Narsha Bulgakbaev
Modernization of Islam
BELIEVE IN THE SACRED BOOKS
The Arabic word «kitab» comes from the word «kitaba», which means «to write». «Inscription» means «page with inscription.» And the «Holy Books» are the books and pages containing the words of Allah, revealed to the messengers of Allah. These books were revealed either in written form (like the Torah) or in the form of revelation written after revelation. In Islam, belief in the books of God is considered a condition of faith. A person who does not believe in books is considered an unbeliever. Allah says in the book: «Whoever does not believe in God, his angels, his books, his messengers and the last day is in great error!» (Surah Nisa, verse 136). In Islam, holy books are called: Pages revealed by God to Abraham and Moses. The Book of the Torah is the greatest book of the generation of Israel, revealed to the prophet Moses. The Book of Psalms is a book revealed to the Prophet David. The Bible is the book revealed to Jesus, the son of Mary. Some scholars believe that the Bible differs from the Torah only in certain places in which the sons of Israel argued. The Holy Quran is the last book of Allah revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. According to Islamic belief, books such as the Torah and the Bible were sent by Allah, but people made various changes to them and changed their meaning, and the Quran is considered to be preserved from changes. Allah says: «Verily We have sent down this remembrance and indeed We preserve it» (Surah Hijr, 8).
BELIEVE IN ANGELS AND JINNS
Angels comes from Arabic word «send». In the religion of Islam, angels are completely subordinate to Allah; they are creatures that carry out any of His commands and convey revelations to messengers. The Holy Quran says about angels: «They fear their Lord above themselves and do what they are commanded» (Sura Nahl, 50) Prophet Muhammad about angels: «Angels were created from light, jinn were created from fire, and Adam was created from what was told to you.» Sahih Muslim (2996). Imam al-Bayhaqi spoke about belief in angels: Believing that they exist, recognizing their status and believing that they are servants of Allah, like humans and jinn. Among them, God sends messengers, sets up the throne of God, oversees heaven and hell, and so on. Praying to angels and asking them for help is strictly prohibited. Allah says: «He does not command you to make angels and prophets gods. Will He command you to disbelieve after you become Muslims?» (Sura Ali Imran, 80). The names of angels in Islam are as follows: Gabriel: one of the greatest angels who brought revelations and holy books to the prophets. Mikael is responsible for nature, Israfil is the function of Israfil (a.s.) to blow the horn (twice) to kill all living things, and then resurrect all dead creatures (including people, jinn, angels, etc.). Malik and Ridwan – Guardians of Paradise. Malak ul-Maut is an angel who takes the soul of a living being. Kiroman Katibin is the name given to two angels who record without error the deeds of every person in this world. Munkar and Nakir are two angels who ask questions to a man who has run out of salt in the world and has gone to his grave. Hamala ul-arsh is the name given to the 8 angels who bear the Throne, the greatest of God’s creations.
FAITH IN PROPHETS AND MESSENGERS
The Arabic word «Nabi» (Prophet) comes from the word «Naba» (message). The fourth pillar of faith in Islam is the belief in prophets sent to earth by God. Allah called them «rasul» (messenger) and «nabi» (prophet) in the Qur’an. Muhammad is considered the last prophet after Jesus Christ. According to Islamic belief, no prophets will be sent after this. The Koran mentions 28 prophets. The number of messengers sent by God is stated in a hadith from Abu Umama: One day one of the people asked the Prophet Muhammad: «Was Adam a prophet?» The Prophet replied: «Yes.» «How much time passed between him and Noah?» he asked again. The Prophet replied: «Ten centuries.» «O Messenger of Allah, how many messengers (rasul) were there?» – he asked again. The Prophet replied: «Three hundred and fifteen.» Difference between «rasul» and «nabi». In Islam there is a difference between the concepts of «prophet» and «messenger». Shaykh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah says: «Every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger.» According to Muslim scholars, the difference between a prophet and a messenger is that the messengers brought new Sharia to the community and were entrusted with the Holy Books, while the prophets invoked the Book before them and confirmed the Sharia of the previous messenger. «Indeed, We have revealed to you what We revealed to Noah and the prophets after him, and We revealed to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the sons (of Israel), Isa, Ayyub, Yunus, Aaron and Solomon, and We gave David a Psalm, and We sent to you the messengers (envoys) mentioned before, but to you was not said, and Allah (indeed) spoke to Moses’' (Surah Nisa, verses 163—164) Say: We believe in God, we believe in what was revealed to us, and what was revealed to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, To Jacob the sons (of Israel) what was given to Moses and Joshua, and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between them and submit to Him alone.» (Surah Al-Baqarah, verse 136) The Quran says: «Be patient, as patient are messengers of strong spirit!» (Surah Ahqaf, verse 35). These messengers are Noah, Abraham, Moses. This also includes Jesus and the last prophet Muhammad.
