Islam

The tribe of Quraish, which ruled Mecca at the time Muhammad was called to his mission, made their income through pilgrims who would come to Mecca to worship their own tribal gods. Though they knew of their ancestor Abraham - and the Oneness of God - they fell into idol worship and, therefore, became wealthy catering to all the idol worshippers from the Middle East and Africa.

When Muhammad came, he was calling them to the belief that "There is no true god except the One God" and that "Muhammad is His Messenger".

That meant that the very livelihood of Quraish was threatened. No longer could they worship three hundred plus gods - they had to worship and obey the One God alone. Also, no longer could they gamble and drink and commit adultery. And no longer could they make up their own rules - they had to obey the Messenger of God.

That is why they persecuted Muhammad and his followers for ten years in Mecca; then they waged war on them for another thirteen years after Muhammad and his followers moved to Medinah.

Bismillah hir Rahman Nir-Raheem

Wudu is the the Muslim ritual of washing.

There are a multitude of opinion on this issue within the different schools of Islam.

The following is an authentic hadith narrated by `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) she states: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to pray for long hours at night in their apartment, and that she used to sleep in front of him. Because the room was small, when the Prophet used to make sajdah (prostration) he would tap her calf with his hand and she would retract her legs so he could make sajdah. And when he stood up she would allow her feet to return to their original position." (Reported by Al-Bukhari)

Another hadith narrated by `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) as recorded in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad states that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to kiss `A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and then go to pray at the masjid without renewing his ablution.

So according to these it is seen that just touching does not break wudu of the husband or wife.

The different opinions on this occur in the interpretation of the verse: "Or ye have touched women, and ye find not water, then go to high clean soil and rub your faces and your hands (therewith). Lo! Allah is Benign, Forgiving." (An-Nisa': 43)

For example Imam As-Shafi`interprets the word "touch" as it litteral meaning. Imam Hanafi's interpretation implies that even if the touch is lustful it does not break wudu. But other schools maintain that if the touch is lustful then wudu is broken else not.

The analogical interpretation of the word "touch" by Imams other than Imam Shafi is sexual or intercourse.

Wudu is broken by,

1. Defecation, passing gas or urination
2. Emission of semen
3. Sleep while reclining
4. Vomiting
5. Loss of senses
6. Fainting
7. Laughing aloud whilst in Salah
8. Sexual contact with another person (ghusl is required)
9. Getting Najis (filth) on once body
10. Touching private parts (some schools)

Allah (subhana wa-tala) knows best.

Women in Islam have equal rights and duties as Muslim men and in the meantime women have complementing role to men in family duties and responsibilities. The following are the basic rights for women in Islam that can explain accordingly women role:

1. The right and duty to obtain education.

2. The right to have their own independent property.

3. The right to work to earn money if they need it or want it.

4. Equality of reward for equal deeds.

5. The right to express their opinion and be heard.

6. The right to provisions from the husband for all her needs and more.

7. The right to negotiate marriage terms of her choice.

8. The right to obtain divorce from her husband, even on the grounds that she simply can't stand him. (pls note that God deeply frowns upon divorce as a solution unless there is hardly any other alternative but it does not mean that men have more right to divorce their wives than women do.)

9. The right to keep all her own money (she is not responsible to maintain any relations).

10. The right to get sexual satisfaction from her husband.

11. custody of their children after divorce.

12. to refuse any marriage that does not please them

In Islam there is absolutely no difference between men and women as far as their relationship to God is concerned, as both are promised the same reward for good conduct and the same punishment for evil conduct. The Qur'an says:

And for women are rights over men similar to those of men over women. (2:226)

The Qur'an, in addressing the believers, often uses the expression,'believing men and women' to emphasize the equality of men and women in regard to their respective duties, rights, virtues and merits.

