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How to observe the Contact Prayers (Salat)

Step by step explanation of the 5 daily Contact Prayers.
What to do. What to say.


Abraham: Original Source of the Contact Prayers

The Quran teaches us in many suras that Submission (in Arabic “Islam”) is the religion of Abraham (please consult 2:135, 3:95, 4:125, 6:161 and 22:78). Muhammad was a follower of Abraham, as we learn from 16:123. All religious practices in Submission (Islam) were given to us through Abraham; they include:
(1) the five daily Contact Prayers (Salat),
(2) the obligatory charity (Zakat),
(3) the fasting during Ramadan, and
(4) the Hajj Pilgrimage to Mecca.
Specifically, we learn from the Quran (21:73) that the Contact Prayers (Salat) and the obligatory charity (Zakat) were given to Abraham.
Numerous verses throughout the Quran inform us that the Contact Prayers were in existence, intact, and practiced before the advent of Muhammad (see for example 8:35 & 9:54).
All positions of the Contact Prayers are found in the Quran, including the standing position (3:39, 39:9), the bowing and prostrating positions (Rukoo’ and Sujood) (2:43, 3:43, 9:112, 22:26 & 77).

The Five Times Are Specified in the Quran

(1) The Dawn Prayer is mentioned by name in 24:58. Before sunrise.
(2) The Noon Prayer is specified in 17:78. When the sun declines.
(3) The Afternoon Prayer is in 2:238. Midway between noon and sunset.
(4) The Sunset Prayer is mentioned in 11:114. Immediately after sunset.
(5) The Night Prayer is in 11:114, and is mentioned by name in 24:58.

The Call to Prayer (Azaan)

Azaan is not a part of the Contact Prayers, nor is it required. But it has become a tradition in the Muslim communities to summon the people to prayer through a loud announcement. The original Azaan used to conform with the Quran’s teachings, and became corrupted with time.
Originally, the call to prayer consisted of:
(1) Allahu Akbar (God is Great), 4 times.
(2) Laa Elaaha Ellah Allah (There is no other god beside God), once.
Many years later, some people added Muhammad’s name to the Azaan. This violates God’s commandments in 2:136, 2:285, 3:84, 4:150 and 72:18. Later, other groups of Muslims added the names of Ali and his family. Today, the Azaan is severely corrupted throughout the Muslim world, and constitutes idol worship, not Submission to God ALONE.

The Correct Azaan

If you pray by yourself, an Azaan is not needed. The Azaan is usually observed when a group of people are ready to observe the prayer. One person stands up and utters the Azaan words, or chants them as follows:
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar (God is Great, God is Great).
Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar.
La Elaaha Ella Allah (There is no other god beside God).

Preparation for the Contact Prayer

(The Ablution)

O you who believe, in preparation for the Contact Prayer, you shall
(1) wash your faces,
(2) wash your arms to the elbows,
(3) wipe your heads with wet hands, and
(4) wash your feet to the ankles. [5:6]

Like all other aspects of Submission, the Muslims have corrupted the ablution by adding unauthorized steps. Ironically, the innovations became vested with such authority that anyone who questions them finds himself accused of innovation!!
It is therefore crucial to uphold God’s commands by strictly observing the ablution decreed in the Quran. Any additional steps represent another god besides God.

The Major Ablution

Following any sexual activity that results in a climax (orgasm/ejaculation), one must bathe or take a shower (4:43).

The Dry Ablution (Tayammum)

If water is not available, one must touch clean dry soil, then wipe his hands and face. This suffices as a substitute for ablution (4:43; 5:6).

What Nullifies Ablution

Digestive excretions through the intestines, including gas, solids, or urine nullify ablution. Sleeping also nullifies ablution, since one becomes unaware. Thus, one may observe a number of Contact Prayers with one ablution, provided he or she does not go to the bathroom, pass gas, or fall asleep.

 

HOW TO PERFORM THE CONTACT PRAYERS

[Note: Watch a video clip showing the Noon Prayer being performed (the 4-unit format/structure of the Afternoon & Night prayers are identitcal to that of the Noon Prayer). Clips for the Dawn Prayer and Sunset Prayer are also available.
Observations: In the clip for the dawn prayer, Dr. Khalifa uses the words “I intend to do the Morning Contact Prayer. Nawwaytu Salat As-subh“. This was later corrected by him, and you should use the term the “Dawn Contact Prayer” / “Salat Al-Fajr“. God calls it the Dawn Prayer (Al-Fajr in Arabic) in 24:58.]

1. Face the direction of Mecca (Qiblah):

This is an organizational point decreed by God in 2:125. God wills that all Submitters must face the same direction when they observe the Contact Prayers. In the U.S., the direction is slightly South of East.

2. The Intention:

In your own language, secretly or audibly, state your intention that you are about to observe the Contact Prayer. Remember to state the time (Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset, or Night).

3. Raise your hands to the sides of your face:Allahu Akbar

Your thumbs touch your ears, and the palms of your hands face forward.