FAITH IN Al-MISAK
As we know from the Holy Quran, Allah lined up all the souls of people who would live until the end of the world and asked: Am I not your Lord? They (that is, our souls even before the beginning of life): Of course, we testify that «You are our only Lord.» Thus, humanity promised to worship Allah without associating partners with Him. This promise is popularly called «al-misak». That is why the Kazakh «Since when are you a Muslim?» – answer to the question: «I have been a Muslim since the time of Al-Misak (alimsak).»
BELIEF IN FATE AND PREDESTINATION
That everything good and bad depends on the will of Allah. Fate comes from the Arabic word «qadar» and means «to measure, to create something to a certain extent, to determine.» And its meaning in religious terminology is due to the fact that from the moment of the creation of the world, time, place, location, characteristics of all existing phenomena and beings were determined and measured by the teachings of Allah until the beginning. The scholars of Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jamaat say that a person does something of his own free will, no one forces him, but his will depends on the will of Allah and can only be realized with the permission of Allah. Fate and predestination consists of 3 levels: God’s creation and knowledge of all things; Allah has written down the fate of all creatures in Lauh al-Mahfuz; Nothing in this world happens outside the will of Allah.
FAITH IN ISLAMIC ESCHATOLOGY
Belief in life after death (before the Resurrection). This includes people undergoing trials in the grave, as well as the transition of the soul to the afterlife (Barzakh) where people will also be tested and wait for the Day of Resurrection. Belief in the End of the World, resurrection of the dead, meetings in Mahshar, Standings under the sun and the Last Judgment, passages through the Sirat bridge (and all these stages after the End of the World in Islam are called the word Qiyamat) and also into eternal life, Heaven and Hell (Akhirat).
Signs of the End of the World include events mentioned in the Qur’an and Sunnah that have occurred or will occur in the future: The prophecy of Muhammad is considered the first minor sign of the End of the World, the splitting of the moon which is described in Surah Qamar, the Flame from the Hejaz (this flame actually came out in 654 Hijra, and its flame was visible in the region of Sham, A slave giving birth to her master. Competition in the construction of high-rise buildings of barefoot, naked and poor sheep, The appearance of about 30 false prophets, The water level in the Euphrates falls and a golden mountain appears in its place;
Major signs: Appearance of smoke (dukhan); Arrival of Dajjal (Antichrist); An animal emerging from the ground; Sunrise in the west; Resurrection of the Prophet Jesus; The emergence of the people of Yajuj and Majuja; Earthquake in the East, West and Arabian Peninsula; Destruction of the Kaaba; Ascension of the Qur’an; Arrival of the Mahdi; Fire from Yemen.
According to the hadith of the Prophet, after the angel Israfil blows on the Horn, all creatures in heaven and on earth (also Jesus Christ) will perish, except Allah himself. After 40 days, months or years, Israfil will blow the Horn again by the will of Allah, and rain will fall from the sky. Man, like plants, grows from bone, which remains after death. And the first person to emerge from the earth will be the Prophet Muhammad.