Some non Muslims believe that women, in Islam, are viewed as utterly subservient to males. See their arguments below and accompanying hints on these arguments and seek the truth yourself:

1. Have sex with your women whenever and as often as you like. 2:223 [Hint: The verse is truncated. The the verse says (meaning English translation):{Your wives are as a tilth unto you; so approach your tilth when or how ye will; but plan in advance and do some good act for your souls beforehand (foreplay sex) ; and fear Allah. And know that ye are to meet Him (in the Hereafter), and give (these) good tidings to those who believe. (223)}. This means don't approach in sex with other than your wife that you can approach whenever you want. However, you should have foreplay sex first with her to please yourselves and get her acceptance. When approaching your wife fear Allah (God) and be kind to your wife.]
2. Women have rights that are similar to men, but men are "a degree above them." 2:228 [Hint:again the verse says (meaning English translation): {... And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a degree (of advantage) over them. And Allah is Exalted in Power, Wise. (228)}. The men degree above wives is only in money spending. It is the Islam obligation that Husbands are responsible of all marriage expenditures even if the wives work and earn money. The wife money is for her own investment to her own choice. This is explained explicitly in verse 4:34 that says: {Men are the support of women as God gives some more means than others, and because they spend of their wealth (to provide for them)}
3. A woman is worth one-half a man. 2:282 [Hint: This is absolutely wrong. Only in two cases. First, in witness regarding money affairs, witness of two men is required or one man and two women. In other cases of witness, only woman witness is necessary. second, in inheritance by sons and daughters. the son inherit twice the daughter because it is the Islam obligation that Husbands are responsible of all marriage expenditures even if the wives work and earn money. The wife money is only for her own investment to her own choice. Accordingly, males are in more need of money than females.]
4. "Marry of the women, who seem good to you, two or three or four." 4:3 [Hint: Again the verse is truncated and miss understood. The verse says{marry women who are lawful for you, two, three, or four; but if you fear you cannot treat so many with equity, marry only one}.Accordingly, it is conditional to marry more than one. You must treat them equally, get the approval of previous wife before the new marriage, each wife to have independent and same level residence and receive same expenditure and appreciation, .... Because of the difficulty to fulfill these many conditions it very rare and very seldom to find one marrying more than wife. It is not like some Christian denominations that allow unconditional polygamy with unlimited number of wives]
5. Males are to inherit twice that of females. 4:11 [Hint: This is only in one case. When the one passing away has sons and daughters. The son inherits twice the daughter because it is the Islam obligation that Husbands are responsible of all marriage expenditures even if the wives work and earn money. The wife's money is only for her own investment to her own choice. Accordingly, males are in more need of money than females. Other cases are quite different. For example, if one died and has one daughter and his parents are alive. His daughter inherits 1/2 his wealth. His parents each equally gets 1/6 of his wealth.]
6. Men are in charge of women, because Allah made men to be better than women. 4:34 [Hint: Allah made men better than women only in expenditures. Otherwise, they are equal or in some cases women are better than men. The verse 4:34 says: {Men are the support of women as God gives some more means than others, and because they spend of their wealth (to provide for them)}]
7. Don't pray if you are drunk, dirty, or have touched a woman lately. 4:43. [Hint: The statement is misleading and not correct. The verse says:{O you who believe, do not perform your service of prayer when you are intoxicated until you are sure of what you are saying, nor when in a state of seminal pollution (due to intercourse sex with wife), until you have taken a bath,...}. The verse is very. Don't pray when drunk. If you are in a state of seminal pollution due to sex with wife, you should take bath. Is there any wrong ?]
8. Women are feeble and are unable to devise a plan. 4:98 [Hint: Please read the the verse before this verse and the verse after it to understand the meaning. The verses 97-99 say, those who dye as unbelievers and claim that they were oppressed will be punished in the day of judgment because they didn't migrate to other lands. The exceptions are men, women, and children who are feeble and can't plan to migrate. Those will be forgiven by God. Is there any thing here against women?]
9. "Unto the male is the equivalent share of two females." 4:176 [Hint: Refer to the Hint under item # 3]
10. When it's time to pray and you have just used the toilet or touched a woman be sure to wash up. If you can't find any water, just rub some dirt on yourself. 5:6 [Hint: it means don't pray without ablution (minor or major ablution) if you used the toilet or made sex with your wife. If you don't find water make what is called 'Taiammum'. In taiammum, you beat the floor (or carpet or the like) once and wipe your face and another time and wipe your hands as symbol for rituals before praying. What is wrong in this and what is against women in this?]

