UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI Maiduguri, Nigeria CENTRE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING ARTS

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI Maiduguri, Nigeria CENTRE FOR DISTANCE LEARNING ARTS ISL 104: Ilm Al-Tauheed UNIT: 2

2 STUDY GUIDE GENERAL INFORMATION Course Code and Title: ISL 104 ILM AL-TAUHEED Credit Unit: 2 Year: 2016 Total Hours - 28 two per Week of Study. For any queries or Questions contact the Course Lecturer Using your through the Centre for Distance Learning Portal. You are welcome to this study Unit. Each Unit is arranged to simplify your study. In each topic of the Unit we have introduction, learning outcome, in-text information, in-text questions and answers, summary and self assessment exercises. In-text questions and answers serve as motivation for your reading and to encourage to pay attention to major points in the text. Tutors will be available at designated contact Centre for Tutorial. Meet them to resolve your questions and other guide. The Centre expects you to plan your work well. Should you wish to read further you could supplement the study with more information from the list of references and suggested reading available in each study Unit. PRACTICE EXERCISES SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISES (SAES) This is provided at the end of each topic or Study Session. The exercises can help you to assess whether or not you have actually studied and understood the topic/study session. Solutions to the exercises are provided at the end of the Study Unit for you to assess yourself. HOW TO PREPARE FOR EXAMINATION To prepare for the examination you should read and understand the Study Materials provided for you on C.D.ROM, prints or downloads from the Portal. Other things you need to prepare for examination include understanding all sample questions at the end of every Study Session/topic Reading the suggested/recommended reading texts. ASSESSMENTS 1. The continuous assessment for all courses consists of 30%. 2. The Examination shall make up 70% of the total Marks. 3. Feedback and advice is a component of the continuous assessment The Examination shall be conducted at the Centre for Distance learning (Centre). Students are to come to the Centre on the Examination date with all the necessary requirements. The Examination is Computer based or e-testing one.

3 Acknowledgements

4 INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY SESSION

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6 STUDY SESSION 1: THE MEANING AND SCOPE OF KALIMAT AT- TAWHID 1.0. INTRODUCTION Islam is a religion built on faith (iman) and action ( c amal). Faith without action is incomplete just as action without faith is useless. Therefore the two must go together to attain success in this world and in the hereafter. A person who has unshakable belief in Allah and His Attributes is called a Mu min (faithful). On the other hand, a person with iman but no practice ( c amal) is not a true Muslim (Qur an 2:177 and 8:4). LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR SESSION 1 When you have studied this Session, you should be able to: i. Explain the meaning of the term Kalimat at-tawhid. ii. Describe the scope of Kalimat at-tawhid. iii. State the significance of the Kalimah THE MEANING AND SCOPE OF KALIMAT AT-TAWHID We shall define Kalimat at-tawhid, discuss its scope and identify its significance. It is however important to let the reader know what the Kalimah is before going into the details of our discussion. Kalimat at-tawhid refers to the Creedal Statement of Islam. It reads thus: La ilaha illa Allah Muhammadu Rasulullah. There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is Allah s Messenger THE MEANING OF KALIMAT AT-TAWHID This statement means that in the whole of the Universe there is no being worthy of worship other than Allah. It is only to Him that heads should bow in submission and worship. He is the only being possesses all powers. All creatures are in need of His favor and seek His help. He is hidden from our sense and our intellect fails to understand who He is THE SCOPE OF KALIMAT AT-TAWHID Having provided the meaning of the Kalimah we may now ask ourselves: what is its scope? This creedal statement of Islam is made up of two parts. The first part is the Unity of Allah, which is the constant theme of the Qur an. It is repeatedly mentioned as the basic principle of Islam and takes several forms such as: Have they a god with Allah? Have they a god besides Allah?

7 There is no god except Allah. There is no god but He. There is no god but you. There is no god but I. The second part of the creed Muhammadun Rasulullah is based on the Messenger ship of the holy Prophet Muhammad. This shows that Prophet Muhammad was nothing but a servant and Messenger of Allah. He is not Allah s deputy or assistant. The very word occurs in the Qur an 48:29. In the hadith, we are told that the essential condition for the acceptance of Islam is the acceptance of these two component parts of the Islamic faith (Bu. 2:40) often referred to as imanu mujmal or a brief expression of faith. The detailed expression of faith which the later theologians called imanu mufassal, is set forth in the very beginning of the second chapter of the Qur an (Qur an, 2:2-4). These include belief in the unseen, revealed scriptures (the Qur an and those before it), observance of regular Ritual Prayer (Salat) and charity (Zakat) THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KALIMAT AT-TAWHID This statement is very important because before a convert is accepted into Islam he must express it. Similarly any Muslim who utters it, as his last expression before death will enter Paradise. It is also the only distinction between a believer and a disbeliever. To therefore refer to a Muslim after expressing this statement as a kafir disbeliever is sinful in Islam. As long as he does not renounce his faith in this, he remains a Muslim or believer (Al - Mu min). Similarly any man who does not make this confession is a non- Muslim or unbeliever. The basis for this remark is found in the following Hadith: Whoever calls the people of La ilaha illa Allah Kafir is himself nearer to kufr. Three things are the basis of faith: to withhold from one who confesses faith in La ilaha illa Allah you should not call him a kafir for any sin nor expel him from Islam for any deed. I.T.Q: When you have completed this session you will be able to answer this question: 1. What is Tauhid? I.T.A: Tauhid literally means the The science of the unity of Allah.

