Aymen’s Page

Faatimah bint Qays Radhi Allahu Anha narrates: Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam completed the Salaah and sat on the mimbar.
He was smiling and he said: “Let each person remain where he had performed Salaah.” Then he said: “Do you know why I called you together?” 
The Sahabah replied: “Allah and His messenger know best.”

Nabi Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said: “By Allah, I did not call you together for any recommendation or for a warning. I have called you together because Tameem al-Daari was a Christian and he came, swore allegiance and became Muslim, and told me something which conforms with what I had told you about the Dajjaal.

He told me that he sailed in a ship with thirty men of Lakhm and Judhaam and they were tossed by the waves of the sea for a month. Then they arrived at an island just as the sun was setting. They boarded a small rowing-boat and reached the island. They were met by a beast whose body was covered by so much of hair that they could not distinguish his front from his back.
They said: ‘Woe to you, what are you?’
It said: ‘I am al-Jassaasah.’
They asked: ‘What is al-Jassaasah?’
It said: ‘O people, go to this man in the monastery for he is keen to know about you.’

The narrator says: ‘When it took the name of a man before us we were afraid that it might be a Shaitaan (devil) so we quickly left until we entered the monastery, where we found the biggest man we had ever seen. He was bound strongly in chains. His hands were tied to his neck and his legs bound from the knees to the ankles with iron chains.

We said: ‘Woe to you, who are you?’
He said: ‘You will soon find out about me. Tell me who you are.’
They replied: ‘We are Arabs who had set sail on a ship, but the sea became wild and the waves tossed us about for one month. Then they brought us to this island of yours. We used rowing-boats and landed on this island. We were met by a beast with a great deal of hair. He was so hairy that his front could not be made out from his back. We said: ‘Woe to you, what are you?’ It said: ‘I am al-Jassaasah.’ We said: ‘What is al-Jassaasah?’ It said: ‘Go to this man in the monastery for he is keen to know about you.’ So we came rushing to you and we fled from it because we could not be sure that it was not a devil.’
He (the chained person) asked: ‘Tell me about the date-palms of Baysaan.’
We said: ‘What would you like to know about them?’
He said: ‘I am asking you whether these trees bear fruit.’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘Soon they will not bear fruit.’
He then said: ‘Tell me about the lake of Tabariyyah’
We said: ‘What would you like to know about it?’
He said: ‘Is there water in it?’
They said: ‘There is a great deal of water in it.’
He said: ‘Soon it will dry up.’
Then he said: ‘Tell me about the spring of Zughar (which is in the south of Syria).’
They said: ‘What would you like to know about it?’
He said: ‘Is there water in the spring and do the people grow crops with the water of the spring?’
We said to him: ‘Yes, there is plenty of water in it and the people grow crops with its water.’
He said: ‘Tell me about the Prophet from the unlettered. What has he done?’
We said: ‘He has left Makkah and has settled in Yathrib (Madinah).’
He said: ‘Do the Arabs fight against him?’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘How did he deal with them?’

We told him that he had prevailed over the Arabs in his vicinity and they had become obedient to him.
He said to us: ‘Has that really happened to them?’
We said: ‘Yes.’
He said: ‘If this is so then it is better for them that they show obedience to him. Now I will tell you about myself. I am the Dajjaal and soon I will be given permission to emerge. I will come out and travel in the land, and will I not leave any town without staying for forty nights, except Makkah and Taybah (Madinah). These are both forbidden to me. Each time I will try to enter one of them, I will be confronted by an angel with a sword in his hand, who will stop me from entering. On every route towards each of these two cities there will be angels guarding it.’
 

Kissing any place on earth is bidah (an innovation), apart from the Black Stone.

POLITICIANS AND JOURNALISTS just love to write about the oppression of women in Islam … without even talking to the females beneath the veil.

They simply have no idea how Muslim women are protected and respected within the Islamic framework which was built more than 1400 years ago.

Yet, by writing about cultural issues like child brides, female circumcision, honor killings and forced marriages they wrongly believe they are coming from a point of knowledge.

And I am sick of Saudi Arabia being cited as an example of how women are subjigated in a country where they are banned from driving.

The issues above have simply nothing to do with Islam yet they still write and talk about them with an arrogant air of authority while wrongly blaming Islam. Please do not confuse cultural behavior with Islam.

I was asked to write about how Islam allows men to beat their wives. Sorry, not true. Yes, I’m sure critics of Islam will quote random Qur’anic verses or ahadith but all are usually taken out of context. If a man does raise a finger to his wife, he is not allowed to leave a mark on her body … this is another way of the Qur’an saying; “Don’t beat your wife, stupid”.
Now let’s take a glance at some really interesting statistics, hmm. I can almost hear the words pot, kettle, black. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, four million American women experience a serious assault by a partner during an average 12-month period. 
On the average, more than three women are murdered by their husbands and boyfriends every day . . . that is nearly 5,500 women battered to death since 9/11.