Additional issues:

1. Believing women must lower their gaze and be modest, cover themselves with veils, and not reveal themselves except to their husbands, relatives, children, and slaves. 24:31 [Hint: The first command, to lower gaze and be modest, is for both woman and men. Women are commanded to cover their whole bodies except their faces and hands (exactly as you notice in the pictures of the virgin Mary). This is also valid in Judaism and Christianity. What is wrong in this? Do you like women to reveal themselves to other than their husbands, close relatives, and children?]
2. Women must cover themselves when in public. 33:59 [Hint: Except face and hands as you notice in Virgin Mary picture. Refer to the hint above]
3. Those who "did wrong" will go to hell, and their wives will go to hell with them (no matter how they behaved). 37:22-23 {Hint: This groundless. The verses say:{Gather all the wicked together and their comrades, and those they had worshiped (22) Other than God," (the angels will be told), "then show them the way to Hell, (23)} The verses are very clear and have nothing against women]
4. Quran says: "For Muslim men and women, for believing men and women, for devout men and women, for true men and women, for men and women who are patient and constant, for men and women who humble themselves, for men and women who give in charity, for men and women who fast, for men and women who guard their chastity, and for men and women who engage much in God's praise, for them has God prepared forgiveness and great reward". (33:35). This clearly contradicts the assertion of some Christian Fathers that women do not possess souls and that they will exist as sexless beings in the next life. The Qur'an says that women have souls in exactly the same way as men and will enter Paradise if they do good. Quran says: "Enter into Paradise, you and your wives, with delight." (43:70) and says: "Who so does that which is right, and believes, whether male or female, him or her will We quicken to happy life. " (16:97)
5. The Qur'an admonishes those men who oppress or ill-treat women: Quran says "O you who believe! You are forbidden to inherit women against their will. Nor should you treat them with harshness, that you may take away part of the dowry you have given them - except when they have become guilty of open lewdness. On the contrary live with them on a footing of kindness and equity. If you take a dislike to them, it may be that you dislike something and God will bring about through it a great deal of good. " (4:19)
6. Considering the fact that before the advent of Islam the pagan Arabs used to bury their female children alive, make women dance naked in the vicinity of the Ka'ba during their annual fairs, and treat women as mere chattels and objects of sexual pleasure -- possessing no rights or position whatsoever, these teachings of the Noble Qur'an were revolutionary. Unlike other religions, which regarded women as being possessed of inherent sin and wickedness, and men as being possessed of inherent virtue and nobility, Islam regards men and women as being of the same essence created from a single soul. The Qur'an declares: "mankind! Reverence your Guardian-Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from this pair scattered (like seeds) countless men and women. Reverence God, through Whom you demand your mutual (rights), and reverence the wombs (that bore you); for God ever watches over you." (4:1)
7. The Prophet of Islam, peace be upon him, said, "Women are the twin halves of men". The Qur'an emphasizes the essential unity of men and women in a most beautiful saying: "They (your wives) are your garment and you are a garment for them." (2:187). Just as a garment hides our nakedness, so do husband and wife, by entering into the relationship of marriage, secure each other's chastity. The garment gives comfort to the body; so does the husband find comfort in his wife's company and she in his. "The garment is the grace, the beauty, the embellishment of the body, so too are wives to their husbands as their husbands are to them."
8. Islam does not consider woman "an instrument of the Devil", but rather the Qur'an calls her muhsana - a fortress against Satan because a good woman, by marrying a man, helps him keep to the path of rectitude in his life. It is for this reason that marriage was considered by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, as a most virtuous act. He said: "When a man marries, he has completed one half of his religion." He enjoined matrimony on Muslims by saying: "Marriage is part of my way and whoever keeps away from my way is not from me (i.e. is not my follower)." The Qur'an has given the raison d'

Answer 1Just like in Christianity, there are two main divisions of Islam: Sunni & Shi'a. Again, like Christians, one has a set clerical structure, and the other does not. Sunnis are like Protestants in that they have no set clergy. Imams, as they are called in the Arab world, or mullahs, as they are called in Southeast Asia, are simply local people called to lead a service, act as a religious figure in the community, or give sermons/lead prayers. Shi'as have a structure which is not mentioned in the Qur'an, the holy book of Muslims, rather it evolved out of politics. The head of the Iranian Shi'a clergy is the Ayatollah, kind of like the Pope, but not considered to be a divine appointment. They are simply experts in Islamic studies, such as law, ethics, or philosophy.

Answer 2

Though all who belong to the Islamic faith have a responsibility to preach the words contained in the Koran, members of the local Islamic faith usually rely upon the Imam for congregational religious teachings.