THE JOURNEY OF THE SOUL
What happens to the soul after death? and before birth? How many stages of development does the soul consist of? Many people probably ask these questions to understand how long it will take from the starting point to the final journey. Islamic scholars have their own opinions on this matter… according to the Quran, it is the original source of all scriptures that contain all past and future events, including the names of those who will be born. Allah created the souls before attaching them to the bodies, this is confirmed by the Sharia. Allah gathered them all before their bodies (nafs) were created and asked them: «Am I not your Lord?» – when asked, this spirit (created from Light) – answers to Allah Almighty. All Souls answered: «Yes, You are our Lord.» The second stage Life in the womb. The soul is sent to the body of the fetus developed in the mother’s womb, and the fetus becomes alive. A fish embryo resides in the amniotic fluid inside the uterus, just like a fish. Does not absorb air. It feeds on blood through the mother’s placenta. The third stage is life in this world. A baby is born between 36 and 40 weeks (pregnancy). The child takes its first breath and cries. A newborn baby is free from sin, grows, develops, learns and is brought up in a Muslim family or a non-Muslim family. After the baby’s soul joined the body and turned into the soul, it forgot about Allah and the fact that Allah is its Creator and Lord, and the promise (contract) given in heaven. however, religions, scriptures, invocations, signs serve as reminders of the unity and omnipotence of the spirit-given covenant. A person must fight for his future happiness and present success throughout his life. He is prevented from doing this by some people, the devil from among humans and jinns, who leads him astray from the right path. Despite his omnipotence, God gave man free will, good and bad, truth and falsehood. Every act of a person in this life is recorded. He goes through natural stages of development, goes through crises, strives to achieve goals and gains faith and understanding: about God, about other people. Learns the basics of communication in society and at home. How he lived, what he believed and what he did will determine his future destiny. Therefore, the third is a very important testing ground for a person. The Fourth Stage, which we all dislike, is Death.
In the Qur’an: «Every soul will taste death.» We will test you with good and bad to test you, and to Us you will be returned» (21:35). After leaving the body, the soul becomes the Spirit. Allah keeps it in the place called «alami barzakh». The soul of the good will be kept in a comfortable place, and the soul of the bad will be kept in a bad place until the Day of Judgment, when everything except God will be destroyed. After that, the Day of Judgment will come, and we will all be resurrected. The fifth stage is resurrection. Muslims do not believe in reincarnation and the human soul will not return to this world until the end of time. But they believe in the Day of Resurrection – the day when all souls will return from their graves. Obedient souls will go to heaven forever. The wicked and unbelievers will go to hell for punishment. Those who worship false gods other than Allah, the Creator in this world, those who ignore, reject or refuse to believe in Allah will go to hell in the next world (eternity). This day will be the day when people reveal their secrets, nothing will be hidden. This will be the day when people will report and pay off the debts they have accumulated due to their inability to fulfill their obligations to each other. The sixth stage is Heaven and Hell. Rebels and the wicked will enter hell. They burn, thirst, regret their deeds, and remain in pain and despair. Their bodies will be renewed and their torment will last as long as Allah Almighty has determined. Al-Bukhari (3260) and Muslim (617) narrated from Abu Huraira (RA) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of God be upon him): «Hell complained to the Lord and said: «My Lord, I am eating myself.» Then he was allowed two breaths: one in winter and one in summer. It happens on the days when you feel the hottest and the coldest.» How is your tolerance to heat and cold in this life? Obedient and kind souls will enter paradise and all their wishes will be fulfilled. Rivers flow there, young companions, beautiful palaces. They get rid of worries and pains, and see there many things that their eyes have not seen, their ears have not heard, and they cannot imagine…» They do not grow old, do not get sick, do not experience discomfort. And they will stay there forever. As you can see, the present life is only one of the six stages of the soul. But it is this period that determines the eternal future ahead. May God grant you the pleasure of the creator and the path that leads to heaven. The seventh stage is the destruction of Hell. Muslims understand hell as a place where disbelievers and sinners will be among those whom God has not forgiven. Muslims get their sources of information about hell from the Quran and the words of the Prophet Muhammad. There