4. Say, “Allahu Akbar”:

As you raise your hands to the sides of your face, then move them down to your sides in a continuous motion, you say, “Allahu Akbar” (God is Great). This opens up the prayer. You are in contact with your Creator.

5. The Standing Position:

You are now standing with your arms resting naturally at your sides. Some people place the left hand on the stomach, and the right hand on top of the left hand. Either position is correct—you may place your hands on your stomach while standing, or you may let your arms hand down by your sides.

6. Recite “The Key” (Sura 1) in Arabic:

recite Al-FatehahWe learn from 2:37 that God gives us the words by which we establish contact with Him. We must utter the specific sounds dictated in “The Key.” A translation of “The Key” would be human-made. The Arabic sounds of “The Key” represent a numerical combination that opens the treasure. Like a telephone number, unless the specific numbers are dialed, contact cannot be established. This is all the Arabic you need. Everything else can be said in your own language.

Reciting “The Key” in Arabic unifies all Submitters of the world, regardless of their languages.

 

[Note: You can Listen to each verse of The Key (Al-Fatehah) being recited by clicking the “[Listen]” link next to the verse. The Key (Al-Fatehah) is also available for download in mp3 format.]

The Key:

1. BISMIL LAAHIR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM [Listen]
(In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.)

2. AL HAMDU LILLAAHI RABBIL ‘AALAMEEN [Listen]
(Praise be to God, Lord of the universe.)

3. AR RAHMAANIR RAHEEM [Listen]
(Most Gracious, Most Merciful.)

4. MAALIKI YAWMID DEEN [Listen]
(Master of the Day of Judgment.)

5. EYYAAKA NA’BUDU, WA EYYAAKA NASTA’EEN [Listen]
(Only You we worship; only You we ask for help.)

6. EHDENAS SIRAATAL MUSTAQEEM [Listen]
(Guide us in the straight path.) [Guide us in the right path;]

7. SIRAATAL LAZINA AN’AMTA ‘ALAYHIM [Listen]
(The path of those whom You blessed)

GHAYRIL MAGHDOOBI ‘ALAYHIM WALADDAALLEEN [Listen]
(Not of those who incur wrath, nor the strayers).

Since “The Key” is recited 17 times a day, it will become easy for you to recite and understand in a few weeks; it will become like your mother tongue.

Bowing

7. The bowing position (Rukoo`):

After reciting “The Key” while standing, you bow down into the position of Rukoo`. As shown in the figure, you bow down from the waist, keep the knees straight, and place your hands on your knees. Your eyes look at a point about 2 feet in front of you.
As you move from the standing position to the bowing position you say, “Allahu Akbar.”
While bowing you say, “Subhaana Rabbiyal `Azeem” or “God be glorified.”

[Note: “She says this silently” is not “in the mind”. During the group prayer it means to say/speak out the words softly or in a low voice, and in a normal tone when praying alone following 17:110. See the linked Contact Prayers video for details on how and what to say in the bowing and prostrating positions.]

8. Stand up:

As you stand up from the bowing position to the standing position you say, “Sastand upmi `Allahu Liman Hamidah,” or “God responds to those who praise Him.”
You remain in the standing position only a second, then you fall prostrate. As you go from the standing position to the prostration position you say, “Allahu Akbar.”

 

9. The Prostration Position (Sujood): prostration

From the standing position you go down on your knees, then place your forehead on the floor about 1-2 feet in front of your knees (see figure).
During prostration you say, “ Subhaana Rabbiyal A`laa” or “God be glorified.”

10. The Sitting Position:

As you sit up from the prostration position, you say, “Allahu Akbar.” You remain in the sitting position only a second, then you go down for the second prostration.
As you go down for the second prostration you say, “Allahu Akbar.”
During the second prostration you say, “Subhanna Rabbiyal A`laa.” Once you complete the second prostration, you have sittingcompleted one full unit (Rak`ah).

11. Stand up for the second unit:

As you stand up you say, “Allahu Akbar.”

The Dawn Prayer

This Contact Prayer consists of 2 units. thus, when you get up from the second prostration, you say, “Allahu Akbar,” and you assume the sitting position. While in the sitting position you pronounce the First Pillar of Submission, the Shahaadah:
Ash-Hadu Allaa Elaaha Ellaa Allah.
(I bear witness that there is no other god beside God.)
Wahdahu Laa Shareeka Lah.
(He ALONE is God; He has no partner.)
Look to the right and say, “Assalaamu Alaikum,” then to the left and say the same. This completes the Dawn Prayer.

The Noon Prayer

This prayer consists of 4 units. Thus, you do the first two units exactly as explained for the Dawn Prayer up to the sitting position. You pronounce the First Pillar (known as “Shahaadah”) then you stand up for the third unit. You do not utter the Salaams (Assalamu Alaikum).
As you stand up for the third unit you say, “Allahu Akbar.” The third and fourth units are identical to the first two units.

When you get up from the second prostration of the fourth unit, you say “Allahu Akbar” and you assume the sitting position. In the sitting position you pronounce the Shahaadah, and you say the Salaams on both sides. This concludes the Noon Prayer.