Answer 3

In Sunni Islam, there is no proper top-down hierarchy. The leader of any particular congregation is called an Imam (أمام) or Mullah (ملا) and the congregation may be as small as a dozen families or as large as millions of people, as Islam has embraced televangelism in certain parts of the world. There are also Alems/Ulemaa (عالم) or Scholars who study Islamic texts and traditions scrupulously to determine proper Islamic practices. The most famous among the Alems are a subset called Faqihs (فقيه) who issue fatwas or religious decisions to important questions. There are additionally Sufis (سوفي) who are traditionally more populist and less concerned with the specifics of running a congregation. They prefer to have a more direct and meditative relationship with God.

In Shiite Islam, there is a hierarchy very similar to the Eastern Orthodox Church. All of the aforementioned Sunni positions also exist in Shiite Islam. Also, Shiite Islam changes the role of the Mullah and has an additional position called an Ayatollah (أيات الله). The Mullah in Shiite Islam functions similarly to bishop in Christianity in that he supervises the activities of all Shiite Mosques within a small geographic area. All of the Mullahs report to an Ayatollah, which is similar to a Patriarch. An Ayatollah supervises all of the Mullahs within a large geographic area. Each of the Ayatollahs operates independently and may vehemently disagree with each other on certain fatwas. There is no one to establish uniformity between two Ayatollahs who disagree.

Muslims believe in what is written in the Holy Quran - a book that god (Allah) wrote and has rules of what person as a Muslim in his daily life. One of these mentioned rules is the pilgrimage. Another reason is that the prophet and his other followers had a walk around the ka'ba ( the black building in the middle of the mosque in which Muslims do their pilgrimage ) and Muslims briefly do what the prophet used to do. Muslims do their pilgrimage in order so that god would forgive them of the bad things they did. Finally, those Muslims abide by the rules of pilgrimage.