Some might say that is a shocking indictment on such a civilized society, but before I sound too smug, I would say that violence against women is a global issue. Violent men do not come in any particular religious or cultural category. The reality is that one out of three women around the world has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Violence against women transcends religion, wealth, class, skin color and culture.

However, until Islam came on the scene women were treated as inferior beings. In fact we women still have a problem in the West where men think they are superior. This is reflected in our promotion and wages structure right across the spectrum from cleaners to career women who make it into the boardroom.

Western women are still treated as commodities, where sexual slavery is on the rise, disguised under marketing euphemisms, where womens’ bodies are traded throughout the advertising world. As mentioned before, this is a society where rape, sexual assault, and violence on women is commonplace, a society where the equality between men and women is an illusion, a society where a womens’ power or influence is usually only related to the size of her breasts.

I used to look at veiled women as quiet, oppressed creatures and now I look at them as multi-skilled, multi-talented, resilient women whose brand of sisterhood makes Western feminism pale into insignificance. My views changed after the truly terrifying experience of being arrested by the Taleban for sneaking into Afghanistan in September 2001 wearing the bhurka.

During my 10-day captivity I struck a deal that if they let me go I would read the Quran and study Islam. Against all the odds, it worked and I was released. In return I kept my word but as a journalist covering the Middle East I realized I needed to expand my knowledge of a religion which was clearly a way of life.

And no. I’m not a victim of Stockholm Syndrome. To be a victim you have to bond with your captors. During my imprisonment I spat, swore, cursed and abused my jailers as well as refusing their food and going on hunger strike. I don’t know who was happier when I was released – them or me!

Reading the Quran was, I thought, going to be a very simple academic exercise. I was stunned to discover that it clearly stated women are equal in spirituality, education and worth. A woman’s gift for child birth and child-rearing is very much recognised as a quality and attribute. Muslim women say with pride they are homemakers and housewives.

Furthermore The Prophet (pbuh) said that the most important person in the home was The Mother, The Mother, The Mother. In fact he also said that heaven lies at the feet of the mother. How many women make it into the top 100 power lists for simply being a “great mother”?

With Islam choosing to remain at home and raise children takes on a new dignity and respect in my eyes, similar to those sisters among us who choose to go out to work and have careers and professions.

I then began looking at inheritance, tax, property and divorce laws. This is where Hollywood divorce lawyers probably get their inspiration from. For instance the woman gets to keep what she earns and owns while the man has to stump up half his worth.

Isn’t it funny the way the tabloid media gets very excited over the prospect of some pop or film stars pre-nuptial wedding agreement? Muslim women have had wedding contracts from day one. They can choose if they want to work or not[*] and anything they earn is theirs to spend while the husband has to pay for all the household bills and the upkeep of his family.

Just about everything that feminists strived for in the 70s was already available to Muslim women 1400 years ago.

As I said, Islam dignifies and brings respect to motherhood and being a wife. If you want to stay at home, stay at home. It is a great honor to be a home maker and the first educater of your children.

But equally, the Quran states if you want to work, then work. Be a career woman, learn a profession become a politician.[**] Be what you want to be and excel in what you do as a Muslim because everything you do is in praise of Allah (swt).

There is an excessive, almost irritating concentration or focus on the issue of Muslim womens’ dress particularly by men (both Muslim and non-Muslim).

Yes, it is an obligation for Muslim women to dress modestly but, in addition, there are many other important issues which concern Muslim women today.

And yet everyone obsesses over the hijab. Look, it is part of my business suit. This tells you I am a Muslim and therefore I expect to be treated with respect.

Can you imagine if someone told a Wall Street executive or Washington banker to put on a t-shirt and jeans? He would tell you his business suit defines him during work hours, marks him out to be treated seriously.

And yet in Britain we have had the former Foreign Secretary Jack Straw describing the nikab – the face veil revealing only the eyes – as an unwelcome barrier. When, oh when, will men learn to keep their mouths shut over a woman’s wardrobe?

We also had Government Ministers Gordon Brown and John Reid express disparaging remarks about the nikab – both these men come from over the Scottish Borders where men wear skirts!!

Then we had a series of other parliamentarians enter the fray describing the nikab as a barrier for communication. What a load of nonsense. If this was the case can anyone explain to me why cell phones, landlines, emails, text messaging and fax machines are in daily use? Who listens to the radio? No one switches off the wireless because they can not see the face of the presenter.