The Afternoon Prayer

This prayer is identical to the Noon Prayer. Only the “Intention” of course is different.

The Sunset Prayer

This prayer consists of three units. Thus, when you complete the second prostration of the third unit you do not stand up; you assume the sitting position, recite the Shahaadah, then you utter the Salaams on both sides. This concludes the Sunset Prayer.

The Night Prayer

This prayer is identical with the other 4-unit prayers, the Noon and the Afternoon Prayers.
The Contact Prayers and the Quran’s Mathematical Code
As noted above, the Dawn, Noon, Afternoon, Sunset and Night Prayers consist of 2, 4, 4, 3, & 4 units, respectively. When we put these 5 numbers next to each other we get 24434, and this number is a multiple of 19 (24434 = 19 x 1286). The common denominator of the Quran’s code is 19. This phenomenon confirms that the number of units for each Contact Prayer has been reserved intact, and the sequence 2, 4, 4, 3 and 4 is also confirmed.

Your Tone of Voice During the Contact Prayers

You shall not be too loud during your Contact Prayers, nor shall you say them secretly; you shall maintain an intermediate tone [17:110]. During a group prayer, only the Imam is audible; everyone else listens.

The Group Prayer

Two or more people may observe the Contact Prayers together. One person leads the group prayer, uttering “The Key” in a loud enough voice to be heard by everyone in the group. Other utterances must be silent. Anyone may join the group late, in the middle of the prayer. He or she must make the same moves as the group, then, at the end of the prayer, he or she must stand up and make up whatever portion was missed.

The Friday Prayer

The Friday Congregational Prayer (Salat Al-Jum`ah) is so important, a whole sura is entitled “Friday” and a commandment is decreed in verse 9 to observe this prayer. Every Submitter — man, woman, and child — is commanded by God to observe the Friday Congregational Prayer.

The Friday Prayer replaces the Noon Prayer every Friday. Instead of 4 units, the Friday Prayer consists of listening to two sermons delivered by the Imam, and two units of prayer.

Each sermon must begin with “Al-Hamdu Lillah” (Praise be to God), “Laa Elaaha Ella Allah” (No other god beside God). Each sermon should last 10-15 minutes and must be delivered in the language of the congregation. At the end of the first sermon, the congregation is asked to repent, “Tooboo Ela Allah.” The Imam then sits down for about a minute and makes his repentance together with the congregation, then stands up for the second sermon. The second sermon ends by asking one of the people to say the Azaan. The Imam then leads the 2-unit prayer.

At the end of every prayer

The worshipers may shake hands, hug each other, and/or exchange greetings after completing the prayer. The custom is to say to each other, “Congratulations.” This is because the Contact Prayers are a gift from God, that helps us nourish and develop our souls. One should be congratulated upon completing such a blessed accomplishment.

 

For More Information

This booklet should be used in conjunction with our audio or video tape in order to practice the correct pronunciation of the Arabic words. The audio/video tape provides the sounds and visual effects that will help you learn the correct pronunciations.

 

For more information:

Essentials of Islam

Reconstructing the Muslim Prayer Completely from the Quran

Principles of Friday Prayer

Join us to listen to our online Friday meetings every Friday.

ON THE LAST TWO VERSES OF SURA 9

Since the first presentation of evidence that the last two verses of Sura 9 are false injections (March 1985 issue), I received more support than objections. Some objections resulted from lack of understanding the mathematical data. For example, some people looked up the Qur’an’s index and found that the word “Rasool” occurs in Qur’an 116 times, not 115 as reported in my 1985 declaration. Thus, they did not take into consideration that one word “Rasool رسول refers to the “Rasool of Pharaoh (12:50), and was not counted as “Rasool of Allah. Another example is the word “Arsh عرش which means dominion, or palace, or throne. The objectors did not deduct the occurrence of the word ‘Arshwhen it referred to the ”’Arsh عرش of the Queen of Sheba (27:23). Even the objectors did agree with me regarding other words in 9:128-129 which violated the Qur’an’s mathematical code.

The majority of objections centered around the infallible divine law of preservation of Qur’an.

Surely, we have sent down this message, and surely, we will preserve it. (15:9)

Falsehood shall not come into it (Qur’an) in the past or the future. (41:42)

Let me state at the outset that Qur’an is and has always been perfectly preserved, as proven irrefutably by the mathematical code. Every sincere believer actually knew the perfect Qur’an, and every sincere believer today, and forever, knows the perfect Qur’an. As it turned out, the true Muslims did know the true Qur’an, while the false Muslims knew a false Qur’an. False Muslims are not worthy of Qur’an, because they have made a decision not to believe in the Qur’an’s perfection and completion as divinely stated in 6:19, 38, & 114. Please see 7:146 & 18:57. They uphold other sources such as Hadith & Sunna).