The Ka'bah is a stone cubicle structure measuring 15.25 m high. It is empty on the inside except for the sacred black stone (Hajr-al-Aswad) which is embedded in one corner. The Ka'bah is the physical centre of Islam. It is revered as the very House of God. The Ka'bah, as hinted in the Qur'an itself, was originally built by the Prophet Adam (as) and was, for some time, the centre of worship for his progeny. Then in the course of time people became separated into different communities and adopted different centres for worship. The Qur'an (Ch. 3, v. 97) and authentic Traditions favour the view that prior to the erection of a building on this site by Abraham some sort of structure did exist, but it had fallen into ruins and only a trace of it had remained. Abraham, under divine guidance, then rebuilt it some 4000 years ago and it continued to remain a centre of worship for his progeny through his son Ishmael (peace be on them). But with the lapse of time it became virtually converted into a house of idols which numbered as many as 360, almost the same as the number of days in a year. At the advent of the Prophet Muhammad (sa) however, it was again made the centre of worship for all nations -- the Holy Prophet (sa) having been sent as a Messenger to all mankind, to unite those, who had become separated after Prophet Adam (as) into one common human brotherhood. It is said that around the year 570 A.D., the Christian Chief of Yemen, named Abraha, attempted to invade Makkah with the intention of destroying the Ka'bah. Abraha's army rode on elephants and in the Arab history the year 570 A.D. is known as the 'Year of the Elephant'. Abraha did not succeed in his mission and his army was destroyed by an epidemic of disease and a terrible storm. A special mention is made of this incident in a chapter of the Holy Qur'an in Surah Al-Fil: In the name of Allah, the Gracious, Merciful. Knowest thou not how thy Lord dealt with the Owner of the Elephant? Did He not cause their design to miscarry? And He sent against them swarms of birds, which ate their dead bodies, striking them against stones of clay. And thus made them like broken straw, eaten up. This is the same year in which the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) was born, at which time his grandfather, Abdul-Muttalib, chief of the Arab noble tribe 'Quraish', was also the chief of Makkah. Prophet Muhammad's (sa) desire for maintaining peace and averting conflict is quite evident from an incident that occurred when he was about 35 years old. The Quraish of Makkah decided to rebuild the Ka'bah after some cracks had appeared in its walls. All the families of the Quraish assisted in this effort. As the walls rose from the ground and the time came to replace the sacred black stone in its place, a dispute broke out. Each of the four main families of the Quraish wanted this honour exclusively for themselves and the construction of the Ka'bah came to a halt. After many days of suspended work, the Quraish assembled again and decided that the first person to enter the Ka'bah's courtyard will be chosen to settle the dispute. Muhammad (sa) happened to be the first person to pass through. He was informed of the dispute, quickly grasped the situation and placed his mantle on the ground and asked that the Black Stone be placed on it. He then asked the four families of the Quraish to hold each corner of the cloth and raise the stone to its place. Thus, through his wisdom, he averted the conflict and resolved the dispute in a manner acceptable to the Quraish. No one knows for sure the background to the Black Stone (Hajr-al-Aswad), except for the fact that it was already there when Prophet Ibrahim and Ismael (peace be on them) rebuilt the Ka'bah under the direction of God. As the Ka'bah was a centre of worship centuries before the advent of Prophet Ibrahim (as), it is believed that the Black Stone was part of the original structure. And as the structure fell to ruin over the centuries, traces of the foundation with the Black Stone remained. God directed Prophet Ibrahim (as) to the site of the remaining traces of the foundation and directed him to rebuild the Ka'bah for the purpose of worship. The Black Stone was embedded in one of the four corners above ground level. Though it had obviously been revered and respected by the previous generations, it should be borne in mind that the Black Stone itself does not hold any spiritual significance at all. The pilgrim may touch or if he can approach near enough, kiss the Black Stone, which is an emotional gesture calling to mind the Prophet (sa) kissed it when he performed circuit. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (sa) did this, not because of any sanctity attached to the stone, but as an expression of his emotion at the Ka'bah, originally constructed by Prophet Ibrahim and his son, Prophet Ismael (peace be on them), having been finally restored to the worship of the One True God, and would henceforth remain dedicated to that worship. Fearing that the Prophet's kissing the Black Stone might be interpreted as ascribing some special virtue to the stone, Hadhrat Umar, the 2nd Khalifa (peace be on him), when performing the circuit, observed: I know this is only a stone no different from other similar stones, and were it not the memory that the Prophet expressed his gratitude to God for His favours and bounties by kissing it, I would pay no attention to it. From whichever direction the pilgrim enters the enclosure and approaches the Ka'bah, he begins his circuit from the corner in which the Black Stone is placed. A circuit of the Ka'bah means circumambulating it 7 times, reciting certain prayers, beginning and ending opposite the Back Stone. The Ka'bah is held in reverence by all Muslims of the world. Pilgrimage to the 'House of God' is a duty of every Muslim (if they can afford it), as is facing the direction of the Ka'bah (Qiblah) during their 5 daily Prayers. The cloth covering that drapes the Ka'bah is called the Kiswa and has a fascinating and colourful history. Although its precise origin has been difficult to trace, the use of the Kiswa clearly pre-dates the advent of Islam. It is traditionally known that when the Prophet Abraham (as) was told by God to rebuild the Ka'bah, no mention was made of the Kiswa. Some scholars argue that the first Kiswa was made by the Prophet Ismael (as), but there is no evidence to support this. Others affirm that the first Kiswa was made by Adnan bin Ad', a great great-grandfather of the Prophet Muhammad (sa), but this claim also lacks authentication. The first historically verifiable record of the draping of the Ka'bah attributes the honour to Tabu Karab Aswad, King of Humayyur in the Yemen. Tabu invaded Yathrib (now Madinah) in 400 C.E., 220 years before the Hijra. He also entered Makkah and performed Umrah. He is said to have dreamt that he was making a covering and then dressed the Ka'bah with this Kasaf made of dried palm leaves sewn together. In one form or another, the Kiswa has draped the Ka'bah ever since. After the Prophet Muhammad (sa) defeated the pagans of Makkah and entered the Ka'bah, he cleansed it of all idols and turned it into a sacred sanctuary of monotheistic Islamic worship. In the 10th year of the Hijra (630 C.E.), 2 years after the Prophet (sa) led the campaign to free Makkah, the sacred valley of Mina, and Mount Arafat from the control of the Makkan pagans, he performed his