8 SUMMARY OF SESSION 1 In session 1, you have learnt the: 1. Meaning and scope of Kalimat at-tawhid with relevant quotations from the Qur an and Hadith. 2. We observed that each of the two parts of the Kalimah is inseparable from the other. 3. A brief explanation of imanu mujmal and imanu mufassal and the significance of the Kalimah were also made. SELF -ASSESSMENT QUETIONS FOR SESSION 1 When you have completed this session, you can test your achievement of learning outcomes by answering these questions: 1. What is Kalimat at-tawhid? 2. Explain the scope of Kalimat at-tawhid. 3. Of what importance is Kalimat at-tawhid?

9 SESSION 2 BELIEVE IN ALLAH INTRODUCTION Islam has some articles of faith. Belief in Allah is the first and the root of such articles. As Muslims, we must believe in Allah who is one in His person, name and attributes. He existed before any creature and will remain when all creatures have died. Allah has beautiful names and attributes. The name Allah is a name par excellence. Unlike most Arabic names it is not derived from any other word. It does not have masculine or feminine and singular or plural forms. It has ever been the name of the Eternal Being. The word often translated as God Expresses the Supremeness of Allah on whom all mortals are dependent. He is independent of every creature. He is Unique and One in His Person and Attributes are also perfect. Ninety-nine of such attributes have been reported in the Hadith as popular and Muslims are enjoined to pray to Allah using any of these attributes. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR SESSION 2 After studying this session, you should be able to: i. Distinguish between Islam and other religions. ii. Explain the concept of Allah s Unity. iii. Differentiate between Allah s and human attributes. iv. List some of the attributes of Allah BELIEF IN ALLAH As noted above, Belief in Allah is the first of the six articles of faith in Islam. When a man is required to believe in Allah, he is expected to make himself possessor of the highest moral qualities and attain the Divine attributes. He must set before himself the highest and pure idea which the heart of man can conceive, and make his conduct conform to that ideal. Belief in Allah is consisted of some component parts. These are Allah s Unity, Existence, and Attributes. Each of these will be discussed below ALLAH S UNITY The most important and fundamental teaching of Islam is the belief in the Oneness of Allah. This is termed Tawhid. It is the highest conception of Allah, the knowledge of which has been sent to mankind in all ages through the Prophets. It is the route of all the teachings of Islam. It is the knowledge pure and absolute without the least shade of ignorance. Tawhid removes all the clouds of ignorance and illumines the horizon with the light of reality. Islam attaches great importance to the Unity of Allah and the finality of the Prophet-hood of Muhammad (SAW). As such there is no room for

10 polytheism (belief in more than one God) or atheism (belief in no God at all) in Islam. To believe in polytheism will entail the difficulty of the division of powers between the several gods if not a civil war among them. One can easily see that all that is in the Universe is interdependent. Man for instance requires the aid of plants, metals, animals and stars even as each one of these objects needs another s help in some way or other. A true believer denounces all other kinds of deities and lowers his head in obedience to Allah, the Almighty. The believer accepts and follows Allah s commands in word and deed. Tawhid includes the following aspects: i. Concept of Allah ii. Attributes of Allah iii. Obligations of Allah. Though One, He is capable of doing all things including, all the multiplicity of His Attributes. The Qur an describes Him as follows: Your God is One God There is no god but He the Most Merciful ALLAH S EXISTENCE In all religious books the existence of Allah is taken almost as a truth requiring no further proof. The Qur an advances numerous arguments to prove the existence of a Supreme Being Who is the Creator and Controller of the Universe. In another way Divine revelation brings man closer to Allah and makes His existence felt as a reality in his life and that is through the example of the perfect man who holds communion with the Divine Being. Allah is a Reality, a Truth, in fact the greatest reality in this world that man can feel His presence and realize Him in every hour of his everyday life and have the closest relations with Him. Such a realization of the Divine Being works a change in the life of man, making him an irresistible spiritual force in the world. It is not the solitary experience of one individual or of one nation, but the universal experience of men in all nations, countries and ages. Allah existed before all creation and when all creations cease to exist He continues to exist. As He causes them to exist so also He causes them to die at the appointed time 2.4. ALLAH S ATTRIBUTES Allah is the proper or personal name of the Divine Being, as distinguished from all other names which are called asma as-sifat names denoting attribute. It is also known as the greatest name (ism a zam). Being a proper name it does not carry any significance, but as the proper name of the Divine Being it comprises all the attributes, which are contained separately in the attributive names. Hence the name Allah is said to gather together in itself the entire perfect attributes of Allah.