The vast majority of Qur’an in the world today do not conform to the original Qur’an as written by Muhammad’s own hand; they exhibit a variety of errors. Millions of Qur’ans have been printed in Iran during the last five years using standard Arabic, not the divinely dictated and unique Qur’anic Arabic. All these copies are wrong, for they violate the mathematical composition created by God to guard and protect every letter in Qur’an. But this does not nullify God’s law that Qur’an has been perfectly preserved. The true Muslims continue to know the true Qur’an and the false Muslims continue to know a false Qur’an. This too God’s law as stated in 7:146. Many readers wrote that they were always uncomfortable with the obvious deification of the Prophet in 9:128-129. They always felt that something was wrong.

HERE IS THE ANSWER FOR THOSE WHO MISUNDERSTOOD 15:9 AND 41:42.

As a rule,

A LAW DOES NOT EXIST UNLESS IT IS VIOLATED.

For example, let us assume that there is a law stating that you shall not leave this room. If you stay forever in this room, no one will ever know that such a law exists. But if you violate the law by leaving the room, and you are forced back into the room, then everyone knows that the law exists.

A LAW DOES NOT EXIST UNLESS IT IS VIOLATED.

Thus, the violation of the law of preservation of Qur’an was in accordance with God’s will in order to demonstrate to the world that  such a law does indeed exist, and that any violation of the law shall be exposed and eliminated. Our Creator, Subhanahu wa Ta’ala, has given us a hint by refusing to prefix Sura 9 with His holy name.

Another good example is the divine law that the angels possess the freedom of choice. It is obvious from 2:34, 7:11, 17:61, 18:50, & 20:116 that the angels possess the freedom of choice to obey or disobey God. When they do disobey God, they become angels no more; they become Jinns (18:50). However, the only reason we know that such law exists is that it has been violated. Only because Iblees (Satan) refused to bow down before Adam that we know that such a law exists. Had Satan obeyed God, and bowed down with the rest of the angels, we would have never known whether the angels possess the freedom of choice or not.

(PLEASE NOTE)

Arabic: Azhar approved title of sura 9
Arabic: Azhar approved title of sura 9

This Azhar-approved title indicates that Sura 9 was the last sura revealed in Medina, except for the last two verses; they were supposedly revealed in Mecca. In retrospect, this is impossible. For it means that the last two verses were revealed at least 10 years before the rest of the sura.

A study of the Meccan and Medinan revelations shows that Medinan verses are regularly found in Meccan suras, but not the other way around. This, of course, excludes the only sura revealed between Mecca and Medina (Sura 8).

 

 

From Muslim Perspective, September, 1986

See also:

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED ISLAMIC NATION (1986)

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
OF THE UNITED ISLAMIC NATION

San Francisco  Dhul Hijja 22-24, 1406  (August 29-31, 1986)

A rare opportunity to update, coordinate, and share your knowledge with your brothers and sisters from around the world who have experienced the same exciting of TRUE ISLAM.

See Quran 16:125

Invite others to the way of your Lord with wisdom and gentle
admonition and debate with them in the best possible manner. (…)

(Quran 16:125)

 

From Muslim Perspective, August, 1986

See also:

Why Muslims must now turn away from Hadith

Final Issue of the Old Era.
The New Era begins Muharram 1st, 1407 (September 6, 1986)

Why Muslims must now turn away from Hadith

This article is reproduced from Malaysia’s THE SUNDAY STAR of June 22, 1986 (Page 13). It was written by Dr. Kassim Ahmad, renowned Malaysian Leader, Prominent Muslim Scholar, and, first and foremost, a true Muslim who raises the banner of true Islam as originally preached by God’s final prophet Muhammad. There is no doubt that God and His invisible and invincible soldiers are supporting Kassim in his current historical stand against Satan’s feeble troops who call themselves “Ulama” (Muslim Scholars!!!). See Qur’an 22:40, 37:171-173, & 40:51. (The Editor)

By Kassim Ahmad

THE Muslims have two sets of ‘authentic’ collections of Hadith,compiled reported alleged sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad,  firstly, by Sunni (‘orthodox’) and, secondly, by Shia (‘heretical’) compilers between 250 an 350 years after his death.

Although these compilers adopted what they considered were ‘foolproof’ methods against errors, the authenticity of the Hadith has been a subject of endless controversy down the centuries. The majority of Muslim orthodox theologians and jurists since that time had decreed that any Muslim not upholding the Hadith as a source of guidance and law puts himself outside the fold of Islam.

In a nutshell, this is the greatest dilemma facing the Muslims today: Will they continue to uphold the Hadith in spite of its self-contradictions, as their theologians have taught, or undertake a critical re-evaluation in the face of strong opposition by the conservative ulama.

The critical re-evaluation is absolutely necessary in order to remove what I consider to be the greatest impediment to the development of Muslim thought and social progress in the modern world. Anyone who examines the Hadith objectively and dispassionately would find many of them contradicting the clear teachings of the Quran, contradicting itself and contradicting science and history and common sense.

In my small book. I have given examples of such Hadith. In short, the Hadith is anti-science and contrary to Quranic humanism. This is the basis of my argument that the Hadith impedes the development of modern Muslim thought and social progress.