The majority of sisters I know who choose to wear the nikab are actually white, Western reverts who no longer want the unwelcome attention of those few leering men who will try and confront females and launch into inappropriate behavior. Mind you, there are a couple of London sisters I know who say they wear the nikab at anti-war marches because they can’t stand the smell of spliffs.

I am afraid Islamophobia has become the last refuge of the racist scoundrel. But the cowardly, chauvinistic attacks launched – largely by men – is unacceptable to Muslimahs as well as their secular, female sisters from the left.

I was a feminist for many years and now, as an Islamic feminist, I still promote womens’ rights. The only difference is Muslim feminists are more radical than their secular counterparts. We all hate those ghastly beauty pageants, and tried to stop laughing when the emergence of Miss Afghanistan in bikini was hailed as a giant leap for women’s liberation in Afghanistan.

I’ve been back to Afghanistan many times and I can tell you there are no career women emerging from the rubble in Kabul. My Afghan sisters say they wish the West would drop its obsession with the bhurka. “Don’t try turning me into a career woman, get my husband a job first. Show me how I can send my children to school without fear of them being kidnapped. Give me security and bread on the table,” one sister told me.

Young feminist Muslimahs see the hijab and the nikab as political symbols as well as a religious requirement. Some say it is their way of showing the world they reject the excesses of Western lifestyles such as binge drinking, casual sex, drug-taking etc.

Superiority in Islam is accomplished through piety, not beauty, wealth, power, position or sex.

Now you tell me what is more liberating. Being judged on the length of your skirt and the size of your cosmetically enhanced breasts, or being judged on your character, mind and intelligence?

Glossy magazines tell us as women that unless we are tall, slim and beautiful we will be unloved and unwanted. The pressure on teenage magazine readers to have a boyfriend is almost obscene.

Islam tells me that I have a right to an education and it is my duty to go out and seek knowledge whether I am single or married.

No where in the framework of Islam are we told as women that we must do washing, cleaning or cooking for men – but it is not just Muslim men who need to re-evaluate women in their home. Check out this 1992 exert from a Pat Robertson speech revealing his views on empowered women. And then you tell me who is civilized and who is not.

He said: “FEMINISM ENCOURAGES WOMEN TO LEAVE THEIR HUSBANDS, KILL THEIR CHILDREN, PRACTICE WITCHCRAFT, DESTROY CAPITALISM AND BECOME LESBIANS”.

Here is an American man living in a pre-Islamic age who needs to modernize and civilize. People like him are wearing a veil and we need to tear that veil of bigotry away so people can see Islam for what it is.

———-

*Citation Needed

Transcript of a Speech Given by Maulana Abul Hasan Ali Nadwi (R.A)
(Delivered in England several years ago, but applicable to all Muslims living in Muslim minority countries)

Defining the Problem 

Riba (Usury) is of two major kinds: 

1. Riba An-Nasia - Interest on lent money 
2. Riba Al-Fadl - Taking a superior thing of the same kind of goods by giving more of the same kind of goods of inferior quality, e.g, dates of superior quality for dates of inferior quality in great amounts.

The definition of Interest, the literal meaning of interest or Al-Riba as it is used in the arabic language means to excess or increase. 
In the Islamic terminology interest means effortless profit or that profit which comes free from compensation or that extra earning obtained that is free of exchange. 
Riba has been described as a loan with the condition that the borrower will return to the lender more than and better than the quantity borrowed. 

As muslims, our main concern when it comes to financial transactions is to avoid Riba in any of its forms, despite the fact that the basic foundation of the world economics and finance today is that of riba and dealing in usury.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) has foretold us of a time when the spread of riba would be so overwhelming that it would be extremely difficult for the muslim to avoid it. This situation calls for muslims to be extra cautious before deciding on what money payment of financial methods to use in any personal or business transaction. 

To make sure that we are safe from Riba, we have to learn which transactions lead to it. 

Interest in Pre-Islamic Times 

HafizIbn hajr writes in his commentary of Sahih Bukhari (Fathul Bari), Vol. IV p.264: 

Imam Malik reports on the authority of Zaid Ibn Aslam that in the period of ignorance (pre-Islamic times) interest was charged according to the following scheme. One person had a right to the property of another person. It may have been a general right because of the amount lent or the price of something purchased or in any other form. A time was set when the claim would be settled. When the appointed time arrived the creditor would ask the debtor if he wanted to settle the claim or pay interest with an extension of time. If the claim was settled then there was no increase in the payment. Otherwise the debtor would increase the amount payable and the creditor would extend the period further. 