first and only pilgrimage (Hajj). Over 100,000 pilgrims, at that date the largest gathering ever, flocked from all over Arabia for this pilgrimage. For the first time in many centuries, the Ka'bah had once again become the exclusive sanctuary of monotheism. It is said that on this pilgrimage the Prophet Muhammad dressed the Ka'bah in its first Islamic Kiswa, referred to as the 'Yemeni Kiswa'. Khalifa (Caliph) Umar bin Al-Khattab ordered the first Egyptian-made Kiswa in 13 A.H. (634 C.E.). It was made from thick cloth known as Gabaati. Every year, at the time of pilgrimage, the Kiswa was cut into pieces and distributed among the pilgrims. Verses such as 'Glory be to Allah', 'There is no God save Allah', and 'Allah is Merciful and Loving' used to be stitched on to the Kiswa in those early days of Islam. At one time, it had become a custom that the old Kiswa was not removed, the new one being put on top of the old. This continued until the reign of Al-Mahdi, the Abbasid Khalifa. When he performed Hajj in 160 A.H. (775 C.E.) he saw that the accumulated Kiswas could cause damage to the Ka'bah itself. He therefore decreed that only one Kiswa should drape the Ka'bah at any one time, and this has been observed ever since. The colour of the Kiswa has also changed many times over the centuries. Al-Mamoon -- 198-218 A.H. (813-833) dressed the Ka'bah in a red Kiswa, and by the reign of contemporary of Saladin the Great, Khalifa Al-Nasir Al-Abbasi, the colour of the Kiswa had changed to green. Khalifa Al-Nasir changed it to black, and black it has remained to this day. For centuries the Kiswa used to be transported from Egypt to Makkah in the Mahmal -- a special litter at the head of a caravan, with as many as 15 camels carrying various sections of the revered garment. The sending of the Mahmal was regularly accompanied by much fanfare and celebration in Egypt, while its arrival in Makkah was hailed with music and joyous acclaim. When the founder of Saudi Arabia, the late King Abdul Aziz ibn Saud entered Makkah in 1924 C.E., he and his men objected to the music and dancing which accompanied the delivery of the Kiswa from Egypt. He and his men held to the pure Islamic faith and considered this an unacceptable innovation, and this eventually led to clashes with Egyptians which resulted in them stopping to send the Kiswa. King Abdul Aziz founded the holy Ka'bah factory. The first Makkan-made Kiswa to drape the Ka'bah was at the end of 1927 and for the next 10 years Makkah produced the Kiswa. With the political rift healed in 1939, Egypt resumed sending the Kiswa until it fell victim again to the vagaries of political change in 1962. The Kiswa factory in Makkah was once again opened and it was declared that 'the Kiswa factory should be in Makkah so that it is not affected by the moods of the rulers of the Muslim world'. Every year the Kiswa is woven at a cost of SR17 million. It is made of 670 kg pure white silk, which is later dyed black. It is made up of 47 pieces, each piece being 14 m long and 95 cm wide. The Ikhlas Surah from the Holy Qur'an is embroidered in gold on the four corners. Under the belt, all round the Kiswa, there are 16 panels with Qur'anic verses. The intricate calligraphy is emblazoned on the black silk using 120 kg of gold and silver wire. The ratio of gold to silver is 1 to 4. On the bright sunny days the blazing Arabian sun glints off the Kiswa's lustrous gold and silver embroidery. At night the Kiswa shimmers with the soft glow in the brightly-lit open courtyard of the Grand Mosque. The effect is at once awe-inspiring and breathtaking, as well as being soothing to the eyes of the faithful. The sight of the Ka'bah covered with the splendour of the Kiswa is an image which becomes emblazoned in the minds of those who have had the honour of visiting the house of Allah. With longing they will picture this beautiful sight over and over. The interior of the Ka'bah is draped with dark green silk, also decorated with Qur'anic verses and Islamic designs. The solid gold doors of the Ka'bah are set 2 m above the ground and a movable wooden canopied staircase is used to enter the Ka'bah on the rare occasions when the doors are opened only to the King of Saudi Arabia and his special guests. One of these special people were the late Sir Muhammad Zafrullah Khan, a prominent member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at, who visited Makkah. Sir Zafrullah Khan was a very distinguished man. In 1947 he was appointed Foreign Minister of Pakistan; for many years he led the Pakistan Delegation to the General Assembly of the United Nations, and he was President of the General Assembly's 17th Session. Since then he had served as Judge and President of the International Court of Justice at the Hague. He was not only a great expounder of Islam, but also a distinguished and prominent member of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at. Yet, with all these achievements, he remained a humble and pious person living a very simple life. In the early part of 1958 he went to Makkah for the Umrah (lesser pilgrimage), and visited Madinah as well. He was familiar with the then Prince Faizal, who was at the time Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia and had officially visited Pakistan with his entourage to whom Sir Zafrullah Khan, then the Foreign Minister of Pakistan, had afforded them excellent hospitality. In Makkah, he was afforded royal hospitality and he was privileged to enter the Ka'bah itself and to say two Raka'ats of Prayer facing each of the four directions. Sir Zafrullah Khan's second visit to Makkah for Umrah and Hajj took place in the year 1967. He was a special guest of King Faizal and was afforded impeccable hospitality during his stay. Twice a year, in the months of Shaban and Dhul Hijja, the interior of the Ka'bah is ceremonially washed with water perfumed with rose and sandalwood. The ceremonial washing is performed by the king or sometimes his deputised representative, the governor of Makkah. Nowadays it is done by the custodian of the two Mosques. At the second washing which takes places a few days before Hajj, the Kiswa is replaced by a new one. The removed Kiswa is then cut into pieces and presented as mementos to Muslim individuals and diplomats and to favoured institutions all over the world. The reception hall in the delegates' lounge of the UN building in New York is adorned by one particularly large and impressive piece, the Sitara (one of the four drapes that cover the doors of the Ka'bah) which measures 2.5 m wide and 9 m high. The Kiswa, by itself, does not hold any particular religious significance to Muslims. It should therefore be understood that the reverence in which it is held, and the magnitude of effort and cost that goes into its making and upkeep, is due solely to the desire of Muslims to ensure that it reflects the sanctity, the splendour, and the majesty befitting the structure that it drapes, the Ka'bah -- House of Allah. The Ka'bah is par excellence the House of Allah. Of course, all the places of worship are 'Houses of Allah', and as the Prophet (sa) declared: 'The whole earth is made a mosque for me', but the Ka'bah has been declared by God Himself to be the Sacred House, being the first House consecrated to the worship of the One True God (Holy Qur'an, Ch. 3: v. 97). Thus the expression 'House of Allah' is understood through the Muslim world to refer to the Ka'bah.