As history has recorded, the early Muslims were world leaders in empire-making, just administration, intellectual and scientific culture and military strategy and warfare.

This was the time when they were wholly inspired and fully imbued by the liberating message of the divine Quran, the only scripture and teaching brought by Prophet Muhammad to the Arabs and mankind.

When, beginning from the Third Century of Islam onwards, the Muslims began to turn their minds to other sources of guidance, particularly the Hadith, the downward slide started. As everybody can see, the Muslims today are badly spilt, warring against each other, one group ever ready to quarrel with another and differing with one another on the smallest of issues, such as purdah and mannerisms in prayer, and consequently, occupying the bottommost position in the international community.

In spite of this, most of the ulama are quite complacent and feel self-righteous about the state of their religion. They view any attack on them or any attempt at a critical re-evaluation of their teachings as an attack on Islam itself.

They have in fact arrogated to themselves the role of custodians of the religion. They assert that there is nothing wrong with the state of Islam as taught by them; the error lies in its non-application by politicians.

They therefore are now clamouring for a greater role for themselves in government. PAS is in fact proposing to set up such a dismal medieval theologian-led state in Malaysia.

The trouble is that the majority of the ulama is no longer the learned of the Ummah, as their name implies.

Since the time they assumed the form of a priestly class about the Fifteenth Century and devoted themselves purely to the “religious” sciences, their knowledge froze and along with it Muslim science and thought. Since nature abhors extremes, the extremes wing of the religious intelligentsia gave rise to the extreme wing of the secular intelligentsia who severed the connection between religion and politics.

This is the root cause of the alienation of the ulama from modern knowledge and contemporary society.

This explains their near-hysterical reaction to my book and their inability to confront its scientific challenge rationally.

Unable to confront the book’s scientific challenge rationally, they resorted to character assassination and mystification, with such remarks as the author was a former socialist leader, that having rejected the Hadith he is now an ‘apostate’,that he does not read the Quran in Arabic, that he uses Orientalist sources and not primary sources and so on.

Such arguments, of course, cut no ice with the enlightened, but their target is the unenlightened.

The aim of their campaign is to confuse the people as to the true contents of my book, whip up public support for their untenable position and pressure the authorities to ban it.

All of these go to show their great fear of the people’s rejection of the Hadith. They even irrationally argue that a rejection of the Hadith means a rejection of the Quran, when they very well know that the Quran is a protected divine scripture standing separately by itself.

On closer examination, this fear is linked to the fact that most of the so-called authentic Hadith cannot be said to originate from the Prophet, since they contradict the teachings of the Quran which he brought, and many of them incalculate superstitious faith in the ulama.

It is thus in the interest of the ulama to uphold and protect the Hadith. It is in fact their teaching that the Hadith be considered as a source of law along with the Quran. Definitely it is not the Prophet’s teaching.

The Quran categorically forbids it, and the Prophet is also reported to have forbidden the writing down of anything from him except the Quran. Since this report supports the Quran, it can be safely regarded as a genuine Hadith.

The teaching that the Hadith is a primary source of Muslim jurisprudence was first formally stated by the great classical jurist. Imam Shafi’i (d. 820 A.D.) some two hundred years after the Prophet’s death.

The Hadith of course existed in oral form from the earliest generations of Islam, though not in such stupendous numbers as existed at the time of the official compilations, but prior to the acceptance of the Shafi’i jurisprudential theory, they were simply regarded as precedents.

Right from the time of Shafi’i’s enunciation of the theory in his book, al-Risalah, strong objections were advanced against it by the Muslim Rationalists on the grounds that the Quran was perfect, complete and detailed and the Hadith mere guesswork.

The historical circumstances at that time were such that Shafi’i’s theory eventually gained general acceptance and the opposition movement suppressed.

However, it persisted as a minority suppressed movement in the Muslim community down the centuries until today when, to my mind, conditions are ripening for its general acceptance.

The anti- Hadith movement can in no way be taken as a movement to denigrate the great Prophet Muhammad or to do away with the divine scripture, the Quran, that he brought to mankind, as the upholders of Hadith would have the people believe.

Muhammad, being God’s final prophet to mankind during the Earth’s era of scientific and technological advance, cannot teach such superstitions as are embodied in a great many Hadith.

The aim of the anti- Hadith movement is precisely to clear the great Prophet of the false teachings attributed to him. As to the Quran, it is the grand, spiritual, rational, humanistic, liberating message that he brought to the Arabs and the whole of mankind, already lifting the Arab and Muslims in the first three centuries to great heights, and, of course, as capable of accomplishing similar feats for the whole of humanity in the future.

The Quran is far, very far above the jumble of so-called prophetic Hadith that the conservative theologians wish to associate it with.

This is the universal, social and philosophical dimension of the anti-Hadith movement and the movement back to the Quran, the sole, original and true teachings of Prophet Muhammad to the world. It is of far reaching world significance.

