Questions about Prophet Muhammad

33.Q: What is the meaning of the testification that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah?

A: The meaning of the testification that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah is: I declare with my tongue and submit in my heart that our master Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, is sent by Allah to all the creations of humans and jinn. His is truthful in all what he conveyed from Allah ta^ala so that humans and jinn believe in his Islamic Laws which Allah revealed to him. Allah ta^ala said in Surat Al-Furqan verse 1:

(تبارك الذى نزل الفرقان على عبده ليكون للعالمين نذيراً)

which means: he dew glorification is to Allah the One Who revealed the Qur’an to His slave to warn the humans and the jinn.

34.Q: State part of the lineage of the prophet and from which tribe was he? Where was he born? Where did he die and where was he buried?

A: He is Muhammad the son of ^Abdillah the son of ^Abdil Muttalib the son of Hashim the son of ^Abd Manaf from the tribe of Quraysh, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. He was born in Makkah in the month of Rabi^ al-’Awwal in the year of the Elephant (al-fil). He was revealed as a prophet while he was in Makkah and his age was forty then. He immigrated to Madinah 13 years after he received the revelation. He lived in Madinah for 10 years. After which, he, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, died and was buried in Madinah in the room of Umm al-Mu’minin ^A’ishah,may Allah raise her rank. That is, he was buried where he died, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.

35.Q: Explain the saying of the author about the meaning of the second part of the testification of faith: “He was truthful in everything he told about and conveyed from Allah.”

A: One has to believe that the prophet, salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, is truthful in conveying everything Allah ta^ala revealed to him. This includes whether it was from the news of the previous nations and prophets, the beginning of creation, what will happen in this life and the Hereafter, or the lawful and unlawful doings and sayings of the slaves. Allah ta^ala said in Surat An-Najm verse3-4:

( و ما ينطق عن الهوى إن هو إلا وحى يوحى )

which means: The prophet does not speak out of illusions, rather he speaks the revelation revealed to him.

36.Q: Speak about the torture in the grave.

A: One has to believe in the torture of the grave. The blasphemer who is a mukallaf who died without repenting form his blasphemy will be tortured in his grave. Some of that torture are: Fire will be shown to him twice a day- once in the beginning of the day and once at the end, the grave will close on him until his ribs of one side cross over those of the other and vice versa, and the two angels Munkar and Nakir will hit him by an iron hammer between his ears. There are also other types of torture. Moreover, some of the sinful Muslims who died without repenting will be tortured in their graves, but their torture is lesser in degree than the torture of the blasphemers. For example, the closing of the grave and finding hardship as a result of the darkness and loneliness of the grave.

The one who denies the torture of the grave commits blasphemy. Allah ta^ala said: in Surat Al-Mu’min verse 46:

( النار يعرضون عليها غدواً و عشياً و يوم تقوم الساعة أدخلوا ءال فرعون أشد العذاب )

which means: Fire will be shown to Pharaoh and his Al in the morning and afternoon and on the Day of Judgment they will be admitted to the severe torture, i.e., Hellfire. The prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:

إن العبد إذا وضع فى قبره و تولى عنه أصحابه إنه ليسمع قرع نعالهم إذا انصرفوا أتاه ملكان فيقعدانه فيقولان: ما كنت تقول فى هذا الرجل محمد؟ فأما المؤمن فيقول: أشهد أنه عبد الله و رسوله، فيقال له: أنظر إلى مقعدك فى النار أبدلك الله به مقعداً من الجنه فيراهما جميعاً، ا أما الكافر أو المنافق فيقول: لا أدرى كنت أقول ما يقول الناس فيه، فيقال له: لا دريت و لا تليت، ثم يضرب بمطرقة من حديد بين أذنيه فيصيح صيحة يسمعها من يليه إلا الثقلين.

 When the slave is put in his grave and his companions walk away from him, he will hear the tapping of their shoes. The two angels will come to him. They will sit him up and say: What did you use to say about this man Muhammad? The believer will say: I bear witness that he is the slave of Allah and his Messenger. He will be told: Look at your place in Hell fire, Allah replaced it with a place in Paradise. Then he will see both of them. However, the blasphemer or the hypocrite (munafiq) will say: I don’t know, I used to say what the people used to say about him. He will be told: You did not know or tell the right answer. Then he will be struck by an iron hammer between his ears. He will shout an outcry which will be heard by the ones close to him except the humans and the jinn (narrated by al-Bukhariyy and Muslim as related by Anas from the prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam).

37.Q: Speak about the enjoyment in the grave.

A: One has to believe in the enjoyment in the grave, because the prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, told about that. Some of the enjoyment is the widening of the grave 70 by 70 cubit (dhira) for the pious believer and those non-pious Muslims to whom Allah willed that for them. Those are like, for example, some of the martyrs who gained martyrdom and were not pious. Also, the grave may be illuminated by an illumination similar to that of the moon on the night when it is full. There are other enjoyments as well, some of them is the smelling of the odor of Paradise. The prophet, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said:

إذا قبر الميت او الإنسان أتاه ملكان أسودان أزرقان يقال لأحدهما :منكر و للآخر: نكير، فيقولان له: ما كنت تقول فى هذا الرجل محمد، فهو قائل ما كان يقول، فإن كان مؤمناً قال: هو عبد الله و رسوله أشهد أن لا إله إلا الله و أشهد أن محمداً عبده و رسوله، فيقولان له إن كنا لنعلم أنك لتقول ذلك، ثم يفسح له فى قبره سبعون ذراعاً فى سبعين ذراعاً، و ينور له فيه، فيقال له: نم فينام كنوم العروس الذى لايوقظه إلا أحب أهله حتى يبعثه الله من مضجعه ذلك

 If the dead or the human is buried, two black-bluish angels will come to him. One of them is called Munkar and the other is called Nakir. They will say to him: What did you use to say about this man Muhammad? The dead will say what he used to say about him. If he was a believer he says: He is the slave and messenger of Allah, I testify that no one is God but Allah and I testify that Muhammad is his slave and messenger. They will say to him: We already knew that you will say that. Then his grave will be widened 70 cubits by 70 cubits and it will be illuminated for him. He will be told: Sleep. He will sleep like the groom who will not be awakened except by one’s most beloved wives, until Allah resurrects him from that sleeping place of his (narrated by Ibn Hibban).

38.Q: Speak about the questioning by the two angels Munkar and Nakir.

A: One has to believe in the questioning by the two angels Munkar and Nakir. The questioning which will happen to the believer and the blasphemer who are from the nation of ad-da^wah. The perfect believer will not be affected by any fear or hardship from their questioning, because Allah strengthens his heart. He will not be afraid from their frightening look, since they are, as mentioned in the hadith, black-bluish. Those who are exempted from the questioning are: the child, martyr and the prophets. The child refers to that who died under the age of puberty. The martyr is the martyr of the battle.

39.Q: Speak about Resurrection.

A: Resurrection is the coming of the dead ones out of their graves after their bodies that had decayed in the soil recreated – if these were among the bodies that decays in the soil. These bodies are the bodies of other than the prophets and the martyrs of the battle. Moreover, the soil does not decay the bodies of some of the awliya’. Allah said in Surat al-Hajj verse 7:

( و أن الساعة ءاتية لا ريب فيها و أن الله يبعث من فى القبور )

which means: Without a doubt the Day of Judgment is coming and Allah will resurrect those who are in the graves.

40.Q: Speak about the Assembly.

A: The Assembly is to drive those who come out of the graves to the station of assembly in the hereafter. People at Assembly are of three states: Some of them are clothed, riding and fed and those are the pious. Some are bare-foot and naked. Those are the ones who committed big sins. Some are bare-foot, naked and dragged on their faces. Those are the kuffar. Humans are assembled and so are the jinn and animals. Allah said in Surat al-Baqarah verse 203:

( و اتقوا الله و اعلموا أنكم إليه تحشرون )

which means: Be God-fearing and know that you will be assembled for Judgment after He recreates you. Allah also said in Surat al-Isra’ verse 97:

( و نحشرهم يوم القيامة على وجوههم عمياً و بكماً و صماً )

which means: The blasphemers will be assembled on the Day of Judgment on their faces blind, mute and deaf -mute. Allah also said in Surat al-Takwir verse 5:

( و إذا الوحوش حشرت )

which means: The animals will be assembled.

41.Q: Speak about the Day of Judgment.

A: The Day of Judgment starts from when the people come out of the graves until the settling of the occupants of Paradise in Paradise and occupants of Hell in Hell. The length of this Day is 50,000 years of the years we count. Allah ta^ala said in Surat al-Mi^raj verse 4:

( فى يوم كان مقداره خمسين ألف سنة )

which means: During a Day whose length is 50,000 years.

42:Q: Speak about Presentation of the deeds.

A: Presentation of the deeds is the showing of the deeds of the slaves to them and make them submit to that after they receive their records. The believer will receive his record by his right hand, but the kafir will receive it by his left hand from behind his back. This record is the record which the two angels, Raqib and ^Atid, wrote in this life. Allah ta^ala said:

 فَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ بِيَمِينِهِ . فَسَوْفَ يُحَاسَبُ حِسَابًا يَسِيرًا . وَيَنقَلِبُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ مَسْرُورًا . وَأَمَّا مَنْ أُوتِيَ كِتَابَهُ وَرَاء ظَهْرِهِ . فَسَوْفَ يَدْعُو ثُبُورًا . وَيَصْلَى سَعِيرًا

The ayah means: The one who receives his record by his right hand will have an easy judgment, but the one who receives his record from behind his back will claim torture and will be subject to Fire (al-’Inshiqaq 7,8,9,10,11,12).

43.Q: What is the meaning of Reward and Punishment?

A: Reward is the return that the believer will be compensated with in the Hereafter and it will please him. The Punishment, on the other hand, is that which distress the slave on that Day and some of it are the entering to Fire and things lesser than that.

44.Q: Speak about the Balance.

A: One has to believe in the Balance. It is [the body] by which the deeds are weighed. Allah ta^ala said:

(وَالْوَزْنُ يَوْمَئِذٍ الْحَقُّ فَمَن)

The ayah means: The weighing is just on that Day (al-’A^raf 8).

The kafir will not have any rewards on that Day. His bad deeds will be put in one Pan of the two Pans. The believer, however, will have his rewards in one Pan and his bad deeds in the other Pan. If his rewards overweighs his bad deeds, he will be admitted to Paradise without torture. If his bad deeds overweighs [his rewards] he is under the Will of Allah. If Allah willed He will forgive him, or He may torture him if He willed. Then, Allah admits him to Paradise after that. Allah ta^ala said:

فَأَمَّا مَن ثَقُلَتْ مَوَازِينُهُ . فَهُوَ فِي عِيشَةٍ رَّاضِيَةٍ . وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ . فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ

The ayah means: The one whose good deeds are weightily will be in a happy life; but that whose good deeds are light, because of his kufr or having no reward, will be in Hellfire (al-Qari^ah 6, 7, 8, 9).

45.Q: Speak about Hellfire.

A: One has to believe in Hellfire, i.e., Jahannam, and that it is already created [and] now [it exists]. Allah ta^ala said:

(وَاتَّقُواْ النَّارَ الَّتِي أُعِدَّتْ لِلْكَافِرِينَ)

The ayah means: It is already prepared (Al ^Imran 131). It is the strongest and most immense fire Allah created. Its center is under the seventh earth. It lasts without an end. Allah ta^ala said:

 (خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا لا يَجِدُونَ وَلِيًّا وَلا نَصِيرًا)

The ayah means: Allah damned the kuffar and prepared Hellfire for them in which they will stay everlastingly forever and they will not find someone to preserve them and no one to protect them from torture (al-’Ahzab 64).

46.Q: Speak about the Bridge.

A: The Bridge is a crossway stretched over the top of Hellfire to which the people come to cross. One of its ends is at the replaced earth and the other end is at what is before Paradise after Hellfire. The people cross over what is above the Bridge. Some of the believers, then, will not step on the Bridge but pass flying through its air. Some of them will step on it. Some of those [latter ones] will fall in Hellfire and some Allah will save from Hellfire and will not fall in it. However, all the kuffar will drop in it. Allah ta^ala said:

(وَإِن مِّنكُمْ إِلاَّ وَارِدُهَا كَانَ عَلَى رَبِّكَ حَتْمًا مَّقْضِيًّا)

The ayah means: Everyone of us will have to come close to Hellfire and be present to cross the Bridge (Maryam 71). The coming is of two types: Coming to cross the Bridge through Hellfire’s air or coming to enter Hellfire.

47.Q: Speak about the Basin.

A: The Basin is a place in which Allah prepared drink for the people of Paradise to drink from it before entering Paradise. After that no thirst will affect them. To every prophet of Allah there is a Basin from which his nation will drink. The biggest of the Basins is the Basin of our prophet, salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, at it there are glasses as many as the stars of the sky. In it water from Paradise pours.

48.Q: Speak about Intercession.

A: Intercession is the asking of good for others from another. Intercession is for the Muslims only. The prophets intercede. Also the practicing ^ulama’, martyrs and angels intercede. The prophet, salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: My intercession is for the people of big sins from my nation (narrated by al-Hakim and authenticated it).

There is no intercession for the kuffar on the Day of Judgment. Allah ta^ala said:

(وَلا يَشْفَعُونَ إِلاَّ لِمَنِ ارْتَضَى )

The ayah means: The ones who intercede will not intercede except for those whom Allah accepted, i.e., Muslims only (al-’Anbiya’ 28).

49.Q: Speak about Paradise.

A: Paradise is the abode of peace. It is already created [and] now [it exists]. Allah ta^ala said:

(وَسَارِعُواْ إِلَى مَغْفِرَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّكُمْ وَجَنَّةٍ عَرْضُهَا السَّمَوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ أُعِدَّتْ لِلْمُتَّقِينَ)

The ayah means: Rush to forgiveness from Allah and Paradise whose width is the skies and earth that has been prepared for the pious (God-Fearing) ones (Al ^Imran 133). Paradise is going to last without an end. Allah ta^ala said:

 (وَمَن يُطِعِ اللهَ وَرَسُولَهُ يُدْخِلْهُ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ)

The ayah means: Those who obey Allah and his prophet, Allah admits them to Paradise under which rivers flow; they will stay living in it forever and this is the great success (an-Nisa’ 13). Most of its people are from the poor, the prophet, salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: I had entered Paradise and saw that most of its people are poor. Allah prepared in it for his God-fearing slaves what no eye has ever seen, what no ear has ever heard of and what no human heart has ever thought of. The prophet, salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: Allah said: I prepared for my God-fearing slaves what no eye has ever seen, what no ear has ever heard of and what no human heart has ever thought of (narrated by al-Bukhariyy).

50.Q: Speak about seeing Allah ta^ala with the eye in the Hereafter.

A: One has to believe that Allah can be seen in the Hereafter. The believers will see Him while they are in Paradise with the eyes of their heads. They will see Him without a kayf (manner of being), without a place and without a direction. Allah ta^ala said:

(وُجُوهٌ يَوْمَئِذٍ نَّاضِرَةٌ . إِلَى رَبِّهَا نَاظِرَةٌ)

The ayah means: Fresh faces which see its Lord (al-Qiyamah 22-23). The prophet, salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, said: “You will see your Lord on the Day of Judgment. [The seeing is] similar to the seeing of the moon on the night when it is full when you will see it without a doubt” (narrated by Muslim). The prophet, salla-l-lahu ^alayhi wa sallam, likened our seeing to Allah- being a seeing without a doubt- to seeing the moon on the night when it is full. The prophet did not liken Allah to the moon. Al-’imam Abu Hanifah, radiya-l-lahu ^anhu, said in “al-Fiqh al-’Akbar”: “Allah ta^ala is seen in the Hereafter. The believers will see Him while they are in Paradise. [They will see Him] without any likeness, ascription, and quantity and there will not be any distance between Him and his creations.”

51.Q: Speak about believing in the angels.

A: One has to believe in the angels. That is, to believe in their existence and that they are honorable slaves. They are neither males nor females. They don’t eat, drink, sleep, disobey Allah in what He ordered them to do and do what they are ordered to do. Allah ta^ala said:

(يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ وَالْحِجَارَةُ عَلَيْهَا مَلائِكَةٌ غِلاظٌ شِدَادٌ لا يَعْصُونَ اللهَ مَا أَمَرَهُمْ وَيَفْعَلُونَ مَا يُؤْمَرُونَ)

The ayah means: Hellfire is guarded by strong and determined angels who do not disobey Allah in what He ordered them to do and do what they are ordered to do (at-Tahrim 6). The one who says that angels are females is charged with kufr. Allah ta^ala said:

(إِنَّ الَّذِينَ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالآخِرَةِ لَيُسَمُّونَ الْمَلائِكَةَ تَسْمِيَةَ الأُنثَى)

The ayah means: Those who don’t believe in the Hereafter call the angels with feminine names (an-Najm 27). The angels may take the image of men but without having the masculine instrument.