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Answer 1

According to Islam, a man can have up to four wives. But according to the U.S Law, one man can marry one man or woman. So the answer, is no.

Answer 2

Yes. Allah will be here when the country America ceases to exist. Gods rules apply over any country. Muslims can leave America but which person can die and escape from Allah.

Answer 1 Yes, it is compulsory for Muslim women to wear hijab. Some people claim that compulsory wearing of hijab is solelythe interpretation of the Koran readers and religious interpreters or mullahs. However, it is very clear to any Quran reader that Hijab is compulsory. Quran says (meaning English translation):

"And say to the believing women that they cast down their looks and guard their private parts and do not display their ornaments except what appears thereof, and let them wear their head-coverings over their bosoms, and not display their ornaments except to their husbands or their fathers, or the fathers of their husbands, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or those whom their right hands possess, or the male servants not having need (of women), or the children who have not attained knowledge of what is hidden of women; and let them not strike their feet so that what they hide of their ornaments may be known; and turn to Allah all of you, O believers! so that you may be successful. (31)"

"وَقُل لِّلْمُؤْمِنَاتِ يَغْضُضْنَ مِنْ أَبْصَارِهِنَّ وَيَحْفَظْنَ فُرُوجَهُنَّ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا ۖ وَلْيَضْرِبْنَ بِخُمُرِهِنَّ عَلَىٰ جُيُوبِهِنَّ ۖ وَلَا يُبْدِينَ زِينَتَهُنَّ إِلَّا لِبُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَائِهِنَّ أَوْ آبَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَائِهِنَّ أَوْ أَبْنَاءِ بُعُولَتِهِنَّ أَوْ إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي إِخْوَانِهِنَّ أَوْ بَنِي أَخَوَاتِهِنَّ أَوْ نِسَائِهِنَّ أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُهُنَّ أَوِ التَّابِعِينَ غَيْرِ أُولِي الْإِرْبَةِ مِنَ الرِّجَالِ أَوِ الطِّفْلِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يَظْهَرُوا عَلَىٰ عَوْرَاتِ النِّسَاءِ ۖ وَلَا يَضْرِبْنَ بِأَرْجُلِهِنَّ لِيُعْلَمَ مَا يُخْفِينَ مِن زِينَتِهِنَّ ۚ وَتُوبُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا أَيُّهَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ ﴿٣١

[Quran, chapter 24, verse 31]

You may refer also to the related question below for more information.

Rules regarding Muslim women's (and men's) attire are derived from the Quran, Islam's revealed text, and the traditions (hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). In the Quran, God states: "Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty...And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and adornments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers...(a list of exceptions)" [Chapter 24, verses 30-31] Also, "O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women, that they should cast their outer garments over their persons...that they should be known and not molested." [Chapter 33, verse 59] In general, girls are required to wear hijab at puberty, and throughout the rest of their lives, whenever they are in the company of males who are not their mahrems. A mahrem is a male so closely related that the girl/woman could never marry him.

