the chief priest and his men urged the multitude to say Barabas, and not Jesus. The multitude did not want to hear anything about justice, etc. they simply said let him be crucified. Pilate washed his hands off the matter

But he was not tried for anything?

No, the high priest and his men just wanted to get rid of Jesus and the way they selected was to crucify him. So they began torturing him and began making preparation for his crucifixion.

They then proceeded to take him to the place where he was to be crucified. But he was unable to carry the cross, so they forced Simon to take the cross and carry it for Jesus. There is no record in the Bible that Jesus took back the cross.

Also, there is no record that he was kept close to Simon. As a matter of fact, he turned around and began speaking to the ladies who were following him. This is recorded in Luke 23:28, as follows:

Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children….

It because of all the turmoil and confusion, no one knows exactly who was put on the cross.

But there were guards and soldiers, and the high priests, etc. how could they have made a mistake and crucify another person?

There are many Christian sects that believe that Jesus was not crucified. Some of these are:

• The Basilidians, in the very beginning of Christianity denied that Christ himself suffered, but asserted that it was Simon who was crucified.
• The Corinthians also are of the same view.
• The Carpocrations also are of this view.

All those who believe that it was not Jesus who was crucified believe that it was one of his disciples, or some other person.

What does the Qur'an say about his crucifixion?

Allah tells us in the Holy Qur'an, the following:

They (Jews) boastfully say: We killed the Messiah, Jesus the son of Mary, the messenger of Allah. But they killed him not, nor crucified him. But so it appeared to them, and those who differ therein are full of doubts, with not certain knowledge; but only conjecture to follow; for a surety they did not kill him. (4:157)

But they would have known who was actually crucified, when they would have taken down the body?

The body of the one that was crucified was secretly taken away and buried in a private tomb. We find reference of this in Mathew. It says:

When the even had come, there came a rich man of Arimathea, named Joseph, who also himself was Jesus disciple. He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered. And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed. (Mt. 27:57-61)

Although the chief priest and the guards were there when they opened the tomb there was no one in it. So the guards were bribed to stay quiet about the whole matter. Mathew tells us about this in the following verses:

They gave large money unto the soldiers, saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and sole him away while we slept. And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you. So they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day. (Mt.28:12-15)

No one could have attested to the fact that it was Jesus who was crucified, as there was no evidence that he was put in the tomb, and when they finally went to opened it, they found it opened with no one inside of it.