Qur'anic Answers

A debatable issue within the Muslim community is in regards to the destiny of the parents of Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him). Some claim they were from amongst a tiny group of people called the Hanifs who practiced a form of monotheism so will be in paradise. Others claim they were polytheists and therefore will be in hell and back this up with evidence from the hadith. But what does the Qur'an actually say on the matter and does it provide a clear answer to this question. Idol worship The Qur'an says that Allah " ... was not to destroy any town because of its wickedness while its people were unaware " (6:131). Regards to the people of Mecca, the biggest crime they were committing was associating gods with Allah. The Qur'an has categorically stated that " Allah does not forgive that partners be set up with Him, and He forgives other than that for whom He pleases... " (4:48 & 4:116). Allah through His infinite mercy will forgive all sins a pers...

Each year as of Ramadan begins, a familiar and sometimes heated debate resurfaces within the Muslim community. This is usually focused on the correct way to perform the night salat known as 'taraweeh' - a term we will now use for the remainder of this article. The arguments usually revolve around the number of rakats and whether taraweeh can be performed in congregation. This article investigates how the Qur'an has addressed this issue and established the real requirements of offering the night salat. Is taraweeh found in the Qur'an The word taraweeh does not appear anywhere in the Qur'an. It is a term developed by later generations to describe a specific format of salat performed during the Ramadan nights. If Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was with us today, he would not recognise the term as it was something he never used himself. Instead, the Quran speaks of a salat " ...from the night, as an addition... " (17:79). While the specific label of tara...

During the nights of Ramadan, many people, particularly from the Sunni denomination attend the night prayers in congregation, known as 'taraweeh'. During these prayer sessions, some members of the congregation use a copy of the Qur'an to follow along with the recitation of the imam. The Arabic word for the Qur'anic text is mushaf and this is what we will use in this article. When referring to the mushaf, we are including the text in all its formats including on mobile phone devices. This issue leads to debates as to whether it is permissible to use a mushaf and questions are even raised on the validity of the salat itself. This article looks at how the Qur'an addresses this matter. Hearing versus listening When " ...the Qur'an is being read... " (7:204), Allah tells the believers to " ...listen to it and pay attention, that you may receive mercy " (7:204). This command does not mean simply to hear the words passively, but it means to actively...

Muslims claim to honour Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) by sending salutations on him, dressing like him, growing a beard and adopting a hairstyle to imitate his appearance, copying his sleeping and eating habits and many more aspects of his personal life.  This always originates from sincere devotion but is often based on questionable reports. Is this really what it means to honour Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), or does the Qur'an provide the real method of honouring him. Honour is accepting the Qur'an as sufficient The Qur'an declares that Islam is complete when Allah says " ...today I have perfected your system for you, and completed My blessings upon you, and I have approved Islam as the system for you... " (5:3), and describes its own words as " ...completed with truth and justice; there is no changing His words... " (6:115). It is the only Book Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was commanded to " follow what was sent down to ...

The account of Aisha, the wife of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him), is one of the most well- known in early Islamic history.  The common narrative states that she was married at the age of six or seven and that the marriage was consummated when she was nine. This version of events is widely cited and accepted by the majority of the Muslims today. A closer examination of historical texts and hadith literature reveals several compelling pieces of evidence that challenge this timeline. Even within the common narrative, minor but significant inconsistencies appear—was she six or seven? By analysing timeline comparisons, Aisha's own memories, and the context of other reports, a more complex and nuanced picture begins to emerge. Aisha's sister's age One of the strongest arguments for an alternative timeline comes from a simple comparison of Aisha's age to that of her older half-sister, Asma bint Abi Bakr. The timeline is established by two key facts provided by classi...

Was there a reason Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) was sent " ...as a mercy to the world " (21:107)  in the sixth-seventh century or was it just a random event in history.  This article looks at the evidences from the Qur'an, together with the historical events leading up to the revelation to explain the timing for sending Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) at this precise moment. System of time-limited revelations Allah's established pattern prior to the Qur'an was to send a " ...messenger to come with any sign except with the permission of Allah; for each period there is a Book " (13:38). This shows that Allah only sends messengers with a new revelation once the term of previous revelation expires.  This would usually happen when the people responsible with preserving the book " ...heard the words of Allah then altered them knowingly after having understood " (2:75), or " ...those who write the Book with their hands then say, ...

For the vast majority of Muslims today, zakat is treated as a simple 2.5% calculation on certain types of wealth, once a year, above a minimum threshold defined in grams of gold or silver.  Yet when we return to the Qur'an itself, a very different understanding appears on the types of wealth subject to zakat and the rate itself. The Qur'an presents zakat as a tool designed to prevent wealth becoming the private property of the elite and it legislates a perfect system to achieve this. Prevention of wealth concentration When Muslims as a whole obtained new wealth without having " ...to battle for on horses or on foot... " (59:6), the Qur'an restricted this specific wealth gain to only " ...Allah and His messenger, and the relatives, and the orphans, and the poor, and the wayfarer... " (59:7), so that wealth " ...will not remain monopolised by the rich among you... " (59:7). This wealth belonged to the state as a collective. Individuals outside of...

A statement that is often made is 'we cannot pray the salat without the hadith'.  The claim is usually made as though the hadith provides all the details. But this understanding rests on the assumption that the hadith does indeed contains the rituals in detail, step-by-step. However, a closer look at the history of salat shows a very different story. Salat was already known The Qur'an speaks about salat often, but never as a step‑by‑step guide. It mentions the positions of bowing, prostrating and standing but it never assembles these into a full ritual.  Believers are told to 'bow and prostrate' and to 'stand before Allah devoutly'. This all assumes the ritual of salat already existed. The Qur'an focuses on the purpose and spirit of salat and not its mechanics which were already being performed even by the polytheists. We cover how the rituals of Ibrahim have been preserved to this day in detail here . Prophet made corrections to salat The Qur'an...

Many Muslims today think that all religious information is preserved with the same care as the Qur'an.  So when they hear or read something - usually on the internet - they take it to be the truth. This article is focussing on the preachers and how they have played a major part in diverting the Muslims away from the Qur'an and into the realms of fantasy.  Qur'an has the best stories The Qur'an is filled with verses such as it is a " ...Book fully detailed... " (6:114) " ...sent down from your Lord with the truth... " (6:114), a " ...Book which We have detailed with knowledge... " (7:52), a book which has " ...a detailing of all things, and a guidance and a mercy... " (12:111), a " ...Book as a clarification for all things, and a guidance and a mercy and good tidings... " (16:89), and a " ...Book whose verses are made detailed... " (41:3). Allah also says " ...We have fully detailed the revelations... ...