A Special episode in the occasion of the Prophet’s Birthday

Question: We notice these days that Islam and Muslims are being attacked by non-Muslims, and so are the Messenger and the Qur’an. They are saying that there are contradictions between the Qur'an and the Hadiths; this attack is also spread throughout websites on the Internet, which are being given Islamic names in order to affect us. What should we do as Muslims so that we can be ambassadors of Islam and reply to such attacks?



The Qur’an replied saying,” So ask (you, O pagans of Makkah) of those who know the Scripture [learned men of the Taurât (Torah) and the Injeel (Gospel)], if you know not.” (Al-Nahl, 43). The Qur’an is explained by its people. Al-Shanqiti in his book Adwa' al- Bayan fi Tafseer Al-Qur'an says that there's no opposition in the Qur'an, nor is there a conflict between the Qur'an and the Hadith, for the halal (good) is clear and the haram (evil) is clear. There are those who will attack Islam in any case and one's faith and beliefs will defend, and if there are other issues, then they must be tackled by scholars and dou'at (people who call for Islam). There are many, each according to his specialization, thanks be to Allah. If our nation worked on applying, explaining, and understanding the Qur'an, it will reach safety, if Allah wills. The host digresses by asking the doctor to make special episodes on 'aqida (Islamic faith) and other common issues regarding those who attack the Qur'an and the Messenger (PBUH).



The host's question: Allah the Almighty did not create anything or send Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) for no reason. The Prophet had four characteristics: orphan hood, illiteracy, being a shepherd and tradesman, and honesty and trustworthiness. How can we associate orphan hood to shepherding, illiteracy and honesty and what is the wisdom behind his orphan hood, and how can the leader of all mankind be an orphan?



First of all, what does orphan hood mean? An orphan in the human world is that who has lost his father before puberty, in the animal kingdom it's that which has lost its mother, and in the bird kingdom it's that which lost both.



Why the father in the human world? Because a father's duty is to support, raise and reform, whereas he who has lost his mother is called “severed”; let us not neglect the mother's role in upraising. The term ‘father’ applies up till the seventh grandfather. When the Prophet (PBUH) was born, his father was dead so that no one will say that his father took care of him or raised him up, and every man who interfered in raising the Prophet (PBUH) up died: his father, then his grandfather, the mother who died when the Prophet (PBUH) was five or six, and even his custodians (Halima Al-Sa'diyya and her husband), for her husband was a busy man and they were people who lacked power. All this proves his words (PBUH): “Allah raised me and raised me well”. Thus, he was really raised by Allah the Almighty. His message was based on two: orphan hood and illiteracy. Therefore, no human being took care of him, but he was under the custody of Allah the Almighty, and no human being had any influence on his education.



If we search through the whole Qur'an, we will find that the term orphan occurs only once in Surat Al-Duha; “ Did He not find you (O Muhammad) an orphan and gave you a refuge?” (6), whereas illiteracy occurs twice:” Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad) whom they find written with them in the Taurât (Torah)and Injeel (Gospel)- he commands them for Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibât (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), he releases them from their heavy burdens (of Allâh’s Covenant with the children of Israel), and from the fetters (bindings) that were upon them. So those who believe in him (Muhammad), honor him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur’ân) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful” (Al-A'raf, 157), and “ He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism), and teaching them the Book (this Qur’ân, Islâmic laws and Islâmic jurisprudence) and Al-Hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship of Prophet Muhammad). And verily, they had been before in manifest error” (Al-Jumu'ah, 2).