Textual Evidence 

Hadith – Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, No. 299; Narrated `Aun bin Abu Juhaifah, r.a. 
My father bought a slave who practised the profession of cupping, (My father broke the servants instruments of cupping). I asked my father why he had done so. He replied, “The Prophet forbade the acceptance of the price of a dog or blood, and also forbade the profession of tatooing, or getting tatooed and receiving or giving Riba (Usury), and cursed the picture makers.” 

Hadith – Sahih Bukhari, 2.468, Narrated Samura bin Jundab, r.a. 

He speaks of in a dream related to the Prophet (SAW) that there is a river of blood and a man was in it, and another man was standing at its bank with stones in front of him, facing the man standing in the river. Whenever the man in the river wanted to come out , the other one threw a stone in his mouth and caused him to retreat back into his original position. The Prophet (peace be upon him) was told that these people in this river of blood were people who dealt in Riba (usury). 

The Noble Qur’an – Al-Baqarah 275-281 

275. Those who eat Ribâ (usury) will not stand (on the Day of Resurrection) except like the standing of a person beaten by Shaitân (Satan) leading him to insanity. That is because they say: “Trading is only like Ribâ (usury),” whereas Allâh has permitted trading and forbidden Ribâ (usury). So whosoever receives an admonition from his Lord and stops eating Ribâ (usury) shall not be punished for the past; his case is for Allâh (to judge); but whoever returns [to Ribâ (usury)], such are the dwellers of the Fire – they will abide therein. 

276. Allâh will destroy Ribâ (usury) and will give increase for Sadaqât (deeds of charity, alms, etc.) And Allâh likes not the disbelievers, sinners. 

277. Truly those who believe, and do deeds of righteousness, and perform As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and give Zakât, they will have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. 

278. O you who believe! Be afraid of Allâh and give up what remains (due to you) from Ribâ (usury) (from now onward), if you are (really) believers. 

279. And if you do not do it, then take a notice of war from Allâh and His Messenger but if you repent, you shall have your capital sums. Deal not unjustly (by asking more than your capital sums), and you shall not be dealt with unjustly (by receiving less than your capital sums). 

280. And if the debtor is in a hard time (has no money), then grant him time till it is easy for him to repay, but if you remit it by way of charity, that is better for you if you did but know. 

281. And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allâh. Then every person shall be paid what he earned, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly. 

The Noble Qur’an – Al-Imran 3:130 

O you who believe! Eat not Ribâ (usury) doubled and multiplied, but fear Allâh that you may be successful. 

Hadith – Mishkat-ul-Masabih 

The following three ahaadeeth have been taken from Mishkat-ul-Masabih under the section of interest and the English translation has been taken from its English version written by Al Hajj Moulana Fazl Karim (218-227 vol.11) 

• Hazrat Jabir r.a. has reported that the Messenger of Allah cursed the devourer of usury, its payer, its scribe and its two witnesses. He also said that they were equal (in sin). 

• Hazrat Abu Hurairah r.a. reported that the Prophet said : A time will certainly come over the people when none will remain who will not devour usury. If he does not devour it, its vapour will overtake him. 
  [Ahmed,Abu Dawood,Nisai,Ibn Majah] 

• Hazrat Abu Hurairah radiyallahu anhu reported that the Messenger of Allah said: I came across some people in the night in which I was taken to the heavens. Their stomachs were like houses wherein there were serpents, which could be seen from the front of the stomachs. I asked :O Gabriel! Who are these people? He replied these are those who devoured usury. [Ahmed,Ibn Majah]

Hadith – ?? 
Hazrat Al-Khudri radiyallahu anhu reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: Gold in exchange for gold, silver in exchange for silver, wheat in exchange for wheat, barley in exchange for barley, dates in exchange for dates, salt in exchange for salt is in the same category and (should be exchanged) hand to hand, so whoever adds or demands increase he has practiced usury. The giver and taker are the same. 

Conclusion 

Islam has encouraged men to earn their own provision and provide for their families. The condition is that the earning has to be according to the Shari’ah. These rules can be found under the heading of trade in the books of jurisprudence. Interest is amongst those conditions which all dealings must be free from. 

Imam Abu Hanifah has ruled that if the measurement system (volumetric or in compounds) is the same and the two items are in the same category, then they should be sold in the same amount and direct not in credit otherwise interest will be found. 

Imam Shaf’ee says that if the items are valuable and could be considered food then there is the chance of interest. 

Imam Malik says that if the items are valuable and are edible then interest is a subject. 