are guards in hell – 19 fierce angels, and the main guard of hell is the mighty angel Malik. According to the words of our prophet, hell and paradise were created long ago, but people will enter them only after the apocalypse. In hell awaits the torment of fire many times more painful than the fire on earth, drinks made of boiling water and pus, as well as the fruits of the hellish tree of Zakkum. Infidels stay in Hell forever, but Muslims do not believe in all that they believe and repent, whereas the punishment of sinful Muslims in Hell is not eternal and ends after time, escapes from hellfire and enters paradise. There are many references to hell in the holy texts of the Qur’an, for example: «Their desire is to get out of the fire, but they will never get out of it, and for them there is an eternal torment.» Will not be put in another way, they will remain forever. «I will send him to the underworld. How do you know what the underworld is? He spares nothing and leaves nothing behind, burning a person. Above him are nineteen (guards).» (Quran 74:26:30) «They said: «O Malik! May your Lord destroy us!», they say: «You stay!», We have given you the truth, but most of you hate the truth.» «There is boiling water for those who do not believe, and punishment for those who do not believe.» As for the word ETERNAL, it is a word written by God under compulsion. If Allah is NOT ETERNAL, but TEMPORARY, the whole religion of Islam would have no meaning. Eternal hell here means a long time, but how long, God knows best. Indeed, Hell is the most effective and effective remedy for sin. In many verses of the Qur’an, the question of the eternity of heaven and hell is raised. The belief that believers will be in eternal bliss and sinners will be in eternal torment is from accepting Islam with insanity. If we accept it with science (rational), let’s pay attention to this verse: «They remain in them forever and do not want change for themselves» (Surah Ungir, verse 108). It is clear that there is a secret hidden here. The famous mystic Ibn Arabi wrote in his book «Fusus al-Hikam» that the nature of sinners changes after entering hell, it turns into fire, and then they enjoy being in the fire and the torment is sweet for them. At the same time, it is known that the famous heretic Jahm ibn Safwan, the founder of the Jahmite sect, spoke about the limitations of heaven and hell. Among the famous imams, there were those who recognized the eternity of heaven and believed that hell would disappear one day. Some attribute this opinion to Ibn Taymiyyah. moreover, Ibn al-Qayyim in his treatises «Hadi al-Arwah» and «Shifa al-Alil» gives priority to the opinion that hell will be destroyed. True, in his other two works – «al-Wabeel al-Saib» and «Tariq al-Hijratain» – on the contrary, it is said that Hell will last forever. It should be noted that Ibn al-Qayyim carefully studied this issue and collected several asar from the Companions and Tabis, from which we can draw a conclusion about the limit of hell. these legends led him to hold the same point of view at some points in his life, and then to change his point of view, in particular, ibn al-Qayyim in his book «Hadi al-Arwah» cites the narrations of Ibn Mas’ud, Abu Huraira, and Ibn Amr that the day will come when no one will be left in Hell after the sinners have been there for many centuries. Ibn al-Qayyim also quotes the following words of Omar Ibn al-Khattab: «… They will remain in the fire for centuries, and one day they will come out of it.» Ibn al-Qayyim writes that God’s all-encompassing mercy extends to those who are destined for Hell, as is repeatedly stated in the Qur’an. The Merciful Lord does not leave them to endless torment, and this, in his opinion, is reflected in three verses of the Qur’an. The first one is Allah’s saying: «They will stay there for many centuries» (Surah Khabar, verse 23). The second verse based on the opinion about the limit of Hell is in Surah «Mal». On the Day of Judgement, the unbelievers will say: «Our Lord, we have taken advantage of each other, and we have reached our appointed time.» They confess what they have done and repent of not only worshiping God, but also disobeying Him. But in response they hear: «Fire will be your abode. If God wills, you will stay there forever» (Surah Mal, verse 128). Excerpt from Surah Hud. It says: «The wretched will remain in the fire, they will sigh and groan. Unless your Lord wills, they will remain there forever as long as the heavens and the earth exist. Verily, your Lord does whatever He wills» (Surah Hud 11, verses 106—107). After many centuries, Allah will be able to remove their suffering because His mercy will subdue His wrath and spread over everything. Meanwhile, the vast majority of imams – this is reflected in many treatises on the creed – believed that just as the pleasures of heaven do not end, so do heaven and hell never end and the punishment of unbelievers never ends. And Allah knows best. Arguably, but logically, Abu Lahhab, Dajjal and lastly Iblis should come out if Hell is to be destroyed. With this, Hell will dissolve itself. Eternal life will continue in Paradise…