11 Allah is One although is capable of doing all sorts of things. Hence the multiplicity of his attributes. In the Glorious Qur an it is said: And Allah s are the most excellent names therefore call on him thereby, and leave alone those who violate the sanctity of his names" Qur an 7:180). Allah is spoken of in the Holy Qur an as seeing, hearing speaking, loving, being affectionate, grasping, controlling etc. The use of these words must not be taken in any sense as indicating an anthropomorphic conception of the Divine Being. He is plainly stated to be above all material conception and limitation of metaphor. Vision comprehends Him not and He comprehends all visions (Qur an 6:104) Nothing is like a likeness of Him (Qur an 42:11). We say, Allah sees, yet we do not mean that he has eyes like our eyes or that he stands in need of light whereby to see things as we stand in need of it. Or we say, He hears, yet we never mean that he has ears like ours, or that He stands in need of ears, or some other external agencies, to convey the sound to Him. Or we say, He creates or makes things, yet we do not mean that he has hands like ours, or that He stands in need of materials with which to make things. Even the hands of Allah are spoken of in the Holy Qur an (5:64) but it is simply to give expression to his unlimited power in bestowing His favours on which He wills. Some of the more important attributes are al-khaliq the Creator, al qadim the Infinite, al-qayyum the Eternal, al-aziz the Powerful, al-hakim the Wise, alalim the Knowing, al-basir All seeing, ar-rahman the Most Beneficent, arrahim the Most Merciful, as-samad the Absolute, al-malik the Sovereign, alghafur the Most Forgiven. Among the attributive names of Allah occurring in the Holy Qur an, four stands out prominently and these four are exactly the names mentioned in the Fatihah the Opening Chapter. The chapter begins with the proper name of Allah and then follows the greatest of all the attributive names rabb, translated as Lord. While the name Allah is found in the Glorious Qur an some 2,800 times, the name rabb occurs about 960 times, with no other names so frequently mentioned. Next in importance to rabb are the names Rahman, Rahim and Malik. Rahman and Rahim are derived from the same root rahma, which means tenderness requiring the exercise of beneficence and thus comprises the ideas of love and mercy. Rahman signifies that love is so predominant in the divine nature that He bestows his favors and shows his mercy even though man has done nothing to deserve them. The granting of the means of subsistence for the development of physical life and of Divine revelation for Man s spiritual growth is due to this attribute of unbounded love in the Divine Being. Then follows the stage in which man takes advantage of these various means which

12 help the development of physical and spiritual life, and turns them to his use. It is at this stage that the third attribute of the Divine Being Rahim, comes into play, whereby, He rewards every efforts made by man in the right direction and since man is making consistent and continual effort, the attribute of mercy conveyed in the name Rahim is also displayed continually. The Prophet is reported to have said that: Ar-Rahman is the Beneficent God whose love and mercy are manifested in the creation of this world. Ar-Rahim is the Merciful God whose love and mercy are manifested in the state that comes after To bring creation to perfection however, there is needed the manifestation of yet another attributes. As submission to the law results in the advancement of man, which brings reward, disobedience to the law may result in retarding his progress or bringing down punishment upon him. Therefore, just as rahim is needed to bring his reward to one who does well or submits to the law, there must be another attribute to bring about the requital of evil. Hence in the Opening Chapter of the Qur an, Malik Yawmiddin Master of the Day of Requital, follows Rahim. The adoption of the word Malik or Master in connection with the requital of the evil is significant, as ordinarily, it would be expected that there should be a judge to mete out the requital of evil. The essential difference between a judge and a master is that the former is bound to do justice and must punish the evil doer for every evil, while the latter, the master, can exercise his discretion, and may either punish the evil doers or forgive them and pass over even the greatest of his iniquities. The attributive name malik is introduced to link the idea of requital with that of forgiveness. From the explanations thus given of the four names Rabb, Rahman, Rahim and Malik, and their frequency in the holy Qur an in general and in the Opening Chapter in particular, it is clear that the Holy book looks upon these four names as the Chief attributive names of Allah and all His other attributes are but the offshoots of these four essential attributes. Just as a belief in the Unity of Allah is a source of man s uplift, making him conscious of the dignity of human nature, and inspiring him with the grand ideas of the conquest of nature and of the equality of man with man, so the numerous attributes of the Divine Being, as revealed in the Glorious Qur an are really meant for the perfection of human chapter. The Divine attributes really serve as an ideal to which man must strive to attain MANIFESTATION OF ALLAH S ATTRIBUTES IN DAY TO DAY HUMAN ACTIVITIES Allah is Rabbu l c Alamin the Fosterer and nourishes the world Keeping that as an ideal before himself, man must endeavor to make the service of humanity, even that a dumb creation, the object of his life.

13 These attributes of Allah should be exhibited in the Day to Day activities of man. Allah as stated earlier is Rahman conferring benefits on man and showing him love without his having done anything to deserve it. The man who seeks to attain to perfection must do well even to those of his fellow men from whom he has not himself received, and does not expect to receive any benefit. Allah is also Rahim, making every good deed bear fruit. To attain this, man must also do well for any good that he receives from another. Allah s attributes Malik requiting evil, not in a spirit of vengeance or even of unbending justice, but in a spirit of forgiveness, in the spirit of master dealing with his servants. So must man be forgiving in his dealings with others, if he will attain to perfection. I.T.Q: When you have completed this session you will be able to answer this question: 1. What is ALLAH`s attributes? I.T.A: Allah is the proper or personal name of the Divine Being, as distinguished from all other names which are called asma as-sifat names denoting attribute. SUMMARY OF SESSION 2 In session 2, you have learnt that: Attempts were made to discuss the concept of Unity of Allah. We also looked at the existence of Allah where we found that He preceded all creatures and when all of them have ceased to exist He will continue to exist. Allah s attributes and their differences from those of man were carefully treated. We also discussed ways in which men can imitate some of the attributes. SELF -ASSESSMENT QUETIONS FOR SESSION 2 When you have completed this session, you can test your achievement of learning outcomes by answering these questions: 1. Write a brief account of the Unity of Allah. 2. In what ways is Allah s existence different from that of other creatures? 3. List ten attributes of Allah.