• Giving and taking interest is Islamically unlawful. 
• A person who takes interest does not gain anything in reality but through the explanation of the Qur’ân verse. In reality the money through Ribâ just goes to waste and the person does not even realize it, and a person who gives money in the path of Allah, in whatever form it may be, actually gains although in reality it may seem as though he is losing out. 
• Every person should take all necessary precautions in their financial and social dealings. If a person neglects in keeping a watchful eye on financial dealings, this negligence will slowly spread to other aspects of religion, having a very detrimental effect. 
• Interest is hazardous and should be abstained from in all manners. If anybody has a case they wish to solve then they should contact a knowledgeable person in this deen of Islam and present their problem as well as in all cases every individual should continue to seek Allah’s forgiveness and guidance. 
• In order to own a credit card and avoid paying Ribâ, you must make payment on purchases before the statement comes in, i.e. send the credit card company the check for payment as soon as you make the purchase. If you are too tempted and unable to purchase things without immediately paying for them (and thereby will be charged interest), don’t use them or don’t even have them. Fear your Lord! 
• As a reminder to us all, Allah (SWT) has told us in the Qur’ân [2:279] if we don’t give up interest ,we must take notice of a war from Allah! 

Saudi to build world’s largest women-only varsity
Dubai, Oct 29 (IANS) The world’s largest university exclusively for women is to come up in Saudi Arabia, with Saudi King Abdullah scheduled to lay the foundation stone.

The Riyadh Women’s University will be the world’s largest institute for higher studies when the project is completed in 2010.

The university will have 13 colleges and will cover an area of eight million square metres north of the Saudi capital.

‘After we received instructions from higher authorities to establish a full-fledged university, we have consulted international engineering houses for the purpose of designing a world-class campus that can accommodate 40,000 students,’ Saudi Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf told the Arab News newspaper.

‘It will be the largest specialised campus for women in the world,’ he said, adding that the buildings of the campus will be completed within the next two years.

The university’s colleges will include those for medicine, dentistry, nursing, naturopathy and pharmacology.

University president Princess Al-Jowhara Bint Fahd, while lauding King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan for the project, said that the university will usher in a new era for women’s education in that Gulf nation.

‘We want to make it a leading international institution,’ she said.

The university will have tie-ups with major universities inside and outside the country to promote research programmes, she said.

‘We have devised its educational programmes after consulting different ministries, including the ministries of labour, commerce and industry, and economy and planning,’ Princes Al-Jowhara said.

http://in.news.yahoo.com/43/20081029/896/twl-saudi-arabia-to-set-up-world-s-large_1.html

An insightful and personal account of why a Western teenage girl would reject the ‘wonders’ of fashion, and want to cover herself in the hijab (veil).

I probably do not fit into the preconceived notion of a “rebel”. I have no visible tattoos and minimal piercing. I do not possess a leather jacket. In fact, when most people look at me, their first thought usually is something along the lines of “oppressed female”. The brave individuals who have mustered the courage to ask me about the way I dress usually have questions like: “Do your parents make you wear that?” or “Don’t you find that really unfair?”

A while back, a couple of girls in Montreal were kicked out of school for dressing like I do. It seems strange that a little piece of cloth would make for such a controversy. Perhaps the fear is that I am harboring an Uzi machine gun underneath it! Of course, the issue at hand is more than a mere piece of cloth. I am a Muslim woman who, like millions of other Muslim women across the globe, chooses to wear a hijab. And the concept of the hijab, contrary to popular opinion, is actually one of the most fundamental aspects of female empowerment. When I cover myself, I make it virtually impossible for people to judge me according to the way I look. I cannot be categorized because of my attractiveness or lack thereof. Compare this to life in today’s society: We are constantly sizing one another up on the basis of our clothing, jewelry, hair and makeup. What kind of depth can there be in a world like this?

Yes, I have a body, a physical manifestation upon this Earth. But it is the vessel of an intelligent mind and a strong spirit. It is not for the beholder to leer at or to use in advertisements to sell everything from beer to cars. Because of the superficiality of the world in which we live, external appearances are so stressed that the value of the individual counts for almost nothing. It is a myth that women in today’s society are liberated. What kind of freedom can there be when a woman cannot walk down the street without every aspect of her physical self being “checked out”? When I wear the hijab I feel safe from all of this. I can rest assured that no one is looking at me and making assumptions about my character from the length of my skirt. There is a barrier between me and those who would exploit me.

I am first and foremost a human being, one of the saddest truths of our time is the question of the beauty myth and female self-image. Reading popular teenage magazines, you can instantly find out what kind of body image is “in” or “out” . And if you have the “wrong” body type, well, then, you’re just going to change it, aren’t you? After all, there is no way you can be overweight and still be beautiful. Look at any advertisement. Is a woman being used to sell the product? How old is she? How attractive is she? What is she wearing? More often than not, that woman will be no older than her early 20s, taller, slimmer, and more attractive than average, and dressed in skimpy clothing. Why do we allow ourselves to be manipulated like this? Whether the 90s woman wishes to believe it or not, she is being forced into a mould. She is being coerced into selling herself, into compromising herself. This is why we have 13-year-old girls sticking their fingers down their throats to vomit and overweight adolescents hanging themselves.