Scope Editorial

FROM THE BAHASA PAPERS

Berita Harian

NOW that the Religious Affairs Division in the Prime Minister’s Department has made known its views on Kassim Ahmad’s book, there will certainly be increasing pressure to ban it. The editorial regretted that those who are loudest in seeking a ban on the book are also the ones who have been reluctant to have an open debate with Kassim to discuss his book. The open-mindedness of Abim in responding to Kassim Ahmad’s challenge is to be applauded. The Berita Harian added that perhaps the publication of the book could have been inspired by the fact that Encik Kassim was denied the use of a public forum at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia some months ago as a result of a directive by the Selangor Religious Affairs Department. The reason for preventing Kassim from holding the ceramah was that he is not anulama and is not an expert on the Hadith. “It is clear that the UKM was reluctant to hear the views of a man whom they regard as ‘ignorant’ simply because he stands outside their field of expertise.”

“Who knows, perhaps if the ceramah had been permitted, its effect might have been more positive than what are facing now”. It is unfortunate for the Malays and Muslims that there are still people who consider themselves experts in a certain field but are afraid to hear the views of others who do not share their discipline?

The paper urged the ulama to have the “courage” to listen to other people’s views.

Religious issues should not be exempted from open debate even though there might be occasions when the ulama or the experts in a particular discipline feel that their credibility is challenged. If the ulamak take pride in the revival of Islam, they should be brave enough to cope with developments resulting from such revival.

It is useless to take pride in the revival of Islam if the right to discuss an issue of relevance to Islam continues to be regarded as the sole prerogative of the ulama.

It is odd that our ulama often make use of their position to ban this and that, and are prone to criticise the writings of other people while they themselves do not express their ideas in writing.

Is it the duty our ulama merely to act as sources of reference or as agents whose responsibility is to hand out haram or halal judgments? Why should Kassim’s book be the sole object of inquiry whereas the books written by Joseph Schact or Goldziher which Kassim used as his sources of reference are still sold in our bookshops?

The paper expressed the hope that “the ulama would accept Kassim’s invitation that the controversy be solved in a more judicious convincing manner.”

 

Utusan Malaysia

THE Utusan Malysia editorial commenting on Kassim Ahmad’s book called upon the ulama not to rely solely on their authority as religious leaders to act against Kassim Ahmad’s book. It would be more dangerous for the ulama merely to resort to conventional measures.

“Muslims now are generally less inclined to submit themselves to the authority of the ulama,” the Utusan added. Kassim Ahmad’s book poses not only a challenge to the credibility of the ulama but also to their scholarship in rebutting his arguments in a rational and convincing manner, the paper said.

“What is urgently needed is for the ulama to prove that Kassim Ahmad’s views are wrongly based on scientific arguments as the present generation of Muslims is more critical in their attitude and thinking,” the editorial said.

“It is a heavy task for our ulama but it is a responsibility which they must fulfill as the emergence of groups questioning Islam in the past was partly due to the failure of our ulama to adjust their methods of explaining Islam in terms that are relevant to the changes in the Muslim world”

 

From Muslim Perspective, August, 1986

See also:

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED ISLAMIC NATION

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED ISLAMIC NATION

San  Francisco   Dhul  Hijja  22-24,  1406    (August 29-31, 1986)

FINAL PROGRAM

Friday August 29

1:00  to   2:00  / FRIDAY PRAYER.   Br. Ismail Barakat  ( Vancouver, Canada).   Conference President and Master of Ceremonies.
Title of Khutba: Legal and Ethical Reasons for Rejecting Hadith.

2:00  to  2:20   / Welcome and opening ceremony.  Sister Mehri Pirooz  (San Francisco, California).

2:20  to  3:30  /  The Advent of a New Era.   Br.  Rashad Khalifa, Imam of Masjid Tucson (Arizona).

3:30  to 4:30  /  The Original Islam as Preached by the Prophet Muhammad. Dr. Ahmad Subhy Mansour, Professor of Islamic History, Al  Azhar  University  (Cairo, Egypt).

4:30  to  6:00  /  Afternoon Prayer. Talk by Brother Raymond Catton (Vancouver, Canada).

6:00  to  7:00  /  Dinner.

7:00  to  8:00  /  European Report. Sister Soussan Rey (Monte  Carlo, Monaco).

8:00  to  10:00  /  Sunset Prayer. General participation in questions and answers. Raymond Catton, Moderator.

Saturday August 30

5:00  to  6:00  AM  /  Dawn Prayer. Talk by Sister Soussan Rey.

6:00  to  8:00  / Breakfast.

8:00  to  9:00  / Lecture by Brother Feroz Karmally (Vancouver, Canada).

9:00  to  10:00  / Lecture by Brother Kassim Ahmad, Renowned Muslim Scholar and Prominent Leader (Penang, Malaysia).

10:00  to 11:00  / General participation in question and answers. Ismail Barakat, Moderator.

11:00  to  12:00  /  Midwest Report. Brother Malik Ali (Cincinnati, Ohio).

12:00  to  2:00  /  Noon Prayer. Lunch.

2:00  to  3:00  /  Lecture  by  Dr.  Rashid Hamed, Associate Professor of  Psychology, State University of New York (Oneonta).