14 SESSION 3 BELIEVE IN THE PROPHET OF ALLAH. INTRODUCTION Another vital aspect of Islamic creed is the belief in the Prophets of Allah. They ranged from Adam, the first human Messenger, to Muhammad, the last. Others include Nuh (Noah), Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), Daud (David), Suleiman (Solomon), and Isa (Jesus), (peace be upon them all). The Arabic word for Prophet is Nabi. A Nabi is also Rasul, which means a Messenger. The two words are used interchangeably in the Qur an, the same person being sometimes called Nabi and sometimes Rasul: while occasionally both names are combined. The reason seems to be that the Prophets has two capacities viz: he receives information from Allah and impacts the message to mankind. He is called a nabi in his first assignment and a rasul in his second capacity. There is one difference; the word rasul has wider significance being applicable to every Messenger in a literal sense. Angels for example are called Divine Messenger-Rasul (Qur an 35:1) because they are also bearers of Divine messages. Prophet-hood is a Divine gift to man. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR SESSION 3 After studying this session, you should be able to: i. Identify reasons for sending Prophets. ii. Differentiate Nabi and Rasul. iii. Enumerate qualities of the Prophets. iv. List some of the duties and functions of the Prophets. v. Describe people s reactions to the messages of the Prophets. vi. Mention names of some of the Prophets BELIEF IN THE PROPHETS OF ALLAH The Glorious Qur an in many places states that Allah had sent messengers among every people (Qur an 10:47 and 35:24) and that all have brought the same religion of Islam. If a man believes any one of them, he must and ought to confirm all. It is for this reason that in Islam it is necessary to have implicit faith in all the Prophets of Allah. Say you, we believe in Allah and revelation given to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob and the tribes and that given to Moses and Jesus and that given to all Messengers from their Lord. We do not differentiate between them and we bow to Allah in submission.) Qur an 2:136). One who does not believe in anyone of the Prophets would be Kafir a disbeliever, though he might profess faith in all other Prophets.

15 3.2. NUMBER AND QUALITIES OF THE PROPHETS It occurs in the Prophetic traditions (Hadith) that the total number of all Prophets sent to different people at different times is 124,000. They were all men of great piety and virtue. They always practiced what they preached, truly modeling themselves on the guidance of their Lord. Allah mentions Ibrahim, a man of high caliber and noble character, and an example to all mankind. There is for you an excellent example for you to follow in Ibrahim and those with him. (Qur an 60:4) He was also a man of greatest faith and courage. He submitted his whole life to the will of Allah, and sacrificed everything for His pleasure almost including his son Ishmael. His example is outstanding according to this verse of the Qur an: There was indeed in them an excellence example to follow for those whose hope is in Allah and in the Last Day (Qur an 60:6). In Muhammad, surely there is another example of piety and devotion to Allah. You have indeed in the Messenger of Allah Beautiful pattern of conducts for any one whose Hope is in Allah and final Day and who engages In praising Allah. (Qur an 33:21) And you are of an exalted standard of Character. (Qur an 68:4) Prophets were men of highest quality, pious, honest and obedient. They did not demand from the people any reward for services. No matter how hard they worked they were always aware of their mission and their Lord. They obeyed the command of Allah and struggled hard all their lives against the forces of evils and corruption. Prophet Noah for example said to his people: No reward do I ask of you it. My reward is Only from the Lord of the worlds. (Qur an 26:127) Prophet Hud (AS), Salih (AS) and Shu c aib (AS) replied similarly to their people the same way. (Qur an 26:108, 127, 145 and 164) We have to believe that all Prophets sent by Allah for the guidance of mankind were true. A Muslim must believe that Prophets were given to every nation and that all of them were entitled to equal respect. He must not make any distinction between them.

16 3.3. DUTIES OF THE PROPHETS These Messengers brought Divine love and illuminated the world. They were the teachers and models for the practice of the tenets they inculcated in their people, under Divine guidance. A Prophet must have regard for high morality. He must evolve a system that will bring every human instinct into proper play and control every faculty in a way that may raise humanity and enable man reflects Divine morality. They were given knowledge of the purpose of human creation. The divine message was price less and was not for the personal aim of life, and the laws of morality. They were shown the way of righteousness and prosperity in this life and the Hereafter. Messengers were sent to all nations to guide them on to the right path. Nor did we send before you as Messengers any But men, whom we did inspire living in human Habitat. (Qur an 12:10). All the Prophets taught the vital concept of Tawhid. They preached justice, truth and piety and talked about virtue, honesty and politeness. They spoke about individual accountability on the Day of Judgment and warned of the consequences for those who strayed from the path of Allah. The fact that all the basic messages of the Prophets were identical in spite of the vast time lapse, gives a clear indication that the source of knowledge of the Prophets was the same, namely, Allah. Therefore, the mission of the Messenger was to educate and aid the physical and the spiritual aspects of man on earth. If man fails, in spite of all this guidance, he has only himself to blame. Allah raised many Messengers from amongst the descendants of Adam to reform them. Many listened but many also rejected the call and followed the steps of the devil. After the death of each of the Messengers, their followers gradually altered and adulterated their messages and teachings; and people were lost to evil ways. There is no excuse at all for anyone who goes astray, for Allah s Prophets conveyed their messages clearly and simply. Old times witnessed the earlier Prophets. Modern times, witnessed the coming of Muhammad, to deliver the last message of Allah to His people. Prophets had the proper authority and a clear mandate from Allah. They executed this message aptly and very often at the risk of their own lives. They risked their social prestige and wealth for their Divine mission, but never hesitated nor tried to adulterate or change the original message of their mission. All the Prophets honored their mission All Prophets exerted every effort to establish the sovereignty of Allah over the people (Qur an 23:23, 42:13, 43:26-27, 5:75 and 2:211). They also emphasized the duties of man toward his fellow man. (Qur an 2:208)