When people ask me if I feel oppressed, I can honestly say no. I made this decision of my own free will. I like the fact that I am taking control of the way other people perceive me. I enjoy the fact that I don’t give anyone anything to look at and that I have released myself from the bondage of the swinging pendulum of the fashion industry and other institutions that exploit females. My body is my own business. Nobody can tell me how I should look or whether or not I am beautiful. I know that there is more to me than that. I am also able to say no comfortably when people ask me if I feel as if my sexuality is being repressed. I have taken control of my sexuality. I am thankful I will never have to suffer the fate of trying to lose / gain weight or trying to find the exact lipstick shade that will go with my skin colour. I have made choices about what my priorities are and these are not among them.

So next time you see me, don’t look at me sympathetically. I am not under duress or a male-worshiping female captive from those barbarous Arab deserts. I’ve been liberated!

It happened soon after Muslims conquered Egypt in 20 A.H. A delegation of the local Copts approached the governor Umro bin al-a’as, Radi-Allahu unhu, with a pressing matter. While life in Egypt depended upon the Nile, the river itself demanded an yearly human sacrifice. To satisfy this requirement, on the 12^th night of June a virgin girl was dressed as a bride then thrown into the river. Otherwise the river would drop to a trickle. His response was immediate. The river would have to do without the human sacrifice. Islam destroys all superstitions and rites of Ignorance.

Deceitful Translations of the Holy Qur’an into Foreign Languages

Submitted by Anonymous

Introduction/Objective

In the ongoing effort to ensure people are depending on Reliable Qur’an translations, research has been undertaken into the various translations of the Holy Qur’an in different languages. This research involves locating translations in a given language, followed by looking into the background of the translator, authority, or group behind the translation. This is necessary in order to ascertain whether there is any sectarial bias or motive in mis-translating for the benefit of a specific group or sect.

Qur’an translations which are to be avoided are the ones which pose a threat to the integrity of the Holy Qur’an as revealed from the Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).

Since the Qur’an is intended as a message of truth to mankind, it is imperitive that we do our best to avoid mis-translations or alterations (even in translations), which alter and detract from the true meaning.

Mis-translations in foreign languages are an extremely serious concern since the reader will be learning in their native language, in most cases unaware of the original Arabic content. This places the reader in a vulnerable position as they will be exposed to false pre-conceptions of Islam. It is therefore essential that translations convey the true meaning of God’s message to mankind rather than serve the interest of gaining a particular sect more members.As research continues any translations that show signs of mis-translation or being affiliated with or undertaken by any sect/group known to mis-translate the Holy Book, are listed herein. As a result, this document is likely increase in size over time.

Qur’an Translations that should be avoidedDutch

Nasir Ahmad (Mirza, Rabwah [19931 p. ii+180+638 Rabwah: The Oriental and Religious Publishing Corp. 1969.Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

[Anonym], (pub. under the auspices of Mirza Bashiruddin Ahmad, Qadiyani) [n.p.]: Zuid-Hollandsche U. M. Gravenhage1953, p. iii+xii+3+638. 
Qadiani/AhmadiyyaDe Heilige Qoer-an, In het Nederlandsgh Vertaald Door, Soedewo, Hoofdcomite Qoer-anfonds, Batavia-C, 30 Juli 1934 
Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

English

Dr. Rashad Khalifa – “International Submitters” 
- Masjid Tucson, Arizona USAThis group focuses on the mathematic significance of the Number 19 in the Holy Qur’an. Whilst this is already evident (and recorded in the Holy Qur’an), they mischeviously use this to support their misguided campaign, mixing truth with falsehood in order to achieve their objectives.

(Above): The Qur’an already states the significance of the Number 19.

Rashad DELETES TWO VERSES (Verses 9:128-129 in Surat At-Tawbah [Repentance, Dispensation]) and yet the counts of selected words do multiply by number 19, as they did before!

They refute both the Hadith and Sunnah referring to them as “Satanic Innovations”. Also note that they reject the Sunnah, which is the teaching of the Prophet passed down from generation to generation (such as how to perform Ablution, Prayer), and that they refute the Hadith in entirety not taking into account the “Mutawatir” (authentic hadith) with proven Isnad (Chain of narration) directly to the Prophet (pbuh).On reading material that they propagate they support their false argument for the removal of the two above-mentioned verses using the Hadith which they refute! They refer to the Hadith which on one hand they refer to as “Satanic Innovations”.