Answer 3It is clear from Answer 1 that the Hijab is a requirement for Muslim women to wear per qur'an explicit command. Accordingly, no Muslim has the right to debate about it. If a Muslim woman doesn't wear Hijab for one reason or another, then she at least should know that she is violating God commands per Qur'an.

Hello, I will attempt to answer your question:

What is the Quran?

Al-Quran is the eternal miracle. It is the last Book of Allah sent for the guidance of humanity through the last Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him (PBUH).

Revelation of the Quran

The Quran was revealed piecemeal throughout a period of about 23 years. The Prophet received the first revelation in 610CE, in the Cave of Hira in the Mountain of Light (Jabale-Noor), two and a half miles away from the House of Allah in the city of Makkah in Arabia.

The first revelation was the first five verses of Surah (chapter) Al-Alaq: "Iqra bismi rabbikalla dhi khalaq. Khalaqal insana min alaq. Iqra WA rabbukal akram. Alladhi 'allama bil qalam. 'Allamal insana malam ya'lam, " which means "Read in the name of your Lord who created, created man from a clot. Read, for your Lord is most Generous, Who teaches by means of the pen, teaches man what he does not know." (96: 1-5)

The last revelation was the third verse of Surah Al-Maidah, which was sent down to the Prophet in 632 C.E. : "Al yawma akmaltu lakum dinakam WA atmamtu alaikam ni'mati WA raditu' lakumul islama dinan''," which means "Today I perfected your religion for you and completed my favor to you and have chosen for you Al-Islam as your religion." (5:3)

Surah Al-Fatiha (The Opening Chapter) was the first complete chapter to be revealed and Surah An-Nasr was the last.

7 Reasons to Read the Glorious Quran

(1) Intimate:

It dares you to disprove it. How? It says that humans can not write a book like this even if they pooled all their resources together and got help also from the spirits. The Quran said this fourteen hundreds years ago and yet no one has been able to disprove it. Billions of books have been written - but not another one like the Quran.

(2) Incorruptible:

It is the only religious sacred writing which has been in circulation for such a long time and yet remains as pure as it was in the beginning. The Quran was kept intact. Nothing was added to it; nothing was changed in it; and nothing was taken away from it ever since it was completely revealed 1400 years ago.

(3) Unsurpassable:

The Quran is God's final revelation to humankind. God revealed the Torah to Moses, the Psalms to David, the Gospel to Jesus, and finally the Quran to Muhammad. Peace be upon all of them. No other book will come from God to surpass his final revelation.

(4) Indisputable:

The Quran withstands the test of time and scrutiny. No one can dispute the truth of this book. It speaks about past history and turns out right. It speaks about the future in prophecies and it turns out right. It mentions details of physical phenomena which were not known to people at the time; yet later scientific discoveries confirm that the Quran was right all along. Every other book needs to be revised to accord with modern knowledge. The Quran alone is never contradicted by a modern discovery.

(5) Your Roadmap for Life and Afterlife:

The Quran is the best guidebook on how to structure your life. No other book presents such a comprehensive system involving all aspects of human life and endeavor. The Quran also points out the way to secure everlasting happiness in the afterlife. It is your roadmap showing how to get to paradise.

(6) God's Gift of Guidance:

God has not left you alone. You were made for a reason. God tells you why he made you, what he demands from you, and what he has in store for you. If you operate a machine contrary to it's manufacture specification you will ruin that machine. What about you? Do you have an owner's manual for you? The Quran is from your function for success lest you fail to function. It is a healing mercy from God. It satisfies the soul, and cleans the heart. It removes doubts and brings peace.

(7) Your Calling Card to Communicate with God:

Humans are social creatures. We love to communicate with other intelligent life. The Quran tells us how to communicate with the source of all intelligence and the source of all life- the One God. The Quran tells us who God is, by what name we should address God, and the way in which to communicate with God. Are these not seven sufficient reasons for reading the Quran?

I hope the above is a gate to your happiness, for more information about the Quran you may go ahead and start here using the links below:

http://www.islam101.com/science/GaryMiller.HTML

http://www.thisistruth.org

http://www.science4islam.com/

http://www.sultan.org/articles/QScience.HTML