17 The Messengers cleansed the lives of people, removed every kind of evil and fifth from their misconduct, habits and dealings, and adorned them with high moral qualities. Thus, they purified their hearts, ideas and the action of wrong and unhealthy element and directed them into the right channels. Thus character building was the most important function of the Prophets and they achieved this objective through Taqwa, Piety or righteousness and tazkiya purification. Prophets were sent to establish justice and goodness in society (Qur an 57:25). The Messengers were armed with three things: the Book of Allah, His clear signs, and the balance of right and wrongs to establish such a system. They tried to establish piety in the lives of individuals in order that the truth and justice should prevail in the society. Guidance was another function of the Prophets. Every Messenger of Allah invited his people to the right way (Qur an 40:53 and 7:203) and tried to liberate men from ignorance and darkness and show them the bright light of Islam (Qur an 2:257 and 57:9) Allah sent His Messenger to spread His word, give good news to those who accepted it and warn those who rebel against it, in order that they might not complain of not receiving any message of Allah (Qur an 5:21, 6:48-49, and 4:165). Allah revealed His message according to His own plans. Prophets were mere instruments for its execution. They neither added nor deleted anything. (Qur an 53:23 and 18:110, 4:80). The people are free to accept or reject the Prophets. If they accept their message, it is they who will benefit from it, and if they reject it, it is they who will suffer. (Qur an 4:59) Allah also appeals to the people to follow the Messengers, and in return He promises forgiveness and mercy to them (Qur an 3:31-32) 3.4. NATIONAL AND UNIVERSAL PROPHETS Prophets were raised from every nation, but their message was limited to that particular nation and in some cases to one or a few generations. All these Prophets were so to say, national Prophets and their work was limited to the moral uplift and spiritual regeneration of one nation only. The final set therefore, in the institution of Prophet-hood was the raising of one Prophet for all the nations, so that the consciousness of being one whole might be brought to the human race. Muhammad (SAW) was sent to the whole of mankind and for all those to come, and not for the Arabs alone. One thing is sure that no other Prophet is spoken of either in the Qur an or in any other Scripture has having been sent to the whole of humanities or to all people or nations, or is the Holy Prophet Muhammad ever spoken of having been sent to his people alone. He was the world Messenger (Qur an 34:28, 7:158, 21:10). He was the last Messenger. All Prophets, being from Allah, are as it were brothers. They belong to one community. They were all raised up for one purpose: the teachings of all

18 were essentially the same. They were all truthful, worthy of regard, made near to Allah, pure, guarded against evil. All were honorable and chaste, and none of them was insolent or disobedient to Allah. I.T.Q: When you have completed this session you will be able to answer this question: 1. State the duties of the prophet. I.T.A: Their duty is to bring Divine love and illuminated the world. They were the teachers and models for the practice of the tenets they inculcated in their people, under Divine guidance. SUMMARY OF SESSION 3 In Session 3, you have learnt that: Allah sent to mankind from the time of Adam (AS) to that of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) men of proven integrity as His Prophets. While majority of them were sent to their specific people, Muhammad (SAW) was sent to the entire mankind. As a matter of fact there was no nation to which a Prophet was not sent. Though some scholars have suggested numbers of Prophets, we will like to state that it is only Allah that knows their actual figure. These Prophets delivered Allah s message with all sense of duty. Some of them were accepted, others rejected, and yet a few of them killed. All prophets preached Tawhid Monotheism and condemned Shirk Polytheism. They also guided man from falsehood to truthfulness and from darkness to light. They were faithful servants of their Lord and demanded no reward from fellow being. SELF -ASSESSMENT QUETIONS FOR SESSION 3 When you have completed this Session, you can test your achievement of the learning outcomes by answering these questions: 1. Who were the Prophets? 2. Differentiate a Nabi from Rasul. 3. What are the qualities of the Prophets? 4. Name ten out of the Prophets mentioned in the Qur an. 5. How were the Prophets treated by their people?