Rashad alters the single alphabet Muqatta’at (the Qur’anic initial) “nun”  into “nun waw nun”  to tally his count for Number 19. In verse 21 of Surah 30, Rashad counts the alphabet “Lam”  7 times instead of 8 to tally the count

Kamal ud-Din & Nazir Ahmad, A Running Commentary of the Holy Qur’an, London [n.d.]. Khwajah Kamal al-Dan’s work was completed by his son Khwajah Nazir Ahmad)Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Malik Ghulam Farid, 1st ed. Rabwah: Oriental and Religious Pub. Corp. 1969, p. (a)-p+1461 Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Muhammad Ali, Woking: Islamic Review Office 1917, p. cxv+1275 Lahore: Ahmadiyyah Anjuman-e Isha’at-e Islam 1951, p. cxvi+631. Qadiani/AhmadiyyaSher ‘Ali, Rabwah 1955, p. 169+643 2nd ed. Rabwah: Quran Publications 1972, p. 635+37. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Sher ‘Ali, Rabwah 1955, p. 169+643\ 2nd ed. Rabwah: Quran Publications 1972, p. 635+37. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Farsi

A Farsi translation of Dr. Rashad Khalifa’s English translation, also present on their website. Rashad Khalifa – “International Submitters”

German

Sadr’ud-din, Berlin 1939, p. xiv+1022\ 2nd ed. Berlin: Wilmerrdorf die Moschee, die Muslim-Mission 1964, p. xi+1022. (Der Koran (Arabish Deutsch) Maulana Sadr-ud-din Berlin Verlag Der Modlemischen Revue Ausgabe 1964).Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

[Anonym] (a Qadiyani team work), London 1985, p. 14+463+666.Qadiani/Ahmadiyya[Anonym] Der Heilige Qur’an, lst ed. Ahmadiyyah Mission, Wiesbaden 1954, p. 164+639. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Indonesian

An Indonesian translation of Dr. Rashad Khalifa’s English translation, also present on their website. Rashad Khalifa – “International Submitters”

Japanese

Sei Kuruan (The Holy Qur’an, translation into Japanese for publication by Ahmadiyya Anjuman Isha’at Islam, Lahor), 1984 – by Dr. Rosan Yoshida (A Japanese Buddhist writer).Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Luganda

Bulwadda, Zakariya Kizito, Kampala: Uganda Ahmadiya Muslim Mission 1973, p. xvi+1001. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Russian

Dr. Alexander Sadetsky – The Russian version of Maulana Muhammad Ali’s English Translation of the Holy Quran with commentary and Introduction has now been published at the close of July 1997. The Russian rendering is by Dr. Alexander Sadetsky, (Director of Russian Studies at Laval University), Quebec, Canada. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Sansikrit

Muhammad Yusuf, Qadiyan and Amritsar 1932, p. 724.Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Serbo Croatian

Muhammad Pandza & Dzemaluddin Causevic, (from Turkish trans. by Omer Riza Dogrul based on the English trans. by Muhammad ‘Ali Qadiani, Lahore 1920), Sarajevo 1937, p.lxviii+978\ Zagreb: Stvarnost 1978, p. xii+896. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Swahili

Mubarak Ahmad Ahmadi, Nairobi: East African Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission 1953, p. xx+l062 Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Swedish

A swedish translation of Dr. Rashad Khalifa’s English translation, also present on their website. Rashad Khalifa – “International Submitters”

Thai

Ibrahim Qurayshi, (based on Urdu & English Works), 3 vol. Bangkok 1390/1970, p. 1997. 
The fallacies found in the translations of Tuan Suwannasart, Ibrahim Quraishi, Marwan 
Sama-on and Zainul ‘Abidin Fendi involve the Divine Attributes [Sifat Ilahiyah]. The 
vital fallacies on the prophecy verses [ayat nubuwah] about Isa al-Masih ‘alaihi al-salam 
and his mother Mariam, also the mircles, karamat, jinni and shayatin are explicitly found 
in Bayan Qur’an and Qur’an Majid of Ibrahim Quraishi. The verses on the Hereafter [ma’aad], 
the Heaven and Hell have no exeption. The above mentioned fallacies are discovered in Bayan 
Qu’an and Quran Majid by Ibrahim Quraishi, known as Direck Kullasirisawat. 
  
The fallacies observed in the translations are due to the notions and methods of the Khalaf 
Mutakallimun. The sources of the fallacies in the translations about the prophecy and ma’aad 
are taken from the concept of Muhammad Ali al-Lahori, the head of Jama’ah al-Muhammadiyah 
[Qadyaniah] at Lahor. 
  