3:00  to  4:00  /  Immigration in the Cause of God.  Dr. Ahmad Subhy Mansour.

4:00  to  5:00  /  The Mechanism of Worship in Islam. Rashad Khalifa.

5:00  to  7:00  /  Afternoon Prayer. Dinner.

7:00  to  8:00  /  The  Capital Report. Sister  Ihsan Ramadan (Washington, DC).

8:00  to  10:00  /  Sunset Prayer.  Talk by Sister Sayyidah Ahmad. General participation in questions and answers. Mahmoud Pirooz, Moderator.

Sunday August 31

5:00  to  6:00  / Dawn Prayer. Talk.

6:00  to  8:00  /  Breakfast.

8:00  to  9:00  /  The Woman in True Islam. Sister Sophia Catton (Vancouver, Canada).

9:00  to  12:00  /  Open Forum. Question and answer period.

12:00  to  12:30  /  Noon Prayer. Closing remarks by Rashad Khalifa.

 

 

By: Rashad Khalifa as Editor of Muslim Perspective, July, 1986

See also:

CORRECTION : THE FIVE DAILY CONTACT PRAYERS (SALAT) MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY IN QUR’AN

CORRECTION :

THE FIVE DAILY CONTACT PRAYERS (SALAT) MENTIONED SPECIFICALLY IN QUR’AN

Due to unfortunate mix-up in the typing and printing of the last issue of MUSLIM PERSPECTIVE, some numbers of verses and suras in the main article came out erroneous.
The following are the correct numbers:

The morning and sunset prayers are mentioned in 11:114.
The noon prayer is mentioned in 17:78.
The morning and night prayers are mentioned by name in 24:58.
The afternoon prayer is mentioned in 2:238.

We apologize for this mix-up and ask God’s forgiveness for our forgetfulness and mistakes

 

By: Rashad Khalifa as Editor of Muslim Perspective, July, 1986

See also:

WHAT PRICE MUSLIM UNITY?

Arabic Basmallah, Quran 6:159

Surely, those who divide their religion into sects, have nothing to do with you (O Muhammad). (6:159)

You shall submit to God, you shall observe the contact prayers (Salat), and do not be idol-worshipers. Do not be among those who divide their religion into sects; each sect happy with what they have. (30:31-32)

Do not be like those who became divided and disputed after the clear signs have come to them; these will suffer a terrible retribution. (3:105)

This is My path; you shall follow it, and do not follow any other paths, lest they take you away from the path of God. Such is God’s advice to you, that you may attain salvation. (6:153)

God has decreed for you a religion that was enjoined upon Noah, as well as the one we inspired to you (Muhammad), and what we have given Abraham, Moses, and Jesus; that you shall uphold this one religion, and do not be divided… (42:13)

You shall obey God and His messenger, and do not dispute among yourselves lest you fail and become weak. You shall steadfastly persevere, for God is with the steadfast. (8:46)

As illustrated in the verses shown above, unity among Muslims is an obligatory duty upon all sincere believers. Any disobedience of such powerful commandments is a clear symptom of disbelief in Qur’an, and a blatant defiance of God and His messenger. The Muslim Ummah we witness today is undeniably divided, humiliated, and can no longer be in God’s grace. The Muslim Ummah of today does not meet the criteria of a truly Muslim Ummah as described in Qur’an 3:160, 22:40, 40:54, & 47:7. Obviously, someone is doing something wrong. Therefore, it behooves all Muslims, for their own good, to look around, examine their convictions carefully, and come up with the answers to two vital questions:

What are doing wrong? and
How can we correct our errors?

 

WHAT PRICE MUSLIM UNITY? Unity among Muslims is guaranteed if all Muslims obeyed God and His messenger by believing in one source of religious guidance; one source of jurisprudence. If all the Muslims believed in one book and one God, the inevitable result would be unity, strength, and guaranteed dignity (24:55). Unfortunately, the Muslims have adopted four sources of jurisprudence in addition to Qur’an, namely:
(1) Hadith: sayings falsely attributed to the Prophet.

(2) Sunna: actions falsely attributed to the Prophet.

(3) Unanimity      (Ijmaa’) : an anti-Qur’anic principle which states that if the scholars unanimously agreed on something, it must be correct!!! This defies the Qur’anic statements in 6:116, 12:103 & 12:106 indicating that the majority of any people invariably follow the wrong path; even the majority of believers are destined to fall into idol-worship (see 12:106).

(4) Analogy  (Qiyas): the principle of comparing new situations and circumstances with old established jurisprudence that is not based totally on Qur’an.

The fact that the Muslims of today have adopted five sources of jurisprudence is a loud declaration that the Muslims have rejected Qur’an, and refused to believe God. For the Qur’an states repeatedly that it is complete (6:115, 20:114), perfect (6:38), fully detailed (6:114), and that it shall be the only source of religious guidance and jurisprudence  (6:19). Verse 19 of Sura 6 states that the adoption of any other sources besides Qur’an  is tantamount to setting other gods besides God. Ironically, the Qur’an itself has prophecied such desertion of its teachings (see 25:30).