19 SESSION 4 BELIEF IN THE REVEALED SCRIPTURES INTRODUCTION Allah sent revelations to the people of the earth through some of the Prophets. These are referred to as Kutub, Suhuf, or Zubur. We must remark that most of the books have lost their originality because of distortions and alterations they suffered in the hands of the followers of the Prophets to which they were revealed. Though many scriptures were revealed the following appear to be popular. Tawrah Torah, Zabur Psalms, Injil the Gospel and Qur an. The revealed scriptures were sent to deliver people from darkness to light and from wickedness to righteousness. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR SESSION4 After studying this Session, you should be able to: i. Explain the following terms. Kutub, Suhuf and Zubur. ii. Identify some of the revealed scriptures. iii. Describe the effects of distortions on the revealed books. iv. Explain the significance of the Qur an BELIEF IN THE REVEALED SCRIPTURES The Qur an and all scriptures revealed to the Prophets before Muhammad constitute another article of faith in Islam. Allah sent these books for the guidance of mankind. Muslims are enjoined to believe that these books were from Allah and true NAMES OF REVEALED SCRIPTURES Revealed scriptures are mentioned in the Holy Qur an under three names that is: Kutub, Suhuf and Zubur. The word Kutub is plural of Kitab book. It is writing, which is complete in itself. Kitab is sometimes used for the chapters of the Holy Qur an (Qur an 98:3). It is also used for any previous revelation. It can also refer to all previous revelations taken together (Qur an 23:43) and for all revealed books including the Qur an (3:43). Revealed books are also spoken of as Suhuf, (plural of sahifa) as in (Qur an 87:18-19), where all previous books of Moses and Abraham are so called, or as in (Qur an 80:13 and 98:2), where Qur an itself is spoken of as sahifa. Sahifa means anything spread out. The third name under which revealed scriptures are mentioned is Zubur (plural of Zabur) as in Qur an 26:196,55:43) etc. Zabur means any writing or book and particularly, the Book of the Psalms of David is called az-zabur.

20 4.3. REVEALED BOOKS AND THEIR PROPHETS To Prophet Abraham was revealed the Mushaf, to David Zabur (Psalms): to Moses Taurah, (Torah) the Old Testament, to Jesus the Injil (the New Testament) and to Muhammad Qur an. None of the revealed books except the Qur an exists in its original form today. Some of the books were changed and modified. Thus, it is difficult to establish authenticity of their various parts. The religion of Islam requires a belief not only in Qur an, but also in all the books of Allah granted the nations of the world. (Qur an 2: 3 & 4, 2:285, 3:183). A revelation was granted to each nation according to its requirements and in each age in accordance with the capacity of the people of that age. As human brain became more and more developed more and yet more light was cast by revelation on matters relating to the unseen, existence and attributes of the Divine Being, nature of revelation from Him, requital of good and evil, life after death, Paradise and Hell POSITION OF THE QUR AN AMONG THE REVEALED SCRIPTURES Beside bringing religion to perfection and making plain what was obscure in the previous scriptures, the Holy Qur an is a guardian over those scriptures, guarding the original teachings of the Prophets of Allah. It is also a judge deciding the differences between them (Qur an 5:48, 16:63-64). It is elsewhere pointed out in the Qur an that the teachings of the earlier scriptures had undergone alteration, and therefore only a revelation from Allah could separate the pure Divine teaching from the mass of error, which had grown around it. This, the Qur an did, and hence it is called the guardian over the earlier scriptures. I.T.Q: When you have completed this session you will be able to answer this question: 1. Mention four of the revealed scripture you know. I.T.A: Zabur, Taurat, Injil and Qur an. SUMMARY OF SESSION 4 In Session 4, you have learnt that: Allah revealed scriptures to guide people from the wrong path to the right path. These scriptures are sometimes referred to as kutub, suhuf or zubur. They were sent through Prophets and only Allah knows their exact figure.

21 While some of the books have been distorted, the Qur an remains in its original form. The popular revealed scriptures are Tawrah, Zabur, Injil and Qur an. SELF -ASSESSMENT QUETIONS FOR SESSION 4 When you have completed this Session, you can test your achievements of the learning outcomes by answering these questions: 1. Briefly describe the following terms in relation to the revealed scriptures. (a) Kutub, (b) Suhuf (c) Zubur. 2. Identify and discuss the major revealed scriptures. 3. Account for the distortion of the revealed scriptures. 4. Of what importance is the Qur an?

22 SESSION 5 BELIEF IN THE EXISTENCE OF THE ANGELS INTRODUCTION Angels are referred to as Mala ikah. They are created from light. Angels have wings and can take any shape when delivering Allah s message. They serve Allah always and do not disobey him. They are not Allah s partners or helpers. Muslims are enjoined to believe in the existence of the Angels but not to worship them. They are indeed inferior to man. The correctness of this statement lies in the fact that they were commanded to bow before Adam (AS). The most popular among the Angels are Jibril, Mika il, Israfil, Azra il, Ridwan, Malik, Raqib and Atid. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR SESSION 5 After studying this Session you should be able to: i. Explain who the Angels are. ii. Describe general and specific functions of the Angels. iii. List names of some of the Angels BELIEF IN THE EXISTENCE OF THE ANGELS The Arabic word for an Angel is Malak the plural form of which is Mala ikah. Belief in the existence of Angels is an article of faith in Islam. Angels are invisible creatures of Allah. Allah created numerous Angels and allotted each one a definite task. Some of them are mentioned in the Qur an and the Hadith. They include Jibril, Mika il, Israfil, and Azra il, Ridwan and Malik IMPORTANCE OF THE BELIEF IN ANGELS Belief in Angels is as important as the belief in Allah himself. For anyone who denies the existence of the Angels denies the existence of Allah (Qur an 4:136). It is therefore essential for Muslims to believe in the existence of the Angels, who form the communication link between Allah and His subjects (Qur an 2:285) 5.3. FUNCTIONS OF THE ANGELS According to the teachings of Islam, the Angels have a close connection with the life of man from the time he is in his mother s womb till his death and even beyond, in his spiritual progress in Paradise and treatment in Hell. The different functions of the Angels in connection with the spiritual life of man may be broadly divided into seven classes, which are detailed below. The most important and at the same time, the most prominent function of the Angels, in the spiritual realm, is the bringing down of Divine revelation or