These fallacies are because the translator, Ibrahim Quraishi used the two books namely 
Bayanul Qur’an and Qur’an Majid by Muhammad Ali al-Lahori, as the guidline references 
in rendering and interpreting his version, This, in fact, has been clearly confirmed 
by Ibrahim Quraishi himself in his ‘Introduction’ and also during conducting his works. 
  
References: 
College of Islamic Studies, Prince of Songkla University.

Urdu

Ahmad .Ali Mirza, al-Qur’an al-hakim mutarjam ma’a hawiashi tafsir Lawani’ al-bayan , Lahore: Kutubkhanah Husayniyyah 1955. Qadiani/AhmadiyyaBashir al-Din Mahmud Ahmad. Tafsir-e saghir. Rabwah 1957, p. 1466\ 2nd ed. Lahore 1966. p. 954. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Ghulam Ahmad Ahmadi, Mawlawi, [n.p. n.d.] Qadiani/Ahmadiyya.

Ghulam Hasan Niyazi Peshawari [Qadiyani] Peshawar, 1939, p. 656 Qadiani/Ahmadiyya.

Hayrat Dehlawi, Mirza Muhammad ‘Imraw, Qur’an Majid mutarjam. Delhi: Curzon Press 13219-1320/1902-1903.(2 Editions) Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Muhammad .Ali Lahori (Ahmadi), Bayan al-Qur’an, 3 vo1. 1st ed. Lahore 1921-23. (5 Editions) Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Muhammad Ishaq Mir (Ahmadi), Tarjamah-e Qur’an mukhtasar hawashi, Lahore: Photo Art press [n.d.l p. 776.Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Muhammad Sa'id Qadiri Hanafi Dakkani (Ahmadi), Tafsir-e Ahmadi. 2 vo1. Agra: Matba.-e Murtada'i 1915, p. 265+195.Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Mu'in a1-Din, Pir (Ahmadi), Makhzan-e ma'arif: Khulasah Tafsir-i kabir (summary of the commentary by Mirza Bashir a1-Din), 3 vo1. [n.p.] 1963. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Rawshan ‘Ali, Hafi’z (Ahmadi), Lahore [n.d.] p. 783\ 2nd ed. Sargodha [n.d.] p. 783\ 2nd ed. Rawalpindi: Kitab Ghar [n.d.] p. 783. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Salah al-Din, al-Hajj Pir (Ahmadi), Qur’an Majid tarjamah ma’a tafsir, 4 vol. 1st ed. Islamabad: Qur’an Publications 1974-1980, p. 2942. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Sarwar Shah, Mawlawi (Ahmadi), Tafsir-e Sarwari ma’a tarjamah, [n.p.] 1906-1912. (published in instalments in the journals Ta’lim al-Islam and Tafsir al-Qur’an between 1906 and 1912.) Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Umar Miyan Mi’raj Din (Ahmadi), Hama’il sharif mutarjam ma’a hawashi, [n.p. n.d,]Wahid al-Zaman b. Masih al-Zaman. Mawlana, Nawab Wiqar Jang. Tabwib al-Qur’an. 1st ed. Lahore [n.d,]. p. 704\ ma’a tafsir-e Wahidi, Lahore: Ahmadi [n.d.]\ Tafsir-e Wahidi ma’a tarjamah Mudihat al-furqan. Lahore 1323/1905, p. 910\ Tuhfat al-Qur’an. 1st ed. Lahore 1321/1903. p. 804\ Amritsar 132311905. Qadiani/Ahmadiyya

Qadiani translations are a serious threat, since many of their Qur’an publications are translated verbatim from Muhammad Ali’s English translation and NOT directly from the Original Arabic (as should be the case).

They often contract external writers, most of whom have no religious standing or knowledge and are not even Muslim. Examples of this are Rosan Yoshida’s Japanese translation (translated from Muhammad Ali’s English translation), Roshan Yoshida is a Buddhist writer. Another identical example is the Russian translation, again not translated directly from Arabic, by Dr. Sadetsky a Russian non-muslim with no Islamic teaching.

Islamic knowledge is important in translating the Holy Qur’an, due to the richness of Arabic and due to the context of certain verses in the Qur’an. Having no knowledge of Islamic history and the circumstances in which certain verses were revealed will most definitely be mis-interpreted and result in a non-accurate rendering of the meaning.

World Bibliography of Translations of the Meanings of the Holy Qur’an, Printed Translations 1515-1980, Ismet Binark and Halit Eren, edited with an introduction by Ekmaleddin Ihsanoglu, Istanbul: Research Centre for Islamic History, Art and Culture.

A. R. Kidwai’s article English Translations of the Holy Qur’an