Upon looking back at Surat Al-Doha, we notice that in “and gave you shelter” which comes after “Did He not find you an orphan”, there's an important implication that Allah has sheltered and I believe that this Surah has been treated unjustly, for it wasn’t explained fully. This Surah was revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) after days of suspension, so the people of Koreish said that Muhammad's God had forsaken him (Thus, they admitted the existence of a God, and this is the case of disbelievers in every age whose disbelief is associated with belief). So the verses were revealed as a reply to the disbelievers of Quraish that Muhammad's God didn’t forsake him as they had claimed. The interpretations of Allah's verses in this Surah were not fair, as I'd mentioned “And indeed the Hereafter is better for you than the present (life of this world)” Is it possible that the Prophet (PBUH) doesn't know that the Hereafter is better than this life?! The interpretation must be related to the verses and Allah the Almighty swore in the beginning of the Surah and He can swear by anything and however He wishes; but we must only swear by Him. “Whoever swears should swear by Allah or remain silent”, for Allah swears by the forenoon and by the night when it darkens “Your Lord (O Muhammad) has neither forsaken you nor hates you”, means that Allah hasn’t left you. The Qur’an's revelation hasn't ceased and every time a verse will be revealed to you it will be better than the one before and so on. The first one means the long lasting, not the dunya (this life) and this will continue until the next is revealed. It was mentioned in the Qur'an:” Verily, this is in the former Scriptures - The Scriptures of Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and Mûsâ (Moses)”(Al-A'la, 19), and since He mentioned the first books in the Qur’an, the second must be mentioned “(It is) in Records held (greatly) in honor (Al-Lauh Al-Mahfûz)” ('Abasa, 13), meaning the next. In verses of Surah Al-Duha, there's an interpretation of the Qur'an by the Qur'an and we notice the order of the verses in the Surah, and find that Allah the Almighty says: “And verily, your Lord will give you (all good) so that you shall be well-pleased” and this is based upon “ Did He not find you (O Muhammad) an orphan and gave you a refuge? And He found you unaware (of the Quran, its laws, and Prophethood) and guided you? And He found you poor and made you rich (self-sufficient with self-contentment)? Therefore, treat not the orphan with oppression. And repulse not the beggar. And proclaim the Grace of your Lord (i.e. the Prophethood and all other Graces)”. Thus, each verse follows the preceding one and every ruling depends on those essentials, such as guiding the beggar as Allah has guided you, giving shelter to the poor as Allah has sheltered you, as Allah found us poor and made us rich, speak of Allah's blessings. This Surah, therefore, requires contemplation. (Look at the page of Surah Al-Doha in Lamasat Bayaniyya by Dr. Fadel Al-Samera'ie), and this is enough honoring for every orphan. We said earlier that ‘orphan’ occurred only once in the Qur'an and orphan hood lasted only twice with respect to the Prophet (PBUH) for the article “and” in “And gave you shelter” implies that once he was found an orphan, Allah sheltered him. Hence, he's in orphan only according to people, because Allah had sheltered him the moment he was born. Thus this description requires reconsideration.



As for illiteracy, it needs careful examination. What does mentioning orphan only once followed by “And gave you shelter” and mentioning “illiteracy” twice as we said, actually mean? An illiterate person is not who can't read and write. In Arabic, an illiterate person is he who only can't write. The Prophet (PBUH) was an illiterate man for a long time until Jibril (“Gabriel”) came to him and said, “Read”. He read because writing is acquired whereas reading is innate. The proof is that if someone memorized the Qur'an while being illiterate then it would be better because his brain holds nothing that would occupy him. Even when the blind memorize the Qur'an, they concentrate all their brain's capacities on memorization; hence the best Qur'an memorizers are the blind. Illiteracy, therefore, has nothing to do with reading, but it's related to writing.





Question: Is it possible that reading means reading Allah's wonders in the universe? Scholars derived this meaning from Allah's phrase:” Who created” in the verse”

Read! In the Name of your Lord Who has created (all that exists). He has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood)”.



This verse is basic for interpreting the whole Qur'an and must be interpreted completely and elaborately. Did we interpret “read” as “learn” or “understand” or “read the Qur’an” or “take the Qur’an”? When we hear Allah's verse:” Who has created man from a clot” we'll question how the term ‘clot’ can be mentioned to an illiterate man. When He said,” Who has taught (the writing) by the pen”, that man would sail the world's lost ship towards Allah's safe shores and turn shepherds into masters. The Prophet (PBUH) said, “I'm not a reader” (or “what shall I read?”) as that was the first word of revelation for the prophecy and the message, which occurred in Allah's verse: “O you (Muhammad) enveloped in garments!” Therefore, the illiterate man is he who can't write. When Musa (AS) met the good man in the story of Musa, he asked him to teach him what was taught through revelation and was very impatient. They are all humans taught by humans, whereas Muhammad (PBUH) was first taught, not by human beings, but by Jibril (AS), the transmitter of revelation, which is an honor to illiteracy; “ He has been taught (this Qur’ân) by one mighty in power [Jibrîl (Gabriel)] (Al-Najm, 5).