23 communication of Divine messages to the Prophets. The Prophet not only sees the Angel but also hears his voice, and the Angel is to him therefore, a matter of fact, reality. As the Angel is an immaterial being, the Prophet sees him sometimes in the shape of a human being and sometimes in other forms. The second function of the Angels is to strengthen the righteous servants of Allah, Prophets as well as others, and to give them comfort in trial and affliction (Qur an 2:87, 253, 5:110, 58:22, 8: 9, 3: and 8:10). Closely allied with strengthening of the believers is the third function of the Angels, that of executing Divine punishment against the wicked. (Qur an 25:21, 2:210, 16:33, 6:159, 25:26-26, 8:50, 47:27, 15:7-8). Another very important function of the Angels is that of intercession (Qur an 6:12, 7:156, 11:119, 53:26). The intercession is really a prayer to Allah on behalf of the sinners on the Day of Judgment. We are told that the Angels pray for men even in this life (Qur an 33:56). As regards men generally, the Angels pray for their forgiveness so that punishment in respect of their evil deeds, may be averted. As regards the faithful, they lead them from darkness into light, and thus enable them to make progress spiritually. With regard to the Prophet they bless him and are thus helpful in advancing his cause in the world. It will be seen that in the spiritual function, the Angel is meant to render help in the spiritual advancement of man. He brings the Divine revelation, and it is only with the help of such revelation that man is able to realize what the spiritual life is, and to make advancement spiritually by a development of his inner faculties. The Angels intercession and prayer even for the unbeliever are undoubtedly meant to set him on the road to spiritual progress, while his bringing of the believer from darkness into light, and in blessings, on the Prophet, are the advancement of the cause of spiritual progress. Every good and noble deed is the result of the prompting of the Angels. The Qur an speaks of the Angels and the devils as leading men to two different courses of life. The former as shown above to a good and noble life aiming at the development of the human faculties and the latter to a base and wicked life tending to the deadening of those faculties (Qur an 50:21-22). Another spiritual function of the Angels is the recording of good and evil deeds of the man. Angels responsible for this are called Katibin honorable recorders (Qur an 82:10-12, 50:17-18, 13:10-11). Some of the Angels are however charged with specific functions. Jibril for example carried revelations to the Messengers. Mika il is in charge of wealth and sustenance. Israfil blows the trumpet to signal the end of life and beginning of the hereafter. Azra il takes human soul at the time of death. Ridwan is the guardian of Paradise and Malik guards the hell.

24 I.T.Q: When you have completed this session you will be able to answer this question: 1. List three functions of the angels you know. I.T.A: Angels have deference duties which include: carrying the revelation, taking the human soul and blows the trumpet. SUMMARY OF SESSION 5 In Session 5, you have learnt the: Names of some of the Angels and their functions, wares the importance of the Belief in the Angels was also stressed. SELF -ASSESSMENT QUETIONS FOR SESSION 5 When you have completed this session, you can test your achievement of learning outcomes by answering these questions: 1. Who are the Angels? 2. Write an essay on the general and specific functions of the Angels. 3. List the names of the Angels mentioned in the Qur an.

25 SESSION 6 BELIEF IN THE PREDESTINATION AND FREEWILL INTRODUCTION Belief in Qadar is an article of faith in Islam. According to this belief, whatever happens to the believers whether good or bad should be taken as coming from Allah. At the same time man has been given limited freewill in some instances. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR SESSION6 After studying this Session, you should be able to: i. Explain the Belief in Qadar. ii. Write for and against the views of Qadariyah and Jabariyah. iii. Distinguish between predestination and freewill BELIEF IN THE PREDESTINATION AND FREEWILL Muslims believe that Allah created the universe as predetermined by Him. The predetermination is called Qadar. The Prophet, Muhammad demanded the belief that the determination (Qadar) of all good and evil is from Allah. The words on Qadar occurring in one Hadith are that thou believe in Qadar, in the whole of it, and in a second, that thou believe in Qadar in the good of it and the evil of it. A third version states that thou believe in Qadar in the good of it and the evil of it, being from Allah. The good and evil of Qadar therefore mean that whatever good or evil that comes to man must be accepted as coming from Allah. In other word a man must completely surrender himself to the Divine will under all circumstance. At the same time freewill is the best gift granted to us by Allah. Everything has been left to our choice. Whatever course we elect to adopt we find no one to check it. Muslims because of their belief in Qadar are often accused of being fatalistic. This is not correct. We do not believe in fate but in Allah, the Creator of the Universe and of everything in it. We believe at the same time that the universe being so wonderful and complex and yet running so smoothly, must have been planned and predetermined by Allah in eternity, according to His wisdom and will. When some misfortune befalls us, we resign ourselves to it as something coming from Allah instead of despairing SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON PREDESTINATION AND FREEWILL