The immediate result of the Muslims rejection of God’s revelations is dismissal from God’s grace, and deprivation from understanding Qur’an. Verse 40 of Sura 7 states: Surely, those who reject our revelations and disregard them, the gates of heaven will never open up for them ( to accept their prayers), nor will they enter Paradise; their admission into Paradise is as impossible as having a camel pass through the eye of a needle. Such is our retribution for the wicked.

The principle reason for the existence of sects in today’s Islam, in total defiance of God and His Prophet, is the false doctrines known as Hadith & Sunna. Centuries after the Prophet’s death, the Shafe’i sect was created because Imam Shafe’i believed that the Prophet had behaved in a certain manner as he walked, talked, prayerd, bathed, etc. The same thing happened when Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malek, Imam Ibn Hanbal, and others came up with different opinions regarding the Prophet’s actions and way of life. With the initiation of these sects, the followers of each Imam bitterly accused all others of apostasy and paganism. Many of them invented Hadiths condemning the followers of rival sects. Today, these strong rivalries still exist among the Sunni sects, as well as between the Sunnis and the Shi’as.

The price of Muslim unity, dignity, victory, and guaranteed superiority in this world is to uphold Qur’an, the whole Qur’an, and nothing but Qur’an. The Muslims have to give up all innovations, superstitions, traditions, Hadith, Sunna, and all non-Quranic religious regulations.

In order to attain unity and God’s promise of sovereignty on earth, the Muslims have to abandon all excuses for setting up sources of religious guidance other than Qur’an: they have to believe God when He states that Qur’an is complete, perfect, fully detailed, and shall be the only source of religious guidance (see 6:19,38,114).

 

 

By: Rashad Khalifa as Editor of Muslim Perspective, July, 1986

See also:

ONE MORE QUR’ANIC SIGN TOWARDS THE END OF THE WORLD FULFILLED

ONE MORE QUR’ANIC SIGN TOWARDS THE END OF THE WORLD FULFILLED.

THE NUCLEAR REACTOR’S ACCIDENT OF CHERNOBYL, USSR FITS ALL THE DESCRIPTIONS AS STATED IN QUR’AN 44: 10-15.

THIS MEANS THAT OUR GENERATION HAS NOW WITNESSED THE FULFILLMENT OF FOUR GREAT SIGNS PROPHESIED IN QUR’AN:

(1) THE VIOLATION OF THE MOON ON JULY 20, 1969, AND CARRYING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MOON ROCKS TO THE PLANET EARTH (see 54:1).

(2)   UNVEILING THE SECRET OF QUR’AN, namely the Qur’an’s mathematical composition, which is described by the Almighty Himself as “ONE OF THE GREATEST MIRACLES” (see Qur’an 74:35). See also 10:20, 25:4-6, and 74:34-35.

(3)  UNVEILING “THE CREATURE” FROM THE EARTH THAT TELLS THE PEOPLE THAT THEY HAVE ABANDONED GOD’S REVELATIONS. THIS CREATURE, WHO TOLD THE MUSLIMS THAT THEY HAVE DESERTED THE QUR’AN IN FAVOR OF MAN-MADE FABRICATIONS IS NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE COMPUTER. “THE CREATURE” IS MENTIONED IN QUR’AN IN 27:82, and the total of these digits 2,7,8, & 2 is 19, the Qur’an’s common denominator.

 

By: Rashad Khalifa as Editor of Muslim Perspective, June, 1986

See also:

FOUR TELEVISION PROGRAMS PRODUCED AND TELECASTED

FOUR TELEVISION PROGRAMS PRODUCED AND TELECASTED

The four programs are being broadcast daily in Tucson, and at various times throughout the world. In North America, these programs are shown in Tucson, Southern California, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Detroit, New York, Connecticut, and Vancouver (B.C., Canada). The four programs are:

(1) WITNESS A MIRACLE: Describes the Qur’an’s miraculous mathematical composition, and links it with the

19-based mathematical code discovered in previous scripture.

(2) KINGS OF CHAOS: Provides the Qur’anic explanations for the abundance of misery, starvation, oppression, disease, wars, etc. Also, it answers the most crucial question: Why are we here? What is the purpose of our life?

(3) IN DEFENSE OF THE BIBLE: Many Muslims are pre-occupied with attacking the Bible, indiscriminately. They forget that the Bible is the word of God, and that we are commanded to believe in it (see Qur’an 2:4, 5:44 & 46). This TV program exposes the disastrous human interference in the Bible, confirms the truths therein, and exposes the fabrication of false doctrines in the Bible such as the Trinity and the deification of Jesus against his will.

(4) WORLD NEWS BULLETIN: Qur’anic prophecy covering the next 300 years, and the countdown towards the end of the world.

We urge each and every one of you to check your local TV Cable Company (public access division) to see if you can have these programs broadcast in your area free of charge. This would be a great service to God and His message.

 

By: Rashad Khalifa as Editor of Muslim Perspective, June, 1986

See also: