INVITATION TO SALVATION

There are many Verses in the Qur'aan, like Verse 6.38, that are strongly indicative of the divine Book being self-sufficient on all matters concerning Islam, the Allah-approved and perfect Religion for the entire mankind. Some such Verses are as follows:

12.111 - ... It is not a concocted hadeeth, but a confirmation of what preceded it and details of every thing and a guidance and a mercy for people who believe.
17.89 - And We have certainly explained, in this Qur'aan, every kind of example ...
18.54 - And We have certainly explained, in this Qur'aan, every kind of example for mankind ...
39.27 - And We have certainly given for mankind, in this Qur'aan, every kind of example for them to remember.

When the Almighty Creator of everything, Himself categorically declares that He has explained everything in His Book, and neglected nothing, we cannot but accept the divine declaration. If we do not, we betray our lack of faith in the Qur'an being the divine Book.

So, the believers have no option but to accept that the Qur'aan explains everything that needs to be explained to mankind for the right conduct of their lives on this planet. Here one thing needs to be clearly understood, and that is that, besides the Qur'aan, the All-knowing Allah has granted the boon of a high grade Intellect to mankind. And when the Qur'aan tells us that it has not neglected anything, it obviously means anything that is not grasped through the Intellect. To illustrate this point through a simple example, it would be ridiculous to ask, "If the Qur'aan has neglected nothing, where is the guidance therein for driving a car properly?" This question would be ridiculous because Allah has given us the Intellect to acquire the necessary knowledge and expertise to be able to drive a car. Allah guides us, through the Qur'aan, in matters that cannot be dealt with merely through the use of the Intellect. And it is in such matters that Allah's guidance, through the Qur'aan, is thorough and perfect. That is what the divine Verses, quoted above, tell us.

Now let us consider the case, specified above, wherein the Qur'aan appears to have missed mentioning some important and necessary detail:

Number of Rakaat in Salaat

The number is of course not mentioned in the Qur'aan. Nor is it unanimously specified, to the best of my knowledge and belief, in the ahaadeeth. Authors of books of Salaat appear to have mentioned the number on the basis of the established practice prevalent at the time of writing those books. In any case, let us consider whether the number is absolutely necessary and important in the eyes of Allah Ta'ala in whose worship the prayers are performed. Since He has not mentioned it in His Book, it goes without saying that it is not absolutely necessary and important in the eyes of Allah. What is absolutely important is what is specifically mentioned in the Qur'aan. And what is mentioned in the Qur'aan is, inter alia, that the prayers be performed devotedly for Allah and for none else. Allah may not question us on the number of rakaat we performed, but He may question us regarding the wanderings of our minds during the performance of those rakaat.

But that apart, the Qur'aan does not prevent us from following the practice prevalent as regards the number of rakaat. Herein comes the role for our Allah-given boon of Intellect. Since Allah has directed us to perform our salaat in congregation preferably, we have to perform the same number of rakaat as the Imam does. And for the sake of uniformity, it would be preferable to follow the prevalent practice in this regard. But Allah has purposely not prescribed the number to enable His devotees to make adjustments suitable to any abnormal situation that may arise at the time of the prayer. Far from being a neglect, this is really a Mercy from Him .

To conclude,

the number of rakaat is not an absolutely necessary and importanct aspect of a salaat,
the Qur'aan does not, nevertheless, prevent us from following the prevalent practice in this regard, for the sake of uniformity,
the Qur'aan has not prescribed any number for the rakaat, to enable an adjustment to suit any abnormal situation,
far from being a neglect, this is really a Mercy from Allah, and,
the Qur'aan is the self-sufficient source for Islam.

The Question About Sporting a Beard

The Qur'aan has indeed not said anything about it, except for referring to Prophet Haroon's beard by which his brother Prophet Moses had held him in anger [Verse 33.21]. The ahaadeeth do tell us that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) did recommend that Muslims grow their beards and trim their moustaches.

And the Qur'aan tells us in Verse 33.21 that "in the Messenger of Allah, there certainly is for you a good example - for the one who yearns for Allah and the Hereafter, and remembers Allah much."

It is of utmost importance that we understand this Verse correctly. Otherwise, we are likely to go astray. As the Qur'aan says in Verse 2.26, Allah guides many by the examples He gives, and misleads many others, thereby, who swerve from Allah's commandments.

The Messenger was indeed a good example in that he himself implemented every Qur'aanic commandment. He was a walking Qur'aan, as one tradition informs us. It was in this sense that he was a good example. The 103rd Chapter of the Qur'aan tells us that for any human being to get salvation, he/she should believe, do good deeds, admonish with the Truth and admonish with patience.

Our beloved Prophet did all those 4 things required for salvation, in an exemplary manner. His Faith was unshakable, he had been doing good deeds even before he became a Prophet and continued doing good deeds till the last day of his life, he admonished the Truth of Islam despite opposition even from his near and dear ones, and he stuck to the Truth in patience for 13 long years of oppression from his own people. And that is the model of a man seeking salvation! We are asked by Allah Ta'ala to emulate that model!!

And what do we do? Our Faith is shaky. We are beset with doubts at the very first test Allah puts us to. Our deeds are focused on the self. We care a damn if we have to resort to falsehood, if that falsehood brings benefits to our own selves or to our near and dear ones. And we have little patience in times of adversity.

Instead of bringing attention to these vital aspects, some of our self-proclaimed leaders in matters of Religion, insist that to follow the above quoted Verse 33.21, the Muslims should do exactly as the Prophet did in every little detail of his personal life - how he ate using only 3 of his fingers, squatting on the floor etc. etc. And, among those innumerable minor details of the Prophet's personal life, is the detail about the beard.

If sporting a beard were an absolute necessity for being a Muslim, as some of the leaders proclaim, this requirement would surely have appeared in the Qur'aan. For, the divine Book has neglected nothing, and it contains details of everything. Those who insist that the beard is a must in Islam, betray their lack of belief in this Qur'aanic solemn declaration. In other words, they betray their lack of belief in the Qur'aan! This disbelief has led them astray as regards Verse 33.21. They fail to understand that the Prophet is a model for us in so far as his high moral character is concerned. They fail to understand that Allah Ta'ala has granted mankind sufficient freedom of action, provided they remain within the bounds described in the Qur'aan. They are not saddled with restrictions other than those mentioned in the Qur'aan.

I myself have a beard, and I trim my moustaches. But I cannot tell my brother Muslims that they ought to follow suit, since the All-knowing and Kind Lord has given everyone the freedom of choice, in this regard, and in many other things.

Circumcision of a Male Child

On this topic too we find no mention in the Qur'aan. Is it not necessary then that a male person be circumcised, for him to be a believer and within the purview of the Allah-approved Religion of Islam?

A believer has necessarily to believe in everything that is said in the Qur'aan. Otherwise, he/she is not a believer. And the Qur'aan categorically says, as we have already seen, that there is nothing neglected in the Book [ 6.38]. And we have also seen that other Verses like 12.111, 17.89, 18.54 and 39.27 corroborate this categorical statement.

A believer is therefore left with no option but to reiterate that the circumcision is not absolutely necessary for a believer. If an elderly non-believer wishes to embrace Islam, it is not obligatory that he should get himself circumcised first. It would have been an embarrassing deterrent for his entry into Islam. We can thus see the divine Wisdom in the non-mention of circumcision in the Qur'aan.

The circumcision is, however, a traditionally obligatory practice among the Muslims. This practice is also there among the Jews. We have, on record, that Jesus Christ was circumcised as a member of the Jewish community. But the practice is not followed by the Christians, who claim to be Jesus' followers. And it is now a scientifically established fact that the circumcision is hygienically and medically a better thing to do for any man. More and more men, even among those who aren't Muslims or Jews, are votaries of this practice now.

There was indeed no need for the All-knowing Allah to mention circumcision in the Qur'aan. In His infinite Wisdom, He knew that people would veer round to the practice without much ado or persuation.

Touching the nose to the ground, along with the forehead, while in Sajdah

Sajdah is indeed not defined in the Qur'aan. There are many other words, like khamr (wine, intoxicating drink), which are also not defined. They are not defined because there are no controversies in understanding their meanings.

Now since Sajdah is not defined, it ought to be that the word is not controversial in its meaning. The commonly understood meaning is the touching of the forehead to the ground on which one is standing, in absolute veneration of and total submission to the Creator. One cannot touch the forehead to the ground without touching other parts of the body, like hands and feet. It cannot be said that it is necessary to touch the nose to the ground in order that the forehead is touched thereto. However, for the sake of uniformity and avoidance of unnecessary controversy, it would be better to go by the general practice and touch the nose also during Sajdah.

Mohammad Shafi