26 Among Muslims of the past, there were two extreme schools of thought on predestination and freewill. They were the Jabariyah and Qadariyah THE JABARITES (JABARIYAH) The school held that Allah is the Creator of man s deeds whether good or bad and that man is entirely powerless and without responsibility in the matter. They contended that man has got no power to go beyond his destiny or decree of Allah before his creation. They cite the following Qur anic verses to support their position. And whomsoever Allah guides there is none That can misguide him. (Qur an 39:36) And if Allah afflicts you with harm, then there Is none to remove it but Him, and if He intends Good to you, there is none to repel His grace (Qur an 10:107). The Holy Prophet said: Nothing repels a pre-decree except Supplication THE QADARITES (QADARIYAH) The Qadariyah and later on the Mu tazilah held that man has got freedom of will and the consequence, or responsibility of actions. They cite the following verses in support of their case. And whatever affliction befalls on You, it is on account of what your Hands have wrought. (Qur an 42:32) The two views are opposed to each other and none of them can find a satisfactory solution to the problem. The right view according to the majority of the Muslim Theologians is the mean between the two extremes. In other words, man is neither absolutely compelled, nor absolutely free. Belief in Qadar therefore implies a belief that man is neither possessed of absolute power, knowledge and will, but his power, knowledge and will are controlled by the hand of Allah according to certain laws and not arbitrarily. It is a belief that man has got no control over many things like birth, death, talents, and gifts, but he has got a very limited control over his doings either to follow the right course so as to bring reward or to follow the wrong course so as to bring punishment. It is a belief that everything is subject to Taqdir that is, divine laws popularly called the Natural laws of the Universe. It is a belief that we must go on working and thereby shape our own destinies.

27 I.T.Q: When you have completed this session you can test your achievement of learning by answering this question: 1. Cite the opinion of Qadariya and mu`atazilah on man`s action. I.T.A: The Qadariyah and later on the Mu tazilah held that man has got freedom of will and the consequence, or responsibility of actions. SUMMARY OF SESSION 6 Allah predestined some actions and gave man freewill in others. The predestination is not absolute just as the freewill is not. Muslims on the basis of the two faces of the belief in Qadar have been divided into two groups, the Qadariyah and Jabariiyah. We found that none of these two positions is valid because the belief in Qadar means that man neither possesses absolute power, knowledge or will nor is he is subjected to the absolute control of Allah. SELF -ASSESSMENT QUETIONS FOR SESSION 6 When you have completed this session, you can test your achievement of learning outcomes by answering these questions: 1. What is Qadar? 2. Who are the Jabariyah and Qadariyah? 3. Differentiate between predestination and free will.

28 SESSION 7 BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION. INTRODUCTION Belief in Resurrection reminds Muslims that their living on earth is temporary and it will come to an end one day. At the end of the earthly living, every creature will be resurrected from death to give an account of his deeds on earth. Righteous people will be rewarded by Paradise and the wicked will be punished in Hell fire. LEARNING OUTCOMES FOR SESSION 7 After studying this Session, you should be able to: i. Define the following terms a. Nashr b. Hashr c. Wazn ii. Write on the Day of Resurrection. iii Describe the significance of the belief in resurrection BELIEF IN RESURRECTION Another article of faith in Islam is the Belief in Resurrection. According to this belief Muslims believe that at the end of the world there will be the Day of Resurrection. They also believe that death is not the end of human existence, but there will be life after death. The people will be rewarded for good deeds and punished for evil deeds RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD After every living creature on earth has died they will be resurrected. This resurrection is called An-Nashr GATHERING OF THE PEOPLE After the resurrection, they will all be gathered in one place, which will be very crowded and intolerably hot, except for those who did well in their earthly lives. This gathering is referred to as Al-Hashr. The basis for this belief is found in the following Qur anic verses. Then fear Allah and know that you Will surely be gathered unto Him. (Qur an 2:203) Surely it is your Lord who will gather Them together. For He is perfect in Wisdom and Knowledge. (Qur an 16:25).

29 7.4. WEIGHING AND ASSESSING DEEDS OF MANKIND Then the deeds of the people will be weighed and assessed. This process is called Al-Wazn. Thereafter everyone will be brought to account by Allah. This trial is technically referred to as Al-Hisab. But Allah will judge between them in their Quarrel on the Day of Judgement. (Qur an 2:113) 7.5. REWARD FOR GOOD DEEDS The righteous will receive their good rewards in an eternal abode called Al-Jannah Paradise. And who believe in Allah and the Last Day And work righteousness shall have their Reward with their Lord; on them shall be no Fear, nor shall they grieve (Qur an 2:62) As to those who believe and work Righteousness, Allah will pay them in full Their reward; but Allah loves not those who Do wrong. (Qur an 3:57) It goes without saying that Paradise will be eternal once meriting it; there will be no question of being ejected from it. In support of this, the following verse of the Qur an is often cited. Pain will not touch them, and there is no Expulsion from it. (Qur an 15:48) As far as Paradise is concerned an oft-quoted utterance of Prophet Muhammad is: Allah says: I have prepared for my pious slaves (Men) things in Paradise the like of which no Eye has not ever seen, nor ear ever heard, nor even Human heart (mind) ever thought of. As for what is beyond Paradise, Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi and other great scholars of Hadith record an important saying of the Prophet: When the people meriting Paradise will have Entered it, Allah will tell them: Ask Me what else can I add to you? People will wonder having been honored, given Paradise and saved from Hell, and will not know what to ask. There upon, Allah will remove the veil and nothing would be lovelier than gazing their Lord PUNISHMENT FOR EVIL DEEDS